Chapter 58
Three Days.
After the preliminary evaluation process was completed.
Helton knocked on the door of the Duke’s office to report the results and quietly stepped inside.
“You’re here.”
“Yes, Father.”
Helton gazed at Duke Meleos.
A magician above the 7th Circle is called an Archmage.
Meleos.
He, too, bore the title of Archmage.
He was one of only five 7th Circle magicians on the Central Continent.
The Duke turned his gaze toward Helton.
“How was the level of this year’s tournament?”
“If judged by the preliminaries alone, it wasn’t particularly high. Both the theoretical and practical fields were similar, save for a few noteworthy individuals.”
At those words, the Duke smiled faintly.
“That’s how it usually is. Since I became the head of this family, I’ve presided over around fifteen tournaments, but only twice did I feel the participants’ level was truly high.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. The number of talented individuals is naturally small. But tell me, who were these noteworthy individuals?”
At the Duke’s question, Helton handed him a piece of paper. It was a document listing the personal details of the participants.
As the Duke carefully read through the document, his interest began to rise.
“Hmm. Simton, is it? A modification of Fire Storm—it seems like a rather intriguing topic. Did you verify the casting method?”
“Yes. My retainers and I reviewed it, and it activated without issue. The power was significantly enhanced, and mana consumption was reduced.”
“Not bad. If that’s the case, this individual seems poised to win.”
The 4th Circle spell Fire Storm was a spell of considerable caliber. Naturally, modifying it was bound to be challenging.
If Simton had truly succeeded in transforming the spell, it would be safe to say he was already halfway to claiming victory in the magical formulas category.
The Duke continued to scan the list of qualifiers, but then a certain name caught his eye.
“…Kyle Seltarion? Did I read this correctly? This individual passed the preliminaries? In the magical formulas category?”
“That’s correct.”
At this, Meleos let out a faint laugh.
Several days prior,
Marquess Remton had contacted him personally and mentioned Kyle.
The Duke had assumed the Marquess was merely indulging his youngest son’s whims and asking for some leniency in the process.
Thus, he had allowed Kyle to participate comfortably.
He had thought of Kyle as nothing more than a troublesome child participating for the experience.
‘But he passed the preliminaries?’
This was quite unexpected.
Helton,
His son, was a meticulous evaluator. If someone’s skills were lacking, Helton wouldn’t hesitate to disqualify them, even if they were the Seltarion family’s youngest.
“A modification of Fire Magic, you say. For you to pass him, there must have been something remarkable about it.”
“…‘Something remarkable’ is an understatement, Father. Let me show you.”
Helton immediately cast a spell.
A flame materialized above his hand, drawing a flicker of curiosity to Meleos’ eyes.
“This isn’t an ordinary Fire spell. Is this the magic Kyle demonstrated during the preliminaries?”
“That’s correct. Upon analyzing the casting method, we discovered that it possesses an astonishing level of universality. With minimal adjustments, it could be learned by virtually any magician.”
Helton handed over a document.
It was the detailed explanation Kyle had submitted about his modified Fire spell.
Meleos slowly read through the five-page document.
The expression that appeared on Meleos’ face after reading it was one of utter disbelief.
“…Did he truly submit this during the evaluation process?”
“Yes. That is precisely what he submitted.”
“Good grief.”
The reason for Meleos’ reaction was simple.
The document’s content?
There was almost no theoretical explanation about the spell’s structure.
It included a diagram of a human body.
And the only text it contained was a description of how to move mana through the diagram and the key points to be cautious about.
[Guide to the Modified Fire Spell’s Casting Method]
‘…’
Were it not for the title, one might not have even realized the document described a Fire spell.
‘What an intriguing individual.’
Most magicians cling desperately to theoretical explanations.
To cast a spell, one needs accurate calculations and a deep understanding of how and why the spell functions.
Magicians, as a profession, were essentially defined by their reliance on theory.
But this document?
It completely flipped that logic on its head.
It simply described the process of casting the spell.
It offered no explanations as to why this method worked, nor any details on how the spell was created.
‘Even the scant explanations present are stitched together.’
The text contained only vague phrases cobbled together to appear meaningful.
An ordinary magician might have accepted it as legitimate, but an Archmage of Meleos’ caliber immediately saw through it.
‘Was this deliberate concealment?’
The possibility existed.
By moving mana as described, the spell can indeed be used.
However.
‘They won’t grasp the core principles.’
Why manipulating mana in this way strengthens the spell—this would remain a mystery.
1 + 1 = 2.
Like an instinctive truth, they would end up using the magic without understanding it.
At least, that’s what this document suggested.
“Helton.”
“Yes, Father.”
“This magic he developed—could there be more than just this one?”
“I’m not entirely sure. But based on what he said, it seems there may be several more.”
At that, Meleos nodded.
The reason for only describing the method while glossing over the core aspects.
There were two main possibilities.
The first was that the boy had stumbled upon it by sheer coincidence and genuinely didn’t understand it.
‘Or.’
He deliberately concealed the secret to strengthening magic by writing it this way.
For now, even the Duke couldn’t determine which was true.
Kyle Seltarion.
Could a mere 1st Circle magician write the document this way to hide an astonishing secret technique he didn’t fully understand himself?
Even Meleos thought this idea might be too far-fetched.
As he briefly studied the document again, the Duke tilted his head in curiosity.
“By the way… the casting methods seem mixed.”
“…What do you mean?”
“To me, it looks like the existing casting method for Fire Magic is blended with an unknown casting method.”
“…Is that true?”
“Yes. At first glance, it appears to be an entirely new casting method, but in reality, two distinct methods are cleverly interwoven. It’s so seamless that someone at your level—or that of your retainers—would find it nearly impossible to detect.”
If he had merely skimmed through it, even Meleos might not have noticed this.
The two methods were perfectly integrated, without the slightest margin of error.
Without the magical knowledge Meleos had accumulated as an Archmage over a lifetime:
‘Even I would have dismissed this as just a new casting method.’
What made it recognizable were faint traces of familiarity left behind in certain aspects of the method.
As he pondered, the Duke decided to cast the magic himself.
Whoosh!
Flames ignited above his hand.
“Fast, powerful, and incredibly versatile. If the precautions mentioned in the document are followed, this would be a great help to low-circle magicians.”
“Yes. We’re planning to include it in the next magic manual. But, Father…”
“What is it?”
“You mentioned the blending of two casting methods. Do you have any idea what this unknown method might be?”
At Helton’s question, the Duke shook his head.
Even Meleos, who had mastered nearly all existing spells up to the 7th Circle, was encountering this casting method for the first time.
“I don’t.”
The Duke’s firm reply left Helton visibly shocked.
Meleos Hamilton.
His father was one of only five Archmages on the Central Continent.
If even he couldn’t identify this casting method, it could very well be the first of its kind revealed on the continent.
“…Then is it possible to separate the two casting methods?”
The Duke gave his son a penetrating look.
It wasn’t hard to discern Helton’s thoughts.
The Fire Magic’s existing casting method had fused with an unknown method, producing a dramatic enhancement in the spell’s power.
If this unknown method could be extracted and used independently:
It might revolutionize countless spells, amplifying their potency.
However.
From the moment he first saw the spell, the Duke suspected this was impossible.
Looking at Helton, he replied.
“It’s unlikely. Separating the two methods would be extremely difficult. They are perfectly fused together, and trying to extract one would likely ruin the spell entirely. Unless my achievements advance even further, I doubt it can be done.”
At this, Helton’s astonishment deepened.
Meleos.
Who was his father?
One of the Central Continent’s five Archmages.
If even he deemed it impossible, it meant that the combined efforts of the entire family wouldn’t be enough to disentangle the two casting methods.
“How could anyone create such a casting method…?”
“Luck or skill—it’s one or the other. When does the finals begin?”
“Tomorrow.”
“And when is the magical formulas category scheduled?”
“I believe… it starts at 3 PM.”
“Alright. I’ll participate in the evaluation process myself.”
“…Father? You mean personally?”
Meleos Hamilton.
Recently, he had begun transferring his responsibilities to Helton, retreating from public events to facilitate the transition of power.
Not only did this improve the transfer of authority, but it also suited Meleos’ introverted nature.
Meleos Hamilton.
He was the epitome of the reclusive magician.
But this time was different.
The Duke, his eyes sparkling with interest, studied the document listing the finalists.
His gaze lingered on one name: Kyle Seltarion.
“The others are unremarkable, but… this boy’s magic demands closer inspection. Who knows? Perhaps he has more spells besides this Fire Magic. Whether their casting methods follow the same principles remains to be seen…”
The Duke’s eyes gleamed as he continued.
“If they do, the field of magic could undergo a revolutionary leap forward. I must see it for myself.”
At this, Helton nodded heavily.
If the method applied to Kyle’s Fire Magic could be used in other spells:
The field of magic could advance more dramatically than ever before.
“Understood.”
Thus, the Archmage’s name was added to the list of judges presiding over the finals.
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