Chapter 61
At the moment the winner of the final round was announced,
the participants began nodding one by one.
It was an announcement so conclusive that it left no room for objection.
Shortly after, Helton unfolded the paper and began to speak.
“Kyle Seltarion. The five spells he presented in the finals of this magical formula competition were incomparable in performance when compared to existing spells, with no detectable flaws or side effects…”
For a while, the praise for my magic continued.
“…All of these details have been personally verified and endorsed by His Grace, the Duke. As the winner of this competition, he will be awarded one hundred platinum coins, one artifact, and the rights to establish a Magic Tower. Now, the runner-up will be announced…”
The names of the second to fifth place winners were recited.
Reaching fifth place was considered winning, as it came with recognition in various official documents and media exposure.
Perhaps because of this,
every time a name was called, the participants’ reactions fluctuated between joy and disappointment.
Most participants had expected at least to place, even if they didn’t win outright.
The difference between placing and not placing was significant.
After the five winners were decided,
“Those whose names were called, step forward to the podium.”
At Helton’s words, four participants, including myself, began to step forward.
Waiting there was none other than Duke Meleos Hamilton.
“Congratulations on your victory.”
“Thank you.”
The duke handed me the gold medal, a symbol of victory in the theoretical competition, and smiled at me.
“Though the prizes may seem a bit lacking, aside from the rights to establish a Magic Tower, don’t be too disappointed. When the spells you’ve developed are published and sold as books, you’ll earn 20% of the profits. And the increased renown is a bonus.”
One hundred platinum coins.
And one artifact.
Indeed, for the largest magical competition on the continent, the rewards could be considered somewhat meager, but it didn’t matter.
I hadn’t participated in this competition for such trivial rewards.
The most important prize was the right to establish a Magic Tower.
The duke, who had been watching me, handed over a luxurious dark seal, then raised his voice as he looked around.
“Kyle Seltarion! As a reward for his victory in the field of magical formulas, he is granted the right to establish a Magic Tower starting this moment! This is one of the sacred promises between the Alton Empire’s Imperial Family and the Hamilton Ducal Estate, and I, Meleos Hamilton, as the chairman of the Western Magic Tower Association, guarantee this right in full!”
The Western Magic Tower Association.
As the name implied, it was a vast organization connecting all Magic Towers in the western part of the empire.
Meleos Hamilton.
A 7-circle Archmage, he was a giant figure who served as the chairman of this association.
At the moment the duke made his loud proclamation,
“Waaaah!”
Applause erupted from the retainers of the Ducal Estate and the participants alike.
Amid the thunderous cheers, I bowed my head to the duke.
“Thank you.”
“It’s only a fitting reward. Take it.”
The duke handed me a magic pouch.
Clink!
A dazzling sound resonated as platinum coins collided within.
One hundred platinum coins.
This amount would greatly assist in crafting Seron’s artifact.
Though it wouldn’t cover all the expenses, considering the expensive materials involved.
‘I’ll figure out the rest of the funds somehow.’
After bestowing the prize, the duke handed me a ring.
Upon receiving it, I examined its details using Heart Eye.
[Flonel’s Jewel Ring]
[A ring crafted from Flonel’s jewel.]
[Special Effects]
[Resplendent Jewel (C+): Increases mana recovery speed by 20%.]
[Defense Circuit (C): Once a week, activates Aqua Shield magic without consuming mana.]
‘Roughly rare-grade.’
Flonel.
A plant-type monster native to the central continent.
Sometimes, when hunting Flonel, a jewel could be found inside its body.
The jewel, known for its mana-conducting properties, was often used in artifact crafting.
This ring was likely made from such a jewel.
‘Not bad.’
Rings, necklaces, and earrings were generally more highly valued than other types of artifacts.
Because their small size made it challenging to imbue them with magical circuits during their creation,
and because they required rare and hard-to-find materials like jewels or mana stones.
‘This one is a crafted artifact.’
Artifacts.
They came in two main types.
The first were complete artifacts obtained from special locations like dungeons or ancient ruins, and the second were crafted artifacts made by humans on the continent.
Among these, the former was far more valuable.
Common, Magic, Rare, Unique, Legendary, Epic, and God.
These were the seven artifact grades used by players to categorize them in the game.
Crafted artifacts,
‘At best, can reach up to the Legendary grade.’
Even with the most skilled artisan and the finest materials, that was the limit.
Currently, it was impossible for the people of the continent to produce anything beyond that.
In the past, during the era of the Ancient Empire, even Epic-grade artifacts were supposedly easy to craft.
‘But that became impossible after the fall of the Ancient Empire.’
The Ancient Empire.
Once the largest and most splendid nation on the central continent, it vanished in an instant, plunging the continent’s people into a dark age.
Over the centuries, new nations emerged, including the Alton Empire and other countries of the central continent.
Though the Ancient Empire had fallen, remnants of its legacy still lingered in places like ruins and dungeons.
That was why explorers sought such locations with fervor.
If they could discover relics or artifacts from the Ancient Empire, they could earn an amount capable of changing their lives overnight.
Fantasy Defense.
Over the course of ten years in this game, I mastered many crafting techniques.
Four crafting methods for God-grade artifacts.
And forty crafting methods for Epic-grade artifacts.
These were the achievements I accumulated over those ten years.
Unfortunately, while I knew how to craft God-grade artifacts, I had never been able to actually use the methods because I couldn’t obtain the necessary materials.
‘Even having just an Epic-grade artifact would make life so much easier.’
I couldn’t help but smack my lips in regret.
I wanted to craft them.
But at the moment, it was impossible to do so.
In the central continent, obtaining the materials required was an overwhelming challenge.
As it stood, even obtaining a Rare-grade artifact, let alone Unique, was incredibly difficult.
For now, I could be fully satisfied with the ring handed to me by the duke. Even this much would greatly aid me in getting through the early stages.
The mana recovery speed was certainly a sweet bonus, but the most valuable feature was the ability to activate Aqua Shield once a week.
Aqua Shield.
It was one of the 2-circle spells.
A defensive magic that generated a thick wall of water, it had the characteristic of easily deflecting various cold weapons.
The process of penetrating the water shield would inevitably slow the weapon’s speed.
After all, swinging a sword underwater is far harder than on land, isn’t it?
It was fair to say this spell relied on such properties for its defense.
Since the spell embedded in the artifact consumed zero mana and could be activated instantly without casting time,
it was effectively like having an extra life.
As the black seal symbolizing the right to establish a Magic Tower was placed upon my chest,
and the gold seal proving my victory in the field of magical formulas followed,
the addition of Flonel’s Jewel Ring to my finger left me feeling deeply reassured.
Compared to obtaining good items in the game, this feeling was at least five times better.
Because in this world, one wrong move could cost you your life.
Afterward, the duke distributed the prizes to the remaining four winners, one by one.
Once the award ceremony concluded,
Helton approached the participants and spoke quietly.
“This evening, there will be a banquet. I hope all those present will attend. The retainers of the Hamilton Ducal Estate and the mages who performed well in the practical competition will also be joining.”
A banquet.
Honestly, I would have preferred to just go back.
‘But that would likely be taken as a signal of hostility toward the ducal estate.’
Refusing would be nearly impossible.
I didn’t even have a reasonable excuse to decline.
Helton went around asking each finalist for their intention to attend and eventually approached me.
“You’ll attend the banquet tonight and grace us with your presence, won’t you?”
His gaze left no room for refusal.
Of course.
If the competition winner left immediately for home, the banquet’s atmosphere would surely plummet.
He was probably thinking that any noble with common sense would never refuse.
This is why social obligations are so exhausting.
Naturally, I gave a very agreeable response, completely different from my inner feelings.
“Yes. Of course.”
“Good. Oh, and one more thing.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Do you have time in about an hour?”
“I do.”
“Excellent. My father wishes to meet you personally, so I’ll call for you. Please be prepared.”
“…The duke himself?”
“Yes.”
For the duke to want to meet me in person, it seemed my magic had greatly impressed him.
“I understand.”
“Rest until then.”
After the competition ended,
Leonhardt, who had been watching from a distance, approached me.
“Congratulations on your victory, young master.”
“It was only natural.”
“…Lately, when I look at you, young master, it feels quite astonishing.”
“Why? Because I’ve changed so much?”
“That’s part of it, but it’s not the only reason. Life doesn’t have definitive answers, does it? There might be actions close to the right answer, but still…”
“That’s true.”
“But when I see how you act, young master… it feels as though you already know the answers and move without hesitation.”
“Does it?”
“That’s how it seems to me. Ever since you overcame Hermemu about two months ago, you haven’t appeared hesitant at all.”
No hesitation.
It wasn’t entirely wrong.
Though it wasn’t because I was deliberately trying to act that way; it was simply because there wasn’t enough time to hesitate.
“Isn’t that a good thing? It’s better than floundering aimlessly. Plus, all the results have been good, haven’t they?”
“After gaining independence from the family, is establishing a Magic Tower your ultimate goal, young master?”
At his question, I chuckled faintly.
Magical training.
Buying grain for the family estate.
Maintaining a good relationship with Abel.
Participating in this theoretical competition.
From these actions alone, one might conclude that my goal was to establish a Magic Tower.
However,
establishing a Magic Tower was merely a stepping stone for me. It wasn’t my goal but just a means to an end.
It was just one step in my larger plan to prevent the continent’s downfall. I still had a mountain of tasks ahead of me.
“Well, for now, yes.”
Hearing my answer, Leonhardt quietly nodded as he gazed into my eyes.
“…Understood.”
After finishing our conversation,
I was resting in the guest room when one of the retainers came to find me.
The message was simple.
The duke was looking for me.
What could he want to discuss?
Knowing his personality, it seemed likely he wanted to propose a deal.
Whatever it was, it would probably be a fruitful discussion.
After all, it wasn’t me who was in a rush, but the duke, who was deeply immersed in the study of magic.
Following the retainer’s guidance, I entered the duke’s office.
“Sit. I have an important matter to discuss.”
Meleos Hamilton, offering me a faint smile, gestured for me to take a seat.
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