Was It Placed Here from the Past? (1)
When the Forest of Demonic Beasts was last being cultivated, Ghislain told Jerome about the ancient magic tome he had once obtained.
Before his regression, Ghislain had drawn inspiration from that incomplete magic tome to complete his mana cultivation method.
At the time, it had been a fortuitous encounter for him. Without that magic tome, he wouldn't have been able to grow strong enough to reach the ranks of the continent's Seven Strongest so quickly.
Thanks to that mana cultivation method, even after his regression, Ghislain was able to overcome crises by harnessing explosive power whenever danger struck.
In a way, that magic tome was one of the foundational elements that allowed him to achieve everything.
However, since he had already perfected his mana cultivation method in this life, there was no need for him to obtain it again, so he passed it on to Jerome instead.
Ghislain had only gleaned inspiration from it since he lacked knowledge of magic at the time, but a brilliant mage like Jerome might be able to gain even more from it.
"Hmm... is it here?"
Jerome had arrived at a small kingdom quite some distance from the Kingdom of Lutania.
After Ghislain collapsed, Jerome had continuously postponed his plans, but he had finally come to retrieve the magic tome.
The kingdom's nobles were startled when Jerome arrived with a few attendants.
"Why have you come so suddenly?"
"Has something happened?"
"The Rift surveillance is being handled properly."
By now, Jerome had become quite a well-known figure. News of his contributions to the Allied Forces had spread far and wide.
With one of the continent's major powers arriving in their small kingdom, the nobles couldn't help but be on edge.
"Haha, no, it's nothing like that. I'm just here to investigate something."
The word "investigation" could sound quite terrifying depending on how it was interpreted, and the nobles instinctively grew nervous.
But Jerome had no interest in them. He immediately set off for the location Ghislain had told him about.
At first, he had planned to simply hire a few laborers to excavate the site, but the local lord, eager to earn Jerome's favor, provided a large workforce free of charge.
It wasn't long after they began digging that an ancient structure was revealed. Jerome was visibly surprised by the news.
"There really… is a ruin here?"
As they dug deeper, more traces of the ancient past began to emerge. It wasn't massive or particularly grand, but it provided valuable insight into ancient life.
What particularly caught people's attention were the geometric patterns carved into the walls.
Though weathered over time, the remaining intricate designs vividly displayed the craftsmanship of the artisans of that era.
The laborers and nobles, who frequently visited to curry favor with Jerome, were all abuzz with excitement.
"As expected of Lord Jerome! How did you know this was here?"
"Truly amazing. Your wisdom reaches the heavens!"
Of course, none of them actually cared about ancient ruins. That was a scholar's concern.
If anything, they were curious about whether treasure might be found, but rather than covet uncertain riches, flattering Jerome was a much surer way to gain favor.
"Ah, well... it's not that big of a deal... I heard about it from Duke Fenris..."
"Wooow! As expected of Duke Fenris! So the two of you discovered this together! How is it that both of you are so incredible?"
"…Please stop."
The excessive flattery made Jerome quite embarrassed. He was well aware of his status, but he still wasn't used to this kind of treatment.
In one corner of the ruins, there was a small altar-like structure. On top of the finely stacked stone altar sat a small box.
"Oh... could that be it?"
Jerome approached it, his heart pounding with anticipation.
It was a metal box, slightly rusted but otherwise intact.
It seemed to have been protected by preservation magic to endure for so long.
Clack.
Cautiously opening the box, he found two books inside. They looked quite old, but thanks to the preservation magic, they were still readable.
Jerome picked up the book on top. It had no title, but when he opened it, his eyes widened in shock.
"This... this is..."
It was a magic tome, yet not quite a magic tome.
Rather than detailing formulas for casting specific spells, it contained extensive theories on the manipulation of mana. The theories were highly experimental and bold.
As he read on, Jerome let out an incredulous chuckle.
"This... is incredibly dangerous information."
The book primarily discussed methods to rapidly accumulate mana and amplify it to generate several times its usual power.
It wasn't a fully developed theory. It contained abstract concepts mixed with unverified ideas, and even the author seemed uncertain whether the theories were correct.
Moreover, the level of content was so advanced that even Jerome, an 8th-circle mage, couldn't grasp it all at once.
Completely absorbed in reading, Jerome suddenly let out a sigh.
"Ah... what the hell... why is the rest missing?"
The magic tome was incomplete. The remaining half was missing.
Clicking his tongue in disappointment, he flipped back to the beginning to examine it again, only for a chill to run down his spine.
"Wait... now that I look at it closely, this handwriting looks just like our Tower Progenitor's."
He had recently found a book from the past that had recorded events as they happened, allowing him to learn what Ghislain was doing in the past.
And now, the handwriting in this book was shockingly similar to that book's handwriting.
"…Could this really be… a book left behind by our Magic Tower's Progenitor? But why wasn't it in the Magic Tower? Why is only half of it here?"
He had no way of knowing for sure.
Perhaps the author had torn it up in frustration when their research stalled, or maybe they had deliberately scattered the pages to conceal its dangerous content.
Regardless, even with only half remaining, it was an incredible theory. He was eager to take it back and study it. The fact that it was incomplete only fueled his curiosity further.
"Vanessa is going to love this."
Vanessa was one of the continent's foremost experts in magical research. If he worked with her, they could uncover great knowledge.
He might even ascend to a higher level of mastery. That was how groundbreaking this magic tome was.
Grinning, Jerome carefully stored the book away. Then, with a curious expression, he picked up the second book from the box.
"...Ghislain never mentioned there would be two magic tomes."
What could be inside? What kind of astonishing knowledge awaited him this time?
Excited, he examined the cover, but his expression soon turned strange.
[A 9th-Circle Spell Only a 5th-Circle Slave Mage Who Defeated Goddess and Dragon Can Learn]
"…"
The title was absurdly specific. It was blatantly clear who this book was meant for.
"…Ah, is this meant for Alpoi? But how did this end up here...? Did Ghislain know I would come and leave it here from the past?"
Ghislain had told him the location before traveling to the past. That meant the information about the book had been obtained in the present, not the past.
And yet, undeniable proof that Ghislain had left a book behind for the future was right before him. The past and the future were influencing each other.
"Ugh... my head hurts. I can't figure out what he was thinking or when he left it behind."
The records from the past hadn't been updated since then. He was certain they would be updated eventually, but until then, he had no way of knowing what had happened back then.
Jerome, opening Alpoi's magic tome (?), was once again quite surprised.
"Wow… this is amazing too?"
The second magic tome described a method to split magic into multiple casts as if using multi-chanting, even without having the talent for it.
It was a completely new concept of magic, yet it was explained in such meticulous detail that even a fool could understand it.
"Who came up with such easy-to-learn magic? I understood everything just by reading it once. Did our Tower Progenitor create this as well?"
The title was undoubtedly written by Ghislain, but Jerome couldn't be certain who had authored the contents. Since he didn't yet know that Ghislain had learned magic, he could only assume that Astion had written it.
Jerome carefully read through the second magic tome. While the magic itself was easy to learn, it required some rather strict conditions to use properly.
First, the purity of mana needed to be extremely high. This was necessary to maintain the magic in a uniform state.
Second, the caster had to be at least 5th Circle. Only with that amount of mana could the technique be executed smoothly.
The third condition was the most important—exceptional mana control was required. One had to be able to manipulate mana as quickly as in multi-chanting.
Few mages met all these criteria. But amusingly, Alpoi fit them perfectly.
"This is completely custom-made for Alpoi. Did Ghislain ask the Progenitor to create this for him?"
Alpoi's mana was naturally pure thanks to having consumed a dragon heart. Moreover, he had been dragged into construction work so frequently that his mana control was exceptional.
His only problem was that he simply didn't study magic properly.
Jerome couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief.
"It's not even a 9th Circle spell, yet the title has '9th Circle' in it. Alpoi will definitely try to learn it because of that."
Ghislain, fully aware of Alpoi's personality, had clearly done this on purpose.
That way, Alpoi would think it was a 9th Circle spell and diligently study it.
"Sigh… He acts like he doesn't care, but he's surprisingly considerate of those around him."
Ghislain must have known that Jerome would come to retrieve the magic tomes and had placed this one here as well.
Perhaps he had prepared similar gifts for others in this manner.
"I should hurry back and tell everyone about this. Vanessa's probably going to love it the most."
Jerome packed both magic tomes and set off. There were still lingering questions, but time would reveal the answers eventually.
Before heading to Fenris, he first made his way to the eastern region of Lutania.
That was where Alpoi was.
***
"Hey, hey, hey! Are you not going to hurry up with your research? Move faster!"
At the Eastern Rift Research Facility, where Alpoi had been banished (?), he roamed around wearing his orange armband, nagging at the mages as usual.
He didn't have any real duties here. Since he hated studying, he was useless in research, and he had recently stopped participating in construction work as well.
All he did was wear his armband, meddle in things, and give ridiculous and unsolicited advice.
If there was one thing he was good at, it was catching runaway mages who attempted to flee in the middle of the night.
"Ugh, why did that bastard have to come here?"
"I heard Head Butler of Fenris sent him."
"That guy completely ruined the social hierarchy."
The mages of the Eastern Research Facility were full of complaints but simply endured it. Even though Alpoi was a slave, he was such an incorrigible troublemaker that reasoning with him was pointless.
If he were alone, it might have been manageable. However, there were also other mages wearing blue armbands who followed him. They were slave mages who had been with him since the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower days.
There was no benefit in picking a fight with them, so the mages endured it. Even the true overseer of the Eastern Research Facility simply ignored Alpoi and his group.
The Kingdom of Lutania, having recently gained a large influx of mages, had begun training mages on a large scale.
The mages at the Eastern Research Facility were also taking on disciples. Naturally, these young disciples were curious about Alpoi's erratic behavior.
"Master, who is that man wearing an orange armband?"
One young disciple asked his teacher. It was a reasonable question—after all, why was a slave strutting around like a nobleman?
The master hesitated, his expression troubled. Explaining what Alpoi was… was incredibly difficult.
After a long moment of deliberation, the master finally found the most appropriate answer.
"Mm… He's an unpaid slave who thinks he's a god."
"…What? That doesn't even make sense. I get that he's a mage, but how can a slave act so arrogantly?"
"Mm… Just pretend you don't see him. That's the best course of action."
Alpoi was ignored by many, but at the same time, it was difficult to treat him poorly.
Several of the key figures in Lutania, particularly Fenris' vassals, looked after him in subtle ways.
Belinda regularly sent him luxurious robes and equipment each season, and even Vanessa, who occasionally visited to check on the research, treated him with respect.
There were also rumors that Alpoi had connections with several influential figures within the kingdom. Once upon a time, he had built a reputation for himself. Now, all that remained was infamy.
Thus, the mages had no choice but to tolerate him.
"Just ignore him… Please, just pretend he doesn't exist… There's nothing good to gain from getting involved with him."
That was all the mages could say. They desperately hoped that their naïve disciples would not cross paths with Alpoi.
However, the younger mages who didn't know much about Alpoi disregarded their masters' warnings.
To them, a slave who acted so brazenly was unbearable. They were already plotting ways to put Alpoi in his place.
Completely oblivious to this, Alpoi continued his usual routine of nagging at the construction site before heading back.
"Ahem, ahem. Ah, working so hard every day is exhausting."
Behind him, the mages with blue armbands puffed up their chests and followed him proudly.
On his way back to the dormitory, a piece of paper suddenly fluttered down in front of Alpoi.
"Huh? What's this?"
Without thinking, he snatched the paper out of the air.
The moment he read what was written on it, his eyes widened.
[Treasure Map]
The fact that it blatantly said "Treasure Map," the fact that the drawing was absurdly crude—anyone with half a brain would have been suspicious.
It was clearly designed to deceive whoever picked it up, but Alpoi failed to realize this.
Without hesitation, he tucked the treasure map into his pocket.
He had a good feeling about this.
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