Chapter 177: Eye of the Storm (1)

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Three days later, the news that Theo had left his room spread through the magic towers. Only a few people knew what he had been up to, but the appearance of a hero who hadn’t shown himself for a year was a hot new topic of discussion. It didn’t help that he had appeared wearing the robe of a Prime, causing the topic to grow even more. Even Vince hadn’t expected the news to spread at this speed.

“Theo, it has been more than a year since you returned from Elvenheim... Your fame seems to have grown larger. It is usually hard to get a booking here.”

“Yes. I didn’t know it would be like this.” Theo smiled bitterly as he looked around.

They were seated in a fairly famous restaurant in the capital, and all the tables around them were filled. The customers were well-dressed, but no one in this famous restaurant was focused on their food. Instead, they were sneaking glances at two particular patrons. Well, to be precise, they were sneaking glances at Theo.

Unfortunately, all their hard work was in vain. The combination of silencing and illusion magic around the duo made the customers feel like they’d been cheated. Theo hoped they would return to their idle chatter after they discovered they couldn't hear anything.

Silence and Illusion. They are basic spells, but this type of application is only possible if one’s magic power control is high.

Theo smiled and lifted his teacup. It was difficult, but not impossible, to unfold two spells simultaneously and convert them to his desired form. His magic power control had improved after reaching the 7th Circle, which just made it easier.

Theo took a sip and placed his cup down. Then Mitra, who was chewing a few tea leaves, caught his eye.

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

[Hoong?]

Her eyes seemed to ask him what he wanted.

“No, it’s nothing,” Theo smiled.

He patted her wheat-colored hair, and she eagerly returned to chewing the tea leaves. She was cute enough to make people laugh, but there was no smile on Theo’s face. He had noticed the bud on Mitra’s head. However, ancient elementals were so rare that even Gluttony had no useful information about them.

I can’t even find it in Myrdal’s knowledge.

Even the contractor of an elemental king hadn’t expected the ancient elemental to swallow a seed of the world tree. Theo’s only hope was asking the high elves of Elvenheim.

As Theo let out a small sigh, Vince suddenly spoke, “Well, it would be hard to even leave the magic tower if they knew where you’d gone. It’s peaceful right now, so your adventures will be very popular as entertainment among people.”

Theo laughed in agreement, “Haha, Master’s words are true.”

However, he then shrugged humbly. He was glad to hear praise, but he was also embarrassed. It felt too much like the stories he read as a kid, where someone who wasn’t yet twenty-three years old received the title of ‘Hero’.

As if sensing Theo’s hidden embarrassment, Vince put his cup down and said, “By the way, I’m ashamed as your teacher. I thought that someday you would jump over me... but I never imagined you would come back as a master.”

“That...” Theo didn’t know how to reply.

In fact, there was no reason for Vince to feel ashamed. Theo’s growth was literally ridiculous and impossible without the power of Gluttony. It was a pace that was impossible even for the best talents of humankind. Vince was proud of his disciple who had surpassed him, but he was ashamed about his inability to teach Theo further.

“From now on, I won’t be able to solve any of your problems with my own ability. I know about the concept of Sorcery, but it’s nothing more than superficial knowledge. The number of people in Meltor who can teach you now won’t exceed five.”

Those teachers would be the Tower Masters who had built their own specialties as they advanced through the 7th Circle. Only they could help Theo along his path. Fortunately, Veronica treated him especially well, so there would be no problem for him to seek guidance.

Vince looked at Theo with an equal amount of pride and sadness. His disciple had grown up to be a great magician. A fully grown eagle should be let loose to soar freely in the sky.

“It’s time to fulfill a promise with a certain young lady. You should go before you’re late,” Vince said.

“... Yes. What about Master?” Theo asked.

“I’ll have one more drink before leaving.”

“I understand. Then I’ll see you in the evening.”

“Mhmm.”

Theo rose first, while Vince watched him leave with calm eyes.

It was said that a hero was born in troubled times. If that was true, Theo would be caught up in an even more violent storm. He would be the one to decide the fate of the Meltor Kingdom in the Northern continent, with its hundreds of years of history.

As Theo’s teacher, Vince prayed that the path before Theo would be smooth.

***

I’m glad to see this place again

Theo placed his palms on the firmly closed door before him. The pair of doors was much thicker, and the patterns on it were more complex than the rest of the doors. The place where he’d promised to meet Sylvia was Pentarium, where the finals of the Pupil Tournament had been held.

Kukukung...

Someone else had already come, so the inside was already illuminated when the doors opened. The Pentarium was empty, but the empty seats showed how vast it truly was. It had been almost three years, but it still evoked the same sense of wonder. If he closed his eyes, it was almost like he could still hear the cheering from back then.

However, Theo’s eyes were drawn to the girl standing in the middle of the main hall. Sylvia’s blue robe and silver hair gave Theo a sense of deja vu. Sylvia’s voice had drawn him out of the illusion of the past.

“It’s been a while? Right, Theo?” Sylvia called out. If her old voice had been like a clear bell, then it now sounded like a calm lake as it echoed through the main hall of the deserted Pentarium.

Theo didn’t know whether it was because they were meeting in this place, or whether it was because they were meeting after so long, but the atmosphere between them felt strange.

He called out as he walked forward. “Sylvia.”

Sylvia smiled faintly. “I thought about it after you’ve left.”

It was the first time Sylvia had cared about anything other than magic. Unlike Theo, who already had good relationships with other people before Sylvia changed, Theo was Sylvia’s first friend.

They’d fought with everything they had when they first met. Then they had fought the undead and Elder Lich together. Then, while they didn’t see each other for a bit, they had also fought against Laevateinn together.

But then, Theo had left. It had been a secret, so Sylvia had only found out after three months.

She didn’t remember how many days she’d spent laying in her room, thinking. Just like how she dealt with magic, she wrote things down and erased them until she found the right answer. No one had taught her that there were no right answers in human relationships.

“Why did you leave without saying anything?” Sylvia realized that he now stood in a different place from her. “I had forgotten. Friendship is a bond between equals.”

She had realized it, when she looked at his back which was much stronger than hers, and she felt despair. Sylvia thought that she couldn’t be friends with him if she didn’t catch up to him. So, she read books every day and wielded her staff all day. She didn’t give up even when the magic that had once been so fun became painful.

Sylvia looked down at the floor and said, “This place, you were the same.”

The final of the Pupil Tournament... It was the story of a boy who had been inferior to her but fought without giving up. He had borrowed Gluttony’s power, but Sylvia had been much stronger at the time. Even so, Theo had been the winner.

Compared to him who worked so hard, she had realized that her pain was merely a child’s tantrum.

“I want you to check it yourself.” Sylvia stated.

“What?” Theo was completely befuddled.

“Whether I’m your friend or not,” Sylvia said as she raised her white staff. Her hands were sweating, and she felt a mixture of tension and excitement.

On the contrary, Theo was confused. It was true that he wasn’t sociable, but he knew enough that friends didn’t have to prove whether they were qualified.

How do I talk to her?

If this continued, one of them would get hurt unnecessarily. It was reckless for her to go against a 7th Circle. Why was she so obsessed with becoming friends with him? Why did she want to fight? What was she trying to prove?

He wanted to ask her all these questions. However, Theo remained silent. Unlike three years ago, Sylvia’s eyes were shining and determined.

“... I have a lot to say, but I’ll postpone it until later,” Theo said.

Then he shifted his weight fluidly, gliding backward until they were thirty meters apart. It was the ideal distance for two expert magicians to duel.

In other words, it meant he accepted the fight with Sylvia. “Come Sylvia. This time, you are the challenger.”

Sylvia smiled so brightly that it was like the sun had emerged from the clouds. “Yes!”

There were no spectators, but this was better. A battle between senior magicians was like a small natural disaster. The audience members would have to pay admission with their lives.

Six Circles rotated in Sylvia’s body at a terrifying speed, causing the magic power to stir in the tranquil main hall.

Huuuuong!

As Theo rotated his Circles, he couldn’t help but admire her.

What sensitivity. Hasn’t she become much stronger than a year ago?

Her control of magic power had reached Theo’s level, despite the disparity in Circles. The Blue Tower Master’s disciple truly was one of the geniuses of the era. Theo watched as the magic power around Sylvia was smoothly converted into an attribute, causing ice to appear.

Jjeok, jejejeok.

Frost crept across the ground as the moisture in the air froze to form shapes and letters. Theo watched in amazement as a large magic circle appeared in midair.

An exclamation of surprise burst from Theo’s mouth. “Drawing a magic circle with frost?!”

This was an idea he had never even considered. It was common sense that frost was a precursor to ice magic, but he’d never thought it was possible to further amplify the ice magic by drawing the magic circle with frost? Although this was an unconventional idea, Sylvia had clearly grown proficient in it.

While Theo gaped at her, Sylvia’s high-pitched voice completed the spell like she was singing, “Over the sky, under the sky! Blow unceasingly in the sky, Ymir’s white fog!”

This was Sylvia Adruncus’ unique magic.

“Diamond Dust!”