Chapter 516: Metamorphosis (4)

The advice that Sienna was seeking from Edsillon had to do with the very distant past that wasn’t even a part of recorded history.

It concerned the previous Staffs of Incarceration who had held office prior to the era of war. The only Staff of Incarceration that Sienna had ever personally known was Belial, who had cursed Hamel at the moment of his death and had indirectly caused Hamel to die. There wasn’t any need to look into the Staffs of Incarceration who had followed Belial. What Sienna was really curious about was who were the Staffs of Incarceration before Belial.

Just how long ago was the position first created? Was Bloody Mary passed down through the hands of the Staffs of Incarceration from the very beginning?

Also, Sienna wanted to know more about the ancient magic that had been recorded within Bloody Mary. Edsillon was the one who first taught Sienna the basics of magic, and everything that he had taught her was based on elven magic and other ancient magics, not human magic.

If there were any other active dragons, Sienna might have gone to them to ask for advice, but unfortunately, the only dragons who were currently active were Raimira and Ariartelle.

Raimira had been confined to the Dragon Demon Castle, and she had never gotten the chance to learn her race’s magic properly. Ariartelle’s situation wasn’t all that much different. Her magic skills might be far superior to Raimira’s, but apart from a few years as a hatchling, she had mostly grown up on her own, so Ariratelle was, for the most part, self-taught in the Circle Magic Formula. As a result, it was impossible for Ariartelle to presume to give Sienna advice on such matters.

“I have borrowed a few volumes of books on ancient magic,” Sienna told Edsillon.

After returning from Nahama, on their way back to the Lionheart estate in Kiehl, Sienna had gone looking for Ariartelle on her own to borrow a few books of ancient magic. Although it was a sudden request made without any prior notice, Ariartelle had readily accepted the request. That was just how much Ariartelle respected Sienna when it came to the study of magic.

“But they didn’t have anything that I was really interested in. As for what

was

in them, there wasn’t anything that really made me go ‘Wow!’ instead, it was all just... kinda boring? I realized that just because some magic is old doesn’t mean it has to be all that great,” Sienna said with a disappointed pout.

“There’s a reason why some things that are lost to history stay lost,” Edsillon said with a wry smile as he shook his head. “Just because something is an ancient piece of magic doesn’t necessarily mean that it is anything particularly mysterious and amazing. You’ll find that most ancient magic is primitive and crude, far inferior to modern magic. After all, isn’t magic just another field of science? The magic of today is something that we have arrived at by complementing and developing the magic of the past. Of course, as someone working on the cutting edge of such research, you should already be fully aware of this, Sienna.”

“Ahem,” Sienna coughed with a proud look on her face.

It naturally left her in a good mood to hear such recognition from the master who had taught her magic from a young age. That was still the case even though this wasn’t the first time she had heard him give such recognition; in fact, she had been told things like those dozens of times before now.

Sienna threw her shoulders back with a proud tilt of her chin as she glanced over at Eugene, Krisitna, and Carmen. Her look blatantly said they should be applauding in recognition of all that she had achieved.

Just as blatantly, Eugene ignored the obvious message behind her gaze. Anise, who couldn’t bear to see Sienna showing off like this, also kept Kristina from applauding. Surprisingly, even Carmen refrained from clapping. She was so fascinated by the arcane mysteries being discussed by the Elder of the elves and the Wise Sienna that she didn’t have any spare attention for Sienna herself.

“...Hmph,” Sienna snorted, her shoulders not slumping in the slightest despite being so obviously disregarded. Nodding her head slightly, she gestured to Bloody Mary with one hand and moved the conversation forward, “However, Elder, the magic recorded in that staff is... exceedingly mysterious and... obscure. I’m certain it is completely different from any other ancient magic I’ve encountered thus far.”

“But ultimately, isn’t it just another type of black magic?” Edsillon questioned with a frown.

Sienna hesitated, “That’s true, but... we can’t just ignore the depth of its value and potential out of a blind rejection of all things black magic.”

“Haha,” Edsillon laughed softly as he shook his head. “I would never have expected to hear such an evaluation of black magic coming from you. But Sienna, I don’t see how I will possibly be able to comprehend magic that even you are having a hard time understanding.”

“When I first saw this magic, I had a strange feeling about it,” Sienna revealed. “But Elder, I’m afraid that you might be offended by the conclusions that I have reached.”

“Just say what you have to say,” Edsillon encouraged her.

Sienna took a deep breath before continuing, “Part of the ancient magic recorded in the depths of Bloody Mary resembles elven magic.”

At Sienna’s words, Edsillon’s smile disappeared from his face.

Elven magic, as the name suggested, was literally a type of magic solely passed down through the elves, and even if others had tried to learn it, it was basically impossible to use unless you were an elf.

The sole exception to this rule was Sienna. Having grown up among the elves since childhood, she had managed to learn and cast part of the elven magic even though she was a human rather than an elf. However, Sienna had never managed to teach any of her elven magic to other human wizards or even refine any of the spells that she had learned into reproducible theories or formulas.

This was because there was no such thing as formulas when it came to elven magic. It might be called magic, but Sienna felt that it had more in common with the holy magic that was used by the priests. Where a priest would pray to the god they believe in and ask their deity for aid, elven magic would call upon mana itself for its effect. So, elven magic was able to draw on the ambient mana and manifest magical phenomena by resonating with this mana.

“This staff will only record its wielder’s magic. It doesn’t just record their formulas; it also preserves the memories of the magic as it is performed,” Sienna revealed.

This meant that trying to understand the magic recorded within Bloody Mary was almost like trying to solve a problem while being able to peek at the answer sheet.

Sienna had returned to her roots as a wizard and abandoned her prejudice against black magic to immerse herself in the memory recorded within Bloody Mary. However, after getting a closer look at the magic that had been preserved in the depths of the seal, Sienna discovered that the answer sheet was missing. Or, to be more precise, the answer sheet was inaccurate and incomplete.

Previous spells had both their formulas and their previous caster’s tips on how to use them, but past a certain depth, let alone those tips, there weren’t even any formulas.

Sienna continued, “In other words, all that is left is a record of the magic in its purest form. Without any formulas or tips on how to use it, all that is left is the resonance of the mana... and the dark power... when the spell is cast.”

“Indeed,” Edsillon’s expression smoothed over in a calm look as he processed what Sienna was saying.

Although the inside of his head was still slightly unsettled by the news, he soon came to terms with the revelation and nodded.

“I understand what you mean by that,” Edsillon said. “Certainly, the magic you are describing does bear some similarity to elven magic. However, Sienna, you should already be aware of something. Elven magic isn’t the only type of magic that bears some resemblance to the type of magic that you’ve described.”

“Yes,” Sienna nodded slightly in agreement.

She shifted her gaze to look at Eugene, Kristina, and Anise. The miracles they used, as well as the dragons’ Draconic Incantations, were all an alternate type of magic that didn’t use any particular formulas.

Whether it was miracles, prayers, or wishes, in the end, they were all an expression of someone’s will. It was only when a deity, divine power, or mana itself responded to that force of will that the spell was cast. Sienna’s own Absolute Decree was also a type of magic that was activated through the power of will.

“So it’s not just some primitive magic from long ago. Not from antiquity, but from a time much further back into the distant past...,” Edsillon closed his eyes as he muttered to himself. Finally, he shook his head, “As an elf, it’s only natural that I can learn and perform elven magic. However, I cannot teach the use of elven magic to other races or adapt the spells for them. This doesn’t seem to match the category of magic that you’ve described. As such, Sienna, I’m afraid that I won’t be able to give you any advice on this particular form of magic.”

In the end, Edsillon’s answer hadn’t changed from when he had first given his response. Sienna also felt that it couldn’t be helped. Edsillon hadn’t refused to give advice because he thought he was lacking in skill as a wizard or in his understanding of magic but he simply didn’t have anything to say on the matter.

“However, there might be someone else, other than myself, who could possibly be able to provide you with an answer to your questions,” Edsillon suddenly suggested.

“Huh?” Sienna’s eyes widened in surprise.

Someone else? But when it came to magic, Edsillon wasn’t just the most experienced in the entire village; he knew more about magic than any other elf currently alive.

So, who on earth would be able to provide Sienna with such advice other than Edsillon?

“Elder, could there truly be another elder on your level who I just don’t know about? Could they be hidden away somewhere deep within the forest, where no one can find them, like one of the elves from the legends?” Sienna quickly crawled over to Edsillon, her eyes glowing with interest.

“An elf from the legends?” Edsillon snorted. “There’s no such elf like that. I am, in all likelihood, the oldest elf currently living.”

“In that case, who on earth are you talking about?” Sienna demanded in confusion. “Could it be a dragon?”

“There’s no need to rush to conclusions,” Edsillon said with a wry smile as he looked down at Bloody Mary. “Also, I can sense that there is something different about the Dragonheart used in that staff. However, I’m not sure how to put it into words.”

Edsillon held a hand out over Bloody Mary.

“Someone other than me will have to give you advice on your magic, but... I also feel like I can sense something familiar coming from this ominous staff,” Edsillon admitted with a frown.

Sienna had thought of visiting Edsillon in the first place because of her suspicions regarding Bloody Mary itself. At first glance, it appeared to be a staff that made use of a Dragonheart in the same fashion as Akasha or Frost, but there was something else there... a different type of feeling that left her uneasy.

Of course, even before coming to look for Edsillon, Sienna had made her attempt to examine Bloody Mary. She had also paid a visit to the dwarves living at the Lionheart estate and had even consulted with both Raimira and Ariartelle.

The dwarves had said that they couldn’t tell the difference between the three staffs. When examined using a blacksmith’s methods, Bloody Mary’s Dragonheart didn’t seem to be all that different from Akasha and Frost’s Dragonhearts.

Raimira and Ariartelle had both informed Sienna that they had gotten that same uneasy sensation from the staff. Even though all of the staffs were made using the same type of Dragonhearts, they said that Bloody Mary’s seemed to have a strange and inexplicable aura to it. Their answers matched up with what Sienna had been feeling.

“It is indeed a bit different from an ordinary Dragonheart,” Eugene chimed in. “Remember when we once got to see a Dragonheart in person?”

This was back three hundred years ago, while they were journeying through the Devildom. Vermouth and his companions had once encountered a dragon whose body had been partially eroded by the dark power of Destruction and could only wait for death. The reason Hamel’s mana had undergone such an explosive increase in his past life was that dragon’s Dragonheart had been shared by the members of their party.

“Could it be because it was processed by the Demon King of Incarceration?” Edsillon mused.

That was the only idea that they could come up with for now.

Edsillon lifted his gaze away from Bloody Mary and rose from his seat, “Perhaps you might be able to find the answer to this question while looking into that mysterious magic. After all, the answers you are searching for, Sienna, seem to have something to do with the origin of this ominous staff itself.”

With a fond smile, Edsillon’s gaze then turned towards Akasha.

“I’ve heard that you’ve given Akasha a new owner?” Edsillon noted.

“I’m sorry,” Sienna’s expression quickly changed to contrition. She hunched her shoulders and said with a shame-faced expression, “Even though Akasha doesn’t solely belong to me, I just went and did what I pleased with it. At that time, I... I decided that Eugene needed Akasha more than me.”

“It seems that you’re misunderstanding something, Sienna. I’m not trying to scold you for that. After all, Akasha belongs to you, so I don’t have the right to scold you. And besides, I believe that you made the right decision. Also, Akasha... I believe that it has already fulfilled the role for which I placed it in your hands,” Edsillon said as he opened the front door and stepped out.

The other elves, who had been staring at the Elder’s house from a distance, smiled brightly and waved their hands as Sienna soon followed Edsillon out, along with Eugene and the others.

Edsillon smiled, “This reminds me of what happened three hundred years ago, just before you finally left the forest, Sienna. At the time, you kept asking to leave the forest, but I kept holding you back and wouldn’t let you go.”

“If you hadn’t held me back at that time, Elder, I would have surely gone and died a dog’s death in the Devildom,” Sienna shamefacedly admitted.

While she was usually quite arrogant, Sienna couldn’t behave like she usually did when in front of Edsillon, who still had memories of her when she was in her diapers. Also, Sienna sincerely believed what she had just said.

“It was all thanks to Akasha that I didn’t die such a dog’s death, that I was able to fight back against the Demon Kings, and that I managed to survive the war, return from the Devildom, and become the Wise Sienna,” Sienna gratefully said.

To think that there was someone who could so easily refer to themself as the Wise Sienna. In terms of shamelessness, Eugene was confident that he could hold his head high no matter where he went, but every time he saw this side of Sienna, he couldn’t help but be in awe of her.

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Eugene shook his head,

‘Indeed, it’s only by being so shameless that she would be able to name herself in the fairy tale as the Wise Sienna, and considering the book is practically an autobiography....’

But Edsillon wasn’t aware that the author of the fairy tale had been Sienna. Thanks to that, he couldn’t help but feel quite moved by Sienna’s words of gratitude.

“There’s no need for that. Akasha was made for you to use,” Edsillon reassured her.

Three hundred years ago, when the Demon King of Incarceration declared the start of the war, all the dragons spread their wings and flew together to the Devildom. They had gone to fight for the sake of the world, for the greater good.

The dragons’ intentions may have been noble, but the Demon King of Incarceration and the Demon King of Destruction had both proven extremely strong. The dragons were defeated before they even managed to reach Babel. In that single battle, more than half of all dragons had perished, and even the dragons who had barely managed to survive were contaminated by the Demon Kings’ dark power, leaving them with such serious injuries that it wouldn’t have been strange if they had died at any moment. Finally, there was Raizakia, who had transformed into a Demonic Dragon.

Among the dying dragons was one who had had frequent interactions with the elves living beneath the Word Tree. It and a few other dragons were ready to give their lives back to nature, but they weren't prepared to die in vain, so since they were going to die in any case, they had offered up their Dragonhearts.

“The magic genius of the elven forest,” Edsillon said with a fond smile. “That’s what they called you when you were younger.”

There were no other words that better described Sienna than the words magic genius. Sienna had mastered and already started to apply the basics of magic that Edsillon and the other elves had taught her before she was even ten years old. She was even able to manage spells that shouldn’t have been able to be learned or used by anyone other than an elf.

“That dragon, my old friend Akasha, recalled your name in his dying moments,” Edsillon revealed. “A human girl, without any elven blood, who had nevertheless grown into a magical genius who had received the love and recognition of all elves.”

The dragons knew that they couldn’t fight the Demon Kings. The Demon Kings’ dark power had proven extremely fatal to the dragons. All the remaining dragons who had emerged from that massacre had reached that conclusion.

The elves were no different. Of the elves who had gone out into the world to fight back against the Demon King, the Demonic Disease had proven more fatal than any battle.

However, humans were still free to act.

Edsillon calmly recalled, “Akasha took it upon himself to draw out his own Dragonheart and entrusted it into your hands. In Akasha’s memory, the other surviving dragons bestowed their blessings on his Dragonheart, while the other elves and I used a branch from the World Tree to create the body of the staff.

“Sienna, while you were still immature, Akasha was meant to give you enough time to grow up on your own. Once you no longer needed to rely on Akasha, if you were to hand over Akasha to someone who you acknowledged and who needed Akasha’s help, that too would be in accordance with Akasha’s wishes.”

Edsillon’s eyes turned towards Eugene. Eugene bowed his head in acknowledgment, increasingly aware of the weight of Akasha, which he was holding in his right hand.

Eugene also couldn’t help but agree that Akasha had been of great help to him, giving him enough time to grow into his own power when he had needed it the most. If Akasha hadn’t been present during his earlier adventures, Eugene wouldn’t have been able to increase his proficiency in magic as quickly as he had, and he would have had much more difficulty in developing Prominence and his other techniques.

‘Though honestly speaking, I don’t really use it much anymore...,’

Eugene thought regretfully.

In the past, he had frequently used Akasha to cast several convenient spells quickly. However, at some point, he had stopped relying on magic all that much.

The reason for that was simple: He was now able to use other methods that were much more useful and powerful than ordinary spells. As a result, he usually found himself using Prominence, as Prominence was ultimately the spell that best provided assistance to Eugene’s fighting style.

[But you still receive help from both Akasha and me in making the fine adjustments for Prominence,]

Mer reminded him.

Eugene nodded,

‘That’s true. My focus would be dull if I had to fight while paying attention to that as well.’

[In that case, that means you’re still getting good use from Akasha, aren’t you? Of course, since I am a wizard’s familiar, I should hope for you to fight with a more sophisticated, wizard-like style rather than your usual way of fighting while barbarically swinging your sword,]

Mer said with a giggle.

“It’s over here,” Edsillon said as he came to a stop in front of the lake.

Sienna let out a low sound of surprise, and Kristina immediately turned to look at Eugene in alarm.

“Are we going inside the World Tree?” Eugene asked, also feeling slightly startled.

The place where Edsillon had stopped just now was the same place where Eugene had arrived a few years ago when he was looking for Sienna. In front of him was a path that led to the center of the World Tree. The same place where Sienna and the other elves had been hibernating.

“Is there an elf in there who hasn’t woken up yet?” Eugene asked, his head tilted in curiosity as he turned to look at Edsillon.

“Of course not,” Edsillon shook his head.

Eugene frowned, “In that case, why are we heading there?”

“We must go there to seek advice from the Ancestor Spirits,” Edsillon explained.

“The Ancestor Spirits?” Eugene repeated in astonishment.

Edsillon nodded. “If it’s the Ancestor Spirits who reside within the World Tree, they should be able to answer Sienna’s questions.”