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Chapter 14

Rich’s Hideout (3)

Is it because we’ve known each other for thousands of years?

Despite being a reunion after 300 years, we didn’t really have anything to talk about.

Thus, without anyone speaking first, we began to head to the training room to practice magic.

I’m not sure how much time passed, but after passing numerous rooms, we finally arrived at our destination.

“This place…”

The end of a cave.

There was a massive waterfall flowing.

Inside, there was a spacious clearing, but it was hard to see what was within due to the cascading water.

“Isn’t the flow of magic strange?”

Rich chuckled as he continued speaking.

“It’s a space I created with my master over a long period of time.”

“……”

“It’s a training room where the time axis is twisted.”

*

Half a year.

It’s far too short a time for an apprentice to catch up to an intermediate-level magician.

This was true even for a genius like Riley.

But what if…

Our time was increased fourfold… so, it became 2 years?

“…That doesn’t make sense.”

Inside the clearing.

Riley wandered around looking incredulous.

Golden magic circles were glowing all around us.

High-level spells that distorted the time axis with a ratio of 1:4.

Thanks to this magical effect, 4 hours spent here felt like only 1 hour outside.

“How is this even possible?”

[We had quite the struggle too.]

“Exactly. I’m curious about the principle.”

Hmm.

Explaining the principle is a bit complicated.

[In short, it was inspired by spells like “Acceleration of Thought” and “Time Sealing,” and applied to specific spatial coordinates, using the waterfall as a medium to create this clearing…]

“Uh, I don’t get it.”

[Yeah. Let’s just forget it.]

I was too lazy to explain.

After all, it wasn’t important enough to elaborate on.

[Anyways.]

Now that we had arrived at the training room.

It was time to seriously start practicing magic.

[From today, we’re going to focus on just one spell.]

Our goal from the start was to excel in the Selection Test, thereby catching the eye of Ian Lantes.

The Selection Test is a competition.

This means it’s practically a battle among the participants.

And back in my home, Earth, there exists a book that outlines foolproof strategies for winning such battles.

The Art of War.

[There’s a saying: “Know thyself and know thy enemy, and you shall win a hundred battles without a single loss.”]

Knowing the enemy and yourself means that you could fight a hundred times and still not be in danger.

[First, let’s assess you, Riley.]

Riley was extremely agile.

The moves she showed in Lutemis’ basement were still vivid in my memory.

She gracefully dodged traps that sprang from everywhere.

With that level of dynamic vision and athletic ability, Riley should be able to easily react even to high-speed spells.

[Moreover, you have excellent mana affinity.]

Well…

I’ve said that so often that I don’t feel the need to elaborate further.

[In other words, you have two advantages compared to other magicians.]

Outstanding physical abilities.

Plus, an even greater affinity for mana.

[We’re going to focus on these two advantages moving forward.]

If Riley works to leverage those two strong points during the six months of training, she could potentially grow explosively.

Perhaps even enough to compete with high-level magicians.

Coincidentally, I knew a method that could utilize both of Riley’s strengths at once.

[Have you heard of Dispel?]

“Dispel?”

[Yep.]

Dispel.

Of course, Riley wouldn’t be unfamiliar with this technique.

After all, she had learned for a whole year in Lutemis, so it’d be strange if she didn’t know about it.

“It’s the spell that dismantles other spells, right? It’s a magic that breaks down the spell being cast by the opponent without the need for defense.”

[Exactly.]

As expected.

That was a perfect answer.

As Riley said, “Dispel” is a counter-defense magic that dismantles spells cast by others.

This means we could make a fireball aimed at us disappear into thin air.

[Do you understand why I’m suggesting we train this?]

“Yes.”

Riley nodded in response.

“Use Dispel in the Selection Test to render the opponent unable to cast magic. Then utilize my strong physical abilities to switch to hand-to-hand combat. Isn’t that what you mean?”

[Yes. Exactly.]

Riley’s mana affinity is unparalleled.

She is on a different level compared to most intermediate magicians.

By using this fact, if she can dismantle the spells of high-level magicians and drag the fight into a muddy brawl that involves close combat, the chances of winning are quite sufficient.

What if the opponent has a higher magical rank than Riley?

It’s fine as long as they can’t use their magic.

That’s precisely how we can face off against magicians in the Selection Test that will take place six months from now.

[Then, Rich.]

“Yes.”

[Please.]

Hearing my words, Rich stepped forward. A menacing magical aura began to leak from his body.

“Wait, uh, hold on a second.”

Riley, startled by the intensity, began to step back.

“Are we doing this right away? You haven’t told me anything about Dispel.”

[Didn’t you learn it in Lutemis?]

“That’s a high-level magic. You only learn it in your third year…”

[Really?]

Then, that’s even better.

It meant she could explore her own methods from the very beginning without any foundation.

Just the right approach for a genius like Riley.

“Wait, hold on. Even so…”

[Yep, it’s fine.]

I continued.

[Normally, when you get hit a few times, you learn quickly.]

“…What?”

*

“Uwaaaahhh…”

Learning quickly, my foot!

I just got hit!

[…This isn’t right.]

Riley lay sprawled on the ground after being thoroughly punished by Rich’s magic.

I pondered for a moment, glancing at her.

What’s going wrong? This was the first time I’ve encountered a method that doesn’t work.

I asked Rich.

[Don’t you usually improve remarkably after taking a few hits? You don’t want to get hit anymore?]

“That’s true.”

[So why is she not making any progress?]

For an entire hour, Riley had just been flailing around.

She hadn’t even managed to grasp the basic feel of Dispel.

Even though I hadn’t taught her anything about “Dispel,” it was strange that there would be no growth considering her talent.

“Well, that’s because Riley didn’t even attempt to use Dispel. She was just running around avoiding magic the whole hour.”

That’s right.

Riley was clearly in a panic, just trying to dodge Rich’s magic, but she showed no intention of calmly attempting to dispel the attack.

Could it be that my method is flawed?

I stared at Riley, questioning my approach.

[…]

It’s been three days since I met that girl.

Even though it was a short time, I had a reasonably good understanding of her personality by now.

Riley was extremely tenacious. Especially during magic training, she had excellent focus and maintained composure in everything.

And she was a bit of a nutcase, no… really a severe nutcase.

If I had to point out something peculiar, it’s that she liked lamb skewers and gets motion sickness? Well, that much can sum it up.

But above all that was important.

Riley had an extremely strong sense of pride.

She should be described as someone who was exceedingly averse to showing her weaknesses. In any case, Riley had a great aversion to failure.

When practicing magic, the determination and focus she exhibited were borne out of this aversion.

She didn’t want to fail at magic.

No.

To be precise.

She didn’t want to show anyone the sight of herself failing.

That’s why, in every training, Riley poured her utmost effort.

That effort felt almost pathological.

In a way, it could be seen as a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

In the Thieves’ Guild, failure in missions was unacceptable. The psychological pressure built from childhood might still be affecting her now.

Yeah.

Perhaps…

That’s the reason she didn’t attempt Dispel and just fled blindlessly?

Fearful of failing?

“No way.”

“No way, Master?”

[…….]

“Seriously, I just ran away because I thought it would hurt to get hit by the magic.”

“That’s what she says, Master?”

[…….]

Or not.

*

After about 10 more minutes of rest.

When Riley had caught her breath to some degree, I calmly began to provide additional explanations about “Dispel.”

[You probably know the principle of Dispel.]

It was extremely simple.

You just dig into the source of the spell the opponent is casting and interfere with the spell.

Of course, Riley should know this.

Even if “Dispel” is taught in high-level courses, the basic principles would have been covered in her first year at Lutemis.

[What you don’t know is the method, right? Am I right?]

“That’s correct.”

So…

How to notice the opponent’s casting, how to dig into the source of the spell, how to interfere with the spell, and so on.

All the detailed steps required to perform Dispel, Riley probably didn’t know any of them.

[But you know,]

I continued speaking step by step.

[I have already told you everything you need to know.]

“Really?”

Buzzzzz─.

Just next to us, Rich completed his preparations.

In the center of the clearing.

There floated a green sphere of magical energy that Rich had summoned.

This sphere, tangled with all sorts of complex spells, was now the target that Riley had to eliminate using “Dispel.”

[Think about it carefully.]

“……”

[Just a moment ago, you were in a panic over whether you’d get hit by magic, but now you can think calmly.]

How can you execute Dispel?

How can you completely negate the opponent’s magic?

How can you achieve it more effectively and quickly?

As Riley considered these questions while facing the magical sphere that Rich summoned, I was sure she would come up with the answer.

And this sensory realization would be much more effective for her than if I simply taught her directly.

[Alright.]

“……”

[Now go eliminate that magical sphere.]

Riley fell into silence after hearing my words. Taking a deep breath, she walked toward the magical sphere Rich summoned.

She gazed intently at the sphere.

Zap─.

As she cautiously brought a finger to the sphere, sparks flew. The highly concentrated magical energies danced unsteadily.

Observing that magical sphere, Riley quietly muttered to me.

“You said you told me everything I needed, right?”

[Yes.]

That wasn’t a lie.

Although it had only been three days since I met Riley, I had provided her with everything needed to use “Dispel.”

“But all you taught me were “Pathfinding” and “Telepathy.””

[Yep.]

“So are you saying I should apply these two?”

[Well, maybe.]

As I answered ambiguously, Riley smiled faintly.

“I understand. I won’t ask any more questions.”

Instead, as the Magician had cautioned me before, I’ll carve my own path.

Riley silently communicated to me through “Telepathy.”

With that, she closed her eyes and began to focus.

*

Through our linked “Bond’s Power,” I felt her senses. Every nerve in her body was focused on the magical sphere right in front of her.

Buzzzz─.

Within the magical sphere.

The intricate spells were entangled, and the magical circuits branched out in multiple directions.

Among them were some circuits leading to dead ends, specifically designed to deceive the opponent.

It felt like a maze.

A maze deliberately hiding the paths to the core.

“…A maze.”

Right.

A maze.

We’ve experienced mazes twice already.

The underground passage of Lutemis. And now, Rich’s hideout.

Buzzzz─.

Riley’s “Pathfinding” shone.

Following the interior of the sphere created by Rich, her particles of magical energy began to extend outward one by one.

Rustle, rustle─.

Slowly, a map began to form.

The source of the magic that made up the spell, the spells themselves, and the magical circuits, even the central core.

Everything unfolded before Riley’s eyes.

[That’s it.]

“……”

[Now, start disrupting those spells one by one.]

Riley began to inject her magical energy into the sphere.

Secretly.

So others wouldn’t notice.

Just like how Riley and I use “Telepathy” to communicate secretly among ourselves.

Zap, zap─.

These subtle interferences in magical energy shook the sphere up. The shaky sphere began to show signs of dying.

Zap, zap─.

An unstable mass of magical energy wobbling.

Zap─!

“…Ah.”

Finally, Riley opened her eyes.

The magical sphere that had been brightly illuminating the clearing was now gone.

[You did it.]

“……”

[Congratulations.]

Riley looked dazed. She glanced at her trembling hands and asked.

“How long did that take?”

[4 hours.]

“Ah, so in reality, only 1 hour has passed…”

[No.]

I interrupted her.

[4 hours have passed in outside time.]

“……”

[So, you’ve just spent 16 hours wrestling with that magic sphere.]

Thud─.

As soon as I finished my words, Riley slumped down on the spot.

It seemed the effects of maintaining focus for 16 hours caught up to her.

“Haah…”

Letting out a deep sigh, she spoke.

“…Time truly flies without realizing it.”

[Yes. But it will only get worse from here on out.]

Wasting 16 hours to simply “Dispel” one spell.

Though this was only the beginning, considering the Selection Test, we were bound to have to train intensely moving forward.

“I’m alright.”

Hearing what I said, Riley confidently replied.

“I feel like I’ve just grasped the idea.”

[Really?]

“Yes.”

[Well, then that’s a relief.]

*

Time flowed chaotically.

The seasons changed, and what felt like 2 years to us became a six-month training period that finally came to an end.

September.

The cool autumn air began to settle in as the sun started to set earlier.

The season for the Selection Test of the Five Great Towers, the most anticipated event in the magical world, had arrived.