NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8
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Chapter 8
Purpose and Revenge (1)
The process of dropping out was shockingly quick.
It didn’t even take three minutes.
Just filled out some paperwork and done.
There were no professors trying to dissuade Riley.
The supervising professor gave Riley a recommendation letter for an assistant position at the Magician’s Tower and a minimal amount of travel money.
This was the last favor from Lutemis for any student choosing to drop out, as well as a bare minimum procedure.
With all the paperwork finished, we returned to Lutemis’ dormitory.
Swoosh, swoosh—
Riley silently packed her things.
The dorm room was empty; it seemed all the roommates had gone off to eat. We leisurely gathered our belongings one by one.
“Are you sure you don’t need any books related to magic?”
[Hmm.]
Books related to magic, huh.
Well…
After pondering for a moment, I finally responded.
[We don’t need anything else, but definitely pack the history book on magicians (魔法史).]
Even if I didn’t need books about the concept of magic, I absolutely needed ones on history.
After all, I had to know what had happened over the past 300 years.
Upon hearing my answer, Riley nodded and began gathering the history-related books.
Her clothes and books started stacking neatly inside the suitcase.
*
Outside the grounds of Lutemis.
Riley and I were strolling through the garden leading to the main gate.
[Still, it’s a bit disappointing.]
“What is?”
[As I mentioned before, there are many privileges that come with attending Lutemis.]
I wasn’t just talking about privileges given after graduation.
There were products students could earn during the semester.
For instance, special artifacts awarded to the winners of a tournament held every year.
Or special potions given to the top performers in academics annually.
[Getting those would be nice. It would really help with growth.]
It was a bit disappointing to give all of that up.
But hey.
It’s normal for every choice to come with its own pros and cons.
By giving these up, there would surely be new benefits we gain from it.
“Hmm…”
After listening to my explanation, Riley swallowed hard.
A moment later, she asked with a significant tone.
“Why are you bringing this up now?”
[Huh?]
“Couldn’t you have said this a little earlier?”
[Why? Are you suddenly regretting dropping out of Lutemis?]
“No, it’s not that.”
Riley shook her head and continued.
“The storage is located on the opposite side of the main gate. We have to turn back.”
[……?]
Because the storage is on the opposite side of the main gate, we have to go back?
What in the world is she talking about?
When I showed my confusion, Riley tilted her head and asked.
“Why? Didn’t you suggest we steal the artifacts and special potions?”
[…….]
I fell silent at Riley’s words.
No, her thought process seemed a bit odd, something I had felt since yesterday.
And yet…
That made it all the more appealing.
*
Riley mentioned that during her year at Lutemis, she had discovered many secret passages.
Passages that weren’t even included on the official map.
“I used those secret passages when I went to the library to find the magician.”
In the dark and damp underground passage.
Riley’s voice began to echo around us.
According to her, this secret passage was one of the ways leading to Lutemis’s storage.
Her plan was to sneak into the storage through the passage and take useful items.
[…….]
I briefly surveyed the passage.
Walls covered in moss and vines.
Dust piled up everywhere.
It was clear that no footsteps had touched this place in hundreds of years.
[How on earth did you find a place like this?]
“It’s all about experience.”
[Really?]
After hearing Riley’s reply, a question popped into my mind.
[Then if you have the know-how to find these passages, why do thieves always fail to steal things?]
“Knowing doesn’t guarantee success.”
Riley shrugged her shoulders.
It seemed she had pride in her thieving skills.
Well, I guess it made sense.
She had the skills to infiltrate Lutemis’s security at night and sneak into the library.
“And even if you found the secret passages, there are traps that ordinary thieves wouldn’t notice.”
[Traps that ordinary thieves can’t recognize?]
“Yep. For example…”
Whoosh—
“…this kind.”
Riley trailed off as she cautiously halted her steps.
In front of her, I sensed faint traces of magical energy.
Upon recognizing those traces, I couldn’t help but gasp.
[Whoa.]
Traps containing deadly magic just from the sight. For example, arrows of silence, daggers of darkness, and blood traps, etc.
Despite being magical formations several hundred years old, these dangerous traps were still active.
If Riley had stepped on those traces, she would have been seriously injured. In the worst case, she might have even lost her life.
It was fortunate that Riley had excellent mana affinity.
If she were an ordinary thief, she’d surely have been caught unaware and met her demise.
[But there should be devices for disarming these traps, right?]
I asked as Riley proceeded cautiously, weaving through the magical traces.
She, who was moving with familiar skills, answered.
“It’s an unnecessary expense. It’s better to break into a rich house that has no traps than to spend a lot on that kind of equipment.”
She meant she preferred to get an output without any input rather than invest for a gain.
Just the typical mindset of a thief.
“And usually, those traps are only set up in national institutions.”
[Yeah, that’s true.]
“But the large and capable Thieves’ Guilds never steal from national properties.”
[Huh? Why not?]
“Because if they get caught, their guild will be hunted down. I’m sure they wouldn’t want to lose a guild they’ve built over many years all at once.”
Riley continued explaining.
“From the beginning, large Thieves’ Guilds bribe the guards of the cities where their headquarters and branches are located.”
[…….]
“The guards benefit from the money flow, and the guilds can carry out their work as long as they don’t cross the line. It’s essentially a mutual understanding.”
[Oh.]
“But robbing state properties crosses that line significantly. If caught, the pursuit will be enforced immediately by the royal knights.”
Hearing this was enough for me to understand the big picture.
It was a situation where the state and the Thieves’ Guild had an unspoken agreement.
If the Thieves’ Guild crossed the line, their very existence would be put at risk.
If it were a long-established large guild, there wouldn’t be a reason to risk it all to rob from the state.
Thus, those who dare to rob the state properties are merely no-name guilds or individuals, in other words, thieves lacking any real skills.
Hence, theft against the state would always end in failure.
[That’s good info.]
Having lived for thousands of years, I’ve met many thieves, but I’d never had in-depth conversations with them.
Usually, it was all about killing, torturing, and burning them.
Therefore, I had many unsolved curiosities that I was able to gain insights on through this conversation with Riley.
[To sum it up, the big guild avoids stealing from the state because it simply doesn’t add up. They don’t want to take the risk of being hunted down. Am I right?]
“Exactly.”
I reflected on the information Riley had shared, storing it in my mind.
Hmm.
Okay.
Confirm.
Understanding complete.
[Hey, but now I’m curious about one more thing.]
“What is it?”
[What kind of guts do you have to rob from state institutions that even big guilds fear?]
Riley responded nonchalantly.
“Because I’m confident I won’t get caught.”
[…….]
That’s some serious confidence.
“And to be honest, is this even stealing?”
[Huh?]
“No, it’s not.”
Riley continued.
“With my talent combined with the Magician’s guidance, I believe I can achieve great growth.”
[That’s true.]
“So if I had continued attending Lutemis, the items awarded to the tournament winners would have essentially been mine to take.”
[……?]
“Thus, this isn’t stealing; it’s merely taking what I rightfully deserve ahead of time.”
Wow.
No way.
“Am I wrong?”
[…….]
With such miraculous reasoning, I couldn’t help but shed tears while applauding.
*
Since the grounds of Lutemis were extensive, the secret passage leading to the storage was rather long. Passing through traps, Riley and I continued on for quite some time.
Halt—
“…”
[…….]
We came to a fork in the path.
[Do you know the way?]
“Uh…”
Riley trailed off.
She looked uncharacteristically unsure.
Slowly, she opened her mouth, fingers raised.
“Normally at times like this, a thief has two choices.”
Riley looked at me, who was tucked in the robe’s pocket.
“Do it by the book or use shortcuts. Which method will you choose?”
[Hmm.]
By the book or shortcuts.
Naturally, I preferred the shortcuts.
Usually, that saves time anyway.
[Let’s go with the shortcut.]
“Then we’ll have to flip a coin.”
[What?]
What kind of shortcut is that?
That’s just leaving it to chance.
[Ugh, then what’s the option for doing it by the book?]
“Just try both paths once each.”
[…….]
Darn it.
Both options seem terrible.
Still, being from a Thieves’ Guild, I thought there’d be at least some clever methods.
I really am.
What a laugh.
[Forget it. Let’s ditch the thief tricks. You’re a magician now, after all.]
While a thief struggles with pick locks, a magician can easily open doors with “Alohomora.”
Magic makes things incredibly convenient.
This rule wasn’t an exception in situations like this.
[Let me teach you a technique.]
“Technique?”
[Yep. It’s a skill you absolutely need to master to live as a magician going forward.]
“What is it?”
[Pathfinding. It’s a spell commonly referred to as “Pathfinding.” You know what that is, right?]
“Yeah.”
Riley nodded and added.
“I learned it at Lutemis.”
[Oh, right.]
Pathfinding is a fundamental spell every magician should master.
It’s natural that Lutemis would prioritize teaching this spell to students.
Though it may sound trivial with its name being “Pathfinding,” this spell is crucial.
No matter what specific class (Class) one belongs to, all magicians usually learn at least a little about this “Pathfinding.”
Pathfinding is mostly used during dungeon or magical territory assaults.
In dungeons and magical territories, the terrain often changes frequently, making it dangerous.
At that point, the markers the main force made become useless.
The only profession that can discern the path at that time is the magician who uses “Pathfinding.”
That’s also the reason a specialized magical guide called a “Pathfinder” must accompany explorers in dungeons and magical territories.
[So you learned “Pathfinding” while attending the Academy?]
“Yeah.”
[Then show me once.]
“Alright.”
Whoosh—
Upon hearing my words, Riley closed her eyes and concentrated.
The natural state mana flowing through the air began sweeping into her mana circuits.
The gathered mana then moved to her mana heart, beginning to whirl.
Whoosh, whoosh—
Resonance taking place inside the mana heart.
Through this refining process, the natural state mana—merely a weak energy mass—slowly transformed into magical energy (魔力) capable of performing magical functions.
This process is what we call mana refinement.
Converting the natural state mana into magical energy, which forms the foundation of magic.
Whoosh─!
Once that operation was complete, Riley shot a beam of mana forward.
Whoosh──!
The mana mass rushed forward in an instant.
With her eyes tightly closed, Riley began tracing the path of the beam in her mind, creating a map.
“Ha.”
After about three minutes passed.
Finally finishing her task, Riley took a deep breath and opened her mouth.
“There are about three traps on the left path…and the right path is a dead end.”
[…….]
“So we should go left.”
Once she finished speaking, Riley looked at me and asked.
“What do you think?”
[Sounds good. It’s stable.]
That was truly a demonstration of “Pathfinding.”
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say it was textbook-perfect.
It seemed she truly learned the basic elements of magic at Lutemis.
From the speed of gathering mana to the process of transforming natural state mana into magical energy using the mana heart.
Even the task of tracking the mana shot forward and mapping it out in her mind.
Honestly, everything was flawless.
But……
[All that’s good, but it’s so ordinary.]
“……”
[And, it’s so conventional.]
Riley’s “Pathfinding” didn’t provoke any thoughts beyond the standard.
A textbook method?
Sure.
That wasn’t necessarily bad.
It was convenient, and if you just followed what others did, you could get by more than half the time.
However, with this approach, she could only become an ordinary magician, nothing more.
What I desired was not some average magician.
I am a grand sorcerer.
I wanted to be a great sorcerer that would be remembered throughout history.
And if she kept doing things by the book like this, Riley would absolutely never become a grand sorcerer.
Changes must always be made.
One should never settle for the ordinary.
That’s how innovation occurs.
That’s how progress is born.
[Think about utilizing the strengths you possess.]
“……”
[With your incredible talent, why are you trying to walk the same path as everyone else?]
Of course, it’s possible that Lutemis only taught her the standard methods.
Uniform education that doesn’t consider the characteristics of each student. Professors may have pursued only the orthodox path and forced that one method upon the students.
And such rote education might have stifled Riley’s creativity and adaptability.
But……
[You are no longer a student of the academy.]
“……”
[Don’t restrict yourself with the rules set by average students. You are far superior to them.]
Only those few chosen are allowed to walk the path of magic.
Among them, only geniuses are allowed to carve out their own paths.
[Now, let’s try once more.]
Riley was a genius.
So this time… it was time to leverage her strengths to the fullest.