Chapter 628 - Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

They say opposites attract. I realized this truth while living on the Floating Fortress. The Floating Fortress that soars high above the skies, and Tantalus, a bottomless pit of eternal descent. Nothing could be more detached from each other than these two. The prestigious Floating Fortress, where the elite of the great Magic Federation are gathered. The shabby Tantalus, where apprehended criminals from the oppressive regime are amassed. These two are as different as the heavens and the earth, yet I felt a similar sensation in both places. That sensation was none other than isolation. Study, study, and more study. As the apprentice of the Blue Tower Lord, my life was hardly different from that of a prisoner. I attended the Blue Tower Lord’s lessons at set times and spent my remaining moments reading in libraries filled with packed bookshelves. Occasionally, when there was a vacancy in the workshop, I would slyly enter to experiment with magic. There wasn't even leisure for a proper meal. Meals were merely a matter of scooping food into a bowl and gulping it down hastily. There was not a moment to slack off. The Blue Tower Lord was closely watching me, constantly checking my progress and questioning anything amiss. I had to struggle tirelessly not to fall behind in this cycle. “Amazing, isn’t it? Lankart praises you as a genius for a reason. To completely grasp crystallography in three days and even design a high crystal?” That’s because you’re watching me almost like a surveillance hawk! There's no choice but to push myself when you immediately question and demand explanations for any delay in progress! “Your structural analysis is perfect. If I exaggerate a bit, I’d say it’s on par with mine. There are few who interpret as brilliantly as you, but you’ve surpassed even that level.” Honestly, it wasn’t me interpreting it but rather reading what the Blue Tower Lord was thinking, and then reciting it back. If reading thoughts is also considered analysis, then so be it. “Crystallography, structural analysis, high crystal design, and application of magic circles. Although it’s only been a few days since you learned them, you’ve achieved Grade S in all. I, the Blue Tower Lord, vouch for you. Yet….” However, even for someone receiving such praise, I had my shortcomings. The Blue Tower Lord spoke with sheer curiosity. “Why does a genius like you not have the ability to sense mana? Apprentice, have you perhaps been neglecting your training?” “You know as well as anyone, seeing as you’ve been watching! No matter what I do, it doesn’t improve!” My ability to sense and control mana was atrocious. What good is reading minds for knowledge and understanding when the actual hardware doesn’t follow through? I even had to rely on magical tools just to sense mana, not to mention barely having enough to start any magic or magical tool. I felt slightly stronger lately and wondered if my mana had increased, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Would it hurt for this ability of mine to improve overall? “I know. I’ve witnessed firsthand how much effort you pour into it, despite your talent. It’s just that the imbalance between knowledge and mana is rather fascinating.” “How much more curious should I be, then! Knowing the concept, the application, even having the sense for it, yet still unable to do it!” “Perhaps you have wronged a dark mage? Could it be a curse?” “What? Am I really cursed?” “If only! If it were a curse, we could have brokered a deal. But regrettably, seeing your reaction, it seems it’s not.” “Is my talent so lamentable that it’s comparable to a curse?!” “Do not despair. After all, it is I who is teaching you.” The Blue Tower Lord patted my despairing shoulder, offering comfort. ‘What a curious case, right? Others might have simply said it’s a pity and moved on, but a genius like myself does not overlook such an imbalance. There is something unnatural about Hughes.’ It's not quite unnatural, but there are points of intrigue. I asked the Blue Tower Lord. “Blue Tower Lord. You mentioned the Bureau of Information?” “Yes. Your teacher also carries the title of Director of FIA. Do you have any inquiries? A word in advance, I cannot divulge confidential information.” “This is more of a statistic than confidential. What is the proportion of ‘chosen ones’ among the Magic Federation’s population?” YW9peUx5cktZYXhyU2hzY1VsMkQ0WDFmM2pYMG9jSXd2bmN6dVNYTEdNVVNJcjR6djF0NGZWV0g5T0lnaktOUA “It’s not quite confidential but rather on the edge.” ‘Perhaps others wouldn’t tell you, but I have the privilege to share this, and you have the right to hear it as my apprentice.’ Once again, the Blue Tower Lord visualized a graph using crystals. “Statistically, those born within the Magic Federation have about a 1% chance of becoming a ‘chosen one.’ That’s several times higher than in other nations. The percentages of those who excel in mana control and sensing are 3% and 5% respectively, though usually, mastering one means the other follows, so they are not completely independent.” “So, I am considered ‘normal’?” “For someone ‘normal,’ you certainly have proficiency in mana control and sensing, which is the intriguing part.” ‘Of course, as long as you've caught my eye, I shall also unravel that challenge.’ Arrogant as they may be, the Blue Tower Lord’s positivity in that direction seemed agreeable. Concluding her thoughts, she handed me three azure crystals. “It could be a mana capacity issue, so we’ll explore methods to supplement that next time. Here. Today’s lesson is over. Read all of this by tomorrow.” “What? You want me to read all of this?” “Yes. A day should suffice, right?” “That’s impossible. These are magic book crystals. Each crystal holds the knowledge of an entire book.” These are magical book crystals, the pinnacle of crystal magic. By crystallizing the information from each page of a book, they layer them, and when illuminated by the light magic of the White Tower, the words appear on a screen. In this manner, not only words or pictures but also practical magic can be preserved and replayed. In terms of conveying knowledge, it is unrivaled. …However, they hold little delight for me. That's because I gain knowledge by reading people, not books! “A Guide to Mana Amplification? Can’t the Blue Tower Lord just teach me?” “Introduction to Mana Amplification is basic knowledge. It’s a fundamental theory necessary for increasing your mana. If I were to lecture even the basics, neither of us would have enough time in a day.” “I’m fine with spending the whole day, though.” “Silly one. Do you know how precious my time is? You’re already monopolizing my leisure time.” The Blue Tower Lord pretended to be angry but didn't seem particularly displeased. She is the type who enjoys interruptions. It’s no wonder she has a hobby of picking up seemingly talented fools. “Of course, it would be faster for me to teach you step by step. But since mana amplification isn't particularly difficult, take this on as self-study.” “Sigh. Alright….” “You’ve reached the 5th floor in just a matter of days. While ascending is generally easier on the lower floors, this is a remarkable achievement regardless. You should be proud. Now then, off you go. There are others waiting for you.” With those words clearly indicating it was time for me to leave, I took the magic crystal and exited the Blue Tower Lord’s quarters. While her encouragement was appreciated, that wasn’t the issue. I grimaced as I looked down at the hefty crystal. Self-study! I can't handle self-study! I'm not stupid. I'm the King of Humans, and the defining trait of humans is high intelligence and learning capacity. Even though I've lost all my powers, 'learning' itself is nearly a specialty of mine. But it's just so tedious. Books consist of rigid texts, requiring the process of breaking down each sentence and assimilating it to make it my own. In contrast, if I read someone’s mind using telepathy, I can absorb tricks and insights in their entirety. Thus, I am more efficient when learning from someone else. The Blue Tower Lord is universally recognized as a bona fide genius, and if I read a genius, I too become one. But if I read books, I’m merely a regular intellectual. Ugh. What am I supposed to do now…? Do I have to dive into studying with all my might? I really don’t want to. It was while I was plodding down the crystal tower’s stairs with a heavy heart. There was a commotion. The halls, not particularly spacious due to the tower’s size, appeared unusually crowded today. This is the 4th floor, where the Tower's wizards study and conduct research. There shouldn't be a need for so many people in the hallway. As I walked slowly, pondering this, “Apprentice Hughes of the 4th floor. I challenge you to a duel!” A wizard dressed in blue obstructed my way, declaring loudly. A duel, all of a sudden? In my bewilderment, a petite wizard stood before me, brandishing her staff as she shouted. “You dared to delve into black magic, and yet became the direct disciple of the Tower Lord ahead of us all! How can someone of your age and from the lower realm have such overwhelming talent to be taught by the Tower Lord? I can’t accept this!” “Are you suggesting the Blue Tower Lord’s discernment is flawed?” “Th-that can't be true! You must have deceitfully deceived the Tower Lord!” “So, are you implying that even the Blue Tower Lord cannot uncover my deceit?” “N-no! Tower Lord! That’s not what I meant!” Oh, she’s quite amusing to provoke. Seeing her fluster, her comrade approached and whispered something, and only then did the real wizard reignite her resolve behind her glasses. “Avant-garde, apprentice of the 5th floor of the Crystal Tower! Let’s compete in knowledge!” “Well, I have no reason to refuse...” Was this the person the Blue Tower Lord mentioned who was waiting for me? It seems she anticipated there would be some hazing involved. I guess that’s expected within the Magic Federation. I began casually stretching, observing my opponent. A duel? Against a wizard from the Floating Fortress? Had this been back in the lower realm, I would have definitely avoided it. I would have found a way out or reached a compromise. If all else failed, conceded. However, dueling in the Floating Fortress is a little different. Battles between wizards are complex. The prepared can accumulate power, and their offensive capabilities far surpass their defenses. If powerful attack magic is used at full force, it could lead to massive disasters. It's not without reason that a Demon King intervened when conflicts arose between Tower Lords. No matter how powerful, a wizard is still human by essence. Even a chosen one would die if injured seriously. Only mages with freedom over their unique magic can be considered suitable for combat. “So, what’s the issue?” “Just wait! I’m preparing the crystal set. Do, re, mi…” In the Floating Fortress, when wizards wish to compete, instead of resorting to mutual assured destruction, a more moderate form of agreement was reached. A magical quiz battle! A magic circle embedded with seven gems floated in the air. Avant-garde carefully moved her staff, touching the gems sequentially following the music sheet. A clear timbre resonated, forming a harmonious melody. Proudly presenting her meticulously crafted magic circle, Avant-garde declared, “Musical Scale Magic Circle! This is a ‘score’ form of magic, a foundational magic circle of the Pythagorean school, called ‘Staff Lines’! I will cast basic crystallization magic using the staff. Find the error here!” As the music completed, ice crystals formed at the center of the magic circle... only to collapse just before completion. Avant-garde had deliberately created a flaw. The task was to find this error—a quiz from Avant-garde. ‘From what I recall, that arrogant fellow lacks mana-sensing ability! Therefore, it should be impossible for him to detect the delicate mana sensing required for this staff line…!’ True. If this were a problem I had encountered solely through books, it might have posed a challenge. However. ‘He changed the clef in the middle of drawing the staff lines!’ “You changed the clef partway through, causing the crystals to twist and collapse mid-process.” “Gasp! How did you know that!” When a person poses a question, I never get it wrong. Unless the one who crafted the question doesn’t know the answer themselves. In celebratory accord with my response, the magic circle burst with a pop. Avant-garde was drenched in blue magical residues and fell back in astonishment, her face full of shock. “It’s been over three decades since the staff lines magic circle was discontinued due to its complexity, yet you recognized it…?” “Not only did you sense the mana, but you also grasped the flow of the staff lines?” “No way. Even geniuses have limits…!” Ah, this is easy, too easy. I wish all duels in the world were this peaceful. Wouldn’t it be great if the Holy Kingdom adopted this? ‘There’s no way a fool from the lower realm separately studied such a complex magic circle! How did he know? Did he infer it by observing the formation of the ice crystals?’ “It was a blatantly obvious trap. The very formation of the ice crystals was suspicious. You can clearly see the collapse is due to the dissonance between the first and second half.” “As expected…!” "And if you were planning to change the clef, you should've adjusted the mana of the crystal midway as well. The tone and the magic don't align." A murmur of admiration arose from the surrounding crowd. Whispers floated through the air, conceding that while they might find me irritating and lucky, my talent was undeniable. I even heard some anxious mumbling about whether I might be the reincarnation of Lankart. Whatever they've witnessed before, it must have been quite something. "...Unbelievable! I spent three days and nights racking my brain just to come up with that staff line problem…!" By the way, her name was Avant-garde, wasn't it? A wizard from the Floating Fortress is truly an undisputed genius. A complete genius forged in the ideal environment with all the support the Magic Federation can offer. The knowledge Avant-garde alone possesses might exceed that of all the magical officers from the military regime combined. Not that this says any less about how restrictive and uniform their education system is. Alright. I've made my decision. "But it was quite an impressive magic circle. Although staff lines are sensory and complex, they have outstanding advantages in mana amplification through harmonics, right?" "...Uh, yes." "If you can handle staff lines like that, you must have mastered mana amplification." "I received an A+ evaluation for it…." I didn’t ask for your rating, but thank you for the unsolicited boast. Anyway, you are exactly the kind of talent I need. I extended my hand toward Avant-garde, showing her the magic book crystal. "Avant-garde, I humbly ask for your guidance." "Wh-what?" "I want to learn the basics of mana amplification. It's essential for compensating my mana, and I need your help." "Uh? Mana amplification basics? That's the kind of thing I learned on the 2nd floor, really basic…." "It's exactly that foundation I need help with. My knowledge is lacking, and I need someone to fill in the gaps." "Wh-why would I…?" ‘Teaching a monstrous genius would only make me feel insignificant! No way! The thought of being laughed at by a genius…!’ "Simply put, I won the duel. Isn't asking for 'knowledge' a proper reward for my victory?" "Ugh!" "Enough. Follow me. I need to finish reading this mana amplification basics by today. I want you to provide explanations till I'm done." Since duels are like this here, the rewards for victory are limited to knowledge and magic. Should I say it's befitting of a wizard, or unexpectedly peaceful given the madness they pursue? I like it. So far, at least. I've gained not just a magic book, but a wizard. Avant-garde will read the mana amplification basics and articulate her understanding to me. I dragged her along toward a nearby lab. 'He's already been learning magic for days, yet he's still studying?' 'This freak’s diligent even for a genius. Calling someone less skilled than him "senior" so dutifully.' 'Is he really Lankart’s friend? He's too different.' Ignoring the thoughts of other wizards as we moved along.