Chapter 641 - Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

"Sigh. I'm exhausted." It was no exaggeration — I was genuinely worn out. Formal magic is still magic, after all. Although I taught it only to those who had the basic understanding, engraving formal magic into someone forcibly by stimulating nerves and injecting magical energy is an arduous task. Especially considering the cold weather, running around outside might have been too much. Formal magic can't be practiced openly in front of everyone. It was far more taxing trying to do it in secret. "Sir, the bathwater is heated." "Really? Time to unwind." The housekeeper entered unexpectedly, announcing the news. Welcoming the long-awaited word, I got up. This magical federation, despite its cold climate, provides all sorts of luxuries thanks to the magical tools. Take bathwater, for instance. Elsewhere, you might need to chop wood and stoke a fire, but here, a simple click of a magical tool supplies hot water. To operate these magical tools, a stable magical compound — like alchemated materials or high crystals — is necessary. Luckily, the magical federation is the easiest place in the world to obtain high crystals. Their ambient stability ensures longer preservation of high crystals. Due to the rarity of stable alchemated materials, they are used as currency, while high crystals fuel the economy. In essence, becoming a mage proficient in creating high crystals means achieving economic freedom. It's no wonder people strive to become mages. Although formal magic can't create them, who knows? Even formal magic might reveal enlightened paths if mastery is achieved. "Why do I live so frantically for luxury I can barely enjoy? I might just be the busiest person in the magical federation." Sighing as I prepared for my bath, the housekeeper puffed her cheeks in response. "Wrong! I'm busier since I have to follow you around and take care of everything!" "But you only use your body. I, on the other hand, toil teaching formal magic, lecturing, and managing the household work. There's a reason intellectual jobs pay more." "Yet I'm physically more exhausted! Since bathing is for relieving physical fatigue, I should be the first in the bath!" "No respect at all, huh? Someone in your position should focus on your duties." Asserting my authority, I dismissed her and submerged myself into the warm water with relief. Celsius' territory is blessed with abundant clean water. With advanced magic manipulating crystals, the land extracts moisture from the air and controls water temperature using rules of freezing and boiling points. Typically, freezing means zero degrees, but under Celsius' enchantments, the freezing point shifts based on proximity to the Celcius family's magical domain, reaching up to around eight degrees, they say. This manipulation alone controls Celsius' baths' temperatures. Though it's a luxury only granted by magic or high crystals. "With formal magic, even if I can't heat an entire bath, surely I could warm a basin." Compared to pure white magic, formal magic feels trivial. Yet, it's something many dream of. Contemplating halfway underwater, the bathroom door burst open, and the housekeeper peeked in. "Sir! You have a message!" "Is it from Avant-Garde? Bring it here." "Yes!" The housekeeper, draped in a robe, scurried over to hand me a resonance crystal. Reaching out, I grasped the crystal as Avant-Garde's voice echoed. [Hughes! Are you alright? Are you safe?] "I'm safe, but what's going on? Your greeting is different from usual." Avant-Garde typically inquired about my research progress and magic training. Suddenly prioritizing my well-being, I wondered what might have happened. [It's nothing! As long as you're safe, that's what matters.] "Honestly, it doesn't sound like nothing." [Trust me, there's nothing you need to worry about!] Judging from his resolute tone, something significant was indeed happening. But if he's not revealing, I can't pry. Telepathy isn't an option here. "I'm curious, but being far from the floating city, there's no way to know or even do anything about it. Alright, I'll learn the rest when I ascend the Way of Recruitment myself." [Yes! That's the spirit, my junior! Ascend quickly!] Though not face-to-face, I could vividly imagine his enthusiastic expression. I should expedite my ascent. Concluding our conversation, I placed the resonance crystal aside. By my side, the housekeeper, clad only in a robe, shivered from the cold. Handing her the crystal, I asked, "Why are you trembling over there?" "Why do you think? It's cold!" "If it's cold, you could have dressed warmly before coming in." "Well, with you undressed, it would look weird if I'm the only one dressed!" "And being robed yourself, how does that picture improve? What kind of scenario are you envisioning?" An artistic tableau? Not that I mind. "Why don’t you join me, since you’re already in a robe?" "I-I should join you?" "As long as you’re comfortable with it." "I mean, I'm not averse to it... but I wasn’t prepared mentally." Dressed in only a robe and entering without being prepared? Watching her hover on the edge, I nonchalantly suggested, "Think of it as attending to a bath. Otherwise, why linger there?" "You insisted on it, Sir!" Clutching her robe, the housekeeper cautiously slipped into the bathtub with me. Despite her sturdy build, even the housekeeper accumulated considerable fatigue. Her tense body seemed to melt and relax in the hot water as beads of droplets trickled down her subtly flushed skin. "It's sneaky of Sir to enjoy such luxury alone!" "What can I say? Superior privilege." At my response, the housekeeper commented in disbelief, "Wow, such shamelessness. Your acting is so convincing you could outshine actors!" "The actors I know wouldn’t shed a tear over it." Upon hearing my remark to the actress in front of me, the atmosphere of the housekeeper subtly shifted. She was a straightforward and relentless housekeeper, sometimes cheeky. Her rural freckles dotted her pretty face, and her braided hair exuded a down-to-earth charm. To anyone eyeing her, she was a housekeeper undertaking a strenuous job. But with her hair down, cascading into the bathtub, she resembled an entirely different entity. "Sir." "Yes?" "When did you know?" Hilde, setting aside her housekeeper role, inquired of me. I answered honestly. "From the beginning." "I wasn't impersonating a particular person — just posing as an ordinary housekeeper. Anyone could be fooled!" "Even if that's the case, how could I un-know what I found out?" "Sigh. I had a feeling. It seems my disguise was all for naught." Hilde took a jug of water and poured it over her head. The running water washed away the hair dye, and the freckles that had adorned her skin dissolved, disappearing entirely. It was like witnessing a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis. Soaking wet, Hilde bloomed like a flower. With a slightly sulky expression, Hilde undid her disguise and splashed water from the opposite side of the tub. "Have you been living comfortably, father? I've managed to scrape by in this far-off magical federation." "I'm relieved you're doing well enough, nonetheless." "Aren't you curious about the hardships I've endured?" "Of course, I am. I thought I'd listen to your story once things settle down a bit." "See, you weren't curious at all." Well, I already had some knowledge of the situation. Lankart had come to the principality seeking me, and in his endeavors, discovered Hilde disguised as me and brought her to the floating city. However, Hilde, like me, was exiled from there and eventually reached Celsius' lands seeking a rendezvous. "Hearing Lankart was looking for you, I thought following the floating city might lead me to you. But to find you indulging as a teacher with a woman by your side, living lavishly." "All I've done is employ a housekeeper. It sounds like I'm engaging in luxury and indulgence." "Pfft. It seems you've even found a local mate back at the floating city?" "Oh, Avant-Garde. She's an exceptionally helpful senior. I owe her a lot." "This is what's infuriating! You're always sly, ready to slip away, just toeing the line!" Hilde let out her frustration, poking me in the abdomen with her foot. Her white legs moved fluidly under her robe in the clear water. "So, father, what are you doing all the way down from the floating city?" "I'm teaching formal magic to the people." "That's what you're doing presently. I meant, what's your ultimate goal?" "Ultimate goal? I don’t really have one." With that, Hilde fixed her eyes on me, gathered her robe securely, and waded across the bath. The water reached her chest, rippling as she approached. In the narrow confines of the bath, it was hard not to notice the glimpse of skin beneath her wet robe. Hilde drew near, questioning me. "Really? Are you truly saying you have no objective? Simply teaching formal magic out of goodwill?" "That's how it is for now." "And you do realize that formal magic is considered dark magic here in the magical federation?" Of course, I'm aware. However, that's from the order's perspective. "Hilde, you see, I'm really not as deep as you all think." "Hmm. That's the most unbelievable thing I've heard from you yet~." "No, truly. I taught formal magic to these people because I believed they needed it." Hilde, lingering close, tilted her head. "Those with talent deserved appropriate instruction. That's why I offered it, allowing them to awaken their ability to sense magic, bringing them a step closer to pure white magic." "Yes, that was indeed the case." "But those without such talent can't grasp it with this brief teaching period. Even if I invested substantial time and effort, some might never become white mages. And I won't force that upon them, especially if they do not fervently desire it." It's not education but coercion to forcibly change people against their will. "Nevertheless, in this harsh and unforgiving land, magic is a necessity. You need magic to operate magical tools. In that respect, formal magic serves as a viable alternative." In this magical republic governed by magical laws, even minor magic can yield significant effects. More tools are always beneficial, even if they're in the form of formal magic. While Hilde seemed to accept this, another issue loomed. "However, father, the Celsius family and the floating city won't permit that." A valid concern. Formal magic is considered dark magic. Across the magical federation and many nations, it's deemed a taboo art, with learning it often punishable by death. Hilde rightly highlighted this fact. "The magical federation is a nation of white magic. To them, dark magic tarnishes their magical civilization. They'll exclude both you and everyone who learns formal magic. It's a technique unacceptable in their order.” “Why not allow it?” “Pardon?” I have no intention of challenging the order. I'm not aiming to plunge the world into chaos or savagery. I'm merely suggesting that order, too, is a tool. “Why should it be me who changes? Can’t the order change instead? Order isn’t an eternal and absolute entity. It shifts with each region, country, and historical trend — humanity has remained more constant than order over time.” I may be considered the King of Humans, but to most, I'm merely a petty offender. I've flouted countless rules, chuckling at the supposed boundaries set by laws. In truth, it’s not me that’s changed, but the laws that capriciously redraw their lines. Though I may have become weakened and trivial, I am still a conceptual being. Humans may change, but I am not changed by them. That's the resistance and stability inherent to the human race. While I may lack the power to uphold that principle fully, I continue to strive as a pure human. I am the King of Humans, not the king of order. "Hmm~." Intrigued by my stance, Hilde donned a playful and wily smile. She moved closer, leaning in to whisper in my ear. "Meeting you, Father, I've developed a wish." I already know. I've seen it. And I'm currently pondering it. Whether that wish is something I can grant, or should grant—remains uncertain. "You are very 'human,' Father. You don't concern yourself with timeless values or unblemished virtues, but focus solely on the human heart." Naturally. Value is assigned by humans, beauty is judged by humans. Without humans, there is nothing. Stating what is so evidently true is often the most challenging thing to do. "Yuel gathered all the world's finest elements to build a nation. But that nation lacked one thing: faith in people. Perhaps it's because Yuel had clairvoyance and saw all of humanity's ugliness and filth? Without surveillance and control, everything would spiral into ruin." Hilde's mischievous smile dimmed, softening as if recalling something precious. "But you, Father, are filled with faith towards humanity. What kind of nation would such a person create? What happens when you return what the military state most shunned?" Hilde clung to me, her voice trembling like the bathwater. I could feel her intense longing even through the thin wet robe. Her heartbeat felt as palpable as my own. "I will dedicate my body and soul to you, Father. My spirit and my being—all for the King of Humans." She clings to me desperately, hoping for something fervently. If not, she wouldn't have lured the Elder by impersonating me in the principality. Neither would she have stayed in the magical federation, waiting for someone like me who might never return from the military state. "Please, show me." I wonder what it feels like to become someone else's wish. Hilde purely expects me to do what I must. Her wish aligns with my intentions. Granting it is incredibly simple. *** "The, uh, there's no confirmed records from the guestroom." The mage from the Celsius family responded awkwardly. He was an adept mage, distinguished enough to enter the ranks of a prestigious magical family. As someone ruling from the pyramid's apex, he was brimming with confidence and arrogance. "They said Elisha would be here. That she provided a room at the Celsius mansion for a man named Hughes. Are you sure you haven't seen him?" However, the true "chosen one" from the floating city was unlike others. The girl who dared to address Elisha Celsius, the most eminent output of the Celsius family and Blue Tower Lord, by name. Facing Shay, draped in tremendous magical energy, the mage could only act subserviently. His attitude faltered, caught between his own view of himself and the deference demanded of him—forces he had not yet reconciled. "Apologies, no, I mean, we're sorry. However, the Celsius family has all visiting mages from the floating city accounted for. If there's no record, then they simply haven't visited." "I see... Alright. If Hughes shows up, inform the Blue Tower." "Even if we don't know who he is..." Ignoring the grumbling mage, Shay soared into the air. A gust from her heavenly wings propelled her upwards. From about 100 meters above, Shay surveyed the expanse of Celsius' lands, murmuring as she scanned the vista. "That's strange. He should be here." She had taken a brief leave from the floating city only to find Hughes elusive. Elisha, the Blue Tower Lord, had prepared accommodations and facilities for Hughes, yet it appeared he'd veered off course. Feeling her journey wasted, Shay glanced about the surroundings. "What is Hughes up to? He could have left some contact information." Fleeting thoughts to search for him resurfaced. Shay possessed the Seven-Color Eye. Using it to scour Celsius' lands could quickly locate Hughes, despite the effort involved. Alternatively, scattering money could help. Celsius' lands teem with mages, merchants, and wanderers drawn by reincarnation. With enough money thrown around, Hughes' whereabouts would surface quickly. Or she could ask a sound mage to create a resonating call over the region. Several strategies simultaneously buzzed in her mind. As she was about to attempt one, her eyes beginning to shimmer in seven colors, Shay abruptly checked herself. "...No. What a foolish notion. Doing this would make it seem like I desperately want to find Hughes." There's no immediate urgency. She had stopped by on a whim. Shay's dealings with the goddess at the floating city were of far greater importance. Currently, the floating city was in turmoil. Was it due to the reincarnation? Partially, but it was more due to the delegation stirring things up by demanding the return of Saint Rene's relics. She thought Hughes might be intrigued, enough to warrant visiting him directly. Yet he'd left no contact details. Shay, mildly annoyed, turned her gaze. "Fine. If he misses out, it's his loss." She wants to find him, longs to see him, but knows she shouldn't. Hughes is preoccupied. For true solitude, he needs more desires, more of people's hearts— Conflicting thoughts clashed in her mind, leaving her muttering stubbornly before she even sorted them out. "If he doesn't ascend the Way of Recruitment, he'll have to answer to me." Stealing a glance at Celsius' lands, Shay opted to return to the floating city.