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Chapter 221 – The Vampire and Elf Cleanup Part 7
“Sending sound with light?”
“That’s right.”
As she explained, Imoko showed me a small, round object resembling a magic stone lamp.
It captures sound and transmits it. Then, the message appears as text projected onto any flat surface, such as walls, floors, desks, or tables.
“What a troublesome magic tool. Why not just let voices talk to each other?”
“Apparently, voices get blocked by magic power a lot. Using tall spirit trees as relays and sending the sound with light magic is more reliable.”
“Huh. Sending sound with light, huh? Never thought of that. Can you project it onto hands, too?”
“Yeah, if you can read it. You could project it onto someone’s back, too. Of course, it won’t work if there’s a mountain blocking the light.”
“So, as long as the relay point is higher than the mountain, it’ll work, right?”
This could work in the demonic land, too. If we set up relay points on the Sky Islands, it could be usable across the entire land.
“Yeah, if you want one, I can get it for you. I had a friend from my days at the Ministry send it.”
So Imoko really did work at the Ministry.
“I want one. Where do they sell them?”
“The White Tower.”
“This sucks.
The White Tower, a relic from Satra’s era, is a tower-like structure roughly the size of the Spirit Tree. It was once a High Elf settlement and houses a library said to contain all of Elven history. Yet, no one has ever read every book, tablet, or scroll within. Furthermore, ancient relics guard the deepest parts of the library, transforming it into a labyrinth where those who enter emerge mummified.
I grew up there as a child. Honestly, I never thought I’d visit it in my lifetime.
“Father must be worried, don’t you think?”
“All elves are children of the spirits. We have no parents.”
I don’t really know who my biological parents are. They vanished shortly after I was born. Maybe they disappeared in the library.
The man who took me in when I was young was a wind mage. He specialized in martial arts and wind magic and ran a dojo.
My ability to never miss with a crossbow likely stems from the skill I developed then of reading the wind. I still stretch in the middle of the night from being constantly told to “use your body with flexibility,” but my martial arts skills were utterly useless in the demonic land. The Magic Sealing Clan is far more advanced.
“Honestly, I couldn’t care less about Helly’s homecoming, but the Ministry of Magic…”
“That’s the real goal, isn’t it? I get it. Since I’ve demonstrated Makyo’s abilities, I think an explanation is necessary. Now that the dragon has awakened, we must show the elves who still cling to illusions the reality.”
“The dragon really awakened?”
“Yes, it synchronized its awakening with the change in the Earth’s veins. But from what I saw when using the dragonbone tool, fighting with it doesn’t seem much different from fighting bare-handed.”
“Isn’t that because the eccentric Helly mentioned was using it?”
“Yeah, I can’t deny it. He said, ‘This is fine because I can limit its power,’ while using a magic tool knife. You shouldn’t fight someone like that.”
“Right. The Ministry of Magic is eagerly awaiting your return, including information about the demonic land. What you said yesterday was only part of it, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
“Won’t you go for it?”
“Imoko. Think about it. There’s no benefit for me.”
“Wasn’t the sound-light machine good enough? I thought it was quite an invention, even by recent Elf Kingdom standards.”
“No, it’s a good thing. But you see…”
“Well, yeah.”
At times like this, I wonder what Makyo would do.
He’d probably start running before thinking twice. Makyo talks about gains and losses, but he rarely acts based on them. He isn’t swayed by petty emotions to begin with. He kept his distance from Nushi’s feelings, too, which is likely why he wasn’t cursed.
He just deals with whatever is right in front of him, yet he tries to unravel ancient mysteries. Above all, he truly faces the demonic land head-on.
Compared to that, I am so petty.
“Shall we go?”
“You’re really going?”
“Yeah. It’s best not to overthink things like this, apparently. A lesson from the lord of the demonic land.”
“Could he be a good lord, by any chance?”
“No, he’s not. He’s a good person.”
I quickly packed my things.
“The stagecoach doesn’t come until the early afternoon, though.”
“Running is faster.”
“That’s true. Walking takes a full day.”
“Then it won’t take that long. The place hasn’t moved, has it?”
“Yes, here’s a meat and vegetable bento wrap.”
“That’s a relief. Well, then.”
“Yes, tell me more about the demonic land later.”
I left the dining hall, climbed onto the academy’s roof, and gazed at the distant mountains. The town with the white tower lay at their base. I leaped down from the roof and headed straight north.
Nothing stood in my way but the forest. I ran like the wind.
I wish I could show my current self to the me from the day I lost my magic.
I’ve never forgotten that night—losing my magic, feeling desolate, and clenching my teeth so hard that my molars ached with frustration. But now I can say it: Losing magic? It’s no big deal.
I was freer then than when I could use magic.
The tower made of white stone, piercing the blue sky, came into view. They said it was made of indestructible white marble. If Satra’s engineers built it, they probably used a time magic circle to solidify the stone, so the type of stone likely didn’t matter.
The elves built their town around the tower, which withstood storms, earthquakes, and fire.
At the edge of the town stands a dojo with a sign that reads “Wind Community.”
Its pillars are old, and gaps have appeared in the walls. A deep, booming voice echoes from within.
“Move your body with the wind, as the wind itself!”
He had taught the same principles unchanged for decades.
Opening the sliding door, I stepped inside and saw students in practice uniforms training.
At the back, a long-bearded old man sat continuously sending out gusts of wind. He seemed to notice me but didn’t greet me.
“I’ve come to collect the sign,”
I declared, making sure my voice echoed throughout the dojo.
“Ho. So, you claim that you can destroy this dojo despite being incapable of using magic?”
The old man laughed.
Thud.
I lightly tapped the pillar.
“Leave. This dojo is a sacred place. It is no place for sinners.”
“I am the envoy from the demonic land, feared by the elves. Can’t you even stand up without trembling?”
Taking the bait, the old man rose and unleashed wind magic.
I deflected the wind by reshaping its form with my hand. Disciples fired wind magic at me from both sides, but it was like a gentle breeze. I didn’t even need to dodge.
Their physical techniques also appeared fragile, lacking magical power in the joints.
The wind magic unleashed from their palms resembled Makyo’s, but it required too many movements—hands clasped to chant spells and arms raised to strike. The magic itself was linear and incapable of changing form or combining with other spells.
After trying every method, one realizes that simplicity is best. But for these disciples, the fear of being laughed at for failing is stronger.
They’re just scared and unable to do anything.
“You’re completely helpless, aren’t you? Just some so-called special envoy from the demonic land.”
“Is it time yet?”
Thud.
I slammed spinning magic into the old man’s stomach.
Crack.
His body was embedded in the wall bearing the signboard, knocking him unconscious. The signboard was split clean in two.
“Well then, shall we continue?”
There was no reply from the disciples.
At least it proved that his student was still alive and well.
Not a bad homecoming.
“Is this your combat strength!?”
One of the disciples stepped forward.
“Hm?”
“I’ve trained rigorously as an elf guard, yet I couldn’t see what you did. If you teach martial arts in the demonic land, I must strive to learn from you.”
“I’m just a magic item merchant in the demonic realm. The true combat power of the demonic realm far exceeds my level. They move faster than monsters, defeat evil Nushi, conquer dungeons, and fly through the skies. Don’t even dream of aiming for that.”
Throwing out a parting shot, I headed for the white tower.
This was the path I walked every day as a child. The stone pavement patterns remained unchanged, but the shops had changed, the street trees had grown, and the elves passing by wore different attire.
The White Tower has an automatically opening door. It’s a magical tool that uses a magic circle embedded in the floor, but it’s too much trouble, so no one bothers with it. Stairs lead straight up, and going downstairs takes you to the library.
The second floor has Ministry of Magic facilities, and shops line the area.
“Ah, here you are.”
I was called out while I was climbing the stairs.
“You’re Helly-san, right?”
“That’s me.”
“I’m Imralda’s former colleague.”
“How did you know it was me?”
“You stand out.”
“Do I?”
“What’s it like to have high magical power yet be unable to use magic?”
It seems I was being monitored by some kind of measuring device.
“How does it feel? Well, since I’m not bound by the laws, I guess it feels free.”
“Free? Is that it?”
“It’s just that I lack the foundational research to properly harness magic. Even on the first day of learning magic, you practice sparring, right?”
“I suppose we do practice sparring…”
We climbed the stairs and reached the hall. There were many elves there, along with numerous staff members.
I sat on a nearby sofa and sparred with Imoko’s former colleague.
We were just exchanging magical energy, but apparently, my magical output had increased since I started living in the demonic land. I could only feel a small amount of energy being sent to me.
“This is what happens when you master it,” I said.
I cut the paper a staff member was holding as a pamphlet with magic from my fingers. The staff watching were astonished.
“No claws, no spells. Pure magic alone. You probably didn’t know that it’s better to use bone when I channel magic, right?”
“I didn’t know.”
“Monster bones conduct magic power more easily than iron. That’s why dragon bones are so prized—they have excellent conductivity. But don’t you think that people who don’t know that assume that having dragon bone weapons or armor will grant them incredible power?”
“True. Dragon bones definitely have strong brand value.”
“Some in the demonic land think magic tools are ‘good because they can control magical power.’”
“Control?”
“According to that person, a dragon bone pickaxe really does have excellent conductivity. He dug through a mountain in just a few hours. However, that largely depends on the user’s magical power. In other words, no matter how good the magic tools are, it ultimately comes down to the user’s innate ability.”
“So, it’s better for a demon to use it than an elf with low magical power?”
There seems to be a fixed notion that only demons can counter elf magic.
“That person is human.”
“But…”
“I think it’s an elf’s bad habit, but you should stop the racial discrimination immediately. That human likely possesses over twice my magical power. Enough to measure the earth’s veins deep underground. It might sound like a fairy tale.”
“I can’t believe it right away.”
“I suppose so. How should I put this?”
I suppose I have no choice but to show them the facts, though it’s a bother. I don’t need them to believe me, but since I’ve been helped, I have to save Imoko’s face.
“Do you still believe magic is the most sublime form of military power?”
“This is the Ministry of Magic. Isn’t that obvious?”
“I suppose so. It will take a little time, but are you ready?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
I bought medicinal herbs at the shop and borrowed the kitchen to make a recovery potion. They had empty bottles, too, which was perfect.
“I mean no harm with what I’m about to do. Think of it as a drill to gauge your capabilities, like if I were to attack the Ministry of Magic.”
“Understood.”
Imoko’s former colleague nodded.
“Let the others here know, too.”
“No problem. Everyone’s been paying attention since Helly-san arrived.”
“Got it. All right, let’s start the drill! Dodge any attacks you can. Your objective is to restrain me. Got it?”
I shouted, making sure everyone on the floor could hear me.
There was no reply, but it seemed like everyone understood.
“Begin.”
A crossbow bolt pierced the familiar on the ceiling, causing it to plummet. An arrow struck the collarbone of a guard near the door who was casting illusions, knocking him unconscious. A large staff member was spun around by magic and sent flying into the wall.
“Well, it seems you’ve lost a significant portion of your forces, but the staff is right here.”
I placed the barrel with the shop’s staff stuck in it in the middle of the hall.
“Feel free to use magic to your heart’s content. As you can see, I can’t use magic myself.”
I showed them the tattoos on my body.
True to my word, I threw a magic-sealing stake at the staff member who tried to grab the staff, immobilizing them completely.
“Ahh…”
In the end, no one but me could move.
“Do you understand? I’ve never used magic, yet I subdued the Ministry of Magic, which governs elven magic. Researching the Four Great Magics is all well and good, but military strength isn’t limited to magic alone. Within the elven kingdom, magic may be the ultimate force, but beyond its borders, other forms of strength are utilized. If you’re considering national defense, I’d advise researching magical power. Now, let’s heal you.”
I healed the familiars and guards with recovery potions.
“What exactly is this stake? I can’t cast magic anymore.”
A staff member with a stake driven through them asked.
“It’s a Sealing Stake. This stake alone nullifies magic.”
The color drained from the staff members’ faces.
“Ah, right. Sorry. I need a Soundlight Device, a magical tool. Would you sell me one?”
I bought a Soundlight Device and an antenna for relay points at the shop. I left the White Tower.
“Is it still too early to pass through the Milder Highway?”
With outdated consciousness, trade negotiations become impossible. Conflicts will likely increase.
Understanding the demonic land within the Elf Kingdom is extremely difficult.
“Is speaking with the librarian my only option?”
With a heavy heart, I booked a nearby lodging.
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