WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Mordor
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Surviving the Frozen Dark Fantasy as a Genius Mage ◈
Chapter 115: The Genius Mage's New Alias
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The Magic Tower was always the same.
- If slimes are deliberately made to split under identical breeding conditions, will there be differences depending on the species?
- Decay and oxidation occur because microorganisms in the air feed on things. Master Marianne has just proven that dark mages’ curses artificially alter the nature of those microbes.
The stale smell of old books, dust, and chemicals filled the air. Everyone still rushed about without caring about one another, occasionally holding discussions that seemed pointless but could suddenly turn sharp.
The greatest difference between wandering mages and official mages of the Magic Tower was their fundamental understanding of elemental properties. Wandering mages merely offered things their Grimoires liked, revered environments suited to their affinities, and used spells.
But Magic Tower mages treated magic as a field of study, accumulating knowledge and wisdom.
They studied in depth things that would have been called science or natural phenomena in my world, such as the refraction of light and heat produced by friction.
‘It may not be at the level of the twenty-first century, but their papers are pretty impressive.’
Naturally, there was bound to be a difference in magical power and proficiency.
And I came face-to-face with one of those distinguished mages.
“Do you know how much trouble you caused me?”
The old mage, whose beard ends had been scorched and curled by lightning, stroked his thick beard.
“My companions made a bit of a fuss. I’m sorry for worrying you, Master.”
“So what exactly happened?”
I told Castlelight about what I had gone through.
Except for being dragged into the Labyrinth’s Deep Floors and meeting the Old Kings.
“Ho ho. You went into an outer dimension in that state and found a way out? Quick thinking.”
“Of course. Whose disciple do you think I am? Hehe.”
I buttered him up a little for the sake of smooth social relations. When Castlelight seemed to be in a good mood, I cautiously spoke.
“Master, you’ve been to the Deep Floors, right?”
“Of course. I used to be a guild-certified Deep Floors Expedition Party member.”
He was the only current Magic Tower master who had explored the Deep Floors.
That was another source of Castlelight’s pride.
“Could you tell me about that place?”
“What do you want to know? The ecosystem of the Deep Floors? The monsters that live there?”
“No, more like the secrets of the Deep Floors that make them different from other floors...”
“Did you meet the Old Kings?”
As my voice trailed off, Castlelight stared at me sharply.
Fuck.
That old man was perceptive.
Could an archmage read minds too?
“Yes.”
“Huh... A brat who has not even been here for a year, and a Rank 6 at that, met the Old Kings? Tsk, tsk.”
When I nodded, Castlelight clicked his tongue and said something unexpected.
“Do not enter the Labyrinth again.”
“What?”
“I said do not enter the Labyrinth anymore. If you want to live.”
That might make sense for ordinary inhabitants of this world, but it was ridiculous from my perspective. How was I supposed to grow stronger and return home in a world full of fucked-up things like the Secret Society?
“Don’t say that without explaining. Please tell me why.”
“...There is a rumor among Expedition Party members from the upper floors and beyond, those who have spent a long time entering and leaving the Labyrinth. Those who encounter the Labyrinth’s Old Kings during exploration eventually meet ruin or go mad. Deep Floors explorer Dmitri did, and so did the Witch of the Great Forest.”
“...”
Dragon Slayer Dmitri vanished in the Deep Floors and became a member of the Secret Society. The Witch was living in seclusion inside the Labyrinth.
“Please tell me more...”
“Hmm... More importantly, you have finally become a proper lightning mage.”
Though I asked, Castlelight held back his words and changed the subject.
Putting aside how damn unpleasant it was to be cut off in the middle of taking a shit, he seemed to have noticed that I had learned Thunderstrike.
‘Ghostly and fickle old man. It suits him perfectly.’
“Come with me for a moment.”
Well, what could I do?
I followed Castlelight.
He led me to the thirty-third floor, above the thirty-second floor where the Tower Lord lived.
It was the top floor of the Magic Tower, open to the sky with a clear view of everything around it.
“This is the Astrafe School’s private laboratory. Lightning strikes the highest and nearest places.”
Perhaps due to magical devices, snowstorms raged around us, but the floor remained clean and free of snow.
Then Castlelight faced me, clasped his hands behind his back, and suddenly said something strange.
“Fire it at me.”
“Pardon?”
“That spell you just learned. Fire Thunderstrike at me.”
Mages from the Astrafe School had gathered at some point, watching my conversation with Castlelight with interest.
- ...
Since entering the Magic Tower, the Coward’s Ring had not reacted even once.
He wants me to inherit the throne...
After a brief moment of confusion, the attention made my shoulders rise on their own.
“Hmm. Don’t blame me if you die.”
“Heh heh. Arrogant brat...”
I aimed at Castlelight and released my intent.
[Charge]
[Thunderstrike]
Kwarurururung!
Though there was no storm like last time, I had used an amplification spell, so the lightning that fell was nearly as powerful.
Crackle!
“That had quite a kick.”
Turkan, a Shaman of considerable skill, had been defeated in one blow by this spell.
Yet Castlelight merely dusted himself off calmly, without using any protective spell or artifact.
“...!”
‘They say master-level mages max out their resistance to the affinity they wield!’
“But it is still clumsy.”
When Castlelight extended a hand, the sky darkened in an instant.
Kwarurururung!!!
At the same time, countless bolts of lightning far more powerful than mine crashed down.
‘Lightning Storm!’
More impressive than its destructive power was the lightning’s accuracy.
The falling bolts avoided me and the watching mages with perfect precision, as if they had wills of their own.
Without causing any damage at all.
‘It is like lightning freely obeys Castlelight’s will!’
“Lightning has different properties depending on the mage wielding it. Your lightning is fast and powerful for your level, but its accuracy is somewhat lacking.”
Crackle!
Castlelight had casually created a Lightning Storm in a clear sky, something I had barely managed by using the environment before.
‘As expected of an archmage...’
I could only marvel.
Even if I had risen in skill recently, an archmage’s standing remained far beyond me.
“Well? Has your perspective broadened a little?”
Of course.
Just seeing and observing such amazing spells and phenomena pleased my Grimoire.
“Yes. Thank you, Master.”
- Excellent lightning.
- Impressive for a young one to face a master.
The Astrafe School mages who had watched applauded or quickly wrote notes.
I followed Castlelight back to his office.
“I will give you an assignment. Complete it, and I will tell you what you wanted to know about the Deep Floors.”
Mages were rational and practical, and they valued calculation as much as merchants did.
Even between master and disciple, nothing came free.
I had expected this much, so I nodded.
But I added one condition.
“My staff broke during the last expedition, Master.”
That bastard Turkan had destroyed the lightning staff Castlelight gave me last time.
“You never come to see me normally, but I am only your master when you need something?”
Castlelight looked displeased.
“Isn’t that what mages are like? Selfish, sneaky, willful, and only concerned with their own desires.”
I shrugged as I grumbled.
With the Castlelight I knew, blunt honesty worked better.
“Heh heh. That is true. Those who walk the path of magic should not concern themselves with the opinions of insignificant ordinary people. A clear will and faith in oneself can sometimes be more important than anything else.”
Just as expected, Castlelight smirked despite being annoyed a moment ago.
He had said it indirectly, but this was a kind of secret teaching shared among high-ranking mages.
‘The Origin of Magic.’
The power emitted by Grimoires violated the laws of physics.
Its foundation was deception.
Mana, the strange substance spread throughout the world, was nothingness itself. It held a strange power, but had no properties of its own.
But through the Grimoires within them, mages whispered to that mana.
You are not nothing. You possess the property of fire.
When they deceived the world and deceived mana, it became fire, ice, water, wind, lightning, or stone.
Not only knowledge and wisdom capable of changing the world’s perception, but belief itself had a great effect on magic’s power.
‘That is why mages build their own towers within themselves. To handle their Grimoires better, and to deceive the world.’
That was also why mages were arrogant and self-righteous.
‘This genius mage already knows that, but he is trying to teach me in this way.’
‘What a grumpy old softie.’
“Fine. Complete the assignment I give you, and along with the secrets of the Deep Floors, I will give you a decent staff.”
Just as I expected, Castlelight generously added another reward.
Yes!
I gathered my enthusiasm and asked,
“I’ll finish it quickly. What do I have to do? Are we going to the Labyrinth?”
“Do you think I am a psychopath? Would I send a disciple who barely survived back into the Labyrinth?”
“Yep.”
With his temperament, it seemed entirely possible.
Thwack!
“Ghk!”
Castlelight threw a staff at me.
Since I was a mage, he spared my head and hit only my shoulder, but it still hurt like hell.
“You insolent brat. Tsk, tsk. It is a simple errand. Go to the elves’ district and retrieve something I left there.”
[Ian headed for the eastern district of Labyrinth.]
[The Elves’ Land in the demi-human autonomous district.]
* * *
Dragonkin were powerful, but their numbers were small. As a result, they tended to be close-knit and united with their own kind.
So after returning, Argus immediately reported what had happened to his father, the tribal chief.
“You encountered dangerous people. If it had not been for that mage named Ian, it could have been a real disaster.”
Long years had given the dragonkin chief wise reason enough to calm even the fiery spirit of his race.
After listening to Argus, the several-hundred-year-old dragonkin chief dealt with the situation wisely.
“Though the person involved says he does not need it, you must repay the debt you owe that Ian according to our laws.”
“Yes, Chief.”
“I will personally go to the Frostwolf Tribe and denounce them. They will likely have to surrender a considerable share of their interests.”
That was a matter for the tribe’s elders, so Argus asked something else.
“Dragon Worshippers. Can we not wipe out those disgusting bastards? What if other kin, or even children, suffer because of this...?”
“I understand how you feel. We will make preparations as well. But know that it will not be easy, my son.”
“Why not?”
“They share the same doctrine and goal, but they act individually without gathering together. They are like a decentralized network. Those insects...”
The dragonkin chief revealed a quiet anger at the way they treated dragonkin like prey.
“...”
“I will head for the Frostwolf Tribe with the elders. You go to the guild.”
“Yes.”
Argus immediately headed for the Expedition Party Guild.
Turkan had been a fanatic who betrayed his tribe, but he had still belonged to the Frostwolf Tribe.
This was no longer a matter between individuals. It had become a conflict between groups.
The dragonkin had formally gone to hold the Frostwolf Tribe accountable, so they needed an organization that could verify the facts.
And in this city, the Expedition Party Guild was the best choice, one of the most influential groups alongside the City Administration and the Magic Tower.
“I see. Thank you for the report.”
The head of the Expedition Party Guild’s southern branch, Morius, received Argus.
After carefully reviewing the situation, the elite on the fast track to success spoke.
“The guild will strip the deceased Rank 5 Expedition Party member Turkan of all honor and posthumous rights. Should a dispute arise between the two tribes, we will serve as mediators.”
“I appreciate the guild’s efforts.”
After Argus left, Morius remained alone and thought.
His thoughts turned to the mage Ian.
Argus could not help mentioning Ian while explaining the situation in detail.
Tap. Tap.
Morius tapped his desk of high-grade frostwood in a steady rhythm as he considered the numbers.
“The deceased Turkan was a Rank 5 Expedition Party member.”
“I was told he was defeated without much damage. At least the fourth floor.”
‘We should raise him to the level of a Rank 5 Expedition Party member.’
Ian had not officially been offered a rank increase yet, but when he appeared next time, it would be good to quietly make the proposal first.
‘Rank 5 in less than a year...’
Morius was an ambitious man.
‘There is also the favor he has received from the school heads...’
‘For some reason, even the City Administration is keeping an eye on him.’
‘He will certainly become someone great.’
The Expedition Party Guild might appear to do nothing but take commissions, but it actually handled a great many matters.
And as with every part of society, its interior was a bloody arena of competition.
That was even more true for the head of one of only five guild branches in Labyrinth, and Morius desired a higher position.
To get there, one needed dark schemes, the judgment to read the prevailing tide, wealth to support it, and finally, connections.
At the very least, this Ian would rise to become a high-ranking mage. It would not hurt to build a good connection with him, the branch head thought.
“Deputy Head Max.”
Morius called for his right-hand man.
“Yes, Branch Head.”
“This time, it is this man. The mage Ian.”
“The Mage of Thunderfall. Shall we keep the same alias as last time?”
“No. We should change it. It will be easier for people to remember that way.”
The word Thunderfall did not quite roll off the tongue either...
In truth, the City Administration and the Expedition Party Guild intentionally gave aliases to certain Expedition Party members or spread rumors about them.
Rumors traveled far, which helped them keep a close eye on the movements of people of interest.
‘The eyes of countless people living in Labyrinth become our eyes and our strength.’
The vast information they had collected about Expedition Party members and the Labyrinth, and the control they exercised through it.
That was how the Expedition Party Guild had survived until now, maintaining balance against powerful factions like the Magic Tower and the City Administration.
“What should we call him?”
The branch head recalled the silver mage whom Argus had described, raining countless thunderbolts down amid a storm.
“I think Mage of Thunderbolts would be fitting. Ian, Mage of Thunderbolts.”
“Understood. I will send people out immediately.”
Max nodded and sent people out.
[Ian has gained a new alias!]
[For someone’s scheme or political reasons, Ian has become even more famous!]
[Mage of Thunderboltssss Iaaaan!]
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