WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

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◈ The Inept Mage’s Infinite Regression

Chapter 73

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At those words, Ethan examined the aspect card more carefully.

"There's one here that says 'Boen Palmize, Yurmus Magic Academy Student, Rank D,' but right beside it is 'Boen Palmize, Imperial Inquisition Member, Rank C.' He's holding a dagger and his expression looks pretty sinister."

"Whether the expression is sinister is debatable, but,yes, that's the point. Even the same person can have multiple aspect cards if you know enough sides of them."

There were quite a few aspect cards for Boen.

"'Boen Palmize, Baron of Palmize, Rank C.' 'Boen Palmize, Battle Mage, Rank C'... But if it works like that, couldn't a new card get added every year? Every semester, even? People are always changing. 'Boen Palmize Who Sticks a Knife in Ethan's Side, Rank D,' for instance."

"An aspect is shaped by the people around the subject,and by your own impression of them. Only once that impression shifts past a certain threshold does a new aspect emerge. If there were a transformation sorcerer whose appearance changed with each season, then yes, by your logic there'd be one new aspect card per season."

Ethan understood. Boen recognized as Baron of Palmize would be treated very differently by the people around him than Boen the ordinary student.

"What about ranks? Even his highest is C."

"Various factors come into play. Simply put, though, it comes down to how distinct that person is from everyone else,and how unlikely it is for that particular facet to show itself."

"Barons aren't exactly rare, so C makes sense. Battle mages are more common, but if it's Boen, even a lower-tier one would be close to mid-tier. Got it."

"The absolute majority of all beings in this world fall under D. The highest-ranked cards you have are... these."

The Collector picked up several cards and laid them out in front of Ethan.

"'Lord of Charasen, Quill Wiz Charasen, Rank A+.' 'Hero of the Great Wall, Rivielton Fabier, Rank A.' 'Undying King, Cascail Eurogia, Rank A+'... And 'Phoenix Contractor, Arca Wiz Charasen, Rank A.' That's the lot."

It all tracked, more or less. His father, the Duke of Charasen, wielded influence rivaling a king's,and everyone acknowledged it. As for Rivielton, Ethan had watched the man's feats with his own eyes; he had no doubt about that ranking. The Undying King had once been a great evil who stood against the heroes of old, and now he was a war commander who made entire nations tremble. Arca was the person Ethan knew the most sides of, but it was her role as Phoenix Contractor,recognized as something exceptional by many,that pushed her card to A.

He ran through the names of others who might deserve Rank A.

"Hmm... Headmaster Aincher isn't here."

"He's right here. 'Headmaster of Yurmus Magic Academy, Aincher, Rank B.' High position, but he didn't leave much of an impression on you."

'I'm sorry, Headmaster,' Ethan thought.

He kept scanning the cards.

"Oh,there were some adventurers I saw once who seemed incredibly strong. Their names were... Sigil, Arojio, Senamun."

"Here, here, and... here. 'Adventurer Sigil, Rank B.' 'Adventurer Arojio, Rank B.' 'Adventurer Senamun, Rank C+.' My guess is you only suspected they were strong,you never actually confirmed their abilities firsthand. And you don't know their full names either."

"Does knowing someone's name matter?"

"To a degree. A name reflects a person's essence. Sometimes it reveals the truth of what they are."

He supposed so.

"So what do these aspect cards actually mean for me?"

"First, the cards are useful on their own."

"For example?"

The Collector answered.

"The more aspect cards you hold for a person, the more favorable they become toward you."

"Favorable?"

"How much they like you."

Ethan picked up 'Boen Palmize, Yurmus Magic Academy Student, Rank D.'

"Didn't really feel like that."

"Of course. At this scale, the effect is negligible."

"And even without cards like these,if I see more sides of a person, don't I naturally figure out how to treat them better anyway?"

"Well, yes. This is only slightly better than that. Right now, you probably won't feel the difference."

The Collector pulled out a book. The title read "Yurmus Magic Academy Collection Book."

"This is a collection book. Each time you add a card to it, you gain stat points."

"...Stat points?"

The Collector slid the cards into the "Year 160 Imperial Calendar, Yurmus Magic Academy Collection Book" one by one. Four cards per page, each slot made of a transparent material so the cards could be checked without removing them. Every card seemed to have a designated place sorted by category. Most of what went in were students and professors, ranging from Rank D to around B+.

"Nothing will be explicitly marked anywhere, but every being has measurable attributes. One person might have a strength of 8 because they're weak. Someone with giant-like power might sit around 18."

"Mm."

"Think of it simply: spending time with a sharp-minded friend makes you sharper. Spending time with a strong one means you use your body more, and you grow stronger because of it. The more cards you hold, the greater the effect,and the card's rank matters a great deal."

Ethan turned a card over in his hands, then back again.

"Where does it say all that?"

"It doesn't. If 1 represents the amount of strength and knowledge a person can gain in a full year, then the stat points from a single card start at roughly the third decimal place."

"...So one aspect card gives you less than you'd gain from half a day's training."

"Correct. But an A-rank card gives you about 1 in total."

"That's actually significant, put that way."

Four A-rank cards. Ethan had already gained what amounted to four years' worth of stats.

The Collector produced more collection books and began filling them with the remaining cards. One was "Ethan Dora Charasen's Childhood Collection Book," another was "The Undying King's Invasion Collection Book," and the last was "The Mage Court and Demon King's Castle Collection Book."

"Even so,the actual gain from going from 10 to 11 differs meaningfully from going from 17 to 18. As with everything in life, beginners become skilled fairly easily, but the skilled rarely become masters."

"...This keeps feeling like you're giving with one hand and taking with the other."

"The real value of a collection book," the Collector said, "is in filling it completely. This 'Year 160 Imperial Calendar, Yurmus Magic Academy Collection Book' is nearly full, but a few cards are missing."

"There are professors I haven't met yet. And some seniors who went out for fieldwork and still haven't come back. Wait,what about 'Ethan Dora Charasen's Childhood'?"

"Two cards short."

Ethan checked the book. The theme section read simply "Backs," and two slots sat empty side by side. He had no idea what that meant.

"...Alright. So what do I get for completing one?"

"An A to S-rank card as a reward."

"I give cards, and I get cards back?"

"Strictly speaking, I'm not taking your cards. And I'm not giving you mine. I simply help you organize your collection and hand over the cards you're due. And there's one more reward I haven't mentioned yet. The most special one."

The Collector produced a black box. Perfectly cubic, equal in every dimension,smooth, absorbing light rather than reflecting it. The material felt similar to Demi's lottery box. A small square notch had been carved into the surface, just wide enough to fit a single card.

"This is called the 'Collector's Cube.' Insert a card into it and you gain a special ability called 'Aspect Summoning.'"

"A special ability?"

"You can borrow a portion of that aspect's power and use it."

"What does 'borrow power' mean, exactly?"

"Each aspect card carries the defining trait of the person it represents. You can use that trait. The higher the rank, the more pronounced it becomes. A D-rank card lets you borrow that person's raw strength or intelligence,things any being possesses. A C-rank mage might lend you some of their swordsmanship or magical ability. B-rank, and you can copy one of their techniques or spells outright. A-rank, and you can even imitate their unique power. Only briefly, of course, and once used, you can't use it again until your next visit to Limbo."

Ethan leaned forward, bracing one hand on the table. The Collector flinched and stepped back.

"Magic is possible too?"

"...Yes. Though I say that knowing your expectations are already too high,compared to the real thing, it'll be a pale shadow."

"Still magic, though. What spells could I actually use?"

"Well, to start with the A-rank cards you have..."

According to the Collector's explanation, the "Lord of Charasen" card appeared to allow borrowing one of the lord's contracts. The "Hero of the Great Wall" lent Rivielton's swordsmanship. The "Undying King" offered exceptional tactical thinking along with a portion of his necromancy. The "Phoenix Contractor" allowed use of the phoenix's power directly. At B-rank there were plenty of meaningful options too,Laken's flame breath looked promising, and so did Admoel's siege magic.

"For the record, the card inside the Cube can only be swapped in Limbo. So if something unexpected comes up, you might find yourself in trouble. Do you want to choose now?"

"Hmm. Let me think on it a little longer."

"Fine. Do as you like."

There were still other things Ethan needed to check while in Limbo.

He made his way back to the Convention Hall on the second floor.

"Reaching Level 3 gave me a new skill. It's called 'Search.'"

"Yes. Do you need an explanation of Search?"

"Please."

"The method is simple. In the surface consciousness,the same layer you use when you respond to my telepathy,look at your target and say 'Search.' Let me demonstrate with a quick Creation."

Demi waved a hand lightly toward an empty corner of the Convention Hall. Something like a puffed-up bundle of cloth appeared from nothing. Ethan used Search on it.

[Search.]

Information surfaced.

[Name: ?]
[Appears to be a puffed-up bundle of cloth. Based on the material and finish, it looks like something from Terra. Seems like it would be soft.]

Ethan pointed at it.

"What is that?"

"It's called a beanbag. One of Terra's chairs. Designed for relaxed sitting."

The information updated.

[Name: Beanbag]
[A Terra-made chair that appears as a puffed-up bundle of cloth. Seems like it would be soft.]

Ethan lay down on the beanbag to test it. It was comfortable.

"Not bad."

"It's generally considered bad for your back."

The information updated again.

[Name: Beanbag]
[A Terra-made chair that appears as a puffed-up bundle of cloth. Soft. Reportedly bad for the back. Is there anything in the world that's purely good?]

Ethan dismissed the Search window.

"...Doesn't seem particularly useful."

"That's because it's still Level 1. As the level increases, you'll be able to learn about objects, living beings, and phenomena without any prior information. Worth noting: the descriptions Search shows are based on your subconscious."

"My subconscious?"

"Ah, forget that part. It's a Terra Archive."

No point pressing Demi on it, then. That knowledge would have to wait until Ethan found a way to reach it himself. Something else was on his mind anyway.

"There's one more thing, isn't there?"

"What do you mean?"

Ethan held up a finger.

"It's been a while, so the memory's a bit fuzzy, but I'm fairly certain you explained 'classes' before. And when you explained how I'd get one, you said something like 'when you level up...' right?"

"You remembered. Of course,as your level increased, your class level rose as well."

"So what does the Agent class give me now?"

"...Here."

Demi set a long gray box on the table. Resting on top was something shaped like a long, complex rod,composite metal and plastic, entirely black. Ethan recognized it by the grip.

"...Is that a gun?"

"Yes. The SIG MCS Odium. An automatic rifle."

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