Boom, boom, boom!
Elric was embedding his spell, 'Ice Rain,' completed with an incantation, into the mountain ridge.
A magic typically classified under the 3rd circle.
Shape, size, power. Everything was identical to the original.
However, the only difference, perhaps, was that it would be more appropriate to call this 'Ice Shower.'
This was because dozens of ice arrows filled the sky.
And as it fell, it was being replenished anew.
His mastery was something that would astound even those newly entering the 3rd circle.
However,
The one who was most surprised was Elric himself.
"Wow! Just by grasping that much, it changes like this?"
Elric let out a light whistle.
It had only been four days since he had seen the basic principles that Mephisto had written down for him.
Elric, while vaguely suspecting or not fully understanding the contents he had encountered so far, was able to leap over the 'barrier' he first encountered while perfectly digesting them.
It was truly a situation that any magician would not dare to hope for.
He couldn't help but be impressed.
‘Is Mephisto's doctrine easy to understand... or is it that Mephisto's level is just too high?’
Elric stole a glance at Mephisto.
Despite being thoroughly immersed in the swamp of frustration over the fact that he had once again succumbed to mere human intimidation today.
Elric was in the midst of re-evaluating Mephisto lately.
He knew that he was the strongest demon lord, but still, seeing his strength firsthand left him astonished.
Truly, it was the pinnacle of pinnacles, where one could scrutinize everything beneath only when they reached the summit, unlocking the knowledge that could only be unraveled then.
If obtaining the Mana Stone was the first serendipity that changed fate, then meeting Mephisto was the second serendipity that could pioneer fate.
"Mephisto."
『M-Mephisto?』
Though Mephisto looked taken aback, Elric paid him no mind.
"When will the next installment be out?"
『Wha-what...!』
It was as if asking when one could come to collect something left at a pawnshop.
Mephisto was grinding his teeth but refrained from uttering any curses.
Elric, feeling disappointed that his provocation didn't work, clicked his tongue as if to say 'tsk!', but swallowed his words.
‘Damn bastard, let's see how long you can keep up this carefree attitude!’
Mephisto's eyes blazed with fire.
‘The moment your soul is completely bound to the pact, I'll make you pay for this disgrace several times over!’
However, a few days later, Mephisto had to come to terms with the fact that it was an absurd expectation.
* * *
‘Why...? Why isn't there any reaction? There should be some sign, shouldn't there?’
Whish, whish, whish!
Watching Elric cast the 4th circle spell, 'Arctic Wind,' Mephisto gnawed at his nails nervously.
The 'pact' he had hidden throughout the doctrine wasn't working at all.
By now, even the slightest hint should have manifested as normal...?
"It's strange that there hasn't been any change in me yet. You're making a weird face because of it."
Just then, Elric suddenly glanced in his direction and smirked cynically.
Mephisto felt as though he'd been struck in the back of the head with something heavy and dull.
‘Is this guy possessed by some demon or what?!’
『I-I don't know what you're talking about!』
Mephisto tried to play it cool, but Elric didn't miss the slight tremble in his voice.
"Don't worry about it. It's not like it's going to work anyway."
『W-What?』
"I mean, I'm not a complete idiot. Did you really think I'd just blindly accept what Mephi gave me without any checking?"
『...!』
"It took me a while to find it, hidden so cunningly, but well... Thanks for the lesson, anyway."
『....』
‘Damn it, damn it, daaamn it all!’
Mephisto was so frustrated with that busy, cursed face that he felt like punching it right then and there.
"But what's the next part? This place is too good to leave just yet."
In the end, Mephisto exploded.
『God damn it! Are you even human?!』
"Thanks for the compliment. Have you said everything you needed to today? Then I'll go back to pretending you don't exist."
『Ughhh! Ugh!』
Mephisto eventually grabbed him by the collar.
* * *
"I've mastered everything you just taught me. There's nothing else?"
...Now it's just 'Me' instead of 'Mephi' or 'Mephisto'?
Mephisto glared at Elric with those eyes.
"It’s better than ‘Hobo’, right?"
Once again, Elric seemed to read his mind like a ghost and just babbled incomprehensible nonsense.
Already accustomed... no, fed up with that shameless face, there was no strength left to protest.
In the end, Mephisto let out a deep sigh as if the world was coming to an end.
『...No.』
"If you're going to babble again, another three days of ignoring you..."
『No, I'm saying I truly have nothing left to teach you about incantation magic!』
Elric's eyes gleamed strangely.
"Explain."
『Just as I said. His Majesty has nothing more to teach you. Or more precisely, there is nothing left to explain about incantations.』
"Why not?"
『The incantations I know are ‘Mantra’.』
"…!"
Mantra.
Among the incantations classified into five grades, Mantra occupies the highest position.
Of course, above it is ‘Voice of God’ (Divine Speech), which refers to the divine utterances, but that's a story reserved for transcendent beings with divine status, so it's excluded.
The statement that he knows the highest grade of incantations existing in the mortal realm made Elric keenly aware of how vast the gap between him and Mephisto truly was.
『In truth, everything I've taught you so far merely scratches the surface of Mantra from my perspective. You've absorbed it like a sponge without realizing its significance.』
"…."
『Even if I were to explain further, you wouldn't be able to comprehend it with your current level of skill. Moreover, it's likely to linger in your mind and influence your actions in ways you can't predict.』
Mephisto drew a clear line.
Elric could sense that this statement was definitely not a lie.
Having spent nearly a month together, he couldn't help but understand him to some extent.
‘Well, perhaps it's only natural.’
The gaze Mephisto cast upon him was like a distant star, too far for Elric to reach.
Trying to grasp a star forcibly often leads to a fall.
"But what if I still ask you to teach me?"
『Hmm. I'll probably just go crazy, won't I?』
"…!"
『Well, from my perspective, it might actually be better if you just went crazy... but I don't think you're in a state where that would happen gracefully right now.』
Mephisto shrugged his shoulders.
Getting caught up in the excitement of the Mana Stone's active operation could lead to a bad case of hubris, making it difficult to recover later.
Mephisto didn't particularly want to risk such a danger.
‘What should I do?’
Elric pondered for a brief moment.
In reality, there were many types of magic besides incantation magic that he could learn from Mephisto.
‘I might even be able to learn Black Magic. Though I'd rather not go that route if I can help it.’
Despite learning magic from Mephisto, he still didn't want to go against the wishes of his family, who had fought in wars against demons.
The wolf-shaped tattoo engraved on the back of his right hand, acquired while absorbing Mephisto, was the same.
‘But blindly mastering other types of magic would also seem like a waste of time.’
Since they would still need to be interpreted through incantations, it wouldn't immediately help to enhance his abilities.
‘Well, there's only one thing left now.’
Elric's eyes sparkled.
‘Real-world application.’
It was time to attempt the last of what he had considered lacking.
No matter how much he studied and trained in magic, without experiencing real combat, he would only be proficient in armchair theory.
‘The battlefield is where magic truly comes to fruition, as our family's saying goes.’
As a lineage that had fought demons for generations, there would hardly be a place with a more fiery atmosphere and demeanor.
‘I thought it would be much later than this before I could come down here, after Professor Berex's exploration was all finished... But it seems like the timing is about right now.’
Now that it had come to this, Elric felt an overwhelming desire to jump into the battlefield as soon as possible.
He wanted to confirm firsthand what his abilities were like.
So where could he go immediately?
"The closest place from here to Imperial Capital... 'Crimson Ghost Forest'? No, it's too rough to just run there for a test. Then how about 'Goblin Cave'? There are too many people there. Should I go a little further away?"
As Elric meticulously inspected the areas where monsters appeared, he never indulged in greed.
He was still a fledgling, after all. He needed to gradually increase the difficulty; it wouldn't do to challenge things recklessly from the start.
Furthermore, he needed to keep his identity hidden, so he couldn't go to places with too much notoriety or too many passersby.
Then Elric thought of the perfect place.
‘TheHabitat of Yetis!’
It was a place where the dreaded Cryptheads appeared, and it was covered in perpetual snow, making it nearly impossible for wanderers to get lost.
Above all else...
"...If my memory serves me right, there should be a family's ‘Safehouse’ near there, right? I haven't been able to visit because of my lack of skills so far, but now it should be possible. Maybe I can find some clues about the necklace there."
Elric touched the Magical Amulet hanging around his neck.
『...I can tell you're thinking of something interesting.』
Mephisto's expression became uneasy whenever Elric revealed such a look, as odd things tended to happen.
"M."
『...Now you're just calling me by the first letter. Fine! What is it?』
"It's something that's not visible to others, right?”
『What...!』
Suddenly, Elric grinned mischievously.
* * *
『Damn it! Why in the world would I, who was once called the Demon King of Sin, stoop to thievery like a common thief!』
"Well, well! It's not thievery. Let's correct that. Didn't we pay enough for it?"
『You just threw it under the laundry rack!』
Elric, who had been focusing solely on training for about a month, hadn't properly bathed during that time. His clothes were worn out and covered in dirt, making him look like a beggar.
Even though he had fallen from grace, as an imperial duke, he couldn't afford to roam around looking like a ragamuffin.
However, despite being a noble of the empire, Elric felt a deep sense of discomfort about resorting to thievery himself. That's why he had enlisted Mephisto's help. Perhaps because Mephisto lacked a physical form, his skills were remarkably clean.
While Mephisto grumbled and expressed his frustration, Elric immersed himself in the flowing stream, skillfully using magic to rid himself of the accumulated dirt and grime. Taking advantage of the warm breeze to dry himself off, Elric borrowed clothes from an anonymous passerby.
‘Wow, my hair has grown quite a bit,’ he observed, noting the length of his locks.
Elric looked at his hair, which now barely passed his shoulders, with a curious smile.
"【Cut】."
A sharp gust of wind swept through, slicing off the excess hair.
Elric let the cut hair drift away in the stream before casting another spell.
"【Transform】."
Thud, thud.
As he did so, there was a faint sound of facial bones shifting slightly, and his features altered. His cheekbones became more prominent, his skin tone darkened slightly, and his eyes seemed sharper.
What was once a playful countenance now appeared decidedly more angular and serious.
Despite not changing much physically, he had transformed into someone completely different and alien.
Unless someone was a close friend like Sean, no one would recognize him as Elric.
"Shall we go down now?"
With a hummed tune, Elric began to descend the slope that had been his home for the past month.
"Oh, by the way, M. The 'M' you mentioned isn't the M I know, is it? He seems a bit like a pervert, doesn't he?"
『Ugh! How did I... end up dealing with this jerk...!』
Only Mephisto's sigh echoed back, ringing out pitifully.
Boom, boom, boom!
Elric was embedding his spell, 'Ice Rain,' completed with an incantation, into the mountain ridge.
A magic typically classified under the 3rd circle.
Shape, size, power. Everything was identical to the original.
However, the only difference, perhaps, was that it would be more appropriate to call this 'Ice Shower.'
This was because dozens of ice arrows filled the sky.
And as it fell, it was being replenished anew.
His mastery was something that would astound even those newly entering the 3rd circle.
However,
The one who was most surprised was Elric himself.
"Wow! Just by grasping that much, it changes like this?"
Elric let out a light whistle.
It had only been four days since he had seen the basic principles that Mephisto had written down for him.
Elric, while vaguely suspecting or not fully understanding the contents he had encountered so far, was able to leap over the 'barrier' he first encountered while perfectly digesting them.
It was truly a situation that any magician would not dare to hope for.
He couldn't help but be impressed.
‘Is Mephisto's doctrine easy to understand... or is it that Mephisto's level is just too high?’
Elric stole a glance at Mephisto.
Despite being thoroughly immersed in the swamp of frustration over the fact that he had once again succumbed to mere human intimidation today.
Elric was in the midst of re-evaluating Mephisto lately.
He knew that he was the strongest demon lord, but still, seeing his strength firsthand left him astonished.
Truly, it was the pinnacle of pinnacles, where one could scrutinize everything beneath only when they reached the summit, unlocking the knowledge that could only be unraveled then.
If obtaining the Mana Stone was the first serendipity that changed fate, then meeting Mephisto was the second serendipity that could pioneer fate.
"Mephisto."
『M-Mephisto?』
Though Mephisto looked taken aback, Elric paid him no mind.
"When will the next installment be out?"
『Wha-what...!』
It was as if asking when one could come to collect something left at a pawnshop.
Mephisto was grinding his teeth but refrained from uttering any curses.
Elric, feeling disappointed that his provocation didn't work, clicked his tongue as if to say 'tsk!', but swallowed his words.
‘Damn bastard, let's see how long you can keep up this carefree attitude!’
Mephisto's eyes blazed with fire.
‘The moment your soul is completely bound to the pact, I'll make you pay for this disgrace several times over!’
However, a few days later, Mephisto had to come to terms with the fact that it was an absurd expectation.
* * *
‘Why...? Why isn't there any reaction? There should be some sign, shouldn't there?’
Whish, whish, whish!
Watching Elric cast the 4th circle spell, 'Arctic Wind,' Mephisto gnawed at his nails nervously.
The 'pact' he had hidden throughout the doctrine wasn't working at all.
By now, even the slightest hint should have manifested as normal...?
"It's strange that there hasn't been any change in me yet. You're making a weird face because of it."
Just then, Elric suddenly glanced in his direction and smirked cynically.
Mephisto felt as though he'd been struck in the back of the head with something heavy and dull.
‘Is this guy possessed by some demon or what?!’
『I-I don't know what you're talking about!』
Mephisto tried to play it cool, but Elric didn't miss the slight tremble in his voice.
"Don't worry about it. It's not like it's going to work anyway."
『W-What?』
"I mean, I'm not a complete idiot. Did you really think I'd just blindly accept what Mephi gave me without any checking?"
『...!』
"It took me a while to find it, hidden so cunningly, but well... Thanks for the lesson, anyway."
『....』
‘Damn it, damn it, daaamn it all!’
Mephisto was so frustrated with that busy, cursed face that he felt like punching it right then and there.
"But what's the next part? This place is too good to leave just yet."
In the end, Mephisto exploded.
『God damn it! Are you even human?!』
"Thanks for the compliment. Have you said everything you needed to today? Then I'll go back to pretending you don't exist."
『Ughhh! Ugh!』
Mephisto eventually grabbed him by the collar.
* * *
"I've mastered everything you just taught me. There's nothing else?"
...Now it's just 'Me' instead of 'Mephi' or 'Mephisto'?
Mephisto glared at Elric with those eyes.
"It’s better than ‘Hobo’, right?"
Once again, Elric seemed to read his mind like a ghost and just babbled incomprehensible nonsense.
Already accustomed... no, fed up with that shameless face, there was no strength left to protest.
In the end, Mephisto let out a deep sigh as if the world was coming to an end.
『...No.』
"If you're going to babble again, another three days of ignoring you..."
『No, I'm saying I truly have nothing left to teach you about incantation magic!』
Elric's eyes gleamed strangely.
"Explain."
『Just as I said. His Majesty has nothing more to teach you. Or more precisely, there is nothing left to explain about incantations.』
"Why not?"
『The incantations I know are ‘Mantra’.』
"…!"
Mantra.
Among the incantations classified into five grades, Mantra occupies the highest position.
Of course, above it is ‘Voice of God’ (Divine Speech), which refers to the divine utterances, but that's a story reserved for transcendent beings with divine status, so it's excluded.
The statement that he knows the highest grade of incantations existing in the mortal realm made Elric keenly aware of how vast the gap between him and Mephisto truly was.
『In truth, everything I've taught you so far merely scratches the surface of Mantra from my perspective. You've absorbed it like a sponge without realizing its significance.』
"…."
『Even if I were to explain further, you wouldn't be able to comprehend it with your current level of skill. Moreover, it's likely to linger in your mind and influence your actions in ways you can't predict.』
Mephisto drew a clear line.
Elric could sense that this statement was definitely not a lie.
Having spent nearly a month together, he couldn't help but understand him to some extent.
‘Well, perhaps it's only natural.’
The gaze Mephisto cast upon him was like a distant star, too far for Elric to reach.
Trying to grasp a star forcibly often leads to a fall.
"But what if I still ask you to teach me?"
『Hmm. I'll probably just go crazy, won't I?』
"…!"
『Well, from my perspective, it might actually be better if you just went crazy... but I don't think you're in a state where that would happen gracefully right now.』
Mephisto shrugged his shoulders.
Getting caught up in the excitement of the Mana Stone's active operation could lead to a bad case of hubris, making it difficult to recover later.
Mephisto didn't particularly want to risk such a danger.
‘What should I do?’
Elric pondered for a brief moment.
In reality, there were many types of magic besides incantation magic that he could learn from Mephisto.
‘I might even be able to learn Black Magic. Though I'd rather not go that route if I can help it.’
Despite learning magic from Mephisto, he still didn't want to go against the wishes of his family, who had fought in wars against demons.
The wolf-shaped tattoo engraved on the back of his right hand, acquired while absorbing Mephisto, was the same.
‘But blindly mastering other types of magic would also seem like a waste of time.’
Since they would still need to be interpreted through incantations, it wouldn't immediately help to enhance his abilities.
‘Well, there's only one thing left now.’
Elric's eyes sparkled.
‘Real-world application.’
It was time to attempt the last of what he had considered lacking.
No matter how much he studied and trained in magic, without experiencing real combat, he would only be proficient in armchair theory.
‘The battlefield is where magic truly comes to fruition, as our family's saying goes.’
As a lineage that had fought demons for generations, there would hardly be a place with a more fiery atmosphere and demeanor.
‘I thought it would be much later than this before I could come down here, after Professor Berex's exploration was all finished... But it seems like the timing is about right now.’
Now that it had come to this, Elric felt an overwhelming desire to jump into the battlefield as soon as possible.
He wanted to confirm firsthand what his abilities were like.
So where could he go immediately?
"The closest place from here to Imperial Capital... 'Crimson Ghost Forest'? No, it's too rough to just run there for a test. Then how about 'Goblin Cave'? There are too many people there. Should I go a little further away?"
As Elric meticulously inspected the areas where monsters appeared, he never indulged in greed.
He was still a fledgling, after all. He needed to gradually increase the difficulty; it wouldn't do to challenge things recklessly from the start.
Furthermore, he needed to keep his identity hidden, so he couldn't go to places with too much notoriety or too many passersby.
Then Elric thought of the perfect place.
‘TheHabitat of Yetis!’
It was a place where the dreaded Cryptheads appeared, and it was covered in perpetual snow, making it nearly impossible for wanderers to get lost.
Above all else...
"...If my memory serves me right, there should be a family's ‘Safehouse’ near there, right? I haven't been able to visit because of my lack of skills so far, but now it should be possible. Maybe I can find some clues about the necklace there."
Elric touched the Magical Amulet hanging around his neck.
『...I can tell you're thinking of something interesting.』
Mephisto's expression became uneasy whenever Elric revealed such a look, as odd things tended to happen.
"M."
『...Now you're just calling me by the first letter. Fine! What is it?』
"It's something that's not visible to others, right?”
『What...!』
Suddenly, Elric grinned mischievously.
* * *
『Damn it! Why in the world would I, who was once called the Demon King of Sin, stoop to thievery like a common thief!』
"Well, well! It's not thievery. Let's correct that. Didn't we pay enough for it?"
『You just threw it under the laundry rack!』
Elric, who had been focusing solely on training for about a month, hadn't properly bathed during that time. His clothes were worn out and covered in dirt, making him look like a beggar.
Even though he had fallen from grace, as an imperial duke, he couldn't afford to roam around looking like a ragamuffin.
However, despite being a noble of the empire, Elric felt a deep sense of discomfort about resorting to thievery himself. That's why he had enlisted Mephisto's help. Perhaps because Mephisto lacked a physical form, his skills were remarkably clean.
While Mephisto grumbled and expressed his frustration, Elric immersed himself in the flowing stream, skillfully using magic to rid himself of the accumulated dirt and grime. Taking advantage of the warm breeze to dry himself off, Elric borrowed clothes from an anonymous passerby.
‘Wow, my hair has grown quite a bit,’ he observed, noting the length of his locks.
Elric looked at his hair, which now barely passed his shoulders, with a curious smile.
"【Cut】."
A sharp gust of wind swept through, slicing off the excess hair.
Elric let the cut hair drift away in the stream before casting another spell.
"【Transform】."
Thud, thud.
As he did so, there was a faint sound of facial bones shifting slightly, and his features altered. His cheekbones became more prominent, his skin tone darkened slightly, and his eyes seemed sharper.
What was once a playful countenance now appeared decidedly more angular and serious.
Despite not changing much physically, he had transformed into someone completely different and alien.
Unless someone was a close friend like Sean, no one would recognize him as Elric.
"Shall we go down now?"
With a hummed tune, Elric began to descend the slope that had been his home for the past month.
"Oh, by the way, M. The 'M' you mentioned isn't the M I know, is it? He seems a bit like a pervert, doesn't he?"
『Ugh! How did I... end up dealing with this jerk...!』
Only Mephisto's sigh echoed back, ringing out pitifully.
