trail (4)
The Ancient University Research Society directly under the Imperial Magic Tower.
As in other places in the empire, academic societies were usually evaluated for their authority and achievements before knowledge. If there was no track record, it was difficult to get a foot in the society, and it was rare for the theory to be accepted unless it was an authority figure.
But here, the case was severe.
“… … You are here again.”
“Tsk. Aren’t you tired?”
The eyes looking at Layton, who participated in the conference, were cold.
The ancient university was a study that was far from people’s attention.
A study without reality, where only romance remains.
Therefore, there was no new wind blowing to purify the stagnant water, and the society was dominated by old people who boasted of being called authorities.
Opinions that contradict their theories are immediately ignored and thoroughly weeded out. Also, under the name of correction, they are ridiculed and collapsed lonely.
Even those who remained somehow disappeared one by one.
However, Layton, who continued to attend conferences even though he looked so hateful, could be said to be the bane of the conference itself.
His position was fully revealed during the conference.
“In this way, ancient mages have developed magic tools and magic to determine the enemy’s location. If you look here, you can see that the author emphasizes the importance of searching… … .”
“hey! Look at this, Layton.”
“… … Yes, President. Please speak.”
“This is a place to discuss and prove the historical facts of the Ancient University, not to spread your delusions.”
“Puff… … !”
“Puhahahaha!”
“… … .”
Cheers erupted from all directions. But no one wanted to break the mood.
The atmosphere of contempt and ridicule of a single scholar was all too familiar.
And in that atmosphere, Layton opened his silent mouth.
“You can dismiss it as a delusion. However, the fact that this is a theory presented based on old books and historical background… … .”
“Then tell me once. It is said that ancient magic was much more developed than modern magic, so why do such mages need to rely on magic tools for ‘something like that’?”
“… … Deploying magical powers to scan the environment is not terribly efficient, nor can ordinary soldiers use them. So this detection magic I studied must have been useful among wizards.”
“So that means it’s your delusion.”
The president of the society, who made a ridicule full of ridicule, arrogantly crossed his legs and shot at me.
“Wouldn’t there have been wizards who moved with soldiers in the past when magic was developed? And you probably aren’t unaware of the fact that magic directly controlled by humans is more meticulous and reliable.”
“Then at least just reviewing the research… … .”
“If you bring up such a topic one more time, you will be permanently expelled from that qualification as a reward for scorning the society.”
“… … All right.”
Layton came down helplessly from his seat, holding the books on the podium in his arms.
Behind his back, innumerable mocking glances were pierced like arrows.
To him, the Federation Empire’s academy was too rotten.
* * *
“Now, please wait a moment.”
When the girl who was guarding the cashier at the bookstore called her father, she ran to somewhere as quickly as possible.
Usually in this situation, who is the opponent. And it would have been the first thing to ask what the purpose of the visit was, but there seemed to be no such thing.
… … Well, it’s probably because he’s happy that a visitor has come.
Kki-Ik-!
While I waited, I took a chair from the bookstore and sat down.
It was a dusty chair, but it didn’t bother me too much.
The two of them who had been together since the Mage Tower had doubts about this situation.
“bookstore… … Do you think Your Highness will find out information about ancient magic here?”
The mage lord expressed his doubts.
However, it was a very small and unattractive bookstore. It’s so ordinary that it doesn’t even feel rough.
There was no point in coming to the Federation Empire. Calling the girl’s father was also a question.
But I had thoughts.
“Ancient magic has been lost for a long time. Then it would be better to ask someone who knows about its whereabouts.”
“So you’re saying that the girl from the gold medal, the child’s father, will know where it is?”
“You will know when you see it.”
“Huh… … .”
The Master of the Magic Tower shook his head while exclamation.
It was today that he brought up a story related to ancient magic. However, Prince 1 guided himself so calmly as if he already knew that such a story would come out. And to the Commonwealth, and nowhere else.
A move close to that certainty remained a question throughout.
‘How do you know that? … .’
At this point, don’t you know more than the people who are called wise?
Where the Mage Tower lord’s gaze was directed, he could see George, who was already accustomed to these things, looking at the books.
Of course, I gave up reading it with only dust blowing.
“… … It doesn’t look like an ordinary bookstore. It’s comprehensive, but there are quite a few books related to magic.”
“okay. Because he himself would have needed to read books related to magic.”
“You mean the girl’s father.”
At the words of the Magic Tower Master, I picked up a book lying next to the chair.
… … All in all, it was also a basic magic book.
‘Do you really want me to learn it?’
My penetrating gaze turned to George. I was the one who experienced the convenience of magic while traveling with the archmage. It would be more convenient if there was a mage who could stick around at all times.
at that time. Perhaps feeling some unknown anxiety, the boy trembled and began to scan his surroundings.
“Ugh, did some ghost appear?”
“… … .”
But is it possible for him to faithfully learn magic?
Rather, I would be glad if I didn’t leave what I was doing. I sighed and put the book down.
How much time had passed like that? Just as George was getting tired of distractingly chewing through the books, the girl at the checkout counter returned.
A middle-aged man with shaggy hair was following behind her.
And the man… … .
“My name is Layton from the Ancient University Society. You came looking for me.”
From noble mtl dot com.
At least it was one of the familiar characters to me.
A wizard who studies ancient history. And a scholar who unraveled various ancient secrets.
I got up from my seat, curling my lips hidden under my robe.
“I have something to ask of you.”
“… … Oh, are you saying that you have come to ask for something?”
“hmm.”
Did you say father and daughter? Like his daughter, he couldn’t hide his surprise when he heard the voice.
He then swallowed his saliva as he saw me approaching him.
“I may be really rude, but are you from the imperial family of the Commonwealth Empire?”
“Why did you think that?”
After asking that question, I stopped the owner of the Mage Tower from saying something with a wink.
It might have seemed suspicious, but Layton didn’t seem to notice.
“Somehow, it was an atmosphere I hadn’t felt from other nobles, so stop… … .”
“Right.”
“I’m sorry if you were offended.”
There is an atmosphere that each person feels. Just as I guessed the identity of the 4th prince just by looking at his movements, this man also seemed to feel a strange energy from me. Something different from other nobles.
After that, nothing else was said. However, I did not forget to make some corrections.
“For now, let’s just say I’m a noble from a foreign country.”
“All right.”
It was a grave demeanor without any vulgarity or pretensions unique to scholars.
“First, let me guide you inside.”
“I will.”
The place where Layton moved was a small room that appeared to be his personal laboratory.
The inside was so crowded that I couldn’t even step a step due to the piled up books, and the sunlight coming through the windows was dusty, probably because the ventilation wasn’t straight.
However, he didn’t care and pushed the books away, and eventually, when the minimum space was secured, he looked at the party and said.
“It’s shabby, but come in.”
Still, after organizing the interior, there was a space to stand. At least it was better than before.
At that moment, as I looked inside, things like handwritten notebooks came into my eyes.
“Detection magic?”
“… … Oh, are you talking about this?”
It was read according to the words written on the cover.
In response, Layton explained with an awkward smile as if he was a little embarrassed.
“This is what I presented to the academic world this morning. I got rejected in a good way.”
“Have you been rejected?”
“That’s right. It was research related to ancient magic, but it seems that it was judged that there was no historical basis.”
Of course, that wasn’t all, but Layton thought there was no need to tell such a story to guests who suddenly came to visit him.
However, when I saw the words on the cover and picked up the notebook, I thought differently.
“Can I check it out?”
“yes… … yes? You mean that?”
He scratched his shaggy head. A bitter look was evident on his tired face.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re interested, but… … It’s a topic that has already been refuted, so it won’t be useful otherwise. In the first place, it is difficult for nobles to take the time to read… … .”
“Whether it is useful or not is for me to judge.”
It wasn’t that there was no content at all.
I opened the notebook and checked its contents. Soon after, it came to me as a certainty every time I turned over one page.
‘… … also.’
If it’s great, then it must be great.
Otherwise, I couldn’t have bothered to remember.
But that thought was short-lived.
Eventually, my gaze turned to the owner of the tower, and he passed the note from my hand without saying a word.
And as time passes and the notes are turned over, the expression of the owner of the Magic Tower as he scans the contents is first light surprise, then interest. And the more I went on, the more serious it felt.
I asked him when the right amount of time had passed.
“How do you see it?”
“… … This seems to be the correct thesis written based on factual things. It actually resembles a form of magic I guess.”
“Right.”
What he was guessing was an aspect of ancient magic that he guessed through the traces.
It was a combination of the archmage’s knowledge and information, so judging from that point, I could see that this thesis was organized quite accurately.
Of course, that was natural.
“Well, at least that means it helps.”
“It seems that there is a need to check a little more, but… … .”
widely-!
The mage lord who closed the book with a sound realized something and nodded.
Eventually, when he reached out his hand into the air, a blue aura was already clearly emanating from his fingertips.
“… … I guess I know how it feels.”
And the Magic Tower Master began to draw pictures in the air.