Encia tilted her head as she looked at the Romanian imperial messenger who had come to find her.
‘What’s going on in the Romanian Empire?’
Given the relationship between the Romanian Empire and Procyon, it wouldn’t make sense for them to directly request the help of wizards from what could be considered a foreign land like Procyon.
Moreover, the Romanian Empire had a decent number of magicians at their disposal, so there was hardly ever a reason to ask someone from Procyon like herself.
Then…
“Is there a need for magic to change the weather?”
“Yes. Our Emperor Julius is preparing a ceremony to celebrate his 100th birthday, and we would like to ask you about the weather on that day.”
Upon hearing that, Encia nodded thoughtfully.
If such a matter hadn’t arisen, they wouldn’t have sought her out in Romania.
For many, Romania’s land was a blessed one, a fertile soil where any crop would flourish beautifully.
With such a land at their disposal, they probably didn’t need Encia’s magic.
“If you will lend me your strength, I will pay a price that matches it. Even if the weather turns out to be fine on that day.”
At those words, Encia paused for a moment. Was accepting the offer the right thing to do?
With Tia, who always provided the right answers, no longer around, she had to think and judge for herself.
She needed to make her own decisions.
“We can support you with travel expenses and any necessary items. How does that sound?”
Those words were sweet as candy. All she had to do was hop in and out!
However, during her time with Tia, she had come to realize that other humans weren’t really trustworthy.
People who prioritize their own interests and try to deceive others whenever they can.
She had witnessed such beings more than once or twice. Not all humans were to be trusted.
Thus, she needed to see things with her own eyes and make her own judgments.
Making those decisions by herself felt like stepping into a perilous road shrouded in thick fog, but there was no avoiding it.
Because Tia wouldn’t be there to make the choices for her.
So.
“Alright. I’ll go.”
Encia took a step forward.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“Do you know what kind of magical power wizards use to perform their spells?”
“The magic stored in their hearts, right?”
“Exactly. The form and structure of magical power storage are different in each school and tower, but one thing remains the same: wizards use magic by consuming the magical power stored near their hearts.”
The sleepy girl began to sketch something on a clean piece of paper with a pencil.
A drawing of a heart that looked quite lifelike, albeit a bit gross—which wasn’t something a young girl typically drew.
“Why would you sketch something so creepy?”
“Because you can’t learn by just looking at the real thing.”
The sleepy girl, who had been speaking nonsense quite casually, began to draw additional elements over her heart sketch.
A ring shape encompassing the heart. Rings that stacked up layer by layer.
“This represents a typical method of storing magical power: the Circle. You’ve heard of Circle Mages, right?”
“Yeah. They’re the ones who store magical power in the form of rings, right?”
“Exactly! Wielders are classified based on how many rings surround their hearts—it’s a hallmark of mages.”
The bespectacled girl nodded in agreement with the sleepy one.
Magicians in stories and novels are usually portrayed as Circle Mages.
“Because these mages distinctly define each phase. It’s clear-cut. There are also methods for creating magic crystals and counting them or forming them like long strings. But this is the most well-known and representative method.”
The bespectacled girl kept nodding along with the sleepy girl’s explanation.
“But this book mentions that you control external magical power using your own…”
“I told you, we use external magic. But in exchange, you can perform magic akin to ritual spells.”
“That’s right.”
“It’s tough enough to manage your own magical powers, let alone the external ones. It’s even harder.”
The bespectacled girl nodded. As a knight, she had felt and moved the magical power through physical training, unaware that transferring magical energy outside her body would be this challenging.
“The knight’s style and the wizard’s style are entirely different; that’s also why magic swordsmen are rare.”
“Hmm.”
“Anyway, to control external magical power, you need to use your own magical strength as a seed to manage it. This requires tremendous willpower. It’s not easy unless you’ve dedicated yourself to mastering this power since childhood.”
“Hmm… Is that why this book seems buried in obscurity?”
“That could be. It can reach great heights but achieving that is almost a miracle; then there’s the more realistic path to a lesser height, which most would probably choose.”
The bespectacled girl nodded again. Aiming for tangible goals seems wiser than chasing after ethereal dreams.
“Ultimately, the method you will choose is to use your own magical power, not external. While using external magic would offer more strength and consume less energy… that’s only feasible for those capable of it.”
The bespectacled girl nodded.
“Let’s start by gathering your internal magical power and shaping it. Once you have a rough form, you can inhale external magical power and turn it into yours through breathing.”
“Breathing?”
“Think of it like the knights’ breathing methods; those techniques originated with wizards.”
The bespectacled girl nodded and, appearing quite familiar, crossed her legs and closed her eyes.
“First, we will work on forming a circle. The magical power should continue to gather near your heart until the cells transform through the magic.”
“Yeah… When you say it changes, it sounds a bit off.”
“Even if it changes, it’s merely gaining the ability to store magical power. There won’t be any other changes. Now, focus.”
With that, the bespectacled girl closed her eyes and began concentrating on gathering her magical energy.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – —
In the capital of the Romanian Empire, the journey to Sirius was neither smooth nor troublesome.
It was an unremarkable journey. If monsters appeared, only a few knights accompanied by the Romanian lion would deal with them; even during overnight stays, attendants had everything prepared without a hitch.
Encia simply enjoyed a leisurely trip.
During this journey, what piqued Encia’s interest was… the immense force flowing underground.
Though it couldn’t be sensed near Procyon, as Encia got closer to Sirius, the great force moving beneath the ground became ever more palpable.
It was a power reminiscent of magical energy, yet exceedingly gentle—a force embracing the very earth.
As a wizard, such curiosity was something one couldn’t disregard… but for now, her priorities lay in traveling, so she could only explore magical energies during fleeting overnight rests.
At least it was fortunate that the closer she got to Sirius, the more potent this magic felt.
Thus, after quite a lengthy journey, Encia finally arrived in Sirius.
“Wow….”
She could only gaze in awe at the towering walls of Sirius.
“The pride of Sirius: its triple-layer walls.”
“Triple layers?”
“Yes. They say that when the previous emperor reclaimed the throne, the earth itself rose to assist him.”
“If we’re talking about the former emperor… the Sword Emperor?”
“Correct. It’s Emperor Lucius, known as the Sword Emperor.”
Encia nodded at the name.
The tale of how he regained the lost throne alongside his younger sister, the dragon priestess, and a teacher was quite a captivating story.
“Although he has now vanished, leaving behind a promise that he would return when needed… I believe he will return when this land requires his strength. All the people of Romania share this belief.”
“That’s incredible…”
“Yes, he’s a legend.”
The messenger smiled and made her way toward Sirius’s gate.
Thus, Encia entered Sirius.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – —
As time passed, it was Emperor Julius’s birthday.
Preparations went smoothly, and the weather was a mere sprinkle of clouds.
Encia scattered the clouds aside, allowing the sky to shine blue, and the celebration for Emperor Julius’s 100th birthday commenced in the central square of Sirius.
Naturally, as someone not from the Romanian Empire, Encia could only spectate the festivities from a distance.
It was a grand affair.
Emperor Julius, looking unbelievably spry at a century old, paraded in a colossal chariot that set off from the castle, circling along the grand pathways of Sirius.
Countless citizens surrounded the parade, praising the Emperor’s name.
For Encia, a Procyonian… it was a rather astonishing sight, though she found her interest waning. The need to keep watching fell by the wayside.
And with that, Encia set her feet in motion.
Her destination? The source of that immense power flowing beneath Sirius.
She began her quest to uncover the origin of that energy, which led somewhere within the imperial city.
Fortunately, Encia had received special permission to roam most of Sirius’ castle, so she ventured forth without hesitation.
Thus, her steps headed toward the garden at the back of the castle.
Woof… Bbaembaa… Ottaya… Bbaembaembaaaa… Bbaembaem!
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