Volume 7, Chapter 42 – Those Who Seek Magic

After five or six seconds, the nobles in the hall gradually regained their composure. A young-looking noble summoned the courage to step forward, his gaze darting between Fia and the thumping Chaos. He forced a smile that looked more painful than a sob.

“I-I know this thing called Chaos is terrifying, but as long as they stay underground and don’t come out, we won’t have any need to deal with them, right? It’s better if everyone just minds their own business.”

With the young noble’s lead, the other nobles also breathed a sigh of relief, their expressions softening along with it.

“Indeed. Just like how we were with the Netherworld before—everyone keeps to their own side. As long as we don’t provoke them, they won’t bother us.”

“The legends say it’s been over ten thousand years, right? If it was fine before, it’ll surely be fine now. Maybe this Chaos can’t climb up at all. The Abyss is bottomless; heaven knows how high it is from the bottom to the surface!”

The noble’s explanation won the approval of the vast majority. They nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with opportunistic smiles. One elderly noble even looked toward Fia with a flattering gaze.

“Your Highness thinks so too, doesn’t she? You used such terrifying magic to destroy the Chaos in the Abyss, yet the Chaos didn’t follow you to the surface. It must be because they are unable to do so. Even as a precaution, we only need to build watchtowers at the edge of the Abyss to monitor every movement below. There is no need, as Your Highness suggested yesterday, to redeploy frontline soldiers to the east—where no enemy has ever appeared—to guard against an enemy that cannot reach us. That would only delay our military operations.”

“If it were the Abyss beneath the Holy Tree, there would indeed be nothing to worry about. However, the one I visited is the Abyss that recently appeared in the south of the Kingdom, on the border between the land of exile and the Netherworld. I can tell you all frankly: when the gods and the Darkborn retreated into the World Tree Continent because they were no match for the Chaos, the gods laid down a barrier at the edge of the continent to ensure this last pure land would not be invaded. This barrier only allows those above to go down; it does not allow those below to come up. That is why the Chaos has been unable to invade the World Tree Continent for these ten thousand years.”

“However, the newly appeared Abyss is not protected by the barrier laid by the gods. Just because the Chaos didn’t climb up this time doesn’t mean they won’t next time. If they realize this one day while we are unprepared, the consequences are easy to imagine. Furthermore, according to information I’ve obtained, ten thousand years have passed, and the gods’ barrier is already overburdened. No one knows which day it might dissipate. Therefore, we must prepare before disaster strikes.”

“My point is that even if you are unwilling to believe it, you must prepare a contingency plan. Furthermore, we must form a team brave enough to enter the Abyss. Only by gathering more information related to the Abyss can we formulate countermeasures. Surely none of you want the Chaos to suddenly climb up from the Abyss near the Holy Tree while you are sleeping in the Royal City?”

“Err…”

Fia was the only person present who had been down into the Abyss. Even if the crowd wanted to argue, their words lacked conviction. Not to mention, Fia’s status as the next monarch was already solidified; there was actually no need for her to provide evidence to convince others.

Finally, it was Yelido, sitting upon the throne, who opened the discussion. He furrowed his brow, his dignified eyes full of contemplation.

“Dofi, you say you’ve been to the Abyss. That is a place where there is only a slim chance of survival. Previously, the magic casters sent by the Kingdom to check the Desolate Lands on the other side of the Holy Tree never returned, and they only stayed above the Abyss for a short while. How did you return? Is there anything else down there besides Chaos?”

“I was able to return because of my unique constitution. It has been this way ever since I returned from the Holy Kingdom of Milcandis. As Father can see now, the Citadel of Silence in the Royal City has no effect on me; I can use magic right here in the Audience Chamber.”

To make it more visible, Fia simply used [Ice Bullet] to create a large sphere of ice beside the box formed by [Telekinesis]. The heavy “thud” of the ice hitting the ground, like a block of iron, sent a wave of cold sweat through the crowd.

To openly use magic in the Audience Chamber—if it were anyone else, they would have been pinned down by countless guards by now.

“As for the dangers beneath the Abyss, besides the Chaos, there is thin air and a lack of elements. An ordinary person going there would first face the danger of being unable to breathe, followed by mana exhaustion caused by the environment draining their power. Once their mana is spent and they can no longer maintain flight, their body will plummet into the Abyss.”

“Initially, I thought that if we could form an elite unit to cooperate with my offensive to build an outpost in the Abyss, we could gradually push forward. However, the problem of thin elements and air cannot be solved, so the outpost must be postponed indefinitely. Before solving those issues, we can begin preparatory work—getting the various powers on the continent to reach an agreement. Even if they don’t work together to fight the Chaos, they at least mustn’t hinder us with internal strife.”

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“Hmm…”

Yelido let out a deep hum. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to believe Fia, but as the nobles said, the Chaos hadn’t followed her back to the World Tree Continent. Thus, it was difficult for him to believe that the Chaos could climb up and form a disaster that would destroy their world. Humans were always like this; they only understood the horror of a disaster after experiencing it personally. Before then, a disaster was merely a vague concept.

“There is no problem with forming an elite team to explore downward. Master Mohr, your scholars from the Elf Tower will be responsible for this. Dofi, you’ve been to the Abyss; once you return, tell Master Mohr what needs to be noted. The team will be divided into two groups to explore the Abyss behind the Holy Tree and the one you visited, respectively.”

“Yes.”

“As for uniting the other countries on the continent, send letters inviting them to send envoys for a visit. We shouldn’t expect too much; for now, they will only think we have ulterior motives and won’t easily believe us. Besides the Chaos, does Dofi have anything else to say?”

“Nothing else.”

Actually, there was—for instance, investing more support into the modern magic hall and recognizing the Witch Sanctuary as a part of Silvar. However, the witches had a reputation problem; it was better not to bring it up at the morning assembly. Fia herself didn’t fear the pressure, but the witches in the sanctuary were different.

“Note, next item on the agenda.”

“Yes.”

◇

The meeting ended quickly. As usual, the nobles filed out of the hall, talking in small groups of two or three. However, because of the Chaos matter, none of their expressions were particularly good. Fia had stated at the end that if any noble wanted to see the Chaos for themselves, she could take them down there. No one would joke with their own life, especially high-ranking nobles, so the joy they felt from the great victory was instantly clouded by gloom.

Because Fia’s magic was so massive in scale, these nobles understood the horror of the Chaos even better. With such a time bomb ticking beneath their feet, no one could maintain a good mood.

As the nobles who wanted to stay on good terms with Fia also left the hall with forced smiles, the vast room was suddenly left with only Fia and Anastasia. The two exchanged a glance, and Fia pursed her lips and smiled.

“Let’s go too. It’s still early. Anastasia, you can go find Erin Slate to refine your swordsmanship. This afternoon, we’ll continue to the land of exile; there are still two skeleton whales there. Although I don’t know when I’ll completely master [Sacred Relic Analysis], I’ll feel more at ease if you reach the 6th rank first.”

“Yes…”

“What’s wrong? Your voice sounds listless.”

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At Fia’s mention, Anastasia’s lost gaze immediately snapped back to attention.

“It’s nothing. Perhaps I just woke up too early and my concentration is lacking.”

“Then why not go back and have a nap first?”

“That… it hasn’t reached the point where I must go back and sleep. I need to stay by your side at all times now; I can’t let you waste a whole day accompanying me.”

Actually, it would be fine. While you sleep, I could research faith magic nearby, Fia wanted to answer playfully. But in broad daylight, at the entrance of the hall—with Greyan’s statue standing nearby—Fia felt it would be too shameless. Anastasia would surely be too embarrassed and end up fidgeting in bed, unable to sleep, which would inevitably create a strange atmosphere that would make anyone’s face turn red.

Therefore, she decided it was better not to tell Anastasia and just do it secretly. Fia waved her hand with a smile.

“Anyway, I have nothing else to do lately. It’s fine if Anastasia wants to sleep. The Chaos won’t move rashly without knowing my whereabouts. If necessary, we can use that to go our separate ways and do our own things. By the way, does Anastasia want to spar? I’ve learned some unique swordsmanship lately.”

“Unique swordsmanship…?”

Anastasia tilted her head. In her memory, Fia knew nothing about swordsmanship and was a pure magic caster. While the current Fia was powerful enough to give her an entirely new understanding of the existence of “Dofilia,” the idea of Fia teaching her swordsmanship inevitably sounded like a joke. Even if she, Anastasia, hadn’t fought for a long time, her swordsmanship would surely be better than a novice who had held a sword for less than a year.

She offered a tactful reminder.

“I’ll just go find Lady Erin Slate to practice. Lady Erin Slate has always held the title of Sword Saint; observing her sword techniques will surely be of benefit to you, Your Highness.”

“Is that so? I thought the sword techniques I newly learned were quite good.”

Davis’s techniques focused more on pure skill rather than the swordsmanship of this world, which crudely combined magic and sword skills. Anastasia already mastered the swordsmanship of this world; if she could take it a step further on a technical level, the results would be much greater than for Fia herself.

“?”

“—!”

At this point, Fia and Anastasia stopped simultaneously. They both looked back to see someone standing there.

The person standing straight in the corridor was Master Mohr. He was bathed in sunlight, his white hair and beard so dazzling it was hard to keep one’s eyes open.

“Master Mohr? Do you have something to discuss with Her Highness?”

Anastasia was the first to speak. Master Mohr didn’t answer immediately but took a step forward. He stared at Fia, his sharp eyes hidden behind layers of wrinkles making Fia sense a hint of impatience.

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“Dofi, did you… did you break through to the 9th rank?”

Master Mohr’s voice trembled, his tone full of disbelief.

Fia paused slightly. This wasn’t out of arrogance or a desire to hide her strength, but because she felt she couldn’t be measured by the standards of this world. Her mana had likely exceeded the 10th rank long ago; even gods might not compare to her. This wasn’t an exaggeration—she had used the Forbidden Spell [Spatial Confinement] to freeze an entire plain of undead, yet she felt none of the dizziness from mana depletion. This amount of mana simply couldn’t be explained by common logic; her mana was practically inexhaustible.

Since Master Mohr was so excited that even his beard was shaking, Fia had to give a vague answer.

“Why does Master Mohr think my strength has reached the 9th rank?”

“The magic in that recording crystal is unheard of, and the scale far exceeds what those people call the 7th rank. That crowd of nobles are all fools who don’t understand magic; only I know what level of magic you used! No-chanting 8th or even 9th rank magic—you clearly possess such strength, yet you haven’t said a word!”

Master Mohr didn’t control his volume. His voice was loud enough to echo in the empty corridor. In an instant, the knights all along the hallway cast their gazes toward Fia. Master Mohr acted as if he didn’t see them, stepping forward anxiously, his eyes locked onto Fia.

“I am ashamed to compare my talent to yours, Your Highness, but for you to leap from quasi-7th rank to 9th rank overnight—isn’t that a bit too absurd! I have pursued magic all my life and believe no one in Silvar understands elven magic better than I do. Yet you were merely struck by the Unsinkable Moon and gained such power beyond reason. It’s not fair!”

Is this guy crazy? ¹ no, its reasonable.

Fia frowned inwardly. This was the first person since the fall of Prince Schain who dared to speak to her in such a tone. Even if she could understand his resentment at being surpassed by a junior using “deceptive” means, this attitude was truly hard to appreciate. Not to mention, Master Mohr hadn’t said a word about what he actually wanted from the beginning.

“Master Mohr, please watch your manners. Her Highness is the Eldest Princess of the Kingdom. Even if you have urgent business, you are standing too close.”

Anastasia stepped forward to separate them by half a step, her tone becoming unfriendly. Her hand was already on the hilt of her sword; if the person standing there wasn’t Master Mohr but an ordinary noble, the mithril sword would have already been unsheathed.

Reminded by Anastasia, Master Mohr’s expression froze. The urgency in his eyes gradually faded, and he gave a cold snort, took a half-step back, and bowed deeply to Fia.

“My sincere apologies, Princess. This old man was too eager in his pursuit of the path and momentarily forgot his manners. At my age, it is harder than hard to achieve another breakthrough. Thus, when I learned you had found a shortcut, I could not suppress the joy in my heart. Please forgive me. Furthermore, would the Princess be willing to tell this old man how you raised your strength to its current level? Even if I cannot reach the miracle of the 9th rank like you, as long as I can cross into the 8th rank, I can die with no regrets.”

“…To be honest, I don’t know either,” Fia said with a look of helplessness after a moment’s hesitation. She knew this answer wouldn’t satisfy Master Mohr, so she added another sentence.

“I lost my memories after being struck by the Unsinkable Moon. When I woke up, my strength had already reached this level. Thanks to that, I’ve completely forgotten all the magic I learned before, and now I have to start learning magic from scratch.”

“The Unsinkable Moon, eh…” As if he hadn’t heard the second half of Fia’s sentence, Master Mohr rubbed his chin and murmured in a low voice. “May I ask if the Unsinkable Moon is still in the Holy Kingdom of Milcandis?”

“The Unsunken Moon has been shattered; it no longer exists.”

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“How could—ah, I see.”

One moment his eyes were wide with shock, the next Master Mohr seemed to have understood something on his own, nodding repeatedly.

“The Royal Family has its own considerations, then… Thank you for the guidance, Princess. It is truly a regret that the Unsinkable Moon was destroyed, otherwise this old man could have researched it a bit. In that case, I won’t disturb Your Highness any longer. Please do visit the Main Towers when you have time. Though they have lost their value to the current you, as a 9th rank user, any word from you would be treated as gospel by the magic casters there.”

“Master Mohr overpraises me.”

While answering with her mouth, Fia made a face in her mind. Having her guide those magic casters was absolute nonsense; her understanding of magic probably wasn’t even one percent of theirs.

“Thank you once again.”

Master Mohr gave a final bow, then his figure gradually faded into the dark corridor under the sunlight streaming through the windows.

“Your Highness, Master Mohr seems very strange.”

“Do you mean he’s been possessed, Anastasia?”

“Eh? Master Mohr is possessed?”

“Of course not. I was just agreeing with you since you brought it up.”

“You… how could you agree with me… it should be me agreeing with you.”

Anastasia’s cheeks flushed slightly, and her shoulders hunched.

Fia waved her hand with a laugh. “What of it? Let’s go back. It’s rare to have free time; let me study faith—I mean, let me supplement my magical knowledge. I also need to learn some earth magic while I’m at it.”

Changing her words awkwardly, Fia led Anastasia away from the corridor in the opposite direction of Master Mohr.

Translator Note

ahh… the seeds of trouble…