Chapter 28: Bottomless Power

I Became the Secretary of a Hero! — LNCrawler · All chapters

BACK at the inn, Johann fought to stay conscious as he fed his magic reserves in to the hand-mirror. Despite taking turns with Leo to infuse their magic in to the mirror, the rapid rate from which Johann burned through his reserves exhausted him faster than the magic could naturally restore itself, taking a toll on his mind.

He rubbed at his eyes and sighed because it looked like there were three mirrors in front of his blurred vision. Having just switched shifts with Johann, Leo laid sprawled across the ottoman opposite of the table, his eyes shut to tolerate the pain coursing through his magic-zapped body.

“…Aagh, I’m so sleepy I could die. Actually, this has surpassed sleepy and is bordering passing out. Pops told me rapid consumption of magic treads the line of life and death…” he muttered, sounding delirious.

Johann glanced up from the hand-mirror and stared doubtfully at him. “Leo, who is Pops? You are becoming very incoherent. Please get a grip on yourself.”

“…Pops is my magic teacher,” he mumbled.

“Ah,” Johann murmured, putting the pieces together.

The requirement for Mages to train at the Academy was a well-known fact, but what most people didn’t know was that people who wanted to get admitted to the Academy needed to pass the practical magic test first. The practical magic test was equally as difficult as the knowledge exams, which was why the majority of boys and girls aiming to become Mages usually apprenticed under a Mage currently active as an Adventurer.

Leo’s Pops must be who he apprenticed under. No doubt this Pops must have been a powerful Mage to train Leo into the overpowered Mage he is today. Johann concluded, returning his focus to the hand-mirror.

“Is that so? Then please pour all your magic into the hand-mirror to keep from disappointing your Pops.”

“I know, I know,” Leo quipped, shooing him with his hand and yawning.

Johann glanced at the clock on the wall. Two hours had quickly passed since Elias and Aki left for the Adventurers’ Guild. In the meantime, Johann and Leo took turns infusing the hand-mirror with their magic. Continuous discharge of magic put the greatest stress on Priests and Mages over any other spell. It was like sprinting a marathon without taking any breaks.

From their estimates, they would have to continue at this steady rate for the entire night if they wanted the mirror to have enough power to transfer them to the Dark Lord’s castle. As Leo said, if they didn’t tread carefully with their magic consumption rate, they would be walking a very tight line between life and death. Johann wiped the sweat beading on his forehead.

Just as he concentrated the magic to his fingertips, the front door flung open.

“I’m baaack!”

Nako had returned from her shopping trip with two large bags full of food weighing down her arms. Johann reflexively looked up and tried to smile at her, but fatigue kept his stiff face muscles from moving.

I am at the end of my chain already too, he thought bitterly.

“Welcome back, Nako. Was your shopping trip a success?” he asked.

“Yes, it was great—wait, Johann?! You’re deathly pale!” Nako’s already big eyes rounded even wider. She quickly deposited her shopping bags on the table and ran to his side.

“I-Indeed. Well, not that I had much color in my cheeks to start with,” Johann joked, trying to ease her worries.

In all actuality, he never had a good complexion because he was born with fair skin. Add his extreme fatigue and dizziness to his already pale skin and he looked like he was on death’s door. He concentrated on the mirror in his hand while Nako watched him, concern etching her young features.

He closed his eyes, concentrating all the magic in his body to his hands and promptly infused it into the mirror. The heat zapped from his body and he was sent into a shivering fit. He shuddered, his eyebrows knitting together.

My hands and feet are freezing.

He partially opened his eyes to see a faint silver light encircling the mirror—confirmation his magic accumulated within it. But in inverse proportion to the magic filling the mirror, magic was ripped from him, weakening his body.

Johann looked at the ceiling and inhaled sharply. “…I expected this to be intense, but the reality of it is even worse. The question is whether my stamina will last through to the end…” he murmured, putting his hand to his brow.

Nako bent down to take one worried look at his face and straightened up with a newfound resolve. He watched her strut over to her shopping bags before spinning around to face him.

“Johann, I’ll make something to eat to help you guys regain a little more endurance! I’m a skilled cook, you know?” she teased, pumping her fists. Just seeing her liveliness had the natural effect of pulling the last vestiges of energy out of them.

Johann watched her like she was the brilliant sun in the room and smiled softly. “That will be of great assistance to us. Let me think…I would appreciate it if you could make something warm.”

Mass magic consumption dropped his body temperature across the board, so he hoped getting some warm food in him would ease the strain.

“Sorry for making you go out of the way for us,” he said.

Leo wriggled on the ottoman where he had been sleeping. “Nako, make me something sweet.”

When did he start listening to us? Johann eyed Leo who suddenly joined the conversation.

“…Were you awake?”

Leo rolled over, putting his back toward Johann without answering him. Apparently, he was willing to talk to Nako, but not Johann. Talk about playing favorites.

Once Nako disappeared humming into the kitchen, Johann collected himself and addressed Leo’s back. “Leo, about Nako volunteering to act as the mediator between Hero and Dark Lord…”

He carefully chose his words, trying to inconspicuously let him know that as a member of the Sanctuary this situation was unthinkable.

After a slight pause, Leo flipped over on the ottoman to face him, speaking up as he rubbed his tired eyes, “Yeah. Who knows what the Dark Lord has in mind, but it’s beneficial for us if his Right-hand is cooperative. Nothin’ wrong if we can find a way to end things without fighting.”

Johann nodded. “I agree. I believe it is a good opportunity. It will likely be contrary to the Sanctuary’s wishes, but I personally look forward to seeing how the story will unfold differently.”

“I see. In other words, this is an unheard of change in the course of events for the Sanctuary too.”

“Yes… In the entire history of the Hero and Dark Lord’s War, not once has the Dark Lord proposed an amicable solution. We do not have enough information to know whether this is in line with the Dark Lord’s will or Nako acting independently.”

Leo pillowed his head on his hands and stared at the ceiling. “…Well, I at least don’t think Nako is acting independently from him. Think about it. Would someone as powerful as the Dark Lord overlook something as simple as Nako stealing his hand-mirror to visit her older sister?” He glanced at Johann before returning his gaze to the ceiling. “I think the Dark Lord’s pulling all the strings here. Nako’s actions for sure, but even we’re being made to dance to his tune.”

“Indeed. Whether Nako realizes she is his puppet is another matter.”

“There you have it.”

Johann smiled sadly. “In which case, the Dark Lord is still the villain we thought. We talked about this earlier, but he would have been no worse off to have instilled enough magic in the hand-mirror for a roundtrip, rather than force us to pay our own way.”

“He’s probably got an annoying personality. ‘You can give up that much magic to come see me. I won’t run or hide. Don’t make me wait long. Mwahahaha!’ Or somethin’ like that.”

“…What in the world was that laugh? If that is true, he has a great way of welcoming us.”

“Right? I’m so grateful, the tears just keep on comin’. Aaah.” Leo rolled back over on the ottoman like talking took the rest of his strength. Johann shrugged.

They suddenly heard Nako’s cheery humming from the connected kitchen.

What a complicated melody. Is that a song from the parallel world?

Along with the sound of her jaunty melody, came the scent of the meal she prepared. Johann secretly smiled at the nostalgic sense of being at home.

“Just the smell of a good meal is enough to reenergize a person. I feel like I have enough energy to keep going for a while yet.”

Leo stretched his arms over his head. “You can say that again. Alrighty, since Nako is working hard for us, guess I’ll plant my feet and hold out as long as I can. Time to trade places, Johann.”

“I could use a break. Thank you.”

Leo stood and rolled his shoulders as he passed by Johann who collapsed on the ottoman he just evicted.

I’m drained…

He felt like he was going to drift off to sleep as soon as he relaxed. Sprawled across the ottoman, Johann squinted at Leo who held the hand-mirror in his left hand and covered it with his right.

Leo closed his violet eyes, and an enormous rush of magic instantly flowed into the mirror. The light encircling the mirror increased tenfold. Johann’s eyes rounded.

Incredible! With Leo here, we might not need to go all night…

Johann sincerely clapped for Leo’s demonstration of power that far exceeded his expectations. “You are amazing. Is your magic pool bottomless?”

Was he born with a top class pool of magic reserves?

Shock hit Johann when Leo turned his face toward him, his complexion a picture of health. He thought Leo was as strained as he felt, but just a little rest had removed any signs of fatigue from him.

“Who knows? From the start, my magic reserves were greater in number than any other Mage. I’m pretty sure that’s why I was picked for Elias’ Party.”

“…If that is true, your magic reserves are an abnormality.”

Even Johann, who had been born with the Pope’s bloodline and was blessed with a talent in magic that exceeded other Priests, felt his fatigue growing. Yet there was absolutely no decline in the speed or power Leo infused his magic into the mirror. Was this really the power of a human?

Leo hummed in thought. “If I take a little nap like I just did, my magic restores to a certain extent. Rather than having a bottomless supply, I’d say my recovery rate is faster.”

“Is that…so?” Johann said, falling silent.

A magic recovery rate exceeding human knowledge—Nako’s words from earlier in the day crossed Johann’s mind. Didn’t she say Leo’s facial features resembled the Dark Lord’s?

“Leo, you—”

“Um, would you two like to take a small break? I finished cooking!” Nako said, interrupting Johann.

I lost my chance…

Leo placed the hand-mirror on the table and happily hopped to his feet. Whether he heard Johann’s question or not, he didn’t show it.

“Ooh, thanks, Nako! I’ll be right there!” he shouted to Nako who was serving the food in the kitchen.

“You better hurry over too!” he said to Johann before strolling into the dining area where Nako waited for them.

Johann silently watched his sashaying back.