Vasen Lak Orazen didn’t properly understand what Hwee Ravina Muel had said. All he got was that the Talajin’s hand had tried to use magic, and that Ravina had the power to stop that from happening. But it was actually a more complicated matter than that.
-Causing magic to fail and have no effect isn’t easy either. A magic circle usually doesn’t contain any unnecessary information.
Every part of a magic circle was drawn to conjure the spell that a Wizard wanted to cast. Therefore, the magic could be partially activated as long as not every element was a mistake.
-In that case, accidents beyond or opposite of the Wizard’s intentions could happen.
Ravina replied to her antler’s murmur.
‘It’s information that Prince Vasen doesn’t need to know about. He’ll probably get bored if I explain it in detail.’
The reason the Talajin’s hands had failed the magic and triggered nothing was because Ravina also had an extensive understanding of magic. Her being cursed with a spirit of Demonic Magic alone wasn’t enough to stop the magic; she succeeded because she was the closest to becoming a Wizard after Mazdari. Ravina was unable to understand the whole ritual needed to conjure magic due to her incomplete knowledge, so she wasn’t even an apprentice Wizard. However, all magic followed a particular set of rules and procedures.
Ancient writing was used as elements in order to specify particular parameters or targets, and Ravina understood what each component of the magic circle meant.
Her spirit of Demonic Magic that manipulated probability interfered with the muscles of the Talajin’s hand drawing the magic circle, the wind of the sea, the fragments of the broken mast, the rocking of the ship on water, and the blood and flesh used to draw the magic circle, all as Ravina intended. As a result, the Talajin’s hand was unable to correctly draw the long lines in accordance with the rules of the magic circle. In the end, the lines jittered here and there, and the circle was smudged with writing that wasn’t recognizable.
‘Only, how do we deal with that?’
Fortunately, the fight died down, and everyone was made aware of the reach of the Talajin’s hands, as indicated by the dead Deep Ones’ blood splattered on the deck.
‘And I believe what Mazdari said about setting those hands to only target Deep Ones.’
However, Mazdari had hidden himself by the time Ravina had the breathing room to look around.
She said to Vasen, “It would be better to get onto another ship.”
“Why?” replied Vasen.
“If we leave the magic be, there’s no way to know when it will disappear. Perhaps it might linger there. So until safety is guaranteed, it would be better to have no one on the ship.”
“Really? It can continue to stay there?”
Ravina nodded as if it wasn’t anything impressive.
“It would become a nice ship decoration then.”
“Well, that’s not exactly…”
Ravina belatedly noticed the smile on the Lizardman’s face and realized it was a joke.
“As you have seen, those hands are dangerous. Even though Mazdari set a rule for them to only go after Deep Ones, left to their own devices, they might swing around indiscriminately and hurt people.”
“Hm.”
“Additionally, that’s not the hand of an ordinary monster. It has its own conscience and desires. They even have knowledge that we don’t know about. Didn’t you see them use magic?”
Ravina couldn’t figure out exactly what kind of magic they used. But according to Mazdari, the hands were angry, which was evident in the way they moved.
Vasen didn’t need an explanation to know that the hands were dangerous.
He said, “Then it’s more troublesome to go to another ship. If we leave those hands there, it will become more dangerous than Yaboon’s Pirates.”
“I will stay and watch them.”
“By yourself?”
“Yes.”
Vasen looked around.
“What about Mazdari?”
“Mazdari…is not here.”
“It’s usually hard to find someone during a battle.”
Ravina decided to tell the truth.
“That’s not it. Mazdari will not come.”
“…Why do you think that?”
“He didn’t simply become a Wizard,” Ravina explained. “When the knights of Asbestos attacked the Alchemist Tower, the alchemists all went their separate ways. And many alchemists died. I was lucky to have escaped to Black Scale, but most of the alchemists didn’t manage to get out of Asbestos. And that was probably…the case for Mazdari.”
Vasen looked at the Talajin’s hands groping around the deck as if they were walking with their fingers. They seemed to be fidgeting, but he could sense the nervousness and annoyance the owner of the hands would be feeling.
“Essentially, you’re saying that Mazdari is a Wizard of?Asbestos.”
“Yes. And above all, we should be more wary of him as he was the only Wizard we’ve seen emerging. He probably sold out the other alchemists to become a Wizard.”
Vasen shook his head; there was no telling whether the gesture meant that he understood or something else.
Ravina continued to say, “His Majesty called upon me to fight the Wizards from other countries that would come down to the Southern Archipelago. And that’s because my knowledge and abilities are one of the few ways there is to counter magic. But I didn’t feel the need to stop the Talajin’s hands.”
“Why not?”
“Because I can read the magic circle, I knew that Mazdari drew it just as he had explained. However, there was a trap.”
Ravina pointed at the magic circle that the Talajin’s hands had tried to draw. Traces of destruction were the only things remaining of the circle, but the destruction only served to make the particular spot on deck stand out more.
“It’s the fact that the Talajin’s hands can use magic on their own. I don’t know exactly what the spell was, but it would certainly put Black Scale in danger, and Mazdari would have known. Mazdari is probably on another ship, waiting for chaos to befall our ship from a safe distance.”
With that explanation, Ravina hoped that Vasen would hurry and give orders to confront the allied navies. Now that the pirates had fled back to Doltan Island, Black Scale and the other allied navies were left to confront each other. In the next fight, it would be important to first take the advantageous point for cannon shooting.
But contrary to what she wanted, Vasen said something completely unrelated.
“There’s no need to do so.”
“…What?”
Vasen looked over Ravina’s shoulders and lifted his chin.
Ravina turned around.
“How rude, Ravina.”
The Garuda, Mazdari, was limping toward them.
***
“I didn’t think our friendship was that shallow.”
Ravina was flustered by Mazdari’s words.
Ravina pointed at her antlers, and then at Mazdari’s head.
“Aren’t we only as close as how a cow sees a chicken?”
“Oh, what a marvelous analogy… Are top students built differently? Was I the only one who has been sincere the whole time?”
“What sincerity are you talking about?”
Vasen interrupted them, “Pleasantries are all well and good, but now that you’ve heard what happened, why don’t you explain yourself, Mazdari?”
“Hm.”
“I was ready to buy into Ravina’s story. I would have if you didn’t show up in front of me.”
Mazdari slightly touched his head. There was an actual bleeding wound, but at a glance, it would seem like he was putting on an act to buy some time.
“Prince Vasen. I know how to do magic, which lands me the title of a Wizard. However, I haven’t mastered all the spells in my repertoire yet.”
“Is that so? I guess it’s pretty far-fetched to think that things summoned by magic would be able to use magic themselves?”
“Except for that part.”
“…Hm?”
“I don’t think Ravina or any other alchemists would have read it because it was a book I received directly from my teacher, but in ancient documents, there are numerous warnings about Talajin’s Hand. They emphasize in particular that the hands shouldn’t be left for too long. While they are powerful, they are also the hands of high-ranking Wizards. With enough materials around, even one arm would be capable of expanding the magic circle and allowing the owners of the hands to trespass into this land.”
Ravina grew wary.
“Then, Mazdari, you did…”
“No, no,” Mazdari firmly denied. “I knew you would stop the magic that the Talajin’s hands would try to use.”
“I could have failed.”
“I didn’t think that would happen…but there was a need for such a gamble.”
Vasen then asked, “Gamble?”
“Yes, gamble.”
“Explain in more detail.”
Mazadai nodded, and said, “Prince Vasen, how many spies that communicate with other countries do you think are on Black Scale’s ship?” .
Ravina thought it was an absurd question. And she thought Vasen would confidently reply that there weren’t any, but his answer was not that.
“There are many that I can’t identify exactly, so I would say about ten.”
“Then how many would have seen the naval ram tactic you’ve employed to crash into the monster, witnessed me use my magic to defeat the monster, but also noticed my magic getting out of hand and trying to use magic themselves?”
“One to two.”
“That’s a relief.”
Ravina asked, “Why are you calling it a relief when there’s a spy?”
“Because that spy would prove that I, a Wizard of Asbestos, tried to trick Black Scale and cause great damage to the soldiers of Black Scale.”
“What?”
Vasen seemed to have gotten what Mazdari meant before he spelled it out exactly.
“Ravina, the spy that Mazdari is talking about isn’t the ones spying on our soldiers, but ones spying on Mazdari. Just as you said, Mazdari got on this ship with the order to attack Black Scale.”
“…Oh.”
“I’m not sure if he’s changed his mind, or if he had no intention to do so in the first place, but he gave you the chance to stop the magic that the Talajin’s hands tried to use. And thanks to that, Mazdari was able to successfully trick the spies while minimizing the casualties Black Scale suffered… Am I right, Mazdari?”
Mazdari nodded.
Vasen drew out his sword.
“Then the two of us must fight.”
“Yes.”
Seeing Mazdari also pull out his sword, Ravina was bewildered.
“W…wait? How do things lead to this point? You’re saying that Mazdari had no intention of attacking us, right? You just said that he was only pretending to attack us to trick Asbestos.”
Mazdari raised his sword. It was a sword that fit a Garuda’s height. A soldier of an ordinary build would have to hold it with two hands, but Mazdari managed with one.
“The Wizard hiding among the enemy cast a spell to kill the enemies. But that magic failed due to the enemy’s interference, and the Wizard got caught red-handed. Thus, the enemy put up their final resistance.”
Vasen grinned and said, “It means that the act is not over yet.”
Ravina thought she needed to stop them, but then she realized that it would be difficult through either logic or physical strength.
Mazdari then said, “Although it’s an act, it wouldn’t hurt to have the story go that I overpowered you in the end, right? I’ll be gentle, so don’t worry.”
“What nonsense are you saying, Wizard?” Vasen beckoned him over with a finger. “I’m the one who’s going easy on you. I’ll yield one move.”
Mazdari never turned down a free offer.
The giant Garuda charged at the Lizardman.
***
At the sandy beach of Doltan Island.
The ships of Black Scale and the allied navies were facing each other in coastal waters, and soldiers were lined up in two groups at the beach. Leading the groups were, respectively, Black Scales’ Team Leader, Vasen, and Asbestos’s General, Oldor.
Vasen bluntly said, “Isn’t that too low a price for a Wizard held captive?”
“You should keep in mind that the allied navies are twice as big as Black Scale’s force. Don’t you also know that our artillery capabilities are about the same level?”
“What about the threat to my life?”
“…You can’t say that the price for handing him over is insignificant.”
Vasen let out a puff of air from his nose and sent Mazdari, who was tied up with rope, over to General Oldor.
Vasen had won the battle with Mazdari, and Asbestos made an offer to retrieve the Wizard. There was no precedent for how much a Wizard should be worth, so the settlement dragged on somewhat, but ultimately didn’t take too long. The good to be traded was right in front of them—or under their feet, so to speak.
“Are you going to leave right away? Even though Doltan Island is ours now, we aren’t so heartless that we’ll drive you out immediately.”
“…Hm, I’ll take a rain check. We aren’t allies now, so what good would pleasantries do?”
In exchange for handing Mazdari over, Black Scale received a truce of dozens of days as well as Doltan Island.
Doltan Island was the passageway to the southern continent, so it was painful for the allied navies to give it up when they had defeated the pirates together. Furthermore, the Wizard only belonged to Asbestos, so Asbestos had to compensate the other countries.
But of course, Oldor and the other allied navies believed that they would be able to take Doltan Island back once the truce was over, so they didn’t think of it as their loss. And above all, the fight with Yaboon’s Pirates was a stage that showcased the power of a Wizard. Oldor thought that he had won the Wizard back at a cheap price before the value of their kind was established.
‘Yes, this is enough. As long as we have this Wizard, we can win the fight at any time.’
A few days later, the allied navies went to Bavrin for resupply. A bigger fight was going to break out once the brief truce was over.
‘Will it happen soon? I’m not too sure about that. But Black Scale won’t be able to easily overcome the next Wizard attack.’
Oldor sought out Mazdari to warn him that Black Scale might break the truce and deploy their military ships. However, strange magic circles were drawn all over Mazdari’s room, which had been left unchecked for a few days.
“…What are these magic circles?”
“Huh? Oh, it’s you, Oldor.”
Engrossed in drawing small magic circles, Mazdari let out a sigh of relief.
Oldor kept a wary eye on the magic circles and said, “What are you so surprised about?”
“Well, in case a priest of Binding God came.”
“A priest?”
Oldor continued to ask questions because he didn’t know what Mazdari was getting at.
Mazdari sat down on a chair and replied with a languid attitude, “I was testing a few magic circles.”
“Why are you doing something so dangerous on a ship?”
“No, it’s necessary.”
Oldor showed interest then.
“What kind of magic is it?”
Mazdari replied, “It’s magic that deceives a god’s eyes. It’s simply called Deception. It’s nothing significant. Only enough to evade a god’s active attention. And it seems to work properly as long as I’m alive. If not for this, Binding God would have intervened in my act with Vasen, but I still wasn’t certain if it had worked properly since Night Sky might have helped. Seeing that I’m still alive, however, this magic circle definitely works. The ancient Wizards apparently weren’t controlled by the gods, and there certainly was an explanation for that.”
“What in the world…?”
“Oh.”
“…?”
Mazdari pointed at Oldor’s feet.
“That’s the magic of Spontaneous Combustion.”
Flames sprang up from beneath Oldor’s skin and devoured him whole.
1. ’Like a cow sees a chicken’ is a Korean proverb which means the manner in which one looks at something with indifference.
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