Studying…….!
If you are a student, it is impossible to avoid this path.
…..an unavoidable path….
Igni: “.........studying, huh～......”
Igni sat in front of his desk in his dorm room and let out a deep sigh.
Next to him, Yoori is studying quietly and seems very focused on the task.
Igni let out a sigh for one reason and one reason only.
Until now, Igni has never really studied seriously once.
When he was still a part of the Talcoyz family, he would sneak out of the mansion to go see Lucas, and he never had to really study the 3 years after that.
He passed the Entrance Examination without having to go through the written portion, so all in all, he never had to study his entire life thus far.
Hence, the sigh.
It’s not like it’ll change anything even if he sighs, but nothing bad will come of it either, so he lets out another exasperated exhale.
Igni: “..............”
Igni places the History textbook down and picks up the Spell Geometry book. This book teaches and studies the basics of creating [Spell Inscriptions] and what materials to use to allow Magic Power to flow through the [Path]s.
Igni: “..........I don’t get this at all……”
In the first place, Igni is only able to use {Fireball} so studying [Magic Inscription Formation} is meaningless and a waste of his time for him.
Well, meaningless in the sense that even if he studies this, in the end, he is still limited to only casting {Fireball}s.
That fact alone drains Igni’s motivation.
Igni: ‘.............what should I do…..”
Yoori: “What’s wrong, Igni?”
Igni: “OーOh, it’s nothing.”
The white-haired girl…….I mean, the boy smiles warmly in Igni’s direction.
Igni has learned to depend on others when he’s in trouble, but Yoori has his own studies to worry about right now.
Igni: (A man who interrupts others from accomplishing their goals cannot become Popular either～....)
Yoori: “Do you want me to tutor you?”
Igni: “..........are you okay with that? You have to study too, right?”
Yoori: “Well, teaching others is one of the best ways to memorize the material yourself.”
Igni: “Is that right? Well, in that case, could you help me out?”
With that, Igni took out the Magic Geometry and Magic Material Science textbook.
Igni: “..........thank you, Yoori.”
Yoori: “Yup, just leave it to me.”
And with that, Yoori began teaching Igni.
What Yoori taught him was very <practical>.
He would briefly cover the core of the basics, and then they would go through the problems that came up in tests and in class one by one. Igni did not do any of the basic problems……..but Yoori’s teaching was spot on, and he began to understand how to solve each problem.
Yoori: “Igni, rather than memorization, understanding is much more important here. That’s why as long as you know how to solve the problem, you can forget about memorizing the problem itself.”
Igni: “..................wow….”
Yoori was known as the town prodigy. Igni now understands why.
Igni went through all the science-related subjects one by one, and each one added more and more understanding to his knowledge. By the end, at the very least, he can reasonably aim for a passing grade.
Yoori: “I think that should do it.”
Igni: “Whoa………...IーI get it……..I understand how to solve these problems……….?!”
Igni screams with excitement as he looks through the textbooks.
Igni: “IーI think…….I can pass with this…….!!”
Yoori: “You’ll be okay with the subjects that requires calculations, but…...what do you want to do about the memorization subjects?”
Igni: “............ick……..”
Igni lets out a strange groan…
Yoori: “Spell Pharmacy, History, and Classical Studies…...are different. You’ll have to memorize all the ancient alphabets. There’s no way around that….”
Igni: “................I’ll do my best……..”
This isn’t something that Igni can overcome with pure willpower alone though….
Igni: (.........isn’t there……….isn’t there something……….something within Grandpa’s teachings…….?!)
Igni dives deep into his subconscious and begins unfolding his past memories one by one.
……...but there are no sparks of inspiration this time………...the lightbulb inside remains dormant.
Igni: (.........is…….is there no way…….? Is this the end……..?!)
As he combs through his memories, he most strongly remembers getting slapped by Grandpa, getting pushed off a cliff by Grandpa, and having the use of his Spells forbidden by Grandpa to fight Monsters - the worst of those memories surfaced very quickly to the top…….
Igni: (.........wait…….wait, wait, wait….)
Igni’s thought process immediately halted to a standstill.
Igni: (Why do I clearly remember <THESE MEMORIES>)
Was it because it left a strong impression on him?
Igni can’t deny that fact…
But…..it wasn’t JUST that.
Something stirred inside Igni as he tried to pinpoint what that was.
Igni: (..............oh…)
One of Igni’s theories fit snugly into the hole of that missing piece.
Igni: (Can it…...can it be……?)
Igni: (BーBut………)
Igni: (If……..it really was that……?)
Igni: (MーMaybe it’s worth a shot……..?!)
Yoori: “Igni? What’s wrong? You have a strange look on your face….”
Igni: “Yoori, I have favor to ask of you.”
Yoori: “HーHuh? WhーWhat is it all of a sudden?! I can’t do the memorization for you, you know…..?”
And Yoori hides behind his textbook and peers over its edge at Igni.
Igni: (Dangit…..he’s so cute….)
Igni: (Wait, I can’t be distracted by that….)
Igni: “Slap me.”
Yoori: “.........what?”
Yoori heard Igni’s words, but Igni had a completely solemn, serious expression on his face. He wasn’t joking. This confused Yoori even more.
Igni: “I need you to slap me.”
Yoori: “WーWait! What?!”
Igni: “If I use pain……...I may not be…...able to forget what I learn……!!”
This was Igni’s very best attempt at a solution.
Yoori: “....................”
………..followed by Yoori’s silence.
Igni: “.........will that not work?”
Yoori: “Well, yes, it could work. There are methods of memorization along those lines.”
Igni: “There are?!”
For a moment, Igni’s façade came off.
Yoori: “But I would never be able to slap a friend.”
And Yoori smiled at Igni with that.
Yuto: (..............so cute…)
Left with no other options, Igni spent the day burning the tip of his finger with {Fireball} as he memorized the rest of his textbooks.
He managed to pass all of his tests.
<<<<>>>>
At the very edge of the world.
Well beyond the realms that were habitable for humans, there was an expanse of territory that could not be breached by humanity’s hands.
Unlike other areas, the ground was transformed by the [Demon King]’s Magic Power, and was tainted purple and black. Normal plants could not grow in that land, and plants that were transformed by the Magic Power into Monsters rooted itself into the ground.
The unique land’s fauna spread and interwove itself across the new landscape.
Floria: “Lady Rose, please help purify this area.”
Rose: “I understand. Floria, stand guard against anything that might interrupt us.”
And the [Demon King]’s lands will slowly but surely devour the lands surrounding it.
Rose: “It will……...take some time…”
With that, Rose began constructing the Spell Inscription.
Even as a [Holy] : [S], cleansing this massive piece of land alone is no easy task.
Rose: “[Cleanse] {Purify}”
With Rose’ incantation, the [Magic Inscription] begins to collect Magic Power.
Noticing the change, Monsters began gathering towards Rose.
Floria made sure to shoot them all dead before they can arrive.
Rose: “[Cleanse] {Purify}”
After several incantations, Rose releases the Magic Power stored in the [Spell Inscription].
<FLASH!!> A bright, white light instantly engulfs a radius of 10 km (6.2 miles) all around them and cleanses the earth of the [Demon King]’s Magic Power.
Floria: “Let us relocate, Lady Rose.”
Rose: “.........yes….”
Blood drains from Rose’ face and leaves it slightly bluish in color.
Rose: “I don’t feel so well…….is this morning sickness?”
Floria: “Lady Rose, you wouldn’t experience morning sickness this early. It’s because you are experiencing Magic Exhaustion. Please rest to recover your strength.”
Floria couldn’t tell if she was serious or joking, but the Guardian Knight promptly corrects the Saint.
Rose: “.........the [Demon King]. Even now after death, he continues to strangle humanity…..”
As Floria carried her, Rose looked towards the direction of the [Demon King’s Castle].
Rose: “.........what kind of insane Monster was he…..”
With that, she enters the horse carriage.
Currently, there is no one inside the [Demon King’s Castle].
There is only a skeletal corpse of the [Demon King].
After the [Demon King]’s death, the remaining Pillars and several of the [Demon King]’s servants took the [Demon King]’s body and buried the [Demon King] in a grave inside one of the [Demon King]’s favorite gardens within the [Demon King’s Castle].
But <IT IS NOT> the corpse of the [Demon King] that is emitting Magic Power.
No doubt, the [Demon King] was one of the strongest. But he <lost>.
Although he cut down enemy after enemy, in the end he was <defeated> by the Hero.
If you were to trace the Magic Power’s path back to the [Demon King’s Castle]....you would immediately notice.
The Magic Power does not lead back to the garden. No, it is overflowing from the center of the [Demon King’s Castle].
In the darkest, furthest depths of the [Demon King’s Castle], there is one person.
The [Demon King]’s most beloved <daughter is there>.
After the [Demon King]’s death, through one of the Pillars, protected by one of the strongest defensive Spells……..there is a girl who sleeps inside a crystal as if paused in time.
This is the source of all of humanity’s calamity.
There was indeed a [Demon King] <in the past>.
He carved his name into history, and exterminated many races into extinction and is still feared by humanity today.
But he is <nothing but a footnote of history> now.
<He> is not the enemy of humanity today.
[The Demon King’s Daughter] Sara.
Humanity’s true enemy <IS HER>.
To be continued!! {untranslated text}
<<<<>>>>
End of Book 2. Chapter 66 will be the start of Book 3. Thank you for all your continued support!
