Chapter 207 - An Unexpected Turn
"...It doesn't seem like this is a poor joke. After being shown so much, I have no room to argue. So, if we learn that magic, will we be able to use it as well?"
Asked that in a weary tone, I nodded in response.
"Of course. Magical talent is irrelevant. Race—whether beastman or dwarf—doesn't matter either. Everyone will be able to learn lightning magic. Moreover, the wind, water, and earth magic that I showed earlier—students of Fiddiq Academy should be able to learn those as well. As for fire magic, it may be difficult for anyone except a select few students to master."
Ideally, I aimed for a future where everyone could use any kind of magic, but spells that required large amounts of mana were inevitably difficult. Finding ways to achieve the same effects with less mana was one of the great joys of magical research, but that became quite challenging when dealing with large-scale magic.
That was my intent when I spoke, but Rivett's eyes widened in anger.
"...I understand the magic of those council members, but do you truly believe you can imitate my magic? That would be far too arrogant. I have been lenient, thinking of you as merely a woman who has lived but a few decades, but to claim you can replicate the king's magic—honed over centuries—is nothing but reckless nonsense."
Rivett muttered in a low voice. His suppressed anger felt like magma rumbling deep underground. The pressure was immense. Even I, who had never seen Rivett angry before, felt it keenly—so how terrified must the members of the Elder Council, who dealt with him daily, be?
Just as that thought crossed my mind, Edra spoke up as if representing the council.
"...My king. She is, after all, but a young human mage speaking her mind. It would be best not to take her too seriously—"
"Silence."
Rivett cut Edra off with a voice like a growl. At that, Edra lowered his chin and fell silent. Looking around, all the council members had grim expressions and had gone quiet. Perhaps Rivett truly frightened them that much.
Still, I didn't want to leave a misunderstanding standing, so I decided to correct it.
"No, I'm not mocking you. As I showed earlier, I used three spells to counter just one of yours, Rivett."
At that, Rivett furrowed his brow and spoke.
"...You do understand, don't you? I was impressed by your chantless casting, but either way, it is certain that you needed three spells to oppose mine, correct? Then I think it would be wise for you to show some restraint."
He narrowed his eyes, let out a breath, and waved a hand lightly as he murmured. Feeling apologetic, I nonetheless signaled that he was mistaken.
"No, that's not it either. Water and ice magic—yes, I can use them at an ordinary level. But they are not my most powerful spells."
With that, I began the chant for my magic. The key to fire magic lied in what you used as the heat source. You selected a highly combustible material, fed it sufficient oxygen to promote combustion, and finally—compressed it. In Rivett's case, he let the flames burn as fiercely as they could, but by compressing them, you could instantly sublimate them to extreme temperatures. Conversely, the elves' fire required delicate mana manipulation because they tried to raise the temperature while maintaining the flame's size.
Well, to be honest, if we were talking purely about instantaneous temperature, a lightning strike is hotter. But in terms of sustained heat, fire won out. That's why I prioritized continuity in this spell.
"...Sacred Flame Hestia."
I murmured and ignited the fire. The fuel was hydrogen. The flame born in my palm burned with explosive force all at once. The roaring blaze instantly swelled to the size of Rivett's fire from earlier. The color was still blue, and the flame's intensity was weak.
"Hmph, not bad, but still insufficient."
I heard Rivett's mocking voice.
But this was still only the beginning.
I focused my mana, and the flames swelled several times over in an instant. Since it was higher in the air than when Rivett had cast his spell, there was no danger, but the enormous conflagration that seemed to blanket the sky radiated an awe-inspiring presence.
I compressed that flame all at once.
The heat energy, with nowhere to go, turned into high pressure, raising the temperature dramatically. Though the flame's size shrank, its color instantly turned white. The temperature was likely approaching Rivett's fire magic now. All that remained was to promote further combustion.
About two seconds, perhaps. It couldn't have been more than ten seconds since I activated the spell. During that time, I believed the temperature had reached ultra-high levels comparable to Rivett's magic. However, the scale was probably a bit lacking.
"...I should have made it larger before compressing it. I rushed too much. I think it's slightly smaller than the flame Rivett's magic produced."
I said this with a hint of self-reflection and turned around. There, for the first time, Rivett looked at me with a frustrated expression. Then he quickly averted his gaze and snorted.
"...Hmph. Unless you actually strike something with it, there's no way to tell the difference in power."
He said this with the attitude of a sulking child. Had I upset him? Thinking this, I looked to Edra for support, but he didn't seem inclined to help.
As I wondered what to do, Langus suddenly raised his voice, overcome with emotion.
"I—I am, right now, overwhelmingly moved!"
"Huh?"
Caught off guard by the sudden declaration, I turned around with a vague reply. There stood Langus, glaring at me with teary eyes and trembling lips.
His gaze was intense. He radiated an aura as if he might pounce at any moment, and honestly, it was a little frightening—like being face-to-face with a bird of prey.
"W-what is it?"
Too scared to leave him alone, I asked anyway. Langus stepped forward—closer to me—and spoke.
"Until today, I believed with absolute certainty that our king was the greatest mage in the world. I never doubted it for a moment. It was an unshakable truth for me. And yet, today, that truth has been overturned...!"
As he spoke, Langus spread both arms wide. His gestures were theatrical, like a character in a play. Still striking that pose, Langus smiled and opened his mouth.
"I am utterly astounded! That a human who has lived but a few decades could be the world's greatest mage!"
At Langus's words, Rivett let out an unhappy growl.
"...I do not consider myself defeated."
At Rivett's voice, laced with anger, the council members trembled.
But Langus was unfazed.
"No, I'm afraid Lady Aoi is superior! After all, she performed all those spells without chanting! Well, the last one—so similar to the divine flame—did have about two seconds of chanting, but even so, isn't it incredible! Your Majesty, I have made up my mind!"
Overwhelmed by Langus's rapid-fire speech, even Rivett forgot his anger and gave a small nod.
"Wh-what... What have you decided?"
When he asked, Langus turned his entire body toward me, extending one hand to point me out.
"I will take Lady Aoi as my consort!"
At that declaration, not just the elves—everyone's eyes seemed to go round with surprise.