Chapter 208

– Library (2)
–User, before that, I have a question. In this day and age, how do magicians define the concept of ‘circles?’

The concept of circles?

Theodore was silent for a while at the unexpected question. It wasn’t too difficult because this was basic knowledge.
Unlike ordinary people, a magician was said to have two hearts. However, the circles which controlled all circulation of magic power were the protagonist.
Theodore reviewed the contents of the textbooks and opened his mouth,
The origin of magic… Magic is generated in the ventricles near a magician’s heart and can only be created by humans. There is a saying that the origin was derived from the heart of a dragon, but there is no confirmation about this. From the 7th Circle onwards, the circles evolve into a personal form, and this is called Sorcery.

–And?

That’s it.

Gluttony naturally grabbed at his head and said, –Hah, I expected it, but this is serious. I don’t know what happened, but more than half of circle theory has been lost.

Am I wrong?

-That’s right. As a 7th Circle, shouldn’t you know? Circles aren’t just responsible for the circulation of magic power.

Um.
Theodore let out a sound of confusion.
He could see it after reaching the 7th Circle. It was different from the 6th Circle which had only increased the amount of magic power and the scale. This was more than applying formulas and theories.
Without waiting for Theodore’s answer, Gluttony continued explaining while holding the book, –Magicians use circles to coordinate the existences in the world. Since time immemorial, 10 has been a number used to symbolize a divine being. A magician of the 10th Circle represents a person who has ascended to that realm. Do you think this number is a coincidence?

…It isn’t a coincidence?

-Of course not. The magic of this world is a science that was born in the process of imitating transcendent beings.
The wise elves didn’t try to follow others, while the dwarves sought a method in vain and gave up. The demons didn’t need to follow others in the first place, and the dragons have been transcendent beings in this material system from the very beginning.
Only humans were born without any power. Their essence is that they are excellent at imitating others. Even so, magic was only completed after a few thousand years.
Gluttony preached about the greatness of magic with utmost respect in his voice.
–The circles theory was built from the heart of a dragon, the songs of the elves, the formulas of knowledge learned from dwarves, and the rituals of the demons. In a sense, it can be called the most comprehensive study in this world.

It sounds badly patched together.

–I think it is brilliant. Man built a body, and this paved the way to enter the realm of the gods. The term, ‘imitation is the mother of creation,’ refers to this case.
Theodore looked at Gluttony with surprise. He couldn’t help noticing that Gluttony admired the wisdom of humanity. Gluttony realized he had drifted from the topic and coughed a few times before talking again, –Then let’s return to the topic.
From this point on, it was theory which Theodore didn’t know at all.
–Up to the 6th Circle, it is no different from what User knows. The application of force is in accordance with the laws of matter, and there is some control over natural phenomena. However, a master, the 7th Circle and Aura Ability, is a step into the ‘frame’.

Frame?

–Don’t interrupt. Magicians of the 7th Circle start to interpret the structure of this material world as their own theory. Onmyōdō’s Tai Chi, the Three Kingdom’s Heaven and Earth, the four elements, the five ways of the East, the Kabbalah’s sephirot… There are many paths that can be chosen.
Thousands of magicians will give rise to many forked paths. At the beginning, the magicians knew the truth and pursued an interpretation of the material world’s structure in their own way.
There was one mentor for ten disciples. The ten disciples taught hundreds of students. A road was made because not everyone could be a pioneer, so people followed the paths made by pioneers. Thus, a magical faction was born.
There aren’t many left in this era now, Gluttony muttered in a bitter tone. –It is important to make your own way, but it is also effective to follow existing viewpoints. However, User has been influenced by the four elements since childhood.

It is too late to take an independent route.

–That’s right. Additionally, User already owns three of the elements, so you don’t have to change your route.
Gluttony’s words were right. Theodore looked down at the Aiolos Pouch in his hand.
Other people might be reluctant to walk along the path who others had laid down first, but Theodore was different. Magic wasn’t accomplished alone. Instead, it was accomplished by inheriting the will of older magicians over generations. Rather, he was proud of the fact that he was continuing their path.

Okay.
Theodore didn’t take long to make a decision.
I will absorb the Aiolos Pouch.

He could continue with his world view of four elements by accepting the divine artifact that Gluttony recommended.
After all, Theodore lacked the foundation to learn Tai Chi, the five ways, and the other methods. Above all, he was a member of the magic towers. As a magician who had been born and raised in Meltor, this was the magic which Theodore Miller had inherited since the beginning.
Simultaneously, the Aiolos Pouch shone brightly.
[You have absorbed the Aiolos Pouch.]
[51,700 points will be deducted from your achievement points. Your remaining number of achievement points is 26,513.]
[The divinity of the wind (small) has been acquired. The flow of air will move in a direction favorable to the user. You can interfere with the wind direction and wind speed as your proficiency increases. Regardless of elemental affinity, you can contract with wind elementals.]
[Your understanding of space has greatly increased. You will be able to grasp space that can’t be seen with your senses. The recoil of space magic will reduce.]
The Aiolos Pouch was literally sucked into the palm of Theodore’s hand.
‘Ack…?’
As achievement points were consumed, there was no extra digestion time. This caused Theodore to feel dizzy and drop to one knee. Otherwise, he would’ve fallen.
An unprecedented power was boiling inside his body. It was the most disparate type of force Theodore had ever encountered. It felt gentler than the wild rampage of ‘fire,’ and its movement was more delicate than that of ‘water.’
Rather than wind, this was Aiolos’ divinity. It was soft when calm, but it was scarier than a thunderstorm when raging wildly. The divine power flowing from the Aiolos Pouch shook like it was rejecting Theodore.

Cough!

Despite Theodore being in a spiritual world, blood flowed from his mouth. It wasn’t physical damage but damage to his soul. The divine power not allowed to mortals was pinching at Theodore’s sides.
Even if it was just a fragment, this force was very powerful. Confronted with the divinity of the god of wind who surpassed Zephyr, as well as the arrogance of Aiolos, Theodore reached his limit.
However, Aiolos’ rebellion was soon suppressed. It was because the three types of forces inside Theodore took action. The fires of Muspelheim, the blood of a sea dragon, and the divinity of Mother Earth…
No matter how powerful Aiolos’ divinity was, it would be hard to deal with the three of them. It struggled to the end but was eventually trampled down.

Sigh… Dammit.

Theodore calmed his breathing. It took less than five minutes, but the pain was more than he had imagined it would be. It was like a serpent wandering around his blood vessels. His heart, which was at the epicenter of the incident, was still throbbing.
Theodore glared at Gluttony, who should’ve warned him in advance. Then at that moment…
Clink. There was a noise which made a person feel fulfilled, like the right gear was being inserted into an empty spot. In retrospect, it might’ve been a hallucination. However, Theodore clearly heard it with his two ears.
‘…Completed, was it?’
Why? This phrase popped up in Theodore’s head, without any context. It was a sense of fulfillment, like the empty space of a puzzle was finally filled.
Despite having already attained the 7th Circle, this was the moment when Theodore felt a clear conviction. This was the moment when he stepped beyond the walls of the world and became qualified to explore beyond the mortal borders.
He understood it from the perspective of a magician looking at the world. Then he wasn’t satisfied with this achievement and took another step.
‘Earth, wind, fire, and water. It starts from the ground, flows into water, burns in the fire, and returns to wind. Fire flickers, and water fluctuates. Unlike wind, earth doesn’t flow. The world coexists with these conflicting forces.’
This was the original four elements theory. Each of the four elements made up the world by reacting to each other. From this perspective, Theodore was twice as strong as before. However, magicians were curious animals who couldn’t be satisfied.
The imprint of Umbra on his right arm had led him to a new domain with the great magic, Abraxas.
‘Fire and water don’t mix, while wind and earth can’t invade each other’s territory. Are these absolutely true?’
Theodore was unaware of it, but this was similar to the theory behind ‘Heaven and Earth Enmity.’ It was absolutely imperative to restore the balance. When things were confusing, reaffirm the path. Yet Theodore rejected the path which countless other people followed.
However, it wasn’t because he had a dispute with it. He just thought it was a method that didn’t fit him. This was because the reason for that was right before him.

…Eh?

Gluttony’s eyes widened from amazement. Theodore had just woken up from his enlightened state, so he didn’t know the reason for Gluttony’s amazed expression. However, he soon realized it.

W-What?

On the palm of his hand, there was a small flickering flame. However, there was no reason to be surprised by just that. The color of the flame was a little unusual, but it wasn’t difficult for magicians to change the color.
The problem was the attributes tangled in this flame.

Heat… and cold?

Half of the flame was red and the other half was blue. Like hellfire, this was a phenomenon which couldn’t exist under the laws of the material world. Theodore couldn’t understand the magic which had unfolded, and he stared at Gluttony blankly.