TL/Editor: Raei
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[Throughout my career, I've earned esteemed titles like Archmage and Sage, amassed a wealth of knowledge, and even contributed new insights to the realm of magic. Yet, I haven't grasped all the knowledge in the world.]
[One question has always haunted me: Is death truly inescapable for us? Does a person's story simply end with death? I reckon every wizard must grapple with this notion at least once.]
[A wizard is someone who turns the inconceivable into reality. Driven by this conviction, I embarked on my research.]
"Hmm..."
Luna and I were deeply engrossed in Levian’s research journal, captivated by its contents.
The journal delved into the pursuit of human immortality and resurrection, subjects closely tied to the taboo of necromancy, a magic outlawed within the empire.
It raised the question: Had Levian, a Royal Wizard, truly ventured into this forbidden territory?
I read on.
[The Fred and Astria families have lent their support to my research. The Freds, with their prowess in magical innovation, and the influential Astrias provide all that we need.]
[However, we have decided to proceed with our research in a direction different from necromancy. Necromancy requires death to give life, which is not what I desire.]
"A research path diverging from necromancy?"
This was a puzzling revelation.
As documented, necromancy was frequently explored in the context of immortality and resurrection, but such explorations had always been met with failure.
Resurrection spells yielded only a semblance of life, not a true revival.
A reanimated shell is a far cry from a living being.
As for immortality, one could only extend their life by taking it from others, which differed from the true meaning of immortality.
Necromancy was widely perceived as the pinnacle of such studies.
However, Levian chose to discard this approach, convinced that the true life and rebirth could not stem from necromancy.
Life borne from the end of another was a mere continuation of the cycle he sought to break.
That was Levian's conviction.
We continued to sift through the journal.
It was devoid of personal details, concentrating on research milestones and discoveries.
Levian's research primarily centered around magical tools.
Magic operates on the principle of equivalent exchange: expending mana to weave spells.
Crafting magical tools inevitably requires mana stones.
With mana stones at hand, one can create magical tools.
Levian's thesis proposed that life could be sustained with mana stones.
This resonated with me.
Imagine the marvel if life could be secured through mana alone.
The mana stones in this world are being produced in such abundance that they are almost inexhaustible.
They line the depths of mines in great clusters, and that's just one source – slaying magical beasts yields mana stones formed within their bodies, akin to gallstones.
In essence, mana stones are an almost limitless resource here.
With a steady influx of mana stones, Levian's research advanced quickly.
The Fred family provided the necessary stones, and in exchange, Levian devoted himself to the study of magical tools and the essence of life.
The Astrias funded these expenses.
Although unusual for a Royal Wizard to align with noble houses like the Astrias and Freds, Levian had never shown any political motives.
However, something was strange.
No matter how much I read through the journal, the research wasn’t progressing.
Despite the high-quality mana stones supplied by the Fred family, none were strong enough for Levian’s magic circle, designed for the intricate task of resurrection.
Not once had it been successfully activated, even in preliminary tests.
Nevertheless, Levian was relentless, tirelessly refining the magic circles for the magical tools and delving into the art of mana stone processing — a field he was less familiar with, yet approached with unwavering dedication.
[One day, the Fred family delivered a peculiar mana stone unearthed from a northern mine. It was unlike any I'd seen before.]
[The stone's capacity for mana was remarkable, as was its ability to draw in mana from its surroundings.]
[Utilizing this stone, I crafted a magical tool. To my astonishment, it functioned; the magic circle ignited with life. After a year of relentless effort, I had finally made a breakthrough.]
"Does this mean... it worked?"
Luna's eyes widened with the realization.
Progress in research is typically incremental.
Even if initial attempts falter, one expects gradual improvements.
The magic circle's mana demands and the stone’s mana output should be carefully balanced to optimize performance and efficiency.
Yet here we had an anomaly: a magic circle that, despite its initial demand for a significant mana input and failure to work all this time, had suddenly sprang to life, working perfectly.
"Doesn’t this look strange no matter how you look at it?"
"Uh... I’ve never seen research like this before…"
Luna, seasoned in magical tool research, voiced her skepticism.
Given her level of involvement in research, she must have certainly read hundreds of research journals by now.
"This could be deemed... a miracle."
"A miracle, indeed..."
A sudden miracle.
It's suspicious.
We were not the only ones who felt this way.
[It was strange. The magic circle, once resistant to our efforts, now responded perfectly with each attempt. I have never heard of such a mana stone.]
[The Fred family assured us it was a yet-to-be-commercialized find. Perhaps I'm just too old to accept new changes?]
[For now, I decided to positively accept this development and press forward with my research.]
The research took strides once the Fred family supplied the unique mana stone.
[Resurrection magic's cornerstone lay in the principles of healing magic. We hypothesized that maximizing healing magic could be the key to reclaiming life.]
[After two and a half years, our efforts were close to fruition. We had achieved the revival of deceased animals.]
[Of course, we did not consider using this on humans.]
[We couldn’t predict the potential consequences or the condition in which a person might be restored, so we proceeded with caution.]
Then, tragedy struck close to Levian.
[Robert’s grief led to disaster. He tried to use necromancy to save his wife but ended up losing his son. He couldn’t resurrect his wife and lost his nearby son as well.]
[We just needed a bit more time. If he had waited until this magic tool was completed.]
Robert's accident.
[I was aware that he was experimenting with necromancy, but I never imagined he would act so recklessly. He learned much from me and pursued further studies independently.]
[How could he not see that necromancy is a path that only begets more death? I feel more disappointed than sorry for him.]
"This means..."
"Professor Robert lost his son in an attempt to resurrect his wife..."
I didn't know much about Robert's past.
Nor was I aware that his wife had died so young.
The reason Robert turned to necromancy was to bring back his wife.
However, the resurrection through necromancy was incomplete, and it seemed he lost his son as a result.
As I read on, confusion settled in.
Why would this account be in the research journal for the Necronomicon?
What does this have to do with the magical tool Levian is developing?
I had my doubts.
[For a royal wizard like Robert, even execution wouldn't be unimaginable.]
[I confronted him first. After that, I began to trace the origins of his necromantic knowledge. He must have acquired it somewhere. My investigation revealed that he learned it in Ephomos, the underground city of the impoverished.]
[Knowing this, I approached the Emperor with a proposition. We would seize all of Robert’s possessions but won't punish him further. Instead, I proposed to discreetly deal with the situation by purging Ephomos.]
[As I was preparing to clean up Ephomos, Perrian Astria came to me. He opposed the purging of Ephomos.]
Perrian Astria must be my father.
Although, I've never seen his face.
I tilted my head in confusion.
The Astria family is against the cleanup of the slums?
In my mind, the Astria lineage was corrupt and degenerate.
A family fixated on dominating the empire.
Yet now, they were defending the slums?
This defied my understanding.
[Despite the risks, I decided to proceed. Perrian was oblivious to the agreement between the emperor and me. I must act before he finds out.]
[I began the purging of Ephomos. I detained the necromancers and drove out the inhabitants of the slums, trying to minimize casualties. Force was reserved only for those who resisted.]
[In the final stages of the Ephomos operation, I noticed something strange. A mana stone discovered within the necromancers’ laboratory. It was imbued with an astonishing concentration of mana.]
[It bore an uncanny resemblance to the mana stone supplied by the Fred family. Unless my senses or my own mana deceived me, this mana stone was undoubtedly identical to that provided by the Freds.]
[A thorough search of the lab unearthed a staggering number of corpses. Too numerous to count. Recalling the mana stone, I meticulously reviewed all the research documents in the lab related to that stone.]
[This mana stone was derived from the amassed bodies within the lab. Specifically, from people who were still alive. It was a man-made mana stone. Each mana stone contained hundreds of lives. The enormous amount of mana it harbored now made sense.]
“A mana stone... crafted from living people...?”
“...We should keep reading for now.”
I tried to calm Luna down as I spoke.
[I confronted the Fred family with the mana stone. They confessed without hesitation. It was indeed their doing. The empire's lack of oversight over the underground city allowed for countless unnoticed deaths, which the Freds exploited.]
[They orchestrated the mass production of mana stones through the necromancers. Was this why Perrian Astria tried to stop me?]
[I fell into self-loathing. My research, which was on the verge of transcending the boundaries of necromantic resurrection magic, had succeeded by employing necromancy itself. While I admonished Robert, I was unwittingly wielding the same dark power.]
[No. I am worse than Robert. I accused him of being led astray by his curiosity, which cost his son his life. But at least Robert's intent was pure—he wanted to save his wife. My own pursuits lacked such nobility. The adage 'curiosity killed the cat' was truly meant for me.]
[The magical tool is nearing completion. In a year or two, it could be presented to the world. But should I continue this research? This research…]
The journal entries that followed degenerated into indecipherable scribbles.
The journal's last entries appeared to mirror his unraveling mind.
Words scrawled with shaky, haphazard strokes.
“...Is this where it ends?”
If Levian is in such a state, the research couldn't continue.
With Levian at the helm of the magic circle's development—the crux of the project—any further progress was unlikely.
I turned a few more pages, my frown deepening with concern.
Suddenly, I stumbled upon a page where the handwriting was clear and deliberate.
[I met Beatrice.]
[I have made my decision.]
[Such tragedies must never happen again. I must put an end to all this research. So, I decided to listen to Beatrice. I will embark on a new line of research, drawing upon the necromantic practices I've studied and those employed by the Fred family. This diary is the reason why I decided to create this magical tool—The Necronomicon. A magical tool that can even harness the powers of gods.]
[The basis of magic is equivalent exchange. I will put my life on the line for this magical tool.]
A great wizard's life in exchange for a magical tool that can wield the powers of gods.
Levian decided to make this exchange.
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