Chapter 236
“Lafez, too much curiosity can spark anger.”
Vargan warned Lafez, who was manipulating mana with a murderous intent.
He had roughly guessed why Lafez was committing such an act at this very moment.
“Hehehe. Humans are curious creatures. If you don’t question things and stop thinking, you’re no different from a mere beast.”
“So… you want to kill me again and compare the results… is that what you’re saying?”
“I want to know whether what you showed us was truly resurrection or not. If so, are there no limits, no aftereffects? Or… is there any ‘limit’? The only way to find out is through experimentation.”
Instead of frowning at Lafez’s statement, Vargan wore a sly smile.
“Do you really think I’d allow that?”
“I’d prefer your cooperation… but it doesn’t seem like that’s in the cards.”
“If you want, go ahead. Just don’t think I’ll just sit back and take it.”
“Hmm… so, that’s how you want to play it.”
“Let’s test whether confirming my resurrection will happen faster or your body burning will happen faster.”
“…Haha. That’s troublesome.”
At Vargan’s warning, Lafez slowly withdrew his magical power.
He didn’t want to risk his life for a resurrection experiment right now, and since he had already seen what he wanted to see, he decided to be satisfied with this much for now.
Vargan also calmed his mana and asked, “What did you want to confirm?”
“Your mana resembles that of the Magic Instructor. That transparent, heavy pressure.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Could it be a special kind of mana that only those who have awakened their magic can use? I can’t tell. It’s filled with unknowns. Heh. That’s what makes it interesting.”
Lafez mentioned the total amount of mana Vargan had in his transcended state.
It was something he had anticipated, but it seemed the total amount of mana from the first magician had already entered a transcended realm.
‘But, Lafez… No, it seems there’s a lack of knowledge regarding the total amount of transcended mana in this era.’
Vargan silently stared at Lafez, reflecting.
Though their relationship was less than ten days old, he could tell that Lafez’s curiosity to understand the principles of everything in the world was quite fierce.
His ability to create magical tools and his foundational knowledge were so profound and diverse that it was hard to consider them belonging to this era.
It was so deep and colorful that it was hard to consider it as something tangible.
Even Lafez, who was like a magician, couldn’t specifically mention the exact concept.
“Looks like I’ve become another piece of evidence proving that I’m equal to the first magician. Well, it’s a good thing for me.”
It’s a welcoming matter to misunderstand things at one’s own convenience.
Revealing the true identity is more complicated to explain.
“Resurrection… unknown mana… Is the source of that power different from ours? Why? Is it because it’s the original source? If so, we…”
“…Lafez, if you’re just going to continue mumbling useless things, I’ll take my leave now.”
Lafez kept murmuring as if trapped in his own world. He kept setting up various hypotheses, reinforcing them with reasoning and logic, then breaking them down and establishing new hypotheses again.
Vargan saw the conversation as over and turned to leave.
Just then, Lafez grabbed Vargan and leaned in with vacant eyes.
As he got too close, Vargan frowned with displeasure. He tried to shake off Lafez’s hand and step back.
But then.
“Do you believe in the existence of a ‘God’?”
Lafez blurted out something that couldn’t be ignored.
Vargan merely pushed away the hand that was gripping him and narrowed his eyes. He found a spark of interest in Lafez’s statement.
Stopping his mumbling, Lafez looked directly at Vargan and spoke. Seeing Vargan show interest, his monologue became a conversation.
“Magic Instructor… Our instructor who shared mana with us. Recently, more and more people have come to regard her as ‘God.’”
“God….”
“Yes, I haven’t dismissed that possibility either. The reason I considered becoming ‘her’ disciple was that I thought the one who monopolized the mysteries of magic could really be a goddess.”
In a world where there were no significant techniques, the Demon King appeared with the Twelve Divine Beasts.
It was inevitable that humanity would walk the path to destruction at a rapid pace, with nations and cities being ruthlessly destroyed and people dying like crushed insects.
In such a world, a woman appeared as the first and only savior.
The world called her a magician and further regarded her as a goddess.
Lafez narrated this background and continued.
“However… having become her disciple, I’ve come to the conclusion that she isn’t a god.”
“Is there a reason?”
“Because… the all-powerful Magic Instructor has been fighting desperately against monsters.”
“…….”
“If the concept of ‘God’ is an existence that transcends the logic we know, then this shouldn’t happen. She shouldn’t have to struggle against any creature, whether it’s a monster, the Twelve Divine Beasts, or the Demon King. Can we really call someone a god if they’re fighting with their full strength against creatures?”
Lafez also explained that the reason why magicians take on disciples is to combat monsters.
Then Vargan raised an objection.
“But that Demon King could also be a god. If that’s the case, it could be possible for the magician to struggle.”
“No, it shouldn’t be. That’s not a god. The Creator should be able to manipulate the world at will. If there are many, they are not gods but merely other beings that resemble gods.”
“If there are many, then they are not gods, but merely other creatures resembling gods.”
Lafez, who seemed to be looking at something vast, chuckled to himself for a moment with his eyes closed and pointed at Vargan.
“Your existence has once again dragged her down from being the absolute being.”
“…So, what is the purpose of bringing this story to me?”
“Reason…? Reason… Reason…”
Lafez rolled his eyes around, pressing at his temples.
As if he thought of something alone, he let out another unpleasant chuckle and said, “Doesn’t it feel like the timing is too perfect?”
“Speak clearly about what you mean.”
“The beings who first possessed mana… The Demon King and his forces have revealed themselves in the world, and now beings with mana are appearing among humans to confront them. The current situation… this world… it feels as if we’ve turned to the ‘next chapter.’”
Lafez referred to a time long before the present.
A time when neither the Demon King nor Magicians existed, only accessible through oral tradition or records now.
“Do you know? Back then, humans were divided into various nations and tribes, busy fighting among themselves. Just because of skin color… because of different cultures, they treated each other like enemies and wars occurred far more frequently compared to now.”
“We had to have an enemy. It made sense there were no monsters.”
“Hehe. You catch on quickly. That’s right. Ironically, when the external force of the Demon King appeared, humans united. Although they are still divided into various nations and groups, the instances of their blades pointing at each other have drastically reduced.”
Suddenly, Lafez turned his body and looked up at the sky.
The vast night sky shining with countless stars.
He gazed at those innumerable worlds and said, “Doesn’t it feel like we’ve turned to the next chapter?”
He whispered.
In a world where only human conflicts reigned.
After the concept of magic was added, the war shifted to a struggle between humans and monsters.
“It feels as if they are telling us to forget the history of the past. To engage in more stimulating, more splendid, and larger-scale battles.”
“……”
“I believe there is a causal relationship in all actions of the world. How clouds exist, how rivers flow, and how we breathe and live on this land are all part of interconnected actions. Then, surely we too have a causal relationship and significance of existence. The fundamental reason why a god created us…”
“……”
“If the existence of a god is true, then it isn’t the Magic Instructor, the Demon King, or you. Then where is this god? How and where does it exist, what is it doing, and what does it desire from us?”
Lafez turned to look at Vargan.
There was a crescent-moon-shaped smile on his lips, slim and long.
His eye, searching for truth, was sharp enough to pierce through skin but expanded greatly.
…What does a god wish for from us?
“Organon. I see a high possibility that the answer lies in ‘fun.’”
“Fun…?”
“You could also call it entertainment. The god does not save us. Does not destroy our enemies. To him, humans and monsters are equal. They don’t possess any special value. It simply seems he wants to watch us fight.”
“…….”
“As the scale of the fight gets bigger and more splendid, it surely adds to the spectacle.”
“Is the emergence of magic the new game set by the God, tired of mere human wars?”
“Ooh, it seems you truly understand my intentions. Most people dismiss or take such remarks lightly.”
Lafez chuckled, having found someone who understood him for the first time.
“The emergence of magic… it’s changing the world into a new chapter. For the amusement of the God, of course.”
He continued.
It was just one possibility among countless others.
“Perhaps this conversation we are having is also a few lines of dialogue for the God’s amusement.”
“…That’s an intriguing thought.”
Vargan shrugged. Lafez observed Vargan’s reaction closely and spoke what he had gathered from his observations.
“The Magic Instructor used to get furious over such talk. But you’re different. Do you not feel uncomfortable being regarded as a creature for the God’s amusement?”
“Why would I get angry? It’s a sufficiently plausible narrative, and there are parts I can relate to.”
“…….”
Vargan, treating it lightly. Lafez, with narrowed eyes, turned away and smiled contentedly.
Through this conversation with Vargan, he felt he had learned a bit about who he was and what he was thinking.
“You are an unknowable being in a different sense from the Magic Instructor. Are you truly not a monster?”
“Still going on about that, are you? You’re quite the boring fellow.”
“Don’t hate me too much. I like you. I think we could be good friends.”
“That will absolutely never happen.”
“Giggle.”
After sharing his thoughts thoroughly, Lafez decided it was time to take over the watch.
Vargan, having gleaned a lot of useful information from their discussion, didn’t stop him.
“Will you really be fine without getting any sleep, even for a moment?”
As Vargan headed towards a place other than the tent, Lafez said this.
“There are still things I must do.”
“Training, huh? You don’t seem to get tired at all.”
That was Lafez’s honest impression after observing Vargan’s training over the past ten days.
Vargan replied nonchalantly that it wasn’t anything extraordinary and moved on.
Lafez also distanced himself to allow Schugenharz to rest, who was presumably waiting for him.
*
A bit away from the tent.
Sitting cross-legged on a rock basking in the moonlight was Vargan.
It seemed ridiculous to train like this in a world of trials, yet it was definitely necessary.
‘I was able to learn a lot during my time with Schugenharz. To handle the advanced theories, I must embody them.’
He took a deep breath and focused his mind.
As he gathered his focus, he could feel his heartbeat and breath.
GOOOO—.
A mirage-like mana materialized and danced around him.
Like ribbons fluttering in the wind, the mana took on a graceful curve, reaching transcendence.
It was stable yet rapidly evolving.
