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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 33
"You're... okay with this?"
"Yes."
Even after hearing such an unbelievable story?
Irene doubted her ears.
In contrast, Myorn, who hadn't expected much after explaining, was now...
"Really? Truly?" Completely overjoyed.
"Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ve finalized any research collaboration with you, Myorn."
"What? Why not?"
"I still need to hear about Irene’s research topic in detail."
"Ah!"
Irene, momentarily dazed by Kaylen's words, quickly came to her senses and looked at him again.
Kaylen, with an expression of complete composure, glanced between Irene and Myorn.
‘Explain it... in detail? To a human?’
As the leader of the elves, humans had always readily accepted her words without much questioning...
But now she had to persuade them through her research topic?
Though momentarily flustered, Irene steadied herself.
‘Fine. This human is worth it.’
Not as a 4-circle Meister, but as a mage.
Under normal circumstances, a Meister would be more highly regarded...
But not in the case of this research aimed at advancing elven spirit magic.
‘Meisters haven’t been very helpful in this field anyway.’
Meisters specialize in a single attribute.
Originally, this concept was derived from non-human races like elves and dwarves.
Elves and dwarves, chosen by one of the Four Great Spirits, would only handle that specific element.
Elves typically aligned with either wind or water spirits, while dwarves aligned with earth or fire spirits.
Thus, human Meisters had limited usefulness in such research, as such specialists already existed within their own races.
‘Rather than a Meister, what we need is a mage...’
A traditional mage capable of handling all elements.
For the research, those who had declined in prominence with the times were precisely what was needed.
‘To verify the records we’ve obtained this time.’
Irene recalled the records she had recently acquired—documents containing clues to the advancement of spirit magic.
To experiment with those findings, they needed not a Meister but a mage—an exceptionally skilled one.
Kaylen, standing before her, was a 4-circle mage.
Although not considered a high-ranking mage by past standards, in modern times, mages of this level were rare.
"Alright. We're conducting experiments to restore a more advanced form of spirit magic."
"More advanced, you say?"
"In the past, we could summon even high-level spirits."
"That’s true. At least before dungeons began appearing."
Kaylen fell into thought.
In the past, elves and dwarves who reached a certain level could summon high-level spirits.
Additionally, exceptional beings like High Elves or Dwarf Queens could even summon supreme spirits.
“Even summoning high-level spirits is difficult now?”
‘If this happened after the dungeons appeared, it must be related to the amount of mana.’
Since the proliferation of dungeons, the amount of mana in the world had indeed decreased.
In the end, the root cause was the dungeons… something even the long-lived non-human races surely understood.
“What connection is there between dungeons and spirit magic?”
Feigning ignorance, Kaylen asked. Myorn, shaking all his fur, responded.
“Since the dungeons appeared, the amount of mana in the atmosphere has started to decrease.”
“Even the elders, who could once summon high-level spirits, say that the spirits no longer respond to their calls.”
“I see. The decrease in atmospheric mana is the issue. Can it be overcome through experiments and research?”
“We’ve devised many methods, but recently we discovered meaningful records, which is why we need the help of a mage.”
“A mage, not a Meister?”
“Yes, exactly.”
When Irene answered so readily, Kaylen smiled faintly.
“But what should I do? After this tournament, I plan to undergo the Meister evaluation. Afterward, I’ll likely live as a Meister rather than a mage.”
“W-What? Oh!”
Irene, who hadn’t considered this possibility, was momentarily at a loss for words.
The difference in status between a Meister and a mage in the current era was vast, like heaven and earth. Kaylen had no compelling reason to remain a mage if the opportunity to become a Meister arose.
“If the research could be completed quickly, perhaps… but that seems unlikely.”
“It can’t be done that quickly…”
“Then it can’t be helped.”
“Wait! Just a moment! Six months—six months will be enough. The experiments should conclude within that time.”
Six months.
From the perspective of an ordinary mage, that time frame seemed manageable.
Even if it delayed becoming a Meister, the opportunity to form a connection with one of the elven Tower Leaders was valuable.
But Kaylen’s response wasn’t favorable.
“Six months? That’s too long.”
“B-But! If you work with us, you’ll gain significant insights into the mana properties of water and wind. If you were to become a Meister of one of these attributes, it would be a huge advantage.”
Becoming a Meister wasn’t the end.
It required deep comprehension of the chosen attribute.
Collaborating with the elves to enhance understanding of water and wind?
For a mage, this was a highly enticing offer—if the person wasn’t Kaylen.
Ernstine, who freely controlled not only the four primary attributes but also light and darkness, had ascended to the divine level of a Grand Swordmaster.
For someone like him, the elves’ attribute knowledge was utterly useless.
‘If anything, I would have been the one teaching them in the past.’
Among the many wives and concubines Ernstine had, there were even elves.
Even during a time when mana wasn’t scarce, these elves, who could summon high-level spirits, had learned from Ernstine rather than taught him.
Thus, Irene’s confidence amounted to nothing.
“Irene, I already have sufficient understanding of elemental attributes.”
“T-That can’t be! Saying it’s sufficient—becoming a Meister is just the beginning!”
“No, I’m really fine. More importantly, if I have to remain a regular mage for six months during the experiment, and the only outcome is a deeper understanding of elemental attributes…”
Kaylen lowered his head slightly and answered politely, “I don’t think I can participate in the research.”
Irene fell silent.
'Wait, turning this down just to pursue being a Meister?'
Other Meisters would willingly pay to take part in an experiment like this, yet this man was outright refusing.
'What kind of confidence is this?'
She couldn’t help but wonder if they should be the ones offering compensation instead.
'But how much? And to what extent?'
Since she had never considered compensating a human for participation in this experiment, the decision wasn’t an easy one.
“Then, does this mean you’ll work with me?”
“But Myorn, is your research also dependent on me being a mage?”
“I’m developing a universal mana suit. It would be preferable if you were a mage, but… it’s not strictly necessary if you’re a Meister.”
“Is that so?”
“Well, your body seems sturdy enough.”
Kaylen had already demonstrated his ability to confront the mana suit head-on.
Even with the assistance of magic, such a feat was nearly impossible without a strong physical foundation.
For her experiment, Myorn considered Kaylen the ideal candidate—someone with exceptional physical endurance and magical skill.
“Then it’s fine.”
“Really?”
“Yes, let’s do the experiment together.”
“Really? Really, truly?”
“Yes.”
“Not Irene, but me? Really?”
Still unable to believe it, Myorn kept asking. When Kaylen nodded affirmatively, her fur shook wildly in excitement.
“Wow… Did I just beat Irene? Has this ever happened before?”
“Wow, so that’s the kind of experiment you’re conducting? Incredible.”
A hundred years ago, when Myorn’s mana suit experiments were still in their early stages, her project to develop a universal mana suit had garnered widespread interest. Many Superior Mages wanted to participate, and even prominent families expressed interest in investing.
However, even during those promising times:
“I’m sorry, Myorn. I’ve decided to work with Irene instead.”
“Apologies, I’m a Meister of Water… I need to focus on elemental affinity.”
Myorn had never won against Irene in attracting collaborators.
Some were captivated by the beauty of the elves.
Others were drawn to elemental affinity, prioritizing Irene’s expertise.
“Ah, it’s Myorn!”
“Avoid her—she’s going to ask us to experiment.”
“Why does she keep doing this? My family says her suits are only good enough for knights who lack firepower.”
“Honestly… her suits are useless. No one wants them.”
As the results of Myorn’s experiments fell far short of the initial hype, investments dried up, and mages willing to collaborate with her dwindled to nearly none.
The experiment had a notorious reputation as one of the worst—physically demanding but offering no tangible rewards.
“Myorn, you’re still conducting that experiment? Honestly…”
“Yes, it’s an experiment that must be done. But I have no participants.”
“No participants again? Fine, I’ll send someone your way.”
Eventually, Irene, from the same Fairy Tower, stepped in to help Myorn. But the mages Irene sent were often unmotivated and lacked the skills Myorn needed.
Worse, these mages would constantly try to find ways out of the experiment:
“I don’t think I’m a good fit for this experiment.”
“Suddenly, my younger sibling was in an accident…”
“My family has summoned me urgently, so I can’t continue the experiment.”
They would leave, offering all sorts of excuses, only to later appear in experiments led by Irene.
After seeing this pattern far too often, Myorn declared:
“Don’t send me any more humans. I don’t need them. I’ll do it alone.”
It was more peaceful to hammer away at her work alone. More comforting to handle the flames herself. For 30 years, she worked solo on the development of mana suits, involving humans only for the final tests.
Finally, she made a breakthrough—a way to enhance her mana suits—but it required a special test subject:
“A physically strong mage who can withstand the pressure of the mana suit…”
Finding such a person was nearly impossible. The level of physical strength she sought was on par with knights, something rare in this era dominated by mages. That is, until Kaylen came along.
'I thought I’d lose him, too…'
When Irene took an interest in Kaylen, Myorn assumed she would lose him, just like before. But when Kaylen chose her experiment instead, she was so overjoyed that she couldn’t contain herself.
Her fur bounced and shook, and before she knew it, she leaped like a ball, landing right beside Kaylen.
“Let’s work well together!”
With a whoosh, part of her fur ignited, and from the flames emerged a stark white arm and hand. It was a scarred hand that gripped Kaylen’s firmly.
Her hand burned as hot as fire—hot enough to scald an ordinary person.
“Her hand is too hot. Her control isn’t refined yet,” Kaylen thought, assessing Myorn’s level just from the temperature.
“Oh, is it too hot?”
Her temperature reflected the elemental spirits of fire and earth that she harbored. Humans would find it unbearable, so Myorn quickly withdrew her hand. But Kaylen smiled faintly.
“This much is fine.”
“…You’re just perfect for this!”
Delighted by his response, Myorn grabbed his hand again. Her fur danced wildly, creating a breeze.
“Goodbye, Irene.”
Her triumphant tone caused a frown to crease Irene’s brow.
If it were anyone else, she might have let them go. But Kaylen was too rare a case. There was no telling when another person like him might appear.
Determined, Irene bit her lip briefly before speaking.
“Wait a moment, Kaylen. If you join our research, I’ll make sure to offer you additional compensation.”
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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