Kaon scanned the floor with astonished eyes. Despite having learned ancient languages, he could barely understand any of it.
The outermost circle appeared to be about 24 grus (approximately 60 cm) in diameter, filled densely with various shapes and characters, forming a bizarre pattern.
He suddenly understood why mages lived buried in their books. If every magic circle was this complex, studying and memorizing them must be an enormous effort.
‘The fact that she memorized all of this…’
Kaon’s light blue-gray eyes darkened. He couldn’t imagine the mindset Alessia must have had while poring over those magic books. She was a mage without magic, akin to a knight trying to wield a sword without arms.
Whether she learned it at Ingelos or studied it on her own, it must have been a painful process for her. No matter how much she learned, she ultimately couldn’t activate the magic.
Yet, Alessia’s hands showed no hesitation as she drew the magic circle. Since she hadn’t asked him to prepare anything in advance, it was clear she already knew this magic. This meant she had studied hard enough to recall and draw the necessary magic circles on the spot.
‘Is she foolish or remarkable?’
If he had been born without arms, he wouldn’t have even considered becoming a knight. Not because he was weak, but because there would be no way to achieve it. But Alessia Ingelos never gave up. This fact resonated deeply with Kaon.
“The formula is ready.”
How much time had passed? Alessia, having finished the magic circle, stood up and moved to the center of the completed circle. Standing on the two innermost circles, she began chanting an incantation to activate the magic.
Kaon dismissed his stray thoughts and focused on Alessia. As the magic from the ruby ring flowed into the magic circle, a faint light began to emanate from the small circle at her feet.
The light gradually spread outward, from the circle to other shapes, and from those shapes to the characters. The black inked formula soon began to glow softly, each shape and character shining white.
Kaon’s gaze alternated between the ring and Alessia. She seemed utterly composed, still looking down at the magic circle as if it wasn’t over yet.
Finally, the magic circle suddenly flared up, having received all the necessary magic. The immense light, as if it would engulf the caster, filled the entire room, making it impossible to keep one’s eyes open, then gradually subsided.
In a short time, a cylindrical barrier formed around Alessia. A softly glowing, pale yellow, semi-transparent shield, through which a white hand suddenly protruded.
“Take my hand and come inside.”
“What?”
Kaon frowned. The cylinder was the same size as the largest circle that formed the base of the magic circle. It was only 24 grus (about 60 cm) in diameter.
It was no problem for Alessia to stand alone inside, but Kaon was large. Standing together in that small space would be very cramped.
“If you stay out there, you won’t be able to see the magic properly. To enter this barrier, you need to make contact with the person inside.”
“Then why didn’t you make it bigger?”
“Do you know how much magic defensive spells consume? I don’t even know how much magic is left in the ring, so how could I do that?”
Kaon’s face flushed with frustration at her exasperated tone. He had gotten somewhat used to it, but hearing it again after a while hit him harder.
Still, Kaon hesitated to take her hand. This… This was too cramped. He needed to mentally prepare himself for such close proximity.
Just then, Alessia sighed and pulled Kaon inside abruptly.
“You can’t just pull someone like that!”
Caught off guard, Kaon momentarily lost his balance and immediately stiffened as he stood upright. Alessia was standing right in front of him. Any slight movement would cause them to touch.
“Can you see it clearly now?”
He could see it, but that was the problem. Standing so close, less than a hand’s breadth away, everything was too clear, and Kaon found himself wanting to close his eyes.
Every time Alessia spoke, her breath tickled his neck, giving him goosebumps. Tense, Kaon clenched his fists tightly.
“Can you see it?”
“Yes, I can see it…”
Reluctantly lowering his gaze, Kaon quickly looked up at the ceiling. The moment he met her pale face, his heart pounded, and heat rushed through his body, making him afraid to look any longer.
But he had no choice. Alessia grabbed his collar and pulled him closer, just like she had done before.
“I don’t know how much magic is left in this ring. I can’t afford to waste it, so look properly.”
Her red eyes were filled with urgency and desperation. Kaon finally snapped out of it. While he was foolishly flustered, Alessia was channeling magic into the circle.
Taking a deep breath, Kaon focused on Alessia. The magic flowing from the ring was steady and unwavering. In contrast, the magic within Alessia remained unstable.
Kaon lowered his gaze to her chest area. Since the heart is the source of life, when mages use magic, it starts from the heart and spreads throughout the body. Naturally, the magical energy is strongest near the heart.
But Alessia was different. Her magic was faint all over, including where it should be most concentrated near her heart.
“It seems like something is blocking your magic.”
After a moment of thought, Kaon found the right words to describe what he saw.
“It’s like your magic is squeezing through a narrow path. I don’t know how else to explain it. It’s like a tiny hole in a sandbag.”
Kaon nodded. That was exactly it. If you poke a tiny hole in a sandbag, only a few grains of sand can escape. That’s how Alessia’s magic looked.
“Do you have any idea why?”
“…I don’t know. My magic was gone by the time I was four, and I was too young to remember before that. I tried various experiments to regain my magic, but nothing worked.”
Alessia’s face clouded over as if recalling a painful past.
“Can I take a closer look at the ring? Is it okay if I touch it?”
“Yes, it’s fine.”
Kaon quickly changed the subject. If she couldn’t remember, there was no point in dwelling on it and causing her more pain.
He carefully took her right hand and examined the ring. Inside the ruby, he could faintly see something glowing. It seemed to be a formula.
“You’re right. There’s something inside. It looks similar to the magic circle you drew… but not exactly the same.”
“Magic circles are generally similar. The magic varies depending on the content inside. Can you memorize it?”
“…That?”
Kaon frowned. If he had a mind capable of memorizing that at a glance, he wouldn’t have struggled so much with ancient languages. Anyone who saw that complex formula would feel the same; it was dizzying just to look at.
“Can’t do it?”
“How am I supposed to memorize that?”
“Just look at it and remember it, then draw it later.”
“Are you kidding me…?”
He was about to retort that it was a ridiculous joke, but he stopped. He could see from Alessia’s expression that she was serious.
Kaon stiffened and shook his head. If he showed any hesitation, she might actually make him memorize it on the spot.
“I can’t do it. Even if I wrote it down, it would take a long time. How am I supposed to memorize that?”
“It seems we’d better do it in the room.”
Alessia sighed shortly, as if resigned, and withdrew her magic. The light that had surrounded them vanished in an instant, and the formula also disappeared as if it had evaporated. Kaon sensed the faint remnants of magic in the spot where the formula had been. So this is what it meant to leave a trace.
As Alessia deactivated the barrier, she naturally took a step back. Kaon looked down at the place where she had stood. The sudden distance made him feel relieved, yet oddly disappointed.
“When did you start seeing things like that?”
Alessia’s unexpected question made him lift his eyelids. She was looking at him with a slightly flushed face, likely from the effort required to activate the magic circle.
“This? When was it… I’ve been able to see it since I was very young.”
“Suddenly?”
“I suppose you could say that. Maybe it was always there, but I just didn’t recognize it. It was so natural to me.”
Kaon shrugged. To him, all these sights were normal. Now, if he tried not to see them, he could avoid it, but in the past, his vision was always cluttered.
“Mom, how do I get rid of this?”
“Kaon, what are you talking about?”
“This! There are so many here!”
Kaon closed his eyes briefly as memories flashed through his mind. What if he hadn’t said those words back then? He knew it was useless to regret it now, but sometimes the thought still crossed his mind.
“By the way, isn’t there anyone like me in your family? If mages saw your condition, they might have been able to diagnose it more accurately.”
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Hey, I just wanted to ask if tis has been dropped?