Chapter 59

Ledda reported to Eric that Al had returned after the sun had set. Eric had just finished his meal and was organizing letters in his study, but he stopped writing on the parchment and asked her,

"Was Al working on acquisition until this late hour?"

"Yes, he said he spent more time than he intended trying to decipher the symbols he had never seen before, and before he knew it, it was this late."

Eric put down his pen and tilted his head.

"Since he started working in the morning, it's been nearly ten hours. Did he spend that much time on a single symbol?"

Eric's sense was that it took about two hours to decipher a new symbol. Of course, the difficulty varied with each symbol, and it wasn't unusual for an apprentice to take a bit longer. However, ten hours felt off.

"I asked him the same thing, and he said there were eight new symbols, so it took that long."

Eric's eyes widened in surprise at Ledda's words. Deciphering symbols required intense concentration. Even if he had to decipher a symbol he had already deciphered for a spell, it would be one or two symbols a day, at most. To decipher eight symbols in a row without a break was unimaginable.

"Wait a moment. You said there were eight new symbols. So, the others were known symbols... meaning Al deciphered the spellbook of the floating eye, which is on the third level, in one day?"

Eric stood up, wanting to hear from Al himself, but Ledda said he had already gone home, muttering that he was hungry.

"Did he really decipher it? I've been working on acquisition for two months, but I haven't finished deciphering yet..."

Ledda bit her lower lip. She had been deciphering one or two symbols a day without a break, while also doing her apprentice work, so she hadn't spent as much time as Al. However, if he had deciphered it in just one day, the difference was painful for her.

"Perhaps the difference lies in how he handled the known symbols. Let's go to the room where Al was working on spell acquisition."

The two nodded and headed to the room. Inside, illuminated by a light spell, they found a spellbook covered in translucent green and filled with red text.

"Floating text? Is this... an illusion spell?"

Eric confirmed with a spell to detect illusions. It was indeed an illusion created by Al. Impressed by his method, Eric also had a question. Unlike writing on cloth, illusion spells had a duration. Based on his knowledge, it would last at most a day, or two if the user was highly skilled. Did Al plan to finish deciphering within those two days?

"He was actively memorizing the known symbols. He used the illusion spell to cover them, optimizing the process in his own way. The question is how much misinterpretation occurred and whether he can successfully cast the spell. Did he mention anything about the options?"

"Yes, he said the size of the window, the movement speed of the floating eye, and its appearance location could be options."

The spell of the floating eye creates a transparent sphere about 2 cm in diameter on the caster's palm and a 20 cm square window in the upper right corner of the caster's field of vision. The sphere can fly through the air at a speed comparable to a human walking, and the window displays the information the sphere sees, allowing the caster to observe the surroundings or distant places. According to Ledda, Al said the window's size could be changed, and the sphere's view could be distorted to change the visible range, similar to looking through a crystal ball. The movement speed could be increased to a running pace, and the appearance location could be anywhere within the caster's field of vision, not just on the palm.

"I see. Did he specify which symbols?"

"Yes, of course."

"Have you deciphered them already?"

"Yes, all of them are deciphered."

Eric pondered. Perhaps it would have been better if they hadn't been deciphered yet. However, Ledda hadn't successfully cast the spell yet. If she re-deciphered them before then, it might be fine...

"Let's try. Ledda, please re-decipher the symbols, considering what Al pointed out."

Ledda's eyes were a bit teary. Eric smiled gently.

"Don't worry, Ledda. The reason it's taking time is that I instructed you to re-decipher the known symbols without preconceptions. If this method works, I'll have to change my approach and apologize to you. I've been directing you to use an inefficient method..."

Ledda shook her head, feeling that an apology was out of the question.

"Still, the conclusion isn't clear yet. There's a possibility that misinterpretation is causing the delay, and I'm concerned that even if you decipher them correctly, you might not be able to use the spell properly. I'd like to hear more from Al. Is he coming tomorrow?"

Ledda nodded.

"It's late. Let's continue this tomorrow."

---

The next evening, Al was lying on his back on the floor of the room provided for spell acquisition at Eric's mansion, his arms and legs spread out, looking exhausted.

He had been trying to cast the spell since morning but hadn't succeeded yet. However, since the floating eye spell was a third-level spell, it was normal not to succeed in one day. He felt he was close to success.

"Hello, may I come in?"

Eric and Ledda entered the room.

"Looks like you haven't succeeded yet."

Al hurriedly sat up.

"No, not yet. I think I'm close, though..."

"Yesterday, you spent ten hours deciphering, and today, you've been trying to cast the spell for eight hours. I'm impressed by your stamina."

Eric's words made Al scratch his head, a bit embarrassed. For Al, it felt like he was making progress and was just trying again and again, but to Eric and Ledda, it was an incredible feat of concentration to keep trying for eight hours without getting bored.

"Tomorrow, I have to work, so I'm not sure when I can come again. I wanted to cast it today, but it seems a bit difficult."

Eric shook his head and smiled.

"You're making such rapid progress. Don't push yourself too hard. Sometimes, a change in perspective is needed to cast a spell. It might be good to call it a day early sometimes."

Al nodded. Indeed, with Gri's help, he had deciphered the symbols at more than twice his usual speed. He might be tired. Thinking about it, he suddenly felt very hungry.

"You're right. I'll stop for today and check the spellbook for any damage. I think it should be fine, though..."

Eric nodded. Al glanced at the spellbook regretfully and waved his hand. The illusion covering the spellbook disappeared instantly. Ledda started cleaning up the unused glue and cloth nearby.

"Can I ask how long your illusion spell can last?"

Asking about the duration was the same as asking about his skill level. Eric's question was hesitant.

"About three days. The illusion spell was something my grandfather was good at, so he taught me a lot. The more I think about it, the more I realize how versatile and interesting it is."

Hearing that Al's grandfather was skilled in illusion spells, Eric recalled a dragon illusion he saw about twenty years ago during the New Year's celebration in the capital. The dragon illusion was said to have been used in a battle with the neighboring country of Tempest to deceive the enemy and cause chaos among their knights. It was a legendary illusion, and it was said that a mage serving the Rain Border Baron had shown it. The sight of the giant dragon flying in the sky had left a deep impression on him.

"Was your grandfather serving the Border Baron in the past?"

When Eric mentioned the dragon, Al tilted his head and said he wasn't sure, but it might be his grandfather. When Al was born, his grandfather had already retired and was living in Channing Village, but before that, he had indeed served as a mage in the Border Baron's knight corps.

"I'll ask my dad. My grandfather is dead, but my dad might know if he achieved such feats."

"Sure. If you have the chance, please ask. I'm sure he was involved. I'd be happy to hear any stories."

Eric sighed thoughtfully.

"Eric, can you tell me what to watch out for when using the floating eye spell? I'm sure it's not allowed in the Border Baron's mansion, right?"

"Of course."

Eric's expression turned serious. The transparent floating eye created by the floating eye spell could be used to spy on places within a certain distance, depending on the user's skill level. However, using it near the castle could allow the user to spy freely inside.

"The Border Baron's mansion and other important places often have magical devices set up for security, so you'll be found out immediately. They can even determine who used it, so be careful not to use it out of curiosity."

According to Eric, there were magical devices with effects like transparency detection, illusion detection, and magic detection, which were installed in key locations of the Border Baron's castle. The transparent floating eye created by the floating eye spell would react to both transparency detection and magic detection.

"Here too?"

Al looked around.

"They are very expensive, so there aren't many, but they are in this mansion. The locations are, of course, a secret."

Eric smiled. If even a wealthy mage like Eric considered them very expensive, they must be.

"At the city gates?"

"I wouldn't install them there. I'd be afraid they might be stolen. They only make sense in places where an appropriate response can be made."

He meant that while the devices could detect, they couldn't neutralize the spell. It only made sense to install them in places where a mage capable of neutralizing the spell could respond quickly. There probably weren't many mages in the Border Baron's territory who could use transparency detection spells.

"I understand. Thank you. I'll be careful when using it."

It was a good lesson. He now had a better idea of where it was safe to use concealment spells. Al smiled to himself.

---

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