Transmigration Into A World With Manna

Chapter 7

Mage Spellbound is very polite. Since you're an honored guest of our Sage Tower, helping you is the least we can do.

The young Great Mage enthusiastically recommended some books. “You must be a 1st Rank Mage, right? If you're interested, I suggest studying Gaude’s Notes. They were left behind by Archmage Gaude, the last Archmage of the 3rd Dynasty. He wrote about his experiences as he progressed through the Mage realm. Also, Farrel’s Conjectures are interesting. Although some of his theories are wrong, his imaginative ideas are worth learning from.”

“Sure, I’ll check them out later.” Despite the young Great Mage's passion, these recommendations weren't worth mentioning to Caster. They were too basic, and not even good for leisure reading. Reading them would just make him sleepy.

“Okay, if those don’t interest you, I suggest studying the Flame Spear spell. It's close to Great Mage level spells. You might need it in the future…” Sensing Caster's disinterest, Solon's tone became harsher. He emphasized the word ‘future’ to remind him that he was only a 1st Rank Mage.

Unfortunately, Caster did not react. The mention of the Flame Spear spell reminded him of something else.

“Oh right, Mage Solon, I heard that the Sage Tower has the full Star Path incantation. Can I see it?” If there were any spells that could interest Caster, Star Path would be one of them.

Solon almost laughed. It was true that the Sage Tower had the entire Star Path incantation, but it was forbidden magic. Even the big three couldn’t use it. How could a mere 1st Rank Mage think about it?

Solon answered, but not as politely as before. “Mage Spellbound, it's too early for you to study Star Path. You're only a 1st Rank Mage, so there aren't many books suitable for you in this library. Even if I showed you the Star Path, could you understand it?”

“…” Caster wanted to say he could understand it, but Solon didn't give him a chance. “Well, I have something to do, so I’ll go.”

Solon left the library feeling frustrated and returned to the top floor of the Sage Tower.

Sikoa was sitting by the fireplace, coughing from time to time. “Teacher, your cough is worse. Should I ask High Mage Thorpe for potions?”

“No. Thorpe’s potions are too unpleasant. Besides, my body hasn’t failed yet.”

Solon looked sad. Sikoa's condition worried all the mages of the Sage Tower. Nobody had found a cure, not even High Mage Thorpe.

Sikoa asked about the young mage, Spellbound. “What do you think of him?”

“He behaves well and is smart and polite, but...”

“But?”

“But he seems to be aiming too high.”

Solon hesitated but then explained what had happened that day. “Today he looked at a book on the Fanrusen Formula. When I went over, I heard him saying it was a mess.”

"A mess?" Solon thought back carefully to what he had heard and continued cautiously, "It seemed to be about the seven-string theory."

It was just some murmuring, and Solon himself hadn't paid much attention to it. However, he hadn't expected those words to make the old mage, resting with his eyes closed, suddenly sit up straight and give him a sharp look. "Are you saying he thought the seven-string theory was a mess when he looked at the Fanrusen Formula?"

"Yes... That's what he said, more or less." Solon felt a bit overwhelmed by his teacher’s sudden reaction.

"That’s not completely impossible..." Sikoa smiled and then cast a spell. Mana gathered at his fingertip as he traced a path through the air. A visible light streaked across, revealing a curtain of white light.

In this light curtain, a young mage sat at a desk, leisurely reading a book and occasionally muttering to himself.

This was a replay of everything that had happened in the library earlier. The High Mage’s Temporal Recall could track scenes that had happened more than ten years ago, let alone a recent event.

Even now, the scene in the light curtain was clear. Each detail was visible. The young mage was flipping through the pages quickly, wearing a strange smile, as if finding something ridiculous.

'What's so funny?' Solon wondered, but couldn’t understand. However, Sikoa seemed to notice something, as amazement suddenly appeared on his face.

When the young mage reached the 12th page of the book, he put it down, his smile turning more derisive as he muttered to himself.

At first, Sikoa was amazed, but when he realized what the young mage had muttered, he paled, and the Temporal Recall spell wavered, making the image lose focus.

“Teacher, are you…” Solon was worried. It was rare to see his teacher forget himself.

“It’s nothing…” Sikoa shook his head, dispersing the unstable Temporal Recall spell. “Okay, you can go. I need to think.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

After Solon left, the study became quiet again. Sikoa sat for a moment before getting up to write a letter.

The letter was for Star Sage Jouyi, one of the three Archmages of the east and Sikoa's mentor for twenty years. Sikoa wrote down everything he had just seen using Temporal Recall.

Sikoa didn’t tell Solon that Sifa Spellbound wasn’t the first mage to criticize the seven-string theory. Sikoa remembered hearing Star Sage Jouyi say the same words a few years ago. The research into the theory at the Cloud Tower had stagnated due to missing data.

But just now, upon seeing the 12th page of the Fanrusen Formula, that young mage had muttered something significant in the Fester Language, possibly disproving the theory.

This was why Sikoa was so agitated.

After finishing the letter, Sikoa sealed it and called for Solon to return.

“Send this letter to the Cloud Tower. It's for Star Sage Jouyi.”

“Yes, I’ll make sure it's done.”

In the end, Caster didn’t go to the library the next day. It was the day of the Gilded Rose’s reopening. 

With the thirty thousand gold from the auction, the old butler was a lot more relaxed. 

Not only had they settled Luigi’s debt, but the butler had even begun to draw up plans for the revival of the Spectral Lime Chamber of Commerce.

Caster originally didn’t want to worry too much about it. Thirty thousand wasn’t that big of a number, and he could just casually buy some magic materials to deal with the daily expenses. 

But reviving the Spectral Lime Chamber of Commerce… Wasn’t that too much?

However, the old butler was eager to settle that matter. After Caster turned him down a few times, the old butler began to act like a rascal. 

He would sigh every day within Caster’s hearing range, talking about how he was getting on in his years and that he knew he didn’t have long to live. 

If he suddenly departed and met the old master in the heavens, would he have to explain that after so many years of flourishing, the Spectral Lime chamber of commerce was now on the verge of death?