AME 71

Chapter 71

Kaon swept his eyes over the floor with a bewildered expression. Though he had studied ancient language as well, he could barely understand any of the inscriptions.

The outermost circle was about 24 groo wide (approximately 60cm), and within it, various shapes and letters were packed densely, forming what resembled an intricate pattern.

Only now did he begin to understand why mages buried themselves in books. If each magic circle was this complex, then merely studying and memorizing them would be a monumental task.

‘For her to have memorized that…’

Kaon’s pale gray-blue eyes dimmed. Kneeling on the floor, Alessia was wholly absorbed in drawing the spell, giving him no idea what kind of mindset she must have had when reading through spellbooks. After all, she was a mage without magic—a knight without arms trying to wield a sword.

Whether she had learned this in Ingelos or studied it alone, either way, it must have been a grueling journey. No matter how much she learned, she still wouldn’t have been able to activate the spells.

Yet, there was no hesitation in her hand as she drew the magic circle. Since she hadn’t asked for it to be prepared beforehand, she must have already known the spell. Which meant she had studied it enough to recall and reproduce it on the spot.

‘Is she just stubborn or actually amazing?’

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 forward. But Alessia Ingelos didn’t give up. That fact struck a chord in Kaon’s heart.

“The spell’s ready.”

How much time had passed? Alessia stood and stepped into the center of the completed circle. She positioned herself atop two inner rings and began chanting to activate the spell.

Kaon pushed aside his thoughts and focused on Alessia. As magic from the ruby ring flowed into the circle, a faint light extended from the small ring beneath her feet.

The light gradually spread outward—from ring to shape, from shape to character. The spells drawn in pitch-black ink soon glowed softly, each letter and symbol emitting a pale, radiant light.

Kaon’s gaze flickered between the ring and Alessia. She appeared calm, still looking down at the circle, as if things weren’t over yet.

Then, as if she had finished channeling all the magic needed to activate the spell, the circle suddenly burst into light. The blinding radiance filled the entire room, so intense one couldn’t open their eyes, before gradually fading.

When it settled, a cylindrical shield surrounded Alessia. A translucent, faintly glowing light-yellow barrier. From within it, a pale hand suddenly extended outward.

“Take my hand and come in.”

“…What?”

Kaon frowned. The barrier was the same size as the outermost ring of the circle—just 24 groo (around 60cm) in diameter.

Standing alone inside it posed no issue for Alessia, but Kaon was much larger. If he joined her in that tiny space, they’d have to stand extremely close—practically pressed together.

“You won’t be able to see the magic properly from out there. To enter the shield, you need to be in contact with someone already inside.”

“Then make it bigger!”

“Do you even know how much magic defensive spells consume? I don’t know how much power is left in the ring—how could I afford that?”

Her voice was dripping with exasperation, which made Kaon bristle. He had gotten used to it somewhat, but hearing it again after a while hit him harder than expected.

Even so, he couldn’t take her hand right away. He hesitated. This was just… way too close. He needed a moment to mentally prepare himself to handle that kind of proximity.

Then Alessia sighed and pulled him in without warning.

“You can’t just yank someone like—!”

Caught off guard, Kaon stumbled but quickly steadied himself—only to freeze. Alessia was standing right in front of him. One small movement, and they’d touch.

“Can you see better now?”

See? He could see too well. Being less than a hand’s breadth apart, every little detail was painfully vivid. He felt like closing his eyes instead.

Every time Alessia spoke, her breath hit right below his chin, sending shivers down his spine. Tensing up, Kaon clenched his fists.

“Can you see?”

“…Yeah, yeah, I can see.”

Unable to take the pressure any longer, Kaon glanced down, only to quickly tilt his head back up toward the ceiling. The moment their eyes met, his heart thudded and heat flooded his face—it was too intense to endure.

But he couldn’t look away. Alessia had grabbed him by the collar like before and pulled him even closer.

“I don’t know how much magic is left in this ring. I don’t want to waste it. So hurry up and focus.”

Her red eyes brimmed with urgency and desperation. Kaon finally snapped out of it. While he had been foolishly flustered, Alessia had been pouring her magic into the circle.

Taking a quiet breath, Kaon forced himself to observe her properly. The magic flowing from the ring was stable and consistent. But Alessia’s own magic was still unstable.

He shifted his gaze lower, focusing on the area near her heart. Since the heart was the source of life, when mages used magic, it usually started from there and spread through the body. Thus, that region should’ve held the strongest magical energy.

But Alessia was different. Her magic was faint all over. Even around her heart, it was just as weak.

“…It’s like something’s blocking your magic.”

Kaon paused to think, then found the right words to explain.

“It feels like your magic is squeezing through a really narrow path. Like… like a pouch filled with sand that only has a tiny hole poked in it.”

He nodded. That was the perfect analogy. With only a pinhole, just a few grains of sand could escape. Alessia’s magic looked exactly like that.

“Any idea why?”

“…I’m not sure. My magic was already gone by the time I was four, and before that, I was too young to remember. I did a lot of experiments trying to get it back, but none of them worked. That’s all I know.”

Her face dimmed as if revisiting those memories brought her pain. Even just recalling them seemed to hurt.

“I’d like to look at the ring. Is it okay if I touch it?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

Kaon was quick to change the subject. Since she couldn’t remember anything else, dwelling on it would only bring more pain without benefit.

He gently took her right hand and examined the ring. Sure enough, something faint glimmered inside the ruby. That must be the spell.

“You’re right. There’s something in there. Looks a bit like the magic circle you drew… Not exactly the same, but close.”

“Magic circles usually have similar frameworks. What matters is the specific content inside them. Think you can memorize it?”

“…That?”

Kaon scowled. If he had the kind of memory required to memorize that at a glance, he wouldn’t have struggled so much with ancient language. Anyone else who saw the complex patterns would’ve felt just as overwhelmed.

“You can’t?”

“How am I supposed to memorize that?”

“Just look at it and remember it well enough to draw it later.”

“You’ve got to be kidding—”

He was about to snap back, but stopped short. Her expression told him she wasn’t joking.

Kaon’s face stiffened as he shook his head vigorously. If he showed even the slightest bit of hesitation, she’d make him do it on the spot.

“I can’t. Even copying it would take forever. There’s no way I can memorize it.”

“Then let’s do it in the room.”

Letting out a resigned sigh, Alessia withdrew her magic. The light surrounding them vanished instantly, and the spell faded like smoke. Kaon sensed a faint trace of magic left on the spot. So that’s what leaving a residue meant.

As Alessia deactivated the shield and took a step back, Kaon looked down at the spot she had just stood in. The sudden space between them was a relief—and oddly disappointing.

“When did you first start seeing things like that?”

Surprised by the question, Kaon lifted his gaze. Alessia was looking up at him with a slightly flushed face. Casting a magic circle must have taken a toll.

“This? Hmm… Since I was really young, I think.”

“All of a sudden?”

“I guess you could call it that. Or maybe I had always seen it but just hadn’t realized. It felt so natural to me.”

He shrugged. For him, it had always been that way. He could choose not to see it now if he tried, but back then, his vision had been constantly crowded with magic.

“Mom, how do I clean this up?”

“What are you talking about, Kaon?”

“This! There’s so much of it!”

The memory flashed through his mind, and Kaon briefly closed his eyes. What if he hadn’t said those words back then? It was pointless to regret it now—he knew that—but sometimes the thought still crossed his mind.

“By the way, doesn’t your family have anyone like me? If a real mage saw your condition, they might be able to understand it better.”