IJWQLBIV 15

Chapter 15: Hello, We Meet Again?
December 21, 2021

A few days had passed. During that time, Tanathia had read every book she could find on magical engineering weapons. Since the world of “Beloved Saint” inherently used elemental magic—fire, water, wind, and so on—the weapons here were unlike those used in the modern world. Weapons in this world relied on supernatural forces, such as channeling fire through magical stones or borrowing the power of the earth to create earthquakes.

There were also blessed individuals like Noxia and Reyana, born with special abilities, but such people were extremely rare. That was why the purpose of magical engineering weapons was to allow anyone to temporarily wield extraordinary power during wars or disasters. Naturally, the type of power needed depended on the situation. For example, Noxia, who could manipulate water, could help during droughts to ease the suffering of the empire’s citizens and contribute to a prosperous nation. Reyana, who controlled wind, could occasionally read the weather or detect dangerous typhoons early.

Additionally, each person had a limit to how much magical power they could use. Even with the same abilities, skill levels varied greatly. Between the two, Noxia had far greater magical power than Reyana, and water was more useful than wind in daily life, so nobles treated her differently. In this world, national strength depended heavily on who could use special abilities and how many magical engineering weapons were possessed. This was why people with rare abilities became nobles, and why others respected those who inherited such powers.

“The problem is, the Arwen Empire doesn’t have anyone with abilities strong enough to lead them to victory in war…”

Askan wasn’t born with abilities like Noxia or Reyana, but through human weapon experiments, he had gained the power to freely control an unquenchable flame. His abilities made him the ultimate weapon in war. Within the Arwen Empire, there was nothing capable of stopping an army led by him, at least according to the Beloved Saint novel. Of course, if Askan stayed by her side, that future wouldn’t come to pass—but Tanathia’s goal was to create the most powerful weapon in the world, so she had to consider even the worst-case scenario.

“Magical stones…”

In short, weapons in this world were essentially conduits for using magic. But distributing magical stones to ordinary soldiers was prohibitively expensive. Weapons crafted through magical engineering were powerful, yet because they couldn’t be widely used, they remained a niche field.

“No wonder the Kalua Empire tried to create human weapons.”

The human weapon experiments Askan endured involved infusing ordinary humans with magical power to give them special abilities—conceptually similar to magical engineering, differing only in whether the subject was a person or an object.

“What if I gathered a ton of magical stones and created a weapon like a nuclear bomb?”

Luckily, the Brelloff family was wealthy enough to collect a fair number of magical stones. Creating a weapon so powerful that it could engulf a target area in flames might not be a bad idea. Even without actually using it, possessing such a weapon could deter war.

“Or… a universal weapon that ordinary soldiers could use?”

If she could make such a weapon, the Arwen Empire’s power would skyrocket—but that was nearly impossible. Magical stones were incredibly rare and expensive, so the problem was practically insurmountable.

“I wish there were something that could replace magical stones…”

Every magical engineering weapon so far required magical stones. But was it possible to wield magic without them? The thought spiraled endlessly. No groundbreaking ideas came immediately, but she couldn’t stop thinking.

It was then she heard a cough.

“Ahem ahem.”

Turning toward the sound, she saw Matella standing there.

“Ah, when did you get here?”

“A little while ago. What are you thinking about so deeply?”

Tanathia quickly covered the weapon sketches she had been doodling—they weren’t ready for anyone else to see.

“Just… some random thoughts.”

“You didn’t even notice I came in?”

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing important.”

“Oh, by the way, I brought the item you requested last time.”

“Really?”

She jumped to her feet in excitement. Matella, knowing how eagerly Tanathia had been waiting, opened the box to reveal a bracelet made of magical stones. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary jewel-encrusted bracelet, but the more she examined it, the more extraordinary it seemed.

“What ability does this bracelet have?”

Matella smiled warmly.

“You’ll have to ask the person who made it directly.”

“The person who made it?”

“Yes. I’ve brought the magical engineering teacher who will now teach you.”

“Oh… where are they?”

Looking around, there was no one else in the room besides Matella. When Tanathia looked at her questioningly, Matella realized the oversight and sighed.

“Phew, really!”

Matella strode to the door and flung it open. Outside stood an elderly man, scruffy and bearded like a street vagrant, his clothes filthy and his face smudged with soot—not the image of a normal scholar.

“…Who is this?”

No such character existed in Beloved Saint. Seeing Tanathia’s confusion, Matella explained:

“As you can see, he’s a bit eccentric, but he’s very famous in the field of magical engineering. The head of the family went to great lengths to bring him here.”

“I see.”

“His name is Varnen Ard Teinando…”

“Wha—?”

Hearing the name Varnen, Tanathia was stunned. He was the author of the magical engineering books she had been reading! She had begged Orland and Matella to find a capable teacher, but she hadn’t expected him. Her heart leapt with joy.

“Hello, I’m Tanathia…”

“I know. Daughter of Marquis Brelloff. If only you hadn’t owed your father a debt, you wouldn’t have ended up here.”

Varnen’s gaze was disapproving. It was clear he didn’t want to teach her.

“I heard you’re a genius,” he continued, “but this is probably just a hobby before you marry. I have no interest in playing along with a noble lady’s pastime…”

“Sir! You already agreed to teach me, so how can you say that!”

Matella snapped at him. The two seemed to know each other. Tanathia didn’t mind; all that mattered was that she could ask Varnen directly.

“Wait, I have so many questions if I can meet you directly.”

She quickly retrieved Varnen’s book, full of notes and questions she had marked. Handing it to him, she began asking questions one by one.

“This part here… I don’t understand why you explained it this way.”

“…What?”

Varnen was the one caught off guard, staring back and forth between her and the book.

“This is a complex part of magical engineering; it’s natural not to understand… But you’re asking about it? Why? Aren’t you a noble lady?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

Varnen seemed speechless. That she was Tanathia of the Brelloff family and wanted to study magical engineering was astonishing to him. A normal noble lady wouldn’t risk her life studying this seriously.

He gave a slight, incredulous laugh before his expression turned serious. Looking at Matella, he spoke in a lower voice:

“So… the genius claim wasn’t a lie?”

“Of course not! Why would I lie about that?”

“I thought it was just exaggeration to impress me.”

Varnen’s eyes seemed genuinely serious now. He gestured toward the desk.

“Come here. I’ll explain.”

“Yes!”

Tanathia cheerfully followed him to the desk. At that moment, a timid knock came at the door, and a familiar voice spoke.

“Miss, Lady Crisha is here to see you.”

“Reyana? Why all of a sudden?”

“It’s their monthly regular meeting. What shall we do?”

Tanathia had known that in the original story, she and Reyana were friends, but she didn’t know about these regular meetings. With the new magical engineering lessons, she hadn’t had time to pay attention. She quickly told Jerin:

“Ask Reyana to wait in my room for a moment. I’ll go as soon as my lesson ends.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Tanathia returned to Varnen, her heart racing at the thought of finally learning magical engineering from someone rather than studying alone. She could hardly believe she felt this way while studying in her lifetime—she truly felt like a genius now.

Reyana, from the start, hadn’t wanted to come to the Brelloff estate. She had enjoyed playing with Tanathia as a friend until the imperial ball, after which her heart had been hurt. But revealing her true feelings now would be disadvantageous; pretending to be close was the smarter move.

‘She even makes me wait?’

Reyana was flabbergasted. Tanathia, who had always greeted her warmly, had suddenly changed. Even if the new lessons were sudden, she could have given a heads-up. Jerin spoke cautiously, noting Reyana’s frozen expression:

“I’m sorry, the lesson schedule was unexpected…”

“Enough. Don’t bother explaining further. Bring me some tea.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Jerin left quickly, knowing Reyana’s temper. Her bad mood worsened, feeling as though Tanathia was subtly looking down on her.

‘Ah, so this is how it is now that I’m a hostess’s daughter?’

Reyana’s pride flared, and she let out a rough breath. Then came a familiar knock and voice.

“Miss, it’s me.”

At first, she thought Jerin had returned with tea, but the voice revealed the visitor.

‘That voice…!’

It was Askan, the boy who had trapped Reyana at the imperial ball. No matter Tanathia’s orders, Reyana wouldn’t forgive him. She swung the door open, and Askan, surprised to see Reyana instead of Tanathia, stared at her. Reyana smiled mischievously and waved.

“Hello, we meet again?”

Askan’s face perfectly matched Reyana’s taste—handsome enough to be called a beautiful boy. Seeing him in tears would be too satisfying.

“I have a servant at my house that Tanathia crippled…”

Askan’s normally expressionless face turned cold as he watched Reyana take pleasure in finding someone to punish.