The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations Chapter 703

Episode 703: Was it put in the past? (1)

When they finally cleared the Forest of Magic, Giselle told Jerome about the ancient magic book she had obtained.

Before returning, Giselle perfected her own mana cultivation method, drawing inspiration from that half-column magic book.

At that time, it was a stroke of luck for Jiselle. If it weren’t for that magic book, she wouldn’t have been able to grow so quickly to become one of the 7 powers of the continent.

Thanks to that mana training method, even after returning, Jiselle was able to overcome crises by using explosive power whenever she encountered a dangerous situation.

In a way, that magic book could be said to be one of the foundations that enabled Giselle to accomplish everything.

However, since I had completed the Mana training method in this life, I did not need to obtain it, so I transferred it to Jerome.

At the time, Giselle didn’t know much about magic, so she only got inspiration, but if Jerome was a great magician, she might get more out of it.

“Umm… … . Is this it?”

The place Jerome arrived was a small kingdom located quite far from the Kingdom of Rutania.

Jerome, who had been putting off his schedule day after day since Giselle collapsed, finally came here to obtain the magic book.

The nobles of the kingdom were astonished when Jerome arrived with several attendants.

“No, what brings you here all of a sudden?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Crack monitoring is going well.”

Jerome was now a famous person in his own right, for word had spread that he had been active in the Allied forces.

With one of the most powerful figures on the continent having arrived, the nobles of the small countries could not help but feel very nervous.

“Hahaha, no. I just came to investigate something.”

The word investigation is a very scary word, depending on how you hear it. The nobles began to get nervous for no reason.

But Jerome wasn’t very interested in such nobles. He went straight to the area that Giselle had told him about.

At first, he had planned to just hire a few laborers to dig it up, but he was able to get a lot of manpower for free from the lord who wanted to look good to Jerome.

A few days after they began digging, a structure that looked like a ruin was revealed. Jerome looked slightly surprised at the news.

“Really… … there are ruins?”

As the land was dug, traces of ancient times began to appear one by one. They were not huge or impressive, but they were quite helpful in guessing at the ancient lifestyle.

What particularly caught people’s attention were the geometric patterns carved into the walls.

Although it has faded and weathered over time, the intricate patterns that remain vividly show the delicate touch of the craftsmen of the time.

The laborers who worked on the project and the nobles who visited Jerome from time to time to look good were all excited.

“As expected of you, Jerome! How did you know something like this was here?”

“You are truly amazing. Your wisdom reaches to the heavens.”

Anyway, they are not very interested in ancient relics. Only scholars will be interested.

If I had to be specific, it was interesting to see if something like treasure would come out, but it was more profitable to just flatter Jerome than to be greedy for treasure that might or might not come out.

“Ah, yes… … . Well, not to that extent… … . I also heard it from the Duke of Fenris… … .”

“Wow! As expected, it’s the Duke of Fenris! So you two made this discovery together! How can you two be so amazing!”

“… … Please stop.”

Jerome felt quite embarrassed by the excessive flattery. He was not unaware of his position, but he was still not used to this kind of treatment.

In one corner of the ruins was a structure that appeared to be a small altar. A small box was placed on top of the elaborately built stone altar.

“Oh… … Is that it?”

Jerome approached it with excitement. It was a box made of iron, but it was in good condition except for a little rust.

It seemed that a preservation spell had been cast on it to ensure that it would last a long time.

Suddenly.

I carefully opened the box and saw two books. They looked quite worn, but as expected, there was a preservation spell placed on them, so there was no problem reading them.

Jerome picked up the book on top. Jerome was surprised when he opened the book that had no title.

“This, this is… … .”

It was a magic book, but it wasn’t a magic book.

It wasn’t a book that contained the recipes for implementing a specific magic. Instead, it was full of theories on how to use magical power. It was a very experimental and bold theory.

Jerome, who had been reading absentmindedly, laughed in vain and exclaimed in admiration.

“This… is extremely dangerous.”

The book mainly talked about how to quickly gather magical power and amplify it to make it several times more powerful.

It was not a complete theory. It was a mixture of abstract and unproven concepts, and even the writer of this article was not sure whether the theory was correct.

Moreover, the level was so high that even Jerome, an 8th circle magician, could not understand it at once.

Jerome, who was reading as if possessed, let out a sigh at one point.

“Ah… … What… … Why is there no back?”

The magic book was half-baked. The other half seemed to have disappeared somewhere.

Jerome, who was looking at the front again with regretful lips, suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

“Wait a minute… … If I look closely, this looks like the handwriting of our Matap founder?”

I recently found a book that had the events of the past written down. Thanks to that, I was able to find out what Giselle was up to.

But the handwriting in the book he was reading was surprisingly similar to that of that book.

“Huh… … Could this be… … . Is this the book left behind by the founder of our Magic Tower? But why was it left here and not in Magic Tower? Why is the back half missing?”

I wondered what had happened, but I couldn’t figure it out right away. Maybe he tore it up in a fit of anger because his research wasn’t progressing, or maybe he tore it up and scattered it around on purpose to hide the dangerous content.

But even with the remaining half, it was definitely a great theory. I wanted to get it and study it quickly. The fact that it was an incomplete theory made me even more curious.

“Vanessa would really like that.”

Vanessa was one of the most skilled people on the continent when it came to magical research. If I studied with her, I would be able to gain a lot of new knowledge.

Perhaps I could raise my level. This magic book contained such great content.

Jerome smiled and took the magic book. Then, with a curious expression, he picked up the book underneath.

“Didn’t you say there were two magic books?”

What kind of great content could it possibly contain? He looked at the cover with anticipation, and soon his expression became strange.

[9th circle magic that only the 5th circle slave male wizard who defeated gods and dragons can learn]

“… … .”

The title itself was very explicit. It was very clear who I wanted to convey this book to.

“Oh, you mean to tell Alpoy? But how did this get here… … . Did you put it in the past knowing I would come?”

Jiselle clearly told us the location of the magic book before going to the past. This means that the information about the magic book was not obtained from the past.

But there was clear evidence before our eyes that Giselle had left a book for the future. The past and the future were influencing each other.

“Ugh… … My head hurts. I have no idea when and what I was thinking when I wrote it.”

The records of the past have not been written down since then. I am sure they will be updated, but until the new information appears, there is no way to know what happened in the past.

Jerome, who opened the Alpoyong magic book(?), was quite surprised this time too.

“Wow… … This is also amazing.”

The second magic book contained instructions on how to use magic as if it were multi-casting, even without the talent for multi-casting.

Although it was a new concept of magic, it was explained in detail as if it were being explained to a complete beginner. Anyone who wasn’t an idiot would be able to learn it.

“Who created such an easy spell? It’s so easy to understand that you can read it just once. Was this also created by our ancestors?”

The title was clearly written by Giselle, but it was unclear who wrote the content. Jerome, who did not yet know that Giselle had learned magic, could only assume that it was written by Astion.

Jerome read the second spellbook carefully. The spell was certainly easy to learn, but it had to meet strict requirements.

Firstly, the purity of the magic power must be quite high, so that the magic can be maintained in a uniform state.

Secondly, it must be at least 5 circles. This is because you need that much magic power to use it easily.

The third is the most important, and requires a high level of magical power management ability. This is because magical power needs to be moved as quickly as multi-casting.

It’s rare to find a wizard who has all of these qualities, but funnily enough, Alfoy has them all.

“It’s a custom magic made entirely for Alpoy. Did Giselle ask the founder to make it?”

Alpoy’s magical power was pure thanks to eating the Dragon Heart. He was often called to construction sites, so his magical power management was also excellent.

He just didn’t study, so he didn’t know much about magic.

Jerome chuckled several times in disbelief.

“It’s not even a 9th circle magic, but it says 9th circle in the title. If it’s like this, Alpoy will try to learn it somehow.”

It was clear that Giselle, who knew Alfoy’s personality well, had named him this on purpose.

That way, Alpoy will know that it is a 9th circle magic and will study it.

“Anyway, even though it doesn’t seem like it, he secretly takes good care of the people around him.”

Jiselle must have put it here with her, knowing that she would come to get the magic book.

Perhaps gifts for other people were prepared in this way as well.

“I should go back and tell the others. I think Vanessa would like it the best.”

Jerome took the two magic books with him and went back. There are still some questions, but they will eventually be answered in time.

He first headed to the eastern part of Rutania before going to Fenris.

Because Alpoy was there.

* * *

“Hey hey hey hey! Don’t you hurry up and do your research! Hurry up and do it!”

Alpoy, who was demoted(?) to the Eastern Crack Research Institute, went around wearing an orange armband and nagged at the wizards.

He didn’t really have anything to do here. He didn’t like studying, so it didn’t help him with his studies, and he didn’t participate much in construction work lately.

All he did was wear an armband, meddle here and there, and give out ridiculous advice.

If I had to name one thing I’m good at, it would be that I catch magicians who occasionally run away in the middle of the night in an incredible way.

“Oh my, why did that guy come here?”

“They said that General Fenris sent me here.”

“Because of that guy, the caste system has completely collapsed.”

The wizards of the Eastern Research Institute were full of complaints, but they just endured it. Even though Alfoy was a slave, he was such a loser that they couldn’t communicate with him at all.

If he were alone, it would be understandable, but there were more blue armband wizards following him. They are said to be slave wizards who have been with him since the Red Flame Tower.

The wizards held back because there was nothing to gain from fighting them. The real head of the Eastern Research Institute also pretended not to know Alfoy and his friends.

The Kingdom of Rutania began to train magicians on a large scale as many magicians flowed in.

The wizards of the Eastern Research Institute also took in their disciples. Naturally, the wizards’ disciples did not overlook Alfoy’s behavior.

“Master, who is that person wearing the orange armband?”

A young disciple asked his master. It was understandable to wonder how a man without a title and a slave could act like a rascal.

The master looked troubled when he heard that question. That Alpo guy was so difficult to explain.

The teacher, who had been thinking for a long time, finally found an appropriate expression to say.

“Hmm… … An unpaid slave who thinks he is a god.”

“… … What is that? Even though you are a wizard… … How can you act like that when you are a slave?”

“Ugh… … . Just pretend you don’t know and avoid me. That’s the best you can do.”

Alpoy was ignored by many, but it was also difficult to treat him lightly.

The vassals of Fenris, who can be said to be the real power in Rutania, secretly take care of Alfoy.

Belinda sends Alfoy luxurious robes and equipment every season, and Vanessa, who occasionally comes to check on his research, also treats Alfoy with respect.

In addition, there were rumors that several big names in the kingdom were secretly close to Alfoy. Alfoy himself had once enjoyed quite a reputation. Now, he was nothing but infamy.

So the wizards had no choice but to stay still.

“Just pretend you don’t know… … Please pretend you don’t know… … There’s no good that comes from getting involved with someone like that.”

That was all the wizards could say. They hoped that their uneducated disciples would not get involved with Alfoy.

But the young wizards who did not know much about Alfoy ignored their master’s advice.

They didn’t like Alfoy’s constant banter on the subject of slavery. They were determined to take care of Alfoy someday.

Without even knowing that, Alpoy went to the construction site again today and came back complaining a lot.

“Ugh, ugh. Ah, I worked hard today and I’m so tired.”

Behind him, wizards wearing blue armbands followed, noisily.

On the way back to the inn, a piece of paper suddenly fluttered and fell before Alfoy’s eyes.

“What is this?”

Alpoy snatched the paper without thinking. His eyes widened when he saw what was written on it.

[Treasure Map]

The fact that it was clearly written as a treasure map and the illustration was so poorly done were suspicious.

Although the intention to deceive the person who found it was obvious, Alfoy did not realize it at all and immediately put the treasure map in his bosom.

I had a good feeling about this.