15th Episode <Emendatum>
The next day.
Salinelre had been busy since morning.
They say you should strike while the iron is hot, so he decided to unveil his magnum opus <Emendatum> today.
There are many ways for a wizard to announce a new theory of magic, but the highest honor is to do so through the Great Library of Arandria.
The holy ground of magic.
The place where all the world’s magic is recorded.
The Great Library of Arandria sits atop Mount Arandria, said to be the closest spot on the surface to the center of the planes.
Long before history was written, those who had awakened to magic gathered there naturally and formed a city.
Five hundred years ago, <Almagest> was also revealed through the Great Library of Arandria, so its authority needs no further words.
Of course, Salinelre could not travel all the way to distant Mount Arandria, so from early morning he had been wholly absorbed in constructing an elaborate spatial resonance array that would link him with Arandria.
After laying out the magic circle, erecting the altar, arranging the ritual tools, working out the calculations, and revising them again and again, beads of sweat gathered on Salinelre’s brow.
The last time, at the auction, a simplified connection that only had to carry his voice had been enough, but this time both his form and the very pulses of mana had to be delivered precisely, so the preparations were far more demanding.
And Ilianne hovered discreetly nearby.
“Ah, hello! Master Salinelre! So this is the resonance array that links to Arandria…!”
“Yes.”
Salinelre’s curt reply deflated Ilianne.
“Right… I just wondered if you might need help. Call me when you finish!”
As Ilianne hurried to leave, Salinelre stopped her.
“Where are you going?”
“Pardon? Ah… well… every part of a rite like this is a secret art. I thought I might be intruding.”
Salinelre snorted.
“Secret art? Your brother would treat this like a child’s plaything.”
“Ah… ha ha…”
He beckoned the awkwardly smiling Ilianne closer.
“Enough foolish talk. Come and lend a hand. And though it will be of little use, watch closely and learn what principles and lore are applied. I will explain as I go.”
“Y-yes? You— you would give me such teaching?”
“Teaching? Think of it as an investment. We are fellow seekers with the same goal of uncovering your brother’s secret, are we not?”
“Fellow seekers!”
Ilianne’s heart swelled.
A do-ban (道伴) is a companion who pursues the truth together.
Knowing all that Salinelre had done since arriving in this domain, Ilianne could hardly contain her excitement that so great a mage would treat her as a companion in learning.
“Hurry. Over here!”
Although Salinelre ended up scolding her for dawdling,
“Yes, sir!”
Ilianne felt nothing but delight.
**
Around midday, after helping his father with estate affairs, Persetta came to find Salinelre at the appointed hour.
Mana-day was about to begin.
They had arranged in advance to link with the Great Library of Arandria at this hour.
Yet—
“Huh? You are not finished yet?”
What Persetta saw was Salinelre still hard at work, while Ilianne assisted him and simultaneously jotted notes and murmured memorized lines.
Salinelre, wiping sweat, answered.
“It will take another hour or two. I changed several ritual tools and must redo the calculations.”
“Really? Then we are short on time… Mana-day is nearly here.”
“I know that! I am doing my utmost! If it comes to it we can do it tomorrow!”
When Salinelre snapped, Persetta scratched his cheek and strode to the center of the workshop.
“Hm…”
He picked up the diamond that formed the core of the rite.
“Ack! What are you doing!”
“Brother! Touching that means all the calculations start over—”
To the flustered pair Persetta spoke gently.
“I told you I would teach you how to create tools of the imagination, yes? With one such tool, you hardly need all these miscellaneous ritual implements.”
Clasping the diamond in both hands as if in prayer, Persetta said, “A spell alone will suffice.”
He closed his eyes, roused his power, and chanted.
“Turn back. The answer reflected in the silver court. To the long-yearned side that knows all. Leaving the room where I wandered forever.”
Vwoong—
Within Persetta’s palms the diamond flooded with silvery light.
As waves of radiance spilled in every direction, the space itself rippled.
Clang!
Throwing the window wide, Persetta set the silver-tinged diamond in the middle of the sill.
At once, beyond the window, the soaring shelves and innumerable magical statues of the Great Library of Arandria came into crisp view.
“There. Simple, yes?”
Persetta smiled.
Salinelre’s jaw dropped.
“H-he did that… with a chant alone? No altar, no ritual tools, no magic circle…?”
Persetta cocked his head slightly.
“Was there anything especially difficult? I only applied theories you all surely know. That made it much harder, actually.”
At that, Ilianne, who had been silent, called to Persetta with undisguised hostility.
“Brother.”
“Mm?”
“You are my brother, but… you are really too much.”
“Huh?”
Too much indeed.
Even Persetta, who lacked social instincts, could tell from her tone and expression that the words were unfavorable.
“Uh… why?”
Salinelre quickly sided with Ilianne.
“Indeed, your brother is rather far too much.”
Ilianne and Salinelre exchanged a glance and heaved an enormous sigh in unison.
“Uh… huh? But why?”
Only Persetta, excluded from their unspoken accord, looked bewildered.
“Today the connection is exceptionally clear.”
Through the window-frame portal to Arandria, a veiled woman appeared.
During the previous auction, the link had shimmered like a mirage. Now the image was so vivid it looked tangible.
“Such a thing befell us. It was truly catastrophic.”
“Pardon?”
“In any case, I have contacted you to present a theory of magic.”
At that, the veiled woman’s puzzled tilt turned to delight.
“Will the hidden archmage Zerozia’s disciple reveal a theory? I am most eager.”
“You may look forward to it.”
Salinelre steadied his breath, opened his eyes, and closed them again.
His feelings were in turmoil.
He possessed boundless pride in his book <Emendatum>, yet Persetta had crushed his spirits.
He had realized his knowledge was not the world’s first creation.
However—
Yes, being the world’s second still has meaning.
Besides, the first had yielded the stage to him. After being served such a feast, only a fool would not eat.
While Salinelre ordered his thoughts, the Arandrian librarian asked,
“How would you like the peer review? Summary? Formal? In-depth?”
“An in-depth review, please.”
“You must be confident indeed! Very well. I will summon the examiners.”
The librarian hurried away.
After a short while she returned with two veiled men.
“This is Grand Librarian Rewimer, who will chair today’s in-depth review.”
“Pleased to meet you. I am Grand Librarian Rewimer.”
Through the veil, a snowy beard was visible.
“And this is Chief Librarian Herod, who will serve as co-reviewer.”
“I am Chief Librarian Herod. That Master Salinelre requests an in-depth review already excites me.”
Beneath Herod’s veil gleamed a bald head.
Lastly, the first woman introduced herself.
“And though you already know, I shall state it again. I am Chief Librarian Seres Emelda. We three will now conduct an in-depth evaluation of Master Salinelre’s research.”
Persetta watched the proceedings with keen interest.
His own mentor Bardente had often spoken of Arandria.
The librarians of Arandria are high mages who have sworn to safeguard secrets and discern truth.
Among their missions, one of the most important concerns the publication of magical theory.
When a new theory is announced, they analyze and evaluate it in detail, record it, and proclaim the birth of new knowledge to the world.
Notably, the knowledge they gain in that process is kept utterly secret.
For thousands of years not once had a magical secret leaked beyond Arandria, so their security was ironclad and their credibility unshakable.
Thus, mages felt safe entrusting their achievements to Arandria, and Arandria judged and publicized those results.
The process Persetta had heard only in words now unfolded before his eyes.
His heart raced.
I too want to present—my theory—to the world!
He had urged Salinelre to publish <Emendatum> precisely because it was a piece of localized knowledge.
But his own treatise, <Celestium>, he would never concede.
It was the fruit of ten years of thought and joy from age five to fifteen.
How joyful the day would be when he released it to the whole world and received recognition.
Persetta’s chest blazed with excitement.
In this very moment, Salinelre’s presentation would lay the groundwork for the future unveiling of <Celestium>.
Because <Emendatum> must come first, future mages would more readily accept and understand <Celestium>.
So Persetta watched Salinelre’s presentation with a pounding heart as if it were his own.
The presentation of <Emendatum> was fervent from the start.
The librarians, having built the “Mana-wave Meter” according to Salinelre’s blueprint, cheered at the results.
“It’s true! When we feed the waves this device gives us into the equation, the link with the Fairy, Spirit, and Illusion realms grows far stronger!”
Salinelre, elated, expounded his theory.
“Indeed. I also applied here the idea called the ‘Doppler effect.’”
“The Doppler effect?”
“Yes. I discovered it independently, but later learned that Arch-mage Bardente had previously found the same concept and named it the Doppler effect. I have adopted that name as well.”
“Fascinating.”
“The content is even more fascinating. According to the Doppler effect…”
Filled with excitement, Salinelre continued.
He explained that as the Mystic Worlds draw closer to the Human World the observed frequency rises, and as they slowly recede the frequency falls.
“This matches the orbital motion of the Mystic Worlds described in <Almagest>. Their prograde and retrograde movements along the prime cycle also…”
The more Salinelre spoke, the more visibly excited the reviewers became.
“Such…!”
“Truly beautiful…!”
Their excitement grew so loud that other librarians peeked in curiosity.
Chief Librarian Seres Emelda shouted to the room,
“Everyone stand back! This is a sacred presentation! Anyone not a reviewer, leave the screen at once!”
At her fierce command the gathered librarians scattered.
The presentation continued in a serious atmosphere.
During it, Persetta signaled to Salinelre.
Do it. Please. Now.
It was the perfect moment to explain dimensional rotation.
Salinelre sat with a face that plainly itched to speak but held back, so Persetta poked his side.
Salinelre’s solemn expression relaxed into a grin.
He too was a mage.
The chance to display new knowledge delighted him no less.
“Ahem, ahem. And this is a set of observations by my fellow mage Persetta Verite, who tracked the daily change of Mystic World frequencies and made inferences.”
“Oh, Bardente’s disciple? Of late we occasionally hear his name. What did he infer?”
“The phenomenon of dimensional rotation!”
Di.men.sion.al Ro.ta.tion.
Those seven syllables crashed like a lightning bolt, booming over the librarians’ heads.
“Un-unbelievable!”
“Such a thing!”
“If… if so, then the reason <Almagest>’s predictions have grown inaccurate is…!”
All leapt up in shock.
Salinelre felt a shiver of pleasure.
They are now feeling the same immense thrill that I felt.
“Exactly. Because the axis of rotation has wobbled. Like a spinning top that sways.”
“If the axis has tilted… then naturally the coordinates have shifted. The very sky of our plane will change… Yes! That explains everything!”
“Precisely! And then the mana frequency no longer aligns! As I said at the start, mana scatters as it passes through the planes!”
“A-a tremendous discovery…!”
Beyond the portal, Arandria was a maelstrom of enthusiasm. All three reviewers hopped about, unable to contain themselves.
Other librarians again poked their heads in, wondering.
“Get lost! Out, all of you! Can’t you see the presentation!”
Usually calm and cool, Chief Librarian Seres Emelda lost her composure and raged.
Startled, the crowd of librarians scattered like sheep once more.
Only after several such commotions did the presentation conclude.
The three examiners conferred gravely.
Grand Librarian Rewimer spoke first.
“This is surely the great discovery that will complete <Almagest>.”
Chief Librarian Herod continued.
“We must inform the entire world of this great discovery at once.”
Chief Librarian Seres Emelda added a caveat.
“However, many points require time for verification and further research. The correlation between Mystic World orbital motion and frequency, the existence of rotation, and the change of the rotational axis, for instance.”
The three exchanged glances, then announced their unanimous decision.
“We shall immediately proclaim this great discovery to the world. At the same time, we will compile the parts needing follow-up verification so that mages everywhere may debate them. Yet we cannot divulge your knowledge at will, so we intend to announce the place where you reside and open a forum for public discussion under your supervision. Do you agree?”
“I agree.”
When Salinelre consented, Rewimer asked joyfully,
“Then where are you staying?”
“The Barony of Verite.”
At that, the three librarians leaned forward as one.
Representing them, Rewimer asked with difficulty,
“And… where is that?”
From Arandria, the owls of Minerva burst into the sky.
Each phantom creature carried a letter tied to its leg as it cleaved the dawn heavens, spreading across the world.
“What’s this? What happened… at this hour?”
Every high mage holding membership in Arandria awoke from slumber and received the announcement.
– – – – – –
Word from Arandria.
Having just confirmed the greatest magical achievement since <Almagest>, we convey this news in haste.
It is Salinelre D’Metzi’s <Emendatum>. Possessing this book will allow anyone to reinforce their link to the Spirit, Fairy, and Illusion realms dramatically.
In addition, through the groundbreaking hypothesis of Salinelre’s colleague Persetta Verite, we may now explain the recent seeming recession of the Mystic Worlds.
We affirm these facts in the name of Arandria.
For details, please consult Salinelre D’Metzi and Persetta Verite, presently residing in the Barony of Verite, Kingdom of Deblanc.
P.S. Below is the preface of his book <Emendatum>.
(From here, the preface)
This book aims, through an evolutionary succession of <Almagest>, finally to complete <Almagest>. The orbital motion of the Mystic Worlds and the resulting change of frequency…
– Salinelre D’Metzi
– – – – – –
The startling content snapped every mage wide awake.
“Is this… true?”
“The greatest achievement since <Almagest>?!”
In an age where mystery is fading,
Was this not exactly the news every mage had longed and dreamed for?
“Whatever it is, they should explain in more detail!”
“Whatever it is, if Arandria guarantees it, it must be extraordinary!”
“Servants! Pack my things at once!”
“Does anyone know where the Barony of Verite is?”
“No idea! Just pack first!”
“Let us go! We can find out when we get there!”
“To the Barony of Verite!”
Across the continent, mages in nightclothes with bags slung over their shoulders began to boil up like a rolling pot.
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