The Sleeping Devil

We had been riding for a few hours since leaving the castle. We were traversing a picturesque country road, where the contrast between the blue sky and the green meadows was breathtaking.

Fortunately, the ride wasn't too bumpy even on the unpaved, bare earth. We passed through towns and villages along the way and eventually stopped the carriage for breakfast shortly before noon. Having left early in the morning, our throats were parched, and our bladders were nearing their limits.

In this world, toilets were like green, slime-like creatures that decomposed waste without requiring water. Portable toilets contained this slime-like substance in leather bags, and we used them with a cloth partitioned tent along the way. At first, I had reservations, but since they didn't emit any odors and quickly broke down waste, I would consider these portable toilets my most cherished possession during the journey. I had grown quite fond of them.

"Sheriel, aren't you tired?"

"No, the cushioned seat is very comfortable, so my bottom is still fine."

Tables and chairs were set up from the carriage, and preparations for breakfast began easily. I had thought we would stop in some town, but it seemed that we would mostly be cooking our meals in scenic spots like this.

With magic to provide water and fire, we could easily cook simple meals anywhere. The weather was pleasant, and it felt like a delightful picnic.

"What about tonight?"

"If it were just my father, he would probably camp, but since we're here, I think we might visit a relative's mansion."

"So, we won't be staying in inns?"

"Nobles don't stay in inns. When we're invited to evening gatherings, the host's mansion has guest rooms."

Indeed, there was no point in building hotels for nobles when there was no one to manage them. Commoners couldn't enter nobles' sleeping quarters, so ultimately, the noble's own servants served them. If someone were to build a hotel, it would have to offer entertainment facilities like high-end restaurants, spas, and theaters.

I had become accustomed to thinking about how to earn money if I couldn't find a husband. Work was essential. Ideally, I wanted passive income. Real estate was a tough business in a noble society with no rental market due to sluggish real estate movements...

"Sheriel, are you up to some mischief?"

"No way, not at all! I was just thinking seriously about our future."

With a forced laugh, I shifted my focus away from financial calculations. I called for Noah, who had been chasing butterflies and frolicking in the meadow. We were about to have our first breakfast of this journey.

"Noah, could you bring Julius-sensei?"

Although I had prepared boiled chicken for Noah, I needed to summon Julius first. I had heard from Owens that Julius had terrible eating habits.

After a while, Noah's body experienced some interference, and Julius took his place. Noah could go wherever he liked as long as it was an open space, so he returned to us almost immediately.

"Good morning, Julius-sensei."

"Good morning, Sheriel. You're progressing rather slowly, aren't you?"

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"Can you tell my location?"

"I can. I borrowed a view before coming here."

I noticed a crow circling overhead as Julius raised his gaze. I wondered if Julius had given it some instruction, but the crow landed on a large tree branch and stared in our direction. It was a familiar bird, but it seemed larger than the crows I knew. Perhaps it had grown larger due to the presence of magic.

A makeshift table set had already been prepared in the shade of the trees. There were sandwiches, grilled salted pork, and fruits. It was all very easy to eat, and the warm, spring-like weather made it feel like a picnic.

"Is this a magical device for heating? It's quite convenient, but is this also a relic of the Gifted?"

"This is a magical tool that combines a barrier and fire magic. It can't modify a single spell, but it can use two of them together."

I see. I remembered that cleansing magic was a combination of fire and water. Barrier magic was considered non-attributed, but since there were spells, it seemed to be basic magic, not Gifted.

Didier and Sergio, who had relaxed their bodies, returned as well, and we began discussing magic while having breakfast.

"Sensei, is an anti-magic barrier something that suppresses incantations? Does it prevent the activation of spells? So, can magic still be used without incantations?"

"Yeah, yeah, I've been curious about that too."

Sergio seemed to have developed an interest in magic since learning non-incantation spells, and during our journey, he was enthusiastic about participating in classes.

"An anti-magic barrier suppresses the activation of spells within its boundaries. So, it can't be broken even with non-incantation spells."

"Oh, I see. Then it's pointless. What a shame."

Sergio, looking dejected with his shoulders drooping, made me wonder what he had originally planned to do. I sincerely hoped he wouldn't cause any dangerous incidents while I was alive.

Nevertheless, it was quite impressive how well this anti-magic barrier worked. Magic was constructed through arrays or circles. Spells and incantations were used to create these arrays. If the activation of these arrays was prohibited, it meant that magic couldn't be used at all. It seemed to be very effective in terms of safety.

"Um, didn't your father originally use his wand without incantations? How does that work?"

"Oh, this is a magical device."

He said this, showing me a thin bangle-like bracelet. It had a blue gem that looked like a magic stone on the inside of the wrist, making it appear as a mere decoration. When I glanced at Didier, he showed me a similar bangle. Now that I thought about it, Dior also always wore a thin chain bracelet.

"The base of the gem has a spatial magic array carved into it, and when you infuse it with magic, the wand can be drawn in and out."

"Could it be done with rings or necklaces too?"

"With a ring, you might drop it."

Sergio slightly raised his hand with his index finger pointing upward in a posture as if holding a wand. A wand extended from the magic stone on his wrist with a swish. He caught the wand and twirled it, then, when he let go, it smoothly retracted into the magic stone on his wrist.

Certainly, it would be difficult to grasp a wand if it were in the form of a ring or necklace.

"So, even with this method, it's blocked within the barrier, right?"

"That's right. Since magic circles are used for the generation of magic, it's completely prohibited within anti-magic barriers. It's very unsettling."

Although he was pretending to cry, it was probably the other nobles at the table who were truly uneasy. Perhaps, for the safety of the people, it was best not to further improve magic. However, I was still curious.

"If you save a magic circle in an inner dimension, would it still be blocked by the barrier? Ah, but that wouldn't work, would it, because it's not about generating the magic circle, but about activating it."

Saving it would reduce the incantation time, but in the end, it was the same thing. I didn't particularly want to use magic within the barrier, so it didn't bother me. I was just curious about the mechanics of the barrier. As I was contemplating this, Julius was looking at me seriously.

"Sheriel, what do you mean by 'saving'?"

"Well, it's about storing the magic circle that is generated during the incantation in an inner dimension. When you use it, you can simply draw out the magic circle instead of reciting the incantation, so it's convenient, right? Magical devices work on a similar principle, don't they?"

"Wait, why are we talking about this? I've had enough of non-incantation magic."

Didier didn't seem particularly interested in improving his magic.

Julius raised his gaze slightly, as if deeply considering something. Sergio seemed uninterested from the beginning and was cheerfully munching on a sandwich.

After thinking it over for a while, Julius wore a mysterious smile and leaned forward with the enthusiasm of a carnivore that had found its prey.

"Can you do it?"

"Yes, I've been using that method recently."

"Could you let me read your senses once? I want to confirm if 'saving' is your unique technique."

"Sure, but after I finish eating, okay? Magic requires a lot of mental effort, so nutrition is essential."

Julius returned to his normal posture with a sigh, and his hand movements seemed to speed up. He must really love magical research. In some ways, he seemed a bit childish.

"Why did you come up with something like this, Sheriel? Is 'saving' different from memory?"

"Well, even if you ask why... When you understand the mechanism, you naturally want to apply it, right? Saving is...just saving."

As soon as we finished eating, we began the experiment. Julius held his hand over my head, and I felt a sensation as if something were entering my mind.

"Alright, here we go."

"Anytime."

I intended to overwrite an already saved magic circle, generating a new one instead. I concentrated my magical power and created an image of a water sphere, simultaneously recording that image within the magic circle.

Once completed, the image became the key. When I wanted to use the magic circle again, I just needed to visualize the water sphere in my mind to summon the magic circle.

"Hmm, interesting. So, it's saving, indeed. Yes, I see."

Julius muttered to himself and moved his palms around as if squeezing something. After creating the water sphere a few times, he nodded with satisfaction.

"Julius-sensei, were you able to do it too?"

"Oh, yes, it's similar to saving coordinates for teleportation. I wonder why I didn't notice this before. Magic is fundamentally based on perception, so once you establish a theory within yourself, it's challenging to break free from it."

There was hardly any change in his expression, but he seemed to be enjoying it in some way.

"Wait a minute, magic isn't something done by perception, is it? Where did you learn magic, Julius? Don't teach Sheriel strange things."

"I'm self-taught."

"Father! Why did you make Julius a teacher?"

Sergio, who had been watching silently, seemed to step in to mediate.

"If it's based on perception, then maybe I could be good at magic too. What should we do if he becomes even more powerful?"

"Father!"

"Where exactly did you learn magic, big brother?"

"It's a ritual of offering prayers to the gods. Well, I'm not particularly devout, but the more accurate the incantation and the stronger the power of prayer, the higher the completion level of magic. That's why magic books feel so fake when you read them."

"Well, if you put it that way, it's like imagining and perceiving, isn't it?"

Good, it seemed that both of them just had slightly different perspectives.

Even though it was called perception, in my understanding, magic was a very systematic thing. Fixed spells, magic circles, and procedures. It was different from the mysterious magic where you could create fire with just your imagination. While the operation relied on perception, the system itself had rules for everything. If that were the case, it should be possible to analyze and modify it.

"Um, sorry for the diversion, but what exactly is 'saving coordinates'?"

"It's exactly as it sounds. When teleporting, you draw a circle at the location first and save it. Then, anytime you want, you can move to that location by using the saved circle. It's similar to what you're doing by saving the circle and using it without an incantation."

"Wait, wait, wait! Julius, you mean you can teleport to the same location anytime?"

"I can, why?"

Oh? It seemed that this was different from the magic that Didier knew. I hadn't been particularly surprised when he switched with Noah or summoned Owens, but...

"Big brother, is there a problem?"

"Heh, what's the deal with you?"

Didier crumpled his forehead in frustration and let out a big sigh.