Tou No Madoushi

“Ring Magic is, literally speaking, magic put into operation by using a jewel that’s embedded into a ring . It is said that the staff is a wizard’s sword, and the ring is the wizard’s shield . The ring is the most optimal way of measuring a wizard’s ability . Over there! Pay attention to the cla.s.s!” .

Uisufu called out and chastised a student who, without listening, was fiddling with something in his hands . He seemed to be doing some kind of unnecessary preparation for the looming practical . When Uisufu began talking again, the student began fidgeting restlessly once again, despite having just been given a warning .

“This may be a beginner’s cla.s.s, but you’re still handling magic . Small mistakes can lead to injury . What’s special about ring magic is that it doesn’t require you to recite any incantations . You have to communicate with a spirit that resides in the jewel, but because it’s extremely sensitive it won’t respond to any incantation . It will stir only in response to your mind itself .

“There’s no other way to put it than ‘sense’, and I know that sounds vague, but don’t let that worry you . So long as you have an apt.i.tude for magic, your sense will develop the same way as you grow taller or gain weight . You may not be able to use ring magic very well at the moment, but at this point in time you really shouldn’t let that worry you . Don’t be nervous” .

Uisuf’s closing remark was tinged with irritation . It appeared that from the teacher’s point of view, Teedro’s trial was nothing more than an annoying distraction .

What would Teedro and his clan be thinking right now? Curious, Lynn looked up at the gallery, but Teedro, Kruga and Elios appeared calm and composed . That they were causing trouble for a teacher and their cla.s.s didn’t seem to bother them in the slightest .

Perhaps for prominent figures of influence and power like themselves, adopting a haughty, almost arrogant att.i.tude in front of the teaching staff was fairly normal for them, Lynn pondered . He was quite shocked .

It was then that he noticed a familiar face .

Oh, it’s Shila!

From his peripheral vision Lynn had spotted Shila and Agul standing together .

Shila noticed Lynn too, and waved .

Careful so as not to be noticed by the teacher, Lynn gave a small wave back .

“Just by wearing the ring, a wizard can receive protection from the great jewel, which protects the wearer from any mortal threat that may draw near . All of you here should have already experienced the ring’s power of protection in your entrance trial . It alerts you to the presence of any nearby person or beast that wishes to cause you harm, and can eliminate such threats should they try to attack you . Of course, against powerful magic or strong magical beasts, it is possible for the ring’s power to be overwhelmed, and injury or even death to befall you . However! It is undeniably true that the invention of the ring has lowered the death rate in battles between wizards, and in expeditions into the forests of magical beasts . I’m sure the ring will soon become an item of indispensable value to all of you here today, as you will no doubt at some point engage in dangerous magical work, or possibly even partic.i.p.ate in the exploration of dangerous lands .

Using the magic ring, it is possible to manifest swords of light even when your life isn’t in mortal danger, and so today I will ask you to exhibit just how much you’re currently able to use the Rusen Ring . Ok then, let us begin . First up is… Yuventina Garetto” .

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“Yes”,Yuven answered readily, and she walked over to the center of the stadium .

Before the teacher and the advanced students, she played the part of the model student, and kept her true intentions well hidden .

In the centre was a pedestal, on top of which the glowing ring was placed .

When Yuven reached the pedestal she stopped for a moment, before picking the ring up and holding it high above her head . Her eyes were closed as she concentrated .

The glowing light that escaped her closed fist began to pulsate faster and faster, and the brightness grew in intensity too, before giving off a final pulse of light which in the very next moment began taking the shape of a sword .

The sword of light, now fully materialized, pierced the large stone near the pedestal, so that it was partially buried with its hilt up in the air .

Gasps of awe welled up from all round, and everyone applauded .

“It’s the Sword of Raegis!” exclaimed someone from up in the gallery .

What a magnificent sword, Lynn thought in admiration .

The sword Yuven manifested was complete from the hilt to the tip of the blade, without any missing sections .

The sword Lynn himself had manifested against the lion, he recalled, wasn’t as bright as Yuven’s, nor as big . He also had the feeling that it wasn’t complete, either .

Uisufu called out to Yuven as he wrote something down in the form he held in his hands- perhaps it was a mark sheet .

“Yes, very fine indeed . This is only your second year taking this cla.s.s . For you to be able to conjure the Sword of Raegis this beautifully is nothing short of exceptional . You’re undoubtedly devoted to your study and training, there can be no doubts about that . Keep up the hard work” .

“Thank you . I’ll do my best” . Yuven gave a curt bow and returned to the spectator section .

When she was out of the teacher’s line of sight, she made a small gesture of celebration to her friends . She was clearly pleased with herself .

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“Next, Theo Galfield”, Uisufu called .

“Okay” .

Theo, having answered half heartedly, made his way to the center of the stadium and up to the pedestal . Like Yuven he took the ring in his hand, but instead of holding it above his head he simply a.s.sumed a relaxed position .

The light emitted from the ring intensified, and within a few moments took the shape of a sword, blade impaled in stone and hilt in air .

Cheer and applause filled the stadium .

“He conjured the Sword of Raegis as well!” someone called out from the gallery .

Compared to the sword Yuven conjured however, Theo’s was a size smaller, and here and there were signs that it wasn’t quite fully materialized . It was impressive, but certainly not perfect .

Dammit… Yuven may have me beat at ring magic then .

While he was frustrated, part of him remained cool headed as he reflected on his ability .

“Yes yes… Very fine indeed . You’re still in your first year, aren’t you? If you’re able to do that on your first attempt, you show great promise” .

“Thanks”, Theo said as he stepped down from the pedestal and began making his way back to the outskirts of the stadium .

Up above, in one corner of the gallery, Kruga spoke to Elios as they watched the scenes below unfold .

“So he’s that Theo you’ve been advocating for huh?”

“Yeah, he’s a clever one . Sooner or later he’ll become quite a troubling rival to us”, Elios replied .

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After that, one by one the students walked up to the pedestal and used the ring to manifest whatever light sword they could manage .

However, unlike Yuven and Theo not a single one of them was able to conjure the sword of Raegis .

Some students conjured daggers, but for many it was all they could do to simply manifest thin, needle like blades that emitted only a dim light .

The number of students who took their turn with the ring increased, and eventually the majority had already had their turn . The tense atmosphere that filled the stadium before the cla.s.s started had completely lifted .

Everyone more or less now understood that there was no chance they would be picked, and so were released from any pressure they were previously under .

Resignation reigned over the stadium among the students, and the air relaxed .

The advanced students up in the gallery too were bored . Since Theo took his turn, there were no remaining students they were interested in . Some of them were even yawning .

When Lynn looked over to where Yuven was, she was talking with one of her close friends . She appeared to be taking for granted that she would be the one who would get scouted .

“No matter how you look at it, it’s between Yuventina and Theo” said the deputy leader of Magulheim, Hazel [1] .

Teedro grunted in agreement, and said “It looks like it” . In truth though, he was disappointed .

“It can’t be helped, Teedro . Our year was unusually gifted . To expect the same level from these young ones is unfair . This generation of students just happens to be below average” .

She was sensitive to Teedro’s dissapointment, and so she was trying to soothe his feelings and rationalize the situation .

“Yeah, I know . It’s just a shame” .

Irrespective of his displeasure, the cla.s.s went on, and at last it came time for the last student to step up to the pedestal .

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“The next student will be the last”, Uisuf said, and squinted as he read out the last name on his list, “Lynn… Please step up to the pedestal” .

“Yes” answered Lynn, and he stepped forwards .

Finally . Finally I can use the Rusend Ring again .

As he stepped up to the pedestal, he felt a sudden rush of excitement and his pulse quickened .

“I take it this is your first time in this kind of lesson as well . You don’t have to feel nervous . No one does well on their first attempt . Just give it a try, and don’t think too hard about it” .

As the atmosphere in the stadium returned to normal, so had Uisuf’s tone of voice . The irritation in it had completely vanished, and in its place was now his usual gentle tone, which he now spoke in as he addressed Lynn .

Thanks to that, Lynn found he could relax .

“Okay, thank you”, he said politely, and turned back to face the ring .

Looking at the ring again, closely this time, he was again impressed by the ring’s beauty .

The blue jewel embedded in the ring glowed gently, as if responding to Lynn’s presence with a warm smile .

In that moment, his memory of using the ring in his battle against the lion came flooding back to him, in vivid detail .

A peculiar feeling came over him, as if something was about to happen .

Next time… Chapter 22, ‘The Vespor Sword’ .

TRANSLATION NOTES

[1] The name of the vice leader of Magulheim is ‘ヘイスール’, but because it’s not a j.a.panese name (the author uses a lot of “exotic” names to give the impression of multiculturalism) I’m not sure whether it’s a male or female name . I translated it as ‘Hazel’, which is the best English approximation I can come up with . If I’m correct, this is a female character, but I’m sure as we see more of them their speech pattern will give away their gender , if we don’t infer it through some third person p.r.o.noun uttered by another character first . Apologies for the ambiguity!

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