Volume 9 Chapter 8 Eric
On the way back from the Adventurer's Guild, Al stopped by Eric's mansion. The usual guard with the raspy voice was gone, and a properly armored guard stood at the gate, holding a spear.
"Hello. My name is Al. Can I see Mr. Eric?"
When Al said this, the guard looked at Al's clothes and shook his head with a serious expression.
"Mr. Eric does not meet with guests who do not have an appointment."
The guard's cold response reminded Al of his first visit when a raspy-voiced guard told him to go home because he wasn't accepting apprentices. Now, as the top magician of the Viscount Lester family, Al thought more guests must be coming. He wondered what happened to that raspy-voiced guard.
"Understood. I'll come back later."
Al replied easily, feeling a bit sorry for the guard, and turned to leave. He was curious and decided to take a detour, but there would be another chance someday.
As he thought about this, he heard footsteps behind him. When he turned around, it was Leda and Marcus. He checked to see if something unusual had happened, but everything seemed normal. The two of them caught up, both out of breath and leaning on their knees. They weren't chasing trouble; they were actually after Al. It looked like Leda had rushed to catch up, and Marcus had come along with her.
"Is something wrong?"
The two of them took a moment to catch their breath and couldn't speak right away. Finally, when they looked up, Leda suddenly said "I'm sorry!" loudly and bowed deeply.
"Um... what happened?"
Still bowing his head, Leda confused Al, who looked at Marcus beside him. He let out a big sigh.
"From the looks of it, you don't seem angry. You came all this way, right? Can we talk for a bit?"
Of course, Al nodded at Marcus's words. Was there something he should be angry about?
* * *
Following Marcus's lead, Al walked back and entered Eric's mansion. The guard at the gate looked puzzled, but since Leda and Marcus were with him, they didn't stop them this time. Al was shown into what looked like a reception room. Soon after, Eric entered, accompanied by his assistant Fitz and Leda.
"Thank you for coming, Al."
"Hello. It's been a while."
Al gave a slight bow. Eric returned the gesture and invited Al to sit down, taking a seat across from him.
"How much do you know about this matter, Al?"
Eric asked slowly while observing Al's expression.
"This matter? Are you talking about Mr. Eric becoming the head magician of the Viscount Lester family? I don't know much. I just heard from Ms. Quinta at the Adventurers' Guild that Mr. Eric has some achievements there, so I thought I should ask about it."
"I see. So that's what it is. I should thank Lady Quinta for that."
Nodding at Al's story, Eric began to speak. First, surprisingly, it seems that Leda successfully activated the 'Floating Eye' spell by adjusting the appearance location, display angle, and visual range based on Al's suggestions.
"Wow! You did it!"
Al couldn't help but shout in joy. Finally, someone else could do what only Al had been able to do until now. He had heard from Malachi that this used to be normal, but he still didn't feel it. However, now a person who could do the same thing had appeared. This was definitely amazing.
"What's wrong? This is incredible. No one could do it no matter how many times I explained it. I'm really happy!"
But despite Al's praise, Leda's expression remained dark.
"But they treat me like I'm doing this for the first time in the magician guild. At this rate, I will take away Al's achievements. I have been insisting on this for a long time, but they just brush it off easily. I don't know what to do."
"This might be a problem with how you presented it."
Eric added to Leda's words. Leda looked like she was about to cry. Al looked at Eric's face.
"Leda succeeded in activating the 'Floating Eye' about a month ago. We were even more ecstatic than you just were. We discovered a new approach to the spell. What you said has been proven to be true. I gathered various things from Leda and wrote a report. Then I submitted it to the magician guild. Of course, it caused a big stir there too."
For many years, Eric has been a magician with social credibility and a solid track record. This report he submitted is not something a beginner magician like Al would say. It seems this report was taken seriously and trusted. Isn't it a good thing to be trusted?
"But there's a problem. In the magician guild, I'm seen as the first discoverer, and Leda is recognized for making this magic happen for the first time. I've tried explaining about Al, but the higher-ups refuse to acknowledge it, insisting it's a joint achievement. This is likely because I've been in the guild for a long time and am part of the local council. They want to claim it as a magician guild achievement."
Al scratched his head. For him, it didn't matter if it was an achievement for the magician guild. What mattered was gaining access to many spellbooks to learn from them. He wanted to avoid unfortunate events like what happened to his twin sister, Ingrid (Glee). Discussions about achievements felt like distractions that took away from his time to learn spells. Besides, the options for spells were normal during Malachi's time and didn't seem like a big deal now.
"I don't care. Just let it be credited to Mr. Eric and Lady Leda. Anyway, even if I announced it, no one would believe me, and it would probably create more trouble. I think it's better if Mr. Eric makes the announcement."
Eric, Fitz, and Leda looked surprised at Al's words. For the 3 of them, it seemed unbelievable to give up the honor of a discovery.
"Do you really think that...? No, it seems like you really believe that from the way you talk... But my heart doesn't agree with it. What should I do?"
"I'm taking away your honor, you know? Don't you feel frustrated?"
Eric and Leda took turns explaining to Al, but Al just tilted his head in confusion. The honor Leda mentioned wasn't a big deal to Al at all.
"That's really how it is. If you want to do something nice for me, how about lending me a spellbook that you aren't using? Of course, I'll fix it and return it. Mr. Eric, you must have a lot of spellbooks, so I'd be really happy if I could borrow one while you're not using it. Right now, I'm especially eager to learn the 'Fly' spell."
Hearing Al's words, Eric, Fitz, and Leda exchanged glances and looked a bit down.
"I see, understood. It seems like saying more would just annoy you, Al. For now, let's just say thank you. I owe you a big favor. I'll keep it in mind, so if you ever need help, just let me know. Of course, about the spellbook, you can discuss with Fitz or Leda and borrow whatever you like. However, I'm sorry, but I think someone is currently using the 'Fly' spell for learning. Fitz, please check on that later. Leda, is this okay with you?"
The two nodded at Eric's words.
"I owe you a big favor too. It's a bit bold of me, but I have one more request. I'm trying to learn another spell. Can you tell me your recommendations and options for that?"
Al tilted his head slightly. He didn't think it was bold at all. Leda's curiosity about magic resonated with him.
"Well, if you haven't learned 'Magic Power Control,' I think that's a good choice. That spell does more than just pour mana into magic stones or tools. Once you learn it, you can change the brightness of spells you've cast, like the 'Light' spell, or extend its duration."
Not just Leda, but Eric and Fitz also widened their eyes. They looked completely surprised that such a use was possible.
"I think it might also help you understand and use the options for spells you've already learned."
Leda looked touched by the explanation and took Al's hand.
"I understand now. Thank you. If you ever need help, I will cooperate with anything. Thank you. Thank you."
"No, it's Mr. Eric and Lady Leda who prove that what I've been doing is right, and that makes me very happy. So don't worry about it. I look forward to working with you in the future."
Al said this with a big smile.
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