The Inept Mage's Infinite Regression - Chapter 9

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Translator: Ryuu

Editor: Gorm

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◈ The Inept Mage’s Infinite Regression

Chapter 9

Ethan stared at the demon at the head of the pack.

The first thing that caught his eye was the pair of ash-gray horns on its head. The horns started behind the ears, curved forward above the ears, and ended sharply pointing upward between the brows. These were the so-called "crown-shaped horns" Ethan had read about in books. But the horns were only one feature of the demon’s appearance.

The demon’s skin was mostly bluish-gray, but the thinner areas like the face, nape, and palms had a purplish-blue tint. Despite being a demon, his blood was still red.

His long hair was a bright magenta, a color impossible to find among humans, and tied back in four braids secured by cylindrical golden ornaments.

The demon’s most striking feature, even within his finely sculpted facial features, was his eyes. The demon’s pupils glowed a vivid red, and for some reason, they were fixed on Ethan. Soon, however, the gaze shifted to Rivielton.

Rivielton extended his hand first. "Pleased to meet you," he said. "I’m Professor Rivielton Fabier. This is Ethan, the witness."

"Ah, so you’re Rivielton of the Hunting Sword? I’ve heard of you even in the distant east."

"The honor is mine."

"I’m Sirund Zen of the Mage Court. I’ve come as an investigator," Sirund said as he scanned Ethan expressionlessly.

Ethan belatedly extended his hand. "Ah, I’m Ethan Dora Charasen."

But Sirund didn’t take his hand. "You’re not a mage, are you?"

"…Huh?"

"My kin can see magi and mana with our eyes. You’re not breathing like a mage, but you don’t smell like an alchemist or carry any tools either. Incompetents like you often challenge something out of youthful recklessness but soon realize their limits. Such people choose one of two paths: either they wisely accept their place or they resort to forbidden arts." Sirund stared coldly at Ethan. "Have you ever been interested in dark magic?"

Ethan felt his heart tighten.

Sirund had assumed, based on simple observation and reasoning, that Ethan might have dabbled in dark magic. Of course, it could just be a probe. Without evidence, such thoughts were mere delusions.

The problem was that Ethan was, in fact, a dark mage.

<Does such magic exist?> asked Demi.

Really, even without that, liars often give themselves away. Ethan was confident in his acting and lying skills, but he wasn’t sure he could deceive this demon.

After a brief silence, Ethan said, "Dark magic, you say…"

The dining hall doors opened again.

A demon with purple hair and braids rushed into the grand hall.

"Sirund! We’ve found the dark mage!"

"Who?"

"A first-year student named Maya Onik."

"…Hmm, lead the way."

The demons, and even Rivielton, quickly filed out of the grand hall.

Only Ethan remained in the vast hall.

"…Huh?"

∞

Feeling awkward, Ethan considered returning to his dorm while waiting in the Grand Hall. He wanted to check his room for any suspicious traces before the imperial demons returned.

As Ethan opened the door, a demon approached him, golden-yellow eyes staring at Ethan. "Where are you trying to run off to?"

Even without the eyes, the demon’s skin color made his identity obvious. Unlike Sirund’s light-bluish-gray, this demon’s skin was a deep indigo. His horns weren’t crown-shaped but spiral, starting above the forehead and curving behind the ears before ending sharply.

This was the demon that had just reported Maya Onik as a dark mage. On the right, his long hair was braided and tied with a silver ornament. From the front, the left side of his hair, which was loose, revealed a silvery-white color.

Ethan spread his hands in a gesture of non-resistance. "Why would I run away? I was just waiting and thought I’d go find Professor Rivielton."

The demon said, "…Ethan Dora Charasen, was it? I’m Moraiotz Sing, an assistant investigator from the Mage Court. I’ve come to meet you on behalf of Investigator Sirund. This investigation has been approved by Professor Rivielton Fabier as well. Any objections?"

Ethan considered objecting but decided against it. Rivielton’s words suggested Moraiotz wasn’t lying, and cooperating seemed more advantageous. "No," he replied. "Should we return to the dining hall?"

"I heard your room is within the academy. Lead the way."

Ethan walked a step ahead. "Do you need to investigate me? You already found the dark mage, right? Maya, was it?"

"That Maya panicked and used dark magic inappropriate for her level. It was not a powerful spell, but Sirund and the professors are working to calm the situation without casualties. However, the investigation request submitted to the Mage Court listed you as a witness. We must investigate you."

Ethan realized the faint commotion he’d been hearing in the distance must’ve been caused by that first-year student, Maya.

"But why is the Mage Court conducting this investigation?"

"Leaving the Inquisition to handle its own problems is dangerous. If they are corrupt, they would naturally try to hide it. That is why another imperial institution with similar authority is handling this."

"Ah, so it’s a form of oversight."

Demi asked, <User, what exactly is the Mage Court’s role in the Empire? Bain once mentioned the Demon King’s Castle. Why does the Empire have so many institutions?>

"Let me ask you something," Moraiotz began.

"Go ahead."

"Is this yours?"

Moraiotz held out a small wrapped bundle. Ethan couldn’t immediately identify it. At first, it seemed like nothing—a tiny, fingernail-sized piece of shiny paper. But shiny pieces of paper weren’t common items. It was a sparkle from one of his firecrackers.

REAPER SCANS

Translator: Ryuu

Editor: Gorm

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Ethan saw no point in lying, so he said, "It’s a piece of paper I use for my magic. Where did you find it?"

"A student named Boen, who was expelled from this academy, collected it. I didn’t think much of it at first, but when I saw him approaching me, I grew suspicious and searched his classroom. Do you think he was lying?"

"No, he’s probably right. I did clean up, but it’s possible I missed a piece or two."

"You must’ve cleaned very thoroughly. I only found one piece."

"I had to be thorough." Ethan met Moraiotz’ gaze as he said, "I’m not deeply versed in alchemy, but I know alchemists guard their secrets closely. Unlike regular magic, if the method is known, then anyone can replicate it. Even byproducts must be hidden."

Moraiotz nodded. "True. Then can you tell me how to make this?"

"I can’t reveal a mage’s secrets."

"Even if it means you are suspected of being a dark mage?"

Ethan whispered to Demi, <Do they really suspect me?>

<It’s true they’re hiding their emotions and intentions, but whether this is their usual investigative demeanor or genuine suspicion is hard to say.>

Ethan murmured, "If you swear to only use this information for the investigation, I can tell you."

"I swear on His Majesty’s name that I will only use it for the investigation."

Ethan said, "I bought it from the Yurmus black market."

Moraiotz’ eyes widened briefly before he nodded, stroking his chin.

"…I see. Do you remember when and from whom you bought it?"

Ethan fabricated a date and person. Yurmus had a large black market as people came and went from all over. Even the Empire wouldn’t be able to track down this lead. Besides, it wasn’t unusual for a student to buy magic to stay in the academy. At Demi’s suggestion, Ethan even handed Moraiotz a firecracker.

<Exactly. That’s why the Inquisition and Mage Court might suspect it is Terran. They’ve probably seen something similar before.>

Ethan glanced around before speaking in an exaggerated whisper. "Anyway, you mustn’t tell anyone about this."

"I’ll be careful."

"But why are you looking for these? They’re no different from a street magician’s trick, honestly."

Moraiotz examined the firecracker and said, "This might be from Terra."

"Terra?"

"The invaders from another world who attacked the Empire 20 years ago."

"Ah, right, I’ve heard of them."

Moraiotz continued, "Since the invasion, His Majesty has been wary of Terrans and their dark mages. Of course, Terrans can’t use much power now, but if a Terran mage exists, it is considered extremely dangerous."

"More dangerous than dark mages serving the Dark God Yor, the Tentacle God Musamusa, and the Banished Dragon Loranchelio? I heard the Empire hasn’t suffered much damage from them."

"It’s a relatively recent event, so His Majesty is cautious."

Ethan now thought that the rumors about the Machine God Demi might’ve been exaggerated. At least Demi hadn’t demanded torture, sacrifices, or burning villages. Compared to the rumors about the Outer Gods, Demi seemed quite mild.

<It’s not!>

Moraiotz glanced at the sword hanging at Ethan’s waist. "Are you learning swordsmanship?" he asked.

"Ah, yes."

"Good posture. You human mages tend to rely too much on magic. Everything starts and ends with the body, after all. Even we demons learn basic martial arts and swordsmanship."

"It’s not well regarded in the academy, though. My sister would scold me if she saw this."

"Your sister, Arca Wiz Charasen?"

"Yes. She’s at our family home during the break."

"I’d like to meet her someday. A shame."

As they entered the dormitory building, Ethan said, "This is my room."

"I see. I don’t think there’s much suspicion on you, but as a formality, I’ll take a look around before leaving."

"Of course."

As Ethan reached for the door handle, Demi interrupted, <Wait.>

Moraiotz said, "What’s wrong?"

"Ah, sorry, this is the wrong room. It’s not this one but that one," Ethan said as he promptly started moving to the next room.

But Moraiotz didn’t follow.

"No, Ethan," said Moraiotz. "This is your room."

Ethan froze in place.

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