The Depths of Sorcery

Author’s Note(AN) :

This novel reached fifth place in the daily high-fantasy category! Thank you very much!

I didn’t have a lot of confidence on this series because it’s a story full of old people but I’m really happy that it’s being appreciated this much!!

TN: Weird name for mages’ circle/ring system. Update to abyssal layer -> profound depth layer

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“Ah, Sazaki, I can see it now. The city, Margard.”

“Good. I can have some drinks.”

“Yes, indeed.”

As the carriage sways, Ferad not bothering to interject with Sazaki's swaying alcohol talk, gazes ahead at the city coming into view.

Several massive towers protrude from the huge fortress-like castle. Peculiar red and blue smoke rising from different places appears quite suspicious. It wouldn't be surprising if some people hesitated to enter the city.

The city is called Margard, the City of Magic.

True to its name, it's a city where wizards gather to conduct research day and night, and it's where the golem carriages were created.

"Margard seems the same, don't you think?"

"Exactly. Strange folks are still around, just like before."

Stimulated by memories triggered by the strange rising smoke, Elrika predicts that Margard hasn't changed much, and Sazaki affirms her observation.

Even during the days of the Great War, Margard served as a base for the wizards, a place where suspicious individuals conducted dubious research day and night. In other words, the city has always been considered suspicious by the general public, and there were even speculations that the whole city might explode someday.

"We've arrived!"

"Alright!"

As the coachman announces their arrival, Sazaki jumps off the carriage, opens a bottle of alcohol, and takes a swig directly from the bottle.

"Ah! Today's alcohol is delicious!"

"Grandpa, shall we go?"

"Let’s go, grandma."

Ignoring Sazaki, who loves alcohol without becoming dependent on it, Elrika and Ferad proceed towards the city gates.

"It's quite crowded. Perhaps they are traders?"

"They might be dealing with magical artifacts."

Ferad and Elrika, slowly walking side by side, observe the gathering of people in front of the gate. While they seem like commoners, some are well-built, and others are well-dressed. They assume the crowd are traders who have come to deal with magical products.

"As long as it doesn't explode on the way back, I guess?"

"It's not wartime anymore... Wait, was it like that even without war?"

"Well, it's probably alright. Probably."

After enjoying the taste of alcohol, Sazaki mutters his thought. Ferad initially denies his statement, but memories from the past suddenly make him anxious.

In fact, during the war, the residents of this city had frequently caused incidents due to their experiments with powerful magical artifacts, seemingly oblivious to the concepts of safety and reliability.

"Besides, don’t you think they are checking at the gate to make sure there’s no dangerous goods?"

"Move aside, old man!"

"Oh, pardon me."

Ferad leans out of the line to confirm something that seems plausible given the city's uniqueness. However, a voice suddenly shouts from behind.

Ferad apologizes toward the person around 30.y.o who shouted at him to move aside but he is wondering if he was really in the way.

"I’m a Gradual. Let me through."

The man, ignoring the line of people, confidently walks towards the gate. His demeanor suggests he knows this will clarify things.

Coast,

Outer layer,

Middle layer,

Gradual layer,

Deep layer,

Profound-depth layer.

These six categories classify the strength of wizards.

The Coast includes novice wizards. The Outer layer denotes trained wizards. The Middle layer category houses the veterans.

However, reaching the Middle level only signifies the halfway point, as the path of magic is deep and treacherous.

Gradual represents an elite, a synonym for top-tier individual. Deep stands for the few geniuses that characterized the era, while Profound-depth layer consists of only a handful of individuals in history. Considering this, except for a few exceptions, the peak lies at the Middle level, and for someone to reach the Gradual level at their thirties might be quite extraordinary.

In reality, a Gradual-level wizard in a small country could become a powerful force in times of war, hence they would receive respectful treatment wherever they went.

Yet, this is the City of Magic, where the Gradual-level wizards that would have been at the top of a small country are not so uncommon.

"It's your first time in this city, right? The rules are rules, so unless it's an emergency, please wait at the end of the line."

"What did you say!?"

Recognizing that exceptions to the rules could lead to uncontrollable chaos, the gatekeeper rejects the man's demand to cut the line. However, the man's annoyance is evident as his face reddens.

"You're useless for this conversation! Get the supervisor!"

The man pulls out his ultimate move for such situations.

Unfortunately, this is the City of Magic, Margard. His ultimate move would create a less fuss than a snake rattling in a thicket.

"Easy, easy there. In Margard's philosophy, the layer ranks are mere decorations. Let's handle this peacefully."

"Get lost, old man!"

They must have missed this new person. An elderly man in his seventies who was in the middle of the line removed his hood and tried to mediate. But the young man despite having magic expertise, he seemed to lack reason and intelligence, continued shouting with a red face.

Instead, the gatekeepers turn pale.

"I am Aldrick, one of Margard's administration member. I have more than the qualification as the 'supervisor' you mentioned earlier."

"What do you-!? W-what? What?"

The man shouts at the elderly person who introduced himself as Aldrick, but when his brain recognizes the name, his face turned paler by the second, and his ability to speak broke down.

"Y-you're lying..."

"Even if you say it's a lie..."

An old man stands before the younger man who wishes everything to be a lie.

Aldrick the “Incinerator".

Excluding the exception of the Profound-depth layer. He is a grand mage who has reached the level of Deep layer.

And he is not just any ordinary "Deep" level wizard. He is considered to be an outlier, someone almost on the brink of the "Profound-depth" level. His exceptional mastery lies in the unique flame magic, as indicated by his nickname. There are even rumors that he can face the breath of an ancient dragon, which can easily dissolve castle walls, head-on and shatter it.

"W-where’s the proof?"

"Is this acceptable?"

Still trying to resist in a pitiful manner, the man was left speechless when complex patterns of light rings appeared on all of Aldrick's fingers.

The light rings that appeared on the fingers of a mage's dominant hand were directly related to their classification.

One ring meant Coast, two rings meant Outer, three rings meant Medium, four rings meant Gradual, and five rings meant Deep.

Don't underestimate the difference between a Gradual and a Deep. That single ring represented immense effort and talent, demanding utmost dedication. As one delves deeper into the mysteries of magic, this gap widens.

Therefore, there was a significant difference in gap between the man's Gradual rank and Aldrick's five rings, Deep rank.

"This, this... I-I will excuse myself!"

The man who had clearly been presented with evidence of that the other is the so called ‘supervisor’, with an almost legendary status, was left with a paralyzed tongue as he muttered his last words and quickly retreated from the line.

(Because it’ll cause so much tension, they should have made a special entrance...)

On the other hand, the gatekeepers, aware that Aldrick should be treated specially, were nervous that he was actually standing in line. They hoped he would act in accordance with his status. Unfortunately, Aldrick's statement that the ranks within the wizard layers were merely ornaments in the realm of magic, as Margard's philosophy stated, was indeed true. This philosophy had been upheld for hundreds of years, and even Aldrick had to comply with it.

When Aldrick confirms the man had left… An old couple standing like some kind of plantation that makes one wonder if they are still alive along with a no-good old man nonchalantly drinking alcohol at the end of the line, he couldn’t help but exclaim internally…

"Wh-?!!"

Though he managed to hold back from shouting at the gatekeepers to immediately let them through, his entire body was covered in a sudden outburst of sweat.

◆

At the same time…

"Ferad and Elrika, huh? And the foolish household head has come, too."

In a small magical tome shop, a place visible only to a limited few, a woman with a once alluring brown skin, now aged, squinted her mismatched red and blue eyes and mumbled with an amused expression.

Inside her desk, there were letters from friends about visiting her, and what her husband sent, a letter marked as a will but functioned more like a love letter.

Her name was Lara.

Once a witch and also a member of a hero party.

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Author’s Note(AN) :

If you find this interesting, please bookmark ncode.syosetu(.)com/n0528ii, and should you rate it with a star ☆ below, the author will cry from joy!

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