CHAPTER 43: CHAPTER 43: THE MAGE’S NOTEBOOK

After seeing the potatoes, Ryan didn’t pay them much further attention—after all, they weren’t going anywhere.

"A mage’s notebook is often their greatest treasure. All their knowledge can be found within its pages."

"Unlike the notebooks of warlocks, which are often riddled with curses, a mage’s notebook is the product of a lifetime’s dedication—created for the sake of legacy."

"On the continent of Adeniel, bards love to tell tales of those who stumbled upon a mage’s notebook and rose to become grand magi. Often, just the beginning of such a tale is enough to earn them a large cup of fragrant fruit wine."

Ryan picked up the notebook lying on the desk. The first page bore hasty, unrefined handwriting—the first line introduced the mage herself.

"My name is Melania Luna, a devotee of magic under the stars. If fate has brought you to this notebook, it likely means I have already failed."

The female mage named Melania Luna narrated her story in a gentle tone. Most of the entries described her years of study in the Furnace City of the South—tedious and uneventful.

Perhaps every mage had to pass through such a phase to eventually tame the chaotic magical elements into calm, controlled mana.

The notebook chronicled her first spell, her evolving understanding of magic, and her methods of manipulation. Any mage studying similar disciplines would likely be overjoyed by its contents.

Then came the monotonous grind of daily life, and the gradual progression of her magical experiments.

The notebook only became truly riveting when Mage Luna left the Furnace City for the first—and only—time.

"I have already become a Grand Magus. To take the next step and become an Archmage, I must possess a tower of my own."

"But the cold and snow brought by the Winds of Winter have buried everything. The Furnace City, sustained by the flames of the earth, preserves the last warmth of this land. There are no excess resources left to support the construction of a new mage tower."

"However, to the north of this southernmost city, buried beneath the endless northern wastes and the snowstorms, there must lie untold riches—nobles who failed to flee south, still clutching gold, mithril, even refined adamantine."

"To become an Archmage, this is the only way. But I’ve never left Furnace City before..."

"Still, I’ve made up my mind. I will go north. Only then can I build my mage tower, establish a mage academy. If, in the future, I get the chance to become a Sanctum Mage, perhaps I can attempt to open a planar gate and escape this death-bound world... to reach a realm that is warm, and free from winter."

"They all said I was obedient, methodical. But this time, I’ve let them down. I’m a girl full of adventure. I wasn’t scared at all when I left the Furnace City—in fact, I was excited."

"Perhaps my story will be turned into a book. Bards will sing of it, passing it on to distant lands."

"But that’s not something I should be thinking about now. I’ve set off into the north to seek treasure buried beneath the snow. But the first step... is surviving in this frozen land."

"..."

"Regrettably, I didn’t get far. After collecting those riches, I returned to a location not far from the Furnace City. I couldn’t go back there—not if I wanted to keep the treasure from being taken by others."

"I decided to build my mage tower here in the North and become an Archmage."

"In hindsight, I was naïve. Maybe that’s what happens when you have no practical experience. I underestimated how limited a single person’s power is. No wonder they didn’t try to stop me when I left. They knew I would come back with treasure—and then they could take a share."

"Those damn people... how clever they were. They understood what I had to learn the hard way—and yet no one told me."

"So, I’ve decided not to go back."

"The Furnace City is indeed warm. But maybe I’m not suited for dealing with people. To build my tower here, I had to compromise with local nobles—like teaching them magic."

"In a land where the Spirit of the Stag has vanished, the power of knights is fading into history. The once-glorious Stag Knight Order has been buried by eternal winter."

"If nobles wish to maintain their status, they must seek new forms of power. It turns out they’re well aware of how cruelly they’ve exploited their own people and slaves."

"Eventually, I struck a deal with them. They provided slaves and soldiers to help build my mage tower, and in return, I taught them meditation techniques."

"I had hoped to find a suitable apprentice—someone I could take as a disciple."

"But these nobles were all severely lacking in talent. Even with a magical array boosting the ambient energy around the tower, it took them days just to barely sense the flow of magical elements."

At this point, Ryan could feel a distinct sense of malice—or perhaps bitterness—radiating from the writing.

He continued reading.

"The mage tower is complete. I will become an Archmage here. It will be a long process—but I’ve long since grown accustomed to solitude."

"I kept the old cellar I once used to survive the snowstorms before my tower was complete. Back then, the potatoes that could grow even in frozen tundra kept me alive for a long time."

"..."

"Becoming an Archmage is so hard. I think I’m going to fail."

"I overlooked the effect of the Eternal Winter on magical elements. What once were active magic particles are now dead, inert, as if lifeless."

"I’m running out of magical materials. I’ve even melted down my gold to try building a flame furnace. But doing so leaves me without enough to advance to Archmage."

"Yet without that furnace, I can’t reactivate the local magic energy—and without that, I can’t become an Archmage."

"Damn it... why was this never recorded in the academy archives? Did even the frost mages fail to achieve anything in the North?"

"My remaining resources only allow me to choose one path. I refuse to accept this."

"If I can’t withstand the cold, I can’t become an Archmage. But if I can’t reactivate the mana, I still can’t succeed. And during my breakthrough, I can’t be away from my tower for too long—otherwise, everything will be wasted."

"I know I only have one chance. So, I’m going to take a risk."

"I don’t have the knowledge to develop all kinds of magic. But in my most proficient domain—construct control—my golem puppets are unparalleled."

"I’ve seen an opportunity... but if I fail..."