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"The female student representative is Latia Meridiem."
"Hoo."
Latia, sitting on Davian's left, let out a soft sigh of relief.
Luna, sitting on Davian's right, peeked her head forward and looked at Latia.
"Latia, congratulations."
"Thank you, Luna."
The students who heard the announcement of the female student representative began to murmur again.
"That's right. It's only fitting that the magic prodigy becomes the female student representative."
"Is the representative going to be from the Department of Magic again? Isn't this favoritism?"
"What can you do? The Department of Magic is the most influential. I should have become a magician too."
"It's not because of the Department of Magic's influence. My uncle said that student representatives come from other departments fairly."
"Anyway, Latia is number one among the female students."
Professor Mateo tapped the desk with his pointer.
"Now, if you're all done talking, open your books. The Mana Theory course is over before the midterm exams, and now we will start the Common Subject: Understanding Monsters and Demons."
After the first-year common subject class.
The office of the Head of the Department of Magic, Sirims.
Knock knock.
"This is Davian Naone."
"Come in."
Davian opened the door and entered. Professor Sirims was already sitting at the reception table, drinking tea.
"Come and sit down. Have some tea."
"Yes, Head of the Department of Magic."
As Davian sat down, Sirims poured him tea himself.
The scent of the high-quality tea leaves gently stimulated Davian's nose.
"You must have requested the meeting because of the double major, right?"
"Yes. I would like you to fully approve my double major now."
"The condition was to get the top score in both subjects in the end-of-term evaluation, wasn't it?"
"I think I achieved it ahead of schedule."
"Isn't it because you thought it might be difficult this time, so you rushed over?"
"......"
Davian, hit with the truth, could only remain silent for a moment.
In fact, he wasn't yet confident in winning the swordsmanship duel with Bonita.
Professor Sirims' words were not wrong.
"Hahaha. No answer. Be honest."
"I don't think it will be easy, but I don't think it's impossible either."
"That's right. That's a good attitude."
Sirims lightly smiled, lifted his teacup, and lightly wet his lips.
"I was planning to allow the double major from the start. From the day Davian, you came back after making a contract with the Ice Spirit, Glacie."
Davian, who was about to drink his tea, looked at Professor Sirims in surprise.
'I didn't even sleep and studied so hard for the written exam, thinking I might miss the top spot...'
Davian felt somehow wronged.
"Then you should have told me that day."
"Haha. You're still audacious. If I had, it would have been difficult to see the exam results that make my own eyes doubt me now."
"Anyway, thank you for allowing it."
"I thought that Glacie would want you to be a certain way. A freshman insisting on a double major and a contract with an Ice Spirit. I don't think this is a coincidence."
"Glacie seems to expect me to resemble the first King of Erium."
"That must be it. But then you might not be able to become a 9-star magician anymore. Even though you have the qualities to become one."
That's right.
It would be difficult to reach 9 stars, the pinnacle of magicians, by studying both swordsmanship and magic.
But Davian's conclusion is that he can't complete all the quests in this damn game by only studying magic.
"I think someone has to pioneer a new path."
"That's right. But the Alkancia Kingdom also needs 9-star magicians. To make sure no one dares to covet our country."
"Don't we have the Head of the Department of Magic and the Chief Royal Magician?"
"We're both too old. Unlike spirits, humans have finite lives."
"Other talents besides me will emerge."
"That may be true. But the truth is that Davian, you are the closest to that path right now."
The double major was already allowed.
Davian had a feeling that there was a reason why Professor Sirims kept mentioning 9-star magicians.
"Is there anything else you would like to say separately?"
"The current era is different from when the first King was around. The Pax Continent was unified long ago and gained peace, but at some point, a stronger enemy from beyond the continent appeared and is constantly looking for opportunities."
"You're talking about the Marino Empire, I presume."
"That's right. So, what I'm trying to say is..."
The Head of the Department of Magic, Sirims, gazed intently into Davian's eyes.
"Davian Naone. You must surpass Erium Alkancia, the first King. I will tell you how. But it won't be easy. How about it, will you do it?"
While thinking that he was making such a long speech just to say he would give him private lessons…
A familiar word popped out of Professor Sirims' mouth.
"Do you know about the 12 Traces of the Archmage? It's such a famous legend, so you probably know about it."
Almost simultaneously with hearing the familiar word, an alert that only Davian could hear rang in his ear.
Tring.
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[Event: Find the '12 Traces of the Archmage']
―Find the 12 traces of Pabian Hendrix, the strongest archmage in the history of the Alkancia Kingdom.
―If you collect all the relics hidden in the 12 traces, you will be given a special hidden item.
―Reward: Hidden item (revealed upon acquisition)
―Hidden item rarity: ★★★★★
―Accept: Y / N
=====
It was an event he already knew.
Information about the 12 Traces of the Archmage was obtained in the 5th grade of the 3rd playthrough.
Of course, the same event notification popped up as soon as he obtained the information.
But he didn't have enough time, so he only found half of them.
In the end, the 3rd playthrough ended without him obtaining the hidden item.
'That was an event I was very greedy for back then.'
He couldn't know what the hidden item was, but he couldn't help but be greedy for its rarity.
Rarity ★★★★★.
It was the same grade of rarity as the 'Reincarnation' item that gifted Davian with the 4th playthrough.
So far, the only item with five stars or more that Davian had seen was 'Reincarnation'.
Davian slightly rolled his eyes to the left.
Tring.
Event Accepted.
"I will do it."
Professor Sirims chuckled and placed both hands on Davian's shoulders.
"Hahahaha. Good. I knew you, Davian, would say you would do it. Now, come along. I'll tell you the details as we go."
The Head of the Department of Magic, Sirims, left the office first.
The two arrived at the library.
There weren't many people because the midterm exams had just ended.
Professor Sirims took Davian down to the basement of the library.
A dry space with magic to protect the books.
The air touching the skin became drier as they went down to the basement.
On the way, Sirims explained the legend surrounding the 12 traces.
"...Pabian Hendrix, a great man from 600 years ago. It's a cliche legend that if you find the 12 traces he left behind, you can become a great magician who can follow in his footsteps."
"I've heard of it."
"But a few years ago, I found out that it wasn't just a simple legend. The Great Magician Pabian Hendrix really left behind his legacy. The culmination of the Great Magician's lifelong research."
The deepest part of the last floor, the 3rd basement.
Professor Sirims pulled out a book with a blue leather cover from the bookshelf.
Click.
The book came out halfway and stopped moving as if caught on something.
Instead, a short, dull sound of a device being released echoed.
Whoo-oong.
Professor Sirims began to pour magic into the blue leather book.
Around the blue book, about four or five books emitted a bluish light.
Dddddd.
The bookshelf, which was obviously a secret passage, moved to the side, revealing that it was a secret passage.
"It's a ridiculous-looking magical device, but only three people's magic is registered. No one else can open it. If you try to force it open, the inside space will collapse as it is."
The Head of the Department of Magic, Sirims, who answered a question that wasn't even asked, took the lead and walked into the secret passage.
The inside of the entrance was dark, but as they walked in, the surroundings began to brighten.
Numerous magic stones were embedded in the walls and ceiling, emitting light.
"...So, if you find the 12 traces of Pabian Hendrix in order and collect the relics hidden there, you can obtain the essence of his magical research."
It was a story he already knew, but Davian asked to facilitate the flow of conversation.
"Is there a reason why you must collect them in order?"
"You're sharp."
It was a speech skill that he had become accustomed to after experiencing the 4th playthrough.
It was to avoid being caught by others that he knew everything in advance.
Professor Sirims, who looked at Davian once with a satisfied expression, looked forward again and continued.
"To find the next relic, you need the relic found in the previous trace."
"In the end, you have to find all twelve relics in order."
"That's right. If you don't follow the order, you can't even move on to the next stage."
Soon after, they came out into a large space.
Various books and objects were placed around the large space.
Davian was not very interested in the surrounding objects.
But it was a secret warehouse full of objects that would immediately widen the eyes of anyone interested in the history of the kingdom or the development of magic.
"You don't seem to be very interested in this place."
"It's full of things that look like you shouldn't be easily interested in."
"Hahahaha. You're wise after all. Davian Naone."
Inside the huge space.
There was a long desk horizontally, and several drawers were attached below it.
On the desk was a map of the Pax Continent, where the Alkancia Kingdom was located.
"Come closer, Davian."
"Yes, Professor."
Professor Sirims pointed to the map on the desk.
On the map, 12 points were marked in circles.
"This map cannot be taken out. When it was discovered, it was already too old and stiffened like this."
"Can't you copy it?"
"Even if it's just in case, we can't let anyone else find the 12 traces of the Archmage. Especially someone with an evil mind."
"So you've been keeping it here."
Professor Sirims carefully swept the surface of the map with his fingertips.
"It hasn't been that long since I learned about the 12 traces of the Archmage. It seems like about five years ago."
"Then why didn't you go find them yourself?"
"Didn't I tell you? I'm old, and human life is finite."
"You could find them yourself, use them, and then pass them on to your successor."
"Maybe it's not something that can be passed on to anyone. It could disappear once it's used, or maybe it will be absorbed by the discoverer at the same time as it's discovered."
"So you haven't found them and have been keeping this secret."
"That's right."
Professor Sirims opened one of the drawers under the desk.
He took out a thick book inside and handed it to Davian.
"This is Pabian Hendrix's autobiography. It's different from those common biographies on the market. This is a collection of diaries written by the Great Magician himself."
Davian, who received the book, carefully turned the cover over.
"This autobiography also cannot be taken out. Do you understand what I mean?"
"I need to figure out the order of the 12 traces with this book. And then I have to match it with the 12 locations on the map."
"That's right. And completely memorize the locations and order."
"Are you saying that I can't leave this secret study until I memorize everything?"
"That's right."
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