[Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]

    Chapter 33

    "You''re... okay with this?"

    "Yes."

    Even after hearing such an unbelievable story?

    Irene doubted her ears.

    In contrast, Myorn, who hadn''t expected much after explaining, was now...

    "Really? Truly?" Completely overjoyed.No?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ve finalized any research collaboration with you, Myorn."

    "What? Why not?"

    "I still need to hear about Irene’s research topic in detail."

    "Ah!"

    Irene, momentarily dazed by Kaylen''s words, quickly came to her senses and looked at him again.

    Kaylen, with an expression of complete composure, glanced between Irene and Myorn.

    ‘Explain it... in detail? To a human?’

    As the leader of the elves, humans had always readily accepted her words without much questioning...

    But now she had to persuade them through her research topic?

    Though momentarily flustered, Irene steadied herself.

    ‘Fine. This human is worth it.’

    Not as a 4-circle Meister, but as a mage.

    Under normal circumstances, a Meister would be more highly regarded...

    But not in the case of this research aimed at advancing elven spirit magic.

    ‘Meisters haven’t been very helpful in this field anyway.’

    Meisters specialize in a single attribute.

    Originally, this concept was derived from non-human races like elves and dwarves.

    Elves and dwarves, chosen by one of the Four Great Spirits, would only handle that specific element.

    Elves typically aligned with either wind or water spirits, while dwarves aligned with earth or fire spirits.

    Thus, human Meisters had limited usefulness in such research, as such specialists already existed within their own races.

    ‘Rather than a Meister, what we need is a mage...’

    A traditional mage capable of handling all elements.

    For the research, those who had declined in prominence with the times were precisely what was needed.

    ‘To verify the records we’ve obtained this time.’

    Irene recalled the records she had recently acquired—documents containing clues to the advancement of spirit magic.

    To experiment with those findings, they needed not a Meister but a mage—an exceptionally skilled one.

    Kaylen, standing before her, was a 4-circle mage.

    Although not considered a high-ranking mage by past standards, in modern times, mages of this level were rare.

    "Alright. We''re conducting experiments to restore a more advanced form of spirit magic."

    "More advanced, you say?"

    "In the past, we could summon even high-level spirits."

    "That’s true. At least before dungeons began appearing."

    Kaylen fell into thought.

    In the past, elves and dwarves who reached a certain level could summon high-level spirits.

    Additionally, exceptional beings like High Elves or Dwarf Queens could even summon supreme spirits.

    “Even summoning high-level spirits is difficult now?”

    ‘If this happened after the dungeons appeared, it must be related to the amount of mana.’

    Since the proliferation of dungeons, the amount of mana in the world had indeed decreased.

    In the end, the root cause was the dungeons... something even the long-lived non-human races surely understood.

    “What connection is there between dungeons and spirit magic?”

    Feigning ignorance, Kaylen asked. Myorn, shaking all his fur, responded.

    “Since the dungeons appeared, the amount of mana in the atmosphere has started to decrease.”

    “Even the elders, who could once summon high-level spirits, say that the spirits no longer respond to their calls.”

    “Yes.”

    “Not Irene, but me? Really?”

    Still unable to believe it, Myorn kept asking. When Kaylen nodded affirmatively, her fur shook wildly in excitement.

    “Wow... Did I just beat Irene? Has this ever happened before?”

    “Wow, so that’s the kind of experiment you’re conducting? Incredible.”

    A hundred years ago, when Myorn’s mana suit experiments were still in their early stages, her project to develop a universal mana suit had garnered widespread interest. Many Superior Mages wanted to participate, and even prominent families expressed interest in investing.

    However, even during those promising times:

    “I’m sorry, Myorn. I’ve decided to work with Irene instead.”

    “Apologies, I’m a Meister of Water... I need to focus on elemental affinity.”

    Myorn had never won against Irene in attracting collaborators.

    Some were captivated by the beauty of the elves.

    Others were drawn to elemental affinity, prioritizing Irene’s expertise.

    “Ah, it’s Myorn!”

    “Avoid her—she’s going to ask us to experiment.”

    “Why does she keep doing this? My family says her suits are only good enough for knights who lack firepower.”

    “Honestly... her suits are useless. No one wants them.”

    As the results of Myorn’s experiments fell far short of the initial hype, investments dried up, and mages willing to collaborate with her dwindled to nearly none.

    The experiment had a notorious reputation as one of the worst—physically demanding but offering no tangible rewards.

    “Myorn, you’re still conducting that experiment? Honestly...”

    “Yes, it’s an experiment that must be done. But I have no participants.”

    “No participants again? Fine, I’ll send someone your way.”

    Eventually, Irene, from the same Fairy Tower, stepped in to help Myorn. But the mages Irene sent were often unmotivated and lacked the skills Myorn needed.

    Worse, these mages would constantly try to find ways out of the experiment:

    “I don’t think I’m a good fit for this experiment.”

    “Suddenly, my younger sibling was in an accident...”

    “My family has summoned me urgently, so I can’t continue the experiment.”

    They would leave, offering all sorts of excuses, only to later appear in experiments led by Irene.

    After seeing this pattern far too often, Myorn declared:

    “Don’t send me any more humans. I don’t need them. I’ll do it alone.”

    It was more peaceful to hammer away at her work alone. More comforting to handle the flames herself. For 30 years, she worked solo on the development of mana suits, involving humans only for the final tests.

    Finally, she made a breakthrough—a way to enhance her mana suits—but it required a special test subject:

    “A physically strong mage who can withstand the pressure of the mana suit...”

    Finding such a person was nearly impossible. The level of physical strength she sought was on par with knights, something rare in this era dominated by mages. That is, until Kaylen came along.

    ''I thought I’d lose him, too...''

    When Irene took an interest in Kaylen, Myorn assumed she would lose him, just like before. But when Kaylen chose her experiment instead, she was so overjoyed that she couldn’t contain herself.

    Her fur bounced and shook, and before she knew it, she leaped like a ball, landing right beside Kaylen.

    “Let’s work well together!”

    With a whoosh, part of her fur ignited, and from the flames emerged a stark white arm and hand. It was a scarred hand that gripped Kaylen’s firmly.

    Her hand burned as hot as fire—hot enough to scald an ordinary person.

    “Her hand is too hot. Her control isn’t refined yet,” Kaylen thought, assessing Myorn’s level just from the temperature.

    “Oh, is it too hot?”

    Her temperature reflected the elemental spirits of fire and earth that she harbored. Humans would find it unbearable, so Myorn quickly withdrew her hand. But Kaylen smiled faintly.

    “This much is fine.”

    “...You’re just perfect for this!”

    Delighted by his response, Myorn grabbed his hand again. Her fur danced wildly, creating a breeze.

    “Goodbye, Irene.”

    Her triumphant tone caused a frown to crease Irene’s brow.

    If it were anyone else, she might have let them go. But Kaylen was too rare a case. There was no telling when another person like him might appear.

    Determined, Irene bit her lip briefly before speaking.

    “Wait a moment, Kaylen. If you join our research, I’ll make sure to offer you additional compensation.”

    [Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]