Chapter 19
This was a repository systematically organizing ancient magical texts and related materials.
To be precise, it stored books documenting the magic practiced by ancient peoples and various magical phenomena.
Ancient times supposedly had truly diverse types of magic. Professor Frost recommended studying ancient texts too.
Myths claimed ancient mages possessed remarkably multifaceted abilities.
Records stated mana circle storage locations varied individually, with classifications less rigidly divided than current standards.
I'd also heard of tremendous advancements in magically powered machinery, communication devices, and transportation methods.
Some myths even described records of soaring from earth to sky to explore realms of light and darkness.
It was quite literally magic's golden age.
I shouldn't believe all myths, but there must be hints here.
Ian adjusted his glasses and began searching.
The shelves overflowed with volumes showing considerable age.
Though some lacked titles, Ian strategized to examine them efficiently.
Checking every book's impossible. Need criteria.
Fortunately, the grand library's entire collection followed standardized categorization.
Mana convergence disorder ultimately concerns the vessel holding mana. That vessel is the circle.
Ian narrowed his focus to circle-related texts and those describing mana manifestation through vascular pathways from circles.
His gaze soon settled on a suitable shelf.
"Suitable" didn't mean accessible - these theory and phenomena-focused books proved both dense and voluminous.
Must be at least 200 volumes here?
After brief deliberation, Ian concluded further narrowing impossible.
Better start than linger.
He reached for a book.
Time flowed onward.
Ian remained among shelves while Isera worked at a reading desk, each engrossed in their tasks.
Pages rustled steadily. Ian's eyes never left the text.
No special clues here either.
He closed the book and placed it on a return tray already holding three others.
Content requiring at least a day's study had been assessed within hours.
Should examine theoretical texts over explanatory ones now?
Magic books divided primarily into theoretical and explanatory categories.
Theoretical texts documented magic's entirety - pure principles and philosophy underlying each art.
Explanatory texts served as study guides,
simplifying theoretical content for easier comprehension.
The former resembled original compositions, the latter their annotated textbooks.
Theoretical texts naturally held higher esteem. Academic circles typically meant these when referencing "magic books."
More time-consuming but more reliable.
As Ian selected another book and flipped pages, his hand froze mid-motion.
Something's off...
The book seemed ordinary. Yet prolonged reading revealed inexplicable dissonance.
This sensation... Surely not a hidden curse?
Librarians would have detected that. Channeling mana revealed no malignant energy.
What then?
His probing thoughts found no answers. He reshelved the aged volume and continued searching,
only to spot a familiar title: The Manifestation and Focal Point of Mana.
An old acquaintance.
This enduring theoretical text had been his mother's recommendation when first learning magic.
Ian extracted the book.
His revisit wasn't merely nostalgic.
What one learns depends on their growth since last reading.
Though studied in childhood, revisiting it as an adult might yield new insights -
potentially key to resolving his mana convergence disorder.
Memories resurface...
The cover's texture recalled his earliest magic lessons under his father.
An exceptional teacher,
he'd prioritized magical principles and applications over brute force amplification. Despite criticism about technical obsession, he'd stayed true to his path.
Now I understand why he never became Royal Academy faculty.
A free-thinking innovator would find little appeal in the Academy's professorial constraints.
Flipping pages, Ian encountered an etched passage:
Likely the lightning magic section... Hmm?
He gripped a half-turned page, snapping it back.
The maxim glaring up at him bred fresh confusion.
This differs from what I know.
He reread the axiom:
"Mana born from power's source must cascade like waterfalls from vein cliffs."
Repeated scrutiny failed to dispel his doubts.
"Maxims" condensed magical principles into cryptic phrases.
Magic comprised mana manipulation and formalized rituals -
the former denoting control, the latter structural frameworks.
Maxims provided crucial ritual insights,
always written in ancient tongue.
Modern mages, particularly theorists, translated these to reconstruct proper rituals.
Thus, translation nuances dictated a spell's form and potency.
But lightning magic's elementary! Higher magic might permit varied interpretations, not basics. My remembered maxim differs... Faulty edition?
Ian shook his head.
Ancient text sections underwent rigorous verification. Theoretical texts received especial scrutiny.
Defective copies get destroyed. This couldn't remain here.
Publication details showed a twenty-year-old edition matching his childhood copy.
New doubts emerged.
Printed texts differ from handwritten transcripts. Same edition implies another issue...
Suddenly, realization struck.
The problem lay in the maxim itself.
It's not in ancient script!
Grave error -
maxims must use ancient language by unwritten law. Explanatory texts differed, but this wasn't one.
Could it be?
Ian's head jerked up.
He frantically examined nearby theoretical texts.
Impossible!
Every volume's maxims appeared in common continental script.
Unthinkable!
More plausible in illusionary subspaces than reality.
Chuckling mirthlessly, Ian removed his glasses.
Must be fatigue.
Stowing them, he massaged his eyes. After steadying breaths, he looked again.
"......!"
The maxim now shimmered in ancient characters.
Ian stood transfixed.
A faint weight registered in his right hand.
The glasses.
Calming himself, he analyzed coldly.
The sole variable here.
Replacing the glasses,
the maxim reappeared in common language - seamlessly integrated with surrounding text.
So this is the heirloom's secret.
Previous examinations had revealed nothing.
No mana reactions suggested artifact nature,
yet here it demonstrated inexplicable power.
Functioning without magical traces? Artifacts should emit some resonance.
No answers came.
Repeatedly donning and removing the glasses confirmed their effect.
Denying their function's impossible. Unless my mind's compromised.
Unsolvable for now. He focused on the textual shift.
The translation's the issue.
The lightning maxim's translated phrasing differed from established versions.
Sentence structure matched,
but key terms like "cliffs" and "waterfalls" replaced expected words.
An ancient-translating artifact providing flawed translations? Then it's decorative.
Useless for someone with his linguistic mastery.
The glasses' inconvenience compounded their futility.
Why these specific terms?...
Engrossed, Ian failed to notice Isera's approach until she spoke coldly:
"Ian Oracle."
He looked up to find her glowering.
"Reading at shelves violates basic etiquette. Select your books and use the reading desks. Where's your consideration?"
"Apologies. Lost track of time."
"With that?"
Her gaze skimmed The Manifestation and Focal Point of Mana -
a text she'd mastered younger than he'd first read it.
Beneath her scrutiny,
Ian clarified: "Revisiting basics brings new perspectives."
"Hardly material for Oracle House's heir."
"Found interesting maxim variations. They're perpetually intriguing."
Isera turned wordlessly to browse adjacent shelves.
Ian tidied his area,
realigning displaced books and organizing the return tray.
Must test these translations against original structure.
Skepticism lingered.
Established maxims were considered perfected.
Innovative interpretations seemed implausible,
yet this mysterious artifact defied conventions.
Suddenly, inspiration struck.
The theory faction's eccentric.
Glancing around,
he found Isera already reseated at her desk, immersed in study.
