Chapter 58: The Tiger is Dead (5)
DIch0Magic is a power with infinite potential.Rl8lW
2mPSi5cIt can ignite fire in the void, where there is nothing, and also make water flow.iXo
MR3sJ0Beyond these basic things, it has influenced human civilization to a greater or lesser extent.0sDm
g5s[Even if mana existed, without magic it would not have been possible to develop to this point.]CcZ
LQ8z2e[Magic is the true power of humanity.]EM8
82sq[Magic, together with mana, is the greatest gift the gods have granted to humanity.]TfKb
kYNaThat is what scholars say in unison.Nu4VD
S5GOBut magic is difficult.qby
8cGuHAFNot only difficult, but something only geniuses can learn.0Gu1wKp
xX159hAnd even that is not enough.fhECFe
4szEven among geniuses, there are higher levels.giVQn
K93The Magic Tower, an institution that only geniuses among geniuses can enter.I8qi
NAYKnown as the cradle and paradise of magic, and a place that venerates the god of magic, Aragorn.CwrvvRs
DcqThe leader of that Magic Tower is considered the greatest mage in history.DXJdbNA
qeDJb5uSo much so that the world reveres him as the “King of Mages.”6y7I
liPX9GConsidering the weight carried by the word “king,” the Magic Tower itself is practically a kingdom.TQ0o
rCZR6vThat is why even the Kingdom of Iris, where the tower is located, cannot help but act cautiously toward it.wsUe9qG
aFyl1And the reason why the Mesia Empire also cannot treat it lightly is precisely because of the existence of the Magic Tower.F0XSto
xPOhzmAnd that mage, the leader of the Magic Tower and called the King of Mages, was currently.2W8
AyNa“Hmm~ hmm~”k3mkvN
c5OCkqwHe was drinking coffee while quietly humming.NLHah3
TB0OqHis hair had turned completely white with age, and his beard, also white, was as thick as a dwarf’s.KYQrTnJ
KOS2FHBut surprisingly, his face had few wrinkles, closer to that of a middle-aged man than an old one.X0hylLq
ulzThump. Thump. Thump.iYuf
sZtYdfIn front of the mage, a heart much larger than a human head was beating violently.N49Ln0r
8WgK2qIt was quite a grotesque scene, but the mage did not care at all.Ccd
fXSV4“Hehe, what an adorable thing. It beats so strongly.”Ho6
3ypOn the contrary, he observed it with an almost perverted gaze.ThU
C1k1Even the heart, as if instinctively sensing something unsettling, stopped for a moment.K5F
lTTBut immediately, as if it had been an illusion, it resumed beating regularly.ksKJ
bRft9‘It has the same structure as a dragon’s heart… is this really possible?’k15cgKd
WcqA dragon’s heart is, literally, the heart of a “dragon,” the creature considered the most powerful of all.gyctm
sFjqQfYIt contains an amount of mana close to infinite, and if someone manages to consume it, they will never suffer from a lack of mana again in their entire life.5cywvg
NU3EVHowever, the heart itself possesses a will, which makes processing it extremely difficult.JrzW8Vx
p8M1ixIf handled poorly, it can cause a massive explosion and devastate the surroundings.ZuZi9ee
s7wV3This knowledge was also unknown until recently.hsuc0
y0h8QBUntil this King of Mages defeated a dragon.KZ09
BvfIHGFAnd he did it alone.G7EHK
y8NXg‘How can a tiger contain a dragon’s heart?’Bmp9Nt
LHjqfTmThe mage stared intently at the beating heart.0FnT
ILkXNot even using all the knowledge accumulated over decades could he resolve that doubt.1Ut
OCqnA dragon’s heart can only be contained by a dragon.TFO
r6pC1vsBut today, that knowledge was shattered.AMx6j
r8lekpEven if the amount of mana it contained was much smaller, a dragon’s heart is still a dragon’s heart.v4Naf7
f7ys6NiThe mage observed it closely, then slowly extended his hand.1XEGg
MpYnSfThump! Thump! Thump!9r0P
5f2sAZn“My.”nDPDyRZ
yAMTqThe moment he touched it, the heart began to beat as if it were about to explode.pgyo5
z6NCkJThe mage lightly snapped his fingers.fJz2BHX
qqMQWiiiing—Cq0pj9
7JfNThen a cube-shaped barrier appeared around the heart.1PEB
Z2jE1tShortly after, the heart emitted a blue flash and exploded.GufxH0n
oC0Boom!w9UK8
gi7yUThe explosion was contained within the cube.6qU
bM50uHowever, the cubic barrier suffered no damage.doZ
hQSrOThe mage waved his hand and the barrier disappeared.rVIuE
PxFv8E9“It is sensitive to external mana. That is also a characteristic of a dragon’s heart. Then…”N0EO
Ccr1NwThe mage began experimenting with the tiger’s heart.OKlxD
VO40TTriggering explosions by sending mana without touching it.f7mg
FbLkSIBCalming it just before it exploded using specific methods.eptLGMW
ouNpxcyEven stopping its beating for a moment.eoYhdu6
OsQaZThe more the experiments progressed, the more his eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge.BHS6S
nWn“What kind of place is the Forest of the Four Seasons?”0dsy
7tVVRThe mage murmured as he stroked his beard.Q8lG
JY2Even he, revered as the “King of Mages,” feared that forest.GGV6S
d68No matter how strong humanity had become, it was still insignificant before the greatness of nature.naLG
R2GAnd the King of Mages was no exception.7JEg
3udIfHe had set foot there once in the past, but since then he had not approached it again.vaGKM
vm3fjfs‘And yet, Grills can use the gallery there. His very existence is strange.’WWh5
t2ZF31sAt first, it was just curiosity.T5h5ILJ
Y6qSSahA gallery he began exploring out of boredom.o6hGdpn
zqUKfDZBut the more he explored it, the more he realized something.ltB7F9
5sDThe world is vast, and it is full of beings worse than beasts.lxZ
bP1k8NFor him, the gallery was the perfect place to conduct a kind of “social experiment.”Ag4Wcz
fUsilhZAnd when he began trading with Grills, he gained access to all kinds of strange and valuable flora and fauna.qOd
mo0For the King of Mages, who seeks all the knowledge in the world, Grills had become an indispensable existence.C9kSn
EZCkN‘Dragons usually inhabit deep mountain ranges rich in mana. The Forest of the Four Seasons is even more extreme. If a tiger can contain a dragon’s heart, it wouldn’t be strange to say its species has completely changed.’m3F1
pEuN1AZHis thoughts chained one after another.4IEUF
9stTTThe King of Mages formed a plausible hypothesis using all his knowledge.PRy
T9K1VY‘Did it evolve as a spirit beast? Or did it adapt over generations? Then, did dragons also evolve from other species to be able to contain so much mana? Or did some species change form as they adapted? Was the dragon’s heart not exclusive to dragons?’EGGcG
cYIgt4The doubts began to tangle like a ball of yarn.rxaMj8
FuN9nxEven for the King of Mages, they were overwhelming hypotheses.vUZ4GJ
dx9k7EJThe very notion of common sense was shattering and scattering across his mind.Q16
B41erWhat kind of place was the Forest of the Four Seasons, really?9BVB3
WPNThe King of Mages felt even more curiosity.dUKl
904u‘I don’t have enough samples. That tiger could have been a mutation. To confirm it, I need to support Grills without reservation.’XsUV
r16YNQThere was already the case of the golden poisonous frog.eKiivm4
xIdNormally, those frogs are the size of a small fist.kX6kQy
OWbYgrXBut the first one Grills caught was the size of a small or medium dog.mQUq
EY11lAnd the ones he has been capturing recently are much larger than a fist.QWBsm
Ckl0d‘And not to mention the common crab—it was the size of a building. Is the Forest of the Four Seasons a place that accelerates evolution?’6ldX1is
t1uUDBeing a mage and also an academic, his investigative curiosity burned even more.hlmC
lf750i‘I am still not sure. If this really is a dragon’s heart, I will have to check whether it also reacts to blood.’CYWE
0OTGbsExceptions that defy common sense are cases that researchers not only enjoy, but love.Sq0mSRs
ITlgIt was natural. He had found material for a thesis.vmiP
IA4lIn fact, a smile formed on the King of Mages’ lips.2opWde5
c759vThen, the King of Mages began to walk toward somewhere.bQ1YIO9
EQNkFThe place he arrived at was a large freezer.fdaUv
qtMXA place where he stored various experimental materials and specimens.cylF
Hxos0Clack—zhw5Le
FUCAs if it had no locking system, the King of Mages opened the door effortlessly.w2W3
TLu7qAs soon as he opened it, an intense cold began to seep out.6UQGzGx
tqdh“The dragon’s blood is here.”G2BmN9X
PxN3lDa“……”eKTGK
6XWyDInside the freezer, preserved in cold, there were animal hearts, blood, and a human skull.qtTPi
84HWOf course, it was not a normal skull.Aw1fvOe
u8Bp6In its empty eye sockets, a green light shone.GEUf9F
xGkUAs if they were eyes, that green light stared directly at the King of Mages.96a50sE
bfdkQnNormally, skeletons cannot speak, but there are always exceptions.qyW
mIRIThe skull spoke with a dying voice.XF5U74
EKqQC[Kill me.]6Mck3
Xv9BYf“Later.”2ZhEjal
ZLIuuXThe mage responded coldly, closing the freezer door again.fUAdDA6
Jci3The mage returned with a container filled with dragon blood.kRuKy
kq0Screams could be heard from the freezer, but he completely ignored them.M1B
qGMjYOSwish— swish—NdJ
2GBNZQThe King of Mages stirred the dragon blood with his index finger.bbF
3fT7The frozen blood, hard as stone, began to melt little by little.fF0
j6ImIt didn’t take long before it returned to its original state.z7SkcDm
77wiN9pSlurp—3xPAkB
DoccIn6The King of Mages sucked the blood from his finger with satisfaction.LBw6
TPHWo1As if he were eating crumbs that had stuck to him while eating something.JbKZ
Zvck“Now, if I pour this…”NY1
vv539The King of Mages expected that, just as he predicted, the heart would absorb the blood and—4kC
V89Boom!vIRLRvP
RWLMnStrengthen.4qz
X20keBut that did not happen.IpI00W
KZU3lIt simply exploded.hQgu
rjy8It was not an explosion.CfxNjv
f77IwHIt burst. Completely.GRy3
K6r928“……”nhOwZ
8dhThe King of Mages did not even think about removing the pieces of heart stuck to his face.HQsNL
Nusre7IBecause the situation was completely beyond his expectations.XGhSk
0DyEven so, it was not that he gained nothing.75SV
juM2hCalmly, he removed the remnants of cardiac tissue from his face.4LYLG
Mh9FQze‘Even if the structure is the same, if the species is different, it causes a violent rejection reaction.’9Pf
VpI2Thus, he accumulated a new valuable “data point.”IBwPkUv
rM1ey7The price, however, was quite disastrous.22io5f
fn1The King of Mages, Kadir, looked at the heart with a calm expression.1oTK6
rpg2leThe heart, which had previously been larger than a human head, was now completely destroyed.nFzt5
Cm3VMgCOnly the scattered fragments indicated what had happened.QlcVu
sLkB“Ha… by Aragorn…”4nj2W
EkY4fGyHe let out an empty laugh.1k26XEt
JpENo matter how powerful he was, even he could not turn back time.5cp9
UiUmQPThe valuable research material that Grills had given him had been lost in an instant.P3e25Z2
qNkqWhat should he do now?0liVWlk
qeJXKadir began to think quickly.Otajw5
xid‘Lie.’i21
qWzWhat lie?BUJjRhy
xvjA9Say that it exploded as soon as it arrived?QfB
BhBmIf that had been the case, he would have had to report it immediately in the gallery.ZOiO
ngUwRejected.XGjmiXC
JQ5U‘Tell the truth.’n4Ah6GH
QLKTHWith Grills’ personality, he might forgive him.XnYvBh
41M7iBut then, the chances of obtaining future rare specimens would decrease drastically.cKP
ZoRpHMJAlso rejected.32JqPHw
fKJC3jB‘Say that I bought it and give him something else in return.’jdDuh
d1IaUcBIn reality, that was the best option.LuLgSj
sDf9SHaKadir reflected deeply.KRuTPq
9nAG0bYSomething equivalent to a degraded dragon heart.CEz
j6KXhuFWhat could it be?QvCZWmW
lSdn3The conditions were complicated.TqI0LL
YSlVTFirst, it had to help Grills’ survival.6H7Z
bO0With those requirements, not even Kadir could decide easily.hQoc
0KF7Op‘…First I’ll have to clean.’RaT6W
cwsnfZUSighing, he began cleaning his destroyed laboratory.doKw
DN3AHWith a certain guilt toward Grills.KTMh1
O1vfEven though he was the King of Mages, he still had a bit of conscience left.i90
1TvVbL‘If I handle this well, I might be able to obtain even better specimens.’mbX8O
keUThe problem was that this “conscience” was quite twisted.RF9XgW3
cobWbl***NnBY0
XOzqwAfter giving the saber-toothed tiger’s heart to AllFather, I went to gather another adult mandrake.cehxl
m96BVcI didn’t have a shield and the shoes were uncomfortable, but collecting it was not difficult.NHeR38e
HMZI didn’t encounter any dangerous beasts along the way, and the gathering was simple.EtnWGv
SZ1Zkt8The only thing left was to make the exchange with DwarfPassingBy.Vz9
9H7YqI would give him the appetizer later.MEG
3DT0[DwarfPassingBy: Tomorrow you absolutely have to give it to me, okay? If not, I’ll end up looking like a liar.]gKFvVQ
vtB1[WildGrills: And what happens if you look like a liar?]94B0KDW
e5PRH[DwarfPassingBy: They’ll take away my infused liquor. That cannot happen.]cyT
Phl[WildGrills: You should stop drinking;;]82xTPR
UdRJt[DwarfPassingBy: Do you want me to die? Not a chance haha]jrkhyM
udQJAdsYeah…0nPGUh
xeCThe mistake was mine for telling a dwarf to stop drinking alcohol.enVg
XDduAnyway, by making the trade with the dwarf, I was able to get the shoes.v7IOQ
sV1CbThe shape of the shoes was generally similar to the military boots I used in the army.yaBlieR
PWNEThe difference was the color.5lBj
8N6As he said they were made with the highest quality leather, even the shine was different.KCL
3FDUUXQ‘Are they comfortable and good?’MBH1m
ynMibtThey weren’t as heavy as I expected and were comfortable.Tz0UyI6
umQI was very satisfied.z0NMDuc
sdlaHBeing a dwarf, and on top of that a craftsman, the reliability was also high.mR8AWO
iTpK‘I’ll choose the other shoes based only on their performance.’Zbm
C4dnI had already grown attached to these.JKZ
cbEjBEUTaking advantage of having new shoes, I entered the gallery to post a message of thanks to the dwarf.hI0I
bTWQZ[Grills! Look at this~!]0rF
ipQygd“Huh?”8Mwo6R
rXcIt’s not strange to see my name every time I enter the gallery.ldxNNI
2FhBut because of the way of speaking and the nickname, I couldn’t ignore it.gabx
dd1SFo7Title) Grills! Look at this~!SCRMDmx
1CYBg4aDemonPrincessXwLz
2oiw(Photo of Chayu uniforms lined up)gT2Bi
rD2rYI carefully picked long-sleeved uniforms~!n4YuS
UhGChoose one you like from here~!aZfK
uyHPersonally, I recommend the one from 3 years ago~!nvtmf
huyQhHIt’s red and looks super cool~!X70F2sr
cuUockDㄴWow;;; is this a real fan for real?Mgl5HH
znrkLㄴIsn’t that uniform from 50 years ago? LolllPwypO
0vZWdDㄴIt must be because demons live long, but… why does she have so many? Haha9zN2YQx
4EvgvSㄴLooks like she just eats and watches football;;UFY
jeAbNYYㄴWildGrills) Thank you very much. I don’t have anything to repay you with, is it really okay?XEm7uYh
WATHㄴDemonPrincess) I’d be sadder to lose a Chayu fan! So don’t worry and accept it~!A3Eod
TgbLhilㄴWildGrills) Thank you very much. I’m sending a trade request.LHaB
i8ukIㄴDemonPrincess) Yes~! While we trade, I’d like to talk about football~! That’s enough for me~!4MEye
gHDclOfㄴWildGrills) I don’t know much, but I’ll listen carefully.6vz
6zu3ㄴ“don’t know much” he says hahahaFyNHdv
eymI3ㄴSince when do you need culture to kick a ball? Lol4PcTX
WxXXUㄴDon’t say that to a demon, you’ll get puncheda65O
xTZqyWhile making the trade, I thought about how I could help DemonPrincess.mYZ
67HI had started getting interested in football because of a friend, but only to that extent.foC9f4t
IJUNgEII never supported any particular team.atV5jwK
DGWIf I supported Chayu, it was more because of DemonPrincess than real attachment.n3No
bSQbOI8[DemonPrincess: I’ve already registered the uniform~! By the way, are you okay?]gkPEp
g6B4QbD[WildGrills: Thanks to the uniform I wasn’t hurt as much. I couldn’t avoid the bite, but it blocked the claws.]ZXWr
P7kDLg[DemonPrincess: Excellent~! In two days there’s a Chayu match, cheer hard~!]sgSpar
3Hrhq[WildGrills: Of course. I want to repay everything you’ve helped me with.]hgle0Mg
PbA[DemonPrincess: Hehe, then think about how to improve football~. Before being a Chayu fan, I’m a fan of football, and before that, a fan of sports~!]FxfQKM1
XeFAUUShe really liked sports.tg8Noib
cPSLWell, in a world with little entertainment, sports must be like a drug.C4cw
SXLyI kept thinking while the trade continued, and blurted out an idea without thinking too much.VJJ2M1z
e3uIN[WildGrills: There’s no World Cup here, right?]X9VZlSC
8ixM6bp[DemonPrincess: World Cup~?]CZi
wXLu9G[WildGrills: Yes. A tournament between countries, not teams. It was the biggest where I lived.]ntP
1dnvAn[DemonPrincess: How curious~. There are competitions between races, but between countries is new. Since there are few countries, would it be popular~?]4PQtG
M1hXRzAs DemonPrincess said, in this world there are few countries.MBa
2mpRaces tend to group together more.RscSQb
9oBoXfBut if we talk about territories, the story changes.C5Hy
VzibhLEven if there are few countries, there are many territories.qr0
O23B3QWithin a large country, there are countless domains.C66GkWH
C67xsC[WildGrills: Then it can be done by territories. Not by clubs, but by place of origin.]FKIX
kuXIcg[DemonPrincess: Origin instead of headquarters~?]ZALhc
UBpgRaH[WildGrills: Yes. In my world it was done like that every 4 years. Representing your country was an honor.]A2ul
AHmFE[DemonPrincess: Oooh! Every 4 years? That’s new~! Did they give titles if you won~?]sfEwG
woRIn my country they gave military exemption, but I decided not to say it.hgMPtBl
gqkhIt was too specific and not worth explaining.4VRTH0
WGseT[WildGrills: No. In my world status didn’t matter much. Instead of titles, they put stars on the uniform as a symbol of victory. It would be like putting stars over Chayu’s logo.]VYj
m6l2paz[DemonPrincess: I got an idea! I got an idea! Thank you so much~! This can be applied not only to football, but to all sports~!]nvKdFyB
Wx42gdAlthough the World Cup and the Olympics are different, I didn’t think it was necessary to explain.U7pLE
wqCV5QNor did I think this would work so well as a reward.hxx8
7zKlonYI just mentioned the idea casually.Pwy
OTc[WildGrills: I’m running out of time. Thanks for the uniforms. I’ll definitely repay you.]NfSn
xkdEm4[DemonPrincess: Thank you for the inspiration~. If this isn’t enough, help me buy Chayu haha~]ML9
Bef[WildGrills: You can buy Chayu too?]A8K
fNJIZNR[DemonPrincess: If you have enough money, yes~]4vFMV
zn7[WildGrills: Not even with an adult mandrake?]ye9pFC4
AOJy[DemonPrincess: You’d need many~]FXycZDB
ixjYgN[WildGrills: If I find something expensive I don’t need, I’ll give it to you. Buy it with that.]Duv
V6KNepT[DemonPrincess: Just saying that is enough for me to be grateful~]2Td
dRT01Well, I was serious.KinR
aG4o0If it wasn’t food or equipment, I could use it for trading.QGQ
XuTAfter everything she had given me, I wanted to repay her even if it was with money.4KcGYh5
BG0W“Huh? She gave me all of this?”nBX
SbEz3But DemonPrincess’s gift exceeded my expectations.JNcL
pt2GShe didn’t give me one of the uniforms from the photo.kca5
cD7dShe gave me all of them.4kw
vnb0BuThe clothes piled up all at once, leaving me surprised.rM8DDk
wLM4But there was something even stranger.B0QT
voYRFuy‘Who would wear something so small?’Ves7tKq
xQZSThere were uniforms that looked like they were for children.RexW
KtuqIdAnd speaking of children.MQzU6
koS“Ah.”GVSl
bfcuOI understood instantly.GQpI16t
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