The Previous Generation's Magic User

Amid Michael and Aoko's laughter, the path through the fields had somehow turned into a mountain road. What they had thought was a small hill unexpectedly had a road carved through it. Trees were planted on both sides, and the broad road wound like a snake toward the mountaintop.

Wheel tracks marked the pebble-paved road, leaving conspicuous traces from years of use. Though the building in the distance looked hazy, they could still see the dim yellow light shining through its windows, guiding them like a lighthouse.

They unconsciously quickened their pace. A wooden fence surrounding the house came into view. It truly looked like an ordinary family home, just as its name implied: a house standing beside the road, with a few livestock raised to add some interest to daily life.

"Finally, we've reached our destination. Aoko, do you think your family prepared a grand welcome banquet for me?"

Hearing Michael's words, Aoko curled her lip and pointed to an inconspicuous cave hidden in the forest nearby.

"A banquet is probably out of the question, but you can have a cup of hot tea. First, though, you'll have to go see that old man by yourself."

"All right, all right. Meeting the parents... this really is my first time."

Michael looked somewhat disappointed. He waved his hand and vanished into the depths of the forest.

However, once he was out of Aoko's sight, his expression turned grave. He could sense a powerful spiritual force ahead, as conspicuous as a torch in the night.

After all, this was a Magic User from the previous generation, someone who had truly reached the Root. Michael could not afford to be careless.

The instant he entered the cave, a strange yet familiar sensation rushed over him, only to vanish without a trace the next second. He drew upon the power of the Star Core to protect his body and soul from erosion by those external influences.

Before him stood a hazy, smoke-like figure. Though it possessed a human outline, its features could not be discerned. More precisely, they were constantly changing, shifting from an infant to a youth, then an adult, and finally an old man, over and over again.

If he was not mistaken, this should be the grandfather Aoko had mentioned.

"My granddaughters have caused you trouble."

The old man's voice was somewhat hoarse. Though he spoke respectfully, his imposing presence was no weaker for it.

"How could something so trivial count as trouble? It was merely a diversion from boredom."

Michael waved dismissively. A wide chair abruptly appeared behind him, and he dropped onto it, studying Aoko's grandfather with interest. "So, old sir, what did you call me here for?"

This chair had not been taken from the Imaginary Pocket, nor had it been created through Projection Magecraft. It had been produced from nothing in the truest sense. With the Star Core's assistance, Michael had analyzed Moon Oil—the fragment of the First Magic—and naturally learned this ability.

Michael's display clearly caused Aoko's grandfather to freeze for a moment. He pondered in silence before continuing.

"Though I only glimpsed it briefly, I can be certain that you possess a Mystery even greater than the Root. It is truly unimaginable. Even after reaching the Root, what I have witnessed is ultimately but a drop in the ocean."

"It's good to know one's limits, though neither of us can really be considered human anymore. Still, I'm curious. You knew Aoko was more suited to inherit the Fifth Magic, so why did you let Touko waste so much time for nothing?"

"Under the intertwining of the stars, the two were bestowed with different talents. Their conflict was innate. The matter of inheritance was merely one of countless conflicts, and my role as its cause was practically negligible."

"In the end, you gave them a reason to fight."

Michael shook his head, disagreeing with the old man.

"This is all I could do. When I vanished from this era, my granddaughters were also given a question. The cause at that moment bore my name. But every cause that followed was brought about by them alone, without my involvement."

"This time, whether one side's time is taken away, or both of them reach their end, it holds no value to me. No—there was never any value to begin with. To this day, I have never assigned value to any question. So no matter what happens to them, what I must accomplish afterward will not change."

"So if I just let Aoko die at Touko's hands, maybe I could get myself a Magic User position too?"

"That is impossible. The Fifth Magic can only be wielded by a member of the Aozaki Family."

"Is that so?"

Michael raised an eyebrow and snapped his fingers sharply. In an instant, the dim cave underwent a dramatic transformation. Beneath endless, layered skies of magnificent stars, a boundless sea of white flowers spread out beneath their feet.

"Sea of Stars...?!"

Aoko's grandfather's face rippled continuously, rapidly shifting from that of a child onward, but no matter what face it took, none could conceal his shock.

"Honestly, I can only barely perform rudimentary manipulations of time. It will still take some time to fully digest the complete Fifth Magic."

Though he said it with embarrassment, it sounded more like bragging. Magic might only be a byproduct of reaching the Root, but that did not mean it was unimportant. In this modern age where Mystery was fading, only Magic could preserve eternal Mystery.

Compared to other mage families, the Aozaki Family was fortunate, because they had already achieved a mage's greatest wish. As for their misfortune... there really was none.

"The mission of a Magic User, the operation of the world, the survival of humanity..."

The old man muttered to himself. He could confirm that Aoko still possessed Magic, but how could there be two Magic Users in the world who held the Fifth Magic?

"An old man whose very self has become muddled should stop talking about missions. Humanity has limits, after all. Seeing the Root in a human body truly does not come without a cost. You are already close to an existence of absolute rationality, aren't you?"

Michael rose to his feet, and the chair vanished like foam. Seeing the old man's condition, he could not help feeling disappointed, though inwardly he also became wary.

To put it in the terms of cultivation novels, Aoko's grandfather had merged himself with the Dao. Though he was immortal and indestructible, the price was the loss of his self.

The Root was not something one could touch casually. At least for humans, aside from dying outright, the best possible outcome of touching that thing was becoming like Aoko's grandfather.

"Thank you, old sir, for showing me the consequences of touching the Root and giving me such valuable experience. But regrettably, I have no dealings with puppets who have lost themselves. We probably will not meet again."

The scenery gradually blurred, and the memories gradually faded. Their conversation, along with the time that had created no value, dispersed like a dream.