Cracking the mystery of life and death... discovering the truth of the world... or a legend!
This sounded just like those stories he knew about the creation of the world and mending the sky—those were legends too. There were also tales of the Three Sovereigns ruling the world and the Five Emperors establishing order.
"So you're looking for something that might only exist in a legend?" Sean asked, wanting to confirm.
But instantly, a status of [Unhappy!] appeared above Lucille's head.
"It's not a 'might,' the Cain Witch is real, her name is revered as the supreme existence throughout the wizarding world... an outsider like you naturally wouldn't understand."
"I'm not mocking you. Legends don't come from nowhere, but they're often exaggerated. You're mobilizing everyone to search for a legend?" Sean said.
If she truly cracked life and death, why would it be called a posthumous work? It was completely contradictory.
"That's why I said you don't get it! Even if the legend is exaggerated, the Cain Witch's abilities remain an insurmountable bottleneck today. Once you reach a certain level of power, it's incredibly hard to advance further—even a tiny bit might take ages or leave you clueless. That's why all wizards covet her posthumous work."
With that explanation from Lucille, Sean could understand.
It was basically an advancement item!
But in his view, magic was displayed as proficiency. Earlier, igniting Bachler's hydrogen bomb had raised it to level 4, and it would likely increase with more use, though he didn't know if there was a cap.
Thinking...
Sean stared at the candle on the table again.
Silently chanting "extinguish" in his mind.
[Magic Proficiency: 5]
The room suddenly went dark, then he lit it again.
[Magic Proficiency: 6] It was very smooth to use.
"You'd better control how often you cast magic, or you won't be able to handle the mana drain and will faint."
Just as Lucille said, right after casting the spell, Sean felt a wave of immense fatigue wash over him, manifesting as drowsiness.
It felt like pulling an all-nighter and then reaching noon the next day—his eyes could barely stay open, and if he fell onto the bed, he'd be asleep instantly!
Sean shook his head, forcing himself to stay awake with willpower, but if he used it twice more, he'd probably collapse.
"See? Felt it, didn't you!"
Lucille said with a hint of smugness seeing Sean's reaction, then pulled a small bottle from her waist pouch and tossed it onto the bed.
"Here. Drink this."
He picked it up and looked...
[Mana Potion: Restores a certain amount of magic value.] It didn't specify how much, probably varying by person.
He opened it and downed it in one gulp.
It had no taste, somewhat like plain water with ice, sending a chill down his throat. Then, as if recharged with energy, the earlier drowsiness vanished completely.
So this is what a magic potion feels like!
It was actually pretty nice, like drinking water, but with a physical reaction.
No wonder in games, characters chug potions by the hundreds!
"Feeling better, right? The most magic you can use in a day is once or twice. Exceed that, and your body will be overloaded—forcing it could even be life-threatening... When you're first learning magic, I suggest using it just once a day. I went through the same thing when I started."
The conversation gradually shifted to magic.
"Practice for about a month, and you'll feel your abilities improving. Your usage count will increase, and then you can step up your training."
"I have a question too. Is a wizard's magic also determined by proficiency?" Sean suddenly asked.
"You mean the level of mastery? That comes with more use, but to improve, you need constant practice, and sometimes you have to test it in battle."
Lucille's topic wasn't on the same page as his.
So their magic didn't manifest like his... Just as she said, every wizard understood it differently.
This data-driven method of his might be unique, and combined with the ability to see various attributes, it could yield amazing results—like with Bachler this time.
"Stick with it for years, and you'll have breakthroughs, but advancing further will get harder. You'll feel it gradually! Maybe then you'll start coveting the Cain Witch's posthumous work too... Legend says she recorded her secrets on several stone tablets. No one knows how many, but they look like what I showed you that day," Lucille said.
"Telling me all this—aren't you afraid I'll find them and not give them to you?" Sean asked with a smile.
"You?"
By the candlelight, she lifted her eyes slightly, as if staring at the ceiling in thought.
"You're far from there yet. Learning a few spells doesn't mean much; persistence is key. As a noble, even a small improvement will be enough for you. Take your time with the grimoire I gave you."
It sounded like a farewell of sorts, and Sean knew the archaeology team was about to leave.
"When are you leaving?"
"Soon, I think. Kree was injured in today's battle too. If he wants to recover fully, he'll have to recuperate in the city to avoid lasting effects."
Sean hadn't noticed that before, only realizing after she pointed it out.
In reality, some injuries leave permanent scars, so health points don't fully represent recovery. What would a severe injury look like? He'd only know when he saw it.
Watching Lucille suddenly stand up, she was probably tired and ready to leave.
At the window, she turned back and said, "This place of yours isn't bad. If I have time later, I'll come find you again."
"Yeah~ Maybe when I'm old, I could retire here and live out my days," he added after a moment's thought.
"Just for retirement?"
"What else do you want?" A faint smile curled at the corner of her lips.
For a split second, Sean found it truly stunning!
With that, she vanished by the window... A raven screeched as it took flight, its fading sound marking Lucille's departure.
Rubbing his head, it was about time to rest.
Looking toward the window, he pulled out his wand and flicked it back... The window closed on its own.
[Magic Proficiency: 7]
…………………………
The archaeology team left three days later. Sean was too busy settling the refugees and reconstruction work to see them off, so he sent a guard to escort them out of town. Life's focus returned to the small town.
However, on the evening of that same third day, Sean received a letter from Luke.
It was from Danti in Koga City. In the letter, he said that Count Hamilton of Koga valued the situation in Taylemian highly and had sent trusted aides with relief supplies and a large amount of disaster relief gold coins.