chapter - 31

 "So, um... I've been given the title of Chief Magician..."

"Yes! I heard you loud and clear! Haha! That explains a lot!"

"Hehe..."

Milly Kleean's 'Journey to Becoming Chief Magician' continued for a whole hour.

If this were turned into a novel, it would rival something as epic as 'Les Misérables'. It was that unnecessarily detailed.

And I could be certain of one thing.

Absolutely avoid having long conversations with this person.

"After hearing the Chief Magician's story, I'm confident you'll provide excellent advice!"

"That's right... Also, I..."

"First, let's look at your work and then discuss!"

Milly Kleean seemed about to say something else, so I quickly handed over the manuscript.

Once she reads the manuscript, I'll find a way to proceed with the work.

[Sherlock Holmes]

[A Study in Scarlet]

Sherlock Holmes. A Study in Scarlet.

It was the iconic first work where Watson meets Sherlock Holmes.

There are countless lines that symbolize Sherlock, and the Sherlock Holmes series has many famous aphorisms about deduction.

In this work, the first words Sherlock utters to Watson demonstrate more about who 'Sherlock' is than any meaningful aphorism.

["You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive."]

Watson, who had been a military doctor in Afghanistan, guesses his identity the moment he sees him.

Of course, in my translated 'plagiarized work,' the regional names and analysis were somewhat different.

Nevertheless, I retained the basic format. Despite the difficulties of a detective novel..., 'localizing' Sherlock Holmes was an endeavor that had been attempted countless times in previous lives, so I remembered at least some guidelines.

Once Milly Kleean received the manuscript, she quickly, very quickly, flipped through the pages. She read and flipped through so fast, it made me doubt if she read it properly, whizzing through it.

After reading all the way to the last page, Milly brightened up and exclaimed.

"This is a mess!"

"Have you already read it all?"

"Yes... I read fast, you know... But this is really chaotic!"

"Yes, yes. So, about the advice..."

"But it's written quite logically, don't you think?"

"Really?"

"I don't think I need to revise it much."

...

Claiming there was no need to revise, Milly Kleean suddenly began a lecture on magic.

Her speech was still slow, and there was an excessive amount of information, but...

She explained it in a very understandable way.

"In simple terms... magic is ultimately a 'reproduction' of events that have already been attempted... It's the concretization of possibilities... So when we use magic, everything naturally flows in a direction that fits reason... Like how the teleportation at the Magic Tower is only possible through 'connected' points... Of course, ancient magic like that in the 'Conan Saga' is a bit different..."

"I see."

"Of course, it's not without its irritating parts... But it's still interesting enough that I wonder if I need to change it...? This 'Study in Scarlet' is like that... But..."

Milly Kleean smiled cunningly.

"...That's not the end of it, right? Since it's a serial novel..."

"Yes."

"So... Well then, I should see all the novels that follow to compare them properly for good advice..."

"I see."

It wasn't a difficult request.

Anyway, if Milly Kleean were to take on the advisory role, she would eventually read everything.

It seemed like an excuse to just want to read the novel quickly..., but well, I could overlook such 'jokes'.

Instead...

"Can Chief Magician show us something too, before showing the next installment?"

"What do you mean...?"

"Magic. I'd like to see 'real' magic from a real magician."

I had seen magical items produced in factories or staged by 'magic theaters' many times.

But the mystery created by a 'magician' making something directly fascinated me deeply.

"There's probably nothing impressive..., hmm..."

Milly Kleean hesitated for a moment.

She poured cold water from a bottle into an empty teapot on the table. Then she sprinkled tea leaves into the water.

She grabbed the handle of the teapot.

"Huh...?"

The water in the teapot started to boil.

White steam rose above the water, and from the tea leaves, red tea seeped out, coloring the previously clear water red.

"This is all I can show you right now..."

"Oh, is this a magic to boil water?"

"It's a bit different, isn't it...?"

The magician poured the water from the teapot into my tea cup.

She hesitated for a moment and took a sip. Then she seemed a bit surprised.

"The tea has cooled down?"

"There was never any heat in the first place... It boiled from a lukewarm state... It's a reproduction of the possibility that the water in the teapot boiled and the components of the tea leaves dissolved into the water... Although magic can create changes, it cannot create what doesn't exist..."

"But aren't magic theaters fantasies 'created'?"

"Scattering light, refraction, mental confusion... All of these happen microscopically at that moment, and in that place, they're actually happening... Ultimately, if something is possible with magic, it must be something that could happen even without magic..."

Hmm.

It's a concept that's a bit difficult to understand, but I understand that 'magic' isn't as mysterious and omnipotent as I imagine.

"Hehe, I thought it wasn't as special as I imagined..."

"Oh, that's not what I meant."

"A larger magic that I'm curious about could be seen at the Magic Tower... It could also show how small possibilities could destroy the world... Of course, ancient magic like that in the 'Conan Saga' is a bit different..."

"Is that so?"

"..."

Milly Kleean laughed bashfully.

"...But it's not over with this...? It's a serial novel..."

"Yes."

"As expected... Then, I'll have to see all the following installments before comparing them properly for good advice..."

"Ah, I see."

It wasn't a difficult request.

Anyway, if Milly Kleean were to take on the advisory role, she would eventually read everything.

It seemed like an excuse to just want to read the novel quickly..., but well, I could overlook such 'jokes'.

Instead...

"Can Chief Magician show us something too, before showing the next installment?"

"What do you mean...?"

"Magic. I'd like to see 'real' magic from a real magician."

I had seen magical items produced in factories or staged by 'magic theaters' many times.

But the mystery created by a 'magician' making something directly fascinated me deeply.

"There's probably nothing impressive..., hmm..."

Milly Kleean hesitated for a moment.

She poured cold water from a bottle into an empty teapot on the table. Then she sprinkled tea leaves into the water.

She grabbed the handle of the teapot.

"Huh...?"

The water in the teapot started to boil.

White steam rose above the water, and from the tea leaves, red tea seeped out, coloring the previously clear water red.

"This is all I can show you right now..."

"Oh, is this a magic to boil water?"

"It's a bit different, isn't it...?"

The magician poured the water from the teapot into my tea cup.

She hesitated for a moment and took a sip. Then she seemed a bit surprised.

"The tea has cooled down?"

"There was never any heat in the first place... It boiled from a lukewarm state... It's a reproduction of the possibility that the water in the teapot boiled and the components of the tea leaves dissolved into the water... Although magic can create changes, it cannot create what doesn't exist..."

"But aren't magic theaters fantasies 'created'?"

"Scattering light, refraction, mental confusion... All of these happen microscopically at that moment, and in that place, they're actually happening... Ultimately, if something is possible with magic, it must be something that could happen even without magic..."

Hmm.

It's a concept that's a bit difficult to understand, but I understand that 'magic' isn't as mysterious and omnipotent as I imagine.

"Hehe, I thought it wasn't as special as I imagined..."

"Oh, that's not what I meant."

"A larger magic that I'm curious about could be seen at the Magic Tower... It could also show how small possibilities could destroy the world... Of course, ancient magic like that in the 'Conan Saga' is a bit different..."

"Is that so?"

"..."

Milly Kleean laughed bashfully.

"...But it's not over with this...? It's a serial novel..."

"Yes."

"As expected... Then, I'll have to see all the following installments before comparing them properly for good advice..."

"Ah, I see."

It wasn't a difficult request.

Anyway, if Milly Kleean were to take on the advisory role, she would eventually read everything.

It seemed like an excuse to just want to read the novel quickly..., but well, I could overlook such 'jokes'.

Instead...