Only two days needed to pass after Danton's victory in Eldora Tower for subtle changes to be approved by the mage council. Kite stuck around in the elite chain to continue his training with assistance from the other Trujima members, but today wasn't about any of that. Danton felt he knew what was coming his way for today's schedule, though all of that changed when the elevator doors opened to his chamber room, revealing someone other than Shadler wearing a thick pale cloak.
The man walked forward relaxed with his hood down, revealing his grey beard and age-ridden face to Danton, who was pondering something in the middle of the room. As expected, his appearance changed the way Danton reacted with a belonging surprise. "Champion Brash Danton. You and I have much to discuss this evening."
Who is this guy? Shadler told him earlier that there was something to show him today within Eldora Tower. Maybe he was just delayed. But this man had a stance to him, a stance that shouted high class and a wealth of experience. He is also big and mysterious. "Ah, Shadler still hasn't made it up here today?"
"Shadler Cowl has been given the day off from his duties. I, mage Sirus will be taking his place as your new assistant. Whether this deal will stick is entirely up to the council's review."
"What?" Danton couldn't believe it! Shadler is a shady piece of work... But Danton never got the chance to look into it personally. How did the mage council figure out that Shadler might not be who he seems? "What has been going on with Shadler Cowl?"
"That is none of your concern."
Danton threw his arm to his side in anger. "I beg to differ. You really want me to trust a total stranger all of the sudden? I know it was only a matter of time until Shadler would be suspended. You can't hold that truth from me, but I was barely able to trust him either. I need to know why."
"If you really wish to concern yourself with his suspicions, then I won't stop you from learning what may be true. But try to impede in the investigations, and you might be suspended as well."
"Fair enough," Danton allowed. Mage Sirus is this guy's name, but what is his angle for wanting to become his personal assistant?
"Shadler Cowl has been temporarily suspended for suspicions of violating the proper means of training exercises supposed to be given to new champions when heading over to Eupharus Island."
I knew it felt too soon! Shadler, what have you been doing? "Entiene..."
"Ah. Then I see the rumors are true," Sirus propagated.
"I can't tell you whether Shadler is actually trying to sabotage anything, or if he's simply lost his way. I wouldn't know that."
"Well I may be generous enough to let the council know that a higher probability lies in Shadler's senility. The old man seems to be taking things quickly and impatiently. I even heard you argued with him a couple of times."
"I'm guessing that several standard safety protocols may have been skipped?"
So Danton was in danger during certain moments of his rise to power. "It's highly likely, given that you're first guess is as such. But let us not squabble over who made which mistake. I noticed that Shadler has also taken a bit too long to show you one of Eldora's most valuable treasures."
"Maybe he didn't trust me either. I mean, if this thing you call a core is so valuable, discretion should be used, right?"
"Brash Danton," Sirus combined. "Your mentality seems to be well glued to the rights and wrongs of the entire process here at Eldora Tower; at least this is what I can feel. And that is precisely why you and I need to trust each other. In order to do that, there can no longer be secrets between you and this tower. One of your sacred duties as a champion is to protect the crystal core at all costs."
"Well I don't understand why this core is so important, but if you're about to show me anyway, I'll just take the tour." This guy isn't all that bad. He seems reasonable enough.
"I, mage Sirus will now show you to the highest tier of Eldora Tower, where our sacred crystal core lies. From this moment on, you must swear an oath to secrecy. Not even your friends in the elite chain or your family are allowed to know about this."
"I am supposed to protect the people of Sprawn Valley while leading them right? I can't do that unless I know everything. So I'll swear this secrecy, on my entire life and career, mage Sirus."
"Then that is all the confirmation I will need to hear from you." Sirus began pacing forward slowly, taking his time to head towards the other side of the room, where the security elevator is located. Sirus seemed tense as he moved, hesitant to get this over with. "Follow me, Danton."
Danton turned around just as Sirus called him passing by the center of the field, and he had to walk slowly by Sirus's side, wondering what is so special about this sacred core... Shadler said something about it once while on Eupharus Island. The harvesting of the crystal shards that Entiene was guarding are somehow essential to keep this crystal core functioning... But that's all Shadler was willing to share.
"I will ask you now, while you are in your right mind, if you are more willing to have me as your personal assistant, rather than Shadler."
"During any time," Danton cautioned, "I just want to make sure nobody makes any rash decisions based on anything." Why would Sirus put it like that, while I'm in my right mind? What is he expecting to show me up there? "This core must be important, so just as long as everything goes smoothly, I would rather keep things the way they are now."
"Then I will do my best to serve you throughout your entire term, however long it may last." Sirus and Danton were by the elevator now. Danton was taken here before, but this elevator oddly leads to all kinds of interesting floors normally inaccessible by any of the other tower employees. Apparently, the primary purpose of this lift leads to the core room at the top of the tower's superstructure, a place where Danton has never been to before.
After being taken up several floors with ensuing silence and anticipation, Danton and Sirus stepped out of the lift only to find themselves in another cubed room made entirely out of metal, unlike some of other areas in Eldora Tower, and in this room on the other side stood a shielded opaque metal blast door. Next to the door was an electronic panel with some sort of scanner.
Sirus knew from experience that Danton might not like what would be on the other side of this door, so he broke the current silence to try and ease some of the pressure building. "What I am about to show you has also been revealed to almost every single champion of this tower before. This knowledge is kept away from the general public, in order to keep our situation under control."
"Is this something dangerous?"
"The way this knowledge can be used may pose as a potential danger, if fallen into the wrong hands. So yes. This is dangerous. I won't try and sugar code any of it." Sirus waited at the panel for Danton to reply and catch up.
Danton paused for a moment, creased his brows forward in certainty, and proceeded forward towards the scanner equipment. "You see, this is where you and Shadler are totally two different people... I think I see now why he was suspended."
"Precisely. You and I understand the gravity of the situation, even without all of the details understood. Shadler does not. We worried what might not happen if he were to be tasked with something this important."
Danton knew this was stalling for time, but the more information he had on Shadler, the safer he felt. "Was Shadler always like that though?"
"Irrelevant. To try and find out is only a waste of our time." Sirus pointed to the scanner with his thumb, facing Danton to explain. "This equipment is an advanced card reader. It scans any type of Leray license card to determine who is attempting to gain access to the crystal core, as well as a matching fingerprint authorization. When you became champion, your license card was automatically updated with the brand of a champion, and is thus valid at any time you scan it into the system. For other mages who have restricted access like myself, my license card will open the door, but only for today, and only because I have permission from the mage council that will expire in twenty four hours. Today specifically, this scanner will only accept my license and your own if inserted at the same time."
"Okay." Danton reached into his pocket for his Leray license card, and handed it to mage Sirus so that he could place them into the system's verification slots. "So what happens if someone isn't authorized?"
"Then a mass alarm is engaged throughout the tower, and this room is placed into solitary lockdown until security shows up. For legal reasons, all involved security personnel in that situation are prohibited from carrying valid cards to open such a door."
"Damn. This is more protected than anything I've ever heard." Danton suddenly heard metal noise, followed by the blast door slowly opening up on its own.
While waiting for the large door to open, Sirus agreed that the current security measures were necessary. "When you find out what's on the other side of this door, you'll understand why we take such drastic measures."
Chapter Theme Shift:
Danton held his tongue. This feeling of pressure really didn't sit well with him. Danton felt this was too important, that learning something like this could destroy his mind. What secret could be so worth protecting, something dangerous in the wrong hands?
Time's up. The door opened entirely, revealing to Danton and Sirus a very strange area of the likes has never been seen before by normal civilian eyes. The room wasn't a room; but rather an open outdoor space normally invisible from the ground at any distance... "Wait, but..." Danton took too much information in at once. There were large vertical pillars placed evenly in a strange pattern within the area. The edges were lifted upwards to prevent one from falling over the side, while the upper areas had these claw-like columns stretching up towards the center of the center pillar.
"Invisible two-way camouflage bubble." Sirus described the reason Danton was initially confused. From this angle, you can see out through a bird's eye view of Eldora City and beyond. But no matter what height you are at, this crystal core room is completely invisible from the outside, and appears instead as a closed off section of room to the tower's highest level. "You can see out from the core, but not into the core from the outside."
Danton was glancing around everywhere like a tourist on another planet. At first, it made little sense to why this room needed to be outside like this in the first place. If this is not outside, the core cannot properly function, for whatever purpose it serves. There are seventeen pillars in total, including the larger one at the center. Each pillar held a floating crystal at the top radiating light like Danton had never seen before, but these were obviously not just any ordinary magic crystals... What did Shadler call them again? "Eldora crystals?"
"Correct." Mage Sirus slowly tethered forward, observing the wonderful view just as Danton was doing as he spoke. "Each and every one of these are known as Eldora crystals, refined from shards and fragments we especially mine from Eupharus Island."
So it is true... "Sirus? These crystals are all emitting a powerful kind of energy. I... I can actually feel it, like a low kind of buzzing through my body."
Being unfinished in his explanation, Sirus ignored Danton for the moment, getting to the point. "Eldora Crystals are simply a nickname we use to further obscure the truth. The true name for these devices are lunar crystals."
"Lunar crystals?" Danton repeated.
With a long and loud exhale, Sirus got to the point of bringing Danton up here. "Danton. This crystal core we have right here, is the one and only primary source of all Leray magic."
Two seconds passed, Danton processing Sirus's claim as literally as possible. "What?" Danton again took his bearings and studied the pillars and crystals around him. This place? "This place is the core of Leray magic entirely?"
"Better said," Sirus corrected, "this is the place where all Leray magic is born. If not for this structure, Leray magic would never exist." It was becoming clear that Danton really was surprised. It's as expected. Most citizens grow up thinking that all of this comes directly from mages, but that is only true in part.
"So Leray magic comes from these crystals?"
"Look up," Sirus commanded.
Danton took his eyes higher to the sky above him, revealing a beautiful skybox of numerous stars in the night sky, and also a nearly full moon shinning in its waning phase. Its alignment easily reaches this place.
Sirus went to continue his explanation as there was a further connection than Danton realized. "The light cast off that moon comes down at us in a different wavelength than normal UV light from the sun. As a result, this lunar light has an entirely different energy pattern, one that our old ancestors managed to tap into at one point in time. But before the invention of Leray magic, there was no best fit way to harvest the moonlight until this core room was invented with Eldora Tower."
"I had no idea that Eldora Tower's summit was the source of Leray magic like this. So all of these crystals do the work?"
Sirus responded, "The lunar crystals float as they do because they are constantly absorbing lunar energy from the moonlight, and hold a lower charge during daylight hours. At night, we expose the crystals to the light of the moon. They absorb a ton of lunar energy, whereas most unprocessed crystals would never have this capacity."
"So these are very special and rare crystals?"
"Indeed. Each of these sixteen smaller crystals are simultaneously absorbing lunar energy, while feeding this energy back into our special reactor core."
"That center thing that looks like an orb?" Danton pointed to the center pillar, where a larger sphere shaped crystal floated, reflecting all light like a shiny mirror, instead of a normal crystal.
"No, that's the magic refractor. The reactor core is actually underneath this tower, all the way underground in a networked system. There, the reactor core is fed energy through lines connected to each of these pillars, fed from the light of the moon with these potent crystals."
"And what does the reactor do? Give us electricity?"
"No," Sirus nodded. "The reactor works full time to power a natural energy conversion system. It's a very complicated process; but ran entirely on mechanical machines autonomously, this reactor enables these systems to remove most of the destructive power this natural unfiltered lunar energy contains, and it turns this energy into a limited usable state of what we all call Leray energy."
"What?" Danton became confused really quick. That's not how this is supposed to work. Leray magic is supposed to come directly from the moon, and cast outward in a field, a veil supplied by the mage council.
"This converted energy state is then fed back into the refractor sphere at the center pillar, which then sends out pulsations of this energy in the day time. These pulsations can stretch just slightly beyond the confines of Sprawn Valley, and generate what is known as the Leray protective veil, a veil that in turn also supplies everyone living here with usable Leray energy, measured in the form of Magical Essence, or Magical Potential."
"So then, this sphere right here is the Leray veil? And moonlight is the power source?"
"Good guess. In theory, if you could rebuild this crystal core all just to add or subtract the amount of pillars and lunar crystals used in the process, it would immediately affect the total size of the veil, expending or shrinking it. This crystal core was intentionally designed to only span the veil throughout the country of Sprawn Valley, and no further."
"Wait, then what about the role of the mages? How do they contribute to the veil?"
"Lunar crystals are not always a permanently stable kind of rock. Over a few years, these lunar crystals will begin to crack, and eventually shatter if not replaced. The purpose of the top mage association here is to constantly maintain the power flow of these crystals by replacing them into the system. And in the event of a total system failure, we would need such powerful mages to create an initial spark, a distribution of personal energy into the system to reboot the chain reaction. Other than that, our job is mostly physical maintenance on these machines, crystal harvesting, and security."
"But..." Danton stumbled in a circle, trying to figure out what this really means. It wasn't good news. He thrust both arms downwards facing Sirus, inching closer in a threatening manner. "But this isn't right! This is not what we were taught to believe Leray magic was."
"And what did you think Leray magic was? It still comes from the moonlight either way, but the process converts the energy source into a more usable state."
"Don't you get it Sirus?" Danton begged this guy to see how he was noticing the system. "This means that everything we knew about Leray magic is wrong. This is a limited system reliant on crystals! Stupid lunar crystals! This entire setup is a mockery of all things we knew about Leray magic!"
"So you're upset only because these crystals may one day cease to remain abundant?"
"Well yeah! How much supply can really come from this? Aren't we treading on a tight rope right now?"
"Resources are far away from scarce," Sirus reassured. "Even if we run out of crystals to mine, we've acquired a large source in storage that can already sustain this core for an entire millennium, if not more time than that."
"That's not the point Sirus!" Danton couldn't pinpoint exactly why he was so angry about this. Perhaps it was because everything he was told about Leray magic was an outright lie, protected by the government. "S-so-so what? You take moonlight energy and convert it to Leray energy with this reactor? Why not just use raw lunar energy as a source of magic?"
"Hm. I guess you still haven't figured it out yet."
"Figured what out Sirus?"
Sirus flattened his hand and dropped it slowly to signal a calm request from Danton. "You seem to think that Leray magic and lunar magic are somehow interchangeable, that we mere humans can use one or the other, but this couldn't be further from the truth."
"And what's wrong with using purified energy, instead of that unclean cheap power source you're feeding us now?"
"That unclean, cheap, limited energy source you call Leray magic is the grounds of the body's limits. You want to know why everyone in the world isn't walking around blasting energy spheres from their hand supplied by the overcast moonlight? It's specifically based on our inability to harness and control that power source. In other words, it's way too strong to try and control."
"Well if that's true, how did we even know about Leray magic in the first place?"
"I suppose now is as good of a time as any to start the history lesson, when magic was discovered just over a thousand years ago. The founding fathers of our magic source did their best to harness magical energy from the moonlight. In this state, pure lunar magic couldn't be controlled. For our own protection, our body contains no proper conduit source to absorb moonlight energy, but by reflecting the light in very specific ways and resonating different angle points onto a fixed location, they managed to store that energy into these crystals. Used directly on a human had no initial results."
Sirus had to take a breath, expecting Danton to interrupt, but he instead crossed his arms with a discerning expression. "These crystals were then deciphered and made usable by the mages. They managed to expel the magic in such incredible ways. By expelling it directly from the crystal, the energy contained a rather destructive power, but when they finally unleashed the energy into the human body, that person could in turn use that energy, expelling many new elements of magical powers that went beyond the range of anything ever recorded."
"And then what happened?"
"Those involved in the experiment to expel this magical energy from their bodies all perished. They died of numerous causes only minutes after their invocations. Brain aneurisms, cancerous tumors of galactic sizes, radioactive organs frying the body, internal burning of numerous organ cells, the cause of death though different all happened for the same reason." With Danton now listening entirely to this needed history lesson, Sirus continued uninterrupted.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
"The mages called their experiment a colossal failure, proving that the use of pure energy was just too much for the human body the handle, no matter how fit they were. But for some reason, they didn't stop experimenting."
"Did the people not care for their lives?"
"On the contrary," Sirus receded. "Willing participants were coerced and convinced that if these experiments eventually led to a solution, they could fly through the air and become immortal. The struggle to become the best kind of person and live forever maintained a steady flow of demand for the development of magic, though it did dissuade public opinion in the general colonies when word got out."
Danton's eyes widened with an epiphany. "That's why the world hates Leray magic... They never forgot what evil experiments led to the creation of Leray magic. How is any of this true?"
"The people are very resilient in making sure they remember all forms of danger. These days, nobody knows why Leray magic is dangerous. The people did forget their own history... But surprisingly, that deep stuck-down sensation of doubt and fear of the unknown holds strong after all these centuries. These experiments were considered an issue of ethical and moral complication."
"But, it obviously worked at some point... Maybe it shouldn't have?"
"Not every great invention is designed with the right intentions. To further their research, the mages dialed back on the amount of lunar energy that was to be absorbed and used by each participant."
"So they used less and less of it?"
"The results were ultimately catastrophic either way. By using less lunar energy, the humans experimented on survived longer than their previous predecessors did. But the body still does not want to absorb or expel any of that radioactive energy, and the humans eventually fell ill to numerous diseases. Others developed a lower tier of cancer, shortening their lives. After this, public opinion of these practices drove these mages into exile. Even in spite of this, they still continued their experiments in secret."
"That's just sickening to hear."
"But from their previous records, it soon became clear that lunar energy is simply too powerful to control. So they instead got the idea to convert the energy type; recycle the obtained power using very specific calibrated measurements based on scientific equations, until such magic was safer to use on the general population. Due to their unpopularity and need to conduct this research in secret, the development of Leray magic was slow going. But eventually..."
Danton turned around, observing the results of that horrible time of immoral experiments... "So pure lunar energy, it kills anyone who might dare use it, because it's too powerful? And this crystal core is the result of that? Generating safer Leray magic?"
"Yes. It was discovered, after the mages came out with the correct algorithms that the storage and usage of Leray type energy had no harmful effects when expelled from the human body. In addition, the human imagination easily hijacked control of which elements could emerge from the magical expulsion processes. Of this, all sorts of spells were born while Leray crystals became the most popular asset for magical storage and dispersion. But there were still problems."
"No veil existed yet. Even Leray magic used on its own could kill anyone it is used on."
"Good deduction."
"But I thought the veil supplies people with Leray magic. If it didn't exist then, how did the mages and their subject use the new format?"
"Because they were still using crystal shards to transfer their energy, which was eventually discovered to be a highly insufficient system."
"Ooooh." That's makes perfect sense. This means that anyone with a charged crystal shard can use magic without the veil.
"Even with this knowledge, the mages went public with their information, trying to sell their new ideas to the masses."
"And how did that turn out?"
"Poorly for the mages. People rioted against them, and this hysteria of hatred spread all over the globe against magic. It even eventually triggered the beginning events of the Salem Witch Trials, though such an event had no real connection to the mages involved in these experiments. And to say truth, I don't blame those developments of mentality. The people who were experimented on were mostly coerced and lied to for the benefit of this research. Woman and children driven from their homes in secret lost their lives in all of this."
"But then how did the veil become an accepted idea?"
Sirus hesitated to answer, because even he didn't like where this went in life. "War." With a prolonged silence allowing Danton to process in his mind what this meant, Sirus took his deep time in continuing the history of Sprawn Valley's great magic. "The people brought up arms against the mages. But even after promising to drop the idea, the people feared their promises were just vain hoaxes. They performed illegal experiments and killed people for it after all, so their word might as well be meaningless."
"So then they were forced to fight for their ideals."
"To them, the mages developing Leray magic, it became more about defending themselves when they were hunted; self-preservation. The people coming after them were obviously on a mission to kill. Despite being against their last resort option, the mages eventually fought back using their Leray magic, powered by the arsenal of crystals they were trying to maintain."
"That's even worse. I can't have any empathy for those idiots."
"And you don't need to. But this moment in history is very important, because while defending themselves with their energy crystals, a subsequently small artificial veil of Leray magic protection was mistakenly used by accident, completely protecting one of the magic users from multiple stab wounds, a field generated by that person's friend."
"I get it now. He mistakenly exerted energy from his own crystal, and created an artificial veil around the guy he wanted to protect. And this worked?"
"It freaked the hunters out, but not into submission. The situation only escalated further. When the crystals ran dry, the mages all surrendered, powerless and defenseless."
"And they were executed?"
"Not quite. A small band of people, the mage's reinforcements arrived. They weren't carrying crystals or weapons. Only moral ideals that convinced both sides to give up on magic for good, and to let the situation be what it is. A compromise was made, and the mages were all banished from the country."
Danton began to hate the time he wasted in magic school's history sessions. "That doesn't sound like the history I grew up with."
"School history is only based on speculation. We give them bits and pieces of information, enough to learn, but not to disgust or scare everyone into a frenzy."
"Mass mayhem and panic too much of a risk for you?"
"I am not finished yet Danton. You must realize by now that the mages never truly gave up. Sprawn Valley was always chosen to be the sacred place for Leray magic, because of its valuable resources and constant moonlight passes from every angle. So instead of returning to their research, the mages taught these theories and equations of magic to another younger generation of people... People who were always welcome into the communities of Sprawn Valley."
"So they used other people to continue where they left off."
"Yes, but these newer idealists had something the original mages did not. Their moral principles and ideals all centered on improving the lives of all individuals, which became their center message. First, they used their motivation to power more crystal structures and gadgets, and receive public permission to demonstrate them to the general populous."
"How did that go?"
"Poorly, but violence never ensued. They kept trying to nudge people, convince them that their magic research, unlike that from the original mages never sacrificed a single soul, and was specifically designed not to destroy, but to save lives and preserve them."
"I see. Show them how Leray magic protects instead of showing them flashy spells... That's actually smart."
"Their intentions were always pure. They wanted to live in a world constantly fueled by Leray magic, not only to preserve the health of the citizens, but also to invent a new, fool-proof sport."
"I'm guessing it worked... Just that it took a really long time."
"Not everyone was happy with the proposed arrangements. But the slow, non-aggressive persuasion tactics gave these idealists access to followers in heavy numbers. People wanted to live free of the fearful grip of death, and after showing how non-lethal Leray magic is when introduced with a protective veil field, their followers also became far more loyal. You can possibly imagine what this difference in mass opinion led to."
"Another war?"
"A general split in the population. See, their proposal relied heavily on a larger veil, a massive machine that would project the veil throughout the entire continent. If not relying only on small unconnected crystals, they knew their idea for a new machine could create a veil large enough for the whole country, while simultaneously reducing the power cost needed to maintain a veil."
"I have to say," Danton observed once more, "their idea was highly efficient in saving energy."
"According to school history books, it were the pacifist idealists who received the credit for inventing Leray magic, and that apparently didn't bother the second wave mages at all. So naturally, Lysander Leray, public speaker of these new-age mages received all the credit for our present day veil. As for the people living there who wanted nothing to do with this magic setup, they were out-voted on future decisions, and over time, left the country for their safety."
"The population splits, the naysayers leave peacefully, and whatever is left are all in favor for Leray magic," Danton concluded. That has to be the smoothest political operation he ever heard of before.
"This nation was built on the foundation of these ideals; the desire to conduct sporty Leray battles while also extending the lives of their humans, and making all magical usage as safe as physically possible, but also to ensure that the people living in Sprawn Valley have the highest level of natural freedom available. So Sprawn Valley became a partial democracy, though the mage council wasn't invented until after the coming of the war of mages."
"So that was a separate second war? And if I know this one, it wasn't about magic, but about symbol and marking practices?"
"Precisely. Due to the nature of the uninvolved territory of these two different wars, the official war of mages is historically accurate, right down to the last letter in those history books."
"So there's one less lie I need to worry about... But hold on a sec!" Danton put another problem together in his mind. "If you look at everything that has ever happened so far, that means that all magic is still evil in some way. People are learning to neglect the protective effects of the veil by introducing dark magic. That illegal practice, what else could it be if not pure lunar energy? And yet the veil in turn prevents their bodies from frying! This is all messed up Sirus!"
"You've gotten carried away." After noticing Danton's confused expression from being wrong, Sirus brought the issue to a different area. "Dark magic wasn't invented that long ago. Its nature does not derive from the same source of pure lunar magic, but rather from the new source of Leray energy."
"That makes no sense, Sirus. Dark magic negates the veil, so it can't come from the same energy signature."
"But it does," he argued. "What do you think happens when a person, so in-tune with Leray magic becomes extraordinary angry or upset?"
"Then they would be pissed off, obviously."
"The energy signature from dark magic has proven to initially start from that of normal Leray magic, directly from the veil's source, but the people storing that energy also have the capacity to shift their own energy signature, mid-invocation."
"That would be far too dangerous then to have a veil in the first place!"
"The power of our own desires and imagination sometimes overpower that of our own stored Leray energy. Still is there a lot in study over this, but it means that the power of the human will can almost equal that of the propagation power of the veil sent out every day."
"I don't understand."
"It's simple to explain if you keep it all in mind at once. You simply take what is given to you, and transform what you have to a point of absolute reversal. Then you end up with an energy signature that is more powerful than what was initially given you. Magical amplification, processed purely by powerful enough negative emotion or will power, and sent out in a state exactly opposite to the signature rate of the veil is the definition of dark magic."
Strong negative emotion... "Wait," Danton thawed. "You mean that anybody with access to Leray magic can at any time use dark magic whenever they want?"
"There are dark magic specific spells, but the egg came before the chicken in this scenario. We planted the seed of potential, and in total accident, some people figured out that powerful negative emotion could be used to amplify energy and turn around the signature simultaneously. Once you've figured out dark magic, you won't really need to get as angry the second time, or as much from the second time to the third time. This makes the practice a highly volatile and dangerous mechanism."
"We invented dark magic? This evil and illegal power that can kill regardless of the veil?"
"I'm afraid so. It's entirely possible for random Leray wielders of higher training to accidentally use dark magic if they seriously lose their temper during magical exertion. Even though that is not the only requirement, the process is still a rare occurrence that we control in the reports."
"You..." Danton suddenly approached Sirus as fast as he could, fist out and ready to strike. There wasn't anywhere to channel this horrible frustration, and Sirus knew this whole time! Danton struck his fist towards Sirus, but Sirus caught it with his left hand, almost expectantly and with little emotion. "You knew about this! And you just sat on this danger? We ought to be destroying the veil, destroying the crystal core so that nobody can ever use dark magic again!" Danton read those reports long ago, how many people have died in a dark magic related incident. The relative scale may be low, but those were still people.
Sirus grasped Danton's hand tightly to defend himself, trying to calm the man down before he lost his own temper. "Every system we already have in place exists to monitor each town and area for suspicious activity and dark magic users. It's the reason we have Leray agents, detectives, and gradyents stationed everywhere to learn about each new wielder, and track their movements."
Danton lost his nerve, and let himself sink to his knees with his hands on both sides of his head. He pounded on the metal floor with his bare fist, lashing out anyway he knew how to. "This isn't what we were promised! This isn't Leray magic! None of this is as we thought it was!" Gradyents and agents going around everywhere, eyeing everyone as if they are criminals! And they might be; one could never know! This all started from evil experiments lost to memories of the past. And this... This massive contraption giving power to everyone. It's innocent looking, but if just anyone can learn dark magic with such easy tactics, is the veil really a safe bet at all? How could it be? Anyone can die regardless of the veil! Everything is a lie!
"You are not the only one who has developed this reaction, Sir Danton. I can assure you that I too once fell prey to a darkening sensation of grief that lasted for months."
Danton held his teeth shut and out, glaring murderously at the mage aside to him from his position on the ground. "How? How can everyone let this go on?! We were promised Leray magic could never be used to kill, yet here's all the truth to the contrary. Leray magic isn't worth all of those deaths Sirus. All of those experiments, all of those lives lost in the war!"
"Think backwards in time. Rewind yourself to several months ago, perhaps longer than that. And ask yourself, why did you become involved in Leray magic in the first place? Yeah, you didn't know how dangerous the world could really be, but you still had a reason to rise to the top. Every kid who makes it here has a powerful aspiration they follow in their hearts, a will to win."
"That's where you're wrong." Danton stood though slumped in his shoulders and overall stance, giving him the stance of a zombie depleted of all remaining foods. "All I did in the beginning was inherit my father's skills and legacy. I fought for him because he became too sick to do it for himself anymore. But after he died, I still kept practicing Leray magic, not because I had to, but because it was supposed to be fun. I brought that all the way into this tower, and you've destroyed all of it."
"Have I? You just told me that you are not driven by a sense of victory. If that's true, then what about Leray magic was fun for you?"
"The unbroken concept I thought I had for it, you idiot! Magic was supposed to be more than just a fun sport. It's a passage of our own lives; it's the way we live, and everyone is supposed to use it honorably and responsibly! I thought everyone could inspire each other to behave that way."
"And this desire of yours... Not everybody shares it yet. I'm not that naive either. But then that's the reason I have not destroyed the crystal core. It's because I still believe that a better world with this thing is possible."
"Look around you," Danton commanded. "The world might be fine now, but people will eventually learn more about how to process this dark magic. And when you get enough of that going around, will all of the death, destruction, and crime be worth it to you? When will it be too late to shut down the Leray veil? Answer me Sirus!" Danton could tell his warnings were making some impressionable effect on Sirus. He could see the lost fear still glimmering in the old man's eyes.
"But I still believe we can employ tactics that prevent these issues from growing Danton. I know we can make sure Sprawn Valley never faces war ever again."
"All you have to do for that wish, is shut down the veil."
"And destroy all of their lives? You really think the people of Sprawn Valley will just be happy to abandon the very reason they live here in the first place?"
"Better safe than sorry," Danton repulsed.
"And you would make that decision for them?"
Danton growled because of how stupid this guy was. He can't understand anything! "They can't make that decision for themselves Sirus! They don't know the truth about Leray magic, because you've kept it from them, from all of us!"
This might have been a bad idea after all. If Danton turns rouge over this, everything will fail! "That's because it would be even more dangerous to reveal that truth. Lunar energy without its conversion is so intensely powerful, than when compressed into crystals correctly, their destructive energy could potentially be unleashed anywhere in the world."
The daunting thought finally hit him with that phrase, something Danton should have realized sooner. "Lunar... Lunar energy can be used anywhere?"
"You don't really need a veil to use magic. You can store Leray energy into a crystal shard, and unleash it into any environment around the world. But in that unclean format, you barely make a dent, maybe even kill a person. However, with unfiltered lunar magic stored in a device, unleashed onto any part of the world, the destructive power could bring any city you choose to its knees, and the people would be powerless."
So magic is not limited to Sprawn Valley? That's an illusion too... Is anything here real or safe? What even is magic anymore?
"Sprawn Valley suffered incredible hardships to develop where it is today. We keep the veil limited, so that the other countries can live in the bliss they've asked for. And we lie to the people, so that those who may ever dare to misuse our magical process never get the idea of harming innocent civilians outside of Sprawn Valley, outside of our protection and our promise."
Danton was nearly breathless, unable to feel anything anymore. "I can't believe this is happening."
"Leray magic," Sirus described, "is like Pandora's Box. We've opened a very dangerous tool. And yeah, we could destroy this veil, and try to pan out the consequences of surviving without magic... Or we do what we've always done. Limit the usage of magic as much as possible, so that only the good comes out of Leray magic. While people are going around conducting battles for rewards, everyone out there is having a blast. We monitor all of it to ensure that freedom endures."
Clenching every limb he had, Danton tried to suffer through the massive headache he'd given himself. Every one of Sirus's words were hurting. Which decision is the right one? Try to live with this, or destroy the crystal core? "And what happens if we fail?"
"You really think we've been living up in this tower running a candle operation all these years? Even members of the mage council don't fully grasp the understanding of the source of all our energy. You, me, Lawrence, Shadler, and the people that came before us all know what's really at stake, all the time. And me? I have to live with it too, questioning whether I'm really doing enough to protect this world from the great harm we've created."
"What would happen to us if we destroyed it?"
Sirus knew what Danton was referring to, but advised against it. "Then we will live in very dark ages. The future may forever be doomed with high uncertainty."
"Isn't it already?"
"Let me be clear," Sirus tried. "If we were to destroy this veil at any time, what would immediately happen next?"
"Mass panic, but not the end of the world."
"Not right away. People like us who know the whole truth, are also the only people capable of understanding how this contraption works. That is, right now. But say we destroy the veil. The panic it would cause would have every member of the mage council and emergency response unit up here in a flash to discover what happened. If they see the system destroyed, they will ask us to rebuild it."
"So we refuse!"
"Then they simply throw us out for tampering with their precious Leray system."
"We fight back!" Seriously! What does this guy not get about the simplicity of the plan?
"How? What magic would you fight them with?" Danton winced and looked away... There it is. He finally gets enough of how this really works. "We would be powerless against the masses, and even with us out of the picture, they would eventually figure out how to rebuild the system on their own. It's not as complicated as it might seem at a glance. When they learn how the crystal core works, who then would convince them to keep the new information they would learn a secret from the public? Imagine then everyone at once learning how easy it would be to invoke dark magic, or worse, lunar magic in other parts of the world."
"We would never win... We would only wake up the people we're trying to save ourselves from."
"Corrupt people with this much power will use it however they please. It would actually make it easier. Some vigilante group upset about the fact that their government lied to them regarding magic, convinces an insolent group of people to sacrifice their own lives unleashing moonlight hell in cities all over the world. And the only thing we would have bought ourselves is time before the doom. I still wonder if that's the way things are now; that we're simply fighting to delay the inevitable apocalypse that would befall this world if magic existed in all parts of the world. Can we really stop it forever, regardless of whether we destroy or protect the veil? I don't know Danton, but I still had to make a tough choice."
"So if we destroy the veil, it would wake the people to the truth, but at a cost of rebuilding the veil without us."
"I know that sounds like a worst case scenario, set aside on the brink of paranoia, but..."
Danton studied Sirus's face again. Everything he has ever wanted in this was all to make the world a better place by lying. For some reason, it's worked so far.
"A limited Leray system that works for everyone, improving lives and making the world a more fun place is something I want to get behind. It's the only reason I haven't smashed these pillars to pieces. And I know that it's the same for you."
"Don't you dare speak for me."
"Leray magic, used in an honorable and responsible way brings out the best in people and how they live their lives. I know that's what you believed before coming up here today. But there is no reason why this new information has to make that idea false!"
So even you believe, Sirus? How? In a world so doomed by Leray magic, where any change would make the destruction of this country so unbelievably easy, how could you ever for a moment believe that everyone will be so graceful and submissive to our laws? What about moral principles? What happens when some sap somewhere learns how to use dark magic? You just send in a Leray agent to snatch him up and throw him behind bars? Do you just kill him for threatening other lives? What is the truth anymore about anything!?
"Whatever choice you decide to make, we should do it as a team. But if this is something you can't handle, then just walk away from it right now."
"Sirus."
"I won't let you destroy this core though. I still believe in humanity's ability to use magic responsibly, even if dark magic becomes a new threat to the world. We'll find some way of combating that issue."
Sirus really believes... And a few hours ago, so did I. The crystal core is humanity's blessing and its own curse. Without the conversion factor of Leray magic, lunar energy would be used instead, killing anyone who tries to use it on the spot simply because they can't handle the excess energy. But on the other hand, because the veil exists, dark magic also exists; a nasty child of this so-called Pandora's Box. What will the future hold for Sprawn Valley if anything bad happens, even just something small? What happens when the world wakes up to the truth about the origin of Leray magic? How many people riot in disapproval? How many turn to such violent action? In a way, Sirus has a point about only one thing. Destroying the veil is also a problem, because it carries the same weight of negative consequences. Keep the veil? Dispose of the veil? "Raaaaaagh! There isn't a right or wrong choice anymore!"
"The world is not this black and white place you thought it was Danton. I'm sorry that our lie taught you otherwise. You can fully blame that much on me."
Is he giving Danton permission to punch him now? Would it even make a difference at this point? "How will we ever know?"
"We're not supposed to," Sirus explained. "Every decision we make from this point on will be both right and wrong. That is the sacrifices we top mages make every single day to protect the futures we want. And in order to do that, we must decide which choice is a best-fit solution to every problem, knowing full well that anything we do can backfire. That is why I can't think about right and wrong like that anymore. I think about my vision instead."
"Your vision?"
"I imagine this world as it's been for the last peaceful sixty years. Everyone grows up all inspired by our magic, and they use it only for the right reasons. People in Sprawn Valley have fun conducting battles, not because they like destruction or hurting each other, but because it's a great way to practice their skills and spells. Leray battles are the only way we've learned new tactics for our amazing work forces, like how the Leray agents managed to develop new skills for capturing potential terrorists, or teaching children how to drive boats lost at sea to land using the power of concentrated water blasts. Like it or not, Leray magic is saving lives and making people happier. The moment we think it might hurt someone, we act immediately at the site and respond. That is our Sprawn Valley way."
Danton shut his eyes for a moment to inhale deeply, stretching his legs up tall in a stretch with his eyes glistening with tears to be, then shuffling to Sirus, who had his back against the wall. "Those words," he threatened, "are the only reasons why I'm choosing not to kill you and destroy this core right now. If you really believe that, then I'll have no choice but to try and follow."
Sirus sighed of heavy relief, proving he had no real idea which way Danton might branch off to. But then Danton lifted Sirus off the ground with his fist clenched carrying his frontal cloak.
"But if you've left anything important out, or even if your intentions are pure and we fail anyway, I'm holding you completely responsible. I mean it!" Sirus had no choice but to face Danton's wrath and submit to his word of warning. "If I do this, and it's the wrong choice, I won't care about saving my own morals anymore, I will kill you!" Danton finally struck Sirus in the face just as he dropped the cloak. The hit actually dented his knuckles and brought pain to the top of his hand, but Danton turned around, finally decided on what he needs to do. The mission is clear enough. Whether it works or not, that's another matter entirely.
Sirus slightly fell to the ground, but he's been punched in the face before, for similar reasons no less. It's all the same every time... Only Danton really is serious about protecting the people now. That's exactly what mentality he needs to have for this to work. "Get it all out so you can function on top of your normal duties."
Danton further questioned a few less important details he still needed to sort out. "Is this also the reason why we have a General Army?"
"An emergency response unit. The agents will never be able to take on threats bigger than what they can handle out in the field. But an army of soldiers backed by superior technology and top-notch magical skills will surely get the job done. They are only loyal to you, the champion of Leray magic."
"Don't call me that anymore." It's no longer a befitting title, but rather a tainted description for anyone involved. "I am Brash Danton. I'm not some rich arrogant king. I'll never turn into that."
Good, because there is too much at stake now. "Oh, and one more thing," Sirus reminded. "You told me to make sure you were informed about every single detail from now on. I bet Shadler didn't tell you how that Mega-Staff really works."
Danton turned around, angered again, but with nowhere to drive it to. Shadler isn't here, but if only he was... "Spit it out then."
"Other than power-housing the functionality of conserving magic while amplifying your Leray based powers, and other than being the only unit capable of holding the legendary summon of Entiene, that specific Mega-Staff is also a potential deadly weapon. You must never be careless when using it, and never let anyone else hold onto it."
"Deadly weapon how?"
"The Mega-Staff is more of a utility than a staff. Its crystal core is extremely special, and has the power to hold and sustain usable energy for prolonged periods of time, no matter where it might be located."
"Are you trying to tell me that my new staff can shoot magic out of its crystal without the veil?"
"Strangely, it's a dual-component based system. Normally used, it functions like the staff you used to know, dispersing only Leray-type energy acquired from the veil and combined with your personal MP aura. But it can also be used to release magical energy, from any energy signature including pure lunar magic, onto any part of the world without the stability of a veil, when completely charged of course."
"And what charges it?"
"The very existence of the veil will charge the core crystal with Leray-type energy automatically. This means you can stand here, travel to another country, and fire magic from that staff as the old mages of the past did. You could also optionally charge that staff with pure lunar energy during a full moon night, and unleash it's type of energy, which would also prevent Leray energy from charging into the core of the staff until seven days dilutes the energy away from the crystal. Think of it as a miniature version of this crystal core."
"That's severely unsettling to hear," Danton admitted. "But the charge, it won't last?"
"No. Without a veil to supply it energy, your staff will slowly deplete itself, faster during magical invocation. The same can be said for pure lunar energy. But, the use of lunar energy through that staff could easily have a deadly effect on the user. Best not to even try it out."
"Great. You realize Shadler just gave me this staff without telling me these things?"
"And now you know why he has been detained. He skipped the entire process of teaching you these truths, and sent you into blind danger to tame Entiene far too early, which breaks several of our sacred protocols. By the way, it was some good luck capturing Entiene."
"Thanks. But when I see Shadler again, I'll be sure to give him some of my regards. That two-faced, good for nothing—" Danton gave up rambling on about Shadler's shady operation. He really is just a stupid senile idiot in light of all this. "Sirus? I don't know if I can promise secrecy between myself and a few of my friends from the Trujima gang."
"You don't have a choice. If a single one of them has a dark spot in their heart, then your truth will transform who they are, and everything will end badly."
"You really think you know how people are? I haven't heard such words from my own grandpa, and he constantly got lost in his memories."
"I am serious Danton. Once upon a time, I once had to bear witness to one of my trusted mentors fall victim to the powerful mental defying effects of dark magic."
"And what happened to this mentor?"
"Since it happened here in this tower, we detained him into the interrogation room. He was powerless there, but I've never seen a man's mind so quickly and easily twisted by the tempting power of dark magic. It's not the magic that does it, but the very realization that such a man can tap into something three times more effective than what they've used all their life... That can change anyone should they be vulnerable to the idea, and that's just dark magic... Lunar magic in comparison runs about sixty times higher in average power levels than dark magic does. The temptation might drive at least one of your friends to a dangerous place."
"They're also all I have left, and I can't tell them anything!"
"Look at you," Sirus pointed. "You're barely okay now, but a moment ago, you were losing your mind. Think about the torture this might bring to your friends, and what it might affect in their hearts as a result... Danton, I can't stop you from telling other people. I only pray for all our safety that you don't."
"But I still get to decide that Sirus. You've put me through quite enough already, so you're already on thin ice. Don't forget that." Danton turned to the door he came from, leaving the same way he came without Sirus to follow him. Sirus was smart enough to realize that Danton just wanted to be alone right now. And well realized; this is the worst nightmare anyone from Sprawn Valley can ever have. Then again, it could even turn out to be worse in the future. What the hell have I inherited from Lawrence?
Sirus let Danton drag his feet down all the way to the elevator. He forgot to grab his license card keeping the crystal core doors open, but Sirus was already trusted enough to deliver the pass back to Danton in the chamber room floor. Still, it isn't easy to tell if this will work out or not. Telling all champions the truth is a tough thing to do, but Sirus has never seen anyone react to this so severely before. Danton is the only one who has ever made a real threat to destroy the veil like that, at least as long as Sirus has been a mage here... Watching Danton's heart twist in pain; that was tough for Sirus to see, unimaginable to how it might have felt. The moment of his own trial with this issue happened so long ago, the memory faded and vague, but it leaves scars on everyone involved. That's the price to pay for the truth. Until Leray magic can one day be used in a way that is one hundred percent safe and foolproof, this is the best we can do.
Danton held his head down while descending down the lift. All he could do now was ponder everything he's ever learned in life. Everything he has ever fought for, was any of it real? Was all of this in vain? It's too hard to believe that the whole world has changed this much. But really, it never did. Danton is the one who has changed. People who learn the truth about Leray magic, their perspective on everything is different. This system of Leray magic and battles is far more backwards than anything he ever could have imagined. If the founders of Leray magic were really as evil and twisted as they were, does that mean that magic itself is the same way?