Chapter 50: Clash of Pride and Curiosity

“I only revealed one of the manufacturing methods passed down in the family.”

“Do you understand?”

Understand?

Ilya didn’t understand at all.

Herbal potion.

This was not simply the concept of mixing herbs and potions together.

The proportions had to be matched perfectly without the slightest error, and in the process, the chemical reactions of seven different herbs and potions had to be precisely calculated to maximize the effect.

Even if someone had the idea of mixing herbs and potions to create a more efficient elixir—

It would still require at least an 8th-rank mage to implement such a sophisticated manufacturing method.

‘Of course.’

That was why one potion mixed with seven herbs could produce ten potions.

Even Ilya, an 8th-rank archmage, had invested two years to complete the recipe for the herbal potion.

‘This manufacturing method… was supposedly possessed by a swordsmanship noble family?’

That couldn’t be true.

Ilya immediately rebutted.

“The family is neither a Magic Tower nor a famous manufacturing house, so how could a swordsmanship family have created such a method? I simply can’t understand it.”

“Then don’t try to understand it.”

…What?

“Whether you understand or not, what does it matter to me?”

“Th-That’s…”

Ilya was momentarily flustered.

The Grand Duke wasn’t wrong.

They hadn’t stolen her work, so in the end, there was no problem.

But still—

Why did it feel so uncomfortable?

Turning away like this left something unsatisfied.

At that moment, the Grand Duke said casually, as if throwing it out.

“There are many such items stored in my mind.”

||
…Many?

“Yes. A great many.”

Since humanity had collapsed and the knowledge of all kinds of inventions had been released, the items he remembered were quite numerous.

Ethan’s calm answer made Ilya’s heart race wildly.

‘Does he really know that many manufacturing methods?’

Mages were a race that couldn’t suppress their curiosity. The Grand Duke’s words naturally stirred her interest.

A gleam appeared in her eyes.

If she was going to bait that mage here, she had to at least throw out some clues.

‘I’ll give a few samples for tasting.’

After all, these were just rough drafts of ideas, and all the items were things the future Ilya would eventually create.

There was no loss in sharing them.

“A potion made by mixing monster blood and holy water, with some medicinal herbs.”

Flinch!

“A liquid that, just by drinking it, could convert mana into another kind of energy.”

“!”

As Ethan continued to speak, Ilya’s trembling grew stronger.

“H-How?”

Was he naming all the items she was researching or had even drafted for research?

Ethan’s words didn’t stop there. He was tossing out ideas in directions no one had expected.

These were insights even an archmage like Ilya would be shocked to know.

“What I mentioned is only a very small part. The family’s secret knowledge overflows.”

…Impossible!

She couldn’t comprehend it.

This was not knowledge one could extract from a swordsmanship family.

‘Lies!’

Utter lies.

Yet one thing was certain. The knowledge the Grand Duke possessed was vast and immense.

All of it.

‘…Curious.’

The Grand Duke.

What should she do about him?

Everything he had just mentioned was only fragmented knowledge.

In his mind, the complete results of that knowledge must also exist.

She wanted to find out.

‘Should I kidnap him and extract that knowledge?’

However—

The status of being the legitimate heir of the Duke family in the Kingdom of Hydern was far greater than she had imagined, enough to make even an 8th-rank mage hesitant to act rashly.

‘Besides…’

The pure fire power he showed earlier wasn’t something even an archmage could take lightly.

Although he appeared calmly, disrupting the fire effortlessly, the elderly man’s face had been tightly furrowed with discomfort from the heat.

That delicate mana control and overwhelming power contained within the fire mana were such that even an archmage wouldn’t take it lightly.

Nineteen.

An offense filled with a level of skill and composure that one simply couldn’t show at such a young age.

Ilya fell into deep thought. Seeing her like that, Ethan smiled quietly.

Having met countless types of people throughout his life, Ethan could easily guess what Ilya was thinking.

“Hey, mage.”

“Why?”

“Don’t entertain foolish thoughts.”

Flinch!

Ilya’s ears perked up.

“That’s a rude thing to say.”

“If you’re thinking rudely, I have no choice but to speak rudely.”

“Hmph! And if I think so, what are you going to do about it?”

Ilya’s pride was wounded.

Every conversation with the Grand Duke seemed to leave her feeling like she was being suppressed.

Her strongest asset.

Her wide knowledge of manufacturing and her magical ability to realize it.

But—

Compared to the knowledge the Grand Duke possessed, it felt insignificant, like a drop in the ocean.

In the end, the only remaining means she could use to assert her pride was one thing.

Overwhelming power!

‘Hmph.’

Ethan looked at Ilya.

The mage, puffing her cheeks in frustration, was about to say something.

Well, it wasn’t hard to understand.

The ‘knight’ who had never seen her lifelong research had not only known everything but also held plenty of new ideas.

As a manufacturing mage, her pride had been shattered completely.

‘You think you can stop me?’

That sulky face seemed to say just that.

Ethan immediately drew his sword.

“What do you mean by ‘stop me’? I’m going to wake you up.”

“Hah! Little knight, I am a mage who has lived decades longer than you. Don’t make mistakes from youthful arrogance.”

Mistakes?

Ethan smiled wryly at Ilya’s words and answered quietly.

“I’m a ‘doppelganger.’ I’ll show you what my true knight is.”

“…!”

How did he know my identity!?

Ilya’s eyes widened.

At that moment.

Holding the greatsword he had drawn, Ethan approached Ilya at high speed.

His movements were much faster than before.

Two orbs of energy formed in his chest.

By releasing all the energy contained within the orbs, the mana that surged through his limbs exploded with tremendous power.

Ilya quickly rotated her mana, infusing it with a property.

Slowness.

The surrounding air was instantly engulfed by the archmage’s mana.

The speed was astonishing—just a fragment of the initial phase of time broken down into a hundred parts per second.

It was the moment her domain was established.

For a miracle conjured with just a gesture, it was terrifying.

Chosen among countless mages, then chosen again, such was the talent that had ascended to archmage status.

Within her domain, even if the knight struggled, he would probably not only be slowed but frozen in place as if time itself had stopped.

She would crush him instantly and clearly show what the difference in strength was!

Ilya looked at Ethan confidently.

Her eyes widened.

The moment the mana containing ‘slowness’ touched him—

Ethan was passing through her domain naturally.

‘W-What!’

The archmage’s eyes, trained in research and grasping truth, analyzed what the knight was doing one by one.

The Grand Duke had entered the domain.

The fire mana flowing from his body burned away all the ‘slowness’ properties.

Not only that, but he naturally carved a straight path through it, closing the distance.

Terrified, Ilya rotated her mana again.

As her form blurred—

Whoosh!

The greatsword, surging with fire power, grazed her blonde hair.

Not only did dozens of layers of defensive magic shatter like glass, but the blade severed Ilya’s golden hair.

The hair, cut limp, turned to ash instantly.

Ilya stepped back and shouted.

“What are you doing!”

Cold sweat broke out on Ilya’s forehead.

That situation had been truly dangerous.

‘How in the world…’

She had trained mana for over a hundred years.

Her mana volume and control should be overwhelmingly superior to that young knight.

So how could he pierce her domain so easily?

Although she wasn’t a battle-hardened warmage type, she had experienced many fights over the years.

‘His mana volume might be about 4-star level at best…’

But when he exploded his power just now, it was close to 5-star mana volume.

That was enough to make her body explode with just a gesture.

Yet the Grand Duke was on an entirely different level from ordinary knights.

He had easily broken through her mana and closed the distance in an instant.

The sword strike that crushed dozens of defensive barriers and finally cut her hair still replayed vividly in her mind.

She swallowed hard.

With that level of mana control and power, even if she attacked with all her might, she wouldn’t easily defeat him.

‘At least half a day.’

She’d have to pour magic relentlessly for half a day to subdue the knight.

At Ilya’s shout, Ethan chuckled and asked.

“Do you accept the swordsmanship I just showed you?”

“…!”

Ilya’s eyes trembled greatly.

The Grand Duke was only nineteen.

Including the ten years he’d been unconscious, he had lived less than ten years in total.

Yet the swordsmanship he displayed was, at the very least, that of a ‘Master’—a veteran 8-star knight or higher.

On top of that, his mana control was overwhelmingly superior to hers.

‘What kind of person is he?’

Even if he was a legendary swordsmanship genius, this was a completely different scale.

No one could achieve that level of skill with just ten years of training, no matter what.

Ethan tapped his sword lightly and said quietly.

“Think about it again.”

Ilya was speechless and clutched her collar tightly.

Thinking that this terrifying knight might rush her again, her pride flared up.

Her legs trembled.

The life of a manufacturing mage.

She hadn’t experienced many battles, nor had she faced such dangerous situations often.

‘Was that the last acceleration?’

If not—

Her life could really be in danger.

Mages, as a race, were naturally very curious, but not to the point of recklessly risking their lives.

Unless they were crazed knowledge addicts.

Ilya was curious but not insane.

She shook her head.

“…I apologize. I was rude.”

“Try to understand. I’ll be going now.”

Ethan’s tone was cold and indifferent as he looked at Ilya.

Her pride was completely crushed.

There was no way she would leave easily just because he said so.

Her guess was exactly right.

Ilya held onto his sleeve and quietly looked at Ethan.

How did he know such knowledge?

How did he build such skill?

And how had he instantly seen through her true identity?

The Grand Duke.

She was curious about his secrets.

That was the greatest curiosity awakened in her more than a hundred years of life.

Ilya pursed her lips.

She was a half-blood of humans and doppelgangers.

That was exactly why she had lived in the dungeon for over a hundred years.

Between different species and humans—

There was no place that would accept her as a hybrid.

Over those long years, most of her daily life was spent in the dungeon’s laboratory.

The only humans she interacted with were merchants who sold her manufactured goods.

In terms of experience in human relationships, she was quite poor compared to her years of life.

“…I’m good at manufacturing.”

Unable to accept the cold dismissal, this was all Ilya could say to assert herself.

Especially since she wasn’t wearing the old man’s disguise and was showing her true form.

It had been a very long time since she’d directly spoken with humans in this form.

‘I’m hooked.’

The bite was strong.

But to properly ‘sort the hierarchy,’ she had to engage in one more round of tug-of-war.

Ethan asked with a blank expression.

“So?”

‘…I’m called an archmage after all.’

“Why are you telling me that?”

“Just… it’s true…”

Her burning curiosity was not easily extinguished by his cold words.

She wanted to stay here and learn more about the Grand Duke.

“Hmm.”

Ethan wore a thoughtful expression, as if pondering.

Ilya hurriedly said,

“I-It will definitely be helpful!”

That was obvious.

She had clearly seen it in her previous life.

“How?”

“The sword! That sword! If you engrave magical formulas on it! As long as there’s a blacksmith to carve the circuits…!”

If magical formulas were inscribed on ordinary items, they would become artifacts in themselves.

‘Artifacts, huh.’

Ethan wasn’t the type to disdain auxiliary tools.

In his previous life, artifacts were invaluable tools he often lacked.

“In about ten days, a dwarf blacksmith will arrive.”

Poforens.

The letter he had sent mentioned that the blacksmith would visit here directly to inspect the pattern engraved on the printing press.

“Dwarf?”

“Yes. Then we’ll check your ability at that time.”

At those words, Ilya grasped her collar tightly and asked,

“Then… can I stay here?”

“Do as you please.”

Ethan agreed readily.

It was a question he had no reason to refuse.