When Qiaolin opened his eyes again, the scenery before him had shifted abruptly.
He was back in his original small wooden cabin.
Even though he had only been gone for a few days, a thin layer of dust had already settled on the furniture.
“Impressive teleportation magic, though it consumes quite a bit of mana.”
Qiaolin sensed the mana capacity within his body.
Even when he manifested the Universal Divine Light, it didn’t put much of a load on him, yet this magic caused his mana to fluctuate noticeably.
This place was not far from the Royal Capital, but it was still about 30 miles away.
For Qiaolin and Gaborina, they could have arrived in a few hours using flight magic.
What Qiaolin wanted to verify now was whether the teleportation distance would affect the mana consumption of Folding Warp.
He concentrated his mind again and teleported into the pharmacy behind the house.
‘The mana consumption is actually the same. No wonder Osaran called this a half-finished magic.’
Even though the teleportation destination could be chosen at will, the mana cost was completely disproportionate to the distance.
Whether he moved a few meters or instantly teleported 1,000 or even 10,000 miles away, the cost remained the same.
However, these restrictions were not a problem for Qiaolin.
The only thing left to confirm was whether objects attached to the caster’s mana could move along with them, just as Osaran had claimed.
After all, the principle behind any spatial magic was essentially breaking through spatial limitations, which inherently carried significant risks.
Qiaolin used Folding Warp to blink outside the house.
He casually picked a flower, infused it with his mana, and then visualized the image of Osaran’s secret magic chamber.
“Poof!”
“Eh?!”
Before Gaborina could even react, Qiaolin appeared barely a finger’s width away from her, startling her so much that she stumbled backward.
“You need to be more careful,” Gaborina warned.
“It looks like there’s still some margin for error. If I only visualize the interior, I’ll land randomly within the range of the image I’ve constructed,” Qiaolin said with a wry smile.
“So you almost ran right into me.”
“Sorry, sorry.”
Qiaolin scratched his head and handed Gaborina the flower.
“I picked this specifically for you. Don’t be mad.”
“Ah? Oh… you’re quite thoughtful.”
The resentment in Gaborina’s eyes vanished instantly.
She took the flower and turned away, her flushed cheeks leaning close to the petals as she lightly inhaled their fragrance.
“Ahem…”
Osaran cleared his throat and spoke up.
“It seems that applying this magic to living things other than the caster shouldn’t be a problem.”
Qiaolin rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
“Does the Hero have any other questions?”
Osaran asked.
“No, I have no issues. I’ll be taking this magic with me.”
“Please, feel free.”
“Brother Osaran, your magic is truly powerful. In time, perhaps it can serve the public.”
“The Hero flatters me. After all, it is the work I have dedicated my life to. However, from now on, I think I should enjoy the rest of my life.”
“Oh?”
“I wasn’t supposed to live more than a few months. But thanks to your intervention, I can feel my body overflowing with vitality. It might not last forever, but it is enough for me to live without regrets.”
Osaran bowed deeply toward Qiaolin.
“Thank you, Hero.”
“Haha, just call me Qiaolin. I’ve taken one of your spells, so let’s consider us even.”
“That was a qualification you earned fair and square through the test.”
“Hmm… I suppose you’re right.”
“Qiaolin nodded.”
It looked like Osaran wanted to repay him, but other than the teleportation magic he had just learned, Qiaolin didn’t feel the need to learn any other magic.
“Would the Hero care to stay at my manor as a guest for a while longer?”
“I’m afraid not. My companion and I are in a hurry.”
“Is that so?”
A hint of regret appeared in Osaran’s eyes.
Out of politeness, he didn’t ask Qiaolin’s purpose for learning the magic.
He believed that the Hero who had once saved humanity would not use it for anything improper.
“Then how about I treat you and this young lady to a meal? Right here at my manor.”
“Gaborina?”
Qiaolin looked at the girl, asking for her opinion.
“A meal? Sure!”
The moment she heard about food, Gaborina agreed without a second thought.
‘Sigh, this girl…’
Qiaolin began to wonder if she had been lured away by some ill-intentioned people during the months she spent looking for him.
She was a Demon King who could be distracted by mere food.
After the meal, Osaran excused himself, claiming he had imperial matters to attend to.
Qiaolin had a general idea of what he was going to do.
Since even the Royal Capital was plagued by assassins of the three to four-crown level, it was clear that internal infiltration had become very serious.
Although Osaran planned to stop his magical research, he was still the appointed Great Archmage of the Kingdom of Nolan.
He remained responsible for his country and its people.
“You look quite unsatisfied,” Qiaolin said with a laugh, looking at Gaborina sitting nearby.
The girl’s small mouth was covered in oil and sauce.
She had just finished gnawing on a lamb leg, her cheeks bulging.
Before she could even finish chewing, she reached out for the dessert on the dining cart.
“I’m not full yet!”
“Enjoy it then. Once we get to the Demon King’s Castle, you won’t be able to eat this creme brulee anymore.”
“Mind your own business…”
Gaborina grumbled.
She scooped a spoonful of the dessert into her mouth, and in an instant, her face was filled with a satisfied smile.
“When are we leaving?”
Qiaolin couldn’t help but ask, seeing her look so happy while eating.
“How about… we stay for the next meal too?”
Qiaolin sighed helplessly.
‘This is just great. She’s enjoying herself so much she’s forgotten all about the Demon King’s Castle.’
“Keep eating. I’m going out for some air.”
“Okay~”
Gaborina chirped an acknowledgment and continued to savor the delicacies.
Qiaolin walked into the courtyard.
It was warm and sunny outside, and the garden was beautifully manicured.
There was no sign at all that a battle had taken place there the previous night.
He sat quietly on the railing, leaning against a pillar, basking in the sun.
At that moment, a man wearing long robes walked up to his side, joining him in admiring the garden scenery.
“Who exactly are you? Are you another disciple the old man took in?”
“Karl asked abruptly.”
“Another? Heh, even now, do you still call yourself Osaran’s disciple?”
At the dinner table, Qiaolin had learned from Osaran about the collaborator behind the assassination.
Even if there wasn’t sufficient evidence yet, everyone was well aware of the truth.
“His magic needs an heir. I am merely fulfilling that obligation, nothing more.”
“To speak of betraying your master so grandiosely… I think you’re just greedy for Osaran’s magic. You’re practically obsessed. He is a genius of All-element Magic. What are you?”
Qiaolin glanced at Karl, a faint ripple of mana brewing in his eyes.
“Five Crown Initial Stage. You have some talent, but compared to Osaran, you’re nothing.”
Qiaolin’s tone was flat, as if he were stating a simple fact, but in Karl’s eyes, it was a blatant provocation.
Qiaolin noticed Karl’s clenched fists.
“I have seen many geniuses. Every one of them possessed abilities that inspired awe. The experts recognized by this world, whether they are Mortal Rank, King Rank, or even the strongest Saint Rank—at the end of the day, it’s just a competition of whose mana is stronger. Magic is simply a way to manifest your power more conveniently. But you seem to think that the more spells you master, the more it showcases your strength and status?”
Karl kept his mouth shut, his lips pressed thin.
Before he could speak, Qiaolin continued.
“Your teacher was fully capable of reaching the King Rank before the age of 25. Those with All-element Magic cultivate five times faster than other types of Mages, even if their mana was zero when they awakened.”
“What did you say?!”
Karl’s eyes widened in shock.
He knew, of course, that one’s natural mana capacity at the time of awakening determined their starting point.
But if someone’s mana was zero, the Mana Measuring Stone wouldn’t even glow.
Essentially, such a person would be judged as having no potential to learn magic.
“How ridiculous. How could you possibly know that? When my teacher first awakened his mana, the stone showed two and a half feet,” Karl sneered.
“In all of human history, the only ones with All-element Magic were the Celestial Hero and the Saintess from 300 years ago. Your claim is completely unproven!”
“Then just pretend I never said it. I’m telling you these things only to remind you…”
A flash of contempt crossed Qiaolin’s eyes.
“You don’t have the talent to inherit Osaran’s legacy. You don’t have his focus, and you don’t have his heart.”
“You… are you trying to provoke me?”
Karl gritted his teeth.
“I admit I’m not as strong as my teacher, but I am still the youngest Great Archmage in this country! What right do you have to speak?!”
A powerful surge of wind magic erupted from Karl.
The flowers, grass, and trees in the courtyard were blown into disarray.
Qiaolin turned his face slightly, staring at him coldly, letting the wind whip past his face.
A blonde girl stepped in front of Qiaolin.
Just as she was about to lash out, Qiaolin stopped her.
Gaborina looked at him with a hint of surprise.
This wasn’t the first time he had held her back.
Faced with such a provocation, the old Qiaolin would never have humored the opponent.
“Instead of threatening me here, you should be wondering why you’re even still allowed to stand here. The things you’ve done are now known to everyone.”
Qiaolin looked bored, turning to walk away.
As he left, his final words echoed through the corridor.
“If you had been able to show a little restraint, you might have actually inherited Osaran’s magic fair and square. What a pity…”
“Damn it!”
A murderous urge to tear that black-haired youth into a thousand pieces surged in Karl’s heart.
But if he did that, wouldn’t it be an admission that the boy was right?
That he was acting out of a guilty conscience?
“I am the true genius of this country!”