“People who carry on a will, huh.”

Kishiar repeated Yuder’s words.

“There’s something to that. Yes, I can see it that way. It’s an interesting thought... no, maybe it’s actually quite close to the real answer.”

He didn’t dismiss Yuder’s idea as nonsense. On the contrary, he seemed to take it more seriously than Yuder himself.

“It’s generally understood now that while Awakener powers are strongly influenced by will, magic depends more on the conditions and environment that allow it to manifest, rather than the caster’s will. The strongest evidence supporting that theory is the existence of magic circles and magical tools.”

After the early age of magic, where spells could only be cast through personal mana, came the era when manastones were discovered. Mages realized they could use the mana stored in manastones to cast spells without having to gather large amounts of mana within their own bodies, avoiding much of the risk. It was a one-time-use method, but in many ways, far safer.

Building on that, they analyzed the magic circles of Great Mages and found ways to trap and direct mana in specific forms, which led to the creation of magical tools. Since magical tools could be used even by non-mages, they were revolutionary.

“Modern researchers say that theoretically, if the right conditions and environment are met, magic can be sustained indefinitely. In reality, few spells have lasted that long—but we’re talking about the Great Mage Luma here, aren’t we?”

“Yes, we are.”

“So, let’s suppose all this was a setup—a magical configuration designed by Luma to manifest a spell called the ‘Great Mage’s Blessing.’”

Kishiar raised his hand and began counting off his points.

“If a Great Mage wanted a spell to persist long-term, he would’ve needed to construct an environment where that magic could survive without becoming corrupted. The mage school that inscribes symbols—if we see it as the foundation—is pretty solid in that regard. As long as there are mages who pass on the will and inscribe the symbol that represents it, the environment for the spell to manifest would always exist.”

Yuder nodded to show he understood.

“And if those mages happened to meet certain specific conditions, the blessing would manifest using their mana. Yes... then both the environment and conditions would be satisfied. It’d be a spell that fulfills the Great Mage’s purpose, imbued with his will.”

“I was worried it might’ve sounded like a foolish idea... but you’re saying it’s magically plausible.”

“Honestly, I think it’s something that could only be said by someone unfamiliar with how magic works and only focused on Luma as a person. I never thought to associate his abilities with something like this myself.”

Kishiar smiled.

“Actually, in a way, his magic is a bit like my power. It’s not about the strength of the power itself, but how you use it that matters.”

The power to push and pull—and the magic of connection.

Both could seem extremely limited if interpreted narrowly. But with the right shift in perspective, both could unleash immense power. Kishiar seemed to have reflected on that while observing Luma’s magic.

“So, whether or not it was truly possible in this situation... I don’t think that really matters much anymore. If the Great Mage planned it all this far, he likely made sure it could be done. What matters for us now is finding proof.”

Yuder nodded.

“Yes, you’re right. Looks like there’s even more to investigate once we return.”

His grandfather’s real name. The old incident. The mage school. Luma’s actions after writing the journal. While Yuder mentally sorted through the things he needed to check, Kishiar gave a slightly different kind of smile than before.

“I imagine hearing your grandfather might’ve been a mage blessed by the Great Mage could feel a bit strange from a family standpoint. Are you okay with that?”

“That part... I already came to terms with it when I first heard he might’ve been involved in magic. Everything else is just an extension of that. It’s fine.”

No matter what, the grandfather who raised Yuder was no illusion. He had loved Yuder and cared for him until the day he died. Whether he was a mage, someone who lost his memories and changed, or someone whose very being had shifted from some magical blessing—it didn’t matter. Whatever was added to his identity, that one truth alone was enough.

The man hearing his answer smiled with crescent-shaped eyes.

“If he could hear you, I’m sure he’d be very happy.”

Maybe so. Yuder couldn’t say for sure, but the thought didn’t feel bad.

They walked side by side. Yuder felt the warmth beside him and thought:

‘If the Great Mage’s Blessing really was Luma’s magic...’

There had been a mage in the past who claimed that receiving that blessing meant they were the reincarnation of the Great Mage himself. If that were true, could that mean his grandfather was such a person too? That kind, gentle old man—was he really the reincarnation of Great Mage Luma? It didn’t seem to fit at all. It was strange.

‘I should probably ask Inon about this. He knows more about Luma than anyone else.’

There was no one who understood Luma better than Inon. So Yuder naturally planned to bring this up to him as soon as they returned.

‘But aside from that... if Luma was the one who cast the blessing, what did he intend to do after the magic succeeded?’

Truthfully, Yuder already knew the answer. Luma would’ve wanted to prevent the coming catastrophe, just as he wrote in his journal.

But his grandfather had done nothing other than raise Yuder.

‘No, not nothing. He did read a lot of books.’

And that was it.

The Great Mage Luma hadn’t just wanted to stop a future disaster. According to the journal, he also wanted to meet another hero if one ever emerged in the future.

Yuder might not be a hero like Luma, but he ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) had died once like the Founding Emperor and come back. His goal, then and now, remained the same: to stop the world’s destruction. If you thought about it that way... didn’t he kind of fit the description of someone Luma would want to meet?

Was the meeting between his grandfather and infant Yuder really a coincidence?

‘Maybe I’m overthinking it... but I’ve come this far, and I can’t help wondering.’

His grandfather couldn’t have known that a Red Stone would fall long after his death. He couldn’t have known that Yuder would become an Awakener, join the Cavalry, rise to Commander, and in the end lead a bloody struggle to prevent annihilation. That Yuder would die, come back, and only then think to return to his hometown...

Surely he couldn’t have known...

‘...Could he really not have known?’

There was no way to tell. But now, Yuder found himself wondering—wondering so much, he wished he could turn back time again just to meet his grandfather and ask.

“What are you thinking about so hard?”

Kishiar murmured quietly. Yuder looked at his face and voiced the thoughts that had just passed through his mind.

“I was just thinking... I wish Grandfather had written a journal too, like Luma. The account book’s not exactly helpful for things like this.”

Yuder trusted that Kishiar would understand exactly what he meant by just those words. Seeing the man’s soft, comforting smile confirmed it.

“But I was honestly really happy to find that account book.”

“That’s a separate matter, though.”

Yuder answered coldly, and Kishiar chuckled softly. He tapped the part of the bag on his back where the selected account books were stored.

“Well, you never know. I actually brought these because I wanted to take a closer look.”

“Didn’t you say you only brought the ones recording my childhood accidents?”

“I really wanted to bring those, yes—but actually, it’s the opposite. These are the final volumes he wrote.”

Yuder had assumed Kishiar picked out the ones mentioning his childhood mishaps, given how fondly he talked about them. But it turned out that wasn’t the case.

When he turned to look, he saw the man’s face now revealed—his facial disguise undone, crimson eyes gleaming clearly. He opened his mouth.

“I can’t say for sure yet, but I have a feeling that part of these volumes was written according to a certain pattern. Once we’re back, if we compare them with the right books... we might uncover something more.”