Chapter 36: Heading Out

"So, if you really think about it," Celia mused, "the human body is a collection of smaller parts, almost like pieces of a machine. Eventually, everything gets worn out, even the parts that reproduce the cogs. Plus, some parts can't be as easily repaired as others, which is where aging comes in."

Outside, the evening was settling in, but Celia's attention was unwaveringly fixed on the book before her as she spoke to herself. With her left hand, she read, and with her right, she jotted down notes in her notebook. Each sentence her eyes glazed over fascinated her more than the last. In a world where major discoveries are typically made through magic, these kinds of books would normally be out of reach for her.

"In that case, if someone could perform maintenance on their own body, replacing the old with the new and enhancing its regenerative capabilities, could they achieve longevity? But how would you even do something like that? Magic maybe?"

Celia continued to speculate as she turned the pages of the book. She was so engrossed that she didn't even notice when the door to the room creaked open, and Magnus stepped inside.

"You're still reading?" Magnus was taken aback by the sight of the once-organized desk now in disarray.

Books he'd already read were strewn on the floor next to Celia's chair, and some of them had clearly been opened and examined. Meanwhile, the books he'd asked her to read were spaced out across the desk, as if she were comparing their contents.

"Hmm, oh, you're back already?" Celia stretched, sitting up from her reading position, finally noticing Magnus.

"What do you mean 'back already'? I've been gone for the entire day. It's even getting dark outside." Magnus pointed to the window, and Celia was genuinely surprised to see the fading colors of the setting sun in the sky.

She hadn't noticed the time passing at all.

"Oh... I, uh... I guess I got a little carried away reading these books. I didn't even realize how long I'd been sitting here. Oh wow, I really made a mess too," Celia remarked, her voice carrying a hint of embarrassment.

She surveyed the scattered books and papers that had accumulated during her reading. Seeing that, Magnus chuckled, understanding her predicament.

"Well, I guess I can't judge. I lost track of time plenty of times back when I was reading books in the Major General's Villa. If you hadn't made a habit of checking on me, I bet I would have ended up sleeping over night there a few times as well." Strolling over to one of the couches, he plopped down and let out a relaxed sigh.

Celia laughed in agreement. "Oh, I remember that. At first, I thought there was a burglar or something. After all, who in their right mind would be up in the library so late at night?"

Her tone was playful as she instinctively switched to maid mode, starting to tidy up the room. While she organized the books and put away her notebook, she turned to Magnus with a question.

"So, did something interesting happen during your class today? You mentioned that your professor had something special planned, right?"

"Oh yeah, it was definitely interesting. We finally started to learn magic." As Celia continued to clean up, Magnus spent the next twenty minutes or so telling her about what had happened today. It was slightly watered down since he wasn't allowed to tell her exactly what he had learned, but Celia was still interested in the story.

"Wow, I agree there's definitely something weird about that Luden kid. Nobles almost always act in their own self-interest, even when doing something that seems nice," Celia warned.

"Yeah, I don't plan on making any more bets with him anytime soon. On the bright side, I've got my own money now." Magnus nodded in agreement, and hearing that last part, Celia let out a dejected sigh.

"Two golden marks; I've never seen that much money at once in my entire life, and you got it in a day…"

"Well, don't feel too sad. Besides lessons and money, there's more good news on the horizon. I've got a new experiment in mind, one that I need help with from my assistant," Magnus said, sparking excitement in Celia as she looked over at him.

"Really, already? But I haven't even given you my notes on what I've read so far," she said.

"Oh, this is a different experiment. I'll tell you more about it later. For now, I just need to know if you are free on the 5th," Magnus clarified as Celia stacked the last pile of books. Thinking to herself for a moment, she nodded.

"Yeah, I have a few days off I can use. Why?"

"Well, now that I have my own money, there's something I need to do in the city. Also, this experiment might end up needing a lot of space, so I plan on heading out into the forest."

Hearing that, Celia's interest was just getting more and more piqued as she grinned at him.

"It looks like I'm going to have to get some outdoor clothes then. Though all this mystery of you not telling me exactly what we're doing is making it hard to not get my hopes up." Magnus met her grin with a smile of his own as he responded.

"Oh, trust me, I'm just as hyped up for this as you are."

Even now, Magnus's mind was thinking back to what happened when the Command Console's Debugging Protocol reached a hundred percent.

==============================<Flashback >==============================

[Command Console]

-------------------------------------------------------------|

↑…

[Debugging Protocol]: Progress[████████████████████-] 99%

-------------------------------------------------------------|

Users:Magnus_Wright:\>

-------------------------------------------------------------/

So close… Come on, just one more percent!

Magnus cheered in his mind. He had been stuck standing here looking at the Command Console for nearly three hours. Lazitha had mistaken his inaction for concentration, which was good, but he was running out of time for this class. He didn't want to have to try and come up with an excuse for why he was temporarily unmovable.

So he ended up hoping that the Command Console would finish whatever it was doing before that came to pass, and luckily his prayers were answered.

[Command Console]

-------------------------------------------------------------|

↑…

[Debugging Protocol]: Analysis complete.

[Debugging Protocol]: Creating glitch report…

[Debugging Protocol]: Report created successfully.

[GLITCH REPORT]: Codebreak-004 Debugging Report

[Type]: Abnormal Script

[Origin]: User (Magnus Wright)

[Status]: Inactive

[Analysis Findings]: Codebreak-004, herein designated as an Abnormal Script, traces its inception to the user (Magnus Wright). The unique script was generated through the Command Console, operating under Permission Level 2, and has been earmarked for specialized functions. Upon activation, it instigates the formation of a distinctive mana sphere, henceforth referred to as Codebreak-004-A.

[Description of Codebreak-004-A]: Codebreak-004-A, emerging as a byproduct of Codebreak-004, takes the form of a specialized mana sphere with yet-to-be-determined attributes and behaviors.

[Glitch Status]: Presently, the Command Console has suspended the creation of Codebreak-004-A, pending user configuration.

[User Decision]: User (Magnus Wright) is expected to determine the properties, characteristics, and functionality of Codebreak-004-A. Two viable courses of action are offered for user resolution:

1. Manual Configuration (The user retains the option to manually ascribe properties, attributes, and behaviors to Codebreak-004-A, allowing for full customization.)

2. Default Settings (Alternatively, the user may opt to apply the default settings for Codebreak-004-A, thereby entrusting the Command Console's standardized parameters for this specific anomaly.)

[END OF REPORT]

-------------------------------------------------------------|

Users:Magnus_Wright:\>

-------------------------------------------------------------/

Yes, finally, it's finished! Wait, crap, I still can't move. And what's this?

Seeing the sudden influx of text being displayed by the Command Console, Magnus took a moment to read it, and as he did, his eyes widened, or at least they would have if he could move them.

It looks like our source code theory has become even more plausible.

[Indeed, and we've gotten the opportunity to look deeper into the process of how the Command Console executes your visualizations.]

You're right. At first, I was convinced the Command Console was altering reality somehow. But over time, it made more sense that it was editing some kind of code, which led to our source code theory. Now, things have been clarified even further than before. Every time I visualize something with the Command Console, it turns that visualization into source code and then into a script. That script then runs and carries out whatever I've thought up.

However, that does raise a question.

If he created a script every time he used the Command Console, then why hadn't he seen the Debugging Protocol sooner? After reading the report, it was clear the Command Console stopped him this time because what he was doing was designated as abnormal. But did that mean, for some reason, that the other things he did before weren't?

[Actually, Master, I do have an idea about that.]

Magnus raised an imaginary brow as he urged Basker to go ahead.

[If we read the 'Type' section of the report, it specifically says Abnormal Script. Wherever there is something abnormal, there also has to be a normal version, correct? Although source code may be everything in the world, that does not mean it directly acts as the driving force behind everything.]

With both Magnus and Basker being nearly of one mind, the two of them could work in tangent better than any duo. The moment one formulated an idea, it was instantly grasped by the other, and as such, Magnus knew exactly what Basker was trying to say.

Right, if it's really all like a game engine, then everything is fundamentally source code, yes, but in the end, that code is useless on its own. If you just open up the game engine, the game won't simply make itself. No, almost everything needs to be made by the developer. Whether it be camera movement, the ability to jump, how fast a player can move while walking, or even the walking function itself.

All of these seemingly insignificant things Magnus mentioned were things most players would likely never think twice about. However, each needed to be carefully scripted and made to work in tangent with everything else. It was only when countless scripts filled with code worked together, forming various systems, that a game was made.

Applying that logic to this world, even something basic like a rock falling should have some sort of script governing it. So, if I were to use the Command Console to prevent that rock from falling, it would actually edit the rock's existing script instead of making a new one.

This means that, up to this point, Magnus had never done something that required an entirely new script to be made. All he was doing was editing things that already existed, changing their variables in certain ways.

But the issue with the mana sphere was that I imagined it into existence. How could the Command Console edit a script that didn't exist yet? That meant first the Command Console had to create a script that would generate the mana sphere; that was the abnormality.

Keeping all that in mind, Magnus looked at the two options being presented before him by the Command Console. Now that he had sorted out his thoughts and ideas, he needed to deal with the issue at hand. He was still stuck in place, after all.

Well, for now, the second option seems to be the safest, but I'm definitely going to need to test this out extensively later.

==============================<Flashback End>==============================

Since then, the next few days had gone rather smoothly. His lessons with Eredim went well, and despite her strange reaction the day before, Lazitha didn't seem interested in asking him any questions. Because of that, even before he went out with Celia, Magnus had some time to learn about what exactly the default settings did when creating a mana sphere.

Firstly, after it was created, it was no longer controlled by the Command Console, meaning it didn't operate in absolutes. However, that also meant it acted just like the original spell would. By focusing, Magnus could control the mana sphere's movement or make it disappear. When Lazitha first saw this, Magnus could tell she was shocked, even though she tried to hide it.

After all, he had only learned the spell a day ago, and not only could he control it, but he seemed to have no issue applying anything she taught him. Needless to say, it reaffirmed her suspicions that Magnus had been taught prior or was a ridiculously fast learner.

As for Luden, he didn't seem to care much that he was behind Magnus in speed. In fact, he looked oddly happy about it at times.

And so, the 5th Day of the Astral Reflux Cycle's 2nd Month rolled around. Magnus had learned from reading the Takerth Academy rules that every 5th Day would be considered an off day for students.

Of course, like all things in Takerth Academy, how students spent that day was up to them, and the diligent would still spend their free time studying or reading. Normally, Magnus would be doing the same.

But today, he was heading out into the city with Celia.

Having already gotten himself ready for the day, Magnus left the dorm area early and made his way to the entrance gate of the academy. Stepping out through the illusory barrier, he saw the usual group of guards standing there. Although many of them seemed to be distracted while talking to someone. As he got closer, he quickly recognized that someone as Celia.

"Wow, you guys must really be desperate. Celia told me you all chat her up each time she comes by, especially you, Grial." Turning around, a few of the guards looked slightly embarrassed as they grinned.

The guard named Grial in particular spoke up, trying to defend himself.

"Oh, don't be like that, Magnus. You know how boring this job is. Most of those brats—I mean, nobles and their servants basically treat us like ghosts half the time. How could we resist talking to our lovely Celia?" With Grial acting as their spokesman, the other guards piled on with him.

"Exactly. Don't be so greedy. You have her as your maid basically all day."

"Yeah, Magnus, didn't you learn that sharing is caring?"

Listening to them, Magnus could only shake his head as he looked over at Celia, who seemed to be having fun and laughing at the guards' behavior.

"Well, I'm glad you're enjoying having them wrapped around your finger. Are you ready to go?" Magnus asked, with Celia nodding before turning to the group of guards.

"Next time I come by, I'll have the baked goods I promised, okay?" Upon hearing that from her, the guards cheered.

"You're a saint, Celia!"

"You better take care of her, Magnus!"

"Oh, shut up," Magnus said, rolling his eyes in response to the guards' comments as he and Celia began to make their way down the street. Most of the guards around Takerth Academy knew Gerald, or at the very least heard of him, so they were pretty nice to Magnus. Whenever he would head out to explore the city, he would occasionally chat with them for a bit, so he had gotten to know them fairly well.

However, that didn't change the fact that they had been more friendly towards Celia since the moment they met her. In any case, as the two of them made their way from the Upper City towards the Lower City, Celia took the opportunity to start asking Magnus questions.

"So, are you going to finally tell me where we're going? Or do you plan on stretching out the mystery even more?"

"I mean, it's not really a mystery; I just need to pay your brother a visit for something." Upon hearing mention of her brother, Celia looked a bit surprised.

"My brother? You've met him before?" It was at that moment that Magnus realized he had never actually told Celia about his meeting with Jerel. For some reason, it had completely slipped his mind.

"Yeah, I came across his smithy when I was out exploring the city. We got to talking, and eventually you came up, though there was a bit of trouble after that." Hearing the part about trouble, Celia's body tensed slightly.

"What kind of trouble?" Hearing the shift in her voice, Magnus felt her reaction was a bit strange. At the same time, he remembered that Celia and her brother seemed to have a weird relationship.

"Well... I don't know the whole story, so it's probably best if he tells you himself." The walk became a lot more mellow after that. Celia didn't object to going, but it was clear that she was lost in her thoughts nearly the entire time.

Looking over at her, Magnus caught her staring into space multiple times.

Hmm, maybe I should have told her just a little bit about what happened? No, it's not my place; it's probably a family thing; I shouldn't get involved.

When they arrived on the street where Jerel's smithy was located, Magnus could tell from afar that the forge was on, though it didn't look like Jerel was working outside at the moment.

Making their way over, Magnus walked first and saw Jerel at the counter. He was talking to a customer while showing off a shield he was trying to sell. It seemed like he was getting pretty exhausted as the customer continued to ask question after question.

When he heard the door open and saw Magnus standing there, he immediately smiled and gestured at him.

"Hey Magnus, I'll be right with you-" In the middle of his sentence, Jerel saw Celia walk in behind Magnus. For a moment, his expression froze before he resumed smiling.

"You and Celia, just give me a second." Turning his attention back to the customer in front of him, he seemed to have made the sale after a few more moments of talking, with the customer saying they would come back tomorrow.

"Sorry about that. It's nice to get customers who like to know what they're buying, but sometimes people go a little overboard. Anyway, to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing my benefactor and my darling little sister?" Jerel's words carried a touch of playfulness, but Celia's expression only grew darker when he called her his 'little sister'.

"Well, I'd like to say I popped by just to check on you, but I've got a little favor to ask. Though if you two want to talk first, I can wait." Glancing between Celia and Jerel, he could practically feel the tension.

Catching Magnus's glance, Celia waved him off.

"No, it's fine; you don't have to worry about us, Magnus. I'll talk to him after you're done with your business," she assured him. Jerel nodded in agreement before speaking up.

"Yeah, don't mind the awkward air. Do you need me to make you something? Like I said before, I don't mind. Hell, I'll even do it for free." Seeing that they didn't seem interested in talking to each other at the moment, Magnus shook his head at Jerel's offer.

"No, I don't need you to make anything. Actually, I was more interested in what you said after your proposal, remember? You mentioned you have a lot of friends who are good at fixing things. Does that mean you know any tailors or seamstresses?" The question was a bit out of left field, but Jerel nodded.

"As a matter of fact, I do. I had her help with a lot of the works you see on display around you. I'm not good with working with leather, you see, so I send things her way pretty often. I don't know what you need her for, but I don't mind giving you directions if you want."

"Yes, that would help a lot." Magnus readily accepted Jerel's offer. As for what he was going to do with a seamstress, that much should be obvious. Besides his school uniform, he had no clothes of his own, and he just so happened to come across a large sum of money thanks to Luden.

Finding a piece of paper behind the counter, Jerel started to jot something down before handing it over to Magnus.

"There you go; her shop is only a ten- to twenty-minute walk away from here. I even included my recommendation, so she'll probably give you a discount." Taking the paper, Magnus quickly attributed everything written on it to memory so that Basker could add it to his mental map.

"Huh, I didn't think it would be so close. In that case, Celia, how about I stop by the seamstress first, and then we can make our way to the forest?" Magnus suggested, his tone casual. Celia appeared somewhat conflicted, well aware of Magnus's intention.

It was obvious that Magnus was using this as a chance to give Celia and Jerel time to talk alone.

"Sure, yeah... I'll wait here then," Celia replied, trying to keep her composure.

"Alright, I'll be back in a bit then." Without hesitation, Magnus made a swift exit.

No matter how much they insisted it wouldn't be awkward if he stayed, it was still uncomfortable. As he stepped out of the forge and onto the street, he let out a sigh.

"Hopefully, those two can sort things out by the time I get back," Magnus mumbled to himself, starting to navigate the winding streets with a mental map. However, an eerie sensation of being watched sent a slight shiver down his spine. He paused for a moment, turning to look around, but the street was mostly empty except for a few passersby.

Well, whatever, I'll just keep an eye out.

With that, he resumed his walk. Unbeknownst to Magnus, however, two men were positioned atop a tall building, not too far from where he was now. One of them held a monocular and tracked Magnus from afar.

Upon closer look at Magnus's features, one of the men smirked as he set the monocular down and smacked his drowsy partner in the head.

"Hey, hey! Wake up, you idiot!"

"Huh... What?" The sleepy man groggily responded, rubbing his eyes as he yawned. He looked at his partner, who was pointing into the distance.

"I think I found him—the kid we were told to look out for. He matches the description exactly, plus, he just came out of the smithy." The drowsiness immediately left the second man's face when he heard his partner.

"Really? Let me see." He snatched the monocular out of the first man's hand and looked in the same direction. Within seconds, he spotted Magnus and almost burst into laughter.

"What? That's the kid who messed up Zeth and his men? He doesn't look like much." Rolling his eyes at him, the first man grabbed the monocular back.

"That's because you're a dumbass. Weren't you paying attention to what Zeth said? That kid's a mage. He doesn't need to be physically strong; one spell, and that's it." Feeling annoyed, the second man clicked his tongue and moved the conversation along.

"Tch, whatever. If that kid really is a mage, then he must be a student of Takerth Academy, right? Even with the support, isn't it risky to mess with him?"

"That's not our concern; Zeth said he'd handle it. As much of an ass as he is, he's at least a smart one. We're making more money now than we ever did under the old boss. So, in my book, his word is law, and the law says we've got to report back." With that, the first man stood up and began to make his way off the roof from the other side.

Standing up to follow him, the second man whispered something to himself as he looked out over the countless buildings stretching into the distance.

"Smart or not, this entire city is going to hell before long..."