Dance With the Nightingale - Chapter 16

-Voom voom

-Voom voom

The distinct sound of Arrays continued to resound in room, as right now, I was sitting in front of a table.

A table that had a Magical Formation aka an Array, so complex that it screamed top-notch from its entire being.

Rather not just the table, each and every equipment even the deactivated ones were top notch.

This room, this gigantic room filled with all sorts of gadgets was my lab.

And on the tuning table of my lab, the table I was sitting in front of laid an armor, my armor.

An Import from Callestine Mark, their latest and sturdiest project, ‘Calles Ren III as they dubbed it.

This armor was bought from an anonymous channel, for millions of Coles.

(A/N: Coles = Currency of Empire.)

For now, though, it laid on the table as I fiddled with it using the tuning array, trying to change its configurations and settings…

I felt a bit of pity for it, as it’s future was unknown…

So, why was I doing this and how did it come to this?

Well, it all started last night during dinner.

After coming back from my stroll, I had a noticeably less awkward, almost harmonious dinner with my new family.

They talked and I tried to follow their conversation, saying my piece here and there, as the dinner continued.

Though, I only talked about magic and fighting related things, for that were the only things Rayne knew.

That, and I didn’t want to seem suspicious.

A person can suddenly try to become sociable, but a person can’t suddenly change what they fundamentally liked or thought.

So, even though it brought wry smiles on Count’s and Countess’s face, I limited myself to talk about only these topics.

And that was when I suggested something, something about my walk in the city.

This something, rather than going around the city with the full flare of Young Master Rayne, I proposed to go in incognito.

The reason for that was simple.

I didn’t want to deal with the crowds.

Plus, if I go like that, then I would have to take a procession of soldiers with me, as my bodyguards.

Which would, apparently, defeat the purpose of the trip.

While, if I go incognito, I can go alone with Amy and some guys protecting me in the dark.

This would also make it much easier in completing my first move.

And my proposal was accepted quite easily, after all my actual bodyguards would be hidden anyways.

So, there was actually no danger to my safety, plus my family knew how I dealt with people when I got annoyed.

So, it was decided I will go incognito.

But going incognito also had some requirements the first of which was, I had to gear myself up.

I couldn’t simply go there walking in the crowds, without an armor while knowing how my life is worth.

If somehow I got kidnapped, then whoever it was that kidnapped me would become rich, only for a second though, as they would be dead after that.

Knowing that I would have to fine tune my gear before I actually wear it, I was excited, after all, I knew I would fine tune it in my lab.

My lab which left quite deep impression in my mind after I saw it those memories, and the lab which the Earl had prohibited my entry from.

So, after dinner, just as I was about to visit my lab…

The Earl poured cold water on my imagination, giving me a simple order, that was to sleep.

I complained, I argued and I cursed, but only in my mind.

After giving the Earl a stink eye, I relented and slept, with some trepidation.

Actually, I was expecting some nightmares starred by Rayne, but maybe it was the enchanted pillows or the Knight Commander’s strong impression which blew my thoughts away, I slept quite well.

The curtain of night faded away as sun rose again, rising me with it.

So here I was, early in the morning before the earliest rays even touch the ground, in my lab fine tuned my gear, especially my armor.

‘After this armor, I have to look at my sword too’, I thought as I finished some of the last details of my armor.

And sighed.

Actually, I had no experience in this.

But between my memories and Rayne experience I somehow managed and operated the arrays, while fiddling with the armor.

And to my surprise I managed quite well.

Fine tuning was just like operating a machine, while making an array was like a programming, just magical.

Like how you are limited by your machine in programming, here you are limited by your body and spirit.

And honestly, I found it exciting.

Well, that’s good I thought, as I watched my armor turning from blue to black, as it was one of the final changes I made,

-Huu

And sighed, as I looked at my now ready to use armor with satisfaction.

It was a head-to-toe armor, sleek and smooth in design without any spiked or extra ornaments, paired with its ability to shapeshift into clothes and glasses with a proportional loss of capabilities, it was the most go-to armor I could think of.

Being made of Varahmir and Arkensize, both of them dubbed as top-notch Mana conducting metals, it could withstand quite heavy enchanting.

Now colored in different shades of black, whoever made this armor made full use of this fact, as some very complicated magic circuitry was drawn on it.

It was so complex that despite being a bronze rank Rune Scholar, I could only understand some of it.

A very good thing considering it made me focus just on tuning.

So, I tuned it such that it would complement my Enchanter attribute to the fullest, and maximized my mobility.

With the work done, I tapped the floating magical runes and saved my changes and released the armor from the grasp of tuning arrays.

Then I stored it in my bracelet and moved to my sword.

Unlike my armor my sword wasn’t that special, sure it was made of the best available metals, but it was made by me.

Not actually made, but it was enchanted by me.

Unlike the armor it wasn’t complex, making something as complex as that armor wasn’t a feat old Rayne could even touch…

According to the Empire’s tutelage, ‘A warrior’s weapon should be ‘only his’.’

As such, I was stuck with this no-named second-rate sword, that I created.

All it had were hardening and sharpening enchantments, along with a few elemental enchantments that could condense a bit of elemental energies, which could be used to supplement my lack of elemental affinity.

(A/N: It doesn’t mean he has no elemental affinity, just his affinity with each element is same and is low.)

It was a good enough work for a kid, but that was the highest praise I could give it.

I just picked it up, unsheathed it, as it’s pale silver Blade came in my view.

It was a normal double-edged sword with a pale silver blade, and that was it.

There wasn’t much to fine tune in it, I just placed it in the array, which observed the sword and then triggered all of it enchantments one by one, before triggering them simultaneously.

Finding no problems, I took it out of the array and also stored it in my bracelet.

Well, that was quick, I thought and looked around reluctantly.

As much as I wanted to play around with those gadgets, I couldn’t, for I only got the permission to only tune my gear which just consisted of my armor and sword.

‘If you did something unnecessary I would know’, he said.

And the last thing I needed to do was to doubt a Magus’s words.

So, I left my lab with a regretful heart.

***

It was early morning.

The estate was still In a lethargy when I went to my lab but now, an hour later, it was quite bustling.

The servants, maids, and butlers were mostly the people who were awake, while the punctual ones looked ready for work, some late sleepers still had sleep in their eyes.

Well, can’t blame them, it’s {5:48 am} now, and with this being the winter season, it was normal to sleep in late.

Anyways I moved quietly, greeting back those who noticed and greeted me, while ignoring those who didn’t, as I crossed that bustling area.

The clatter and the bustle died down a lot as I reached closer to the Mansion uphill.

The atmosphere was a lot more serene here as fog which was just lingering downwards, was still thick here.

“But still, it feels too thick today.” I muttered as I continued to walk.

Well, the Ellsworth Estate was actually built atop a mountain, so maybe it was possible…?

According to the records, when the Alexis Empire united the whole world 50 years ago, my grand-uncle who was also a Magus had seen how rich the resources in the mountain were.

So, he directly separated the mountain from it’s base and stored it in a space bubble, while the base of the mountain which was nothing more than a small hill now was where this Estate was built.

Well, I don’t know if this was true or not, but with a Magus’s capability it was possible.

I shrugged to myself, as continued walking, at some point I closed my eyes and reduced my pace, just to enjoy the water droplets hitting to my face as I walked.

Not like I could see anything here.

Also, there was no need to look, as all I had to do was walk straight to reach the Mansion.

So, I walked, walked and walked some more with a slow pace, until…

“What are you doing..?”

I heard someone.

“…!”

A voice that made me gasp, a voice that made all my instincts scream at me.

No presence, no sound, no disturbance in the fog, and this unfamiliar voice.

With super human speed my mind registered a single thing, ‘An unfamiliar strong presence in the estate!’

I activated all my skills simultaneously except [Peekaboo] instinctively, as my armor appeared on my body.

[Split Second] and [Parallel Mind] slowed the perception of time for me, while increasing my mental faculties.

While [Attribute infusion], infused my armor with my attribute, Enchanter.

The armor and its enchantments became a part of my body, as all of its circuits came to life, they glowed as I all its useful enchantments triggered at once, increasing all my body stats.

Then I jumped back with all my strength, along with using Intermediate Grade magic [Acceleration] to increase the distance.

Though it was rough on my body, it allowed me to cross more than 400 meters backwards in an instant.

And finally using [Mana Reading] I tried to detect any other enemies-

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?”

But at that time another voice interrupted me, a voice that filled me with strength, for this voice belonged to the strongest person I knew.

And along with the voice I felt his aura.

The powerful aura, of a Magus, an angry Magus whose aura alone cracked the air.

I took a look at him, as I confirmed that this was my father and quickly connected the dots, while still being caught by him in mid air.

Without waiting for a second I said something, or I wanted to do so.

But, I couldn’t, I forgot..?

What was I saying again, wait, what am I doing..?

“You should have used the artifact Rayne, now look down.”

The Earl said with a sigh, and I followed that absentmindedly.

But as soon as I did, my jaw dropped opened.

I remembered what happened, I remembered what I was doing, and I remembered what I was going to say.

But that was unnecessary.

For now, with my [Mana Reading] turned on, I could see.

The ground, that place, was filled with Magic circles.

Gigantic Invisible Magic circles.

The whole place was surrounded with so many magic circles that it was difficult to even see the ground.

Except for one place.

At that place one place all the magic circles, all of them…

…Were broken!

From the place I was standing to the outermost magic circle, all of them had a human sized hole, the trajectory of the hole being all to familiar to me.

For that was the trajectory of my jump.

So, he saved me, I guess…?

I thought, as I looked back at the Earl, who now had Flaming Golden eyes.

As if sensing my gaze the Earl said, “Observe this carefully, Rayne, and keep using that skill of yours. You wouldn’t want to miss this.” Before snapping his fingers.

With that single snap a complex spherical magic barrier materialized around me.

And as I said it was complex.

Rather than runes, it was made of smaller magic circles, magic circles of different shapes, barely fitting the size of my palm.

These magic circles were formed from magical runes so small, that with all of their moving and revolving, only a magic user could tell them apart.

But I didn’t focus on this, no, I couldn’t focus on this, the scene beyond the barrier was just that majestic.

The whole Ellsworth Estate had lit up, the buildings, the roads, the fountains, even the garden trees, all of them lit up.

‘A Magus is a God within his territory.’

It was a sentence written by me.

I didn’t think much of it when I wrote this, but now, experiencing this, seeing this.

I finally understood what I had created.

A being worse than a natural disaster.

That was my creation.

And funnily enough, he wasn’t the strongest.

Did I had some screws loose?, I thought as the colossal Magic Circle lit up instantly, and-

-BOOOMMMM

An explosion as strong as several a nuclear bombs lighting up together ravaged through the area.

I closed my eyes, as the greenish poisonous light of explosion was too bright for me, and after a few minutes when I finally opened them, I found myself in a dark space.

The Earl was still floating in the air, in fact he didn’t even look exhausted, as he said, “An A+ rank Expert Grade Spy with the attribute of stealth, no, secrecy, a rare pest but a pest nonetheless, and for such pests the best way to eradicate them is to just blow them up.”

Though I wanted to call him crazy, a different, an important question took priority, “Is this your realm, dad?”

And I heard him scoff, “No, I’m still not crazy enough to do this at my own territory, Rayne.”

He said as he finally turned and looked at me, “Turn off those skills and rest for a bit.” And snapped his fingers again.

With that snap the darkness cracked, and then like a piece of glass it shattered.

I was back, back in the estate, on the same path as I walked, and everything literally everything was the same as before.

If not for the activated skills or the armor I was wearing, I would have wondered if what I saw was just an illusion.

The Earl was nowhere to be found, but I knew he still was watching me, so I asked the question I had for him, “Since when?”

I didn’t know from where his answer came, but I heard him as the wind blew away the fog, “When you said that the fog feels too thick, now go and rest.”

Go and rest, he says, I thought as I continued walking.

Was this matter really so small that it was okay to push it under the rug and forget about it?

And does he really think that I can rest, with my body like this..?

With my body still shivering…?

Earl!, oh Earl!, if you keep this up, then your son is gonna turn me into a shonen protagonist who says ‘I want to get stronger’ in every two of his lines.

I laughed at my own thoughts as I returned to the Mansion.

Slowly, but surely I was adapting to this Magical World.

After all, for a man who just committed murder, all I felt was awe.

But, that is how fantasies are, right?