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nThe Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years – Chapter 55 – Contact (6)

nTranslator: Seven

nEditor: Ana_Banana

nFrey looked around.

nStanding beside Dugenjar was a bald man who appeared to be in his thirties who had a sword at his waist and a young man with a gentle expression.

nIt didn’t seem like these three were in the same part as there was a subtle distance between all of them.

n“Unfortunately, Honor Heinz isn’t here today.” (TL: good…kill him)

nThinking that Frey was looking around for Heinz, Dugenjar gave a snide remark.

nHowever, Frey ignored him and instead turned to the men beside him.

n“You are?”

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n“I am Jerome Berner from the Lucid Swords.”

n“I am Steve Jacks from the Strow Necklaces.”

n“Do you have any business with me?”

n“Yes. Well…I think we’re a step too late.”

nSteve smiled bitterly and looked over at Beniang.

nFrey realised that these people were scouts from the big circles. He became speechless for a moment when he realised that all of the big circles were interested in him.

nAs this was happening.

n“…”

nDugenjar who had been completely ignored slowly became redder at the face.

nHe was the worst possible person to send as a scout.

nNo. He didn’t have any intention to recruit him in the first place.

nDugenjar looked at Frey and said.

n“Are you going to join the Traumen Rings?”

n“So what if I am?”

n“Hmph. Likes attract…”

nIt was just a murmur, but everyone present was still able to hear it.

nBeniang bit her lip.

nFrey was sure he saw something flash in her eyes for a moment and couldn’t help but feel a bit of relief.

nIf she had become submissive here then he would have been very disappointed.

nBeniang was timid, but that didn’t mean that she was without pride.

nFor those who walked the path of magic, a certain amount of pride was important.

nMaybe even more so than their lives.

n“Frey Blake, do you intend to join the Traumen Rings?”

nStrow Necklaces’ member Steve asked straightforwardly.

nHe was nervous inside.

nEven though he had hurried as much as he could, he still didn’t arrive first.

n‘The internal meeting took longer than I expected.’

nBesides the Traumen Rings’ hideout was much closer to the 3rd Magic Tower.

nAnyway, the circle had come to a conclusion.

nAnd that was to attract Frey Blake even if it meant that they had to bleed a little.

nThe fact that Frey Blake, who was only 20 years old, had defeated an Apostle was already becoming widespread.

nAs long as it was a 7 star wizard, every circle, including the Big Three would covet them. Besides, look at his age.

nIn all honesty, Steve still couldn’t completely believe it.

nA wizard who became an Archmage at the age of 20?

nWasn’t that something that even the legendary heroes hadn’t been able to achieve?”

n“I’m going to take a look around first.”

nWhen Frey said that, both Steve and Jerome’s eyes seemed to shine brightly.

n“So you haven’t decided yet.”

n“Yes.”

n“Then why don’t you also take a look at our circle after?”

n“You mean the Strow Necklaces?”

n“Yes.”

nSteve nodded vigorously.

nFrey nodded without thinking about it for too long.

n“If I haven’t joined a circle by then.”

n“Haha. That’s good enough.”

nAs he said this, Steve gave Frey a scroll from his bag.

n“This is?”

n“It’s a scroll engraved with warp magic. The coordinates lead to the entrance of our hideout. If you tell them my name, they will treat you politely. Mana is required to activate it, but at your level it shouldn’t be a problem.”

n“I see.”

n“Then I’ll take my leave.”

nThis seemed to be his only objective for going there.

nBefore he left, Steve shot a look at Dugenjar.

n‘I hope this fool doesn’t do anything stupid.’

nHe felt like something would happen.

nNot only because of Frey, but also Beniang, the Circle Master of the Traumen Rings.

nEveryone in the Circle knew that the Phisfounder Armlets were especially hostile to the Traumen Rings. (TL: probably because of her unrequited love…)

nTheir pressure had not reduced, even now that the Traumen rings were slowly spiralling downward.

nNo, instead it could be said that their contempt had increased.

nSteve shook his head.

nHe hoped that Dugenjar was able to at least judge the situation properly.

nJerome came forward next.

n“…I apologize but I didn’t bring anything like a scroll. If you ever come to Geotanbul or Silkeed in the Luanoble Kingdom, please be sure to visit our circle. If you talk to the nobles or lords in the cities, they will contact us.”

nIt seemed that this was the area where the Lucid Swords was most active.

nAgain Frey nodded and Jerome left not long after.

nNaturally, Frey’s gaze turned to Dugenjar last.

n“What did you come here for? I don’t think you came to do the same thing as the other two.”

n“Hmph…there are too many eyes here. Follow me. Master Beniang you don’t have to come with us.”

nAfter saying that, Dugenjar turned around and started walking away.

nAs Frey watched him walk away, Beniang approached him.

n“…I’m sorry. I think that I am the reason you are getting into a conflict with Honor Dugenjar.”

nIt seemed that she had misunderstood something.

nFrey gave her a smile.

n“That man was already upset because he couldn’t deal with me before. What’s the difference?”

n“Yes?”

n“Are you going to follow that man?”

n“…he said that I shouldn’t come, so I’ll wait here.”

nAs she said this, Beniang bit her lip.

nIt felt pitiful for a Circle Master to listen to the words of a circle executive of another circle.

nShe felt ashamed to show something like that to Frey, who was an outsider.

nFrey, who was following Dugenjar, noticed the contempt that was on Beniang’s face.

nThey didn’t stop walking until they left the city.

nNot far away from the city was a large forest. Only after arriving there did Dugenjar turn around.

nHis face was filled with ridicule.

n“Show me your skills, I will judge you.”

nIt was completely unexpected.

nFrey took a while before answering.

n“Judge?”

n“That’s right. To see if you really have the ability to take down an Apostle!”

n“So you don’t believe what I said?”

nIf so, it was beyond absurd.

nHe was probably among the group that had gone to the sight of the fight between Frey and Lukes to clean up.

nIf he had any doubts then wouldn’t they all be cleared up if he examined the traces that were left behind?

n“That’s why I’m telling you to prove your strength. Don’t make me repeat myself.” (TL:…Lava Blast…)

n“What about the Blacktooth’s testimony?”

nWhen Frey recalled Camille and asked, Dugenjar simply snorted.

n“How could I believe the words of other races? I have to see it with my own eyes. It’s not that difficult. You just have to prove it.”

nThud.

nDugenjar took out a long staff from his bag which knocked against the floor.

nRoar.

nAt that moment, mana was released from his body explosively.

nThe visible mana fluttered like a haze before gathering to put pressure on Frey.

n“…”

nThis wasn’t the pressure that one would use to scare a rookie.

nSuch a large amount of mana could be practically suffocating. If the person was weak willed, it would be enough to stop their heart.

n“I’m going to enlighten you on how big the world really is. You need to be educated, so I’ll help you.”

nAs he said this, Dugenjar slowly began increasing the pressure on Frey.

n“Don’t get proud just because you beat Lukes. Even within the 7 stars level, there are different classes.”

nThat was the truth.

nAlthough both Lukes and Dugenjar were considered 7 stars, Dugenjar was actually stronger than Lukes.

nUnlike Lukes, who could be considered to be in the middle stage of 7 stars, Dugenjar could be considered to be close to the peak.

nAlthough the difference between them might not seem that large on paper, in reality, it was actually enormous.

nIt was almost impossible for Dugenjar to lose a fight against Lukes.

nAnd maybe Frey had entered the 7 star stage by luck.

nWith his amount of skill he should not have much control over his mana.

n‘I can’t kill you because the Circle already has eyes on you. But I’ll make you crawl on the floor here.”

nAt that moment, when Dugenjar had just started smiling.

nCrack Crack.

nWhite, cold air seemed to billow out from Frey’s body.

nDugenjar shivered unconsciously.

n‘What is this?’

nThe mana felt cold.

n…cold? The mana was cold?

n‘He could imbue attributes? Into his mana?’ (TL: yes these were two separated sentences)

nHis expression stiffened. This couldn’t be true.

nIt was impossible.

nIt was impossible for even him to imbue attributes into his mana so naturally.

nFrey spoke softly.

n“You’re right.”

n“Wh-, what…”

nDugenjar didn’t even realise that Frey was speaking to him informally.

n“Even if it’s the same level, there are still different classes.”

nFrey’s face was as cold as ice.

nHe was angry.

nIt wasn’t at Dugenjar who was picking a fight with him.

nTo him, all he felt was mild displeasure and contempt.

nNo, the reason that Frey was angry was because garbage like this could still confidently call themselves 7 stars.

nCrack crack.

nThe cold air easily pushed Dugenjar’s mana aside.

nHowever, it didn’t stop there. Instead, it began to slowly apply pressure to Dugenjar.

nDugenjar hurriedly cast a barrier while exclaiming.

n“Bu-, bull**!”

nFrey looked down on Dugenjar.

nAt that moment he realised that all this while he had been overestimating these modern 7 star wizards.

nBeing able to maintain a calm mind without being frustrated regardless of the situation.

nThat was the Archmage that Frey knew.

nAn Archmage should never lose their composure.

nThis didn’t only refer to pain, but anything that could cloud one’s judgement.

nIncluding emotions like anger, sadness and joy.

nThis didn’t mean that they had to suppress those emotions. Because humans were not dolls.

nIt meant being able to feel every emotion clearly, but still being able to maintain one’s composure and think of a way to get out of any adverse situations.

nBut this man before him.

nWhen the opponent who he was trying to trample suddenly began to pressure him instead, he could not accept the reality and his mana began fluctuating.

nThis was evidence that he was so agitated that he couldn’t even get his own mana under control.

nFrey couldn’t understand how he’d reached his current level.

nHe couldn’t know.

nMaybe he had taken many elixirs like Frozen River or he began deteriorating after reaching 7 stars.

nFrey’s eyes were frozen on Dugenjar.

nDugenjar felt his heart quiver.

nHe suddenly felt that those eyes were incredibly scary.

nMore than the Circle Rounder or even the Circle Master.

n“I…I am an Archmage! A, a great wizard!”

nDugenjar’s face was filled with rage.

nFrey simply responded in a cold voice.

n“If you subtract your level of mana, you are below the standard in every way. A wizard who just happens to have 7 star mana. There’s no better expression to define you than that.”

n“Uh, uh…”

nDugenjar struggled and tried to cast a spell. Frey shook his hand.

nPaat.

n“,,,!!”

nDugenjar wasn’t even able to make a sound.

n‘My, my spell…he negated it before I even began casting it…’

nIt was unbelievable.

nDugenjar once again tried to use a spell.

n“F-, Flame Wave!”

nPaat.

nIt was negated once again.

n“I, I don’t believe it…t-, to negate m-, my spells with such precision…th-, this…”

nIt shouldn’t be possible without reading his mind.

nHe needed to know exactly what spell he was going to use, know how to cast said spell, speed and instantaneous computational ability to negate a spell.

nAbove all, he needed to have a lot of self confidence.

nIt was incredibly difficult to negate another person’s spell.

nIf they failed at even one step, the person who tried to negate the other’s spell would have to bear a very heavy burden!

nAt that moment, for the first time, Dugenjar came to a realisation.

nHe had believed that it was just a weak Apostle.

nLukes was originally a wizard so he should not have been too adept at using divine power.

nThat was why he believed that this rookie had been lucky enough to defeat him.

nBut that wasn’t the case.

nThe man in front of him definitely had the ability to subdue an Apostle.

nCrack crack.

nFrey’s cold mana covered Dugenjar’s body and he slowly began to freeze from his toes upwards.

nDugenjar’s face was tainted with a trace of fear.

n“You, are you going to kill me?”

n“It might happen.”

n“You are out of your mind! I am a Force Honor of the Phisfounder Armlets! Don’t do anything that you’ll regret!”

nIf he went missing then the doubt would definitely fall to Frey.

nThere were also witnesses like Beniang, Steve and Jerome.

nHowever, he wasn’t certain of his safety.

nFrey was confident that he would be able to completely wipe away any traces, given the need.

nHowever, he had no intention to kill Dugenjar. (TL: although I expected it, it’s still very disappointing)

nThere was a much better way.

n“Stop it! What do you intend to do?!”

n“Honor Dugenjar, your life might be in my hands but I have no intentions of killing you. I don’t think you would’ve shown such mercy, but…I’ll give you one chance.”

nHe could still change. (TL: the author put this twice…but I figured one time was enough)

nDugenjar would have to make a critical choice.

nAnd if he couldn’t change himself in the end then he wouldn’t be able to melt the ice.

n“What are you talking about…”

n“It’s a trial. If you can’t melt the ice, you will die.”

nDugenjar’s gaze turned to the ice that entombed his body.

nHe immediately realised that it wasn’t ordinary ice.

n“H-, how…”

n“Don’t panic. The more you do that, the faster the ice will devour your body. You said it yourself. You’re an Archmage. If you can truly act like a 7 star Archmage, then you will be able to melt it.”

n“I…are you testing me? With what qualifications?”

n“I am qualified.”

nDugenjar didn’t know why, but he was not able to deny Frey’s words at that moment. (TL: maybe the part with him being frozen in ice…)

nInstead, he just looked at Frey with a slightly dull gaze.

n“You…”

n“You have one day. In order to melt the ice, you have to let it burrow into your heart. This is my sincere advice.”

n“…”

n“I hope you get through this.”

nGreat. He’s too Great.

nDugenjar felt that Frey was incredibly amazing.

nThere was a ripple deep in his mind.

nGreat shame and regret filled his heart.

n“Kuk.”

nDugenjar bit his lip.

nImmediately after, he closed his eyes and began activating his mana. At the same time, the rate that the ice covered his body slowed.

nHe did not pay much attention to the advice.

nRight now, it didn’t matter.

nThe important thing right now was the time.

nAt that moment, a day did not seem that long. And Dugenjar could not afford to waste any time.

nFrey hoped that he would overcome the challenge and change himself.

nThere was a chance, because regardless of how arrogant he was, he had, in the end, managed to reach 7 stars.

nThe ice would not kill Dugenjar.

nAfter a day, it would cover Dugenjar’s entire body, and after two days, it would melt away on its own.

nOf course, Dugenjar didn’t know that.

nEven if he managed to survive this, he would be filled with shame and keep it a secret of his own volition.

nHe was the type who would risk his life for his pride. Therefore, he would never willingly talk about his shame.

nOf course, that didn’t matter.

nIf he revealed it, Frey would be able to determine what kind of circle the Phisfounder Armlets was depending on their response.

nHonor Dugenjar.

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nIf he was able to abandon his useless stubbornness and arrogance then he had the potential to be a good wizard.

nIf he was able to abandon his conceited self, he would be reborn as an even better being.

nFrey knew how precious a 7 star wizard was.

nThat was why he didn’t want to kill him unless he was truly determined to be an enemy or betrayed humankind like Lukes.

nThere are two kinds of humans in the world.

nHumans who could change and humans who couldn’t.

nFrey hoped that Dugenjar belonged to the former.

n(Note: Someone pointed out my inconsistency when capitalizing ‘circle’ so from now on when referring to a specific circle it will be ‘circle’ and when it refers to the organization as a whole it will be ‘Circle’ – which is what I intended but probably forgot at times

nTL: I’m a bit disappointed by the way he handled Dugenjar…but I understand the reasoning behind it.

nAlso, this is the end of Book 2.)

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