Chapter 746 - Fourth Story: Dark Magic and the Voiceless Method
In Medioland, I was dropped off at Price-sama's private residence, which I had visited before. It seems even the delinquent old man doesn't do something like suddenly intruding into the Medioland Royal Capital.
"Then, Jeanne, see you later at the Eastern Plains."
"Yes, please."
After seeing off the Henry Party with Price-sama, I was shown to the guest room. I receive the drink the housekeeper brought.
The housekeeper spreads out a scroll, and when I wondered what it was, it was Mute. Moreover, after the housekeeper left, I was asked to make a Vow of Silence toward the stone statue of the Goddess decorated in the eastern direction.
"First, let me apologize for the solemn atmosphere."
"N-No..."
To have a secret talk alone with Price-sama, the Church Number Two, what on earth is the topic?
"Without further ado, Jeanne, what do you think about Dark magic?"
I see. No wonder it's strict.
Price-sama should already know my thoughts, but since he's gone to the trouble of setting up such a place, I decided to speak my true feelings.
"Since it's magic originally granted by the Goddess, I think it's strange for the Church to arbitrarily call it Forbidden Magic and deny it. If they're going to do that, I think it's more logical for each country to set conditions for its use, like Teleport, and have the rulers of each country impose severe punishments on those who violate them."
Various prohibitions are written in the doctrine books. At the same time, how to think and behave daily is also written. However, there are no descriptions of penalties for those. There is the maximum penalty of excommunication, and they probably strongly guide or request the rulers to legislate penalties for those who break the prohibitions. But in reality, it's ambiguous, for example, it's not applied to infidels. Of course, there's no mistake that it's better to follow what's written in the doctrine books to behave as a good human. And in reality, each country has established penalties in its laws and they are in effect. However, the Goddess also saves the souls of those who have committed sins.
"I understand well. By the way, regarding Dark magic, which is considered Forbidden Magic, do you know that there are those who were exceptionally allowed to use it?"
"Probably, the First King of Sertoria."
"That's right. I heard from Eleanor that Jeanne opened the box called the secret treasure of William-ko (Duke William) with Light. And you learned the secret of the wall of the cave of secret books from that female Demon Race. Since then, I've been looking into the records. As a result, it was found from the diary of the Grand Archbishop at the time that special permission was given to William-ko."
Apparently, it was direct permission from the Grand Archbishop at the time. The reason it was exceptionally recognized was that the First King was a case confirmed for the first time in a thousand years since Dark magic was made Forbidden Magic, as he was someone who used both Light and Dark magic, which is extremely rare even within the scope of records.
Light has a good image. And Dark has an image of being not good. And they have images of being incompatible with each other. However, the Goddess granted both magics to one human. Not knowing what that meant, they reportedly made it usable just in case. However, the First King couldn't use many Dark magics. Apparently, it was only Dark and Lock, which is treated the same as a barrier.
"Jeanne, those who use Light magic, as you know, only appear roughly once every two hundred years. Then, do you know how frequently those who use Dark magic appear?"
"No, I have no idea at all."
"Actually, compared to Light magic, it's not that rare. Including Sertogne on the White Island, several people appear every year."
"There are that many."
Honestly, it's unexpected. But what happens to the people who learn it?
"They cannot learn it. Because the Priestess does not convey that."
The Priestess is a miko. It's a divine profession. Naturally, she's connected to the Church. Since the Church says it's Forbidden Magic, she doesn't teach it. Those who actually use it have to learn it themselves by actually seeing the practitioner activate it, like in the old days. I've never heard of such a thing being possible in modern times, unless you're a ghost. It must have been done only when using Memorize in the Ruined Town.
"And the Priestess, if there was someone who received a prophecy to learn Dark magic, she would convey that person's name to the Medioland Royal Capital Church."
"Is it surveillance, by any chance?"
"Originally it might have had such a meaning. Now it's a bit different."
Does it mean the situation has changed?
"Let's talk a little about the transition of how magic is learned."
Originally, magic was learned by becoming an apprentice to a master, as was the case with the Wetlands Priestess. A person considered good at magic who had retired from active duty became a master, showed a model to the learner to have them create an image, and those who could learn it did. Of course, it was paid and quite expensive. The eras are different, but Germana was requesting ten gold coins once a month as a reward for teaching two Dark magics to the Wetlands Priestess. It's impossible for a commoner, let alone a poor person. Well, even if it's extremely expensive because it's special Dark magic, for example, even if it's one gold coin for one magic, it's not an amount that can be easily paid. In short, it was a monopoly of the wealthy. Probably, the reason the serf class couldn't easily learn magic was for that reason. Of course, there were Priestesses too. However, the price was higher than now. By the way, holy magic was learned through the prophecy brought by the Priestess, or by paying the same price to someone with the rank of Bishop or higher in the Church. In short, the Church and mages were making exorbitant profits.
"However, several hundred years ago, a change occurred in that situation. The number of people who could learn magic began to decrease."
Life itself is hard if you can't use magic. Once you enjoy a convenient life, you won't be able to endure an inconvenient life. As a countermeasure, the Church reportedly significantly lowered the price of prophecies, which almost certainly allow one to learn magic if it's a hit. There are slight differences in each country, but that's because there are unscrupulous people doing arbitrary intermediate exploitation. Anyway, compared to before, magic became relatively cheap to learn... or rather, to challenge. The master business for magic was driven to closure, but they became able to secure the number of mages. And so, it has continued to the present day.
The darkness of the Church, or whatever it is, I'm appalled by the people who only think about making money.
"Against such a historical background, for magic that is very rare to learn and after confirming the practitioner's character, only those who received special permission from the Grand Archbishop were not questioned regarding Forbidden Magic. Of course, that doesn't mean they could go public with it, and they were able to learn it after making a Vow of Silence. William-ko was one of them."
I heard the First King didn't talk much about the magic he could use. That's why.
But why did he tell me such a story in this situation?
"Don't you understand?"
"Um, I don't."
"I've received a report from the Priestess. That you have the aptitude to learn Dark magic."
Eh? Me, Dark magic? When and at what timing did I learn that?
The report was reportedly from the Sertorian Priestess. The timing was when we were doing training for the Demon Lord subjugation.
From that time, I was slower to learn magic compared to my other companions. Was it because there was magic I could learn but it was kept secret?
"Is it Lock?"
It's a convenient magic. If I learn it and make a box or something, currently only I can open it. It's just right for keeping important things. Right. A Knight's Staff might be good. I can make a large one and store my vestments too.
"It's Dark."
Oh dear, what a shame.
"There is a possibility of learning others too, but since you haven't learned Dark, it seems you're stuck and clogged there."
Clogged... You don't have to say it like a rat stuck in a sewer pipe.
But Dark, huh. Since it's probably impossible to activate two types simultaneously by myself, a merger with the Priestess is necessary for the activation of Testament, but since I can make Dark versions of swords, shields, and walls, it's convenient in various ways.
"If you learn Dark, there's a possibility of learning other magics. Of course, barriers are also like that, so you might be able to learn Lock too."
In that case, it might be okay to learn Dark. I'll pass on Undead and such.
"And there exists a secret technique that makes it possible for one person to activate two types of magic simultaneously."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. It's the Complete Voiceless Method, which doesn't require vocalization itself."
Complete Voiceless? Because vocalization isn't needed, can you chant two magics at the same time?
"Yes. I heard Jeanne merged with the Wetlands Priestess and performed simultaneous activation of Dark and Light."
"Yes. Because it's necessary for the release of Testament."
"If you master the Complete Voiceless Method and become able to activate Light and Dark simultaneously, there's no need for a merger. Of course, I'm not denying the merger, but it's better to have more means, right?"
The strange space in the sky made by the Demon Lord, the place to release Testament, and the practice I did with the Wetlands Priestess in preparation for the real thing—thinking about it, I activated them simultaneously many times. If it's the image from that time, I have it sufficiently. However, vocalization is useful for giving a kind of momentum. You can heighten the image of firing magic all at once. Ah, but, if I can activate magic by shouting 'Ei!' or 'Tou!' or more to the point, by exhaling held breath, that would be convenient in its own way. It would be cool if I could fire it by making some kind of pose, using gestures, or swinging a staff.
"There are several conditions to master the secret technique. One is being a user of both Light and Dark magic, being someone who can use high-level or above magic. Being someone who has learned barriers. Being someone recognized as appropriate by the Church... in other words, someone approved by the Grand Archbishop, and someone who has gone through special training to become able to activate magic through the Voiceless Method and mastered that secret technique—those are the conditions. Of course, it's no good if the person themselves isn't motivated."
I've cleared the first to third ones. I don't know if the Grand Archbishop's permission will be given, but since he's telling me this, he must already have a prospect. The problem is the final training. Will I be sent to a place like the Earth Dragon's cave?
"How about it? Why don't you try taking the training? If you're up for it, I'll recommend you to the Grand Archbishop."
"Um. What is the content..."
"I don't know. It's only known to those who have entered. A Vow of Silence must have been made. After all, there are no records."
"Those who have entered?"
"Yes, it's a place only those who have obtained the Grand Archbishop's permission to train in the Voiceless Method can enter."
"By the way, what kind of person was the most recent one to enter?"
"It hasn't been identified. It was reportedly about two hundred years ago."
Two hundred years ago...
"Is it the First King of Sertoria?"
"Probably so. Though it's just a personal speculation. However, since the user of Light magic two hundred years ago should have been only William-ko of Sertoria, I think there's no mistake."
"Then, did the First King chant magic with the Voiceless Method?"
"I don't know. No such story has been passed down in particular. It was the same when I asked Henry or Eleanor. There's a possibility he was intentionally hiding it."
Apparently, he was a person with many secrets. There were too many matters he had made a Vow of Silence for, so he might not have been able to talk about anything.
"Unfortunately, there are no records of challengers before that. In these thousand years, as you know, Dark magic couldn't even be learned as Forbidden Magic. Since being a user of both Light and Dark magic is a condition, in these thousand years, only William-ko, who inherited the blood of the Medioland Royal Family, obtained special permission, and others probably didn't even get the qualification to challenge. And as a result of the dispute between the North and South churches a thousand years ago, there's a possibility that various records regarding Dark magic in the past were erased."
The user from four hundred years ago turned to soil and perished to protect the secret of the mountain. The user from six hundred years ago was killed by an unscrupulous person who stole the Black Stone. In the case of the Priestess who served King Griffith eight hundred years ago, it seems from King Griffith's diary that there was no sign of her going to Medioland, and she wasn't even a high-level mage. A thousand years ago, he nearly died young and became a Revenant, and was eventually destroyed by the Northern Church. If the records before that were erased, it would only be the First King.
"Thanks to your efforts, Testament, which was considered a secret technique of the Southern Church, has been elucidated. And it was found that the simultaneous activation of Light and Dark magic, namely Light and Dark, is a premise. Regardless of the method of merging with a ghost, if a user of both magics can activate them simultaneously, Testament can be released if there is one practitioner. The Voiceless Method, which is the secret technique of the Northern Church, might have been a magic activation method for the release of Testament."
The Northern and Southern churches were protecting the secret techniques complementarily...
"Yes. There is that possibility."
Somehow, it seems it's going to be another complicated story.