Title: < The Future Drawn with a Pen (2) >

Text:
I studied mana. I reviewed everything I didn't know, or had learned but forgotten.

Empire Point’s mana curriculum followed the standard text. The same was true for every mana theory book published by the universities, and for private tutors as well.

But I was fundamentally at odds with all those standard texts. The flow of mana transmitted from the virus was completely different from what was in the textbooks.

If that’s the case, how do knights handle mana?
Through an ‘artifice’ actualized via the ‘mana circuits’ within the body.

This artifice is completely distinct from magic.
Mana is the fundamental energy that constitutes the world. Magic, on the other hand, is a technique that combines human imagery with mana.
Therefore, while mana has existed naturally from the beginning, magic is an invention created by humans.

That is why, compared to a magic circle, an artifice takes a much more primitive form. A chaotic and disorderly flow of straight and curved lines intertwining, creating a ‘flow of mana’ through the body’s circuits to form a sword aura, shape an aura manifestation, and strengthen the knight’s body.

The medium that presents the process of constructing this artifice in the most standard way is the textbook. The textbook always emphasizes the standard, the prescribed sequence and path. Because it’s easy to see, easy to follow, and safe.

I am not.

The virus inside me always finds a different path. Even looking at the example artifices in the textbook, it bends all of their circuits to create the shortest possible route. Or it combines four or five circuits to forge a completely new path, connecting the beginning and the end directly.

Doing this eliminates the unnecessary waste that occurs in the circulation of mana.
The application of mana becomes far more efficient.

Because of this, techniques unimaginable with a mere textbook become possible. Like the idea of connecting the body's circuits to a high-purity mana stone and then projecting it while 'maintaining the artifice,' creating a spherical aura that could significantly enhance a knight's survivability.

Scratch, scratch-

I engraved these new concepts onto the paper, one line at a time.

Scratch, scratch-

I was writing down an artifice that had never before existed in this world.


For a week, I repeated a cycle of work and study. I went to the Knight Order, studied mana in my spare moments, and after work, I wrote my thesis, practically staying up all night.
Progress wasn't easy, but I knew from the start it would take a long time, so I didn't rush.

Knock, knock.

Just then, Dieter came to visit.

“Sir Knight. Here is the basic plan for the new city district in District 35… but.”

District 35, a vacant lot abandoned after its use as military grounds, currently housed nothing but Schatz’s residence.
I planned to build a new city centered around that place. A city as creative and vibrant as Jestpol, but with a much better organized and orderly layout.

“Are you perhaps unwell?”

Dieter asked, studying my face. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My hair had grown shaggy, and a dark stubble dotted my chin.

“Ah. I’ve been staying up late writing something lately.”

It was then.
Clack, clack.

With the sound of a staff, Lorenzo finally appeared.

“Mr. Lorenzo!”

I was so glad to see him I almost embraced him. Lorenzo, too, seemed momentarily taken aback by my intense reaction.

“Come, let’s go up to the study.”

I guided him, chattering about my ideas along the way.

“Mr. Lorenzo, you’ve heard of Aura Ki, I’m sure. It’s a knight’s artifice. I’m thinking of a way to ‘materialize’ it. Ah, not materialize in the sense of creating something tangible, but as in a sphere, a round sphere (球體).”

I threw open the study door. My notes were scattered messily on the desk and floor. From among them, I picked up the paper where I had organized my core ideas.

“This is it.”
“Ah… yes.”

Lorenzo took the paper. At first, his expression was devoid of expectation. I’ll just have to humor him, I could almost feel him thinking. No matter how much he’d mellowed, his pride as a scholar was still strong.

However, it wasn’t long before he fell silent. The corner of his eye, which was scanning the thesis, twitched slightly. His complexion, too, began to flush with a progressively more serious light.

Rustle- rustle-

Lorenzo read on, turning the pages for a long while. I sat in the study chair and waited with composure.

Rustle- rustle-

I watched him as he meticulously devoured it, line by line. An involuntary, pleased smirk crept onto my lips.
Finally.

“This…”

His eyes, which had been fixed on the paper, moved to me.

“Did you truly conceive of this yourself, Sir Knight?”
“Yes. Though it’s still just a rough draft.”
“Ha!”

Lorenzo let out a short, sharp laugh. A sense of awe blossomed on his lips.

“Indeed, this is a completely different line of thought from us mages or scholars. It appears to be a mana artifice that utilizes nothing but pure mana.”

An accurate assessment. My virus treats mana as nothing but mana itself.

“Yes. What do you think? Is it feasible?”
“To complete an artifice in a knight’s body and then transplant and project it through an external mana stone… It is certainly worth refining.”

Lorenzo’s confirmation came. He was far more reliable than the vague intuition my virus provided.

“Then, let’s write it together.”
“...Together?”
“To be honest, my head is starting to hurt. I am no scholar, and I don’t have the time to devote myself solely to this thesis.”

I had other theses to write. On how to properly utilize knights. On the future aspects of modern warfare.
Time was the crucial thing. For me, for us, for this world, time was limited.
I extended my hand to Lorenzo.

“Mr. Lorenzo Carione. Would you be the co-author of my thesis?”

I, not being a scholar, cannot convey the intuitions of my virus in the proper language.
But Lorenzo can.
I can still do nothing alone, but with my people, it is possible.

“…A co-author is fine by me.”

But Lorenzo simply shook his head with a faint smile.

“It already seems like a completed technique. I have no desire to push my old name to the forefront. However, I would be glad to help you refine this into the proper language.”

He took my hand.


Lately, Empire Point’s budget was fraught with problems.
In truth, it wasn’t a problem unique to Empire Point. As the Empire’s overall situation worsened, the absolute amount of tax revenue had shrunk, and with the Emperor’s Royal Guard growing bloated, the support itself had been divided among many different channels.

A combination of these factors had led to a mountain of problems unbecoming of Empire Point’s reputation as the ‘Empire’s finest military academy.’

“…I should just get cancer and quit.”

Cadet Commander Dain was lost in deep contemplation, trying to encompass all these issues.
The part that stressed him the most was the pressure from above. To be precise, pressure from the academy’s commandant, Lieutenant General Ritreuman.

To secure a budget, they had to cut costs for the cadets, and at the same time, they had to use the cadets to make money. The system of having them, as combat resources, participate in dangerous missions under the pretext of ‘real-world experience’ and using them like mercenaries to earn operational funds had been established three years ago.

From that point on, a great personal expense fell upon the students of the ‘Elite Division’ who aimed to become knights. Tuition, room and board, and medical expenses at Empire Point were all free, but personal equipment, such as weapons suited to one’s own body, had to be procured personally.

As a result, commoner cadets in the Elite Division lived by taking out loans against their own status, and the scholarship system, run on donations from graduates, was effectively defunct. It was mostly just noble scions passing it amongst themselves.
For them, there was no such thing as noblesse oblige.

Knock, knock.

Then, one day just before summer break.
A knock was followed by the door opening. The visitor was Maximilian.

“A pleasure to see you, Cadet Commander.”

Dain greeted him with a puzzled expression.

“What is it today?”
“It’s nothing of great importance… but first, I believe this is my duty as a graduate of Empire Point.”

Maximilian held out a single check.
A donation!
Dain found himself checking the amount before he even realized it.
Having to scrape by on the budget had unknowingly turned him into a materialist.

“…?”

Dain closed his eyes, then opened them again. He rubbed his eyelids with both hands. The number written on the check remained the same.

“…I think you’ve written one or two extra zeros.”
“No. It is correct.”

Maximilian smiled faintly.

“And… ah, they’re arriving just in time.”

He pointed out the window to the training grounds. A line of massive trucks was pulling in and unloading a great number of boxes.

“These are goods imported directly from the Canalan Independent State. The latest computers and terminals. A portion of this donation should be used to hire expert instructors to handle these and to expand the related facilities.”

Many knights were not familiar with computers. Things like trends, fads, and scientific technology weren't always easy to keep up with. The older one was, and the poorer a commoner one was, the truer this became.
They had to learn from the youngest age possible.

“This is a separate scholarship fund.”

He offered a second check. This, too, was an amount that defied common sense.

“The criteria for awarding the scholarship is academic performance. In the case of similar scores, please give it to the student with more difficult family circumstances, and please do not consider their social status whatsoever. I hope it will not be used for any untoward purposes.”
“…”

Dain looked back and forth between the two checks and Maximilian. Donations from graduates were usually a matter of goodwill, but a donation of this magnitude was bound to have a purpose.

“My donation is not without conditions.”

Of course.
“…State them.”

Normally, he would have refused, but an amount like this was worth hearing out.

“Empire Point is outdated. Some of the training facilities are still from 100 years ago. The cafeteria and the east dormitory, in particular, are in need of major renovation. Please use the funds for that.”

Empire Point, a facility with 300 years of tradition, was, in other words, an antique.
Most of the textbooks and doctrines were also stuck in the classics of decades past.

“And… I am thinking of writing a new textbook.”
“A textbook?”
“It’s something I thought about every time I attended classes at Empire Point. The Empire’s strategy for utilizing knights is too old. It is time for a change.”
“That is not old, it is tradition. The commandant thinks so, and your father, Zephestian, would think so as well. Are you saying that thinking is wrong?”
“Yes. It’s wrong.”

Dain was momentarily stunned by Maximilian, who so bluntly stated his own father was wrong.
Then again, he was young. It was the kind of bravado possible only at his age.

“Unfortunately, the education of the cadets is…”

“This donation is for that purpose. I promise you. I will donate ten times this amount over the next three years.”
“…Ten times?”
“Yes.”

Compared to the Eibenholz family fortune, it was of course a drop in the bucket. But Zephestian would never have allowed it.
Had Maximilian started a separate business on his own?

“With that much, even Lieutenant General Ritreuman will grant his permission.”

With that, he presented two boxes containing fountain pens. Dain immediately understood. They were made from the highest-grade mana stones, items worth roughly 500,000 dollars.

“It is truly nothing special. I simply wish to propose a slight revision to the role of the knight on the battlefields to come.”
“What if I, or the many instructors who read your proposal, are not keen to accept it?”
“Surely you wouldn't.”

Dain thought of the scale of the donation.
Ten times this amount was enough to, no joke, completely overhaul Empire Point’s entire facility.

“The textbook… I’ll take a look at it.”
“Thank you.”

The nodding Maximilian then handed over a document.

“Please read this when you have the time. Though it’s still a rough draft, I’m sure you will be able to master it, Major General Dain.”
“What’s this now? You seem to be writing a lot.”
“Because the future, in the end, is drawn with a pen.”

[Knight Artifice Theory: Aura Sphere]

“…Aura Sphere?”
“Yes. It’s something called an ‘Aura Body,’ a further development of Aura Ki… It contains my thoughts on how knights should advance on the modern, changing battlefield. And how they should be utilized. When the thesis is completed as a theory book, I will donate it to Empire Point first.”
“A theory book? Hah. Very well, I will read it when I have time.”
“Thank you.”

Maximilian rose from his seat.

“I shall be on my way.”
“Go on.”

Maximilian bowed politely and left the office. Dain fiddled with the checks and smiled contentedly.
Belatedly, the thesis he had left behind caught his eye.

“Aura Sphere, is it.”

He was curious. It sounded like the kind of absurd delusion fitting for a man in his early twenties. The way he spoke of a theory book was, for his age, even somewhat cute.
Dain picked up the document.
Rustle. He opened the page.
After reading the introduction, a series of mana formulas followed.

“Hm.”

With just five pages, he could tell it was a thesis with a rather good structure.
After reading ten more pages, his eyes opened wide without him realizing.
A little more time passed, and he found himself completely engrossed.

The way it constructed the artifice’s circuits was superb, and the structure connecting the artifices was elegant. The conclusion, reached by meticulously combining various mana formulas, and the concept of projecting the entire Aura Ki through a mana stone…

“This is possible?”

Theoretically, it seemed so plausible that it felt unrealistic. The condition that an expensive, ultra-high-purity mana stone was required was attached, but even so, it was doubtful. He didn't have a mana stone right now, so he couldn't even check…

—No, I do have one.

Dain picked up the mana stone fountain pen that Maximilian had left as a gift for the commandant.

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Pub: 25 Oct 2025 19:21 UTC

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