Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 107 (Part 2)

Lately, Rodin had been filled with countless worries. His troubled thoughts were so evident that he wore a dark expression every day.

Though he had gathered mana to the limits of the 6th Circle, he could not seem to break through the wall to the 7th Circle.

Just one step. It felt as if he could almost touch it if he just reached out, yet that realm continued to elude him.

“This is so frustrating.”

The image of Chairman Kreate kept surfacing in his mind. In the end, the chairman never broke through the 7th Circle barrier and died of old age.

Rodin was worried he would meet the same fate. These thoughts troubled him day after day, robbing him of sleep.

“What am I lacking? Are these very thoughts just an obsession?”

In truth, there were many things he lacked.

He had grown quickly, thanks to his natural talent, but that was it. He hadn’t experienced any of the challenges that most mages naturally face as they grow.

“I lack experience. Combat experience, experience in using magic, life experience, experience with people, experience in dealing with various situations. All of it.”

What he lacked could be gained. It would take time, but these were things that life would naturally provide over the years.

Combat experience could be gained by going to the western continent.

The experience of using magic could be developed simply by continuing to cast spells.

Life experience, people experience, and experience in various situations—those would all come with age.

But there was something he lacked entirely, something he didn’t even possess.

“I don’t have a goal.”

He had never set a life goal. Becoming an Archmage? Sure, he wanted that, but it wasn’t his life’s purpose.

“What do I really want to do?”

Before he was enslaved, when he was very young, his goal had been simply to survive. Since he could barely manage one meal a day, survival wasn’t an easy task.

“Back then, I at least had the goal of survival. Now, what do I have?”

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find an answer. Rodin couldn’t foresee what he would do or become in the future.

“Where will I be ten years from now? Twenty years? Fifty years?”

In the past, he could escape all worries and concerns just by reading. If he focused on the contents of a book, no other thoughts could intrude.

But recently, even when he opened a book, he found himself spacing out, unable to concentrate. He knew exactly what this situation meant.

“I’m lost. I’ve lost my way.”

At times like this, he became acutely aware of how young he was.

He might be brilliant, but his mind wasn’t resilient. He wavered easily and was harshly critical of himself for even the smallest mistakes.

“There’s no one who can help me through this… no one.”

He missed having a mentor. If there were someone who had walked this path before, they could offer advice to guide him. But Rodin had to resolve this entirely on his own.

“Big brother Rodin, what are you doing?”

“Thinking.”

“Stop thinking and take a look at this.”

Bianca came over, holding a pot. Of course, it wasn’t food.

“How long has this been?”

“Five days.”

“Let me see.”

Inside the pot Bianca held was an orange-tinted liquid. It was slightly warm but not hot.

“Well done. But there’s too much mana. You can draw some of it out.”

“Really? Is it bad if there’s too much mana?”

“Once the mana exceeds a certain level, adding more doesn’t improve the effect. If anything, it’s just a waste of your mana.”

The liquid Bianca brought was a potion for treating disease. More precisely, it was still in its early stages, a raw mixture not yet fully refined.

“Ah, so I need to remove some.”

“You’re not going to spend all day making potions, are you? You need to conserve your mana so you have enough left to practice magic.”

“Got it. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Bianca had learned the method for crafting disease-curing potions from Rodin.

It wasn’t a particularly secret technique. It was a method to create a potion with similar effects to the ones found in shops.

Rodin had learned about this recipe from a book he obtained in the underground ruin, one that detailed how disease-curing potions were made during the era of the Magus Empire. He had already made one successfully.

But the method required knowledge of 3rd Circle magic. As a 1st Circle mage, Bianca wasn’t yet at the level to attempt it.

“Good job. Keep it up.”

“But what’s been bothering you, Big brother Rodin? You’ve been quiet all day and your face has been like this.”

Bianca mimicked the frown Rodin had worn all day, dragging her eyes downward in an exaggerated expression.

“Was I really like that?”

“Yes, your face was all scrunched up. Even Larry’s been on edge because of it.”

“I see. That was my mistake. I’ll try not to let it show from now on.”

Rodin realized his error. No matter how much he was struggling, he shouldn’t let it affect those living with him.

‘I’m still so young.’

It was at times like this that his youth really showed. Rodin sighed quietly to himself in frustration.

“Instead of keeping it to yourself, why don’t you talk to Grandma Margaret? You said you had a problem.”

“Margaret?”

Bianca used to call her “Aunt Margaret” because when they first met, Margaret was still quite active. Even though she had many wrinkles, she moved with enthusiasm.

But recently, Bianca had switched to calling her “Grandma Margaret” as she had aged rapidly, now looking unmistakably like a grandmother.

“Adults are the ones you talk to when you need advice.”

“An adult, huh… That’s true. Why didn’t I think of that? I actually do have someone I can ask for advice.”

Bianca’s words hit Rodin like a revelation. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling—it was a sudden clarity that made him feel lighter.

“Are you going to see her?”

“Yes. I’ll go talk to Margaret.”

“Good luck, Big Brother Rodin.”

“Thanks.”

Rodin turned toward Margaret’s separate house, passing through the garden. Off in a corner of the garden, he saw Larry, drenched in sweat, swinging his sword.

‘Pushing himself too hard like that isn’t good.’

Since breakfast, Larry had been outside training, sweating profusely. He had already gone through a grueling morning workout with Rodin before breakfast, and Rodin had no doubt Larry would do the same after lunch.

“Tsk.”

Rodin felt the urge to stop him right away, but for some reason, today he didn’t feel like intervening. Right now, calming his own unsettled emotions took priority over worrying about Larry.

(T/N: Hello, everyone! This is Hyung Otaku. I’m excited to announce that I’ve launched a Patreon for Embracing Magic! If you’d like to support the novel and help it grow, I invite you to join the Patreon community. Your support means a lot and will help bring even more content to life! Here!)

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