Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 98 (Part 2)
Rodin paused to catch his breath, standing just one step away from a passage leading into a larger chamber.
He prepared himself mentally to flee if necessary, then cautiously took a step forward.
“Haa.”
The battle dolls did not attack. They didn’t even glance his way; they just stood still.
“So, it was the right choice. But how can they read magical patterns from that distance? Does that even make sense?”
From the entrance to the right corner was roughly 20 meters, and to the left corner, about 25 meters.
The battle dolls determined whether to attack based on the magical patterns they read from such a distance—a range that was by no means close.
“Well, I can do it too, so I guess it’s not that strange.”
Setting his curiosity aside, he stared blankly at the pile of books stacked before him. Part of him wanted to run over and start reading immediately.
“No, that’s not right.”
His current magical pattern had shifted into a form unfamiliar to him. In this state, even casting spells would require additional thought.
“First, I should check on those guys.”
He approached the battle doll holding a spear to his right. He was worried it might attack, but fortunately, it remained still even as he got close.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Rodin placed his hand on the chest of the battle doll and carefully infused it with his magical energy, trying to create a non-hostile atmosphere.
“Haa, as I thought…”
As expected, the battle doll was not powered by magical energy but by mana-based artifacts. Its interior was filled with intricately inscribed magic circles that would take more than a day or two to fully understand.
“I don’t need to understand everything today.”
For now, he just needed to find the magic circle related to command rights—to ensure that he wouldn’t be attacked, and preferably, to gain command over it.
“Not this one, not that… Ah, so this is how they crafted the Aura Blade. Or should I call it a Mana Blade? Hmm, anyway, not this either…”
The numerous magic circles required hours of careful scrutiny. But Rodin remained diligent and eventually found the one he was looking for.
“Here it is.”
He glanced back over his shoulder. In the distance, he could see the battle doll in the form of a young woman.
“If I change my magical pattern, it’ll attack from over there. Can I do it in time?”
Rodin intended to transfer command rights of the battle doll in front of him to his original magical pattern.
To do this, he needed to revert to his original magical pattern so the spear-wielding battle doll would recognize the command.
The problem was that during this time, he risked being attacked by the other battle doll in the distance. He had to alter the magic circle of the spear-wielding battle doll before being targeted by the sword-and-shield-wielding female battle doll.
“I have 2 seconds. I need to finish within that time.”
The time frame was incredibly tight. Manipulating the magic circle required at least five minutes, even under optimal conditions.
“No, wait. I already have the command rights.”
With his current, unfamiliar magical pattern, Rodin was the master and command-holder of both battle dolls.
Since he already held command, the dolls would naturally follow any order he gave.
“To issue commands, I need to know their names.”
He resumed examining the magic circle. After meticulously inspecting each detail, he learned the name of the spear-wielding battle doll.
“Karis.”
“Haro. Kraari.”
As soon as he called the name, the spear-wielding battle doll responded. It even adjusted its posture to focus on Rodin.
However, Rodin couldn’t understand the words that came from the battle doll’s mouth. It was an ancient language unfamiliar to him.
“Can you understand me?”
“Tenosatria. Kraari.”
[Yes, Master.]
“Ah!”
This time, alongside the spoken words, the meaning transmitted directly to his mind. It was a form of telepathic magic.
The battle doll realized Rodin’s language was unfamiliar and used telepathy along with its speech.
This would make communication possible. Additionally, it presented an opportunity to learn the ancient language of an unknown era.
“Follow me closely.”
“Hano. Kraari.”
[Yes, Master.]
Rodin approached the female battle doll equipped with a sword and shield. He carefully examined the magic circles one by one, eventually discovering its name.
“Jena.”
“Hano. Kraari. Storivibia.”
[Yes, Master. At your command.]
Even though they were both battle dolls, their manner of speaking was different. Jena’s voice was softer, and her expression more expressive.
“From now on, do not speak aloud. Use telepathic magic only.”
[Understood, Master.]
[As you wish, Master.]
The mixture of indecipherable spoken words and the telepathic transmission of meaning was confusing. So, Rodin decided to ignore the incomprehensible speech for the time being.
“Karis, Jena. No matter what happens, do not move or attack anyone for the next 30 minutes.”
[Understood, Master. We will stand by for 30 minutes.]
[Understood, Master.]
With the commands given, Rodin began tampering with Karis’s magic circle.
He erased the existing magical pattern and imprinted his own, then withdrew his hand.
“Phew. Karis.”
[Yes, Master.]
Fortunately, the command transfer was successful. Now, even with his original magical pattern, he wouldn’t have to worry about Karis attacking him.
“I’m your master, right?”
[Yes, Master.]
“Good. Stand by.”
Next, Rodin adjusted Jena’s magic circle.
Thanks to the earlier command, neither battle doll reacted as he worked on the magic circles.
“Phew. It’s done. Jena.”
[Yes, Master.]
“Am I your master?”
[Yes, you are definitely my Master.]
“Good.”
Rodin found himself drenched in sweat from the intense concentration. He felt completely drained, barely able to stay on his feet.
“Undine, wash me off.”
―Hehehe.
Cold water from Undine washed over his entire body, instantly refreshing him.
“No time to relax now.”
While Karis and Jena had briefly posed a threat, that was behind him now.
He had already spent too much time here. The sun was likely setting, and all he had accomplished was acquiring command over the battle dolls Karis and Jena.
“There are so many books.”
With his mind settled, the sight of the books finally registered.
There were so many that he couldn’t even begin to count. It wasn’t a neatly arranged library, but a chaotic pile of books as if they had been haphazardly thrown together.
“Why on earth would someone manage books like this?”
As a lover of books, seeing them in such disarray pained him. If time allowed, he wanted to build shelves and organize them meticulously by category.
“Ugh, it’s frustrating.”
The thought of not being able to organize them immediately made him feel restless. But the anticipation of reading through this treasure trove of books later filled him with a strange excitement.
This place contained more books than he had read throughout his entire life, several times over.
Even for a fast reader like Rodin, it would take decades to get through all of them.
“Coming here was the best decision.”
Although he was drawn to the books, he decided to inspect his surroundings first.
“Let’s start with the runes.”
The walls, from top to bottom and in every direction, were densely inscribed with runes. Even a quick glance revealed that there were more unfamiliar runes than familiar ones.