Chapter 33: The Colors of Magic

Blackwolf Castle, Library.

Sunlight streamed through the ornate stained-glass windows, casting a mosaic of colors and shadows across the room. The faint scent of aged parchment lingered in the air, while towering bookshelves created an atmosphere of serene tranquility.

“Magic,” Iris began methodically, “is a force that exists in the spaces between the soul and body of all living beings. Everything possesses magic, but only a rare few can harness and channel it.”

Xia Mingyu sat cross-legged on the wooden floor, listening intently as the petite silver-haired girl in a pale pink nightgown stood before him, explaining with practiced precision.

At his request, Iris started from the very basics of magic.

“Some creatures are born with the innate ability to sense magic, such as magical beasts and elves. Others awaken their magic by surpassing the Morningstar rank, like intelligent beings. Then there are sorcerers who meditate deeply to perceive and wield magic.”

“But…” Iris extended her slender finger, summoning a faint white glow at its tip.

“Before reaching the Morningstar rank, the magic one uses isn’t truly magic in the strictest sense. It’s symbolically called ‘blank magic.’”

“The first Grand Mage, Lord Byers, once said that the essence of magic is the will of the living being. Therefore, no two beings’ magic are exactly alike. With ten million beings, there are ten million kinds of magic.”

“Only upon reaching the Morningstar rank does one awaken a magic uniquely their own, imbued with color, born from the gap between soul and flesh. For example, my father, Viscount Hughes, awakened an eerie green magic when he attained the Morningstar rank.”

Iris’s voice was melodious and clear. Through her explanation, Xia Mingyu gradually formed a clearer understanding of magic.

Unlike the knights on Blue Star who wielded combat qi or the sorcerers who used magic, in this world, all supernatural beings seemed to draw from magic itself.

Furthermore, this magic bore intense personal hues; even the color of one’s magic varied.

Suddenly, a thought struck Xia Mingyu.

“Iris, is the color of magic related to eye color?” he inquired.

He recalled that Karen’s eyes were the same eerie green as his magic.

“Yes,” Iris nodded slightly. “It’s often said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and many people’s final awakened magic matches their eye color.”

“Your eyes are as beautiful as obsidian,” she added with a hint of admiration. “Surely, should you reach the Morningstar rank, you would awaken a rare and profound black magic.”

Iris couldn’t help but express genuine envy, her delicate features softening with sincere admiration.

If only she had such eyes, she might not have stalled at the sorcerer rank, nor gone seventeen years without receiving a single invitation to a banquet.

“Iris, your eyes are beautiful too. When you reach the Morningstar rank, might you awaken magic of mingled red and gray-white hues?” Xia Mingyu asked, intrigued by her striking heterochromatic eyes.

“Perhaps,” she smiled bitterly, a shadow of melancholy crossing her gaze. “But I will likely never set foot on the Morningstar rank.”

“Is the leap from sorcerer to magician really that insurmountable?” Xia Mingyu was astonished.

From appearances alone, Iris was young, barely of age, and had already entered the extraordinary realm. By any measure, she was a prodigy.

Yet even so, she felt she would never attain the Morningstar rank in her lifetime.

Suddenly, Xia Mingyu felt the weight of choosing his profession more carefully. Though mages were impressive, what if this world’s equivalent of ‘biochemical environmental materials’ was a dead end?

“The difficulty of advancing as a magician is indeed the highest among all professions,” Iris said, shaking her head. “But that’s not the only reason.”

She hesitated, then met Xia Mingyu’s eyes and spoke slowly.

“Your Highness, you’re not from this continent, are you?”

The way he spoke of magic and complimented her eyes was unlike anyone from the Western Continent.

In that moment, Xia Mingyu’s heart raced and beads of sweat formed on his palms.

Earlier, Lord Robert and Viscount Hughes had perhaps out of respect refrained from questioning his origins, so he had nearly let his guard down.

But now, in the library, Iris’s question pierced through, clearly suspecting his ignorance of common knowledge known throughout this world.

Xia Mingyu said nothing, only nodded slightly, maintaining a composed expression.

Too many words would be a mistake; better to let her imagine as she would.

“You truly are from the Eastern Continent. After all, the total population of all human tribes on the Western Continent probably doesn’t reach fourteen hundred million. Your kingdom must rule the entire Eastern Continent to have such a vast number of citizens!” Iris exclaimed with admiration.

She then stepped back two paces, gently lifting the hem of her pink nightgown in an elegant curtsey.

This was no mere courtesy to Xia Mingyu, but a gesture of respect to the first super-kingdom in history to unify an entire continent under human rule.

Watching this, Xia Mingyu’s breath quickened.

Though Iris had lowered her skirt as much as possible, she still revealed two long, snowy white legs. Her skin appeared as smooth as creamy jade under the soft light, almost glowing with a faint aura.

Fortunately, she wore pale white bloomers beneath the nightgown; otherwise, he might have seen far too much.

“Your Highness, while heterochromia may be common in the Eastern Continent, here on the Western Continent it is widely regarded as an ill omen. If a commoner family bears a heterochromatic child, they must be immediately cremated. Those who resist are executed on the spot.”

“I was fortunate to survive due to noble birth, but even so, I face many restrictions. If I were to awaken dual-colored magic upon becoming a magician, even my father might not be able to protect me…”

Iris sighed softly.

It was likely that the day after her breakthrough, the church’s bishop would come personally to execute her.

If only she weren’t heterochromatic, she could pursue the path of magic freely.

Seeing the silver-haired girl’s somber expression, Xia Mingyu felt at a loss for words. Not knowing how to comfort her, he said gravely, “Iris, could you fetch some books about the Eastern Continent for me?”

Keeping busy would keep her spirits up.

“It would be my honor, Your Highness,” she replied.

“Wait, I hereby exempt you from the curtsey when wearing your nightgown,” Xia Mingyu hurried to add as she lifted her skirt again.

The first time it was innocent; the second time, it would be downright lecherous.

...

Over ten minutes later, Iris returned, struggling under the weight of a thick stack of books, which she placed before Xia Mingyu.

“Your Highness, all the books about the Eastern Continent in this library are here.”

As she spoke, she brushed sweat from her brow.

The scene stirred a twinge of guilt in Xia Mingyu; he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was exploiting child labor.