The Ringless Mage Is Actually the Strongest Chapter 6: Inomi
"Who are you?" Orin said looking intently at the blue-haired girl.
She stood up and walked toward the door. "Meet me at the gate after school." She smiled, throwing up the peace sign before walking out the door.
Orin sighed, resting his head on the pillow. She didn't even tell me her name…
He thought for a second and then—
The bell rang.
Orin stood up and rummaged through his backpack which was beside the bed. He grabbed a rolled parchment and stared at it for a moment before he rolled it up and tossed it in his bag.
I don't have any other classes today. I should go to the cafeteria. He thought.
As he made his way through the cafeteria, he spotted Ray and Gunther sitting at a table near the window.
"Hey Orin! Over here."
Orin walked over and dropped his tray on the table, taking a seat.
"What's up! You guys don't have any class either?" Orin asked while unwrapping his sandwich.
Ray and Gunther spoke simultaneously, "No."
Gunther leaned in. "How are you, Orin! Didn't think Richard would send you to the infirmary."
Ray shot Gunther a sharp glare as if disapproving his remark.
Orin chuckled nervously, "Yeah, He was pretty strong."
Ray interrupted, "Well if he hadn't used magic he'd have lost. Orin had him by the neck."
Gunther chuckled.
Orin, recalling the strange events that have ocurred today, asked. "Hey Ray, you seem to know a lot... There's this weird girl in B-class, she has blue hair, and wears these strange goggles…"
Before Orin could finish speaking, Ray cut him off. "Goggles! That's Inomi."
"Inomi?" Orin asked, curious.
Gunther's eyebrows raised, "Wait, that Inomi?"
Ray nodded, "Yeah, Inomi Dalestra…She's the one who placed first in the written exam… "
Gunther leaned back, he sighed. "I've heard she's a genius magic engineer. Many of the magic tools in the kingdom, including those magic microphones and speakers were created by the Dalestra Merchant Company "
Ray continued, "Yeah, she's one of this year's prodigies, even though she's only a three-ring water mage."
"Prodigy?" Orin muttered.
Ray glanced around, then lowered his voice. "Rumour has it, she's actually the one who built the magic tools, and her father just manages them because shes too young."
Orin curious, "Shouldn't she be in S-class?"
Gunther interrupted. "By the way, why are you asking Orin?"
Orin replied. "I met her at the Infirmary, she asked me to meet her after school."
Ray's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously?"
Gunther grinned. "Sound's like she wants to confess."
Orin turned red, "What? No, we've only spoken once, we don't know each other that well."
Gunther laughs, "Haven't you heard of love at first sight?…She was probably so shy, she quickly said it and ran away…"
Orin looked away, recalling memory. "Well… Uhm…
Ray and Gunther exchanged glances then laughed.
After school, as Orin walked towards the classroom, his mind was filled with thoughts. Is she really going to confess?What do I do? I've never had a girlfriend before. No, no, it's just a meeting. His face red as he imagined himself in a relationship with Inomi.
As he approached the academy gates, he spotted Inomi standing outside, her back turned, still tinkering with her metal glove. She failed to notice Orin as she was overly focused.
Orin hesitated. "Ino… Uhm…Hey."
Inomi looked up, and smiled. "Oh, Orin, you're here… alright let's go"
Orin, a little confused, replied. "Where are we going?"
"To my house... Don't worry, it's not far." she said casually.
"Uhh… Wait… Uhm..." Orin stumbles through his words, failing to get a sentence across.
"Isn't that moving too fast, let's at least get to know each other first" He looked down, a little shy.
Inomi, confused for a second, her face turned red then she let out a loud laugh. "Ha Ha Ha! It's not like that… just come with me."
Orin, a little embarrassed agrees.
After a while, they arrived outside a large, imposing mansion. Orin thought, she said it wasn't far, but that took thirty minutes.
Inomi interrupted his thoughts, "Hey Orin! We're here."
"Woah! This is your house?" He asked, his mouth wide open. "This is three times bigger than Rod's house!" Orin muttered.
"Rod?" She asked.
"Oh! My childhood friend." Orin replied.
"I see! Well come on in!"
As Orin and Inomi walked through the front door, they were greeted with a grand interior and lines of maids greeting them. An older gentleman, in a sharp suit and a menacing presence approached them, shooting Orin a sharp glare.
Orin a little nervous. "Greetings, Sir!"
Inomi, in a friendly but commanding voice. "Come on! Albert, don't scare him. He's my guest…"
"Yes! my lady" The once menacing Albert, replied.
"Let my Mother know I've returned… I will be in my workshop… Also let me know when father returns…" Inomi added.
Albert nodded, "Yes, my lady."
Inomi looked at Orin. "Follow me…"
Orin still a little nervous replied, "Yes, my lady"
Inomi laughed as they walked towards her workshop.
As Orin stepped through the door of Inomi's workshop, he was awe-struck.
A tall glass domed ceiling, a large telescope, some boxes filled with crystals, and a carriage with a contraption of some sorts, attached to the place where the carriage coachman should be and glowing wires protruding from it.
From the ceiling hung a large celestial map—rotating rings of copper. Arcs of electricity forming from one glowing tube to another. Orin had never seen anything like this before, he had so many questions.
"What? Where?" He failed to find the words.
Inomi laughed and exchanged her school coat for a clean white coat. She sat down on a chair that was seemingly levitating above a metallic platform. "Welcome to my workshop." she stretched.
Orin still mesmerized, asked. "Did you build all this?"
Inomi smiled "Yes! By the way, I don't think I've told you my name." She stood up and extended her for a handshake. "I am Inomi, Inomi Dalestra."
Orin smiled and grabbed her hand. "Orin Valcrest. Nice to meet you."
Orin looked around pointing at magic tools and asking questions.
"What's this?"
"That's an auto carriage. It moves without a horse… Its only a prototype"
"For real? Is your chair flying? And how about this?" Orin asked, picking up a strange device.
Inomi rushed over, grabbing the magic tool from him. "Ah! Don't touch that."
Orin chuckled, he asked many more questions which Inomi was happy to answer.
Orin exhausted, collapsed on a couch. "Anyways, I'm sure you didn't bring me all the way here just to show me your inventions."
Inomi lit up. "Aha! I almost forgot. Your magic! Show me your magic."
Orin was surprised. "What? Why?"
Inomi leaned forward, "I saw what you did during the combat exam, You're supposed to be a ringless mage, yet you used a conjurer type magic."
Orin confused. "Conjurer type magic? What does that mean?"
Inomi paused for a moment. "It's only a rumour, but in a distant continent, they don't have rings on their grimoires. They have two types of mages—enhancers, who focus solely on enhancing themselves and others, and then there's conjurers, whose magic can affect nature."
Orin thought seriously.
Inomi continued, "I have a working theory that the rings on our Grimoires don't measure a mage's strength but instead determines their magic type."
Orin was shocked, "Back home, my father was a one-ring mage, but he commanded the army and was said to rival four-ring mages."
Inomi jumped up instantly. "Really! We have to go meet him!"
Orin smiled. "Well, he died a few months before I was born"
Inomi froze for a moment, then sat down. "Oh, sorry..."
Orin replied, "it's okay I didn't really meet him, but my mother says I inherited his inhuman strength. If I can help with your research an any way, just let me know."
Inomi smiled, "Well I'd love to see your magic."
Orin thought for a second, then he raised his hands, palms facing up. "This is my magic… Story magic: Angel's Paradise."
A shimmering light filled the room, holographic birds fluttered through the air, chirping. A majestic elk appeared, grazing on an unseen meadow suspended in air. The atmosphere felt warm and peaceful, as though they were watching a 3d film.
Inomi looked about, she was lost for words.
Orin canceled his magic and everything disappeared. "Well, it's nothing special, it's just an illusion"
Inomi blinked then frowned, "Illusion? Didn't you hear the sound? Illusion magic has no sound, besides most illusionists are light mages"
Orin was shocked. "Huh, but I thought… Everyone said it was illusion magic."
Inomi sighed "Listen, if you live your life on other people's opinion, you'll never truly live." She stood up and grabbed a box, then sat down and laid it on her lap. "Look at this." She pressed a button, and a bright light shone from one side of the box, she pressed another and the light colour changed and again and again.
"This is an old project of mine," she explained. It uses light magic to create illusions, but I could never get the images to appear. Illusion magic is tied to the casters mind."
Orin curious, asked. "So if this isn't illusion magic then what is it?"
Inomi stood up, one hand on her waist, the other pointing at him. "Good... Questions!
Always ask questions! Even if the world believes it to be true. Ask." She sat back down, her expression serious. "From what I've observed, the story magic you showed me is made up of both light magic and sound magic… It's possible that you're a dual mage."
Orin was stunned. "A... dual mage?"
Inomi nodded, "It's only a theory and you are going to help me confirm it." She paused, then added. "We know so little about grimoires and magic, and yet many people are judged, even doomed and discriminated against based on the number of rings they have—something we don't even fully understand."
She looked at Orin intently. "Have you ever tried isolating the light and sound from your magic?"
"What do you mean?" Orin asked,
Inomi sighed "Try casting your magic again. Keep it simple—a bird—but this time, remove the chirping sound."
Orin nodded "I'll try." Closing his eyes, he focused carefully and then the familiar glow emerged. A lone bird materialized, flapping its wings silently before perching at the top of his head."
He laughed. "I did it."
Inomi grined widely. "Now, try it again. This time with just the chirping, no light"
Orin cancelled his magic and concentrated again. He tried hard, focusing only on the sound of chirping. Moments later only the sound of chirping echoed through the room, as if an invisible flock of birds surrounded them.
Inomi gasped, then suddenly jumped and hugged him. "It worked!"
He froze, caught off guard. Before he could come to terms with what just happened, his grimoire began to glow, floating infront of him. The pages of his grimoire fluttered widly, and came to a sudden stop. It dropped to the floor with a soft thud.
Orin picked up his grimoire, he flipped it open and there it was. Two lines of text had appeared with words he could not make out.
But with the little he could, he read—
@#&^$$@^& Light Magic @#&^$$@^&
@!&^$%#@% Sound Magic @!&^$%#@%
He stared at the words then looked up at Inomi with a blank expression, a single tear, dropping down his cheeks.
"Huh?"