This changes everything
The room had erupted into astonished gasps. Even the king—who had been as rigid and unreadable as a statue—stared, his disbelief plain. The so-called experts murmured frantically amongst themselves, their skepticism shattered in an instant.
Calvin himself seemed seemed the most stunned. He held his hand out, watching the small ember dance with an almost childlike wonder. "Remarkable…" he whispered. Eyes fixed As the flickering flame, slowly extinguished.
The king, a man seemingly ummoved by anything, had long risen from his throne-drawn to the fire like a moth to a flame. Beside Calvin, Rohan stood speechless, his stone-cold demeanor melting in the wake of Calvin's tiny ignition.
Though the ignition was minuscule, its implications were insurmountable
"It's magic," Elijah murmured, his mind racing. These 'evolutions,' these 'mutations'—they're not random. The world itself is awakening. Adapting to the presence of something new in the atmosphere…
His eyes sharpened as the puzzle pieces clicked into place.
Mana.
I'm truly in another world—a world where magic exists at that , albeit only in its infancy, still in the discovery phase.
A bitter laugh escaped him. Funny how this feels both like a dream and a nightmare.
Yet one thought burned brighter than the flame itself.
In a world where everyone else's knowledge is rudimentary at best, doesn't that make me—someone who's devoured countless fictitious works on magic—a true expert? A genius?
A sinister thrill coiled in his chest, a grin threatening to stretch across his face.
Oh and yea , I just might survive this.
The room remained in stunned silence for only a moment longer before chaos erupted.
"Impossible!" one of the gathered scholars exclaimed, his voice cracking under the weight of disbelief
"How?!" Belched another
Astonishing
The expert was right,We have to rethink everything we thought we knew
How much does he even know?
Seizing the momentum, Elijah stepped forward, quickly schooling his expression, replacing his own shock with a knowing smirk. His fake confidence gradually manifesting into something real.
"As you can see, Your Highness…" he declared flamboyantly, gesturing as he delivered the finisher, "…proof of the impossible."
The king slowly resettled himself in his throne, regaining his composure.
For a long moment, he studied Elijah in silence before his commanding voice resounded throughout the grand hall.
"You're hired."
A new wave of shock washed over the room.
Not just shock—hope, anticipation, and anxiety, all rolled into one.
For the first time since arriving in this godforsaken place, Elijah felt something new.
-Relief.
His life was not in immediate danger.
The king's voice once again filled the chamber.
"Twenty-six. That is the number of 'experts' gathered here today. All but you attempted to deceive me with parlor tricks, hoping to gain a fortune.Usually, that'd be grounds for severe punishment."
He paused dramatically "Execution even"
"Luckily, suddenly I've found my self in a good mood"
The king's gaze was piercing and unwavering. An avalanche of flinches and lowered heads passed among the frauds as he spared them a brief glance before returning his attention to Elijah.
"But you…"he began
"Not only did you see through their childish ploys without even bearing witness, you took a completely different approach. Where you could have monopolized your knowledge—leveraging it for personal gain—you instead chose to educate every single person present. That tells me one thing…"
The hall was silent.
"You are not the type of man who deceives for selfish ends. What you truly desire is the betterment of the Richmond Kingdom. And at that, I applaud you. I can't begin to fathom the extent of your expertise, however it's evident youre an invaluable asset to this kingdom- and in my eyes that has more to do with who you are than your knowledge"
A conflicting wave of emotions washed over Elijah. The king had been completely wrong about his true nature—utterly clueless to how selfish his intentions had been all along—and for that, Elijah's soul smiled with dark glee. Fool.
Yet, deeper within his core, a different feeling stirred—a sense of purpose, a warmth that spoke of being truly wanted. It was a feeling he had never known before, and in its light, his doubts began to wane.
The onlookers held their breaths, anticipating his response.
The onlookers held their breaths, anticipating his response.
After a short pause, Elijah responded firmly:
"It would be an honor, my king," he declared, his voice steady despite the turmoil in his mind.
I would much rather find out how I ended up here… or, better yet, explore this world. But maybe… just maybe… sticking around wouldn't be so bad. Besides, logically, it's best to have allies instead of blindly rushing into the unknown, unprepared. Yeah, that's definitely the only reason I'm doing this… because it's the rational choice.
And yet, as he uttered those words, he wasn't sure if he was convincing them or himself.
'Wait a minute, what exactly did I just sign up for?' Elijah's mind raced as much as his body trembled with adrenaline. In that moment, he realized he would be the beacon of hope leading the Richmond Kingdom—and humanity in general—into a new era. He'd be the one to bridge the gap between their rudimentary understanding and the miraculous potential of magic.
His thoughts churned with a newfound determination. The prospect of transforming his once useless knowledge—merely gathered from novels, anime, and movies—into something useful was both daunting and filled with dread. A dangerous possibility ran through his mind: after becoming invaluable to the Richmond king, leading the charge into the new era, he might one day find himself chained in a dungeon. That fleeting relief—the knowledge that his immediate life was no longer in danger—slowly began to slip.
'I could be kidnapped by other kingdoms and tortured in hopes of milking my 'genius' brain for insights, or locked away by the Richmond Kingdom themselves, attempting to keep their secret muse hidden, never to see the light of day again.'
'Ahhh, what did I do?! Is it too late to change my mind?'
"With everything now in order, that concludes today's gathering." The king's voice rang with finality.
"I, King Alazard Richmond II, hereby declare Sir Elijah Minister of Strange Phenomena—"
"Your Majesty, if I may…" Elijah interjected swiftly.
'Hell no! If I'm doomed to be dragged into war or kidnapped and tortured, the least I can do is secure a better title.'
The king raised an eyebrow. "Hmm… Elijah, did you have some closing remarks?"
Elijah bowed slightly. "Just some final insights, my lord. These strange phenomena are commonly called 'magical,' and the practice of harnessing them is known as magic. However, what we are truly harnessing is mana—the source of these phenomena. Since my specialty can be simplified as magic, I humbly request to be referred to as an Advisor of Magic, or simply Magic Advisor."
The king regarded him thoughtfully before nodding.
"So be it. From now on, you are Sir Elijah, Magic Advisor of the Richmond Kingdom. As for your reward, the details can be sorted out later; however, your title grants you the status of a high noble and everything that comes with it."
———-
The meeting had ended, but before Elijah could slip away, Calvin approached him with a request for a private discussion.
It made sense. After all, Calvin had just experienced something life-changing and Elijah was instrumental in that experience.
Elijah agreed, though there wasn't much of a choice and soon they found themselves in a quiet chamber within the castle.
The walls were lined with paintings. The depictions made one thing clear—Calvin's older siblings and father were all masters of combat, while he was seemingly left behind in that regard, appearing more like a scholar.
But Elijah could see it: Calvin was smart. At first, he seemed intelligent for his age, but his demeanor exuded a sense of maturity. Coupled with the way Rohan spoke of him, it was clear Calvin was one of the sharpest minds in the kingdom, despite his youth. It's no surprise he'd recognize the opportunity this revelation presented, to shatter the status quo of being overshadowed by his family.
Calvin settled into a chair, crossing his legs, his right ankle propped on his left knee. His chin rested on his clasped left fist as his eyes locked onto Elijah.
"So, Elijah—who exactly are you?"
Elijah forced a nervous smile. "I'm Sir Elijah, Magic Advisor of the Richmond Kingdom."
Calvin's face darkened. "You see… I witnessed something quite peculiar today. Rohan was behind me, so he didn't see, but I did…"
The air in the room felt heavy.
Calvin's voice resonating with calm authority.
"…You appearing out of thin air."
Shock overcame Elijah , as his heart pounded
Calvin leaned forward, eyes sharp with scrutiny.
"So I ask you again—Elijah.who are you, really?"