It was difficult to catch a glimpse of Sienna’s face during the ten-day stay in Salar. She had locked herself in the basement with Bloody Mary in hand as soon as she returned to the city.
Bloody Mary was a luxurious staff made using a whole Dragon Heart, and it held the memories and magic of all the previous Staffs of Incarceration. Of course, most of the magic recorded in the staff was black magic, which Sienna had no intention of using.
However, she was aiming to become the Goddess of Magic, and it was necessary for her to become familiar even with black magic. No, becoming familiar with it wasn’t enough. She had to comprehend it fully.
"Black magic is still magic, after all,” she muttered.
She didn’t think she’d be immersed in her study for so long when she first entered the room holding Bloody Mary. Although she had not yet reached the status of the Goddess of Magic, Sienna could now understand most of the magic that existed in the world.
It was perhaps inevitable, considering that most of the current era’s magic was based on the Circle Magic Formula. Even black wizards used the Circle Magic Formula for convenience’s sake.
Sienna was the creator of the Circle Magic Formula, and she could confidently say that she could understand any magic that made use of the Circle Magic Formula with just a glance.
‘This is...’
But it took her a little bit of time to understand magic that did not make use of the Circle Magic Formula. However, she didn’t think it would take her too long to make sense of any magic.
Sienna was historically the most outstanding wizard anyone could find. She was able to create a whole new system of magic because she had completely mastered the existing ones. As such, she was confident that she could understand old-fashioned, ancient magic with a little bit of time."What the hell are these?" Sienna exclaimed in shock.
However, the magic and memories recorded in Bloody Mary exceeded even Sienna's imagination. They were far from being dismissible as outdated magic.
There were many records of ancient magic in Akron, the royal library of Aroth. Naturally, Sienna had mastered all types of magic in Akron, which meant she was well-versed in ancient magic.
However, even if she had gathered all the different types of magic from Akron, it would not have made up even half of what was recorded in Bloody Mary. This staff contained the original formulas and systems of old magic that weren’t known to the current era.
It wasn't just simple magic that remained, either. Bloody Mary's true value lay in preserving all memories of magic.
It was similar to solving problems with an answer sheet. Moreover, the answer sheet contained not only the answers but also included detailed explanations on how to arrive at said answers.
Therefore, she couldn’t help but be immersed. During the ten days that she locked herself in the basement, Sienna completely forgot about eating and drinking as she held onto Bloody Mary and plunged into deep meditation.
It felt like she was drifting in a black sea.
There were unnecessary memories. For instance, she saw ways to overcome the barriers of black magic. There were methods to bypass bottlenecks without pursuing enlightenment through practice, like performing rituals with sacrifices or begging the Demon Kings — things Sienna would never do.
And there were many more unpleasant and useless memories.
She completely excluded the useless memories that weren’t helpful in studying the path of magic. But at the same time, she thoroughly examined the black magic contained in Bloody Mary. Frankly, the records of the past three hundred years were hardly worth looking at. Amelia and Edmund’s memories, along with a few other previous Staffs of Incarceration, were of little help to Sienna.
However, she found considerable value in the memories she discovered from before the era of war.
Sienna had previously encountered Belial as the Staff of Incarceration. His curses had been at the level of Signatures of the Archwizards, and she felt she could potentially adapt the curses and turn them into magic with some adjustments.
Sienna had also witnessed Edmund Codreth’s magic, the previous Staff of Incarceration. Although she had been unable to interfere in the war of the Rainforest directly, Edmund’s attempt to make use of the World Tree allowed Sienna to observe the battlefield.
His magical prowess had been fairly exceptional. Objectively speaking, Edmund's skills with magic had been superior to those of the current tower masters. Yet, he failed to exploit his remarkable magical abilities fully, or rather, had not even made an attempt.
She could not believe that his Signature, which should have been a spell that represented him as a wizard, was merely a defensive barrier. He had called it Cube if she recalled properly, and in Sienna’s view, it had been a pitiful, inadequate Signature. It was baffling why he chose such a weak Signature despite reaching such a profound level in magic.
And then there was Amelia Merwin.
Truly….
Sienna clicked her tongue in disapproval.
"What was her Signature again?"
Sienna had never even seen it. To be precise, Amelia wasn’t even granted the opportunity to cast her Signature. She would have had to use her magic and her Signature if she had engaged in some sort of battle, but all Amelia did during the Hauria war was hide underground. She had used necromancy in hiding and begged for her life.
The other Staffs of Incarceration, specifically those chosen after the end of war, were arguably the weakest of all the Staffs of Incarceration.
But perhaps it was inevitable. It was a dark age for black wizards after the war. Most capable black wizards died during the war three hundred years ago, and those who survived were relentlessly hunted by the Inquisitors of the Holy Empire. Those who fled to Helmuth were merely second-rate compared to the veterans of the era of war.
Yet, a Staff of Incarceration had to be chosen from among them. As if guaranteeing the fair treatment of black wizards, the Demon King of Incarceration picked the new Staff of Incarceration from among the vermin and Handed Bloody Mary to them.
‘What were their names?’
Sienna had actually seen the Staffs of Incarceration from that era but found them so lackluster that their name wasn't even worth remembering.
"What are these guys even supposed to be?"
Sienna couldn’t help but express her frustration after immersing herself in the staff’s memories for ten days.
"Is this all they could do with it?" Sienna wondered in disappointment.
She couldn't understand. Her initial disdain for black magic had been challenged by the knowledge contained in Bloody Mary, which was indeed profound. However, the magic from the last three hundred years was mostly trash, with more to discard than to salvage.
Yet, the magic and knowledge of the Staffs of Incarceration before Belial were so remarkable that even Sienna, at her current level of achievement, couldn't help but admire them. She found them interesting even apart from their power and the realm they had reached.
However, the more recent owners of Bloody Mary had failed to properly utilize any of the exceptional knowledge contained within the staff. They used magic but had not delved into comprehension. They had not attempted to understand it to create something new.
While Sienna's pursuits differed from black magic, the magic contained within Bloody Mary was certainly profound enough to discuss absolute truths. Just skimming the surface of such depth seemed entirely wasteful.
"This is why kids these days just don't cut it," Sienna grumbled while placing Bloody Mary to the side.
How much time had passed? She had been so engrossed in her studies that she had completely lost track of time. She could not feel hunger and thirst despite having fasted the entire time.
Yet, a different kind of hunger and thirst welled within her — a yearning for deeper knowledge. She desired to understand everything. She licked her lips, feeling a deeper hunger for knowledge and a thirst for exploration.
She came to a realization.
‘I haven’t seen it all.’
Despite devoting more time than initially anticipated, she hadn't fully explored Bloody Mary. More accurately, it was impossible for her to see everything.
‘A seal?’ Sienna realized.
She had ventured past Belial into memories from even before the era of war, memories of black wizards, liches, and demons whose names were unknown. But she couldn't reach the very bottom. The river of memories was obstructed partway through.
‘He wasn't the first Staff of Incarceration,’ Sienna concluded.
She saw the memories of a demon from ancient times, one who had also inherited Bloody Mary. It meant that there were others who came before him, but climbing past to reach the memories proved impossible, as if a locked door was preventing her access.
‘I don’t know how far back this is. Who was the Staff of Incarceration before him?’
Bloody Mary only recorded magic and related memories. There wasn’t anything else stored within. Could she deduce the era from the recorded magic? That would prove challenging. The magic stored in Bloody Mary hailed from an ancient era. Sienna mulled over the ancient spells she knew one by one.
‘It’s far too ancient,’ she deduced.
These spells were older than Aroth's oldest records, magic from at least a thousand years back, perhaps even older.
‘…Is this magic even from our era?’ Sienna wondered.
A thought suddenly struck her. When did Bloody Mary originate? The Demon King of Incarceration existed even during the time of Agaroth, during the Age of Myth. What if something akin to the Staff of Incarceration existed then, and they had passed down Bloody Mary since? The so-called ancient magic of the current era might actually be….
‘Magic from the Age of Myth.’ Sienna answered her own question.
Sienna's eyes sparkled. No wizard on the continent was as well-versed in ancient magic as she was. Not only had she studied the spells preserved in Aroth, but she had also learned from the long-lived elves.
‘If Bloody Mary truly dates back to the Age of Myth, it can surely add to what I lack.’
She thought of the Goddess of Magic of that era, the Sage of the Ivory Tower. She licked her lips in anticipation.
"The reincarnation of the Twilight Witch is Noir Giabella. Agaroth's reincarnation is Eugene…. Perhaps I am the reincarnation of the Sage? Maybe Molon is the reincarnation of the God of Giants,” Sienna muttered, voicing her thoughts.
She couldn’t be certain, but she had a strong hunch about it. Sienna wasn't one to believe in fate, but when it came to matters regarding Vermouth, she couldn't help but contemplate destiny.
Was it possible that all the events of three hundred years ago were interconnected by fate? Agaroth was reincarnated as Hamel, the Sage as Sienna, the Giant as Molon, and the Saint closest to completion, Anise, was born, all in response to Vermouth’s sudden appearance. Vermouth had gathered them as comrades… to conquer the Devildom. But then….
‘What exactly is Vermouth?’
It was the question that always lingered. What exactly was Vermouth to have grasped all of this? What did Vermouth want to achieve? Sienna clicked her tongue in frustration.
At the bottom of Bloody Mary lay magic from the Age of Myth. She couldn’t be completely certain, but that was the conclusion she had come to. However, the door to dive deeper was firmly sealed, likely the work of the Demon King of Incarceration.
"How interesting," Sienna remarked.
The door was firmly shut and sealed by chains.
She couldn't help but recall memories from three centuries ago. They were filled with humiliation and rage. She had fought against the Demon King of Incarceration on the highest floor of the Demon King’s castle, Babel.
She desperately wanted to win. She truly, desperately wanted to kill the Demon King of Incarceration to retrieve Hamel's soul. She wanted to defeat the Demon King of Incarceration, just as Hamel had wished.
But she failed. She suffered a crushing defeat. The magic she had been so confident in had failed to break the chains of the Demon King. Most of her spells had been interrupted, and all Sienna could do was unleash a barrage of unformed mana.
'But it's different now,’ Sienna thought while tightening her grip on Bloody Mary.
If there were chains sealing the door, she would break them. If the door was locked, she would twist it open. Of course, she would not be able to get through as easily as she liked, but doors were meant to open when one knocked.
"Hmm."
Her hand ached from gripping Bloody Mary too tightly.
"It doesn't need to look like this,” muttered Sienna.
She squinted her eyes and glared at Bloody Mary. The red gem at the end of the staff was a Dragon Heart. Two pairs of hand bones wrapped around the Dragon Heart as if to emphasize that it was a wicked staff. It looked as if two hands were supporting the Dragon Heart.
Sienna clicked her tongue. The ten-finger bones clinging to the Dragon Heart and the veins writhing around the staff looked distasteful.
"Those black wizards can't help but show off who they are," Sienna said, sounding disgusted.
They wore dark robes without being asked and acted ominously. Bloody Mary didn't need to have this appearance either.
Could she change its shape? Sienna examined the staff and contemplated.
"This is a bit…."
She took out Frost, which she had stored in a subspace. Sienna compared the Dragon Heart at the end of Frost with the Dragon Heart from Bloody Mary.
"It’s shaped... strangely."
She couldn't tell how it was processed, but the Bloody Mary’s Dragon Heart felt different from Frost's. While they looked similar in appearance, she felt something alien about it.
'The oldest staff.'
Akasha was made by the dragons three hundred years ago. Frost had been reinforced with a Dragon Heart recently. But Bloody Mary — it had been passed down since ancient times.
Was it different because it was so old? She wanted to take it apart to study it but feared doing so might erase the records within Bloody Mary. After comparing the two staffs for a while, Sienna gave a deep sigh and shoved both staffs back into her subspace.
"I guess I should visit the elf territories," she concluded.
Akasha had been crafted by the dragons and elves. Moreover, it was the elves who passed on ancient magic to Sienna. She sat up straighter while thinking of the remaining elf elders in the territory.
Her body felt stiff after sitting still and meditating for a long time. Her bones creaked, her muscles tingled, and she felt grimy all over. Sienna brushed her tangled hair to the side and opened the door to the basement.
Their eyes met as soon as she opened the door.
Was this fate?
For a moment, Sienna thought so. How could it be that the moment she opened the door, they would face each other so precisely?
Naturally, it wasn't fate. Eugene had been sitting in front of the basement door for a long time, waiting for Sienna. He debated whether to enter or knock on the door before eventually choosing to wait in front of the door. He knew Sienna was likely deeply engrossed in thinking. Then, he stood up to greet her once he saw that the door was opening.
But Sienna failed to think of this obvious possibility. She simply believed it was fate that she and Eugene, who couldn't stand not seeing her, met coincidentally. Although she proclaimed herself to be wise, she wasn’t so wise when it came to matters unrelated to magic.
She felt touched and wanted to say something, but she soon came to realize that there was a huge problem. She had secluded herself for ten days, and there was no way that she had maintained a pristine appearance. She was hunched from a stiff back, her hair was greasy, and there were likely other repugnant things about her. She was likely not much different from Rynein when she had cooped herself with research in a marsh for prolonged periods.
Therefore, Sienna quickly stepped back and closed the door. Despite her strange behavior, Eugene said nothing and stood waiting in front of the door.
A few seconds later, the door opened again. Sienna appeared again. She was completely different from just before. Her greasy hair now shimmered, her skin glowed, and she had even changed her clothes.
Sienna opened her lightly pink lips and gave a warm smile.
"Were you waiting for your teacher, my disciple?" she asked.
"Do we still need to keep up this act of being a teacher and disciple?" Eugene asked.
"Well, you’re right, but I think it's still nice to call you my disciple,” said Sienna.
"What's nice about it?" questioned Eugene.
"That sort of relationship between a teacher and a disciple... it has a certain appeal, you know,” Sienna said with a chuckle and approached Eugene.
What exactly was appealing about it? Eugene couldn't understand her sentiment.
"So, why are you here?" asked Sienna.
"Why? Because you haven't come out for ten days," answered Eugene.
"Ten days? Have I been cooped up here for that long?" questioned Sienna.
"Wow. Did you not even realize how many days had passed?" Eugene said.
"Hmm, I was that focused,” responded Sienna.
Halfway through her words, Sienna grimaced and looked up at the ceiling.
"What's that noise upstairs? Why is it so noisy?" she asked. "And why do you look so gloomy?"
There were so many things she couldn’t figure out. Sienna's eyes widened as she took in Eugene's attire. Eugene was wearing a suit instead of his usual clothes paired with the cloak, and his normally unkempt hair was combed neatly.
This look was strangely familiar to Sienna. It reminded her of when they first returned to Aroth and went on a date.
Sienna gasped, recalling the romantic kiss they shared. Their lips had met under the snow-filled sky….
Could it be that he wanted to lighten the mood with a date now that the war was over?
"Ahem…. Ahem, wait a moment. I need to get ready, too,” Sienna said with an awkward cough.
"What do you need to prepare for? You look fine as you are,” responded Eugene.
"But... am I really okay like this? Well, I am beautiful no matter what I wear," said Sienna.
"Well, make sure you don’t say unnecessary things once we’re out,” Eugene said in warning.
Eugene turned away with a somber expression.
Out?
Unnecessary things?
Sienna tilted her head in confusion.
"Where are we going?" she finally asked.
"Outside,” answered Eugene.
"On a date?" questioned Sienna.
"No,” Eugene said with a sigh while lowering his head. "Press conference."