The Magic Revolution of 40 Years Ago

Forty years ago, in the capital city of Bashka—

The Kingdom of Tormia was swept by an unprecedented wave of magical enthusiasm.

Unlike his predecessor, who revered military might above all else, the 12th King, Adolf XII, was a man of exceptional intellect and benevolence.

Upon ascending the throne, he separated the kingdom's magic division from the military and attracted talented individuals from across the land. Scholars from the provinces and even foreign nations flocked to Bashka to study magic, filling the streets with the lively voices of intellectual debate.

It was common to see young mages, freshly graduated from magic academies, gathering in taverns to engage in heated discussions in broad daylight.

Gypsy-inspired clothing with vibrant colors became a fashion trend, and among women, short hairstyles that exposed the neckline symbolized intelligence. In contrast, men grew their hair long, often down to their waists.

Every tavern became a battleground of academic perspectives, leading to factional disputes. It wasn't rare to see drunken scholars thrown out by the city guards after engaging in pointless fistfights.

Among all the taverns, the most famous one was 'The Homeland of the Ancient Gods,' an establishment designed in a rustic style.

Despite its shabby appearance, the enormous hall housed over two hundred tables, and the central podium saw a constant flow of people delivering speeches on magic theory.

A cacophony of voices blended together, discussing a wide range of topics.

While magic debates dominated the scene, this tavern also served as the fastest hub for spreading gossip among the nobles.

It was an era of romance and intellect.

Alpheas remembered his golden youth that way.

"Oh my! Look, everyone! He's here! It's Lord Alpheas!"

A commotion erupted at the tavern's entrance, drawing the attention of several women seated near the doorway.

"Hello, ladies! Seems lively as always!"

A young man with golden hair cascading down to his waist—Alpheas—stepped into 'The Homeland of the Ancient Gods.'

Beside him stood a young man with a shaved head, completely out of sync with the fashion trends of the time.

That man was Ozent Klump—Rian's grandfather.

Although Klump was a swordsman, not a magician, and certainly incapable of casting invisibility magic, the women only had eyes for Alpheas.

"We've been waiting for you, Lord Alpheas! What magic lesson will you teach us today?"

"Well, first things first—I need a drink. My tongue stiffens up if it's not soaked in alcohol."

"Hahaha! Oh, you're so funny, Lord Alpheas."

If his present-day students had heard that, they would have scoffed, but back then, anything Alpheas said was well received.

Born into a prestigious first-class noble family, a genius who graduated at the top of his magic academy, strikingly handsome, and oozing sophistication—what woman in the world wouldn't be enchanted by him?

On the other hand, the men regarded him with disdain.

Even those who prided themselves on being above petty jealousy could not help but speak ill of him. That alone was proof of how much resentment Alpheas garnered among his male peers.

The Light of the Mirhi Family.

That was the official title people used to refer to him, but among those who knew him personally, he had another nickname—

Arrogant Alpheas.

Anyone involved in the world of magic would acknowledge that Alpheas was a man specially favored by the gods.

The problem was his complete lack of restraint in showcasing his talents.

Once an argument started, he would see it through to the bitter end. If his opponent made even the slightest mistake, he would relentlessly dissect it, forcing them to correct their errors.

Only Klump seemed to understand that Alpheas bore no ill intent.

He was like a child utterly absorbed in an enjoyable game, oblivious to his surroundings.

In a way, it was pure passion—but in a structured society, excessive passion often proved to be a curse.

Alpheas was, in fact, the type of person who admitted his mistakes without hesitation—

The problem was that he was almost never wrong.

Even while waiting for his beer, he wandered around, engaging people in conversation to kill time.

Klump, watching him warily, shook his head, already resigned to the inevitable trouble Alpheas would stir up.

"Hey, Sarof! Here for a drink in broad daylight?"

Alpheas approached Sarof, a native of the capital and one of his few recognized rivals.

Though Sarof always lost in debates, many believed that, if not for Alpheas, he would be the top prospect in the field of photonic magic.

Naturally, Sarof harbored no pleasant feelings toward him, but Alpheas didn't care.

"Oh, right! I saw that you submitted a paper to the royal archives recently. I had a chance to read it—quite interesting!"

"What? Why the hell were you reading my paper?"

"Isn't it obvious? I also specialize in photonic magic, and the royal archivist is a devoted admirer of mine. Anyway, I read it."

"R-Really? What did you think?"

For young magicians of that time, the ultimate goal was to have their thesis recognized and secure a position in the Magic Department under the Dragon Tower.

Once accepted, they were provided with personal research labs and unlimited funding—an unmatched convenience and honor for any magician.

Having submitted his life's work just a week ago, Sarof couldn't help but be eager for his rival's opinion.

"You've captured the properties of light remarkably well. Your insights on energy accumulation were particularly impressive."

Sarof's face brightened instantly.

But Alpheas, as always, refused to leave things at that.

"However, you made a crucial mistake regarding the wave nature of light. That theory is fundamentally flawed."

"What nonsense! It's already been experimentally proven that light behaves as a wave!"

"That may be so, but recent experiments reveal too many unexplained anomalies. It's possible that light possesses particle-like properties as well."

"Pfft! Alpheas, now you're just grasping at straws. Critics have already pointed out errors in those experiments! If light were a particle, then how do you explain its wave-like behavior? The two concepts are fundamentally different!"

Whether light was a wave or a particle was the most hotly debated topic of the era.

"And you choose to believe the critics? I read their rebuttals too, but they failed to provide substantial counterarguments. That's not scientific reasoning."

"Enough!"

Sarof, already sleep-deprived from stressing over his thesis, slammed the table and stood up.

"You know what? I don't need your evaluation! If you're so confident, why don't you write your own paper and let the world laugh at you?"

"I'm just trying to help. Even if your thesis is rejected now, you can always refine it later. What truly matters is discovering the truth."

Sarof could no longer contain his frustration.

"Get lost! I won't speak to you again!"

Alpheas merely smirked and returned to his table, unfazed. He firmly believed that intellectual debates were always beneficial.

But Klump, observing this, couldn't help but worry about him.

"Alpheas, are you a battle rooster? If others get something wrong, can't you just let it be? Why must you always correct them?"

"Because correcting errors is an intellectual duty."

Klump sighed heavily.

And thus, the legend of 'Arrogant Alpheas' continued to spread throughout the capital.