How a Catastrophe-Level Magician Lives

Darkness and light.

Frey, who had obtained these two powers.

He wasn’t foolish enough to not understand what it meant to obtain such extremely opposing powers.

‘The powers are conflicting.’

Inside Frey’s body, they were clashing and fighting as if trying to devour each other.

Unable to mix together.

‘But what if I could combine these repelling forces into one? What would happen then?’

He pondered.
He pondered again and again.

How to harmonize these opposing forces within his own body.

‘At this rate. One day, it will explode beyond my control.’

It wasn’t hard to imagine.

The scene of the conflicting forces inside Frey’s body finally colliding and exploding.

If that happens, Frey’s physical body would also burst and explode.

Death.

Yes.

‘I’m currently walking a tightrope. Precariously balancing between death and life.’

Light and darkness.

One side is Frey, the light self.

The other side is his former self, walking a drastically different path of darkness.

His past life.

These two seem like they might harmonize, but they can’t.

‘Who am I?’

Suddenly, such a question arose.

After school, walking home together with Selena, Aura, and Aina.

Aura and Aina were positioned on either side of him, and for some reason, the two were engaged in a quiet conversation.

Even Aina, who was usually quiet and reserved, was actively participating.

“…to sum up… So, Frey, what kind of house do you like?”
“What?”
“Weren’t you listening? We were discussing what kind of newlywed home you’d like us to have later.”

Nod nod.

Beside Aura, Aina was nodding her head vigorously in agreement.

As if it were the most crucial matter.

“…What on earth are you two talking about right now?”

Tilt?

“What do you mean? We just told you.”

As she said this, her face reddened. Aura.

Ahem…!

“No matter how I think about it, considering the children we’ll have later, the house should be quite spacious, right…?”
“……”

Frey was dumbfounded.

No, he hadn’t heard this conversation at all, being lost in other thoughts.

‘Moreover, why are they talking as if it’s already decided?’

In short, he was at a loss.

They had become quite adept at making Frey uncomfortable. To the point of being talented at it.

“…I’m sorry, but. I haven’t thought that far ahead yet.”
“Wh-what do you mean! Th-then, don’t tell me. You’re planning to marry someone else later, not us…?”

It sounded like she was asking if he was going to date them but marry someone else.

At this, Frey stopped walking, held his forehead, and let out a deep sigh.

“…How did the conversation turn to this?”
“S-so! You are planning to marry us after all, right?”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
“What do you think, Aina? About our newlywed home.”
“……”

Please listen to what I’m saying. That was the expression on Frey’s face right now.

Aura had changed a lot since their recent conversation. It was as if any remaining shyness had disappeared, and she had become more honest in expressing her feelings and thoughts outwardly.

The lack of hesitation isn’t necessarily entirely good in many ways…. Frey couldn’t help but think.

Selena, who was watching the three from behind, was nodding her head repeatedly while holding her chin, all by herself.

As if it were a good change and sign, just as she had expected.

Aina spoke from the side.

“…She said we’re both the main wife.”
“…No, that’s. Sigh.”

On that day, Frey had ended up answering like that to their question about the concept of order between main wife and concubine.

He had said, why not make both of them the main wife?

It would be troublesome if fights broke out later due to unnecessary discrimination.

It’s not that he didn’t wonder if such a thing was normally possible. However, Frey didn’t think much of it. He even thought about whether they could change the law if it wasn’t allowed, but ultimately concluded that it would be fine if they just agreed to think of it that way among themselves.

Of course, Frey was undoubtedly a noble. A figure destined to become the next head of the Phoenix family in the future. It would be correct to clearly decide on only one main wife.

But in fact, Frey had never had the slightest intention of willingly becoming the head of the Phoenix family from the start.

‘Such a troublesome position. Taking it on unnecessarily would only increase useless work.’

He hadn’t explicitly expressed this thought to the current head of the Phoenix family, that Sunlight Count, in other words, Frey’s own father.

‘I’ll have to tell him someday. That I have no intention of becoming the family head.’

Then what on earth would happen to the Phoenix family?

It’s not that he hadn’t thought about it. He had his own alternative.

After all, he wanted to dedicate most of his time solely to magic. For his entire life.

‘…First, I should make him stay as the family head for as long as possible. Then, if grandchildren want to become the head in the future, I can make excuses that it’s not too late to decide then.’

Grandchildren.
In other words, the Phoenix family’s. Sunlight Count becoming a grandfather.

By grandchildren, he meant either his own or Brother Albert’s children.

‘It doesn’t necessarily have to be my children. Since Brother Albert is older than me, wouldn’t he take in a compatible woman as his partner by the time he becomes an adult?’

That was Frey’s plan and thought.

If that doesn’t work out, it’s not too late to pass it on to one of his own children who shows interest.

After all, even the critical injury that Sunlight Count had suffered at that time. Frey himself was currently in the process of finding an alternative for it.

‘The method to treat the family head. It lies in alchemy.’

In the laboratory space that was Caide van Duancal’s legacy, there were several books left that might be clues to that treatment method.

‘If alchemy can create the elixir of immortality, making such a treatment method should be no big deal.’

Although strictly speaking, restoring the collapsed foundation of the family head and creating the elixir of immortality were completely different concepts. However, this thought came from the belief that the process of creating such a treatment method couldn’t be more difficult than that immortality elixir.

‘The research has already made some progress and achievements.’

The legacy left by Caide van Duancal, the genius alchemist of the century, easily helped and provided for the progress of that research.

Thanks to this, a treatment to completely restore the damaged mana heart of the current Phoenix family head, Sunlight Count, was gradually being developed.

‘Once that’s completed, there’s no need to hurriedly pass on the position of family head to me.’

That was the method he had devised and thought of.

To reiterate, Frey had no intention of becoming the head of the Phoenix family himself.

After having a certain conversation with Albert in the family garden before leaving the family, Frey had been privately pondering whether there might be such a solution whenever he had time, unbeknownst to anyone.

‘The wealth of the Phoenix family. It’s certainly enormous. But such vast wealth means nothing to me. All I want are new magic. Just new magic books.’

After separating from Aura and Aina, who were each indulging in happy fantasies beside him, and parting ways.

Frey returned to his dormitory room with Selena and loosened his tie.

Then he sat in the chair at the desk placed in front of the window and thought.

‘The reason I desperately wished to be reincarnated in this world. There must be some kind of reason. Although I used to believe there was no god, now I believe. God certainly exists in this world.’

That’s why Frey himself had awakened in another person’s body with memories of his past life, like reincarnation.

Honestly, even now he’s not certain.
Whether he had possessed this body or reincarnated.

‘…My memories of the past life resurfaced and revived when I was eight years old. But even so. I can’t definitively conclude that this means I didn’t reincarnate.’

Now, gradually, Frey was starting to think that he might have simply reincarnated.

A definition of himself.

‘Who on earth am I?’

Chaos.

It is truly chaos itself. The existence of Frey von Betelgeuse, who is in a special position and situation like an irregular in this world.

Why did such thoughts suddenly come to mind?

The reason was simple and clear.

‘…It’s probably just my intuition and speculation, but. When I clearly realize and understand this answer. I feel like I’ll finally be able to understand myself more perfectly. My existence. And the process and method of combining the two opposing forces of light and darkness into one.’

So he had reached this conclusion after connecting his thoughts.

He was currently developing.

Simply put, growth.

Yes. He was growing.
Despite becoming this strong. Despite growing this much. There was still no sign of his growth stopping.

‘The numerous magic of this world. The unknown magic I don’t know. The many magic that I know exist but haven’t actually seen or understood accurately are still prevalent in this world.’

Before coming to this Argen Academy, he had conquered unknown dungeons and labyrinths alone during the remaining time. Alone. By himself. Towards those places where unknown dangers might lurk.

And in doing so, he realized one thing.

‘I felt enjoyment. The expectation that I might get to know and encounter new magic. That excited me. Including the very process of reaching and exploring unknown territories.’

That’s what people generally call a sense of adventure.

Adventure. An adventurer who pioneers the unknown.

‘…Honestly, I thought becoming an adventurer wouldn’t be such a bad future career option.’

The problem is that even that has now become a not-so-simple future.

The reason for this was none other than Aura and Aina at present.

‘…Both of them seemed to want to hold a ceremony and marry me right after graduating from here.’

A future where he doesn’t respond to their feelings is unimaginable.

They like him for who he is, purely and sincerely. Betraying those expectations is. A path he finds very difficult to choose readily.

‘I guess there’s no choice. After getting married. We’ll have to go on adventures together under the pretext of a honeymoon. Anyway, both Aura and Aina already have the skills to conquer average labyrinths on their own. They might become even stronger than now later on.’

Among them, the first homunculus, Selena, is also included in the adventure party.

The party members Frey is thinking of currently consist of himself, Aura, Aina, and lastly, just Selena.

Moreover, Frey has guardian knights to protect them. That is, the Knights of Light, Lifeknights, and those Light Soldiers.

Not only that, but also the Light Spirit King, Sylvia.

‘…Wait, come to think of it, hasn’t this. Far exceeded the level of an ordinary adventurer party long ago?’

Frey suddenly had such a thought while pondering.

Glance-

Just then, Selena was tilting her head looking at Frey. Seeing Frey who seemed to be deeply thinking about something.