Isekai Kansha - Chapter 63

Chapter 63: An Unexpected Solution

This world is filled with mana.

Mana is the source that creates magical beasts, yet at the same time, it brings vitality and blessings to the world. Mana itself has no good or evil—it simply circulates through the world as a force.

Yes—mana never remains still; it is always flowing.

However, at times—due to an excessive supply of mana or other factors—that circulation fails, and the flow becomes stagnant.

When that stagnation continues for long periods, the appearance rate of magical beasts increases. In the worst cases, pockets of concentrated mana form, creating mutated species.

Here, the Madoren Flower—that is, the Mana-Draining Flower—plays a vital role.

This flower’s purpose is to absorb excess mana that would otherwise form those dangerous mana accumulations. The mana it gathers is gradually sent into the earth over time, stabilizing the surrounding levels of mana.

Thus, the Mana-Draining Flower does not grow just anywhere—it blooms only in places where mana easily gathers.

In fact, the magical beast Jin’s group fought had been weakened because it had remained in this area for so long, slowly having its mana drained by the flowers. 

Curling up with its roots dug deep into the ground was also its way of trying to avoid losing more mana.

In that sense, Jin’s group had been fortunate to fight a weakened opponent.

But what would happen if all such flowers were harvested?

This—precisely this—was what triggered a great catastrophe in the distant past, leading to the collapse of civilizations.

At this point, the unicorn stopped explaining the world’s structure and quietly posed a question to the group:

《Can you believe it? That in what you now call the Unexplored Lands, there were once many nations… filled with people and beasts alike?》

The words were tinged with nostalgia, yet heavy with sorrow.

In the present age, humans control barely half of the habitable world. Large swaths of land are deemed “unexplored”—domains where magical beasts are too strong for humans to live.

But thousands of years ago, people lived across nearly eighty percent of the world. Their daily lives were more developed than today’s. There were still magical beasts, but they were manageable.

Small skirmishes between nations happened, but without major wars, the era could be considered relatively peaceful.

Then, one discovery changed everything.

The property of the Madoren Flower—that it absorbed mana into its petals—was discovered, which led to its other name: Mana-Draining Flower.

Had that been all, it might not have been so bad.

But in the great nation at the center of the continent—the most advanced civilization of the time—a drug was developed that used the flower’s properties to increase one’s mana.

Back then, although spellcasting required tremendous mana, magic itself was far more powerful than the magic of today.

High-level magic normally only usable by elite magicians, could suddenly be wielded by far less capable individuals after taking the drug.

Thus, certain people raised their mana, used powerful spells, and began hunting high-ranking magical beasts—creatures they should never have been able to defeat.

They did so obsessively because in this world, the higher one’s level, the slower one ages, and the longer one’s lifespan becomes.

In other words, the ruling class of that great nation sought the oldest human desire: immortality.

The drug’s formula spread among the privileged, and many grew addicted to increasing their mana.

Some became drunk on the strength they gained. Others, unable to restrain themselves even after leveling up, acted with oppressive and reckless arrogance. Minor conflicts between nations escalated into outright wars.

During all this, the number of Madoren Flowers plummeted at a terrifying rate.

Only a handful of people understood the danger this posed.

With fewer flowers, mana could no longer be properly regulated. Overflowing mana created countless magical beasts, while massive mana accumulations birthed powerful mutated species.

Perhaps as backlash from having nowhere to go, mana surged in vast quantities.

The explosion in magical beasts triggered an overwhelmingly large-scale assault—a Stampede—that swallowed countless nations.

Even with the strong mages and high-level individuals made possible by the Mana-Draining Flower, they were nowhere near enough to stop the disaster.

And by the time they finally managed to weather the rampage, the territory humanity could inhabit had shrunk to less than half of what it once was.

Even after that, they spent a very long time fighting off waves of magical beast attacks caused by the disrupted flow of mana, slowly rebuilding the world to its current state.

However, because those responsible for the overharvesting of Madoren Flowers were wiped out, these circumstances were never passed down to the general public. Only records stating that “a massive magical beast rampage occurred in the past” remain.

In the process, many powerful spells and technologies were lost and never transmitted to the present era. A few traces survive in rare documents, but they’re mostly dismissed as dubious tales of Lost Magic and Lost Technology.

Thus, due to this grave mistake, civilization regressed dramatically, and the world became what it is now—a place where magical beasts pose a constant threat.

Since then, most areas where Madoren Flowers still bloom have come under the protection of Sacred Beasts, who guard them so that such a tragedy never happens again.

Jin and the others were struck speechless by this history. How many people must have died because of the greed of a handful of individuals?

Only now did they truly grasp the weight of what the unicorn meant earlier by “a danger that could threaten the world.”

《And to think they called it a ‘Demonbane Elixir.’ You cannot make a medicine that destroys mana using the Mana-Draining Flower. What it actually produces is a drug that increases one’s mana—an ‘Amplification Elixir.’》

The way the unicorn phrased it made it sound as though Bean had lied, and Jin wanted to deny it. But when he considered the explanation that the Madoren flower petals contained stored mana, he couldn’t find a counterargument.

Even so, Jin didn’t believe Bean was lying.

《Ah, I’m not saying you’ve lied. They probably gave it a name with the opposite meaning to hide the image of ‘increasing mana.’ Perhaps they had other intentions as well.》

Sensing Jin’s inner conflict, the unicorn offered that reassurance.

《So now, you should explain this ‘mana fever’ in detail. If I know the symptoms and cause, I may understand why you sought the Madoren Flower in the first place.》

Following that suggestion, Jin explained everything he knew:

• The affected children were almost all under thirteen.

• Due to some cause, mana was being supplied to them in excess, and their immature bodies couldn’t handle it, so the illness manifested as fever—a way to forcibly vent mana.

• The illness progressed in three stages, and at most, they had about two weeks left.

• The disease’s name and mechanism were things Jin discovered through his skill, Appraisal.

• The “Demonbane Elixir” was considered forbidden by alchemists, and its details were heavily guarded.

• Although the era was unclear, old records stated it had been used in the past to cure the illness.

When Jin finished speaking, the unicorn, who had quietly listened, projected its thoughts.

《I see. Now I understand why a medicine made with Madoren Flowers is effective. If the body cannot withstand the mana and overheats, then increasing one’s mana capacity would indeed help. However…》

It paused. Jin already knew what it was going to say.

《Even if their increased mana capacity allows them to stabilize temporarily, unless the underlying mana abnormality is resolved, it will not be a true cure.》

Indeed, the illness would fade temporarily, but unless the excessive mana supply stopped, the increased capacity would eventually be exceeded, and the fever would return.

In fact, Bean’s recipe for the “Demonbane Elixir” was essentially a diluted version of the ancient “Amplification Elixir.” It allowed many doses to be made with few ingredients, but the mana increase it provided was minimal.

Jin and even Bean were unaware of this truth, but as the unicorn said, because the increase in capacity was small, recurrence was highly likely.

In the old records, the illness probably never returned because the mana anomaly resolved itself during the period when the increased mana capacity sustained them.

Of course, even now, there was a possibility the anomaly might resolve while the medicine suppressed the fever. But the fact that it offered no fundamental solution—despite risking a world-level catastrophe—made Jin and the others feel painfully powerless.

《Humans absorb mana simply by living and naturally accumulate it in their bodies. Magical beasts attack humans because they’re drawn to that stored mana.》

The unicorn spoke abruptly.

《Humans can store mana, but naturally, the excess is released on its own. The human body is built to handle that by default.》

“But in reality, the children…”

《Exactly—that’s the problem. Because the ones afflicted are children whose mana-venting mechanisms are still underdeveloped, the surplus mana they can’t process ends up harming them. But if that’s the case, why does everything suddenly resolve at age thirteen? Humans at thirteen are still not fully developed, are they not?》

Thirteen is about the age of a first-year middle school student.

Some mature early, but many still look like children. Thinking about it that way, Jin realized the unicorn was right—strangely, the illness disappears entirely after age thirteen.

《I am not well-versed in human customs, but is there perhaps some ritual performed at age thirteen?》

Jin looked at his companions. He still knew very little about the customs of this world.

“Thirteen… a ritual…”

Aria and the others strained their minds. Then something surfaced in Jin’s memory—just one thing.

““““Basic magic!?””””

By coincidence, all four shouted the same answer.

They still weren’t sure if it was correct, but Jin explained basic lifestyle magic to the unicorn and asked for its opinion.

《There is no doubt.》

The unicorn gave its stamp of approval.

《Learning magic also means forming pathways that can efficiently release mana.》

At that, smiles finally broke across their faces.

In other words, if too much mana is building up, then just release it. And magic was the perfect method to let that excess mana flow out.

It sounded simple when said aloud, but none of them had thought of it.

The reason basic magic was restricted to those thirteen and older was simply to ensure children were mature enough not to misuse it for pranks.

Airis, the youngest among them, was only four years old, which would normally be far too early to learn magic. But if she were properly taught, she wouldn’t do anything dangerous—and her life mattered far more.

《It seems you have found your answer. So, do you still need the Madoren Flower?》

The unicorn’s thoughts carried a warmth they had never felt before.

“No, we truly don’t. With this method, we can save the children in Lientz, and from now on, no child will need to die from Mana Fever. Thank you so much.”

Following Jin, Aria and the others expressed their gratitude one after another.

Unlike the forbidden Demonbane Elixir—which carried the risk of revealing the secret of mana amplification—this method posed no such danger. And most importantly, it treated the root cause.

For the first time since their journey began, they felt genuine joy welling up from the bottom of their hearts.

《Then go. This land is under my protection. Do not forget the promise you made with me.》

The rule handed down in Apos Village—“do not enter the mountain”—existed because this Sacred Beast resided at its peak.

The reason had long been forgotten, but it was a promise first made with the village’s founding elder in ages past.

“Thank you again. We’ll never forget your kindness. If there’s ever anything I can do for you, please tell me.”

Jin bowed deeply, and Aria and the others followed him.

Events hadn’t gone as originally planned, but without this encounter, none of their current progress would have been possible.

Now that the children could be saved, their hearts were overflowing with gratitude and hope.

“Well then, um…”

Jin tried to call out—but “Sacred Beast” didn’t feel right, and “Unicorn-san” felt wrong too. He stumbled over his words.

“I’m sorry. If it’s not too much to ask… may I know your name?”

A Sacred Beast’s name might hold some special meaning, but Jin wanted to at least say goodbye properly.

《Heh. Hahaha. It has been ages since anyone asked my name. Very well—my name is Pelgrun. But do not record it or speak of it lightly, understood?》

“Yes. Then… Pelgrun-san, thank you truly.”

“““Thank you very much!!”””

They couldn’t stay much longer. After offering their final thanks, they prepared to leave.

《Oh, wait. Jin, hold out your hand. You forgot something.》

Jin did as told, and suddenly his right-hand gauntlet and other equipment—sent flying earlier by spatial magic—materialized onto his palm.

As for the Vine Beast materials and magic stones, they left them untouched. They weren’t items they were permitted to handle.

But it didn’t end there. Pelgrun stepped closer.

《And… consider this my apology.》

The moment those thoughts reached them, Jin and his group were suddenly enveloped in a translucent sphere. In the blink of an eye, they found themselves in a completely different place.

It looked familiar—this was the area they had passed on their first day climbing the mountain.

《Farewell.》

Leaving them disoriented by the sudden relocation, Pelgrun offered their parting words, then teleported away again.

They had called it an apology earlier, but perhaps they simply wanted to spare the children more time by helping Jin and the others descend the mountain instantly.

What should have taken them nearly two full days had been reduced to nothing.

““““Thank you very much!!””””

They all bowed deeply toward the mountaintop where Pelgrun must be.

After holding the bow for a good two seconds, Jin straightened and spoke.

“Alright, let’s hurry home!”

He turned to the others with a bright, full smile.

The children’s salvation was now only moments away.

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