I Became a Childhood Friend of the Middle Boss

Chapter 33

The Witch of Five Colors [Illustration]

Elemental magic that transforms mana into natural elements and creates magic or imparts properties to it.

All elemental magic derives from the seven basic elements.

The seven elements can be classified into general elements and special elements.

General elements include fire, wind, lightning, earth, and water.

Special elements include light and darkness.

Beings with mana have a high affinity for one of these elements, and depending on the relationships that element has with others, they have varying affinities for different elements.

This relationship can be explained using a coin.

Arrange the general elements around the coin in the following order: earth, lightning, water, fire, wind.

Just like the arrangement of elements on a coin, the polarity of each element is determined by the direction of the arrows.

Water is strong against fire, fire is strong against wind, wind is strong against earth, earth is strong against lightning, and lightning is strong against water, intertwining the relationships of the five elements.

Affinity creates differences in order connecting one element to the next element.

For example, a person with an affinity for the water element holds the second-highest affinity for lightning and fire elements. Affinities for earth and wind elements follow.

So, where do we place the special elements, light and darkness?

Light and darkness are the two sides of a coin.

These two elements strongly repel each other.

Since the front and back of the coin do not meet, a being with an affinity for the light element has an extremely low affinity for the darkness element.

The reverse is also true.

However, beings with affinities for light and darkness elements have equal affinities for regular elements.

If we were to represent this with a coin.

It can be said to be complete.

“That’s why there were elemental magics that were easy to learn for characters and some that were difficult.”

No, let me correct that.

Should it be good to learn even if it’s difficult?

Unless a character is talented in magic, it was better not to think about mastering any attribute other than affinity.

Even if one did, it was only up to the attribute directly adjacent to the affinity attribute.

Just that alone required an immense amount of time and cost.

Making a mistake could lead to being stuck learning elemental magic until the end of the story and becoming a worthless character.

In that sense.

“When playing the game, I never thought about it, but Hong Ye-na is truly remarkable.”

Hong Ye-na, the seven-colored witch who appears as an instructor teaching magic in the game.

It was a scene where we could see how talented she was in mastering the seven elemental magics.

Today.

Yeo and I are going to meet her.

—

After class was over.

Yeo and I grabbed our bags and headed out of school.

“Miss Rainbow Witch said she’d be here around 4, so let’s go and wait for her first.”

“Yeah, okay. Is Yeeun at home?”

“At this time, she’s probably at the swordsmanship hall.”

Still known as the Rainbow Witch, Hong Ye-na.

We decided to wait for her at home, snacking and resting.

Or should I just take a nap and relax.’

Then suddenly, that thought crossed my mind.

When manifesting mana within the body, one tends to feel fatigue. In severe cases, dizziness or even fainting may occur. I, being accustomed to handling mana, wouldn’t encounter such issues, but I couldn’t predict how a novice like Yeonha would fare in handling mana for the first time.

Getting some sleep to alleviate fatigue didn’t seem like a bad idea.

So I asked,

“Should I just sleep until the Witch of Five Colors arrives?”

“Huh?”

Yeonha, who was walking beside me, stopped in surprise.

She blinked her red eyes as if to confirm what I said.

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Just tell Mom that when the Witch of Five Colors arrives, wake me up and say I’m resting in my room. I’m tired from classes all morning, and if I were to manifest mana in that state, the fatigue would be quite…”

“Um, well, there’s… a mental preparation…”

“What mental preparation? You sleep on the floor. I’ll sleep on the bed.”

“Huh? Oh… right. But isn’t it usually the other way around? Men sleep on the floor, and women sleep on the bed…”

“It’s my room.”

“Yeah… right.”

“Just kidding. I’ll sleep on the floor, you sleep on the bed. Or you can go sleep in Yeon’s room.”

My bed was big enough for two to sleep comfortably, but it might make Yeonha uncomfortable.

I decided not to insist, considering her feelings.

“Um…”

Yeonha seemed hesitant.

Shortly after, she sighed and replied,

“No, it’s okay. If I sleep at your house, I might be too nervous to fall asleep. Plus, I might not have much time to sleep… I’ll just stay in your room until the Witch of Five Colors arrives.”

“Really? Then let’s just hang out in the room.”

I decided to respect Yeonha’s choice.

And so, we continued walking and arrived home.

“Mom! We’re back!”

“Hello, ma’am!”

“You’re back? Since the teacher is coming later, just relax in the room. I’ll bring some snacks up later.”

“I’ll help!”

“Could you help me with some things?”

Mother greeted us warmly.

Yeonha, feeling guilty for always being on the receiving end, followed Mother to help.

Mother seemed pleased as if she had gained a daughter of her own.

“Then, does that mean Yeon isn’t like a daughter?”

If Yeonha had overheard, she would have been upset.

Leaving behind the pondering trio, I headed up to my room.

“Mongsil, I’m back.”

Huff!

“Sorry, but I don’t think I can bring it out today because of Haneul. You won’t shine again, will you?”

Sigh…

Extending hay into our shelter,

I watched Mongshil eat the hay.

And then, as we spent time quietly, Yeonha brought snacks.

“Since Madam is interested in baking, she suggested we bake together next time.”

“Oh, really? Baking is one of Mom’s hobbies. I do it with her occasionally, so let’s do it together when we have time.”

“Yeah! I’m really looking forward to it.”

Leaning against the bed, sitting so close our shoulders touched,

We ate snacks, played games, and passed the time.

And before we knew it, time flew by.

“Gyunwoo, Haneul! Since the teacher has arrived, will you come down?”

“Yes! We’ll be right down!”

Before we knew it, it was 4 o’clock.

Hong Yena seemed to arrive right on time.

Yeonha and I, upon Mother’s call, immediately went downstairs.

Hong Yena was in the living room, conversing with Mother.

“The illustration from the game doesn’t look much different.”

A woman in a wide-brimmed hat.

Depending on how one saw it, it could remind them of someone who had traveled or even a witch’s hat.

Underneath the hat, golden hair flowed, and a distinctively cynical face was revealed.

Her appearance was not much different from the Hong Yena in the game.

Perhaps the only difference was that she wasn’t dressed in an instructor’s uniform.

She was wearing a white shirt with a black cape.

“Hello.”

“Hello…”

“….”

We greeted Hong Yena.

Even though she would have noticed our gaze long before,

It wasn’t until she had a sip of the coffee Mother gave her that she finally turned her eyes towards us.

“So, you’re the one who called me? If you’re from the Divine Sword Guild, you should quietly wield your sword, not try to learn magic. Such greed, especially at your age…”

“….”

“And to ask to learn together with a friend… It’s not child’s play…”

Turning away, crossing her legs, Hong Yena.

The look in her eyes as she gazed at us seemed displeased.

“It can’t be helped.”

She was inherently cynical, showing no interest in those without talent.

Above all, she was irritated by her own interrupted journey.

Considering the timing, it was about time for her to master light attribute magic.

So, we didn’t look elegant.

“I was forced to bring you here, but it doesn’t mean I intend to teach you. I’ve mentioned it over the phone as well, but if you don’t have the aptitude for magic, you’ll be sent back as is.”

Hong Ye-na spoke as if it was a definite outcome.

However, I was convinced that what she foresaw wouldn’t come to pass.

“Well then, let’s go check right away. I’ll guide you to the training grounds.”

Though I acted cynically now.

Once Yeon Ha-neul’s talent is recognized, the attitude will significantly change.

I smiled brightly and said.

—

When I first received a tutoring request from the Magic Guild.

Hong Ye-na didn’t want to come, deep down.

However, rejecting the request from the Magic Guild, one of the Ten Great Families with significant influence in this country, was not something she could afford to do.

She had to at least pretend to listen.

―Sigh… Can’t help it.

Hong Ye-na decided to pause her stroll for a moment.

Magic is the manifestation of one’s thoughts in the world, so to enhance the perfection of magic, it was necessary to refine one’s thoughts concretely.

As she roamed around seeking to master light magic, she had to set aside her regrets.

Yet, she couldn’t suppress a sense of discomfort.

―Of course, when people around you praise you, you start thinking you’re something. So, it’s obvious to think you might have talent for magic.

Although she had graduated from the High Academy a while ago.

Having lived in the Academy City for over three years, Hong Ye-na had seen many people from prestigious families.

Most of them believed that their background of birth and upbringing defined them, and they belonged to a class of unparalleled arrogance and conceit.

Just born with a silver spoon in their mouth.

―Did he say Do Gyun-woo? He must be one of them.

Hong Ye-na didn’t doubt it.

Based on the information she had gathered personally after receiving the Magic Guild’s contact, she could roughly guess about Do Gyun-woo.

―Rabbit… Meaning so timid that he can’t even hunt a single rabbit… No talent in swordsmanship, thus in a lowly position within the family… Is that why he’s thinking of doing magic? Or is he planning to learn both swordsmanship and magic to gain the family’s recognition?

Nonsense.

At that moment, Hong Yena chuckled.

Talents were crucial in any field, but magic was a realm where talent was second only to spirit magic.

Lacking talent in swordsmanship, she couldn’t casually step into the field of magic with a light heart to learn.

As someone who buried her life in magic, she found Do Gyunwoo even more displeasing.

Moreover,

“Adding another girl, too?”

Teaching an ordinary person who had never manifested mana before.

Hong Yena felt like she was being belittled.

On one hand, she could clearly anticipate Do Gyunwoo’s intentions.

“She probably nagged her dad to take classes with her crush. Wanting to show off in front of that girl.”

How shameless of the young one.

For nearly 30 years, she disregarded romance and delved only into elemental magic, making her quite uncomfortable.

“Don’t use magic as a tool for love.”

Don’t make me a tool for your romance.

Some haven’t even experienced love…

Holding back her emotions, Hong Yena glanced at Do Gyunwoo and Yeon Haneul, who had come out to the training ground.

After assessing the two’s potential, she decided to meet with friends she usually contacted and go for a drink.

Perhaps fate would bring them together.

Of course, it was all in her mind.

If Do Gyunwoo could read her thoughts…

“Give up. You’ll be better off. At least until I graduate from the academy.”

That’s what he would say.

But Hong Yena, unaware of the future known only to Do Gyunwoo, resolved to focus on her tasks at hand.

“The qualities I need to assess in you are the most basic. Internal mana levels, mana resistance, mana compliance, adaptability, control, recovery speed, manifestation speed, efficiency, and so on… Things necessary for handling mana.”

“Can you check all that with a mana crystal?”

“I won’t use a mana crystal. It’s inconvenient to carry around, and it tends to malfunction or break at the slightest mishap. Some pretentious parents and kids boast about having abundant internal mana due to it… Not very trustworthy.”

“You didn’t ask, though?”

“You really don’t hold back, do you?”

The most common artifact used to measure magical power is the mana crystal.

Since it measures mana unconsciously emitted by the individual, it’s convenient for assessing the mana of those who don’t know how to manifest it.

However, due to measuring unconsciously emitted mana, it was an artifact prone to errors.

Its accuracy was significantly low.

Also, there were limits to what could be measured with a mana crystal.

Hence, Hong Yena decided to use a different artifact.

She took off the hat she was wearing.

“I’m going to use this.”

“That thing?”

To reveal what was inside the hat,

Hong Ye-na turned the hat inside out to Do Yeon-woo and Yeon Ha-neul.

Upon which, the two approached and peered into the hat.

Naturally, there was nothing inside the hat.

“It’s called the Magic Animal Hat. I made it…”

“Your naming skills are terrible.”

“Kick.”

“….”

As she tried to boast about the artifact she had made,

Do Yeon-woo made a biting remark, and Yeon Ha-neul suppressed a laugh.

Hong Ye-na closed her mouth.

‘He’s been at it since earlier… Should I just smack him once?’

She struggled to compose herself.

Then she continued speaking.

“It may look like an ordinary hat, but it’s definitely an artifact. If you put your hand in while the artifact is activated, the hat will analyze the magic of the person putting their hand in and create an animal that matches it.”

“But Yeon Ha doesn’t know how to manifest mana?”

“You don’t need to manifest mana. The hat will automatically help draw out the mana from your body even if you don’t know how to manifest mana. The method is similar to measuring magic power with a magic gauge. Since explaining verbally might not be clear, I’ll show you directly.”

Hong Ye-na infused mana into the hat she held in her hand.

The artifact was activated.

A white light filled the previously empty hat.

“Put your hand in and shake it. As you do, the lights will gather, creating an animal that best suits your magic state.”

At that moment, the light clump in her hand no longer changed.

The measurement was complete.

Taking her hand out of the hat, Hong Ye-na threw the solidified light into the sky.

“And by pulling it out like this, the animal will be complete.”

Phew!

The solidified light burst, revealing a giant bird.

With crimson feathers fluttering, the bird flew over the heads of the three.

As Hong Ye-na extended her arm, the bird neatly folded its wings and perched on her arm.

“This little one shows my magic state.”

“Wow…”

“The larger the manifested animal, the more accurately it can estimate the amount of mana in the body. And the higher the manifestation rate of the animal, the more you can grasp mana concentration, adaptability, and mana efficiency.”

Hong Ye-na converted the mana she used to manifest the bird back into her body.

The bird perched on her shoulder turned into particles of mana and disappeared.

“Now it’s your turn to try. Who wants to go first?”

“Yeon Ha, you go first.”

“Me first? I don’t know how to manifest mana…”

“The Rainbow Witch said it. You don’t need to know how to manifest mana.”

“Still….”

“It’s okay, you can do it.”

“….”

“Well, then, you go first.”

Surprisingly, it was Do Yeonwoo who took the lead.

Do Yeonwoo released his Light first.

Not wanting to delay any longer, Hong Ye-na extended her hat to the hesitating Light.

At the same time, her gaze swept over the Light.

‘Even though I can’t know for sure, this one seems to have a lot of mana in their body. At first, I thought they were brought here to cause trouble, but could it be that they were brought here for their unexpected potential?’

One might wonder if a mere twelve-year-old could really assess the mana levels of others.

Perhaps it was just a lucky guess.

Deciding not to dwell too deeply on it, she resolved to confirm the Light’s potential.

“I’ll put my hand in.”

“Go ahead, don’t be scared, just put it in.”

The Light placed their hand inside the hat.

She stirred their hand around vigorously in the light.

After a while, she seemed to have finished measuring.

“Ah. It seems like it’s not changing anymore.”

It appeared that the Light’s measurement was complete.

“It’s done with the measurement. Don’t let go of what’s in your hand, pull it out from the hat.”

“….Yes. Eight!”

The Light withdrew their hand from the hat.

She threw the light object far away.

Soon, the light burst out around them….

Whoosh!

“….”

“…Unbelievable.”

A gigantic elephant emerged.

The enraged elephant let out a powerful roar.

In the face of such an utterly surreal sight, Hong Ye-na involuntarily cursed.

‘What in the world is this? An elephant?’