A Talentless Mage Devours a Disaster-Class Future - Chapter 32

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 32

The interior of the Mansion, which Aion entered following the Butler, was breathtakingly opulent.

Walls densely adorned with golden relief work and a massive Chandelier that dazzled the eye. Beneath it, the marble floor sent back each footstep with crystalline clarity.

Tap—

Tap—

Aion walked slowly as he was led, his gaze naturally sweeping across the space.

In the center of the living area sat a gleaming black Grand Piano, and beside it stood an antique Harpsichord ringed with gilt decoration.

Both were instruments of unmistakable refinement at first glance.

‘…Extraordinary.’

Then it happened.

Snap—

The Butler’s footsteps ceased.

In the instant Aion moved to stop as well, a subtle shift rippled through the air somewhere.

Rustle—

The attendants lined neatly throughout the Mansion straightened one by one, drawing their spines erect, lowering their gaze.

Without a word.

Whish—

The air itself seemed to grow chill.

Though Aion could see nothing yet, he understood instinctively:
this vast space had just finished preparing itself to receive a single person.

Click—

His eyes lifted of their own accord at the heel-strike that shattered the silence.
A figure descended slowly along the spiral of golden stairs that curved down from the upper level.

What Aion’s eyes caught first was the off-shoulder silk dress, bare shoulders exposed.

Click—

The hem of the dress flowed down the staircase with each step.

With every movement, the silk caught the Chandelier’s light and sent forth a radiant shimmer.

And above it all—

‘…!’

Pink hair.
Skin so pale it seemed almost luminescent, translucent as light itself.
And finally, her gaze descending from above became entangled with Aion’s.
In that instant, her eyes—a deep violet that seemed to draw him inward—held him transfixed.

‘This person…?’

In that moment when Aion’s eyes met hers, he understood at once why the Imperial Capital’s nobility had been so desperate to obtain tickets to her performances.

“No outsider has ever set foot in this place before,”

Tap—

She descended one step further as she continued speaking.

“You are a persistent one, aren’t you?”

Her voice was low and serene, unmarred by even the slightest tremor.

At last she stepped down from the final stair.

Her striking height, the presence emanating from her upright frame—it was nothing like that of a delicate aristocratic lady.
It was something born of ruthless discipline.

‘This woman….’

She was not ordinary.
It was not merely her beautiful appearance he spoke of.

The refinement evident in her movements and gestures, the cadence of her speech, the value of every ornament adorning her. And all of it together.

“Then, would you tell me?”

She now dominated this vast space entirely.
An overwhelming command that rendered every word Aion had brought with him trivial and insignificant.

Aria began to move slowly, circling around Aion.

Whoosh—

“What sort of tale do you mean to tell me,”

The mere brush of her passing was enough to make the hair on Aion’s skin stand on end.

Not desire, but the cool tension that lay beyond it.
Was this the presence of the current age’s greatest songstress?

“That you should take such pains?”

…She would not accept it.

Whatever Aion said, it would not harmonize with this quiet, perfect atmosphere.

If he spoke carelessly, he alone would become an alien presence in this domain.

But.

Aion opened his mouth.

“Aria di Valera.”

That sharp, distinct name resonated through the silent space.

“I’d like you to participate in the Basic Magic Combat lecture.”

With a wave of his hand, Aion tore through the intricately woven web.

In an instant, the space trembled faintly.

Aion’s perception caught a cascade of subtle shifts—large and small.

The Butler cleared his throat. Somewhere among the assembled staff, a shoulder flinched. Displaced gazes snapped toward Aion, then just as quickly averted.

No words were spoken, but the heavy silence conveyed everything.

‘You’ve made a serious mistake,’ it said.

A tense quiet hung in the air.

Then Aria laughed—silently, very briefly.

“. . . Heh.”

It was only a moment, but unmistakable.

“. . . Quite an unexpected topic.”

That was all.
A single remark—whether praise or mockery, impossible to say.

A different light flickered across her violet eyes, but the momentum of the conversation had not shifted in Aion’s favor.

“Basic Magic Combat lecture, you say? Would you be so kind as to explain to me what you mean?”

Aion explained flatly.
The lecture’s structure, the role categories, and the assessment method as well.

“Ah . . . I see. The Battle of Bosco, then. . . .”

A soft exclamation escaped her lips.

“So it’s an assessment conducted with reference to that historic event that unfolded on the Bosco Plain.”
“Are you well-versed in history?”
“It’s basic knowledge for a noble.”

Aria propped her chin on one hand, answering with ease.
Her violet eyes narrowed, fixed on some point in the empty air.

Her lips moved faintly.
As though massive puzzle pieces were rapidly clicking into place within her mind.

“The original template must be that battle which decided the fate of the Kaluak Kingdom and the Asina Kingdom. . . . Two knights and two guards, plus one king. Five people constituting each kingdom’s forces.”

Aion’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Correct.”

Aria’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“Then how were the kings selected? The rulers of the Kaluak Kingdom and the Asina Kingdom were both renowned grand mages of their time.”
“We voted beforehand on which student we least wanted to face. The top eight became kings in order of their votes.”

Aria’s eyebrows rose slightly.

“That sort of method…?”

Yet the corner of her mouth lifted just a touch. Genuine intrigue, nothing more.

“And who is your king?”

Not “our” king, but “your” king.
Aion spoke the name without hesitation.

“Cassius de Serban.”

That single, fleeting shift.

Aria’s violet eyes trembled minutely, and her already pale complexion turned ashen. Nothing more than that.
Just that.

Her voice remained steady, her expression unmoved, her posture unchanged. Yet Aion saw it clearly.

―
A friend he’d known since childhood. But…

The moment Cassius’s name was spoken, the deep-rooted emotion that had poured from her.

“I see.”

Silence stretched between them.

“Then what role am I to assume in your kingdom?”

By now, Aria’s gaze had fixed entirely upon Aion.

“A Knight. The other two are just Rooks, and I can only manage offensive spellwork.”
“Hah… What sort of arrangement is that? It’s complete chaos.”
“One stammers and is forced into simultaneous casting because of it, and the other speaks only through a puppet’s mouth. Extremely awkwardly, at that.”

Aria’s eyes lit up. A different light than before.
Not curiosity, but something beneath it.

“How could you possibly defeat another kingdom that way?”
“You’re right. We can’t.”

Aion met her gaze directly as he spoke.

“That’s why the kingdom needs a Knight to save it.”
“…”
“The kingdom needs you, Aria.”

Aria asked quietly, searching Aion’s unwavering eyes.

“When exactly is the evaluation?”
“Two weeks from Monday. Joint training begins tomorrow. Six o’clock in the evening, at Arcane Soul.”

Aria’s eyebrows twitched.
Tomorrow, six o’clock in the evening.
Those words hung in the air.

Her violet eyes wavered for a moment as if calculating something, then settled into the gleam of one who had reached a decision.

That was when it happened.

The Butler of the Mansion, who had been listening silently from behind the entire time, suddenly interjected into the conversation.

“Miss Aria. Two weeks from now, on Monday, is the day you are scheduled to depart for your performance in Espen.”
“……Ah.”

It was like pressing out the wick of a candle.
The brief sparks that had kindled in Aria’s eyes extinguished without a sound.

“…Did you hear?”
“Yes, I heard.”
“Then go. Leave us.”

Aion had nothing more to say.
He simply nodded once and turned away.

Thud—

Thud—

“From now on, don’t trouble her with such matters.”
“…….”

Creak—

The Mansion door closed.

Aria stood motionless for a long while.

“Miss.”
“Leave me. All of you.”
“……Very well.”

Beyond the silence, the space had grown hollow.

Aria presently walked slowly to the window and seated herself in a chair.
Then she unfolded her slender, pale hands and drew them across her face.

“How…fascinating.”

In the empty space, she slowly sank lower, murmuring words no one else could hear.

***

The next day.

When afternoon arrived, Aion sought out Arcane Soul, his training ground.

Arcane Soul differed from Arcane Hall in many ways.

If Arcane Hall was a space designed for measurement and personal training, then Arcane Soul was a space prepared for group training and gaining practical combat experience.

Whoooosh—

Arcane Soul.

Unlike the Arcane Hall, where the sounds of physical destruction and lingering magical energy never ceased, this space possessed an oddly serene quality.

After entering the massive dome-shaped building and following a long corridor, they arrived at a room that was not particularly spacious.

One might wonder why group training would take place in such a cramped space, but there was good reason for it.

【Magical Engineering: Spirit Projection Device. At this era, it’s practically cutting-edge technology.】

Aion swept his gaze across the surroundings.
About ten silver pods were lined up neatly along the walls of the chamber.
Three of them were glowing brilliantly.
Someone had already entered.

【Flame: If we’re not careful, we won’t end up getting sucked into that space too, will we?】
【Magical Engineering: Impossible. The principles are subtly different. Besides, the Spirit Projection Devices of this era can’t even project actual souls—they’re still at an awkward stage of development.】
【Earth: …If you say so, then that’s how it is.】

It extracted only the user’s consciousness and projected it into a configured virtual space.

It was a product of magical engineering that allowed one to experience a battle at the limit—as real as actual combat—pouring forth all their strength without risk of bodily harm or environmental destruction.

Whoooosh—

As Aion lay down in an empty pod and closed his eyes, his vision flickered and a strange sensation of weightlessness enveloped his entire body. When the sensation of sinking into deep water faded and his eyes opened again with a flash—

And far beyond, the outline of a tangled forest.

“…Why are you still half-naked here too?”
“Because that’s how I set it.”

Aion let out a deep sigh and joined the rest of the group.

“Y-y-y-yes….”

“And Vera. Your Puppet Magic is quite excellent, but unfortunately you fail to properly fulfill the role of a tank. You have no means to actually block attacks. You’re simply a large obstacle.”

A brief silence fell.

“…Is that all? I thought you’d tell us solutions too.”

Vera’s Bear Puppet groused.

“You’re mistaken if you think I am your teacher.”

Cassius spoke with firm conviction.

“I am a king! Don’t ask for teachings—learn to understand yourself. So that you may serve this king more perfectly!”
“…I understand.”

Whoosh—

This time, Cassius’s gaze turned toward Aion.

“As for you… I’ve given it thought, and it seems quite likely that the battle will unfold as a Long-Range Bombardment. Rather, it must be made that way.”
“Long-range… bombardment?”

【Flame: Huh? We’re not clashing close and detonating?】
【Earth: Cassius’s reasoning has considerable merit. Listen.】

“Regrettably, our kingdom’s defensive line is quite fragile. Even modest bombardment carries high risk of collapse. Of course, I intend to remedy this however I can in the time remaining… but conditions are necessary.”

Aion grasped the meaning at once.

“…I cannot be present on the battlefield.”
“Precisely. More accurately, you must not be seen. My magic will likely be devoted almost entirely to reinforcing Rook’s defenses—which means our kingdom’s path to victory rests solely on your attack succeeding.”

Cassius’s eyes grew cold.

“In other words, if the opposing kingdom merely neutralizes your attack, they face virtually no chance of defeat.”
“If I’m present on the battlefield, they’ll target me instead of you—the king. Is that what you’re saying?”

He nodded.

“At no moment must your spear be revealed. Not even if it must be concealed beneath the king’s cloak.”
“…I understand. Then I shall….”

Just then—

“Eeeeeeeeeek!”

Vera’s Bear Puppet let out a tremendously piercing shriek.

In an instant, all eyes fixed in a single direction.

“What’s the matter? Has it finally dawned on you how pathetic your defenses are?”
“…Well, actually—no, you’re being oddly harsh about this.”
“Hmm… so then, why the scream…?”

Vera’s Bear Puppet raised one arm and pointed at something.

“……!”

There stood a figure draped in a Robe, wearing a Exion school uniform that sat oddly askew.

The uniform was slightly loose in the shoulders, clearly in need of tailoring.
Even though the semester had begun long ago, it remained unaltered.

Which suggested….

Perhaps this was the first time they’d ever worn an Exion uniform at all.

The figure who emerged alongside the shimmer of light hesitated for a moment, as though this place were unfamiliar.

And her wandering gaze froze mid-turn, settling toward Aion.

Whoosh—

The hood of the Robe slips away.

Pink hair spills into view.
Fragrance and presence suffuse the entire space.

The instant they confront her existence,

“…….”

Every team member save Aion stands frozen, mouths agape.

And then, breaking the silence:

“I’m here. Aion.”

Aria.

She reveals herself before them for the first time.

The Talentless Mage Swallows a Catastrophic Future — Chapter 32

Author
Wangmochi
Publisher
Daon Creative
Planning / Editing / Production
Yeon
Cover
Dalli

UCI
G720:N+A036-20260706063.0035

© 2026, Wangmochi

※ This e-book is protected under the copyright law of the Republic of Korea.
No part or whole of this work may be reprocessed in any form without the permission of the author and publisher.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————