I Raised A Black Dragon

As a result of the continent’s remarkable growth, which was several times faster than when it purely depended on magic, the means of men accomplished a feat similar to the success of magic.

Railways were created for men to cross the continent instead of teleport magic, medical science and anatomy were developed instead of therapeutic magic and potion, increasing understanding of the human body, and firearms were crafted instead of attack magic, which required complicated formulas.

Of course, it was not comparable to the Republic of Korea in the 21st century where Park Noah had lived, but it seemed to be at least a modern Western country that had undergone industrialization. Furthermore, the political arena was still alike to the pre-modern period.

It was the Great Empire of Laurent that led the continent’s revival. But was there no magic element in the process? Of course not.

Even in today’s world, wizards existed. An agency belonging to the Imperial Family, called the Magic Department, was established. But if there was anything different from the ancient times, it was the kind of magic that was used.

Pure magic and modern magic are commonly called processing magic, which used to be prevalent in an era that was bursting with mana. Processing magic refers to magic that amplifies, refines, or converts mana into higher efficiency with less power, and naturally requires a physical device to support rather than a magic formula.

Hence, can any person who is skillful with machines, be a magician? If it were possible, Noah wouldn’t have been taking basic classes at the present moment.

To qualify as a wizard, one can either be extremely sensitive to the mana that is present in nature or he can possess a great amount of mana in his body. The former is suitable for processing magic, and the latter for pure magic.

In the current age, more are overwhelmingly accustomed to processing magic than pure magic. Ninety-nine percent of the wizards of this era are those who study and design the devices needed for processing magic: magic inventions. The remaining are talented in pure magic.

The former’s representative figure is Eleonora Asil — a rare genius inventor and master of machining magic who is capable of recognizing even the faintest trace of mana in the skies, earth, and seas and maximizes it.

And the man representing the latter, pure magic, is Adrian Rossinel, the current Minister of Magic.

In other words, he was the only person who could learn how to control the dragon’s mana that leaked around Noah.

“Let’s do it one more time, Ellie.” Adrian beckoned her. Noah sighed and approached the cylindrical device in front of him.

The narrow fence-shaped device, which reached her waist, was used to measure the sensitivity of mana. Training that extremely increased sensitivity while wearing restraints was Noah’s latest lesson.

As she entered the machine and stood inside, Adrian operated the buttons leisurely.

“Come on, on the count of three, we start. One, two…”

Without ample time to prepare her mind, a transparent curtain rose over the machine and surrounded Noah. Her face crumpled in anger. That bastard. She desired to grab him by the collar when she was finished.

After about ten minutes of examination, the opaque shroud was lifted. Adrian then read the test results that appeared on the device. “About 675 times out of 1000. You feel better than before, as expected. Maybe because you’re born sensitive.”

“…Please watch your language. When you say it, it sounds lewd.”

“Tsk. Put me in a more chaste term, Ellie.” Adrian inched towards her with a giggle. 

As her hands groped around her neck, the chains of restraint clicked and became a little loose. Muell’s mana, which had been blocked by the chains, quickly filled Noah’s body.

“Now feel it again. Delicately. What speed and direction the mana circulates in your body… Eleonora, focus.”

“Oh, yeah.” Noah stared blankly at her hand hands and suddenly recalled the long scar on Kyle’s left index finger. 

The next moment, her thoughts disappeared without a trace when she saw Adrian, his face already inches from her. Noah stepped back with a frown, but Adrian narrowed the distance between as much as he could, the corners of his mouth curling dangerously.

Her body, which had become sensitive after a single test, instinctively detected the mana that flowed within Adrian’s body. It was surprisingly irregular and Noah could feel its heat.

A man with an unsteady mana called her affectionately. “Eleonora.”

“…What?”

“One more time…” His gentle eyes suddenly darkened and his smile was no more. Then, Adrian stroked her cheek and whispered sweetly yet with a hint of menace. 

“If you think of another man in front of me one more time and smash the wrong place, you’ll be tied up in chains next time.”