Math Is Magic Chapter 18: CHAPTER 18: Syntonics and Chaotics

Read chapter 18 of Math Is Magic by iminchoo on NovelPedia.

Mirac froze at those words. The smile he had just started to show vanished, replaced by an expression of disbelief. His hands, resting on the wooden desk, began to tremble visibly as his heart raced. 'K-Kill them?!' he stammered mentally. 'W-What does he mean?' A mix of confusion and fear made its way through Mirac's thoughts as he desperately tried to grasp the full meaning of what he had just heard. Vincent, noticing the radical change in Mirac's expression, instinctively took a step back. His usual awkwardness resurfaced immediately: his hands flailed clumsily, and the words that came out of his mouth were hesitant, as if he was trying to correct his mistake. "OH! I-I humbly apologize, y-young Prince! I-I didn't mean to scare you at all..." he stammered, his voice trembling. Mirac swallowed nervously, trying to force a smile to hide his discomfort. "D-Don't worry, Professor..." he replied, striving to imbue his voice with a firmness he didn't truly feel. "It takes much more to scare me!" But even as he tried to convince himself of his own words, Mirac couldn't stop the trembling in his hands, which he quickly hid under the desk to avoid revealing his uneasy state. "Oh, thank goodness!" Vincent exclaimed with relief, visibly relaxing. However, deep down, he felt bitterly regretful for the way he had expressed himself earlier. The atmosphere between the two seemed to have returned to its usual normalcy, but inside Mirac, the memory of Vincent's words still deeply troubled him. Attempting to shake off his discomfort, Mirac took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing thoughts. Yet, he knew he couldn't stop there. Though still shaken, he couldn't ignore the meaning hidden behind Vincent's words, because he sensed that something of fundamental importance was concealed within them. With this determination, Mirac lifted his gaze and decided to continue the conversation: "P-Professor Shirkenn..." he began, stammering. "What did you mean earlier by...?" He didn't finish the sentence. There was no need, really. Vincent immediately understood what the young Prince was referring to. In fact, even before he spoke, he had already intended to resume the topic and clarify the matter. Without hesitation, he cleared his throat and replied: "You see, young Prince... When the Sinner was defeated, the magical society divided mages into two categories: the Syntonics and the Chaotics. The former are those who have an Elemental or Synergic Sintony, while the Chaotics are those who possess an Anomalous Syntony." Vincent paused, clearly struggling to find the right words to continue, while swaying slightly in place. After collecting himself from this reflective state, Vincent continued: "With the defeat of the Sinner, a relentless and bloody hunt for the Chaotics was initiated. Even those who had never had anything to do with magic were executed, simply for being related to families that had Chaotics among their members." "W-What?!" Vincent's words crept into Mirac's mind, echoing like an impossible-to-ignore reverberation. 'But that's nothing short of cruel!' he thought, his heart pounding with rising indignation. However, his instinct kept him from saying it out loud. It was too risky to openly express his opinion on such a delicate topic, especially without fully understanding the whole story of the hunt for the Chaotics. Cautious, he preferred to hide his unease behind a neutral expression. Then, calmly, he decided to clarify a doubt that had been troubling him, trying to give Vincent the impression that he was simply curious, not scandalized. "So..." Mirac began, his voice measured and careful. "From what you whispered to me earlier... I should assume that the hunt for the Chaotics is still ongoing. Right?" Vincent nodded weakly. "Yes, young Prince. Their hunt is still carried out by the so-called 'Purifiers.' These individuals are tasked with identifying the Chaotics, and once they are certain, they have the authority to execute them immediat