Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

"General, the Major has gone deaf."

Upon hearing Winters's words, Major General Layton turned pale, his eyebrows arching, his pupils slightly dilated, as he repeatedly asked, "What happened? How did he go deaf?"

What kind of person could make Major Moritz, who was both a spellcaster and a master of swordsmanship, go deaf?

It was he himself.

The thunderclap on the dock still filled Winters's ears with a faint screeching noise; that deafening thunder wasn't Zeus venting his anger or Thor swinging his hammer, but the effect of the Major's angry shout amplified by a sound spell.

Sound spells, including the one that caused the burst of sound, belong to the same category as sound amplification spells, but the former is simply a more powerful, intensified version of the latter.

Sound amplification spells merely multiply the volume of spoken words several times, mostly used to convey commands; whereas the burst of sound spell endows the voice with the might of thunder, capable of destroying a person's sense of balance. If a sound amplification spell is a garden hose nozzle, then the burst of sound spell is like the legendary Urbain siege cannon.

This incredibly powerful burst of sound spell repelled the black-robed assassin, saving Winters's life.

But it also caused Winters to still suffer from tinnitus while directly rupturing the Major's own eardrums.

The burst of sound spell is recognized as the most powerful among sound spells, but it's also the least practical.

It is an indiscriminate attack; the closer one is to the source of the sound, the stronger the spell's power.

And who, generally speaking, is closest to the source? Of course, the spellcaster himself.

Especially for someone like the Major, who is both a spellcaster and the source of the sound - regardless of the power of the sound spell, the one who suffers the most severe damage is always the caster himself.

That is why the burst of sound spell is currently considered impractical.

On the dockside walkway, once Winters realized the Major was a spellcaster and saw him bleeding from both ears, he immediately understood that the Major had, in his urgency to save him, cast the burst of sound spell without wearing any protective gear.

He explained the principle of the burst of sound spell and the Major's ruptured eardrums as succinctly as possible to the General and his classmates, who listened and sighed in dismay.

"We can use paper and pen to communicate with the Major. Right now, he just can't hear sounds, speaking and reading shouldn't be any issue," Winters suggested with a furrowed brow, his heart filled with guilt and apology towards the Major, who became this tragic figure in his quest to save him.

Everyone thought it was indeed a good idea and quickly brought paper and pen.

While Major General Layton dictated, Winters wrote, the quill scratching against the paper, a line of text flowing from its tip: Major Moritz, Layton D. Castel is speaking with you. Can you make your own judgment as to whether you have regained consciousness?

The Major stared at the paper and nodded his head.

Another line was written: Do you still remember who we are?

The Major nodded again.

A third line: What does the number 4 represent?

The Major's mouth curled into a wry smile as he helplessly chuckled, took the quill from Winters, and scrawled unevenly: My head feels heavy and foggy, and I'm very tired, but my mind is clear.

Winters took back the quill and continued to translate Major General Layton's words into text: Can you hear sounds right now?

The Major gently shook his head.

Winters continued writing: You might have gone deaf.

The Major's expression was as calm as a placid lake, and he nodded lightly, his eyes seemingly saying: I know, I understand.

Major General Layton asked another question: Can you speak now?

The resigned smile returned to Major Moritz's lips. The Major cleared his throat and responded in a voice three times louder than normal, "I can't hear sounds! I can't control the volume of my voice! I can speak! But I do not wish to speak right now!"

Major General Layton asked a few more trivial questions, to which Major Moritz responded one by one.

Seeing that Major Moritz indeed had regained his clarity of mind, Major General Layton's furrowed brow relaxed slightly. Noticing the Major's state of fatigue, he asked the Major if he wished to leave this "room."

After receiving a negative answer, Major General Layton left the Major in the care of the warrant officers and briskly left the cell, apparently to go and have another spat with the customs bureaucrats.

Winters had wanted to let the weary Major rest properly, but instead, the Major insisted on staying alert and refused to lie down. He signaled to the warrant officers to help him sit up against the wall.

An official's rank carried substantial weight; a whole four levels higher was a different story altogether. Even for the Major's own well-being, Winters had no choice but to offer powerless "advice" in writing: You should rest properly.

The Major took the quill: I am fine, I just need to know our current situation, there are some questions I need answered.

Winters grabbed another quill: Have you used the burst of sound spell before? Can your hearing be restored?

Seeing Winters's worried face, the Major smiled and wrote: I wouldn't say I'm completely deaf, I can still hear the sound of my teeth clashing, which means it's just eardrum damage. I have been through this once before, a period of convalescence should restore my hearing; there's no need to worry.

Relieved that the Major had confirmed his hearing could recover, Winters finally breathed easier, feeling much more at ease.

The Major's pen nib danced as he asked in detail about the major and minor incidents that occurred since the Bandit Gull docked.