“The first one is Firebolt.”
“Oh? That one?”
Anne was surprised for a mont, but only for a mont.
“Is it because you lack range offense?”
“That, too. But, really, it has more to do with the future spells I hope to learn.”
“Oh, you’ve thought quite far, haven’t you?”
Anne’s exaggerated surprise was marred with amusent, but not the mocking kind.
I solemnly nodded in response.
Of course, I didn’t just select the spells that looked cool. My criteria were threefold:
First, they needed to have imdiate use. It could be sowhat niche, if they fit the other criteria, but I couldn’t afford to spend ti on cantrips which wouldn’t help in at least so perceivable situations.
Second, they had to make up for my current shortcomings. As it stood, I had quite a few weaknesses, so a dium-range attack wouldn’t hurt. Of course, I knew I shouldn’t use it in the open, lest I alert others to my real Path, but I could see this coming in clutch in several desperate scenarios.
Finally, it had to serve as a foundation of my future spellcasting style.
As I learned more about that, I realized why Wizards often had one or two areas they specialized in, with a few particular spells from other “schools” mixed in.
The reason for that was the fact that similar spells often shared certain foundations – early on, those would be just the shapes of the symbols, but later, it would include their relative positioning, combinations, and even things like arcane energy application timings and quantities.
If one learned the Fla Bolt cantrip, it would be much easier learning the Fire Spray or Fla Ray spells later on, or, on the other hand, it would also be easier to learn Frost Bolt, or other elental attacks that share its structure.
And, when it ca to my progression plans…
‘It can’t be helped.’
I only had one example to serve as a beacon, but that example shone through like no other.
From the sheer destructiveness of his long-range attacks, to the way he handled his mobility, lowering the enemy’s mobility, to the fact that fla seed to be an extrely effective enchantnt when applied to a greatsword – as it stood, it was hard for to imagine anything more effective than the MIS provincial branch leader’s combination of spells, even though I likely haven’t seen a tenth of them in action.
“What else?”
“Elental Ward.”
“Hmm… that’s not a bad choice, even for a Wizard.”
“I intend to start with the fla variant.”
“Of course. I presu you’re also aiming for the Barrier spell?”
I nodded.
I saw how insanely high the contraption was priced, including its recharge price, but that was partially because that device could be used by anyone. An actual Wizard could simply cast the appropriate 1st tier spell.
Well, ‘simply’ did a lot of heavy lifting here, as getting to the point where I could cast it during combat would take even longer than learning to cast it at all, but that was a problem for future to worry about.
“Are those two it, or do you plan on learning a third one?”
“A third and a fourth, actually.”
Anne raised her eyebrow, scanning with a piercing gaze.
“I know you probably feel the urge to learn half the cantrips in this book imdiately, but let warn you – even practicing three cantrips at once is already bordering on inefficiency. A fourth one could drastically slow the progress of your other spells, to the point where it’d be best if you didn’t give it a single thought.”
“I know.. but, the fourth one is Mage Hand.”
“Ah… never mind, then. It doesn’t count.”
Mage Hand, as well as a few other cantrips, such as Arcane Threads, were actually a special case.
Throughout the book, I learned that in this world, humans were considered a ‘pseudo-arcane species’.
The reason for that was the fact that all humans could manipulate arcane energy, in theory. However, unlike, for example, elves, humans usually needed to spend years, sotis decades, fully dedicating their ti and effort to unlocking that ability.
Obviously, so humans had higher affinity for arcane manipulation than others – in fact, in very rare cases, humans could be born with instinctive feel for it, which would usually send them off on the Path of Sorcerer. Others, like younger Sebastian, could achieve a similar result in less than a year.
Regardless, another thing I learned was that ‘arcane beasts’, be that individual specins or whole species, often had similar abilities, called ‘innate abilities’ or ‘innate magic’. And humans were no exception to that.
Mage Hand was one such innate ability. It also made sense, given the fact that, had it been a fully formulated spell, the formula for creating a human-like hand would likely be far more complex than that of a ‘level 0’ spell.
While the advantages were its high utility, for its level, and the fact that it didn’t interfere with learning ‘regular’, formulated cantrips, the path to learning it was similar to that of a Sorcerer – just gather arcane energy around the hand, try to ‘get the feeling for it’, until you can suddenly form the cantrip at will. There were a few tips, but overall, learning spells instinctively was a subjective experience.
Well, I did have one idea on how to learn it a bit faster, but…
“What’s the third cantrip?”
“Bestow Blaze.”
“Ah, you did tell , back when we t, that you were interested in enchantnts.”
The cantrip itself, had I learned Fla Bolt, would be largely redundant.
What it did was, as the na suggested, engulf a solid surface in flas. Of course, the surface needed to withstand it, as the fire would, in fact, consu things like wood; yet, with tal, the damage each cast would be minimal.
Of course, I wouldn’t be able to cast it on my sword, but even if I had a sword that wouldn’t disrupt it, I’d have no reason to use it in practice.
Why? Its duration.
On a non-flammable surface, the fla would last anywhere between 3 to 8 seconds, depending on the strength of the spell. Considering its cast ti, in an actual fight, I’d rather just cast Fla Bolt directly.
That being said, despite being the only cantrip that didn’t fit my first two criteria, it was a prerequisite for proper, vessel-channeled enchantnts later on, so in a way, I was simply starting their study earlier.
“You sure know how to pick your spells. Even in the academy, practicing fire magic requires a special training room.”
“Ah…”
I lowered my eyes. This was one thing I haven’t thought about.
“Luckily, I happen to have the perfect place for it.”
“Oh?”
My eyes opened wide once more.
“How about we go there right now?”
I instantly stood up, almost by instinct, evoking an amused chuckle.
“Follow .”
We exited the study.
“By the way – I think you might be able to practice Elental Ward alone. Defensive spells are typically so of the safest. Well, not that you could practice deflecting any elents, but, at least the spell itself..”
“Oh, that’s more than enough!”
Finally, I’d have sothing to do besides basic shapes, and occasionally repeating Light Orb.
We walked down the stairs, and through a corridor, leading into the back of the manor.
“By the way, why do you have a fitting facility?”
I didn’t want to pry, but I couldn’t resist my curiosity.
The reply to my words was a short laugh.
“You’ll understand in a mont.”
And, true to her word, I soon understood.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
As she opened the door, I found myself in a large room.
The first thing that caught my eye was the pool in the middle, occupying most of the 8 by 10 inner area. The reason it was the ‘inner’ area was the balcony, separated by a large sliding door, made of murky glass.
The furniture, which were just four chairs and one low table, were all made of steel and glass (the table’s surface). Large, colourful marble tiles comprised the floor, and smaller, white tiles, made from so kind of polished stone, covered the walls.
There was no single oil lamp here - the ceiling was illuminated by dim, teal sparkles, sowhat reminiscent of those at the Sun temple, but at the sa ti, very different.
“My. I thought the illumination field had so more juice left.”
Suddenly, I felt a stream of arcane energy rush forward from beside . The dim light instantly beca brighter, albeit not by much.
“When they’re this low, you can recharge them yourself. Still, this is more of a makeshift bandage – I should really change the crystal on those things.”
I was too busy admiring the tranquil beauty of the room before to catch most of her words, although the casual ntion of swapping out an arcane crystal - the price of which, judging by the scale of this illumination, was probably closer to 1,000 gold than to 100 - brought out of my thoughts.
“Anyway… This should be sufficient to practice Bestow Blaze. At most, if your clothes catch fire, you could throw yourself into the pool.”
“Is that.. A common occurrence?”
“Oh yes. Back in the day, when I was still in the academy, we had this girl.. Gena? Yes, I think that was her na. Her area of expertise was fire magic, and, just like you, she was training both Bestow Blaze and Fire Bolt.”
Anne’s lips curved in a nostalgic smile.
“I think the number of dresses she had to switch in the first week was over a dozen. Next week, her parents bought her a special dress made of an Emberheart Doe’s hide – that’s an arcane beast, mostly found in the southern part of the continent.”
She chuckled lightly, drawn into distant mories.
“That dress stayed with her until graduation, and well into her advanced apprenticeship. For a good reason, too – nothing less could probably survive her blazing spells, not when accompanied by her fiery temperant.”
“Was she your friend?”
At my question, the nostalgic smile was marred with a faint note of sorrow.
“We talked from ti to ti.. after we both left the academy. She relocated to Graygate, together with her husband. Closer to the western front, where she would take part in dozens of battles over the next two decades.”
“The western front?”
I knew what Graygate was, as it was the second major city in this province, located north-north-west of Silverveil. I also had a hunch that a fire mage might be part of the military. Didn’t know there was an active front there, though.
“The Iron Ridge is especially thin around that area, and Graygate itself is built in its only valley, ant to protect our land against the countless tribes that roam the Wastes – orcs, mainly, but not just;”
This was news to , but I decided to stash it sowhere in the back of my mind, for now.
“In the end, that battlefield was also her grave. I later heard she went out in a blaze of glory.”
“My.. condolences.”
“Oh, no need for that.”
Anne’s voice was surprisingly nonchalant.
“She died over sixty years ago.”
For a mont, I didn’t know how to respond.
Suddenly, I felt a certain weight on my heart, rely from imagining – what it must be like, when most - if not all - of your childhood friends and acquaintances have died many decades ago, and most of your descendants barely rember you exist, if they know your na at all; And, on top of that, you still have decades to live, until your lifespan finally runs out.
“Forgive . I have brought up an unpleasant topic.”
“No! No, please. You don’t have to apologize.”
If anything, it was who had to apologize for bringing up her old friend. Resolved to be more careful in the future, I quickly steered the conversation in a different direction.
“In any case, does this an I can practice Fire Bolt here, too?”
“In my presence, yes. Unlike Bestow Blaze, you might actually blow off a finger or two if you’re not careful, unless there’s soone experienced nearby who can prevent it.”
I subconsciously gulped. I knew practicing fire magic wasn’t the safest choice, but her words made feel it, too.
“I.. I can’t impose-”
“Oh, stop that. It’s not like I can’t do my sewing here.”
I had a hard ti imagining Anne sitting on one of the low chairs around the pool, but then again, seeing her eagerness to help, I didn’t insist any longer.
“Then.. can we start now?”
The excitent, slowly creeping back into my voice, brought a smile back to the old woman’s face.
“Of course. Which of the cantrips are you planning to start with?”
“Mage Hand.”
“Alr- wait, Mage Hand?”
My decision caught her by surprise.
“But.. you know there’s no benefit to practicing it with a tutor, right?”
I gave her a coy look.
“I just want to try sothing. Mind casting it, slowly?”
“It won’t ch-”
Suddenly, Anne opened her eyes in realization.
“Ha. Haha. Hahaha!”
After a few seconds of genuine laughter, she looked at again, with a look that perfectly balanced amusent and admiration.
“To think I’d miss sothing like that… Although, it’s understandable. I don’t think I’ve ever t a mage who learned Arcane Sense before Mage Hand.”
With my ploy exposed, I couldn’t help but smile in turn.
“Alright. Let’s begin.”
This was going to be a fruitful day.
***
Thud, thud, thud…
The footsteps, belonging to a pair of n, approached the intersection, adding so additional illumination to the flickering lantern lights, which belonged to another pair, already standing at the designated spot.
“Well ain’t you a pair of runners?”
The first voice, sowhat high and obnoxious, belonged to one of the n already at the intersection.
“Sure took ya’ ti, ya’ bastards!”
The second man was far less passive, and just outright aggressive.
“Oh, shut your trap, Tooth. Do you even know what went up there yesterday?”
This voice, albeit rough and raspy, belonged to a woman.
“We ‘er down in ‘tis stinkhole since last mornin’, ya’ shit! How would we know?”
“There was an attack on the city. By so Druids. Real atgrinder, in so areas, at least.”
The last newcor, a man with a sleazy voice, decided to enlighten Tooth.
“An attack, you say? Wait, this ain’t one of your drunken-”
“This was real, you lazy bum. While you were vacationing down here, we nearly lost our lives!”
The woman did not take kindly to the first speaker’s doubts.
“By da’ sounda’ it, mustta’ been a propa’ scuffle!”
The foul-mouthed speaker was clearly excited at the prospect.
“Wish it was you near that factory instead of us.”
“Aye, whateva’. Now it’s ya’ turn to hava’ vacation, har har har!”
With a repulsive laugh, the speaker marched off, with his companion not far behind him.
A few dozen steps away from the sa intersection, deep into an unlit tunnel, a rusty old door, leading to a cramped room, which was likely used for storing maintenance equipnt at so point, was ajar.
Behind that door, two hushed voices, much quieter than those of the patroln, could be heard. Or rather, couldn’t be heard, unless you had exceptional perception, and were also close by.
“An attack?”
The female voice, despite its low volu, was steady and sharp. After a few seconds, it spoke again.
“Aren’t you worried about your companions?”
“If it was anything serious, they’d let know.”
As the male voice spoke, a few taps, those of a nail tapping tal, could be heard.
“Besides, they can handle themselves. Anything that made its way past the city walls probably doesn’t stand a chance against Bern, and when it cos to combat, Hilda would fare better than . Even Ornor would, as much as I loathe to admit it.”
A few monts of silence had passed.
“Xin, I told you, you didn’t have to co here.”
The voice was softer, but there was a note of annoyance in it.
“We’re not children anymore. I can take care of this sort of work myself.”
“And as I’ve told you, I’m not here to protect you.”
Xin’s voice was firm.
“If the Grays really are cooperating with the Shadows, this is sothing we have to know.”
“...so you don’t trust us to relay the information?”
There was another pause after that.
“I trust you, Eve. As for the Seraph, it’s more that I know what to expect.”
He sighed.
“Even if he does decide to tell us, it’d be a debt, not a gift. And I don’t want to owe anything to soone like him.”
A few more seconds of silence followed.
“Xin, you understand I’m also part of-”
The woman, Evelyn, suddenly halted her words, as a faint sound of footsteps could be heard once more – a sound getting fainter by the second.
“It’s ti. Let’s go.”
Their conversation would have to wait.
They had a mission to finish first.
***
“Thank you. For today.”
As the sun had already begun to descend beyond the horizon, I was standing at the doorway to the mansion.
My fingers still stung from the burns, but I could barely feel the pain over the excitent.
“Rember – ‘Elrion’s Liquid Ice’ paste. You can find it at the Tower, but the Adventurer’s Guild’s alchemy shop probably has it, too.”
“Certainly.”
This paste was sothing akin to Aloe Vera gel from Earth – very efficient at treating burns, and general skin irritations.
I still hoped I could save a few gold, given the superior regeneration granted by my 2nd realm Endurance, but if push ca to shove, I’d definitely buy so.
“I’ll be going now. Thanks again.. teacher.”
At the last word, I notice a subtle curve of her lips, despite Anne’s masterful effort to hide it.
“Then I’ll see you again soon.”
“If you’ll have .”
“Of course!”
The old woman smiled.
“Goodbye, Sebastian.”
“Goodbye.”
With a wave of my hand, I turned around, walking through the blurry barrier onto the street.
I began walking towards the nearby tram stop.
However, a few seconds before I reached the stairs…
“You…”
A surprised voice cried out from behind.
A familiar voice – yet not a voice I was glad to hear.
“What is a lowlife dog such as yourself doing here?”
Reviews
All reviews (0)