Chapter 8 #8
“Well, judging from your writing, I’d say you are quite proficient.”
“I’ve a-always liked to read, s-so I c-can read and write in the ancient tongue, b-but there are m-many w-w-words I c-c-c—I am not f-familiar with.”
Ruth remained silent as he continued to read through her notes, and Maxi shifted nervously in her seat.
“Why not learn magic instead?” Ruth asked abruptly, setting down the stack of parchment.
Maxi blinked, unsure that she had heard his words correctly. Ruth rose from his seat, excited by his own suggestion.
“Why spend time learning medicine when you could learn magic instead? If you became capable of healing magic, it would lessen my burden tremendously!”
Maxi furrowed her brows. Did he only make the suggestion because it would benefit him? Or did he truly think she was capable?
“D-Didn’t you s-say that magic is the h-highest form of learning? Th-That it requires complex c-calculations? I-I am not suited for that.”
“Advanced magic does require years of research and practice, yes. But basic magic is different. As long as one has mana affinity, a few years of study is all it takes to master basic spells.”
“W-What is basic magic?”
“All non-elemental magic,” Ruth explained casually, as if the topic was no more complex or uncommon than basic mathematics. “Simple healing magic, levitation, and other minor spells.”
Maxi smiled timidly. “I-I would l-like to learn, b-but as you m-mentioned, it t-takes years of work. Wouldn’t s-studying mundane healing yield f-faster—”
“I meant that it takes several years for a person to cultivate mana affinity, and to learn arithmetic and the ancient tongue. But you already have mana affinity. It isn’t strong yet, but with your knowledge of arithmetic and the ancient tongue, you meet the basic conditions for learning magic.
With a few months of practice, you should be capable of casting simple spells. ”
Hope glimmered in Maxi’s heart. Could she really learn magic?
“D-Do you think I’ll b-be able to d-do it?”
“It’s worth a try. You have nothing to lose.”
He was right. Maxi clutched her hope and mustered her courage. “I-If you’re willing t-to teach me, I will do my b-best.”
“I shall make the necessary preparations. We can start tomorrow afternoon, here in the library.” Ruth walked over to a bookcase and removed two weighty tomes, then returned to where Maxi sat at the desk.
“These will help you understand the foundations of magic. Please read them whenever you get the chance.”
Heart racing, Maxi left the library with the books hugged to her chest. For the first time in her life, someone had seen potential in her.
—
That night, Maxi was too excited to sleep.
Instead, she lit a candle and read the books Ruth had given her until her eyelids grew heavy.
The first tome expounded the concept of magic, while the second explained its working principles.
Neither book was as complicated as she had feared, and the idea of becoming a sorceress suddenly seemed possible.
Maxi imagined herself wielding fire from her fingertips to vanquish monsters, and raising storms to sweep away invaders. She pictured Riftan pulling her into a tight embrace, proud of her achievements. The thought was enough to make her grin as she pored over the text.
If she mastered magic, she could join Riftan on his campaigns. Gone was all memory of the fact that she had once fainted at the sight of a monster. Maxi’s heart pounded with excitement, and she flopped back in bed, kicking her feet in the air with giddy energy.
The next day, Ruth quickly shattered her fantasy.
He walked into the library looking just as eager as Maxi felt, but his lengthy lecture on runes and magical theory left Maxi staring blankly at him and the large slate he had drawn several diagrams on.
When he moved on to the governing principles of magic runes, Maxi felt as if he were speaking a different language entirely.
“Do you understand, my lady?” Ruth asked when this lecture finally concluded. When she did not immediately answer, Ruth’s brows creased in confusion. “Was there anything you didn’t understand?”
“I b-b-barely understood a-any of it,” Maxi said, so disheartened that she had to hold back tears. “I-I’m n-not s-suited to th-this after all….”
“It’s too soon to give up.” Ruth seemed displeased by her wavering resolve. “You must learn to be tenacious, my lady. The less you understand, the more you must persist.”
Maxi was so accustomed to resigning herself to disappointment that Ruth’s advice bewildered her. She avoided his gaze as she considered his words, then looked up at him and nodded tentatively.
“I-I understand.”
Ruth erased the diagrams from the slate and drew a simpler one in their place. “There’s an energy that flows through the natural world, invisible to the naked eye. This energy is called mana.”
Maxi promptly picked up her quill and took notes. Ruth waited until she finished writing before continuing.
“Through training, mages can draw mana into their bodies and harness its energy. This concentration of mana is what we call magic.”
“A-Are they not th-the same thing?”
“The two words are often used interchangeably, but they are different in nature. Think of mana as a stable force that exists in equilibrium in the natural world. Magic, however, is a force of considerable instability that was forcibly accumulated inside the body of a human or monster. While mana adheres to the order of nature, magic defies it.”
“I’m n-not sure I u-understand.”
“Allow me to demonstrate.” Ruth unfurled his fingers to show his palm.
“The mana flowing through this room is currently in a state of perfect equilibrium. But if I do this…” He flicked his index finger, and a fist-sized ball of fire burst into being.
“I’ve broken that equilibrium by using the energy I accumulated. That is magic.
“In the natural world, this fire would be considered unnatural. Its light and heat should not be present; it only exists because I called it into being. Nature fights against these anomalies and tries to remove the surplus mana to restore everything to its natural state. Mages call this resistance negation, and it’s the reason that magic disappears over time.
” Ruth lowered his hand and the flame fizzled out.
“B-But d-didn’t you say r-runes were required t-to use magic?”
“The flame I conjured was created through a rune. If mana is the ingredient, runes are the recipe. Runes contain detailed instructions on how much mana must be transfused and where it should be directed to create, let’s say, a flame of a certain size.
Mages must maintain a store of mana inside their body at all times and learn to properly manipulate it using runes. ”
Maxi’s hands flew across the page as she took notes.
Ruth narrowed his eyes. “Do you understand everything up to this point?”
“Y-Yes, but…” Maxi glanced at the pile of books he had placed on the desk, feeling frustrated. “I s-still don’t understand h-how it happens, o-or the p-principles behind it.”
“Let me explain.” Ruth scratched his head, thinking. He rolled up the diagrams and gathered up the books, stuffing all of them into his bag and clearing the desk. Then he produced a translucent stone from a small pouch. “Take this, my lady. We’ll start by practicing how to accumulate and use mana.”
“W-What is this?”
“A stone that assists with growing mana affinity. It absorbs mana from its surroundings and emits heat. Hold it in your hands and try to discern the subtle flow of mana around it. Over time, your mana affinity will grow stronger and you’ll be able to perceive its movements.
Please practice with the stone and read these books.
” He handed her three heavy tomes as he spoke.
“Comprehending the principles of magic requires geometry and metrology, not just arithmetic.”
As Maxi thumbed through one of the books, what little confidence she had deflated.
Its pages were dense with cramped text. Remembering Ruth’s words about persistence, Maxi recalled her fantasies from the previous night.
She imagined Riftan beaming at her as she accompanied him on his adventures, and she pictured herself dressed in the magnificent garb of a mage, traversing mountains and fields.
Her courage rekindled, Maxi took the magic stone from Ruth.