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Adventure Awaits! Huzzah! 11
🕑 Added 2025-03-17 16:26:40 +0000 UTCHis magic training had been essentially split into two parts.
One was the theoretical. In it Sonya would explain how magic worked, and it's history. Although she had also taken some time to explain how lightning worked in general, considering what they were currently working on. A unneeded gesture, since he already knew that due to his past life, but he understood her point of view.
And then there was the second part. The one where he would put what he had learned into practice.
It was by far the hardest one.
As proof of that, Himmel was currently on the ground, both pale and twitching after another failed attempt at casting Thunder.
His teacher seemed to be holding back chuckles at his failure. "Are you alright, Himmel?" But she was a bit worried too. Still, she had said this would most likely happen at first, so it was to be expected.
The fact they all knew this was coming was probably why Kris was still watching in the distance instead of freaking out.
Himmel wished he could nod back to his teacher. "I-I... I can't move." Lightning had definitely run through his veins.
She knelt in front of him. "I see. Well, don't worry, I can heal you." White Magic. "After a few minutes have passed, that is."
"W-why...?" Was it some drawback of White Magic?
She sighed. "So that you may understand that the path of the mage isn't an easy one. This may sound strange, but... there is a tradition here in Valentia... Typically a student of magic will encounter his first roadblock with the Thunder spell... or, as some call it, the Mage Breaker."
"Much like you, when someone attempts, they fall to the ground trembling like fools. And so, as your teacher, I'm supposed to let you squirm there in pain for a bit until you understand learning magic may lead you to your death." Ah.
He understood the idea. It was a way to teach brats that they shouldn't just be idiots and rush along until their bodies broke and then beyond. Not to mention teaching them that a single mistake could lead to death.
All very cool and all, but... "L-lady Sonya, I believe I have learned that lesson when I was four...!" He did stop practicing magic because it was killing him. "So please heal me... I don't want to waste the whole day with no training."
She frowned. "Did you really learn that lesson, I wonder...?" She was suddenly looking at him as if he were an idiot. "But sure, fine. You're the one paying me... or your guardian is." Actually, it was very much him.
It's just that it would be very weird to reveal that to his poor teacher. For now she could keep thinking Kris was the one who was actually important and mysterious.
A smile spread across his face. It was a miracle he could even show that. "T-thanks." And so she began the process of healing him.
It went by pretty fast, most of the damage dealt to him being superficial. Still, it did show him how powerful electricity could be, even minuscule amounts could paralyze someone.
As soon as the healing was done with, he breathed a sigh of relief. "I can move again..." He sat up. "I can't believe this is the second magic people learn. It's way more difficult than learning Fire."
She nodded. "Indeed, but that is the point. Across a mage's career, this is the moment where you must... take flight, so to speak." Sounded like magic gatekeeping to him.
And besides that... "Does that mean that there are tons of people who go around throwing Fire magic, and pretty much nothing else?" That sounded kind of sad.
She hummed. "Not really. Most mages are very... picky with whom they choose to teach, and so typically if they choose an apprentice, that apprentice is capable. Someone like me who is primarily motivated by coin is rather rare in Valentia."
That explained why Kris had hired her even though she was so young. The man probably couldn't find anyone else who was willing to teach some nobody in the middle of nowhere. Or more accurately, a place even worse than nowhere, Ram Village.
Leaving that aside though, this really did sound like magic gatekeeping.
It was rather strange. "Why are they picky? Magic doesn't sound like a resource that needs to be... controlled like that." Did it have something else that he was missing? Like, for example, did magic get weaker the more people used it?
She shrugged. "Magic is a tool of war, of course it's hoarded." That... made a depressing amount of sense. "Although its basic forms do become a lot more common during war times. It's said that back when Mila and Duma still warred against one another, almost every soldier could at least cast Fire."
"Importation of Tomes and Staves from other continents was also rather popular, though that was a long time ago." That's...
Valentia was a continent that focused a lot on military might due to Rigel, so he could understand that, but... "So why are Tomes and Staves basically not around anymore?" Wouldn't it make sense to keep buying them even after the war was over? To prepare for future conflicts?
"Because Rigel is far too prideful. They believe in personal growth, and so relying on tools such as Tomes and Staves is seen as... pathetic. Something that would hinder their future talent." A disposition that apparently fell apart once actual war was on its shores.
He knew why, or at least he could guess with the help of his studies in tactics and history. As the elite of a country started to die, the untrained masses would start to take the field more and more, and those would need access to an easy way of arming themselves.
"Meanwhile, Zofia is lazy. I'm surprised this country even has a standing army." It probably wouldn't have one if not for the existence of Rigel, really.
Himmel couldn't help but frown. "Everybody treats magic solely as a weapon of war, huh?" It was kind of sad.
To be expected considering Valentia essentially split magic up into two categories, one for killing people and the other to indirectly kill people, but still sad.
She got up and crossed her arms. "Magic is a hard thing to learn, as I'm sure you have experienced. As such, one needs a strong motivator for it... and nothing is quite as good as the urge to kill someone." Dark.
But yeah, he could understand why magic wasn't super spread around. Learning Fire had basically meant Himmel had been constantly getting sick for the day, something which Kliff was now experiencing. While Thunder meant one would probably get electrocuted by themselves quite a bit before getting the ropes.
Normal people didn't have the patience... or time for that.
Not to mention how while Fire was mostly instinctive, that didn't apply to Thunder. Himmel had to make the calculations and magic circles for it in his head, something which a normal farmboy would not have the education for.
However... "I see, but how... how big of a crutch is a Tome and a Staff? What do they do?" Did their existence mean any continent could roll Valentia over in a war?
That was scary...
Thankfully his teacher alleviated his concerns. "Not as much as some people say. It has formulas, magic circles, and power accumulated in it, so it helps with those stages, but... some amount of skill is still needed for its use. One cannot become a master magician simply because they bought many of those tools."
She continued. "Furthermore, magic from a Tome or a staff cannot be altered. Remember that fireball that you kept enlarging and then made disappear before it hit anything? That would be very difficult for a Tome, it will naturally try to follow its written instructions."
So it was more or less like he had imagined. Trading control for ease of use... but that ease of use wasn't as simple as he thought. Apparently.
He finally got up. "Welp, that about answers my questions. Time to get electrocuted again." He just knew he would mess it up again.
Thunder magic was split into two different types. One was where the electricity simply left his body, and the other was one where the power left his body and then became electricity later. Which essentially meant he could fire thunderbolts from the sky.
Both were immensely difficult. The second one was practiced far more in Valentia, however, because it caused a little bit less of a shock to the system when it backfired. Essentially meaning it had less of a chance of killing someone... He guessed other nations had no particular preference because they were using Tomes anyways. No chance of little Jimmy accidentally frying his brain.
Probably. He would ask Sonya later.
In exchange, once that power left one's body, it would follow the instructions given to it. A bit like a Tome he supposed, but one made on the fly.
His teacher put a hand on his shoulder. "Worry not. I'm certain you will get it eventually." She had faith in him, huh? That was the mark of a good teacher.
And as a good student, he would not fail.
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He failed. He failed miserably for a week.
That said, magic was not only about throwing lightning and fire at people. Even if those were probably some of the coolest things you could do with it. Sometimes magic was about... making drugs. Or Recovery Items as they were actually called.
He wasn't very good at it. "I don't get it... what about these plants makes a Vulnerary?" He was just throwing a bunch of stuff in a cup and hoping that it made something, if he was being honest.
His teacher had tried to explain it, but he had not really understood. Maybe because his past life experiences weren't really helping him for once?
Sonya looked away, she seemed almost as confused as him. "Everything with life in this world has power. That includes you, the plants, the animals... everything." She put a hand on her chin. "And even some things that are not alive hold this power as long as they are associated with life... the wind... water... fire..."
She continued. "Before Mila and Duma came to Valentia, the reason why these things had power was attributed to the now old gods. You will still find the occasional abandoned shrine to a fire god here and there. Although you need authorization from the Zofian crown to explore one."
Oh, archeological shit. Cool.
That didn't matter though. "That part I get, but... why do these plants specifically make a Vulnerary?" She had just given him a bunch of recipes and told him to memorize them.
A recipe if he wanted to make a Vulnerary with Zofian materials. A recipe if he wanted to make a Vulnerary with Rigellian materials. A recipe if he wanted to make a Vulnerary with Archanean materials. And yet no explanation why these items combined in the way they did.
His teacher blushed. "Um... right... of course... a Vulnerary is made out of these ingredients because..." She hung her head low, shame on her face. "I don't know, if I'm being honest."
"Hah!?" That was a horrifying thing to hear from one's teacher!
Sonya always seemed confident when she talked about Black Magic, but the woman genuinely seemed lost when it came to crafting potions.
She cleared her throat. "I-It's no fault of my own! The making of Recovery Items is a craft tightly held secret amongst the world's greatest mages! I-I am lucky I managed to learn how to make a Vulnerary, and you are lucky I managed to pass it on to you!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Really? How did you learn it in the first place?" This sounded suspicious as hell.
She gulped. "I... I bought the lists from a wandering elder... But they were just lists. No explanation of how they worked." She sounded genuinely frustrated. "A waste of time, I couldn't get anywhere with them... I can only make Vulneraries." But she seemed to be telling the truth at least.
He could see it in her eyes. "But why is potion making such a big secret? Is this about war again?"
She shook her head. "Worse. It's about money." Capitalism, the only thing worse than war! "A Vulnerary isn't very potent. It can only heal minor wounds and minor sicknesses like the common cold, but..."
"Even that can be amazing. Because sicknesses can get worse when untreated, and a minor wound can get infected... A Vulnerary can save lives." He could see it.
Tobin's family was big... and it could have been even bigger. However, his mother gave birth to a sickly young baby once who quickly died a few days after her birth. Could a Vulnerary have stopped that?
How many villagers could have been saved with what was basic medicine? Himmel knew of at least one old man in the village who had passed away last year from the common cold.
She looked at his attempt at making a potion. "If you went to the army with this ability that I'm teaching you, you could make a good salary. If you learned how to make the next tier of Recovery Item, a Concoction? You could make a small fortune with each one sold."
"And if you could make an Elixir...? That which can heal any sickness and even regrow limbs? The crown itself would hire you." So it was a really big deal, basically.
Himmel understood now. "But if the way of making these items became common knowledge, then their value would naturally decrease... which is why nobody teaches it to anybody."
His teacher scowled. "Exactly. Sometimes I wonder if there even is someone who actually knows how this works who still lives, or if people are just copying old recipes from centuries ago..."
He wouldn't doubt it. There was still something gnawing at his mind though... "Hey, if making Vulneraries gives you some nice cash, why teach at all?"
She laughed. "This pays more than making a few Vulneraries for the army." Seriously!? Hopefully she wasn't scamming him.
This was all coming from Himmel's pocket, but Kris was technically taking care of the finances. So he didn't actually know how much Sonya was receiving. From what he had learned so far though, probably a lot, people really loved to keep the secret of magic... well, a secret.
Her expression became a bit more serious. "And also... once you enter that world, you can't really leave. Remember this, Himmel, people won't truly care if a soldier capable of razing a mountain retires from their army, look at Sir Mycen. But they will if one is capable of raising back the dead. They won't let him retire at all."
Essentially, the skill was rare enough that showing proficiency in it could bring some bad attention. Himmel would have to be careful with it.
He scratched his cheek. "I'll keep that in mind." He already had enough attention from being the son of Sigurd. He did not need any more.
His teacher seemed content with his answer. "Good. Now let's store that, it needs to ferment for a week." Lame...
Maybe by then he would have gotten the Lightning thing down.
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He had not gotten the lightning thing down, but that did not mean his studies in other fields had stopped... White Magic was proving to be a pain as well, however.
"S-sorry about this again, Faye... I'll try to get the hang of it as soon as I can..." He was as pale as he could be.
But not because he was actually sick and neither because he had used too much life force. The reason for it was because Faye was bleeding in front of him, and he was supposed to take care of it. It was just a minor cut in her palm, of course, but still...
Faye giggled. "It's fine, Himmel, I don't mind bleeding for you." That was very worrying! "And... you use lifeforce for this, right? I want to feel yours..." That was also very worrying! Even more so!
But kind of cute too.
He nervously chuckled. "I'll try my best." This sucked.
But it couldn't be helped.
According to his teacher, healing magic—Recovery Magic in this case—could not be used on oneself. A person's life force would simply fail when trying to fix itself. So if Himmel ever got a wound, that meant he would need to drink a Vulnerary.
This meant a few things. A few annoying things. First of all, he could not wound himself to train Recovery magic. Second of all, Sonya could not wound herself to train Recovery magic, because if Himmel failed to learn before the day was over, her wound would remain. Therefore, they needed a practice target whom Sonya could heal when Himmel failed.
Originally that target was going to be Kris, but Faye volunteered for some reason. And for some godforsaken reason, Sonya had actually accepted it.
Himmel closed his eyes and concentrated. "Here it goes..." Recovery magic was complicated.
Much like with Thunder magic, he needed to know the scientific aspect behind it... he needed to understand the human body. Which he did, more or less. And Sonya had also given him lessons about it.
However, he couldn't help but feel like he was... missing something.
All he could get was a minor glow of light.
Faye cut through his concentration. "Maybe praying to Mother Mila will help, Himmel? I think that's how priests do it." Her interruption was a bit annoying, but he couldn't find it in himself to get angry at such a cute girl.
Especially since she was helping him.
However... "According to Lady Sonya, faith has nothing to do with it."
Faye's eyes widened. "Really!? But it's... something that heals!" Such simple logic... Himmel wanted to chuckle at it, but he resisted.
His teacher failed to do the same. "My, aren't you just adorable..." Faye pouted in response. He had a feeling she did not like Sonya. "Faith has nothing to do with it, girl, trust me when I say that... But I'm not surprised you think that way."
"For the longest time the church of Valentia had something of a monopoly in Recovery magic... which does require will, like all magic, and faith can indeed give that will. So that myth ended up spreading around." She rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Healing Staves are incredibly common. Nothing divine about it."
Faye argued against, probably just to argue really. "How can you be so sure...?"
Sonya chuckled once more. "Remember that I can do it, girl, and I certainly don't have a single religious bone in me." It was a weird stance to take.
Gods did exist after all, people could even visit them...!
But then again, maybe that made them less of gods in some people's eyes. They were there, tangible, and people more or less knew their limits. Less of a godly being and more of a different species that just happened to be more powerful than normal. Thinking that was probably sacrilege though.
And so, as one would expect, Faye gasped, affronted. "B-but Lady Mila..."
Sonya quickly waved her off. "Don't worry about it, girl. Just be glad that your Himmel doesn't need to worry about something extra on top of all that he is already focusing on. He really just needs to try over and over again until his body begins to understand it as well as his mind does."
Faye definitely didn't pay attention to most of what she said. "M-my Himmel...!?" Ayup. He would not be correcting that statement.
Especially since he could basically see the feelings of dislike that Faye felt for the mage drifting into the wind.
He was curious about Sonya's angle with this, so he raised an eyebrow in suspicion.
The mage leaned down and whispered in his ear. "Willing lab rats rarely show themselves. You should cherish her..." That's messed up! But he didn't have the time to worry about it.
Instead he would devote his time to learning Recovery. Just as he was also devoting time to learn Thunder.
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He didn't learn shit in over a week. He was seriously beginning to think he was completely and utterly talentless in magic.
Fuck Thunder. Fuck Recovery.
Fire, though? Fire was his best friend. Fire he could do.
He really hated writing about it though... "My head feels like it's about to explode..." Making a Tome was a complicated process.
First of all, you had to write a book. A whole book. The printing press had yet to be invented, by the way. So he just had to write every single formula that went into what he wanted into a book by hand. He also had to draw the magic circles for it.
Maybe he should go back to being electrocuted.
He then had to channel his magic into it so the Tome could store it, which really was the easiest part. Though that also meant learning more magic circles for that specific purpose... It was hell.
Sonya, who was looking over his shoulder, criticized him. "Is that the circle you think of when making a fireball? It's no good. Erase it and do it again." He didn't think of circles when doing fireballs!
It always came by instinct... but that was apparently not good anymore.
He rested his head against the table. "Lady Sonya, I take back my request, I no longer wish to learn Tome making." It sucked. The only good thing about this is that he wouldn't have to learn how to make a staff as well.
Sonya didn't know how. She was no master of White Magic, so it simply never interested her.
She shook her head. "I am afraid that's not acceptable, Himmel. Even if you hadn't requested it of me, I would have forced you into learning it." She raised a finger. "Making a Tome is a test of how well you understand your magic. You must pass it."
She put her hands on her hips. "I must say, however, complaining and giving up is... unlike you. Is something on your mind?" That was... true.
If nothing else, he was the guy who could work until he passed out, but... "I guess I just have been feeling discouraged lately. I haven't really made much progress with Recovery or Thunder..." Maybe he could make a Thunder Tome and cheat?
He could almost see the Rigellians spitting on him out of disgust.
His teacher's jaw hit the floor. "No progress? You have made amazing progress so far!" She really needed to learn how to butter up people better.
He scoffed. "If you say so..." Maybe he really was doing well, but he had the Brand to give him stamina... he should be doing better. "Though I guess even with no progress I should try moving forward." Not even trying to move was unacceptable.
He would be a farmboy, nothing special. However, he wanted to at least be a safe farmboy. Recovery could heal Faye's life. Thunder could strike down a wild animal that threatened one of his friends. He would not let his life become a terror due to his own laziness and incompetence.
So he erased the messed-up circle and started it all over again.
His teacher proudly patted his back. "That's a good boy... You really are doing well though."
He would believe that when he actually managed to throw Lightning at someone.
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He still couldn't throw lightning at someone. Probably because he still lacked when it came to the third most crucial aspect of magic.
As far as Himmel was concerned, to learn magic, one should master three things.
The first was will, magic was akin to someone exercising their will upon the world after all. The second was knowledge, one needed to know how the world worked if they wished to change it. And the third, and probably most important, was control.
Just knowing how to throw fire at someone was not enough. They needed to know how to make fire bend to their will.
Which is why Himmel had used Fire... and didn't release it. Instead he was trying to make it move around, trying to truly control it. "Is this really possible, Lady Sonya?" He thought about giving it a specific shape in the past, but this seemed truly absurd.
She nodded. "Of course. And you will really appreciate it eventually... Having a little light conveniently following you around during the night can be very useful." He could definitely see that.
Moving it was so, so complicated though. He could extinguish it with zero effort. He could make it grow with zero effort. He could even make it denser and give some semblance of a shape nowadays, but this...
He couldn't give up. Without a doubt, learning how to do this would increase his control.
Hours and hours passed... and eventually, the fire began moving sideways. Just a little bit, but...
He exploded with happiness. "Hah! I'm actually doing it!" And almost as if to mock him, as soon as his concentration was lost, the ball of fire disappeared. "Or maybe not..."
His teacher giggled. "That's no good, Himmel. Fire is instinctual... you need to master this form of using it until it essentially becomes instinctual as well. It would be terrifying if it failed during a fight, right?"
He blushed. "Right, sorry." It would suck, suddenly having to fight in the dark. Not to mention how having a small-sized ball of fire floating around him could help in other ways.
For some reason, it seemed as if his teacher regretted her words. "No need to apologize, Himmel..." No, he made a mistake. He needed to fix it.
He shook his head. "Take it not as an apology to you but as an apology to my... guardian's wallet." He had tons of gold. He could only hope it wouldn't run out before he actually learned anything.
She winked at him. "Trust me, boy. At this point I'm invested, so even if Kris' coin does run out... I might just see it to the end." Was this the teacher version of I can fix him?
What an incredible thing to behold.
He grinned. "You might end up regretting those words..." And then extended an open hand. "Because I will take them very seriously." He cast Fire.
This time it took much less effort to move it. He could only hope he would make similar progress with Recovery and Thunder soon.
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He had made no progress with either. As expected.
Still, he didn't feel too bad about it. Fire was being the best as usual after all, and even ignoring that, he was currently learning one of the most important studies of magic in the entire world. At least according to Kris.
Warding. Its purpose? Making magic from enemies a little less bullshit.
Sonya took a closer look at the circle he had drawn on the wall. "Not bad exactly... but the method of converting power needs some work. Remember that it's the most important part of Warding."
"You really need to get better at making something that drains power out of the environment, Himmel. Nobody has the coin to make a mage fill a circle by himself every single time." He couldn't deny that.
There were essentially two methods of filling up a circle.
One was by pumping one's own life force into it, that is to say, the obvious one. The other was by obtaining power from the world, from the wind, and from water... and fire too, if that was available. The circles took way longer to absorb that power, but it was worth it to not have to deal with the hassle of a mage refilling it each time.
He immediately erased the circle and began drawing it again. "Got it, teach. I will try my best." Warding was important, he couldn't afford to mess it up.
In this world magic was king. Warding it made it less so... It could stop someone from warping into somewhere or protect your walls from being destroyed by magic. Hell, an experienced enough user could even make a Ward on someone's body, it wasn't permanent, but it would protect them from magic for a short while.
It was most likely the single greatest school of magic, because it meant a mage couldn't just warp into the Zofian king's room and take his fucking head while he slept.
However, before he could continue, someone knocked on the door.
"Enter!" He shouldn't be taking breaks, but he shouldn't be rude either.
And it turns out he was right, because the person who entered was his cute little future wife, Faye, carrying a picnic basket. "H-hey Himmel! Sorry if I'm interrupting something!" She was, but a wife... a future wife had that right.
"It's fine, Faye, I was about to get a headache anyways..." He looked at his teacher. "I think. Are you okay with it, Lady Sonya?" In the end, if she said no... he would just need to suck it up and go back to work.
His teacher gave them a smile. "Of course I'm okay with it... You definitely need a break."
Faye beamed at her response. "T-thank you, Lady Sonya!" She didn't seem to dislike the woman anymore. Was this really still about what she had said that day?
Well, it was a good thing so he wouldn't look too deeply into it. "So Faye, what did you need?"
She looked down. "Actually... I wanted to invite you to something." She raised the basket. "I've made some food... Do you want to go eat with me, Himmel?" She was essentially inviting him to a picnic.
He wanted to say yes immediately, but the answer wasn't as obvious as one would think. He wasn't making as much progress in magic as was expected of him after all. Small talk was fine, but taking time for a picnic?
In the end, the answer he arrived at...
Didn't really matter, because his teacher answered for him. "Of course he wants to go. I'm sure he can't wait to taste your food." What was with this interference!?
Well, he was about to say yes. In the end, rejecting Faye would have messed up his grooming! Besides, he shouldn't avoid any invitation to spend time with his social circle, since he had been kind of neglecting it.
It wasn't like he didn't interact with his friends anymore, but he never played with them. He would train, train, train. Constantly either training with the sword, with Epona, with magic, or just keeping on with his regular studies.
He didn't have the time to play knight or play house anymore.
So this invitation to escape training for a bit was a blessing. "Lady Sonya took the words right out of my mind Faye. I would be really honored to taste your food." What a good little grooming victim she was, practicing her cooking like that.
Faye began sputtering. "Y-you will love it Himmel! I promise!" He would. Not time spent with her was time wasted.
Besides, this was a reminder of why he had to learn Warding.
He would not let some dickless mage show up in his little village and ruin everything. Once he finally learned how the damn thing worked, he would protect this whole village. His life... Faye's life... Alm's life... everybody's lives... he would keep them safe.
Still, he really hoped to make progress on Thunder and Recovery soon!
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Little girls were perhaps the greatest motivator in the world, because he had indeed managed to figure out how to make Warding work after his picnic with Faye.
Still no progress on Thunder and Recovery though... but fuck them. He far preferred his beloved Fire.
It never betrayed him. "Right here!" Even as he swung his practice sword at Kris. Fire kept rotating his body just fine, lighting up the night and allowing him to fight without falling into chaos.
That didn't mean he was on Kris' level though. "I'm afraid not." His guardian easily parried his blow, as one would expect, fighting him was far harder than fighting Alm.
It hurt Himmel's pride a bit, realizing he wasn't shit when compared to an adult, but it was what it was. There's no use crying about it.
Besides, he couldn't train this with anyone else, if he messed up the control of Fire around Alm, for example, the boy could get seriously hurt. Kris, however, was enough of a tough bastard that he could eat Himmel's pathetic magic for breakfast.
Himmel exchanged a few blows with his guardian, but his fate had been evident from the very beginning. Before long, Kris threw Himmel to the ground with a kick.
His guardian didn't hesitate to criticize him. "You're relying a bit too much on your natural strength. It may work for people of your size, but it won't work on me or any other person who..." He stopped himself.
But Himmel knew what he was referring to. When facing another opponent with a similar advantage as a Brand, his one advantage would be nullified, as Alm frequently showed.
His guardian sighed, almost looking regretful. "However, it seems your Fire has become almost a second limb for you. Even now it follows you as a loyal guardian."
Himmel's eyes widened. "Y-you're right...!" He hadn't noticed... accepted it until Kris pointed it out.
Even after Kris had kicked his ass, the fire had stayed, sticking close to Himmel, lighting up the surroundings.
His teacher clasped her hands together. "Nicely done, Himmel." Yeah, he was just the best! "Now we can move to the next part." Or maybe he shouldn't get too cocky.
Himmel sat up. "Can I do something even more crazy than this?" Maybe controlling more fireballs? He was just moving one around...
"Of course you can, Himmel, magic is a journey that never ends, especially when it comes to control." That sounded just as terrifying as it was exciting. "For example, have you noticed how your magic always comes out of your hands?"
He nodded. "Yeah... now that you mention it, I can't help, but wonder if I can change that." Maybe he could shoot fire out of his eyes!
"You can. Although it takes... a lot of effort." She began explaining it without hesitation. She had definitely come into the role of a teacher at this point. "Magic naturally tries to leave through the hands. Much like Fire, it's instinctual. That's also probably why you haven't thought much of it."
She pointed at a bird resting on a tree. "That little fella, for example, doesn't think why only his wings allow him to fly. It's simply how it works, and nothing can be done to change it... but magic is a bit more... magical."
"With training you can summon it from other places... at first your arms, and then eventually spreading throughout your body." She sighed. "It's very difficult, however, and even I haven't made much progress on it. Do not expect immediate results."
Himmel... giggled. "Gotcha. But I will still try to impress." Finally! Something he could fail at without feeling shame!
Although maybe with his newfound control he would actually make some progress in Recovery and Thunder...
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He couldn't fucking believe it. He had actually done it.
He immediately grasped Faye's hand while trying to be gentle. "T-the wound closed...!" His heart was beating at the speed of light as happiness filled it. His newfound control over magic really did help!
Faye blushed bright red. "Y-yeah! You finally did it, Himmel!" Her hands immediately began to sweat at his touch.
He didn't mind it. He didn't mind it all, so he pulled her into a hug to commemorate the situation. "I certainly did! I actually used Recovery!" He had to shout it out loud, because otherwise he wouldn't believe it.
After months of hard work, he had done it. And the feeling of achievement was undescribable. It melted away the frustration he had felt over some much time stewing in failure. He had done it. He could do it, White Magic was not beyond him, even if he was slow with learning it.
Maybe one day he would learn how to use Warp to teleport. Maybe one day he would learn how to use Physic to heal someone at a distance. Maybe one day he would learn Invoke to create an group of warriors. Maybe one day he would learn Anew to restore someone's stamina. It would take a lot of hard work, but it was possible.
Faye awkwardly melted into his hug. "S-so warm..." Did she see this as her own reward? Poor girl, she was too far gone.
He would let her have it though. She had once again proved his theory that little girls were the greatest motivator in the world! Or maybe just girls in general, because he didn't see this trait going away once she grew up.
Sonya interjected. "Girl, do make sure to try and hug the boy back." What was with this interference from the crowd?
Faye awkwardly apologized. "S-sorry...!" And then even more awkwardly hugged him back.
He couldn't keep the smile out of his face, and he wouldn't even try. "No need to apologize for something like that Faye." He was the one who needed to apologize for taking so long to get how Recovery worked.
But now he did which meant... "By the way, what is the next step in White Magic, Lady Sonya?" He ended the hug with Faye. He had his little celebration, now it was time to get serious again.
"Now you keep practicing Recovery magic. It's not like you perfected Fire once you first cast it after all." Ah, that was definitely true. "Besides, this is all I can teach you about White Magic anyways."
He gasped. "B-but...! Seriously!?" What about his cool future teleportation!?
His teacher had the decency to look embarrassed. "Seriously. I did tell you this was not my specialty... I do have another White Magic spell I'm working on, but it's definitely not ready to be taught... It's not ready for use in general." What a shame.
But it was what it was. "Got it. Then I'll make sure to try and take Recovery magic as far as I can..."
Faye raised a hand. "A-and I'll be glad to help you, Himmel! N-no matter how much of my blood I have to spill for you!" Wow, that line had made even the usually composed Sonya go bug-eyed.
Puberty hormones were definitely hitting poor little Faye very hard.
Ignoring that though, he really was truly happy he managed to pull off Recovery. Now he could only hope Thunder would be next.
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Thunder had not been next. However, as usual, Fire had lifted up his spirits, or at least it was about to do that. Alternatively, it could crush his morale and show that the project he had been working on for god knows how long was a failure.
Himmel had finally finished writing up his Tome, and now he would actually test to see if it worked.
He opened the book with one hand, and aimed a open palm to the sky with another. If this worked, he would cast the Fire spell with more ease than usual, and he also wouldn't use as much lifeforce. The book already had power stored in it after all.
He took a deep breath and... "Fire!" Let the magic of the book, the magic he painstakingly worked on for so long, run through his veins.
A fireball shot to the skies.
It wasn't particularly big nor particularly powerful, and Himmel couldn't change that now that the Tome was done. However, he also hadn't made hundreds of calculations in his head like he used to nowadays, so he could definitely see its worth.
He grinned as the fireball eventually ran out of strength and disappeared. "I really did it. I finished my Tome." He closed the Tome.
It wasn't something he needed to particularly rely on, but it still had around twenty-something uses before it needed to be filled with power again, so who knows, maybe it could come in handy. He could also lend it to Kliff.
The boy was still struggling with Fire magic. Maybe being able to use it from a Tome would let him understand the magic a little bit better. Sort of like using training wheels to learn how to use a bicycle.
Sadly, his teacher rained on his parade. "I wouldn't say you finished it, Himmel."
Immediately his face was filled with worry. "Did I do something wrong with it...?" The Tome's magic didn't seem faulty or anything like that.
She winked at him. "Nope. The Tome was just perfect... but there are more things that can be added to a Tome. For example, a lock system to stop the wrong people from using it."
His eyes widened. "That sort of thing exists!?" Could people really put passwords in books!?
She chuckled. "Of course it does. And I'm sure you can think of some examples... Such as the Holy Weapons of Jugdral, which require individuals with specific blood to use them. Then there is the legendary Falchion of Archanea, which can only be used by members of the Altea bloodline."
He tilted his head. "Falchion isn't a Tome though. And neither is every single Holy Weapon of Jugdral." His family's weapon was a sword, as an example.
"Indeed, Himmel, but nothing stops you from using a lock system on things that are not Tomes." She raised a finger. "You can lock weapons and even houses. It's a part of the Warding school of magic."
That sounded... "Awesome! I can't wait to learn it!" Maybe he could do something like create a legendary pair of panties that could only be used by the Faye bloodline!
Yeah, even he wasn't that weird.
"I'm sure you do... especially since learning how to use a lock means learning how to break one." Warding magic really was the best.
"And there are also other things that can be added to your Tome... For example, some system to drain power from the surroundings, instead of from your own power." Ah, so like when he learned Warding.
Since he already had the foundations for it, hopefully it wouldn't be too hard to pull off. "I see... Honestly, it feels like every time I take a step forward, the road in front of me extends." There truly was no end in sight.
"I did tell you magic is a journey that never ends... As long as you keep looking for it, that road will never end, Himmel." She tilted her head. "So you must begin thinking of something... where do you wish to arrive?"
At Faye's ass. "Right now all I want is to learn Thunder." Even if he was still stuck on it.
Maybe it was impossible for him.
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"Look at that... He's done it." Little Himmel was throwing bolt of lightning after bolt of lightning.
Kris nodded. "He certainly has. Should you not stop him, however, Lady Sonya? I do not believe this area is ready for... something like this." Eh. She had Warded the place to protect it from any serious damage.
It had essentially become little Himmel's training arena.
She shrugged. "I'll do so eventually. For now let him have the fun that comes with getting a breakthrough in magic." He certainly needed fun. Damn workaholic brat. "It's an indescribable feeling."
He snorted. "You're the mage, so I'll trust your judgment." He hummed. "That said, now that he got this far... may I get your opinion on him? I've never tried my hand at magic, so I don't know how well he's doing. You think he has a future as a mage?"
She didn't hesitate to answer. "A future as a mage? Of course he does. That boy will probably be the greatest mage in the history of Valentia, even if his lack of self-esteem means he doesn't realize it."
It made her feel self-conscious, really, to train someone who would clearly grow up to be a legend. It was like she was training the next Emperor Rudolf, the next Anri of Altea, the next Sigurd of Chalphy. A man who could and would change the course of history with his every action.
Kris's eyes widened. "That's..." And then he chuckled. "A little bit of teacher bias showing, I imagine?" As if.
She had grown attached to the boy, it was natural, but she would not have let that cloud her judgment. "I meant what I said. That Thunder... It took me a year to learn it, meanwhile, the boy devoured the so-called mage breaker for breakfast." It was insane.
She blushed. "And people call me a prodigy! Men of my level of skill tend to be in their seventies!" There was a reason why most mages were stinky old men, it was because being a mage was incredibly hard.
People dedicated their whole lives to it, dedicated their whole souls to it... and made minimal progress. The boy, however, was different, he mastered everything put in front of him with unimaginable speed, learning what took others years or decades in weeks or months. It was... absurd.
She continued. "Honestly, it's like every time I explain something to him, he already knows it... and even when he doesn't, he understands far better than a child should." She knew of that Paragon Ring of his.
She doubted it actually worked... but even if it did, surely it could not be this amazing? Or maybe it would be better if it were? That way her pride would not be as wounded as it currently was. She could blame the ring for all this, she wouldn't have to accept that a twelve-year-old child had shown her that before a future legend, a rare prodigy was nothing.
That's how she had felt at the beginning, however. Her envy had quickly faded away, replaced with awe and pride. How would she feel otherwise when looking at her amazing student?
She wished he saw that. "And even more than natural talent, what makes that boy special is his... discipline. His resolve. I don't really know what else to call it." Maybe his obsession? It was amazing, but definitely not healthy.
"He just... never ever stops. No matter how hard the method to learn something is, he pushes forward and takes no breaks... I can't understand it." She still remembered the shock she felt when she learned of his first steps into magic.
Making Fire at four years old... passing out from it multiple times... and then being forced to stop by his guardian. That wasn't normal, no child was like that, no adult was like that. Great men of the past would have stopped far before he did.
And then there was Thunder. The Mage Breaker, it had been given that malicious title because it broke the will of wannabe mages. Of those who lacked resolve.
When he had first failed it, she had followed tradition and expected him to give up like normal, to cry, to momentarily break. She then would find and encourage him for a few weeks or months, remind him of his goals, whatever they may be, and slowly accustom him to the world of magic. Because that was just how teaching someone the Mage Breaker worked.
That's how it happened to her. To her teacher. To the teacher of her teacher.
And yet, when that boy fell down, he didn't cry a single tear. Instead he asked to be healed... so he could go and hit his own body with lightning again and again! What... what twisted sort of child worked like that!? It wasn't normal, it was as unnatural as it could be!
What sort of twisted child trained swordsmanship with his friends, trained horse riding, trained swordsmanship with his guardian, practiced so many fields of magic at once, and still somehow studied other things with his guardian!? It just... wasn't done. The human mind could not handle so much work.
She would understand it better if he got things during the first try, if he never faltered because he never failed. But that wasn't it, he wasn't special like that, even if he had some talent. What was special about him was his ability to crack his head against a brick wall over and over and over again with no concern for himself.
"Yeah, I can't understand it, but... it's awe-worthy, like the Sun. Once you look at it, it blinds you, and its light becomes the only thing you see." That was probably why the brats of the village were so drawn to him.
Why even now, that little girl that ventured a little bit too much into creepy territory was watching the boy from behind a tree. Jumping in fear each time the skies roared with lightning and yet never once taking her eyes off the boy.
Kris scratched his mustache. "His father was very much the same... He really can be far too much like him. Including being so bullheaded." Terrifying. If this insane resolve passed through blood, then a few generations from now a group of little Himmels would rule the world.
But giving all the credit to a man she didn't even know felt wrong. "Do you really think that that's it? That this is all there is to it?"
He shook his head. "No. That boy... my boy... was born with a great purpose, one that he only learned of as he grew, but I'm sure his soul always knew of it, so he never stops working to fulfill it." He gave Sonya a small bow. "His future will undoubtedly be filled with strife. You have my thanks for helping him prepare for it."
She wanted to ask what that purpose was.
She couldn't, however, because it definitely involved the boy's mysterious family, and part of her deal with Kris was not looking too deep into it. She could make a guess though... the boy was probably a noble's bastard son being raised in secret. It would explain all the resources given to him... he could even be a son of Lima IV.
She waved Kris off. "No need to thank me. I do feel like sometimes I'm the one gaining the most from this, after all." It had certainly lit a fire in her.
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Of course. I'm not immune to the allure of the Sun." She did not know little Himmel's supposed purpose. She did not know what road he so desperately pursued.
But she would do her best so that he found it. That she swore.
