Chapter 284
Chapter: 284
Time slipped by in the blink of an eye.
The young Encia was now an adult, well-acquainted with Procyon and recognized as one of the outstanding mages.
Her magic, capable of bringing rain to vast areas, was on a scale that other mages wouldn’t even dare attempt. As a result, her name was frequently on the lips of many sorcerers.
“If it’s known that I can use various other magic, there’ll be chaos.”
“With just this rain summoning magic, there are countless people asking to take me on as their disciple. If they find out I can do other magic too… Ugh. I can’t even imagine.”
“That’s true.”
Other mages, excluding Encia, were typically limited in the magic they could use.
According to Tia’s explanation, they instinctively used the magic that suited them best.
Even if they wanted to use other magic, they simply couldn’t.
At best, they could modify the magic they had to use it in a different form.
It’s like a mage who can shoot fireballs the size of a head can’t shoot icy spears but can light small torches to illuminate their surroundings.
Anyway, this was common knowledge among the current mages, but Encia was an exception who wasn’t bound by such conventions.
If Encia wished, she could switch her rain magic to summon a storm of flames or even tear apart foes with invisible blades.
She could easily surpass other mages, claiming to be the true mage.
“Well, they might be developing something with that limited magic.”
“I think if you can’t break out of the most fundamental constraints, there’s no development whatsoever.”
“Tia, you’re too critical. Besides, most other mages don’t even realize they’re stuck in that framework, do they?”
Without Tia’s teachings, Encia would have ended up like those mages, trapped in invisible frameworks and only handling limited magic… she would have become just another magic user.
In that sense, Tia was Encia’s sister, teacher, and precious family member since the day she was born.
“That’s true, but still, the development is way too slow. At this rate, it might take thousands of years for you to discover and try to break that mold.”
At Tia’s grumbling, Encia could only chuckle softly.
Living like this as a mage, going to places that needed rain and earning money for her services, and sometimes returning home to sprinkle rain in her homeland, Encia’s life was on a stable trajectory.
“Every time I go home it feels like I’m changing the environment itself with the rain. It was on the brink of being a parched wasteland before.”
“Naturally, if it rains consistently, the environment changes. It’s as expected.”
Thanks to various plants growing, her homeland shifted from barren land to slightly moist terrain.
Now the winds no longer brought clouds of dry dirt, and farming was going decently, turning her homeland into a pretty acceptable place to live.
“Now my homeland is treated like my territory. I don’t collect taxes or anything though.”
“You’re just putting your name on it.”
“Thanks to that, nobody does anything foolish in my hometown. My parents are safe too.”
In truth, there was one time when a group of bandits tried to raid her hometown… but Encia happened to be there during a storm, and she wiped out the bandits with lightning and tempests.
Unless someone was completely deranged, no one would dare attempt anything against Encia’s hometown.
“This is all thanks to you, Tia. I say it every time but really, thank you. Please stay by my side from now on.”
“Well… I do want to, really.”
“Tia?”
Encia felt a pang of unease at Tia’s words and called out again.
But.
“Honestly, it feels like I might be falling into a deep sleep soon.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve been feeling drowsy for months now. I think I need to sleep for a while.”
That was something Encia couldn’t comprehend. Sleep? Tia? The one who was always with her?
“Come to think of it… a few days ago, Tia didn’t say anything for a few hours….”
“Yeah. I kind of dozed off. I thought it might be time for a deeper sleep.”
“Is that so? Then… there’s nothing to be done. It’ll be a bit lonely while Tia is asleep, but I’m okay. I’m not a child anymore.”
At her words, Tia seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and spoke in a slightly brighter tone.
“Yeah. Sia isn’t a child anymore. It’ll be fine. Oh! That’s right! While I sleep, I’ll give you some homework.”
“Huh? Homework? What kind?”
“Well, I wanted to do it myself, but I think it’d be better for you to handle it.”
Encia nodded slightly at Tia’s words. If it’s homework to do while Tia was asleep, it shouldn’t be too burdensome.
“While I’m asleep, I’d like you to write a book.”
“Huh?”
The assignment Tia mentioned was anything but light.
“A book…?”
“Yes. I want you to organize everything you learned and practiced while becoming a mage and write it down in a book.”
“But how can Tia expect me to do that while you’re asleep? There won’t be enough time!!”
“Huh? Isn’t a few decades enough?”
“Huh?”
Encia froze.
Decades? What did that mean? Was Tia saying her sleep would last decades?
That made no sense. How could a short nap last decades? Even hibernating animals wake up in spring.
Encia couldn’t say a word.
“Ah, I guess it’s a bit long considering human standards. But I have no choice. I really need to sleep soon; my consciousness is fading in and out.”
“But…!”
“Technically I should have fallen asleep much earlier. It’s interesting that you can hear my voice, so I’ve been delaying it a bit… but now it’s reached its limit.”
“But…!”
“Anyway, I’m counting on you. Please write down everything I taught you in a book.”
“Tia…”
“I’m really counting on you, Sia.”
With that last word, Tia’s voice ceased to reach Encia’s ears.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“Is this the book? Basic Theory of Magic by Cientia.”
“Yep, that’s the one.”
A girl wearing large glasses pulled a thick book from the shelf, her sleepy eyes not even glancing at it as she spoke.
“How do you know without looking? Especially since the cover of this book is so tattered that the title is barely visible.”
“There’s always a way to know. Anyway, go ahead and read it.”
At the sleepy girl’s words, the girl in glasses puffed her cheeks slightly in discontent before heading toward a nearby desk with the book in hand.
“Let’s see… cough! cough! Ugh. Look at the dust. It seems like it’s been collecting for decades.”
“Well, that makes sense. Compared to the current magical theories, one could say it’s outdated.”
At that, the girl in glasses snapped back in outrage.
“What?! So this book was a waste of time to find!! Why did you tell me to look for this?!”
“Well, this book has given rise to numerous magical theories, allowing them to evolve and each achieving their results. In other words, you could say this book is the foundation for all magical theories.”
“But it’s outdated!”
“True.”
The sleepy girl shrugged slightly. At this, the girl in glasses puffed her cheeks again.
“Isn’t a newer magical theory better than an outdated one? There’s no reason to read this!”
“Just because it’s outdated doesn’t mean it’s inferior. In fact, if one fully masters it, it might even be far superior.”
“A book like this, with so much dust on it?”
The sleepy girl nodded.
“I can’t believe it.”
“Have I ever lied to you?”
“No, you haven’t. But you’ve hidden the truth a lot.”
“Yet I’ve never lied.”
The brazen statement from the sleepy girl made the girl in glasses frown.
This girl was always like this. Cheeky, lazy, perpetually sleepy, yet always getting good grades, excelling at everything, and knowing so much.
It was almost envy-inducing.
“So what’s the reason I need to read this book?”
“Um. Basic Theory of Magic by Cientia can be considered the foundation of all magical theories. There are many reasons why it has been neglected….”
“And?”
The sleepy girl spoke lowly.
“Efficiency isn’t good.”
“Efficiency?”
“Yeah. Do you know around what age aspiring mages usually begin their studies?”
The sleepy girl’s words got a nod from the girl in glasses.
“Usually in their youth, right? I’ve heard that if they try to accumulate magical power before that, it’s dangerous because they can’t control it properly.”
“Exactly. If they enter other branches at that age and start studying magic… depending on their talent, they usually see results in about a year.”
“Right.”
“But with Basic Theory of Magic by Cientia, even if you start studying, results are hard to come by.
Depending on talent, you usually need about five years before being able to use basic magic.
It can speed up a bit if one starts learning at a younger age.”
“Wow. That’s trash….”
“Hey, not trash. But it does have its pros.”
“Pros?”
“Yes. Pros.”
“What kind of pros?”
The girl in glasses asked with interest, and the sleepy girl spoke softly.
“If you train with Basic Theory of Magic by Cientia… you can use magic harnessing external magical power, using magic that exists in nature rather than your own.”
“What? Isn’t that different from what we learned in class? I was told that the magic used by mages is created by trapping magical power inside their bodies and making it their own.”
“That would be in other magical theories. But this one’s different. Since it mobilizes external magical power, its power can be incomparably greater.
The only comparable methods might be rituals where massive magical circles are drawn, using various catalysts and mana stones, or where multiple mages gather their powers.”
“Is it really that strong?”
“Yeah. Starting is hard, and the learning process is complex, but… once fully mastered, you could even change the weather with the extraordinary magic from Basic Theory of Magic by Cientia.”
At the words of the sleepy girl, the girl in glasses’ eyes sparkled.
Extraordinarily powerful magic that could change the weather! Who wouldn’t dream of magic like that?
“So if I master this magical theory, can I also use such powerful magic?”
“Depends.”
“Are you so certain?!”
“Well, it’s too late for you to master it. It’s a magical theory that requires exceptionally gifted children to start at a young age to even make progress. It’s too late for you now.”
“Then why tell me to look at this?”
“Because before delving into other magical theories, there’s nothing better to build your foundation with than this. Didn’t I just say it’s the essential root of all magical theories?”
“Well, that was true.”
“All magical theories build upon Basic Theory of Magic by Cientia.
From the nature of magical power to methods of controlling it, meditative practices for gathering power, transformations utilizing will, and so on, all the foundational theories for using magic are in this book.
So if you thoroughly understand the content of this book before moving on to other magical theories… learning speed increases significantly. You could say it’s like a learning speed buff.”
The sleepy girl said with a small smile.
“Well, the author probably never thought there would be such an effect.”
