Vol 3 Chapter 2 – Childhood – Spring at Age Twelve ・Part 7

What comes to mind when you hear the word “magic”?

In video games, offensive spells tend to dominate, but in TRPGs—where even the journey involves dice rolls—you find a wealth of practical, everyday magic. In a certain tale of dragons and labyrinths, there are countless spells that can, for instance, conjure up a meal brimming with vitality or keep the ambient temperature just right—making you think, “Ah, I wish I had this in real life…”

And the book that was handed over is filled with a similar collection of spells, featuring a ridiculously advantageous system where simply reading the theory both unlocks the spells and steadily builds your proficiency… though I must admit, it’s a bit overwhelming.

Can’t they do something about that uninspiring title, “A Thousand Spells to Make This Housewife’s Life Easier?”

It’s true that magic isn’t commonplace, but apparently among the upper classes there exists a culture of employing high-level servants—arcane retainers—to handle household chores with magic, and there seems to be a corresponding demand for female magic-users.

That said, it’s pretty disheartening to see a book that, at first glance, might as well be labeled “The Marriage Hunting Bible!”

Now, when I thought the book would be thin despite claiming a thousand spells, it turned out that the volume was magically compressed; flip through it and you find page after page—far more than its thickness would imply. Damn, it’s such a letdown even though it unnecessarily delves into overly advanced matters.

“Just focus on the household spells for now. They can be pretty tiring, you know.”

Waving her hand lightly, Agrippina de Staal instructed me to skim through the book and report back anything that seemed useful. After that, she’d teach me how to use magic.

Is it really acceptable that something I had taken so gravely is now being taught so casually?

For now, I decided to be taught the simple spell called 《Invisible Hand》 found early on. From its summary—with its archaic lore and the overly polite, courtly euphemisms that were exasperatingly tedious—it appears to be a low-level magical skill that extends an intangible force (a “hand”) to touch objects.

Its simplicity made it seem versatile enough for various uses. There were countless moments when I found myself struggling with a spoon that had fallen into a gap in the furniture.

“Ah, this… It’s such a hassle for us humans to have to be taught this, isn’t it?”

Nonchalantly throwing in a jab about our inherent violent racial traits, Agrippina de Staal began lecturing me on magical formulas. She’s confident thanks to her enhanced 【Memory】, though ordinarily I’d have preferred she’d provided a notebook or something. I suppose I’ll ask her for one later.

Basically, both magic and sorcery rely on one’s will—molding the magic power within your body into a formula through sheer determination, then releasing it outward to affect the world.

And if you compare magic power to water, then 【Magic Power Storage Capacity】 is like a tank, while 【Instantaneous Magic Power】 is akin to the size of the outlet. The larger your storage, the bigger your tank becomes—and the greater your instantaneous magic, the more forceful your output, much like comparing a faucet to a fire hose.

…I was lucky to have set both to a “Good” level; but if one had been exceptionally high while the other lagged, that would have been rough. I wonder if anyone in the world has to suffer that imbalance.

“Formulas are refined in your mind, but since it’s hard to visualize, you sometimes recite a spoken incantation as an aid. There are formulas that require physical motions, but generally, you form the image in your head and then channel it out through your focus device. Of course, even if your image is clear, having an incantation or movement can further enhance it—increasing both power and precision.”

Even as I worried over such trivialities, the lecture pressed on. I see now that incantations are like training wheels—and once you’ve honed your ability, they can even act as boosters.

“Sometimes you’ll even use catalysts or something… but, well, let’s leave those advanced techniques for later…”

“Whoa, hey, what!?”

Suddenly, she plunged her hand into my collar. I was so absorbed in the lecture that I was too slow to react, unable to stop her hand as it groped at my chest.

And in the hand that emerged from her travel attire, she was clutching the ring I’d worn around my neck ever since receiving it from that old man.

Isn’t this just plain sexual harassment? If I were a little girl, this would be an entirely different—and far more serious—matter.

“Ah, I thought you had something, and it turns out you actually have something quite nice.”

She examined the ring on its cord intently and casually muttered her impression. Then, as she reached in to get a better look and tugged at it—and as I tried to move to avoid having my neck choked—the ring slipped off the cord and wound itself around my slender finger before I could even react.

“Gah!?”

“Now that’s unusual—where did you pick that up?”

My mind clearly slowed at the sight, but I managed to stammer out the story of that old man. Ever since I became involved with Agrippina de Staal, phenomena that defy the laws of physics have been occurring with such astonishing nonchalance that I’m starting to lose my nerve.

If only she could at least handle it with the gravitas of a cathedral priest. That way, I’d feel that magic truly is magic, and I could settle my mind.

“So there was a generous mage… to own a Moon Ring, no less.”

“A Moon Ring, you say…?”

“The material is rare. That said, rarity alone doesn’t make it particularly valuable. For the past hundred years or so, the emphasis has been on its multiplier rather than its ease of use.”

She gave a light evaluation—saying it was convenient as a simple magic focus device—and returned the ring to me. Apparently, instead of a magic wand, this ring functions as a focus device.

Evidently, magic focus devices are designed to improve the flow of magical power, though they often involve cumbersome procedures or are just too bulky and inconvenient. Now that I think about it, that old man also lugged around a staff that was clearly impossible to hide.

While this ring isn’t suitable for unleashing powerful formulas, for its size it has specs that make it perfectly practical as a focus device—earning me the “generous” rating… which means I ended up receiving something unexpectedly excellent.

It’s perfectly suited for a magic warrior. With a focus device that doesn’t occupy one hand, you can wield a sword while casting spells—simply the best!

Alright, in an instant my plan began to take shape. Rather than being a magic swordsman who simply alternates between magic and a sword, I’ll adopt a style that intertwines magic with swordsmanship.

Though the names might sound similar, the actual play styles are vastly different.

The typical magic swordsman casts spells at medium to long range and wields a sword up close—much like a Roman legion throwing a spear in the midst of a charge, weakening the enemy with magic before engaging and then cutting in with sword strikes augmented by magical support. It’s a common archetype, yet I remember it often ended up being mediocre both as a front-liner and as a back-liner, making the build really challenging.

In contrast, the magic swordsman I envision is of the so-called “multi-action type” —a hardcore front-liner who, with light auxiliary movements, can cast minor spells while attacking with a sword. In this style, magic is merely an accessory; you learn only the bare essentials and don’t go around unleashing flashy attack spells—a style reminiscent of those guys from a bygone era in space, wielding glowing swords and dueling it out.

…However, looking at it from a game mechanics standpoint, I ended up with a build that not only set up with 《Lightning Reflection》 but also managed to squeeze in an extra spell via an auxiliary movement while still having my normal action available. It’s quite the nuisance—truly the sort of front-line type a GM wouldn’t much want to deal with.

From the very start, this build showers support on allies, slaps debuffs on enemies, and—if the opportunity arises—hurls spells at the backline. Its aggravating nature, being more troublesome than its sheer strength, is simply staggering.

Moreover, in some systems, having such a dexterous yet powerful build drastically narrows the range of enemies you can field, which is a real pain… if you dive into the backline and get hit by beheading tactics, all your plans fall apart.

It’s troublesome if you never get defeated, but it’s just as problematic if you’re taken down too easily—that’s the GM’s dilemma.

Well, from a player’s perspective, it’s incredibly satisfying to completely crush the GM’s convoluted strategies with a broken character! Let’s go out of our way to do what annoys our foes!!

Yeah, it’s starting to feel like an overpowered build. As I listened to discussions about refining formulas and constructing magic power, I didn’t hesitate to learn 《Invisible Hand》.

However, learning by being taught is incredibly efficient. Needless to say, the spell unlocks itself—but being instructed also gives you a bonus that reduces the proficiency required, and thanks to the steady increase in proficiency, you end up getting extra “change” just for learning. In that respect too, the power I’ve been granted is truly cunning.

For now, I mastered it up to 《Basics》 and, as instructed, refined the formula in my mind. I sensed a mysterious feeling within me—something I’d never detected before—as it began to take shape. That form, gathering momentum as it swirled, flowed out from the ring I wore on the middle finger of my left hand.

The formula emerged from the focus device as a band of dazzling, shimmering light, taking shape in perfect accordance with the rules and producing its effect.

The target was the cord that had been holding the ring around my neck. When I decided to remove it since it was no longer needed, 《Invisible Hand》, just as I intended, detached the cord and let it hang before me.

This is… this is magic!!

It produced only a simple, mundane effect, yet precisely because of its simplicity I could truly feel its power—and I was exhilarated. This is it… what I’ve been searching for!

Oh, majestic!!

“Heh, you learned it in one go… not bad at all.”

As I internally erupted with applause that felt almost cosmic, I unexpectedly received praise. Though trivial formulas might seem inconsequential to long-lived beings, for us humans using them for the first time they’re something entirely different… No, it seems that as a teacher, Agrippina de Staal “thought” it through—and that’s why she understood it right then and there.

While I was trying to master the skill, she wore a thoughtful expression. In other words, judging by my inability to even use a simple spell like 《Invisible Hand》, she was assessing just how difficult it is to teach something to a human.

And it seems I managed to exceed her expectations a bit.

“Good job, good job… um, is this how it’s done?”

Patting my head with an unpracticed hand, Agrippina de Staal seemed to be figuring out her stance as an instructor. Judging by her words, it was clear she wasn’t really accustomed to dealing with children—or rather, she simply lacked experience in it.

…Yeah, I suppose I should apologize for letting my imagination run wild a bit. I won’t say it outright—that would be too much—but I’ll make up for it by working diligently.

“Well then, practice for a while. We should arrive at the inn by this evening.”

Bowing my head as she withdrew into her own world—muttering that she was reading a book—I resolved to immerse myself in my own.

【Tips】 Being taught can sometimes reduce the proficiency needed to master a spell. This effect is particularly pronounced in magic and academic pursuits. Even granted powers can’t create something out of nothing.

The moment I woke up, I saw the “disciple” start to grumble, while the “attendant” desperately tried to soothe her. Meanwhile, the brilliant young scholar—carrying the Mage Academy’s license as a researcher—kept her eyes on her book while simultaneously running multiple layers of high-speed thoughts.

This is exactly why long-lived beings are regarded as the high-end of the human species.

When it comes to physical specs or even magical aptitude, many are on par with or even exceed the long-lived.

Though their numbers have dwindled considerably, the “Ancient Giants” still reign over the sacred peaks.

Then there’s the lineage of the “Fallen Ones,” avatars descended into this world who perform miracles as naturally as breathing.

And the pillars of the “Great Spirits”—phenomena entrenched in this world that manipulate natural events.

And, not to mention, the “Vampire Species,” who—without the gods’ blessing—would never truly face ruin.

Yet it is precisely because of all that the long-lived—despised by such beings as nothing more than a thorn in their side—are still strutting about the world.

Long-lived beings are natural multitaskers. They can simultaneously weave multiple layers of thought while their bodies handle mundane tasks, engaging in endless profound contemplation. Whether as scholars, politicians, or tacticians and strategists, few things are as fearsome as that.

After all, they can compute high-precision predictions by processing the myriad thoughts within themselves all at once—it’s as if they’re constantly engaged in an internal debate.

Indeed, the computations of a long-lived being—obsessed with one field to the point of madness—are virtually tantamount to precognition.

How incredibly difficult it is to pick a fight with such beings and actually kill them properly.

While fully utilizing her own traits, she was, for the time being, seriously considering the future of her siblings.

Apparently, her older brother has a far better memory than one might expect. That said, his case is merely one instance; judging the learning ability of humans solely by his existence would be unrepresentative.

More than anything, it looks like it will take quite some time for that young-looking sister to master everything perfectly.

It’s fine, as long as she remembers her true nature as a half-fairy. If so, she should be able to wield the magic of her inherent attribute as naturally as breathing.

But that alone isn’t enough. That alone won’t suffice. That alone falls short.

The Mage Academy prizes knowledge and logic over mere technical tricks. They regard magic that’s controlled by reason as true knowledge—a value in itself.

It’s never enough to be “merely usable.” Wielding enormous power you were born with is akin to a baby waving around a stick it happened to find—and that doesn’t lead anywhere.

Society doesn’t crave raw power; it values only that which is supported by a transferable logic.

In light of this, the Academy does not desire “magic-user” types who are merely powerful. They would never allow such a being to call themselves a “mage creator.” In their unrefined state, that disciple would never be able to graduate from the Academy.

Ah, come to think of it, there was that idiot who once barged into the Academy, flaunted his innate magic arrogantly, and was shown the door after just thirty minutes. That thought clung to the edges of her perfect memory.

What was his name again? Long-lived beings rarely forget, but if they’re not interested, it takes them a while to recall details. That’s why it took some time to smoothly bring to mind the names of both the disciple and the attendant.

In fact, that man was a rather capable magic-user—but he was rejected because he couldn’t logically explain or develop his abilities, and he failed to pique Agrippina de Staal’s interest. Even though he might have been of some use for data collection or practical tasks at the Academy, he was deemed utterly worthless—a gathering place for those who had reached the extreme, the “broken” ones.

She must elevate her disciple into a logical being, unlike that previous fool. That is the duty of a teacher and the obligation of taking on a disciple.

Now, I wonder how long it will take to acquire that logical, deductive way of thinking—which is said to be honed by teaching literacy and engaging with academic treatises.

Just thinking about how long that will take… she couldn’t help but break into a faint smile.

After all, during that time, she’d be able to hoard herself away without having to go out for fieldwork!

Yes—those who bear obligations gain rights. Under the guise of devoting oneself to one’s disciple’s education, one earns the right to be freed from various trivial duties!!

While mulling over some rather diabolical ideas, she couldn’t help but delight at the thought of what face the head of the expelled academic faction would make upon his return. After all, the very characters in the reply to the letter I sent the day before yesterday silently conveyed his frustration—it was bound to be an amusing affair.

Baroness Agrippina de Staal, inwardly muttering “serves you right,” began to devise a grand, intricate, yet utterly trivial plan of ambition, pondering where to start first…

【Tips】 The highest rank at the Mage Academy is “Professor,” and the corresponding council that manages affairs reflects the appropriate significance and essence.