Volume 2 Chapter 37: The Mage Profession

[Author's Note: For bonus chapters, the goal every week is:

- 25 Power Stones

- 50 Power Stones]

Volume 2 Chapter 37: The Mage Profession

After the two of them gave up thinking, a minute passed without any guesses from the three. Vespera felt a bit disappointed that none of them answered, but she understood, considering the bloodline signature she perceived from the Carmilla and her two clones.

Carmilla being only a couple of days old, it was understandable that the three of them would lack some knowledge or understanding certain concepts about the world.

She was about to reveal the answer to her own question when suddenly she heard Eve speaking up to answer her question.

Eve: "Shooting at a distance."

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Vespera: "Bravo! That is correct; both professions involve attacking at a distance. However, this type of mage was just one of the branches of the mage profession. Some might think that being a mage solely involves casting magic spells from a distance to bombard their enemies."

The three of them wore the same expression that seemed to say, 'Is it not?' She noticed this and thus decided to give them a brief lesson about the mage profession.

Vespera: "I can see from your expressions that the three of you had the impression that being a mage solely involves bombarding enemies from a distance."

Upon hearing that from Vespera, the three of them blushed momentarily before swiftly erasing those expressions from their faces.

Vespera: "Allow me to enlighten the three of you about the mage profession. All mages begin as this type of mage, knowing only a few basic spells. As they learn more spells or tackle more challenging types, they eventually branch out. However, some individuals choose to specialize in this particular branch. Remember, there are numerous spells out there, and there will always be brilliant mages who create even more new spells."

Carmilla: "If new spells continue to be created, then learning will be endless, leading to an infinite array of branches within the mage profession."

Vespera: "You're correct that learning is never ending, but there won't necessarily be an infinite number of branches within the mage profession."

Carmilla was perplexed after hearing Vespera's words because she had been considering whether the continuous creation of new spells would lead to a constant increase in the number of branches within the mage profession.

Eve, who was nearby, managed to follow the conversation between Carmilla and Vespera. However, Pepper had a different experience. Right from the start of their discussion, Pepper was already confused and struggling to grasp the conversation.

Similar to two students listening to a lesson simultaneously, one may manage to keep up, albeit experiencing occasional confusion while still comprehending the main points or essence of the lesson.

Contrarily, the second student only possesses knowledge of basic math operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. When exposed to an algebra lesson, they would feel completely lost, having no understanding of what's being taught and might appear bewildered or clueless throughout the study session.

Pepper blames Carmilla for her confusion and inability to follow the conversation.

If Carmilla hadn't slapped her on the back of her head, causing her brain to jolt against her skull, Pepper suspected that a few of her brain cells might have been squashed in the collision, potentially making her even more befuddled.

Eve, who typically maintained a stoic expression, now had both her lips and eyebrows twitching upon learning about Pepper's inner thoughts.

Pepper, who was still unaware that her inner thoughts were being shared through their connection, hadn't turned it off. This meant that anyone paying attention and connected to their link would instantly know what she was thinking.

Similar to how humans on Earth continually broadcast their location into space, anything or anyone paying attention to these signals would instantly discern Earth's location.

With this, Eve couldn't help but contemplate that Carmilla might have hit Pepper's head much harder than any of them had initially realized.

Back to Carmilla's and Vespera's conversation.

Carmilla: "Why is that?"

Vespera: "Not every newly created spell will establish its distinct category; most new spells tend to fit within existing spell categories. However, creating a new category isn't impossible. It often demands a significant amount of time and requires a genius mage not just an ordinary one, but a once in a millennium level of brilliance to craft an entirely new set of spells capable of forming a unique spell category."

Carmilla, Eve, and Pepper's only reaction was to think, 'That's exceedingly challenging.'.

Carmilla: "Wow!"

Carmilla couldn't help but exclaim in response to Vespera's statement. The idea that even someone like Vespera, who possesses an unlimited lifespan, mentioned that it would require 'a long time' despite needing a once in a millennium level genius, struck her as noteworthy.

It seems to imply that it would indeed be an extraordinarily long period, possibly even for an immortal, that's what they can understand considering Vespera's statement.

Vespera: "Undoubtedly, it would be challenging as it would etch someone's name across the world, and their accomplishments would likely be recorded in various records by different associations."

Carmilla: "It truly is grand."

Vespera: "Of course, let me share with you one renowned individual who achieved this. During my time, there was a Druid mage who grew discontent with the prevailing norms. At that period, the Druid races typically pursued either a tamer profession or a mage profession focused on plant magic. However, taming a beast was not only immensely challenging but also incredibly time-consuming. Additionally, if the tamed beast were to perish, all the time and effort invested in its taming would be lost."

Carmilla: "What happened then, what did he do?"

Vespera: "So, that Druid mage devised a spell that allowed the user to summon a monster, animal, or beast with which the user had an affinity. This spell birthed a summoning branch in the mage profession, and after several centuries of refinement, it evolved into its own distinct profession, branching off into different specialized areas. That's the brief history lesson; now, let's continue with the game."

Carmilla, Eve, and Pepper were thoroughly engaged in Vespera's history lesson, but when she concluded, she reminded them about the game they were about to play, which involved using a target to decide who would choose the layout of their battlefield.