24 Answers Long Sought After

Jacob cracked open the book with great care, worried that the cover might rip off or something. While the book was in terrible condition, it was his, now. He had precious few possessions as it was without losing it. The first page was dedicated to bragging about the author's – a man by the name of Theodorus Fife - accomplishments as a Mage. Capitalized, for whatever reason. Skipping over it, his eyes widened when he began to take in the contents of the book.

"For those graced with mana, our affinities are separated across four major elements and four minor elements, or subelements. Fire, water, wind, and earth compose the major elements, and are the foundation for any magician. Plasma, ice, lightning, and space make up the subelements, each of them profound in their power. I have already begun to touch the surface of the ice subelement; acquiring even a faint understanding of their spellforms require intense study and talent," the author wrote.

"The prerequisites of casting a spell require the caster to have memorized every component of the spellform, as well as the ability to harness enough mana to power the spell. In this, even the most astute of mages cannot cast without power, and those with great power cannot cast without knowledge. The Academies scattered across the Delreyan Kingdom aim to provide both to their pupils."

"Furthermore, individuals are attuned to a specific type of mana; they call this an affinity. In simple terms, almost every mage in the world can only cast spells from their single major element. Some can tap into the minor element that pairs with their major. Only one in every hundred will ever even gain the understanding and power to reach that point. Rarer still are those that utilize two separate major elements, but those with that ability in Delreya can be counted on one hand."

"Having an affinity to a specific type of mana indicates an ability to cast magic, which is why it is the standard test utilized by the recruiting mages. A simple enchantment measures the characteristics of someone's mana, equating it to a single major element. An orange glow corresponds to fire, green to earth, blue to water, and yellow to wind. The intensity of the glow represents the latent mana in the individual; the brighter the glow, the more mana there is. While any mage can grow their mana pool, those with more latent mana will be able to grow it to greater heights than those without it. Think about it like multiplying a tiny number hundreds of times. You're still left with barely anything at all. Multiplying a larger number twice can yield the same effect. Magic is not fair, but even the smallest talents can find employment with the King."

The book snapped shut after that paragraph. Jacob was reeling from the information. Angelica's glow had illuminated the entire town square. Clearly, she was talented and would one day make a great mage, according to the Theodorus. That much was plain. What remained shrouded in shadow was the test's results when it came to him.

Jacob wondered why the gem didn't glow yellow as Theodorus said it would. Was he not a wind mage? The thought set off a million questions, but a small smile grew on his face as he considered an experiment. He purchased a mug of water – much to the surprise of the innkeeper, for drinking water was akin to begging for sickness – and brought it back to his room. Testing his ability with the air in the room one more time, just to make sure he wouldn't take himself out of commission for the day, he was glad to feel no adverse effects of using his magic.

He began his test. Letting go of the wind molecules, he instead gripped at the H2O molecules sloshing around in its wooden container. The effort was draining, as if the molecules themselves were stuck in molasses, but they responded to his call. Drops at first, a globe of water appeared in front of Jacob. "Oh my god," he muttered, his concentration slipping in that moment.

The water dropped, soaking his pants. A groan escaped him at the feel of the soggy canvas, but he was ecstatic at his findings. He wondered why he had never tried this before. The wind had always been a friend. Many an evening had been spent outside, laying in the grass and reveling in the breeze that swept across him back on Earth. It bugged his parents to no end – there were plenty of days when his clothes ended up muddy – but it brought him peace.

Tired, but confident, Jacob unsheathed the sword he had taken. Practically unusable, Jacob decided that it would make a good test subject. Just like with the wind and the water, Jacob grasped at the iron and the other elements that made up the weapon. If the water molecules were like molasses, these were frozen in a block of ice. Still, he pushed at them, ignoring the building headache.

With an audible snap, the sword broke itself in two. Jacob collapsed to the floor in relief and contentment. This morning had offered him hope and answers to questions that had plagued him since Leafburrow. The test had failed because he wasn't attuned to a single major element. He didn't know if he could use fire, but he was too tired and the risk of arson too great to test it. Even without it, he had accomplished a feat very few could, according to Theodorus.

Perhaps he wasn't attuned to a type of mana. In later chapters, Theodorus spoke of channeling mana internally and imagining it welling forth to provide the substance for strict spellforms. That was not at all what Jacob did. He bent the molecules before him to his will. Certainly, he couldn't even attempt some of the spells Theodorus spoke of, too great of scale were they, but he hadn't had to memorize anything to use his magic.

What was he? If the rest of the textbook didn't answer his questions, he feared he might need to go ask the mages at the Academy, a regal building towering over everything in Steelshade save the castle. The risk with that was that he could lose his autonomy, a concept he found incredibly attractive ever since his appearance in this world.

Whatever he was, it didn't change his goals. Only his path. He would still find power enough to single-handedly kill an entire bandit company, and he would make sure he would come out of it alive. As great as this world had originally seemed, there seemed to be a darkness to it that Jacob wasn't quite sure he liked. Dying on it didn't seem so attractive; he'd rather his last moments be back on Earth, with his family.