7 The Science of Magic

Tahrren and Eiji sat at a table near the walls of the tavern. Although they were out of sight, they were not isolated. The two men quickly ordered a beer and a meal of mostly meat. While the drinks arrived quickly, they had time to talk about the next day while waiting for the food.

"Eiji, tomorrow we will start your training as well."

The worried one looked at his mentor with a doubtful expression. He played with the handle of his cup before answering.

"My training?"

"Do you have any basic knowledge of magic?"

"No, none. Though it is not forbidden, learning is limited. We have no schools or other organizations that can teach magic. Only the priests and oracles have some knowledge of it. They are the ones who make the artifacts used by our army."

Tahrren took a sip of his ale before resting his mug carefully on the table.

"We'll start there. Every member of our order must be a magic expert. It is quite difficult to fight an immortal without resorting to it."

Eiji frowned slightly and stopped playing with the tankard.

"Are they that strong?"

Tahrren sighed softly before continuing. His wry look betrayed his memories of many battles.

"Of course they are. Dragon blood is not the only way to prolong life. Some use special powers like relics or magic to become immortal. Since they are masters of magic, it is hard to approach them with a simple blade. Therefore, we, soul chasers, must learn to use magic. We also must master at least one ranged weapon.

Tahrren's comments left the young man pensive.

"I hope you don't doubt yourself?"

Eiji smiled promptly before letting out a little snide laugh.

"Never! But I'm indeed quite weak if I compare myself to you."

Tahrren smiled back.

"Don't worry. I'm not a fool. I chose you. I know you can do it. Very few people were as strong as you at your age. Believe me. You will be strong. Maybe very strong."

While they were talking, Ayano came to serve them the food, which was, shall we say, hearty. The two men took their cutlery and ate to their hearts' content. In a matter of minutes, the plates had shrunk by half.

As they began the second half of the meal, murmurs could be heard from a nearby table.

"So it's true? Father Andrea is missing? In the Saintess' Garden?"

"Shh, not so loud!"

Both men were dressed in simple cassocks, but the silver cross they wore around their wrists proved their membership in the Ophelian Church.

"Could it be related to the recent appearance of monsters?"

"No idea, but the high priest has already announced that he will be replaced and has organized punitive operations in the holy area."

Eiji was surprised to hear people speaking Ophelian. Although he was not familiar with their language, he managed to decipher some parts of their conversation. He stopped eating and looked up at his mentor.

"Saintess' Garden? What is that?"

Surprised, Tahrren's eyes widened, though it was barely noticeable.

"You never heard about it? It is a holy region for the Ophelians. According to them, it is where Ophelia, the first saintess, donated her body to the land to save the people from an unprecedented famine many centuries ago. Since then, it has been one of the richest regions for fruits and vegetables. Some even say that food grows faster there, and fruits taste better.

Tahrren suddenly looked down, lost in thought.

"Is something wrong?" Eiji asked.

Tahrren remained stoic for a few seconds before answering.

"It's their monster thing. I know this area well, I have been there before. But I haven't seen a single aggressive animal. Only a few rodents live in these woods. So, monsters? I think something is wrong. But it's not our problem. At least not for the time being. Our priorities remain the same: to contact our informant in the Holy City. Maybe he can tell us more. Well. Finish your meal. We must get to bed early. Tomorrow will be a long day for you."

The two men finished their meal, paid the two gold coin bills for their stay, and quickly went to bed.

They both awoke with the first rays of sunlight, and it took them only a few minutes to get ready. They both found themselves on the porch of the inn.

The streets were still very quiet. The contrast with the previous day was striking. Only a few hardworking people preparing their stalls or passersby enjoying their morning walks were wandering the streets.

It was in this setting that the two men crossed the neighborhood, trying to get out of town.

With that in mind, the two walked through the neighborhood, trying to get out of the city.

"First steps in magic can be... hectic. If you know what I mean."

Eiji let out a small laugh, which he caught by putting his hand in front of his face.

"No, I don't see it at all."

Tahrren smiled slightly. He continued walking while he explained to her.

"Some people sometimes lose control. Although it's rare, it's best to take precautions. Even if you are not actually in danger, it is best to avoid unnecessary damage to the city. The use of magic in the alleys of a city is also frowned upon, especially in a region so unfamiliar with the science."

The two men continued out into the steppes, away from the city. They soon came to a small, sparsely grassed meadow.

"All right, let's stop here."

Tahrren laid down his weapons near a rock. Eiji imitated him and laid his sword vertically, ready to be grabbed if necessary.

"Well, as agreed, I will teach you at least the basics of magic today."

Eiji nodded at these words.

"Let's start by understanding what magic is. What do you think it is?"

Eiji thought for a moment before he answered.

"A strange, dangerous power."

Tahrren smiled slightly. He had expected that answer. Usually, people are attracted to magic as a power that can shape the world. But for people unfamiliar with it, such as people living in cultural autarchy like the Higashito, these powers, although natural, can seem mystical and dangerous.

"You are right. Magic can be dangerous. But magic is not a power. As I told you, it is a science. That means people can control it. And by anyone!"

Tahrren pulled a strange crystal of a subtle blue color out of his pocket.

"See this crystal? It is a celestite. It is used in magic as a catalyst to concentrate our mana. Embedded in an object, it also clears the mind and helps the user focus."

"Mineralogy?"

"Every good magician is also a good mineralogist."

While Tahrren replied proudly, Eiji was more confused than ever. In reality, minerals were not necessary to learn magic, but they were powerful catalysts necessary for advanced magic. Different minerals had unique properties. In addition to simply concentrating mana, others could calm the spirit, harness the surrounding mana, or simply precipitate it and make spells more powerful. Of all these stones, celestite was a fairly common mineral among mage apprentices.

"Anyway, I won't ask you to study minerals now. You have much better things to do. First of all, what do you want to encrust this crystal with? It would be best if it is something you want to keep for a long time."

Eiji took his necklace. It was made of silver and represented an octogram. He gave it to his mentor. He tried to take it, but Eiji held on to it with a firm hand.

"It belonged to Ruka. There is nothing more precious to me."

Eiji's grip on the chain weakened. Tahrren didn't say anything and waited until Eiji let go of the necklace completely before he took it. He placed the celestite in the heart of the octagram and then ran his hand gently over it, murmuring a few words. A small spray of sparks flew from the necklace, and when he withdrew his hand, the crystal was perfectly embedded in the center of the design.

He handed the necklace back to Eiji, who quickly picked it up.

"Good. Now we can get down to business."

Tahrren walked to the center of the small meadow as if to take up as much space as possible.

"You probably already know this, but mages can control five basic elements: fire, wind, metal, wood, and water. Overall, the first specializes in wide-area attacks, while the second specializes in fast and concentrated attacks. Metal, on the other hand, offers great defensive capabilities. Wood is a versatile element that opens the door to certain support arts, exactly like water which is its offensive counterpart."

Eiji tried as hard as he could to memorize every piece of information his mentor gave him. Fortunately, he spoke slowly, so it was easy to follow his explanations.

"Among the five basic elements, which one attracts you the most? Which one do you want to master?"

Eiji thought for a few seconds before he answered his teacher.

"Fire. There is nothing better than fire to destroy those who did so much harm to my family.

Tahrren sat on the rock where the two men laid down their weapons.

"Rather a good choice. It's easy to imagine. Let's get down to business."

Tahrren raised his right hand, revealing the ring he always wore. At the center of the signet ring was a pale stone that reflected the light beautifully.

Quickly, the wind picked up. The gust was so sudden and strong that Eiji realized it was not natural: Tahrren had just used magic.

"The magic I just used is not a spell, but rather a demonstration. The equivalent of a gust of wind in fire magic is a flame. A simple spray of fire propelled at low speed."

Eiji approached his master.

"And how do I create this?"

Tahrren rose again and approached his apprentice.

"Close your eyes."

Eiji obeyed and closed his eyes. Tahrren placed his hand near the student's heart. He concentrated, and soon a strange bluish glow appeared and enveloped his hand.

"Do you feel that energy? It is mana. Every being contains some of it. Even right now, yours is flowing into your body. The feeling is almost the same as the one I am injecting into you. It is like an inner current flowing through your body. "

Quickly, Eiji managed to feel his mana. But it was more like some fluctuations of energy in his body than a continuous current.

"Why is my mana so weak?"

Tahrren didn't say anything but smiled slightly. He was proud of his pupil, who he knew was gifted. Few could see their mana so clearly at first glance.

"That is normal. You've never trained your mind, except for sword fighting. But this is something that can be corrected. The more you work on your mind and train it to be in harmony with your surroundings, the more powerful your mana will be."

The two men fell silent, Tahrren letting Eiji get used to this new sensation. They stayed like that for several minutes before Tahrren withdrew his hand. Eiji had gotten used to visualizing his mana, so he no longer needed any help and was able to feel it himself at any time.

"This amount of mana should be enough to produce a small flame. The basics of magic are simple: you visualize the element you want to produce, and its properties, and adjust your mana to match the element. Try it."

Eiji closed his eyes. In the darkness of his mind, he imagined a small dancing flame. Finally, he concentrated his mana in his hands. Despite his perseverance, nothing escaped from his palms, and that sublime flame remained only an intangible thought.

"It was predictable. I didn't expect you to succeed on the first try. But you're on the right track. It's probably just a mana flow problem. Try again. Concentrate more on your mana and take your time to let it flow into your palms."

Eiji repeated the process. For several tens of seconds, he visualized the small flame again. He accumulated his mana in his palms, concentrating on the process for as long as it took.

After a minute or two, he felt a slight warmth in his hands. When he opened his eyes, a small flame had formed there, dancing; moving to the rhythm of his will.

"Excellent. Remember the process, and practice regularly. And don't forget to meditate. It's important to train your mind regularly. Whether it's for close combat or to develop your mana. It's important to have a mind that's sharp and ready for anything."

"When will I be able to learn real spells?"

Impatience could be felt in Eiji's demeanor. His look betrayed his desire for power.

"Soon. Develop your mana first."

Tahrren picked up his belongings and left.

"Let's go."

Eiji hurriedly drew his sword and followed him.

"Already? Aren't we going to practice more?"

"Listen to your mana. It must have weakened considerably. It's unlikely you'll be able to produce a new flame."

Tahrren was right. Eiji could hardly feel his mana. It was getting to the point where he could even feel some mental fatigue.

"We'll go back. Once in the city, you'll continue your training alone. You probably won't need me for meditation."

Eiji fell silent and followed his teacher.