The Difference Between Elf And Half Elf - Magical

The inside of the tree was mystical; to Sigurd's amazement, over thirty half-elves stood in lines performing what seemed to be some sort of combat dance. He even noticed the cute little Eva, whom he promised to join for tea the next day.

His nose could smell the lovely hint of roses and honey, which relieved him as he enjoyed the room's welcoming warmth, like a summer day in the garden training.

"How is it? This is the apprentice-level training realm."

"Training realm?" His voice gradually trailed off, looking at the vast building that hid inside the tree, causing his mind to feel a strange sense of rejection.

'How can this be!? It's more than triple the size of the tree outside.'

"Fufu, do you find being new to our world magical? The old women used their magic together to form small worlds inside each gigantic tree in our village."

'Small worlds?' 

She noticed Sigurd, who tilted his head, then continued. "Think of it as using magic to create a space inside the trunk, but because it's made by magic, the size can be as large as needed. This is what I meant by a world inside the tree."

"What would happen if someone cut down the tree? Would we all die?" His eyes seemed to shine as if seeking more knowledge; while watching the movements of Eva, he noticed that although she was petite, her muscles were as lean and tight as a knight!

"Haha, no, don't worry. Even if the tree is gone, only another witch's magic equal to our elders can break the gateway."

Rosa's powerful hand patted his shoulders as she leaned closer. "So, are you ready to learn something new?"

"Yes, please!"

"So enthusiastic... Male witches are nice. Oh, forgive me, was it a warlock? Umu, what a lovely title." Her chuckle was charming as Sigurd looked away before following Rosa to the end of the room.

"OK, Apprentice Sigurd, please watch carefully, and if you notice anything wrong with your body, let me know."

Rosa held her palms upwards; a strange cold filled the room as she spoke. "Half-elves have a single magic element, normally shown through our hair colours: blue for water, green for wind, brown for earth and red for fire."

Slowly, as her hands parted, performing the martial arts pose, water danced around her wrists, increasing as her hands circled her body until the water wrapped around her arms and legs and froze into ice.

"Now I am using our special method to use all of my magic to form the water and ice before I return it to my body and allow the elements to temper me."

'It's like a beautiful dance...'

Sigurd felt charmed, her beauty unmatched as the ice and water overlapped, dancing, entwining before returning inside her body - over and over. She performed this dance, for how long he didn't know...

His eyes had fallen in love with the beautiful display of magic.

"Apprentice Sigurd!" Rosa's sudden shout broke his trance as he noticed all the half-elves meditating in groups.

'How long was I watching her for?' His face turned red as Rosa laughed, tapping her firm chest proudly.

"Ten minutes, ten cycles. Because our total magic levels are so low, we cannot exceed a certain level, or it would become dangerous. However, even half-elves have geniuses. Eva, that girl can perform twenty cycles!"

"T-Twenty cycles?" Sigurd glanced at Eva; even though she practised, he could sense the amount of magic inside her body was less than Rosa's. Yet then realised their ranks and ages are very different.

"Geniuses like her can become chevalier that can use basic magic while fighting alongside their chose witch, but we are few, and humans dislike half-elf as much as witches, so we get hunted as the same breed."

"Such a beautiful dance. Why would anyone wish to see it disappear?.."

The moment Rosa heard his compliment, her lips closed, and she looked flattered, watching his earnest eyes before stroking through his hair as he watched Eva dance.

"Don't ogle my daughter unless you can reach one hundred cycles before you improve your rank as a warlock!"

"Daughter!?" Sigurd gulped nervously as Rosa's fingers traced his ear gently before removing her touch.

"Haha, Apprentice Sigurd, I jest; however, Eva is my youngest daughter at thirty. Sadly, chevaliers like me age quicker than witches. However, I might live two hundred, maybe three hundred years. My daughter could live easily until a thousand with her mana levels... While the surrounding girls will die in a fraction of that time."

"Eh? Witches aren't immortal!?" 

Sigurd became shocked because the church claimed they were an immortal and evil existence, just like the Agmar.

He suddenly felt a speck of guilt once again; his deeds in the church killed many of these half-elves, so he lowered his head in guilt.

"Witches age slower, yes; however, we have weaknesses too. Our core only contains a single type of element, which means we can't use multiple types of magic, while chevaliers like us can only use one element, making us weaker in combat..."

"That only applies to magic. Our physical prowess is probably above the church crusaders who use holy words to temper their flesh into inhumane weapons."

"Now then, you can learn the boring things in classes. Do you want to try our method?"

"EH!? Now?" Sigurd panicked as Rosa removed her outer robes, revealing her athletic body clothed in a dancer's outfit, tight but easy to move, which caused his face to turn crimson as she posed before him.

"Of course, as that woman's apprentice. I hope you don't disappoint us all."

'Hmm? Is Medea special?'

"GIRLS!! Come and rest; our newest member, the lovely Sigurd Arcadium, will perform his first tempering ritual!"

"Kya!? A man!"

"Oh, my... he's beautiful!"

"Human...?"

"No... although his ears are normal, his magic... it's huge!"

"I wonder if his other parts are huge... Fufu."

The Elven women all rushed up, and soon they surrounded the large platform ten metres on each side, kneeling and watching him fervently.

'Talk about pressure.'

Rosa smiled as Sigurd glanced towards her, causing him to gulp and remove his upper armour, revealing his bare chest.

"Apprentice Sigurd, the moment you start, you must concentrate and focus; otherwise, you will harm your body and may become crippled forever." 

"Understood." 

Then her fingertip touched his forehead; at first, it was a cool sensation, like ice melting on his forehead on a summer day as he lay in the grass.

Soon, Sigurd's mind relaxed, closing his eyes to the beautiful murmurs of the ladies as his palms faced upwards.

"Begin."

'Is it true that witches are not immortal?'

The moment he thought about it, he felt his mind calm. As his thoughts shifted towards magic, a large amount of information entered his mind, causing his body to tense momentarily.

"Ah, it's starting. Look at his abs!"

"I want to share tea with him..."

Sigurd only heard the words of Rosa inside his mind.

"Focus your magic; those colours and feelings are the elements you control. Don't release them; use them to empower your body; chant the words after me, and you will adjust yourself."

"—I am Invincible!" Rosa's voice sounded heroic as her body performed her dance once again.

Sigurd's dance was different. 

Immediately, his stance lowered, drawing Mammon, causing the women to gasp, his black blade filling the room with a vibrating buzz as the black aura and emerald flame flooded out from Sigurd's fingertips.

"—I am Immortal...!" 

His chant resonated, causing the various holy items within the space to vibrate and tremble as his sword dance continued. The long black blade slashed the air with a black and green trail of flames.

"—My Magic is unmatched!" Rosa started the second verse halfway through her first cycle, as she felt the oppressive magic of Sigurd almost crushing hers like a toy.

"—My Domination is Infinite!" A burst of beautiful black and green lotuses formed from the flames on his foot as it stomped down, scattering through the entire room, with each lotus landing on the lap of the females.

"This is!?" Another half-elf elder watched in shock. "amazing!"

"—The power of my ice has no equal!"

"—The devastation of my blow has no equal!"

A powerful male, his sword tearing through the air with brutal dominating force, while the female graceful ice attempts to protect herself desperately; although in battle she might win, this was a battle of pure magic.

"Wow... so beautiful..." 

"His magic, how much is he going to temper himself!?"

"Amazing... Sigurd." Eva watched the entire dance, never blinking, as she felt a burning desire to improve, to fight against that powerful darkness. No... It was something beyond the darkness. She felt it was like the void: empty, ceaseless, and starving.

"Look at his muscles!"

Sigurd continued, his body sweating as he performed the last part of his first cycle before panting heavily. Rosa, who performed the same, gasped for air as sweat flowed down Sigurd's face. She felt the desire to submit.

"—My Deep Ice is invulnerable!"

"—My Greed is bottomless!"

Their final pose brought their dance to an end. Rosa fell backwards onto the floor, gasping for air, while Sigurd remained standing, Mammon in hand, small trickles of ice turning into water, dripping from the tip as his magic swirled into a storm.

His stamina seemed endless compared to Rosa, who lay on the ground, gasping for air. Slowly, Sigurd sheathed Mammon before breathing deeply and absorbing the storm into his body.

Instantly, a powerful gust blew through the entire tree, pushing everyone back as they gasped.

When his eyes opened, everyone swore they were black... with golden pupils!

"Thank you very much, Elder Rosa."

Sigurd bowed to her, but inside his chest, he felt strange; there was something he touched deep within his soul that awakened just a little when he chanted...

'Mammon, the devil's sword of greed. My chant involves greed... is this something related to the witches who control the unholy stones of sin? Or is it something related to my mother?'

"I need to find out."