learning about magecraft

"What in the name of the Grail are you?" Rin said as she scanned Tatsuya's body.

She attempted a full-body checkup with her magical eyes (I'm not sure if she has that ability, but I've seen her use it on Berserker, so maybe she can do it; I don't know).

"What's wrong?" Tatsuya asked.

"Your body is growing more and more magic circuits as we speak. That is what's wrong," she said.

"And is that... bad?"

"It's unusual. Your magic circuits are increasing rapidly, almost like they're responding to something," she remarked, concern evident in her voice.

"It shouldn't?" Tatsuya replied with a hint of amusement in His voice. Looking at Rin's frustrated expression is kind of fun

Rin sighed, frustration creeping into her tone. "No, It shouldn't. Magic circuits don't just multiply like this without a reason, it's an Organ, have you ever seen somebody just grow another limb spontaneously?"

Tatsuya furrowed his brows, contemplating Rin's analogy. "Point taken. But I'm not exactly well-versed in magical anatomy. Any idea what could be causing this anomaly?"

"I don't know. This has never happened before. Nobody ever 'grew' a magic circuit in the same sense that nobody ever grew a new lung. Do you have any idea how this might happen?" Tatsuya begin to recall what the alien cat thing said,

#Well since you guys have so little desire, then i will add healing factor as well as adaptibility, it would be suck if you just die because of some virus you met in another world#

Suddenly, Tatsuya jerked up, shocking Rin up. "What?! What's wrong?" she asked, concern and worry evident in her voice.

"I think I might have a clue," Tatsuya said with hesitation, reflecting on what the alien cat thing had mentioned. "The celestial body mentioned adding a healing factor and adaptability along with my world crossing, so could it be that my body 'adapt' to this world's mana?."

Rin's eyes widened as she absorbed the meaning behind Tatsuya's words.

"H-how does this 'healing factor' and 'adaptability' work?" Rin gasped, her eyes widening in shock at the revelations.

"I'm not sure, but I think the healing factor works in a way that if I lose a limb, then I can grow it back over time.

And adaptability might mean that if I were drowning, then I would grow fins and be able to breathe underwater," Tatsuya explained, dropping a bomb of information. Rin found herself once again overwhelmed by the staggering revelations.

"So... hypothetically, if you were to be sent to a world that has an abundance of mana, then your body would adapt to make a new organ to take and convert that mana into yours?" Rin asked, her heart palpating.

"Maybe?"

"Are you kidding me?!" Her frustration got the better of her as she slammed her fist into the bed.

"So you can just GROW magic circuits, is that what you are saying?"

"Well-"

"Are you even aware that your body is growing magic circuits?"

"No"

"So your body just makes magic circuits because there is an abundance of mana in the air without any other reasons? What if you were thrown into a world with a lot of divinity or some other things, your body would just... adapt to it?"

"Yeah."

"Siiiigh, this is a lot to take in." Rin fell onto her couch, her head aching from the ridiculous information she has been getting lately.

"Um, is there anything else you found in my body?" Tatsuya asked awkwardly, his gaze fixed on the girl laying exhaustedly on her couch.

"Oh yeah, I found out that you are not a human," the girl said, chuckling slightly at her own words.

"What?"

"Your od, that was not a human's od, I mean seriously," she said, tiredly caressing her head.

"Od?" Tatsuya asked.

Rin grumbled at the boy's stupidity; he didn't know what an od is.

"Od is another organ in your body responsible for creating mana from your own body. Think of it as your own mana generator.

The thing is, normal ods only generate enough mana for your body to keep on living.

So using your own od in magecraft is a last-ditch effort because if you use too much of it, you might die.

But your od generates enough mana to keep more than 1000 people alive and healthy. Do you know how many that is? If I use all of the mana in my od, which can only sustain one person's life by the way, I might be able to create an explosion kind of like a mini nuke.

But you have enough to sustain 1000 people. In other words, you are not a human. I refuse to think of you as a human." Rin said with a skeptical tone questioning the very essence of the boy's credibility as a human.

Tatsuya laughed awkwardly, uncertain of how to respond in this perplexing situation. His od was generating a thousand times more mana than that of a normal human,

continuously growing more magic circuits over time.

The potential power of his magecraft lingered in the air, raising unspoken questions.

"So, uh... Is it time for me to learn about magecraft?" Tatsuya asked, addressing the tired girl currently seated on her couch.

"Let me lay down for a few minutes; I need to collect my last remaining brain cells before I explain what magecraft is to you," Rin replied with a tired sigh.

~~~~

The both of them found themselves back in her living room, this time facing a blackboard that hinted at a forthcoming journey into the intricacies of Fate's magic system.

(buckle up folks, we are learning Fate's magic system, and if you know anything about fate then this will be anything but easy.

I will try my best to make it as easier and as entertaining as i can but it will still take a while)

"So! Magic, magecraft, let's start off with the difference between those two," Rin began her explanations, writing the two words on her blackboard.

"Magecraft is defined as the actualization of 'normal' things through 'abnormal' means,

while magic is the actualization of 'abnormal' things through 'abnormal' means.

What does that mean?" She asked, trying to keep Tatsuya's attention engaged.

Tatsuya just shaked his head as he don't know what the answer is

"That means magecraft is just an easier way to accomplish mundane tasks.

For example, let's say I want to fix a window. I could fix it normally like anyone else, but I don't want to do that. Instead, I use magecraft to achieve the 'normal' result through 'abnormal' means," Rin explained.

Tatsuya looked at it and said, "Ohhhhh," as if he understood.

"Another example is my magecraft, Gandr, that bullet magic I throw around? It's just a ball of disease.

Anybody can do it; anybody can just throw a dead rat at someone, and they will achieve the same 'result' as my Gandr," she explained once again. Tatsuya raised his hand.

"Yes?"

"So what you're saying is that you've been throwing a ball of dead rats at me?" he said, a bit of disgust on his face.

"That was just a metaphor, don't worry about it," Rin reassured him. Tatsuya lowered his hand, only to raise it again.

Rin sighed, "Yes?"

"If it's just a ball of disease, how does it explode?" Tatsuya asked.

"I overpumped it with prana," she answered swiftly. "Any more questions?" she asked, with a hint of irritation in her voice. Tatsuya lowered his hand.

"Right, anyway, Magic on the other hand, is something entirely different.

It's the ability to do something that nobody else can do.

For example, traveling to another world millions of light years away in a second," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm and irritation, as she emphasized the sheer incredibility of his absurd ability.

"Now that! Is magic, because literally nothing else in this world can do it. Not even light, the fastest thing in this universe.

It would take at least a million years for light to reach a new universe. Even just the light from our sun takes 7 minutes to reach here, and you can just go there in a second.

That! Is magic," Rin exclaimed, emphasizing the extraordinary nature of such abilities.

"Wait a minute," Tatsuya said, contemplating his ability more thoroughly.

"So you're telling me that if I don't like someone, I can just throw them into the sun?" He asked, his voice filled with disbelief as he realized the extent of what he could do.

"Yes, yes you can. That's why I was freaking out yesterday—a unsuspecting boy just suddenly gets true magics because he was walking home.

And you said that it will only cost you the same as walking to another room? What do you think it would cost you to, I don't know, move the earth?!" Rin exclaimed, her concern evident in her voice.

Tatsuya saw the girl freaking out again, and he began to realize just how much power he wielded. The weight of his abilities sank in, leaving him in contemplative silence.

"Anyway, moving on! As we have talked about cost before, why don't we continue there?

So! Cost! What does that mean? To put it simply, it is how much prana do you need to 'pay' to the world in order for you to use your magecraft.

And that cost is regulated in what we call a 'marketplace.'

So in this marketplace, there are two things that are sold:

1. A 'normal' result with 'normal' ways.

2. A 'normal' result with 'abnormal' ways.

So it's like you can throw disease by throwing a dead rat at someone, or you can use my Gandr to do it.

The cost is related to which one is more 'normal.'

Is throwing a dead rat at someone considered normal? No. Is using my Gandr normal? No. Therefore, the cost is not that much." Rin explained, breaking down the concept of cost in magecraft.

"But! If someday humanity were to make a gun that can shoot bullets filled with a disease that can infect anyone that touches it, and that gun is considered 'normal' by the people,

then the cost of me using my Gandr would raise exponentially," Rin added, illustrating how societal norms can influence the cost of magecraft.

"This has been showcased in the past as magi in the past could fly willy-nilly without much of a cost because there weren't any 'normal' ways to fly yet.

But as of right now, with planes, hot balloons, helicopters, and other 'normal' ways to fly, magi can no longer fly because the cost of it is far too much.

It is much more efficient for a magus to just use planes right now than for us to fly using magecraft," Rin elaborated, highlighting the changing dynamics of magecraft costs in response to advancements in the 'normal' world.

"Of course, there are loopholes, a way that you can technically get the same result but without having to compete with the 'normal' marketplace," Rin noted, hinting at alternative approaches within magecraft.

Tatsuya raised his hand to ask another question.

"Yes," Rin said.

"If in the past magi could fly using magecraft while others couldn't, doesn't that technically make flying a true magic?" Tatsuya inquired.

"Good question. The answer is no. Why? Because a lot of things can fly.

Bugs can fly, birds can fly, a piece of paper in high winds can fly.

So 'flying' was never an 'abnormal' thing; therefore, it was not a true magic," Rin explained, clarifying the distinction between magecraft and true magic.

Tatsuya nodded and lower his hand,

"And that is why the advancement of society is one of magi's worst nightmares. Because the more things they make, the more 'normal' ways they create, the harder it is for us to use our magecraft," Rin lamented, highlighting the challenges magi face in a rapidly evolving world.

"Is there a way for magi to keep using magecraft even though the normal ways have been created?" Tatsuya asked, expressing a glimmer of hope

"Technically, no, because the world will always favor the 'normal' ways rather than the abnormal.

But of course, we magi have found a loophole that can be used to keep us from being irrelevant," Rin explained, hinting at the resourcefulness of magi in navigating the challenges posed by societal advancements.

"Like what?" Tatsuya asked, to which Rin showed a bright smile, proud to share the ingenuity of the magi.

"The power of concept!" She said proudly.

"The world will always favor the 'Normal,' so why don't we make magecraft be normal?

Unfortunately, this is a pipe dream because, in order for magecraft to be normal, everyone needs to be able to use magecraft, and that is not the case, as most humans can't use magecraft.

They don't have magic circuits; even in magus families, not everyone born from a magi can use magecraft.

That's why we try our best to keep magecraft a secret because if the general populace knows about it, there will be wars between humanity and magi, and unfortunately we are on the minor side.

So! Why don't we use concept?" Rin explained, her enthusiasm shining through as she delved into the idea of leveraging concepts to bridge the gap between magecraft and the 'normal' world.

"Have you ever heard about those crystal scams that say they can heal you and do other miraculous things if you wear them?" Rin asked.

"Yeah?"

"Well, what if I tell you that they actually work," Rin replied, introducing an unexpected twist to the topic.

"I will say that you are joking" Tatsuya replied

"You might think so, but there are thousands or even millions of people across the world that believe in those things,

and the world takes those beliefs into a concept.

A concept that we, as magi, can leverage for our magecraft!" Rin explained, highlighting how the power of collective belief can turn concepts into potent forces for magi.

"Those 'concepts' are, let's say, a way for us to challenge those 'normal' ways with our 'abnormal' ways,

Let's take the healing crystal, for example. Is there a 'normal' way that can result in healing? Yeah, medicine.

But what if people don't believe in medicine and instead believe in the healing crystals? Which, by the way, we magi make.

What do you think will happen?" Rin posed the question, underlining the influence of collective beliefs on the effectiveness of different concepts.

"That it will work?" Tatsuya guessed.

"No! It has always been working; those crystals have always worked. But in order for us to make those crystals, we need to 'pay' with our prana.

If people believe in medicines more than our healing crystals, then the cost for us to make those crystals would rise.

So, if people believe in our crystals more than the medicine, then it will cost us less to make those crystals in the first place,

in other words, Concept can keep the cost of our magecraft to be lower than it was without a concept" Rin clarified, emphasizing the impact of collective beliefs on the cost and efficacy of magecraft concepts.

"But we can't really sell those concepts to everyone because, no matter how many times they test those crystals, it's just that—a crystal.

There is no scientific evidence that will prove those crystals can heal anyone. Even if it works, people will be skeptical and say that it was just the power of belief, to which they are technically not wrong," Rin explained, acknowledging the limitations and skepticism associated with selling magical concepts to the wider public.

"But most magi don't like to use this concept, mainly because they are too rigid. There is no flexibility for magus to use this branch of magecraft on what they want to do.

Yes, we can make crystals that can heal someone, but is that really what we magi want to do? Just make crystals and nothing else?" Rin emphasized, underscoring the inflexibility that comes with relying solely on certain magical concepts.

"So most magus families have decided to make something called a magic crest," Rin continued, introducing another avenue that magi pursue in their quest for magical proficiency.

"A magic crest is a way for a magus to transfer their magecraft to other people, most of the time to their heir because they need to be compatible to use those crests.

And over time, the world will take those kinds of magecraft to be more and more 'normal' lessening the cost to be lower and lower for each generation.

To put it simply, let's say the first user of Gandr needed 1000 prana to use Gandr. The next generation will only need 990, the next 980, and so on.

This will keep going on as the world becomes more accustomed to the magecraft,

if humanity did not make a normal way to throw dead rats at people, of course," Rin explained, shedding light on the concept of magic crests and their impact on reducing the cost of magecraft over generations.

Tatsuya listened to all of those explanations and nodded, having a solid understanding due to his familiarity with various magic systems from games and literature.

"I see, so magecraft is just doing normal stuff with mana, while magic is doing something impossible with mana.

The cost of magecraft is based on 'is there a non-magical way to do those things' or not.

Concepts and the power of belief can help lower the cost of those magecraft based on how many people believe in it,

while magic crest can lower the cost of magecraft based on how long it has been used.

Did I get all that right?" Tatsuya swiftly and accurately recalled all the key points of Rin's explanations.

Rin was genuinely taken aback by how rapidly Tatsuya grasped the intricate concepts, her eyes widening in astonishment at his quick comprehension.

"Y-yeah, you are right. But this is just basic information, of course! Every magus knows this!" Rin said, trying to uphold her dignity as the senior regarding magics.

"Right, anyway, thanks for the explanations, Rin. This puts me into perspective on what I should do if I want to continue my plan." Tatsuya expressed his gratitude for the enlightening discussion.

Tatsuya then stood up and prepare himself to teleport back home, he is too tired to walk back after listening to this lecture

"Oh, and also, thank you for not ratting me out to the other magus," Tatsuya said, a genuine smile etched across his face as he expressed his gratitude.

Rin blushed after looking at his genuine smile and tried to hide her face by looking to the side. "Of course! You are my student after all," she said, attempting to conceal her blush.

Tatsuya chuckled at the tsundere girl and decided to teleport now before she got even redder, leaving the room with a sense of gratitude and amusement lingering in the air.

~~~~~~~~~ To be continued ~~~~~~~~~

Well, good news i don't need to spend money on heating,

Bad news MY HEAD IS ON FIRE!

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I NEED TO LEARN JUST TO MAKE THIS CHAPTER?! Oh god i need to lay down

Give me power stone to justify my headache please