Arc 1 - Ch 7: "A Lesson on Magic"

CHAPTER 7 - "A Lesson on Magic"

This web novel is a draft of the story. Please expect frequent changes and updates as I see fit. Enjoy! -Cloki

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-Siegfried and Azure have officially begun their journey together through Provincia. Azure's first task is to teach Siegfried how to properly use magic and cast basic spells. However, a fork was shoved in their plans the next morning when Siegfried learned that he was cursed in his sleep! Their prime suspect is the cloaked figure which they had spoken with the night before, whom they believe is a Shaman! They are now on the Aqua Trail, in hot pursuit of this cloaked figure.

-The Aqua Trail is a road that connects the starter town of Formai with the nearby town of Oakheart, a town known for its abundance of Oak and Fruit trees. Oakheart is a major supplier of food, primarily fruits, for numerous other locations throughout the province of Durma. Oakheart is also a popular gathering spot for traveling merchants to sell their products to others passing through the town.

Azure: "Siegfried, how are you holding up? Do I need to slow down?"

Siegfried: "I'm doing fine, I just hope that my hunches are correct and that we're after the right person. Being wrong could end disastrously for us."

Azure: "Well, you seemed more confident at the Inn, are you having second thoughts about the situation?"

Siegfried: "No.. I'm just anxious is all. We've never encountered a shaman, and to be honest, I don't even know what their powers are. I've never played any video games that have shamans in them."

-Video games were a concept unfamiliar to Provincia and its people. Back on Earth, Siegfried was a total Otaku. He had extensive knowledge of multiple aspects of anime and manga and was obsessed with RPG video games, however, Azure hadn't the slightest clue what he was on about.

Azure: "I'm not quite sure what you meant with that last part, but don't worry. Daichi said that if we're ever in danger, to match the shaman's aura, that way we can gain their trust. Plus, if it comes down to a battle, I'm sure you and I together could take them down."

Siegfried: "Perhaps."

-The party continues down the Aqua Trail, as Azure expells mana, her speed begins to decline. Sprinting as an air mage uses mana at a consistent rate, similar to how a car uses gasoline. However, Azure is not as experienced in air magic as she is in water magic, and thus, her mana was quickly depleted.

Azure: "Siegfried, as you've probably begun to notice, my mana is declining. This is a perfect time to begin our first lesson on magic, which is what mana is and how it works in Provincia! Allow me to explain the process to you, okay? Just ride along with me until we need to stop, and listen in on this lesson."

Siegfried: "Okay, Azure-san! I look forward to hearing what you have to say."

Azure: "Mana is a form of energy that allows magic to be cast in many different ways. Mana is naturally absorbed through the skin, similar to how plants absorb sunlight. When your body absorbs mana floating in the air, it is stored in what is called your Vat. Your Mana Vat is an organ located near your spine, and its sole purpose is to store mana that you collect and guide it through your body to its release point. When you cast a spell, your Mana Vat is stimulated, and it expells mana and guides it through your body to its destination, which is usually your hands. A wand is used to help channel this mana out of your body and into a stable object which can expel it into the air. However, some talented mages have found that they are able to cast spells without the need for a wand. Using a wand simply makes it easier and more efficient to cast a spell. We will need to find a wand suitable enough for you to use eventually. The stronger you become, the more mana your Vat will be able to hold. The organ itself does not grow in size, it only becomes more efficient at compressing mana and storing more of it. When your Mana Vat is empty, you will feel fatigued and need to rest while you absorb more mana. Absorbing mana works at the same speed for everybody, nobody absorbs mana quicker or slower than anyone else, so the stronger you become, the longer it will take for your Vat to fill up again. If your mana Vat fills up too much and goes beyond its capacity, it will spill and ooze from your skin, a phenomenon known as "leaking". When this occurs, it is highly recommended to cast extraneous spells to help relieve the excess mana from your Vat."

Siegfried: "That was a lengthy explanation, but it all made sense to me. Where is mana generated from? How does it get into the air?"

Azure: "Mana is generated from plants known as Mana Flowers. They are silvery-green flowers that naturally expel mana on a regular basis, similar to how other plants produce the oxygen we breathe. Mana Flowers can be harvested and used in the creation of Mana Potions, which can be consumed to help fill your Vat quicker. While absorbing mana works at a constant speed, mana potions can be consumed to fill your vat instantly. However, mana potions are quite expensive and can be dangerous if consumed in large quantities, so most mages prefer to carry mana flowers around with them to have a consistent stream of mana flowing into them at all times."

Siegfried: "I see, so mana is essentially a mage's fuel and can be produced and absorbed naturally like energy. Well, I think it would be a good idea to find some mana flowers and carry them around before we encounter this shaman, don't you agree, Azure-san?"

Azure: "You see this flower on the side of my hat, Siegi-kun? This is a mana flower I harvested before coming to the Adventurer's Guild. It's been supplying me with the mana required for me to cast this sprinting spell, however, one flower isn't quite enough for the entire trip. I think we're going to have to slow down sometime soon and search for more flowers as I regenerate my mana."

Siegfried: "Ah I see, I was wondering what that was earlier, it's a nice-looking flower, I couldn't have ever guessed that it had such properties..."

-Gazing at the flower, Siegfried suddenly had a flashback. He remembered the flowers he had been growing outside of his own house back on Earth, and how they closely resembled the flower on Azure-san's hat. He pondered how this could be.

Azure: "hm? Are you thinking about something, Siegfried?"

Siegfried: "No, it's nothing. It's just, the mana flower reminded me of another flower I used to grow back in my homeland."

Azure: "That's nice, I'm glad to see people appreciating nature and spreading its beauty across the world."

Siegfried to himself: "Could that be the same breed of flower? On earth, it's known as the Lily of the Valley. Perhaps it has a different purpose here in Provincia..."

-Siegfried, now completely suspended in the air, was quite literally being carried by Azure's wind spells. He was thoroughly impressed with her abilities, yet also concerned for when her mana vat would inevitably empty itself out. As she said, one flower simply wasn't enough to get them to Oakheart before sundown. By now, they were traveling at about half the speed they began at. Siegfried then noticed a tree in the distance-

Siegfried: "Azure-san, AZURE WATCH OUT FOR THE TREE"

-Azure had spaced out, focusing too much on casting her wind spells and not focusing on what was laid out right in front of her. She quickly came to her senses-

Azure: "WA- HANG ON!"

-Azure quickly moved to the left, narrowly avoiding a tree that had hung itself slightly onto the trail. However, by doing this, Azure had lost her footing, and the party of two began to tumble to the ground, about midway through the Aqua Trail.

Azure: "*OW*. *OOF*. *YE*- DAMNIT, yikes..."

-Azure and Siegfried both took a hard tumble to the ground, Siegfried had the wind knocked out of him, and Azure was in a fair amount of pain. Azure gingerly came to her knees and crawled toward a seemingly lifeless Siegfried.

Azure: "Siegfried, are you okay? I apologize, I was focusing too much on my magic and forgot that there might have been obstacles in our way..."

-Siegfried lay silently on the dirt path, covered in bruises and debris...

Azure: "Siegfried?? Oh no, could be have been knocked unconscious?"

Siegfried: "*light gasp*"

Azure: "He's alive.. Siegfried, how many fingers am I holding up??" (Azure is holding up 2 fingers)

Siegfried: "-- --"

Siegfried (With airy speech): "...Camriel"

Azure: "Eh? Camriel? You've mentioned her twice now, was she close to you?"

Siegfried: "-- --"

Azure: "Oh no, no don't you die on me. This would be a totally lame way to die anyway! Come on Siegfried, you didn't hit the ground THAT hard. Stay with me!"

Azure: "Damn, I think he went unconscious.. I'm going to have to use the rest of my mana to heal him.. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like we'll be going much further today, Siegfried. Please, accept my healing..."

-Siegfried had hit his head hard upon contacting the ground and had now suddenly fallen unconscious. He began to see a vision. He saw a light, approaching him at a high velocity. Then suddenly everything went black. Siegfried opened his eyes, and was in a familiar place.

Siegfried: "...I recognize this place..."

Camriel: "Hello again, Siegfried. It seems you've returned back here sooner than I thought!"

Siegfried: "Camriel.. what happened?"

Siegfried: "I remember, Azure-san.. the sprinting spell, we fell over, and I hit my head, did I die again?"

Camriel: "You have not died... but you came close to it. Your newly acquired clothes kept you alive by boosting your vitality. You had about 1HP when you took your fall."

Siegfried: "YIKES! That's practically a knock on death's door! How is Azure? Is she okay?"

Camriel: "Azure is alive, and currently casting a healing spell onto your body down at the Aqua Trail. She seems to be putting in a large amount of effort, and mana, into bringing you out of your comatose state. I almost feel bad for her."

Camriel: "Anyway, I brought you back here to remind you about something Siegfried. Remember the words you can say to call upon me, and I will help you. Although in this case, you had barely enough time to react, though it still serves as a learning experience on when would be a suitable time to ask for my assistance."

Siegfried: "Thank you, Camriel. But I do have a question, and it involves death."

Camriel: "mmm. yes, ask away."

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