Chapter 17

August 21st.

Ridi's magic class began.

As the class started, it seemed she was reminiscing about her academy days, and she began teaching in a teacher-like tone.

(She seems pretty into it. If it's just for young children, she might actually be a good teacher.)

Regardless of my thoughts, her class continued.

"First, let me explain about magic. There are eight attributes of magic..."

To summarize her explanation, there are eight attributes of magic, just like the attribute gods—fire, light, wind, wood, water, darkness, earth, and metal.

Magic is created by giving the "mana" that people possess to the "spirits" of each attribute, which then transform it into the phenomenon the caster desires.

To do this, it's important to give mana to the spirits and to convey your wishes to them effectively.

The method of giving mana varies from person to person, but if you give the wrong amount, it can lead to serious consequences, so precise control is required.

One way to convey your wishes to the spirits is through incantations. There's also the method of using magic circles, but those with strong imagination can use magic without incantations or magic circles.

In my understanding, the human body is an "amplifier," the mana a person possesses is the "input signal," the power of the spirits is the "power source," and magic is the "output."

Incantations and magic circles are like "bias." If you can adjust to the optimal bias, the amplification rate increases.

If you consider human imagination as the performance of the amplifier, it's not a difficult concept.

However, no one knows if this is correct.

The lecture lasted about thirty minutes, but Mel and Dan were mostly dozing off.

Ridi and I smiled at their appearance, but after waking them up, we moved on to the next step.

We started with feeling mana.

Ridi, touching around her navel, said,

"It's said that mana accumulates around here. Let's start by trying to feel it."

We all began to focus our attention around our navels.

For about five minutes, we grunted and tried various things, but we couldn't feel anything.

The other three seemed to be in the same boat, tilting their heads in confusion.

Ridi, perhaps having anticipated this result, said, "It's indeed difficult. Let's try it one by one," and stood up.

"Let's start with Dan. I'll place my hand on you, so try to feel the mana."

She moved behind Dan, wrapped her arms around him, and placed her hands on his abdomen.

"Close your eyes and breathe slowly... How about it? Can you feel it?"

Dan seemed to have trouble no matter how many times he tried and was on the verge of tears by the end.

"Don't worry. Most people can't feel it. Next is Mel."

She did the same with Mel, but she also couldn't feel anything.

The competitive Mel tried multiple times but still couldn't manage it.

(Magic talent is indeed rare. Come to think of it, there are only three magicians, or rather healers, in this village, which is less than one percent of the population.)

Mel finally gave up, but her eyes were brimming with tears of frustration.

(She has talent with swords, so she doesn't need to force herself to learn magic. Still, that's just like Mel. I should probably support her later.)

The third person was Sharon.

When Ridi asked, "How does it feel?" Sharon initially had a puzzled look but then whispered, "Something is moving."

Ridi, who hadn't expected this, was surprised and started doing something else.

Sharon nodded in agreement each time.

"Sharon has a talent for magic. This is amazing! I'll talk to your parents later."

Ridi said excitedly, and Sharon nodded. Finally, it was my turn.

(If Sharon can do it, I can too. I have the talent to master all attributes.)

I braced myself and waited for Ridi.

However, the moment she wrapped her arms around me, my determination waned.

(She smells good. Something is subtly touching my back... Ah, I thought elves were flat-chested, but she has a pretty good figure...)

Noticing my lack of focus, Ridi whispered, "Take this seriously."

I apologized sincerely and refocused, feeling the movement of her hands.

At first, I felt nothing.

As I concentrated, I gradually began to feel something warm.

This warmth slowly took shape, and when I focused on it, it felt like a long, thin rod.

"There's a rod, a long, thin rod. No, it's wriggling like a snake..."

It moved sinuously inside my body, resembling a parasitic alien from a horror movie, which was somewhat unsettling.

Ridi's hand slowly drew a circle.

What had felt like a semi-solid substance earlier now felt like a pure flow of power, like water, inside my body.

"I'm currently circulating your mana. I'm not sure, but this is all your mana. Can you feel it?"

"Yeah, I can. This is mana..."

I was a bit excited and had reverted to my usual speaking style.

I hurriedly acted impressed, but it might have seemed a bit forced.

Ridi removed her hand, but I continued to feel the mana inside me. My mana seemed to accumulate around my navel, and when I focused on it, it felt warm.

Satisfied, Ridi moved away. I felt a bit reluctant to let her go, but I couldn't say it out loud.

"That's it for today. Unfortunately, Dan and Mel can't use magic. However, both of you have quite a bit of mana. It's useful for using magic items, so that's good."

Before I could offer any encouragement, Ridi did so.

"From tomorrow, only Zack and Sharon will have classes, but if you two want to watch, you can stay. It will be helpful if you work with magicians in the future."

Dan and Mel nodded with smiles and said they would come tomorrow.

"Sharon, bring your parents later. See you tomorrow."

Dan and Mel tried to go play, but since Sharon had to come, they decided to meet up later.

Sharon went back to her house to call her parents, Guy and Claire, while I and Ridi went to my grandfather's room.

When we found my grandfather, Ridi started speaking quickly.

"Zack is exceptional, but Sharon also has considerable talent. Govie, I'll teach her too."

My grandfather, slightly taken aback by Ridi's excitement, said, "Calm down."

"Sharon's parents don't know about this, do they? We need to hear their opinions before deciding."

Ridi seemed to understand and calmed down, showing a regretful expression.

I thought having magical talent was a good thing and didn't understand why it was a problem.

"Isn't having magical talent a wonderful thing?"

My grandfather smiled wryly and nodded.

"Generally, yes."

"But it's limited to those born into magical families or noble families."

I still didn't understand and tilted my head. "Why is that?"

"If the attribute is water, wood, or light, which can become healers, it's fine. Every village has a place for training. However, for ordinary magicians, to become successful, they need to apprentice to someone or enter a magic academy."

He then looked at Ridi.

"It's fine if Ridia can teach her. For a magician, it takes at least fifteen years to become proficient. If she can stay in this village for that long, it's fine. If not, we need to find a master. Partial knowledge of magic can be dangerous."

I looked up at her. Her expression was slightly clouded.

"You're right. I don't know how long I'll stay here, and originally, I was only supposed to teach Zack until he entered the academy."

"Is it difficult to enter the academy?"

"Indeed, the entrance exam is said to be difficult. But the bigger issue is money. The entrance fee is 10,000C (equivalent to 10 million yen), and it costs at least 3,000C per year. If you're the top student, you can get a waiver for the entrance fee, but if not..."

I understood what my grandfather was getting at.

(That makes sense. Partial knowledge can lead to ineffective magic or poor mana control, making it useless. In the worst case, it could lead to death from mana depletion. If Ridi can teach her, that's great, but it's difficult for an adventurer to take on a child as a disciple. So, the academy is the only option. The entrance fee and tuition are amounts that a poor village squire's family can't afford. What should we do...?)

Later, Guy, Claire, and Sharon came to my grandfather's room.

I couldn't participate in the discussion, so I left the room. I later heard that the usually reserved Sharon strongly insisted, and Guy reluctantly agreed.

Apparently, she cried and begged, promising that if she couldn't complete her training, she would never use magic again.

I thought it would be best not to leave any lingering issues for the future, but I reconsidered, thinking that Ridi might change her plans and continue Sharon's training.

(The future is uncertain. It's better not to crush possibilities and dreams. It's better to regret doing something than to regret not doing it. If it comes to it, I can earn money for Sharon. Maybe I should seriously consider making money from local specialties...)