Chapter 20

In Ridi's room, the magic was successful, and I became a "Mystic Swordmaster."

When I returned to my room and checked not with the Orb but with the "Reference" skill, I saw that the Water attribute had been added to the magic section, and its level was 0.

Level: Mystic Swordmaster 2

Skills: Swordsmanship 2, Athletics 6, Negotiation 30, Calculation 70

Magic: Water 0

(I'm a level 0 mage. I heard from Ridi that when you can use magic, you become a Mystic *Something* Master, so I'm not surprised, but level 0 is a bit awkward. Does it mean I can use it, but it's not very useful?)

By the way, I've been moved to a single room since coming out.

My father and the others must be concerned about me, an adult man, sleeping next to them.

I also don't have to worry about them whispering at night, so it's actually quite convenient.

(It would be great if I had a younger brother or sister.)

Anyway, when I returned from Ridi's room, I still had more than half of my mana left.

(Should I practice magic? Fire seems dangerous, and wind makes noise... Hmm, the easiest to imagine is probably light. I'll try creating a light source as a substitute for a magical lamp.)

I casually tried to create a light.

"O God of Light, grant me the power of your servant, the Light Spirit. I will offer my life force in exchange. Shine, Light."

I chanted the spell while imagining a low-power LED light to save mana.

With the activation of the magic, a bright white light appeared from my right index finger. When I quickly turned it off and checked the mana consumption, it was indeed as low as expected.

(I succeeded surprisingly easily. The mana consumption is low, and with this light, I could probably create a light sword like a knight fighting against an evil empire. "May the light guide me" kind of feel...)

At that moment, I was quite excited about my first successful magic, and I was quite elated.

My MP was still more than half, at 45 out of a maximum of 82, so I thought it would be fine to use a little more.

I approached the open window,

(If a lightsaber turned into a laser gun, it would be a disaster. It should be fine if I aim it at the sky, though.)

I pointed my finger outside and began to chant the spell.

"O God of Light, grant me your radiant power, the Holy Light. I will offer my life force in exchange. Emerge, Light Rapier."

I recalled a movie and slightly modified the spell, thinking that the power of a god would be stronger than that of a spirit.

As I expected, a bright, welding-like light appeared in the form of a rod.

Before I could rejoice at my success, I was hit by intense nausea and a fatigue like I had just run a full marathon, and I lost consciousness.

I don't know how long I was out, but I woke up to the hard floor.

(What happened? What exactly...?)

I forced my confused mind to calm down and slowly recalled what had happened before I collapsed.

(I tried to create a light sword. I think I managed to do it, but I immediately lost consciousness. Maybe...)

I hurriedly used "Reference" to check my status.

My MP, which had been at 45, was now down to 1, and it seemed I had indeed run out of mana.

(It must have been a huge mana consumption, even though it was only for a second or two. How much MP will I have when I'm an adult? I saw it during character creation, but... At this rate, it won't be practical. Oh, I shouldn't be thinking about this now. I need to consider the impact on my body...)

I tried to stand up slowly but was hit by a severe headache and pain in my joints, making it difficult to get up. I managed to roll onto my back, feeling like I had a terrible hangover.

(It's worse than I expected... Indeed, running out of mana is dangerous. It's a good thing it turned off automatically, but if I had continued to consume MP, I might have died...)

After lying down for about five minutes, I felt a little better.

I checked again with "Reference," and my MP had increased to 2.

(If it recovers by 1 in five minutes, it would be 12 in an hour. So, it should be fully recovered in seven or eight hours. Well, let's head to bed.)

I slowly stood up and walked to the bed.

When I climbed onto the bed and lay down on my back, I thought about what had just happened.

(Without a mana gauge, using magic without checking the consumption is dangerous. Overpowering the spell was also a cause, so I need to figure out the consumption based on the type and power of the magic. I might also ask Ridi about magic levels and MP consumption... I'm tired. I'll just go to sleep today.)

I fell asleep without changing my clothes.

The next morning, I woke up at the usual time, but I still felt a bit tired. When I checked, my MP was not fully recovered, only at 50. I realized I had collapsed on the bed about four or five hours ago, around midnight.

(I didn't feel this bad when my MP was at 45 last night, but now it's worse even though it's at 50. It might be because the body's fatigue wasn't fully recovered as the mana recovery was prioritized. Ridi probably wouldn't understand this, and if I ask, she might question why I think so. I'll just keep it to myself.)

I dragged my tired body to the morning training.

Despite my fatigue, my physical performance wasn't bad, and I managed to complete the morning training without any issues.

However, my grandfather commented, "You seem a bit tired," and warned me, "Don't overdo your magic practice." I wasn't sure if he was referring to what I was doing in my room or in Ridi's room, but I resolved to pay more attention to my remaining MP from now on.

After my afternoon nap, my MP was almost back to normal, and I felt better.

The lecture covered the various attributes and became more specialized.

Dant and Mel had given up on listening and started reading books.

After the lecture, I continued Sharon's mana sensing training and read the magic book Ridi had brought.

The book seemed to be a specialized text, detailing the characteristics of each attribute.

First, some attributes repel each other: Fire and Water, Wind and Earth, Light and Darkness, Wood and Metal. These are called opposing attributes, and mages who can use opposing attributes are rare. Therefore, Ridi, who can use four attributes, is considered an exceptional mage.

Each attribute has its specific characteristics and symbolic features associated with the attribute gods.

Fire: "Flame" and, symbolically, "Heat" and "Power"

Light: "Light" and, symbolically, "Regeneration" and "Purification"

Wind: "Wind" and, symbolically, "Immateriality" and "Space"

Wood: "Plants" and, symbolically, "Change" and "Growth"

Water: "Liquid" and, symbolically, "Life" and "Circulation"

Darkness: "Darkness" and, symbolically, "Spirit" and "Death"

Earth: "Earth" and, symbolically, "Matter" and "Gravity"

Metal: "Metal" and, symbolically, "Fixity" and "Eternity"

These are the characteristics of each attribute, and it's inefficient to imagine phenomena that don't align with these characteristics.

For example, summoning a material object with Wind magic is difficult, and manipulating air with Earth magic is also challenging. However, it's not impossible; with vast mana and strong imagination, you can perform similar feats with opposing attributes.

Using multiple attributes simultaneously in compound magic is theoretically possible but not yet established as a technique.

One reason is the lack of spells that can convey the image to two attribute spirits simultaneously. Spells typically start by invoking the name of the relevant attribute god, making it difficult to invoke two at once.

If you try to cast a spell by invoking the names of two gods, it either won't activate or, if it does, it won't match the intended image. The consensus is that the spirits providing the power become confused.

It's said that a few people skilled in non-verbal magic can use compound magic, but it's unclear whether it's truly compound or just a complex single-attribute spell, so the existence of compound magic is unproven.

(So, the common water and fire steam explosion is impossible. Most steam explosions in novels ignore the theory, anyway.)

As a side note, there are two types of steam explosions: contact interface and full reaction.

In an open space, only the contact interface type can occur, which happens when water comes into contact with high-temperature fine particles. Fine particles have a relatively large surface area, so they rapidly transfer energy to the water, causing it to boil quickly. The rapid expansion of the water's volume results in an explosion.

In other words, if you put fire into water, it will either just boil or the fire will go out. If you have the advanced skill to shoot millions of flame needles, you might consider a steam explosion, but if you have that level of skill, it's more practical to just shoot the needles directly for a more controlled and effective attack.

(If I were to use a steam explosion... I'm getting ahead of myself. I can't even use Fire magic yet. Anyway, being able to use all attributes might be something I shouldn't boast about too loudly.)

After dinner, I decided to practice magic again.

I had already informed my grandfather and father, so I could use magic outside without any issues.

"Your mana is well-restored. Let's try some magic that doesn't use much mana. Think about it first."

I tried to use one of Ridi's Wood magic spells, but I couldn't think of a simple one.

(With Wood, I can think of making a seed sprout, making leaves grow, or moving a branch. The symbolic "Growth" is hard to imagine.)

When I said I would make a seed sprout,

"That's quite a challenging start. Let's begin by making the existing grass grow."

Ridi placed her hand on the grass and chanted the spell.

"O great God of the Forest, grant me the power of the life-nurturing spirit. I will offer my life force in exchange. Grow."

In the dark courtyard, a faint green light seemed to emanate from her hand, and the grass slowly grew where the light touched.

(That's amazing. If this can be done, there would be no bad harvests, right?)

As I was amazed, she smiled and said, "Now it's Zack's turn," standing up.

I nodded and slowly placed my hand on the grass, chanting the same spell.

I imagined a time-lapse video of grass growing. As I visualized the grass growing, it slowly started to rise. When I poured more mana into it, I could see the grass growing bit by bit.

After about ten seconds, the grass had grown about 5 cm, but the mana consumption was around 40.

(The consumption is higher than I thought. This wouldn't be practical for agriculture. At best, it might be useful for special herbs.)

As I checked my status, Ridi's exasperated voice came from behind.

"You did it again? You're such a difficult student to teach... Well, how much mana did you use?"

"About half. It takes this much mana to make such a small piece of grass grow."

Ridi countered my observation.

"Of course. Even with the spirit's power, forcing a plant to grow that doesn't naturally grow quickly is against the laws of the God of the Forest. That's why it consumes a lot of mana."

(That's the Elven Guardian of the Forest speaking. Indeed, that makes sense. But what if it were used on a human? Promoting cell-level growth might not be applicable to animals.)

"There are also tricks to increase the power of each attribute. It's too early now, but I'll teach you eventually."

(Tricks, huh? I want to learn them, but my current MP won't cut it. Now is the time to build a foundation.)

After that, I practiced creating wind, and my status now showed Water, Light, Wood, and Wind attributes.

From the next day, I also practiced other attributes, and all attributes were eventually listed on my status.

Regarding Sharon's magic training, it wasn't going well.

At first, she could sense mana quickly, but after that, she struggled to do so consistently.

(She might be putting too much pressure on herself. Sharon is serious, so she might be trying too hard... Still, being able to sense mana at four years old is quite impressive.)

I made a suggestion to Ridi.

"You can sense it when Ridi is with you. The key is to grasp the feeling of something inside your body. Is that correct?"

"Yes, mostly. But you don't usually feel something inside your body."

"Can I try something? Of course, it's safe."

I explained the idea to Ridi, and she agreed.

The next afternoon, Sharon's mana sensing training began.

I prepared a warm drink and a cold fruit, well-chilled from the well.

"Let's try something different. First, drink this warm tea."

Sharon nodded and started drinking the warm tea, blowing on it.

When she finished,

"Is your stomach warm now? Try to sense the mana with your hand."

She placed her hand as instructed, trying to sense the mana, but she whispered, "I can't feel it."

Next, I gave her a cold fruit, something like a plum.

"Take a bite and swallow it. Try to feel where the coldness goes."

She nodded and took a bite with her cute mouth, swallowing the soft part.

When I asked, "Where is it now?" she pointed to her chest.

"Try to sense the mana again. This time, remember how the fruit went into your stomach."

Sharon, with a serious expression, placed her hand from her chest to her belly.

Her expression changed slightly as if she felt something, but it still didn't work.

However, after practicing with Ridi, she could sense mana on her own.

Sharon happily exclaimed, "I did it! Zack-sama! I did it!"

I patted her head and said, "Good job," and made her practice repeatedly to remember.

Later, when we were alone, Ridi pouted.

"Ugh, it's so annoying. In the end, you're better at teaching," she glared at me.

"Okay, okay. Don't make that face. I just gave a hint, and you helped her understand," I tried to calm her down,

(But seeing her like this is so cute. Is this what they call "cute contrast"? I don't really get it...)

By mid-September, Sharon's mana sensing training was complete.

Mel's Swordsmanship level had also risen to 2.

When I can use Light magic, I should try this.

(I would probably call it a beam saber, though.)