Chapter 79

"EH? Father Paulo is calling for me?"

It was a few days after I had returned to the castle after completing road construction and other tasks. I heard from someone who came from the Balca village that Father Paulo, who was at the village church, was calling for me. It turned out that Father Paulo had been away from the village for some time, and we hadn't met at all.

I wondered if he was going to talk about the magic circle for naming. Everyone knew that I had granted magic to many people. At that time, I had also given everyone the surname Balca. However, I had originally learned the magic circle for naming from Father Paulo, who used it during the baptism ceremony. Back then, Father Paulo had said that naming was a blessing from God. I wondered what he would say if he found out that I was using it without permission.

I didn't want to go, but I reluctantly decided to head to the village church.

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"It's been a while, Ars. It seems you've been quite busy while I was away."

"Ah, Father, it's good to see you well. I haven't seen you in a while. Where have you been?"

"Let's put that aside for now. Do you know why I called you here?"

"Um, well, I'm just a kid, so I'm not sure."

"I'll be angry."

"Sorry. It's about the naming, right?"

"That's right. You've been naming people without the church's permission and even granting them magic. Do you understand what that means?"

"Well, I had no choice. When Kyle got injured, the soldiers drew their swords. I had to defend myself, and one of them ended up dead. I had to protect myself."

"…I see. When I see you, I realize how dangerous it is to be ignorant. I don't need your excuses. There's something I need to tell you this time."

"Look, I'm pretty busy, so I don't need a lecture…"

"Just listen. You need to understand magic and naming."

I had thought I would be scolded the whole time, but it seemed Father Paulo's intention was a bit different. He apparently wanted to explain the things I didn't know about magic and naming. Seeing that I was willing to listen quietly, Father Paulo began to speak slowly.

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In this world, there exists magical power, and it can be used to cast magic. This includes life magic granted by the church, the ice magic used by the Fontana family, and my original magic. However, I had been calling all of these "magic," but it turns out there are different terms depending on the level.

To put it simply, magic is something that is activated by chanting a spell. Life magic like "Light" and my "Land Preparation" are categorized as magic. However, there are also instances where phenomena are caused using magical power without chanting a spell. This is called sorcery.

Everyone in this world, to a greater or lesser extent, possesses magical power. Among them, there are people who can do things that ordinary people cannot using their own magical power. Some, like me, can till the fields without chanting spells, while others, like Baito and Vargas, can enhance their bodies using magical power. These are users of sorcery, which are techniques that use magical power.

The basics of sorcery involve enhancing one's own body, but there are also rare individuals who can manipulate elements like earth and ice. Among those who have honed their skills over a long period, there are some who can activate sorcery by simply speaking words. This sorcery that uses spells is called magic, and those who use magic are called mages.

Mages are rare among sorcerers. This is only natural. Achieving the exact same effect every time a spell is cast is not as easy as it sounds. It's like a master of the straight punch who has practiced it daily to reach a level beyond mastery. Creating magic is considered an incredible feat.

Now, could the magic used by these masters be made available to others? It's not surprising that someone thought about this. Over a long period, someone demonstrated how to do it. The emergence of the magicians.

Through the efforts of the magicians who once existed, the act of naming was used as a trigger to transmit magic. The magician who discovered this technique said that it was not solely his achievement but a gift from God. This is the origin of the Holy Light Church, which Father Paulo also belongs to.

Magicians use their own unique magic circles to transmit magic to others. This helped spread magic, which was previously only usable by a select few. In particular, life magic, which is necessary for everyone and used daily, was the most beneficial for the spread of the church. It was safer and less likely to cause suspicion to spread magic in this way.

"But the magician had another purpose. His true goal was something else."

Father Paulo, who had been explaining up to this point, said this. Listening to the story, it seemed to touch on the origins of the church and perhaps even its darker aspects. Was it really okay to tell me this? No, I had already learned the magic circle and had even named others. That's why there were things he needed to tell me.

"Ars, do you understand? Naming is, to put it simply, a parent-child relationship. It creates a clear hierarchical structure."

However, the content surprised me.

When naming is performed while the magic circle is activated, the named person can use the magic of the person who gave them the name. However, this is not a one-way relationship. The person who names the other is connected to the named person through a magical power channel. In other words, the person who names the other continuously absorbs a certain percentage of magical power from the named person.

Could it be that the recent increase in my magical power is due to this? I have named many people and granted them magic, but in reality, I have been continuously absorbing magical power from them.

"Ah, does this mean I've intruded into a forbidden area of the church without permission?"

"You understand well. This is a secret technique that only those in the church, like me, who hold a position higher than a priest, can use. You have overstepped into a sacred act. A smart person like you should understand how dangerous this is."

…This is bad.

Not only will I end up in a fight with the nobles who govern the land, but if I get into a conflict with the church, my life will truly be over. I might not be able to run away anywhere. Understanding the content Father Paulo had told me, my world turned dark.

Thank you for reading.

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