Chapter 8

It has been a year since I started the clairvoyance training with the oracle cards.

I am seven years old, and Giselle is five.

Now, when I concentrate on the back of the oracle card, I can vaguely see the image on the front in my mind.

I can predict the oracle card with perfect accuracy.

It seems that even adults of the Maaren clan can hardly do this.

It was good that I continued training from a young age. Perhaps I was born with talent.

Still, this is possible because the oracle cards themselves have magic power; I cannot see through walls.

It is not about practicality but rather a form of magical training.

I cannot peek at people bathing or changing clothes.

There are apparently ways to make it possible with spells and magic circles, but I cannot handle such magic yet.

"Draw a spirit"

I extend my hand into the air, holding a book of magic.

This is the spirit language, or spell, used to call upon the spirits in the atmosphere to assist in casting magic.

Complex magic requires one's own magic power as the driving force, and by using spells to call upon the spirits and magic circles to give them complex instructions, it can finally be accomplished.

In short, most things that can be done with magic power alone are simple.

By using spells to interfere with the spirits, one can cause phenomena such as ignition.

Furthermore, by drawing magic circles, one can control these phenomena freely.

There are exceptions, but this is the basic principle.

To put it simply, magic power is the wage, spells are verbal commands, and magic circles are blueprints.

The current spell is for drawing a magic circle.

It allows me to transcribe a shape from my mind into the air with the help of the spirits.

This is a simple magic that only gathers light, so no magic circle is needed.

It would work if I drew it with ink, but once I get used to it, this method is much faster.

However, the accuracy and speed depend on the practitioner's skill, so practice is essential.

This time, it's just practice, so I'm not drawing a magic circle.

I'm drawing Giselle's face.

It took about ten minutes to draw, from the luster of her cheeks to the texture of her hair, down to the fine details.

I'm glad it succeeded.

The last time I tried to draw Giselle's face in the air with a spell, it came out stretched and fat, and Giselle cried.

Being used as a model is fine, but being drawn as fat is unpleasant.

It might have been tough because the original shape was still somewhat recognizable.

Phew, being a big brother is tough, having to play with my sister and train at the same time.

But, I enjoy it, so it's all good.

"Amazing, it looks just like me!"

Giselle cheers happily.

I stop the magic after watching her, and the image of Giselle in the air dissipates into the air.

"Aww..."

Giselle whispers sadly.

Forgive me, Giselle. It takes a considerable amount of magic power to maintain the shape.

However, it took me ten minutes to draw Giselle's face.

Of course, I can transcribe simple shapes in about ten seconds, but even with magic, it might lack practicality.

It takes a lot of effort to launch a single fireball.

I have to chant a spell to draw the magic circle in the air and then another spell to ignite the fire.

"Draw a spirit"

I chant while extending my right hand into the air, looking at the magic circle drawn in the book.

It's a magic circle to contain and launch fire in a spherical shape.

It doesn't create fire but rather creates a path for the fire to travel. I need to chant a separate spell to ignite it.

Spirits are inflexible beings.

They seem to understand spells, but it's questionable whether they can be considered living beings.

They don't seem to have much will. They might just be reacting reflexively.

According to the book, spirits are a mixture of the thoughts of living beings and fragments of their souls that reside in the land and objects.

The book states that there is no place without spirits, though the concentration may vary.

"Control the fire with this hand"

I have to suppress the power to the minimum to avoid igniting the tree.

The flame born from my hand formed a sphere. I launched it straight.

It hit the ground, burst, and quickly disappeared.

"Wow! Amazing!"

This is the first time I've shown Giselle the magic of launching a fireball.

It was difficult to control the direction, so I only practiced when I had time alone, fearing I might hurt her.

Giselle is excited by my magic, but I am not satisfied with this magic.

"Hmm..."

At my current level, it takes nearly twenty seconds to complete the entire process.

In my fantasy, I would be beaten up by goblins while chanting spells.

When I think about it realistically, it's not very promising.

A bow and arrow seem much more practical.

With more training, I could launch it faster, but fundamentally, wouldn't a bow and arrow be sufficient for hunting?

There used to be wars, but from what I see in our village, there's almost no trace of that.

It's unlikely that I'll be shooting magic at people in this village.

Moreover, if everyone can use it, it wouldn't even be considered a magic trick.

Oh, could that be why everyone doesn't put much effort into magic?

N-no, that's not true.

Because it's magic, magic.

I've poured my entire childhood into it.

...I'll stop thinking too deeply.

No, surely it will be useful for something.

In any case, I can't turn back now.

I have to master magic.

However, it seems I'm approaching the limits of what I can learn from the books at home.

It's good to solidify the basics, but I want to do more.

There are many parts I don't fully understand and many questions. I need a magic mentor.

Maybe I should consult my father.