Chapter 42 - Astral Magic

Arakil was in a peculiar mood. Lily was one of his most enthusiastic apprentices and had shown great promise, yet she was beguiled by the foul Astral magic.

They ended their conversation last night. Arakil requested time to properly investigate Astral magic and its viability as Lily's chosen bloodline magic.

"I suppose it is my own fault for crafting an illusion of celestial bodies," Arakil admitted reluctantly.

He was forced to admit that its uniqueness and presentation value alone could certainly entertain a crowd.

"I suppose it's also fitting thematically for a bunny bloodline," Arakil continued to think aloud. "Rabbits are often considered a symbol of luck and good omen, so Astral magic would be fitting. The connotations of rabbits and the moon are also prevalent in several cultures and myths."

He'd asked Lily before what the Lagia race she was a part of was known for, and she had responded with speed and agility. They were one of the races in this world with no natural Mana and focused instead on physical development.

Mentioning speed immediately made Time magic a top contender for her perceived bloodline. Still, Lily was right in that unless she underwent some tremendous growth, she would not be capable of casting even the most minor spell from that category.

"What's done is done; it's no use crying over spilled milk," Arakil declared, putting his rant to rest.

Now, he needed to come up with a lesson plan on how to teach Lily. This world seemed to base most of its spellcasting on chants for general magic. However, chants were often dispensable for bloodline magic, and as Rose had explained, she could naturally form and control fire.

"It's closer to pyrokinesis than magic if I had to describe it..." Arakil murmured in thought.

Getting Lily to that level of proficiency wasn't inconceivable; it only demanded sufficient time and effort. Somatic spellcasting and other gesture-based magic could be one way for Lily to overcome the need for chants and would give the impression that she was naturally doing it.

"Of course, if nobody has even heard of Astral magic, just the sight of it alone might be enough for her to pass, even if she needs to chant..." He immediately shook his head; that was a lazy way of thinking, unbecoming of someone who once was deified for his magical prowess.

"Astral magic is virtually entirely unaligned... We could utilize that to our benefit. Under normal circumstances, I'd never suggest one harmonize their Mana Core to a particular category of magic, but this could give Lily the proficiency she requires to emulate a bloodline."

Harmonizing, aligning, or affinities was a tricky subject. While it would give you a boost in your selected category, you would close off doors. For example, focusing on a water affinity would lock one out of fire entirely and weaken related magics, such as lightning, while giving a partial boon to ice.

There were, of course, exceptions, and Astral was one of them. Being effectively neutral, it could be picked up and neither harm nor hinder other magical aspects. Lily could still be a generalist spellcaster by harmonizing with Astral magic, and off the top of his head, Arakil could only recall one form of magic incompatible with Astral; Curse.

Arakil chuckled to himself. "That shouldn't be a problem... I doubt Lily would care much for learning Curse magic, even if hexes and banes certainly have their uses."

The girl practically screamed and wailed at even the mention of blood despite it being such a readily available and potent resource to be used.

While thinking of Astral magic, a nugget of information sprung to mind. Astral magic had small subcategories related to Light, Dark, Heat, Cold, and even Void. Typically, he would scoff at the idea of using a subcategory from a branch of magic rather than the primary source as it was usually always the inferior option; why use lightning to start a flame when Fire magic is right there?

Likewise, with Astral magic, why would you bother using its variations of light spells over the school of magic that literally focused on the subject. However, that was certainly true for him, a Master Magus. But for Lily? It would give her some variety of magic while sticking to a singular school and trying to harmonize and specialize.

"Hmm... Perhaps I've overlooked subcategories as teaching aids?" Arakil asked rhetorically. "Starlight, Moonlight, and Sunlight are the three basic categories of light spells available to Astral magic. I can give Lily the incantation and somatic gestures for Starlight without worrying about her hurting herself."

The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. Life was full of surprises; if someone had told him he would one day be considering Astral magic useful , he might have banished them on the spot.

"Now the final question is... What is the best method to harmonize to Astral?" Arakil muttered. His eyes wandered to his endless supply of books, and he reluctantly sighed.

"I'll need to look it up..." Arakil admitted, turmoil evident in his tone. "Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever considered it, and so naturally, I placed no importance in committing it to memory."

This meant that, once again, his plans to restore some of his book functions would need to take a backseat. He'd hoped to use his saved reserves after Rose helped supply the ritual to better his present situation, but it seemed that fate had other plans in mind.

"Although once Lily has learned to imbue objects with her Mana, she should be able to supply me with some of her Mana. While I had hoped to repair the book's arcane eye or the telepathy, I might need to focus on the size-altering capabilities first. Then Lily could take me along with her..."

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If he could accompany Lily, he could not only provide information at the time, but conceivably, he could even siphon some of the ambient Mana after a monster's death. She could even use his book as an impromptu shield!

Arakil looked at his reserve of Mana and sighed as he began allocating it to search through his archive for tomes relating to Astral magic.

"I'm placing all my bets on you, Lily..."

***

Despite a restless night of frantic thoughts and delusions plaguing her mind, Lily woke up slightly early and felt surprisingly refreshed. Once she cycled her Mana, that feeling only grew, which delighted her.

I don't think I'll ever be able to run or jump like my mom supposedly did, but if I'm getting even a little bit healthier, then I'm certainly not complaining!

She got her morning preparations out of the way before finally retrieving Arakil's book. She'd learned early on the consequences of not preparing beforehand before getting lost in either a conversation or practice.

"Good morning, Arakil!" Lily said with unbridled enthusiasm. "I hope you slept well!"

[Good morning, Lily. I do not sleep per se; I sustain myself with a meditative trance, but thank you nonetheless. No doubt you are eager for the verdict, so I'll save you the anxiety; while a little unorthodox, I think Astral magic will be a good teaching aid and starting point for your foray into magic.]

"Yes! Thank you, Arakil!" Lily replied happily. Ultimately, she would have learned whatever he told her, but she was positively elated that he had considered her request.

[You're welcome. I'll be giving you a basic spell called Starlight as your first one to practice. It provides a subtle, gentle illumination that is both pleasing and soft on the eyes. Generally, it is preferred when some light is needed, but subtlety is also a requirement.]

"Starlight..." Lily mumbled happily. She loved the spell's name; it was precisely what she wanted.

[I'll give you the incantation chant for the spell, but that alone is not enough to cast a spell. With castings such as this, visualization is vitally important. You must enforce your vision upon the world to manifest a magical phenomenon. Likewise, you are required to gather your Mana to your vocal cords before chanting.]

Lily happily nodded, her ears flopping back and forth while drinking in Arakil's every word. This was exactly what she had been waiting for!

[It goes without saying that if you cannot speak, then the spell will fail. I will also be providing you the somatic gestures to cast the spell. Often, fledgling mages say these are trickier than a verbal chant or another form of spellcasting, but learning to quietly cast with hand gestures alone is a powerful tool for any mage's arsenal.]

Lily gulped; if Arakil was calling something tricky, it must be difficult. But she resolved to meet his expectations and couldn't help but think how amazing it would be to cast a spell silently.

[Focus on the chant first. Do not be discouraged if it takes a while to get it right, as the visualization and correct enunciation of the incantation are crucial. Gazing at the night sky might give you ample inspiration for visualization if you are struggling. I can try my best to correct your articulation, but being limited to text at present will, unfortunately, hamper that aid.]

"Don't worry, Arakil, I won't let you down!" Lily replied positively.

[I fully believe in you. Otherwise, continue your practice, especially controlling and gathering your Mana. Imbuing Mana will be critical later on. Once you are proficient in it, I'll ask that you imbue my book with some Mana so we can start repairing some of its functions. Changing its size will certainly be useful, and being able to talk to you will no doubt be of great aid.]

"Of course!" Lily responded with zero hesitation. "You've done so much for me; it's the least I can do. Plus, then we can actually talk!"

Lily was so excited by that prospect she had almost completely missed the rest of Arakil's message. When she reread it, she gasped in surprise.

"Your book can change size? That would be amazingly useful!" Lily reacted with excitement. "How big or small can it go? Could I put it in my pocket or basket? What else can it do?"

[Pocket size should be easy enough; as for other capabilities, I used to see through the eye on the cover, while the spiral on the back used to absorb knowledge, be they books or otherwise, to expand the archive. Finally, I used to be able to communicate telepathically.]

Lily lifted up the book and paid more attention to its cover. She saw the vague outlines of an inward spiral Arakil had mentioned and what must have once been the eye. Both looked like they once might have been a vibrant gold color, but now they had faded and flaked away, only the black leather cover remaining fully intact.

"I couldn't make it out before, but I think I see them now that you mentioned it..." Lily informed Arakil.

[It sounds like there is more damage than I realized... Hopefully, together, we can repair it. But let me quickly write out your instructions so that you can go about your day. Unless I'm mistaken, we have little time before you will be late.]

Lily shuddered. She did not want to experience Margit's wrath, so she quickly gave Arakil plenty of ink to write out his instructions.

A large portion of his instruction aimed to assist her in visualizing the magic, and another section was about collecting the correct amount of Mana within her vocal cords. Finally, he wrote out the chant, to which Lily wasted no time at least trying to read it out loud.

"Lumen stellarum duc ?" Lily tried phrasing it out, her tongue struggling over the strange way of speaking.

Obviously, she hadn't supplied any Mana or tried to visualize the effect, so nothing happened. She tried a few more times while Arakil wrote instructions on moving her hands for the other casting method.

Lily blinked at it wildly. Arakil had even tried drawing some pictures of the hand positions, but she desperately wished he could've physically shown her. Likewise, it came with instructions to gather Mana in her hands while performing the finger wiggles.

This seems a bit much... Lily admitted as she tried her best to make one of the hand gestures, frowning as she struggled to get her fingers to match the diagram.

When Arakil finished writing, she read through it all one more time before thanking him, putting him in his safe location, and hurrying to her class.

I wish I could just skip classes! Learning magic would be so much better!

"Lumen stellarum duc... Lumen stellarum duc?" Lily began whispering to herself, trying to practice the chant.