Chapter 106

Petrarch's explanation was concise and didn't explain much.

But because it was simple, it was powerful.

─ In the study of magic, magic is categorized similarly to miracles or good fortune.

─ The only difference is that magic is a bit more artificial and more controllable than miracles or good fortune.

For example, let's say there is a magic that allows you to randomly find coins.

When the magic user is clumsy, they might pick up a coin or two a day, but once they become accustomed to the magic, they will be able to pick up gold coins wherever they go.

So, I was convinced by Petrarch's explanation of it being magical.

Hasn't persuading someone certainly become easier and easier?

When giving orders to my subordinates or commanding troops, didn't things proceed smoothly?

Whenever I was in a predicament, my traits were exquisitely effective.

Because it is something that cannot be understood with human common sense, this is a magical thing.

It is magic.

"So, Lord Petrarch, you think I have a talent for magic."

"That's right."

"But I've never been told by anyone that I have a talent for magic."

"That, I don't know."

"Hmm."

It's difficult to explain the complicated situation I'm in right now. In any case, having a talent for magic is a good thing. The applications of magic are endless.

But can I really learn magic on my own?

It was an immutable truth that at times like this, one needs someone to teach them.

Coincidentally, there was a suitable person right in front of me.

"Lord Petrarch, by any chance, are you not recruiting new disciples?"

"No!"

"Yes, well, I thought so."

Petrarch cut me off flatly.

I knew that mages generally had eccentric personalities, so I didn't have high expectations either.

Petrarch also spoke without any hint of apology or awkwardness.

"I have my own work to do, so I can't stay in Fasa. It's overwhelming enough just teaching Esil."

"I suppose so. I just asked on the off chance."

"Instead, I have a gift."

Petrarch suddenly rummaged in the air and pulled out a book bound in red leather.

On the cover of the book, it was written in gold leaf like this:

Basic Magic Studies

It was a book that reminded me of a university major textbook. Its thickness, which seemed like it would make me dizzy just by looking at it, was a bonus.

Suddenly, all my confidence vanished.

"What is this?"

"It's a reward for the coffee."

"...Do you really think I can learn this without an explanation?"

"You'll get the hang of it as you do it."

"I've heard that somewhere before."

Isn't that what geniuses say every day?

It just works, you know? I looked at it and understood.

This is why mages are the way they are. They have no consideration for ordinary people.

In any case, it was a favor from a mage.

Not only was there no way to refuse it, but in the first place, they wouldn't have handed it over if it were impossible.

I had no choice but to think that way.

I spoke with a sigh.

"I will do my best to learn it."

"Good. Ah, and if you happen to get some good coffee beans, can you send them through Esil?"

"Coffee beans?"

"Yeah. They seem a bit different from the ones in Florence."

"That's probably due to storage issues. I'll look into it."

"Alright. I'll pay for them."

And Petrarch drank the last of the coffee left in the bowl and then stood up from their seat.

"Are you leaving already?"

"My business is done. Is there anything else?"

"No."

"Then that's that. Take care."

"Bye, mister."

Thwack!

Esil waved her hand to say goodbye to me and got a flick on the head from Petrarch.

Of course, since she was hit with a large bear paw, the shock Esil felt must have been more than just a simple flick.

Esil, with tears welling up in her eyes, bowed her head deeply while vigorously rubbing her head with both hands.

Petrarch apologized.

"Sorry. She grew up a bit ill-mannered because she's only been around mages."

"Not at all. It can happen."

"It's not easy since it's my first time raising a disciple. I'm worried she might cause trouble somewhere. That's why I had her do the mail service, but there's no sign of improvement."

"So that's what it was."

Petrarch sighed.

Even though I couldn't read a bear's face, at that moment, I could read Petrarch's expression.

Petrarch is worried about their disciple's lack of etiquette and social skills.

The logic is simple.

Because a child spends all her time in a closed-off mage society without interacting with others, she loses the opportunity for normal socialization.

In the first place, does this world have schools, training halls, or after-school classes?

There's only one-on-one apprenticeship-style instruction; the existence of public education was completely absent.

It's only natural that Esil's personality, growing up under such circumstances, would be out of the ordinary.

I noticed that now was my chance to make a move on Petrarch.

In that case, I! Leon Gryph!

Will open a Marine Corps, no, a mercenary corps camp!

When you think about it, our mercenary company is an expert in youth education.

I know this well because I've already tried it with the newcomers dispatched from Messina and Pescara.

What's so special about the training camp meta?

All I have to do is say, "Depending on your actions, this drill instructor can be a devil or an angel."

After working them hard like that, if you have them write letters to their families in front of a campfire at night, they all end up sobbing and looking for their families.

Isn't this the very process of socialization?

When I explained my plan, Petrarch frowned. Judging by the way they bared their fangs and growled, it was definitely a frown.

"Are you going to keep being so clingy?"

"But I don't think it's such a bad idea. As you've seen in Fasa, Fasa is now a place with more active human and material exchange than anywhere else. It will grow explosively in a little while. You won't find a better environment than this in Apennia."

"Hmm."

As I persuaded them like that, Petrarch shut their mouth.

They seemed to think it wasn't a bad proposal.

In any case, I didn't think Petrarch would accept it in one go either.

"I'll think about that matter later. For today, let's head back."

"Understood."

The mage and their disciple disappeared together into the noon street. It seemed they didn't come on a broomstick today.

After seeing them off, I looked down at the red leather-bound book remaining in my hand.

Basic Magic Studies.

The gold-leaf lettering reflected the light and glittered.

***

Actually, I was touched by the words that I had a talent for magic. I never thought that I, myself, not a game character, would actually get to learn magic.

Honestly, doesn't everyone dream of using magic at least once?

Didn't we all want to drop a meteor on our school at least once?

It was the same for me. I was at the point where I wanted to learn and use magic as soon as possible.

"No, I'm just starting to learn magic, but I was already getting ahead of myself."

I suddenly realized I was making a fool of myself and felt embarrassed.

I haven't even opened the magic book yet.

Deciding whether I can learn it or not, which skill tree to take or not, can be done later.

I glared at the cover of the Basic Magic Studies I received from Petrarch.

I'm sure it's full of difficult words; when am I going to read all of this? Will I even be able to understand it?

In Warlord Saga, it was nice because you could learn it automatically with just a few clicks of the mouse.

It was the moment I thought that and brought my hand to the book cover.

"Huh, what's this?"

Suddenly, the Constantine's Ring I was wearing on my hand reacted to something.

A purple magical light glittered along the surface of the ring. The leaked mana flared up in the shape of a flame and shone brilliantly.

In an instant, my vision flared up brightly as if I had been struck by lightning.

A shock as if my optic nerves were burning.

A flickering light filled my vision and sang a song.

A repetition of light and darkness, light and darkness.

Light, darkness.

Darkness.

A calm sea.

In a starless universe, I existed alone.

Only the pulsating sound of my heart proved my existence.

Thump-thump.

「You have entered the domain of ■■■■.」

「The place you have set foot in is ■■■■■■■.」

While floating idly in the darkness.

In that silence, someone broke the silence and spoke to me.

The incomprehensible humming gradually became a clear voice and penetrated my ears.

[Is th■s an■th■r o■e? T■o l■te. Y■u w■re wr■ng.]

What?

Who are you?

[Ca■'t y■u un■er■ta■d?]

[Pat■et■c.]

[Th■re w■n't be a■y h■lp th■s t■me. B■t th■re w■n't be a n■xt t■me e■th■r.]

What?

The voice spoke unilaterally.

Communication is not possible.

[S■.]

[G■ b■ck.]

Words I can't understand.

I try my best to understand, but.

Before that, the world contracted first.

I was folded in half countless times and became a single point.

Until I became the smallest point.

Infinitely.

Repeatedly.

***

"Hah."

When I came to my senses from the surreal experience, I was in the mercenary headquarters' quarters. It was confusing, as if I had dreamed.

Theo, who was reading a novel next to me, raised his head.

"Young master, what's wrong?"

"No. Did you not feel anything just now?"

"Feel what?"

Theo looked like he had no idea what had happened.

Then what just happened, did it only happen to me?

I looked back and forth between the ring and the magic book with confused eyes.

The only other time I had experienced such a strange phenomenon was when I borrowed the Constantine's Ring from the dead emperor.

But I didn't lose consciousness even then.

Could it be that Petrarch gave me a cursed item? No way. There was no sign of that.

I thought of all sorts of things, but no answer came. Maybe I just dozed off for a moment.

It's truly terrifying. A major textbook that makes you pass out before you even read it.

I don't think even university was that terrible.

Still, I have to read it if I want to learn magic.

The moment I opened the magic book.

The system spoke to me.

「You have learned Basic Mana Control.」

「You have learned Basic Mana Operation.」

「You have learned Basic Mana Regulation.」

「You have learned Basic Mana Adjustment.」

「You have learned Basic Mana Detection.」

「You have…….」

「Trait Acquired: Basic Magic A

The soul that has set foot in uncharted territory has witnessed the other side of the world.」

Information flooded into my head. Knowledge I didn't know. Things I wasn't aware of.

It was magic.

***

In Warlord Saga, there are basic skills that a mage must master to learn magic.

They are the starting point of the mage skill tree, the foundation of magic, and essential.

They are the operation, control, regulation, adjustment, and detection of mana.

All mages learn these methods, whether innately or acquired.

Of course, since skill points are limited, almost no one invests everything here.

Unless you're playing a concept character. Most people just get enough efficiency and move on.

So what just happened was far beyond my common sense.

I had never heard of learning magic in this way. Even in Warlord Saga, there was no such thing.

To confirm the facts, I quickly opened the Basic Magic Studies book. And I was bewildered.

"Huh?"

Because I understood all the contents of the book.

The complicated formulas that I originally wouldn't have been able to understand, the symbols I was seeing for the first time, their inherent meanings were immediately understood.

"No way."

It's truly unbelievable.

I was originally innately bad at math and a liberal arts major. I'm far from this kind of thing.

But it was also definitely true that magic knowledge I had never seen before was now in my head.

It was even familiar, as if I had known it for a long time.

I tried to move mana as I had learned.

Mana is power borrowed from nature.

I change it into an image within myself.

Wind. Yes, wind would be good.

The moment I made up my mind.

Mana responded.

The air in the room began to flow.

In the room with the windows closed, a gentle breeze blew from somewhere and gathered at one point.

I felt the power gathering in the palm of my hand.

A faint but warm feeling.

A distinctly formed purple flame danced on my palm, becoming a vortex.

I was naturally controlling the mana.

My impression of it was.

"Seriously. If you had this ability, you should have just given it to me right away. You're giving it to me now?"

I felt empty.