Chapter 7 - Episode Six: The Magic-Obsessed Boy Despairs Upon Learning Magic
In the summer of my sixth year, Ruria and I were summoned to my father's study. I had a good idea of what he was going to say. To be honest, I couldn't wait for this day to come, and I'd been training even more enthusiastically than usual.
The usual members were gathered in the study. My father, my mother, Mother Maria, and the two of us, making five in total. As always, I couldn't help but feel for Uncle Dani, the only one left out.
"Saki, Ruria. Starting tomorrow, you will attend my private academy to study magic."
"As you wish, Father."
"...Yes."
I replied energetically, while Ruria answered in her usual tone. The mothers began to discuss our future with joyful expressions.
"There are students of all ages at the academy, but they're all good people, so don't you worry."
"I've already had robes tailored for you both. You should wear them on your first day."
As the mothers got carried away, talking about having us try them on and ordering party outfits at the same time, I turned to my father with a question.
"Father. I would like to know more about what we will be able to learn at the academy."
"Ah, my academy doesn't just teach magic. You'll also learn the basics of reading and writing, as well as history and geography."
According to my father, there were about thirty students currently enrolled, but only about ten of them were studying magic with the goal of entering the magic academy. The other students, he said, studied the general education subjects he mentioned and went on to become merchants, soldiers, or officials. The curriculum, it seemed, was to study regular subjects with the other students in the morning, and then attend magic lectures in the afternoon with just the aspiring magic users.
"You mentioned the students' ages vary, but does everyone receive the same lessons?"
"We have separate material for students around your age, Saki, and for the older or long-term students. I'd like to tailor the teaching more to each student's proficiency, but the lack of instructors is a problem."
Currently, there was only one lecturer for general education, and my parents took turns teaching magic. Naturally, they couldn't handle it all, so the chief steward, Gill-san, sometimes helped with general education, and someone from my grandmother's line of disciples occasionally came to assist with magic. The thought that I might be subjected to Gill-san's stern gaze not just in the manor but at the academy as well made me inwardly groan, but I kept a straight face.
"Ruria-chan, you've gotten so much taller. Haven't you already overtaken Saki?"
"Their clothes stop fitting so quickly, don't they? But that just means it's more fun to dress them up in different things."
Hearing the mothers' voices, I glanced over to see Ruria sitting between them, already helping herself to the tea and sweets. They were chattering away at her, but she seemed engrossed in munching on the pastries. She appeared to be enveloped in a dazzling radiance.
It had been three years since I taught Ruria the Lesser Heavenly Cycle training. We had practiced every day, forging the light that overflowed from within our bodies. Ruria's progress was remarkable, and her radiance was clearly stronger than before. It was so bright it seemed to eclipse the light from the mothers sitting on either side of her, even though their own light was leagues brighter than that of an ordinary person.
Honestly, I thought Ruria had already reached a level where she could graduate from the Lesser Heavenly Cycle and move on to advanced training like the Greater Heavenly Cycle or the cultivation of the Yang Spirit. But since we started this as a form of magic training, I hadn't taught her, figuring it was best not to stray too far down the path of hermetic arts.
Hmm? Me? Well, I think my light is about as bright as Hanna's or Uncle Dani's now. Hahaha. Ha...
Still, even if it took me three years to reach an ordinary level, it proved the training was effective. Plus, as a recent byproduct of my practice, I'd become able to distinguish the differences in this aura-like light. The easiest to see were the lights emitted by humans, which could be reddish or bluish depending on the person. Plants were, without exception, a very pale yellow, and the particles of light in the air were almost colorless. Since colors have magical significance, this alone was fascinating. It was just a shame it wasn't particularly useful for anything at the moment.
Since the conversation seemed to be winding down, I decided to take my leave of my parents. I forced Ruria, who showed no intention of moving away from the sweets, to her feet and had her bow with me before we left Father's study. On the way back to the children's room, I spoke to her.
"We'll need to ask Hanna to help us prepare for tomorrow. Are you going to be okay, Ruria?"
"...I'll try."
"I'll be with you, so don't worry. You can count on me if you're in trouble."
"...Mm."
Ruria took my hand as we walked, nodding with a serious expression. Tomorrow, she would have to meet a lot of new people for the first time. I intended to support her as much as possible, but if things got to be too much, we'd have to consider letting her leave early.
We spent the rest of the day trying on the new robes Hanna brought us and checking the things we needed for tomorrow. Of course, neither of us skipped our daily dice visualization exercise or the Lesser Heavenly Cycle training. And as I went through my usual routine, my mind was filled with thoughts of the magic I would learn starting tomorrow. I felt just like I had in my previous life, a schoolboy the night before a field trip, as I drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, we left the manor gate and headed for the Arcalai family's private academy nearby. There were four of us. Myself, Ruria, our attendant Hanna, and Laz-san, my father's aide. He normally worked as my father's secretary, but the reason he was with us now was to act as our bodyguard. The area around our Arcalai manor was close to the royal castle, in the so-called Noble District, so it was safe. Even so, it was decided that a child and a young woman shouldn't walk outside alone, so he was assigned to escort us.
Laz-san, who was now a little over twenty, was tall and handsome, wearing the uniform of a noble's attendant with crisp precision. He remained popular with the women of the manor, and I often saw him being stopped in the hallway by maids wanting to chat. Laz-san was careful not to walk too fast, occasionally looking back to talk to us. He was a good guy.
"This area is mostly composed of the estates of noble families, but near the city walls, farther from the royal castle, there are also temples and shops. Of course, those are limited to a handful of major merchant houses that do business with the nobility."
Temples, he said. Come to think of it, I knew next to nothing about this kingdom's religion. We didn't say prayers at meals, and I had no memory of any religious festivals for the new year or at the change of seasons. I wondered what kind of religion it was.
"Are outsiders allowed to visit the temples freely? I'd like to go if I have the chance."
"I'm sure it would be fine with the master's permission. Magic users seem to visit the temples often, so I don't believe it would be a problem for you, Saki-sama."
Laz-san answered my question politely. Just then, Ruria tugged on my hand. I looked and saw her staring back at me with her usual expressionless eyes, before her gaze drifted to Hanna, who was following behind us. I hesitated for a moment, but then recalled the flow of our conversation and turned to Hanna.
"Oh! That's right, Hanna, your father's shop is around there too, isn't it?"
"Yes. But my father is a newcomer, so his shop is just a small, inconspicuous place off to the side."
"I'm sure that's not true. I'd like to visit your father's shop sometime, Hanna."
"I'm sure my father would be delighted if you and Ruria-sama were to visit."
Hmm, hmm. Time for one more push.
"Alright. Then let's plan a visit to Hanna's home soon. Laz-san, could we ask for your help then?"
"Of course. In that case, Hanna-san, would you please let your family know?"
"Certainly. I'll tell my father to be ready for Saki-sama's visit at any time."
Hanna seemed a little pleased as she replied. Laz-san also spoke to her with a smile.
After we finished talking, I glanced at Ruria, who met my eyes and gave a small nod. I felt as if her eyes were telling me, "Well done." It seems I had earned her praise. I didn't quite get it, but I decided to just go with it. And so, making idle conversation, we made our way through the quiet morning streets toward the academy.
The Arcalai family's private academy was located about three streets away from the manor. The grounds were larger than our own estate, surrounded by high walls. Inside was a lecture-hall-like building, with a large, warehouse-like single-story building attached to it. Guided by Laz-san, we went inside and met up with our parents in the entrance hall before heading to a large classroom.
"As I believe I have mentioned, my son Saki will be studying at this academy starting today. At the same time, his relative Ruria will also be joining. I trust you will all make them feel welcome."
My father stood at the lectern and introduced us to the students. The classroom was the type with long desks and chairs arranged in rows facing the front, where about twenty students were seated. As I'd heard, they were a diverse group, ranging from children slightly older than me to people who looked to be in their mid-twenties.
At my father's urging, I stepped forward... only to see Ruria grab our mother's robe and refuse to move. I went back and took the hand of Ruria, who was hiding behind our mother. I returned to the front of the lectern, but Ruria was completely hidden behind my back. Oh well, I'd just have to give our greetings like this.
"It is a pleasure to meet you all, senpai. I am Saki Adoni Arcalai, and this is Ruria Sharon. I will do my utmost to learn so as not to bring shame upon the names of my parents and my grandmother. I look forward to studying with you."
I bowed my head as I spoke. I could feel Ruria behind me, bowing as if prompted. Given that this was our family's academy and I was the heir to a noble house, perhaps I was being a little too humble. But one's station shouldn't matter in a place of learning. I raised my head to gauge the students' reactions, and they all responded with "Welcome," or "A pleasure to meet you." My heart swelled; these were indeed students of the Arcalai family, which wasn't fussy about aristocratic customs.
"Saki and Ruria, please take any open seats. The beginner's course students will remain here. The advanced course students will move to the next room and follow their respective instructor's directions. I will see you all later."
With that, my parents left the classroom. I waved back at my mother, who gave a small wave as she left, then led Ruria to a suitable pair of seats. Hanna did not leave, but went to the back of the classroom to observe our lesson. Laz-san had returned to the manor, as it couldn't be left unguarded.
As my parents left, the chief steward, Gill-san, entered the classroom. Mmph, so Gill-san is the instructor for the beginner's general education course. He didn't overhear my introduction just now, did he? Ruria and I reflexively straightened our postures.
"Well then, everyone, let us begin the lecture. As we have new students today, I will be explaining the history of our kingdom. Some of you may have already learned this, but there will be parts I did not cover previously, so please learn with diligence. Now then, let us begin with the founding of our Hanoku Kingdom..."
Gill-san stood at the lectern, and the lecture began. I took out the parchment and pen I had brought and began to write down the history of the country as Gill-san recounted it.
After the morning's general education lecture ended, we decided to return to the manor for lunch. I'd heard our academy even had a dining hall, but I judged that eating surrounded by strangers would be too much for Ruria. I felt bad for making Laz-san, our attendant and guard, go back and forth so many times, but he didn't seem to mind. This time, however, Gill-san, having finished his lecture, was with us, so we couldn't chat as freely as we had on the way there.
"Saki-sama, Ruria-sama. Was there anything in my lecture that you found unclear?"
On the way back to the manor, Gill-san posed this question as we walked down the street. I chose my words carefully in response.
"Not at all. The lecture was very easy to understand. I had learned some of what you taught today from Maria-san, but having a different teacher truly shows you different facets of the same subject."
"I am pleased to hear it. It is my honor if this old man was of some service to you."
Gill-san said, looking pleased. Ruria, for her part, just nodded silently, partly to avoid the snake in the grass of being corrected on her speech if she spoke carelessly.
In truth, ever since we could remember, Ruria and I had Maria as our tutor, and we'd already reached a certain level in our basic studies of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Both of us were so eager to learn that we were studying at a pace that made Maria fret, "If you learn so much, there'll be nothing left for you to learn at the academy!" To be blunt, my plan was to get through general education as quickly as possible and go all-in on studying magic.
And this afternoon, I would finally get to attend the long-awaited magic lecture. I wonder what magic in this world is like. I was so excited I could barely contain myself. Throughout lunch at the manor, my head was filled with thoughts of the magic I would soon learn.
Yes. I had truly been looking forward to it. Until that moment.
In the afternoon, we returned to the academy and went into the large, warehouse-like building next to the lecture hall. This place was apparently a magic practice area. The spacious interior had no floor, just exposed earth. Along the walls were targets like those at a shooting range from my past life, and things that resembled rolled straw targets used for sword practice. The atmosphere felt more like a martial arts dojo than a place for magic.
My father himself was apparently serving as the magic instructor. Lined up before him were about ten students, not including Ruria and me. They were all relatively young and wore robes just like we did. Since some of the students in the morning lecture had been wearing ordinary tunics and trousers, it seemed there was a rule that those learning magic must wear robes.
And as one would expect from students of magic, they all radiated a considerable brightness from within. This was yet another piece of circumstantial evidence that this aura-like light was related to magic. However, among the ten or so students, none seemed as bright as my parents. Third to fourth magnitude stars, perhaps. Still, it was frankly frustrating that they were all brighter than me. Just you wait, I thought to myself.
"Some of you were not present for the morning lecture, so I will introduce them again. This is my son, Saki, and my relative, Ruria. They will be studying magic with you all starting today. Please make them welcome."
My father stood before the students and introduced us once more. Ruria and I repeated our greetings (though again, only I spoke), and the other students bowed their heads in silence. Oh, unlike this morning, there's a solemn atmosphere here.
"Let us begin by reviewing the fundamentals of magic. Prepare the target."
Following my father's words, two of the older students came forward and ran to the side of the wall. They began to attach something to the rolled straw posts lined up there. Was that... armor? It was an impressive suit of metal armor, the kind a knight would wear, like I'd seen in encyclopedias and museums in my previous life. The torso piece was mounted on the post. There was no helmet, but it created a figure like a scarecrow dressed as a knight (torso only). After waiting for the students who had prepared it to return, my father began his explanation.
"Magic is the ability to use spells. There are three components to a spell. The sign, the incantation, and magic power."
...Hmm?
"Each spell has a corresponding sign. The caster draws the sign in the air with their fingertips and chants the spell's name."
...Hnmm?
"If the sign is drawn correctly and the incantation is spoken, the spell will activate. Upon activation, the spell will consume as much of one's magic power as it requires."
Hnmmm—?!
"Magic power lost when casting a spell will not recover without sufficient rest. Be aware that attempting to cast a spell without enough remaining magic power can lead to a sudden feeling of exhaustion or nausea. Now, I will demonstrate the casting of a spell."
With that, my father turned to face the armored scarecrow against the wall. He held out one hand and drew an oval shape in the air with his finger. The light I'd seen before appeared as a line, tracing his fingertip's path, and an oval materialized in the air.
"Magic Missile (Magic Arrow)."
As my father uttered the words, a single ray of light shot out from the oval sign in the air and struck the armored scarecrow. It was like a laser, over in an instant. By the time the BOOM! echoed, the armor had already been blown to pieces and fallen to the ground.
"This is one of the First Tier spells, Magic Missile. It is a fundamental spell for a magic user, but as you have just seen, it is still highly powerful. It can take out a heavily armored knight in a single blow from a distance."
My father's words were calm, but their content was quite grim. He looked over all the students, his words layered with admonishment.
"Magic users are feared because even a novice's spell possesses extremely dangerous power. That is why, as I always say, we magic users must be cautious when we use our spells. Do you understand?"
The students replied in unison, "Yes."
But I forgot to reply, and my father's continuing explanation didn't even register. At that moment, only a single thought occupied my mind.
This isn't what I expected at all.
We've finally reached the point where he starts learning magic. Even so, I can't shake the feeling that it ends at an awkward spot. I'd like to aim for a faster-paced story, but it's difficult. I'll keep doing my best.