kscans

Chapter 274 - The Enchanter Speaks 4. What is Enchanting? (Part 2)

"Alright then, I’ll tell you... but I’m not sure I can explain it well, so I’ll just roughly trace the history of enchanting. Bear with me if it gets long, alright?"

With that preface, Omo explained that enchanting was born with the goal of "allowing those lacking aptitude or disposition to use magic." Since the premise from the very beginning was that the user’s aptitude and disposition were limited, complex and powerful magic was generally not a target for enchanting, and the number of formulas that could be enchanted was somewhat limited.

"Since the premise is that they can’t chant with spells, the formulas are compiled into the form of a ‘magic circle’ and enchanted. This means that the target object must have enough leeway to have these ‘magic circles’ engraved on it. This refers not only to area but also to things like magic power capacity. And so, in the very early days, what was often used was specially treated parchment or plant-based paper. What you’d call a ‘magic talisman.’"

"I see..."

"It developed greatly because you could draw as many ‘magic circles’ as the paper’s space allowed... but eventually, practical problems began to be pointed out."

"Problems?"

"Yeah. Magic talismans are basically single-use, so they’re expensive. But besides that..."

For adventurers fighting with weapons in hand, there was no time to leisurely free up a hand, take out a magic talisman, and then use it. Voices began to rise about how difficult it was to respond to sudden situations. It would be fine if they could prepare the magic talismans in advance, though doing so all the time would be difficult, but then their hands would be full with the magic talismans, making it hard to hold other tools. To solve this dilemma, the idea was born and spread that they could just engrave the magic circle on a tool they were already holding, like a sword.

"Is that what you call an ‘enchanted weapon’?"

"They’re sometimes called ‘magic swords.’ Well, the meaning of that word is also vague and complicated..."

"So it’s just a matter of whether it’s written on paper or not? ...Huh? Then what are ‘magic tools’?"

"That’s where it gets vague and complicated again... but to put it very roughly, things made of two or more formulas are usually called ‘magic tools.’"

"Oh...?"

To give an example, apart from cheap items, most magic tools are equipped with a mechanism to adjust the output. A lighting magic tool would have a brightness adjustment, and sometimes even a focus or flashing mechanism. The mixing bowl that Silica was boasting about the other day, a slightly higher-end model, also had a mechanism to select the rotation speed. Of course, it wasn’t continuously variable like Silica’s creation, and the rotation speed was apparently more modest.

Conversely, enchantments on weapons and tools are often single-function. When enchanting a tool with magic without impairing its original function, complex formulas are difficult to engrave. He said it inevitably had to be a simple function.

"Not only that, but the starting point was to respond immediately to sudden situations, so a simple formula that can be activated instantly is more convenient."

"I see..."

Technically, multiple enchantments are not impossible, but in that case, switching between which of the multiple magic formulas to activate doesn't always go smoothly. In combat, a moment's delay or hesitation can be fatal, so it seems to be avoided. To solve those problems, advanced enchanting techniques and rare materials or catalysts are required, which ends up increasing the cost and making it more difficult to purchase. Well, before that, there's also the problem that materials capable of multiple enchantments are quite limited. "Come to think of it, they did say something about the number of enchantment slots..." Yuri recalled game knowledge from his past life.

In any case,

"The difference between enchanted items and magic tools is quite vague, isn't it..."

"Well, to put it simply, these distinctions are not based on the content of the magic, but on the user's perspective."

For example, when you want a ready-made magic tool, you visit a magic tool shop, and when you want to have a tool you own modified, you visit an enchanter... They seem to make a sort of intuitive distinction like that. So magic tool craftsmen and enchanters also have to differentiate themselves according to customer needs, and that’s how they’ve come to be vaguely categorized.

"I see..."

"However, because of the ‘customer’s perspective,’ or rather, a misunderstanding, the definition of ‘enchanting’ has become even more dubious..."

From the idea that "enchanted tools have improved performance," a misunderstanding arose that "improving a tool’s performance is enchanting," and that misunderstanding has become widely accepted. This is because,

"For example, suppose there’s a request to ‘improve the cutting performance of a sword.’"