NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 24
What comes to mind when you think of magic?
In games, offensive magic tends to be more common, but in TRPGs, which involve rolling dice even during travel, there are many practical and convenient spells for daily living. In a certain story about dragons and dungeons, there are countless spells like the one that creates vitality-filled meals or maintains a comfortable temperature around you, making you think, “Ah, I want this in real life too.”
A similar collection of spells was filled in the book I was handed. Upon reading the theories, I not only unlocked the ability to learn the spells but also gained proficiency as I went, an incredibly generous system that left me in awe… However, couldn’t this title, “One Thousand Spells for Housewives,” be made any less uninspiring?
While it’s true that magic isn’t common, it seems there’s a culture among the upper class to hire “Mago-Servants” who use magic for household chores, and there seems to be a demand for female mages in such circles.
Still, the fact that the first book I was given looked like something that could have a “Ultimate Guide for Marriage Hunting!” tagline was rather deflating.
See, the book was thinner than expected considering it was supposed to have a thousand spells, but for some inexplicable reason, the book itself was magically compressed. When I flipped it open, pages and pages kept coming, way more than its thickness suggested. Ugh, such a complicated spell for something so unnecessary!
“Household spells are fine by me. They’re pretty tiring though—”
With a wave of her hands, she ordered me to skim through and report back if I found anything necessary. Magic instructions would follow after that.
Can this really be so casually taught, something I had mentally prepared myself so heavily for?
I decided to first learn the spell “Invisible Hand” mentioned in the early chapters. From what I read — though the archaic and courtly phrases made it quite difficult — it seemed to be a lower-tier magic skill that extended an intangible field of force to touch objects.
I thought it was a pretty simple and versatile spell. I’ve seen countless scenarios where someone struggled to retrieve a spoon that fell between pieces of furniture.
“Ah, humans have to learn this? How inconvenient for you.”
As she casually mentioned this racial advantage, Lady Agrippina began lecturing me on the incantations. Thankfully, my memory enhancement made it easier to retain, but normally, I’d suggest having some notes ready. I might ask later.
In essence, both magic and sorcery revolve around willpower. One manipulates internal magical energy according to one’s will, shaping it into an external effect that interferes with the world.
If we consider magical power as water, “Magic Storage Capacity” would be the tank, and “Instantaneous Magical Power” would refer to the size of the outlet. The larger one’s storage capacity, the bigger the tank. The size of one’s outlet would determine the flow, whether it’s like a faucet or a fire hose.
…Thankfully, my stats are balanced, but it seems having one vastly superior to the other would be tough. Are there really people who suffer such imbalances?
“The incantations are verbal shortcuts because it can be hard to mentally visualize the spell. However, actions can complement the spell too, but fundamentally, you should think of it as mentally forming it and releasing it through your focus point. Of course, the visualization becomes stronger with incantations or actions, thus enhancing both power and precision.”
Even as she gave this lecture, I idly worried about trivial matters. I see, the incantations are like training wheels, and at higher levels, they can even serve as boosters.
“There are also catalysts sometimes, but… let’s leave advanced stuff for later, shall we?”
“Whoa, wait… what!?”
Suddenly, she jammed her hand into my collar. Too engrossed in the lecture, I didn’t react quickly enough to stop her from fumbling near my chest.
Was this not technically harassment? If I were a young girl, this would be a scandalous situation involving thin books.
“Ah, I thought you had something… didn’t expect such a nice treasure though.”
Lady Agrippina examined the stringed ring I’d received from the old man since the beginning of my journey and softly commented. As she pulled it closer to inspect, the ring somehow slipped through the string and wrapped itself around her thin fingers.
“Wha!?”
“Rare to see something like this nowadays. Where did you find it?”
My brain slowed significantly at this unbelievable sight. I struggled to articulate the story of receiving it from the old man. Since associating with Agrippina, physically impossible phenomena have become so common that I fear for my sanity.
Could she at least do things with more dignity, like a holy priest would? That way, I might have accepted all this as just magic.
“A generous mage… a ring of the moon, huh…?”
“Ring of the moon?”
“It’s made from rare materials. Though rare, it’s not that valuable. For almost a hundred years, the focus has been on power amplification rather than versatility.”
She lightly remarked that, as a simple focusing device for magic, it was convenient, and then handed it back. This ring can apparently function as a magical focus instead of a wand.
I remembered that the old man had a staff so cumbersome it couldn’t be concealed. Although this ring won’t allow for powerful spells, it’s practical enough for its size, and was praised as a generous gift. Seems like I received something unexpectedly valuable.
Isn’t this setup perfect for a magical warrior? Magic focus taking up only one hand, leaving room for wielding a sword at the same time—this is top-tier gear.
Alright, my direction has crystallized instantly. Not a mage-swordsman who uses both magic and a sword, but rather a mage-swordsman who weaves magic into his swordplay.
Though both may sound similar when spoken, their practical applications are vastly different.
A warrior who uses magic and a sword might employ magic from mid to long range and switch to a blade in close combat, somewhat like Roman soldiers throwing spears mid-charge to weaken the enemy before engaging with swords. It’s a standard style, but it often results in being mediocre at both front and back line roles, making the build rather challenging to execute.
On the other hand, the mage-swordsman I envision is more akin to “multi-action combat,” where small spells are cast as supplementary actions while engaging in up-close swordplay. A hardcore front-liner where magic is just an add-on, mastering only what’s essential and avoiding flashy attack spells, much like some distant past space warriors wielding glowing swords in combat.
Looking at it from a gaming perspective, I can use “Lightning Reflexes” to start with, cast a single spell as a free action, and still keep my main action—this is quite nasty. Not to mention, a front-liner who opens by buffing allies, debuffing enemies, and occasionally throwing spells at the backline when the opportunity arises becomes incredibly annoying to deal with.
Depending on the system, this kind of character can drastically limit the kind of enemies GMs can prepare. A dive into the backline for a beheading strategy can completely disrupt all plans.
While avoiding death is crucial, too much durability also poses problems, a GM’s constant balancing act.
From the player’s perspective, however, there’s no better feeling than crushing a meticulously planned GM strategy with an overpowered character. Do whatever the enemy hates first, no hesitation!
Yup, this character build makes perfect sense and is already getting fun! While listening to the visualization and magical construction processes, I eagerly learned “Invisible Hand” without hesitation.
Teaching and learning magic is surprisingly efficient. Unlocking abilities is a given, but learning directly reduces the required proficiency, and I even gain additional skill points just from being taught. The ability I’ve gained is indeed sly.
I managed to grasp the basics, and as instructed, mentally visualized the spellcasting. I could feel a strange sensation within me, forming something distinct. This formed energy swirled and intensified, flowing out through the ring on my left middle finger and manifesting into the external world.
A glittering, luminous band of light emerged from the focus device, following the set rules to take effect. The target was the string through which the ring was hung. Wanting to remove the string now that it was no longer needed, the “Invisible Hand” worked flawlessly, lifting the ring onto the air in front of me.
Is this… is this magic!!
Even the simplest phenomena can be deeply moving. This was the thing I had been searching for all along!!
Magnificent!!
“Wow, you got it on the first try… not bad at all!”
As I celebrated internally, to my surprise, she complimented me. Even a trivial spell that comes naturally to long-lived species is still difficult for humans, which she understood… or rather, comprehended upon teaching me. She was pondering how hard it was to teach humans during my spell practice, evaluating the difficulty of the endeavor.
It seemed I slightly surpassed her calculations.
“Well done, dear… um, is this how one should teach…?”
Lady Agrippina awkwardly patted my head, clearly inexperienced and unsure how to teach, especially when it came to dealing with children—evident from both her manner and dialogue. I silently apologized for my presumption earlier. Saying it out loud might be too embarrassing, so I’ll focus on diligent work instead.
“Alright, practice for now. We’ll reach the inn by evening or so…”
I bowed as she returned to her book, and I immersed myself in learning as instructed…
…
[Tip] Some skills can have their learning proficiency reduced through teaching. This is particularly evident in both magic and academia. No power can create something from nothing.
Upon waking, the “apprentice” who immediately began fussing and the “assistant” desperately trying to pacify him drew the attention of the talented researcher carrying the certification of the Magic Academy as a long-lived species. While pretending to read, her mind processed multiple thoughts in rapid succession.
This is why long-lived species can be called the high-end of “human species”.
In terms of physical prowess or magical talent alone, there are many species superior, even those surpassing the long-lived species:
The “ancient giants” who once ruled the peaks are now much fewer.
The bloodline of “fallen children” who bring miracles as naturally as breathing.
The “great spirits” that control natural phenomena as they manifest in the real world.
And the “vampire species,” blessed by gods to never truly meet true death.
Yet, it is this reason that these proud beings begrudgingly acknowledge the long-lived species’ dominance.
Long-lived species are naturally multitaskers, capable of juggling complex thoughts while handling quotidian tasks, maintaining far-reaching contemplations indefinitely. They excel as scholars, politicians, tacticians—there is nothing more terrifying than their multifaceted abilities.
Indeed, their simultaneous and intertwined internal debates allow them to produce highly accurate predictions. The fanatic calculations of a long-lived species immersed in one field border on future sight.
This is why defeating such beings is so difficult.
She, employing this characteristic fully, seriously pondered her siblings’ futures.
Her brother was surprisingly quick at learning. However, one case is insufficient to conclude the learning capabilities of humans. Moreover, the younger sister would likely need considerable time to master things fully.
It’s fine to reflect on her nature as a half-fairy. She should naturally handle magic based on her inherent attributes effortlessly.
However, this isn’t enough. It’s insufficient—insufficient to reach where they need to go.
The Magic Academy reveres knowledge over technology. Magic controlled by reason is recognized as true knowledge and valued.
Simply “being able to use” magic won’t earn respect. Wielding immense, innate powers without controlling them is akin to an infant flailing around with a random stick—it won’t lead to growth.
Society does not seek brute power alone. It acknowledges only logical knowledge that can be inherited and furthered.
Considering this, the Magic Academy desires not merely powerful “sorcerers,” but it will never allow them the title of “mage” without such control. As it is, her disciple would not graduate from the Academy if left in her current state。
Oh, I recall an occasion when someone barged into the Magic Academy, flaunting his innate magic, but after thirty minutes, he was politely asked to leave. A memory resurfaced among the otherwise impeccably stored recollections.
Who was his name? While long-lived species rarely forget, things of little interest are harder to retrieve. That’s why it took some time to remember the apprentice and assistant’s names.
This man was indeed talented with magic but lacked the ability to logically explain or further his skills, thus being rejected. While he might have been useful in gathering data, his lack of logic rendered him valueless to the Academy’s standards.
She must elevate her disciple beyond mere power, into logical, refined existence unlike that previous fool. This is the duty of a mentor, the responsibility she took upon herself.
Now, how long would it take to educate her disciple in reading and logical, deductive thinking necessary to be recognized with an academic paper?
The thought of it made her smile…
Because during this time, she could stay secluded without fieldwork!
Indeed, with rights come obligations. In the name of focusing on the education of her disciple, she could avoid various other tasks!!
Amusingly, she pondered if her academy’s faction leader, whom she had left, would react to her return. Especially after the regretful tone of the letter replied to yesterday, it would surely be an entertaining event.
The noble Baroness Agrippina du Stal internally muttered “serves you right” and began planning her grand, meticulous, yet absurdly trivial ambition….
[Tip] The highest rank at the Magic Academy is “Professor,” and their conference appropriately governs its core values.
Thus concludes the story of magic acquisition. May the Force be with you!
Jedi-style mage-swordsman are genuinely terrifying as assassination threats. Whether diving into the backline or disrupting formations by reaching with magic—both make plans crumble.
Moreover, enhancing magic strength to extend range would feel like a meta-defeat…
Brought to you by the Data Manipulators Guildmasters.
Next update expected on February 9, 2019, at 7:00 PM.