by D. S. Craig
I watched as Lesti drew three magic circles in on her parchment. I still didn’t know how to read magic runes, but I could tell these circles were different. For one thing, they contained fewer runes than most of the spells I had seen. This also allowed them to be written in a more compact form.
“So, these are the components of Aqua Sphere then?” I asked Lesti as I continued to examine the circles. “What do they do?”
She began excitedly pointing at the circles she had drawn. “This one just gathers the necessary water for the spell. Meanwhile, this one will shape the water into a sphere and hold it there, and this one controls launching the sphere toward the specified target.”
“Okay, that all makes sense so far, but how exactly is breaking it down like this useful?”
“I was hoping you’d ask! If you just combine them like this with these runes…” With a massive grin on her face, Lesti once again started scribbling on her parchment. When she pulled away, there was a magic circle, unlike anything I had seen before scribbled on the page. A single large circle had the three circles she had written before copied inside it, with several of the runes from Thel’al’s devices copied between them.
“So, if I’m correct, this circle would allow you to cast Aqua Sphere. Amazing, isn’t it?”
“Yeah! It seems really amazing. You managed to write out Aqua Sphere in a more complex format.” I stared at Lesti, not even trying to hide the sarcasm in my voice. I just couldn’t see how this was useful.
“You don’t get it at all!” Not one to be stopped by a single quip from me, she continued with her enthusiastic explanation. “Now that I’ve broken the spell down into components, each one is reusable! Any spell that gathers water can use this same circle, and any spell that requires targeting can use this one.”
Slamming her finger down on one of the runes between the circles, Lesti grinned even wider. “Even more importantly though, with these runes, I can specify the number of targets and the spell will gather more water according to the number, shape that many spheres, and launch them all at their targets. I could go even further and separate the target count from the sphere count, but that can wait for a future test.”
“So, with this, you could make multiple aqua spheres all at once? You don’t have to cast the spell multiple times?” I looked at Lesti, hoping that I wasn’t making a fool of myself.
Fortunately, she just smiled back at me and nodded. “That’s right. I knew you would understand.”
“O-of course I would.” I averted my eyes to try and hide my embarrassment. However, my twitching tail gave away my true feelings. “Still, why do I feel like I’ve seen something like this before?”
I sat there pondering Lesti’s example for a bit. Meanwhile, she excitedly explained the whole thing once again to Aurelia, who had come over to join us. I thought back through everything that I had been through in the last few months, all the way back to my training with Skell, and that was when it hit me. A specific memory from my training flashed before my eyes. A terrifying nightmare of countless Aqua Sphere spells being launched at me by a massive black dragon.
I found myself suddenly suspicious of Skell and Frederick. I knew they were both strong, but as Lesti learned more and more about magic, I found the things the pair were doing defied this world’s common knowledge. First, it had been Frederick with his advice to Lesti on the familiar pact; now it was Skell with his repeating spells. Just where did those two learn all this?
“So, does the summoning circle not use runes like these?” I returned my attention to the girls as Aurelia asked Lesti about the summoning circle. Her question was something I was curious about myself. Why was Lesti only discovering this just now if she initially learned about magic runes from the summoning circle? It was one of the most complicated spells in the world. Surely it had to use the concepts she was describing here.
“Well, that’s the odd thing. It doesn’t use these runes at all.” She quickly pulled out another piece of parchment from her things that had a miniature version of the summoning circle on it. “Based on what I’ve seen, it uses some of the same concepts, but in a simpler form. Instead of relying on runes to chain the spells, it separates the circle into separate rings for each portion of the spell. They then appear to activate, starting from the inner ring and making their way to the outer ring. If I had to guess, I would say this spell pre-dates the runes we’re looking at, and no one bothered to update it once they were created.”
“So, you think the summoning spell could be simplified then?” I looked at the circles on the parchment as my curiosity began to pull me in.
“Yeah, it could probably be broken down into its components just like Aqua Sphere.” Lesti furrowed her brow. “I wonder why no one ever bothered though?”
Lesti gazed at the parchment that the summoning circle was written on with a thoughtful look on her face. I knew that look. If I didn’t step in now, she would start trying to break the entire thing down here and now. Knowing we didn’t have time for that, I stopped her.
“You can worry about that later. For now, it’s time to get packed up. We have to get back to class.” I turned and headed for the door. “If we’re late again, Malkael is going to get mad at you for sure.”
“Alright. I’ll get packed up, so just wait for me, okay.”
Lesti started packing up all her materials. Once she was done, we all headed back to the classroom for afternoon classes.
* * *
“So, in closing, while imagining the final product of your spell is important, understanding the individual steps needed to get to that outcome will increase spell performance and produce overall better results. Now, any questions before we end for the day?” Malkael scanned the classroom as he finished his lecture.
Lesti, for her part, wasn’t paying any attention. Since she already used instruction-based magic, most of these concepts were already familiar to her. On the other hand, I found it incredibly fascinating. I could see how Malkael was slowly laying the foundations for students to transfer over to using instruction-based magic by getting them to think about the necessary steps their spells had to accomplish along the way.
“Well, then, if there are no questions, then class is dismi-”
“Instructor Malkael, did you not have a special announcement you wished to make at the end of class today?” Alex cut off Malkael before he could end the class.
“Ah, yes. Thank you for reminding me, Mr. Bestroff.” Malkael opened the notebook that he always kept his class notes in before continuing. “As you all are surely aware, with spring arriving soon, a major event will soon be taking place here at the academy, the spring tournament.”
Malkael paused his speech and looked up at the back row where we were sitting. “First, I’ve been asked to pass on a special ruling from the headmistress. Ms. Vilia and Ms. Aurelia, both of you will be forbidden from using your familiars during the tournament. This is to maintain the integrity of the competition since your classmates have yet to receive their familiars.”
Lesti grinned and puffed out her chest. “Trying to level the playing field, huh? Fine by me. I’ll win it all anyway!”
“I’m glad to see you understand,” Malkael replied in a sarcastic tone, causing a wave of chuckles to pass through the class. “Anyway, my second piece of news is that we’ll begin holding special classes to prepare for the tournament beginning tomorrow. We’ll go over the rules of the tournament, practice our practical applications of magic, and even have a few sparring sessions.”
At Malkael’s mention of sparring sessions, a wave of excitement passed through the class. It was understandable, seeing as they rarely got to compete against each other directly. Outside of the practical exam, most of their time was spent learning magical theory and refining the power and control of their spells. This would be an opportunity for them to see how well they measured up against their fellow students on the field of combat.
Malkael waited for the excitement to pass with a smile on his
face before continuing, “Therefore, starting tomorrow, classes will be held on the training grounds in the afternoon. The other classes will also be using the space for their own practice, so make sure to be on your best behavior. As members of the first class, you all act as representatives of your year.”
“Any questions?” Malkael paused and scanned the classroom one last time. “No? Then class is dismissed for today. I’ll see you all bright and early tomorrow.”
Upon being dismissed, the class broke out into an excited fervor as everyone began talking about the tournament preparations. Several of the nearby students glanced over at Alex as they chatted amongst themselves. It was clear they were worried about having to spar against him. Being the top of their year by a rather large margin, he was an intimidating foe. Most students would want to avoid fighting him.
However, there was one student who was an exception to this rule. Before I could even react, Lesti confidently marched down to the front of the class. With her usual fearless grin, she pointed her finger at Alex. “I hope you’re ready, Alex. I’m coming for your number one ranking!”
Alex let out a heavy sigh before looking over at Lesti with an unamused expression. “What are you even talking about? You know the tournament doesn’t affect our class rankings, right?”
“O-of course, I know that!” Lesti sputtered, clearly flustered by Alex’s response. “Still, if I win, then everyone will have to acknowledge me as the strongest student in our year, even if I don’t actually get the first rank until the next practical exam!”
Alex’s gaze turned hard at Lesti’s words. “I see. That’s only if you win, of course, and there’s no way that’s going to happen.”
“What did you say?!” Lesti slammed her hands on Alex’s desk and glared at him directly in the eyes.
“I said that you won’t win. In fact, I doubt you’ll even make it to the final.”
“Oh, is that so? Then why don’t we test that theory of yours? You and me, a sparring match, tomorrow.”
“You really don’t get it, do you?” Alex let out a heavy sigh. “Fine. Have it your way, but don’t come crying to me when you embarrass yourself in front of the entire school.”
Silently, Alex stood up and walked out of the classroom. Not willing to let him get in the last word, Lesti shouted after him, “The same goes for you! Don’t complain when I beat you in front of everyone!”
Once the show was over, the rest of the class filtered out and went about their day, leaving only Lesti, Aurelia, Fang, and me in the room. Lesti was hurriedly packing up her books and notes, which she had strewn about her desk. Recently, she worked on learning more about magical runes and theory instead of listening to Malkael’s lectures. It was quite rude, in my opinion, but Malkael never scolded her for it, so I hadn’t said anything yet.
However, challenging Alex to a sparring match was something else altogether. It seemed rather reckless. Lesti had no physical combat skills and relied purely on manipulating the world around her to attack and defend. Even with her incredible casting speed and efficiency, there was still some lag. Which meant fighting someone with proper training and powerful enhancement magic like Alex was bound to end in a loss for her.
“Are you sure that was a good idea, challenging Alex?” I jumped up on the desk and looked Lesti in the eye. “It’s a terrible matchup for you.”
Aurelia nodded as she absentmindedly ran her hand through Fang’s fur. “Mm. I agree. This doesn’t seem like a fight you can win. Why challenge him like that?”
Lesti puffed her cheeks out and pouted at us both. “Wow, you two, thanks for the vote of confidence. I’m really motivated now.”
“Oh, knock that off.” I reached up and poked her in the face, deflating her puffed-up cheek. “You know I have absolute confidence in your magical abilities. I just think it’s too soon to be challenging Alex. It feels like you’re being reckless again.”
Lesti stared at me for a long moment before letting out a heavy sigh. “Maybe you’re right, but I have to do this. I need to experience weakness for myself and find some way to overcome it. Otherwise, I’ll just always be counting on you in the crucial moments.”
“Counting on me? That’s not true—” I tried to reason with Lesti, but she held up a hand to cut me off.
“It is true. In both the fight with Thel’al and the incident with Fang, you did most of the fighting. All I could do was throw a few spells around. I wouldn’t have been able to hold my own like you.” She turned her head to meet my gaze, her usual determination burning brighter than ever. “That’s why I have to get stronger. In order to help you fight and protect the things that I care about, I have to overcome this weakness, and this is my first step toward that.”
Seeing her gaze so full of resolve, there was no way I could tell her to back down now. “As long as you know what you’re getting into, then I’m fine with it. I’ll be here to support you the whole way, so don’t even try and think about doing everything on your own.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” With a brilliant smile, Lesti picked me up and cradled me on the crook of her arm before scratching me behind the ears.
I leaned into her hand, enjoying the affection. “Still, you didn’t have to go and pick a fight in front of the whole class. There are other ways you could have gone about this, you know.”
Aurelia giggled. “Isn’t it just like her to come up with such an extreme answer, though?”
“It definitely is.”
Lesti puffed her cheeks out and pouted once more. “You know, sometimes I can’t tell if you two are teasing me or praising me.”
I looked over at Aurelia. “It’s both, right?”
“Mm. It’s both,” she said, smiling playfully.
“Hey, aren’t you both a little too in sync lately.” Lesti gave me a mock glare. “You’re supposed to be my familiar, you know.”
I hopped down from her arms and walked over toward the door. “I’m your familiar, and as your familiar, I’m telling you to hurry up and finish packing up so we can go. You need to come up with a plan for this sparring match tomorrow.”
“Fine, fine, I’m hurrying.” Lesti quickly finished stowing all her materials in her bag, and we headed off to our first strategy meeting for the upcoming spring tournament.
Sparring Match
The next day, we found ourselves standing out on the training grounds. The entire space was filled to the brim with students. It was only the second time I had seen so many of them in one place, with the first being when they announced the practical test results. The only place that wasn’t overflowing with students was the center of the training grounds, which was left open for some reason.
Looking around, it seemed like the various classes were roughly grouped by their years. Nearby, all the second year students congregated together, each listening to their teacher’s instructions. I even recognized some of Lesti’s former classmates in the crowd. Meanwhile, the first-year students had gathered not too far from us. Many of them kept glancing over at the third-year classes, which was understandable. After all, they stood out more than any of the others.
The third-years closed out the massive circle of people on the grounds a good distance from us. They took up the most space because they all had their familiars. All shapes and sizes of magical beasts stood next to their masters, making the area look like the world’s strangest petting zoo. It was a sight to behold.
“Everyone, gather around. I know it’s a bit crazy out here, but I hope you’ll give me your full attention.” Malkael struggled to get his class organized and to be heard over the throng of people on the grounds. It seemed a bit silly to do things this way. Realistically, it would have been more efficient for everyone to give their lectures inside before moving on to live demonstrations on the training grounds.
“Now, I’d like to go over the fundamentals behind the fireball spell today. It’s one of the most common attack spells and is easy to use in almost any environment,” Malkael continued his
lecture somewhat awkwardly. It was clear he was used to working in a classroom. He seemed slightly lost without a blackboard behind him, often resorting to gesturing vaguely with his hands.
I also found the contents of his lecture to be far less engaging than usual. For one thing, it was just wrong. Malkael lectured on and on about how fire spells would work almost anywhere because they didn’t require any raw materials outside of magical energy. However, I knew better than that. With the knowledge I had from my old world and my ability to see magic in action, I could tell how fire spells actually worked.
In my old world, fire needed three things to burn: fuel, heat, and oxygen. The last two were simple enough. Magic could be used to produce heat, and the air in almost any place had vast supplies of oxygen. It was the fuel that presented the greatest challenge. In most cases, it was quickly supplied from the air in the vicinity, using what I assumed to be some sort of flammable gas, such as hydrogen.
When I had told Lesti about all this, she had nearly exploded with excitement, rushing to implement the information in her Fireball spell. I was honestly a little scared to see the results. Her fireballs had already been relatively quick and powerful due to her efficient magical energy usage and specific instructions. What would she be able to do when armed with the science behind how spells like Fireball worked?
“So, in conclusion, fire magic is often one of the best sources of offensive magic for a mage.” Malkael looked around, seemingly relieved to have gotten through his lecture. “Now, how about we have a demonstration. I’d like a volunteer. Who’s interested?”
Without missing a beat, Lesti pushed her way to the front of the group and threw up her hand. “I’ll volunteer, Instructor Malkael!”
Malkael grimaced slightly, but with no other volunteers, nodded anyway. “Alright, Ms. Vilia. If you’d please join me. First, I’ll demonstrate the proper chant and form, then I’d like you to show me your best Fireball. Understood?”
