Miss Hartwright lifted one arm, her palm outstretched. The power in her shifted, flowing down her arm and concentrating in her hand, until it was glowing with the same brightness as the vial had been previously. Gradually the light began to emerge from her palms, gathering into the shape of a cube on her palm. Then there was a soundless clap and the light vanished, replaced by a small gray cube that was resting in the governess’ palm.
“This is known as thaumic germination; the conversion of magnolic power into matter.” She handed the cube to Alicia. It had the weight and texture of a riverstone, and it was colder than she had expected. “Through strong imagery and willpower, a materialist may create anything; the only limitation is one’s own imagination and mental strength. This is the simplest ability granted by Material-aspected magnolic power.”
“The Physical, the Transcendent, and the Eternal,” Alicia replied, somewhat indignantly; she may not have been the most attentive attendant at the chapel’s services, but she knew that much theology.
“Indeed,” Miss Hartwright replied. “The first triad, Physical, is composed of Material, Motion, and Energy. I have an affinity for Material, whereas you have an affinity for Motion and Energy. Taken together, these three are typically seen as the physical aspects of divine creation, those that compose the external world.”
Alicia rolled the stone over in her hands. That made some sense to her, but it didn’t seem as complete or rigorous as other classifications she knew, such as the periodic table. “Why do we group the elements of the triads together? Is it entirely theological, then?”
“That’s an excellent question,” the governess said, smiling. “It would be a mistake to say that the theological argument is not partly responsible of that grouping, but there are other reasons as well. For instance, aspects within the same triad are often harnessed by similar methods and share similar circuitry. It has also been shown to be more likely for someone who has one aspect in a triad to have one of the others, such as yourself. Does that sate your curiosity, my lady?”
Alicia nodded, although she was deep in thought. She had always just taken for granted that magnolic power existed and was used to craft fine artifacts or fight against monsters, but she had never deeply considered how it functioned before. Even when she had been nervous for the Blooming ceremony, her thoughts had mainly focused on what would happen if she Wilted, and not much on how she could use those abilities once she Bloomed. Now, though, it was as if a veil of complacency had been pulled back and she was finally seeing the curiosities of the world for the first time.
“If you’re a Materialist, why are you working as a governess? Couldn’t you just create money?” She hefted the stone and did some quick mental calculations; if the cube had been made of gold, it would be worth many times more than a governess’ annual salary.
Miss Hartwright had a pained expression, but it was quickly masked. “What do you think, my lady?”
Alicia closed her eyes to think. “There must be some limitation, then,” she said at last. “Either you can’t conjure it, or the cost of the magnolic power is higher than the return.”
“That’s a good guess,” Miss Hartwright replied. “The answer is somewhere between them. The amount of magnolic power that it takes to create a material is proportional to the cube of the mass, which makes metals like gold and silver prohibitively expensive to create. In terms of directly creating money, all coins worth more than a shill will have a complex circuit within them that makes it quite difficult to fake.”
“Then what about lighter materials? Are there none that you could make?” Even as Alicia said it, she could see the flaw in her reasoning. “No, I suppose if that was the case, then they would be produced until the costs and profit equalize.”
“It’s just as you say, my lady,” Miss Hartwright replied. “There are other restrictions as well; gemstones require much more power than their mass would suggest, for instance, due to the high levels of heat and pressure involved in their creation. Often, it’s far cheaper to mundanely source materials than it is to create them with thaumic germination. That being said, the shape of a germinated object is limited only by one’s own imagination, and as such it is often used for fine craftsmanship or particularly challenging artistic designs.”
“I see,” Alicia said, somewhat put out. She had just seen her governess materialize a rock out of thin air only to learn that the ability was burdened by limitations. It was inevitably disappointing, like receiving a new dress and then being told she could only wear it within her room.
Miss Hartwright seemed to notice her dejection. “My lady, I believe it is important for you to temper your expectations. Even if it is colloquially known as magic, magnolic power is still bound by physical laws. They may feel unfamiliar or unnatural and the presence of magnolic power can seem to violate mundane physical laws, but they are by no means unlimited. The most important thing to remember is that, more than anything else, magic is a slave to the laws of economy. The cultivation and refinement of thaumic blooms ranges from costly to exorbitantly expensive, depending on the species and aspect. Magnolic power must be used cautiously, to ensure that the return is worth the expense.”
“If magnolic power is so limited, then why is it so important to study it then?” Alicia knew that she was being churlish, but it seemed like her governess was set on removing the wonder of magic.
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Miss Hartwright clicked her tongue in displeasure. “My lady, magnolic power is limited in the way that a cannon is limited; you would not want to fire it without cause, but it can turn the tide of a battle with ease. Perhaps I ought not to have mentioned this; your father has seen to it that you have ample resources to study thaumaturgy. However, you have a keen mind for figures, my lady, and you will be better able to understand how magnolic power is used if you understand its expense. If you have a proper understanding of when to use magnolic power and when to use mundane means, you can accomplish incredible things. That holds true for not just Material-aspected mana but the others as well.”
“That makes sense,” Alicia replied. She knew that Christine had experience with balancing budget constraints when developing games; everything from animation and sound design to the gameplay and bugs had to be considered through the lens of money and time. If she thought about magic in that same lens, it made more sense. “Magnolic power is valuable, so you ought to run a cost-benefit analysis before you use it. Although, I understand why the Physical triad would be valuable, and of course it makes sense that healing will be important, but how are the other two triads useful for profiting?”
“It’s true that the other two triads are a bit more abstract, and therefore harder to see the immediate benefit,” Miss Hartwright said. From her satchel she retrieved a closed silver pocket watch on a long gold chain. With a press, she flipped open the cover, revealing a white clock face with elegant numerals painted on. In the middle of the face there was a small glass core that held a pale brown liquid that let off the tell-tale glow of magnolic power, this time a pale yellow. “However, the Transcendent triad may in fact be the most valuable of all of them. Someone possessing the Soul aspect can ‘read’ the souls of those around them, and with a little practice an Animist can tell whether someone is lying or telling the truth. An Idealist with the Form aspect can temporarily alter the properties of matter, letting them stand on air, run on water, or swim through stone. A Mentalist such as myself can use Mind-aspected mana to learn and recall information far faster than others, or quickly perform complex calculations and deductions. All of those can be incredibly valuable skills, if properly used and trained. This watch contains Mind aspected mana, although I am very judicious about its use.” She closed the watch with a snap, placing it back in her bag.
“The Eternal triad can also be quite powerful, if properly used. You already mentioned healing, but a Vitalist can also use Life-aspected mana to increase the growth or yield of crops. A Thanatist can bring death, but they can also preserve meat and grain by killing off pests and slowing decay. A single Vitalist and Thanatist can turn the tides of a war or prevent disaster on a trading expedition.”
“I see,” Alicia said, feeling somewhat overwhelmed. Some of this felt familiar, and she realized that it was from Christine’s memories of developing powers for characters in the game. Still, in the game, she felt like the Vitalist characters only ever used the ability for healing others. The idea that it could be used for something as vital as growing crops had never occurred to her. Alicia couldn’t shake the idea that there was opportunity here--it seemed like magnolic power was far more important than she had given it credit for. She thought of all the ways her family used it--to drive the carriage, to boil water for tea, to illuminate the house--and couldn’t help but wonder what else they could do with that power. Even as she was thinking this, she realized that Miss Hartwright had skipped over the last member of the Eternal triad.
“What about those with an affinity for Fate?” More than any of the other aspects, Alicia felt she had to gain control over her Fate. After all, the last time she had used it, her whole life had changed--that was a power she couldn’t afford to leave unexplored.
“They’re called seers, my lady.” Miss Hartwright seemed almost apologetic. “Fate is… it’s far less common of an affinity, my lady, and it is less well studied as a result. There are also no Fate-aspected flowers that we can cultivate reliably, so it is quite expensive to acquire, and we have yet to find any useful circuits for Fate mana.”
“Then, do we not know anything about it?” That was an upsetting idea.
“We know some, but the research is expensive and often leads to failure. Some who channel Fate seem to be able to see briefly into the future, while others might speak great prophecies or have visions of the past. A few seers have been able to harness its power to become unparalleled duelists, but that is an even rarer occurrence. I’m afraid that instructing you on the use of Fate mana is beyond my abilities, my lady. If you are interested, however, I am sure that you can find a researcher when you attend the Academia Magnolis. I apologize, Lady Alicia,” she said, bowing.
“There is nothing to apologize for,” Alicia said. “It’s as you said--ignorance is nothing to be ashamed of.”
“It is as you say, my lady,” the governess said with a wry smile.
Alicia wasn’t sure if she could afford to wait until the Academy to try and master her Fate affinity. After all, if the memories were to be believed, then the events of the game would occur when she started at the Academy. If that happened, she would need every advantage she could get. She had no idea how she would even acquire magnolium for Fate mana, much less pay for it, but she would just need to add that to her list of goals.
“In any event, my lady, the focus of this lesson is to acquaint you with the use of Motion and Energy mana. Your father the Duke has asked that I ensure your proficiency with one by the end of the week. If you can demonstrate the use of magnolic power, your father has agreed to let you attend a tea party in Ludestre, to quell any rumors over your illness.”
“Really?” Alicia started in surprise. “In Ludestre? You’re sure?”
“Indeed, my lady,” the governess replied.
“And the lawyer you know--would I be able to meet him then?”
“It can be arranged, my lady.”
Alicia stiffened her back. All her plans started with acquiring wealth, and to do that she would need to have some account outside of the influence of her father. That, in turn, meant she needed a lawyer, one who could be discreet and trusted. The only person who fit that bill was Miss Hartwright’s acquaintance, although even that was a gamble. Still, everything began in Ludestre. She just needed to master the use of a power that, the last time she’d used it, left her unconscious for over a day.
“Then there is little time to waste, Miss Hartwright. Where should I begin?”