After five days, Orion had finished all ten books and remembered them all without any problems. His memory was perfect, both for the external and the internal. And because of this, he did not bother to understand the broader concepts of a book when he knew its contents perfectly well.
Outside his house, he sat in front of a corn and rice field with a paper in his hand and a notebook, writing down his comments about High Heat Runes, used to create high temperature spells.
Spells could be Passive spells, like 'Accelerated Growth' used in Modeira, so the growth time to its peak is much shorter than the natural time. And there were Active spells, usually used in combat and duels, 'Fireball' and 'Lightning Whirlwind' were examples, defacing mana to be used on the spot on a destructive scale.
These spells, regardless of how much they are used or by whom, were created thousands of years ago, when mana was selective to people. And conjuration was easier.
Archaeologists thought that magic could be converted back to mana after it was no longer usual for the user.
And even on a day of heavy rain, Orion could see that those people from the past really had high intelligence. The elastic barrier in front of the balcony made it impossible for the strong drops to get inside and wet him.
The principle of Passive Magic was that it could be used at any moment by anyone, with or without magic. And that's why Orion was so fond of Common Arcanism.
- Did you alter the 'Elastic Barrier'? - His father came through the door holding a pen with coffee. He handed one to Orion and sat down in the wooden chair beside him. - What's the change?
- Kinetic. Because of the speed and pressure of the rain, each drop that hits the barrier makes the shock become part of it. - Orion stroked the barrier, and its color changed to blue on the spot. - Depending on the force, it converts all the energy to bear.
- I've been studying Arcane Mechanics a lot," Oliver said and Orion knew what he was getting at. - I received some rather strange news today, you know?
- No.
- I guess you know what it is since you set the whole thing up. I wasn't going to say anything when I saw the counter symbols you drew for that man, but it didn't have to be so bad.
Orion just turned his head towards his father.
- You wanted me to help someone I don't even know?
- Help is a difficult word. I know that you still resent what they did to your brother, I have also kept this with me for years. - He drank some of his coffee. - I just want you to know that getting in the way of their project was a bit much.
- I didn't. They already had this project ready. Two years and they couldn't change a thing.
Oliver nodded.
- I thought it was strange too, so I went after an old friend of mine.
- Friend or acquaintance? Your friends usually don't like you and acquaintances would stone you if they had the chance, Dad. - Orion laughed. - Throwing stones at a person with no leg would be quite tragic.
- He is a friend. Elder Xinur still has a certain respect for me.
- Even after you said that the job was worthless and that a horse could shit better than his Arcanism?
Orion saw his father's face turn into a sideways smile.
- Xinur still likes me, that's all that matters. He said that the Vidian Heirs are after people to help in their projects or outside projects to gain more strength with Ernesto Vidian.
- The Lord of the Vidian House.
Orion knew him by name, having never met him in person. He was said to be a hangman, intelligent and with great influence among the other families.
- Ernesto asked for a competition among his heirs. Unlike the other families, the choice is made among the most capable. The Heralds of the families, I think there are five in all, choose four children when they are young and work their way to the top.
- And do you know the names of the other heirs?
- Philip is the first and also Ernesto's son. There is a young twenty-year-old girl called Silena, they say she understands Arcanism well, but her greatest power is the strategic trade and the library left as an inheritance by one of her uncles.
Silena Vidian, the woman who donated the books to Orion.
- Who else?
- Mark and Ien, are twins who have an affinity for Electricity of over 50%. Not since Mage Olun had anyone managed to achieve this kind of affinity in any school.
- And that man you seemed to know, Cairo Rent?
Oliver denied it.
- He's not from the Boilers. Since he is clamored to be an old war hero, he has stayed here and seems to be supporting one of the heirs as well. - He shrugged. - I just don't know who.
Too many names, Orion recorded each one and watched the rain slowly fall through the barrier, clumping into a puddle of mud on the ground. The plantation didn't move either as the barrier protected it, and when lightning cut across the sky, it woke him up from his thoughts.
Raimundo supported Silena Vidian for some reason, one that was perhaps more noble than being a king or commanding a house. And his notebook, the ultimate goal of his notes, was a project that would help the Magi in a way he had never seen before.
Orion wanted to wait until he was in his twenties, but there were still two years to go. If he waited, the chance might slip away. Adding up everything he had done since he was six, more than a hundred of them were being developed by skilled hands.
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Another hundred under construction, just waiting for Orion to finish. And if I could get it into people's heads that changing a matrix was no different than changing any rune, I could work on another hundred projects.
Having a backup would be ideal.
- What are you reading? - Oliver asked after a while in silence. - Is it some kind of project? I saw one of your sheets in the room too.
- It is a device that can reproduce an arcane painting.
- Are you wanting to make a passive magic fit inside a rune? - Oliver kept his curiosity hidden, or tried to. - And what was the result?
- Nothing yet. 'Primary Symbol Development' and 'Mana Defensive Layers' are tricky to put together, so I'm trying to find a way. - Actually, Orion already had the project almost finished. After reading 'Physical Connections of Mana', given by Silena, putting the two together was not complicated.
A Square was a symbol of Mastery, representing the plane where the magic would be used. For a project, there was no need to draw it since a leaf represented that plane. And for active spells, Domain was not used since it represented the boundary.
The Circle, the door and also the exit of mana, represented the centers where mana should flow and concentrate. Its effects were different depending on how it was used or by whom. Sometimes a condenser, sometimes a receiver, sometimes a distributor.
And the Triangle, known as the concentration of mana. From it would be born the amount used. Thus it defined how the Circles would work. Also born from it are the Conductors, threads made of mana, which connect the symbols and runes to the plane.
To a layman, half of these concepts would be concrete, to Orion Baker, any change in the composition would lead to a different form.
This is why his father did not approve of altering matrices. Changing a magic from thousands of years ago was more difficult than creating new magic, and no matter how many Magi tried to create, they would never change back.
And 'Physical Mana Connections' was an ancient book used to fuse elements that were supposed to be indivisible. Its number could be counted on the fingers of one hand, and Orion possessed it as well.
- I want to go to Uncle Raimundo's to buy some things, Dad," he said after jotting down a few more comments from the sketch. - May I?
- After the rain passes. Buy me some coffee too. - The old man was reading with his glasses stuck to his nose. - Did you hear that the Germaco farm burned down yesterday?
- No, I haven't.
- It burned everything. I felt sorry for them since they were trying to get close to Vidian with their farms. They also stopped mining because of the rain. - Oliver didn't even seem interested in the subject, speaking vaguely. - This week has been very tiring for them.
- It is for everybody.
- Xinur said that they think someone did it on purpose.
Orion didn't know any Germaco personally, only that they owned the stone mountains west of the Islet Caldera. They had a good relationship with everyone, being less worse with the Bakers than the other families.
Still, they were indifferent. They neither stank nor smelled to Orion.
I
The bell rang as the door was opened and Orion turned in carrying his backpack on his back. Raimundo was reading a newspaper smoking a cigar when he saw the boy.
- It's not shopping day, kid," he said nonchalantly. - What are you doing here?
- I read the books, I came to return them. - Orion took the backpack off his back, put it on the counter and took them out one by one. - I liked them a lot. They were good for my research. Some of them even made it.
- Did you read them all? - Raimundo closed the paper, turning around. - Kid, these are very advanced books to read in so few days, and there are ten of them.
- My memory is good. - He smiled faintly. - And I wondered if I could get more. I can solve one of your problems again, if you have one.
Raimundo stared at the boy for some time. Orion did not look away. When the man snorted, he got up and went into his room at the back of the store. With him were two papyri with the bluish symbol.
- They were left here two weeks ago," said Raimundo, sitting down again. - I tried an Elder, but he said it is a system that no longer exists.
- Different language?
- More or less. If it was understandable, I could go on a translator, but it is quite different. Open it and have a look.
Orion obeyed and pulled out the first papyrus, stretching it out on the counter. It wasn't hard to imagine what they were creating. A square, then, passive magic, three giant circles, that is, a Triple Rune, with several smaller ones in the center of the three.
The connections from the Smaller to the Larger Circles were made through a single triangle securing the Smaller Circles.
- A communication system - Orion deciphered without any problem. I had already seen something similar in the book 'Arrangement of Triple Runes'.
- It didn't even take long to figure it out - Raimundo laughed. Since he had met Orion, he had never seen him miss a passive or an active, taking less than ten seconds to answer. - Can you see the symbols? They are strange.
- Of course they are strange - his voice came out in disgust. - They want to try to create a modern system with broken runes. Who was the idiot who tried to do something like that? Good heavens, even the numbers were put in the wrong place.
- Better not offend this person so much.
- But, Uncle, look at this? - Orion pointed as if it was obvious. - A complex communication system should have 'Compound Runes' or 'Archaic Symbology' decoding, it would be hard to break, but to do that on the first layer of the plane?
The person who tried to create a passive like that was crazy, so much so that he didn't even seem to have left his name on the sketch so as not to be embarrassed.
- And what would you do?
- Me? - Orion picked up a pencil and began to cross out various parts. - Smaller Primary circles to compensate for the plane. Larger Secondary circles to have a broad connection to the emitter. Split connection in stages because if there is a way for the connection to be broken, you have a second layer to communicate. And clearly, change this ridiculous protection system.
Raimundo laughed.
The boy continued to make his notes, continuing to offend whoever had made that piece of shit, in Orion's words. Halfway through, he got tired and opened his backpack, taking out a papyrus.
- Here, hand this one to whoever had made this piece of shit.
Raimundo took it. It was twice as heavy as his and also smelled of ink. Scholastics who used ink in their sketches were rare. To make a mistake just once would cause their work, sometimes developed over months, to go down the drain.
- It is not a sketch. - Orion took out two more papyri and gave them to Raymond. - They are my projects. And thank your friend.
- Friend? - Raymond couldn't believe that Orion knew, but the books came from her. - Sure, I'll tell her.
- And one more thing. - A small piece of paper, the size of a palm. - If I have these books, I will be able to finish a special project.
Raimundo took it and read the name, not knowing it.
- Is this book famous?
- No, almost nobody knows it.
- And how do you know it?
- Because Omar once said that I should read it.
Omar Baker. Raymond agreed slowly. Orion's older brother, also known as a criminal and the main element for the Bakers being sent to the ditch and losing their honors.
- I hope these projects are good, kid. - Raimundo laughed. - Take your father's coffee, which I know he ordered, and get out of here. If it rains again, you'll get all wet.
- I'll take just one cup of coffee, Uncle.
- Okay.
II
Silena and Cairo read the developed project. Raimundo himself was anxiously awaiting their response. Both were considered well centered in Arcanism, but Cairo was older and also experienced, and his features, unlike his wife's, became cold and rigid from time to time.
The likelihood was that Orion's drawing was too unreal for them to understand.
- Did he do this? - Cairo asked, almost in a whisper. - It took us almost ten years on the continent to build a passive rune that would work in 'Sequential Bombardment', and one person built a passive that nullifies all our protective layers.
- And this other project here has almost twice as many comments as this one - Rosana Mixer commented with Trish by her side. - Whoever did this named it 'Mana Core Communication'. We can locate anyone who lets us mark their mana in a database.
- How could anyone think of this? - Silena, as disgruntled as Cairo, looked at the two projects on the table. Raimundo held up others, waiting to show them to her. - Where did you find this monster, Raimundo?
The man shrugged, laughing.
- I am lucky, very lucky. But, he left it marked for you to see. The initials in the corner of the sheet.
A vertically marked B. Cairo giggled and Silena responded on the spot, also letting out a strange, gurgling laugh.
The others didn't understand.
- This is an archaic letter that means 'Eyes that cannot see. - Cairo thought it was hilarious. - I can even see that he can write these manuscripts, but he cannot produce them himself.
- With this system, I bet we can get outside support," Silena said. - And you, what do you think?
- Silena, I think you should recruit this person as soon as possible. - Trish lifted the edge of the paper, showing a small comment. - This alone is worth more than a kingdom. The construction of passive functions is alarming. It's worth thousands of coins.
- Raimundo," Silena snapped him out of his trance between conversations, "could you arrange some time with this colleague of yours?
- Difficult, ma'am. - Raimundo couldn't believe that she wanted to meet Orion in person. Neither did the others, surprised. - My colleague cannot be found out in the open with you, or with any of you.
- Then bring him here. What else is there?
- Madam. - Raimundo wanted to find words, but saying that Orion was a Baker would cause them to get upset. It wasn't wise. - I don't think it's...
- No more. - In Silena's hands, a book. It was one she borrowed, page 101 folded at the end was opened and she was reading. - It seems to have revealed itself. First letter is an O. R. I. - A pause, Silena passed her hair behind her ear. - O. N.
- Orion. - Cairo blinked a few times and then stared at Raimundo. - Bullshit.
Raimundo's embarrassed smile was his sentence.
- He? - Cairo continued, with a wide laugh. - I don't believe it. I can't believe I was passed over for him.
Rosana and Trish didn't know the name, nor did Silena, so much so that they waited quietly.
- Orion Baker," Cairo revealed with grace. - An Arcanism-sick kid who was born here in the Boilers. I should have expected this, he is the only one who could read these books in a week. Oliver Baker, his father, introduced me to the boy when I was ten years old. And amazingly enough, I lost in an Arcanism duel to him.
- You lost? - Silena thought it was funny, but scary. - He must be very old to know so much.
- Old? - Cairo denied it. - That little shit is 18 years old. And if I may tell you the truth, no one can beat him when it comes to Arcanism. No one.
- Not even the Elders? - Rosana, curious, asked. - He is too young to know so much.
- Since the age of four studying with his father, a perfect memory. If Arcanism had affinity, I bet my life he would have 90% or more. - Cairo tapped the table lightly. - I should remember by now. Eyes that can't see. He beat me with this symbol.
- To have managed to defeat a Grand Wizard in Arcanism, he must be a real monster," said Trish.
- Just look at this design and you'll understand. I don't know anyone who can beat him, and even then, there has never been a record of Scholastic Conjunction of the Boilers or the continent.
Raimundo didn't want them to find out, but Orion made sure to mark his name on the pages for them to find out. He felt cheated by the boy, but he couldn't get angry. They were praising a Baker without caring what Omar had done in the past.
He liked this feeling of lightness, of them acknowledging the genius of a monster like Orion Baker.