Iuli just knew something had happened to her Rei yesterday. It was so… unlike him, staying in bed long after the sun had risen. He normally left their house even before she did. Seeing him sulk in his bed prompted Iuli to stay at home for her son and not go into the forest. Having to practically feed him was unusual, as well. Even so, Rei would not talk about what happened yesterday.
Rei had come home later than usual, looking dejected. Even when Iuli asked him what he had done, something that he was typically very eager to share, she hadn’t really gotten an answer. This had worried Iuli already, but she assumed it would be alright the next day. It wasn’t.
Seeing Rei sulk in his bed, Iuli finally remembered what her husband had told her the day before, after he came back from his day job in the city. “Hey, my little Rei… A little bird told me that there will be a mage in town today! Isn’t that exciting?” She expected one of Rei’s silly rebukes on how magic wasn’t real, but only received a mild grumbling “birds cannot talk...”. Iuli let out a deep sigh.
“Reiland, I really don’t like seeing you like this. You know what?”, she said and started fishing in her purse for a few small coins, three prim and five secun. “I will go into the forest, and look for a few nice things for our dinner later. You go into the city and buy yourself a treat!” This much money did hurt their rainy-day funds a little bit, but if it got her son out of a hole, Iuli was willing to pay that price. It was enough money to buy some good food, or maybe a nice little trinket for his collection. “Give me back what you don’t spend at the end of the day, dear?”
Iuli was overjoyed to see Rei nodding, and finally getting up. Satisfied, she started preparing for her daily forage trip.
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Reiland grinned when feeling the weight of the steel coins. Each of them was inscribed with an intricate pattern and a number, three ones and five twos. “Maybe I should sleep in more often if it gets me this much money…”, he whispered to himself. Though even with this, the emptiness that had taken hold of him had receded only partially. He still didn’t really want to go outside, and possibly see Asstibal again. Or any of the rowdy kids, for that matter. Reiland didn’t believe for a second that they would be deterred by the stern talking they got after beating him up a few days ago. Still, it would be a shame to let this money go to waste.
Not feeling like taking the door, Reiland opened the window and hopped out. He followed the stony dirt path into the village. The big wooden gate set into the pointed wooden palisade surrounding the village wasn’t closed nor guarded. It was originally meant to keep forest animals out of the streets, but no dangerous animals lived in this part of the forest, having been hunted by the villagers long since.
The backstreets were fairly empty, with the villagers mostly attending to their fields out of the village perimeters, manning their shops or being out in the forest. However, he spotted a fair crowd that had built up in the village center on the market square.
Though Reiland had an idea what the cause of this commotion was, he still wanted to take a closer look at it. He snuck up, and nimbly climbed a nearby flat-roofed house to watch the spectacle from above. A familiar man stood on the podium which the mayor used for public announcements and speeches. He had already prepared a chair and two tables, and Reiland spotted the magic adapter he used just yesterday. By coincidence, Reiland seemed to be right on time for Arstibal to begin.
“Dear Villagers of Cottan! My name is Arstibal, and I am here as a Talent Scout for the Magic Academy!” Murmurs ran through the crowd, but it mostly stayed quiet to let him continue. “Our government and the trinity church are always looking out for talented people to bolster our rows. Therefore, if any of you show special aptitude for magic, I will happily extend an Invitation to the magic academy! As you should know, once enrolled, the costs are paid for by the government, in exchange for employment in our Institutions until retirement.” The Crowd began whispering again, but Arstibal quickly silenced them with a raised hand.
“To test this, I will measure your Magic Coefficient! You will cast a special spell while holding this Magimeter.” He held a white disc the size of his palm up into the air. Intrigued by the foreign device, Reiland crawled a little closer and stuck his head over the edge of the rooftop. The disk bore a spiral pattern with a silvery dot in the middle. Reiland wasn’t able to make out the small marks adorning the spiral, but guessed he that they probably were numbers. It looked similar to a thermometer he saw hanging next to the door of the mayor’s house. Arstibal continued to explain the procedure with exaggerated gestures. “If I cast the measurement spell on it –『GRANTATIO, ALIAS MK13』– The scale in the middle will rise!”
Loud chatter rose from the crowd as the bracelet on Arstibal’s arm flared up in a color that Reiland already recognized. The silvery core of the scale quickly started climbing up the spiral pattern. Reiland was glad for his excellent eyesight; but even so, he struggled to make out finer details. He also couldn’t help but notice that it was a Grantatio spell, which were meant to amplify something. What does this spell amplify? The silvery liquids’ temperature, perhaps?
“My coefficient is around 140. This is quite good; the average score is 100. Keep in mind that it is not linear either, so the jump in power from 100 to 120 is less significant than from 120 to 140.” Arstibal’s estimate of his coefficient of 70 to 80 loomed in the back of Reiland’s head. If the scale wasn’t even linear, how much more power did this mage have in comparison to him?
“With that said and done, who wants to try?” Following Arstibal’s offer, a few hands rose up into the air. Reiland recognized a few of them, most notably both of the mayor’s children. “Yes, the girl with the red twin tails! Come up here!” Ione followed his call and slowly got up onto the stage.
“First of all, thanks a lot for volunteering to be the first. I am sure that took some grit. What is your name?” Ione shrugged dismissively, clearly not intimidated by neither the mage nor the crowd. She quickly introduced herself as the mayor’s daughter. Arstibal didn’t seem very surprised. “I should have guessed – this hair color isn’t exactly common around here. Anyway, you will repeat what I just did. Instead of this”, Arstibal tapped his bracelet adapter before pointing to the testing adapter, “You will be using this. To connect it to you, just take this needle and stick it somewhere in your hand or arm. Don’t worry, it’s sanitary. I cleaned it before.”
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Ione eyed the needle skeptically, and finally decided to prick it into the back of her hand. Arstibal nodded approvingly. “Good choice of spot. Won’t hurt or bleed too much, and easily accessible too. Definitely better than just jamming it into your arm, I’d say.” Reiland winced, recalling he had done exactly that yesterday. He could have sworn Arstibal had looked in his direction while saying that, but settled on probably having imagined it.
“Now, with that said and done, the chant...” Ione cleared her throat, interrupting Arstibal. “Was 『GRANTATIO, ALIAS MK13』, right?” Arstibal let out a joyful laugh. “You sure are clever! We could work on that pronunciation a bit, but it will certainly do the trick for now.” Ione rolled her eyes, but remained silent. “With that said and done, one last warning before you start. Casting magic will induce a feeling called magic euphoria in you. Don’t worry, it’s very pleasant, but don’t let it take you by surprise. You can start!”
Ione did not have to be told that twice. She chanted the spell flawlessly, at least to Reiland’s untrained ears. He couldn’t help but feel a tinge of respect for her. She wasn’t nearly as bad as her asshole of a brother. The Adapter started glowing as it should, and the look on Ione’s face spoke bounds on what she was experiencing just now. The spiral in the Magimeter quickly started to fill.
“116! Very nice!” Arstibal read the scale, and exclaimed the results. He congratulated Ione, who had already started detaching the adapter from herself. “Unfortunately, I won’t be able to extend an invitation to you. 116 is nice, but nothing extraordinary. I am sure you understand.” Ione nodded. She did seem a little disappointed, but spoke her thanks before leaving the stage and rejoining her brother. Arstibal wiped the needle clean with lots of rubbing alcohol.
Reiland decided that the time to spend some of the money his mother gave him was now. He wasn’t too keen on seeing Arstibal much more today. So, he slid down the drain before seeking out the Bakery. The exquisite bread he tasted recently had left him wanting for more. But as soon as he left the square, a thought began nibbling at him. This might be the last chance to learn more about magic that I will get.
He entered the Bakery, and bought two gorgeous bread rolls for a total of 5 prim. He visited the butcher afterwards, getting himself a big smoked sausage for 4, and a piece of soft, creamy goat cheese for 3 prim. He tore the bread rolls up and stuffed one with the sausage, the other one with the cheese. Armed with delicacies to calm his nerves, he decided himself ready to visit the town square again.
The crowd had thinned out quite a bit since Reiland left. The gawkers had already left, leaving only those interested in testing their magic. 8 People were left, including Arstibal and the mayor’s children. One of the villagers Reiland didn’t recognize was up on the podium with Arstibal, his appearance as plain and uninteresting as his coefficient.
He placed himself on the edge of the crowd both farthest from Arstibal and the mayor’s children. He took a bite from the sausage roll as the next of the uninteresting villagers got up to the podium. Flavor exploded in his mouth, leaving Reiland with such bliss he was tempted to cry. He savored the sausage roll as person after person took the test. Finally, the only person remaining apart from him was the mayor’s son, who had been shooting Reiland angry stares while he was busy eating his dinner. Reiland stashed his cheese sandwich in the pouch on his waist, saving it for later.
“So, does anybody want to go next?” Arstibal’s question stood in the room for a few seconds, before the red-headed boy raised his hand slowly. Arsibal beckoned him closer, and Reiland took no small amount of joy in seeing the boy squirm uncomfortably as he got up the podium. He introduced himself, but Reiland made a point of forgetting his name as soon as it was spoken.
Arstibal patiently explained the process again, and handed the adapter. The boy took the needle and let it hover over the back of his hand, the same spot his sister used, but... He didn’t plug it in. His face was white as chalk, and he stared at the needle in terror.
A thought came over Reiland. Is he scared of blood? A grim mood befell him, snuffing out any sort of pity he might have felt. He certainly didnt seem afraid of blood when he beat my face to a bloody pulp... Reiland decided to relish in the boy’s uneasiness instead. It didn’t last for long though, as Arstibal saw the boy’s uncomfortable expression and quickly produced a handkerchief.
After exchanging a few words with the redhead, too whispered for Reiland to hear, Arstibal took the needle. He covered the boy’s hand with the handkerchief, and started counting down from 3. On the count of 2, he pricked the needle, sending a jolt through the boy who made it his task to look anywhere but the handkerchief on his left hand. A subtle grin started to take hold on the boy’s face, and they continued with learning the spell.
Unfortunately for the redhead, he didn’t share Ione’s quick wit. It took him a few tries to earn Arstibal’s satisfaction with the pronunciation of the chant. Reiland was tempted to sneer loudly on every attempt the boy missed, but ultimately saw such behavior beneath himself. Finally, the redhead got it right, and the adapter started glowing with the tell-tale sign of magic. Wonder and excitement lit up the boy’s face, and he started to laugh.
Using the distraction, Arstibal removed the needle from the boy’s hand, putting a band-aid on it before he could even notice. Then, he threw a glance at the Adapter, and whistled. “131! That is fantastic!” The boy threw his hands in the air triumphantly, smiling like an idiot. He hurried to ask: “That surely is enough, right? For an Invitation?”
Reiland thought to himself that everyone must have some good qualities. Since the boy could neither point with wit nor character, why not magic coefficient? Still, having him of all people score that high stung more than Reiland would have liked to admit.
An apologetic expression took hold on Arstibal’s face. “I am sorry, but no. There are no hard limits here, but... the whole package has to be right, not just the coefficient. I can see that you are extremely passionate about this, and that is great! But even if you were perfect... you are still too young. 12 years, I recon? Give it time, Brian. You may yet achieve your goal, but it won’t be today.” The boy’s happy expression derailed in disbelief.
Oh, sweet sweet Schadenfreude... Reiland grinned in delight. The boy started arguing with Arstibal, but Ione quickly got up the stage and dragged him down. Arstibal shot her a look that was in equal parts relieved and sorry. What a sore looser...
Now, there was only one person left who hadn’t taken the test. Reiland knew who it was, and he knew that Arstibal knew who it was. “Reiland! Do you want to give it a try as well?” Reiland sighed and shrugged, trying his best to keep his contempt for Arstibal hidden. The mayor’s son shouted out in surprise. “You know the name of this psychopath?” Reiland glared daggers at him, but the damage was done.
“Now, Brian, why would you say that? Why would you call Reiland a psychopath?” Arstibal spoke in a jovial tone, but there were some very strict undercurrents in his voice. He didn’t have to wait long for an answer. “Because it is true! This sicko catches and tortures animals! He hurt so many of them I even lost count! And just now, he stuffed dead animal in his mouth to mock me! He is a disgusting, perverted, psychopathic-”
“STOP!” Arstibal shouted. The jovial tone in his voice had vanished, his face had turned grim. “That is quite enough. From what I gather, the two of you don’t like each other a lot. You are young, it happens. Still, there are some things that shouldn’t be said and done. The bruises on Reiland’s face, I was wondering where they came from. Am I right to assume that you are responsible for this?” The mayor’s son stared at the ground, not answering.
“You should be ashamed of yourself. Reiland is a head shorter, and half your weight. No matter what quarrel you two had, there is no, and I mean absolutely no justification to beat him up like that.” The mayor’s son didn’t look all too well. “But all these poor creatures he...” Tears were rolling down his face. His voice cracked and he stopped, before running to the mayor’s house, crying, and vanishing inside.
Ione bowed slightly. “Thanks for the testing.” She turned around and quickly followed her brother inside. Arstibal sighed deeply and beckoned Reiland closer with his right hand. Reiland followed his call, and sat down next to Arstibal on one of the two chairs. The square was empty now, save for the two of them. Arstibal cleared his throat. “That didn’t go as I wanted it to. I think we should talk a little.”