The markets were truly remarkable. I was positive that with enough coin, it would be a veritable treasure trove ripe for the taking. Every time I came here, it reminded me of Akihabara back in Tokyo. I’d only been there a handful of times, but the parallels were impossible to ignore. Individual shops dedicated to specific niches lined the bustling streets, each one a unique gem waiting to be discovered. Although, I somehow doubted I’d find any eroge or figurines here.
There was “Mystic Manuscripts,” a quaint little shop overflowing with ancient scrolls and spellbooks. Next to that was ‘Potions Paradise,’ displaying vials in every imaginable shape and color. I didn’t know much about potions, but the array of vibrant liquids was mesmerizing. I might need to dip in there one day to get my bearings.
Across the way, “Edgar’s Enchanted Emporium” contained all sorts of magical items, from the basic stuff like swords imbued with extra strength to the nitty-gritty like amulets of magical barrier and earrings of increased mana capacity. Adventuring parties of all sorts were hanging out here. The owner, whom I assumed was the eponymous Edgar, must be making a killing.
Further down past this shop was “The Crystal Cove,” which, conversely, was surrounded by mages of all kinds. They appeared to sell all sorts of magical contraptions, from wands to staves, witch’s hats, and more. The shop’s interior sparkled with a kaleidoscope of colors, creating quite the enchanting atmosphere. If I didn’t already know better, I’d assume this Ophelia Thunderveil would be here. Thankfully, my mom was able to relay where she normally hangs out, and it’s just a bit further up.
Past these shops were the more generalized vendors, selling bread, vegetables, and other essentials.
My target was at the very end of the street: “The Luminarian Adventuring Guild.”
In all the manga I used to read, adventuring guilds were bustling places where you could find all sorts of people inside. But as I approached this one, I could barely make out a whisper.
I struggled to open the front door, and a little bell jingled as I finally managed to push it open.
I guess they don’t expect a little kid to come waltzing in here given the heft of this door. Geez.
“Well hey there, little man,” said an older woman behind the counter. She was dressed modestly in a flowing brown dress and a white apron. “How can I help you today?”
I quickly glanced around and noticed that, besides this woman and myself, there was just one other person here. The guild seemed to double as a tavern, given the layout and the wealth of space dedicated to tables.
I walked over to her, but my head didn’t clear the counter, so I stepped back and looked up to maintain eye contact.
“Um, hi, miss. I’m looking for,” I raised my arm as if reading a parchment, “Miss Ophelia Thunderveil. I heard she was here?”
Suddenly, I heard a shout, “Miss?! Who told you I’m single?”
I glanced over and saw a slumped figure at a table with a big mug of frothing mead in front of her. She took a swig and then glared at me. I looked back to the woman at the counter.
“I— I guess that’s her?”
Rolling her eyes with a smirk, she simply replied, “Yep. Good luck, kid.”
“Oh boy,” I whispered under my breath as I made my way over to who I assumed to be Ophelia.
“Um, hi, miss!” She continued to glare at me. Maybe I should drop the ‘miss’ prefix. Must be a touchy subject for her.
“My mom said I could find you here. She mentioned—”
“—Your mom?” Ophelia interrupted.
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“Um, yes. Fyona Starsmith.”
“Oh, you’re Fyona’s kid? Well, didn’t she raise a polite little sprout?” The way she spoke didn’t match her words. It was clear she was still irked, either about the whole “miss” thing or something else altogether.
“Look, I don’t know what she sent you here for, but can’t you see I’m busy?”
“Busy drowning yourself in alcohol?”
Oops, I accidentally let out a normal sentence. Forgot to dumb it down to what a five-year-old would say.
She shot me a strong look with murderous intent, but then burst into a hoarse laugh.
“Hah! Good one, kid. You sure you’re Fyona’s son? She was always overly polite, but you’ve got some real bite.”
She then straightened up, and I got a better look at her. If I had to describe her in one word? Tomboy. A tomboy mage, to be more precise. Way to buck the trend. From her appearance, I’d say she was about the same age as my mom, early to mid-20s, with a face adorned in freckles. Her hair was extremely short, almost like a crew cut, and brown. But hey, like me, she had piercing green eyes! She’s the first person I’ve seen with my eye color.
“So, whaddaya want?”
“Well, I apparently show promise as a mage, so my mom asked me to find you to teach me.”
“Promise, eh? Let’s just see about that.”
She then aimed her palm at me and recited the same spell my mom used to review my mana. I’ve taken to calling that spell “People Identifier,” but truthfully, I haven’t a clue what it’s officially called. I’ll have to look it up later.
“Well, no shit, you’re just bubbling with mana, aren’t you?” she said with a shocked expression. “Say, what’s your name, kid?”
“Siegfried, but everyone just calls me Sieg.”
“And you’re how old, again?”
“Five…”
She had been a touch aloof, but now all of her attention was on me. “Well, Sieg, you might have an unnaturally high mana capacity for a five-year-old, but that alone won’t convince me to teach you. How far along are you in your studies?”
“Well, I’m pretty sure I can advance to a major core school of magic if I wanted to. I’ve been able to cast every fundamental spell and cantrip at least once, and I have memorized Firebolt, Light Orb, Minor Illusion, Spark, Mana Shield, Create Water, and Gust of Wind.”
“Impressive,” she retorted while stroking her chin. “Most kids double your age couldn’t lay claim to what you’ve accomplished. What school of magic would you like to promote to?”
“I— I don’t know yet.”
“Okay, how about this. I’ll teach you if, and only if, you can return to me with a school of magic you’d like to learn. And you need a good reason too! I don’t want to hear you saying ‘because it sounds fun’ as that’s a cop-out. Any mage worth a damn has done so for a good reason. Understood?”
“Yes, Miss—” She quickly glared at me, prompting me to correct myself. “I mean — Yes, ma’am!”
And with that, I left the adventuring guild and set off to find an answer to Ophelia’s question.
----------------------------------------
Of course, I knew darn well which school of magic I wanted to pursue. The problem was, it didn’t exist. Let me explain. Outside of the foundational core of magic, there are four major cores:
The Elemental Arts focus on the study of fire, water, air, and earth magics. Some of the most famous mages in history were simply experts in the Elemental Arts. Flutter was said to create winds strong enough to lift entire battle regiments, and Ivor the Blaze single-handedly won a war against an army of one hundred thousand (if the legends are to be believed). The ability to control and manipulate the raw forces of nature has always been a captivating and powerful aspect of magic.
Arcane Mysteries delve into the more esoteric and abstract aspects of magic. Essentially, whereas Elemental Arts practitioners manipulate what is seen, Arcane Mysteries mages alter the fabric of the unseen. Masters of this core can bend reality to their will, creating intricate illusions, summoning the dead, or even tampering with the flow of time itself, making it a profoundly complex and dangerous discipline.
Vital Arts are the lifeblood of healing magic. Within this core exist typical healing magic, but also alchemy, enchantment, druidism, and theriomancy (shape-shifting and animal communication). Practitioners are revered for their ability to cure all manner of illnesses, making them invaluable. However, unlike the previous two cores, no forms of offensive magic exist here.
Finally, there’s Divination and Summoning, which focus on foresight and the calling forth of beings from other realms. Diviners can glimpse the past, present, and future, providing invaluable insights and guidance. Summoners, on the other hand, can bring forth magical beings, like familiars and elemental conjurations, to do their bidding.
Now those are all fine and good, but I want to do something no mage, to my knowledge, has attempted before: combine two or more schools of magic. More precisely, I want to take offensive spells from one core and use enchantment magic from the Vital Arts sub-core to imbue magical instruments with the power of the spell. But I can’t just go back to Ophelia with this. She’ll think I’m spouting nonsense, even if the pursuit of knowledge is the creed mages live by.
Hm…
There’s an item my friend once mentioned from a tabletop role-playing game that sounds simple enough to recreate. It doesn’t exactly blend the schools of magic like I want, but it would allow me to demonstrate my idea at least. Plus, it would show resourcefulness on my part.
“Alright, I think that’s the plan!” I confidently whispered to myself.
Looks like I’ve got some ‘shopping’ to do!