Inside our quiet home, the three of us sipped on Tenia’s newest attempt at tea while discussing the day’s events. The last flickers of sunlight had long passed and the soft incandescence of stars covered the world outside. Magic-stone powered lights gave off soft hums, reminiscent of fluorescents from my old world.
“The magic they use here,” said Tenia after setting down her cup, “is vastly different from what we know.”
My magic system, the system of Xternity, involved creating geometric structures with your imagination. Fire magic usually involved triangles or pyramid shapes while ice magic involved circles, ellipses, and other curved surfaces. Through combination of shapes, trial and error, and a general understanding of the basic systems almost any spell could theoretically be created. It was a loose system well designed for active gamer minds. It allowed players with quick or abstract thinking to become truly powerful mages. Once a player casts a spell once, they can use the system menus to cast it again if they wish as well… Though it ended up being faster to construct the geometrical anomalies so only lower level players ended up using the interface.
“Magic here isn’t geometric, like ours, instead it’s more like latticed structures of mana,” continued Tenia. “The people here weave magic together. They don’t rigidly construct it like we do.”
“Does this affect the spells?” I asked.
“Greatly,” replied Tenia. “In our old system, spells using light and darkness were nigh impossible to use… But by weaving them they become much simpler in design. It allows for more subtle magics than we are used to. At the same time, our system proves far more valuable in forceful and impactful magics. The impact of a geometric fireball versus a woven one is orders of magnitude larger for the same mana cost.”
“That’s interesting,” I mused, “what about warrior skills and the like?”
“Those are where the lines seem to blur. Warriors in Xternity relied on snap activations of memorized movements aligned with mana expenditure… And it’s very similar to the methods used here,” she said while eyeing Benson.
“Earlier the Cardinal used hand movements to activate his spell,” I interrupted, “was that to assist him in the ‘weaving’?”
“Yes. Physical movements are deeply tied to magic activations here. The physical movements themselves substitute for our visualized geometrics, even.”
“What effect does that have on the spells?” I asked.
“I understand,” said Benson, “It means that they have faster activation times of more complex spells.”
“Exactly,” noted Tenia. “By using hand signs and latticing the mana constructs, they eliminate the need for complex mental imaging. Of course, a skilled imager like Carlyle could easily invoke high ranked spells faster.”
“So, for average magicians like me it would be faster to use this world’s magic at the higher ranks?” I asked, making sure I understood everything being discussed.
“Yes,” replied Tenia with a soft smile as she met my eyes. “Mistress, I want to learn this world’s magic. I have mastered Xternity’s magic, but I feel I can become stronger if I learn these newer methods.”
“I’m fine with you wanting to learn magic, Tenia,” I replied, “Just remember to keep on the lookout for summoning, teleportation, or other magics that could assist me in getting home.”
“There is a Royal Magician’s Academy in Farrier, Mistress,” said Tenia, “And I feel that by attending it I can greatly improve the speed at which I progress.”
“So you’re basically asking permission to go to school?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Tenia, you don’t belong to me,” I said with a worried tone, “You are free to make whatever decisions you so desire. Besides, now that we have a new source of White Lodestone, I can craft multiple [Gates]. If you take one with you to the Academy then you’ll easily be able to commute while living with us outside of class time.”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“Mistress! I was hoping you’d understand,” she replied with a wide smile.
“Plus, this Academy probably has information on all types of magic unlike the Guild you attended today. Surely there must be some information on the magics I want.” I stopped to take a breath before continuing, “Benson and I will move to New Hidet in order to increase our Adventurer’s rank and spread my name as a powerful crafter. I intend to open a shop there. If you set up a [Gate] in Farrier while we set one up in New Hidet, we’ll have a [Gate] in three major locations. This will let us travel faster without wasting time…”
“I say we set our departure for a week from now,” said Benson with an intelligent gleam in his stare, “That will give us time to settle anything we need to take care of in this town, and it will give Mistress time to craft multiple [Gates].”
“Then our new course of action will be to move on towards the larger cities where more diverse magics will appear,” I said with a grin.
“This Lodestone deposit is a massive blessing,” mused Tenia under her breath. She had probably been worried about separating from me, but with the [Gates] she’ll always be just a stone’s throw away.
“The Grand Assembly is in three months time,” I said, taking over the pace of the conversation again. “We will all meet up in the Capital Hidet then. I intend to spend the nights in my bed here at Journey’s End by using [Gate] transfer. There will probably be times where I can’t return, though. If we do end up separated, Tenia, Benson, let’s all agree to meet up in the Capital three months from today.”
“Benson will not separate from you, mistress,” replied Tenia as her stare seemed to fire lightning at the beastman. “If he ever leaves you unguarded, I will return to your side and take over in his stead.”
“Just stop it, Tenia,” said Benson with a sigh. “You know full well that Mistress November’s well-being is the most important thing to me. That includes her mental health as well, a facet you’ve been outright ignoring.” There was venom in Benson’s voice that I hadn’t heard before.
“Oh, that reminds me,” I decided to change the subject in order to keep the two from each other’s throats. “Benson, tonight I want you to give that Guildmaster a scare. The way she disrespected you earlier was unacceptable. I’ll leave her punishment up to you… Just make sure you aren’t caught if you do decide to hurt or kill her.”
Tenia’s eyes went a bit wide as I spoke, but then they were filled with a strange sense of approval. Benson blew air from his nose before flashing a tooth-filled smile. It was the first time I noticed how large his canines truly were.
“I’ve been waiting to teach that rude woman a lesson. Tenia, I’ll leave the mistress in your care tonight.”
“Very well. I will have her in bed before it gets too late,” replied Tenia with an unsettling look flashing through her eyes. “I’ll leave your dinner portion in the refrigerator, Benson. Eat it when you get back.”
He didn’t say a word. His body simply faded from view as he evoked an [Assassin] skill. It almost looked like he diffused into the air.
“It’s going to be just us tonight, mistress,” said Tenia with a smile that sent a shiver down my spine. “That means I can finally instruct you on manners proper for a Lady without Benson’s interference. Ah! If I recall, you were a male outside of Xternity, right? That means you need to be taught a few things about women’s health as well.”
I immediately regretted every wrong I’d ever done in my life.