Magic was a confusing concept for the average Imperial citizen to grasp.

Elric himself was not a formally educated man but had been given a basic education in the principles of mana for his work in the alchemical field.

The driving force of all magic-related phenomena was mana, sourced from a unique, inborn constitution of the heart. It was mana that gave mages their superior dominance over the natural elements.

Technically speaking, alchemists, diviners, and other "lower" magic-users fit under the description of the class of mage, utilizing their mana to exert influence over the natural world. However, an average alchemist of the Empire would never dare call themself a true mage, lest they feel the wrath of the educated ranks of Imperial mages.

The power of a mage had much to do with their knowledge of the natural world, physically manifested through the creation of mana-infused formulae. Atop their typically larger mana reserves, the most powerful mages were also scientists, historians, and surgeons from the Universities of the Empire. There were always exceptions, of course, considering the random nature of the size of one's mana reserves, but all this is to say that there was a clear divide between the uneducated and educated ranks of the production-based mage class.

That, however, was not true with the distinct magic-user class known as the sorcerer.

Sorcerers also had a unique constitution of the heart, but, to put things into perspective, the weakest sorcerer still had a larger mana reserve than the most powerful mage. There was a significant physiological difference between the mana heart of a mage and sorcerer. It was no surprise, then, that sorcerers also handled their mana in a unique way.

Unlike the comprehension-based formulae of the mage class that Elric was more familiar with, the formulae of sorcerers were almost wholly based on the individual's intuition. Knowledge of the natural world mattered very little for sorcerers, considering that their specialty was not in dominance over the elements in the first place.

Rather than controlling known phenomena, sorcerers warped and distorted the natural world in their own image. They were, in essence, creators of phenomena rather than manipulators of it.

Where a scientific mage would manipulate the nearby oxygen and the phenomenon of heat to create a mass of fire, an experienced sorcerer could simply will fire to appear into creation. While the distinction seems somewhat trivial, one might imagine what would happen if both individuals were to have to engage in combat.

In this context, the primary issue with the scientific mage's formulae is that it is too dependent on the natural environment. Even a novice sorcerer would simply output flames at a much more oppressive and rapid manner, regardless of the quantitative existence of oxygen, ultimately overwhelming and killing the mage. In a terrifying manner, an advanced sorcerer may simply will for the nearby oxygen to become something noncombustible, such as carbon monoxide, cutting off the mage's source of fuel and simultaneously poisoning the sorcerer's victim.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

This is not to say a mage could not kill a sorcerer. For instance, that same mage with the same formulae could easily kill the sorcerer if equipped with a mana-infused firearm from a distance.

Wands and staffs had long been considered obsolete as a conduit of mana for mages and sorcerers. Modern percussion firearms or even older flint-lock models were simply more effective in their purpose of delivering formulae to a target area.

Suddenly, a formulae of heat and oxygen from a mage could be delivered at a blindingly fast speed from a significant distance, not to mention the added effect of a physical bullet. Of course, it wasn't as if sorcerers did not also have access to firearms; they were just as deadly with them, often more so.

But sorcerers were terrifying for another reason: their established presence.

Even Elric, a man raised in the slums, knew of the most famous sorcerers in history, although they had previously went by a different name in those ancient times: warlocks.

Distinct from their somewhat mythical wizard counterparts, warlocks were known for their explicit involvement in the flow and shaping of human civilization, their will strong enough to destroy enduring ideas of thought and create lasting legacies for centuries after their deaths. In modern times, the Ministry of Magic had given these ancient warlocks a different title, though: primal sorcerers.

Primal sorcerers were often referred to as the ultimate form of a sorcerer's will, the physical manifestation of a human concept.

The countless examples the Ministry publicly provided of such individuals, however, including such figures as Alexander, the warlock of war, and Caesar, the warlock of sovereignty, gave Elric an informal idea of what primal sorcerers were.

They were ancient conquerors, kings, and revolutionaries, individuals who had fundamentally changed the world somehow with their actions. Alexander perfected the art of war, founding Western Civilization in the process. Caesar was the paragon of a Emperor, establishing the vital balance between the voice of the people and the ruthlessness of a ruler.

Their sorcery was simply a channel for such individuals to physically enact their will. It was will that was fundamental to the strength of their power. Their magic was not of an external power. It was innately intertwined with them, a primal power, one might say. Elric suspected that, even in a world without magic, such men and women would have changed the world anyway with their domineering will.

However, he had no way of knowing what constituted real history and what was Imperial propaganda. For all he knew, the very idea of a primal sorcerer could have been conjured in an Imperial Information Center.

In fact, much of Elric's understanding of magic was dubious at best. Besides the basic manipulation of mana into an individual's will, his experience in the magics was incredibly rudimentary.

Sorcery, especially, was unfamiliar territory for him. There was something so alien about their use of mana. Illogical principles for an already illogical subject. It was too confusing, too vague.

Elric doubted he would ever understand the subject fully, even in his second life.

That was... until the Revelation.