Chapter 149 Different Magical Energies
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Enticed by the idea of learning spatial magic, I, intrigued by those words, found myself at the home of the village elder, who was the sole practitioner of spatial magic in the village. Lewya accompanied me on this visit.
The elder’s home supposedly contained a tool to determine one’s aptitude for spatial magic. We discussed using this tool to assess my suitability.
”Would you mind having some tea and waiting? I’ll find it right away… Now, where did I put it?”
”You’ve forgotten again? I remember when you assessed my aptitude, you forgot where you put it and searched the entire house.”
”Well, I can’t help it. There haven’t been many opportunities to use it. I do remember placing it somewhere easily accessible to find… I think it was about twenty years ago.”
Observing the elder’s focused search for easily noticeable places, I turned to Lewya with a question about the tool.
”Hey, Lewya, what does the tool for assessing aptitude look like?”
”I’ve only seen it once, so I don’t remember clearly, but it was a thin stone tablet with a pentagon or hexagon shape. It’s about the size you can hold in one hand, so it might have slipped into gaps on shelves or hidden places. Anyway, I’ll help her look, so just wait, Neil.”
Saying so, Lewya got up and began searching for the tool alongside the elder. While I should have participated rather than just drinking tea, my attention was fixed on something placed on the table. On the table were two teacups, one teapot filled with tea, and underneath that teapot lay a hexagonal stone slab… Could this be?
”I apologize, Elder.”
”Let’s drop the formalities like ‘Elder.’ You can call me by name—oh dear, I forgot to introduce myself properly. I completely forgot.”
Pressing a hand to her mouth, the elder laughed a bit embarrassedly and introduced herself.
”My name is Renash. Nice to meet you again, Neil.”
”Yes, nice to meet you too. About this teapot’s slab…”
”Slab? Oh my, oh dear.”
Renash blinked her eyes and lifted the teapot, moving it aside to pick up the object that served as a coaster.
”This is it, the coaster with a clear mark from the teapot. I wonder how long I’ve been using it as a coaster?”
Looking at the round mark on the stone slab where the teapot had been, Renash tilted her head. Lewya and I were left speechless by her rough treatment of the item.
”Is it okay to handle it so carelessly? Isn’t it a valuable tool?”
”It’s not that extraordinary. Just a piece of carved stone I picked up. If I hadn’t found it, I was planning to inscribe the spell on the ground instead.”
”Assessing aptitude for spatial magic seems quite straightforward…”
”Yes, the spell to create an entrance and exit to an spatial space is carved into this stone slab. If you can open the entrance, it means you have the aptitude.”
Indeed, if you lack aptitude, spatial magic won’t activate. So, it seems unnecessary to use a dedicated tool to assess aptitude. You could simply carve the spatial magic spell onto an object, as Renash mentioned, or even draw it on the ground to confirm activation.
”First, let me show you an example. Do you know that spatial magic requires a special talent?”
”Yes, Lewya told me.”
”Spatial magic is different from other magic. It’s not enough to construct the spell solely with magic power. Let’s try pouring magic power into this spell.”
Renash placed her hand on the stone slab and began infusing magic power. While the grooves carved into the slab filled with magic, there was no sign of the magic activating.
”As you can see, simply pouring magic power won’t activate spatial magic. However, if I make a slight adjustment to this magic…”
As Renash strained a bit, the white magic took on a blue hue, and the space on the stone slab rippled as an spatial entrance formed. The other side of the entrance was dimly lit. Just as I leaned in to get a better look—
”Chi?”
”Whoa!?”
Startled by a small creature that poked its head out of the spatial entrance, I instinctively jerked back.
”Oh my, it seems to have connected with a hollow in a tree. I apologize for intruding.”
Apologizing to the small creature that had appeared, Renash tossed a few nuts into the spatial entrance as a gesture of apology, then proceeded to close the open gateway.
”Spatial spaces are closely related to the existing spaces, even though they appear different. They occupy distinct spaces, yet they coexist in the same positions. How can I explain it more clearly?”
”No need, I got it from your explanation. So, in the location where this table is, there’s a tree that serves as a habitat for the creature we saw earlier in the existing space, right?”
”Yes, exactly. Neil catches on quickly, which is a relief. When I explain this to others, they often struggle to understand how different spaces can exist in the same place.”
Well, the concept of spatial spaces might not be familiar to people in this world, making it difficult to visualize. While I understood that the existing space and spatial space coexisted at the same coordinates, there was something else that intrigued me.
”Earlier, you changed the color of the magic. What exactly did you do?”
”Well, explaining this is a bit tricky. People describe it differently, like increasing the density of magic or separating impurities. In my sense, it’s like simmering magic.”
”Simmering magic, huh?”
”Everyone has their own perception, so this is something you have to grasp through your own senses. The important thing is that regular magic won’t trigger spatial magic. You need a distinct, abnormal kind of magic.”
”Distinct magic…”
The words “distinct magic” reminded me of the words of the Divine Tree.
’Poison refers to the distinct crimson soul within you. It’s a color that doesn’t exist in this world, a power that goes beyond the framework of the world.’
It’s said that human magic originates from the soul. If my soul is indeed distinct, then the magic derived from it could also be considered distinct.
”Well then, Neil, it’s your turn.”
I placed my hand on the offered stone slab. I started by pouring magic power into it directly, but as expected, the magic didn’t activate. Pouring magic power directly seemed to be ineffective. Although Renash mentioned a sensation of simmering magic to make it work, that sensation didn’t quite resonate with me. I realized that, just as Renash had said, I needed to grasp the sensation myself.
”Neil, an aptitude for spatial magic is a very rare talent. That’s why—”
”please stay quiet, Lewya. Neil is concentrating right now. Besides, it’s a bit early to say that it’s impossible or to give up.”
”But…”
”Well, just watch. If my intuition is right…”
Increase the magic’s density? Separate impurities? None of them made sense to me. What was distinct magic, and how did it differ from regular magic? Furthermore, even if the magic derived from my distinct soul were indeed distinct, it didn’t necessarily mean that it would be suitable for activating spatial magic—
”—Soul?”
Of course, the soul. As I listened to Renash’s explanation, I tried to change the quality of the magic. However, that wasn’t right. Magic wasn’t a power generated from the soul; it was the sensation of pouring the soul itself, which was considered distinct, into it. What if I didn’t skim the surface but scooped it up from its very core—
”Ugh…!”
At that moment, an intense fatigue overwhelmed me, as if all my energy had been drained away. I felt like if I let my guard down, I’d lose consciousness. Despite these sensations, a change occurred in the magic I had poured into the stone slab. The white magic turned crimson, and just like with Renash, an spatial entrance formed.
”I can’t do it anymore…!”
However, I couldn’t maintain that state for long. Confirming that the entrance had opened, I released my grip on the stone slab. Though it was only for a moment, there was no doubt that I had successfully opened an spatial entrance.
”Neil! That’s amazing! I never thought you’d be able to activate spatial magic.”
”Hehe, my intuition was right after all.”
”Huff… huff… Renash, did you already realize that I had an aptitude for spatial magic?”
Given Renash’s invitation for me to learn spatial magic and her current tone, it seemed she had a vague idea that I might have an aptitude for it. When I asked her about it, she explained her reasoning.
”When you first came to this village, I heard the spirits making a commotion. They said, ‘A human with a crimson soul has arrived.’ Actually, the color of the soul is one of the characteristics of those who can use spatial magic.
Normally, souls are white like magic, with a faint bluish tint. However, those who can use spatial magic have a deeper bluish hue. Although blue and red are different colors, if the color is pronounced enough for the spirits to react like that, I thought there might be a possibility…”
”I see…”
Renash’s words led me to realize that she might have known about my soul.
”Did you, by any chance, know about your own soul?”
”Well, I was taught about it by someone in the past.”
”I see… Maybe it’s best not to delve too deeply into that topic.”
Renash seemed to understand from my attitude that it was a sensitive subject, so she backed off quietly.
”Now that we’ve established your aptitude, I need to give you this.”
”This?”
Curious about what she referred to as “this,” I tilted my head. Renash handed me a book she had taken from the bookshelf.
”It’s a book about spatial magic. It covers everything from creating entrances to crafting spatial spaces. With this book, you should be able to learn without direct guidance. I’m lending it to you so that it can aid your magical device development.”
”Is, is it okay? Isn’t this quite valuable?”
A lost magic book related to spatial magic would undoubtedly fetch a high price if sold.
”Yes, well, it’s not something that can be easily replaced like that stone slab. So, please be careful not to lose it. I’ll ask for it back once you’re done with it.”
”Are you sure it’s okay to lend something like this to me?”
”I trust you, Neil. Individuals with aptitude like yours don’t come around often, and opportunities to use something like this are rarer than that stone slab. So, even if I lend it to you until you master spatial magic, it won’t pose any significant problems. Besides, learning spatial magic should be done outside the village, or else…”
”Why is that?”
”We’re in an spatial space here. If you learn spatial magic within an spatial space, you’d end up with three overlapping spaces in the same location. Two might be manageable, but with three, the world might not be able to endure it. In the worst case, there’s a possibility that a rift could open in the world.”
”A rift in the world?”
”Yes, that’s why learning spatial magic should be done outside.”
”I understand.”
I couldn’t help but wonder if this magic, which seemed to be about creating spatial spaces, might be quite dangerous depending on how it’s handled. While engraving in my mind the need for caution when mastering spatial magic, Lewya and I, who had nothing else to do in the Elven village, attended a short celebration before setting out on our journey back to the settlement, just before sunset.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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