Chapter 249: That’s Not How You Do It... (2)
Chapter 249: That’s Not How You Do It... (2)
Regardless of my grumbling, the class proceeded.
After the Monster Studies professor—who looked significantly more depressed than when he first walked in—left, the professor for the next subject, Mana Manipulation, entered. It was Ethan Bailiff.
After a brief greeting, Ethan got straight to the lesson.
"In the first semester, you mainly learned how to identify your own mana patterns and use them to increase the efficiency of your magic. Starting from the second semester, I plan to teach you Movement Casting, an essential skill for actual combat."
Uh... I already know how to do that.
Murmurs broke out across the classroom. It made sense; the students of Class A had been beaten down by me so much during sparring sessions that they could all manage a clumsy version of Movement Casting by now.
"Of course, some of you might already be able to manifest magic while moving to some extent. However, the Movement Casting I am referring to isn't just about moving your body while casting; it's about casting while moving as intensely as one would in a real battle."
The students nodded in admiration at Ethan’s further explanation. Satisfied, Ethan continued with a smile.
"It will be very difficult at first. You must maintain your chant with absolute control over your mana and an unshakable composure. However, I believe my students are more than capable of achieving this."
A professor encouraging his disciples in a refined tone, and students straightening their postures with enthusiastic expressions.
What a heartwarming sight. Except for one thing.
"Uh... Professor Ethan?"
"Yes? Is something the matter?"
"I already know how to cast while fighting. What should I do?"
"……."
"I can even do it while tumbling."
"...I suppose that's possible. In that case, Student Yandel, why don't you practice the next stage: minimizing mana interference?"
"Mana interference...?"
As I tilted my head in confusion, Carla whispered softly from beside me.
"He's talking about Dispel resistance, Master."
"Aha."
When mages fight, if there is a significant gap in skill, one can simply unravel the other's magic as it's being formed.
This is called a Dispel... but it was a technique rarely seen in H&A.
A high-ranking mage would need to be the one casting it to erase a lower-ranking mage's spell. Then, what would it take to Dispel intermediate magic?
Naturally, you'd need to be around the level of an Archmage.
Honestly, if there’s that much of a power gap, why bother with a Dispel? You could just crush them with raw firepower.
Besides, they wouldn't even be able to pierce your Shield, so there’s no need to Dispel anything in the first place.
For those reasons, Dispels in H&A were a technique seen more often in cutscenes than in actual gameplay.
Like when the Chairman—who everyone knew existed but never showed his face—made his first appearance.
The way he nullified all magic in the surrounding area the moment he stepped out was truly cool. It really made you feel the allure of being a mage.
...The problem is that I’d have to reach Archmage status to replicate that.
Perhaps sensing what I was thinking from my subtle expression, Ethan shook his head with a faint smile.
"Even if it's not a full Dispel, interfering with an opponent's mana to hinder their ability to weave magic is common in battles between mages. For example, the magic interference handcuffs placed on serious criminals work on this principle."
"Oh. I know about those."
Carla, Elisha, and Iris were all wearing them when I first won them at the auction.
Magical tools are ultimately items inscribed with specific magic. If magic interference handcuffs exist, it means there is also magic designed to interfere with magic.
And Ethan was planning to teach us how to resist that.
"I'll explain the principle first. It has a grand name, but ultimately, mana interference refers to any act of using one's own mana to destabilize an opponent's control over theirs."
"Is shouting loudly while infusing your voice with mana also considered mana interference?"
"It is an unrefined method, but yes, that is also a form of mana interference."
According to Ethan's subsequent explanation, there are two main methods of mana interference.
One is to delicately tune your own mana to match the opponent's mana wavelength, synchronizing with it, and then collapsing it from the inside.
It’s like planting a spy.
The other method is to strike with overwhelming mana to disrupt the opponent's mana alignment.
The "shouting with mana" I mentioned earlier falls into this category.
Magic interference tools work on the principle of emitting mana that reflects diffusely within the wearer's body, making it difficult to control their own mana...
But it only makes it difficult; it doesn't make it impossible. Consequently, if one has enough skill, they can still cast magic while being hindered by the tool.
That must be why Iris was wearing multiple interference tools. A single one wouldn't have been enough to suppress the power of a high-ranking mage.
"Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Then let's try a demonstration. Try casting any simple spell. However, do so while visualizing your mana structure as being as solid and tightly packed as possible."
"Solid and tightly packed..."
So that external mana cannot sneak in even if it shares a similar pattern, and so it won't collapse even in a raging storm.
Focusing on the completion of the spell rather than its power, I recited the activation word.
"Tinder."
Whoosh.
A flame the size of a matchstick bloomed at my fingertip. It felt like the color was clearer than usual, though that might have just been my imagination.
"Good. Now, I will match your wavelength. First, I'll try to seep inside and collapse it, so pay close attention to how it feels."
Saying so, Ethan lightly spread his mana into the surroundings.
Is this... Search? No, it's too faint for that.
Search is a basic detection spell. It works by scattering mana over a wide area and perceiving the surroundings through the resonance.
However, the mana Ethan just released was so thin and faint that I wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't been focusing intensely.
They say Ethan is the type whose knowledge far exceeds his innate ability, but an Academy professor is still a professor. This level of control must be basic for him.
While I was thinking that, a corner of my mind that was maintaining Tinder suddenly began to feel itchy.
It felt as if someone was gently tickling my brain with a feather. Is this the sensation of someone else's mana seeping into mine?
Determined not to miss what was about to happen, I concentrated my mind on the point where Ethan's mana met mine.
One minute passed.
"Hmm..."
Two minutes passed.
"Ngh."
For some reason, Ethan was frozen in place, breaking out in a cold sweat. The students around us began to whisper.
I cautiously asked the struggling Ethan.
"Um... Professor?"
"Just a moment! Everyone, be quiet for a moment!"
"???"
I tilted my head at Ethan's sudden shout but waited patiently for the time being.
After about five more minutes had passed.
"I-I did it!"
Ethan, his usual refined demeanor nowhere to be found, cheered with a voice full of immense pride.
At that moment, a foreign energy shook my mana.
The flame of Tinder flickered precariously, as if it might go out at any second.
It wasn't enough to cancel the spell, but its power had been cut by about half. So this is mana interference. It's certainly impressive. However...
"If it takes this long, it seems like it would be hard to use in a real fight."
"...Ah."
Coming to his senses at my remark, Ethan glanced at the watch he pulled from his pocket and spoke with a hollow expression.
"Normally, it doesn't take this long. This was your first time defending against it, and it was a simple basic spell. ...It seems the problem was that Student Yandel's mana pattern was far too sophisticated."
"My mana pattern?"
"Yes. When infiltrating mana into a spell, one must mimic the caster's mana pattern to some extent... but that pattern was far more complex than I anticipated. Usually, something this intricate only happens if one is born with a very peculiar constitution or if encryption has been applied. Have you ever studied specific countermeasures?"
"No, never..."
As I tilted my head and denied it, I felt a small tug on my sleeve.
Glancing over, I saw Carla looking up at me with her ruby eyes sparkling, as if she had something to say.
After asking Ethan for a moment of indulgence, I leaned my ear toward her. Carla finally spoke in an excited tone.
"Master. Do you remember when I was teaching you about magic circles, and I told you to always visualize them in your head even if you aren't drawing them?"
"Of course. You said it would help me immediately recall which spell is which when I eventually deploy magic circles, making it more efficient."
"Yes. But a magic circle is a kind of code that only the caster can understand, right? The magic circle system of the Lindelheit family is particularly unique among them."
"...Wait, could it be?"
"That's right. Just by visualizing the magic circle while casting, you can nullify mediocre interference. It's not called an Arcana for nothing."
I really hadn't expected this.
I thought it was an Arcana simply because if the method of interpreting the magic circle was leaked, people would be able to figure out what the spell was!
The basic elements of magic are ultimately just imagination and mana. Everything else is just an additional element to assist with accuracy or power.
So, it made sense that just imagining a magic circle while using magic could have an effect.
Theoretically, at least.
Actually creating a magic circle with such an effect must have been incredibly difficult.
As Carla said, it wasn't classified as an Arcana for nothing.
While I stood there dumbfounded, Carla wore a triumphant smile, as if she had been waiting for this very day.
"Master, you were already learning how to resist mana interference. Because from the very beginning, I've been staining... I mean, teaching you that way!"
"……."
What's with the hidden agenda?