The Essence of Magic
Morning light pierced through Veronica's eyelids like a blinding stab.
"Ugh, mm…."
Veronica frowned slightly at the light filtering through the paper door made of white parchment, then slowly sat up. She scratched her disheveled hair for a moment before blankly looking around.
Wooden floors and walls molded from earth. Though the exterior resembled a mere stable, the interior was surprisingly tidy.
…You called this a cogazip, right?
According to Diana, this house in the Fairy Realm was astonishingly meant for human habitation. Veronica had wondered how anyone could live in such a cramped space not even fit for a warehouse. But seeing Diana's size, she understood.
After all, whether a room felt spacious or confined was relative to one's size. Considering the Fairy Realm existed within Diana's mindscape, from a fairy's perspective, this place was far grander than Veronica's chamber in the palace.
Still, it had some items I could actually use.
Veronica glanced down at the white clothes she'd changed into last night. As if anticipating a human visitor, the space was equipped with daily necessities and the bare minimum facilities she could use.
Even if the area was terribly cramped. It seemed there'd be no major issues with her staying in the Fairy Realm for a few days.
…Though sleeping on the floor without a bed is something I'll never get used to.
Compared to sleeping in a flowerbed without even a roof, this was still vastly better.
"Yawn…."
After stretching toward the ceiling, Veronica approached the basket in the corner of the room.
A picnic basket woven from young branches. She carefully lifted the lid.
"Chirp— chirp…."
Inside the cloth-filled basket, Diana lay sprawled with limbs extended, fast asleep. Veronica hesitated briefly before picking up a crumpled handkerchief from near her feet.
I can wake her when it's time for breakfast.
Poof.
She gently draped the unfolded handkerchief over Diana, then quietly closed the lid.
Veronica grabbed clothes from the thatched hut and stepped outside, gazing up at the sky for a moment.
"…I wonder what determines when it changes."
When she and Diana had barely escaped the elves' attack, night had already fallen over the Fairy Realm as well.
Stone lanterns scattered throughout the realm had lit up, casting a soft glow that prevented them from getting lost in the dark.
After that, Diana had insisted they must wash and sleep after touching corpses. They'd barely managed to bathe in the stream before collapsing into the thatched hut.
And now, upon waking, it was morning again. Veronica eyed the high sun in the sky, pondering if it was day or night outside the Fairy Realm.
I should wait until Diana wakes up.
Without Diana's help, she had no way back to the Fairy Realm. Putting the question aside, Veronica neatly folded her clothes and immersed herself in the stream.
Splash. "Eek—."
She winced at the crisp chill seeping into her toes but thoroughly washed every inch before donning the white clothes from the hut.
Wide sleeves and a billowing skirt. Following Diana's instructions, she pulled the collar of the top to one side.
Her gaze turned to the supplies she'd stuffed deep into the Fairy Realm last night: jars of preserved meats and fruits, daily necessities, an absurd number of forks.
And…
…It's about time to wake Diana.
Gazing at the belongings she'd gathered last night, Veronica picked up a few jars and headed back to the hut.
I woke to find it was morning. I didn't know the exact mechanism, but the Fairy Realm apparently had day and night cycles.
"The outside had the sun up too." Is that so?
Peeking outside like yesterday confirmed it was daytime there as well.
Was the Fairy Realm's sun simply lingering longer? Or did its day-night cycle differ from the outside? Or perhaps something else flipped its days and nights?
To judge accurately, I'd need more data.
But how the sun rises and sets here isn't important anyway.
After some idle chat with Veronica and a late lunch of jarred preserves on a rock by the stream,
I stood before the spot where Veronica had planted the sunflower seed yesterday.
Then, let's begin our first proper magic lesson. "Magic!" Clap clap clap!
Veronica sat on a box of prepared supplies, clapping enthusiastically, and the corner of her mouth twitched up ever so slightly.
It looked just like a kid preening after praise, drawing a faint smile to my lips too.
Ahem, first, about the origins of magic passed down from ancient— "Magic origin no!" Wh-what, origins are essential…?
But no meant no.
Frowning deeply at Veronica's attempt to veer off-topic from the start, I lodged a firm claim in her now-familiar broken speech.
"Diana magic learn! Origin no learn!" Uh, um, Lady Diana…? To learn magic, you need a basic understanding of— "Origin no! Magic now!"
If I were a clueless fairy, I might've sat through her origin spiel.
Th-then…! The achievements of past royal chief mages— "Past achievements no, magic!" As a mage, the proper moral mindset one must have— "Mindset no, magic!" …….
What I needed wasn't history lessons on when magic arose or who invented it. No way was she gonna waste class time with worthless liberal arts fluff.
"Diana magic learn! Veronica here! Magic!"
At my repeated claims, Veronica's pupils quaked in panic. Shoulders hunched and shrunken, she timidly opened her mouth with teary eyes.
Th-then… Let's get into constructing magic formulas and specifically manifesting them…. "Yes!"
About time.
Promising sprouts differ from the cotyledon.
Veronica's magic was merely superior to her peers.
Among mages overall, her level was at the rock bottom—hardly an exaggeration.
"To be honest… I don't know that much about magic myself."
That's why the elves hadn't cared much that she could use magic.
"But— from my own deliberations on magic."
If the elves knew Queen Kristin was thoroughly suppressing Veronica. That she'd never had a proper chance to learn magic. That she'd reached this level through self-study without a teacher.
"Magic, simply put,"
They never would've dismissed her as just a 'slightly more talented human kid.'
"means converting the mana that constitutes this world into magical power."
With no one's help. Purely through her own reading, enlightenment, and mastery, the genius stood at the sunflower seed's spot.
"In other words, if the mana inside me is the base resource,"
She drew out the pendant she'd made herself from within her white jeogori and extended both hands forward.
"then processing that resource into a form the mage can use is magical power."
A thin purple lightning bolt shot from the pendant toward the seeded ground.
"Tacheia anaptyxi."
"Rapid Growth."
⟨ Rapid Growth ⟩
Shwooo!
"The series of outcomes produced through that processed magical power is what we call magic."
As if it were the most natural thing, the seed easily germinated, sprouting a tiny shoot.
"Do you understand up to here?" "Good!"
She beamed at blankly nodding Diana before tucking the pendant away.
"Then, among mana, magical power, and magic, which do you think is most important?"
Diana pondered, chin in hand.
"…Magic?"
Her tentative answer came.
"Close, but no."
Veronica shook her head lightly and crouched to draw formulas on the ground with her finger.
"Of course, the 'result' isn't unimportant."
1+1+1+1+1 = 5 1X5 = 5
Simple enough. Two formulas yielding the same answer.
"I believe a mage's capability is determined not by the result, but by what processes they can choose to achieve it."
No process, no result. Most mages boast about 'what magic' they can cast.
But the magic they build that way only produces phenomena like hurling fireballs or freezing water—nothing special. Such things are possible without magic.
Even unique magic defying nature's laws. If the 'result' exists, it's ultimately the same.
Reaching 1024 by exponentiating 2 ten times or adding it 512 times—mere difference in method. Humans have limited lifespans, dying before the answer. With infinite time, anyone could reach any magic. Shorten the process to manifestation, and any magic becomes possible.
Thus, ordinary mage Veronica never fixated on the brilliance of results.
In her magic, the key wasn't what she did, but how.
Standing, she extended an empty hand into the air. Murmuring a long sentence low and swift,
"Anthiste stis kampyles. I sygkinisi tis zois pou kyklophor ei."
"Bloom in curves. The thrill of circulating life."
⟨ Blooming Surge ⟩
Fwoosh.
A purple lightning bolt identical to the pendant's shot from her palm skyward.
Same magic. Different method.
"Now, do you see the difference between the two methods?" "That, use well. Difference!"
Diana pointed at Veronica's pendant. Nodding slightly, Veronica began writing more formulas on the ground.