The Merits of Illusion Magic
A room exuding an elegantly refined atmosphere, filled with the subtle aroma of tea that created a sense of comfort.
"Have a seat."
Seeing his student sink into the plush sofa with surprise, Metaph gestured toward the table on the desk.
"Not sure if it'll suit your taste, but it's the most popular tea in the lounge."
Maness nodded in thanks as Metaph promptly handed over a cup filled with tea. The smooth texture from the cup's handle, the warmth spreading across his face as he brought it to his lips. The tea had a unique bitterness followed by a hint of sweetness.
"Drinkable?"
"Yes. It seems like the flavor deepens the longer you hold it in your mouth."
"That's strange."
It was an answer that didn't fit the flow. Maness expressed his confusion by staring straight ahead.
"You haven't put anything in your mouth, yet you felt that sensation."
Maness quickly checked his own hand at the professor's sly grin. The hand that should have been holding the teacup was just posed that way—nothing was actually in it. And no matter how much he licked his lips, there was no trace of that bitterness.
"...Illusion magic, right?"
"As I said in the last class, experiencing magic directly is the most efficient way."
This time, Metaph rose from his seat and brought over the teacup set himself. The tea he poured had exactly the same sensations as before.
"I thought you'd take more time to think it over, but you came sooner than expected."
"Worrying doesn't always lead to the right answer."
"Good mindset. Illusion affinity is rare, so as long as you have no aversion to it, there's no need to hesitate."
"That's why I came to ask about that talent, Professor."
Metaph raised an eyebrow as if to say he'd hear him out, leaning back against the chair's backrest. Regular class time hadn't ended yet, so Maness wanted to wrap this up before another professor entered the lounge. It wouldn't be a big deal, but it would just get annoying in various ways.
"First off, does the result of magic differ between mages affinity to illusion attributes and those without?"
Illusion. An attribute that manifests falsehoods, making it a magic easily dispelled. Even just having superior mana to a simple illusion caster renders it ineffective. And even without that, it's routinely blocked by anti-magic tools that boost resistance. It's an extremely limited magic, which is why it's shunned.
"If the presence or absence of talent in other attributes just means a difference in acquisition and comprehension speed, it wouldn't mean much."
"Then..."
"Illusion talent proves itself in the structural differences."
As Metaph gestured while leaning back on the sofa, a vivid image formed behind him. It was as if strands of mana were weaving together like embroidery.
"Let me give an example. Illusion magic fundamentally affects the opponent's senses directly. At higher tiers, the scope broadens."
Soon, the completed illusion showed two figures facing off. They were pointing staffs at each other, clearly mages.
"Suppose the illusion mage here casts Reversal. A spell that flips the opponent's sense of direction."
Something shot out from one of the illusion mages. It charged at high speed toward the opponent but soon dissipated against an invisible wall.
"Mana collides with mana, and illusion magic consists solely of mana without substance or interaction. That means the illusion mage's spell can be offset by clashing with the target's mana."
Mana collision. At those words, Maness recalled the incident on the mountain.
"But Iris couldn't detect the mana stone hidden in the mountain. If their mana had collided, she should've sensed it just like I did."
"That's the talent of illusion magic."
Metaph gestured again, and the illusion crumbled, reforming into another image. This time, it was the mana stone they'd found midway up the mountain, floating in the air.
"That mana stone contained my mana. Mana with an illusion attribute."
"You mean..."
Mana with an illusion attribute doesn't collide with normal mana. That's what Metaph was saying.
"Mana collision is sometimes called meshing, depending on the situation. But illusions, for some reason, don't have a meshing point with normal attributes. It's still an unsolved mystery in academic circles."
With that kind explanation, Maness instantly understood what happened on the mountain. Why Iris couldn't detect the mana stone. Why he could.
"It was possible because I'm affinity to the illusion attribute."
"That's how I knew you found this mana stone."
Metaph traced a circle with his index finger, and the illusion brought back the two mages from before.
"This time, it's the illusion mage's case."
Again, one mage fired what appeared to be mana. Unlike before, it hit the target squarely, causing them to flail as if losing balance and tumble in place.
"The illusion magic that I or you wield doesn't bounce off normal mana. No matter how renowned the grand mage, they can't neutralize its effect."
It was truly astonishing information. Just having affinity to the attribute eliminates the biggest drawback of illusion magic—the sole reason mages avoid learning it. It made sense why illusion mages kept their abilities hidden.
In mage battles, a moment's carelessness can be fatal. Overconfidence that one's mana will shrug off illusions becomes a dagger.
"According to you, Professor, this advantage feels almost excessive."
"It highlights the strengths of illusion mages. But it's not omnipotent."
Metaph dispelled the illusion and took a sip of his cooling tea.
"When you first entered the lounge, you perceived yourself as drinking tea, right?"
"Yes. From the texture to taste and smell, it felt completely real."
"That's the bite of illusion magic. Even if I'd handed you poison, you'd have just thought it was tea and quenched your thirst."
Maness got chills at the professor's casual mention of such a grim scenario. It was a vivid example, but nearly dying wasn't easy to brush off.
"But if you suspect it might be an illusion disguised as warm tea, the outcome could change."
"Can you detect that?"
"Yes. If your mana vastly exceeds the illusion mage's."
Maness held back any response to prompt the follow-up.
"Normal mages' illusions lose effect against anti-magic resistance. But an illusion mage's doesn't. However, you can sense its presence."
"...So if Reversal—which alters direction sense—is cast, you can recognize that your direction has been flipped."
"Exactly. Your sense of direction does change, but now you can compensate for it."
Metaph refilled his empty cup from the teapot.
"That exposes several weaknesses. In a one-on-one, it reveals you're an illusion mage. If you're hiding somewhere, it announces an illusion mage is nearby."
"You have to use it wisely."
"That's why illusion mages' fights come down to numbers. If it lands, it's more lethal than any other magic."
A satisfied smile spread across Metaph's face as he savored the warm tea.
"It'll be a huge help for you in breaking out of threatening situations ahead. Most people targeting others are ignorant of magic, so they won't even consider illusions."
"Could you give an example?"
"One high-ranking illusion mage is said to have drowned a pedestrian on the street right there."
Drowned. It was hard to grasp at first.
"Implant the illusion of falling into a bottomless lake, and to them, it's no different from drowning."
The atmosphere turned icy. To lighten it, Metaph raised his voice.
"I went through some tough times as a kid, so I keep giving negative examples. Illusion magic can be used for other purposes too. The word 'illusion' originally holds bright, hopeful power, right?"
"I get what you're trying to say."
Maness politely accepted the consideration. The examples had dragged on to aid explanation, but the summary was simple.
Inevitable magic. A power so alluring that enduring it was the only option.
"Then, what illusion magic did you cast on me?"
"Ah, that... "
After a brief pause, explanations poured out of Metaph like a machine gun.
"First, use full deception to fool the eyes, then when touching the cup, apply tactile sensation to the handle. This tactile is an property of illusion magic, applied via grant magic which belongs to..."
"N-no more, that's fine."
Maness had assumed it was a simple spell like a mana bullet and felt deflated. An ominous premonition hit that this would be a difficult path.
As lunchtime approached and the outside grew noisy, Maness offered thanks and left the lounge. His goal had been to determine if the path of an illusion mage was worthwhile—and he'd achieved it long ago. It was definitely worth walking. A useful ability no matter how he chose his career: inheriting the trading company, opening a shop, or becoming a mercenary. If mana difference nullified it, it'd be useless, but his talent covered that. He might have hesitated if he'd only known illusion magic's superiority was decided by mana collision. With his inherently vast mana, he'd rarely be overwhelmed. He wouldn't clash with grand mages or monsters in life anyway.
After a quick meal, Maness took his seat in the classroom early and fiddled with the ring on his right arm.
— Ah, a gift for you. A ring that absorbs the wearer's mana. Metaph explained it was managed by the school because novice mages could exhaust their mana if they wore it carelessly.
— Wearing this will reduce cases like last time where you couldn't control your mana, like with the mana bullet. It's not a safety guarantee, though, so you'll have to find your own balance.
What was a curse for others was a blessing for Maness. His mana felt far calmer with the ring on. Like a dam where stored water had been sloshing wildly, now settled.
As he cautiously manipulated his mana alone, students who had enjoyed lively lunches among themselves filled the seats. Perhaps due to the deep impression from swordsmanship class, no one openly showed hostility anymore. He felt like Morras was glaring from afar, but that was dismissible as imagination.
Drag—
The bustling classroom fell silent in an instant at the sound of the sliding door opening. Having vowed among themselves not to repeat the embarrassment from the mana manipulation class, Class 1 quickly created a welcoming atmosphere for the professor.
The professor they welcomed was... bizarre.
A woman with long black hair reaching her waist. Her half-lidded eyes over prominent dark circles scanned the group of students coldly. Her distinct features and sharp facial contours made her undeniably beautiful, but the students had no time to care.
A jet-black dress dragged on the floor. Beyond the overwhelming aura of her attire, skeletons carried her chair like a palanquin, as if she were a king in procession.
Just like when they first saw Professor Almond, the students shared the same thought.
...Is this a professor?
"Nice to meet you."
The woman stepped down from the chair onto the podium and spoke.
"5th rank necromancer, Zentina."