Turns Out, I Have a Talent for Magic Too?
I guess I have a talent for magic too? The moment we stepped into the room assigned to Dorothea while sharing her luggage, a landscape revealing her lifestyle unfolded before us.
Books and papers were scattered messily everywhere—on the desk, the floor, everywhere. Some were even floating in midair.
It was the epitome of a magic weirdo's room.
"Nngh... tea! Haa... Ah, disciple. Just put the books anywhere! I can find them no matter where I leave them...!"
Dorothea dumped the books near a haphazard pile, patted the stack, and told me to toss them anywhere like she did.
The sight was so quintessentially her that it made me laugh, but I was still worried.
"...I don't know much, but shouldn't books be treated more preciously?"
Can a mage really handle books so roughly?
I asked out of pure concern.
"Ignore her. She won't listen even if her mom tells her to clean up."
Lucia chimed in as if my worry was pointless.
Come to think of it, she'd come in so naturally.
"Lucia, is it okay for you to just hang out here...?"
"You want me to leave you alone with this weirdo? Me?"
Ah, well, if that's the case.
"It's fine! It's actually easier to find them this way! Hmm, these need to be returned soon. Hold on..."
Dorothea muttered to herself, stopped in front of another pile, and began constructing a spell formula with ether, drawing shapes in the air.
"...Thus, come alive and move. Golemize."
The moment she completed the spell formula and incantation, a glowing cube rotated in midair, and soon books floated up lightly, stacking neatly around it.
"Oh..."
The stacking books soon took the shape of a person, deftly opened the door, and trudged down the hallway.
I clapped like a seal in awe at the wondrous sight, and Dorothea looked smug, like she was proud of herself.
"See, disciple? Told you it's no problem."
Her short brown hair bounced as she puffed up with pride—it was less cool and more adorable.
"Wow, that's amazing. But Dorothea—no, should I call you Master now?"
"Uh, y-yeah?!"
"Sorry if it feels like I'm rushing, but... when are you going to start teaching me?"
I wasn't connecting with Dorothea just for magic, but I did want to try learning it at least once, so I asked.
Dorothea let out a short "Ah" like she'd just snapped to attention, then rummaged through her piles, claiming she was busy.
She looked like a mouse swimming through grains of rice—I couldn't help but laugh.
She really is cute.
Ern, that jerk, gets to rough up a girl like this.
Lucky bastard.
I was thinking I could heap a few more trials on Ern when she handed me a book to read and suddenly launched into teaching from the basics.
"First... magic is fundamentally different from swordsmanship."
Her voice deepened, turning serious—it made me think, yep, she really is a mage.
The magic nerd switch had flipped on.
"Swordsmen forcibly grind and compress the ether in their bodies, then try to interfere with the world using just that power. It's inefficient, brutish, uncultured, and primitive. They over-rely on their own strength, refusing harmony with the world—it's basically just throwing a tantrum at it."
And just like that, she launched into dissing swordsmen out of nowhere.
I blinked in surprise at the sudden slander against swordsmen, and Lucia opened her mouth like she couldn't stand it.
"She's at it again. Ignore her. She's a severe magic supremacist..."
"Magic supremacist? It's true, though."
Dorothea's face was utterly serious, as if her words were absolute truth.
"On the other hand, magic is far more elegant. You use the minimal ether to attune to the external flows and principles, making the world move on its own. It's not tantrums—it's gentle guidance. Not force, but persuasion."
This is getting under my skin.
Really getting under my skin.
I forced a smile and asked her,
"So... swordsmanship is barbaric, while magic is elegant and superior?"
"Right? No, that's exactly it. Like how heavy things sink and hot things rise. It's perfectly natural."
"...I'm a swordsman, you know?"
Her face paled at my words, and she glanced around frantically, searching for an excuse.
"I-it's fine! You're stepping into magic now, disciple, so you're not a monkey!"
"Monkey?"
"That's what I call... swordsmen..."
"Ah."
She really is severe.
Lucia sighed, either pitying or exasperated, and scolded her.
"You clueless idiot, there are things you say and things you don't."
"But... it's true..."
"Even if it's true!"
"Lucia, even you... sniff sniff."
Dorothea pretended to cry, hurt, and Lucia visibly panicked, spilling excuses.
"N-no, that's not what I meant! I just got caught up in your backtalk and slipped...!"
After enjoying Lucia's flustered reaction enough, I figured we'd never get to the lesson at this rate and stopped the fake crying.
"So... how do you use that elegant magic?"
I rested my chin in my hand and asked Dorothea as kindly as possible. She composed herself and told me to open the book.
"It's on page 13, but it might be tricky, so I'll explain verbally. First, you circulate ether. But! Not like swordsmen do. They compress it and burst it out all at once. That won't work."
She raised her hand and slowly traced a line, like conducting an orchestra.
"Slowly, gently. Align your body's ether flow with the external ether flow."
"Align the flows?"
"Yeah. Not forcing it, but joining the existing flow."
Hmm.
Following her words, I sensed the ether flows around me, then slowly circulated my internal ether to match their speed.
A sensation hit me like swallowing a whole loaf of bread. Something was catching, agonizing, but it didn't feel like my meridians were tearing.
So this is what aligning flows feels like.
"Oh, you catch on quick? Let's try something simple then."
Dorothea conjured a tiny orb of light on her palm.
It was dimmer than a candle—more like fireflies.
"Light. Even a swordsman knows this, right? The basics of basics. You spray ether thinly, then coat the clump with radiance."
She explained a few incantations and ether-handling methods.
"Want to try? It's okay if you fail. Not everyone has talent for magic."
As she praised magic, I followed her advice: circulated ether slowly and focused.
Unlike gripping a sword—slowly, without concentrating, just letting it flow.
Slowly. Thinly. In tune with the flow.
It felt unfamiliar, yet familiar.
Just like the gentle flow of Cecilia's blessing circulating through my body.
"...Light."
The moment I incanted, a candle-like orb of light appeared above my hand.
Dorothea stared blankly at it, and Lucia blinked.
"Uh..."
I was a bit surprised too.
Not by their reactions, but because I'd succeeded on the first try.
It worked?
"...Like this?"
Silence filled the room.
Dorothea alternated glances between me and the orb, then her eyes lit up.
"Yes, exactly like that! How did you do it on the first try?! I messed up three times! Did your swordsmanship experience help?!"
"N-not sure."
Her eyes burned with fanatic curiosity, looking at me not as a person but as a rare research specimen.
Aside from the creepy "where to poke for best results" vibe.
It was fun.
Doing it and succeeding—such a delightful thing.
"Ilisha. No, disciple."
"Yes?"
"Shall we move to the next step right away?"
Without hesitation, she built a spell formula and explained what it was.
"It's not daily magic but Novice-class, but with Airvalt blood, you should have high affinity for ice-attribute ether..."
She finished building it and exhaled a faint cold breeze.
"It's called Frostbite. A spell to emit cold. You get the construction and principles just from watching, right?! Now you try!"
She didn't even consider I'd fail.
Her trust was touching and fun.
Alright, let's give it a shot.
Like with the light, I circulated ether slowly and built the formula.
Faint frost bloomed at my fingertips, and cold spread into the air.
"You... you really have talent for magic too...?"
Lucia let out an impressed "heh," while Dorothea recorded my every move on paper without blinking.
With both heroines focused on me, I wanted to show more.
What if I crank up the output?
As I foolishly amped it up with that childish thought,
Dizzying pain shot through my fingertips, and Cecilia's face flashed in my mind.
-Does it hurt?
-Then I'm glad.
I recalled her quietly looking down at me.
"..."
If I got hurt again today...
Would she really look at me like a bug?
I didn't want her disappointed gaze.
I stopped the ether circulation and dispersed the formula.
"Disciple? Why stop already? I haven't finished recording..."
"...Sorry, Master. Or Dorothea. Let's stop here for today. If I push more, my body might not hold up."
The moment I said that, Lucia's expression soured instantly.
"You, even with magic... Yeah, makes sense. Damn... Circulating ether from the start must've been torture..."
Yeah, you get it.
I liked that about her.
I liked how she showered me with attention because of this frail body. That face, that expression, that reaction.
"Why? What's that? Why are you two talking like you share a secret? Tell me too!"
"...She's got a really weak body. I don't know the details... Ugh, just read it yourself."
Dorothea tilted her head in confusion, then excused herself briefly and took my hand.
"Can I check your body...?"
"Sure. But gently, please."
As requested, she released ether very slowly and scanned my body.
Then Dorothea's face stiffened.
"Th-this... How are you even alive...?"