Foundations of Magic (2)
Sezanne looked utterly dumbfounded. “No way, how is that even possible…?”
She had always understood that fire and water attributes were polar opposites, making it nearly impossible for someone to be born with an aptitude for both.
“So this water you made… it’s not drinkable?”
“That’s not what I meant. Fire and water are completely different things.”
Sezanne paused, trying to find the right words, then continued. “When people test for elemental aptitude, fire and air attributes show up most often. Water, earth, and ether are much rarer and harder to manifest.”
“Why is it so difficult? Aren’t the five major elements all the same?”
“It’s because fire and air are easy to manifest. But water, earth, and ether require materialization, which makes them far more difficult.”
“Ah, the difference is whether they take physical form!”
Jinwoo finally understood. Even when fire or air manifested, they quickly returned to nature and couldn’t be grasped. But water, earth, and ether took on physical substance, which made them harder to create and slower to dissipate back into nature.
“For the water element to pour out like this, it means you’ve received the blessing of the water god, Rius. It’s practically the same thing.”
“But if you’ve been blessed by the water god, shouldn’t fire be impossible? You said they’re polar opposites.”
“That’s true, but…”
“Let’s try the others first.”
Jinwoo pictured air and imagined wind blowing outward. Suddenly, he felt as if his entire body was swaying in a breeze. Then, just like a palm strike releasing force, a gust of wind swirled out from his hand.
“What?! How are you doing that…?”
Next, when he thought of earth and stone, small pebbles that looked like crushed flint formed in his palm. When he focused on condensing the mana into something more rock-like, stones larger than his fist began to appear.
“Now try ether too.”
Sezanne suggested it with clear skepticism. But Jinwoo had to stop and think.
What exactly is ether?
He tried to recall how ether had been defined in various settings. Philosophically, Aristotle had introduced ether to explain the eternal motion of celestial bodies beyond the four classical elements. But as astronomy advanced, ether came to be understood differently—as the fundamental substance that composed the four elements themselves, a higher concept.
Imagining ether as that primordial substance, he moved his mana accordingly. A faint tickling sensation began to form in his palm. When he looked down, there was a tiny white bead, smaller than a thumbnail.
Grade: Unknown (Miraculous)
Effect: A pure ether construct. Contains immense potential as a universal medium.
“Th-that’s the Philosopher’s Stone!” Sezanne cried out in shock the moment she saw the white bead.
“To think I would witness the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone… Jinwoo-nim, are you perhaps a dragon?”
“Huh? What are you talking about? A dragon? If I were a dragon, would I be asking you to check my attributes and teach me magic?”
“Ah… that’s true. Hmm. But there’s an ancient legend that’s been passed down for a very long time. It says that the only beings capable of wielding all five attributes using attribute-less mana are dragons.”
Sezanne spoke with deadly seriousness as she stared at him, but since Jinwoo had never heard any stories about dragons during his travels so far, it sounded like nothing more than a mythical tale.
“Are there still dragons on the Arean Continent?”
“No. What about the Entrick Continent?”
“There used to be, according to legend. They all supposedly flew beyond the Snow Mountain Range at the northern tip of the continent a very long time ago.”
So it really was just a legend after all.
“They probably returned to their own Dragon Realm. And being able to use all five attributes is likely just a difference in how magic systems work.”
“Hmm. That could be possible.”
Sezanne had thought it made no sense herself, yet the fact that he possessed mana capable of using every attribute still made him seem far from ordinary.
I’ve heard stories of mages who can use the four classical elements, though not all five… but even they wouldn’t be able to release mana in such massive quantities.
And creating the Philosopher’s Stone was no ordinary feat.
“But this ether bead is different. Truly, no ordinary person can create one.”
As Jinwoo listened to Sezanne and stared at the white bead, it started to look strangely familiar.
“Now that I look at it, this seems similar to the Beast Sphere.”
“Exactly. These ether beads are normally created by high priests borrowing divine power. That’s why I was so shocked.”
Jinwoo took out the Beast Sphere he had received from Lepe, the priest of Lecherot. The one he had made was slightly smaller, but their appearance was almost identical.
“Then, can I imbue this ether bead with abilities like the Beast Sphere?”
“That… would have been possible before the Magic Circle Wars of old. You could have engraved any magic circle you wanted. But it’s impossible now.”
“Then how do people use ether beads these days?”
“Ether beads made by temples, like the Beast Sphere, simply improve your health just by carrying them. They also ward off poison. In emergencies, you can crush them with a potion to heal wounds.”
Listening to her explanation, it sounded exactly like the Philosopher’s Stone from legend—something that could also be used as a mana stone in a pinch.
So that’s why they call it the all-purpose stone. Ah, then I can use it this way.
He decided to drop this ether bead into the water barrel he used for making pizza dough. If even Count Scolid of the Alfred family couldn’t taste the difference in other people’s pizza but could sense something special in his, this bead might be the key to replicating that flavor.
“Now that I’ve taught you the basics of magic on the Entrick Continent, it’s your turn to teach me about the magic of the Arean Continent.”
Jinwoo was certain he had never agreed to teach her the fundamentals of magic, but even if he did, there wasn’t much Sezanne could actually do with it.
“Our magic is simple. The amount of mana you’re born with is fixed. Whether you become a powerful mage or not is decided at birth.”
“So even if you train hard, there’s no change?”
“That’s right. What you’re born with determines everything.”
Since character stats were set during creation, her words weren’t wrong.
“That’s why you can’t take on many disciples or teach others freely.”
“Hmm. It really is completely different.”
Sezanne felt a surge of curiosity—she wanted to reveal and teach him the mana rearrangement spells of the Magic Tower—but she barely held herself back. She had promised to protect the Tower’s secrets.
“Then later, if you ever visit the Planta Magic Tower, the Adhibitio Magic Tower, or the Witant Magic Tower, please ask to see the magic circles there. With your talent, Jinwoo-nim, I think you might be able to revive the lost circles.”
“If the chance comes, I’ll definitely ask. Now, shall we head to the underground storage like we originally planned?”
To control the temperature in the tomato underground storage, he pictured the water attribute and imagined cold air. Ice immediately poured from his hands. If he spread this ice around, it should be possible to lower the storage’s temperature.
He quickly built wooden doors, walls, and flooring in the underground space, then poured ice into the gaps. The cold air that couldn’t escape swirled inside, steadily dropping the temperature. Wooden crates filled with tomatoes were stacked in neat layers on the wooden floor.
“With this, what used to last only a month can now be stored for two or three months. But doesn’t that mean the master will have to come here every day?”
Since it wasn’t a permanent magic circle like a refrigerator, it was a bit of a headache. In the end, they would still need a mage on site.
“Huh? What are you worrying about? Since you’re not from around here, you might not know, but Booktoria is known as the City of Academies. That means there are tons of students from the magic academies.”
“Oh! I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Just hire an academy student who can cast the second-tier cold magic twice a day at the Mercenary Guild. That way, even if we’re not here, the tomato storage’s temperature will stay stable.”
“Hahaha! ‘Berk Tomato’s Hometown’… really?”
On his way back to the capital, Lord Berk burst into laughter when he saw the pizza shop with an enormous sign proudly declaring it his hometown house. There were plenty of people doing business along the highway between Booktoria and the capital city of Dyven, but this was the first time he had seen anyone put up such a massive sign.
He congratulated himself, thinking there could be no better way to network with the nobles who traveled this road and raise his own fame. And he had found the mage who gave him this brilliant idea.
“We were waiting for you as well, since we need to head up to the capital Dyven.”
They had left the shop in Michelle and Tilt’s care and had already packed their belongings.
“Good, good. I promised to give you a house to stay in the capital, so let’s go together. If tomatoes spread in the capital as well, even more people will come to love them. Shall we depart?”
“My lord. Aren’t you going to buy some to take with you?”
Ruke, who knew he wouldn’t be able to eat tomato dishes for a while after leaving Booktoria, found it hard to walk away.
“Ruke. The person who made that food is coming with us. Is there any reason to buy it now?”
“Ah! That’s right. Hahaha. My thinking was too short-sighted. Then let’s go.”
“We congratulate you on your safe return, Lord Berk. The people behind you are…”
“They are my guests. They will stay in my annex for a few days before leaving, so there’s no need to inform my father.”
“Understood. Then I will assign these children to attend to them.”
Although Berk had told the butler there was no need to inform his father, he knew the fact that he had brought mercenaries into the family home would be reported immediately.
“If Jinwoo the mage finds it comfortable to stay here, you may remain as long as you like. However, you will eventually catch the attention of my father, the marquis. And that will mean being bound by troublesome etiquette.”
“As soon as we find a suitable house, we will move out immediately.”
The mention of being tied down by etiquette made him decide it would be best to find a house and leave as soon as possible.
“There’s no need to cook tomato dishes either. You can do so later once everyone finds out naturally.”
“Understood.”
Only after hearing Lord Berk’s words did it truly sink in that Berk was royalty. Other members of the royal family or high nobles would probably be just as picky as their status suggested.
“I have some business to take care of at the Mercenary Guild, so I’ll be heading out first.”
“Ah, please wear this. It will prevent the guards at the main gate from stopping you.”
Berk handed him a small silver pendant engraved with the royal crest—a centaur holding a bow.
“I’ve heard the story from the Booktoria guild. So you intend to continue operating the Golden Dawn Mercenary Band, which is a B-Rank group?”
The guild master of the Dyven Mercenary Guild had thick, prominent eyebrows and large eyes. His dark skin made him look somewhat like someone from India.
“Yes. Although many members died, I plan to keep the band going.”
During the journey to the capital with Sezanne, they had discussed the Golden Dawn Mercenary Band at length. Since he had been ordered to form a mercenary group, he needed an already-established B-Rank band.
Sezanne had said that if they kept the name in honor of the deceased Palchion, she would allow them to take over the group.
“In that case, you must first recruit the minimum number of five members. Only then can we assign requests to you as an official mercenary band.”
It looked like he would need to gather new members first.