Winds of Change (Part 1)
Now that she had mastered reading and writing, I figured it was time to teach her magic in earnest.
In the world of Ragnarok, magic was broadly divided into two major disciplines: Natural Magic and Dark Magic. Natural Magic, as the name implied, drew upon the ambient mana naturally permeating the world, whereas Dark Magic borrowed power from demons.
Naturally, Dark Magic was vastly easier to learn and packed a far heavier punch. But it was hardly without its drawbacks. The more one cast Dark Magic, the more demonic energy built up within the vessel, creating a hard ceiling that made it virtually impossible to break through to higher realms. That wasn't all. Overusing it frequently led to violent loss of control, and suffering a magical deviation under demonic influence was almost universally fatal.
Natural Magic, by contrast, progressed slowly, but its foundation was stable and clean. If cultivated properly, one could even contract and summon elemental spirits. Whenever possible, Natural Magic was undeniably the superior path. And so, I decided Natural Magic was what I would teach Lena.
Of course, in the game's original timeline, Lena was destined to fall and become the Witch of Silence, a terrifying calamity who wielded Dark Magic. Taking that into account, her innate talent might lean toward the darker arts, but... well, what was I supposed to do about that? I didn't know the first thing about casting Dark Magic myself. A teacher can only teach what he knows. Besides, with Lena's monstrous potential, she would thrive regardless.
"And so, our magic training officially begins today."
"Y-Yes, sir! Understood...!!"
Wound tighter than a coiled spring, Lena trembled from head to toe before shooting her hand straight into the air like an overeager schoolchild. Seated across the table, she squirmed nervously, her wide, anxious eyes glued to mine. Well, at least she was paying attention. Time to begin.
"The very first step is learning to sense mana. Mana exists in everything in this world: in the air, in the sunlight, in the flame of this candle. Even in this table and the chair beneath you."
"S-So it's not just in natural things?"
"Good question. Exactly. Common wisdom claims mana only dwells in living nature, but reality is different. All things under heaven—even artificial, man-made creations—contain mana. The quantity differs, of course, but mana permeates everywhere."
Different magical schools endlessly bickered over this theory, but the system of magic I had mastered operated on the premise of omnipresent mana, so teaching her this foundational concept was for the best.
"Now, as for how to sense it, there are two methods. The first is to perceive it gently through calm meditation and deep focus. The second is to forcibly awaken the dormant mana sleeping within your own body."
"W-Which one is better?"
"Each has its pros and cons. The first is slow but natural. The second is fast, but unnatural."
"...Wh-What's the difference between... natural and unnatural...?"
"One hurts, and one doesn't."
"T-Then I... I'll choose the n-natural way!"
Fat chance.
As Lena squeezed her eyes shut with a desperate, strained smile, attempting to enter meditation on the spot, I offered her an infinitely gentle, benevolent grin. Then, I took her small hand into mine.
"GYAAAAAHHHHHK?!"
I pumped mana directly into her meridians. Her dormant magic intertwined with mine, violently jolted awake in an instant. After letting out a truly bizarre, strangled shriek at the searing shock, Lena flopped limp onto the tabletop like a deflated balloon.
"...Burned... to white ash..."
We haven't even started yet, you little drama queen.
"Focus. Now's the real test: you have to actually feel the mana."
"Wh-What happens if I c-can't...?"
"Then we do it again."
Lena snapped ramrod straight in record time and screwed her eyes shut. A split second later, she broke into a radiant beam and shouted, "I-I felt it!"
Bullshit. No matter how monstrous her latent talent was, sensing mana on the very first try? Does that make any sense?
I flicked a Mana Bullet straight at her.
"Eep!"
An invisible clump of mana whistled through the air like a pop-it firecracker, aimed squarely for her forehead. With her eyes still shut, Lena gasped in terror, threw both hands over her skull, and ducked.
Wait. She actually sensed it?
This kid... She really was the real deal. As expected of the future Grand Witch!
"Oh... Not bad at all."
"Ehehehehe~"
She was a total sucker for praise. Lena scratched the back of her head, grinning like an idiot. It was undeniably endearing, but true instruction allowed no room for soft-hearted sympathy. I flicked another Mana Bullet. Unable to dodge this time, Lena clutched her red forehead, eyes welling with pathetic tears.
"Hnnngh..."
"Now that you can sense mana, you need to learn how to move it. The process is simple: give an order to the mana dwelling inside you. Draw it forth, and use it as a catalyst to guide the mana of the natural world."
"Uh... Um. I don't really get it."
"You'll understand once you try. Here it comes again."
Lena hated pain. Not that many people enjoyed hurting, but her aversion to physical suffering was downright pathological. Which meant she would learn at lightning speed if only to avoid getting stung. And true to form, after eating just two more Mana Bullets, Lena grasped the knack of circulating her mana. Mm. Truly magnificent.
"Magic is a system of principles woven through incantations and mana manipulation. Think of the chant as crafting a mold for the mana to fill. Now, let's start by creating a spark of magical flame."
"I-Is it Fire?"
"Right. The simplest of all flame-attribute spells. Spells of this tier are called basic magic. Once you master all basic magic disciplines, you can finally call yourself a proper mage."
"Ah... Yes! Understood!"
Clenching her tiny fists, Lena's eyes sparkled. She had talent, and she had passion. If she maintained this momentum, I could teach her everything and earn my Sage qualification well within a year.
"Keep at it."
"Y-Yes, Master!"
The great city trembled to its foundations. An unstoppable, colossal darkness was creeping ever closer.
"Aaaaargh!"
"R-Run! We have to run!"
Terror seized the populace. Every last soul was paralyzed by fright.
"Even Taylor fell!"
"Aaargh! Is there no one left to save us?!"
Despair. Like souls drowning in an inescapable abyss, the people cried out for salvation.
And at that very moment, a solitary figure appeared.
"L-Look over there!"
A thread of silver pierced the encroaching gloom. Striding fearlessly toward the darkness with a great staff in hand, the woman’s azure eyes held not a single speck of doubt or fear. Watching her steady, unhurried stride, the despairing crowds began to cry out one by one.
"S-She's finally here!"
"She's come! She's come for us!"
Laments of misery instantly transformed into thunderous cheers. And how could they not? The woman walking before them was one who had reached the pinnacle of the arcane path. The only person in the world who bore the grand title of 'Archmage.'
"A-Are you...?!"
A soldier locked in desperate struggle against the darkness gasped, gazing up in awe at the savior standing before him. The woman, who had been staring down the encroaching shadow, turned her head. Slowly removing the veil masking her countenance, she spoke with a warmth and gentleness utterly at odds with her terrifyingly grand reputation.
"I am Lena."
A calm, simple statement. Yet the reassurance it brought to the hearts of the masses was beyond measure.
"Lena!"
"The Archmage has arrived!!!"
A breathtaking woman who had grasped every secret of magic, yet treated all living beings with boundless kindness. She alone was the true hero of this era.
· · ·
"Heh... Ehehehehe..."
Lena, having drifted into envisioning roaring flames and lightning rending the darkness asunder, suddenly jolted back to reality.
"...Ack?!"
"...Were you spacing out again?"
"Ugh... W-Well, the thing is..."
Lost in her daydream, her concentration had completely collapsed. As Lena squirmed in mortification, flustered and blushing, Lee Hyun watched her with warm, affectionate eyes before pressing a small pouch of silver coins into her palm.
"Run into the village and buy some vegetables. We'll roast them for dinner tonight. Keep the change and buy yourself some snacks. Your progress has been good lately, so consider it a reward."
"Y-You're not... going to scold me...?"
"Why would I, when you've been doing so well?"
Smiling fondly, Lee Hyun patted Lena's head. Beneath his warm touch, a brilliant smile broke across her lovely face.
"Ah! Y-Yes, sir!! I-I'll be right back! Oh! A-And I'll buy some liquor for you too, Master!!"
"I'd appreciate that."
Pocketing the two silver coins from Lee Hyun, Lena skipped merrily down the path toward the village. In the old days, she would have kept her eyes glued to the dirt, scouring the brush for edible mushrooms or medicinal herbs. But now, after a month of study under Lee Hyun, things were different. 'If you have time to dig up weeds, spend it reciting an incantation,' he had instructed her. Following his advice, she murmured spell formulas under her breath as she strolled along.
"Oh? Isn't that Lena?"
"Is Lee Hyun taking the day off?"
"Ah... U-Um, yes. Yes, sir."
Ever since becoming Lee Hyun’s disciple, the villagers had taken to greeting her warmly. To be fair, part of it was because she no longer wandered around looking like a filthy street urchin now that she bathed regularly. But that, too, was because of Lee Hyun's insistence, so credit belonged entirely to him.
Master really is incredible.
How did he manage to befriend people so effortlessly? It had barely been a month since Lee Hyun arrived, yet he was practically treated like family by half the settlement. Naturally, as his student, Lena bathed in the glow of their goodwill as well. Even now, she hadn't quite adjusted to just how drastically her lot in life had changed.
I guess that's why I keep having silly daydreams...
In the past, she wouldn't have dared dream such foolish things. Becoming a hero who saved people. Living a life showered in praise and adoration. It was just a fantasy, of course. But maybe... just maybe. If she kept studying under Lee Hyun and became an advanced mage, perhaps that dream might actually come true.
"Y-Yeah! I have to w-work hard—"
"KYAAAAAAAH!"
A piercing shriek rang out from the marketplace. A scream in a village that was always so peaceful? Startled, Lena hurried toward the commotion.
"Give it back!! That's the only keepsake my husband left behind...! Eek!"
"Hehehe! Who knew we'd find such a rare prize in a dump like this?!"
"Waaah! Mama! Mamaaaa!"
It was a band of adventurers. They were trying to rob Luceia of her necklace, threatening the woman as she fought back in vain. Bawling at her side was little Lorian. Catching sight of the steel glinting in their drawn blades, Lena stepped forward before she could even think.
"The hell are you supposed to be, brat?!"
"...Uh. Um. Th-That... E-Excuse me... I-I mean... w-well..."
What do I do?! What do I do?! And Master isn't even here!
Every pair of eyes in the square bore into her. Luceia, struggling as a rough hand gripped her collar, looked at her in desperation. Little Lorian gazed up through tear-streaked eyes, pleading silently. These were people who, despite not knowing her at all back then, had scrubbed the grime off her skin in the public bathhouse and treated her with nothing but warmth ever since. And right now, those very people were looking to her for help.
In the past, even under those desperate gazes, she would have hung her head and hurried past. Because she had been powerless. Perhaps now wasn't so different. Unlike the grandiose daydream she had entertained moments ago, the reality was that she was just a fledgling apprentice who could barely cobble together basic magic.
She was terrified. Facing these men terrified her down to her marrow. And so she clamped her eyes shut—which only invited their sneering laughter.
"W-W-W-What'd you say, squirt?"
"Gwahahaha! Can't even string a sentence together! What's this little coward mumbling about?!"
"Piss off before we break your face, you little shit!"
At their snarling threats, Lena instinctively shrank back, shoulders hunched.
But then it struck her.
This is who I was when I was helpless.
She had wanted to change. She had yearned with all her heart to become different.
Her master had told her: to change, one had to cultivate strength.
Her master had told her: she possessed immense talent, and he would ensure she acquired power.
It had only been a month, but in that single month, she had learned so much from him. If so, then power must dwell within these hands. The power to change her trembling, cowardly self. The power to save these terrified people who had shown her kindness.
And so, Lena opened her tightly shut eyes and raised her hand.
"Magic Arrow."
And there was light.