Chapter 162: Asahi on Stage (2)
“Up until now, I’ve explained the currently observable phenomena of Fantasy!”
Asahi declared, pulling out a pair of round glasses from her skirt pocket and putting them on with a flourish.
“Next, I will present the results of the experiments conducted in the Port Town of Terek!”
“Oh, how cute!”
“Thank you, big sister!! Ringo made them for me!”
With a bright smile, Asahi displayed the background leading to the experiment.
“Now, I have recorded several instances where Magic Warriors performed the Fireball spell during training. As a result, it has been confirmed that the phenomenon of the Fireball varies depending on the individual caster. Specifically, here are the findings:
First, the power of the Fireball—differences in the amount of heat generated and temperature.
Second, the speed of the Fireball—from the moment it is conjured to when it strikes the target.
Third, the way the Fireball bursts—its explosion radius, the number of sparks that scatter, and their speed.
All of these factors differ from person to person, and no commonalities were found.”
The subjects numbered five. Each performed the spell a hundred times. No significant differences were observed within the same individual’s Fireballs, as the variations fell within the margin of error influenced by statistical factors, ambient temperature, and humidity. However, when comparing different individuals, nothing was found that could be deemed identical.
“This led to the question: Is the Fireball truly the same spell? Just because we call it a Fireball, could it actually be a different spell altogether? Do spells of the same name produce the same phenomena?”
“You made them shoot it a hundred times?”
“Big sister, I didn’t force them! They said they were training regularly, so I merely observed!”
“Well, that’s fine, I guess…?”
“Yes! So, I conducted interviews to find out who taught them the Fireball and how they learned it!”
“Will they really share that information with you…?”
“Yes! Everyone was happy to share!”
With a beaming smile, Asahi replied. Ringo shook her head.
“I ordered them to disclose information unless it poses a threat to their lives.”
“You’re practically forcing it out of them!”
“That’s not true at all!!”
With Asahi’s confident demeanor, Commander Eve sighed and urged her to continue.
“Yes! So, the results of the interviews revealed that, fundamentally, they learned about the Fireball’s effects, power, and imagery from their magical mentors. They started with training to light a fire using magic, gradually progressing to launching and bursting it! After that, they practiced repeatedly until they could create flames, launch them, and make them explode as they envisioned.”
In other words, the effect does not occur uniformly by chanting a specific incantation; rather, it is acquired through diligent training.
“I’m sorry, but I cannot determine how much individual aptitude plays a role at this time. Even with the same amount of practice, some improve quickly while others struggle to make progress. It remains unclear whether this is due to innate talent or external factors. However, I suspect that individual talent and inherent qualities significantly influence this! Children of Magicians tend to become Magicians themselves, and those who are familiar with magic from a young age seem to learn faster and achieve greater power.”
Asahi displayed the results of her interviews. Ultimately, those who trained from childhood were more proficient, while starting as an adult proved to be quite challenging. Furthermore, learning from a mentor led to faster improvement and a higher likelihood of producing uniform phenomena.
“Therefore, I hypothesized that a clear image is essential for magic!”
Asahi predicted magical phenomena based on her unique understanding of magic. The concept of Internal Magic Power had been confirmed. The number of Fireballs one could cast in a day was nearly constant, varying from person to person. It was predicted that magic manifests only when the amount of Internal Magic Power, the image of the Fireball, and the will to conjure it align.
“While there is currently no method to measure magic power, according to the Magic Warriors, they feel fatigued as their magic power decreases. Feeling fatigued indicates some form of internal disruption, so I am continuing to investigate whether we can capture any phenomena using the Vital Monitor!”
“Investigating? Are you making them do something?”
“Commander Ma’am, it seems they have been repeating the training until they can no longer cast Fireballs, while monitoring their condition continuously for several days now.”
It appeared that the five Magic Warriors had been enduring Asahi’s experiments for quite some time.
“…That’s fine, but you’re compensating them, right?”
“Yes! Of course, big sister! This ultimate beauty, Asahi, is providing her brightest smile!!”
Perhaps she had gotten a bit carried away, as Asahi was met with a light smack from Ringo.
“Since you’re not doing it, I’ve arranged for increased daily wages and prioritized the distribution of food and beverages. For now, we maintain a friendly relationship, but please don’t push them too hard.”
“Asahi, remember to keep it within limits.”
“…Y-Yes, big sister. Don’t worry, I strictly adhere to an 8-hour workday!!”
“Making them work for 8 hours? How cruel!”
“Commander Ma’am, it’s fine. The time spent with Asahi is only about two hours, while the rest is for their regular duties. They are valuable samples, so I ensure they are not wasted. Please rest assured.”
“O-Okay…”
After such a heartwarming conversation, Asahi displayed further experimental results.
“Now, to verify the construction of magic through imagery, I divided the subjects into Group A and Group B. Group A continued with the same training as before. Group B, on the other hand, received lectures on imagery and theory while practicing with prepared visual aids. This continued for about two weeks.”
The results were as follows.
“Group B’s Fireball magic showed significantly reduced individual differences!!”
In particular, by repeatedly showing idealized explosion visuals after hitting the target, they were able to achieve consistent results.
If the construction of magic relies on imagery, then indeed, providing slow-motion footage to examine details would greatly contribute to forming that imagery.
“Furthermore, Group B also demonstrated a significant increase in the number of Fireballs they could cast in a day. If we consider that casting a Fireball depletes Internal Magic Power, it suggests that the amount of magic consumed per Fireball has decreased! This may indicate that the clarity of their imagery has reduced magic consumption!”
“Hmm. Well, I can accept that. Still, it’s just a hypothesis, right?”
“Yes, big sister! It is merely a hypothesis, and we have only observed phenomena that seem to support it! To confirm that the hypothesis is correct, we will need a larger sample size!”
The sample size refers to the users of magic. The Port Town of Terek had secured five Magic Warriors as combatants. Thanks to the efforts of the Paraiso, Terek had become a very safe and stable town. Thus, the minimum number of combatants required for maintaining order allowed them to participate in Asahi’s experiments. In fact, they seemed to be pleased to have a role to play.
Asahi, being talkative, had built a fairly good relationship with them. They appeared grateful for Asahi’s ability to accurately explain the magical phenomena they wielded.
“Speaking of samples, I wonder if we could involve that strong knight or the adventurers from North End City?”
“Yes, big sister! I would love to observe magic beyond just Fireballs! Especially spells that enhance physical abilities! While I am analyzing the Threat Creatures as much as possible, there is still so much we do not understand!”
Asahi was excitedly discussing the Fireball, but it seemed she was also concurrently researching the Threat Creatures.