Chapter 68: Strengths and Weaknesses in Magic
“Alright, let’s begin the class on ‘Magic Acquisition.’ Everyone, please settle down.”
A gentle-faced male instructor stepped forward, announcing the start of the lesson. The students, who had been buzzing with excitement due to Yuri’s bombshell statement, finally quieted down.
“I am Houston Valetis, and I will be your instructor for ‘Magic Acquisition.’ I also serve as the homeroom teacher for Class B. I look forward to working with you all over the next year.”
With his glasses perched on his nose and white hair neatly combed, the middle-aged teacher wore a well-tailored suit. He was a stark contrast to Ms. Carder, the homeroom teacher for Class A, exuding a calm and amiable demeanor.
“Now then… we magicians often use magic as if it were second nature. Can anyone explain how we activate it?”
Valetis posed the question to the entire classroom without singling anyone out. A few students raised their hands, and he selected one.
“Um, the student in the front row. Please state your name before answering.”
“Yes, I’m Maurice Louis. When we use magic, we go through three steps: constructing the magic formula in our minds, infusing it with magical power, and then activating it.”
Maurice, the serious-looking student who had been called upon, explained with confidence.
“The magic formula refers to the diagram known as the ‘Magic Circle.’ By channeling magical power into the diagram we’ve constructed in our minds, we can activate the magic. Sometimes, we use incantations or magical tools to assist in constructing the diagram.”
“Very well. As Maurice said, that’s correct.”
Valetis nodded with a warm smile.
“Acquiring new magic means memorizing the magic formula—the Magic Circle—and being able to visualize it instantly in your mind. The more advanced the magic, the more complex the formula becomes, making it harder to use.”
As Valetis continued his explanation, a female student raised her hand.
“Yes, you there.”
“I’m Amy. Since I’m a commoner, I don’t have a surname. So, what you’re saying, teacher, is that as long as we can memorize the magic formula, we can use any kind of magic?”
“Of course, to activate magic, you need an appropriate amount of magical power. If you lack the magical power to fill the formula you’ve visualized in your mind, the magic will either fail to activate or will activate in an incomplete state. Furthermore, to memorize the complex Magic Circles of advanced magic perfectly and visualize them instantly requires considerable talent.”
Valetis answered Amy’s question in a gentle tone.
“Additionally, each person has their own ‘Magic Output’ and ‘Magic Attribute.’ Output refers to the amount of magical power that can be released at once, while attribute indicates which type of magic suits them best.”
He moved to the blackboard behind him, drawing several numbers and shapes with chalk.
“For example, if there is a spell that requires one hundred units of magical power to activate, and a person’s output is eighty, then the magic will activate in an incomplete form with reduced potency. Moreover, if the user’s magical attribute leans towards ‘Water,’ using a fire attribute spell, which is contrary to water, will also result in diminished power.”
On the blackboard, he drew a cross with ‘Fire’ written above and ‘Water’ below. To the sides, he added ‘Wind’ and ‘Earth.’
“Thus, we have six basic magical attributes: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Light, and Darkness. However, some individuals may possess magical power suited for spells that do not fall under these attributes, such as Body Enhancement or Healing. If you use magic that aligns with your strong attribute, its potency will be greater.”
Valetis surveyed the classroom, a smile spreading across his face.
“Now, let’s find out which attribute suits you best. It’s quite simple. We will use the basic magic of Elemental Magic, the ‘Sphere.'”
He distributed stacks of paper, each cut into ten-centimeter squares, to each table.
“This paper is a simplified version of the device used in the entrance exam to measure magical power. It can measure the potency of the magic that touches it.”
Valetis raised his index finger and activated a spell. A fireball the size of a fist appeared above his finger. When he gently touched the paper with the fireball, the number ’10’ was displayed.
“The basic potency of the ‘Sphere’ magic is ’10.’ If a higher number appears on the paper, that indicates a strong attribute, while a lower number indicates a weak attribute.”
In other words, by touching the paper with each of the six attribute spheres, students could determine their suitable attributes. It was a clear and straightforward method to measure strengths and weaknesses numerically, rather than relying on intuition.
“Now, please give it a try. If you can, feel free to use ‘Thunder Ball’ or ‘Poison Ball.’ Just be careful not to injure your classmates while using magic.”
With permission granted, the classmates began activating their spells. They brought the spheres of their activated attributes close to the paper to measure their magical potency.
“It seems my strong attributes are ‘Fire’ and ‘Thunder.’ My weak one is ‘Water,'” Viola remarked, as she produced fire and thunder spheres, both registering numbers above 20. In contrast, her water sphere displayed a number less than half of the basic potency.
“I think I’m strong with ‘Water.’ My weak attribute is ‘Fire,'” Primula said, having conducted her own tests. It appeared that even twins could have different strengths and weaknesses.
“Rest… that’s impressive. Everything came out exactly ’10,’ didn’t it?”
When Rest tried, every measurement yielded the same number. It seemed she had neither strengths nor weaknesses.
“Hmm… while it’s nice not to have any weak spells, if I don’t have any strengths either, I won’t know which magic to prioritize learning,” Rest said with a wry smile. Essentially, it meant she was a jack of all trades, master of none.
(Well, I can still memorize spells just by looking at them. I suppose I can continue learning them one by one as I have been doing.)
With that thought, Rest placed the paper she was holding on the table, ready to embrace her unique path in magic.