Chapter 8 - The Secret of Magic
"Well then, now that we’ve introduced ourselves, let’s get started on the lesson."
"Lesson?"
"Yes. I need to teach you how to use Spirit Magic, Ridil-kun. Can you use magic?"
"No, I can’t. So, I don’t know anything about Spirit Magic either."
"How refreshingly honest of you. Now, let’s see what we should do."
Alfred-sensei crossed his arms and tapped his temple thoughtfully with his index finger. Even that gesture was charming. I wish I had been born an elf.
"First, let me explain the difference between magic and Spirit Magic."
"Please do."
"To put it simply, magic uses the magical power inside your body, while Spirit Magic draws from the magical power outside your body."
It seems the difference lies in the source of the magical power—whether it’s internal or external. They’re categorized accordingly. Since humans don’t use Spirit Magic, it means they cannot harness external magical power. Wait, hold on.
"Alfred-sensei, which type of magic can you use?"
"I can use both. Elves live in harmony with nature, after all."
The way he said it made it sound like humans couldn’t use Spirit Magic because they’re out of harmony with nature.
That’s probably true. War destroys not just towns and villages, but forests and woodlands too. Waste is dumped into rivers, polluting the water. The same goes for lakes.
"So Spirit Magic is a form of magic where you borrow magical power from nature, right?"
"Exactly. You’re quick to understand, Ridil-kun. This is going to be a rewarding lesson."
Alfred-sensei smiled, clearly pleased. It seems he genuinely thought so.
Now that I’d learned how to use Spirit Magic, it meant I’d be borrowing power from nature. I should take better care of nature from now on. Not that I ever intended to neglect it in the first place.
Also, I’ll have to visit the World Tree every day. Maybe I’ll need to bring offerings from now on. Would fertilizer be a good choice? I’m not sure.
"So, the reason I can’t use magic is because I don’t have magical power inside me, right?"
"To be precise, it’s not that you don’t have magical power—it’s that you can’t store it inside your body."
"Can’t store magical power…"
I see. That’s why I can’t use magic. Whether one can store magical power inside their body or not must depend entirely on their constitution. And that major factor must be genetic. That’s why so many members of royalty can use magic. It seems I inherited my mother’s constitution, as she couldn’t use magic either.
They say men inherit their mother’s constitution, after all. There’s no helping it. My older brothers and sisters could all use magic, probably because their mother could use it. It makes sense now.
What if I had been able to use magic?
The thought made me unconsciously stare at my hands. Don’t be so regretful.
"Are you alright, Ridil-kun?"
"Oh, yes, I’m fine. I think I finally understand why I couldn’t use magic."
"You seem troubled by the fact that you can’t use magic, but honestly, it’s better not to use it. I rarely use it myself."
"Really?!"
I looked up in surprise, and Alfred-sensei had a slight frown on his face. Apparently, he wasn’t joking. He was serious. I thought magic would be pretty convenient, but is that not the case?
"Did you know that overusing magic can harm your body?"
"Yes, I’ve heard that. Apparently, if you overdo it, you can end up bedridden."
"Exactly. In extreme cases, people even lose their lives. Using the magical power stored inside your body is essentially the same as using your life force."
"Why is that?"
"Because magical power and life force are strongly linked. That’s why those who can maintain a high amount of magical power inside their body can stay youthful for a long time."
So that’s why so many royals and high-ranking nobles look young. It’s because a lot of them can use magic. Still, I didn’t expect that using magic would cost you your life force. No wonder Alfred-sensei says it’s better not to use it.
Using magic is like shaving off your lifespan.
"I didn’t realize that using magic was such a dangerous thing."
"It seems humans either don’t know that or choose to ignore it. Certainly, using magic in battle lets you achieve great feats, but at the cost of shortening your life."
How terrifying. Maybe it’s a good thing I can’t use magic. In that case, isn’t Spirit Magic like a cheat? You’re borrowing magical power from somewhere else without cutting into your own lifespan.
But is it really okay for me to be able to use such a magic? Well, technically, I still can’t use it yet.
"Alfred-sensei, is it really safe to borrow magical power?"
"You don’t need to worry about that. Spirit Magic only uses the magical power naturally released into the environment. Right now, even you, Ridil-kun, are releasing a small amount of the magical power you couldn’t store."
"Is that so? I didn’t even notice."
In that case, it should be okay to borrow magical power from elsewhere, right? I still had some concerns, but if Alfred-sensei, a user of Spirit Magic, says it’s fine, then it probably is.
The doubt I had about using Spirit Magic had mostly cleared up. Now, I felt like I could learn Spirit Magic with an open heart. Thinking about it, I started to get excited.
Finally, I’ll be able to use magic!
"Alfred-sensei, how do I use Spirit Magic?"
"Hehe, so you’ve become interested in Spirit Magic, have you? Let’s begin training right away. First, you need to sense the magical power around you."
"The magical power around me? I don’t feel anything like that."
"That’s normal for beginners. In fact, to help you get the hang of it quicker, let’s head to the World Tree. It’s the perfect place for sensing magical power."