“Fart… are you serious?”
Ignis was laughing heartily, but…
Grandpa? He’s not starting to lose it, is he?
“I am serious.”
I gave him a slightly suspicious look, and he confirmed it.
“I’ll explain it in order, so be quiet.”
“Yes.”
Ignis is really obedient… what a good kid.
“I have high expectations of you, so please don’t disappoint me.”
I emphasized it.
“Rest assured. By the way, have both of you relieved yourselves this morning?”
Huh, are we really going to talk about that?
I furrowed my brows but nodded.
Ignis nodded with a big smile.
“Now, let me ask you this. Can you voluntarily fart right now? Or will you fail?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Mmmm!”
Huh?
When I looked at Ignis, he had turned red in the face, stuck his butt out a bit, and was making a strange noise.
Stop it!
“Ignis, stop that. Let me continue. Even if you try to fart with a clear intention, it’s not easy, right? Farts are always somewhat present in your belly. But being able to fart freely isn’t something that can be easily done. It’s quite similar to mana.”
I see. It does make sense.
Mana is always present in your body, but you can’t move it freely.
“I understand the point. But hey, wasn’t it easy to channel mana into a magic circle?”
“That’s a valid question. However, for now, let’s stick to the topic of farting. I’ll explain further. Just like Ignis did earlier, if you try to fart with a clear intention, it may not be completely free, but it’s easier than doing nothing, right?”
That makes sense.
“It’s the same with mana. To manipulate mana, and by extension, magic, having that ‘clear intention’ is crucial. It requires knowledge, consciousness, imagination, will, determination… various things are necessary, and all of them contribute to a ‘sense’ that encompasses them. Those who excel in this sense can become mages.”
Temoan seems to be quite proud of this explanation. Well, let’s continue.
“And, these talented mages bring about something called a magic circle, which seals and records their ‘clear intention.’ Going back to your question, when using a magic circle, it’s not just the intention of ‘channeling mana’ or ‘using it’ but also the mage’s ‘clear intention’ embedded in the magic circle that makes it easy to flow mana.”
I see. So, having a strong sense of intention allows you to manipulate mana more easily.
“Let’s keep going. Now, what about farting? What happens if you try to fart when you’re not feeling well? Even if you intend to fart, it might turn into a disaster, right? Even if you’re feeling fine, attempting to fart with a specific intention can sometimes result in unintended accidents. Mana manipulation is quite similar. Your physical condition affects your ability to handle mana. Sometimes, you might put a lot of effort into releasing a fart, and it might even lead to injury. The analogy holds true.”
I get it.
I get it, but can we move on? It’s starting to stink here.
“In other words, while you can manipulate mana to some extent with intention, it’s not easy, and your physical condition can affect it, leading to accidents. If you suddenly put a lot of effort into releasing a fart, your anus might even tear.”
I’ve understood what you wanted to convey.
Understood, but can we please stop talking about this?
“Alright, alright, I understand!”
“Good. Now, do you have a grasp of it, Ignis?”
“Yes! Mana is like a fart! It’s difficult!”
No, no, you’ve misunderstood.
“Very well, it seems you’ve understood.”
Is that all right, then? Hey!?
But let’s ignore this and move on because the conversation is not progressing.
“Now, I’ll show you magic again. But Ignis, remember the promise. As I explained, magic is difficult and dangerous. Absolutely do not attempt to mimic it, okay?”
“Yes!”
Phew, finally.
We moved to a different rock since the one used for the magic target had been shattered.
Temoan looked just as serious as he did during the magic demonstration, but there was an even greater sense of tension in the air.
He closed his eyes quietly and began to take deep breaths.
We also waited in silence, fully aware of the moment approaching.
Temoan made a move.
He slightly bent his elbows and held both hands in front of his chest. His index fingers and thumbs formed a triangular shape. His hands weren’t raised, but it resembled the posture you’d have when waiting to receive a toss in volleyball.
He wasn’t holding anything in his hands.
This was different from the way he used magic.
Gradually, Temoan’s entire body began to emit a faint glow. The glow converged towards his fingertips…
And then, at the tip of his palm, a magic sphere, similar to the one created during the magic demonstration, appeared.
But there was no magic circle this time.
Unlike with magic, it seemed to take some time for the sphere to form. I focused my attention to observe why that might be the case. Strangely, I sensed that the energy within the sphere was gradually increasing, although I didn’t know why.
“Unn!”
With a short exclamation of effort from Temoan, the sphere was suddenly launched…
Wait, it’s not heading towards the target…!!
“Gopat… Dogaan!!!”
It didn’t hit the target directly, but the sphere curved and struck it.
Although it wasn’t an exact hit, the sphere made an impact.
Curious about the unfamiliar sound, I took a closer look at the target. In the center of the cracked area, there was a circular hole that seemed to have pierced through.
“Incredible…”
I couldn’t help but run towards it.
As I approached the target, it was evident that the sphere had indeed pierced through. Furthermore, it had created a small crater in the ground behind the target, with the sphere firmly lodged at its center.
“Amazing.”
“It’s astonishing. We need to analyze and learn this magic as soon as possible. We’ll also need to make adjustments to our plans.”
While I was still in awe, a voice came from behind.
“Don’t just step forward like that. It’s dangerous. I still have something else to show you.”
Temoan said that, lightly patting my shoulder and prompting me to return to where I was.
“It’s truly remarkable.”
“Haha, I’m glad you think so.”
He seemed pleased, but there was more to show, and I wondered if it would be even more astonishing.
“Temoan, you’re amazing! Will I be able to use magic like that someday?”
While talking, I returned to Ignis, who was excitedly jumping around.
“If you learn and train diligently, perhaps.”
Temoan patted Ignis on the head with a smile.
He looked gentle.
“Now, there’s more to come.”
Saying that, Temoan demonstrated several more magical spells.
I realized that these were quite different from sorcery.
Sorcery, whether I used it or Ignis or Temoan, had the same power, time from generation to
release, scale, and effects. In contrast, magic seemed to offer much greater freedom, allowing for the infusion of more energy, simultaneous casting of multiple spells, rapid firing, consecutive shots, curved shots, and guided shots.
The difference between magic and sorcery was clear, but…
Could an ordinary person do this?
It didn’t seem likely.
If this was what ordinary people could achieve, it would require a significantly higher level of vigilance in this world.
Those with a natural sense for it could use magic. Among them, those who excelled were mages. Everyone else was considered ordinary. Temoan had some proficiency in magic, as he had mentioned.
However, when someone says “some proficiency,” it’s easy to think of them as an ordinary person. While he wasn’t lying, it could lead to misunderstandings.
“It was my own misunderstanding, but Temoan, are you a mage?”
“I used to be one.”
“A mage? That’s cool! You’re amazing!”
The way Ignis put it made me cringe a little, but it was reassuring to hear that he was a mage. With that in mind, it seemed like there weren’t too many people with that title based on last night’s conversation.
My tension eased, but Ignis was still full of energy.
“Ignis, there’s something you don’t know. He discarded that title and lived in seclusion.”
“We’ll talk about that another time.”
Temoan had a slightly complex expression on his face. I figured it might be best not to delve too deep into it.
“Now then, both of you, listen carefully. What I’m about to show you will conclude today’s magic lesson. Pay close attention.”
Temoan changed the atmosphere once again and spoke with a serious expression.
It seemed like this concluding instruction was important.
I needed to focus.
Temoan moved away from both of us, maintaining a considerable distance. He faced the lake instead of the target.
As instructed, I observed with utmost concentration.
Gradually, Temoan’s entire body began to emit a faint glow, just like before…
But from that point onward, something felt unstable. I couldn’t put it into words, but it appeared that way to me.
Huh!?
Hmm…? Did my eyes glitch?
A pitch-black sphere appeared, so deep that its depth was impossible to discern.
It seemed to be spherical, but before it started emanating a purplish glow, it looked like a black hole in space, just a circular void.
I sensed an immense amount of energy from this. Was it safe?
“Guuh…! Ugh…!”
Temoan groaned.
It didn’t seem safe after all…
Ignis and I held our breaths and watched in anticipation.
“Damn it!”
Temoan, usually calm and composed, cursed aloud.
That’s when…
It happened in an instant.
