Chapter 29: Attribute Magic I (part 2)

“The Order Ceremony, of course, carries many meanings. And depending on how deeply you understand those meanings, you can change a lot.”

Professor Dande drew an X over the fireball spell.

“And now, if you fully understand this formula, you’ll be able to use elemental magic without casting spells.”

He stretched out his right hand toward the wall

This time, he said nothing but the fireball still formed and launched.

Just like before, it disappeared before hitting the wall.

“This concludes today’s theory class. We’ll now distribute handouts with basic spells tailored to your elemental attributes. I’ll see you again in an hour at the Attribute Magic Training Center.”

Professor Dande handed out the printouts, gave a slight bow, and exited the classroom.

***

“What the hell was he talking about?”

Even after receiving the handouts, I remained frozen in my seat.

The basic earth spell was Earth Wall, which summoned an earthen wall.

The wind spell was Wind Walker, which created a wind platform.

And their respective commands: “Earth, rise high,” and “Wind, make a path.”

“…I don’t get it.”

Up to this point, it wasn’t too hard. There was nothing difficult to memorize. But the real challenge lay in understanding the meaning behind these spells.

In this world, spells are simply the translation of the world’s laws into human language.

Attribute magic defines these laws in words and manifests miracles by offering mana in exchange.

In other words, mastering attribute magic means understanding the rules that govern the world.

Technically, you could use attribute magic by just memorizing the chants.

But if you did, the effectiveness of the magic would drop significantly, and you risked your mana running wild.

So clearly, that wasn’t a viable path.

To succeed in this class, you needed to fully comprehend each spell.

“Why is the spell structured this way?”

Honestly, the explanations in the handout were clear enough. But no matter how many times I read them, they just didn’t click.

“D*mn it…”

All the other students had already left the classroom.

Was I really the only one who couldn’t keep up?

A cold sweat trickled down my back at the thought.

Sure, I had other reasons for taking this class. Reina, Sophia, and the Crown Prince were all enrolled.

But that didn’t mean I could slack off.

Considering all the events that were bound to unfold in the future, the more skills I could acquire, the better.

“Why the hell is this so hard…?”

“Young Master Ike.”

While I was lost in thought, someone called to me from behind.

“You look troubled. Mind if I help?”

I turned around and there stood Reina, smiling faintly.

***

The conversation I had with Reina that day, after about two weeks, felt more natural than I expected.

She was calmer than before, and there was a grounded, peaceful energy about her that hadn’t been there when we first met in Arcana.

“Young Master Ike, it seems like you’re overthinking the spell,” she said after listening to my concerns. “Let’s try to simplify things.”

“The professor said that if you fully understand the spell, you can use magic without chanting. That means each order has a personal interpretation ‘correct answer’ that’s unique to you.”

“You mean… just memorize it?”

“Close, but not quite. It’s more like… finding your own meaning. For example, the image I associate with Earth Wall is a bit different from what’s written in the printout.”

As Reina spoke, my mind slowly started to clear.

“In other words, the interpretation in the handout isn’t wrong but it’s not the only way.”

It was still difficult… but it was no longer incomprehensible.

“Professor Dande’s point, in the end, is that we need to construct a personal formula that allows us to arrive at our own ‘right’ answer. Attribute magic is, at its core, the invention of new magic.”

After Reina’s explanation, I closed my eyes and raised my right hand.

I cleared my mind of the words I had just read.

Then I whispered the incantation.

“O wind.”

Wind-attribute mana surged through my body.

I pushed aside everything I’d memorized.

What do I need to make this miracle happen?

A wind platform something to take me wherever I need to go.

“Make a way.”

And in that moment

“Congratulations, Young Master Ike.”

The miracle became reality.

***

“I got a letter,” Reina said, “saying that Anna has returned to Heros.”

“I’m glad.”

After I successfully conjured the Wind Walker and Earth Wall, we sat together in the quiet classroom.

I wondered why Reina had come back. She had been the first to leave earlier.

Maybe she just wanted to share this with me.

“You’re not surprised?”

“Actually… I got a letter too.”

There was no need to hide it. I told her the truth.

While resting in my dorm yesterday, I received a letter from Anna.

She said she had returned to the Duke’s estate and had also written to Reina.

“Since I can’t return to Heros yet, it’ll be a while before I see her face.”

Reina lowered her gaze.

“Thanks, Ike.”

I was caught off guard. She didn’t specify what she was thanking me for but I could guess.

I was sure Anna hadn’t mentioned me in her letter.

Maybe Reina had put the pieces together herself.

“Nothing worth mentioning.”

That was all I could manage in response.

Reina’s lips curled into a small, gentle smile when she heard it.