Chapter: 285
What would happen if the voices that only you could hear suddenly stopped?
What if you could no longer hear the voice that always told you what was right, the correct answer?
What if the voice that revealed knowledge unknown to others, that was your friend, sister, and family—one that guided you on what was right and what was wrong—went silent?
What if the voice you had become so dependent on went unheard?
“Tia….”
The answer is to do nothing.
To Encia, Tia’s voice was a guiding light, the voice that held answers to everything.
A voice that seemed to contain all the world’s knowledge, capable of answering any question and revealing things unknown to others.
That was Tia.
But now, Tia’s voice had vanished.
Encia found herself alone.
Like a child who knew nothing and didn’t know what to do, Encia simply curled up in a dark room.
Had time just passed, she would have withered away in that dark room without food or drink.
Due to her powerful magical abilities, that time would stretch remarkably long… But even so, she wouldn’t surpass the limits of humanity.
Then, something caught Encia’s eye.
A huge mountain of papyrus, tied with strings, along with black ink and pens.
These were the things Tia had prompted her to buy. When Encia had asked Tia if she really needed this much, Tia had confidently said it would come in handy.
Did Tia foresee this exact situation from the start? Did she anticipate abandoning Encia and leaving her behind?
Encia felt something welling up in her chest.
“Alright. If that’s what Tia wants, then I have to do it.”
Encia straightened herself up, slowly took a seat at her desk, and picked up a pen.
The knowledge Tia had imparted to her. The wisdom deeply etched inside Encia.
She would write it all down and turn it into a book.
As Tia wished. As the world hoped.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“The first step is… how to feel the magic within your body?”
“Hmm. That’s considered the foundation in other magic theories, too.”
The girl with glasses pondered deeply.
“You already know this, right?”
“You may, but usually, one cannot feel the magic inside their body.”
The sleepy girl spoke softly.
“Only those aiming to be a wizard or knight, or in cases where they sense magic externally, typically know.”
“I… Hmm. Is it because I was trained by my father?”
“That’s correct. The old man wished for you to become a knight.”
“But I want to be a wizard.”
The glasses-wearing girl nodded slightly at the sleepy girl’s words.
“Your natural talent and your desires are completely different. This won’t be easy.”
“What are you talking about? No matter what anyone says, I’m going to be a wizard!!”
“Well, a dream is something you can look at no matter where it radiates from—whether it comes true or not.”
“Enough of this nonsense! So, is it alright to skip this part for now?”
“Because you know about magic… But the way knights and wizards handle their magic is completely different. Just read it for now.”
At those words, the girl with glasses nodded and opened the book.
“To feel magic, meditate while blocking out your five senses… Relax your mind and sink inward while maintaining focus… Hmm… Since you can feel the magic inside your body, let’s move on quickly…”
“Once you recognize magic, the next step is how to wield it.”
“Training to move the magic in your body as you wish? Isn’t this strikingly similar to the knight’s method?”
“Well, the knight’s method probably stems from this book as a base.”
The glasses-wearing girl’s eyes widened at the sleepy girl’s comment.
“There isn’t anything more advanced than this book when it comes to handling magic. The only difference from knights is… well, knights activate magic primarily in their body and weapons. Oh, and there’s also the difference in where they store their magic.”
“Knights store theirs in the lower abdomen, right?”
“Wizards store theirs near the heart.”
“What’s the reason for that difference?”
The sleepy girl nodded slightly with the glasses girl and responded.
“Hmm. There are minor distinctions, but honestly, they’re not incredibly significant. It’s more of a difference in efficiency, I suppose?”
“Efficiency?”
“When wizards utilize magic, they employ their blood vessels. They gather magic from around their body and store it in their heart along with the blood flowing through. In contrast, knights concentrate magic in their lower abdomen… Honestly, aside from a couple of internal organs, there’s nothing related to magic around there.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Despite that, knights gather their magic there and carve a path for its distribution in their bodies. It feels like they’re digging an unseen path.”
The sleepy girl frowned at what the glasses girl said.
“Why? Couldn’t they circulate magic through their blood like wizards?”
“Well, I don’t know exactly why. Perhaps it’s the difference between the efficient methods favored by wizards and the more stubborn approach of knights?”
“Hmm… So knights are indeed rather foolish?”
“That might be so. But once a knight completes the path for their circulating magic, they can operate it faster than a wizard—at least within their own body.”
“Wow… So knights have their strengths, too.”
“If they didn’t have any advantages, they’d have been weeded out long ago. Anyway, let’s move on.”
After that, it wasn’t unusual for the girl with glasses to waste a significant amount of time trying to understand how to draw magic from her body without fully grasping the concept.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Encia revisited the words she had written down.
She believed she had captured everything she learned from Tia… But was it really enough?
“Tia… Is this okay?”
Despite the anxious murmurs escaping her lips, there was no reply to be heard.
Tia didn’t respond.
That silence left Encia feeling exceedingly uneasy.
Tia had always been there to guide her.
The direction she needed to live. The strength she required to survive. The knowledge she had to gain.
Tia had provided her with everything.
Thus, Encia, in her current state, was nothing but a marionette unable to move without strings.
“Tia….”
But she couldn’t remain idle. She had to fulfill what Tia said. She needed to write the book.
Encia read through her writing again. Would it suffice? Could others comprehend it? Just like Tia did… Could she teach it to someone else?
She didn’t know. She couldn’t ascertain anything. Tia, who always held the answers, was no longer there.
So—
“I have no choice but to try…”
Encia began to forcefully summon the courage that rested deep in her heart.
To validate her writing… She had no option but to teach it to someone else.
Someone else… A child, like she once was. A child with remarkable magical abilities.
So, Encia staggered out of her house.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The weather-manipulating wizard. Encia’s long-awaited return to activity after her extended seclusion caused quite a stir among the wizards of Procyon.
Amid various opinions regarding her previous inactivity, Encia said nothing… Leaving the wizards with no choice but to speculate wildly.
The first task that Encia took on upon reemerging was to seek an apprentice.
An apprentice. A wizard’s apprentice. Someone worthy of inheriting the magic possessed by the wizard.
The news that a weather-manipulating wizard was looking for an apprentice sent shockwaves through Procyon, spreading everywhere that news could reach.
Countless wizards flocked to Encia, requesting to become her apprentice, but—
Not a single one among them was suited to be her disciple.
Some were eager to acquire Encia’s magic, while others, out of pure respect, sought to become her apprentice; however, none could qualify.
None at all. They couldn’t meet the conditions set by Encia.
“Why? I’m confident that my talents rank among the finest in Procyon!”
“You’re too old. No can do.”
“Age?! You’re rejecting me just based on that?! How young of a child do you intend to take on as your apprentice?!”
Upon hearing the young man’s exclamation, Encia softly shook her head. Age. Just like when she learned magic from Tia.
A child around ten years old, overflowing with magical energy.
No one met such criteria.
“Still, no. You’re simply too old.”
“Unbelievable…”
Leaving behind the despairing aspiring apprentices, Encia sighed softly.
She needed to test whether she had written the book correctly… Yet all that materialized were these bothersome individuals.
If only Tia were here, she would have given a clear answer. Encia sighed again, feeling the gnawing frustration.
“Excuse me.”
Just then, someone approached Encia.
“I’m a envoy from the Romanian royal family. I’ve come with a request for the weather wizard.”
“From the Romanian royal family?”
Seeing the sophisticatedly dressed man, Encia could only tilt her head in confusion.
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