Chapter: 289
“If… if she is a goddess… what should I do? How can I see her again?”
Encia said to Luke, her mood slightly gloomy.
She wanted to hear Tia’s voice. She wanted to meet Tia. She didn’t know where she was, where she was sleeping, and although she had never seen her in person…
She simply wanted to meet her.
“Well, how would I know? I also haven’t been able to meet the one I love,” Luke replied with a slightly indifferent expression. Gaia. The Goddess of Earth. Another aspect of the Goddess of Life.
What kind of efforts has Luke made to meet her? Encia could hardly imagine.
“They said Tia has been asleep for several decades, does that mean I can only wait quietly for several more decades?”
“Hmm… it takes decades for her to fall asleep just once, so she’s certainly not an ordinary being. Seems like she’s quite a heavy sleeper.”
“Yes? Ah, yes. That’s right. Besides sleeping for such a long time, she also often dozed off, mumbled in her sleep, and often acted quite lazy. Yet, she was extremely serious about teaching me and provided insights I could never have imagined.”
“Lazy but sincere in teaching others… Your precious companion seems quite eccentric. Just like Gaia, whom I loved.”
“Is that so? Still, it’s not easy to be more special than Tia. Tia’s knowledge is vast and she taught me things others haven’t known. For example… she taught me how to change the properties of the arid desert while teaching me magic. Thanks to that, that land has now turned into quite fertile farmland for agriculture.”
“Hmm. Gaia was no ordinary being either. She once brought a river to flow right in front of her house, claiming swimming was good for stamina. At that moment, I truly thought I was going to get swept away by the river…”
“The river? Indeed, that’s something only a goddess can do. Tia only made her voice heard… She showed me how to utilize the magic that pervades nature, treating it as if it were my own.”
“The magic of nature? That’s impressive. Indeed, using such enormous magic like altering the weather purely by one’s own power wouldn’t be easy.”
At Luke’s words, Encia shrugged slightly. She looked genuinely happy to be acknowledged by this mysterious man, Luke.
“That aside, the Tia you mentioned… from what I gather, she seems to share quite a similar personality with Gaia. Was she ever a bother to you?”
“Oh, yes! At times, she was incredibly bothersome. She would often dismiss my questions about things I didn’t know, claiming it was annoying and leaving them unasked. Yet, in moments when it truly mattered, she would diligently inform me, making it at times impossible to gauge her. And when she was kind, she was extremely kind.”
“She sleeps a lot, she’s very annoying, and quite lazy. Yet at intervals, she is sincere, kind, thorough, and not human… a being associated with another name of the Goddess of Life… Hmm…”
Luke pondered deeply and looked at Encia, saying, “Could it be that we’re the same being…?”
“Huh? Are you referring to Tia?”
“Listening to you… I think that might be the case. Who other than a goddess would possess knowledge no one else knows?”
“Um… the goddess of knowledge?”
“Well, I can’t confirm that, but I think it’s very likely that the Gaia I’m searching for and the Tia you’re talking about are the same being.”
“Then does that mean Tia is another aspect of the Goddess of Life?”
“If the name you know Tia by is Tiamat, then that’s highly probable.”
Encia contemplated briefly at Luke’s words, but then recalled that Tia had never communicated anything except to call her Tia.
Where could Tia be now? If Tia is a goddess, will I be able to meet her if I enter the Pantheon?
So then… if I become a goddess, can I meet Tia?
Nothing seemed certain. Everything was filled with ambiguity.
She could only hope it would be as such.
“By the way, if they are indeed the same person… you mentioned she would awaken decades later?”
“Yes, that’s definitely what I said.”
“I don’t know how many decades that would be, but… I’ll visit you every ten years.”
“The possibility that the Tia you refer to is the same being as Gaia has increased.”
“Huh? Oh, okay… Well. I don’t mind. I don’t know when Tia will wake, but…”
Though they claimed she would awaken in several decades, those decades could be 10 years, 20 years, or perhaps even over 50 years.
Encia began to worry: what if she died after Tia had awakened?
No, more importantly…
“You mentioned the goddess you seek, Gaia, is another aspect of the Goddess of Life, right?”
“Yeah, that’s correct.”
“Then… might there be a chance to meet her when I’m judged in the afterlife? They say one can enter paradise if they pass the judgment in the afterlife… which means I might get the chance to meet the Goddess of Life…”
“That might indeed be the case. But it’s just a possibility. There’s no guarantee you will pass. Consider what might happen if that slim possibility fails.”
“Oh. Well…”
Encia thought for a moment and then lowered her head.
After death, souls are purified before moving onto a new life.
But doesn’t that mean it’s the same as her previous self disappearing?
Even if the soul remains the same, if the memories are different, wouldn’t they be considered separate beings?
“That’s impossible.”
“Right. What I truly want is to meet her again as my true self. Even if I reach paradise, there’s no assurance I can see her there.”
Even if it’s a paradise where everything you desire exists, you wouldn’t be able to dwell with the Goddess of Life.
What if she’s merely the Earth Goddess, one of her aspects?
That’s why Luke will undoubtedly be tirelessly searching for alternative ways to meet her.
“Well, you’re in a better situation than me. In several decades, you could meet again.”
“A few decades is an immensely long time in a human life.”
“Yet I’m certain you will be able to meet again. It’s not impossible to extend a person’s lifespan, after all.”
“Extend a person’s lifespan? Is there such a thing?”
“Indeed. There is. Oh! Right. If you were to die early, the hard-earned clues would vanish…
It’s fate that we met like this, so I’ll share it with you. Of course, whether you can achieve it depends on you.”
Luke looked at Encia and smiled gently.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“Great! I did it!!!”
The girl with glasses burst into laughter as she watched the faint flame blooming from her fingertips.
“Congratulations. You’ve formed a circle around your heart and successfully transformed the basic element of magical energy… Now you can take your first steps as a wizard.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much! Now I’m going to be a wizard! Yay!!!”
“Well, you have a mountain of studying ahead of you.”
At those words, the girl with glasses froze for a moment.
“Oh, still…?”
“Of course. Did you really think being a wizard was all about making little sparks from your fingertips?”
“Certainly not! I wish to become a powerful wizard who can incinerate countless monsters with a mere flick of the wrist! Strike them with lightning! Slash them with razor-sharp winds and cut them all down!”
“Hmm. Then your aspiration is elemental wizardry. You can think of it as belonging to the elemental school. Next time, I’ll obtain a magic book from the elemental school, so let’s memorize the spells.”
“Spells…?”
“Right. Spells. Do you really want to become a wizard who’s clueless about casting spells?”
At those words, the girl with glasses hesitated, lips parted, but wordlessly held back.
“Of course not. Unless you completely forgot about them by any chance.”
“Certainly, spells are essential for wizards, but…”
“Naturally, you must memorize every single one! Perfectly! Surely! If you don’t recall the spells accurately, you might fumble and fail to cast your spells when it counts.”
“Couldn’t I just wield magic through sheer willpower instead?”
“Absolutely not. Why do you think spells exist for wizards?”
“Um… aesthetics?”
“Are you joking?”
The sleepy girl continued, wearing a wry smile.
“Spells are words that strengthen one’s will. It’s a word that imbues the magical energy with intent and optimizes it for specific forms of use.
Of course, there are wizards who use magic without spells, but those are either individuals who have mastered the spells to the extent that their will reacts reflexively or powerful wizards capable of commanding magical energy with immense willpower.”
“If someone has strong willpower, do they not need to memorize spells?”
“Exactly. If you’re a dragon, that’s acceptable.”
“Ugh.”
At the sleepy girl’s remark, the bespectacled girl was rendered speechless.
Dragons. They used to be considered the mightiest monsters, but due to various research outcomes and past incidents, they are now recognized as transcendent beings.
“Is it impossible without having the willpower of a dragon?”
“If you use magic in a similar way to spells, yes. Spells are optimized for the use of magic.
There’s a reason that creating your own spells features on every wizard’s wish list! Naming a spell after the wizard who created it is more than just a hassle. When you create a completely new spell and receive recognition from the Procyon Wizards Association, your reputation soars.”
“Ugh… I’m not great at memorizing… Isn’t there an easier way?”
“There isn’t. When it comes to spells, you just have to memorize everything.”
The bespectacled girl let out a heavy sigh at the sleepy girl’s words.
Her arduous path to becoming a wizard was going to remain wide open ahead of her.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“First of all, what do you believe magic to be?”
“Magic? It’s an formless force that permeates the entire world. It’s the driving force behind magical use, a power that can be found in all living beings, natural elements, and even monsters.”
“Right. That’s the standard understanding.”
“Really?”
Encia tilted her head at Luke’s statement.
“Am I mistaken?”
“No, you’re not wrong. I’d just like to add something.”
Luke calmly continued his explanation.
“Through magic, magical energy undergoes various transformations. Sometimes it becomes fire, sometimes it becomes ice, and at times, it becomes formless shockwaves.”
“Yes, I understand that.”
“In other words, magical energy can become anything. Have you ever thought about how far that potential extends?”
Encia reflected on Luke’s words for a moment, then shook her head.
She had used it in various ways—creating flames, conjuring walls of fire, crafting and dropping huge boulders, manipulating clouds at will, etc. However…
She never considered the full spectrum of possibilities that magical energy held.
Just as Tia had taught her. Just following what Tia instructed without questioning.
“Magical energy is a force without direction. What it can achieve is dependent on the user’s intent.”
“And how does that relate to extending lifespan?”
Ignoring Encia’s question, Luke continued chatting away.
“Among the treasures passed down through the emperors of the Romanian Empire, there is something called the Crown of Immortality.
One of its effects maximizes vitality and extends lifespan.”
“It extends lifespan…?”
“Right. The Crown of Immortality plays a significant role in enabling emperors to enjoy longevity.
Anyway, through attempts to reproduce the effects of that crown… I came to realize that magical energy could be converted into life force.”
“Converting magical energy into life force…?”
Luke nodded gently.
“Life force is like the firewood that keeps living beings going. It’s akin to a spring that withers and diminishes day by day.
If you supplement that life force with magical energy, your lifespan will naturally increase.”
“That method…!”
“Well, I just stumbled upon it while searching for ways to extend my own lifespan to see her again.
To be honest, it’s no easy feat. Converting magic into life force is immensely challenging.”
While Luke forced a bitter smile, Encia was too absorbed in his words.
Luke’s insights. The potential he shared about magical energy. Her mind was entirely focused.
The biases Encia held about magical energy were gradually crumbling.
She began to understand that magic could be the power to achieve anything if strong will and genuine desire were behind it.
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