Chapter: 291
News that Encia, the wizard who controls the weather, had brought a disciple from somewhere quickly spread throughout Procyon.
What kind of person did Encia, who had turned away countless wizards wanting to become her disciple citing their age, finally take in? As many wizards bubbled with curiosity about this fact…
“Isn’t that just an ordinary child? And she can’t even use magic!”
“The magical power in her body… is… low…? No, it’s almost nonexistent!”
“Are you really thinking of taking this child as your disciple? With the magical power in her body being so infinitely low, it seems unlikely she can become a wizard.”
“My thoughts haven’t changed.”
Encia said this while resting a hand on the shoulder of the black-haired slave girl she had brought, and the wizard, one of the seven elders ruling Procyon and president of the Elemental Research Society, sighed as he looked at Encia.
“Common sense would tell you that making a child with such low magical power into a wizard doesn’t make sense. The magical power one is born with is everything a wizard has.”
“That may have been the case until now.”
“Until now? It’s almost as if you’re saying our common sense is flawed.”
Encia remained silent. It wasn’t the right time to reveal the truth about magical power and sorcery to them yet.
“I have a method in mind. It needs a little more verification, but… it might be possible for non-wizards to become wizards too.”
“Hmm? Non-wizards becoming wizards? What kind of unbelievable nonsense is that? The power of wizards is a blessing bestowed upon us by the gods!”
At the old wizard’s words, Encia let out a sigh so quiet it was almost inaudible.
The notion that wizards are special beings, blessed by the gods, was incredibly frustrating to Encia. Simultaneously, she understood why Tia had said she was a test for the existing wizards.
The arrogance of declaring that they are superior to ordinary humans just because they wield the special powers they were born with, while not being able to accept other perspectives—such wizards could definitely become a significant issue later on.
What would Tia have done with those wizards?
Would she have yelled at them angrily? Or, with kind words, sought to teach them different perspectives?
The answer was already clear.
Encia herself might just be that answer.
“It may seem reckless, but if successful, it will significantly benefit Procyon. It could potentially solve Procyon’s chronic issue of underpopulation.”
“That might be… but…”
Except for Encia, all the other wizards instinctively manipulated magical power from birth, handling what is known as magic.
These magicians, who dealt with magic out of instinct without understanding the principles, gathered in Procyon—sometimes willingly, sometimes sold into slavery.
But naturally, the number of such wizards wasn’t that large.
How many individuals possess strong magical powers by birth and have a robust will to manipulate that magic into phenomena?
Clearly, there aren’t that many.
Thanks to this… Procyon has always faced a shortage of magicians.
Of course, there were also ordinary people living in Procyon, but maintaining Procyon had always depended on the power of wizards.
Thus, maintaining a certain number of wizards was of the utmost importance in Procyon.
“Of course, that’s only if it succeeds.”
“Hmm… However, if it succeeds and stabilizes the recruitment of wizards…!”
The reason Procyon remains a single city-state despite being populated by powerful wizards is due to this chronic shortage of wizards.
Even if they wished to expand their territories, they were unable due to the lack of population.
“Surely, it would be a tremendous benefit for Procyon…!”
“Yes, indeed! Plus, existing wizards might find themselves able to use even more powerful magic.”
“Huh?! Why are you just bringing this up now?!”
“It’s still uncertain. More research is required.”
“Cough! I understand! I will ensure your disciple’s registration process is handled! In exchange, keep me updated on your research progress!”
“Yes, understood.”
And so, the black-haired slave girl who couldn’t use magic was registered as a wizard in Procyon.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“I brought you here with such difficulty, and you forget to thank me, Master!”
“You’ve repeated that story dozens of times now. It’s almost starting to feel like a hallucination.”
The teacher and student carried on, eating slightly cooled soup and bread while engaging in various conversations.
Conversations about research. Discussions on the progress of gathering and storing magical power. Tales of other wizards glancing at them. Sometimes whining about wanting to play.
As trivial and serious discussions swirled, smiles began to bloom on both their faces.
Having been left alone, Encia took in a little slave girl, naming her Cecil, and raised her as a disciple, gradually finding stability.
The void left by Tia’s absence was slowly being filled.
“By the way, who exactly is this Tia?”
“Huh? Tia?”
“Yes. I think you mentioned her often… but I don’t really know.”
Encia nodded slightly. Tia’s name had popped up several times in their talks, so it was natural that Cecil would be curious.
“Well… she was like a sister to me and a mentor. Honestly, I’ve never seen her; I’ve only heard her voice… Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to become a wizard.”
“Is that so? A brilliant wizard like you, Master?”
“Exactly. Because of what I learned from Tia back then, I can attempt to make you, someone who isn’t a wizard, into a wizard.”
Cecil nodded slightly at Encia’s words.
Remembering how awe-inspiring magic had seemed the first time she witnessed it.
How overwhelming the emotion was when she was told she could become such a wizard.
Every single word from her. Each action of hers. Every piece of her teaching.
All of this illuminated and saved Cecil.
That yearning, however, was shattered by the sight of Encia, whose vitality was far from intact.
Still, when it came to magic, she was the object of admiration.
“So I guess she’s your mentor’s mentor?”
“That’s accurate. I owe my existence to her teachings.”
Cecil smiled softly as she watched Encia beaming brightly.
Every time the subject of Tia arose, Cecil couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy seeing Encia smile without fail, but that feeling quickly faded.
Just as Tia was precious to her Master, she was precious to Encia. Seeing Encia smile like that was only natural.
Still, a little jealousy was unavoidable.
“Alright. Meal’s done. What’s our schedule for today?”
“They said someone from the Procyon Elders would be sending someone over this morning. They probably want to assess the results.”
“Results… Cecil, how much magical power have you stored?”
Cecil briefly placed a hand on her chest, then began to speak.
“Most of the natural magic you’ve put into me daily escaped before becoming my magic, but I was still able to alter a bit of it. At this level, I think I could perform greater magic than what I used last time.”
“That’s fortunate. But natural magic is incredibly inefficient… Should I use magic stones…?”
“No, I’ve managed to gather a bit. I prefer it when you provide it. The more magical power I collect, the more it seems like the amount I can change increases.”
“Still, be sure not to push yourself too hard. It’s essential to control the amount you can handle.”
An overflow of uncontrollable magical power often leads to fatal consequences for a wizard.
Thus, under Encia’s guidance, Cecil slowly began to walk the path of a magician.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Six years had passed since Cecil became Encia’s disciple. At the age of 16, Cecil demonstrated her magic by summoning a small shower in front of many wizards.
A young girl who had become a slave and lost her name, said to have less magical power than ordinary people and thus had no chance of becoming a wizard. The scene of her transforming into a full-fledged wizard and inheriting her mentor’s magic.
Though it was a weaker level of magic than her mentor’s, the fact that an ordinary girl, previously ignorant of magic, could become a wizard sent shockwaves through Procyon.
Thus, Encia organized all the teachings she had received from Tia and the knowledge gained while instructing Cecil into one book.
“What do you plan to title it?”
“Hmm… Basic Magic Theory? This theory will lay the foundation for all wizards from now on.”
“Indeed, it’s a suitable title for a book that lays the groundwork for becoming a wizard, but it feels somewhat lacking.”
“Lacking? In what way?”
“I believe it should include your name. Since you’ve written such an amazing book, your name absolutely should be present!”
Encia hesitated momentarily at Cecil’s words.
Though it was indeed her book, more than half the content merely summarized what she had learned from Tia.
It didn’t feel correct to claim it entirely as her own.
“Should I call it Tia’s Basic Magic Theory then?”
“What about your name, Master?”
“But the content of this book consists purely of what I tested, re-created, and verified. The rest belongs entirely to Tia.”
“Still, this is something the Master wrote and verified. I cannot accept that the Master’s name isn’t on it!”
Encia nodded slightly at Cecil’s insistence. Well, indeed, she was the one who had authored the book. Including her name seemed just fine.
So…
“Then… let’s add both Tia’s and my names… Encinia? No, maybe that’s not it. Hmm… . How about turning my name a bit, Cientia? Cientia’s Basic Magic Theory?”
“Oh. I think that sounds great!”
“Is that so?”
Cecil’s affirmative reaction brought a small smile to Encia’s face.
What would Tia think of such a title? Would she laugh? Would she grumble about how it didn’t quite suit her? Or might she praise the effort?
Whichever it was, she wanted to hear it.
Encia longed to hear Tia’s voice again.
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