“What are you planning to do with that book?”
In response to my question, Encia smiled softly and headed to a nearby desk.
The desk showed signs of considerable age. Ink had seeped into it, leaving stains here and there, and it bore many scratches inflicted by the sharp tip of a pen.
Encia sat down at the desk where she had completed her book.
“Back in the day, they said they could manipulate rumors to create nonexistent gods, didn’t they?”
“That’s a tale from long ago. It’s impossible now.”
With how fast information spreads nowadays, such a thing is not entirely impossible, but it would certainly be challenging.
But why bring up that method?
“If rumors can’t do it, we can just use other media, right?”
“Other media?”
“Yeah. Other media.”
Encia reached for a quill from the pen holder on the desk, which showed its own signs of age.
“Humans can become quite blind when it comes to those they believe they can trust.”
She then picked up a stack of paper nearby and spread out a few sheets on the desk.
The content written on that paper was the foundation of magic theory authored by Encia herself, titled ‘Sciantia Basic Magic Theory.’
“Once people start believing in something, they tend to hold on to that belief unless something significant happens to shake it. It’s like a kind of persistence.”
Encia dipped her quill into an ink bottle and began writing something on the paper she had laid out.
The content involved adding a few processes while detecting and gathering magical power.
“If we create a god associated with magical power and add prayers directed at that god, then those who read this book and act accordingly will naturally begin to pray to that god, right?”
That’s… true, but…
“Isn’t that kind of deceptive?”
“As long as it’s not discovered, it’s not deception. Besides… that god is quite clearly a presence, isn’t it?”
Encia said this while pointing to herself.
“The God of Magic, Sciantia. A divine being that systematized the magic once used instinctively without any theoretical knowledge and shared its powers with many. We can say it’s a divinized existence born from the joint efforts of Tia and me.”
“Joint efforts, you say… well, I can’t deny that.”
“If the god’s name is created by mixing the names from the book that Tia taught me and I wrote… then to whom would the prayers and faith directed toward that god go?”
Hmm… If those prayers have no destination, then a nonexistent god would be created. But in this case, perhaps the beings closest to that god would receive the prayers and faith.
If those beings are two, then that would be Encia and me…
“In that case… it might be split equally?”
“If it’s half and half, then that would mean there is faith directed toward me too, right?”
“That seems likely.”
Encia flashed a confident smile.
“Great. That means faith directed toward me will exist? Through that faith, I could be reborn as a deity.”
“If that faith is enough to make you a god, that is.”
“I’d be content with even a little bit. I’m not asking for overwhelming faith. Just enough to transform into a god would be fine.”
With that said, Encia continued to write on the paper.
“Though the existing Sciantia Basic Magic Theory has been somewhat circulated, if we publish a revised edition by editing and improving it, others will embrace it anew!”
“A revised edition, huh? I wonder how many would actually buy one with almost the same content…”
“Well, the folks who practice magic are quite affluent. They can certainly afford to buy a book.”
I nodded slightly at Encia’s words. That’s certainly true.
Magicians tend to be those who earn a lot of money. Purchasing a book wouldn’t be a burden at all.
“And if the content added in the revised edition provides even a slight benefit to them… no, just the potential for benefit would make them hesitate not to buy the revised edition.”
Encia dipped the tip of her quill in the ink bottle once more and smiled.
—
The girl with glasses gazed at the small flame rising on her palm, her smile growing wider.
“Heh heh… it’s magic. Pure magic… chanting spells is tedious, but… to think I’ve succeeded in mastering magic… I still can’t believe it!”
“Stop grinning so much. Oh, and I’ll return this book since I no longer need it.”
The drowsy-eyed girl closed the Sciantia Basic Magic Theory she had opened.
It was such an old book that it looked like its pages might fall apart at any moment, so her touch while handling it was as gentle as if she were touching smoke.
“But why is such a worn-out book even at the academy? Other books aren’t as old as this one.”
“Well, who knows? It’s natural for the Sciantia Basic Magic Theory to be at the academy, but I have no clue why there’s even such an old first edition…”
“A first edition?”
The glasses girl tilted her head slightly.
“Yep. A first edition. The versions of Sciantia Basic Magic Theory broadly split into two: this book, being a first edition, and a revised edition with some modifications.”
“If some content was modified, wouldn’t the revised edition be better?”
The drowsy-eyed girl shook her head slightly.
“The content itself isn’t different. The process of mastering magic remains the same. The only difference is… the revised edition adds prayers to the God of Magic.”
“The God of Magic?”
At that moment, the glasses girl’s eyes sparkled. A god of magic! Such a being exists?!
“Such a god actually existed? That’s the first time I’m hearing this!”
“It’s not a widely known deity. Even the few magicians who could be said to believe in that god merely meditate and mumble a simple prayer.”
“But still, it’s a god of magic! Doesn’t that mean it’s a powerful deity?”
The drowsy-eyed girl looked at the glasses girl for a moment before shaking her head slightly.
“It is indeed a powerful deity, but if you start believing in that god, it could cause me some troublesome issues. So, please don’t believe in it or anything. Besides, believing doesn’t change much in any significant way.”
“Troublesome issues?”
“There’s that, yes. That’s why I purposefully made you read this dusty old first edition that no one would seek out.”
“What kind of troublesome issue would make you make me study with such a tattered book?”
The drowsy-eyed girl let out a small sigh before speaking.
“It’s a matter that could potentially force me to leave the academy.”
—
Thus, the revised edition of the Sciantia Basic Magic Theory was published.
“Give me the revised edition of Sciantia Basic Magic Theory!!!”
“This is the book of the weather magician, Encia! I can’t resist this!!!”
“Three copies, please! For collecting! For enjoyment! For promoting!!!”
“Thanks to this book, I was able to become a magician! Thank you!!!”
“Well, would you look at that.”
It sold like hotcakes.
However, I didn’t expect it to sell so well.
“Well, considering the existing foundation of the basic theory was in short supply, with many people unable to buy it or having to resort to illegal copies, it’s only natural that a newly modified edition would sell well, right?”
“That does make sense.”
With a new supply emerging in a situation where quantities were low… it was bound to sell well.
“I’d love to recall the first editions, but that seems a bit challenging. From now on, we’ll have to distribute the revised editions.”
“But how are the books being made? Printing technology probably hasn’t developed much yet.”
“Printing technology? I’m not really sure… I’ve hired scribes to write them by hand.”
Writing them by hand…! That seems rather insane! Well, come to think of it, proper printing technology probably doesn’t exist yet!
Hmm… perhaps I should find an appropriate time to spread the knowledge of printing technology. Oh, but first, it might be necessary to improve the paper? We can’t keep using papyrus forever.
It might be a little cruel to the lizardmen, but relying solely on papyrus can be problematic!
Maybe later, I’ll find a good time to teach them how to make paper or how to do woodblock printing…?
It’d be ideal if they could invent it themselves, but who knows when techniques for printing or papermaking might develop?
Or perhaps… I should make use of magic? Cast a spell that moves items, like telekinesis, to create pens that write the input automatically?
Or maybe bind several pens together to mimic the same movement and write dozens of pages at once?
Rather than advancing printing technology right away… these ideas could be more amusing. Hmm.
Since it would be a technique derived from magic, it wouldn’t be widely accessible! But hey, it does seem exciting!
Lost in such whimsical thoughts, Encia smiled with satisfaction and said.
“Anyway, if it sells smoothly like this, I should be able to gather faith directed toward me one day, and then I can gain divine status… and if that happens, there’s no problem, right?”
“That’s right. If you gather faith in a proper manner and become a god, that’s not the same as making a wish through a wish ticket.”
“Great! If it continues this way, we’ll be all set! Yes! I’ve saved my wish ticket! I really think I can become a genuine god!”
“A wish ticket… Hmm. So what kind of wish are you planning to make with it?”
“A wish? That’s… a secret.”
Wearing a playful smile, Encia raised a finger to obstruct her mouth. What kind of wish is she thinking of that makes it a secret?
I don’t know for sure… but I hope it’s not a troublesome wish.
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