Book 13 Chapter 5

The beginning of the first lesson,

at the Osarius School of Magic.

"Gisela, would you teach Lynn about the four basic arithmetic operations?"

I don't know since when.

No, let's be honest.

From the moment I first saw magic through Dean Atlante, I was already longing for it.

Besides magic, there are countless ways to unleash special abilities in this world.

Swordsmanship, spear-fighting, martial arts, sorcery, trickery… But none of them ever struck me as appealing.

Magic, however, was different.

Only magic is unique.

Magic has no vague criteria like intuition or sixth sense.

Everything is precisely explained under mathematics, the clearest discipline in the world.

In fact, from the very first moment I witnessed it, a cry to learn magic burned like a fever deep in my chest.

I just didn't dare to speak it.

In the slums, if you say something out of place, you get hit. You get abandoned. You die.

I was afraid of being abandoned again.

But there was no need to desperately wait for when I would be taught magic.

The Dean knew everything I needed even before I said it, and generously provided it.

"Actually, in this magic tower, the hierarchy is based on skill, not age! And this Gisela here has already started learning grid multiplication!"

At that time, mathematics was the exclusive domain of arrogant intellectuals, and all theories were incredibly complex.

Among the common multiplication methods, the most widely used were 'cross multiplication' and 'grid multiplication,' which were primitive mathematical equations that took an agonizing amount of time and had extremely complicated processes.

For instance, let's say you want to calculate 3×6. To solve this with cross multiplication, you draw 3 diagonal lines, and then 6 diagonal lines that intersect them.

"See? The number of intersection points is 18 in total, right? So the answer is 18! How about that, doesn't this Gisela look amazing?"

It didn't look amazing at all.

From the moment I could think, numbers had always been with my consciousness.

If someone asks 3×6, it comes out in 0.001 seconds. It would be easier to consider this as a realm of simple memorization rather than calculation.

"I might have been impressed if you'd done something like 3,123×6,345."

"What?"

"What's so great about 3×6?"

I honestly confess. At that time, my social skills, living solitarily even among other orphans in the slums, were truly garbage.

Gisela swallowed hard.

Seeing her drawing diagonal lines corresponding to 3ㆍ1ㆍ2ㆍ3 across the entire paper, and then intersecting them with lines for 6ㆍ3ㆍ4ㆍ5, made tears well up in my eyes.

Gisela's eyes soon became moist as she counted the intersection points.

The sight of her counting them without showing any irritation made me think she was quite something.

Still, ignorant is ignorant.

"Hmm, they say if your head is bad, your body suffers. It was true."

"What?!"

"Lynn, can you do it?"

The Dean, who had been watching Gisela's education from behind, asked subtly. There was no need to nod. I replaced the answer with the correct one.

"19,815,435."

I truly felt sorry for Gisela, but I had no desire to spend time on something as trivial as multiplication, which was merely child's play in mathematics.

After all, you're not revered as a wizard just for being able to do a bit of multiplication or division, are you?

At best, a wizard who only makes gorillas like Gisela cry? Oh, how amazing.

"Lynn, how did you… did you do all that in your head just now?"

The Dean's eyes trembled.

From that day on, I skipped all basic mathematical foundations, including the four basic arithmetic operations, and received one-on-one direct education from the Dean.

The Dean must have wanted me to become friends with the magic tower students during the process of learning the basics, but my yearning for magic could not be quelled by childish socializing.

My goal is to become the [Strongest Wizard]. The [Strongest] has no time for compromise.

"Lynn, what do you think magic is?"

"It's just… light shimmering, making it rain, or dropping fireballs, isn't it?"

"Magic, you see. It is the 'Law (法)' that precisely defines and controls the incomprehensible principles of the world, that is, 'Demon (魔)', which runs wild in an unholy manner, using mathematical equations. That's why it's called 'Ma-beop (魔術, Magic)'."

My chest, my heart pounded.

Magic, you rascal… how can even your definition be so cool?

"Just as injustice arises if the person in charge of the law wields it arbitrarily, if a wizard uses their power as they please, the world becomes chaotic."

"…!"

"Lynn, what do you want to achieve through this discipline of magic?"

Could an eight-year-old snot-nosed kid, upon being asked such a question, answer that they want to save the world?

"I just… want to try magic like the Dean did back then."

At that rather impertinent answer, the Dean smiled gently.

"You will become the spring breeze, Lynn. You can become that."

To use magic, three types of knowledge are required.

One, a magic square (魔方陣).

Two, Runes.

Three, mathematical equations.

Magic squares take the form of magic squares according to elemental attributes, and they are easier to memorize and master compared to the other two.

"There are a total of eight attributes: the four great elements (四大元素) of Water, Earth, Wind, and Fire. And the four minor elements (四小元素) of Iron, Poison, Electricity, and Ice."

The four great elements are called 'fundamentals' among wizards. They are the most powerful and play the biggest role in altering fundamental principles.

Like making it rain, or joining cracked land, and so on.

The four minor elements are elements established by the Archmage Ryuken and his disciple Zernix, who emphasized practicality, by deriving traits from the four great elements. As you can roughly tell, they are elements specialized for combat.

"Now, I'll explain the forms of magic squares for each attribute."

Circular, Water attribute.

Triangular, Fire attribute.

Fan-shaped, Wind attribute.

Square, Earth attribute.

Pentagonal, Electric attribute.

Octagonal, Steel attribute.

Hexagonal, Poison attribute.

Semicircular, Ice attribute.

"These are the magic squares, and to wield runes, you must master the 'Thousand Character Classic (千字文)', which established 1,000 core runes from the language of creation."

"Runes?"

"Yes. Shall we try? Since we'll use fire attribute magic, draw a triangular magic square, and what rune shall we engrave there? This rune would be good this time: 'Heat' (熱; becoming hot)."

Solving the mathematical equation to combine the magic square and the rune causes a change in principle.

In this case, it didn't even require an equation, only simple coordinate calculations.

As the Dean drew a triangle on the drawing paper, engraved a rune in its center, and finished solving the mathematical equation around the edge… suddenly, a cute little flame rose and flickered in her palm.

"How about that, isn't it cute?"

My heart pounded furiously.

Magic, magic…

I couldn't even wait for the Dean to say, "You try it too," and hand over the drawing paper and brush pen. I rapidly calculated everything that had just happened before my eyes, in my head.

Formation of the magic square.

Engraving the rune.

Coordinate calculation in the palm of my hand.

A pain like being scraped with a chisel erupted near my shoulder blade, where the source of magic, the cursed knot (呪結), was located… and a magic square appeared in my palm.

What is this?

Where did the flame go?

I had to tilt my head, confused. At the time, I didn't know if what I had calculated in my head had materialized in reality; I just desperately watched the Dean's expression.

If you fail, you are considered worthless.

If you are considered worthless, you are abandoned.

That was one aspect of life deeply ingrained in me, having lived in the slums. Therefore, I asked fearfully.

"Did I fail this?"

* * *

The shock Atlante received at that moment was indescribable. It was more like a shiver, a thrill, than a mere shock.

'Jorhen-type wizard…?'

Among the ways to use magic, the method used by ordinary wizards was the Remedier type.

Remedier.

It means [The Reader].

It's a method where wizards carry drawing paper with all magic square, rune, and mathematical calculations completed, and use it as a catalyst for magic in an emergency.

'Most wizards are Remedier types. The extremely low barrier to entry is their strongest advantage.'

But it was also a disadvantage.

When accustomed to the Remedier type, the brain's mental arithmetic area atrophies. One cannot advance to higher stages and becomes complacent.

They also become poorly prepared for anomalous situations where the target's position changes rapidly.

'But the Jorhen type…'

Jorhen, meaning [The Thinker]. This Jorhen type does not share the disadvantages of the Remedier type regarding unpredictability.

This is because they solve every process of magic, from beginning to end, entirely through mental calculation.

It has nothing but advantages, but it's a realm no one can reach. It's even rumored that 'no one' can reach it.

'Historically, all Jorhen-type wizards were geniuses among geniuses.'

Without exception, they all made new strides in the realm of magic. Wasn't it true that all 10 Archmages who reached the rank of Aquizard (5-star) since the origin of magic were Jorhen types?

'Lynn, this child is chosen.'

By magic.

By the very concept of magic itself.

Chosen to be the spring breeze that will stir the stagnant world of magic, which has been in stasis for hundreds of years.

'The Master of Magic has chosen this child as a vessel to hold the Truth (眞理)…'