Aven is sitting on his bed staring at the ceiling, still half asleep.
That sound of explosion is still playing in his mind.
"I thought more than half the castle was gonna be empty for a few days" he muttered to himself.
"I should head down anyway. I gotta go have breakfast. I will probably find the source of the explosion soon" he said.
Aven brushes his teeth and washed his face with water before getting out of his room.
He's walking down the hallway and heading towards the kitchen. There's almost no one rushing to find or a huge commotion regarding the explosion just happened.
Just how many people left with the King..?, he thought
He finally reaches the kitchen just to find out that there are no chefs on duty. He just ends up getting some bread from the pantry and makes himself some coffee.
He just sits in one of the chairs there and enjoys his breakfast.
"Good thing Sir Theren taught me how to make coffee at least. What should I do today? Sir Theren didn't really tell me to practice," he thought.
He finishes his coffee and bread then washes the cup and plate. He places them at their appropriate place.
He stretches a bit before walking out of the kitchen.
"I should try to find the source of explosion now. I don't think it's that serious considering no one is screaming or anything like that. But I gotta find the reason I was woken up early" he muttered to himself.
Aven first thought was to check the garden. But there were no signs of any explosion happening.
He than starts walking through the hallways opening random doors.
After trying a bit he pushes the door to throne area enough to look inside. He doesn't try to open it fully because what if the king left a guard there.
He peeks in and finds no signs of explosion again…
He slowly closes the door and walks towards the next door. Tenebis Veritas which was left at the room finally catches up to him. It comes in floating while Aven is standing infront of a unusual wooden door.
Aven's hands reach out to open the door.
"Mortal don't open the door there might be a monster in there" it said.
Aven hands stop before reaching the handle, his eye's twitch up a bit.
"The only monster here is you. Don't try to scare me you cursed clunk of iron" he replied.
Than he reaches out and opens the door. There's just some old banners inside. Aven turns back and looks at Tenebis Veritas.
"Where is the monster huh?" He said.
"Hmph. I just tried to play a prank on you mortal. I wanted to see if you would open the door even if I warn there's a monster inside. You are not as smart as you look. What would you have done if there's a monster huh?" It replied
"I would probably end up as it's next meal. All I can hope is it's vegetarian. So, in best case scenario I would've just gotten attacked but not eaten right?" He said while shrugging.
Tenebis Veritas was at a loss words considering it didn't reply.
Aven just kept walking towards other rooms and he opened the storage room next and a rat came out and scared him.
He started muttering about how they are not cleaning properly while Tenebis Veritas was saying Mortal got scared of a rat.
He opens a lots of doors and closes a lot of them too.
He's walking around the hallway and keeps walking around in circles until he finally notices the path that is leading downward.
"Is this the pathway to basement? I mean it's obvious but why didn't I notice it earlier" he said.
"Mortal you opened like fifty or so doors and ran in circle like 4 times and than finally notice this now. Where do you look when walking? At the sky or somet.." it said.
It stopped talking because Aven was already halfway down towards the basement.
He reached the end of stairs and the first thing he noticed is how unclean it is.
"When was the last time this place was cleaned..?" He said while still walking ahead.
He stumbles upon some cages and even a shelf which has some books. He doesn't try to touch the books because they are covered in so much dust.
He stumbles upon a locked door. He feels the urge to open it because what is someone trying to hide behind a locked door.
"Mortal don't dare open that door at your current strength. Whatever is there is supposed to be locked there. That door is locked for a reason you know?" it said.
Aven is now even more curious but the way Tenebis Veritas said in a serious tone made him hesitate to touch the door.
"Alright alright. I won't touch the door for now. You better not be lying. If I find out that later you were lying I will drop you in a ocean" he said.
Aven just walks towards something and after a while realises he's walking in circle when he sees the stairs leading above for the 3rd time.
He sighs and starts going upstairs. Tenebis Veritas is still floating behind him.
He reaches upstairs looks towards his right and than his left and sighs.
"I have looked in all of the rooms in this castle and even went to the basement. I haven't even found a hint where the source of explosion might be from" He said looking defeated.
"Mortal did you even bother looking at other areas? You are limiting yourself to the residence area only" it said.
Aven thought for a bit it's like he was just told something that was so obvious.
"Why didn't I think about that. Thank you. You are actually useful sometimes" he said.
He finally heads out of the area and now he's looking around while standing infront of the fountain.
Aven's eye's catch something unusual a huge dome type structure behind the residence area.
"How the hell did I miss that huge thing. My eye's are really betraying me aren't they?" He said.
He's walking towards that and it's quite far actually as he has to walk around the residence area to reach. He doesn't run out of breath suprisingly because he's just walking though he's getting noticeably tired.
He finally reaches that dome. He's staring at that massive door. He then sighs and starts pushing the door. He's only pushing one side and it was lighter than it seemed.
He pushes the door open and the burning smell hits him instantly.
He looks to his right and sees a lot of weaponry. He looks to his left and sees pieces of armour.
He looks at the ground which is covered in burnt marks and finally looks ahead. The first thing he sees is the cone shaped hat and just sighs knowing the person behind the explosion is none other than Alina.
He looks past Alina and notices the burnt training dummies.
Alina turned back and her eyes landed on Aven.
"What are you doing here?" She said with an annoyed voice.
"I was just trying to find the source of the explosion which forcefully woke me up from my peaceful sleep," he replied.
"Well it was me just practicing my magic. Also what was your name again?" she said.
"I'm Aven and who are you again?" He said with a smile.
She looked disrespected by the question Aven asked. But she regained her composure quickly.
"I'm Alina, nice to meet you again Aven" she replied with a hint of anger.
She then just starts practicing the spells again and Aven is surprised when she conjures up flames out of nowhere and those flames hit the target with surprising precision but they don't make the sound he heard in the morning.
He's more curious than ever now.
"So Alina the thing you just did is magic right? Can you teach me?" He said.
Alina turned back and was a bit shocked by what she just heard.
"You want me to teach you magic? Well can you even read stuff? Also I don't think you can learn magic" she said in a dismissive tone.
"I can read you know? Did you forget that you made me capable of hearing and talking the language of this world using a spell or something? Also I wanna try you know" he replied.
I can't even say stuff like I gotta practice because I have to become the best. I bet he will say but you said you were the best mage in Veldran. Plus he's looking at me with those curious eyes that says I will disturb you until you satisfy my curiosity. I thought maybe that sword would say something, she thought.
I'm just gonna try to teach him the basics and if he can't even resonate with World Mana then he's failed there. I will tell him to come back once he feels the world mana. Because if he can't even use world mana how is he gonna use his body as a conduit to cast spells, she smirked while thinking this.
"Alright alright. I will teach you the basics for now" she said.
Aven practically jumped hearing that.
"Thank you Alina. I will try my best" he replied.
She just gestured to him to come here. She told him to sit down and sat down herself. Then she started what could be called nothing more than a lecture on the basics.
"So the first thing you are supposed to do is feel the world's mana. Your body needs to be completely calm to feel the world's mana. Then you have to make that mana flow throughout your entire body. To use spells you have to make your body a conduit so that the mana can flow freely in your body before being used. Then your mana is finally able to be finally used but we are not done there. You need to learn how to chant, use magic circles. I will explain it now…
One hour later
….. Then you gotta make sure the magic circles are okay. Also your pronunciation of chants must be perfect. One wrong pronunciation and you are going to get that spell blasted at your face. Also you gotta make sure to draw them magic spells correctly. Different spells have different magic circles and some spells have different magic circles depending on power output. So you have to make sure to memorise them all…
30 minutes later
… Finally you gotta make sure you practice it multiple times before using it in battle. Also that's all" she said.
Aven was just staring above trying to make sure he remembered everything.
"You remembered everything I said right?" She asked.
Aven nodded slowly a few times.
I don't remember anything. My mind went blank 10 minutes into her lecture then I only heard bits of it . I just remember something like magic circles, world mana, resonance, it will blast in your face and stuff. She will beat me up if I say I don't remember whatever she talked about, he thought while still nodding.
"Now it's your turn to try to feel the world's mana," she said.
Aven's face instantly went through many expressions.
"Alright"
That's all he could mutter.
Aven closed his eyes and calmed himself first then tried to feel the world's mana, whatever that means. He sits like that for 3 mins and opens his eyes.
"I don't feel anything," he said.
"I can tell that just try to focus even more," she said.
He tried 4 more times and he didn't feel anything.
If he can't feel it after 1 more try I'm gonna dismiss him and tell him to keep on trying alone, she thought.
"Mortal try to find fluctuations around you and not something you don't even know what is exactly. Finding the fluctuations is an easy way to find mana I suppose. Once you have found the fluctuations redirect those fluctuations to your body. I have helped you enough now" Tenebis Veritas said.
Why's it helping him now and it's certainly not wrong but that's not a method used officially, she thought.
"Hmm. Thanks for the idea Tenebis Veritas let's see if it works." he said.
Aven closed his eyes now and tried to feel the fluctuations around him. He didn't feel any fluctuations for a minute. He felt a fluctuation suddenly but it disappeared too fast.
Redirect any fluctuations to my body was it? he thought.
He let his body relax and was fully focused to find a fluctuation. But he was getting a bit impatient.
Where is this damn fluctuation? he thought.
He finally felt another fluctuation and he was able to lead that fluctuation into his own body successfully.
He let that fluctuation which is just mana go around his body and he completed his mana resonance.
He let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Finally I think I have completed the mana resonance. I have completed it right Alina?" He asked.
Alina is not saying anything.
He actually was able to resonate with World Mana without using the method mentioned in the books. That sword actually helped him? Whatever he only completed mana resonance there's still a long way for him, she thought.
"Yeah, you have completed the mana resonance. But that's not where we are gonna stop. I will teach you some basic spells like levitating an object or a fire ball.
I will show you the chants and you will have to repeat them while also constantly drawing in mana from the world" she said.
Aven just nodded.
"Lets start by trying to levitate the book I have here. I will first show you how to do it then you gotta try. The chant is: By the breath of the eternal winds, defy the chains of gravity — ascend!" She said.
The book actually starts levitating and Aven is just staring at the book. He knows it's his turn next but he can't do that for sure.
The book slowly descends after a snap of finger from Alina and she looks at Aven basically telling him try.
"By the breaths of ….. wind, defy the gravity..?" he said
The book doesn't even levitate.
Alina is already sighing.
"What was that? You can't even remember 13 words? Whatever, we will come back to that later. Let's try the fire ball spell and aim it at that dummy. The chant is: From the heart of primordial flame, awaken and devour — explode!" She said.
A fire ball conjured up and hit the dummy perfectly.
Aven was just staring again. His brain was already short circuiting.
She again looked at him which was his signal to try.
"From the heart of …. flame, awaken and ignite…?" he said.
There were just tiny sparkles and that's all.
Alina was already looking disappointed.
"Why is your memory so horrible? How can you not remember stuff even children half your age can remember" she said.
"Mortal I helped you with resonance and this is what you have to show for it? How can't you remember stuff I have seen five year olds repeat in their first try" it said.
Aven is just looking above like someone will come from above and help him. There's no help coming from above that's for sure.
"Alright alright. I know I can't memorise if my life depended on it but there's no way that you can't use magic without saying those long lines right?" he said.
Aven looked at Alina and she was just speechless and Tenebis Veritas already started floating towards the exit.
"Wait, why are you leaving Tenebis Veritas and why are you speechless Alina. I said there must be a way you can use magic without those long lines. What's wrong with that?" He said.
Before Alina could open her mouth and start another lecture.
"Foolish mortal unless you are able to memorise those chants you will never be able to use magic. Those long lines are an essential part of describing what the spell looks like and how it works. The lines might sound useless but they are the stabilizer of the spells. Without them you can't use spells. If you try to use spells without them you can't even generate tiny sparkles" it said while still walking towards the exit.
"Wait Tenebis Veritas according to your explaination. Those long lines work just the same way cause and effect work yes? But with just one extra step that stabilizes them. If you know what the cause and effect is can't you essentially generate spells without chants but they will just be exponentially weaker right? That's all you mean right?" he replied with a serious look.
Tenebis Veritas stopped.
"Mortal you are spitting so much about chants are essentially cause and effects, yes they are. But how will you shape the spells without using chants? How are you planning to stabilize spells without using chants? Are you thinking you are some different being? Even beings who aren't human have to use chants to cast magic. What you are thinking is fundamentally impossible" It replied.
"Tenebis Veritas. If the chants were wholly shaping those spells than the lines Alina said should've generated something accurate to the chant and not a fire ball. If the chant was shaping that spell then that fireball wouldn't have been so small. I will ask you, are you all knowing Tenebis Veritas? Tenebis Veritas have you seen what lies past this world. Have you seen the end of the universe. Can you change fate. Are you a God Tenebis Veritas. Because you are claiming that because someone was never able to do it that others won't be able to do it without being 100% sure. I would've believed you if you were a God. But you aren't are you?" He said with a serious look.
"Mortal there's no point in arguing about this. I'm not all knowing neither am I a God but I'm smart enough to know that what you claim to be possible is impossible" it replied.
"Tenebis Veritas are human perfect? How many times were they wrong about a thing. Tenebis Veritas didn't a human or a sword like you decide that it's impossible. Did you ever get a divine knowledge that Spell casting without chants is impossible? You know what Tenebis Veritas I will prove you wrong right here and now. I will try to use the spell without using chants. Worst case scenario it doesn't work. Best case scenario it works making it so that you and the whole damn mages were wrong" he said.
He holds out his hand and thinks.
Cause: heat. Effect: explode, he thought.
He tried this a few times. It took him 6 tries to finally do it. A fire ball conjured up on his hand but it kept growing. It went from being small sized to medium size in a matter of seconds.
Aven did what anyone would do in that situation and threw it towards the dummies but there was another surprise waiting for him. The damage it did was less than Alina's fire ball even though it was bigger in size than the fire ball she used.
Both Tenebis Veritas and Alina were speechless but at the same time Alina was fuming inside.
If he had made any mistakes that fireball could've engulfed this whole dome in maybe a minute and literally burn us to death. I wouldn't have let it go that far but it could've happened, she thought.
"Aven, you are going to draw 100 magic circles as punishment for endangering our life and potentially causing property damage. Unless you want me to report this to the king you will draw them before the sun sets. You have at least four or five hours so get to it right away. Use my textbook to see how it's done. Also you are not gonna draw the same magic circle 100 times draw a different magic circle each time. I'm gonna go outside and I hope you are done by the time I'm back" she said.
She started walking towards the exit the moment she said that.
"Mortal that was impressive but I suggest you don't try that again" it said.
Tenebis Veritas floated away after saying that.
Aven is now standing there having to draw 100 magic circles without anything to draw them with.
"She didn't even tell me what I have to use to draw those magic circles..." He said quietly.
At least that's what he thought. Until he noticed the abundance of powder near the entrance.
He went near there, opened the book, studied the magic circle, closed the book and took some powder, started placing it down and then opened the book again because he forgot how to do it.
This process was repeated for the next five hours. When the sun set. Alina walks in and sees that Aven has barely completed the ten magic circles.
He keeps on opening the book to see how to do it again and again. She's just too tired to say anything at this point.
Alina just sighs.
"Aven just go back to your room. I don't wanna see your face for the next few days" she said.
Aven stood up and just nodded then walked out as he didn't want to anger her any further.
The magic circles he created weren't even usable because of mistakes. She just erased those with magic before leaving that place.
Aven goes back, takes a bath and gets dressed.
He heads to the kitchen for dinner and finds out that the chefs were gone in the morning to restock. He eats the dinner in the kitchen itself.
Aven is just now lying on his bed. Tenebis Veritas is just in its corner. Aven's glasses are on the table.
Today was an interesting experience. I hope tomorrow is a bit peaceful. Whatever I'm gonna sleep now, he thought.
To be continued…