Aion asked with an incredulous expression.
“...Did you just dump the magic of a villain you killed in the future on me?”
Fire’s Ultimate Point snorted.
【Fire: Magic is not guilty, idiot. If Celestial Motion Art has a sin, it is only that it had no mouth to cry out for help when it unfortunately fell into the hands of the wrong person.】
You did not send a knife to prison because someone had stabbed another person with it.
After considering Fire’s words for a moment, Aion nodded.
【Fire: If anything, the fact that he abused it only proved its power. When mastered to its limits, it is a spell with exceptional destructive power. It also operates on a completely different principle from ordinary telekinesis, making it difficult for other mages to counter.】
Aion stared at the blue Yggdrasil system window floating in the air.
***
[!] A new task has been assigned.
***
『Task: Getting Acquainted with Celestial Motion Art』
— 『Task Overview: You have obtained a grimoire on Celestial Motion Art from the Arcanum Library. It is time to find out what kind of magic Celestial Motion Art is.』
— 『Objective: Cast Celestial Motion Art at least once.』
— 『Reward: Celestial Motion Art Lv. 2 ▲, Mana Manipulation Lv. 2 ▲』
***
Aion’s eyes widened.
What? It will raise my proficiency immediately? And Mana Manipulation too?
Mana Manipulation.
For Aion, whose body was not naturally attuned to mana, it was an immensely valuable skill. To raise both that skill and Celestial Motion Art’s level at once...
“That is generous....”
But his joy lasted only a moment before a fundamental question surfaced.
“Um, but.”
Aion asked with a puzzled look.
“How much difference does it make for proficiency to rise by one level?”
【Fire: What are you talking about?】
“I am grateful that Yggdrasil visualizes proficiency for me, but... I do not have a sense of how much actually changes when it goes up.”
【Fire: ...Do not ask me. I lived without caring about such numbers. My instincts were enough.】
At that moment, a calm, orderly voice spoke.
【Arcana: An analogy using tiers will make it easier to understand.】
“Tiers?”
【Arcana: Yes. Do you know the average time it takes for a first-tier mage to become a second-tier mage?】
“...Five years? I heard Exion students sometimes manage it in one or two years, but I do not know the details.”
【Arcana: Without systematic education, it can take ten years. But if one is educated in an elite environment like Exion, it may take less than a year instead.】
One year.
And that was only for the talented, receiving the very best support.
【Arcana: A mage grows exponentially stronger as their tier rises. Mana efficiency, power, versatility. There is far more they become capable of. The proficiency shown by the system is similar.】
Arcana’s explanation was clean and concise.
【Arcana: If Lv. 1 is the level of someone who has just learned to walk, Lv. 2 is the level of someone who can walk, albeit unsteadily. The difference in efficiency is considerable.】
Aion’s eyes sparkled.
“Then if I keep raising the proficiency of my spells like this...!”
【Arcana: Of course, you cannot grow stronger without limit. By the system’s nature, a mage’s attributes and magical proficiency must remain proportional.】
It was like being doused with cold water.
【Arcana: With your current attributes, even if you learn magic with high proficiency, you will have difficulty bringing out its full potential.】
“...So balance is important in the end.”
【Arcana: Even so, there is no need to be disappointed. At your current level, merely reaching Lv. 2 would be an excellent achievement.】
Aion smacked his lips.
Well, there was no reason to refuse becoming stronger for free. Though perhaps it was not truly free.
【Arcana: By the way, have you felt anything different since gaining the Wisdom and Intelligence attributes last time?】
He was asking about the attributes Aion had received as a reward for the previous task. Aion searched his memory.
“Ah! Now that you mention it... I think something has changed....”
【Arcana: Specifically?】
Aion hesitated for a moment.
“...It feels a little easier to get up in the morning?”
【Arcana: ...That is your imagination. You must have slept well.】
“...”
Ignoring Aion’s reaction, Arcana continued.
【Arcana: Let me establish the concepts clearly. Intelligence determines a spell’s power, while Wisdom affects one’s understanding and depth of magic.】
“Then what about the other attributes?”
【Arcana: Mana refers to the amount of mana your body possesses. Constitution is the body’s durability—how well it can endure magical recoil. And Sense refers to your ability to manipulate mana and your bodily senses.】
Only then did Aion begin to understand.
“I see. I get it now.”
Aion rose from his seat and began gathering what he needed.
“Then... shall we give this a try?”
***
A taut tension filled the dormitory room.
Sitting before his desk, Aion stared intently ahead. Before him were five silver goblets filled with water.
Four goblets were arranged in a square, with one placed in the exact center.
Only the one in the middle... moves....
The exercise involved using mana to disturb the water in only the central goblet, without causing even the slightest ripple in the surrounding ones.
It was training meant to develop both delicate control and concentration.
“Uuurgh....”
Thick veins bulged at Aion’s temples. Cold sweat ran down his forehead, gathered at the tip of his chin, and fell.
...But.
“Haah... Damn it....”
The surface of the water did not budge.
No, not even the faintest tremor appeared.
Whenever he tried to extend his mana, it scattered as though it had struck an invisible wall.
Watching this pitiful display, Fire’s Ultimate Point suddenly shouted.
【Fire: That is not how you do it, idiot! You are just tensing up and forcing it! Do you think this is your bathroom?】
Aion’s shoulders twitched. Fire did not stop there.
【Fire: Did you already burn the interpretation of Celestial Motion Art? What does the first passage of Chapter One say!?】
“The first passage...?”
Aion glanced at the parchment spread out before him.
『Celestial Motion Art is not the act of pouring the energy within one’s body outward. It is the force of extending one’s inner flow and resonating with space. This, in turn, signifies circulation....』
Every time he read it, his head began to ache.
“...That is exactly what I am asking. What does any of that even mean?”
Concepts such as energy and resonance sounded like vague nonsense. All the more so for Aion, who was accustomed to the straightforward magical theory of the Lavatie Empire.
【Fire: ...Anyway! Just feel it! Can you not even do something this simple?】
Then a heavy laugh interrupted him.
【Earth: Heh heh heh....】
It was Earth’s Ultimate Point.
【Earth: Why do you think that old coot learned only Chapter One before abandoning it? It is obvious. It means the spell is difficult to learn. He could not master it himself, yet he is getting frustrated at someone else for struggling.】
Fire flared up.
【Fire: Wh-what did you say?!】
As Fire fumed, Arcana calmly intervened.
【Arcana: Hmm. It seems Yggdrasil’s assessment of the reward was quite appropriate this time as well.】
“...What do you mean by appropriate?”
【Arcana: Even with an interpretation, it does not seem easy. If the task is difficult, the reward will be excellent. Conversely, if the reward is good, that means the task will not be easy either.】
Fire raised his voice.
【Fire: No! This brat is just too soft! ...At least up to Chapter One, it is at a level that can be learned through instinct alone!】
Arcana replied coldly.
【Arcana: Aion’s current Sense attribute is far below the average mage’s.】
At those words, Fire fell silent.
【Arcana: It may take quite some time. He may fail to succeed even after staying awake for several nights.】
【Fire: Ngh....】
Fire quietly stewed in frustration.
This was the magic he had confidently proposed. Yet Aion was stuck struggling at the very first stage, leaving him with little to say.
Moreover, no matter how much they explained, it did not seem to reach Aion.
This... will not be easy.
Just as Aion sighed and was about to focus on the goblets again—
Knock, knock.
A knock broke the silence.
“Student Aion Iskar, are you in your room?”
Aion’s eyebrows rose.
“...?”
It was late. Aion got up and opened the door.
Creak—
An employee from the Academic Affairs Office stood outside. Her expression was stiff.
“You have been summoned by the Academic Affairs Office.”
“...What is this about?”
Aion’s heart dropped.
Again?
He had barely been admitted, yet was he already involved in another controversy and facing expulsion? Or had using the third-floor Arcanum Library reading permit today caused a problem?
Could there be something wrong with the Celestial Motion Art grimoire...?
Countless thoughts raced through his mind.
“Please check this for the details. Then, I shall take my leave.”
The employee handed him a rolled-up parchment, gave a small bow, and departed.
Aion broke the parchment’s seal.
Riiip—
As he unfolded it and read the contents, his eyes gradually widened. Soon, his face froze blankly.
“...Huh?”
***
The next morning, Aion dragged his stiff body to the Academic Affairs Office on the first floor of the main building.
Inside, only the dry sounds of papers turning and quills scratching echoed through the room.
Step...
When Aion stood before the counter, the employee buried beneath a pile of documents raised her head.
She looked at Aion with a businesslike manner.
“You are Student Aion Iskar, correct?”
“Yes. I came after receiving the summons.”
The employee set down her papers and asked,“Have you read the notice in full?”
“...Yes.”
He had read it. He had simply been so unable to believe it that his answer came a beat late.
The employee nodded impassively.
“Then you are aware of the circumstances.”
“...Is my understanding correct?”
The employee looked at Aion for a moment before answering.
“Yes. Professor Sabrina, who teaches Elemental Transformation and Fusion, was involved in an unfortunate accident and will be unable to hold classes for the time being. I have heard that she will need a considerable period of treatment and recuperation.”
“Then...”
“The class you were enrolled in will be cancelled for this semester. The semester has already begun, so it is difficult to find a replacement professor.”
Cancelled.
Aion felt faint.
Why is this happening...?
Aion asked,“What happens to me? Do I have to register for classes again?”
The employee shook her head.
“No. Since the cancellation is due to circumstances on the Academy’s side, measures have been arranged.”
She took out a sheet of paper and slid it toward Aion.
“You may immediately transfer into another course that still has openings. You will receive the same academic credit.”
Aion let out a sigh of relief.
“That is a relief. Which course is it?”
At his question, the employee stared at him through her glasses.
“Hmm... Most introductory courses are already full. There are an unusually large number of freshmen this year.”
He would probably be transferred into an unpopular course.
“The course Aion will likely be given priority placement in is...”
With her quill, the employee pointed to a line on the parchment.
“Advanced Telekinetics.”
“...”
Silence.
The employee tilted her head.
“Is something wrong?”
A telekinesis class.
At the very moment Aion was struggling with Celestial Motion Art training, fortune had found him with impeccable timing.
【Fire: ...At this point, even I do not know whether this brat is lucky or unlucky.】