Today marked week 3 of the A Reinterpretation of Basic Magic class.
The atmosphere inside the Fourth Lecture Hall was quite different than usual.
"......Why are there so many people today? I can see quite a few Level 4 and 5 seniors too."
"Word spread everywhere that Oscar is a star instructor."
"Even so, it's only a basic magic class...... Wait, is that Elder Maxim in the back?"
"What? It really is. At this point, isn't this on the level of a seminar for some magical society?"
That showed just how much of a hot topic Oscar's lecture had become within the White Tower.
The mages who had attended from the beginning felt a strange pride.
Those attending for the first time waited for Oscar with quiet anticipation.
SLIDE—!
When Oscar finally appeared, more than 70 pairs of eyes fixed upon him.
"......."
He did not appear surprised or nervous under the countless gazes and walked calmly to the lectern.
Then, without any particular introduction, he began.
"The spell you'll learn today is the one you must consider most important throughout your lives as mages."
"Oh!"
The eyes of the mages who had come half expectant and half doubtful sparkled like stars.
Just as they were about to decide that coming here had been the right choice.
"The spell in question is 『Wind』."
"......."
Everyone's anticipation shattered like glass, and undisguised disappointment appeared on their faces.
What sort of spell was Wind?
It was the most basic of the basics.
Was it not a widely known basic spell that even mages outside the White Tower could use?
Sensing the mages' dissatisfaction, Maxim lightly raised his hand and spoke.
"I intended only to watch quietly, but my curiosity won't allow it. Oscar, do you truly intend to gather this many mages merely to teach them Wind?"
"Yes."
Maxim gave an awkward smile at Oscar's confident attitude, as though asking what the problem was.
"Hmm, of course it suits the purpose of A Reinterpretation of Basic Magic perfectly...... but I don't believe anyone here is unfamiliar with Wind."
"As you said, no one here will be unfamiliar with Wind. But perfectly understanding it and making it one's own magic is an entirely different matter. Forgive me, Elder, but could you demonstrate Wind?"
Despite the sudden request, Maxim readily nodded.
"That's easy enough. Wind."
WHOOSH—!
A scorching gale that seemed to carry the desert's heat tossed everyone's hair and robes for an instant before vanishing.
The stunned mages began to murmur.
"......That's Wind? Not Gust or Wind Press?"
"That's insane. So this is the level required to become an elder."
Even the same basic spell displayed extraordinary power when used by a high-level mage.
Having witnessed a new world, the mages gazed at Maxim with boundless respect.
Maxim chuckled at their adorable reactions and asked.
"Will that do?"
"Thank you."
Oscar briefly bowed his head, then turned toward a mage seated near the front.
"Amy Rabin. Now you cast Wind."
"M-me?"
The word Why? rose to her throat, but countless eyes had already fixed upon her.
In the end, she cast the spell with the reluctance of someone eating mustard through tears.
This time, a feeble, gentle breeze like one on a spring day tickled the people nearby and vanished.
Oscar raised a hand and surveyed the students.
"Raise your hand if you think you know the difference between those two spells."
Several mages glanced around, raised their hands, and cautiously answered.
"The range and power were different?"
"Uh...... I think the temperature was a little different."
"They were clearly the same spell, but the feeling? The atmosphere was a little different too."
None of those answers were wrong, but they were not the answer Oscar wanted.
Just then, Veronica Fricks murmured from a corner of the lecture hall.
"......The nature of mana."
"Correct, Veronica Fricks."
"H-huh?"
Veronica flinched in surprise, not expecting him to hear her quiet mutter.
Oscar looked at her and nodded as though praising her.
"As she said, the nature of mana differed between the two spells."
Gripping the lectern, Oscar looked around the hall and spoke.
"Isn't it fascinating? Every stage of the two spells, from their formulas to their deployment, was identical. Yet one was hot as a desert wind, while the other was gentle as a spring breeze. Their results differed so much that it was difficult to consider them the same spell."
After giving the students a moment to think, Oscar continued.
"Does anyone here understand what the nature of mana is?"
"Uh...... Don't you mean the Four Mana Systems?"
"Those classify mana's system. The nature of mana I'm discussing here is a different concept."
After looking over the students, Oscar began explaining in his calm voice.
"To explain the nature of mana, we must first examine the White Tower's roots. Since ancient times, the White and Blue Towers have been classified as the magic towers representing the Harmony System. Can anyone clearly explain why?"
"......Because of the characteristics of their elements?"
Oscar nodded at the textbook answer.
"Correct. The Red Tower and Yellow Tower may be powerful and fast, but they aren't harmonious. After all, cold fire and cold lightning don't exist in this world."
But the White Tower and Blue Tower were different.
"Wind and water can become infinitely cold or hotter than anything else. That's why we represent the Harmony System."
Everyone nodded.
Up to that point, the concept was common knowledge among nearly all mages.
"But even between the White Tower and Blue Tower, both called part of the Harmony System, there's a clear difference."
A droplet summoned with the 『Water』 spell floated above Oscar's palm.
The water slowly began to boil.
"As everyone knows, the conditions for boiling water are simple. At standard atmospheric pressure, it requires heat of 100° and a little time."
WHOOSH—!
The boiling water vaporized in an instant and became wind.
When Oscar gestured, that wind alternated between hot and cold every second.
"Wind, on the other hand, easily assimilates with its surrounding environment and can change its nature in an instant."
Like a chameleon.
That was the decisive difference between the White Tower and Blue Tower.
"Wind is freer than any other element. If you wish, it can possess power like the Red Tower's flames, become as fast as the Yellow Tower's lightning, or take forms as freely as the Blue Tower's water. They say there are even substances that refuse to mix with the Blue Tower's water like oil, but no such thing exists for wind."
It was the sole element capable of embracing any nature according to a mage's imagination.
Only wind could contain all the harmony of the world intact.
"That's why every White Tower mage must understand how they think of and perceive wind."
Oscar's gaze turned toward Maxim.
"To one person, wind may be hot and fierce enough to melt an opponent's skin."
This time, he looked at Amy Rabin, whose mouth hung open in a daze.
"To another, it may be warm and friendly like a spring breeze."
There was no right or wrong in those perspectives and philosophies.
The free wind would embrace every one of the countless diverging paths.
"What does wind mean to me? That's the core of today's lesson."
The instant one realized that, the 'nature of mana' was decided, and it influenced every spell one cast.
Oscar looked at the faces lost in their individual thoughts.
'......I never told them anything like this in my previous life. This is a concept one usually realizes only after becoming a high-level mage.'
Back then, he had believed it was best for a mage to experience and discover everything alone.
He had considered both brilliant successes and terrible failures nourishment for becoming an excellent mage.
'I only realized just before my death that I was wrong.'
That belief had been nothing more than the stubbornness and vanity of one who had walked the road ahead of them.
So in this life, he intended to teach without reservation.
'But I won't tell them everything about the path to the summit.'
The only path Oscar knew was the one he had walked as Oscar Sage.
Although that path had taken him to the summit, he did not believe it was the sole correct answer.
'If there are ten thousand mages, there are ten thousand correct answers.'
Teaching another person everything from first to last would merely place limits on their infinite potential.
This much advice was exactly what he could offer.
If those guys had sufficient ability, they would gain a great deal from today's lesson.
"......Hmm?"
Just then.
"Wind, to me, wind is clearly...... clearly......."
Maxim's eyes suddenly grew hazy as he muttered.
The mage seated beside him noticed his condition and cautiously reached out.
"Elder, are you all right?"
"Don't touch him!"
Oscar shouted and hurriedly ran up the stairs.
"Clear the space around Elder Maxim immediately. Don't interfere with his enlightenment under any circumstances."
The mages exclaimed when they heard that.
'Ah, this is the legendary.......'
'Awakening! Is this the moment of awakening?!'
'They say every mage of Level 7 or higher needs a certain enlightenment each time they advance a level.'
'I never thought I'd witness it with my own eyes.'
From Level 7, whose mages were commonly classified as high-level, enlightenment was the most important factor.
Without enlightenment, it was impossible even to install an additional circuit in one's body.
'Maxim.......'
It would be extremely reassuring if this opportunity allowed the Level 7 mage to reach Level 8.
But Maxim opened his eyes a short while later and could not conceal his disappointment.
"Phew."
In the end, he had failed to cross the threshold into Level 8.
He had merely gained a small enlightenment while retracing the path he had already traveled.
Still, one could say his depth as a Level 7 mage had grown considerably.
Maxim turned and expressed his sincere gratitude.
"Thanks, Oscar! No, wait. Since you're the teacher here, should I thank you more formally?"
"......You're honestly being rather disturbing."
"Haha! It's because I'm truly grateful. Truly! Hahaha!"
He hugged Oscar tightly and refused to let go until Oscar could barely breathe.
Naturally, the students' concentration rose to an unbelievable degree afterward.
Wasn't this a lecture capable of granting enlightenment even to a Level 7 mage?
'This will make everything ahead much easier.'
Those of lower rank and level than Elder Maxim would not dare object to Oscar's words.
That meant he could improve their skills extremely quickly before the 'Night of Mages'.
'But today's greatest harvest is.......'
Oscar quietly turned his head and met the eyes of a mage who could not look away from him.
'Veronica Fricks.'
He had successfully drawn the interest of that problem child.