Chapter 13: Minor Magic
[previous_page]
[next_page]
Somehow I managed to awake in the middle of the night.
I’m not exactly sure what time it is right now, but since using all of my MP at dinner and recovering, my upper MP limit has increased by 1. At the very least, I knew that 4 hours had passed since I was last awake. In any case, I should practice magic, expend all my MP completely and quickly go back to sleep, or so I thought, but after all, I think I will practice some appraisal instead.
When I carefully thought about it, there wasn’t really any need for me to learn how to use magic in such a rushed manner. Leaving that aside, I think that by levelling Appraisal the amount of interesting information that can be obtained increases and I believe that right now, this is worth more than magic. I should quickly raise the level of my Appraisal ability, so that I will be able to see the sub-windows for Strength and Agility. Therefore, other than during magic training in the mornings, I feel like I should put my energy into appraisal for the time being.
Morning came and as per usual Myun would wake me up. When Myun came to wake me up I asked her about the questions I had last night.
「Hey, Myun, how come you are always able to wake up on time before sunrise?」
「Ahh, that’s because around 4 years ago, I gained the ability to set an alarm clock」
Huh? What did she just say? Did she just say alarm clock?
「Hee~ Myun you’re so amazing, by the way, what is an alarm clock?」
I was in a hurry as I wanted to hear the answer quickly,
「Al, an alarm clock is an alarm clock」
Yeah, I guess she’d say that… But, still can’t you just answer my question…
「I don’t understand what you mean by that. Tell me what an alarm clock is pleaseee~?」
「It’s a minor magic spell, a cantrip」 (TL: Cantrip, meaning = a mischievous or playful act; a trick.)
What….did she just say? She’s talking in such a vague manner. However, I got something out of it, “Minor Magic: Cantrip” is it? I think I should confirm it.
I raised my arms on top of the bed signalling Myun to carry me. And Myun seeing me extend my arms reacted accordingly and lifted me into her arms. If I used appraisal I am still unable to see any special abilities so….
「Status Open」
【Myun Tobasu/19/2/7413】
【Female/29/11/7411】
【Household: Eldest daughter of Tobasu family】
【Special skill: Minor Magic】
「Al, you know it’s rude to use status open on someone without asking for their permission?」
Yeah, she really did have a special skill called minor magic.
It’s weird how mother who is actually called a magician doesn’t have this skill called minor magic. But yeah, I guess using status open on someone so suddenly is probably a rude conduct.
I mean you can probably tell someone’s race just by seeing their appearance, but if you use status open on a stranger, you can even see personal information like their birthday, and worse yet their special skills.
「I’m sorry, but I really wanted to know more about your minor magic: cantrip」
Even if I say so myself, I was being pretty persistent. As expected of me.
「Nn~ I think it would be best if you asked the madam. I don’t have the confidence to explain it properly, besides, I already have to go and prepare for breakfast. The master and madam are waiting for us you know?」
Shit, this isn’t working out. Something that works like an alarm clock, isn’t that super effective for my goals? I really want it…
Because she wasn’t answering my questions, I was being sulky.
I suppose there is no other choice but to eat breakfast and then ask Sharl for some advice.
「By the way Mother, Myun has a skill called minor magic: cantrip, but she couldn’t explain to me what it was, can you please tell me what it does?」
After having breakfast and after waiting for my siblings to run out of MP, I was alone with my mother and I was asking her this question.
「Ahh, it’s a magic that doesn’t use up any MP. It can’t do anything special, and you can use it several times a day」
Hou hou, doesn’t this sound good? If I can use it several times a day, there will be no problems whatsoever.
「Will I be able to use it one day?」
「That is.. Of course you will. If you can distribute the flow of magic in your body, it can already be assumed that you will be able to do minor magic」
What? Are you telling me that I can already use it? However, my status doesn’t tell me that I have such an ability, right?
「What do you mean?」
「Well, I suppose with a brain like Al’s you would be able to understand….. Al, what do you think magic is?」
What is she saying? And why is she asking my question with another question, can’t she just give me the solution? No no, I shouldn’t think like this after all, haste makes waste.
For now, let’s just go along with this Zen dialogue type questioning. It would seem that she was going to start at the most basic foundations of what magic is all about. In fact I am quite thankful for this.
「Is it perhaps a mysterious power that bends the laws of nature?」
「With that kind of way of speaking, it’s almost as if magic is an evil thing trying to do harm. Well you aren’t wrong though. What I wanted to ask was, in regards to where do you think magic springs from? But, well I suppose you just started your magic training so there would be no way for you to know, so this time I will just tell you, magic, comes from the thoughts of the person using it」
I don’t understand~. The images that propped out whilst I was practicing magic the other day, is this perhaps what she’s talking about? Sharl continued explaining even further.
「Your thoughts are a really important thing, okay? Whilst it may start with something trivial, like Ahh I want that, or I want to do this, it will soon become, Ahh I want that to happen, I want it to be like this, and then in the end it will be I need this, or I need that. Whilst it cannot give you everything, magic works as a system to achieve a portion of those thoughts. That’s why, a person with a strong desire, is a person that is going to be good with magic」
Because she started mentioning ‘thoughts’, assumed that it would be some kind of refined system, but unexpectedly, it all seems to be quite vulgar.
「What this means, is a person with a strong desire and lust will be good at magic?」
「That’s a little wrong. Wanting to materialize your desires with your thoughts, is the phenomenon that helps the build-up of magical power and is what makes magic possible」
Once gain she’s throwing around words like magical power like it’s the most natural thing in the world… Like I said, what in the world does magical power meannn ~ Let’s just continue the conversation here.
「I understand… In that case, what is this thing called magical power?」
「Magical power is, something that everyone has within them. If you thought that the ant beneath your feet were a hindrance and you wanted it to go away, what would you do?」
「I will probably brush it off me, like this…」
「That’s true. But what if both of your hands are tied down because you are carrying luggage?」
「Then I will unload the luggage first and then brush it off」
「I knew you’d say that. However, human beings who are able to proficiently use magical power will do this, watch」
Sharl says this and looks towards my kneecap. At almost the exact same time, I have a feeling that my kneecap was being brushed gently or it being dusted off. I was in shock, as my eyes opened widely.
「This is the simplest way to use magical power. Well right now, I am using it on someone other than myself, so putting this into practice may not be the simplest thing, Well in short, it’s like a third hand. However, don’t be mistaken, this hand is not a part of your body, nor does it exist within reality. If I were to describe it, it would be like a phantom hand made by magical power. Therefore, this isn’t considered as magic. This phenomenon is considered as a minor magic: cantrip. At best, this type of minor magic, can only be used several times to brush away small things, and if it was something heavy, like luggage, it wouldn’t be able to move it at all」
I understand it, so basically Minor Magic: Cantrip, is the ability to manipulate magic directly with your thoughts.
「So creating a phantom hand and then making that hand do something, is that what minor magic: cantrip is?」
「As a basis, that is true, but there is also many other applications to it. An exemplary case of its popular usage is in making “Reservations”. There is also its ability to create light and sound. Well even so, only you will be able to see the light or sound that you make」
“Reservation”? Did she mean, the alarm clock?
「I understand, in that case I would like for you to teach me minor magic: cantrip please」
「Haven’t I already taught you? As long as you practice it from now on, you should be able to become good at it」
Eh? When did she teach me? She can’t be referring to teaching me making a phantom hand right?
「I don’t think you’ve ever taught me how…..」
「Well, you are still a baby after all. Al, can you put your right hand to the back of your shoulders and your left hand to the back of the stomach and try to shake your own hands?」
I tried my best to do this, but my short hands just wouldn’t reach.
Although my joints were just like a baby and were really soft, my hands were quite short and I didn’t really have much muscle to stabilise into this position.
「I can’t do it」
「Then, try and scratch the place where you can’t reach」
「Because I can’t reach it, it’s not possible to scratch it」
Ah, I get it, so this is where the phantom hand comes into play. Somehow or another, I imagined a third hand growing from my nape. Although I tried, I obviously can’t succeed.
「I believe in you! Try and scratch your back」
Sharl was speaking in quite the earnest manner.
「There is no need for you to put so much thought. Just extend your hands, like you were going to scratch your back. There is nobody in this world that cannot use minor magic: cantrip」
Is it like this maybe? I tried to move my hands behind my back, and slightly scratch my back. At the same time, as imagining it was happening, I was also genuinely moving my fingers.
Ah.
I did it. Is it this? Is this the feeling of using minor magic: cantrip?
「From the expression on your face, it seems that you succeeded, didn’t you? Although it’s a natural thing, I’m happy for you. But, I think that you won’t be able to do anymore for today. Well then, let’s continue our magic lesson」
After that, it was the usual training of making the flow of magic go around my body. This time around, I did it four times before feigning sleep. I also confirmed the fact that both Farne and Mill had increased their MP values. Whilst in the middle of training, I continued to ask and learn from Sharl about magic and minor magic.
As soon as morning training ends, I absentmindedly used appraisal whilst on my bed, and rearranged the information I learnt today from Sharl.
- Magic and Minor Magic: Cantrip are very similar things but they are also slightly different.
- Magic consumes MP as its power source, and as a result, the effect is much higher.
- Minor Magic: Cantrip can only be used depending on the amount of quota you get, each person has a different amount of frequency they can use Minor Magic (For me I can only use it once a day for now). Nevertheless, whilst it is limited in how many times you can use it, it doesn’t consume any MP, and if you expend all its uses, you won’t become unconscious.
- Everyone will have different levels of proficiency and compatibility with magic, and there are also plenty of people who are unable to use magic (In Sharl’s case, her ability to use magic and possess a special ability is as rare as 1 in 10 people)
- On the contrary, everyone in this world is capable of using Minor Magic: Cantrip (At least in Sharl’s knowledge)
Normally parents would teach kids when they reach around 10 years of age. The main reason they don’t teach minor magic until they are 10 years old is because children may use it to play pranks and it is mostly just a matter of discipline.
- Whilst there is a wide variety of uses for Minor Magic, the duration that it can stay activated is normally quite short. It is roughly around 5 seconds.
- Minor Magic can be used to do other things, not just create a phantom hand. As a case example, it can be used to create: light, sound and reservations etc. However, the catch is that no one else can hear it or see it but yourself. Whilst it may require a little more talent if one wishes to do more complicated things, it isn’t all that difficult to accomplish (1 out of every 2 people can use it)
- People who can use magic (In other words people who has “Special skill: void/fire/wind etc magic” will not have Minor Magic as part of their special skills.
That about sums it all up. Whilst it may seem pretty useless to seriously put my efforts into studying minor magic, I want to be able to use the alarm clock spell as soon as possible. If I am not mistaken, it uses a combination of various simple actions to create the feeling of an alarm clock, for example: first create the phantom hand, then order it to “Pinch” you and combine it with a phantom sound effect. In other words, I need to be able to use it at least twice a day for this to work. Although the ability to increase the amount of times one is able to use Minor Magic will differ from person to person, it would seem that the ability ordinarily increases in limit as one approaches adulthood. Moreover I hear that adventurers have an easy time, increasing the frequency of using minor magic.
When I asked Sharl about this, she told me that right now, she was able to use minor magic at least 14 times a day. When I heard this, it really hit home. In all likelihood, minor magic had a connection with your level, and would increase as your level increased.
I’m really looking forward to levelling up, I really wonder how I will be able to level up? As expected, do I really have to kill a bunch of monsters and demons? If that is really the only way, then right now I have no chance of achieving this goal. If I were to try to slay a monster with a sword like Farne, I would just be seeking my own death.
What should I do? It would be stupid for me to have to wait until I reached adulthood…
[previous_page]
[next_page]
Comment (0)