The apple pie Diana baked was as exquisite as ever.
Usually, Iris, the maid, prepares our meals, but the occasional sweets that Diana makes are incredibly delicious.
Of course, Iris’s cooking is great too.
This apple pie was a big hit with Lux as well—he devoured it with great enthusiasm. He kept asking for more, so it must have really suited his taste.
At first, Lux had a tense expression, being in an unfamiliar place, but after having a meal, he seemed to relax and even smiled occasionally.
And so, life with Lux as part of our five-member family began, and a few days had passed.
Today, Diana was going to teach me magic, so we went out to the garden. During the swordsmanship training the other day, I exposed some of my weaknesses, and I was hoping that today’s practice would help me address them.
“Do your best, big brother!”
From a bench under the eaves, a voice cheered for me.
It was Lux.
Over these few days, he had grown accustomed to being with our family and had come to see me as an older brother.
In my previous life, I was much older—more like a father to him than a brother—but even so, I found myself fond of this little guy who followed me around like a duckling.
I never had siblings in my past life, but this isn’t so bad.
I thought it would be nice if Lux could join in too, but apparently, he hadn’t reached the age for magical evaluation yet, so this time he’d just be watching.
By the way, Fine isn’t here either.
Her house isn’t particularly close by, so unless there’s a planned visit from Ayra or good timing, it’s difficult for her to join in our practice.
“So, what shall we do today?”
Diana, standing in front of me, asked.
“Perhaps some training to stabilize casting the same spell consistently would be good?”
She suggested something safe and practical.
It’s true that being able to consistently cast the same spell with the same power is very important.
During battle, inconsistent spell effects could be fatal.
Besides, she’d heard from Kurt about the unusual magic I used during the black ant and earth spider hunt.
She likely wanted me to master the basics thoroughly instead of relying on irregular spells, believing that would ensure my safety.
I appreciate that, but…
I think I could manage that training alone. What I want now is to learn something only she can teach me.
“There’s something I’d like you to teach me…”
“Oh? What is it?”
“I want to know about quickly casting spells for close combat.”
“Why would you want such spells?”
Diana looked puzzled.
But to me, it was a natural progression.
During the swordsmanship training with Kurt the other day, I was told that, being a rear guard, I’m not suited for close combat.
However, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to know a few spells suited for close-range combat. I explained this to her honestly.
Upon hearing this, she frowned.
“That’s not something I would recommend…”
“Huh? Why not?”
“It’s related to the quality of the magic.”
Quality? Like, its power?
What does that mean??
“Elemental magic depends on how well you can chain together magic nodes. In close combat, you often need to cast spells quickly, right? Because of that, the construction tends to be simpler since you have to put it together quickly.”
“Is there a problem with that? I mean, even if it’s a simple spell, being able to cast it quickly would be a huge advantage, right? Are you saying the power is weaker?”
If I found myself in a close-range fight, I’d probably only be able to release a simple elemental-infused spell. That’s how little time I’d have to construct it.
“There’s that, but the main issue is that such spells can be broken apart.”
“Broken apart…? Do you mean… they can be neutralized?”
“Yes, that’s close to the meaning. Elemental spells are more fragile to external forces if their magic node construction is simple. For instance, if a stronger spell or attack strikes your spell, it can easily be broken apart.”
Now that I think about it… Kurt sliced through the camouflage spell created by the earth spider with just his sword—so that’s what happened…
“The more detailed the instructions and specific the image conveyed to the magic nodes, the stronger and more stable the magic becomes. It’s like how a woven fabric is much stronger than a single thread.”
“I see… That’s why rear guards take their time constructing spells while being protected by the front lines…”
Wait a second…
What about front-liners, then?
They use elemental magic too, so don’t they face the same risk of their spells being broken apart??
Plus, since they’re mainly engaged in close combat, their spells are naturally simpler…
So, how do they manage?
“Hey, Mom, doesn’t that mean that front-liners are more prone to having their spells broken apart?”
“No, that’s not the case.”
“Huh…”
Her unexpected answer left me stunned.
“Front-liners use fixed-form spells.”
“Fixed-form?”
“A fixed-form spell is a pre-constructed magic node. Since it exists as a complete structure, it can’t be broken down further. Kurt’s flame sword and Ayra’s magic armor are examples of non-elemental fixed-form spells.”
So, it’s like a preset?
If something that convenient exists, I’d like to use it too.
“How do you make a fixed-form spell?”
“You can’t.”
“??”
“Fixed-form spells are like innate talents—you can’t create them after the fact. To put it simply, those who have fixed-form spells are considered front-liners.”
“…”
That’s not fair…
It’s like having a cheat ability!
I inwardly lamented.
