Chapter 55: I Am Not Wasteful!
“Greetings. Let us begin the spellchanting lesson. As you may know, a mage can perform magic more efficiently by using spells,” Adelaide said. Alicia wondered whether the teacher intended to cover the entire first-year curriculum.
“Please open your books to page fifteen. Here is a list of spells you can perform: Light Ball, Fireball, Water Ball, Floating, Wind Ball, and Dark Ball,” the teacher continued. “Practice conjuring them before the lesson ends.”
Alicia raised her hand proudly. “Mage Adelaide, I can cast spells even without chanting!”
“This lesson is not about whether you can cast spells without chanting or speed,” Adelaide replied. “It is about mana efficiency. I know high-ranking mages can bend the laws of the world at will—you are no exception. If I expend enough mana, I can cast without chanting as well. However, you should be careful. Relying on emotion instead of proper chanting can injure both yourself and others.”
Alicia gaped. “But… what about tournaments? I thought there would be tournaments for spellchanting.”
“First-years are exempt. But if you must know, tournaments consist of three categories: speed, accuracy, and efficiency. Using a mana detector, we can measure how much mana you expend. You must use as little mana as possible to achieve the same result. For example, this is a fireball.” Adelaide conjured one. “I use about ten mana to maintain it for ten seconds. But if I bring out a candle, I only need three mana. That is the most direct form of efficiency.”
Alicia was crestfallen. Her dreams of showing off her powers, casting spectacular explosions as the audience clapped in reverence, crumbled instantly. The tournaments here were nothing like the ones she had imagined.
“...I see…” Alicia deflated.
Eli, who had shown no interest before, perked up at the mention of such tournaments.
“Well then, Alicia,” Adelaide said, “may I see your spellcasting?”
Alicia waved her hand, and a fireball appeared. The class gaped.
“...Your speed was commendable, but need to become accustomed to being efficient. This simply won’t do. You used about five times more mana than necessary. Please watch me.” The teacher inhaled, then closed her eyes, feeling the mana nested deep within her.
“First, you channel mana inward. Then, don’t draw everything—just a tiny amount. Instead of letting it emanate from your entire body, ignite it from your fingertips. Using an incantation, you spell out what you desire. This molds the spell. The faster your imagination works, the faster the spell forms. And the faster it forms, the more efficient it becomes. Now, observe. Do you think the spell I formed is different from yours?”
Adelaide conjured a fireball roughly the same size as Alicia’s. Alicia studied it, inspecting it from different angles. Using what she had learned yesterday about mana sensing, she estimated that Adelaide had used far less mana—perhaps a tenth, or even a twentieth, of what Alicia had spent.
“It’s not the same. It doesn’t explode!” Alicia exclaimed, trying to nitpick Adelaide’s spell.
“Oh dear. My apologies—you’re right.” Adelaide recast the spell. “It’s been a long time since I last cast a combat spell. Being in Shadowstep must have been frightening, to master such combat magic at such a young age and with such speed. If you work hard on your mana efficiency, I’m sure the military would want you. But I must advise against it. Mana should be used for the prosperity of the people, not for destruction.”
Alicia conceded defeat. Adelaide had used barely a fraction of her mana. Only a fifth.
“Even though we’re fighting monsters that try to kill us?” Elidranthia asked.
“...My apologies. Monsters are an exception. Still, mages should not fight on the front lines, my dear. My point is that it’s better to use our mana to create tools—fire bombs, flamethrowers—rather than fight directly. Don’t you agree? The age of mages standing on the battlefield has long passed. We should strive to create the best tools to bring about peace and prosperity.”
“Then why do we need to learn spellchanting at all?”
Her words, full of lofty ideals, left the students in awe.
But not Elidranthia. She had already had her fill of such ideologies and propaganda in her previous life.
“Spellchanting is the basis of enchantment. If you can’t cast a spell, you can’t create an enchantment that casts that spell,” the professor said.
“Understood, Mage Adelaide.”
“Well, to be honest, spellchanting is rather outdated. You don’t strictly need spellchanting to create an enchantment. You can be like Alicia—so long as you can cast the spell, you can work out the enchantment formula afterward,” Adelaide said.
“I heard scholars can make enchantments. Is that true?” another student asked.
“Of course not. They can offer ideas, yes, but they can never create enchantments. They’re commoners, after all—not mages. If they could make enchantments, we mages would be nothing more than stone chargers,” Mage Adelaide chuckled. “Now, now. Enough questions. Let’s begin your spellchanting practice.”
For nearly three hours, Alicia struggled with the spell. She had to concentrate intensely, and Adelaide kept a close eye on her. Every time Alicia poured in more mana than necessary, she was scolded. Eli had the same problem at first, but after an hour of training, she got the hang of it.
“Hah… this isn’t how I imagined it…” Alicia flopped onto her bed. She had placed dead last in the class. In the end, Adelaide still passed her, but with a note telling her to keep training. Alicia had reduced her mana consumption by more than a third, yet Adelaide remained unsatisfied.
“Mage Adelaide said mana efficiency is important. If our enchantments waste mana, they won’t be popular,” Eli said.
“Ugh… but that’s boring!” Alicia moaned.
“Alicia, that’s improper!” Eli scolded.
“Alicia, what about tomorrow? Will you go to Robert’s laboratory? Let me come with you. I’m excited. I heard you helped his friend quite a bit yesterday.”
“Sure. Let’s go there first thing in the morning. His shack was… okay, I guess.”
“Shack?”
“Erm… he said it was a workshop…” Alicia turned her head away.
At that moment, Eli realized what they probably meant by laboratory. It was likely closer to a warehouse.
After dining and bathing, they went to sleep.
The next morning, Alicia brought Eli to Robert’s place.
“It really is a shack! Why? How could they build this on school grounds? Wait—is this still on school grounds?” Eli said, stunned. She had expected an empty classroom, or an abandoned warehouse, but it truly was a shack in the edge of a forest.
“Yes. The Nobility Course wanted a forest so they could practice hunting as part of noble etiquette. This section of the forest is officially within the school grounds,” a man said as he approached.
“Who are you?” Eli asked. She turned to Alicia, but drew a blank. Her memory was shorter than a goldfish’s.
“...I’m Robert’s friend, Julius. We’ve met before, Alicia.”
“Ah! The diamond guy.”
“...Diamond guy?” Eli tilted her head.
“Yes. I tried to make a machine that could produce diamonds, but I’ve yet to succeed.”
“I see. Is there anything I can do to help?” Eli asked.
Just then, a girl came running from the main building. Her steps were like a spring as she skipped toward the shack. her face beamed as she leaped into Alicia’s embrace.
“Alicia! My goddess! Thank you! That damned professor finally acknowledged my work! Now, all I need to do is make the mana usage more efficient for crafting. Three senior mages have been assigned to help me!” Clarissa lunged forward and hugged Alicia, rubbing her cheek against Alicia’s soft chest.
Eli pouted, envy clouding her heart. She wanted friends too. None of her maids or subordinates would dare hug her like that—except Alicia.
“Glad you succeeded,” Alicia said.
“I’ve decided! I’ll build a workshop in Shadowstep! Ah… with your permission, of course, Milady.” Clarissa turned to the red-eyed, petite girl and curtsied.
“Ah… you know me?”
“Of course. I’ve memorized most of the high-ranking mages in the academy. Your reputation precedes you, Milady. You’re especially famous for being blessed by Mana and the High King of old,” Clarissa said.
“...Whoa. You learned etiquette?” Alicia asked.
“I had some crash courses with a friend. It’s not perfect, but I can manage most greetings, I think?”
“It’s fine, Clarissa. I don’t really care about that. Of course. We would gladly welcome you to Shadowstep. So, I hear you built a laser-cutting tool?”
Clarissa almost hopped beside Eli, but she kept her distance and did her best to explain her invention. She made sure to mention that Alicia had suggested making gears. With more precise gears, the efficiency of mechanisms such as clocks would improve significantly. Eli nodded in awe.
Then Robert arrived with two laborers carrying a heavy box. The laborers set it down inside the shack. When Robert opened it, the armor he was so proud of was revealed.
“Is that the armor that can fly?”
“Not yet, Milady,” Clarissa and Alicia said simultaneously.
“...Yes. Not yet,” Robert echoed.
“It looks impressive,” Eli muttered. The armor was fully plated and had wings on its back. She could see dents all over its surface. The blacksmith had tried to hammer it into shape, but the damage was still visible.
“All right. I’ve fixed the flight controls. Let’s do a test run. Honored Mage Alicia, if you would,” Robert said, bowing as he asked her to charge it with mana.
“Yes! It uses wind mana here, right?” Alicia pointed to the jetpack mounted on the armor.
“Yes.”
“Wind? Not fire?” Eli asked.
“Why fire?” Clarissa tilted her head. “Fire is for burning things.”
“Ah, my apologies. I thought it would lift off using explosions or a jet thruster,” Eli said.
“No. My armor uses wind magic enchantments, not fire magic,” Robert explained. “Fire magic would be too dangerous.”
“I see. My apologies. I haven’t learned much about enchantments yet.”
“Of course. That’s perfectly understandable. Now, if you’ll allow me, I’ll demonstrate how it works,” Robert said. His confidence surged as he stepped into the armor.
Only Elidranthia looked excited.