Welldark B2 Ch. 04

I woke up the next day, unworried and unbothered.

Many people insisted that procrastination was a solely negative trait. Personally, I had come to the conclusion that it had its upsides. If the ability to not worry about something until it absolutely needed doing was not evolutionarily advantageous, why had it survived for so long? That was how I thought about it, whenever someone wondered how I could be so unbothered by being unbothered. Stress was bad for the soul.

As far as I was concerned, this was a typical Monday. Sure, I had something new to worry about, but I also had six weeks to resolve an issue of twenty-five seconds. That I started more than halfway there made the matter manageable to me. I would let worry grow as I approached the due date. That was much better than burning myself out on the way there.

Which was not the same as ignoring the problem in its entirety.

I was choiceless in that regard anyway.

Esther slammed a piece of paper down in front of me. A pen immediately followed delicately, to not break the utensil. "We are compiling a list."

"Milady, if I may be so clear, I have already sorted through my immediate priorities. Ivy does not require human help to climb when there are trees nearby and neither does my mind require the structured... I can just stop with this, can't I?" I sighed, Esther's unwavering gaze backed up by the maidly woman standing behind her. "Okay, but I want it understood that I'm doing this for you," I said and pointed at both of them in turn.

"You shouldn't do it for us," Esther reprimanded. "It is your duty. Approach it with the proper earnesty."

"I am, because I'm certain we'll be fine whether I write a list or not. I do not function like you two. I want that to be crystal clear," I pushed back, twirling the pen between my fingers. I kept a friendly face, Esther kept staring, Aclysia kept standing in the background. Finally, the lady of my love groaned and sat down next to me.

"For me and Aclysia, then," she surrendered.

I gave her a quick hug and a kiss. Standing my ground was important, but only because it was part of having a harmonious relationship. Victory in arguments itself was of little value. I did not want a defeated partner. I wanted partners who understood me and who loved me as I loved them. "For you two," I whispered into her ear and beckoned Aclysia closer.

The maid, rather than sit down on my other side, stopped behind my Queen and me. Gently, she took hold of my neck and gave me a soft massage. "I apologize for the trouble my father is causing you."

"I would probably do something similar in his stead," I said, as I had many times since I had returned yesterday. Aclysia did not stop being apologetic and I did not stop being understanding. This situation was entirely acceptable to me, as natural as a papa hawk heading out to feed his chicks. "Alright, so, there's a very easy two-side separation here..."

I drew a line down the middle of the paper, scribbling 'Astrality' on one side and 'Willpower' on the other. I proceeded to write 'Cultivation' and 'Exposure' under each of the categories. Those were the most obvious ways to increase the amount of time I could withstand the trial.

"Aclysia, can you organize additional Astral Cultivation lectures that Karitas could attend?" Esther asked.

"I may be able to find out which meditation chambers are unoccupied during which hours," the white-haired half-elf responded. "Supervision and advice will be difficult to obtain."

"It must suffice," Esther stated and I added 'additional meditations' to the Astrality side of the list. "Would training your magic channels be of use?"

"It would let me put up more counter pressure," I responded and put down 'magic training' on the Astrality side.

"I may be able to request aid for additional exposure," Aclysia suggested.

It was getting a bit ridiculous. "I don't want you to bother every single teacher you know over this."

"Our future is at stake," Aclysia responded.

"No, that's the point - your father's respect is at stake," I reminded her. "I don't have to get this done in six weeks, because he is not unreasonable. I want to pass this test because I want you." I turned halfway in my chair to take her hand. Swiftly, I pressed my lips on the back. "I will pass this mustering, no time, trials or tribulations may stop my will to be with you, second of my Anomalia, maid of my dreams. Convenience is all that is at stake."

"I do not want to wait any longer than is required, Karitas," she responded quietly.

"My Karitas would never disappoint," Esther stated proudly, in a tone only a partner with trust in their significant other could use. It made my stomach flutter and my heart skip a beat. "Maximize your chances. Ask not for help, ask for lessons."

"You know how to play me," I complimented her. "Still, I want to do this without bothering anyone too much. Let's keep the requests for direct help to a minimum."

"As you wish," Aclysia responded, before Esther could. My Queen's eyes took on a yellow note. The sign of her displeasure disappeared swiftly. This happened sometimes when Aclysia took my side. The two got along splendidly, so any difference in 'loyalty' rubbed the lady of my love the wrong way. I was completely informed about this because Esther had told me about it.

To get upset when a close friend and fellow haremette had a difference of opinion was understandable. As long as Esther reined in any excess rage on this, I did not mind. "I must insist that you consider your options," she stated, as calmly as she could.

"I will." The little promise appeased the raven-haired woman and we returned to the list. "Anything else that comes to mind?" So far, everything that had been talked about had been what I had already considered anyway. Since there was no other immediate suggestion, I only grew more certain that this entire list-making thing had been a waste of time and brain cells. 'I guess it's good to have Aclysia prepared already,' I played the advocate for my own devil. "Let's get to class then. No need to have the future hinder the present."

______________________________________________

"Follow me, class," mister Smithson, my gravity magic teacher, said to all three of us students. We had been waiting for his arrival at the usual chamber, prepared to do the same exercise we had been doing for the past few weeks.

I continued to loathe the torment of doing any kind of work this late on a Monday. Today, specifically, and for the next six weeks, most likely, I would at least have a powerful motivator to do my utmost to train, despite the ungodly hour. When we were led to a tiny classroom, I repressed my urge to sigh. With our attendance numbers, every little thing I did would be noticed.

Including not sighing, apparently.

"Something the matter, Karitas?" Smithson asked. The stern man's dark green eyes focused on me, the wrinkles around them deepening. He was not amused. I was certain he lacked the capacity of being amused. Doubtlessly one of the reasons why he was one of the few teachers without the mark of an Anomalia on his hands.

"Just a private concern. I had hoped to keep training my magic channels today." I tried to keep it brief.

Smithson seemed satisfied with that answer and turned to the magic-powered whiteboard. After slotting his Ashod into it, he opened a file. The words 'Varieties of Magic' were projected on the wall. The promise of that title was interesting enough that I had no qualms about losing this day's training progress. I knew a lot more than the average freshman. More was not everything. I was attending this university to learn, even if that was second to networking with cute potential haremettes.

"Traditionally, the third week of the third month is when we magic teachers expand on the kinds of magic that can be learned. Unlikely as it is, I should ask: did any of you have any presentation to this effect in other magic-teaching classes?" No response, only shaking heads from me and my two female peers. "Then a different question: can you name any varieties of magic you are familiar with?" All of us raised our hands. "One at a time. Karitas, you go first."

I was sitting furthest to the left, from the teacher's perspective, so I had anticipated that. "Enchantment," I stated.

Smithson nodded and tapped a segment of the board. The slide changed and the word appeared at a random spot on the left side. His finger then pointed at the next student. "Active," she stated. Another tap, and the word was revealed. In quick succession, we kept answering. "Passive." "Ritual." "Wild." By that point, only my hand was raised. "Divine." I said, when pointed at me. There was still one spot left.

"Chaos," the teacher put the last of the seven varieties in place. "As those that know the Dimensional Truth, the very essence of realities, we have the rare opportunity to learn and practice all of these different kinds of magic. The origin of one's mana limits the caster, either absolutely or through the mana's natural shape benefitting one variety of magic over another. Druids, as you can imagine, have an affinity for wild magic, warlocks for rituals, and so on." He tapped the slide and it moved on to 'Active'. Aside from the title, it was empty for the moment. "Tell me what you know about active magic."

Too lazy to run my mouth about the obvious, I left it to the other two to answer. "Active magic is one of two standard manifestations of magic and encapsulates those spells that come from a normal energy source, are released from the body, and have a short-lived effect, typically a bolt or a ray or something like that."

"Very good," Smithson said in the closest thing to pleased I had heard in a while. "That covered everything about that. What differentiates passive from active magic?"

"Rather than short-lived effects, passive magic describes those supernatural phenomena that exist in perpetuity, typically inside a person's body." The woman who answered stopped for a while then added, "I think... the metabolism of a slime is an example of that?"

"In the context of the sapient slimes, this is correct," Smithson nodded. "There are a few other examples, but passive magic in general is not particularly noticeable even if some of its workings, like the metabolism, are vital to those affected by it. Do you all think the Anomalia is a form of passive magic?" I shook my head immediately, the other two followed my example slowly. "You would be correct, the Anomalia falls under a different category. Now, what can you tell me about enchantment magic?"

"It's the variety of magic that imbues items with effects that can last as long as mana is provided," came the immediate answer from one of my peers.

"Correct," Smithson nodded, appearing appeased. Not sure what he could have been angry about. Despite his steadily bad mood, he was a good teacher though. "Number four, ritual magic, what makes it special?"

"It is used to achieve specific and powerful effects that other magic is not strong or precise enough for. Because it uses esoteric means to channel the mana, it makes the soul type less relevant, allowing practically everyone to learn it, provided they have the patience. So it's used to generate specific results other magic could, but in practice rarely does."

"...and...?" Smithson asked, demanding further details. Neither of my peers had them and, honestly speaking, neither did I. All I had was a hunch and in the uncomfortable silence the stern gaze of the teacher created, I was happy to say anything. "Yes, Karitas?"

"It also encapsulates disciplines like alchemy that draw magical effects from ingredients through means of concentration and esoteric interpretation," I suggested.

"There's no need to sound uncertain when you're correct," Smithson chided me. What we, as a class, had laid out appeared in bullet points on the wall. "Active, passive, enchantment, and ritual magic. Those are the four main varieties. All those who can cast magic, no matter the source of their mana, can tap into these four types of casting magic, even if the manifestations differ. They are the best researched, the most formulaic, and can be learned through regular training and lessons, like one would learn any other skill. Now, the remaining three. What can you tell me about divine magic?"

Less than two seconds passed, before his mouth was about to open again. When I raised my hand, one of his eyebrows rose with it. He did not seem used to people being able to answer that question. It also did not seem this was the first time he was surprised. "Yes, Karitas? What do you know about divine magic?"

"Divine magic is to manifest the constructs of the soul in reality. A common example for this is the creation of life by gods, who expand their soul and, upon creating a vessel for it, separate it from themselves to create a new, independent being through their will and mana alone. Unlike other creations by magic, these constructs are capable of developing on their own. An enchanter cannot create an item that exceeds his own magical power, but a new life created by a god may possibly be able to exceed that god in strength - rare as it is. Important to us, those who know the Dimension Truth, is that both Anomalias and Artefacts are a manifestation of divine magic."

Smithson nodded a couple of times throughout my explanation. "A good summary of it all. Divine magic is distinct in its capability of creating effects that others would describe as miraculous. Other categories of magic are capable of summoning or binding life, but divine magic is the only one that can truly create new life. There is one exception, but we will get into that in a moment. As Karitas pointed out, Artefacts and their effects are also divine magic. They are manifestations and channels of your soul. As you should have already observed, they are also capable of manifesting powers you yourself don't have." He went over to the next slide. "What do you know about wild magic?"

There was no immediate answer. Not to leave the stern teacher staring for too long, one of my peers eventually raised her hand. "It's magic that interacts with the wild...?" she suggested. "Like, it affects nature and other living things?"

"...Acceptable enough," Smithson grumbled. Pacing back and forth in front of the class, he elaborated. "Wild magic is indeed the variety of magic primarily concerned with interacting with the natural elements around us. That is the primary difference between it and active or passive magic: that the target of your magic lies outside the bounds of your body. Although wild magic is among the most efficient uses of mana, its results are difficult to measure because you are lending power to nature. In what way or how you are helped is not up to you. It is recommended you use wild magic only towards elements that favour you. There is a reason why druids are often sedentary. Different woodlands have different temperaments."

Without stopping to ask us, he turned to the next slide and said, "Chaos magic is simply summarized with 'magic we do not comprehend'. This does include parts of magic we have not yet categorized, but for the most part it is the kind of primordial force that allows a certain variety of twisted creature to manifest their will. You will learn more about it in the second year. With the generalizations out of the way, let us talk about the applications of gravity magic across the six non-chaos varieties."

A new slide appeared, once more headed by the word 'Active'. Underneath was an icon of a non-descript human figure on their hands and knees, pushed down by a purple power. It was a pretty accurate representation of what happened when gravity magic was used on enemy combatants.

"You should all know the active magic application of gravity magic. That is what we have been practicing the past few weeks, after all. Via contact with a medium that you have charged with your mana, typically your hands or your Artefact, you infuse the target with a short-lasting gravity-manipulating effect. This effect can be prolonged and strengthened through repeated application. Gravity magic is almost unique in the fact that this repeated refreshing of the effect continuously amps up the effect without further cost. A point of note is that it is much easier to weigh targets down than to make them lighter. In any case, it enables us gravity mages to pursue some unusual strategies. Wearing down our opponent through repeated engagements becomes exponentially more effective. This is not the only point where gravity magic is different from the standard evocation elements."

The slide switched to 'Wild', this time showcasing the non-descript humanoid standing sideways on a wall, much to the surprise of the crowd underneath him. Just the insinuation filled me with anticipation and Smithson showcased the reality of what was depicted. One foot, then the other, he carefully placed on the wall and casually strolled up. He wandered all the way to the edge of the ceiling and then, shortly hesitating, up to it as well. None of his clothes reflected that he was now upside down.

"Afflicting other people with a total change of gravitational direction is difficult, but for ourselves it is possible to ask naturally occurring gravity to pull us in other directions. Like most pure elements, such as fire, water, air, and rock, gravity is predictable wherever you go. Fundamental elements are simple in their character. Gravity mages can use this wild magic to walk on a surface no matter its angle or the direction it faces. More advanced uses..." Smithson jumped underneath the ceiling and was yanked off to the side. Gracefully, he landed on the wall to our left. "...allow for three-dimensional manoeuvering. It's not the same as flying and if you're not careful you will break your bones." He jumped back down to floor level. "For that reason, this three-dimensional manoeuvering and hovering are kept for more advanced classes. I will only teach you the basics of gravitational re-orientation this semester."

'That is so cool,' I thought to myself. I was already a mobile fighter, having portals and teleportation, in the repertoire of my space-bending Artefact. Walking on walls in addition to that would be hilariously annoying for my enemies.

"Getting back to the proper order, passive magic offers little for gravity mages. There is no inner fire that keeps you warm in all environments or using the wind to create a sphere of universal awareness around you. At best you will be able to notice gravitational anomalies. Not a useful sense.

"Gravity enchantments, on the high end, are highly sought after in societies that have highly sophisticated machinery. Manipulating the weight of certain parts in the machinery enables marvels of engineering that are otherwise impossible. However, to reach grades of efficiency that make this worthwhile, one has to pursue it with mastery in mind. If you want to become rich, this is a path to follow."

The two slides were skipped over with these short explanations. Then we reached the 'Ritual' part of the presentation. Depicted was a black hole above a circle of runes. From the left side, it drew in a flame from a torch, from the right side, one flickering above a person's hand.

Smithson walked to the corner of the room, where several large scrolls extended from a large container. They were made from thick, yellowish parchment, the kind that lay in the background of every artistic representation of a mage tower. He checked a few of them, then grabbed one bundled up with a purple band. He unfurled it on the teacher's desk, only to stare at it, displeased.

"Why can't they pick a more distinct colour between shadow and gravity?" our teacher grumbled and rolled it back together. About a minute later, he had the correct scroll and weighed the corners down with iron cubes.