Chương 26: B1 - Chapter 25: Spell Engraving

Zeke's eyes opened with the first rays of the sun. From a young age, he had always been an early riser. In a hurry, he swung his legs out of bed and got dressed in his Mage robes. It wasn't until he was fully awake that he realized he was no longer in his shabby apartment in the beggar's quarters. He was in Maximilian's luxurious mansion. His new home. He realized that with his closer proximity to school, he didn't need to wake up as early anymore. Zeke scratched his head, he had no idea how to spend his morning.

He descended the grand staircase, marveling at the opulence surrounding him. Soon he found himself in front of the kitchen. He hesitantly made his way into the room, taking in the strange devices scattered about. Despite his unfamiliar surroundings, the smell of tea was a comforting presence. The fruity scent was hard to pinpoint exactly, but it had a calming effect on him nonetheless. The initial nervousness of waking up in an unfamiliar location was finally subsiding.

Zeke's stomach rumbled as he followed the smell to its source. As he drew closer, he saw Maximilian sitting in a plush chair, engrossed in a book. When Maximilian noticed Zeke, he gestured for him to come over.

"Good morning, my boy," Maximilian said, closing his book and setting it aside.

"I hope you slept well."

"I slept well. It's just a bit strange waking up in a new place," Zeke said as he approached. Maximilian nodded, "I understand. But you'll get used to it. You're a part of the family now, and this is your home. Speaking of which, I have good news for you." Zeke's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Good news? What is it?" Maximilian grinned and said, "I've arranged for you to receive your specialized classes here with me, that means you can come back here for lunch and afterward we can continue where we left off yesterday."

"Yes!" Zeke yelled, unable to contain his excitement. He didn't know what he was happier about — Learning from Maximilian or not having to attend his classes anymore. Maximilian patted him on the shoulder and said, "We have a lot of work, but I have no doubt that you'll rise to the challenge. Now, how about you grab a cup of tea and a book and relax a little before you have to go." Maximilian and Zeke sat in silence, each with a cup of tea in hand and a book on their lap.

The only sound that filled the room was the occasional turning of a page. The book Zeke had picked up was titled: 'Cooking with Fire Magic for Beginners'. Zeke could hardly believe what he was reading. How could a Mage ever sink to the level of a lowly cook? What was this? However, the text went into great detail about how this was the most prestigious use for Fire Magic, drawing Zeke in with the novel concept. Page after page, he devoured the content.

It wasn't until Maximilian cleared his throat that the spell was broken. In a fluster, Zeke looked up. He came face to face with a smiling Maximilian.

"Shouldn't you be on your way?" the old man asked, trying to hold back a chuckle. Zeke looked out the window and saw that the sun had already fully risen. He really needed to get going. With a slightly red face, he put the book aside and got up to leave.

"One more thing," The old man called after him.

"Some of my staff might finally arrive today. They will make sure that you are well-fed in case Im not around." Zeke nodded in reply as he left. The classes flew by with nothing interesting happening and nobody bothering him. He couldn't be certain, but it appeared that his usual bullies were keeping their distance today. Before he knew it, he was returning to the mansion to grab lunch. Upon returning to the house, Zeke was greeted by the presence of a butler in a formal suit and two maids in traditional attire.

The two women looked to be in their early twenties. Both of them were beautiful, but they were as different from each other as humanly possible. One of them was short, even shorter than Zeke. She had a mischievous smile and a curvy figure. The other maid was a tall woman with an athletic body. Her face was serious and she appeared professional. Despite the state of the house, neither of them seemed interested in cleaning. When Zeke passed them, the shorter one even winked at him in a flirtatious manner.

He blushed immediately and rushed past in order to hide his embarrassment. The butler approached and greeted Zeke with a slight bow, "Greetings, young lord. The master is not home yet. My name is David, I will be seeing to your meal today."

"T-Thank you," Zeke replied. He was not used to being treated so formally… or with so much respect. He awkwardly followed after the implacably dressed gentleman. As Zeke sat down to partake of his lunch, he couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude toward Maximilian. Zeke savored each bite of his meal, his mind whirring with the weighty implications of his new station. He was aware that becoming the heir to a noble family came with a great deal of responsibility and expectation.

He was determined to live up to whatever expectations the old man had placed on him. This was the least he could do, to pay the old man back. Just as he was finishing his lunch, Maximilian returned from his errands. His long Robes billowed behind him as he strode through the door. Zeke greeted him with a smile, and the two soon found themselves in the lounge, where they had left off their Magic lesson the day prior. Maximilian sank into his armchair, the leather creaking beneath him.

"Zeke," he began, studying the boy's reaction closely after addressing him by his nickname for the first time, "what did we learn yesterday?" Zeke smiled at Maximilian's cute behavior. He took a moment to reflect on the information he had learned about Attunement and Imbuement. The boy recited it back to Maximilian, who nodded in approval.

"Not bad. Not bad at all," Maximilian praised.

"However, there is one more crucial element to consider when casting a spell. Do you know what it is?" Zeke shook his head, eager to learn more. Maximilian leaned forward, his eyes alight with excitement.

"It's Control. Mana Control is the key component for making spells take form. At your current level, it may not seem important. But soon enough you'll see that you can't use any effective spells without it. Without proper control, our spells will fizzle and fail." This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Maximilian stood and began pacing the room, his hands waving animatedly as he explained the intricacies of Mana Control.

"After the Mana is attuned by our core, it must travel through channels in our body before it can appear in the outside world. It's like a river, flowing through us and out into the world. You must learn to direct that flow, otherwise, you won't ever be able to cast any Magic." Zeke listened intently, his mind racing. He could feel the excitement building within him, the thirst for knowledge. In his mind, he repeated all the steps needed to cast a spell: Attracting Mana, Attunement, Imbuement, Mana Control…

At this point, a question arose. If those were all the parts necessary for a spell, then why do mages use incantations and gestures to cast? Zeke couldn't come up with a decent answer even after a while, he decided to ask Maximilian, who was patiently waiting for him to finish his train of thought.

"Why do mages use gestures and incantations if they're not necessary for spell casting?" he finally asked. Maximilian leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face as he considered Zeke's question.

"To put it simply, incantations and gestures are a way to bring the body and mind in alignment," he explained.

"Let's say a Mage casts a spell a million times. Each time saying the word 'fireball'. Their mind and body will become so attuned to that sequence that they can cast it just by saying the incantation." Zeke's eyes widened in understanding, "So, it's a crutch?"

"You are half right, but it's not quite that simple," Maximilian said.

"Gestures and incantations can help a mage bring their full concentration to the task at hand. It's a way to anchor one's internal focus and make it easier to draw upon magical energy. The more complex a spell is, the more you will need to rely on such measures initially… Until you fully master a spell, that is."

"Master a spell?" Zeke asked.

"There are different stages of mastery," Maximilian said, a hint of seriousness creeping into his voice.

"You begin as a complete rookie, unable to even perform the magic. After you are able to cast a spell successfully you are considered a novice. When you are able to perform the spell reliably you can be called an adept. Finally, when you are able to cast a spell without any gestures or incantations, even in the heat of battle, only then can you be considered to have mastered the spell."

"I have never heard of any of those terms before," Zeke commented.

"Doesn't surprise me," the old man said with a smile.

"I'm the one who made them up, after all. This is by no means how everybody treats spellcasting. Most mages never even try to master a spell. For the vast majority, it is good enough to be able to cast a spell at a decent level."

"But not for you?" Zeke asked.

"No, and it shouldn't be good enough for you either," Maximilian replied.

"The delay of an incantation or gesture can mean the difference between life and death in a serious fight. Remember that." Zeke nodded seriously at Maximilian's words. This seemed like a good time to remind the old man about the subject he had tried to teach yesterday. Zeke had been itching to learn more about it since Maximilian first mentioned it. Now that he had a better understanding of the basics, he felt ready to dive into the subject.

"Can we talk about spell engraving now?" the boy asked with sparkling eyes. Maximilian smiled at Zeke's enthusiasm and began to explain the process of spell engraving.

"I guess it's about time," the old man said.

"When an apprentice mage first begins their journey, their core is like a blank canvas. As you learn and grow, you will eventually reach a point where you are ready to become a True Mage. And at this point, you will undergo the process of spell engraving." Zeke leaned forward, hanging on Maximilian's every word.

"So, how does this process work?" he asked.

"Well…" Maximilian replied, "it's a bit complicated, but I'll do my best to explain. Before you are ready to undergo spell engraving, you will be given a spell to learn. This spell will be carefully chosen by your mentor or teacher. It should be one that is specifically tailored to the path you want to take as a mage. Once you have mastered this spell, you will be ready to have it engraved on your core." Zeke's brow furrowed in confusion.

"I'm not sure that I understand. How exactly do you engrave a spell onto someone's core?" Maximilian smiled at Zeke's curiosity.

"Ah, that is the truly magical part. You see, Zeke, when you are ready to have a spell engraved onto your core, you will enter an Engraving Chamber. This room is specifically designed to facilitate the process. It uses a very complex form of Ritual Magic to aid the apprentice."

"How does the process work exactly," Zeke asked. He still couldn't picture it clearly.

"Once the magic formation is activated, you will need to channel the spell for as long as you can. The spell will be engraved onto your core, giving you access to its power and knowledge for the rest of your life.

"Does it actually get engraved onto my core, physically engraved, I mean?" Zeke asked with a raised brow.

"Yes…" Maximilian said with a wicked grin, "… it's on the inside of your core. Hurts like nothing you have ever felt." Zeke paled slightly, but he still remained skeptical about the process, "Didn't you tell me that it is almost impossible to empty my perfect core with apprentice-level spells?"

"It is true that a perfect blood core is difficult to empty with an apprentice spell," he admitted.

"But the process of spell engraving works differently than normal spell casting, the engraving process itself costs a lot of mana."

"How long would I have to channel the spell for the engraving to be successful," Zeke asked.

"The longer you are able to sustain it, the deeper and more intricate the engraving will be. This leads to a more powerful and refined spell. Even if the process is painful, this is the time to grit your teeth and endure it. The benefits of a good engraving are hard to overstate."

"And what are those benefits?" Zeke asked while licking his lips.

"There are many," Maximilian explained with a chuckle.

"The spell you engrave on your core is going to stay with you forever. You will be able to cast it effortlessly and more efficiently than anybody else. But more importantly, you become intrinsically linked to it. With your very soul, some people say. It will even determine the further development of your core to some extent." Zeke nodded, taking in the information.

"So how do I know when I'm ready for my breakthrough?" he asked. Maximilian smiled.

"Typically, students become True Mages toward the end of their first year. More talented students might achieve it a little sooner. But don't worry about it just yet, Zeke. You'll know when you're ready. The signs of an impending breakthrough are intense pain in your core. It comes in waves, growing more intense, and comes in shorter intervals the longer you wait." Zeke's face turned pale as Maximilian spoke, the implications of his words sinking in.

He hesitantly spoke about the intense pain he had been experiencing in his core for weeks, ever since Lilly had told him she couldn't be seen with him anymore. He had thought the pain was a result of his loneliness and sadness, not his magic. Maximilian's eyes widened in shock as he listened to Zeke's description. He hurriedly placed a hand over the boy's chest, where his core was located, and sent pulses of Mana towards it. After a moment, Maximilian's face turned pale as well.

"Son of a bitch," he cursed.

"This is not good!" The old man's eyes moved rapidly back and forth as he calculated something in his head.

"Zeke, it's high time for you to learn the spell for your engraving," Maximilian said urgently.

"If we don't do something soon, your core will collapse in a matter of weeks." Zeke's eyes widened in fear at the prospect of his core collapsing. He had never imagined something like this could happen to him.

"What can I do?" Zeke asked, desperation creeping into his voice.

"First and foremost, we need to get you started on your Blood Spell as soon as possible," Maximilian said, his tone serious.

"It's not going to be easy, Zeke. The spell that I want you to engrave is difficult. It requires a level of control and precision that most Mages could only dream of achieving as apprentices." Zeke swallowed hard, his mind racing. Only now did he realize how much trouble he was in.

"I'll do whatever it takes," Zeke said determinedly.

"I'll work day and night, I'll practice until my hands are raw. Just tell me what I need to do."