Chapter 3 “The Way of Magic”

It didn’t take long for the rumors to spread – the retarded child of the Rowling family was so dumb that his tutor left him.

As the old saying goes, good news never travels far and bad news travels a thousand miles without intent. Besides, people are always happy to gossip about important characters above themselves in life. That’s how people are made.

But to be clear, the responsibility doesn’t lie entirely on Du Wei this time. His father Earl Raymond was also partly responsible for this whole mess when he made the mistake of sending that notice out without forethought. Searching for another tutor was important, no question about that, but it should’ve been done with more finesse and elegance. For that folly, the boy’s become the hottest topic inside the imperial city since his conception.

Now that another day has come, it’s time for another tutor. This time around though the Earl didn’t come alone. Instead, he was accompanied by another individual dressed in a odd attire. With a pointed tip hat on the head covering that scrawny body, this person’s black attire somehow emitted a strange and unpleasant smell of rot.

“Mage Clark, this is my son.” The Earl politely introduces, “Can you see if he has any aptitude in the path of magic, even if it’s just a little bit?”

If magicians are considered a job, then this job would most certainly be one of the most prestigious out there. In any place across this world, magicians are a symbol of the elite. They not only have the privileges of the nobility, they are privy to receive the best treatment wherever they transverse. For a strong magician, their powers would rival even a small army during times of war. Due to this reason, and not only this reason, any local lord would gladly recruit one of such power into his service. Not just for their ability of course, but as a way to mitigate the hidden threat to those in high position.

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But that sort of thinking remains flawed in some way. Magicians are existences whom are eternally stuck in a cycle of constantly seeking knowledge, very rarely would they stray from the path of research and meditation. Therefore, making a magician helm a leading post in mortal society was equivalent to torture for these entities, hence the reason why the Earl was so adamant about turning his son into a mage. The lord fears what might become of Du Wei, a monster in the eyes of the mundane.

To be perfectly clear, a monster was still better than a useless dote who couldn’t do or achieve anything in life, that much the Earl could understand. However, the boy was still his only child, he needs Du Wei to foster a future heir when he’s gone less the Rowling line comes to an end.

No girl likes to engage with a socially inept person, this applies to even medieval society like the one they live in. Take a maid and force the boy to consummate? Don’t kid around! That would turn the entire Rowling House into the laughing stock of high society.

Mind set, Raymond eventually led his son and the one known as Mage Clark into a concealed room. There, the two shall remain for the next step.

“Listen boy and watch,” Clark was the first to speak.

Taking a tiny glass bottle out of his black robe, the man which reeks of death then slowly sprinkles the content onto the tip of his finger – something like gold powder. Through some quick gestures afterwards, the mage made quick work of his actions and created a magical circle around the floor room.

“What I did here is to cast a silencing spell around us so no one could hear our following conversation. Now, tell me, what do you think magic is?”

What magic is?

Hesitant at first over the strange question, Du Wei’s head quickly spun into working overdrive regarding the problem. It’s true he’s very curious about the magic in this world, especially when there’s so many fanciful tales about such an art from his previous world. But those all revolved around silly spell chanting and magical trickery of the eye.

Not getting an answer as expected, Clark chuckled on in amusement and continued, “Magic is the power given to humanity by the Goddess. It’s the path for us humans to reach the ultimate power, to understand ourselves, to understand this world, and to reach the greatest gift left for us by the divine.”

The way he said it sounded oh so sacred and all, but that’s not going to influence Du Wei’s view about things or his ability to remain silent and emotionless on the surface.

Taking out a crystal ball from under his robe, “Spiritual power is the mean for us humans to measure if a person has the talent for using magic, although it’s not the only standard, it’s the most important one. Now, let me measure your talent.”

“Spiritual power? Magic? Aren’t magicians the only ones with Magic?” Du Wei finally opened his mouth, confused by the details.

Clark popped his eyes: “Who told you such an outlandish and inaccurate statement? Heck, does the Earl’s home not have a single person with some common sense?”

The mage appeared quite annoyed by that last remark: “Spiritual power is what normal people calls it. We magicians on the other hand calls it magical energy. Magicians can use different kinds of ways to increase our magic pool, however, the most common is through meditation. By having a superior spirit, we can then sense the magicules of this world; sense the secrets of nature and all the energy that dwells within it. Only people with a high enough spiritual pool can achieve this. To put it bluntly, magic is the use of various techniques to control the energy of nature with one’s spirit.

Du Wei sighs: “I understand then. Magic is in essence no more than a lever, or tool to exert control over the magicules of the world, and what allows us to control that is our spiritual pool. Is that what you are saying?”

The explanation was very close to the truth, raising even this profound mage to prick an eyebrow: “Hard to believe this is coming out from a five-year-old’s mouth. You are very smart, I can see that, but why do they call you a retard?”

Regarding this issue, Du Wei didn’t want to answer and turned his gaze away. Since the boy himself had no intent to explain, Clark naturally lost any reason to press the matter. It’s not like he’s related or anything. His time could be better spent elsewhere.

“There are many elements within nature and each are a source of power in its own right. For example: the rain, thunder, blizzard, wind, life and death, and even the movements of the sun and moon, all of these elements could be sensed by a mage and become their power. Your metaphor with the ‘lever’ is interesting. It is as you said. The stronger control you have over this tool, the more power you can wield by maneuvering the elements of this world.”

“So that’s how it is, and here I’ve been under the impression that magic comes from within ones own body during all this time.” Huffing a long sigh, Du Wei laments his own lack of knowledge.

Once again annoyed, Clark speaks out: “I really have to question you this, who taught you such nonsense? Even a magic apprentice would know of the stuff I just mentioned. My goddess, I must correct you. A human’s power is limited. No matter how strong you are, there’s a limit. Yet our kind can do what normal people can’t, why is that? It’s because we can borrow the power of nature. This world was created by the Goddess, so technically, mages and sorceresses are borrowing the power of the Goddess. Remember, humans can’t ever possess power equal to the Goddess. That’s a taboo.”

“Seriously, I’m starting to wonder why the Rowling family would have someone like you who lacks so much common sense. This is my warning to you child, don’t ever make bold claims like power comes from within a mage’s body again. If you do, you will be burned at the Pillar of Sin by the Temple because your words are considered blasphemy in their eye.”

Closing his mouth, Du Wei’s eye turns hollow again when he lowered his head. To the elder in front of him, the boy’s action looked no more than a child repenting for his mistake. But in actual fact, the mocking grin in the boy’s face said it all once out of sight.

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