Ken yo, kaku katariki – 63

#06 – Magic and Magic Arts


“So, first of all…the difference between magic and magic arts.”

Stelia began as she sat on the tall chair, her legs dangling down.

“There is a clear difference…right?”

“Well, yes. Though, many people just say magic to describe magic arts. It just makes things easier, I suppose.”

Magic had a much broader meaning.
Strange phenomena. Things that human knowledge could not reach or explain.

“Not reach?”

“Aye. Exactly.”

The history of magic was very old. It started before humans could even write.
However, during that long history, theories were born and died many times. And there were still no answers.

“The tip of god’s toe—some people called it. There are so many phenomenons in the world that cannot be explained. For instance, monsters.”

What human knowledge cannot reach. Mysteries of the world. Things that science cannot uncover.
There were things like that in the world that I came from as well. At a glance, you might think that science answered all of the questions, as if to prove that there were no divine beings. But like how the beginning of the world could only ever be a theory, there was so much we didn’t know.

Well, perhaps it was arrogant for humans, who were just one of the countless creatures that existed, to try and unravel the truth of the universe.

“So magic is what we call all such strange phenomena. The more precise definition by scholars would be, that magic is ‘a phenomenon created by magic energy.’ And this includes things that people call miracles.”

Like the creation of the heavens and earth. She added.

“So it’s not wrong for magic arts to be called magic. It is a type of magic. However, you will look like an amateur if you go to a magic arts master and ask them to teach you magic. Are you asking me to explain the miracles of the gods?”

“I see.”

I couldn’t help but nod.

“So, what is magic arts?”

She turned to Ms. Aize.
Oh, me? Ms. Aize seemed to say with a tilt of her head, and then she nodded.

“…It is the magic that humans can use.”

“Yes. It is one of the phenomena under our control. But how are humans able to use it?”

Magic could not be explained by humans.
So shouldn’t magic arts…well, not all of it.

She pointed at her heart. Or to be more precise, slight to the left side of it…the place between the heart and left lung.

“Humans have an organ here. Called the Sacred.”

“Sacred…”

“Humans take in the magic energy into the Sacred. And after processing it into a shape they can use, create magic arts.”

“And…anyone can do that?”

“Eh? What a weird question. Well, it’s not like I went around and opened up everyone’s chest, but…I have never heard of someone who didn’t have the organ. It is like having a heart of lungs.”

I touched the left side of my heart.
So there was an organ here that I didn’t know about. It was a strange feeling.

“Magic arts masters can use it instinctively. Like breathing. However, it also depends on the individual. That is why there are more people in the world who cannot use magic. Well, not at a level where they can use it in combat, anyway. But it’s also about how much you train.”

So it wasn’t like it was necessary to live.
Not many humans would bother to train, if they weren’t even sure if it would result in them using it well. Especially if they didn’t need it.

“And how can you tell if someone has a gift for it?”

“By training. If they have any talent, it will be obvious. Surely it was like that with you.”

“Huh? No, I can’t…”

“You can use it. The art of ki is a type of magic art. Well, that is also something that we know little about… But when it comes to it, you are incredibly talented.”

…I see.
I had somehow felt that it might be the case. They were basically the same then.

“Now, I will ask you a question.”

Ms. Stelia suddenly snapped her fingers.
At that moment, I felt the magic energy rise in the room, and then a fireball appeared right next to her.
However, there was no heat coming from the flames. It was very strange.

“A certain magic arts master invented this. A magic art that creates a floating ball of fire. However, that master had an apprentice. A beloved apprentice. And so the master wanted to teach this art to the apprentice. So, how can that be done?”

“…Uh, saying what to imagine…?”

“Magic arts can be a vague thing. Perhaps the master and apprentice have an equal amount of talent. Is there any guarantee that such magic arts can be passed down for tens or hundreds of years, by image alone?”

…I suppose that would be difficult.
Could I teach others the techniques I learned from the old man?
She continued.

“And so the concept of techniques were born.”

The ball of fire changed color then. From red to blue and then to green.

“In order to pass on your magic arts to the next generation, the magic energy structure that is shaped in the Sacred is established and called a technique. A Magus is someone who shares these techniques with the next generation.”

“Previously, it was considered taboo. You were only supposed to pass it down to one generation. It was said that long ago, magic arts masters even fought bloody battles over it.”

So revealing a technique could become a lethal weakness as well.
After all, the technique would leave bare the magic art’s structure and weaknesses.
At the same time, others could take the technique and copy your magic arts.

“Well, these days, the techniques to pass down and not pass down are separated. And from there, you study the structure and develop it on your own. That is the accepted way of doing it. However, only a magic arts master can take a technique they learned and pass it on to another. If you disobey this…”

Ms. Stelia drew a line across her next with her thumb.
As I looked in surprise, Ms. Aize nodded.

“In general, you should avoid talking to others about it.”

In that case…
Ms. Aize was lying when she said that she was able to use it without being taught?
Did some master give her a technique, and she was now using it?

It reminded me of when the Count said that I should learn from an official magic arts master.
To be precise, the meaning was that I must not learn it from anyone else.

That was how careful humans in this world were when it came to the techniques.

I wished that someone would have told me sooner…

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