The news that Encia, the mage who controls the weather, had arrived somewhere with a disciple quickly spread throughout Procyon.
Encia, who had rejected countless aspiring mages on the grounds of age, had indeed taken someone as her disciple. Curiosity about this fact sent many mages into a frenzy.
“Isn’t it just an ordinary child? One who can’t even use magic!”
“The magical power within their body… is scarce…? No, it’s practically nonexistent!”
“Do you really intend to take this child as your disciple? Their internal magical power is so minimal that they may never become a mage.”
“My decision has not changed.”
Encia placed her hand on the shoulder of the black-haired slave girl she had brought and spoke. One of the seven elders who ruled Procyon, and the president of the Elemental Research Society, sighed as he looked at Encia.
“Does it make sense to turn a child with such little magical power into a mage? Magical power present at birth defines what a mage truly is.”
“It might. Up until now.”
“Up until now? Sounds like you’re saying our common sense is wrong.”
Encia remained silent, knowing it wasn’t time yet to reveal the truth about magical power and magic to them.
“I do have a method in mind. It needs more verification, but… perhaps even non-mages could become mages through it.”
“Hmm? Non-mages becoming mages? What nonsense is this? The authority of mages is a blessing bestowed by the gods upon us.”
At the elder mage’s words, Encia let out a small sigh that went unheard.
Talk of mages being special, blessed beings grated on Encia. It was suffocating.
She also understood why Tia had once called her bringing this girl to the traditional mages a test.
Their arrogance in believing themselves superior due to the special powers they were born with.
And their rigid thinking, refusing to accept other ideas.
Such mages might cause serious problems down the line.
What would Tia have done with such mages? Would she have shouted loudly and gotten angry? Or gently taught and persuaded them?
The answer was already clear.
Encia herself was that answer.
“It might be reckless, but if successful, it will greatly benefit Procyon. It could solve Procyon’s chronic problem of insufficient population.”
“That… That might be true…”
Other than Encia, all the mages present were naturally born with the ability to instinctively manipulate mana and perform phenomena known as magic without understanding its principles.
These mages, whether by choice or force, sometimes sold into slavery, gathered in Procyon.
But naturally, their numbers weren’t large.
How many people are born with strong mana and the willpower to control it and create phenomena?
Not many, obviously.
Thus, Procyon always suffered from a shortage of mages.
Of course, regular people also lived in Procyon, but its very existence depended on the power of mages.
Maintaining the number of mages was the most crucial task for Procyon.
“Of course, that’s assuming success.”
“Hmm… But if we succeed and securing mages becomes easier…”
Procyon, despite being populated by powerful mages, remained a city-state due to the chronic shortage of mages.
They couldn’t expand their territory because of the lack of population.
“Indeed, it could be a great boon for Procyon!”
“Yes. And existing mages might even gain stronger magic.”
“Ho?! Why didn’t you mention that earlier?!”
“Not entirely sure yet. More research is needed.”
“Hmph. Understood! I’ll ensure your disciple’s registration. But keep me updated on your progress!”
“Yes, understood.”
Thus, the black-haired slave girl who couldn’t use magic became registered as a mage of Procyon.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“After enduring so much hardship to bring her here, have you forgotten gratitude towards your teacher?”
“You’ve repeated that story dozens of times. It’s starting to sound like an auditory hallucination.”
While eating slightly cooled soup and bread, the master and disciple continued their conversation, discussing various topics: research, the progress of mana collection and storage, stories of other mages glancing at them, and occasionally, complaints about wanting to play.
As trivial and significant conversations alternated, smiles began to appear on both their faces.
Encia, who had been alone, gained stability by taking in the small slave girl, naming her Cecil, and raising her as a disciple.
The void left by Tia’s absence began to fill.
“By the way, who is this Tia person?”
“Hm? Tia?”
“Yes. You often talk about her, but I don’t know much.”
Encia nodded slightly. The name had come up several times during their conversations, so it was understandable that Cecil was curious.
“She was like a sister and a teacher to me. Though I’ve only ever heard her voice and never seen her face… Without her, I wouldn’t have become a mage.”
“Is that so? A magnificent mage like you, Master?”
“Yes. Because of what I learned from Tia, I’m able to attempt turning non-mages like you into mages.”
Cecil nodded slightly at Encia’s words.
How wondrous it was the first time she saw magic.
How moved she was when told she could become a mage.
Each word, each action, each teaching from her…
All of it was light and salvation to Cecil.
Though her admiration shattered somewhat due to Encia’s messy living habits, she was still a figure of admiration when it came to magic.
“So, she’s like your master’s master?”
“Exactly. Thanks to her teachings, I am who I am today.”
Cecil smiled faintly as she watched Encia beam brightly.
Every time Tia was mentioned, Encia smiled without fail, making Cecil feel a slight twinge of jealousy that quickly faded.
If Tia was precious to Encia, just as Encia was precious to Cecil, then her smile was natural.
Still, it was hard not to feel a little jealous.
“Alright, dinner’s over. So, what’s today’s schedule?”
“The Procyon Council is sending someone this morning. They probably want to check our progress.”
“Progress… How’s the mana storage going, Cecil?”
Cecil placed her hand briefly over her chest and spoke.
“Most of the natural mana Master gives me every day escapes before it turns into my own mana, but some does manage to convert. At this rate, I think I can cast a larger spell than last time.”
“Hm. That’s good. But natural mana is inefficient… Should we try using mana stones?”
“No. Since it’s accumulating somewhat, Master’s method is better. It feels like the more mana accumulates, the more it converts.”
“Still, don’t push yourself too hard. It’s important to stay within the amount you can control.”
Uncontrollable amounts of mana leading to a rampage could be fatal for a mage.
So, under Encia’s guidance, Cecil gradually walked the path of a mage.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Six years after Cecil became Encia’s disciple, at 16 years old, she proved her magic by summoning a small shower in front of many mages.
The young girl who had lost her name as a slave and was told she lacked the potential to become a mage due to insufficient mana had grown into a proper mage, carrying on her master’s legacy.
Even though her magic was weaker compared to Encia’s, the fact that an ordinary girl who knew nothing about magic could become a mage shocked Procyon greatly.
Thus, Encia compiled the teachings she learned from Tia and the knowledge she gained from teaching Cecil into one book.
“What title do you plan to give it?”
“Hm… Basic Theory of Magic? This theory will lay the foundation for all future mages.”
“Hm… It certainly fits as a foundational book for mages, but something feels missing.”
“Missing? What?”
“I think Master’s name should be included. Such a remarkable book deserves it! Your name must be there!”
Cecil’s suggestion made Encia hesitate momentarily.
Though the book was written by her, most of its content was based on what she learned from Tia.
It wasn’t entirely her own work.
“How about ‘Tia’s Basic Theory of Magic’?”
“And Master’s name?”
“But all I did was test, reproduce, and verify what I learned from Tia. The rest is entirely her knowledge.”
“Still, you wrote, tested, and verified it. It’s unacceptable without your name!”
Cecil’s argument made Encia nod slightly. True, she did write the book, so including her name wasn’t unreasonable.
Therefore…
“If so… Including both Tia’s and my name… Enthia? No, something’s off. Hmm… Tweaking my name slightly, Cientia? Cientia Basic Theory of Magic?”
“Ooh, that sounds good?”
“D-does it?”
Cecil’s comment made Encia smile faintly.
What would Tia think of this title? Would she laugh? Complain it doesn’t suit her? Or praise her for doing well?
Either way, she wanted to hear it.
Encia longed to hear Tia’s voice again.
