âBenny! A gift for you!â
âYouâre like a cat bringing a cockroach! I donât need it!â
Benny was horrified and disliked the severed Kobold head I brought.
Thatâs too harsh.
In a slightly gloomy voice, I asked Bennyâs shadow.
âDo you want to eat it at least?â
ââââââ!
With an indescribable strange noise, the shadow monster fully emerged.
Numerous mouths on its body opened wide, revealing sharp teeth.
âYap!â
I threw the kobold head to the nearest mouth.
Crunch!
With the sound of something breaking, the monster chewed a couple of times and swallowed it whole, wagging its tentacles.
It seems it liked my gift.
âHehe. Iâm glad you liked it.â
As I reached my hand out, the shadow, as if waiting, extended what seemed to be its headâŠ
Softness and squishiness. And a strange, alien texture that I couldnât help but stroke.
Grrrr.
After caressing it for about ten seconds, the satisfied creature let out a cute, ferocious sound before disappearing back into the shadow.
Benny, who had been watching the whole scene, shook her head in disbelief.
âUnbelievable. You never listen to me, but why do you listen to Jonah so well?!â
âMaybe it likes men. You do too, donât you, Benny?â
âN-no, not like this!â
âThen do you like ovum?â
âStop talking nonsense.â
It was just a joke, but Benny denied it seriously.
But if you think about it, itâs understandable. Itâs like asking a little girl on Earth, do you like sperm?
Just thinking about it makes me dizzy.
Though it was a stream-of-consciousness remark, I should be more careful about such things.
âIâm sorry. By the way, you said you wanted to see me fight, right? How was it, Benny?â
âHey, youâŠâ
Benny continued in a bewildered voice.
âYouâre asking me how it was after fighting without using any magic at all? Of course, you fought well, but still!â
âOh.â
Now that I think about it, sheâs right. Benny followed me to see how I used magic in actual combat to set the lesson plan.
But just now, I took down the kobold using only my powers and pure physical movements without any magic.
âI forgot to use magic. I havenât had much need for it lately.â
âYes. It seemed that way. Didnât I mention earlier? You fight well. In my opinion, Jonah, you already have your own style. Itâs even quite refined. With mediocre magic, it would only get in the way⊠What kind of magic did you learn?â
âSorry? Oh, itâs Weak Flame.â
âThatâs basic magic. Can you show me?â
âOf course.â
I extended my empty hand and gathered my magical power. Mana quickly aligned itself according to the knowledge rapidly infused.
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That unfamiliar power began to blaze according to my imagery. It was about the size of a large match flame.
âWeak Flame.â
Whoosh.
âOh. Even though itâs just basic magic, this is quite impressive, isnât it? The structure is clean. It may not be the most efficient, but itâs definitely textbook. It looks so classic that one might believe itâs magic from the Mythical Era. Even the descendants of long-established noble families would have to bow to you.â
âAhahaâŠâ
Itâs only natural since itâs magic bestowed through a gacha by the Goddess of Love, a survivor from the Mythical Era.
But itâs somewhat fascinating. Magic may have become widespread, but itâs still a fragment of a miracle.
Itâs the power of a now-fallen God of Magic, yet why was it drawn under the separate category of Magic rather than the Power category?
While thinking that to herself, Benny nodded with a satisfied smile.
âThe casting speed is fast, and itâs good that you can use it with just the activation word without any incantation. The magic flow is stable, so there shouldnât be any problems using it while moving vigorously. Yes. Youâve learned the magic well.â
âTh-thank you?â
Seeing her talking about magic like this, after only seeing her stomp her feet or huff and pant like a child, really makes her seem like an expert.
As I nod blankly, Benny mutters to herself while stroking her fluffy chin.
âIsnât this quite a talent? Plus, that stealth from a while ago, and his movements were definitely not at a second-floor level. Even the Goddess of LoveâsâŠâ
Benny, who had been mumbling to herself for a while, suddenly raised her head as if coming to her senses and said,
âAnyway, you did well. Now show me the next magic.â
âI donât have any?â
ââŠWhat?â
âNo, really, I donât have any. This is all the magic I know.â
âAll you know is just one basic spell? What, did you get kidnapped halfway through learning magic? Basic magic includes the four elemental spells and light magic as a set!â
âEven if you say that, this is really all Iâve got.â
As I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, Lydia, who somehow looked a bit troubled, approached and patted Benny on the shoulder.
âBenny.â
âHuh? Whatâs up all of a sudden, Lydia?â
âIf you donât know something, you can be taught. Thatâs what a teacher is for.â
âWhat?! I said Iâd help you a bit with magic, but I never said Iâd be your teacher⊠But I get what youâre saying. You mentioned you were an orphan earlier, right? Seems like you never had a proper chance to learn magic. Iâll teach you the other basic spells.â
âReally?â
âYes. You can buy magic books for basic magic and up to the 3rd circle at the Magic Tower if you pay, and if you pay more, you can even get lessons.â
âWhat do you have to do to learn beyond that?â
âYou have to join the Magic Tower. Thatâs why I canât use magic above the intermediate circles.â
ââŠWhat?â
Thereâs a setting where the Magic Tower monopolizes magic, but I didnât expect it to be implemented like this.
When I asked again out of disbelief, maybe Benny thought I was asking why she didnât join the Magic Tower. She let out a deep sigh and continued.
âItâs hard to please the old geezers at the Magic Tower, and being affiliated with something doesnât suit me. Most importantly, they want to take the results of my research for free. I have nothing to lose, so why should I bow down?â
âThatâs true, butâŠisnât Benny a high-ranking adventurer? I heard that mages in high-ranking adventurer parties can cast 4th-circle spells, and the really skilled ones can even throw around 5th-circle spells.â
âYouâre right. But magic isnât only about circle spells, is it?â
âHuh? Is that so?â
I created a setting where magic exists and was originally a Power, but now anyone with talent can learn itâŠ.
I hadnât thought out the specific magic system in detail. Those things can change as you write, so thereâs no need to decide them in advance.
So Iâm even more curious. How did this world⊠How did people fill in the gaps in the setting?
With a pounding heart, I waited for Bennyâs words.
âYeah. Since the Magic Tower uses the circle system, everyone thinks circle magic is everythingâŠbut actually, circle magic is a really baseless magic system.â
My goodness. In fantasy, isnât it a given that magic is divided by circles?
I hadnât explicitly set such details, but I thought it was a result of my subconscious.
However, I couldnât help but be amazed after hearing Bennyâs explanation.
âOriginally, magic was in the realm of miracles. But the God of Magic died, and that power became everyoneâs. Mana sensitivity, imagination, computational ability, willpower, and so on⊠As long as you have talent, anyone can use magic.â
âYes. It was said that the last magic the God of Magic casted before dying was to engrave his power into the Continent.â
âThatâs right. Thanks to that, magic has continued to exist, butâŠitâs become more like a technology than a miracle.â
Not a miracle, but a technology. That phrase somehow lodged in my mind like a thorn.
âDo you know the difference between a miracle and a technology?â
ââŠI donât really know.â
âItâs quite complicated, but to put it simply, itâs a difference in understanding. Miracles donât try to be understood. They are simply accepted, believed in, and hoped for. Thatâs why itâs the purest form but a power only a chosen few can enjoy.â
âLiterally a miracle.â
âOn the other hand, technology is different. It seeks to understand the principles and reproduce them with oneâs own hands. The results are consistent, can be used more efficiently with skill, and once the theory is fully established, many more people can enjoy itâŠbut thereâs no mystery in it. It canât go beyond its framework.â
Miracles can evoke much more powerful magic in response to earnest hearts and will.
But magic as a technology cannot do that. It just produces a predetermined result if you input the materials like a formula.
âThe circle is the framework, the formula. Thanks to the circle, the number of mages has increased, and even ordinary people can enjoy its benefits⊠But what I want lies beyond that.â
Beyond the predetermined result.
I know what Benny desires. She has said it herself. She wants to remove the shadow monster fused with her.
Although there is magic that can ignite the world, there is no magic that can separate a monster fused with oneself, so it is understandable that she is absorbed in non-circle magic.
As I mentioned earlier, it also seems she dislikes simply bowing down to the Tower.
I took a step toward Benny with twinkling eyes.
âBenny. So, what kind of magic do you use? If itâs not circle magic, it means itâs not the kind of magic I usually think of, right?â
ââŠWell. Since I was going to show you at some point anyway, donât be so impatient. But right now, youâre the priority.â
âMe?â
âYes. This time, try fighting properly using magic. I know your magic lacks power. Iâm not asking you to defeat them with magic alone. I just want to see how you use magic in combat, so donât overdo it.â
âHmm. Got it. Iâll try that with the next monster.â
Nodding, we resumed the Labyrinth exploration.
With eyes degraded and clouded, and a freshly baked, warm kobold head.
Holding the snout part, I ran over.
âTada! A present!â
âHey! Why do you keep bringing me severed heads! I donât need them!â
âWhat are you talking about? Itâs not a present for Benny, itâs for Shadow.â
ââŠ?â
âOh, thatâs just overthinking it. As if anyone would doubt youâre a mage.â
âArgh!â
As I clicked my tongue, Benny roared menacingly and stomped her feet.
It was a threat on the level of a kitten.