......

  ......

  At Heyerar Manor.

  In Hulim’s bedroom.

  The grimoire she had bought with all her savings lay open before Hulim Heyerar. Beside it sat a dictionary, allowing her to look up any unfamiliar characters or words whenever she needed to.

  “Feel the vitality of the fire element. Imagine them dancing about like flames at a grand ball—passionate and joyful......”

  “Merge with them. Become one of them. Only then will they accept you......”

  Hulim was studying the very first spell recorded in the grimoire—a First-Tier Fire Elemental Spell called Ignition. Without a doubt, it was an extremely weak spell. A mere gust of wind could snuff it out. Its only practical use, as the name suggested, was to light fires.

  But all First-Tier Spells were roughly at this level, so there was no point in complaining. More than being useful, First-Tier Spells were meant to guide beginners onto the path of magic.

  Besides the Mana Circuits and incantations, this grimoire also elaborated in detail on how to understand and master the spell.

  However, what was written in the book was one thing—and putting it into practice was an entirely different matter.

  “【???????????????????】”

  Hulim tried reciting the incantation as described in the book, attempting to cast the spell. But in the end, absolutely nothing happened.

  Refusing to give up, she kept trying again and again. Yet the tiny flame she had been imagining flickering at her fingertips never once appeared.

  This went on for three whole days.

  “I can’t cast the spell......”

  Hulim still had no idea where she was going wrong. A faint sense of discouragement welled up inside her—but then she thought about the teasing she might face from that certain mischievous sprite, and her frustration flared into determination instead.

  So she decided to ask for help.

  ......

  “Sigh. How do you cast magic?”

  “Hmmm...... Let me think. Lucia, how did you learn to cast magic back then?”

  “Me? It just clicked one day—boom! I got it right away. What about you, Rumia?”

  “Hehe~, me too! We really are two peas in a pod, aren’t we~!”

  “That we are! Twins through and through!”

  Watching the twin sisters cuddle up and start gushing over each other, Hulim chose to seek help elsewhere.

  “Oh? Magic, huh?”

  When asked the question, Reid wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face flushed from training.

  “It’s been so long since I first mastered magic—I’ve practically forgotten how I did it. Armen, why don’t you answer her?”

  “Don’t ask me!”

  Armen, who was lying exhausted on the grass nearby, groaned in complaint.

  “I know nothing about magic—not a single thing!”

  “Tch! Useless guy.”

  Reid clicked his tongue in annoyance. But under Hulim’s expectant gaze, he couldn’t very well dodge the question.

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  “Magic...... Well, magic is—like I said, I don’t really remember how I learned it. But I can tell you how I cast it now. Watch closely! This is what magic is all about——”

  Reid raised his sword high above his head, his hands glowing with a faint white light. Then, with a mighty swing, he brought the blade crashing down on the wooden stake in front of him.

  “——It’s all about momentum!”

  SWISH!

  In a single stroke, the wooden stake was sliced cleanly in two.

  It was a Second-Tier Non-Elemental Spell—Reinforcement.

  “Oh~!”

  Two voices erupted in applause from the courtyard.

  “What? How to cast magic?”

  When asked the question, Rudy paused mid-step, turning to look at Hulim with a gentle smile.

  “Hmmm......”

  She bowed her head in thought for a moment, then smiled softly.

  “Magic is like a friend. If you call out to it with all your heart and love, it will answer you. Like this——”

  Rudy glanced around the courtyard, her eyes locking onto a large boulder not far away.

  “【?????????????????????????????】”

  “Fireball!”

  BOOM!

  A blazing fireball materialized in front of Rudy, then hurtled toward the boulder at top speed.

  It was a Second-Tier Fire Elemental Spell—Fireball.

  BOOM!

  After the explosion, the surface of the boulder was charred black, a deep crater scorched into its side.

  “Wow~!!”

  Hulim’s eyes lit up with wonder as she clapped her hands enthusiastically.

  “Ah? How do you use magic?”

  Faced with his youngest daughter’s eager gaze, Rezelian Heyerar broke out in a cold sweat. Though he could cast Third-Tier Spells, they were all Third-Tier Non-Elemental Spells—a type of magic generally regarded as exclusive to warriors, and looked down upon by elemental mages.

  But the truth was, Non-Elemental Spells were always straightforward and uncomplicated—all brute force and no finesse. Trying to argue theory with a Non-Elemental Spell user was like talking to a brick wall.

  “Uh...... Well, you see, what I mean is—magic is just... you know? It’s incantations, and momentum, and that’s magic! In short—magic is magic! Yeah, that’s right! Magic is magic! So... do you get it now?”

  Hulim: “......?”

  “Ahem!”

  Rezelian’s face twisted into an awkward expression.

  “Ah! I just remembered—your mother asked me to go buy some soy sauce! Oh no, I almost forgot all about it!”

  “Oh, Hulim, you wanted to ask about magic? I’m so sorry, sweetheart—I’d love to explain it to you, but I really have to go buy that soy sauce now! Why don’t you go ask your mother instead?”

  With that, Rezelian bolted out the door as fast as his legs could carry him.

  ......

  “Mother, how do I cast magic?”

  Faced with Hulim’s question, Lilia paused for a moment, then smiled and replied gently, “To cast magic, Hulim, you must first recognize magic.”

  “Recognize magic?”

  Hulim tilted her head in confusion.

  Lilia smiled softly, not explaining immediately. Instead, she held up one finger.

  “Watch closely.”

  Hulim fixed her eyes on Lilia’s outstretched finger.

  “【?????????????????????】”

  As the incantation left her lips, a soft glow emanated from Lilia’s fingertip.

  “Oh! It’s glowing!”

  Hulim’s eyes lit up with excitement.

  Lilia stood up from her chair.

  “Come with me, Hulim.”

  Hulim followed her mother’s instructions, trailing after her.

  Lilia then led her into the grand hall, and turned on the bright chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The chandelier’s light flooded the entire hall instantly.

  “Hulim, look again.”

  “【?????????????????????】”

  A soft glow emanated from Lilia’s fingertip once more.

  “Oh! It’s glowing again!”

  Hulim gasped in amazement.

  “Do you notice any difference?”

  Lilia asked with a smile.

  Upon hearing this, Hulim leaned forward, examining the glow carefully. Then she spotted it——

  “It’s brighter than before!”

  “That’s right.”

  Lilia dispelled the glow from her fingertip.

  “Actually, I used exactly the same amount of Mana this time as I did just now.”

  “Huh? Then why is it......”

  “It’s because the environment is different.”

  Lilia pointed up at the chandelier above their heads.

  “A Luminous Stone is a type of ore that stores large amounts of light element. When forged into a chandelier and lit up, it releases those light elements in abundance. It illuminates the room for us—but at the same time, it also increases the concentration of light elements in the surrounding environment. So even if you use the same amount of Mana, the spell’s effect will naturally be stronger because there are more Mana Essence in the environment for you to manipulate.”

  Lilia turned off the chandelier.

  “So, Hulim, if you want to learn magic, you’ll find it much easier to practice in areas rich in magical elements~. But more importantly, you need to first figure out which type of magic you are capable of using.”

  “Observe them closely. The elements that respond to you are the ones you can wield.”