CHAPTER 24 - "A Dark Affinity"
This web novel is a draft of the story. Please expect frequent changes and updates as I see fit. Enjoy! -Cloki
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
-Klaus Lamberdt, Provincia's strongest knight, introduced himself to Siegfried and Azure. Azure paid no attention to Klaus, instead preferring to sleep, and Klaus obeyed her wishes. After leaving the Inn, Klaus and Jurgen discussed with Siegfried the possibility of there being others like him in Provincia, which came as news to Siegfried. Furthermore, Klaus Lamberdt requested a duel with Siegfried in order to experience his power first-hand...~
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
-Klaus Lamberdt, an unstoppable force. Many do-gooders admired him, and many villains feared him. He is known as Provincia's strongest knight, his power alone exceeding that of an entire army plus some. To be spoken to by him was an honor, but to be asked to duel him was an even higher honor.~
-By requesting to duel Siegfried, Klaus confirmed that he viewed Siegfried as a worthy opponent, something he has only ever done with a select few people, including Hiroshi, whom he bested an estimated 200 times in a row in battle before Hiroshi's unfortunate death at the hands of Hasher.~
-Siegfried gazed into the eyes of Klaus, and his heart began to race. He was unsure if he would even be able to call upon Camriel, considering only a few hours had passed since their last interaction. Before proceeding, Siegfried decided to call upon Camriel.~
Siegfried: "Camriel, are you there? I need to ask you a question."
[Camriel]: "I am here, Siegfried. What is it you need to ask?"
-Assuming Camriel was still recovering from her excessive mana output through Siegfried's body, Siegfried prepared himself for a negative response. However, he asked his question anyway.~
Siegfried: "Do you think you could pump me full of some more of your power? Klaus wants to experience it, and he is requesting to duel me."
[Camriel]: "Siegfried-kun, remember what I told you before I brought you here? There are two issues currently, first, you can only call upon me when your life is in danger, and second, I've got barely any mana to spare! You're going to have to wait a few days before you can use me again."
-Disappointed, Siegfried accepted Camriel's response. There was nothing he could do to fuse with her for at least another 4 days or so, and even if he waited that long, that would be the bare minimum, and her powers would be significantly reduced. ~
-Klaus was eagerly staring at Siegfried, still awaiting his response. His sword continued to glow with the ever-present luminous colors. It captivated Siegfried, he couldn't take his eyes off of the spectacle.~
Klaus: "So, what's it going to be, Siegfried? Can you call upon the goddess?"
Siegfried: "Unfortunately, I can only use her powers when my life is in danger. Beyond that, I basically used up all of her power when fighting Rigel, so I think our duel is going to have to wait until another time..."
-Klaus was disappointed, but understanding. Normally, one is forbidden from refusing a duel according to the Knight's Code, however, Siegfried had a valid reason, and considering the skill difference between them was overwhelming, Klaus had no choice but to accept Siegfried's refusal.~
Klaus: "That's understandable, Siegfried. I'm unaware of how your abilities work, so I will have to take your word for it. If there comes a time where we can duel, please, contact me, and I will accept."
Siegfried: "That sounds like a plan, Klaus! I'll be in contact if I have some spare time, and some spare goddess! Hah hah."
-Klaus resheathed his sword and bowed toward Siegfried. When he stood up, he took a seat across from Siegfried. They were both sitting, looking out the window. Jurgen was in the back of the shop preparing to melt down metal.~
Klaus: "So, what are your plans now? You defeated Rigel, and I heard from my father that you had a curse removed, which is great news!"
Siegfried: "Well, Azure-san and I were going to return to Formai so that she could teach me magic, as I'm powerless without the goddess' ability as of now."
Klaus: "Interesting. Well, have you discovered your natural affinity yet? Every adventurer, regardless of age, has a specific element that they are naturally connected to. Considering you were sent here by a goddess, I'd be willing to be that she hooked you up with a nice affinity."
Siegfried: "Well, to be honest, I have no idea which element I'm naturally connected to. I only know one spell as of now, and it's Sphaera. I learned it from a spell tome that Azure's father gave me in Formai."
Klaus: "I see... perhaps we could figure out your natural affinity then, Siegfried? If you want to, I can take you outside, and have you test out a few spells that can be used to figure out your affinity."
-When one is initially attempting to figure out their magical affinity, they might try a sample of basic spells out. These spells will take minimal effort, and minimal mana, but produce results if their element connects to the user's affinity.~
-By casting these spells, one is easily able to figure out which type of magic comes easiest to them and proceed to specialize in that specific element. Siegfried had yet to figure out his natural magical affinity.~
Siegfried: "Perhaps we could try."
Klaus: "Follow me, Siegfried."
-Klaus led Siegfried outside and walked him over to an open field where they could test out magic safely. When they got there, Klaus decided to demonstrate four basic spells to Siegfried that he could use to decipher his affinity.~
Klaus: "I think this field should be safe enough to practice magic without causing harm to anything. Considering we will be testing out fire magic as part of this experiment, I wanted to get as far away from buildings as I could."
Siegfried: "That's probably a good idea. Considering I've never tried fire magic before, I'd hate to accidentally burn something down..."
Klaus: "Okay, Siegfried. We are going to try out four basic spells. These spells will be used to help decipher your natural affinity. I will demonstrate these spells first, and then I will have you attempt them on your own. Here, you can borrow my wand to cast these spells. It's not the most compatible tool for you, but it should do the trick."
-Klaus handed over his wand to Siegfried. Despite being quite possibly the most powerful person in Provincia, even Klaus started from somewhere, and this wand was proof of his efforts. It was a wand fashioned out of a Dragon Scale. Klaus was naturally gifted with fire magic when he was young.~
-Upon holding the wand, Siegfried could feel a great weight apply itself to his shoulders, almost as if the wand was deeming him unworthy of wielding it. However, the longer he held it, the more the effects subsided, and the wand became wieldable.~
Siegfried: "Well, without a wand, how will you be able to demonstrate these spells?"
Klaus: "Hah! I haven't used that wand in years! I've been casting spells from my sword since I became the leader of the League of Knights. My sword has quite literally become a part of me, I cannot function without it being close to me."
-Despite being incredibly powerful, Klaus Lamberdt did have a single, devastating drawback. If he were to ever lose or destroy his sword, he would become powerless. Klaus' sword is an extension of his own body, and losing it would be the equivalent of chopping off one of his arms.~
Siegfried: "I see... well then, let's see some of these basic spells! I'm ready to figure out which type of magic I'll be naturally gifted in!"
-Klaus has mastered every type of magic over his many years as a knight.~
Klaus: 'Watch closely, Siegfried. We are going to try out these four spells. I will demonstrate them first, of course, and then it will be your turn to attempt to replicate them. Here goes the first spell, it's an air spell."
-Klaus lifted his hand into the air and took a deep breath. Controlled breathing is an important exercise when it comes to casting air spells. Breathing is the body's natural way of using air, and air spells can channel this air into many different forms.~
-When Klaus opened his eyes, he moved his hand in a waving motion, and uttered a word, before thrusting his hand forward, palm out. It was as if he was striking the air.~
Klaus: "Caeli!"
-Caeli is a spell that creates a simple gust of air from your wand, or in Klaus's case, his hand. It is a basic air spell and is commonly used by air mages either in a battle to knock over their opponent, or by working-class air mages to supply power to windmills and other air-powered sources.~
-A gust of air expelled itself from Klaus's hand and proceeded to blow the grass around him in a single direction, before eventually dissipating into the atmosphere.~
Klaus: "Okay, think you understand, Siegfried? Now it's your turn to try it out. Remember, take a deep breath before attempting to cast any spell, it will help you maintain your focus, and increase the spell's power. Caeli."
-Siegfried repeated what Klaus had done. He moved his wand up, took a deep breath, and began to move his wand in the same waving motion that Klaus had demonstrated with his hand. He then uttered the word.~
Siegfried: "Caeli!"
. . . . . . .
-Nothing. Not even a simple gust of air came out of Siegfried's wand. Despite almost perfectly replicating what Klaus had done, no air magic was produced. Klaus looked at Siegfried, and closed his eyes.~
Klaus: "No worries Siegfried. If air magic isn't your natural affinity, then perhaps one of the other three elements is. Let's try out water next, shall we?"
Klaus: "This is a basic water spell known simply as "Aqua". It creates a large ball of water on the tip of your wand, and from there, you can apply properties to it to use it in any way that you wish, either applying the water to something, or shooting it from your wand."
-Klaus lifted his hand once more, and held it, palm up to the sky. He clenched his fist, and then opened it again to relax his muscles. He took another breath, and cast the spell.~
Klaus: "Aqua!"
-Suddenly, a large ball of water began to form on Klaus's hand. When it was of an acceptable size, Klaus threw his hand into the air, and the ball of water shot itself into the sky. When it fell, Klaus punched it, and the ball of water flung itself across the field, landing in the distant grass.~
Klaus: "You don't have to do what I did there at the end, I was simply demonstrating one tactic of water combat. However, do try to form the sphere of water at least. Remember, Aqua!"
Siegfried: "Let's give this a try then."
-As before, Siegfried took a deep breath and lifted his hand into the air, palm facing the sky. He clenched his fist as Klaus had done, and opened his hand again. Then he attempted to cast the spell.~
Siegfried: "Aqua!"
. . . . . . .
-Once more, nothing had happened. Water magic was not one of Siegfried's natural affinities either. This left only natural and fire magic left, however, both of these elements are quite powerful. Knowing this, Siegfried felt more confident in his long-term battling abilities.~
Klaus: "Well then, if that's not it, let's go for Natural! If that's not it either, then we know it must be fire, which would be pretty nice to know, considering I'm a fire mage myself! Anyway, let's give natural magic a shot."
-Klaus took a different approach this time. Natural and Fire magic are the opposites of air and water magic. They are more power-driven and require more mental fortitude to cast. Klaus lifted his hand and balled it into a fist. He then uppercut the air and cast a spell.~
Klaus: "Terram!"
-The ground began to shake, and Siegfried noticed cracks forming in the ground in front of Klaus. Suddenly, a large stone emerged from the ground and floated in front of Klaus. Klaus then punched the stone, similar to the water sphere, and the stone flew for a good dozen feet before hitting the ground.~
-Klaus turned toward Siegfried and nodded his head, as if to signal without words that it was time for him to attempt the spell. Siegfried nodded his head back in agreement, and proceeded to replicate what Klaus had demonstrated.
-Siegfried balled his hand into a fist, stomped the ground for extra luck, and uppercut the air. Then, he attempted to cast the spell.~
Siegfried: "Terram!"
. . . . . . .
-As expected, nothing happened. So far, Siegfried was unable to cast an air, water, and now natural spell. This left only fire magic as the last option... to Siegfried and Klaus, it was a pretty safe bet as to which type of magic Siegfried would be naturally gifted in.~
Klaus: "Hey hey! Would you look at that. Turns out that it's fire magic after all! This is great news, it means you'll be excellent in combat, as fire magic is the strongest type of elemental magic in terms of pure damage output!"
Siegfried: "Well, to be honest, I never thought I'd be a fire mage. If anything, I expected myself to be Natural or something. But fire sounds cool! Can I try out a fire spell to see what kind of magic I can produce?"
Klaus: "Absolutely! I'll demonstrate one of my favorite fire spells, and ask you to attempt it. If it's too challenging, we will try a more basic fire spell. Watch closely, Siegfried."
-Klaus then lifted both of his hands into the air, and began to move them in a circular motion. He uttered a few words to himself, which were unintelligible, and then cast a spell. His eyes opened wide, and he smiled.~
Klaus: "Ol-Flamma Rotam!"
-Suddenly, a large wheel of fire emerged from Klaus's hands, and proceeded to roll across the grass, leaving a large strip of burned grass in its path. Klaus realized what he had done, and quickly cast a water spell to extinguish the flames. ~
Klaus: Yikes, I guess that's why it was a good idea to come out to the field, Siegfried-kun! Anyway, I know that spell seems daunting, but I'd like you to try it. You don't have to worry about the prefix "Ol" either."
-Siegfried replicated what Klaus had done, even if it wasn't as elegant. He moved his wand in circular motions, and uttered the words.~
Siegfried: "Flamma-Rotam!"
. . . . . . .
-nothing?
-nothing at all. Despite all his efforts, he couldn't even produce a single flame... This was alarming to both Klaus and Siegfried. To them, it appeared that Siegfried had no natural magical affinity whatsoever. Perhaps what Daichi said in the Guild House was true after all...~
~~FLASHBACK~~
Daichi: "As for Siegfried.... you have zero magical capabilities at all. You will need to learn the basic spells from scratch.
Siegfried: "WHAT, I'M BASICALLY USELESS, NO MAGIC WHATSOEVER!"
~~BACK IN THE FIELD~~
Klaus: "...this is unusual. It appears that despite trying out one of each spell, that you can't seem to control any of the elements in the slightest... Siegfried, I think you might be a melee-only..."
Siegfried: "Melee-Only?"
Klaus: "People in Provincia who are unable to perform magic, are known as Melee-Only's. They usually enter the league of knights and learn the ways of the sword... Perhaps this is the true path for you..."
Siegfried: "Well, when I fused with Camriel, I was able to cast all kinds of advanced magic almost perfectly, furthermore, I have a mana vat! Don't you think that those are some telltale signs that I'd be able to perform at least one kind of magic?"
Klaus: "...well, there is one more type of magic that we haven't attempted yet, however, it is incredibly dangerous... I was worried we might have to go here, but if it's really your natural affinity, then we have no choice but to utilize it."
Siegfried: "A fifth element? Which element could you be talking about Klaus?"
Klaus: "...dark magic, also known as shaman magic..."
-Dark Magic/Shaman Magic is the same type of magic that Rigel specializes in. It's the same magic he used to apply Siegfried's curse to him. It's the second most powerful type of magic, behind Spirit/Pure magic.~
Siegfried: "...shaman magic? You think I could potentially be a shaman? But why would Camriel send me here with that ability?"
Klaus: "I'm not entirely sure... but there's only one way to find out if it's true. Siegfried, I will personally not cast any dark magic, as I wish not to make any mistakes. However, I can tell you one spell that will for sure tell you if you're a shaman or not..."
-Klaus closed his eyes, and cast a spell of his own to create a barrier around his body. Although dark magic would have very little effect on Klaus, If Siegfried was to mess up this spell in any way, it could potentially be harmful to both him and Klaus.~
Klaus: "Raise your wand, and utter this word... "Shambra""
Siegfried: "-- --"
Siegfried: "Okay. Klaus, let's give this a try...."
-Siegfried lifted his wand, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. As he channeled his energy through his wand, he began to feel cold. His entire body began to cool down rapidly, and Siegfried felt weightless... it was an odd sensation. In his head, vivid images of things and people he had never seen before were appearing... These were the faces of the Void Stars...~
-Despite never seeing them, it appeared that channeling his energy toward a dark spell seemed to have some influence on his memory, and he was picturing the faces of Hasher's Dark Mages and Void Stars. Then, Siegfried uttered the word.....~
Siegfried: "...shambra."
. . . . . . .
*WOOOOOOOOSH*
-Like an incredibly powerful gale, dark clouds and fog instantly enveloped the area. Shambra is a spell that creates a dark thick fog, used to trap your opponents and make them lost without direction until they eventually meet their fate to the one who cast the spell. However, Klaus could see right through it due to his sheer skill.~
Klaus: "WHOA! SIEGFRIED, IT'S POWERFUL. HOLY SHIT. I mean, Siegfried! Are you in there? Are you okay? This is a very dangerous spell! Don't cast it without thinking! ugh, Siegfried!"
-The fog became incredibly thick, and Klaus decided that he had to put a stop to it before it enveloped the entire surrounding area and crept its way into Oakheart. Quickly, Klaus unsheathed his sword and swung it through the air. The vivid lights emerged from his sword and instantly dissipated the fog around him.~
Klaus: "Fait Lux." --- "Let there be light (translation)"
-Suddenly, the rest of the fog dissipated, and Siegfried was found laying on the ground. This spell seemed to have used a decent chunk of his mana, considering how widespread it was. Klaus rushed over to Siegfried, and spoke to him.~
Klaus: "Siegfried! Are you okay? Talk to me, what did you see?"
Siegfried: "...I saw faces of people I've never seen before... evil faces... dark places.. it enraged me, and I channeled my rage into the spell. I'm sorry, Klaus..."
-Klaus lifted Siegfried off the ground and got him to his feet. Siegfried brushed himself off, and looked at Klaus, who, despite what had just occurred, was smiling...~
Klaus: "Interesting.... congratulations Siegfried, you're a shaman...."
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※