'Now, let's start off Magic Theory by revising what we did the last term.'
Vermillion-sensei said.
I wonder when I'll be able to do what I was supposed to be doing. Investigating the disappearances will have to come after Ancient Ruins and this lesson, Magic Theory. Since it seems to be a revision session, I shouldn't have to do much.
'Let's start off simple. Alex, what are the different types of mages?'
The boy named Alex answered.
'Umm... Let's see... There are Augmenters, Conjurers, Beast Tamers and Sorcerers.'
Vermillion-sensei nodded smoothly while smiling.
'Now, Vinny, tell me what each of those mage types does.'
The girl next to me, Vinny, stood up and talked.
'Augmenters can't create magic on their own. They draw in mana from the atmosphere and enhance it, then shape it into its intended spell.
Conjurers are the opposite of Augmenters. Conjurers can create mana from their mana core and make a spell.
Beast Tamers are different from the two. Beast Tamers use magic circles–circles already imbued with mana are called magic circles–to summon special beasts from the Celestial world. The Beast Tamer uses the summoned beasts as a weapon in battle and the individual tries to form a close bond with the said beast.
The final one is Sorcerers. Sorcerers are a mix of Conjurers and Beast Tamers. They create magic from their mana core but they amplify the magic using a magic circle. In a way, you could also say that they're a mixture of the other three classes too.'
That... was a pretty lengthy explanation but I at least get the gist of all of the different mage types. I think I already knew about Augmenters though. She explained it better than I ever could so it's all good.
The female teacher nodded and went on to the next part.
'Okay. The next part is about mana consumption. Let me just show you guys a simple Light Magic spell.'
Vermillion-sensei held her hand up and stuck out her index finger.
'Invoke; Light Bulb.'
A ball appeared above her index finger. It lit up, just like a light bulb Hold up. I don't do my spells that way. I mean, for me, I just get the feeling of the spell and shout out its name while performing it. She seemed to use "Invoke" as a catalyst for her spell or something.
I raised my hand.
'Kimihiko.'
'Do you need to "Invoke" your spell before performing it?'
Suddenly everyone started laughing. I felt embarrassed. Is Invoking really basic knowledge? Well, I feel kind of shy now.
'Ummm... Kimihiko, Invoking is the simplest the spell can get. Usually, there are incantations, but most people use Invoking since it's faster and simpler.'
It'll be faster to show them. Ai, what magic isn't blocked by Avera's sealing?
«Shadow and Earth Magic aren't blocked.»
Cool.
I stood up and held out my palm. Since some of my power has been blocked, I should be alright if I put some mana into it.
'Shadow Orb.'
Almost instantly, a ball of shadows floated above my palm. It was around the size of a tennis ball. The whole class gaped in awe. The only one who didn't seem surprised was Kumiko. Maybe all Otherworlders can use magic without incantations. Maybe I can do it without even saying the name of the spell.
'Oh, it seems to be different for you, Kimihiko.'
Yeah, you really think?
I sat down and relaxed. The majority of the class' eyes were still on me. Guess I shouldn't have done that. Magic with Invoking seems impossible for those who are from this world but seems different for me.
◈◈◈
That period passed and I earned a lot of knowledge about magic. And now, I'm in Ancient Runes, luckily, it's the final period of the day. Our teacher looks like an absolute bum. Well, since he got admitted into this school, he'll be good at teaching.
'Okay. Now, can someone tell me about the different types of runes? Ah, we're doing a revision lesson since this is the fifth runes lesson of the new term.'
I don't know how that works but okay. A girl raised her hand.
'Yes, Urua.'
She lowered her hand and stood up.
'There are four types of runes: Ancient Runes, Impact Runes, Scripture Runes and Divine Runes.'
The teacher wrote down the four types on the blackboard.
'Now explain them, Urua.'
She nodded her head.
'Ancient Runes are runes found in tombs, graveyards and etcetera. They're usually powerful runes with forbidden spells.
Impact Runes are incantations of spells that when applied to a surface and either touched or activated by the user, it then releases the spell thus its name, Impact Runes.
Scripture Runes are either runes or incantations of spells written in paper form. It's an instant form of Impact Runes.
Divine Runes are runes that don't require writing down. In other words, a more powerful and holier version of spell incantations.'
The teacher wrote all of that down on the board. He then turned around and pointed at me.
'Okay, new kid, come up and write a basic rune.'
Ah, crap, I don't know shit about runes. Instinctively, I stood up and walked down to the blackboard. The teacher looked at me strangely. After doing so, he gave me the chalk he was using.
'Write down the runes for "Light."'
Light... Right...
I turned to the blackboard.
Ai, can you take over and write the ruin for Light?
«Okay.»
My body started to feel weird. I didn't have control of my body anymore. Ai was now in control. She wrote three letters, which I've never seen before, on the board. The words seemed to float out of the board and blend into reality. The three letters then lit up similar to the Light Bulb spell. Finally, I was back in control of my body.
'Nice going. Now sit down.'
And I went back to my seat.
◈◈◈
That period went by fast and I got to understand some of the runic language. We had homeroom and then the day finally ended. The students were flushed out of the class. They were all probably heading to the dorms.
I wanted to investigate but I need some material to go on.
'Tatsuya!'
Kumiko called out to me. I waved at her as she came running toward me.
'What's up, Kumiko? Is there anything you want?'
'Well, no, actually, yes!'
Her cheeks slowly became red with her downcast eyes.
'Should we hang out?'
Kumiko said while twiddling her index fingers together. I won't lie. That display is cute and I like it, but the personality change... I don't have anything better to do, besides, Kumiko may know about the disappearances.
'Oka–'
'Tatsuya Kimihiko.'
I turned around to an unfamiliar voice.
Someone stood behind me. It was a man. His hair was blonde–it covered one of his eyes. His eyes peered at me with glistening blue eyes. The man wore a black suit. Those aren't the most eye-catching details though. His ears were... long. This dude is the textbook definition of an Elf!
'That's me...'
I said with a weak voice.
'Good. Please come with me.'
'To where will he go, exactly?'
Kumiko asked, slightly hostile. The Elf glared at her, then said his answer.
'To Principal Mori's office. He's requested to see you.'
The Principal, huh... I think I already know what they're going to talk to me about. As much as I want to hang out with Kumiko, I didn't come here to relax and play.
'Alright. I'll go.'
I started to saunter toward the Elf. He turned and started walking; I followed in suit. Turning back, I gave an apologetic look to Kumiko.
'I'll hang out with you another time.'
One would think that she would be sad, but it didn't look like it. She gave a smile that I wouldn't later be able to forget.