Magic is a concept that humans aren't able to fully understand. There were hundreds of thousands of spells created from it but no one had been able to delve any deeper than any Archmage could.
Some speculated that Archmages were the only individuals that had a clear answer to the question: "where did magic originate from?"
Mana and Magic.
One was useless without the other.
There existed a different category of the arcane that was dedicated to finding out the mysteries of magic. It wasn't practical like what was required for casting spells.
It was known as Magic Theory.
The remaining six of original seven magic towers made it a subject which students can choose to research and become wizards in the Towers. Though it was less popular than Arcane Arts, it allowed those without mana to get involved with the study of magic.
It was far harder to join the Magic Towers but very rewarding.
There was one such girl named Ersa who had struggled through years of blood and sweat and dedication. She was manaless but she was not without motivation.
Manaless wizards were hated by society. They studied something that they weren't capable of doing themselves. Why would you study magic when you have no mana to speak of? Why not become a knight instead or better yet, get a job that suits normal humans?
She had been asked these kinds of questions many times. Her answer would stay the same:
I want to continue my grandfather's research because I, too have a love for magic. And I will definitely find a way to use magic without having mana!
That was all she ever wanted: To cast magic. Yet she was manaless. How will she get past this dilemma? She will achieve that dream by completing her grandfather's research which handles manaless casting.
But doesn't that sound ridiculous?
Yes, it does. She knew that as well but she wanted to fulfil that dream even if it was stupid or naïve.
"Good morning, Lady Melissa!" Ersa entered the office of one of the Magic Tower's most elite mages: Melissa Frin.
She was an 8th-star Elite Mage and was a former professor of the Ardark Imperial Academy. There were many who were on the same rank as her but not many who could achieve what she achieved in her ten years of service to the Tower.
Although Ersa hated this woman's bitchy personality, she couldn't help but admire how she was able to rise to the top in a field that was mostly male dominated. The Archmage was another story since she was born with talent but Melissa worked her way up and eliminated all her obstacles.
That was why Ersa respected her.
"Did you redo the assignment I gave you?" Melissa asked without even looking up from what she was reading. She was holding a magic item in her hand over a book's page.
'Is that a book about divine arcane? Why is she reading it?'
"Yes! I would like you to take a look please! I tried my best this time!" Ersa took out the assignment from her magic bag.
Melissa—unlike other professors of the Magic Tower—told her assistants to bring their assignments individually so that she can check it on her own. Most professors would let other people mark their assistants' work. Having to go over and mark almost a hundred people's work is definitely tiring.
Melissa wasn't like other professors because she wanted to look at their work first before submitting it to her superiors of the Inner Tower. This helps create a bond with her assistants since she can guide them on the right path and praise them for their good work instead of waiting for feedback by some ghost marker. Not every elite mage does this since they have so many things to do.
The bad thing though--
"Complete garbage. Did a first year academy student write this?" Melissa tore up Ersa's assignment and threw it in her face.
--was that you would insulted if your work doesn't meet her standards.
"B-But I checked for any mistakes f-from my last attempt! There weren't any this time! I even paid one of the other scholars to give me pointers!"
Ersa cried as she tried to catch the falling pieces of her assignment.
Melissa brushed her hair aside and leaned forward, "Would you like to know why I hate this assignment of yours?"
"…"
"Its lacks depth. It's as if you copied someone else's homework. You have such a bright mind. Why does your work never reflect that? I thought someone without mana becoming my assistant was ridiculous. Even my other assistants thought so because all of them come from prestigious magician families. I thought you would break in the first two months due to the difficulty of the work but no," she shook her head, "You were able to pleasantly surprise me. My colleagues were surprised as well. We thought that you just might become the first elite mage without magic potential. But this was short-lived after only seven months. My point is that your future is decided if you can't even put your skills to practice."
In other words, if she couldn't perform what she wrote on paper then there's no point in trying to become an elite mage.
"B-But no one wants to help me test my theories… They say I'm crazy…"
"Then buy a slave with mana and let them do it. Or better yet why not try buying an Elf slave from the black market? I have some connections that I can share. That's where my kindness to you will end."
High quality slaves are expensive and hard to even come by, let alone those with magic capabilities. There's a small chance that one can find a slave capable of anything above 1st rank magic.
Elves are even harder to buy. Most of them have excellent magic potential given the fact that they grow up in an environment rich with mana. Of course, this just means that they're harder to buy since they're more expensive than regular slaves with magic potential.
All in all, it was pointless.
Ersa had finally seen the bottleneck her grandfather had struggled with many times before. They couldn't put what they write into practice without help.
She had asked many people to help her with this but had always been refused. Money was the only thing she could use to persuade others to help her but she had used the last bit of her inheritance on magic equipment for her workshop.
"Unless you get rid of that pride of yours which only manaless garbage have, you won't be able to succeed when you enter the big world out there," Melissa said coldly, "Get out of my office. I expect your third and final attempt by next week."
*
Ersa didn't say a word. She only left the office as tears forced to come out.
She arrived at a tree that was standing near a pond by the garden. The second Magic Tower's main building was casting a giant shadow over where she stood. It was like a skyscraper breaking past the clouds.
It was early morning so the empire was bathed in mist. The sun wasn't that high so it was fairly cold.
Ersa looked up at the tower.
That majestic tower had birthed thousands of successful mages throughout history. Being able to call yourself an employee of the tower was an honor already.
'Will I also end up like my grandfather… Dying a lonely death after realizing that my efforts were meaningless?'
Ersa felt like giving up countless times but she always pushed through.
Her motivation was to fulfil her grandfather's goal. It's now her goal.
Her inability to cast magic was never that big a deal to Ersa before but now it felt like a curse.
Ersa pulled up her robe and looked at her wrist. Multiple slashing wounds were on her arm, each bigger than the last. A fresh wound was on her upper forearm.
She scratched her arm uncontrollably.
"All the hardships I faced, only to be called garbage…? Ha... ahahaha... Hic...."
Droplets of tears fell onto that wound.
She sniffled.
The beautiful scenery before her didn't register in her mind at all. In fact, it contrasted to how she felt.
"—Humans are really amusing when they're at rock-bottom."
The gentle voice of a man came from beside her.
"E-Eh?" Ersa hurriedly lowered her sleeve and stood up. Her eyes widened when she saw the handsome man who was standing beside her.
No, he was no man.
Even though he looked like a human, Ersa had the feeling that he was nothing like her kind. He was a being that far outclassed her kind.
A monster.
He touched her cheek and wiped her tears. His red eyes scanned her body. Ersa shivered.
He had such powerful eyes. They emitted such pressure that could make any being kneel before this man.
"A beautiful young woman with vibrant eyes determined to complete her grandfather's research. That's you, isn't it?"
"H-H-How did you—!?"
Something was in his hand. It was a file.
The file had her name on it.
"Ah…"
"I've done quite a lot of research on the young ones fresh out of the academy. Of course, I could've picked the top brass to investigate as well. I'm sure they'd have been easier to please given how human greed accumulates as one ages. But easier doesn't always mean better, right?"
"W-Why did you approach me?" she backed up as she asked.
"I have something you want. But in order to receive that something from me, you must do something for me." The man said with a smirk.
"I-I don't have any sexual experience so—"
The demon suddenly laughed, "How amusing. I assure you that it won't require you to engage in such acts."
"Uhm, I have to get back…" Ersa turned around but the man was suddenly right in front of her, "Eek!"
"Now, now. I promise you that my request will not harm you in any way nor is it a perverse request. Although it might sound easy to do, it will impact many people, including myself."
Ersa frowned.
'What do I do?'
She opened her mouth but closed it again.
The man spoke again, "Would you like to know what I'll offer you in return for your service?"
She nodded slowly.
The demon took something out of his pocket. It was a silk pouch. Something was inside of that pouch. She could tell by how heavy it looked.
"Inside of that pouch is the thing that will make your dream—nay, both your and your grandfather's dream come true," Vetis said as he opened his arms with a smirk.
Ersa hesitantly opened the pouch. Her eyes was almost blinded by a brilliant red glow, followed by a wonderful aroma.
She opened her eyes and looked inside.
"Crystals…?"
"They are commonly known as blood crystals by a small number of people who know about them."
Ersa took out the fist-sized crystal.
"Why does it smell like flowers?"
"I do not know. Every single one of them have a distinct scent similar to flowers."
"You have more? Where did these even come from?"
Ersa was part of a wizard course. The course covers every single magic crystal recorded in history and what they could do. Some magic crystals, like a city core, could power households and street lamps while others could be used to store spells(almost similar to magic sheets, only less popular among mages since the decent ones were very expensive). Magic sheets were useful to all mages regardless of their quality, which is why they are more popular.
How had she never heard of this crystal?
"I shall only reveal that if you agree to cooperate with me, Miss Ersa."
The man didn't answer her. Ersa could understand that he just wanted to protect his secrets which was common sense since both of them were strangers.
"I know this from hearsay but your grandfather wanted to make it possible for manaless people to use magic, right?"
"…That's right."
"It sounds ridiculous."
"Say what you want! He was a great man who made lots of discoveries in his life! Most of the discoveries he made were either stolen by others or he sold it at a price that was a tenth of its worth because no one believed in him! See that pole over there?" she pointed at a nearby pole which illuminates the road when it gets dark, "The light orb on that thing was perfected by him. It was impossible to use the mana of a city core to power light orbs since they explode due to the large amount of mana that the city core pumps out every day. People had to manually pump mana into the light orbs every day individually. But he managed to find a way to release all that power so that only the necessary amount is sent to each pole. Did he become rich like the man who stole his work? No! That wasn't all. You probably know about that box that is always seen in fancy carriages and buildings, right? They regulate the temperature inside a carriage or room. Who made these things, I wonder? Whose name is on those things? Definitely not Ricalson Brore, my grandfather. No, it was some 'genius' who came out of nowhere and stole all his work! The only thing everyone remembers him by is the fact that he wanted to create a way for people like me to cast magic! What's so wrong about a dream like that!? How can people laugh at it!?"
Ersa huffed deeply once she was done speaking. The man had been silently listening to her without interrupting.
He opened his mouth.
"Your grandfather sounds like a great inventor but I still stand by what I said. It is a ridiculous dream. However, what if there was actually a way for his bizarre dream to come true?"
"What… do you mean?" Ersa blinked blankly.
"I have done countless experiments to back up what I am about to tell you… This crystal—like all magic crystals you may know of—can absorb mana. The difference between this crystal and the ones you know of is the fact that they can connect to your mana channels once inside your body."
Ersa's heart pounded hard in her chest. Her eyes shook.
"I-Impossible… T-There's n-no way something like that—" she noticed the smirk that was still on the man's face.
That was a confident smile. There was no tomfoolery or pranks. It was the truth.
"…Every single mage in existence has tried to find a way to connect a human's mana channels to a magic crystal. This would allow us to restore our mana without having to buy expensive mana potions. Magic crystals can be found literally everywhere. It will surely increase life expectancy among adventurers, mercenaries and Elite Mages while in combat."
That was the benefits it could offer but no one had been able to perfect it. Ever.
Why could magic crystals power magic items and everyday utility appliances but humans can't use it to get infinite amount of mana regeneration(in theory)?
"This crystal makes it possible. It offers many other benefits but I will keep those to myself for now."
"….." Ersa looked at the crystal.
'This… This crystal can make my and grandpa's dream come true?'
"You must be wondering why I don't just approach one of your colleagues or even your superiors with this valuable crystal. The simple answer to that is because I know that your goal is pure and not full of greed. You don't want to monopolize this crystal. You only want to complete your grandfather's research and prove to the world how great of a mind he had. If I gave this precious mineral to a politician or even the people at this tower then they will try and find more of this by any means necessary. The person who I received these from is incapable of protecting his own land. I come from a nation far from here. If they—the ones who want to steal these crystals and monopolize them—decide to make a move then it will be too late to save the crystals due to the distance between our two nations. The only options we have are to either transport the crystals to my domain or keep it in that personage's territory and fight. I can eliminate small armies using my own strength but what if the entire empire decides to take these crystals from us? My knights are still not ready to go to that personage's territory so that's yet another concern of mine."
The man's long monologue came to an end. He looked down at Ersa who was still processing what he just said.
What absurdity is this? He can defeat a small army on his own? It's weird how Ersa believed that he can actually do it.
"How will I use the crystal, uhm, sir?"
"Call me Vetis, child. The simplest way is to implant this crystal in your body. It doesn't matter where you implant it, so long as it is inside your body. Mana will be drawn to it and the crystal will help you purify the mana to make it safe for magic uses."
Putting a fist-sized crystal inside one's body was too dangerous. Luckily, Ersa knew of a better way. She wasn't sure if it would work since humans only used this method to transfer the power of magic crystals into magic items.
'If I use that then I'll be able to harness the power of the crystal. The essence of this crystal might be able to fuse with my mana channels and create a way for me to absorb mana from the atmosphere like everyone else does.'
Her grandfather theorized that utilizing the power of a magic crystal was possible for humans if you turn it into particles using the method Ersa was thinking about and absorbing its power. This was a gamble since this method was only intended of transferring mana from one object to the next. It was much faster than just sucking the mana out of a crystal.
Considering how the man—Vetis—said that the crystal could connect to her mana channels, it was possible. In theory, of course.
But what mage wouldn't be a mage if they didn't experiment with magic and its secrets?
Ersa's eyes brightened as a big smile emerged on her face.
"I trust you with showing crystals to the world."
"Even though I'm just an assistant...?"
"You have my trust already. It doesn't matter what occupation you have."
"How will I even do it…?"
The part of absorbing the magic crystal's power was possible if she follows all the right steps. But how will she show everyone the magic crystal's power, assuming what the man is saying is even the truth?
Ersa is an introvert. She doesn't speak that much with others unless necessary and she doesn't have any friends. She was more worried that she'll screw this up than completing her research.
The man put a hand on her shoulder.
"You will simply show everyone how this crystal helped you complete your grandfather's goal. Everything else will play out by itself. I trust you will make suitable arrangements where necessary. Oh, do remember to have a big audience when your preparations are completed."
Ersa's eyes sparkled when she realized what he meant.
If… if she could show everyone how she uses magic despite having no mana…
It could work.
Ersa looked at the blood-red crystal. She could somehow feel that it was brimming with extraordinary power. Was this the instinct of the mage inside her?
Perhaps.
Ersa fiddled with the crystal as all sorts of thoughts went through her head.
"If you do this successfully then you shall be Arnold von Berkley's most important ally and a friend of my nation."
"Arnold… von Berkley?" she looked up but the man was gone, "Huh? Where did he go?"
'It's so creepy how he can appear and disappear without anyone's knowledge. How did he even bypass the Tower's magical defenses against teleportation spells?'
She couldn't help but shiver at that demon who she just met. Where did he come from? What was his connection to this Arnold von Berkley? Lastly, what plans does this Vetis have by advertising these crystals to the world?
Ersa didn't have to know. If it can give her the chance to complete the research her beloved grandfather lived and died for then she doesn't care what they do with the magic crystals.
If it means giving up her body and soul to this Arnold von Berkley then she'll do it without hesitation.