Karna went in front of Makrov the next day, He had a resolute expression on his face. Makrov looked at him for a while then asked,
"Have you decided?",
"Yes, please teach me magic spells. I want to become a mage as well."
A complicated expression flashed on Makrov's face. He asked,
"Are you sure? Only a few ones-in-a-million genii can accomplish this. I can give you more time to think, It's not easy to use 'Aura' And 'Mana' at the same time."
"No, teacher. I'm sure about this. I know that you must think that I'm being overconfident and arrogant, But I still want to learn magic."
Makrov looked at Karna deeply, He sighed,
"Alright, if that's your wish then I won't stop you. But I will be very disappointed if you give up because of failure." Makrov said sternly.
"I understand Teacher, I will never fail!"
"Fine!" Makrov said and brought up a book, a manual, and a spherical transparent orb.
"First of all, this is a low-grade Mana Affinity Manual for you, although it's a low grade but it's still better than any other low-grade manual," Makrov said pointing at the manual.
"This is the 'Guide for apprentice Mages' Book. There are a few important things in there, and also some apprentice-level spells. The first thing you will learn is to freely move and interact with Mana as much as possible. This depends on how much affinity you have with Mana. The more you have, the faster you can cast spells. When you have mastered a few of the spells which align with your elements, then you will officially be considered as a Mage apprentice. Any questions?"
"How do become a Rank 1 Mage?"
"You brat, First become an Apprentice then think about the future," Makrov said pretending to be angry.
Startled, Karna said, "Ah, so- sorry. Teacher."
"Alright. Now let's see what your attributes are. But before that, let me tell you what Attributes mean."
Karna nodded,
"There are 8 Attributes in Magic. Which are Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Wood, Holy, Dark, and Special. As you might have guessed, your Attributes decide which Magic Spells you can cast the best. There are specific spells for each attribute and it's almost impossible to learn spells of the attribute you do not have."
Karna nodded and asked in curiosity,
"Teacher, I can understand the other attributes. But what about the Holy, Dark, and Special attributes?"
"Holy Attribute was discovered by the first pope of the Holy Vatican Empire. It is also referred to as the 'Light attribute' by those who are against the Vatican. The Holy Attribute is useful for Healing Magic, Support Magic, and Defensive Magic. It is also extremely lethal against the 'Dark' Attribute."
"Doesn't look like a big deal to me" Karna muttered in a low voice unknowingly. But how could a Rank 5 Mage not hear it?
"Hehe, Ignorance! You had promised me not to underestimate anyone. Let me tell you. 500 years ago when The 7th High-ranked Dark Mage 'Meki' Unleashed a calamity of undead disaster, it was the Vatican's Paladins and Templar Mages who Stole the show. The undead weave was so frightening that it almost brought the whole world to its knees. Only the Vatican had the most effective measures against them."
Karna was surprised, although he read in the history book about this incident he did not know that it was this frightening.
Seeing Karna's shocked face, Makrov said in a serious tone,
"Take this as my first lesson to you, The fanatics of The Vatican Empire are more dangerous than they seem to be. They will act righteous and kind in front of you and then immediately become toxic vipers behind your back. Between various conflicts around the continent, they extend 'help' to nations in the name of 'World peace' And ask for 'Benefits' as 'Compensation'."
Makrov stopped for a while. He continued while seizing up Karna's reactions,
"Tell me, what would happen if your forces suddenly become fearless and gained extra stamina all of a sudden? or what will happen if your soldiers heal and regenerate for a short period in a battle?"
Karna understood immediately. Such effects can easily change tides of wars depending on how they are used.
"I was truly ignorant! The 'Holy' Attribute and by extension, 'The Holy Vatican Empire' is not to be underestimated." Karna said in understanding.
"Good! Now let's talk about the 'Dark' Attribute. The 'Dark' Attribute can allow one to invoke curses, create diseases, and reanimate corpses. It also has it's Dark Spells' Which are extremely vicious. Always remember this, the Slightest hesitation will get you killed while battling a Dark Mage. Always consider every Dark Mage as a Lunatic who might go against all logic. So keep your logic aside when dealing with them. Although not all Dark Mages are bad... being cautious is always better than being dead. Hahaha..."
Realizing his joke wasn't funny, Makrov stopped abruptly.
"Ahem, There are more things about Dark Mages that you should know but this much is enough for now. Let's talk about the 'Special' Attribute." Makrov said with a somewhat regrettable face.
"The 'Special' Attribute is truly mysterious, it can be related to your bloodline, or it could be a Gift by birth. But one thing is sure, every mage hopes to have The Special Attribute if possible." Makrov said with regret, it seemed he too wished for a special Attribute.
"Why is that?" Karna asked curiously.
"It's because the 'Special' Attribute can give you miraculous powers or skills. For example, 'Time' or 'Space' and who knows many more. Who do you think creates Teleportation Gates And Spatial Rings? it's all the doing of a 'Space' Attribute holder." Makarov said hopelessly
"Oh! I can imagine how valuable the Special attribute must be! But, how can it be used in battle?"
"You! battle junky! I told you that magic isn't just for battle, didn't I?" Makarov said angrily.
"Forgive me, Teacher. I was just curious." Karna said embarrassingly.
"Sigh, Fine! Spatial Power users can use the 'Blink' Spell to teleport in a short distance and strike the enemy, it's also useful for escaping. And as for 'Time', there's not much data, this power is very very rare."
"However, There are other various powers In the 'Special' Attribute which are not as rare as 'Time', But they are also somewhat rare and most of the mages with the special attribute like to use it as a trump card. Special attributes can also grant you Rare skills."
"I understand, I hope I have the special attribute too, hehe."
"Hmph! in your dreams, Special attribute isn't piled up here and there like cabbages!" Makrov said smugly.
The teacher and Student looked at each other for a moment and burst out laughing.