"You are telling me that an object imbued with mana can work at the hands of the ordinary folks". Says Mikeal, intrigued to know how it works.
Siveth shook her head in response to Mikeal's ignorance. She couldn't blame him for not knowing as he was not exactly born into the right world of his heritage.
"There was a time, a past far distant from what we know now. In that era, mages tried to have their voices heard. They stood up against persecution at the hands of the majority, they sought to devour the order of the world and place themselves in control".
"The world of the supernatural wanted to merge with the world of the ordinary. However, the world of the ordinary was not willing to accept the world of the supernatural as one of their own. And so... A war broke out, one that stretched from continent to another and became the very first world war involving all kinds".
"The world of the ordinary had numbers on their side, but not the explosive power to match with those of the supernatural. They were stronger, faster, durable. The world of the ordinary stood no chance against them. So?... they sought out a way to even the playing fields".
"After relentless search and a desperate desire to win the war, the world of ordinary finally came across an object that would later be the centre of their victory, glorified as the reason they had the win against the world of the supernatural".
"The mana stone!".
"Yes. To match up against the overwhelming might of the mages, the ordinary harnessed the powers of the mana stone. They channelled its power by refining it to its closest form and with it forged enchantments".
Mikeal hummed with questions in his mind. He once again looked at the sword he was holding. He was not convinced.
"The mages of the past must have been on the weak side to be defeated by something of this level".
The katana in his hand sure is special when placed against other normal swords. But with him as a mage, he feels nothing other than questions on how the katana could cut his vines and the lacklustre energy he felt from it.
That was what made the katana special in the eyes of Mikeal. It wasn't the thought that the katana could take him on in battle, irrespective of its wielder.
"What you are holding is a watered-down version of the real deal. Enchantments come in ranks the same way mages do. There are a total of four ranks; Epic as the lowest rank, then comes Unique, Legendary and lastly, the Mythic rank said to be the strongest of them all".
"The one in your hand is at most an epic rank enchantment. Its power pales in comparison to the ones used in the past. It is only natural that you do not feel threatened by it".
"What you are saying is out there, there is a weapon that can be wielded by ordinary people to rival the mages?".
It was a big deal of information to take in. Not speaking about mages to mages but about weapons that ordinary people can wield!!
First, he has to deal with the knowledge of him as a mage and accept that there are other mages, some bad and others undecided. And now a weapon for ordinary people to make them extraordinary!!
"How does it work?! The enchantment, how does it empower the ordinary".
Mages can shift from a conjurer aspect to an enhancement aspect. The conjurer focuses on using their abilities to create wonders while the enhancement focuses on making them physically stronger.
He is sure that one of the two processes can allow the mage to snatch away the enchantment, especially if it's something like a sword.
So without the enchantment, wouldn't that leave them vulnerable?!
"The enchantment buffs their physical and mental state to an unlikely realm. The effect of the buff is decided based on the enchantment rank and the potential of the one that is being buffed".
'The bandit leader must have been a man without potential if that was the best he could do with a weapon like this at his disposal'. Mikeal thought.
"An assassin mage, a weapon to rival the abilities of a mage, getting the youths back from Count Grayad, and improving the living condition of the village. The list of things I have to worry about just keeps on piling up by the minute".
Mikeal swung the katana once before stretching it over to Anna. Confused, she looked at the katana and looked at Mikeal then at the katana again.
"It is a magic sword that can amplify your physical state given the right directions. As one with mana flowing in his body, the sword is useless to me. That makes you the next best person around to inherit it".
Physically he is superior and could always buff himself when the need arises. The same cannot be said for Anna.
If her goal is to forever serve at Mikeal's side, he will need her to be more beneficial than a liability. For now, she might have accomplished a lot, but Mikeal speculates on the future.
When comparing opposite elements, wood is weak to the effect of fire. A fire mage was sent to kill him?! It's too much suspicion to rule out as a coincidence.
Whoever sent the assassin after him knows about him, about his life as a mage, about his element and about what element can antagonise him.
The only conclusion is that whoever sent Marcus has enough mages at their disposal to designate this particular mage for this particular mission where they will have an upper hand.
If Mikeal is right and if ever there is going to be another mage sent to kill him? When that time comes he needs to be sure that he can rely on Anna to be more than just an incompetent human in the world of the supernatural.