Claude stuffed the last of his crusty bread into his mouth, crumbs tumbling down his shirt as he straightened up, eyes fixed on the book.
He had seen Raymond treasure the book dearly, always taking his time to read through and write things on it whenever he had free time.
Claude contemplated the diary's significance to Raymond, thinking, 'It's just a diary, isn't it? Why did he treasure it so much?'
Whilst confusion hummed in his mind, his right arm reached towards the book.
Its size was rather moderate, allowing Claude to hold it in one hand. As he held the book in his hand, Claude could feel the rough texture of its leather cover. The diary was bound in faded, brown leather and its pages yellowed with age.
Gently opening the book his line of sight drifted to the contents of the first page.
The Diary of Raymond de Laval
'de Laval?'
Claude usually never heard Raymond use this surname of his. The man liked to keep his past as much a mystery to Claude as it was to everyone else in the village.
Yet here it was in the book before him.
Claude himself was previously known as Claude Claudel, he had been named after his father, adopting the surname to distinguish between them.
Which wasn't uncommon for villagers around here.
Thankfully for Claude, once he was adopted by Raymond after the passing of his parents, he was also given the surname de Laval.
Nevertheless, the surname sure was an oddity in the village. Raymond himself wasn't originally from the village, nevertheless, his surname still seemed rather uncommon.
As he continued reading the diary, Claude found himself lost in the words that littered the pages.
Year 4671 - 19th April
Having left the Elysium, I have arrived at the village. By my calculations, this should be where Asteria left her final legacy.
Year 4671 - 24th April
For the past few days, I have managed to settle in and have begun my investigation.
I do not have a clear idea of what the legacy of an ancient God may look like. However, I should start with any anomalous things that have taken place here over the years.
Year 4671 - 3rd September
I have yet to find anything that could be considered supernatural or anomalous.
However, I have found a rather bright child in the village. Claude? I think that was his name. If I do succeed in this endeavour soon, I might be able to bring this talented seedling back to the Elysium.
...
Year 4675 - 11th February
It has been a few years, and the only thing I have found was a massive tree off in a meadow nearby.
On the other hand, Little Claude has recently lost his parents due to an illness. The boy was also afflicted by it but somehow managed to live through it. Truly, only with such a will can one become a mage, unlike me...
I have now adopted the child and have begun teaching him some basic knowledge. He absorbs information incredibly well. I haven't seen such a thirst for knowledge in an adult, let alone a child. It's just... too many questions are being thrown at poor old me.
...
Year 4676 - 30th July
I have tried investigating that tree once again and have confirmed something strange about it. Despite its organic appearance, the tree's bark resisted every attempt I made to damage it as if it was composed of a material harder than any steel known to man.
I can't burn it. Can't cut it. Can't break it. There is no way this tree is purely the work of nature!
As much as I would love to inform the council of this strange tree, every time I think of writing such a letter or even stepping out of the village―I seem to forget about the tree entirely.
Year 4676 - 7th August
Ah, the years are catching up to me. I don't seem to be able to hang on for too much longer. I hope I can last till Claude is old enough to fend for himself.
...
Year 4676 - 17th September
I have given up on understanding the tree. It seems impossible to truly investigate without more... supernatural methods.
As he finished reading the final log in the diary, Claude found himself at a complete and utter loss.
As Claude processed the words before him, his mind buzzed with a mix of confusion and curiosity.
Questions swirled in his mind—what was Elysium? What legacy had Asteria left behind? Were those stories Raymond told true? And above all, what had he meant by becoming a mage?
Despite the myriad of questions bombarding his mind, something else stuck out to Claude.
Though Raymond's entries had concluded, Claude turned the page to find that the diary did not end with them.
Upon turning the page, Claude was half expecting to find it blank.
However, to his surprise, it wasn't.
The words on the pages in front of him leapt from the confines of the page and danced before his eyes.
Hello... Claude.
If you're reading this now, Claude, then you've either reached the age of sixteen or... I've left this world behind.
In either case, what you are about to see will serve as an introduction for you to a brand new world... a world unseen to the eyes of most.
As Claude flipped open the next page, unease coursed through him. He could not fathom a guess as to what he was about to learn.
After the gods fell, humanity was left vulnerable, scrambling for a new means to harness the extraordinary, to shield us from the looming threats of the subspace― a strange dimension that had existed since the dawn of time.
In their search, they came across something that had never before been seen on the continent of Arta.
Magic—an arcane power that allows its wielders to bend natural phenomena to their will...
At that moment, he felt as if he could see the very world around him crumble down and then swiftly reassemble itself.
'Magic?! It exists?'
Since being hit with tragedy after tragedy in the prior several hours, Claude could now feel as if he was about to find a new direction for his future.
One based around... magic.
Nevertheless, his overwhelming curiosity forced him to keep turning the pages of the diary.
For now, all you need to know are the first two levels of magic. Mage Apprentice and Official Mage.
In the scenario I had not shown you the method to become a mage apprentice, below is a method to learn how to sense and manipulate your mental energy―the prerequisite for casting spells and becoming a mage apprentice.
The theory behind mental energy is slightly complicated, for now, you only need to know that it is a special energy in your mind that grows with your knowledge base and experiences.
Remember, obtaining more complex and novel knowledge means greater growth in mental energy.
Next, the pages following will showcase examples of apprentice-level spells.
Remember Claude, this path is an extraordinary one. Filled with both peril and opportunity. I pray that you find yourself on this path only by your own free will.
As the final words of Raymond's letter faded before his eyes, Claude felt a tide of confusion and wonder wash over him
Did he truly want to embark on this path?
For all Claude knew, this could lead him to confront monsters like the one from before more often than he wished. Raymond had also emphasised the dangers being on this path would bring...
Yet... Claude couldn't find it in him to simply give up.
Despite the looming challenges that accompanied it, this path wasn't just a means to defend himself—it was a beacon of hope.
A hope that he might be able to find a way to escape the malignant shadow of yesterday.
'I have to... No... I want to take this path. I want to become a mage.'
Recalling the details he had just read in the book, Claude decided that he could try to sense his mental energy now.
He had nothing else to do currently.
Getting up from the chair, Claude positioned himself sitting on the ground with his legs crossed and eyes closed, whilst the diary was placed on his lap.
Taking slow deep breaths, Claude attempted to clear his mind of any distracting thoughts whilst remembering the instructions from the book.
With each breath, Claude could feel himself becoming more and more relaxed. The tension that filled his muscles slowly disappeared.
An unknown amount of time passed, yet Claude still seemed adamant in finding this strange power within himself.
As he focused his attention inward, within his mind and thoughts that he had previously thought were empty, he could sense something.
Something ebbing and flowing around his head, resonating with his thoughts and emotions.
As he continued to meditate, the elusive movement he could feel in his mind soon became more and more apparent.
He could now sense it more clearly, he could feel this... energy.
It was calm and serene, obviously hidden within the depths of his mind yet it seemed to feel completely independent from himself.
Moving to the next step, Claude attempted to manipulate this energy. Using his will, Claude kept trying to alter the flow of the energy. However, all his attempts seemed to be for nought.
The so-called mental energy seemed to simply ignore him. Despite his failures, he could feel himself gradually becoming more and more attuned to the energy.
Hours passed, yet, Claude kept at it.
He had nothing left, this extraordinary path was seemingly the only thing he could hope to rely on in this increasingly strange and dangerous world.
Furthermore, he understood there had to be more of those monsters about.
If there was only one of them, and it was the one that chased him, everyone else in the village should still be alive.
He has to find a way to become more powerful.
Only then could he be able to enact any sort of revenge and how else would he be able to protect those he cared about in the future...?
Using every ounce of his willpower, Claude kept trying to manipulate the energy over and over again.
This tug of war between Claude and the energy continued until Claude finally managed to slightly alter its movements.
'I did it?!'
As he exclaimed in his mind, his focus collapsed and he snapped out of his meditation.
However, he was elated at his success.
Delving back into a meditative trance, Claude revelled in his newfound ability.
Awe filled his body as he manipulated the energy within his body, changing its shape, changing its movements.
Crash!
As Claude delved deeper into his mental energy manipulation, a sudden, overwhelming force jolted his consciousness.
Claude could only feel an uncontrollable force warping the space in his mind. As if it was dragging him to something.
No longer was he in his house meditating... No, he now found himself within a strange space. It was mostly pitch black and seemed empty.
In the ink-black expanse, darkness melded both sight and sensation, leaving Claude uncertain if his eyes were either open or closed.
Despite there being seemingly nothing beneath him, Claude found himself standing upright with little to no effort. It was almost as if there was an invisible layer of floor beneath his feet.
The strange situation sent Claude into a near panic, however, he tried his best to calm down as he found himself yet to be in any danger.
As he managed to settle down, he involuntarily began to enter a state of meditation. Whilst in this meditative state, he was soon able to sense something.
'Is this my mental energy...?'
Perceiving the familiar presence of the energy he had just learned to manipulate, Claude found himself relaxing slightly.
He understood that he should currently be within his subconscious.
With a simple thought, a silver-white stream shot towards him from a distance.
It looked and flowed like a silver river, yet the energy itself seemed to be more reminiscent of some sort of gas.
'Is this how mental energy is meant to look...?'
However, despite feeling somewhat secure in his current situation, a question remained for Claude.
What dragged him here?
It couldn't have simply been the mental energy, as Raymond would have noted something like that down in the diary.
'No there has to be something else...'
Walking along the invisible floor and accompanied by his mental energy, Claude traversed the depths of his mind.
Yet after what felt like an eternity, Claude soon found something strange.
'Is that a tree?'
Within the depths of his mind, he found a massive tree sitting there. Its massive figure spanning a vast distance, the roots which he couldn't see in the past dug deep into the fabric of his mental space.
Despite bearing an eerie resemblance to the tree from the meadow, this one seemed far more mystical.
Its leaves turned from a deep green to a pale purple, and resplendent white dots were scattered around its branches like stars in the night sky.
'How... How did this get here?!'