Part One (POV - Nicolay Gladius Dei)
Magic seems to rule this world; everything revolves around it. Ordinary people use it for everything as it somehow makes everyday life easier.
For example, in times of drought, when the sky refuses to rain, the magic of water is essential to fill wells and water crops. In cold times like winter, the magic of fire will help you heat your home and keep your family warm. Furthermore, magic is essential to live in a terrifying world like this, since there are dangers that only an expert magician can solve: Monsters, supernatural creatures, dark sorcerers, necromancers, enchanted labyrinths, magical traps, cursed artifacts and endless dangers. . . From which a human without the ability to do magic would inevitably die.
In this kingdom I am known for two things, and I am not referring to my strange hair color, which is white as snow, nor to my strange crimson eyes. There are two even more surprising things about me: my quirky sense of humor and my inability to do magic.
My name is Nicolay Gladius Dei.
The surname Gladius Dei is given to anyone who, like me, does not have a surname to boast about.
I am an orphan who was abandoned outside an old orphanage, wrapped in a blanket, along with a scroll that said:
"Please take care of little Nicolay."
This orphanage has the custom of naming anyone without a last name with the name of the institution.
The Gladius Dei Orphanage is located on the continent of Silvania, specifically in Dumbria, the Kingdom of the Dwarves.
I have lived in this orphanage for fourteen and a half years. Here I have found a home and people who care about me, like Mr. Dola and Mrs. Mila, an elderly dwarf couple who run the orphanage, as well as my inseparable friend Alistair Gladius Dei and my dear friend Lucy Moore.
We once promised that we would be adventurous and go out in search of adventure. I dream of exciting adventures, unknown landscapes and experiences that allow me to discover who I am beyond these walls.
Although it pains me to admit it, I have another reason: I would like to find my real family, to know why I am in this place.
But for someone like me, a 'no magic', that would be impossible…
I know my dream is impossible, but I have read fantastic books and stories of swordsmen from all kingdoms. People who become terribly strong without relying much on magic, which is why I train hard every day with a small wooden sword.
I will become the best swordsman in this blessed world!
Part Two
Today the magic teacher returns to the orphanage and, as always, I will practice with my sword while the other children do their incredible magic.
A warm voice interrupted.
"Nicolay… Can I train with you today too?" asked Alistair, a cute green-haired elf boy.
Alistair usually joins me in training because he's so good at magic that Master Bartholomew has started to feel a little intimidated by his impressive talent, so sometimes he lets him come with me.
"Yes, if you want. But you shouldn't neglect your magic classes. How about we train today near the magic group? That way you can hear the teacher if he comments on something you don't know."
Alistair paused, put his hand to his chin and said:
"But doesn't it bother you? You know… the other kids can be cruel to you sometimes because of your magic. I'd feel bad if any of them got in a smug mood."
"Don't worry, I'm used to that kind of nonsense. Besides, I enjoy hearing a bit of magical theory from time to time. Maybe it will come in handy one day."
"Okay," young Alistair said with a smile.
Alistair Gladius Dei is a 14-year-old boy who, despite being human, has elven blood, which makes him a half-elf. The elven race resembles humans, but with pointed ears, large eyes and fine features that make them very attractive.
Alistair has a delicate and refined appearance; If you don't pay attention, you could mistake him for a woman. Her hair is a soft shade of green that falls below her eyes, her eyes are a bright emerald green, and her skin is adorned with delicate lines of freckles. Despite his fragile appearance, his posture is upright, and he always tries to show bravery.
As we headed to the playground, Alistair and I came across the teacher scolding a wild girl, who upon seeing me left the teacher speechless and ran towards him and then threw me down.
As we made our way to the courtyard, Alistair and I came upon the professor scolding a wild girl, who upon seeing me left the professor with the word in his mouth and rushed over and then pounced on my fragile neck.
As we fell to the ground, I heard something crunch; I hope it was nothing important.
"Nicolay! That weird guy just bossed me around! Kick his ass!" shouted a cat-eared girl.
"What?"
"Kick him in the ass! That's what adventure partners do, or don't you want to go on adventures with me anymore?"
"H-wait, Lucy. The professor is just trying to teach you magic; besides, it's not that weird," I said as I felt the cat girl choking me.
"What theeeeeeee!" shouted the professor with an angry expression and the vein in his forehead about to burst.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Bartholomew. I did not choose my words well".
Professor Bartholomew looked at us with an unfriendly face, grunted and grabbed Lucy, who was on the floor on top of my injured body.
He picked her up and carried her away, but not before shouting:
"The class is about to start!"
As Alistair helped me up, we saw the silhouette of the cat girl with her tail between her legs, walking away with tears in her eyes.
Lucy is 16 years old, has semi-long reddish hair and beautiful yellow eyes typical of bestial breeds. She possesses a curvaceous figure that, at her young age, already has several boys drooling over her, however, when they try anything, she always gives them a spanking. She also has beautiful cat ears and a lovely tail that wags behind her when she is happy.
Alistair and Lucy are opposites, but they are also my best friends. Alistair often makes silly faces in front of any attractive woman, which causes Lucy to throw water on him to stop him from behaving, she says, like a dirty old man. At other times, Alistair chases Lucy around the orphanage to get her to do her homework, as Lucy tends to be easily distracted. Whenever we go out together, something happens to get us into trouble, and I usually have to figure out how to fool the adults to avoid complications.
Part Three
"Please begin the warm-ups," said the strict Professor Bartholomew.
Alistair and I were a few feet away from the group of students, but not close enough to disrupt the class.
The courtyard was a large place, and it is typically recommended to do any kind of training, be it magic or physical, outside, as little Mistress Mila looks like a giant scary demon when we make messes inside the orphanage.
In front of me was Alistair practicing an air spell called 'Caelum Blizzard'; a powerful blast of air shooting into the sky.
"I've almost mastered it! I want this blast of air to be strong enough to repel my enemies!" Said an excited Alistair with a comforting smile.
"How cool! It must be great to have an arsenal of spells for all circumstances."
"Yes, but my dream is to become the best wizard. I want to master all spells and incantations of all branches, I will become a champion!"
"Yes, if you become the best wizard and become a champion, I will be a top swordsman!" I shouted childishly as I waved my wooden sword in the air.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha."
"Ha, ha, ha, ha."
A few laughs could be heard behind me, coming from the boys who were practicing magic.
Someday I'll shut the mouths of that bunch of fools, but for now I'm just left to die of embarrassment.
Over time, I've gotten used to the teasing. I'm the kind of person who doesn't get annoyed by such things, or at least knows how to keep control, but like everyone else, there's one thing that angers me to no end: someone teasing my friends.
We continued with the training; Alistair practiced his spells while I jumped from a large rock to swing my wooden sword in the air, shouting a so-called war cry.
"Attention here! If you don't want to learn my magic, you will be punished!" Professor Bartholomew exclaimed, as he reached into an old bag and pulled out a wand.
Today I will show you how to use fire-type elemental magic: Ignis Strepitus. This is an intermediate grade spell, so before I recite the spell lightly, I need you to concentrate and carefully follow all my instructions.
Hearing the professor say that, I felt somewhat depressed.
It seems that those kids are now going to learn intermediate magic. I thought it would take longer, although I think Alistair is already in that range. Likewise, it feels bad to see how everyone is advancing, and I'm still just as useless.
Sometimes I think the fact that I can't use magic like the others is the reason I was abandoned in this orphanage. Maybe I was always a disappointment… from the moment of my birth.
"Hey, Nicolay. You know, most of those kids won't be able to master that spell because there's a trick to it."
Alistair's voice snapped me out of my depressed thoughts.
"Really?" I asked with a doubtful expression.
"Did you notice when Mr. Bartholomew pulled a wand out of his bag? Intermediate magic focuses on empowering spells at a higher level. For example, intermediate fire spells closely resemble basic spells, but require a greater amount of mana, resulting in superior range and potency. Lord Bartholomew used his wand to channel a large amount of mana and cast the spell. This is the secret that few know, but with enough practice, such as I have done without a wand, it is possible to master it, as your mana nodes are open, and thus it is easier to channel and fire the magic."
"Wow, Alistair. You're a genius. Simply put, he uses the wand like he's loading a crossbow and when it's in place, he shoots," I said to Alistair, looking at him admiringly.
Alistair struck a rather silly pose, spreading his legs and thrusting out his chest. As he wore a pleased expression, he said to me:
"Something like that, but it's a bit more complicated. First, mana is spiritual energy, which all living things rely on. Mana behaves as a moldable energy. For example; to cast a basic spell, it is important to channel the mana into the palms of your hands, but first you feel a tingling sensation that slowly travels through your stomach, passes through your chest, travels down your arms, and when it is in the palm of your hands, it doesn't explode until you visualize at what point you want the spell to go off. This involves turning on the mana nodes in your mind, as if you were turning on a water faucet. The number of spells you can cast will depend on the amount of mana your body can store. For example, there is Lucy and me. Although she is older by 2 years, I can use more powerful magic because by training my magic every day, my body gets used to it and starts to store more and more mana."
No doubt about it, Alistair is not a normal kid.
When the teacher explained to us how to use mana, he always said a different sequence of words and sometimes contradicted himself. Maybe the use of mana is different for everyone, but the way Alistair explains it so logically means that he has made an internal study of not only the use, but also the feeling of using mana. Possibly that's why he is considered a genius by everyone.
But now I have more doubts in my mind and I asked him:
"Wait a minute, if what you say is so, then how does one spell differ from another? And why is it said that mana can be like a shield in battles?"
"Very easy, because of the feeling inside you. When you perform the procedure, and you feel the mana travel until it reaches your palms, you just need to recite the spell, and you will feel how each element is different. For example, with water spells, you experience a slightly cold sensation. With wind spells, it is similar to tickling. And with fire, you feel a warm hand. Now, if what you want is to use your mana as a shield, like martial arts warriors and swordsmen, what you do is carry out the process and, when the mana is in the palm of your hand, you simply expand it to cover your whole body. This will give you a hardness like armor."
"What, you mean, strengthening the body is like casting a spell, but without actually casting it? It's as if I'm about to cast the spell and once I have the mana in my hands, I simply expand it throughout my body?"
"Exactly," Alistair replied with the same pleased expression.
"You're amazing, Alistair, did you know that? Even the professor couldn't explain the process to me. I came to think they were totally different things."
I could see Alistair's cheeks getting pinker and pinker as he praised his intelligence.
"Try it, Nicolay. Follow the steps I just told you. Maybe, once you understand the process, you can do it."
Alistair's words left me cold. Does he really want me to try? Me, who was never able to do magic in my entire life. Me, who has lived thinking I'm a freak. Now he wants to give me a little hope? But if I don't and fail again, it will be that much more painful because now that I understand the process, it would be admitting that I'm a complete talentless wretch.
"W-w-well, look, I was never able to use elemental magic. I don't want to get more depressed if I fail again," I told him as I slowly bowed my head.
"So what? If you fail again, you won't lose anything. Try it! When you get to the point where you have the mana in your hands, aim and recite: 'Ventorum' a basic air spell."
"B-b-but, Alist…."
Before I could finish the sentence, Alistair's voice interrupted me and grabbed my shoulder. He came up to my face and said:
"Nicolay, I trust you" Come on!
Part Four
At Alistair's words, I caught my breath. I nodded my head, placed my wooden sword on the ground, closed my eyes and stretched out my hands. I began to concentrate and after a few moments, I felt like a knot in my stomach.
Maybe this is the feeling Alistair was talking about… The feeling was like a void, as if I had a huge emptiness in my gut. Little by little, I noticed that the sensation started to rise in my chest, then it started to rise in my shoulders. I felt that emptiness divide into my two arms and in no time at all, I felt that emptiness in my palms. A tingling sensation, like little cramps… It was then that I made up my mind and screamed with all my strength:
"Ventorum!!!!!"
When I shouted with all my strength and soul the spell "Venturum", something happened!
It happened that a lot of mocking laughter was heard behind my back.
"JA, JA, JA, JA!"
"JA, JA, JA, JA!"
"HAHA!"
Apparently, I had made the biggest fool of my life.
Everyone was laughing, even Professor Bartholomew let out a silent chuckle. When I turned around, I saw them with their hand over their mouths to keep their laughter from echoing throughout the courtyard. I saw that the only one who wasn't laughing out of that group was Lucy, who was looking at me tenderly.
Then, she came running over and stood in front of me.
"Hey, Nicolay. Don't listen to those rude apes. You know, I don't like magic. I think magicians are lazy and can't do anything without their cheap tricks," said Lucy as she grabbed my hand.
"What" Alistair exclaimed.
"S-sorry, Alistair, I don't mean you," replied Lucy, visibly nervous.
"Nicolay, what did you feel?" Alistair asked me.
"What?"
"Tell me quickly, what did you feel? Tell me, if you didn't feel something, you wouldn't have shouted the spell at the top of your lungs. So tell me, what did you feel?"
"Well, it was strange. It felt like I had an emptiness in my gut that ran from my stomach to my hands, and when it reached my palms, I felt a little cramping. But when it came time to recite the spell, nothing happened."
"Hum, I see."
Alistair said no more and put his hand to his chin again as if he was thinking of some solution, but it's obvious. This is hopeless! I'm just a freak of nature. A reject by the god of fortune, a meaningless piece of shit, with no reason to exist in this magical world.
Suddenly, Alistair stood in front of me and bent down to pick up something from the ground. It was my wooden sword. And while he had a malevolent smile on his face, he said:
"Do you want to try something?"
"Don't you think I've had enough failures for today?" I said with a clear tone of disappointment.
"Come on, just one more time. If this doesn't work, I'll leave you alone. I swear!"
"Do you promise? I don't want to be a failed experiment…"
"Yes, I promise. What you have to do is this: do the same process, feel that emptiness until it reaches your palms and when it's there, try to spread it all over your body as if you were covered by a thin blanket. And you swing this sword. I want you to hit that rock."
Alistair handed me my wooden sword and pointed to the rock where a few minutes ago I was jumping to swing the sword in the air.
"Are you sure?" I asked with a skeptical expression.
"Yes, do it now!!"
I stood in front of the big rock and set out to try one more time. I had already been ridiculed anyway; this day simply couldn't get any worse.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, gripped the wooden sword and began to concentrate. Again, I felt that knot in my stomach, that emptiness that minutes before had deceived me. As the emptiness coursed through my chest, shoulders and arms, it finally reached my palms. Little cramps ran through my hands like tickles. Then, I gave shape to that sensation and noticed how it intensified from my hands until it covered my whole body. I opened my eyes and saw before me that big rock. At that moment, I threw my wooden sword and hit the huge rock with it.
Boom!!!
A deafening sound, like that of an explosion, almost ruptured my eardrums, followed by a strong gust of wind that blew back the explosion. A dense gray smoke completely surrounded me as small pieces of stone fell from the sky, tangling in my hair.
I couldn't see anything after the explosion and when I could finally make out something, I was in shock.
In front of me, that big rock had been split in two, it had a huge crack in the middle, leaving two rocks with the flat edge of what was once one…