Leaving the Grimoire Tower and treading the familiar path back home, Ivan couldn't help but thoroughly inspect his new grimoire. Beside him, Minerva watched amusedly as he turned page after page, the initial emptiness of the book not dissuading his curiosity. To his delight, he discovered two pages already inscribed with newfound spells.
He wasn't surprised by the grimoire's blank pages. It was common knowledge that most grimoires start empty, only filling with spells as their owners grow and develop. As a mage matures and strengthens, so too does their grimoire, reflecting their personal journey and inscribing new magic upon its pages.
Before long, they approached Ivan's home, the comforting scent of home-cooked food wafted through the air. His mother, Lucy, greeted them at the doorway, her face lighting up with a warm smile.
"Welcome back!" She exclaimed, her eyes brimming with happiness, while opening the door wide for them.
"Mom, you didn't have to do all this." Ivan began, but Lucy waved him off, urging him to sit at the table.
"Go on, sit down." She insisted, her tone brooking no argument.
Ivan and Minerva sat down while Lucy returned to the kitchen. Moments later, she and Minerva began bringing out an array of dishes, placing them carefully on the table.
The aroma of roasted meats, freshly baked bread, and savory stews filled the room, making Ivan's stomach rumble in anticipation. Lucy had clearly gone all out to celebrate this major event in her son's life.
Ivan's eyes widened in surprise. "Mom, this must have cost a lot of yuls." He said, worry tinging his voice.
Though not poor, his mother made a modest living as a magic tool craftsman, repairing and selling her creations to make ends meet.
Lucy waved off his concern with a bright, nonchalant smile. "Don't worry about that, Ivan. This is a milestone in your life. You're an adult now, and that's worth celebrating."
Ivan's worry melted away, replaced by gratitude and a deep sense of love for his mother. He looked at Minerva, who returned his smile, sharing in the joy of the moment.
…
Later that evening, as the sky deepened into a mix of red and purple hues, Ivan and Minerva found themselves in an abandoned clearing in the forest, a secluded spot far from the bustling farming fields where they often honed their magical abilities.
The clearing, bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun, was their sanctuary—a place where they could train without interruption.
Despite his commoner status and lineage, Ivan had been born with a strong affinity for mana and exceptional magical power, which he considered a boon of his reincarnation. This natural talent, coupled with his love of magic, made it easier for him to harness and use his abilities.
Minerva, despite her family's fallen status, retained the bearing of a noblewoman and naturally possessed an exceptionally high level of magic power.
However, talent alone wasn't enough. To truly excel, they had to train rigorously and master the second crucial parameter that measured a mage's strength, control.
As they stood in the clearing on opposite sites, the familiar tranquility of the forest enveloping them, Ivan turned to Minerva, his eyes alight with determination. "Let's see what our new grimoires can do." He said, excitement infusing his voice.
Minerva nodded, her own eyes mirroring his resolve. "Right. Let's give it our all."
With their shared declarations, Ivan's grimoire left the new satchel attached to his belt and levitated before him, glowing a brilliant yellow as mana surged through him.
Minerva followed suit, her grimoire rising gracefully into the air and glowing with a soft, azure light as she channeled her mana. The two grimoires turned their pages simultaneously, as if guided by an unseen hand, until they each arrived at the pages containing their newly revealed spells.
Bracing herself, Minerva raised her hand, and declared, her voice steady and powerful. "[Crystal Magic: Growing Crystal Thorns]"
From beneath her feet, pink thorn-like crystals erupted, growing rapidly and snaking towards Ivan with alarming speed.
"[Archive Magic: Protect]" Ivan responded, his voice clear and confident. Already familiar with Minerva's fighting style, he swiftly conjured multiple yellow screens of light, positioning them to form a barrier like wall against the advancing crystals. The sharp pink thorns crashed against the shields, shattering on impact.
Ivan's eyes narrowed as he noticed the relentless growth of the thorns. His shields, though sturdy, were starting to crack under the continuous assault, spiderweb fractures spreading across their surface.
Sensing they were on the verge of breaking, Ivan concentrated his mana in his legs and leaped back, covering a considerable distance in a single bound. The ground where he had stood moments before was immediately overrun by the surging crystals, which twisted and branched like a living, predatory tree.
Now at a safer distance, Ivan didn't waste a moment. He raised his hand, his grimoire glowing as he prepared his next spell. "[Archive Magic: Overload]" He declared. Instantly, multiple magical screens materialized in front of Minerva, shimmering with potent energy.
Minerva, sensing the impending attack, quickly crouched and touched the ground. "[Crystal Magic: Crystal Pentagonal Dome]" As she chanted, a dome of pink crystals erupted from the earth, enveloping her in a protective barrier.
Ivan's screens detonated simultaneously, unleashing a powerful explosion of magical energy that collided with Minerva's crystalline dome. The force of the blast sent shockwaves rippling through the clearing, scattering leaves and debris.
Seeing Minerva slightly panting, Ivan couldn't help but remark. "Using such powerful magic one after another must have really drained your mana."
Minerva, determined as ever, replied stubbornly, "Not yet. Here I come." Her grimoire flapped rapidly before settling on a new spell.
"[Crystal Creation Magic: Magic Sapphire Cannon]" She declared, creating a prism of blue crystal hovering in the air, surrounded by four blue diamond-shaped crystals. The prism's tip began to glow, building up an immense amount of magical power.
As she fired the spell, the mana blast illuminated her smiling face. Minerva couldn't help but recall a distant yet close memory. Ivan, sitting under a tree after one of their training sessions, drinking water casually. She had sat beside him, holding her knees together, and asked. "Why do I always lose against you even though I have greater magical power?"
Ivan, watching the setting sun, had replied earnestly, raising his hand as if to grasp the sun. "Magic isn't just about raw power. Lacking creativity or imagination makes for a worthless or dead mage. Your mind is your magic's killer."
Now, Ivan stood not far away, clearly seeing her crystal construct and feeling the concentrated and sharpened magic. His expression turned serious as his index and middle fingers glowed with mana. With a swift stroke of his hand, a large white magic circle appeared before him, meeting the incoming mana laser head-on.
As the beam collided with his magic circle, Ivan's mind drifted back to his early days of training. He remembered the struggles he faced with his 'Archive Magic', which initially seemed to lack offensive capabilities. Though he could use the virtual panel as a shield, it didn't offer the raw power that many of his peers' magics did.
Undeterred, Ivan had seized his fascination with magic and dedicated himself to the study of mana and magic theory. He spent countless hours researching and experimenting, driven by an insatiable curiosity. His efforts eventually led him to the discovery of rune arrays, intricate designs that could be used to create powerful magic circles.
This breakthrough allowed him to develop 'Trap Magic', a unique form of magic that utilized rune arrays to set a variety of magical traps. Ivan had emulated Zora Ideale, a future member of the Black Bulls, who had also mastered this form of magic.
With his 'Archive Magic' granting him access to a vast database of stored arrays, Ivan could set those magical traps almost instantly, without needing much time to write them out.
"[Archive Trap Magic: Full Counter]" As Ivan declared, his grimoire flipped open with a new page inscribed in an instant. The magic circle absorbed the mana beam, glowing intensely. Raising his hand high, he directed the magic circle into the air, reflecting and firing the now double-powered beam high into the sky.
The beam traveled high before exploding in a shower of scattered visible mana, akin to fireworks, lighting up the now dark clearing.
Ivan, now breathless, marveled at the display of Minerva's spell. "That was incredible, Minerva. What kind of magic was that?"
He turned his eyes to her, only to find Minerva lying on the ground, clearly weakened. Panic surged through him as he ran to her side. "Minerva?" He called out, his voice filled with worry.
Minerva, her magical power completely exhausted, managed a weak smile. Her eyes fluttered as she fought to keep them open. "Still impressed by my magic?" She whispered, her voice barely audible. "As expected… I pushed myself… to keep up with you…"
Ivan's expression softened, concern deepening. "Minerva, you overdid it! That spell was amazing, but you shouldn't push yourself so hard." He gently lifted her head, cradling it in his lap.
Minerva's breathing was shallow, but she forced another smile. "I just wanted… to show you… that I've been working hard too…" Her eyes soon closed, her body succumbing to the fatigue.