When Arthur and Morgan finished discussing the intricacies of true magic, as they understood it from Nana's teachings, the sun had already begun its descent. They hurried out of the woods, the growing shadows urging them forward. Arthur wasn't worried about nocturnal predators, but his mother Elina was another matter.
"If I'm late, she'll ground me for weeks. I swear, curfew is the worst!" he grumbled.
Morgan smirked. "Maybe if you explained you were mastering life-altering magic, she'd cut you some slack?"
"Ha, fat chance. She'd just call it 'life-altering nonsense' and make me do the dishes." Arthur sighed. He wasn't going home empty-handed, though. Reaching into his pocket dimension, he pulled out a couple of fat blinkers he had saved for emergencies.
The next morning, Nana informed them that the Count had agreed to help and that a shipment of his finest books was on its way.
"Guess we'll have plenty to keep us busy," Morgan said, flipping through her own notes. "I hope it's not all dusty history. I can't take another day of memorizing dates."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Let's be honest. The history book was the size of a boulder. If we don't look interested, Nana'll bury us under it." He glanced at his grimoire, scribbling notes about tier one spells. He only kept the essentials: the name, hand signs, pronunciation, and a short description for each spell.
"Why bother with the details?" Morgan asked, leaning over his shoulder. "You've already got real magic down."
"Yeah, but if Nana tests me, I need to look convincing. Besides, memorizing fake spells helps me predict and counter them if anyone else uses them against me. Annoying as it is, it's worth it."
Morgan nodded. "Makes sense. Still, seems like overkill. You're already a walking spellbook."
Arthur shrugged. "Preparation never hurt anyone."
The spell Arthur was most excited to test was Floating Body, an air magic incantation that allowed anything under 100 kilograms to hover midair. He explained its many uses as they walked: braking a fall, transporting the injured, moving silently without leaving tracks.
Morgan raised an eyebrow. "So, basically, a hunter's dream spell. Sounds handy."
"Exactly. I've tried floating myself before, but balancing my whole body while casting? Not easy. I always end up spinning like a top or upside down."
"Maybe you're just not cut out for it," Morgan teased. "Leave the aerial stunts to me."
Arthur smirked. "Oh, we'll see about that. I'm going to nail this spell."
After lunch, they returned to the woods. Arthur focused on the spell's magic word, "Brezza Ri Lak," getting the pronunciation just right before moving on to the intricate hand signs.
Morgan sat cross-legged nearby, watching with a mix of curiosity and amusement. "Don't forget to breathe. You look like you're trying to juggle invisible eggs."
"Laugh it up," Arthur shot back. "You'll be eating those words when I'm floating circles around you."
After a few tries, Arthur managed to cast the spell. He hovered a few inches off the ground, his arms flailing slightly to maintain balance. "Whoa, this feels... weird. It's not one strong gust holding me up but hundreds of tiny ones, all perfectly balanced."
Morgan clapped slowly. "Congratulations, you're officially a human balloon."
Arthur ignored her, conjuring weak winds to maneuver. "This is amazing! The possibilities are endless. Why is this just a tier one spell?"
"Probably because it only lasts a minute," Morgan pointed out.
Arthur's triumphant grin faltered as he plummeted to the ground. He landed with a groan, glaring at Morgan. "Thanks for the reminder."
They spent the rest of the afternoon experimenting, but mastering the spell proved harder than expected. Arthur grew increasingly frustrated.
"This is so annoying!" he vented. "Learning two versions of every spell is a nightmare. If I just stuck with Floating Body, I'd have to memorize every advanced tier, and who knows when I'd finally get to actual flight. But with true magic, once I get the basics down, the rest should come naturally."
"Keep telling yourself that," Morgan said. "But maybe take a break before you burst a blood vessel."
Arthur groaned but relented. By the next morning, he had yet to perfect Levitation.
When the crate of books arrived, Nana handed it to them with a stern warning. "If they were mine, I wouldn't let you take them out of my sight. Don't abuse the Count's generosity."
Arthur and Morgan sifted through the books eagerly. "Hey, these aren't all history," Morgan said, holding up a biography of a famous Magus. "Looks like bedtime reading just got interesting."
Arthur grinned. "Finally, something useful."
Over the next few weeks, they divided their efforts. Arthur memorized tier one spells while Morgan summarized key points from the Count's books. They collaborated on refining Levitation, improving its foundations bit by bit.
"You're getting there," Morgan encouraged after a successful hover. "Not quite hero-level flight yet, but progress is progress."
"Give me another month, and I'll be soaring through the skies," Arthur replied, determination burning in his eyes.
By the time he perfected Levitation, Arthur had also mastered the tier one spells. He carefully timed his progress to appear just impressive enough to Nana.
When he demonstrated his skills, Nana was genuinely impressed. "You've done well, Arthur," she said. "Few your age could manage this much, let alone with such precision. Perhaps I underestimated you."
Arthur beamed at the praise, but he wasn't done yet. As he assisted Nana in her practice, healing minor injuries and diagnosing ailments, he began to understand her deeper role in the village.
"She's not just a healer," Arthur told Morgan one evening. "She's their protector. Bandits, nobles, anyone who tries to mess with Lutia ends up regretting it."
Morgan shrugged. "Maybe she's not as money-hungry as you thought."
Arthur wasn't convinced. The next time Nana defended the village, he approached her cautiously. "Master, I've got to say, it's amazing how much you do for the people here. Keeping them safe, asking for nothing in return—"
Nana cut him off with a booming laugh. "Oh, you sweet, naive child. Do you think I do all this out of the goodness of my heart? Have you ever wondered why my treatments are so expensive?"
Arthur blinked, her laughter echoing ominously. Clearly, there was more to her story than met the eye.