novelraw Chapter 81 – Basic Magic
Chapter 81 – Basic Magic
The next morning, I opened my eyes to the soft, sleepy presence beside me—Selena, the silver-haired princess, still wrapped in dreams. Her breathing was steady, her face relaxed under the gentle light from the magic lamp. For a moment, she didn’t look like a mysterious elf with a cursed legacy, but just a girl—peaceful and undisturbed.
I had intended to sleep on the living room sofa, but she insisted otherwise. Apparently, in her words, “It’s unthinkable for a kid to sleep on a sofa while an adult takes the bed.” And so, she forced me to share the bed. Thankfully, it was spacious enough—clearly built for at least two adults, probably shared by her and her late master in the past.
Still, it came with... complications.
If I kept sleeping beside her every night like this, I wasn’t sure how long my adult mind—trapped in a kid’s body—could hold out. For now, I could brush it off with a sigh and self-discipline. But a few years down the line?
I sighed before I quietly slipped out of bed, changed out of my pajamas, and checked the window. It was still dark outside.
<“Aza, wh–”>
【It’s 3:10 AM, Master.】
As expected of my talking clock.
I stepped out into the cool dawn air, beginning my usual physical training routine. Back when I was a slave, this sort of regimen helped keep my body sharp and my mind grounded. Now, it served as a calming ritual. Since Selena hadn’t given me a training plan yet, I just stuck to what I knew.
That, and... I’d decided to share my status with her eventually.
Not all of it—just the raw attributes. I’d keep my cheat skills and hidden talents to myself for now. The world didn’t need to know everything.
Or maybe… my trust issues just hadn't gone away, buried deep in my heart.
Selena may seem kind, but we’d only known each other for a few days. Who knows, after I cured her, she will kill me perhaps?
In any case, I can’t judge the true nature of someone in just a few days.
By the time the sky began to soften with early orange light, the aroma of something delicious wafted out from the kitchen. My nose twitched. The smell of herbs and roasted root vegetables—simple, hearty, comforting. I wandered back toward the house and peeked into the kitchen.
Selena stood at the stove, still in her pajamas, an extra pink apron tied over them. She looked surprisingly domestic for someone who had countless magic stones.
“Is there something I can help with?” I asked.
“Oh, Freed. Morning.” She turned, smiling. “No, no need. You should go take a bath. Breakfast will be ready when you’re done.”
After a refreshing wash in her magically-heated bathroom—still a marvel to me—we sat down and shared a meal together. Afterwards, while she bathed, I jogged around the house perimeter to keep my momentum going. By the time she returned, freshly dressed and hair still damp, it was finally time to start training.
We stood outside in a small clearing behind the house. The grass was soft beneath our feet, and the early light gleamed across the canopy overhead.
Selena crossed her arms as she reviewed the status window I had shown her.
“Your stats aren’t balanced, Freed.”
“Well, that can’t be helped,” I replied with a shrug. “I wasn’t allowed to use aura or mana until recently, remember?”
“Still,” she said, tapping her chin, “that means your body is disproportionately developed while your magic and aura capacities are lagging. So let’s focus there first—training your magic alongside your mana reserves. Show me your light and fire magic.”
Nodding, I extended my hand and conjured a five-pointed star with light mana. The star shimmered in the air, faintly glowing white. When I released it, it drifted a short distance before fading harmlessly.
“No chanting…? That’s already impressive,” she said, arching an eyebrow.
“Chanting?” I tilted my head. “You mean yelling out your magic? Is it necessary?”
“Freed…” She sighed deeply. “Yes. Most people chant to focus their image more clearly. Beginners especially. Even advanced mages chant when casting high-tier magic.”
“I see… I just thought it was something kids did to sound cool.”
She gave me a look.
“You’ve never been formally taught, have you?”
“Nope.” I shook my head. “I first used magic while practicing alone. Then, that incident happened, so I never had a chance to show it to anyone else.”
Unless you count the bandits I used it on.
“...So you are not just boasting when you call yourself a genius.” She murmured.
Huh…? Is it considered genius to use magic chantlessly?
If what she said was true, then…
<“Aza, how come Sis Celes could also use magic without chanting?”>
【That wasn’t actual magic. What she used was water manipulation. A basic skill that draws on mana directly—it doesn’t require chant formulas.】
<“So you knew this was rare… You knew I’m a genius and never told me?”>
【I said you were good at imagining things. What more praise do you need?】
This girl!
Next, I conjured a blade of fire, letting the wind element remain hidden for now.
*Slash*
It cut through about a fifth of a single tree.
Selena nodded approvingly. “Can you use a fireball or a light blade yet?”
“Nope.”
“Then try learning them.”
I closed my eyes and focused. I imagined not the light but the fire gathering, not into a ball—but a hovering, star-like sphere in my palm. It flared into existence moments later, a small, five-pointed crimson flame that pulsed gently in the air.
“A star again?” Selena giggled. “You really like that shape.”
“Uhh… Well…”
【How childish.】
<“Shut up.”>
Selena didn’t tease me further, though. Instead, she smiled warmly.
“It’s fine. I think it’s beautiful. Especially your light magic.”
I blinked.
I hadn’t expected praise.
Now I wasn’t sure who the real angel was anymore.
【I felt you just think of something rude, Master.】
<“I'm just wondering who the real angel is.”>
【Of course it’s me.】
<“Then you should say good things to me like how a real angel should be.”>
【I don’t want to.】
<“....”>
Ignoring the fake angel, Selena continued to instruct me.
“By the way, can you turn your blade magic into star-shaped too?”
“I haven’t tried it, but I think I can.”
“Then try it with your light element.”
“Okay.”
I focused again and began forming a light-elemental blade, shaped like a star. Unlike the earlier star that faced forward like a shield, this one lay flat above my palm, its surface facing the sky.
Then I tried to imagine each side with a sharp edge.
The first side honed easily.
However, when I imagined sharpening the other side…
*BOOM!*
“Ugh…”
The small star exploded in my hand. A minor blast, but it left my palm scorched.
“Freed! Are you okay? Heal!”
Selena rushed to me, quickly casting a healing spell with a worried frown. Her hands were warm, gentle.
I couldn't help but chuckle.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Just yesterday, you were declaring yourself my future wife. Now you’re acting like my mom.”
Her eyes narrowed playfully. “You’re still a kid. Kids get hurt easily. I can’t marry you if you die before growing up.”
I blinked. I was trying to tease her—but she turned it right back on me immediately. She didn’t even blush, unlike my sisters.
“Anyway,” I sighed, “the magic failed. The moment I tried sharpening each side, it just blew up.”
“Hmm…” She stepped back, folding her arms. “Can you wrap your body with aura while using magic at the same time?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “I succeeded once when I fought the bandits. But I haven’t tried it again.”
“I see. Well, the principle is basically the same. You think two different things at the same time to be able to use aura and magic. But for your star blade, there are 10 edges.”
“Does that mean I should imagine 10 different things at the same time? Isn’t that impossible?”
“No. It’s not 10 different things because what you need for each edge is the same: to be sharp. So you should imagine all the edges to be sharp at the same time instead of visualizing them one by one. Try it. It might be easier than using aura and mana simultaneously.”
I nodded and tried again—this time shifting my mindset. I didn’t focus on each edge, but on the star as a single, uniformly sharp shape. A coherent concept.
The star formed.
It didn’t explode.
With a flick of my wrist, I hurled it toward a nearby tree.
*Thud.*
It embedded itself slightly in the bark before dispersing.
Selena clapped lightly, her expression proud. “See? Told you.”
I stared at the fading light and smiled faintly.
“Hmm…” Selena tilted her head as she watched the lingering glow of my fading star blade. “You should try spinning it. If you give it rotation, it might be able to cut better—like a buzzsaw.”
“Alright, I’ll give it a try.”
I conjured another light-elemental star and this time imagined it spinning in place. Once it felt steady, I threw it horizontally toward a tree at the edge of the clearing.
*Slash* *Slash*
*Rumble*
My eyes widened as two trees toppled in succession, their trunks neatly severed where the star sliced through them.
“I… I did it!”
My original blade had never cut more than halfway through a single tree, but this—this had sliced through two in one go. Same mana, more damage. At the very least, it had 1.5 times the cutting power.
“If you try it with fire, you might cut even more,” Selena said, arms crossed in amusement.
“Really!?” I beamed.
“Yup. By nature, fire has better penetration than light. Give it a shot.”
Excited, I repeated the process, this time focusing on my fire element. The five-pointed star ignited in crimson, its rotating edges glowing with searing heat.
*Slash* *Slash* *Slash*
*Rumble!*
Three trees fell.
My mouth dropped open.
“It really is stronger,” I murmured. “Even more than I expected. My fire star blade is six times more powerful than my normal fire blade…”
Selena, meanwhile, had her own thoughts. “Powerful, but inefficient.”
I blinked, confused. “Inefficient?”
She nodded. “What you just did—creating the star, sharpening it, and then adding spin—you did it in three stages, right?”
“Well… yeah.”
“That’s fine for target practice. But in a real fight? That delay could get you killed.”
She held up her fingers and began counting.
“You’re splitting your focus into too many steps: shaping, sharpening, spinning. And in an actual battle, you’ll also have to dodge, defend, maybe even maintain your aura.”
I nodded slowly, understanding starting to settle in.
“Most people,” she continued, “don’t reshape their magic at all. They use the default form, focus all their intent into power or speed, and fire it off. Trying to micromanage a fancy spell mid-fight usually leads to failure—or death.”
I frowned. “So… it's cool magic, but useless?”
“Not necessarily.” Her smile turned sly. “Didn’t you say yesterday that you were a genius? Or were you just bluffing?”
“I wasn’t bluffing!”
“Then prove it. You just need to imagine all of it simultaneously. Look.”
She raised her hand. A spinning, four-pointed white fire shuriken appeared instantly, floating just above her palm. Its blades were short and razor-sharp, glowing with concentrated heat, while a roaring orb of white flame pulsed at the center like a miniature sun.
<“I-Isn’t that… Rasenshuriken!?”>
I screamed internally.
It looked almost exactly like that legendary jutsu from a certain ninja anime—except hers was smaller and blazing with white flame instead of wind. Still, the resemblance was uncanny enough to make my weeb soul—my inner anime fan—tremble.
It hovered there for a moment, emitting a high-pitched hum, then with a casual throw of her hand—
*Swoosh!*
One. Two. Three. Four. Five.
The spinning shuriken flew like a bullet, piercing straight through many trees in a line. I couldn’t even see how far it had gone—all I saw were the clean holes burned through the trunks in the distance.
My jaw dropped.
“That… was ridiculous.”
She dusted her hands with a playful flourish. “Now that’s what it means to be called a genius.”
I stared at her. “Wait… does that mean you really call yourself a genius too, Master?”
Her reply was immediate and unapologetic. “Of course. I’m proficient in both light and fire magic, skilled in aura, developed my own techniques, invented magic tools, and even created my own sword style. If that doesn’t count as genius, I don’t know what does.”
She beamed, as if listing off mundane achievements.
I swallowed hard.
I didn’t think she was bluffing. The level of genius between me and her was like an ant and a sun.
But then, her expression shifted—more serious now. Her golden eyes fixed on me.
“And even for someone like me, it still took five full years to learn heavenfire.”
I blinked.
I saw it then—that flicker of something behind her words. Not teasing, not playful. Just... honest.
“Can you—who haven’t even properly trained your elements—master it in three?”
Her tone wasn’t mocking.
It was challenging.
I hesitated. The pressure weighed heavy, but then I clenched my fists, stepping forward.
“I don’t care how impossible it sounds,” I said. “Even if I have to go beyond my limits—I’ll do it. I will save you.”
Then, without thinking, I bowed deeply. “So please, teach me, Master!”
For a moment, silence. Then her hand reached out and ruffled my hair gently.
“Thank you. I’m looking forward to it.”
I smiled… until—
“By the way, I lied.”
I blinked. “Huh?”
“I never actually called myself a genius.” She gave a cheeky grin. “I’ve just lived longer than most humans. I’ve had time to practice.”
I stared, stunned. “W-What?”
She giggled. “I just wanted to see how serious you were. But don’t worry—the things I said about my abilities are all true.”
“Still… isn’t that a lot to reveal to someone you just met?”
She looked off into the trees, her voice quieter this time.
“It doesn’t matter. If I die in three years, all this will disappear anyway. But if I survive—if you succeed—then you’ll be my husband. It’s only natural to show my skills to the man who’ll take responsibility.”
She shifted the serious topic into teasing so easily like picking up a cat on the street.
I flushed, caught off guard. “W-Why are you so fixated on marrying me!? Don’t you understand what love means!?”
She chuckled again, resting her hands on her hips. “Love, huh?”
I tilted my head as she started laughing—a quiet, wistful laugh. After a few seconds, she wiped her eyes with the back of her finger.
“Well, of course, it’d be great to fall in love first. But love isn’t always the start. Sometimes, it’s the result.”
I blinked, her words sinked into my mind.
“That’s how political marriages work. Nobles and royals don’t always get the luxury of romance first. They build it after marriage.”
She took a step closer, voice soft but sincere.
“Same with relationships. Plenty of women accept confessions not because they’re in love, but because they think they might grow to love the guy later.”
I hesitated, biting my lip.
I couldn’t deny it. I’d done that in my past life. In my school days and college days, I accepted girls who confessed their love to me, thinking that I would start loving them after we started dating.
Though… both of them ended up betraying me after I started to love them.
“So that’s why,” she said. “We may not love each other yet. But if we keep living together, if we keep learning about each other… I think it’s possible.”
Her golden eyes glowed softly under the sunlight.
“But if the day comes and I really do love you… and you still don’t return my feelings, then that’s okay too. I’ve lived a long time without love. I can live without it. I’m already grateful just for your resolve to save me.”
I stared at her, thinking how I should respond to her words.
But I couldn’t find it.
I sighed. “…I’m speechless. I can’t even refute that.”
“Well, you’re still a kid. I can’t help but see you as my son.”
One second she was talking about being my wife, and the next she called herself my mother. Make up your mind, lady.
I sighed and teased her back. “Your son? No way. You look way too young for that. If anything, people would mistake you for my sister.”
Rather than flushed, she accepted it easily. She laughed again, flicking her silver hair over her shoulder with exaggerated grace.
“Well, if you insist, maybe I’ll treat you like my adorable little brother instead.”
We both chuckled, the warmth between us softening the edge of the intense training.
And just like that, the jokes faded, the smiles lingered, and training resumed beneath the rising sun.