2

Chanting was merely one type of mold that gave shape to mana. Whether it was done through words, or through magic circles using letters and diagrams, in the end it only assisted the caster in forming complex shapes out of something freely moldable like clay. It was a means, not the goal. That difference in thinking separated an excellent mage from an ordinary spellcaster.

“But this is a way of thinking understandable to people accustomed to magical culture. For someone from a culture centered around weapons like swords and bows, like Talidge, it’s hard to grasp.”

Ains suddenly looked into the distance and recalled his childhood in Silve Village, where only daily-life magic was known and people were unfamiliar with magic.

“For me, even now, I can’t fully believe magic is connected to divine power or divine techniques.”

Talidge frowned, crossed his arms, and tilted his head.

Yet the Ains standing before him actually handled magic skillfully, and even used divine power and divine techniques — things only a limited few in the Empire could use — more refined than Talidge himself. Having seen it with his own eyes, he had no choice but to believe Ains’s words.

“And on top of that, the purposes of magic and swordsmanship get involved as well.”

Magic basically served as a rear-guard attack. Aside from body reinforcement, there were very few spells that attacked using one’s own body directly.

Someone as skilled as Ains was an exception, but generally when using magic there was inevitably a delay between intent and manifestation.

Even abbreviated chanting consumed some time to weave words, and complex incantations went without saying.

Even so, mages could excel on the battlefield because coordination and formations compensated for that flaw of delay.

“If that’s the case, then certainly so. It would not be an exaggeration to say swordsmen stand at the opposite extreme of mages.”

Sophia nodded, understanding that magic did not suit a swordsman’s fighting style.

A swordsman’s combat was pure frontline infighting.

In a world decided within fractions of a second, the situation changed dramatically the very next moment. Magic that required activation time and contained delay between will and manifestation was useless in duels between swordsmen.

“You need to remove the delay. Deployment of some kind of technique that is almost completely converted into magic —”

Ains snapped his fingers.

A flaming spear instantly appeared floating in midair.

Magic of this level could be manifested without chanting, but he demonstrated one deployment method used in multi-casting: the formula was deployed through the action of snapping his fingers. Only possible because the image had been fully sublimated and fixed.

“— if you pursue it far enough, you end up with chantless deployment.”

The level and purpose Talidge sought differed from when Ains had taught magic to Laika.

Talidge sought to acquire magic that could become a threat in a world decided within fractions of a second.

That was why divine techniques, while magic, could be called a new technology separated from magical culture.

“I’m good at magic, and I can use what you call divine techniques. So I can teach the principles and give advice toward acquiring them.”

But beyond that, to manifest magic without chanting as naturally as breathing, the person himself had to reach that realm, Ains continued.

For a mage, stepping up gradually from formula chanting to abbreviated chanting to chantless casting was appropriate, but it did not suit Talidge.

Swordsmen like Talidge and Sophia, who fought in an instant’s world, had to use speed-specialized magic — divine techniques — as naturally as moving an arm or breathing.

“If you learn through orderly instruction, a thinking lag inevitably occurs before the technique manifests. That might be fine on an ordinary battlefield, but in a duel between masters you’d lose the initiative — your torso and head would already be separated.”

That was why the question-and-answer sessions with Talidge took more time than those for mages.

Additionally, unlike with Rito, he had not taught Talidge sorcery because the knowledge Talidge sought was fulfilled within the realm of magic alone.

“I see. So that’s how it was… I thought I alone was being left out again…”

Ains gave a wry smile and shook his head at Sophia, saying, “That’s not true,” but when he looked back on things he thought — though he didn’t say it — that her role so far had indeed been rather pitiful.

“Well, whatever. As long as I can use divine techniques, that’s enough. Everything else doesn’t matter. As long as I can slice that bastard’s neck clean through.”

Talidge snorted at Ains’s logical explanation. For him, the process toward divine techniques didn’t matter. What mattered was whether he himself could reach them.

“…You seem to be carrying quite a lot yourself.”

Sophia sensed a unique air within Talidge’s insults.

“Not something to talk about now.”

“As for me, I don’t care about Talidge’s past or what he intends to do. If I can learn new possibilities of magic, I’m completely satisfied.”

Ains nodded contentedly with softened eyes.

Sophia felt the two shared a somewhat similar atmosphere.

Several days passed after that.

During that time, Talidge and Sophia continued sparring.

Sophia sought to further refine the body reinforcement she had gradually grown accustomed to.

Talidge, having learned the principles of magic and divine techniques from Ains, searched for clues to reach divine techniques.

Ains watched the two. However, Talidge’s growth was not something achieved overnight; it required time and matured late. For Ains, whose curiosity could not be immediately satisfied, it gradually became both stressful and boring.

Ains’s environment differed from what he had known by the vast span of two thousand years. He wanted to see something new.