4 Years Old: Chapter 9 - First Spell
TL: Krrizis
Editor: Nahct
「To what extent do you understand sorcery, Lizbeth-sama?」
Right away, I began studying under Gilleraide-san on the practice of magic.
As expected, it was dangerous to practice inside the house in the event of an accidental discharge. Therefore, our lessons took place in the pointlessly wide garden.
Pondering while gazing at the sun, Gilleraide-san asked the question under the tree. Troubled, I lowered my eyebrows.
「To say to what extent..... Conversely, to what extent is desirable?」
「Ahahaha. This is troubling to say the least. I see..... Then, what about the method of invocating sorcery」
With a wry smile, Gilleraide-san rephrased and asked the question again. Putting my finger on my lips, I hmm-ed with a troubled manner ..... If it's about the invocation process, I had read it up in a book but answering immediately, as one would expect, was the least adorable.
Putting on a childish countenance whilst groaning by and by, I accidentally glance at Gilleraide-san as I nervously opened my mouth.
「Um..... The phenomenon for the purpose of displaying magical powers in bodily form, a magical equation needs to be constructed. Here, it is inserted with magical powers and the phenomenon will materialise..... Is it?」
It's a child's explanation, kay? So please don't crush it. All I did was simply express an abridged version of the long explanation from that book I read.
Well, to simplify, magical powers resembles electricity. When that electricity is passed through to various devices, the desired result is achievable. For example: a refrigerator, television, electric fan and a motor. Those machines are a form of magical equations.
Overall, magical power isn't simply sheer energy. By intervening with intention, it is able to clearly shape magical equations to boost the materialisation. Unless the image and control is realised, sorcery can't be handled.
I don’t have any worries though.
Gilleraide-san was surprised by my answer. His green eyes widened and then, with a grin forming on his lips, he gently stroke my head.
「...... Please stop addressing me with -sama, Gilleraide-san」
Yup, since earlier, I've been feeling a little bit impatient. To address a short young girl with -sama, for me, it felt embarrassing. Especially considering this person was a child as well, I need to relieve this kid from respecting me.
「Then please call me Gilles, I'm not too fond of my name as is」
My request was a bit surprising but it was met with a similar exchange of endearment. To be frank, the name Gilleraide was a mouthful. Then, when I teasingly called Gilles, with a tender smile he said, 「Yes, Liz-sama」and responded with the same tone.
A lady killer to be..... No, wait! He is already a lady killer. In the end, I couldn't convince him to drop -sama but ah well.
「Yes」
Finally, the real lesson of sorcery begins, I thought as I smiled broadly. Even if I wanted to try it, my parents intervened, claiming it was dangerous, so I couldn't. Furthermore, I was cautioned several times as a result of the touchstone incident, leaving me distant and a little bit displeased. At last, at last it's possible!
「First of all, let's begin with the basics. Even Liz-sama would be able to do it as a beginner」
From beneath his robe, Gilles-san took out a book and a small cloth bag. The book looked similar to a textbook..... But I wonder what the small bag was for. It seems there was something inside thepalm-sized bag. No, that was natural.
Puzzled but without batting an eye, Gilles-san dropped the small bag into my palm. Giving off a light and fresh sound, it was not particularly heavy and rested on my small palm easily.
「..... This is?」
「A plant seed. It is called the flower of Rishia」
Flower of Rishia.
..... Ah, it's Mother's favourite flower. With pale pink petals, the shape looked similar to sweet peas..... That is to say, it roughly looked like sweet peas.
Alright, I felt motivated suddenly. No, I felt motivated from the beginning. If this works, I can give it to Mother as a present for always taking care of me. She'll probably be pleased.
「Then I'll demonstrate first. Please watch from there, Liz-sama. You may practice after you've read this book」
Fetching a single seed out of the cloth bag, he placed it on his palm for me to see.
And, hey presto!
Without any spare movements, the seed split and the sprout grew. By the time I noticed, it had grown into a bud. Before my very starry eyes, the bud bloomed into a splendid pale pink flower.
「.....」
「Yes, it's splendid..... Could you explain the process?」
It was so astounding that I was left speechless. Without even a sign, before I noticed, it had bloomed into a flower. Certainly it was so wonderfully surprising that for the time being, I desired my tutor to explain the theory. Unless I understood the hypothesis that produced this result, I would be unable to reproduce the same effect even if I read all the textbooks there is to read.
「..... You could not understand what you saw?」
Blankly, Gilles-san looked at me. I secretly sighed inwardly at him. Choosing this person was a mistake, wasn't it?
My human intuition tells me he was definitely the genius type. The type that couldn't teach directly. He was certainly chosen for his personality and ability.
「Ah, er..... That's right, how about reading the sorcery book?」
Noticing my stiffened cheek, panicking, he hurriedly flipped the thin pages of the substitute sorcery textbook, directing a particular page at me.
『Green Thumb』
『Sorcery that stimulates the growth of plants. The effect relies on the practitioner's magical powers』
..... Like translating foreign words into English, they were confusing even though the words made perfect sense. A person who raises the plant, who loves nature – that was the connotation. Or rather, that's not what I wanted to know.
After witnessing the effect, what I really wanted to know was the invocation process. What kind of magic equation construct was used to produced an effective materialisation.
「This was the sorcery I used earlier. As for the magical equation..... Ah, got it. This is it」
As expected, he understood what I was about to ask. Indicated on the next page was a diagram resembling a magic formation.
「Please feel this and memorise the magical power surge. By memorising the shape of the magical equation, it can be constructed within your body」
Finally sounding like a teacher, I quickly followed his instructions and begun tracing the lines on the magic formation with my finger. The lines were drawn with an ochre colour, possibly to symbolise the earth attribute. As it was sorcery related to the plants in the earth, it was a good nod to the attribute.
Slowly, I traced the lines of the magic equation with my fingertips, allowing it to soak into my body until it's shape was finally imprinted within me. That was the magic equation.
「Have you memorised that feeling? In that magic equation, pour your magical powers into it. The most important thing is the image and how Liz-sama wishes to materialise it」
「Yes, how would Liz-sama want to do it」
While whispering to me, he removed a single seed from the cloth bag and dropped it into my palm.
「Now, pour your magical powers into it. What would you do to this seed, Liz-sama?」
..... I, I want to make Mother's favourite flower bloom a lot.
With that firm decision, the magical powers flowing within my body was poured into my palm. Condensing the overflowing powers from the magical equation into the seed, I concentrated my powers in order to emphasise the image change.
Light sprang from my palm. Dazzling brightness filled my vision. The reaction was different from Gilles-san.....
「..... This is.....」
When the light settled, residing in my palm was..... somehow twice the amount of seeds.
「.......」
「It multiplied」
Incomprehensible.
「That was the intention」
「...... Why did it multiply」
That's what I’d like to know. Even though I had only put my magical powers as told.....!
I tried once again, however the result was needless to say. Exceeding the fourth attempt, I found my eyes staring into the distance.
...... If this keeps up, it's going to be difficult. It looks like there'll be many difficulties ahead of me.