Chapter 31: Lowering the Skill Floor
Al leaned forward in his seat and paid close attention to Guy's request. After hearing Guy's confession, Al had upgraded their relationship from acquaintances to friends. And as friends, exchanging favours was an obligation. Besides, Guy had done him a huge one by allowing him access to his inheritance. Al feared he would never be able to pay that back in his lifetime.
"The new spellmaking method seems to work well for Markus. However, recently I found that there were still some spells that are exceeding his capacity. After testing them out, I found that he couldn't cast spells which conjured projectiles or acted at a range beyond his mana domain," Guy explained.
Al nodded and offered his opinion, "That makes sense. Propelling a spell beyond the mana domain, and maintaining its integrity, consumes more mana. I know that only Late stage Mana Condensation realm mages can cast spells like |Fireball|, |Water Ball| and so on. Most spells accessible to Middle and Early stage Mana Condensation mages act solely within their mana domains."
"But that's natural, why is it a problem?" Al then followed up.
Guy smiled wryly in response, "I was just wondering. Since we managed to lower the casting requirement for most spells, shouldn't it also be possible to allow Early and Middle stage Mana Condensation mages to cast ranged spells?"
Al laughed heartily at that thought, "Now that's just being greedy, isn't it?"
Guy shook his head, "Being inquisitive isn't being greedy."
"I don't agree with you on that point. But that aside, why are you bothering over it anyways. Markus will most definitely advance in his cultivation as long as he practices those spells you gave him," Al replied.
"I know that it is an eventuality. However, by my estimation, he would be cutting it real close. He will most probably advance right before the tournament, and that is only if he practices diligently without pause. I don't think it healthy for him to do that," Guy pointed out.
Al sighed loudly. It wasn't that he was unaware of that fact. He had also run the numbers and had arrived at the same conclusion. It was just that he didn't want to be the one to point it out and burst Guy's bubble. No one wants to be a killjoy.
"What I find surprising is that no one has even considered researching this till date. I mean you've lived for over 100 years, have you never thought about all of this?" Guy asked.
"It's not that no one hasn't explored this avenue, but rather that they don't find it necessary. If you think about it, all magic research is geared towards raising the skill ceiling. 'How can you make this spell more devastating? How can you increase the potency of this potion? How can you amplify the destructive properties of this weapon?' - those are the question most often explored by mages," Al clarified.
"Wouldn't that alienate the mages at the lower rungs of the ladder looking to enter the circle?"
Al nodded and summed up, "I guess so. I think the prevailing ideology is that magic is supposed to be difficult, otherwise just about anyone can become a mage. If we lower the skill floor, then the world will be inundated with half-baked mages incapable of handling their power. Imagine the devastation that might cause."
Guy could understand this perspective. It actually reminded him of an ongoing debate in one of the more developed nations in his old world. The right to bear arms. It was a hot topic, which was under the spotlight for decades.
The right was a remnant from a time when law enforcement was flimsy and less reliable. The people who devised it wanted to provide citizens with the ability to protect themselves. However, with the progress of time, it became evident that it was no longer necessary. Why would someone need to own weapons to protect themselves if law enforcement was commonplace and more robust?
Guy for one was strongly against the ownership of firearms. His opinion was built on the carnage wrought by them on the sacred grounds of knowledge - the schools. Children shouldn't have to worry about losing their lives in a place where they are supposed to explore themselves.
However, the people for the ownership of firearms used this as an excuse to proliferate it further. "This is a perfect example of why more people should own weapons!" They would claim. "Throw a weapon into the arms of the teachers!" They'd then add.
They intended to lower the bar required for a person to purchase and own firearms. This would ultimately result in what Al claimed earlier - unfettered destruction and collateral damage caused by irresponsible people wielding power beyond their means.
However, Guy could not view the scenario in this world with his tinted lens from Earth. This world was brutal and unforgiving. Law enforcement existed here but only in name. Power reigned supreme, and laws could bend to accommodate it.
So while Guy would agree with Al's perspective if he was back on Earth, he couldn't readily comply with it now. And so, suppressing his discomfort, he parroted a line he'd heard often from the group strongly for the right to own firearms on Earth.
"While I agree with your point, I think the issue is evident in the last part of your reasoning. Half-baked mages WILL wreak havoc if they are given power beyond their level. However, if they are properly trained and educated, they can be more responsible. In fact, you are overlooking the damage caused by strong mages that let their power go to their heads and run amok. Couldn't you also argue that the unfettered advancement of destructive and large-scale magic can cause greater damage?"
Al nodded in affirmation and muttered in a low voice, "I should know, better than anyone, the carnage an irresponsible and powerful mage can unleash..."
Guy couldn't hear Al's comment and so he continued by adding, "Ultimately, my concern is tied intimately with my student's wellbeing. I am just shocked that no one else has ever considered cases such like this before."
"That's because, for most teachers, it is easier to raise a mage that shows higher potential for magic than one with a low affinity to it. The former requires fewer resources and is guaranteed to reach greater heights. After all, the success of a student reflects positively on the teacher's capabilities."
Guy shook his head and retorted, "I don't think that's right! A teacher shouldn't get to choose their student, just like how a parent doesn't get to choose their children or vice versa. On that note, why are the people here calling themselves teachers anyways? If anything, they're more like glorified talent scouts! They overlook the large portion of the incoming students in favour of the smaller fraction that portray above average skills and push them ahead. They essentially don't have to do any work, it's just laziness!
And what's more? Those lucky few that move ahead grow arrogant over the fact that they are superior to the less fortunate ones. They don't understand the importance of the power that flows through them and abuse it as they grow stronger. Only those without power, who have to work hard and struggle to gain it, can understand its true value."
Al smiled bitterly as he heard Guy's impassioned speech. He was amongst the rare few in this world that could agree with every point Guy made. He had experienced the worst that the existing framework could birth. He was ashamed to admit that he was also one of those "glorified talent scouts" during his early years. Ziva Lune, his first and last student, was a cut above all others in his batch. Al had to fight tooth and nail against other teachers to pull the kid under him. He felt such pride as he watched the kid advance in his cultivation. But Al had overlooked Ziva's arrogance and strong bloodlust. Al blamed himself for how things turned out. But who could say whether things would have turned out differently if another teacher had taken in Ziva instead?
The establishment itself birthed Ziva, and Al knew it, but it would be callous to write it off as such. He was also a part of that establishment! It was only through a harrowing experience that Al realised his folly. And since he couldn't do anything about it, Al decided to take the cowardly route and separate himself from the establishment altogether.
"This is exactly why I appreciate you, Guy," Al said as he sighed. In actuality, he aspired to be more like Guy. The man had no power, but had gone beyond his limits to support a kid - that many "teachers" would have written off as worthless - and succeeded! Guy didn't fret over the unwritten rules enforced by the establishment and chose to follow his own path. To Al, Guy embodied the essence of teaching in its purest form.
Al clapped his hands with determination and said excitedly, "I think I might have a solution to this problem. You're looking for a way for a mage to cast spells beyond their level, right?"
He then pulled out his storage disk and channelled mana into it.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Junior_Sundar
Junior_Sundar Word Count: 1552
I'm not trying to start a huge debate about the whole "right to bear arms" thing. It was a valid parallel that I felt would have been interesting to explore from my character's POV.
I neither agree nor disagree with what my character says. His views are biased through his own experiences.
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