Download App
1.16% SPELLCRAFT: Reincarnation Of A Magic Scholar / Chapter 15: Talentless Pupil

Chapter 15: Talentless Pupil

[3 Years Later]

"Jared, there are things you need to understand." My tutor, Alphonse said at the start of one of our lessons.

Based on his tone, I knew it was serious, so I paid rapt attention. It was rare to see him so resolved.

'Maybe he wants to teach me a more advanced spell!' I beamed.

Who wouldn't like the sound of that?

"Jared. You have a lot of potential. Truly! I've never seen anyone advance through this amount of knowledge and practice of magic throughout my years."

'Oh, don't flatter me. Let's just be done with the formalities and fork over the special magic you want to teach me.' I grinned internally, eyeing my tutor greedily.

"You're smart too. So far, in the three years since I've been your tutor, you've surpassed my expectations. Every time, you end up using unconventional means to combine low-level spells and use them in creative ways… Truly, you are exceptional!"

'Hehe, of course! I'm a Great Sage with countless Magic Theories in my head. With the opportunity to practice Magic, of course, I would end up creating many combinations. So, old man… hand 'em over, my special magic! I've earned it!'

"So, Jared… what do you think about…" Alphonse's voice trailed.

He appeared hesitant on whether or not to tell me what was on his mind.

'Come on, old man. You can trust me!'

"…. What do you think about becoming a scholar, instead of a mage?"

As soon as he asked the question, it took a while before I was able to comprehend his words. The bombshell was certainly unexpected.

"A… Scholar…?" I asked, a little shaken.

Alphonse appeared flustered upon seeing my disappointed face. As one who had overseen my training for so long and knew of my passion for practicing magic, asking me to be a scholar now was a difficult task for him.

"Jared, this is the-"

"Why…? Why do you think I should be a Scholar?" I cut his words short with my whisper.

After showing him so much of what I could do, training like hell, and even eating up knowledge faster than anyone my age. This old man still thought such a path suited me more than my goal?

"Jared, the thing is… it's because I'm your tutor that I know… you have no talent in Magic." Alphonse sighed.

"E-eh… Ehhhhhh?!"

My heart ached the moment he said that. For some reason, those words hit a core within me that I had long thought was numb.

Why, oh why did this feel familiar to the first time I was told that I was inept?

"You managed to form a mana core at seven when others succeeded at age five. However, even though you finally have a mana core, advancing beyond this stage is difficult. In a few years after training with magic, your core should have started experiencing some changes…" Alphonse explained.

I knew what he was talking about.

Mana Cores have various colors depending on Grade, and as a magic-user, it is one of your duties to advance your core to the highest possible grade. There are limits to how far one can go based on Talent.

'So, that's what this is all about…'

"Jared, you're already ten years old. Even though you got a late Awakening, by now a yellow color should have begun to form in your mana core. Yet… " Alphonse stated, looking worried.

'Ah, I understand now.'

It appeared I was too entrapped in magic that I failed to notice the worries of my tutor. Truly, my case was something anyone would be worried about.

Normally, at five I would have had a white Mana Core, then by my current age, I should have partially developed a Yellow core. For geniuses, it wasn't impossible to have fully advanced to the Yellow Core stage.

Yet, I hadn't even shown the slightest sign of improvement.

"I know you've always wanted to be a mage, utilizing magic actively, but… that journey will be cut short due to the unfairness of the situation. You should have realized it yourself… your mana core, your mana capacity, they're below normal standards." Alphonse clenched his fist as he spoke.

I could tell that it was hard for him to tell me these things. The expression on his face and the way his voice quivered all showed that he was truly sorry for doing this.

'To him, he's bashing the dreams and hopes of a child…'

I understood all his points perfectly. But…

"I know you might be skeptical, but the Scholar profession is highly revered. It used to be discriminated against but, after Lewis Griffith, the Great Sage emerged with his countless theories that revolutionized Magic, they have become more revered and influential."

'This guy… he doesn't know that he's using myself as an example.'

"Jared, I somehow see the Great Sage in you. It appears that both of you think alike. Do you know what you told me one time? I can't forget it, since it was exactly the line I read from one of the Great Sage's Treatises."

'Crap! This guy is catching on!'

"He said, 'Magic is more than just a set of strict Laws. It can be tweaked and altered to suit any purpose. That is the very meaning of evolution.'.."

>GULP<

I messed up! Why did I have to say the exact words I wrote down? I was just speaking normally at that time.

"To be honest, I have always admired that great man, Jared. And for me to see him in you is something you can take as an achievement. That's why I know you can do it… you'll succeed greatly as a Scholar!"

'He' is me, dumbass! I know I can succeed as a Scholar. I already did so in my past life!'

Still, Alphonse made a lot of sense. If I were to pursue the Scholar path, there would be little need to practice Magic, but more emphasis on study, research, and discovery.

With just my SPELLCRAFT, I would be able to change the world once again. My success was already pretty much guaranteed. However…

"So, what do you say, Jared? Don't you want to-"

"Nope!" I sharply responded.

"Just think about it a little-"

"Nooopeeee!" I repeated.

What this man was asking of me… even though it was the logical thing to do, I was never going to choose that path.

Why? Because I was already one in my past life. I had even reached the summit, the pinnacle of any Scholar, and achieved the Great Sage title. Still, at the end of my life, I felt empty.

It was the regret that made me wish for magic, and miraculously I ended up being given a second chance at it.

There was no way I would choose to relive my past!

"Thank you, tutor, for your counsel. However, I know what I want. So, instead of trying to look for an alternative…"

Alphonse was looking flustered, trying to decipher what I, the usually logical one, was thinking.

A wide grin formed on my face as I stared at him with my own resolve.

"… Why don't we make a bet?"


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Magecrafter Magecrafter

What does Jared have in mind?

Chapter 16: Hidden Card

"Why don't we make a bet?" I asked, grinning at the flustered mage.

'He must be thinking that I'm making a desperate attempt here, but let's see if he'll bite!'

"What kind of bet?" He asked.

Perfect! He took the bait.

"Set a standard. You said I'm way behind my peers, correct?"

"Y-yeah. Your magic capacity and growth are too-"

"Then, set a standard. In two years, I should conclude my training with you. Tell me a spell that anyone by that age will be able to cast, and if I don't meet up to that standard when I turn 12, I'll become a Scholar!"

My declaration stunned Alphonse. The expression he made actually hurt me a little.

'I'm not crazy, old fart!' My mind rang.

"Come on, there's nothing to lose. I'll keep practicing magic, you'll keep teaching me, and I'll keep learning as much as I can. Even as a Scholar, it's good to have deep roots in the knowledge of magic, as well as basic magic usage. Don't you think so?" I smiled, trying to convince him.

'Welp, I didn't have magic usage in the past, but I managed to reach the top. Let's hope he doesn't bring that up…'

"But, didn't the Great Sage not have any-"

'Ahhh! He did!'

"I'm not the great Sage, okay? I have mana, at least! It'll be a waste if I don't train it to an extent. Plus, we've already started my magic training. It's been three years now. What's two more years?"

Alphonse seemed to see some reason in my words, which was a good thing. If he had proved to be thick-skulled, I don't know what else I could have said in order to convince him to keep teaching a hopeless case like myself.

"Okay, so if you don't produce the result I want in two years… you'll become a Scholar?"

"Yep! And a badass one at that!" I grinned confidently in response.

'That won't happen though. But, let's give him hope…'

Alphonse smiled at my confidence, a little relieved that I hadn't broken down from having my dream shattered before me.

"Alright then. Fair enough-"

"Buuuut, if I win… if I do manage to reach the target in two years… you'll teach me a rare spell!" I declared, pointing at him with seriousness written all over my face.

'There's no way I'm missing out on some extra goodness!'

Alphonse burst out in laughter the moment I said this. Was it perhaps the amusement gained from watching an immature boy speak? This old man was looking down on me again.

"Fine, then. Deal." He smiled, stretching his hand toward me.

"Heh, deal!" I grinned, I stretched mine too, and we shook hands.

A moment of silence enveloped the area, as tutor and pupil looked into each other's eyes, determined to win. Knowing Alphonse, he would raise the standard pretty high, but that didn't matter… no matter what he threw at me, I was going to succeed!

"Well, then… what do I tell your mother?" Alphonse sighed, suddenly breaking the silence.

'I knew it! So Anabelle was an accomplice too. It all made sense now!'

This traitorous tutor! So he sided with my doting mother in the end.

'No one really thinks I can pull it off, uh?"

Well, they were in for a surprise. After all, tonight… I would finally form my second mana core!

__________________

Everywhere finally got darkened as night crept in, the perfect moment for a peaceful meditation.

I remembered Alphonse's words, how concerned he was about my aptitude. What everyone around me failed to grasp was that no one was more concerned about my growth than I was.

I already realized that no matter how many innovative combinations I made to a basic spell, even if it ended up mimicking the effects of a more powerful spell, it was still not powerful enough to rival advanced spells.

To become truly powerful, I not only needed great combinations, but also great power and skills to go along with it.

Not counting my SPELLCRAFT technique, which I was saving as a Trump Card, my magic usage was really on the poor side. My mana pool was below average, and just as my tutor said, there appeared to be no growth within my core.

However… these effects weren't unforeseen, nope, they were caused by me!

"Huu, it's a lovely night. I should begin!"

I took a deep breath, carefully inhaling and exhaling fresh, cool air.

I activated the mana core within me, causing my body to faintly glow.

'Many people think that a white Mana Core is only the beginning of a magic-user's journey, and one should progress as fast as possible to the next stage.'

However… they're wrong!

The white Core stage is a foundation. As such, others are built from it. The mistake everyone makes is assuming they need to advance to the yellow stage as soon as possible.

'I thought this perception would change, but even now in the future, it remained the same.'

There was one thing everyone overlooked, and now it would be the basis for another card that I will exclusively have under my sleeve. And that is, possessing multiple Mana Cores!

"It's almost done… just a few more particles… and I'll be done with my second Mana Core!"


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Magecrafter Magecrafter

That's right! Jared is up to something once again!

Load failed, please RETRY

Gifts

Gift -- Gift received

    Weekly Power Status

    Batch unlock chapters

    Table of Contents

    Display Options

    Background

    Font

    Size

    Chapter comments

    Write a review Reading Status: C15
    Fail to post. Please try again
    • Writing Quality
    • Stability of Updates
    • Story Development
    • Character Design
    • World Background

    The total score 0.0

    Review posted successfully! Read more reviews
    Vote with Power Stone
    Rank 200+ Power Ranking
    Stone 50 Power Stone
    Report inappropriate content
    error Tip

    Report abuse

    Paragraph comments

    Login

    tip Paragraph comment

    Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.

    Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.

    GOT IT