n

n

nSighing, Eldrian complained that Myropsis was acting childish. When he got no reply to his complaints, he finally decided to go do as she had mentioned.

n

"Fine, be like that. Ceph, please stay here while I try to figure out where to go.

"

nWith that, Eldrian left in search of someone who might be able to help him. Without Myropsis's introduction, he suspected it would be a challenge to meet the association's leader, so he activated a few of his titles. Specifically the hero one, certain that should get him an audience.

nIndeed it did.

nIt just took asking one of the receptionists and mentioning for them to use Observe to see his qualifications.

n

"So, you are the elf everyone is talking about?

" An elderly centaurette asked after excusing the receptionists and closing the doors via magic. Eldrian noticed that she had even activated some sort of array on the doors.

nThe room they were in looked much like one would expect the room of a mage's personal room. The walls were bookshelves filled with many pristinely kept books, neatly organized and stored almost as a show of grandeur instead of for use as those in the library.

nThere weren't many books actually out of the bookshelves, outside of the three on the centaurette's table, along with a thick slab of papers she was adding to every now and then.

nSofiera had graying golden hair, the transformation from golden to gray was very smooth and seemed almost perfect in some ways. As if it was a willing process, and not one brought on by age and the decline of one's body. Her's appeared almost as if she had dyed it.

n

"I am, I presume you're Highmage Sofiera? Did Pelaros's message arrive?

"

n

"It did, quite an interesting read. You are interested in our detection spell?

"

nEldrian nodded.

n

"Your main goal however isn't to use it in combat as is its purpose?

"

n

"I will use it, if it isn't too draining.

"

n

"Of course it isn't draining, if that was the case it would be quite useless to nearly everyone but the most amazing geniuses. Which, I heard, you are.

"

n

"I don't know about that, I just have a talent for using magic.

" Eldrian countered, knowing that he was lacking in far too many areas to consider himself a genius.

nOf course, Eldrian ignored how shocking his speed of learning was to his tutors. He had been diligently going through two to four hours of personal tutelage every day. At the start, it was just a few of the interns getting thrown at Eldrian to make sure he knew the basics.

nHowever, it didn't even take a week for Eldrian to remember and relearn most of his school education. Being refreshed on all the basics, Gengxin then personally started tutoring Eldrian in the fields he knew; which was mostly in the field of biology.

nThus far, Eldrian was still focusing mostly on biology, but he would also get a crash course in math and physics twice a week. And thus far he had yet to be stumped by what the tutors brought forward.

nGranted, it was mostly first-year stuff, but he was going through the work at the speed of light.

n

"Perhaps you are too modest, gaining titles isn't an easy thing. And, you have four... No, you are hiding more, aren't you?

"

n

"How-?

"

n

"How did I know? I talked with Solvi. You have at least five. How many do you really have?

"

nPondering on whether he should share or not, Eldrian asked his own question first.

"Why does that matter?

"

n

"It doesn't matter, much... However, it will determine how closely I want to work with you.

"

n

"You want to work with me?

" Eldrian countered, wondering if she too wanted to learn how to control mana. As if reading his thoughts, she answered this for him.

n

"Correct, but don't misunderstand. I don't want to abandon years, no... A lifetime of hard work in search of a possibility to accomplish a new beginning. Myropsis is still young, and her talent is great. She won't take long to recover should she restart, but I-I am near the end of my life.

"

n

"I want to work with you on this exact spell you are asking for.

"

n

"What are you hoping for?

" Eldrian asked, not minding sharing discoveries he might make that were directly linked to the spell.

n

"The spell is quite lacking, even the special varients of the nobles and royal family has its limits.

" Sofiera said,

"However, getting into that is far too early. I first need to know how capable you actually are.

"

n

"You must understand, I am not looking down on you. However, I highly doubt we will be able to make any improvements. The spell has been refined countless times by mages far more qualified than I.

"

n

"Then, what is the point of all this?

" Eldrian asked.

n

"Well, you certainly aren't ordinary. It isn't just that you use magic differently, you think of it differently. Considering mana as something that is part of you seems natural to do, but it isn't really part of you.

"

n

"At least, it isn't for most of us. It certainly is for beasts and monsters, which explains why they use magic inherently. Their limitations in its use are only due to their limited perception.

"

n

"I've heard that you have an Alicorn friend, I assume he is also here?

"

n

"He is,

" Eldrian nodded, already feeling like he understood what she was getting at. To Ceph, using magic was just thinking of wanting something. He needed no knowledge on the subject, just a wish for it to happen.

nEldrian's aim was to also accomplish such a way of using magic, but he has found it impossible thus far. Only having managed such a cast once while being pressured by Zamia.

n

"Then you probably understand what I mean. They use magic simply through thought, I assume this is what you are trying to teach Myropsis.

"

n

"That is the end goal,

" Eldrian acknowledged, slightly impressed,

"How did you know?

"

n

"When I was younger I traveled a great deal. I never managed to meet a creature as magnificent as the Alicorns, but I have met my fair share of bloodline creatures. Even a few Ancients who could communicate via magic.

"

n

"So I know how they think of magic, they don't consider it something to be studied. Just trained as one would train running, flying, and fighting.

"

n

"I don't know if the Alicorns are different, but I know that this is the true uniqueness of the High Elves. They are capable of training in a way similar to these mystical creatures, and yet they also consider magic something to be studied.

"

nThis was the first time Eldrian actually got some concise information on High Elves, and he was certainly open to hearing more. Sadly, it seemed Sofiera didn't know much more.

nEldrian also strangely realized that Zamia had never tried to teach him what she knew of the elves. He clearly realized that her aim was to have him find his own way of using magic.

n

"Sadly, for most High Elves it takes centuries to learn how to use magic. Many of them simply learn magic as they are taught, very few try to experiment and further their magical knowledge.

"

n

"While we are still far from reaching their level of prowess with magic, reaching their level of knowledge isn't that hard. In fact, our best formation masters and blacksmith are confident they would be able to equal their crafts to that of the High Elves.

"

n

"That is obviously just a marketing strategy. But, it might one day indeed become the truth.

"

nAN: Only 1 chapter today, hopefully will be back to 2 from tomorrow onwards.

n

n