Chapter 21: Is This… Really Okay?
Eleanor had already tried every conceivable method of repairing the crystal ball, and Bai had also been studying it for days.
The only progress they had made was the brief, cryptic vision from earlier, which they couldn’t replicate.
Bai knew the vision had been of the Place of Divine Advent, but she hadn’t told Eleanor.
It was a secret, connected to her and Ara, and she hadn’t known Eleanor long enough to share it.
“I told you before… perhaps the key to the sacred artifact isn’t you, but me,” Bai said seriously, her lisp still present. “I didn’t know any elven magic or rituals before, so my attempts were… limited.”
She had tried everything, from physical manipulation to channeling various energies, even demonic power, but the fragments hadn’t reacted.
The only thing she had learned was that they were incredibly durable, capable of withstanding a Calamity Class attack with only minor cracks. It was hard to believe they had shattered so easily before.
But now, having studied Eleanor’s books, she had a basic understanding of elven magic and rituals, and had even managed to construct a few simple magic circles in her mind.
Although the power she wielded was different from an elf’s, magic circles weren’t picky. Different power sources would just produce slightly different effects.
“Bai, are you… going to try and construct a magic circle yourself?” Eleanor asked hesitantly. “But… do you know how?”
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Bai, but she had only just started learning.
A prodigy could master a simple spell in a few days, that wasn’t unheard of. Even Athena, whom she despised, could do it.
But a magic circle was different. It required both theoretical knowledge and a precise balance of power, which could only be achieved through practice.
Even Eleanor had taken a full month to successfully construct her first magic circle, and it had been a simple explosive one.
And that was a record for an elven novice.
“I… I think I’ve got it,” Bai said, her voice a bit unsteady. “I’ve… constructed it in my mind several times…”
“How many times?”
“…At least ten!”
Eleanor sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Bai, even a novice, with hands-on practice, can’t guarantee success after only ten attempts, let alone just in your mind…”
“I repeated it in my mind a thousand times before I even tried to construct my first one.”
“It’s worth a try,” Bai said, her resolve unwavering. “If it doesn’t work, I’ll just practice some more.”
“Well… I suppose so,” Eleanor said, thinking for a moment. “But you can’t use the sacred artifact fragments. What if you break them even more? I’ll have to answer to the High Priestess…”
“No problem,” Bai nodded. She was genuinely interested in magic circles, and if she could use them to summon Ara back from the void, it was worth a try.
“Wait, let me see,” Eleanor said, rummaging through her bag and pulling out a few scraps of material. “First, try an explosive circle. It’s the easiest.”
“Explosive circle?” Bai looked confused. “I don’t think I saw that in the books.”
“…Wait,” Eleanor’s hand froze. “Then what have you been constructing in your mind?”
“Ten Winds of Annihilation, Eternal Frost of Shattering, Gate of Summoning…”
Eleanor’s hand trembled. These were all from her novels. Fictional magic circles. Had Bai been studying her novels instead of her textbooks?
Thinking back, she realized she had been the one to give Bai those books.
Bai couldn’t read elvish well, and Eleanor, in her laziness, had simply grabbed a few historical novels and adventure diaries for her.
Some of them were based on reality, but most were exaggerated.
(Think of the difference between the Records of the Three Kingdoms and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.)
Eleanor sighed. She was the culprit.
Of course, she wouldn’t admit it. “Those… are not part of the Ten Great Magic Circles. They’re… miscellaneous circles, very dangerous to construct,” she said, her expression serious.
“Miscellaneous circles… there’s such a thing?” Bai frowned.
“Of course,” Eleanor lied, her face a mask of sincerity, her performance so convincing that Bai was completely fooled.
“Which ones aren’t miscellaneous circles?” Bai asked, her interest piqued.
It seemed she was genuinely eager to learn.
Eleanor sighed inwardly. She had created this mess; she would have to see it through.
“First, we start with the explosive circle… wait, I don’t think I have a beginner’s textbook,” she said, rummaging through her books, which were all advanced texts. “Right, I thought it was too easy, so I never bothered to buy one.”
Of course, “easy” was relative. And with the High Priestess as her personal tutor, she hadn’t needed textbooks.
Not just beginner’s textbooks, but intermediate ones as well. She had only a few theoretical high-level magic circle books.
“It’s fine. I’ll teach you myself. I’m better than any textbook!” Eleanor said, puffing out her chest, which, though not as impressive as Bai’s, was still there.
“Is this… really okay?”
For some reason, a sense of unease settled in Bai’s heart.
