Chapter 2: Magic is… Outlawed?

One month after I had arrived.

I eventually found somewhere to stay. It was a home that accepted orphans from all different backgrounds.

That is key to this. Apparently this world has two different races of humanoids. The Rudar, and Rodar. The Rudar is a race of humans who possess no magic, and usually have better living conditions & such.

The Rodar is a race that has magic access. This race is treated worse, and more like slaves in comparison. They are generally sent off to war at the age of 16. They recieve magic education at the age of 14.

That wasn’t enough time. I can’t be sent to war, and I need to learn magic. Two years isn’t enough time.

Of course, I already know magic, but this world is completely different from Akafwhuwa. It’s world has a different amount of magic available.

I’ve even tried to use magic from Akafmowa. While it does work sometimes, it’s very rare, and only gives me a fraction of the amount of magic I can use.

So I guess I have to learn magic from this world. Problem is, I’ve tried. But magic is outlawed for those under the age of 14. Those who learn it are subject to being locked up in prison.

I just have to hit the books. I have to scan them for information on how to use magic. While people wouldn’t be able to directly mention how to use magic, they may have subconsciously left clues on how to do it.

So that’s what I’ve been doing this past month. And I figured it out.

Magic in this world is completely centered around your understanding of how magic will work, rather than raw magic power.

In order to use magic here, you don’t need a chant, but rather a strong idea of exactly what the spell will do.

For example, when you chant a Fire Ball, which is pretty much the same as a Fire Bolt on Akafwhuwa, to get a good cast, you have to imagine the fire leaving your hand, then hitting your target, then going up in flames.

Visualization is key, not raw magic power.

So during the night, I snuck out, and practiced.

“Fire Bolt.” I whispered, seeing in my head the fire coming out of my hand.

I felt my arm warming up, and the fire shooting out of my hand.

“Yes.”

I practiced again.

Then again.

Until I was sleepy, then I went to bed.

But the next day, I practiced again.

My schedule became, wake up, eat breakfast, read books on magic, pretend to go to bed, go practice magic.

This schedule got me good enough to practice a simple water flood. A spell requiring both hands, where water is thrusted out at speeds to knock over the enemy, and if good enough, the water falls, and drowns them.

This is a spell that is quite reliable, but not the level I was looking for.

I spent a couple of months, trying to find some way to speed up the process of learning magic, but try as I might, I was stuck learning spells one by one.

One day I was lying down by a tree in a park, reading about magic, when a girl came up to me.

“Iro, you’re always reading books! Come play with us!” I didn’t see the courage it took for that girl to approach me, and simply pushed her away. Not saying a word, but giving a look of distain.

I got what I wanted. No one bothered me anymore.

I spent all my time reading about magic, or practicing magic. While this schedule was sustainable, I didn’t understand what this was doing to my social ability. I was slowly losing it.

I got more and more comfortabe with not talking to anyone. I convinced myself that friends are optional. While it might seem that way, people can find each other.