Ok, so, the first part of the deal was extremely boring. Basically, Lucinda spent hours reading through the documents and making notes. She said she would get back to me to discuss my possible options and she would also need to know how valuable I think I am in this negotiation.

To be honest, I could have done without this. But, at the same time, Clodia has agreed to still give me an advance and let me hang around the bakery if I wanted to. Flaminia was going to resume her usual dayshift and I could go and learn more stuff about this world from her.

Well, that’s that.

Hopefully, my relationship with Lucinda will transition from strictly work-related to… what’s the opposite of that? Hot and bothered? Can a relationship be ‘hot and bothered’? Or is it better to describe it as ‘hot and heavy’? But I don’t like heavy. I want light. Can we have ‘hot and light’? Is that a thing?

While my thoughts go astray, I sit down on my bed in the apartment and the spell book opens itself after levitating in front of me.

‘Lesson 2: Use your natural Mana to create three [Light] spells at once.’

‘Magister Mulligan used to always say that [Light] is the foundation for any mage, and that’s why so many guard their methods when it comes down to the spell. Therefore, you will be focusing on the fundamentals, manipulating different versions of the spell. The difficulty will increase gradually, until your foundation is solid enough to delve into the depth of true magic.’

It seems like I won’t be doing anything too dangerous, at least.

So, three [Lights] at once.

I’m not able to catch myself in time before saying out loud.

“How hard can it be?”

And that’s it.

That’s my sentence.

I’m doomed.

Coming from an Italian family, I’m extremely superstitious. Hell, I could probably teach a college course on everything you need to avoid to not make something happen!

For example, whining about something is a sure-fire method to get it accomplished. If you are losing a match with your buddies in some videogame, or even real life – such is the power of this technique – you just need to start whining about it, say that you will lose for sure. Then, magically, something happens. Call it luck, fate or God. It doesn’t matter.

Whining is the best way to go through life.

But now, I’ve gone against the sacred method. I’ve professed my faith for the anti-whining; my hybris is going to cost me dearly.

I sigh.

Let’s get to it.

I’m on the verge of trying to visualize three spell matrixes far from me when I think back to what the book had said about mages and questions.

“Book, can you explain to me what’s the main difference between casting one spell and casting multiple spells? It seems to me that I only have to repeat the process once.”

I swear on my mother’s panties, the book just scoffed at me. It did something like crumpling its own pages, and it sounded like a snort!

More black ink appears on the page in front of me, in a mocking cursive.

‘Casting one spell is the act of fitting one matrix into the world. You can think of it as drawing on paper. When you look at it, you can pretty much see the whole progress at a glance. It doesn’t matter how big the drawing is, you can just step back and still appreciate it in its entirety.’

‘Instead,’ the books keep manifesting more magical ink, ‘simul-casting is something deeper. You can think of it as writing a book. Whereas a painting will always be manifest in its appearance, a book is different in the way it presents itself: you can never read an entire book at one glance. And it is impossible to grasp every single sentence at once like you would do with a painting.’

I look at the complacent book with a frown.

“Ok, can you explain that again, but imagine I’m five?”

The book flips on a new page and materializes more ink.

‘Simul-casting more complex magic is the realm of true [Mages]. Only the best of the best can simul-cast multiple spells, especially if they are different. However, [Light] is simple enough that even a novice – if guided correctly – may attempt such a wondrous feat.’

‘Everyone has their own understanding of how to do it. The best way to think about it is that you cannot control the individual parts, but only the sum; at the same time, you can manipulate the individual parts, but you will not be able to see the sum of them in advance.’

That’s it.

I try to ask more questions, but the book tries to nail down the same concept of ‘individual parts’ and the ‘sum of the parts’.

I guess the best way to approach the problem is to try and create the three spells at the same time.

[Advanced Mana Sense]

I activate my dear spell and then I try to visualize three matrixes at the same time.

After a few instants, I get why this is insanely difficult.

Most people simply cast spells in quick succession because a spell matrix is not fixed; it’s something you trace based on the moment. You can probably attempt a quick cast based on your previous experience, but it would only make for a lesser copy of the spell, not the real deal.

Plus, every spell you activate at the same time affects the other.

I turn off the [Advanced Mana Sense] at once and I ask, “Book, how long do I have to learn this?”

‘Description: simul-casting [Lights] is the most appropriate exercise based on your evaluation from the The Omnium Compendium! Your last attempt gave life to a superior [Light] spell. Now, you have to take one of the great challenges well in advance. Wasting your talent is a mortal sin. And with a mortal [Thunderbolt] you shall be rewarded if you slack off!’

‘Requirement: learn how to simul-cast at least three inferior [Light] spells in a month.’

“I wonder if the part about this mortal [Thunderbolt] is a figure of speech,” I wonder aloud.

‘No,’ is what the book materializes on the other page in huge characters.