II

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Arc II Chapter 11

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Iris's bad conscience forced her hand. Iris lied to comfort the sad girl. Bending the truth wouldn't hurt. It was for a good purpose.

“Don't be sad, nothing is lost yet.“

“What do you mean by that?“ Aurora recovered her hope. Her purple eyes sparkled once again.

Iris poked the girl's nose. Her ploy succeeded. “Listen, you might be in possession of hidden magic potential. Only the spirits truly know. Magic might very well slumber deep inside you, hidden and without your knowledge.“

Aurora tilted her head in confusion. She didn't understand. Or rather, she appeared as if she didn't understand. “I can't follow ...“

Aurora was poked once again. Sister Iris apparently loved poking her cute little nose. Again.

Iris beamed. “With a bit of luck, you might become a little mage. We are living in a world full of aether. Aether surrounds us. Aether is all around us, a force always present. You might not sense its presence, but the land, the water, the air, are breathing aether day and night. As such, traces of mana, traces of magic, reside in all of us, in all living creatures.

What makes us mages special is our gift. Unlike the vast majority, our powers allow us to wield the elements. Our souls harness the power of aether, turning aether to mana, and mana to magic.

So don't give up yet. Outside of nobility, magic usually manifests during early or late puberty. You are as much a mage as was I when I was younger. I only discovered my talents after turning fourteen. The church recognised my latent potential and recruited me into their ranks. Without their assistance, a simple village like me wouldn't stand before you today.“

“...“ Aurora and her doll were listening carefully. Aether .. Nature .. Mana ... Magic ... Nobility ... Puberty ... Church ... Much crucial information to process ...

Aurora looked up to sister Iris. “So you say I might be able to use magic?“

Iris nodded. “It's not impossible ...“ Just extremely unlikely.

“... Tell me, did you already undergo your confirmation?“

“Confirmation?“ Aurora tilted her head in childish ignorance, not having the faintest idea.

Aurora and her doll shook their heads in unison.“Not that ... I know ... Sister Iris, what's even a confirmation? “

Iris chuckled before ruffling Aurora's fluffy hair. “Thought so. Not surprising, though, considering your circumstances. Confirmations are ... a special type of blessing, one of the major sacraments and a ancient custom, administered by the church to adolescent boys and girls. Usually, upon turning twelve.You know what a blessing is, right?“

Aurora nodded. Motivated little Aurora. Confident little Aurora. “I do ... A blessing is when a priest is blessing a person, right?“

...

...

...

“... More or less ... Blessings are a special category of spells. They serve to bestow a form of magic and spiritual protection on the destinatary, but they also react to latent magic potential.“

Aurora tilted her head. “And that means ...“

Iris raised her index finger. “That means you were never checked. If you never received your confirmation, you never received your second due blessing. If you never received your second due blessing, your magic potential was never properly investigated. That means you might posses hidden powers you never knew about.“

“...“ Aurora chose silence. That sounded like a logical conclusion.

Iris beamed. “If you are interested, I can help you to determine your magic aptitude after we return to Freyburg. My spell skills might be rudimentary at best in this department, but they should suffice to perform simple blessing.“

Aurora squealed. Her eyes sparkled. “You would do that?“

Iris nodded. “Of course, sister Iris has a heart for cute little girls.“

Aurora tackled Iris with a hug. Her attack showed little effect, as her weak arms were unable to mustered much strength. “Thank you very much, sister Iris! You are the best!“

Aurora hugged her doll. “Did you hear? We are going to learn magic!“

“We are going to learn magic~.

We are going to learn magic~.“

We are going to learn magic~.“ Aurora bounced along the trail in high spirits. Nothing ruined her impeccable mood.

Iris chuckled. The girl amused her. Her enthusiastic nature left quite an impression, not only on her. The girl lifted everyone's spirit.

Arwing giggled, as even the most stubborn and stone-hearted elf mustered what appeared to be a weak, almost unnoticeable smile.

Nelaeryn smiled. The girl elicited a smile, one he hated from the depth of his heart. Pesky emotions.

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