- After some days, I gathered magic materials unbeknownst to Joy and Felix and headed to my secret hideout in the forest.
- Mathi: What are you trying to do? I just want to rest today...
- Mathi seemed to be void of any motivations. Rightfully so, Mathi can't use magic right now.
- Lithia: It's your fault for believing the Magic Enhancement Potion.
- Mathi: ... Quit it.
- Lithia: You really don't want to be a medic? It's a well-respected job and you earn a lot of money.
- Mathi: You talk like the town adults. If it's really that great, you can be one yourself.
- Mathi clearly didn't like being told that he's talented in becoming a medic.
- It's true that adults find high value in medics since it is a very steady and safe job, but medics aren't cool. Also, Mathi is under great pressure from continuously comparing himself with a genius magician who is about the same age as him.
- Mathi: Being a medic, you'd have to study way more than others and can only practice under watch. I won't be able to return home at that rate.
- Mathi: If I want to be recognized, I can't be just decent at things.
- As I continued to make Mathi feel better about himself, I diverted his attention to the things I've brought.
- Lithia: Look, these are grimoires and tools. And... This is the main part...
- (Slam!)
- Mathi: Wait, that's Joy's research notes! You copied them? When did you do that?
- Lithia: It was a lot of work. Well, that's not the important part. When Joy and Felix leave this world, I'm going to go with them.
- Lithia: This is the only way I can prove myself to be a worthy magician to them, not a useless kid.
- Lithia: Let's research together.
- Mathi seemed to be under a great deal of thought, but didn't take long for him to make a decision.
- ... ... ... ...
- ... Despite our high spirits, our findings weren't that great.
- It was obvious. Even expert magicians would struggle with such complex magic. Two rookie magicians couldn't make any breakthroughs.
- Mathi: Can't you just hamper Joy's research, acting like it's a mistake? You just need to prevent her from going to the Demon Realm, right?
- Lithia: Of all the things you could have said. Sigh, I've already thought that through.
- Lithia: Even if... I don't want to see Joy leave me, I don't want to ruin Joy's dream.
- Mathi: ... All right. Let's try again.
- We were motivated enough to go back on the research. For... 10 minutes.
- Mathi: You didn't draw that part right! Draw it better!
- Lithia: No! You're the one who didn't put the mana properly! Are you sure you got your mana back?
- Mathi: I did it right! If you don't like it, you can do it alone!
- That day, we quarreled all day and stomped home.
- We blamed each other, but neither of us meant it. We both knew that we lacked the skill to go further.
- Lithia: (What should I do... if Mathi wanted to quit, I can't continue the research on my own. Should I give up?)
- Lithia: (Do I have to lose Joy like this...?)
- I was so heartbroken that day that when I saw Joy, I burst into tears.
- Lithia: Drawing magic circles is so hard... I think I have no talent in magic.
- Joy: Lithia, you definitely have talent. If you felt that you couldn't improve, it means you have grown.
- Lithia: But...
- Joy: ... Huhu.
- Joy smiled gently and whispered in my ear.
- Joy: Magic circles have evolved over a long course of the history of magic. You know that, right?
- Joy pulled out a heavy book at the bottom of the bookshelf and opened it. She said it analyzed the ancient magic as she went over each page.
- The symbols that are no longer used and the formulas that are simplified in modern days. Joy had included a great deal of footnotes next to them.
- Joy: There's a trend in magic depending on the area. Sometimes, magicians would draw complex circles on purpose so others can't steal their work. Sometimes, there is a shamanistic element added to the circles.
- Joy: This symbol is to circulate mana twice and activate the circle. It's a way to... conserve mana.
- Lithia: When you use less mana?
- Joy: It's your first time seeing this, right? However it looks like, if it acts like a magic circle, it is a magic circle.
- Joy: The circle is just for shape. You don't need to be bound by it.
- Lithia: Wow... Joy, can I take this to study?
- Joy: Sure~ I'll gift this to you, Lithia.
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