Alaric's words of comfort eased Jaina's disappointment considerably.
Then, her attention returned to the original question.
"Teacher, you still haven't told me why you were able to make me so much stronger, and why other mages can't do the same?"
"How do you know other mages can't do it?" Alaric countered.
This question immediately stumped the little girl.
"Because... because..."
Jaina pondered for a long moment before finally arriving at an answer.
"Because if many mages could do this, then there wouldn't be so many people like Prince Galen who think that mages are weak and frail."
Alaric couldn't help but chuckle at Jaina's response.
This little girl certainly held grudges—Prince Galen had previously belittled Alaric, which had angered her, and she still hadn't let it go.
Of course, this also indirectly showed how much Jaina respected and admired Alaric.
Instead of directly answering Jaina's question, Alaric posed another one.
"Jaina, do you know what magic is?"
"What... is magic?" Jaina looked at her teacher, slightly confused.
"I'm not asking for a formal definition," Alaric said seriously. "Just tell me your first impression of magic."
"Understood." Jaina nodded earnestly, then fell into deep thought. It seemed that even in a situation like this, the competitive girl still wanted to give Alaric an answer that would satisfy him.
After a moment, Jaina spoke up. "Magic is the manipulation of arcane energy.
Aunt Gina told me that the world we live in is filled with this energy, and magic is the method of controlling it. Am I right, Teacher?"
After finishing, she looked at Alaric expectantly, waiting for his evaluation.
"You are right, and you are also wrong," Alaric said.
Seeing the slight disappointment in the girl's eyes, he explained.
"What you described—the manipulation of arcane energy—is merely the surface of magic. Magic itself is far more complex than that."
"Then, what exactly is magic?" Jaina's eyes were filled with curiosity and a sincere thirst for knowledge.
Alaric raised his head, gazing out of the window at the sky, and exhaled deeply before saying, "Different mages have different answers to this question.
My answer is this: magic is a miracle—it is the technique by which mortals use their minds to leverage the rules of the world and reshape reality.
Arcane energy is merely one of many means to achieve this."
"Arcane is just one of the means?" Jaina frowned. This answer was vastly different from her understanding of magic.
According to Gina and the various sources she had read about Dalaran, all mages revered arcane energy, equating it directly with magic.
Only the person before her seemed to view arcane with less importance.
Noticing her confusion, Alaric continued, "In truth, arcane is not the only fundamental energy in this world.
Broadly speaking, the universe consists of six major forces—four fundamental elements and two opposing special forces."
For a noble-born girl with only a basic understanding of magic, Alaric's explanation of cosmology was overwhelming. Such profound knowledge was beyond even the most accomplished archmages in Dalaran.
However, Alaric had always believed that the foundation of magical education must be solid from the very beginning, as it determined a mage's entire perception of the world.
Without a strong foundation, even the most talented mage would have limited achievements in the future.
His own progress was largely due to his experiences in the Sea of Chaos and his understanding of multiple worlds. From the very start of his magical journey, he had not confined himself to the theories of the Harry Potter world, which had allowed him to continuously advance in his studies.
Now, while Jaina's worldview was still forming, he took the opportunity to teach her theories that most mages in this world would dismiss as heresy.
"This world's six fundamental forces exist in pairs, each opposing the other. The first pair is Light and Shadow—the former is used by priests, while the latter is wielded by many cultists devoted to dark gods.
The second pair is Life and Death—Loa warriors, whom I fought in the troll war, harness Life's power, as does the force of nature itself, whereas Death's power is embodied by the undead and spectral beings of legend."
At this point, Alaric noticed Jaina shudder slightly.
"The final pair consists of Arcane and Fel. Arcane represents order and is most easily controlled by focused and disciplined minds, whereas Fel represents chaos—its greatest wielders are demons."
"The four elements—Fire, Wind, Earth, and Water—form the material foundation of the world. However, there is actually a fifth force, which alchemists refer to as the Fifth Element—that is, the Soul.
The power of the Soul resides in all living beings, and its opposite is Decay."
This complex cosmology was undoubtedly a great shock to Jaina, who was just beginning her magical studies. But she was indeed a prodigy, a highly intelligent child.
Whether or not she fully understood, she was at least absorbing the knowledge attentively.
Alaric glanced at the girl with satisfaction before suddenly asking, "Do you know why mages choose arcane as their primary source of magic?"
"Because... arcane represents order?" The little girl pondered for a moment before hesitantly answering. "Because order aligns best with our way of thinking?"
"You are quite perceptive." Alaric patted her soft, silky hair in praise.
"Ehehe, it's nothing," the girl giggled shyly at the compliment.
But the next moment, she suddenly dodged away from Alaric's hand and protested with a pout, "Bad teacher! I told you not to pat my head!"
Alaric chuckled, unfazed, and continued his lesson.
"Perhaps the noble Light can heal wounds and ward off harm, but it only makes its followers more devout and zealous.
Perhaps the Shadow is immensely destructive, but it only leads its wielders further into corruption and depravity.
The power of Life inspires harmony with nature, while Death fosters hatred and emptiness.
Chaotic Fel energy is undeniably powerful, but it is highly addictive and relies on draining the life force of others.
Only arcane energy allows one to remain calm and focused—only its users can maintain control over their own minds."
"I see," Jaina murmured thoughtfully. "So, to keep our minds free from external influence, we choose arcane?"
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