"Silent Image," Sven said.
"What? Why that one?" Marie asked, before adding, "I told you to save your spell slots."
"They're a good pair—Evil Eye and Silent Image. With one, you track and curse; with the other, you hide," Sven replied.
Marie took a sip of her tea and sighed. "Fine," she said.
"Can I go for a walk tomorrow?" Sven asked.
"Fine," Marie repeated.
Sven finished his lunch quickly and hurried up to his room. He sat at his desk.
I need to improve my incantations, he thought. Spells won't improve because they are bound to the soul; you can only strengthen them by leveling up. But incantations aren't soul-bound. You can refine and alter them through practice and meta-magic. An incantation is the creation of magic through words, gestures, and thought.
Sven traced a circle in the air with his hand. The shape solidified into a barrier—a circle with a star inscribed inside.
I can keep casting incantations until my Kir runs out. But spells? I can only use those a few times a day. I just need to keep casting until I truly grasp the incantation.
Sven conjured several more barriers. He flicked his finger at the first one, and it shattered into a cloud of shimmering shards. He struck the second one harder—enough to make his hand ache—and it broke as well.
These barriers are weak. They only stop a single blow, and even then, only if it isn't too strong. If the strike is heavy or magical, the barrier will only slow it down.
He recalled the books Kir is Ouroboros and Dominion Over the World—grimoires that had completely changed his perspective on incantations.
From the outside, the barrier looks like a circle with a star. Each point of the star represents a type of physical damage: piercing, slashing, crushing, projectiles, and falling. To make this barrier protect against spells too, I need to understand the nuances of every school. Each school of magic is unique. To cast a Charm spell, you need high empathy; to cast a Suppression spell, you have to mask your emotions.
I need to somehow fold every school of magic into a single incantation. It's impossible. You can't make a single spell that protects against three types of [elemental] attacks, five types of physical attacks, nine types of magical attacks, and three types of psychic attacks.
Sven scratched his head and sighed.
Whatever. The main thing is to have a solid plan. According to the book, this village is in the Fourth Ring, near the Blue Rose territory. The village itself is past the forest, near the Tila River.
Tomorrow, the Golden Dragons will attack them just to save face in front of the others. I'll need to save Mia during the chaos. With Silent Image, I can hide anywhere, but I have to stay out of the soldiers' sight—higher-level mages might still see through it.
Sven grabbed a notebook and began sketching magic circles. He pulled several books from his nightstand, scanning them for references. Finally, he wrote down a formula:
(\frac{Kir / Fk}{R^3}\right)^2
Then, he drew a large "circle within a circle." Between the two lines were nine divisions; inside the center were five semi-circles connected by a five-pointed star. At the edge of the inner circle, he added one more small circle with a triangle inside.
I have no doubt the formula is correct, but can I actually cast it? This incantation protects against everything, but only once—and it devours a massive amount of Kir.
Sven spent five minutes tracing the pattern in the air, reciting the incantation in his mind. Finally, a barrier flickered into existence with a white glow.
He conjured a dozen more until only a drop of Kir remained. With a snap of his fingers, he dismissed them all, watching them dissolve.
Now I need to test the Silent Illusion spell. Who should I use it on?
His eyes fell on the gardeners working in the backyard. Sven stood up, threw a coat over his robe, and headed downstairs. The servants were busy—some pruning, some watering, others working by hand. Sven hid behind a pillar on the back veranda.
He knew the layout of the yard well: the gray brick path and the massive flowerbed bordered by a low stone edge, overflowing with blossoms.
Sven stepped out from behind the pillar. He focused on the thought that no one should see him—and no one did. A shroud, roughly two meters wide, formed around him. Sven could feel its presence.
That's what I love about spells. The magic handles everything automatically. With incantations, you have to think and maintain constant concentration.
Sven walked quietly through the yard. No one noticed him. He paced along the paths, but eventually, he realized some of the higher-ranking servants were glancing his way.
They probably have low-level classes; they can sense me.
After several laps around the garden, the shroud dissipated. Some of the classless servants jumped in fright. A maid carrying laundry dropped her basket, and a gardener watering flowers recoiled. Sven smirked to himself—until he felt a breath on the back of his neck.
He spun around. Herman was standing right behind him.
"Impressive. You maintained that Silent Image for nearly ten minutes," Herman said.
"You were following me this whole time?" Sven asked.
"Well, I was told that something was prowling around the backyard," Herman said with a small smile. "Could you please refrain from testing your spells on the common folk?"
"Fine, Herman," Sven replied.
"Still," Herman added, "your spell held for a very long time for a first attempt."