everyone erupted simultaneously,
"Quiet down!"
And became silent just as quickly.
"I know that most of you are confused by what I just said. Would any of you like to explain my earlier statement?'
Once again, it was Felix who spoke up. Usually, he'd sit there thinking how monotonous his life was. But when needed to, he could be quite the scholar- he didn't hate magic, but rather others' expectations for him in the field. And even when he participated, other students would start whispering to each other. This time, they didn't.
Their genuine curiosity as a mage had just triumphed over their jealousy of talent. While this may seem a small event, it would later become a stepping stone for one of, if not the greatest, tales ever told.
"I'm not sure, but I believe that it has something to do with the mana heart. I mean, you said that the most efficient way to use mana is not to use it at all. And mana heart is the thing which uses mana to, well, do all the things you explained."
"Even artefacts?"
Asked the professor.
"You said that they can run on external mana perpetually, not that they can start on external mana. From that, I concluded artefacts need to start from internal mana and THEN run as you explained. And since you also said that most of them are large-scale, I can't imagine how much internal mana would be needed to start them."
"Correct. The barrier that encloses this academy took two weeks of constant internal mana supply from six ten-star mages just to start."
"But that's only a part of the answer, right, Felix?"
"Yes, professor. Although I was sure of my earlier statements, the rest is just conjecture. I personally believe that there are only two types of magic, in contrast to what you just told us- one that uses pure mana from the mana heart to directly affect one's surroundings, and one that uses a catalyst to either enhance, fine-tune, or permanently place a spell on a certain area using the pure mana from the mana heart I explained earlier. If my theory is to be taken as correct, then it means one's internal mana can essentially never run out if they use external mana in the first place."
How is it, that a mere sixteen-year-old can come up with the same theories in an instant that the most advanced mages in the world took decades to do?
The professor thought until Felix interrupted him in his thoughts and continued.
"Let me use an analogy, sir. Using a mana heart is like writing a letter on a piece of paper and then sending it to an address, which in this case would be the surroundings. But what I said is like speaking directly while AT the address, which isn't possible since that'd mean you're technically at two places at the same time."
And that analogy is also not wrong. I guess the headmaster was true- it doesn't matter if you try hard or not, you'll still end up as the greatest mage in history. However, you're wrong about one thing- that it isn't possible. The concept that proves you wrong is something that you know very well, Felix- Incantless chanting.
"Well, Felix, it doesn't seem like there's much left for me to teach, is there?"
chuckles across the room spread, and then stopped as the bell rang.
The rest of the school day was boring for Felix, as usual, and he was given a day off the next day to prepare for the trip, during which he woke up early, went outside, and came back late in the evening.
Although Felix would've still skipped going to the academy even if he hadn't been given a leave.
...
Early the next morning, he woke up and left without saying a word to anyone.
Just a couple of steps outside the glamorous manor of white and blue, Felix looked back.
No one was there to see him off.
And people are envious of me. If they were in my position, I'm damn sure they'd quickly realize that I'm doing a way better job than they ever could.
He grumbled and continued walking, this time not looking back even once. After he exited the city and walked for an hour across the well-maintained pavement, he stopped and looked around for a while before coming off the road and hiding in a thick patch of trees.
After a few moments, Felix was flying in the air with thick green boots.
This small artefact sure is uncomfortable, but this way I can fly without using any mana. While its range might not be that much before it gets corrupted, I can travel using it for the first couple of hours and then hold it in my backpack before using my own mana. This'll double my range, and I can always purify it in the night while I sleep. Getting my hands on it sure wasn't easy, though. I had to break into a magic facility and steal them without noticing. I DID leave plenty of money, way more than required for them to get started again. SO there shouldn't be any problems... I think.
Felix covered about a sixth of the journey with his boots and another sixth with his internal mana before stopping.
At this rate,
He thought while preparing a campfire in the night,
I'll make it after two more days. Three days of flying is way better than a week of travelling by carriage, even if I'm exhausted as hell after this.
And then it hit Felix. That god-awful stench of... something.
He covered his nose with his arms quickly, almost reflexively, and then spread his mana extremely thin to cover the maximum area he could- a basic application of mana called detection.
But Felix wasn't searching for the source of the stench; instead, he was focusing on the nature.
As I thought, small animals are still there. With their heightened sense of smell, I'd think that they'd pick up the stench quickly and run. But they aren't. That's weird. If they'd reacted, it'd mean that the smell is most probably of someone higher up in the food chain. Seems like I'm the only one who can smell it?
Only Felix would be capable of thinking something like this in his situation.
The smell got stronger and stronger till the point that Felix had to use mana to cut off his sense of smell entirely.
He jumped up and faced his palm towards a bush, to the general location from where the smell originated.
And then, after what seemed an eternity, someone emerged.
Felix almost hit them with a lethal spear made of crimson fire before dissipating it as he watched them collapse near the fire.
He looked at them- they were wearing a cape, so it was unclear if they were a 'he' or a 'she'.
Following them, however, was something that Felix COULD hit with a spear of blaze- bandits.