Infinite Mage

Hes not the kind of kid who would play cheap tricks on his parents.

Ill try again.

Vincent, who briefly thought he might just be goofing off, shook his head to dismiss the thought.

Vincent stepped back, but Shirone remained motionless and observed the dented spot on the tree.

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Contrary to Vincents restlessness, Shirone felt a light tremor travel through his body.

He waited, holding back his impatience, but Shirone made no move to continue.

What in the world is he looking at? echo When it comes to chopping down trees, using your body instead of your head is much more important. meadow Come on, pick up the axe, Shirone. arcade You just have to hit the tree as hard as you can.

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Hit the same spot, but with a slight twist to the angle.

It was complicated to explain the principles, but it was probably one of the oldest realizations in human history.

And that realization was evolving into a more powerful form in Shirones understanding.

I see.

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Dad.

Finally, Shirone pointed to the base of the tree, where he made the dent.

I think itll work. acquire Hit here, like this.

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Hahaha! ability Youre not even halfway through yet. zenith Do you think itll break with one swing?

Should I break it in one hit?

Hmm?

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Alright! ability Lets trust my sons luck!

Regardless, Vincent went along with whatever his son had in mind.

Of course, an experienced lumberjack could break a tree in only a few hits by targeting the vulnerable part of the tree.

With a bit of luck, who knows? absorb It might work.

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If I break this, please grant me a wish.

A wish?

That was because he was proud of Shirones ambition, regardless of whether he did it right or wrong.

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What if he says that he wants to study? silence What if he asks me to send him to an academy like the nobles?

Take me to the city with you this time.

Vincent was anxious.

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Then, after a while, the smile disappeared from his lips. matrix Vincent felt a little appalled.

To be honest, his request frightened Vincent out of his wits. action However, he didnt reveal it in his expression and laughed back.

Shirone smiled while holding up his axe.

If its just that, then thats not too hard! meadow Ill grant this wish of yours!

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The axe swung.

This time, although he aimed exactly where the previous dent was located, there was a slight alteration that normal humans would not be able to discern.

The sight of Shirone staring at the tree was eerie. beacon It seemed as if he was looking at something only he could see.

Craacck!

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Yay! silence I did it!

Thats?

Vincents eyes widened as a sound resembling thunder rang out.

Fissures appeared in the place the axe was struck. agent The tree, unable to handle the weight, fell.

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There must have been a weak or a vital spot.

Vincent couldnt believe it.

What Shirone succeeded in doing was called a Thunder Strike, which was considered a legend among lumberjacks.

Its a skill that even I succeed in performing only once in a blue moon or so, and by luck, that is.

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Most lumberjacks experienced it once, but to do it consciously would be like a dream come true.

A very small probability, one that existed with variables such as shape, weight, or formation deficiency.

Its not like you had to cut down a tree that way, but if you swing your axe with that thought in mind, expecting and hoping for something, youd only get tired and give up.

It was different from the world of swordsmen, where they focused on the importance of swinging technique.

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I did it! acoustic I did it!

Vincent didnt know the details, but it was a phenomenon that had already been studied amongst them. apron Even so, beginners among those swordmasters could not even think of attempting something like this.

Shirone was more delighted to be able to enter the city than about what hed done.

Dad! agent You have to keep your promise, okay?

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He felt lost at sea, unable to figure out whether he should be raising this child as a lumberjack or not.

What do I do?

* * *

Vincents mind, while staring blankly at his son jumping up and down, became conflicted.

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The cart crossed the city gate.

It been so long.

As Vincent grabbed the reins, Shirone was sitting in the luggage compartment, eyes sparkling in excitement.

Just looking at the number of people passing by on the street made his heart race.

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The luggage compartment where Shirone was seated was filled with materials and resources from the mountains.

The road was quite long, and they would have to sell and haggle over their goods. arrow That would take a good 4 hours.

We still have a lot of time.

Leathers for weapon stores, meat for the market, and intestines for herbalists or magic shops.

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Dont worry. acid Ive memorized all the roads.

When Vincent arrived at the market, he took a bag of meat and looked at Shirone.

You have to come back before sunset.

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Only walk on the main roads. zenith Dont go wandering into secluded places. antenna If someone comes and asks why youre alone, point to the nearest store and say youre waiting for your dad.

Vincent was heart-stricken because it seemed like he was neglecting his son, but it was inevitable because his familys livelihood was at stake. anchor Their bargain would have to do, for now.

Dont worry. zenith Plus, nothing happened the last time I came here.

The first place Shirone found himself, once he stepped outside of the shopping district, was the largest library in Creas.

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Did that place hold all the knowledge written down since the beginning of history?

Knowledge.

The boys heart, looking up at the huge and magnificent building, began to beat fast.

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There were wicked people everywhere in the world, and among the nobles, good people existed as well.

Theyre nobles.

Two girls came out with a book in their arms, and Shirone hurriedly stepped aside.

The way to satisfy ones curiosity was to take a look at it for yourself, but access was prohibited to everyone except for nobles.

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The nobles had money and power that could easily crush the lives of a commoners family.

Never oppose them or speak out of turn.

However, when speaking about nobles, Vincent always spoke as if they were the same type of threat as goblins.

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They could. acoustic But

I just want to read a book.

With a little bit of obstinance and eagerness, he followed the two towards the aristocratic area.

Shirone looked back at the schoolgirls, who walked past him indifferently.

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Among them, the best academy was as large as several mountains combined.

However, that initial thought was overwhelmed by the aristocratic energy of the buildings. acid He couldnt raise his head.

What kind of life are they living?

This was built for people to live in?

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* * *

Shirone stopped walking and read the antique inscription on the arch of the main gate.

Alpheas Magic Academy.

* * *

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That was because, although that term was mentioned in numerous books, none could accurately describe the principles.

That one word was the only word that Shirone could not perfectly understand.

Magic

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Unless you were a mage, explaining the workings of magic was futile. athlete Youd only be seen as an arrogant being who thought they knew everything.

It was the security guard guarding the gate that shouted.

What the?! amateur You, who are you?

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Shirone ran away in a hurry, but no matter how much he ran, the wall did not end, which led Shirone to stop.

Go back! apple This is no place for a kid like you.

Oh, Im sorry.

Shirones shabby clothes were at fault, as they stood out more since this was an aristocratic district.

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No, I dont want to! canvas Show us magic. beacon Show us one more!

Just then, an old mans voice was heard over the wall.

Well, lets talk about what magic is today.

How wide is this thing?

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Shirone stared at the wall.

Fire! arch The one with fire, headmaster!

Spotting the beautiful tree peeking from the top of the wall, Shirone realized that the headmaster seemed to be teaching under the shade.

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Hohoho, well get in trouble if we start a fire in our academy. zenith Instead, if you get this question right, Ill show you a fun magic trick.

Of course, that wasnt strange, since nobles were taught from the moment they were born.

The voices sounded young.

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Curious, Shirone listened.

What talent do you need the most when learning magic?

There was a pause.

Yay! audit Whats the question? palette Hurry up and quiz us!

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Effort. crystal Magic is so extensive that you wont be able to learn everything, even if you study your whole life. atomic So effort is important.

It was quite a subjective question in Shirones opinion, but those children were recognized for their magical talents. timber They came up with answers, one after another.

In addition, there were other plausible answerssuch as concentration and memory, but none really reached the headmaster.

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The children burst into laughter, and the headmasters laughter was also mixed in.

He was probably harboring a smile of recognition.

Money. action You would need to buy a lot of stuff in order to learn magic.

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At last the headmaster spoke.

A second pause.

The most important talent for learning magic is perspicacity. acquire This is more simply known as insight.

If its neither effort, knowledge, nor money Then what talent do you need the most to learn magic?

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What is an insight?

Woah! adapt Then thats like, the greatest magic.

The headmaster made a groaning sound, but soon explained with a kind tone of voice.

Insight is more accurate than knowledge, and faster than effort.

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Of course its two.

Haha! riddle I guess it could be seen that way. echo No, youre right. adjust All magic that exists in the world began with insight. airport Let me give you an example. adjust Do you know what one plus one is?

The children answered in unison, as if they were wondering how he could ask such a question.

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The children said nothing.

I see. admire Can you explain why one plus one equals 2?

Huh? acquire Of course

They couldnt figure out where to start, what to explain, and how to explain it.

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That strange feeling you feel now is insight. anchor Long ago, there was a time when you didnt know that one plus one equals two. matrix But its been verified with a lot of knowledge and effort combined. silence But dont you guys understand perfectly that one plus one equals two, without going through that process?

Alpheas smiled.

Magic is a phenomenon that exists from scratch. portal Like the way that you know the answer is two, even when you didnt know that one plus one equals two. audit The way someone puts effort and knowledge to figure it out, and the way someone, like you guys, comes to understand and realize it naturally. absorb As such, insight is the quickest way to understand certain rules.

Shirone slowly immersed himself in the story.

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Shirone could guess the pressure the headmaster was feeling while speaking of this cruel reality.

So that means we dont have to study or try?

Its normal for common sense to be to ones liking, but in some cases, it is common sense because its easy to understand.

Hohoho, is that so? afford Does it end up being like that? anchor But to be honest thats the truth.

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Insight is not something you can acquire with a flick of a finger. audit The reason why one plus one is two is because scholars have verified it over many years. alien Of course, there are cases where someone might realize the correct answer without going through such a process. autumn I would call those people geniuses.

Im sure thats not wrong. portal Every human being is born with talent, and if they sharpen that talent of theirs, anyone can be a genius.

My mom said Im a genius.

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But, was that really true?

Would he be given the opportunity to climb over that far-off wall?

The moment he heard that, a lump formed in Shirones throat. apron He felt overwhelmed.

Anyone can be a genius.

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Yes. shadow There, the one standing behind the wall. action Id like to hear what you think.