Were all ninth-circle casters this strange? Just like Lysander, this one acted without thought, then hoped a favor would count as an apology. I supposed they were rather famous and even feared throughout Enusia, so perhaps that expectation wasn’t unfounded, but I found it irritating all the same. That wasn’t to say I wasn’t going to take advantage of his offer, and quickly fell into thought.
The question on my mind was clear, so I looked at him and, with as much confidence as I could muster, asked, "I came here to learn about Dispel Magic. Something about the spell I know is wrong, but I can’t tell what. Would you teach me?"
He grunted, turning a critical eye to me. "Isn’t that what this paper’s all about? Why would you waste it on something this trivial?"
My cheeks flushed red, and I looked down. Of course it was. Why wouldn’t the nature of one of the most used and ancient spells be trivial? The gleaming light of the Shard caught my eye, and I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind.
"Why is there a Shard here? And why do they know all our abilities?"
He settled back, leaning against his cane. "Now that, on the other hand, is a question out of this world. Do you know what a Shard is?"
I shook my head. "Nothing I’ve read mentioned them beyond their ability to awaken and identify people."
"Not surprising," he muttered. "Follow me."
He led to the shard and instructed me to lay my hand on it. The glass-like texture of the crystal was warm and smooth against my palm, and my eyes slit as the pleasurable heat of mana swept through me, resonating with the crystal.
Name: Xiviyah, Hero of Fate
Status: Sun’s Divine Curse; Fate’s Blessing; Slave Contract: Sun Hero
Abilities: Mana 9th; Affinity: Fate; Adaptive Resistance (1st): Holy: (4th), Curse (5th), Lightning (2st), Fire (4th), Water (2nd), War (2nd); Eyes of Fate;
"Interesting," Rithen murmured, eyes narrowing sharply. "Very interesting."
Adaptive resistance had gone through some startling changes, an evolution, by the looks of it. While the level of many of the attributes had increased, the ability’s name itself changed to include a "1st." Was this because of the spar? Selena had thrown countless spells my way of all attributes, which would further Soltair’s hypothesis that Adaptive Resistance was based on my experience. Furthermore, the fire and water spells were much weaker than they should have been. Did that correspond with their level? Most baffling of all was the constant rise of Curse, magic that had never once been used on me. Well, except for the slave crest, but it’s not like-
My eyes widened, and I stumbled back, staring at the scarlet runes peeking between my cleavage. No, that’s impossible. I couldn’t lose this crest. It was the only thing binding me to Soltair and protecting my life.
"So that’s how it is." I looked up sharply as Rithen nodded, his eyes fixated on the slave crest.
"I-I don’t understand." I stammered, covering the exposed crest with my hands.
"Perhaps that’s for the best," he murmured. "Anyway, about your question. It’s only fair I tell you what I know, but keep in mind most of this is speculation I’ve received from incomplete records of the beginning."
I swallowed hard, forcing thoughts of the crest from my mind. "What beginning?"
"The creation of Enusia itself. Magic was a gift from the gods, bestowed upon the world itself, not the inhabitants. We have our mana, it’s true, but mana is useless to us without magic to manipulate."
"But the church claims magic is one of the basic building blocks! How can things exist here without it?"
"Perhaps it is seen that way, but the truth is far more complex. Magic is infused within the world, but not bound to it. It’s a chaotic force that seeks to destroy and consume everything in its power. This is where the Shards of Omniscience come into play. They act like stabilizing keys, hammered down to allow magic to be controlled. The very interaction of life and magic is facilitated through their presence."
"So that’s how they can identify magic and abilities. What would happen if they were to be destroyed?"
He paused, and the temperature of the room suddenly plunged. "I don’t know," he said slowly, eyes fastened on me. No, not me, but my horns. "But I expect the results would be catastrophic. At the very least, no creature would be born into this world with the capacity to wield magic."
"Oh," I muttered, feeling slightly taken aback by his hostility. "Are they difficult to destroy?"
"I don’t think there’s a power originating here on Enusia that can handle it, as that power originates from the shards, to begin with."
His unspoken words echoed loudly around the cavern, and I could feel his gaze intensify. "This is the Origin Shard and the true reason for the Divine Throne’s location. Every major city was constructed with a shard at its center, something considered even before access to food, water, or trade."
"So, when you call yourself the keeper of the archive...?"
He nodded gravely. "That’s right."
"Why do you tell me these things?" I asked, unable to comprehend his motivation. He was as worried as the rest about my allegiance and power, so why reveal their weakness? Why word things in such a way as to imply my objectives?
"I think you know," he replied. "But also because you asked. It’s not in my nature to deny knowledge to those who sincerely seek it. On that note, let’s move on to the purpose of your visit."
"Y-yes sir," I nodded, grateful to change topics. "Why can I use Dispel magic so easily?"
"Rather blunt, aren’t you? No matter. Did you not see your identification a few minutes ago? It’s only natural Fate Magic comes easily to you."
His words caught me by surprise, and I turned back to stare at the crystal, where the words had long since faded. "But Dispel magic is Neutral magic. The books were very clear on that matter."
"And tell me, Xiviyah the wise," he cackled. "What is neutral magic?"
I blushed, shame-faced, but mustered my courage. "Neutral magic deals with the nature of magic itself, meaning it doesn’t fall under an ordinary attribute. Things like Dispel Magic, Magic Sense, and magic that deals with the soul."
"Interesting proposal, and one I’ve heard before. I’d like to offer you another idea, though. Politics."
"Politics?" I blinked.
"Yup. Neutral magic is another name for problematic magic that can’t be accepted under its original source. Why do you think the source material for everything in the library is kept in the archive, where access is restricted?"
I gasped, looking at him in shock. "That’s because-"
"’We need to protect them?’ How naïve. Don’t you know magic can restore anything broken? Why would we care if something got lost or damaged?
I found myself without a response. "So all neutral magic is fate magic?"
"Of course not," he scoffed. "But much of it is. Actually, since we’re on the topic, what determines magical classification in the first place?"