The foolish young master of the Rollin family had driven away his learned tutor, a scandal that had recently become the most famous joke in the imperial capital.
Many idle people discussed the incident with gleeful schadenfreude. Why shouldn't they? Count Raymond Rollin was currently basking in immense favor and influence. Seeing such a powerful man suffer misfortune perfectly suited the dark psychology of the bored crowd.
Moreover, Count Raymond had made a mistake. His earlier offer of a substantial reward for anyone who could get his child to speak had already become a novelty, a minor sensation. That incident had propelled the Rollin family's "idiot" young master into the limelight, making him a popular topic of conversation.
In fact, over the past two years in the imperial capital, when families welcomed a newborn, it had become customary to say, "Oh, whether it's a boy or a girl doesn't matter... just as long as it's healthy. Heaven forbid it turns out like that unlucky Rollin family, birthing a little fool."
On this day, Young Master Dovi once again welcomed his father. Accompanying the Count was a man Dovi instantly disliked. The man wore a long gray robe and a pointed gray hat. His fingers were bony and his eyes were murky.
An unpleasant, musty scent of decay seemed to emanate from him. The chilling aura radiating from his body even caused Dovi to sneeze violently.
"Master Clark, this is my son," said the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Military Headquarters, the Empire's second-highest military figure, speaking with deference to the man beside him. "Please examine him. Tell me if he possesses even the slightest glimmer of promise on the sacred path of magic."
It seemed the Count was at his wit's end. This time, the tutor he had brought to instruct his son was Master Clark, a renowned mage of the imperial capital.
If "mage" could be considered a profession, then it was undoubtedly one of the most revered. Though this "reverence" often contained a significant dose of fear.
Mages were symbols of exalted status anywhere. They could sit as equals with any noble and received the most generous treatment. A powerful mage could rival a small army in wartime! Mages were objects of fervent recruitment by the leaders of any nation! Not only because they possessed superhuman abilities, but also because they posed no threat to the leader's power!
A mage spent the majority of their life immersed in magical research or meditating to accumulate magical energy. Almost all mages lacked the worldly desires of ordinary people. They weren't greedy for wealth... because a competent alchemist could transmute base stones into gems or gold using magic! Precious gems were merely auxiliary magical tools in their eyes.
They lacked lust for power; their lives were devoted to the greatest goal of unraveling the mysteries of magic. Secular ambitions for power held no allure for them. This made them particularly favored by those in power!
In the entire Roland world, mages were the most noble profession. They were eagerly courted by all figures of power, enjoying the finest treatment!
However... the Count did not wish for his son to become a mage! Not if there was any other choice!
Because almost all mages were feared... monsters! They were unsociable, eccentric, reclusive, disliked human interaction, and preferred to shut themselves away, lost in magical research. No noble maiden would want to court a monster who hid in a laboratory all day. No aristocratic banquet would invite an icy mage to ruin the atmosphere. No emperor would bestow a noble title upon a mage or appoint one as a high minister of the empire!
And Dovi, after all, was his son! The heir to the Rollin family! He would need to court, marry, produce heirs, continue the family line, attend various aristocratic social functions...
But what choice was left? His son was an "idiot" who failed at martial arts and failed at scholarly pursuits. It seemed that if he were to achieve anything, becoming a mage was the only option left!
If the great Rollin family history could include a powerful mage... well, it might be somewhat incongruous, but it would be acceptable!
With hopeful eyes, the Count watched Master Clark lead his son into a specially prepared, sealed room.
"Alright, boy," Clark said once inside, immediately pulling out a small vial. He poured some golden powder onto his fingertip and swiftly drew a large circle on the floor. He turned to Dovi. "I've cast a soundproofing spell. No one outside can hear our conversation now."
The mage, radiating a chilling aura, walked up to Dovi and looked down at the small figure. "Now, tell me, boy, what is magic in your understanding?"
What is magic?
The question gave Dovi pause. Deep down, he was genuinely intrigued by this world's "magic." He knew many glorious legends about it. But what exactly was magic...? In Dovi's impression, mages usually chanted things like "O God of Wind, heed my call..." when casting spells.
Then came flying sand, rolling stones, wailing ghosts, and howling spirits, or something along those lines.
Seeing the child remain silent, Clark assumed the question was too profound for such a young mind. He smiled faintly, then spoke in a low, measured voice, "Magic is the key granted by the omnipotent gods for humanity to unlock divine revelation! It is the path for humans to pursue the ultimate power of this world! It is the source for understanding ourselves, understanding the world, and unraveling the greatest gift bestowed upon humanity by the gods!"
The gray-robed Clark's voice carried a hint of sanctity. Unfortunately, this lofty rhetoric failed to impress Dovi. To him, these seemingly profound words reeked of pretentiousness.
The young Dovi didn't let his feelings show. His silence made the arrogant mage mistake it for fear. Clark was satisfied with the heir's reaction. He then pulled a fist-sized crystal orb from within his voluminous gray robe.
"Spiritual power is one standard for measuring magical aptitude... though not the only one, it is the most crucial aspect. Now, let me test your innate magical potential..."
Dovi finally spoke, voicing his doubt: "Spiritual power? Magical power? But... isn't magical power something only mages possess?"
Clark's eyes widened. "Who told you such a wildly erroneous thing? Good heavens, does the Rollin household truly contain someone ignorant of even this basic common knowledge?"
The mage was incensed by this fundamental error. "Spiritual power is the term used by laypeople. For mages, spiritual power is magical power! Mages can strengthen and increase their spiritual power through meditative techniques. They then use this heightened spiritual power to sense the world, perceive the wonders of nature, and feel the various forces within the natural world. Only those with strong spiritual power can do this! Continuously accumulated spiritual power allows a mage to perceive the world's magical elements more clearly... And what we call 'magic' is essentially using tricks to command, or borrow, a portion of the natural world's power, guided by the mage's own spiritual force – that is magic."
Dovi sighed. "I see... Spiritual power is magical power. And so-called magical power is actually a kind of leverage. Mages use this leverage to borrow power from nature."
A flicker of surprise crossed Clark's murky eyes. "Remarkable... A child barely over five... Oh, you are clever. So why do others call you an idiot?"
Dovi offered no answer to this question, merely looking silently at the mage. The proud Master Clark wouldn't waste time on such trivialities; he dismissed the incongruity with only slight surprise.
"This world, this natural world, is saturated with countless magical elements. Every drop, every particle, is a source of power. Rain, thunder, lightning, blizzards, gales, even the shifting of sun, moon, and stars, the blooming and withering of flowers and grass... all of this is a source of power within nature. A skilled mage can keenly sense every subtle fluctuation in the world. Your 'leverage' analogy is quite interesting. Simply put, the stronger your leverage, the more natural power you can command. If the leverage is too weak, the natural power you can harness is severely limited."
Dovi sighed again. "So that's how it is. I thought a mage's power came from their own internal 'magical power.'"
Clark frowned again. "I must question who could possibly have fed you such nonsensical ideas devoid of basic understanding! What I just explained is common knowledge known to even the lowest apprentice mage! 'Power comes from internal magical power'? Merciful heavens... I must correct you: Human power is limited. Even the strongest human is limited! Mages can accomplish things ordinary people cannot – a powerful mage might level a small hill with a wave of their hand or summon a storm... but that is never the mage's own power. It is achieved through magic, by borrowing the power inherent in the world! And this world was created for us by the gods. Therefore, fundamentally, when a mage uses magic, they are borrowing the power of the gods! Remember, humans were created by the gods. Humans can never possess the power of the gods! That is forbidden! A mage's power comes from nature, from the gods who created this 'nature'!"
He lowered his voice, scowling. "I find it strange that the Rollin family could produce a child so utterly ignorant of basic common knowledge. If, upon reaching adulthood, you were to utter something like 'a mage's power comes from within' outside these walls... I cannot guarantee you wouldn't be burned at the stake before the temple! Because your words fundamentally doubt the gods!"
Dovi closed his mouth. His eyes returned to their vacant state. He lowered his small head, effectively masking his expression.