Magic Theory and Application; An Invisible Wall

“Have you still not made any progress?” Francis asked, somehow more baffled than August.

“Shush, I’m trying,” August hissed. “I just think there’s something I’m missing. She’s really guarded against me. Are you sure I didn’t do anything wrong to her?”

Francis shrugged.

“If being an annoying child counts, then sure. But I don’t think that‘s the problem.”

August sighed. As someone who spent all his time training instead of paying attention to woo people, he was running out of ideas.

“Take it easy, August.”

*

Once again, August arrived after Heilke. He looked around for a spot near her, only to find the whole classroom packed with students. Suspiciously, the only seat left was next to Heilke.

“Hello, Lady Crowell. May I sit here?”

Heilke did not make the effort to move her head.

“Sure.”

August rocked back and forth in his seat, sensing his heart pound against his chest.

“I’m not trying to make excuses, but for some reason everyone showed up today. There wasn’t a seat left.”

Heilke remained silent, occasionally flipping through her textbook.

“Do you think they put me up to this…?”

The professor walked in with a black bag in hand.

“Your daily reminder to not use magic until the second half of class,” the professor announced.

“Class is starting, so please don’t talk to me, or distract me from now on,” Heilke said, monotonously.

“Right,” said August, sweating profusely. “Sorry.”

Every so often, there would be an interesting topic that came up in class. August could not hold his silence, and would take the opportunity to further discuss it with Heilke.

“What do you think about the application of weaving magic integrated with healing magic? Currently, healing magic does not allow for reattachments of limbs, but combined with weaving magic, could it be possible?”

Heilke would not reject his question and answer, although her replies would be said with quite a flat tone.

“In what way do you think?”

“Like each severed cell was seamlessly reconnected to the detached limb using weaving magic, then healing magic applied over the top to speed up the bodily mending process.”

“Right. That would be an interesting thing to look into. However the wielder of the weaving magic must have extremely precise and accurate control of their magic. It would be incredibly inconvenient for both the little to none existing sorcerers with that level of proficiency, and the patient looking for the cure.”

“What about the addition of duplication magic? Duplicating the cells and temporarily elongating the veins and bones so that attaching the limb is easier?”

August reminisced his previous life. His conversations with Heilke were more natural, more pleasant. Though this in itself was enjoyable for August, he could tell Heilke still had her reservations. She had not made an attempt at proper eye contact the whole class.

Should he push his luck?

“Lady Crowell, would you like to join me for tea after?”

Heilke did not reply.

“So we can discuss this more, that is,” August mumbled.

August was not sure if she did not hear him, or she chose to ignore him, though he was leaning towards the latter. He stayed silent about personal matters afterwards.

A bit further into class, the professor did a roundabout explanation on a certain topic. On the board, she wrote inaccurate statements. Only when Heilke had copied down all of them did the professor say they were wrong. August watched as Heilke rubbed out each line like she was cursing the hell out of the professor on the inside. On the second to last line, Heilke used too much pressure and her eraser was flung to the floor. Instantly, August leaned towards it without knowing Heilke was going to do the same.

They bump heads at an incredible force, mainly due to August eagerly trying to help.

Heilke swiftly sat back up, her knotted eyebrows barely visible behind her arm holding her head. Before she could retort, August reached for the eraser.

“I’m sorry Lady Crowell, let me help.”

Instead of grabbing the eraser, his hand missed by a hair and knocked the eraser further away from Heilke. August briskly turned to Heilke with an uneasy expression.

“I’ll—“

“Marquess Vin Gardner, drop it. I do not need your help.”

It was the first proper eye contact they had all class, and what her eyes reflected was a glower.

“Sorry,” August said, defeated. He reached into his pencil case, took out his eraser and placed it on a spot near Heilke’s desk.

“Alright class, let’s move on to the second half of the class. It’s time to demonstrate your magic manipulation. Show me your levitation spell. I hope you’ve practised this outside of class,” the professor said while placing a small ball on the podium.

The levitation spell. It was a middle to high tier spell, involving gravitational magic and some air magic sprinkled in. Most students in the class would have learnt air magic in high school, but being able to manipulate gravity would prove to be much more challenging, let alone using it in combination with another type of magic.

August was not the best at any magic besides those that helped his swordsmanship. When he decided on his pathway, he already saw how he was much more skilled at one than the other, hence developing his magic to cater to his sword.

Luckily, or unluckily for him, his sword could benefit from most magic—gravitation being one. He would use the extra gravity to make his strikes hit harder, or less gravity to make his swings faster. Levitation and air magic were helpful if he needed to retrieve his lost sword, controlling the air particles around his sword to go closer to him.

One by one, the teacher called up students.

“Eduard. I can tell you haven’t practised. Next, Delia. Same as Eduard. Next, Mitch. You are very close, keep at it. Next, August.”

August stood up, feeling somewhat guilty that he has a 5 year head start. He held his hand out, the way he did when retrieving his sword. Without a bead of sweat, the yellow ball flew to his hand.

One side of the professor’s lips lengthened sideways.

“You did not demonstrate what I asked you to. Did I tell you to take the ball?”

August immediately dropped the ball, leading it to bounce across the floor.

“Sorry Professor. I did it out of habit.”

“No matter, it’s good that you can apply the spell. Next, Heilke.”

Heilke already had the ball lifted in the air when retrieving what August had dropped. The ball emitted an aqua glow as it was moved back to the podium.

“Exemplary. Next, Reneé.”

Heilke looked at August.

“You seem to drop a lot of things.”

When everyone was getting ready to leave, August tugged at the sleeve of Heilke’s dress.

“Lady Crowell, could you give me the chance to offer you a proper apology?”

Heilke shook off his hand.

“You already did. Just drop it, Your Lordship.”

Her tone was back to the monotonous, neutral one she would use with him. Completely uninterested, with a boundary set. 

*

Back in his dorm room, August flopped onto his embroidered couch.

“Hey Marie.”

“What is it, my lord?”

“What do you think about this situation?”

“What situation?”

August described what happened during class that day.

“My lord, are you asking me because you don’t have any friends?” Marie said, completely deadpan. August straightened his back, flabbergasted.

“I do have friends!” He yelled.

“Then shouldn’t you be consulting them?”

“No…”

“Do you have only one friend, my lord?”

“No, I…”

“That you’re close to.”

“…”

The maid sighed.

“I have already been established as not a great person, it’s going to take time before that opinion changes,” August said, somewhat dejected.

As Marie noticed his dispirited manner, thoughts raced through her brain. When she was ready to speak again—which was only a few seconds later—she said,

“Why was the horse depressed?”

August looked up to see Marie’s solemn face, speculating she was about to give some sort of abstract advice. 

Feeling there was a long enough pause, Marie continued.

“Because it was a loaner.”

The room filled with silence.

“I’ll see myself out, my lord,” Marie said, bowing while stepping backwards.

August gestured for her to come back.

“No, no. Just answer my question.”

Marie paused her exit, once again thought for a second, then seemed to have found her words.

“I think she has put up an unspoken barrier.”

“That’s so explicit.”

“Yes, my lord.”