Quest of Automata King

Basic of All Creation

“Let’s review the basic first,” Emmellia asked Mui that still confused about how magic works. According to her explanation, Mui have to learn about fundamental magic knowledge before they actually perform what his classmates could.

“First about mana, from your observation, what actually is mana?” asked Emmellia. Mui frown his forehead, trying to assembling his memories into words.

“Um... Energy that you use to do magic?” he anwer with hesitation.

Emmellia nodding twice with her eyes closed and her arm folded. “You’re not entirely wrong. But mana is much more than an expendable power.”

Emmellia then asking Mui to touch his own chest, specifically, at his heart.

“What do you feel?” asked her.

Mui feels his own heart beating slightly faster than usual and instantly reply to her. “My heartbeat.”

“Correct. People used to think why did heart is beating on their own. They are never stops, not even when someone is sleeping. The only time they stopped is when that person is die.”

“Mana have the similiar principle, but they are not limited only for one person. Instead, mana is tied to the whole world.” Emmelia paused for a while to looked at Mui’s expression. One’s face can tell a lot if they are paying attention or not.

“They are building blocks that allow all lifes to live. Peoples, animals, and plants since beginning have radiate their own mana that their body produce, but they don’t notice it,” she paused to tell the most important aspect of magic.

“By knowing what mana are, and how your body is able to use it, one can perform anything. Create elements, perform healing, even controlling minds,” explain Emmellia. “Don’t think of it like an energy that you have to use wherever you trying lifting heavy stuff. Instead, understand what they are and try to bend those mana into object that you wished for.”

Mui listening until the last words, he a little bit more understand compared to when he only observer what Karas and Raul is doing.

“First, I want you to stand straight,” said Emmellia. “Breathe slowly and close your eyes. The most basic steps to perform magic is to focus,” instruct her, and Mui do just like what she said.

“Follow my voice, try not to get distracted by other stuff even by your own mind. I want you to feel your heartbeat, but this time, without touching your chest. Breathe in, breathe out.”

As Mui learning to get focus, Emmellia walking in circle around him slowly. She remember that her teacher used this method to train her how to use magic. For beginner, getting to the ‘zone’ of sorcery could be a challenging and difficult tasks. She remember that by moving around the student, her voice would echoed to right and left ear, and create a sound illussion. It will make the students easier to get into focus.

“Now, from your chest, I want you to imagine a warm sensation. Breathe in, breathe out.”

Following her instruction, Mui’s body automatically regulate it’s heartbeat. Due to nervous and embarassment of his fellow classmates his heart have been throbbing all this time, but not until Emmellia decide to talk with him.

Mui’s chest feel warm, he can feel it everytime air come in and come out of his nose.

“Slowly, turn that heat up, and then imagine it as a fire. Fire would have much more temperature than warmth that you’re feeling, but if you increase it bit by bit, it would become one. Continue to focus.”

Mui following her instruction. As he imagine how fire heat are able to warm his body and injured it, he memorize every sensation of his memory that have connection with fire.

At the kitchen, when he helped his foster mother preparing diner. In front of the fireplace when he and his brother sit in a cold winter night, and then the light that comes from the candle.

“Now, your mana have used with the warm that you have concentrated. Next step is to flow that mana outside, and perform it outside of your body. Breathe in, breathe out.” Instruct Emmellia.

“From your chest, there is a line that connect to your hands, feet, stomach, and head. At the end of each line, you’re able to move the fire in your chest into the outer world. Slowly, feel the warmth are crawling from your chest to your hand.”

Unconsciously, Mui’s hand moved upward, and he flip his palms to face each other.

Just like what Emmellia said, he imagine the line inside his body that connect his chest, feet, and hand. As he breathe slowly, his arm and palm is starting to get warmer, even though the wind in this place is strong.

Everytime air taken in and out, the temperature of that line is also increasing. Until just like what Emmellia instruct, the line that connecting his chest and hand now is a single stretch of fire.

“Now, as if a catapult launched a stone, throw that fire from your chest into your hand. Do it with one swift move, and empty the core of your chest. Now!”

Mui’s concentration already reached his peak, so when Emmellia told her to suddenly throw that fire, Mui can only gasp and opened his eye quickly.

Suddenly, a burst of flame appeared on his hand out of nowhere. Cold air from the wind suddenly turned hot, and Mui almost panicked because of it.

“Stop! Calm down!” said Emmellia quickly.

Listening to her voice, Mui stayed in place. He realize that the fire is not feel hot whatsoever, and he didn’t even injured by it.

“I’m... I’m doing magic!” Shout Mui excitedly.

“Mui! Focus!” Emmellia shout at him from behind. “We don’t want the fire to dissipates, so you have to control your breath and the flow of mana!”

Mui quickly ending his hysteria, and returned to focus on his hand. He breathing in and out following Emmellia’s direction, although at first it was big, the fire on his hand is shrinking until what left is a small flame that usually seen on candles.

“You did better than what I expected!” said Otto as he looked at Mui’s finger. Small flame is dancing at the tip of his index, while Mui feel proud to what he have done.

After finished grading all of the students, Otto talk to Emmellia who standing beside Mui. “Ms. Novreyi, you have shown a great ability to teach other students. I will inform this to the teacher comittee, and recommend you to be the teacher’s assistant for the upcoming classes. Is that fine?”

“Yes sir,” answer Emmellia quickly.

For the last time, Otto looked at Mui, the Devil who have never done magic, suddenly able to let out a big fire at his first try does that signaling a talented student or just a sheer luck?

“Alright Mr.Ikhu, you surprised me with your first attempt. But for the future, Ms. Novreyi may did not have time to hold your hand like this. You know what is that mean right?” asked Otto. he take a sheet of paper from his board, and hand it over to Mui.

“That is the history book, basic fundamentals of magic, and also guide to control the flow of mana in your body. Everyone have learned this basics at their previous grade, but not you. You can find those at the library. I hope they all can help,” said Otto.

“Thank you sir!” said Mui excitedly. He grateful that Otto is not the teacher that would looking down on him. In fact, these notes is a proof that Otto is caring for his students.

Hours have passed, and sun have reached the top of their head.

“Look at the time everyone! Let’s back home before we die out of hunger! Everyone get into the circle now!” shout Otto. Quickly, all of the students of class F are gathering into the marble floor. Once again, Otto conduct the same teleportation spell, and everyone tranfered back to the school’s building.

After Otto make sure that he have counted everyone inside the room, he finally announcing that the classes for today have ended.

“Today is some sort of introduction day for every first year students. Therefore, all of you will have afternoon hours free until dinner. Use this time wisely to study! Especially everyone that did not get good score. See you at next class!” said Otto as the door of this hall opened by it’s own.

All of the students walk out of the room. Some are cheerfully speak to each other, some are yawning and looking forward for lunch. There is an hour left until lunchtime, so he quickly dash to the library to borrow some books.

***

Day is quickly passed and now it’s the nighttime at Grand Magusica. Everyone have finished their dinner and now the students have free time until curfey in effect. Karas, Raul, Robert and Mui are in their room, but each one is doing their own thing.

Karas and raul are playing cards, while Robert is studying at separate table to Mui that reading his borrowed books. Once in a while, Karas and Raul laughed at their game, and it started bug Robert.

“Hey come on! Both of us are studying here! Do you mind?” shout Robert annoyed.

Karas and Raul glancing at him, and they continue to chuckling.

“Why don’t two of you also preparing for tomorrow? Next day, the class will be much serious than today!” He said, but the beastmen and the elf give very little care.

“We don’t know what are the classes going to be tomorrow, so it’s fine to relax for a little, right?” said Karas.

“Isn’t that are even more reason to preparing for the next day?” reject Robert. “Look at Mui, he already sitting at his table even since I just returned, he know how to prepare for tomorrow!”

“Not really,” comment Raul. “You see, he making quiet a scene at the first day of basic magic. Shouting and flapping his hand like some kind of maniac.” Laughed Raul without a little bit mentioning about his failed attempt to help Mui.

“You know what? He got the private lesson from the princess herself! Apparently that is what motivate him to study harder.” said Karas.

“Wait, he what?” speak Robert half unbelieved.

On the other hand, Mui is still focused reading his book. He don’t even bother to answer the conversation of his roommates.