Chapter 176: The Miracle of Magic

Chapter 176: The Miracle of Magic

Clang!

Two wooden swords clashed in mid-air as the two wielders faced off on the lawn. One was a black-haired, brown-eyed boy, around ten years old, while the other had striking golden hair and was about sixteen.

This wasn't a fierce battle, more like a training session. The black-haired boy deftly avoided his opponent's attacks, striking at the weaker points with ease.

"Dammit, just a little bit off, why am I always just a little bit off?"

Frustrated, the golden-haired boy swung his wooden sword with all his might, shifting his weight forward and abandoning his defense for a full-on attack.

"You always think you're close enough during practice, but when it counts, you're always just a little bit off."

The black-haired boy sidestepped the brute-force slash, found the gap in the wide attack, and tightened his grip on the wooden sword, pushing it upward.

Clang!

A faint glint of the sword appeared, and the golden-haired boy felt a tingling in his hand. His wooden sword was cleanly knocked away, and he was then swept off his feet by a leg sweep. As he tried to get up, a wooden sword was already pressed against his chest.

"Zero to seven, Amir. Do you want to continue?"

Luk retracted his wooden sword and extended his other hand to help Amir up.

Amir, who had just gotten up, brushed the grass off his clothes and pouted, making the usual excuses, "The weather isn't suitable for a match today, and the grass is too slippery. I haven't been in the best form lately..."

"You can fool others, but don't fool yourself."

Amir's face turned red with embarrassment, and after a moment of intense inner struggle, he finally admitted, "Alright, I lost."

According to the rules of Amir's family, if a knight loses a duel, they must unconditionally grant the winner one favor, as long as it doesn't violate the law or morality. Amir hadn't yet completed his knighting ceremony and was not a true knight, but due to the strict family rules, he still had to fulfill Luk's request, even in an informal duel.

"I want ninety percent of your allowance."

"That's too much!"

Amir's face changed abruptly, "Last time you only asked for seventy percent!"

"That's because I didn't realize you were saving up to buy gifts for Mivi." Luk tapped Amir's head, adopting a paternal tone, "Although it's not good to talk behind someone's back, Miss Mivi is not a good partner. You're one of at least three people she's stringing along, and she's not interested in you at all."

"Nonsense, Miss Mivi isn't like that. She's just shy and reserved, that's why she doesn't talk to me!"

Luk could only sigh in exasperation. There are two types of people who shouldn't be in relationships: those who are overly cautious and those who are blindly confident. Amir clearly fell into the latter category.

It had been ten years since the two of them came to Lady Roine's house.

For an elf, this amount of time was merely a blink of an eye. Lenise might feel as if she had just taken a nap, but for Luk, who was still in his developmental stage, the passage of time was more noticeable.

He had shown an unusual maturity from a young age, with a strong sense of self-reliance. It wasn't about maintaining the dignity of an adult from a past life; Lenise was simply too unreliable, so he had to take care of himself.

Because of this, everyone from the butlers and maids to Amir and Lady Roine adored this smart, sensible, and beautiful child. Amir, in particular, was very attached to his friend, who listened to his complaints.

Although Amir was older and taller, their relationship was completely reversed. Luk treated Amir like a son, and Amir, due to Luk's reliability and maturity, saw him as a big brother. Amir always emphasized that he was the older brother, but he always turned to Luk first when something happened. It's just that the generational hierarchy among boys can't be taken too seriously; everyone had their own way of seeing things.

This little rascal's mind had become more active during his adolescence, his head controlled by his heart, and he was constantly thinking about Miss Mivi from next door, dreaming of a romantic love story like those in plays. But she didn't even acknowledge him, only accepting gifts.

Luk could only save this rebellious son's money through these matches and then secretly add it to Amir's daily expenses. In the process, he would also take a little for himself to buy magic books.

"Luk, you can't say such things just because you're jealous of my relationship with Mivi," Amir countered seriously.

"When I go to the Swordlands and pull out the Hero's Sword to defeat the Demon King and return in glory, Mivi will surely accept my love."

Luk: "Are you really that confident you can pull out the Hero's Sword?"

Amir: "Of course, I've felt the Hero's Sword calling to me since I was a child!"

Luk: "Why don't you go to the street and find some kids playing with sticks, and see if any of them don't feel the Hero's Sword calling to them?"

Amir: "I'm different!"

Luk didn't bother to argue further. He could understand, young people are always full of expectations. Before harsh reality hits them, their minds are filled with two things: their future selves and their future.

Even the great hero Simer, who defeated the Demon King, couldn't pull out that broken sword. Amir's dream was destined to be shattered.

After the afternoon nap, it was time for Lenise's magic lesson, as usual. Although she was a bit unreliable, elves had a vast knowledge base, and Lenise knew countless spells.

Today's lesson is about the magic of "turning soil into brown sugar." This is a rather complex but very practical spell.

Amir, as always, was dozing off to pass the time, while Luk began to listen attentively.

This spell is a strategic-level magic that is rarely seen even in the courses taught by Leness, the elven mage.

Luk had always thought the magic in Fleurette's Funeral was incredibly powerful. Matter transmutation is often seen as the pinnacle of alchemy in many worlds, a truly miraculous skill. But in this world, such a feat can be achieved with minimal magic.

"Leness, you taught us the magic of turning water into wine before. Since this spell can turn soil into sugar, could we, through transmutation, turn water into sugar or soil into wine?"

"Theoretically, it's not impossible, but the programming of magic is extremely complex. To create magic, one must have a profound understanding of the substances being changed."

When it came to magic, Leness was a reliable source of explanation. "Only by knowing the structure and principles of a substance can you make changes. However, magic also requires anchoring in cognition; you must be certain it is possible to manifest it."

"For example, the magic of turning water into wine. Water and wine are both liquids and don't seem too different, so subconsciously imagining water as wine is feasible. Soil and brown sugar are both solids and have similar colors, so it's also possible."

"It sounds like magic is about turning imagination into reality, and a strong enough belief can achieve miracles."

"There are many details in between, but your summary is roughly correct." Leness gave an affirmative answer and then praised him, "You have a natural talent for magic."

"I think my magic accumulation speed is just average."

"For elves, average is genius-level for humans. However, humans are numerous, and there are always geniuses who surpass even elves."

After finishing the lesson, Leness stretched lazily and went to take a nap. After class, the suddenly energetic Amir didn't have time to celebrate before the butler hurriedly took him to learn noble etiquette.

After completing his magic practice and returning to his room, Luk, seeing he still had some time, knocked on Lady Rhine's door as usual.

"It's Luk, right? Come in."

"Good afternoon, Lady Rhine."

Luk entered the room and politely bowed to Lady Rhine, who was sitting in a chair.

This kind and gentle lady had been coughing a lot lately due to an allergy to dust and cold air. So, Luk came every day to set up dust-proof and ventilation spells for her.

Leness's spells could last longer, but she often forgot, and it was also good practice for Luk, so the task was given to him.

After finishing today's spell, Luk was about to leave when Lady Rhine called him over.

"Dear child, come here, let me look at you."

Luk went over, and Lady Rhine couldn't help but praise the beautiful face of the elven child. Then, she confided her worries to him.

"Amir told me a few days ago that he wants to join the army and fight against the Demon King's forces. I know it's a glorious thing, but I pray he doesn't go."

Worry filled Lady Rhine's eyes. Her husband had been killed in the battle against the Demon King's forces, and she was now terrified of her son facing the same fate.

The Demon King's forces are incredibly powerful. Every year, many brave teams from the central kingdoms set out with initial funds from the king, full of confidence, only to die on the way.

The demonic race is devoid of emotion, pure killing machines. There's no negotiation, no retreat, and even no surrender when defeated. They will eliminate all useless life forms in their path.

"Luk, Amir listens to you. Can you persuade him? He hasn't experienced a wonderful life yet, hasn't met the love of his life, and hasn't had an heir. I really don't want him to do such a dangerous thing."

"I understand, I'll try to persuade him."

Luk thought for a moment, then nodded and shook his head.

"But I'll only persuade him because he's not strong enough to qualify for the battlefield. If one day he still insists on joining the army, it's his own decision, and I cannot stop him."

Lady Rhine was silent for a moment, then spoke with a hint of sadness, "You're right, Luk. We can't control our children's paths; we can only offer advice and persuasion."

Luk bowed slightly to the sad lady and turned to leave the room.

...

The next morning, Amir and Luk, as usual, began their duel on the lawn.

Both lowered their centers of gravity and prepared their stances.

Clang!

Unlike the usual delays, the winner was decided in an instant.

Amir looked at the wooden sword around his neck in confusion, a bit hurt as he looked at Luk.

What's going on? Not even pretending today?

"Amir, this time the condition is..."

Luk put away the wooden sword, expressionless, "You are not allowed to join the army against the Demon King's forces in any form until you defeat me."

Starting the fight, hearing the monkeys' laughter, I almost couldn't hold back.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end