Fear Not The Elf Who Knows 10,000 Spells - Chapter 16

Minus, The Witch POV:

"When T-Train gets strong enough and gets slicey-slice, h-he'll beat you! A-And then you'll never hurt anyone ever again!"

The Great Mage Minus looked back on that memory with gleeful amusement.

The reaction the little human child gave to her arrival was not what Minus expected. She thought the child would be scared of the inevitable, scared of losing her precious divine gift.

Yet, little Rein faced Minus with all the gumption of a particularly stubborn warrior.

Well, 'faced' might be an exaggeration. It's not like the child tried to fight her, that would be silly. Rather the girl hide away from everyone, so Minus would find her alone.

Did Rein foresee a clash? Or that the other kids or their matron might interfere and be harmed by Minus in turn?

How someone who knows the future acts, was always fascinating to Minus.

Like for example why would Vorblick, the Hero of the South, willingly go to his own death? Yes, it let him defeat Demon King's right hand, Schlacht the Omniscient, along with three of the Seven Sages of Destruction, but surely he could have done it in a way where he survives?

No one even knows his name anymore, due to how he went about things. Not to mention the demons destroying any relic or knowledge of him where they found it.

Minus made sure to remember the human girl's name. For her bravery it was at least worth remembering. Or at least it's worth remembering the one whom she stole the Divine Gift of Precognition from.

Beyond that silly threat, the girl, Rein ran off. To where Minus did not care to find out.

Either little Rein will be killed by the Anti-Elf Coalition—whom Minus alerted their leader to an elf's presence (ha) presence within Schwanz—and the former precognition girl will die to their attack on the city, or Rein will live.

The Coalition Leader, a human noble by the name of Gierig, was a silly man. He didn't believe in any of the tripe about Elf Demonship or anything of the sort. But he loved her gold enough to lead this whole silly movement if it meant his pockets stayed full.

Regardless the outcome of the tiny human town, nor Rein, mattered to the Great Mage anymore.

It was a few humans' lifetime of work in which Minus studied magic and curses till she finally learned how to extract, what she called "Traits", from living beings. Unique qualities that are so distinct they can not be called skill or talent. Rather divine gifts some beings, humans, dwarfs or otherwise are born with.

And finally the last piece of the puzzle, the power to see the paths to the future, choosing her own outcome, her own fate as she wishes, was in her hands.

Except as soon as she used the power of Future Sight, she was greeted with her death.

An old man, a human in his latter years, a wrinkled face, silver hair and bread, and a sword at his side.

He draws the blade in an instant, and in that very moment she dies.

Seventy years from now, the human Trenn slays her. The name given by her power, along with the place, far at the snow mountains of the far north.

Minus tries to look further back, to see where that human was/will be. Where he trains and gains the spell that would allow him to her.

She sees a full adult human, a man in his prime, facing her with calm determination.

"I swear, the second I learn Reelseiden you're dead." He would say.

Twenty years from now, the human Trenn learns of her role in civil war turned miniature wars, that raged across the Southern Lands.

He would be able to escape from her with the help of another elf. An Archer.

Minus looked into who this human is now and she saw a few days ahead. She saw a child. Blue chair, unexpected work ethic, casting mana detection and a non-solid form of Vigorkern at a low level at all times. Not using Nature's Mana to solidify the structure of a spell was not something mages of the current era ever do.

Or rather it's only done in spell experimentation and creation. To use it in the manner the young boy was, where the spell is shaped and only held in form by his own will, why, that practice has been all but abandoned for a thousand years. Seen as too primitive, when magical knowledge had advanced much since then.

Yet...

While the boy who will grow into the man who will one day slay her, was a... what's the word the current generation uses? Neat!

Yes that. Seeing her killer as he was in the present was neat. Another genius human mage.

However Minus thought it was odd. Why would she let this human live long enough to be a danger to her?

She tried to look for futures where she kills him immediately, and it always seem like it causes her identity to be behind the Principality civil war to be revealed and her death would follow due to some unexpected factor.

Mostly, other mages gathering together to form an army, failing, and then Serie stepping up to deal with her.

Minus scoffed. How annoying.

It was while she was enamored with her new power, and examining these futures that she was attacked.

The man, a Shadow Warrior of the Empire, caught her alone and immediately sought to end her. Her instincts saved her. It was a battle she would have usually enjoyed, yet the images of the future were interfering with her focus on the Now.

She didn't expect the Empire would catch up to her dealings to the wars in the Principality. Or rather, she didn't think they would care for it even if they did.

But, just like she suspected, Great Mages like her were the next on the list to be targets of humanity now that the Demon King was dead.

Throughout the battle the more Minus regained control of her senses, the more desperate the Shadow Warrior became. He almost seemed like an animal towards the end, howling for her death.

It was through this happenstance of circumstances that the blond Shadow Warrior laid what would have been a killing blow at her side, as she did with a scorching curse took out his eye.

She sought to take out his head. Burn it from the inside out.

He managed to avoid it by luck, and a blessed amulet from the Church that took the damage in his place.

Eventually both were forced to retreat. The Shadow Warrior to hide among the populous and use the attack by the Anti-Elf Coalition to likely fake his death, and her to run away and deal with this stab wound that seem almost like a curse in itself.

Yet Minus was sure that warrior knew no magic, or at least nothing sophisticated like the curses she wielded. Yet how did it came to be? From a grudge? Truly, magic still has more mystery than she expected.

She ended up stilling the bleeding and put the wound in stasis as it wasn't getting better. She would deal with it in time. If she couldn't heal it with magic, she knew some potion making and traditional medicine. The curse on her stab wound seemed to be the type to reject magic. Odds are by the time she finds any church with a skilled enough priest, news of herself and her deeds would have spread throughout the Southern Lands. That will be a problem all on it's own.

Then Minus met the boy that was meant to one day kill her.

It hadn't been intentional, or something she expected. The boy was long gone from Schwanz, so Minus didn't expect him to be anywhere close or to meet him so soon.

Then again she never checked, when would she soonest meet him. She expected it to be when he learned of her involvement with the attack on his hometown, and his following desperate escape.

Yet she felt a mage focused on her once they detected her, and went to confront them. They left their location pretty obviously revealed after all.

And it was him. Trenn. As a boy.

Minus checked the future once more, just to be sure. It was still the same.

20 years till Trenn learns of her involvement with the attack on Schwanz. 70 years till he slays her.

Why?

He's right there. So small, so vulnerable. She could just end him right here and now.

Sure in an outright fight he could cause annoying consequences for her, which is why she could always assassinate him.

But according to her future sight, she doesn't do so. Why?

This oddity confounded her. It intrigued her.

So Minus took to conversing with the boy for a while to see if there's a reason for her staying her hand.

And it was... because the boy himself intrigued her.

Trenn had an instinct to magic the likes of which humans mages rarely have. But more than that, he had luck.

Luck to be born with a high sensitivity to magic.

Luck to have not been plucked by some incompetent revolutionary or anti-revolutionary faction to use as some attack dog and kill his love and curiosity for magic.

Luck that whatever magical experiments he did—and as a child, she most definitely must have did some, even if he tries to act like he wisely never did so—never back fired on him.

Luck to find the exact type of mentor, someone too hands off, and not traditional in any sense, that they'd allow Trenn's exploration into magic to left unchecked, as long as he doesn't harm himself.

For a moment Minus looked at Trenn, his dark blue hair and wondered if he had been the Hero of this era, immediately reborn after his passing, and guided by Nature's hands.

Many people believe any many things in this world. Some believe the world is just dust and bones. Other believe in the goddess and heaven.

The Great Mage Minus, the Witch, believed in Nature.

That the so called Goddess Magic was simply the Nature of the World answering people's belief based on the benevolence that exists in nature.

Curses, Goddess's Magic opposite, would naturally represents nature's malevolence.

Because Nature is both good and evil.

Kind and cruel.

Gentle and vicious.

It was a realization that Minus was sure young Trenn nearly stumbled upon. A child less than a decade made a connection most mages would need to stay for decades to make, and have cross-discipline knowledge.

Yet he instinctively gained it. And applied it by healing her cursed wound.

Honestly, that was such a fortuitous thing, it almost made Minus not want to curse him to death.

After all, given that a Shadow Warrior is after her, any church she might stop at for healing might have an agent there, waiting to for an opportunity to add to her injures.

Trenn really was an unexpected good luck encounter.

She still formed the first stage of a curse, in the form of a magical link to the boy, but honestly it was a precaution.

Thinking more on it, Minus wanted him as an apprentice.

Could she change the future? It should be possible. There are a few paths to it, yet...

70 years later, a sword is drawn and then she dies.

That doesn't change.

How odd. How annoying.

She should just kill him. She can do so now. She can complete the curse.

Yet her curiosity continued, so for now through said magical link she'll watch the boy's actions instead. She could always kill him later.

After hearing Trenn's answer for what magic was to him, she wanted to see how he's react to the Anti-Elf Coalition attack on his home. Will he keep that mindset? Will he change? How will he use magic here? Will he kill? Will he justify it to himself.

His words: "I mean if you work your whole life for this grand goal, to have enough power, to have enough wealth, et cetera, all to have the peace of mind and freedom to do what you want in the end. Well, that thing you want to do once you have that freedom, why not do it now?"

They made her smile. They struck a cord in her, making her realize that that what she wanted wasn't in the future. It wasn't in eliminating humanity as a threat to elves, to herself.

Rather it was engaging in this battle with them now.

She watched Trenn eliminate those Coalition mages with quick efficiency. They didn't even know what struck them down. They didn't even realized they have died till their corpses hit the ground.

Then he took out the warriors that came for him with that same efficiency.

What if Trenn learned of her involvement sooner? Would he come hunt her then? Or would he run and hide then? The second would be the logical option, so maybe its better if he doesn't learn soon, lest she kills him right away.

But then he met that Shadow Warrior from the Empire. It seems he integrated himself into the quiet life of the southerner town. Making himself a friendly big brother-figure to the boy.

Minus found herself frowning at that. Even more when Trenn healed the Shadow Warrior's injures. Of course he couldn't heal his right eyes, since Minus' intense curse was still upon it.

The eye was completely gone anyways, so there was nothing to heal.

"Hmm, regeneration shouldn't be impossible. Axolotl already exist and they're basically immortal, so even if I don't understand the process in detail, it's still possible." Trenn said to himself.

What? Minus thought.

"What?" The Shadow Warrior uttered in confusion.

Trenn places his hand on the Shadow Warrior's face once again, concentration and conviction in his demeanor and actions, as he closed his eyes and with faith in his knowledge... the cursed energy upon the Shadow Warrior, Minus' parting blow, was undone.

"This is...! Trenn, you... thank you." The Shadow Warrior said in surprised awe.

And Minus... found her smile slowly widening.

How fascinating.

"Löwenjunges." Trenn spoke. "Do you have an in with the Elves Shield? Can you get me any of the magic books they confiscated?"

"Um, sure, I can help but what for—? No. Beyond that, Trenn, while I'm glad that you're okay, you need to hide somewhere. You can't engage with these Coalition troops. They are savages, they have no mercy—"

"They killed everyone in the orphanage, Löwenjunges. I'm aware." Trenn replied.

"...I'm sorry." Löwenjunges looked at the young mage with sympathy.

"We need to deal with the situation now and worry about other stuff later. Can you direct me to where the magic grimoires are stored." Trenn asked, as if he knew that the Shadow Warrior wasn't who he was acting to be.

Would the Shadow Warrior try and slay the boy to hide his identity? That's how they usually operated.

Instead, a calculating look came over this 'Löwenjunges' as he considered Trenn in a more strategic manner. Did he start to see the boy as an assest?

Minus frowned a bit.

"Why? What do you have in mind?" Löwenjunges finally said.

"There's a camp with thirty three mages out about a mile south of the city. They need to be deal with, silently and swiftly. I have an idea on how to do that, but I need to recover my mana, and see some fire magic just to be sure." Trenn said in an almost mechanical tone.

Löwenjunges nodded slowly at the boy's words, observing him as they talked. The Shadow Warrior then took Trenn with him to the main camp of the town's survivors and let the boy into where they stored their grimoires. Trenn didn't seem surprised at the man's high position in the Elves Shields nor did the Shadow Warrior comment on it.

Any Elves Shields that questioned Trenn's presence were deterred by the Shadow Warrior's answers and presence.

A conversation came up mid Trenn's studying that weirdly made an annoying feeling of anxiety come over Minus for a few moments.

"I thought you were studying to be a mage. When did you decide to switch to the path of the Priest Class." Löwenjunges asked.

"I didn't. It's something I picked up on the way here." Trenn said not taking his eyes off the grimoire.

Löwenjunges snorted.

"'Picked it up'. As if Goddess Magic is something you can casually practice?"

"Eeeeh, so-so." Trenn made the wiggling gesture with his hand, without looking back. "I think it's probably a mix of talent and faith, but some of it can be semi-substituted by knowledge from what I could feel about it."

"Uh-huh. And who did you learn that from?" Löwenjunges cross his arms, looking amused, as he looked at the boy's back.

"Came to me during a conversation with this elf mage I met in Hochfeld." Trenn said, and unseen by him, Löwenjunges' body tensed the tiniest bit, but still managed to appear casual to any watcher.

Only Minus watching the Shadow Warrior, due to the link with Trenn, could see the reaction.

"Oh yeah?" Löwenjunges casually said.

"Yeah, we were talking about magic and curses and naturally Goddess Magic came up. She was injured and I offered to heal her and did so." Trenn replied.

The light in Löwenjunges' eyes hardened, even as his postured remained relaxed. Minus thought he made a good actor.

"Really? And what is the name of this fictional elf mage, with her fictional injury that you just happened to heal with your Goddess Magic, that you apparently only learned today." Löwenjunges said in a 'sarcastic' tone to rile up the boy into giving up information, in trying to prove the Shadow Warrior wrong.

"It wasn't today," Trenn paused in his reading to look back at the Shadow Warrior in annoyance. "It was yesterday. Her name is Minus, she had this stab wound at her side. I think she ran into some bandits that catch her off guard before she could cast a spell."

"Oh? Then how did she survive?" Löwenjunges said, acting as a skeptical older brother-figure. Yet just as he was watching Trenn to learn of his story—and thus confirmed his worst fear of Minus surviving—Trenn was also watching Löwenjunges.

"She's a mage." Trenn shrugged. "Barrier spell then fly up. It's not that difficult to run away with magic."

"Hmm, I'll give you that." Löwenjunges nodded, relenting in acceptance.

The conversation seemed to have ended at that point. Löwenjunges left after asking about Trenn's progress, and Trenn focused back on his studies, now looking perturbed, yet there was no one there to see it. Except Minus of course. She was still watching. Wondering what will young Trenn show her of his genius and magic.

For a few hours Trenn took to reading about generic spells on Earth and Fire Magic, till night fell.

After that he went with Löwenjunges, as they gathered some archers, and sneaked to the Coalition camp, planning to attack them with rapid hit and run tactics.

Trenn reached the camp, till he was four hundred meters away from it. He was easily hidden in the grass away from the camp's watchmen's sight.

According to Minus' senses there were 33 mages and 50 or so odd conscripted peasants. Some were warriors or other fighter classes.

Trenn placed his hand on the ground and focused.

Minus watched as his mana spread slowly through the ground, all the while he constrained his mana down to almost nothing. A mage would need to be looking at the boy and focusing to see the small miniature flares of mana sweeping from his control.

Minus wondered how many years of focused training did the boy subject himself to, to be able to lower his mana level to such a point that he at time appears to emit complete magical voidness.

She saw the spell as it took shape. A Non-Formed Spell at that, held in the form it did with nothing but imagination and well power.

Minus blinked at Trenn's boldness to use that kind of spellcasting in such an important situation. Then she saw what the spell actually was.

It was a mix of Earth Spells—one to crack rocks, one to turn rocks to the smaller minerals that make it up, and one was a folk spell to cause a mountain to shake slightly in order to escape pursuers—and Fire Spells—one to cause firewood to catch on fire and keep the embers warm, a generic fireball spell made of igniting the air into flames, and one that heats up the floor when its cold.

All these six spells combined onto each other. If each spell was like a disk of light, then mixes together, they were like a sphere made of those six disks each in a place, and all intersecting at a single line. The intent for potential energy to be released.

For all that energy within the earth to become active and shift to heat and kinetic energy.

The spell reached the center of the camp after a few minutes. Then for the next quarter of an hour Trenn was focused on spreading its influence to the whole of the camp's ground, all while hiding its presence.

"Is he done?" Asked one of the town's fighters. Not an Elves Shield, just a man with a heart full of fire, and want to hurt those whom hurt his home.

"Shush." Löwenjunges whisper commanded back. "Quiet and wait for the signal."

Thankfully their patience was rewarded a minute later once Trenn's spell was ready.

Without giving the enemy mages any chances, Trenn flared the rest of his mana hard slamming into the spell to activate it.

The enemy mages didn't have time to react. They didn't have time to shout, warn, cast barrier or fly.

One moment they were standing on the ground.

Then next the ground glowed like the sun, and exploded upward and outwards.

There were barely any screams as the fire roared upward like an awakened dragon, rising up to consume and burn everything.

The only people who survived where those standing upon the camp walls, or on the watch tower.

Those were launched by the explosion burned, broken and bleeding, before they slammed into the ground. And those who somehow survived weren't long for this world, even if the townspeople and Elves Shields didn't pick them off one by one.

Minus couldn't stop smiling.

"Hey, Minus," Trenn suddenly spoke to empty air. "Did you have anything to do with Löwenjunges' injuries?"

He had laid down on the ground, panting and covered in sweat. He looked up and watched the sky, yet his tone made Minus freeze as she registered his words.

This is...

"Are you the reason why the Coalition targeted Schwanz?"

He... he can sense the magical link? ...When? When did he...?

Minus looked into the future.

The future of twenty years from now was erased. Instead there was the present.

Right here and now where Trenn learned of her involvement. Where he put the pieces together.

Ah...

Minus smiled. An unexpected melancholy entered her bosom, just as a vibrated excitement followed after.

Divine Gifts such as future sight...

There are other such Divine Gifts. Like the monk from 400 years ago who would hear the Voice of the World. He isolated himself from people as he could hear their thoughts, before going mad from the constant voices and taking his own life.

Such examples of Divine Gift usually followed the same end.

Minus wondered why the Hero of the South could walk to his own death?

The answer was simple, because knowing the future doesn't change who you are as a person.

That's why she doesn't kill the boy even when she had the chance.

Future Sight truly was a Curse after all.