Fear Not The Elf Who Knows 10,000 Spells - Chapter 7

Three months later would see me sitting on a boat with the old archer, in the middle of snow and a rough loud sea. We were here fishing.

We were sitting on a boat out in the South-Eastern Sea. The shore was still insight of course, and all me and Schroff had were five arrows each, and a large back to carry the fish back.

When it comes to seas, as they cover the whole of the continent that contains the Three Lands, they are named simply by their position.

The Northern Lands have the North-Western Sea, North-Eastern Sea, and the True North or Far Northern Sea. Although Schroff says he heard it called the Dead Sea as it lies beyond where the Demon King once lived, and that sea has no wind or any movement whatsoever.

Then for the Central Lands, there are the Mid-Western Sea and the Mid-Eastern Sea.

For the Southern Lands, we have the South-Western Sea, and where we currently were, the South-Eastern Sea, accessible after crossing over the Froststaub Mountain—Yes, crossing over. Every single time. When there's a perfectly acceptable tunnel, but that's another story.

And finally there there's the True South or Far Downward Sea. Schroff told me it's actually called the Dark Sea. Because it's filled with too many storms and chaotic waves, thus at the heart of it, is nothing but unknowns.

While the western and eastern South Seas were relatively away from the Dark Sea, they still shared a small bit of its turbulence. They also had cold weather.

Back to the fishing, I grabbed one of the arrows, let my mana pour out and cover arrow.

A moment of will, some mana paid and I cast Wurfspeer, a spell to enhance a thrown weapon's range, power and accuracy.

Except I didn't cast the spell the normal way. I made the shape of the spell correctly, yes—It took casting it the normal way while studying what shape it takes with both personal mana and World mana, to learn how the mana is meant to flow and look like—And then?

I cast the spell using my mana alone.

Without the World mana's presence, the spell would never solidify. It would never have the Certainty that the concrete firm structure that a proper spell was meant to have.

Meaning that I carried the spell fully on myself. On my imagination and belief alone.

That was the answer I stubbornly held onto. To not allow myself to be chained by the logic of limits.

Yes, I learn how a spell is suppose to be cast. I learn exactly what it's mana shape is. I learn every single thing needed to be known about a spell, and learn to cast it perfectly.

Then I remove the training wheels. I stop using the World mana.

The mana cost was... more or less the same. Sometimes slightly higher than it would be the normal way.

But it's gonna be worth it in the end. I'm sure of it! 

"That arrow falls in the water, I'm not calling it back this time. You're swimming after it." Schroff said from next to me in an annoyed voice.

He was right. My method is apparently not anything groundbreaking, or clever, but according to stories about Schroff's grandfather, it was archaic. Ancient even.

It was how mages used to cast spells, before the Great Mage Flamme brought about an age of mages to the world, when humans actively got together and studied magic rather than shun it as something inherently demonic.

The spells I made required far more focus than anything else. I had to sadly drop even my constant body strengthening to cast them. Mana suppression and detection were none negotiable. I force myself to keep casting with my method till I succeeded. Even if it learn to some injures that required time to heal.

Yet, I knew this was the path for me.

Bit by bit, day by day, as my control got better, as my visualization improved from live practice, and as my will was reaffirmed and strengthen each time by a successful casting, I improved. My spells improved. My my grasp over my dream grew wider.

I gestured with a finger dramatically to a large fish in my detection radius. I didn't need to point, and I should train myself to have my spells cast with a thought, but...

Boom!

The arrow launched faster than sound, piercing thought the water, curved and swam toward its target.

It just look so cool to do!

The arrow pierced the fish.

"Yes!"

Right through it.

"...Oh."

I kept my control over the arrow, and made it fly back, slowing down as it got near.

Schroff gave me a side eye as he took another group of fishes from his arrows, placing them in the basket for them, after confirming the health and quality of their meat with another spell.

I tried to bit down my flush, failed, and just used telekinesis to draw the fish out of the water, and then focus on just pulling it quickly towards me like a same charged magnet.

"Ooof!" I caught the fish that slammed into me, thankfully without too much trouble. It was as big and tall as my torso height, with a small circular hole on one side.

And a giant exploded gash from the other.

"You know you're ruining a lot of good meat like that." Schroff deadpanned at he looked at me with his arms crossed.

"Sorry." I looked down in embarrassment. "I got too excited. I'll adjust the speed and hit it right this time."  

"Hmm," Schroff grunted and that was the end of the conversation.

I cast Wildgesund on my catch, a spell to determine if a piece of meat was diseased or safe to eat, seeing it come up clean, I placed my catch in the basket with the other fishes.

Later on once we catch our haul for the day, we'd divide the finish to what we need and what will go in storage to be sold in towns and cities later. Then with a spell to make things weigh less and another to preserve food for weeks for our travel till we get to Schroff's magic refrigerator in his cabin.

I used the Formed Spell version of the magic spell for the latter. As much as I have my pride in wanting to master spells based on my imagination and willpower, I won't inconvenience Old Schroff with my training.

===x===

Old Schroff doesn't want me to learn combat magic.

It's not something he said outright but in these last three months, I noticed all the spells he taught me were about survival, or stuff related to practical things one needed to survive, like how to cook without fire, or how to find the best way to skin and animal, or identify its various parts and their usefulness. All of those are individual spells by the way.

But anything that could be used in a fight? That, he's dismissively refrain from and avoid the subject.

It was annoying because Jilwer was considered a combat spell. Supposedly it wasn't invented to be such. Just a short distance travel spell, that turned into being considered a combat one during the time when the Demon King was alive, and thus got stuck with the designation now.

The hunting spells I learned like Wurfspeer weren't meant to be used for combat. It's mean to accurately hit a running or speeding animal and put them down or reel them in.

I'm the one who made it too lethal with my methods.

I brought up the topic once and Schroff looked angry before just waving me off, saying I will learn thing in time, once I've fully mastered what spells he taught me.

At first this seem reasonable, so I did that. But then he used my want to master Non-Formed Spells to mean, until I can cast those spells as well in my method as well as I do the correct standard version, then he won't teach me more than he already did. Something about me needing conviction and sticking to my principles.

Which seemed okay, and even reasonable, since I opened my big mouth about learning magic my way, not the way Schroff was taught or how anyone uses magic.

But, I really, really, really, really wanted to learn Jilwer.

So I took up mana reading.

Yep. I decided the best solution learning a spell I wasn't gonna be taught soon is to just learn how to read and analyze mana so well, I can just copy it off of Old Schroff when he uses the spell.

Yes, I know, it's the easy way out, rather than mastering the spells he gave me my way, like I said I would. But I really want Jilwer.

It's annoying because while I can read someone's mana if they are standing still, or moving slowly, well... the problem is obvious. Jilwer was the high speed movement spell.

It's own nature made it kinda difficult to read. But I was not giving up. I'm smashing my head against this wall till I break through.

===x===

"Six more months like this and I think we can get to go sell our stock early." Schroff said one day after returning from another fishing trip.

"I'm pretty sure we can cut that down to two if we use the tunnel and you teach me Jilwer." I said not-so-subtly.

"You know my stance on combat spells." Schroff said as he went to the kitchen area with me behind him. He took one of the five fishes from our personal stock, not the ones for sail, and began dissecting them, removing their bones, guts etc.

I went next to him using spells to clean the fish and cook them just right, according to the old man himself. Spell that don't require much physical activate or a violent environment were much easier to have down pat. But I know this might not be the case in a combat situation, so I still need a focus that doesn't weaver in a life or death situation.

"I don't really think it count." I dismissively said, hiding my annoyance.

Schroff side-eyed me, with a tiny smirk as he shook his head.

"What I mean is, master the stuff you're suppose to master then, we'll talk." Schroff said. "Things would be easier on you with a staff. Or just a mage aid." He meant wand.

"Nah." I shook my head, as the fishes' cooked smell started to rise. "When I become good without those, then I'll only be better when I finally get them." Remaining firm on my stance, as Schroff had suggested this before.

"Suit yourself." Schroff shrugged. "And we're not using the Death Tunnel. So don't—"

"You keep saying that its dangerous, but you don't tell me what's inside it." I said, a bit of frustration getting into my voice. "Sorry." I focused back on the fish, putting the first one done on a plate to the side. "It's just, I can literally see the exit of the tunnel from the entrance with the hawk eyesight spell. If it's so dangerous, can't we hire some adventurers to deal with it."

"Adventurers aren't something you can casually find. And if we ask around and people come, the army, Shield or Coalition will come and... you wouldn't understand." Schroff shook his head.

I frowned as I thought it over. Are the beaches of the Eastern-South Sea a strategic point?

They can't sail from east to west, because like hell are they passing the Dark Sea, and it's not like they can trade with other Lands, or that island nation next to the Central Lands who's name I forgot.

"I mean, what would they want with a tunnel to the sea? The only thing they'll get is access to the Eastern-South Sea and fish. It's not like they can make a navy and go around to the west side, or trade with anyone when they aren't big enough to be important." I said my view.

Schroff sighed, scoff and shook his head, a small amused smile came to him for a moment, before his grouchy look returned.

"The food is the point, boy." Schroff said in a serious tone that had me pay attention. "It's a saying, an army marches on its belly. Whomever has control over the tunnel would be able to supply their group with all the food they can want for a long while. Making them if nothing else outlast the other side a bit longer." He scoffed. "They're probably even ruin the east sea somehow while they are fighting this stupid..." He collected himself, grumbled under his breath and resumed his work.

Oh. Okay, that makes sense.

We finished up preparing our meal, and I finished cooking it. Schroff looked quietly pleased with how I cooked the food. It was a quiet small smile that you almost couldn't catch, before giving a gruff grunt and a nod to me.

"Can you at least tell me why it's called the Death Tunnel?" I asked after a while as we were eating.

Schroff grew quiet for a moment, seeming to think it over.

For a while we ate in silence. I knew it wasn't him ignoring the question. That look in his eyes was one that meant he was still thinking it over, and trying to determine if he should indulge me or not.

"...He's mature enough to run away." He muttered before nodding to himself. "Alright." He said out loud. "Some ground rules. You stick close. You don't fight, you don't venture pass what I let you, and the moment you feel even a hint of something touching you, you run back out the entrance."

"Got it!" I nodded, taking his warning seriously.  

Finally some new excitement.