Ethan's Fantasy-Drift

Ethan and Isendra arrived at Akara's tent together. While Isendra sought Akara's help for her own reasons, Ethan was there to keep his earlier promise of assisting with potion-making.

The tasks Akara assigned him weren't difficult, but they were time-consuming and required a great deal of patience. Ethan's job was to process the herbs—cleaning, sorting, and preparing them into semi-finished products that Akara could later use to craft the finished potions.

For Ethan, this was more than busywork. He took the opportunity to apply the knowledge he had absorbed from his late-night study session, gaining practical experience that helped solidify his understanding. He also carefully observed Akara as she completed the potion-making process, committing each step to memory.

"So, this is how magic potions are made," Akara explained as she pointed to the materials in front of her. She gestured first to the raw herbs, then to the finished product, a small transparent bottle filled with a glowing red liquid.

"First, you select the appropriate raw materials and perform basic preparation—cleaning, removing useless parts, or, if necessary, using magic to purge unsuitable energies. Then comes drying, which can be done through natural methods or directly with magic. During this step, you must ensure that the useful properties of the herbs are preserved. For some herbs, like the healing grass you collected, this step can be skipped entirely."

She then moved on to the critical part of the process.

"Next is extraction and refinement. You extract the essence of the herbs and mix in auxiliary materials to produce the desired potion. For this particular potion, water is the auxiliary material, it's convenient and effective for creating consumable medicines."

While most of the initial steps were straightforward, Ethan quickly realized that the key to potion-making lay in the final phase: extracting the specific properties you wanted and amplifying them into a usable form.

But when Ethan pressed Akara for more details about this process, her explanation became vague, even cryptic.

"This part is about understanding," Akara said with a knowing smile. "It's not something that can be taught in a straightforward way. You must perceive it for yourself. Only then will you truly understand how to do it."

Ethan frowned. "This is… complicated."

He struggled to find the right words to describe how nebulous this process felt. It seemed less like a set of instructions and more like a skill requiring intuition and creativity. This wasn't the kind of thing he could simply memorize and replicate.

"Magic really is a profession with a high entry barrier," Ethan muttered to himself. "You need a strong body, a sharp mind, and now even a talent for abstract thinking. No wonder mages seem overpowered in some stories. If the requirements are this high, anyone who actually becomes a mage would naturally be exceptional."

Ethan knew he had no choice but to practice.

Fortunately, potion-making didn't demand much in terms of magical power. While certain spells were involved, they could be performed using a magic circle powered by external forces.

This magic circle became another point of interest for Ethan. If he could learn to modify the circle to draw magic power from the environment or other sources, it might solve many of his current limitations.

He even began thinking about creating a simple, portable magic circle that could power small spells. For example, he envisioned a magic circle capable of casting a basic fireball, nothing too large or destructive, just a fist-sized flame to use in emergencies.

Such a project, however, was easier imagined than achieved. Even for a simple fireball, Ethan would need a clear understanding of the spell's principles: the nature of the flame, the energy required, and the mechanics of its creation and control. Without this foundational knowledge, constructing the magic circle would be impossible.

Still, the idea excited him. Fueled by this newfound motivation, Ethan threw himself into his studies with even greater enthusiasm. He listened intently to Akara's lessons and peppered her with questions, some of which were so unconventional that Akara herself was momentarily stumped.

"What an unusual way of thinking," Akara remarked with a faint smile. "You must have quite the creative mind."

Ethan wasn't sure if that was a compliment, but it encouraged him nonetheless.

Fortunately, Akara had an ample supply of herbs, including lower-quality ones she didn't mind wasting. She gave these to Ethan for practice, allowing him to refine his skills.

Over the next several days, Ethan established a routine. In the mornings, he helped Akara process herbs and observed her potion-making techniques. In the afternoons, he practiced with the leftover materials, experimenting with both potion creation and magic circle usage.

Akara continued to guide him, pointing out mistakes and offering advice. She also humored Ethan's experimental ideas regarding magic circles, many of which evolved as his understanding deepened.

After a few days, some of Ethan's revised ideas even earned Akara's approval.

"If you can find a stable source of magic power," Akara said, "then the magic circles you've described could work. However, you'll need to redesign the structure of the circles based on the specific spells you wish to cast."

Ethan nodded thoughtfully. He hadn't yet decided on a specific spell, but he had been leaning toward the fireball spell. It didn't need to be particularly powerful, just a small flame would suffice for his current needs.

But even this modest goal was a challenge. Without a clear understanding of the fireball spell's principles, Ethan couldn't move forward.

He understood the basics of energy supply and had a grasp of how to address the source of magic power for his envisioned magic circle. However, the actual construction and casting of spells were completely beyond him.

Akara, for all her wisdom, was a priestess, not a mage. Her expertise lay in healing magic and the divine arts, not elemental attack spells. If Ethan truly wanted to complete the magic circle he had in mind, he needed formal and systematic instruction in spellcasting.

Fortunately, a suitable mentor was already within reach: Isendra, a seasoned mage who specialized in the three elemental forces of fire, frost, and lightning.

"You want to learn magic from me?"

Isendra, who had been staying at the camp for some time, was quick to respond when Ethan approached her with his request. Her daily routine included investigating the increasing dark energy in the region while helping the Rogues fend off nearby creatures. Thanks to her efforts, the camp had been under significantly less pressure, and her reputation among the Rogues had grown considerably.

Finding her wasn't difficult; the camp residents were always aware of the whereabouts of the "Mighty Isendra Mage."

"Yes," Ethan explained, "I want to learn the principles of basic spells and their applications. Specifically, I'm trying to design some equipment engraved with simple magic circles."

Ethan went on to detail his idea: using magic circles triggered by mental power to cast pre-set spells. His goal was to create practical tools that would allow him to defend himself.

Isendra listened carefully, though her expression gradually shifted to one of mild disapproval.

"Making such magical equipment isn't difficult," she said eventually, "but honestly, it's not very worthwhile."

Ethan's proposed equipment was rudimentary at best, basic materials inscribed with low-level magic circles. To someone of Isendra's caliber, the concept was laughably simplistic. Magic circles like these were common and unremarkable, often dismissed as crude and inefficient.

"Something this primitive can hardly be considered useful," she continued. "Thinking along these lines isn't good for your growth as a mage. Instead of wasting time on these shortcuts, you should focus on improving your spiritual power. Once it's strong enough, you'll be able to cast these simple spells with your bare hands."

Ethan sighed and shook his head. "But I don't have any means of protecting myself right now. If I encounter dark creatures, I'll likely die before I ever get a chance to improve my spiritual power, let alone learn magic."

Isendra paused, conceding the point. "You're right. Survival is a priority. Fine, I'll teach you the principles of some basic spells."

These fundamental principles weren't particularly secretive any mage in training would learn them sooner or later. Isendra initially intended to simply teach Ethan a few offensive and defensive spells. However, after some thought, she reached into her belongings and retrieved a book.

"This is a primer on basic magical principles," she said, handing it to him. "The spells you need are recorded here. Study it carefully."

Ethan's face lit up as he took the book, but Isendra added a warning:

"I must remind you, though—simple spells are one thing. But if you plan to construct more advanced magic on basic materials, you'll fail. Ordinary materials won't hold up under the strain."

Ethan nodded in agreement. Akara had already mentioned this to him. "That's why I'm only aiming for weakened versions of entry-level magic," he explained.

Even entry-level magic required materials with decent magical conductivity and durability to handle the energy flow. Such materials were rare and beyond Ethan's current reach. This meant his designs had to remain small-scale and low-power for now.

With the book in hand, Ethan prepared to return to his tent and begin studying the principles of basic spells. He planned to identify a simple spell that could be adapted into a practical magic circle.

But just as he turned to leave, Isendra stopped him.

"I've been exploring the area for a while," she began, "and I've finally identified the place where the dark energy is strongest. It's an underground cave called the Den of Evil. After discussing it with Akara, we suspect it's a central hub where the dark creatures in this region are gathering."

Ethan frowned. "And?"

He couldn't imagine why Isendra was telling him this. Surely she wasn't asking him to join her in clearing out the Den of Evil, he had no combat ability to speak of.

"I need a favor," Isendra said, pulling out a sealed letter. "Before coming here, I encountered a priest of Rathma. He's also investigating the surge in dark energy. I want you to deliver this letter to him and ask him to come here to help me clear out the dark creatures in the cave."