Then he closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. The image of a katana began to form in his mind. He focused intensely, picturing every detail, the sharp curvature of the blade, the guard's elegant design, and the intricate engravings along its length. Once the vision solidified, he chanted, "Lampos!"
A glowing katana flickered into existence in his hands. "Haha!" He let out a weary laugh before the sword dissipated into thin air, unable to hold its form. The elven man collapsed to the ground, completely drained. He had depleted his mana once again — it would take at least six hours before he could attempt another spell.
"Working hard, young man!" A boisterous voice echoed from the accessway. A large figure leaned casually against the stone wall.
"Oh, you're David, right?" Friederich asked, raising his perfectly arched eyebrows.
"Aye!" The man smiled warmly as he approached. "I've been watching you train for a while now. Never thought mages had to work this hard."
"Hmm?" Friederich responded, slightly confused.
"Well, to be honest~I never believed mages were real, considering how rare you lot are," David clarified, his teeth gleaming under the fluorescent light.
"I can't bla you for that."
"Right? And I used to think magic was effortless, like you guys could just snap your fingers and create things from thin air," He continued, emphasizing the words. Scratching his head, he added, "But seeing how much study and training it takes, not to ntion the mana you need to fuel spells. It's mind-blowing. I guess I've found a whole new perspective."
Friederich imdiately recognised David's accent, he was a forr chanii, a citizen of Dunkelheit. "Thank you. Nothing in this world cos easily. If it does, it's probably too good to be true," He stated with pride, straightening himself with graceful composure.
"Nice speech, young man!" David chuckled heartily.
After a brief silence, Friederich asked out of curiosity, "What about you, old man? Why are you still up and about?"
Slightly scowled at what Friederich called him, "Am I that old? I guess, I am," He thought to himself before returning to the young elf. "I just figured out how to fix the power generator from the arcanite engine. So of us would like to get ho, you see?" David's dark eyes held a hint of longing.
Friederich studied him for a mont before asking, "Did you... lose soone during the war?"
David shook his head. "I don't think he's dead... Well, there is a friend. He's the reason I'm pretty much alive." His voice carried more of a hopeful prayer than certainty, his eyes grew distant as if Jack would suddenly erge from the shadow. Apparently, he did not.
The middle-aged man yawned before bidding farewell and disappearing down the dark corridor.
As he waited for his mana to recover, Friederich decided to visit the most sacred place for arcanists — the library. He strode through the stone corridor, its path well-lit thanks to the DebrisX crews. The library stood like a grand relic of the past, lavishly adorned compared to the rest of the structure. Towering bookshelves lined the walls, filled with tos of arcane knowledge. Darkwood tables and cushioned chairs were arranged neatly in the centre. Above, a magnificent stained-glass window depicting the All-Mother Gaia cast a srising spectrum of colours as moonlight filtered through.
After so browsing, Friederich found exactly what he was looking for; books on swordsmanship, various sword styles, the history of the katana, and even the tallurgical compositions used in blade forging. He settled at one of the tables and began his studies. Knowledge was just as crucial as creativity in the realm of magic, his forr master, Ignius Lux Draconus, had drilled this lesson into him relentlessly.
Friederich could almost hear his master's voice in his mind. "Intellectually speaking, Stellius mages are the equivalent of doctorate scholars in the ancient world and more. Mastery demands commitnt, creativity, and sheer will. How can you create a sword in your hand without knowing its weight, its structure, or its material composition? Thus, I implore you to study hard, and integrate knowledge with imagination. That is where true arcane mastery is forged."
He chuckled, recalling the strict yet passionate expression his master often wore when lecturing their trio — Zetius, Aurelia, and himself.
Ignius had always been harsh, but a hidden kindness resided beneath his stern deanour. However, after the death of Zetius, his pri prodigy, Ignius had beco grim and distant, his resentnt toward the chaniis growing ever darker. Still, Friederich had never been able to fully grasp the depths of his master's mind. The man remained an enigma.
"Was that why he had ventured into D'Arcane? Such perilous magic... A forbidden art wielded in conjunction with the binding oath, exploiting innocent lives devotion to Mother Gaia. In the end, the master had cast a devastating spell, drawing on the mana and lives of others, including his own..." Friederich's thoughts drifted before he quickly shook them off and returned to his study.
"Umm..." A soft voice broke the silence, echoing through the vast library. Friederich lifted his gaze, searching for the source.
"Pri Guardian, why don't you rest?" Triss's lodic voice rang through the quiet hall. She wore a flowing white gown that shimred in the moonlight, her veil absent for once, revealing her cascading wavy hair that frad her delicate collarbones and ample chest.
"Sorry... ahem, I'm, um, just reading," Friederich stamred, forcing himself to shake off the distracting sight of her ethereal beauty. The last thing he wanted was to trigger her clairvoyance with an unintentional indecent thought again.
"O' Mother Gaia, would you mind if I kept you company?" She asked gently, her erald eyes glancing sideways. "I promise I won't make a sound. Just quiet companionship to offer."
"Well... well," He hesitated slightly before composing himself. "Please, join . But, um... I'm drenched in sweat. I might not be the most pleasant company."
"Fufu," She chuckled softly. Leaning in closer, she inhaled subtly before whispering, "You actually sll quite nice, Sir Pri Guardian."
Friederich swallowed hard, steadying his nerves as he turned back to his studies. However, dismissing Triss's unexpected boldness proved to be quite the challenge.
Thus, the two spent the night in peaceful silence, reading under the watchful gaze of the All-Mother until the clock struck 2 AM, when they finally parted ways for so much-needed rest.
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