Magic Is Philosophy
"Grandfather, I'm perfectly normal, really," I assured him.
Well, what exactly that meant was open for interpretations.
"Alright then, it's not that I care that much," he said, "if there's anything you need, do not hesitate to ask me now, I'll fulfill that wish of yours. I'm currently in a spectacular mood."
"Hmm," I rolled my eyes around, "there is in fact something you could do for me."
"What is it," he put the letter he was writing away, focusing his attention to me.
"Do you know what Alterea is?"
He was a bit surprised by my question, "Alterea?" He mumbled, "that is something I haven't heard in a long time. It's what we simply refer to as magic nowadays."
Tsk, Seraph, did you trick me again? You said I should call it Alterea.
"Then magic, please explain magic to me."
He twirled the pen around his hands, maybe it was a habit. "From the beginning, or should I skip the basics," he asked.
"Pretend like I'm a person that has never heard of magic before."
"Are you sure that is what you want? I could give you money, protection and more," he was perplexed, "you just want to ask a simple question?"
"Yes, I am certain."
"I understand," he stood up, "follow me. Vera, feel free to join, if you want to."
The maids body stiffened, "are you certain? It would be an honor to have the Duke advise me."
"I don't mind if it's a simple thing like that," he walked towards a door and opened it. The door wasn't the wooden door through which we came in. This time it was a rustic door right behind the desk, in the corner hidden by the shadows.
As soon as he opened it, a bright light illuminated the room, causing me to flinch. The door led to the outside, revealing a garden. The garden was still encased within the house, as there were stone walls on all four sides, but that did not undermine it's beauty— no, they even emphasized it.
The place was large and shady. I never saw a place quite like this. A lot of bushes gave life to many old-fashioned flowers, and unruly trees tried to branch out of this little cage, giving me the feeling of walking into a wonderland.
More than anything, it was the sunshine that would periodically bless the colorful nature, making the whole picturesque scene bind together.
He walked on a stone path and said, "do you like this garden? Only the top branch is allowed to enter this garden. I will make a exception for you. Feel free to enter whenever you see fit."
I naturally followed him, with Vera trailing right behind, "it's not to shabby."
"The fresh air cleanses your mind, perfect for the time you need to relax," he stopped in front of a small field, "and there is a great place to release pent up energy. Take a seat, I will explain to you what exactly magic is."
Vera swiftly placed a blanket on the grass, where she got that from, I have no idea. The maid waited for me to take a seat first, before she sat down as well, in a seiza position.
My grandfather began narrating, "usually a child would only start learning magic at the age of 16, as they wouldn't be able to handle the implications," he paused, "but I believe that you have enough potential for us to start now."
On what basis did he reach such a conclusion? I mean, it was nice that he was so trusting, but I might disappoint him, as I originally was not from a world with magic.
"I will start with an introduction," he then asked, "do you know what a proverb is?"
I tilted my head, unable to understand the meaning behind the question, but answered anyways, "something like 'haste makes waste' or 'fortune favors the bold', something like that?"
"Uh, I never really heard of them, but that's about right," he nodded, "have you ever thought were they come from?"
"Ehm, I guess from a variety of sources. Some may be from poetry, fables or songs, others from people pondering about life and condensing them into bite sized wisdoms."
"Correct, those proverbs are a form of self-reflection. It is what an individual has gained by countless different epiphanies and teachings. And ever so rarely, it is trough their own hardships, that they stumble upon one," he talked, "these proverbs craft the world from the perspective of their makers, and are akin to little promises. They show you the way of living and guide you."
I leaned back and supported myself with my hands, "well, I never thought too deeply about them, so I wouldn't know," I said nonchalantly.
"But you should. These proverbs, they exist to outline ones life and hidden within them are many layers of philosophy. Questions such as, what is life? How do I live it? Where do I go? All these questions that we try to unravel is within a single proverb."
He then lifted his hand, "you take that proverb, you live with it, let it shape your lifestyle," he talked faster and faster, as if spurred by something, "every step you take is for the sole purpose of uncovering the meaning behind it. You find your own interpretation, write your own analysis and someday, it evolves. It changes."
His hands began glowing a bright yellow, "it no longer is a simple sentence, but a way you live your life. You uncover the meaning and the underlying philosophy behind them," the trees began rustling, and petals fell of the flowers. A strong wind had gathered, disheveling my hair, "and then you realize that you can use magic."
It was like a storm was brewing. Clouds gathered above us, as if the sunshine before was just a mirage. Birds desperately flew away, seeking shelter. Vera grabbed my shoulders, protecting me from the gust, while I clung to her, in fear that she might be blown away.
My grandfather stretched his arm out, pointing towards a green bush and I heard the sky rumble.
An unbelievable sight soon followed. Electric arcs assembled within the gloomy clouds. A blue bolt formed and golden lightning split the clouds apart, striking the bush, which then was set on fire. The bush did not burn away, though. Without adhering to the principles of mass conversion it stayed aflame. Soon after, the surroundings began to change. Flowers began to bloom, the clouds parted and the trees grew another size. Light returned, shining upon the garden, which was now more beautiful than ever. Only then, did the bush extinguish it's flames, turning into nothing more than ash.
"If you take a proverb and learn the meaning behind it, you too will gain an ability. I follow the idea of 'burning but not consuming', which for me meant to fall, but never perish, in the face of adversity. And to take, but never destroy. See my ability,
"Wait a moment," I raised my hand to interject, "is that it?"
"Yes, a lightning strike sets bushes aflame. The mircacles are also random, but will always be what benefits me the most."
"Uhh," I was dumbfounded, "that is a peculiar ability."
"Most magic is like that, as they are based on your way of life. A person who believes in living life to their limits, might gain the magic to stretch out time, while a person who believes in virtue gained the magic of blessings. It is mysterious like that."
I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow, "if that is all it took, why is magic not more widespread?"
"The reason for that is because there cannot be a single doubt in your beliefs. Many people like to think they follow certain rules. But not a lot can truly follow their principles when stuck in a corner. If you ever betray your ideals, you will not be able to wield magic," he sat down, "which is also why most magicians are nobles, because unlike peasants who need to tend their fields and family, we can devote our time in fortifying our mind and ideals."
Alright, I felt like I finally understood what magic entails. I didn't know why magic worked, but I understood the principles behind it.
Although Seraph and my grandfathers explanation had their differences, the core essence was the same.
Magic was based on life. On philosophy. I got it now.
A person who really followed their way of living would soon find magic suitable for them. That is also why Seraph said, it didn't matter if I imitate her, as I did not understand her beliefs, I did not follow her sentiments.
It was a vey mystifying concept.
Seraph said, philosophy is searching for the truth. The closer you were to the truth, the better your magic was. Consequently, magic should be based on philosophies.
But my grandpa did not mention anything like that. Instead he kept speaking about proverbs.
In essence, proverbs are a form of philosophy too, but the fundamental difference laid in the fact that proverbs take small parts of grand philosophical theories and are made for those not well versed in the topic to understand.
I wonder who was right.
I tried finding out by asking, "why do we take a proverb, can't we just directly follow the philosophy in our minds?"
"Eh, I guess in theory you could, but reality is often unforgiving," he scratched his head, "to find a proverb that suits you is already hard enough. The longer it is, the more you have to remember, thus having even more rules that bound you. And they cannot contradict each other either. A whole philosophy had too many interpretations, too many complexities, to take them all in is ludicrous. Not even a dream within a dream. I urge you to stick with these proverbs which take small aspects out of these giant cobwebs called 'philosophy'."
"Then how would you wield more than one spell?"
"Agnes you really ask hard questions. Wielding more than one spell would make you a genius amongst geniuses. You shouldn't think in that direction. Even if it was you that we are talking about."
Huh, but if I remembered correctly, Seraph could use more than one. She once healed me, and she created Gerald. I'm sure that they were different spells. I'm also sure that two spells weren't her limits.
Really, what was that girl? Or was it that my grandfather was more useless than I thought.
"Agnes, I can already see what you are thinking," Vera suddenly chimed in, "believe it or not, your grandfather is one of the top magicians in this country, just behind the king."
"Vera, stop that. The king possesses far more power than me. He is the greatest magician in our country. You comparing him to me is actually quite embarrassing," he then stared at me, "but Agnes, she is right, you set your ambitions too high. It would be already impressive if you found your magic after a year of learning."
Alright I understood completely. Seraph's crazy. Yep, she's a weirdo.
I continued, "if I may, you are a powerful magician, but what defines that?"
"That's a good question. Unlike what many believe, it's not about how destructive it is. There the are all kinds of aspects, such as how profund your starting proverb is, how deep you developed it, and how well you live it. All these aspects make your magic stronger. They gain more influence, a bigger area, and most importantly alter the world in an unimaginable degree," he then stared into the distance, his eyes glowing, with a ephemeral voice he stated, "it is said, at the end of the road you will even reach immortality."
This time, Vera reacted before me, with a childlike curiosity, she repeated, "immortality?"
That innocent reaction made him laugh out loud, "but don't get your hopes too high," he lifted each finger in his hand, and placed them parallel, with only a distance of about ten centimeters, "if that is the difference between you and me," he then pointed into the sky, "then the sun to us, would be the difference between me and an immortal."
"No way," the maid slumped down and I patted her shoulder, indicating that she should not be discouraged.
"But who knows, it may still be you that will one day cross those boundaries. That is the beauty in magic. It is unfathomable and guides our way of life."
He was right. It was a hard pill to swallow, for a person who had came from another world.
There were still many questions that I had, but for now I had to settle with the basics. I was certain that even my grandfather could not answer them all.
If I wanted to learn more, I had to ask someone like Seraph, but who knew when I would ever meet her again, if at all.
"Would you like to start learning magic," he suddenly asked.