Aozaki Aoko Case File [205]

The grilled fish was delicious. Although Lina Inverse had only brought salt as seasoning, her grilling skills were quite impressive. Moreover, Aoko shared some of the seasonings she had brought, so the three of them enjoyed the meal happily.

"Hey, Aoko, your Servant spell is so useful! It cleaned out the fish innards in a flash—so convenient~!" Lina said cheerfully while taking a bite of the grilled fish. "Can you teach me? I can trade some of my magic knowledge with you~!"

"Well, teaching you isn't a problem," Aoko replied, stroking her chin thoughtfully, "but you might not be able to learn it."

"Hey, hey! I'm an advanced registered sorceress of the Sorcerer's Guild—don't underestimate me, okay?!" Lina retorted indignantly. "How could I possibly fail to learn something as simple as a utility spell?"

"You misunderstood me," Aoko said, waving her hand. "As an advanced sorceress, you should know that spellcasting depends on environmental parameters and certain governing principles, right?"

"Uh..." Lina paused to think, mulling over Aoko's words before nodding. "Yeah, I get that."

"The spells I use come from two entirely different casting systems," Aoko explained. "One is based on the world's governing rules—what you might call the Weave. The other is tied to my bloodline—magic circuits and sorcery. The Unseen Servant spell belongs to the former, which is why I don't know if people from your world can learn it."

"Why don't we give it a try? Start with something simple and see if I can do it," Lina said, her enthusiasm for learning new magic—especially a completely different system from another world—shining brightly.

"Alright," Aoko agreed. This was her first time teaching someone how to use the Weave's arcane magic. Until now, she had avoided sharing it with others, like Touko and Arcueid, back in her world. She didn't think it was the right time or doubted they'd be capable of using Weave-based magic. Eventually, she just ignored the possibility altogether.

But now, in this unrelated world, with someone eager to learn, Aoko didn't mind using Lina as a test subject to see if anyone besides herself could access the Weave.

She meticulously explained the fundamentals of Weave-based arcane magic to Lina, covering spell slots, spell levels, and the concept of the eight schools of magic.

Lina listened intently, shocked by how intricate and complex this foreign magical system was. Her determination to learn grew even stronger.

Meanwhile, Gourry, who had no idea what Aoko was talking about, lay down on the ground, using his pack as a pillow. Within ten minutes of her lecture, he was peacefully asleep, completely indifferent to the conversation.

"Alright, now that you understand the basics, let's start with a cantrip to see if you can connect to the Weave," Aoko suggested. "Hmm... I think a cantrip from the school of Evocation, like Fire Bolt, would be a good choice."

"Fire Bolt?" Lina asked, tilting her head. "I already know a spell by that name."

"It's just a coincidence—same name, different spell," Aoko clarified. "Let me show you how it's done. There's a convenient target over there."

A group of small, green-skinned creatures emerged from the edge of the forest. They wore tattered armor and shouted incomprehensible gibberish—a language so primitive that even Tongues Spell couldn't decipher it. The goblins advanced toward them with clear malice.

Aoko chanted the spell with a crisp, clear voice and made precise gestures, casting Fire Bolt.

The fiery projectile shot forward like a grenade, exploding on the goblin leader's head and incinerating several nearby goblins in the blast. Their filthy blood and flesh splattered everywhere. At Aoko's current level—13th, as a powerful sorceress specializing in metamagic—even a minor cantrip like Fire Bolt carried devastating power.

The remaining goblins froze in terror at the display of overwhelming force. Screaming, they scattered in all directions and disappeared into the forest.

"Whoa! What happened?!" Gourry, startled awake by the goblins' screams, instinctively sprang to his feet and grabbed his sword, scanning the area in confusion. "Are we under attack?"

"Idiot Gourry, it was just a few goblins!" Lina scolded. "Go back to sleep."

Having witnessed Aoko's demonstration of Fire Bolt, Lina was even more eager to try learning Weave-based magic.

Under Aoko's guidance, Lina sat cross-legged on the ground, closed her eyes, and began meditating, following Aoko's instructions to attempt to connect her mana and spirit to the Weave.

Aoko, however, was skeptical. She doubted Lina could accomplish this on her own. This world's magical system was fundamentally disconnected from the Weave—something she had confirmed during her earlier discussions with Lina.

The magic in this world could roughly be divided into three categories: White Magic, Black Magic, and Spirit Magic, which utilized the elements of earth, water, fire, and wind in conjunction with the spiritual world.

Lina herself was most proficient in Black Magic, which could be further divided into two types: curse magic and non-spirit-based offensive magic. Lina excelled at the latter.

However, there were many misconceptions about magic in this world. For example, the commonly used Fireball spell was a form of elemental Spirit Magic, but many people mistakenly classified it as Black Magic.

In Aoko's eyes, this world's classification system was primitive—akin to an early, undeveloped stage of magical theory, lacking the unified framework of a fully developed system.

Despite this, Lina Inverse was undoubtedly a highly talented young woman. The fact that she could easily enter a meditative state under Aoko's guidance was proof of her exceptional aptitude.

But... connecting to the Weave wasn't just a matter of talent. Lina would likely need some additional help.

"Uh..." Lina frowned, her eyes still closed. "I think I'm sensing something, but it feels distant... like it's over in that direction."

Still, in her meditative state, Lina raised her hand and pointed toward Aoko.

"I see," Aoko said thoughtfully. "Stay in your meditative state—I'll try to help you."

With that, Aoko sat directly across from Lina, removed Lina's gloves, and held her hands. Simultaneously, Aoko began connecting to the deeper layers of the Weave.

The moment Aoko began her actions, Lina's expression changed dramatically. She was sensing something new.

"This... what is this...?!"