Chapter 51: Preparation

Leo was focused on his needs. Every spare moment was consumed by thoughts of how to obtain what he required. After his warrior training session, he sat in the kitchen, sipping coffee with Liamond and Albert. The faint aroma of coffee filled the air.

For the protective spell, I'll ask Ms. Loup if there's anything in enchanting. If there isn't, I'll need to search in pure magic until I'm high-ranked enough to avoid corruption. Now, for the words of power...

Leo knew he couldn't ask Samuel. The information Samuel had was too general. He needed someone of a higher rank. His gaze shifted between Albert and Liamond. Albert was now D rank, only one level above Leo, but Liamond was C-. If anyone could help, it was him.

"Liamond."

Liamond glanced at him, raising his mug halfway to his lips. "Yeah?"

"Do you know any D rank books about words of power?"

Liamond paused, furrowing his brow as he thought. The seconds stretched on as Leo waited, the soft clink of Albert setting down his mug breaking the silence.

"I remember one. Why do you need such a book?"

"Think of it as a hobby."

Liamond raised an eyebrow clearly unconvinced, but he didn't press further. "The book's called Power Words. It contains every word you can learn up to D rank. We've got a copy in the library."

Leo smiled, relief washing over him. One problem solved. "Thanks."

At that moment, the door creaked open and Liam walked in. Leo's schedule had been packed lately and this was only the second time he'd seen Liam since showing him around.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Good morning," the trio replied in unison.

Liam's walk was slightly off and it took Leo a moment to realize why. His movements were stiff, his shoulders tense. Liam poured himself a cup of coffee, steam curling up from the mug and flopped onto a sofa across from Liamond.

"You had training with Faleria?" Leo asked.

Liam nodded, blowing gently on his coffee. "Yeah. You know about that too?"

"You don't seem surprised."

"You're not the first one to ask me."

Leo glanced at Liamond and Albert, who were both grinning knowingly. He chuckled lightly, shaking his head before rising from his seat.

"I need to head to the Grand Cathedral for my class. See you guys later."

"Bye."

"See you."

Leo stepped outside, the brisk morning air greeting him as he made his way towards the Grand Cathedral. Two problems had been addressed, leaving him with two more. Finding a way to cast a spell without targeting himself was tricky. He couldn't ask anyone directly—it was far too suspicious. He needed an opportunity or another method.

The final problem was finding a proper place for his experiments.

'Maybe I could ask that bastard'' he thought, recalling his former landlord. 'With some clever illusion magic...'

A sly smile crept onto his face as he walked down the street, his boots tapping softly against the cobblestone path. 

Leo arrived at his seat in the enchanting class within ten minutes. The classroom was dimly lit, with faint traces of mana lingering in the air from previous spells. He sat quietly, organizing his stuff while other students trickled in. Five minutes later, Cristina entered, a cigarette already lit between her fingers, smoke trailing behind her.

"Take out a sheet of paper and cast the Enhanced Eye spell," she instructed, her voice sharp and direct.

The students complied, their heads bowing in concentration as faint glimmers of magic began to shimmer across the room. Cristina paced between the desks, her eyes narrowing as she evaluated their progress. Once satisfied that most of the students had a grasp of the spell, she clapped her hands together.

"Alright, now let's discuss mana. After that, we'll move on to enchanting an item and linking it to a crystal."

She took a slow drag from her cigarette, exhaling a thin line of smoke before continuing.

"A spell requires mana to remain active. That's why we focus so heavily on learning how to channel our mana efficiently. If you've been paying attention, you've already noticed that the spell continues to draw mana from you to stay active."

She began walking again, gesturing subtly with her free hand.

"There are two other methods to supply mana to a spell. One is through crystals, and the other involves a second magical circle—something you'll learn about when you reach C rank. First, we'll focus on adding an enchantment to an object and then binding that enchantment to a crystal as its power source."

Without touching her bag, its zipper slid open on its own. many smooth stone disks, each about the size of a human palm, floated out and glided across the classroom, settling in front of each student.

"Enchanting an object is similar to drawing a spell on paper, but there's one crucial difference," Cristina explained as she turned to the chalkboard.

She quickly sketched a Light Enchantment sigil, the lines sharp and precise, before adding a symbol at the center.

"This," she said, tapping the central word, "is the word 'Bind.' It ensures the enchantment is tied exclusively to the object. Place this symbol in the center of your design. Now, get to work."

The classroom filled with the soft scratching of carving tools as the students etched the enchantment into their stone disks. Leo worked diligently, but his mind buzzed with curiosity. When Cristina walked past his desk, he seized the chance.

"Ms. Loup?"

She paused, smoke curling from her cigarette. "Yes?"

"Are there any protective spells in enchanting?"

Cristina raised an eyebrow. "Protective? Yes, but there's only one you can learn at your level. It's covered in Advanced Enchantments. If you're in a hurry, read it, and if you have any questions, ask again."

She started to walk away, but Leo spoke again. "I actually have one more question. How can we activate spells on ourselves without drawing them out, for example, the Enhanced Eye?"

Cristina's gaze locked onto him, her sharp eyes studying him in silence. For a brief moment, Leo wondered if he had overstepped.

"Circles of magic are tools, Mr. Mantine. Tools we use to channel and shape power. You need to understand the mechanics behind them, not just memorize the patterns."

Leo frowned, confusion clear on his face. Cristina noticed and continued.

"Imagination is a powerful thing. As an Illusionist, you should already understand that."

She turned to leave but paused, glancing back over her shoulder.

"And remember—being hasty with magic can cost you your life."

With that, she walked away, leaving Leo with more questions than answers.

'Circles of magic are tools… imagination?' Leo's thoughts raced. 'Does she mean I can cast spells using just my imagination? No diagrams, no physical circle?' He frowned, the weight of the implication sinking in.

'One thing is clear—she's warning me. If I go too deep… I might get corrupted.'

The rest of the class continued with students diligently attempting to activate their spells using the newly introduced word of power. 

…

After his patrol, Leo retrieved the two books mentioned by Liamond and Cristina, carefully placing them in his bag. Instead of heading straight home, he set off towards the main street, searching for a shop to buy a hooded cape to conceal his face. He avoided elegant stores where he was already known and instead chose one of the smaller shops he had noted during his patrols.

Ten minutes later, Leo found himself in a poorer neighborhood. Asking around, he managed to track down the landlord, a man who seemingly had control over most of the houses in the area. His hood was already up and on the back of his hand, an Illusion mark shimmered faintly, ready to be activated if needed.

When he arrived at the address he had been given, Leo was met by a large, bald man standing guard at the door of a small, run-down building.

"I'm here to rent a house," Leo said firmly.

The man gave him a slow once-over before opening the door and letting him in. As Leo walked past, he pretended to stumble, briefly brushing the back of his marked hand against the guard's arm.

Inside, the room was cramped and dimly lit. An old wooden desk sat in the center, behind which was the very man Leo had previously frightened. Beside him stood another burly man, arms crossed and eyes sharp.

The door creaked shut behind him, and the bald guard followed them inside. Leo turned slightly, pretending to glance at the door, subtly positioning his right hand so the two men behind the desk could catch a glimpse of the Illusion mark. 

He then walked forward and carefully sat in an old, creaky chair that looked ready to collapse at any moment.

"I'm here to rent a house—with a basement," Leo stated.

The landlord leaned back in his chair, a sly smile creeping across his face. "Of course, sir. We have all kinds of houses here. But first, I need to know who I'm renting to. Kindly remove your hood."

The man beside him shifted slightly, ready to intervene if necessary.

Leo nodded and pulled back his hood. Beneath it, they saw not a young boy, but an old man with a white beard and mustache.

The landlord gave a short nod. "Alright then. Everyone calls me 'the landlord.' And you are?"

"I'd prefer to keep my identity hidden," Leo replied evenly.

The landlord chuckled, shaking his head. "But that's illegal, you know? I can't—"

His words stopped abruptly as a gold coin clinked against the wooden desk. The landlord's eyes widened with greed, his fingers twitching slightly.

"Well now… it seems we do have such a house available after all. Do you have any other preferences?"

"Just a house with a basement and secure doors—ones that can keep prying eyes away," Leo said calmly.

The landlord turned to the muscular man standing beside him, his expression firm. "Take this gentleman to house number twenty-six." 

The man opened the door and gestured for Leo to follow. "This way, sir."

Leo stood and followed the man to the door but paused briefly to address the landlord.

"On the first day of every month, I'll leave you one gold coin," Leo said, his voice calm but carrying an undertone of authority. He subtly activated his pre-cast Illusion spell, causing the room's light to dim only for the landlord. Shadows crept across the walls, flickering and twisting like living entities, their distorted shapes casting an eerie aura over the landlord's face. The effect was subtle yet unsettling, enough to ensure his words left an impression. 

 His voice dropped slightly as he added, "And for your own safety… don't get curious."

The landlord swallowed hard, beads of sweat forming on his brow as Leo walked out.

The muscular man led Leo down narrow streets for a couple of minutes before stopping in front of an old wooden house. They entered and Leo carefully inspected the interior, ensuring it met his needs. Once satisfied, he took the key from the man.

With his task complete, Leo turned and began walking back towards his home, his thoughts already planning his next steps.

As Leo walked, his mind drifted back to what Cristina had said.

'In B rank and above, they create spells mid-air using only their mana. That means they imagine it. They can also activate low-level spells just by speaking their names. There's a secret behind magic circles—a secret that's still too soon for me to understand.'

He pulled out a piece of paper with the Enhanced Eye spell drawn on it, studying its intricate lines and symbols.

'But when it comes to casting on myself, it's different. One thing I've learned over the past year is that mana—and spells—are much easier to control when they're close to my body. I can manipulate my mana effortlessly when it's near me, but as it moves farther away, control becomes significantly harder. The same applies to spells. When I was channeling mana into the Light Enchantment spell through the pen, maintaining control became far more difficult the farther the energy traveled.'

An idea began to form in his mind.

'What if I guide the spell's current through my body to the other side? For example, I could use my left arm to retrieve the paper from my bag and then channel the current to my right hand to activate the spell by touch. It wouldn't solve the issue of casting spells on myself, but it would definitely make casting on others easier.'

As Leo remained lost in thought, his steps slowed. His eyes caught sight of something unusual—a carriage parked in the middle of the narrow street.

'Why is there a carriage in the slums?'

The carriage door stood ajar. Beside it, a small man in a hooded cloak loomed, while a large, muscular figure stood next to him, something slung over his shoulder.

Leo narrowed his eyes, focusing on the object. After a brief moment of concentration, he realized what it was—a person.

'Kidnappers.'