Chapter 21: The Pioneer

A magic array?"

"That's right. It's a special kind of magic. By using a staff, a mage can manipulate the magic in the air to draw a specific pattern on the surface of an envelope. This pattern allows the magic to linger on the letter for an extended period."

"The magic in the air?" Bruno keenly picked up on the phrase and asked, "Isn't magic something that mages possess within themselves?"

"Of course not!" Arnel replied matter of factly.

"My teacher, Glenn Galvin, once taught me that magic is a blessing bestowed upon the world by the Elemental Gods. It is the lingering breath of the Creator when the world was made! How could it possibly be directly granted to humans?"

Bruno suddenly had an epiphany and boldly hypothesized, "So, what you're saying is that spellcasting is actually the process of manipulating the magic in the air? And different types of spells are just different ways of manipulating different kinds of magical energy?"

"Although… your wording is a bit unconventional… that's more or less the gist of it." Arnel pondered for a moment before nodding.

Damn!

Bruno suddenly felt the urge to swear.

Different types of magical energy? Wasn't this just an alternate-world version of the Periodic Table 2.0?

Where was the promised lack of science?

Because if what Arnel was saying was true, then what people in this world called "magic" was actually a collection of various special elements freely floating in the air.

And casting different spells simply meant drawing upon different magical elements in different ways… If that wasn't a reworked version of the periodic table, then what was it?

However, what confused Bruno the most was—if his theory was correct, then how exactly did spoken spells manipulate these magical elements in the air?

Did the power come from singing particularly well?

That was obviously impossible. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a distinction between mages and ordinary people.

"Arnel, what exactly makes mages different from ordinary people?" Bruno suddenly asked.

"Different… how?"

At first, Arnel had always assumed mages were simply different, but now that he was directly asked, he wasn't quite sure how to explain it.

He originally wanted to say that it was a matter of mental strength, but even among ordinary people, there were those with extraordinarily strong wills.

"It should be… their ability to sense magic, I suppose."

"Sensing?" Bruno pressed. "Be more specific."

"The world we mages see is different from what common folk see," Arnel said after some thought. "We can keenly perceive the magic that fills the air—it's everywhere, seeping into every corner. Moreover, when we cast spells, we can feel the magic we need gathering in the air. It's… a rather mystical feeling, as if we are merging with the world itself…"

Merging with the world?

A bold idea suddenly popped into Bruno's head…

"Can you draw the magic imprint found on those official letters? Not using magic—just with a pen, on parchment."

"Of course. It's not some great secret," Arnel agreed without hesitation.

With a flourish of his pen, he quickly sketched out an intricate pattern of interwoven lines, forming a design that looked oddly familiar to Bruno.

"I usually draw it with my staff, so using a pen feels a little awkward," Arnel admitted as he scratched his head.

However…

As Bruno stared at the completed pattern, his eyes widened in shock.

He felt as if his entire worldview had just collapsed.

Bruno pointed to a particular section of the pattern and asked, "This part of the diagram—does it happen to align exactly with the seal of the envelope?"

"Yes… Wait, how did you know that? You're not a mage!" Arnel asked in surprise.

Bruno didn't answer.

He was too busy reeling from the realization that the structure of this world was becoming eerily familiar more and more scientific.

Because the diagram that Arnel had drawn, despite its intricate design and complex patterns, bore an unmistakable resemblance to…

A CIRCUIT DIAGRAM!

The spot Bruno had pointed to earlier?

It was precisely where a switch would be on an actual circuit.

In other words, if someone opened the envelope, the "circuit" would break, naturally "burning out" and disappearing…

And the burn marks left behind would serve as proof that the seal had been broken before delivery.

Yes! That had to be how the magical imprint worked!

Bruno was now convinced that this world's magic… was not quite as mystical as it first seemed.

"Arnel, do you think… levitation magic could also be imprinted onto building materials using a similar… magic array?"

Before Arnel could answer, Bruno continued, "It must be possible! If magic imprints can be preserved, then levitation spells should also be able to persist. Maybe it requires a different type of array, or a different method entirely, but the concept should be feasible!"

"When you get back, try studying this using the principles behind magic imprints!" Bruno instructed.

"I understand, but I really don't think"

"There's no 'but'! After all… experimentation is the only way to test the truth."

"Alright, I'll give it a shot." Arnel finally relented.

It did seem like an absurd idea, but deep down, he had an inexplicable feeling that what he was about to do could have a profound impact on his future pushing him toward an unknown destiny.

Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing… he had no idea.

But who cares?

With such an opportunity placed right in front of him, there was no way Arnel would let it slip away. He had never been someone content with the status quo otherwise, he wouldn't have left his family to wander far from home in the first place.

And who knew? Maybe… it really was possible.

Once Arnel left, Bruno pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment and spread it across his desk.

Outside, the sky had already darkened.

Inside, the fireplace crackled, its flames flickering with light and warmth.

The candle on his desk had just been lit, illuminating the corner of his workspace.

Bruno picked up his pen, hesitated for a moment, then, under the soft candlelight, began writing in neat, blocky Chinese characters.

November 13th, Cloudy—

The magic of this world is far less mysterious than I originally assumed. What people refer to as "magic" is likely composed of elemental substances floating in the air. The magic array Arnel drew closely resembles a circuit diagram in structure. Could this mean that magic elements can be "conducted" like electricity through certain materials in this world?

If the above conclusion holds, then I propose the following hypothesis:

A mage's ability to sense magic and their affinity for magic elements may stem from a unique physiological trait. Furthermore, spoken spells themselves likely do not directly cause magic to be released. Instead, different chants may generate different frequencies of sound waves, which in turn vibrate certain magic elements or magic molecules in the air, creating a sort of "magic current."

A mage's body might function as a "conductor," while their staff could act as a "capacitor," allowing them to gather and direct this "magic current" to cast spells.

At this point, Bruno put down his pen and took a deep breath.

The more he uncovered, the more he realized—

Magic… was simply science in disguise.