What Valed truly studied was primarily the common knowledge of this world—geography, political landscapes, customs and traditions... Beyond that lay the mastery and application of the magical winds. For the spiritual energy—or rather, the magical winds—of this world far surpassed those of Valed's previous life. Thus, while other aspects of this world might be backward, its command over the magical winds and the development of magical schools were far beyond anything Valed could match.
Take last night, for instance. Valed had merely combined a smattering of basic knowledge with his abundant, excessive magical power to unleash such a terrifying technique. If he were to systematically study this world's magic, his strength might ascend to a truly terrifying level.
Of course, that was merely a possibility.
Harboring such hopes, Valed walked half a step ahead of Miss Tracy toward his own quarters. He then entered his study and took a seat. The room contained two comfortable chairs, bookshelves overflowing with foundational texts, and two desks equipped with paper and writing implements. Along the wall, on a weapons rack, hung a set of half-plate armor forged to Valed's measurements, along with a matching sword and shield.
He and Tracy sat facing each other. Valed focused all his attention on her. Not because Miss Tracy appeared delicate, charming, or alluring, but because he recalled her words from yesterday after class, just before she left:
"Valed, your talent is quite remarkable. It seems you've mastered these fundamentals well. Tomorrow, I'll teach you something more practical."
Seeing Valed's eager gaze, Miss Tracy understood exactly what he was thinking. A smile graced her lips once more. Diligence and eagerness to learn were virtues admired across all races.
"I've already covered the fundamental concepts of magic, the basic magical runes, and their arrangement patterns. Do you still remember them?"
"Of course." Valed nodded, his mind inevitably drifting back to last night when he'd pointed out the error in his sister's magic array. A hint of smugness crept into his smile.
"Very good. There are several categories of magic in this world, and countless specific spells. New magic is constantly being invented. But ultimately, whether it's a category or a specific spell, it all boils down to the application of the magical winds. Sorcerers, wizards, and mages harness the magical winds in the air—manipulating them, filtering them, shaping them... and thus specific spells emerge.
Tens of thousands of years ago, when civilization was just beginning to sprout, the understanding of the world held by mages was still in its infancy. Their methods of using magic were simple and primitive. They would gather the magical winds in the air, gathering and gathering until they could gather no more, then blast them at their target. It was a completely crude, inefficient, barbaric method."
Hearing his teacher say this, Valed flushed slightly. Because yesterday, when he shattered the tomb's barrier, he had used precisely such a crude, barbaric method...
Miss Tracy didn't notice Valed's slight expression. She continued, "Of course, as civilization advanced, such crude practices faded. Now, aside from savage greenskins, the Chaos Sorcerers of the Northern Wastes, and intellectually deficient ogres and Chaos beastmen, no one employs such methods anymore. Whether Divine-Martial Elves, Dark Elves, Wood Elves, Dwarves, Humans, us Vampires, or Chaos Daemons— We all possess more refined methods of wielding magic.
We can further purify the magical winds, categorizing the power they contain. This is the origin of the magical schools. As civilization reached that era, with the continuous refinement of school theory, magic experienced an explosive surge. It ushered in a chaotic, turbulent, yet rapidly advancing age.
As that era progressed, the various races now holding their place in the world established their own spheres of influence. Simultaneously, magic evolved further. Exceptional wizards blended different categories of pure magical winds, yielding even richer transformations in magic.
Thus, under the main branches of magical schools, numerous sub-branches emerged. These sub-branches then split into even more specialized schools. Magic grew increasingly complex and diverse. It reached a point where even some short-lived species couldn't fully master a single school in their lifetime. Moreover, the classification of magical schools differed between nations and races."
At this point, Miss Tracy's lesson seemed to conclude. She looked at Valed and inquired, "So Valed, which school do you think you prefer? Or rather, which category of magic do you feel you're more suited for?"
"I don't know," Valed answered quickly and honestly.
"An excellent answer." Hearing this, Miss Tracy nodded, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. "You're still young and haven't encountered much magical knowledge yet. So 'I don't know' is the most appropriate response. And I hope you can hold onto that answer for a while longer. After all, given your age, you have plenty of time to experiment and consider. Take your time to carefully choose the path that suits you best."
"Yes, I understand your meaning," Valed nodded, acknowledging Miss Tracy's words.
"Then, there's one more question. When you grow up, what kind of person do you want to become? What profession do you wish to pursue?" Miss Tracy continued.
"When I grow up, I will inherit the Kastanin family." Valed frowned slightly, looking a bit confused. He answered thus—all feigned, of course, to prevent Miss Tracy from suspecting him too deeply, to maintain the pretense that he was still merely a child.
"No," Miss Tracy shook her head at Valed. "That's not what I meant, Valed. You will indeed inherit the Castanin family when you grow up. That is predestined. But Count Castanin—that is your identity, not your profession. Occupation—do you understand? Like me being a teacher, or a general in the army, or perhaps you wish to secure a position in the citizens' assembly?"
Valed's expression shifted to one of sudden comprehension, followed by renewed confusion: "But does this relate to the magical factions we're discussing now?"
"Of course it does. "Miss Tracy elaborated, "For ordinary races without magical aptitude, or those with only a few individuals possessing it, the two are naturally unrelated. But for us—a race where nearly all possess magical talent—future professions become intertwined with magic.
If you wish to command battles, you must strengthen your mastery of necromancy to control larger, more advanced armies. If you aspire to be a civil official, you must develop mental magic further. This enhances your brain's processing speed and enables more comprehensive thinking. These things are mutually reinforcing."
Vared nodded, indicating his understanding. He also began contemplating his own future. Then, almost immediately, he realized that Miss Tracy's words weren't entirely correct.
"So, have you made up your mind?" Miss Tracy asked, noticing Vared's confident smile return.
"I believe I should still become an earl."
"I see what you mean." Hearing Valed's response, Miss Tracy showed a hint of surprise before her smile grew even brighter than before: "But if you wish to achieve your ambition, an earl seems wholly insufficient. Or perhaps you desire all of Sylvanian? You must know, the realm hasn't seen a duke in quite some time."
Just as Valed hesitated—whether to nod in acknowledgment and boldly declare, "Sylvania is merely the beginning," or to continue feigning ignorance—Miss Tracy leaned forward and gently embraced him.
"Poor, adorable little fool..." she murmured softly, leaving Valed feeling somewhat flustered. Simultaneously, the faint fragrance emanating from her body made him feel a bit lightheaded. After an unknown length of time, Miss Tracy finally released him. Unlike Valed, who was slightly flushed and shy, Miss Tracy appeared completely unaffected.
"Very well. Since that is the case, I believe I understand how I should instruct you. The future Count of Kastanin." Miss Tracy used honorifics when addressing Valed, half-jokingly.
"Then I'll leave it to you." In contrast, Valed also used honorifics, but his tone was extremely solemn. This made Miss Tracy smile happily once more.
After this exchange, the teacher felt confident and ready to begin the formal lesson. The curriculum had been meticulously planned by Miss Tracy long ago. Valed suddenly realized that all the talk he'd heard before—about elemental affinity, finding the right faction, future aspirations—seemed utterly meaningless. Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals—what he was learning now could only be the basics. Those higher-level concepts would have to wait until years later, when Valed had formally become a wizard...