Volume 3 Chapter 9-2 General Theory of Silvio's Daughter
Looking at the history of tech, you get those 'Where the hell did this come from?' moments. This might be one of those government-funded side projects.
When the government pours money into something, it's usually military power, strategic assets. Even if it fails, if you collect data, you can 'make something' out of it.
"...Oh, maybe it's the 'research on extracting invasive gemstones~'?"
"What do you mean?"
"This sudden master appointment after 'Pastor's little incident'... I don't see the reason, but it could be because the research, despite heaps of money, didn't complete. And Master did something with that tech, maybe 'touched' something and got in trouble~."
"...It's plausible. But spending 100 million coins on research that doesn't finish? You'd really have to be hung up on it to get framed and appointed like that."
"Hmmm... Master, how does that tech even work~?"
Ulrika turned to Horace and asked.
"...Assuming I told you, 'magic seeks stability'. Magic doesn't just 'become' anything; it 'can become' anything if guided."
"Yeah, that's what I heard too."
"Huh? I've read general magic textbooks, and they didn't say anything like that. It was all about strongly recognizing and 'controlling' magic..."
"When you're trying to move magic, it's less like grabbing a ball and more like guiding a piece of iron with a magnet."
Horace cut in.
"...If you bash a dragon's breath with your fist and overwrite it with 'air is more stable', it turns into air..."
"...Only the master can do that~"
"Yeah, I get what you're saying."
"..."
Bad examples are nothing new.
"Well, this happens when the 'guiding force' of the fist is stronger than the stability of the breath. They say the 'stronger image' tends to win."
"So, what's the deal~?"
"A type of gem that invades the body turns into fine particles once it enters, then reforms into a gem again inside the body. To remove it, you have to plant the idea in the gem inside the enemy's body: 'It'll be more stable if you come out.'"
"Yeah, I kinda get it."
"Now, the tricky part is how to sense the opponent's mana inside their body, Ulrika. Mana increases as long as they're alive. Can you sense where it's growing in their body?"
"...~?"
Ulrika is touching different parts of her body, searching.
But it seems like she's struggling to grasp the sensation.
"...Umm, it feels like it's growing deep inside my chest... But I can't really focus on it, no matter how hard I try."
"That's probably the limit. Normal creatures don't have an organ for 'manipulating mana.'"
""""""?????""""""
Even Ellie, who was asleep, is jolted awake by the shock.
"...I-I didn't know that!"
"What magic needs is a clear, solid image. Because mana moves in response to the image it's given. The feeling of 'moving' mana makes you think you're controlling it, but in reality, no ordinary creature has the organ to directly... that's right, 'grasp and move' mana."
Horace looks at everyone.
"This isn't just a case of the textbook being wrong. When Silvio was researching how to extract gems from someone's body, he was probably working under the theory of 'pulling the gem out' from the opponent's body."
"But that..."
"Yeah. It's the biggest mistake in mana recognition. No matter how much you research, it'll never work. The foundation is flawed, so no useful byproducts can come from it."
"This is the worst kind of research..."
"...So, that means master could extract the gem from that Pastor's body because master strongly implanted the idea that 'it would be more stable if it came out.'"
"That makes it impossible."
"Huh?"
"Mana seeks stability, and while it can be guided, that's not the 'top priority.' A whole bunch of other conditions and theories build on this fundamental rule, and that's what balances mana in the world."
Horace presses his temple hard, as if trying to push through a headache.
He was probably thinking, 'How am I even supposed to explain this?'
"If it doesn't have a shape... right, if it's just regular magic inside your body, that's one thing. But if you've got 'solidified magic'──where it's taken on an actual form──at that point, it's absolutely locked in. It won't budge, no matter what you try from the outside."
"I get it now. So, it's all about the image. If the magic itself 'believes' it's stable, then shaking that belief is pretty much impossible."
"Exactly."
"...Then, Master, how did you──"
"You're not ready for that yet. For now, just remember this: there once was an idiot who burned through a billion gold coins chasing research that was never supposed to work."
With that, Horace grabbed a newspaper and started to read.
...He didn't look like he planned to say anything more.
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