Giving You Some Magic

A heavy rain starting in the early morning significantly cooled the hot summer air, nourishing the summer crops that had just sprouted in the fields.

That morning, Walter was teaching Frederick logic, holding a book titled The Art of Debate.

Frederick set aside the events of the previous night and listened attentively as Walter explained what categorical and non-categorical terms were.

The sound of the rain and the fresh air drifted into the study through the half-open window, making Frederick's throbbing head feel a little better.

Logic was quite difficult for him, but it was necessary to learn as it would be used in official documents and laws.

He had once tried to demonstrate "Argumentative Troll logic," whereupon Walter showed him four uses of the Ice Cone Spell.

In the eyes of scholars, an "Argumentative Troll" was no different from someone picking up the ball in a football match and charging towards the opponent's goal; if you could beat them down with one strike, you might as well hit them a few more times.

Finally, class was over, and there was still some time before lunch. Frederick dashed into Psyche's room.

Psyche was leaning against the headboard, sucking on a lollipop, a novel in her hand. She quietly watched Frederick burst in and then turn around to lock the door.

Frederick cast a few spells by the bed, then asked with a look of utter confusion, "What in the world are these?"

Peashooters, Chompers, and Clovers, among other things, appeared on the soft carpet, swaying back and forth.

Psyche calmly replied, "These are Composite Magic based on Shaping Magic, Elemental Golems, and Soul Magic. They are the highest masterpiece in the current Domain of Composite Magic. You should be secretly laughing."

The lines of confusion on Frederick's forehead didn't disappear at all. He cast a few more spells.

This time, four people appeared: an Assassin Brotherhood assassin brother in white robes with no visible face, a Dark Ranger big sister with deep purple skin, a burly Barbarian brother covered in muscles and tattoos, and a silver-haired sister in a date-red dress, wearing a matching hood, draped in a dark red cloak, and holding a scythe.

Psyche continued calmly, "Assassin, Archer, Warrior, and Healer, Elemental Golems based on Shaping Magic, Elemental Golems, and Soul Magic. The highest masterpiece in the current Domain of Elemental Golems. You should continue secretly laughing."

Frederick waved his hand, and the Peashooters and Elemental Golems vanished. He sat down by the bed and asked with a frown, "How did I suddenly know these spells?"

When he woke up this morning, he felt like he knew some things. Upon closer thought, he realized he actually knew how to summon these magical beings.

Whether they were Peashooters or Elemental Golems, they were all made of magical elements, hard as iron.

Psyche pointed to her head and replied, "Soul Copy-Paste. I gave you a copy of a little bit of what I know."

Frederick's eyes widened. He asked worriedly, "Will it affect you?"

Psyche reached over and ruffled his hair, saying lightly, "If you copy the contents of one book onto another, how will it affect the first book?"

"Then I'm relieved." Frederick let out a sigh of relief. "Are there any additional effects on me?"

Psyche patted the novel in her hand and said to him, "I just wrote something in the blank space. Writing a little is fine, but don't be greedy. If you write too much, the book itself will be affected."

"Don't expect to use it on a large scale either. This is delicate work, even for me it's difficult. If there's a mistake, both sides will become idiots."

Frederick nodded and said sincerely, "Thank you."

Psyche scratched his head, got up, and said, "Go easy on these spells. With your current power, you can probably only last two minutes."

Frederick nodded seriously, thinking he would just use them as a hidden trump card.

Psyche continued, "Don't underestimate this magic. Although you're a noob, it's not."

"Take those four Elemental Golems, for example. Each of them has exceptional abilities, each has unique special moves, their fighting spirit and endurance are astonishing, and their secret weapons can give you unexpected surprises!"

Frederick's body trembled. He sincerely asked, "If I'm in danger someday, can I ask you for help? Like shouting, 'Psyche, save me!' and you'll appear with a 'biu' sound."

Psyche asked with a mischievous smile, "And I'll just appear and watch the fun?"

Then she pinched Frederick's cheek and said earnestly, "Your own strength is the true strength. This world is far from as peaceful as you think."

"Let me tell you, people at Richard Nahl's level sometimes take on assassination jobs."

"You're a restless kid, and you'll definitely make countless enemies in the future. At that time, getting rid of you personally will be the best way to solve the problem."

"You still have a lot to learn, not just magic, but also the social rules and ways of thinking based on the disparity in personal power brought about by magic."

Frederick suddenly understood something. He had felt that something was off when he was learning logic before, and now, with Psyche's reminder, he realized it.

Back home, after stripping away social factors like economy and social status, the gap between people wasn't large. That's why incidents like Caesar being assassinated in the Senate and the first archer of the Tokaido, Nara-machi, challenging the Taiko in a duel happened.

But it was different here. If Caesar had the strength of someone like Richard Nahl, even if there were people of equal strength present, as long as the numbers weren't overwhelming, escaping would at least not be a problem.

Because the fundamental difference in strength between people had widened, the "final say" was not only dependent on an organization but also on one's fists.

The most obvious example was that with a powerful fist, you could take down an Argumentative Troll with a single punch.

In the current political system, extraordinary martial power had already been incorporated and restrained through law, morality, and tradition based on status and wealth. If the political system were to change, the inequality of personal military strength would be a difficult hurdle to overcome.

Frederick's face turned into dough in Psyche's hand, interrupting his thoughts.

"Don't think so much," Psyche said while kneading. "Some problems can't be solved by just sitting around and daydreaming."

"Walk more, see more, think more. I don't need to teach you what to do, right?"

Frederick softly "hmm"ed, understanding her meaning.

"Oh, right," Frederick changed the subject. "Why don't you use broken rags and old hemp ropes as raw materials for papermaking?"

Psyche replied, "Naturally, there are better raw materials."

"What are they?" Frederick asked curiously. "The materials for papermaking are just hemp, bamboo, and wood. There's no bamboo here."

Psyche replied, "Paper made from grass pulp is brittle. It's not good enough for newspapers and magazines."

Frederick frowned and said, "But I remember that grinding wood pulp requires a lot of power. It can only be driven after the Steam Engine comes out. The Waterwheel doesn't have enough power."

Psyche smiled and said, "I'll teach you when you make a 'Lion's Head'."

Frederick's face was full of black lines. He said, "Tomorrow then. I'm going to the blacksmith's shop this afternoon."