"Don't be disappointed, Adam~ Even if you can't use the Clow Cards, the Philosopher's Stone's magic can let you carry the Book of Sealing and Sealing Wand with you~"
Kero, who had successfully obtained a body, rolled around on the floor, belly-up as he stretched out his paws to comfort Adam.
"Let me teach you the magic for putting away the Book of Sealing and Sealing Wand~ That way, you'll be able to summon the Clow Cards anytime you want to use them!"
After a lengthy explanation, Kero sat on the floor and smoothed the feathers on his wings, which had become somewhat disheveled from rolling around.
"This spell is a type of sealing magic. It isn't easy, but the magical contracts between you and the Book of Sealing and Sealing Wand will make it easier to cast on them. Before school starts, you'll definitely..."
Before he could finish, Kero saw a complex magic circle flash briefly in Adam's right palm as the Sealing Wand vanished from his hand.
"..."
Not long afterward, a similar magic circle flashed in Adam's left palm, successfully putting away the Book of Sealing as well. Kero fell completely silent.
"It seems your magical talent is exceptionally high."
Suppi lay on the bed like an elegant black panther, the butterfly wings on his back fluttering gently.
"If that's the case, you'll soon be able to learn all the magic contained within the Clow Cards."
"I'll work hard."
Adam repeated the motions of summoning and putting them away several times, familiarizing himself with the process before suddenly getting another idea.
"Can I put away my wand too?"
A sixteen-inch wand might be a little inconvenient to carry around. If he could put it away with this magic...
"Probably. I'm not sure."
Suppi closed the book in front of him and shoved it off the bed, where it smacked Kero on the head.
"I looked through your textbooks. This magic system is a little strange... Though perhaps I simply don't know enough about Western magic."
"Ow~"
Kero bared his teeth at Suppi, then opened Adam's textbook.
"Then let me take a look. How unusual could a tiny first-year textbook possibly be... Hm?"
The slits in Kero's pupils turned round as he unwillingly flipped through several more pages.
"What... what is this stuff? Is this really magic? Where are the magic circles? Where are the principles of magic?"
Only after flipping through the entirety of Standard Spells: First Year did Kero have no choice but to admit that he seemed to have encountered a blind spot.
"You can cast spells just by moving a wand through a certain arc and adding an incantation? That's not magic at all!"
Kero stared in shock at Standard Spells: First Year as though he were looking at some heretical text.
"That isn't magic? It looks pretty magical to me."
Having successfully put away his wand as well, Adam took the book and wanted to give it a try. He remembered Hermione had already learned the Mending Charm at home. Suppi said he had decent magical talent, so he should be able to learn a few spells too.
"Magic may look miraculous, but it is actually extremely rigorous. Sometimes, a mage appears to merely wave a hand, but in reality, they have performed highly complex manipulations of magic power to complete the spell."
Suppi flipped through three books in his paws: Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, Intermediate Transfiguration, and Advanced Transfiguration Guide. He opened each one to a page and pointed them out to Adam with his fluffy fingers.
"Transfiguring objects, the Vanishing Spell, and permanent transfiguration are three entirely different types of magic. The first is transformation magic, the second is spatial magic, and the last, strictly speaking, should fall under alchemy—perpetual magic cannot remain in effect after its caster dies unless there is another source of magic power."
Suppi looked up at Adam seriously.
"Whether in the classification of magic or its casting, it's as though a group of people who couldn't use magic at all saw mages wave their wands and recite incantations to cast spells, then recorded that process and assumed they could cast magic by copying it. Their classifications are just as baseless."
"Most importantly, we're looking at textbooks. That means the complete casting process should be explained in these books, yet I haven't found the slightest trace of a magic circle... Setting aside the possibility that magic circles are taught separately after enrollment, I have reason to suspect that this is no longer the world we originally came from."
At first, Adam wore the same grave expression, his heart rising into his throat. But when he heard the end, realization struck him—right, this wasn't their hometown at all!
"Maybe you really did fall into another world..."
Adam glossed over the matter.
"Wizards derive their spellcasting ability from intermarriage between their ancestors and magical creatures, rather than from their own research. That's probably why the casting and classification of these spells are so... primitive."
Moreover, it seemed that only a tiny number of wizards researched magic. Most people spent their entire lives merely learning and using it, while the invention of spells was often accidental.
Thinking it over, Adam felt that this guess might have accidentally hit the mark. After all, the Clow Cards' magic could be cast in this world, which showed that proper magic-circle spellcasting worked here too.
By comparison, wizards' method of casting spells really did seem more like a rough-and-ready shortcut.
"There's actually such a background? Still, it unexpectedly makes sense... If they possess spellcasting ability derived from bloodline instinct, perhaps they truly don't need such a deep understanding of magical principles."
"But it sounds so messed up!"
Suppi was shocked, even a little frightened, because by this world's classification, they also seemed to count as magical creatures.
"What? We're not in our original world anymore?!"
Kero covered his face and cried out, his golden fur standing on end.
"Then my cake... Does your world have cake, Adam?"
"Yes."
Adam nodded.
"And lots of other sweets too... Oh, right. The Wizarding World here has unique sweets."
As he spoke, Adam stuffed a Fizzing Whizbee into Kero's paws.
With a pop, Kero transformed into a tiny energy-saving form and began licking the candy, which was nearly as large as his head.
"Wow, what a special honey flavor! I've never had anything like it before! This world is amazing!"
"It's probably made from the honey of some magical plant."
Adam gave one to Suppi as well. Suppi initially showed resistance, but soon shrank down too and hugged a candy as he ate it, slipping into a state like a cat high on catnip as he rubbed and rolled across the bed.
Watching the two adorable creatures, Adam crossed his legs, picked them up, and placed them in the curve of his lap. Then he picked up a copy of Standard Spells: First Year and began reading it.
First, a small goal... He would learn the Mending Charm before school started.
There was nothing bad about wizards' bloodline-based spellcasting ability. At the very least, it was far simpler than casting with magic circles and didn't require understanding the principles.
He would use this world's magic for now, then slowly figure out the principles bit by bit. Perfect~
Sometimes stroking Kero's head and wings, sometimes squeezing Suppi's paw pads and tail, Adam's attention gradually sank into an ocean of knowledge.
Before you continue