Chapter 47: Would You Become a Mage for Me? 3

“You’ve decided… to become a mage?”

“Yes, it is Father’s wish, and more importantly, considering its versatility, I deemed it the more advantageous path.”

“Haah…”

Cazeros responded with a somewhat melancholic reaction to my words, prompting me to inquire cautiously.

“…? What’s the matter? Is there an issue?”

“…No… No, it’s nothing… Since it cannot be helped…”

“…?”

Puzzled by Cazeros’s response, I was about to ponder further when Polena, serving us tea, spoke in her ever-energetic tone.

“Why would there be an issue? It’s only natural, given that the Master has evidently decided to abandon the path of a Holy Knight altogether.”

“…There’s no need to abandon anything, since I was already excommunicated long ago and am no longer a Holy Knight.”

“No, I am not referring to such formalities. I speak of the Master’s very existence as someone who had chosen the path of a Holy Knight and cultivated the Aura, now deciding to become a mage. Surely, the implications are not lost on you, Santana?”

“…Ah…”

Upon hearing Polena’s words, I finally grasped how my decision was perceived by Cazeros.

“Becoming a mage signifies not merely a formal departure, but a complete relinquishment of being a Holy Knight, in body and spirit. Cazeros laments the loss of this common ground between you.”

“No? No… That’s not what I’m concerned about…”

Cazeros’s visible discomfiture at those words betrayed her true sentiments, despite her denial.

‘…Come to think of it, Cazeros and I did spend a considerable time as fellow Holy Knights.’

While I had no intention of reversing my decision, observing her reaction made me realize this ‘career change’ was not as simple as I had initially perceived.

‘Until now, I had been viewing it rather simplistically… But upon further reflection, there is indeed a tinge of regret…’

With these thoughts, I unconsciously formed a verdant sphere in my palm, a practice I had not engaged in for quite some time.

An Aura-crafted orb the size of a baseball, radiating a gentle green hue.

While possessing a modicum of physical force, its true utility lay in healing and restoration, far more efficient than offensive applications.

Had I continued diligently cultivating it, I might have reached the level of an accomplished Holy Knight, but the Aura’s inherent limitations would remain unchanged.

Truthfully, in our present circumstances, I regretted the loss of the connection this power had forged between Cazeros and myself, rather than the Aura’s capabilities.

‘I suppose it’s akin to changing jobs and no longer being able to work alongside a friend? Well, it can’t be helped.’

While feeling a tinge of remorse towards Cazeros on a personal level, I began contemplating my decision to relinquish the path of a Holy Knight and embrace that of a mage.

‘Transitioning from the Aura to mana… I recall reading about this in the original work.’

The Aura, the source of a Holy Knight’s power, and mana, the wellspring of a mage’s abilities, were opposing forces – akin to pencils and erasers.

Mana, with its boundless versatility and diverse applications, allowed one to inscribe their unique imprint upon the world through magic, achieving everything from sheer destructive might to advancements in everyday conveniences, physical enhancement, and even longevity.

In contrast, while the Aura’s utility was severely limited compared to mana, it possessed the ability to instantaneously negate any magic, like an eraser wiping away a drawing on paper.

A power that could be described as Dispel incarnate.

Consequently, in this world, mages were intrinsically disadvantaged against Holy Knights in direct confrontations.

While individual prowess played a role, the inherent disparity was so significant that even a novice Holy Knight could potentially overpower a mid-tier mage several years their senior.

Moreover, without the need for complex rituals, the Aura’s inherent healing capabilities added to its strengths.

For these reasons, despite the mages’ rapid advancements in a short span, the Church’s forces, employing the fundamentally unchanged Aura cultivated by Holy Knights over a millennium, remained a formidable presence that could not be disregarded.

And…

Due to the opposing natures of the Aura and mana, it was virtually impossible for a single individual to wield both powers simultaneously.

Certainly, some had attempted to master both forces, acknowledging the Aura’s unique advantages. However, their efforts invariably led to a single conclusion:

-It’s easier to give up-

While not entirely impossible to cultivate both powers concurrently, the efficiency was abysmal, likened to 1+1=0.3 rather than the expected sum or synergy.

Upon reaching a certain threshold, the Aura and mana would violently repel each other, hindering the proper usage of magic or severely limiting the practitioner’s mana capacity, effectively rendering accomplished mages into crippled shells of their former selves.

Moreover, the backlash would also diminish the Aura’s potency to less than half of a typical Holy Knight’s.

In gaming terms, it was akin to utterly botching one’s stat distribution, resulting in a subpar jack-of-all-trades character.

Ultimately, mages who had trained in the Aura were forced to engage in a ‘dissipated lifestyle’ – essentially weakening their Aura through indulgence – to regain their former magical prowess.

From this perspective, my decision to learn magic while possessing the Aura meant inevitably accepting some degree of compromise compared to focusing solely on magic from the outset.

However, the fact that my Aura proficiency was at best novice, or at most intermediate level, could be considered somewhat fortunate in this regard.

Had I achieved an advanced or mastered level of Aura cultivation, I might have been forced to indulge in debauchery before even beginning my magical training…

A prospect that, while potentially appealing under normal circumstances, would have been a significant hindrance in our urgent situation, effectively rendering me incapacitated.

‘With the basic training itself being a close call in terms of achievability, where would I find the time for such indulgences? One misstep here, and my head might literally roll.’

Debauchery was a luxury to be savored with ample time and leisure.

In that sense, I could only feel immense relief upon learning that, despite being a Holy Knight, I could immediately commence magical training without any major hindrances.

Of course, the prospect of lessons beginning the following morning still weighed on me to some extent.

‘Magical training… I did learn the basics from the original work, but I wonder if I’ll fare well…’

In general, magical talent was heavily influenced by bloodlines, and as the son of the accomplished mage Count Turen, I likely possessed a natural aptitude.

However, this was merely a probability, and my actual abilities remained to be seen.

Moreover, having served as a Holy Knight cultivating the Aura, my progress might be hindered to an extent.

‘Well, I’ll have to see for myself starting tomorrow. At least they’re providing a capable tutor, or so I’m told…’

With these thoughts in mind, I gently stroked Cazeros’s head as she regarded me with an anxious expression.

At that moment, failing to perceive her murmured words, I simply responded:

“It does seem rather perilous… That woman…”