Dream Life Vol II Chapter 44.2: “Professor Ruspede’s Class”

　The professor said, “Well, let’s start with a simple question,” and began to ask.

“Can you tell me everything that is needed to activate the magic? Including the reasons why?” (Ruspede)

　Sharon nodded and began to answer slowly.

“First, we need the magic power of the magician. The magic power is what you give to the spirits, so without it, they will not be able to help you. Next is the spell’s image. I think this is the most important. The reason is that even if there is a lot of magic power if the spirit cannot understand it, the magic will not be activated. Next is the chant, which I don’t think is that important. I think it just strengthens the image further…” (Sharon)

　Professor Ruspede nodded in agreement with Sharon’s answer, occasionally interjecting a question.

“The image you mentioned, how are you strengthening it?” (Ruspede)

　Sharon thought for a moment, then said.

“I don’t know, but I imagine it as if I were comparing what happens with magic to something. For example, with [Air Hammer], I think of the gusts of wind that often blow during winter in the village, and how they would blow if they entered a small space. For [Wind Blade], I think of the wind blowing through a wheat field and the scythe cutting the wheat at the same time. …Is this correct…?” (Sharon)

　Professor Ruspede nodded, “Mm-hmm, that’s a great answer,” and further asked who had taught her that.

“When I was five years old, Master Zack, no, Mr. Lockhart, taught me to remember what I was looking at most often.” (Sharon)

　The professor looked at me and was surprised, “Did you already know that when you were five?”

“I don’t remember much, but I think I learned that from my tutor, Lydiane Dupre. Perhaps I was just using it as an easy-to-understand analogy.” (Zack)

　I answered in a somewhat apologetic manner.

　The professor nodded his head and then asked more questions about the efficiency of spells and magic, and about the relationship between the scale of magic and the magic power required.

　Sharon remembered exactly what Liddy had taught her and answered the questions in a clear and concise manner.

　As I watched, I was amazed at Sharon’s memory.

(She remembers far better than I do. Sharon is a genius after all.) (Zack)

　After about ten minutes of questioning, the professor nodded his head in satisfaction and said,

“As expected, you don’t need to be a student at the academy. Your knowledge will be enough for you to graduate. I seem to remember your teacher named Dupré.” (Ruspede)

“She is an elf woman who graduated at the top of her class from this academy about forty  years ago. She has four attributes, so perhaps you might remember her with that.” (Zack)

　The professor clapped his hands and said, “I remember her. She was a girl with four attributes and good at wind attribute,” he said, satisfied with himself.

　I was amazed at Professor Ruspede’s memory. There are nearly 200 graduates every year, and Liddy graduated thirty-seven years ago. There must have been more than 7,000 graduates during that time, so I was impressed that he could remember one of them.

(I was never good at remembering people’s faces. Even when I went to reunions, I would ask my friends I was close to names of people I could not remember. However, if he has been at this academy for more than a hundred years, he must have met nearly 20,000 students. So how can he remember them…) (Zack)

　When I told Ms. Kitley about it later, she laughed loudly and said, “Professor Ruspede only remembers the best of the best. I probably don’t think he even remembers this year’s graduates.”

　The professor, perhaps satisfied with Sharon’s knowledge, began his lecture.

　It was a lecture, but more like a question-and-answer session.

　I had a long-standing question that I couldn’t understand no matter what, so I asked the professor about it.

“That is an age-old question, but what exactly is the power of spirits? Even when I read books, there are various things written about the embodiment of the power of the attribute gods or special substances that make up the world. but I just can’t make sense of it.” (Ruspede)

　Perhaps the professor was surprised by my question, but he looked a little puzzled and said, “You are curious about something unusual, aren’t you? He looked a little perplexed, as if my question was unexpected. Come to think of it, I think I was curious about something a long time ago, too,” he said with a slightly distant look.

　Then he answered, “I would like to answer you, but the question of what is the power of spirits has not yet been clarified.”

　I was disappointed because I thought the professor would know.

　The power of spirits is the root of magic. And it is something that did not exist on earth, which I believe is the biggest difference between earth and this world.

　If we could find out what the power of the spirits is, I believe we could raise the power of magic to a much higher level.

　My general idea of magic is to convert the energy unique to this world into a form known to the magician. If we can understand the form of the original energy, we should be able to convert it more efficiently.

　What I mean is that the image of conversion changes depending on whether the energy before conversion is thermal energy, potential energy, or electrical energy. If it is thermal energy, however, the efficiency may be lower.

　To give an example, when using fire magic, I think it would be more efficient to directly convert thermal energy into the desired form, rather than once converting thermal energy into electrical energy and then extracting the heat.

　That is why I wanted to know what the power of the genie was.

　To my dismay, the professor shared with me his hypothesis, or rather, his idea.

“I haven’t done any research on this, so I can’t say for sure, but if you don’t mind, I’d be happy to share my idea.” (Ruspede)

　I nodded,

“My idea is that it shapes the world. The earth, the sky, and people are all made of the power of spirits. It may be close to the theory of matter, but I think it’s more of power itself than matter…” (Ruspede)

“Power? you mean… that people, the earth, and monsters are made up of the power of spirits?” (Zack)

“That’s right. The fact that you can make water with water-attribute magic. The magic can create water, which is a substance. In the same way, light-attribute magic creates the phenomenon of light, light that is not matter. In other words, I believe that the power of the spirit is the very power to create phenomena and matter. When we think of matter, it is difficult to explain how it can be taken out of nothing. I think it is more natural to think of it as a power that can be transformed into anything, although you seem to have a reason for this. The proof is that light cannot be materialized by the power of spirits. Light can only be transformed into phenomena…”

　I was beginning to understand what the professor was trying to say.

　The “power” that the professor is talking about probably means “energy”. That makes it easier for me to understand. It’s the same as my rough image of magic.

“In other words, Teacher is saying that the power of spirits is power with its own characteristics. The power of the spirit of light has the characteristics of light, and the power of the spirit of water has the characteristics of water.” (Zack)

　The professor nodded broadly and added further explanation, saying, “That is exactly what I think.

“The idea of the embodiment of the gods’ power is not wrong. But when you pray to the gods, you don’t invoke magic. No matter what the fanatics of Lux say. If you want to use light magic, it is better to have a clear image you want to materialize and extract the power of the spirit of light efficiently than to pray to Lucidus, the god of light. Their magic does the same thing, though they would never admit it.” (Ruspede)

“So you are saying that the magic can be invoked without reciting the names of the gods in the incantation?” (Zack)

　The professor nodded broadly, “Of course,” he said, “Then let me show you by practice.

　The professor said, “Spirit of Light. Give me light.” He chanted a very simple incantation, “Give me light,” and produced a small light in his hand.

“You don’t have to chant the name of the gods to invoke magic like this. In extreme cases, magic can also be invoked without chanting, although this requires a great deal of imagery and is less efficient.” (Ruspede)

　And after extinguishing the magic light,

“Actually, you guys should know that. You don’t chant the name of Lukidus, the god of light, every time you cast lighting magic.” (Ruspede)

　I thought to myself, “That’s true.”

　A magic tool is a tool that activates magic, and no spell is needed to use it. Furthermore, it is only the process of putting magic power into it that requires no mental concentration.

　The professor smiled and said, “Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m right.”

“Since no one has proven it yet, neither the matter theory nor the power of the gods’ theory could be wrong. It is better not to assume these things are correct.” (Ruspede)

　Having this kind of question-and-answer session with the professor was like playing an intellectual game of catch.

A/N: Finally, the conversation became a little more like a Magic Academy.

The next story is about the professor.