Re:START/If {Book 1.0}
Chapter 33: Something not far from its place (Part 02)
Sitting together in the dining room for breakfast, there was something different felt by the orphanage children and Siska. Their breakfast menu was as simple as ever, just a warm bun freshly lifted from the roasting and milk broth soup with a chunk of dried carrots and a mouthful of bacon. All portions are divided evenly on the table, ready to eat and still warm.
Although the food has been presented neatly, but none of them began to eat it. Erial had wanted to take the bread and bite it, but his hand was held by Siska who forbade him to eat it first. Unlike her twin, Mila looks calm and sits quietly in front of her breakfast. Although he was impatient to eat and saliva began to spill out of his mouth, he just stared silently.
In a sitting position on the rectangular table, Siska sat between Mila and Erial. Next to Mila sat Nesta, then next to her, on the other side of the table sat Daniel opposite Firkaf. Across Siska and the twins, Nanra sat, and next to her were Odo and Siska.
What they were all waiting for and made them not eat the food immediately at the table was because Odo— the black hairdresser still did not touch the spoon in the least and just stared at the food silently. Fiola turned his head in surprise, feeling a little disturbed and starting to get uncomfortable with the attitude of the boy.
“What's up, Mr Odo? Why not eat? If you have not eaten, others will not start eating, loh ...”
Odo glanced flatly at Siska's words, then said, “First, why wait for me?”
“That's manners ..., in this place your status is the highest.”
“Ah ..., so.” Odo got up from the seat, then shifted his own chair and stepped out of the scope of the dining table. “Wait!” fiola said as he held the boy's hand before he left. “Why is it like that? Don't need breakfast?” ask Fiola.
“Yes, actually I don't eat nor does it matter. Mbak Fiola knows the reason, doesn't he?”
“Eng ..., it's true, anyway. But ...! You must respect Miss Siska who made this meal, not so, Mr. Odo.”
Fiola let go of Odo's hand, and the boy turned and sat down. Just staring at the food, he did not touch his bread or even lift the soup spoon. Nanra who saw the behavior of the child began to be disturbed, she scooped Odo soup, then prepared to bribe him.
“Open your mouth!”
“Apaan?”
“Have it, eat it! It's me who made it too, you have to have breakfast!”
“I don't napa—!!”
Nanra immediately feeds Odo as the boy opens his mouth and makes him eat the soup. Pulling a spoon from inside the boy's mouth, Nanra scooped up the soup from the wooden bowl and prepared to feed the boy again.
Seeing that Odo had eaten the first feed, all the orphanage children and Siska started eating their breakfast voraciously. Fiola was not much different from them, taking a dry toast and starting to eat it while slightly glancing towards the Nanra-fed Odo.
“Uhm, the meat is hard, the flavor is just salt again,” Odo said with his mouth full. Before the boy made another scathing comment, Nanra took the bread and took it big enough, then put it into the boy's mouth after his mouth was empty. Before everyone finished eating breakfast, the portion for Odo was up first and Nanra smiled in relief because of it.
“Hah, you are indeed strange, eating alone can not what?”
Odo was silent to get the words, his eyes seemed to say something and it was conveyed quite clearly to Nanra. Turning his eyes, the white-haired girl had just eaten her own breakfast in a slight hurry.
“Ugkh! Ugh...” Nanra chokes. Without saying anything, Odo shifted his glass in front of Nanra, and the girl drank it immediately.
Seeing the level of such communication, Fiola was surprised by the relationship between the two children. While enjoying the breakfast served, the Huli Jing observed them with a flat gaze. Odo briefly felt an unnatural air emanating from the other side where he was sitting, but he did not care much about it and did not look at him.
As everyone finished their breakfast and the cutlery was cleared by Siska, the orphanage children got up from their seats and immediately approached Odo. The quickest are the twins, Mila and Erial, the two brunettes immediately tugging at the arm of Odo's tunic.
“Master Sir! Mister Witch! Are you going to teach us magic again?” ask Erial.
“Please ... teach us again,” connect his twin sister, Mila.
The two girls, about six years old, looked very similar, from their height, short hair styles and brown colors, all very similar. The thing that distinguishes them physically is only two, Mila is wearing a faded red dress and has a golden brown cornea eye, while Erial is wearing a faded blue dress and has a dark brown cornea eye.
Nesta walked up to the twins, smiled lightly at Odo and said, “Sorry, Sir .... They started to be very interested in magic since you explained it to us.”
“Not that Sister Nesta also wants to learn magic? No need to find excuses, I also like to share knowledge, kok.”
The 14-year-old girl gasped at Odo's words, as if she had looked into his head and understood him from the inside. Nesta simply smiled with a flushed face, unable to dodge the words. Daniel who was standing behind the girl smiled wryly, then said, “Tuh, listen. Don't be so pious, huh. If you want to be taught, just ask Do you not know how to ask for help?”
Nesta looked annoyed, wanting to catch Daniel but the boy ran away first. Not caring about the two of them, Firkaf who was seen always holding a book approached Odo and asked, “Master Odo, can you teach me about magic for forging?”
Nesta and Daniel were surprised, they were preceded by the usually slow and limp child. Feeling irritated, it began to growl behind Firkaf and made the twins who were holding both arms of Odo's clothes tremble in fear.
“Ahaha, you guys are very interesting, yes. Ramainya,” said Odo while smiling small. Staring at Firkaf, Odo answered the boy's request, “Sorry, my skills are just Alchemy magic, about forging I just understood the basics.”
“So ..., yes ...” Firkaf was slightly disappointed, lowering his face gloomily.
“But I have a fairly experienced blacksmith acquaintance, loh .... Do you want to learn from him?”
“Really?! What can?” Firkaf's face was radiant again, staring excitedly and lifting his book up high.
“Eng, I don't know. I guess depending on your attitude, I'll try to introduce you to him later.”
“Hmm! Thank you!” Hugging his book cheerfully, the boy who looked thinner and did not contain it stared happily.
Seeing Firkaf getting what he wanted, Daniel and Nesta stared enviously from behind the boy and clearly Odo felt it. Although they should have been more mature than Odo physically, they were both still very childish and did not hide their envy at all.
“Kak, teach us magic again, dong!” mila said as she pulled the left arm of Odo's clothes. Drawn to the other side by Erial, the boy also said, “I am too! Me too! Teach me!”
Odo just put on a resigned smile, he did not really like to interact with children even though he was adept at taking care of them. Looking at Daniel and Nesta who were also expecting something similar, the black-haired boy let out a light sigh.
“Alright, I'll teach you a few more things. Sit!”
The children's faces immediately shone with joy, they immediately sat across from Odo sitting. Nesta held Mila, while Daniel held Erial, only Firkaf sat without burden except for the book on metal materials he held.
Getting a strange look from Nanra who was still sitting next to him, Odo glanced at a glance and said, “Nanra, if you are, would you like to come?”
“Hmp! Whatever! I'll listen here.”
“Hah, shy cat this story?” odo's mind slightly turned his face away. But what was waiting for her to turn was Fiola's gaze that was always watching over the child's head, and of course the woman knew what she was thinking.
Gaining that intimidating look, Odo simply closed his mouth and looked back at Nesta and the others sitting across the table. Sighing lightly, he asked, “So where did you go in what I taught you earlier?”
Daniel raised his right hand quickly, then said, “Imagination! In magic it is indispensable! The clear picture of magic should be understandable and the shape should be clear before casting spells! If it is already mastered, magic can also be active without casting spells!” The red-eyed boy glanced arrogantly at Nesta, then grinned as if he was indeed competing with the girl.
“Hmm, you remember it exactly,” said Odo. Looking in the other direction, he asked, “Are you also understanding him to that level as well?”
“Iya!”
“Hmm!”
“Ya~!
“I-Iya ..”
Answer Nesta, Firkaf, Erial and Mila simultaneously. Listening to that, Odo brandished his right index finger and said, “Then, let's move on to the next hold. For now the material used to be no problem, ‘kan?”
“Ya .., that's up to you, Mr. Odo. We will follow what you teach,” said Nesta.
“Hmm, you taught us,” connect Firkaf.
“Yes, if I may actually want to practice .... Especially ..., the sword technique that Mr. Odo had ..” Daniel said.
Hearing that, Nesta and Firkaf glanced sharply at the child sitting between them, even Erial who was sitting on his lap and Mila who was sitting on Nesta's lap were staring intently at the boy who always looked cheerful without the burden.
“Such technique should only be learned by the Luke Family,” Fiola said. Giving a flat look to the red-eyed boy, he again said, “Although Mr. Odo wants to teach you, please do not be too big of a head ..”.
They all bowed their heads with guilt, the words made the children again realize the difference in degrees and re-understand the caste distance. In contrast to Daniel, Nesta, and Firkaf, the two twins pointed at Fiola and simultaneously said, “Garak~!” little boy
“Pffft!” Odo chuckled as Fiola was put on like that. Looking at the direction of Huli Jing, he said, “Don't worry like that, Miss Fiola. After all, the techniques I have are mostly just the basic techniques of the Luke family .... Madam Fiola knows I haven't been taught directly by dad, right?”
“But ... You master many techniques autodidacted, ‘kan?”
“Yes too, hell ...” Odo only smiled faintly, it was a real fact that he had mastered almost all of the basic sword techniques of the Luke Family and had even mastered other weapon techniques.
The words made the atmosphere turn a little awkward, indirectly Fiola's words again alluded to the incident where Nanra stabbed Odo in the dock. The children opposite Odo sat staring at Nanra with a slight annoyance, as if to think she was a bully and not to be expected.
Realizing that fully, Odo slightly put on a pity face and held the shoulder of the white-haired girl next to him. In a soft voice, he said, “Don't be so moody, everyone must have made a mistake.” Nanra only nodded when she heard those words, lowered her head and said nothing.
Glancing at Fiola, Odo understood that the woman was completely ignorant of the basic elements of the Luke Family sword technique. In the form of sword art, the Luke family has no official rules because basically the Luke Stream is just a kind of container of various art weapons on the mainland of Michigan.
The name Luke has several meanings. In addition to being close to the Spirit and mystical things, Luke also has the characteristics of adaptability and symbolism of the desire to develop and achieve something. Seeing that Fiola did not understand the philosophy of the family he served for long enough, Odo slightly sighed with a hint of regret because he did not care much about such things from the people closest to him.
Raising his hand from Nanra's shoulder and looking back at the other children, Odo said, “We continue the discussion, don't mind this midget girl's words,”
“Cebol~!”
“Ce~bol~!”
Mila and Erial pointed towards Fiola, then simultaneously again said, “Cebol!”
Fiola was really upset, not to the twins but to Odo. Staring at his master with annoyance, he only fell silent without being able to speak anything because he felt he would lose if he argued with him. Sighing slightly, he turned his face and puffed his cheeks like a squirrel whose mouth was full of grain.
“Hmm, then, let's talk about magic structure!” said Odo while pointing his index hand. Pointing towards Nesta, he asked, “Question, why in activating magic need magic structure?”
“It ..., because the magic structure serves as the Mana path in the body?” nesta said in disbelief with her own answer.
Slightly turning away, Odo said, “Hmm, more or less precisely. Is that what you guys learned from weekly school?”
“Ya ..”.
Looking at the scanning towards the children before him, it did not appear that anyone wanted to convey a different answer. From that Odo understood that the level of knowledge about their magic structure was fundamentally different and only to that extent, very different from what Odo understood.
“Then, I just add a little input,” said Odo. Staring at them casually and leaning against the chair, he said, “Magic structures do indeed serve as Mana paths, whether it be from Magic Core or the result of Ether processing supplied from outside. But fundamentally, the structure is just a medium. Do you guys know how to create magic structures?”
Nesta raised her hand faster than Daniel, then replied, “With a spell! Basically the spell served to form structures, but by using imagination to describe the structure, the spell could also be jumped on and magic could be instantly activated like the one Master had taught! We have tried it and it is quite effective!”
“Hmm, then, it is the same that magic structure is not required in the use of magic, dong.”
“Eh? True also ...” Nesta only realized the awkwardness, so did Daniel and Firkaf. They misunderstood the concept of magic structure, thinking that it was just a skeleton from magic.
“Daniel, Firkaf, if you guys? Do you know what the magic structure element of the magic use process is?” asked Odo with a little narrow-minded staring. Sitting upright, the black-haired boy waited for an answer.
“Sorry, don't know.”
“Eng, I also do not understand ...”
Their answers were not as expected. Turning to look towards the two twins, Odo asked, “If Mila and Erial, do you know?”
The twins only put on a confused face, although listening but that does not mean they follow the conversation. The two of them only liked to see Odo talking seriously and teaching the others.
Slightly taking a light breath, Odo said, “Unconsciously the magic structure has already formed in your heads. The use of magic, in simple terms it is the initial access to the Magic Core and is flowed through the magic structure on the body, then widen the magic structure out and activate the magic. That's the function of imagination, to facilitate dilation and there should be no chanting of mantras. In short, it is a Mana flow in the body.”
They nodded in understanding, only realizing the function. Feeling that there was something different to what he had learned, Nesta asked, “Means that in the human body there is already a magic structure from the beginning?”
“No, not from the beginning,” Odo correction. Smiling delighted to get such a question, he began to explain, “It originally formed by itself, from the information obtained through the book. Fundamentally, one could use magic after understanding one or two magic structures, then sharpen them continuously and then be able to use magic and Magic Core could be active. You can use magic after studying and reading books about the concept of magic, right?”
“True also ..., originally I couldn't even use magic,” Daniel said with his eyes slightly wide open, feeling something is connected in the head and what he does not understand begins to clear its shape. Staring at Odo with awe, the red-eyed child said, “After learning the concept and reading some magic structures, I just started to be able to manipulate Mana. Well, it took a long time, I think it's only been a year I can make a small fire.”
“Not that you can just make the palm temperature warm?” nesta tangent.
“Shut up! Don't be arrogant just because you've used healing magic!”
“Uhu~hu~”
“Hmm, more or less like that,” said Odo. Looking towards Firkaf, he asked, “If you, anyway?”
“I ... just new manipulate small fire. After using the method that Mr. Odo taught me about imagination, I was able to make a small blue flame,” replied Firkaf.
Hearing the answer, Nesta and Daniel felt overtaken by the slow-looking child. They were both wide-eyed, completely underestimating their rivals in the field of magic learning.
“Hmm, that's a sign you're still in the early stages and your Magic Core is still undeveloped.” Odo smiled lightly, understanding that their magic level was still very basic and the Magic Core had not been developed at all.
“Master, how do we make our magic quickly develop?” ask Firkaf.
“Practice, that's all I can suggest,” replied Odo. Pointing towards Firkaf, he asserted, “You must increase knowledge, explore the part you want to work on and continue to hone it. There are no shortcuts in practicing magic, even if there is a life bet and I do not recommend it...”
The three of them put on a gloomy face, the confidence started to drop because they consciously did not have the right to continue learning that kind of thing continuously. In the category of the rule of the Kingdom of Felixia for orphans like them, at least when they are over seventeen they must enter military school and become cadets who at least follow the two-year training period. It was conscription that did not look at women or men, even though there was no war the rules still apply to children who do not have a family.
After graduating from military school they had to undergo military service for three years, then they were given the freedom to get the rights as all citizens of the Kingdom of Felixia. In such cases, most boys who enter the military prefer to settle down and for women enter the puritanical realm. It is rare for orphaned children to pursue their ideals after completing their military service, their opportunities and time are very little to pursue their dreams.
“Do not put on such a face .... I know there's a conscription that will take you a few years to serve the country, but don't you guys still have time from now on? I'll tell you some of the methods ..., but if your learning is looking for itself.”
Hearing that, their faces slightly returned cheerful and stared with great pleasure. Simultaneously, the three of them replied, “Ya!” Mila and Erial were delighted that the brothers were cheerful again, smiling widely and looking at Odo with happy faces.
Odo felt a little relieved to see such an expression. Slightly squinting, at a glance he felt like preventing them from being conscripted. But because it is very difficult to avoid such a thing for children who do not have a strong background to avoid them from it, it is very difficult to avoid it, Odo could only take a deep breath and try to focus on the topic.
“Alright, I explain,” said the boy cheerfully. Putting both palms onto the wooden table, he explained, “First is a cultivation oriented towards the Magic Core. By increasing the quality of the Magic Core and the quantity of Mana that can be produced, it can directly increase your magic.”
Getting up from the seat and getting up on the chair, the boy leaned over the table and began to drain the Mana on the right index end to draw something on the surface of the wooden table. Odo drew illustrations of people in simple form with the Rune writing technique, then made Core inscribed in the middle of illustrations of people on the table.
“This method is most often used by most people who want to master Magic and Martial Techniques,” explains Odo. “In cultivation, it is usually done by meditating regularly to exalt magic. By inputting and dispensing Mana on a regular basis, it can increase the magic circuit resistance and energy recovery within the Magic Core, the,” he continued while again drawing a simple illustration of Mana in the Magic Core through the magic circuit.
Nesta and the others looked enthusiastically, even Nanra got up from the seat and observed Odo's explanation with a glowing picture illustration on the table. The moment they finished comprehending it, the black hairdresser kicked the table and made all the images float into the air and disappear.
Returning to the chair, Odo said, “The second way is to absorb the vitality from Magic Crystals.” The boy took the magic crystal from the pocket of the trousers he had actually taken from the storage dimension on the bracelet, then placed it onto the table. Fiola was surprised to see Odo take out the Best Quality Crystals that cost so much that, staring anxiously and hoping that Odo would store them immediately.
Odo lifted the crystal, then grasped it tightly and instantly absorbed the energy from the crystal until it turned pale and shattered into ashes. Fiola gaped as the boy used the super precious crystal instead it was consumed quickly like that, out of words and beginning to understand why the boy could have such unnatural magic pressure at his young age.
Not caring about Fiola's expression, Odo again explained, “This way is indeed faster than cultivation that tends to have to be diligent, done, but the cost is very much because as you know magic crystals are very expensive .... Moreover, it could damage the magic circuit if not interspersed with meditation. Well, maybe this is cruel, but this option can't you guys get.”
The children did not bother about it, they were indeed from the beginning as if they did not hope in such a way and had been fixated on the way that Odo explained the earliest. Smiling lightly at their expressions, the black hairdo continued his explanation, “The last way is to make a variation in the structure.”
“Variation?” nesta asked confusedly, that word was quite foreign to him and the other children.
“Hmm, in the manufacture of magic structures there are various ways,” replied Odo. Pointing his right forefinger at chest level, he smiled lightly and said, “For example, this kingdom of ours tends to make magic structures with casting spells, the empire tends to use hand seals, the, while the Ungea Kingdom tends to use the Magic Coat of Arms that are passed down by generations.”
Gaining new insights, their faces were radiant. Nanra who was not interested in getting carried away and enjoying the learning. In their knowledge, the magic structure studied is only the magic structure of the spell that is indeed the hallmark of the Kingdom of Felixia which is known to be close to the spirits and mystical creatures.
Not done with that, Odo again said, “In addition to the three methods, there are also ways to use mediums such as magic tools or artifacts. But that doesn't mean magic users become powerful, it's just because of the things they use.”
“But said Mbak Siska .. The magic tool was very helpful when using magic. The magic user is very close to the tool, therefore most magicians who are already reliable even use a stick,” said Nesta.
“Well, basically the magic tool reduces the load of the structure on the body,” said Odo. Not refuting the fact, he said, “When magic users activate magic, directly the flow of Mana in the body will increase and tend to cause a load on the body. If excessive blood vessels can rupture, even resulting in death. For that reason magic tools exist.” Before the children again asked, Odo added, “Not all Magic Core and magic structure is balanced resistance in the body, even the case when the second is balanced is very rare. Witch Wand is a tool to balance it.”
Nesta and the others stared at Odo's astonishment. If it was true that what he said was indeed like that, they wondered why the black-haired child could freely use magic without having a cane to balance the two things in the magic. Understanding what they felt and saw from the expression, Odo explained, “I don't need a stick. As long as you know, my own body has become a medium or can also be a catalyst in magic. My body is already like a magic tool on its own, with the core here.” Odo pointed at his own forehead, saying that what they called a magic structure was stored in the boy's head.
“We leave that aside, let's discuss something else,” said Odo casually without regard to the astonished reaction of the children before him.
After that, until Siska finished cleaning up in the kitchen, they continued their learning and discussion of magic. In addition to the magic structures for their comprehension, Odo also taught the most basic meditation method that could be done without the help of magic crystals to speed up the enhancement of the Magic Core.
The meditation method is the Way of Beginner, an effective meditation but rarely used by magicians because it is quite enough to eat the calories of the body and make the user of this method tend not to be fat. The concept is almost the same as yoga, clearing the mind and utilizing calmness and breathing. Although slow, the method only needs to be done once a day on a regular basis and by itself the Magic Core will develop. The advantages of the method are only one, the portion of the exercise can be arranged by itself gradually and unlike other meditations that have certain limitations in training.