Viren POV
The lessons with Margaret were extremely productive. I finally understood the parts of wind magic theory that had confused me while reading the books. With those gaps filled, I could finally begin creating my own spell.
After three hours sitting at my desk, there were hardly any visible results. That was expected. A 2★ spell was not something that could be created in a single evening.
I decided to clear my head and headed for the training hall.
On the way, I ran into Lucian Veilmore.
In the original story, he pursued Eleris largely for political reasons. If I remembered correctly, he was the Second Prince, while the First Prince was both more talented and more favored. Without external support, Lucian's chances of inheriting the throne were slim.
In the original plot, his role ended after serving as a stepping stone to showcase Adam's strength.
But the story had already diverged from its original course.
The question was: what could I still trust?
Would Lucian remain a minor antagonist, or would he become something far more significant?
As we approached each other, I noticed the expression on his face.
Open hostility.
I simply ignored him.
He wasn't the type to act against me openly.
As expected, no challenge or confrontation occurred.
When I entered the training hall, surprisingly, none of my usual acquaintances were present.
So I focused entirely on training.
First came strength exercises, then sword practice.
After two and a half exhausting hours, I was completely drained.
I returned to my room.
After washing, eating, and resting for half an hour, I sat down once more to work on the spell.
The formula was only about three percent complete.
The further I progressed, the more complicated it became.
Without achieving anything substantial, I eventually went to bed feeling frustrated.
The next day, after classes, I decided to reinforce my understanding of second-rank theory.
My foundation was still lacking.
So I headed directly to the library.
After four hours of exhausting study, I finally understood several concepts that had been missing from my formula.
When I returned to my room and reviewed my work, I froze.
Damn it.
I'd been building the formula incorrectly from the very beginning.
The entire previous day had been wasted.
With a sigh, I started rebuilding everything from scratch.
I became so absorbed in the process that I didn't notice the time until it was well past two in the morning.
Surprisingly, progress was much faster this time.
Ten percent complete.
The difficulty would only increase exponentially from here, but I couldn't afford to slow down.
Soon, I would have the opportunity to obtain Erital.
It was far too valuable to lose.
And to secure it, I needed far more strength than I currently possessed.
I couldn't rely on knowledge of the future.
That knowledge had already proven unreliable.
The only thing I could truly trust was my own power.
With those thoughts, I drifted to sleep.
By Wednesday, I had reached a dead end at thirteen percent completion.
The initial progress had been fast, but now every improvement required significantly more effort.
It wasn't enough.
So on Thursday, I decided to ask Margaret for help.
"Good afternoon, Professor."
I greeted her respectfully.
After all, much of my recent progress was thanks to her guidance.
"Hello, Viren."
"Professor, as you know, I'm a spellsword. Unlike battle mages, I focus primarily on swordsmanship and only secondarily on magic. Because of that, I've been developing a spell that would provide the greatest possible benefit to my combat style. However, I've reached a bottleneck."
"Tell me about the spell and show me your current formula."
I briefly explained the concept and handed over my notes.
Then I waited.
Margaret examined the formula carefully.
"Interesting."
She paused.
"This spell is quite ambitious. If you succeed, it will significantly increase your combat effectiveness."
She pointed at a section of the formula.
"However, the second half is flawed."
She made several corrections and explained the reasoning behind each one.
As I listened, I finally understood just how difficult it was to create an original spell.
I hadn't even begun practical testing yet, and I'd already encountered countless problems.
Still, that final lesson was incredibly valuable.
More importantly, I now understood the direction my research needed to take.
Two weeks later, I finally completed the first working version.
It still had numerous flaws.
But it worked.
And it achieved exactly what I had intended.
**Sylph's Blessing 2★**
Type: Movement Enhancement
The spell surrounds the caster with a flowing layer of wind, significantly increasing movement speed.
The spell must be continuously maintained after activation. While maintaining it, the caster cannot use other spells.
Cast Time: 3 seconds
Mana Cost: 20% upon activation
Maintenance Cost: 3% mana per second
I stared at the completed formula.
After all that work, it still felt unfinished.
The speed increase could be higher.
The mana consumption could be lower.
Even the casting speed was still too slow.
Not disastrously slow, but enough to be a problem.
Still, there was no time for further refinement.
In one week, I was supposed to obtain Erital.
But before that, I needed to complete a promotion mission.
Without a rank advancement, the academy wouldn't allow me to accept higher-ranked assignments.
Fortunately, today was Thursday.
That gave me enough time to familiarize myself with my new spell.
After all, if my concentration slipped for even a moment, the spell would dissipate immediately.
------
So, I have a question again. Should I introduce the light element to the Virena? Previously, according to my plans, this would have happened soon, but now it seems a bit unnecessary.
1. Yes, of course, let it be imbalanced.
2. No.
3. Later.