The Goddess' Champion

Chapter 7 Magus, The First Step I

"In order to become a magus, several conditions are necessary… first off you must have an especial racial trait… it is a magic core... its composition is based on the race which an individual belongs to, each race is different… you are now a human and elf-hybrid, moreover you have my blessing…" Those last words were said proudly.

They sat on the edge of the river, still wet but with serious expressions, so long as he didn't lower his gaze, Constantine was positive he could remain 'serious'.

Aurelianne took a branch from a tree and started to draw on the ground, said grass seemingly evaded her directions, acknowledging her intentions.

"Demons have control over dark magic and eccentric types such as necromancy in odd cases, they're dark beings filled with greed, desires and delusions of power…" She defined them with disgust permeating in her voice as if she couldn't stand merely talking about them.

"Hmnn…" He nodded, not sharing that degree of disgust, but similarly believing that such as the myths back in his world, demons were to keep away from.

He had to tilt her head when she drew something… it was like a circle with two sticks on top, she was a good cook but a horrendous drawer, and still, he didn't dare demoralise her efforts.

"We elves are the opposite, we represent life itself and the natural order of the growth of all things... their magic is light and some of them might even have obtained by blessing through the passage of generations, allowing them to use flora magic."

This time… she drew a single stick with four more producing, obviously representing the legs and hands, however… there was something more.

She drew two big circles on the chest area.

"Eh?" His head tilted further in confusion at that drawing, those are...

"Also, most of them are looked down upon by the other races… for their bodily traits only several elves have managed to get acknowledgement despite the fact that they're one of the most powerful races, and also, that is also one of the reasons why they don't worship me even now…" She pouts in irritation and even destroyed the drawing much to his bewilderment.

'There is something I'm not getting…'

She continued, not allowing him to delve further into this matter.

"The were-beasts used to be the weakest most looked-down race, they don't have any long-range magic naturally like humans, elves and demons do, even other races… their magic is berserk magic, a form that enhances their physique, sadly, not many manage to enhance it to the extent where they can defend against powerful magic spells." This time she tapped the branch against her lips several times.

He waited and in the end as if surrendering, she drew a maw with sharp teeth.

'Easy enough' A chuckle left his lips.

"There are other creatures, each of them with their own traits, you only need to know that magic is a miracle and not all of the living beings of Sandoria possess it, in fact, out of a million elves, perhaps only ten thousand are capable of using light magic, the same can be said for the were-beasts and creatures.... only humans are different in this regard."

"Do you know an example of another creature that I should be wary about?"

"Wild creatures, they're not usually smart enough to talk and communicate, but some of them -lucky enough to develop a magic core- possess magic… there are some that have reached a greater intelligence after stepping up the magus ladder, obtaining bodies… some others… they might have been hybrids between beasts and other races."

"Ew…" He could already imagine how that came to be, his face portrayed disgust and so did hers.

"Yes, you will eventually come to understand that in Sandoria, power rules… more than love, more than anything else, the inhabitants want power, that's why I need you… as a goddess, the universe prohibits me from openly interfering with the lower realm more than to just do my 'job'... and sometimes create an avatar, but nothing else... my body can't be there for long before I'm punished…"

"Then how could Lucius perish back then?"

"He tricked the universe... his divinity allowed him to permanently stay like an avatar as for his goddess wives, one lived in the moon, the other in the depts of the ocean, most of the time sleeping... only I remained in my realm... demons and the other races took advantage of this to finish him off, a foolish god he was."

Her gaze contorted slightly for some reason, he didn't question her.

"You didn't tell me about humans."

"Humans are the most pitiful creatures… originally the strongest race… their magic core developed further than the rest due to the blessing of the land. Millions of years ago, perhaps even before my existence began to form, the one and only god of the land sacrificed the human's lifespan in order to give them power and create an equilibrium, although this is a mere myth to explain their origin... in exchange from lowering the human's lifespan considerably, humans gained the capacity to wield the magic of the elements… the rates of the magus in humans are way lower than in other races, but… they're highly requested."

"How much would the rate be?"

"It is complicated, the human race currently suffers a major illness, a consequence of the fall of Lucius, their lifespan is even shorter now... most magus is preserved like treasures in secluded places and taught as if royalty, you could say for every hundred thousand humans, only ten will have magic cores that allow them to use the magic of the elements."

She ran some numbers in her head and came up with that number.

"Magic of the Elements…"

"Yes, it can only be wielded by humans or… semi-humans with a weaker output, in exchange, a human's lifespan will never go over a hundred years, whereas the other races could easily live past seven centuries." She said and carried on from there.

"They can wield fire, wind, earth and water… as a human and elf due to my blessing, you should be able to use fire, water, wind, earth, light and flora."

"Aren't earth and flora the same?"

"No no, earth magic is to control the soil… like this." She raised yo her hand and a cusp of soil were taken out of the ground, transforming into several shapes and even, taking the form of minerals and metal easily.

"This is ground, it is the soil, using this magic will allow you to have a stronger defence, but today, we will be doing water magic... it will be the easiest one for you to understand as someone who is new with magic."

She did everything lovingly.

"But aren't you an elf, how can you control earth?" He pointed, curious as always.

Since his race was transformed to half human half elf -whatever that meant- she must be the same… so far he hasn't regarded himself in a mirror enough to see that his traits had changed as well.

"That's because this is my realm~ here I'm Queen and control all aspects of it, outside of here, however, I can only use light and flora… together with life which is my divinity." She explained, moving all elements to her will, even darkness…

The day became the night and then switched back into the day, everything with a wave of her hand.

Once again he was surprised, her magic is majestic.

"Now that you are my champion, this realm belongs to you as well, with enough practice you will be able to do this too and once you become a demigod your soul will completely fuse with it after having obtained true divinity… by then, you and I…"

"Me and you?" He smiled.

"We will be inseparable…" She giggled, lacing her hands with his.

Before things got farther she coughed slightly.

"So, let's begin your training… after obtaining my blessing, you should have a magic core." She deduced, but nothing could prepare her for his next words.

"I think I have four, in fact…"

"…ah?"

"Yes, I recall when you kissed me and transformed me, this Zebellia said that I had obtained four ether rank mana cores." He said simply, just recalling and not really understanding the underlying meaning of what an ether core was, but... she did.

"Four ether ranks!?"

"Is that bad…?" He wondered, thinking that her reaction was due to a detriment.

"It is… not… but it is not good either." She said with complication, regarding him with new eyes, eventually, she released a sigh, thinking that this is for the best.

"Why?"

"Let's see, a Mana core is like a part of your body that works passively, it is active without your intervention obtaining Mana from the environment and storing it for your usage, the magic is output by your mana conducts… they should be the same rank your core is… as for what the ether she said means, I'll explain to you later, for now, you only need to know that having four mana cores is going to make it more difficult for you to rank up in the Magus ladder once you're strong enough, but it will also result in an immensely huge advantage… the ones with two or more mana cores, are often gods… I myself only have two."

She explained in a detailed manner.

"What ranks?"

"To be stronger within this path you naturally have to step up the ladder… there are several ranks that denote your level of prowess: Nascent Magus, Soul Magus, Grand Magus, Adept Magus… those are the ranks a mortal creature can reach, there are five stages in between each of them, each immensely difficult to tackle, and for you, it will be more difficult, my champion... having four cores will make it more difficult for you"

"..."

"But don't be discouraged." She smiled and embraced him happily.

"Once you're a magus, in the same realm with four ether cores, you will be unmatched, as expected of my champion!~"