A little girl had patted him on the head. Loux Krystas was in reality ancient beyond human reckoning, so perhaps it was fair to say that it was more like receiving the affection of a nice old lady, but since she looked like a little girl, it still made him feel weird.
“Now then.” With a flick of her finger, Loux Krystas drew what looked like a border across the map just south of the Kingdom of Wenias. “Down to roughly this point, the people enjoy the benefit of having in their midst mages who keep the threat of the northern beasts at bay. Many of them consequently view witches kindly. In sum─”
“The further south you go, the less people benefit from the presence of witches, and the more their opposition intensifies…?”
“Verily. Humans are exceedingly simple creatures. They accept whatever serves their needs, yet focus on naught but the danger associated with what does not. Granted,” she added, “it was a witch who brought this calamity upon the world, and pockets of anti-witch sentiment do also fester within the Kingdom of Wenias. What’s more, one imagines those unfortunate souls who hail from the ravaged North harbor complicated feelings on the subject.”
“Complicated feelings?”
“And why not?” Loux Krystas cocked her head quizzically. “’Twas a witch who laid waste to half the continent, yet witches also were those who vanquished her and saved the people from her reign of terror. ‘Witches’ earned the hatred of humans, but also their gratitude. As a result, people have come to realize that what falls under the overwhelmingly broad term of ‘witch’ cannot be so simply defined. This prevents them from fully subscribing to either the conciliation or suppressionist movement. There are good witches in the world. But there are also evil witches, ’tis as simple as that.” A wry grin that seemed out of keeping with the witch’s youthful appearance crossed her lips. “Nevertheless, in sorting out who is evil and who is righteous, ’tis a much neater and less taxing affair to tar all ‘witches’ with the same brush. Should the anti-witch faction succeed in readying a decisive blow against magic, war is a very real possibility. They are no doubt even now endeavoring to engineer the downfall of magic, much as the Church did five centuries ago. As history shows time and again, it is conflict above all else that spurs the advancement of technology.”
With another flick of her finger, Loux Krystas set the map wriggling again. Countless human figures rose to its surface, and war erupted across the land. Mages unleashed spells from the North, while great cannons spurted flame in the South.
A tired sigh escaped Headmaster Albus as she gently tilted her head back. “Thank you, Loux Krystas. What a great relief to confirm my suspicion that there isn’t a single ray of positive light to be found in this bleak picture.” She turned to Saybil. “What do you think? A lot worse than you’d imagined, I’ll bet?”
“Y-Yes, ma’am.”
“But not hopeless. No matter how deep the roots of this conflict run, people are surprisingly simple. And, just as Loux Krystas pointed out, they’ll accept magic in their lives as long as they decide they can benefit from it. So if we can just get more people in the South thinking that magic is convenient, that not all witches are bad─” Here the headmaster grinned. “It might take time, but don’t you think their antagonism would soften of its own accord?”
Saybil blinked. If witch persecution intensified the further south you went because the people there no longer benefited from magic, it made sense to assume that their opposition would wane if they started seeing those benefits too.
“Fear is rooted in ignorance. So all we need to do is make magic familiar, expose people to it so they can’t help but grow accustomed to it. We just need to make magic a part of everyday life.”
“But how?”
“With this special field training program.”
Suddenly, they had circled back to the beginning. Headmaster Albus ploughed ahead, leaving no room for the dazed Saybil’s attention to wander.
“To tell the truth, Saybil, I enlisted the help of several witches to establish a nice, visible outpost in the South before we even opened the Academy.”
“You mean like…a fortune-teller’s shop? One of my textbooks said that five hundred years ago, back before the Church and the witches went to war, you could find them in towns sometimes.”
“Something a little grander than that. What I created was a ‘village with witches,’ a community where witches are an accepted part of everyday life and can go about their business freely. A village where witches are treated as ordinary people.”
I had no idea. None of the teachers ever said a thing about Headmaster Albus founding a village like that.
“I’d like you, as a participant in this special program, to spend some time in that village.”
“Huh?”
“And, over the course of a few years, I want to see you accomplish something as a mage─it can be anything you choose.”
Saybil stared at Albus for a few moments. “…So, am I being…expelled…?”
“Not exactly. But I don’t see you improving if you remain here at the Academy. That’s why I want to send you to a new environment, so you can mature as a mage.”
“But, what am I supposed to accomplish…?”
“The sky’s the limit. For example, you could use your magic to get the village’s agriculture on the right track, or become a healer and reduce the mortality rate. The only stipulation is that you have to serve the village in some way, and compile the results in a report.”
“A report, huh…”
Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure they taught us how to write reports in class:
1. Establish your goals.
2. Present your proposed methods and conditions.
3. Explain your results.
4. Discuss areas for improvement.
Write that all out, then hand it in to the instructor.
“Mage” was an occupation that hadn’t existed for very long. More study was still needed to see what kind of effect mages would have on the world, what they would actually do─at least, so Saybil’s professors had said. That was why every Wenisian mage had to write reports on their activities and submit them to the Society of Mages.
Maybe this training program is a part of that whole process?
“But, don’t they hunt witches in the South…? Won’t the Church faithful attack the village…?”
“No need to worry on that front. I’ve enlisted the help of a witch with the power to destroy the entire world if she felt like it.” Headmaster Albus grinned playfully. Saybil caught his breath. She talked about the end of the world with a smile on her face, but he could tell she wasn’t joking.
Just then, Holdem brought Loux Krystas her tea. The pleasant fragrance of the leaves wafted through the room, and Saybil went to take a sip from his now slightly cooled cup as well. It was refreshing, with a gentle sweetness to it, a flavor that relaxed body and mind. The young mage could hardly believe it had been prepared by the hands of this fearsome beastfallen.
“So…what happens after I submit my report?”
“If we approve the work you’ve done in the village, you’ll be able to graduate as a bonafide mage. That said, graduating from the Academy is just the first step. It’ll probably take you a much longer time to fully master the art of magic…”
“Aha! So if I’m not mistaken, this is what thy proposal amounts to,” Loux Krystas interjected through a mouthful of sweets, as she reached for her tea.
I wouldn’t have guessed anyone could speak that clearly with their mouth stuffed so full, thought Saybil, his admiration going perhaps somewhat astray.
“Students who achieve grades satisfactory for graduation are enlisted directly into maintaining the kingdom’s peace or some such task, while those who cannot achieve passing marks are whisked away to a remote corner of the land to continue their studies whilst laying the groundwork for the expansion of thine influence─correct?”
“Well, yes, in a word, but…you don’t have to put it quite so bluntly…”
“Brilliant! I have a great love of efficiency. Very well! I hereby agree to lead thy students on the treacherous journey to the village!”