In that case, I should be able to come up with all the spells I want as long as I have the mana capacity to cast them.
My heart was racing with excitement, but before I could get too carried away, I realized that I didn’t know how much mana would be required for specialized magic.
It might be nice to come up with a spell or tool that measures someone’s mana.
“Finally, we’ll discuss the imparting of specialized magic to others. By passing down the details needed to cast a specialized spell, it will be relatively easier for the learner to cast it.”
“Huh?”
I’d unintentionally let out quite the pathetic sound. I trusted Sandra’s knowledge, so her explanation was likely correct, but the term “impart” felt a bit too strong to describe the scenario she had detailed.
In other words, anyone can cast a spell I’ve made up if I tell them how.
Sandra seemed to pick up on what I was thinking, and she resumed her lecture. “Of course, imparting spells isn’t a foolproof method,” she explained. “The person doing so must have a substantial mana capacity, and so must the learner. Even if the spell has been shared correctly, if the learner doesn’t have enough mana, they won’t be able to cast it. Also, only the creator of a spell can impart it to others.”
“So, if I were to create a spell, I could impart it onto you,” I said. “However, you wouldn’t be able to impart that spell to anyone else?”
“That’s exactly right,” Sandra replied. “For example, the spell I cast on you during our first lesson was something that I created, so I could impart it to you.”
I see. I wonder if it’s only specialized magic that can be shared with others. I feel like attack spells should work, so long as the learner has the appropriate elemental potential.
“I should mention that when it comes to the scope of specialized magic that can be created, we don’t know the limits of what is possible,” Sandra explained. “Since the limits are unknown, creating specialized magic is a process of using mana to test whether a spell is possible. Is that clear so far?”
Sandra seemed to get to a stopping point in her lecture, and she pushed her glasses up while wearing a smirk.
“I have a question!” I said, shooting my arm into the air.
“Go ahead, Sir Reid,” she said in an amused tone.
“I understand how to impart specialized magic to others. Your explanation suggests that elemental magic can also be imparted. Is that correct?”
“Good catch, Sir Reid,” Sandra said. “That’s correct—elemental magic can also be imparted to others. However, the learner must have an appropriate amount of mana in order to cast the spell. That means that they must have gone through proper training. Also, imparting a spell uses an exorbitant amount of mana each time, so it isn’t a very effective method to learn magic. If I were to impart specialized magic to you right now, I would probably be so exhausted that I’d have to be on bed rest for the remainder of the day.”
Sandra never seemed to break a sweat, no matter how many spells she cast. For her to be completely drained after imparting a spell meant that rather than the imparter needing a large mana capacity, it would perhaps be more correct to say that imparting a spell used up all of one’s remaining mana.
“That brings us to the end of my explanation of specialized magic. Do you have any other questions?”
I began going over the explanation in my mind once more, and Sandra seemed incredibly pleased to see that. She had mentioned before that it was rare for someone to be as passionate about magic as I was, so she looked after me as if I were an apprentice of hers, in a lot of ways.
“No, I’m all right. Thank you very much,” I said, bowing my head to her.
“A noble’s son shouldn’t bow his head so thoughtlessly,” Sandra warned me, but on her face was a beaming smile.
“Professor Sandra, I’d like to change the subject,” I said. I was cleaning up the materials we’d used for the lesson, and I’d decided to just jump right into the next topic on my mind. “How is the development of the mana potion going?”
I’d handed off the moonflowers to her several days ago, and Sandra had requested that I prepare a research lab. She’d also said that until the lab was ready, she would do what was possible with her current means.
“I’ve done what research I can,” she replied. “I was able to confirm that the moonflowers do indeed have mana-restoring properties. The next step is to figure out how to extract the restorative component of the herbs, and how that can be concentrated. Those will be difficult without the proper facilities and tools.”
“I understand. By the way, what is the final form of the potion going to be? Will it be a standard liquid, or will it instead be powdered or in a capsule?”
I’m assuming it’ll either be like a nutritional drink or some kind of capsule supplement.
I’d tried eating the raw moonflower once, and it had made me feel as if some of my mana had been replenished. However, the flavor was intensely acrid and gave me the feeling that I was eating pure grass, so I never wanted to eat it raw again. Because of that experience, I personally wanted to avoid the standard liquid potion and have it in a different form.
Sandra gasped as if she’d just realized something and said, “I’d completely overlooked that... In order to suppress Lady Nanalie’s symptoms, it may be best to make capsules or a powdered medicine over a potion. I apologize. I’d only been thinking about what processing methods might produce the most effective medicine.”
Sandra apologetically bowed her head, which made me flustered.
“I-I didn’t mean to criticize your process at all. There’s no need to apologize. Please, raise your head.”
Upon hearing my words, a roaring fire of motivation began burning in Sandra’s eyes.
“Thank you very much!!! I’m going to start working on a prototype drug right away!!! I’m going to head home immediately and start my research!!!”
After enthusiastically announcing her plans, Sandra briskly ran off.
“What?! What about the rest of our lesson?!” I called out to her back.
“I’m sorry!!! Please keep studying on your own!!!” she yelled, her voice growing more distant.
Studying...on my own? Oh, also, isn’t the way her voice sounds an example of the doppler effect?
That was the thought in my mind as I watched Sandra disappear into the distance.