Episode 22.6-7

"Now then, what is magic? Magic is a phenomenon that gets brought upon this world by emitting mana inside your body through a certain process and controlling the way that mana is emitted."

Dorost paused there and let her words sink into the participants.

"You can produce fire even without using magic. However, should you control your magic well, you can grant unbelievable force and explosive power to a fire, far beyond what's possible without magic. The more extraordinary a phenomenon by magic is, the truer of a magic it is, magic which is a Grace gods bestowed upon humans."

Dorost wrote some words on a big wooden board using a charcoal.

Offensive magic

Defensive magic

Recovery magic

Probe magic

Support magic

"These are classifications of magic. Ah, is there anyone here who can't read? Be honest. Magic talent does not discriminate against your ability to read."

Three people raised their hands.

"Good. Then this lecture will put those who cannot read into consideration from now on. These words I just wrote from top to bottom are, offensive magic, defensive magic, recovery magic, probe magic and support magic. All magics are classified into one of these."

These magic classifications came as a huge confusion to Lecan. The classifications Shira taught Lecan were Body type, Mind type, Perception type, Creation type, Space type, Light and Heat type, Special type and Sacred type.

"This order also signifies the hierarchy in magic. Offensive magic is the most superlative magic, while support magic is the most inferior magic, with few magic-like qualities to it."

Lecan never heard about hierarchy in magic.

"However, even though there are un-magic-like spells among support magic like igniting fire, producing lights, things that can be done with other means, it also contains very magic-like spells like making an object in front of you invisible. Hierarchy by classifications is merely for convenience's sake."

Dorost wrote more words on the lower part of the wooden board.

Dungeons

Grace Items

"It is possible to move between floors in a dungeon by reciting a spell. Those who know the move spell, raise your hands."

About half of the adventurers raised their hands.

"In dungeons, even those who do not possess mana can move between floors by reciting a spell. In addition, some Grace Items dropped in dungeons allow those without mana to produce magic-like phenomena by reciting spells."

Dorost draw a horizontal line on top of the words <Dungeons> and <Grace Items> on the board.

"These phenomena are not defined in the magic classification detailed earlier. As such, they are not called magic even though they produce magic-like phenomena, we call the spells recited to induce those phenomena as non-magic spells."

She erased the <Dungeons> and <Grace Items> words with a dust cloth.

"We won't cover non-magic spells in today's lecture. Please bear that in mind. Well then, next we shall take a closer look on offensive magic."

This time she wrote words under <Offensive Magic>.

Light type

Flame type

Thunder type

Water type

Ice type

Earth type

Darkness type

"Offensive magic is classified into seven types, they are Light, Flame, Thunder, Water, Ice, Earth and Darkness types."

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Dorost continued her lecture. Lecan had never heard this magic classification system before. Some of the magic names are the same as the ones Shira wrote down for him before, while some are absent. He hazarded a guess as to what kind of magic they were as he listened to Dorost's lecture.

According to Dorost, this country, Zaka Kingdom is a magic great power. And the existence of magic and mages is the biggest factor that affords this country amass and maintain its vast territory.

Offensive magic is the greatest magic there is, and light magic which is capable of defeating incorporeal beings, phantom beasts, impervious to swords and spears is placed on the highest order of offensive magic.

Causing sleep, confusion or paralyze are put low in the hierarchy of offensive magic as those can be done without magic.

Lecan couldn't disagree more with how this hierarchy is made.

He had experienced first hand just how effective <Sleep> was at Dungeon Ninae. <Confusion> and <Paralyze> are also capable of demonstrating frightening effects in battle.

In contrast to that, <Flash> which is put as the highest order of offensive magic by Dorost's classification system may be effective against Soul Ogres and Specters, but it's only good as a temporary blind against humans and magic beasts.

Additionally, this classification makes learning magic complicated in practice.

Since Shira's method puts mana quality into consideration, once you know you can cast a spell in a particular type, you know you can cast all other spells classified in that same type, exceptions being Special type, and also <Lamplight> and <Ignition> which can be cast by anyone with mana.

Yet with Dorost's system, your aptitude isn't defined along with the magic type, making it harder to know which magic you can actually learn.

It seems to be an extremely theoretical and formal system of classification, and the forced hierarchal is pretty pointless.

That said, <Water Blade> of <Offensive Water Magic> and <Ice Bullet> of <Offensive Ice Magic> Dorost mentioned during her lecture were new to Lecan, and hearing how, 'Some magic beasts are highly resistant to magic, some grace items are capable of blocking magic attacks, offensive water and ice magics are effective against those kinds', greatly caught his interest.

Lecan was very eager to learn those magics.