chsdbacks Chapter 25: May I know your name?
Chapter 25: May I know your name?
'This wooden staff is indeed a magical artifact...'
Moen wasn't surprised to see Gerald pick up his wand; wands were a fairly common type of magical artifact.
Eslandon's magic can be divided into two main categories: holding magic and ability magic.
To put it simply, magic that is possessed is magic that can only be used by combining one's own magic power with magical items; it is magic that must rely on magical items to be used.
"I can use hypnotic magic; no monster can harm us."
Gerald spoke, and as his words fell, his wand shone brightly as he unleashed his strongest magic.
"Kirigen Naraku!"
A faint magical light flickered, and Wendy was the first to collapse to the ground. Kids are so healthy; they fall asleep as soon as they lie down.
Moen's eyelids began to droop, and his consciousness gradually sank. This was unconscious; he was not aware of what was happening at all. He just wanted to sleep, to sleep without a care in the world.
"Buzz!"
In the starry sky, the constellation Equuleus twinkles.
Moen suddenly opened his eyes, his magic surging wildly, and specks of starlight seemed to fall from the sky, clinging to his body and helping him break free from the hypnotic spell.
"Wow...that's amazing!"
Seeing that Moen was unaffected and remained conscious, Gerald was shocked. This was the first time he had encountered someone who was unaffected by his hypnotic magic.
His "Mist Illusion Naraku" is extremely powerful; it can bring down anyone he wants, which is also his reliance as he travels alone in another world.
"You idiot! Don't use magic on people like that!"
Moen snapped out of his daze and gritted his teeth as he rebuked Geral. He was still shaken; the feeling of being unable to control his body and mind, and the urge to just collapse and fall asleep, was terrifying.
Fortunately, he was determined and realized something was wrong before he actually fell asleep. He felt a strong sense of crisis, which made him frantically activate the magic source in his body. He successfully broke through the feeling of ignorance and broke the hypnotic spell.
"Sorry! I meant no harm, I just wanted to demonstrate my abilities..."
Shocked, Gerald quickly dispelled the hypnotic spell and sincerely apologized to Moen. He explained that his "Mist Illusion Naraku" was not very harmful and could even induce a comfortable deep sleep, which was why he had used it rashly.
Moen shook his head, calming the magic within him. He seemed to have connected to the Equuleus constellation again, albeit only for a moment, but it helped him break free from the hypnotic state. Now, when he tried to recall that feeling, he still couldn't quite grasp it.
"Is this wand... a special magical item?"
Moen stopped thinking about it and looked at Gerald, this strange guy, and asked curiously.
Gerald doesn't use "holding magic." Just as Moen sensed, this guy doesn't have any magic power in his body at all. He uses magic entirely through magical items!
This is completely different from Eslandon's "Holding Magic". Even mages who use "Holding Magic" have their own magic power, and magical items also need to be activated with magic power, otherwise they cannot use magic.
Therefore, strictly speaking, Geralt's magic cannot be called "holding magic" because he did not use any of his own magic power at all.
"Yes, there's a magic crystal inside the wand."
Gerald frankly admitted that he indeed had no magic power within him and relied entirely on his wand to use magic.
"That's really strange..."
Moen was astonished. Magical items inlaid with magic crystals were not uncommon, but those with such power were extremely rare.
Magical items inlaid with magic crystals are generally civilian items, such as movie projectors and magic lamps.
Magical items used in combat rarely have magic crystals embedded in them, because mages themselves possess magic power, and it is more convenient and faster to use magical items with their own magic power.
Magic crystals generally don't store too much magic power, because storing too much magic power would be dangerous. There is a single-use item called "Exploding Magic Crystal," which is the result of storing too much magic power and can only be used as a one-time magic bomb.
Using combat magic consumes a lot of magic power, which means that magic items inlaid with magic crystals must be replenished with magic power from time to time, which is very troublesome.
Most importantly, magic crystals are not something that can be made casually; they are very expensive! Ordinary people simply cannot afford to play with them.
In short, such strange magical items are indeed rare in Esland.
"If you have that ability, you could definitely get out of there. Is the magic crystal still powerful enough?"
After witnessing Jellal's hypnotic magic "Misty Abyss," Moen no longer insisted that the two of them accompany him, provided, of course, that Jellal's wand still had plenty of magic power.
"Very plentiful."
Gerald answered with great certainty.
"Okay, bring me the map, I'll draw the route for you."
Moen nodded without asking any further questions. He extended his hand to Gerald, waiting for him to hand over the map.
"A...map? No..."
Gerald looked somewhat embarrassed; how could he possibly have a map when he was new here...?
"No map? You really dared to go in there? You're so daring, aren't you?"
Moen's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but complain, thinking to himself, "Where did this rich kid with his stupidity come from..."
Such a powerful magical item must be very expensive; only the extremely wealthy could afford it. And this Gerald's demeanor and speech clearly indicate that he has received a very strict education. Even a fool could tell that this guy is no ordinary person.
With no other option, Moen took out his spare map and drew out the route out. This was the route he had explored himself, and it was considered a relatively easy way out.
"Here you go. Be prepared next time you go out. I really don't know what you have in that big bag. You don't even have a map."
Moen tossed the map with the route drawn to Gerald, then couldn't help but complain again. He had thought Gerald was well-prepared because he saw him carrying a big green bag that looked like a tortoise shell, but it turned out to be just for show.
"Thank you, um..."
Gerald took the map with gratitude, but instead of turning to leave, he looked as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
"What? Is there something else?"
Moen had already packed the bag back up and slung it over his shoulder. Seeing Gerald's awkward manner, he frowned and asked.
"...May I know your name?"
After hesitating for a moment, Gerald finally asked the question.
This guy doesn't seem to be very good at making friends. Moen just noticed that Gerald has a hard time speaking, as if he has a slight communication disorder.