I just switched phones and am still getting used to the new screen; for some reason, the Webnovel writing interface feels even more glitchy here. I'm running short on time and won't be able to do a final proofread to meet the deadline, so if you spot any errors, please let me know in a comment on the specific paragraph, and I'll see about fixing them.
//
Following her spectacular display of magic, Ais stepped back into the room, accompanied by Lefiya's continuous, enthusiastic praise.
"That was absolutely brilliant, Ais-san! Your control over Tempest is simply unmatched!" Lefiya beamed, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
Ais merely offered a small, quiet nod, her usual stoic expression softening just a fraction before she took her seat.
Shortly after, Riveria cleared her throat, gathering everyone's attention as she returned to explaining the fundamentals of magic.
To anyone born in this semi-medieval world, with its limited spread of information, these concepts might have been difficult to grasp. However, for someone from another world like Luki, there was nothing simpler... In theory, at least.
The magic of Danmachi resembled a video game system, where the execution of the spell mattered far more than the underlying logic of learning it, especially when considering the Falna.
A mortal can possess till three magic slots. Depending on their race, they might awaken a specific racial spell. If an individual happened to be special for a multitude of unique reasons, they could awaken entirely unique spells. Simple.
The Falna merely acted as a catalyst to awaken those innate traits faster rather than creating them from nothing. If someone lacked that inherent aptitude, they would never awaken those forms of magic naturally. Once more, simple.
Yet, exceptions existed in the form of Grimoires—rare items that forced the awakening of a spell based on a person's subconscious desires, bypassing natural aptitude entirely.
This implied that magic slots potentially existed within everyone, and the Falna simply enforced a hard limit of three. After all, Ais has just proven that someone can "possess" more than three spells, provided they do not rely on the blessing created by Ouranos.
Futhermore, what happens if someone reads a fourth Grimoire? Given that creating a Grimoire required two specific Falna Development Abilities—Mage and Mystery—the system clearly relied on non-natural parameters.
Perhaps Grimoires simply ceased to function after the third slot, or maybe overloading the soul or whatever shit and caused a literal explosion. Alternatively, a new spell might overwrite an old one, or simply strengthen it. For now, it remained a matter of speculation.
On the other hand, learned magic operated on a logic that resembled lines of supernatural code in the form of poetry. The pop culture magic in Luki's world had been growing increasingly logical, featuring clear boundaries and advantages to satisfy consumers. It shouldn't be any different in DanMachi if you look closely.
To Luki, an incantation was simply a script written in a specific programming language. It served to guide and focus the user's mind. If a mage mispronounced a single word or lost concentration, the system crashed, resulting in a dangerous backfire. But in this case, there is no pause or off button.
In this syntax, substituting "God of Fire" with "Lord of Flames" would count as syntax error. Even if the meanings were identical to a human, the machine—or the world laws, in this case—recognized specific terms as hardcoded execution commands, not merely text on a screen.
Rhythm, context, and rhyming verses were just formatting rules required to compile the script efficiently.
Even the anomalies of this world fit into this technical framework.
Monsters, unlike mortals, possessed magic stones that acted like pre-programmed hardware—a built-in firmware determining whether a creature could naturally discharge fire.
The magic swords of the Crozzo bloodline operated similarly. Blessed by a spirit, their lineage could forge these lines of code directly into metal using special ore or techinique, whatever, creating an appliance that ran a script until the fuel completely depleted.
Meanwhile, the magic circles appearing beneath Riveria and Lefiya when they demonstred—likely the Mage development ability or maybe a more advanced knowledge—were essentially external command lines rendering in real-time to optimize the spell's power, range, and efficiency.
The most fascinating variables in this system, however, were Bell and himself. Both possessed highly unusual backgrounds—one a textbook shounen protagonist, the other a traveler from another universe. Coincidentally, both wielded swift-strike magic that required no chants at all.
Luki knew from his meta-knowledge that a pure soul like Bell's didn't inherently grant overwhelming talent, though they have a tendency toward grandiosity. On the other hand, Freya had noted that Luki's soul was remarkably unique—something she had never seen before—entirely different from Bell's abstract purity.
Would the swift-strike magic tied to the soul's unique architecture or some shit? Perhaps their fast execution logic weren't dictated by temporary subconscious desires, but rather by an innate hardware predisposition of their unique souls.
It was another layer of assumptions, but it made perfect sense to his mind. He felt thoroughly satisfied with his interpretation of a fantasy power system he hadn't originated from.
"And that concludes the lesson," Riveria announced, closing her leather-bound tome with a soft thud.
Regardless of the universe's hidden laws, the lecture had officially come to an end.
As Riveria's lecture formally concluded, Tiona let out a dramatic sigh of relief, throwing her arms high into the air and stretching her body with an satisfied, exaggerated groan.
"Ugh, finally! It's finally over!" Tiona cheered, shaking her hands out as if clearing away the lingering academic boredom. "Magic is definitely not for me. My brain was about to melt into mush!"
Lefiya blinked, adjusting her posture before looking over at the Amazon with a deadpan, questioning expression. "If you feel that way, Tiona, then what are you even doing here in a magic lecture?"
"To make friends, obviously!" Tiona chirped. Her tone took on a playfully suggestive edge as she playfully wagged her eyebrows up and down.
While keeping her bright smile directed at Lefiya, Tiona subtly shifted her eyes, gesturing toward Luki, who was sitting just a short distance away to her left. Lefiya's eyes widened slightly as she immediately put the pieces together.
Leaning in close, Lefiya lowered her voice, whispering loudly directly into Tiona's ear. "So that is why you were so incredibly anxious to snoop on him earlier!"
"Hey, 'snoop' is a bit of a harsh word!" Tiona whispered back defensively, though her eyes danced with mischief. "I was just stealing a quick glance at the merchandise, you know?"
Lefiya gasped softly, her cheeks flushing slightly from the bold remark. "Have you no shame?! You two barely even know each other! Besides, rumor has it he's a total scoundrel with more than one girlfriend!"
"Pff, so what?" Tiona puffed out her chest, crossing her arms with a thoroughly proud and unbothered expression. "If my sister can be completely crazy for the Captain, I can absolutely fall head over heels for a guy who's exactly my type, even if I just met him!"
Lefiya crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow in deep skepticism. "And what exactly is your type? Gigolos?"
"No way!" Tiona giggled, her eyes softening for a brief second as a genuine, starry-eyed warmth crossed her face. "I like guys who look like they stepped right out of a hero storybook. You know, the kind of person who can look straight at a terrifying monster or the worst possible situation, and still flash a bright, confident smile. That's a real man!"
In Tiona's romance-addled mind, the breathtaking memory of Luki's battle against the dragon from two days ago vividly resurfaced.
She pictured him being momentarily overwhelmed and beaten down by the massive beast, only to rise again, transforming into a far more dazzling form to completely turn the tables. And through all of that chaos, he had maintained a vibrant, confident smile—not the bloodthirsty smirk of a sadistic warrior, but the pure, genuine grin of someone who was simply having fun.
"Him? A hero?! You've completely lost your mind, Tiona! He doesn't come anywhere near Ais-san! She is a true heroine!"
"Oh, look who's talking, Ais-san is super cool, but that pretty face of hers doesn't exactly scream heroism. Besides, we both know there's less than a grape rolling inside that head of hers. At least my Luki-kun actually knows how to look awesome while fighting!"
"You both realize I can literally hear everything you're saying, right?" Luki's calm voice cut through their hushed bickering.
Lefiya's eyes widened to the size of saucers. Her head snapped around as she frantically scanned the room, only to realize that practically everyone nearby was staring directly at the two of them.
"E-Eh?! L-Luki-san?!" Lefiya stammered, her entire face turning a brilliant shade of crimson as she violently waved her hands in panic. "I-I am so incredibly sorry! We weren't—I mean, she was—it's not what it sounds like! Please forget everything you just heard! Oh, heavens, bury me alive right now..."
While Lefiya looked ready to melt into the floorboards from pure embarrassment, Tiona remained entirely unbothered. Flashing a bright, goofy grin, she leaned forward and rested her chin on her hands.
"Is that so?" Tiona chirped happily, locking eyes with him. "Well, I don't see any problem with you hearing it!"
Luki let out a long, thoroughly resigned sigh.
'The feeling that my life has completely shifted into an ecchi anime ever since I lost my virginity is getting stronger by the second,' Luki thought, a wave of exhaustion washing over him. 'First Hestia turns into a total pervert, then Lili wants to dote on me twenty-four-seven, and now I have an Amazon actively hunting me down.'
He closed his eyes, but instead of raising his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, his ear-wings instinctively fluttered outward, folding gracefully over his eyes and rustling softly as they massaged his face.
Yet, beneath that feathery blindfold, Luki was secretly analyzing Tiona. Utilizing his spatial awareness and a highly vivid memory, he mapped out her figure—her beautifully toned sunkissed skin, her athletic legs, and her incredibly vibrant, infectious personality.
She was, without a doubt, completely his type.
'Though... her breasts could definitely be a bit bigger,' he added silently to himself.
"And just what do you think you are doing, sniffing around someone else's man?!" a sharp, venomous voice barked from below.
Before Tiona could even blink, Lili aggressively threw herself right into the space between them, effectively breaking Luki's line of sight. Her small arms were crossed tightly, and her eyes glared like daggers straight at the Amazon.
"Lili will not tolerate this!" the Pallum girl declared, stamping her foot as her inner territorial instinct flared to life. "Luki-sama belongs to Lili! Go find your own storybook hero somewhere else, you shameless predator!"
Tiona blinked in surprise, but instead of backing down, her goofy grin only widened at the challenge. "Aww, but Lili-chan, a great hero is meant to be shared in stories, right? Besides, there's plenty of Luki-kun to go around!"
"Absolutely not! Not a single millimeter of him!" Lili shrieked, wrapping her arms protectively around Luki's arm and pulling him close against her chest. "He is strictly off-limits!"
"Come on, Lili-chan, don't be so stingy! In all the best legends, the hero always ends up with a lively companion by his side. I'm just auditioning for the role!"
Watching the two of them bicker over him as if he were a prize possession, Luki didn't know whether to feel flattered or utterly exhausted.
He glanced over at Riveria, who happened to be looking right back at him. The two of them simultaneously shrugged, their faces wearing identical, resigned expressions.
'Heh. Do what?' was the thought passing through both of their minds.
"U-Um... Luki-san...?"
Luki looked to his side and saw Bell. She had timidly walked up next to him and was nervously fidgeting in her spot, shifting her weight from side to side and eyes darted away, unable to hold eye contact, as if just standing this close to him required a monumental amount of courage.
"Hey. What's up?" Luki said casually, holding out his closed fist toward her for a friendly fist bump.
Bell blinked at his extended hand, her cheeks dusting with a soft, bashful pink.
She hesitated for a fraction of a second, before she slowly raised her own fist. With utmost care, she lightly tapped her knuckles against his.
The moment their knuckles brushed, Bell's entire face flushed a violent, brilliant crimson. Her brain completely short-circuited under the weight of his casual proximity.
"I-I need to go to the bathroom!" she squeaked in an impossibly high pitch.
Before Luki could even respond, Bell spun on her heel and bolted out of the room at full speed, slamming the heavy door shut behind her.
Luki blinked, his fist still frozen in mid-air, while the room fell into a stunned silence.
'What The fuck elas that?' he thought, slowly lowering his hand.
Breaking the stunned silence, Riveria stepped forward, her elegant boots clicking softly against the floor as she approached Luki. She looked at the closed door, a small, knowing smile gracing her refined features.
"Do not take her flight to heart, Luki," Riveria said, her calm voice instantly soothing the tension in the room. "The Cranel girl is remarkably earnest, but she carries her emotions right on her sleeve."
Luki turned his gaze down toward the High Elf. "So she just runs away whenever she gets overwhelmed?"
"In a sense, yes. She holds an immense amount of respect for you. To someone like her, a casual gesture from an elite adventurer she looks up to is enough to completely scatter her focus. She simply experienced an overload of reverence—and perhaps, a bit of youthful bashfulness."
Luki raised an eyebrow, adjusting his ear-wings slightly as a dry laugh escaped him. "Pff~ Me, an elite adventurer? Give me a break."
Riveria turned her sharp, calculating gaze toward him, raising an eyebrow of her own. "Is that so? Did you not just fight far beyond your level against a monster that easily ranked at level five or six?"
"That was just a stroke of absolute luck," Luki deflected, waving his hand dismissively. "I only just leveled up. I couldn't repeat that feat even if I wanted to."
Riveria kept her eyes locked on him, remaining silent while her mind strictly judged his excessive humility.
'A stroke of luck?' Riveria thought, her inner monologue practically scoffing at his words. 'To completely shatter the standard attribute limits of a normal person, and to wield the sheer destructive power of a level four while technically still being a level one... it is absolutely unprecedented in the history of Orario. Calling it luck is borderline insulting to everyone who actually strives for strength.'
Instead of voicing her thoughts, she simply sighed and smoothly shifted the subject. "Well, let us leave that aside for now. Are you inclined to test your magic today, or would another time suit you better?"
Luki blinked, hitting his palm with his fist. "Ah, I almost forgot about that. Right now is fine. You've gone out of your way to teach me so much up to this point, so it would be pretty bad of me to delay my part of our agreement."
Riveria offered a satisfied nod. "Very well." She then turned her head toward the rest of the room, raising her voice slightly. "Lefiya."
Still flustered from the earlier chaos, Lefiya crossed her arms and marched over, her expression quickly shifting into a skeptical, slightly annoyed pout. She looked at Luki with a critical eye, clearly not entirely thrilled about being dragged into his business.
"Yes, Riveria-sama?" Lefiya asked, her tone much more firm and confident now.
Riveria gestured between Luki and herself. "Luki-san and I are about to conduct an experiment regarding his magic. I want you to come along and observe."
Lefiya's brow twitched, and she let out a small, huffy sigh, looking directly at Luki with an impertinent gaze. "An experiment? With him? Riveria-sama, I really don't see why I have to waste my time watching whatever weird magic he's trying to show off."
Riveria sighed, giving Lefiya a flat, disapproving look. "Lefiya, drop the attitude. You are a mage; checking out different types of magic is part of your job. Just come along."
Lefiya flinched, quickly lowering her head. "Right... sorry, Riveria-sama," she muttered, stepping back.
Luki watched the brief exchange, taking note of how much Lefiya had actually changed. If her months ago had been an anxious, insecure amateur, she had now developed into someone who was irritatingly self-assured.
'She definitely feels a lot stronger than the first time I saw her months back. We've never really interacted, and I don't honestly know much about her character, but I guess this is just how she naturally is when she gets comfortable.'
Turning her attention back to the matter at hand, Riveria looked toward the exit. "Let us head out to the courtyard. Given what you have described, your magic will require a significant amount of open field."
"Yeah, that's probably for the best."
With that, the two of them walked out of the classroom, with a silent, thoroughly chastised Lefiya trailing begrudgingly right behind them.