Chapter 8: Thaumaturge — Part 2.
Professor Katerina had mentioned that peculiar term—paths.
The word lingered in the minds of the students for several brief moments. Even those who had seemed disinterested or withdrawn turned toward her as if she had just revealed something of great importance.
Beltrán felt confused.
From what he had read, thaumaturges were simply those born with the innate ability to use prana.
But was that ability severely conditioned by some other factor?
Determined to resolve his doubts, Beltrán focused his full attention on what the professor had to say rather than allowing his thoughts to wander.
"I see I've caught your attention, haven't I?" Professor Katerina said, a mischievous smile forming on her face. "The information I'm about to share is of vital importance to all of you."
She took a few small steps backward.
"Though you may not realize it, the true reason you are in an institute like this is because it is expected that you will one day attain certain special paths."
Moving swiftly toward the board, she drew fourteen symbols across its surface.
They looked strangely familiar to Beltrán.
Narrowing his eyes, he noticed that each symbol was composed of recognizable shapes. Some featured long swords, axes, and blades. Others depicted books or strange devices. A few resembled eyes, or appendages extending unnaturally from the body.
Just as Beltrán felt he was on the verge of understanding, the professor interrupted his train of thought.
"These are the fourteen known special paths. However, before we discuss them in detail, I first need to explain the principles behind thaumaturges."
I suppose they're mainly differentiated by the way they use prana, Beltrán theorized as he watched her continue.
"All living beings in this world possess prana within them, as you already know. However, only a small number of living beings are capable of using prana in remarkable ways. Many people believe that using prana simply means manifesting it as 'magic'—a general term used for spells and incantations alike."
A wave of uncertainty spread through the classroom.
As the professor had said, most of them had grown up believing that prana was simply another word for magic.
"And from that comes the term thaumaturge. Technically speaking, nearly every living being is a thaumaturge. The term refers to those capable of employing prana."
She paused.
"But what very few people know is that there are different kinds of thaumaturges."
The revelation caused a quiet stir among the students.
They stared at her in confusion as she casually introduced one of the foundational truths of their world.
"Thaumaturges can be divided into three categories: Exterior Thaumaturges, Interior Thaumaturges, and Magi."
Why does that third category sound so different?
Beltrán's mind flooded with questions even as he struggled to stay focused.
"These thaumaturges possess what we call prana channels. For simplicity's sake, we'll refer to them as conduits. These conduits are pathways through which prana circulates. The central core—and primary storage site—of prana is the soul."
Beltrán stiffened slightly.
The soul…
To the memories he carried from his former world, the idea was almost absurdly abstract.
The existence of the soul had been one of humanity's oldest debates—discussed endlessly in philosophy, religion, and science, yet never proven.
And yet here, it was spoken of as a simple biological fact.
Beltrán couldn't help but wonder if this world was somehow far less primitive than he had initially assumed.
"Prana flows throughout the body and beyond it. Depending on one's race, the way prana is acquired can differ. Humans, however—as well as many other races—absorb prana through interaction with the environment. We take it in through breathing, perspiration, hydration, and food."
The professor paused as she walked slowly between the rows of students.
"But our bodies are capable of using this prana. Why do you think that is?"
The same girl who had answered earlier hesitated, glancing at her classmates for clues.
Beltrán, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"Does it represent our vitality?"
Recalling all too vividly the sensation of prana exhaustion, he assumed there had to be some connection.
"That's not a bad observation," Katerina replied. "But rather than sustaining vitality directly, prana usage can condition our health."
A tense silence filled the room.
Unlike the earlier silence born from curiosity, this one carried discomfort.
Everyone present knew that Beltrán had recently collapsed due to severe prana overuse.
"Prana is energy," the professor continued. "Just like the energy we use when moving or breathing. Lifting something heavy consumes energy. And what happens when we exert ourselves too much?"
Ignoring the atmosphere entirely, she turned once again toward Beltrán.
He answered almost instinctively.
"We get tired and sweat."
The professor gave a light clap, smiling.
"Exactly. The reason is that some of that energy disperses as heat throughout the body. Prana can be used in many forms, but no system is one hundred percent efficient. There is always energy loss, and that excess manifests as internal heat."
Fever.
Beltrán grasped her meaning faster than most.
The human body could tolerate only so much internal heat before it became dangerous.
"Thankfully, this is rarely something one should worry about. The body naturally regulates itself to avoid reaching critical levels. Even so, it's normal to feel exhausted after suddenly using large amounts of prana—as though you had just run a marathon."
Beltrán understood.
His own condition could be explained much like severe overexertion.
Just because someone could push themselves further didn't mean doing so was safe.
"Returning to our previous topic," Katerina continued, "prana conduits circulate this energy throughout the body. Every conduit has two divisions: intake conduits and output conduits."
She returned to the board, quickly erasing the fourteen symbols before sketching two humanoid silhouettes.
Inside each, she drew fine lines connected to the head and torso.
Then she altered the direction of those lines dramatically.
In the first figure, the lines were straight and rigid, extending outward from the body in direct paths.
In the second, they twisted inward in long, tangled curves.
"Forgive my crude drawing," she said with a chuckle.
She pointed to the first figure.
"This represents Exterior Thaumaturges—those commonly considered 'true thaumaturges.' They are generally referred to simply as conjurers. Due to the structure of their prana conduits, they can expel prana into the external environment."
She tapped the board.
"The prana is then concentrated and directed through a complex internal system we call a spell. The final manifested result is known as an incantation."
After emphasizing the distinction, she allowed the room to remain silent for a moment.
The students struggled to process the information.
This is far too much information for children our age, Beltrán thought.
Though he could follow the explanation to a reasonable extent, a quick glance around the room was enough to confirm that many of his classmates were already lost.
Several wore confused expressions.
Others exchanged uncertain glances, silently searching for someone who seemed to understand enough to explain it later.
Beltrán considered this for a moment before arriving at a simple conclusion.
Does it even matter right now?
Realistically, they weren't expected to memorize everything.
This was likely meant to provide a logical framework.
Like teaching a lumberjack the theory behind cutting angles—it might not matter at first, but understanding the fundamentals would eventually prove useful.
If any of them chose to specialize in this field later, the topic would surely be revisited in depth.
For now, familiarity was enough.
Professor Katerina's curious gaze swept across the classroom, searching for questions.
There were plenty of confused expressions.
But no one dared speak.
A natural reaction from children uncertain of their own understanding.
Satisfied, she briefly glanced at Beltrán, who carefully maintained the same confused expression as everyone else.
But inside his mind, countless questions stirred.
Who created incantations?
What exactly was a Magus?
How did the paths function?
What did she mean by a "complex internal system"?
Before he could dwell further on them, however, the professor smiled widely and resumed her explanation.