Was it a piece of knowledge, or a passive feat?
In a classroom, sitting in a back row by the window, Calca rested her chin on a hand that still held a bit of baby fat. She tilted her head slightly, looking out at the swaying trees in the breeze as she pondered.
The comical scene from last night had left her bewildered, but an idea had eventually surfaced. Maruyama's world-building drew heavily from Dungeons & Dragons, and in D&D, classes like Paladins and Fighters possessed "feats"—essentially passive abilities.
One such feat was [Armor Proficiency (Light/Medium/Heavy)], which characters like Paladins, Fighters, and Clerics gained automatically. For YGGDRASIL players like Brilliant Angel Cat-Meow, the names might have been different—perhaps "Light Armor Mastery" or "Heavy Armor Master"—but the concept was undoubtedly the same.
The transition Cat-Meow made from clumsy fumbling to fluid mastery was likely due to such a feat. So, had she inherited it as well?
Calca allowed herself a moment of hope. She didn't know why she could keep "fleece" gifts from Cat-Meow, but perhaps it really was a miracle. Did she simply need to acclimate her body to the knowledge to "activate" the feat, just as he had in his memory?
She felt a sudden, urgent desire to find a suit of armor to test it out. Unfortunately, she was only six years old—seven by the local lunar calendar. No one was going to drop a fortune to forge a suit of full plate for a toddler. Even with costs reduced by her small size, a custom suit would easily cost over a hundred gold coins. While her personal savings could cover it, she didn't want to waste the money.
I'll check back tonight, she thought. Maybe I can get something easier to verify.
As she was deep in thought, she felt a gentle nudge against the arm supporting her face. She turned to see a teenage boy looking at her with intense curiosity.
Damian Bessarez. Her elder brother and the Third Prince of the Holy Kingdom. For the record, Calca was the youngest of six. The Holy Kingdom practiced monogamy, so all six were full siblings.
Damian was twelve this year, twice her age, but their dynamic was completely inverted. Two years ago, Calca had thoroughly outmaneuvered Damian in a battle of wits, effectively becoming his "Big Boss." (She had been scolded by their mother for it afterward, but the title stuck).
Calca didn't actually make him do "lackey" work, so they were quite close. Half of her time in the sitting room was usually spent hosting Damian.
Calca gave him a questioning look. Damian discreetly pointed toward High Priestess Mariana on the lecture platform and mouthed a question. He made no sound, but his lip movements were clear: "Is the High Priestess here because of you?"
Excitement and curiosity practically radiated from his face. High Priestess Mariana! Arguably the strongest magic caster in the Holy Kingdom, and she had actually accepted an invitation to be a guest lecturer!
Calca shook her head slightly and fixed her gaze back on the platform, acting the part of a diligent student. But Damian grew even more excited. As the person most familiar with Calca's habits, he knew that her head-shake meant "I don't know," rather than a "No." To him, that meant the rumors might actually be true!
Calca used the corner of her eye to watch Damian, who was getting carried away by his excitement. She offered a silent prayer for her friend. High Priestess Mariana was already looking their way.
The Holy King had six children. Aside from the eldest, Caspond, the other five were currently studying in this fifty-square-meter classroom. Even with a few noble children invited to study alongside them, there were only about a dozen people in the room.
There weren't many people in the back rows. If Damian hadn't waved her over when she walked in, she wouldn't have sat here. It was too conspicuous. Why would she put herself in such a dangerous position for daydreaming?
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
I'm not the Queen Greatsword. (41 Chapters, Ongoing)
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Sitting alone behind Damian was Spa, the second son of an Earl and Damian's study companion. Spa was currently biting his lip, trembling as he reached out to tug on the back of Damian's tunic. Damian realized his mistake, but it was too late.
"Prince Damian... and Princess Calca. Please stand up." Mariana had walked over to them. She glanced at the chubby noble boy next to them. "Lord Spa, you are dismissed to stand in the hallway."
Spa hung his head and dejectedly walked out. Mariana then turned her gaze to Calca and Damian. "Your Highnesses, could you tell me what I was just discussing?"
Damian opened his mouth, despair washing over him. He had been so busy being excited that he hadn't heard a single word. Just as he was about to give up, a crisp, delicate voice rang out beside him.
"[Metamagic]. The technique of using additional mana or long-practiced skills to grant or enhance specific effects of a spell."
Damian nodded dumbly. In that moment, he truly understood the meaning of being "carried."
"Very good. Damian, tell us how many types of Metamagic there are."
"Uh... there's... [Silent Magic], [Maximize Magic], and... and..." Damian's voice trailed off. He stammered, his eyes instinctively darting toward Calca for help.
Mariana also looked at Calca with a look of genuine interest. Calca's expression remained stoic, like a machine designed only for answering questions.
"There is also [Penetrate Magic], [Twin/Triplet Magic], [Widen Magic], [Extend Magic], [Delay Magic], [Maximize Magic Rank], and [Boost Magic]."
When she mentioned the last two, Calca's expression flickered slightly. These were the forms of Metamagic currently known to humanity. Among them, only [Silent Magic] could be acquired through practice without consuming extra mana; the others required a higher mana cost.
Mariana asked, satisfied, "Then what is the difference between [Maximize Magic Rank] and [Boost Magic]?"
"[Maximize Magic Rank] raises the tier of a lower-level spell to increase its power, but the tier cannot exceed the caster's own limit. [Boost Magic] allows a caster to use a higher-tier spell they normally cannot cast by consuming a massive amount of mana."
Damian stared at Calca in pure shock. He could bet his life that Mariana had not taught that specific detail today.
"Correct. Excellent. Princess Calca, you may sit, but do remember to choose a better seat next time." Mariana even gave her a light round of applause. Once the clapping subsided, Mariana turned back to Damian. Her smile made him feel an inexplicable chill.
"Prince Damian, since you are so well-informed, why don't you demonstrate a form of Metamagic for the class?"
Damian, a struggling student who hadn't even mastered his first First-Tier spell, pointed at himself in utter bewilderment.
"Ah... I'm the one casting?"