Trinity of Magic

Chapter 46: The Grand Heist.

As Olivia led Zeke through the grand halls of the library, he was struck by the sheer magnificence of it all. She took him through the four huge halls, each dedicated to one of the elemental magics: fire, water, earth, and wind.

As they walked through the fire hall, Olivia gave halfhearted commentary about the history of fire magic and the different techniques used to harness its power. Zeke was a bit disappointed, as he had expected more enthusiasm from his guide.

As they moved on to the water hall, Olivia's commentary continued in the same vein. She told him about the various water spells and the different schools of thought surrounding the magic. Again, Zeke felt a bit let down by the lack of passion in her voice.

The earth hall was no different, and neither was the wind hall. Olivia seemed to be going through the motions, and Zeke was gripped by boredom as he listened to her rattle off her exposition without any enthusiasm. He had expected more ardor and passion for books from the head librarian of the grand library.

Zeke took his time as he walked through the halls, studying each and every bookshelf carefully. He was determined to create a copy of all the books in his mind's library, using his [Perfect Sensory Recall] spell. As he made his way through the halls, Olivia watched him curiously. She couldn't understand why he was taking so much time to walk through each hall, as if he was looking for something specific. But she didn't question him, instead she entertained herself by playing with the cats that seemed to be everywhere in the library.

Zeke finally asked her why she didn't seem more interested in the halls, and she let out a sigh. "Giving tours of these halls is usually punishment duty for new library assistants," she explained. "I've given this tour so many times, it's hard to get excited about it anymore."

Zeke could sense a hidden trauma in her voice and let the matter drop. But as they made their way to the halls for the secondary affinities, Olivia's voice took on a hint of excitement. She began to talk about the rare books they had in those halls and the unique spells that could be found within them.

As they walked through the halls, Olivia's enthusiasm grew. She told him stories about the most interesting books they had and the debates that the librarians had over them. Zeke was impressed by her knowledge and was grateful that she was sharing it with him so openly. After thinking about the change she went through compared to the earlier halls, it seemed to him that she didn't often get the chance to talk about anything other than the four elemental affinities.

As they finished with another hall, Olivia gave him a small smile, "I'm glad you're interested in the rarer affinities, it's nice to have someone who's excited to learn about them."

As they walked through the halls of the secondary affinities, Zeke couldn't help but notice that Olivia never used the terms "primary" or "secondary" when referring to the different types of magic. He asked her about it, and she looked at him with surprise.

Olivia considered Zeke's question, her mind spinning with possibilities. "What," she asked, "do you believe is the difference between the so-called primary and secondary affinities?"

Zeke opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. He closed it again, shrugging.

Olivia smiled at his comical display, then pressed on. "Is it that the practitioners of these affinities are stronger? No. Do they advance faster? Nope. Reach higher levels? Not at all. Possess some innate superiority? No again."

She lowered each finger as she made each point, as if ticking items off a mental checklist. "There is no factual argument that places these four affinities above or below any others," she said, looking left and right before leaning in conspiratorially. "Do you want to know what I honestly believe?"

Zeke nodded eagerly, hanging on her every word. After all, Olivia was one of the most knowledgeable people in the empire.

"Those terms you were asking about? I think they're just a naming convention propagated by the Arkanheim Empire and the four great families," Olivia explained. "The idea of 'primary' and 'secondary' affinities is being used to implant the notion of magical superiority into the minds of the citizens, but in reality, all types of magic are equally valid and powerful. I believe that the individual Mage and the available spells are what matters far more to determine actual strength."

Zeke was taken aback by this revelation. He had always thought of his Blood Magic as secondary, inferior to the elemental magic that was taught at the academy. But if Olivia was right, then the entire concept was just a way for the powerful to maintain control over the less powerful.

"You mean to say that my Blood Magic is just as good as the elemental magic that the academy teaches?" Zeke asked.

"Of course it is," Olivia replied. "Each type of magic has its own strengths and weaknesses, but that doesn't make one type better than the other. It's all about how you use it." She seems to struggle to find a way to better explain the concept to him, and paused. After a moment of silence, she started talking about a seemingly unrelated subject.

"You've probably never heard of Linus 'Cronus' Camino?" Olivia asked, getting excited now. Zeke had indeed never heard of the man and shook his head, "Well, let me tell you, he was one of the most powerful mages in history. A time mage, with an exarch level power. He could control the flow of time with ease. In battle, he would just stop time for his opponent's brains, and they would drop to the floor like sacks of wheat. And he wasn't the only one," Olivia continued, listing off other powerful mages with what the empire would consider 'secondary' affinities. "Leona Sonnenstrahl, with her light magic, Karlan Finsternis with his darkness magic, and so many more. They didn't let their affinities hold them back. They were true masters of their craft."

"So, Zeke," Olivia began, her gaze fixed on him with a serious expression. "I believe that there is no such thing as primary or secondary affinities. Let me give you an example. Tristan Bloodsword, the current patriarch of the Bloodsword family, is capable of cutting down the mages of our empire like they are cabbages during each battle with the kingdom of Valor, despite only having a blood affinity."

She paused and glanced around before lowering her voice to a whisper. "But be careful, don't let anyone hear you say that. Tristan Bloodsword isn't well-liked in these parts." Olivia's eyes then traveled to Zeke's bright crimson hair, and a smile graced her face. "However, you, with your perfect blood affinity, have the potential to be just as powerful as any of those people I've mentioned."

Zeke couldn't help but feel a sense of validation and empowerment from Olivia's words. He had always felt like an outsider at the academy because of his Blood Magic, but now he realized that was exactly how the academy had wanted him to feel. He made a mental note to research more about the other types of magic and their potential uses.

"Are you not afraid of getting in trouble for saying all those things about primary and secondary affinities?" Zeke asked, his voice tinged with concern.

Olivia let out a snort of disbelief. "Afraid? Psh. If someone wants to make trouble for me, they know where to find me," she said with a shrug.

Zeke couldn't help but be impressed by her level of confidence. He had always been taught that speaking out against the established facts was madness, and yet here was Olivia, nonchalantly dismissing the idea as if it were nothing.

"But, don't you fear the consequences of speaking out against the empire's teachings?" Zeke pressed.

"Ha! Afraid? Of what? The empire's rules? Pfft," Olivia says with a roll of her eyes. "I've been working in this library for years, I know all the secrets and where all the bodies are buried. If they want to take me down, I'll take half the noble houses down with me by revealing all the secrets I have picked up over the years." She winks at Zeke, a mischievous gleam in her eye. "But in all seriousness, if you are looking for books on Blood Magic, then you are out of luck," Olivia said with a smirk. "I'm afraid those are all outlawed by now."

"Outlawed?" Zeke exclaimed, his excitement deflating. "Is there no way to learn more about it?"

Olivia grinned. "Just because they're outlawed doesn't mean I don't have them," she said, a hint of mischief in her voice. "I love books almost as much as I love cats, and I've managed to acquire quite a few forbidden texts over the years."

Zeke's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Can I see them?"

"If you want to, it's not much of a secret that I collect them anyway. I don't think anything would happen to me even if the word were to spread," Olivia said, leading him to a hidden door in the back of the library. "But keep in mind, some of these books are illegal for a reason. They contain dangerous knowledge and should be used with caution."

Zeke nodded eagerly as Olivia unlocked the door and revealed a room filled with books on all sorts of forbidden subjects. He couldn't believe his luck, he finally had access to the advanced knowledge he needed to advance his Blood Magic.

"Thank you, Olivia," he said, turning to her with a huge smile.

"No problem, but why are you acting like i am giving you a present? You can just take a look, not keep them," she replied, returning his smile.

As the two made their way out of the forbidden section, Olivia was impressed by this little first year. Not many students had the determination and curiosity to seek out knowledge like Zeke did. And even fewer had the ability to understand and appreciate the true value of the texts that were hidden away in that section.

As they walked through the grand halls of the library, Zeke was awed by the amount of knowledge contained within. He had always been a curious person, and the library had fed that curiosity in ways he never thought possible.

"Thank you, Olivia," Zeke said, turning to his guide with a genuine smile. "I've learned so much today, and it's all thanks to you."

"It was my pleasure, Zeke," Olivia replied, smiling back at him. "I'm glad to see that you have a thirst for knowledge, and that you understand the true value of what you learned today."

As they made their way out of the library, Zeke was excited for what lay ahead. With a spring in his step, he made his way home, eager to inspect the haul of today's operation.

Zeke practically sprinted through the streets, eager to return to his room and delve deeper into the forbidden knowledge he had uncovered in the library. He sat cross-legged on the floor of his room, his eyes closed in concentration as he delved into the mental library stored within his mind. He had spent the entire day in the grand library of Elementium, copying every single book he could find into this mental library. Now, he had a treasure trove of knowledge at his fingertips.

After delving into his mind using [Perfect Sensory Recall], he was greeted by an exact replica of the library, every detail captured in his memories. He made his way through the halls, his excitement growing as he approached the forbidden section. There, he eagerly scanned the shelves once more, taking in the names of the forbidden tomes of Blood Magic. He began by selecting a thick, leather-bound tome entitled "The Dark Arts of Bloodletting." He spent hours pouring over its pages, studying the intricate diagrams and arcane formulas that detail the methods of using one's own blood to fuel powerful spells.

One by one, he began to go through the tomes, reading and taking notes on the contents of each one. He read about ancient Blood Magic rituals, blood incantations, and the dangers of delving too deeply into the power of Blood Magic. He read about the history of Blood Magic and the official reasons why it had been banned by the empire.

Finally, after hours of reading and note-taking, he emerged from his mental library, his mind buzzing with new knowledge and his notebook filled with notes. He knew that he had only scratched the surface of the forbidden knowledge contained in these books, but he also knew that he had something incredibly valuable in his possession. He had a newfound understanding of the power of Blood Magic.