Compared to Sean's surprise, Lucille's expression was far more endearing. She relit the candles on the table with magic, and by the firelight, he could see her staring at him with wide eyes, while above her head appeared statuses like [Surprise!], [Unbelievable!], and even [Joy!].
"How do you feel now?" Lucille asked.
Sean looked at his own hands. That moment had been too fast; he hadn't had time to truly sense what it felt like for magic to enter his body. There seemed to be a slight difference—like some kind of energy flowing through him, a tingling sensation—but it wasn't as mystical as she had described.
"Not very obvious."
"Why don't you try again?" Lucille said.
Sean gazed at the cluster of flames before him, ready to give it another shot. He wanted to experience the feeling of magic again... but just as he was about to act, a rumbling sound came from outside the window, like a thunderstorm, though not as loud as thunderclaps.
"Don't get distracted. Focus your mind and don't let anything disturb you. You just started to feel the flow of magic—don't give up now," Lucille urged hastily beside him.
He turned his attention back to the dozen or so candles in front of him.
"Concentrate. Don't overthink. Right now, only consider using magic. This is the first step—you need to learn how to control it before you can practice the next spells... Quick, close your eyes."
Lucille pressed Sean to continue practicing. She had originally planned to leave, but after seeing that he had initially sensed the magic, she stayed.
Sean closed his eyes, listening to Lucille's instructions.
"...Remember that feeling just now? Try again. This time, focus more and don't let other thoughts intrude. The simplest way is to concentrate all your attention on one point—think about those candles or anything else—just focus."
Actually, the more Lucille said this, the more his mind wandered. Sean even found himself picturing her standing right next to him, especially her uniquely colored hair and that strikingly bright necklace.
"Slowly, little by little, feel it. Recall what it was like when you first saw magic."
But in that instant, her words brought him back to the present.
"Do you feel it? That special energy flowing through you?"
"It doesn't seem like it!"
"Don't rush. Calm down again... Think of the birdsong in spring, the cicadas in summer nights... or the falling snow in winter," Lucille continued to guide him gently.
A faint, pleasant scent lingered around his nose. It wasn't intoxicating—just a light fragrance, even milder than soapy water, somewhat like fruit but not as sweet.
In truth, she was very serious about teaching him magic, which was why Sean's impression of her had improved. Despite their rocky start and their relationship being more of a transactional partnership, she seemed genuinely dedicated to instructing him.
He took a deep breath, imagining all the candles being extinguished.
He reached out, opening his eyes as he did so.
There was no wind, yet the dozen or so candles before him went out all at once the moment he moved. Even if there had been a breeze, it couldn't have been this uniform. At the same time, he felt a distinct surge of special energy flowing through his body.
[Magic Proficiency: 2]
Hiss—
It had leveled up again.
He pulled his hand back, thinking about relighting the flames.
Bang! They all flared up again.
[Magic Proficiency: 3]
So it was this easy to increase proficiency? And all he needed to do was imagine the spell he wanted to cast? Then he'd be unstoppable!
This world, here I come! Sean's heart was already cheering with joy.
"Not bad. You've gotten this skilled in just a few tries. Keep practicing like this regularly, but don't overdo it each day, or your mind won't be able to handle it," Lucille said.
She was right. He hadn't noticed it until she mentioned it, but now Sean felt his head was as heavy as if he'd had too much to drink—dizzy, with the world spinning slightly.
"So I can do a lot of things just by imagining them?"
"By imagining? That's a new way to put it. But everyone understands magic differently... However, right now, your magic power is too weak to accomplish much," Lucille said.
She suddenly stood in front of Sean again.
"Come on, I'll give you a chance to see your own limits. Use your magic to attack me, or do whatever you want. If you can hurt me, I'll agree to anything you say." She gave him a meaningful glance.
Every time this woman spoke, it was with that ambiguous, teasing tone. But her confident attitude made Sean want to try—she was clearly provoking him.
Based on what he'd just grasped about magic, it seemed to be a method of using imagination: relying on what he wanted to do and channeling magic to achieve it. That should be the gist of it.
"Go ahead, I won't fight back!" Lucille repeated, a smug smile curling at the corner of her mouth.
"Don't regret it!"
"I mean what I say..."
Sean raised his wand and looked at Lucille. Attacking her directly probably wasn't feasible—she might have some special defensive ability. But alternatively...
He glanced at the clothes draped over her.
If he just wanted to undo her clothes, it shouldn't be too hard. He thought about it and prepared to act. His mind was still clear enough to handle one or two more spell casts.
But just as he raised his wand, several effects appeared above her head: [Magic Immunity!], [Magic Deflection!], marked in bright red.
"What, giving up?" Lucille suddenly noticed Sean lowering his wand without attacking.
"I'll save it for next time."
"What a shame... You've lost your chance to do whatever you want." Her words were still laced with provocation.
But in an instant, her tone shifted. Her eyes seemed to smile, as if she were appraising him.
"You're very rational. You didn't make an impulsive decision."
Rational? What choice did he have?
Magic immunity, deflection!
He could still read those words.
Still, even though he hadn't tried this time, Sean now understood her capabilities. Even if he wanted to attack, his magical ability wasn't strong enough to overpower her. In other words, his proficiency wasn't high enough.
"There's not much I can do right now, is there?" he asked.
If it were just about imagination, he could daydream all he wanted. But in reality, using magic to achieve things required higher proficiency. For instance, he probably couldn't even kill a rabbit right now.
"Very little. That's why many people use various methods to boost their magic power, like incantations or magical tools," Lucille said.
Hearing this, Sean began to grasp the magic system of this world. It wasn't like the elemental magic he'd read about in novels—here, all elements were combined, making him a sort of all-around mage. That's why they weren't called mages but wizards.
Casting spells relied on imagining the desired effect, but without enough proficiency, even the wildest fantasies couldn't be realized. If he wanted a shortcut, he'd need equipment and incantations...
That seemed about right.
"The wand I gave you is a magical tool. It ensures you perform well in the early stages of learning magic... As for a grimoire, I can sell you one at a discount!"
Just as Lucille was about to peddle her grimoire, footsteps came from the hallway outside.
"Master, Master... something's wrong! Something's happened outside the town!"
It was the old butler, Calibo's voice.
"What's wrong?" Sean shouted toward the door.
"Over the mountain... there's been an avalanche."