Sorcery and witchcraft.
　There is no exact difference between them.

　It is because they are the same in the point that both use "power" as energy to cause events.

　The new "art" of witchcraft was born only because Tetra Julius as Caesar and Julia Julius Rosaius Caesar classified and distinguished witchcraft according to whether it acts on the soul or on an object.

　Even when there was no witchcraft, one could still make fire by spell power.
　It was just not as efficient as it could be.

　Julia Julius Rosaius Caesar and the Academy of Sorcery systematized, theorized, and studied witchcraft, while Tetra Julius as Caesar and the Academy of Magic continued to systematize, theorize, and study witchcraft, and the two were clearly separated.

　Later, witchcraft gave birth to witchcraft, sorcery, séance, soul-riding, etc., and witchcraft gave birth to alchemy.

　Now, the main topic is about magic.

　Magic and witchcraft have similar words, but the etymology of the word itself is completely different.

　The word or concept of sorcery first appeared in history after the birth of Tetra Julius as Caesar. Naturally. She is the creator of the concept of witchcraft.

　On the other hand, the word magic, or a concept close to it, has existed at least since mankind began to use writing.

　How long has it been around?　If you ask me, I can only answer that it has been around for so long that I don't know, but I'm guessing that it is a concept that originated when monkeys went from quadrupedal to bipedal, i.e., at the time of humanity's birth.

　At the very least, magic will not be born until mankind has strong desires and wishes.

　Magic refers to the fulfillment of desires and wishes itself.
　On the other hand, all kinds of science and technology, including witchcraft and witchcraft, are the means of fulfilling desires and wishes.

　There is no process in magic.

　To put it simply........

　There is an apple in front of you.
　If you want the apple, you will need some means, some process to get the apple.

　Reach for it. Use magic to manipulate gravity and bring the apple to you. We will use a machine. We will have slaves bring them to us.
　There are many ways to do this, but they are all essentially the same.

　Any method is some kind of technology when it is a process.
　Magic and witchcraft are a type of science.

　So what about magic?
　I want apples....
　At this point, an apple appears in your hand.

　This is magic.
　There are no laws, processes, or impossibilities in magic.

　You can do anything if you want to.
　That is magic.

　So magic can travel through time, time stoppage, instantaneous travel, reanimation of the dead, and of course, all sorts of physical, chemical and mathematical laws.

　You can ignore it and achieve your goal.

　Now, after reading this far, you must have a few questions in mind.

　How can you learn to use magic?
　If two wizards fight each other, who will win?
　Etc.........

　Well, I know what you mean.
　I don't know the answer to that question either, as a matter of fact.

　But there is one thing I can say.

　I'm going to have to say that it's magic, but it's still magic.

　If there really is no impossibility in magic, then it should be called an act of God, not magic.
　But magic is called magic.

　So, although it seems that magic has no laws, processes, or impossibilities, it does have laws, processes, and impossibilities.

　Just as the Almighty cannot create a rock that he cannot lift....

　"A Study in Magic.

　-Elena Cornelius Scipio









　Scorching hot flames erupting from the mouth of the fire dragon attacked Mari.
　Mari minimally deflects her body. As a result, the flames touch her left arm and instantly turn to charcoal... but she doesn't care.

　Mari points the staff she holds in her right arm at the fire dragon.

　'Behold the unseen thing.'

　Curse words filled with curse power reach the fire dragon's ears, into his auditory nerves and then into his brain, violating his optic nerve.

　The fire dragon changes the target of the flames from Mari to an unpleasant parasite that haunts its own body... a parasite hallucination, to be exact.
　It scorches itself with its own flames, bites itself with its own fangs, and tears itself apart with its own claws.

　The dignity of the world's most powerful species is nowhere to be seen as it thrashes about on the sand.

　"I'm just a lizard after all.

　Mari brushed the sand from her hair with her left arm, which was already back to normal.


　This was the southern continent.
　South of the Adelnian Peninsula, further down from Pofenia to the south.

　A place where scorching sand dominates the entire surface.
　This is the Sahara.






　-My, my, my. Mari. She's already slaughtered ten fire dragons.

　They just died on their own.

　Mari thrusts the knife into the fire dragon's body and puts the overflowing blood into a leather bag.
　It's a substitute for drinking water.

　There isn't a single oasis on the road to Asari's destination.
　Hence, the fire dragon is the only valuable source of water.

　-That blessing seems to have gotten pretty well used to it, too.

　....

　Mari frowns.
　

　Of course, I'm sure I'd be a hermit long ago without it, but.......

　I'd rather be a nutter.
　-So you're going to die?　If you'd like, I can reverse the blessing right now, but...

　The reversal of the Blessing of Immortality is to reckon with all the wounds you've received and repaired at once.
　Of course you will die.

　Well, it could be said that a single death is more than enough of a cheap payment if the bill for the deaths you've avoided hundreds of times is a single death.

　I'm just kidding. I wanted to die then, but I don't want to now. I have to find my sister and sister, bring Etzel back to life, and get back to Earth. Until then, I can't die.

　-Hmm, yeah. So, what about trying to be immortal?　You don't have to be immortal to do this.

　The fairy asked Mari in amusement.
　Mari's face contorted in displeasure.

　'You know the habit...'
　-I don't know.

　The elf's keratin' laughter and Mari's deep sighs are drowned out by the desert wind.......





　'Oh, God, that's obnoxious. Uncomfortable, uncomfortable.
　-What are you so uncomfortable about? -

　Fairies laugh.
　Mari has been with fairies for a long time, so I understand... but this is the kind of laughter you get when you know the answer but dare to pretend you don't know.

　'I don't want to go on from here very much. My back is tingling. A vicious ward ... or should I say a curse?

　You're hiding something important...
　I mean, I'm here to see that important thing.

　-Shh, I don't see anything. Do you have it? -

　Yes. It's right in front of me.

　Mari threw a stone that had fallen.
　

　'A classic distraction.

　As Mari lightly waved her staff, a huge temple was revealed.
　The large, deep, dark entrance that greeted Mari looked like the mouth of a giant creature.

　''Haha I'm afraid of the double blindness.''

　Mari bypasses the entrance and walks to the wall about a hundred meters away from the entrance.
　In front of Mari's eyes is a nondescript, decaying wall.
　When Mari reached out her hand, the wall was indeed there.

　''It's an amazing skill to trick even your sense of touch.

　Mari threw the stone that was lying on the spot at the wall.
　The stone disappeared into the wall as if it were sucked in.

　Mari lightly tapped the wall with her staff.
　Then the wall disappeared in an instant.

　''Come on, let's go.''
　-Okay, okay.

　Mari walked into the temple.





　'Hmm, that stick is definitely suspicious. You're the one who shouldn't pull it out.

　Mari sees a mysterious stick enshrined in the deepest part of the temple.
　A magic circle has been carved throughout the temple. The stick that sticks in the center of the temple is obviously an important object.

　I wonder what it is. I have a ridiculous desire to pull it out, and a sense of abhorrence that I shouldn't pull it out. This is.........''
　-Yeah, it's a curse.

　Mari nodded in response to the fairy's response...

　He stabbed the dagger into his chest.

　The intense pain counteracted the curse that had been placed on Mari's body.

　''Huh, that's disgusting. It makes me want to vomit.''

　The guy who wants him to pull out a stick orders Mari to pull it out. At the same time, someone who doesn't want him to pull it out is ordering Mari not to. Two curses go round and round in Mari's mind.

　Eeeeeeeeeeeeee.

　Mari scattered vomit from her mouth to the floor.
　A headache that made her head feel like it was going to crack. The pain felt as if her whole body was being torn apart. A vomiting sensation that made my stomach twitch.

　 When was the last time I threw up?
　-It's been 500 years. -

　The fairy laughed in amusement.

　Mari crawled to the stick.
　The closer she got to the stick, the more discomfort she felt.

　But.........

　If you take him out, it's over!

　Mari pulled out the stick at once.
　Immediately, the discomfort that had been quickly pressing on her entire body disappeared.

　The defensive function of the temple disappeared, and also the things sealed there became free, so the curse on Mari by both sides disappeared.

　'Yeah, curses are meant to be put on, not cast.
　-But you've endured it well. Most people would have gone insane a thousand times. I'm impressed with your resistance to this monstrous curse.

　The curse that was pressing down on Mari was at a level that would make her go mad and die in an instant if she were an ordinary person.
　If Mari tried to reproduce that curse........

　At least 10 million people need to be sacrificed.

　-But it's not going to happen.

　That's right, the only thing in here is the soul. The body is in Adelunia, in what's called King Carnu's country?　Well, the seal over there was weathered and was about to be broken. Now that the soul has been broken, it's only a matter of time.

　Mari cowered her shoulders.
　If it were to wake up...

　It's not my problem. What's important is this.

　Mari shifted her gaze to the stick in her hand.
　Analyzing this stick that formed the core of the time stopping magic....

　Well, it's as close to magic as you can get.
　-I hope so.

　The fairy giggled in amusement.