32 Arcane 101 I

"Say, what are you reading?" Lupus asked, her fingers tracing the edge of the book in Jack's hands.

"Oh… Well, since the last time we spoke. I'm still trying to learn more about the arcane," Jack replied, his enthusiasm bubbling to the surface.

Lupus chuckled softly, an amused glint in her upturned eyes as she watched his excitement. "You've outdone yourself, my esteemed Novitcius," she praised, her voice carrying a cheerful lilt.

"Thanks!"

"Tell me more!" Lupus looked at him with dreamy eyes.

"Okay… The arcane system is based on essence…" Jack continued, his finger skimming over a diagram of a large circle with smaller circles along its radius. "And there's a word here… 'Slot'? I don't quite understand that yet."

The term echoed a conversation he'd overheard between Willhelm and Lupus back at House Tasmania.

A slow, anticipatory smile spread across Lupus's face. "Oh, my student," she purred, running a finger over her plump lips. "Now is the time to pay you back…"

"Pay me back?" Jack stammered, a frown creasing his brow. Is she trying out her eldest sister's seduction tactic? His heart hammered against his ribs.

Her finger traced a slow path from her lips to the page of the book. "Yes," she murmured, her voice a low purr. "I still owe you a lesson. Remember?"

Oh. That. Relief washed over him, cutting through his wild thoughts. "Well, with your expedition, I just figured you were busy. I understand."

She shook her head, her gaze holding his. "Speak your mind, Jackie. Would you like me to teach you?"

"Please!" He replied eagerly, shuffling closer so she could see the book properly.

"Ahem! So, our arcane system comprises two separate entities: essence and slots. You already know that, right?"

When Jack nodded, she continued, "Well, let's see… um… ah!" She hesitated, struggling to find the right words. Teaching had never been her strong suit; this was the first time she had ever tried to explain arcane concepts to anyone.

Seeing his furrowed brows, she offered a sheepish smile.

"Wait! It's better if I show you!" Lupus eventually suggested, lifting a finger. "Now, extend your hand."

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Jack obeyed, his confusion only growing.

"Repeat after me and focus on your fingertip. Epopteia!" she commanded.

"Epopteia?" Jack echoed, stumbling over the unfamiliar pronunciation.

Lupus gestured for him to try again. As their fingertips touched, they chanted in unison.

"Epopteia!"

A blue glow enveloped them. Glyphs floated into the air, twirling like ethereal butterflies.

"Wow!" Jack gasped, his eyes reflecting the mesmerising lights.

An image formed in his mind — not on a HUD screen before him, but imprinted directly onto his thoughts. Against a dark canvas, glowing lines and symbols appeared, mirroring the glyph circles and their accompanying slots depicted in the book.

"How many do you see? The small circles around the edge?" Lupus asked.

"I counted… four. Wait!" A detail snagged his attention. "There's something inside them."

Lupus chuckled. "Those circles are slots. They're an innate trait; we're all born with a fixed number of them. The highborns tend to inherit more. In my case, I have four."

"Okay…" Jack mused, processing the concept. Before he could ask about their purpose, Lupus interjected.

"Inside the slots, I can place essences. Each essence is different. Think of them as spell types. Got it?"

Jack raised a brow. "So, essence is like a skill, and you need to equip it in a slot to use it?"

"Aha!" She nodded, pleased.

He rubbed his chin. "So in your case, you can only have four spells at a time?"

"Correct! Here, look." Lupus directed his focus, and Jack instinctively knew where to look in his mind's eye. A green essence, containing a pink, blooming lotus, pulsed with light. "This one is Iasis."

"A healing spell?" Jack guessed.

Lupus nodded. "Then there's Magnetos, Phoros, and Lagoskinesis!"

She explained that Magnetos functioned as a barrier generator against solid objects and close-combat weapons, while Phoros was particularly effective against projectiles.

The last one caught his attention. The essence had intricate designs along its edges and was noticeably larger than the others.

"Lagoskinesis?" Jack remarked, noting the silver tuft contained within a white orb. "It looks oddly cute, like a furball."

"Hehe, thanks! That's my passive essence. All Hoffmanns are born with it," she said, averting her gaze. "But, um… mine is Epic," she added, a flicker of embarrassment replacing what should have been pride.

"What does it do?"

"I think it just makes us stronger and more agile, fufufu."

"And you mentioned it being Epic. What exactly does that mean?"

Lupus smiled patiently. "Well, essences are classified by quality. The higher the quality, the stronger or more effective the spell."

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