Chapter Two "Modern Magecraft and Magic Ritual"
Henrietta De Tristain anxiously paced around her room. She wondered what had caused Duchesse de La Vallière to use the secret codes normally reserved for matters related to the national security of Tristain. The Duchess in her letters had been very secretive and said the matter was so important that they needed to talk in person.
The most curious thing had been that the Duchess' secret message had arrived not much more than an hour ago and written inside had been the notice that she would arrive anytime when Henrietta had received the message.
"Princess," Said Agnès Chevalier de Milan, the captain of Henrietta's personal guards, as she knocked on the door to the Princess's room. "Duchesse de La Vallière, is here to meet you."
"Agnes, please let Duchesse Valliere in." Henrietta replied calmly.
"Of course."
As the door opened to reveal her expected visitor, Henrietta was surprised by Duchess Valliere's appearance. Karin looked as if she was in her early twenties, instead of her real age of late forties. Henrietta frowned as she wondered if her memories were failing her. She swore that Karin looked a decade younger than she last remembered. Maybe it was the makeup that made Karin look younger?
"Please forgive me, Princess!" Karin shouted as she got down onto her knees. "I didn't mean to deceive you, but this was the fastest way for me to meet you."
Before Henrietta could ask what Karin meant, the Duchess changed before her. It was not an eye-catching or shocking transformation. The most obvious change that happened before Henrietta was the rapid shrinking of Karin's large breasts. What surprised her the most was the subtle change to Karin's facial features. Henrietta was incredibly confused when Karin started to look more like her youngest daughter.
"Why would Duchess Valliere take the appearance of Louise…?" Henrietta thought in confusion.
"I, Louise Valliere, your humble servant, apologize for deceiving you." The transformed woman spoke in a loud voice.
It finally clicked in Henrietta's mind why 'Karin' had asked for forgiveness.
"Is that you, Louise?!" Henrietta asked in amazement as Louise looked much older than she had expected Louise to be.
"That is correct, Princess." Louise nodded her head.
Henrietta stared at the kneeling Louise with great interest. It had been little over 2 years if she remembered correctly since she had last seen Louise, but Louise seemed to have undergone a drastic transformation. Not just physically, but mentally. A transformation both in body and mind that completely contrasted with the intelligence reports gathered by the Tristain Royal Family intelligence network about her childhood friend.
If Henrietta recalled correctly, Louise was supposed to be a hot-tempered young girl, whose physical appearance matched more a child several years younger than her actual age. In fact, she saw the opposite in physical appearance and personality from what Henrietta had read in her intelligence reports regarding Louise.
For a moment, Henrietta wondered if what she had read had been all fake or if Louise had only hidden herself so well that the person before her was the real Louise? If her hypothesis were correct then Henrietta could only guess how Louise had hidden her true physical appearance. It was not as simple as wearing makeup as the infamous Zero was known to a flat-chested girl pre-teen compared to a fully matured woman standing before Henrietta.
Wait a moment… Henrietta said to herself as she recalled something she had read in her family's history.
Henrietta's eyes widened as she looked at the kneeling Louise. Gears started to churn inside Henrietta's mind. She was reminded of several special periods of her family's history and the bonds that her mother had with Louise's mother, Karin.
"Louise have you been hiding your true self these past years since our days as playmates?" Henrietta inquired curiously.
When Henrietta saw Louise lift her head with a surprised look that confirmed Henrietta's suspicion. She didn't know how Louise had hidden her fully matured body, but the intelligence report about Louise had all been faked. The real Louise Valliere was an intelligence and cunning woman, who had deceived everyone for years.
"How… did you… know…?" Louise responded with a conflicted expression.
The response Henrietta got sealed the deal. She was completely convinced that Louise had been basically deceiving everyone and likely would have continued with the deception if it wasn't for the urgent matter that Louise sought her out. Suddenly, the question whether or not her mother or Karin knew about Louise's deception came to mind. It didn't seem far-fetched to say that they actually knew and kept it a secret from her. After all, the greatest deception was one that fooled even close allies.
"Please excuse my curiosity about why you seem different from your infamous reputation as Zero." Said Henrietta as she smiled. "Please tell me what is so important that you pretended to your mother to meet me."
Henrietta watched in amazement as Louise performed more "unsanctioned" or "heretical" magic that was not accepted by the Brimiric Church. Magic that could be done without the use of wands, commonly known as Elven Magic and thought only to be used exclusively by elves.
"Excuse me for not replying immediately. I needed to make sure that no one was eavesdropping on us." Louise explained her actions as she looked at Henrietta. "I requested this urgent meeting because I managed to get my hands on a solution that doesn't require your Highness to sacrifice yourself for the country." A book appeared in Louise's hand and she placed it on the table before Henrietta. "Please take a look inside. The knowledge inside should allow Tristain to be able to defend itself without having to rely on foreign aid."
The princess grabbed a book randomly and looked at it. When she opened the book, Henrietta was surprised by several things. The first thing that caught Henrietta's attention was how white it was. It was white as snow, and another unusual thing was how even the color the white was. Not a single spot seemed darker or lighter than any other part of the page.
The next thing that caught her eye was the texture of the paper. Henrietta ran her hands over the paper. It was incredibly smooth, smoother than any paper she had ever touched.
Her eyes were drawn to the letters. Not what the letters that grouped together to form words, but the ink printed. The printing was too consistent in the amount of ink applied and shape of each letter. It was as if the paper had been imprinted with a flawless printing press that would be the holy grail of those in the printing business.
Whether or not it was the paper itself or the ink used, not even the finest paper or printing equipment bought with money or connections that the Tristain Royal Family could compare to the paper and printing in her hands.
"Man, I should have expected this. That was how I reacted too when I saw modern printing or paper for the first time. Looks like I have gotten so used to it that I took it for granted." Louise grumbled in a quiet voice, so quietly that Henrietta nearly didn't hear her, at Henrietta's reaction.
"What do you mean by that Louise? Do you know where to get paper like this or a printing press to make such precise and consistent printing?" Henrietta asked excitedly as she thought of the possibilities of what she could do with such fine paper and an excellent printing press. All of which would benefit her family and the Tristain.
"I will answer those questions another time." Louise sighed. "The reason why I came is the knowledge contained inside the book. Please have a look inside."
Henrietta was about to refute Louise and tell her that the paper and the printing method was much more important than any amount of information inside a book when a couple of words caught her attention. Without her knowing it, she lost herself in the contents of the book. Time soon lost all meaning.
"How was it?" Louise asked as Henrietta finished reading the last page.
"This is incredible! It upturns everything I know about magic. If I am able to learn and use a fraction of what is inside this book my magic would improve so much!" Henrietta shouted excitedly as she imagined all the possibilities she could do with her newfound knowledge.
"The correct term is Magecraft," Said Louise with a smile. "That book is called Modern Magecraft 101 for a reason."
"Magecraft? Why not call it Magic?" Henrietta asked in a confused tone.
"Magic, or more accurately True Magic, is something not possible by humans. This is because…"
Henrietta looked at Louise in anticipation for what "True Magic" was when Louise stopped talking. This confused Henrietta as she was wondering what True Magic was capable of if it was not categorized as magecraft, recalling the miraculous and never seen magecraft described in the book that Henrietta had just read.
"Forget it," Louise shook her head. "True Magic isn't something that you need to know of at this point. I will tell you when I think it is the right time. I didn't come here to explain why True Magic is." She looked at Henrietta with a smile. "What do you think if we were to spread the contents of that book around Tristain?"
The political training that Henrietta had received as part of her royal upbringing manifested. Discounting the fact that the knowledge within the book she had read would be accused by the Church as heretical, it was far ahead of anything that Henrietta knew. She wouldn't be surprised if the knowledge that she had just obtained were centuries ahead of what was currently available.
If the knowledge of the book she had just read were to spread throughout her country then Tristain would greatly benefit, militarily and economically as newer and more efficient methods to use magic was developed from the knowledge within the book, Modern Magecraft 101 by Waver Velvet.
"Tristain would benefit greatly from the knowledge of this book," Henrietta nodded. "You have done a great service to the country with this contribution."
"I am honored to help my country in any way," Said Louise in a happy tone. "What I just showed was the tip of the iceberg. I have much more to show you. For this demonstration I will require someone that you trust to keep a secret."
"Agnes!" Henrietta called out loudly.
"Yes, your Highness?" Agnes replied as she opened the door and entered the room. "What may I do for you?"
"Louise asked for someone that I can trust. That is why I called you." Henrietta explained before turning to Louise. "So why did you need someone I could trust?"
"I want to conduct an experiment and a volunteer was needed," Said Louise as she noticed Henrietta's unhappy look. "I promise that no serious harm will come to Agnes. The worst to happen can range anything from a cold to minor injuries."
Henrietta let out a sigh. She had been worried that whatever Louise had planned would have had more risks than what she had heard. The princess glanced at Agnes. A firm nod was all that Henrietta needed to know.
"What kind of experiment are you conducting?" Henrietta asked curiously.
Louise smiled. "I have spent many years gathering the knowledge and conducting countless experiments for this. If my hypothesis is right then the result of this test will have a greater impact than the knowledge contained within Modern Magecraft 101." She said proudly. Louise turned to and stared at Agnes. "You have one chance to change your mind. Are you willing to volunteer?"
"No, I am Princess Henrietta's sword and shield. I will do anything to protect her happiness and life." Agnes replied in a solemn tone.
"Please wait while I make some preparations for the magic ritual." Louise spoke as she started to draw a magic circle.
"What do you think she is trying to do, your Highness?" Agnes asked as she joined Henrietta's side.
Henrietta glanced at Agnes whilst still keeping one eye on Louise. "I have some idea of what Louise is doing, and that was only thanks to the new book that Louise let me read." She answered the captain of her royal guards. "From what I can see it involves imbuing the five elements into something. Since Louise asked you to be a volunteer, it is likely you."
"I am willing to do whatever it takes if it ensures Tristain's prosperity and your happiness," Said Agnes in a proud tone. "But can Louise be trusted? She has shown that she is willingly to commit high crimes with her act in pretending to be Duchess Valliere. Who knows what more crimes she will do to ensure her goals?"
"Chevalier Agnes," Said Henrietta in a very formal tone, which made Agnes shiver as the time and the usage of Agne's formal title meant that Henrietta was furious. "You have the right to be suspicious of Louise as it is duty to ensure my safety, but NEVER bring up the idea that Louise would ever do anything to harm me. She is the most loyal friend I know, and I refuse to be told that Louise would ever betray me."
"Understood," Agnes nodded quickly and made a mental note never to do anything that may be perceived as insulting Louise before Henrietta.
Henrietta returned her full attention to observing Louise's work. She continued to watch in fascination. The magic, or "magecraft" as Louise and the book called it, was unlike anything she had ever seen. Every moment Louise worked on whatever magic ritual she was preparing the more Henrietta learned about magecraft.
Her opinion that Modern Magecraft was centuries ahead of the magic commonly taught and practiced solidified. Henrietta started to notice that what Louise did would have normally required several fold more effort, time and resources with currently used magic. If Louise was a small-scale example then if Tristain was to replace the magic it currently practiced with the teachings of modern magecraft the economic capacity would grow beyond two-fold while reducing the wasted manpower, resources and time. The military capability would similarly undergo a drastic transformation.
"It's done," Said Louise as she wiped away the sweat from her brows after nearly an hour of preparation work. "All you need to do is step into the magic circle, Chevalier Agnes."
"Please call me Agnes, Miss Valliere," Agnes replied as she made her way to the newly constructed magic circle.
"Then you can do the same, call me by my first name." Louise spoke with a friendly smile. "If this test works like I had planned you are in for a huge surprise."
Agnes stood in the magic circle while Louise made her way to Henrietta's side.
"Can you give me a small hint of what you're trying to achieve?" Henrietta asked Louise.
Louise smiled mysteriously. "You will have to wait and see." She turned to Agnes. "Relax. The more tense you're then more likely the test will fail."
If it had been another person, they would have tensed up in response to Louise's words. Agnes relaxing showed that she was no ordinary woman with nerves of steel. She even had thought of smiling as if to tell Henrietta that there was no need to worry.
"This may hurt a bit, but please endure it. I promise you that you will love the results if the test goes as planned." Said Louise as slammed her hands together then dropped them onto the edge of the magic circle beneath her.
Light shone and it rapidly became so bright that Henrietta had to shield her eyes. The blinding light lasted for a while, but Henrietta could detect an immense amount of magical energy coming from where the magic circle was located. It was so much magical energy that Henrietta worried for Agnes despite Louise's prior assurances.
"What is this energy?! I feel so powerful!" Agnes shouted in a shocked tone.
"Agnes are you okay?!" Princess Henrietta asked in a concerned tone as she rushed towards Agnes.
Louise grabbed Henrietta's arm and warned the princess, "You mustn't go. Agnes is still undergoing the last part of her transformation."
"Transformation?" Henrietta repeated in a stunned tone. She looked at Agnes to see what Louise meant by 'transformation' and to her confusion saw nothing unusual beside Agnes' invigorated state.
What Louise meant soon became apparent when Henrietta witnessed something that she never thought was possible. Agnes, who by her own admission had no noble blood, did something that many maturing nobles took nearly a year of training. Traces of ember, water droplets, a slight breeze and light trembles from the ground were all sure signs that magic was being used, despite how weak it was.
"What did you do?" Henrietta asked in disbelief despite what her mind told her as she stared at Louise.
"Hmmphmm… My hypothesis was right. My homeworld might not have Divine Spirits with the passing of the Age of Gods, but magic never declined here as it did on Earth. So, the average humans here has more and better quality Magic Circuits compared to the declining quantity and quality of Magic Circuits of Earth's humans. If Agnes is not an outlier and a common factor then my plans…" Louise muttered to herself while not knowing that she was being carefully observed by Henrietta.
"What are you muttering about?" Henrietta asked.
"Argh!" Louise shouted in surprise as she snapped out of her musing when she realized that there were other people in the room.
"Could you explain what is going? Cause I don't think what I am seeing is possible." Agnes added in her own question.
Henrietta nodded in agreement while keeping one eye on Agnes. The captain of her royal guard under normal circumstances was a very calm and confident woman who was rarely surprised by anything, but she was clearly not her usual self, given how nervous she was. Agnes' reaction didn't shock Henrietta. If she were in the same shoes and didn't possess the education reserved exclusively for nobles, Henrietta would likely react the same way as Agnes.
"Of course, I would be happy to explain," Said Louise with a smile. "You probably have guessed that you might have been able to use magic, and your guess was right."
"Impossible!?" Agnes shouted in disbelief.
"Are you certain?" Louise asked in a mysterious tone. "All you need to do is look around you to see for yourself. While minuscule even compared to Dot-level magic, you are showing the ability to control the elements of air, water, earth and fire."
From the sideline, Henrietta watched in fascination at Agnes subconscious use of magic. The level of magic that Agnes was performing was nothing impressive. Any half-baked noble with any amount of magic training could do the same thing. It was the fact someone that shouldn't be able to use magic that astonished Henrietta.
Gears quickly turned in her mind. If the book on Modern Magecraft had been the iron age that allowed humanity to explosively advance from primitive farmers, then the magic ritual Louise had to give Agnes the ability to use magic would be akin to the invention of steel that changed every part of human society. If even a fraction of Tristain's population of commoners were given the ability to use magic, it would greatly boost Tristain's economy and military.
"I cannot be using magic," Said Agnes in denial. "Besides those stripped of their nobility and their descendants, the thing that separates commoners and nobles is the ability to use magic. If all it took was one magic ritual, then the current society that has been in place since the Founder's time would have collapsed long ago."
"The magic ritual I used or something similar might have existed for a long time but was successfully suppressed by the Church. This may be why no one knows it exists. It wouldn't be the first time the Brimiric Church had done something like that in the name of the Founder." Louise replied in a snark tone.
Denial nearly slipped out of Henrietta's lips before she narrowly able to stop her subconscious response took place. A habit drilled into her as her upbringing as a princess and to protect the reputation of Tristainan Royal Family's greatest supporter, the Brimiric Church. There was no point in denying Louise's accusations when they were true and Louise was someone that she greatly trusted.
Henrietta took a deep breath and spoke up, "Whether or not knowledge of the magic ritual was suppressed is not important." She shook her head. "I want to know about the limits of the magic ritual. Can it work on everyone or certain people?"
A smile that grew on Louise's face unsettled both Henrietta and Agnes. What they heard Louise say next shocked them to the core and left them unable to think for several hours.