Chapter 40: The First Magic Book
No such specialised profession as a magic swordsman existed in this world.
A warrior was simply a warrior, and a mage could only be a mage. Centuries of tradition had carved the boundaries between these paths in stone.
Therefore, for Norn and Eric, they could only choose one direction for their future growth, a decision that would define the rest of their lives.
However, neither of them seemed ready to make that choice immediately, and Kurtz could understand their hesitation perfectly.
To be honest, he was quite envious that both possessed genuine talents in both magic and martial skills. Although his own magical abilities had developed beyond theirs, if they truly managed to cultivate something resembling a Magi Swordsman's path, it would be a revolutionary breakthrough.
"Kurtz, there's something I want to discuss with you." Norn approached during their afternoon rest, his expression unusually serious.
"Sure, do you need me to step aside for privacy?"
Serie was still sitting beside him at this moment, carefully studying her own magical notes, so Kurtz made the offer out of courtesy.
"No need, this matter actually concerns Miss Serie as well."
Hearing that it involved her, Serie lifted her ancient eyes from her research, giving Norn her full attention.
"Actually, I want to compile the magic you taught us into a written book so that it can be properly passed down to future generations, but I don't know if you two would agree to me doing this?"
Norn chose his words carefully as he presented his request, clearly having thought this through extensively.
He had been planning this project ever since he first began learning magic, but he hadn't moved forward without the explicit consent of those who had taught him.
If Kurtz and Serie both opposed the idea, Norn would absolutely abandon it without question.
"A magic book?" Kurtz murmured thoughtfully, the concept stirring something in his memory.
Most magic in this era was passed down through direct master-disciple relationships, and the idea of systematic magical texts seemed almost nonexistent.
At least, Kurtz had never come across one during his time here.
However, Serie's following words corrected his assumption entirely.
"Magic books? That's actually quite a brilliant idea."
Serie's immediate recognition meant she must have encountered or at least heard of similar works before.
"Your people have them among the Elves?"
"No." Serie shook her head, her golden hair catching the afternoon light.
"Elf magic passes down entirely through oral tradition by our elders; we never deal with written magical texts. However, some other races, for the convenience of trade and diplomacy, will record their tribal magic in books to exchange for resources with other peoples."
This represented the primitive prototype of the earliest magical texts, a fascinating development Kurtz hadn't considered.
However, in this era, various races seemed to lack systematic recording methods; their approach was entirely pragmatic, based on which spells had high trade value and could be exchanged for the most resources.
It was essentially another sophisticated form of bartering, with knowledge as currency.
"What do you think about potential complications?"
Kurtz was genuinely worried about copyright disputes and territorial conflicts that might arise, concepts that might seem anachronistic but were very real concerns in this world.
If Norn's magic book contained Elven spells, it could easily cause diplomatic incidents or worse. After all, books had the potential for much wider circulation than oral teaching ever could.
"Recording your personal magic shouldn't present problems, but the precondition is that you must be willing to contribute these spells to the world freely."
Clearly, Serie shared similar concerns about the political ramifications.
What she cared about most was Kurtz's willingness to share all the magic he had created, spells that were uniquely his own innovations.
Magic represented the most precious commodity in this era, more valuable than gold or gems.
When various races commissioned the Dwarves to forge legendary weapons, they often used books containing magical knowledge as payment, a practice that seemed almost absurd on the surface.
Theoretically, offering magic books as payment to the magic-illiterate Dwarves could be considered quite strange, and might even cause confusion among the straightforward, practical-minded craftsmen.
However, the ultimate result was that the Dwarves consistently accepted this form of payment, recognizing its inherent value.
One could only imagine how incredibly valuable magical knowledge truly was in this world.
"I have no objections to this whatsoever. After all, magic itself only has meaning if it passes down to others. If it exists purely to satisfy my own ego, then my creation of these spells becomes meaningless."
His original motivation for creating magic had been simple: survival in this dangerous world. But after meeting Serie, it evolved into a desire for personal strength and mastery.
And now, Kurtz realized he harbored an additional dream that had grown within him over the past few weeks.
He wanted his magical innovations to be preserved and passed down through generations.
His initial plan had been to spend his entire lifetime teaching these spells to others, whether human, elf, or any other race, as long as they weren't malevolent, he would freely share the magic he had developed.
But Norn's thoughtful suggestion opened up entirely new possibilities for preserving and spreading that knowledge.
"Your ideals are quite noble," Serie observed, her tone making it genuinely unclear whether her words constituted praise or gentle mockery.
However, Kurtz chose to interpret it as genuine praise, taking her comment at face value.
But Serie's true meaning was more complex, half sarcasm, half genuine emotion at his naivety.
After all, for someone of her ancient perspective, magic was a special, almost sacred existence, and she didn't particularly wish for everyone in this world to possess magical abilities.
If Norn and Eric hadn't demonstrated such exceptional natural talents, she wouldn't have even agreed to Kurtz teaching them traditional Elven magic.
But for Kurtz's sake, she had no intention of expressing these reservations aloud.
"Then it's settled." Kurtz clapped Norn's shoulder encouragingly.
"If you encounter any problems during the compilation process, come find me immediately. We can start by documenting the most fundamental magical principles."
Norn and Eric could already skillfully master Kurtz's basic magical repertoire, whether Light Arrow techniques or elemental fire magic; they could cast them with reasonable competence.
This progress made him genuinely proud of their dedication and natural abilities.
Norn nodded with solemn determination, "I understand exactly what you mean, thank you, Master Kurtz. I thank you on behalf of all humanity for your selfless contribution to our future!"
"Wait until you become a renowned human powerhouse famous throughout this entire continent before making such grand declarations. For you and me right now, considering the distant future of the human race might be getting ahead of ourselves."
Kurtz replied with casual humor, though the sentiment touched him.
Mainly, Norn's formal declaration of representing all humans in this world caught him completely off guard with its sincerity.
"Yes, I understand." Norn nodded again, his resolve only strengthening.
Since departing from the village, this singular goal had consumed his thoughts and driven his actions.
Just then, Serie suddenly interjected with practical wisdom: "Don't forget to state the source and authorship of each spell clearly," she looked directly at Kurtz with meaningful emphasis.
"At minimum, let everyone who learns from this book know exactly who created the magic they're studying."
Serie couldn't bear the thought of people learning these innovative spells without even knowing Kurtz's name or acknowledging his creative contributions.
Kurtz burst into genuine laughter; he had indeed completely forgotten about that crucial detail.
To have one's name remembered and honored by future generations was naturally the secret dream of all individuals who hoped to leave a lasting mark on history.
And he was certainly no exception to that universal human desire.
Statues honoring heroes and saviors would eventually crumble and be forgotten as centuries passed.
But magical knowledge would endure far longer.
His only real concern was that his magical innovations might eventually become outdated and replaced by superior techniques, but that scenario lay at least a thousand years in the future.
Unless he somehow managed to achieve immortality, he would never witness such developments.
'Unless... he could live forever.'
Kurtz found himself suddenly enveloped by his own contemplative thoughts, lost in speculation about legacy and mortality, until Eric's enthusiastic interruption dragged his mind back to the present moment.
The golden-haired hunter had somehow crept closer during the conversation, now shouting with obvious excitement.
"Norn, you wouldn't be secretly studying advanced techniques behind my back, would you? I want to participate in this project too!"
"You?" Serie raised a skeptical eyebrow, her expression coolly amused.
"Let's discuss that possibility after you've actually mastered the basic Light Arrow spell; every single one of your attempts looks more like abstract art than functional magic."
Everyone burst into good-natured laughter at the accurate observation.
Eric's face flushed bright red with embarrassment: "Those were just... unfortunate accidents..."