After hearing what Amanises had to say, Noir would have set off fireworks with his tail if he could have.
He was finally going to learn magic.
’Finally!’
The little black dragon glanced at the golden sphere and smiled slightly. It wasn’t a big smile because he knows him all too well.
’It seems you’re useful; I’ll keep that in mind for the future.’
However, the golden sphere didn’t find that funny at all; it flashed several annoyed flashes, as if it were pouting—it had been expecting a thank-you.
What it didn’t know was that Noir isn’t the type to forget things quickly; he clearly remembers how grateful she was to him. He’s wonderful and very, very kind... The golden orb completely ignored him!
’And I swear he won’t thank you—I don’t have a chicken’s memory that I’d forget something like that.’
The golden orb flew toward Amanises like a misunderstood victim who had just suffered the greatest betrayal of its life.
’...’
His faithful companion’s impressive performance transfixed the little black dragon; if it weren’t for other circumstances, he would have believed it completely.
"Hahaha..." Amanises let out a soft chuckle and placed a book on the table. "You really are a one-of-a-kind dragon..."
She paused briefly and added:
"Take a few days off, and then we’ll start with the basics of human magic."
’Basics?’
’That sounds like she’s going to make me read for three days.’
’It’ll be worth it.’
Noir nodded, not attempting to hide his excitement.
’It doesn’t matter how long it takes.’
’If I can learn magic in the end... it’ll have been completely worth it.’
***
Three days passed peacefully—nothing out of the ordinary—except that the start of each day was a sight to behold: a beautiful blue sky with hints of purple.
Over these three days, Noir spent most of his time at home but also explored the surrounding area, devouring new plants, and, above all, trying to teach the little white wolf a thing or two.
Spoiler... It didn’t work.
It seemed as though it had teamed up with the golden sphere to make his life a living hell.
’If this is how my so-called friends are... I don’t even want to imagine what they’d be like as enemies.’
On the second day, the pup tried to catch a butterfly made entirely of mana.
The butterfly vanished.
The pup ended up with its head against a tree.
"..."
Noir watched the scene for several seconds.
’You were definitely born to be an excellent hunter.’
The little wolf let out an indignant growl and shook his head, as if absolutely nothing had happened.
The golden sphere, of course, circled the puppy several times, celebrating the moment with unnecessary enthusiasm.
"You’re not helping."
During those days, Noir also discovered that the Amanises’ house was much larger on the inside than it appeared from the outside.
There were rooms filled with books.
Others were crammed with bottles containing liquids of impossible colors.
He even found a room where small spheres made of different elements floated slowly around the ceiling.
One was made of fire.
Another was made of water.
Another seemed to contain a small bolt of lightning that continuously traveled through its interior.
Noir spent nearly an hour looking at them.
’How unfair.’
’I want a room like that.’
However curious he was, he never touched anything. Those objects gave off a feeling too ancient to handle out of mere curiosity.
"I didn’t expect you to be so cautious."
Amanises’ calm voice came from the doorway.
Noir turned his head.
"I’m curious, not suicidal."
The woman smiled slightly.
"That’s an important distinction."
At dawn on the fourth day, Amanises called Noir to the small garden behind the house.
It was a simple place.
Just a wide open space covered in white grass, where mana snow fell slowly among the crystalline trees.
Noir walked toward the center.
The pup wanted to go with him, too.
But it had barely taken two steps...
Amanises calmly pointed to a nearby rock.
"You wait there."
The little wolf nodded. Then he walked obediently over to the rock and sat down.
Noir raised an eyebrow.
’...He pays less attention to me.’
The golden sphere descended until it rested on one of his horns.
’We’ll begin today.’
Noir immediately straightened his beautiful body. His red eyes shone with an emotion he couldn’t hide.
Amanises took a few steps around the little dragon before stopping in front of him.
"Before you learn human magic... You must understand something. Magic does not belong to any one race."
"..."
The little dragon blinked; that wasn’t what he had expected to hear firsthand.
Amanises continued calmly.
"Dragons, humans, elves, giants... we all use the same foundation."
Noir tilted his head slightly.
"The same Concepts?"
She nodded.
"Exactly. It all began with the Concepts: fire, water, life, death, light, darkness, and many more. Each Concept has a True Word."
Noir nodded without much surprise; it was something he already knew perfectly well, since the Golden Dragon Chrysola had taught it to him.
Amanises raised a finger.
"The difference isn’t in the magic... It’s in us."
A small magical circle appeared in the air; it was complex yet beautiful, like a connection among several stars.
"Dragons are born with the ability to speak directly through a Word."
The circle disappeared. In its place, dozens of small, floating runes appeared.
"Humans don’t..."
The runes began to come together, forming a much more complex structure.
"The human race was never able to speak directly to the world. So they found another way."
Noir looked at the runes with fascination. But when he heard Amanises speak, he knew she wasn’t human because of the way she referred to them... yet he didn’t think much of it.
"The runes?"
"Runes, magic circles, and more. Each rune represents a fragment of the meaning of a True Word."
Amanises paused briefly and continued:
"None of them possesses power on its own, but when enough fragments are combined correctly..."
The runes ended up forming a perfect circle. And a small flame appeared above it.
"...The world understands the spell’s intent."
Noir’s eyes widened. He realized just how complex it was.
"So... humans don’t speak a Word... they write it?"
Amanises smiled for the first time during the explanation.
"Exactly. Humans don’t talk to the world; they convince it."
Noir remained completely still. He quite liked that phrase and understood why dragons were called "the beloved of magic" in various novels he had read.
’Dragons speak... Humans persuade... It’s far less elegant... But it’s also quite ingenious.’
Amanises continued.
"That is why human spells require preparation. Runes, magic circles, formations, catalysts. These are all different ways of approaching a Word that they can never utter directly."
"..."
Noir immediately recalled the time he used the Dragon Language; he had said just one word.
Fire.
And the result had been devastating.
Whereas a human... needed to build an entire language around that very same word.
’Unbelievable!!’
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