When Celeste came back from her adventure through the farm, Anna had already finished her breakfast and was reading a magical Book.
[You have started without me?]
Celeste's voice took Anna out of her concentration on the textbook.
[Oh, you have come back, good] Anna spoke, closing her book.
She was curious to know what exactly the farm's situation was.
[You shouldn't study magic without me. I'm here to be your teacher after all.]
Was Celeste that angry only because she was reading a beginner's book?
[I was just reading as a pastime. The other Anna had already read that book anyway.] Anna responded.
She wanted to go to the important conversation, Celeste's tantrum about that damn book was getting on her nerves.
[I know that she had already read the book, and because of that, I also know that this book has nothing to teach you]
Okay, Anna had to give in; Celeste clearly wouldn't stop talking about that book.
[Alright, from now on, I will read only what you give me to read. Is that good, master?]
Celeste could see the condescending tone in the way Anna had said 'master', but for now, the guardian was satisfied.
[So, what is the farm's situation? Could you get a picture?] Anna asked, trying to change the conversation to what matters for her now.
[Yes, and it is not good.] Celeste started to explain.
The lack of workers had taken the farm to an even more precarious situation than Anna remembered from the other Anna's memories.
This season's coffee harvest was almost lost.
Without proper care during the growth period, the coffee beans that cold be harvest would be of poor quality. They wouldn't get to a good price.
Her father would probable would probably spend more on the harvest than the coffee beans would be worth.
On the other hand, if he didn't harvest the coffee beans, the result could be even more disastrous. Creating the risk of him losing the entire plantation.
[The situation is even worse than I imagined.] Anna couldn't hide the preoccupation in her face. [Your father has no option; the harvest needs to be done.]
Anna knew that, too, but this would leave her father with an even greater debt.
[We need to think about how to aggregate value to our coffee. Some way that would make even a low-quality bean make a good price.]
Anna spoke, but nothing came to her mind.
[Selling a product made of coffee, instead of the coffee beans. Can't you think of something from your old world that could be adapted to this new world?]
Celeste suggested, but Anna couldn't think of anything, at least not something that could be done without spending more money.
After some time of silence, Celeste added a piece of information that helped put things in motion.
[The plantation has been without care for so long that healing herbs have started to grow between the coffee trees.] The guardian spoke carelessly.
[What? Why didn't you tell me this earlier?]
Anna couldn't believe Celeste had thought that this wasn't important information.
[There are only low-quality herbs; they will not make a good price either.]
Celeste completed the information, trying to defend herself.
Low-quality coffee beans and low-quality healing herbs. Could Anna create some high-quality products with that?
Low-quality healing herbs could only produce low-quality healing potions, she searched in the other Anna's memory, trying to remember what made that kind of potion inferior.
All she could remember was that low-quality potions made the healing process very slow. They also had gross taste.
[If we mixed the healing potion with coffee syrup, would it retain its healing properties?] Anna questioned Celeste.
[I have no idea, why do you think I would have the answer?] For some reason, Celeste was outraged.
[Aren't you my magic master?] Anna asked, teasing her Guardian.
[Potion making isn't really magic.] Celeste was, apparently, slow to understand when she was being teased. [Anyway, why would you mix a healing potion with coffee syrup?]
Anna then explained her idea.
The coffee syrup would have a high dose of caffeine, then the person who takes it would feel a momentary relief from the symptoms of their illness. This would give time to the healing potion to take effect.
That, together with the improved flavor that the coffee syrup would provide, would eliminate the two disadvantages that a low-quality potion had, in relation to more expensive ones.
[This is a good plan, I wouldn't expect anything less from my pupil.]
Anna didn't know if Celeste was being sarcastic when she called her pupil, but she was happy with the Guardian's compliment anyway.
[We can research the details of how to prepare healing potions later, but there's one step I know will require magic.] Celeste switched into Magic Instructor mode.
Anna wasn't dissatisfied; she was actually eager to start learning real magic.
[To make healing potions, you'll need holy water. First, summon water, then apply sacred light to it. It'll be an excellent exercise to begin your training. But first, we need to pass through the basics.]
Celeste then started to explain some basic magic concepts.
She began by revisiting the earlier interrupted explanation about the restrictions people in that world had on using magic, and how this no longer applied to Anna.
Everyone in that world was born with their access to magic blocked. Then, when they turned sixteen, the age considered the beginning of adulthood, they would all undergo the baptism ceremony.
During the baptism, the restrictions imposed at birth would be partially lifted, or in some very rare cases, completely removed.
The restriction governed access to the eight schools of magic:
The Elemental: Water, Fire, Air, and Earth;
The non-elemental: Time and Gravity;
And finally, the spiritual: Light and Darkness.
The most common schools were the Elemental ones. Everyone ended up with at least one element of high compatibility, while maintaining some low compatibility with the remaining three.
Those who developed high compatibility with multiple elements were known as: Duo-Elemental Magi, Tri-Elemental Magi, and Quad-Elemental Magi.
Quad-Elemental Magi were exceptionally rare and highly prized.The remaining four schools always came in paired sets. Thus:
All Non-Elemental Magi could master both Gravity and Time;
All Spiritual Magi could master both Light and Darkness.
Non-Elemental Magi were exceptionally rare, typically numbering only five to ten individuals per generation.
The number who could truly master these schools and become Archmage in those disciplines was even smaller. Currently, the entire empire has only three Non-Elemental Archmages.
The spiritual schools were the most common among commoners and were therefore not highly valued by noble families.
The Church held the authority to conscript any spiritual magic user into the clergy. As a result, most Spiritual Magi belonged to the clergy, with only rare exceptions.
If a Spiritual Magi came from a noble and influential family, they could leverage political connections to prevent the Church from claiming one of their members.
This system meant the clergy was predominantly composed of commoners and lesser nobles.
A notable exception existed in the Paladins, high nobility knights who chose to align themselves with the Church. However, the Paladin Order had essentially become a separate branch of the Church by this time.
The vast majority of people developed only a low affinity in two or three schools, typically elemental ones. Those with low spiritual affinity were rare, and no recorded case existed of anyone possessing low non-elemental affinity.
While these individuals weren't considered true Magi, their limited magic still held value in society, unless they were nobility.
A noble family's status depended entirely on magical prowess. Thus, someone with only low affinity, unworthy of even being called a Magi, could never be recognized as nobility.
There were rare exceptions of nobles who lacked magical aptitude, but most were swiftly disinherited.
The final and most exceptional case was those with affinity for all eight schools of magic—the Octa-Magi, also known as Archmages from birth.
Octa-Magi were so rare that only one or two appeared per generation. There were no recorded cases of an Octa-Magi who did not eventually become an Archmage.
Their power was absolute; none of the world's magical restrictions applied to them. The only limits they faced were their imagination and their mana pool.
[You said this world's restrictions don't apply to me. Does that mean I'm an Octa-Magi?] Anna asked, brimming with excitement.
[Yes and no.] The answer made no sense to her.
Celeste saw the confusion on the girl's face and elaborated.
In practice, Anna was an Octa-Magi; she could wield any magic she desired, limited only by her imagination and energy. But it went even further.
Anna's understanding of nature was fundamentally different from that world's inhabitants.
She had an entire periodic table at her disposal, while they were confined to an antiquated system of four elements and their variants.
Their grasp of time and space resembled Newtonian physics, Anna had studied quantum mechanics and relativity.
[So I could basically become a goddess in this world?] Anna knew that probably wasn't the case.
[Let's not get ahead of ourselves,] Celeste reeled her back to reality.
["If you tried manipulating the atomic structure of a single grain of sand and something went wrong, you might trigger a nuclear explosion capable of leveling this entire manor."]
Anna finally understood how having no restrictions could be terrifyingly dangerous. Perhaps this was exactly why someone had imposed those limitations in the first place.
[So where do I begin?] Anna was already itching to start using magic.
[While you don't technically need them, we'll start with incantations,] Celeste said, gesturing to a basin. [Your first task: produce holy water. First, summon water to fill this basin. The incantation is: 'Aqua Surge.']
Anna straightened up and immediately recited: "Aqua Surge."
Nothing happened.
[I hadn't finished explaining,] Celeste chided. [Why would you attempt magic without listening? Patience.]
Anna could already tell Celeste would be a strict teacher.
[Focus on your mana flow first, then recite the incantation, slowly. This reduces early mistakes.]
This time, Anna obeyed. She concentrated on her "mana flow", though she barely understood what that meant. She simply focused, searching for any strange sensations in her body.
It worked. A peculiar pulsation emerged from her stomach, spreading through her limbs. She couldn't explain how she knew, but this was her mana core.
Now attuned to the flow, she recited again, calmly, as instructed: "Aqua Surge."
A tiny water sphere materialized between her palms. She felt her mana surging toward her hands, siphoned by the sphere, until she lost control, and it dissipated.
[Good. You're on the right path. Keep trying.]
Three failed attempts later, she finally stabilized the sphere enough to fill the basin.
[Splendid. Now do it again.]
Before Anna could protest, the water she'd struggled to summon vanished. Celeste's stern glare silenced her complaints.
Only after Anna successfully refilled the basin four consecutive times did Celeste nod in approval.
[Next incantation: 'Lux Purificat.']
Anna repeated the process. This time, the mana felt different, like bathing in dawn's first sunlight rather than floating down a calm river.
She mastered it instantly.
[Light Magic is clearly your Mater School. Flawless execution.]
But Anna had no time to bask in praise. Her body swayed dangerously.
[You've exhausted your mana. Bed. Now.]
Anna barely touched the pillow before collapsing into sleep. She awoke hours later to Benta shaking her shoulder; dinner preparations awaited.