Prismatic Education Begins With A Spark 27 (MTG/Multicross)

Prismatic Education 27

As I was looking out the window at the port scenery, there was a knock at the door. I had to stop myself from sending Lyric to answer it. Who knows how the locals would react to the sight of an inkling.

“Come in.” I called, then turned around. 

Two people entered, one of which I recognized from before. It was the stowaway blond teen, and he was still giving me a respectful gaze. The other was unmistakably a god, thanks to the otherworldly feel he had about him and the practically perfect features. The god had a long robe draped around him, hanging from one shoulder and leaving the other bare. More distinctly, he had wavy blond hair that went all the way down to his shoulders, but his was more brilliant than his companion’s.

In my short time in Melen, the port town where the ship had docked, I had encountered a few of these beings calling themselves gods and goddesses, and apart from the sensation of restrained divine power, their behavior left much to be desired. News of my actions had leaked out to the populace, and I had several of them come looking for me, hoping to get me to join their familia like poaching a star athlete for their sports team. I bluntly rejected all of them so far, but they were persistent, so recently I had been using Invisibility to hide and make my way around the place. It would have been worse if not for the Zeus Familia running interference.

Though I’m not surprised that the kid managed to realize that I came back here after pretending to leave. Practically stalking, I’d say. “Hello, may I know who I’m speaking to?”

The handsome god smiled, gesturing to himself. “My name is Baldr, and I’m here not to ask you to join my familia like many of my fellow deities, but to thank you.”

“Thank me?” I echoed. Baldr… I think I read about that name before, not as part of this setting, but somewhere else. Similarities across planes?

Baldr laid a hand on the teen’s shoulder. “If not for your help against the Leviathan, I fear Leon would not have returned alive.”

“I wouldn’t die that easily,” The teen grumbled, shrugging off his hand.

“I think the other fighters there would have defeated the Leviathan on their own,” I commented, “But I’ll accept that thanks.” 

Since they were polite enough, I decided to play the gracious host and invite them to join me for tea, which they accepted. In a show of magical ability, I cast Unseen Servant and had it handle the preparations, watching their reactions as a teakettle and cups were brought over, while I took out a packet of herb tea, one of Nivali’s farewell gifts to me. Baldr had an expression of quiet curiosity, while Leon showed undisguised interest.

As the Servant held the kettle over the ball of fire I conjured, I spoke up. “Is it really that odd to see my magic?”

“Of course it is!” Leon burst out, “How can you cast so many spells?”

Baldr was quick to explain. In this world, magic came in two forms, congenital and acquired. The former was dependent on one’s race and ability, while the latter came from the falna granted by the gods. Even then, the magic that came from the falna always outstripped that of the congenital kind, even if it was from elves, widely regarded as the most magical of the mortal races. Even with the falna, the most number of spells a person could acquire was only three, which was the reason for Leon’s surprise. 

“That sounds so limited…” I said as I finished preparing the tea, pouring it into the cups and serving it to the pair. 

“It must seem so to you,” Baldr agreed, picking up his teacup and bringing it to his lips. “In the whole history of mages, there is only one exception, and she-”

He paused before taking a sip, studying the amber liquid. Next to him, Leon noticed as well.

“Something wrong?”

“No…” The god finally took a sip, blinking at the taste. “This is rather good tea.”

I nodded, smiling. “A friend of mine blended it for me. I quite like it myself, but I don’t want to finish it too quickly.”

Baldr nodded back. “The taste is almost otherworldly, I’d say.”

Looks like he’s realized my origins. However, he’s not pressing me about them yet.

We quietly enjoyed the tea for a while, even Leon. After that, our conversation resumed, and both sides learned a lot about each other.

Leon had told Baldr about what he witnessed in the battle against the Leviathan, including the variety of spells I had used. Baldr’s interest was with the light spell I used to empower the fighters for the final clash, something which Leon apparently waxed on about. Faced with such earnestness, I admitted that the spell I used drew on the conceptual light of valor in the fighters’, which had Leon starry-eyed with awe.

Baldr was very forthcoming with his answers in return, not withholding any knowledge in exchange for favors, and telling me many things I wanted to know about. I found out that the gods, while having their divine powers sealed to come to the mortal realm, still retained the ability to know when the mortal races spoke lies in their presence. That wasn’t all; he also told me more about how the descended gods still held incredible skill in their domain. There were gods who worked the forge and gods who brewed medicine, and their familias were similarly focused on those skills.

“I see, so gods have domains…” I considered that fact. I didn’t really interact with the religious students in Strixhaven, so I’m not too familiar with such things. “Out of curiosity, what is your domain?”

“Me? I’m a god of light and hope.”

“No wonder you were interested in my light spell.” I immediately said.

Baldr smiled. “With the role it played against the Leviathan, how could I not be? Especially since it lit a fire in this child.”

I glanced at Leon, who seemed a little embarrassed. “I feel like there’s a story here.”

“Please don’t tell him, Baldr.” The teenager pleaded with his god. “Not yet.”

“I suppose I will have to listen to my child’s request. My apologies, Roy.” The god looked at me, but gave Leon amused glances.

There’s definitely some shameful past involved here. I waved the apology off, refilling their teacups. “No need to say sorry.”

One of the lumimancy lessons Dean Shaile had taught was the use of light in divination magics, and sometimes it could manifest as hunches to pick a certain choice. That was what I was feeling now.

After hearing all that from Baldr and Leon, I couldn’t help but feel like this was one of those encounters that was meant to be, a sign that this was the path I should take. So I decided not to hesitate any longer.

I set my cup down on its saucer. “Alright, I’ve made up my mind.”

“Yes?” The two of them looked at me.

“I know you didn’t approach me to ask me to join your familia, so let me ask from my side.” I placed a hand on my chest. “Would you accept me as one of your familia’s members?”

Leon’s eyes widened, and he straightened up in surprise. However, he didn’t say anything, and turned to Baldr instead.

The god smiled, his joy almost blinding to see. “I would be glad to welcome you into my familia.”

Seems fitting that the one I chose is a god of light, I thought as I prepared myself to receive the falna, I have a feeling it’ll be a good match for my prismatic magic.

…

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” I said to the Zeus Familia member in the full armor plate, “But what is it they’re doing with the Leviathan’s remains?”

The subject in question was currently being processed by members of the Poseidon Familia. I had been surprised when most of its body dissolved into ash after a huge magic stone was pulled out of its body, leaving behind parts like the fins and the skeleton. The natives explained to me that this was normal, and what remained was referred to as Drop Items, part of the monster that contained enough inherent magic to remain after the core was extracted. It was a testament to the Leviathan’s strength that a whole skeleton was left behind.

“Oh, that. They’re making a seal.” The redhead with scars over his eyes answered, gnawing on some white object.

“For what?”

“You know about the Dungeon, right?” Seeing me nod, he continued, “The Lower Floors of it has a tunnel connecting to this lake, and that’s where the water monsters come out from.”

Now I understood. “Ah.”

“It’s not enough that we kill the monsters, if more of them can come to plague humanity in the future.”

I eyed him, slightly impressed. “You’re pretty heroic, aren’t ya?”

He let out a loud laugh. “Haha! If only you knew!”

The man introduced himself to me as Zald, one of the executives of the Zeus Familia. Given the strength I could feel from him, it wasn’t surprising. The fact that he could fight an aquatic battle wearing that crushingly heavy set of armor was beyond unbelievable. 

“It’s a pity though… we would have welcomed you into our familia in a heartbeat,” Zald remarked, eyeing me out of the corner of his eye, “Leveled up, have you? I can feel you’re stronger.”

One of the things I had learned about the falna was the potential to Level Up. When a person’s status had risen high enough, and they went through a deeply meaningful experience that pushed them past their limits, they could rise up in Level, making them even more stronger than before. So when Zald mentioned that he was Level 7, it was a huge indication of how much power he possessed.

And he’s still not the top. Maxim is Level 8, and Juno is Level 9… not to mention all those other members below them. No wonder the Zeus and Hera Familias are at the top.

Receiving the falna from Baldr had been quite an experience; it was interesting to see how similar the effects were to that of my body-tempering spell’s internal framework, even if they worked in different ways. I fully intended to research it further, and was looking forward to it, in fact. At its base, it also improved all my abilities by a significant amount, which was probably why Zald assumed I went up in Level.

“I expect many of our younger members will get the same, once the old man gets around to updating their status.” He tossed the last of his snack into his mouth, crunching it between his jaws before swallowing.

“By the way, what’s that you’re eating?”

Zald grinned at me. “One of the Leviathan’s bones.”

I stared at him incredulously, before narrowing my eyes. “Let me guess… it’s related to why you’re called Gluttony, isn’t it?”

His grin widened. “Smart guess, and you’re spot-on. It’s my Skill.”

After I had received the falna from Baldr, the god had explained some of its functions, which filled in the gaps of my fragmented memories. One of those was the existence of Skills, which could modify or enhance abilities, magic spells, or actions. Some could be passive boosts, like elves having Skills that boosted their magical ability or dwarves with enhanced physical strength, while others were active, either taking effect at their possessor’s will, or when they performed a certain action. I myself had gained a passive and an active one, probably due to my nature as a Planeswalker mage.

Zald’s Skill took effect when he ate things. It granted him a permanent boost to his status, with the degree of increment depending on what was consumed. It wasn’t just normal foodstuffs; he actually ate monster flesh, inorganic matter, and even dead people, which he was able to stomach thanks to his other Skills. Thanks to that, his strength was supposedly on par with Maxim’s, who was a whole Level above him. 

It’s a little distasteful, but I can respect that determination to consume anything just to grow in strength. “Guess they didn’t want to let you eat all of it, huh.”

“Yeah… I only got this scrap because other people needed the rest more.”

“You mean like what they’re doing over there?” I pointed off to the side, where the ship we arrived on was.

Zald shrugged. “I guess. I didn’t ask what they wanted it for. Why, interested?”

“A little,” I admitted, “I dabble a little in the creation of magical tools. So I’m curious about how they plan to work with those fins.”

The ship, which Baldr told me was named Hringhorni, was being repaired and refitted with the fins of the Leviathan. My guess was that they would help the ship travel faster over the water, and if it also had a similar effect as the proposed seal that the skeleton was being used to make, then it would repel most of the aquatic monsters from attacking it and its passengers.

“Ah, so you have Mystery then.” The man concluded.

“Mystery?” I had heard that term being mentioned before.

“You know, the Development Ability?” Zald looked at me, then blinked in surprise. “No way, you don’t have it?”

“Oh, you mean that one that allows the creation of magical tools?” I shook my head. “Nah, I studied hard to learn the techniques required.”

Baldr’s explanation had also covered Developmental Abilities, which were gained on Level Up. Supposedly there would be a selection to pick from depending on what experiences a falna holder went through previously, and only one could be selected. The range of possible choices were quite wide; Leon had one that made his punches stronger, while the Poseidon Familia members all had a swimming-related one. While the effects were always passive, the boost they granted to their specific ability was said to be considerable.

“Wow.” He let out an impressed whistle. “So that magic book of yours, you made it yourself?”

I reached back to pat the carry pouch where my grimoire was. “Uhh… that one’s special. I kind of found it in an underwater temple.”

“Must have been one of those artifacts left behind by a spirit or something. Is that how you can cast all those magic spells?”

“Yep.” It’s technically true that my grimoire lets me cast more spells than I normally could.

Zald scratched his cheek, and I got the feeling that he wanted to ask something. However, we were interrupted just then.

Hands grabbed me around the waist.

“Wha-”

I found myself lifted off my feet, and my surroundings blurred as I was carried through the port town, before there was a sudden halt.

“Hold it,” Zald’s voice said, “Don’t go grabbing my conversation partner while we’re talking.”

“My bad, Gluttony, but the Empress told me to bring this guy.” The person carrying me answered in a female’s voice.

Damn… I glanced down at the gloved hands holding my hips, lifting me up enough that my feet weren’t touching the ground. These hands feel like metal clamps. I don’t think I can struggle free of them without magic. And Zald actually caught up too…

“Is that so. Did she say what she wanted him for?” Zald wanted to know.

“Dunno. But I heard someone say it was for Alfia.”

“The Silence?” Zald sounded surprised, falling silent for a moment. “Alright, but I’ll have to come along.”

“Don’t blame me if they don’t let you in.”

My surroundings blurred again, outside scenery replaced by indoor decor, moving at a slower pace now. From the number of women around the place, we were in the Hera Familia’s temporary base, but none of them objected to Zald’s presence as he followed behind me and my carrier. I was placed on my feet in front of a door, through which I could hear snatches of conversation. A brunette beastgirl walked around from behind me, and opened it.

“I’ve brought him!” She called out, in the same voice as my kidnapper, but instead of entering, she quickly stood back from the entrance.

“Good,” Juno, the beautiful warrior woman I met during the Leviathan fight, nodded approvingly, “Roy, right? Come on in.”

Bemused, I did as I was told, sensing Zald at my back. 

“You needed me?” I asked politely.

Juno nodded. “You have healing magic, right? I would like you to cast it on Alfia here.”

She indicated a silver-haired woman that was sitting up in bed, who was wearing a slight frown with her eyes closed. The first thing I noticed about the second woman was that she was quite pretty, but more importantly…

“I’ve had enough of this noise.” She spoke irritably.

“Oh crap! Alfia’s pissed!”
“She’s about to blast her magic!”
“Everyone run!”

The sound of people fleeing could be heard from outside the room, even as a terrifying amount of magic gathered around the woman in the bed. 

“Gos-”

“Yeah, no.” I spoke with mana in my voice. Counterspell.

The spell shattered before it could fully take shape, saving me from what was likely a painful fate. I heard Zald hum in approval.

“You-” The woman named Alfia broke down coughing.

Juno laid a hand on her shoulder, but Alfia brushed it off with her free hand, the other one covering her mouth. The female adventurer known as Empress looked at me.

“She pushed herself casting her strongest spell in the fight against the Leviathan, which aggravated her illness,” Juno explained, “I thought that with your magic, you could do something for her.”

Behind me, I heard Zald mumble something about them beating him to it, but I ignored it to focus on Alfia instead. While I might not have the same healing expertise as a Witherbloom student, my experience with Quandrix health monitoring spells could definitely help a little. More importantly…

Another hunch…? I tried to make sense of what my inner light was telling me. An arduous path lies ahead of me…?

I moved closer to prepare for an examination, only to feel a powerful wind blow my hair back. A hand was in front of my face, preventing Alfia’s fist from making contact with it. Despite being sick and in bed, she actually tried to punch me with the strength of a Level Seven. If not for Juno catching it…

I see. So she’s going to be that kind of patient… Inside my mind, I shrugged mentally. Fine. I’ll take on this challenge!

Afterword: So this chapter was a bit more of an introduction one, sharing info that anyone who’s familiar with Danmachi should know. I tried to mix those infodumps with the character interactions, and I hope I did a good job of it. While it’s a fanfic, multicrossing means that I can’t assume everyone knows what are the things being referred to.

Yep, so Roy’s gained a falna, which will see him grow further in strength as time goes on. At the same time, he’s also interacting with the Zeus and Hera Familias, so the potential for growth is very high as well. I plan to share the details of his Status next chapter, but feel free to guess what his Skills are.