"Yaaaah yaaah YEET!" Audrey shouted.
Spellbook pages fluttered, threatening to tear from Audrey's beginner Domineering tome. Sparks formed a flame pattern above the tome, launching an unusually bright and blue fireball out from the crimson fractal structure. The fireball, if one could even call the blue orb that, completely engulfed the target and left no trace of its existence after its explosion.
Felie found such power channeled from only a beginner spell tome to be terrifying. And that strange chanting of hers — most pray to the gods or read the sacred text within the book for an accurate visualization of the spell, but Audrey....
"WOOOOOO BURN, BABY, BURN!" Audrey interrupted Felie's thought process with another chant. A massive white fireball lobbed out at the next target. Felie had to look away from the intensity of her projectile's brightness. Audrey, however, looked at the explosion's aftermath. Those strange circular blue mana strands, specifically. Could she see them? "Felie-san."
"Hai?" Felie snapped upward. Her feet skipped to approach Audrey as she snapped her tome shut.
"You can see those blue strands, right?" Audrey asked her.
"Hai," Felie confirmed that she could see them. Audrey picked up the Beginner's Staff she has held onto since Introductory Period. It was odd that she had it. In fact, first years were normally sent out to acquire materials to upgrade their Domineering staves, but Audrey was an odd noblewoman. Truth was, Beltrane was pressuring Felie to spy on the lady to see if she had tricks, however Felie's perspective on Audrey was that she was just a mere novice with no clue on how magic worked.
"O, Fire God or whatever, deliver a fireball with same-day shipping to my enemies," Audrey said half-heartedly. "Or something."
With a ridiculous chant like that she wouldn't get a flicker of a flame out! Felie thought incredulously.
Yet a new spellcircle formed at the Beginner Staff's small amber tip, and a fireball manifested and shot the next target. Instead of destroying the target outright, the fireball settled on it and burned slowly. Audrey stepped closer to the target and watched the fires burned.
It was apparent that Audrey could see the unseeable. That could mean... Felie thought of her secret. No, she could not see Felie's secret. She nearly flinched when Audrey looked at her.
"These blue mana strands seem to occur after the spell is cast, but I'm not sure of what their school is. What do you magic nerds call it?"
"P-Please," Felie choked at the insult. "Nerd is unpleasant. I am a first year like you."
"Yeah, but you know more than me," Audrey stated. "Well, I'll tell you what I hypothesize. This fire is not made naturally, or rather unnaturally created, so therefore those mana strands seem to be the natural magic countering it. Like some kind of law of energy conservation."
The words made no sense to Felie, but she resigned herself and answered Audrey.
"The seniors call those strands Remediation," Felie said. "And they don't produce any magical effects."
"Hmm," Audrey said in deep thought.
"Why do you care?" Felie asked. "We're supposed to be practicing Domineering spells!"
"Well, it's a long story," Audrey shrugged. "But the information is helpful. Thank you, Felie-san."
Felie was taken aback. This noblewoman was always full of surprises. Why was she thanking her? In Commoner, no less. Audrey smirked at her expression.
"It's funny," Audrey said. "I've already memorized the methodology of the Fifth of Domineering."
"You already can do that?!" Felie was even more surprised.
"It's tough to explain," Audrey said, with spellcircles glowing around her beginner's tome. Felie was terrified.
"H-How are you making spellcircles appear like that," Felie's voice shook as she glided swiftly back to the corner of the room.
"It's ego," Audrey said. "You know, Domineering means being arrogant. But if mages ain't got the skill to power their Fifth Domineering spells, then their ego will blow up in their faces, see."
The beginner's tome exploded violently on the ground. Felie nearly screamed, but she realized that there were others practicing their own Domineering spells and a little crowd was staring at them.
"Gotta start with the basics," Audrey said, looking at the burning book. "Right?"
"H-Hai," Felie said, dejected. Perhaps the girl could see her true intentions and was making a power play. Audrey smiled, before realizing she needed that beginner's tome.
"Crap," Audrey sighed as she exited quickly. She was muttering, but Felie could hear her. "They won't like it that I burned the school's textbook. Do they accept gold in compensation?"
"W-Wait up!" Felie chased after her. "You can just borrow mine!"
