Volume 2, Chapter 43 – Classification of Magic

Ignoring the slave merchants peddling their wares in the courtyard, Yisi made her way to the innermost hall. Compared to the bustling crowds outside, the slave merchant association’s main hall was noticeably quieter. This was where all manner of slave-related procedures were handled—those who had selected a slave would come here with the merchant to conduct the contract transfer ceremony.

Leading Mary to an unoccupied counter, the clerk behind it confirmed that only Yisi and Mary were present before greeting them with a professional smile.

“Are you here to search for a slave that better suits your preferences? If so, there’s a fee of five copper coins for the service—”

“I’m here to assess this child’s level and magic. You have the facilities for that, don’t you?”

Back when Yisi had been under the identity of Viel, she had brought Shinku and Fran here. After paying a fee of one silver coin for the assessment, the staff had taken Shinku and Fran to determine their levels and magical abilities. Aside from trading slaves, the slave merchant association also profited from offering level assessment services.

For ordinary people to determine their own level, they needed a special tool called an “Appraisal Slate.” However, these slates were often expensive and bulky, making them unaffordable for the average person. This gave rise to businesses that offered level assessment services for a fee.

“I see. I’ll process the paperwork for you right away. The assessment fee is five copper coins. Please wait here in the hall for a moment—I’ll take this young lady to the back room for the evaluation.”

“Mm.”

Yisi pulled five copper coins from her pocket and slid them across the counter to the clerk. Then, she patted Mary on the back, signaling for her to follow the clerk, while she herself began browsing the parchment nailed to the counter.

Perhaps to help pass the time for waiting customers, the parchment contained miscellaneous knowledge, such as how to appraise a slave’s value. Slaves who knew magic were worth ten times more than ordinary slaves and received far better treatment—provided they weren’t the fallen, in which case their value would plummet.

As Yisi skimmed through the text, one section quickly caught her attention.

“Classification of magic, huh…”

In combat magic, spells were divided into two categories. The first was conventional magic, where the caster recited incantations to resonate with elemental forces and unleash spells. The second was melee incantationless magic, which required no chanting or had extremely short incantations and could only be learned through comprehension.

Melee incantationless magic was the easiest for ordinary people to access. For example, traditional spellcasting required purchasing numerous spellbooks to accumulate knowledge, consuming countless magical reagents to understand the nature of mana, and spending extensive time practicing. Only by combining all three could one become a spellcaster.

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In contrast, melee incantationless magic didn’t require mastering incantations. One only needed to assume a fixed stance and channel mana throughout their body to successfully cast it.

For instance, beginner-level melee spells like [Fortitude] and [Charge] could be mastered in less than a week with a teacher’s guidance—just by assuming the correct posture and focusing mana in specific parts of the body.

Of course, this didn’t mean melee incantationless magic was inherently superior. While it had a low barrier to entry, its drawback was its low ceiling. Beyond widely known basic spells like [Fortitude] and [Charge], more powerful melee spells had to be developed by warriors themselves through trial and error.

The reason for this was that, unlike traditional magic—where anyone could use a spell as long as they mastered the incantation—a melee incantationless spell might not suit every warrior. For example, the renowned melee spell [Wave Stack] remained unlearnable by others even after its creator publicly shared its method. This was due to differences in combat style, physical attributes, and personal understanding of battle—factors that couldn’t be replicated.

In contrast, the well-known third-tier spell [Spear of Logic] could be learned by any spellcaster who reached level 30 and knew its incantation. In short, melee incantationless magic had a low floor but a variable ceiling, while traditional magic had a high floor and a near-limitless ceiling.

The reason spellcasters held higher status than warriors—aside from the sheer number of warriors—was that spellcasters could often alter the course of battles with just a few individuals. On the battlefield, a [Fireball] spell was far more intimidating than a [Charge], let alone high-tier spellcasters who wielded wide-area annihilation magic. Such individuals were often regarded as strategic assets.

“Rather than calling it melee incantationless magic, it’s more like ‘martial techniques’ or ‘combat arts.’ After the basics, everything else has to be self-taught through comprehension. Well, there is another path, though.”

Aside from spending years mastering martial techniques through personal experience, the gods had granted warriors another possibility.

That was, through leveling up, to engrave a technique into their memory as a new spell.

“So that’s how Mary learned [Shield Counterattack]…”

Reading this, Yisi began to understand why Mary had suddenly gained a new skill.

It was likely a divine blessing.

When Mary leveled up, she had executed a block-and-counter maneuver, meeting the conditions to learn [Shield Counterattack]. Thus, the moment she leveled up, she acquired the spell—almost like unlocking a new skill in a game, but with an added twist. For instance, a normal block wouldn’t make golden light flare across one’s body, but Mary’s did.

“No matter how you look at it, this is way too game-like.”

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Shaking her head, Yisi dismissed the strange thoughts in her mind. Perhaps this was simply the way of this world—as natural as the sun rising in the east. The only one who found it odd was her, an outsider from another world.

“Whatever, it’s a good thing. At least I don’t have to worry about Mary lacking new skills to learn.”

For now, she intended to train both Mary and Camilla into capable individuals who could stand on their own.

“Speaking of which, if I took Camilla and Mary into the forest, captured all the monsters, and let them deal the finishing blows, would they level up faster?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Yisi suddenly noticed the light dimming beside her. Instinctively, she turned her head.

“Meeting you here, Miss Yisi, must be a blessing from the gods. Might I stand here with you?”

The speaker was a young man with slicked-back golden hair. His high-collared coat and the sword at his waist marked him as nobility. Yisi vaguely recognized him—a regular at the tavern named Auston.

Switching to a polite smile, Yisi turned slightly.

“Ah, Mr. Auston.”

“You actually remember my name!” Auston’s expression flickered with surprise before he awkwardly cleared his throat, scrambling for conversation. “A-Are you here to purchase a slave, Miss Yisi? If you’d like, I could use my connections to help—”

“I’m here to assess the level of a child from the tavern. You’ve met her—the half-elf with chestnut hair, named Mary.”

“Wha—? She’s a half-elf? I had no idea.” Auston glanced around before leaning in conspiratorially, lowering his voice behind a hand.

“You really shouldn’t tell anyone else about this. If those elf-hating nobles find out a half-elf handled their dinners, they’d demand compensation from you.”

“But the outer district allows half-elves to live here, doesn’t it?”

Auston seemed like a decent person, and Yisi’s impression of him improved. Of course, she was well aware that most noblemen like him were only interested in her because of her looks. The eldest daughter of a count might carry an icy demeanor, but her beauty was undeniable.

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As for how to handle these suitors, Yisi planned to play dumb—neither exploiting them nor encouraging them.

“Half-elves touching nobles is a serious taboo. If a second-class citizen angers a noble, the noble can kill them on the spot without breaking any laws. Plus, with elves’ notorious promiscuity, many nobles despise anyone with elven blood touching them.”

“And you’re not upset? Mary served you margaritas before.”

Auston grinned, flashing what he likely thought was a charming smile.

“Heh, how could I ever dislike someone as adorable as Mary?”

Yisi subtly averted her gaze.

“So, what brings you here, Mr. Auston?”

“Me? Uh… well… I’m here to pick out some slaves…”

For some reason, Auston’s evasive demeanor gave Yisi the impression he was lying. Recalling how he had once confessed his feelings to her at the tavern, she felt a headache coming on—he had probably followed her here.

Suppressing a sigh, Yisi changed the subject.

“What do you think of the tavern’s new special margarita?”

The special margarita was a distilled liquor with a higher alcohol concentration.

“Oh! The special margarita! I’ve tried it. When I brought some home for my father, he said he wanted to hire you as our family’s brewer.”

“Your father has quite the sense of humor.”

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Yisi’s remark made Auston’s face twist into something between a smile and a grimace.

“He was just rambling. Someone as talented, powerful, and breathtakingly beautiful as you—no force on the continent could ever hope to employ you.”

“…I’m just an ordinary person.”

This was something that had always puzzled Yisi. Despite suppressing her displayed level to 10 and never flaunting her wealth, nobles kept exaggerating her background for no apparent reason.

“Master~! I really leveled up! I’m level 8 now—same as Miss Camilla!”

Mary emerged from the back room with the clerk, her assessment complete. Just as Yisi had seen on the Omniscient Map, Mary had indeed reached level 8 and gained a new skill called [Shield Counterattack].

“W-Wait, what? Mary’s level 8?!”

Auston’s face twisted in exaggerated disbelief. At 21 years old, he was only level 5.

“Yep~ Just leveled up today! Are you here for an assessment too, Mr. Auston?”

Mary beamed at him, her radiant smile delivering a soul-crushing blow.

“Cough… I’m here for… other business. Important business. Very important.”

“Well, Mary and I won’t keep you, then. Do visit Margaret often, Mr. Auston.”

Auston’s hand twitched as if to stop her, but he quickly let it drop, his expression wistful.

“Ah… I will…”