Virno: Still not done, huh?
It had been roughly an hour since Ballo and Virno left. Surprised with their quick return, the driver slides out from under the almost fully-reassembled vehicle.
Driver: Almost there! Guess the same can't be said for you two though, given how early you got back here. Didn't take you that long to see that Clavia's magic cell is far beyond your understanding, did it? Come on, give it here...
Virno hands her back the refuelled cell, brimming with magic.
Virno: Eat your heart out, buddy.
The driver gasps and rapidly snatches the object from Virno's hand, closely examining it.
Driver: How did you...?! But wait, this isn't right... What have you done? This isn't the same formula, you've changed it!
Ballo clears his throat, proudly puffing up his chest.
Ballo: We've improved it. I'm afraid your fancy factory machines lack the subtlety and finesse of a connoisseur of the minute intricacies that riddle the complex phenomenon we so rudimentarily coined as "magic"...
The driver simply looked at Ballo without saying a word. Virno followed suit, yet as soon as he registered a long enough pause in Ballo's monologue, he pre-emptively interrupted in an attempt to cut it short.
Virno: ... Alright, so let's just-
Ballo: ... Not so fast, Virno!
His valiant attempt had been met with failure.
Ballo: For now, we shall discuss this matter, which is of great importance not just for the journey ahead, but also for your future lives. What is this "magic" we refer to, exactly? Let us define it clearly, so that we may understand how foolish it is to label this mysterious, expansive art with such a broad term.
Virno took a deep breath, most likely anticipating the oncoming monologue.
Ballo: According to the most updated records we have of the times long before our race existed as it is today, it is said that four gods roamed our world. Each of these gods held mastery over a specific magical element, with these elements being water, fire, earth and wind. As you may or may not know, some of these gods fell in love, producing offspring that were capable of handling the magic of their ancestors in such innovative ways that they created entirely new elements of their own, these elements being light and darkness. The story doesn't end there, of course, in fact we are just scraping the tip of the iceberg! Yet this is a good start for you to see how ludicrously obtuse of an idea it is to-
Driver: OKAY! You refuelled the cell, congratulations! Now let me finish my work here so we can be on our way, lest we'll lose another full day just listening to a boring history lesson. On your way, you two...
Before the driver had interrupted, Virno blankly stared at the ground with an eyebrow raised, disconnected from the world around him. His brain had rapidly shut down as soon as Ballo started spewing out tales of old. Brought back to reality by the driver's interruption, he grabbed the elder by the arm.
Virno: Come on old man, you heard our driver. Let him work or we won't make it outta here today...
Ballo's mouth was held agape, in utter disbelief that his audience would so rapidly dismiss the knowledge he was trying to impart onto them.
Ballo: B-but you should know this! Do you not care about the history of magic...?!
The driver lays down on their cart again, sliding underneath the vehicle to continue their work.
YOU ARE READING
Tales of Undeath: The Von Virtus Chronicles
FantasyLong ago, in a world not dissimilar from our own, seven powerful mysterious weapons were forged. After centuries of dormancy, safely hidden from those who could abuse their power, one man's curiosity drove him to discover the resting place of one su...
