The Beginning of the End of Magic

Grimoire 01 - Prologue

Magic.

It is the term used to describe the phenomenon which occurs when a person manipulates the laws of the world within a defined set of rules, according to their will with the use of mana.

Since eons ago, magic existed. No one really knows when, but the first traces of magic that can be verified dates back to the Ancient Civilizations and was closely linked to religions of old. In those times, due to its rarity, magic was deemed sacred and in some cases, can even be seen as the right to rule. To an extent, some people even considered magic as a gift from god and the prowess it can display; simply a miracle.

People who could use magic were referred to as Gifted and those who can't, Ungifted. Gifted were highly valued in society. Throughout history, such people would take on roles like an advisor to the pharaoh, the commander of an army or the personal doctor to the king in a royal palace. Gifted would occupy prestigious positions in society, more often than not. The status quo remained as such for a very long time.

That was until science became prevalent.

Unlike magic, which is limited to those who can manipulate mana in their body, science is open to anyone, no matter your status, religion, race or nationality. Simply flip through a history book and one will be able to tell that science can be said to be the driving force behind the progress of humanity as a whole, more so than that of magic, be it in terms of development, resources, technology or even war.

For example, instead of having a single Gifted or a couple to heal wounds and provide first aid with magic, it would be much more efficient and effective to have tens or even hundreds to learn medicine instead. For example, instead of having a single Gifted to generate a limited amount of electricity, a power plant would be able to supply an entire city. For example, instead of having a group of Gifted to mow down enemies in the distance, arming an entire company with rifles would yield better cost-effectiveness.

Furthermore, Gifted were far and few in between. This is because the number of Gifted number only 1% of the world population and yet, even within such a small community, the world of magic is definitively and thoroughly talent driven. Aptitude for magic can be determined and decided from birth, separating the capable and the incapable right from the start. Only those who are blessed would be able to master the art of magic to put them at a professional level on a global standpoint.

Compared to magic, science is just that much more readily accessible.

As people slowly gained a much more proper understanding of the world through the study of science, the once highly revered Gifted were now viewed as a danger, akin to that of a double edged sword. Facing such a threat, fear gradually spread throughout the world, forming rifts between the two.

However even so, all could not refute the might of magic, especially in terms of military and combat applications. It is an indisputable fact that a talented Gifted can be the key to turn the tide of war or implement strategies that normally wouldn't be practical or succeed.

Eventually as centuries passed and nations and countries develop both magic and science, albeit leaning towards one or the other, the world reached to a point where people, communities, societies, governments and ultimately countries as a whole were divided between the two.

A fine balance between science and magic.

Such a balance would be broken by the slightest touch, and like a clock counting down to the end of days, it continued to tick on.

On towards its inevitable demise.

And without a doubt, it did.

It was not unexpected in the least. In fact, everyone was expecting it to happen. It was just a matter of when.

But what was not expected was the way the war that followed, progressed. Everyone thought it would be a swift and decisive war that would end in just a couple of months, with one side decimated to smithereens. But instead, the war became one of attrition, and eventually an almost never ending stalemate.

That very war would later be known as the Akashic War, a grand war between magic and science, involving the entire known world that lasted a total of 9 years, amassing a total of 3 billion in casualties which was more than half of the entire world population at the time. Due to the nature of the war, it is considered a major turning point in human history and thus a new, year numbering system was born to remind people of the fact. Before Akashic War [BAW] 1 refers to the year before the war started and After Akashic War [AAW] 1 refers to the year after the war ended.

But how did the war end?

The way it ended was also entirely unexpected. It didn't end with one country reigning supreme. It didn't end with magic decimating science or vice versa. It didn't end with the whole world using up all of its natural resources.

The war ended because a certain group of unique individuals decided to put a stop to it. It was swift and decisive, for the war ended in just a single day.

Not much was known about these unique individuals themselves. Not their names, their race, their religion, their status, their nationality and definitely not the true extent of their abilities. But in general, everyone knew that it was only because of them, that the long and gruelling war finally come to an end.

They were affectionately referred to as The Founders due to their actions after the Akashic War.

This was because even though The Founders themselves were an enigma, they did leave behind a legacy. An international governmental organization which they personally started with the sole objective to maintain the balance.

The name of that organization is O.R.D.E.R.

O.R.D.E.R was founded in the year AAW 1, right after the end of the Akashic War, in Lindonium, Albion Kingdom.

The objective of O.R.D.E.R is simple, to prevent a frenzied spread of magic and science technology, especially combat and military types, while controlling the pace of evolution, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of magic and science, and to eradicate anyone who opposes the law.

O.R.D.E.R can be mainly divided into 3 branches.

The first is the Board of Directors, in which every participating nation have two representatives, for magic and science respectively. They are the ones who lay down the rules and regulations. Due to the nature of this setup, the Board of Directors are split evenly, between Gifted and Ungifted, to ensure unbiased, final decisions.

The second would be the Restrain, where its members are known as Restraint(s).The objective of Restrain is to enforce the laws and regulations laid down by the Board of Directors in order to maintain the balance. As such, it is preferable to select only the most talented to be a Restraint. Naturally, most of them are Gifted, though there are a number of exceptional Ungifted as well. As a hidden agenda, Restraints exists not only to keep an eye on the general public, but also on other Restraints too, especially of different nationalities. This is because even though Restraints are under O.R.D.E.R, they also belong to their individual country. This is also an effort to preserve the balance, so that no one country is clearly superior over the other.

The last but not least are the Engineers. There are many different specializations within the Engineers but in a general term, they are people who research on either magic or science, or the relatively new study of which is the fusion of the two, Magentia. They help to upkeep the Restraint inventory and experiment new theories to open up new horizons in technology.

This is the essence of O.R.D.E.R.

And it was through their efforts, that the balance was once again, restored.