The Supreme Hero’s Younger Brother

"…" Rye fixed his glasses, trying to figure out what he did wrong and what Rosetta was implying.

Why is Rosetta asking as if she doesn't control her mana? How else can they adjust the output of the spells they are using?

"Do you not adjust your fire spell between lighting up a campfire and burning your opponents?"

"I can't use fire spells. My elemental attribute is water and earth. I'm not compatible with fire."

"Then, when you make waterballs, do you not control your mana to adjust its size, solidity, shape, number, and speed? It is no different than that." Rye took off his glasses and cleaned them.

He recalled what he learned from the books he read at the old city library when he was little and it was indeed like that. Controlling mana output was the very first thing that needed to be trained before he could learn spells and magic itself. Even Godford knew that.

They've never gone to school, but they properly learned everything from the basics. If it wasn't for the old city library, they wouldn't be able to become a teacher and would still run around in the street by now.

He was wearing his glasses back and was startled by Rosetta's sudden yell.

"What nonsense are you saying!? All of that is pre-determined by the magic circle we use!"

Rye, "??"

What nonsense are you saying? That's news to me.

"Ms. Rosetta, it is impossible to cram all that information up into one magic circle. There is only so much you can draw in a 20 cm diameter circle. You would not want to waste it with something that we can control ourselves."

Rosetta became even more confused, "What do you mean by a 20 cm diameter circle? A magic circle's size varied according to the spells."

"Yes, that is what I am saying."

"Huh?"

"?"

Seeing both of their confusion with the concept of magic in the other's head, Aerindel stopped their fruitless debate, "How about we go to the city first and we can discuss this again slowly there?"

"Aerindel is right," Ludric stepped between them, "We won't get anywhere like this. Let's go to the city first. Okay, Rosetta?"

"Fine," Rosetta swiftly hopped onto her Raptor and glanced at Rye with complex emotion, "I'm not going to let this matter pass before I understand the concept behind your magic."

She whipped her rein and advanced ahead with Freanor. The others quickly followed behind her before they lose their track.

Throughout their way to the city, Rye couldn't help but contemplate Rosetta's words.

Did she get a different education because she was a hero? From what he learned from history, the same supreme heritage would only appear in a span of one thousand years from the previous one. A supreme mage heritage has appeared around 400 years earlier and died a hundred years afterward. Rosetta's mentor couldn't be a supreme mage.

Then, she should've gotten a lesson from a normal mage. Definitely a powerful one, but to create an entirely different method? Was there a heritage class below supreme that was higher than a hero heritage?

It couldn't be…

It couldn't be that all schools taught magic like that, right? His academy too? It wasn't like he ever watched his fellow teacher teaches. He also rarely used magic in his daily life.

If that was true, he knew now why each of their magic circles was very complex. He always wondered what those extra strokes and runes meant. When reading a magic circle, he always started by checking the attributes, substances, or components it involved, their formulae, their direction or motion, and their specific commands. However fast he was at reading them, he never had enough time to even spare a glance at those extra parts.

For example, with the demon general's last decisive spell. The first circle was to generate the lightning and imbued it with the caster's demonic attribute. The second circle was to amplify the spell in regard to its component and impact. The last one was to fix the target of the spells which were the humans while focusing 50% of it to Ludric, 10% to the other heroes, and the rest to the soldiers and knights.

Because they were separated into 3 circles, he also couldn't risk it and overwrite each circle one by one. The holy energy could also purify the spells more thoroughly that way.

In truth, all those commands combined, 2 circles would be enough. The first and second circles could be merged into one. The last one was reasonable enough to have its own circle with how detailed its command was.

He always thought it was used to confuse their opponents if they tried to read their magic circles. That was what he thought in the case of the demon general's spell too. There were examples of those dummy runes in the book he reads. He also used them in his spells.

It wasn't like he never adjusted those elements. Of course, there were spells that required him to fix the solidity and shape, but if it wasn't strictly needed he never wrote them down. After all, he would never know what kind of situation he would be in when he needed the spells.

With his head full of things, he didn't even realize when they have arrived at the inn they were going to stay in the city. He absentmindedly followed the others into their room.

"Now, explain." Rosetta demanded.

Rye was still drowned in his own thought and didn't hear her. He snapped awake when Aerindel patted his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I wasn't listening. What did you say?" Rye thought Aerindel was talking to him.

"Not me. Ms. Rosetta has been calling you a few times."

"Oh…" Rye finally noticed that they have reached their destination and were now gathering in a room waiting for his explanation.

"So?" Rosetta asked impatiently.

Rye, "…"

He might've screwed up. Ludric was staring at him like he wanted to stab a hole into his face.

But, it was only a different method of using magic. He also wasn't the one who created it. He learned it from a book. It shouldn't be a problem or anything like that, right?

Surely, he wasn't the only one who was using this method?

"Ms. Rosetta, let me ask you first…" Rye hesitantly said, "Are you not the only one who used a different method than us? Maybe your mentor taught you differently because your heritage is [Mage hero]? Or maybe you created a unique method most suitable for you?"

"Even if I'm a mage hero, I learned everything I need to learn in a proper elite academy. There's no way I can just make a new method from thin air. I'm not a supreme mage or anything. It's the same as any other school. Including the school you learned in." Rosetta denied it.

"Apologies, Ms. Rosetta. I have never gone to school, so I am unsure what curriculum is used in the magic class. I have also never participated in my fellow teacher's formal magic class."

Not only Rosetta, all of them were surprised.

"You…never went to school?" Ludric frowned.

"How did you become a teacher without going to school?" Lilith asked doubtfully.

"A history teaching certificate did not need one to have a school degree as long as we could pass the test. Same as other courses that do not involve magic and combat." Rye answered Lilith.

"Whatever, I don't care about those small details. Just tell me how your magic works!" Rosetta lost her patience and slammed the table, "You're the odd one here. Realize it already!"

Rye looked at Aerindel in askance.

"Sorry, Rye. She's right. I also have no idea what you were talking about earlier." Aerindel regretfully shook his head.

Rye inwardly sighed.

There was no escaping this. He was also still trying to process that other people used magic differently from him which was already embedded as common sense in his mind.

To be said that his common sense wasn't common at all…He was in more shock than all of you, okay?

"What do you want to know?" Rye weakly asked in defeat.

He should be ready for Ludric's beating after this.

"Everything." Rosetta simply stated.

"Even if you say that…"

"Then, why don't you start from the spell you used earlier?" Aerindel suggested.

"That spell?"

"That icicle spell."

"If it's that…" Rye created the magic circle on top of the table between them, "This one–"

"Hey, we're in a room!" Desmund hurriedly cast a barrier, "You're paying for the damage."

Rye looked at their reaction strangely, "I will not attack anyone."

"Then why did you cast it? That's clearly a genuine magic circle." Lilith stated in disbelief.

A single icicle appeared above the magic circle and stayed there. Rye grabbed it and the magic circle disappeared, "See?"

"What kind of spell…?" Rosetta was stunned.

Rye, "…"

From there?