[V6 Bonus 4] Ella Frank’s Turning Point
Translated by Jodas 6: Secrets of the Wedge TowerBefore Apprentice Mage Ella Frank came knocking on the Wedge Tower’s gates — while she was still attending an affiliate school of Liedengran Magical University — Ella was regarded both by her teachers and the other students as an extremely difficult student.
She hailed from a renowned family that had produced numerous talented scholars, and her grades on written exams were outstanding.
She had a warm personality and was very studious. Most importantly, she was passionate about magecraft. Her mana reserves weren’t bad either.
Despite all of that, she could not emit mana.
Regardless of how high her mana reserves were or how knowledgeable she was about magecraft, it was all for nought if she couldn’t emit mana.
Ella was well aware that everyone else looked down on her.
If she was so smart, then all she had to do was choose a different path, right? Even if she couldn’t use magecraft, there were plenty of jobs that required magical knowledge. She could do research into magical devices, or perhaps she could try to find work analyzing magical formulas? — Her teachers and friends all bombarded her with such suggestions.
It pained her to turn down all of those well-intentioned offers, but Ella heedlessly continued to take on the challenge of practical magic.
She’d read the textbooks for elementary magecraft from front to back more times than she could count, she’d grasp her staff and make her incantations time and time again.
Yet the magecraft would not activate.
‘If I worked hard enough, surely my dreams will come true.’ Every time she repeated that mantra to herself, one more version of her would come to whisper in her mind:
(How much is ‘enough’? How hard do I have to work? When will I get there?)
Was her method of practice really correct? Was it even okay for her to keep going like this? She couldn’t shake away the uncertainties.
Nevertheless, desperate to believe that the things she’d learned at school and the hard work she’d put in hadn’t been for nothing, Ella continued her studies alone.
She repeated her incantations over and over again. Even though no magecraft would ever come out.
‘This is not useless. I’m not wasting my effort.’ — Every time she repeated that mantra to herself, her chanting voice shook with uncertainty.
Shortly after arriving at the Wedge Tower, when the magic battle against the Extermination Office was scheduled, Ella internally felt herself go pale.
Wouldn’t she be the biggest burden on the team in such a battle?
Afterwards, even though Ella had been selected as the Apprentices’ Representative, she was still unsure of herself.
As the Representative, it was her job to keep all of the Apprentices in line. She understood that that alone was a respectable contribution.
(But, I still can’t use magecraft.)
Honestly, she wanted to contribute as a mage. Like Roswitha or Julius could.
She knew that it was selfish and presumptuous of her to think that way, but regardless, she wanted to make an impact by casting some big and flashy magic.
What shocked Ella most of all were Wren’s words during their strategy meeting.
“Like I said, let’s try out all kinds of things! It’s fine if we fail sometimes, we’re Apprentices, after all!”
Wren was essentially a total beginner to all things magic-related, and his mana was the lowest of all of them, but his insatiable thirst for knowledge was not unlike Ella’s own.
However, Wren’s thirst for knowledge was much broader in scope than Ella’s. Or, perhaps, his perspective was just broader.
As she watched him formulate a plan that hinged around inscription magic and come up with ideas for magical devices to support that plan, those thoughts came to mind.
“If we want to win this, we have to use everything we can get our hands on. Let’s do some information manipulation, too! If we casually leak a rumor that Tia and Ella can’t emit mana to the Extermination Office, then they’ll let their guard down and…”
As she listened to Wren’s explanation, Ella thought.
(Unconsciously, I’ve always just chosen the most comfortable options for myself. In doing so, I’ve just kept repeating the same mistakes like a fool.)
She’d always thought of her refusal to shy away from continuous hard effort as a virtue of hers.
But, she simply lacked the courage to tackle a challenge in a new way.
(I need to learn how to find those other options…)
After the magic battle against the Extermination Office came to a close, Ella was called to the Guidance Office by her instructor, Anneliese Röhm.
She worried that it may be a discussion about how she didn’t carry her weight in this magic battle, so she should step down from the position of Representative.
With that possibility on the front of Ella’s mind, Röhm smiled at her.
She wore the same kind and approachable smile she had when they first met at the entrance exam.
“If there was an easy way to get the power you wanted, what would you do?”
Out of nowhere, Röhm asked an uncharacteristic and somewhat provocative question. Ella wasn’t sure how to react.
She couldn’t discern the intent behind that question… but she wanted to answer as honestly as she could.
“I assume that anything that’s easy to get has to come with a catch. Something might seem easy to do at first, but it might actually only be possible through the research and experimentation of countless people… If I can see that whole picture, then I would like to give it a try.”
“That’s a good answer. I’m relieved.”
Röhm picked a packet of paper from the edge of the desk and offered it to Ella.
The words ‘Magical Medicine Overview’ were written on the first page.
“You know how Mr. Hütter and I suffer from mana organ damage? There are holes in the chambers and vessels that pump mana throughout our bodies. I’ve long been searching for a solution to heal that condition.”
“Have you… found that solution?”
Röhm softly shook her head from side to side.
“The technique isn’t confirmed yet. Even if there was a surgery… I bet it will be another decade before the success rate climbs above thirty percent.”
That was certainly disappointing to hear. But then, what did this discussion have to do with her?
She could only think of one possibility.
“Ms. Röhm, are you saying… Instead of being a mage, you want me to become a magical doctor?”
“Not at all.”
Röhm shook her head, and Ella was stunned.
She had been absolutely certain that that was where this conversation was going.
It’s impossible for you to learn practical magecraft. Choose a different course.
“I believe that the reason you can’t emit mana is because there is some complication with your mana vessels.”
That was something she had been told before.
The likelihood that there was some irregularity with the vessels that were supposed to bring mana to the outside of Ella’s body was high.
Her mana vessels may be too narrow, or they might be blocked by something, or they may exit the body through a different point… There were many possible explanations.
“I did some research into the condition, and there does exist a surgery to correct it. Director Treu from the Medical Office has seen such cases before.”
“Surgery…”
“However, the chances of success are only fifty percent.”
The word ‘surgery’ gave Ella pause.
If it were something she could overcome with effort, then she thought she would not have hesitated to get to work.
“But, I still wanted to let you know that the option was on the table.”
“… Ms. Röhm…”
“At least, the odds of success for this surgery are much higher than the treatment for my mana organ damage.”
Before suffering from damage to her mana organs, it was said that she used to be the ace of the Extermination Office.
Even now that her mana organs were damaged, Röhm was more dedicated than anyone else when it came to magecraft research.
Röhm looked down at the documents and added under her breath.
“Ordinarily, people say that a mage won’t be able to remain on the front lines much past the age of thirty. Your mana reserves start to decline once you hit twenty… look, have you seen how young the Directors of the Extermination and Protection Offices are?”
Extermination Office Director Haydn, Protection Office Director Böll. Both were in their twenties, roughly the same age as Röhm.
“So, I think that if you’re going to do the surgery, you’d want to do it sooner rather than later.”
“…I’ll consider it. Um… Is Tia going to get this surgery too?”
Among the Apprentices, both Ella and Tia had difficulties emitting mana.
However, Tia’s problem was the opposite of Ella’s. Her body let out too much mana.
Was that the kind of think surgery could address as well?
Röhm addressed Ella’s worries.
“I discussed this with Mr. Hütter, but he believes it’s best to direct her towards varieties of magecraft that are better suited for people who can emit large volumes at once.”
Their teachers never ceased to amaze her. Ella was impressed.
The Instructors had been searching so hard for a path that suited each and every one of them.
This was something that was only possible thanks to the low population of the Wedge Tower. Just that alone made her feel glad that she came here.
That day, Ella visited Treu in the Medical Office, underwent an evaluation, and listened to an explanation of the surgery.
Usually, she would get restless when faced with a choice, worried about all the options she didn’t pick.
However…
She wanted to be able to use magecraft.
That kind of beautiful, heart-throbbing magecraft she saw when she was little.
The whole reason she had come to the Wedge Tower in the first place was to grant that selfish wish.