Chapter 44: 23 Cantrips


    Agostina, Domiti, and Julia start asking questions about my magical training.


    Yeah, no Im still practicing some exercises before I dive deeper into spells.


    Domiti seems to know some magic, apparently. Shes being tutored by her aunt.


    Oh, you are going through the 23 Cantrips?


    My brain kind of stops there.


    No, really.


    It kind of does.


    Come again? I ask with a frown.


    You are practicing the 23 Cantrips, right? Domiti asks again.


    23?


    Ill censor myself for a second while I silently take it out with the book.


    Just know that if you could read in my head and see my thoughts, you would probably be quite shocked by the number of profanities a person cane up with in a few instants.


    Im still practicing the first one, I venture. I realized before that I have to be careful when I lie since there are so many truth-stones lying around this ce.


    Oh, the rotating [Lights]! Yeah, it took me a few hours to get through that one.


    Now.


    What the f


    Oh, I think it will take me a few <em>days</em> to get through it, I scratch my head, embarrassed. Ok, maybe Im not <em>that </em>talented, am I?


    Its also nice to know that apparently the Cantrips are still being used. I thought my tome might be a little outdated.


    You know that the 23 Cantrips have been around for millennia? They get passed down as the initial assessment for talent. The fastest students canplete them in three weeks. Those are very talented people. Im still around the fifteenth and its been a month.


    Dont I have 333 days for 529 Cantrips?


    And she said she took <em>hours</em> for the first? Does that mean that the difficulty will scale dramatically?


    I think it shows that Im a bit down now and Domiti suddenly looks like shes feeling bad for me.


    Oh, Joey, dont worry. It doesnt matter if you take a bit longer.


    I mean, girl, it kind of matters. If I take too long, Ill get literally zapped to death. How about that?


    You want to be a [Baker], right? You wont need much magic for that! And look, I can show you how my first Cantrip looks like, it might help you gain a better understanding! Domiti shes a bright smile at me while wildly gesturing with her hands.


    Domiti, you know that you shouldnt show random people your magic, Agostina looks coldly at her niece.


    Oh,e on, its the first Cantrip. What is Joey going to do, conjure a [Meteor] out of looking at my two [Lights]?


    Domiti goes straight for the magic and conjures two small pale


    Wow, those [Lights] really suck.


    They are barely luminous. They wouldnt be able to light up pretty much anything, even in pitch-dark.


    Domiti focuses her gaze on the two and <em>squints</em> her eyes.


    Now, the two [Lights] start slowly moving around with jerky movements and they barely do one full circle before they break down.


    Ta-dan!


    Have you ever wished you had some kind of mechanical clock in the house that ticked really loudly? Why? Well, in my opinion, it fills the silence with a beautiful what the hell did I just see? thing when you suddenly go mute.


    Well, thats <em>something</em>! I say aloud, smiling charmingly toward Domiti.


    Show me what you can do now! I can help you! Domiti volunteers.


    Show her what I can do? Yeah, sure, let me just show you how a random Human can summon two [Lights] brighter than a shlight and then move them smoothly in one direction. Sure, why not? Its not like your aunt wouldnt start peeling my skin oneyer at a time to discover where the hell I learned to do that.


    Im a bit shy, I smile and get an idea. Maybe you cer to my apartment and with some privacy, I could show you <em>something</em>.


    Hell, I even add a wink.


    This should save me.


    First, I fully expect to be thrown out by either Agostina or Julia after this bout of sexual innuendo. Second, this smoking-hot girl would nevere alone after I said something like


    Sure! she smiles brightly.


    Goddamn, Im too charming, arent I?


    This girl did one circle with two crooked [Lights]. Im not even sure she used the same approach I have to move magic! I think she was just tossing the [Lights] around with her natural instinct. You cant do that, can you? I mean, it doesnt count, does it?


    Joey, if youy one finger on my niece, Agostina starts saying before her sister shushes her up.


    They are adults, Agostina. Dont be a prude! And he doesnt look half-bad for a human! Hell, had I been younger, I would have tapped that! Julia waves her off like nothing.


    I am not entirely clear on whats happening, to be honest. I know that the food I was chewing entered the wrong hole and is now trying to choke me.


    When I recover from Juliasment, Im still trying to understand how Domiti can think that shepleted the first Cantrip. You have to rotate the [Lights] for a minute without interruptions in their movements. She barely did one spin!


    Am I actually talented? Or is it the book?


    A warm feeling starts spreading throughout my chest.


    Am I talented?