SWNOVELS Chapter 22 - “Lectio Autem Scientiam!”
“My dear, remember ... there are no magic objects in this world like these caps or bonnets, or knowledge pill ... or magic mirrors. Nor can magic replace knowledge and thirst for knowledge. For that there is ...” and Mr. Knudlac touched his head with his forefinger.
“Now read,” he ordered the children smiling as gentle as ever.
Mr. Knudlac went to his desk and sat down, leaving the four children puzzled.
They were confused, but only until they followed Elizabeth’s lead ... until they looked down at the pages of the book and began to understand the letters.
When the girl looked in the magic book, everything seemed much clearer than the water of the cleanest spring. When she touched a word with her finger, trying to read it, that word turned into a wonderful and clear picture of what it meant.
The paragraph in the magic book "The wand must be held in the right hand, rotate it in spiral motion, restraining the trajectory and the word Fortioris is pronounced, when you want to get someone’s wand ...", it was represented to Elizabeth by a small image with a girl holding wand in right hand, rotating it in inward spirals. She heard the word Fortioris and then an image popped up with Alexander as he was smashed over face with this magic as his wand dropped off his hand.
The girl and the other three laughed loud, making Professor Knudlac smile.
One of the guys, Fillip Whitehouse, managed to do the magic right. All four were merry and happy they could understand so clearly the words in the book. Professor Knudlac’s magic helped them "read" so easily, in such a pleasant way.
“Have you seen how interesting and enjoyable it is to ... know? That is why we must try to learn as best as we can. To use in life everything we get through education ...”
He got up from his desk with a smile and got close to Elizabeth.
“Get up and show us how you're doing.”
The girl obeyed and stood up. She did it in a timid manner, like a child who was punished rather than one who had the chance to confront Mr. Knudlac.
Alexander certainly wanted to be elected, so he had the honour of fighting with the great Knudlac, to show the professor how much he knows about magic, especially about disarming and attacking an opponent.
“I want you to use what you learned with me. Use magic against me.”
The girl looked at the professor, then in the classroom.
“But ...”
“Keep calm. This magic is not very dangerous. The strongest Fortioris magic can be likened to a palm strike. Or with a fist, if the attacker is very good. And this ... over time, after much exercise. It is more training magic to familiarize yourself with the use of the magic wand. So please, hit me ...”
The girl stood up, feeling her feet walk against her, almost falling as if controlled by someone else. However, she got ready for the confrontation adjusting position just as seen in the pictures.
“However, please never use it to hit someone’s face. Because ... a slap in the face can hurt,” the professor smiled again. “Even me.”
Elizabeth picked up a wand from the desk, at the professor's suggestion, rotated her hand 3 times and said Fortioris.
There are a few sparks after which ... nothing happened.
Again some boys laughed.
“Alexander, please come in front of the class,” asked Professor Knudlac.
The boy got to the professor, proudly. He looked at the kids he left behind, as if he told them he was not chosen at random - the boy who would become, in his opinion, the best student of the school of magic.
Arrogantly, he took out of a leather sheath, a wand so beautifully carved that it seemed to be a jewel, a very important family heirloom, and then he got close to the professor.
“Please explain to us what Elizabeth did wrong.”
Alexander took an elegant position as a swordsman and began to speak:
“The spins she had to do with the wand had to be inward and stop at one point.”
The boy performed the necessary movements like a skilled swordsman, with the elegance of a dancer, and then he said:
“Fortioris ...”
At that moment, a magic flame was seen from his wand, which stopped exactly in Knudlac's wand.
“Good shot,” exclaimed the professor.
Prince Soimesti thanked the professor with a smile and slightly bowed his head in appreciation. He was proud he had a chance to show what he could, but he was also very ... polite. Or at least this is what he tried to show and he succeeded this time.
“Elizabeth, your turn now,” the professor asked again.
The girl made the same movements calling out:
“Fortioris!”
A flame similar to Alexander's also came out of her wand, and a light breeze moved Professor Knudlac’s cape.
The children, including Alexander of course, laughed at the girl's performance.
Elizabeth laughed too. But with joy. She was happy to see she had magic powers. She was happy as any of us would be if we could do a magic trick, even small, spinning a stick and saying a single word. Perhaps she was even prouder than Alexander of what she achieved, except that unlike him, she did not show pride or arrogance.
“The magic is in us. In us all ... But to become a powerful wizard, you need...”
“Knowledge,” added the girl.
“Exactly, dear ... and a lot of work. And in order to achieve important things, as I said, we must first know the mysteries of reading and writing. And because you still need help, I'll give you someone to help you. I will entrust you all four to some young professors, because the spell I cast on you will soon disappear.”
“Ohh ...” the four sighed in one voice.
“Yes, I told you again and again. Magic cannot help you learn how to write, read, and calculate. Instead, if you know them, they can help you learn the Magic. Cast spells, make potions, decipher old magic. Magic can help you become better, only if you know more about the world we live in and about magic. It all depends on you ...”
He looked in the classroom and told the children in the first row:
“Philip Whitehouse, Mike Longsley will help you to learn reading. Flavia Delgado, Brigitte Taylor will help you, and Samuel Harrison will be helped by Igor Krasnensko. As for Elizabeth Edwards ... Alexander Soimesti will help her.
“Professor ...,” Alexander tried to protest, because he had far better things to do than help one like Elizabeth read. But when he saw Mr. Knudlac's gaze he stopped.
“Are we clear, dear?” the professor asked.
“Yes,” the young learners answered together with their guides.
“I'm glad to hear that. Now we go on reading about the history of magic and its significance.”
The professor sat back in his chair.
The children sighed. The lines to read seemed boring to many of them, especially those who belonged to families like Alexander's, and already knew this subject.
For Miss Edwards and the other three children, it was perfect. Because again… those images appeared. Plenty of pictures that explained the text with such nice magic images, which otherwise could not be read at that time. Surely everyone will know the mysteries of reading properly, but for now some of them were delighted with the images.