"Among the spells of the same tier, those that require few words and simple signs are considered much more valuable. On the other hand, long and convoluted ones will get you a C at best."
'Me and my big mind mouth.' Lith inwardly cursed at himself.
'That takes faking out spells off the table.'
'Don't be a sourpuss. Everyone else will have to work on their own, while you have me.' Solus cheered him up.
'That's true. I'm confident that the two of us can understand almost everything about magic.' Lith mind nodded.
'The only problem is that knowing is not doing. I hope this isn't as hard as dimensional magic.'
"First of all, it's better if I give you the textbook." Nalear tapped her foot, making a small booklet appear on each student's desk.
"That's a Codex. As you already know, a spell is composed of two parts: the magical words and hand signs. Magical words define the element the spell is based on, it's shape and properties. Hand signs are necessary to regulate the mana output and adjusting its effects instead.
"The book I just gave you will help you with the words part. It contains all the most common prefix and suffix to alter first magic, plus the standard words that cause specific effects.
"Let's make an example. Infiro is the magical word for fire, Menala means three, and Tach means explosion. Hence an Infiro Menala Tach is supposed to cause three fire based explosions.
"It's not actually that simple, but this is just a theoretical lesson, you only need to get the gist of it." Nalear shrugged lightly.
"Now comes the hard part, finding the correct hand signs. Unlike words, there is no recording of them. Two people can create the same spell, yet use different words and signs.
"Hand signs are strongly dependant on the imagination and willpower of the mage devising the spell. While once an incantation is complete anyone can learn it, during the creation process some signs will feel wrong to some mages, correct to others, and lacking to many.
"Everything you have learned during the fourth year, even dimensional magic, it was all propaedeutic to this moment. You needed to go past the boundaries of the first three tiers of magic to develop your mana perception.
"During all the exercises you have made, you have learned to control the mana flow with your will and to alter its properties. Without such solid foundations, creating even the simplest spell would require weeks, if not months of stumbling in the dark.
"Let's get back to our example. Infiro Menala Tach it's a fire spell, so I'll start using the hand sign for first fire magic." Nalear drew a small circle in the air with her index finger.
"Once you have a perfect pronunciation of the words, what you have to do is to focus only on your hands and your own mana flow. Say the words, draw the fire sign, then keep moving your hands. If you feel the flow continues, which will rarely happen at the first attempt, then you are on your way.
"If you feel it stuttering or being blocked, then you are doing something wrong. As soon as it happens, stop and go back to square one until you find the next sequence of movements. I know it may sound like just a random process, but it's not.
"At first, it will not seem so different from what you tried on your own in the past, but with a little practice, you will be able to understand what's the right sequence of movements by instinct.
"Creating a spell from the first three tiers will take only a few days, while tier four or five ones may require weeks if not months. Let's ask our resident expert."
'Schrödinger's cat, here we go.' Lith inwardly cursed.
"Quylla, Professor Vastor tells me you have a wonderful diagnostic spell. Do you mind sharing with the class what tier it is and how long did it take for you to create it?"
Quylla quickly straightened her slouched posture before answering the Professor.
"Tier three. As for the creation time, it's hard to say. The first version took me years of practice, but after joining the academy I realize it was still lacking." She threw a short look at Lith.
"I keep perfecting it every time I improve or I learn something new. It's a work in progress." Previously having so many eyes on her would have been embarrassing for Quylla, but after months of Jirni's lessons, her voice was clear and steady.
"Do you see it, guys?" Nalear gave her a small applause, followed by the rest of the classroom.
"Years for a tier three. I'm not trying to belittle her talent or efforts, just highlighting how hard it was for her. What about the spell you used during the second exam?" Nalear was referring to Quylla's ice spell that was very similar to Lith's Checkmate Spears.
"Tier three too, but it only took me a few months to make it." Quylla suddenly realized Professor Nalear's point in questioning her.
"Exactly." The Professor nodded at her. "Because I have taught you how to manipulate your mana flow, while Professor Rudd gave you the necessary practice to alter it at will."
"Professor, what about those like me who failed at dimensional magic? Can we also successfully create spells, or are we bound to be second rate magicians like Professor Rudd says?" Said a boy, clenching his fists hard under the desk.
More than half the class had flunked it, managing to graduate only because dimensional magic was considered an optional subject. Yet it had impacted their final score, causing them to be classified as B++ magicians at best.
They couldn't help but feel inferior to the upper percentile of the class. They also considered the boy very brave for having the guts to say out loud what every one of them was thinking.
"Good gods, that man is a monster." Professor Nalear was saddened by the lack of self confidence she perceived in most of the students.
"Yes, you can create spells, maybe even faster than those who succeeded in dimensional magic. Albeit they are related, they are still two different talents. Dimensional magic requires Exacasting, a very strong mana perception, and manipulation skills.
"Failing at it now doesn't make you lesser mages. You can keep practicing it on your own and learn it like anyone else. Most mages need years to master dimensional magic."
"What about you, Professor?" The boy asked.
"How long did it take you to learn dimensional magic?"
Nalear bit her lower lip, struggling before answering.
"I learned it during my academy years." She would have liked to lie about it, to reassure them about their future. However, the records were public, making the truth easy to be discovered. Nalear had graduated first of her year, ranked as an A++ mage.
So she preferred to be honest, rather than give them false hope only to lose their trust in return.
Most of the class sighed in despair. Professor Rudd's voice kept echoing in their heads, making Nalear sound just like a mother that was trying to comfort her children with white lies.