"Well, see in a world was the opposite and, doing science to magic made magic less dangerous, which is kinda of true of all things. But I can see why the tropes would develop that way in your world. It's still a weird way of thinking, but I grew up with a professional magician for a mom..." Felix shrugs.

Nod. "I mean, I'd expect science to make it less dangerous gradually, even in the scenarios I mentioned, if only because then you can get an idea of what particular things cause explosions, but if the alternative to 'not doing science' is 'sticking within what you know is safe' then that could be, in the short term, safer." Shrug. "It's nice that science has helped, though."

"Anyway, would you to like to get some basic magic books?"

"Yeah," says Martin. "Sounds good."

Itaruko nods.

Magician starter pack purchase time - also basic magic principles lecture, do they want a basic magic principles lecture?

Itaruko would be interested! He can try spreading this stuff around back home, seeing as how lumen works as a natural gift.

Weird.

There is definitely interest.

Here is a basic magic principles lecture. The magic field possess a sort of inertia that is interfered with by spell-casting and this can be Very Dangerous, Don't Do It At Home Kids but natural gifts make spell-casting safe, more so if the spell is related to the natural gift. Lumen and Felix's gift would give an affinity for light-magic, for example.

Everyone has magical potential that gives oomph to spell-casting, people with natural gift have less potential (the stronger the gift, the lesser is the potential) and casting spells changes your magical potential: It shapes it such that you are weaker at general magic, but stronger at spells similar to the ones that you are casting. Co-casting has as similar effect, such that you build potential with the people you are co-casting with and lose it for other people. And if your potential with another person is strong enough you can channel a part of their potential and natural gift to use yourself.

(Thor raises his fist dramatically and says "I call upon the power of my brother the light-giver" which makes Felix rolls his eyes and explains this a media stereotype, professional magicians aren't amused by it.)

So, this leads to professional magicians forming covens where each individual performs a "role" and specializes in a kind of magic, usually three to five individuals per coven, but there is no technical limit besides the logistics of keeping everyone working together without breaking into smaller covens.

Fernando points out there are such things as magic sweatshops where the workers are forced to become a large coven around a single natural gift and this quickly leads to the loss of all their magical potential to do anything but a few trinkets. Let's hope this doesn't happen in Martin's or Itaruko's world.

Yes, thank you for this cheerful reminder Fernando.

Anyway, here are some of the more esoteric magical concepts with a list of books where they are better elaborated so the two can derive them better in their own world.

And here are some practical uses for magic, specially light-based magic (which is Felix's natural specialty) and how to research and deploy them. Here are somethings to keep in mind while researching biological magic. Here are other things to keep in mind while researching magic itself and meta-magic effects. Here are Fernando and Thor's notes on magic that fits their specialties better.

Ooh! Martin tries to take in what he can right now and puts copies away for later.

Pause. "So if lumen counts as a natural gift for me, and it's doing something to Martin so it counts as one for him– it might be that he can do lumen?"

"That is... intriguing. Martin, do you want to try?"

"Sure!" he says. "How."

"… Uh, it's– I think I gave an explanation earlier, uh, you sort of point out a bit of air in your head and do a thing that lights it up? It's like a twisting. Sort of."

"– It'd be really helpful if we had some sort of telepathy here," comments Martin. "I mean, pointing out a bit of air I can do easily but then twisting it is not really a very easy thing to do? Or, like, it is but I'm probably doing it wrong because it's not so much twisting as just imagining it turning."

He squints at a bit of air in front of himself.

Everyone waits with batted breath.

Nothing happens!

Nothing happens for a while.

Pause. "Kids usually pick it up when they're like, three or something? There's quite a big deviation but people usually have it by the time they're about four and a half and then it's practically guaranteed by the time you're eight."

"Well, maybe it is going to take him years until the power is strong enough to work? Honestly the spell safety is the important part."

Itaruko shrugs and then conjures a blob of lumen. "Try poking at this, maybe?"

Martin looks at it. Blankly.

"… How?"

"Do you not– uh. Try. Poking it and grabbing it? Like with the air before but then, you know, incorporating the grab onto the existing lumen?"

Pause. "… Doesn't seem to be doing anything?"