Editing Inconsistencies (section)

=== 158. (Viltach's opinion on barriers and combat abilities) ===

#In [https://wanderinginn.com/2020/06/14/7-29-b/ 7.29B] Viltach appears dismissive of Mages needing to know how to fight, thinks just having a barrier is enough:

''Naili grinned. She’d been one of the first people to test Saif’s skills and he hadn’t ever managed to hit her. The Archmage had seen actual combat. ''

“The question is whether these ‘battles’ would mimic reality in any meaningful way. [Mages] don’t need to dodge. Our [Barrier] spells would block bullets.” 

Archmage Viltach snorted impatiently. Naili rolled her eyes as Feor made room for Blackmage.

'''But in 8.12T he seems to have much more reasonable view, rooted in his war experierience and trauma:'''

''“I was a [Mage] here. Graduated by nineteen. And because I had no more money, I went to Terandria and became a [Mercenary]. There was a war going on, and I convinced some other [Mages] my age to join a squad. We thought we would end the war by ourselves.”''

“What happened?” It was a story Trey knew. Viltach told it anyways. “…During our first battle, I cast a barrier spell. A good one. [Lightfold Barrier]. Do you know it? It’s an upgrade on [Light Barrier]…and [Lightfold Armor]. I was never a good duelist, but because an artisan needs to protect themselves, I was rather good at that spell. My friends had barrier spells too, and they teased me. We were throwing spells at the enemy line when we ran afoul of an [Archer] battalion.” He trailed off. Trey had seen it before. Parasol Stroll used their enchanted parasols for that reason; to defend against all the things that came at a [Mage] on the battlefield. The Archmage’s face was distant. Sad.(...) “Silly of us. We had barrier spells. We could cast [Fireball], [Lightning Bolt]. We thought we were invincible. And we were. The first arrows didn’t even touch our skin. The second? The first dozen? But what about two hundred? What about Skills?” (...) 

“I had the best barriers. I watched as my friends, two decades of study and magic in the greatest academy in the world—died to conscripted [Militia Archers] in the thousands. That’s when I realized I wasn’t invincible.”