Final lesson

I closed the panel and returned to the church at midnight. My mana had crossed the threshold of nobles and reached the level of royals, but each time my mana increased, the difficulty of controlling it also rose. I had to practice hard the next day to control the newly added mana.

When I entered the church, I saw Sister waiting for me with dinner, which warmed my heart. I showed her my grimoire, and it left her dumbfounded. She stood open-mouthed for a few seconds before speaking, "Oh my! The legendary four-leaf grimoire!"

She snatched it from my hand and looked at it from all corners before gaining composer and handing it back to me. 

Still, Sister showed less reaction than I expected as if she expected me to get something extra-ordinary. 

I nodded and sat down to eat.

While eating, I asked, "Which squad do you think I should join?" She replied, "It would be better if you avoid big squads like Crimson Lions, Golden Dawn, Silver Eagles, and especially Purple Orca. I kind of hate that squad. You have a friendship with Yami, right? It would be good if you joined his squad."

"Weren't you the teacher of the captain of the Crimson Lions? So why avoid that squad?" I asked.

"Like the other royals, Fuegoleon and his sister were arrogant about their status before I started teaching them. I thrashed the arrogance out of them and made them more humble than others. Fuegoleon will treat you fairly, but the squad members won't. They will try to interfere in your missions and try to stop your growth because of your status. Moreover, grimoire hunters may come after you as the news of the four-leaf leaks. So I recommend joining a squad with harmony among its members, like Blue Rose, Black Bulls, or Aqua Deer."

---

The next magic knight exams were going to be held in four months, so I started practicing spells I had thought of. All the spells I knew had been imprinted into the grimoire except the devouring flames. For some reason, that spell doesn't form no matter how much I try. I noticed that a percentage sign was added after my spell names to show the mastery level.

I realized that I had no defensive spell, so I started working on it. I aimed to create something similar to Noelle's Sea Dragon's Lair and modify it to form any position around me. I released mana around me, trying to form a protective cover and compress it into a dome. It took about three days to form a satisfactory shield. But I wanted a tougher shield, so I made the spherical shield with hexagonal blocks.

When the spherical shield took damage, a lot of mana was used to repair the part. However, when hexagonal blocks took damage, it only took mana to repair that block, reducing mana consumption. To make it sturdier, I used my evolved flames to create the shield. After a month of constant practice, I unlocked my first grimoire spell, "Flame Magic: Blazing Shield." During this time, I didn't neglect my physical training and added my corrosive flames to my other spells, enhancing them.

For the next few months, I practiced with Sister and purposely got hit to use the shield instinctively. I continued doing bounty missions and saved a lot of money. Four months passed quickly, and I was prepared for my last hurdle before the magic knights exam.

Some of my spells evolved with proper practice, like Flame Bullets and Flame Wave. Almost every spell had a mastery value of 80% in the grimoire, with some reaching 100%. I could use them without a problem with the grimoire, but their power decreased without the grimoire and chanting. To use a spell at its full power without the grimoire, I had to achieve 100% proficiency. For example, if I normally used Fireball, it had the power to make Sister serious, but with the grimoire, it would overwhelm her without reinforcement magic.

My mana core reached dark yellow from light orange, further increasing my mana control and quantity. Currently, I was standing in the open area where I practiced reinforcement magic.

"I have taught you everything I could. Now come at me and defeat me, and show that I didn't waste my time on you," shouted Sister, igniting her mana.

I rushed towards her with mana reinforcement on my limbs for close combat. She aimed a punch at my head, which I parried with my own fist, creating a shockwave. We engaged in close combat for a while, making me victorious. She distanced herself and started sending various animals made of flames at me. I formed two mana daggers by hardening my flames and attacked them. Some attacked directly, and some from blind spots, which were blocked by my blazing shield as it had become instinctual. We continued to cast different spells one after another for the next two hours.

"Let's end it with our final move," she shouted while charging. I took my dagger and cast the strongest spell that I had unlocked, "Flame Magic: Dawn." I slashed my dagger, adding the power of law, and the slash took the shape of a phoenix made of threatning red flames, flying toward her at a swift speed. She countered with "Flame Magic: Roar of the Leopard," in which a leopard made of flames shot a beam from its mouth to counter mine.

It created a spectacular display of lights followed by an explosion. When the smoke cleared, Sister was found on her knees, panting with an injury on her shoulder, blood dripping from it, indicating I had won the battle. In the last attack, my flames totally dominated her attacks, completely devouring them and striking her.

I went towards her and used my phoenix robe to heal her. She had her own healing spells, but mine was faster. I extended my hand to help her stand, but she didn't take it and said arrogantly, "I am not that old to be supported by others to stand."

"Whatever you say."

She stood up and hugged me. "Today you have made me proud as a teacher and as a parent. You have taken your first step towards your future. Go and fly and never let anyone stop you. I have faith in you. Don't let power make you arrogant; always stay humble."

Hearing this made me emotional, as I was going to say goodbye to her like I did in the church at Hage. In the five years I stayed here, I started to see her as a mother figure. The children had tears in their eyes when they heard I was leaving, some even clinging to me like koalas, refusing to let me leave.

The next morning, I packed my belongings, said goodbye to everyone, and set off towards the magic knights exam and a new beginning.