Chapter 9

Three days have passed since we arrived in the village. I promised Fin that I would help him control his magic better, so that's what I'll be doing for today.

I asked Fin what they teach him at his academy, and I came to learn that all his understanding of magic were all I would consider basic knowledge. What's more, most of what he knows were only theories and he hadn't done anything yet to truly improve his magic.

Well, if that was the case, he might truly just be a prodigy. To be able to do basic-level magic with what little knowledge and practice he had until now was commendable.

"H-Here it goes, Eria-sama...!" Fin groaned as he attempts to cast another spell.

Unless you're using a staff or wand to channel the mana in your body, you will have to directly use your hands to cast magic. It's far more difficult to accomplish, but learning how to cast magic in such a way is necessary for anyone who aims of becoming a successful mage.

For that reason, my priority was to have Fin concentrate the mana in his body into his hands and constantly release it. There is no easier way to better his magic control and accustom his body to output more mana than by having him repeatedly cast spells. As an additional benefit, it will even increase his total mana reserve.

Obviously, it's an exhausting and almost maddening process. The side effects of emptying your tank can go from extreme headaches to a few days of being unconscious. That's why most people choose to go for any other options instead.

With that said, there's actually a cheat for it that almost none were familiar with. Well, even if some knew, they simply won't be able to do anything to follow through it.

The secret is the magic spell "Mana transfer". It's the kind of support magic that is usually not useful, and so, not well-spread out among magic users. As its name suggests, it's a spell to transfer mana to other people, but the big drawback was, you're draining your own mana in return. A drink of mana potion is many times more efficient.

However, in my hands, it turns to a cheat-like skill that I can use to keep other magic users up in a fight for a long time.

With the same spell, I'm transferring mana to Fin as he continuously try to produce magic. After only three days, he was already able to double the total amount of mana he has. More importantly, he could now cast stronger spells with more ease.

"Umu, this is enough for now," I said as I stopped the flow of my mana.

"Fuu..."

After a deep sigh, Fin relaxes his body again. Even with my help, he won't be spared from the effects of constant mana use. He might stay fog-headed for the entire day, and it might take him until tomorrow to recover. He will still be able to function normally, just not at full capacity.

However, somehow, Fin still seemed energetic, and... he's staring so intently at me...?

I wonder what's he's thinking?

"Hm? What is it?" I just can't ignore him staring at me like that, so I asked.

"To be honest, I'm feeling guilty about all of this. This is not something I can accomplish without your help, Eria-sama. I feel like I'm somewhat cheating..." he explained.

It's true, he was indeed cheating. I wanted to confirm it to him, but that might get him more depressed than he already was. He truly was an honest man, there is no doubt about that.

But it wouldn't actually hurt him to receive this kind of treatment from me, in fact, he should just accept the fact that it benefits him and thank me instead. Well, he actually did that many times already throughout this week I supplied him with mana that I got sick of it...

"Don't worry about it, you said it yourself, didn't you? You're calling yourself a pupil of mine. Well, this is a privilege of being my pupil, so just accept it," I reassured him.

"Eria-sama...!" Fin called my name with teary eyes.

I simply confirmed that he was indeed my student now. Why is he getting so emotional...?

Fin almost went running towards me for a hug, but as soon as his eyes landed on the valleys of my chests, he immediately stopped himself and shyly turned his face away.

"Puff..." I almost let out a chuckle after seeing his reaction.

"I-If that's how it is, then I won't think any more of it," he straighted his back and awkwardly said.

"Good," I nodded. "Still, at this level, you won't be able to cast any mid-level magic. We can improve all of your basic-level spells later and you'll be able to move on to the next step!" I enthusiastically said.

"Yes, master!" Fin called me so for the first time.