Reborn and Ego.

As the lightning flashed through the stairwell, the pain in the boy's voice was evident, as his mana was out of control and had violently burst out. He felt as if his energy was slowly draining, and his hand started to feel increasingly pressured. It was exactly as Kana had explained—a surplus of mana concentrated in his hand, on the verge of exploding. The fear of not understanding what was happening or how to stop it only made the situation more unstable. Hurried footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs, and quickly three figures appeared, all dressed similarly to before. A petite woman with pink hair wore a confused expression. She quickly clapped her hands, summoning a blue-toned barrier around Kana, effectively protecting her from the lightning. Meanwhile, the other two figures, consisting of a dark-haired man and another with red hair, were about to make their move. The red-haired man was emanating flames from his body with a smile that screamed his thirst for battle, while the dark-haired man, noticing that Infinn didn't seem to be doing it on purpose, cautiously tried to restrain his companion. The petite woman ran towards Kana with another blue barrier designed to repel the nearby lightning.

"Boss! Are you okay?"

"Yes, Koma, you don't have to worry. None of the lightning managed to hit me."

Meanwhile, the men continued to argue, especially the red-haired one who seemed annoyed that the dark-haired one was stopping his action, which likely involved leaping towards Infinn and crushing him as quickly as possible. However, this idea was destroyed by his companion's refusal, who seemed to have understood the situation after analyzing it a bit.

"Listen to me, Mori! The kid isn't doing it on purpose!"

"Get out of the way, Adel! Intentional or not, I have to put him to sleep, or else he'll burn everything!"

The heated debate continued on their side, while Infinn, not fully understanding what was happening, could only be consumed by the sparks of anxiety and horror of not being able to control himself. In a single instant, he had completely lost control of his body, filling him with fear that prevented him from focusing. He was no longer perceiving his surroundings clearly, causing the lightning to move with even greater violence, fueled by the boy's emotions. It was like navigating through a dense sea, no matter how hard he struck, he simply couldn't keep moving forward, no matter how much strength he put into it. Closing his eyes as a defense mechanism, similar to a child hiding under the covers, it seemed like everything was about to end. However, he felt something strange around his wrist, a different kind of pressure. Warmth could be felt through the touch, and a softness could be detected as his eyes slowly seemed to fill with light. When the boy opened his eyes again, he could witness a surprising scene. Kana was holding his wrist while using her other hand to generate a kind of "containment" around the lightning sphere with a powerful light, blocking the lightning that tried to escape. However, it wouldn't be difficult to notice that this wouldn't last for long. The sphere of light surrounding the electricity was becoming increasingly unstable due to the constant impact of the lightning trying to break free. The woman turned to look directly into Infinn's eyes, her expression showing both annoyance and warmth. Even though it seemed like she was going to reprimand the boy severely, her actions showed how much she cared. Infinn could see that she could have easily stayed put while his mana exploded or let her subordinate, the red-haired one, attack him to finish him off, but she didn't make either of those choices. She made her own decision and stepped forward to make it a reality. This leadership, containing such a significant decision, evoked genuine admiration in the boy.

"Get your head together, you idiot!"

"I-I'm trying!"

"Listen to me, you have to concentrate! Imagine that your mana has hundreds or thousands of threads connected to your hand. You're the puppeteer, not the other way around! Close your hand and move the threads!"

Following the woman's instructions, who could see how she was struggling to contain the lightning that was making the spheres increasingly unstable, the boy closed his eyes once again. In his mind, he started visualizing the image of hundreds of threads swaying unsteadily from right to left, originating from his hand. Countless threads slowly attached and merged with the mana that he felt was trying to escape. Soon, the entire mana sphere was intertwined with an endless number of threads, appearing as thousands of lines of light in the boy's mental image. It was then that the boy slowly closed his hand, forcing the mana to concentrate at a single point. All the chaos he had felt before, as well as his internal doubts, seemed to slowly vanish. It was just the boy in deep concentration, and it felt so relaxing.

Then, his eyes began to open again, revealing a sphere in his hand. Inside it, an almost endless amount of electricity could be seen constantly moving. It was no longer unstable, and he could notice that there were no lightning bolts flying around. It was at that moment he noticed the woman in front of him let out a sigh of relief, realizing that the boy had succeeded. Infinn, realizing that he had indeed regained control, couldn't help but feel proud, like a child who had finally created a science project.

"I... I did it!"

"Succeed? You almost burned this place down. If it weren't for the boss, I would have crushed you."

A voice filled with annoyance could be heard. Infinn didn't even have to turn to see who it was; he could tell from the tone that it was the redhead who had tried to attack him to stop the lightning. Part of him understood why the man would make that decision, but Kana had shown him that there was another way, so he felt a sense of rejection towards the impulsive idea of the man. The redhead noticed Infinn's look of disapproval, causing him to simply laugh as he started walking towards him with a smile that indicated he was looking for a fight.

"What's with that face? Do you want to be charred?"

However, a hand stopped him. The brown-haired woman halted him with her hand while expressing an authoritative presence, preventing him from approaching Infinn. It surprised Infinn as well.

"It was his mistake. Calm down, Mori."

"Are you going to let him off the hook just like that, boss? He could have killed you!"

"What about you? I distinctly remember that the first time you managed to summon your mana, you almost devoured the entire place with your flames."

"That was... different."

"There's no difference. If you understand, please step back. Everything is already resolved, and there's no need for personal feuds."

"Yes, boss..."

Infinn approached Kana and began to speak to her. He was surprised by the authority she exuded. The redhead seemed uncontrollable, a guy who could only be satisfied with the heat of battle. Yet, she managed to make him understand things perfectly and even made him step back.

"Hey, thanks for..."

The boy didn't have time to finish his sentence as he was met with a hit to the head from the woman herself. It wasn't too strong, but he could feel that the hit was a reflection of the woman's emotions—her annoyance that Infinn was foolish enough to almost harm her or her subordinates. Infinn fell to the ground, rubbing his head with the hand that didn't hold the electric sphere, looking at the woman. He didn't need to ask why she did it; he knew that he partly deserved it for the commotion he had caused.

"Okay, I deserved that."

"Deserved is an understatement."

The woman sighed. Infinn lowered his head slightly, feeling guilty, as if being scolded by her indicated that he had done something wrong. He understood the danger he had not only put himself in but also all these people. He felt truly useless at that moment for not being able to control himself, despite his idea of being some kind of "hero" like the ones he usually read about. However, in his field of vision, he noticed a gentle hand appearing. He lifted his gaze to the woman with long hair, who looked at him calmly. She was offering him her hand to help him up from the ground.

"But you tried and showed determination, so I believe you're qualified for this job."

Infinn's eyes opened wide, but he quickly lowered his gaze for a moment, capturing the girl's hand. He chuckled softly as he decided to take her hand and lift himself off the ground. He looked at her with a smile, and she responded with one of her own. Infinn felt as if the gears of his new life had started moving with that simple gesture. He calmly released the woman's hand and turned to look at the three figures in front of him. He noticed the electricity sphere still in his hand and realized it was becoming uncomfortable and dangerous, considering what he had witnessed. Using the same mental image that Kana had previously suggested, he manipulated the threads, guiding the mana back into a controlled flow, as if he were a puppeteer controlling his marionettes. He closed the path he had opened earlier, allowing the mana to flow out of his body. Afterward, he proceeded to address the people present.

"I am Infinn Bright, nice to meet you."

"I am Koma Hills, nice to meet you too."

"I am Adel Hills, likewise."

"Bah, why do I have to introduce myself to this idiot!"

The redhead grumbled with annoyance as he walked downstairs, paying little attention. The black-haired man tried to catch up, but Koma stopped him, indicating with a movement of her head to let him go. Infinn didn't have much to say either. From what he had seen, he could tell that the redhead had an explosive personality, but just like with Kana, he knew that he could also care about those around him. He had to admit that the bad first impression was partly his fault, so he wouldn't force a friendly relationship for now. He sighed as he turned to the remaining two.

"Apologies for Mori, he can be impulsive, but he's quite good to Koma and me."

"No problem. I started off on the wrong foot with all of you, so I appreciate your understanding and not throwing me out."

"You're good with words, I see. In that aspect, you're a bit like Adel."

Koma said with a smile as she leaned on Adel, who gently stroked her head. Infinn could sense from their shared surname and their close relationship that they might be siblings.

"You're siblings, right?"

"Siblings? Oh no, we're married."

Koma responded calmly, causing Infinn's jaw to drop in surprise. Although he had considered it as a possibility, he never thought they were married. They looked so young. Adel soon noticed the surprise on the boy's face and let out a small laugh as he looked at him.

"Don't worry, many people have that surprised reaction when we say that. Maybe we're a bit young by standard marriage norms, but we've been married for two years now."

"Wow... That's impressive."

Recovering from his surprise, Infinn noticed the tranquil relationship they had, despite initially finding it unusual. He felt happy for the two of them, but his thoughts were interrupted by the light brown-haired woman calmly walking towards them.

"I'll go calm Mori down. You guys show Infinn what he needs to do from now on."

"Yes, boss."

Koma responded as she looked at Infinn with a small smile. Adel, on the other hand, started descending the stairs after Kana. It seemed like they were going to take a small tour of the place, so Infinn quickly followed them. His carefree steps echoed with a slight echo in the vast space of the library. Even though he understood the mechanism behind it, he couldn't help but be amazed by this tremendous achievement. He could imagine that they also used this technology to conceal the realms without causing difficulties in the territory. However, he wondered what the exact limiting perimeter was. Perhaps it was that precise space in the open field that Slein moved to enter.

"Come over here, Infinn. Have a seat."

Adel commented as he showed him a chair at one of the tables where they had previously been enjoying some snacks. Infinn noticed the plates with a few crumbs that were probably from those same snacks. He took a seat, followed by the other two, who sat down to face him.

"Well, I suppose you have a vague idea of what this job is about."

"Uh... collecting crystals?"

"Haha, it's not just that, exactly."

Koma responded with a small laugh that clearly showed her amusement at Infinn's simplistic comment. Adel realized that Infinn actually had no idea what he was signing up for, so he sighed and placed the plate he had used earlier for eating aside, placing his hands on the table.

"Alright, I'll explain it to you then. Have you heard about mana crystals, right?"

"I think so. They are crystals that contain mana and can hold things like memories."

"It's something like that, but you lack information. Generally, there are two types of crystals: memory crystals and skill crystals. Memory crystals contain mana that holds sensory information from a previous carrier, whether from a long time ago or relatively recently. Skill crystals, on the other hand, are blue in color and contain mana that perfectly remembers the structures required to execute the magic of their previous carrier. When consumed, this mana gives the person the ability to develop those magics with sufficient training."

"You mentioned that these crystals contain mana from previous carriers, even from a long time ago. How is that possible?"

"Well, for that, we would have to delve into the theory of ether, but I'll give you a summary. Mana normally travels through an omnipresent conductor called 'ether.' It's intangible, odorless, and colorless, but we know it exists because mana is the only thing that can interact with ether. Ether defies the laws of time and space, acting as an independent dimension in that sense. When a spellcaster dies and no one takes their mana, the mana naturally exits their body and returns to the flow of ether. Sometimes, the mana concentration is so high in certain places that it solidifies into these crystals, which, thanks to ether, are deposited at some point in time. This allows them to contain mana from recently deceased spellcasters or even mana from ancient kings. That's why they are coveted by the 'castes.'"

"Castes? Are you talking about magical houses or something like that?"

"Something like that. In each part of the spellcaster society, there are generally four dominant houses, usually led by a commander appointed by the king. However, it's not necessary to be the leader of a house to be a commander. Still, it's more common due to their political connections with the king. Each house typically produces professionals for the three categories of work: market, production, and collectors."

"And we are in the collectors' part."

"Exactly. Most of the people here were raised in these houses and assigned a profession based on our abilities."

"So, you didn't choose this job?"

"We never had that option. The castes are a fairly closed social circle, and they are authoritarian, so everything has to move as they want."

"That sounds..."

"Disgusting, we know."

Koma would respond with a sigh to Adel's explanations and Infinn's responses. However, there was a reason behind the existence of this interconnected system, so Koma would take the initiative for a moment and start speaking to Infinn.

"The idea of this system is not to provide individual freedom to citizens but to ensure the well-being of the wizard society as a whole. Therefore, depending on the area where we are most needed and where our abilities fit, we are sent to work in a specific zone."

"That's quite cruel..."

"Unfortunately, it's the system we live in. But didn't you know that as well?"

"Well, you could say that I'm not from here."

Upon hearing this response, Adel would start piecing things together. Infinn's inexperience and lack of knowledge about the system they were living in would be impossible if he were someone who had been born here and subjected to it from birth. With these clues, he could make one logical deduction.

"You're not originally from the spellcaster society, are you?"

"That's correct."

"Wow, you're a foreigner, and yet you have such tremendous talent. Your family must have been spellcasters or something."

"Don't joke, Koma. You know it would be impossible to escape the wizard society and have a family in the conventional society."

"Impossible for us, but who knows for others."

She would respond with a calm smile as she relaxed in her chair, causing Adel to sigh next to her. His gaze would return to Infinn as he clasped his hands together.

"Putting that aside, I suppose if you're not from here, they must have explained to you how to collect those crystals in the temporary home."

"In fact, I would like you to explain it to me. I didn't understand it well the last time."

Clearly, it was a lie. Infinn didn't not understand it; he was never told because he never made it to the temporary home in the first place. However, that would remind him that in theory, he should be taking someone else's job who was supposed to arrive a little later than him, which worried him. If they were to find out about this, he would likely be expelled for impersonation.

"In that case, as I mentioned before, the crystals are born from areas with enormous mana concentrations, and these areas are called 'battlefields' by the collectors."

"Not a pretty name."

"The places aren't pretty either. As I explained earlier, there are four dominant houses in the nation of Logic that desire these crystals for their immense cultural value or simply for the power they can offer. That's why a system has been established to avoid direct wars between the houses and, therefore, prevent the destruction of the nation's infrastructure. The high-concentration areas where the crystals are born have been isolated using altered spaces. Once every year, when the crystals have been successfully created, the 'incursions' begin. Multiple groups of collectors from the same or different houses are released to collect these crystals. Absolutely all means are allowed to obtain them before your opponents, including killing them."

The sudden coldness expressed by Adel when mentioning this last part would send a shiver down Infinn's spine. He didn't know such dark things happened during a collector's work. In his mind, it seemed like a much calmer job. However, for some reason, he didn't seem as frightened by the idea. Perhaps it was the fact that they were telling him he had great talent, giving his confidence a boost. So Infinn wouldn't back down and would listen to Adel, who, upon noticing this, would have a face that seemed to anticipate how things would end if they continued in this way. Nonetheless, he wouldn't do much about it. After all, Infinn was an adult who would have to assume his own responsibilities.

"Depending on the number of remaining groups belonging to each house and the number of crystals collected, everyone is given a monetary reward, which would be our payment. The collector's job is the highest-paying among all categories, so many people are interested in it. However, very few people can sustain themselves in this job, so they end up returning to their previous jobs, such as merchants or producers."

"And what happens to the collectors during the time when the battle zones are closed?"

"The rewards usually come to give you a year-long vacation. Although what most people do is prepare a plan and train for the next incursion. That's what we do as an example."

"That means I should train, I understand."

"Considering your abilities, if we released you as you are now, you would probably kick the bucket pretty quickly."

Koma would explain casually, interjecting Adel, with her characteristic carefree attitude, while she looked at Infinn, sitting calmly in the chair.

"Don't get me wrong, Infinn. You have a lot of potential, but as you've shown, you have no knowledge about anything. Anyone here could turn you into pulp, taking that into account, not to mention other groups that are probably larger and more experienced than us."

Those words that Koma casually dropped without concern certainly dealt a blow to his ego. However, Infinn wouldn't be too surprised by the judgment of the petite woman. He already suspected that fact because despite being able to achieve incredible things, he had only learned to use mana probably half an hour ago. Compared to people who had been training for years, he would fall far behind in terms of skill and power. So if he didn't want to end up being killed in the battlefields, he had to become stronger.

"I understand. So, how can I train?"

"There are various ways to do it: meditating, self-discovering your abilities, or having training partners for friendly combat."

Adel would explain in a serious manner, as if he were a teacher explaining to his student how to do things correctly and in an orderly manner. However, there was someone with a more chaotic opinion. Koma would jump out of her seat to look at Infinn with a smile.

"Please, Adel, you and I both know that the quickest way to learn is through blows!"

"Koma, he's just a kid. We don't have to be so harsh."

"Huh? Are you afraid of losing against him or something?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm concerned about his safety!"

"That sounds like an excuse from a scaredy-cat!"

In front of Infinn, a comical scene was unfolding. The married couple debated constantly, with Adel trying to explain his reasons with seriousness and correctness, while Koma simply mocked him, claiming that all his arguments were excuses to protect his macho image because he was afraid to confront Infinn. It was a meaningless quarrel that felt so amusing. Just three people enjoying a pleasant moment, letting themselves be carried away by a bit of silliness. Upon seeing this scene, the young man couldn't help but burst into laughter, which could be heard throughout the library. His face reflected a joy he hadn't felt in a long time. He had been so caught up in the monotony of his work and social isolation that simply having such a pleasant moment brought him true happiness. Upon seeing his reaction, the married couple could only give a gentle smile, noticing how the young man seemed to be genuinely happy in that moment. Infinn wondered, "How could this world be bad?" After a few seconds of laughter, he finally relaxed.

"Haha... You two are definitely meant for each other, Miss Koma and Mr. Adel."

"There's no need to be so formal. You can call us by our names alone, Infinn."

"Yes! You'll be our coworker from now on. No need to act like we're so old."

"I understand. In that case, Koma and Adel."

"I can see you're getting along well."

A female voice would comment as she walked towards them. When they turned to look at her, they would notice Kana walking with Mori by her side. Mori seemed much more relaxed than before, at least he didn't look at Infinn with intentions of attacking him. Infinn would look at Mori, and Mori would respond with a silent gaze. They stayed like that for a few seconds until Kana tapped Mori's back to make him approach Infinn. Mori, looking resigned, would sigh and proceed to speak.

"Listen, I was a bit harsh on you earlier when I called you an idiot. I apologize."

"Ah... Really? How amusing."

Infinn would have a mocking expression on his face, with a smile that clearly showed he was enjoying this scene with great pleasure. Mori, in response, would have a look that seemed like he was about to burst into flames and jump on the young man to hit him. But to the relief of those present, and with some surprise, it was Infinn who calmly put a stop to the situation to prevent it from escalating. He would observe Mori this time with a more serious expression and a slight smile.

"Don't worry, I started off on the wrong foot after all. Thank you for apologizing to me. I'm Infinn Bright."

He would say, extending his hand towards Mori, who, although somewhat annoyed by the impertinent and mocking attitude, could see that this time Infinn was mentioning it genuinely. Mori would accept his hand in a brief handshake and then sigh, starting to introduce himself in a more relaxed manner than before.

"I'm Mori Belio."

Upon hearing this, Infinn would look somewhat puzzled at Mori, turning to look at Kana as he had done before with Adel and Koma. In his mind, he would start to formulate a certain idea, as he remembered that Kana was the one who had calmed Mori down, not to mention that it seemed like Mori had great respect for her. Infinn's puzzled expression also confused Kana and Mori, and Mori was the first to ask.

"What's with that face?"

"You two... are you married too?"

There were moments of silence in the room until Koma burst into laughter while Adel tried earnestly to contain his laughter, attempting to control Koma from laughing at Infinn's comment. Upon hearing this, Mori blushed slightly and let go of Infinn's hand, looking away, while Kana had a look of "How did you come to that conclusion?" as she looked at Infinn. Infinn, seeing everyone's reactions, appeared quite confused. He thought he had hit the mark this time.

"They're not married, Infinn! They simply come from the same magical house, which is why they share the same surname, haha!"

Koma mentioned while holding onto Adel to keep herself from falling to the floor due to her weak legs caused by her laughter attack. Meanwhile, Adel, trying to be the serious one with glimpses of laughter on his face, proceeded to explain the situation.

"You see, Infinn, sharing a surname in this society doesn't necessarily make them siblings or married. You can share the surname of a magical house by belonging to it. Magical houses are not exactly families as such; they are a group of people who may or may not be related and have been recruited by the head of the house. Koma and I also have the surname Belio, apart from the surnames we have from our respective families."

"Ah... I apologize for the confusion."

"Don't worry, it can't be helped if you really have no idea about it."

Kana would mention with a sigh as she turned to look at Mori, who remained somewhat blush and silent. Kana didn't pay it much attention since her face almost always seemed red with anger. She thought the blush was because the comment had offended him or something similar. Tapping the back of the redhead's man a bit, Kana would say the following.

"Come on, don't be angry, Mori. You and I? You know that won't happen. We're like siblings."

"Ah, yeah..."

In response to Kana's well-intentioned comment, Mori didn't object much and simply confirmed her statement, although his face seemed somewhat resigned. While Infinn didn't capture the scene completely, he could swear he heard something break at that precise moment within Mori. After that, Kana would turn to look at Infinn.

"I suppose they must have already explained to you what's necessary and what you need to do in this job."

"That's correct, I understand everything now."

"That's good because I already have your training plan prepared."

"Huh? So soon?"

"I designed it some time ago after seeing your potential. You'll train with Mori. You can complement each other."

"Complement each other?"

Mori mentioned, confused, not exactly knowing what she meant. Kana calmly turned to look at them, proceeding to explain.

"Mori, although impulsive, has an abnormal amount of mana reserves, which makes his fire magic a devastating force that can be freely molded to his imagination. So, he's a perfect gauge of how much power you have, and likewise, you both share similarities in that aspect. Your electricity magic is not based on defense or support, so learning from an offensive sorcerer will be perfect for you."

"That means..."

"I have to fight him."

Mori and Infinn looked at each other as a certain feeling between them began to arise. They were genuinely interested in each other's abilities. The temperature in the room seemed to rise as in each of their minds an image of a potential fight between the two formed. Mori smiled as he clenched his fist against his palm, and Infinn responded with a cheeky expression. It seemed that with this idea, they both managed to awaken each other's egos.

"I won't go easy on you just because you're new. Keep that in mind, Infinn."

"You might be forced not to do so anyway."

"Who will come out on top?" That question formed within this competitive atmosphere. It seems that it won't be long before it's answered.