MT - 82 Teaching

Roy couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated when his signature head-pat technique failed to have the desired effect. It seemed his skills in "head-pat magic" were being called into question.

Bending slightly to meet Eris's gaze, he reached out to poke her cheek, only for her to instinctively dodge this time.

"Don't push your luck, you idiot!" Eris snapped, her crimson eyes glaring daggers at him.

Roy blinked in surprise. Wait a minute, he thought. Didn't I hear this same phrase not long ago?

Ah, that's right—it was from a certain white-haired little girl.

Shaking off the thought, Roy studied Eris for a moment before shrugging. "Fine, go have breakfast first. Meet me in the main hall afterward, and I'll teach you magic… or something."

Eris nodded in satisfaction, clearly missing the "or something" part of his sentence, which subtly hinted that arithmetic lessons were on the agenda too. But knowing her, she wouldn't have cared even if she'd noticed.

Still feeling unusually drained, Roy dragged himself through his morning routine. Yesterday's exertions had left him more fatigued than usual, but a deep breath and some self-motivation were enough to get him moving.

After a quick breakfast, he headed to the main hall, where Rudeus and Eris were already waiting.

Rudeus sat upright with his usual composure, while Eris—surprisingly—had toned down her usual brash demeanor. When Rudeus noticed Roy entering, he greeted him with a smile, though his expression quickly shifted to curiosity at Roy's somewhat disheveled and weary appearance.

Yawning, Roy gestured to the two of them. "Let's head outside for some practice."

...

At the training grounds, Roy retrieved a piece of paper and began explaining the basics of magic.

The majority of his explanation, however, was directed at Rudeus. Roy knew Eris's attention span and intellect weren't suited for complex theories, so he kept her role in the lesson simple.

Truthfully, Roy didn't consider himself more knowledgeable about magic than Rudeus. Most of his success came from his immense mana reserves and natural talent. His spells rarely failed during development, and his intuition often led to success on the first try.

"Magic requires mana to use," Roy began. "In essence, as long as you have mana, anyone can cast spells. There are two ways to draw mana: one, from your own body, and two, by extracting it from mana-rich materials."

Turning to Eris, he added, "This means that with enough mana, it's theoretically possible to skip chanting altogether. By compressing mana into its elemental forms—wind, fire, water, and earth—you could even forge something like a magical blade."

The latter part was clearly intended for Rudeus, who seemed deep in thought about the feasibility of such an idea.

However, Rudeus eventually shook his head. A magic blade formed this way would indeed be powerful, but it would also be difficult to control and require an immense amount of mana to sustain. Moreover, not everyone had mana as malleable as Roy's.

Turning back to Eris, Roy smiled faintly. "As for you, Eris… you don't need to overthink it."

The understanding of magic in this world was rudimentary at best.

People accepted things at face value, believing them to be natural and unquestionable. For instance, chanting was essentially an automated way of channeling mana—something akin to flipping a switch to bypass the mental effort of visualizing mana flow and concentration.

"Just recite the chant, and magic will happen automatically," Roy explained.

For someone in Eris's position, a straightforward approach was best. Anything beyond that would lead to results no better than in the original story.

"Repeat after me," Roy instructed, raising his right hand. "O flame, blessed with the protection of fire, descend upon the place I seek! Fierce and untamed, burn away all that lies before you! Fireball!"

With a flick of his wrist, a large, blazing orb of fire materialized at his fingertips.

Eris mimicked him, her voice steady and determined: "O flame, blessed with the protection of fire, descend upon the place I seek! Fierce and untamed, burn away all that lies before you! Fireball!"

As she extended her hand, Roy observed her mana gathering in her palm. Slowly but surely, it began transforming into fire. Within moments, a small flame appeared, flickering in her grasp.

Eris leapt with excitement, her arms waving in the air as she cheered, "Did you see that? Did you see it? Magic! So this is what magic feels like!"

Magic was undeniably fascinating, especially for beginners. Their initial enthusiasm was always overwhelming, and Roy knew how crucial it was to nurture that excitement.

"Not bad, Eris. You nailed it on your first try," Roy said with a small smile, his tone light but genuinely encouraging.

Eris's face lit up with pride. Her eyebrows arched high, and her fiery red eyes sparkled like rubies. Roy couldn't help but notice how easily praise lifted her spirits.

So simple-minded, he thought with amusement. Just a young girl at heart. Yet, when his thoughts drifted to Philip, her father, his smile faltered.

Now there's someone to watch out for.

Philip had been acting oddly lately, dropping hints of wanting to get closer to Roy. It was hard to shake the feeling that the man had some ulterior motives.

Shoving the thought aside, Roy turned back to Eris. "Alright then, why don't you give water magic a try next?"

Eris nodded eagerly, the fireball in her hand flickering out as she focused on her next task.

Following his usual process, Roy stretched out his hand and began chanting, "O great blessing of water, heed my call. Let the soothing currents manifest before me—Water Ball."

A fist-sized sphere of water formed swiftly in his palm, swirling with a quiet but focused energy. With a flick of his wrist, he launched it toward a distant tree.

The water ball spiraled rapidly, striking the tree with a force so powerful it snapped the trunk cleanly in half.

Roy raised an eyebrow, grinning smugly. "Not bad, huh?"

Rudeus, watching from the side, sighed heavily. Nii-san, as flashy as ever.

Eris, however, frowned in determination. She stepped forward and began reciting, "O great blessing of water, heed my call. Let the soothing currents manifest before me—"

But before she could finish the chant, her face paled, and her knees buckled. She nearly collapsed, but Roy caught her just in time, steadying her before she hit the ground.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Roy focused briefly, sensing the fluctuations in her mana. After a moment of contemplation, he came to a conclusion.

"You're highly attuned to fire magic but not so much to water. As for wind and earth elements, I'd guess your compatibility isn't particularly strong with those either."

It was a straightforward assessment based on her performance. Compatibility with the elements wasn't uncommon, but for someone like Eris, it meant her path in magic might be more limited.

***

Bonus Chapter:

100 Power Stones = 1 BC

300 Power Stones = 2 BC

500 Power Stones = 3 BC

700 Power Stones = 4 BC

1000 Power Stones = 5 BC

***

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