Practicing With Magic

It has been a week since Sylvia began teaching me how to use magic. At first, no matter how long I concentrated, I couldn't even sense the presence of mana. I tried and tried until I was utterly exhausted, but nothing happened. It felt as if I simply wasn't meant for it. That's why, when the breakthrough finally came on the fourth day, it was all the more reason to celebrate.

Now that I think about it, they don't have the concept of a 'week' here. Instead, they divide time differently: every ten days is called a 'moon,' and every thirty days is referred to as a 'cycle.' For easier comparison, imagine it's January—they would call it the 'first cycle,' with the first ten days labeled as the 'first moon,' the next ten as the 'second moon,' and so on.

"How about we find out what source magic you have?" Sylvia asked, her voice brimming with curiosity. "There are a total of seven source or origin magics. Everyone possesses at least one of them," she explained while setting up an amber-colored crystal. The crystal, coiled by a golden dragon, was about the size of a bowling ball and radiated an air of mystery.

"Curious?" she asked, noticing my gaze fixed on the strange artifact.

"Yeah," I replied.

"It's called the Spirit Eye. It reveals the type of magic you possess and the amount of mana you have."

"I see."

Her words sparked a wave of excitement in me. According to her, source magic, or origin magic, was divided into two types. The first was elemental magic, which was considered common since everyone had at least one elemental affinity. The second type was unique magic. It had no universal name because its nature varied greatly from person to person, and only a rare few possessed it.

Sylvia was one of those rare individuals who not only possessed both wind and water elemental magic but also a unique magic. Her unique ability allowed her to teleport to any location she envisioned, at least that was what she said. However, it came with a significant drawback: it consumed an immense amount of mana, which she sadly does not have much.

What she didn't mention, however, was the blessing she received from the Goddess of Time. She probably omitted it on purpose—why, I don't know. But if I had to guess, her blessing might grant her foresight: the ability to glimpse fractions of a second into the future. That makes sense though, since it was the Goddess of Time that had given her that blessing. Combining that with her teleportation ability would make her an extraordinarily dangerous force to reckon with.

For the record, Silica possesses all six elemental types and unique magic, though no one has seen her use her unique magic except her party. It's a mystery.

...

"Focus on controlling your mana and let it flow to your hands," she instructed.

I wasn't entirely sure how to do it, but now that I could feel mana, I figured it was just a matter of controlling it.

I closed my eyes, just as I had during practice.

'Concentrate'

"Focus your mind, dive into your soul. Once you see it, take hold of it," she continued.

It felt as though I had plunged into my own body. A vast space with nothing but darkness within it. Inside, I could see a flickering green flame-like light. I reached out, trying to grasp it.

I opened my eyes, to see the room flooded with green light, it's blindingly bright.

"That's it..." Sylvia said, a hint of pride in her voice. "Looks like you're a wind type, just like me.

"Only?" I asked, a mix of disappointment and curiosity. Wind was my favorite element, so that was exciting, but I'd been hoping for more. Maybe even a unique magic, like in the novels I'd read.

Sylvia stifled a laugh before bursting out. "Pfft... That disappointed face of yours is pure comedy... Hahaha!"

Her teasing felt oddly nostalgic, even if it was starting to get on my nerves.

"Ha ha, very funny," I muttered.

"Well, don't feel too bad," she said, still grinning. "While you only have one type, your mana reserves rival those of Silica, a hero."

"Really?" I asked. Silica is a hero, one of the strongest in this world. Being compared to her, even just in terms of mana reserves, is quite the feat.

"That's... good, I guess?"

"Is that all?" Sylvia said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Silica is one of the strongest of the seven heroes! Having mana reserves equal to hers, do you even understand what that means?"

"I guess hahaha, I am special after all..." Well, that takes a different turn, doesn't that mean I am among the strongest humans in this world? 

If I can master how to use this power perfectly, then I...

__________________

"Grandpa, I want to be the strongest knight, just like you." A small girl stood before her grandfather, wearing makeshift wooden armor. In her hands, a sword nearly as tall as she was. A sight both astonishing and endearing.

She swung her sword tirelessly, even without proper training. Over and over again, her tiny arms moved until they could no longer feel the strain. As the granddaughter of the legendary House of Luger, she believed she had to be strong.

The House of Luger served the Kingdom of Caldris, one of the highest-ranking noble house, second only to the king. For generations, they had stood as the kingdom's last defense, guarding it through countless crises. However, just a few years ago, tragedy struck. The current head of the House died in a freak accident, the cause is still under investigation.

Although a successor was named—a young girl—the noble society could not accept her.

The little girl's name...

It was Sylvia.

...

___Sylvia POV___

It only had been a few days since he started training and he already mastered how to control mana. Talk about talent.

"All those heroes, they were all monsters, in a man's clothing. And even among them, Silica possesses more than double of mana reserve than any of them."

I look at him, he doesn't even understand what kind of power he has and what it means to this world, just merely passing it off as cool.

"ha ha ha I thought I had already moved on from the past," I said thinking of a distant memory, "but seeing this guy."

'Was it jealousy that I am feeling?' hahaha I guess not, after all...

'I can kill them whenever I feel like it'

_______________

"Hai hai... enough with the celebration, you're annoying."

"Well, look at that, someone's jealous! Hahaha." I couldn't resist poking a little fun. It wasn't like I was trying to annoy her—well, not entirely—but a win's a win. Over the past few days, she'd been acting like one of those cool older sisters—also annoying—who get their kicks from teasing their younger siblings. Honestly, I couldn't even be mad, but she's super annoying when she gets all smug.

She sighed, took a seat, and began writing something on a piece of paper with a pen.

"Thankfully, we're both wind types," she said matter-of-factly. "It's easier to teach magic when it's the same type."

That's to be expected, I guess.

"What are you writing?" I asked, leaning a little closer out of curiosity.

"Spell chants, so you can practice," she replied casually, not looking up.

"I can't read this world's writing system, though," I pointed out.

She stopped mid-sentence, her pen hovering above the page. Slowly, she turned to look at me, her expression a mix of disbelief and amusement. Then, as if on cue, a sly smile spread across her face.

And this is why I said she's annoying.

"Oh yeah, I forgot," she said, barely containing her laughter. "Pfft... this oh-so-great man is so helpless without me."

She resumed writing, occasionally glancing at me. Each time, she'd flash a teasing smile before turning back to her work, her pen moving steadily across the page.

"Here," she said, handing me a piece of paper. On it were ten lines of text I couldn't read.

"Just ask the servants to read it for you—or better yet, learn the writing system," she added with a smirk. As if it were that simple. Learning the language would take months of effort, at least.

"Another thing," she continued, her tone shifting to something more instructive. "Don't rely solely on the chants. As I've taught you, magic is a process. Chants are just tools, created to help shape your consciousness into performing a spell more easily, but they're not the end goal. First, you practice on your own. You've already done in days what should take years of effort. By the time I come back, you should be able to cast at least one of these spells."

"That's dumb. You haven't even taught me much," I shot back, rolling my eyes.

She laughed lightly, shaking her head. "That should be enough for now. I need to return to the capital."

...

That was days ago.

She said she had to go to the capital quickly but hadn't returned. I don't want to overthink and be embarrassingly wrong again, but I suspect something is happening in the capital based on its suddenness. What it might be, I don't know.

For now, the best thing to do is to keep practicing.

"Katherine! Charlotte!" I called out, spotting the two servants walking down the hallway. Over the past few days, I'd gotten to know most of the mansion's staff. They had been incredibly helpful, teaching me all sorts of things.

"Ran, out practicing again?" Katherine asked with her usual energetic tone.

When I first asked for their help, they insisted on calling me "young master." It felt so formal and awkward that I had to practically beg them to just use my name. After a long, stubborn back-and-forth, they finally relented.

In my former world, I never would've imagined myself being this social. I always thought of myself as a lone wolf—one of those brooding types who sit in the back row by the window, acting all mysterious. Thinking about it now just makes me cringe.

"Something wrong?" Katherine asked, tilting her head.

"Ah, nothing," I said, scratching the back of my neck. "Just had a cringe thought, haha."

If I had to describe them, Katherine would be the warm and friendly type, the classic class representative archetype, and a healthy figure just to add in. Meanwhile, Charlotte was the quiet one, the laid-back kind who preferred her own space. I often found her napping under the willow tree near the pond.

Interestingly, both of them came from noble households. In fact, almost all the servants here—except the guards—were either third or fourth children of lower-ranking noble families. Their background made them highly skilled, particularly in magic, which was a definite advantage for someone like me.

"I was trying to get in some practice," I finally answered Katherine's question. "Are you two free to help?"

"I am. What about you, Charlotte?" Katherine replied with a grin.

"Hmmm." Charlotte barely opened her eyes, giving a lazy nod. It seemed like she was free. It will be my first time to practice with her in tow. 

"Then, if you can, please help this poor, struggling soul," I said dramatically, trying to sound as pitiful as possible.

While I had managed to manipulate mana, a feat that, according to them, was impressive given how little time I'd been practicing, I still had a long way to go. Katherine had shared that it took her two years to master mana manipulation, which was about the average time for most people.

Charlotte, on the other hand, had learned it in under three months. That little tidbit shocked me, especially since she was here as a servant and not working in the capital, where someone of her talent could easily secure a prestigious position. 

We walk towards the backside of the mansion. It's very spacey here, a good ground to practice.

"So, what kind of feeling do you get when chanting?" I asked. Sylvia had mentioned that chants weren't strictly necessary, but apparently, only a select few could perform chant-less magic. Even someone as talented as Charlotte could only shorten her chants—not eliminate them entirely.

"It's like... whoosh, then bababaaaaam! Something like that? I'm not sure how to explain it," Katherine replied with an exaggerated gesture. Not exactly helpful, but I kind of got the gist.

When I chant, I feel something being drawn out of me, like a vacuum pulling at my core. Then, a heavy, almost tangible force forms before my hand. That's about the extent of what I can manage so far.

"I kinda get it. I can manipulate mana fairly easily when it's inside me, but the moment it leaves my body, it's a whole different story."

"Hmmm." Charlotte finally spoke. "Physical enhancement… more suited," she said in her usual concise manner.

Basically, she was telling me to put spell-casting aside for now and focus on what came more naturally to me. I'd been practicing physical enhancement with the knights stationed here, so it wasn't entirely new. But magic should be about spell-casting. Those cool, dramatic lines that come straight from the heart. No matter how cringey they sound, I must partake in at least one.

I'm kidding, of course. Still, I can't just give up yet. I need to keep trying before I consider setting it aside.

"O wisp, O wisp, breathe and stir, gather and dance. Gale Breeze!"

Gale Breeze: an elementary-grade wind spell. It does little more than summon a gentle breeze, perfect for cooling off on a hot day.

I felt my mana being drawn by an external force, flowing from the center of my body to my hands before escaping outward. An invisible force began to coalesce at my fingertips, a sign of a successful chant. Yet, before it could manifest fully, the spell dissipated into nothing, causing a large explosion.

It had been like this from the start. The moment my mana left my body, I lost all control over it.

"Too much mana," Charlotte commented calmly.

"Gather Wisp, Gale Breeze," she chanted, shortening the spell. A gentle breeze of air formed effortlessly. It was the spell's effect—nothing too impressive, mostly useful during hot weather. Perhaps there's another way to utilize it more effectively, like for sailing.

"Gather Wisp, Gale Breeze," she tried again, but this time something different happened. Unlike her first attempt, the wind exploded.

"Too much mana," she said with a yawn, her voice slow and relaxed. "Physical Enhancement will help control your output."

That… I feel like something within me has awakened. I feel enlightened. It was such a simple thing, and yet...

How could I not have thought of that? Especially for someone like me, who overthinks every little detail, how did I overlook something so basic? Just because you can easily control mana doesn't mean you can just throw as much of it in one spell.

"Oh, I get it," Katherine said with a grin. "So that's why it explodes all the time."

"Overload," Charlotte added quietly.

"Just how much mana do you have to overload a spell hundreds of times in a single day?" Katherine asked curiously, her eyes literally sparkling.

I need to practice more.