Boring Lessons

Hajime stood beside Rin in the training grounds, the sun's beams shining warmly down on them.

Rin smiled at him, her beautiful abyss-black eyes swallowing any light that dared meet them.

"Hajime, today we're not going to practice magic," she began gently. "Instead, we'll learn about how it works—the different types of mages, and more."

Hajime frowned, surprised. But as Rin's words settled in, curiosity crept into his thoughts.

Does she mean there are different types of mages? And how magic actually works?

"Don't I already know how magic works?" he asked.

Rin, surprised that Hajime was showing genuine interest, couldn't stop herself from laughing inwardly.

"Well, yes and no," she said with a radiant smile. "I've taught you how to use magic, but I haven't gone into depth. That's what today is for."

She continued, her tone shifting to that of a proper teacher.

"All right, first we're going to start with mana. Hajime, do you know where we get our mana from?"

"From our bodies, right?" Hajime replied.

"Yes, but also no. When we're born, our bodies contain only a tiny bit of mana—just barely enough to cast a rank-one spell."

"So," she continued, "how do you think humans grow their mana reserves?"

Wait... she said humans are born with almost no mana. Then how do people gain more over time? And more importantly... how do I have infinite mana? Hajime wondered, now deeply curious.

"I don't know," he admitted aloud. "But... Mother, how do I have infinite mana if I'm only supposed to have a little?"

Rin's lips curled into a proud smile.

"I'm glad you asked," she said with amusement, pointing a delicate finger at Hajime's chest. "It's because you have a mana core."

"What's a mana core?" Hajime asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Well," Rin began, "a mana core is something that only Arch Magus—mages in their 90s—are usually able to form."

That only left Hajime more puzzled. "What does that have to do with my infinite mana?"

"Humans absorb mana from the world over time," Rin explained. "The older a person gets, the more mana they naturally absorb and are able to use."

"Wouldn't that mean that every time someone uses mana, it sets back that absorption process?" Hajime asked, interrupting.

"Good question. But no," Rin answered. "When someone absorbs mana, their maximum capacity—what we call their 'mana cap'—increases. Using mana doesn't reduce that cap. And after battle, mana regenerates naturally over two to three days—faster if less mana was used."

So the mana cap goes up over time, and even if you use mana, it doesn't drop. It just refills... That's convenient.

"Once a person absorbs enough mana, they form a mana core. That's what allows them to convert the world's mana into their own. So when I said you had infinite mana, I meant you have access to it. You can just keep converting as much of the world's mana as you want."

"So you're saying I can convert the world's mana into mine," Hajime repeated. "But isn't all mana the same? And why is it converting for me, but just absorbing for others?"

"Before you form a mana core, you're simply storing the world's mana," Rin explained. "It's not truly yours. But once you have a mana core, it acts as a filter—converting that mana into your unique signature. It also allows you to continually convert more."

I think I'm starting to get it... It's still a little confusing though.

"If everyone absorbs mana, does that mean everyone can use magic?" Hajime asked.

"No," Rin said, her tone shifting. "That's because of an agreement made between all the kingdoms."

"Wait, all of them? What agreement?" Hajime blurted out.

"Hold on there," Rin said, chuckling and smiling brightly—so warmly it soothed Hajime's heart. "One question at a time."

"To answer you," she continued, "the kingdoms agreed to limit how many children mages can have."

"Why would they do that?" Hajime asked, now even more confused.

"Do you think the world has infinite mana?" Rin asked. "Because it doesn't. The world maintains a natural balance of mana to sustain all life. But if humans offset that balance… What do you think happens?"

That sounds like the global warming issue in my old world... Hajime thought.

"Mana poisoning?"

"Close," Rin replied. "But no. The real problem is monsters."

"Wait... monsters are caused by humans disrupting the world's mana?"

"Exactly!" Rin exclaimed, smiling proudly.

"But... why?" Hajime asked again.

"As I said, the imbalance in mana causes mutations in living creatures. So, every monster you see is actually just a creature that was mutated by mana imbalance. Even humans can be affected. The most common mutation is vampirism, though it's extremely rare."

She paused, her smile fading into a more serious expression.

"But that's only the beginning of the problem."

Her voice grew quiet and somber.

"I don't think I've told you about the Oavatos continent yet, have I?"

"No, you haven't," Hajime replied, shaking his head.

"The Oavatos continent lies far to the south, as far as one can go," Rin said, her eyes narrowing. "Years ago, it was corrupted by a catastrophic imbalance in mana. Millions died—either killed by monsters or becoming monsters themselves."

She lowered her gaze, staring off into the distance. A shadow passed over her face, as if she were reliving a memory she'd buried long ago. But she quickly composed herself and turned back to Hajime.

"That's why the kingdoms agreed to limit mage offspring. To stop further imbalance."

She ran a hand through her long raven-black hair and forced a soft smile.

"Anyway, let's get back on track. It's almost time for dinner."

Hajime nodded.

"Lastly, I'm going to teach you about silent casting."

"Silent casting? You mean casting without an incantation or magic circle?"

"Yes, exactly. And to do it, you need a mana core."

"Why?"

"Because you need your own mana," Rin said. "When you possess your own mana, you can manipulate it freely. Kazuma told me you were already able to use Mana Blade—and with ease. That's because you have a mana core. Your mana is stable and easily controlled. Kazuma, who doesn't have a core, struggles to maintain it in battle."

"I think I get it," Hajime said.

"Good. Because if you can remember a spell—and the way your mana feels when you cast it—you can recreate that spell without saying a word. All you need is the feeling."

That's overpowered… I basically have a cheat code.

"That's why I want you to begin training in silent casting," Rin continued. "Even though I can't do it myself, I'll help you learn how to feel and understand each spell. With enough practice, it will become second nature to you—and a great asset."

"I understand. I'll try my hardest to learn it."