Second Lesson

Her hands hovered mere inches from his ears, trembling with her barely restrained desire to pet.

"Can I caress his head?" She turned to Alissa with pleading eyes.

Alissa glanced at her brother, whose face had transformed into various shades of red. The poor boy stood frozen like a statue, yellow-green eyes wide with shock at the gorgeous princess's attention.

Kid looks like he's about to faint.

"Kip?" Alissa's voice carried gentle encouragement.

A tiny nod. Barely perceptible, but enough.

Alissa smiled warmly. "Of course, Your Highness."

Everyone in the city of Esta knew Princess Elara. 

Elara's squeal of delight sounded across the shop. Her fingers found the soft fur between Kip's ears, stroking with reverent care.

"So soft! Like silk!"

Kip's blush deepened to crimson. His tail betrayed him completely, wagging with uncontrollable happiness despite his embarrassment.

'Poor kid's overwhelmed by a beautiful princess's attention.'

After several seconds of enthusiastic petting, Elara finally turned to Noah. Her expression changed from playful to purposeful.

"Ready?"

"For what?"

"Our mana control lesson, remember?" She gestured toward his hand. "You don't want to access that storage ring on your finger?"

Noah facepalmed.

'Right. The ring I completely forgot about.'

His eyes narrowed as they settled on Alissa.

'You don't have legendary talent in magic too... right?'

Alissa's cheeks reddened under his scrutiny. She scratched her face self-consciously. "Something on my face?"

Noah shook his head quickly. "Can she join the lesson?"

"Sure!" Elara's enthusiasm bubbled over. "The more the merrier!"

The lesson began with basic breathing exercises. Noah went through the same techniques that had taken him an hour to grasp the day before.

Beside him, Alissa followed along with determined concentration.

She's keeping pace with me. That's... actually impressive.

Her progress wasn't the terrifying natural talent she'd displayed with swordsmanship, but it was far from ordinary. Most unawakened people required days to sense mana at all.

At least she's not completely supernatural at everything.

A small voice piped up from the corner. "Can I join too?"

Kip stood there with hopeful eyes, hands clasped behind his back like a child asking for candy.

Kip wasn't particularly interested in the magic or the spells. But Elara's earlier affection made him want to get somewhat closer to her.

She was a beautiful, kind princess who treated him well on their first meeting, which gave him a good first impression of her.

Who wouldn't want to do the same as Kip?

Elara's face melted into pure affection. "Of course, little one!" She ruffled his already-messy hair.

'Why not? The whole gang's here anyway.' Noah thought.

"Want to join?" He asked Grix, who was just watching.

Grix shook his hand and head immediately.

"Grix don't want."

Noah nodded, letting the old goblin watch them train.

Kip settled beside his sister, mimicking their breathing patterns with careful attention. His small face scrunched in concentration.

Five minutes passed.

Noah was still struggling to maintain his mana sense for more than thirty seconds. Alissa had managed to sustain hers for nearly a minute—remarkable progress for a beginner.

Then Kip opened his eyes.

The air around his small hands shimmered with visible energy. Not the faint heat-wave distortion Noah had managed yesterday, but actual, honest-to-god glowing mana that danced between his fingers like captured starlight.

"..."

'You've got to be kidding me.'

The nine-year-old cat-boy was manipulating raw magical energy like he'd been born to it. His first attempt had surpassed anything Noah could accomplish even now.

These two siblings never fail to amaze me.

Elara's jaw had dropped so far it was practically on the floor. Even she seemed stunned by the display of natural talent.

"Kip," she whispered, "how are you doing that?"

The boy tilted his head with innocent confusion. "Doing what? It feels warm and tingly, I like it."

Legendary magical talent.

'Just what kind of legendary cat birthed these two? The legendary Tom?'

Noah smiled helplessly.

'My employees are going to surpass me in every conceivable skill, aren't they?'

But watching Kip's tail wag with pure joy as mana sparkled around his tiny fingers, Noah couldn't bring himself to feel anything but pride.

'My shop's turning into a training ground for legends.'

Elara's head snapped toward Noah, excitement blazing in her eyes.

"Can I invite them to the academy?"

She glanced between the siblings, clearly trying to navigate the social dynamics she'd stumbled into.

She couldn't ignore Noah's presence since he seemed close to the siblings.

Noah shrugged. "Ask them."

'It's their choice.'

Elara turned to face Kip and Alissa, her composure returning as she changed into recruitment mode.

"Would you like to join Esta's Magic Academy? You both have incredible potential." Her fingers ruffled Kip's hair once more, drawing a delighted purr from the boy. "Especially this little one."

Alissa's response came swiftly and decisively. "I appreciate the offer, Your Highness, but I must decline." She turned to her brother with gentle eyes. "Kip, would you like to join the academy?"

The young cat-boy's ears drooped like wilted flowers. His yellow-green eyes darted between his sister and the princess, internal conflict written across his small features.

'He wants to go. But not without her.'

Noah thought with a wry smile. The little cat-boy never failed to find a way to escape from him, till now.

The head shake came slowly and reluctantly. "No, thank you."

After several tries, Elara's shoulders sagged with visible disappointment.

A legendary talent, slipping through her fingers. 

Noah's smile carried knowing sympathy. "Don't worry. Someone else tried recruiting them before you and got the same answer."

"Really? Who?"

"Valeria. While Kip has incredible magical talent, Alissa here possesses equally terrifying potential for swordsmanship. She rejected becoming Valeria's disciple, too."

Elara's eyebrows.

"The same Valeira we both know?"

"The very same."

'These two siblings are magnets for legendary trainers.'

The lesson resumed with focus.

Noah threw himself into the breathing exercises, his determination fueled by watching the cat-boy surpass him in real-time.

'Come on. I need to level up fast, please!'