The four siblings exchanged a brief unenthusiastic glance before nodding and praising Elina for her idea. They were indeed too old for toys but their mother's happiness was priceless to them.
***
During the following days, Lith and Solus spent their mornings practicing the various pieces of the Set under Menadion's guidance. During that time, Aran and Leria went to school with renewed enthusiasm.
They had long since learned how to read, write, and count so they focused their efforts on magic.
Compulsory education in the Blood Desert included all kinds of chore magic. The students would regularly perform practical exercises under the supervision of skilled tutors who separated the children based on the power of their mana cores.
Those with a deep red core had too little mana to do anything and were exonerated from the lessons. From red to orange, children would be taught to use all elements but only in their basic forms to perform chores safely.
