Ray's magic experiment had startled everyone in the area.
Many of the manor's staff had fainted, unable to withstand the overwhelming pressure of his immense mana pool. The remaining residents, rushed toward the source, fearing that a powerful beast had invaded their home. Among them, a sixteen-year-old girl emerged, sparks of excitement filling her eyes-a weird reaction to the chaos.
Merle was a renowned magic prodigy, but her oddity or rather her uniqueness often made it difficult for her to connect with others. The sudden mana burst had piqued her curiosity, sparking an eagerness to investigate. She couldn't help but wonder if it was a new magical creature she could study- an exciting prospect in the otherwise slow-paced life of Carmine Village.
Despite the village's calm nature, the frequent appearance of monsters faced by adventurers provided her with enough opportunities to expand her knowledge. At one point, Merle had considered becoming an adventuring mage purely for research purposes. However, the thought of constant travel cutting into her research time discouraged her. Furthermore, her difficulty working with strangers in party settings made the idea even less appealing.
While solo adventuring was an option, she knew the limitations of mages-close-range combat was a significant vulnerability. Instead, Merle had found a perfect balance by joining the Vermont Barony's mage unit. The position offered free shelter, food, and a stable salary, along with the freedom to pursue her magical studies. In return, the Barony gained the invaluable support of a genius mage in their ranks-a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Merle's eyes meet with a shocked disheveled Maggie. Her green-streaked hair was wild, strands clinging to her face, her usually composed expression replaced by disbelief. Her emerald eyes told Merle all she needed to know. The kid next to her was definitely that interesting. For Maggie an Elf who has seen grander displays of power that expression of disbelief held more weight than anything else Merle could think of.
Harold, the baron himself, stood before them, his broad frame taut with tension. His hand hovered near the hilt of his giant knightly sword, his battle instincts still on edge. Around him, the Barony's most capable figures had gathered: Edward, the commander of the knights; Trina, the elusive assassin; and, of course, Merle herself.
"Maggie, what happened here?" Harold demanded, his voice sharp as he gestured to the chaos in the courtyard.
"It's best you ask the young master, Baron," Maggie replied, a mix of disbelief and amusement in her tone. "This is all his doing."
Edward, the commander of the knights, gaped at her response. "That boy caused all of this?" he exclaimed, his eyes wide as he took in the scale of the destruction.
Merle was now stirred running straight for the kid her insatiable curiosity of all things magic driving her. She looked at his ember eyes and he looked at her violets and when their eyes met both saw something familiar in them.
"Mr. Harold, would you like for us to do an aptitude test? It was said that the boy had no magic capacity or elemental attunement but clearly that statement is wrong so can we redo?"
Harold hesitated, his eyes studying both Merle and the boy. "Fine," he broke at last, "But we'll do it privately. I won't have the staff fainting again from another mana wave."
Merle was exhilarated. "Then let's do it tomorrow." She said excitedly skipping away.
That night the manor was filled with people speaking of Ray's incredible feat. Many were in awe, some scared others excited but all agreed that just like his father the Baron, Ray was beyond human.
Morning came and Merle was there ready to see what that little monster was capable of. She led Ray to her personal study- a space she affectionately called her magic lab. The room was a chaotic wonderland of tools and devices. Among them were objects Ray vaguely recognized, like strange glowing orbs, spirit candles- used to gauge elemental affinity- and arcane cards for divination of light and dark elements.
While those items seemed familiar to Ray all the other's didn't and even those that were familiar to him looked modified to an extent. Ray eyed a towering contraption in the corner- a circular platform surrounded by crystalline rods.
Merle caught his gaze and grinned. "That's for later. First, the mana meter!" She pulled a gleaming orb from a table and placed it on a pedestal. "This is my modified version. Most mana meters just measure the intensity of the glow. Boring, right? Mine provides numerical values for precise readings!"
Ray chuckled, charmed by her enthusiasm. "Sounds impressive. What's the highest reading you've recorded?
Merle puffed out her chest. "That would be me. Four hundred thousand magicules. Normal humans range from fifteen thousand to maybe one hundred thousand most capping out at one fifty thousand. Now, let's see where you stand."
"Yeah, I am excited to know where i stand too, so how do we proceed?"
"Don't worry you will know soon but first give me a second I need to prepare." Merle said her voice chirper. "I want to use this time to see how good my new invention is."
Merle went into her heap of weird gadgets looking for something in particular.
"Found it" she exclaimed putting it on excitedly "This is my mana nullifying armor meant to be light weight and protective a good product for adventuring into the monster land" she pitched as if trying to sell her product to a big shot.
"Are you now ready?"
"Yeah I am."
"What do I do then?"
Merle motioned for him to place his hands on the orb. "Just channel your mana into it. Slowly."
Ray obeyed, letting his energy flow. The orb flared brightly, the numbers on the attached scale climbing rapidly.
"Thirty thousand… eighty… two hundred…" Merle's voice grew more frantic as the numbers skyrocketed.
The light intensified, blinding white spilling across the lab. The meter's display hit its limit at one million magicules, just before the orb cracked with a sharp pop and exploded into shards.
Merle stared at the remnants, her mouth agape. Around them, the lab hummed with residual energy, tools vibrating faintly as they struggled to stabilize.
"Wow," she whispered, removing her mana-nullifying armor. "Okay. I definitely need to reinforce that."
Ray glanced at her sheepishly. "Sorry about your orb."
"Are you kidding?" she said, grinning. "That was amazing! Let's move on to your elemental affinities!"
Ray couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement as he observed Merle darting around her lab, her hands deftly adjusting instruments and rearranging tools. She reminded him of the scientists back in his world-curious, driven, and completely absorbed in their craft. The way she spoke about magic, her eyes alight with fascination, stirring something within him.
Here was someone who didn't just wield magic but sought to understand it, to peel back its layers and uncover its secrets. Watching her work, Ray felt a rare sense of connection. For the first time since arriving in this strange world, he saw a kindred spirit—someone who might help him unlock its mysteries, someone who shared his thirst for discovery.
She dragged him to the platform he'd noticed earlier. "This is my Spirit Attunement Analyzer that uses spirit resonance of elemental crystal as its identifiers. Step up and release a small amount of mana. Just a tiny bit, though-I don't need another explosion."
Ray smirked but complied, letting a sliver of his energy flow. The crystals flared to life one by one.
Fire ignited in a vibrant red glow. Water shimmered with deep azure. Air crackled, silver and sharp. Finally, the clear crystal for light radiated a dazzling golden light.
Merle's eyes widened. "A quad-mage with light attunement… That's insane. Ray, you're incredible!"
Her excitement was infectious, Ray felt a surge of pride.
"Ray," she said, extending her hand with a grin, "be my apprentice. With me as your teacher, we'll unlock your potential-and maybe rewrite the rules of magic while we're at it."
"Apprentice....hmmm..."
Ray's gaze lingered on her for a moment. The way she moved, the fire in her words, the relentless enthusiasm for discovery—it all reminded him of himself. Watching her prance around the lab, proudly showcasing her inventions with unfiltered joy, felt like looking into a mirror of his own past ambitions.
If she were in my world, he thought with a bittersweet smile, we would've been great partners- two curious minds pushing boundaries together. I would like to see where this goes in this world.
Ray clasped her hand, smiling. "I'm in."
Merle was exhilarated, her mind buzzing with the possibilities that lay ahead. Having a student-especially one like Ray-meant not just teaching but also the chance to dive deeper into the mysteries of magic. Her curiosity burned brightest when it came to his arcane element, particularly the elusive and enigmatic Light.
Light and Dark were elements shrouded in mystique, their true nature barely understood even by the most accomplished mages. Rumors claimed that Light manifested only in the purest and most divine of individuals, an assertion Merle found hard to swallow. Like most in Bermone, she had little faith in tales of gods or divinity. To her, magic was not about lofty ideals or celestial beings; it was about evidence, experimentation, and the relentless pursuit of truth.
And now, through Ray, she had an unprecedented opportunity-to study one of the rarest and most misunderstood elements firsthand. A grin tugged at her lips as she thought about it. Who needs divine intervention when you have curiosity, a sharp mind, and a subject as intriguing as Ray?
Yet, amid her eagerness, Merle recognized the weight of what lay ahead. Teaching Ray wasn't just about exploration and discovery-it was about instilling in him the responsibility that came with his incredible gift. She reached up to clasp the amethyst pendant hanging around her neck, its smooth surface grounding her thoughts.
"Power without control," she murmured to herself, "is a danger to everyone, including the one who wields it."
Her gaze drifted back to Ray, who was examining her lab equipment with wide-eyed fascination. Yes, there was much to teach him-not just about magic, but about discipline, restraint, and the balance between ambition and caution. Only then could he truly unlock his potential without succumbing to its peril.