1 year
2 years
He continued to train, in these 2 years he was already 8 years old and he could finally see the mana around him for around 1 hour and finally could start absorbing mana... and he fainted
That day he was confident in at least absorb a little bit, even 1 particle of it... even a little bit
He started to feel the mana and tried to move it
The mana around him started to move but... slowly, like a snail after being crippled and getting a video game slow debuff
He tried hard, very hard
After 15 minutes he could finally move a very tiny particle of mana
After another 15 minutes the mana particle is almost touching his skin, he finally is going to absorb it
His face is red and his eyes also red after concentrating so much for such a long time
A few seconds later the mana particle finally enters his body
After being glad for half a second he starts to feel like his body is burning
Maxwell was trembling in pain
He was expecting something like this, as he was told that this process was like creating a new storage that will store mana inside his body
Some minutes pass and the pain is finally gone
Panting he tried to stand up, only to find his legs trembling
" ah... well fu-" That was the last thing he said before fainting for excesive mental stress
...
After awakening he saw his father reading a book beside his bed
"Father?"
"Hello Max, you are finally awake"
"How long has it been?"
"Almost a whole day, it could be said to be in the normal range, some extreme cases only wake up after nearly a week or so" His father says while looking at Maxwell
The two of them look at each other for a while
"Was it painful?"
"Like i had fire inside my body"
"Yeah, i remember that pain even until now. It was in a snowy day when i absorbed mana for the first time, i..." He started to tell a story of his time feeling mana and how long he fainted. His father fainted for 2 days by the way
*cough* Maxwell coughed to stop his father
"Ah right, we were talking about you not me, my bad!" Chuckling, he stops his story
"But now that you new "Mana storage" was made you wont faint again from absorbing mana... unless you overextend yourself" While saying that, he looks at Maxwell's face, not knowing if it was his imagination or not, but he could bet that Maxwell is going to overextend himself, and not only one time
"Dont worry father, i wont!" Making his most realistic and cute smile, Maxwell looks at his father while thinking inside
'Dont worry father, i wont faint if i calculate the training times accurately'
Isaac looked at Maxwell smile while not feeling very confident on the inside
...
6 months later, Maxwell father's office
A knock was heard
"Come in" Isaac said while lifting his gaze from the records he was working on
At the beginning of the record it could be seen: [Request for using the eye of truth]
The door opens and a old buttler comes in, before he could say anything Isaac asks
"... its Maxwell again?"
"Yes my lord, i have lost the count on how many times he nearly fainted, it gives my poor heart a hard time" Making a little sad face, Leopold the buttler says while sighing
Isaac rubs his brows while thinking of his son training regime in terms of mana
He would start to pant and wobble while looking pale, almost looking like a person with a very serious anemia
Thats the most common know symptom before fainting after overextending in mana training but... he never faints, its like he knows exactly where to stop
"Just... let him be for some time, he has been doing this for almost 4 months now and he is fine, lets just observe him a little more" Isaac says before looking down at the reports
"Yes my lord" Understanding the need to leave, Leopold was about to exit the room when he remember something
"Please remember that Maxwell is only 1 year and 6 months away from 10 years, its best to request a place early as the ceremony list is always full" He tells Isaac
"*Sigh* I know, i was about to send a letter to the capital, i hope they accept so we can go earlier, it wont do any good delay this"
...
1 Year later
Maxwell was training to the limit again and again
But hard works pays off as he can finally absorb...!
... 10 particles of mana
Yes, he could only absorb no more than 10 particles before almost fainting
He was shocked at such slow process but his father told him that he was above the average, as many people on his age could at most absorb 6 particles before collapsing
This the he was ending his training when his mother went into his room
'She is slowly recovering, its seems that father really found a way to treat her, its a relief' He thought while giving a relieved sigh on the inside
"Hi mum, are you looking for me?"
"No little dummy, im looking for my second son Maximilian who lives in your room" She rolls her eyes after answering his obvious question
'... She is also recovering her sarcasm... what father told me was real after all' Maxwell tought while looking at his mother with a weird face
"... Suure~ im stopping, you looks like your father with that face you are making. He always pleaded for me to stop making fun of him in every question he asks" She says while rolling her eyes
"So... why were you looking for me?"
"Ah right, you are almost 10 years old and i recall that you know something about that special birthday, right?" She asks
"Ah... i forgot, i was too immersed training and gather mana..." Maxwell, using his child body to his advantage, made a really innocent face, trying to appeal to his mother pity
"Aaw dont worry Maxy, but im here to tell you that we are going with Leopold and your father to the capital for your 10th birthday. Your father already got a place in the ceremony" She says while rubbing Maxwell cheeks
"Place? Ceremony?" Not bothering about his cheeks, he asks
"Yeah, in the capital is the famous mystic item 'Eyes of truth' made by Sir Bluefire himself, its know that this item can reveal exactly whats your awakened power" His mother explains to the confused Maxwell
"But mum... wont i know my power at the moment i awaken it?" Making a very normal question, Maxwell looks at her
"This question is always asked, as many people thinks like you but its not always this easy. At the moment you turn 10 years old you will only feel that something changes in you and... thats all, you wont know anything more. Dont you need to know your power to use it?" She explains and then asks something which Maxwell never thought
He, like many people thought that after awakening his power he would be knowing how to use it and what it is just by... feeling it? instict? Now that he thinks about it its normal to not know how to use something new, especially if its something new on your body
"Why are you going too mum? Im worried about your health- auch" Before he could finish, his mother flicks him in the head
"im not as good as before but cant miss this life changing event in your life!" His mother says loud while gazing at Maxwell with motherly love
"Thanks mom" He smiles
"And when are we leaving? If i remember correctly we will take 3 days to arrive to the capital"
"We will go a month earlier than your birthday as your father asked Leopold to do some errands"
"Sure... by the way, i always wanted to ask but... whats your and father's power?"
"Well... do you know something about such powers?" With an akward face she asks while avoiding her son gaze
"Yes, they can be anything and many times legendary powers could awaken in a person!" He asked really hyped about such unscientific thing awakening in his body and which one will be. Its like drawing lottery
"Well... the powers are not always good you know... you can also awaken powers that are... not that good, to say it nicely"
"... can you give some examples?" He asks while having a bad feeling about this
"Well... a power can very powerful like having control of the five elements or something like... turning blind on command... being able to off your limbs but not regenerating them if lost, etc. Basically you can awaken a very useless power"
"Thats..." Maxwell was spechless, he never tought that EVERYTHING weird counted as a power... what if he awakes something stupid like making his sweat sweet or things like that...
'Please just give me something normal, atleast not very weird, even if its something simple i can live without using it while learning magic' He pleads in his head
"Then... what are you and father's power?" Like he was asking for a deep secret, he asks slowly
"Well your father got a nice one, he can regenerate spent mana twice as fast. Its not something overpowered but atleast is very good for a mage" She says
"As for me... i can make any surface i touch warm, chaning it to a comfortable temperature... thats all" Awkwarding smiling, she says
"Well... it could be worse mum!" Maxwell says while trying to not touch her sore spot
...
5 months later
Maxwell is 1 month away from his 10th birthday
Today Maxwell, his mother Isabelle and the buttler Leopold starts the trip towards the capital
Inside a carriage, Maxwell and his mother are seated and talking about random things while Leopold is maning it
Maxwell could still not help but be surprised by this world, as the horses pulling the carriage are not 'normal' horses, he asked and was told by leopold that they are are very popular animal called wind horse, able to travel very fast on almost anni terrain and also are very tame
At that time he asked if they were trained, a very stupid question about a horse being used in a carriage but the answer surprised him
"They were not, they like to be trated like that by the humans, its says that one day someone with the power to talk with the animals asked them 'Why do you like to be treated like that' and the horse answered 'Why not? Humans makes me travel to a lot of places and i love to travel'"
That was the answer Leopold told Maxwell before starting the trip
'This world really has a lot of different thigs... horses that likes to be used by humans because they love traveling... now thats something new' Maxwell thought while gazing outside the window of the carriage
Starting to picture many awkward powers, he gets a shiver and starts to pray
'Please dont be anything stupid. I doesnt even want a good one, just a useless but normal one' He prayed in his mind the whole trip