The preparations for lunch began right after the morning training. Sunlight streamed through the windows of the simple kitchen in the dojo, creating a bright and welcoming atmosphere. I was helping Ayako chop some vegetables while Hiroshi brought the wood-burning stove to life. I didn't want my stay at the dojo to be a burden to them, so I offered my assistance in making lunch. It might also be a good way to get closer to them. Hiroshi and Ayako had been part of the same group of adventurers as my parents, so perhaps influenced by my presence, they started reminiscing about some moments they had shared.
Hiroshi: "You know, your mother used to be the cook in our group. The food she made was really good, but the life of an adventurer isn't easy. There isn't always something edible nearby. There was this one time when we were deep in the woods on a subjugation mission. If I recall correctly, some hobgoblins were raiding a small village at night."
Ayako: "Ah, that time... You see, we had nothing to eat that night, and your mother reappeared with a very peculiar soup after disappearing for a few minutes. It had quite a unique flavor... To this day, we still don't know what was in that soup; Sakura changes the subject whenever we ask about it."
Hiroshi: "Well, at least we had something to eat that night, right? And we're all alive and well, so it couldn't have been that bad. But the taste was truly peculiar; I still remember it."
I couldn't help but notice their complicated expressions when they mentioned that soup. I wonder what they actually ate that day...
Kaimmy: "Hahaha." Despite still feeling a bit shy in their presence, I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "My mother likes to get creative in the kitchen even when we're at home. Maybe she picked up that habit to improvise better in situations like that. She does make some pretty odd dishes from time to time."
Hiroshi: "Hmm, so she still does that kind of thing to this day... I feel sorry for Kazuki..."
As they shared more stories of their past adventures, we sat down at the table and had lunch. The food was delicious, simple and home-cooked: boneless fresh fish seasoned with lemon juice, served with rice and french fries. I don't usually eat much fish, but perhaps after today's meal, I'll add it to my list of favorite dishes.
Hiroshi: "That was a lovely lunch. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to prepare the materials for the next training session. I don't think everyone should be very familiar with the topic, so I'll have to make an effort to explain it as clearly as possible."
Ayako: "Hmm, it's good to see you so dedicated to teaching. I never thought I'd see this side of you so clearly," Ayako said, directing a playful smile at Hiroshi.
Hiroshi: "Hahaha, you know I've always enjoyed teaching, but this is the first time I have actual students. I need to make sure I do it right this time."
Ayako: "I've always liked that about you. I'll help with some demonstrations too. Kaimmy, you must be tired from today's training. Why don't you take a rest before the afternoon session?"
Kaimmy: "Okay."
I made my way to my new room, picked up the book my mother had left for me to study, and lay down on the bed. I hadn't realized how tired I was until the moment I lay down. I was on my stomach on the bed as I flipped through the book. The main subject was elemental magic. I have three magic aptitudes. My strongest is for water magic, the second is for lightning magic, and the third, a bit weaker, is for wind magic. In this world we live in, it's common for a person's hair and eye color to indicate their magical ability. Someone born with red or orange hair might have an affinity for fire magic, and in my case, my dark blue hair and light blue eyes indicate that I was born with a predisposition for water and wind magic. My left eye, purple, is a trademark of mages specialized in lightning magic. Even if a person is born with an affinity for a particular type of magic, it doesn't mean they can't use magic of other elements; it just means they'll need to put in more effort and training if they want to use a different type of magic. For this reason, most mages choose to specialize in the type of magic they have the most affinity for. It's common for a red-haired mage to prefer fire magic, brown-haired mages to use earth magic, and so on.
Elemental magic is derived from the natural energy that emanates from the world itself. This energy is also known as mana. Types of mana can be divided among the elements: water (blue), earth (brown or yellow), fire (red or orange), air (light blue or white), lightning (purple or pink), nature or wood (green), and space (gray or colorless). The amount of mana available in the environment is directly related to the characteristics of the environment itself. For example, a forest is rich in nature mana, while a lake or the ocean is rich in water mana. A mage can absorb mana from the environment and store a certain amount of it in their own body, a capacity that can be increased with certain types of training. There are also two special types of mana that are not generated by the world itself but by the living beings that inhabit it, specifically by the emotions and feelings of these beings. These are dark mana, characterized by the color black, and light or holy mana, represented by white or golden colors. In human societies, it is common for the primary source of light mana to originate from faith, generated mainly in religious rituals practiced in churches; therefore, most experts in the use of this type of mana are priests or people with ties to some religion. People with an affinity for holy magic usually have blond hair, resembling the shine of gold, and are highly regarded by society. On the other hand, dark mana, originating from negative emotions, is abundant in places where some kind of disaster has occurred, such as bloody battles, torture chambers, prisons, etc. There are even certain religions that worship dark entities and practice acts of torture and sacrifice in the name of their god, contributing to the generation of this energy in the world. People born with black hair, indicating an aptitude for dark magic, are usually seen as outcasts in society, subject to all kinds of prejudice and discrimination.
The first chapter of the book I'm reading is all about this, detailing the types of mana and the places with the highest concentration of mana for each element. The second chapter introduces methods for increasing the capacity to store mana in our bodies. In summary, the easiest method says I need to spend all the mana in my body using magic, then meditate to sense all the mana in the environment around us, identify the mana of the elements that interest me the most, and slowly guide them into my body a little beyond my maximum capacity. I need to concentrate to prevent the excess mana from escaping, keeping it inside my body for as long as possible before releasing it back into the environment. It says here that the process is much easier if you're in environments rich in the type of mana you want to train. It's like standard training; I've done this type of training a few times before. I'll try it again later when I'm less tired. I closed the book, turned over, and closed my eyes. I didn't even realize when I fell asleep.
Ayako: "Hey, Kaimmy, are you..." she said as she entered the room, carefree. "Oh, you're asleep; you must have been really tired. I'm sorry for barging in suddenly. But now you need to wake up; training starts in 20 minutes. I'm sure you'll find it interesting."
The energetic tone in Ayako's voice startled me awake. I felt my face flush as I looked into Ayako's eyes while still lying down. I didn't mean to fall asleep, just to rest for a moment. I had been careless.
Kaimmy: "Ah, I'm sorry; I couldn't help it," I said, feeling embarrassed.
Ayako: "Hahaha, don't worry; I'm not scolding you. It's good that you got some rest. Your hair is all messed up. Come on, I'll help you comb it."
Kaimmy: "Okay..." I sleepily made my way to the chair in front of the desk. Ayako soon sat on the edge of the bed and began to gently comb my hair. It felt really nice, although my face became even redder...
Ayako: "Your hair is so beautiful; the color reminds me of the ocean. Do you always leave your hair down? I've always felt that loose hair gets in the way during training, so I always tie mine in a ponytail."
Kaimmy: "Thank you... I used to tie my hair in twin tails in the past, but lately, I've been leaving it loose. Although I admit that today it got in the way a bit..."
Ayako: "Ahh, twin tails! I've always thought that style was so cute! Can I try it on you? I'm sure you'll look great with your bangs!" she said, waving her hands dramatically, sparks of excitement visible in her eyes.
Kaimmy: "Sure..." I said, shyly. Her reaction surprised me; how could I refuse when she looked so excited?
Ayako: "Perfect, I told you it would look cute!" she exclaimed, taking a few steps back and carefully examining me, as if admiring a job well done. "Oh, too bad, there's no mirror in your room... Wait a moment; I think we have a spare mirror somewhere."
As Ayako sped through the house, I inspected my hair with my hands. It's been a while since I wore my hair like this. But really, I felt that this morning sometimes they got in the way, when they were loose. Maybe I'll use them that way when I'm here. Soon Ayako entered the room again, bringing with her a mirror half my height.
Ayako: "There, now you can also admire your own cute face while you're here!" she said, positioning the mirror on the desk.
My face flushed once again when I saw my reflection in the mirror. Without a doubt, this style suits me, but... don't I look even more like a child? Well... it's not like I'm not one. I think I'll stay like this for a few more days.
Ayako: "Alright, now that we've sorted that out, we need to get back to the dojo; training is about to begin!" Her excitement was evident in her voice. I think they really enjoy teaching us.
I followed Ayako back to the dojo, where the students began to sit in a semicircle around Hiroshi. There was a basket of apples and some sheets of paper next to him. I hurried to sit with them, next to Yuki, since I had exchanged a few words with him earlier. He glanced at me when I sat down. I noticed that he had a bitter expression on his face, but he quickly disguised it with a brief nod and a smile when he realized I had approached. I mentally wondered why his expression was so severe, but I awkwardly returned the smile. I tried to distract myself by focusing on Hiroshi, who began speaking with his gentle yet energetic tone.
Hiroshi: "Great, so everyone's here. We can start then. Any of you already familiar with the concept of 'Aura'?"
I looked around to see the expressions of the other students. At that moment, one of the twins raised her hand.
Yui: "Our father taught us a little about it; it's something about using our life force to reinforce our body, right?"
Hiroshi: "It's a bit more complex than that, but you're right! Yui, isn't it? Can I assume that your father holds a profession that requires this skill?"
Yui: "Yes, he's one of the village soldiers. Knowing how to use aura is a prerequisite to being a soldier. But I've never really been able to use it."
Hiroshi: "Exactly! Unlike the mana that mages use, which is produced by the environment, aura is produced by our own bodies. The better trained and healthier your body is, the stronger your aura will be. Let me give you an example to make it easier, but first, come closer! I want each of you to pick up an apple and a sheet of paper."
Everyone approached and picked up an apple and a sheet of paper, then returned to the semicircle.
Hiroshi: "Watch," he said as he took an apple in his left hand and a sheet of paper in his right. "If I try to cut the apple using only this sheet of paper, I obviously won't succeed. The paper is too fragile to cut the apple's skin, not to mention that the apple's juice would further soften the paper and make it completely useless for cutting anything. But, look, if you infuse the sheet of paper with your aura to strengthen it, this happens!" Immediately after he finished speaking, I could see a mysterious light enveloping the sheet of paper, and then he used it to effortlessly cut the apple, as if he were using a knife. I've seen my father do this many times. After all, he's an aura manipulation expert. His fighting style is all about enveloping his sword and armor with his own aura, greatly increasing his defensive ability and the destructive power of his blade. Enveloping an object with your aura is harder than it sounds; I couldn't do it when I trained with my father, but I also didn't practice it much. "Incredible..." I heard a quiet murmur from my side, which I suppose came from Yuki. It seems that the goal of today's lesson will be to cut an apple with a sheet of paper.
Hiroshi: "Enveloping objects and strengthening them is one of the most common uses of aura. But first, you need to be able to sense it within yourselves." While assuming a more serious expression, he continued, in the calmest voice possible: "I want all of you to close your eyes now and try to ignore less important things happening around us. Focus all your attention on your own bodies. I want you to move your hands slowly. Feel the energy flow from your body to your hands as you move them. Gradually, try to guide this energy, forming a protective layer around your hand, as if it were a glove. When you feel like you've achieved that, try to open your eyes slowly, without losing concentration."
When I opened my eyes, my hands were emitting a faint blue glow, as if a bright mist enveloped them. I've felt this sensation a few times before, but for some reason, today it seemed easier than the other times I've tried. I looked around and noticed that only my hands and the twins' hands were faintly glowing.
The students looked around curiously, observing each other's results, and eventually, their eyes met mine and the twins' hands.
Hiroshi: "Hahaha... so Kaimmy, Yui, and Mei have already made some progress. But don't worry, they have a slight advantage over you two." He said, addressing Yuki and the other man. "After all, the twins' father is a soldier, and Kaimmy's parents are adventurers, so it's only natural that they knew something about aura manipulation before you did."
Ayako: "That's right; don't lose hope. It's a process that takes a different amount of time for each person. Don't let the results of the people around you affect you and focus only on your own progress."
Hiroshi and Ayako's gentle tone managed to ease the curious looks we received a little, but it didn't stop my face from turning unmistakably red to the point where I slightly lowered my head to hide it, embarrassed.
Hiroshi: "Alright, close your eyes one more time and try again. For those who are making progress, try to envelop another part of your body with your aura, try to circulate it within your bodies, irrigating every cell in your body."
Trying to ignore the stares of the others, I closed my eyes once again, and this time, I attempted to concentrate my aura on my feet. To my surprise, it was even easier the second time; it seemed like I was getting the hang of it. Following the instructions, I now tried to circulate my aura throughout my entire body. I felt a very pleasant sensation, as if the weight of my body had been cut in half in an instant. When I opened my eyes, my entire body was enveloped in the same faint blueish glow. That's when I heard Ayako's excited voice from behind me:
Ayako: "Well, well, I think it's time for you to try cutting the apple! But let me give you some tips first. An object, whether it's a sheet of paper or a sword, is not part of your body, so sensing it is much more difficult than sensing your own hand. I'll teach you the technique I use. Here, take this sheet!"
Ayako was close to me, but she raised her voice a bit so everyone could hear her. I was a bit surprised by the proximity, but I tried to go with the flow and took the sheet she offered me.
Ayako: "Close your eyes. Try to extend your aura from the points where your fingers touch the sheet. Feel the slight resistance of the paper with your aura; make it glide across the paper's surface until the entire sheet is enveloped in your aura."
I did as she instructed. Sensing the sheet of paper with my aura was indeed a challenge. The sensation is completely different from using my own body for this. It's as if my body were made of a conductive material, offering no resistance to the flow of my aura, while the sheet of paper is dense, hindering my aura from flowing easily, resisting and forcing me to push my aura until I could finally envelop it. After much effort, I opened my eyes. The same mist as before was now present on the surface of the paper, but it seemed unstable and patchy, as if only small pieces of the paper were enveloped by my aura. I brought the sheet closer to the apple and tried to cut it. As I expected, the sheet penetrated only slightly into the apple, but nowhere near enough to cut the fruit in half. I couldn't deny that I was a little disappointed...
Ayako: "Very well, we've made some progress! Don't expect to get it on your first try; almost no one does. Keep practicing, and one day you'll get it!" she said, while moving on to instruct the next student.
At this moment, my curiosity was piqued, and I stopped to see how the other students were doing. The twins were concentrated, each holding a sheet of paper in their hands, with a strong pink aura surrounding their hands but nothing on the paper. Yuki stared at his hand with a look of exertion, making such a peculiar face that I had to cover my mouth with my hands to keep from bursting into laughter. I saw Ayako giving tips to the other man. That's right; I don't even know their names yet. I need to introduce myself properly when I get the chance. It's quite rude to refer to them as 'the man' or 'the twins,' even if it's just in my head. I'll try to do that when I muster up the courage. When the training ended, I had only managed to cut halfway through the apple.
As I returned from training, the day began to darken, with twilight colors painting the sky adorned by the first stars of the night. I felt the sweat drying on my skin as I headed for a bath. Despite appearances, attempting to manipulate my aura had exhausted me much more than I could have imagined, even more than the physical training that took place in the morning. I realized that aura is also a part of your body, a part of your being and existence, yet it is neither physical nor has a form. Controlling it is quite intricate and demands immense concentration, which made me admire even more those who do it precisely during combat. The memory of my father, enveloped in his beautiful silver aura as he trained in the shade of the trees, flooded my mind. I used to steal glances from the balcony of our house to admire his figure while giving my mind a brief respite from the magic books my mother insisted I read. It was an almost heroic sight that reminded me of the fairy tales my mother used to tell me at bedtime when I was younger.
The warm bath enveloped me, gradually dissipating the exhaustion from my body and leaving a refreshing sensation. With each passing moment, my body seemed to grow lighter and revitalized. As the water flowed over me, my thoughts wandered to the day I had. Without a doubt, many interesting things happened today. Ayako and Hiroshi were very kind to me, and I can sense that they are genuinely good people. I'm glad they are friends of my parents. If I regret one thing about today, it's letting my shyness get the best of me and not interacting with the other students at the dojo. I'm sure it will be interesting to discover the reasons each of them is here. My face turned red as I thought about having to approach and introduce myself properly to them tomorrow. Whenever I interact with other people, it feels like my face stays so flushed that I wouldn't be surprised if others thought that was the normal color of my face. I submerged my face in the water even more as I pondered this.
Due to all the thoughts flooding my mind, my bath took much longer than I anticipated. When I stepped out of the bath, Ayako and Hiroshi were already waiting for me to have dinner.
Hiroshi: "Today was a busy day, wasn't it?" he commented, looking at me and Ayako. "Kaimmy, how did you feel during the training? Do you think we are teaching in an easy-to-understand manner?"
I smiled timidly, my mind recalling the training we had shared.
Kaimmy: "It was great; I don't remember having this much fun during training in a long time. I think you both have a lot of talent for teaching others." These are definitely my true feelings. Hiroshi acted as the main instructor, and Ayako acted as an assistant. The straightforward way he explained things and the attentive way she provided tips to the students made for a great learning experience. I feel that my stay here this month is going to be a lot of fun, although I also think it will be quite exhausting. But I'll do my best.
Hiroshi: "Great, great, I'm glad to hear that. If you happen to have any ideas or suggestions on how we can improve, feel free to tell us. After all, we are teaching, but at the same time, we are also learning."
Ayako: "But, Kaimmy, you really did well in today's training. It was the first time you attempted imbuing your aura into an object, wasn't it?"
Kaimmy: "Actually, my father has tried to teach me a few times, but the farthest I got was being able to coat some parts of my body with aura, but I've done that only a few times, and it's been a while."
Ayako: "Hahaha, I knew it! You see, imbuing your aura into an object is really difficult. The fact that you managed to do it today, even if imperfectly, already indicates that you have great potential. It's a shame that you'll only be here for a month and will return to the capital with your parents after that... I wish you could stay here longer... I'm sure you'd do very well," she said, feeling dissatisfied. But then her cat ears suddenly perked up, and her eyes began to sparkle as she looked at me. "Hey, I have an idea! Since you're only staying for a short time, how about becoming my pupil in the meantime? I'll dedicate myself to providing you with the best training you can get while you're here! Please, please, I've always wanted to have a pupil! You're perfect for it!"
The excitement in her voice was as clear as that of a child in an amusement park. How can I refuse something when she asks like that? Seeing her so excited, I couldn't help but feel a little fearful of the training she's planning for me. I hope she takes it easy on me! But I think it would be a good idea to try. Ayako may not seem like it, but she is a highly renowned master of martial arts. My mother always said that Ayako seemed more like she was dancing than fighting when she entered battle. Some of the stories she told me about her old adventures involved Ayako attracting monsters' attention and deftly dodging their attacks with pirouettes and acrobatic moves. I've always wanted to see her in action; maybe I can learn a bit about her fighting style during this month.
Kaimmy: "O-okay... But please take it easy on me tomorrow..." As if not to break the pattern, I felt my cheeks turn rosy as I responded. I hope I won't regret this later...
Ayako: "Yay! Hiroshi, I got my first pupil!" she exclaimed, overflowing with happiness and gesturing fervently.
Hiroshi: "Hey! You're stealing my student! I already had several activities in mind for the students tomorrow, and I wanted her to participate too!"
Ayako: "Oh well, I'll let you handle the warm-up, but afterward, I'm claiming her for myself! Muahahaha."
Ayako's wicked laughter stirred some strange feelings within me, but I knew it was all in good fun. As I dodged the playful banter between Hiroshi and Ayako, I couldn't help but feel a slight excitement inside. Being Ayako's pupil sounded both scary and thrilling. On one hand, she was known to be a skilled master, and on the other, I'm not sure what kind of eccentric training she'll try to impart with her peculiar personality.
After dinner, I returned to my room and started reading the book my mother had assigned as "homework." I can't afford to stop studying magic while I'm here; after all, I aspire to become both a mage and an adventurer someday. It seems my days here will be divided as follows: mornings will be for physical training, afternoons for aura manipulation training, and evenings for studying magic. I'm quite exhausted today, so I'll focus on finishing the chapters my mother assigned before thinking about any practical magic training.
After learning a bit more about aura manipulation in today's afternoon training, I couldn't help but compare the differences between aura and elemental energy, mana. The most basic difference is that a mage needs to absorb mana from the environment and store it in their body, whereas aura is naturally produced by the user's body. To turn mana into magic, a mage must first release a quantity of mana and then, using the power of imagination, shape the mana to achieve the form or effect they need to cast a spell. The most basic magic involves shaping mana into a sphere and then hurling it at the enemy. Fire mana generates a fireball, water mana creates a water sphere, and so on. Magic is limited only by the amount of mana the mage can release and their own imagination. Creative mages can create truly complex spells, such as making mana take the form of a bird that intelligently pursues enemies, forming multi-elemental rotating barriers that not only protect but also deflect enemy attacks, creating golems or elementals that obey their master's commands, among other uses. While imagination is the determining factor for shaping mana, manipulating aura is quite different. It's almost like discovering a new part of your body you never knew existed but was always there. It's like moving a new muscle that has the fluidity of a fluid and can envelop your own body or nearby objects, strengthening them. I wonder why almost no mage also uses aura as reinforcement or why a swordsman doesn't infuse their sword with fire mana along with their aura, creating a flaming sword. People who do this exist, but they are so few that we can count on our fingers how many "magic swordsmen" there are in our entire kingdom. I'll ask Ayako about this later... But for today, that's enough; it's time to go to bed.