Vergil's POV
As I tried to catch my breath after an intensive workout, I continued to rotate my mana within my body, attempting to alleviate the fatigue. This was one of the discoveries I made during my training: circulating mana seemed to relieve my exhaustion, allowing me to push past my limits.
"Huff... so tired," I muttered as I lay on the ground.
"Young Master, you overdid it. It's your first time; you should take it slowly," May scolded, her concern evident in her tone.
"I know... I just got carried away. Don't worry, I'll be fine after a few minutes of rest," I assured her.
After a brief rest, I managed to stand and walk. I believed the mana circulation was responsible, although it also consumed a significant portion of my mana—about 40 percent. If it were anyone else, using this method would likely be impossible.
I needed to take a bath, so with May's help, I went to the bathroom. On the way, I asked, "May, could you tell me about when you awakened as an aura user?"
"Young Master, why are you asking this?" May seemed puzzled by my question.
"I want to understand what you felt and how you were able to sense the prana. What did you do to advance from an apprentice swordsman to a junior level swordsman?" I clarified.
"Well, Master, I don't remember much. At the age of 12, I suddenly sensed the prana and instinctively tried to guide it. Eventually, an aura center formed, slowly expanding. To advance from apprentice to junior swordsman, we must progress in our art and engrave a star on our heart. That's how aura users advance," May recalled, trying to remember.
It's somewhat similar to how mages advance. They're required to draw mana circles on their hearts, progressing by adding more circles as they develop a deeper understanding of their element.
By the way, I also seemed to have forgotten about my talent in the space element. Generally, talents are not innate; anyone who wants to master their talent needs to take steps and have a rigorous understanding of their element. The deeper the understanding, the more practical it becomes in combat for both mana and prana users.
As I was contemplating, we arrived at the bathroom. "Young Master... Young Master... we have arrived," May urged, interrupting my thoughts.
"Thanks, May. Now I'll go take a bath," I said, emerging from my thoughts.
I entered the large bathroom with a spacious bathtub, where maids were preparing cleaning utensils nearby.
"Greetings, Young Master. Please allow us to serve you," said the maids.
"No need. You can leave. I want to bathe in peace," I replied, unaccustomed to having someone else assist me in bathing.
The maids were perplexed but obliged nonetheless.
After removing my clothes, I stepped into the hot bath they had prepared. As I submerged, it felt as if all my pores opened, washing away my fatigue.
"Ah... that hits the spot," I sighed contentedly.
Now, back to my thoughts. I closed my eyes and focused on my space element. As I contemplated, I sensed a thin layer around me. I tried poking it with my senses, and it indented inwards, sending ripples outward as the layer returned to normal.
"Space fabric," I thought.
Using a bit of mana, I tried poking through the layer, but it rebounded. So, I increased the mana, gradually creating a hole through the fabric. I passed my hand through it and felt something, but it required constant mana usage.
Opening my eyes, I found a bar of soap in my hand.
"Soap?" I was confused. I looked around and saw the soap missing from its usual place. My eyes widened as I realized the possibility.
"I was able to fetch something from 10 meters away," I exclaimed, marveling at my talent.
Then, I frowned as I felt my mana pool. "It took about 10 percent of my mana." It was quite high; at this rate, I'd only be able to use it 10 more times. For anyone else, they might run out of mana after only 1 or 2 tries.
Here's a refined version of your passage:
Further experimenting on my abilities, I deduced a few things.
Firstly, I could either take an object from 10 meters away or place it at that distance from me.
Secondly, the weight of the object also mattered. The heavier the object, the more mana was required to move it.
Thirdly, I observed that there was space around me in which I could store objects. Currently, I couldn't exactly determine the area, but I estimated it to be around 10 cubic meters.
"No wonder it's a one-in-a-million talent..." I snickered as I thought about my ability.
As I felt refreshed and satisfied with my bath, I emerged and headed to the changing room, where the maids were already waiting to assist me.
"Young master, let's get you dressed," one of the maids said.
I complied, having gone through the routine many times before. Once dressed, I made my way to the dining room for breakfast.
"Good morning, Father and Mother," I greeted as I joined my mother at the table.
"Good morning, my dear," my mother replied with a warm smile.
My father nodded in acknowledgment, his expression as stoic as ever.
During the meal, my father inquired about my visit to the training ground.
"Yes, Father. I felt the need to train my body," I responded.
"Good, but remember not to overexert yourself. You're still young," he cautioned.
"Honey, why are you pushing yourself so hard? You're a mage, not a swordsman," my mother gently chided.
"I understand, Mother, but I feel compelled to prepare for the future. I'll take it easy tomorrow," I assured her, hoping to avoid another lecture.
"Father, today I intend to visit the library," I reminded him.
"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten. After breakfast, Sebas will accompany you to the library," my father reassured me.
As my father mentioned his name, Sebas, the family butler, stepped forward and saluted.
"Good morning, young master Vergil," Sebas greeted me respectfully.
"Good morning, Sebas," I replied, returning the greeting.
After breakfast, I bid farewell to my parents and, under Sebas's guidance, made my way to the library.