—Gloriana Mengral's perspective.
Being in her room, Gloriana looked out the window once she opened her eyes. It was 1:30 in the afternoon and Gloriana had finished absorbing mana.
For the past few months, Gloriana has been trying to make it to the first circle. Of course, she is so close to entering the first circle that she only lacks a small amount of mana and she will be able to be a first circle mage and find out what her elemental affinity is.
"Haa!"
Sighing, Gloriana walked out onto the balcony of her room, looking at the flower gardens in front of her. She smiled at the sight of the people below.
"Knock" "Knock."
At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Gloriana went to the door and opened it. A very familiar face walked in.
"What are you doing here, Luna?"
"I came because I finished faster today."
"Uh... So you made it."
At that instant, Luna nodded.
"I'm a mage of the first circle now."
A smile came out of Gloriana's face. At the same instant, Gloriana asked:
"You already used the ice element, your family inherited the ice element, didn't they?"
Luna looked around and then quickly entered Gloriana's room. She closed the door and then stared at Gloriana with a serious face.
"Gloriana... I have three elements."
"..."
Gloriana was speechless. Only having two elements is a great achievement, but three? That's simply amazing.
"What are they?" Gloriana asked. Her curiosity exploded instantly.
"Ice, air, and water. I don't use them yet."
"Amazing, that's three elements that combine."
"Well... I haven't told my father yet."
"Uh..."
Gloriana was speechless, she had a blank look on her face at Luna's words.
But leaving that aside, Gloriana was happy that her best friend had just become a mage of the first circle. But she's a mage with three elements, which is pretty amazing.
Of course, Gloriana was very close to also being a mage and she was eager to know what her elements would be.
The Mengral royal family, as long as the family has existed, the inherited elements are different. None of the royal family knows what element the descendants will get. It is possible that they will get the lightning element, fire, air, earth. It is not known which element will be theirs.
So Gloriana can't be sure what element she will get once she reaches the first circle and becomes a mage.
"And you, are you almost there?"
"That's right, I'm sure I'll make it to the first circle these days."
"That's great."
"Knock" "Knock."
At the same time someone knocked on the door. At that moment Gloriana opened the door.
"Sister, were you looking for me for something?"
Oriana stared at her little sister Gloriana. Then her lips parted.
"Asher is already here."
"..."
"..."
Luna and Gloriana's gaze instantly widened in surprise, but Gloriana clenched her fists.
Because that was it.
Gloriana wanted to see Asher once she was a mage, but it looked like that wouldn't be possible. Or unless she meditates again and absorbs mana until she reaches the first circle.
"Well, that's about it. If you need anything, sis, I'll be in my office."
Oriana started to leave until Gloriana stopped her.
"Wait."
Oriana looked at her.
"Is something wrong?"
"Do you know how to get to the first circle today?"
Oriana looked at her little sister and stayed in her thoughts. Raising her eyebrow, she spoke.
"Why don't you use the mana crystals? That speeds up the mana absorption process."
Gloriana's eyes lit up instantly.
"I'll bring them to you in a few minutes." After that, Oriana left.
Looking at Luna, Gloriana spoke:
"Do you think you can wait for me?"
"Of course, if they are with mana crystals it will be very fast."
***
—Change of scene.
It was like this that five hours passed. Several mana crystals were around Gloriana.
"I'm close."
Gloriana was getting closer and closer. Slowly, the mana in her body began to accumulate in a single point.
After a few seconds, the mana inside her body began to slowly move to her right arm. Sure enough, the mana surrounded his wrist and began to move taking the shape of a circle.
Slowly, the circle on Gloriana's wrist was forming until all the mana was finished in that part and a circle appeared on Gloriana's wrist.
Opening her eyes, quickly Gloriana looked at her wrist.
"Eh... This color I've never seen before."
At that moment, ten stars surrounded the circle. The stars were a dark gray, but the circle was completely white.
"What mana is this?"
Quickly, Gloriana closed her eyes. Channeling her mana, she could see a completely white, glowing mana as if it were light itself. Opening her eyes, she looked at her wrist again.
"This mana... It's not just this mana, there's also traces of three more elements."
Concentrating, Gloriana tried to channel the other traces of mana other than the bright white mana. At that moment, she opened her eyes.
"It's three elements... Air, lightning and fire, but..."
Sighing, Gloriana thought carefully.
She discovered three elements, but she stopped thinking about them and focused more on the glowing white mana. It was an element, no, that's not an element, it's more like pure mana as white as light.
Then, she got up from the floor and looked at her bed. Luna was lying with her eyes closed. Quickly, Gloriana woke her up.
"Mmm, what's wrong...?"
"You made it."
Gloriana nodded.
"Which ones?"
"Air, lightning and fire, three elements, but there's something else."
"Uh, what thing?"
"It's a white mana, it's like it's light itself, do you know what it is?"
"I don't know, try using it."
"How do I do it?"
"Concentrate the mana in your hand and try to release it."
Following the steps Luna mentioned, Gloriana's white mana went to her hand and then slowly began to emerge from her hands, and a white glow reflected the whole room.
"What the hell is it?" Luna said as she covered her eyes.
"I...I don't know."
Quickly, Gloriana stopped using her mana and the light from before stopped coming out.
"This is... a new mana," Luna said.
"Then let's go see Asher. I'm already a mage now." Gloriana stopped thinking about that and quickly walked towards the door as Luna looked at her.
"What mana is that...? It's like Asher who has a dark mana I've never seen before."
Luna then followed Gloriana out of the room.
***
—Scene Change.
—Perspective of Asher Frostblade.
Opening the door, I looked at two familiar faces. Luna and Gloriana stood in front of me with a smile.
"Hello..." was all I said at the time.
"Mmm, just that?" Luna spoke looking straight into my eyes.
I really don't know what to say.
"Walk backwards, child," Encrid spoke in a different tone.
"That child... she has the mana of light, it's the opposite of the mana of darkness."
What the hell, what did he mean by that?
But staring at Gloriana, I realized that she was emanating white mana. In fact, it wasn't just that mana, there were also traces of three different manas, but the white one was the strongest.
In fact, I couldn't tell what was in front of me. A bright white mana was coming out of Gloriana's body.
"You... what mana is that?" was the next thing I said.
"Hey, do you know what this white mana is?"
She doesn't seem to know anything. In fact, I don't know either, but from the tone of Encrid's voice, she seemed to know very well what it was all about.
"Do you know what it is, Encrid?"
"Of course. The mana of light is, in fact, our natural enemy. While the mana of darkness is the strongest mana, it also has its counterpart."
"And that is the mana of light then?"
Sighing, I spoke again.
"That to me does not matter. If she's my natural enemy, I don't care, but Gloriana is my friend."
"Then there's nothing I can do, but I warn you: she's the only one who can kill you in the future."
"..."
Swallowing saliva, I instantly knew that, if she's my enemy for the mana of darkness, I don't care.
"Asher, do you know what this mana is?" Gloriana glared at me.
How can I explain it to you? I don't know anything about that mana and the only one who knows is Encrid.
"Well, I don't really know anything, but look."
Out of my hand came the mana of darkness. Showing it to Gloriana, she stared at my mana.
"I never told you this, but my mana is called 'mana of darkness'."
"Yours is called 'mana of light' and you are..." Without finishing speaking, I stared at Gloriana.
"You are my enemy. You know that darkness and light are different."
"..."
Gloriana's reaction was to be expected. She lowered her gaze.
Of course, I don't blame her. I even just found out about this.
"I don't care..."
She spoke, then looked up and looked at me.
"And what were you looking for me for?"
"Idiot," Luna's voice came next.
***
-Scene change.
The castle is more or less divided into several sections, as far as I know. Well, after all, it's a very big castle.
Luna and Gloriana showed me every part of the castle except for the royal hall, where the king appears before the throne. Unless I'm a guest of the king or a prince or one of the ten great families, I can't enter.
Although I don't really care about that.
Looking up at the sky, I was in a training room where Luna and Gloriana were. The two of them decided to come to this training room to test their magic.
"I didn't know they had just become mages."
In fact, it took me by surprise that the two of them were already mages. At this moment, I was away from the training area, fairly in the seats as a spectator.
Looking at Luna, I was curious about what kind of magic she would use, because from what I know, learning a spell is very slow. Though when I learned my first spell it was in less than an hour, something it normally shouldn't be.
"I think it's called talent."
I wasn't sure if it really is talent, but I can learn anything in a day. No matter how hard it is, I always manage to learn something in a single day.
"Wow, looks like they'll start," Isabella's voice echoed in my head.
"Do you know what exactly that mana is?"
"Why the question?" said Isabella.
Even though Encrid explained to me about Gloriana's mana, I still don't know a few things.
"The mana of light is the counterpart of the mana of darkness. While darkness manifests throughout the world, so does light."
"And what does that have to do with it?"
"Well, that's because the mana of light is the same as darkness. Which means they both have the same potential, but the darkness is one step ahead."
"So, darkness is stronger?"
"Yes and no. Although darkness has more power than light, both are of the same level. Neither is stronger; it's like a natural balance."
Isabella explained.
I was very curious about that mana, being the opposite side of darkness, it's similar to the holy mana of the holy knights.
But still, what happens if I receive a direct attack from that mana?
How does my mana react to the light?
"Well, it doesn't matter."
Not that I care who my enemy is, but as long as there's no trouble, I'll be fine.
"Aren't you worried that someday that magic will try to kill you?" Encrid spoke.
"..."
Indeed... I don't want to die again, but Gloriana is my first friend I met in this world. She was the first one I talked to and all.
"I don't mind, but if I'm betrayed it's different."
Of course, dying at the hands of someone very close would have to have a reason, but betrayal is something else, and it's something I don't want to experience.
"If that's your choice, then I won't stand in the way," Encrid spoke.
After about half an hour, Luna and Gloriana approached.
They had only manifested mana and tested each element. Of course, neither of them can use a spell, after all, they barely became mages and there's plenty of time to learn spells.
"Now we've caught up with you, Asher."
"Well, that's true, but.... All this time I've been in the first circle for a reason, you know?"
They both looked at me confused.
"If I let my mana go free, then I'll advance to the second circle."
"..."
"..."
"That's unfair," Gloriana pouted as she looked away with her arms crossed.
"Haa," Luna sighed.
"I think it's already dark, don't you? We should get going."
"Yeah, that's right... Idiot."
"..."
Why are they calling me an idiot?
In fact, the two of them look at me in a different way, but why is that?
"Why are you calling me an idiot?" I looked at Luna.
"Nothing."
"Uh, well, then I won't tell you a secret."
That's a lie. In fact, there is no secret to tell. I just don't want to stand idly by.
"Hey, that's unfair."
"Mmm, I can't say the same for you."
"You fucking idiot."
A smile left my face at that moment.
Looking at Luna's back, I was left alone with Gloriana, sitting right next to me. She looked at the sand in the training room.
"Mmm."
I didn't know what to say.
Why do I feel strange, why can't I say a word? It's a really hard feeling to understand.
"We should go," she spoke first.
"Yes, that's right."
Sighing, at that moment I felt like a real idiot and that I must admit. So the two of us left the training room and walked together...