"So, why are we in the middle of nowhere, old man?"
"Call me Master Luben, or master for short, and the place you are now is just a meadow close to your home."
"Is that so? This place definitely doesn't feel or sound familiar to me."
"That's because I'm temporarily blocking the ambient of the world in a fifty-meter radius from where we are standing."
"What does that even mean?"
"You don't need to know that yet."
Indeed, from where I'm standing, everything is eerily quiet, and the current of wind seems to be cut off by a mysterious veil. I used all of my mana to enhance my sense, but I can't hear anything exceeding the aforementioned fifty-meter radius.
'Is this a feat capable of using mana?'
What an impressive form of energy. Scientists back on Earth would kill for this kind of convenient and seemingly omnipotent energy.
The old man lets out a disgruntled, incomprehensible grumble.
"Tsk, due to various complaints from your mother and siblings. This is the only inconspicuous—I mean, hidden—spot I could find close to the orphanage. '
"So, this could affect your training speed slightly, though it shouldn't be too significant of a setback."
"Okay, then what do I need to do to grow stronger? Do you have anything like a secret technique to boost my speed of accumulating mana?"
"Huh? None. I have none that could help you."
"Then aren't you useless then?"
I could hear the old man's annoyance rising; it appears that this old man is quite ticked off by my comment.
"Ha. I have plenty of useful techniques, all of which are extremely beneficial to even Royal Knight. But you are a peculiar case where my techniques become useless. Whatever you were doing before in the sewer back then is quite decent at your current stage.
"Besides, my mana-gathering techniques rely mostly on visualization, and as you know, you are incapable of doing that."
Though not too surprising that my altered "Mana Breathing" isn't the best, it comes as a surprise to me that visualization is an important aspect in gathering mana.
'That's nonsense about visualizing celestial bodies; it does have its own merits, huh. I thought it was just a one-time thing.'
I still have no idea about the correlation between stars and mana, but it is a logic I have to accept in this new world.
'Though why is it that my 'visualization' of a starry sky is effective? Does that mean 'visualization' isn't completely dependent on sight? After all, I rarely gaze at the night sky, so my recollection is vague at best.'
Visualization, in essence, should mean creating an image of an object you are picturing. 'So even without sight, I can still "feel," "hear," and "taste" (?) a starry sky to visualize it? The picture would still be incomplete, but it is better than nothing.'
My habit of overthinking started to go off again.
"-Anyways, Just keep doing what you were doing before, and I will see if I can help you improve your connection to mana."
"Then… should I start meditating now?"
"Yes, go ahead."
After ending his sentence, I could feel his slight movement of sitting down on the grassy field. I then followed suit, sat down, and moved around to find a comfortable spot.
After a while, I finally found a spot with a decent texture; the patch of grass feels newly cut and not sharp, unlike wild grass. Though finding it peculiar, I don't keep it in mind.
"Phew…"
Take a deep breath.
A vacuum between me and the world was created. Isolating my mind from my body. Concentration.
I then conjure the memories of a starry night. The light of countless heavenly bodies, their radiant light, up the darkness of the night. Through a blue reflection, the stars seem brighter that day.
My body started to attract ambient mana particles, like asteroids being pulled by a planetary gravitational force. I feel the mana whisping around my body before 'falling into' my skin. My 'mass' is increasing.
The slow process sped up at a considerable pace; it was as if the heavier I got, the more mana was attracted to my surface.
'It almost feels like I am a planet… a small, insignificant dwarf planet, I supposed.'
I stop my rhythmic beat for a moment, waiting for the density of mana on my skin to increase to maximum. Reaching the zenith my body can handle.
I started to inhale with immense vigor, and the mana particles began to separate themselves from my surface. It flows through my lungs, invading my blood flow, and then travels to my circuit, where it can continue to circulate for an indefinite amount of time.
The mana circulating in my system can be used for two purposes that I know of: the first one is to help enhance a specific aspect of my body, or I can distribute it evenly throughout my body—which is what I have done since I was a child.
The second use I found out is that I can use it as a reserve battery for emergencies, like when I meet that outside. Unfortunately, I didn't expect to meet an enemy there, so I instinctively absorbed into my body, improving all of my physical characteristics.
"How fascinating… What an unconventional way of mana gathering.
"Though, I could see the resemblance of the common 'Mana Breathing" technique, but it should be different on a fundamental level… It is incorporating a fraction of a high concept."
Awing at my "Mana Breathing," Master Luben comments, I could almost imagine a grin slathered on his wrinkled face.
"Did you modify—I mean change—the common breathing method?"
"Indeed, after Dain—my brother teaches me about "Mana Breathing'—I"started to use it somewhat diligently due to its fascinating nature. I then found that it was quite hard and inefficient to breathe through both your mouth and nose at the same time.
"So, I started experimenting with different breathing patterns and then increased the interval between each breath. Eventually, I discovered an intriguing fact: if you stop breathing, mana would still continue to accumulate on my skin at an increasingly faster pace. For whatever reason, I don't know, and it only works if there is no intervention on my part during that period."
"So, it is connectivity. A ten-year-old kid discovers Mana Connectivity. Tsk tsk tsk."
"What's Mana Connectivity?"
"Hump... Still… all things considered, you shouldn't be too privy about knowledge. Sometimes knowledge isn't power."
"What does that mean? Whatever… so do you have anything to add?"
"Hu. Nothing really, in your current state this should be more than enough. Though a reminder, unless you are confident in your strength, don't pursue unnecessary knowledge; this is my first lesson for you, my excellent student."
What a weird reminder. It is like some form of Lovecraftian books where the more you know forbidden information, the more prone you are toward corruption. I doubt it, but the reminder is indeed ominous.
"I will keep that in mind… Master."
"Right, one more thing before we move on to our next course."
Master rummages through his clothes to find something buried deep inside his pocket.
"Here."
Master holds out his hand.
My hand touched his hand.
'A piece of cloth'
The cloth is smooth and silky; it must be expensive, maybe more expensive than the house my small family is living in. I'm not too sure.
"What is this?"
Feigning ignorance, I asked.
"It's a piece of cloth I picked up on the side of the street."
'Bullshit. In my past life, where the clothes I wore could be considered royalty exclusive in the 1500s, the clothes I wore back then were incomparable to the piece of cloth this old man presented me with.'
The cloth origin shouldn't be ordinary; though not an expert, I can tell the different qualities between pieces of cloth quite well.
'Whatever, unless he stole it, it doesn't matter.'
"Use it to cover your eyes."
"My eyes?"
"Yes, your eyes."
"Why? I don't see the benefits of wearing this piece of cloth as a blindfold.
"It's because you keep using your eyes to stare directly into my eyes that I need it covered."
"I thought it was common courtesy."
"It is, but you don't even pretend to blink; most people would find your behavior unnerving."
"…I could see that…"
"No, you can't. That's why you need a blindfold; it's simply an indicator for people to know that you are blind."
'How funny. Though I did forget that I used to wear sunglasses back on Earth to indicate my blindness.'
"I can see your point."
"Then I will help you wear it; come closer."
I obediently follow his command. I already know how to wear a blindfold, but there's no use in showing my incomprehensible competence that is almost impossible to find in normal children my age.
"You know… Despite being ten, you know quite a lot of big words for someone your size."
"Haha, you can attribute my vast vocabulary to Dain's help."
'If anything, his vocabulary is much larger than mine; he is a nature-born scholar, that is for sure. He's actually a little scary, honestly, because I know Dain is certainly a child.'
"Right, Dain, That kid has quite the potential himself. I wonder how Terrisa's managed to pick up two unfathomable kids in one year. I guess this is also karma."
The old man grumbled in his breath; I could hear what he said due to my superior hearing.
…
"Done. I am not used to tying a blindfold, so you can ask your mother to change it later if you feel uncomfortable."
"Thank you for your gift… Master."
"Ah, trifling matter, … Right, almost forgot: you don't need to take that blindfold off; it has a self-cleaning magic I asked a friend to install into the fabric for you."
"Magic can do that?"
"Mana can do a lot of things; it's just another facet in utilizing that's making a difference. Mana is very versatile and changeable by stimulus from humans."
"How fascinating…"
"Huhu, now your face looks just like a kid's."
I am a kid.
Whoosh
Master Luben suddenly stood up with a whoosh. He grabbed my waist and picked me up with a swift motion. I could barely hear a change in the wind before realizing I was in the old man's armpit.
"But we won't learn about mana fundamentals just yet; there is still a need for you to form a daily routine and go through a test before I teach you any more knowledge."
"What the deal, old man? Why the sudden movement?"
"I take you somewhere; it is quite close, so we will come back just in time for dinner."
Dinner? What time is it now? I forgot to count my internal clock.
"Um… Master, how high is the sun right now?"
"Huh? It is midday. Honestly, a perfect time for a jog."
"Can I please have a meal first? I don't think I can train with an empty stomach… Besides, aren't we supposed to train around this meadow near the orphanage?"
"Of course, that would be true if I were being honest."
"Wait, what?"
Before I could finish my sentence, I feel an indescribable feeling of nausea, my insides as if turned upside down, and my mind become jumbled.
My breakfast threatens to emerge from my stomach.
"Ugh."
'Swallow swallow swallow swallow swallow swallow.'
"Ugh. Hah, sh—
"How was your first time going through a portal? Refreshing?"
"Detestable old man, you tricked me…"
It wasn't a jog.
"I will take that you have a wonderful experience."
"Where are we anyway…"
The old man let me down back on my feet, and while the dizziness lingered, it didn't cause me too much trouble. Wobbling my way forwards then backwards, I stabilized myself after some difficulties.
"This is a warehouse I built specifically for my disciples. We are currently here to test your weapon aptitude."
"Isn't that too quick? I thought I had to wield a weapon for some time before determining my aptitude. Besides, aren't you intending to make me your successor? Shouldn't I be using your weapon of choice?"
"I don't know where you get that notion from; while it is true that commonly, a master will only teach their disciple their trade, I am no ordinary master. I simply want the best for my disciple, and hampering my disciple's talent due to incompatible weapons is going to shame my prestigious name."
Overlooking his last remark, the old man does have good intentions. That still doesn't answer my question, though.
Seemingly picked up on it, the master continues.
"I have excellent eyes for talent, so you don't have to worry. Just pick up and use a random weapon for a few minutes; I can then help you choose the most suitable weapon for you.
"Alright then… but I don't know where the weapons are."
"Here, catch."
"Whoa!"
A piercing sharp edge flew past my face, slightly scratching my cheek. Are the weapons in this warehouse real and not wooden? I thought we would start with wooden weapons before moving on to the real deal.
"Are you trying to kill me, old man? Is endangering kids a hobby now?"
"Hoho, of course not, that was just a simple test of reaction. Now you should know where the sword I just threw is, right?"
"… Is all of your 'test' this deadly?"
"Of course, you catch on quickly."
I regretted my decision to become Luben's disciple after being his pupil for roughly three hours.
***
"That should be the last weapon variety I have stored in this warehouse."
Throwing away the whip, I panted. My body and mind have been corroded by the mind-numbing task of using and changing weapons in a ten-minute interval.
'How many weapons was it… It should be more than thirty; I lost count around there.'
"How is it? Feeling the intensity?"
"This… is… child… abuse…!"
"Then you must be prepared to swing a sword ten thousand times in under an hour if this makes you that tired."
"It… is not… because of my stamina… the weapons… are too heavy…"
I managed to squeeze out those words before going back to recovering my energy. With my current stamina enhanced by mana, I could easily deadlift 160 kilograms for hours. But these weapons Master Luben gave me are so heavy that I can't even determine how heavy they are; I've never held something so hefty in my life.
"It's just a standard weight for practice weaponry. Stop making a big deal."
"So… what about… my aptitude?"
The old man considered my question for a while; during the period of silence, some of my stamina has already recovered.
"It should be with a sword, specifically a standard longsword that is approximately one hundred centimeters long.
"Luckily for you, I also happened to be a swordsman, though I used a bastard sword; the principle wouldn't be too much different from each other."
"Is that so… I'm going to sleep then if you're done."
"Yeah, go sleep; I'm going to pack something before traveling back to the orphanage."
"Would we use the portal thingy?"
"Of course we would."
"Sh—"
Before I finished my course, my consciousness gave up, and I fell asleep. Hopefully, the next time I wake up is when I get to eat dinner and not breakfast.
…
Luben's eyes avert from Raon's slumbering visage, though he hates to admit it. Luben found Raon's demeanor quite cute, all things considered. Now is unfortunately not the time to admire his pupil.
With steady steps, Luben approached a practice longsword intending to pack it up nicely for his disciple. Inadvertently, his gaze wanders to the corner of the warehouse.
Standing motionless for an extended period, Luben manages a sigh before shaking his head, getting rid of his delusion.
"Too late, too soon."
After finding an appropriate sheathe, he moved toward Raon's unguarded figure.
"I should teach him survival skills soon; he's going to get eaten at this rate."
Despite knowing Raon's absurd perception, he can't help but worry about his one and only successor. He has only truly known Raon for a minuscule amount of time, yet his connection with Terrisa makes him hesitant to put him in truly dangerous situations.
'We'll get there when we get there; there's no point in delving too much into it.'
Picking up Raon, Lube holds his cane tightly, tapping the floor in a particular manner. Suddenly, a swirly, pure white portal appears seemingly out of nowhere.
Walking through the portal, delicately apply mana treatment on Raon to ensure his nap's quality.
A field of green grass emerges from a distance; continuing forward, he finally landed back in the meadow near the orphanage with Raon in his arm.
Luben then uses his cane, tapping the ground, to dissipate the dark veil covering a hundred meters radius.
He then began a slow journey towards Terrisa's house/orphanage. With a leisurely pace, he observes the surrounding vegetation in curiosity.
Not far from the meadow, a field of flowers contains myriads of breeds that bloomed in unison during the noon.
"… How extravagant."
***
"-on! Brother Raon! Wake up!"
A high-pitched voice filled with enthusiasm woke me up from my nap. Still groggy, I'm unable to identify my current location.
'Am I back?'
My back feels the familiar comfort of the old mattress Terrisa acquired a few years back from the dump. Although not the best in terms of quality, the mattress was cozier than the cold wooden floor.
It appears that the old man has dropped me off in my bed, and sufficient time should have passed since the air feels much colder now than back at the warehouse; still, it could be a geological difference.
"Hello, Stell. Where am I? Could you tell me?"
"Huh, you are at home, of course! We are about to go eat. Do you need my help to the dining room, Raon?"
It seems like night has arrived.
"That would be nice. And its dining room, your pronunciation is off."
"Eh…"
"Haha, let's get going then; everyone is waiting."
"Right! Brother Raon, please hold Stella's hand."
I don't particularly need Stella's help in this little matter, but it is endearing that she tried to help whenever she can. As her older brother, I should give her the satisfaction of helping her brother.
Swiftly, we reached the dining room; calling it a dining room may be an exaggeration, but as long as it has familial warmth, it can be considered a dining room.
"Raon, Stella sits down quickly; we have a guest."
Guest? The old man?
"Good to see you, Terrisa's children."
"Good to see you too, Mister…"
Dain warily answered.
'It is Master. Why is he here? The food at this orphanage shouldn't be anything special.'
"Nice to see you, Mister. I heard that you are the one that saved Raon from the bad guys.
Ethan greeted him; he then followed up with an inquiry.
"You could say so."
Seemingly proud, his voice raises slightly.
'Does this guy have dementia?'
"Oh yeah! I heard from Mother you use a sword right, Mister? Can you teach me?
Ruben impolitely jumped at the chance of learning swordsmanship.
"No comment."
"Stella greets Mister. Master!"
Stella's words were filled with grace; though awkward, it shows her politeness. Did mother teach her that?
"What a polite young lady. You are already more polite than your mother at your age."
Teresa butted in, feeling insulted.
"What do you mean by that, old man! I know you're a guest, but isn't it considered improper to demean the host?"
"Apology, apology, it was just a slip of the tongue, Terrisa, hoho."
"Why are you here anyway, Master?"
I inquired; it isn't exactly weird that he decided to stay at the orphanage due to me, but it is strange that he would be trying to freeload off poor people.
"Huh? Don't you know? Terrisa should have excitedly mentioned this to you at least."
"What is it?"
"It's a silly tradition. You could think of it that way." In ancient times, when a teacher accepted a student, they would celebrate with a party at the student's home. So, for today you can feast to your heart's content."
"Hah? There should be a catch, right?"
"Well, traditionally you also have to organize a party at my residence with your own expenses, but we can delay it until you are older. Let's stop talking; children, let's eat!"
The aromatic scent of various cuisines hit my nostrils, tempting me to indulge in gluttony. How I miss this fragrance; too bad it only lasts for today.
No, I should be working hard so that in the near future all of our meals are like this. My dedication should be put into myself and my family.
Leaving my determination behind for a while due to my inability to act on it just yet.
'After all, you can't get anything done with an empty stomach.'
"Let's eat, children."
With that, the kids and I begin to dine in our best meal yet.