Sitting on the ground while closing his eyes and trying to control his mana, Winifred is sitting under the same tree where Elise unlocked Winifred's mana circuit.
"How's it feeling?" In crow form, Leon asks, looking toward Winifred with his red eyes, sitting on the same tree branch that the prince destroyed, but it hailed and looks like nothing happened.
Winifred doesn't reply, as if she does not hear Leon's voice, still closing her eyes.
"Haa... She sleeps again," Leon says, looking at Winifred, knowing she is asleep again while in the middle of his mana control training.
After some time...
"Twelve... Thirteen... Fourteen..." While doing push-ups, Winifred suddenly falls on the ground. Sitting on the same tree branch, Leon is looking at Winifred, seeing her fall during push-ups.
"Again..." Leon says, telling Winifred to start doing push-ups again. Hearing Leon, Winifred starts doing push-ups again, but while doing the first push-up, she falls on the ground again. Winifred doesn't have the energy to do push-ups anymore.
"So weak... Now start running toward home," Leon says after seeing Winifred fall on the ground again.
Winifred continues running toward home on the same path she came. It is afternoon; the sun is at its peak, making it hard for Winifred to run. The distance between Elise's home and the small mountain where Winifred is training is a thirty-minute walk. While running, Winifred stops many times on the way. She doesn't have the strength to continue running, but after stopping many times, she finally reaches home.
The door opens automatically, and Winifred enters the house, completely sweating, her breathing unnatural. Her clothes are completely soaked with sweat. Seeing Winifred enter, the doll says,
"Looks like today's training was hard too?"
Winifred tries to reply to the doll, but she can't as she is breathing heavily and unnaturally, while water is sweating from her body.
"No need to reply to me. Go clean yourself and take some rest," the doll replies, understanding how tired and weak Winifred is, knowing she needs rest too.
The next day...
"Wake up," Leon says again, looking at Winifred as she sleeps again while concentrating in the middle of training.
"Start push-ups," Leon murmurs.
After fifteen push-ups, Winifred falls again.
"Do it again," Leon says again, seeing Winifred fall in the middle of push-ups.
Hearing Leon, Winifred tries to do push-ups again, but after two push-ups, she falls again.
"Start running," Leon says again, telling Winifred to start running toward home.
Hearing Leon, Winifred again starts running toward the home as usual.
Winifred continually repeats this training schedule for a month under Leon's guidance. In this whole month, she never sees Elise. After her mana circuit unlocking, Winifred continues sleeping for fifteen days. After waking up from a long sleep, she remembers what Elise told her:
"Since your mana circuit is open, we start your training. Also, I'm going outside for a month. Until then, Leon will train you. You met him, right? The black crow? He will be your training instructor."
Remembering what Elise told her, Winifred continues her training with Leon in the absence of Elise.
The month quickly passes. Winifred trains every day during this month. Every day she wakes up early in the morning, cleans the house, and after eating what she made for herself, her training starts. Every day is the same training routine.
While concentrating on her mana, she tries to control it inside her body.
After that, doing push-ups helps her build muscle for close combat.
And after regular running, she tries to build her stamina.
The month passes by, and Winifred continues her training as usual.
Another day...
It is early morning; the sun is rising and its rays are hitting the ground, creating light across. Winifred is running, continuing her training as usual. But today is the first time Leon tells her to come to the mountain by herself.
Leon is always with Winifred for her protection while going toward the mountain and coming back from it. Leon is always there. But today, Leon tells Winifred to come to the mountain while running under ten minutes. It is not different for Winifred since she always runs back toward home, but she knows how much time it takes her to reach home. Winifred doesn't know if she can reach the mountain while running in ten minutes.
Winifred continues to run toward the mountain top where Leon is waiting for her. Leon is sitting on top of a tree on the mountain, watching Winifred run and also looking around to ensure there is no danger or monster around her.
After a while, Winifred reaches the mountain top. She reaches the tree where Leon told her to come. Standing near the tree, breathing unnaturally, she tries to calm herself down. Looking up toward Leon, she asks,
"How much time did I take?" Winifred asks, taking heavy breaths again and again, looking at Leon.
"Fifteen minutes."
Hearing fifteen minutes, Winifred feels disappointed. She looks at Leon again and says, "Next time I will do it in ten minutes."
Winifred is sad that she didn't reach the tree in ten minutes. Hearing Winifred, Leon says nothing.
After that, Winifred starts following her usual training schedule. She sits on the ground under the tree, closes her eyes, and starts focusing on her mana. Today, after a month of training, Winifred finally manages to control her mana. She tries again, focusing on her mana and moving it—she can control it.
"It works!" she says loudly, opening her eyes with a glow and smile on her face as she looks at the top of the tree where Leon is sitting and watching her.
"So you finally managed to control your mana, huh?" Leon says in a hard voice.
"Yes! I can move my mana; I can control it!" Winifred replies.
"Well, that's good news," suddenly a voice speaks from behind Winifred. Winifred quickly looks back; the voice is familiar to her—it is Elise.
Seeing Elise, Winifred quickly stands up and runs toward Elise. She stops near Elise, looking at her. After a month, seeing Elise makes Winifred happy. She doesn't know why, but she feels happy again.
Elise understands Winifred's emotions. She puts her hand on Winifred's head and gently ruffles her hair.
"Did you miss me?" Elise asks gently while ruffling Winifred's hair.
"Yaaa...!" Winifred replies with a low voice, feeling embarrassed.
For Winifred, Elise is more than a teacher; she is like family, but Winifred can't say that to Elise. Elise knows that Winifred cares for her.
"So, are you ready to learn your first magic?" Elise asks with a smile, looking at Winifred.
"Oh... Yes, I'm ready!" Winifred replies with a smile and sparkling eyes.
"Let's go home. Today we celebrate because you managed to control your mana. Learning magic will now become easier for you," Elise says.
"Oh... Okay," Winifred replies, realizing how close she is to learning actual magic.
"Leon, find the prince and bring him home," Elise says, looking at Leon.
"I will," Leon replies, slightly bending his head.
"Did you meet the prince yet?" Elise asks, looking at Winifred.
"No, not yet," Winifred replies, confused. She still doesn't know who the prince is.
"Okay, then I will introduce him to you today. Let's go," Elise says.
Elise and Winifred start walking toward the home. Watching them, Leon flies into the sky.
Winifred is happy that Elise is back and curious to meet the prince today.