Kaiser raised a hand to his face, letting out a quiet sigh, feeling helpless by the pink-haired girl standing before him. Mary still had that shy expression, her crimson eyes flickering slightly, as if she was nervous about something
'Had she really been sitting here waiting for him all afternoon?'
Kaiser studied Mary for a moment before frowning, sensing that something was off. Slowly, he asked
"What about your friends? Why didn't you hang out with them?"
Mary flinched slightly at the question. She lowered her gaze, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her shirt
"I… I haven't made any friends yet" Her voice grew quieter, tinged with embarrassment
Kaiser fell silent, feeling even more helpless
'Of course. He sighed inwardly, rubbing his temple. If she had friends, she wouldn't be sitting here alone just to wait for me'
Kaiser observed her for a while, and then a thought crossed his mind.
Mary had no friends, which meant he was probably the closest person to her right now. On top of that, considering their previous encounter - when he had helped her fend off those bullies - it was likely that she saw him as someone reliable.
Besides… even though it sounded a bit arrogant, Kaiser was well aware that he was quite good-looking
'Could she actually like me?'
He sneaked a glance at Mary, who stood there looking both flustered and expectant
'But then again, maybe she just wanted to make a friend'
Either way, he needed to be sure
Clearing his throat, he pushed aside his swirling thoughts and said
"Wait here for a bit"
Mary lifted her head, tilting it slightly
"I'm going to go get ready, and then we'll head to the training hall like we planned" Kaiser said with a faint smile
Mary blinked before nodding, her face seemingly brightening a little
"Okay! I'll wait for you"
Giving her one last nod, Kaiser turned and walked into the male dormitory
Mary watched his back as he disappeared inside, then let out a quiet breath. She lowered her head, clasping her hands together on her lap, her palms slightly damp with nervous sweat. She wasn't even sure if she was anxious or excited anymore - all she knew was that her heart was beating faster than usual.
By now, the sky had begun to take on a soft shade of orange as the sun set. The golden light bathed the academy's courtyard, casting everything in a warm glow
Not long after, the dormitory door opened again
Kaiser stepped outside, no longer dressed in his usual uniform. He now wore a simple white tank top, revealing his toned arms and well-proportioned physique. A small towel was draped over his shoulder, likely to wipe off sweat during training
Mary's eyes widened slightly, and for some reason, her face felt a little warm
Kaiser approached her with his usual relaxed demeanor. His dark hair was slightly tousled from changing clothes, but that only made him look even more effortless and natural. He isn't wearing his glasses because they would be quite clunky during practice
"I'm ready" he said, his voice calm yet gentle
Mary quickly shot up from her seat the moment she heard him, nearly tripping over the bench in her haste
"O-okay" she stammered, her voice a little softer than usual
Kaiser chuckled at her reaction but didn't tease her. Instead, he gave a slight nod and started walking ahead. Mary quickly followed, keeping just close enough to stay by his side
Together, they headed toward the training hall
The atmosphere between them wasn't exactly silent, but neither of them rushed to speak. Mary felt as if all the surrounding sounds had faded away, leaving only the rhythm of their footsteps on the stone-paved path
That was until they arrived
The academy's training hall was a vast space, specifically designed to withstand powerful magical attacks. Because of that, it was always bustling with students training, whether it was day or night
The moment Kaiser and Mary stepped inside, numerous eyes immediately turned toward them
It wasn't surprising that Kaiser attracted attention. Not only did he have a striking appearance, but he was also one of the most talented students in the academy. However, this time, the gazes around them weren't just focused on him but also on the girl walking beside him
Mary could feel the scrutiny from all directions, and her hands instinctively tightened around the hem of her shirt
Kaiser glanced at her briefly, quickly noticing the tension on her face. Without saying anything, he quietly scanned the area and soon spotted a more secluded corner where fewer people would pay attention to them
"Let's go over there" he said softly, stepping forward to lead the way
Mary flinched slightly but quickly nodded and followed closely behind him
Once they reached the quieter spot, the surrounding atmosphere became a little more comfortable
Kaiser set his towel aside before turning back to Mary
"All right, first, create your Mana shield as you normally would" he instructed
Mary nodded, taking a deep breath to steady herself. Her crimson eye glowed faintly, and tiny blue particles of light appeared around her, quickly forming a thin protective layer around her body
Kaiser observed for a moment before calmly commenting
"Your Mana shield is too thin and seems unstable. If you take a strong hit, it will break easily"
"I thought so too… But I don't know how to improve it"
"The problem lies in your control over the Mana flow" Kaiser said, crossing his arms as he considered his words
"Think of Mana as a stream of water flowing around your body. If the flow is too weak, the shield will be thin and fragile. If it's too strong and uncontrolled, it will become unstable. The key is maintaining balance"
Mary listened intently, her crimson eye reflecting deep concentration
Kaiser raised his hand in front of him, and a soft blue wave of Mana spread from his palm, quickly forming a protective layer around his body
"Watch closely" he said, deliberately slowing down the process so Mary could follow. "My shield isn't just standing still. The Mana forming it circulates continuously, like a flowing stream"
Mary focused on the Mana shield surrounding Kaiser. Unlike hers, his was thicker, clearer, and showed no signs of instability
"You see how your Mana isn't staying still?" Kaiser asked.
Mary nodded
"Yeah… It's like it's moving slightly, like a small river"
"Exactly" Kaiser said with a faint smile
"Now, try again. Imagine it as a continuous flow"
Mary took a deep breath, her crimson eye glowing once more
She tried to imagine the Mana flowing within her body as a small stream, letting it move naturally instead of simply forming a static barrier
Once again, faint blue light particles appeared, gradually covering her. But this time, instead of being thin and unstable, the Mana shield began to circulate slightly
Seeing that her shield was more stable than before, her eyes lit up with joy
"I… I did it?"
"It's still not perfect" Kaiser shook his head, though his tone carried a hint of praise
"Now, you need to reinforce it. Increase the flow speed slightly, but don't let it get out of control"
Kaiser crossed his arms, watching Mary take steady breaths after her first attempt. He nodded in approval at her progress
"You did well, but I'll show you another thing you can do" he said
"You can layer the Mana"
Mary blinked, looking a bit confused
"Layer it?"
Kaiser nodded. "That's right. Instead of forming a single large shield, you can fold it into multiple overlapping layers. This increases its durability, making it harder to break. But… it's also much more difficult because it requires complete control"
Mary bit her lip
"That sounds… complicated"
Kaiser smiled
"I won't deny that. But if you want to get stronger, it's necessary"
He raised his hand again, activating his Mana shield once more. But this time, Mary noticed something different - rather than just a simple protective layer, Kaiser's Mana shield had faint ripples, multiple layers stacked seamlessly over one another
"See?" Kaiser explained
"I don't just stop at one layer. By folding and layering Mana, each layer reinforces the others"
Mary watched closely, admiration shining in her eyes
"How do you keep it stable?"
"It takes a lot of control" Kaiser deactivated his shield and looked directly at Mary
"But more importantly, you need to understand your Mana flow. If you can control it well like I showed you earlier, you're already halfway there"
Mary took a deep breath and nodded
"All right… I'll try!"
She closed her eyes, focusing on the Mana flow in her body. The blue shield gradually formed around her again. This time, she attempted to fold it, trying to create a second layer.
However, the moment it took shape, her Mana shield wavered violently, losing stability and nearly shattering
Mary opened her eyes, panting
"This is hard…"
"Don't worry, everyone struggles at first" Kaiser reassured her gently
"Your problem is that the layers aren't even. You need to concentrate on the folds - if they're too unstable, the entire shield will collapse"
Mary looked up and saw the encouragement in Kaiser's eyes, feeling a warmth rise within her
She clenched her fists, her gaze turning determined
"I'll try again!"
Kaiser chuckled softly, sensing the resolve in her voice. However, as he observed her more closely, he noticed an issue, Mary's long pink hair kept falling over her face whenever she channeled Mana, making it harder for her to focus
Stepping closer, he said gently
"Mary, your hair is getting in the way"
Mary blinked and awkwardly tucked her hair behind her ear
"Yeah… But I didn't bring a hair tie"
Kaiser thought for a moment, then smiled lightly
"You won't need one. I'll help"
Mary was startled, but before she could react, Kaiser had already moved behind her. With careful hands, he gathered her silky pink hair and used a long strand to tie it into a simple yet secure ponytail, revealing both of her crimson eyes. He is very skilled at this since he had tied Amelia's hair many times
Mary stiffened slightly, feeling a bit flustered at the warmth of Kaiser's hands on her hair
"Done" He stepped back, inspecting his handiwork
"This should be less distracting now"
Mary reached up, touching her neatly tied hair, feeling how much more convenient it was
"Thanks…" she murmured, her face slightly flushed
Kaiser simply shrugged
"Now, let's get back to training"
Taking a deep breath, Mary refocused on strengthening her Mana shield . Meanwhile, Kaiser stepped aside and began practicing his own Mana techniques
After some time, when he finished his exercises, Kaiser turned back and was surprised to see that Mary had managed to maintain two layers of Mana shield simultaneously
The blue glow of her shield surrounded her steadily, with visible Mana ripples stacked on top of each other. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, but she held her form, keeping the shield from collapsing
Kaiser raised an eyebrow before a satisfied smile appeared on his lips
"Not bad. You did it"
Mary opened her eyes and realized her shield was still intact, no longer trembling like before. She grinned brightly
"I really did it?"
"Yeah" Kaiser nodded
"You're improving faster than I expected"
Mary laughed, her eyes sparkling with happiness. But before she could say more, Kaiser glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed how much time had passed
"It's getting late. We should head back" He stretched slightly
Mary looked around and finally realized that the training hall had become much emptier. She nodded in agreement and left with Kaiser
As they stepped outside, Kaiser pulled out the small towel he had brought earlier and used it to wipe the sweat from his neck and arms
Mary walked beside him, quietly watching
The sweat glistened under the lights, trailing down Kaiser's toned skin as he casually wiped it away. The unintentional yet natural motion made Mary feel… strangely unsettled in her chest