[Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]

    Chapter 9

    Three days had passed since Lina began teaching Kaylen magic, and she was now certain of something.

    ''This guy... he really just wanted to stay close to me.''

    The questions he asked were so absurd, they seemed almost deliberate.

    “How do you activate the Mana Heart?”

    “Does the circle have to rotate to use magic?”

    “Does it always have to move clockwise? It can’t go counterclockwise, right?”

    These were the basic things a mage should know—like asking someone how to breathe, how to crawl, how to lie down, or how to walk. Yet, Kaylen was asking with such a serious face, it was almost laughable.

    “...Are you really asking about this? It’s basic stuff.”

    “Yeah, I’m curious. I need to start from the fundamentals.”

    Sighing, Lina could only roll her eyes. Every break, Kaylen would come to her, asking only the most elementary questions, yet his enthusiasm never seemed to wane.

    This passion was particularly noticeable during lunch breaks.

    He was the first to finish eating, having barely touched his food, and now he was waiting for her.

    “...Already done? Isn’t that a bit too little food for you?”

    It was surprising to Lina because Kaylen, who usually stuffed his face at every meal, was now finishing in a flash and waiting eagerly for their lesson.

    ''Is this guy really that into me? At this point, it’s borderline obsessive.''

    How much could he possibly like her, to give up his beloved food and shed some pounds just for their sessions? Lina knew too well how fanatical he was about food.

    She could still vividly recall the sight of him devouring his meals with wild, desperate energy, enough to make her stomach turn.

    ''If I’m better than food... this is seriously creeping me out.''

    Once the Mana Stone was fully charged, she had resolved to stay as far away from him as possible.

    “Time’s wasting. Let’s start the lesson.”

    “...Fine, fine.”

    Lina sighed, her expression darkening. Another day, another round of useless questions from Kaylen. She was already dreading what he might ask next.

    “From today, I’ll teach you 1st-circle magic.”

    “Really? You’re curious about that?”

    “Yeah. Everything. I’m so curious about how others use magic.”

    ''...Alright. He’s definitely up to something.''

    “...Fine. Let’s start with Light.”

    Light was the most basic of all 1st-circle spells.

    “For this spell, you have to rotate the circle and chant the incantation.”

    “What’s the incantation for Light?”

    ''Seriously?''

    To ask about Light? The most fundamental spell?

    Lina took a few deep breaths to calm herself before deciding to demonstrate the spell for him.

    “...Light.”

    As soon as Lina uttered the incantation, a small, bright sphere of light appeared before her.

    "Ah, so that’s how it works... Light," Kaylen muttered, mimicking her actions and casting the spell immediately.

    WOOOSH!

    A massive light sphere, far larger than Lina''s, manifested from Kaylen’s hands. It was so large that it completely engulfed the small light ball Lina had created.

    Kaylen grinned.

    "So, this is how it’s done."

    "Ah, seriously! Be gentle with Light! My eyes are hurting!"

    Kaylen’s light was much bigger and more intense than Lina’s, but she didn''t take it seriously.

    ''Looks like he used up all his mana at once. No wonder it’s so blinding.''

    As Kaylen learned more 1st-circle spells, Lina’s expression became more and more tense.

    "Wind."

    Kaylen’s wind spell created a powerful gust of wind that filled the room.

    "Ice Arrow." The ice arrow he summoned was much larger and sharper than Lina’s.

    "So, I just need to make it fly the way I want?"

    "Y-yeah. But usually, apprentice mages can only make spells move in a straight line. Being able to control them freely like that takes at least 3rd-circle magic..."

    WOOOSH! WHOOSH!

    Ignoring her words, Kaylen’s ice arrows spun in circles in the air as if mocking her.

    "You need to be 3rd-circle to do this..."

    "Ah, so this is how it works."

    At the time, it had been destroyed out of necessity...

    But now, the situation was different.

    ''I just need to inscribe the Mana Circle on the outer wall.''

    Creating a Mana Circle.

    Although Lina said it required various realizations about magic, Kaylen didn''t care. He began to casually repair the broken Mana Circle.

    ''...It''s easy.''

    Realizations about magic?

    Advancing the Mana Heart?

    None of that mattered.

    No one knew how to handle mana better than him.

    Following the traces of the broken Mana Circle along the outer wall, he simply drew another circle...

    And just like that, another Mana Circle appeared. It was effortless, just as it had been before.

    Kaylen opened his eyes and asked Lina.

    "How do you know it''s the 3rd-circle?"

    "Huh? Well, you can just use 3rd-circle magic."

    "3rd-circle magic? What’s the easiest spell? Show me."

    "Do you think 3rd-circle magic is as easy to cast as 1st or 2nd-circle magic? Seriously..."

    Despite her words, Lina started preparing to cast the spell. Deep down, she also had a desire to show off, having only recently reached 3rd-circle herself.

    ''Let''s see...''

    She took a deep breath and began chanting the incantation.

    Until now, she had only been memorizing simple words, but from the 3rd-circle onward, it was different.

    A long incantation had to be recited while focusing on conjuring the mental image.

    After concentrating for nearly a minute, sweating and focusing, Lina finally opened her eyes.

    "Fireball!"

    At the end of the long chant, a fireball the size of a human head appeared, radiating intense flames.

    "Ha, did you see that?"

    "Wow. Impressive."

    Clap, clap, clap.

    Kaylen clapped, but there was no soul in the applause.

    Lina, either unaware or unconcerned, continued to gaze with satisfaction at the fireball she had created.

    “Magic users chant their spells so slowly... But this guy’s worse.”

    “Why do you chant the incantations?”

    “Ha. Seriously... Stop asking things you already know. It''s 3rd-circle magic. It''s on a whole different level from lower circles! If you don’t chant and mentally visualize, you''ll just get a 1st-circle fireball instead!”

    “Ah, I see.”

    “Ugh, anyway, that’s enough for today’s training. I’m exhausted from trying to implement 3rd-circle magic. I can’t keep going much longer.”

    “Got it. Go ahead.”

    “...You’re about to join the next class, aren’t you?”

    “Ah, I’ll wait for a bit before I go.”

    Kaylen easily let Lina leave.

    Once he confirmed she was gone, he immediately extended his hand.

    “So from the 3rd circle onward, you need to chant the incantations, huh?”

    The wizards of a thousand years ago didn’t do that.

    Chanting spells was only for casting grand magic.

    For regular spells, they simply uttered the incantation’s trigger words and used their magic without needing to recite lengthy phrases.

    “If chanting is just for mental visualization...”

    Visualization was something Kaylen was particularly skilled at.

    Compared to creating a sword by manipulating mana, conjuring a fireball was incredibly simple.

    "Fireball."

    He spoke the trigger words he had just learned from Lina, but without chanting the incantation.

    “As expected, this is easy.”

    Soon, a massive fireball appeared in his hand.

    It was three times larger than the one Lina had created.

    “Looks like I’ve learned everything I needed to.”

    Kaylen extinguished the fireball and slowly walked out of the training room, smiling to himself.

    “Now, it’s time to recover the mana.”

    [Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]