The second he heard the loud thump outside, Alastor decided to go on the other room. The effects of Mr. Funny Man’s Inquiara magic no longer affects him. He manages to pieced himself together as he gets inside the room two doors away from them.

From cold the atmosphere inside became warmer. The leaves and the grass are varied in colors, almost like from a fairy tale. A leaf landed on his forehead and he caught it before falling down. Another violet leaf caught by his hand and a pink one, then he let them go and they swayed along the wind.

Ahead of him, he saw Mr. Funny Man instructing Caroline about how to use protection magic. The protection magic that she’s learning is a basic tier, the one that forms in ball and engulf the user to protect from the outside’s attacks.

Caroline was concentrating her mana on forming the protecting magic. She was having a hard time, indeed. But unlike Alastor, he can conjure it easily as he spends most of his time manifesting and controlling his mana due to the fact that he’s a Mana-Folder.

The protective magic barely completed. The ball of sphere wasn’t fully manifested as she was lacking the imagination to spread her mana into forming it.

“My lady, remember to use your imagination into projecting your mana to conjure a protective magic. This rule is basic to all of the magic, remember that.”

“I know, I know.” She gasped. She clearly ignored his advice.

She was succeeding of forming it, until a cracked trailed across like a web and the everything fall into pieces and flung away, landing in different part of the land. Mr. Funny Man dodge easily the shards. Alastor however, raised his palm and use a chantless wall magic. The shard of the remains of her protective magic stuck on his thick wall and disappeared in a white and bluish dust of mana.

His amazing feat didn’t escape the gaze of Mr. Funny Man.

Caroline saw him and instantly came to him. Her face seems to be worried, but he knew that it was all a façade. She was acting benevolent just not make any kind of suspicion while Mr. Funny Man is around.

“Are you hurt?” Caroline asked. Her face blushed in red.

Before he can come any closer, Alastor threw a don’t-come-near-to-me look. And of course, she was never an oblivious person.

“I’m fine.” Alastor finally replied.

Although he was strict, he was never a gloomy man unlike the first time they meet, just different, open but dissimilar.

“That is quite a feat, Mr. Alastor.” Mr. Funny Man commended.

“Just call me, Al.”

Mr. Funny Man nodded. “That magic you have pulled, right now, is a mid-tier, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“I see. You must be a quite skillful. After all, not all men and women can use chantless magic.”

“Chantless magic?” Caroline asked.

“Just as the word itself, a caster can conjure magic even without reciting the words of the spell, by that the caster can engaged in combat more easily.”

“How is that possible?” Caroline asked like an innocent child.

“Three factors: Experience, time and practice. People who can’t use chantless magic had spent their time on honing their mana and recital. Like what we’ve discussed earlier, incantations and imagination come by hand, but as time pass by, when the user chant the words, the imagination will automatically come along with it, the more the user use the magic, the more the user will easily be able to conjure the magic and by the right time, the user can manifest the magic without the need of incantations.”

Alastor added, “But chantless magic also has its own downfall. For the chantless magic to be effective just like the chanted one, the user must really good in controlling the mana in order to make it stronger or else it will easily. Emotions also plays a vital role in conjuring too. The more intense the emotion, the more mana can be exerted and the more powerful the magic can be.”

Caroline’s eyes instantly glimmered and whirled to turned to gaze Alastor.

“I didn’t know you’re that strong, mister Al.”

She came closer.

Hey, hey. I know that you’re just acting for the sake of your interest, but that’s going too far.

She added, “And you’re quite knowledgeable too.”

“It’s nothing to be brag of. I only knew few magics, ‘cause most of the time I trained to control my mana.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I’m a Mana Folder.”

Those last words rang over Mr. Funny Man’s ears.

“A Mana Folder?” He asked again. Mr. Funny Man couldn’t believe it on his own eyes that such a talented young man was a Mana Folder.

Alastor was never the man to tell a lie about himself nor allow anyone to make mockery of him. So, instead, he told him the truth.

“Yes. I am a Mana Folder.”

Never once Mr. Funny Man held a prejudice against Mana Folders but he knew that their abilities are lowest among the ranks of the warriors or even other kinds. This man even under the contract is one of a few that was forcibly bear the fate of the kingdom, but Mr. Funny Man didn’t know what he is until no. If this is a recruitment camp, Alastor would be expelled immediately and might be make a mockery among other recruits, but he’s not one of them and he considered he’s background as member of the largest mercenary organisation, the Glade before judging if he’s capable.

“Madame Caroline it seems that our lesson will be postpone.”

“But why?” She asked.

Caroline can tell that a murderous intent began to swell behind his dark tinted glass.

“Mister Alastor,” His expression turns to grim, “I would like to challenge you on a mock battle.” He declared.

Alastor already anticipated this. He knew since the beginning that Mr. Funny Man will not turn him away. It was too late for him to request for a replacement, now that the days are ticking and the enemies are not waiting for them to make their move.

And because he anticipated his desire, Alastor already anticipated that he will not fail to satisfy him. Caroline was mile away from them, a perfect safe distance for her to watch them fight. She sighed as she curls her black hair with her finger.

Is this really necessary? She asked to herself.

She cannot comprehend the reason why Mr. Funny Man suddenly worked up when he heard that Alastor was a Mana Folder.

How big deal it is to be like that? She asked to herself again.

Caroline wants to intervene but seeing how serious Mr. Funny Man is, she’s afraid to do it. All she can do right now is to watch how things will unfold when this two settle their differences.