Chapter 6: Genius?

My training began the following day.

“Today, you will take your first step to become a full-fledged mage of the Waldemar house.” Amanda spoke with a clear smile on her face.

“You will first learn how to use your mana. Children usually start learning magic at the Elementary school at the age of seven, and you’re not even six years old yet. As a result, my training will be quite difficult, but it’s nothing that a genius like you can’t handle. I hope that you won't disappoint me, Sillath.” She said while giving me a solemn look.

In front of her urging gaze, I wasn’t motivated or interested in the slightest.

It was true that I always wanted to learn magic.

Who would not want to?

However, I didn’t want to learn it like that. In front of a house, I didn’t recognize and with a woman I despised.

*BAM*

I was given an unexpected smack on the head.

“What are you doing?” I exclaimed while rubbing the painful spot on my head.

It was a normal smack, yet it felt incredibly hard.

Then, I noticed the hand she smacked me with.

It was covered with a hard-looking earth, like a glove.

She used magic.

“You seemed to be daydreaming while I was speaking to you. It was only natural for me to wake you up. Do you have a problem with that?”

I didn't answer which seemed to express my agreement because she immediately pursued her speech.

“Good. As I said, we’ll begin by learning the basics of how to use your mana. It’s the first step for every mage. If you can’t do that, then just forget about becoming a mage. Normally, it takes around two months for a person to learn it, I expect you to learn it in one. The rest of your training will eventually get harder and, your progress will also become slower. I expect good results the next time my master visits. Don’t expect me to go easy on you, even if you are the next heir. To me, you are simply useless, if you aren’t able to become a powerful mage.”

“Why is it so important that I learn magic for this old man?” I grumpily asked after her long explanation.

She gave a small sigh as an answer.

“I sometimes forget that you’re still a kid."

I felt a vein popping up on my forehead in annoyance.

You're the kid!

She ignored my silent curses and simply continued.

"You probably already learned some things regarding the Human Kingdoms in your Primary school, haven’t you?”

After a few seconds of thinking and, seeing the glove of earth on her hand appearing once more, I reluctantly answered.

“Well, I know there are three Human kingdoms. We belong to the Dorell Kingdom within the Eastern continent. The Vifalm Kingdom is located in the Northern part of the Western continent, while the Ledrack Kingdom is in the Southern part.”

“Correct. But what else can you tell me about those kingdoms?”

“That’s all I know.”

She sighed once again.

“Each one of these kingdoms is unique. The Ledrack kingdom is a religious state with the Archduke leading it, while a single Emperor leads the Vifalm kingdom. Ledrack leans on the fervor and the dedication of the believers of their cult while Vifalm possesses the strongest warriors forged by the cruelty of the North.”

So the North men were brutes while the Southern Kingdom was full of fanatics.

I liked this world more and more...

“Now, tell me. What is the strong point of our kingdom?”

I wondered for a while until I finally found the right answer.

“It’s magic, isn’t it.”

She smiled at my words.

“Exactly. Our kingdom is the most advanced in terms of magic. The other kingdoms lack magic universities, nor do their schools teach the basics of magic to every child. Now tell me, what do you think is the value of the head of the Waldemar house if he can’t use magic?”

I hesitated a bit before answering.

“None.”

“Correct. A rare disease has struck my master making him almost unable to shape his mana. He lost a lot of influence because of that and the Waldemar house is now on the verge of destruction. That’s why you must become a strong mage as fast as possible. You will restore the reputation and influence of the house that it once had before the other great houses take advantage of our misfortunes and crush us.”

I was silent for a while.

I finally understood why he was so desperate to have me on his side when he learned about my huge mana pool.

If I failed then the Waldemar house would be destroyed. If something like that happens then he will probably take revenge on my family and loved ones.

I couldn’t let that happen.

“I understand, I will give it my best.”

“It’s good that you understand. Let’s start the training.”

——————————————————

I had a reason to learn magic.

It wasn’t by pleasure or out of a thirst for power.

I didn't want to fight anymore in this life.

I already made this choice, but I was still interested and determined to learn some magic in the future.

However, everything changed with my kidnapping.

With their threat against my family, I didn't have much of a choice anymore.

I had to become a mage simply to protect the ones who saved me from my despair when I was reincarnated into this world.

I knew that I couldn't really consider them as my parents, but it didn’t change the fact that I loved them.

That's why I decided to do everything I could to protect them and let them live a happy life even without me.

However, even if I thought that way, my training wasn’t going well.

Learning to control mana was the basic stage of learning magic, but I just couldn’t get the hang of it. At first, I was confident because I thought I was a genius like everyone said but I painfully learned that being born into a world without magic was a huge disadvantage.

Nearly every child became conscious early of the mana inside them, but not me.

When my crazy kidnapper told me to focus and feel the mana inside me, I couldn’t help but think about the human anatomy that I learned in my old world.

There was blood circulation, lymphatic circulation, and nerve transmission, but in my mind, mana didn’t have a place in all of this.

Consequently, I wasn’t just unable to control my mana I was also unable to sense it, something that children were supposed to do instinctively.

For the first time, the memories of my previous life became shackles.

After a month without any progress, Amanda threatened and beat me for my lack of effort.

After three months, she had grown desperate. She began to curse and severely thrash me until I was half-dead. I wasn’t able to move for two weeks after that. She clearly lost her cool and, things took a turn for the worse.

When she saw that I spent all my free time practicing, she almost cried in despair. If I didn’t put any effort she just had to beat me or threaten me until I gave up, but if I couldn’t do it there was nothing she could do.

Her pretty figure became less and less appealing with every night she spent searching for a solution.

As much as I liked seeing her suffer, it wasn’t my fault and this situation was becoming more and more out of hand. If the old man came back and found that I was still unable to have basic control over my mana, he might just hurt my family.

Therefore, I spent every night on my bed, trying to feel the mana inside me.

It took me four months to do, but I was getting the hang of it. It was like feeling the beating of a second heart. It was disturbing at first, but I eventually became used to it after some time.

Six months after the beginning of my training, I finally became able to control my mana. I gathered it into my right hand, before doing the same with my left.

When she saw this, Amanda hugged me. My face buried in her ample bosom. It would have been quite pleasant if it wasn’t her.

I despised this woman after all.

“Now that you are finally able to control your mana, you must learn to use the basic magic of each element. Most children can only use one or two. I hope you will be able to control three, but if you can become good with one or two, then I can’t complain. After all, it’s not something you can change.”

She wasn’t losing any time.

“I understand. What am I supposed to do?”

“First, you must gather your mana in the part of your body that will use magic. Try gathering it in one hand. It's easier that way."

I gathered it into my right hand as I did before. She made a relieved smile seeing that I managed it on my first try.

“Next, you have to shape your mana. You must have a clear image of what you want to do. Imagination is the key aspect of magic during the initial phase. Try to imagine the various elements covering your hand.”

I thought for a moment about the element I would try first.

I could see the sweat covering my hands. It reminded me that the human body was mostly composed of water and that consequently, it would probably be the easiest to learn.

I imagined washing my right hand to get rid of the sweat. I tried to remember the feeling of water on my skin, but it was quite difficult.

I could see Amanda in the corner of my eyes.

She was clenching her fists tightly.

I could see the uneasiness in her dark eyes.

We were at least four months late in her schedule. She was surely praying that it wouldn't take me as much time.

It had already been ten minutes since I started, but I couldn’t see any result yet.

I couldn't help but scream in my mind.

Did I suck so much at magic?

I couldn't understand why it was so hard to create a bit of water.

It was only made of some hydrogen with oxygen.

I took a deep breath to calm my rampant emotions and tried again.

If I wanted the old geezer to leave my family alone, I had to become an astounding mage.

I concentrated harder, trying to feel the particles of mana gathering around my hand. After a few seconds, I clenched my fist, but this time the result was different.

In front of my incredulous eyes, a small net of water began to form.

I was so surprised that I almost lost my concentration.

“Good, you did it!”

Amanda couldn’t help but scream in joy.

“It takes at least half an hour before a child is able to make his first element appear. I don’t understand how you did it so fast. You’re terrible at something that is supposed to be easy, but you’re a fast learner when it’s something difficult. Honestly, something must be wrong with your head.”

"..."

Great congratulations talk.

I just did something difficult, but all she had to say was that I was weird.

She wasn't the first one to tell me that. A little more and I might start thinking that it was the truth.

“Anyway, now that you succeed with the first element, let us try the others to see if you can use at least one more.”

I nodded and focused once again.

I gathered mana into my right hand and condensed it while imagining an earth glove like the one that met my head so many times.

I succeeded on my first try.

She couldn’t help but have a big smile on her pretty face. It had been a long time since I’ve seen her this happy.

“Great, try another one.”

She was just like a kid who discovered a new toy and wanted to see what she could do with it.

It was an unpleasant feeling.

I started yet again.

I was beginning to understand how mana manipulation worked. It was as if you controlled small particles you had to shape in order to create the desired element.

Imagination must have a part in that, but I honestly didn’t think that it was the only way to do it. If I gathered the particles then I created earth magic, so what would happen if I accelerate them?

I tried immediately.

A few seconds later, a small flame was around my hand. I could have sworn I saw some tears of joy in her eyes.

“As expected from my master’s grandson! You’re definitely a genius. Being able to control three elements is not something everyone is able to do. You must now practice until you’re able to manifest each element without thinking about it. After you are able to do this, you will be considered a basic mage controlling three elements. A Shiwake basic mage.”

“A Shiwake basic mage?”

“It’s a title. Ishita mage control one element, Nihoko mage control two, Shiwate mage control three and finally the Sokeï mage is the title given if you can manipulate the four basic elements.”

“It’s quite difficult to remember.”

“Don’t worry, you will get used to it. It’s something created in this country to classify the mages between them so you will definitely become well known if you are a Shiwate mage.”

“I understand. But… why are you telling me I’m a Shiwate mage?”

“You’re confused?”

“Of course not. I understood all of it, but I haven’t even tried the last element.”

I didn’t give her the time to reply.

I quickly gathered mana around my hand and focused a few seconds before a thin film of wind surrounded my hand. It was nearly transparent, but it was clear that the air was moving.

She didn’t utter a word and hugged me again.

“Incredible, you are a Sokeï mage. There is only a few within the entire kingdom!”

She squeezed me tighter.

I hated her, but I preferred when she hugged me than when I was hit.

To my surprise, I found a little comfort in her soft arms. It was the first time I received some signs of affectation in these agonizing months. I allowed her to swallow me in her embrace until she finally let go of me.

She had a beaming smile on her face.

She was usually quite gloomy, but when she smiled like that she was one of the prettiest women I have ever seen.

I couldn’t help but feel myself blush a little after seeing her like that.

In this instant, I finally felt all the pressure of those past months lessened under her warm gaze.

I can get used to her.

This strange thought crossed my mind as I watched her relieved face.

I hated her for taking me away from my family, but this reality was already set in stone.

I couldn't change it with my own strength.

Not yet.

I couldn't do it on my own.

I needed her to become stronger.

I smiled at her a little before resuming my training.