Surprised, Lily asked, "Training? This late at night?"

The voice in her head, no, Rine, replied, *We're on a limited timetable, so we're going to be very busy for the next few days, and we'll need to fit in as much training as we can before the tournament. Besides, this is very simple training, and won't involve casting any spells. It will take about half an hour, then you'll go to bed so you can get some sleep. In the morning, we'll repeat it before you meet with Madeline. Now, take a seat upon your bed, apprentice, and hold that quartz crystal firmly in your hands.*

Taking a seat upon her bed as instructed, Lily considered correcting Rine by stating she never agreed to be an apprentice, then decided against it. For all intents and purposes, master and apprentice was the best way to define their relationship right now. "Okay," she whispered, "what do I need to do?"

Rine stated, simply, *Push your mana into the quartz crystal, then extract it back out. Then repeat the process until I tell you to stop.*

Confused, the young student began doing so, then asked, "Really? Why?" Pushing mana into an enchanted object to recharge it was one of the first things any student learns, and while extracting it is a bit more complicated, it was a useful skill for when one accidentally overcharged a magical object, given that the alternative of leaving it overcharged often had explosive results. But why would he want her to do so for half an hour?

Seeming to read her thoughts, Rine explained, *Just like with physical exercise, the most effective methods for training magical abilities are based on the repetition of simple tasks.*

After a moment, he added, *But as to this training, in particular, it fulfills a very specific purpose. The body of the average mage has three very important metaphysical components: The mana core where mana is centered in the body, the intake conduits where mana is drawn in from outside of the body, and the exhaust conduits through which mana is released when magic is performed.*

"I know about the mana core," Lily said, working on pushing magic into the quartz crystal again. "Guys like Crassus have a huge mana core that allows them to become powerful wizards, while people like me with a normal-sized mana core are stuck being mediocre at best. I've never heard of those... conduits you've mentioned, though."

Rine sounded surprisingly happy as he replied, *A huge mana core being a boon is a common misconception in this modern era. An oversized mana core means he can hold a large amount of mana, certainly, but with a core that large when his conduits are only normal-sized, is potentially very dangerous. If I were training him instead of you, I'd have to be extremely careful lest he accidentally hurt himself trying to push more mana through his conduits than his body can handle. Plus, while he has a large core, he can only recharge it at the same rate as anyone else with the conduits he has. He can throw around a lot of spells, but once he's used up all of his mana, he'd need at least a couple of days for a full recharge.*

He paused, seeming to enjoy the lecture, then added, *As to the knowledge of the conduits themselves, well, a long time ago, magic was much better understood than it is today, due to a disaster which caused much of the knowledge compiled about magic to be lost. Put simply, your conduits are what makes it possible for you to use magic, and to replenish your mana supply after using magic. Your mana core dictates how much magic you can use before you run out of mana, but your conduits are critical to being able to use magic at all.*

*Your conduits and core may be 'normal-sized', but they are in the right proportion to one another, and they have no deformities. Since you're so perfectly ordinary, I don't need to worry about using any kind of special training methods to avoid causing damage to an abnormal metaphysical frame like Crassus has. We can make significant progress in just three days, provided you do as I ask. With Crassus? I'd need six months to a year to make any significant headway.*

*As to the purpose of this training itself, it's a bit complicated, but in layman's terms the body, mana can... stagnate. It's a very common occurrence, especially when someone is first using magic. When you fail to cast a spell properly, it can cause stagnant mana. It can also happen if someone counters a spell before it can be cast, or something happens to prevent you from completing a spell. The problem is, once mana becomes stagnant, it doesn't want to start moving again and can clog up your conduits if it isn't cleared out. As your conduits clog, it can hamper your ability to use certain types of magic.*

Surprised by that, Lily asked, "Really? I didn't know anything like that was possible."

*Actually, you did know, you just didn't realize it,* Rine replied. *You know that some magic users have specialties, magic that they're good out, but often are poor with other magic or are even incapable of using certain types of spells. Using magic requires pushing magic out through specific conduits in your body to cause certain effects. So, if a conduit is clogged...* he paused, waiting for the proverbial penny to drop.

Lily understood immediately, replying, "Then a wizard can't use spells related to those conduits." She paused, then put two and two together, stating, "So, the reason why I'm only able to use barriers and healing spells is that my conduits are clogged with stagnant mana?"

*Very good,* came the immediate reply. *As I said, it's very common among young practitioners of the art, since initiates will often mess up casting spells numerous times before getting them right. Unlike using spells, pushing and pulling mana uses all of your conduits, instead of only a certain few of them, so even the clogged channels will have pressure put on them.*

*The training you're doing, often called Cycling or Ebb and Flow, will push and pull on the stagnant mana in your body and force it to break up and flow normally. After a couple of sessions, we'll start seeing results, and by the time of the tournament, your conduits will be completely cleared.*

Still focusing on her 'Cycling', Lily said, irritated, "My conduits must be really clogged if I can only use barriers and healing spells."

*Hardly,* Rine responded, flatly. *Your conduits do have clogs in the areas normally reserved for primarily offensive magic, but that's a fairly narrow area. The rest of your conduits are practically pristine. The only reason why it seems you can't use anything but barriers and healing is that this academy is largely focused on combat-oriented magic, rather than, say, enhancement, reinforcement, or utility spells. There's far more to magic than throwing fireballs around, but it seems that your academy has forgotten that.*

The voice chuckled, then continued, *If you want to talk about clogged, Crassus is so spectacularly clogged that it's a wonder that he can even use what magic he has.*

More seriously, he added, *The perils of a large mana core like the one he has is that when he messes up a spell, it causes a lot of stagnant mana to form in his conduits. Just learning the spells he knows has left him a near-cripple. He's about a dozen miscast spells from losing what little magical ability he has left.*

Lily was about to argue how that was possible, then reconsidered as she realized that did actually match what she'd seen with her own two eyes. "I've only ever seen him use fireballs and fire bullet spells. Are you saying that he's so clogged he can only use fire magic?"

*No,* came the immediate reply. *What I'm saying is that fireballs and fire bullets are the only spells he can use, period. Literally, every conduit in his body asides from the ones that use those two spells are completely clogged to the point that even normal cycling can't unblock them. His intake conduits are just as bad, so he can only reabsorb mana at half the pace you can. All of that and his oversized core are why training him in the most basic of basics would take up to a year and you'll only take three days at most.*

*Of course, overusing specific conduits has its own problems. Using just the same two spells all the time puts a lot of strain on the few exhaust conduits he has, and his few working intake conduits are also spectacularly overworked. Even if he doesn't accidentally clog them up with misspells, he'll probably burn out his few working conduits by the time he's twenty-five. If that happens, all the mana in his body will stagnate. Having a little stagnant mana in your body isn't really a problem, but having a body full of stagnant mana can cause serious health problems down the line. Odds are unless he stops using any and all magic soon, his body will fall apart on him before he turns thirty.*

She took a moment to ponder how she felt about that, then suddenly gasped as she felt... something. It was a feeling she couldn't put into words, except perhaps that a weight she didn't know she was carrying had suddenly been lifted. Mana started flowing more easily from her into the quartz crystal, although there was still the same amount of resistance when she reabsorbed it.

*Your body uses different channels for absorbing and releasing magic,* Rine reminded her, seeming to read her thoughts. *However, it does look like a fair-sized clog just gave way. We're about halfway through your first session, but since you're doing better than expected, I think we can change things up a bit to speed up the process.*

Surprised to find so much time had passed so quickly, asked, "How so?"

*Since the body uses different conduits for releasing and absorbing mana, I'd like you to try doing both at the same time,* Rine explained. *It's trickier, but it will help speed up the cycling process significantly. The hardest part will be adjusting the flow of mana so that you absorb it at the same rate you release it. Try it now.*

Lily took a breath, then tried. It was... weird, but after a moment, she was able to get the hang of it.

*Not bad,* Rine admitted, as Lily began adjusting the flow so that it was at a continuous pace. *You've got a good handle on it already. Don't get conceited, mind you: This is something that eight-year-olds could manage back when I was your age. However, the fact that you're getting a good handle on it the first time you try it is a good sign. Keep going, and I'll lay out the plans for tomorrow, including what you'll tell Madeline in the morning.*

As Rine laid out the overall plan for the next three days, Lily nodded, although she had a bit of trouble keeping from grinning or laughing as the voice explained the step by step process. Crassus would definitely never see it coming, and it would definitely humiliate him, provided they could pull it off.

*Now,* Rine said in conclusion, *after that, if you want to win the tournament, that's up to you. While it would be a feather in your cap, it isn't absolutely necessary for any plan I have. However, if you do want to win the tournament, I'll need to amend the training schedule accordingly, so the time to decide is now.*

Winning the tournament? Lily had not even considered that as a possibility. Admittedly, while Crassus was considered a rising star in the academy, he was only a first-year in a single class, and multiple students could probably wipe the floor with him in the tournament. Being strong enough that Crassus would never bother her again was nice, but proving she was stronger than any student in the school?

After a moment, she asked, "What would you do?"

*Me?* Rine asked, surprised by the question. He took a minute or two to consider it. After a moment's thought, he replied, *If I were taking part, I'd easily defeat any opponent. Even at your age, I'd have been head and shoulders above anyone else there. However, there's no satisfaction to be found in winning battles that you had no chance of losing. However, you're not me. What I can say is that, if I were in your situation, and then given this opportunity, I'd want to beat down everyone at the tournament in such a way that there can be no question who was the best wizard present.*

*If your fellow students and the faculty would stand idly by while your bully humiliates you in front of the king and kingdom, it's only right to turn it right back around and humiliate all of them in front of the king instead.*

Rine paused, then added, *It would be difficult, but not impossible, to accomplish that, in such a short timeframe. I can't guarantee success, and the training will be far harsher than what you'd need to undergo just to grind Crassus beneath your heel. However, my promise is to support you in your goals in exchange for helping me in mine, so if you're willing, I'll do everything in my power to help you.*

Lily was quiet for a time, contemplating all of that, and asked herself what she really wanted. After some time, she finally came to a conclusion and told Rine exactly what she wanted to do. After several minutes of laughter, the enigmatic entity said, *I think the two of us are going to get along famously. Or perhaps infamously.*