Ci walked back to Itsuki with tea and a coffee biscuit in her hands, seeing he was struggling to cast anything.

Ci: I expected to see a bit of work when I returned...

Itsuki: Yeah, well...you made me go about five Grades higher than I'm used to!

Ci sighed as she sat down on a bench, watching him as she ate her biscuit. She took a small sip to wash the snack down as she looked at him, still trying.

Ci: I suppose I could have made you try a Grade 4 or 5 first...

Itsuki: You don't say?! This is too hard!

Ci: Your form is wrong; you are trying to project the mana out of your palm!

Itsuki: What do you mean!? That's how you cast magic!

Ci: No wonder you have issues...that isn't the case at all!

Itsuki: Huh?!

Ci: Mana flows from your body when using magic, meaning it can expel anywhere it wants. You do your palm by choice...have you not been noticing how others cast? Gavolt's Gravity spreads from his body, affecting what he chooses. When I use my ice spell, it forms where I need it. You are limiting your magic by focusing on only one point...if you do that and the magic flow doesn't reach the palm, nothing will get cast in the slightest.

Itsuki: B-But the books all-

Ci: You fool, the palm is just the most common example...they never expect anyone to use it solely!

Itsuki stopped casting and sighed heavily. He can't believe he was miscasting this entire time. Ci put her tea on the bench as she stood up, walking toward him as she expelled a bit of her magic. Itsuki raised his eyebrow at her a bit.

Ci: Can you expel pure mana out of your body? If not, just do what you usually do without casting a specific spell.

Itsuki nodded as he started expelling mana from his palm. Ci slapped his wrist hard and glared at him.

Ci: No, from your entire body! Quit focusing on your palm!

Itsuki tried again, but it kept coming from his palm; Ci slapped his wrist harder.

Ci: Again! Keep trying! If you can't do this simple task, just give up as a Mage! We don't need a useless brat like you around!

Itsuki's eyes widened as he remembered something from his past. He was only a kid back then as he watched a man with slicked long black hair and a long bushy mustache and goatee look down on him. He was wearing a black robe with gold writing on it as he grabbed Itsuki by the collar of his shirt. They were on an airship as he was carried to the outside railing, the world below him.

???: I asked you to do one thing for me, and you failed me repeatedly!

Itsuki: I-I-I'm sorry! Please! Don't drop me, please!

???: If you can't do a simple task, this is the only way. We don't need a useless brat like you around!!

Itsuki snapped back to reality as he focused his mana throughout his body.

Itsuki: I'm not...useless! Don't ever say that bullshit to me again!!

Ci: Then prove your worth, boy.

Itsuki yelled as mana came out of his body like a wildfire. Ci smirked as she clapped her hands. Itsuki fell backward, exhausted.

Itsuki: Did I...do it??

Ci: We can call it a day...that was step one. Now that you can do that, I can teach you how to control that mana.

The two parted ways until the next day when they met back at the same place.

Ci: Now, onto step two... when you expel your mana like that, you need to control it, or your spells will go where they please. Basically, you just need to expel as you did before and focus on it as you did with your palm.

Itsuki: So the palm was essentially step two without step one?

Ci: I suppose you can call it that.

Itsuki did as she instructed. It took him a few attempts, but he got the hang of it.

Ci: Excellent! Now for the real deal.

Ci snapped her fingers, froze his hands with ice, and created floating ice blocks.

Itsuki: H-Hey! What the hell?!

Ci: I want you to use Pyro and hit my ice blocks. I froze your palms just in case you tried to cast your previous way.

Itsuki: Make sense, I guess...

Itsuki focused and expelled his mana in front of him, casting Pyro as shooting it forward, but missing the floating ice block.

Ci: Close, but you need to control it as well!

Itsuki: I usually can! Why didn't it work?!

Ci: Because you are too used to aiming with your palm. You need to aim with your mind!

Itsuki kept trying but missing but eventually focused more, summoning the Pyro, aiming it up at the ice block, and hitting it.

Itsuki: Hell yeah!

Ci: Good! Now, let's try a moving target!

Ci summoned an ice lance and rushed to Itsuki. However, Itsuki jumped away from her as she tried to hit him.

Itsuki: What the hell is your problem?!

Ci: The best way to learn is through experience! So I'm going to fight like I'm trying to kill you!

Itsuki: Don't you think this is a bit extreme?!

Ci: Oh, hush and try attacking me!

Itsuki kept dodging, expelling his magic, and trying to avoid her simultaneously. He got sliced several times before finally shooting a Pyro at her feet.

Ci: Come on now, you can aim better than that! Keep trying!

Itsuki kept trying as he kept getting slashed and stabbed by her. But after getting hit for an hour, he finally could control his shot under pressure and hit her right in the chest. Itsuki huffed as she clapped her hands.

Ci: Fine work! Now we just need to keep practicing with that! Round two!

Itsuki: W-W-Wait!!

The two continued to train with each other for hours that day. When it finally reached nightfall, Itsuki fell backward to the ground. His hands thawed out finally, thanks to Ci dismissing it, and he got very good at correctly using his spells.

Ci: We can call it for today. Do you think you understand a bit better?

Itsuki: Yeah...I understand that you are bat shit insane!

Ci gave him a light kick as he sat up. She sighed as she sat on the bench next to him.

Ci: Honestly, I don't understand why the guard dog didn't train you with magic better...

Itsuki: Knowing Benjiro, he probably doesn't know how himself...he is more of a sword person anyways.

Itsuki looked at her and rose his eyebrow a bit at her.

Itsuki: Hey, so...why do you keep calling Benjiro a guard dog anyways?

Ci: Because that is what he is, her personal servant; well, one of them anyway.

Itsuki: Oh, you mean the house staff?

Ci: The house staff? Oh heavens no, I mean her other two servants along with him!

Itsuki: Two others? We have never seen anyone but Benjiro...

Ci: So what happened to-

Benjiro: I really wish you would keep your mouth shut...

Benjiro walked to them, smoking as Ci huffed a bit at him.

Ci: My apologies, I was never told it was a secret!

Itsuki: Did something happen, Benjiro?

Benjiro: You could say that...You are both right; there are three of us...but I am the only one left.

Itsuki: Like they quit?

Ci: No, as in they died.

Benjiro: I might as well tell you the story...

Benjiro sat on a chair next to the bench and exhaled smoke from his mouth as the other two looked at him.

Benjiro: Let me start with one story, and after that, the last time I saw those two. Years ago, we met the Ice Witch in her tower over some business.