RSTUM 116

116: Proper Education

Three days had passed since Minerva's visit, and Leon was still focused on his training, and from the looks of it, he wasn't anywhere near relaxed.

Five months have passed since his reincarnation, and he is now more aimless than ever. At first, it was all about survival, but now that he had survived and reached the safe place he was hoping for, things became peaceful… oddly peaceful.

Nonetheless, Leon's day was split into two routines: Training and Studying.

The one who trained Leon was Lance. While it seemed inefficient to let the brother-con Lance oversee such a task, it was safe to say that Lance is one of the most disturbing drill sergeants Leon ever came across.

Lance was the leader of a Knight Order that he established and trained at the Garden Palace in order to act as a military organization that serves both the Duchy of Dark and his mother, the Duchess. Those Knights were selected from the families that are loyal to the Duchess and from those who were personally trained by her.

The Garden Palace was not just the residence of Duchess Annabelle; it was also a place where the operatives of the Special Units were trained. In other words, it was a secret training facility that was established by Annabelle to support her friend, Archduchess Eleanor, in training spies. Those spies would then work directly under Duke Henry Godfrey, the King's Shadow.

This relationship was tricky and mysterious to Leon, who learned all of that not too long ago. The King, who is the symbol of the Crowns faction and the enemy of the Moderate factions, is being served by the high figures of his opposing faction, such as Annabelle, Eleanor, and Duke Godfrey.

The explanation he got was that Amber itself must remain a single unit, and when they stop cooperating even with their political enemies, a civil war will be the only remaining option.

So unlike the Rebels, the Moderates were in the Crowns, and the system must stay. After all, they are nobles and feudal lords as well, and they can't simply sacrifice the power they have.

So far, Leon's whole look at the situation in this country has come from a rebel's perspective, as he spent most of his time in the Northern District of Karanberg. Still, this doesn't mean he can't see the privileges this new life brings him. Money, status, and power are just the beginning, but he knows very well how fragile this can be.

That's why Leon took this chance to train like a madman. Lance trained him in horsemanship, swimming, and marksmanship.

Why those three skills exactly, one may ask? Horsemanship is great for agility, swimming helps endurance, and archery is the best way to enhance one's senses, which contributes to the growth of wisdom. So rather than directly training Leon's Strength, Lance decided to train Leon at what he is best at. It is difficult to imagine the petite Leon wearing a hefty suit of armor and fighting at the frontline with a greatsword and such.

< Training Results: +2 STR, +1 END, +3 AGI, +2 WIS >

As for studying, Leon's mentor was Annabelle, who focused on teaching him magic.

Annabelle was busy studying Leon's aptitude for magic for the first few days, and she agreed with him that the most suitable class for him was the Mage. This class will help him grow to limitless possibilities, and with his maxed-out Talent, there is no limit to what he can do with magic.

As they sat in the garden together, Annabelle was testing Leon's knowledge of Magic Theory.

"I want you to explain magic to me."

"A textbook explanation or…"

"No, your own understanding. I want to see how someone from a world without magic understands it."

"Alright." Leon thought for a while before finding the right words to express what he understood, "Magic is like a sixth sense to me now. One way for me to look at it is that my mind has the ability to realize that there is this extension out of my own body that I can perceive. It is almost like this time when you feel an intense wave of sound coming from a stereo… I'm sorry, wrong example. Hmmm… like a very strong flash of light that disturbs your sense of vision all of a sudden."

"Interesting. This is my first time hearing someone explain it that way." Annabelle narrowed her eyes.

"I'd say I had that feeling the first time I witnessed magic in the streets of Karanberg at the hands of a Civil Mage." Leon explained and continued, "It is like I found I can move a part of my body that I didn't realize I had before. The closest description for it is "Mind over Magic" or something along those lines."

"Fascinating!" Annabelle remarked, then asked, "How does it feel when I overwhelmed you with Mana the other day?"

"It is similar to that feeling when my ears get filled with water or my nose becomes too allergic to pollen."

"You are too sensitive to Mana; that's a good thing in some cases, but you will need to be able to handle it yourself. It is all about endurance and resilience." She said.

"Alright." Leon nodded before asking something in his mind, "I've come across a person who is allergic to Mana before."

"Spirits!" Annabelle became saddened immediately as she heard what Leon said, "There is no easy life for such poor souls."

"The Northern District's gangsters used her to determine whether or not something was magical."

"I see. Death is a kinder fate for her." Annabelle said, looking at Leon while intensely thinking before finally having a smile, "I was worried that you don't have sympathy for others."

"Well… I can't say I am totally apathetic towards other people's suffering." Leon stated.

"Back to what matters." Annabelle returned to the subject of Mana, "I see that you still haven't learned the Water Element yet. I will teach you, but I want you to try to learn it the old-fashioned way, not by using the "Read" spell."

"Alright."

"Before that, let me do a quick experiment."

Annabelle raised her index finger in front of Leon's face, and then Mana started to gather around it. Her finger drew a circle in the air, which appeared like a blue thread floating midair.

"Read that… with your Knowledge magic." She said.

Leon frowned, then mumbled the magic word.

< Insufficient Data. >

"Insufficient Data?" Leon tilted his head before questioning, "What is that?"

"Nothing." Annabelle smiled as he replied, "It is an empty magic circle without any content. The basic block on which most spells are built"

"I see… That's why it is Insufficient Data?"

"The curious thing here is that your spell said "Insufficient Data", not "insufficient Knowledge" or "insufficient information," as it would appear to others."

"I don't understand."

"Simply put it this way. Those who can use the lesser version of your "Read" spell, the "Identify" spell, can also attempt to identify magic without gaining the profound information of how to put it together the same way you do. In Erielle's case, a message that says "Insufficient Knowledge" would appear to her rather than the term Data."

"Aha! So you are saying that Knowledge Magic speaks to us in different ways from one another, isn't it?" Leon asked.

"That fact was a given already." Annabelle said, "For those who speak different languages, the Knowledge Magic speaks to them in the tongues they are most fluent in. Some of those who are fluent in many languages can influence the Knowledge Magic to speak to them in different languages too."

"Awesome."

"You still don't see where I am trying to lead you." Annabelle said with a patient smile.

"Ah!" Leon smiled apologetically.

"The System can speak any language, but sometimes, it can't develop some new languages on its own. A team of Mages once tried an experiment when they tried to create a new language with thousands of words and a unique grammar as well. They practiced it for 3 years and tried to force the system to speak with it, but no matter what they tried, the system never learned it."

"Wait a second." Leon started thinking before seemingly arriving at what Annabelle was trying to tell him, "Are you saying that the terms I use to speak are familiar to the World's System even though they come from a different world?"

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Annabelle said, "The system of the world itself just proves you are from a different world altogether. It is not hard proof, but it is still something."

"Damn!" Leon was impressed by how fast Annabelle was thinking and how she simply used Logic and Reasoning to get to that point of thinking.

"The more you focus, the more you will find secrets about Magic. Your first lesson is to never stop studying and learning about Magic."

"Affirmative." Leon made a sault with the pen in his hand as he started to take notes.

"The second lesson will be more practical since I am well aware that the Arcane Theory is already embedded in your head." Annabelle said, "We will start learning about the Arcane Arts."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Can you draw the circle I just made?"

"Oh… That?" Leon frowned and then started focusing his Mana on his finger like she had before.

Still, it wasn't connecting no matter how much he swirled his finger around. It was merely forming a line that would disappear before it connected.

"You're doing it wrong." Annabelle said as she laughed at how fast he was swirling his hand around.

"How then?" He asked.

"I made that somatic motion with my finger so that I could focus on the shape of the circle. Not to build the circle itself. What you need is to imagine a circle forming while focusing on your Mana."

"Oh… like this?"

Without exerting the previous effort, Leon immediately imagined a circle of Mana forming in his mind, and with a few failed blinks of Mana brightening up and fading away, he almost succeeded in forming it once or twice.

It still needed some practice, and Annabelle let him have all the time he needed.

After five minutes, Leon succeeded in maintaining the shape of the circle.

"Good." Annabelle said as she formed a circle again and added something different to it this time.

"What do you see?" She asked.

Leon narrowed his eyes and got closer before concluding what he felt.

"Rather than being motionless, the circle is swirling around like a stream." He replied.

"And now?" Annabelle asked after adding one more property.

"It is now moving the Mana from one side to the other." He replied.

"Alright. Now replicate what I just showed you." Annabelle ordered him.

Making the Mana into a circle was now easy, swirling it was surprisingly easier, but the real challenge came when he tried to make the man go through the circle like a current of wind from one side to the other.

This time, it took him ten minutes until he was able to do it without hiccups.

< You have learned "Magic Circle". >

————————————————————

[ Magic Circle ] < Arcane Spell - ★ >

Control the flow of Mana in the most efficient way possible. The circle is everything and nothing. Within the circle flow all the possibilities of magic arts and elements, making it the most efficient way to handle Mana and the cornerstone of all magic. In its raw form, it can channel Mana like a conduit from one organism to another and link any combination of magical effects, runes, and incantations.

————————————————————

Until that message appeared in front of Leon, his head started to open on its own to the possibilities of this spell… No, of this Mana-handling technique.

He had this feeling before, but not to this extent. This feeling was as if he were unlocking some knowledge that was buried deep in his mind.

He read the Arcane Theory, the greatest and most complicated magic theory book in all of Agartha, which was akin to the Quantum Physics of Magic. This book was registered like a program in his mind, but he couldn't access it all because of mental limitations in what he knew and understood.

As he learned the application of the Magic Circle and the system registered it in his status, Leon experienced what people can call an epiphany.

The applications of this simple Mana Technique, the things it can do, and the utilities it can open to him. It was almost limitless now.

"You need some time to grasp all that?"

But at that time, Annabelle asked as she saw the expression on Leon's face as a wide grin could be seen on hers.

She knew this would happen.

How she knew that is a mystery to Leon, but he has more important things to focus on right now, especially his spell.

He focused really hard and started adding more qualities to his Magic Circle. He gave it the attribute of fire and it turned red like a flare. He gave it wind and it started to gather the wind in a fine stream that couldn't be considered matter anymore.

He tried to separate that Mana from its origin to achieve greater control over it, but the more he tried to do it, the more energy it consumed from him.

It can't be achieved with his overall level, but he almost felt it; the possibility to unlock more knowledge.

"Now that you have learned how to properly handle your Mana, it is time you move on to the next lesson."

"What is it?"

"Usually it would be about manipulating the nature of Mana, but you figured that out on your own. So, I will teach you the next technique on how to materialize Mana."

As she said so, Annabelle had her fingertips on both hands touching each other, and as she separated them, five threads of Mana appeared between her fingers.

"Do you know what the threads can do?* She asked.

"No." Leon answered with a face ready to receive another enlightenment.

"Threads can make fabrics. Fabrics create even Reality."

Her words resonated with a lot of knowledge embedded deep in his head, and he immediately started to follow her instructions.

Leon's most important lesson on magic was just about the simplest basics. Annabelle had no idea what a kid with all of his abilities could do, but she was excited to find out.

A talent that is beyond any known rank, the Arcane Theory embedded in his head, and can perform unrestrained feats of magic. The mere thought of his future achievements made her know that as long as he grasps his potential, he will be unstoppable.

As for Leon, for the first time in a long while, he started to find something that he really enjoyed.

Magic! This thing is limitless in its potential.

He wants to learn it all; he wants to make it his goal.

Just like any student of Magic, Leon realized that at the end of this road, the truth would be revealed… the truth about everything.

His previous struggles started to seem insignificant now that his interest in Magic Learning had grown beyond what he could control.

Annabelle has succeeded in pressing Leon's right buttons. They were there all along, the same buttons her son used to have. This look in his eyes was the same as back then, when he discovered something new and became adamant about learning all about it.

That's what she lost eight years ago, that's what is now in her hand.

She would hug him if she could stand up, but she knows how his head is so busy right now, to the point where he can't focus on anything right now.

She used to enjoy teaching that kid new things and watching him go around hunting for knowledge before returning to her with the discoveries he made.

She was certain that one day Leon would return with knowledge she wouldn't be able to comprehend, and until that happened, she would be the proudest mother ever.

That day is not far anymore.

————————————————————

[ Mana Thread ] < Arcane Arts Spell - ★ >

Materialize raw Mana into a fine thread of energy that carries the properties of energy manifestation and manipulation. The applications of this spell can affect both matter and energy at different costs and with a limitless number of techniques, depending on the mental capacity to calculate and generate workable outputs.

————————————————————