"Elliot, you must be tired."

Claré asked before lunch.

"I was tired at first, but I didn't get tired anymore once I got good at circulating mana."

"Yeah, that's proof that mana is circulating naturally. Do you think you can continue this afternoon?"

"I'll be fine."

It seemed Clare's teaching spirit had already been ignited. A child's imagination is a bottomless tank of magical power. What kind of magician would they become if they combined that? A smile unconsciously spread across her face.

"Since we were able to sense mana, next we will learn how to control the release speed."

In the afternoon, lessons were held in a garden surrounded by a wall. Although it was called a wall, it was just a garden made of wood arranged in a lattice pattern. There were some weeds growing there.

"Well, let's start with an example."

Claré pointed to a particularly tall weed. It was about five meters away from the weed. "I'm going to use magic to cut that weed. Watch closely."

Just like in the morning, Clare raised his index finger to her eye level. Then the air at his fingertip distorted, drawing in the wind. Her very short hair fluttered smoothly in the wind.

"Here we go," he said, and at the same time the distorted mass of air bent his index finger, it was thrown away. The moment it hit the weed, the tip of the weed jumped off as if it had been decapitated.

"Ah!"

"I imagined a blade of air and sent it flying. It may look simple, but it's a magic for intermediate users. As I taught you the other day, normally, dense air disappears immediately. To send it over a distance of about five meters, you need to generate a fairly large and strong blade of air. However, you have to send it flying at the speed of the mana circulating through your body, not the speed at which you bend your fingers. The bending of your fingers is only an auxiliary measure. Do you understand what I've said so far?"

"Yes, I kind of."

"However, the basic speed changes depending on what you imagine to be released. For example..."

Saying this, Clare raised his index finger high and pointed it towards the sky. The air at his fingertips began to distort. Then a small black cloud appeared in the sky and became electrified. When Clare found the right timing, he lowered his arm, and a blue lightning bolt was dropped to the ground at an unseen speed. There was nothing where it landed, so all that could be heard was the sound of the air expanding suddenly.

For Elliot, it was a bolt from the blue. Clare spoke as he fixed his bristling hair.

"Electrical magic is very useful because it has an incredible firing speed from the start, but you need to be careful because it won't fire in the direction you want if you don't practice. Also, if you drop it too close, you'll be harmed and your hair will stand on end."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Wow, wow!!"

Elliot was jumping around excitedly like a child.

"Well, let's go back to our room and practice our firing speed."

"What, we're not going to do it outside?"

"You can do the basics indoors."

"Uh, okay..."

Elliot had thought he'd be able to practice the magic Clare used, so he looked a little disappointed.

The two of them returned to the room and sat across from each other again.

"Now, let's start by practicing firing with our left hands. Being ambidextrous is more convenient in an emergency."

Just like in the morning, the two took hands and circulated the mana clockwise this time. Elliot was hesitant at first, but after about five minutes he was able to circulate it smoothly. "You're getting used to it. Now let's increase the speed by one level."

The speed of the mana from Clare was increasing. Not to be outdone, Elliot quickly sent the mana back with his left hand.

"The mana from your left hand is still uneven. Try to return the mana you receive as it is."

Elliot nodded, but he concentrated on circulating the mana as one with Clare, matching the speed of his opponent's dance.

"I'm going to increase the mana speed even more."

"Y-Yes!"

Clare gradually increased the speed at which she sent her mana.

In the morning, Elliot had been able to do it naturally, but now he was struggling, to the point where he had to concentrate in order to keep up with his opponent. After about twenty minutes, Elliot was clearly showing signs of fatigue, and sweat was beginning to trickle down his forehead.

"Well, let's slow down. It's time to take a break."

She said coolly to Elliot, who was beginning to show an expression of distress.

As soon as the mana flow stopped, Elliot hung his head while still holding Clare's hand.

"That was so hard."

Elliot had never complained during sword practice, but now for the first time he complained.

"Even the speed I was going at just now was not even a tenth of my top speed. All I can do is practice!"

"Ugh."

Elliot let go of Clare's hand.

"I'm tired..."

"You have good muscles, Elliot. It took me eight years to reach my current speed through this training. So I'm still in the process of growing. I won't be able to reach my potential unless I practice the basics over and over again. It should take you less than five years to reach my level, Elliot."

"Five years..."

"Huh? Didn't you just think that's impossible?"

Clare had been tutoring Elliot for a year, so she knew his personality very well. "No, it's okay! I'll do it!!"

Even though Elliot had practice with Ralph later, he was completely taken in by the suggestion.

"I'll show you how to practice releasing speed by yourself later. Try it out when you have time."

"Sure!"

"Let's do it again once your body has calmed down."

"... Yes."

That afternoon, they practiced until Elliot was completely exhausted.