"I'm back."

Elliot and Ralph came home in the afternoon after their usual rounds.

"Welcome back, you're earlier than I thought."

Emily was in the living room, and Clare and I greeted the two.

"Shall I prepare dinner then, Clare?"

"Yes, ma'am."

There was still some time before darkness fell. Elliot practiced sword fighting with Ralph until the smell of dinner wafted from the house.

"Eliot, starting today, we'll be studying magic."

"Magic?"

The next morning, magic practice began immediately. The two sat across from each other in Elliot's room. "In my country, magic is actively researched. However, it is only called magic in name, and has nothing to do with monsters or demons. Magic is the circulation of energy called mana, which is released from a single point or from the whole body. Mana flows in small amounts in the air, plants, insects, etc., but animals have a higher mana capacity."

"Ah."

"I said that all in one go, but let's try it out for now."

Curare raised his index finger and concentrated for a moment. Then a heat haze rose from his fingertip, and it soon ignited while swirling. The swirling red pillar of fire, which did not even produce soot, was about five centimeters high, but it was enough to surprise Elliot.

"Amazing!!"

"All matter is made of something called atoms. Mana stimulates atoms and can change them into various states. This is the materialization of the images of wind and fire, released from a single point. Images can be combined."

"Amazing, amazing!!"

Elliot's eyes sparkled, and the pillar of fire was reflected in his eyes. He leaned forward instinctively.

"Elliot, calm down for now."

"Y-Yes."

Elliot took the mana again and straightened his back.

Curare extinguished the flames on his fingertips.

"First, let's start by feeling the flow of mana. Now, Elliot, put both your hands forward."

"Yes."

Elliot obediently put both his hands forward.

Curare grabbed his hands firmly, forming a circle.

"Now, I will pour mana into my right hand and take the same amount with my left hand. In other words, from Elliot's perspective, mana will be sent to him from my left hand and exit from my right. I will start by pouring in a tiny amount and gradually increase it, so feel it. Here we go."

Curare smiled lightly and began to pour in a tiny amount of mana. She looked at Elliot, but there was no reaction. As she gradually increased the strength of her thrusts, she began to feel something was off. Elliot was the one into whom she was pouring mana. An image of a huge tank with no visible bottom emerged in her mind.

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

"What is this..."

Astonished, Clare accidentally poured in too much mana.

"Ah, I feel something warm flowing in."

But Elliot looked calm.

"Ah, sorry!"

Clarre instinctively let go of her hand and apologized. She had apologised reflexively, but she didn't really think she was doing anything wrong. She was shocked to learn of Elliot's potential, and was amazed and in awe that he was so unfazed by the large amount of mana she had poured into him.

"W-wait a moment."

Clarre was extremely shaken. Waves of amazement and joy surged through her heart. She had witnessed such a talented magician, and was able to raise a child who was a hero.

"Professor Clare? Professor Clare!"

"Ah, ah, I'm sorry. Let's continue!"

Clarre regained her senses and put both hands out in front of her again.

Inspired by this, Elliot reached out both hands and took hold of hers.

Clare again poured mana into Elliot. Her mana was being absorbed more and more.

"Eliot, now try releasing it from your right hand. Imagine it circulating between you and me."

Elliot narrowed his eyes at the slightly difficult task.

"Hmm, I think it's like this."

Elliot instinctively put strength into his right hand.

"That's just putting strength into it. Feel my mana flowing through you, circulating it, and pushing it out."

Elliot continued to struggle. After feeling Clare's mana for about twenty minutes, he began to feel something building up within him. Just as he began to get a feel for it, mana gradually began to flow from his right hand into Clare.

"It feels good, just like that, just like that."

He began to get a feel for Clare's mana flowing into his left hand, moving it with his upper body, and releasing it from his right hand.

"Oh, I think I'm getting it."

"As expected, you're quick to learn. Yes, you're doing well. Now, try adjusting so that the mana coming into your left hand is equal to the amount coming out of your right hand."

Elliot got the hang of it, and the amount of mana coming out of his right hand approached that of Clare. Thirty minutes after starting training, Elliot and Clare's mana circulation became smoother.

"It looks like you've got the hang of it now. Let's keep doing this until you can do it naturally, without having to concentrate."

"Okay!"

The training continued until Ralph returned from his morning patrol.