Chapter 47 - The Power of the Light Element
After a month of training with Professor Adrihna, we had begun following a series of prohibitions and restrictions. We couldn’t directly use mana in its elemental stage; we first had to use pure mana and then transform it into the element. This seemed illogical and time-consuming, but the professor said that increasing the speed of casting in the pure stage improved efficiency when we returned to casting it in elemental form.
“This food is really good. What is it?” Kinue asked.
We were all sitting at a table eating together in a small dining room in the castle. We had developed the habit of always dining together, even though Professor Adrihna didn’t eat and just sat reading at the table with us.
I had only seen her eat food a few times.
“This is a special fish called Leaping Trout. They only live in mountain lakes and descend through the waterfalls of the territory; they only exist in our lands,” Chloe said.
Kinue raised her eyebrows, and her ears twitched, indicating her surprise.
“Is this a typical dish from your region?” Kinue asked.
“No. The typical dish of the Evenhart region is Grey Salmon with Fiery Potatoes. The salmon is only found in our river Askrid, and we have laws that prohibit out-of-season fishing. The potatoes are called that because they are planted in fertile and cold soil, and fire mages need to constantly heat the ground so they don’t die. Every tourist who comes to our region tries our typical dish,” I explained.
The golden fox looked surprised to hear that.
“You guys know a lot of things,” she said.
“We have to memorize everything about the territory, even laws involving the transport of seeds, grains, and animals,” Chloe said.
Unfortunately, I had to spend long hours learning a bunch of useless information. I even complained to my aunt that this should be the little duchess’s job, but she insisted I learn it too. My mother said that the duty of an heir is to know all about their territory, from the seeds of a tree to the type of soil it should be planted in.
Our duchy is agricultural and we are a vast land of farmers, so there were many things I had to memorize. I even had to eat a bunch of weird plants that Yusuf gave us, but that was actually to build resistance to poisons. Aunt Margie told us that if you want to be an assassin and die from a poisoned fruit, you don’t deserve to be called an assassin.
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“I’ll ask Martha to make the typical dish of the region for us,” Chloe said.
I nodded in agreement.
“That lady is very kind. She always asks if I’m comfortable and if I need anything,” Kinue said.
“She always takes care of us.”
We continued eating.
“Once, I saw Martha with her clothes stained with blood. She’s really dedicated in the kitchen because even with dirty clothes, she was smiling,” Kinue said.
Chloe and I stopped eating at the same time. We looked at each other upon hearing the innocent fox and then went back to eating our food slowly.
Martha smiling and covered in blood? That’s definitely scary…
“When you try the typical dish of the region, I recommend doing so with a good wine,” Adrihna said while looking at her book.
The High Elf seemed to realize what she had said and looked at us.
“When you’re of drinking age, of course.”
We laughed at the teacher’s mistake and went back to eating.
I took advantage of the pleasant atmosphere to try to clear up a doubt. Professor Adrihna didn’t answer many questions because she wanted us to discover how to use our mana and not depend on her for answers. She would only help us deal with the pure stage of mana, but I really wanted to test something with the lightning element and needed to know if it was possible.
“Professor,” I call out to her.
Adrihna continues looking at her book.
“Call me by my name, and it will be fine.”
I always forget that…
“Adrihna, I have an idea to use my element. I wanted to create something with lightning, but I’ve tried every way and can’t manage it.”
She lowers the book and looks at me.
“I can answer your question, but know that if it’s something I know you can achieve, I won’t respond. Part of the learning journey is trying to do something with the little knowledge you have. It’s like solving a riddle,” she says and then returns to her book.
Before asking, I think about what I want to create to see if she has already given me a hint or answer in her lessons. I conclude that with my current knowledge, I can’t advance with my idea.
“Adrihna, I wanted to try making a weapon using lightning. I’ve tried every way, but I can’t do it.”
She lowers the book and looks at me.
“You wanted to make something like this?” she moves her hand, and a sword appears in it.
The sword is very beautiful, entirely yellow and semi-transparent.
Chloe and I get up, surprised, to look closely. The professor rarely uses her element, and seeing this is very beautiful.
Adrihna throws the sword to me, and I catch it.
“That’s exactly it!” I say, swinging the sword.
I touch it and see it doesn’t have a sharp edge.
“It’s a sword made of the light element. I removed the edge so you wouldn’t get hurt. Was this your idea?”
Chloe takes the sword from my hand and even swings it.
“Incredible! This is very beautiful, Professor,” she says, enchanted.
Kinue already seems accustomed to it.
“One day, you will be able to make a weapon like this, Chloe, but know that creating elemental weapons consumes a lot of mana. It’s like casting a spell constantly to keep the weapon functioning. Doing this is not recommended for a mage, and few can manage it because it’s very labor-intensive and artistic. A normal person wouldn’t be able to maintain it for long. Besides, it’s useless against a real sword since if it takes an impact, you need to spend mana to maintain its rigidity. It’s much better for a mage to use a real sword, which has offensive power without consuming mana,” explained the professor.