"How do I complete my aura then?"

"There's nothing you can do now."

Rennet gave an answer that didn't help Janna.

"What does that mean? Am I stuck with this incomplete aura?"

"Of course not. There is obviously something that you can do to acquire the real aura."

"What is that?"

"Aura comes from the balance of three things. Body, mind and soul. Right now, you only have the body part of the three."

"A balance? How do you get that?"

"Body is the easiest. Well, it should be for you. Mind is harder to achieve. It's the understanding of oneself. Your mental state and your connection with your mind. It means a calm mind above all things. But that's only at the starting level. Lastly there's soul. The hardest one to find."

"How do you find it then?"

"You have to figure it out yourself. If I just told you, it would be worthless."

"That's not helpful at all."

"What can I do? The path to becoming stronger isn't easy. If it could be taught just like that, everyone would be a top tier swordsman. I can't just offer you a shortcut to power. I'll give you one piece of advice. Try and look inside your body and heart."

Janna didn't really understand. She always thought that muscle strength was all there was to winning fights. So she only ever focused on training that. But she had hit a stop a long time ago.

She reached the three star swordswomen rank three years ago while in the academy and has not progressed since. She trains her body but there is only so much improvement that can be done by this way. It's like a glass of water filled to the brim. You could add a bit more at the top, but at some point you can only add drops of water.

The only options is to increase the container size. Or change the water to a different denser liquid.

This was only metaphorical, as there are other factors.

"But I will teach you something else today. The basics of life-energy manipulation. Sit down and cross your legs."

Janna sat down and copied Rennet's form.

"Life-force energy, usually called aura, is the combination of mana and spiritual energy."

"Spiritual energy? I've never heard of that before."

"Spiritual energy is like the energy of the soul. It's different from aura in that aura is the manifestation of your physical body's energy. You can also think of it as mental energy."

"Mental energy? Isn't that the thing mages use?"

Janna looked at Thea on the side.

"Yeah, that's right. We do mental training because we want to increase our mental energy."

Thea confirmed it for Janna.

"It's the same thing. Mages use it to draw complicated magic circles and warriors use it to generate aura."

"I see."

"To me, gathering spiritual energy is the most important step. It's more important than training your body or practicing the sword."

"It's that important?"

"Yes, there is nothing more important. Remember that. There are three types of methods to gather spiritual energy. The most suitable for us is the human method. Which is gathering spiritual energy through mana. As mana naturally carries all elements or essences in it. That's why it's important to know a good mana gathering technique. I will teach you the method I learnt now."

"What are the other two methods?"

Rennet was going to skip over it but Janna was curious.

"The other two are astral and boundless."

"Those sound much more powerful. We can't learn those?"

"Astral is a method of acquiring energy through the divine. Communicating with the stars or the gods. Boundless on the other hand..."

"What is it?"

"...it's the most powerful method. But it's not something humans or even mythical creatures can learn. Just think of it as a legend that's passed down."

"But what is it?"

"It's said the boundless method is the best because it doesn't care about the natural laws. It takes what it wants from the surroundings. It is the most efficient method and the fastest. Nobody knows what it is but it's said that you would be like a god using this method."

"That sounds cool. There really isn't a way to learn it?"

"No, and even if there was, you would keep it to yourself because of the destruction it could cause. Though there was a rumor that the former magic kingdom's strongest mage, the king, had it. But it probably wasn't true."

"Why couldn't it be true?"

"Well, if he had it then the kingdom wouldn't have been destroyed, right?"

"Oh, that makes sense."

"No more chit-chat. Get started with the teaching."

Thea was watching them talk and wanted them to continue with the teaching instead of conversing.

Rennet began teaching Janna a breathing style.

"All martial artists must learn a breathing style that's suitable for them. It maximizes the amount of mana you can gather. After that, you need to refine the mana. Taking out the parts you need and letting the other parts flow back out into the world.

With more proficiency, you can do this faster. But there is one thing that most breathing styles have in common. You must be meditating to do this."

"That's what Thea does in the morning."

"...no, I just sleep."

"No? You gather mana in the morning...?"

Janna asked like she was question Thea.

"I do?"

Thea didn't even know this.

"How do you not even know this?"

Janna was perplexed as to how Thea didn't know this. She had know Thea for so long and always saw Thea do that. She thought it was a mage training of some kind all this time. But turns out the person themselves didn't even know.

"Stop talking. This method I'm teaching you is different."

Rennet hit Janna on her head and glared at Thea. Telling them to not chit-chat.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"What's different about it?"

Janna, still hurting from the hit, asked.

"This method starts off the same as other methods. You must meditate and gather spiritual energy like normal. But some time later, that will be unnecessary. You will be able to gather energy even while moving around."

"Oh, that sounds like an amazing method. Why aren't all methods like that?"

"Because this method takes a really long time to be comparable to the other methods."

"How long are you talking here?"

"Well, a talented person would take about fifty years to grow as strong as the other method."

"What?! Why would I want to learn this method then?!"

Janna was suddenly very uninterested in learning this method.

"Do you think it stops there? This method is different in that there is no stop to it's growth. What happens after you catch up to the others? That's right! You will keep growing stronger and stronger. There is no limit to your growth at that point."

"That sounds amazing but it takes fifty years..."

"Who said it has to take fifty years? It all depends on your efforts."

"If it's efforts, shouldn't the other methods suffice?"

"Stop looking down on this method, the person I mentioned before also used this method."

"You mean the berserk king?"

"Shh, I told you not to say that name. But yes."

"Wasn't that person like forty years old when he was killed?"

"That's right. And he spent most his life inventing the methods and techniques. So think about it. If you can understand fast, then you will become stronger faster."

Rennet meant that the berserk king's breathing style was dependent on the user's ability and efforts.

"What if I don't have the talent to understand it?"

"Well, you can try it first."

"Alright, I'll try it. But if I find it not good for me then you'll teach me another, right?"

"Yeah, sure. Alright, now do what I say."

Rennet put Janna in a meditative posture and told her the way to circulate the mana in her body. Going through the mana paths already in the body and such. And connecting back to the start where the cycle would be repeated.

"Haa..."

Janna was sweating all over her body after only one cycle. Her body was steaming hot.

"Fuck this is difficult."

"How do you feel?"

"I hate it. Can I quit now?"

Janna already wanted to stop learning this method. Rennet smirked in response to her question.

"It's too late for you."

"W-what do you meant?"

"Once you complete a cycle, there is no going back."

Rennet had tricked Janna into doing one cycle of the method which locked her out of ever learning the other methods. She could only use the berserk king's method in her whole life now.

"YOU SCAMMER!!"

"Hey, hey. It's not a bad method, I swear."

"How could you not tell me it was permanent?!"

Janna was fuming.

"If I had told you that, would you have tried this method?"

"No, of course not!"

"That's why I didn't tell you."

"Argh! You bastard. I'm never training with you again."

Janna got up and left. She was stomping super hard. She was unbelievably upset at Rennet.

This left Rennet and Thea alone.

"Why didn't you stop me?"

Rennet asked Thea a question.

"What do you mean?"

"You know? If someone completes one cycle from a method then they are stuck with that method. You mages take that very seriously, no?"

"I guess other mages would?"

"What do you mean 'other mages'? Don't you yourself care? Didn't you take time to choose the best method for yourself?"

"I don't use a mana gathering technique. I've never learned a breathing style either."

"What are you saying? How can you become so strong without learning one?"

Rennet was shocked to hear Thea's words.

"I don't know?"

"How can you not know something like that?"

Thea thought for a moment.

"It's never been a problem for me."

"What..."

Rennet had no words to say. Thea was an anomaly to him. Everything she does was weird and incomprehensible to him. He wasn't even sure what kind of existence she was. From the moment he saw her for the first time, he felt something off about her.

"I didn't stop you from teaching Janna because I didn't think you would teach her something bad or weak."

"How can you be sure I wouldn't do that?"

"I told you, I have my ways."

"Same as when you knew I wasn't out to kill you two?"

Like in the forest, Thea knew Rennet's intentions somehow.

Thea only smiled in response to Rennet's question. Rennet felt uncomfortable with her smile even though he is stronger than her and wasn't in any danger.

"Is the method you taught good for her?"

Thea suddenly switched the topic to Janna. The uncomfortable feeling went away.

"Absolutely. She's perfect for it."

"How so?"

"Can you guess how long it takes others to complete one cycle?"

"Umm, since it took Janna a little over three hours...I guess it takes others a day?"

"It takes others around three days of time."

"Oh, is my Janna that talented then?"

"I wouldn't say she's talented but more like a perfect mold for the method."

"Tsk, just say she's talented."

"I'm saying that's not it."

"Whatever, I don't see a difference...I want to ask a question."

At the end, Thea expressed her desire to know something. She stayed silent.

"Which is?"

Rennet was waiting for a question but Thea still didn't talk so he urged Thea to ask.

"...what do you think about my talent?"

"Your talent?"

"You said you have a sense for this stuff right? How Janna fits perfectly for your berserk king breathing style? What about me?"

"You want to learn the berserk king style?"

"No, I mean in general."

Rennet thought for a bit.

"Well, I can't say. Truth be told, my senses say that you have no talent at all. But then there's this feeling I get that you're above what my senses can tell."

"Why would you feel that?"

"...sometimes, you have this look. As if you're staring at me like you're some god looking at a mortal."

"Really? What if I am one and you're the first one I'm looking to smite?"

"Don't say something scary like that, please."

"Geez, I'm only joking."

"Jokes are supposed to be funny."

Rennet left Thea after her funny joke that sounded like a threat.

A moment later, Leaf came out of her room after being upset.

"...unnie..."

She called out to Thea after she saw her sitting on the ground training her magic.

"Leaf? Come here."

Thea patted the ground besides her and asked Leaf to sit besides her.

"Leaf, you know I would never want anything bad for you, right?"

"I know that, Unnie."

Leaf said with a sad expression.

"Then do you understand why I want you to go to the academy?"

"I-I understand but I don't want to go."

"Why not? This is what you wanted, didn't you?"

"You said YOU would teach me magic. And you have been teaching me, so why can't you keep teaching me?"

"I'm sorry, Leaf. There is only so little I can teach you. I could give you books to study but that's not the best path to learn magic. Our elements are just not compatible. It would truly be a waste of your talents for you to stay here and study under me."

"B-but you can learn, right? You're super smart, aren't you?"

"I don't know if I can learn a new element."

"B-but..."

"Leaf, why do you not want to go to the academy?"

"Because I want to stay here..."

"You can't do that, Leaf. You have to do something else with your life. You can't stay here forever."

Thea held Leaf's hand.

"I can't stay here?"

"One day, every child grows up. And they will leave the house they grew up in. You'll also leave one day, Leaf. And when you leave, I want you to be able to stand on your own two legs."

"Mmm."

Leaf nodded her head. She understood that she would have to leave the orphanage one day.

"You're worried that you'll be away from me, right? Is there a reason?"

"I-I-"

Leaf didn't really want to say why. Of course, Leaf had grown very attached to Thea and Janna. Thea was the person who gave Leaf a new place to call home and gave her love which she didn't have. Janna is someone who she can call a reliable big sister. If there was any problem, then Janna was the one she could talk to.

"Are you scared that the other people there will be like your father?"

This was the other thing that Leaf was worried about. She had been having thoughts about being bullied and harassed at the academy. She didn't even go to the academy and was already scared of it.

Leaf nodded her head to Thea's speculation.

"There's no reason for you to worry. Listen. You'll make so many friends at the academy and a few of them will be with you for your whole life. And..."

Thea leaned forward.

"I have a few friends at the academy. If you have any trouble, they'll destroy the whole academy if they need to help you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, there's this one girl that I think you'll really like."

"Why?"

"First of all, she's a druid and smells absolutely the best. Like fresh roses. And secondly, I think you can learn a lot from her."

"Like magic?"

"Yeah, she can control wood and floral energy. And since you somehow can use elf magic now, you can learn a lot from her."

"She sounds amazing but...you won't be there..."

This was Leaf's biggest worry. She didn't want to miss Thea when she'd gone to the academy.

"Oh, my lovely Leaf. How about I tell you a secret?"

"A secret?"

"Yes, something that I think you'll love to hear."

Thea put her hand on the ground. She used some mana and a piece of the ground floated out from there.

"See this?"

"Isn't that the new element you got?"

"Yes, and I discovered something interesting yesterday. You remember this?"

Thea took out a cracked purple ring from her blouse's pocket.

"That's the magic artifact you told me about. It allowed you to teleport short distances...and you broke it in the fight with the demons."

"Yes, it did break in the fight. But that doesn't mean that it didn't have any energy left in it. It's still able to gather energy because the material itself gathers the energy. I discovered that this material is a condensed form of my gravity element essence, which means that my element isn't only gravity but space itself. It's spatial magic element."

"So you can use it to teleport?"

"Actually, I haven't tried making a teleport spell but I will do everything I can to make it. I'll make it like those portal gates at the capitals."

"Are you...making them for me?"

Leaf realized why Thea was telling her this.

"Yes, I'll work hard to make it a reality so that we won't be away for too long. You'll never be too far away from us."

Thea pulled Leaf closer to her.

"So how about it? Can you be brave and attend the academy for me?"

Leaf was slowly understanding Thea's wishes and her love and concern for Leaf. How Thea just wanted the best for Leaf. And Thea was also thinking of ways to help her so that she doesn't feel overwhelmed and abandoned at the academy.

"...thank you..."

Leaf voiced out her heartfelt gratitude to Thea. Leaf had never felt so loved before. The few months they had been together were the best years of her life.

"...I'll..go...I'll go, Thea-Unnie."

"You'll do great, Leaf."

Thea rubbed Leaf's head gently as Leaf calmed down.