“The current Human territories include:

Basinea Kingdom, just northwest of the Amys Mountains in the centre of Mainland, the largest Human Kingdom;

Leonia Kingdom to its west, the only territory connected to Dralarag;

Lesthoria Duchy on the north, separated from the Darnas Kingdom by the Narrow Pass;

and Elipea Duchy and Stogoras Kingdom to the southwest and south of the Amys Mountains, respectively.”

̶ Geography of the Mainland, Volume Two, Royal Cartographer Jonas Maverick, 700 AS

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“So, are you ready to continue your magic lessons?” Cerolus asks me while we relax in the garden, the Sun high in the sky shining upon us.

“Yes, let’s go.”

We go to the same room as yesterday, me sitting down while Cerolus stands behind me. He puts his hands on my shoulders, my chest starting to thump louder, and gently speaks to me.

“Don’t worry so much, it’s going to be alright. Nobody has learned all this stuff in mere days. Just take it slow and easy, and eventually you will get it. Now, let’s begin. Close your eyes, relax, and tell me if you start feeling anything.”

I try to repeat the process of yesterday, trying to calm my mind and remove all unnecessary thoughts out of my head, an image of myself appearing in my mind. I am naked as usual, and nothing is happening. Nothing changed.

I try to slowly concentrate on Cerolus’ hands, focusing on my shoulders where he is saying he’s putting mana in. I can’t feel any differences; my head is starting to hurt slowly from my efforts. I try to dismiss my naked image and just focus on what is happening in my body. I try to remember the warmth I felt when I drank the blood of the Hellboar, thinking it may help me.

A small tingle suddenly strikes my shoulders, as if a feather is slowly being traced across my skin. I can feel Cerolus’ hands on them, his strong, yet gentle grasp, but I can also feel that small tingle as well. It’s barely noticeable, my mind working hard to try and understand where it comes from, only to abandon the unfruitful efforts shortly.

I decide to speak my mind about this. Maybe Cerolus can explain it better, maybe his guidance will help.

My eyes are still closed, but my concentration leaves me in lieu of excitement of actually feeling anything different.

“I noticed a small tingling just now, right on my shoulders where your hands are.”

“See, I told you it will work. You have the ability, you just need to slowly reach it. That will be all for today, you are soaked.” He lets go of my shoulders, wiping his hands on the towel that I didn’t even notice was put in the room; it definitely wasn’t there yesterday. Did he predict this? If he did, does that mean he also knew what would happen yesterday?

Cerolus hands me a towel to wipe the sweat of myself. I didn’t even notice when it happened, I was just trying to concentrate on finding anything inside my body. Is this how magical training will go?

“Don’t worry, it happens when you do it like this. I put mana into you and your body couldn’t accept it all, so it tried to get rid of it as quickly as possible. Because I focused on your skin, you have just sweated it off, with no harm done to your body.”

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No harm done? Is magical training that dangerous?

“What would have happened if you didn’t focus there, what if you put it deeper inside?”

“Well, mana overload often causes a severe rise in body heat, and can cause your brain to work extremely slowly for the duration. The fever itself would then cause severe weakness, until the excess mana is released. Depending on where the mana came from, overload can last between a couple of minutes, like with what we did just now, with only slight sweating and maybe some light headache, and a timespan that covers months of slow rehabilitation, during which you are barely able to move. In extreme cases, it can even cause your blood to boil inside you, killing you slowly, and painfully if I might add.

That’s why we’re taking this slowly. I’m putting as little mana as possible, trying not to endanger your wellbeing, while putting enough to make your body notice it. It’s similar to putting a frog in a kettle. You put it into boiling water, it jumps out scalded; you put it in cold water and heat the kettle up slowly, the frog gets cooked alive. I’m trying to avoid both scenarios at once.

Now, you need to get cleaned, eat something and slowly rest. Magical training takes time. I might consider accepting your request for combat training, physical endurance helps your magical abilities grow, if by only a slight amount.”

Tiana is waiting outside of the small room to lead me to the baths. The feeling of warm, cleansing water around me relaxes me endlessly, as if I’m in my bed at home. I think about my family; what are they doing now? Do they worry about me? Do they think about me as they go to sleep, hoping to see me once more?

I miss them. I don’t hate it here, but I still miss them. It hasn’t even been that long. I remember how much I cried when Magdalene went away. But I am not crying now. I am sad, but I am not crying. Have I grown, or have I accepted my circumstances? Will I be able to see them again, or have I already lost any hope?

I step out of the bath, refreshed and clean, my hair free from the smell and oiliness it used to have. I get dressed in clean clothes and get into the dining room.

The Sun has already set, and Cerolus and I are eating our dinner basked in the light of the crystal above us.

“You go ahead and go sleep without me, I have to bathe myself. I am dirty and sweaty and you wouldn’t want me like that in your bed, I’m sure.” He smirks, again showing that slight teasing tone I heard from him this morning. A sudden image of his almost nude body pops into my mind, my cheeks heating up ever so slowly at the thought.

We finish eating, and I’m escorted to our room by Tiana and a guard. I undress into my night gown, a white silken tight dress that doesn’t reveal much of my body, and lie in the bed, falling asleep.

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An indeterminate amount of time later, the doors to the room open, waking me slightly. Someone lies in the bed next to me, and puts a hand around my stomach. A slow, rhythmic beating can be felt on my back.

The warmth of Cerolus’ body and his firm hands lull me to sleep again.