The sun rose and its light warmed the vast rice fields, creating a rather beautiful landscape from a certain point of view, with the sun's rays reflecting on the water. It would have been the perfect scene to wake up to, but the farmers were already awake. They were harvesting the rice shoots even before the sun rose on the horizon; it wasn't an easy job, but it was better than starving. They were not the only ones awake; Alexander and Inoue were also busy in a grove near the fields.

"Let's start with the basics of magic. We elves, like all creatures in this world, can sense the power of the heavens and the earth, which are emitted by the gods of the sky and the underworld. Inside us, we have what can be called a muscle or an organ, our 'second heart'. After extensive training, we can use this organ to draw the forces of heaven and earth into us, and this in conjunction with our power creates a cycle that gradually increases our strength. This is what we call cultivating, or as you said, channeling," Inoue explained.

"So I have a second heart inside me? That's a bit strange," Alexander remarked.

"Not literally, dummy. You don't have another heart inside you, but there is an organ that, like the lungs, inhales the magical energy of the world. However, unlike the lungs that release air after a while, it just accumulates magic," Inoue clarified.

"That makes it easier to understand. So, how do I start to channel?"

"Be patient, it's not something that happens overnight, especially for you who have never felt any magical stimulus in your body. First, you need to awaken your second heart and make it give its 'first beat', or first breath, so to speak. Once you awaken your second heart, your aura will reveal itself to you."

"My aura, huh? Looks like it's going to be red."

"Don't be so sure about that; if you're lucky, it might be orange or even yellow," Inoue explained. "It varies from person to person, but it's quite rare, especially for us who are from a family of farmers. It's quite common for children from noble families, particularly from the major clans and samurai families, to awaken with orange or yellow auras. In the most extreme cases, they awaken with a green aura. There's a saying: for every thousand awakened peasants, one noble awakens, and for every thousand awakened nobles, one king awakens."

"A king?"

"A clan leader, typically the leaders of the clans are the kings of their countries or provinces. These are the most powerful warriors among their clans and probably the most powerful warriors in the world."

"I see, but what about the purple aura? Is it possible for someone to be born with it?"

Inoue tensed for a moment.

"Legends say it's possible, but that's the kind of thing that happens once in five thousand years. Honestly, I don't believe someone can be born with such power; they say that the greatest masters and prodigies might achieve it one day, but only after countless years of pure training."

"Is there anyone with a purple aura currently in the world?"

A look of surprise appeared on Inoue's face, and she began to think.

"The only person I know in the world with a purple aura is the head of the Griffin clan's guard, Ichibachi Tomonari, the Emperor's Claw. There are thousands of legends about him; he used to be the general of the main army of the clan leader, Emperor Daidouji Tomonari, but due to assassination attempts against the emperor and the rise of his sons to generals of the army, he returned to being a bodyguard. This guy is so famous that it's almost common knowledge—the sky is blue, the grass is green, and Ichibachi Tomonari is the strongest."

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"So there's only one person with a purple aura in the world, interesting. Alright, enough theory, I want to see how to practice. How do I start to stimulate my second heart?"

"First, assume a comfortable position that also allows you to concentrate. I recommend crossing your legs and resting your hands near your stomach," Inoue instructed, demonstrating the position. Alexander was in front of her, repeating what she had said, legs and hands in place.

"Okay, and now?" he asked.

"Concentrate. Close your eyes and take a deep breath," she instructed, and he did so. "The second heart is located between your chest and abdomen. Relax your mind and focus all your strength on these muscles, try to stimulate them as much as you can."

Deep breathing, in a balanced rhythm, no sound in the forest, just the breath and concentration. Forcing the muscles of the chest and abdomen for a long time was not an easy task; just ten minutes of doing so was already a considerable effort.

"How long do I need to do this?"

"Long enough until your second heart beats for the first time."

"And how long might that take?"

"If you do this for several hours a day, maybe a few months or weeks if you're lucky. Your second heart has been dormant since you were born, and you've never felt any magic-related stimulus. Even I, who am more sensitive to magic, took weeks to awaken my aura after my first beat."

"I'm not sure if I'm up for waiting that long just to 'try' to awaken my power."

"You wanted to learn magic; the price is patience, and remember that haste is the enemy of perfection. Keeping in mind that this is something that takes time is essential for success. Just dedicate yourself as much as you can, but be careful, you're still weak."

"Understood...I'll give it my best," Alexander said, closing his eyes once more, concentrating on forcing the muscles.

More and more time passed, Alexander visibly tired from the effort, but he didn't stop at any moment.

"You don't have to try so hard the first time; you've done very well, Shura," Inoue said, trying to encourage her brother to stop, but he didn't hear her. "Shura, that's enough."

"Keep quiet..." He muttered, still trying to maintain his concentration, his breathing becoming uncoordinated, his hands trembling, but he finally succumbed to exhaustion and lay down on the ground, gasping. "This is more tiring than it seems."

Inoue laughed, looking at her brother lying on the grass.

"You're persistent, Shura, that's good. In just a few months, or even less, you might awaken your aura," she said proudly, though Alexander's exhaustion was quite evident. "I'll get you some water, stay here."

She said, standing up and heading towards the house, leaving him alone. Alexander looked up, a look of discomfort appearing on his face.

"Seems like this is going to take a while."

He said, looking up, above him a message box appeared.

[!!!Quest: The Player must learn to cultivate!!!]