Vol 3 Chapter 12

"It's astounding, but don't take it too seriously. Lift your head and look at me."

Kapros slowly raised his head. Ilumine's blue eyes were as clear as ever. The bewilderment she had shown earlier had already disappeared. She pulled out an old book from under her skirt.

"It's a bit early, but it's better to show you this now. This book is your possession that Lord entrusted to me. Originally, I was going to give this to you after the repairs were finished."

Kapros stared blankly at the book. The worn leather cover had nothing written on it, and no magical power was visible or felt. To the eye, it seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary old book.

'She says it was meant for me? That?'

"But it seems you don't have even half the power needed to draw out this book's true name and form. I didn't expect this."

Ilumine muttered worriedly and let out a long sigh.

"It can't be helped. I suppose I'll have to work on you as well, not just the Lord Piece. Do you agree?"

"Pardon...?"

"We don't have time, so of course it will be intensive. If you want to become stronger, nod right now!"

At those words, Kapros found himself nodding without realizing it and then was shocked.

'After being treated like a fool just now, what am I doing?'

However, this was also the beginning of opening a path to Superior's magic and swordsmanship that had been blocked until now, as well as the start of Kapros's period of hardship in earnest.

Ilumine said she would teach swordsmanship first. Kapros didn't have much faith in her, as she seemed completely unsuited for swords, but Ilumine remained calm.

"You may not know, but I've seen the Lord's before, so I can do it. You'll understand when you learn, but this isn't real swordsmanship."

"Wait, what do you mean it's not real swordsmanship if it's done with a sword?"

Kapros shook his head at Kran, who was whispering with an uneasy expression beside him.

"It's fine. If not for this, we might never have found even a hint of these things. Since it's come to this, I have to learn somehow. Watch from over there."

"Haa... Alright."

As Kran, unable to erase his worry, took a position far away, Ilumine stood up for the first time.

"First, draw your sword."

Kapros drew the sword he had bought with Yu-wan to train together before. Ilumine examined the drawn sword closely, frowning as if something displeased her, but soon nodded with dissatisfaction.

"It seems like an inadequate sword, but... well, it can't be helped."

"..."

"Next, your stance."

Kapros raised the sword familiarly and held it in a stable pose.

"While learning Magic Sword Mastery so far, you should have become somewhat familiar with the sword, even though you're a mage. In other words, you've just met the basic qualifications."

For a moment, all the time Kapros had struggled to raise that skill's proficiency to 50 percent flashed through his mind. To think that was just the basic qualification...

"But I think you need to master what's truly fundamental in the Lord's swordsmanship for the remaining half, so there won't be any obstacles in the next steps, and the steps after that."

Ilumine raised her hand close to Kapros's blade.

"The basics of magic swordsmanship is creating a magic sword. Come on, try it."

"..."

As Kapros stood dumbfounded at the sudden instruction to start, Ilumine raised her voice.

"Mana injection. Mana injection!"

When he still didn't move at those words, Ilumine finally asked in bewilderment.

"Why can't you do it?"

"...I don't know how. Anyone would be unable to do it if told to do so without any method."

"..."

Although Kapros had said something obvious, Ilumine didn't seem to think so.

"I thought it would be natural for the Lord's descendant to do it immediately just by hearing the words. Well... If you were at that level, you wouldn't have needed my help, so it's my mistake."

...It was the first time Kapros felt so unpleasant despite being told it wasn't his fault.

"Then, explaining it a bit more simply... You inject mana."

For a moment, Kapros almost burst with anger, but he held it in. After a long period of what masqueraded as teaching but was actually a test of patience, Ilumine's proper explanation was as follows:

"It's just like when you use magic. Do it exactly the same way. Think of injecting mana in that same method."

The most basic way of using magic in MIST. It was 'imagining.' Without even having time to be moved by finally drawing out a somewhat proper hint, Kapros began to imagine a slightly new image in his mind with the barely obtained hint.

When first learning magic, one had to visualize the image by drawing the circle of promise, specifying the range in the formula world that appeared, and chanting the spell simultaneously for the magic to manifest. But as one became more familiar and the circle increased, magic could appear with just a short chant and imagination, without needing anything else. Eventually, it might be possible for magic to appear with just 'imagination,' without even a chant.

Well, the last part was still speculation... But Kapros thought that this 'basics of swordsmanship' might require using magic with just imagination, without a chant.

Kapros emptied his mind and focused all his senses on the sword he was holding. He needed to imagine injecting mana, but it was completely baffling. He couldn't quite grasp what mana was.

However, recalling that even support-type magic like Haste, which had no exact form, could be sufficiently concretized with just a bit of imagination, Kapros tried to reimagine the feeling of power draining out dizzily every time he used magic, thinking that this was mana flowing out.

The power draining from his entire body. If that 'power' was mana.

He imagined the 'power' that had drained from his body extending smoothly towards the sword through his hand. At first, it was hard to imagine, but later he was able to imagine it as if seeing his body in a hologram video.

The power... drains out... through the sword... injected into the blade.

How long had it been since he started imaging like this? This feeling of his whole body gradually becoming languid... was it his imagination?

"Success!"