By Zephyria 
Thursday afternoon.
The three golems left before the summer break showed clearly visible results.
The golem that circulated Qi according to Douglas’s method contained the largest Mana Stone, while the golem that circulated Qi according to Boulder’s method contained the smallest Mana Stone. And the Mana Stone of the golem that circulated Qi along the acupoints I carefully selected had a weak vortex forming in the center.
It was truly fascinating to see the mana flowing endlessly within. I wondered if the Dantians of the Central Plains martial artists were like this. I found myself absentmindedly stroking my lower abdomen.
“This path from between your shoulder blades down to your tailbone. It shows a uniquely different flow. Why did you set it up this way?”
“…Hmm. It seems the problem was that it lacked will, so I tried to imbue it with will… but that.”
Boulder’s questions were, as always, difficult to answer with words. I pondered for a long time before managing to reply, but neither Douglas nor Boulder understood my explanation.
It was only natural. I myself didn’t fully understand why I had set it up that way.
Boulder’s disappointment, pounding the ground, was understandable. This golem was modeled after Boulder’s own body. If he could fully grasp the principles and open a few blocked acupoints, he would be able to create a Dantian for himself.
He was brimming with excitement at the thought of applying his life’s research to his own body.
Douglas, after a long period of thought, concluded in a gentle voice, “I’m curious to see how the golem designated for Young Master Ernhardt will grow, so let’s leave it as is and observe for a while longer.”
“Then the other two…”
“They use the same experimental method, and since there are no other uses for these golems, we’ll leave them as comparative samples.”
“…Yes.”
Seeing my apparent reluctance, Douglas patted my shoulder kindly. “Still, something is steadily progressing. It’s a very encouraging achievement. I can vaguely see the method and direction by which the golem, following Young Master Ernhardt’s guidance, draws in mana.”
“Mm.”
“Now is the time to set a goal for how you want to upgrade it. Do you have any particular goal in mind?”
I pondered for a long time.
Early on, when I had encountered Maelo Sanson’s lessons, I had touched upon the essence of the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art.
The Great Namgung Family’s mind methods are divided into two. The Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art, inherited by the direct line, and the Great Expansive Divine Skill of Azure Sky, which collateral martial artists like myself can also learn.
Though both are martial arts of the Namgung family and share the same initial flow, they diverge significantly later on.
However, all martial arts, once understood and realized, tend to converge in the same direction. If the Great Expansive Divine Skill of Azure Sky reaches a higher level, it should not be vastly different from the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art. I didn’t know its secret incantations at all, only ever seeing its form and outward appearance, but when I thought of the higher stages… I coveted it.
“The way I use my energy now, from the internal energy in my lower Dantian, like this… like this, isn’t it?”
Lacking the confidence to explain with words, I demonstrated by drawing out my energy and tracing its direction with my whole body, somehow conveying my intent. Even so, both Douglas and Boulder understood my clumsy gestures perfectly and nodded.
“That’s right. It rushes out towards all parts of the body in a rightward direction and then returns.”
“And then, if we make it more like this… going this way.”
“Huh?”
“…Like… this?”
“Ah! Are you trying to achieve a rapid change in direction?”
“…! Yes, that’s right.”
“Hmm, excellent. For now, we’ll focus on the flow of Qi and the change in direction and research it further.”
“Yes.”
Indeed, as Douglas had said, it was clear that something was progressing. My heart pounded.
I peered over Douglas and Boulder’s shoulders as they drew and wrote on paper. Even if it wasn’t exactly the same, I would be overjoyed if I could use abilities similar to the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art.
After our discussion had reached a natural conclusion, we sat together and chatted casually.
As a token of my gratitude, I handed Douglas and Boulder each a small paper bag. I had visited Douglas before when the semester ended and had given him a gift, so I felt hesitant to come empty-handed this time. My Father had given me these to carry. They were jams made from the Ernhardt family’s grapes, packaged in pretty bottles.
Mage Boulder exclaimed with delight, saying how famous the Ernhardt family’s grapes and jam were. Receiving praise for my family always felt pleasant. I spent the remaining time with a satisfied smile.
❖ ❖ ❖
Friday.
During intermediate swordsmanship class, I informed my classmates that I had arranged to take a lesson with Edwin that afternoon.
Shayden and Benjamin, who had heard about it beforehand, remained silent, but Bill Brown whined, wanting to take the lesson with me as well. Although Bill had become much more subdued, his somewhat careless nature made me hesitant, as I felt I would have to look after him too much. I placated him, promising we could take another class together another time.
However, my empty promise was quickly exposed, and I ended up hearing Bill’s whining amplified. Embarrassed, I just laughed.
Rubel stood by my side with a gentle smile, silent. I had wondered several times why I kept paying attention to Rubel and being conscious of him. It felt like I was doing something unnecessary, and I questioned whether I should even be paying attention. It had been last semester when the child told me he wouldn’t do such things anymore. I, too, should forget.
Yet, whenever I saw the small, slightly longer strands of hair tied behind Rubel’s round, pretty head, I couldn’t help but feel troubled. It was impossible now to ask if he was growing his hair out because I liked long hair.
Perhaps that’s why. As I walked alongside Edwin to the afternoon class, seeing Edwin’s long, lustrous hair scatter as he moved, I thought of Rubel. Curious, I blurted out, “Senior, do you also apply rose oil to your hair every morning?”
“What? No, it’s natural.”
“…Really?”
Well, not all men from Sierren would be like Walter. Then perhaps Rubel was just tying his hair back without any particular reason. Thinking that, I said no more, but Edwin soon grumbled, “…Everyone uses some kind of oil, right? Just not rose, not rose.”
“Huh?”
“No, but why are you asking about that?”
“I just didn’t know.”
It seemed everyone used it. I had never paid attention to such things, so I didn’t know. I gave a vague answer and moved on. Edwin’s huffing and puffing was a common sight, so it didn’t bother me.
The growth and understanding of magical creatures was a Department of Magic class. On the way to the Magic Hall, Edwin, unable to keep up with my pace, showed his frustration again. Seeing his expression, I asked in disbelief, “Senior, can’t you walk faster using magic? Like that blink thing you did before.”
“W-we get penalty points for carelessly using magic within the academy.”
“Ah.”
Indeed, one could get hurt if fire and water were shot around indiscriminately. I readily agreed. Edwin continued, “There are so many people who set fire to the training grounds behind the Magic Hall every semester that one wrong use of magic can halve your grades for the term.”
“What?”
“What do you mean, you saw it too.”
“Huh? When…?”
“When we talked about sparring before.”
Only after Edwin’s explanation did I remember. I was referring to the scorch marks scattered around the open space behind the Department of Magic building, where I had gone to meet Edwin alone. So those were traces of magic, appearing as if someone had been playing with fire out of the blue. I was astonished by this unexpected revelation.
“That’s why there are no expensive trees near the Department of Magic. Everyone there is out of their minds…”
“…”
“Why are you looking at me like that? I’m not one of them!”
“Yes. I know.”
What did I say? We continued walking.
Professor Alan Lager was a man with a pale complexion and a towering height, nearly two meters tall. If he had a beard, he would have looked like Guan Yu, but he had no beard and his dark blue hair was cut very short. In the Central Plains, it was common for both men and women to grow their hair long, unless they were monks. It was only when I came to Sierren that I saw people with hair cut short enough to reveal their necks. However, I had never seen hair cut this short before. The man with red eyes appeared thin at first glance, but judging by the thickness and shape of his wrists, he seemed quite strong.
“Welcome, everyone. I am Alan Lager, and I will be teaching the class on the growth and understanding of magical creatures.”
A work-study student walked around, distributing small, round objects to the children. A small object that fit perfectly into my palm was handed to me. The memory of Edwin’s prank with the purification magic bead from before resurfaced, leaving me with an uneasy feeling.
“This is a Ranunculus egg. There is also a flower with the same name. Ranunculus are very representative among magical creatures, resembling birds with a pair of wings. They are used to set a master by inputting mana and to exchange voice messages. You can send and receive messages.”
A bird that can exchange messages? Was I the only one who gasped and looked at the egg again? Most students sat quietly, holding the egg in their hands, listening to Alan.
“Ranunculus usually hatch from their eggs within a month, and they can begin learning language immediately after hatching. The egg you have received is your assignment for this semester. You must hatch the egg, raise it, and submit it at the end of the semester. I will award points based on the Ranunculus’s form, appearance, and growth.”
The egg was lukewarm. It was difficult to distinguish whether it had warmth or not. The small, round egg was speckled like a quail’s egg. I wondered if what hatched from it would resemble a quail.
Alan provided further explanation about magical creatures. “Magical creatures are beings that exist between living and non-living things. They do not have beating hearts, nor do they engage in feeding or reproductive activities. They simply exist. Much like spirits.”
Spirits. I had only heard of them a few times in fairy tales. It was fascinating and I was curious, but since this was a minor detail, I figured I could ask Edwin about it later and didn’t ask.
“Magical creature eggs appear in the air when certain conditions are met. In the case of Ranunculus, if you scatter pollen from a Ranunculus flower when 30mp of mana is present in the atmosphere, it will form like a seed and grow to the size you hold in your hands after three months.”
“mp…?”
“Mana percent. It’s a unit for measuring how much mana exists within a certain space.”
Edwin promptly answered when I made a sound of confusion at the unfamiliar term. How on earth did they figure that out? An egg that produced a creature from flower pollen was fascinating and delightful, lifting my spirits. Seeing Edwin’s proud expression beside me, I understood why he had dragged me here. It was indeed an interesting and wondrous matter.
Alan meticulously explained how to raise a Ranunculus. I diligently took notes. Edwin boasted once more, telling me to trust him. Surprisingly, he seemed quite reliable.