By Zephyria 
Thursday.
I was now able to skillfully use the new Mind method. It was an achievement gained after dedicating two whole months to it. The fact that I could fully master any Mind method in less than a year was all thanks to Douglas Mustang’s tireless efforts.
It was like drawing lines in advance for a child who was clumsy at drawing, and ordering them to trace over them. After steadily repeating the task of visually observing the defined formulas and intuitively following them, I was now able to Circulating Qi while walking or running.
I could finally say that I had properly mastered Dynamic qi. I was greatly pleased.
And today, Benjamin finally created a very small Dantian. Benjamin’s Dantian, smaller than a baby fingernail, straddled the realms of consciousness and unconsciousness, independently gathering new energy.
Benjamin, who had become adept at distinguishing and using aura and internal energy, left an interesting comment about the new organ that had formed in his body.
“It feels like I’m raising a Mana Stone inside my body. I wonder if this is how it would feel to have a pet rock.”
“Haha, essentially, it’s not much different. In that it’s a totality of living energy.”
Douglas, who laughed heartily, turned to me with a kind smile and added an explanation.
“Certainly, the younger they are, the faster they learn. After conducting some more stability tests, we might consider lowering the learnable age.”
“Does that mean…”
“Yes, now all that’s left is to organize the research results. It was a successful experiment. Every time this new Mana training method is provided to those who need it, a brief resume of the applicant and a small donation will be sent to the Ernhardt family.”
Receiving money for selling Internal energy cultivation method. It was very uncomfortable, but I couldn’t refuse because it was said that it was natural to do so if my name was included as a co-researcher. My name couldn’t be left out of the Mind method derived from the Great expansive divine skill of azure sky.
Douglas also said kindly, repeatedly, that this was also a honorable thing, and that if necessary, the money could be collected and used for good causes. After listening to the explanation carefully, I signed the documents he handed me several times.
“Then, thank you for your hard work so far, Young Master Ernhardt.”
“It’s thanks to Professor’s help. Thanks to you, I obtained something good. Thank you.”
“I also know how to receive praise.”
I let out a silly laugh at Mage Boulder’s disgruntled voice, who suddenly interjected.
“Thank you, Mage Boulder. I learned a lot thanks to you.”
“Yes. And the most important step is still left.”
“The important step is…?”
“We have to give it a name, a name.”
Douglas, who was filing the documents I had signed, smiled and added an explanation.
“Indeed, since we are now planning to record the experimental process and results in a paper… It would be very meaningful if Young Master Ernhardt could help name the Mana training method.”
“…Hmm.”
“The Mana that gathers in the Dantian will be called ‘internal energy,’ as Young Master Ernhardt previously informed us. But we also need a name to collectively refer to this Mana training method.”
I hadn’t paid attention to it because I didn’t think organizing the research results was my job.
Douglas looked at me with a warm expression. He was originally a kind man, but today he seemed to be dripping honey from his eyes, which made me feel embarrassed.
“The method that Young Master Ernhardt used before was called Great expansive divine skill of azure sky, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“It’s fine to take from there and name it, or a completely new name is also good. Do you have any names in mind?”
I couldn’t answer right away.
Great expansive divine skill of azure sky It was simply a Divine Art that contained the blue, vast, and expansive sky, resembling the sky.
On the other hand, the new Mind method created by Douglas Mustang, Mage Boulder, and Blanc Cooper together had a calm and gentle nature. Thanks to being created by imitating Divinity, it slowly rotated in the right direction even if left alone, increasing its size.
It was a Mind method full of white and auspicious energy rather than blue.
That was somehow…
“…Cloud…”
“Cloud?”
“Yes. It seems to resemble white mist or clouds more clearly than the original…”
Boulder, who listened to my words and stroked his rugged lower jaw for a moment, shouted in a bright voice.
“Then, how about Hip-Circlet?”
“What does that mean?”
“That’s what they call baby’s breath in Common Magical Language. Since it’s a method of using Mana, I thought it would be poetic and fun to include the word ‘Circle.’ It’s also good for image training, and it’s an easy name to use as a seed when more Mana training methods are added in the future. Kya, how romantic, how romantic.”
Mage Boulder was chattering with words that only he knew, as always, but thanks to being used to his conversations, I roughly understood that he meant he would repeat homonyms like reciting poetry.
I had seen baby’s breath several times in the botanical garden. When I thought of the sight of small, white flowers clustered together, it seemed to resemble clouds. Divinity was a pretty pure energy, so… It seemed like a fitting name.
As I was thinking that, Boulder added another word.
“Above all, baby’s breath is a flower that looks alive even after it dies.”
“…Good. I have no objections.”
“Then I’ll announce it with that name.”
Hip-Circlet. While I was reciting the name of the Mind method that Benjamin had newly named, Bill Brown, who had not yet created a Dantian, grabbed his head with both hands and groaned. It was quite funny to see him grumbling about what a pie-in-the-sky story it was.
Whether it was because he was encountering the concept of Mind method for the first time, or because he was truly foolish, inheriting the Peng family’s spirit… Bill still couldn’t even Breathing and regulating energy, let alone purify and draw Mana into his body.
I wasn’t worried at all even when I saw his late blooming appearance. Since Bill would have to stay in the academy for another year anyway, he would be able to receive Douglas’s help next year as well.
I once again gave my polite greetings to Douglas and Boulder, who had worked hard.
I was told not to say goodbye yet, as I would continue to see them before graduation, which was a pointless remark. I couldn’t help but smile because I liked the kind words.
❖ ❖ ❖
Late in the afternoon that day, Benjamin called me to his room.
Benjamin Claudian’s reception room was as splendid as Maelo Sanson’s professor’s office.
The dozens of weapons that filled one side of the wall had already been seen several times, but I kept being drawn to them. Benjamin made up a story that he had a hobby of taking out each of the items hanging on the wall and grooming them during his breaks.
No wonder the wall was shining so brightly. When I said that, Benjamin smiled.
When I tried to take my eyes off the sword, Benjamin showed me a booklet he had placed on the reception room table.
It was a guidebook related to dispatch support for the Yuil Mountains.
“I brought Mikael’s and Marianne’s together because they said they would be distributed starting today. The dispatch support form can only be submitted in January, but I thought you might be curious.”
“Ah, thank you. If I had known there was such a thing, I would have gone with you.”
“I just happened to be in the administration building for a morning class, so I stopped by.”
I took one of the booklets he handed me and opened the first page.
It was written that the first dispatch every year started on the first day of March at the north gate of the capital. I looked at the supplies listed below. Special Imperial Knight Order enlistment application, letter of recommendation from the supervising professor, dispatch consent form, will…
I had heard the story that you write a will before climbing the Yuil Mountains, but I now knew that the consent of your family was required. I thought I would be able to submit the documents early, but I would have to wait for my relatives to come up to the capital.
Benjamin was also looking at the same page as me, turning over a copy of his booklet, so I suddenly asked.
“Do many people still die these days?”
“Thanks to the increase in Sword Master among those guarding the border recently, it’s safe to say that there are almost no deaths. Especially after Wesley Kiadris climbed the Yuil Mountains, the front line has been pushed up a lot, so the situation has improved a lot.”
“…Hmm.”
“But isn’t the front line against Monsters always dangerous? That’s why we’re going.”
“Hmm.”
I felt embarrassed for no reason after hearing the obvious answer.
I had heard many last words, such as what to do if I died. Even those who didn’t seem like they would always regretted or worried about something at the moment of death.
But I died on a battlefield where people were dying in droves, so I couldn’t even say a common word like ‘live well’ before I died.
It would be good to prepare everything in advance. I should think carefully about what to write in my will, I thought, and put the booklet in my arms.
After saying thank you and getting up from my seat, Benjamin only raised his head from his seat and asked.
“Do you know when the graduation ceremony is?”
“Yes. I heard it from Shayden. He advised me that family members can come, so I called my family in advance.”
The New Year Festival was an event that lasted for fifteen days from the last day of the year. The graduation ceremony was held on the 20th, exactly five days after the New Year Festival ended on January 15th, in the main hall where the entrance ceremony was held.
I had heard several times that the graduation ceremony was a more luxurious event than the entrance ceremony. In particular, commoners were supposed to receive a new surname that day, so they were in a frenzy trying to coordinate in advance so that the surname they desired did not overlap with their classmates.
I had also heard that children with Hereditary Peerage who did not receive a new surname received Artifacts with different shapes and performances depending on their graduation certificate and grades, so I was quite looking forward to it.
All of my family members were making a fuss, saying that they would bring flowers and gifts to my graduation ceremony. I was trying to suppress my embarrassed and pleased feelings at the news that not only my parents and two younger siblings, but also my paternal and maternal relatives would all gather.
However, Benjamin’s added advice was different.
“You can invite up to three acquaintances per person who are not family members.”
“…Yes?”
“All the royals tend to be busy right after the New Year Festival, so if you want to invite them, it would be good to tell them in advance now.”
Who.
I knew without asking out loud. Benjamin, who looked at me, unable to continue speaking due to embarrassment, nodded and chased me out with a calm voice, telling me to leave now.
I was dumbfounded for a long time even after coming out into the hallway.