Chapter 47 - The Power of the Light Element

  After a month of training with Professor Adrihna, we had begun following a series of prohibitions aris. We couldn’t directly use mana in its elemental stage; we first had to use pure mana and then transform it into the element. This seemed illogical and time-ing, but the professor said that increasing the speed of casting in the pure stage improved efficy wheuro casting it ial form.

  “This food is really good. What is it?” Kinue asked.

  We were all sitting at a table eating together in a small dining room in the castle. We had developed the habit of always dining together, even though Professor Adrihna did and just sat reading at the table with us.

  I had only seen her eat food a few times.

  “This is a special fish called Leaping Trout. They only live in mountain kes and desd through the waterfalls of the territory; they o in our nds,” Chloe said.

  Kinue raised her eyebrows, and her ears twitched, indig her surprise.

  “Is this a typical dish from yion?” Kinue asked.

  “No. The typical dish of the Evenhart region is Grey Salmon with Fiery Potatoes. The salmon is only found in our river Askrid, and we have ws that prohibit out-of-season fishing. The potatoes are called that because they are pnted iile and cold soil, and fire mages o stantly heat the ground so they don’t die. Every tourist who es tion tries our typical dish,” I expined.

  The golden fox looked surprised to hear that.

  “You guys know a lot of things,” she said.

  “We have to memorize everything about the territory, even ws involving the transport of seeds, grains, and animals,” Chloe said.

  Unfortunately, I had to spend long hours learning a bunch of useless information. I even pio my aunt that this should be the little duchess’s job, but she insisted I learn it too. My mother said that the duty of an heir is to know all about their territory, from the seeds of a tree to the type of soil it should be pnted in.

  Our duchy is agricultural and we are a vast nd of farmers, so there were many things I had to memorize. I even had to eat a bunch of weird pnts that Yusuf gave us, but that was actually to build resistao poisons. Aunt Margie told us that if you want to be an assassin and die from a poisoned fruit, you don’t deserve to be called an assassin.

  “I’ll ask Martha to make the typical dish of the region for us,” Chloe said.

  I nodded in agreement.

  “That dy is very kind. She always asks if I’m fortable and if I need anything,” Kinue said.

  “She always takes care of us.”

  We tinued eating.

  “Once, I saw Martha with her clothes stained with blood. She’s really dedicated i because even with dirty clothes, she was smiling,” Kinue said.

  Chloe and I stopped eating at the same time. We looked at each other upon hearing the i fox and the back to eating our food slowly.

  Martha smiling and covered in blood? That’s definitely scary…

  “When you try the typical dish of the region, I reend doing so with a good wine,” Adrihna said while looking at her book.

  The High Elf seemed to realize what she had said and looked at us.

  “When you’re of drinking age, of course.”

  We ughed at the teacher’s mistake a back to eating.

  I took advantage of the pleasant atmosphere to try to clear up a doubt. Professor Adrihna didn’t answer many questions because she wanted us to discover how to use our mana and not depend on her for answers. She would only help us deal with the pure stage of mana, but I really wao test something with the lightning element and o know if it ossible.

  “Professor,” I call out to her.

  Adrihna tinues looking at her book.

  “Call me by my name, and it will be fine.”

  I always fet that…

  “Adrihna, I have ao use my element. I wao create something with lightning, but I’ve tried every way and ’t ma.”

  She lowers the book and looks at me.

  “I answer your question, but know that if it’s something I know you achieve, I won’t respond. Part of the learning journey is trying to do something with the little knowledge you have. It’s like solving a riddle,” she says and theurns to her book.

  Before asking, I think about what I want to create to see if she has already given me a hint or answer in her lessons. I clude that with my current knowledge, I ’t advah my idea.

  “Adrihna, I wao try making a on using lightning. I’ve tried every way, but I ’t do it.”

  She lowers the book and looks at me.

  “You wao make something like this?” she moves her hand, and a sword appears in it.

  The sword is very beautiful, entirely yellow aransparent.

  Chloe and I get up, surprised, to look closely. The professor rarely uses her element, and seeing this is very beautiful.

  Adrihna throws the sword to me, and I catch it.

  “That’s exactly it!” I say, swinging the sword.

  I touch it a doesn’t have a sharp edge.

  “It’s a sword made of the light element. I removed the edge so you wouldn’t get hurt. Was this your idea?”

  Chloe takes the sword from my hand and even swings it.

  “Incredible! This is very beautiful, Professor,” she says, ented.

  Kinue already seems aced to it.

  “One day, you will be able to make a on like this, Chloe, but know that creating elemental ons es a lot of mana. It’s like casting a spell stantly to keep the on funing. Doing this is not reended for a mage, and few ma because it’s very bor-intensive and artistic. A normal person wouldn’t be able to maintain it for long. Besides, it’s useless against a real sword since if it takes an impact, you o spend mana to maintain its rigidity. It’s much better for a mage to use a real sword, which has offensive power without ing mana,” expihe professor.