"Well, let me introduce myself a bit more. Just like you, I'm also a mage specializing in primarily ice magic. I'm currently an 8th circle mage, and the vice-president of the mage association."
Raymond's eyes widened after hearing that. He had felt that she looked very familiar but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
But he recognized her now, the vice-president of the mage association and unfortunately one of the first casualties in the Renewed Demon March, the event which kickstarted the start of the third Human-Demon war.
An 8th circle mage, equivalent to a warrior who had undergone the 8th tempering. An SS- rank powerhouse at the minimum.
Starting from the F grade, all awakened would form a core in their bodies. For mages they would then form a new circle for every new letter grade afterwards until they reached the S-rank in which mages would need to form two circles. After forming the 8th circle, they would officially be considered an SS- rank. If they continued and managed to form ten circles, they would be considered an SSS- rank.
Warriors had a different method, starting from the E-rank and every rank from there on they would undergo body tempering. A process which would toughen and strengthen the body from the inside out with mana. Reaching the S- rank at the 6th tempering, afterwards the SS- rank at the 8th tempering and the SSS- rank at the tenth tempering.
This was the method used by the natives of Terra, shockingly similar to the methods used by mages and warriors in Raymond's home dimension despite there being no interaction between the two dimensions.
But to think the academy has assigned him an SS- rank as a personal instructor, how generous! They were really investing hard into his talent.
Raymond introduced himself as well, "My full name is Raymond Vance, I'm an orphan who was taken in by the Grace family when I was ten years old. I currently serve as the shadow of Ellen Grace."
She nodded, "I already know about stuff like that. The academy gave me a massive booklet detailing everything they knew about you."
He felt slightly intrigued upon hearing that, he had spent the past 4 years mostly within the Grace Estate and the New Rayan Middle School For Elites. What else was there to know about him?
"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly did the booklet say about me?" he asked.
Reaching into her coat, she pulled out a folded up piece of paper and handed it to him.
Opening it up, Raymond carefully read through everything.
-extremely lazy
-likes to eat a lot, (prefers sweet foods) ?
-likes to torment others
-very arrogant due to his high potential score
-gets jealous of others easily? (Unconfirmed)
It looked normal at first glance, but Raymond felt like one of them had somehow managed to sneak its way into the list.
'Where did likes to eat a lot come from!'
Raymond liked food sure but he wasn't some kind of glutton!
Grabbing the paper back from Raymond, she folded it and stuffed it back into her coat.
"Satisfied?", she asked.
"... I didn't realize the academy thought of me as some kind of glutton." He remarked.
She smiled at that, "As far as the academy can tell, you've only been active ever since the Grace family took you in. There's not much information about you before that. "
Naturally, Raymond didn't actually live in this dimension until about 5 years ago. The whole orphanage backstory was entirely fabricated. Ellen managed to learn of an orphanage which had closed recently which gave Raymond a convenient excuse for his background.
The orphanage already closed and it's employees all essentially retired with all of their old records being lost. Even if someone tried to investigate his background, there wasn't much to discover anyways.
Besides, it was just Raymond's life before he turned ten. What was the point of investigating something like that?
"My life before becoming my master's Shadow is inconsequential."
"Is that so? Then I won't ask. But if there's something important then you need to let me know. "
He nodded in understanding. Not that he had any intention on ever telling her or asking for her help.
How could he possibly ask for help from someone so much younger and probably worser at magic then?
"Well I'm getting tired of standing so let's sit down first why don't we?"
She reached into her coat and pulled out a wand around the length of her forearm. Numerous swirling patterns were carved into it's wooden exterior, Raymond didn't have the best eye for items but he could tell great care had been put into its creation.
Waving her wand, a table and two chairs made of ice appeared. Sitting down on it, Raymond didn't feel any of the chill at all.
"You're currently at the G+ rank yes? Any ideas on when you plan on forming your core and breaking through to the F- rank?"
Starting with an awkward question for Raymond right off the bat. He groaned internally.
Raymond already had a mana core formed-two mana cores actually, along with his fourteen mana circles. But he couldn't exactly just reveal something like that!
He acted as calm as he could, "I'm planning on expanding my ice magic more before I form a mana core."
It wasn't technically a lie, Raymond was planning on expanding his ice magic more before he formed a mana core—minus the fact that he wasn't planning on forming a mana core.
He quietly placed his palm on his right chest, feeling his two mana cores. His dimensional magic attuned mana core and his time magic attuned mana core both remained silent as ever.
He sighed internally, ever since the weakened status effect he was under. Both his mana cores and his mana circles has remained dormant.
Even when casting any of the two magics, he hadn't experienced any of its effects. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to have his mana cores and mana circles.
She warned, "So you're deadset on pursuing ice magic then? You better think this through carefully. With your talent, you could likely make it to the top with any magic that you wanted. Besides, its unknown whether your mana core will actually be ice-attuned. Forcing it to be ice-attuned could cause you more harm then good. "
Forcing his mana core to be ice-attuned was definitely an option, but it was never good to force these kinds of things. Letting it naturally form its own unique signature was almost always better.
Now that he had an opportunity to ask someone like her, he decided to ask her something he had been meaning to ask for a while now.
"Actually Instructor, would it be possible for me to form two or more mana cores so I could specialize in different magic disciplines?"
"You're not the first person to think of this, while it is possible to create two or more mana cores, it comes with a few limitations. First of all both mana cores would be smaller compared to one regular mana core. Their storage and output capabilities would decrease. "
Raymond nodded, this was an issue that even the mages in his home dimension along with him couldn't circumvent. Having two mana cores simply meant less mana for each.
"Secondly, both cores would have to be of the similar or non-clashing magic disciplines. No fire and ice, white magic and dark magic et cetera. "
Raymond nodded again, this was an impossible issue to solve as well. Having two different magic attuned mana cores that clashed was like trying to mix dynamite and TNT.
Best case scenario, both bombs fail to explode. Worst case scenario, both bombs explode—along with the user.
"Finally, as of right now. There is no fool-proof or certain method in order to create two mana cores. All of the current awakened who have two or more accomplished it via instinct, luck and a combination of other factors. "
Well, Raymond should at least give credit where credit is due. Considering how a bunch of relatively backwater mages managed to achieve almost the same results as the mages in his home dimension.
Her face went serious, "But Raymond, I need to warn you. It might sound nice to be able to specialize in two different magic disciplines but it's not. "
"Magic is a long road, trying to tread two different paths at once is difficult. Mages who do this become merely average, albeit with a bit more versatility. "
That might have been the case for untalented mages, but Raymond wasn't scared. He had already done it anyways, he just needed to warm her up to the idea.
And maybe then in the future, when Raymond recovered in his strength it wouldn't seem so outlandish or crazy.
"Besides, its not truly necessary. I may specialize in ice magic but if needed I can cast a decent fireball as well. It might be a but weaker but it would still get the job done."
She caught on to Raymond's intentions pretty quickly. Warning him against doing so.
"I understand ma'am."
She squinted her eyes slightly, clearly not believing him.
She earnestly pleaded, "Raymond, if you do intend to follow this path despite its downsides. Please warn me in advance. I may not support this decision but I will still help to ensure your safety. Your talent is too valuable for humanity to lose. "
It would have been very touching if not for the last sentence.
'You just care about my talent not for me!'
Unfortunately for them anyways, Raymond had no intentions of interfering between the whole human-demon war that would soon go down.
Partly due to him not wanting to out of laziness, and also because he didn't want to attract any more punishment.
The more he changed things, the more punishment he attracted. A harsh truth he had been forced to learn.
He didn't mind helping Ellen, but fully interfering in order to end the war and fight him was too far.