The Trial of Harmony ended within a week, and only three groups managed to defeat Force 2, my group, Arthur's group, and Cain's group. I don't know who Cain is, but I do know that Jhon was in that group.
At the final moment, Jhon launched an attack that instantly wiped out the enemy group, making his team the winner.
Even though Jhon is a nameless character, he's strong. I find it strange that he isn't listed in the character list.
Thanks to our victory, I obtained Lyena's signature, allowing Elena and me to remain in the elite class along with the others.
Elena has changed and has started to become braver. Even though she's still gentle at times, I think that's good. She's still the Elena I know.
For now, I feel calm because of this ordinary academy life.
At the moment, I'm simply observing Arthur as he creates many side stories, focusing on expanding his connections within the academy by helping students and teachers.
He's growing better than I expected, and that makes it easier for me to focus in class.
"Who here knows the basics of magic manifestation?" Professor Sylvana asked in front of the elite class.
Elena stood up and answered confidently.
"The basics of magic manifestation are intent, mana flow, and control. Without any one of them, magic cannot be formed stably."
"Good, that's correct. Intent is the image and will of the mage toward the result. It determines what is to be manifested, such as fire, shields, illusions, or other effects. A vague intent will produce weak, distorted, or unstable magic.
Mana is the fundamental energy that drives magic. It must be channeled from the mage's mana core or soul through specific pathways (mana channels) to the point of manifestation. If the flow is too rapid, the magic may explode or injure the user. If it's too slow, the magic will fail to form. The efficiency of the flow determines the power and durability of the magic.
Control is how mana is shaped and maintained. It can take the form of incantations, symbols, runes, visualization, or mental training. Without a structure of control, mana will disperse even if the intent is clear. Control also determines accuracy, stability, and how long the magic lasts. Does everyone understand so far?"
Everyone nodded while I was busy writing everything down.
Unlike in the game where I could just look up answers online, I can't cheat like that here.
I have to study. In the game, I didn't even need to take exams, so why do I have to go through this now?
Class ended, and everyone left the room. I tried to understand magic because it would be extremely useful later on, regardless of the type. I wanted at least something practical.
I was also interested in Arion's research on magic tools. Tools that don't require Mana, but to create them, many expensive and ultra-rare materials are needed.
"Hey, Leon," Elena greeted me. Behind her were Arthur, Tohime, and Penlope. They gathered around my desk.
"What is it? Are you here to bully me?"
"E-eh? No, it's just that you looked like you were having trouble understanding the lesson earlier. So we just wanted to help if you didn't understand something," Elena said.
"Is there anything you don't understand, Leon?" Arthur asked.
"No, I understand. I just think I don't have Mana, or at least not enough. I was just hoping I could use magic in combat. Tohime, Penlope, can you use magic manifestation?"
"I can use basic wind magic to lighten my body," Tohime said.
"I can use earth magic. It's very helpful for tracking treasure inside caves," Penlope said proudly.
Am I the only one in this world who can't use magic? What an unfair world system. At the very least, give me some useful skill.
"If that's the case, how about Mana compression?" Arthur said.
"Mana compression?" All of us asked.
"Yeah, it's just my theory. But Mana is like a flow, right? If it's a flow, then there must be a center for Mana inside the body. If you compress it, even a small amount of Mana should flow. It's just a theory," Arthur explained.
As expected of the protagonist. He's really smart. But does Mana compression like that really exist?
I don't recall the game system mentioning anything like that. But how would you even compress it?
When I looked at the clock on the wall, I realized I was already late.
"Sorry, this is interesting, but I need to go," I said as I packed my things and left.
"Is it just me, or does Leon always look busy?" Penlope asked while looking at Leon's back. Arthur simply stood there with an expression that hid some unspoken meaning.
At the training field.
Edward was waiting for me in the middle of the field. He looked deeply focused in meditation. With his eyes closed, he was already facing me. It was so sudden that I almost jumped.
"You're late," Edward said as he rubbed the back of his head. It felt like he had eyes on the back of his head. Edward threw a blindfold at me.
"What's this?" I asked.
"You want me to teach you? I decide the method. Now put it on," Edward said, then took out many training dummies and arranged them in various positions until they almost filled the entire training field.
"Stand in the center and, without looking, leave the training field without touching a single training dummy," Edward said.
What? How am I supposed to get out, especially without seeing? The arrangement was so tight that it was impossible to pass through without touching them.
"The dummies are too close. It's impossible to get out without touching them," I said. Edward sighed. He snatched the blindfold and put it on himself. From the center of the field, he walked casually. Without any large movements, he passed through everything as if there were no obstacles at all. As if to show off, he deliberately stopped just one centimeter away from a dummy before exiting.
"How is it? Easy, right?" Edward said with a smug smile.
"Are you sure you're not using Magic Sense?" I asked. It was impossible to get through all that without Magic Sense.
"Magic Sense? I can't use that," Edward said, confusing me. I was certain he used Magic Sense during the Trial of Harmony.
"If you think I used Magic Sense in the Trial of Harmony, you're completely wrong. What I used were my normal senses. Smell, hearing, and danger detection. I trained them to the point where they can rival Magic Sense," Edward said.
Normal senses? How is that even possible? In this world, everyone has magic, and even a little Magic Sense can be used. But Edward doesn't use Magic Sense?
"You might be surprised, but I was born without Mana. My old title was 'the cripple'. Born in a world of magic, yet without Mana. Without my future sight ability, I would have been abandoned by my family," Edward said.
He has no Mana. Even if I'm considered talentless, I still have Mana. But Edward has neither talent nor Mana. That clearly proves he doesn't use magic. In other words, Edward surpassed the limits of his body to stand equal with those who possess Mana.
"I understand now why Lyena chose you as her right-hand man," I said. Edward just scratched his head. I'm sure he was embarrassed.
"Stop talking and train."
Edward threw the blindfold at me.
Senses as strong as Magic Sense. If I could master that, passing the next arc wouldn't be impossible.
Even so, I still failed to clear the training. Out of all the dummies I passed, I hit every single one. Worse, every time I touched even one of them, Edward would hit me.
"What? You think this training is easy? It's not that simple, buddy…"
Because of that, my head ended up with several bumps from Edward's punches. It hurt. I'm not lying. With that, the day's training ended terribly.
"Strange, you don't look disappointed," Edward said.
"Of course. Because I'll repeat this training until I can use senses like yours," I said confidently, making Edward look at me in surprise.
"Fine. Do whatever you want."