Magic is no fun.

"The mana is just a way to reach these mana nodes. Mana, one way or another, is connected to these Mana Nodes, and these Mana Nodes are connected further, creating a huge mesh."

Hiroto was confused. He wondered if the dense cloud he saw yesterday was the node Jamery was talking about. "Then where does the power for the magic come from?"

"From us," Jamery explained. "As we move the mana, the required energy is formed. The way we move the mana determines the output of the spell."

Everything felt incredibly complicated to Hiroto. He was just a high school student, and it felt like he was reading an advanced science book filled with formulas he didn't understand.

"How do we move mana?" Hiroto asked.

"By our will."

"What do you mean?"

"You just need the mental strength to move mana, and when you move it in your desired way, you can do something like this."

Jamery brought his hand forward. Different types of mana started to gather in his palm. Hiroto wondered if Jamery would combine all the mana he gathered in some particular ratio. But he was wrong. The mana began taking a shape: blue mana at the center, white mana at the outer section. Hiroto could even see red mana leaking out.

When he turned his mana vision off, he saw ice coming into existence from thin air.

So this is magic, Hiroto thought, a breakthrough in his mind. He felt he had just grasped the final piece he was missing to use magic.

Jamery continued, "As I said, mana is just a huge mesh. That means everything around us is interconnected. The more you can dive into mana, the more you can unlock the world's wonders."

"More you can dive into... What determines our capability to dive in?" Hiroto pressed, intrigued.

Jamery pointed to his head. "It all depends on your brain, how much it can comprehend at a time."

Hiroto's eyes sparkled. 

"Magic isn't something grand. You can think of it as another type of thing you can sense, like taste, light, sound..." Jarmey continued.

Hiroto hummed thoughtfully, then asked, "Then is there an organ that allows us to sense mana?"

"Organ?" Jamery repeated.

"Yes, like eyes, ears, tongue..."

"No, there's no such thing."

Hiroto looked a little disappointed.

"Well, the closest thing to an organ would be the Mind's Eye." Jamery pointed to the center of Hiroto's forehead. "Many believe that humans have a third eye, and after training for years, they can see mana."

A chill ran down Hiroto's spine. He wondered if the mana he saw was also related to this "third eye." Hiroto wasn't new to this term; it was often used in yoga and meditation on Earth, known as the crown chakra. Hiroto wondered if both worlds had something in common.

Hiroto also remembered other chakras, like the heart and root chakras. He'd seen a fun video online, so he recalled a little about them. He wondered if, like the crown chakra, he could unlock other abilities. But the problem was, he didn't even know how he could see mana in the first place. Maybe he could do something if he could find the reason behind it.

"That's quite interesting to know," Hiroto told Jamery.

Jamery nodded and continued, "Let's start with your first lesson." Hiroto sat there in anticipation. "First step is to sense mana... I should ask, just in case. Can you sense mana?"

Hiroto denied it.

"Then it will be a long journey," Jamery stated.

Hiroto raised one hand. "How can I sense mana?"

"It would be difficult to sense something you've never had."

Hiroto nodded.

"But when you block your five senses, there is a sixth sense that humans are usually unaware of."

Hiroto understood the gist but didn't know how this would help him sense mana.

"You just need to train your sixth sense."

"And how can I do it?"

"It's simple, really. Like I said, you need to block your other senses."

Hiroto watched Jamery in horror. According to Jamery, when he practiced, he wouldn't feel anything or even know where he was. He remembered how he'd felt when he was buried under the snow. Hiroto felt a newfound respect for all mages.

"Do all mages start their training this way?" he asked.

"Not all mages; there are countless other ways as well. But this is the fastest method."

Hiroto was afraid, but he had no choice but to do it to get back home. 

"How can we block the human senses?"

"You don't have to worry about that. Leave that to me."

Hiroto nodded hesitantly. 

"Should we start right away?" 

Hiroto looked around; there was nothing but an open field. He wondered how Jamery would block his senses.

"Okay, let's do it," Hiroto surmised, thinking it was all or nothing.

Jamery looked at Hiroto with a delighted expression. 

"So, what do I do?"

"Just lie down and close your eyes."

Hiroto did as instructed.

"Remember, you won't feel anything. It would be frightening initially, but it won't scare you once you get used to it."

Hiroto nodded. 

"Okay, close your eyes," he heard Jamery say, and then Jamery started to work.

Hiroto felt like he was floating, then sound vanished. It turned dark. He couldn't comprehend whether he was standing straight or lying down. He tried touching his face with his hand, but nothing happened. he couldn't even feel his body. He honestly didn't feel anything. 

Hiroto was anxious. He knew he had to feel something, but no matter how much he tried, he didn't sense anything.

Hours passed, but Hiroto had no sense of time. He wanted Jamery to end it already. Soon, he saw light, and his senses returned to him one after another. He opened his eyes and saw Jamery's face. He had blonde hair that flowed long down his back. Blue eyes like the sky and ocean, and ears...

Wait, what? Why are his ears like that? Hiroto thought.

"With this, we will end today's lesson. Think about what you felt and tell me your views tomorrow," Jamery said.

Hiroto was still dazed, like he was intoxicated. 

Is he an elf? I thought they never came out of the forest, he mused, wondering if what he'd read in the book was wrong.

"We will do this every day. So work hard."

"What!?" His sudden outburst took Jamery aback.

"I said we will do it every day."

"Till when?"

"Until you become a mage."

What about being an adventurer? Hiroto thought. If he were to practice daily like this, he wouldn't be able to join the guild. He felt conflicted because both things were important.

After saying a few more things, Jamery left, and Hiroto returned to his room. He didn't know it would be this hard.

Hiroto recalled everything Jamery had explained.

"Our world is a giant organism. We live in it. Something has to be there to control this giant organism. We mages can use mana and control a small portion of it."

Hiroto pondered this. Mana was like the nervous system in a body, where electrical signals execute commands. He wondered if it was the same here. Mana nodes must be like control centers that could control the mana connected to them. He also asked if, just as there were different types of mana, there would be different mana nodes for each.

Spirits could control mana. It was like having an assistant to do your work. He also remembered Jamery's explanation of the spell he'd used. "I collected water mana and removed fire mana from it." If Hiroto recalled correctly, he had seen three types of mana: blue, red, and white. That would be water, fire, and air, respectively. Why was there air mana there? He wondered. He made a mental note to ask about it tomorrow.

As for being an adventurer, he decided to postpone it until he became a mage. He hoped Gram wouldn't worry about him. He wanted to become a mage as fast as he could.

XXX

Meanwhile, at Adventurer's Guild,

The previous day, Gram had seen a small boy wanting to become an adventurer. He'd tried to stop him, but the boy hadn't backed down. Gram thought maybe the boy had his reasons, and he was right. The boy was lost and struggling to survive. So, Gram took him to Miss Ameda, wondering if she had a solution.

Just as he thought, she came up with one. She told the boy he could be a "trainee," which was never a thing. She had entirely made it up. But under that pretext, they could train and educate him until he could stand alone.

Gram had been shocked to learn that this boy was a noble. He'd been wearing ragged clothes, which Gram hadn't noticed at first glance, but the boy had fair skin and golden eyes. No one could say that boy was ugly. If someone told him he was a noble, Gram would believe it.

What could be the reason for a noble to become an adventurer? 'Amakawa'—I had never heard of such a family. That means he's not from around here. Maybe he's running away from his family. 

Gram didn't want to mess with someone's family business. He'd done everything he could to help the boy, who had promised to return today. But it was already evening now. Gram wondered if something had happened to him. 

He mused that I should have asked him to stay at the Adventurers' Guild. 

Gram was worried about Hiroto.