Five days later, Zeha arrived in the Southern District of Bern City. His destination this time was Herio Forest, located on the outskirts of the city. He could immediately figure out where it was because he had once worked in the Southern District as a food delivery man.
Herio Forest was home to many kinds of animals. Although not particularly dangerous, there was a certain area within the forest inhabited by wild animals that possessed magical energy. Because of that, Herio Forest was no longer heavily populated by ordinary residents.
Zeha walked quite a distance. The directions written on the piece of paper the grandma had given him were very limited. Even so, Zeha wasn't afraid of getting lost, as he had visited this forest many times before.
Before long, he spotted a small hut far away from where he was standing. At first, Zeha doubted whether the hut belonged to the grandma, but he didn't have much time to stand around. So, he stepped forward and began walking toward it.
It wasn't very big, but more than enough for someone living alone. Though, it looked terrible and rather fragile.
"I didn't expect the grandma to live here. Is she poor?" Zeha recalled the first time he met her, she had asked him to buy bread. She certainly seemed like a beggar.
"Could it be that she lied about my magical abilities?! What if she only wants to take advantage of me, then sell me off?!"
Zeha suddenly panicked and grew restless. He glanced left and right as if searching for something. Then, he turned around to leave. But his movement stopped the moment he noticed the grandma, who somehow was already standing right behind him, carrying a deer over her back.
Zeha's panic worsened. But he quickly masked it so she wouldn't suspect anything. He had already formed a bad impression of her.
Zeha forced a bright smile, scratching the back of his neck. "Ah, grandma. Since when have you been there?"
"Since just now," the grandma replied flatly.
"I see," he chuckled awkwardly. He felt relieved she hadn't heard him accusing her of plotting against him earlier.
His gaze shifted to the deer slung over her shoulders. "G-grandma, you caught a deer, huh?" he asked awkwardly.
"If you already know, why bother asking?" she replied. Zeha could only laugh dryly, unsure how else to act. His panic had already taken over.
"Here, grandma, let me carry it for you. It must be heavy, right?" Zeha offered with a sweet smile, anything to dissolve this awkwardness.
"This isn't heavy at all," she said, walking into the hut. "Since you're here, let's eat first."
Zeha stood still, not intending to enter. The suspicion from earlier still lingered in his mind. The grandma realizing he wasn't moving, stopped at the doorway.
"Don't worry, my words back then weren't a lie. I won't use you, and sell you. So just relax," she said, then stepped inside.
Zeha froze. Only then did it hit him, she had heard everything he said earlier. His whole body went stiff, and suddenly, he felt unwell.
-
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After lunch, the grandma took Zeha to the basement of her home. It might sound absurd, considering the hut's poor condition. Zeha thought so too, until they actually reached it. The basement was in far better condition than the hut above. It was spacious, sturdy, and made from high-quality materials.
Zeha couldn't hide his amazement as he looked around.
"Did you build this basement alone?" he asked, following her from behind.
"Yes. It's also reinforced with magic, making it five times more durable. It wasn't easy, but I managed in the end. This room is useful for shelter in case of outside attacks," she explained.
Zeha's eyes sparkled, as if he had just learned something incredible.
"Um, grandma." Zeha stopped walking, lowering his head slightly, his gaze turning somber.
"Hm?" She stopped too.
"Can I really master a magic? The only reason I came here was because I hoped my syndrome could be cured."
The grandma was stunned. She turned around, her expression questioning. "Syndrome? What nonsense are you—"
"I know my syndrome is extremely difficult to cure—almost impossible. But you spoke as if you knew a way to heal it! That's why I came here!" Zeha cut her off, raising his voice.
"Hey, what are you talking abou—"
"I even considered giving up, knowing my syndrome was impossible to heal! But still…!" Zeha winced, both fists clenched tightly at his sides, as if holding back tears.
"I still tried not to give up and kept going…!" he added.
The grandma truly had no idea what he was talking about.
"What exactly are you saying? Do you have some kind of serious illness or something?" she asked in confusion.
"Huh?" Zeha's eyes widened in shock. He blinked several times, baffled. "Didn't you know I can't develop any magical skills?"
"Yes, and?"
"Huh?" Zeha grew even more confused. He had assumed she knew the reason he couldn't progress in magic. But was it all just a misunderstanding?
"Isn't the reason I can't develop magic because I have mana blockage syndrome?"
"What?! What kind of nonsense is that?!" she exclaimed. "What fool told you that?"
"The professors from the academy I attended," he replied.
"Which academy?" she asked.
"Callister Academy."
"Tch. What on earth are those worm-brained fools doing? Calling this boy a mana blockage syndrome… They're idiots, but I didn't think they could be this stupid," she grumbled, clearly furious.
Zeha, meanwhile, remained confused and admittedly surprised that she dared call the esteemed professors of Callister Academy idiots.
Callister Academy was one of the most prestigious institutions in the Alexander Empire. Their reputation was excellent, producing many top-tier swordman mages. The teachers and professors there were far from ordinary. And yet, she had casually called them fools.
The grandma let out a heavy sigh to calm herself. Then she turned her attention back to Zeha, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Listen, dear. What you're experiencing right now is not some ridiculous mana blockage syndrome," she said, making Zeha's eyes go wide.
"W-what do you mean, grandma?" He could hardly believe it, especially since the diagnosis had come from one of the academy's most renowned professors.
"Listen. You do not have mana blockage. The concept itself is completely different. Mana blockage patients rarely survive beyond five years after birth. Mana is like oxygen in the body, if it's blocked and left untreated, it will explode and cause death. No one can live a normal life with that syndrome," she explained sternly.
Still, Zeha looked lost. She noticed this and decided to take a step back.
"I'll just show you directly," she said, putting some distance between them. "Watch closely."
Moments later, a stream of blue smoke erupted from her body, shaped like blazing flames. The flow grew faster and larger. Zeha could feel the intense pressure radiating from her.
His eyes widened in awe.
"Wow..." he whispered. He never imagined the grandma, whom he had mistaken for a beggar, possessed such powerful magical energy.
"See? This is magical energy released by channeling mana through the whole body at maximum capacity," she explained, then dispelled the magic.
"So that's magical energy?" Zeha asked, still in awe.
"Correct. Magical energy increases as you train it. But it also depends on how much mana you have. You can actually gather mana from your surroundings to create magical energy—though not everyone can do it."
Once again, her explanation left Zeha amazed.
"Now it's your turn."
"Huh?" Zeha froze, as if she had just said something absurd.
"Try doing what I just did," she told him.
"Huh? There's no way I can do that, grandma!" Zeha protested.
"Just try it."
"No! It's impossible, right?" he argued nervously.
"I said try it!" she snapped, smacking him on the head hard enough to make him wince.
He rubbed the spot gingerly, it hurt, even if it wasn't that hard.
"O-okay…" He had no choice but to obey.