Part 13 – The Beginning of Training
To be honest, I was really surprised by what had happened.
Just how far behind I was academically… it really showed the difference between commoners and nobles.
Most kids from the Third Wall, born as commoners, don't get proper magical education—neither before nor after the age of magical awakening.
That's why most top students at the Academy come from noble or middle-class families.
Alright, let's begin.
…Focus. Don't think about anything else.
Oops. I forgot—during meditation, I'm not supposed to think too much.
But what can I do? Unfortunately, it's ingrained in me.
…Inner peace. Inner peace.
In this exercise, I'm meditating to calm myself with magic and mana—to push away stress and stabilize the presence of mana.
The core of magic formation is the mind. I have to visualize the magic In my mind.
Then it connects to the mana that flows through the heart and veins.
Fire represents mana. Wind represents the magic Itself—wind magic.
If I can control both in my mind, I'll complete the first of the four foundational pillars of magic. Three more will remain.
I felt like I could control both fire and wind In the darkness of my mind… until I opened my eyes to tell the teacher—
—and found myself floating in the air again.
This time, Master Ziar forced me to restart the first stage.
Since morning, the same thing kept happening.
Ziar: "How many times do I have to tell you—when you meditate, you must think of nothing but magic."
"You haven't even finished the first stage. You still have three more to go. And you must finish all three in less than three days or else…"
"Yes, Master. I understand."
Ziar: "If you understood, this wouldn't be the result. When you meditate, you must be calm. Got it?"
"It's lunchtime now. I'm going to eat. You won't get lunch until you finish the first pillar—even if it takes until tomorrow."
And he left.
Sister Patolina followed him and wished me luck.
I have to do this. I can do this. I must. I must succeed.
I clenched my fists and began meditating again.
In my mind, I tried to visualize that blue flame along with the wind.
The fire was growing, and the wind was blowing—making the fire stronger, not extinguishing it.
Grrrr (stomach growling)
That was my stomach. I was starving. I hadn't eaten since morning, and now I had to meditate.
I had to learn the four pillars of magic, plus magical visualization and spellless casting—all within a month.
Only then would my real training begin—my three-year training.
Those four pillars allow me to connect the flow of mana to my mind.
Magical visualization means imagining something like a whirlwind and performing it with my hands.
Spellless casting means I don't need to recite incantations for an hour just to activate magic—I just think about it.
Because Ziar said, "if you spend an hour reciting spells, then think about the magic, then perform It—by the time it works, your enemy has already killed you."
And all of this was part of the one-year training I never received.
If I had learned all this last year, I'd be casting magic without spells now—not stuck meditating.
Sigh Forget it. Inner peace. Inner peace.
I got excited imagining food—fried chicken, delicious soup… my mouth watered—
—and I floated up again, then crashed to the ground.
"Ow ow ow… it hurts… it burns… ahh my knee, my knee…"
Sister Patolina wasn't here to heal me. It hurt. She wasn't here to treat the wound.
But I had to get back to training.
I took a breath and started meditating again.
Inner peace. Inner peace.
Then the thought of food came back—and I crashed again.
I trained until evening, but it didn't work.
Ziar returned.
Ziar: "Let's see—did you complete the first pillar?"
I lowered my head. That meant… unfortunately, no.
Ziar placed his hand on his forehead in frustration.
"…How many times do I have to tell you…"
And again, the same lecture. Again, my shame.
Instead of listening, I decided to try visualizing the fire one more time.
One more time. sigh
Ziar: "What did you say?"
"I said… one more time."
And I started again—visualizing fire with wind.
The fire was growing, and the wind wasn't extinguishing it—it was fueling it.
No, no—I had to make sure it wasn't like this morning.
I felt a kind of magic flowing through my body.
Did I do it?
I decided to open my eyes. This time, it wasn't like before.
Ziar was looking at me differently.
Ziar: "Well, you've completed the first pillar."
Me…!
Ziar: "Yes, you did. Now—"
"I… I did it. I really did It!"
Ziar: "Let me give you some advice. Whatever you accomplish—big or small—don't get too excited."
"Always remember this: either be a fool or stay silent. Pretend to be less than you are. Let people think you're weaker than you really are. Then make a big move—and surprise them all."
"From the sound of your stomach, you're clearly starving. Come on… let's get you lunch. The other three pillars are for tomorrow."
End of Part 13
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