The next day, I saw many people practicing in the room I was occupying. As described in the book, some were training their physical strength, while others were training their magical powers. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. I immediately opened it. It was Kali who had come to see me.
"Arunika, I have a question for you," Kali said nervously.
"Go ahead. If I can answer it, I will," I replied.
"How do you know I'm stronger than Natori? This is the first time you've seen us both," Kali asked.
Yesterday, after Kali escorted me to my room, I told her that Kali was fundamentally stronger than Natori. I didn't say that without reason. I just couldn't find a proper reason.
"That, I need to confirm first," I replied.
Kali looked confused. I explained to her that I needed to observe and compare the strengths of Natori, Kali, Magnesi, and Kalusi. However, I wasn't allowed to leave the palace, so I had to find another way to verify their strength. I asked Kali if there were any stones of the same weight and shape. Kali replied, "There are, because they're usually used for throwing practice." Without further ado, I instructed Kali to gather some of the stones and summon Natori, Magnesi, and Kalusi. Kali accepted my request.
"Kali, why did you summon us here?" Kalusi asked.
"Arunika wants to observe our strength. Yesterday, she said that my strength is stronger than Natori's," Kali replied.
The three of them looked shocked to hear that. How could they not be shocked? This was the first time someone had been able to determine someone's strength without having to meet them directly.
"What the heck? How can someone from nowhere determine our strength just by looking at them? I don't believe it," Natori said in an annoyed tone.
"I guess what's wrong if she can prove what she's talking about? I'm actually interested in what she's saying," Kalusi replied, looking enthusiastic.
"Tch, okay then. I just have to destroy this rock, right?" Natori said.
"Yeah, just destroy it. Oh yeah, I've modified it a bit to make it more durable. So, good luck destroying it," I replied with a smile.
Although Natori initially refused my request, he eventually did as I asked. He seemed to have a high sense of self-worth. Unlike Natori, Kalusi appeared calm and curious. Meanwhile, Kali and Magnesi seemed determined to be outdone. I was pleased to see their enthusiasm for trying to destroy the rock. "Ugh, why is this rock so hard to destroy?" Natori complained.
"This is strange, I usually break this rock easily," Magnesi said.
"Hmm, I can only crack all the edges," Kalusi said.
"Yeah, I managed to break it," Kali said happily.
Natori and Magnesi were not happy with the results. I explained to them that I had added some ingredients to the rock that were difficult to break. Before conducting the experiment, I had also proven to them that the weight of the rocks was the same and that I had added nothing suspicious to the rock.
Kalusi tried to calm Natori and Magensi down. Meanwhile, Kali was curious about my explanation. Luckily, I had found an explanation that might be acceptable to all four of them.
"Okay, I'll explain why only Kali was able to destroy the rock, even though Kalusi almost destroyed it," I said.
The reason why Kali was able to destroy the stone was because Kali had a greater power core than the others. I explained that everyone who has physical strength must have a power core. Everyone's power core must be different, as well as its size. This is like the size of the atomic radius where the lower it goes, the larger it is because the atomic shell increases and the lower it is because the number of protons increases, thus increasing the force of attraction of electrons. After I explained this, Natori and Magnesi calmed down a bit and accepted my explanation, of course the part about the radius I removed because they definitely didn't understand it.
"Then, can the power core be enlarged?" Magnesi asked.
"I don't know about that. As you can see, I just arrived here a day ago," I replied.
Kalusi tried to comfort Natori and Magnesi. From what I could see, Kalusi seemed the most mature of the group. She could think calmly and grasp the situation. I should learn from Kalusi how to remain calm in any situation.
Rumors about me being able to discern the power of the Alkali and Elkali families had spread throughout the palace. As a result, many were curious to meet me. This led to the king's order that I should be kept out of the palace for three days being immediately revoked. Instead, I was ordered to assess the strength of the other families. Well, I felt both relieved and happy about that. What made me happy was that I was able to see the power of magic, the power I had most desired since I was in school.