12 Warlock Hand

"The name of this glove is Warlock Hand, and the Magic Circles engraved into it have many abilities. There are four abilities in total: Self-Adjustment, Mana Charge, Mana Release and Customised Spell." Mark said as his own Mana caused his hand to glow brightly with a diamond-like light.

"The first ability is as you've seen. It can both change its size and look to fit the user. The second ability stores enough Mana into it for four consecutive Spell Conjurings." Mark continued and aimed his index finger towards a training dummy from afar.

I wasn't unfamiliar with that term 'Spell Conjuring' because it was an advanced technique only those that have mastered and moved on from the Aura Clad technique which Aura Manifestation technique could cast.

It was unlike the Aura Clad sub-technique of Aura Manifestation due to its ability to produce weapons made purely of concentrated Aura along with other phenomenons.

Spell Conjuring was the second technique of Aura Manifestation and is also needed when controlling any kind of Ether. Just like how Father softened the ground under my feet by interacting with the External Energy (Ether) of the world beneath me: Only a person who use this technique could be considered a true Magic User.

The only difference between those who considered themselves Mages and those who considered themselves Swordsman was where they would put their efforts when training.

A person who is adept in using Spell Conjuring would be considered a Mage whilst others who concentrate on using Aura Clad techniques would be considered Warriors. The term Swordsman only refers to a sub-division of Warriors that focused mostly on their swordsmanship.

"Watch carefully." Mark said seriously.

[Spell Conjuring- Burning Slash!]

A blade of flames shot towards the training dummy used for spell practice and burnt a cut through it. A surprised expression appeared on my face as his gift really opened my eyes to new possibilities. At least I won't fall behind others in terms of magical firepower now that I have this great gift- Wait! Why is it that attack seemed different than others? I'm sure a Fireball is supposed to be shaped spherically rather than the shape of a blade... What happened?

Guess I should ask about it later.

"That's amazing~ However, by four consecutive spells, you meant First-Tier Combat Magic, right? What about Third-Tier Combat Magic?" He forced a smile at my questions before looking at the 'Warlock Hand' he wore with a complex gaze. He seemed out of it today... Lost in his own memories.

"That's because this is actually a failed product, it doesn't have the ability to emit Third-Tier Combat Magic... It's still quite useful though. Wait... Isn't your standards a little too high for a kid? Do you even know what Third-Tier Combat Magic actually is?" Mark asked with a frown. I responded by shaking my head after hearing that question. No one informed me about the actual strength of Third-Tier Combat Magic since it seemed normal for servants to be able to cast them in this household.

"Your father is a Rank C Magical Talent and theoretically has enough Mana to consecutively fire off Third-Tier Combat Spells without losing too much energy. However, he is unable to actually succeed in doing so due to his low mastery of Spell Conjuring. He hadn't spent enough time to gain insight into its intricacies or has most likely forgotten then over time...

He IS a Magic Swordsman after all.

Your mother on the other hand, while also being a Rank C Magical Talent, has high mastery of Spell Conjuring despite her weakness in Sword Arts. This is how she, who can use Third-Tier Combat Magic, earned her title of a Wind Magic Sword Mage.

Your father may be considered a Magic Swordsman but his Aura Conjuring only reaches the ability of being able to use First-Tier Spells at most. Which are only fairly useful considering how they are limited to being used to conjure elemental attacks the size of an open hand...

Those who are both extremely skilled in close-combat and use Third-Tier Combat Magic are given noble title of Army-Breakers. This title is one only the Duke of our household has earned through great hardships. The Duke we serve is so strong that his spells could break down an armed fortress!

People who have talent in both Spells and Arts are extremely rare no matter where you look. Especially those who can reach a high level of Arts along with Third-Tier Combat Magic... not everyone can cast them like Tier-Less Magic used by F Ranks." Mark explained everything to me one by one.

His explanation really helped me open my eyes to reality. Just because a person has Mana doesn't mean they will be able to become a master of magic. Otherwise there wouldn't be a problem for everyone on Sphera to know how to cast Spells.

The Swordwick Household would probably be able to rule the entire Drakeyol kingdom if it had that many people who could use such Spells.

Now that I think about it, aren't Spells more useful than martial arts? I wasn't even capable of learning even First-Tier Magical Spells due to my lack of Light Mana, but now that I have 'Warlock Hand', my low Magic Capacity won't matter anymore. I could just refill this magical device using my own Mana which recovers at a pace others would be envious of.

I can finally learn true Spells! Enigma, watch me overcome all odds! Now I can finally learn start to learn First-Tier Combat Spells without your help!

"What does Customised Spell do?" I asked curiously like the child I am.

I don't care if I'm inwardly an bearded old man. Now that I have regained my youth, there's no reason for me to be as disciplined as I was in the past!

"You've already seen it in action. It's a Magic Circle that combines two Spell Conjurings and even drains your Mana through gestures so that it can cast hybridised Combat Magic. I previously used it to combine Wind Cutter and Searing Fireball. Look closely as I'll show you how to use it again." Mark narcissistically put up a façade of high intellect as he demonstrated its power once again.

Look, just because I asked you nicely doesn't mean you should get so full of yourself...! This cocky, cowardly, good-for-nothing- Hah... At least he's back to usual self. The seriousness he sometimes shows is way too different from his usual happy-go-luck look of carelessness he normally displays.

[Spell Conjuring- Dust Slash]

He waves his finger, and as a result, a blade of compressed soil sliced another wooden dummy in the training ground.

"That one was weaker than the one you showed me before." I said suspiciously.

"What are you talking about? You can't expect all Combat Magic to be of the same standard. It's natural that the Fire Spell I added the first time would increase the attack power of my Customised Spell. There isn't any other Enchanted Glove that can use this kind of ability which can mix different Spells! You should be thankful I decided to gift this to you as a present. Even a normal Swordsman could become a Magic Swordsman if he used Warlock Hand." Mark retorted depressingly.

He looks a lot less pumped up now than was previously. Maybe I should have praised his precious gift a little more... It really is an amazing Enchanted Item that gives a lot of choices to its user.

Mark gave me Warlock Hand while also looking pitifuly depressed after seeing my lack of reaction. I know I should show my thrilled expression on the outside for him to see but I get the feeling that wouldn't be a good idea to so that.

Whenever I have a hunch, I always follow it!

This rare Enchanted Item Mark gifted is perfect for me! I couldn't help but fantasise about my huge boost in capabilities since I now actually had a treasure that could mix Mana of various attributes together.

As a guy with low Magical Talent but a high amount of affinities, gaining the ability to customise Spell Conjurings from my manifested Aura was a huge advantage!

There're so many things I can do now that I've gained something like this glove. I might even be able to create my own unique Spells if I relied on it.

"Forget it. Here's your present. Don't lose it." Mark took a deep breath and said dismissively, but his dastardly eyes brightened after seeing someone behind me... Oh please, not her...!

My back stiffened as I saw the laughter in his eyes... Maybe I shouldn't turn around to see who was able to evade my senses and sneak up on me... (As if I even need to guess.)

"I'll leave you two alone for now. It seems she wants to give you a present as well." Mark nonchalantly laughed before abandoning me to my fate!

'Mark, you traitor! What happened to entrusting me with your hopes? Why wouldn't you warn me of incoming danger? Have you never heard of never leaving a man behind!?' I forced a smile while turning towards the person I'd usually avoid most. It's not that I hated her or anything like that... The only problem I have with her is how she usually greets me.

"Anna, how-" Just as I was about to say something to excuse myself, two hands grasped my cheeks like lightning. My cheeks reddened in pain as a result of her pinching...

"Aw~! You're so cute~ Look at the time fly~ It seems like only yesterday I used to hold your little body in my arms, and now you've grown into such a big boy~!" Anna reminisced while casually pinching my cheeks. Her words were like an old woman's, which contrasted to her actual young age and appearance.

Urgh... She sounds unbelievably old!

"Anna, act your age." I said seriously as I backed away from her. My cheeks felt swollen by her pinching. Wait... I feel awkward after remembering the rebuke I had just said with such a straight face.

I, an eighty year old soldier who's alright about acting like a child in front of my parents, told Anna to act her age? What is the world coming to...!

Actually, now I'm glad she pinched my cheeks. They would have turned red from pure embarrassment anyway since I couldn't ignore my own words...

"Shouldn't you be tutoring Merilin right now?" I said in order to swiftly change the subject. My fallen brothers of my past life, feel proud because I have finally mastered the art of 'Bending Rivers to save a Nation'!

The 'Bending River to save a Nation' Art I learnt from my past life was a technique my quick-witted brother-in-arm in the past who'd always avoid getting lectured by our commander. That troublesome guy's talent in escaping responsibilities were top-notch. No one could match his 'skills'!

It's just sad that his actual ability to escape dangerous situations wasn't faster than steel bullets. Anna kind of reminded me of that comrade of mine who I never had the chance to ask the name of... Though their looks aren't in any way similar, the atmosphere that surrounds them is exactly the same.

They both gave a feeling like they are merely streams going with the flow.

"You and Merilin are going to be learning together from now on. She doesn't need me home tutoring her anymore. Ahh~! Why did your father have to be so strict? Now that he's pulled some strin- I mean, helped you apply for a spot in an academy. We won't be able to see each other that often anymore~!" She said in sadness.

Anna, you're not fooling anyone. Only an completed idiot would fall for your lie after such a major slip of tongue. How is someone as easy to read as you a Ninja? You shattered my dreams of seeing a badass Ninja in this life!

After moving on from my thoroughly disappointed expectations, I remembered why my father was so eager to send me into a magical 'Academy' in the first place. The war against the Blood Nation has calmed down recently but this doesn't mean humanity has forgotten their hatred for the Barbarians that have killed many of their people...

From what I've heard, the prideful leaders behind enemy lines have only showed themselves once in the entire span of the Holy War of the past. There's definitely something amiss if the forces humanity has been fighting all this time wasn't the Blood Nation's full force... Maybe this is the reason why royalty from all over Sphera started to join forces.

"Anna!" My sister ran towards the training ground and called her out.

"What's wrong?" Anna turned around and asked in surprise, but after seeing the expression of my mother who was following behind her, she froze up.

"Simon, here's your special birthday present. It's one of my favourite knives from the most precious collection I have. Please be sure not to lose it anywhere, okay? Bye bye now~!" She spoke in a tone of dread before shooting off her feet the same way father did. Is mother THAT scary...?

"What have I said about slacking when teaching? It seems we need a real thorough talk about your careless habits~" My mother said with a bright smile which still didn't reach her eyes.

"I'm sorry!" Anna pleaded and escaped in panic like a scared rabbit. This caused me and my little sister Merilin, who were left behind on the Training Grounds, to look at each other awkwardly.