Old Friend

Lúthien eagerly pulls V by the arm, breaking into a light jog. V glances around, bewildered by her forwardness. 'Dammit... why is she acting like this?' He attempts to loosen her firm grip, half in jest, half in annoyance. 'Damn! Does she want to rip my arm off!?' Unable to mask his perplexity, he questions, "H-hey Lú, do you need to hold my hand? I mean, look around..."

Lúthien pauses, her brow arching in genuine confusion as she surveys their surroundings. "Huh? I don't see an issue. Is there something bothering you?" she inquires, turning to face V. His frustration simmers beneath the surface, 'I don't recall her being this... oblivious. Does she seriously not care about everyone staring this way?'

Despite his reservations, she reassures him with a dismissive wave, "If you're concerned about everyone's eyes, don't worry about it. It's normal for elves to cautiously look at humans. As long as you're with me, none of them will approach you." Her gaze briefly meets those of the nearby elves, who promptly disperse, feigning disinterest. V resigns with a sigh, 'I don't think that's why they're staring... ah, whatever.' "I see..." he concedes, his tone laced with resignation.

Their journey through the academy culminates at a sprawling, wide building, enveloped in a lush tapestry of plants, with no stone visible to the naked eye. "Sooo, this is all yours?" V inquires, his curiosity piqued. Lúthien beams with pride, "That's right. Since I've been recognized as a young genius of this generation, I get my own buildings," she explains, her smile radiating warmth.

As they enter, V is greeted by an expanse of grass under a glass roof, with trees, vines, flowers, and bushes adorning the perimeter, leaving the center area conspicuously open. Impressed, V whistles appreciatively, "Phwwwwwhht," before letting his blood drop onto the grass. "This place is sick," he comments, cleaning his hand. "But aren't you afraid you might destroy this place while training?"

Lúthien, unfazed, responds with a philosophical calm, "No, everything is bound to die." She casually plucks a purple mango from a tree, taking a bite. "In here, I train my martial arts and connection to nature. There should be no reason for anything to be destroyed." 

V closes the door behind them, moving to the center of the verdant training room. He sits down, crossing his legs, and exhales deeply, closing his eyes in concentration. 'I can't use aura right now, and my mana reserves are low,' he sighs internally. He begins circulating the mana in his core, drawing in the dense mana that permeates the air around them. 'Thankfully, this place is dense in mana,' he muses.

Lúthien observes V with a mix of curiosity and concern, tapping her chin and scratching her head. 'I've never seen a method like this... is he absorbing mana directly into his core? That's extremely dangerous, right?' Her thoughts betray her astonishment at V's unconventional technique. Compelled by intrigue, she sits across from him, pondering the implications. 'More importantly, he uses both mana and aura. Does he have an affinity to both of them?' She recalls the teachings of elder Fëanor: 'Mana and aura have a violent reaction when in direct contact. According to Elder Fëanor, when mana and aura are both circulating in the body, both energies will clash, trying to destroy each other. They don't mix well, like water and fire. This human truly is different...'

After 30 minutes, V exhales a sigh of completion, his face a mask of mild frustration. 'I'm full, too bad I couldn't breakthrough. I'm this close. But I need more information before I do it.' He looks up to find Lúthien sitting in meditation across from him. Stretching, he breaks the silence, "Sorry about that."

Lúthien slowly opens her eyes, her expression serene. "It's alright, it was a good rest," she responds, her voice soft, indicating a peaceful state of mind. She stands up, ready to shift focus from meditation to action.

"Now, let's start your training," V declares with a smirk. 'I want to learn more about harmonization. Is it limited to elves? Or is it limited for those with a high nature affinity? Most of this world is a mystery. Even though I created the story, I left lots of information vague.' 

Lúthien, caught between eagerness and hesitation, smiles awkwardly. "Ugh, u-um, really? Today? Don't you want to rest or eat?" she inquires, clasping her hands together in a gesture of hopeful postponement. V smirks playfully. "Oh~ really? Is that okay?" he teases, turning to face her. "You know, I thought you wanted to train, seeing how your hands began trembling with excitement as soon as I mentioned it~" His voice trails off, a smile broadening on his face. "But if you're really fine with it, I guess we can go—" His suggestion is abruptly cut off by her eager interjection, "No no no! We can train since you're fine with it," she stammers, her determination clear. Taking a deep breath, she affirms, "I really... really want to train right now."

V yawns, "No need for small talk. Let's get you connected to nature." He walks over to a chosen spot, scattering magic stones around them. Lúthien's curiosity is piqued by the stones. "What are these for?" she asks, looking at the scattered stones. V dismisses her question with a wave of his hand, "It's for my research, just ignore them," he explains, his focus on the task at hand. 'These stones should be able to record the unusual natural energy that's produced when she's in deep harmonization.' 

Lúthien announces her readiness with a spirited "Here I come," and charges towards V. He observes her closely, 'there it is again, following the exact flow of nature,' he notes, blocking her attack with precision, matching the force she exerts. Her face lights up with a smile, her attacks becoming faster, and V matches her pace effortlessly. The plants around them begin to react, a green hue emanating from her body, signaling a deep connection with nature.

V surveys the environment, contemplating the unique energy at play. 'It's weird, it's mana but it's incredibly difficult to sense, it feels like wind, a bit denser than pure mana but I think it has the same properties,' he muses, analyzing the phenomenon. Turning his attention back to Lúthien, he observes her radiant joy, her sky-blue eyes and golden hair aglow with a green luminescence. 'How complicated, she's normally calm and reserved but in this state, she does what she wants without thinking it through.'

-

V deftly blocks Lúthien's kick and pushes her back, his analytical mind quickly processing the training session's developments. 'It's been 15 minutes and these plant images started appearing after the five-minute mark. Based on how they appear, they must influence her choice of attack, possibly giving her a buff,' he theorizes, recognizing the subtle enhancements in her combat performance. "Alright, that's enough. Are you satisfied?" he inquires, noting her increased breaths from the exertion.

"Yes, thanks to you I feel better than ever before," she responds, her energy renewed as she walks over to a nearby flower. Her curiosity gets the better of her, "I said I wouldn't ask, but I just can't get it over my head. How are you doing this? I just don't understand how you can make me enter deep harmonization as soon as we spar." She gently touches the blooming flowers, marveling at their response to her presence.

V stretches, his explanation straightforward, "It's not a secret. I'm matching you. I match every attack you make perfectly in sync. I'm not positive, but I think that's why you can easily enter that state," he explains, massaging his temples as he contemplates the simplicity yet complexity of his approach.

Lúthien turns to him, her confusion palpable, "I'm sorry, but how? How are you doing it? I'm lost and confused." V sighs, 'I guess there's no point in hiding it, though I doubt she'll grasp the math,' he muses before revealing, "Well, I'm sure you guessed it, I'm not connecting to nature. I'm using the mana around to predict how nature is moving. I'm also reading your movements to confirm my predictions. I can attack with a different pattern, but following your movements is much simpler."

Lúthien tilts her head, rubbing her temples in an attempt to understand. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," she admits, feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of V's method.

V smirks, 'Look at her, all confused. Math here is just as complicated, but due to magic, there are a lot of shortcuts they can take when writing equations. The thing is, you can't read the flow of mana with magic in a fast-paced environment.' "It's complicated. There's a saying where I come from, 'For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.' If you manage to understand what it means, I'll help you improve your martial arts technique," he proposes, standing up. 'Mana is a form of energy; it follows its own laws. I don't know them all, but I've managed to understand how it moves. I still don't know how Ilka managed to do it without knowing advanced mathematics. That woman is truly a scary monster... As for Lúthien...' he reflects, watching her stand and dust herself off, 'I don't think she'll ever understand it.'

V inquires, "Can you lead me to a kitchen I can borrow?" Lúthien responds with a smile, her tone light, "Sure thing~ So you know how to cook?" V nods affirmatively, "Yeah, I've been cooking for a long time." As he opens the door, he muses, 'I wonder what type of ingredients Elves have. Given their rich culture, there should be lots and lots of seasonings.'

As the door swings open, they are greeted by someone standing outside. The figure before them is tall and lean, with a firm and clean jawline, and grey-golden hair that frames his face. His eyes, a soft plum-purple, hold an indiscernible expression, neither cold nor warm, making it impossible to gauge his emotions or thoughts at a glance.

Lúthien eyes the figure with a hint of surprise, "Ardalos, why are you standing here?" 

Ardalos turns towards her and V, his voice soothing as he replies, "Hmmm... I wonder." Holding a cup, he walks over to the stream of running water nearby. This stream, adorned with runes and magic circles on the stones, ensures the water remains clean and clear of any poison and diseases; the stream travels through the whole city giving fresh water to all. He gently leans the cup into the stream, then lifts it, offering it to V with a graceful motion.

V accepts the cup, his mind acknowledging the gesture, I see, he thinks, before verbally expressing his gratitude, "Thank you," and drinks it all.

Lúthien, rubbing her temples in a familiar gesture of mild exasperation, introduces the silent figure, "V, this is Ardalos. He's my classmate and a good friend of mine."

Ardalos, maintaining his soothing tone, addresses Lúthien with a hint of admiration. "I didn't want to interrupt, it's great to see you're finally improving," he remarks as a hummingbird lands gracefully on his palm. With a gentle motion, he encourages a young flower to bloom, providing a meal for the tiny bird. His voice trails off, "But with a human... I'm sure you—" only to be interrupted by Lúthien, who cuts in with a mixture of annoyance and reassurance, "Ardalos, I understand you're worried, but there's no law that prohibits it. They'll need probable cause."

He hums thoughtfully, acknowledging her point. "That's right, using our arts is unheard of. It won't be long before they make a law." As they walk, V observes Ardalos closely, trying to get a read on him. 'This guy... He's difficult to read, a man who hides all thoughts. He has a damn poker face. Ugh... he's a difficult person. He would've been dead but I've already drastically changed how the story is progressing.'

Noticing V's scrutiny, Ardalos addresses him directly, "Are you alright, little human?" His tone is light, devoid of malice. Lúthien rolls her eyes at Ardalos's playful jab. "Don't tease him and stop referring to him as a human, call him by name," she chides, protective of V's dignity.

Turning to V, Lúthien offers an apologetic smile, "Sorry about him, he likes to tease everyone, though people don't realize it."