| Meeting and Private Lessons (4)|

"Just as I thought. Your body is in a dangerous state…"

I stared blankly at him. Through constant use of mana rotation and meditation, my body should be a lot healthier than even the most well-fed four-year-old...Well, if Merlin is excluded.

Virion, noticing my doubtful gaze, pressed his palm on my sternum at a certain angle, triggering a familiar searing pain.

"Urgh!"

"Your mana manipulation is good for a beginner despite your age, and your sword techniques and fighting experience are frightening enough to make me wonder what sort of life you had led to learn all of this." His eyes narrowed. "But you failed to mention one critical thing in your story earlier."

I could feel my heartbeat beginning to rise as I started to suspect that he found out about Sylvia.

"I've decided. Arthur, Merlin, become my disciples!" He nodded, throwing me entirely off guard.

Merlin who is being supported by Tessia could only mutter,

"Disciple?"

"It means student" Tess said.

"STUDENT! HORAAAA!" Merlin yelled, as if he's not exhausted at all.

I just stared at this old bat, dumbfounded.

'What was this old bat saying?'

"What? You can't be serious, right?" I managed to blurt out.

He just tilted his head in response, "Why not? Even your friend there seemed excited about being my disciple"

"F-for one thing! He's...always excited and we're humans! Is it even allowed to have humans in this kingdom? Also, I need to make sure my family is okay and tell them I'm still alive," I refuted.

At this, the grandpa went silent as he pondered a little bit before speaking again.

"Living here isn't a problem as long as you're under my name. As for your parents…Brat, is it an absolute necessity to meet them in person?"

It was my turn to ponder this time.

"I mean, I guess it isn't strictly a necessity for me to meet my parents in person. Although I miss them, the most important thing is finding out how they're doing and letting them know that I'm fine if they are as well," I answered.

"Then come with me tomorrow morning; be outside the manor by six in the morning, sharp."

Before he turned to leave, I stopped him, "Wait! I don't get why you want us as your disciples. Also, you sound awfully hurried. Isn't it possible for me to go back home and spend a bit of time with my parents before coming back here to train under you?"

"I want you to be my disciples because I see your potential, Kid. An uncountable number of people have asked me to take them in as their disciple, from rich to poor, from young to old. But do you know how many I've taken in so far? None! These new generation brats bore me. Just because some of the wealthy noble brat's parents thought their kid was special, they thought they were qualified to ask me to be their mentor"

I just furrowed my brows, not knowing where Tessia's grandpa is going with this.

"...You're different. I know you have exceptional talent in mana manipulation and only God knows how but you possess better technique than even I. As for that Merlin brat, he may have wild and unrefined technique but his talent in mana manipulation surprised me the most. But that isn't the reason why I decided on teaching you. Brat…I need to ask you. How are you a beast tamer?" Any sort of amusement that had been on his face previously was all but gone as his sharp facial feature emitted a deathly gaze.

"beast tamer? What are you talking about?" I was really confused. Although it was getting well into the night and the elder had already sent Tessia in to sleep, it didn't seem like this conversation was going to end soon. Merlin is now able to stand and walk on his own without the need for support.

"Let's go back inside and talk. You too brat" he said, leading Merlin and me to a living room with couches and a roaring fireplace.

Sitting down on a couch, he continued. "Let's start from the beginning. I assume you know that mana beasts possess mana cores just like humans, elves and dwarves right?"

I nodded at this.

"Right. Just like mana beasts, humans, elves and dwarves possess qualities in their mana cores that are distinct to their own race."

He picked up a piece of paper and began drawing a chart.

Water – Ice

Plant

Earth – Gravity

Magma, Metal

Fire – Lightning

Wind – Sound

"These are the four basic elements and their higher forms. The higher forms—Ice, Metal, Lightning, Sound—can only be controlled by mages especially adept at a particular basic element, i.e. a 'deviant'. This is where the distinct racial qualities lie..." He wrote a brief description under each race

-Humans

Human mages possess the ability to manipulate all four basic elements and are the only race capable of having deviants that can control the higher form of their adept element. They also have deviants that can even transcend the four basic elements, like healers (emitters), making their mana cores the most diverse.

-Elves

Elven mages can only manipulate water, wind, and earth but with much higher affinity. We also have a special trait distinct to our race that allows very pure-blooded mages to control plants. However, elves don't have deviants that can manipulate water, wind, and earth into their higher forms.

-Dwarves

Dwarven mages can only manipulate earth and fire but, like elves, they possess a much higher affinity to those two elements. Their distinct trait lies in the fact that all dwarves are able to mold and bend metal, while some deviants possess the special ability to manipulate both earth and fire into magma, something even human deviants are not able to do, much less elves. However, they can only manipulate those two basic elements and, like elves, do not possess the ability to control the higher form of the basic elements.

"Wait I'm not getting all of this. Why can't humans manipulate plants and magma?" I asked while reading his handy info chart.

"Good question. Only elves can manipulate plant, which is the only form of nature that is alive, because of our lineage being highly affinitive to the nurturing elements. Only the Dwarf race can manipulate magma and metal because, like us elves, their lineage makes them highly adept to the constructing elements."

I started subconsciously rubbing the bridge of my nose as my brain whirled.

"Okay. I get the differences between the three three races, but what does that have to do with me being a beast tamer? What does that even mean anyway?"

"...Only 10 elements?" Merlin who's been silent this whole time spoke out.

"I'm getting to that you brats!" he barked.

"Mana beasts are different from the three humanoid races because each species have their own special characteristics. Listing all of them would be endless so I'll give you a simple example. Mages, adventurers or not, are classified: E, D, C, B, A, AA, S, SS class. This classification is the same for mana beasts as well. Take the sonic hawk. They are B Class beasts that possess incredible speed while in flight. They all have to affinity for wind and sound. These attributes are innate in their mana cores. Regardless of their affinity, if these mana cores are taken out and given to a human or elf mage that specialize in the wind element, their training will go by much faster than just cultivating mana from their surroundings but that's it."

We impatiently waited as elder Virion gulped down a glass of water before continuing.

"…However! When a mana beast reaches A class or higher, they have the ability to pass on their 'will', or ability to be more precise, to one person. I called you a beast tamer earlier because you have a mana beast's will in your mana core and from my estimation, not just any will but an S class mana beast's will if not an SS class will. I'm only able to sense this because I'm a beast tamer as well, although the beast's will that I tamed was an AA class beast, the shadow panther."

'So that's how he was able to be so unusually fast.'

Noticing the look of revelation on my face, Elder Virion just chuckled.

"Yes brat, I was able to bully you that badly by utilizing my Shadow Panther's will. But I only used around 50% of my speed." He shot us a wink.

"Really?!" Merlin showed his surprised.

'He was able to go even faster?'

Everything was beginning to make sense; the strange, faint markings that appeared on my mana core after Sylvia gouged through it and how she said my future progress would depend on understanding her power.

My eyes welled up with tears as I lowered my head, trying to keep my tears from falling.

"You must have been through a lot, child. I'm not going to push you for an answer, but the reason why it is urgent for me to guide you is because you don't have much time." He said in a warm but stern voice.

"What do you mean?" I sniffled, looking up at him. I felt a pat on my back...which is from Merlin.

'A kid is consoling me...'

"The power from your mana core is too strong for your immature body to handle. Let me ask you this, boy. Have you recently felt a burning pain coming from your mana core." The look on my face must've confirmed his suspicions because he nodded solemnly.

"If you don't learn to control your new mana core, it'll destroy your body." His eyes looked straight at me, dissolving any doubt I may have had.

"…"

"I understand. It seems I have no choice but to be under your guidance. However, I don't think I would be able to focus on training without making sure that my family is all right and that they know I'm safe too. You mentioned something about that earlier?" I say, trying to put my emotions under control.

"Haha! Just call me Grandpa from now on. My first disciples should at least be able to call me that. And who knows, maybe I'll become your grandpa-in-law." He shot me another wink.

He chuckled as my eyes widened in response before continuing. "We'll go see an old friend of mine tomorrow that'll take care of your worries. What I need from you starting now is your utmost diligence. Even I'm not sure how long it'll take for you to master the basics of your beast's will. In my two hundred years of living, I've never seen such a young mage, let alone a beast tamer at that. You're going to bring big changes into this world brat. I just know it."

I just scratched my cheek, my cheeks hot from embarrassment.

"Go to sleep now brat! Tomorrow is going to be a long day. You'll need the rest."

I got up and bowed before wishing him goodnight. "Goodnight…Grandpa."

He chuckled, waving me off.

***

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