Chapter 14

A few months passed, and we got through half of my school year. The only thing I learned in that entire time; is don't overexert your mana. Why? BECAUSE YOU CAN'T LEARN ANY NEW SPELLS UNTIL YOU'RE FULLY HEALED UP!

"Alright everyone, who can answer my question?" I raised my hand. "Mana is molecules floating around in our bodies in mana veins that go wherever they're needed." She nods. "Very good, Balere. It seems you're time not learning spells is of good use." I mentally rolled my eyes. Someone knocked on our door. Ms. Oriol walked toward the door and opened it.

"Good morning, kids. As most of you know, I'm the headmaster." He walks past Ms. Oriol and stands in front of us at the podium. "You all are the strongest kids your age. I and a few donators that support the school had a meeting, and in that meeting, we came to a conclusion," He said before snapping.

A man entered the room. His eyes were feline, and they narrowed when they looked at us all. He had dark green hair on top, but it got lighter as it went down. He wore a green sleeveless shirt with a brown vest on top and tan pants. His shoes looked like hiking shoes, but they were used for other functions.

"This is Ailuros, and he is a master swordsman." Everyone around me got excited. I relaxed, and the feline man noticed. "Ailuros, allow me to introduce my pick. Balere, stand."

I stood up and bowed. "Greetings, Ailuros." The cat seemed surprised. "You speak without moving your mouth, and you know the beastman tradition of bowing when meeting a superior." I raised an eyebrow. That's something they do. "Balere has a vocal disorder, so he uses an artifact to speak. As for the beastman tradition, I'm sure it was just a coincidence," He said before winking at me.

"Well, Balere, do you have any experience with a sword?" I rubbed the back of my head. "Just a little. Not a whole lot." He motioned for me to sit, so I did without a second thought. This guy is kind of intimidating... I turned to Celesse to see her staring at him with admiration. Weird.

"This class will now be cut into two halves. In the first half of school, you will learn with Ms. Oriol, and in the later half, you will learn swordsmanship with Ailuros. Does everyone understand?" All of the students nodded. "Good. Meet me at the training field after this class." They walk out, and the cat man puts his hands in his pocket. As he walks out, I noticed a tail sticking out of his pants. "Alright, so where were we?"

I heard the bell ring, and Celesse instantly shot up. "What's got you so excited?" She turned to me. "We're training with the Ailuros!" I cocked an eyebrow. "Is he famous or something?" ms. Oriol nodded. "He's a famous adventurer. Now hurry up."

I put my bag on, and Celesse grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the class. We bobbed and weaved through our other classmates, and exited the school.

I was covered in dust and dirt by the time we made it to the training grounds. "Nice to see the headmaster's pick be bullied by a girl," He said, widdling a stick with a knife. Everyone laughed as I stood up. "So, Balere, was it? You said you know a little bit about swords?" I nodded. "Alright, who taught you?"

"An old man named Garnett," The man stopped widdling his stick and smirked slightly, his eyes narrowing. This time, it didn't look like it was out of suspicion, but more like excitement. "That old coot is still kicking? Excellent."

He threw me a training sword, and I rested it on my shoulder. "Today, I'm going to demonstrate something for you kids. Take notes. Balere, come up here."

He led me onto a small, raised platform. I got into position and took a deep breath. I felt mana envelope my body before he knocked me on the head with his sword. "No mana. We're doing this like good little boys and girls. Like... oh what's the word... pusillanimous!" I laughed a little. "Oh, and you can't say the full word?"

"No, I can't. I'm a sweet little innocent boy, after all. Did Garnett teach you that word?" I shrugged. "I'm not one to say."

"Let's just start." He also got into position, and I could see a thin layer of mana envelope his body. Says I can't use it, and then he goes ahead and does it. I took a step forward, and then immediately blocked my left side. A loud thwack resounded throughout the area. "Good reflexes," He said before raising his sword. "Thanks, my mommy says I'm special." I leaped forward and swiped upward. He parried it easily.

I don't have the strength from my mana to keep my strength consistent, so I'll mostly have to block and parry, and only attack when I have the chance. He kept swinging and thrusting, but I managed to keep up with him every time. Finally, when he raised his sword above his head, I thrust my sword at his head.

"Yowch!" He was protected by mana, so it wasn't enough to make him bleed, but it was to make him drop his sword. "Excellent, Mr. Balere. Unfortunately, you aren't very good at paying attention." He suddenly disappears, and that was when I realized what was about to happen. I quickly turned and put my sword to block, but I was too slow.

His sword knocked me over, making me drop my sword. I looked up and saw that he was behind me. "That's an issue you need to fix without the help of mana. Make sure you have an eye on everything around you. Everyone understands?" I turned to see everyone nodding while writing that down.

He handed me a rag, and I wiped off my forehead. "You said we wouldn't use mana, but you still were," I said, handing it back to him. "You noticed?" I nodded. "I examined you when you first walked in. Your eyes can see the mana levels of a person, and you were immediately drawn to Celesse first," I said, pointing to her.

"Anything else?" He asked. "You cover your ears with your hair, which is dyed. If I didn't see your eyes, I would have guessed you were a normal human, but because of them, I looked around more and saw your tail barely peeking out through your pants."

He nods. "You're very good. One after another, you got everything correct. Although, I wonder, why are you the headmaster's pick if you have a lower mana level than that girl?" I rubbed the back of my neck. "I overexerted my mana, and so I wasn't allowed to learn any new spells." He leaned in closer. "Using Bolt? Would you like to show me?" I smirked. "I'd love to."

He handed me a wooden wand, and I denied it. I touched the ground and made a makeshift wand. I pointed it at the farthest target. Put a little of my mana into it... The mana at the tip of the wand became black. And some of the atmospheres... It slowly began to turn grey.

It shot out at a high speed, and almost destroyed the target. "For someone who overexerted himself last time, that was impressive. Any tricks?" I shook my head. "Just practice, sir." I put the and back where I put it before the ground closed up.

"I think you've practiced too much. Your mana usage is excellent, but it might not stay the same way for all of your life. I would recommend easing off it and focusing on something else," He said sternly. "And I'm guessing that something is going to be swordsmanship?" He slightly smirked before turning to the class.

"I believe Balere told me your name was Celesse?' He asked, looking down at her. She eagerly nodded. "Would you care to duel me?" She instantly shot up. I sat down next to where she was sitting as I began to watch their fight. "By the way, I'll allow you to use mana, whether to protect yourself from my attacks or to make yours more powerful."

She raised her sword and ran at him. She swung aimlessly at him, but because her sword was imbued with a large amount of mana, it pushed him back. "I see you've also been practicing your mana manipulation. I suppose I should treat you the same way I dealt with Balere."

I felt a chill run down the length of my spine as an intense aura surrounded him. He cracked his neck before taking a step forward. "I... surrender!" He released his aura, and Celesse fell to her knees before grabbing her throat. I ran up to her and helped her up. "You OK?" She nods.

I looked up at the beastman, who winked at me. Was he trying to show me something during the fight? "Balere, I said I was fine..." I realized I was still holding on to her, so I let go. "Alright children. I don't have the time to fight every single one f you, so I think we can just leave it at that. For the next... what is it, four years? Anyway, for the rest of your time here you all will become masters at swordsmanship."

I was about to leave when Celesse grabbed my bag. "hey, wait up. We go the same direction to get home." I looked at her curiously. "We do? I never see you when I walk home." She nods. "It's because you walk so fast. Jeez, it's like trying to race Sleipnir." I stopped in thought. Sleipnir? Isn't that Norse? Latin names with Norse creatures... Well, that doesn't make a lick of sense.

I continued walking with her until we got to a crossroads. "I'm going this way. I'll see you tomorrow!" She waved as she walked off. I sighed before began walking again. And here I thought we would b next-door neighbors. Turns out, we live somewhat close to each other.

I got onto my street before realizing I wasn't paying attention. I bumped into someone and fell. "Oh my lordy! I am so sorry! Here, let me help you up!" I looked up and saw a lady with blonde hair and auburn hair. She helped me up before looking at me strangely. "Do I know you? I feel like I know you." I shrugged. She does seem familiar...

"Aunt Adela!" She whipped around to see Lucille running toward her. Oh! My aunt! Yeah, I remember her now.

Adrian quickly followed after her, getting hugged. "Adela, it's so nice to see you!" My mother said before hugging her. "It has been a while, hasn't it? How are you doing? You haven't been the same since Balere died." Lucille raised an eyebrow before turning to look at me. I put a finger to my lips, insinuating that I wanted her to stay quiet. She grinned widely catching onto my plan.

"Well, actually, I have news about that," She said before looking at me. Adela also turned, confused. "Am I missing something?' I smiled and held out my hand. "Hi, my name is Balere Lowell. Very nice to meet you."

"You're alive?! No way!" She turned between my mother and me multiple times. "It's true. he didn't die and was actually living with the beastmen. "That's awesome! You must have gotten super strong in the time we've last met, huh?' She picked me up and carried me inside. I think this is the first time I've been picked up since the accident.

She set me down near the table. "Are your kids also here?" I asked. "Dominic is, but the twins aren't." Mother gave me a strange look. "How'd you know she has kids? I don't remember ever telling you that..."

"I don't know, I just remembered them." The two adults looked at each other before turning away. "Anyway, I'm going to go train."

I hopped up from my seat and walked out to the backyard. "So, let's say, hypothetically, I can control all four main elements. That means I might be able to control their deviances, like sounds, ice, lightning, and gravity. This might be a little difficult, though..."

I sighed and sat with my legs crossed. "I can already control ice. I somewhat have something close to lightning with Bolt, but that's not good enough for me." I took a deep breath and looked within myself to see my mana. The particles were almost stagnant, just barely moving through my body. I began channeling it into my hand, and I saw a cluster start to pile there.

The feeling I get when I use Bolt makes me... tingly. I felt a crackle spawn from my arm and hit the ground. I can feel the ground as if it's my own... Is it because I can also use Earth Magic, or is it because of the lightning?

I stood up and took a deep breath. "I still don't have it..." From my left, I heard an unfamiliar voice. "It sure looks like you do." I turned to see a boy, around the age of eighteen, with brown hair and dark, auburn eyes.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" He nodded. "The only time I've met you was when you were turning one, so it's been a while since then. I'm Dominic." I shook his hand. I felt the mana emanating from him and could tell he was at least a few stages ahead of me.

"You're surprisingly strong for your age. You must be training every day." I nodded. "I've recently become stagnant in my progress, but that's only because I overexerted my mana too much." He nodded. "Yeah, that does it. What spell did you use?"

"Bolt. I assume you're familiar with it?" He nodded. "I m, although I learned it a few years older than you. What school—" He was cut off by Adela. "Boys! Come inside for dinner!"

We went inside and sat at the table, my sibling on either side of me. In front of us sat a big fat bird, roasted to perfection. "I'm surprised you got one of these," My father said before sitting down. "Well, that's what happens when you do a favor for a congressman."

We heard a knock on the door and my father got up. "I'll get it. He walked over to the door and opened it. "Oh, you're back already?' He moved so the man could enter.

"Uncle Kasan!" The three of us kids jumped up and ran to him. "What's up,, you guys? I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" Adela shook her head. "We're about to eat, but that's all."

"Sorry, Adela. I'm here to talk to Balere about his throat problems. let's go talk out back." The two of us exited the house and stood out back. "Damn, this dummy is radiated mana. How many times has this been redone?' He asked me. "More than a thousand, I think. Anyway, my voice?" He turned to me. "That was an excuse so that no one would come and talk to us. I have the gift you so kindly asked for."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box before handing it to me. I quickly opened it, and in front of me lay a sleek, metal sheet.

"So, what do I do with this?' I asked. He sighed and pulled out a pin. He pricked my finger and smeared my blood on it. I turned it around and words began appearing.

Balere Lowell

Level 4

HP: 62/83

MP: 90/127

[Beastman's Blessing][Mana Manipulation][Water][Earth][Ground][Fire][Reincarnate][Beginner Swordsmanship][Mana Absorption][]

"What are these things in the brackets?" I asked. "Those are magic/skills you can use. You probably only have one or two, but—" I cut him off. "I count nine, and an empty one. What does that mean?" He quickly grabbed my status plate. He read them to himself before being confused. "I don't know what [Mana Absorption], [Reincarnate], or [Beastman's Blessing] means, but the others are straightforward. [Mana Manipulation] basically just lets you use mana, by the way. If you tap on them, it'll bring up a little window only you can see."

He handed it back to me and I tapped on [Reincarnate].

[Reincarnate]

~A being from a different world? I hardly know her! This skill gives a learning speed bonus of 110% on all skills and magic, and also adds 4 points of power~

Sounds simple enough. And what about [Beastman's Blessing]..?

[Beastman's Blessing]

~Can only be obtained by a Beastman Chief. Tutelage from a Beastman Chief is a rare thing, even for a beastman. Increases power and HP by 3 points~

Good thing I was sent there. How about [Mana Absorption]?

[Mana Absorption]

~One of the few who have realized there's mana in the atmosphere. Gives the ability to use mana in spells, making them more potent until a certain point. Not only does it refill your mana 30% faster, but it also increases spell power and increases stamina by 4 points~

Does [Basic Swordsmanship] give me any special perks?

[Basic Swordsmanship]

~A wee little one swinging a sword around, how cute. Increases power and stamina by 3 points when holding a sword~

"And now for just the brackets..." He tapped on it, and something unexpected came up.

[]

~The gods are staring down at you. They seem to have taken a liking to you, so they've given you something special. Gives horns that grow with the knowledge of [Mana Manipulation] and increases MP and power by 50 points when special conditions are met, and 5 points normally. Increases MP stat as horn's progression continues.

Progression: .2%~

"Kasan, what does MP stand for?" He looks at the card. "I guess I should have taught you this before letting you go around. HP stands for Health Points, your total is when you're as good as you can be, and it goes down when you get hurt or you're weary to the extreme. MP stands for Mana Points. When it's full, you have a lot of mana left, but when it gets closer to zero, you'll start to constrict from mana overuse."

That'll be useful for when I'm in the middle of something like a skirmish. "Oh, right. Tap here." There was a small square at the right corner, and I tapped iaske I was instructed to.

Power: 12 (12)

Stamina: 17 (7)

???: 20

"That'll show you your stamina and power stats." I nodded. "Yeah, but there's also one that's just question marks." He raises an eyebrow. "That's weird. Though, I guess you are an anomaly, so I'd just stick it out and see what it turns into." He looks down at his watch. "Alright, I have to get going. Let's go inside." I put the sheet of metal in my pocket before entering again.

We walked inside and I hugged Kasa gain. "I'll need to check in on him again in a few months to see his progression, but I think he's good for now. Enjoy your dinner!" He left the house, and I sat down in between my siblings. My plate had already been made for me.

I ate in silence while everyone talked about what was going on in their lives, and I quickly finished my food. "Oh, right! Didn't you get chosen for something at Tugrose?' Everyone turned to me. "Oh, right. I'm apparently the headmaster's pick."

"That's amazing!" Adela ran around the table to hug me. "What does that even mean?" Adrian asked. "Each headmaster of Tugrose chooses a student and that student will go on and do great things. Acuzio has been headmaster for most of his life, and he hasn't chosen anyone. Or, he hadn't until Balere."

"Oh, right, you went there too, right?" He nodded. I could tell he was distraught at the information, but he smiled anyway.

"I'm going to wash my plate, and then I'm going to bed. I'm super tired." As I was getting up, I was handed plates. "You guys suck..."

I went over t the sink and began washing dishes with water that I get from the air. I put the plates up and then turned to my family. "Sorry I couldn't stay with you all longer, but I've had a long day. Good night!"

I went into my room, laid on my bed, and instantly fell asleep.