Erwin's eyes lit up at the sight of the beautiful rice dish, the colorful veggies and meat shining like diamonds on a bed of perfectly cooked rice. He savored a slice with a grin of satisfaction, urging Kael to do the same. But Kael hesitated, causing Erwin to roll his eyes dramatically.
"Come on, Kael," Erwin chided. "Eat it before it gets cold!"
Kael still hesitated, and Erwin couldn't resist poking fun at his friend's expense. "Live a little, buddy! It's just food. Besides, if we need some extra cash, I can always find some big-boned ladies to carry us," he joked, patting his belly and giving a mischievous grin.
Kael chuckled nervously and replied, "I don't think that's a good idea."
Erwin laughed. "I'm just kidding, Kael. But seriously, my wallet can handle it," he said, making the coins in his pocket jingle like a symphony orchestra. In reality, Erwin only had three silver coins left after splurging on some clothing material with thirty bronze coins and two silver coins on these dishes. But he wasn't about to let his taste buds suffer because of his empty pockets.
Kael finally took a bite of his food, and Erwin grinned at him before asking, "How is it?" Kael didn't respond verbally, instead taking another spoonful of rice and continuing to eat at a rapid pace. Before Erwin knew it, Kael had already finished half the plate. Chuckling, Erwin began eating at the same pace as his friend.
After some time, both of them were walking back home with satisfied stomachs. Suddenly, Erwin let out a loud burp, and Kael raised an eyebrow at him. "That was uncalled for," he remarked.
Erwin shrugged. "What can I say? My stomach is a bottomless pit."
Kael smiled. "I can tell. Maybe we should try cooking at home sometime. It could save us some coin."
Erwin's face darkened as he remembered the incident with the bully students. "Yeah, we definitely need to start saving money," he muttered bitterly.
Kael looked at him in confusion. "What happened?"
Erwin recounted the story, his anger still simmering. "I was gathering herbs, and two students from the academy destroyed half of them. We could have had a feast today if it weren't for those idiots."
Kael shook his head sympathetically. "That's rough. Do you have a plan to deal with them?"
Erwin grinned wickedly. "Oh, yeah. I am going to learn some curse spells and turn those bullies into toads."
Kael chuckled. "I don't think that's such a good idea."
Erwin shrugged. "It's better than doing nothing."
Kael nodded. "True. But curse spells are a type of advance magic. students are forbidden to learn them and they are not easily accessible to commoners. You should think about learning some defensive spells."
Erwin's face fell. "I would love to, but I don't even know where to start. I tried studying in the library, but I couldn't cast a simple spell to save my life."
Kael paused for a moment before suggesting, "What if I teach you some common spells?"
Erwin's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? That would be great!"
Kael chuckled. "Don't get too excited. I don't know many spells myself. And even the simple ones take a long time to learn. But I can teach you what I know."
"Then why are we waiting? Let's learn some wodo and shoodo!" exclaimed Erwin, eager to start their magical training. Erwin was so eager to start learning magic that he didn't even care what type of spells he would be learning. All he wanted was to shout "Abracadabra" and make some magic happen.
"Whoa, slow down there, buddy," Kael chuckled. "It's not as easy as it sounds. Learning magic takes time and effort. We can start with some basic spells, but we need to be patient and persistent."
Erwin nodded eagerly. "I'm ready for it. Teach me, sensei," he said, bowing dramatically.
ραпdα n?νa| сom Erwin's antics made Kael laugh. "what's sensee?"
"Nothing." Erwin said and continued "lets learn some magic."
"Okay, okay, but let's head inside first," Kael said as they reached their dorm.
Taking a seat, Kael instructed, "Alright, let's start with some simple spells. First, we need to focus our minds and gather energy. Then we can try casting a spell."
Erwin's curiosity was piqued. "How do we do that?"
Kael closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Close your eyes and take deep breaths. Focus on your inner self and imagine a pool of energy within you. Draw on that energy and channel it through your hands. When you feel the energy flowing through your hands, visualize it creating a circle."
Erwin followed Kael's instructions, concentrating on his inner self. He felt a tingle in his hands and tried to visualize a circle forming.
Unfortunately, nothing happened.
He opened his eyes in disappointment. "nothing is happening."
Kael smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. It takes time to visualize the mana first time. Let's try again."
Erwin closed his eyes once more and tried to gather his energy. This time, he felt a stronger sensation in his hands, and he tried to create a circle again. But as hard as he tried, the circle just wouldn't form.
Frustrated, Erwin opened his eyes and let out a sigh. "This is harder than I thought."
But when Erwin closed his eyes again to focus and create a circle, Kael watched intently. He wondered how Erwin was able to become a circle mage without even visualizing mana circle yet. Creating a mana circle typically required at least two weeks of training and practice.
Erwin took a deep breath and closed his eyes again, following Kael's instructions. He focused on his inner self and imagined a pool of energy within him. He tried to draw on that energy and channeled it through his hands. This time, he felt the energy flowing through his hands more strongly than before. He visualized a circle and tried to create it with the energy he had gathered.
To his surprise, a small, flickering circle appeared in front of him. It was faint and barely visible, but it was there.
Erwin's eyes widened with excitement. "Did you see that?" he exclaimed, opening his eyes.
Kael nodded, looking impressed. "Good job, Erwin! You're a natural. Let's try it again and see if we can make the circle bigger this time."
'how?...how is he able to create a circle in just an hour...' Kael looked shock seeing the faint mana circle at Erwin's extended hand.
Erwin took a deep breath and closed his eyes again, following Kael's instructions. He focused on his inner self and imagined a pool of energy within him. He tried to draw on that energy and channeled it through his hands. This time, he felt the energy flowing through his hands more strongly than before. He visualized a circle and tried to create it with the energy he had gathered.
To his surprise, a small, flickering circle appeared in front of him. It was faint and barely visible, but it was there.
Erwin's eyes widened with excitement. "Did you see that?" he exclaimed, opening his eyes.
Kael nodded, looking impressed. "Good job, Erwin! You're a natural. Let's try it again and see if we can make the circle bigger this time."
Erwin grinned and closed his eyes once more, eager to try again. He focused on his inner self, gathered his energy, and channeled it through his hands. This time, he felt the energy flowing more smoothly, and he was able to visualize a larger circle. He put all his energy into it, and a bright, glowing circle appeared in front of him.
Kael applauded, looking impressed. "Well done, Erwin! That's amazing progress for a beginner."
Erwin beamed with pride, feeling accomplished. "Thanks, Kael. I couldn't have done it without your guidance."
Kael flashed a reassuring smile. "No worries, Erwin. It may seem complicated at first, but with practice, it will become second nature to you."
He pulled out some papers and started scribbling on them, then handed them to Erwin. "Now, try to recreate this circle using your mana."
Erwin examined the drawing on the paper closely. It was a circle made up of intricate letters and symbols. "It looks so complicated," he muttered.
"It's just a basic illumination spell," Kael said. "It's one of the most common spells, and once you master it, you'll be able to cast it effortlessly."
As Kael spoke, he extended his hand and with a swift motion, a mana circle materialized in front of him. In an instant, a radiant ball of light burst forth from the circle, illuminating the room with a shimmering silver glow. "See how easy it is?" he said, encouraging the listener to give it a try.
Erwin took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to focus his mana. He raised his hand and began to draw the circle in the air, but the lines kept wobbling and breaking.
Kael watched patiently and then stepped in to help. "You're not focusing enough," he said, placing a hand on Erwin's shoulder. "Try to visualize the circle in your mind and then use your mana to bring it to life."
Kael observed Erwin for a while longer, watching as he persisted in his attempts to create a circle, his expression growing increasingly frustrated with each failure. Eventually, Erwin's eyes began to droop, and he slumped onto his bed, succumbing to exhaustion.
As Erwin drifted off into a deep sleep, Kael quietly left the room, not wanting to disturb his friend's rest. He couldn't help but wonder about Erwin's impressive mana reserves, which allowed him to continuously practice for three hours. "How much mana does he have? Should I inform about him to master.....no let's wait a little." Kael muttered to himself in shock before disappearing into the night.
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