Well Done, My First Disciple.

“Teacher. There’s mana at my fingertips……”

“Shh.”

Seine restraining Dale.

Her gaze, with a hand raised to her lips, was still directed towards his hands.

“Concentrate.”

It would take time to regain composure if he became distracted.

At that whisper implying such meaning, Dale straightened his head and once again focused his nerves on his fingertips.

‘Right… I need to concentrate now.’

Quietly closing his eyes, he repeatedly traced the sensation felt at his fingertips.

In this process, Dale’s mind was recalling what happened when he visited the sports club with Seine not long ago.

‘Dale, it seems the nature of your ability has many similarities with mana’

‘Is that so?’

‘Because even tools imbued with mana by mana users maintain the property of exerting physical force for a while. And the tools you hold in your hand, though very slightly, have power remaining that interferes with the surrounding mana flow.’

‘Hmm, I don’t really understand.’

At that time, not only when playing baseball, but also in various tests conducted afterwards, Dale had no awareness of this.

He only knew that the bat he held when playing baseball, as well as the ball he hit and sent flying with that bat, had a longer-lasting effect.

‘What were you thinking when you were holding the bat at that time?’

‘I thought I should grip it as tightly as possible. After all, since the ball had a lot of power in it, it could be dangerous if it bounced off half-heartedly.’

‘Yes, whatever it was, when you gripped it tightly, your ability was applied more strongly to the tool. As I initially expected, it means there’s a possibility that the power you possess can be used as energy you emit yourself.’

If it’s a power controlled by will, naturally it would be good to structure its training method similarly to how mana is used.

Even unconsciously led mana exerts physical force, albeit very weakly.

Gradually developing that sensation, becoming familiar with mana, and then concentrating that sensation in one place to increase its scale could be said to be the first step in becoming a mana user.

‘But I don’t feel anything.’

Of course, unlike mana, his nullification ability doesn’t have the property of ‘physical force’.

It’s not visible or feelable, so it’s impossible to examine and awaken that power through sensation.

‘Really?’

Nevertheless, Seine didn’t give up and repeatedly said.

‘Try to concentrate a bit more. Clear your mind and focus only on the sensations felt in your body.’

If you can’t feel it from the start, it might be a meaningless attempt. Yet, the gaze facing him showed not even a hint of wavering.

She believes in him.

Just as he believes in her.

‘I’ll try.’

That’s why Dale kept repeating.

Even as days passed without feeling anything, he didn’t give up and persevered steadily.

To live up to the expectations of the one who took him in when he was driven out of even his class, and sincerely guided him.

‘I can feel it.’

And the change occurred around the 5th day after receiving guidance.

‘You can feel it, what do you mean?’

‘A tingling sensation in my fingers. I think a mosquito bit me.’

‘Hehe, but I don’t see any mosquitoes.’

Something invisible began to stimulate his fingertips.

As if responding to the will trying to control some kind of power flowing in his body.

‘Dale. That’s what we call mana.’

Yes, this is unconsciously led mana.

Although extremely minute compared to ordinary mana users, clearly something that could be called a change had occurred.

‘Although it’s a small power, you who couldn’t feel mana until now have become aware of the existence of mana for the first time. That alone can be said to be a great development.’

‘Can I use magic with this?’

‘It’s still too difficult.’

After all, magic is about using intangible energy as a tool to cause specific phenomena.

To operate by separating the required amount of mana to various parts of the body, it’s necessary to increase the scale, if only to supplement the required amount of energy.

So he shouldn’t be satisfied here. Under this judgment, Seine demanded Dale to move on to the next stage.

‘Now Dale, if you’ve started to feel mana, let’s try the opposite now.’

‘The opposite?’

‘In your case, nullification will inevitably be the main thing, not mana. So instead of operating power as if spreading it from the point where you feel mana, try operating power with the feeling of expelling the parts where you don’t feel mana.’

Not enlarging the parts where mana is felt, but as if erasing the parts where mana is not felt.

This is a process that ordinary magicians never go through, but that doesn’t prove it’s inferior to others.

It’s just a little different from others, just a little delayed because it’s pioneering a path that hasn’t existed until now.

‘The sensation is growing.’

‘Try to concentrate a bit more.’

‘The range is gradually widening.’

‘You’re doing well. Keep going.’

As he excluded the stirring powers like that, he felt enveloped in a strange sensation.

It’s not just because an unfamiliar sensation was felt in his body.

Although he started later than others and his growth would be slower, still.

Unlike being stagnant until now, he felt he was growing little by little.

-Thud.

As if those efforts were bearing fruit.

The items existing where Dale’s hands were stretched out began to shake slowly.

‘Just a little, more.’

Suppressing the excitement at that shaking, he concentrated again and again.

When that shaking subsided, Dale opened his closed eyes and gazed at the scene that appeared before him.

The pen towards his left hand is fixed standing upright.

The marble in his opposite hand is floating in mid-air.

“Telekinesis, you’ve succeeded.”

Telekinesis that controls and handles pure physical force.

It was the moment when the sorcery that becomes the foundation of all magic was finally realized.

“If you’ve succeeded with the basics, next we should try application.”

But it’s still too early to rejoice.

Telekinesis is the most basic of basics that handles pure physical force.

Lifting objects through intense concentration is a very inefficient method compared to just holding and shaking with hands.

To increase efficiency, it must go through application.

The candle Seine presented was a tool to test such application.

“Are you ready?”

Lighting a candle.

Just that process requires enough formulas to fill an entire blackboard, and the corresponding mana operation must also be performed in parallel.

For this child with a nullification constitution, even more operations would be needed.

“…Yes.”

Nevertheless, Dale shook off his hesitation and stretched both hands towards the candlestick.

The sensation of physical force that resides in the body and responds to will.

As Dale gradually controlled that, various formulas were coming to mind.

‘Energy required for material transformation, adjustment of ignition point of material applied with mana, classification of fine dust remaining in the air, control of oxygen concentration in the air….’

-Crackle.

A small friction sound occurring at the end of the wick.

The force generated by the friction between mana and mana produces heat, and that heat reacts to the lowered ignition point as the nature of the wick changes, gradually dyeing its body red.

The fine dust gathering from that coming together to grow the spark happened in an instant.

-Whoosh!

The moment the sound of air being heated rang out.

Dale, who had released his held breath, lifted his sweaty eyelids and gazed at the scene engraved before him.

A flickering light in his blurry vision.

“…Teacher.”

As that gradually came into focus.

Dale felt the warmth at his fingertips and said.

“I… I lit the fire.”

The dancing light before him was clearly what could be called a spark.

With his own hands alone.

He had succeeded in lighting a fire with just his will.

“Yes, you lit it.”

“I did it. Without using my hands, just with mana……”

“Yes, you really succeeded.”

Hehe, a laugh heard from behind.

Only then did Dale’s head turn towards Seine.

Who had already matched his eye level.

Towards her kind smile drawn as always.

“How do you feel?”

Just facing that face made him feel his heart swelling.

Because he felt she was truly rejoicing in his success.

“Uu…….”

Truly he.

Because he realized he had succeeded in what he thought was impossible.

“Waaaaaah!!! I did it, teacher!! I can finally use magic!”

“Hehe, are you that happy?”

“I’m happy! Really happy!!”

Dale burst into tears while spreading both arms.

What existed there was just a young boy purely rejoicing in his own achievement.

Yes, who could look at this child and think he’s the honorable top student of this academy?

“I should give a reward to a good child..”

But regardless of status and position, reaching a new realm is something to celebrate.

Then Seine carefully began to overlap Dale’s hands.

“Re, reward?”

“Stay still.”

The touch enveloping his hands.

The skin is rough but the warmth is very cozy.

Feeling his insides tingling at that sensation, Seine gradually began to release the strength from Dale’s hands.

“Student Dale Emburton.”

Whispering kindly in his ear.

“Thank you sincerely for following my inadequate teachings and achieving results.”

Eventually, Seine withdrew her hands and began to present what she had left in Dale’s hands as if to show it.

What was placed on his index finger was a ring made of pure silver.

On its front was engraved a cross with a design similar to the rosary Seine wore around her neck.

“What, what is this?”

“It’s a memento given to supporters of the order I belong to. In your case, it’s not support, but… Still, you’re the first disciple I’ve accepted since working as a teacher, so I thought it would be nice to have something to commemorate.”

The first.

Seine, who uttered those words, smiled brightly and stroked Dale’s head.

“Well done. My first disciple. I pray that your subsequent school life goes well.”

Dale savoring the touch while standing in place.

In contrast to his frozen body, for some reason his face was heating up.

-Thump, thump.

Why was this? It was just receiving a reward, but he felt his heart swelling more than when he lit the fire.

Fearing that heartbeat might be transmitted to her, Dale hurriedly stepped back and tightly grasped the hand with the ring.

“Ne, next time……”

Nevertheless, he slowly raised his head.

To face her still looking at him with a pleased smile.

“Next time, can we meet again?”

But worrying that the answer to this question might be negative.

“…What a strange thing to say. We’re in the same academy, so we can meet anytime.”

“Ahaha, yes, that’s right……”

Dale laughed awkwardly.

Seine stared at Dale like that for a while, then smiled and waved at him.

“Still, try to come only when you’re sick. Don’t pretend to be sick for no reason.”

Yes, now it’s farewell.

Nevertheless, he didn’t feel much hesitation in heading towards the exit.

“Yes! See you next time!!”

As she said, life at this academy isn’t ending today.

Dale, leaving his seat like that, soon looked down at the ring on his hand and smiled contentedly.

“Alright, let’s work hard!”

Vowing to become a student who wouldn’t be ashamed of this ring.

And vowing firmly again.

---

“…Was the infirmary this spacious?”

After sending Dale off for regular classes.

As I looked around the infirmary left alone, I felt that loneliness approaching as emptiness.

To the extent that I thought it might be too spacious for one person to use.

“Well, it’s good to be quiet.”

It just creates more work if it’s noisy here and there.

Still thinking it was a good experience, I put the books and tools Dale had used neatly into the desk drawer.

And then…

-Slide.

Just then, a student came in opening the infirmary door.

“Excuse me, teacher. Can you check my condition now?”

Just facing him, I felt the bitterness I had felt until then dissipating.

“Sure, what hurts that made you come?”

I, Seine Velvet, am the health teacher of Maris Academy.

Dale wasn’t the only student I had to look after.