New Power: Story of Skill and Magic

Chapter 23: A Glimmer of Mana

Walking towards the dormitory, I tried to recall everything Evan had said. There were a few things I didn't quite understand. His last words, which I realized too late, left me confused."Our past meeting?" I didn't recall ever meeting Violet. Now, I felt like I was carrying too many mysteries on my shoulders and had a lot to resolve.

"You can take this crystal and the recording. 'Keep this crystal and you'll get some answers. It's my last mana collection. As for the recording, you can give it to Violet when you think the time is right.' That's another message from Evan."

I looked at the crystal and the recording in my hands, remembering what Ms. Elvira had said a while ago.

So, another message was still left behind. It seemed there were indeed many secrets hidden from me.

The crystal intrigued me—it wasn't something you saw every day. Rare and highly valuable to magicians, it had a unique usefulness, only a few people have this. What surprised me most was how my body seemed to react to the mana within it.

I slipped the recording into my pocket and turned my attention back to the crystal. Curiosity drove me to conduct a small experiment. The crystal contained Evan's mana, and because of him, I also had mana. Maybe, just maybe, I could channel it. 

As I walked, I held the crystal tightly, focusing on the vague instructions I'd learned about channeling mana. Without a clear guide, I had to rely entirely on instinct.

For the first time, I felt mana stirring within me. Until now, the mana in my body had been confined to my heart, stagnant and beyond my control. This also allowed me to faintly distinguish between Magicians and ESPers when in close proximity. 

Yet now, as I focused on the crystal, I felt something shift. The Mana began to move, responding to my intent. The crystal emitted a faint glow, steadily brightening as the mana spread. For a fleeting moment, it even felt as if the mana within me had slightly increased. However, I couldn't be certain if it truly had or if I was just imagining it.

Apologies if I sound unsure—when it comes to mana, I'm like a toddler taking their first steps. My understanding is rudimentary at best. 

I decided to stop the experiment there. The crystal's glow, though faint, was becoming noticeable in the growing darkness around me, and I didn't want to draw attention. Besides, an ESPer holding a mana crystal was bound to raise eyebrows.

As the street lights flickered to life, illuminating the now dim streets, I saw the dormitory building in the distance. Its silhouette grew clearer with every step. 

What should I do now? This was the girls' dormitory—there was no way I could just walk in. Should I call Alysha? The idea of sitting alone in the waiting room didn't appeal to me either.

Lost in thought, I suddenly noticed movement near the dormitory entrance. Three figures emerged in a hurry, one of whom was unmistakably Violet. Moments later, Alysha also stepped out, joining them. Their hurried pace and cautious expressions piqued my curiosity. 

Why were they in such a rush? As soon as they spotted me, they quickened their steps, heading in my direction. For reasons I couldn't quite place, they seemed unusually alert.

"?! Senior Naozumi? Why are you here? Is the meeting already over?" Violet stopped right in front of me, her tone laced with panic as she fired off a barrage of questions.

"Um... Yeah, it's over. That's why I came here to see you all," I replied.

Violet didn't wait. She stepped closer and grabbed my shoulders, pulling me down so we were at eye level. Her face was so close to mine that I could see the determination in her wide eyes. My heartbeat quickened, thundering in my ears and making me feel strangely unsettled.

"Wh-why do you have mana?" she stammered, her voice filled with confusion.

I was taken aback. She could sense such a small amount of mana? Wizards could naturally detect mana, but this seemed unusually precise. It was almost as though she could pick up on its subtleties. 

Then I remembered—Violet's specialization was . She was adept at casting spells with minimal mana, making her far more sensitive to small amounts of it than most wizards.

Before I could respond, Alysha, ever the teasing one, chimed in. "Oh-oh~... We just left him for a moment, and now you're attacking Vii," she said, covering her amused smile with a finger.

Alysha's playful jab helped me regain control of my racing heart. Too much of this intensity wouldn't be good for me.

"!! No, it's not like that!" Violet protested, releasing my shoulders and stepping back in a fluster. Her face flushed as she tried to calm herself, stumbling over an excuse. "I just... felt something strange about Senior Naozumi, so I looked closely."

Taking the opportunity to shift the topic, I asked, "Why did you all rush out here so suddenly?"

"I sensed a mana surge outside. This school prohibits magic use without permission during certain times, so we thought something might be wrong near the dormitory."

Ah, so that explained their urgency. They thought there was an issue due to the small mana release from my experiment with the crystal. Though it wasn't much, Violet's sensitivity was sharp enough to notice.

"Do-don't change the subject, Senior Naozumi," Violet pressed, pointing an accusatory finger at me. "Why can I feel mana in your body?"

My attempt to steer the conversation failed. Normally calm, Violet was being uncharacteristically insistent. With no better excuse, I reluctantly held up the crystal in my hand.

"That's not my mana. It's probably from this."

The two other students accompanying Violet and Alysha gasped in amazement at the sight of the crystal.

"Is that a Mana Crystal?! And it's blue! Amazing!" exclaimed one of the girls, her eyes lighting up with curiosity

Blue? I didn't really understand much about crystals since this was my first time seeing one. All I knew was that this crystal was rare. That's it.

It seemed they couldn't hold back their curiosity any longer, especially this energetic girl. She had been with Violet earlier, so she was probably her friend. 

"Em?~..." I could only stand there, confused, unable to say anything to calm the girl in front of me.

"Ah! I'm sorry. Um... My name is Aria, and the girl over there is Yui. We were in the same class as Violet in middle school at Lelore."

"Aria, I was speaking," Violet said, slightly annoyed at having her conversation interrupted.

"Oh, come on. You're in the same school now, aren't you? You can ask him later. Besides, we rarely see blue crystals."

The girl named Aria seemed intent on ignoring Violet and focused entirely on her curiosity about the crystal.

Violet sighed in resignation, letting Aria do as she pleased. She knew that no matter how much she tried to reason with her, Aria would stubbornly continue asking questions.

Speaking of Lelore, it felt like a combined school. From elementary to high school, everything was here. It wasn't surprising that they could become close, even if it was their first year and they were in different divisions.

Violet sighed but said nothing as her friend eagerly asked about the crystal.

Aria was clearly an energetic person, while her friend Yui appeared calm and composed. When I glanced at Yui, she gave a polite bow, her demeanor observant and measured. It was obvious she often kept Aria's impulsiveness in check.

"I'm Naozumi. By the way, I don't know much about this crystal. Can you explain it to me?"

Evan had told me to keep it for answers, but I didn't actually know much about it. There was no harm in learning more from them.

"Of course! This crystal is a rare item for Magicians. It stores mana from the body. Crystals are categorized into three types: red, yellow, and blue. Um... what else?" Aria's enthusiasm faltered as she scratched her head, realizing she couldn't recall more details.

"Yui! Help me out here!" she eventually whined, turning to her friend for help.

Energetic types like her probably preferred action over explanation. Or so I thought. Maybe I was being a bit harsh.

"You're hopeless. This is basic knowledge, and you should know it better," Yui sighed before stepping in. "Fine, I'll explain."

Yui began to explain, her tone confident yet matter-of-fact. "Mana Crystals are categorized by color: red, yellow, and blue, which correspond to the amount of mana they can store. The purity of the crystal also determines its effectiveness. However, they can't be used when the owner's mana is too low, as it causes instability in the body's mana flow."

Mana instability? So that's why Evan didn't use this crystal even in critical condition last time. But where had he gotten it? I never saw him with it before.

This was frustrating. Every new piece of information just seemed to raise more questions. I sighed inwardly. For now, I needed to focus and not let Alysha or Violet notice my growing unease.

"For the red one, you can look at mine." Yui pulled out a red crystal hanging from a necklace around her neck.

"Heh~ this looks more like a pendant than a crystal," I remarked.

Her crystal was a dark, rich red, carved neatly into the shape of a heart. Using it as jewelry seemed like a practical way to carry it.

"This one is a modified version. Raw crystals don't have neat shapes like this. You can reshape them, but only after completely draining the mana inside first."

I see. So modifying it came at the cost of emptying its stored mana. The Mana inside is more important than the crystal itself. I was hoping to change its shape to make it easier to carry.

"Where did you get this crystal?" Yui asked, her voice steady.

"A friend gave it to me," I replied, keeping Evan's identity private for now.

The conversation shifted to the crystal's properties as Yui explained its significance. As they continued chatting, Violet turned to me again, her gaze sharp. 

"Why is there mana in your body, Senior Naozumi? Even with the crystal, I can still feel it inside you."

Just when I thought the topic had shifted, Violet brought it back, catching me off guard. I had no clear response. Maybe I should lie? I hoped Alysha, who was standing beside me, wouldn't jump in, as her ability to detect my lies was uncanny.

"I don't know either. Isn't it just a small amount of mana?"

"It is a small amount, and it seems I'm the only one who can sense it. Oh, maybe one other person, I'm sure she could too, even better than mine," Violet pressed on.

As expected of the "Princess of Magic," Violet's mana sensitivity was remarkable. Not many could detect such faint traces. And the person who can rival her sounds like an incredible person.

"Wait… how do you know it's a small amount? Senior Naozumi, you shouldn't even be able to feel mana, right?"

Oh. I was caught. Being around Alysha and Violet often made me let my guard down. Maybe I'd just have to wing it with a childish excuse.

"Pfft…" Alysha stifled a laugh beside me. She clearly knew I was bluffing but wasn't calling me out—yet.

"I-I thought it might be just a tiny residue of mana sticking to me. Since only you noticed, I figured it wasn't significant."

It was a weak excuse, but it made sense. I silently hoped this would be the end of her questions.

"Huh, I was curious about how you activated it. Mana crystals can only be activated by their owner. But if you don't want to explain, I won't ask anymore."

Violet sighed in resignation, and I laughed awkwardly. She clearly didn't buy my excuse but decided to let it go. At least I was spared further interrogation—for now.

"Let's head inside. Senior Naozumi and Sister Alysha can wait in the dormitory's front room while I grab my belongings," Violet suggested, swiftly changing the topic.

She led the way with her two friends trailing behind, while Alysha and I brought up the rear.

"She calls you sister?" I asked Alysha as we walked.

"Yeah. I think it makes our bond feel closer," she replied.

"Oh..." Hearing that brought a sense of happiness. It was nice to see Violet settling into her new environment.

"So, how did your meeting go?" Alysha asked, her tone curious but calm.

Recalling Evan's message and Ms. Elvira's explanation, I debated whether to share everything with her. Perhaps it was best to keep the details for another time.

"It was a message from Evan and a will he left behind," I answered, smiling faintly.

Alysha seemed surprised to see my positive demeanor. Unlike before, when the topic had left me overwhelmed with sadness, I now carried a sense of purpose.

Alysha's eyes softened as she nodded. "That's good to hear. You seem... lighter now."

Her words struck a chord. Perhaps I did feel lighter, even if the weight of Evan's last message lingered.

After Violet retrieved her belongings and said her goodbyes to her friends, the three of us headed back to Protea.

====

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MyDaS__