Chapter 03: Mana core

"How to Refine Your Mana Core for Beginners." I turned the page away from the book, intrigued.

When I first discovered magic with Arthur in the study room, I read something similar. I used to believe that babies couldn't sense mana because of their lack of self-awareness, and that by the time they are aware, it's too late to control the formation and acceleration of mana core fragments, but now that I'm reading this book...

"After forming in the sternum, the core connects with the veins and mana channels, allowing you to manipulate your mana after some practice. There is no need to be disheartened. Feeling mana is a difficult process, as it is similar to opening your eyes for the first time, but once you do, it is as if it has always been there."

This confused me as I read it. Since I was able to feel and manipulate my mana from the start. Did this imply that my affinity was stronger? Or did my developed mind play a significant role in the process? I wasn't sure, but I could feel the strange energy slowly float up to my sternum just by closing my eyes. I couldn't completely control them, but I could direct them to some extent. Not only that, but I could now feel them more clearly, as if a hazy fog was gradually lifting.

Was this due to reincarnation? My magical ability and talent were somehow harmed? This was an issue. If my calculations were correct, I would complete my core in one year.

I concentrated by closing my eyes. I couldn't see the glowing shards, which looked like luminescent crystals, but their shape and how they floated inside me were very clear in my mind. I took one of those and guided it to my sternum in the most inefficient way possible, slowing them down a little bit in the process; I moved on to the next, and the next, until I slowed the crystals down enough to give me some time to think about what to do.

When I opened my eyes, Arthur was meditating next to me. His face was relaxed, his breathing was controlled, and his legs were crossed in the traditional meditative pose. He appeared to have practiced this. I focused on him, trying to feel his magic, how it moved inside his body to match with his rhythm and wake with him up. I was confident that if I awoke alongside him, I wouldn't draw as much attention. At least not as much as I would if I woke up alone.

Despite my best efforts, I was unable to. Maybe I hadn't had enough practice yet, but I was confident that in the future it would be easy to sense other people's mana, almost like a sixth sense.

Alice entered the room as I was watching Arthur and practicing my mana perception. Her brown eyes scanned the room and came to a halt on Arthur, who was sitting on his buttocks with his eyes closed. Alice's face had developed a tinge of compression. Her brow furrowed slightly as she stretched her arms out and hoisted Arthur up.

"Art, honey, are you having trouble pooping again?" Arthur's face scrunched up as she asked. Alice addressed me as she looked at me with concern. "Little Kiyo, you too?" She asked, peering down at me.

Is I, the masterpiece of the white room, being suspected of a case of childhood constipation? What would that man have to say? No, what would everyone I knew who had seen a glimpse of my abilities say if they could see me now? I was deep in thought as Alice carried Arthur to get a new diaper.

(***)

Alice Leywin's point of view:

Kiyotaka and Arthur are the cutest babies on the world!

Although I intended to be a severe mother (since I cannot expect Reynolds to be a responsible adult), it is an impossible task. They are both unique in their own ways. Kiyotaka is adorable with his little patch of dark brown hair! Despite his quiet demeanor, he is the more curious of the two, and he is the only one who plays with the small toys we purchased, which I appreciate. Even when his hand got caught in a jar one day, he used it as a sort of flying fist.

Arthur, on the other hand, is the more energetic one, but he acts more maturely. He never plays with the toys we bought him and prefers to spend his time in the study room, looking through books and pretending to read. Of course, Kiyotaka does the same thing, but he appears to be mimicking his brother. Nonetheless, they are adorable! But, uh, I'm a strict mother.

Kiyotaka's dark brown hair and Arthur's reddish brown hair complement their sapphire-blue eyes perfectly. Those same bright eyes look around with curiosity, Kiyotaka's calm eyes look around with attention, and Arthur seems to have more emotions as he watches the town when we go shopping.

I have to be a strict mother because of those very attractive eyes. I don't think they'd have proper manners if I let Reynolds raise them. I don't want two such adorable children to be lacking in manners. I still remember how Reynolds froze as he looked at me and stammered out some diatribes as his face changed from crimson red to ghostly white as he realized he had ruined his introduction.

Although I wasn't expecting twins, I can't imagine my life without both of them right now. It was difficult at first, but they are now the most important thing in my life, and I hoped that this peace would last forever.

(***)

Kiyotaka's point of view:

My core appears to be nearly fully formed after two years, which is a problem. My mana control has improved, so I can hold the energy chunks for longer, but I don't think I can do so for much awhile.

Fortunately, Arthur appears to be nearing completion of his core. I'll take advantage of that moment to awaken mine. According to the book, the explosion or implosion is usually limited to a couple of square meters in the worst-case scenario, so if I move away from the house while Arthur makes a mess, I should go unnoticed. Still, I shouldn't go too far because I'll be defenseless for a few minutes, and I know that a two-year-old child waking up is a rare occurrence in this world, so someone might try to kidnap me or something.

"Arthur." I called out to the boy meditating in front of me.

He only opened one eye to look at me. "What's wrong, Kiyo? I'm busy at the moment." Finally, Arthur responded.

"What are you doing?" I inquired, hoping to find out if he was aware of the risks of awakened within the house.

"Uh... I form a mana core" Arthur explained.

"And are you close?" I replied.

"Yes, I'm almost there." He replied, his chest swelling with pride.

I turned away from him. "Then good luck."

I arrived at the study room's door, but instead of leaving, I waited. I concentrated when he resumed his meditation. The only sound I could hear was my heart pounding against my chest. I felt energy in my sternum, pieces of my core trying to come together, and my control over them preventing them from moving forward. But that wasn't what I was looking for; I wanted to go further, much farther. The atmosphere had a strange energy as well, but I couldn't feel it other than a brief sense that there was something there; perhaps it was because I didn't have a core or my perception was poor, but I couldn't feel it completely.

But I went one step further, to Arthur. I tried to find the larger pieces of energy that would be easier to identify, because I couldn't fully feel the magic outside my body, but the crystals were conductors and amplified the range, so I could feel them and form a mental image. The glowing crystals were forming in the sternum; rather, they were already together, with only a few more pieces needed to complete his core.

Arthur's core would be finished in about a half hour. Knowing this, I let go of my mana crystals in order to match his awakening. They began to draw closer to each other, as if looking for something to cling to. I quickly ran (literally, as I had only recently learned to walk) out the door and looked out the window at the backyard, but to my dismay, Alice and Reynolds were talking while working in the backyard.

Going to the front avenue was out of the question. Standing in the middle of the street while levitating slightly at the age of almost three would be stupid if I didn't want to draw attention to myself. What should I do now? I walked out of the house as soon as I opened the front door. I couldn't go to the backyard, but the house's sides should be a safe place to wake up.

The cool night air felt good on my skin. While the crickets sang happily in the neglected grass, the moon illuminated my path as if guiding me. Everything piqued my interest. Despite the fact that I had gone shopping with Alice, it was one of the first times I had gone out at night. I lost myself in the moonlight, thinking that if this is what freedom feels like, it was now at my fingertips, and I couldn't let it go.

When I reached the house's corner, I moved a little further away; fortunately, our house was a little further away than the others, so I had a good margin to wake up and not cause a major disaster. So I found a good spot in the middle of the lawn and collapsed on my back, arms outstretched, inhaling the fresh scent of nature.

My grass bed was a nice place to be; Arthur and I were both about to awake. An explosion echoed in the dark night, but it wasn't a small one; it sounded like a tactical missile had detonated near us. I quickly stood up and began vigilantly watching everything. Was it an attack? I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do much with this body. If I was lucky, I might be able to flee.

I looked around the town but couldn't find anything. It wasn't until I looked to my right that I realized what was going on. 3/4 of the house had been destroyed. Arthur was levitating as a translucent cloak emitted a repulsive force that splattered debris everywhere. This made no sense; the book stated that the most talented wizard's explosion was about a couple of square meters, not such a large area of effect. I also realized something at that time.

If Arthur had such a massive explosion, and I have possibly better magical affinity than him, that means... my eyes widened as I realized. I tried to flee the house while holding back the mana crystals, but it was too late. As the final piece of my core fell into place, my world went dark.