As we got to the courtyard, I noticed that it was quite vast, as expected of a castle courtyard. I was also told by Elerina that she used this area for practising magic and her swordsmanship. Learning swordsmanship will be useful in close quarters, but for long range, firearms will do the trick. Magic will also work in long range too, but you will require to visualise what you want to do. Let's take fire magic for example, you will require to visualise a ball of flame, and once you have done that, you need to visualise it going straight against your target. This may take a few seconds, but in a battlefield, you will become a target.

But even with those few seconds of casting, the magicians would still be vulnerable to firearms, since it would take me less than a second, to draw, pull the safety, and fire. I have done a lot of training when I played Unique World when it came to the firearms I created. Well, I'm more confident in my sidearm draw, since that takes me about a second or less. But rifles always takes me about 1-2 seconds.

I walked to where Elerina usually trained at, which I noticed still had some tiny burn marks here and there, not only on the walls, but also on the ground.

"E-Ehm, the reason why there is plenty of burn marks is because... I tried to learn fire magic. But I failed spectacularly... sameformywindmagic..."

She said quite ashamed, specially the last bit. She said that she is the daughter of the great king Mobian, which is known to have a large magic pool, not only that, he is well versed in fire, wind and water magic. Something that is quite rare.

...Rare?

"What do you mean by that, Elerina? Is more than 1 magic aptitude considered rare?"

"Everyone that is born usually have an aptitude for magic, or does not. Then it also depends on your magic pool. If you have an aptitude for magic, it's common you only have aptitude for 1 of the elements, more than 1 is considered rare. Once you reach the age of 10, or 8, if you are of nobility, you are then tested to see which of the elements you have aptitude for, and your mana pool.

I have a large mana pool, and I was also told that I have aptitude for wind and fire magic, just like my father. But... Every time I try using magic, I keep failing..."

Said Elerina, as she bellowed her fists, frustrated at how weak she is.

I guess her people have set high expectations from the princess, which may be the reason why. But I'm just an outsider, so I can't say for sure.

But what I do know is that she needs something, or someone to rely on...

I walked up to Elerina, and gently hugged her. I think I did this to Maria once back at the company when she got yelled at by the section chief. She quickly calmed down after that, so I guess it must have worked.

But she got pretty red, maybe because she was hugged by the opposite gender, perhaps?

"It's okay, everyone fails now and then. Even I have failed a few times."

I said while gently stroking her head. Elerina then looked up, with teary eyes.

"R-Really? Even Lady Sylvia has had failures?"

"Yes, I have indeed. Failures are just part of the process."

"Part of the process?"

"Mhm. In order to succeed, you need to experience failures. Otherwise, you will never learn."

As I kept stroking her head, Elerina calmed down. But then someone tugged my right sleeve. When I looked, Miri and Nyuu was pouting.

I used my right hand to slowly stroke their heads in turn, and their faces lit up.

""Nyaaa~""

I'm supposed to learn magic right now, but I'm instead stroking their heads. Is this what it's like being a pet owner?

As I thought such, Elerina started hugging me back, and her ears kept twitching. While the the cats was purring. It was a surreal sight, but it was pretty cute.

"Fufu~ Remember that I'm here to learn magic."

""!""

All 3 girls had a funny face when I said such, as if they finally remembered what we came here for. Well, we have plenty of time, so it's no big issue.

Now then, let's being the magic training!

 

I walked back to where all the burn marks where at, I started with fire magic. I visualised a ball of fire, above my right hand. And within a second, it appeared. What I noticed was that the ball wasn't even hot. It was really weird, and it felt weird too.

I could sense the magic coming out from me being poured into this ball of fire. I then looked at the scorched wall, I placed the palm of my right hand forward and visualised the ball of flame striking the wall.

Once it touched the wall, the flame exploded and a new hot scorch was created, but it was way larger than Elerina's. I was quite surprised that my level 1 fire magic could create such large explosion, and the fireball itself was just as big as my fist.

Interesting. So if I level up my fire magic, the bigger the flame becomes, then?

I then raised my right palm again to visualise wind magic. This time, I tried for a cool gentle wind, and made the scorched area my target. Within a second or so, a gentle cold breeze came fourth.

Again, I was surprised at how easy it is to cast magic. I also wanted to try out divine magic, but I had no idea how to even use it. What even is divine magic to begin with? I really need to figure that out before I even try using it in the first place.

As I wondering how I was able to cast magic as if it was second nature, Elerina came up to me, excited.

"Wow! This is the first time I've seen someone use chantless magic!"

"Chantless? The books I've read said you just need to visualise it, and so I did."

"Eh?"

"Eh?"

 

Elerina told me that those who can do chantless magic was those of old, from 60,000 years ago. They only have a few books left from that era, which is the "Magic: The Basics" book, but even with that book, people of this era still had to chant the magic.

This is really weird, they have book that shows how to use chantless magic, but somehow they just don't understand it...

Hrm... I have this weird, feeling. I'm not sure what it is, but...

"...Elerina, can you create a fireball for me?"

"...? I can, but, it will be very weak and small."

"That's alright, I just want to see you create a simple fireball for me."

"Okay. <#########-"

As Elerina started to chant, which I did not understand, but the feeling I was sensing, was there. I'm not sure, but maybe because I have Mana Presence, I could see a bright red light, but also a golden-ish looking light too.

It was quite small, but it was there. I'm not really sure what it is, but that golden light, is what giving me this weird sensation, this feeling. But just as I was looking at the golden light, something happened, the bright red light, became smaller, and smaller. As if it was being suppressed.

But before the light gave out, Elerina had finished chanting.

I see... Now I understand why she kept failing...

Elerina looked at her small, tiny flame, I walked up her, and placed my hand on top of her head.

"It's alright."

"What do you mean?"

"When you where chanting, I noticed your large, bright red light becoming smaller and smaller, but it stopped when you finished chanting.

What I mean is, the chant is eating away 90% or more, of your actual power, which in return becomes this."

I said, while pointing at her tiny flame.

"Eh?! You mean the reason I'm weak is because of the chants?!"

"You are not weak, Elerina. Instead of using the dumb chants, visualise the flame in your head instead."

"B-But, I can't use chantless magic..."

"What makes you say that, Elerina?"

"I have tried chantless magic, and every time I tried, nothing happened."

"Say, Elerina. Could you tell me how you visualise it? What is your thought process?"

"Eh? How I visualise it? Um.. I try chant it without speaking?"

As I heard those words, I let out a deep sigh.

"That's not how chantless magic work, Elerina."

"Eh?"

"Listen, to visualise the magic, as you call it, chantless magic, you need to use feel your mana. While doing that, you need to create a flame inside your head, hence the world visualise. After you have done that, you will be able to materialise the flame into reality by using mana.

What I said just now, is mostly coming from the book, and I did exactly that when I tried my magic. Now then, don't try to chant, just try to see a flame inside your head, and make it a reality."

"Ah!"

As I said such, it looks like it finally dawned on her. I'm not sure how everyone thought you had to chant it in your head to make it happen. Isn't that counter productive as to what chantless magic really is? I should probably ask about it later... If I don't forget about it that is...

Elerina then took a deep breath, and this time, her big red light, did not become smaller, and on her hand, a flame as large as her fist, was created. In no time she directed her palm against the wall, and the fireball flew straight at the wall. Her flame of explosion was as large as mine, so I guess we are both at level 1 regarding fire magic then.

"I did it! I-I finally did it!!"

Elerina was overjoyed, and rushed over to where I was and hugged me. In response I gently stroked her hair.

"You did good, Elerina."

"Ehehe~"

I looked to my right, and the cat girls was twitching their ears and swishing their tails back and fourth. Looks like they are also happy that Elerina finally succeeded.

As Elerina was overjoyed, I could hear some stomachs growling.

"Looks like someone is hungry, let's have lunch shall we?"

~***~

We headed over to the grassy part of the courtyard, and as the sun was beaming down, I put out a large white tent, which I modified to have no walls. I then choose a picnic table and decided to materialise it in the middle. I then walked to the side of the tent, and summoned my cooking equipment.

Since it's about lunch time, let's go for something light, but also something delicious. I think grilled cheese sandwich will do the trick.

I then summoned fourth my ingredients, which was soft white bread, some tomatoes, cheddar cheese, muenster cheese, some room temp butter, and a bit of olive oil.

Never in my entire life, have I made grilled cheese, but I've read how to make it. It sounds simple enough, so let's give it a go!

I placed my iron pan on the portable stove, and turned it on. I made sure to add some olive oil at the bottom, and started preparing my sandwich.

If I'm correct, my sandwich will be saved in the summons tab, under foodstuffs after I'm done. That means I can make different variants, and summon them when I feel like it.

As I was in full spirits, and started to prepare my sandwich, the 3 girls decided to sit down at the picnic table, eagerly waiting for food.

After a few minutes, the sandwich was finally done, and I used a frying spatula and moved them to my slicing board, and did a diagonal cut with a kitchen knife. Once I put them in my summoned plate, the AR popped up like before.

<Grilled Cheese [Diagonal Cut] can now be summoned!>

I then headed into the summons sub tab for foodstuffs, and summoned some extra grilled cheese with diagonal cuts on the plate. After I had a good amount of slices, I removed my used equipment and the ingredients. After I cleaned everything up, I then picked up the plate and headed over to the table.

"It's ready. It's called grilled cheese sandwich. It's main ingredients are white soft bread, tomatoes and cheese."

"Is this another dish from that world called Earth, Lady Sylvia?"

"Yes. That's where I learned how to make it. But this is actually the first time I actually made it, because I did not have the time back then.

Shall we give it a try, then?"

We then took 2 slices each, and started eating. To my surprise, it was quite delicious. I never had one of these before, but the cheese really made it great.

"Mm~ Miri loves the stretchy thingy~"

"Streeetch~"

"Oh my! It is quite delicious, I must say."

"T-That's so? Ehehe~"

Complimenting the food I made, made me very happy. I wonder what else I should make in the future~

~***~

At the same time, somewhere deep in Terran Empire...

"How did the, experiment, go?"

Asked the man, who was sitting behind a desk, which was the only light source in the room.

"The... Experiment, went smoothly, Orboros. But, there where some... setbacks, so to say..."

Orboros told the man to continue his report, with a simple hand gesture.

"The specimen did as told, but after being attacked by an adventurer, they did not retaliate. More than that, the adventurer killed all of them, one by one, by using strong fire magic."

"I see... Well, it's no matter, it's just a filthy adventurer. Once war starts, like cockroaches, they simply flee too another kingdom."

Orboros said, with a smirk.

"So it doesn't matter. Other than that, can you improve the specimen, so they don't become useless tools?"

"Yes, with the data we collected thus far, we only need a few extra months."

As the man said such, Orboros had a vicious grin.

"Excellent. Excellent! With this, we will be able to take what's rightfully ours! AHAHAHAHA!"

 

Little did Orboros know, that he would soon make an enemy of someone he shouldn't have.