"That lightness that you are feeling in your body is actually mana."

"No wonder I feel so light Sensei."

Sebastian was training Naell. They were both standing meters away from each other in the middle of the Grassy plains. The location they were training in, was the same place where he had awakened.

It was the perfect place to train since average villagers would avoid it. After all, it had the tendency to have some roaming monsters. Of course, it was heavily guarded by Baron Fharom's guards, but still, for a normal person, it was a scary place to be in.

Naell was still a tad anxious as he thought,

'I wonder--- what is this heavy feeling?'

It only lasted for a couple of seconds as Naell was too fond of his training. He was actually releasing and inserting mana from his body. He was trying to do a mana shield that all mages usually learn first as mentioned in the novel.

To form a mana shield, a mage needs to release his/her mana while coating their body and surroundings with it.

Sebastian, while continuing his lecture about the fundamentals of magic and mana, placed his right palm to his chest while his left index pointed to his temple.

"A martial artist's aura strength not only comes from the amount they have but also from their will which is directly from their heart; while us mages will come from our mastery in controlling and forming mana--- but above all, from our imagination."

He then added on while observing Naell's white mana.

"Although the color of one's mana truly describes the strength of a mage, without mastery and imagination, it amounts to nothing."

Naell of course was startled at first when Sebastian told him that his mana was white like his mother's, though he quickly forgot about it due to his excitement in learning magic.

Naell was nodding and in the process was actually able to succeed on his first try. A clear circular barrier had formed around him. Sebastian was then looking towards him with a complicated look.

"This--- you are able to form a perfect mana shield on your first try..."

Sebastian, with a flick of his hand, immediately sent multiple offensive magic towards Naell. He was surprised at how sturdy the young mage's shield was.

Naell tilted his head with a questioning gaze of "what?" directed to his Sensei. He was having too much fun to even use common sense at that moment.

"HO...Ho...ho" Sebastian could only laugh dryly at Naell's response.

"AHEM... For this month, you'll practice your mana shield until you can maintain its form even whilst you are doing other things." Sebastian knew that releasing and inserting mana required an amount of time to master, so he thought one week would do. Yet when Naell immediately formed a barrier with mana, he could only advance the lesson.

'4 months... It really is possible--- Nay 4 months is too long.' Sebastian was thinking of the entrance exam at the capital. The mage applicant would be required to undergo a series of examinations to assess their capability to uphold the school’s standards.

Naell nodded to respond while pondering if he could fly.

"Understood, Sensei. I was hoping I could learn elemental magic today."

Naell then focused his mana to his feet, but was quite disappointed when he could only levitate.

In the novel, flight magic was possible but only to a certain degree. They could only levitate or fly a few meters above the ground. Of course, there were exceptions such as the direct descendants of The Legendary Animal, Pegasus; the winged beast tribe, the mighty dragon race, and several other races.

.

.

.

Sebastian's jaw dropped when he saw Naell levitating. Regardless, he managed to speak calmly despite being astonished from the start.

"...Give yourself 1 week then--- Only then will I test your elemental magic."

Naell nodded to respond. He levitated while sitting cross-legged in the air as he rotated 360 degrees vertically.

Sebastian could only sigh while looking at the levitating young mage, whose appearance and attitude reminded him of his late cheeky student.

"Just maintain your levitation and mana shield for as long as you can, Naell. Even in the capital, that is how they train mages."

Hours went by as their training consisted of mana control. Sebastian tested the sturdiness of Naell's shield by attacking it every so often.

All of a sudden, Sebastian clapped both of his hands once as he remembered something important.

"Remember Naell, mages can only replenish their mana from the spirit of the world so if we lose control of our mana then we are as good as dead."

Naell after some pondering decided to ask while maintaining his mana shield and levitation--- still in a cross-legged sitting position. He could now feel the stress that was toiling in his body.

"By the way, Sensei."

As to reply, Sebastian smiled and approached him.

"Hmmm?"

"I saw some books regarding you and my parents. Why are you called FORTRESS anyway?" Naell obviously knew nothing about things that were not in the storyline. However, because of the books that he read in the library, he learned a couple of interesting things.

"Hohoho" Sebastian could only laugh as he remembered the past. It was a painful memory full of hardship. The War of the Continent started when the Southern Kingdom fell into the hands of a terrorist group called the Illuminati.

That group was headed by Duke Leonard Cross, a northern noble who wanted to rule the whole continent. That person was also known as the [JACK of All Blades], an honorary SS-rank adventurer that could wield multiple blades at his bidding.

Leonard Cross murdered the King of the Southern Kingdom who at that time, visited the Northern Continent. He failed to assassinate the Northern King who fled to the Western kingdom and asked for aid.

Leonard Cross then manipulated what had happened and accused the Northern King of killing the Southern King. The Eastern Kingdom who had deep blood ties with the deceased King, attacked the Western border demanding the head of the accused.

"Other kingdoms of different races got involved in the conflict, hence started the War of the Continent. The war lasted for 5 years until the whole continent united to defeat the Illuminati whose schemes had been exposed by the Southern Kingdom's surviving prince--- now the King of the South." Sebastian continued talking. He was smiling with a hint of sadness in his face.

"I was stationed in the Western Kingdom's Northern border where I used my elemental magic for defense rather than offense--- hence the nickname, [Fortress].''

Sebastian then saw the fatigued look of his student who was by then breathing heavier than usual.

"Naell, It's better to rest and not overexert yourself."

Naell then after deactivating his magic, plopped down while looking paler from the exhaustion of using mana for hours.

"So, why Fortress?"

"Hohoho, I'll tell you after we test your elemental magic."

Sebastian actually had a vague idea of Naell's elemental magic, but it was better to wait for a week to test it.

'Naell needs to get used to mana control and magic form even if his progress is fast. Besides, I need to wait for the device to test his elemental magic.'

Naell could only smile and nod as he was too exhausted to exert any more effort.

They decided to rest for a while before heading back to the mansion.

 

*******

 

1 month went by in a blink of an eye. The training smoothly progressed as Naell could even use mana detection magic, a spell that uses mana to detect life forms, aura, and the surrounding mana.

Mana detection can vary depending on a mage’s capabilities in magic. A person with either stronger mana or aura can prevent themselves from being sensed through this magic.

Of course, high ranking mages like Sebastian Claus, the former captain of the WCF possessing yellow mana, can detect better and far wider than new mages. What more, named wizards and witches can go as far as differentiating the nature of a person’s mana and aura, and the strong from the weak.

Within their world, those who exceed the limit of one's normal growth were given titles to their name; with relation to a deck of cards for martial artists like the late [JACK of all blades], Leonard Cross; and [WIZARD] and [WITCH] for mages. Animals and monsters on the other hand, upon reaching their limit will name themselves, such as the legendary beast, [PEGASUS].

Naell decided to ask his Sensei to delay his elemental magic capability test. He had experienced how much he lacked stamina when it came to using mana.

Sebastian couldn't agree more since the basic foundation was crucial for a new mage. Although, he could not help but slightly anticipate Naell's future as his growth could exponentially be on par or slightly better than the named [Witch of Winter].

Sebastian and Naell were currently seated facing each other in the Grassy plains. They decided to continue the previous discussion they had about his title of [Fortress] and elemental magic.

"Your mother was taking her on-the-job training in my garrison up the northern border where I first met her. She was already a famous B-class adventurer that possessed both white mana and the elemental magic of wind and water. Just like me." As Sebastian spoke, his yellow mana turned into a combination of passing wind that circled around a ball of clear water in his right open palm. He then added,

"But your mom's elemental magic was stronger than mine, let alone anyone I have met. She was really having a hard time controlling the strength of her magic. That is why when she saw me, she just barged in on me and asked me to be her master. Hohoho, that was quite an experience."

Naell chuckled. He could imagine Alicia being a cheeky kid.

"Looks like my mom was quite the hassle."

"Hohoho, she sure was."

With a snap of his fingers, Sebastian then [ poofed ] a ball that landed on the grassy ground. The ball appeared to be what fortune-tellers on earth commonly used; a crystal ball. Seeing that, Naell tilted his head in confusion. Sebastian chuckled.

"Hohoho, this will be the instrument that will determine your elemental magic. Although I have an idea since I somewhat sense it within you, but it is still better to use this... So listen, and watch carefully." Sebastian then placed his right palm on the ball while emitting his yellow mana. After seconds, a blue deep sea like orb was covering almost the entirety of the ball, while a hue of grayish transparent like air occupied a small amount in the ball.

"As you see here, I have an affinity for water and wind. Fire is red, earth has the colors of nature, while the light and darkness is literally their respective colors."

Naell was mesmerized. Even though he did have some sort of idea since the book, Arts and Magic described how to test one's mana and aura, it was still his first time seeing it upfront.

Without waiting for Naell's reply, Sebastian added on,

"As you can see, my wind affinity is mediocre at best, while my water is slightly stronger. This actually helped me develop a special element that even your mom had a hard time learning, Hohoho." As he said that, Sebastian flicked his left hand. Strands of mana then flowed into the air before scattering and dropping onto the ground. The ground then slowly formed a pure white miniature castle.

Naell then stood up and approached the white castle that upon closer look, resembled fortified barracks rather than a castle.

"Sensei... This is snow."

Sebastian leisurely followed suit and laughed heartily while picking the ball up.

"Hohoho, yes. I can never do ice magic since my wind magical affinity is lacking, but because of my mastery in the control of mana and the forming of magic, I was able to make snow."

That was why when Alicia, who had a hard time controlling her mana and could not form her ice magic at that time, saw Sebastian's control of mana, she nagged at him to teach her his secret.

Mages that have two elemental affinities were rare, especially in the case where both elements were equal. But there were rarer cases wherein a mage was born with three or more elemental affinities.

"So to answer your question, I am called “Fortress” because of my ability to defend with the use of my elemental magic. The combination of my water and my weak wind enabled me to make the sturdiest snow."

Sebastian and Naell once again sat down. He placed the ball on the Grassy plains near the miniature snow castle.

"Do you have any more questions?"

Naell gleefully replied,

"No Sensei."

Sebastian then gestured towards the glass ball.

"Hohoho, then let us start."