"Trainees! Today we move on to the next phase, so listen closely!"

Mr. Harold had assembled all three of us early in the morning. I looked at him, my mood starting to get worse.

"In the 4th phase, we will finally tackle your abilities"

'?!,... So its time huh'

Those words immediately stirred us, the air becoming tense as we listened.

"However we can't help you in any way because your ability is an unknown territory for us Folerians" he paused

'Figures, our abilities can grow in any way possible and so leaving it up to us may be for the best'

"We can only give you guidance based on past records and nothing more. Such is why starting today, you will be focusing all your remaining time in mastering your powers"

He then proceeded to explain the schedule. Our arts training was left for us to decide wether to do it or not, while it was still compulsary for us to do the physical and combat training during the day and night respectively.

He then let us disperse by ourselves, advicing us to find a suitable place for practice on our own preferences although for Rea it was different as she was called out by Mr. Nellie.

"Rea, your ability enables you to tame an arcane beast right?" Mrs. Nellie asked.

"Yes Ma'am..honestly I don't know how I will train this.."

'Oh yeah...that's a problem right there'

Her dilemma was understandable since she had to practice on live beast. This place didn't have any of those things from my time here.

I suspected that it either naturally didn't have any beast here in the first place or those two were keeping them out somehow.

"Don't worry, I have captured some beast for you the past few weeks so you can practice on them" 

"You have?" Rea asked surprised.

'She has? Since when?' I mused.

She smiled as she patted Rea's shoulders, a gentle smile on her face.

"There are hunting grounds in this forest but it's really hidden and dangerous for you as you are right now so settle for this right now ok"

She strictly said as she handed a bow and dagger to Rea. 

"Yes Ma'am" 

Rea nodded, a faint smile on her lips as she followed Mrs. Nellie to another location.

I looked at Ben from my side, seemingly thinking of where to go too.

"Hey Ben~ where are you going to practice?"

"Oh hey man...I'm not really sure since most of the rock formations here aren't going to cut it"

"Wait what are going to do with those?"

"Im going to break them for practice Colt, what else?"

"...."

'I shouldn't have asked' I thought

'...Well his ability is about strenghtening so maybe its the best course of action now that I think about it' I retracted

"By the way, did you have a fight with baldy Colt, you looked kinda pissed a while ago"

A look of slight surprise showed on my face towards the fact that Ben was able to notice my mood earlier.

"Let's just say that he rubbed me the wrong way yesterday, it's nothing too serious"

"Its not everyday you get angry man, baldy must have said something really stupid"

Ben looked at me, a smirk on his face was plastered.

"Shut up dude, anyway do you really call him baldy, won't you get beaten up"

"I sure do, hell! What's the difference if I'm just going to get beat up anyway right?"

'....He might have a point there'

"But still I'm stumped here man" 

He complained as he closed his eyes, his brows knit, thinking of a place.

'If you're just looking for those spikes then-'

"Hmmm how about the top of that mount- I mean hill, didn't it have several of those spiky things"

Ben gasped having realized the same idea as I did.

"Ohhh! That's right, I forgot about that f*cking mountain!"

'So it is a mountain'

"Thanks Colt!"

"Sure~ anytime"

It's been so long since we had spoken like this , it's kinda nice for a change.

He tapped my shoulders as he was about to race towards the mountain.

"Colt...thanks, really"

He whispered to me. As I looked at him with wide eyes, a sorry smile on his face as he took off to his training spot.

I stood there in silence still staring at his receding back in the distance. After a while I started to head to my own spot, a mumble escaping my mouth.

"I should be the one saying that.."

-----

The location that I had chosen didn't have much rock formation in it, In addition it was quite far away from the camp. Most importantly it gave me a reasonable clear space for my experiments. 

"Hmmm this should be wide enough"

I placed myself in the center of a circle like space, rock spikes acting as some kind of borders.

"Ok...let's do this"

I calmed my breathing as I got on my knees, reaching out my hand down to the ground.

'Goddess I hope your rune works'

I formed a finger gun stance as I closed my eyes. I gradually moved arcane to my fingertips with clear intention of using the rune. 

I felt the usual electrifying sensation when arcane moved inside my body but this time, it felt more relaxing and calmer than normal.

I opened my eyes to see that my fingers were emitting a greenish blue hue akin to an Aurora. I looked at it in awe, it's light mesmerizing like the one that Goddess did.

"Yes! It worked!"

My eyes shined as I had realized that it wasn't a hoax, this ability of mine.

"Wait calm yourself,...this is just the start"

I exhaled putting my focus on the ground. I started to write the rune slowly. I could have written it faster after all that practice but I wanted to be sure on my first try.

Trails of aurora lights was imprinted on the ground as it followed the path of my writing. Finally I had formed the rune, it's shine gradually disappearing after I wrote it.

I gulped as I readied the words, for my first spell. I stood, my fingers still in a finger gun stance pointing upwards and it's aurora hues still glowing. 

I imagined the spell that Goddess Leda had showed before, its scale and form in my mind solidified and then I spoke.

"[Inverno-Freeze]"

I immediately felt arcane being depleted as the shine on my fingers vanished.

On the other hand, before my very eyes, the rune on the ground shined intensely as ice started to crawl along the ground in the blink of an eye, small tips of it jutting out.

It had formed in a circular disc around me and small clouds of cold air was visible in the area.

"Damn this is cool!"

It was ironic that I shouted that in excitement despite not feeling the freezing cold whatsoever in the center of this ice platform.

Now that I had confirmed that I was able to use it pretty normally. It was time to begin my experiments.

I looked at my fingertips, although it looked like a finger gun, it acted more like a seal that I opened to access that rune.

'A seal? A rune seal perhaps'

As I thought that I observed the ice, it was like any normal ice one would see in the arctics which was sometimes bluish white.

'I will master this thing..'

I readied my rune seal, aurora hues glowing as I bended down on the ice.

And such, I continued to inscribe it.

------

"Hmm you seem out of it Colt, what did you do this time?"

'Does she just assume that I did something wrong?'

Leyana asked as she stored her training sword. Right after the sun had set, I decided to head back to camp. 

We did the usual parrying session but with an extra practice swinging in the first half.

"....Well I was supposed to  train my ability today right?"

I languidly replied, my body sore from the combat training.

 "Yes I am aware so what's wrong?"

She sat down facing me, her eyes showing a little- a lot of intrigue.

"....Well I was kinda expecting to make a lot of spells today but it seems that making my own spells is really difficult"

I sighed as I slumped down on the ground, my back leaning on the log.

"Hmm then what were your observations as to why you couldn't make a spell?"

I tilt my head to her question.

"...My observations?"

"Yes your observations"

All I did today was keep shouting out words, hoping that it would do something although that didn't do nothing in the end.

My brows knit as I recalled some details about what I did earlier today.

She stared at me with a doubtful face as she seemed exasperated.

"Colt did you even write down anything whatsoever?"

I gasped, realizing the point that she was talking about was something crucial that I missed to do.

"....I see, so you didn't"

"Yup~ but thanks for pointing that out Leyana"

"Don't be proud of that...you idiot"

She paused as she took out something from her tent and then came back as she threw it to me.

"Use it well, you hear me?"

She crossed her arms as she looked at me, her cheeks reddening.

I caught what she threw and it was something akin to a journal.

"Thanks for giving me this and I can let you take a peek on my notes if you want~"

"I-I don't need to take a peek! I'm going to sleep!"

She turned her head as she hurrumped, closing her tent as she glared at me one more time.

'It's just my notes, no need to be defensive'

I looked at the journal in my hands, a smile on my face as I held it as I realized something.

"Wait what am I going to write with?"

And thus I started to write a journal, somewhat.