"Good work on your first day, Celes. Though I would appreciate it if you are to be a little more merciful… well then, I'll see you tomorrow." Eloc said, then went back into his room at the back.

I guess I should go home too. Since the others already did in a hurry, don't want to steer up any troubles here.

I thought as I walked towards Orto's house… or so thought.

"Where does he lives again? I'm getting lost a lot these days. What's up with my sense of direction?"

As I wander around the streets, I saw a girl that seemed to be in her teens swinging around a thin stick.

"∆••∆•••••∆∆" She chanted taking a whole minute.

That can't be used in 1 on 1 situation.

I sense magic power from it. Is that what a wand is? Maybe I should stay a little more to learn from her? Since I'm lost I might as well do that.

I sat on a bench that so happened to be near the girl and observed her.

In her every swing and chanting, weak magic power gathers around her. But since it's so weak, she can't conjure a spell.

:Magic Manipulation:

I see, she's not controlling the magic in the surrounding well. Is the level of her magic control low? Wait, now that I think about it, I've never gathered magic from the atmosphere and just used mine. I'll give it a try.

After deciding to give magic a try, I went into a secluded area outside the walls. It was easy to sneak out with Stealth. Since even that Arthur didn't sense me at all, I don't think these low leveled knights can.

What should I try first? Since it's already late I need to be quick. How about I categorize them first, let's see… defensive, including barriers and automatic shields. Offensive, includes homing, penetrating, single target, area damage, and one-shots.

Let's start with Offensive, homing. For it to home, I'll need a moving target.

I hung a rock up a tree with a rope I created with Item Creation and pushed it around with the wind.

Now, if we're talking about homing, it should be wind, right? Maybe light? No, in the first place how am I able to use magic this easy when I know nothing about it? Is it because I have Magic Manipulation? I seriously need to research this.

If I want it to home, how should I make it move on its own? I can't. Let's skip it for now and try penetrating. If it's penetrating then it should be as thin as possible, and long. How about spear-like or arrow-like magics?

Modify and compress wind using Magic Manipulation as thin as possible, and as dense as possible.

I imagined. I was able to make a 1-foot-long, sharp thin rod of wind after the compression.

"And shoot, straight to the target." And pushed it with mana straight to the rock that I stopped from moving, piercing through.

The rock fell as it crumbled to the ground.

If wind can do this much, then what about the other attributes? For now, let's use the four major ones. Fire can melt rock, the light can do the same. Water can also do that, while rock is good for blunt attacks so that's a no.

Let's start with Fire.

I imagined a bubble of pure oxygen, a spark in the middle of it all, but nothing happened.

What could I be doing wrong? Magic Manipulation…

After using the skill, all of the sudden, the world gave a strange sensation. It's like I can see everything and feel everything like I normally would, by just doing literally nothing and not even looking at or touching them.

After a while, I realized that a lot of small bubble-like orbs are spread out in the air, with different colored cores, different sizes, and different colors and shades of the surface.

How come I wasn't able to just imagine it like the wind magic? What did I do wrong here?

It's beautiful, but it's not tickling any emotions at all… could the cores have something to do with the attributes? Let's try gathering the reds and see what happens.

I gathered around a dozen of orbs with red orbs and put them together.

They merged…? the core got bigger forcing the surface to stretch and fit in.

I added more and more but then…

*Explodes*

and scattered a lot of small red orbs without surface and disappeared. Along with some embers.

"It exploded? Why? Is it because the surface can't hold in all the magic? Or is it required to activate magic? This is harder than I thought."

Let's try forming a shape. Like a spear… didn't work. Why? Then try adding some of my magic power.

After I added my magic power, the lightness and brightness of the surface increased. I imagined a meter-long spear with a plain pointy end.

Woosh

So I need to put in my own magic power? Now, this makes less and less sense. How was I able to do it back then? Because I just pumped in my own magic? Just forget about it. What you need to do right now is learn.

Since this worked, I should try adding oxygen and hydrogen to increase the power. That should be easy.

I started imagining oxygen along with wind magic to get the elements to gather. Added my magic and merged it with the fire magic.

(Experts, please correct me if I'm wrong with the elements.)

swoosh

The meter-long fire spear is now blazing white and blue.

"Now I can't really tell how powerful it is by just sending it onto a rock."

I looked around for a while and found nothing to test it on.

I should go home now, it's late after all. But how? How come I was able to fit in all those information from when I was still a ghost but unable to remember the way back home? Could it have some to do with being a formless ghost? The number of questions I have just increased again.

"There you are, Celes! It's already late, you got me worried you know?"

Great timing, Orto.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Orto. I can't remember the way back home." I said while bowing.

"Now now, no need for honorifics. Here, let's get back." Said Orto as he offered his hand for me.

I tucked onto his shirt again and said

"Let's go, big bro!" the way he likes it.

"U-un… you know, Celes, can you not play with me whenever you get the chance…"

"Whatever you're saying, big bro!" I said as I look up at him and grabbed his hand.

"This is hard to keep up with… and what's more, she's actually pretty cute…" He mumbled.

He really is kind.

*****

It's been a week since my first day. I learned quite a lot.

"Good Work today too, everyone. You too, Celes. You did great on handling those perverts."

Wind magic is the easiest of the four, I only needed to imagine to use it. Fire needs more steps to make, the ground can't be used if there's no material related to it to use, and water needs more concentration to form and shape. I was able to make different offensive magic.

"Nh." I nodded to Mr. Eloc's words of praise.

I was also able to make a barrier. I used polygonal shapes so that whenever it breaks, I won't have to fix all of them. Just that one part. Less mana consumption. It's made by compressing and hardening mana and making it thick enough to not break. I've tried it myself, it was able to defend against twice weaker than the original Penetrating Fire spear. Don't question the name, it's not decided yet.

I made penetrating using wind, fire, and water magic. Area damage using all four. Single target using wind. A one-shot using a meter-long thin metal tube created made with magic and using wind and fire to shoot a metal ball made with magic. Basically a sniper.

"Hey hey, Celes. Want to join us? We're going to a party that Amy was invited to," Sheena said.

About that automatic shields. What I did was put up a thin bubble of mana, so whenever a high density of magic enters it I'll sense it and be able to step up the shields, it all depends on my reflexes now. Since I'm a vampire, there shouldn't be any problem with that. It's quite easy to keep up after training with it for a whole week every hour of the day except sleeping. I don't need sleep, but Orto keeps bothering me about it.

"That's right! There's gonn' be foods, 'nd good alcohol! It's gonn'be great!" Amy said, getting more and more passionate when the topic of alcohol came.

"Hnnn. You should be more aware of your feminity, Amy! But have you ever drunk any alcohol, Celes?" Kaith asked.

I did in my previous life sometimes whenever I'm invited to Shila's birthday. Well, the only reason I did was that she forced me. Maybe it's one of her ways to get me to do it with her. But luck was on my side, and the first time, I drank some I discovered that I can hold my cup for quite long. Longer than she can at least. But I can't tell that to Kaith here, now can I?

"Nhnn, I've never," I said as I shook my head.

"Then come with us! You should experience drinking too! The more, the merrier!"

"I'll have to ask Orto though…"

"If that's the problem, then I'll just explain to him. You should enjoy your time there. You don't smile that much too, so that might give you a chance to." He said after locking the doors and giving me a smile.

Though the reason for that is I'm emotionless. He'll definitely feel bad if I told him. Unnecessary stress isn't needed for a businessman so I won't.

"Well, if you insist. When is it?"

"Tomorrow, just another bell after our shift! That's more than enough time for us to prepare and get dressed!"

"Speaking of dresses, do you have something to wear?" Cess butted in.

"I'm fine. I have some dresses, given to me by my friend." I said, raising my hand.

"All green!" Lam said "Same!" Amy and Kaith said at the same time "Mine is about ready," Sheena said

"T-then, I'm the only one who doesn't have anything to wear!?" Asked Cess in shock.

"We could get you one tomorrow if you want? I'll go ask my friend so that he can lower the price."

"Really?! You'll do that for me, Celes?" Asked Cess as she put her hands together.

"Yeah."

"Aaah! Thank you, Lady Celes!" Shouted Lam, attempting a hug, just for me to dodge it.

"Ah, jeez! Isn't it fine!? It's a great day after all!" She complained while patting on her nose as she sat on the cold stone floor.

"Hahahahaha!" They all laughed.

"Haha, well then. Good work again, everyone. Careful on your way home. I'll be heading to my other shop now." He said as he walks away with a wave.

"I'll get going now too, see you all tomorrow!" Lam said "Same!" Amy and Kaith said at the same time "See you guys." They all said as they went off in different directions.

"We should go to your friend's shop too, Celes!" Said Cess as she jump around happily.

Is it really that fun to go looking for clothes? Even Shila is always excited whenever she and his bastard of a boyfriend go on a shopping spree. I guess I'll understand after I get back my emotions.

"Heeyy, Celes! Heavens to Celeste Crourem!" Cess said, attempting a chop onto my head.

And dodged.

"As evasive as always. Let's go then!"

"Yeah, I got it. I'll be taking the lead."

*****