Aleph found himself with a mountain of projects, with next to no resources. He needed to make weapons in case more of those dogs came by again as well as research this world's magic. He was especially worried the enemy might find the portal underneath his home, especially with all the mana crystals it was producing.

With no other recourse, he turned to the only people he knew in this world. He still had not accepted Brandon as his apprentice, so he asked the others if they might have a job for him.

As a result, Aleph found himself working at Lacey's parents' general store for the past few days.

"Hey mister, could you carry these to the front for me?" Lacey said to Aleph, pointing to a bunch of boxes at the back of the store.

"Certainly." He answered, carrying them out without missing a beat.

It's a good job, he thought to himself. He got to earn some money for the materials he needed, got to take home produce that was about to turn bad, and keep an eye on Lacey at the same time.

His body had fully integrated the mana he had absorbed a few days ago with no ill effects. The others absorbed far more, so despite their insistence that they were in perfect health, he deemed it best to monitor their condition.

The front of the store was busy. Aleph was about to set the boxes down next to the shelf when an older man hailed him.

"Aleph, bring it here! Those boxes belong to Mrs. Deepwood, so carry them straight to her carriage." Albert said.

Aleph obliged. He walked over to Lacey's father, who pointed to a carriage up front.

Hours went by just like that, until the customers had run out. Usually the store would be bought out before noon, but that just meant they were extremely short handed in the mornings. It was just Lacey and her parents who worked the store after all. They all sat out front after the last customer left, having a refreshing cup of water.

"Thanks again for helping out, Aleph." Lori said.

"No need for gratitude. I should be the one thankful that you would hire someone like me." 

"Oh, please! You're new in town so you may not know, but good help is so hard to find these days! Isn't that right, honey?"

Albert nodded his head. "Yeah. The war's got most young men out on the frontlines. A traveler like you arriving here is good news, though. Might mean the conflict's almost over.

"Anyway, do you have time later? I'd love it if you'd come over for dinner. Haven't found a drinking buddy in a while, haha!"

Albert laughed heartily, but Lori protested. "Oh dear, you're absolutely useless when you're hungover! But we would be glad to have you over for dinner, Aleph." She added.

"In that case, I would be honored to join you."

Aleph finished his drink and promised to see them tonight. He returned home, greeting Brandon who just got done disguising the portal. 

"Master!" He stood in attention at the sight of him.

Aleph inspected his work, giving him a sideways glance once in a while. It seems his physical strength has improved. The rocks I cut were designed for me to carry, yet he carried them all here in less than a day. 

"Good work." He said curtly, to which Brandon responded with a deep bow.

"It is all thanks to you, master! The mana crystal you gave improved my strength significantly."

"That wasn't by design, Brandon. We need to figure out what else has changed with your bodies before we can move forward."

"Oh, about that… Master, I've asked a mage to speak with us about the subject. He has returned from the frontlines, going through town on his way back to the capital."

Oh? "Another mage? Why don't you ask to be his apprentice? Seeing as he is more capable than I in teaching you."

Brandon's reply was somber. "That is true, but I would still prefer you."

"Is it because of Lacey?"

"I-I cannot hide anything from you, master."

"What are you doing? Don't you want revenge on the invaders? Why are you stalling?"

Brandon gulped. He Looked around to make sure noone was close, and said,

"I am worried about them. I know you will take care of them, master, but this power… You know how nosy they are. Do you realize what sort of trouble they'll get into once they've mastered it?"

His response gave Aleph pause. This young man's much more complex than he gave him credit for.

"Brandon, have I told you about your namesake?"

"No, master. I've tried to find mentions of him in history after you told me about him, but I could not find any records of such a hero existing."

"Brandon was the best fighter in the army by far. He wielded a claymore, valiantly charging in front to draw all the enemies to him. He defeated countless enemy champions, but that was not his greatest merit."

"What is it?"

"His greatest merit was that he can look at the battlefield and instantly tell where he's needed the most. You're not heroic in the least, but you've inherited this."

Aleph stood in front of him and said, "Kneel, Brandon."

he hurriedly complied. 

"Apprenticeship in my world is not taken lightly. It ties your fate to mine, and your actions reflect my will whether you want them to or not. Are you prepared?"

"I am."

"Until the time that I release you from my tutelage I expect nothing less than complete obedience. There will be times when I will command you to do things that are antithesis to your character and goals. Do you accept these terms?"

"I do."

"Think it through. Do you swear to obey my orders even if they ruin your relationships? Will you forsake your revenge at my command?"

That made Brandon hesitate. After careful consideration, he took a deep breath and answered, "Yes."

"Then rise and claim the proof of your apprenticeship." Aleph held out a hand. On top of it was a simple brooch, inlaid with a blood red mana crystal. Brandon took it reverently, staring at it in awe.

"This brooch is made with a crystal containing my blood. Wear it at all times. If you wish to contact me, touch it with a mana crystal. I will know if you've called for me."

"Yes, master."

"Good. Then, tomorrow we will meet with your father to finalize your status as my apprentice."

"That's… Do we have to?"

"You are not of age yet, Brandon. I have accepted you, but it is a formality to ask your parents' blessing for these things. I know your will, but out of respect to the one that raised you, I would wish to meet with him."

Brandon looked like he wanted to protest, but to his merit thought the better of it.

"I-yes, master. I will let him know."

"Good. So what time have you arranged for us to meet with this mage?"

"We can go there right now, master. He gave us leave to call on him at any time. He's staying at Sleepy Joe's Inn. Would you like to go?"

Aleph followed Brandon as they made their way through town towards the inn where the mage was staying. He had grown familiar with the town as of late, but in a place with thousands of people, he was still learning his way around. He let his mind wander, just paying enough attention to where Brandon was going.

I never imagined taking an apprentice, he thought. The spark of heroism that Aleph saw in his apprentice was very faint, but it left an impression on him. The contradictions in the boy were worrying, but his actions when confronted revealed his true nature. It was telling that the biggest motivator in him was not revenge, but his friends. Not even the threat of ruining his standing with them crushed his resolve.

Some of Aleph's friends had apprentices all throughout the war. He had never really paid them any mind, except to complain at how they got in the way of their master in battle. Even Emily had a young prodigy that had gotten famous in her own right. She had always spoken glowingly of the joys of watching someone grow, but only a lifetime later had Aleph begun to understand the beauty of such.

They stepped into a nondescript building. A man at the counter greeted them and asked for their business.

"Is Lady Iona in? I'm supposed to meet her today."

"The mage girl? Yes, I'll send someone to her room. Have a seat. Do any of you want something to drink?"

"Water is fine… Ah, and some ale for my master." Brandon answered.

Aleph eyed his drink, waiting for the mage to come down. 

"Is it not to your liking, master?"

"It's alright, Brandon. I was just thinking about how long it's been since I had one." Aleph took a tentative sip and immediately made a face.

"Haha! I guess you're not much of a drinker."

Aleph was pushing down the urge to strike his student when a woman sat down in front of them. She wore glasses and a cloak, her curly red hair tied up in a bun.

"Brandon, was it? What's this about?" She asked irritably.

"Y-yes, ma'am. We're here because my master has some questions regarding our kingdom's magic. I have already sent your payment in advance."

"Oh, right. That.", Iona said distractedly, just now noticing his brooch. Her eyes narrowed, shifting her gaze towards Aleph.

"And you're this master?"

Aleph simply nodded in response. Iona took out a bag of coins and quickly counted its contents.

"Alright. This buys you three questions. Go."

A straightforward transaction. I like it. Aleph nodded once again. He thought for a moment, taking another sip of his drink. He regretted it immediately which earned another snicker from Brandon.

"Alright, here's my two: One, how does one harness mana in the body? Two, how does one figure out their safe limit to mana absorption? I'll reserve my third for deeper questioning."

Iona stared hard at Aleph, eyes still narrowed. Then she spread her hands before her and uttered, "Reveal."

A breeze blasted through the inn, disturbing some of the patrons. Some of them shouted and complained, but Iona paid them no mind. She kept her focus on Aleph and Brandon, watching them like a hawk. Eventually she sighed, eased up and slumped back into her seat.

"Damn. I thought for sure that… Alright. For your first question, it's quite simple." She brought up her hand again, this time the palm opened upwards. A glow emanated from it, a deep red like her hair.

"When enough mana accumulates in the body, it forms what is called a mana heart. At this point, your body acknowledges the mana as part of you, and with focused intent, you can mold it to your will. With a mana heart, you would also begin to produce mana. With a bit of training, one may convert said mana into whatever form they wish. That is, as long as one has the correct mental image. A lot of the time, spells are uttered to more easily conjur up that mental image, like with the spell I just showed you."

Aleph nodded in understanding. "That answer is sufficient. Continue, if you please."

"All right. The limit one's body can take depends solely on talent. There are some quacks out there that claim to be able to manipulate the body to allow a larger mana pool, but such claims are unsubstantiated.

Now, I'm gonna assume that by 'safe limit' you are asking about the amount of mana you can absorb at any one time. That is a bit more complicated to figure out as it also differs from person to person. Absorbing too much at once can lead to nausea or even loss of consciousness. This threshold increases as your mana heart grows, but a good rule of thumb would be to only absorb as much as a tenth of what your mana heart can contain at once. Going over that limit too many times will eventually kill you, so don't even consider it."

Brandon and Aleph looked at each other. It's a good thing they stopped absorbing mana after all. Aleph resolved to have the children take in more controlled amounts in the future. He cleared his throat and asked his final question.

"I noticed that your glasses are artifacts. How does one not interfere with the body's propensity to absorb mana?"

"Oh? For a man who's barely started forming a mana heart, you are quite sharp. You are correct. These are indeed artifacts." She handed her glasses over.

"Hmmm, these are well made… for augmented vision? Though,I believe a visor would be more practical on a battlefield." Aleph handed the glasses back, confirming his suspicions.

"So. Artifacts on this continent do not require crystals."

"Not exactly. Most small ones like these can be powered by one's mana heart. For larger feats of magic engineering, crystals of appropriate size are used. As long as they do not come in direct contact with the body, the absorption would not begin. Craftsmen carve out pathways for mana to come in contact with the crystals instead to be able to trigger them." 

"Hmmm. And there is no interference between the spoken spell and the artifact? Fascinating."

"You'll understand more once you've completed your mana heart. I see you're well on your way, although this young man is much further along." She gestured to Brandon. 

"So with that, our business is at an end…Unless you're willing to renegotiate?" 

"There is one more thing… Do you have a book of spells in your possession? Just the basic one is fine. I will trade you for it." He fished out a few mana crystals from his pocket and showed it to her. Iona snatched them out of his hands immediately, her artifact aglow.

"Oh! These are pure, high grade crystals… We can procure those from mana beasts, but these seem naturally occuring.  Where did you get these?"

Aleph acted coy. "That information would cost you, my lady. Would you really like to know?"

"On second thought, no thanks." She answered, giving the crystals back.

"Five crystals for three books. I'll throw in an intermediate spellbook and one on magic engineering."

Aleph thought for a moment. This woman is shrewd. She had rightly guessed that he had more mana crystals than the three he had her inspect. Fortunately, she underestimated his need for knowledge regarding this world's magic engineering. A cursory glance at her glasses was all it took for him to deem this world as vastly behind his own.

"Forgive me, my lady, but these three are all I have to spare. The rest of the crystals are for creating mana hearts for me and my apprentices after all. Still, please hold onto the magic engineering book, just in case I come across more of these. For now, two books for the crystals?"

Iona thought for a moment and said, "Yeah, that's fine. I'll be coming back here in a month once I finish my business in the capital. I'll drop off the books by then. That should give you time to finish developing your mana hearts too."

"Thank you so much for your time, my lady. This was an enlightening discussion."

"Likewise, Aleph. I hope your studies prove fruitful." Iona made to leave. Aleph stood up and shook her hand, a gesture which she graciously returned. He made to let go, but Iona pulled him even closer. She whispered something in his ear.

"Word of advice, friend. Magic is standardized across the continent. The only ones that used a different form that we know of are the invaders from the west. I would have known if you're one of them, but some ignorant fool could have had you hanged for espionage by now."

Aleph nodded gratefully. In return, he gave her a warning of his own.

"I am grateful for the advice, Miss Iona. In return, I'll give you some information. During my experiments with mana I encountered some gigantic dog like creatures. They were rabid, but seemed to have been attracted by the usage of mana. They seemed unnatural, and their presence in this town is concerning. If you are traveling alone, I hope you'll be careful."

"...Shit." Iona swore as she pulled back her hand. "They're already this far in? That's not good. Not good at all."

She started pacing, muttering to herself. 

"Alright… Nobody panic, it's just the mana hounds. Harbingers haven't arrived yet… There's still time, but it will be close…

"Okay, change of plans, you two. Move up your plans of forming your hearts. The invaders have their eyes on Hios."