Mana Training

“The collateral branches’ mana-training methods are rooted in the Red Flame Formula, a derivative of the original.”

Three hundred years.

Over that long span, the Red Flame Formula inherited by the collateral branches had undergone countless modifications in each branch family. By now, almost nothing remained of its original form.

Yet none of those varied versions of the Red Flame Formula had attained the power of the White Flame Formula. Despite all the time that had passed, the derivative had never surpassed the original. The wisdom and efforts of the collateral descendants had failed to match Vermouth the Great.

The Lionheart main family knew that well. Thus, the original White Flame Formula remained unchanged. There was no need to change it. Why add anything to something already perfect?

“You’ll be learning the White Flame Formula.”

Eugene nodded, staring absently at Gion’s flames. The name White Flame Formula was unfamiliar, but the sight was not. It had driven him to despair time and again in his previous life.

Even at the very end, Hamel had never surpassed those flames.

‘... Ha.’

That past left a bitter taste. But the excitement in his chest refused to fade.

“Of course, you can’t learn it right away. First, you’ll need to sense mana...”

“I can feel it.”

His excitement spurred him on. Without waiting for Gion to finish, Eugene blurted out the words.

“... Hm?”

“I said I can feel mana.”

Gion was speechless. He blinked at Eugene, then let out an incredulous laugh.

“You’re imagining it.”

It was understandable. When someone became too absorbed in something, their mind could play strange tricks on them.

“I really can.”

“... Hmm...”

How could he convince the boy? After a moment’s thought, Gion subtly moved his mana. The formless energy followed his will, circling Eugene.

“See? You still can’t feel—”

“Here.”

Eugene pointed to his left thigh.

“The mana’s gathering on this side.”

“...”

Gion’s face went rigid. No, that was impossible. He moved his mana again. This time, rather than concentrating it in one place, he spread it out. The thinly dispersed mana wrapped around Eugene’s body.

“From here, like this, upward, then down again. How long are you going to keep doing this?”

Eugene moved his hands back and forth, following the flow of mana. With each movement, Gion’s mouth fell farther open. Finally, he took several steps back and shook his head fiercely.

“... Impossible.”

Perhaps only the boy’s physical senses were exceptionally developed. Gion changed the mana’s movement. The energy that had been brushing directly against Eugene’s body retreated into the distance.

“Over there.”

Once again, Eugene pointed unhesitatingly toward the flowing mana. Gion reeled with dizziness. Was this possible? A thirteen-year-old child who had never trained in mana, who had never developed his sensitivity to energy, could sense it the moment his initiation began?

“...”

Gion hadn’t even sent mana directly into his body. The boy had sensed it entirely on his own. He had thought that learning to sense mana in ten days with his personal assistance would be exceptionally fast. But Eugene was far too fast.

“... Haha.”

Shaking his head, Gion approached Eugene.

“... Perhaps I shouldn’t say this, but I wish you’d been born into the main family.”

“But I’ve been adopted.”

“Adopted... Yes, that’s right.”

Gion smiled bitterly. He sat facing Eugene and took both of his hands.

“... If you can sense mana, we can begin right away. From now on, don’t say anything. Focus on what’s happening inside your body.”

“Yes.”

The transmission of the White Flame Formula began. Eugene closed his eyes and focused inward. Soon, mana began flowing into him from Gion’s hands. Passing from hand to hand, it split into countless streams inside Eugene’s body.

This body had never accumulated mana. Yet it accepted mana so readily that this was difficult to believe. That fact astonished Gion all over again.

‘A genius... No, this is...’

Gion’s eyes trembled. He increased the strength of the mana flowing into Eugene. This was mana breathing, not physical conditioning. Mana breathing meant clearly perceiving the mana taken in with each breath, then circulating it through the body according to prescribed rules.

Eugene sensed how the mana flowed inside him.

The heart was the center of the mana spreading throughout his body.

Mana wound around his heart. From there, it entered the blood vessels connected to it. Mana flowed with his blood. Yet although they flowed together, the mana did not follow the blood’s course exactly.

‘... He’s a monster.’

Gion slowly relinquished control over the mana he had sent in. But the flow did not stop. Eugene was already regulating the mana inside his body. He did not rush. Slowly, he allowed his body to accept it. That alone was enough to leave Gion aghast.

“... Don’t stop breathing.”

Gion spoke in a trembling voice.

“Imagine taking in the spirit vein’s mana with each breath. Then... guide the mana you’ve taken in along the White Flame Formula’s flow. To your heart... your heart.”

Eugene did not answer. He concentrated, committing the flow of mana to memory. Then he took in mana through his breathing and guided it to his heart.

Gion released Eugene’s hands. Unable to close his half-open mouth, he stood and retreated several steps.

“... Yes... You’re... doing well.”

His own words seemed ridiculous. Doing well? Could such words possibly do this justice? He had merely babbled because he didn’t know what else to say.

With each breath Eugene took, the spirit vein’s abundant mana stirred. Having only just begun mana training, his body should have had a limit to how much it could accept. It had to. Yet Eugene was defying that common knowledge outright.

‘This is insane.’

Gion was not the only one astonished. Eugene, too, was astounded by the capabilities of his reincarnated body. Sensing mana was hardly difficult with memories of his previous life. The same went for the knack of mana breathing.

But even accounting for that, this body absorbed mana far too readily. He could feel the mana inside him increase with every breath. Of course, the sensation was especially pronounced because his body had held no mana whatsoever, but its responsiveness to mana was undeniably extraordinary.

‘... Still, there’s a limit.’

There was a limit to the mana this young body could accept. After concentrating for a long while, Eugene opened his eyes with a long sigh. His entire body was soaked in sweat, leaving him uncomfortably sticky.

“... Haha.”

A fair amount of time had passed. Even so, it was overwhelmingly shorter than Gion had anticipated. What Eugene had done in these few hours had shattered everything Gion knew.

The spirit vein’s mana had diminished noticeably. It would replenish itself over time, but in just a few hours Eugene had absorbed all the mana that body could accommodate.

Cyan, Ciel, and Eward had needed several days merely to sense mana.

Accepting mana into their bodies and creating a core had taken even longer.

The same had been true of Gion. But Eugene... He had sensed mana as soon as he sat down, immediately begun mana breathing, and gathered it around his heart to form a core. Gion had provided almost no assistance throughout the process. All he had done was guide the mana at the beginning to demonstrate the White Flame Formula’s flow.

‘... Even the size of his core is overwhelming.’

It was too large to believe he had only just begun mana training. Anyone unaware of the circumstances would assume he had trained for at least several years.

‘Normally, it’s much smaller than that...’

Gion, too, had started with a far smaller core and enlarged it through steady mana training.

“... You really are a monster.”

In the end, Gion said it aloud. Eugene rubbed away the sweat running down his cheeks and smiled calmly.

“That’s a compliment, right?”

“A compliment... Yes.”

Muttering in a dazed voice, Gion helped Eugene to his feet.

“... Well... um... Let’s head back.”

How was he supposed to explain this to his older brother? Gion wondered.

‘Thanks, Vermouth.’

Eugene grinned as he thought of his companion from his previous life.

On the way back, he learned more about the White Flame Formula.

The greatest difference between the White Flame Formula and the Red Flame Formula was core division. No matter how much one refined or practiced the Red Flame Formula, the body could only contain a single mana core.

With the White Flame Formula, however, the core divided once the practitioner passed a certain level. This allowed the body to efficiently contain more mana, while making the divided cores resonate amplified their power.

The cores created by this division were counted as “stars.”

Vermouth the Great, founder of the Lionheart family and creator of the White Flame Formula, had possessed ten stars within his body. In all of Lionheart history, Vermouth alone had attained ten stars in the White Flame Formula.

“My brother and I have six stars.”

Their level could not compare to Vermouth the Great’s. Still, only a handful of people in Lionheart history had reached six stars in the White Flame Formula.

“Cyan, Ciel, and Eward... have one star. I can’t say for Eward, but the twins should be able to reach two stars in about a year.”

“What about me?”

“... I don’t know.”

Gion answered with a bitter smile. The impossible sight he had witnessed in the spirit vein made him cautious in his reply.

“In my case... it took eight years to go from one star to two. My brother was much the same. Cyan and Ciel began mana training at six, so... if they reach two stars next year, they’ll have taken eight years, just like my brother and me.”

“Then will it take me about eight years, too?”

“No.”

He could not estimate how long it would take, but...

“You’ll be much faster than that.”

Of that much, Gion was certain. No child in Lionheart history had ever sensed mana and begun the White Flame Formula as quickly as Eugene. Even now, Eugene’s core seemed larger than Cyan’s had been at ten.

“It certainly won’t take you eight years. As long as you... don’t get lazy.”

“I’ll work hard.”

Eugene answered with a grin. Lazy? Unless his head was smashed in and he fucking died, that would never happen. He had been reincarnated into a body overwhelmingly better than his old one. He had no desire to let it go to waste through laziness.

‘And now I’ve even learned Vermouth’s mana-training method.’

How often had those damned white flames, that brilliantly shining lion’s mane, driven him to despair? Hamel the Foolish had never surpassed Vermouth, right up to the end. No matter how hard he tried, he could never do what Vermouth could.

Could he do what Vermouth did now?

‘I don’t want to.’

Eugene did not want to be like Vermouth. He wanted to surpass him. He had no intention of letting pride get in the way of that. If power had fallen into his lap, he ought to use it gratefully. Why let what he had go to waste through useless, pigheaded stubbornness?

‘First, I’ll learn the White Flame Formula... Ten stars... I don’t know whether I can reach that.’

Of course, he would not simply follow it obediently. He would have to delve deeper to know, but if anything bothered him, he would make his own modifications.

‘I’ll take it apart as I learn it.’

Hamel’s abilities were not superior to Vermouth’s. Eugene knew that well. Still, he would be better than most bastards, and perhaps even better than the Lionheart family heads throughout history.

‘I won’t know until I try.’

He intended to experiment with various things, using the White Flame Formula as his foundation. Now that he had begun mana training, there was far more he could do.

“I’ll tell the family head. You must be... tired, so get plenty of rest.”

He parted ways with Gion in front of the annex. Eugene saw him off with a bright smile.

He had been told to rest. His body really was tired. No matter how hard he worked it, it had never so much as cried out in protest, but having filled itself with unfamiliar mana, it was only natural for it to feel fatigued.

Still, Eugene did not want to rest. Why rest when no one was there to stop him? This sort of fatigue would disappear after a good night’s sleep anyway.

‘Let’s have a look first.’

Eugene stripped off his sweat-soaked clothes and tossed them aside. Nina, who was running out of the annex, froze at the sight. Then she turned and went back inside to fetch what Eugene needed: fresh training clothes, towels, a basin of water, and the rest.

“Ah... Master Eugene! What would you like for your meal?!”

“Meat!”

“Yes!”

She had expected as much. Nina hurried back into the annex.

Standing where he was, Eugene focused on the core inside his body. A star. It deserved the name. Formed according to the White Flame Formula’s flow, the round core near his heart glittered like a star adorning the night sky.

‘It’s small.’

It was incomparably smaller than his core in his previous life. That was nothing to be disappointed about. At thirteen, Hamel had not even begun mana training. Back then, Hamel had... simply...

He had lived in a village frequently attacked by monsters. It was a small village. Monster attacks had always happened occasionally, but after Hamel turned ten, they became increasingly vicious and frequent.

To protect the village, its people had to know how to fight monsters. The adults took up swords, axes, and other weapons, while the children wielded smaller ones.

Hamel had been no different. He was abruptly handed a weapon and taught various ways to fight...

And only a few years later, the village was destroyed. The Demon Kings of Helmuth were the reason the monsters had grown more vicious. A sudden attack swept through the village. Young Hamel was the sole survivor.

‘... This doesn’t even compare to my previous life.’

He had begun mana training sooner than in his previous life. He had learned Vermouth’s White Flame Formula. Even the size of his first core was beyond comparison with his old one.

Eugene shook off his bitterness.

He focused on the star at his heart. Mana moved. With his blood, yet differently from it. He tried moving his body while maintaining the White Flame Formula’s flow. Soon, he nodded in satisfaction.

‘Nice.’

Simply having a lot of mana in one’s core did not make someone strong. What mattered was how that mana was handled. The White Flame Formula adhered strictly to that principle. Even with his still-meager mana, the change in his movements was noticeable.

Then Eugene added his experience from his previous life. He knew the ins and outs of handling mana, and how to maximize its power.

BANG!

His fist burst through the air. He had thrown only a single punch, yet his muscles and bones tingled. He had never neglected his physical training, but that was a separate matter. His body was not yet accustomed to the addition of mana.

‘I’ll get used to that over time.’

He could not create sword aura yet. After moving his body a few more times, Eugene nodded. If he forced it, he probably could manage it, but he had no desire to do so.

‘If I drain my core for no reason, even a day’s rest won’t be enough to recover.’

Just as overworking the body could leave lasting damage, the same was true of a core. Using up every last bit of mana depleted it. The body would have to bear that entire strain.

“Master Eugene.”

Nina approached. She set the heavy basin on the ground and, without even pausing to catch her breath, began wiping Eugene’s body with a dry towel. He stood still and continued thinking.

‘I wonder if I can form a contract.’

He had experienced all manner of things in his previous life, but he had never contracted with a spirit. Thus, Eugene was not certain whether his current mana would be enough to summon one.

“Step back.”

“Yes.”

Nina immediately nodded and stepped away. Taking slow, deep breaths, Eugene drew Wynnyd.

Its blue-silver blade emerged with a smooth sound. Nina flinched, hunching her shoulders. After several more deep breaths, Eugene drew mana from his core.

‘I’ll give it a try.’

He had never learned magic, let alone spirit arts. He could not judge how much mana he would need. In that case, he had no choice but to try blindly.

Mana flowed from his core into Wynnyd. The star circling his heart shone. Strangely, Eugene could sense that invisible star deep inside his body.

Wynnyd’s blade trembled. The magic sword began greedily devouring the mana Eugene poured into it. Sweat once again ran over his freshly wiped body. The blade emitted a soft glow, and a gentle breeze circled him.

“... Ah...”

Nina made a sound as she stared blankly at the sight. The strengthening wind lifted Eugene’s hair. His mouth grew parched. Gritting his teeth, he continued pouring in mana.

ROOOAR!

At some point, the gentle breeze became a violent storm. Nina recoiled in alarm.

Eugene was the most surprised of all. What was this? The wind was so strong he could barely keep his eyes open. Wynnyd had stopped accepting mana.

Eugene felt a “door” appear inside his body. It opened slowly. As it opened farther, the wind intensified. The wind raging around Eugene became a whirlwind.

[“... You are...”]

At the center of the whirlwind, Eugene looked up. The fiercely blowing wind spoke inside his head.

[“... Could you be... Hamel?”]

He had heard that voice somewhere before. Eugene’s heart pounded.

“Tempest?”

The Wind Spirit King who had bestowed his blessing upon Wynnyd, the Storm Sword. In his previous life, he had seen Vermouth summon him several times.

[“How are you here? Could it be... that you’ve reincarnated?”]

‘How the fuck do you recognize me?’

[“Vermouth’s companion. How could I forget your soul?”]

Three hundred years had passed, and his face had changed. But his soul had not.

Spirits were spiritual beings. Tempest, the Wind Spirit King, remembered Hamel’s soul.

[“... You remember me, too.”]

‘What the hell is going on? I didn’t summon you.’

[“It has been a long time since Wynnyd called to me. I watched, thinking a descendant of Vermouth might be wielding it, and sensed... a soul I remembered.”]

The wind gradually subsided. As it did, interference crept into Tempest’s voice echoing inside his head.

[“How can this be? Reincarnated with your memories... and as Vermouth’s descendant, at that? You, Hamel?”]

‘Why didn’t Vermouth kill the Demon Kings?’

How had he reincarnated? He didn’t know. He had died in the Demon King of Incarceration’s castle, and when he came to, he was a newborn, wailing away.

‘Tell me, Tempest. You were with us on the journey through the demon lands, weren’t you? Why are the Demon King of Incarceration and the Demon King of Destruction still alive after three hundred years?’

[“I do not know Vermouth’s intentions,”] Tempest replied.

[“All I know is... in the decisive battle against the Demon King of Incarceration... Vermouth lowered his sword.”]

‘What?’

[“... I do not know exactly what happened at that moment.”]

Tempest’s voice was becoming difficult to hear.

[“... The battle there was... fierce, but its ending was hollow. At the very end, only Vermouth and the Demon King of Incarceration remained standing. Ultimately, Vermouth lowered his sword. He neither killed the Demon King of Incarceration nor went to the Demon King of Destruction’s castle... Their journey ended in the Demon King of Incarceration’s castle.”]

‘... Don’t give me that bullshit.’

Eugene gritted his teeth.

Their journey had ended there?

According to the story handed down, the Hero Vermouth and his companions drove the Demon King of Incarceration to the brink of death. But rather than dying, the Demon King of Incarceration fled and sought help from the Demon King of Destruction.

Upon Hamel’s death, Vermouth swore to kill every last Demon King. Of course, Eugene had never heard that oath, but that was how the fairy tale went.

The Hero’s party then headed to the Demon King of Destruction’s castle. But they could not kill the two Demon Kings, who had joined forces. Instead, they made a “promise” and brought peace to the world...

‘I said, don’t give me that bullshit.’

He tasted blood in his mouth. His head spun.

‘What the hell was that promise? Why make a promise like that? Why? He lowered his sword? He didn’t kill the Demon King of Incarceration...?’

[“I know neither the promise nor Vermouth’s intentions.”]

‘Why don’t you know a fucking thing, you bastard?’

[“Only those who were there know the promise made in that place. From the moment Vermouth lowered his sword, I could no longer intervene there.”]

‘Those who were there...? You said no one but Vermouth and the Demon King of Incarceration was still standing! Doesn’t that mean everyone else was... unconscious...! Are you telling me to interrogate Vermouth’s fucking corpse?’

[“There is no time...”]

Tempest let out a long sigh.

[“Your meager mana cannot summon me... I forced the door open. Now I must close it.”]

‘Answer me before you go!’

[“I told you I do not know. Why do you keep asking...? I, too, wonder why Vermouth...”]

The wind subsided. Tempest’s voice broke up.

[“... Next time... when your strength is sufficient...”]

Eugene steadied his swaying body and glared at Wynnyd.

[“Then... someday... may we meet again.”]

“You fucker.”

Unable to restrain himself, Eugene swore aloud.

“Give me... a proper answer...”