Reincarnated as a Genius Mage

"What do you mean you can feel mana?"

As expected, Klaus is startled. He obviously didn't expect that I'd be able to feel mana just two days after he first taught me. Alhough, I started feeling it the night before yesterday, but I won't tell him that.

I'm done with my class two lessons for the day. And now, I'm seated on the sand with Klaus; in a lotus position of course.

"It's as I said, I can feel mana now. So let's move on to the next lesson."

My tone is stern, and my voice is bold.

"But that's just impossible... are you really sure what you felt was mana?"

His voice is low, he must be worried. Thinking that I'm either lying or I've gone insane.

"Klaus. Do I look like a liar?"

His brows curve up.

He chuckles, "well, you can't tell a liar by looking at their face."

A soft sigh escapes my lips.

Let's just begin the next step already!

"Isn't there a way to confirm if I'm right or wrong?"

At my words, the wide smile on his face somehow widens more.

It seems he had a sudden realization.

"There is one way."

"Oh yeah? Then how?"

"Mana Breathing."

My brows furrow, a frown present on my face.

His mouth opens.

"You can't learn any of the techniques of mana breathing if you can't detect and feel mana anyway, so..." He shrugs.

"Teach me." I press.

"Teach you what?"

"Mana Breathing."

"..." He sighs, "fine... The technique that we, the flame mages of the household use for mana breathing is called the 'Flowing flame breathing technique.'

With this technique, you breathe in the pure mana in the air and guide it from your lungs to your mana pathway. With this breathing technique, the mana in your mana pathway automatically changes its state from pure elementless mana to Fire elemental mana."

I click my tongue.

It's gonna be hard. And it all sounds like impossible bullshit. Again.

"How long does it take to master this mana-breathing Technique?" I ask.

"Hey now, calm down. The Mana breathing technique is only meant to guide you on how to breathe in the mana in your body, and how to filter out just the right amount of oxygen in your mana pathway, leaving the remaining oxygen to mix with the pure mana you take in as you breathe.

Whether the pure mana you take in transforms to the fire element or it remains pure mana is up to you."

I nod.

I understand.

"But I asked, how long does it take to master the breathing technique?"

He closes his eyes, his grin still wide.

"It takes the average kid a year to learn it. Takes kids that have some talent 5-6 months to learn it. And it took your Father, George and Sin Morderego 3 months to learn it."

A smile stretches my tight lips.

Another high score to beat.

"Teach me."

"You know, you're starting to get a little bit..."

He presses his index finger with his thumb, like he's pinching the air.

"Impolite. You weren't like this in the beginning."

I'm starting to pity him a little. He doesn't know who I am.

No one here does. I'm not a good, wimpy, pushover, who doesn't know the difference between being polite and being a pushover. Instead, I'm the one who pushes people over.

A soft chuckle escapes my mouth.

"Well, I'm the young master of the Flameworths, I learned how to feel mana in just two days. And I have the potential to control all elements."

My tone is blunt, my voice is calm.

A small smile plays on his lips.

"Fair enough. Now, go back home."

"What? What do you mean? Aren't you going to teach me the breathing technique?"

He shakes his head.

"Tsk tsk tsk"

"No. I don't have the book with me. And I won't teach you, I'll give you the book and expect you to learn it just from the illustrations.

After all, I can't teach you how to breathe. I can only guide you on the right way to go about it. Plus... if you've truly started to feel mana, then my job is done.

That's everything they teach the kids in class one, and you can learn the mana breathing in class two. But I'll guide you for now, because you're interesting. A student that absorbs my teaching completely."

'Guide' huh. That word reminds me of THEM.

"You're suddenly praise bombing me."

With a soft smile, I stand up from the ground, and I dust the sand off the butt of my blue trousers.

"Well, it's as you said. You're the young master of the Flameworths, you have the potential to control all elements, and you 'supposedly' learned how to feel mana in two days and you are a great student so..."

I nod, agreeing with his words.

If you were my worker back on earth– I'd have given you a raise.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Mr Klaus."

"I'll see you too Young Master Charles."

And I walk out.

***

The Patriarch– he's finally back from his mission. This morning, I went visited him before I went for my lesson in class two.

I had to make up an excuse on the spot as I met with him. I couldn't tell him that I wanted to see the red rings around him.

So I told him– told him that I'd started feeling mana.

His face flashed again with that devilish smile.

Thinking about it now gives me the chills.

He told me to come by his office tomorrow, that he had something to give me– a gift. A gift for being an exceptional mage in the making.

And he also said something about me being the anomaly of this generation. I don't even know what the hell that means.

But now that I've obtained the book, the one that contains the mana breathing technique from Klaus, I'm finally going to start learning it.

It looks like it might take a while to fully learn it because it's been four hours, and it's nighttime now.

I didn't get an immediate realization like I did when I felt mana.

"But I'd still keep doing it, because this is my path to being a mage. To see Marcelle again!"

My fist– I clench it, my heart beating faster as I head toward my window, to view the cleaved moon.