Edgar, sitting opposite to Orion, took out a ring from his hand and extended it towards Orion. "Young Master, here are the other parchnts and mana-ink for your training. I heard from Lucan that you had requested it, so I bought a few from the city."
[Hehe, I thought he was proposing, Master!
"..." Ignoring Lumi, Orion gratefully accepted the storage ring. "Thanks, Uncle Edgar. I was just getting short of them as well." With a smile, he scanned the storage ring—only to get shocked.
Inside, a few small mountains made out of parchnts stood majestically. Raising his head, he speechlessly looked at Edgar. "...Did you empty the entire Royal Capital?"
Edgar burst out laughing at his words. "Haha, surely you jest, Young Master. I only bought a few for you. Tell once they run out."
Shaking his head, he wore the ring and looked outside the window, wondering which runes he would learn today.
The carriage swiftly rolled past establishnts and estates of the second ring before quickly approaching the Helstorm Estate.
"We’re here, Young Master!" Lucan’s voice ca from the front.
Orion and Edgar stepped down from the carriage before Lucan took it away to park at the stable.
"Ready for another round of training, Young Master?" Edgar cracked his knuckles.
Orion smirked and nodded. "Of course. How can I back down from that?"
Saying that, both of them headed to the training ground. Orion picked up his wooden longsword and began his training as usual before sparring with Edgar.
***
After finishing his training, he went towards his room—exhausted—to take a bath, which Rina and Fiora had already prepared. After so chatting and relaxation, he ca out and went towards Seraph’s room.
Rina and Fiora went to do their own things as he knocked on Seraph’s door. Entering inside, he saw that she was sitting at a different table this ti with an empty plate.
Smiling lightly, he went ahead and sat down in front of her, sharing the new things he had learned while also giving her the porridge and fruits he had prepared for her.
Soon after, he stood up and left, leaving a hungry elf staring at the food.
***
He went for dinner later, but Selene had still not returned. After eating while chatting with Eldric, he returned to his room, closed the door, and went back to sit at the table beside the window.
"Now, it’s ti to learn so more runes." He said with an excited smile on his face.
[What runes are you planning for your Fire Affinity Rune, Master?
Orion took out the Primary Runes Book and flipped open to the Foundational Function Runes page.
’Hmm, since the teacher said that normal students can make an Affinity Rune with 4–5 runes, and top-tier students with 6–7 runes, I should try with at least 8–9, right?’ He rubbed his chin while muttering.
[...]
Lumi speechlessly heard him muttering.
[Are you sure? All those who made 6–7 runes have been learning runes for like a decade. On the other hand, you... haven’t even learned runes for a day.]
’Well, it’s not like I’m taking a risk here. I’ll only do it after I’m thoroughly prepared and have good control over rune creation.’ He said.
[Hmm, that’s true. So which runes?]
’These—’ He pointed towards the runes one by one:
-Fire – Controls fla, heat, combustion, and burning force.
-Flow – Controls the direction of mana or elental movent.
-Stabilize – Prevents rune or spell structure from breaking.
-Amplify – Increases intensity, power, or range of an effect.
-Ignite – Triggers combustion or elental ignition.
-Focus – Improves spellcasting precision and ntal clarity.
-Contain – Holds a spell or force within a specific area.
-Reinforce – Strengthens structure, durability, or resistance.
-Channel – Maintains continuous mana flow to a spell or item.
[Hmm, seems good. You can use a few of these runes when making other Affinity Runes as well, like Channel, Reinforce, Focus, among others.]
He nodded and went back to the page of Flow. ’Well, I should focus on learning these runes for now.’
Seated at his wide desk, Orion leaned slightly forward, his fingers tightly gripping the mana-infused brush.
His eyes sharpened with focus, locked on the open page of the Primary Rune Book where the symbol for Flow was displayed—its vivid curves and loops seeming to move like water under his gaze.
[Okay Master, take it slow. You already succeeded once yesterday. You just need to replicate the process cleanly now!]
’I’ve got this,’ Orion replied silently, dipping his brush into the mana-conductive ink and carefully lowering it onto the parchnt.
His mana flowed gently through his Primal Channels—smooth and stable. With every stroke of his brush, he layered his mana over the ink in synchronized pulses—letting the rune take shape not just on the paper, but in his mind as well.
Within three attempts, the Flow Rune blazed softly with a clean azure glow—stable and precise.
Orion’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.
"Much better than yesterday."
[Hehe, of course! Master’s practically a natural. (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ]
Wasting no ti, he turned to the next one—Stabilize. The rune was composed of steady, angular loops, ant to signify the structural integrity of mana.
His first attempt flickered briefly before dissipating, but on the second try, he managed to maintain its glow.
By the ti he completed Amplify, Ignite, and Focus, he had entered a focused rhythm. Each rune, while unique, followed its own logic—its own lody in the grand world of mana. Orion read them like sheet music—pausing, absorbing, replicating.
He laughed softly to himself after finishing Contain, shaking off the slight ache in his hand.
[You’re on fire today, Master~! Wait, literally too! (*≧▽≦)]
’I haven’t even started the Fire Rune again,’ he replied dryly, rolling his wrist.
Then ca Reinforce—a powerful foundational rune with heavier lines. Its effect, when triggered, caused the parchnt to montarily harden like stone before fading. Orion’s smile widened.
’This would be incredibly useful in weapon enchantnt.’
[Or spell durability! Imagine casting a Fireball that doesn’t scatter easily under pressure.]
Finally, Channel. Orion focused deeply as he visualized a consistent flow of mana looping endlessly through a conduit. On his second try, the rune stabilized with a smooth golden hue, pulsing like a beating heart.
He leaned back for a mont, exhaling slowly, stretching his arms above his head.
Eight runes.
All successfully learned in one night.
’Now... let’s see how well I actually rember them.’
Orion pulled out a fresh set of parchnt sheets and began again—not to learn, but to engrave from mory. One by one, he drew the runes he had just learned, comparing their glow, their structure, and their mana resonance to the ones in the book.
Fire. Flow. Stabilize. Amplify. Ignite. Focus. Contain. Reinforce. Channel.
He repeated the sequence again. Then again. Then again.
Dozens to over a hundred parchnts were covered in glowing runes—so brighter than others, so slightly unstable, but all valid.
The room was filled with a dimly shifting rainbow of magical lights, each rune humming faintly—a clear sign of effort and understanding.
His hand cramped. His shoulders ached.
But Orion’s expression was one of wild joy.
The edge of the parchnt fluttered as he made another stroke. But this ti, the ink trailed off mid-line. His brush dropped softly from his fingers.
[Eh? Master—?]
Orion had slumped forward against the desk, eyes closed, breaths steady.
Exhaustion finally caught up to him.
[He fell asleep... again...]
Lumi sighed, a fond smile in her tone.
[You silly overachiever. You’re not normal. And thank goodness for that.]
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