“Damn it.”
Why is there an elephant in the training ground?
Wait, is that even an elephant?
It’s way more ferocious than I thought.
Are tusks really that terrifying?
If I get stepped on, I’m dead.
I stared at the creature Ha-neul pulled from the hat, lost in shock.
“I knew Ha-neul’s high mana would summon a big animal from the hat… but an elephant?”
Still, it wasn’t a bad thing. The training ground had plenty of space for one elephant.
On second thought, maybe it’s lucky a dinosaur didn’t pop out.
But the real problem was…
“Braaark!”
“Why is it so violent?!”
The elephant was going berserk—standing on its hind legs, swinging its trunk wildly, and trumpeting like a maniac.
And that wasn’t all.
“Whoaaaaa!”
“Aaaah!”
It lifted a weight-training machine with its trunk and hurled it straight at us.
My eyes widened at the sudden chaos, and Ha-neul screamed.
But my danger sense was eerily calm.
It meant no real threat.
I pulled Ha-neul close, just in case, and kept my gaze fixed ahead.
The weight machine was hurtling toward us.
Then—
Like a gentle gust, the machine’s speed visibly slowed.
Hong Ye-na had cast wind magic to reduce its velocity.
“Why’s it so violent? The mana forming it must be rough and powerful. Looks calm on the outside, but it’s got one hell of a temper, huh?”
“Huh!? I’m not like that! Kwon-woo, I’m not violent!”
“The Witch is joking. It’s just got a rough nature.”
“But personality does influence mana, right? Since mana embodies the soul’s elements—unconsciousness, memory, emotion, psychology, and temperament—in magicsy.”
“Is this the time for that?”
Hong Ye-na, gesturing to manipulate the wind, safely lowered the hovering machine to the ground.
But that didn’t ease the situation.
“Braaark!”
The elephant had us in its sights now.
It wasn’t just throwing things—it was charging.
“We need to revert it to mana, right?!”
“I wish, but it’s tricky.”
“Just stop the artifact!”
“Once an animal’s pulled from the hat, it exists independently of the artifact. Turning it off won’t help. I already stopped it.”
“Then what do we do?”
“The animal and the hat are separate, but the animal and its creator are mentally linked. The creator needs to consciously sever that link and revert it to mana. Problem is… Ha-neul, right?”
“Y-yeah! That’s me.”
“Can you consciously sever the link?”
“…”
“You can’t handle mana, so there’s no way you can consciously sever it. Sorry, my mistake. I didn’t expect you to have so much mana.”
“Is there another way?”
“There are two. One: wait until the mana sustaining it depletes. But your mana’s massive—it’ll take ages. Meanwhile, the chaos could cause serious damage…”
“Ugh… I’m sorry. Kwon-woo, I’m sorry.”
“What about killing or subduing the elephant?”
“It’s not a real living creature. As long as the mana sustaining it remains, it’ll keep reviving until that mana runs out. Subduing it… possible, but it’ll be a struggle.”
“What’s the other method?”
“Forcibly severing the link.”
Then, the elephant’s front foot crashed down from above.
Hong Ye-na frowned, weaving hand seals.
A barrier she’d cast blocked the foot midair.
But the sheer weight cracked the barrier.
“What kind of animal is this?!”
“It’s not a regular animal. Made of mana, it’s stronger than ordinary animals and somewhat resistant to magic. Even so… this is ridiculous. My wind barrier can’t hold? Let me add water element to reinforce the barrier’s properties and strength, then use earth element to attack and knock it down…”
“So what’s this ‘forcibly severing’ method?”
“Simple. Knock it out.”
“…”
Maintaining the barrier with her right hand, Hong Ye-na sliced the air with her left.
The mana she channeled turned to water, seeping through the cracks in the barrier.
The barrier mended, turning blue.
Then she continued.
“Luckily, the link’s connected to the subconscious. Redirecting consciousness elsewhere weakens the link enough to sever it.”
“So knocking it out?”
“Exactly. If Ha-neul can’t consciously sever the link, knocking her out will do the trick.”
“That’s the most effective way.”
Knocking Ha-neul out to sever the link.
Hong Ye-na was right—there was no other choice.
And if that’s what we had to do, I’d have to knock her out.
Hong Ye-na was busy dealing with the elephant.
“…Guess I have no choice.”
“Kwon-woo…”
Resting my hand on the Junjeong Sword at my waist, I looked at Ha-neul.
Her red eyes wavered.
Then, with a resigned smirk, she said,
“It’s okay, I’m fine.”
“…”
“I’ll be okay with that. I hate being a burden to you.”
“…”
“So, I’ll ask you. Knock me out.”
Truthfully, she didn’t feel that way, but Ha-neul was offering herself as a sacrifice.
I…
“…Alright.”
I decided not to go against her wish.
If she’d steeled herself, so would I.
I drew the Junjeong Sword.
Its jet-black blade reflected the light from Hong Ye-na’s magic, scattering a dark blue glow.
The light fell on her face.
“Ha-neul, I’ve had fun with you.”
“…Huh?”
“I’ll never forget the days we spent together.”
“Uh… Kwon-woo? Why do you sound like you’re killing me? It’s just knocking me out!”
“Go ahead. I’ll follow later.”
“This is a joke, right? It has to be, right? Yeah?”
“I have to protect our home. Sorry it came to this.”
“A… You’re so mean. I trusted you…”
“I’m swinging the sword. Close your eyes.”
“How could you…! Huh?”
It was a bluff.
I pretended to strike Ha-neul with the sword, then tightly embraced her to keep her from escaping.
Then, I pressed her back of the head with my hand.
“…You weren’t actually going to kill me, were you?”
“Why would I kill you? Just playing a prank.”
“You’re such a… I hate you, I really do.”
She’d reflexively closed her eyes at my feigned strike.
Realizing the situation, she tried to lift her head from my embrace.
I pressed harder on the back of her head.
“Keep your eyes closed. Stay still.”
“…”
“Focus on my voice. Can you hear me?”
“…Yeah.”
“Concentrate on that sound. If you can’t focus, count my heartbeat.”
“…”
The key was to redirect Ha-neul’s consciousness.
No need to knock her out then.
By shocking her into forgetting the link and drawing her focus elsewhere—into my embrace—
“The elephant’s visible because you keep thinking about it. If I make you close your eyes and focus on my heartbeat, redirecting your thoughts… then…”
The link would sever.
My guess was spot-on.
Stroking her head, I glanced behind.
“Braaark…”
The elephant’s form was dissolving.
It was reverting to mana.
Soon, the elephant vanished without a trace, as if it’d never been there.
Only then did I release Ha-neul.
Yet she remained in my arms, eyes tightly shut.
I spoke to her.
“The elephant’s gone. You can open your eyes.”
“…”
She opened her eyes and lifted her head.
Her sky-blue hair cascaded down, revealing her face.
“Did she get mad at me? Probably.”
Her face was beet-red, ready to explode.
Her red eyes welled with moisture.
“Ha-neul, are you okay? Sorry, my prank went too far. Even if it was to redirect your consciousness…”
“175.”
“Huh?”
“It thumped 175 times…”
“Oh, um… Good count.”
“…”
She bowed her head again.
Then, she fell silent.
“Is she crying?”
Feeling guilty, I tried to apologize, leaning down to look at her face.
“Don’t cry, I’m sorry. I’ll apologize.”
“No, don’t look. And don’t apologize. I’m not mad.”
“Then why won’t you look at me…”
“I just… don’t want to show you right now. Let me stay like this a bit longer.”
“Okay, got it.”
She kept avoiding eye contact.
I gave up trying to look her in the face and instead gently patted her shoulder.
Waiting for her to calm down.
“I was struggling to hold it off, and those two were just chatting from the back, ugh…”
Meanwhile, Hong Ye-na muttered at us.
But I was focused on Ha-neul and didn’t catch it all.
(While Yeon Ha-neul Calmed Her Emotions)
I had Hong Ye-na clean up the mess the elephant had made.
“Why do I have to clean this up…?”
“Technically, it happened because of your artifact, and you admitted your mistake earlier. So shouldn’t you take responsibility?”
“You’re really good at talking back. Fine, I’ll clean it up.”
Hong Ye-na was clearly annoyed, but she seemed aware she wasn’t blameless, so she followed my suggestion.
She gestured, conjuring wind to move the scattered equipment back to their original positions.
Then I asked her,
“So, how was Ha-neul?”
“…Judging from her summoning an elephant, her internal mana is vast enough to sustain a creature for a long time, her mana efficiency is high enough to resist my magic, her resistance and cohesion are strong, and her visualization and control are remarkable enough for a high solidification rate. Overall…”
“…”
Hong Ye-na’s gaze fell on Yeon Ha-neul, who was waiting with a tense expression.
I caught a glint in her eyes.
At that moment, I knew what she’d say next.
“Alright, I’ll admit it. You’re destined to be a magician. I’ve seen many people, but none your age have talent like yours. Since you’re adopted, your parents’ genes are different, so the probability of inheriting talent is near 0%… Maybe it’s because of the base monster’s influence? Even so, being born with talent that would make the Magic Folk look foolish is incredible.”
“So…?”
“I think it’s worth teaching you. No, overlooking your talent would be akin to disregarding the progress of magic. Honestly, I’d like to ask you myself. When you become a famous magician someday, could I get a spoonful of credit? Would you let me teach you?”
Just as I expected.
This was the highest praise Hong Ye-na could give regarding magic.
Upon receiving it, Yeon Ha-neul’s bunny ears shot up.
Her red eyes widened, and she exclaimed in joy,
“No! I’ll beg you! Please be my mentor! Teach me magic!”
“Sure, I’ll teach you everything I know.”
Yeon Ha-neul bowed deeply.
Hong Ye-na’s face softened, clearly pleased with her response.
I felt good too.
Yeon Ha-neul’s happiness was mine.
“So that’s settled? Then from now on…”
“I said I’ll take Ha-neul as my disciple, not you. When did I say I’d take you as my disciple?”
“…”
“If you want to learn magic from me, prove your worth.”
“Tch.”
I tried to hitch a ride, but she shut me down.
I clicked my tongue in frustration.
Ignoring my reaction, Hong Ye-na picked up her dropped hat and reactivated it.
“Still, I was curious myself.”
Summoning an animal that best fits one’s mana state—it’s enough to pique anyone’s curiosity.
Plus, in the game, the Magical Animal Hat only appeared as a background item in Hong Ye-na’s instructor lab and was never actually used.
As a veteran of the game in my past life, this intrigued me even more.
“I wonder what I’ll get…”
I plunged my hand into the hat glowing with pure light.
Soon, mana flowed from my palm, mixing with the light and coalescing.
I stirred until the orb grew as large as possible.
Then, at a certain moment, the orb stopped changing.
The measurement was complete.
Pulling it out of the hat…
“Go! I choose you!”
I couldn’t help but shout this line in my head.
Of course, I couldn’t say it out loud—it’d be embarrassing.
Anyway, I threw the orb, and—
Whoosh!
The distant orb erupted with condensed power.
Blinding light spread outward.
“…”
After a moment, as the light dimmed and my eyes adjusted, I saw the creature emerging from it.
Crack!
A beast standing on four legs.
The animal, reminiscent of a lion, had a mane swirling around its head.
It roared.
Roar!
A sound that made my bones rattle.
Hearing it, I was certain.
“…It’s a lion.”
No doubt about it—a lion.
Summoning the king of beasts, a lion.
Does this mean I have a knack for magic?
My lips curled upward.
But then.
“Huh?”
I grimaced as the creature fully revealed itself.
“Shiba?”
Its body was a lion’s, but its head was a rabbit’s.
“Wow… you summoned a bizarre creature.”
“Hmm… quite creative.”
“Wait, can that even happen? Is the artifact malfunctioning?”
“It means your mana state couldn’t fully manifest a lion.”
A lion with a rabbit’s head.
Or rather, a rabbit with a lion’s body.
Just as Do Kwon-woo was stunned by the creature from the hat, Hong Ye-na and Yeon Ha-neul were equally shocked.
Unlike their reactions, the indescribable creature let out a sound.
“Whuuh?”
The rabbit, covered in a lion’s mane, flicked its lion tail and tilted its head.
It was far from dignified.
Instead, it was hilarious.
Snicker!
“Ah, don’t laugh. Ha-neul, I told you not to laugh!”
“S-sorry! But it’s just… so funny!”
“I’d rather a rabbit came out than this…”
Yeon Ha-neul and Hong Ye-na couldn’t hold back their laughter.
They burst into giggles, regardless of Do Kwon-woo’s displeasure.
Meanwhile, Hong Ye-na seriously observed the creature Do Kwon-woo had summoned.
“The head’s a flaw, but overall, the proportions aren’t bad.”
Except for the head.
The creature had the balanced build of a male lion, indicating evenly distributed mana abilities.
Yet it was slightly smaller than a typical male lion.
“Since a creature’s size relates to internal mana, his mana isn’t that abundant. Not exactly low, but an ambiguous level.”
Internal mana is innate.
There are limited ways to increase it.
In that sense, Do Kwon-woo’s mana was on the lower end for a magician’s potential.
“Well, he doesn’t plan to switch to magic anyway, so it’s not an issue. For using magic to supplement swordsmanship, this level isn’t bad.”
Hong Ye-na assessed Do Kwon-woo’s potential.
To be honest, he didn’t catch her eye.
“If he wants to learn magic to supplement swordsmanship, I could teach him. I’d prefer focusing on Ha-neul alone, but if there’s a reason to teach him too…”
She noticed the creature’s white fur.
“A white rabbit… no, a white lion?”
An animal’s fur color indicates elemental affinity.
Water: blue tones, lightning: yellow tones, fire: red tones, wind: green tones, earth: brown tones.
Darkness: black tones, light: white tones.
Do Kwon-woo had high affinity for light.
“If Ha-neul has darkness affinity, this kid has light affinity.”
Few have affinity for special elements.
Coincidentally, Hong Ye-na had met kids with light and darkness affinities.
This made her ponder.
Since they hadn’t yet mastered their respective elements,
“Teaching them might help deepen my understanding of light and darkness. From what I’ve seen of Ha-neul, she might reconsider her resolve if I refuse to teach her…”
Hong Ye-na concluded.
She spoke to Do Kwon-woo, who was pinching Ha-neul’s cheek.
“You said you wanted to learn magic to supplement swordsmanship?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“If that’s the case, I can teach you while training Ha-neul. Sure, I’ll teach you. You’re not half-bad, after all.”
“Really? Thank you. I’ll be counting on you.”
At first, she thought he was a typical arrogant noble brat.
But seeing how he’d cleverly redirected Ha-neul’s consciousness, he wasn’t entirely stubborn.
Thus, Hong Ye-na decided to teach him as well.
“The kid has high light affinity, so he might master the five general elements with effort. It depends on how hard he works.”
And so.
Hong Ye-na took on one disciple and one student.
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