Chapter 16

Episode 16. A New Power (3)

There were two pieces of good news left. The first was something Balun had already heard.

“The second piece of good news is that you were born with dual attributes.”

“If you mean dual attributes, is it what you mentioned earlier? Earth and wind?”

“That is right. So you were paying attention.”

“I see.”

Balun’s expression remained utterly flat. That was only natural, since he had already been told that he could not use magic. There was no way that could have felt like good news.

So what was he supposed to feel if he heard something about having dual attributes at a time like this?

What was the point of being born with attributes?

In the end, if he could not use magic, then none of it mattered anyway, did it?

“You are thinking that since you cannot use magic, this has nothing to do with you, are you not?”

“……How did you know?”

“It is written all over your face.”

“Ahem.”

Balun hastily composed his expression. It seemed he had looked more sullen than he realized.

“Elemental affinity is a concept separate from magic. It is a broad principle that applies to all forms of power. That is why I called it good news. There are many ways to make use of it.”

“A broad principle?”

“Yes.”

“Then can I use it with an axe too?”

“Of course.”

“Oh!”

Balun exclaimed in delight. That was the first welcome thing he had heard in a while.

“Then Balun can use a fire axe?”

“In theory, yes. Among knights who wield aura, there are those who actually use the Aura of Flames. One such knight possessed the power to control fire despite not being a mage.”

“Oho!”

Balun grew excited. No, if something like that existed, Calrent should have said so from the start!

“Of course, it is extraordinarily difficult. Not just anyone can reach that point. It requires genius, innate affinity, and relentless effort.”

“…….”

“At that level, there are probably fewer than a hundred in the entire human race. Among elves or dwarves, there would likely be far more.”

Those words never truly reached Balun.

That was because he was already painting a hopeful future in his mind.

The glorious future of Balun, the Great Warrior who would hurl flames with his axe.

‘Right. So what if I cannot use magic? All I have to do is throw fireballs.’

A mage? He had never planned to become one anyway. He had held an axe for fifteen years, so how could he possibly throw it all away now?

‘Magic always looked like a complete nuisance anyway. It probably makes your head hurt, and you obviously have to study a lot.’

By now, Balun had completely forgotten that only moments ago, he had been sulking because he could not use magic.

“It would be hundreds of times easier to use ordinary aura or cast fire magic. Manifesting an attribute is that difficult. It is even rarer than a Spiritist, and that is already considered rare enough.”

“The third piece of news!”

Carlent flinched. How could one man’s voice possibly be that loud?

“Good grief, man, you are going to burst my eardrums! Lower your voice!”

“Hurry up and tell me the good news!”

“Very well, very well. Wait a moment. Why are you in such a rush? There is an order to these things, you know…….”

To begin with, Calrent doubted Balun was even listening to him. No matter how he looked at it, the barbarian seemed to be letting everything go in one ear and out the other.

“The third piece of good news. You possess extraordinarily high mana affinity.”

“What is mana affinity?”

“It means exactly what it sounds like. It is the degree to which mana is close to you. The higher it is, the better you can sense mana and the better you can control it.”

“I see.”

Balun nodded, but Calrent did not trust the barbarian in the slightest.

Did he really understand?

He was nodding, but……

“Do you even know what mana is?”

“I do.”

“Then explain it.”

“It is what you need to use skills.”

“……?”

“If your mana pool is big, you can use lots of skills.”

“???”

Calrent was not entirely convinced, but since Balun seemed to understand the general idea, he decided to let it go.

“Your mana affinity is truly exceptional. I have measured countless talents over the years, but even among them, you would rank among the very best.”

Balun gave a crooked smile. What kind of situation was this supposed to be? He could not use magic, yet his mana affinity was high.

“The proof is that your body was already capable of perceiving mana.”

“Mm?”

“Not only that, you already knew how to use it. Even before you met me.”

“I did?”

“Yes.”

Balun tilted his head. This was the first he had heard of it.

Use it, my foot. Before coming here, he had not even known that such a thing really existed.

“Search your memory. Have you ever experienced anything unusual in your life? Anything mysterious? Have you ever accomplished something that should have been impossible by common sense?”

When he heard it put that way, quite a few things came to mind. Among them, one stood out more than any other.

“Balun knows danger well.”

“Explain in more detail.”

“So…….”

Ever since he was young, Balun had been unusually sensitive to danger.

It was not simply a matter of good luck or keen nerves. He literally sensed danger well.

Whenever he felt that something was dangerous, danger followed nine times out of ten.

Balun briefly recounted several of those experiences.

“That settles it. That was because of mana. Your body was reading the danger signals conveyed by mana. We mages call that ability ‘Mana Sense.’”

“…….”

“Mana Sense is a high-level ability that even many skilled practitioners fail to attain. Yet you possess it. Without any training, no less. Is that not astonishing?”

“It is.”

How could it not be? What he had always assumed was simple good luck had not been luck at all, but an actual ability.

“You may take pride in it. There are many who train for over ten years and still never acquire Mana Sense. Yet you grasped it back when you were still a snot-nosed child.”

Balun puffed up his shoulders. For no particular reason, he suddenly felt rather proud.

‘Now that I think about it, it did seem strange. How did my instincts keep turning out to be exactly right?’

“The point is that your mana affinity is so extraordinary that you mastered Mana Sense without training. That will likely become your greatest weapon in the future.”

“Then what do I do now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Balun came here to learn magic. But Balun cannot use magic. That means there is no reason for Balun to stay here.”

“That is not true. I know many things. There is quite a lot I can teach you. And quite a lot I can experiment with as well.”

‘Experiment?’

What kind of experiment?

“Our contract is not over yet. The contract in which I teach you, and in return, you become the subject of my research.”

No, why was he smiling like that?

***

Balun briefly wondered whether he was about to be subjected to human experimentation, but fortunately, that was not the case.

All he learned was some basic knowledge about magic, along with a single training method.

It was a method called Mana Cultivation, and according to Calrent, it was a meditation technique known by every mage.

It was meant to gather mana, but surprisingly, it was not difficult for Balun.

That was because he was already used to meditation.

Watching Balun follow his instructions so well, Calrent could not hide his astonishment.

“Balun. Are you certain you have never learned Mana Cultivation before?”

“That is right.”

“Then why are you following along so well?”

“Because I meditate often.”

“What?”

“Balun meditates. When bored, Balun does it.”

Calrent found the whole thing absurd.

A barbarian who meditated. How could that possibly make sense?

It was about as shocking as seeing the sun rise in the west.

“Why do you do it?”

“It calms my mind.”

“Do barbarians not usually avoid things like meditation?”

“I do it.”

“……You really are an odd one.”

“What did you say? Your voice is too quiet.”

“Nothing. I merely said you are indeed an awakened young man.”

“That is right. Balun is awake.”

There was, however, one part that felt unfamiliar to Balun, because Mana Cultivation differed from ordinary meditation.

If ordinary meditation aimed simply at emptying the mind, Mana Cultivation aimed at gathering mana.

That difference was unmistakable.

“Take slow, steady breaths, but do not empty your mind completely. You must think deliberately. Only then can you guide the mana properly.”

Balun fumbled a little, but with Calrent’s help, he was able to direct the mana correctly.

“Good. Now guide the mana circulating through your mana circuits toward the area around your heart. This is the process of creating a Mana Hole. Can you do it?”

“I think so.”

“Excellent. Do not let your concentration waver. Until you create a complete Mana Hole, you must not let your guard down for even a moment.”

“Mm?”

Balun had been doing well for quite some time when, all of a sudden, he voiced a question.

“This feels strange.”

“Why? Is there a problem?”

“The mana is not going to my heart.”

“What?”

“The mana is going somewhere else. Uh… I cannot control it.”

Calrent knew at once.

‘His mana has gone out of control. Could it be that his extremely narrow mana circuits are the problem?’

It was all right. This possibility had been within his expectations.

He quickly placed a hand on Balun’s back and sent mana into him, observing the inside of Balun’s body. Almost immediately, his face went blank with disbelief.

‘His muscles and bones are absorbing mana……?’

He thought he must have sensed it wrong, but even after checking again, it was the same. Balun’s muscles and bones were absorbing mana, as though they possessed some kind of suction force.

‘How can this be possible?’

Even for a man who had entered the path of magic at the age of ten and walked it for more than seventy years, this was a first.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, not exactly. It is just… hmm.”

What confused him even more was Balun’s reaction.

Ordinarily, when mana left the mana circuits, it should have caused pain. Lost mana would disturb the body as it ran wild through flesh and bone.

Yet instead of suffering, Balun looked utterly unfazed. He was merely scratching his thigh as if a mosquito had bitten him.

“Does your body hurt?”

“It does not.”

“Any discomfort? Anything bothering you or making you uneasy……?”

“There is none… mm?”

“What now? Has the pain started?”

“Suddenly, I am full of strength.”

“What?”

“Overflowing with it!”

Balun sprang to his feet. His body had suddenly grown so restless that he could not sit still.

It felt as though his body itself was urging him to move at once.

Though the sensation was bizarre and unlike anything he had ever experienced, Balun did not panic. Instead, he followed his instincts and moved.

“No, what are you doing all of a sudden……?”

“I cannot stay here. The house will break.”

“What?”

Balun looked around frantically. Where was his axe? No matter how much he searched, he could not find it. He had probably left it upstairs.

With no other choice, Balun dashed outside barehanded. Like a beast searching for prey, he whipped his head from side to side until he found a suitable target.

A massive old tree standing beyond the storage hut.

‘That one!’

Balun ran toward it barefoot, bent his legs slightly, and tensed his arm.

Crack!

At once, the muscles in his right arm swelled visibly.

‘What is this? What is wrong with my arm?’

Before he could even panic over the unfamiliar change, Balun’s fist slammed into the enormous tree.

Bang!

Balun blinked. What was that? Had he heard wrong? He had punched it with his fist, so why had it made that kind of sound?

Craaack!

A moment later, the tree split apart, tilted, and crashed to the ground.

KABOOM!

A thunderous noise rang out. Dust billowed up, and birds flapped wildly into the air in every direction.

“Balun! What in the world happened? You have to explain, do you not— Hk!”

Calrent’s voice came from behind him, but Balun did not truly hear it.

He was completely consumed by the sight before him.

‘What is this……?’

All he had done was throw a straight punch, yet the tree had broken.

That enormous tree.

How could this make any sense? How could he destroy a tree that looked as though it had stood there for centuries with his bare fist?

“Balun! How did you do that?”

“I do not know either! It just happened!”

“No, but what on earth are you……?”

“Did I just use aura?”

Balun knew enough to ask now.

He had learned that the warriors of this civilized world used a power called aura.

That beam blade Jackson, the leader of the Vipers, had wielded was supposedly one form of it.

Then had he somehow awakened that power without realizing it?

“Aura? Certainly not! I did not sense even the slightest movement of mana, so how could that possibly be aura?”

“It was not?”

“That is right! There was no movement of mana at all, which means it was pure physical force!”

Balun blinked.

So he had shattered it with nothing but strength?

‘How can that be possible?’