Orlan was the first to arrive in the library. His mouth, which had dried up due to nervousness, was now getting quenched with a nice cup of tea.

“Sir Elric has arrived,” announced a servant. 

Orlan stopped sipping.

Finally.

Elric entered the room.

“...Ah.”

This boy… is a commoner? 

Orlan gazed at Elric in shock. His attire, though plain, was finely made—like that of a servant’s, yet the air around him was heavily dignified. If the commoner in question is him, I can see why the viscount is so interested, Orlan mused. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Master Orlan,” Elric politely greeted. 

“Likewise…” replied Orlan. “Please take a seat.” 

As Elric sat down across from him, Orlan put down his teacup and started the conversation.

“I assume you’re already aware of why we’re meeting today. Is there anything you would like to tell me before we begin?” 

“There is, but it’ll naturally get revealed as we go through the tasks.”

“Very well. Let’s begin.” 

Orlan dug in his large brown satchel and took out a glass orb, its size slightly bigger than a fist. “The first thing we’re going to do is determine your mana core rank with this mana capacity measurement device. The process is very simple. All you have to do is inject your mana into the device, and it will change color according to your mana capacity. The colors correspond to the five mana core ranks: Copper, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and White.” 

Elric stared at the small glass sphere; he had read all about it while studying in the library. If the device works as intended, it shouldn’t change color at all since I don’t possess a mana core. 

“I understand,” he replied. He placed his hand on the measurement device and injected his mana. A few seconds passed, and the device did not turn a color. I was right, he thought. The device isn’t showing any change.

“That’s strange,” said Orlan, touching the device with a free hand. “If your mana capacity is that small, it should at least turn copp—Ouch!” The device became extremely hot to the touch, causing Orlan to quickly pull his hand back. As soon as he removed his hand, the measurement device exploded and shattered into several pieces. 

“This…” 

Orlan sat frozen. Breaking the measurement device was something that could only happen in theory, but Elric made it a reality. 

His mana capacity… surpassed that of a white core rank. 

“It seems you don’t contain a traditional mana core, and your body itself is compensating,” said Orlan while anxiously adjusting his glasses. What the hell, Viscount?! Unusual doesn’t even begin to describe this kid! 

“I see.”

Elric calmly replied to the information he already knew and watched as a servant began to clean up the broken glass. I wasn’t expecting it to break, he thought.

With slightly trembling hands, Orlan pulled out a notepad and cleared his throat. “Ahem. That brings us to the next part of this task. Tell me, are you an auror or a mage?”

“Well, that’s actually what I wanted to discuss with you. I’ve discovered something rather strange.”

“Yes…? What do you mean?” Orlan gave Elric a perplexed look. Something even stranger than breaking a mana capacity measurement device?

Elric covered his fist in aura.

“Purple aura? Hmm… That is a bit strange, but nothing to fret over if it works normally. So you’re an auror?”

“That is not all,” said Elric. He took a deep breath and gently reversed the external flow of his mana. Slowly, his clenched fist opened, and in the center of his palm was a glittering star.

“That’s—!”

“Yes. I can manifest celestial power.”

Two weeks ago.

Elric shot to his feet, his eyes wide as he stared at his palm in disbelief. If he were a normal auror, his mana should have rejected any attempt to manipulate it internally, but it hadn’t.

“Just how…”

Hovering over the middle of his palm, a tiny star sparkled.

A star…? This is the power of constellations! More stars began to flicker into existence, forming a small constellation in his hand. The sight was mesmerizing yet baffling. This shouldn’t be possible, he thought. Celestial power is a manifestation of resonance mana manipulation, and I’m definitely only doing internal mana manipulation right now. If anything, I should be manifesting magic. How am I able to manifest a transcendent power?

“Goodbye, old friend…”

Kyro’s voice suddenly entered Elric’s mind.

That’s right, he thought. All of these impossibilities are because of him. Who exactly is he? He seemed to know me very well, but I have absolutely no memories of him. Elric’s thoughts spiraled as he tried to identify the strange boy. Ha… It’s no use stressing over what I don’t know. The important thing is that I now have power. He raised his hand that was full of stars. If I can do both internal and external mana manipulation individually, does that mean resonance mana manipulation is possible for me? 

The thought pushed him into action. 

Carefully channeling his mana outward, Elric watched as his hands became enveloped in aura. Then, he quickly reversed the flow, pulling the energy inward and causing small stars to orbit his body. He repeated the process faster and faster, alternating between external and internal manipulation. His purple aura blazed to life, only to dissolve into a swirl of stars. The two powers flickered in and out of existence, as if vying for dominance.

Faster, he urged himself. He desired to reach a speed where his mana would flow in both directions simultaneously. Then, for a brief moment, he felt a strange connection forming.

“Is it worki–”

Stab! Stab!

A sharp, searing pain tore through his body. 

“Arghh…!”

Elric released a guttural sound of pain. It felt as if thousands of needles had pierced his skin all at once. His mana had chaotically spiraled out of control, and every movement inside his body felt like shards of glass scraping against raw nerves. 

If I force this any further, I’m going to die!

Elric relinquished what little bit of control he had left over his mana, allowing it to freely surge within him. It moved with such reckless abandon that it felt like his veins would burst from the pressure alone.

The only way for me to survive is if I force all my mana to flow in one direction. If I don’t, it’ll tear my body up from within!

He was desperately trying to remain conscious. The flow of his mana was so erratic and disjointed that he couldn’t summon the strength to manifest anything. Enduring the pain, Elric searched his body for every errant thread of mana still flowing internally. 

Found them!

He attempted to draw them out. His mana spasmed violently, resisting his control, but ultimately, his will proved stronger. 

Just a little more!

With one last push, Elric felt it—his mana had unified into a single external flow and exploded outward. 

“Urgh…!” The sheer force of the mana release sent shudders through his bones. His vision blurred, but he could still make out the vivid glow of his purple aura that began to surround him.

“Ha…”

Elric let out a weary sigh as he fell back into his seat. I got too ahead of myself. I was really going to die this time. He placed his head in his hands. The pain still lingered, but now it was bearable. I can’t do resonance mana manipulation. The mortal body isn’t durable enough to withstand such a difficult energy manipulation method. The near destruction of my body just confirmed this.

“Pfft.”

Even though he was recuperating from almost losing his life, Elric lifted his head out of his hands, a crooked grin plastered on his face. 

I may not be able to do resonance mana manipulation, but I can manipulate mana without a core, control it both internally and externally, and manifest a transcendent power. I only started learning the basics of mana today, but even I can tell how exceptional this all is. Hiding this power? I will do no such thing.

Elric welcomed the thought of being the center of attention. He wanted to lure out anyone who would get in the way of his revenge and any enemies that had yet to make themselves known.

Let them show themselves clearly, he thought. Then the easier it will be to dispose of them. 

After that day, Elric practically lived in the library.

He buried himself in books, not only preparing rigorously for his upcoming practice exam but also deeply honing his celestial power. With his scheduled training with the soldiers still a ways off, Elric decided to set his aura training aside, devoting all his focus to mastering his celestial energy. His progress was undeniable. The small stars that had once been flickering points of light now swelled to three times their original size. With every practice attempt, his celestial power only grew more potent. 

And then, the day to meet the tutor finally came.

*

“This is amazing!”

Orlan’s voice snapped Elric back to the present.

“A human that is able to manifest a transcendent power is unheard of. The only exception is divine power that is passed down through the royal family.” As Orlan spoke, he was out of his seat holding Elric’s arm, marveling at the manifested star. “Can you do resonance mana manipulation as well?”

“I cannot,” replied Elric.

“So when you manipulate mana externally, you manifest aura, but when you do so internally, you manifest celestial power. It seems, then, that you’re manifesting a very limited form of celestial power.” 

Orlan couldn’t believe his own conclusion.

I thought that as long as I lived, there would be no one more impressive than Lord Claude of the Rolfe family. After all, he was the first person in Selis to naturally be born with a white mana core, and he’s the only mage on the continent with the ability to manifest all of the elements. But Elric… 

Orlan looked up and stared at him in awe.

He has transcended the limits of the mortal.

Adjusting his glasses, Orlan released Elric’s arm and stepped back. 

“As much as I’d like to inquire more about your abilities, we still have a second task to complete.” He reached into his brown satchel once more and took out a stack of paper. “This is the practice exam. You have a time limit of three hours, and I will remain in the library with you as you take it. You may ask me clarifying questions at any time, but doing so will affect your final score. Do you understand?”

Elric nodded. “I understand.”

With a measured motion, Orlan placed the exam papers before him, accompanied by an hourglass and a freshly inked quill. The grains of sand began their slow descent as Orlan flipped the hourglass.

“You may begin.”

*

After some time, Elric rose from his seat and approached Orlan, the exam papers clasped firmly in his hands.

Orlan arched an eyebrow, looking back and forth between Elric and the exam. “It’s barely been thirty minutes. Do you already have a question?”

Elric calmly shook his head, a small smirk etched across his face.

“No. I’ve finished.”