Samuel reached into his drawer and retrieved a small crystal, its surface gleaming faintly in the dim light.


    "Alright, you’ve completed the mana awareness exercise, so now we’ll move on to the next step," Samuel said, handing the crystal to Leo.


    Leo took the crystal, feeling its smooth, cool surface in his palm. “What do I do with this?” he asked, curiosity piqued.


    "Try to inject your mana into it," Samuel instructed, his tone calm but expectant.


    Leo focused, attempting to channel his mana into the crystal. He concentrated, feeling the energy stir within him, but when he directed it toward the crystal—nothing. The gem remained unresponsive. Frowning, Leo glanced at Samuel.


    “It’s not working.”


    Samuel smiled knowingly. “That’s because it’s a special crystal. It only accepts a very small amount of mana. If you try to push in more than it can handle, it simply rejects it. The beauty of this crystal is that you can keep trying without wasting any mana. It’s a great tool for learning fine control."


    Leo turned the crystal over in his hand, his eyes lighting up as realization dawned.


    “That’s genius.”


    Samuel laughed heartily, clearly pleased by Leo’s enthusiasm. "Isn''t it? Now, here’s the trick: don’t rush. First, visualize your mana moving through your body, then imagine only a tiny portion of it flowing out and into the crystal. Take your time."


    Leo nodded, staring at the crystal once again, this time with renewed focus. He took a deep breath and began to concentrate, determined to master the next step of his training.


    For the next hour, Leo unsuccessfully attempted to infuse his mana into the crystal. At eleven thirty, Samuel stood up.


    "Okay, that''s all for now. Go eat something. Don''t forget that you still have library work to do today, and you can exercise at the library in your spare time; if you succeed, I''ll teach you how to use a light ball."


    Leo nodded, stood up, and made his way to the kitchen, carrying the training crystal with him. As he entered, he saw Wina and Albert already there. After greeting them, he sat at the table, still focused on trying to activate the crystal. His brow furrowed in concentration as he worked, but despite his best efforts, nothing seemed to happen.


    Wina noticed his struggle and, with a soft smile, took a seat in front of him.


    “Problem?” she asked, her voice gentle but curious.


    Leo paused, lifting his gaze to meet hers. “I can’t figure out how to reduce my mana enough to activate this crystal.”


    Wina leaned forward slightly, glancing at the crystal in his hand. “Is that a training crystal? Don’t worry. Albert took a whole month to learn how to work that thing,” she said, her eyes twinkling with humor. “I figured it out in three days.”


    Albert scowled from the corner of the kitchen, clearly offended. “Hey…”


    But Wina, smiling slyly, interrupted his protest. “Try it like this,” she said, refocusing on Leo. “Imagine a thread of mana connecting to the crystal in your hand. Once you can feel that connection, try to make the thread thinner. Think of it like pulling a single strand from a thick rope.”


    Leo considered her advice, his mind turning over the image she’d described. Slowly, he nodded, gripping the crystal more firmly, determined to get it right this time.


    Leo closed his eyes, visualizing the thread of mana as Wina had described. Slowly, he connected it to the crystal, imagining the thread thinning out, becoming more delicate. His focus deepened as he guided the energy. After several minutes of concentrated effort, a soft glow radiated from the crystal.


    Albert jumped from his seat, wide-eyed. "You actually did it?"


    Wina, equally astonished, leaned forward, her brows raised in surprise. "I didn’t expect you to get it on your first try."


    Leo couldn’t hide his grin as he admired the softly glowing crystal in his hand. "Thank you, Ms. Wina," he said, his voice full of gratitude.


    Wina’s face softened, a mixture of pride and amazement on her features. "You’re welcome," she replied, still processing what had just happened.


    Without another word, Leo stood up, excitement bubbling within him. He didn’t even stop to eat; instead, he rushed to the library, eager to share his success. When he pushed open the library door, Samuel looked up from his desk, a questioning eyebrow raised.


    "Already done eating?" Samuel asked, slightly puzzled.


    Instead of responding, Leo held up the glowing crystal. "Mr. Samuel, I did it," he declared, unable to contain the excitement in his voice.


    Samuel’s eyes flicked to the gemstone, and a small smile played on his lips as he murmured, "Well, I expected as much." He gestured for Leo to take a seat. "For your reward, we’ll spend the day working on the light ball spell. Come, sit."


    After a brief pause, Samuel continued, "I think you’ll enjoy this part of your training. it''s similar to the crystal training, but there is no crystal in this spell; all you have to do is imagine a ball in your hand and fill it with mana. Remember not to spend too much mana, or it will exhaust you.”


    Leo spent the next three hours practicing his first spell, and he was able to generate a ball of light the size of his palm and hold it for fifteen minutes.


    "If you were able to control your mana better, you could keep it for at least an hour."


    "Why can''t i move it?"


    "That''s for your next level of mana control training, we also need to learn telepathy. But that is for tomorrow; go now; if I am not mistaken, you need to patrol the city right now."


    Samuel thought for a second before adding.


    "Don''t overdo it. I understand you have a habit of pushing yourself, but mana training is dangerous. Mana corruption is not limited to increasing your mana; emptying your mana can also harm your soul."


    Leo nodded gratefully. "I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you."


    He then made his way to the storage room, where Peter, as usual, was organizing supplies. The familiar clinking of armor and weapons filled the air as Leo approached.


    "Mr. Peter, I''m ready to start my patrol in the city," Leo announced, standing straight.


    Peter glanced up from his work and gave a small nod. "Today, you’ll be going with Frank. He’ll teach you everything you need to know about the patrol. Head to the main hall—he’ll meet you there in ten minutes."


    "Understood," He gave a quick nod and headed to the back of the room, his mind already racing with thoughts of what he would learn during the patrol.


    Leo went to his closet and grabbed his cane and wristbands. Patrolling with wristbands gave a nice opportunity to exercise. He still had ten minutes, so he walked into the kitchen and ate a baked egg. After that, he headed to the main hall where Frank was already waiting.


    “Mr. Frank, did I keep you waiting?" Leo asked as he approached, a hint of nervousness in his voice.


    Frank looked up with a warm smile. "No, I just got here. Let’s not waste any time."


    With that, Frank turned and began walking toward the back door, his footsteps steady. Leo quickly fell in step behind him. Once they were outside of the alley, Frank began his explanation.


    "There are three main routes our team patrols, and we rotate through them daily," he said, his tone steady and informative. "You’ll be shadowing us for the first three rounds. Once you’ve learned the ins and outs, you’ll be leading a group of police officers yourself."This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Leo’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Lead them?"


    "Of course," Frank said, giving him a sideways glance. "You’re a Paladin now. The police officers are G rank at best, but you’re an F rank. That puts you in charge."


    Frank pointed ahead toward a bustling street. "This is Ashburn Street, the first part of our route. We’ll walk all the way down to the square. From there, we turn onto Orchid Street, head inside, and follow it until we reach Justice Avenue. That leads us to the city’s main gate, where we’ll get a report from the soldiers stationed there. After that, we return here and repeat the patrol two more times."


    Leo nodded, digesting the information. "Okay, sounds simple enough."


    Frank chuckled. "It usually is. But if something happens, you need to assess the situation and determine how serious it is before taking action."


    "What do you mean by ''something happens''?" Leo asked, his curiosity piqued.


    Frank started walking again, gesturing for Leo to follow. "Come on, I’ll explain while we walk."


    "We have all kinds of danger levels; if it''s a simple theft, you handle it yourself; if it''s a ranker or corruption problem, you have to contact the association."


    While talking, they arrived at the square and entered Orchid Street. Leo took advantage of the moment and began asking some of his questions.


    "Mr. Frank, how many other teams are in this city apart from us?"


    Frank responded as he investigated the surroundings.


    "There are 4 more groups apart from us; each has a paladin captain like Captain Edmond, and we each have a part of the city under our care; and before I forget, when you start to lead a team on your own, you have to put on a set of gloves and shoulder armor; it''s a sign of being a paladin."


    Leo eyed Frank''s armor again, noting the contrast between the typical light armor and the more intricate gold and white accents on his shoulders and hands.


    "Can I wear these with any clothing?" Leo asked, gesturing toward Frank’s ornate gear.


    Frank chuckled. "No, but we have a variety of clothing options you can choose from."


    ‘That''s better than nothing,’ Leo thought with a sigh of relief.


    As they continued along their patrol route, they arrived at the city gate on Justice Avenue. Frank approached one of the stationed soldiers, his expression serious.


    "Report."


    The soldier immediately straightened, placing his fist over his chest in a gesture of respect before bowing slightly.


    "Nothing to report, sir. Everything is in order."


    Frank gave a nod of approval. "Good. Keep up the solid work, and remember—every person who enters the city must have their name recorded."


    "Yes, sir!" the soldier responded firmly.


    The other two soldiers were staring at Leo and muttering something to one another, their eyes darting between him and Frank. Frank motioned for Leo to follow as they made their way back to Light Alley, repeating the patrol cycle three times. On the third round, they encountered a commotion near the city gate. A rotund man was screaming at the soldiers stationed by the entrance, his face flushed with anger.


    "What is going on here?" Frank approached them and asked.


    One of the troops gave Frank an inviting glance.


    "Sir, this man claims that he is a close friend of a noble in the city, and he doesn''t have to pay the tax for bringing cargo inside the city."


    Frank looked at the man, whose face was flushed from anger.


    "Sir, no matter who you are, you have to pay the tax," Frank said firmly.


    "And who are you?" the man retorted, his voice dripping with disdain.


    "I am a Paladin," came the Frank''s resolute reply.


    "I don''t care if you''re a Paladin; you will let me in!" he shouted, his anger boiling over.


    Frank responded in a calm voice.


    "You can''t get in without paying your tax, and if you continue to disrupt the peace, I have no choice but to arrest you."


    "I''m going to put your head on a stick for talking to me like that."


    Frank''s eyes turned serious. He took his sword partly out of its scabbard, and the portion that was exposed began to shine a golden hue. A pressure start to come out of his body.


    "Is that a threat?"


    The man froze and was unable to talk due to Frank''s mana pressure. Even the soldiers took two steps back. The man pulled a bag of coins out of his pocket and gave it to the soldier. While going away, he began whispering to himself, hoping that the Paladin would hear it.


    "I will remember this."


    He got aboard his carriage and entered the city. After he left, the soldier gazed at Frank.


    "Thank you, sir; these kinds of people are really annoying."


    Frank nodded and responded with a pleasant voice.


    "You have done a great job."


    As they turned back, making their way toward the association, Leo stole a glance at Frank, who was deep in thought.


    ‘He treats those doing their job with kindness, yet he’s firm with troublemakers; he’s like a father figure,’ Leo mused, admiration swelling within him.


    “Don’t get distracted,” Frank said, his voice breaking Leo’s reverie.


    Leo refocused his attention on the surroundings, observing the bustling activity around him. After nearly ten minutes of walking, they arrived at the Light Alley. Frank turned to Leo, a proud smile on his face.


    “You did a good job today. Just two more days, and you’ll be leading your own group,” he encouraged, his eyes sparkling with approval.


    “Thank you, Mr. Frank. I''ve learned a lot today,” Leo replied.


    Frank gave a firm nod, and together they entered the building. They parted ways as Leo headed towards the storage room and Frank made his way to Lara to deliver his report. Inside the dimly lit storage room, Leo was greeted by the sight of Peter sorting through equipment.


    “Leo, how did your first day out on patrol go?” Peter asked, looking up from his task with genuine interest in his eyes.


    "Although there was a conflict at the city gate, it was manageable," Leo explained calmly.


    “Great to hear! I’m also heading home; I’ll see you later. By the way, I’ve put your salary in an envelope in your closet,” Peter added with a friendly smile.


    “Thank you, Mr. Peter. Goodbye!” Leo replied.


    Leo went to his closet and grabbed the envelope. There were seven gold coins within it.


    “I can’t believe they actually gave me my new salary?!” he exclaimed, a mix of excitement and relief flooding over him.


    While he was happy about the increase in his salary, he put the money in his pocket and walked out. While outside, he went the other direction of his home, to the housing agency, and paid his rent. He also went to the elegant and purchased a new pair of clothes, which was nearly identical to his previous ones, but was dark blue. He received a discount on his new clothes and spent just one gold coin and twenty silvers, plus rent, which was two gold coins and fifty silvers. He also had 10 silvers left over from last month, leaving him with only 3 gold coins and 40 silvers.


    As Leo stepped inside his home, the darkness of night had already settled outside. He moved quietly to the kitchen, where he found his mother preparing dinner.


    “I’m back,” he announced, breaking the silence.


    His mother turned, a smile brightening her face. “Welcome back, sweetie.”


    Leo placed two gold coins on the kitchen counter. It was the third month of his work, and his mother recognized the gesture as part of their monthly household expenses. She merely glanced at him, understanding.


    “Thank you, sweetie,” she replied, returning to her tasks.


    Looking around the room, Leo asked, “Where’s Rose?”


    “She’s at a friend’s birthday party down on Ashburn Street. Sit and eat; I’ll go after her.”


    “No, I’ll go; I’m already dressed. Where is it?”


    “Just cross the street and head down. After about a hundred steps, you’ll see a two-story house with the number 31 on the plate.”


    “Okay, I’ll be back,” Leo said, turning to leave.


    He stepped outside, crossed the street, and began his walk. After about five minutes, he spotted the house. He approached and rang the doorbell. A woman in her forties answered, and Leo guessed she was the mother of Rosie''s friend.


    Leo bowed a little. “Hi, Ms. I’m Rosie''s brother. I’m here to take her home,” Leo said, his voice was steady.


    The woman in front of him smiled warmly, her eyes sparkling with friendliness. “Hello, Mr. Mantine! We’ve heard so much about you from Rosie. Would you like to come inside while she gets ready?”


    “I appreciate your kindness, but I’ll wait here if you don’t mind,” Leo replied, offering a polite smile.


    “Alright, then I’ll go get her,” she said before stepping inside to call for Rosie.


    Leo waited for about five minutes, the quiet of the night wrapping around him. Finally, the door opened again, and Rosie emerged, flanked by five other girls.


    “Hi, Leo,” she greeted him, her voice tinged with embarrassment as she shifted her weight nervously.


    Leo observed Rosie and the girls trailing behind her. They were peeking out from behind one of their friends, who seemed to be hiding behind Rosie as well.


    “Hello,” Leo said, returning her greeting with a warm smile.


    The girls exchanged giggles, whispering among themselves, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.


    “Wow, he’s gorgeous, like a knight!” one of them exclaimed, her admiration evident.


    Rosie sighed, a hint of frustration in her voice as one of the girls playfully nudged her with an elbow.


    “Leo, these are my friends,” she said, gesturing to each girl as she began the introductions. “This is Eliza, Maya, Kate, Lexie, and Bella.”


    Leo saw in these little children''s eyes that he was like a shining knight riding a white horse from their storybooks.


    “Nice to meet you,” Leo said, flashing a friendly smile.


    After a brief pause, one of the girls at the back gathered her courage and asked, “Are you really a Paladin?”


    Leo raised an eyebrow, glancing at Rosie, but she quickly averted her gaze. He turned back to the group, feeling the weight of their curiosity pressing on him, and sighed.


    “Yes, I am a Paladin,” he replied, his tone steady despite the sudden attention.


    The girls became excited and began to talk simultaneously.


    "How old are you?"


    "Can you show us some sword fighting?"


    "Have you ever arrested a criminal?"


    Leo wasn''t sure what to say or how to respond. Eliza, the girl in front of them brought everyone to a halt and looked at Leo.


    “Can you do magic?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.


    “Actually, I’m not allowed to do magic in public,” Leo replied, watching as their faces fell in disappointment.


    He noticed the frowns etched on their brows, and after a moment of hesitation, he sighed softly. “Maybe I can do a simple one,” he offered, a hint of mischief creeping into his voice.


    Their eyes brightened again, and they began to look at Leo with enthusiasm; even Rosie was excited. Leo raised his hand in front of them, and after a few seconds, a small ball of light appeared in his palm. All of the girls stared at the light ball in hand with wide eyes. Leo began to expand the light ball, which eventually stopped when it was slightly larger than his hand. He then closed his palm, and the luminous ball disappeared.


    ‘I''m glad I learned this,’ Leo thought to himself with a smile.


    “That’s all I can show you for now,” he said.


    “Eeee…” came a chorus of disappointed voices.


    “Could you show us just one more spell?” they pleaded.


    Leo, caught off guard and unsure how to respond, was saved by the timely reappearance of the woman who had greeted him earlier.


    “Alright, that’s enough. Let Mr. Mantine be.” she chided gently, ushering the children back inside. She then turned to Leo with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry about that.”


    Leo’s smile widened. “It’s alright; they are just children.”


    He glanced over at Rosie, who had been watching the exchange with amusement. “Ready to head home?” he asked.


    Rosie gave a nod in agreement.