On his way home, Leo stated without looking.


    "Rosie, why did you tell everyone that I am a Paladin?"


    “You didn’t tell me not to say anything!” Rosie blurted, trying to defend herself, though her voice carried a note of guilt.


    Leo glanced down at her, his tone sharp but not unkind. “Bragging isn’t appropriate behavior, Rosie.”


    Rosie’s gaze dropped to the ground, her shoulders sagging. “I’m sorry,”


    They walked in silence for a few moments until Rosie suddenly lifted her head, her eyes fixed on something in the distance. Leo followed her gaze and spotted a bakery, the warm glow of its lights spilling onto the street. Without a word, he gently placed his hand on her head.


    “Let’s go buy a bag of sweets,” he said, his voice softening.


    Rosie’s face lit up instantly, her earlier guilt washed away by excitement. “Really?”


    “Of course,” Leo replied with a small smile.


    They entered the bakeshop where they carefully selected their favorite candies and cookies. The store manager then packaged their choices into a box and with their purchase in hand they left the shop, the enticing aroma of freshly baked goods lingering in the air. Without hesitation, Rosie popped one of the cookies into her mouth.


    “If you’re not careful, you’re going to get fat,” Leo teased.


    Rosie flashed a grin. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to eat them all at once. I’ll eat them slowly so I can enjoy them longer.”


    They eventually arrived at their house, and when they entered, Rosie raced to her mother with the box of candy.


    “Mom, check out what we bought!” Rosie exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement.


    Her mother gently took the box from Leo’s hands and lifted the lid with a sense of curiosity.


    “Sweetie, how much did this cost you?” she inquired, her eyes softening.


    Leo’s grin was infectious. “Oh, it was a steal. Don’t fret over it. Go on, try one,” he encouraged.


    Lisa hesitated for just a moment before selecting a cookie from the assortment. As she took a bite, her initial caution melted away into a delighted grin.


    “These are wonderful,” she beamed.


    The evening progressed with laughter and shared stories around the dinner table. Later, Leo excused himself and retreated to his room. He drew the blinds closed, settled onto his bed, and turned his attention inward, focusing on the flow of his mana.


    ''I want to know how much mana I have left so I can stop myself before it runs out.''


    When he sensed his mana, he raised his palm to create a light ball. He concentrated on the mana in his body and felt it diminish. He also tried to sense the mana in his hand, which was moving within the ball.


    ''I need the right quantity of mana to fill the ball, but not too much to keep it stable.


    He lowered the amount of mana that was entering the ball. The light ball was stationary for a few seconds before changing shape and fading. Leo opened his eyes.


    "Well, it''s harder than it looks."


    He closed his eyes again and continued until his mana was nearly drained, at which point he sank back onto his bed and slept.


    …


    The next day, after finishing his training with Faleria, Leo dragged his aching body into the shower. The hot water helped ease the soreness, but his muscles still protested with every movement. Once done, he headed to the library for his lesson. It was only ten twenty-five, so Samuel hadn’t arrived yet. Leo decided not to practice the light ball spell, saving his mana for class. Instead, he sat down and began reading his language book. After about five minutes, Samuel walked in.


    “Good morning, Mr. Samuel.”


    “Good morning, Leo. Let’s get started,” Samuel replied, setting his bag on the table.


    Leo moved to sit across from him.


    “Any questions from yesterday?” Samuel asked as he began unpacking his materials.


    “Yes, I have one. Yesterday, I tried using the light ball skill while sensing my mana, but it felt like trying to look in two directions at once. How can I do that?”


    “Don’t worry about it. In time, sensing your mana becomes second nature,” Samuel answered casually, finishing with his things.


    "Ok, so yesterday we did the light ball; you still need a lot of training on that, but first, let''s learn telepathy."


    He picked up a ring and handed it to Leo. Leo took the ring and examined it; it had a little blue gemstone.


    "It''s a crystal for telepathy; in low ranks, we use items to do telepathy; look at the bottom of it; there is nothing under the gem; can you guess why?"


    Leo stared to the bottom of the ring.


    "For a connection to the skin? So you can activate it whenever you want."


    "Exactly!" Samuel exclaimed with satisfaction.


    "When you activate it, you must mentally imagine the person you wish to connect with; if the individual''s telepathy is active, you can converse with him or her. This ring has a 100-meter range; now, let''s test it, activate it, and connect to me.”


    Leo activated his ring, closed his eyes, and focused on Samuel’s presence in his mind. He felt a small stream of mana flow into the ring, and after a few seconds, a connection formed, as if he was no longer alone in his thoughts.


    ''Mr. Samuel?''


    ''Well done. We’re now communicating via telepathy. Don’t worry, I can’t read your mind—only what you want me to hear. Now, try to connect with someone else.''


    Leo shifted his focus to Peter but felt nothing. He opened his eyes.


    “I can’t sense Mr. Peter.”


    "Maybe his crystal is not active; try someone else."


    Leo closed his eyes and concentrated on Liamond. After a few seconds, he sensed the connection.


    ‘Liamond, can you hear me?’


    ''Leo? Are you using telepathy?


    ''Yes, I''m training with Mr. Samuel.


    ‘Got it. Let me know if you need anything.’


    "Okay, thank you."


    Leo opened his eyes again.


    "I connected with Mr. Liamond."Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Samuel nodded.


    "Unfortunately, with this ring, you can only connect with one person at a time, but if you go into pure magic, not only will you be able to do telepathy without a ring, you can create a dimension like space where you can bring more than one person up to one kilometer away from you."


    "That sounds fascinating."


    "Isn''t it?"


    “Oh, and try not to use it unless necessary,” Samuel added. “Otherwise, it’ll become a habit, and you’ll rely less on your body.”


    Leo nodded. “Noted.”


    Samuel smiled broadly as he discussed magic.


    “Before we delve deeper into mana training, there’s something you should know,” Samuel began, his tone shifting to one of instruction. “In the field, or when your mind is otherwise occupied, focusing for telepathy can be challenging. It’s common practice to use a physical gesture to aid concentration—like placing a finger on your temple. The choice of gesture is personal, so select one that feels right for you. I would recommend choosing one soon.”


    Leo absorbed the advice with a solemn nod, understanding the importance of such a tool in his training.


    Samuel walked inside his closet to get five crystals, five sticks, and a spherical carpet. He laid the carpet and began arranging the sticks on the floor. They were all at different distances from the center of the carpet. The farthest was two meters away, while the closest was one meter away. Samuel looked at Leo.


    "Come and sit in the center of this carpet."


    Leo sat in the center of the carpet as Samuel carefully placed the five crystals on top of the sticks. Due to his own bulk, Leo was about thirty centimeters from the nearest crystal.


    "Ok, now you have five crystals in different directions and distances from you; these crystals are really sensitive to mana, and you are going to activate them."


    Leo looked at the crystals, then back at Samuel, perplexed. Samuel smiled and started to explain.


    "Try to feel your mana, and you will feel it leave your body. The next stage is to try to follow it as it leaves while maintaining its connection to your own body."


    He began to concentrate on his mana after remembering Wina''s advice. He began to experience a waterfall-like sensation above his head. He tried to focus on the edge of his mana, but after a while, he could feel it fading.


    ‘Now I need to try and keep that mana connected to a thread.’


    He imagined a thread tied to his mana that was departing; he could feel the mana more clearly, but the thread snapped after around two centimeters. He tried it multiple times, but the results were the same. He opened his eyes and looked at Samuel.


    "The connection to my mana just keeps breaking."


    "Of course it keep breaking; you''ll need a lot more practice to master this technique," Samuel said calmly.


    "Do you have any tips?"


    Samuel started to think for a few seconds before responding.


    “First and foremost, understand that the mana leaving your body is yours, not a foreign substance like crystals. Don’t just seek to maintain your connection to it; it belongs to you, so keep it close. Second, focus on one direction instead of spreading your attention across several.”


    Leo nodded and closed his eyes. He concentrates on the direction ahead of him.


    ''You are mine, and I will not let you go so simply.''


    This time, after a few attempts, he was able to maintain contact for three centimeters. Leo spent the rest of the lesson practicing, and by the end of it, he was able to stay connected for five centimeters.


    "Okay, that''s everything for today. Tomorrow, we''ll start learning about each path available to you, as well as perform further training. You can also continue practicing at home by placing your ring one meter away from you and repeating what you did here.


    Leo glanced at his ring. “I can keep this!”


    “Of course, you can—every Paladin receives one,” Samuel replied.


    Leo stood up. “Mr. Samuel, how long does it take to master this technique?”


    “Well, on average, about a month, but I’m sure you can do it faster—maybe in a week?”


    Leo nodded, his face lighting up with happiness.


    He spent the rest of the day completing his library duties, organizing books and cleaning the shelves. He continued working until 3 p.m., using any spare moments to practice controlling his mana. When the clock struck three, he gathered what he needed and headed to the main hall for his patrol. He waited a few minutes until Gery arrived.


    "Mr. Gery, hello."


    "Hey, let''s go, or we will be late."


    Leo nodded and began following Gery. When they got outdoors, Gery began walking toward the main square. While walking, he began to explain.


    "Today we go on a different route; we start from the main square and go to the middle of Main Street, then we turn around and come back to the main square."


    "Only middle?" Leo asked in confusion.


    "I can understand your confusion, but Main Street is the biggest street in the city, and we only have half of it under our association."


    Gery, unlike Frank, stopped speaking as they walked. Leo began to look around. Main Street was very wide. Two carriages could travel side by side along each street line. The sidewalks were also large enough to accommodate ten persons walking side by side.


    Nothing happened throughout the day; they patrolled Main Street three times, and Leo kept his Bracelets activated at all times.


    …


    The next day, after completing his grueling morning workout, Leo made his way to Samuel’s class. Today’s lesson would focus on the different paths he could choose as a Paladin, something he had been eager to learn about. The previous night, he had spent hours refining his mana control and was proud to have maintained the mana thread for a full ten centimeters—a noticeable improvement.


    He arrived early and waited for about five minutes until Samuel appeared.


    “Good morning, Mr. Samuel.”


    “Good morning, Leo,” Samuel replied, setting his belongings on the desk before sitting down. He seemed calm but focused, a clear sign the lesson ahead was important.


    “Alright, let’s get started. Today, we’ll go over the various paths available to you. Once we’ve covered that, we’ll focus on reviewing your mana training from yesterday.”


    Leo nodded and pulled out his notebook, ready to take detailed notes.


    Samuel continued, “Now, we won’t be covering Void, necromancy, or other dark magics in this class, but rest assured, once you reach E rank, you’ll be well-versed enough to defend yourself against them. For now, let’s start with the path of Light.”


    Leo wrote the word "Light" neatly at the top of his notebook, his mind already filling with questions about the possibilities each path could offer.


    "Light has no subsets; it just depends on the spell or skills you use, as the more complex the skill, the longer it takes to master. People typically acquire spells that are related to one another; for example, if you learn healing and support spells, you will be referred to as a priest. You can also utilize a variety of spells, including shield, healing, and assault spells. Burning light is one of the first spells chosen by everyone on the light path. A Rank E spell, it creates a ball of light that burns your foes. Also, if you become a holy knight or a high priest, you place your blood on God''s book, and God will support you even more; your mana improves significantly, as does your physical status."


    “What would you call someone who’s mastered a single spell from each category—attack, defense, and support?” Leo inquired curiously.


    Samuel’s response was dry and immediate. “An idiot.”


    Leo stared at Samuel, taken aback by the blunt answer, unsure how to proceed.


    Seeking to lighten the atmosphere, Leo quickly posed another question. “What rank would a high priest or holy knight be?”


    “They’d be classified as A3,” Samuel replied matter-of-factly.


    “A3?” Leo echoed, his confusion evident.


    Samuel nodded. “Ah, perhaps I failed to mention—within rank A, there are additional sub-ranks: A-, A+, and then A2 through A5.”


    “Why so many subdivisions?” Leo asked.


    “It’s because the leap to S rank is significant. The additional sub-ranks within A serve as motivational milestones,” Samuel explained.


    “So, without these sub-ranks, individuals might linger too long at a single level and lose their drive?”


    “Exactly,” Samuel confirmed with a nod.


    Samuel paused for a second before continuing.


    "Where were we? Yes, light. If you choose light, you will be given a list of spells from which to choose. In my opinion, light is one of the best paths in our country since there is always someone to learn from."


    Leo was writing something, so Samuel waited for him. When Leo looked up, he continued.


    "Well, the following path is pure magic. Only a few people select pure magic; its abilities are limited, so they only use it as a third path or to learn a few spells before abandoning it. In pure magic, unlike other routes, mana does not change shape and does not corrupt you. A light ball, for example, is a pure magic spell that contains only your mana.


    "So you are saying people can choose three paths and still use pure magic?"


    "Yes, but that can take a lot of time." His tone suggested that it was a poor idea.


    "We have a variety of spells in pure magic, such as magic shields; it is a shield in pure magic, but it is weaker than other path shield spells. In my opinion, pure magic serves as a helper for other paths."


    Samuel wiped the sweat from his forehead with a napkin.


    "Now let''s talk about the biggest path, Arcana."


    Samuel shifted slightly to find a comfortable position in his seat before continuing.


    "Arcana has six subsets; each of them is really vast; we are going to start with enchanting."


    He bent down and pulled a piece of paper from his drawer.


    "Enchanting is a very useful path; every wired device you are using in your daily life is a product of enchanting."


    He placed the paper on his desk.


    "For example, this is a paper containing a cold and air enchantment; when you add your mana to it, it will activate."


    Samuel channeled his mana into the paper, which began to glow. After one second, cold air began to emerge from it.


    Leo stared at the paper, excited.


    "It''s the same as a cooling box."


    "precisely," Samuel agreed with his index finger.


    "Not just a cooling box, the magic lamps and stoves, and a lot of other things."


    Leo paused for a few seconds before asking.


    "What about the crystals that keep them running?"


    "Oh, that''s a fantastic idea from a scientist in the Kingdom of Magic. About two hundred years ago, a mage on the science path discovered that crystals can store mana, so he and his enchanter friend devised a technique to make these two operate together.”


    "Science…" Leo was deep in thought.


    "Let us not digress from our subject. Enchantment can be used for attack, defense, and a variety of other purposes in addition to manufacturing useful items. For example, you can enchant the ground with fire magic to create a trap that explodes when a person walks on it, or you can apply lightning enchantment to a sword to transform it into a lightning sword.”


    "That sounds intriguing."


    "Yes, it is, but enough with enchantment; let''s talk about alchemy." When Samuel mentioned alchemy, his eyes lit up with delight.