"So, what do you think?"
"I-It's... fascinating!"
"Right? I knew he—"
"But also dangerous."
"Huh?"
Aeris crossed her arms, eyes fixed on the massive circle Jan was drawing across the stone floor.
"Let me guess," she said, "you were planning to ask me to help you out with this, right?"
Jan blinked. "Uh... maybe?"
"Then forget it—unless you have some sort of death wish. Magic can't be learned in one day."
"But that's not what he said."
Aeris sighed. "Look, I admit it. This is incredible. It's strange I've never heard of this mage before."
She looked back at the book. "His methods are... unorthodox, but the theory behind them is solid. The knowledge alone is worth decades of study. However—"
She gestured at the instructions. "Even he says it's dangerous. One misstep, and you're dead."
Jan stiffened, then tried to stand tall.
"W-Well, if death is the price... th-then I-I'm willing to pay th-that price!"
"You're not sounding too convinced." Aeris raised an eyebrow.
"Of course I'm not! I'm only saying yes because I know I'll just revive again. Doesn't mean I want to die, so... I'll try to nail it on the first try."
"I almost forgot your kind can do that. How does death even feel, by the way?"
"Bad," Jan answered as he rummaged through the drawer.
"That's it? Just 'bad'?"
"Well, it's always bad," Jan said with a shrug. "A few deaths in, though, I've learned some are worse than others. It's really about how you die."
He paused, then visibly shivered.
"Oof. One of the worse ones?"
"Yeah. The green creatures…" He scribbled on the floor nervously.
"Green...?" Aeris tilted her head. "Wait, goblins?!"
She burst out laughing. "You died to goblins?!"
"Hey, they're strong!" Jan said defensively. "Those evil little freaks don't just kill you—they savour it! They stab you, watch you squirm, then start feasting on your flesh while you're still alive."
Aeris shuddered. His description had stirred up images from goblin horror stories told by older elves. "Okay, okay! Stop! Ugh, you just gave me weird nightmares for tonight. I regret even asking."
"I'm not happy I remembered it either... or maybe I am? Suddenly I don't feel so afraid of dying in a magic circle anymore."
Aeris sighed. "Well… you're the one doing the dying, so I guess I can't complain."
"That settles it then! And the circle is all ready."
Jan stood up and clapped his hands proudly. Beneath his feet, the magical circle stretched across the floor — a messy network of chalk lines, runes, and barely legible glyphs.
Aeris glanced down, stared for three seconds, then let out a sigh so deep it sounded like she was trying to exhale her soul.
"You call this ready? It's full of mistakes!"
"It is? Sorry, I guess." Jan scratched his cheek. "It's only my second time drawing a magical circle…"
Aeris quickly bent down, fixing the circle.
"That's no excuse! You've got some nerve making a princess bend over just to fix your amateur doodles!"
"My bad, Your Highness." Jan smiled faintly, scratching the back of his head.
"Also," she added, still fixing the drawing, "I'm basically your teacher now. So you'll speak to me respectfully."
Jan groaned. "A-Alright… Teacher Aeris."
Aeris gave a satisfied nod and stood tall, puffing out her chest like she'd just been knighted.
"Good."
"S-So, Teacher… how are we going to do this?"
"Well, now that the circle is ready, we'll start by taking our positions. I'll stay on the outer edge, and you'll sit in the center…"
Jan jumped into the middle of the circle, eager to begin.
"...naked."
Aeris mumbled it so quietly, he almost didn't catch it.
"Huh?!"
"I said naked! Don't make me say it twice—it's embarrassing enough already!"
"What?! B-But why?!"
"He's the one who wrote the instructions, not me! It's not my stupid method! So either strip, or I'm out!"
"Jeez! Alright, fine! But I'm keeping my boxers!"
"Of course you are! Do you think I want to see your bare butt?!"
Jan looked mildly offended but thought better of arguing. Quietly, he started pulling off his shirt.
"Not in front of me, you idiot!" Aeris yelped, spinning around. "I'm royalty! There's a protocol for undressing in my presence!"
"...Is there?!"
"Don't question the rules—just follow them!"
"I-I'm sorry!!!" Jan shouted, jumping behind the counter.
He quickly started removing his clothes — the ones he'd worn when he first arrived in this world. Despite everything he'd been through, they were still perfectly intact.
Even when damaged in battle, they somehow reverted to normal, as if the world itself was preserving them.
Yet one thing always returned with them: a faint stain on his hoodie—a spot he'd gotten during lunch, right before he was brought here. No matter what, it came back every time.
It was as if the outfit was stuck in time, always resetting to the exact moment he crossed over.
What didn't stay the same, however, was his body.
The hoodie felt tighter now, sleeves stretched against muscles that hadn't existed four days ago.
Jan blinked down at his arms, his legs, the definition in his torso.
"…I look like a professional athlete."
It was something that should've taken years—yet here he was.
"Are you not ready yet?!" Aeris barked from across the room, still facing away. Her tone was sharp, almost enough to hide her flustered urgency.
"Almost!" Jan replied.
He folded his clothes neatly and set them on the counter, then stepped over to the circle and sat cross-legged at its center, facing away from her.
He took a breath.
"I'm done."
A pause. Then a small voice:
"A-Alright… I'm turning around."
Her tone made Jan's ears burn. He lowered his head, hugging his knees slightly.
'This is so embarrassing! I can't believe this is necessary. I bet he's laughing in his grave right now!'
As Jan kept mentally spiraling, Aeris slowly turned around. The moment her eyes landed on him, she froze—and gulped.
'Now comes the hardest part… drawing the magic circles on his body...'
Her knees trembled as she stepped forward.
"A-Alright," she said shakily, "now I need to draw some circles on your back. So… just stay still, okay?!"
"O-Okay."
She grabbed a pen from the counter and held it like a weapon.
'This is nothing. I'm a grown woman. I'm an adult. I'm a composed...'
Fueled by a strange mix of panic and embarrassment, her steps turned stealthy, like a spy closing in on a high-value target.
'I'm a mage, I'm educated, a forest-born noble of ancient blood. I am mature. I am calm. I am—'
With wide, twitchy eyes and a death grip on the pen, she loomed behind him like a nervous assassin. Without warning, her hand shot forward jabbing the pen at his back.
"OUCH! What was that?!" Jan yelped, twisting around.
"I'M A TROUT IN A RIVER!"
"Wha?!!"
Aeris covered her flaming red face with both hands, nearly dropping the pen.
"N-Nothing! Don't look at me! Just shut up and face forward!"
"A-Alright. But… be gentle!"
Jan turned back around. After a moment, he added quietly:
"Thanks."
Aeris blinked.
"What for? We haven't even started."
"I know. But I know how much trouble this is for you. I… I can't help but feel grateful."
Aeris lowered her hands, her expression softening.
"Well… as long as you know."
She smiled, just a little. With a breath to steady herself, she said:
"Prepare yourself. I'm starting now."
Her hands still trembled as she pressed the pen gently against his back, drawing the first circle with more care than precision.
One down. Three to go.
'Two on the hands… and one on the chest.'
Which meant, eventually, she had to face him.
"Close your eyes."
"Yes, teacher."
Jan shut them without hesitation.
Aeris moved around him and started on his hands. Her touch was light, but ticklish enough to make him nearly flinch. Still, he clenched his jaw and endured.
And then came his chest.
He could feel her breath against his skin—too close, too warm...
'Too risky!'
'Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't think about it.'
In such a situation, he did what any desperate soul would do:
He started doing math.
He began going through prime numbers.
He wasn't sure why he did it, but it worked—it held his attention.
By the time he hit 349, Aeris let out a breath of relief.
"Done!"
*Ding—*
[Congratulations, you've obtained a new skill: Clear Mind Lv.1]
"Huh?!"
Hearing the notification sound, Jan instinctively opened his eyes—
*Bam—*
"OUCH!"
"Not yet, you idiot!" Aeris shouted, smacking him on the head.
"Sorry!" He winced, rubbing the spot. But he managed to sneak a peek at the notification. Something about a skill called Clear Mind.
'Judging by past skills, this might come in handy.'
"You can open your eyes now!" Aeris called out from the edge of the circle.
"Okay… so what now?"
"It's complicated, but I'll try to make it simple."
She took a deep breath.
"I'm going to activate the magic circle by connecting this line. Once it powers up, it'll automatically start drawing out your Mana. Just like the affinity test you took earlier."
"Oh! So that's how it works?"
"Yes. Your Mana will circulate through the lines, then go back to you. All you need to do is receive it."
"How?!"
"That's the whole point of this method he invented!" Aeris snapped. "I'll be the one forcing the Mana back into you. That way, you'll feel your essence—you'll experience how Mana flows, how it moves through your body, and how it connects back to your core. It's not just a shortcut to awaken your Mana Reserve."
"But I thought that the point was unlocking my Mana?!"
"It is, but not just that. He's trying to teach you many things at once: how to sense your Mana, how to circulate it, how to channel it—and maybe even how to control it."
She narrowed her eyes.
"This method is intense, which is why it's dangerous."
Jan fell into thoughtful silence.
"What? Afraid? Do you want to stop?"
"No," he said, eyes focused. "This is just… amazing. I'm even more excited to start now."
"Alright then. Let's not waste time."
Aeris closed the book and gently set it aside.
'It really is amazing… That old man must've been utterly mad, she thought. But this method would never work without a master mage. Controlling your own Mana is one thing… but controlling someone else's? And forcing it back without letting it mix with mine?'
She smiled to herself, then reached out and pulled a staff from thin air—smooth and elegant, with faint engravings that shimmered under the room's glow.
'Alright, old man. I accept your challenge.'