Rebirth From Ordinary Person To The Strongest

"Uh, well, first of all... I can\'t use Condensing Magic perfectly yet," she admitted, a little sheepish.

"Yeah, I know that."

From what Nina-chan had told me, the last time her mother taught her magic was about a year ago. And that final lesson had covered just the basics of Condensing Magic. I guess she\'s only learnt enough to explain the process.

"You know how the high-phase mana created from Alchemy comes out, right? You need to release that mana outside your body and then gather it up tightly, like squeezing a ball."

"...Okay."

Following Nina-chan\'s instructions, I drew out the heavy mana from my dantian. I attempted to condense it tightly as soon as I released it, concentrating hard. But just as I began to focus, Hina, who had been clinging to me like a little koala, suddenly yanked on me with all her strength, nearly toppling me over.

Whoa!

My concentration shattered, and the mana scattered.

"Itsuki, try again," Nina-chan calmly instructed.

"Right."

Without missing a beat, she brushed off the distraction of Hina\'s interference like it didn\'t even exist. Impressive. Nina-chan\'s ability to ignore distractions was next level.

But I couldn\'t let it slide as easily. I turned to Hina, who was still clinging to me with all her might, and gave her a gentle reprimand.

"Hina, you shouldn\'t interrupt. Your big brother is practicing magic."

"I\'m not interrupting!"

"You\'re not?"

"Yeah!"

I sighed. Well, if she says she\'s not interrupting, what can I do?

I patted Hina on the head and looked back up at Nina-chan.

"Itsuki," Nina-chan began, "the trick is to gather the mana as soon as it\'s fresh and still outside your body. You need to compress it before it scatters."

"Okay, let me try again."

I gathered the mana in my hands, bringing it out, but once again, it scattered. And this time, it wasn\'t even Hina\'s interference that caused it to fail—it just fell apart on its own.

The issue was clear: I couldn\'t control the mana once it left my body. It slipped through my grasp like sand slipping through fingers. My understanding of mana control was rooted in the Thread Magic I\'d learned earlier, where the mana stayed connected to my body by a thin thread.

When the mana was still connected to my body, it made sense that I could manipulate it easily. But Condensing Magic was a different challenge altogether. The mana had no tether.

To me, it felt like trying to bring a distant object, like a cup across the room, into my hand without using any physical means. In other words, it seemed impossible.

Of course, I knew my thinking was wrong.

I had seen Nina-chan use Condensing Magic before, albeit imperfectly. If she could do it, then it was clearly possible to control mana even after it left the body. I just had to figure out how.

"Did it work?" Nina-chan\'s blue eyes gazed into mine as she asked the question, curious and hopeful.

"No, it scattered again," I replied, shaking my head.

"That\'s normal for beginners. It\'s easier to practice if you have something to use as a container."

"A container?"

"Yeah, like a doll or a stuffed animal. When I first learned this, I practiced with those. They help guide the mana into a shape," she explained.

A doll, huh? I scanned the room, and sure enough, there were plenty of options. Dolls, stuffed animals—they were scattered everywhere, thanks to Hina\'s collection.

"Hey, Hina, can I borrow one of your dolls?"

"No!"

"Okay."

Well, if she says no, there\'s not much I can do. I\'ll have to find another way to work with the mana. Just as I was racking my brain for alternatives, a knock came from the door.

"May I come in?"

"Dad? Yeah, sure."

The door creaked open, revealing my dad holding a tray—with two teacups on it.

"Here\'s some tea. There are snacks, too."

He set down the tray, and the cups were filled with green tea. It wasn\'t as fancy as the tea Nina-chan had served at her house, but for me, this was much more comforting. There was even some manju as an added snack—just like the ones Mom would serve.

Yeah, this felt like home.

"So, what were you doing just now? I sensed your mana scattering," Dad asked, sitting down after delivering the tea.

"I\'m practicing Condensing Magic," I replied.

"Hmm?"

When I said that, Nina-chan stepped in to explain further.

"It\'s a magic where you condense the mana outside your body... to create a familiar spirit."

"Ah, but I can\'t seem to control the mana once it\'s outside," I added, feeling a little frustrated.

Hearing this, Dad nodded as if something had clicked for him.

"Ah, \'Shikijutsu,\' then?"

"Huh?"

What did he just say?

"Hmm? Isn\'t this what\'s called \'Shikijutsu?\' I don\'t know how to use it myself, but there are exorcists who specialize in that type of magic. It\'s a form of European-style sorcery."

As soon as my father finished that sentence, Nina-chan and I exchanged looks. And then, almost simultaneously, we jumped up in excitement.

"You know about it!?" we both shouted in unison.

Startled by our sudden outburst, Dad blinked a few times before regaining his composure and continuing.

"Calm down, both of you. I only know the name. \'Shikijutsu\' has pretty much died out here in Japan."

"Why did it disappear?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

"Because the output is unstable. Only exorcists with high amounts of mana could control it properly. That\'s why it fell out of use in Japan. Over in Europe, though, it\'s still in practice."

"I see..."

I nodded as Dad continued.

"Instead, in Japan, a magic called \'Kujutsu\' remained. It\'s what eventually evolved into the Thread Magic. Over there, though, that magic was lost."

"Why did they lose it?" Nina-chan asked, intrigued.

Dad\'s expression turned grim as he replied.

"Witch hunts. You\'ve heard of them, haven\'t you?"

At those words, Nina-chan\'s face darkened visibly. Even I knew about the witch hunts—events in which many magic users, including exorcists, were killed.

"At the time, controlling or manipulating something was considered particularly dangerous. As a result, exorcists in Europe abandoned those methods and sought new ones, which eventually merged with the local magical traditions to form the system we see today."

With that, Dad finished his explanation.

"But now that things are globalized, more people are attempting to learn foreign magic. Most of those attempts don\'t amount to much, though."

"Why not?" Nina-chan asked.

"Not enough mana," Dad replied bluntly.

"...Huh?"

Even a fifth-rank exorcist would lack the mana?

"In battle, exorcists need a variety of spells—\'Attribute Transformation,\' \'Form Alteration,\' and \'Combined Attribute Transformation.\' The further down that list you go, the more mana it requires."

I nodded in understanding.

"That\'s why, even if an exorcist learns a new spell, they rarely use it in real fights. It\'s better to hone the techniques they already have. Otherwise, they\'ll simply run out of mana. However... Itsuki, you might be an exception..."

Dad trailed off and stood up from his chair.

"If you\'re truly interested in mastering this Condensing Magic, or \'Shikijutsu\'... you might want to speak to someone who\'s recently come from Europe. I believe they could help you."

"Someone from Europe?" I asked, tilting my head in confusion.

Who could that be? The only exorcist I knew from Europe was Nina-chan\'s mother.

Seeing my puzzled expression, Dad shook his head.

"On second thought, never mind. You might end up being persuaded to study abroad again. Best to leave it."

He shook his head so vigorously that Nina-chan, looking both hopeful and anxious, asked,

"W-wait! Who is that exorcist, if you don\'t mind me asking?"

Dad looked at her, as if surprised by the question.

"Hmm? It\'s your mother, of course. Who else would it be?"

Nina-chan\'s mother?

"You\'ve met her before, Itsuki. It\'s Irena."

Irena... oh, right. She\'s the one who suggested I study in England.

So, Irena is Nina-chan\'s mother? Well, that explains why they look alike...

Wait. Hold on a second.

Does that mean Irena didn\'t teach her own daughter magic but was trying to convince me to study abroad instead?

As I tried to wrap my head around this, Dad\'s phone rang again, signaling another work-related call.

This ringtone meant it was urgent.

"...I\'ve been called in. Looks like it could be a long night, so I\'ll take Nina-chan home first."

"Wait, is it okay to leave if there\'s a monster involved?" I asked, worried about the situation.

"There are other exorcists on their way. I\'m just being called in for backup."

At that moment, Nina-chan suddenly interrupted.

"Wait, please!" she cried, almost stumbling over her words. "Please take me with you! I... I want to come with you! I want to see how monsters are exorcised... please!"