Dawn Training and a Jealous Spirit
The long, whip-like thing smacked me across the face with a wet slap-slap.
It actually stung. I frowned and cracked my eyes open, only to realize it was Rai’s tail. What kind of spirit wakes their peacefully sleeping master like this?
I snatched the wagging tail in front of me and hurled it away.
“Cheeky little— Yawn…”
Satisfied at the sight of Rai slamming into the wall and sliding down it, I burrowed back under the blankets.
I still needed more sleep. We were moving to the next city in the afternoon, and who knew when I’d get to sleep in a proper bed again.
Master! Didn’t you say you were starting mana training at dawn from today? You told me to wake you up!
“Who said that? Me?”
Yes! Are you not doing it anymore?
I vaguely remembered saying something like that last night before bed, when a sudden spark of motivation had hit me…
It was true that I suffered from chronic mana deficiency. In the end, I pried my eyes open and dragged myself out of bed.
It was far too early; even the washbasin hadn’t been prepared yet.
I rubbed my eyes roughly and opened the window first, hoping the fresh air would chase away the lingering drowsiness.
The cold dawn breeze against my cheeks slowly cleared my head.
The sky still carried a faint bluish glow—an unfamiliar sight for someone who preferred sleeping in.
“Haaam…”
I drew the chilly air deep into my lungs.
They said mana training was most effective at dawn because the mana was at its purest then. Because I loved sleep more than anything, I had always done it in the late morning instead.
Until recently, I had seen no reason to change that habit. But after feeling the desperate lack of mana and my own incompetence, I had no choice but to adjust.
Though that resolve had already started crumbling on the very first day.
“Training is such a hassle. It’s not like I even want to get stronger…”
But you hate being weak, don’t you?
“That’s the problem. Being weak is bad for my pride.”
In the end, pride was always what got me moving. Laziness usually won out in most situations, but when it became a repeated issue, I had to shove laziness aside for a while.
I closed the window, sat with my back against the sill, and stretched out my legs comfortably.
Most people used a lotus position, but I preferred to just extend both legs straight forward.
I placed my hands on my thighs, closed my eyes, and sank into myself, focusing on the flow of mana around me.
Mana was always nearby.
To me, it felt like a blue ocean. The currents that quietly surrounded everything could turn rough or gentle in an instant.
And it was always slightly cool.
When I concentrated, it felt like sitting at the bottom of the sea.
Maybe that was why I liked Undine so much… The water spirit somehow felt like mana itself given form.
“Huu.”
Mana had a nature that sought freedom. Yet it yielded to a will stronger than its own. I slowly drew the mana I sensed toward me.
The cool energy that had been hovering over my skin gradually seeped into my body. It circulated through me according to my will.
Once I felt the mana had been tamed enough, I guided it toward the emptiest space inside me.
The mana already stored there clashed with the new mana, repelling it as if refusing to mix.
Harmonizing them was the hardest part of mana training. This was always the moment cold sweat broke out.
Only a tiny fraction of the new mana fused with my own; the rest escaped my body. There was no way to hold onto it.
Sweat poured down like rain.
Mana training consumed enormous mental energy, which was why it was usually done at the start of the day. Trying it in the tired evening or at night was far less efficient.
“Rai. How long did that take?”
About thirty minutes.
“Aah, no improvement then.”
People considered true experts could manipulate mana for hours, but that was impossible for a kid like me.
Both my mind and body were completely drained.
I wiped the sweat from my face with my palm and stood up.
Opening the window again, I let the cold wind cool my damp skin. The refreshed feeling was wonderful.
It did feel like I had gathered slightly more mana than usual. Though the difference was still as tiny as a grain of sand.
The sun’s rising.
“Hmm. It’s pretty.”
Leaning against the windowsill and watching the sunrise, I thought that dawn training wasn’t so bad after all. As I stared blankly outside, Rai twitched his snake head.
It was a familiar signal.
Someone’s coming.
At this hour, there was only one person it could be.
When I turned around, a female servant with her brown hair tucked under a hood slipped quietly into the room.
She looked too tall to be called a girl, yet too young to be called a lady. Maybe fifteen years old.
“Oh! You were already awake.”
The servant who had been setting down the wash water by the door seemed startled that I was up. She stood there awkwardly for a moment.
This world’s plumbing wasn’t advanced enough for private bathrooms in every room, so wash water was usually delivered like this.
If I wanted a full bath, I could request a tub. Or simply go down to the river.
“I need a bathtub instead of just wash water. Can you bring one now?”
“Of course.”
“I don’t need any water with it.”
My skin felt sticky from dried sweat. I tugged at the collar of my pajamas. Morning baths were one of my favorite daily rituals.
“Pardon… did I mishear? Just the bathtub…?”
“That’s right. I’ll handle the water myself.”
Calling Undine to fill it was my little hobby. It was also a privilege only a water spirit master could enjoy.
The servant left with a puzzled expression. Before long, she returned with a boy around her age, carrying a wooden tub between them.
It was a clean, dry wooden bathtub. I liked the look of it and nodded, signaling they could leave, but the girl lingered.
“Um… are you really sure you don’t need water?”
“I told you, I don’t.”
“Then how will you…?”
“Undine!”
Since she clearly couldn’t understand, I had no choice. I’d just have to let her catch a glimpse of my adorable Undine.
Yes, Master. Did you call for me?
At my summons, the ever-lovely Undine appeared in a swirl of bubbles.
“Can you fill this tub with water? Not too cold, please.”
Spending time together was the best way to strengthen the bond with a spirit.
Trust mattered, but so did mutual affection. And nothing trained them better than real practice.
Undine began filling the tub with practiced ease.
She lifted her tiny hands and stirred upward. The water inside rose rapidly, releasing white steam. The mana consumed was only about five percent of my total—not much at all.
One thing was certain: Rai consumed far more mana than necessary.
“…Oh my goodness! How marvelous! Is that a fairy?”
“It’s a spirit. First time seeing one?”
“Yes! It’s so beautiful. I didn’t know such beings existed!”
“Ahem. Our little one is quite pretty, isn’t she?”
The servant’s admiration made me feel as if I’d been complimented myself. Strictly speaking Undine wasn’t a living creature, but to ordinary people the difference was hard to grasp.
I tossed my pajamas aside and climbed into the tub with practiced ease.
Unlike the child-sized tubs at the academy, this one was large enough to satisfy me completely.
I submerged myself up to my neck. Undine settled lightly on the tub’s edge and gazed at me.
Though her form was small, I could tell she was smiling with her eyes.
“Hey, Undine? Why don’t you move the water a little and try making a heart shape?”
Yes, Master.
A clump of water rose from the tub, twisting in midair until it formed a perfect heart.
“Now a star.”
Star.
“Moon shape!”
Moon.
I clapped generously for Undine, who performed beautifully each time.
As expected, manipulating existing water was far faster and used only a tenth of the mana compared to summoning it.
“Which means in a real fight, it would be much more efficient to move nearby water rather than summon new water to attack…”
I dunked my head underwater with a splash, then came back up.
“So I’d have the advantage fighting near the sea or a river!”
Not that such opportunities would come up often.
In that regard, a wind spirit would be the most efficient. Wind was everywhere, after all. An earth spirit would be similar. Fire seemed the most disadvantaged.
“Puu.”
I pondered more efficient ways to handle spirits.
Like mages, spirit masters weren’t the type to casually share their research. The few books available contained only the most basic information—things that made you wonder who wouldn’t already know them.
Most spirit masters figured everything out on their own. Having a teacher, like I did, was extremely rare.
Spirits were beings that had to be self-sufficient by nature.
They couldn’t be fully explained by theory alone.
“Undine? Now try an arrow shape.”
Like this?
“Thinner. Yes, just like that. Good job, my sweet Undine.”
We were giggling—well, I was giggling while she worked—peacefully playing, or rather training, together when—
Tsk.
Did that guy just click his tongue?
A snake— No, a spirit! Copying human habits now.
“What? Got a problem, Rai?”
I do. Of course I do! It’s so sickeningly sweet I can’t even watch.
“Jealous again, are we?”
But Master is way too obviously discriminatory! Imagine if that was me! You definitely would have…
“Definitely would have what?”
“Hey, make a heart with this water. Hey, star. Moon. Can’t you even do that, you idiot!” That’s what you would’ve said!
Was he imitating me just now? It was surprisingly accurate.
Since Rai seemed to want praise too, I clapped for him.
“You know me so well. Clever Rai. Here, Undine, you clap too.”
Clap.
Undine shaped the water into hands and clapped, imitating me. Rai only seemed to grow more upset.
Argh! Stop teasing me!
“Hehe. Rai says he’s jealous of Undine.”
Euuu…
“Undine, do you like me or Rai better?”
I like Master!
I hate you too!
I was teasing them, but I actually liked Rai quite a bit.
He was useless, inefficient, and devoured mana like it was candy, yet somehow I’d grown attached. At this point, he felt like family.
Resting my chin on the edge of the tub and watching the sulking golden wolf-to-be, I felt my mood lift. Yes, never being truly alone was the greatest advantage of being a spirit master.
The ability to call forth allies who were completely on my side at any time was one of the things that made me strong.