This is amazing. I can't believe I'm able to manipulate my mana so easily, Michael thought, his happiness overflowing.
He wasn't sure what exactly had changed, but now he no longer needed to strain or even use his soul to stir his mana. This was something he couldn't have even imagined doing back when he only possessed a single white ring.
I wonder if I can use chore magic without incantations? The thought appeared in his mind, taking root.
Keeping his eyes closed, he turned to his new tutor.
"Melody, is it possible to cast chore magic just by manipulating your mana?"
"Of course… It's possible to cast any spell without the use of incantations." She replied, her tone carrying a touch of annoyance. It was clear he had asked a rather rudimentary question.
"Haha, I see. Let's try it then!"
"Y-You—" Melody reached out, but quickly pulled her hand back as realization set in. Her annoyance shifted to anticipation, and a smug grin spread across her lips.
"Be my guest," she added, taking her seat and watching him intently, as if awaiting a good show.
Unaware of Melody's change in attitude, Michael focused inward. He was quite familiar with the incantations for chore magic, especially since these were the only spells he could cast.
An incantation was a word or command spoken to direct the mana to move in a specific way. With his talent, he could only ever learn the incantations themselves, never the theory behind the mana.
To begin, he spoke the first phrase.
Fluvere Lente…
His mana stirred in his meridians, right by his ring. Michael watched as the red mist swirled together obediently, awaiting his next command.
Aqua—Surge, he muttered.
The red mist condensed further, rushing towards his hand like a torrent. He snapped open his eyes and watched as a small spout of water appeared from his forefinger, splashing onto the wooden table.
"Ah…"
He quickly dispelled the magic and turned to Melody, who was watching him intently. "You can clean it up later. Now try without using incantations," she prompted.
Michael nodded and closed his eyes once more.
The process of his mana was clear in his mind, filling him with confidence. If he could visualize the same movements, Michael believed he could cast the simple water spell without much difficulty.
He took a deep breath and focused on the pool of mana near his ring.
Following the visualization method Melody had taught him earlier, the red mist began to stir, swirling together. The sight bolstered his confidence, but he kept his heart calm.
The next part was the most crucial.
At his mental command, the red mist condensed even more effectively than when he'd used an incantation. It turned almost liquid before shooting towards Michael's hand, just as he willed it.
But then, something felt wrong.
Michael's eyes snapped open, and he looked at his hand just before the mana reached his forefinger.
In the next moment, a massive torrent of water erupted from his hand, like a waterfall. The table he'd sprinkled water on earlier was now splintered to pieces from the sheer force of the spell.
Michael panicked, trying to dispel the magic.
Thankfully, the jet of water didn't last long, but the damage had already been done. His heart pounded wildly as he surveyed the room, now drenched by his water spell.
A velvety laugh echoed through the room, the childlike voice unmistakably belonging to Melody. Michael turned to see her holding her sides, struggling to breathe between her fits of giggles.
"A-Ah! Your face—oh my goodness!" she cried, pointing at him before another round of laughter erupted from her.
Michael's expression turned dull as he watched her silently. Various forms of revenge flitted through his mind, but as those thoughts crept in, he felt a burning sensation on the back of his right hand.
It seemed the peer contract he'd entered into wouldn't allow such forms of retaliation. Michael clicked his tongue in annoyance, abandoning the idea. He would need to find other ways to get retribution that didn't breach the contract in the future.
"Are you done?" he asked, his tone devoid of amusement.
Melody's laughter slowly died down, turning into nothing more than a chuckle. She sat up from the lounge with difficulty, wiping the tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes.
"That was truly entertaining," she mused, flashing him a brilliant smile.
Despite his irritation, Michael's body stiffened as he saw her dazzling smile. If he disregarded her terrible personality, Melody was indeed pretty. He shouldn't be too surprised, though. With genetics like hers—especially from her mother—it was no wonder she had inherited such good looks.
"Now, can you tell me the reason why that happened?" Melody asked, her blue eyes watching him with interest.
Michael paused, lowering his head in thought. He replayed the scene in his mind, trying to identify the differences between the spell with the incantation and the one he'd used without.
It didn't take long before he got to the crux of the issue.
"I used too much mana…" he replied.
"Half a point," Melody announced, still in a cheerful mood. "While you indeed used too much mana, it was the density of the mana itself that had the most impact on your spell."
Density?
"The mana in our meridians is like a mist, right?" she continued, receiving a nod from Michael. "So, if I were to cast a low-tier spell after accumulating all my mana within my meridians, what do you think would happen?"
Michael thought for a while, but the answer seemed rather apparent. "It would increase the power of the spell."
"Exactly~" she crooned, sending him a wink. "Which is why your water spout turned into a torrent."
"So, incantations not only control the mana, but also its density?" Michael's eyes widened as he came to the realization.
Instead of answering his question, Melody held out her left hand, palm facing up. The two orange rings on her wrist glowed before mana began to appear.
At first, Michael thought she was casting a spell, but the mana merely accumulated, forming a floating sphere that spun slowly. This was the mana control exercise that Charles had shown him the other day.
However, it seemed far more fluid than even their tutor's, showcasing Melody's superior control over her mana.
"This is why mana control is so important," she announced, "only a true mage can use magic without incantations."
Michael might have been impressed if it weren't for the haughty smile playing at the corners of her lips.