PART 1
However, these types of seals operate much differently depending on which side of the family uses them. As she further explained, Ashborn seals for the side branches, especially the high-level ones, came at a greater cost. They had to sacrifice things to acquire more power from the seals, as some of the greater seals, like the All-Containment Seal, which is a powerful seal against curses and spirits, don't even work for side-branch members.
"And even combining seals together is strictly forbidden for a member of the side branch family," she said. "Some even get their mana cores destroyed or lose something for nothing in return." All of this information still didn't answer how Mother was able to create a barrier she was so proud of, a barrier she said no one could penetrate.
Astraya then needed to confirm something she needed an answer to. "Mother, let me get this straight. Seals made by Ashborns are called Khetemu, correct?" she rephrased. She then asked, "When you say the side branch family has to lose something in order to gain greater access to greater seals... then, what did you have to lose in order to create this barrier of yours?"
She was right; this was probably the reason Mother always avoided talking about the Ashborns. But then again, I did remember Mother using another seal, if I could recall correctly, it was something like an "all-devouring seal" or something in that phrase, which she used against an Authority of Drogan. I wondered what she had to sacrifice for that.
Mother then answered, "Unfortunately, I can't tell you, as that is both my Ren-Binding and my Moirai Oath."
"Ren-Binding?" I asked, as Astraya followed up with "Moirai Oath?" We both asked, intrigued.
She pleaded with us. "This would be the last piece of information on Ashborn seals, whatever, that I will share with both of you. But, Mother, at least show us a seal!" This was where I was leading to. If she was able to perform the seal I had in mind, it could open loopholes for me to use mana.
She then accepted. "Fine, I will give you an example. But to answer your first question, Ren-Binding and Moirai Oath are two very different things. Ren-Binding is about the things you cherish and are willing to lose. The less people know about your Ren-Binding, the stronger it becomes. If it is revealed or broken, you risk losing what you hold dearest. Moirai Oath is when one willingly imposes a limitation on themselves. The more people know about your Moirai Oath, the stronger it becomes. "If it is broken, mana itself delivers punishment. This duality is only particular to the Ashborns, as other mages perform various types but all the same in application."
"So these two types of seals fall under Khetemu of Exchange?" Astraya asked.
"Exactly," Mother replied, "as a contract is formed in the process, in most cases with mana."
Mother immediately clapped her hands, signaling the end of today's class, as she was definitely not going to take any more questions. "Alright, time to show you what a seal actually looks like, and some basics."
Mother began to look around, carefully crouching down and patting the grass to the side. "Mother, is everything okay? Why are you crouching down?" I asked, as Astraya looked at me with a confused stare as well.
"You see, due to the fact that I can't perform high-level mana casting, as my core and mana pool have been greatly diminished, I will not be able to show you sealing at an advanced level," she explained. "But one thing you must understand is that seals can be elemental-based, and most seals, like the one I will be doing now," she said as she continued searching, moving the grass around, "would be a seal that requires no affinity to any elements."
PART 2
Really? So seals didn't really require elemental affinity? This was good news. Not having a fully awakened core would have made that all but more complicated. But, as Mother said, some elemental mana could have sealing techniques or some form of seals that they could perform. I continued to think about the best way to test the capabilities of seals.If there was a way I could make a seal that could control my affinity and counteract the creation of null mana, that would be great, as I knew seals were effective against and in controlling mana. But how would it work? I still couldn't conceptualize it in my head.
Before I could get lost in my thoughts, Mother let out a loud "Ah!" She had found a small anthill. The ants were moving a dead grasshopper into their nest.
"Poor grasshopper," I said aloud.
Astraya, on the other hand, was actively cheering them on. "Why are we watching ants, Mother?" she asked.
Mother began removing the grass, revealing the soil. She asked for our help, and we eagerly uprooted some grasses in the process. "To make a seal, it must be done on a certain material, object, or place for it to be effective, for its effectiveness is greatly increased. I'm about to use a seal on these ants nest."
"What?" I asked, surprised. This was it. I rushed to uproot the grasses as she instructed, "clear just enough space for my hands to create a seal using Ashborn words."
A good patch of soil was now visible, just big enough for Mother's two palms to rest on, with the anthill in the center. She placed both palms on the soil, her eyes glowing purple as she began her chant:
"Ashborn vincio — formicae sistite!"
To my surprise, every single ant was held completely still. Not a single one was visibly moving. So this was binding on a small scale.
"Wow, Mother, not even a single ant is moving! I want to learn seals now!" Astraya said. She was right; it was actually a little terrifying to watch.
As we stared in disbelief, Mother began to feel a bit of fatigue and removed her hands from the soil. She outwardly spoke, "Release," and the ants began to move again. It appeared she wasn't able to keep the seal for long. "As I said, this is just to trap your target. Other mages who specialize in seals can do it for longer, but I am unable to keep this going for a long period due to the fact that I didn't make the proper preparation. The ants are halted from moving, but the soil isn't the best medium for seals, as it would require more mana, which I don't have, unfortunately."
Something about Mother's spellcasting felt familiar. The words she spoke had a ring to them that resembled something from my old world, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. That wasn't my main concern now, though. I had to act fast, as Mother was already feeling fatigued from using a seal.
"Mother, could we try something else?" I said. This was the big test for seals I was hoping for, the key to unlocking my mana core.
Mother looked at me, now standing upright. "No, I won't try seals on you if that's what you're asking," she said, cutting me off.
"That wasn't exactly what I wanted," I replied. "Can I get what I would need you to use sealing on? It's inside."
Mother's interest was piqued. "Inside? Why? What's in there you want me to use a seal on?" she wondered. Astraya looked at me with the same curiosity.
"Just wait here!" I said, running inside as fast as I could. This is it. If this works, I will be the happiest Fula alive.
I entered the house, and there it was: an empty glass jar.