Days, weeks, and months dragged by in that quiet routine.Isabell never spoke again about what she had witnessed that morning—the baby absorbing mana. Yet sometimes, when her eyes lingered on the girl, the memory returned. And she trembled.
Still, little by little, she grew attached.She cared for her, fed her, bathed her every day. She watched the first wobbly steps, the first falls, the first laughs.
And so it went… until something happened.
"Teach me."
The voice was small, but serious.
Isabell nearly dropped the pot from her hands."AHHH!" she cried, spinning around in shock, her heart pounding. She thought someone had broken into the cabin. Her eyes scanned every corner… but there was no one.
Then she looked down.
And there she was.Ashira, standing on her own, staring firmly at her.
"Teach me!" the girl repeated, her voice unwavering.
Isabell's eyes widened in disbelief."You… you spoke?!"
A nervous smile broke across her lips—half fear, half joy.
"Come on, teach me," Ashira insisted, not looking away.
"W-what should I teach you, little one?" Isabell asked, kneeling down. Her hand trembled as it touched the child's head.
Ashira didn't blink."Magic. I want to learn magic."
Isabell swallowed hard, unsure how to respond.At last, she sighed."Very well… tomorrow I'll teach you. But for now… let's eat."
Ashira only nodded.
…
The next day.
"Ashira, do you know what magic is?" Isabell asked.
Ashira shook her head.Tsk. If I did, I wouldn't have asked you to teach me, Tyler thought bitterly.
Isabell drew in a deep breath."Magic is the transformation of mana. Every living being… even inanimate things… carry energy. Mana. Those who wield magic absorb it and shape it."
She paused, studying the girl closely."But there's a difference between us. Some beings, like elves, humans, and dwarves, have a space inside their bodies… a vessel called a dantian. That is where we store the mana we draw from the atmosphere."
Ashira's eyes gleamed with curiosity."What differences?" she asked, tilting her head.
Isabell inhaled slowly, as if choosing her words with care."Not all dantians are the same, Ashira. Each race handles mana differently."
She raised a finger, as though beginning a lesson."Elves… like me… have dantians that expand slowly, but steadily. Like a tree: it takes time to grow, but once it does, it stands firm, difficult to topple. Our natural affinity lies with nature's mana—water, wind, earth, life."
She paused briefly before continuing."Humans, on the other hand, are different. Their dantian is unstable, but versatile. It can grow faster than that of an elf, but it can also break just as easily if neglected. That's why humans can master a greater variety of magic—but only a few ever reach true mastery without destroying themselves along the way."
Isabell bit her lip, as if recalling something bitter, then pressed on."And dwarves… their dantian is compact, sturdy, like stone. It doesn't hold as much mana as that of elves or humans, but it transforms what it has into raw strength. Dwarven mana strengthens the body, the steel, the fire of the forge."
Ashira listened in silence, her eyes intent.Inside, Tyler processed every word with cold calculation.So… it's not just about quantity. It's efficiency. Stability. Affinity.
Like machines built with different designs.He almost smiled.Good. Now we're starting to speak my language.
"The universal law is fair to all," Isabell said suddenly.
Ashira frowned."What do you mean? What law?"
Isabell shook her head, her expression grave."It's not time to speak of that."
"Tsk…" Ashira clicked her tongue, but Isabell only gave a faint smile.
"So… what about me?" Ashira asked. "I'm an elf, right? My affinity should be with nature, probably?"
Isabell hesitated. The smile vanished. Her eyes darkened."No. Not exactly."
A chill ran down Ashira's spine."What is it?"
Isabell drew in a deep breath."You… your father was human."
She paused for a long moment, weighing each word."And your mother… she was a higher kind of elf. A High Elf."