As the sun slipped behind the clouds, the air grew colder than the heat that had clung to the day. Ronan gritted his teeth, veins pulsing on his forehead. The frustration of the day weighed heavily on him, and to clear his head, he wandered through the market.That was when he saw a familiar figure."Need some help, Miss Sein?" he asked neutrally, approaching her. She was struggling with several grocery bags.She turned, surprised, then smiled."I guess I do," she admitted apologetically. "I overestimated my strength. I should've bought less.""Yes, you should have," Ronan replied bluntly as he took the bags. "Why are there so many fruits anyway?"He glanced at the oranges, mangoes, and other fruits packed tightly together."I'm planning to make fruit salad," she said lightly. Then her expression softened. "You seem frustrated. What's going on?""It's complicated," Ronan muttered."Is it the Royal Ruben Academy?" she asked. "The principal mentioned the situation. I'm guessing you're not having much luck."Ronan bit his lip, fists clenching."Every time I try to apologize, they run away. Once, I tried to sit with someone at lunch—they handed me their food and asked what order I wanted. Another time, I offered to help with homework, and they did both assignments… badly. They said someone 'as great as me' shouldn't bother with homework."He exhaled sharply.Then he heard laughter.Miss Sein was laughing.Ronan stared at her, unimpressed. "Is it really that funny?"She stopped, covering her mouth. "I'm sorry. It's just… you bullied them so badly that now they're conditioned to submit whenever you're around.""…That's not good," Ronan said flatly."No, it's not," she agreed, still smiling gently."I can't let this continue," Ronan said firmly. "If it does, I won't get into the academy."Ronan," she said carefully, "what the principal asked you to do is impossible. I think he knows that too. Instead of apologizing to everyone, maybe you should start by being better."Ronan frowned. "How do I become a better person?""You already are," Miss Sein replied. "You stopped harassing others. You pay attention in class.""That's just me doing what I'm supposed to do," Ronan said sharply. "Lower ranks obey higher ranks. Disobedience leads to punishment."Miss Sein studied him for a long moment."That doesn't mean you should," she said softly. "We all have choices. A choice to be kind. A choice to be cruel. People say some situations leave us with no choice—but I don't believe that. Right now, you're choosing to be better."She paused."You might not get into the Royal Ruben Academy. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. And whatever your goal is… maybe you don't need to wait for a distant opportunity to pursue it."Ronan felt something loosen in his chest.I have a choice."You're right," he said quietly. "Thank you, Miss Sein."She smiled as they reached her house. After putting away the groceries, she handed him a plate of fruit salad."A thank-you gift," she said before he could refuse. "And you're keeping the plate."Ronan hesitated, then smiled and accepted it, eating as he walked back toward his estate.That night—"Ezer," Ronan said, lying back. "Can you teach me magic? I know I'm not ready for advanced techniques, but maybe the basics."Ezer appeared."Yes, Master. I can teach you basic magic and aura techniques if you wish."Ronan smiled."Yeah. Let's do it.""Alright, Master. We'll start with a basic fireball," Ezer said calmly."First step—imagine a ball of fire floating above your palm."Ronan closed his eyes and focused. Mana began circulating through his body, following the familiar paths he remembered from his past life. With a sharp exhale, he released it.A flaming sphere the size of his fist formed above his hand.The next instant, it shot forward and exploded against a tree, reducing it to splinters and ash."I did it," Ronan said proudly."You did, Master," Ezer replied. "But you did it incorrectly."Ronan frowned. "Incorrectly? What do you mean?""Your mana entered your body instead of covering it."Ronan blinked. "That's how mages use magic. Are you saying that's wrong?"Ezer remained silent for a moment."I understand your confusion," he said at last. "So I will explain it simply.""There are two types of magic and two types of aura usage," Ezer continued."The first is Elemental Magic, or EM. This uses natural elements—fire, water, earth, wind. Your fireball is an example.""The second is Pure Mana Magic, PMM. This does not rely on elements. Telekinesis is a good example—it uses mana alone."Ronan nodded."Now for aura," Ezer said. "Elemental Aura Techniques, or EAT, involve using elements through aura—such as coating a blade in fire for a flame slash.""Then there are Pure Aura Techniques, PAT. These
