Upon receiving the spatial ring, Rin could not resist the urge to play with it. She began experimenting nonstop, taking items out and putting them back in. The sensation of conjuring objects from thin air or making them vanish filled her with delight.
Tris: "If the ring still has space, you can place a large stone inside. From a high place, release it to let it fall—it can serve as an attack. Or, when under attack, place the stone in front of you to use as a shield."
Rin: "Master, you're so clever. Doing that makes me feel like a real Mage."
Tris: "Also, here are gloves for you. Whenever you wear the ring outside, always wear these gloves."
Rin: "Why?"
Tris: "To prevent someone greedy from cutting off your hand."
Hearing this, Rin's face suddenly turned pale. She had been too busy playing to realize that such a wondrous item must be extremely valuable.
Rin: "Master, how much does this ring cost?"
Tris: "At least around two thousand gold coins."
Rin: "TWO THOUSAND?!"
At the price, Rin screamed, terrified, and tried to return the ring.
Rin: "Master, please take it back. I can't keep something so precious."
Two thousand gold was enough to drive countless people to abandon all humanity, to kill without hesitation.
Coming from the slums, Rin knew well how low human morality could sink. She had seen people slaughter each other for far less.
Tris: "Keep it. If you're so afraid, then grow stronger quickly—strong enough to protect what belongs to you."
Rin: "Master…"
Tearful, Rin suddenly noticed something she had overlooked.
Inside the room, her master had removed his gloves. Now she could see that every one of his fingers bore a ring.
She had known he wore many, but never paid attention. Now she realized they all resembled the one he had given her.
Rin: "Master, are all those rings… spatial rings?" Her voice trembled.
Tris: "Yes."
Rin's mind froze. She knew her master was wealthy, but only now did she grasp the true scale of his fortune—treasures literally covering his hands.
'No wonder he ignored prices while shopping. No wonder he gave me such a ring. His hands are already full of them.' - Rin suddenly found an explanation for many things.
Rin: "Wait… Master, can a spatial ring be stored inside another spatial ring?"
Tris: "Very good. Quick thinking." He was pleased with her sharpness.
Tris: "But no. A spatial ring cannot contain animals or another spatial ring. Their complexity exceeds what the simple space inside can hold."
Rin nodded, half understanding.
Tris: "Alright, let's continue your body training."
Rin: "Rin will work hard and persevere."
Burdened with the weight of two thousand gold on her finger, Rin felt even more determined to grow strong—just as Tris intended.
Tris: "Perform the movements I taught this morning. Focus your spiritual energy in your chest, then channel it through each motion."
He guided her step by step.
Tris: "When moving your arm like this, direct the energy as follows…" He placed one hand on her back, the other on her arm, controlling the flow of energy within her.
Tris: "Now try it yourself—move your arm while channeling energy as I showed."
Rin attempted it, immediately feeling the difficulty.
The challenge was not knowing how, but sustaining and repeating it.
Outwardly, the motion seemed like a slow, simple swing. In reality, her arm felt heavy, restrained, and exhausting to move.
Only now did Rin realize how demanding the exercise truly was, despite appearing easy when Tris demonstrated earlier.
Sensing her thoughts, Tris added:
Tris: "The beauty of this training is that its difficulty remains even as your body grows stronger. It will always challenge you."
Panting, Rin asked:
Rin: "Why does the difficulty stay the same?"
Tris: "Because the pressure comes from your own spiritual energy. As your body strengthens, your energy increases, keeping the challenge constant.
Moreover, as a Mage, you must learn to restrain the energy used in training. Magic practice can greatly expand your energy, but overusing it in body training could injure you."
Rin: "Rin understands."
Tris: "Next, your footwork also requires its own energy flow."
He placed one hand on her back, the other on her thigh, guiding the energy.
Feeling his hand on her leg, Rin blushed, her muscles tightening.
Tris: "Relax your leg. Feel the flow of energy in each step."
Rin: "Yes."
After teaching the movements, Tris instructed:
Tris: "Now, apply the energy flow to your footwork. Once you succeed, combine both arms and legs."
Rin tried, quickly grasping the footwork.
The true challenge came when coordinating arms and legs simultaneously. It demanded intense focus, yet the fatigue made sustaining that focus nearly impossible. Each session became a battle of body and spirit.
Rin: "Ugh… It's so hard."
She now deeply understood how difficult it was to grow stronger.
Glancing at the two thousand gold on her finger, her resolve flared again. She threw herself into relentless training.
Watching her, Tris nodded in satisfaction, then opened his book to continue his own study of magic.
In that room, both children understood the necessity of strength.
With strength, your wealth, and your life can truly belong to yourself.
Without strength, you cannot protect anything. Your wealth and your life can easily be taken by others, and even your dignity can become something trampled upon without hesitation.