The perfect | TBATE X COTE

Chapter 03: Mana core

"How to Refine Your Mana Core for Beginners." I turned the page away from the book, intrigued.

When I first discovered magic with Arthur in the study room, I read something similar. I used to believe that babies couldn't sense mana because of their lack of self-awareness, and that by the time they are aware, it's too late to control the formation and acceleration of mana core fragments, but now that I'm reading this book...

"After forming in the sternum, the core connects with the veins and mana channels, allowing you to manipulate your mana after some practice. There is no need to be disheartened. Feeling mana is a difficult process, as it is similar to opening your eyes for the first time, but once you do, it is as if it has always been there."

This confused me as I read it. Since I was able to feel and manipulate my mana from the start. Did this imply that my affinity was stronger? Or did my developed mind play a significant role in the process? I wasn't sure, but I could feel the strange energy slowly float up to my sternum just by closing my eyes. I couldn't completely control them, but I could direct them to some extent. Not only that, but I could now feel them more clearly, as if a hazy fog was gradually lifting.

Was this due to reincarnation? My magical ability and talent were somehow harmed? This was an issue. If my calculations were correct, I would complete my core in one year.

I concentrated by closing my eyes. I couldn't see the glowing shards, which looked like luminescent crystals, but their shape and how they floated inside me were very clear in my mind. I took one of those and guided it to my sternum in the most inefficient way possible, slowing them down a little bit in the process; I moved on to the next, and the next, until I slowed the crystals down enough to give me some time to think about what to do.

When I opened my eyes, Arthur was meditating next to me. His face was relaxed, his breathing was controlled, and his legs were crossed in the traditional meditative pose. He appeared to have practiced this. I focused on him, trying to feel his magic, how it moved inside his body to match with his rhythm and wake with him up. I was confident that if I awoke alongside him, I wouldn't draw as much attention. At least not as much as I would if I woke up alone.

Despite my best efforts, I was unable to. Maybe I hadn't had enough practice yet, but I was confident that in the future it would be easy to sense other people's mana, almost like a sixth sense.

Alice entered the room as I was watching Arthur and practicing my mana perception. Her brown eyes scanned the room and came to a halt on Arthur, who was sitting on his buttocks with his eyes closed. Alice's face had developed a tinge of compression. Her brow furrowed slightly as she stretched her arms out and hoisted Arthur up.

"Art, honey, are you having trouble pooping again?" Arthur's face scrunched up as she asked. Alice addressed me as she looked at me with concern. "Little Kiyo, you too?" She asked, peering down at me.

Is I, the masterpiece of the white room, being suspected of a case of childhood constipation? What would that man have to say? No, what would everyone I knew who had seen a glimpse of my abilities say if they could see me now? I was deep in thought as Alice carried Arthur to get a new diaper.

(***)

Alice Leywin's point of view:

Kiyotaka and Arthur are the cutest babies on the world!

Although I intended to be a severe mother (since I cannot expect Reynolds to be a responsible adult), it is an impossible task. They are both unique in their own ways. Kiyotaka is adorable with his little patch of dark brown hair! Despite his quiet demeanor, he is the more curious of the two, and he is the only one who plays with the small toys we purchased, which I appreciate. Even when his hand got caught in a jar one day, he used it as a sort of flying fist.