Im was reading by the window when Leon arrived, and Dahlia was scribbling at a table—doing the math problems Leon had left for her. The manor had plenty of paper and ink, so Leon made a habit of leaving extra work for her each night. Watching her struggle gave him a quiet satisfaction, though he sometimes felt guilty about it.
"Breakfast time!" Dahlia yelled, dropping her pen and splattering ink on the paper.
Leon raised an eyebrow. "You're going to waste all the parchment at this rate. No wonder the steward switched to cheaper paper for you."
"Call me 'sister,'" Dahlia said, sitting at the table. "I'm four months older than you."
"Why do you copy Isabella? She's the one who started this 'sister' nonsense," Leon said.
"Older is older!" Flower chimed in, grinning.
Leon crossed his arms. "I tutor you in math. Should you call me 'teacher' instead?"
Dahlia thought for a second, then smiled mischievously. "Teacher! Now call me sister!"
Leon froze. He hadn't expected her to play along. Im looked up, amused, and Leon sighed, giving in. "Fine. Sister."
Dahlia's eyes lit up—until Leon pulled out a jar of ant mushroom paste and set it on the table. "Try this. It's fried mushrooms in camellia oil, with garlic, Sichuan pepper, and cornus fruit. Tastes amazing with white bread."
The paste was a recipe Leon remembered from Earth's A Bite of China—crunchy, savory, and perfect for bland manor food. Dahlia forgot her victory and dug in, moaning happily.
After breakfast, Leon turned to Im, his voice serious. "Master, I still can't meditate. Not once. Is my talent that bad?"
Im shook his head. "No—your mental strength is too strong. It's harder for you to empty your mind while staying focused. Weaker minds often find it easier to start, but strong minds have bigger advantages later: faster mana recovery, better control, and quicker learning. The pros far outweigh the cons."
He stood, grabbed a piece of parchment and a bottle of thick, black ink. "This is a Tranquility Rune Circle—drawn with deep-sea squid ink, which holds a tiny bit of magical energy. Stare at it every morning and night, memorize every detail. Stop when the runes blur. When you can recall it perfectly in your mind, try meditation again."
The circle was simple but beautiful: a hexagram with tiny, tadpole-like runes inside, surrounded by three concentric circles. Leon stared at it, feeling a faint calm wash over him—even though it wasn't enchanted, the ink's magic had a subtle effect.
Dahlia leaned over his shoulder, pouting. "Why does he get this? I want one too!"
Im rolled his eyes. "Your mental strength is too weak—this would overwhelm you. Once you generate stable mana, I'll make you a proper magical item, ten times better than this."
Dahlia brightened. "Really? Thank you, Master!" She turned to Leon, sticking her tongue out. "I can already meditate! I saw little stars the other day—just… I got excited and lost it."
Flower snickered. "You probably fell asleep and dreamed it."
"Did not!" Dahlia snapped.
Im nodded. "It was real, but unstable. Keep practicing until you can enter meditation anytime. And don't gloat—Leon will catch up fast once he masters the rune circle. Your math skills will hold you back before his meditation does."
Dahlia's smile faded, but she still stuck her nose up at Leon as she returned to her seat. Leon rolled the parchment carefully, tucking it into his cloak. He didn't mind her teasing—he was too focused on the rune circle, too hopeful that this would finally unlock his meditation.
As he left the manor, he stared at the circle through the parchment, feeling a spark of confidence. For the first time in weeks, he believed he'd soon feel the Mana Tide—one step closer to becoming the mage Eldrin had always wanted him to be.