Elisa's comment that he "wasn't completely blind" was like a pebble tossed into the still lake of Leon's heart, sending ripples across it that lingered long after. That fleeting glimmer of light and the approval that followed had been like a ray of sunshine breaking through thick clouds. Brief but real, it had illuminated the road he was trudging along and kindled the curiosity—and competitive streak—he had long suppressed as someone from another world.
In the days that followed, Leon trained even harder. Captain Hans's physical training was still pure torture, but as Leon gritted his teeth and persevered, a clear sense of purpose had entered his eyes. A strong body was the foundation for everything, including that faint but precious magic power. And when studying the abstruse fundamentals of magic in the library, he showed more patience than before, beginning to try to understand instead of merely memorizing. Of course, his progress was still frustratingly slow. He never again managed to disturb the light element as he had in that flash of inspiration the other night, as if it really had been nothing but luck.
One morning, after his usual highly effective meditation, aided by Elisa's "Breath of Serenity," Leon unusually didn't slip back to his own room right away. Instead, he stayed curled up in the warm bed. Dawn was just breaking outside, and the room was dim. Elisa seemed to be awake too, but she still had her back to him and maintained her habitual silence.
After the "approval" incident that night, the purely transactional relationship between them—"tool" and "sleeping aid"—seemed to have developed the faintest ripple. Leon had also, for some reason, grown just a little bolder.
He looked at the small stretch of Elisa's smooth, pale nape that peeked out from beneath the covers. Her cool, delicate fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose. A question that had been circling in his mind for days, childish though it was, slipped out before he could stop himself:
"Elisa..." His voice was hoarse with sleep, with a hint of barely perceptible hesitation.
"Hmm?" Elisa's reply was as brief as ever. She didn't turn around.
"Tell me..." Leon carefully chose his words, trying to make his tone sound purely curious rather than provocative. "Is your ice magic more powerful, or... um, that kind of light magic I managed to produce the other day?"
After asking, even Leon thought it sounded a little silly. It was like a child arguing over who was stronger, Ultraman or Sun Wukong. But he really wanted to know. In this real world of magic, were some elements truly superior to others? Elisa focused on ice magic, while he had disturbed the light element that night. Did that mean they were destined to follow different paths?
Elisa's body seemed to stiffen slightly. Clearly, she hadn't expected him to ask that. She fell silent for a few seconds. Just as Leon thought she would ignore the question with her usual coldness, she unexpectedly spoke, her voice calm and emotionless, as if stating an objective fact:
"There is no absolute difference in power between magical elements. It's a stupid question."
Leon was taken aback, but he wasn't discouraged. In fact, he was a little pleased that Elisa had bothered to respond. He pressed on: "But... the books say ice magic is strong on offense and can control the battlefield. Light magic seems to be more about healing and purification? When it comes to fighting, ice still sounds more useful, doesn't it?" He tried to "make his case" with his limited knowledge.
At last, Elisa slowly turned over and lay on her back. Her violet eyes regarded Leon coolly in the morning light, with what seemed to be the faintest hint of helplessness—or perhaps the familiar exasperation of someone confronted with a common misconception among beginners.
"Chapter Three, Section Seven of An Introduction to the Fundamental Elements," she said, her cool voice as clear as ice beads falling onto a jade plate, pinpointing the gap in Leon's knowledge. "Aside from low-level healing and purification, high-level light magic includes Holy Impact, Light of Judgment, and Sun Flame Burst. Their instantaneous destructive power is no less than that of any offensive element. Radiant Bind and Absolute Barrier are also effective in control and defense in ways that cannot simply be compared with ice magic."
Leon opened his mouth, but for a moment he had nothing to say. He hadn't gotten that far in his reading yet. Elisa continued, her tone still even, but with the crushing authority of a top student. "And ice magic isn't only for attacking. Ice Mirror Illusion can be used for scouting and deception, while Deep Freeze can halt the flow of energy. The high-level Eternal Ice Coffin even touches on the very edges of the laws of time. A spell's power depends on the caster's spiritual power, precision of control, depth of knowledge, and understanding of the rules—not simply on its elemental label. Judging power by element is the most typical misconception of an amateur."
Her explanation was clear and logical, completely demolishing Leon's childish urge to compare the two. His face warmed, but he wasn't upset. Instead, the lesson left him feeling enlightened. This was the benefit of having a "tutor," even if this one was a little cold.
"So... it's that complicated." Leon sheepishly rubbed his nose and honestly admitted how little he knew. "Looks like I still have a long way to go."
Elisa glanced at him but didn't continue the subject. Instead, she asked a question Leon hadn't expected: "Why are you so compatible with the light element? The Hohenzollern Family's fighting aura tends toward earth and fire. In theory, your elemental affinity would be more likely to manifest as earth or fire."
The question exploded beside Leon's ear like a thunderclap! A cold sweat broke out across his body!
Why was it the light element? How was he supposed to know? It wasn't a talent inherited from the original Leon. It came from his soul as someone transported from another world—or perhaps it was a mutation caused by resonating with that strange bracelet! He couldn't possibly explain it!
"I... I don't know either..." Leon's heart pounded wildly. He forced himself to stay calm and put on a confused expression. "Maybe... a blind cat stumbling across a dead mouse? When I was meditating that day, I just felt like... those sparkling points of light were easier to attract?" All he could do was be vague and blame it on chance and luck.
Elisa watched him quietly. Her violet eyes, capable of discerning even the slightest changes in the elements, seemed to peer into the depths of his soul. Leon's palms grew sweaty with nerves, and he nearly thought she had discovered something.
However, after watching him for a few seconds, Elisa looked away and turned her gaze back to the ceiling. "Elemental affinity is affected by many factors, including bloodline, the nature of one's soul, and even early experiences. Mutations aren't unheard of. Affinity for the light element... is at least rarer than affinity for the common elements. Make good use of it."
She hadn't pressed him! Leon secretly breathed a sigh of relief, his back already soaked. At the same time, he caught a hint of information in Elisa's words: affinity for the light element was fairly rare? Was that... good news?
Silence fell over the room once more, but the atmosphere had changed a little. Their brief exchange about "magic" had spun an exceedingly fine thread between them.
Leon looked at Elisa's flawless profile so close to his. The morning light cast faint shadows beneath her long lashes, making her look like a delicate crystal sculpture, beautiful and fragile. Almost without thinking, he asked in a low voice, with a trace of hope he hadn't even noticed in himself: "Then... Elisa, do you think I could... learn magic well? Like you?"
This time, Elisa didn't answer at once. She continued staring at the ceiling, as though thinking—or perhaps simply unwilling to answer. A long while passed. Just as Leon thought she would ignore this question too, since he was pushing his luck, she finally spoke, so softly it was almost as if she were talking to herself:
"Talent matters on the path of magic, but temperament and perseverance matter more. If you can maintain the focus you showed that night... perhaps you won't be entirely useless."
After that, she paid Leon no more attention. She sat up and began to dress, her movements graceful and fluid, signaling the end of this rare morning conversation.
Leon lay there, watching her back, and felt as if a warm stone had been dropped into his heart. Her judgment was still cautious, even grudging, but coming from Elisa, the words "you won't be entirely useless" were practically an endorsement! At least she no longer thought he was completely beyond improvement.
Their brief conversation about ice and light had offered no answers, but it had been like a breeze, dispersing some of the mist between them. For the first time, Leon felt that beyond their marriage contract and their helpless arrangement of "sharing a bed," there might be a tiny, tenuous connection between him and Elisa based on something they shared—even if he was only a beginner.
He sat up and looked at the sky growing brighter outside the window, his heart filled with renewed motivation. Affinity for the light element was rare? That was good news. He would work even harder—not only to master magic, but also to uncover the secret behind his unusual affinity and... its possible connection to that mysterious bracelet.
The road ahead was still long and filled with thorns, but at that moment, Leon seemed to glimpse, at the far end of the brambles, the faintest glimmer of light—his own.
Before you continue