Dialogue Between Ice and Light, and Silent Ripples

Elisa's comment, "not entirely blind," was like a pebble dropped into the calm lake of Leon's heart, stirring ripples that refused to subside. That fleeting, faint glimmer of light and the subsequent acknowledgment were like a ray of sunshine breaking through heavy clouds, briefly but truly illuminating the path he was forging with his head down. It also ignited the curiosity and... competitiveness of a transmigrator, long suppressed deep within him.

The following days saw Leon train even more diligently. Captain Hans's physical training remained as torturous as ever, but as Leon gritted his teeth and endured, a clearer sense of purpose bloomed in his eyes—a strong physique was the foundation for everything, including that faint but precious Magic Power. When delving into the obscure basic magic theories in the library, he was also more patient than ever, beginning to attempt understanding rather than just rote memorization. Of course, progress was still frustratingly slow; the success of stirring light elements that night, like a flash of inspiration, never recurred, as if it were merely a fluke.

That morning, after his routine meditation, enhanced by Elisa's "Breath of Serenity," Leon uncharacteristically did not immediately slip back into his room. Instead, he lingered in his warm bed. The sky outside was just beginning to lighten, and the room was dimly lit. Elisa seemed to be awake too, but she remained with her back to him, maintaining her usual silence.

After the "acknowledgment" incident that night, the purely "tool" and "sleeping pill" relationship between them seemed to have stirred a very subtle ripple. Leon's courage had also inexplicably increased by a tiny bit.

He gazed at the small section of her fair, smooth nape exposed from beneath the covers, her cool, faint scent lingering in his nostrils. A question that had been circling in his mind for days, somewhat childish yet impossible to suppress, blurted out:

"Elisa..." His voice was hoarse from just waking up, with a hint of imperceptible probing.

"Mm?" Elisa's response was still brief, and she didn't turn around.

"You said..." Leon chose his words carefully, trying to make his tone sound like pure curiosity rather than provocation, "is your ice magic stronger, or... well, is light magic like what I produced that day stronger?"

After asking, Leon himself felt a bit foolish. It was like a child arguing whether Ultraman or Son Goku was stronger. But he just wanted to know. In this real magical world, were there truly clear distinctions in superiority between different elements? Elisa focused on ice magic, and he had stirred light elements that night; did this mean they would walk different paths in the future?

Elisa's body seemed to pause slightly, clearly not expecting him to ask such a question. She was silent for a few seconds. Just as Leon thought she would ignore the question with her usual indifference, she unexpectedly spoke, her voice calm and unruffled, as if stating an objective fact:

"Elemental magic has no absolute strengths or weaknesses. Foolish question."

Leon was momentarily taken aback but not discouraged. Instead, he felt a flicker of joy that Elisa was willing to engage. He pressed on, "But... I read in books that ice magic has strong offensive power and can control the terrain; light magic seems to be... more for healing and purification? It sounds like ice magic is more practical for fighting, right?" He attempted to "argue" with his limited knowledge.

Elisa finally turned over slowly, lying flat on the bed. Her violet eyes, in the morning light, looked coolly at Leon, a hint of... helplessness? perhaps also a sense of familiarity with the common fallacies of magic beginners flashing within them.

"'Fundamentals of Elemental Theory,' Chapter 3, Section 7," she stated, her voice as clear and crisp as ice beads falling on a jade plate, precisely pointing out Leon's knowledge gap. "Light magic, besides low-level healing and purification, has high-level forms including 'Holy Impact,' 'Light of Judgment,' and 'Sun Flame Burst,' whose instantaneous destructive power is no less than any offensive element.'Radiant Bind' and 'Absolute Barrier,' in terms of control and defense, are also not easily comparable to ice magic."

Leon opened his mouth, momentarily speechless. He indeed hadn't reached such in-depth content yet. Elisa continued, her tone still placid, but with the overwhelming sense of an academic prodigy: "And ice magic isn't just about offense. 'Ice Mirror Illusion' can be used for reconnaissance and deception, 'Deep Freeze' can halt energy flow, and the high-level 'Eternal Ice Coffin' even touches upon the fringes of time manipulation. The strength of magic depends on the caster's Spiritual Power, precision of control, depth of knowledge, and understanding of rules, not simply on the elemental label. Judging strength by element is the most typical cognitive error of an amateur."

Her words were clear, logical, and thoroughly dismantled Leon's childish desire for comparison. Leon's face felt a little hot, but he wasn't unhappy. Instead, he felt a sense of enlightened clarity from being "educated." This was the benefit of having a "mentor," even if this mentor was a bit cold.

"So... it's that complicated," Leon mumbled, sheepishly rubbing his nose, honestly admitting his shallowness. "It seems I still have a long way to go."

Elisa glanced at him, not continuing the topic. Instead, she changed the subject, asking a question that caught Leon completely off guard: "Why do you have an affinity for light elements? The Hohenzollern family's Battle Qi favors earth and fire. Logically, your elemental affinity should more likely manifest in earth or fire elements."

This question struck Leon like a thunderclap! He instantly broke out in a cold sweat!

Why light elements? How could he possibly know! This wasn't the original host's aptitude at all. It was from his transmigrator soul, or perhaps a mutation caused by resonance with that peculiar bracelet! He couldn't explain it!

"I... I don't know..." Leon's heart pounded wildly. He forced himself to calm down, putting on a confused expression. "Maybe it was just... a lucky accident? When I was meditating that day, I just felt... those sparkling light particles seemed to attract me more?" He could only speak vaguely, attributing the reason to chance and luck.

Elisa watched him quietly. Her violet eyes, capable of perceiving the subtle changes in elements, seemed to pierce into the depths of his soul. Leon's palms grew sweaty with nervousness, and he almost thought she had discovered something.

However, Elisa only looked at him for a few seconds before shifting her gaze away, looking back at the ceiling. She said faintly, "Elemental affinity is influenced by bloodline, soul traits, and even early experiences, among other factors. Mutations are not uncommon. Light elemental affinity... is at least rarer than common elements. Make good use of it."

She didn't pry further! Leon secretly breathed a sigh of relief, his back already drenched in sweat. At the same time, he caught a piece of information from Elisa's words: light elemental affinity is rare? Was this... good news?

Silence fell again in the room, but the atmosphere was different from before. A subtle, brief exchange based on the topic of "magic" had connected the two of them like an extremely fine thread.

Leon looked at Elisa's close, flawless profile. The morning light cast faint shadows from her long eyelashes, making her look like a delicate, fragile crystal sculpture. On impulse, he quietly asked again, with a hint of expectation he hadn't noticed himself: "Then... Elisa, do you think it's possible for me to... learn magic well? Like you?"

This time, Elisa didn't answer immediately. She continued to look at the ceiling, as if thinking, or perhaps simply unwilling to answer. After a while, just as Leon thought she would ignore this presumptuous question, she said very softly, almost as if to herself:

"The path of magic requires talent, but temperament and perseverance are even more important. If you can maintain the focus you had that night... perhaps, you won't be entirely useless."

After speaking, she ignored Leon and sat up straight, beginning to dress with fluid and elegant movements, signaling the end of this rare morning conversation.

Leon lay there, watching her back, but his heart felt as if a warm stone had been dropped into it. Although the evaluation was still conservative, even bordering on reluctant, the phrase "not entirely useless," coming from Elisa's mouth, was almost equivalent to an affirmation for him! At the very least, she no longer saw him as completely uncarvable rotten wood!

This brief conversation about ice and light, though lacking a definitive answer, was like a gentle breeze that dispersed some of the fog of estrangement. For the first time, Leon felt that between him and Elisa, besides the marriage contract and the reluctant "sharing a bed" situation, there was a sliver of connection, however faint, based on a shared domain (even if he was just a beginner).

He sat up, looking at the increasingly bright sky outside, his heart filled with new motivation. Light elemental affinity is rare? That was good news. He had to work harder, not only to master magic but also to explore the secrets behind his special affinity, and... its possible connection to that Mysterious Bracelet.

The road ahead was still long and thorny, but at this moment, Leon seemed to see, at the end of the thorns, a faint glimmer of... light, belonging solely to him.