With Phloria's keen mana perception and two excellent teachers, it took her less than an hour to master both Invigoration and Accumulation.
"Now use Invigoration to study your own body and mana flow." Solus said. "Avoid using Accumulation until your body doesn't stabilize, otherwise you'll risk a core break."
Phloria gulped at the idea and did as instructed.
"This is the hard part. Open your eyes but keep studying your mana core while you also focus on the outside world." Tista put a small stone right in front of Phloria's legs.
"Focus on the pebble and will for it to float."
At first, all Phloria managed to do was to squint her eyes and frown. With each failed attempt, her frustration grew until she gave up in a fit of rage and the pebble reached for the ceiling.
"Did I do that?" Phloria had just perceived a tendril of mana coming from her core lashing like a whip and sending the stone flying.
"Yes, you did." Solus pointed her finger at a small burn mark on the floor where the whip had hit.
"Do that again, but this time do not affect your surroundings." Solus placed a fistful of sand in front of Phloria and the pebble on top of it. "Once you manage to move the pebble without messing with the sand, you're good to go."
Between her mana perception, the ability to see the mana tendril with Life Vision, and a few pointers, Phloria needed only a few attempts to succeed. She then learned how to move more pebbles at the same time and kept practicing until she was capable of applying Spirit Magic to her swordplay.
In a matter of a few hours her estoc, Reaver, danced in the air with the same grace and speed as if it was in her hand.
"Good gods, this is amazing! Why did Lith never use Spirit Magic to fight this way?" Phloria panted, drenched in sweat for the constant effort despite her repeated uses of Invigoration.
Yet she was smiling from the bottom of her heart like it didn't happen since her military trial had begun. Phloria loved magic, but between her stagnating career and having peaked the specializations she already knew, there wasn't much she could do except inventing new spells.
Now, however, she felt like during her first day of the academy.
"For several reasons." Solus said. "First, anyone who sees it will understand there's something wrong. Being Awakened is a matter of secrecy. Second…"
A tendril of her own mana interfered with Phloria's, making Reaver move as if its wielder was a drunken sailor during a storm. Phloria tried to regain control of the blade, but Spirit Magic was very sensitive to energy signatures.
"Third…" Solus exploited Phloria's distraction to Blink by her side, with a small knife aimed at her throat.
"Bottom line, it's not worth it. It's a flashy technique that requires too much focus and leaves you full of openings." Solus said.
"Got it, thanks." Phloria sat down on the floor, never stopping to smile.
She wasn't angry with herself for her mistakes nor with Solus for her strict teaching methods. Phloria had learned from her father that only an uncaring teacher would let their student get conceited.
A good teacher would point out all of the student's mistakes as well as their successes, so to increase their chances of survival on the battlefield.
"What's more?" Phloria asked.
"Now you take a shower, eat, and rest." Tista said. "You've only recently Awakened and I don't like you using Invigoration so many times in a single day."
"Why? I only need a few breaths to be full of energy again." Phloria shrugged.
"The more you use it, the less effective it becomes. On top of that, even if you feel fine, you still put a strain on both your body and mana core. They went through a lot and rest is an integral part of the training." Tista said.
"Gods, you two sound like my father. Or Lith." Phloria chuckled. "Where do we eat?"
"Well, you can go back to your home, to Lith's, but you might meet him and Kamila, or you could eat here with us." Solus said.
"Meaning?" Phloria dabbed her sweat with a towel.
"When Lith is with Kamila, Solus, I, and a friend of ours have a girl's night out. You can join us." Tista said.
"I'll gladly take your offer. After dinner the house is empty because my parents have to go back to work, Quylla is rehearsing her speech for Faluel, and Friya is dealing with her guild. I'm not in the mood to stay alone and I don't feel like seeing Lith." Phloria replied.
"You seem like a wonderful woman, Solus. I now understand why you and Lith did what you did. Yet it doesn't make it easier to accept that he lied to my face for the entirety of our relationship nor does it change the fact that he deeply hurt my feelings."
***
By the time Lith returned to Lutia, Phloria had learned the basics of true magic and had already converted some of her best spells into their true magic form. Weaving runes with her mind was easier than using words and hand signs, but it was still a new world for her.
To make matters worse, she had to convert her entire Grimoire and it amounted to hundreds of spells. A few days were barely enough to get used to casting the spells that were her bread and butter with true magic.
"How are you feeling?" Lith asked.
"Fine, thanks. I can almost move with the same grace I had before Awakening and I no longer crush everything I touch." She tried to smile but it came out forced, just like she couldn't hide the edge in her voice.
"There's no need to pretend that you like me. I knew this might happen when I revealed to you Solus's existence. Yet I prefer a Mogar where you're alive and hate me to a world where you died loving me." Lith's words were akin to a punch in the heart to Phloria.
Her messed up feelings could only get worse by hearing how deep is affection for her was. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, but no voice came out. The arrival of her sisters put an end to her impression of a goldfish.
"Now that you are all here, a few words before meeting Faluel." Lith looked them in the eyes one at a time, to make sure they understood how serious he was.
"Faluel the Hydra is not only the kindest Awakened I've ever met, but she's also incredibly strong and the worthy heir of the Hydra bloodline legacy. Millenia of knowledge rest upon her shoulders, so whatever you want to say to her, always be respectful.
"No matter how harmless she looks, she could kill us all in the blink of an eye if she wanted to. None of us is entitled to anything. She's going to teach me, Phloria, and Solus only out of the goodness of her heart.
"She owes us nothing so before you speak, remember that you are asking for a favor. Sass and arrogance will bring you nowhere because you have nothing she wants."
"Thanks, captain obvious." Quylla attempted to joke, but her voice came out stiff.
She had planned her speech as if she was addressing another academic. When confronting old coots, she employed confidence and grit, whereas based on Lith's words, dealing with the Hydra required to treat her akin to the Royals.
