Returning to the second floor, it was already quiet there—no sound at all. Shichen focused his hearing and picked up faint breathing in the room beside Kasumigaoka Utaha's.
That breathing wasn't steady, indicating the person was awake.
Inoue Takina, being a Lycoris, naturally had heightened vigilance. The commotion from them going downstairs likely startled her. After all, she was in a strange environnt—feeling uneasy was normal, but it was only a matter of ti before she'd adjust.
Following Kasumigaoka Utaha back into her room, Shichen didn't stand on ceremony. He sat right down at the side of her bed.
A dense fragrance hovered around the bedside, drifting into his nose.
Kasumigaoka Utaha glanced at him, then asked Tohru and the others who ca along, "Why are you two here as well?"
"I'm also gonna learn magic," Chisato raised her hand.
"I'm just curious to see what human magic looks like," Tohru said while walking toward Shichen's side, not even turning her head.
"Aren't all magic the sa?" Kasumigaoka Utaha was a bit surprised.
"Of course not," Shichen chuckled. "Tohru's a dragon; her magic is basically dragon-specific magic."
"I see."
"In that case, let's not waste ti." Shichen said.
"Alright." Kasumigaoka Utaha closed the door, then ca back and stood facing him alongside Chisato.
Tohru was already seated at Shichen's side, holding his arm quietly.
"So, what do we do?" Kasumigaoka Utaha asked.
"Calm down first—don't be too excited. I'll teach you to sense mana."
"How do we do that?"
"First, sit with your legs crossed."
"I'm wearing a skirt," Kasumigaoka Utaha reminded him.
"If I had known, I'd have worn a skirt too."
Chisato sounded a bit regretful as she plopped down cross-legged.
"Aren't you supposed to have a bit of a girl's modesty?" Kasumigaoka Utaha gave her a sideways look.
"What's there to be modest about in front of Chen-nii?" Chisato countered.
"Fine, no point talking sense to you. I'll just change into shorts first." Kasumigaoka Utaha rolled her eyes, took a pair of white shorts from her closet, and left the room.
She was quick: less than a minute later, she returned.
After that, she put the pleated skirt away in her closet, ca over, and sat down next to Chisato in a cross-legged position.
Because she wore shorts that only covered half her thighs, the other half of her fair, plump flesh was exposed. The lines were full of a firm feminine curve.
"All good," Shichen couldn't help comnting.
"What's all good?" Kasumigaoka Utaha hadn't grasped his aning.
"Your legs, obviously," Shichen stated it plainly.
"… Could you focus on teaching magic, please?" Utaha glared at him, cheeks flushing red.
"Alright, alright."
"Wait!" Chisato suddenly interrupted.
"What is it?"
"Chen-nii, how about my legs?" Chisato said, lifting the hem of her red kimono uniform from below the knees, revealing her fair, toned calves all the way to her knees.
"Mm, I love them!" Shichen gave her a thumbs-up.
"Yay!" Chisato bead.
"Then how about my—" Over on the side, Tohru started to reach for the hem of her maid dress.
"Hey!" Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't take it anymore; she raised her voice, "Stop fooling around!"
"Ehh—he saw both of yours, but not mine." Tohru pouted in dissatisfaction.
"… We'll slowly look at them later, okay?" Kasumigaoka Utaha said, exasperated.
"Which part is more important than letting him look at my legs…" Tohru grumbled quietly.
"…Shichen!" Kasumigaoka Utaha cast him a look that demanded help.
"Alright, alright." He patted Tohru on the head, consoling her. "Tohru, I'll look at your legs so other ti, okay?"
"…Fine." Tohru reined in her complaint.
"So, is it over now?" Kasumigaoka Utaha was on the verge of losing her patience. "Can we study magic properly?"
"Sure," Shichen said with a shrug. "Alright, both of you close your eyes first."
"You won't try anything while we've got our eyes closed, will you?" Kasumigaoka Utaha asked warily.
"Am I that kind of person?" Shichen shot back, offended.
"No one knows," she retorted but still closed her eyes.
Chisato had already obediently shut hers.
Shichen continued, "Stay calm and don't think about anything."
Kasumigaoka Utaha and Chisato gradually relaxed; their expressions turned tranquil as if their minds were empty.
He hadn't expected both of them to calm down so easily. Back when he'd been taught by Flam, it took him a while to truly clear his head. He had too many thoughts in his mind back then.
Seeing that the two had reached a decent state of calm, Shichen gently freed his hand from Tohru's ample bosom and stood. He walked behind Utaha and Chisato, placing each of his palms against their backs and sending a wisp of mana into each girl's body.
"Do you feel anything?"
"There's…sothing roaming around inside my body," Kasumigaoka Utaha asked nervously.
"I sense it too," Chisato added.
"That's a thread of mana I've given you. Next, you must morize the route it travels in your body."
The path for cultivating mana reminded him sowhat of the "qi circulation" from the cultivation novels he had read. You guide the energy, then absorb the world's energy as your own.
But in learning mana, you didn't have to refine anything. You just pulled it in. The routes were short and simple.
Initially, he couldn't let mana remain inside him, which was why he'd been unable to cultivate it.
"Got it morized?"
"Got it!" they answered in unison.
"Great, now try circulating that wisp of mana in your body."
The wisp was Shichen's mana. Soon it would disperse. If they didn't quickly incorporate it as unowned energy, they wouldn't be able to cultivate it.
But he forgot one important factor.
After a good while, that little mana vanished inside them. Neither Utaha nor Chisato managed to absorb a shred of it.
"…It failed?" Noticing their disappointed faces and that they'd opened their eyes, Shichen felt puzzled.
It shouldn't have ended that easily.
They had gone so smoothly at first—why would it fail?
"Mm," Kasumigaoka Utaha frowned and nodded. "I have no idea why, but I just couldn't pull in the mana."
"Sa for ." Chisato concurred glumly.
"…Could it be you can't cultivate mana after all?" concluded Shichen.
After all, the girls weren't born in a magical world—maybe it wouldn't work, even with his guidance. Not being able to learn was the normal result.
This was the typical scenario.
"Oh…" Kasumigaoka Utaha's face showed obvious disappointnt. Even her posture had sagged.
"…That's how it is." Always so cheerful, Chisato was also looking down.
Shichen gently consoled them. "Don't worry. I have other thods, no need to—"
"Chen-dono." Tohru suddenly cut him off, her expression slightly hesitant. "I think I might know the reason…"
"What is it?"
"Could it be…there's simply too little mana in this world?"
"…"
~~~
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