Two years have flown since Paulo cracked the secret of wielding magic with a shattered core, and that game-changing feat is exactly why the family brought in a tutor. Teaching a noble's child isn't just prestigious; it pays handsomely, too.
Enter Daiki, a knight rooted in this remote village, holding just enough noble blood to qualify as lower-tier aristocracy. It's a title that comes with expectations, and a salary to match.
But let's be real as this isn't the capital. This is the frontier, where talent is thin on the ground and true magical ability? Almost mythical. Finding a mage here is like striking gold in a dust storm, rare, dazzling, and against all odds.
Would they be able to hire someone just by sending a request to the magic guild and the adventure guild?
Just when Paulo was bracing herself for the usual, some grizzled, middle-aged mage with a beard down to his chest, an unexpected twist hit like lightning. A tutor showed up. Fast. And not just any tutor, one who'd be living with them, since the village didn't even have an inn to offer.
Satsuki had her theory that this had to be a retired adventurer, someone past their prime. After all, who else would trade the capital's bustling magic circles for rural quiet? Young mages chased glory; court positions paid too well. Whoever was coming likely ranked high, experienced, seasoned, probably grey-haired and full of ancient wisdom.
Paulo pictured it perfectly: a sage-like figure, weathered by years of arcane study, radiating authority and maybe a bit of dust from old spellbooks.
Then reality flipped the script.
"I'm Yuna. I'll be your teacher. Please take care of me."
Standing before them wasn't a weary veteran, but a girl, barely older than a middle schooler. Clad in a simple brown robe, with soft blonde hair and a petite frame that somehow carried quiet confidence.
Her pale skin, untouched by sun, contrasted with half-lidded, drowsy eyes that gave her a dreamy air. Sharp, focused lips hinted at a sharp, focused mind, like a scholar who never left the library, glasses or not.
One hand gripped a traveller's bag, the other a sturdy mage's staff. And just like that, she stepped into their home, small in stature, but huge in mystery, meeting Paulo, Satsuki, and the others with calm certainty.
"..."
"..."
Paulo's parents froze, stunned into silence as they stared at the figure before them, nothing like what they'd imagined. They'd expected a seasoned tutor, someone aged by experience, not this tiny, unassuming presence stepping through the door.
"You're seriously tiny," Paulo blurted, eyes sparkling with surprise, but Yuna just smirked.
"Coming from someone who barely clears my shoulder? Please," she shot back, laughter dancing in her voice.
Paulo bristled instantly, convinced Yuna was touchy about her height, maybe even insecure. But before the banter could escalate, Roxy stepped in, scanning the room with a weary sigh.
"Alright, enough. So… which one of you is the student I'm actually supposed to train?"
Her gaze landed on Paulo, the small girl cradled in Satsuki's arms, and her expression shifted. Eyes widened. Breath escaped in a quiet huff.
"Figures, Every now and then, some parents get delusional after their kid cracks a core, thinking it means genius. But me? I've shattered mine too. And under me, that won't mean a thing but it will be different because of what the chaos member did to him wasn't the same as how I broke mine." she muttered.
Once the formalities wrapped, the plan snapped into place, mornings belong to Yuna and her magic training, fully focused and undisturbed. Then, when the sun climbs high, the afternoon shifts gears, Daiki takes over for intense swordsmanship drills. Two disciplines, two masters, perfectly timed.
"Alright, let's dive into the magic textbook… Actually, hold up, first things first, Pauli, let's see what you can actually do with that fractured core of yours," Yumi challenged.
For Paulo's debut lesson, Yumi led him straight to the courtyard. Magic training?
Always outdoors. She knows better than anyone what happens when raw power meets indoor spaces, walls shatter, just like the last time Paulo lost control.
"Watch closely, Grant thy will protection through light, let energy surge through every fibre, Lighting Enhancement!" Yumi said, raising her voice with command.
As the incantation left her lips, she snatched up loose stones. Instantly, a blazing, lightning-charged sphere crackled to life around them. With a fierce wind-up, she hurled it forward, a blazing projectile screaming toward a distant tree at breakneck speed. The branches snapped easily, and the fence got burned.
Crash.
"How was that? That spell, was it one of the basic ones?" Yumi shot back, eyes sharp with curiosity.
Paulo froze. Her gaze locked onto the scorched spot, that tree. The one her mother had nurtured for ten long years. A cold bead of sweat traced its way down her temple. She knew what happened to anyone who harmed it. Satsuki's wrath wasn't just anger, it was legend.
"Yeah, it was fine," Paulo replied, wiping sweat from her brow, "but… that tree you hit? My mom raised it like her own child. She's gonna lose it on you. No question."
"Eh?! Seriously?!" Yumi gasped, her voice cracking.
Paulo nodded grimly. "I remember when Daiki sliced a branch with his sword? Satsuki went full fury mode, like, beyond terrifying. It was scary."
Yumi paled. In a flash, she sprinted to the damaged tree, cheeks burning as she gathered the broken limbs. Clutching them tight, she closed her eyes and chanted:
"Let divine energy bloom into renewal, flowing to those fallen, may strength return. Healing."
A soft glow pulsed. The branches twisted, mended, fused, restored as if untouched.
Paulo stared, stunned. Intermediate magic? With a shattered core? That shouldn't even be possible.
"Teacher! You can cast mid-tier spells with a broken core? How?!" she blurted, eyes blazing with excitement.
Yumi gave a casual nod. "Eh, yeah. I can use my magic all the way up to intermediate, no problem. Train right, and anyone can push that far too."
Her words were plain, almost dismissive, but her lips curled into a quiet smirk, her nose twitching in pride. She was definitely pleased.
"Alright, Pauli," Yumi said, shifting gears. "Now you, try that lightning spell I just showed you."
Paulo grabbed a few stones, focusing hard. The orbs shimmered, yellow at first, then deepening into electric blue. Blue. Stronger than Yumi's yellow.
Then, no chant, no warning, the air exploded. A crackling sphere of raw lightning surged to life around her. With a fierce twist, she launched it. The bolt screamed forward, a thunderous streak tearing through the wind.
It slammed into a distant tree, branches shattered, fence posts charred black. Paulo knew she done the skill because of the popup that appeared.
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(!) NOTICE YOU USED A SKILL
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MANA 25/40
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"...You didn't even say the incantation." Yumi said, standing speechless as she never met anyone who could do that with a broken core.
Yumi's eyes sparkled with anticipation, just as she reached for the enchanted textbook, a piercing scream shattered the moment. It was Satsuki, rushing in to check on them, her sudden arrival turning curiosity into chaos.
"AHHHHH!!!"
A crash shattered the silence as the drinks tumbled from her tray, spilling across the floor. Her hands flew to her mouth, eyes locked on the splintered tree, first wide with sorrow, then blazing with rage in a heartbeat.
Satsuki charged forward, voice sharp like a blade. "Miss Yumi! Are you seriously using our home as some kind of lab playground?!"
Yumi flinched, stunned. "Huh?! But this was all Pauli's doing!"
"And you just stood by and let it happen, didn't you?" Satsuki shot back, unrelenting.
The words hit like lightning. Yumi froze, eyes draining to blank white, head bowing under the weight. "...Yeah. You're right."
The next day, they were back at training, lessons learned, tensions simmering, progress inevitable.