Can you fly freely through the air?

Sitting on the sofa and sipping tea, the dizziness and nausea in my head began to gradually subside.

"This won't work if I keep using it repeatedly."

Holding my throbbing head, I mutter under my breath.

"Spell Control increases not only the conversion efficiency of mana but also its refinement. If you do that, you won't lose as much stamina. Also, whatever image you had in mind, compressing wind like that is crazy. The moment it hit the target, it pierced through while releasing abnormally. Because of the density and speed, it penetrated the target, and due to the compression release, it exploded inside. If something like that hits your head, there won't be much left."

I flattened it to increase the effect on the surface instead of penetration, but maybe denting it like a hollow point would have been better.

"Well, this is just the basics of single spells. There are also multi-spells, parallel spells, and sustained spells, but those are too advanced for you right now. There's also a lot more to learn, but I dropped out of magic school. I was suddenly drafted into the military."

"Multi-spells?"

"For future studies. Wait a minute, let me prepare something."

Pardis sets up a new target.

"Attribute: Earth. Unit: 5g. Shape: A sphere with a diameter of 5mm. Materialization count fixed at 10. Fixed in a circular pattern centered on the upper part of the right hand, 20cm away. Facing forward, speed: 150 km/h. Convert to mana upon contact after 1 second. Execute."

The moment 10 stones appeared floating above Pardis's right hand, there was a loud bang, and a neat circular hole opened in the target.

"What I'm good at is earth magic. My family ran a stoneworks business. With single spells, you can only materialize one thing, but with multi-spells, you can create multiple instances. You can also change their behavior individually. This time, I just fixed them in a circular pattern because it was too much trouble. In a party, if someone attacks from behind, you can curve them or hit multiple targets at the same time as needed."

I wonder what's going on now. Do I need the talent of a new human species?

"Parallel spells can be activated simultaneously with other spells. But this requires no incantation. Sustained spells are similar; they continue to take effect until their termination conditions are met. Wind, for example, used to have people who could fly."

It felt like I could perform movements similar to a robot game that plays with two control sticks.

"Well, for now, focus on single spells and use them to gauge your limits while improving 'Spell Control.'"

He's a pretty reasonable teacher.

"How much are the tuition fees?"

I think it might be expensive since it's a private school.

"What do you do for a living? A mercenary or something?"

"I'm an adventurer. Level 10."

"A rookie, huh. You won't make any money like that. I'll only accept payment if you're over level 8. If there are no jobs available, I'll help you out. If that's okay with you, come back again."

He was a nice guy.

"Thank you for everything. Master."

"Hahaha. That doesn't suit me. Just call me Pardis. You look young, but our ages aren't that different, right?"

"Okay, Mr. Pardis."

"Alright, take care. Interesting newbie."

"Thank you."

After leaving, I wonder what to do next. Are there any requests I can handle in the village? Or should I head to the adventurers' guild?

Opening the door, I see quite a few people gathered inside. Everyone thinks the same thing when it rains.

As I approach the bulletin board to check the requests, a girl with fiery red hair and sharp eyes calls out to me.

"Hey, you!"

I was about to ignore her because she seemed troublesome, but then she grabbed my sleeve.

"You're a mage, aren't you?!"

This girl is pretty rude.

"Erm... I'm sorry..."

A timid voice comes from beside her. A black-haired girl appears, looking nervous.

"I thought you might be a mage because of the way you circulate mana and magic power...?"

Looking at her, I can see that she does take in surrounding mana, convert it into magic power, and release it faintly.

"No. That's not right."

I don't want to get involved in any trouble.

"Hey! I'm Arielle, a 7th-level mage! Listen to what I have to say!"

"I'm level 10, so I can't work with you either. So, I'll decline."

The black-haired girl seems to be trying to calm her down.

For now, I'll stay away from dangerous situations and look for requests.

Honestly, everyone thinks the same thing, so there are no promising requests at all.

Well, I guess I'll compose myself and head outside the village to an empty field to practice magic.

As I'm about to leave the guild, the red-haired girl glares at me intensely. What's her problem?

Phew, it's raining, and I don't feel like doing anything today.