Chapter 521: Golden Mana

The sound of a wooden sword striking reinforced timber echoed across the training grounds of the Adventurer Guild’s Royal Capital Headquarters.

Mina stood in the center of a spacious practice courtyard, her crimson hair tied behind her head and a faint golden radiance surrounding her small figure. Several training posts had been arranged around her, each reinforced to withstand the attacks of experienced Warriors.

Unfortunately, their reinforcement was proving insufficient.

With a swift movement, Mina stepped forward and struck the nearest post. Golden Mana surged along her wooden sword, producing a sharp impact that split the timber from its upper edge to the supporting base.

The broken post collapsed.

Mina stared at it for a moment before turning toward Sage Alistair, who was seated beneath a nearby pavilion.

"Uncle Sage, I think this one’s broken too," Mina announced, looking remarkably pleased with herself.

Sage slowly lowered the cup of tea he had been enjoying.

"Yes, Mina. I noticed," he replied, examining the remains of what had been a perfectly serviceable training post. "I’m beginning to suspect that purchasing reinforced equipment for you is an excellent way to bankrupt the Guild."

Mina grinned. "Then you should buy stronger ones, Petty Uncle Sage."

"An excellent suggestion," Sage answered dryly. "Perhaps I’ll ask the Royal Treasury to finance your training. I’m certain His Majesty would appreciate receiving a bill for several hundred destroyed wooden posts."

Mina giggled before resting her sword against her shoulder.

Despite the lighthearted exchange, Sage had been watching her movements carefully.

The expedition into Greyfen had revealed just how formidable the young girl was becoming.

And that realization had given him several things to consider.

---

During their encounter with the Stormcrown Basilisk and its Elite Beast followers, Mina had demonstrated strength that would have astonished anyone unfamiliar with her abilities.

At only eleven years old, she was already a 4-Star Master Knight.

Most Warriors spent years struggling to reach that level, and countless others never succeeded regardless of how diligently they trained.

Yet Mina possessed an extraordinary talent for combat, accompanied by a golden Mana that Sage had rarely encountered among other Knights.

Her performance against the beasts had confirmed that her strength wasn’t merely the result of possessing an unusually large quantity of Mana.

She possessed sharp instincts, exceptional reflexes, and an almost frightening willingness to confront dangerous opponents.

However, Sage had also noticed several weaknesses.

Mina frequently relied upon overwhelming force, reinforcing her entire body even when only a particular movement required additional strength. Her attacks were powerful, but she sometimes expended more Mana than necessary.

Against ordinary opponents, those habits hardly mattered.

Against powerful enemies capable of enduring prolonged battles, they could become dangerous.

And with Mina approaching the threshold of 5-Star Grandmaster Knight, Sage had no intention of allowing those weaknesses to remain unaddressed.

"Mina, come here for a moment," Sage called, placing his cup aside.

The girl hurried toward him, still carrying her wooden sword.

"Are we going to practice something new, Uncle Sage?" she asked eagerly.

"Several things," Sage replied. "But first, I want you to explain something. When you fought the Stormcrown Basilisk’s followers, why did you reinforce your entire body before every attack?"

Mina blinked.

"Because it makes me stronger," she answered confidently.

Sage smiled. "That’s true. But does every part of your body need the same amount of Mana when you’re swinging a sword?"

Mina’s expression gradually became thoughtful.

---

Sage rose and approached an undamaged training post.

"Watch carefully," he instructed, raising one hand.

A small Earth Magic formation appeared before his palm, and a thin layer of stone formed around a section of the post.

"Suppose someone attacks this particular spot," Sage explained. "Would I need to reinforce the entire post to protect it?"

Mina examined the stone covering.

"No, Uncle Sage," she replied. "You only need to protect where the attack lands."

"Exactly," Sage answered. "And although Knights reinforce their bodies differently from how Mages construct defensive spells, the principle is similar. Mana should serve a purpose, not simply be poured everywhere because you have plenty of it."

Mina looked down at her hands.

Golden Mana began gathering around her fingers, spreading gradually along her arms and shoulders.

Sage watched the circulation carefully.

"Now try concentrating the reinforcement around your sword arm," he instructed. "Maintain enough Mana elsewhere to protect yourself, but direct the greater portion toward the movement you’re preparing to perform."

Mina obeyed.

The golden radiance surrounding her body diminished slightly while the Mana around her right arm became noticeably brighter.

She swung her wooden sword.

The resulting strike shattered the stone reinforcement and split the timber beneath it.

Mina stared at the damage.

"Uncle Sage, that felt different!" she exclaimed, turning toward him excitedly. "I didn’t use as much Mana, but the sword still hit really hard!"

Sage nodded approvingly. "Because you used your strength more effectively."

---

Their training continued throughout the morning.

Sage arranged several exercises designed to improve Mina’s control over her golden Mana.

First, he instructed her to reinforce individual parts of her body without allowing the surrounding Mana to fluctuate. She practiced strengthening her arms, legs, shoulders, and torso separately, gradually learning to shift reinforcement between them.

The exercise initially frustrated her. Whenever Mina concentrated too much Mana around her legs, the reinforcement protecting her upper body weakened. When she attempted to correct that imbalance, her golden aura frequently expanded beyond what was necessary.

"Petty Uncle Sage, this is harder than fighting monsters," Mina complained after another unsuccessful attempt.

Sage regarded her with amusement. "Monsters generally don’t require you to think about how efficiently you’re using your Mana. They simply attempt to eat you."

Mina puffed out her cheeks. "Then maybe I should practice against monsters instead."

"And allow you to avoid the difficult part of training?" Sage replied. "An interesting proposal, but I’m afraid your terribly unreasonable uncle must decline."

Mina groaned dramatically before returning to her position.

Despite her complaints, she continued practicing with remarkable determination.

Sage noticed that she rarely repeated the same mistake once she understood its cause.

That ability to learn quickly was another indication of her exceptional potential.

---

After a short rest, Sage moved their training toward combat techniques.

Several reinforced practice figures had been positioned around the courtyard, each constructed with movable wooden arms capable of producing simple attacks.

Mina approached the first figure confidently.

"Can I break this one, Uncle Sage?" she asked, examining its wooden limbs.

"I would prefer that you didn’t," Sage replied. "The purpose of this exercise is to improve your movements, not provide Bramdir with another collection of damaged equipment."

Mina looked disappointed.

Sage activated a small Earth formation beneath the practice figure, causing its wooden arm to swing toward her.

Mina immediately stepped aside and raised her sword.

Golden Mana surged around her body as she prepared to deliver a powerful counterattack.

"Stop," Sage instructed.

Mina froze.

"What’s wrong, Uncle Sage?" she asked, lowering her weapon.

"You avoided the attack successfully," Sage explained. "But you immediately prepared to strike with enough strength to destroy the entire figure. Would that have been necessary?"

Mina considered the question.

"Probably not," she admitted.

"Then try again. This time, use only enough force to strike the marked point."

The exercise resumed.

Mina avoided the wooden arm and delivered a controlled thrust toward a small painted circle.

Her sword struck the intended spot without destroying the figure.

Sage smiled. "Much better."

As the afternoon progressed, Sage gradually increased the difficulty.

Mina practiced avoiding consecutive attacks, changing direction while maintaining physical reinforcement, and shifting her golden Mana between offense and defense without interrupting her movements.

Her greatest challenge came when Sage instructed her to maintain a consistent flow of Mana while performing several techniques in succession.

At first, she attempted to compensate for every difficult movement by increasing her overall output.

Sage corrected her repeatedly.

"You’re trying to solve every problem by becoming stronger for a moment," he explained. "But a skilled Knight must also know when to conserve strength. If you exhaust yourself unnecessarily, even a weaker opponent may eventually find an opportunity."

Mina listened carefully.

"Is that why Leon doesn’t always use his full strength?" she asked.

"Precisely," Sage replied. "Captain Leon possesses tremendous power, but his experience allows him to determine how much is necessary. That’s one of the differences between having strength and knowing how to use it."

Mina looked thoughtful. She had watched Leon fight during their expeditions and knew that the powerful Knight rarely appeared troubled by opponents that frightened other Warriors.

For the first time, she began considering his restraint as something worth learning.

By late afternoon, Mina’s movements had become noticeably smoother.

Her golden Mana no longer surged wildly around her body whenever she attacked. Instead, it flowed with greater precision, strengthening the muscles required for each movement before settling into a steadier rhythm.

Sage watched her complete another sequence against the practice figures.

The improvement was undeniable. Yet he also understood that her advancement to 5-Star Grandmaster Knight would require considerably more than several successful training sessions.

The transition represented an important stage in a Knight’s development. Her Mana Veins, physical reinforcement, combat understanding, and ability to control her strength would all need to mature sufficiently.

Mina possessed extraordinary talent, but talent alone wasn’t a reason to rush.

When she finally completed the exercise, Sage raised his hand. "That’s enough for today, Mina."

The girl turned toward him, breathing slightly harder than before.

"Already, Uncle Sage?" she asked. "I can keep going!"

"I know you can," Sage replied. "But training isn’t improved simply by continuing until you collapse. Your body needs time to recover and adapt."

Mina reluctantly lowered her sword.

"Does that mean I’m getting closer to becoming a Grandmaster Knight?" she asked.

Sage considered his answer carefully.

"You’re becoming a better Knight," he replied. "And that’s more important than rushing toward another star."

Mina approached the pavilion and accepted the water Sage offered her.

For several moments, she drank quietly before looking up at him.

"Uncle Sage, do you think I’ll become as strong as big sister someday?" she asked, her expression unusually serious.

Sage smiled. "If you continue training properly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Valeria eventually finds herself facing a very troublesome opponent."

Mina’s eyes brightened.

"Then I’ll definitely become stronger!" she declared, tightening her grip around the cup.

Sage chuckled. "An admirable ambition. Although I’d appreciate it if you didn’t challenge him to a duel tomorrow."

Mina laughed, and Sage returned his attention to the damaged training grounds.

The girl beside him was already capable of defeating opponents that would terrify experienced Warriors. Yet she remained an eleven-year-old child whose greatest concerns often involved training, food, and finding new ways to annoy her uncle.

Sage intended to preserve that balance for as long as possible.

He would help her develop her abilities, refine her golden Mana, and prepare for the challenges awaiting her.

But he would not sacrifice her well-being simply to hasten her advancement.

Mina’s potential was extraordinary, and the road ahead remained long.

There was no reason to hurry toward its end.