Two weeks ter, Seneca and the others—four in total—entered the Royal Forest with Kito.

  As Gaia and Prautia met Kito for the first time, they introduced themselves.

  Kito, witnessing Seneca and Maiol's actions as adventurers, couldn’t help but reassess them, and she was also impressed by Gaia and Prautia’s vast knowledge.

  Prautia, in particur, had a practical and deep understanding of pnt materials, which Kito made sure to commit to memory, intending to write it down on paper once they returned.

  While Kito's concentrated potions had received a less-than-favourable response due to their unpleasant taste, Prautia had taught her about a flower nectar that could alleviate bitterness. Kito pnned to improve the taste of the potions accordingly.

  As Kito learned from firsthand experience, potion-making was inevitably constrained by the methods used to gather materials. She decided that it would be wise to request regur escorts to further her studies.

  ...

  After css, Gaia was in the magic practice hall every day. The high-powered magic training rooms were usually unoccupied, so she would begin by practising her [Artillery Magic] before moving on to other exercises.

  Lately, Seneca had been focusing heavily on studying magic theory, and Gaia often found herself in discussions with Seneca. Understanding magic theory required knowledge of physics and mathematics, so Seneca had been studying those areas vigorously, and her grades had been improving significantly.

  Though Seneca was studying magic theory to become proficient in magic, she was struggling. Magic theory was meant for those who already had magic skills and sought to improve them, not for beginners who were trying to acquire magical abilities from scratch, so it was hardly surprising.

  Maiol, noticing Seneca’s struggles, told Gaia, "It’s a great opportunity to really get to know Seneca, so you should stick with her."

  Seneca's questions were sharp and insightful, so Gaia didn’t mind. However, Maiol’s comment still puzzled her.

  As Gaia spent more time talking with Seneca, she began to wonder if it was possible to improve her [Artillery Magic] through the use of magic theory.

  These days, whether awake or asleep, her thoughts were consumed with this idea.

  Gaia’s analysis led her to believe that there were five major steps involved in using [Artillery Magic]: preparation, mana circution, mana conversion, mana compression, and unch. Of these, mana compression and the final unch consumed a rge amount of mana, which was why [Artillery Magic] could only be used once a day.

  Gaia thought that if she could either stop after the first three steps or adjust the mana compression process, she could increase the number of attempts and thereby gain more proficiency. However, she had no idea how to achieve this.

  One day, as she sat at her desk, mumbling to herself while working out calcutions on paper, Maiol visited her room and spoke up.

  "Hey, Gaia, that’s the [Artillery Magic] issue you were talking about, right? If you want, why don’t you consult with an S-css magical genius? Even if you don’t find an answer, I’m sure you’ll benefit from it."

  Maiol had learned to seek advice from suitable geniuses when in trouble, and handle the rest herself after arriving in the Royal Capital. Incidentally, this "genius" group included Seneca, Kito, Gaia, and Prautia.

  Gaia, eager for help, agreed, and the next day, she was set to speak with the so-called "magical genius."

  ...

  After css, when Gaia entered the special training room, she found, to her surprise, that most of the S-css students were already there.

  "Ah, Gaia! You’re here. Over here!"

  Maiol waved her over, and Gaia was immediately the centre of attention.

  "Gaia, let me introduce you! This is Stroh Aedis!"

  "Nice to meet you, Gaia. I know all about you. You’re top of the css, ahead of both Pulker and me! I’ve heard plenty about you from Seneca and Maiol. Just call me Stroh."

  "Gaia. Pleased to meet you."

  Stroh Aedis, alongside Pulker Krulis, was famous in the Royal Capital's Adventurers Guild as a promising talent. He was also one of the rising stars of their year.

  Even Gaia, who didn’t pay much attention to others, knew that Stroh was an expert in the art of earth magic.

  "So, you’re the magical genius, huh?" Gaia muttered under her breath, though Stroh heard her clearly.

  "Magical genius? What are you talking about?"

  "Maiol called you a magical genius."

  "Oh, well, I’m not really..."

  Seeing Stroh’s ck of confidence, Maiol quickly retorted, "If you’re not a genius, then who is?"

  Stroh’s face flushed a deep red in embarrassment.

  Gaia thought to herself, I see.

  "I... I’ve lost to Maiol in mock battles...," Stroh mumbled.

  "That’s because you were fighting close range. If you were to seriously use magic, I’d be buried under a mudslide," Maiol said.

  Stroh mumbled something else, but Gaia couldn’t make out the words.

  Everyone else seemed to understand Stroh’s feelings, and an awkward silence fell over the room.

  As a child, Maiol had once decred she would marry her father when she grew up, and had no defences when it came to matters of love.

  ...

  The situation seemed like it would never settle, but fortunately, Seneca, sensing the mood, smoothly steered the conversation back on track. Finally, Gaia was able to discuss magic.

  It wasn’t something she intended to hide, so Gaia spoke candidly.

  "I see. I understand the situation now. Based on what you’ve told me, it seems the key is training to improve mana control, but I’m still unclear about the specifics of your magic. If it’s alright with you, Gaia, could you show us your magic?"

  Stroh spoke with confident enthusiasm.

  "Of course, but I’m not sure about showing everyone here...," Gaia hesitated.

  "Ah, I understand. Of course, you wouldn’t want to show your magic to people who aren’t involved."

  "Right. We can limit the demonstration to those who can use magic. It might be better to get feedback from those who can actually evaluate it."

  Gaia, still unsure about the unfamiliar faces, voiced her concerns, but Maiol quickly handled the situation, clearing up any misunderstandings. Consequently, those who weren’t involved left the room.