The Capture Target Only Loves Magic

1-14. A Prince's Education

_________Elian Audrey_________

"Ahni, can I get a tee-cha to teach me fit-ting?" I asked.

I looked towards Annie, my body leaning on a chair, sipping down a mug of milk. Annie, who was busy tidying up my bed, shook her head absent-mindedly.

She wasn't listening. I chugged down the contents of the mug into my mouth and slammed the object onto the table. Annie jumped. Now I had her attention, I thought. My lips curled. I opened my mouth again.

"Ahni, can I get a fit-ting tee-cha?"

Annie hesitated before answering. "I shall... ask her Royal Majesty."

It was my first time seeing her so hesitant. I was three years old. Wasn't it about time I learned more about this world? It was the first time in my reborn life I had ever asked for something, and a request for a teacher wasn't anything abnormal. I was a prince. Learning swordsmanship and fighting should be normal- in this world, anyway.

I watched Annie with a careful eye to make sure she wasn't just answering blindly.

I would have asked for a magic teacher if it wasn't impossible for little kids to perform magic. But since it couldn't be done, I had chosen to learn to fight. There were many reasons to do so.

I was bored, there was nothing to do. Nothing productive, nothing interesting. The defenses in the library and other places were increased- it was impossible to get in anywhere now, so I needed a teacher. I couldn't get to any of the books without a permit. Lessons would be a great excuse to get one.

More importantly, I was willing to do all it might take in order to speed up the creation of my 'mana core', which was essential for magic. Basic mana exercises had a limit. I had been madly practicing for close to six months by now, with only a little success. My patience was running thin.

Annie almost looked a little nervous. I hoped Mother would agree to the lessons. She had always been pretty rational anyway- okay, maybe not too rational, but not irrational enough to refuse me lessons for no good reason.

It was soon night. Annie was silent for the rest of the evening, and after it got dark she fell asleep. When I was little she slept next to me or sometimes on the rocking chair, nowadays she fell asleep in her room, which was close to mine.

I was alone, with the dark sky. It was quiet. I couldn't even hear the wind. There was only the sound of crickets chirping.

The problem with a teacher would solve itself. I better start practicing.

Magic. I still had little idea on how it worked, or why it worked. Books weren't much use if you could barely understand them. Even the beginner's guides were difficult, and the only writings I could read with ease were the storybooks in my room. Those explained nothing about magic.

I used my limbs to push myself to a sitting position in my crib and closed my eyes. Mana. It must exist somewhere in my body, right? Somewhere. Maybe in the blood, maybe in the muscles, maybe in the brain. I had no idea. But for a person to use magic through mana, it must exist somewhere. Even if it didn't exist in material form.

I practiced moving my mana, trying to move it around as fast as possible. It was still very slow. Sweat grew on my forehead as I felt slight turbulence in my body. It moved. Whatever it was, it moved. There wasn't much improvement from yesterday. I sighed.

It was a difficult feeling, like trying to control your heartbeat, or trying to leave your mind as blank as possible. It was like trying to control your subconscious, trying to control something that wasn't in material form. I wasn't even sure if what I was doing was actually working. Feeling wasn't my strong suit.