“Let me help you,” Her black hair sliding over her shoulder like curtains, Ellen sat down next to him. Arthur was appreciative and gave her a nod of a drowning person who has been saved, Ori’s endless instructions being the sea.

“We either use specific brushes, mana conducting ones, or we use a device. A brush would transfer your mana and combine it with the mana liquid, activating its properties. Using this, we start drawing the runes. There’s a specialized device that would control the amount of mana used, but it’s kind of expensive and uses too much of a person’s mana.” Her voice was devoid of any emotion, but it was a kind one.

Arthur realized this was the first time she talked to him so much. Her petite figure, unreliable in his eyes before, now looked like a responsible adult. He nodded his head multiple times in understanding, and she kept going.

“They say, when you master a brush, there’s no rush. If you want to build a good foundation, it’s better to rely on yourself and skill instead of a device, as no device could draw high-tiered runes.”

“I see, so I inject it with my mana?”

“Yes, after you dip it in the mana liquid. Then, try drawing the rune on the chord while maintaining the same amount of mana in every part. It’s hard, but you’ll get the hang of it in the end.” Ellen, the quiet petite girl, turned out to be an excellent teacher. Ori talked about theories and how mana interacted with matter and things Arthur didn’t understand, but Ellen went straight to the core of the matter.

Jia was sitting alone also practicing on the chords. It seems he has grown a bit distant from the group after Arthur came, but the person in question had no idea how to solve the matter.

Having Ellen guide him through it, Arthur soon got the hang of things. After dipping the brush in the mana liquid, Arthur would start supplying it with mana until it began to glow. Ori explained that this was because the amount of mana supplied would be the same as the mana in the liquid, creating a homogeneous mixture. It was then that Arthur would be able to fuse the mana liquid to the core.

The challenging part was controlling the mana to be equal among all parts. This was a basic rune, but Arthur realized how much skill he needed to draw it. He would need very fine control over mana to do it. Even worse, the liquid wasn’t of equal amounts. Making it even harder for Arthur to control the required mana.

Luckily, Ellen was there for him. She was extremely helpful by guiding him and answering some common questions he had. Even still, he wasn’t able to draw the rune. The rest each made one core.

Arthur’s failure didn’t put him down in the slightest, as his mind has been hammered by years of failing to get jobs and running to scarp money together. Even more, he wasn’t even worried. He can just disguise his runes as artificial ones, but he didn’t want to freak the group out.

It was time to test the runes. The metallic runes, about half a meter in length, glowed with faint light when Ori sent mana through them. After a few seconds, the metallic cord was compressed. It started shortening the more Ori sent mana through the runes.

The thing Arthur noticed was that the speed the rune activated was slow. A lot slower than Arthur runes, that had something of an instant effect. They needed to wait a bit for the mana to channel through the mana paths they had drawn.

Even still, it was a fascinating experience. To see the world-altering by your effort, the group took a bit of time to savor the moment. Metaphorically, they had control over life in its tiniest corner.

After they were done, Arthur offered to help Ellen take some supplies back home. They would make the cords separately for now, even though the group had no expectations for Arthur to do them. Arthur didn’t say anything when Ori told him it was okay even if he didn’t make any, as that would require some skill and training.

Picking up the two boxes with ease, Arthur walked with Ellen out of the clubroom. She was able to lift the box herself, but it would block her view due to her height and small stature.

“Oh, damn. I forgot that Markus and Amelia asked to study together after school…” Arthur paused his steps as he remembered. He looked at Ellen and she looked back at him but didn’t say anything.

“Do you want to join us?”

His question was like a pebble thrown into a lake, drowning with no effect. After a short pause, Ellen simply nodded. Arthur wondered where the talkative and succinct girl went to, but every person had their own stroke.

Arriving at the library, Arthur placed the boxes to the side and went inside. Amelia and Markus were sitting inside already, looking bored. Suspiciously enough, the two of them glowed when they saw Arthur. His keen perception picked up a stiff expression from Markus when he noticed Ellen, but it was soon replaced by his usual friendly demeanor.

“I invited a friend, hope you guys don’t mind?” Arthur said while throwing a glance at the two as if they were supposed to be okay with that.

“Of course, we’re just studying!” Markus threw a friendly handshake that Ellen didn’t take, and he awkwardly retracted it. After a simple cough, the group took out their books.

One of their core subjects was history, and the group started reading some books. Arthur was seriously reading, asking questions, or any doubts he had, but Markus kept diverting the topic into their training schedules and the like.

Arthur’s mood was slowly turning sour as he realized what they were after. They wanted to know he got stronger suddenly, throwing hints here and there about his training and the like. After a while, Arthur stood up.

“I think we need to go back home, there’s a project we’ve been working on.” Leaving the two with these two, or Markus only since Amelia didn’t say anything the whole time, Arthur and Ellen left the school.

“Is there a reason you don’t like him?” Arthur asked, remembering Ellen’s attitude toward Markus. Ellen, as usual, was as silent as a rock but Arthur knew she would answer eventually. He was right.

“I,” She paused, her expression as voided out as ever. “Get a hunch when people don’t like my presence. He didn’t, just faking that he did.” Arthur couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

Arthur wanted to ask other things, but he knew it would be a stretch to get an answer from her. He decided to keep the silence, that was as thick as a concert wall, for the remainder of their trip home. Ellen seemed to prefer it that way too.

The routes they took by him following Ellen started getting familiar, and soon they were at the district that wasn’t poor but was of struggling families. It was his. Their place didn’t stand out like a hunted house, but it would be among the candidates to be one. Ellen’s house was the same.

It was then that Arthur remembered Ori’s words about her financial situation. More than sympathy, Arthur felt empathy toward Ellen. Dropping her box next to the doorway, Arthur nodded toward Ellen and turned around to leave.

It was then that Arthur saw a fragile-looking and cadaverous man that looked like a skeleton with skin in front of him. He meant no disrespect for the man, but he was that sickly looking. He held into a grocery bag in his hand as he stood in front of Arthur like he was about to go into the house.

“Ellen? Is this your friend?” The man smiled thinly, taking a few weak strides toward them. The way he walked made Arthur worry the man would collapse at any minute.

“Yes,” Came her immediate but meek reply. It was the fastest Arthur saw Ellen answer a question.

“I see, thank you for helping Ellen.” The man reached out his hand, to which Arthur shook.

“She’s the one helping me, Sir.”

“Ah, that’s great as well. It’s the first time one of her friends came over. Would you like to stay for a meal? Take it as an early dinner.”

Arthur tried to refuse, but the man, looking to be Ellen’s dad, insisted. He didn’t want to flatly reject him and go away, so he decided to eat here since his home was quite close.

They placed the boxes in the entryway before taking off their shoe. Ellen’s father left them in the living room and headed to the kitchen, starting to make some food.

If the silence on their way home was as thick as a wall, then now it was a wide river. Fearing her father to find it awkward, Arthur started to chat with Ellen. Weirdly enough, she was quite social.

Before the food was ready, Arthur decided to use the bathroom. Following Ellen’s directions, he entered the hallway where the bathroom was at. In his way, he found a room with an open door.

Quite frankly, it was a reflexive gesture from him to glance inside. However, once he did, he immediately regretted it.

Inside the bedroom where the light gently seeped into, was a single bed with flowered nightstands on the side. A woman with tubes so many that it looked like a blooming flower lied there silently.