The level of popularity this party enjoyed far exceeded Kanzaki Rei's expectations.
The moment they stepped off the carriage, townspeople gathered around them—bringing vegetables, fruits, and various small gifts in generous quantities.
Akasei accepted everything without the slightest hesitation, grinning broadly as he took each offering.
Only after making their way through the enthusiastic welcome of the townsfolk did Rei and the others finally return to the inn.
According to Kumironi, they had purchased long-term residency rights there.
However, because of Rei's arrival, they had opened a separate room just for him.
"Whew…"
"Another world, huh."
After sharing a simple meal with Kumironi and the others, Rei finally returned to his room. He bathed, changed, and lay down on the bed.
This was the first time since arriving in this world that he was truly alone.
"Magic. Swords. Class advancement. Adventure. Dungeons…"
A small flame flickered to life in his palm, dancing lightly.
"Magic…"
He repeated the word softly.
The flame in his hand was proof—proof that he had stepped into the realm of the extraordinary.
The past two days had been spent mostly unconscious.
The first night, he had collapsed drunk during the celebration. The next day, shortly after waking, he had overcast and fainted again.
His conscious hours had been limited.
There had been no time to think things through.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A rap sounded at the door.
"It's me, Iz." Iz Parut's voice came from outside.
"Ah—please come in."
Rei rose to open the door.
But with a faint distortion of space—
Iz simply stepped through the door itself.
Rei couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Magic… really is convenient.
Iz let out a long breath. "Finally dealt with it."
"Dealt with what?" Rei asked curiously.
"The students."
"After answering their questions, I came straight back. Mostly very basic matters."
Rei clicked his tongue inwardly.
There had been at least dozens of them.
And he answered all of them?
Iz continued, dismissing the matter with a wave.
"Enough about that."
"Your mana pool is too small. We must increase your total mana first."
Oh? As expected of a professional instructor.
The first thing out of his mouth is about magic.
Iz… sometimes it feels like you're more anxious about raising my power than I am.
Rei couldn't help but think so.
Iz Parut might not be the strongest mage alive—but he was undoubtedly a beloved teacher. Rei had just witnessed that firsthand.
"What should I do, Master?" Rei sat upright on the bed, posture straight, seeking instruction earnestly.
He genuinely wanted to increase his mana pool as well.
He had no intention of becoming a man who wilted after casting a few spells.
A real man should have endurance.
"Heh."
The space in front of Iz twisted strangely. He reached into thin air and pulled out a book with a white cover.
Another spellbook?
This time, Rei felt no reverence.
Instead—anticipation.
Just reading a few lines and mastering a new spell…
That feeling was addictive.
"I compiled this myself…"
"Mana Growth."
Ah…
You wrote it yourself?
Rei's expectations dropped slightly.
Still, he accepted the book.
Compared to Lightning Strike, this volume was astonishingly thick.
About the size of a dictionary—and nearly half his torso in height and width.
Twice the size of a brick.
Iz looked rather pleased.
"I put great care into this. There isn't a single wasted sentence. Every word has meaning."
"You are the first student to read it."
Oh?
So I'm valued that highly.
Well… with the talent I've demonstrated, I suppose that's natural.
No master wishes his disciple to fail.
Though his initial excitement had dipped, Rei still opened the book with anticipation.
The table of contents alone spanned ten pages.
But Chapter One was titled:
[The Optimal Mana Growth Technique for a Level 1 Mage — Mana Tide]
"Keep your mana circulating within your body. Do not allow it to stagnate."
"Let your mana interact with external elements before returning inward."
"Visualize within yourself a sea of mana that ebbs and flows like the tides—at high tide, mana spreads outward from the body; at low tide, it recedes back inward. With every rise and fall, mana will grow."
The words seemed to carry power.
Though dense, once he read the first lines, he couldn't stop.
As Iz had said—there was no filler. No meaningless historical background.
Every sentence was pure substance.
As he read, Rei began mobilizing his mana.
He felt the scattered, dormant energy within his body gather together.
It pooled into a "sea."
Granted—his mana was far too little to be called a sea.
At best, it was a pond.
But under his control, that pond began to ebb and flow like tides.
His mana surged outward, contacting external elements.
The moment contact occurred, he felt growth.
Part of the mana expanded on its own—like muscle swelling under strain.
Another portion converted ambient elements into mana, which was then drawn back into his body during the ebb.
「You have learned Mana Growth Technique — Mana Tide (Tier 1) (LV: 1)」
「Mana Tide Proficiency EXP +10000」
「Proficiency Level Increased — Mana Tide (LV: 5)」
Exhale—
Rei felt his total mana increase.
Not dramatically—roughly 5%.
But that was from a single tidal cycle.
Just one breath.
And Mana Tide's proficiency had already risen.
The second cycle surged more violently.
His mana swept up more external elements, converting them into new mana before returning inward.
Simultaneously, the self-expansion effect intensified.
Iz's eyes flickered with visible shock.
Though Rei was the first to read this compiled text, the method recorded within was not something only one person had attempted before.
This first chapter—Mana Tide—was theoretically the best Level 1 mana growth technique Iz had selected.
However…
Very few had ever succeeded in mastering it.
Iz had documented countless failures from different students, summarizing improvements and solutions.
Even so—
Only two people had ultimately succeeded in learning Mana Tide.
And no one had ever comprehended it solely from the opening outline alone.
Yet Rei—
From just the introductory guiding paragraphs—
Had fully grasped and executed Mana Tide.
This talent… was terrifying.
A sheen of sweat formed on Iz Parut's forehead.
His expression blended excitement and delight.
This child's aptitude was absolutely worth cultivating.
With proper guidance, he could surely become a mage second only to myself!
Rei, unaware of Iz's inner thoughts, simply felt his mana surging rapidly with each breath.
「Proficiency Level Increased — Mana Tide (LV: 14)」
「Proficiency Level Increased — Mana Tide (LV: 19)」
「Proficiency Level Increased — Mana Tide (LV: 25)」
…