The Princess of Light and The Knight of Shadow

Year 1: Third Month, Part 2

Summer vacation came and went like a breeze, and it was the last summer vacation that Estella knew she would cherish the most.

For the past two weeks, she had finally managed to learn more about her squire's life, at least the tidbits he was willing to reveal. The time she had spent with him—eating under the tree, their training and study sessions, or simply exchanging stories about themselves—was an unforgettable experience for her. True, she still didn't know much about his powers. But she had learned about him.

For now, she was happy with that.

As vacation ended and classes resumed, however, a gnawing fear settled in her stomach. The Assessment Exam was drawing near, and while Estella was confident that she could pass hers, it was Nox she was worried about. He had improve vastly, especially in academics, but his practical application of magic was still unimpressive. He could cast a spell that all second years knew, but he always ended up canceling it after several seconds.

It was driving Estella crazy, and her mood soured with each passing day. Unlike Aldros's squire, who could keep a wind tornado manifested for over two minutes, Nox could barely keep three ice spears floating in the air for thirty seconds.

"Again!" Estella barked when the spears evaporated once again during one of their afternoon training sessions three days before the exam. They had been doing this for half an hour now, and each time Nox canceled the spell, the duration grew shorter.

She shook her head, watching him took a breath first. Nox's mana capacity was astounding, but Estella couldn't understand why he had difficulty maintaining a spell for long. It was as if he was using too much mana trying to sustain the casting duration.

"Nox," she began, approaching him, circling around until she stood behind him. "Let's try something. When you cast the spell, I'll check your mana flow."

His shoulders stiffened, but he nodded wordlessly and took off his shirt. She would need direct skin contact for this.

"Now, cast the spell," Estella ordered as she pressed her right palm by his spine, opening herself to the rush of magic.

Nox chanted, and Estella closed her eyes. As soon as he finished speaking, she gasped. The mana flowing within him raged like a stormy sea. It rushed to form the spell, but it also spilled in a great surge, dissipating into the air.

A terrifying flaw. How did Nox even managed to score high during the Selection Duels? If a Wielder couldn't control their magic, any spell they casted would go awry and kill them at once. It was actually a miracle that Nox was still alive.

"Stop!" Estella said when the first ice spear materialized, glinting in the dying rays of the sun. At her command, Nox glanced over a shoulder, perplexed, but did as she had said. The ice spear evaporated once more in curls of steam.

Estella stepped back and crossed her arms. "Do you know what you're doing?" she demanded.

He had the decency to look guilty, at least. "Yes, I know. I'm burning up mana every time I cast a spell."

"Since when?"

"Since... Since I learned how to cast a spell."

"And you're still alive?" She shook her head, exasperated. If he was not her squire, she would have stopped teaching him now. "Didn't no one teach you how to properly control your mana?"

Nox's words were slow as he responded, "There was no one skilled enough. I lived in a remote village, remember?"

She glared at him. "Fine. But you have to stop doing that. I'll teach you how."

He nodded. "Of course, Master."

***

The next day was a brutal challenge for Estella. With only two days left, there was no time for Nox to perfect his control over his mana.