SSS Rank Sword Mage: Awakening Starts with Weakest Mana Affinity

I cleared my throat and lowered my voice into a solemn tone, as if I were reading from a sacred text. "In case the fish population in the pond decreases, here are the steps you must follow…"

"You do the reading, I do the listening. Now that's teamwork!" Morad teased, his voice bubbling across the water.

Ignoring him, I continued. "First, you must know the difference between a male and a female fish. The male's fins are rougher and longer, while the female has a rounder belly with a soft bump near her vent."

"Ohhh, so that's how you knew earlier. Smart!" Morad said, a note of understanding in his voice, as if a missing piece of information had just clicked into place for him.

"Yeah, my father is a very meticulous man; he always puts things in writing," I replied. I continued to run my finger along the page, selecting and rephrasing only the most vital information for Morad.

"The second step is separation," I continued. "Once you've identified the fishes you want to use, you'll need a separate source of fresh water. This current pond has a purification property that prevents them from mating." I was recalling details Father had written about his time at the academy in Heartis, but I didn't think all of it was necessary for Morad to know.

Morad cut in. "Well, what was all that you just said? I didn't really get it."

"Well, Morad, in the current pond the one you are both males and females are living together. Naturally, they should be mating when it's the right season. But because of its purification properties, it disrupts their ability to mate. In simple terms, Morad, the current pond is an anaphrodisiac for the fish."

Morad sounded even more confused. "Boring… what's with all these big words? Are they gonna make babies or not, Astraga?"

"Well, let's read more, Morad, to find that out," I said, teasing him as he pouted in return.

I continued, "When placed together, they won't always breed naturally. To encourage spawning, the pond must be warm, shallow, and clean. Give them food as well." I went on, "The main issue, which Father hadn't gotten around to doing, was building a small mating pond for the fish and hoping their mating cycle hadn't been greatly diminished."

I paused and looked around the pond. It was a decent pond, but definitely homemade nothing with an expert's touch. So, I had to make a warm, shallow, and clean pond? This was sounding like a simple mating pond. Even though Father had described all the requirements and items in his books, I was sure of one thing: I wouldn't be able to practice what he preached. This was not exactly what Father would call "proper conditions."

"You know, we can totally do it just like how your dad said," Morad chirped.

"We?" I asked. "By 'we' you mean 'me,' while you just stay put, huh, Morad?"

Knowing I had caught his tricks, he tried to sweet-talk me. "Me and you would make this pond fun for sure," he said. "Astraga, you'll fix it. I know you will."

His faith in me was ridiculous. I was four. I could barely lift the boulder from earlier. Still, hearing him say it lit a strange spark inside me more like pressure like maybe I could find a way.

Wait, the boulder. Yes, he moved it, right? I would definitely need those abilities for later.

"Morad, remember how you moved the boulder I crushed?" I asked.

"Yeah, why? You wanna move another one? I thought we were making a pond ," he replied.

"No, no, listen. We are, but we would need to make a hole in the ground first. That's why," I explained as a new idea bubbled in my head.

"Well, I can't do much, Astraga. I can't take in mana properly in this form. I can only make the boulder roll to some sides and also rotate it."

"Like, make it spin?" I asked, narrowing my options. That detail mattered more than it seemed. Spinning meant friction, and friction meant grinding. If he could keep that up, it could serve as a crude kind of drill.

"Yes, but not for long… I know, boring," Morad admitted. "I can only do it once every two hours. And when I spin it, I can keep it going for maybe a minute or two before I run out of mana." As he further explained, "It starts slow, then picks up speed fast as time goes on, but after that, though, it stops altogether."

One thing he said stuck with me: mana didn't have elemental property restrictions for spirits or non-living entities. Interesting. So, he just used plain mana to do that?

I refocused on the boulder. That was good enough for me. The ground here was far too solid to dig through with my bare hands or makeshift tools. We needed pressure and consistency something to wear the earth down little by little.

A boulder spinning in place would act like a blunt drill, grinding and scraping at the dirt and stone beneath it. It wouldn't be fast or elegant, but it would eventually be effective.

I looked around and spotted another boulder, a bit bigger than the one I had crushed with my chains. "Hmm," I thought, "I could use this for the project." I figured it would probably take us three to four days to complete.

So, I immediately gave Morad an exercise: spin the boulder in one spot and don't stop until he couldn't anymore. I needed to know exactly how long he could manage and how much damage it would deal. If this worked, then even Morad's limited ability could carve us a path forward.

As I found a suitable spot in the cave, Morad immediately began the task, energized by the fact that he could contribute instead of just listening. While he worked, I turned back to the notes, flipping carefully until another line caught my eye.

Father wrote: "When breeding succeeds, the eggs must be protected, for many will not survive. Only the strongest fry will endure."

This would affect our plans. Even I didn't know a way to stop this, and we weren't necessarily looking for the strongest fish just a suitable vessel. Still, all we could do was continue and hope for the best.

In a sudden moment of clarity, I corrected my previous thinking. I realized that if we were to have a vessel, it really did need to be the strongest. Survival. Wasn't that exactly what Morad needed? If I could protect the eggs... if I could make sure only the strongest were raised... then maybe, just maybe, the offspring would have the resistance he needed.

I closed the book slowly, clutching it tight. "Alright, Morad. I think I know what to do."

The pond rippled with excitement. "Finally!" Morad said as he continued his part of the task.

I grinned, though my stomach fluttered with nerves. "We'll have to make this pond ready... and then let nature decide. But I also need to get home. As my mother would send my sister come lloking for me by tomorrow we would start the task as I would carry the water needed."

"Tomorrow? I thought this cave was your home," Morad said, confused.

"What made you think that?" I asked.

"Well, I just thought so! Hahaha," he said.

"But your leaving me" he said. Feeling sad. probably the toughts of being abandon by his previous master were still clug to him.

"Don't worry, I'll be back. Just focus on what I gave you." As I spoke, the rushing sound of the earth filled my ears as Morad kept spinning the boulder.

"Promise?" he asked.

"Yes, I promise, Morad."

I went home. Tomorrow was another day, and only tomorrow knew what it had in store for us.