The next morning was quiet.
Nothing unusual happened. The plan remained the same: continue traveling south and reach the town by the afternoon. If everything went smoothly, we would arrive before evening.
Which meant one important thing.
A real bed in an inn.
Just thinking about it made me grin.
While the others prepared the wagons, I sat near the campfire feeding Rusty pieces of Red Crow meat. Most of the monster carcasses had already been burned after the useful materials were taken. The rest had been left for wild animals.
But Rusty happily ate monster meat.
When a few of the mercenaries noticed what I was doing, they stared.
Ron raised an eyebrow.
"Didn't you ask about taking some of that lizardman meat home before?"
I nodded.
"Yeah. That was for Rusty too."
The explanation seemed to satisfy them, and the attention quickly faded.
Still, I secretly stored some of the Red Crow meat inside my bag.
My dark aura had been growing slowly thanks to the Beast Breathing and Beast Skin Absorption techniques, but the amount of miasma I could gather was still very small.
I needed to experiment more.
Before feeding the meat to Rusty, I warmed it near the fire. Rusty wagged his tail happily as he ate.
While I was doing that, Khaun rode his horse toward me.
He looked down at Rusty for a moment.
"A beast that can eat monster meat," he muttered. "Interesting."
I looked up at him.
"Aren't beasts born from monster eggs supposed to eat monster meat?"
Khaun snorted.
"You think we understand monsters that well?"
He adjusted the sack hanging from his shoulder and took a drink.
"Scholars argue about it all the time. Some say monsters are shaped by imagination. Others say it depends on the affinity poured into the egg."
He shrugged.
"Some even say emotions like love affect what the creature becomes."
"In truth… nobody really knows."
Then he looked at me again.
"I also have a question for you."
I stayed silent.
"I saw you using aura yesterday," he said. "Dark aura."
"You already formed an aura core."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"So why are you paying me to teach you magic?"
For a moment I considered telling the truth.
That I already had a mana heart.
But that would reveal far too much.
"Just curiosity," I replied. "Understanding magic might help in future battles."
Khaun watched me for a moment before shrugging.
"Suit yourself."
He shifted slightly in the saddle.
"I already spoke with Ron and Rany. You'll ride in the rear with me today. I'll explain magic while we travel."
Soon after, the caravan started moving.
For a while we rode in silence behind the wagons.
Then Khaun began speaking.
"Do you know why magicians are expensive to hire?"
"Because spells need materials?" I guessed.
He shook his head.
"No."
"Because we chase the unknown."
He continued speaking while guiding his horse slowly behind the caravan.
"Knights gather mana inside their bodies and store it as aura. Usually in the abdomen."
"They push that aura through their body to strengthen attacks and defense."
"Mages work differently."
"We don't store mana like knights do."
I frowned.
"Then what is the mana heart for?"
Khaun laughed.
"It seems you misunderstood."
"The mana heart doesn't store mana."
"It helps move mana through the body faster and more smoothly."
He tapped his chest lightly.
"The structure is formed around the heart."
"Different schools use different shapes."
"Some form a circle that constantly rotates."
"Some form a star that spins."
"Others form lines that rotate around the heart."
"The important thing is movement."
"The pattern must always move."
I thought about that for a moment.
"So if the pattern doesn't move?"
Khaun's expression became serious.
"Then the mana cannot circulate."
"The heart absorbs the mana directly."
"And eventually…"
"It bursts."
He paused before finishing calmly.
"When that happens, all that remains is a pool of blood."
I swallowed quietly.
Magic sounded far more dangerous than I expected.
Khaun glanced at me.
"Understanding how mana moves is the first step to becoming a proper mage."
"Without that knowledge…"
"Most people just end up killing themselves."
Ahead of us, the wagons continued rolling south toward the town.
But for some reason…
The road ahead no longer felt as peaceful as it had that morning.