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Tatsumi closed his eyes and slowly let his senses run free.

With his senses unleashed, Tatsumi could clearly sense the presence of mana surrounding him.

Mana flowed slowly around him. Tatsumi drew that mana into his own body.

The image was that of breathing. As he inhaled, he drew the mana drifting around him into his own body.

Ordinary mages like Calcedonia and Giuseppe claimed they sense their own mana by visualizing a “well” inside their bodies and imagining drawing water from it.

However, Tatsumi did not possess a “well” within himself. After receiving various pieces of advice from Calcedonia and Giuseppe, the image of breathing was the one that made the most sense to him.

Oxygen entering the lungs dissolved into the blood and was pumped to every corner of the body by the heartbeat. Riding on that image, Tatsumi filled his body with mana.

In this regard, having learned about the mechanics of breathing in modern-day Japan helped Tatsumi visualize the circulation of his mana.

Feeling mana surging through his entire body, Tatsumi opened his eyes and picked up a stone that had been lying at his feet.

It was a fist-sized, ordinary stone—the kind found anywhere.

When Tatsumi clenched his fist lightly around the stone, he was able to crush it effortlessly, as if it were a mud ball.

Next, Tatsumi turned his gaze to the scarecrow standing before him, clad in the leather armor he’d used during his martial arts training.

When he slammed his fist—imbued with golden mana—into the scarecrow with all his might, it was blown to smithereens with a thunderous roar, as if it had exploded.

Seeing this, Giuseppe and Calcedonia both let out a deep, simultaneous sigh.

“…I can never make sense of you, Sonny…”
“…You’re the embodiment of outlandish, Master…”

.

Of course, there was a reason the two were so exasperated.

In the world where Calcedonia and the others currently lived, “using magic to directly enhance physical abilities” was virtually unheard of.

While magic to enhance physical abilities does indeed exist, it is strictly an effect of a spell—it does not directly increase physical abilities using mana.

Casting a spell to trigger a predetermined phenomenon—that is the magic of this world: incantation magic.

Mana is the energy used to cast spells, and reciting a spell automatically consumes a fixed amount of mana woven into that spell.

It is possible to consume more mana than strictly necessary to increase a spell’s potency or expand its range, but in such cases, reciting specific sections of the spell multiple times causes the excess mana to be consumed, thereby increasing the spell’s potency or expanding its range.

In other words, directly manipulating mana itself is rarely done.

“The amount of mana automatically consumed by a spell has been refined to the absolute minimum through long years of study. Of course, there are still mages today who are researching ways to further improve spells, and some even devote their entire lives to this research.”

For example, let’s say there’s a spell that activates with 10 units of mana when cast.

As long as the same spell is chanted, the amount of mana consumed will always be 10, no matter who casts it. However, if one were to try to produce the same effect by manipulating mana directly—without using a spell—the amount consumed might be 20 or even 30, depending on the caster’s skill.

“…I see. So, in other words, if you don’t use incantation, the efficiency is significantly worse.”

Hearing Giuseppe’s explanation, Tatsumi nodded in agreement.

Of course, it’s not impossible for mages to manipulate mana directly.

Suppose Calcedonia were to circulate mana throughout her entire body, just like Tatsumi, to enhance her physical abilities.

Even for Calcedonia, however, since she has had almost no experience directly manipulating mana up to this point, it would likely take her just as long—or even longer—than it does Tatsumi to deploy her mana.

And above all, there is the issue of the amount of mana one can contain.

After all, the amount of mana a single human can store within their body is limited. If an ordinary mage were to use mana the way Tatsumi does, they would run out of it in no time.

Even Calcedonia, who boasts an exceptionally large amount of mana for an individual, would likely deplete her reserves in less than ten minutes if she were to circulate mana throughout her entire body to enhance her physique the way Tatsumi does.

However, if she were to achieve the same effect using magic cast through spells, Calcedonia could cast the spell more than twenty times without exhausting her mana.

“I’ve heard that long ago… before spells were developed, everyone manipulated mana directly, just like you, Master. However, once spells began to spread, the method of directly manipulating mana gradually fell into disuse.”

The development of spells—which, as long as one possesses mana and simply chants them, allow anyone to achieve the same effect with an optimized amount of mana.

Naturally, as this user-friendly technique spread, the previously cumbersome techniques were naturally phased out.

Spells gave rise to “mages,” but at the same time, they also triggered the decline of “mana users.”

That was also the reason why, nowadays, while there are mages, there are only a handful of mana users left.

However, Tatsumi—who is a mana user rather than a mage—has no choice but to manipulate mana directly, without relying on spells.

That said, Tatsumi is an exceptionally unique existence: a mana user who also wields the Outer Element.

Since Tatsumi effectively never runs out of mana, he can use it without worrying about his remaining reserves.

Furthermore, as he demonstrated against the scarecrow earlier, even a reckless technique like directly slamming his mana into a target to cause an explosion is something only he can pull off.

This was the reason why Calcedonia and Giuseppe described Tatsumi as “the embodiment of outlandish.”

.

“Hmm. It seems you’ve finally learned to sense your mana and can consciously control it, my son.”
“However, your deployment of mana is still too slow. I don’t think this will be usable in actual combat.”
“That’s true… You’ve learned to sense the mana around you and use it consciously to some extent, but… you’re still not at a combat-ready level.”

Reflecting on the points Giuseppe and Calcedonia had raised, Tatsumi nodded in agreement.

“Well, that’s something to work on in the future. For now, let’s just be satisfied that you’ve reached the point where you can consciously control your mana.”

It had been quite some time since he’d begun receiving instruction from Giuseppe and Calcedonia.

While diligently fulfilling his duties as a junior priest and training in martial arts, Tatsumi had also been working hard to hone his magical skills.

Tatsumi felt he had finally made it this far, but from Giuseppe and Calcedonia’s perspective, his progress could be described as nothing short of remarkable.

It’s true that he struggled at first to sense mana, but once he was able to do so, Tatsumi’s progress was truly rapid.

Since Tatsumi’s “Heaven” lineage has no spells, he must cast magic by directly manipulating mana.

However, when it came to this “direct manipulation of mana,” Tatsumi demonstrated an exceptional aptitude.

The environment of Japan, where Tatsumi had lived until now, had been helpful in this regard.

Needless to say, magic and sorcery do not exist in Japan—or, for that matter, in the Earth world. Perhaps they exist quietly behind the scenes of society, but at the very least, Tatsumi knows nothing of real magic.

However, even if magic and sorcery do not actually exist, in so-called entertainment subculture—such as comics and video games—magic was a perfectly ordinary presence.

Tatsumi hadn’t been deeply involved in subculture, but he had still been exposed to it in a general sense.

He had used magic in video games. He had even read comics featuring wizards and mages. The wizards in movies would unleash spectacular fireballs and bolts of lightning left and right.

The sophisticated graphics of modern Japanese games and comics had etched a clear image of magic into Tatsumi’s mind.

He connected the clear image imprinted in his mind with the mana he drew from his surroundings. By doing so, Tatsumi cast his magic magic.

However, this method requires an enormous amount of mana. It involves transforming something as abstract as an image into reality. This demanded a vast amount of mana—far beyond what an ordinary mage could ever muster.

As Tatsumi becomes more accustomed to linking his images with mana, the amount of mana he consumes might decrease. Even so, he—as an Outer Element User—is likely the only one capable of casting magic this way.

.

“Well then, shall we move on to the next exercise?”

Calcedonia’s cheerful voice echoed through the room.

Tatsumi, Calcedonia, and Giuseppe were currently in a room inside the temple—a spacious, empty chamber prepared for magical training, enclosed on all sides by reinforced stone walls.

There was only one door for entering and exiting the room. It was about twice the size of the basement where Tatsumi had been summoned.

Calcedonia took a silver coin from the small pouch hanging at her waist.

It was a standardized coin known as a “trade silver coin,” commonly used throughout the entire continent of Zoisalicht.

“As you are surely aware, Master, I left a silver coin just like this one on the desk in our living room. Please try to teleport that coin here.”

Tatsumi nodded at Calcedonia’s words. Just before leaving his home, he had seen Calcedonia place the silver coin on the desk.

What they were about to attempt was the practice of the magic known as “Instant Teleportation”—a technique that could be called the epitome of the “Heaven” line.

Tatsumi closed his eyes and visualized the living room of his home, a scene he knew so well. And with it, the single silver coin resting on the desk in the center of the room.

Mana drawn from his surroundings gathered at Tatsumi’s fingertips. A faint golden light glowed at his fingertips, and its radiance gradually grew stronger.

And when the golden glow burst into a flash of light.

At Tatsumi’s fingertips────There was no silver coin.

“Uhh… Did I… fail?”
“It looks that way…”

He had been able to clearly visualize the silver coin on his desk at home. Even so, he hadn’t been able to summon that coin to this spot.

“Well then, let’s try moving this silver coin to a different location this time.”

Prompted by Calcedonia, Tatsumi focused on the silver coin resting in her palm.

Just as before, mana gathered at his fingertips, and the moment his fingertips touched the silver coin, it vanished from Calcedonia’s palm and appeared in Giuseppe’s palm the very next instant.

“It seems to have worked this time.”
“I suppose so… Hmm…”

Tatsumi folded his arms and tilted his head.

Whether it failed or succeeded, the sensation in his hands felt exactly the same. Yet the results were different—so what, exactly, was the difference?

Calcedonia and Giuseppe must have been wondering the same thing as Tatsumi. They, too, were staring at the silver coin in Giuseppe’s palm with puzzled expressions.

Just then, Giuseppe seemed to have an idea and looked up suddenly.

“Could it be… Hmm, it seems worth testing. Don’t you think so, my son?”
“What do you mean?
“This time, take this silver coin and… yes, why don’t you try sending it through that door?”

Giuseppe was pointing at the only entrance and exit in the room. The door was currently closed, and they couldn’t see the hallway beyond it.

Tatsumi did as he was told, touching the silver coin in Giuseppe’s hand using the same process as before.

And a burst of golden light flashed. But this time, the silver coin did not vanish from Giuseppe’s palm.

“What does this mean?”

Caledonia tilted her head in confusion. In stark contrast to her, Giuseppe nodded repeatedly with a look of understanding.

“Hmm. Just as I thought. But we need to conduct a few more tests. My son, would you mind following my instructions a little longer?”

Nodding at Giuseppe’s words, Tatsumi followed his instructions and tried teleporting the silver coin repeatedly.

Sometimes it succeeded, and sometimes it failed. By repeating this process over and over, the characteristics of Tatsumi’s magic gradually became clear.

.

After repeated testing, it became clear that Tatsumi’s “Instant Teleportation” had several limitations.

First, Tatsumi could only teleport objects he was directly touching.

This applied to both living and non-living things; unless a part of Tatsumi’s body was in contact with an object, he could not teleport it.

To verify this, they conducted an experiment using a grasshopper-like creature they’d caught in the temple courtyard—though it had eight legs instead of six—and the result was the same as with inorganic objects like silver coins.

There were also restrictions on where he could teleport. It was limited to “what Tatsumi could see with his own eyes.” Therefore, he couldn’t use teleportation to reach places he couldn’t see directly, such as behind a door.

Conversely, there didn’t seem to be any particular restrictions on what could be teleported. No matter how large or small, whether living or inorganic, it could be teleported.

However, the larger the object being teleported, the more mana was consumed. Similarly, the mana consumed increased as the teleportation distance increased.

That said, for Tatsumi, an Outer Element user, this point likely wouldn’t matter much.

He shifted the testing location to the temple courtyard, and whether he used a large garden stone placed there or a small pebble lying nearby, the result was the same.

However, it is currently unclear whether this is a limitation due to Tatsumi’s inexperience or a limitation of “Instant Teleportation” itself.

.

“Well then, shall we finally move on to today’s main experiment?”

Tatsumi and the others returned once more to the stone-walled room used for magic training. Wiping the usual gentle smile from his face, Giuseppe addressed Tatsumi and Calcedonia.

Today’s session had consisted of various tests and training exercises for Tatsumi’s “Instant Teleportation.” This was the final experiment—and the main objective.

That was the “Instant Teleportation” of a human being.

Tatsumi had indeed teleported himself using “Instant Teleportation” before. However, that had been done unconsciously. This time, he intended to perform it consciously.

Of course, “Instant Teleportation” of a human carries unforeseen dangers. For that reason, Giuseppe and Calcedonia—the two most skilled mages and healers at the Temple of Savaiv—were present to witness this experiment.

“First, let’s try teleporting you yourself,”

At Giuseppe’s words, Tatsumi closed his eyes and focused his mind.

He sensed the mana swirling around him and visualized the scene of himself teleporting in his mind’s eye.

“Don’t think, just feel”—a famous line from a certain movie. For some reason, that line came to mind as Tatsumi slowly deepened his concentration.

The mana surrounding him was absorbed into his body, and when it filled him completely—

—the moment Tatsumi opened his eyes, his form vanished, and he reappeared in a corner of a stone-walled room.

“A success, at least for now.”

—Giuseppe smiled warmly, and Calcedonia clapped her hands with a smile.

“Still, it does take far too long to cast the spell, doesn’t it?”
“Well, that’s part of what we’ll need to work on going forward. Now then…”

Giuseppe glanced at Calcedonia beside him; she nodded once and approached Tatsumi.

“…Next, let’s try teleporting someone other than yourself.”

Tatsumi was going to teleport someone other than himself. This was the first time he’d attempted such a thing, and it was completely unknown what would happen to that person if the teleportation failed.

As expected, it was Calcedonia who volunteered without any hesitation to be the subject of this dangerous teleportation.

Calcedonia stood silently before Tatsumi. A smile graced her face, showing no trace of fear regarding the experiment.

“G-Giuseppe-san… Don’t you think it’s dangerous to try this on a human right off the bat? We should start with a small animal, like a dog or a cat…”

In contrast to Calcedonia, Tatsumi looked anxious. And rightly so. If the magic were to fail, there was no telling what effect it might have on Calcedonia, his own family.

“You say that, but… we can’t just get our hands on a convenient little animal right away, can we?”

It seems that in the Kingdom of Largovere, there’s no custom of keeping small animals as pets.

When people talk about dogs, they mean wolves or mountain dogs; when they talk about cats, they mean wildcats. There are no dogs or cats that have been selectively bred for use as pets.

Roles such as hunting dogs and sheepdogs are apparently handled by domesticated mabeasts.

Furthermore, there are almost no wolves or wildcats living around the capital, so the only way to capture them is to hire a mabeast hunter—which, naturally, costs money and takes time.

That’s why they couldn’t prepare it in time for today’s training.

“It’s okay, Master. I believe in you.”

Faced with her beaming smile and the trust she placed in him, Tatsumi found himself at a loss for words.

“Besides, even if something happens, Grandfather is here. He can treat most injuries.”
“Quite right, quite right. You just need to believe in yourself, my son.”

Calcedonia and Giuseppe. Urged on by the two people who could be called Tatsumi’s family in this world, he finally made up his mind.

“Then… shall we go?”
“Yes… please…”

Without any particular sense of pressure or nervousness, Calcedonia closed her eyes naturally.

Having absorbed sufficient mana, Tatsumi touched Calcedonia’s body—her left shoulder—with his right hand.

The warm, soft sensation of Calcedonia’s skin transmitted through his right hand. Living with her—someone who enjoyed physical contact in all sorts of ways—Tatsumi had grown so accustomed to that sensation that it was practically second nature to him.

Feeling a touch of regret that the sensation would soon fade, Tatsumi unleashed his mana.

The two of them were currently in a corner of the room. From there, he teleported Calcedonia to the center of the room.

He chose the center of the room as his target because he judged that, with nothing around it, the probability of an accident occurring would be lower.

Then, Calcedonia’s presence vanished from Tatsumi’s palm, and without a moment’s delay, her body appeared in the center of the room.

“Oh, another success…!?”
“Ye… b-buh!?”

Calcedonia had indeed appeared in the center of the stone room.

Her body, at least.

Calcedonia felt a slight sensation of floating. But that sensation vanished immediately, and she slowly opened her closed eyes.

It seemed Tatsumi’s teleportation had succeeded, and she had been safely transported to the center of the room.

Calcedonia shifted her gaze to Tatsumi and Giuseppe, who were standing a short distance away. But for some reason, the two of them were staring at her with wide eyes.

Calcedonia tilted her head in puzzlement, her stray strand of hair on the top of her head swaying. As she did so, it came into her field of vision, which had shifted ever so slightly.

A white priest’s robe lay crumpled on the floor as if it had been cast aside. Looking closely, she could just make out what appeared to be white undergarments peeking out from beneath it.

And on top of that priest’s robe was the sacred emblem of the God of Savaiv—one she recognized all too well.

*—Huh? Is that my sacred emblem? Does that mean that priest’s robe is mine, too?*

Only then did her mind finally catch up with the situation.

Calcedonia tentatively shifted her gaze down to her own body.

Through her ruby-red eyes, she could clearly see her own snow-white body.

Long, slender legs that were still well-proportioned.

A plump buttocks with exquisite curves, and a patch of hair the same shade as her own at the base of each leg.

A slender waist cinched tightly.

And two full, rounded breasts that, despite their generous size, never lost their shape.

At the very tips of those curves, delicate, pale-colored fruits peeked out playfully.

“………………ky……”

Calcedonia realized she was now, so to speak, completely naked, and her face—not to mention her chest—flushed red in an instant.

Apparently, Tatsumi’s teleportation spell from earlier had transported “only” her.

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!”

Chalcedonia hastily covered her ample bosom with both arms and crouched down on the spot.

“I-I don’t mind Master, but please turn away immediately, Grandfather!”

At her involuntary scream, Tatsumi hurriedly turned away, while Giuseppe turned slowly.

Once she was sure they were both facing away, Calcedonia—teary-eyed—moved toward her clothes lying on the floor and hurriedly put them on. Deep down, she felt a slight pang of loneliness that even Tatsumi had turned his back on her.

The sound of fabric rustling came from behind her. For a teenager like Tatsumi, it was incredibly stimulating.

He’d only just seen Calcedonia’s dazzling figure a moment ago. Whether he liked it or not, Tatsumi’s heart began to beat fast and hard.

Aware that his cheeks were flushing, Tatsumi realized a certain fact.

“H-hey, wait a minute… So does that mean this experiment was…”
“Well, I suppose it was a failure. That said, it shouldn’t be too difficult to fix, should it?”

He’d been so focused on Calcedonia that he’d ended up teleporting “only” her. Next time, if he clearly recognizes both her and “everything” she’s wearing, he shouldn’t end up teleporting “only” her again.

“True, it’s a failure, but isn’t this actually a welcome failure for you, my son? If you’re so inclined, no matter what kind of girl it is… even a female knight clad in heavy armor, you could strip her naked in an instant, couldn’t you? Ho ho ho.”
“I-I wouldn’t do something like that!!”

The two exchanged whispers in hushed tones, careful not to let Calcedonia hear them.

As Tatsumi denied it, her already flushed face turning even redder, Giuseppe flashed a wonderful smile and thrust out his right thumb.