"... Alright, because you already know about Mana, th-"
"Yes, from the book I read"
"..."
Grandpa's face immediately turned grim, after Mikail said that, and Malisa just kept laughing at this sight.
'I think I've gone too far with this joke'
Mikail thought, realizing that this was the time to stop, then with a sheepish smile, he said.
"Hehe~ I'm sorry... Keep going, I'm not going to disturb you again"
Grandpa snorted after he heard what Mikail said, his feelings were already very disturbed, but Melisa currently couldn't possibly explain what Mikail wanted to know, and no one else could besides him, while Mikail had to know this so that an incident like before wouldn't happen again, so even though Grandpa didn't feel in the mood to explain, but because this had to be done, he still did it.
"... *Sigh* I'll explain this so even SOMEONE like you could understand, so hear me thoughtfully, if you once again interrupt me, I swear to God, even if your Grandpa comes back to live, I'll do something that you probably won't like, I swear to The God, Mikail, do you heard me?"
Grandpa said with an angry expression while pointing at Mikail as if he was at the peak of his anger.
"Yes, Grandpa!"
The only answers that could come out from Mikail right now.
"... Good, so in this world, Mana is something that already existed since the beginning of creation, it's a force that keeps this world, our world, and the entire universe running, it's something that is necessary for all beings, it's like Oxygen, without Mana, The world is just waiting for its destruction"
"What?! If it's really that important, then why humans couldn't sense this Mana? I mean, Isn't that a bit of a contradiction?"
"That's where the problem is, actually, at first, all humans can sense and use Mana, it's like a part of their body, but... "
In the beginning, all humans could use Mana. It flowed through them like blood, allowing them to shape the world with magic. But humans are humans. Greed and ambition took over. Kings waged wars using devastating magic, sorcerers twisted nature, and necromancers raised the dead. The world burned, and humanity became consumed by destruction.
The gods of Asgard watched, and their patience ran out. Thor raged. Freya wept. Even Odin, who sees all, feared what would come next. If left unchecked, humans would one day challenge the gods themselves.
So they decided.
Mana was taken away.
The connection was severed, and in an instant, all magic disappeared from human hands. Empires crumbled, knowledge was lost, and the world fell into chaos. Humanity was forced to start over, relying only on their own strength.
Over time, magic became nothing more than a myth.
--------
"... That's how Humans forget about the Existence of Mana..."
'What? Isn't it strange? Then how-'
"Seeing your expression, you must be wondering why I know about Mana, right?"
Said Grandpa, as if he knew what was on Mikail's mind.
"Yes, exactly like that"
"The answer is because The Forgotten One..."
"The Forgotten One?"
"Yes"
"... Is he called like that because it was indeed his nickname, or did he want to be called like that himself?"
"Stop you're nonsense, we don't know that deep, That's how we were told, basically from the start it was already like that"
"I see, then what this forgotten one do?"
After that, Grandpa explained again.
When the gods severed humanity's connection to Mana, they believed it was gone forever. But they did not account for the Forgotten One.
A being of unknown origin, the Forgotten One had the ability to travel between worlds, untouched by divine laws. He wandered through realms beyond Yggdrasil.
Seeing humanity stripped of their birthright, he made a choice, to return Mana to those worthy of it.
He found those who sought wisdom, those who longed for the forgotten power. In secret, he taught them the old ways, guiding them in the shadows. These chosen few became the Hidden Practitioners, a group of humans who still wielded Mana despite the gods' decree.
Thus, even though most of humanity forgot magic, a hidden lineage endured.
--------
"... We called this Group The Defient, My Family and Melisa here are the Descendant of those groups, that's why we can still use Mana despite it being forbidden by the Gods"
"It's okay? I mean will the Gods punish us for this?"
Mikail's voice dropped to a whisper as he glanced around, half-expecting divine wrath to strike them down.
Hearing that, Grandpa snorted.
"... If they want, they would've done it long ago... If it was in the past, it might have been quite dangerous, but ever since the Forgotten One came to this world, the Æsir's watch began to loosen... No, it was more like they were abandoning Earth... The gods aren't omnipotent... The Forgotten One didn't just teach us, maybe he also shielded us"
Melisa, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke up, her arms crossed. Said.
"But that doesn't mean that we can do whatever we want, we still have to be careful. If we draw too much attention, some divine watchdogs might take notice. The gods can't directly interfere, but their servants? That's a different story"
Mikail nodded slowly, processing everything.
"So... you're saying there are people out there, working for the gods, who could come after us?"
"Not could. Will"
Grandpa corrected. Then continued.
"The moment you tap into Mana, you step onto their radar. That incident earlier? If you weren't lucky, you might have already drawn unwanted attention"
A chill ran down Mikail's spine. This wasn't just some cool hidden power, it was a gamble. A dangerous one.
"...And you still want to teach me?"
"Of course, Humans who can activate their own mana are very rare, if not unheard of... You are a special case, and you should be aware of that fact, traces of Mana have been left inside your core, and if you can't control it well, then an incident like before could happen, it would be good if we were around at that time, but if it happened out there, not only would you cause a commotion but you would also attract their attention, that is not a situation that you and all of us want, so no matter what, you must learn how to control your Mana"
Melisa sighed, shaking her head.
"... Old Man, Why did you only tell him part of the story? Aren't you going to tell him about the other dangers that exist in this world besides the surveillance of Asgard?"
Mikail looked at Grandpa, and Grandpa looked at Melisa with a cynical look.
"There's more?"
"No, it's not the right time for you to know that. It's still too early"
Grandpa said, looking at Melisa then narrowed his eyes.
"And You better shut up your mouth"
Melisa just shrugged her shoulders at the grandfather's words, as if she didn't take them seriously at all.
"... Now I have to know. What else is out there?"
Grandpa sighed, rubbing his temples as if debating whether to continue. After a moment, he shook his head.
"You're not ready. Just focus on learning to control your Mana first. Knowledge without power is just a burden"
Melisa smirked.
"Told you he'd get curious"
Mikail crossed his arms, clearly unsatisfied, but he knew pushing the topic wouldn't get him anywhere. If Grandpa didn't want to talk about it, no amount of prying would change his mind.
"Fine... Then where do we start?"
Hearing Mikail's answers, Grandpa's expression hardened.
"...Good. First, you need to sense Mana deliberately, not by accident like before. Right now, your core is like an overflowing cup. You have power, but it's spilling out uncontrollably. We need to make sure you can hold it before you even think about using it"
Mikail nodded, his mind still racing with thoughts about the dangers Grandpa refused to mention. But for now, there was no choice but to take the first step.
Melisa clapped her hands together.
"Alright, let's see if you're a natural or if you're going to embarrass yourself"
Mikail shot her a glare.
"You're enjoying this too much"
Melisa grinned. Said.
"Absolutely~"
Grandpa ignored their banter and gestured for Mikail to sit.
"Close your eyes. Breathe slowly. Feel the energy inside you... Mana isn't something you reach for, it's something that's already there. You just need to listen"
Mikail closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to be listening for, but as he focused, a strange warmth flickered inside him. It pulsed, like a quiet heartbeat, deep in his core.
His breath hitched.
He could feel it.
'... So, this is Mana'
....
...
..
.