MEMELAND

The following afternoon—

Kai stood outside Alice's office.

He knocked twice.

"Come in."

He stepped inside.

Alice barely looked up.

Papers covered her desk.

Reports.

Supply requests.

Construction plans.

Trade routes.

The rebuilding of Asphyxia apparently generated enough paperwork to bury an army.

"You look busy."

"I am."

"...Can I ask something?"

"You already are."

Kai smiled awkwardly.

"...Can you teach me magic?"

Alice finally looked up.

"...No."

Kai blinked.

"...That was fast."

"I'm busy."

She pointed toward the mountain of documents.

"I have a kingdom to run."

Kai nodded.

"...Fair enough."

He turned toward the door.

"I'll just find somewhere else."

Alice sighed.

"There is somewhere else."

Kai stopped.

"The Magic Academy."

Kai turned around.

"Asphyxia has one?"

Alice stared at him.

"...Of course it does."

"You thought I learned magic by throwing fire at trees?"

Kai scratched the back of his head.

"...Maybe."

Alice pinched the bridge of her nose.

"The academy is on the eastern district."

"They'll teach you the fundamentals."

Kai nodded.

"Alright."

"I'll go there."

He reached for the doorknob.

Alice watched him.

"...I didn't say I wouldn't teach you."

Kai slowly turned.

"...You literally did."

"I said I was busy."

"...That's the same thing."

"It's different."

Kai decided not to argue.

"...Okay."

Alice stood.

"Show me."

"Hm?"

"The magic."

"You said you can use it."

Kai walked toward the center of the room.

He extended one hand.

Closed his eyes.

He remembered the feeling from Oheyo.

Not the memories.

The mana.

Like invisible currents flowing around everything.

He reached toward them.

Gathered them.

Focused.

A tiny flame appeared above his palm.

Unlike before—

It no longer flickered wildly.

It remained steady.

Calm.

Controlled.

Alice froze.

"...Do that again."

Kai blinked.

"...Okay?"

The flame disappeared.

Then returned.

Again.

No chant.

No magic circle.

Nothing.

Alice's eyes narrowed.

"...How?"

Kai looked at his hand.

"I don't know."

"I just..."

He searched for the words.

"...Feel it."

"I imagine what I want."

"And it happens."

Silence.

Alice slowly walked closer.

"...You didn't chant."

"No."

"You didn't cast."

"No."

"You didn't form a circle."

Kai shook his head.

"...Should I have?"

Alice looked disturbed.

"...That's..."

She whispered almost to herself.

"...Chantless casting..."

Kai frowned.

"...Is that bad?"

Alice looked at him.

"...No."

"It's extremely rare."

She looked at the flame again.

"...The only person I've ever heard about consistently using chantless magic..."

Her voice trailed off.

Kai finished the sentence.

"...Vaan?"

Alice slowly nodded.

"...Yes."

Silence settled between them.

Kai extinguished the flame.

"...I don't think that's because of him."

"I think..."

He looked at his hand.

"...It's because of the memories."

Alice didn't argue.

She simply nodded.

"...Probably."

She walked toward a nearby shelf.

Pulled out several books.

Then placed them on the desk.

"If you're going to learn..."

"You'll learn properly."

Kai smiled.

"...Thought you were busy."

"I am."

"...Then why?"

Alice shrugged.

"...Because if I don't teach you the basics..."

"...You'll probably burn down my office."

"...Fair."

The next several hours passed surprisingly quickly.

Alice started with the fundamentals.

"Magic isn't imagination."

"It uses imagination."

"They're different."

Kai listened carefully.

She explained mana flow.

Elemental affinity.

Control.

Efficiency.

Waste.

Instead of throwing larger flames—

She made him create smaller ones.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Until every flame looked identical.

"...Control before power."

Kai nodded.

Then tried again.

This time—

The flame remained perfectly still.

Alice smiled faintly.

"...Good."

She extended her own hand.

A gentle breeze circled above her fingers.

"Wind."

She dispersed it.

Then created water.

Then earth.

Then fire.

Kai watched quietly.

"...Can everyone do that?"

"No."

"Everyone has affinities."

"Some elements come naturally."

"Others never will."

She gestured toward him.

"Try wind."

Kai focused again.

Instead of imagining heat—

He imagined movement.

A current.

A flowing breeze.

The air shifted.

A weak gust circled around his hand.

Alice nodded.

"...Again."

The second attempt was stronger.

The third—

Even stronger.

By sunset—

Kai could reliably create small flames.

Small gusts of wind.

Nothing impressive.

Nothing destructive.

Just...

Magic.

Alice finally closed the last book.

"...You have talent."

Kai smiled.

"...Thanks."

"But don't misunderstand."

"Talent only determines where you start."

"It doesn't decide where you finish."

Kai nodded seriously.

"...Got it."

A thought suddenly crossed his mind.

"...Alice."

"Hm?"

"...Brennan."

She became noticeably quieter.

"...What about him?"

Kai rested his elbows on his knees.

"...What exactly did the magic circuits do?"

"They let him use magic."

"...But..."

"...Was that all?"

Alice looked thoughtful.

"...Honestly..."

"I've never considered that."

She leaned back.

"If my theory is correct..."

She spoke slowly.

"...Magic circuits allow people who can't naturally sense mana..."

"...to artificially interact with it."

Kai listened carefully.

Alice continued.

"I remember trying to teach Brennan magic."

"He couldn't feel anything."

"No matter how much he practiced."

"But..."

She looked toward the window.

"...After we rescued him..."

"He suddenly understood how to control mana."

"He wasn't experienced."

"But he could use it."

Kai fell silent.

Then quietly asked,

"...What would happen..."

"...if someone who can already use magic..."

"...received magic circuits?"

Alice blinked.

"...I don't know."

She genuinely didn't.

After thinking for a while—

She shrugged.

"If someone can already use mana..."

"I don't see why they'd willingly undergo such a dangerous surgery."

"The operation itself is terrifying."

"And even if it succeeds..."

She spread her hands.

"...Would it actually improve anything?"

Kai lowered his head.

"...Maybe."

"...Maybe not."

Alice smiled faintly.

"I suppose that's a question for someone crazier than me."

Kai couldn't help laughing.

"...Fair."

After thanking Alice—

Kai left the office.

The hallway had already grown quiet.

Alice remained behind.

She looked down at the books scattered across her desk.

Without realizing it—

A memory surfaced.

A much younger Alice.

Standing inside Oheyo's towering Magic Academy.

Surrounded by students who learned faster.

Cast better.

Improved quicker.

She remembered the frustration.

The countless nights spent studying.

The failures.

The determination.

She smiled.

"...Looks like I'm the teacher now."

Then she picked up another report.

And returned to work.

Outside—

Kai looked at his hand.

A tiny flame danced above his palm.

Beside it—

A small current of wind gently circled.

"...Fire..."

"...Wind..."

He smiled to himself.

"...Not bad for day one."