Chapter 30: 20 – Wielding Mana and Deciding Weapons

“Mana should work the same way as divine power then? Only that it’s a lot more strict?” Amara asked as they entered the training room. Although all the empty rooms looked the same, Amara always chose to go to the same one. 

“Yes. You can’t create new skills with it, only unlock existing ones.” Ezme replied.

“What should I start off with, you think?” Amara wondered.

“Probably body strengthening. It’s normally the first that mortals unlock, and they do it subconsciously.” Ezme suggested as she tapped her chin with her finger.

“Alright.” (Amara)

Amara clenched her fist. The divine power in her body woke up from it’s dormancy as usual, but the mana she had felt swirling around instead faded back into the background.

Amara frowned. “When I use the divine body strengthening I can’t feel my mana.”

“Then focus on your mana before your divine power flares up?” Ezme shrugged. “Nobody really knows how this works in practice. The strengths and limits.”

Amara relaxed and felt her divine power fade back into dormancy, while her mana began swirling around again. 

Focusing the feeling of mana swirling around, she clenched her fists again, but once again the mana came to a halt and the divine power activated.

“Slow learner, aren’t we?” Ezme’s taunting voice came from beside her.

“I thought you just said that nobody knows how it works in practice.” Amara retorted.

“That I did.” Ezme flung her hair back.

“In that case you should praise me for the pioneer that I am, making my own path through the unknown.” Amara argued with a wry smile.

“Only successful pioneers get praised. Those that fail are forever forgotten, treated as fools or losers. More often than not, rightfully so.” Ezme grinned.

“But we know that it’s possible for me to wield mana. So I’m not doing something that is completely out of the blue.” Amara retorted.

“Which makes you a loser.” Ezme grinned.

Amara sighed. “Fair. But failure is the key to success, as we mortals say.”

“And why fail when you can simply succeed? I’ll never understand mortals.” Ezme cocked her head.

Amara raised an eyebrow as she looked at Ezme. “Because we don’t know everything there is, and learn from each mistake until we have the knowledge needed to succeed. But I guess angels know everything from the beginning?”

“That's…” Ezme frowned and looked away. “We don’t.”

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After all, relying on divine power to solve your problems negates the need for any knowledge. Snap your fingers and whatever you wish to happen happens, all you need is a large enough pool of divine power. 

Understanding can come afterwards to increase the efficiency.

Maybe it’s a bit of a touchy subject. Is she upset?

“Did that upset you?” Amara asked.

“No. I just never realized that the things you mortals create would require such...great effort.” Ezme responded quietly.

Is she pitying us now?

Amara thought before answering. “Development is slow for us. I suppose the greatest hindrance to development is the difficulty to get the knowledge required to realize an idea. Once mortals become able to more easily share knowledge, that knowledge doesn’t have to be relearnt. And with each generation the amount of knowledge increases, giving rise to new ideas and allowing old ones to be improved upon.”

“...I see.” Ezme responded thoughtfully. “Then it must be sad if you have an idea that you can’t realize because the knowledge is lacking.”

“I suppose that’s how it is for most people in history, never seeing your idea get realized. But if they are passionate enough about their idea, they lay down the groundwork for it so it one day will be.” (Amara)

“That’s...admirable.” (Ezme)

Nawh, look at her. She’s completely forgotten about the lowliness of mortals.

“Curious about the ways of mortals, aren’t you?” Amara asked with a wry smile.

“I...h-hey! I’m not curious about mortals! Hmpf!” Ezme suddenly exclaimed and pouted with a flushing face as she snorted. “Now get back to it!”

Amara grinned. Whatever. She’s right, we came here so I’d learn how to use mana, not have philosophical discussions. 

Amara thought back to the experience she felt when trying to activate her mana. It was like a fork in the road, the road automatically guiding her to take a right when she wanted to go left.

The mana seems to come to a standstill when the divine power activates. Maybe I just need to force it to move.

Amara began moving her mana through her, making it circulate faster as her body began tingling.

Amara focused her mana to her fists as she began clenching them. Immediately she felt that the circulating mana tried to come to a halt, but forced it to move with mana manipulation.

[Ding!]