I sat down, still feeling the lingering exhaustion from my training, and engaging in another round of conversation with Aza.

  <”Anyway, did you analyze it?”>

  【Yes. But acquiring it is tougher than mastering water or fire.】

  Her response made me pause. Tougher than fire? That didn’t sound good.

  <”What is it?”>

  【You have to pulverize a massive boulder with your fist without relying on any aura or mana.】

  <”... What?”>

  A boulder? With my bare fist? I stared blankly at the wall, trying to process her words.

  So, to obtain the earth element, I needed to break a gigantic rock without using mana or aura?

  What kind of barbaric requirement was that?

  Am I supposed to train until my fists are harder than stone?

  Anyway, Aza had already told me about the conditions for the water and fire elements.

  For water, I had to absorb mana while completely submerged.

  It sounded simple, but the problem was that I had to absorb mana with my entire body simultaneously, not just my hands.

  My mana capacity wasn’t even close to making that possible yet.

  The only way I could prepare was to increase my mana pool first.

  The fire element, on the other hand, had two possible methods.

  The first required me to cover my hand in raw mana or aura, then plunge it into fire for several minutes.

  That was insane.

  Who in their right mind would willingly set their hand on fire?

  The second method was just as unreliable—I needed to experience extreme anger to awaken the fire within me.

  The problem was that there was no way to know how much anger was needed, and I wasn’t exactly living a life filled with rage.

  I had a peaceful life here, so there was nothing that could push me into such a deep fury.

  Compared to fire, water, and earth, I had no clue how to obtain the remaining basic elements: wind, light, and dark.

  I assumed wind would be easier than others, given its free-flowing nature,

  but light and dark were mysteries.

  Most RPG games treated them as special elements, ones that didn’t follow the usual elemental weaknesses and resistances.

  If this world was anything like those games, then awakening light or dark magic might be far more difficult than the others.

  As I pondered these elements, another question surfaced in my mind.

  <"By the way, what's the difference between elemental aura and elemental mana?">

  【Elemental aura appears like air when released. However, mana infused with elements can be materialized.】

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Aza paused before continuing.

  【For example, that kid’s earth aura earlier made objects physically heavier when wrapped around them. But if he wrapped the same object in earth mana, it wouldn’t change the weight much—just give off a menacing vibe instead.】

  <"I see… So aura acts as an enhancement for real objects, while magic creates fake objects?">

  【Correct.】

  Aza continued in her usual analytical tone.

  【Moreover, mana can create seemingly real substances—such as rocks, fire, or water—just like in anime. However, it is still fake.】

  That made sense.

  <"Wait, doesn’t that mean close-ranged fighters are just supporters instead of damage dealers?">

  【Not necessarily.】

  She immediately dismissed my assumption.

  【Close-fighters can project aura in a similar way to magic, enabling them to attack from medium and even long distances. While they don’t create projectiles like mages, they can release bursts of aura toward an enemy.】

  <"Now it sounds like using aura is better than mana.">

  If aura could do everything mana could and boost physical attacks, wasn’t it just superior?

  Aura users can engage at any range, from short to long, whereas mana users typically operate in medium to long range.

  【Not exactly. As that adventurer mentioned, mana absorption is easy, but absorbing aura is nearly impossible. Aura users deplete their reserves faster and require more rest or potions to recover. Moreover, they tend to exhaust their physical stamina as well, unlike mages who can stay behind and attack from afar.】

  Ah… I see. So stamina and recovery were the trade-offs.

  A mage could keep attacking for longer because mana was easier to replenish, but an aura user would burn out much faster in prolonged fights.

  Everything was balanced.

  But then, a thought struck me.

  <"Doesn’t that mean magic swordsmen are ridiculously overpowered?">

  Aza responded without hesitation.

  【Simply being able to handle both aura and mana proficiently is already considered overpowered, Master.】

  <"Then… am I really a genius?">

  【No.】

  She shut me down immediately.

  【Master simply has more experience than normal people in imagining things.】

  Argh! She denied it again!

  Is it that hard to just praise me!?

  【If Master wants praise, I suggest bragging to your sisters—especially the one with a brother complex.】

  So she knew that I wanted to be praised, but she still refused to do it herself!?

  After finishing the training session, we resumed work at the bar.

  The evening passed uneventfully, as did the next morning.

  My routine remained unchanged—absorbing and releasing mana, unleashing aura, and physical training.

  Every night, I also trained myself in my room, practicing my mana control.

  Motivated to be a magic swordsman, I tried guiding my mana toward where my aura was stored, but an invisible wall seemed to block it. The same happened when I attempted to move the aura to where my mana was.

  When I asked Aza about it, she suggested that I needed a deeper understanding of mana, aura, and elements before advancing further.

  And since I still lacked an element, I couldn't push past that wall yet.

  So for now… I had to be patient.

  And finally, Saturday arrived—marking my first trip home since I started working at the guild.

  My sisters, completely exhausted from their adventuring work, chose to stay at the town’s inn, leaving me to travel home alone.

  The carriage rocked gently as I gazed at the passing scenery.

  It was strange—only a week had passed, yet I already felt a sense of nostalgia.

  I hadn’t even left for that long, but I already missed home.

  To pass the time, I struck up another conversation with Aza.

  <"Aza, do you think I should tell my parents about my Appraisal skill?">

  【Allow me to search for relevant information. Please wait.】

  Even though Aza’s tone had become more natural recently, her voice still had a faint mechanical quality. I hoped she would regain her previous voice soon. The voice I had heard in those past videos that was played in my mind was… way cuter.

  After a moment, Aza responded.

  【Information retrieval complete.】

  【The Appraisal Skill is not rare but also not too common. Approximately 6 out of 10 people possess an appraisal-related skill.】

  I let out a relieved sigh. That was a good ratio—it meant I wouldn’t stand out too much.

  Aza informed me that my first use of the appraisal skill had been noticed by my mom, who chose to overlook it, assuming she was merely imagining things due to the negligible amount of aura used.

  I contemplated upgrading my Appraisal Skill soon. But doing everything in secret sounds exhausting…

  Maybe it was finally time to tell my family.