Edward spent the next few days trying to focus on the three energy flows simultaneously, but it seemed like an impossible task. When Eliza was away and the Chakra flow decreased slightly, he could concentrate on both Chakra and Qi at the same time.
However, when he tried to add Ether, it was so much larger than the other two that it ended up flooding his entire perception, and he could no longer sense the other energies.
When Eliza was near and he could increase the Chakra flow, it was possible to balance it with the Ether flow, but the Qi became imperceptible.
[As long as I don't increase my Qi flow more, it's going to be impossible,] Edward said, disappointed, giving up for the day.
[You have to keep trying,] Nana tried to cheer him up, but she was also getting frustrated. [Where do you think Eliza is taking you?]
[I don't know, she's never brought me to this side of the Villa before,] Edward replied.
It didn't take long for them to find out where they were going. Eliza had taken them to one of the village's courtyards. Edward immediately understood why she had never brought him to this side.
Unlike the graceful and well-kept garden they usually frequented daily, this courtyard was just an open area, paved with some kind of concrete. Clearly, that area had been created to be functional, not beautiful.
"What are you two doing here?" Edmund asked Eliza.
"Can't your sister and nephew watch a bit of your training?" Eliza replied playfully.
[This could be a good opportunity, focus on feeling Edmund's energy flows,] Nana told Edward.
[Will feeling his energy flow help me feel my own?] Edward asked, still skeptical. But either way, it was good training, even if it didn't help him with his main task.
"Of course, you're welcome to watch," Edmund said, bowing as if presenting a segment of a variety show.
After that, Edmund prepared to begin his sword training. He was using a saber, which caught
Edward's attention; he had trained with that type of sword almost his entire life at the military school's fencing club.
When his uncle began the first movements, Edward was also impressed by how similar Edmund's saber fencing style was to his own.
Of course, his uncle's technique was much more refined, but the fundamentals were still very much alike.
[Concentrate on the Mana flow,] Nana called Edward's attention, and he obeyed.
He began to focus all his concentration on feeling the Mana flow his uncle produced. His concentration quickly began to bear fruit. He was soon able to perceive the energy flows.
When he transformed that perception into a mental image, it was as if the world had been tinged with green, red, and blue.
He could clearly see the emotional bridge between Eliza and Edmund, where Chakra was absorbed and then taken in by his uncle.
He could see Qi accumulating around Edmund's body, and how the produced flow was much more intense in the muscles that were directly in use.
If he leaned on his right leg to start a movement, it was as if his leg had turned into a sponge absorbing green energy from the air. He would then exert force with his arm to deliver a blow; now it was his arm that lit up green.
[He's not using much Ether, the flow is very low,] Edward commented to Nana when he noticed Edmund's Ether flow.
[It's not that his is too low, yours is abnormally large,] Nana replied. [Take advantage of the fact that you now have Edmund's flow to balance your perception, and try to perceive your own flow completely.]
[If that was an option, why didn't you tell me before?] Edward wasn't angry, but curious; he knew there must be a reason.
[It would be impossible for you to feel someone's Mana flow while that person performs daily activities,] Nana responded.
Edward wasted no time and began to concentrate on his own energy flow. He started with Qi; it was astonishing how Edmund's Qi was absurdly larger than his own.
Soon after, he concentrated on Chakra. Now, he could concentrate on Qi at the same time, even while next to Eliza.
Finally, the last and most difficult task: adding the final energy. Edward could feel it would be easier, but it still wasn't a simple task.
It took him a few tries until he succeeded. But eventually, there it was, he could feel his own Mana flow.
The comparison with Edmund's was inevitable. While his uncle's was orderly, balanced, his own was completely chaotic and unbalanced.
[Great, now store that sensation. Try to create a Mental image for it too,] Nana indicated the next step.
Edward concentrated on that sensation and imagined that new flow as a golden energy. Suddenly, all the colors merged and painted the world golden. That was a vision very similar to the golden aurora borealis that had appeared in his Mental Helm.
Edmund's energy flow, now golden, was like a calm river that follows its course to the sea without major turbulence. His own, however, was like a small stream full of rocks, forming treacherous currents.
[Great, now you just needed to complete the last part, balancing the three energies in your Mana flow to make it more harmonious, but...] Nana said.
Edward concentrated on the task too quickly and didn't notice what Nana said after the "but."
He had the idea of creating the image of funnels blocking the Chakra and Ether flows to balance them with the Qi flow, and he was too excited to test it to pay attention to everything Nana was saying.
He quickly proceeded to test his theory, and it worked like a charm.
His mana flow immediately began to stabilize. He could clearly feel the treacherous currents being replaced, one by one, by a calm, breeze-like flow.
[Edward, stop...] Nana tried to prevent him, but by then it was too late.
Suddenly, a bang pulled Edward out of his state of concentration. He noticed that Eliza was holding him much more firmly.
Had something happened? Had his uncle done something wrong? Were they under attack?
Edward got his answer when he looked around. Nothing had been destroyed, but clearly a small explosion had caused a gust of wind that had swept the dust from the ground.
A cloud of dust had formed. But what surprised Edward most was realizing that he was at the center of all that mess. The swept dust trails formed a crown around him, making it clear that he was the epicenter.
What had he done to cause that?
[Congratulations, you awakened your Mana core,] Nana congratulated him sarcastically.
So that's why she had told him to wait until he was alone to awaken his core. Was that what she had tried to warn him about earlier?
"This kid just..." Edmund came running towards them.
"It seems so?" Eliza's voice sounded clearly scared.
"At four months, four months! If that's not a record, I don't know what is!" Edmund, on the other hand, was excited.
"What do we do?" Eliza asked her brother. She was clearly able to foresee implications that hadn't even crossed Edmund's mind.
[That's why I told you not to do this in front of anyone; now they'll think you're some kind of freak,]
Nana's voice made it clear how annoyed she was.
[Sorry, I got carried away. But now there's nothing else we can do,] Edward tried to lighten the mood.
"We can't let people know about this; it'll draw too much attention to Edward," Eliza expressed her concern to Edmund.
"Well, I guess you're right. It's better to call your husband and maybe Dad and let them sort it out," Edmund finally understood why his sister wasn't as excited as he was.
"But we have to admit, it's incredible, isn't it? Awakening at only four months," he said, trying to cheer up his sister.
"Edward is my son after all, of course he'd be incredible," Eliza replied, finally showing a smile.
"Everyone who keeps belittling him because of his class will have a surprise in the future."
Edward was satisfied to see his adoptive mother defending him like that. But at the same time, he was apprehensive. Would that mistake have any major consequences?