Julio and Susan were discussing certain points to avoid problems with the guests if her identity was discovered. She was an eminence in every sense of the word; the mere fact of having reached the Obsidian rank was something everyone in the world desired. Her knowledge of alchemy was almost unmatched in all of history, and her mastery of runes was at an expert level.

"Ready to go back to the party, Maki?" Susan pulled me from my thoughts. My brain had been split in two—one side listening to them, the other trying to process everything.

"Yes, Grandma Susan, whenever you wish we can return." At that moment, she put on a pair of different earrings. Instantly, her hair turned reddish, her eyes taking the same hue. Some slight facial changes made her appear as an entirely different person. When we returned, Julio would notify his family that an old acquaintance had been invited to the party, and she would sit at my table since it had the most empty seats available.

"Much better. I hope by the end of the day you'll treat me more naturally." I heard a soft laugh. I would do everything possible to do just that. If she granted me the privilege, I had to make the most of it.

Julio disappeared as quickly as he had arrived, and the two of us walked back toward the party. "Maki, what are your affinities? I sense some laws within you. I could pry into them by force, breaking through your defenses, but it's better to hear it directly from you." Since the Marquis trusted her fully, and I would eventually attend the school she directed, there was no harm in sharing my affinities with her beforehand.

"I have affinity with ice, lightning, and gravity. I've also acquired three supreme affinities: life, death, and space. Though, my control over the latter four is weaker compared to the first two." If I admitted my shortcomings, perhaps I could receive advice.

"Gravity? That's interesting. It's difficult to master, but if you do, it will be a lethal weapon in the future." Her eyes settled on me, and I felt her inspecting me. "I'm impressed you can handle so many affinities at such a young age. Do any of them relate to your bond?" How did she know about my bond? It made no sense to hide it if she already knew.

"Yes, I obtained the affinities of life and death thanks to my bond. Space was the last to join the group, though I'm still a novice in its control." I looked down at my hands and feet. I had been practicing for days without progress.

"Don't despair. You have the necessary talent, and you seem like a training fanatic. You'll master them sooner or later." Her gaze turned forward. "If you have any doubts, ask me. Your Imra is restless with curiosity." My Imra? It felt calm enough.

"Is my control of Imra not good? It's quite repressed. It shouldn't be so easy to read my emotions." Ever since I obtained it, I had trained it constantly. It was one of the parts of me I felt most proud of.

"Don't overthink it. Your control is perfect. If I had to compare it, you're at the level of an advancing Sapphire in terms of control. Tricks like that don't work on someone of my rank or experience. When you undergo your cube's first evolution, you'll notice the difference." It made sense. The gap in rank was too great. My cube's first evolution… it was close. I only needed a push.

"Grandma Susan, could you give me some advice about gravity or space magic?" If I had the chance to speak with her, I needed to use every second.

"Advice? Have you ever experienced this?" Before I could answer, a force took hold of my body. I couldn't move a centimeter. It felt like something bound me, preventing movement. My Imra and mana were sealed—I couldn't use them. My strength was slipping away little by little. I had felt something similar before: Gase had done it to me once, and my grandmother had done something like it to the man who attacked our village.

She released me almost instantly. "Yes, I've experienced this before, and I've seen it done as well." It was an unbearable sensation, a prison I couldn't possibly break now.

"Every Ruby-rank and above can do this. Not all have the same strength or pressure. It's a mix of mana, Imra, and another element you'll discover once you advance. For a Sapphire, it's nearly impossible to break or create this prison." I understood. From Ruby onward, everyone gained this ability, though its strength varied depending on one's foundation.

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"In your case, it might be different. Your willpower is on another level, your control over mana and Imra is excellent, and your gravity mana could give you the strength you need." If I had to fight a Ruby, I'd be in trouble. I needed to learn to break free soon. "Let's try again. I'll trap you with the strength of a low Ruby. Use your Imra and gravity mana to break it." We stopped a few meters before the entrance.

The pressure weighed on me again, but this time it was different. I could circulate and move my Imra and mana with some freedom. The prison felt weaker, more fragile. I shook my Imra with all my strength, trying to break free. At first, nothing happened. Then, after nearly a second, I felt my movements becoming less restricted. It was progress.

My Imra kept pressing against the prison, unable to break it, but I gained slight mobility. I could move my body, though at a snail's pace, as if underwater with weights tied to every limb. It was time to try mana. But how? I had always used gravity to press downward. This time, I pushed it outward, away from my body, using all my strength to tear the prison apart.

Two seconds later, I felt the change. My body grew lighter, the difference evident in my movements. I was still underwater, but the weights had lessened. I remained an easy target, fragile, but at least I had gained some mobility. Excitement filled me—I could move now, even while bound. With practice, I could break those chains.

The prison released, and I relaxed. I had consumed a bit of mana, and my Imra was agitated. I would need practice to prevent future problems. "Good work. That was excellent for your first attempt. You'll improve with time, and when you advance in rank, you'll gain what you need to break a Ruby prison." Grandma Susan clapped, looking genuinely pleased.

"You can use the same method to trap those of your own rank or even someone slightly above you. Once you rank up, come find me, and if I'm free, we can practice again. As for your space affinity, I'll give you some advice once we're seated with food." I nodded, and we walked back to my table.

It was still empty, so we sat next to each other. With the touch of her finger, something shifted. I couldn't pinpoint it, but activating my personal world revealed a slight difference. We were isolated from the rest. It felt natural, seamless. If I hadn't focused my ability, I might have missed it entirely.

"You have good sensory ability." Susan looked at me. "You can sense this small space I created around us. That says a lot about your perception. No one should overhear our conversation." She ended with a wink as she picked up a snack.

"I can sense it faintly. In other circumstances, it would be much harder. And in battle, it would be impossible." I wasn't lying—when fighting, my mind focused on enemies and survival.

"Don't worry. This particular space makes it easy to notice if anyone interrupts. You'll sense it through your domain." I felt more at ease. "So, what advice do you need with space magic? Are you aiming for something specific?"

I told her about my needs, my struggles, and the direction I wanted to take my movement skill. I already had what mattered most—the law and affinity. All that remained was to apply them correctly to shape my movement ability into something unique.

"You can use your sensory skill as part of the foundation for your movement ability. Perhaps that would help achieve what you want." Was that possible? "Your face says it all—you haven't tried it. Theoretically, it's possible with magic. Let me ask you a few questions to draw more conclusions."

Susan's voice was cheerful. She was genuinely enjoying herself. Her gestures and demeanor reminded me of passionate teachers from my past life. She was an extraordinary educator, the type who instantly understood her student's situation and sought the best path for teaching. Her knowledge and experience had no limits.

If I compared her to my grandmother, they were two different kinds of teachers. My grandmother was the strict type, with rare moments of humor and joy. Susan was the cheerful type, never neglecting her work. They were like two sides of the same coin—yin and yang. Both sought the best for their students, both taught well, each in their own peculiar way.

Susan asked me about my skill's name, how it worked, its origin, and other related questions. I answered clearly and honestly. If I needed help, I had to provide the details. My instincts told me to trust her.

"I see. It's a very original skill. If it helps as a starting point, you could use the range of your personal world as the foundation of your movement ability. You could consider your entire domain your safe place." My safe place? That sounded close to what I was seeking.

"Many people teleport to marked places, to areas where they've left an imprint, to where their vision can reach, or to distant spots remembered through marks or memory. In your case, you could use your personal world as your teleportation. You could move freely within your domain, without rules or restrictions. A wide range you can already observe—it would be unique and special." I thought for a moment. That would be ideal, both in combat and for escaping. If I could move freely inside my domain, it would be impossible to trap me.

"Thank you. Now comes the hardest part—configuring my movement skill. That's what's been holding me back for days." The main problem still had no solution.

"Don't worry. The solution will come soon." I lifted my head to look at her. She was staring elsewhere. I followed her gaze and found the Marquis watching us. Were they communicating somehow? At that moment, I remembered—Julio had promised me a gift yesterday to improve my skill. "Let's leave the lessons for later. For today, let's enjoy ourselves a little."

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