Adrien lowered his gaze. "Right", he replied.

Val was silent for a while; then he smiled. "I am glad that you agree. I am well aware that not everyone thinks as I do... However", he continued with an impish smirk on his face and one index finger raised, "you are in my house, and I won't have any apprentice of mine fainting left and right on my watch. Understood?".

"Understood, your highness", Adrien giggled.

"Good", Val smiled. He handed him the staff. "In this exercise, I will throw fireballs at you. You will defend yourself as you've done before. When you cast your spell, focus on the energy flowing through you while you channel it. Try to understand where and how it runs. Know that it might take a while before you find anything, so we will do this for as long as you need".

"Alright", Adrien said. He passed the staff to his left hand and shifted his fingers in place. He took in a deep breath. "Alright, you can begin".