Yeah, those are just ways to help with the third part: 'Control'.
Mana and Knowledge can't be changed. If you don't meet the standard for either, you can't use magic. You just have to train those the hard way. No shortcuts or fancy tricks.
Control is different. You can boost it with other methods. Hand signs help mana flow for better control. Chants are like mind tricks plus muscle memory, making it automatic.
But to Cid, these tricks are basically impure shortcuts. Trading close combat skill for ranged attacks. It's lowering your standards.
Using hand signs ties up your hands. Chants warn the enemy. Some really complex spells might need years of prep time!
A real mage can cast instantly, right up close in a fight. Anyone else is just a tool that can shoot magic.
Of course, that's just Cid's personal standard. He knew if he said this out loud, the whole magic world would want him dead.
By his rules, 99.99% of them wouldn't even count as mages, even the top ones.
They might instant-cast basic spells, but they need tricks for the advanced stuff.
————
"Damn it, where did it go?"
Hours had passed, and it was almost sunset, but Cid still hadn't found the runaway cat.
In those hours, Cid had run all over the area near the mountain base where a cat might hide. He'd also checked the animal shelter and even the place where they put cats down. Nothing.
Now he kind of regretted taking Kanon's money. If this were two days ago, he probably would have given up by now.
After all, the cat left on its own; it had nothing to do with him.
But now he'd taken the cash. If the cat died because of him before he found someone to take it, he'd have to apologize to Kanon, give all the money back, and still take care of the cat.
A total loss! Why didn't he think of this yesterday? Money really isn't easy to make.
Just as Cid was about to give up in frustration, his eyes narrowed. He felt it. Two human-shaped life forms had walked into the barrier he'd set up outside the old monastery.
Crap. Talk about bad luck hitting when you're already down. No time to look for the cat now. Losing the money was better than this. The barrier he set was a trap easy to get in, impossible to get out.
He didn't know why those two went to an abandoned monastery, and he didn't care. But he knew exactly what would happen when they tried to leave and couldn't. He could picture it with his eyes closed.
First, they'd call for help. Then the barrier would be found and reported to the Itogami Island Guard.
Next, the Guard would investigate area by area.
With modern tech, and since he hadn't tried hard to hide it, they'd probably trace it back to him fast. Then his identity as the 'Power in the Shadows' would be exposed!
No! He couldn't stand the thought of his true identity being revealed for such a stupid reason! He didn't want the future where he becomes some cliché villain who loses control and destroys the world! No way, no way! He absolutely couldn't accept that.
Thinking this, Cid ran even faster up the mountain. If he could, he'd transform into Shadow right now and get to the monastery instantly.
Thump, thump...
Finally, after ten minutes or so, Cid reached the monastery entrance. Seeing the barrier still untouched, he almost cried with relief.
He quickly undid the barrier and peeked inside the monastery. He was still pretty curious about who would come to this deserted place. For the longest time, the only people he'd seen here were Kanon and himself.
Looking in, Cid saw a tall man in black priest clothes kneeling before the monastery's rusty cross. Behind him stood a small figure in a black cloak, holding a furball in their hands.
Hey, wait a second... that furball looked just like the missing cat, No. 24.
"Hmm...!"
Maybe hearing the footsteps, the praying man stood up. The tall figure turned and looked at Cid.
"To think I'd meet one blessed by the Lord in this desecrated place. It's both an honor and quite funny."
The tall figure looked a little surprised when he saw Cid, then shook his head, saying stuff Cid didn't understand.
"Um... hello? Sir, who are you talking about when you say 'one blessed by the Lord'? Is someone else here?"
Cid glanced around, making sure there were only the three of them.
"No need to doubt. I am talking about you. May I ask your name, Your Eminence?"
"Uh... Cid. Just call me Cid, mister. And... uh... I don't have any money."
Cid figured he'd run into a scammer. This whole acting mysterious thing to trick old folks or teens going through a chuuni phase he'd seen it plenty in his past life.
After all, he used to chase after supernatural powers himself, and his family was pretty rich.
Because of that, sometimes people would try to scam him out of money.
Of course, every single one of them got beaten up by him.
It wasn't that he didn't believe he wouldn't be searching for power if he didn't it was just that if they couldn't even beat him, how could they dare say they could teach him magic? That was hilarious.
"Your Eminence Cid, I am Rudolf Eustach, an Exorcist from the West European Church. I am not trying to trick you. You truly are blessed by the Lord. If I had met you sooner, I likely would have taken you to the Church and proposed you as the new Holy Son."
'Wow, such a familiar script, Cid thought. Next, is he going to say I have some hidden problem sealing my god-given talent?'
'And that normally it costs a fortune to unseal, but since he wants me as his student, I just need to give him a few million, maybe just a few hundred thousand Zeni as a 'disciple fee' to fix it?'
'Seriously, you even made up a church name and rank? Or wait, that's a real church? How dare you? Aren't you afraid they'll find out and come after you?'
"Unfortunately..."
'Ah, here it comes, here it comes! Cid mentally prepared himself. Just say it already. My fist is itching. I've been holding back all day, and finally, a punching bag shows up to let me vent!'
"I have urgent business right now," Rudolf continued. "And I'm not even sure if I'll be able to continue my duties after this."