As Gabriel shared with them, Lysander knew that for Gabriel to be in uniform talking about the subject, there was more to it than it seemed. With arms crossed, his fists tighten his armor around the arms. On the other hand, Jonas didn’t comprehend the meaning of his words.
“That’s what this is about? So what? He probably wasted a lot of it… Don’t tell me you taught him about the kingdom's technique.” said Jonas.
With Jonas's last words, Lysander considered the possibility that it would justify his successor’s behavior.
“Gabriel, teaching anyone such techniques would be treason. A demi-human especially.” completed Lysander, glaring at Gabriel.
Gabriel’s voice swelled with worry, but he was firm. “You don’t understand…”
He stopped for a second, standing up and placing both closed fists on the table before continuing.
“I said nothing. Also, it might have made things worse for Bryn even if I had. He absorbed it completely. There was no waste… On the contrary. His body helped drain the energy even faster.”
“Stop messing with us. That is impossible,” said Jonas.
“Gabriel, if what you are saying is true, it could propel our kingdom to the top of the continent,” said Lysander.
Jonas looked back and forth between his companions. “Old man, you actually believe that faun did something our kingdom never could after how many years of improvements?” he asked, looking at Lysander.
“You know Gabriel as much as me. It is his first time wearing the uniform inside the village. He forged a vow with a random young faun. I can’t explain how the kid did it, but I believe Gabriel is not joking.”
Gabriel's right fist hit the table, silencing both men. “I’m most certainly not joking. The vow I made was in exchange for his technique.”
Lysander lost his composer for the first time, he stood up so fast that the chair fell backward to the floor. “He agreed to give you the technique?!”
“Yes, but we have some work to do.”
“Oy, don’t ignore me! What did he ask in return?” Said Jonas.
“He asked me to find his parents and bring them to him. They were slaves under a noble in the western region, Lord Aric Wycliffe.”
“Hahaha, it must be incredible to negotiate with an eight-year-old. That's all he wants?”
Gabriel remembered when Bryn’s eyes changed from a young faun to a beast while negotiating.
“Jonas, let Gabriel finish. There is more to the story.” Said Lysander while he picked up his chair and sat back on the table.
“He gave me the initial part of the technique. It was enough for me to comprehend that it could help us improve the kingdoms. The second half will be given to me once his parents are with him. But I must say, unlike Jonas’s belief, Bryn’s different. It wasn’t me who guaranteed the deal with a vow. He’s the one who proposed it to lock me in a situation I can’t bend.”
“Are there specifics within the vow?” asked Jonas
“After finding them, I’m the one who personally has to accompany them.”
“Easy enough…” said Lysander.
“Will you report to the king?” asked Jonas.
“Of course. The first half may provide insight for the Royal Family to improve the technique.”
“Gabriel, remember what I told you at the restaurant… One day, you may find yourself in a situation where saving or helping Bryn is not an option. The opposite may be required depending on the order you receive in return for your information. Are you ready for that?” Asked Lysander.
Gabriel didn’t answer Lysander’s question. Finishing their meeting, he ordered Jonas to train Bryn and Lysander to help with the others from the caravan. He would go to the capital himself to speak with the king.
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They took their uniform off as they left the main hall. For the rest of the village, nothing had changed. That night, Bryn slept until the sun rose in the sky.
Bryn woke up the next day and could feel his body had recovered. After inspecting himself, he remembered his lesson with Gabriel and incorporated core replenishment and depletion into his yoga training. Inhaling would help him replenish the core. Exhaling would be focused on sending mana to his body for absorption. The idea was to create a balance as his body moved. He wouldn’t take it as far as He did with Gabriel, but the principles were the same.
After one hour of practice, he felt his body filled with vigor like never before. The nurturement by energy was much better than the current diet he tried to implement. That world needed more logistical capabilities for remote places. Having a proper diet would have to be a goal for the future.
Physical training was less intense than the day before. He better understood his limits; today, he respected them more. He started to do other sequences he had tried before. His body was developing even without increasing his strength; it confused him, but Bryn decided not to press the issue. Currently, martial arts and physical training have become second to his desire to improve.
Today, he didn’t see any of the caravan members training in the morning; it made him suspicious, and he tried to find them for lunch. None of them were available, and he ate with the regular members of the caravan.
As his training with Gabriel approached, Bryn went to the main square. Everyone usually gathered there, but none of the classical figures were there again.
Strange, they are always on time. Thought Bryn.
He waited a while as Jonas left the main hall and walked toward him.
“Hello, Mr. Jonas, how are you?” asked Bryn.
“I’m fine, how about you?”
“Good as well, thank you. Do you know where everyone is?”
“Yes, from today onwards, all of you will receive different training. We already passed the basics of Magic, so you can train that on your own time. It is time to put you to the test…” said Jonas.
“What do you mean?”
“Everyone is doing practical training in the mountain range. You and I will go to the forest for two weeks. I’ll help you hone your abilities as we increase your level.”
Bryn’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. He was waiting for the opportunity to level up without restrictions for some time now.
“Mr. Jonas, where is Mr. Gabriel?” asked Bryn.
“How should I know? He just asked me to take care of you for now,” said Jonas, changing the subject as he encouraged Bryn to take everything he thought necessary in his tent.
After taking Akusashi, Bryn met Jonas on the square again as they left for their adventure.
At the same time, Luca, Michelle, Kwame, Daniel, Zara, Thrain, Kaelar, and Amélia were following Lysander to the entrance of the mountain range.
“Hey, Uncle Lysander, why are we here again? Last time we came to the mountain range, those Icy leopards attacked us!” said Michelle, worried about the group.
The group behind them looked at each other, waiting for the man’s answer.
“The only way for you to train in magic battles is against magical users. There are three types: Humans, Demi-Humans, and Magical Beasts. The first two are easier to find in the cities, but you can’t say you trained properly without your life on the line. That is why we will survive on the mountain range for the next two weeks. The moment we reach our destination, I’ll lay out your tasks for this period.” said Lysander.
Silence befell the group. None of them had ever tried something like this. Luca and Michelle had been to the mountain range with Jonas and Gabriel before, but not as a training exercise. Only so both men could teach them about magical beasts.
Lysander kept going until they reached the entrance of the mountain range’s second layer.
“We are here. Our mission for the next two weeks will be to survive here. You all have to find food every day. Prepare a camp and protect it from the magical beasts in the region. You are a group of eight people, so during the next 14 days, you must hunt at least eight magical beasts. How you do it is your choice…” He said to everyone.
None of them were expecting this to be their training session. The travels, bandits, or quests from the guild were never as severe as what Lysander proposed just now.
Luca and Michelle were also shocked. They had survival training before, but never in the mountain range.
Kwame was used to lead groups of people, so he was the first to regain his composure. “My friends, there is no reason for us to fear now. Of course, danger is around us, but we can prepare. Let’s create a camp before anything else. Then we can exchange information about ourselves and see how to complement each other.”
Hmm, good instinct. I thought Luca or Michelle would be the ones to propose that. Thought Lysander.
The group prepared everything, with eight members having statuses higher than any regular person. Preparing a camp and removing trees or rocks went by in a flash. Luca's use of magic during camp preparation once again impressed the caravan. He flattened the ground for the camp area and went a bit further in all directions, barely using earth magic skills.
Before they finished, Daniel approached Lysander, asking why his ban had been lifted. Lysander was vague about it, stating that he saw no reason to keep impeding the man’s development. No one cared about the duel anymore.
As they finished, people started to compare notes. Kwame was the first to tell everyone about his abilities, preference for fighting style, and most familiar skills. Daniel was next; he had no magic abilities, but in fighting, he would outclass the others in every way. Amélia was next, sitting down next to Daniel; ever since he lost the fight to Jonas, they had grown closer to each other.
Before starting, Amélia looked at the group, especially Luca, Michelle, and Lysander. Unlike the previous two, who simply stated things about their survivability and capabilities, she introduced herself. She was once a maid from a distant family, but as time passed, the lord tried sneaking into her bed one too many times, so she abandoned them. She decided to level up and become an adventurer so that would never happen again. After a few quests and as her level rose, she met Kwame and some of the current party members on a protection detail request. From that point onward, she had been with them. She followed Daniel’s footsteps in abilities, just short of him. Both cared for a balance between status points.
Kaelar didn’t like sharing his skills, but he accepted that the challenge ahead would be great. He had many scouting or assassination-related skills. His fighting styles were mixed, either assassinating the target quickly or using the opponent's physical strength against them—his status was focused on dexterity and agility.
Thrain liked getting closer to Luca and Michelle, so he told them about his time living in the mountains, learning everything he could to become a blacksmith. Unfortunately, he also dreamed of working with the best materials. He believed that the only way to access them with his talent would be to leave the dwarven kingdom. His lust for materials ended up taking him on the journey. Of course, it didn’t help that he loved the idea of being against the dwarven norm. Like Kaelar, he had become an assassin within the dwarf kingdom. As the reward to find him grew, the idea of leaving proportionately felt more attractive. He was a weapons master, assassin, and blacksmith. He had an agility-focused build, and strength was a close second.
Zara was the last of the bunch, she had been born here in Auroraan. Her life started in the slums of the capital. She had to learn to survive on the streets and in the underworld. Her levels ended up rising as a result of hunting for food. She became an adventurer the first time she got it, and her goal was to reach a point enough for her to rest and relax until the end of her days. She had a natural talent for mobility and movement skills, but her focus was on strength and vitality. As a little kitty, she promised herself that surviving would stop being a problem someday.
Luca and Michelle listened to them, curious about people from other places. But now it was their time to speak.