Peter examined Jack to assess his injuries. “Your rib is cracked but not broken. I will use some healing magic to speed up recovery. Tomorrow you will be fully healed again.”

I watched as a green light enveloped Jack. There was no visible change but he looked more relaxed.

“Do you know what element is used for healing?” I asked Helena.

“There are a few ways to heal. Light mana is pretty good at it. Earth and water have healing spells too. But I am no expert.”

As the class continued I observed the other students. They all had more training than I did. But not everyone seemed very enthusiastic about weapons. Most would probably become mages and not spellblades. Soon only four students were left.

“Next we have Helena vs Elandir.” Peter announced.

Elandir was an elf. He was tall, had long black hair, golden eyes and perfect alabaster skin. Both of them picked a spear. And both knew how to use it. But the elf was fast. Helena was driven back. Despite her experience she failed to land a hit. The elf seemed to almost flow around her attacks. Eventually he snuck past her guard and scored a hit.

“Elandir wins.” Peter said.

Helena did not look disappointed though. She seemed rather happy.

“That was a great fight! You are really good.” She praised her opponent.

“Thank you. You fought well.” Elandir replied.

“Good. This is what I want to see, respect your opponent.” Peter said. “Helena did not get angry, she stayed focused. It was not enough to win but elves are faster than humans. And Elandir has a lot of experience. Now we have one more fight, Archibald vs Simon.”

That would be interesting. Simon was part of Archibalds group. Granted, the year had only just started. But after the incident yesterday I saw Eva and Simon hanging out with Archibald and Jack.

Both of them were in shape but not overly muscular. Archibald chose a rapier. Simon picked the same weapon.

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Their fight was… elegant. They both had one arm behind their back. It looked almost choreographed as they executed precise manoeuvres. It did not take long until Archibald won, his blade was touching Simon’s throat.

Peter’s face was hard to read. But he did not seem very impressed with the display. “Archibald wins. That concludes the duels for today. You have a long way to go but at least everyone here knows how to hold a weapon. That's it for today, dismissed.”

“That duel looked more like a sport than a fight.” I said to Helena.

“Because it was. That is how a lot of nobles see fighting. It’s not entirely useless, mind you. They learn speed, reflexes and even some good strikes. They just lack the experience to deal with the unknown, the unexpected. What if someone tried to tackle them? What if the enemy used an exotic weapon? In a fight with rules they might even be masters. But on a battlefield? They would not last long.” She explained.

“By the way, you did great against Elandir. He was so fast! I would have lost before it even started!”

“Yeah, he was good. Definitely has some real fighting experience. I hope I can fight him more often! I could learn a lot!”

“Maybe you should become a spellblade.”

“Too early to make such a decision. It limits your mana for spells. I would love to be able to freeze a battlefield! It would be cool to be a dragon or something. They can do both, because they have so much mana!”

“Dragons are spellblades?” I wondered.

“Not in the same way humans are. Part of their mana just naturally enhances them, without any runes. That is how magical beasts work.”

We were on our way back to the dorms. Physical training was over for today but we had a different class in the afternoon. That meant a quick shower, a change of clothes and a fast lunch. Then it was time to learn something new, alchemy!

My excitement was slightly dampened when I realised there we were in a normal lecture room. I suppose any practical part would come later. Helena was not that interested in the class in general.

“I don’t want to be in a lab! I want to do magic, hit things, you know.” She complained.

“I don’t know. There is magic in alchemy. And it is really useful. A health potion saved my life on the way to the academy.”

“Oh, alchemy is useful no doubt. I just don’t want to make the stuff myself.”

We took a place somewhere in the middle of the room. Archibald was in a corner with his friends. They ignored us, which was good. Soon the teacher arrived.

“Be seated. I am Horas.” He was an old man with a grey beard. “I have been teaching this class for a long time. I know that a lot of you won’t be interested. Alchemy is not a common path for a military officer. So why is it mandatory?”

Shin raised his hand.

“Shin.”

“Because the military makes use of alchemical products?”

Horas smiled. “Exactly. Alchemy can provide similar effects to magic. Potions or bombs can be stored and then used by normal soldiers. If you want to be a good officer you will need to know what is possible. This class will be a theoretical introduction. Actual alchemy is an optional advanced course.”

“Why would an officer make potions themselves?” Simon asked.

“Next time raise your hand when you have a question. But it is a good one so I will not punish you. The answer is simple, it gives you flexibility. Some things can be created in the field. Supply lines could be interrupted. Requisitioning something might take too long.” He paused, then added: ”And some enhancement potions work better if they were created with your own mana. That can be rather useful for spellblades.”

I raised my hand.

“Koyuki.”

“Is there something useful for necromancy?” I asked.

“Ah. Yes I heard that you have a large affinity for death magic. Alchemy can indeed be useful. It can help to prepare skeletons. There are ways to enhance bones to make your undead stronger.”

That sounded awesome!