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Chapter 46: For the Future
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Hello, my name's Doran Ashwalt.
Ah, training with brother Krone was really hard.
The first day, that jog was something. I thought I was going to faint. After lunch, he split me apart from others, teaching me Air Sliding. There were five others who joined me later. Though they knew the Arte, they were not as good as others.
Not up to standard, he said.
I was a bit slow, so he really hammered everything in, uh, I almost cried. He really had no pity though, I could not eat unless I had any result to show, he said.
With that, I tried hard.
Really hard.
…
Ah, all good, he allowed me to eat, barely. Eating with everyone really was great, but the best part was, I could eat all I want! There were always leftovers. Seemed like brother’s sister, always made extra.
She’s an angel, I kid you not!
Second day, it was really hell.
Uh, I really didn’t want to remember. He made us take some very nasty medicine, it was really bitter. And soon after, we suffered. I had to find some good place around the rocks… Ah, forget it!
It was the first time in my life, I felt like slamming someone hard.
Really hard.
Third night, brother brought back a giant squid, and we organized a feast. He said Lady Natalia baited this. Thank you so much!
I sure ate a lot during that feast, ahh, heaven. My stomach doubled in size, I think? Afterwards, we all got into a wrestling competition. Surprisingly, I won.
I really won!
Ah, the feast that night.
Everyone had their own generous share, we were so full and tired. That was why, I thought that night, we ought to have an exception, yes?
Perhaps sleep all the way till the sun came out?
…
Nope. He really had no pity.
Even after having such a feast last night, brother still woke us up by four. Me? I had a hard time waking up, so he put his hand on my cheek. At the time, I was too sleepy to even ponder.
…?
Weird, I felt chilly.
Wait, really chilly, it was freezing!
Uwaah!
I woke up. I saw it, ice covered brother’s hand.
And some of it, on my cheek. I felt numb.
“How long you’re going to sleep, little boy? To the front!”
“Y-yes, Sir!”
His voice was really something, I felt energized all of a sudden.
Running towards the formation, I did not even change clothes. After the first cold training, he forbid us from changing clothes. A waste of time, he said.
After the cold training, we lined up in formation. He took out a sword from his spatial ring.
“Alright everyone. Before we proceed to Dawn Meditation, activate your Aurelian Arte,”
“Huh?”
Me and several others, were dumbfounded.
Upon hearing that, all of us activated their Aurelian Arte. Ron, Kyril, Thiana, Liliana, everyone. Well, except for me and several others. Ah, Athea in front of me too. Was it eight of us?
We turned to look at each other, not quite sure how to comply.
“Hey, I said everyone!”
“Err…”
What to do?
How were we going to comply, when we did not even know how to do it. All of us knew that, yet none of us dared to respond. Well, except one.
For good or for worse, Athea raised her hand.
“Sir! You know we don’t know.”
“Is that a fact? Well, let me correct you, recruit Athea. You, and all of you, already know how.”
“No Sir, we don’t!”
“Oh, really?”
He smiled, everyone got a really dreadful feeling.
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Athea was really something, able to refute brother like that. In day to day basis, he was quite alright. During training though, he became strict. Even his smile, sent chill down my spine.
‘Oiii, Atheaa… Its fine if you like to play with fire, but don’t get all of us burned along…’
Holding the short sword, brother raised his hand.
KAAAA!
Mana? No, aura!
He activated his Aurelian Arte, aura covered his whole being. His aura moved around him, as if snakes coiling around, no, a dragon? I had no idea what he was going to do, but surely it was nothing good!
“Guys, keep on standing. A bit early, but let me introduce you, a new training session.”
He smirked.
Not good.
“Aura Bombardment,”
His surrounding aura, spread around us.
Our surroundings turned heavy, as if something, pressing us.
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...The name's Athea, Athea Rhemon.
Back then, I refuted him, not because I wanted to.
That was because he was asking for something impossible. I mean, not impossible in the future, but right away? Aurelian Arte might be called basic Arte, but for us eight, we didn’t know how.
We did learn, but between learning and knowing how to use it, was different.
Yet he said we knew.
Well, I might call him Sir now, but if he asked for the impossible, I should just out with the truth. So I refuted him again. Was I wrong?
I was confident I was right. Then, why did he, do this?
His aura, coming against us, all of us.
Pressuring me, and all others. Really, I had no idea this Arte could be used like this.
“Ugh!”
It was something he called Aura Bombardment, a variation of Aurelian Arte.
Heavy, as if someone put heavy weight on me, pressing on my being. I could not keep my feet, I kneeled. Looking around, it seemed those with Aurelian Arte active, was faring better. Most kept standing, even when their legs were shaking.
To my back, even Doran kneeled.
All eight of us, those without Aurelian Arte, kneeled without exception. A girl next to me choked, as if not able to withstand this.
Yet even this, did not deter him.
Barely keeping my breathing steady, I forced my eyes up, staring him.
My eyes clearly conveyed my message. Knowing him, he surely understood.
‘Krone, I thought you’re better!’
His Aurelian Arte was amazing. But so what?
It did not mean he was free to bully others like this!
“Remember your cold training,”
His voice reached us.
It was a hint of sorts. With that, I realized, and so did others. When we were submerged in the lagoon, all cold, what did we do? What did we do to keep our body warm?
And this time, what to do, to keep our body from harm?
It did not take long.
For the first time in my life, I activated my Aurelian Arte, I really did. I was shivering, hard to believe that I could use this, this so-called the Mother-of-All Artes.
How many years had I failed? How many times before?
Thrilled, really thrilled.
Me, and seven others.
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Tyrant Guardian in Full Effect
Push the one you train to their upper limit, in anyway. This trait will heighten the effectiveness of their training, shock their innards and push them to break their limits.
+ Level II: Training effectiveness increased. Enlightenment doubled.
Current effectiveness:
100%.
‘It worked,’
Dear myself, Krone Kozak here.
The notification was quite pleasant to have. It clearly told me when I should stop. Well, my method was a bit cruel, but I figured it worked.
For them to learn Arte in a normal way, would take some time, something I preferred shortened. I need them to know Air Sliding and Aurelian Arte, as soon as possible.
The only one who did not know how to perform Air Sliding, was Doran.
Fortunately for him, food was his prime motivation. He forced himself over his own limit when I said he might miss meals. Heh, that was a bit easy. By the third day, he was able to do the very basic Air Sliding, a mere three metre.
That was good enough, he would grow further from now on.
As for Aurelian Arte, it was a basic Arte, yet eight of them did not know.
Fortunately during the cold training, all of them already learned how to circulate their mana constantly. That was it, the very basic requirement for Aurelian Arte, constant mana circulation.
Aurelian Arte did not differ much from that.
They just had to project mana outside, then keep circulating it, minimizing mana loss. What they were doing when they were facing coldness, was to circulate it within. The difference was merely inside and outside.
However, they still needed a trigger.
In order to create the trigger, I had to pressure them.
Bullied them a bit, letting them know, not knowing was unacceptable. Of course, at the same time, activating this trait to its fullest. Quite interested with the double enlightenment, actually.
The result did not disappoint.
‘Hm, maybe I’ll try something more extreme next time?’
I put it aside.
I preferred these youngsters to stay sane, so I had to wait a little more. For the rest of the day, they had to keep Aurelian Arte active, even while doing the routine 250 Air Sliding.
Soon enough, they voiced their worry. The twins did, with the rest at their back.
Tears in their eyes, they were frustrated.
“Krone, I’ve tried. I really can’t do it,”
“Me too. I can’t keep my aura, uh,”
“I see,”
A standard problem, for beginner.
Their Aurelian Arte kept dispersing every time they did Air Sliding. Having two Artes active at the same time, was indeed a bit difficult for amateurs. I had them face the difficulty first, for a reason. They had to learn this the hard way, no shortcut here. I wouldn’t allow it.
I gave them a little hint, better to let them think for themselves.
“Easy, actually. Imagine you’re sprinting while carrying a large bag. In what condition, would the bag least hinder you?”
I gave them their task, leaving them pondering.
They were not foolish, soon even Doran get the idea. Seeing them all excited, sharing the solution, I was glad. I did not choose wrong.
For that, I was grateful.
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Later, my proxy Riese, called.
I lent her the party ring, easier for us to communicate. She gave me all the report I needed, the proposal to the Alchemist Association, the production order to the Magic Artisans, story book for publication houses, and the establishment of our own media, newspaper to be precise.
For now, I asked her to give priority for the Alchemist Association and Magic Artisans.
“They’ve positive attitude for the proposal, and the top management had discussed it. They are ready to start the experiment, they just need more funds.”
“Seriously, more? Alright, how much?”
“Ah, I still need to discuss that. But the figure should be around two million Kion a year.”
“…Come again?”
“Two million.”
“A year?”
“Y-yes.”
“Oh, alright… Like hell it’s alright! Tell them if they didn’t start the experiment, I’m not giving them any more. Give me at least initial result, and I’ll give them the money.”
There was no way I was going to trust them just like that.
At the very least, they ought to be prudent enough to present me their initial result. It shouldn’t take more than three or four months. The information I provided to them, should be more than enough to get them excited.
That was how valuable it was.
“Hell, alchemists all over the world would kill for this, and they dare ask for money without work? Let them fork out their own first, see if I care!”
“Haha, yes!”
“Riese, did you just laugh?”
“Ops. Please excuse me, they were quite imposing. So what you just said was quite, um, satisfying.”
“Oh? Did they bully you? I better—”
“Nah, I’ll manage,”
“Glad to hear, but enough of them. What about those Magic Artisans?”
“Hm, I must say, they’re better, practical,”
Through Riese, I ordered a unique production from the Magic Artisans.
It was a prototype for a pair of gloves I named Spirit-Linked. It was important, for I wished to equip every one of the forty with it. Its craft and magic formation were ahead of its time, researched and made by the brightest minds in the Imperial Capital.
By the time the Imperial Capital fell to the Union, it was still in prototype phase.
That would be fifteen-years in the future. In addition, the raw material for it did not exist yet.
Not in this world at least.
“So, I take it they agreed,”
“Yes, though they did voice a concern, however,”
“The link-crystal?”
“Yes, finding a proper one might not be, um, possible? The high-purity crystal used in communication ring is way too expensive.”
“I know, but they don’t have to worry about it. Tell them, just do what I ask for now.”
“Very well, I’ll keep you updated. That’s all the report I have. Anything else?”
“One more thing, I want you to contact some people,”
“Ah, you sure work me to the bone, oh well. Names, occupation, location?”
I gave her the information.
The names of the researchers, those who made the findings I now held. At least, those staying in Aurenburg Capital. Their information was recorded in the Library of Kharlussian Discovery.
The one I spent 40,000 Grade Point for.
‘All the research, all the findings, belongs to their respective owners. I’ll use them, but,’
The findings Kharlussian made, recorded in the Library, were not mine.
I wished for them to find their way to their owners, their rightful owners. That way, was not only right, it would also be beneficial for the future.
Plus;
“…Riese, I need you to get them all, interested. The more you have, the more your bonus.”
“So I need to hook them up, eh? Ha, I’m all ears.”
I explained to her the plan.
Hopefully, it would come to fruition.
In the future.
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Chapter 46 ‘For the Future’ End