The sun is just over the far edge of the cliff as I land on top of the Beastwall. I am surprised to see Jill and Ken already outside sitting on the grass. A gentle breeze blows pass them as they meditate, practising their mana flow. I conceal my presence as I approach, pooling mana in my eyes to check their progress.
Jill has grown a lot since the last time I checked. Many of the black lines, invisible to most mages, have turned light gray. Soon she would have a mana circuit on par with most A rank adventurers. After that we will need start working on capillary development, the difference between A and S rank. Few are actually able to refine enough elemental essence to complete this process. Being able to borrow mana from our pacts gives beast tamers a significant advantage in this process.
When compared to Jill and the baby Chrono sleeping in his lap, Ken does not look so impressive. His vascular is only that of a C rank and his control closer to that of a D rank. That is however a huge improvement from a boy who would not even have qualified as an F rank adventure 5 days ago.
Satisfied with my inspection I stop concealing my presence causing Jill to jump.
“Master, I was not aware you were back,” she says trying to smooth out her uniform.
“It’s fine,” I say while grabbing the grouse off my belt. “I am pleased to see that you have been so diligent in your training. It won’t be long till you reach A rank.” I ignore the red staining her cheeks as I hand her the bird, “you think you can cook that up for breakfast, I am quite hungry since I slept through your delicious dinner last night.”
“of course, my Lord.” Jill says curtsying so deeply and quickly it causes her braid to bounce.
I turn back to Ken whose displeasure is evident in his eyes. “get up,” I say making sure Gerald had gotten out what I asked him to.
I spot the weapon racks placed against the side of the house. Sitting in the rack is an impressive display of weapons that I never use. Damascus steel swords long and short, black wood staffs embolden with gold detailing. Intricate spears with decorative heads, a mace with a monster face forged onto the ball and a pair of gold and silver gauntlets shaped like phoenix heads.
In such an impressive display the weapon that really stands out to me is the simple wooden bow, next to it a plain leather quiver filled full of ordinary arrows.
“We start your combat training today,” I say to Ken taking my eyes off the bow. “I want you to pick a weapon from the rack, consider this a real fight, treat it like life or death.”
I see Gerald step out of the door as Ken makes his way to the rack. I nod at him to show my pleasure at his work. We watch as Ken puts a surprising amount of effort into choosing his weapon.
The grouse is cooked and finished before Ken returns from the racks. I let out a sigh seeing the two-handed single edge Damascus steel sword in his hand. Even the hilt of the sword is more decorative then functional with no leather wrapped around the grip. Instead two dragons work their way up the dark wood their heads forming the guard.
“I won’t be using magic, but you feel free to.” I say as we get into position facing each other just 5 meters apart on the grassy turf.
The smile on Ken’s face as he awkwardly holds the sword out in front of him irritates me. I told him to treat this as a life or death battle. I nod to Gerald who raises his hand, letting it fall to start the fight.
I cover the distance between Ken and I instantly. I strike the side of the sword shattering the blade. There is a moment of delay before the force of the attack reaches Ken’s hand ripping the hilt from his grip, sending it flying across the grass. As the shards of steel fall to the ground I strike with an open palm at his unguarded chest.
He flies a good 10 meters before tumbling across the grass. Bu takes off from my shoulder going to rest on Ken’s back. Chrono looks up momentarily at Ken before going back to his nap.
“He is your pact you know,” I say to chrono but the dragon just shrugs not even looking at me. I am terrified for the future of all time and space.
“Master Giean,” Gerald calls holding the hilt in his hand, only a small nub of blade left. “That was a family heirloom. A gift to you from the king of Nanya.”
Looking at the hilt I can only muster up a response on par with Chronos, “Well it is not anymore. Unless Ken wants it so he can use it to recount the first time I beat him to his grandkids.”
Bu takes flight as Ken jumps to his feat. “That was cheating, you said you would not use magic.” He yells pointing at me.
“he didn’t,” Jill chimes in while she helps her grandpa clean up the fragments of the sword. “One of the effects of high-level mana circulation is it increases the strength and abilities of your physical body. Giean’s body is on par with an A rank adventurer without even using Mana enhancement.”
I offer to demonstrate but Ken doesn’t seem to want that. “Then grab another weapon,” I say as I get into position.
I watch as he makes his way over to the weapon racks and starts looking at the spears, likely hoping to keep me at a distance. I don’t even wait for him to get back to the field this time. Lunging next to him I snatch the spear he picks out of his hands.
“what is wrong with you.” I say as I put the spear back on the rack. Ken looks like he wants to protest but I don’t give him the chance. “have you ever fought with a sword or a spear before? I told you to treat this like a life or death fight, why would you ever use an unfamiliar weapon in a fight like that.”
I walk over and pick up the bow and quiver handing them to him. “these weapons have been enchanted to be easier to use and to help facilitate the use of mana. They are also made to feel like the bow and arrows you used before.”
I watch as Ken takes an arrow from the quiver and draws the bow. While not as strong as his sisters, Ken’s wind affinity is impressive. Even without conscious thought the enchantments on the bow influence the wind essence to gather around the arrow. Ken looses it at the post for the clothes line, a good 20 meters away. The arrow embeds itself half way up its shaft, the head sticking out the far side of the thick wooden post.
As Ken stares at the bow in wonder I smile, a good shot, we have a starting point. “I was hoping you would pick the bow yourself, but this will have to do. You understand the lesson, right?”
Ken looks up at me before looking back at the bow, clenching his fist around the grip. “a powerful or fancy weapon is no good if you don’t know how to use it. In a fight it is always better to trust in a weapon you know.”
“Good, now set back up.”
Ken does not look as confident this time as we set up a little farther apart, but that is good. He is going up against an opponent stronger than him. You don’t go into a fight like that cocky. You don’t go into any fight cocky.
“You ready,” I ask digging in my feet.
Ken nods nervously as he draws the string of his bow.
“Start.” Gerald says as his hand comes down.
I tilt my head to the side narrowly avoiding the first arrow, feeling it brush past my ear. The wind around the arrow is sharp enough to draw blood from the lope. I bring my hand to the ear seeing the red on my fingers. Maybe, I am the one being cocky.
Ken takes advantage of my contemplation, increasing the distance between us while firing center mass. The arrow is moving too fast to properly get out of the way without mana enhancement so I catch it.
Even in my hand the arrow is trying to push forward. It forces me to twist and turn using its momentum to bury it in the ground. I ignore the blood dripping from the cuts on my hand some showing the white of bone. With mana I could easily have block the blades of wind surrounding the arrow but without... I find myself smiling, for his wind to be sharp enough to cut an enhanced A rank adventurer, that is quite impressive.
Ken lets off three arrows in quick succession. While getting distance does keep him safe in a one on one fight it gives me more time to avoid the arrows. I slip by the arrows, 40 meters. Without enhancement I can cover that in about 2 seconds with 2 steps.
Ken is watching me now, an arrow drawn to his cheek. He has good instincts; he knows I am going to come to him and doesn’t want to disarm himself. I push off and Ken releases his arrow but I don’t go my full distance. I dig a foot in halfway pushing off at an angle. The arrow whistles past as I change directions again going back at Ken.
I was planning on stopping my kick just shy of his head but as I stop, I find nothing but air in front of my foot. Ken is falling to the ground, his knees buckling. My more rational part tells me it is because I scared him, but my instincts are screaming at me.
As he drops, he loads the arrow in his hand into the bow. A short draw while falling would normally be a desperate and futile attack, not being able to give the arrow sufficient force. This case is different. I watch the wind essence gather around the arrow till the air begins to glow green.
My first instinct is to fight for control over the mana disrupting the spell. My second thought is to coat my body in mana to defend against the attack. Both those would break my rule about not using magic so I go for option three.
I pull back the leg still extended, pushing myself off with my rear leg. In the air I grab Ken’s arm, the one holding the bow. Using the arm as a support I hold my body vertically in the air. Surprised or panicked Ken lets the arrow loose too early and it flies harmlessly into the sky. As his arm begins to give, I bring my knee down next to his head making a large indent in the ground.
Ken is breathing heavily as I pull him to his feet. He had put up a good fight, even considering the handicaps I placed on myself.
“Looks like teaching you will be worth while after all.” I say with a smile.
Ken looks exhausted but he returns my smile in kind.
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