Chapter 29 — Training

  A year passed, and our protagonist, at only three years old, began to notice radical changes in his metabolism. These were not subtle changes nor easy to ignore; his body responded differently to effort, fatigue, and, above all, to the constant use of magic.

  In the mornings, he joined the team of soldiers of the mansion, commanded by Ken, and they carried out their daily exercise routines. Obviously, for more than clear reasons, at the beginning he could not complete even half of the training. His childish body tired quickly, his muscles burned, and his breathing became heavy. However, now he was already surpassing half of the session, something that months earlier would have been unthinkable.

  Before lunch, he trained the basic lessons of fencing with Enta. He was very bad at this, terrible even, but understanding the basic concepts helped him. Sometimes Holley intervened and allowed him to try different weapons, although, since he was still a child, there was no size or weapon that truly fit his body. Because of this, most of the time they limited themselves to simulating how he would use the different weapons, memorizing stances, trajectories, and movements, rather than applying real force.

  After lunch, he carried out advanced magic studies with Freya. In those sessions, they reviewed different techniques to better understand his magic and how it worked. That stage usually ended before dinner, at which point Kael took a few hours to intensely practice his own training methodology. He used his magic to the fullest to dig and move objects, forcing his control and concentration, thus seeking greater mastery of his ability to extract materials and shape them.

  Once dinner was finished, he let his body rest by training his mind. He took reading classes; he had learned to read in just five months, and now he locked himself away until late at night reading all kinds of books. In this way, he dedicated his day-to-day life, from Monday to Saturday, to training at the maximum, leaving Sunday to endure annoying, overly affectionate old women, and bothersome children who only wanted to play.

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  A new day began, and the previously mentioned routine started once again, but that day there were changes. Important changes. After months of only applying magic as application, Freya had authorized him to use it as effect.

  —General Ken —asked one of the soldiers, clearly confused—, what does young master Kael mean by what he said?

  —Ohhhh —Ken replied, crossing his arms—, with that question, all of you will be punished.

  —EEEHHHH!!! WHY?! THAT’S NOT FAIR!!! —the rest of the soldiers complained almost in unison.

  —Kael —Ken said, turning toward him—, explain to these monkeys what it means to use magic as an effect and not as an application.

  —I’m sure you’re asking me to explain it because you don’t know how it works either —Kael replied without hesitation—. You’re a monkey just like everyone here, only you use magic without thinking…

  —YEEEES!!! OUR GENERAL IS A MONKEY!!! —the soldiers shouted, laughing.

  —SILENCE, STINKING MONKEYS!!! —Ken roared.

  —Well then, be quiet, monkeys —Kael continued, puffing out his chest a little—, I’ll explain it to you.

  —Neutral magic is generally used to activate elemental magic, but it also works as trainable magic. If neutral magic is trained, its effect will be to increase the power of elemental magic.

  —Neutral magic is usually used to apply it to objects, so they gain more power, like a sword, or to activate magical artifacts. That is using magic as an application, because it is directed at something.

  —Using magic as an effect means using magic to stimulate your own body: to endure more blows, strengthen your muscles, and stimulate every part of it to achieve greater performance. This carries great responsibility, because stressing your body too much with magic could cause excessive wear. That is why it must be trained little by little, so the body gets used to resisting this effect for longer without becoming exhausted.

  —Young master, you explain very well… YEEEES!!! LONG LIVE THE MONKEY BOSS!!! —the soldiers cheered.

  —YEEEES, I AM THE MONKEY BOSS!!! —Kael replied, raising his arms.

  —Very well, noisy monkeys —Ken said with a dangerous smile—, training is falling behind. RUN!!!

  And so, the first stage of his new day began. The monkey boss ran at the front, using his new magic reinforcement to endure the training. At the end of the line, an exhausted Ronan struggled to keep up, his breathing heavy and his legs trembling.

  —MONKEY BOSS, MASTER RONAN IS FALLING BEHIND!!! —some soldiers shouted.

  —And Iiii… I, I… huff, huff… I’M FINE!!! —Ronan replied, bent forward.

  —You heard him! —Kael said—. Come on, Ronan, you can do it!

  —Come on, Master Ronan! With strength, like an indomitable soldier of the city of Cautares! —the soldiers encouraged him.

  —I CAN DO IT, I’M INDOMITABLE!!! —Ronan roared.

  And so, pushing himself up with effort and regaining the rhythm, Ronan continued the marathon while all the soldiers cheered him on.

  There was one hour left until lunch, so it was time for fencing.

  —Uncle Enta!!! —Kael called out, approaching with energy despite the accumulated fatigue.

  —Yes, young master —Enta replied, setting aside the weapon he was inspecting.

  —Could I try using a staff or a long pole?

  —And why that need, young master? —Enta asked, raising an eyebrow—. Why do you want to try that?

  —Since any weapon is too big for me —Kael explained—, I would like to try a weapon that, at any age of my life, should be big. I think a spear would be an interesting test.

  Enta remained thoughtful for a few seconds, stroking his chin.

  —Hmmm… that is a good deduction, young master. Truthfully, I only know the basic concepts of how to use a spear. If that Thoron bird were with us, we could learn much more…

  —He was the winged hero, right? —Kael asked with curiosity.

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  —That’s right —Enta replied—. He defeated an unimaginable number of flying enemies. There was never a moment when he wasn’t fighting and a dragon didn’t fall on my head, because the bastard killed them right above me…

  —Hahahahaha! —Kael laughed.

  —He specialized in spears —Enta continued—. Even though they take up a lot of handling space, he wielded them magnificently even in the air, spreading his wings, which already took up a lot of space. He literally applied movements in perfect synchrony between his body and the spear.

  —I would say the spear is the foundation of synchrony between body and weapon. It must be an extension of you, just like the sword, but much more focused on balance and movement. It requires specific and well-practiced motions, but its damage is impressive.

  —Ohhh! —Kael replied, his eyes shining—. Then let’s begin!

  Enta handed him a long staff, heavy for the size of the child, but manageable. They practiced the basic concepts of the spear: stance, grip, balance, and movement. Kael failed many times, tripped, or lost control, but he did not give up. Each correction was etched into his mind, and each attempt was slightly better than the previous one.

  Later, during dinner, Kael and Ronan devoured the food as if there were no tomorrow. Their plates were empty in a matter of minutes, and both seemed ready to ask for more.

  —It seems male children start early with their voracious appetite… —Isadora commented, watching them with an amused smile.

  —Usually, when men have a lot of physical activity, they require more food —Liora added naturally.

  —When there are activities that require strength and endurance —Freya intervened—, men become like animals. They let themselves be carried away much more easily by instinct.

  —And tell me, Kael —Isadora continued—, from what I see, you are pushing yourself very hard to improve…

  —Of course, Aunt Isadora! —Kael replied enthusiastically—. I am very close to improving my extraction ability, and with that I will be able to synthesize elements. I have many good ideas to improve everyone’s life!

  —That’s incredible! —Isadora said—. And will you keep thinking about things for the body, like that ointment you made?

  —Hmmm… —Kael brought a hand to his chin—. If you are interested in aesthetics and body comfort, yes, I have several ideas. I see that mom is very interested in putting things on her face… those co-sme-tics.

  —Cosmetics —Freya corrected—. A large part of the nobility invests heavily in makeup to look presentable at meetings and aristocratic parties.

  —Yeees, that, that! —Kael said—. If I mastered my ability better, I could create several types of cosssssmetics they want, of better quality and application. I already have the base of the natural and receptive behavior of the skin.

  —Oh, little Kael —Isadora replied, touched—. If you can create things like that, I will be eagerly waiting for your creations.

  —Then I must take advantage of advancing now —Kael said—, because when mom and dad arrive with Tana and Holley, they won’t leave me alone…

  —Oh yes, poor Kael —Liora laughed—, hahahaha.

  —If you are done eating —Freya said—, go meditate in the garden. I’ll join you in a while to start the lessons.

  —Yes, teacher! —Kael replied, quickly getting off the chair.

  Later, in the garden, Freya helped Kael as a guide in his search for the state of concentration needed to meditate. The place was calm; the sound of the wind among the trees and the distant murmur of water accompanied the exercise, creating an atmosphere suitable for introspection.

  —Listen, Kael —Freya said in a serene voice—. Meditation is a key part of the growth of your magic, because through it you sharpen your senses and improve your interaction with it. Magic is like a sword: you must know how to handle it and move it. It can be sharp or heavy, it can be very light or very long, but all its characteristics can benefit you or give you weaknesses. You must know them all to understand which are your strengths and which are your weaknesses.

  —And above all, you must know how to control it —she continued—, because you yourself could cut yourself with it, as we already saw happen…

  —Yes, teacher —Kael replied seriously.

  While meditating and shaping his magic, Kael opened his eyes and spoke to his teacher.

  —Teacher, after reading many alchemy books, I think I already came up with an idea to be able to express my power.

  —Oh, interesting —Freya replied—. Tell me.

  —Magic is an emission of the natural body —Kael began—. It comes from the soul bound to the body, and it interacts with the environment. Magic gives us the ability to understand and feel what we have around us at such a tiny level that we can even feel the particles that things in this world are made of. That allows elemental magics to specialize the laws that govern this world and alter the very nature of our being…

  —A wind mage does not manipulate the wind itself, but alters the weight of the matter it occupies to make it lighter. I could not determine whether it reduces the weight of things or literally alters the gravity of objects in relation to the world. Fire magic takes different materials from the air to create fuel, agitating the particles and generating fire… with water, something similar happens.

  —And these particles you mention? —Freya asked—. How did you find them?

  —Through the magic I am perfecting —Kael replied—. I have been able to memorize several elements that make up our home and understand what they are made of. In that way, I was able to extract essential oil or take iron out of a stone. I already have in my head a map of the compositions of elements when I touch them with my magic, and that is how I can extract them.

  Freya watched him closely, visibly impressed.

  —Well, that is impressive, Kael —she finally said—. You are perfecting the field of magic and alchemy as if they were one and the same…

  —Although there are elements I have read about, but I still cannot grasp how they work —Kael added—, like light magic or life magic…

  —Ah… —Freya replied—. You could research light magic with my husband when he comes, or you could bother Liora.

  —Aunt Liora is a light mage?! —Kael exclaimed, surprised.

  —Yes —Freya replied—, although very few people know it. That is why her dance magic applies stimulation buffs to those around her. None of us who know say anything, because if everyone found out, the Sacred Empire would recruit them with or without their approval… a clear example is Galen.

  —The Empire is quite troublesome… —Kael murmured.

  —And well, as for life magic —Freya continued—, I would have to take you to the elven kingdom. Ninety percent of life magic users are elves. Another five percent are magical animals, like the earth Racatros or the Teastrar, and the remaining five percent could be a human or a beastman. They are quite rare…

  —Woooo! —Kael replied excitedly—. I’d love to go to the elven kingdom!

  —Well, we’re done with today’s session —Freya said—. We covered important topics in your magical development. Now you can continue with your own lessons… but, BUT! —she added, pointing at him—, don’t do something stupid, because when your mom arrives, she will kill me.

  —Yes, teacher! —Kael replied without hesitation.

  Taking some garden shovels and a pickaxe the size of his own body, Kael ran toward the back of the mansion to continue his exercises.

  At the back of the mansion, there was a wooden cover hiding a hole underground. That tunnel was Kael’s work, who had spent days digging it little by little, advancing toward the interior of the house with patience and planning.

  —Alright… —Kael murmured to himself—. My improvement is going great. Now that I can use magic on my body to enhance myself, I can move forward much better with my project.

  // -- What project, more latrines?!?!! -- //

  —Exactly! —Kael replied in his mind—. Thanks to your information, I have been able to make creams and study the main elements of manufacture. I think I will be able to make a medieval cement that can be used to build a sewer…

  With the water inlet and outlet hole finished, which connected to the small stream that passed near the mansion, Kael prepared himself for his great challenge.

  // -- Do you really want to do it…? -- //

  —Are you kidding?! —Kael thought—. For someone who can only use neutral magic, which is almost only defensive, that ability you mentioned will be vital for our project. We only need the authorization…

  // -- Ufff… it will be quite difficult with your parents. And on top of that, you will end up creating an important precedent, you know… If you can materialize fire and water from the air, you will destroy many of the laws of this world… -- //

  —Only up to the elemental level, like you said —Kael thought—. Maybe water, ice, fire, earth… up to a certain point. But other magics, like life, light, darkness, or wind, I still don’t understand how they work…

  // -- Just like when you unlocked my assistant ability, you will need two more advances for your magic. I would rate making water and fire, and with that we would obtain the dimensional cube ability. There we could store all kinds of elements… The main problem would be… how the hell are you going to tell them that you obtained an ability?!?!?! -- //

  —Damn it… —Kael thought—. Wouldn’t it be enough to say, “Mom, Dad, I got an ability to store things infinitely, sounds good, right?”

  —What if I say that you are the goddess who sent me a message?

  // -- Whaaat?! And why would I have to pretend to be that creature?!?! -- //

  —Hey, it’s not like they’re going to open my head to look for another spirit inside me! —Kael thought—. Obviously they’ll be shocked, but it’s the most viable option.

  And so, Kael planned his first skill evaluation. He needed to test his new techniques in front of his parents, demonstrate control and results, and thus continue advancing along the path he himself was carving.