Chapter 57

"I'm tired..."

"Me too..."

"I am not at all tired! Come on, give me your best shot!"

About two and a half years after we made the capital our base, I, who had just turned fifteen a few days ago, was once again training with Louise under the guidance of Master Armstrong.

It had been two and a half years of what could be described as a serialized battle manga, but the results were certainly showing. If they weren't, I would be in a miserable state mentally.

My magic power continued to rise, and I had learned a large number of new spells. Among them, the three most notable were the super-enhanced physical abilities, high-speed flight, and magical mobility armor, all taught by Master Armstrong.

While they consumed a lot of magic power, their power was undeniable, and I had received Master Armstrong's approval a few days ago, making them ready for practical use.

Personally, I would prefer not to use them in daily life and handle everything with other long-range spells. Besides, I'd rather not encounter enemies that require these spells to defeat.

Louise, who had been training alongside me, had also successfully mastered four spells: enhanced physical abilities, high-speed flight, magical mobility armor, and meditation.

Her magic power had significantly increased, allowing her to progress from merely circulating magic power in her body to learning new spells. Notably, she had also mastered the original spell, "Meditation," which allowed her to heal her own wounds through meditation—a highly specialized spell that even Master Armstrong and I couldn't learn.

While she couldn't heal others, the ability to heal herself would be invaluable in battle. For the rest of the party, having a member who could take care of multiple injuries would be a huge relief.

Given this background, today was the final training session, and the three of us were engaged in a mock battle. To be precise, for the past two and a half years, we had been conducting mock battles almost every day in the fields outside the capital, pushing ourselves to our limits to increase our magic power. Other training could be done after the mock battles.

The only downside was that the military officials had requested, "The training ground is getting destroyed, so please train in a place where no one is around." However, since there were plenty of uninhabited areas on this continent, it wasn't a problem.

The real issue was that Master Armstrong was abnormally high-spirited.

Master Armstrong's spells were out of the ordinary. He could transform his staff into a hammer using magic, punch dragons through his magical armor, grab their tails and throw them, and even block and tear apart their breath attacks with materialized magic weapons.

Naturally, it was impossible to teach such techniques to others. If he tried to force them on other mages, it would only be a hindrance, as their magic power would quickly run out.

That's why, when he found me, who had more magic power than him, and Louise, who had a lot of magic power but couldn't use spells at the time and was training in martial arts at her family's dojo, he went wild with joy and pushed us to our limits every day for the past two and a half years.

But today, it was all coming to an end. Tomorrow, Iena, the party member with the latest birthday, would turn fifteen, and we would finally start our adventures as adventurers.

So, today was the final mock battle with Master Armstrong.

Even though it had only been a few minutes, while Master Armstrong, with his adrenaline pumping, was still going strong, Louise and I were feeling the rapid depletion of our magic power.

"Your best shot, huh..."

"Vell, to be honest, I'm at my limit with one more hit."

"Then, I'll kill you."

"What?!"

"No, you need to have that kind of determination."

In the sky above the fields outside the capital, Louise and I were floating, facing Master Armstrong. We had been using all our techniques, and Louise, with the lowest magic power among us, was reaching her limit.

If that was the case, we needed to use all our remaining magic power as if we were trying to kill Master Armstrong. It wasn't that I had any grudges against him. Despite his quirks, he wasn't a bad person, and he had taken care of us.

Thanks to the training in magical martial arts, my physical abilities had also improved, and I no longer expected to lose in the first round of a martial arts tournament like before. Although I had no intention of participating again, so there was no way to confirm it.

"We've been trained by Master for two and a half years. It's time to repay his kindness by giving it our all."

Besides, if we didn't go all out, Master wouldn't be incapacitated. He had learned efficient movements and techniques from Louise and had become even stronger.

"Let's do this to repay Master!"

(What's the real reason?)

(For two and a half years, we've been treated like new recruits in the army or new disciples in a dojo! We'll take this opportunity to knock him down!)

While we were grateful for the training, the harsh, combat-focused outdoor training had left us with plenty of grievances.

(There's no way you don't have any grudges! Idiot! Idiot!)

(Vell, you're not a kid anymore...)

Every day, we had to forage for lunch in the wild, which made me think, "What kind of ranger unit is this?"

"So, how was it for you, Louise?"

"Surprisingly, it was quite tough for me too."

If Louise, who had been training in martial arts since childhood, found it tough, it must have been even harder for me, a former modern human. I think it's a mistake to underestimate the mental resilience of a former modern human.

"Louise has less magic power than me or Master."

That meant she had to conserve her magic power while dealing with Master's power.

"I can manage, but how about you, Vell?"

"If I can just hold off the fatigue, I can last a few more minutes."

"You've become even more monstrous recently."

"Tell that to the person in front of you. And Louise too..."

In fact, over the past two and a half years, Louise's magic power had risen to a level close to that of a high-level mage, thanks to the training with me. She might even be able to knock a dragon off its feet with her bare hands now. Originally, she was already at the instructor level in martial arts.

While I and Master Armstrong used our abundant magic power to enhance our attack and defense, Louise was much more efficient and skilled in combat.

"Vell, you can keep him at bay with a barrage of high-density magic bullets. Then, I'll deliver the final blow. How about that?"

"That's the safest and most reliable plan."

Louise, who had learned the magical mobility armor spell, suggested a strategy. Her armor was the thinnest and least defensive among the three of us, but her physical abilities and dynamic vision were excellent, so she relied on dodging attacks and used the armor as a last line of defense.

In terms of magic power, the order was me, Master Armstrong, and Louise. In terms of combat skills, it was Louise, Master Armstrong, and me, so this was a natural choice.

"Make the high-density magic bullets as flashy as possible."

"Understood."

Since I would be at a disadvantage in close combat against Master Armstrong due to his experience, I decided to use high-density magic bullets from a distance to stop his movements.

During the Great Grand battle, Master Armstrong had used a high-density wind spell shaped like a snake. While I didn't understand the reason for the snake shape, the effectiveness of a spell increases when the image matches the caster's personality.

So, the snake-shaped high-density magic bullet must have suited him. In my case, influenced by my past life, I used a simple, highly concentrated magic bullet. I would fire dozens of them at Master Armstrong in quick succession.

"Wow! As ruthless as ever!"

While saying that, Master Armstrong deflected the high-density magic bullets with his hands as if they were flies. The deflected bullets hit the field, creating craters that made the area look like a battlefield, but no one had complained yet.

Apparently, the field was going to be cultivated later, so it didn't matter if the soil was disturbed.

"Your magic power is still boundless!"

I had lost count of how many bullets I had fired, but Master Armstrong continued to deflect them with ease.

(Is this guy really over forty?)

His magic power continued to grow, and his combat abilities evolved in proportion.

Is there anyone in this world who can kill him?

My magic power was starting to run low, but he still had a significant advantage. I could see cracks forming in his magical mobility armor, indicating that he was finally reaching his limit. Then, Louise made her move.

"Take this!"

She didn't have a specific technique name. In fact, calling out technique names would be a waste of time, and I had never seen such martial artists in this world. Louise, while being pursued by Master Armstrong, found a momentary opening and delivered a powerful kick infused with her magic power.

The kick shattered Master Armstrong's magical mobility armor, and he was blown away, landing on the ground with a loud crash and a cloud of dust, creating a large crater.

"Unfortunately, my magic power is depleted."

While a normal person might be in serious trouble, Master Armstrong, with his enhanced physical abilities, was unaffected by the impact.

He brushed off the dirt from his robe and addressed us.

"Of course, it's tough to fight two-on-one."

"Indeed..."

Even so, it took two of us to take him down, proving just how monstrous he was.

To be honest, I was so exhausted and sleepy that I could barely stand. Today, I had used too much magic power in a short time.

"You've passed. However, both of you still need to train your magic power more. I look forward to a rematch."

For the past two and a half years, both Master Armstrong and I had worked hard to increase our magic power, but we still hadn't reached our limits. At fifteen, I was still in the peak period for magic power growth, which was normal for a mage.

However, Master Armstrong's continued growth was rare. There was a possibility that his magic power might eventually go out of control and turn him into a dangerous monster, but that was just a joke.

"I will watch over your growth as adventurers."

While I didn't really need him to watch over us, Louise and I were relieved to be free from this intense training.

However, I was incredibly sleepy...