CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 7

280 ac

After leaving Robb and Jon, I returned to my room and resumed my mana training. With every passing day, I'm becoming more sensitive to mana. I can feel my mana is growing, but I don't know how much. It is tough to decide if I have enough mana to cast one last time, so I always leave some mana. If there isn't enough, I might pass out or worse. There is no reason to risk it. Trying to guess how much mana I have left is like guessing how much water is in a cup, and I can only eyeball it. But there must be a better way.

It would have been so much easier if it were like in a pc game and if I had a mana number and the spell had cost as a number. Anyway, let's focus. Just when I was starting to cast a spell, it hit me.

I'm such an idiot. The answer is "Authentication." The Rob said it could identify anything as long as I have the knowledge and I have the knowledge. It is just a simple math problem. Suppose I gave my cheapest spell the number one. And keep casting it until I deplete my mana. I can have a numerical value for every spell I can cast after it. It took 21 Authenticate to drain my mana. So, it means I have 21 mana in value.

The following three months have been fascinating and boring at the same time. It was exciting because of the magic training and my basic magic spells getting stronger daily. After three months of hard work, I now have 24 mana, and my elemental ball spells have a diameter of 6 cm (I think it is 2.2 inches). It was equally boring as the sword training.

Most of the time, I would space out while swinging it, and 5x will stop working, and I would get a slap at the back of the head if Rodrik realized I was spacing out, but I'm starting to get the forms down. The hardest part is what Rodrik calls the foreplay; a 2-hour physical training session of running, jumping, and all kinds of drills. After that, he says, "Let's get to the real deal." It is a really sick joke to make in front of 6 years olds, but Robb and Jon don't get it.

POV RODRİK

The young lord is really working hard. He is the most talented among the lord's sons. Jon is working hard, too, but he is not as gifted as him. It has been three months since the lord ordered me to see them trained, but the one I'm most astonished about is Aermir. I knew his father; he was like a beast when fighting, but I didn't mean he was so powerful.

In the literal sense, he fought like how a dog or a wolf rips its prey apart. He fought with a feral rage. That was the way he fought; it was always a relentless attack. The boy is just like his father in that aspect, but he has something his father never had; a calm and thinking mind. Oh, and of course, a monstrous talent I have never seen. It is like he started learning the sword two years ago. He didn't know anything about the sword three months ago, but now he has an acceptable form and movement.

I didn't even see my lord coming until he made himself known. I must have been deep in thought. "How are the boys doing, Rodrik?" I hurriedly turned around and saluted him when I heard the voice.

"They are doing fine, my lord; the little lord is really talented like his father."

When he hears that, the lord starts smiling. And turns toward Jon, but he does not ask how he is doing; he just watches. So, I tell him.

"It is still early to say yet. Jon is talented in the sword, too, but not as talented as the little lord."

"How is Aermir?"

"My lord, if you hadn't come here, I would have come to you about him."

"Why? Does he not have any talent for it?"

"No, my lord, he has too much of it."

"What do you mean?"

"My lord, if he works like this, in 10 years, The North will have an Arthur Dayne of its own." I started smiling.

"Is he that talented?"

"Yes, my lord, he just started training three moons ago, and he is not that motivated too, but he fights like a passable fighter." The lord gets up, takes a wooden sword from the rack, and goes next to Aermir.

POV MC

I really hate self-training times, and it's just building muscle memory. In moments like this, I'm really thankful for 5x. I can't even think about doing this five times more to reach this level. I heard steps coming closer and thought Rodrik was coming to slap my head. I turn around as fast as I can and swing the sword. "I'm focusing!"

BANG

Two swords clash, and I see Lord Stark standing there. Right away, I bowed and apologized. "I'm sorry, my lord, I thought you were Sir Rodrik coming to punish me."

"Rather than an apology, I want to see if you kept your promise to me. Raise your sword and strike."

He is serious about it. I started to get in form and ready myself for a fight. I charge at him, and we lock our sword for a second like in the movies, but we don't wait there, right away I use my short stature and try to slip past his sword by angling my sword toward my right shoulder while trying to cut his right arm, but he expertly prevents that by guiding my sword away. I can't win in reach and strength against a grown-up, and I don't think I am faster than him. There is only one other way to victory.