Arc 1: Part 17

Magic training was a practical lesson on the application of magic theory. While the magic theory was mostly taught in class, the magic application was taught in an open space or a training room.

"Hello, everyone," Monrietta greeted them while they were standing in the training room. She was the teacher in charge of their training in both the theory and the application of magic.

"I have seen all of your results during the test, and I have to say, I'm impressed," Monrietta said and smiled. She was a forty-year-old woman whose hair was brown with a few strands of white here and there. She had blue eyes, and most of the time she had a strict look during class, but her expression turned gentler during free time. She was also one of the oldest teachers in the academy.

"However, I need to evaluate everyone's capability directly, and we shall start with this." She gestured toward a machine that would measure the amount of mana one had and how much of it they could restore per second. "It is essential to know how fast you can recover your mana, and how much there is in order to use your mana efficiently and effectively," she explained.

There were three machines, so it took ten turns to have everyone complete it. The machine had a limit to evaluate how much mana someone could store inside their bodies, and this quantity was represented by a numerical value, which was not exactly 100% accurate, but it was still the best machine to measure how much mana someone possessed.

Kyle only paid attention to a few people. The one who had the highest mana was Wanda. Her score was around 1800, with her mana regeneration at 2 per second. Ninia was the second at 1400, with a regeneration rate of 1.5 per second. Eric was the third at 1300 and 1.3 per second, and Friena came fourth at 1250 with her mana regeneration of 1.8 per second. It was shocking to the others that Friena had the second-highest mana regeneration rate among the top.

However, this was before Kyle's score of 1000 mana quantity and regeneration of 2.5 per second. His mana was considered already high among the class, and then, with the added fact that he had the fastest mana regeneration, made him the first in the class. He could recover faster than anyone else, but it didn't change the situation that even he could easily get exhausted after casting too many mana-consuming spells.

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"I had no idea you could replenish mana that quickly," Ozi said quietly to him. "Can we reach the same level as yours?" He asked again. Ozi's mana regeneration was currently at 1,1 per second.

"Yes, by opening your pores," Kyle confirmed with a smile. "Also, Friena is doing that as well, which is why she regenerates that fast."

"Does that mean that Wanda is using that method too?"

"I don't think so. It is just that she is truly efficient in her mana breathing." He couldn't see mana entering through Wanda's pores, so she was purely using her nose or mouth to regenerate her mana.

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Next was an evaluation of how fast they cast a spell. This was done through a machine that reads the user's casting speed. All of the students were required to cast a simple light ball, then a reinforcement, and finally a telekinesis spell to move an object. Aside from the casting speed, the students' mana control was also being measured here.

In this test, Wanda again took first place. She cast the light ball within one second and was as quick with reinforcement. Then her telekinesis magic could send the object flying without wasting much of her mana at high speed.

Casting required the person to memorize the spell chant, to help them envision the spell itself, and have a clear understanding of what the spell was for. Not only that, it required the caster to have a high degree of control of mana and focus, because even a slight blunder would cause the spell to go astray. Speed casting meant that the person had to be good in all of these conditions. Someone who had done light ball about one thousand times would eventually be able to cast this spell easily because they were accustomed to it. Unfortunately, there aren't too many insane people who would keep flinging light balls a thousand times.

Wanda did this easily because she had practiced it several times, and she also had a good memory and imagination, with firm intent and focus. Her mana control was also good, which made her able to cast really fast without blunders.

But, her fame was short-lived when Kyle proved to be the best once more. He created a light ball within a fraction of a second and did the same with reinforcement. His telekinesis spell was faster than Wanda's. As a result, this made him the fastest caster at the moment. However, obviously, he was only the fastest in simple spells, and so in the bigger picture, he wasn't that amazing.

"Wanda Paycott, Kyle Welton. Both of you have the best casting speed and mana control. Can you tell me if this also applies to complicated spells?" Madam Monrietta asked.

"No, Ma'am," Kyle replied. "I'm only good with simple spells because my magic style is using simple magic to ensnare my opponents. Not only will this preserve my mana, but it helps me to be able to cast several spells ahead of my opponents," He explained his current situation. To be able to cast simple spells quickly wasn't considered as the best feat by everyone else, so even if he caused a ruckus here, it would be forgotten later. "However, I can still cast higher-order spells faster than normal," he added.

Monrietta nodded in response to Kyle's explanation and turned to face Wanda.

"I can cast several moderately complex spells at high speed, Ma'am," Wanda replied.

"Truly? Verbally or not?"

"Still verbally, Ma'am." Casting a spell required a chant, or so the beginners were informed because a chant was used to make the mind focus on what the caster wanted to create. However, those who had a good imagination, firm intent, and accurate mana control could cast a spell nonverbally. It was faster, and nobody would know which spell you would cast until it appeared.

"I see. I believe you already know what to do, Miss Paycott. As far as I have seen from your data, you are far more versatile than anyone else. However, this will divide your focus and mastery. The path ahead will be arduous for you," Madam Monrietta lectured. "You need to train diligently for that."

"Yes, I will."

Monrietta nodded and turned to Kyle. "I know you are a slippery kind of fighter, Mr. Welton. However, do make an effort to learn more complex magic spells. Sometimes, just basic spells aren't enough to keep you alive, and you need a bigger gun."

"I understand." Kyle nodded. For his personal growth, he knew he would need to learn more complex spells. He was well aware that against a master-level opponent, his simple spells would be little more than a nuisance.

"With the data that I have collected, I shall now assign you all into several groups, depending on the growth focus that you need first." Monrietta then explained how, for the first month, they would focus on mana breathing, mana control, and speed casting. The majority of the students were put into the mana-breathing group. The next most populous group was obviously mana control, and only Wanda, Kyle, Ninia, and Eric went into the speed-casting group. They were selected because they had exceeded the requirements in mana breathing and mana control, while what they needed was to cast their spells faster. In all honesty, this group would be practicing mana breathing and control at the same time, because the faster one cast a spell, the higher the needed mana control was to avoid making a mistake. Also, Monrietta stated that they had to cast the spells continuously, while in the cool-down stage between spells they had to quickly recover their mana, which meant that their mana breathing was being challenged.

Once Monrietta had divided them into groups, she explained that she expected that by the end of the month, they would have improved, and their scores would be affected as well.

Afterwards, they began to practice with Monrietta overseeing them, although only for today.

Once the magic training was over, the students had time to rest for a moment before they had to attend the strategy lesson. This lesson was basically theory and quizzes for the students, guiding them towards what they should do in certain situations with their current arsenal. It was engaging and mentally taxing. And they would apply this in the spars and the field training sessions later on.

After the strategy lesson, they were finally able to return to the dorms. However, for Kyle and Ninia, they had to train with Joshua.

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In the training room.

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"So, how did training go for you guys?" Joshua asked. His class did class training last Wednesday.

"Exhausting," Kyle complained as he sat on the bench. "But they were manageable. Shall we get going then?" Thus, Joshua and Ninia went to spar together once more.

While watching them sparring, Kyle wondered about the deal between Class Three and Class Seven, which was being handled by both Eric and Bianca. He had already requested them to ask Class Seven whether they already knew about the challenge date and, if possible, who they would send, although he doubted if they would tell them about it.

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Author: Aida Hanabi

Proofreader: Lola

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