The next morning after completing his classes Arthur made his way toward the orphanage. Today he would focus on the spell experiments he planned to conduct.
Still, before anything else, he had to check in on the children.
As he entered the orphanage's courtyard, the sound of laughter filled the air. The children were running around, some playing tag. A few of them turned upon seeing him, their eyes lighting up.
For the next hour, Arthur spent time with Lisa and the children, and after confirming that there were no issues he left the orphanage and made his way out of the city toward the forest outside the city.
…
Arthur traveled deep into the woods, searching for a secluded clearing where he could practice without interruptions. After walking for a while, he finally found a wide, open space surrounded by towering trees.
'This should do.'
Taking a deep breath, he stretched his arms before getting to work.
His goal today was simply to test the different variations of his mana bullet spell.
Arthur had tried this before, overloading the spell with excess mana to see how much it could handle. The last attempt had failed resulting in the spell blowing up.
He extended his right hand, channeling mana into his palm. A small sphere of compressed blue energy formed.
'Alright, let's push it further.'
Arthur poured more mana into the spell, watching as the sphere grew denser, its glow intensifying. He focused, trying to maintain its stability, but just like before, the spell violently exploded in his hand.
Boom!
A shockwave rippled through the clearing, kicking up dust and shaking nearby branches.
Arthur sighed, shaking the soot off his fingers. "Yeah… saw that coming." But this time at least his clothes were saved as he was wearing the clothes he made previously, it just looked the same as the academy uniform as he scanned his uniform to look like it.
But despite the failure, he could feel his mana control improving. Each attempt allowed him to understand the nature of his spells a little better.
So he tried again.
For the next two hours, Arthur repeatedly compressed, separated, and controlled the mana. Each time he got closer to maintaining the spell's stability. His mana reserves nearly drained, but he pressed on.
Then, finally… Arthur felt it.
The mana bullet was on the verge of destabilizing, but instead of letting it explode, he focused and began separating the condensed mana into two parts.
Slowly the glowing sphere split into two identical spheres.
Arthur's breathing slowed, his focus razor-sharp.
A small smile tugged at his lips. 'Finally.'
With a flick of his wrist, he launched both mana bullets at a nearby tree.
Bang! Bang!
Two large holes blasted through the thick trunk, leaving clean burns on the wood.
Arthur exhaled, satisfaction washing over him.
'Now the next part.'
His next goal was to learn how to control multiple mana bullets at once.
But he was out of mana. So, he sat down on a nearby rock, took out a high grade mana stone and started to absorb the mana in it to fill his reserves.
…
Arthur sat cross-legged on rock, a high-grade mana stone held between his palms. The stone's mana seeped into his body, refilling his depleted reserves. The process took time, but the more he practiced daily, the faster his absorption rate became.
The moment his mana pool was replenished, he wasted no time, immediately forming another mana bullet in his hand.
He guided the dense energy, carefully splitting the condensed mana into multiple sections.
For the next few hours, Arthur repeated the process over and over, pushing himself to refine the spell. Each attempt shaved off a few moments from the casting time. Each failure helped him adjust the method.
It was repetitive work, but that was how progress was made.
At the end of the day he was able to split the mana bullet into three, though it required more mana to form the spell and it took much more time to form.
Arthur let out a slow breath, 'This isn't practical in real combat. I need to form the mana bullet faster.'
He needed more practice. That was the only way.
By the time he finally stopped, the sky had begun darkening, and the academy curfew was approaching.
Arthur took a deep breath, stretching his stiff limbs. Even if the spell wasn't combat-ready yet, he was getting closer.
Satisfied, he left the clearing and made his way back to the city.
…
That night, after finishing dinner with Leon, Finn, Natalya and Eva Arthur returned to his room.
Instead of heading straight to bed, he sat down in a meditative posture, closing his eyes and focusing inward.
He circulated his mana, refining it further. The process was slow, but Arthur could feel his mana pool expanding.
…
The next day after completing his classes, Arthur made his way to the orphanage, expecting a normal visit.
However, the moment he arrived, he noticed Butler Hudson's tense expression.
Arthur walked up to him immediately. "Something wrong?"
Hudson sighed, "Sir… some of the merchants have refused to sell us vegetables, meat, and other necessities required for the orphanage."
Arthur's gaze hardened. He immediately understood who could be the reason behind it, Elaric.
He should have expected this. After failing two assassination attempts, and even failing to kidnap the childrens of the orphanage the noble changed tactics. If he couldn't hurt Arthur directly, he would do it in a different way.
Arthur's expression remained calm, but internally, he was extremely angry.
"How long can we last with the supplies we have?" he asked.
Hudson folded his hands behind his back. "At most, two days."
Arthur nodded. "Understood. Don't worry. I'll handle it."
Hudson hesitated, concern flashing in his eyes. "If I may ask, sir… what do you plan to do?"
Arthur gave him a reassuring look. "I have a few connections. I'll see what I can do."
He turned and left the orphanage, heading straight for the Merchant Guild.
…
Arthur stepped inside the reception hall of the merchant guild, the cool air carrying the scent of parchment, ink, and freshly imported goods.
Seeing Arthur, and recognizing him, the receptionist took him to the upper floors, where the Guild's management offices were located.
Arthur thought of asking Manager Rhys, and if he could help him.
The receptionist took Arthur to his office and knocked.
A voice called from inside. "Enter."
Pushing the door open, Arthur stepped inside.
Rhys sat behind a heavy mahogany desk, his spectacles resting on the bridge of his nose as he examined a ledger. He was a middle-aged man, shrewd and intelligent, dressed in fine robes that indicated his wealth and status.
The moment he looked up and saw Arthur, a faint smile crossed his lips.
"Arthur," Rhys greeted, setting his pen down. "What brings you to my office?"
Arthur took a seat without hesitation. "I need a favor."
Julius raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair. "Oh? And what is it about?."
Arthur crossed his arms. "I normally wouldn't ask for something like this, but someone's been making things difficult for me."
Rhys chuckled. "I assume you're referring to Elaric Bahram."
Arthur's eyes narrowed. "You heard?"
The merchant manager nodded. "Word travels fast in the trade business. I've already received 'requests' from certain merchants pressuring us to refuse sales to your orphanage." He paused, then smirked. "Of course, I know exactly who's behind it."
Arthur leaned forward. "And?"
Rhys interlocked his fingers. "Officially, I can't intervene. Elaric is the son of a Count, and he has influence over many of the merchants in the city."
Arthur remained silent, waiting for his response.
Rhys grinned. "But it's not like he controls every merchant, some might agree to his demand as they might have dealings with the Bahram family. But he cannot do anything to the Merchant guild."
Arthur nodded. "I like the sound of that."
Rhys waved a hand. "Consider it done. By tomorrow morning, those merchants will be practically begging to do business with you again."
Arthur stood up. "Thanks, Rhys. I'll owe you one."
Rhys chuckled. "Oh, don't worry about it."
Arthur shook his head with a small smirk and exited the office.
Elaric's little scheme had just failed.
…
A month had passed since Arthur first began his rigorous mana training.
But the more he progressed, the harder it became to advance. Still his control had improved significantly, and Arthur never stopped.
Between training in the forest, managing the orphanage, and attending the academy. He continued his travels between Thyrandel and his home universe.
And today… marks the final day of training under Instructor Garrick.
…
The academy's training field was filled with students, all of whom had gathered for their last session with their instructor.
Arthur, Leon, and Finn arrived together, stepping onto the familiar training ground where they had trained for the last three months.
At the center of the field, Garrick stood waiting.
One by one, the students took their positions, preparing for their usual warm-up drills.
After an hour of intense drills, Garrick suddenly raised a hand, signaling for everyone to stop.
His gaze locked onto Arthur.
"Arthur, come forward."
Arthur stepped out of line, he had a feeling this was coming.
Garrick cracked his neck. "We're ending your training with a spar."
The students exchanged glances, some whispering excitedly. Everyone knew Arthur was one of the most powerful students, but Garrick was on another level.
Garrick said. "No weapons. Just fists. Then we'll move on to blades."
Arthur rolled his shoulders and said. "Alright then."
The air grew tense as the other students stepped back, forming a wide circle around them.
…
Arthur bounced on his heels, getting into a loose stance. His body was lighter, faster than before. Months of training had sharpened his instincts, his footwork was cleaner, and his reflexes were more refined.
Garrick, on the other hand, stood like a fortress, his stance was simple, yet flawless.
Arthur moved first.
He dashed forward, throwing a quick jab aimed at Garrick's jaw.
But Garrick didn't move.
At the last second, he tilted his head just enough for the punch to miss by a hair's breadth. Arthur didn't even see him move.
'Fast.'
Before Arthur could react, a fist came flying toward his gut.
Bam!
Arthur barely managed to block with his forearm, but the sheer force sent him sliding backward across the dirt.
The students watching gasped.
Arthur charged again.
This time, he didn't go for a direct hit. Instead, he feinted left, only to spin and aim a low kick at Garrick's knee.
But Garrick reacted instantly, raising his leg to block before twisting his body and delivering a sharp elbow strike aimed at Arthur's ribs.
Arthur barely dodged, the force of the strike cutting through the air like a blade.
'He's too fast.'
After the fight with the martial artist a month ago in the forest, his strength and speed had increased by a large margin. Still Garrick seemed like an insurmountable wall, he seemed to notice Arthur's increase in strength and used just the right amount of speed and strength to force Arthur to use all of the moves available to him. Arthur thought he needed to change tactics, as he couldn't overpower Garrick.
Arthur adjusted his stance, shifting to a lighter, more flexible footwork style. He began weaving in and out of range, throwing quick, precise strikes without committing too much.
Jab. Dodge. Counter. Retreat.
Each time Garrick swung, Arthur narrowly avoided it, slowly pushing Garrick to adapt.
Garrick nodded approvingly. "You're not just attacking blindly anymore."
Garrick suddenly lunged forward, closing the distance in an instant.
Arthur barely had time to react before a powerful right hook smashed toward his face.
Bam!
Arthur twisted his body, absorbing most of the impact, but the force sent him skidding across the ground.
He groaned, wiping the dirt off his uniform. "Alright… I think I've had enough of the warm-up."
Garrick chuckled, stepping back. "Not bad. Your techniques have improved."
Garrick then continued. "Now grab your sword."
***
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