Chapter 31: Training (1)

Moonlight slipped through the slightly opened window, its gentle rays illuminating the bed inside the room. However, there was no one lying on it.

The bed was neatly arranged, as if nobody had slept in it yet.

In the middle of the room stood someone dressed entirely in black.

Slowly, the door opened, but not completely. A moment later, Philip’s figure appeared from behind it. He was also dressed in an all-black outfit.

"Are you ready, Haruki?"

Philip’s voice was extremely quiet, considering that the other students were fast asleep at this hour.

Haruki slowly nodded, a slight smile appearing on his face to indicate that he was ready.

He carefully stepped outside and glanced around to make sure nobody was watching. Then, he looked around again, searching for Magnus.

"Where’s Magnus?"

Just as the question left Haruki’s mouth, a whisper suddenly sounded right beside his ear, startling both Haruki and Philip.

"A-A GHOST!"

Philip was the most startled of the two. He immediately grabbed Haruki, and the two ended up clinging to each other in fear.

"H-Hey... Keep your voices down."

As it turned out, it was Magnus, who had completely covered himself with a black cloak. He burst into laughter after seeing Haruki and Philip hugging each other with terrified expressions.

"Who wouldn’t be startled by that, you idiot?"

"Don’t be mad, Haruki. I was just joking around a little."

"A little, huh?"

Magnus then invited the two of them to proceed with their plan, which they had discussed earlier that afternoon.

Haruki and Philip let out a sigh before quietly following Magnus. They carefully made their way through the corridors, making sure not to wake the other students.

However, the most difficult part was keeping Magnus and Philip quiet. Magnus was constantly making jokes that easily provoked Philip whenever they spoke.

*How unlucky am I to be stuck with these two?*

...

As they approached the academy’s back entrance, they noticed someone standing in front of the door, wearing a black cloak that completely concealed their face.

"H-Hey, who’s that?"

Magnus and Philip immediately turned their attention in the direction Haruki was pointing. They, too, noticed the mysterious figure standing in front of them.

"Wouldn’t it be better if you had a teacher accompanying you?"

Their suspicions immediately vanished upon hearing that familiar voice.

"Teacher Aelin?"

"Exactly, Haruki."

She stepped forward and pulled back the hood of her cloak, revealing her face to the three students.

"So, Teacher Aelin was secretly eavesdropping on us, huh? That’s not very polite of a teacher."

"Such a cunning teacher."

Aelin simply smiled as she looked at the three students, who seemed eager to begin their training in preparation for driving the invaders from the Kingdom of Frostval.

"So, where are you planning to train?"

Upon hearing that question, the three of them exchanged confused glances. They had actually forgotten to decide on a training location.

"What’s so difficult about that? Why don’t we just use the academy field?"

"That’s exactly why you’re an idiot, Philip."

"What?!"

Magnus and Philip immediately began bickering.

Aelin then explained that using the academy field would likely wake up the sleeping students, since it was located too close to both the boys’ and girls’ dormitories.

She subsequently suggested taking them somewhere more secluded so they wouldn’t disturb the other students.

The three of them then left through the back entrance, with Aelin leading the way outside the academy grounds.

...

As time passed, they continued walking for nearly an hour, yet the three students still had no idea where they were heading.

Philip, who had initially been enthusiastic about training, was now beginning to feel frustrated by the long journey.

"Hey, Teacher Aelin! Just where are you taking us?!"

"Are you already tired before we’ve even reached the training ground?"

"Like that’s even possible!"

*Philip sure gets enthusiastic again pretty quickly,* Haruki thought to himself.

Suddenly, Aelin stopped walking and informed them that they had now reached an area outside the Kingdom of Arcane.

She then explained to Philip that his Rift Gate magic was capable of swallowing an entire kingdom if left unchecked. Therefore, if Philip were to train his magic within the kingdom, it could spell disaster.

Without saying much else, Aelin immediately launched an attack on Philip to begin his training.

Philip quickly reacted by using his Rift Step magic. A rift appeared behind Aelin before suddenly bursting open, revealing Philip as he emerged from it.

"Got you!"

"I’m the one who got you, Philip."

Suddenly, roots emerged from behind Aelin, forcing Philip to leap backwards.

Aelin then redirected her attack towards Haruki.

Before Haruki could even summon his magic or draw his dagger, he was struck by Aelin’s enormous, thick roots and sent flying backwards.

"Ugh!"

"Heh~ Is that all you’ve got, Haruki?"

Magnus, who had been staying on guard, immediately drew a small sword hidden beneath his black cloak and activated his reinforcement magic to prepare himself.

However, without him noticing, another root suddenly emerged from behind Aelin, aiming straight for Magnus’s back.

Fortunately, Magnus was alert enough to notice it and immediately blocked the incoming attack.

Aelin merely smiled before summoning another root, intending to attack Magnus from behind once more.

Just as the root rushed towards Magnus for the second time, it was suddenly stopped by Haruki’s gravity magic.

"Heh? Now that’s interesting."

"Don’t take your eyes off me, Teacher Aelin!"

Philip suddenly appeared behind Aelin, dagger in hand, ready to launch a counterattack.

"You shouldn’t be shouting either if you’re planning to attack someone from behind, Philip!"

Aelin successfully retreated several steps, keeping her distance from Philip, while the root Magnus had been holding was pulled back.

The three students then regrouped, standing close to one another.

"Haruki, Philip, just consider this a special class to make up for the one that was cancelled that day."

The two boys remained silent, finding it rather ridiculous that she would bring that up at a time like this.

"Now, come at me!"

The three of them charged towards Aelin simultaneously, raising their weapons as they prepared to attack. However, they still couldn’t overcome Aelin’s enormous roots.

[DEFEAT AELIN TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL MAGIC AND SKILL SLOTS]

"A mission, huh?"

Aelin summoned even more thick roots, making the training considerably more difficult for them.

The roots then rapidly rushed towards Philip.

However, Philip quickly reacted by activating his magic.

"Rift Magic: Rift Distortion!"

The root that was about to strike Philip suddenly entered a rift before emerging from another one some distance away, as though Aelin’s attack had been redirected to a completely different location.

The roots targeting Haruki and Magnus were redirected as well, leaving Aelin’s defenses wide open.

"Let’s go, Haruki and Magnus!"

The three of them leapt towards Aelin, preparing to launch their attacks.

Aelin then formed a faint smile.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to tremble.

Without warning, something emerged from beneath the earth, sending all three of them flying backwards.