Chapter 43 - Valiant Rival Part 2

  Back to Emilio's POV

  I never thought it would turn out like this.

  What followed was one of the most brutal spars I'd ever witnessed. Both girls kept fighting with multiple broken bones, both maintaining those makeshift mana casts while exchanging strikes and counters.

  Their ribs took damage. Their arms accumulated fractures. Each time a new bone broke, they'd pause just long enough to apply another mana cast before resuming.

  The other trainees watched in stunned silence. Even Kimberly and Katherine, who are supposed to have received military training for their duty to escort Isabella, looked uncomfortable. Not to mention Moon and Night, though they stood ready to intervene if needed.

  But I didn't stop the fight. They were learning something important which is not just about combat, but about themselves. About the limits of human endurance and will.

  The end came suddenly. Both girls, exhausted and covered in bruises, threw simultaneous punches. Celestine attempted a cross-counter, trying to time her strike to land while slipping Isabella's punch.

  But she was too slow. Too tired. Too broken.

  Their fists connected at their opponent’s jaw at the same time.

  Both girls' eyes rolled back. They collapsed in perfect unison, unconscious before they hit the ground.

  I had a feeling I'd seen something similar in my previous life, but couldn't really put my finger on it.

  "Moon, Night, help me position them," I called immediately.

  The two beastkin girls moved with practiced efficiency, helping me arrange Isabella and Celestine on their backs, ensuring their airways were clear and their broken limbs weren't in dangerous positions.

  "Should we get the stretcher, Master?" Moon asked quietly.

  "Not yet. I'm going to heal them here first."

  I knelt between both girls, taking a deep breath and centering myself. Dual-casting wasn't particularly difficult for me as I'd been training multitasking abilities for years through basic mana control drills. The principle was the same: divide attention, maintain separate channels, execute simultaneously.

  I extended my hands over both girls, calling upon my flesh mending magic. The familiar sensation of my flesh stock being converted to healing energy filled me, splitting into two streams that flowed into Isabella and Celestine.

  As the magic worked, I monitored their injuries through mana sense. Broken bones, torn muscles, damaged tissue... all of it began knitting back together under the healing energy's influence.

  But something caught my attention. And I filed away that something for later examination. For now, my priority was ensuring both girls recovered safely.

  The healing completed, and I massaged the acupoint at their hands to hasten their regaining consciousness.

  "Night, fetch water. Moon, get the pemmican from the supply kit."

  "Right away, Master!" they responded in unison.

  Isabella was the first to fully wake, blinking up at the sky in confusion. "Did I win?"

  "Draw," I said. "You both knocked each other out simultaneously."

  "Oh." She processed this, then smiled slightly. "I can live with that."

  Celestine woke a moment later, her hand immediately going to her leg, the one that had been broken first. She flexed it experimentally, her eyes widening in surprise at finding it whole.

  Moon returned with water, and Night appeared with the pemmican. Both girls drank deeply before tearing into the dried meat and fat mixture.

  "Remember, healing magic uses your body's energy to accelerate recovery," I explained. "You need to replenish the calories burned, or it will be detrimental."

  As they ate, I gathered my thoughts. What I'd witnessed today was significant, but I needed to be careful about how I presented it. These girls looked up to me as their instructor so any careless speculation from me could lead them to take dangerous risks.

  "Alright," I said once they'd finished eating and their color had returned. "Let's talk about what just happened."

  Both girls looked at me attentively, still catching their breath.

  "First, the evaluation of your fight. Celestine, your technical skill showed clear improvement. Your cross-counter attempt at the end was well-timed in theory, but your exhaustion made the execution sloppy. Isabella, your aggression served you well, but you relied too heavily on raw power instead of conserving energy for a decisive moment."

  I paused, making sure they were listening.

  "But that's not what I want to focus on. What you both demonstrated today was something far more significant: a practical application of the dual-path training philosophy I've been teaching you."

  "A practical application?" Celestine asked.

  "Yes, the practical application of combining both the mage path and the knight path training. Most people choose one or the other. Knights focus purely on physical cultivation and don't waste time with detailed mana control. Mages focus on spell theory and barely train their bodies beyond basic fitness. But you two? You've been training both."

  I stood up, pacing slightly as I organized my thoughts.

  "Celestine, what you discovered today, I will call it 'bone casting' for now, is a perfect example of why this dual-path approach matters. A normal knight wouldn't have the mana control precision to create that stabilizing cast. A normal mage wouldn't have enough martial training to even think of continuing to fight with broken bones. But you, trained in both paths, found a way to turn a crippling injury into merely an annoying one."

  Isabella's eyes lit up with understanding. "So by training as both mage and knight..."

  "You unlock possibilities that neither path alone could achieve," I finished. "Bone casting is just one example. I suspect there are many more techniques waiting to be discovered by people willing to walk both paths."

  "But," I held up a hand, my tone becoming more serious, "I need you both to understand something important. What you did today was reckless."

  Both girls opened their mouths to protest, but I continued.

  "I'm not saying it was all bad. You discovered something valuable. But you also took enormous risks. Broken bones aren't just painful, they can cause permanent damage if not treated properly. Bone fragments can sever arteries. Displaced fractures can damage nerves. You were lucky today that your injuries were relatively clean and that I was here to heal you immediately."

  I looked each of them in the eye.

  "Before you start thinking about deliberately breaking bones as a training method, understand this: I don't know if there are hidden costs. Your bodies might have taken damage that won't show up until later. You might have exhausted some of your future potential for immediate gains. It’s like killing your only breeding cow because you are tempted by your hunger today. Yes, you’ll feast tonight but what about next spring? Is it wise?"

  Celestine sobered at that. "So we shouldn't use bone casting in training?"

  "I'm not saying never use it. I'm saying be smart about it. In real combat, when your life is on the line? Absolutely use it. But in training? Only when necessary, and only with proper supervision and healing available. Don't make breaking your bones a regular practice until I've had time to research whether there are long-term consequences."

  "How long will that take?" Isabella asked.

  "I don't know. Could be weeks, could be months. I need to conduct careful experiments, monitor for delayed effects, and build up data before I can say with confidence that it's safe."

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  I softened my tone slightly.

  "I know you're both eager to grow stronger quickly. But rushing leads to mistakes. Trust the process. Keep training both mage and knight paths. Keep developing your mana control and your physical abilities. The discoveries will come naturally when you're ready for them."

  Both girls nodded, though I could see the competitive fire still burning in their eyes. They might have agreed to be cautious, but that didn't mean they'd given up their rivalry.

  "Now," I said, changing the subject, "I want to talk about something else I observed during your fight. Something related to knight tier progression."

  "You mentioned before that there are tier differences in knights," Celestine said. "But you never explained the details."

  "That's because my understanding of the knight path is limited. The training for the knight path up to tier 4 was available for the public but not beyond that. It is also incomplete so I have done a lot of private experimentation and observation which won’t be 100% correct. So take what I say with that caveat in mind."

  I gathered my thoughts, trying to organize years of self-study into a coherent explanation.

  "As I understand it, a tier 1 knight can enhance a single part of their body with mana. This enhancement is different from the mana reinforcement technique I taught you, that's actually a mage technique I developed. Mana reinforcement is stable and long-lasting, something you consciously control and maintain. Knight enhancement is... different."

  I flexed my arm, calling upon the enhancement technique I'd taught myself through some minimal clue.

  "Knight enhancement is more explosive, more powerful in short bursts. It's also more automatic. Once you train a body part to accept mana enhancement, your body starts doing it instinctively during combat. You don't think about it; it just happens."

  "So it's like... muscle memory?" Isabella asked.

  "Exactly. A tier 1 knight picks one part to specialize in which is usually their weapon arm, or their legs for speed. They train that part constantly, flooding it with mana during every exercise. Over time, that body part becomes more responsive to mana, more accepting of it. When they fight, the enhancement activates automatically."

  Celestine frowned. "But you taught us to enhance our whole bodies. Doesn't that make us higher than tier 1 knights?"

  "Not quite. Again, what I taught you is mage’s mana reinforcement, a conscious, controlled technique. It's useful, but it's not the same as true knight enhancement. The difference is like... Using a knife to cut meat and using hands to tear apart meat. One is using technique while the other is using brute strength. Mana reinforcement is like a tool while knight enhancement transforms the body itself."

  I paused, making sure they understood.

  "At tier 2, a knight can enhance multiple body parts. Like their arms, their legs, or their core. Each part they've trained becomes a reservoir of explosive power they can tap into instinctively."

  "And tier 3?" Isabella prompted.

  "Full body enhancement. And it is not a ‘mere’ entire body enhancement. Your whole body will finally be unified and perfected. It can work in tandem, it brings synergy. Think of it like the difference between a finger-length punch and a normal jab in terms of power. With that, a knight can finally become a force of nature in close combat."

  "What about tier 4?" Celestine asked.

  "I'm not sure, but from the rumors circulated among low-tier knights... It's said to be a 'total body rejuvenation.' Your body supposedly returns to its peak youth, with permanent, passive enhancement. You'd become superhuman by default. Beside that, there’s also the famous Aura Strike ability which is turning a melee blow into a ranged attack in mirror to the mage’s path’s Mage Shield"

  I let that hang in the air, then lowered my voice.

  "I have doubts about it. After all, wouldn’t the one at power be at a disadvantage if there are a lot of long lived strong people? It feels more like propaganda. I think it is more likely to be a limited but accelerated form of regeneration. As long as their stamina lasts, a tier 4 knight can be a perpetual fighting monster in the battle. Nobles would love to have such people as subordinates, not a long lived pawn."

  I looked at both girls carefully.

  "Now, here's what I observed during your fight. Both of you broke through to tier 2 knight during that spar."

  Their eyes widened.

  "For starters, your body is actually not a great mana conductor. Only by training it, your body can slowly adapt and accept mana. That is the basic principle of the knight path. but what you did is like breaking your own body down and forcing it to sustain with mana as a temporary patch. And your body, under extreme stress and panic for survival, was forced to immediately adapt. That desperate multi-tasking panic managed to condense months or even years worth of training in a single afternoon, letting your body learn how to enhance multiple parts of your body."

  "So we got stronger?" Isabella said, excitement creeping into her voice.

  "Yes. But…" I held up a hand again, "and this is important: you might have paid a price I can't see yet."

  Their excitement dimmed.

  "Remember what I said about killing your only source of food? You achieved tier 2 through an extremely accelerated method. Your bodies didn't have time to naturally develop the mana pathways and reinforced tissues. You forced the breakthrough."

  "Is that bad?" Celestine asked quietly.

  "I don't know. It might be fine. Your bodies might adapt and fill in the gaps over time. But as wise people say, haste makes waste. Your body might leave behind some vulnerabilities in the process of that accelerated growth. That's why I need time to research this."

  I looked at both of them seriously.

  "Promise me you won't try to deliberately replicate this method to rush your advancement further. No breaking bones on purpose to try reaching tier 3 faster. Not until I've verified there are no negative long-term effects."

  "We promise," they said in unison.

  I studied their faces, trying to gauge their sincerity. They seemed to understand the gravity of the situation, but I also knew how competitive they were. I'd need to keep an eye on them.

  "Good. Now, there's one more thing I want to mention before we move on to the afternoon session."

  I gestured to their healed bodies.

  "Your bone casting technique is impressive, but it's also mana-intensive. Both of you nearly exhausted your reserves during that fight. In a real battle, running out of mana could be fatal. So as you practice this technique; and yes, I do want you to practice it carefully; please focus on efficiency. Learn to create stronger casts with less mana. Master the technique to the point where it becomes instinctive, like the knight enhancement I described."

  "How do we do that?" Isabella asked.

  "I dunno, practice? Well, controlled practice to be exact. Not in spars, not by breaking bones deliberately, but through mana control exercises. Work on creating and maintaining the cast structure without actual injuries. Build up the muscle memory, or rather, the mana memory so that when you do need it in combat, it comes naturally and efficiently."

  Both girls nodded, absorbing the instruction.

  "Alright. That's enough theory for now. Take an hour to rest and recover fully. Then we'll continue with meditation training this afternoon. I want both of you to focus on sensing your mana pathways, especially in the areas where you used bone casting. Get familiar with the changes in your bodies."

  As the girls moved to find spots to rest, Katherine and Kimberly approached me.

  "Sir Emilio," Katherine said, her usual brashness tempered by concern, "will the princess really be alright? That was..."

  "Brutal," Kimberly finished quietly. "We've trained to protect the princess since we were children and it is hard to see her push herself hard like that."

  "For your concern, she'll be fine," I assured them. "I am confident with my healing skill, and I'll monitor both of them for any complications. And yes, it is indeed concerning to let her have a brutal training but remember this: Apex predators will throw their cub off the cliff to toughen them. It is better to let your sweat, blood, and tears flow out now when you are training rather than when you are in combat because you are not strong enough."

  The twins seem to feel conflicted from my words. Their old belief of protecting and this new philosophy of forging through pain is clashing with one another. Yes, this new philosophy is basically an extreme in the quote: spare the rod, spoil the child.

  “Of course, as I can’t observe her all the time, it's all up to you to help me watch over her. Please immediately tell me if there’s any complication in her condition, okay? And also, your duties now are not to prevent Isabella from falling, but to make sure that she goes right back up even if she does fall.”

  They exchanged a look, then turned back to me. With their resolve hardening their features.

  "We will, Sir Emilio."

  As they walked away, I found myself alone for a moment. I looked down at my hands, flexing them experimentally.

  What I'd witnessed today was significant, but I needed to be careful. The bone casting technique, the forced breakthrough to tier 2... these were powerful shortcuts, but shortcuts often came with hidden costs.

  I thought of my own decade of trial, error, and cautious, lonely progress. Every technique I'd mastered, I'd done so through careful study and incremental progress. I'd made mistakes along the way like my prejudice toward the ‘bending’ ability and also my prejudice toward the beast folk, but I'd learned from them.

  These girls, with the fire of rivalry and my guidance, were compressing years of discovery into weeks. It was exhilarating and terrifying. But of course, haste makes waste. And I just need to minimize the waste.

  I needed to do my own testing. Carefully, methodically. Break a bone, heal it, monitor the results. Document everything. Only then could I give them proper guidance.

  "Young master?"

  I turned to find Jane approaching, her expression concerned.

  "I saw the end of that fight. Are they really alright?"

  "Physically, yes. But Jane, I need you to keep an eye on both of them. I gave them instructions to be careful, but..."

  "But they're competitive teenagers who just discovered a shortcut to power," Jane finished, her tone dry. "I understand. I'll watch them."

  I almost pointed out she was barely older, but held my tongue. Jane had never been allowed to be a "teenager." Her ‘curse’ of power never let her be one. It is not a privilege for her to act like that.

  "Thank you. Also, I'm going to be conducting some experiments in the coming days. Nothing too dangerous," I added quickly, seeing her expression, "but I'll need privacy. Can you make sure I'm not disturbed in my laboratory?"

  "What kind of experiments?"

  "Testing the bone casting technique on myself. I need to verify it's safe before I let the girls use it more extensively."

  Jane sighed. "Why am I not surprised? At least promise me you'll have someone nearby in case something goes wrong."

  "I'll have Leon present. Happy?"

  "Not particularly, but I'll accept it."

  As Jane walked away, I looked back at the training grounds. Isabella and Celestine were already deep in conversation, probably comparing notes on the fight. Their rivalry was intense, but it was also pushing them to grow in ways I hadn't anticipated.

  Sigh, I guess it’s up to me now to learn to control the fire for my cute disciples now.