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Riou and Max were approaching the camp entrance, they already could see the soldiers putting down the armaments, swords, shields and spears, making themselves more comfortable to sit down and eat the food, was then that Max asked - ”Riou, how do you fare with the sword in hand?” Said the mage walking towards the training ground, the moon was still there and was enough to illuminate the camp as well, most of the soldiers were getting their rations, they were alone there.

- ”What do you mean? I only played with toy swords when I was a kid... but never REALLY fought with it” - Answered expecting of what was to come...

- ”I find that hard to believe...” said the mage remembering the glimpses of the young man past fights inside his mind... - ”But luckily for us, this will be easier enough to verify, and much safer... I hope” - He concluded picking up two wood swords used for training, and tossed one to Riou... - ”Let's try not repeat the magic lesson disaster... so please restrain yourself from the start this time...” taking poise and clearly waiting for Riou to do the same...

- ”You can say that, but as I said, I never learned the sword, I just played and watched characters who did...” he said imitating the mage stance... the sword was wood carved and was as big as a real sword, it resembled the two edged, straight swords with a cross shaped hilt of medieval times. He felt a strange lingering feeling when holding it, he couldn't help but to think about some of the the sword fighting techniques he played with and watched on...

Max signaled, and prepared to launch an attack, he brought the sword up above his head as he approached. He was about to bring it down to hit Riou, when he noticed the mage was not holding back his strength at all, it was a real strike...

As soon as Riou saw the movement down beginning, he knew what was coming, and consciously calculated the trajectory of the wood blade and its timing, he used it to quickly and precisely, step in, towards Max side, closing the gap and taking a more advantageous position to strike the open opponent. Precisely avoiding the swing of the mage sword he promptly readied his sword to attack as he moved, all in the same movement...he knew the big swing would leave the mage open for attack. If anyone was watching the fight they would clearly judge the boy to be a long lived sword fighter veteran at least, someone who did that movement countless times to perfection... and for the mage, he stopped moving completely as soon as he realized he had a sword to his throat...

- ”Only toy swords... right?” Joked the mage stepping back and putting the wood sword down in its place

- ”Yeah, but as soon as you attacked me, it felt like when I used to playing... really weird, I was not even scared... time didn't stop or anything like that, but it was like I could use and actually apply that knowledge and sword techniques, like it was some sort of mind muscle memory.... this is insane... how is that possible?” - Asked an exhilarated Riou...

- ”I have a theory I've been formulating for a while now, in this world the mind and the body are strongly connected, and by what I learned from you, seems like the mana have a much greater impact on that than I previously anticipated. People of this world are able to create great things once they are able to understand it, once their minds reached the necessary level of knowledge, the body is able to follow... and by saying that I don't mean physical training is worthless...” He paused walking around continuing his explanation...

”On the contrary, is much more effective, since one can understand with much more efficiency when experiencing and testing with the body. So a person who wants to learn the sword, will practice it sorely and thoughtfully gaining knowledge through the physical experience and understanding its foundations. With that down then experimenting with ideas will enable them to create real and powerful sword skills and techniques...” He turned again to Riou who was following the Magus explanation attentively.

- ”You on the other hand, comes from a place where the connection is feeble, weak... by your reaction the people there have a harder time to get the body to follow the minds command, I mean, you need a lot more of physical effort and training to match the mind power...and now that you are here, in contact with mana... it somehow improved your mind to body connection to whole new level... you have so much experience on the movements and the theory, that I can't even begin to calculate how much hours you have spent on it... and if you would also use your absurd amount of mana to compensate or strengthen it... the possibilities are endless...” Explained the mage before continuing with a more preoccupied tone

-”So, for now at least I'd recommend you caution, if you want to keep others from knowing about your power, you can't be all powerful suddenly...” Explained Maximilian as a teacher to its pupil.

- ”Yeah, I kind of understand what you mean... I will be careful in front of others, but I do have to train this ability...” Said Riou to the mage as them both started to walk again towards the food distribution...

- ”It will take a few weeks to reach the capital, I don't think they will do forced march on the way back, that will give us plenty of time I think, you will be safe with the army and during the day break you could train with the soldiers the sword, that will allow a background history to pass as a good swordsman later on, and during the night we could get some distance to test your magic, if anything goes out of control they will think it was me... but that would be much more difficult to explain to others, and perhaps should be kept in secret.”

- ”Sounds like a plan” Confirmed Riou.

When they were near the food distribution the Knight Captain from inside of his tent called them in, he clearly wanting to talk with both of them. They entered the tent taking a seat in front of a table which the knight was seated behind.

the tent was being illuminated by a kind of oiled lamp, on the table there was a big piece of bread and a big bowl of what seemed to be soup, the bread appeared to be hard as stone and the soup had a strange color to it, as if someone took dirt with some roots and strange leaves and had it all boiled together on water...

A moment after the soldier comes in bringing the same thing to Riou and Maximilian.

- ”Master Mage, the king requested a report of what was found here, I believe you will be the one providing such report to him, but would you be so kind to also share your discoveries with me?” Said the knight honestly curious to the findings, while preparing the bread to be thrown into the soup.

- ”The event seemed to have been a magical displacement caused by the star alignment, the magical power accumulated through the years was suddenly release by the extra emanation, causing the first event... with its force it must have compromised the land beneath the forest that eventually collapsed somewhere inside the forest causing the second tremor...” explained the mage reaching for his bread.

- ”I see, but why have the king requested me to dispatch the best men for this investigation?” - Asked the knight eating with his hand a piece of the bread soaked in the soup

The mage that was soaking the bread stopped, seemed like a hard topic was about to be brought up - ”Because I was suspicious that Argos mages could have been involved... or worse, the Twilight Council could be behind it since they always showed an unusual interests in the Endher Forest...”

- ”Hum, thats why the king sent the First Army... it makes more sense now” Said the Knight understanding the criticality of it.