CH 38

"Master Rid, please watch my movements more closely ."

"Sure"

I responded to his words, feeling every movement of Rubens' body, his hands, his feet, and his eyes, desperately trying to avoid the slashes from the wooden sword.

However, when the wooden sword is avoided, the next time a strike comes, or a direct attempt to grab it, anything is possible.

Right now, Rubens is practicing with me in the training grounds of mansion.

Naturally, he is holding back, but he attacks me just as I am able to concentrate and avoid.

So, if I lost my concentration during training, I might get seriously injured.

It was such an extreme movement.

However, as one would expect, after so many moves, he soon began to catch his breath.

He takes a break at just the right moment.

" Master Rid, let's take a break."

"Hah...hahahaha...... fine ."

I stop moving at "break" and lie down on my back on the ground, unwilling to get dirty on the spot.

He smiled and looked at me like that.

"But Master Rid is still amazing,". If you can move that well at your age, it's enough. If you gain more experience, you should be able to handle any opponent to a certain degree."

"Is that so?　Ha...ha...thanks ......."

I'm too lazy to reply.

After all, it is quite difficult because one has to concentrate and watch the opponent's movements all the time.

And more recently, there is the added training of endure the pain.

After Rubens smiled and told me to "lie down on your back," I did as he asked, and when he dropped a weight on my stomach for the first time, I screamed in agony, clutching my stomach with a "guffaw.

(This is not something you do to a child) I thought at the time.

But Rubens was not mind it , "This is also an training."

But after a few times , my body got used to it.

But it was probably thanks to Rid high physical ability that I was able to move so well.

I was grateful for his high specs, or should I say his natural talent?

While I was thinking this, Rubens suddenly muttered something .

I think it's time for YOU to start training to strengthen body with magic power.

"Strengthening the body with magic power......⁉"

I sat up from my lying position and gazed at him with a sparkle in my eyes, forgetting how tired I had been a few minutes earlier.

I didn't know there was such a thing as "physical enhancement" through magic power in this world.

I had never even heard of it from Sandra.

In fact, I had tried it myself, but it didn't work.

My body didn't get used to the magic and I ended up just wasting magic, so I gave up on it.

Rubens looked at me with a bit of a blank gaze in contrast to my sparkling eyes, but he cleared his throat and explained.

"There are two main conditions for being able to use strengthen body with magic power."

(1) To be able to handle the transformation of magical power.

(2) To be able to handle a certain level of martial arts.

I understand magical transformation, but what does it have to do with "martial arts"?　

Is it a kind of "kaiden"?

I was dubious about the explanation, but Rubens continued.

"I used the term 'martial arts,' but the point is how well you know how to move your body. Even if you cover your body only with magical power, unless you know how to move your body, you will not be able to use the magical power to strengthen your body."

I listened to Rubens' explainings with an interested look on my face.

I see, so that's why the body enhancement didn't used properly when I try it on my own before.

At that time, I still couldn't move my body this good .

But I was curious about some things, so I decided to ask him a question.

'Ummm. But what is needed for that is magic power and an image, right?　Then, if I imagine my body getting stronger, I can strengthen my body, right?　Wouldn't that work?"

Yes. The image of a stronger body is too vague and will not activate the magic. Besides, in order to strengthen the body, the image necessary to activate the magic must be sustained in an almost unconscious way .

What? The whole has to be invoked constantly by the subconscious?　

That sounds pretty high-level, but is that even possible?

Seeing the look of uncertainty on my face, he proceeded to explain further.

"You call it unconsciousness, but it's more like sensation. You have to grasp the image and feeling of the link between the body's movements and the magic power while letting the magic power flow through your entire body. However, the basic prerequisite for mastering this is to be able to grasp the movements of one's own body. If you don't know how your body moves, your magical power will not accompany you.

'Hmmm. In other words, one must be able to grasp and predict the continuous movements of one's body. If the body is not able to predict the movements of the body, and if the body is not able to judge the movements of the body on an unconscious level, then the magic power will not come along with the body?"

"Perhaps, to put it more difficultly, it might be like that. But we knights are told to feel magic power rather than think about it."

I see, you may be right.

If you create a mold and complete the image, you can use magic without chanting.

The body enhancement is supposed to be used without chanting, so in this case, it would mean that the body movements that form the mold must be completed to some extent before the magic can be activated even if the magic power is present.

If a certain degree of perfection is required for physical ability as well, it may be no wonder Sandra can't use it.

She said she was doing a lot of research, so I have a feeling that her physical ability is probably not high.

Perhaps.

As I was thinking with a thoughtful look on my face, I heard a clapping of hands.

'Well, stop thinking and let's try some physical strengthening training. If you can use it, there probably won't be anyone in your age group who can compete with you."

Rubens smiled happily.

There is no one in my age group who can compete with me?

It makes my heart beat a little bit.

Okay, I'll give it my best shot for now.

". What should I do? "

First of all, you should circulate your magic power throughout your body, and just go round and round the training ground. When your body movements are in sync with the magic power, you will hardly be able to catch your breath during normal movement. First, let's get a sense of the magic

'just running around the training ground: ......"

Rubens gave me the final push on how to conquer physical strengthening.

But to sum up what I had heard, my first impression of how to handle physical strengthening was "sporadic."

But I have a question about one thing he said that bothered me a bit.

,"You mentioned in your explanation that when you sync with your body's movements, you never breathes, is that something you normally use in training?"

"Oh, did you notice?"

He smiled wickedly.

One has half-exhausted stamina.

On the other hand, he has finite stamina.

There was no way I could beat Rubens even if I had trained in such a state.

When I thought of this, I began to feel that what I had been doing to try so hard to beat him was actually unreasonable training, and I began to feel a surge of regret.

At this moment, the rebellious and competitive spirit inside me was sparked.

'Hmmm, ......'

"Master Rid?"

I smile wryly and begin to give off a black aura" that is inherited from my mother.

"I'll be sure to defeat Rubens when I learn to use the ...... physical enhancements, okay?"

He seemed to be surprised by my words, but he seemed to be enjoying himself and gave me a challenging "smirk" and said,

"If you can do it, by all means, please try ......."

I promised myself that I would make him regret having said those words.

The first thing I did was to run around the training ground with the image of magic power all over my body.

At first, it was no different than before, but after running for a while, I began to feel the magic power flowing through my entire body.

After that, I began to breathe more freely, and no matter how much I ran, I did not run out of breath and did not get tired easily.

When I told Rubens about this, he was surprised and rolled his eyes.

"You're getting the feeling too fast. ......"

Really?"　But I practice magic with Sandra quite a bit, so maybe there is a connection here?"

To be honest, I had prioritized my training in magic over martial arts.

"Certainly, since Master Rid is also trained in magic under the guidance of a proper instructor, it seems that the physical strengthening of your body may be improved quickly. I envy you for being both a magician and a fighter.'

I wondered if the term "proper instructor" applied to Sandra.　I doubt it, but I think the instruction is proper, so let's call it that.

But isn't it normal to be able to use magic and martial arts?　

I was curious, so I asked this question as well.

"You said something about being both warrior and magician, but aren't the Knights of the Order different?"

No, everyone who belongs to a knighthood can use physical enhancement. However, the term "both magic and martial arts" is used for those who have a certain level of ability in both."

I responded with a "Hee" when I realized that such a term existed.

"You has already surpassed that certain level of magic and martial arts, even though you are very young. Even now, you wouldn't be a match for anyone around ten years old, let alone someone your own age."

'Not that far, right?　Well, I don't know because the only opponent i faced is Rubens. ......"

"I am amazed that you can bear with my training without any physical enhancement. I'm sure you'll figure it out sooner or later."

Rubens was smiling happily the whole time as he saw my wondering face.

"Then let's move on to the next stage , please run as fast as you can in that condition."

We continued basic training such as running, sprinting, push-ups, and sit-ups while using magical power to my body

When the physical strengthening is activated, I do not get tired at all.

The training ended in a flash.

From the next day on, I was going to fight with Rubens with strengthening my body.

From that day on, I began to run in the early morning every day to practice physical strengthening and increase my basic magical power, with the goal of defeating Rubens.