The girls continued to train. While Lina was being taught the Brandkugel spell, Vierna was learning an Eidrecht enhancement.
“The name of this Eidrecht is Kraftbindung,” Albrecht said. “It temporarily increases your strength by making your spirit and body move together in perfect sync.”
“Wait… they don’t move together already?” Vierna asked, surprised by the revelation.
“There are delays,” Albrecht explained. “Especially in newer mages. Like Herr Halwen told you before, the physical realm can only affect the spiritual realm so much. But the spiritual realm’s impact on the physical realm is instant.”
Vierna listened to the explanation carefully.
“By binding the movements of body and spirit, the spirit will follow the body without delay, making each action feel lighter.”
“So why is this a low-level enhancement?” Vierna asked.
“Because high-tier enhancements directly add mass to your muscles or even enhance your spirit further,” Albrecht said with a smirk. “But baby steps.”
“Now, Vierna, lift your sword with one hand, and keep your other hand at your hip. Like this.”
Albrecht didn’t just demonstrate—he stepped close, close enough that Vierna could catch the scent of him. It was faint but distinct, clean steel and leather tinged with something warmer, a trace of spice that clung to him like an afterthought. His hand closed gently around hers, guiding her arm upward, adjusting the sword until it mirrored his own stance. His other hand brushed against her hip, firm and steady as he moved her into position.
For a moment, she forgot the sword entirely. His blue eyes, framed by golden hair, shone like the sky pierced by rays of sunlight, and the sight was enough to send heat rising to her cheeks. She stiffened, fighting the flush, but her face betrayed her.
“There. Now hold. Don’t move,” he said.
She held the stance. After a while, her hands began to wobble, sweat stinging her eyes. Her shoulders stiffened, her grip faltered, and at last the wooden sword slipped from her grasp.
“I never realized even wooden sword would feel this heavy.” She said panting, her sweat stain the floor.
“Like I said, I make the weight almost the same as the real one.” Albrecht noted. “Now, let’s try it again, this time with the Eidrecht.”
“Repeat after me, Vierna.
By the will of the body, I command my spirit to follow.
By the breath of strength, I bind them as one.
Eidrecht 12: Kraftbindung.”
Vierna repeated the passage word for word, but nothing happened.
“Vierna,” Albrecht said, shaking his head, “this is your body telling your spirit what to do. Show some intent. Speak like you’re commanding, not asking.”
Vierna tried again. Once. Twice. Still nothing.
Her brows knitted, her grip tightened, and frustration boiled over.
With a sharp breath, she shouted the incantation, voice ringing with raw command.
“By the will of the body, I command my spirit to follow!
By the breath of strength, I bind them as one!
Eidrecht 12: Kraftbindung!”
After that try, a faint glow shimmered across Vierna’s body, tracing along her arms and legs like threads of pale light.
“There. Now remember it, if you don’t show intent, your spell won’t make it through,” Albrecht said. “Now, same stance as before.”
Vierna lifted her sword into position. This time her arm held steady and her feet rooted without a tremor. Thirty seconds passed, then more, and still she didn’t falter. Her eyes widened and her breath caught as the realization sank in.
Albrecht caught the spark of wonder in her gaze and in the way her voice carried it when she breathed, “Magic is… something else.”
“Yes, it is,” he replied with a small smile. “Now, we will spend the rest of the day making sure you remember this.”
With a flick of his fingers, he moved a training dummy forward with telekinesis.
“Thrust at the dummy in front of you.”
Vierna gave a few testing thrusts, weak and uncertain, and then, for no reason at all, swung a slash across the dummy’s chest.
“Vierna, focus on thrusts first. Also, you are holding it wrong.”
Albrecht stepped in, adjusting her grip with firm precision.
“And Lina,” he called over his shoulder, “I have not heard Brandkugel from you in a while. Should I let Herr Halwen coach you instead?”
From his seat, Halwen turned his gaze on Lina. The sheer pressure of it made her shiver.
“BRANDKUGEL! BRANDKUGEL! BRANDKUGEL!” she blurted, rapidly firing again.
Vierna continued stabbing the dummy, trying to correct the way she struck so each thrust would deliver more damage. She focused on noticing her muscle movements and anything that felt off, correcting it as she went. Albrecht had moved on to correcting Lina, and Vierna continued the exercise on her own.
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After a few minutes, her enhancement broke. The fatigue hit her instantly, crashing through her muscles like a wave.
“This is why it’s a low-level Eidrecht,” Albrecht said as he walked toward her. “It only makes you feel stronger, but when the spirit and body unbind, the fatigue hits all at once.”
“Still, you got a decent three minutes out of it. That’s good, it means you have solid control over your mana. You can res—”
“No. I want to keep going,” Vierna cut in.
He smiled and allowed her to continue.
Vierna cast the incantation again, succeeding on her second attempt. She went right back to stabbing the dummy, making small adjustments once more to any posture or movement that felt off.
After a while, Albrecht instructed her to chain her attacks, thrust then slice, while demonstrating the accompanying footwork. Sometimes her steps tangled and she stumbled, especially when trying to keep her balance through the transitions. Today’s session was focused on offense and on maintaining the enhancement through varied movements.
He also observed Vierna recasting Eidrecht 12. Her mana allowed for a few more additional uses before she was drained. He did not comment on the number, but when her mana finally ran out he immediately switched her to physical training, weight lifting with her hands, short sprints, and other muscle drills without mana. He instructed her to keep up a regular muscle regimen even outside his supervision. Vierna took careful note of every task, making a list for when she trained alone.
He also told her that during her free time, if she had mana, she should always cast Eidrecht 12 to keep her body attuned to it. But he warned her not to push past her limits, since mana could be overstrained and risked spiritual injury.
After a while, Albrecht left Vierna and moved to Lina. Her task was simple but demanding. Albrecht had her fire as many Brandkugel as she could, aiming to sharpen her accuracy and steadily expand her mana reserves. He commented on her anchoring, noting how her focus wavered when she tried to manage more than one thing at once.
He encouraged her to concentrate so she could cast Brandkugel several times before needing to speak the spell’s name again. On one occasion she succeeded, but her excitement made her lose the sensation almost immediately.
It was clear, however, that the reason Lina could fire so many Brandkugel before needing to rest was her Grace.
When Lina was out of mana, Albrecht told her to read a book about fire spells. Once her mana had regenerated enough, he had her fire again. He kept a close watch on her mana level, telling her to cast as soon as it recovered enough for a single Brandkugel. If she was completely depleted, he did not force her.
Halwen watched from the side, taking notes without pause. Whatever procedure he had in mind afterward was clearly intended to help the girls succeed in their training.
Hours passed until the clock reached six in the evening. The girls had trained for the entire day, and when Albrecht finally told them it was over they slumped onto the ground. Lisa’s training had ended earlier, and Albrecht had not observed her as closely as the others. She was already a competent mage, so he only occasionally commented on her stance and casting technique.
“Good job, girls. Despite everything, you survived a full-day drill,” Albrecht said.
Both girls panted. Even Vierna didn’t ask for more training. It was clear they were exhausted from the day’s work.
“Remember, this will be your routine, especially for the first month. But believe me, if you endure, you’ll be able to pass the exam.”
Both girls raised a thumbs-up to Albrecht while still panting.
“Since the two-day vacation the Arkmarschall declared ends tomorrow,” Halwen said, “we’ll start the procedure right away. With so little time before they enter the Academy, we’ll be coming here every day. That work for you, Herr Albrecht?”
“That’s fine. I’ll let the Arkmarschall know, so he can adjust my schedule for the next month.”
“I’ve already sent a report recommending you as their mentor. The Arkmarschall agreed, but it never hurts to double-check,” Halwen said.
“Thank you Herr Halwen, now after we done everything,“ Albrecht said, “I’d be a poor host if I let you leave without dinner. Let’s go.”
The four of them made their way toward the dining area. Strangely, Albrecht did not stop at the main dining hall. Instead, he chose a smaller, more modest room suited for a small group. The table was an ordinary family table, nothing like the grand, polished furniture one might expect from a noble household.
No one commented. The space, though smaller, felt more intimate. In a way, they resembled a family, Albrecht as the older brother, Halwen as the father, and Vierna and Lina as the two younger sisters. The meal was simple, nothing extravagant, just ordinary food.
“Forgive me if the food here is rather simple,” Albrecht said. “I still need to clean my palate after yesterday’s feast.”
“Likewise,” Halwen replied. “In a way, this is much more appetizing after all that excess.”
Lina and Vierna glanced at their plates. As long as it wasn’t the dull gray rations from the facility, this was cuisine enough for them.
Yet the warmth of the soup and the smell of cooking felt like the comfort of a real home. Despite everything, it seemed Albrecht valued close company more than appearances, a side of him he could not show in public. They talked and laughed like a normal family, and perhaps they would not have another chance to simply sit together and enjoy a humble meal.
Should Lina train with Albrecht or Halwen instead?
