Vol.7 Ch.416 Sid’s and Elaine’s Training

Outside the palace, on the training grounds of the Royal Knights and their cadets were going through another round of mana growth as Rya’s Golems brought in captured monsters from the Raski Forest. Most of the monsters were the plentiful Willow Wasps, Slimes, and Horn Hares. But the older knights were given more of a challenge with the Emberhorns, Nightfangs, and a few Fire Salamanders. The older knights were able to handle them with ease, and the younger knights were able to hold their own against the weaker monsters. It was a good training exercise for the knights, a way for them to hone their skills and gain experience in a controlled environment.

However, the youngest cadets slew the monsters while the Golems restrained them. It wasn’t the best way to learn how to fight, but it was a safe way to get them to develop their Mana Veins. And all eyes were on Sid. The twelve-year-old boy who had a Demi-god-level Mana Vein.

General Douglas was observing the new training methods that Rya had suggested to him. He was impressed with the progress the younger knights were making. Their mana pools were growing at an alarming rate, and their control over their mana was improving with each passing day. It was a new and effective way to train the knights, a way that would ensure that the Fiafyrian army would be ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.

“General… Come to see how cadet Sid is coming along?” Sir Richard, one of the Knight Captains, asked.

The General nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Him and the others… How many monsters has he slain today?” He asked, a hint of curiosity in his tone.

“Ten… We still want to avoid having Mana Rush. Luckily it seems that the slow approach is working, but he is pushing himself today for some reason,” Sir Richard said, a concerned look on his face.

General Douglas watched as Sid faced down a restrained Horn Hare, the creature’s powerful legs kicking uselessly against the stone floor of the training ground. The boy’s face was a mask of intense concentration, his brow furrowed in concentration as he raised his sword, a simple, unadorned blade that seemed to hum with a faint, otherworldly energy. He was naturally channelling his Mana through his weapon as he struck the creature down in a single, swift motion. It was a clean, efficient kill, a testament to the boy’s natural talent, a sign of the great warrior he was destined to become. The edge of the blade cracked due to the stress of the mana flowing through it. It didn’t shatter like a lesser blade would have. But it looked like he would need an enchanted weapon if he was going to keep this up.

Douglas heard the cooing from a group of cadet girls, who were watching the boy with a mixture of awe and admiration. “He’s amazing!”

“So strong!”

“I wish he’d notice me!”

The General let out a soft chuckle, but then he saw her, Princess Elaine Vellanax off on the far side of the training grounds. She was dressed in a simple, yet elegant, training outfit, a far cry from the lavish gowns she wore at court. She was a vision of ethereal beauty, her long, auburn hair was tied in a ponytail, which showed off her half-elven ears that she hid for most of her life. The children that were in the same orphanage as her were still not used to seeing Elaine as a Elven Princess. And were always whispering about how beautiful she is. Her bright green eyes were focused on her crush, the twelve-year-old Sid, as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

Douglas had a knowing smile on his face as Sid seemed to have not noticed all the attention he was getting from the girls. But then General Douglas noticed something else about the Princess. She was about to fight a monster herself. He couldn’t tell what type of monster it was from this distance. But it was a Rock Gecko, a formidable foe for a girl of her age, a creature with tough, scaly skin that could deflect most conventional attacks. But she held her own, her movements a fluid, graceful dance, a whirlwind of steel and leather as she weaved and dodged, her steel sword a blur of motion. The General’s eyes widened in surprise as he saw a faint, golden light emanating from the Princess’s blade, a sign of her growing power, a sign that she was a force to be reckoned with.

‘I thought she would be more content with being a mage… But that girl has more spunk than I—oh?’

Sid saw what Elaine did and he ran over to her. He had a big grin on his face. He was a little taller than Elaine, and he had a more muscular build than her. He had a wild, untamed energy about him, a spirit that couldn’t be contained, a spark of defiance in his eyes that made him stand out from the other cadets. The young boy was a prodigy, a natural-born warrior, a force of nature that was destined for greatness and it seemed that he was quite taken by the young woman that shared a similar background as him.

“Elaine! I saw you took down that Rock Gecko! That was amazing! I didn’t know you were here with us today!” Sid said, a bright, beaming smile on his face.

Elaine’s cheeks flushed a rosy pink at the sudden attention from her crush. She had been so focused on her training, on channeling her mana, on pushing her body to its limits, that she didn’t expect him to notice. But he did. And it made her heart skip a beat.

“Oh! Sid! I… I didn’t see you there,” Elaine half lied. “I was… I was just trying to improve my sword skills. I’m not as good with a sword as I am with a… staff. And my mother thinks I should focus on the Green Word than practicing with a sword. But my older sister taught me a few Maja tricks.”

Sid’s grin widened. “So, you like your new family? That’s good… Most of us are still getting used to the idea of having a Princess in the orphanage.” He then looked around, making sure no one was listening in on them. “Are you really a princess now?”

“Sid! I wasn’t a princess until my mom adopted me. And yeah… I like them. But they can be a bit much sometimes. The other kids have been calling me ‘Your Highness’ all the time and I don’t know how to get them to stop,” Elaine said, a little flustered by the question.

Sid’s face turned a little more serious. “Well, you are… You’re a Princess now… And I’m… just an orphan,” he said, a hint of sadness in his tone.

“So? That doesn’t mean we can’t be friends, Sid! I… I still consider you my friend. Even if I am a Princess,” Elaine said, a hopeful glint in her eye. Sid was always such a sad kid back in the orphanage, due to him missing a leg. And then her new second sister, Rya, healed his leg and found out that he had a Demi-god level Mana Vein and his life changed for the better.

Sid’s sad face turned into a smile as he looked at Elaine. “You’re right! I thought that we would be family. But friends is good enough for me,” he said, a bright, beaming smile on his face. He then looked at her sword, which was a simple, unadorned blade that was issued to all the new cadets. “You’re getting better with a sword. But don’t get too good or there won’t be anyway for me to help you!”

Elaine laughed, a light, melodic sound that echoed across the training ground, drawing the attention of a few nearby knights. “I don’t know about that… I think you’ll get better than me in the future. I’ll be your mage once we get old enough to join the Royal Knights!”

Sid’s grin widened, a spark of excitement in his eyes. “Yeah! We’ll be the best team in the Kingdom! I’ll be the frontline, and you’ll be the back! And we will have to see how Mary is coming along in the Magic Academy. We’ll be unstoppable!” he said, a little too loudly.

General Douglas watched the two young cadets, a warm, fond smile on his face. ‘Well… I would try to tell them not to get their hopes up. But something tells me that they will be a force to be reckoned with in the next few years. And I’d bet my life on them. But I need to get back to my duties. The Duchess is going to try something stupid tomorrow and I need to be ready for it.’

He then turned to Sir Richard. “Keep an eye on them. But don’t be too hard on them. They’re just kids.”

“Aye, Aye, General. Once they turn fifteen. I’ll put them through the real test. But for now, we will let them grow their Mana Veins and have a little fun,” Sir Richard said, a sly grin on his face.

“Good. Now, I need to get back to the Palace. I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be a long day,” General Douglas said, a hint of warning in his tone.

Sir Richard and a few lieutenants saluted their General as he walked away. He had a confident stride, a purpose in his step that told everyone that he was a man who was in control of the Knights. The General’s demeanor gave the younger knights a sense of security, a feeling that they were in good hands, that they were being led by a man who knew what he was doing, a man who would not let them down.

After a few minutes of General Douglas leaving the training grounds, a rowdy pregnant Wolfkin and her tired human lifemate came back from a long vacation in the countryside.

“Man… The training grounds never get any more exciting, do they?” Dalia asked with a yawn. She was still a little tired from her intimate weekend with her mate. But the fresh air and the sight of the training grounds made her feel alive. She was a Wolfkin, a creature of the wild, and the sights and sounds of the training grounds were a reminder of who she was, a reminder of the pack that she had found, a pack that she would protect with her life.

Percy had dark bags under his eyes. It was one of the most rewarding weekends of his entire life, the only thing that kept it from being the best days of his life was the lack of sleep. “Huh?… Oh… Yeah… Nothing like the feeling of the sun on your face and the smell of sweat and blood in the air,” Percy said, a little too weakly.

Dalia elbowed him in the side. “Oh, come on, Gamma! You were like an Alpha in bed! I’ve never felt so… alive before,” she said, a sly grin on her face.

“I-I know, my love… But the forty-five hours of it was… not as restful as I thought it would be,” Percy said, a little too honestly.

Dalia laughed, a sound that was both melodic and chilling. “You’re just not used to being with a Wolfkin. We have a lot of stamina. You’ll get used to it,” she said, a playful glint in her eye.

“I hope so… Because I don’t think I can handle another weekend of that… Not until we get a few days of rest,” Percy said, a weary sigh escaping his lips.

“Oh! I just need to bug Alpha about creating some weird potion things that will help with—hello? What do we have here?” Dalia got a whiff of multiple mating scents coming from a group of teenage girls by the training grounds. And one scent was stronger than the rest and when she spotted who it was, she had a mischievous smirk appear on her face.

“What’s up, Dalia?” Percy asked, a little confused by the sudden change in her demeanor.

“It seems our little Princess has a crush on that Demi-god kid,” Dalia said, a sly grin spreading across her face.

Percy was too tired to care, “Oh… That’s nice…”

“Did you hear what I said?”

“Yes… You said something about crush… I think?”

“No! That’s not it—HAHH! Just lay in the grass right here and nap, Gamma. I’ll be back in a moment,” Dalia said as she dragged Percy to a patch of grass near the training grounds.

“Okay… My big beautiful wolf,” Percy said, as he laid down in the grass and closed his eyes. He was asleep before his head even hit the ground.

Dalia couldn’t help but smile at her mate. He was a good man, a strong, loyal, and loving partner, and she was lucky to have him. She decided to accept his silly human proposal and got a wedding ring with him over the weekend. She thought it was dump, but then she remembered what her Alpha, Rya, told her. ‘Human’s down have you’re sense of smell, Dalia. So they can’t smell your scent and Percy’s body. But if you two get engagement rings then it will signal to all the other women that he belongs to you. Even if they don’t smell you on him, they’ll see the ring and stay away. It’s a human tradition that you’ll have to follow if you want to claim him as your own.’ She thought to herself as she looked at the simple silver band with three rubies on her finger. It was a symbol of their love, a symbol of their commitment, a symbol of the life they were building together, a life that was filled with passion, adventure, and a love that was as wild and untamed as the forest they called home.

“The things I do for you, my dear Percy,” she whispered, a fond smile on her face.

She then turned her attention to the two young cadets and her smile turned into a mischievous grin. She had a plan, a plan that would bring a little bit of excitement to the otherwise dull afternoon, a plan that would give the two young lovebirds a little push in the right direction.