Chapter 301: 301: Training II
The morning had advanced by the time Atheline finished the last set of exercises.
A thin mist rose from his body despite the freezing air, each steady breath escaping in small clouds before disappearing into the winter sky. His muscles burned pleasantly from the exertion, but unlike several months ago, the fatigue no longer felt overwhelming.
It was controlled, familiar, and perhaps most importantly, it no longer carried the faint warning that he was pushing his body beyond its limits.
He picked up the towel left on a nearby bench and wiped the sweat from his forehead before drinking from a flask of water.
The palace training grounds had become almost second nature to him.
At first, every session had been about surviving the overwhelming amount of Aether locked inside his body. Every spell felt dangerous, every swing of his sword risked drawing out more power than his body could safely withstand.
Now, things were different. He could feel it in the countless tiny improvements that added together over weeks of relentless training. It reminded him of learning to write with his dominant hand.
He looked down at his hands.
"...Still a long way to go."
The system wasn’t exaggerating. Seventy-six percent of his true strength remained inaccessible.
His body simply wasn’t ready. If he forced the seal open now, he would likely cripple himself before winning any battle.
He had accepted that reality long ago. Strength wasn’t something he could borrow forever. If he wanted to wield EX-rank power, he had to become worthy of carrying it.
A faint smile crossed his face.
"I suppose there’s no better teacher than time."
He returned his attention to the training ground. This time, instead of reaching for his sword or bow, he extended both hands in front of him.
"If I want to improve... I should stop relying on individual elements."
His greatest advantage had never been having six elements, it was the ability to combine them. Yet compared to using each one individually, their combinations remained crude but powerful.
He slowly gathered wind around his left hand while water condensed above his right. The two elements naturally resisted each other. The spinning currents repeatedly disrupted the sphere of water before he finally stabilized both.
He carefully guided them together. The moment they touched, the water exploded into countless droplets that scattered across the snow.
"...Again."
He calmly recreated both elements. This time he slowed down, instead of forcing them together, he allowed the wind to gently wrap around the water.
The sphere remained stable for nearly five seconds, then collapsed again. He sighed.
"So that’s why it felt unstable during the hunt."
He had been relying too heavily on instinct. It was useful in battle but terrible for refinement. He went through dozens of failures, more than he could count.
Nearly half an hour passed but his concentration never wavered. Gradually, the two elements began cooperating.
The wind no longer disrupted the water; instead, it guided its movement.
He smiled.
"There."
The sphere hovered steadily before him, slowly rotating while maintaining its shape. It looked deceptively simple, yet he understood exactly how difficult it had been.
It was only the first step but it was still progress. He dismissed the spell.
"Let’s try another."
This time... Fire and wind, a much easier combination. The flames danced naturally within the rotating air currents. Their temperature increased immediately.
He increased the amount of wind slightly. The flames sharpened; instead of spreading outward, they became focused and condensed.
He pointed toward one of the reinforced stone targets standing at the far end of the field. A flick of his wrist sent the spell forward.
The compressed fire struck the stone. The resulting explosion echoed across the training grounds. Fragments of blackened rock scattered through the snow.
Atheline blinked.
"...That was stronger than expected."
Several nearby guards looked over in surprise. One of them quickly inspected the damaged target before calling back.
"The barrier held, Your Majesty."
"Good."
He hadn’t intended to destroy palace property before breakfast. He made a mental note to apologize to the maintenance staff later.
A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Experimenting again?"
He turned.
Lilith walked toward him wearing a simple black training outfit remarkably similar to his own. Unlike her usual ceremonial attire, there were no jewels or royal ornaments.
Her dark hair had been tied back neatly, revealing the calm confidence she carried so effortlessly.
"I thought you had council reports."
"I finished them."
"So early?"
"You underestimate how quickly I read."
He laughed.
"I probably do."
She stopped beside the shattered target.
"...Fire and wind."
"I was testing combinations."
"I noticed."
She crouched beside the damaged stone, running one gloved finger across the scorched surface.
"Interesting."
"What is?"
"You compressed the flames instead of enlarging them."
"I didn’t do it intentionally."
She looked back at him.
"That makes it more impressive."
He raised an eyebrow.
"It does?"
She nodded.
"Most elemental users think bigger means stronger. They’re wrong." She stood. "A focused attack wastes considerably less Aether."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"So I accidentally did something useful."
"You’ve been doing that rather often."
"I’ll take that as a compliment."
"It was."
They began walking across the training ground together. Lilith observed the marks left throughout the snow.
"You’ve been here a while."
"Since sunrise."
"I know., I heard the door close. You’ve been waking me up earlier than usual. "
"I apologise."
She waved her hand dismissively.
"Doesn’t matter, I was bound to wake up earlier anyway."
For a brief moment, neither spoke then she looked toward the practice field.
"So."
He already recognized that look.
"What?"
"You’ve warmed up."
"..."
"..."
"I don’t like where this is going."
A small smile appeared.
"Good."
She reached for one of the practice daggers resting nearby, its edge had been deliberately dulled for sparring.
"I’ve been wanting to see your progress."
He slowly drew his sword.
"I thought today’s training was supposed to be peaceful."
"It still can be."
"You’re holding a dagger."
"So are you."
He sighed dramatically.
"I suppose breakfast will have to wait."
"It usually does."
The two of them walked toward the center of the training ground. Around them, several palace guards quietly stepped farther back. They knew better than to remain too close.
Even when the royal couple claimed they were only "sparring." Atheline rolled his shoulders once before settling into his stance. Unlike months ago, there was no nervousness or hesitation, only anticipation.
He smiled.
"You know..."
"What?"
"I’ve started looking forward to losing."
One elegant eyebrow rose.
"...Really?"
He nodded.
"Every time we fight... I leave stronger than when we started."
For just a heartbeat... Lilith looked at him silently, then a genuine smile softened her expression.
"Good, because I have no intention of making today’s lesson easy."
