Chapter 262 – Preparing for Battle

After a week, I had trained Steff into a formidable magician.

With the final day done, I told Steff,

「Steff, tomorrow is your battle.」

「W…with you, master? There’s no way I can win.」

「You don’t have to. I’m not going to give it my all, so relax. I just want to see how strong you are.」

「Understood.」

Hearing this, Collette tugged at my sleeve,

「HEyyyyy. I wanna battle too!」

「Sure. What about you Millet?」

「Then, I guess I’ll try too, Mister Al.」

「Okay, then all three of you should rest today and use no more magic.」

「Okay.」「ryaaa」

「Got it, old man!」「Mooo mooo!」

「Understood.」「Wuff!」

All of my disciples answered with serious faces.

The beasts all copied them too. I guess they knew that I would be battling the girls tomorrow.

In the middle of the training, all three beasts had watched.

They had also copied to the best of their ability what I had taught the girls.

When the girls started their magical exercises, the beasts did so too.

When they practiced their magic, the beasts did too with their magic bolts.

So maybe the beasts wanted to battle too.

「Let me just say…you beasts aren’t in the battle, okay?」

「Wuff?」「Moo?」

They both looked at me like「why」?

「Because…」

It was too much of a bother.

Femm and Moofy were quite strong. If I have to fight them as well, then things change.

It was good to hold back, but it wouldn’t be good to hold back against someone strong.

So seeing those two beasts rearing to fight made it hard to say I didn’t want to fight them because it was just too much trouble.

「I’m only doing the battle to see how much these disciples of mine have improved.」

「Wufff」「Mooo」

「ryaaa」

Even Shiggy looked a bit depressed.

「You’re still a baby, Shiggy. You don’t have to battle.」

「ryaa ryaa!」

She pecked at my face as if to challenge that statement.

Just then, I heard Timi say as she approached,

「What? You’re not fighting, Shiggy.」

「Timi, where did you come from?」

「From right over there. I was watching Shiggy do magic exercises. I can’t miss her, she’s so cute!」

「I think so too!」

「ryaa?」

She had copied my disciples with all her ability, and it WAS very cute.

「Since you’re a baby, Shiggy, you can’t battle Alra, but why not try it against the other beasts?!」

「Moo!」

Moofy heard this, and swished her tail around.

Femm was silent, but Femm’s tail moved the same.

「There’s no place though.」

「If so, come to the pole.」

「The pole?」

「Since it was made for ancient dragons, it’s the perfect place.」

「I see.」

「Moo mooo!」

Moofy nudged my stomach with her snout.

She really wanted to fight with magic.

「Okay, then are you ready to fight tomorrow, Moofy and Femm?」

「Wuff!」

「Mooo mooo!」

They looked quite happy.

「Good to hear. I want to show Shiggy our battle, too, Alra.」

「Wha?」

「I’m itching to try you out!」

Timi said, with as flexed arm.

So after I fought Steff, I’d have to fight Timi too.

「Well, I guess, if it helps Shiggy learn.」

「Yeah! That’s the best!」

「ryaa ryaa!」

Timi and Shiggy were both quite happy about the event.

Seeing the disciples go off to rest, Timi said,

「So what techniques did you teach them this week, Alra?」

「Millet and Collette the usual. But I added a bit more training.」

「Hm? 」

「I only worked on strengthening their fundamentals, since they’d only be able to apply those anyway…」

「Is that so?」

「That’s magic. I just made sure that they could use their fundamentals strongly.」

「I see.」

She said, as she held Shiggy, and rubbed her head.

She must have been thinking about what Shiggy had learned as well.

「What about Steff?」

「She’s already a magician with good ability.」

「Is that so?」

Timi still didn’t believe it.

Compared to me or Yureena, she was definitely less of a magician, but she was better than most.

Her first master…her father had already taught her well.

「That’s why Steff already has her fundamentals down pat. But if I can’t get her to channel her magic better, then I can’t teach her any practical magic either.」

「Really?」

「And, I had to teach her the way to think of magic when you’re on the battlefield as well.」

「I see. But that doesn’t seem that different from regular magic.」

「Well, if she uses a way I showed her, she’ll get strong very quickly without losing power.」

「Well, that is important. It’s also important that Shiggy does the legwork to become a stronger magician.」

「ryaa?」

Shiggy looked confused.

I hadn’t really taught anything to Shiggy, but she had learned to fly and shoot magic bolts.

She was very talented. Even without hard work, she became stronger in a flash.

Even so, you couldn’t allow for pride.

「I’ll show you some real magic tomorrow, Shiggy!」

「ryaa!」

Shiggy cried happily.