Chapter 102: The Academy’s Training Grounds
Chapter 102: The Academy’s Training Grounds
The second lesson finally came to an end.
With Weapon Mastery finished, the students were free to leave until their next scheduled class.
Chairs scraped against the floor as everyone began gathering their belongings.
Some students immediately headed for the dining hall.
Others discussed the lessons they had just attended, while a few lingered behind to continue conversations with their new classmates.
The classroom gradually emptied.
Andras remained seated for a moment.
His gaze drifted toward the window.
Ambrose Academy was far larger than he had expected.
He had seen only a fraction of it since arriving.
Yesterday, the entrance examination had occupied most of his attention. Last night, he had explored a small portion of the grounds with Vespera.
Now that his classes were finished for the day, there was no reason not to see more of the academy.
And there was someone he could explore it with.
Andras turned toward the girl sitting beside him.
"Seraphina."
She looked at him.
"Yes?"
"Do you want to take a walk with me?"
He gestured toward the door.
"We haven’t really had a chance to explore the academy properly."
Seraphina’s sapphire eyes briefly moved toward the classroom windows.
Then she smiled.
"Sure."
Andras stood.
Seraphina followed.
Together, they left the classroom.
The corridors were considerably quieter now.
Most of the students had already dispersed toward different parts of the academy, leaving only scattered groups wandering through the halls.
As they reached the main courtyard, Andras looked around.
"Where should we start?"
Seraphina thought for a moment.
"The training grounds."
Andras raised an eyebrow.
"Training grounds?"
"Yes."
She smiled faintly.
"If we’re going to explore the academy, we might as well see the places we’ll actually be using."
"Fair enough."
They followed one of the wide stone paths leading away from the academic district.
Along the way, Andras noticed several students carrying weapons toward the same area.
Swords.
Spears.
Bows.
Even a few unusual weapons he couldn’t immediately identify.
The farther they walked, the louder the sounds became.
Metal striking metal.
Shouts.
Footsteps.
The occasional burst of mana.
It seemed they were heading in the right direction.
Andras glanced at Seraphina.
"So, what did you think of Professor Elowen’s class?"
Seraphina considered the question.
"The material itself was basic."
She tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear.
"Most of what she taught today is something I learned years ago."
Andras nodded.
"That’s what I thought."
"But..."
Seraphina’s expression became slightly more thoughtful.
"The way she explained it was excellent."
She looked ahead.
"She didn’t make the fundamentals unnecessarily complicated. Everything was structured clearly."
A small smile appeared on her lips.
"I’m actually looking forward to her future lessons."
Andras glanced at her.
"Because you’re good at spell casting?"
"Exactly."
Her sapphire eyes brightened.
"My talent is particularly well suited for magic."
Andras nodded.
"Your talent certainly complements spell casting."
Seraphina glanced at him.
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Did you enjoy the lesson?"
Andras gave her an honest answer.
"If you want the truth?"
"Of course."
"I found most of it boring."
Seraphina blinked.
Andras continued without hesitation.
"I didn’t learn anything new."
He shrugged.
"And I don’t particularly enjoy studying."
His expression became slightly annoyed at the memory.
"You have to sit there while the professor talks..."
He waved his hand vaguely.
"Mana this. Magic circles that. Spells this. Spells that."
Seraphina stared at him.
Then she burst into laughter.
"You really are different."
Andras looked at her.
"What’s so funny?"
"You don’t like studying."
She shook her head, still smiling.
"Yet you apparently don’t mind drinking."
Her expression became slightly teasing.
"That’s a terrible habit."
Andras shrugged.
"I’m just like that."
"That’s not something to be proud of."
"I never said it was."
Seraphina laughed again.
They continued walking.
After a brief silence, Andras remembered something.
"Then why didn’t you leave Professor Kaelen’s class?"
Seraphina glanced at him.
"Because I wanted to learn something."
"About weapons?"
"Not exactly."
She shook her head.
"My talent isn’t something that requires me to use a weapon."
She paused.
"But that doesn’t mean I should ignore weapons entirely."
Andras listened.
"I wanted to understand how weapon users think."
Her gaze shifted toward him.
"How they fight."
"What advantages they have."
"And what weaknesses they possess."
Andras smiled faintly.
"That’s a good way of thinking."
Seraphina nodded.
"If I understand how weapon users fight, I’ll be better prepared when I have to face one."
She paused.
"Especially someone like you."
Andras raised an eyebrow.
"Someone like me?"
"You fight differently from most mages."
Seraphina’s expression became thoughtful.
"You don’t rely entirely on your talent."
"And you don’t fight like a traditional mage either."
Andras gave a quiet chuckle.
"Perhaps that’s why learning about weapon users isn’t such a bad idea."
He looked ahead.
"Knowing your opponent is always useful."
Seraphina nodded.
"Exactly."
The sounds of combat were becoming louder.
They had arrived.
The training grounds of Ambrose Academy covered a vast section of the campus.
Several large stone platforms were arranged throughout the area, each surrounded by magical barriers.
Training dummies stood in rows nearby, while targets had been placed at different distances for archers and ranged fighters.
Farther ahead were several enclosed arenas for more serious sparring.
Students filled almost every section.
Some practiced swordsmanship.
Others trained with spears, bows, and various other weapons.
Several mages were practicing spells inside reinforced areas.
The sound of weapons striking together mixed with shouts and occasional bursts of magic.
Compared to the quiet classrooms, the training grounds were filled with energy.
Seraphina looked around.
"There are already so many students here."
Andras nodded.
"Everyone seems eager to train."
They continued walking until a burst of cheering caught their attention.
"Come on!"
"Don’t let her win!"
"Get up!"
Andras turned toward the crowd.
Two female students were sparring inside one of the larger platforms.
One wielded a wooden sword.
The other held a wooden spear.
Both were breathing heavily, their uniforms slightly disheveled from the fight.
The spear-wielder attacked first.
She lunged forward, driving the weapon toward her opponent.
The swordswoman shifted aside and avoided the thrust.
The spear came again.
This time, the swordswoman blocked it with her blade before stepping inside the spear’s range.
The exchange continued.
The spear gave one fighter greater reach, while the sword allowed the other to move more freely at close range.
After several exchanges, the swordswoman finally found an opening.
She knocked the spear aside with the flat of her wooden blade and stepped forward.
The tip of her sword stopped against her opponent’s shoulder.
The fight was over.
The surrounding students immediately began cheering.
The defeated girl lowered her spear with a sigh.
"Good fight."
The winner smiled and offered her a hand.
"You too."
She accepted it.
Andras watched the winner for a moment.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
He walked toward her.
Seraphina followed.
The girl had just finished speaking with her opponent when Andras approached.
He stopped in front of her.