Machinist of Mana Chapter 95 Slow Starts

If I was making progress, I certainly wasn't seeing it. Every day seemed the same, with more tests, more meditations, and more shocks from that damnable rod of Sir Kendrick's. No matter how hard I tried or how long I practiced I never seemed to be able to block out the attack completely, always feeling it race across my skin with each tap.

He did at least introduce some small changes in the exercise though. Some days I was given short exercises to do while he poked me here and there throughout, jumping jacks or push-ups. Other days I sat in this position or that, sometimes we moved throughout them in one day, but more often than not we kept to one at a time.

I didn't complain though, for I knew it to be a waste of time. They were determined that I learn this, and as soon as I figured out whatever problem I was having I would excel. My instructor didn't seem bothered in the least though, pointing out when my attention lapsed, but occasionally commending me on maintaining my resistance while working. He didn't seem bothered in the least bit by my lack of growth in resistance. There were other changes though.

“How are you doing today Percival?” Sir Kendrick asked about halfway through a session.

“Well enough, would you mind if I asked a question?” I inquired.

“Of course not.”

“I feel, stronger, faster, my senses sharper, like they're all slowly growing,” I said, and it was true.

“You remember the pushing and how it increased your abilities?” he asked.

“Yes Sir.”

“It's that, your body is adapting to releasing more mana at once, strengthening you. This isn't your baseline, but rather you subconsciously using your power to empower yourself all the time. Do you understand?” he asked.

“But I don't feel like I'm doing that?” I asked.

“I'd have to get a caster to look you over, but at this point in the training almost everyone begins to release their mana as a reaction. In time you'll get more full control, which will continue to increase your magical resistance, or if you decide to learn the method, help you hide your aura completely.”

“Hide... completely?”

“Yes, the same thing we're doing now just in reverse, but don't worry about that for the moment. These things come in time Percival, and there's a reason we do them in a certain order, it makes the training easier. In years past there were many methods, but those are gone now, replaced with modern techniques, these techniques work better, we are stronger for them, but they come in an order.”

“Yes Sir,” I nodded, knowing that arguing would be useless. He'd teach me when he was ready to teach me.

“Good, now, I've arranged for a bit of a test of sorts, one week from today. Before that though we need to practice your actual fighting while using your resistance,” he said.

“What sort of test?” I asked.

“If I told you that would make the test less effective. Trust in the process.”

“Yes Sir,” I said tiredly.

“Good, now go grab a practice blade and we'll begin.”

It turned out our new exercise was to spar while I kept the resistance going. It was a bit of a struggle all told, but there were some benefits. Sir Kendrick didn't really like to talk much while practicing, instead letting his weapon speak. He could hit me almost at will with the rod, but there were times when he used his own practice blade to slap me here or there.

It didn't take me long to realize that each strike from the knight's wooden sword was to correct my stance, or my attack and I began to watch. I copied some of his own moves here and there, taking blows when I did them wrong, but fast picking up new tricks. It also fixed some issues in my own fighting style that I didn't even realize I had.

For days we continued, and for days I felt like I was actually learning something from him. Not resistance, no, that was still evading me, but instead hand to hand combat from a master instructor who was devoting all of his time to me and me alone. It was something few got and I wasn't going to waste. This man was a personal servant of the king, and for that reason had to be supremely skilled at his art, better than all my previous teachers except perhaps the headmaster, and Headmaster Logan hadn't trained me like this.

Before I knew it a week had passed. The days had slipped me by between work and actually beginning to enjoy my training. Rather than our normal setup Sir Kendrick met me in the arena we were using and he was not alone.

“Professor?” I asked as I saw Professor Ruian had joined him.

“Hello Percival, doing well?”

“I am ma'am, but why are you here?” I asked.

“The good professor will be helping with your test Percival,” Sir Kendrick answered for her. “You two will spar, with your goal being to touch her, and touch only don't strike, with your practice weapon. Her goal will be to keep you from doing so.”

I blinked a few times. The professor was as far as I knew a caster of some form, being that she taught magical item creation classes, but I hadn't imagined I'd be fighting her. I was also a bit nervous about actually trying to go against a teacher, something that normally wouldn't be tolerated, even more with a female teacher.

“Are you sure this is alright...” I demurred.

“Oh don't worry boy, I've faced worse than you. And remember, you're not actually to hit me, just to try and touch,” she said, waving me off.

“Places,” Sir Kendrick said with a small smile. “For you may one day have to battle against women, don't get hung up on it now.”

As a point of fact I'd had to fight girls, albeit of a goblin persuasion, quite a bit. Should this really be so different. With a nod I went to my side of the arena, taking my stance and getting ready.

“There will be three rounds, on my count begin,” he said before slowly counting down.

At zero I surged forward, and the professor threw forth her hand, the test beginning.