Chapter 3 - Training

The next morning, we were summoned to the training grounds early.

(Combat training first thing in the morning? What is this, the army...?)

On the way to the grounds, I glanced at the women walking beside me. They were clearly making an effort to keep their distance and avoid me.

(All I did was tell the truth...)

While I was wallowing in those thoughts, we arrived. The area was already swarming with soldiers, and after a short wait, a handsome knight called out instructions in a booming voice.

"Everyone, please gather over here!"

Following the voice, we congregated around the knight. Standing there was a blond man and a beautiful woman. The blond knight was tall with perfectly chiseled features; he had an overwhelming presence that commanded the room. All the women’s eyes were instantly glued to him.

"Nice to meet you all. I am Alphas Reinhardt, the Captain of this kingdom’s Knight Order."

(Wait, this hunk is the Captain...?)

In my world, a "Captain" is basically a Department Manager, so I’d assumed he’d be some middle-aged guy. I couldn't hide my surprise. Not only was he blond and tall, but he also had a kind, welcoming expression.

(I bet he’s incredibly popular. If a hunk like him had my skill, he probably wouldn't be treated like a leper...) 

I felt a sigh starting to form in my chest.

"I am the Vice-Captain, Irene."

Irene had long blue hair and the stunning physique of a supermodel. Her cool gaze and composed aura left quite an impression. As soon as she started talking, everyone’s attention naturally shifted toward her.

"Thank you. I’m—"

Yuno started us off, and we all finished our introductions. Once that was done, we asked why we had been called here. The Captain began his explanation.

"Today, I will explain the basics of magic to you. According to ancient texts, many of those summoned from other worlds come from places where magic isn't used, so we’ll start from the beginning."

This was an unexpected development. I was a bit confused, but my interest was piqued.

(Whoa! They’re going to teach us magic?!)

Despite my age, I found myself drawn to the mysterious art of magic.

"First, magic is a technique where you transform the mana within your body and release it externally. For example, like this: 'O Flame, heed my will—Fireball!'"

The Captain raised his hand, and a vivid ball of fire materialized. It drifted in the air, glowing softly.

"Whoa!"

I blurted out in excitement at the sight.

(Amazing! That’s so cool! Can I really do that too?)

My heart swelled with anticipation as I stared at the flames. However, looking around, the others didn't seem surprised at all; in fact, they looked quite relaxed. Noting this, the Captain tilted his head curiously.

"Oh? Does everyone except Mr. Dai already know about magic?"

Yuno stepped forward to answer.

"Yes, my world had magic too. In my case, I use magic to summon special swords... 'First Sword.'"

The moment Yuno whispered the words, a sword emitting a brilliant crimson glow appeared in her hand. It looked mystical, as if it were alive and draped in flickering embers.

"Incredible..."

As I muttered to myself, Maya stepped forward next.

"I use a different system, but I can use it too."

She held a device that looked like a smartphone and chanted toward the edge of the grounds.

"Flame Burst!"

With those words, a corner of the empty grounds suddenly exploded. A roar followed as flames and smoke billowed into the sky. The sheer power of it made me reflexively stumble back.

"Wh-what was that?! A Demon attack?!" 

"Hey! Look at that huge crater!"

The explosion had ripped a hole in the ground like a meteor strike, and the area instantly descended into chaos.

"S-sorry... I went a bit overboard... " 

"No! It’s fine! We’ll repair it later!"

Maya apologized hurriedly, but she didn't look particularly sorry; if anything, she looked a bit smug. Seeing the damage, the Captain forced his trembling legs to stay still as he replied. He was clearly breaking out in a cold sweat, taking a deep breath while wiping his forehead. Once he regained some composure, he continued.

"Can the rest of you do something similar?"

Except for me, every member of the group nodded. The Captain’s face immediately brightened with joy.

"That’s wonderful! Basic magic practice usually takes the most time, so this is a huge help! In that case, shall everyone except Mr. Dai move on to individual training?" 

"Yes!"

Everyone answered energetically and headed off, leaving me standing there alone.

(I feel like a pathetic kid who can’t keep up...)

Full of regret, I stood frozen until the Captain turned back to me with a kind smile.

"Now then, Mr. Dai, I will continue explaining magic to you personally." 

"Th-thank you so much..."

As the others scattered, I was left under the Captain’s private tutelage. While I felt a bit awkward, I steeled myself to do what I could.

"What is your Mana Rank, Mr. Dai?" 

"It’s E..." 

"I see..."

The Captain furrowed his brow slightly as if troubled, but he quickly regained his gentle expression.

"In that case, it might be more efficient for you to learn the bare minimum of magic and focus your training on weapons." 

"I guess an E rank really is low, huh...?"

As I spoke despondently, the Captain smiled and shook his head.

"Well, E rank is indeed the lowest, but magic is all about how you use it. With enough ingenuity, it can be very useful. Besides, your elemental aptitudes matter too. What were yours?" 

"Fire, Wind, Earth, and Water." 

"Oh! That’s amazing!"

The Captain’s face lit up instantly.

"Usually, people have one aptitude, maybe two at most. To have four is shocking! Mr. Dai, just having that aptitude is a wonderful thing!" 

"R-really?"

Apparently, magic consists of the basic elements (Fire, Wind, Earth, Water, Thunder) and advanced elements (Light, Dark, Time). Having four basic aptitudes was rare. However, because my mana pool was so small, medium or large-scale spells for warfare were out of the question.

"Since your aptitude is so broad, as long as you master the basics, you’ll have a very versatile fighting style. Let’s take it slow!"

Encouraged by the Captain, my mood brightened, and I prepared for his instruction.

"Now, try chanting just like I did. The trick is to vividly imagine the spell as it activates while you chant♪"

In my daily life, I’m constantly doing "image training" for the entire process of getting a girl into bed, including choosing the best positions for her body type. 

(In other words, I'm a pro at visualizing things!)

Drawing a mental picture of the fireball from earlier, I chanted.

"'O Flame, heed my will—Fireball!'"

Whoosh! A small ball of fire appeared from my hand.

"Wait! To do it on your first try is incredible! Do you practice meditation or something on a regular basis?" 

"W-well, something like that..."

There was no way I could tell him I was actually visualizing sex.  After that, I successfully activated magic for every single one of my attributes.

"I didn't expect things to go this smoothly. Next, try hitting that target with your magic." "Got it! 'O Water, heed my will—Water Ball!'"

Thud! 

I hit the target with pinpoint accuracy. Since I regularly practiced and visualized exactly where to aim my "seed" to please a woman, this was child’s play for me.  The Captain watched me with an expression of pure awe.

"Mr. Dai, you really are amazing! To master it this quickly...!" 

"No, no, it’s only because you’re such a good teacher, Captain♪"

I remained humble, but I was feeling a small sense of achievement. Seeing how well things were going, the Captain continued excitedly.

"Next is the weapon explanation. Please choose from these. Every weapon has its own characteristics, so feel free to ask me before you decide♪"

Swords, shields, axes, spears... There were so many options that I genuinely didn't know which to pick. As I hovered over the choices, a certain spear caught my eye.

"What are the characteristics of this one?" 

"That spear has the property of extending and contracting based on the user's mana."

Thinking about magic, in this world, those who can vividly manifest their mental images are the strongest. Since I had studied staff fighting as a form of self-defense, this spear seemed like it would be easy to handle.

"I'll take this one, please." 

"A fine choice! Most people tend to pick swords, but a weapon that allows you to attack from a distance is much more practical. The spear is Irene’s specialty, so let’s have her teach you. Irene!"

Irene had been busy training Aria and the others, but she came running over as soon as the Captain called.

"Captain! What is it?" 

"Sorry to bother you, but could you teach Mr. Dai the basics of the spear?" 

"Yes, sir! Understood!"

From there, Irene and I moved to a different spot to begin my spear training.

"Let’s start with the basic movements. I’ll demonstrate first, so please mirror me. We’ll make corrections from there." 

"Yes, ma'am!"

(I’m confident in my ability to match my partner’s movements. Well, only with women, but still! I’m glad Irene’s a woman!) 

I had spent countless hours practicing mental imagery to instantly align my movements and every single muscle fiber with the way a girl wanted to move or be positioned. 

"It’s like looking in a mirror... Have you trained with a spear somewhere before?" 

"Just a bit of staff fighting. But it’s just imitation, really. Anyone could do it♪" 

"Anyone? I highly doubt that. Regardless, I’ll show you several different forms, so please keep following along." 

"Understood."

After that, I traced Irene’s movements so perfectly that she eventually told me she had nothing left to teach me. She said all that was left was to drill the movements into my muscle memory and to start sparring with the soldiers to learn how to handle different weapons. And so, the second day ended.

(Still, Irene looked pretty dejected when she walked away... did I do something wrong?)

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