Adam watched Quintella hit her head on the metal bar in her eagerness. After a few failures, she narrowed her eyes as she did when she had conquered the numbers with her shiny quill. The bar was not metal now, but a darting spear she had to dodge no matter what.
Focusing on survival, she slowed down and tilted her head left. To brand the movement into her mind, she stepped forward, weaving right with deliberate speed.
Adam nodded after a handful of repetitions, when her movements grew sharper. The weight of the exercise settled on her trembling legs. He watched her hair cling to her sweaty forehead and heard her gasping at the morning's cool air, as if drinking water after a drought.
He chose this moment to stop her with a clap of his hand. After healing and letting her experience how mana knit strength into her muscles, he brought her to the weapon racks that formed a square around the practice dummies.
A wooden sword in hand, he showed her basic attack patterns. When she mimicked him with an eager smile, he nudged her back or tapped on her legs to fix her posture. The dull sound of wood clashing against metal echoed through Quintella's second exercise. Straw flew off the dummy's armor, blanketing the beaten earth around the shaft that supported it.
Just as Quintella found her rhythm, a small ball of fur bolted at Adam's feet.
With a disgruntled growl, Bao smacked Adam's shoes with her tiny paws, then glared at the dummy.
Adam tilted his head, stunned by the ridiculous baby panda. It wasn't just a growl he heard, but something like, "You've made me run all this time, while she has fun. Unfair!"
"Want to join her?" He tilted his head, gesturing at another dummy. The corners of his lips curved when he stifled a laugh. "Sure. Use your claws—strike here, here, and here."
He pointed at his carotid, beneath his armpit, and at his plexus. His finger froze at his waist, another vital point entering his mind, but he decided against it. He'd train them to be so skilled that they wouldn't need to lower themselves to targeting those places.
"These are vital points," he said. "Sever a vein or hit a nerve, and even a colossus will fall—if he isn't already dead."
The duo didn't just listen but leapt into action the moment his voice faded. Emboldened by each other's presence, Quintella swung until the light sword grew too heavy for her tired arms, while Bao's paws hurt from pounding metal. Yet, neither complained. Instead, they grinned when he healed them, oblivious that they could kill a common man without trouble in their innocence.
Instead, they followed Adam through the training grounds. Push-ups, pull-ups, and stretching for flexibility—they completed every exercise until the bright rays of dawn broke through the fading night and the first students emerged from the dorms.
Sprawled on the ground, Quintella let the sun bathe her face. "You're amazing, Bao," she managed between pants, her hand caressing the panda seated atop her heaving chest. "I thought you wouldn't do much, but look at you! You're better than me as a baby."
While something approaching a prideful expression spread across Bao's fluffy features, Adam shook his head.
"Bao's not just a panda, Quintella. She's a magical beast whose core passively absorbs mana. Even if just sleeping, she'll eventually grow strong, but also dangerous—even more with my training." He crouched beside them and caressed their hair, his voice gentle yet firm. "You won't forget why you train, won't you?"
"To beat my yesterday self?" Quintella repeated his words, tilting her head.
"Yes, which means no hurting fellow students." Adam chuckled as he rose to his feet. "If you must fight, aim for the stomach or nose—not the vital points. Understood?"
"Yes, big brother!"
She shouted, and he helped her up. "I'm proud of what you've achieved in your first session. Let's grab breakfast to replenish your energy for the second one this evening."
A couple of minutes later, he stepped into the common hall, where fuming plates lined three long tables. The scent of spices melded with the fat of fresh meat. Bread still warm from the oven, and fruit pies added a sweet note to the blend that made Quintella salivate.
Irritated by his insistence, she forced herself to eat meat and bread first, before lunging at the pastries like a wolf. Bao was the opposite. She devoured almost a fifth of her weight in meat and fruit, then curled herself into a fluffy ball and fell asleep.
"You should rest, too." Adam nodded. "Take a nap to refresh, then focus on letters."
Quintella wiped her greasy mouth with a napkin and patted her stomach. "You won't have to ask me twice," she let out a satisfied yawn as she gently placed Bao in her robe's pocket and walked toward the exit. "See you later, big brother."
He waved her goodbye, then focused on his cup of tea with exaggerated attention. The bitter fragrance curling in steamy wisps grounded his attention on his own troubles, but more importantly, on Desmond's lateness.
As if on cue, the teenager rushed through the hall's entrance. Other students glanced at him before returning to their discussions with mocking scoffs.
Desmond didn't mind them. He was used to their cold treatment. Instead, he grinned as he sat across from Adam. This year was different. He was not alone.
"Hope I didn't make you wait. Had trouble sleeping with that golem and Louis' suspicions. Anyway, what's the plan?" Pinching the bridge of his nose, he reached for a cup of ground coffee.
Adam sipped his tea, remaining silent for a moment. Then, he sighed. "You're right on time. Does any teacher specialise in golems?"
"Not that I know." Desmond shook his head. "Did you know we mostly use golems to excavate ores in dangerous mines? I've never read about a fighting golem, much less one this versatile. Between the materials, enchantments, and the analytical matrices it showed us, this model is not worth the investment." His eyes narrowed. "It should be a unique relic."
"Makes sense." Adam's voice was barely a murmur. "What about Haldris? We can surely glean a clue or two from him."
"Well, the rector almost knows everything related to magic, according to most," Desmond knitted his brow thoughtfully. "We can hope he answers after class." Silence lingered for a second before his voice grew hesitant." Hey, Adam. What do we do if we can't find its weakness?"
"That's why we have twelve days to prepare—we create one." Adam pushed himself off his seat, shrugging. "Diane's class will start soon. I'll see you in Haldris' class."