Sebastian lay panting on the ground. He was physically bruised, and mentally broken. No matter how confident he was in his physical abilities, it was nothing compared to Elias' overpowering strength. He could only manage to run away from him for a short time before he was caught and pommeled into submission. When they moved on to the weapons assessments, the results were even more disastrous. Wooden swords had the appearance of being safe practice tools, but they seemed to mask the pain they administered. Each blow resonated within Sebastian's body, and Elias didn't seem to show any signs of stopping midway. The assessments only came to a stop when Sebastian fell due to the exhaustion and the pain.
"With this, the physical and weapons assessment is now finished. I will use this information to create a specific training regimen for you." Elias picked up Sebastian's sword as well, as he cleaned the blood off it and placed it back on the training rack. "While you may appear disappointed with the results, bear in mind that this is your first time moving your body in such a manner. You know the basics of movement, but you're very uncoordinated when it comes to defensive and offensive maneuvers. We will work on that."
Rivie quietly knelt down beside Sebastian as she laid him on his side. Sebastian knew that it was the recovery position, he was surprised that she knew such a method. "It seems like this is a good point to start a bit of my lessons then. I'll show you how mana is used to treat injuries. Please focus on your injuries and how you will feel in a few moments." She placed her palm on his arm as she closed her eyes and focused. Her palm seemed to grow hotter, but it was still tolerable for him.
Sebastian focused on the bruises on his arms, as he also closely observed the pain on his abdomen and sides. Elias didn't seem to hold back in his assessments. As Rivie's warmth spread throughout his body, Sebastian could feel that the injuries he was focusing on slowly dissipated. It felt like his muscles were stretching, but after the initial muscle spasm he realised that he could move it similar to before Elias' assessment, maybe even better. He sat on the ground with a bewildered expression as he was checking his limbs after the treatment.
"Oh my, you really are full of surprises. Very interesting indeed." Rivie stood beside him, watching him intently. With her unchanging smile, she gently offered her hand to stand himself up. Sebastian was still puzzled as he took her hand and stood up.
"Full of surprises? I was beaten to the point of exhaustion. Did you mean 'surprise' in a disappointing way?" Sebastian dusted his clothes as he stood awkwardly in front of his two mentors.
"No. You certainly stretched your physical limits, and I think Elias here even broke your spirit. However after I healed your muscles, it appears that it has grown immediately. Humans are really gifted with growth. It always amazes me."
"So you mean that my muscle fibers are now better than before the assessment?"
"It's funny how you relate it to fibers, but if you want to put it that way then yes, your muscle fibers are better than they were before."
"It's just that in my previous world, I was taught that muscles are a group of fibers intertwined together to make up a single working muscle group. People who exercise regularly knowingly damage their muscle fibers and rely on the creation of new muscle fibers that are stronger than the previous ones. With your healing ability, we might have skipped a few steps in the process." Sebastian was still checking his limbs, slowly realising that his grip and his muscle tone did improve after.
"As expected. Forgotten Ones really view the world differently. I really want to know more, let's continue our discussion as we have our lunch inside." Rivie opened the door to the room nearest to them. Elias was already inside, preparing the meal as he warmed the pot on the stove and set the table. He looked like a really homely and gentle teacher - if you overlook the fact that he just beat somebody to the point of collapse.
"We are having soup and bread, these are the staple foods here in Kalonia. There are different types of soups and breads, so you can still have variety with that." Rivie motioned for Sebastian to sit down as they were waiting for the soup to fully heat through.
"Do you have a source of potable water? I would like to wash my hands first."
"Oh? But you don't have to use your hands if it's dirty. We also have spoons and forks here. You do know how to use them I assume?"
"Yes, I actually prefer to use a spoon and fork for eating, but my hands have been soiled due to the hard labour and I don't want to dirty the food and get sick later."
"Is this one of your practices from your previous world? You can get some water from the jug near the kitchen. It's clean so you can use it to wash your hands if you want."
"Do people not wash hands here before eating? It seems very unhygienic and you can easily get sick from it you know. Whether or not you use your hands for eating."
"I'm just curious, but in your previous world, did you not have magick or anything like that?" Elias interjected as he started to ladle the soup into serving bowls. He calmly passed it over to Rivie who helped him set the table in a graceful manner.
"No, we didn't. The only time I have heard of magic or any other races aside from humans was from fantasy books or from fiction." Sebastian couldn't find any towels to wipe his hands with so he simply went back to his place on the table and sat down in front of the food.
"Here, if people get sick we can simply use healing magick to treat it. Similar to how Rivie here treated your torn muscles and cracked bones earlier." Elias nonchalantly hinted that he knew he cracked Sebastian's bones earlier during the assessment.
"I see, it does make sense if you put it that way. In my previous world, if people got sick, then you will need medications or chemicals to treat it. In some cases it might even lead to a permanent disability so I'm accustomed to washing my hands before touching or preparing food."
"If you do get sick, then let me know and I can treat you if needed. Don't hold back in terms of your meal today - you will need it to replenish your spent energy." Rivie motioned for Sebastian to start eating as she continued with their inquisition. It was the mentors this time who were curious with regards to Sebastian's previous world.
"So do people from your world naturally wash hands before eating and are cautions with hygiene?" Rivie was casually talking as she tore off a piece of the bread and mixed it into the soup, seemingly to soften it.
"Yes and no. Unfortunately, a lot of people in my world did not have access to clean water and such. They were mainly focused on finding their daily food that they didn't have the luxury of wasting water to wash their hands. These people ended up sick and dying early on. It was my job back then to help them have a clean environment and to instill hygienic practices as well - Or one of my jobs anyway." Sebastian followed Rivie's lead and tasted the bread, it was definitely a hard and dry bread, which explained the need for it to be mixed into the soup. The soup tasted similar to Earth's mushroom soup, albeit with strange herbs added for flavor. It was a very warm and filling meal.
"That means that your job was mainly like a healer then? Only you used what you call 'medications and chemicals' to treat diseases? That would also explain why your physical assessment was a bit lacking. I think you will closely relate to Rivie's lecture after the meal then." Elias was simply mowing down the food in front of him, he tore into the bread into pieces before stuffing it in his mouth and lifted the bowl of soup to his mouth to gulp it down. Sebastian only noticed then that his soup bowl was bigger than theirs.
"He has to eat a lot for his physique and he also spent a bit of mana with your assessment earlier. It's just a shame that he has to stuff his face for him to be satisfied with a meal." Rivie calmly mentioned as she motioned for Sebastian to continue with his meal, noticing how he appeared in awe with the beastman's appetite.
"Uhm, yes, thanks. Going back to my job. It was quite similar to healer, although I also had different responsibilities like supporting sick people with their recovery and checking the ailments of others when I first check them. Although I work with a specialised 'healer' or doctor as we call them, I am their first line of contact."
"Depending on the situation, that really seems like a lot of work and a lot of stress. That job demands a lot out of you I suppose?"
"Yes, it certainly does. I was working in a remote region with an impoverished community when I met my demise and was transported here. Although my death was certainly regrettable, I would still like to do something similar while I'm here. After I told that to Leo he was more eager for me to train here." When he looked at Elias, he was already on his second bowl and stuffing his mouth with such vigor again. You would think that he didn't have anything to eat for the past few days.
"I hope you don't lose your appetite while looking at him. I think also I can understand what Leo was thinking. In this world, we have adventurers that venture forth and do certain tasks. While some people have tried to go out adventuring by themselves, it would certainly be easier and safer in a group or a party. There are various roles in an adventuring party and one of them is a supporter. That might be close to what you described as your job in your previous world. It's not yet decided, but after we finish our training regimens here in the monastery, you can then decide if you want to adventure in a party and be a supporter or you can choose to make your contributions to a town or a small city."
Sebastian had to put down his spoon as he hurriedly tried to swallow his mouthful. "So am I suited for a supporting role?"
'I'm in a world of swords and magick, yet I'm only suited for a supporting role? Just why?'