As usual I woke up early so I can eat my breakfast. I glad that I awaked at morning without any trouble. I can say that I had developed healthy habit since coming to Gaia world. If I stayed at previous world, I would had continued to sleep until noon or evening during holiday.
But not anymore. Today I had mission to take my first E rank quest.
After breakfast, I went straight to guild. This was my routine during adventure day. I worked during day and only rest when night came.
Before I entered the guild, I noticed someone whom I knew that waited near to guild's door. That was Cara, a girl that I had saved and dated before this.
She stood there with her knight attire. She lowered her head down and played with her fingers. Huh, look like I should postponed my quest today.
I approached her in close distance. She was still not aware my presence.
"Hey, Cara. What are you doing here?"
"Huh, eh, Dy.. Dy.. Dylan! I? Nothing, I did nothing! I'm just standing here."
Yeah, you were just standing there and being blushed without reason.
"You don't go to school today?"
"Er, er.. Today is free training. No class today. Erm, Dylan, can I, ask something?"
"What's it?"
"You had promised to train together with me, remember it? It's not like I want to force you for that matter, but I really need a sparring partner."
"I don't mind about it Cara. It's me who promised that without you ask anything. I should honor my promise. Don't be concerned about that Cara."
"Yes, thanks Dylan. All my friends have their own partner or thing to do. I need to train because next month I have knight test."
"I don't know how much I can help you. I will see of what I can do."
"Again, I appreciate your help. I had brought lunch enough for two of us so we can eat together during lunchtime."
Lunch supply, I was pretty sure you will eat three quarters from it. I knew you had big appetite, cute girl.
Then she brought me out from city wall to field area near to small hill. She said less people wandered around here and there was no sight of monsters roamed this area before. This was safe place to train without bothering people.
"So Cara, how can I help you."
I unsheathed my sword and swung it a few rounds as warm up exercise, not to impress her.
"We can do a simple mock fight. We will exchange an attack with our sword."
"Okay, easy thing."
I stood still with my sword. Then she took her sword from her back. This time she used long sword, not a great sword like before.
The distance between us was only a few metres. I used my sword with one hand only while she held sword with both hands.
"Here I come."
She rushed towards me and slashed me. Immediately I parried her attack by holding my sword vertically.
I pushed my sword to pressure her. She stepped back to avoid being pressured by me. Then I swung the sword to her side.
She turned her body to ward off my attack. When our sword clashed together, she swung up her sword to the sky. My sword unwillingly followed her movement and my grip became loosen. My sword completely disengaged and flied away from my hand. I lost my weapon.
Oh man, this would be a hard battle.
I took my sword and prepared to do counterattack.
We continued attacking each other until our stamina was drained out. Both of us sit on the ground to recover our energy. Exchanging the attack until noon was really eating away my vitality.
I lied down on my back to take simple rest. I was grateful that I didn't choose to enroll at knight school. Learning magic was much more convenient and easier.
"Hey, Dylan. Come sit with me here. I have sandwiches. Let's eat together."
She put down her lunchbox below the big tree and sit there. Slowly I raised myself and walked to her. I sit next to her but not too close. I didn't want her to get wrong impression about me.
"Good call Cara. I'm already hungry. If you're not bring this sandwich, maybe I should go hunt some chicken."
"Haha, you don't need to do that. I made this sandwich myself. Here, take one."
I took the sandwich from her hand and quickly feed to my mouth. I ate one bite and chew it slowly. Umph, delicious! Nice girl who made tasty delicious was a good package for a single guy like me.
She ate her sandwich while smiling. Urgh, why she had to act cute at this time? Please, you distracted the innocent me. Then I turned my face to other direction and finished my sandwich. She teased me so good.
After an awkward moment (only for me), we both finished the lunch meal.
"Dylan."
"Yep, Cara."
"Are you good with magic?"
"Erm, I'm just learning magic at academy. My level is still at level one but I can do some simple attack and defend with almost magic elements. Why?"
"I'm also need to train myself to take on any magic attack. We as knight should have ability to fight against physical and magic attack."
"If that's case, I can help you. My magic attack is just level one, so you're totally can defend against it."
"Thanks Dylan. I can only practice against magic attack from my instructor during class. I worry if I can't repel any magic spell."
"Yeah, don't worry. I will make sure you have confidence after this."
After lunchtime, we gathered back at place where we trained with sword. I took distance about 10 metres from her so she should had opportunity to ward off my magic skill.
"Okay Cara. I will launch my attack until I run out my mana point. You just need to focus on my attack and repel it at right time."
She took her position with her hands gripped tightly her sword hilt. Her eyes showed determination sight as a sign she was ready at any time.
"Dark bullet."
My dark bullet travelled fast to her body. She slashed it and cancelled my attack. Her body shocked for a while from the impact during slashing the dark bullet.
"Again!"
"Fire ball."
She hit and slammed it to the ground. My fire ball was extinguished and the black smoke escaped from the ground.
"Water ball."
She thrusted it and break my water ball. Her face became wetter from the water splash.
"Earth stone."
Three small stones flied fast toward her. She pushed all of it to her side by one slash.
"Wind slash."
She put her sword in defense position horizontally and received the invisible slash after that. She tried to withstand the attack before the wind slash dispersed itself. Her face sweated a little bit from that pressure.
"Light bullet."
A bright ray like laser flashed to her. Immediately she kneeled down one leg and held her sword vertically. Like before, she wanted to withstand the attack again. After she endured in two seconds, she slashed the light bullet to her side.
She successfully repelled all magic skills.
"Wow, Dylan! I don't know you can use all magic elements. I thought you can only use fire magic."
"I have good luck. You want to try again?"
"Yes, please."
Then I continued attacking her with my magic skills until she asked to stop it.
She released her sword and immediately kneeled down and supported her body with two hands on the ground. She was really tired and her body drenched in sweat.
I was just mentally exhausted from continually launched my magic skills. I sit down and breathed faster to supply more oxygen to my brain. Even mental exhaustion could bring me down as much as physical exhaustion.
Cara and I rested for about 30 minutes on the ground before we became fresh again. After that we were laughing together to cheer ourselves when our eyes met together.
"Thanks Dylan. I never enjoy my training before this. Now I have confidence to pass my test."
"It's good if you think like that."
"Can we, train together, again?"
"Of course. How could I refuse you? You can find me whether at guild or magic academy. If we're not busy with class, we can come here again."
"Hehe, you're nice guy Dylan."
Please Cara, don't show your sweet face to me. I was just a single man with no experience. I hit slowly my chest area to control the pace of my heartbeat.
"Let's return together to city."
"Yes."
I appreciated this sweet moment in my memory.
We walked back to city and parted our way at east gate.
My heart bloomed happily after that.