You look at the newly rebuilt city before walking down the street. Toru mentioned he would find you someone to help strengthen your Mana capabilities before you head out to go be a bodyguard or even just a travelling adventurer for a while. You need a break from the previous events for the time being anyway. You're seriously wondering who this person could be.
The city is up and running extremely well, and with the repairs done to the wall, they were also reinforced with Cestia Steel to add a much stronger resistance to attack. Those walls wont budge for many years to come now. All the civilians seems to be doing much better now as well, and life has been breathed into the people.
"There's not much that I can do for them it seems." you think, in remorse.
You continue walking, before seeing Toru, who then calls you over.
"Mikado, good to see you're in one piece! This is going to be your instructor for the next month." he says.
A person of extremely short height, about 4 feet tall; honestly maybe a stretch, appears from behind him.
"Really Toru, a child?" you say.
"It's not a child!"
"It's a child."
"It is no-."
"I am not a child!" yells a voice.
You look down at the 4 foot figure that looks entirely like a child at also a child height.
"I know what you're thinking Mikado, but this is a chil- excuse me, a PERSON, who is actually a master of the art of mana. With their skills that they have, I believe they'll be of extreme help to you for the next month." says Toru.
"Master...Right." you say, stonefaced.
"Anyway..., His name is Ryouta. Like I said, he will be of immense help, just follow his suggestions."
Ryouta begins to speak. He has a much deeper, rougher voice than you expected.
"As Toru mentioned, my name is Ryouta. I will be the person to be training you. Now, I will quickly go over your training regimen. We will practice daily. 30 days. We start as soon as the birds fly north each day. If I find you still aren't ready, we do it for another 30 days. Now, follow me."
You seemingly have no choice but to do so.
Ryouta leads you down the main road out of the city to a large field just a few miles away from the walls. You look around. Only a few trees are close to you, one of which being on a large hill about a couple hundred yards away.
"This is where we will be practicing. First, I'll get a benchmark of where you're at with your mana currently. Take a sword.
You do so, hesitantly.
"Now, all you need to do, is make a try to channel your mana withing and make an attempt to attack me." says Ryouta, grinning.
"Well this thing is cocky at least..." you think, tilting your head slightly.
You shake your head slowly and pull the sword behind your back, before swinging it diagonally across your body, covering the sword in concentrated flame.
"Interesting, so you can enchant your sword with an element on command. I wonder if we can make it that you can do so with any element. I'm honestly surprised you even remember how to do that, after your little collapse. For now, continue." says Ryouta.
You begin, planting your left foot to launch at him. You swing as soon as you get close, letting off fire, but Ryouta dodges, the aura you left leaves a long black char along a section of the grass itself. Ryouta glances at it quickly before he focuses back onto you. You turn, launching another attack, and it hits the target, but Ryouta then parries your blade, leaving you open.
Ryouta clicks his tongue, pointing his sword to your neck. "Continue."
You do so, and the rest of the training that day goes about as you would expect.
"Well, at least you have some potential. We do this again tomorrow." says Ryouta.
He walks off into the distance as you stare, and you simply sigh and sprawl on the grass, glancing at your sword every so often. You stay there until about nightfall, now sitting down, your back laying against the trunk of a nearby tree. You stay there for a while longer before you hear a few voices nearby. All of them, you haven't heard before. You look on the other side of the tree.
It's a group of bandits of some sort. All of them seem like your usual bandit except for one. A taller woman right in the middle of them. They suddenly look your way and you quickly duck behind the tree. There's about 5 bandits, including the taller woman, now heading your way, and you hear them chuckling as they get close. It's too late to run. You stand up, and take your sword. It seems it didn't take long for your first test.