My dinner starts off as uneventfully as any other meal; I read, my current book on applications of elemental magic, while absentmindedly eating through my basic meal. I would have rather hoped that something other than water would be available, considering my impending departure, but sadly, such is not the case.
The familiar sensation of the general's aura washes over me, capturing my attention. "Well done training today! You did well holding your own on a battlefield occupied by the commanders, such bodes well for your future. Continue training, and you will do well." I assume that that is aimed at those soldiers not leaving tomorrow, but I continue listening.
"Only five soldiers died in today's training, which, while not ideal, is a number that we believe is justified by the experience gained by you all. Still, we are currently looking into the circumstances surrounding their deaths, and we can assure you that anyone guilty of intentionally killing a fellow soldier in training will be appropriately punished for their crime, a crime that, let us not forget, is murder."
[Oops. I hope their investigations take longer than the less than eight hours before I leave this place. Besides, they can't prove that I intentionally killed that noble brat, and even if they could, I would just say that I was trying to save that obviously dead soldier beneath him. If they don't buy it, then it was just carrying out justice on the field. After all, he killed someone first, it is only fair he should die. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and thus a life for a life. Justice, whether originating with the Sumerians or the Jews, it matters not and the idea ought be applied in all existences, whether Earth or otherwise. There is no way that they can morally punish me for dealing with this noble in the way I have; I have behaved with morality, with justice, with righteousness, with fairness. Not that they are likely to wrap up their investigation before my departure anyway.]
"Now, onto other matters. As I mentioned this morning, corps 214 will be departing tomorrow morning. We wish them the greatest success in furthering our nation's goals, and we thank them for their exemplary service that they will surely perform."
[Rather high expectations there, don't you think? Shouldn't you wait to thank us for our service until after we actually do something? And besides, most of the soldiers here are conscripts, they hardly do this of their own will.]
He continues "Through their efforts, our nation shall be defended from Arenese aggression, and from the aggression of the heretics who rule them, the accursed Church of the Three Heroes, an organization which worships dragons! Now, as we will mostly still be asleep when they depart tomorrow, be sure to send them off well tonight. Now, return to your meals, and eat with vigor, celebrate the heroism of those soon to depart!"
At this a cheer goes up. After quickly making sure that actually good food hasn't materialized out of thin air, I return to my reading with a sigh. [Well, at least that is a better sendoff than the last group got. Admittedly, that was a low-level group destined only for monster slaying on the frontier, hardly so impressive as defending the nation from invading heretics, or whatever.]
As soon as I deem it appropriate to leave, I do so. I depart alongside those with similar ideas to myself, intent on getting in as much practice as possible with integrating magic and swordsmanship into a single, distinct style of combat.
Or at least that is the plan; I fully intend to focus on this 'definitely not thunderclap impulse' method upon which I am working. I grab a sleep nullification potion and a few energy potions from Lector's supply before going to a far-off field to practice in.
After a few hours, by which point it is a little past midnight, I am really beginning to see success in my efforts. While working with mana at such a minute and precise level is certainly challenging, it can't compare with the massive energy consumption of multicasting or elemental shaping. The difficulty is much more in the realm of precision, alongside me going into this not knowing exactly how to obtain the desired outcome.
Still, a few hours is enough to become rather good at the method. Though my concentration often slips, the periods in which I am able to experience quicker thought and reaction times consistently grow until I am able to hold the state for nearly an entire second. Though this may not sound all-to-impressive, I am able to experience this as though it was five seconds in length. Though this spell doesn't increase my movement speed, nor does it increase the speed with which my spells move, it does allow me to focus on more things at once.
As soon as I begin to experience some success with this method, I move on to the task for which I have been working on it - integrating earth and wind elemental magic seamlessly into my fighting style. Where previously I struggled with simultaneously molding the earth at my feet, forcing my body around with wind magic, focusing on fighting with my sword, and still making motions with my actual body, by speeding up the speed with which I process reality, the speed at which my brain sends and receives signals, such activities become almost laughably easy. While the spell is active, I am able to do quite literally five times the things in the same amount of time, where my previous list of to-do's felt just out of reach, the tasks now seem downright easy. Of course, part of my efforts must be focused on maintaining the spell, and even then, mistakes are often made in its maintenance. Still, the amount of focus that can be directed towards my other efforts is still several times higher than before, and the mistakes with definitely- not- thunderclap- impulse become rarer simply through practice. Thus, I settle in to practice with these skills for the remainder of the night, fully aware that this is going to be a [long] night with my quickened perception of reality.
After an hour, which for me passes like four, I begin to feel rather comfortable with my methods. Obviously they need [alot] more work to be truly great, but the extra time to coordinate my spells and motions helps me grasp the basic understandings that are required in record time. Once I figure out how to best move and attack as I want in any of the mental situations that I build up, all that is left is to practice.
Another hour passes, and then another. Each of these feels closer to five hours as my experience with my enhanced processing speed spell increases, the frequency of my failures decreases. I feel myself making extremely good progress (even by my standards) with the mobility-centered spells, and am about to move onto practicing how I would use earth and wind to hinder my opponents when my enhanced hearing picks up the sounds of approaching footsteps.
At first, I just assume that someone is walking by, but as they grow nearer I can hear them approaching me. And the 'them' in this situation sounds like quite a group. And by the clamoring, I can only assume that they are wearing armor.
With a somewhat irritated sigh, I take a short break from my practice to look to see who is approaching.
Leading a group of at least fifty soldiers, including over three dozen traditional mages and a handful of spellswords, Belfrost approaches. And from his cold gaze directed straight at me, I know that only I could be his target.
[Now, what could they be here for? Hmm, I wonder… Heh. I'm mad, not brainless. They must have finished their investigations faster than I expected them to, their investigations into that noble brats death. I guess it's probably too much to hope for that they will let me get away with murder in the same way that they let him once and likely planned to allow him again, I guess it's probably a good idea to try to remember my excuses…]