Chapter 24 - Friend VI

"Can't start your training without proper sustenance. Get the fire ready."

Hearing him commanded her, Adelle couldn't help it but smirked. It was doubtless that she was also feeling hungry.

For once again, Ervian showed her what he means with precise Venevisium control. Just like how he cut the fishes a few days ago. "Here, if I use too much Vis on Praecantatio, the sword will just cut through the hare roughly. Such amounts are suited for battle, but not mundane tasks like this."

The foot of the hare then dropped to the ground, chopped off asymmetrically.

"But if I use a low amount of Vis. The sword won't cut."

His double-edged sword moved gently under the telekinetic Vis and didn't even make a scratch on the hare's body. Even though he made the purple Vis that held the hare in the air stiffened.

"That's the basics." Adelle commented. She held her hands out and began to channel her Vis. With a flick of her wrist, she created a small flame that she directed towards a wooden log which later began to catch fire.

"Indeed, then the goals is to move the sword gently, but must had enough strength to make a cut through the skin, all done with Venevisium."

Ervian then showed what he meant. Red liquids leaked from the cut that his sword made.

"But yours is Praecantatio, a telekinesis movement. I don't have that Aspect," she protested. Already done with lighting up the fire as it burned the log bark on its own.

"You have Ardor. Show me a fireball."

Without questioning, Adelle raised her hand, then activated her Vis of Ardor. After her hand was coated in a red energy, it bursted into a flame then shaped like a ball.

"Next, make it smaller."

Easy as pie, Adelle just lessened her Vis usage, which in turn reduced the fireball size.

"Such a small flame barely radiates heat into my face. Now, make it burn brighter. But its size shouldn't increase."

Adelle wondered for a moment. She never had a case to use her Ardor like this. She then increased her Vis usage, but it increased the fireball's size.

Ervian then grinned. "That should be your first training. Alright, meanwhile I'll prepare breakfast ... or lunch? What time is it anyway?"

She chuckled. "It's still morning, Ervy." Adelle then has her eyes directed to the fireball. "Why would I need to make something small if I could use it bigger to make it deadlier?"

Ervian remembered the moment when she used Diluvism to create a fire tornado. It indeed fascinated him. "Besides to enhance your control over Venevisium. Believe me, there will also come the time when we need to use Vis discreetly. Something big will always attract attentions."

"Alright, fair enough." Satisfied with the current answer, Adelle then focused on the task at hand to make a small flame burn brighter and hotter.

After a few attempts, Adelle began to frustrate as she kept on increasing the size of the fireball. 'I never thought that it would be this hard. Making something small, yet powerful. What was the word? Ehmm, compressed. Ah yes that's it.'

But her training had to be paused for breakfast. Ervian has just roasted the sliced hare meat. The smell of barbeque that protruded through Adelle's sense of smell reminds her that she carried something that would make it even better. She then reached out her bag for its contents.

Ervian laughed. "Why didn't you say that you brought some salt?"

"Teehe, sorry I forgot."

She sprinkled the salt to her meal before passing that small wooden-container to Ervian. A little thing that made the moment more pleasant.

"Anyhow, you said something about Crystal that you need to find out."

"That's … umm ...."

Adelle bit the hare meat skewer while raising her eyebrow and had her eyes on him, waiting for a reply.

Ervian weighed about the truth that he was about to say. He deemed it unnecessary for her to know about it. Which resulted in him shaking his head. "Let's forget about it, the less you know, the better."

"You started to sound like Gramps." A sarcastic tone but carried with a serious face.

"Heh," Ervian grinned. "I really meant it."

Adelle couldn't bother anymore like she always did to Gramps. So she just went about her meal.

As they finished their meal, they resumed their journey towards the King's Road, which Ruvian had hastily abandoned the night before.

As they walked, Adelle focused on her Venevisium control training, but found it frustrating that she couldn't seem to use her Vis without making her fireballs too large. Despite her attempts, she still struggled after hundreds of tries.

Right up when the sun was at its peak, Adelle was running short of Vis. She needed time to recover. So Ervian decided that they should have a rest from the walk for a while.

They made it to the King's Road not long after the meal. The wide dirt path hadn't any track of horse carriages. Not even a footprint beside the two.

"Have you done yet?" asked Ervian, who sat leaning on a tree.

Adelle just shook her head. She closed her eyes. She used Vis in small amounts for the training, but the prolonged period of usage still exhausted her. More time needed for her to recover.

Ervian had a sure tinge about what Lefazio sees in her. She was eager to learn a new thing. Back in the days when Ervian was still learning with Grandmagus Barthusa, such spirit is sure to be liked by researchers.

"Alright, you can take a brief nap here if you want."

She thumbed up to answer him before repositioning herself more comfortably.

The weather was generous. The vast blue sky roofed them. Ervian may not be able to see it, but his tan cheek was welcomed by the gentle breeze under the tree shade.

'This tranquil feeling is second to none compared to being drifted away in Nethereal.'

Then, something came into Ervian's Sensus. It didn't take long for him to recognize the object that was coming from the same direction.

"Adelle, there is a horse carriage coming in our way."

Promptly woke up. "Huh, where?"

Ervian stood up. "It'll pass in a minute or two. Hope they will give us a ride."

Steadily, the sound of its wooden wheel friction with the dirt came to Adelle's ear. From the size and the look, it was not a caravan of a merchant. Rather, it was usually used for noble guests.

Adelle had a hint that they would not take passengers. But seeing Ervian already waving his hand, she just concentrated on her rest.

"Let's just pass them," the voice of an elderly woman came from inside the carriage, directed towards the coachman.