Benny, Noir and Polpo glance at one another awkwardly. As the tension rise up, Noir became more and more anxious and nervous. Polpo open his mouth trying to say something, but no sound came out from his mouth. It seems both Noir and Polpo is in a predicament, Sheila on the side trying to hold the laughter looking at how hopeless Noir is right now.
"Ummm... Benny... We-"
Before Noir could finish his sentence Benny goes over to both of them and hug them tightly. As Benny starts to tear up.
"THIS IS NOT A GOODBYE DAMMIT!" Benny said vuriously as a waterfall of tears began to fall from his eyes.
Polpo and Noir also start to tear up just from what Benny said to them. As both of them start to hug Benny back and they all cry loudly together. Benny parents also shed a tear looking at this moment, as Sheila just smile looking at the kids.
"OF COURSE! THIS IS NOT A GOODBYE BENNY! WE WILL MET AGAIN!" Noir shouted back.
While Polpo just keeps on crying louder than the other 2. A view minutes pass by, as they all calmed down. Noir and Polpo start to head for the carriage they will use for their travel. Noir and Polpo enter the carriage as they both turn around waving at Benny. Benny wave back as he shed another tear but stopped it and just give off a big smile to both of them.
"Untill we meet again Benny!" Both Noir and Polpo said at the same time while they keep waving back at Benny.
Just as they reach the north gate of Kortopia, another check up happen quite quickly. Just as they get outside, above the wall is Solean, Zeonyl, and Nora. All 3 of them start to wave their hand at Noir and Polpo.
"Have a good travel my disciple! We shall met again in the near future when you are stronger!" Solean shouted at the carriage.
Noir pop his head out through the window 'I PROMISE! I WILL BECOME STRONGER!" Noir shouted back.
Solean just smiles as he keep on waving his hand at Noir, as some minutes pass by. It became harder and harder to see Kortopia, as the carriage enter a forest leaving Kortopia behind completely. Although Noir seems sad leaving from Kortopia, he is also happy knowing that he will go to a new place, the Capital of Aslanta.
"I hope you prepare yourself kid.. Kids... The capital is not a place to play around."
"Yes mam!" Both Noir and Polpo said at the same time, as their eyes gleam with expectation.
As the carriage went on and on through the forest, they had couple of stop in the middle of the forest. They all rested up well, but a view minutes pass by as Sheila seems to prepared something for them. Sheila throw a wooden sword and a wooden knuckle to Noir and Polpo.
"What are these for Ms. Sheila?" Noir asked.
"We will train while we rest, the travel will be around 2 weeks or so. So mind as well you kids trained yourself."
"Why?" Polpo asked bluntly.
"Well you don't want to be hopeless while fighting aren't you?"
Both Noir and Polpo remember the fight against Madnel Bellarus, as they both start to stand up. Noir tries to pick up the sword while Polpo tries to pick up the knuckle. But Sheila punch both of their head.
"Ow! What was that for Ms. Sheila?!" Noir said while rubbing his head so the pain goes away.
"No!" Sheila proceed to picked up both wooden weapon.
Though Sheila throw the wooden knuckle to Noir, while the wooden sword to Polpo. Both Noir and Polpo are confused why they are given a weapon opposite of what they usually use.
"Why did you give me this knuckle Ms. Sheila?" Noir asked confusely as Polpo doesn't even know how to wield the sword properly.
"Well, I knew that you are good with sword while this bear kid is good with his hand... Sooo.."
"So?" Both Noir and Polpo asked at the same time.
"Sooo, I will made you two become better at what you are bad at!" Sheila said happily with a smile.
"Ughhh..." Both Noir and Polpo got scared for a moment, as they feel like they will be in hell for these 2 weeks.
The training starts with Noir keep on punching a tree for god who knows how long. While Polpo tries his hardest to slash with a sword. Both had extreme difficulties at their own training, Noir keep on punching over and over untill he is bored, it seems Noir doesn't really have the strength to punch down a tree at a single punch like Polpo. While Polpo keep on missing his target which is a tree, Polpo doesn't understand how a sword work but everytime he swing a burst of wind can be seen.
Sheila just smiles on the side looking at the both of them. It seems her objective is to make Noir strength goes up whi le also making him better at close hand to hand combat. While Sheila made Polpo learn to use weapon while fighting so he doesn't only depend on his strength but also used technique.
A week pass by of their travel, and it seems both Noir and Polpo became better at it. Noir used more technique in his punches like hooks, uppercut, and combo it all up. It seems Noir manage to made his punches deal much more damage than it actually do with just his raw strength.
While Polpo start to understand how a sword work, so he start to slash in his own way. He use his raw strength in the correct way as from time to time he manage to cut down trees easily. While Sheila also teaches him some more spells, but it seems Polpo specialty is more on the physical capability side so Sheila doesn't really mind his lack of magic.
Sheila smiles looking at both Noir and Polpo progress. It seems both is good at their own thing, but Sheila wanted them to become stronger in the other aspect so they don't have much weaknesses that the enemy can exploit. Sheila knows that to survive in this world, someone has to at least become good at both magic and physical capability.
4 more days pass by of their travel, Noir and Polpo sleep on the carriage while Sheila is reading some sort of paper filled with many many words. Then an explosion can be heard from afar, it made Noir and Polpo woke up from the noise itself.
"What was that?!" Noir shouted as he jolted off his seat.
"Stop the carriage for now!" Sheila shouted as the carriage stop, Sheila open the door and cast a spell on her.
[Tier 2 Wind Magic : Elven Step]
As Sheila quickly dashes and jump around using the trees in her surrounding. While Polpo with his Anima physical capability just start to run extremely quickly. While Noir also made a magic circle appear on the ground below him.
[Tier 2 Wind Magic : Elven Step]
Noir starts to copy what Sheila did, as he jump from tree to another tree. Though it seems Noir is not used to it yet as he is only as fast as Polpo who is running on the ground. Sheila manage to reach the sound first as she lookout on the surrounding.
It seems some bandits is attacking a carriage, 2 bandits trying to open the door of the carriage. While 8 of them seems to take care of the knights guarding the carriage. 1 of the bandit just stood still laughing at what he sees. It seems this bandit is the leader of the other bandit, as he is only watching and laughing.
"Hmmm... This is bad... There is a lot of them.. It seems the person inside is important, since there is 4 knight guarding it but they're all dead..." Sheila said in her mind.
The 2 bandits tried their best to bust open the door, but it seems someone from the inside is holding the door pretty well. The bandit leader just laughing and laughing.
Noir and Polpo manage to arrive at the scene. Both are surprise at what is happening, and whether or not to believe what they see with their own eyes. Sheila approach Noir and Polpo quietly as she gave them a steel knuckle to Noir and a shortsword to Polpo.
"This is where the real test will begin, you two will try to save whoever is inside those carriage with these weapon. Magic is allowed but make sure use these weapon as the main usage. NOW GO!"
As Noir and Polpo began to run up to the bandits, Polpo running with full speed and a motion of stabbing with his shortsword to one of the bandit. While Noir use the tree to his advantage with his elven step spell to get an odd angle to strike, as the test has begun...