Chapter 127 - Each of Their Preparations

The next days came and went as a blur. The children were preparing themselves for the adventure into the Warping Forest, some arguing with their parents, some solemnly gathering supplies but all ultimately doing their best to be ready. Though they would have guidance for the first while and assistance when absolutely necessary that did not mean that they underestimated the unknowns of the Warping Forest.Jien spent his time working with Emily and Mark seriously on his training. It had been made clear to them that he was not aware of how best to fight against ranged opponents in the round robin tournament. They decided to make this point their focus since they were short on time for training him on his own. Once this journey started all training would be focused on the group as a whole. This would definitely lead to personal growth in a secondary manner but the most growth would be as a team.Beyond the training in facing long ranged opponents such as Lesley, they also focused on the concept of the team and where Jien's role would be. After the round robin tournament Jien had been made the unofficial leader of their group as the victor. Nobody competed for this title past the point of the round robin, leading Lord Losler to praise him for being able to take the same role that his mother had for their group.However, Leadership was not all that Jien could offer to the group. He was not a front liner or a back liner. They felt that he was powerful on his own in the combination between his arcane arts and his fencing. What both Emily and Mark knew from the start was that Jien had the ability to be the tactician of the group and also a large support pillar. He knew the three main arcane occupations, formations, alchemy and blacksmithing, to a decent enough degree that he could use them to reinforce the group of noble children and the spells gifted to him during the unsealing rite were perfect for assisting from a tactical perspective.To assist along these lines his lessons had less physical work, mainly focusing on short lessons regarding how to fight at range, instead using the time to assign Jien to read and record books on topics regarding survival in several biomes, knowledge of military tactics, small group tactics and ecology and biology in regard to different environments. On top of this Lord Losler invested in buying a set of specific alchemy recipes, formations and smithing guides for wildlife survival. All of this meant that the majority of Jien's month was spent studying and practicing the three arcane occupations, something that left him rather happy considering everything that had occurred during the celebration.***********Rosalind spent her time either training with her parents personally or in the smith with them crafting a variety of not only weapons and armor but tools to be used in the outdoors to assist in survival. While it was said that they would be supplied with a standard military kit that did not mean that they couldn't bring their own supplies. That being said the adults would choose what could and could not go in the end to avoid the children sneaking in something to make the experience too simple. With only a month to prepare Rosalind spent the majority of her time in her family's smithy, covered in sweat as she shaped steel and iron the old-fashioned way, with hammer and anvil.***********Oliva spent her time training with her mentors along with efforts focused on drying and preparing alchemical herbs. Her family had their industry based on these herbs and she knew a great deal about them. She had some training in alchemy, but her main focus was on the herbs themselves and how to raise them and prepare them for use in alchemy or use in formations. She worked hard to make sure that they would have a decent supply, having come to know that Jien was studying all three of the major arcane occupations. Even if he hadn't been she was sure that she could make use of these herbs in a more simplified manner.***********Lesley spent his time between the farmland around his home, hunting wild game and training with his own mentors. Elker City, his family's domain was based primarily on hunting and farming. He wanted to bring with him a decent supply of emergency food, focusing on products that wouldn't go bad easily like jerky of varying types and hard breads. He also prepared dry fruit of varying types and even tried his hand at pickling vegetables. While they may not use these products, he wished to ensure that they would have a supply of food to lean on if they needed.***********Bernard whose home Lyaberon City existed next to the Forest of Songs spent his time studying tactics, hunting in the forest, tanning and drying pelts and leathers. This was what his family's industry was based on, using the forest that many didn't wish to enter as a source of materials for trade. Out of the children Bernard had wanted to be the leader the most, and Jien would have likely given him the position if he had asked. However, he aspired to be a man of integrity and honor, a true night, and so when Jien one the round robin he did not fight the decision, instead focusing on bettering himself to take such a role in the future.***********Barret was the only member that wasn't preparing anything extra for the occasion. Not because he didn't wish to but merely because his family was different from the rest. Unlike all the others who were nobles through acquiring titles in the endless war and living through trade of resources, the Romero's were a legitimate side family of the royals. They lacked expertise in trade and were more focused on the protection of the royals from the shadows. All Barret could do to prepare was to train more fiercely under the direct tutelage of his mother so that he could work with the group. He was familiar with team tactics but trained in a far darker and dirtier way of working with partners than his future teammates, meaning he needed training in how to be a part of an average military unit.Like this time ticked by and soon the end of their month of training was coming to a close, their next meeting drawing near.