"Julian, wake up! It's time for training," I said, bouncing around the room with way too much energy for this early in the morning.
He groaned, rolling over and pulling the blanket over his head.
"You're not a morning person, are you?" I asked, grinning.
I stepped up onto his bed, balancing on one foot like some kind of performer. "Today, you get the honor of fighting me," I declared, striking a series of ridiculous poses. "You should be grateful! You're being trained by THE honoured one, and first thing in the morning too!"
Julian just sat up slowly, his hair a complete mess. "I'm going to get breakfast," he muttered, dragging himself toward the small cabinet in the corner. He opened it, grabbed two gold coins, and started walking toward the door.
"Ehh…" I said, clutching my chest dramatically. "How could you just ignore me like that, Julian? My heart… it hurts!"
"Breakfast is more important," he said flatly, not even turning around.
Since when did he get this confident? I thought, pretending to look offended.
"Come back here, are not done yet," I called out in a serious tone.
Julian froze. "Right away," he said quickly.
The moment he turned, I slung an arm over his shoulder and laughed. "How could you go off and eat without me, huh?"
He sighed, shaking his head.
"Alright, fine," I said with a grin. "You're right. Let's go grab some breakfast."
We took a few gold coins from the stash and made our way to a small restaurant down the street. The smell of warm bread and grilled meat filled the air the moment we walked in. We paid for our food, ate until we were both full, and then headed back to the inn, ready to start the real training.
"I was going to train you in magic, but you already have most of the basics," I said, spinning a pen between my fingers.
"Today we focus on a core skill for battles and how to survive them. This skill is part practice and part luck," I added.
"It's pattern prediction. Use it in hand to hand combat or in spells. If you can guess what your opponent will do next, you get the upper hand fast."
Julian nodded. "How do I do that?"
"Mostly through trial and error," I said. "You need experience. There is no single way to teach it. You have to build patterns in your head until they become instinct. Also it gives me an excuse to beat you up," I muttered.
"Huh?" he asked.
"Huh," I echoed, grinning.
I led him to a quiet clearing on the edge of the village. The sun was high. A few birds watched. Perfect practice ground.
"Let's start," I said.
I moved first. A light kick, a punch to the ribs, then a right jab. I kept my power down, but my speed was real. Julian flew back. He hit the dirt and blinked.
"Looks like I need to hold back more," I muttered, helping him to his feet. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Just surprised. Your hits hurt," he said, rubbing his side.
I sighed inwardly. This would be a long process. I repeated the sequence. Kick, punch, jab. This time he took it. The second round sent him flying again. After the third sequence he began to flinch on the second move.
"Good. You saw the pattern," I said. "When an opponent repeats a motion, your next move can counter it."
I raised the tempo. The combo changed. Punch, jab, kick. Faster and less obvious. Julian could not block it. He staggered.
"Now, think ahead," I told him. "When someone steps in with a kick, what do they usually open up for? If you expect the jab, you prepare the parry. If you expect a jab, you move your head before it lands."
We trained like that for hours. I varied the combos. Sometimes I repeated the same three moves. Other times I mixed them into a longer chain. I hit, then paused for half a beat. I feinted. I timed my strikes to mess with rhythm. Julian started calling out the next attack before I made it.
"Punch," he said out of breath. I followed with the punch and he narrowed his eyes. "Jab." He moved his arm. "Kick." He caught my leg on the fourth try.
Progress was slow. His stance was still messy. His timing was off, but he was getting better.
When the sun dipped low, we stopped. Julian could barely stand. Sweat dripped down his brow.
"Not bad," I said, tossing the pen into the grass. "Tomorrow we add misdirection and a little mana. If you can predict a hand, you can predict a spell. Remember that.
Julian smiled weakly before collapsing onto the ground, his chest rising and falling fast. "Don't tell me you're done after just one training session!" I teased, grinning down at him.
He groaned something that sounded like a complaint, but I ignored it. With a casual wave, I grabbed him by the arm and teleported us back to the inn. In the blink of an eye, we appeared inside the room. I dropped him gently onto the bed.
"Rest up, champ," I said, stretching. "You'll need it for tomorrow."
He mumbled something that sounded like "never again" before his eyes shut.
"Kids these days," I sighed. "No stamina."
I cracked my neck and smiled. "Now then, detective time."
Leaving the inn, I made my way through the quiet streets. The evening air was cool, and the chatter from merchants echoed softly through the narrow roads. I spotted Bernard not far away, talking animatedly with a few villagers near a small store.
"Yo, Bernard! Where've you been hiding?" I called out, waving as I walked toward him.
Bernard turned around, beaming when he saw me. "Ah, Gojo! There you are. I was starting to think you got lost or kidnapped or something."
"Please, as if anyone could kidnap me," I said with a smug grin. "Julian and I were… busy doing something important."
Bernard raised an eyebrow, his smile widening. "Oh really? And what exactly were you two up to?"
"Training," I said simply.
He laughed. "Figures. You don't seem like the type to sit still."
As he turned back to the group he was chatting with, I narrowed my eyes for a moment.
"Interesting," I thought. "High mana levels for regular villagers."
I let my expression stay casual, crossing my arms and leaning on a nearby wall while keeping my senses sharp. "So, Bernard," I said with a smirk, "who are your new friends?"