The next day, Will woke up to found that Raye has went missing. The rest of the Everlight party members slowly woke up and caught on with the situation. Usually, people would be shocked when someone is missing but for the Everlight party, Raye always does sort of stuff to get stronger so they did not panic.
"Do you think he went out for a jog? He always does that,"
"Probably,"
Al and Amethia speaks as they knew Raye for a long time. Will shook his head and opens his eyes.
"Let's go,"
"Go where?"
Al asked Will as Will was rummaging through his bag. He took out a bag of coins he was going to spend for breakfast on the way to the Azure Vanguard. Will didn't respond, instead, he just opened the door and exited the room. Al, Amethia and Auoun quickly catch up with Will after changing and preparing. On their way, Will bought a few loaf of pre sliced bread and shared it with the rest of the Everlight party members. Before they visit the Azure Vanguard, Will insist on taking a stroll in the city area and enjoy the morning view. They walked through the bustling streets as Amethia look through the artefacts of a vendor. The radiant light of the sun shine upon the golden artefacts, making them glimmer and draw the attention of the passerby. The bustling noises always bring a sense of odd nostalgic feeling to Will. He had spend almost his lifetime in the demon king continent, being with humans once again is sort of nostalgic, though it does not bring the best set of memories....
They have arrive at the house where the Azure Vanguard temporary lives. Will walked forward and saw Raye was sword fighting with Theun. His left arm was tied behind his back so as Theun, they use a wooden sword to avoid incident. Theun dashed towards Raye as he tries to parry the attack. His sword flew up in the air and landed on the ground.
"You need to be firm with your stance, agility is not the only thing you need to focus on, overpowering your opponent is important too!"
Theun roared at Raye as he picked up his sword. They then clashed again. Both wooden swords brushing against each other. Clack. Click. Sounds of wood clashing against each other sounded from their training as the rest of the Everlight party approached the house. Raye noticed Will from the distance and waves his hand at him. Suddenly, a sword swings down at Raye. He was barely able to react as he parries it.
"Eyes on your opponent, don't get distracted!"
Theun roared again, dashing towards Raye as he kept swinging his sword, not letting Raye retaliate. The door was then swing opened as the mage Rene Velvet holding a plate of sliced oranges came out.
"I had sliced some oranges, come and have it!"
She then notices guests had arrived and lead them into the house.
"Oh! Pardon me, please do come in,"
Rene led the Everlight party except Raye into the house.
"I supposed you are here finding Raye,"
Rene said as they have some oranges.
"Yes, he seems to be eager for training,"
Auoun was watching through the window at Raye and Theun's training. A gruff voice was suddenly sounded behind Auoun.
"You interested?"
Auoun turned his head back and saw the tank, Cyrus Ryker was leaning at the sofa. Auoun slowly nodded his head which makes Cyrus guffawed.
"You're a tank right? I could help you train,"
"...Really?"
Auoun said with his eyes glimmering. Cyrus guffawed again and climbed up the stairs. He then descends a few minutes later holding a piece of shield. It was the shield he uses during battle.
"Let's go,"
Auoun leaped down from the sofa which made the whole house shook. Cyrus led Auoun out of the house and into the yard. The yard around the house is large, providing them the space to train.
Al sipped a cup of tea that the white mage, Sunday Lavone had made for everyone. The formal priest in black with golden lining descends from the stair and nodded his head to the Everlight party, greeting them without saying a word.
"Sherman is a great priest, he may be silent all the time, but he really helped us a lot during our adventure,"
Miss Sunday Lavone told the Everlight party. Al looked over at Sherman as he grabbed a cup of tea.
"How much you know about healing magic?"
Al asked the silent priest. He looked at Al with a face of strictness and spoke.
"More than you know, even the knowledge of secrets hidden in the slumbering forest,"
Al was taken aback. He had been a teacher for the past ten years. But one thing that Sherman mentioned is about knowledge of secrets that is hidden in the slumbering forest. Al thought to himself as Sherman continued speaking.
"You will soon come across the slumbering forest during your journey, whether you want to know the knowledge of secrets, your choice,"
Sherman was a strict guy. They had never seen him smile at all, which that includes the Azure Vanguard.
"...Can you..tell me more about it?"
Al does not want to be a burden in the Everlight party, right now, he is the weakest of the team, though Raye would say otherwise. Sherman looked at Al from head to toes. The strict look on his face never fade. He hesitated for a moment and was about to decline. He then remembered Theun who is willing to help anyone and the offer he gave to the Everlight party. He has no choice but to assist the priest of the Everlight party. He doesn't say it out loud, all he does is have an even stricter face.
"...Fine, follow me,"
Sherman walked up the stairs as he accompanied Al. There is no need for much space to heal. A bedroom to practice healing magic on injured animals or volunteering human and training your mana is enough.
Now left is the two mages of the Everlight party. Rene looked at Amethia then at Will while Sunday sips her cup of tea. The Everlight party does not have a white mage, so there is nothing for Sunday to help with.
"So...is there anything you need help with?"
In this awkward moment, Rene was the first to spoke to Amethia. She didn't choose Will maybe because of his gloomy expression and the aura he gives off.
"Oh! Not that much, maybe you could help me train..."
"I would gladly do that!"
Rene stood up from the sofa with a bright mood. Rene then took her outside of the house, to the yard and train. Now left is the white mage and the Shadow Sage. They didn't talk much as first, though they eventually did through their love for books.
"Is that...the latest book 'Romance of the maiden war'?"
Sunday asked Will as he flipped through the pages.
"Yes..."
"I also have that book too!"
"..."
"..."
---------------------------
Raye swings the wooden sword with his right arm while his left arm was tied behind his back. Theun was the same as he parries the attack and retaliate with a swing. Raye blocked it and leaped backwards. Sweats rolls down his cheeks and drip onto the ground as his whole clothes was drenched in his sweat. He dash at Theun and swings his sword with all his might though Theun casually blocked it and swings the sword at Raye's waist before he could react. Raye was send flying to the ground. He stood back up by pushing himself against the sword tip on the ground. He stood up and pointed his sword at Theun. Theun didn't attack, instead he just drop the wooden sword and call for a break.
"Let's take a break for now, keep on fighting won't get you anywhere, try to get a clear mind,"
Raye dropped on the ground as he remove the straps that tied his left arm against his back. In swordsmanship, there are four level with the sword master as the lowest, then sword king, sword emperor to then sword saint as the highest. Theun is at the level of a sword king while Raye is no where near a sword master.
"I got to be stronger..."
Raye mutter out silently but Theun has heard all of it.
"What you need now isn't to be stronger, but to be tactical, a braun without a brain is practically useless, you need to plan everything out as a leader, analysis of your enemy is important, that way you can win,"
Theun walked towards Raye as he handed him a glass of water. He gladly took it as if a stray dog had finally received food.
"Once you get enough rest, we train again, I'll teach you about tactical thinking,"
"Yes sir!"
Raye stood up and salute. It was normal for a knight to do so.
"No need to be such formal with me, I'm just giving knowledge to a promising man,"
Raye lit up as soon as he heard those words.
"We will switch arms later, being able to use both arms is vital if you are going to face stronger threat in the distant future,"
On the other hand, Auoun was training with Cyrus. They didn't use no wooden weapons, they use their own real weapons. Cyrus holding that large piece of shield and Auoun using that dual rock hammers. Auoun went head on, swinging his hammers at the shield, hoping it could shatter it. The shield intake the attack as Cyrus slams his shield onto the ground, creating a blast that sent Auoun away. Auoun quickly got onto his feet and dashed towards Cyrus. Cyrus blocked the relentless attacks of the dwarf using the shield. Just when the dwarf stops, Cyrus wears the large shield on his right arm and swings it at Auoun. Auoun was sent a few feet back again. This continues for a few more minutes before the dwarf eventually grew tired and falls onto the ground.
"What....with...that thing...?"
"This is a shield, people use this for defence, perfect for tanks who dives straight on,"
Auoun look over at the shield and realised that it remain unscratched. Maybe a few battle marks but none of them seem recent.
"How is that shield so durable?"
Auoun held one of the hammer high up, remembering the times he had to make few hammers for they are brittle.
"This shield was made from the scale of the true red dragon with encountered years ago, we did not defeat it but we manage to break apart one of its scale and injured it, that scale was then turned into this shield and some parts were then molded into the sword Theun uses, it's very durable and it tanks attack well while storing up the charge of the opponent's attack,"
Cyrus patted his shield as he guffawed. Auoun watches the expression of the tank of the Azure Vanguard.
"You are pretty strong to withstand the strength of a dwarf,"
Auoun said which makes Cyrus stop laughing. He rubbed the back of his head and was confused.
"Well, you gotta be strong if you are going to protect your teammates, the Azure Vanguard are basically a second family to me, shouldn't I be strong to be able to protect them?"
Auoun was astounded as he heard Cyrus's words. Family...Auoun never felt love from a family before, let alone his parents. All of the clan members fear him. Though the encounter with the Everlight party were filled with respect, admiration, the feeling of being wanted.
"A family..."
"Don't you think so? Protecting them is priority as a tank, the front-liner duties,"
Maybe a family is all he needs. Auoun thought to himself and stood up. He raises his right hammer and pointed it at Cyrus. Cyrus was confused by Auoun's action. Auoun didn't say much. Just, a request.
"Please train me,"
Cyrus smirked and stood up, holding his shield.
"Let's do it,"