Most of the class had difficulty grasping some of the more complicated techniques. Coach Liv patiently worked with them as they fumbled through their practices, trying to remember every turn of the knot or twist of the thread. But even with his kindness and patience, neither Liam nor Alphonse seemed to make much progress.

  "You cannot always depend on your healing magic, Comrade Alphonse. Here, let me show you again," Ben said as he went over each step with Al about wound care. The dogboy frowned, annoyance clear on his face, but stayed silent as he watched Ben work and explain.

  Finally, after many attempts and much frustration, Liam was able to tie a secure tourniquet using only two strips of fabric while Alphonse stumbled over one step after another until he could finally close a wound properly. There were cheers from their classmates as both Liam and Alphonse succeeded in their tasks. Coach Liv smiled warmly at them both before taking them through yet another exercise, this time involving making splints from sticks for broken limbs. Liam and Alphonse followed his instructions closely this time, determined not to fail.

  After a couple of hours, no one had managed to learn the skill but it seemed Coach Liv was satisfied with the day’s progress. “Good work, I think that’s enough First-Aid training for today. Now, let’s talk about tactics.

  “We are a small group and should be able to split up into fours, with one scout, one healer, one defender, and a damage dealer. As we all become familiar with each other's capabilities and methods in battle, we will create a team within the team. I am not going to tell you how to go about this, but it should happen. Equally, your own group will choose its own leader.”

  Seth interrupted, “That’s easy, me and Sam can lead the groups. We’re both ranged damage dealers, we can see the whole field.”

  Coach Liv growled and Seth shut up. “You don’t speak when I’m speaking, is that clear?”

  Seth swallowed thickly and nodded.

  Coach Liv grunted. “Good. Where was I? Right, you’ll pick your own leaders as you fight together. Leadership roles can change over time. Declaring yourself the leader is likely to build animosity and distrust from your teammates. I don’t recommend it. That will all shake out eventually.

  “As an eight-kin team, there are many ways to approach a fight. Let’s start with mob tactics.” Coach Liv's voice was a deep rumble as he spoke, and his long fingers flew as he picked up a piece of chalk and drew out figures and a battle plan on a chalkboard. He broke down how a group of eight mancers with their configuration could approach a fight with two beasts, then four, then ten, and so on. He narrated and pointed at drawn diagrams for each step of the tactics—how the defenders should be positioned in a defensive formation to prevent the beasts from swarming their party, how the damage dealers could use their weapons to pick off the beasts one by one, and how the scouts should move ahead and split up the enemy forces. He explained each individual strategy and then how they would all meld together to form a cohesive whole.

  “There are dozens, if not hundreds, of other strategies for dealing with groups of beasts. For the next four weeks, we’ll be focusing on how this group, with the skills you currently possess, can do this. Next class, we’ll continue with First-Aid practice and then try some scenarios and you all can put your minds to work,” Coach Liv declared, a tone of finality in his voice. “But that is all the time we have for today. See you in two days.”

  After class ended, Ben's mind was abuzz with all the strategies and methodologies for dealing with small and large groups of beasts. He let himself think about it until he got to Cooking class, then turned his focus to it and the dessert they were making that day, strudel. He rolled dough with a wooden pin until it was paper-thin and spread the buttery apples throughout it. With Chef Wu's guidance, Ben carefully wove the dough around the filling and tucked in the ends. He smiled as he watched it and the dozen others that his class made baked in the oven. The aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg filled the room. His mouth watered as Chef Wu allowed them to serve themselves a warm piece as a reward, and they savored every bite of the homemade strudel for lunch.

  Martial Training was a repeat of the previous day. They trudged out to the training ground, their tired muscles aching from the previous day's activities. The cool morning air was biting as they jogged around the track. After, they stretched out their muscles, each person trying to increase the range of their movements.

  As their group finished their stretches, Signore Barducci announced, "Today, I'll be going through unarmed techniques. Even if you use daggers or other close weapons, these techniques can give you more options when dealing with an opponent. Now I just need an assistant." His piercing glare told Ben that he was expected to volunteer.

  The badgerman stepped onto the padded mat Barducci had placed on the ground, and the professor came close to him. Barducci firmly grabbed him around the waist, one arm under his armpit, the other gripping the back of his neck. With a quick twist, Ben found himself pinned to the ground in a vulnerable position. Barducci smiled, looking down at him, and spoke in a comforting yet authoritative tone about proper body alignment. The wolfman repeated the drill several times, bringing Ben swiftly down each time with a few subtle variations here and there.

  Afterward, Barducci pinned him down with a well-timed sweep, lifting Ben off his feet and slamming him onto the mat. Barducci's strong arms pinned his shoulders to the floor, making it impossible for him to move.

  When the demonstrations were done, they paired off to spar, and Ben found himself standing opposite a wide-eyed, mousegirl Lulu. She was short and wiry but deceptively powerful. As he lunged to grab her, she spun away, her arms and legs moving in a blur. He managed to catch her twice, using a swift sweep of his foot followed by a tight grip to bring her down. But each time she retaliated with a quick twist and throw that upended him in an instant. She seemed to use the momentum of his own movement against him as she used gravity and sudden shifts to take him unawares and fling him over her shoulder.

  By the end of the session, Ben was sweaty, tired, and sore in places that he didn't know existed but was smiling as he read the notification that appeared.

  Congratulations! You have learned to sweep, throw, and pin your opponent. The Uncommon Skill Wrestling has been added to your skill list.

  It was a delightful reward for the intense bouts, and he was starting to look forward to practicing his new skill and getting Grappling to Intermediate Rank.

  Ben was slightly surprised to see no one from his group or Lair Team stay for Strength class. He would have thought both Liam and Robin would have been there, but then he supposed they both had high strength stats already if they were defenders. He followed his nose to his Handler and found him answering a few questions from a student near the carriages. So he closed his eyes and sought out any students congregating near one of the sheds and found them relatively quickly. He didn't recognize anyone there. In fact, it was a very small group. Just him and two rabbitmen that looked nearly identical.

  The rabbitmen introduced themselves as Jack and Eddie. They were archers and wanted to be able to use bows that required more strength to be able to draw them. They barely introduced themselves when his Handler started his lecture on the difference between max strength, enduring strength, and static strength. He then put them through a number of physical tests and designed a routine for each of them, explaining to the rabbitmen how their routine would improve their draw and ability to fire their bows over a longer period before he ushered the two brothers out of the way and sent them home. As soon as they were gone, Signore Barducci closed the door.

  “We should be free to talk now,” his Handler said, his posture and accent both shifting back to what Ben knew from their time on the island estate. “I’ll tell you this, be careful what roles you become comfortable filling. I cannot tell you how tired I am of being the strict, disciplined soldier,” the wolfman finished with a sigh as he rummaged unnecessarily through his magic satchel to procure a bottle of wine and a glass. “Ah, much better, and a good vintage, and don’t look at me like that. Being a teacher is very stressful, and don’t even get me started on the advanced class students. I have earned this.”

  Ben didn’t know what look his Handler was talking about. He didn’t give him any look.

  His Handler ignored the badgerman’s non-look as he pulled the cork from the bottle with his teeth and spit it aside. He poured himself a healthy amount of the ruby liquid and took a drink, sighing in relief after swallowing a large portion of it. “Okay, I suppose we should get down to business. How has your mission gone so far? And be honest. I’ll know if you’re lying.”

  Ben didn’t doubt the wolfman could tell if he was lying. It was an uncanny ability he had. “It’s going well, I think. I’ve got Alphonse pushing himself to outdo me. I'm fairly certain I’ve got him utterly repulsed by the idea of going somewhere like Rychania. Though it helps that his sister has been telling him the same thing.”

  “Sister?” his Handler questioned, “Explain.”

  “So, I broke into Al’s apartment,” Ben started, then proceeded to tell him everything he discovered.

  When he finished, his Handler looked positively beaming with pride, “Very well done, you’re proving to be quite the Asset indeed. Fantastic initiative in going through his apartment. And those leads on the death threats, very nice. I’ll find a way to inform the dean about the gifts sent to the hero. She’ll confiscate them for the Academy or tell him to send them back with a letter of gratitude and apology. I know you were already planning on how to acquire them for yourself, but don’t. Those skill stones are most likely Rare at a minimum and Legendary at the highest, and all very likely unique. If any nation finds out you have one of them or sold one of them . . . well, first, Al would be in grave danger. Second, you’d be in grave danger, and third, most importantly, the agency would be in grave danger. We do not need any country actively hunting Shadow Agents, understand?”

  Ben frowned in disappointment as he had planned to scoop up the treasure trove of skill stones after Al emptied his trash can. He didn’t like it, but he accepted it with a reluctant nod.

  “Anything else I should know?” his Handler asked.

  Ben nodded, “Just one thing, the dean, she knows I’m a Shadow Agent. Her analysis magic told her as much, but she said she’s going to be looking for you.”

  The wolfman nodded. “I assumed as much already. You don’t yet have the skill to hide such things. Thankfully, I do. She might still find me out, but I doubt she’ll do anything as long as you told her we are here to protect the hero. You did, didn’t you?”

  Ben nodded. “I did. She even agreed to help me out. Apparently she has a vested interest in the hero. She wants to study him.”

  His teacher barked out a laugh. “That old goatwoman is as crazy as I heard. That’s good. Again, good work.”

  “Thank you,” Ben replied, feeling proud of his accomplishment.

  His Handler quickly squashed that feeling, “Don’t let it get your head. You’ve got a lot of missions ahead of you. Don’t get sloppy just because you’ve had some success.”

  “Yes, sir,” Ben intoned automatically.

  “Alright, I suppose we should get your strength evaluation and get you back down to the academy.”

  The wolfman’s posture changed, and his accent reverted to that of Signore Barducci, “Your maximum strength is decent. However, your enduring strength could use some work. At the same time, based on what I saw of your fighting style earlier, improving your static strength would be even more beneficial. I need to know which you want before I can give you instruction.”

  Ben frowned. It felt like a trap. His Handler never gave him a choice. But then again, was he even speaking to his Handler right now? What was Signore Barducci’s personality? How different was he from his Handler? He decided to do what was best for his fighting style, so he chose, “Static Strength.”

  Signore Barducci nodded. “Okay then, we’re going to focus on three exercises to start with. First, plank.” The professor went down on all fours with his feet together then straightened his body to his full length. He put his elbows to the ground and pushed his body into the air, carrying all the weight on his elbows and toes. He straightened his back and clenched his body tightly in position. “You hold this position until fatigued. Do this at least three times a day. I recommend morning, evening, and before sleep.”

  He broke the position and stood back up. “Second, wall sit.” He put his back to the wall and lowered until his knees were bent as if he was sitting in a chair. “Hold this until fatigued. Same as before, morning, evening, and before sleep.”

  “Third, flexed-arm hang,” the professor grabbed the eaves of the shed overhang and pulled up slightly, just enough to get a slight bend in his arms, and he held it there. “Hold until fatigued. Three times a day. A door frame also works well for this exercise.”

  “Now your turn, and I’ll correct your position as needed,” Signore Barducci said, motioning for Ben to follow suit.

  Ben went through each exercise, feeling the burn in his muscles as he held each position. His calves, back, shoulders, and neck felt the plank most while his quads got the most impact of the wall sit. His arms and chest suffered the brunt of the arm hang. They were three relatively simple exercises and yet, his body felt it. All of it.

  “We’ll add one exercise with each strength class,” Signore Barducci said. “Now, I promised to get you back to the academy to meet your carriage. It’s about a thirty-minute run from here, so we’d best get moving.”

  Ben wanted to complain and yell that it was unfair, but he knew it would fall on deaf ears. Instead, he followed the demon... err, wolfman down the mountain at a pace that probably should have killed him.

  They entered the academy grounds about thirty minutes later and saw that Ben's carriage was the only one left waiting.

  “Good run,” Signore Barducci said, not sounding even a little winded. “It’s great extra training if you want to add this as part of your daily training regime.”

  Ben knew it sounded like a suggestion, but he could read between the lines. It was definitely required. He mentally cursed his Handler.

  “Until next time,” the professor said, then turned around and began running back up the mountain. Ben watched him go for a moment in utter disbelief. He wanted to know just how high the wolfman’s physical stats were. He shook the thought away and wearily made his way over to the carriage. He climbed inside wordlessly and sat on the bench with a bored-looking Al and a sleeping Esteban.

  “Took you long enough,” Al complained.

  Ben was too tired to argue with him. Instead, he chose to close his eyes and rest. Beau had to shake him awake when they got back to the apartments.

  Inside, Ben ate a quick meal, bathed, and went to bed early.

  Chapter 14 – The Elemental Box

  Ben was almost buzzing with excitement as the second mysticism class began. He was going to be able to use the elemental boxes as well as being shown the next Mana Control exercises. He was thrilled.

  He gave Al a smirk as he walked past him toward the front row, his chosen seat. He would be sure to look for an opportunity to taunt Alphonse about something later. He checked his schedule first. He wanted to be completely certain he wasn’t going to miss the time slot he had signed up for with Professor Zwief, a time slot that he shared with Al. It was just another opportunity to nudge the dogboy.

  Day 3 Time: Location:

  Mysticism 6:30-10:00 Room 1E

  - Elemental Box 7:30-8:305 Room 1B

  Cooking 10:30-11:55 Room B-Kitchen

  Lunch 12:00-1:00 Cafeteria

  Martial Training 1:30-3:00 Stone Cut Training Field

  “Welcome back, students,” Professor Waltz started the class, waving for everyone to be seated. “Professor Zwief is in Room 1B, make sure you are on time for your elemental box if you signed up for one. Professor Lichtenstien will be leading guided meditation in the back left corner of the auditorium. Professor Siqueira will be wandering around, so be sure to flag her down if you need her assistance. For anyone seeking to learn the exercises necessary to move beyond Beginner Rank Mana Control, please come down to the first two or three rows, and we’ll begin in five minutes. I promise, my lecture will be done in time for those of you with the first elemental box appointment.”

  Several students made their way down, but Al wasn't one of them. Ben didn't know what Al was doing except that he kept cursing under his breath occasionally. Ben would need to look into that later. It felt like he was missing an opportunity.

  "Last class you learned about the two exercises expected of those who had not learned Mana Control yet," the cattlewoman smiled and said with her thick Blokena accent.

  "Today, we will work with those of you who have a Beginner Rank in the skill. There are four exercises we will focus on to help you develop to Intermediate Rank, though we recommend you only select two, one for each internal and external. You will need to spend a little time on each in the beginning and decide which you find more beneficial. Each of the exercises can lead to developing skills as you attain higher ranks in Mana Control. A word of caution, when we say higher rank, we are speaking of Advanced rank or higher if any of you ever even manage to go that far," Professor Waltz stopped to survey the room. Her countenance was more serious than he'd seen from her and lent weight to her words.

  "For internal exercises, by this point, you know and understand that mana flows through your body following a set pathway. The first exercise is to diffuse the mana into your muscles. With time, you may learn to strengthen your muscles using your mana. Making you stronger, faster, or both. Again, don't expect that until you reach Advanced Rank or higher," she paused a moment to let that sink in. "The second exercise is to push the mana into your eyes or ears, potentially increasing your senses. This might some day lead to learning an advanced sensing skill such as Flying Beast Eye or Echolocation. If you already have such a skill, this exercise might even help it advance. We would advise caution with this exercise. Overuse risks taxing whichever sense you are already working to improve."