They say time flows quicker when you're enjoying something and slower during boring or painful periods. Dio was so distracted for the rest of the day that he barely even paid attention during class. An advantage of someone with his memory was that he could analyze his memories to learn. His visit to the infirmary didn't prove to be too useful. John was still in and out of consciousness, although his complexion seemed healthier.
"Wouldn't hurt, I guess…" Dio currently stood outside a huge spiked wooden door; screams and weird huffing noises could be heard from the other side. He closed his eyes in anticipation, and, surely enough, what his eyes fell upon wasn't disappointing.
A practice ground, one of the many within Hexora, imbued with spells that boasted complex properties. Moreover, every ground or field had an instructor overseeing it; they decided whether a student could practice or not, and the rules and regulations, including the safety, were dictated by the instructor.
It was a large room. Seemingly certain elements were standardized and similar amongst all the grounds, especially the building in the center of the ground, a small office of sorts where the instructor presided. It allowed them to have a clear view of everything happening within the field.
This particular one seemed to have three zones: one for magic, one for weapon mastery, and finally for magic swordsmen. Somewhat coordinated and organized, Dio thought to himself as he took a stroll, spectating the different students engrossed in their training.
There were seniors, juniors, and teachers, all focused on their tasks. Each zone had another instructor who assisted and guided the students, this was another thing particular about this Training Ground. The instructor seemed to have a plan or a structure envisioned, a rather detailed plan of action.
"Bring harmony to the energies within yourself. As magic users, you may assume it is crucial only to strengthen your magic. While that may be true, it is equally important to train your physique. That is perceived as our weakness, we cannot be caught off guard. A certain amount of self-defense and endurance is required to be considered a mage." Dio crossed the magic-only zone and overheard the instructor talking to a group of students in front of him.
"Smart advice," Dio recalled his parents teaching him the same thing when he was younger. In fact, he heard another familiar statement from the next zone instructor.
"Weapon mastery, as the name suggests, requires individuals to train their bodies and hone their control of a weapon of their choice. However, it is on equal footing of importance that you kids learn to control your mana. You aren't required to be as proficient as mages; however, the better your control, the more potent your physical enhancement."
Both magic and weapon users had to utilize mana. In some cases, when used by weapon users, it is referred to as aura, however, the principle of using mana remains the same. Mages control and manifest this mana into spells, while weapon users use mana to enhance their physical capabilities. This may be through a spell or through intricately enveloping mana over one's physical body.
Dio was likely inferior to a good bunch of the students training here, at least in terms of combat prowess. The difference between individuals who were given proper training and those who picked up things on their own. What did Dio lack that the others here had? Perhaps it was something they had in common and not something he lacked.
"A magic swordsman…." The instructor's voice sounded out, hints of curiosity and lingering fulfillment in her tone caught the students' attention." It would be pretty redundant to use only a sword…no?" Unlike the other instructors, this one was rather inquisitive.
"The other two instructors will tell you what you need to achieve to become a mage or an aura user, respectively. I want you guys to focus on my words. The label "magic swordsman" is a false one, misleading in nature. There are magic archers and magic spearman; almost every weapon can be paired with magic. It's simply lazy of our previous generation to have named this entire discipline magic swordsmanship. Nevertheless, what matters is the harmony between the two,"
"I'm sure you guys have heard this before," the instructor chuckled before tossing a dagger up in the air, only for it to fall and levitate on the tip of her pinky finger. "Balance between magic and the body is crucial. Similarly, the balance between magic and a weapon is just as important. Your weapon is an extension of your body; treat it with respect, and it will do the same." She tossed the dagger and allowed it to freely revolve around her, somewhat like a very chirpy and excited pet bird flying around its owner.
Up until this moment, Dio never considered magic swordsmanship. It wasn't for any particular reason; he merely had a profound interest in magic and thus decided to narrow his interest and focus on that field. However, after listening to the female instructor, his head hurt, and his opinions and thoughts about beliefs he had were slowly changing.
"Surely it couldn't be because of that," he walked back towards the door through which he entered. He was a little unsure of whether the label, magic swordsman, sprouted through the collective laziness of the generations before them. If so, then there were a lot of things that they could've been lazy about that we now don't realize.
"Why would they lie?" he opened the door to exit the practice ground, continuing to speak to himself as his mind tore apart the possibilities and went further into the information he heard during his visit to the ground.
It was definitely worth it. He did feel a little out of place, after all, most of what was happening in his day was new to him, let alone a recreation of a militant concept like zonal training.
"How'd she even do that?" Dio put a hand over his stomach and walked towards the cafeteria, wondering how the dagger freely floated around the instructor. After all, there was no spell for a weapon to turn into a pet.