Michael thought Ellis was a likeable guy. He imagined them being friends but he seemed older than Michael, despite him being shorter.
Nobody else seemed to argue against Ellis so maybe he really was the leader of the party. It was just hard to believe Stefan and Mave taking orders from someone they had to look down to speak to.
Mave led Michael upstairs to where the bedrooms were. He thought he was getting his own place to sleep, the luxury of your own privacy. She pulled a string in the middle of the hallway and a ladder folded down.
"Your room." she said, handing him a roll of bedding.
Michael climbed up and thought the place was just as messy even before he cleaned the house. There was old furniture, armor, and shelves of books that looked out of date. It was an attic above the house and Mave figured it could substitute as a room for Michael. The place was just high enough for him to comfortably stand but smaller than he saw bedrooms under. He took the rest of the day cleaning around and sweeping any old dust so he wouldn't have to inhale any of this when he slept. When he was done, there was just enough space for him to set down the bedding.
It wasn't the room he liked but it was far better than sleeping outside.
***
For the next few weeks, he followed Stefan's schedule for training. Sometimes one of them would stay home to teach him and the other two would gear for an adventure but majority of the time, they were all home. He did feel bad about having one of them left behind though they had all agreed on teaching Michael so he could tag along in their party.
Stefan's lessons were about his body, mainly revolving around the control of mana. He taught Michael the concept about an invisible energy that resides in every living being. The goal was to acknowledge that presence and hone it to his desire. Whether he choose to fortify his body, enhancing his attacks, or deciding to distribute it outwards. He could coat his sword with mana, achieving the name mana blade. He could cast spells though that type of teaching was more expensive than Stefan's.
If Michael wanted to learn spellcasting, he would have to sell his arm and leg just to learn the basic skills. But for now, Stefan only tried helping him unlock his mana.
It was a tiring process. Michael only remembered his brain being fried and his muscles being tenderized. He even thought mana was another fairy tale made up so people could be happy believing in it. Real strength should have come from muscles and how much a person ate, not some imaginary force that runs through someone's body. He was grateful that Stefan was determined and dedicated days to teach Michael even if it sounded impossible.
Believing in mana was just as hard as believing swords could turn into pretty girls.
Stefan said learning mana blade was for another day and Michael was only a beginner for now. He didn't even know how to use his mana to reinforce his body yet. Still, all Michael could remember from his training was being utterly tired to the core.
Ellis taught him about the lands of Terra, which was what they called the world. There were three great kingdoms that currently ruled across. The kingdom of Wilmere, the kingdom of Falden, and the kingdom of Relvena. There could minor kingdoms to take account of but these three are the major ones that have more influence than others. He said they were at war even if it didn't seem like it. Each kingdom is constantly at the effort of conquering more land than the other, gaining power and money by any means.
Wilmere had a treaty with Falden but their ties were broken once their king had died of an illness, having his son take the throne as the duke.
Falden, out of all the three kingdoms, has the most feared military which scares the king of Wilmere. That was the reason for the sudden demand for adventurers lately. Instead of enlisting and training new royal guards, the act of adventurers taking quests became the standard.
Michael thought he was dozing off after hearing more about the kingdom's politics. He wasn't sure if any of this could help him as an adventurer.
Ellis then turned the topic into an average quest of their party. They gather supplies, food, and any gear that could sustain them for the journey. Sometimes, the quest required for them to travel into the uncharted to clear out nests or scope out the area. He recalled one time they had to fight against other adventurers. They were all enemies, even if the idea of peace was told to them as a child.
Michael asked him about the uncharted. Ellis said he couldn't give him a clear answer. The uncharted was land that wasn't discovered by anyone. It was dangerous for adventurers to explore but if that was the only way to score more money. There could be unidentified mana beasts in their own territory or even bandits that built their outposts away from the kingdom's land.
No adventurer could be safe in the uncharted unless they knew absolutely where they were going. But the king needs to expand his domain, so adventurers don't have a choice. If there was grand money involved, anyone would be willing to do anything without question.
Ellis went by the rule of not trusting anyone he crosses, no matter how nice they seem. He even admitted to exploiting Michael if it meant completing their quest. Michael didn't really find that amusing but at least Ellis was honest.
When it was Mave's turn to teach Michael, nothing had changed from her usual beating. She was still as intense, sparing no sympathy for a boy trying to learn. Michael thought it was a good thing that she didn't go easy. He could see Ellis wince from the sidelines as he was struck across the face again. This was just her way of teaching him. Even if it sounded delusional, he felt he was getting closer everyday. The seconds he would last felt longer and he was starting to follow against her attacks. Mave was a hard opponent but Michael knew it was possible for him to land at least one hit.
Maybe one day, he thought to himself, maybe one day.
On times he was alone in the house, he was tasked to do all of their chores. He wasn't paid for any of it but having the privilege to sleep in the attic with a free breakfast every morning kept his mouth shut. He would take their armor to the smith for repair, sometimes cleaning it himself, washing their dirty clothes, keeping the house tidy, and marking track of their supplies. In return for his labor, at the end of the day, Mave would cook him dinner.
But the best reward wasn't the hot meal, it was the time he had with Evelyn.
Evelyn watched him on the side, training with the wooden sword and swinging it through the air. She cheered him on as exercised lifting the heavy weights Stefan told him to. He liked running around the house trying to chase her. When they were alone, Michael thought that was the best time he had. She would run around and jump on their beds as he had to fix after her.
Though, there was one time Evelyn had bumped inside Mave's room which she said was an accident. When he pulled her outside, he swore to himself that he would never mention the amount of stuffed animals that crowded her bed. At least, apart from the pleasant smell, it was the most tidy bedroom out of all of them.
But, other than that, there was this sense of freedom when they had the house to themselves. Michael wanted to learn how to cook but he knew Mave would give him an earful if their produce was touched. Instead, he took Evelyn outside on a walk around Aldoria. He didn't take her too far from the house but only the places that were local. He remembered walking in this city with nowhere to go, with no purpose to fight for.
Now, holding her hand, he knew what he wanted to do all along.