A long trip.

I feel completely drained, training or even battling a magical beast like a dragon has mentally drained me this way before. I don't know why he's so nervous, my tormentor was being completely polite and nice to me, but even so I couldn't feel anything other than discomfort, it must be something fundamental in the culture or mentality that makes me afraid of Hilda's mother.

The ice mage who is responsible for the functioning of the Menfis family, daughter of the matriarch is the mother of Hilda and Ingredi, Sofia Menfis a red core mage. Even though she maintained a calm and gentle demeanor when she talked to me, I felt like she was being frozen into a cold mountain in mine out of nowhere.

I was lucky my meeting with her was short or I would have had a very tense trip, I don't think I would faint, but I doubt that Sofia Menfis would enjoy my company very much, especially when my answers were short and limited by my nervousness.

"Why were you acting so weird? Are you really, okay? You're pale and acting like a brainless, are you sure you're not sick or poisoned your last fight against one of those freaks in the arena was how many days ago?"

"I'm fine, Hilda, and just a little nervous. I did not expect to meet your mother today, I doubt it would have been much better even if I had received accurate notice of this meeting."

"Not because you're nervous about meeting her. If you want to be afraid of someone choosing my aunt who is also leading this caravan, she probably has sinister plans involving you."

She's really enjoying my nervousness, I even thought I'd joke with her pointing out how her mother and she look alike to annoy her, but considering I'm surrounded by men and women loyal to the Memphis family I shouldn't allow the possibility of being misunderstood for a sarcastic comment about the main branch of the Memphis family.

Some people don't understand my sense of humor.

"Can I do without meeting your aunt?"

"You can try, but as she is leading this caravan and she is not very big, it will be very difficult for you to get away from her without running away from the caravan formation."

"So, what kind of torture should I expect?"

"No big deal, she'll probably want to spank you during one of the breaks. As we are not on a tight schedule the caravan will not only stop for meals and rest, we will also stop in some smaller towns on the way to deliver some goods and pick up some more people heading to the capital."

"So, we'll be on the road for a long time this time, last time the convoy barely stopped for the mounts to rest."

"Teachers were in a hurry and a bunch of young elites are a very attractive target for enemy kingdoms or evil cultists."

"So, this time we will be able to enjoy a long trip, which is always pleasant."

"Don't complain so much Ulric. Travel has good sides too."

"Like?"

With a huge smile Hilda pulled me into one of the empty carriages for nobles and before long the caravan was traveling to the capital through the southern plains. Hilda was right about this trip having positive sides.

With just the two of us in the carriage we had good leisure time until the first stop at lunchtime. Leaving in a good mood to eat my travel routine will continue for the next few days or so I thought.

We actually stopped at three smaller towns, one of which was basically a village. I was quite confused by this since a place like this shouldn't have been that valuable, but Ingredi explained the reason for this stop. In this village a retired adventurer and she must go to the capital to be summoned, she is an old companion of Hilda and Ingredi's aunt.

I was quite surprised that a green core warrior in the final stage comes from such a small village where there is no one that stands out, apart from the ridiculously strong adventurer a and three gray core hunters the rest of the people who live here basically have a black core in the middle. early stage, very few are in the intermediate stage. This isn't such an unusual sight for a village of this size, but the fact that a green core warrior rose from this type of location is.

Her life must have been full of challenges to make so much progress in her cultivation, without having good genes it is very difficult to evolve her core to the color green. I really admire someone who was able to do that, most people who would only risk that much to get stronger end up dying early.

But the arrival of this warrior brought a big problem for me, during the night of the day she joined the caravan was the day I met Hilda and Ingrede's aunt. Gabriela Menfis and her friend Ana who was a warrior of the earth and wind element who uses a normal-sized shield and a simple sword, decided to have fun.

They probably drank too much, which is pretty weird since the higher the quality level of a warrior's body, the harder it is for him to get drunk. I think the drinking was just an excuse to hit me saying it was training.

Gabriela Menfis' intention was very clear, she wants to intimidate her niece's boyfriend with her fists. As she knows that I fight well in unarmed combat, she wants to train a little with me and her friend Ana will also participate.

Obviously, the result was me being beaten up, but I can't say that this experience was useless especially when they showed me some arts and aura and their style of using their elemental energy. Mainly Ana, the way she synergistically uses her two elements that are considered contradictory is very interesting and unique.

After seeing her demonstration, I understood why she is so valued by the kingdom, if she hadn't chosen such a discreet life, she would probably have already managed to acquire the ability to become a noble.

She's really strong and I pity those who encounter her on the battlefield, she's basically a mobile fortress. During the fight with me she might have had a bit of trouble subduing me when she only used half of her aura, but the reason for that is because she's not an aura-focused fighter and she doesn't have as many skills in unarmed combat.

But when she and I used our elemental energy, I was crushed like I had just awakened my core, I've been beaten before by warriors much stronger than I am, but being beaten by a person who has only used a third of theirs. energy, her level is higher than mine but the distance is not huge and the last fight I had with her I resisted for a long period of time is disconcerting.

She is much older than I am and well experienced, and this can be seen by the high rank she achieved in the adventurer's guild, but when she showed me how she uses her elemental energy I realized where her genius was her elemental power is. much superior to mine.

When I finished taking a beating from the warrior covered by a thin layer of pebbles that compacted around her body like earthen armor, I heard Gabriela's comments about Ana. Ana is a genius of elemental energy so great that her elemental skill is superior to many warriors or orange core warriors, the difference between the elemental abilities of the two is very small.

It didn't just shock me, but Hilda and Ingredi who were watching me get spanked were shocked by this comment. Gabriela Menfis is a warrior who focuses on elemental energy and her skill level is superior to most warriors of her level, very few of her enemies can possess a skill like hers and even fewer will surpass it.

To hear from someone like this that a female warrior who has a much weaker core than hers has almost the same level of control and power over her element that she is shocking. Ana is really a person who deserves the title of genius, if she hadn't had such a humble beginning and without resources and probably without a good education, she would probably be at an even closer level to Grabriela and her elementary skill would be superior to Grabriela's.

After fighting her twice more I had a better understanding of Ana's style, she uses her earth element as an extremely complex and high-level armor.

Even with her only holding her armor it is so strong that even if I had my sword, I doubt I would be able to completely break her defense, at most I would break the outside of her but that's not the most shocking part of her armor she is too extremely light for earth element armor.

When combined with her wind element Ana's speed and mobility were ridiculous for someone with such a strong defense, her punch nearly broke my bones and I'm wearing my level three armor that was strengthened by Calen.

Probably the sheer force Ana can unleash with her ridiculous fighting style should be strong enough to kill an orange core warrior. I pity anyone who meets her during the war.

During the trip Hilda and I were invited to have a lot of practical training with Ana and Gabriela, I can't say that I was inspired while I analyzed and studied the way the two-use aura and elemental energy, but I believe it could be useful in the future.

When I saw the capital, I felt relieved because if it had taken longer almost all of my skin color would be purple and black, even though they tried to hold on my body was pretty damaged. I guess I'll have to stop by a temple to speed up my body's recovery.