Chapter 20: Iron Temple Monk

Lord Guille put in our names for an audience with the King along with himself. We made sure to have him stress the urgency of it all, even mentioning the involvement of the demon army. That being said, we've been here for two days now, still waiting to go before his majesty. Every time we check at the castle gates, the guards just shoo us away and tell us to wait our turn for a formal summons. Bureaucracy might just be the death of us all

I’m pretty sure Kizzik’s been down at the casino all this time. They came in pretty late last night looking dejected and reeking of booze. I haven't really seen Rina though. I, on the other hand, have been trying to make the most of my down time. After Rina explained the danger of mana over saturation, I’ve been eager to start working out. I need to increase my overall physique to be able to store and handle the amount of mana my body is absorbing from the suit. Apparently, if I’d been reincarnated in a body with a mana pool, this wouldn’t be an issue at all but… That’s life I guess. Luckily, I found a place to run myself ragged and beef up these muscles.

The training grounds are really lively today. It’s a large square compound split into quadrants and surrounded by a running track. There's the weight lifting area, a range for magic casting with straw targets, a field with wooden practice dummies and the sparring area.

All the sparring pits are full of swordsmen going at it, kicking up dust with their fancy footwork. There’s a group of men huddled around to watch one of the matches. I’m able to catch a glimpse of the fighters as they dance around each other. One is a tall, graceful young man with shockingly blonde hair. His moves are so refined, flowing like water. The focus he exudes is mesmerizing. He’s the embodiment of elegance. Based on his clothing, he must be a sailor of some kind, white linen blouse, swashbuckler pants. The rapier in he wields glints in the afternoon sun, the guard and pommel are encrusted with jewels.

The blonde fighter’s opponent on the other hand is a stark contrast to his poise and extravagance. A gruff older looking man, he’s clad in leather armor brandishing a dull looking shortsword. He looks to be a good 20 years older than his nimble opponent. His movements are straight forward, power heavy but insanely controlled. The older man’s swordplay is well practiced. Despite their different appearances and fighting styles, these men are equal in skill. I watch them move back and forth across the pit, neither one giving up an advantage or scoring a point. It's really beautiful to see.

I eventually turn away to focus on my own development. Even without having to worry about the mana killing me, I need to train my skills too. Enemies like Bisanu are likely to pop up again, I can't always rely on overwhelming force and luck to win. Kizzik might not be there to save me next time.

I start out with some calisthenics. One hundred sit ups, one hundred pushups, and one hundred squats. In my old body, I would’ve been done after just a few reps but this new body is younger and more used to physical exertion. It feels good to push myself again like I did back in school. There was a time where I wanted to be an athlete, pursuing martial arts with a passion, but I chose to give up on that dream rather than see it crushed by the world. How many times did I do that back on earth? Let my anxieties kill my dreams? I shake the dark fog of guilt off me and finish up the last of my pushups, adjusting my face covering. Since we’ve been in the capital, I minimized my mask to just a simple opaque visor. I don't want to draw too much attention.

After that, I do a ten kilometer run, circling the large training grounds over and over. I’m surprised when, on my third lap, someone joins me.

“Nice day for a run isn't it?” a voice calls out from my right.

I turn to see a tall tan gorgeous woman with short, shockingly blue hair keeping pace with me. The woman has a similar build to the Bisanu, very muscular but a bit more lean, reminding me of the fitness models from back home. She smiles at me showing off her dazzling white teeth.

“I haven't seen you around! Are you new to the Capital?” she asks.

“Me and my friends are visiting for a bit for business. I’m Kenji. What’s your name?” I say, holding my hand out for her to shake.

She grips it firmly. So strong! I can tell she could crush my bones with those hands if she wanted.

“I’m Camilla! I’ve seen your training regiment these past couple days. You really know your stuff huh?”

“Thanks. It's just a workout my master taught us at my martial arts school.” I say nonchalantly.

Camilla looks surprised. “You’re a martial artist? Me too! I’m from Southern Iron Temple! Where did you study?”

I’m not sure how to answer her at first. It’s probably best not to advertise that I’m from another dimension so I improvise.

“My master wasn’t from a temple. He taught a small handful of us on his own.”

She looks even more impressed by this. She proceeds to bombard me with questions as we complete another lap. What style do I practice, where was it developed, was there any specialized training, do I use any weapons? I do my best to fill her in without giving away my other worldly origins and she seems pretty satisfied with my answers.

“That is truly amazing! I’ve studied combat for years and never heard of Judo or Taekwondo!”

Yeah, there’s a good reason for that. Camilla chats with me for the full ten km. I’m pretty winded but she seems even more energized.

“Since we’re warmed up now, would you be up for a sparring match?”

“Warmed up?!” I nearly choke. She’s gotta be kidding! I’m worn out! Still, my pride gets the better of me in the moment. “Ahem, yeah sure. I’d be happy to show you a thing or two.”

We find an empty ring on the outer edge. My aching muscles protest as I start to stretch and limber up. Camilla cracks her neck, the soft sheen of sweat making her muscles pop even more. I have the distinct impression this will be a one sided beat down. My best chance is to lean on Judo to try and get her off balance. We square off in the center, the backs of our hands touching softly. No armor or fancy magic to lean on here. I’ll have to put my back into it!