Training

"Let me help you out," Savine said, finally. "Very soon, they duke's side is going to become extremely powerful. They'll soon receive profits of unprecedented scale, and I'm positive they're going to become stronger than before the civil war even started."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you seen the excitement spreading through the craftsmen's district?"

Dred furrowed his brows. "…Yes. They seem to be working on some sort of new tool."

Savine pulled out one of the smaller mana motors from her pocket. She inserted some mana into it and pressed the button atop it and its shaft started turning rapidly

"What's this?"

"It's called a mana motor."

"Yes?"

Dred looked unimpressed.

"It's probably the most widely useable device in the world right now."

"?"

"You see this and you only see a spinning shaft, but when craftsmen and engineers see it, they think about what they can use this thing for. For example, people who cut wood for a living might think, what if there was a circular saw attached to this shaft?"

Savine then created a thin metal saw and attached it to the mana motor. When she activated it, the saw spun rapidly, startling Dred.

"Here," Savine threw a small branch at Dred. "Hold it from both ends."

Savine put the circular saw to it and the branch was cut to pieces quickly and cleanly. Though this was only a small branch, Dred wasn't so stupid to not think of further implementations.

"Can you see its potential now?" Savine asked. "In the craftsmen's district, everyone's working on their own little invention, one that could use a mana motor. For half a year at least, the Fest Duchy will be the only place to produce and sell these things. During that time, they'll certainly reach a point where they won't have a need for you all. You'll need to do something soon," Savine said. "Or else it's too late for you all."

"They'll get it stolen from them," Dred said.

"Ah, but they're already giving it to the temple," Savine smiled. "The mana motors, they'll be the church's products. The Fest Duchy, only produces them and gives them to the church to sell. They receive a small cut from it, and they're happy with that. However, though it's called a small cut, in fact, it's big enough to save them and more."

Dred's face contorted.

"Well, don't worry too much," Savine shrugged and brought out a blueprint for a certain tool. "I've got a little something for you."

"What is this?"

"Go to a blacksmith named Yorun. The first smithing cluster you'll see entering the craftsmens' street. Show him this mana motor and ask to get one of the sample saws he makes for yourself. Tell him Savine sent you. Take the saw, show it to the slums' craftsmen with the blueprint and they'll figure the rest out themselves. Tell them to hurry in building it and tell me when they've done it."

"What?"

"Did you get all that?"

"Yes, but what's going on?"

"I'm giving you a fighting chance. A way to save the slums," Savine said. "Now hurry on and do as I say."

"…"

"I'm afraid you don't have the luxury of deciding whether you trust me or not. Time's ticking," Savine shrugged. "The duke's already sent a letter to the main temple all the way in the Sovereignty's center, asking for an audience where they can showcase these inventions."

Dred nodded. "I'll be quick."

"After you're done with that, come back to the temple."

"Yes?"

"You're still my bodyguard," Savine said. "I'll need to teach you a few stuffs about fighting if you're going to be hired by me."

Dred looked at her with a blank face, unsure if she was serious or not. He soon nodded and ran away.

Sitting on the fountain, Savine identified a slight problem. Though she said she was going to teach Dred how to fight, she wasn't sure how she should go about it?

Should she just train him as God's Chosen? Or should she lower herself to the world's standards. Savine chose the second option, but she wasn't quite sure what this world's standard was.

The only time she fought was when she was at Vevian's place. And though the Initiate started casting a lighting spell, she never allowed the spell to finish and thus never knew how powerful the lightning was.

But since Jibril's seal allowed her to retaliate, it means that the spell was deadly enough.

'Wait… how does that guy even know how to cast lightning?'

If the mages of the world used the scientific method to cast spells and could use lightning, then the technology should be much more advanced. But a one look around could tell Savine that no one even knew what electricity was. In that case, then the Initiate being able to use lightning was an anomaly.

It meant that he knew about positive and negative ions and could designate them to place so lightning appeared between the two.

The Initiate did not look like someone who knew that. In fact, he looked like a complete idiot and a failure. Since someone like that could use lightning, then the world's standard was sky high.

'What is wrong with this world…?'

More and more, Savine felt suspicious of this place she was dropped to. But since she couldn't do anything to learn more about it, she could only push down her curiosity.

'I'll go spar Eliseline. She seems like a pretty good mage, and she was familiar with fighting.'

If she fought Eliseline, then she would have an idea about the mages around.

Savine made her way back to the temple. Instead of going back to her room, she went to see Eliseline, who was teaching the commoner mages how to use the magic tools.

"Come with me," Savine said.

"What?"

"I need you for a few minutes."

The commoner mages glanced at Savine, wondering if it was okay to talk to the High Priest like this, but everyone in the temple knew Savine was someone special.

"What for?" Eliseline asked.

"I need a sparring partner."

Savine knew Eliseline could fight because of how she pinned Savine down during the interrogation. Savine could also see it how she carried herself around.

"Huh?"

"…"

"…A sparring partner, what for?"

"I'm curious about how mages fight here," Savine said. "I also need it for something now."

"Something? What something?"

"That's my business."

Eliseline looked willing, but she looked somewhat troubled.

"Can't it wait?"

"I'm kinda in a hurry, so let's go now. You can finish this later," Savine said, waving at the others in the room. "Where's a quiet place where we can spar?"

"We can use the ducal house's training field."