In Professor Yenna's classes, they focused on teaching the forms of the "Kingdom Style," also known as "Jared Style": a combat method using short and medium-range weapons. Although simple, it was a useful foundation for any type of legionary.

  Professor Yenna showed the attacks in front of a dummy, executing a direct strike with a solid base of support and the other hand ready for a block or a new attack.

  —With the sword, the first forms are like this —said Professor Yenna, while launching direct cuts without many feints or tricks, but using the weight of her entire body to deliver each blow—. You could say that the Jared Style is a "sincere" style, given that it exposes almost immediately what your next move will be.

  A student raised his hand. —Then, isn't it bad if the opponent anticipates us?

  —In theory, yes. That is why Jared Style requires great physical condition, because it compensates for its simplicity with overwhelming strength —responded Yenna—. Think about this: if a mountain were to fall on us right now, it wouldn't matter knowing that it's going to fall, because we wouldn't be able to dodge it.

  The professor left the sword to one side but adopted a posture as if she were still holding it high, prepared for a vertical downward attack. Out of nowhere, the whole room felt a sensation of heaviness, which intensified abruptly when Professor Yenna lowered her hands in a dry movement.

  —It would be something more or less like this —she explained, while the students caught their breath—. I suppose you wanted to flee when I raised my hands, but your body, instinctively, sought to protect itself, knowing it could not escape in time.

  The professor explained that, additionally, there were familiar fighting styles, created by ancestors and refined by their descendants, such as the "Flower of Kadul" —while moving her hands with two simulated swords, drawing an eight-petaled flower— or the "Holy Palm" —striking the dummy and creating small cracks in the back of it—. She also named others like "Solitary Sword" and "Nemean Claws," making clear her great theoretical knowledge.

  —These styles are not taught in the academy because they are considered secret, but the Kingdom Style, well executed, has nothing to envy them —concluded the professor.

  In addition to combat theory, Yenna offered a small introduction on special weapons.

  —Students —she said—, besides the Kingdom Style or Jared Style, weapons themselves have their own style.

  —That is because of the Ether, Professor! —intervened Jean.

  —Of course —she responded—. Weapons modified to receive Ether have very diverse abilities, such as changing their weight, generating expansive attacks, increasing speed, or improving their resistance. However, there are also weapons that can be activated with other types of energy, such as Ichor or Mana.

  —And are there weapons that activate with Cognis? —asked Silas.

  —What a good question, cadet! In theory, yes, there are. Perhaps Professor Alicia knows more about the subject of Cognis channeling, but it is said that making Cognis move from the head to other sectors of the body is difficult. Therefore, in general, they are used more like helmet-type armor, and there are few molders who make that type of weapon because there isn't much of a market. Unless you are a battle scholar with a lot of money... I only knew one and he fought bare-handed; it would be rare for someone to buy one.

  Yenna clapped to close the lesson. —Well, cadets, too much theory for today! Let's go outside to practice!

  Silas and Jean had already gotten together to practice and avoid bad times with other students, like the run-in with Jormun. At one moment, the boys saw a giant shadow forming over them. They turned around quickly: it was Leon.

  —He... he... llo... Hello, can I practice with you? —said Leon with the friendliest voice possible.

  Jean, upon listening to Leon, thought: ?This giant wants to practice with us using us as punching bags?. But Silas did not notice hostility as with Jormun; furthermore, he fleetingly remembered having seen Leon try to stop Jormun when he used Ether.

  —Sure, why not? My name is Silas and he is Jean —said Silas kindly.

  —Hello, I am Leon Lugal —responded the giant.

  —Lugal? From the Lugal family of legionaries? —asked Jean.

  —Yes, why? —responded Leon.

  Silas looked at Jean with a face of not understanding anything.

  —Silas, the Lugals are a family very well known for their lineage of legionaries specialized in strength. That explains your "small" size above the average —explained Jean, finishing with a small joke.

  The three boys laughed and began to practice. They used wooden swords to execute the basic forms of the Jared style. Leon advised and corrected Jean and Silas from time to time: —Move your elbow here, your hip there, the sword toward that direction...

  Silas was understanding that all of Leon's advice was very well oriented, as if he already knew the style by heart. —Leon, you already know all this, right? —asked Silas.

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  —Yes, it is one of the first things taught in the family, because it is the base to follow the family style.

  —And what is your family's style? —inquired Silas.

  —It is called "Claws of the Nemean Lion", it is like a mixture of strikes with weapons unique to my family.

  —Like the one Professor Yenna mentioned! —added Jean.

  —Do you want to see it? —asked Leon with the excitement of someone wanting to show a surprise gift.

  —Of course! —said Silas and Jean at the same time.

  —Silas, take the wooden sword and come attack me. Hopefully not as fast as when you hit Jormun —laughed Leon and continued the explanation—. Because I will have to improvise with these two small swords to show something similar to the style.

  Leon started with both swords facing the floor, his left leg forward and with a low center of gravity. —Come on, Silas, come with everything! —shouted Leon.

  Although Silas did not feel any hostility in Leon's posture, somehow he noticed the difference in level even before initiating his attack. Silas went with a vertical downward slash. Leon, with a leap toward Silas, crossed his two swords as if they were the jaw of a beast trapping Silas's attack. In less than a second, the scene changed: Silas's neck was between Leon's two blades, forming a scissor, and half of Silas's wooden sword was flying through the air.

  Leon dropped the weapons. —Well, it is something like that. Although my father tells me I have some talent, I still have a long way to go.

  Silas thought: ?If he calls that "some" talent, I don't want to know what it will be like when he is in his prime?.

  —What a move, Leon! I didn't know what to do, I felt like a rabbit before being captured —said Silas laughing.

  —Ha, ha, ha, how funny! A rabbit...! I will tell that to Jormun so he gets even angrier! —said Jean.

  —I mean, you are similar to a rabbit —clarified Leon, but not in a joking tone.

  —Very good one, Leon... from now on he will be BunniSilas! —said Jean dying of laughter.

  Silas remained looking at Leon with a face of: ?This will be a war of nicknames?.

  —Sorry, Silas, it was not my intention —Leon rushed to say—. What I meant is that you are similar in speed and agility to a rabbit. I would recommend you take advantage of that agility; furthermore, if you find any book in the library about "Invisible Sword," it could be very useful to you.

  ?Invisible Sword? Where did I hear that... hmm??, thought Silas, and asked just in case: —Is it a speedster combat style?

  —Yes, how did you know? I knew you came from a family of legionaries! —said Leon with surprise.

  —No, it's just that in the village there was a legionary from whom I learned many things and he likes speedsters a lot —explained Silas.

  The class ended. Leon thought before saying goodbye: ?I'm going to ask them if next leave we can go tour the city or maybe I will invite them to my house?. But before Leon spoke, Silas got ahead: —In the next class let's group together too. Although I am a "villager" and Jean is an old man in a child's body, I am sure that we will have fun and also learn a lot from each other.

  —Of course, I would love to! —responded Leon with effusiveness.

  —Then we will be a team from now on! —said Jean—. Since I am the old man, I will be the leader, right, villager?

  From that day, that group became inseparable. The boys supported each other to improve in every class; for example, with Professor Yenna, Leon helped in the practical part and Jean with the theoretical part, just as in Professor Bilard's class. In Professor Yuri's physical conditioning class, Silas helped the other two with his patented training method. Additionally, Silas was Professor Yuri's favorite student, who told him he had a body blessed by the gods. Although Silas possessed a worked physique, he was not the burliest of the class (that was Leon), but he surpassed almost everyone in the tests and his improvement curve was impressive.

  Professor Yuri used to tell him: —Recruit Silas, if you want to earn good money, when you leave the academy you can participate as a Legionary Fighter. There you earn very well and with your physique it is certain that you will be very famous.

  Legionary Fighting consisted of hand-to-hand battles where categories were measured by channeling percentage, reaching up to the maximum of Major.

  Professor Alicia's class was something different. Leon already had practical experience, but it was difficult to teach the others. Jean had already read quite a bit and with Silas's method he was advancing. In contrast, Silas preferred not to stand out in any sense, as he felt as if they were always watching him. This occurred after the incident with the suits that detect Ether.

  Atypically, the class following that one, the professor broached a different topic.

  —Today we will see a fundamental topic regarding the use of Ether —began Alicia—. Our veins and arteries are designed to absorb Primordial Energy from the environment and convert it into Ether. This Ether already channeled is consumed by the muscle to boost our strength.

  She made a decisive gesture, clenching her fist tightly, and pulverized a block of stone with a single blow. —I know you must already know this, perhaps some relative has taught you. But what perhaps they haven't explained is that if Ether is not consumed by your musculature, it tends to disperse through your skin. However, there exists a way not to consume it for bodily enhancement, but to store it at extreme pressure inside the muscle, creating a focused wave of Ether.

  She repeated the fist gesture, striking a new block of stone, which this time only cracked slightly at the point of impact. —Surely you are wondering what this is for.

  Jean raised his hand with enthusiasm, thinking it would be to answer some question, but it was not so.

  —Good, Jean —said Alicia—. Stand in front of me. I will make the gesture of the punch twice, very, very slowly, and I will stop ten centimeters from you. But I need you to close your eyes.

  Jean nodded and closed his eyes thinking: ?Why did I raise my hand??. The professor executed the first blow, stopping at the indicated distance. —Jean, did you feel anything?

  —No, Professor Alicia —he responded.

  The professor repeated the gesture. This time, before her fist even reached the ten centimeters, Jean shifted agilely to one side, deflecting Alicia's blow with a precise movement.

  —Very good senses, Jean! I didn't know you were so perceptive! —exclaimed Alicia, her voice tinged with genuine surprise.

  Some students, like Leon and Jormun, barely blinked, but the majority of the class was visibly amazed.

  —Now —continued Alicia, addressing the class—, surely you are wondering how Jean knew my blow was coming. I think it is better that Jean explains it to you. Tell me, Jean, why did you dodge my blow?

  Jean hesitated a moment. —The truth, Professor, it was like an unconscious reflex. My body sensed that something dangerous was coming.

  —Excellent, Jean! You may go sit down.

  Alicia resumed the lesson: —This is what we call an Ether Wave or an Ether Burst. It is an advanced usage skill that, generally, is only taught in the final year of the academy's specialization cycle. And it is not something that all Legionaries can do, as it requires exceptional control and precision. Think of it like a bomb in your hand: if you don't know how to throw it or you hold it longer than necessary, it will cause you immense damage. Therefore —added Alicia, her gaze stopping for an instant in Silas's direction—, all the Ether you channel must be released or consumed by your muscles safely; if not, you could end up crippled or even worse.

  Silas felt the professor's gaze and a shiver ran down his back. ?I think I will have to be more careful with Professor Alicia?, he thought. From that day on, he took extreme care not to show anything strange in front of her.