'Should I teach her magic?' He thought while looking at the embarrassed maid. 'My magical talent isn't anything to write home about and it would be nice to have someone do the dirty work. And if I train her from scratch she would be reasonably loyal.'

'She should be interested in it if she's tried reading Renal's journals. So where do I begin? I got no magic to work with and I can't write a theory book?' He felt stuck on the starting block as soon as he decided on something to kill time. 'Maybe I should do the same thing I planned for myself, though it feels stupid to give her a head-start, train her body. A sound mind is in a sound body. Nobody has ever accomplished anything great with a bad foundation. Well okay, some have but they are rarer than rare and copying from that is like learning to fly from a dragon, pointless.'

"So girl, wanna learn the wonders of magic from this old man?" Trying to sound as creepy as he could he say while sitting as straight he could without hurting too much looking down on her. She seemed very eager but Nina put a hand in front of her before she had time to reply.

"Why would you do that? Besides, why do you make that silly face?" Silly? I wasn't going for silly, it was supposed to be creepy! Play it off!

"Eh guess that I haven't gotten used to the gestures and smiles you should do around here." 'Might be that I can't really manage my facial muscles well, I really want a mirror now.' It was really annoying to not even know how he looked. He knew his hair was brown since he cut some off and that he was a bit on the fat side from looking down, but otherwise he was in the dark. He didn't even know his body's age, young probably since the beard growth was spotty, it is really uncomfortable asking who you are and how you look even when they know you don't know. And keeping with trying to downplay the favour of teaching magic by joking about it he said. "Really I am just bored sitting in here so might as well make a real magical girl out of her. Also, I don't even know how long it will be until my body is well enough to use magic. If it takes too long I want someone that can do the experiments I tell them."

"Okay sure, she's been trying to ask Renal for that since she was sent to serve him." Nina seemed to relent and with that Erica nodded and smiled.

"Yes, I would be very glad if you would teach me magic. It's a dream of mine to handle magic."

"Ok, so the first thing you need to do is... Grow some muscles. No good mage is that skinny, or as fat as I am." And he continued when both of them looked baffled. "'A sound mind is in a sound body' was the mantra I was taught. You can't learn to use your mind if you can't use your body. And magic is as taxing on the body as it is on the mind. I'd start with learning something like fighting with a staff, halberd, or a long-spear. Unarmed combat is also a great idea because there are many places you can't swing a staff." When he was taught he was mostly taught to use a staff and kicks but also fighting barehanded when he was too close. "But in reality, the best might be to just train your legs, the best way of fighting up close as a mage is to run away."

"Running away is always a good option." They heard Carl from outside. "Fighting up close is always a gamble with your life."

"Exactly! Fighting is gambling so stack the odds in your favour, and most importantly cheat any chance you can." The fact that Renal hated fighting was also because sparring meant there were so many things you couldn't do; aim for the crotch, eyes, or stomp their foot.

"Haha never heard it said like that but well said! The best thing in a fist fight is a dagger to the groin or glass-powder to the face." Carl wholeheartedly agreed and kept going.

"You sound like bandits." Nina sighed in a theatrical way.

"Former adventurer so yea bandit is close. Just less waylaying and unplanned murders, and if we captured someone we didn't rape and kill them but ransomed. " Carl sounded proud about his past. "Well it was fun but working for nobles is easier and more comfortable, besides aren't you the same?"

"So the best way is making her run along the carriage in my opinion. Do you have any pants or shorter cut dresses?" Renal felt that the atmosphere started to get dangerous and hurriedly moved the conversation somewhere else. But looking at her dress that goes past he ankles he realised that it's probably impossible to make her start training today. "Can't be that this world is really firm on chastity and being covered?" He added once he noticed he got some rather dismayed looks.

"Among the adventurers and prostitutes, you see a lot of scantily clad people and women with pants. Otherwise no." Carl replied.

'But I love scantily clad women!' Renal screamed in his mind. 'I'll make my own kingdom with women running around my tower in their underwear! No that sound really inefficient and not to mention cold, I'll let them dress however they want.'

While Renal was daydreaming about his coming harem the girls were talking about proper attire while training. And although Nina claimed that running in pants was a lot more comfortable Erica just couldn't get over being seen as a such a loose woman, so they discussed how to cut a dress to accommodate running. A topic that Renal really wasn't interested in.

After a while, the talk in the carriage died down and only had occasional small talk until they reached the camp-site they were heading towards for the day.

Despite Carl saying he'd teach as they reached the camp-site it didn't happen, he was simply too busy setting up camp and Renal who could barely move couldn't help speed things up. So he decided to call over the templar apprentice making him his target for the evening. Once he noticed that Erica seemed to be done bringing up water from the nearby creek, and the food was cooking he asked her; "Erica can you invite that templar over to talk with me?"