A pale blue hue was surrounding my whole body as I emitted internal arcane outside, followed up by maintaining it to a reasonable level of intensity.

Right beside me were Rea and Ben, emitting the same pale blue hue around their bodies.

Us trainees were being trained to do the defensive art {Coating}, a basic armor art that all Irelian soldiers must learn according to the book.

After we all had passed the manual circulation training with flying colors, with me unexpectedly breaking those crystals.

Neither the instructors nor my friends and even myself couldn't expect that it would shatter at all. At most, I presumed that it would normally just light up.

It was a pleasant surprise for one of our superior (Mrs. Nellie) thinking that I was slacking off all throughout that week.

Even though I didn't intend it in the first place, it felt great seeing that bald guy's surprised face as I gave him back the shattered collars back.

It's been three days as we kept practicing the defensive art and as Mrs. Nellie explained before, it was easier than we expected since all we had to do is maintain and keep expanding the coat like energy in every part of our bodies but it became a very exhausting thing to do really fast. 

In the past few days, we could only emit it from certain parts of our bodies such as the arms for me. However today, we had achieved emitting arcane all over our body.

I immediately sat down. My legs giving out from doing this training all day. As the past few week had gone by, weariness starts to be evident from all three of us.

As I looked to my side I could see Rea, sweating buckets. If one would look closer, heavy bags were under her eyes.

I've noticed her state for some while now and I figured that Mrs. Nellie had also noticed seeing that she also had a worried look everytime we were training.

Even Ben was unusually silent these days.  

'Rea...' I glanced at her, her usual calm face couldn't even mask her exhaustion.

"Trainees! Congratulations in having learned {Coating}, you have done well. You may be dismissed for the day" 

Mrs. Nellie gave a worried glance towards Rea as she walked towards the camp.

"We don't have combat training tonight since we want to give you time to choose your auxiliary arts, specially you Colt" she added in a soft tone 

"Yes Ma'am~.....I have to read that book again huh" I replied, too tired to even make a comeback.

Thus I trudged back to camp have my meal for tonight.

------

"Colt have you not chosen your Auxiliary art yet?"  

The princess asked from the side as she read her blank covered book. Her inquiry refers to what was tasked on us from the start of art training.

Mr. Harold handed out a copy of the Irelian Arcane Arts book to us, explaining that we should pick our Auxiliary from this book.

"..More or less. Ben has already picked his after I asked him two days ago although I forgot to ask Rea earlier" 

I scratched my head as I browsed through the listed arts in the book. 

There were several auxiliary arts listed in the book but I limited my search range to movement arts.

"...Colt it seems that you are unaware but Rea has already picked hers, In that sense you're the only one left" 

She said, her brow raised seemingly trying to question my indecision.

"..Well to be fair, it's hard to find an art that complements my abilities compared to those two.." I paused.

"Well I already have an art in mind though " I added

Although Rea's ability is taming which would be rather hard for her to find an appropriate art, but her weapon was a bow so her art would most likely support her marksmanship while Ben could have free reign on any art in this book since his ability has a general utility.

In my case, I have to choose an art that will not be useless to my power and obstruct my spell casting which is really hard to find.

As I was checking the art I was thinking of picking, I noticed that Leyana was giving me curious glances.

'...Here we go again...'

"Curious?" I pointed to the book

"..Not really... but to kill some time, I will indulge on your offer" 

She scooted next to me, her eyes shining in curiosity.

"I didn't offer anything though" 

"So what is the art that you're considering?"

She asked, ignoring my quip.

"Well it's this" I pointed to the page.

It was quiet for a few seconds as she read the one that I pointed.

"{Gliding Stride}, why that art? its not even a combat type" 

As Leyana has said, Gliding Stride was not a combat art but more in the branch of a stealth art. 

It essentially enabled the user to reduce contact from the surface by concentrating emitted arcane in the soles of the feet, forming slight protusions of arcane.

"Well I think that this one best suits my ability"

"But why stealth art? I would understand if you're a scout though"

"Hey there is nothing wrong with learning stealth arts and besides this one is good"

She raised her brow as she further read aloud.

"Hmmm,  It clearly says here that its ranked below some of the other stealth movement arts here"

She stared at me with a quizical look on her face mixed with a slight tint of disbelief.

"Don't mind the details~" 

She facepalmed as she stared down at the ground.

"That's not efficient though, it won't help you ki-" 

She abruptly stopped like her throat was blocked, becoming silent all of a sudden instead of the usual reprimand.

She remained like that for a minute or so.

"Leyana?"

"Hey Colt.."

She finally talked but her voice sounded very serious. I stared at her figure, her hair hiding the expression on her face.

"...Yeah?" I inquired

"....." she had her eyes closed

I waited for her to speak but her words never came. She suddenly stood up, her eyes showing a sorry look for a quick second which I didn't notice.

"..It's nothing...*cough, Colt, I just want to comment that I'm more dumbfounded than amazed at your choice but alas it's not mine to make" 

"You sure don't mince words~"

"..Indeed"

She returned to her spot and proceeded to read her book again, acting as if that moment never happened.

Although I couldn't blame her for acting like that, as I was the same, acting as if I never heard her words in the first place. Not for her sake but mine.

"..*Sigh, let's do this" 

I muttered as I studied further {Gliding Strides} throughout the night.

-----

Ben instantenously dashed across in a straight line a few meters ahead, leaving behind streaks of blue hue around his body.

The path became a wreck, the ground scraped with his feet. 

He had performed his movement art, {Grand Charge} from what he told me.

Rea on the other hand was jumping repeatedly, only that the second jump is possible on empty air before falling down again.

She was performing {Sky Leap}

Furthermore,if one looks closely, her right eye was shining slightly. Glowing pale blue.

She was practicing {Scope} from what she herself explained.

I on the other hand was jumping from several swinging logs, trying to avoid too much contact in order to avoid disrupting the equilibrium of the logs and ultimately leading them to go out off course.

'{Gliding Strides}!'

I was desperately keeping up with the obstacles although before I could even realize that some of them had already gone off course due to some failures and that one of them was going straight to my head. A stupid thought was going through my mind as I looked at Rea's glowing eyes in that few moments.

'Don't tell me that's the reason!?'

*Thud!

I was flung off in the air as that log hit me unaware.