I'm bored, I am really bored. It has only been three days so I should not expect something happening but things are too boring for me.

I would not complain if its just plain quiet but the miners are bragging about their strength while the alchemist are showing off the different kinds of potions they can make, all this just to impress the combat healers. Also, I don't mean to brag but most of us in the blacksmith department have lovers so we spend a lot of the day sleeping without caring for their nonsense. It doesn't mean we are lazy but during the night we do maintenance on the weapons being sold. If they didn't pay us, we won't spend the entire night making sure the shipment is shiny and perfect.

I don't need to sleep that much so I'm awake throughout the showboating of the two classes. I try to take my mind off things by practicing magic and trying to push it until the limit of what the others around me could perceive but the combat healers are more sensitive than I thought, they noticed the basic wind magic immediately and scolded me that I could be seen as a spy for doing it. It caused a commotion and we had to stop but thank goodness the teacher knows I always do it to practice temperature control when smithing so I was only warned not to do it again.

I do wonder why they needed to be that sensitive to magic? Maybe they needed it to avoid attacks so they won't be added to the wounded? or maybe they needed it to know how to effectively heal poisons and the such. Either way, I can only practice really minor holy magic as long as they are around. I can keep it on quarter power when doing maintenance since everyone is doing it too but during the day I have to limit it to 1/16 to make it unnoticeable. They are too perceptive and I don't want anyone to have a hint on my super rare mana regenerating accessory.

"Like I said! You need more meat on you! You look like the bottles you put your potions in! You can't defend yourself and anyone else if you run out of those bottles! Look at these muscles, this won't run out and are always with you. These can protect me and my loved ones from enemies. What do you think, jenny?"
"Hmmp, you can't earn much money with those. Look at this bottle, this single bottle is enough for a week of living expenses. This can provide for the family to live in luxury for a whole week, right jenny?"
"Don't bother me, I was part of the night shift last night. Let me sleep."

The conversation always revolve around sets of three like this. There used to be more competing for the five combat healers but it got too noisy that the combat healer graduate, roxanne, threatened to move all the combat healers to the cargo carriage. Also, the men of the alchemist and miner group decided to do a one on one on the road. They do a full on attack when we make camp though. I'm glad the maintenance space is separated and protected so I have a bit of peace.

It looks like they have no luck today though. I would be happy if they don't make noise since their target is tired but the rotation would just continue and the next set of flirters would make advances to the next combat healer.

If all goes according to schedule then we will arrive in half a week from now. This makes me seem excited for the central island but I don't even know what to do there. Window shopping weapons and armour can't be that long, I want to maximize the usefulness of this trip. I don't know when I can make it there again after all.

Maybe, I can watch those matches to see different fighting styles of the other races. I doubt it would be useful with magic present. I also think I unlocked the proper way to use magic here.

Magic was present since before the hero came but the use was limited since they only used the most present type of man in the environment. In the dwarf continent, they used earth magic for constructing cities, clearing mines and the like. I don't know about the human continent since they are the most heavily influenced by the hero but the mana there is balanced so maybe they have something similar but it should be toned down a lot.

The problem began when the hero appeared. According to the history books, which is detailed on anything remotely related to any of the hero, the scholar hero found the way to unlock the magic requirements so that anyone could learn how to use it, instead of the natural way where you let loose your mana and figure out how to manipulate the elements. The power is still the same since the power is proportional to the amount of mana you put into the magic but the unlocked magic is instant and you skip the fiddling process on how to use your mana. You won't have to worry about wasted mana either since the skill perfectly distribute it on the spell.

The natural method is more of a self taught thing where you have to spend dozens of hours to make anything comparable. However, the natural way to acquire magic doesn't limit your spells to what you only know. I don't have to find the [Master Element Mastery], I don't have to worry about time either since I can always continue in the next life.

If only learning how to use magic by myself wasn't so hard. I have experience controlling the [Breeze] spell to only skim my room for dust but trying to move the wind without it is difficult. It just feels like I am pouring mana into the open air. It does help emptying my mana but to even make a small reaction in the air needs almost a quarter of my mana so I can't exactly practice it here in the carriage.

The little trouble with the combat healers made them wary whenever I do something so I won't have chance during the trip. I have a lot of time though so I don't have to worry. I'm starting to adjust the limits of my patience, since I might just keep reviving in this world after all.

*rumble*

It looks like it won't be boring for long.

"Aoooouuu!!"

Wolves? This land is mostly rocky dry lands, I thought wolves only appeared in woody areas.

"Everyone, Bristle back wolves are attacking! Guards on formation B, passengers stay seated and don't make noise! Teachers please slow down and protect the rhinos!"

It looks like the wolves are attacking somewhere on the right side of the carriages. Does it mean formation B is a strategy for the right side of the defense?

"Healers act according to plan. Let's go may, viola! Jenny, lily stay."

*Jump*x2

"We have an attack. I will now be in charge of this carriage. Quiet down and don't move around. Its my job to keep this part of the caravan safe. If you don't obey and make my job harder, you will be pacified until the incident passed."
"I'll take the rear. Lily, Watch the front."

*thunk*

I didn't know combat healers have their own specified weapons. I also didn't think it would be that. When I think of healers, usually they use a staff or a scepter but why are the combat healers here use a huge gauntlet. Those are nicely sculpted muscles though. Using those heavy looking metal gauntlets would need sufficient strength. They way the other two jump out of the carriage toward the front looks light and nimble too so they must have went through some special training.

Their plan must be to be distributed to the three parts of the caravan. I don't know who is going to the cargo and who is going to the coachman's seat but the group who stays with the students are the two who just did the night watch. Since this is furthest from the battle? or maybe they just didn't want to bring the fatigued group in a place they could make an error that could result in life or death. This is formation B of the guards so maybe the combat healers have different formations too depending on the situation.

Watching an action scene like those in the movies in real life is amazing but there is no angle from my position to even see them. I want to climb on the roof and observe the fight but I will refrain, I'm a bit scared of the glare directed at me. If I am not careful I will be used as an example on what happens to those who misbehaves.

"Victor-"
"I said quiet down!!"

Scary! Its not like I am panic shouting. It can't be helped, I will whisper insted.

"...victor."
"...what?"

It looks like this is passable for her noise level.

"...what are bristle back wolves?"
"...They aren't that dangerous. The leader riding the iron rhino could take the whole pack by himself. This is just an exercise for the newbies to test them."
"...Ok, but I want to know what they are. If this is really an emergency the teacher would have moved so I am not that worried."

I figured that the leader would ask the teachers for help if something is beyond them.

"...bristle back wolves usually forma group of 12 in these parts. They have bristly fur that feels like a steel brush. Its usually used to clean metal wares since the hair isn't actually capable of damaging the metal and it is hard enough to scrape tough stains, even dried blood."
"...I see, thank you."

Steel brush, huh. I have the [Clean] skill I learned when I was still a butler to help me remove stains of that level, so its useless for me. At least we would have more meat in tonight's dinner.

"...I know that look. Don't get your hopes up. Their meat are tough enough that they have almost the same texture as jerky even when boiled."

There goes my semi-luxurious dinner plan.

*Rumble* *Clank* *Whimper*

"Fix that posture, First Year! Don't step back! The more you step back the more the enemy corners you! Remember! You are a wall that separates those you protect and those that wants to attack them. Don't let yourself be breached that easily!"

Looks like things are heating up outside. In my first years in this class, I had to do knives for practice. I guess those who are part of the combat group have things like these for practice. It sounds exciting but it is not for me.

"Enemy eliminated. Half the first years scout while the other half clean the battlegrounds. Hurry up! We have a schedule to keep! Don't let your guard down just because the battle is over!"

Its done already? I guess bristle back wolves really isn't that much of a threat.

"We will have a reflection meeting tonight! Teachers, please proceed normally. No damages has been done to the cargo, the mounts and the caravan."
"Good, let us go."

The guard escort leader sound angry. Looks like the newbies are in for a good scolding.

*tap*

"Good work, jenny, lily. Any problems?"
"No maam. Everything went smoothly."
"Good, continue your rest."

Woaah! I can barely hear them coming. They really are a nimble bunch. I still don't see how being quiet is a necessary skill for combat healers.