The next day, Leonora and Anastasia had a mock battle against senior adventurers in the guild's training grounds.

While they had apologized for their boasts and counter-boasts during their drinking session, the senior adventurers weren't convinced that they could easily become stronger with the mana enhancement technique. They wanted to see how strong they really were.

Leonora and Anastasia also wanted to test their enhanced strength.

The guild was also interested in the match as part of its research into the mana enhancement technique.

The other trainees watched with keen interest. The number of trainees aspiring to be magic users was gradually increasing. They were currently learning the mana enhancement technique.

(Since Ryu wasn't using mana enhancement—the point was to test how effective it was in combat—he wasn't involved.)

Ana fought Badge, and Leonora fought Sapp.

They picked up wooden swords, and the match began.

Badge and Sapp were D-rank adventurers, which would likely translate to C or B-rank in other towns. Considering that Anastasia and Leonora, magic users and healers, were going to fight them with swords, the battle should have been a landslide victory for the warriors. But...

...the two girls fought the senior adventurers evenly.

Gasps of surprise rose from the onlookers.

"Hmph, I don't like this!"

"I'm surprised, their physical abilities are considerable..."

But Badge and Sapp, having initially observed, started getting serious.

And Leonora and Anastasia started losing ground.

Even though Leonora and Anastasia had enhanced physical abilities, they were still virtually amateurs with swords. They couldn't match the technique and skill of those who had honed their swordsmanship over a long period...

In the end, the senior adventurers won decisively.

"Well, they're something. I ended up getting serious."

"Hmph, let this be a lesson."

The onlookers were amazed that magic users were so strong, but Leonora was despondent. She had expected to hold her own longer.

"This is frustrating..."

"It can't be helped. We're still practically amateurs when it comes to swordsmanship."

Badge approached and spoke to them.

"We got serious because of your amateurish skills. You'll become skilled swordsmen if you keep training. I understand that you want to become swordsmen and quit magic. If you want, we can help you practice swordsmanship whenever you have time!"

"...What? We don't want to become swordsmen..."

"Fine! We don't need your help. We'll beat you with mana enhancement alone. Watch us!"

Badge shrugged at Leonora's assertive statement.

"I'm going to train!"

Perhaps because she was so frustrated by the defeat, Leonora decided to train even harder.

However, she didn't want to be taught by her seniors. And she wanted to win with physical enhancement, not swordsmanship.

After thinking long and hard, Leonora decided to leave town and improve her skills by fighting monsters.

"Leonora...you're surprisingly competitive..."

Even when Ana had suggested giving up on Bymark's training and becoming an adventurer in another town, Leonora had insisted on continuing, saying it was frustrating to give up.

Ana couldn't leave Leonora alone and went with her for her warrior training.

(Ryu wasn't invited. Leonora didn't want to involve him, since it wasn't an official quest, but rather self-imposed training.)

At that moment, an emergency quest was issued. There was a sighting of a large orc settlement.

...

During the stampede, most of the shallow-level monsters had headed toward Bymark, but there was a group of orcs who had gone in a different direction, deeper into the forest. These orcs had apparently formed a settlement and multiplied. There were at least five hundred of them.

And this orc army had started moving towards the human city.

Unfortunately, Leonora and Anastasia, training in the forest, had encountered this orc army.

...

"This will be good training."

Leonora initially faced the orcs happily.

But she gradually noticed something was amiss. No matter how many she killed, more orcs kept appearing...

Their cheap weapons had dulled after cutting so many monsters.

"Haah...haah...is this...a stampede?"

"Haah...haah...I don't think so...only orcs..."

Leonora and Anastasia were gradually becoming fatigued, their mana enhancement starting to wear off.

They had more mana than physical combat-specialized adventurers, but their mana wasn't infinite. And if their mana ran out, their physical enhancement would disappear. Before that happened...

"There are too many, I'll use magic to wipe them out!"

They could use magic as well as physical attacks, which was a big advantage for magic-user swordsmen.

Leonora released her physical enhancement to use magic...

Next Episode

The downside of physical enhancement!

Stay tuned!