Trinity of Magic [Progression Fantasy]

"Bring it on!" Zeke yelled, dodging the fireball that Gretchen had thrown at him. Despite the resistance suit slowing down his movements, he managed to barely escape the inferno. He got up and rolled out of the way of the wind blades that were coming at him from above.

Margret, Zeke's other guard, had taken advantage of his distraction to launch a sneak attack. Gretchen saw that Zeke was off balance and smiled as she launched several Flame Spears at him. Zeke, who had expected her to do this, disappeared from the spot as the lances struck the ground. He appeared a couple of meters to the side, already charging at Gretchen at full speed.

 

The Grand Mage was not intimidated by Zeke's charge, however. Her smile only grew wider as she summoned a giant pillar of flame above her head, ready to smash it down on him.

 

Before the impending clash could occur, a tornado enveloped Zeke. The boy was lifted off the ground and sent flying through the air in an uncontrolled descent. At the last moment, Zeke utilized his [Air Step] spell to change his trajectory. With a half flip, he managed to land on his feet. With his eyes now fixed on his second opponent, Margret, Zeke prepared for his next move.

Just as he was about to try a new approach, Margret landed beside Gretchen and delivered a blow to her head. With a stern expression, the taller woman spoke out.

 

"You're getting carried away, Gretchen. That spell you were about to use was Grand Mage level. It would have seriously injured Zeke if he had been hit, and he can't afford that right now."

Gretchen pouted at the admonishment.

 

"Come on, it wouldn't have been that bad. The kid has become ridiculously sturdy, and he would heal in no time anyway."

 

But Margret was not going to let this slide so easily. With a stern look on her face, she continued her admonishment.

 

"Do you think I don't know that? But the tournament starts tomorrow. This is not the time to bring out a new challenge. What if he has to fight with a depleted core tomorrow because of you?"

The two women locked eyes in a stare down, with Gretchen having to look up at almost a right angle to meet Margret's gaze. The stalemate continued until a voice brought them out of their standstill.

 

"Please don't talk about me as if I'm not here," Zeke said as he approached the two women. "In any case, I think this is a good time to call it a day. It's already lunchtime, and I'll be doing my meditation research this afternoon. I won't need either of you to guard me."

Gretchen immediately cheered at the prospect of having the afternoon off. Margret hit her over the head again. "Just because we're not guarding Zeke doesn't mean you get the day off, you brat," she said.

Gretchen was incensed. "Who are you calling a brat, you gorilla? I'm more than ten years your senior, you know?"

Zeke was used to the banter between the two. Even though Gretchen was the older one of the two, she looked almost like a child next to the tall and athletic Wind Mage. Despite having similar features to Gretchen, Margret had a more mature appearance. If someone saw the two of them together, they might mistake them for mother and child.

Zeke could see the argument was heating up, so he quickly broke it up before it could get violent... again.

 

"So, how did I perform today?" Zeke asked.

 

He was trying to distract the two women who had turned their angry eyes on him. They had fallen into the habit of competing over who could deliver the best critique. Providing him with guidance after each spar.

Gretchen, who often gave optimistic assessments, went first. "You've become faster, Zeke. Even the resistance suit isn't slowing you down much anymore. Your teleport was performed in a matter of seconds, and that was impressive. I believe you'll excel at the tournament."

 

Zeke smiled at the compliment, but he didn't take Gretchen's words too seriously. She was always praising him, after all.

Next, it was Margret's turn. Known for her strict assessments, Zeke couldn't help but wonder what she would have to say. She thought for a moment, then gave a rare smile before uttering a single word.

 

"Passable."

Zeke's mouth fell open. What was this? Margret was usually meticulous in her analysis of all his mistakes. She would always suggest ways for him to improve.

 

Confused, he asked, "Is that all?"

 

Margret shook her head, the smile still on her face. "Yes, that is all. Your decision-making was sound today. There were no glaring errors in your execution." She said as she started tapping her lips with her index finger. Zeke knew this to be a sign that she was in deep contemplation.

 

"To find the deeper-seated flaws, we'd need more time than we have before the tournament. But the progress you've made in the last week is nothing short of phenomenal. I expect you to do quite well tomorrow."

Zeke and Gretchen both stared at Margret in disbelief. It was unusual for her to speak so highly of anyone, let alone him. They exchanged stunned glances, before focusing their attention back on the tall Mage. Margret shifted uneasily under their gaze.

"Can you believe this, Gretchen?" Zeke asked, still not breaking eye contact.

Gretchen shook her head, also not looking away from Margret. "I most certainly cannot, Zeke."

Margret was getting uncomfortable with the stares. She spun around, presenting her back to them. But Zeke noticed a faint blush on her cheeks as she yelled at them.

 

"Enough! I can say nice things too, you know," she huffed, half-angry, half-embarrassed. "I just don't want to spoil you and make you lose your motivation. We can't have you thinking you already know everything, okay?"

 

Zeke and Gretchen erupted into laughter at the silly situation. Even Margret joined in after a beat. With nothing more to do, the three of them returned to the house. He would have to take a shower before lunch. He went ahead of the two women, eager to get to his meal.

 

The boy found himself at the lunch table soon after. He was salivating upon smelling the delectable aroma wafting out of the kitchen. He had made two changes to his diet over the past few months.

Zeke had gotten into the habit of consuming a great deal of meat. He had begun doing that mainly for the protein to support the growth of his muscle fibers. This wouldn't be too strange on its own. However, what made his eating habits unusual was the sheer amount of food Zeke ate at each meal. He had been eating more and more over time, reaching a point that was almost comical.

 

It had reached a degree that forced him and Maximilian to look for a solution. Eventually, they discovered that Zeke became satiated much faster when consuming monster meat. He only needed to consume about half as opposed to regular meat. The reason for this was unclear, but Zeke had started to enjoy the taste. As a bonus, monster meat was much cheaper. Most people found it tough to chew and unappealing in taste.

 

Zeke was pleased with the arrangement. He could eat as much as he wanted without having to worry about the cost. Maximilian was quite wealthy, from what Zeke had learned. So his eating habits wouldn't have been a huge concern for the old man either way.

 

The boy, however, didn't want to be unnecessarily wasteful in his spending habit. As his father often said: Once a habit forms it is impossible to get rid of completely. What he consumed now was considered 'waste food'. He could gorge himself to his heart's content without feeling bad about the cost.

 

With a bulging stomach and a grin on his face, Zeke entered the lab to continue their research. Maximilian was already there. The old man was engaged in a discussion with the third group of students.

Maximilian and Zeke learned that they didn't need to monitor the student's progress daily. They separated the students into four groups. Now, they were meeting with only one group each day to measure and document their progress. Each group used a different version of the technique. Through monitoring their individual progress, the duo was able to optimize the process.

Maximilian was thrilled by the progress they had made. He wanted to publish their findings in the coming weeks. Zeke was content with the arrangement, and the two worked together seamlessly.

 

The only source of tension between them was the question of who would be credited. Maximilian insisted on crediting Zeke as at least an assistant researcher. Zeke, on the other hand, was resolute in not wanting any attention drawn to himself. He had taken Maximilian's words to heart and wanted to keep a low profile.

 

Maximilian understood the reasoning behind Zeke's decision. It still felt wrong though. To be named the sole researcher when only performing a small portion of the work. He feared he was taking credit for Zeke's ideas and labor. He also believed that the risk to Zeke was minimal if he was only mentioned as an assistant.

Zeke, with a broad grin, assuaged the old man's concerns.

 

"What are you talking about, old man? I took your Trinity Project. What's the problem with you receiving some recognition by publishing this? As far as I am concerned, this does not even begin to repay the debt I still owe you!"

Maximilian froze for an instant. He turned away from Zeke, showing his back to the boy. As he spoke, Zeke could swear the old man sounded a little choked up.

 

"Is that so? Well, I guess you leave me no choice then."

Zeke smiled at his mentor's actions. While he didn't want his work to be taken by a stranger, he had no problem with it being credited to Maximilian. He felt that the old man had done far more for him than he could repay in several lifetimes. He saw no need to rush and claim the credit for himself.

 

Zeke stretched as the last of the kids shuffled out of the study, a pleased sigh escaping his lips.

 

"Finally," he said with a grin. "I thought this day would never end." Despite his words, the smile on his face betrayed how much he enjoyed the work they were doing.

Maximilian merely smiled. He was not going to call attention to Zeke's obvious attempt at hiding his true feelings.

 

"You did good work today," he said. "Why don't you go have dinner and get some rest? You'll need it for tomorrow."

Zeke nodded, he felt the strain of the past month's endless work all over his body. The combination of physical training, spell development, and research had taken its toll. He decided to take it easy for the rest of the evening and retire early.

He bid farewell to Maximilian, who he knew would likely be finishing up their research notes. He headed to dinner with Gretchen and Margret. Afterward, he indulged in a relaxing bath before retiring to his room for an early night's sleep.