Practical Combat

On the wooden table of the village cottage, a few simple farm dishes were laid out, their aroma rising in wisps of steam.

Lowell picked up his water glass and smiled at the hospitable village woman, "You're too kind."

"Not at all..." The middle-aged woman's face was filled with simple and sincere gratitude. "You are Lady Lupa's master! Three years ago, thanks to Lady Lupa and Linié Line, we killed the Red Mirror Dragon that wanted to destroy the village and saved everyone..."

Beside her, Frieren ate her food in small bites, seemingly unconcerned about the conversation. After swallowing, she casually interjected, "Is this what they call 'the apprentice is successful, so the master can freeload'?"

Upon hearing this, Lowell's face revealed a slightly wistful smile, as if he were pleased with his own child's success.

"Hmm... it gives me a feeling of 'my daughter has grown up'." He picked up a piece of bread. "The reason I let her go out to train was because I felt there weren't many things in this world that could threaten her. Taking down a Red Mirror Dragon is a piece of cake, and she could probably even handle an Imperial Prison Dragon. Besides, she's traveling with Linié."

Fern, who had been eating quietly, looked up, a hint of curiosity in her purple eyes. "Just how strong are Lady Lupa and Linié Line? I've only heard some rumors."

Lowell's tone was casual yet certain. "One is a warrior who has honed her intuition, physical reflexes, and strength to the extreme; the other possesses top-tier magical perception and unparalleled combat skills. Together, they combine the insight of a top-tier mage with the instincts of a top-tier warrior. A sneak attack on them is impossible; they can only be confronted head-on. And in the current world, I can't think of any hostile force that could threaten their combined strength."

Fern nodded slightly. "I see."

Frieren glanced at her. "What, want to spar with them?"

Fern immediately shook his head, his tone calm. "No, I'm far from that level. I was just asking."

At this moment, the village woman seemed to remember something, and a worried look appeared on her face. "Actually... recently a Lion Boar monster has appeared near the village, always damaging the crops, and everyone is having a headache..."

Tsk, this village really has suffered a lot of misfortunes.

That's understandable, given the presence of the Red Mirror Dragon, it's normal that other monsters didn't dare approach. As for the Lion Boar...

In the afternoon, the sunlight in the forest was cut into fine dappled patterns by the dense foliage. The three followed the trail and arrived near a clearing in the woods.

In the open space, a burly, lion-like monster with ferocious fangs— Lion Boar —was dozing off, emitting deep snores.

The three hid behind a thick tree trunk. Frieren shaded her eyes with her hand, her emerald green eyes scanning their target. "Fern, make your move."

Fern silently summoned his staff. "Yes."

The tip of the staff quickly condensed magic power to form a magic circle, and a solid beam of Ordinary Attack Magic shot out, accurately hitting the Lion Boar's thick back.

With a muffled thud, the magic beam struck its target, but only left a faint scorch mark on the Lion Boar's tough fur, achieving minimal effect.

Fern looked at Frieren with some surprise. "Uh, Lady Frieren, it seems the effect isn't quite right..."

This attack successfully enraged the sleeping monster. The Lion Boar suddenly stood up, letting out an angry roar, its scarlet eyes instantly locking onto the source of the attack—the direction of Fern.

Just as the Lion Boar stomped its hind legs, poised to pounce, Lowell grabbed Frieren beside him and said with a lighthearted laugh, "Oh dear, this is bad, let's get out of here!"

As he spoke, he skillfully hoisted Frieren onto his back, turned around, and nimbly retreated into the depths of the forest. His movements were fluid and graceful, as if he had rehearsed them countless times. Frieren seemed a little surprised, but she didn't react and let him carry her away.

Fern was visibly taken aback.

"... Huh?"

She watched the two figures disappear into the distance, then turned back to look at the Lion Boar, which had entered a berserk state, snorting heavily and charging towards her with its tusks pointed at it. For a moment, she felt bewildered and at a loss.

"Aww--!"

After a while, they arrived at another, relatively open area in the forest.

"Ha... ha... ha... ha... ah! Finally... shake them off..." Fern, panting heavily, clutched her knees. She had slid to her knees after running, her cheeks flushed from the exertion, and her purple hair was slightly disheveled and plastered to her forehead. "That was... too much... I almost thought I was going to die..."

Lowell had already put Frieren down and was now leaning leisurely against a tree, a mischievous smile on his face, "How was it? Wasn't it exciting? It helps to clear your mind and concentrate."

Fern caught his breath, straightened up, and looked at Lowell with a slightly accusing gaze. His tone returned to its usual calm, but with obvious confusion. "With your strength, you shouldn't have been unable to handle this. Why did you run away? And take Lady Frieren with you? In your words, you were clearly 'betraying your teammates'..."

Lowell touched his nose and laughed, "Ah... hahaha, because you looked so flustered just now, so full of youthful energy!"

Fern stared at him expressionlessly, remaining silent for two seconds.

Then she calmly announced, "Given your behavior today, there will be no fried eggs and bacon for breakfast tomorrow. You'll have to eat the dry bread yourself."

Lowell's smile froze, and he quickly waved his hand. "No, no, no, just kidding. Seriously though—this Lion Boar thick skin and tough flesh, making it a good opponent for you to gain practical experience. How could I steal your thunder?"

Frieren nodded in agreement, her tone as calm as ever. "Yes, indeed. Dealing with such high-defense monsters is excellent practice for mages who rely on magic for damage."

"Hmm, I see... So how exactly should we deal with it? Ordinary Attack Magic doesn't seem to be very effective, and you've restricted my use of other spells, saying that their range is too large..." Fern frowned slightly as he thought.

Lowell put away his joking expression and began to explain:

"First and foremost, no matter what happens, staying calm is paramount. My pulling Frieren along earlier was partly a tactical misdirection to test your reaction. You're a mage, possessing aerial superiority. If you're outmatched or need to adjust, you can immediately use Flight Magic to take to the skies. Lions and pigs can't fly, and this Lion Boar is clearly no exception—it's just a land-based monster. Having aerial advantage puts you in an invincible position, allowing you to observe and find weaknesses."

Upon hearing this, Fern's face flashed with a mixture of realization and embarrassment. "Uh... I was too nervous just now and didn't think of that immediately. But you two ran off so decisively..."

"Haha... battles are all about surprises." Lowell chuckled.

Frieren added, "The enemy won't give you time to think things through."

Fern nodded seriously. "Yes, Frieren. I understand. Then... how exactly do we break through its defenses?"

Frieren thought for a moment, "It's okay if you don't know the specific tricks; you'll get the feel for it through more practice. Now, attack it again. Remember not to use Flight Magic. Try maneuvering around it on the ground, practicing dodging and finding opportunities to attack. After all, when a mage is caught in close combat, agility is quite important..."

Upon hearing this, Fern's face showed clear resistance. "Eh? No. I don't want to be chased all over the forest by a wild boar."

"It's Lion Boar..."

"It's all the same, being chased by a pig is too embarrassing..." Fern muttered to himself, even subconsciously shrinking back and grabbing a tree trunk next to him to show his refusal.

Frieren tugged at her a few times, trying to get her to go, but couldn't budge her.

Looking at her like this, he blinked, seemingly a little helpless.

"Alright, I'll just tell you one method. When Ordinary Attack Magic isn't effective, try further compressing its magic power. For humans, Ordinary Attack Magic is magic they're born with, so they should be able to control it more easily than we are. Highly compress the magic power to increase the penetration of a single point. At the same time, avoid its thickest fur areas and prioritize attacking its eyes, mouth, or joints—areas with relatively weak defenses. Once you inflict an effective penetrating wound, the monster's magic power will dissipate more rapidly, naturally reducing its combat effectiveness."

Fern pondered, "In other words, it requires even greater concentration and more precise strike points... But why am I more adept at Ordinary Attack Magic than you?"

"Because for long-lived beings, Ordinary Attack Magic only appears for less than one-tenth of our lives. It's like you're 17 now, but you only came into contact with this kind of magic at 16. Although I can use it skillfully, compared to humans who are born with it, I can't react subconsciously. Although I can also compress Ordinary Attack Magic, you, Fern, are definitely better than me in this aspect."

"You're too modest..."

"No, Fern, your attack speed is faster than mine. You often deal with monsters, not entirely because it's training for you, but because it saves you time."

Lowell smiled and leaned closer, asking with a hint of anticipation, "And... my breakfast?"

Fern glanced at him, his tone calm and even. "I'll remember about breakfast for now. But rest assured, I'll make sure you two have roasted Lion Boar for dinner tonight."

Frieren's lips curved into a smile, "That's the spirit I'm looking for. Now it's your turn."

Lowell looked at Fern's profile, which had regained its resolve, and smiled at Frieren, "You're getting more and more adept at teaching your apprentice."

Frieren picked up the water pouch, took a sip, and lazily replied, "I learned that from you."