In Lawrence's understanding, the most important thing for a spellcaster, especially at the apprentice stage, was to avoid charging into battle and to keep at least twenty feet between himself and the enemy.
As for the hard work of fighting at close quarters, that was for the warriors.
Spellcasters only needed to control the battlefield and provide buffs for the team. If they had some ranged attacks, they could use them when the situation called for it, under their teammates' protection.
Though he didn't want to admit it, he knew deep down that, with only cantrips to his name, an apprentice spellcaster could hardly match a warrior in a head-on fight.
The damage from swords, bows, and crossbows was more direct, and they weren't limited by a supply of magic.
So why didn't spellcaster apprentices learn to use a melee weapon? For one thing, people had limited energy. For another, they lacked the physical fitness to back it up. Even if they mastered a melee weapon, they couldn't use it to much effect.
Instead, they would spread themselves too thin, hampering their magical training and even making it difficult to concentrate.
Lawrence shook his head.
He had never met an apprentice spellcaster as unusual as Gauss.
You couldn't exactly call him an idler, considering he practiced magic even better than Lawrence did.
After they killed five skeletons, a brief rumble came from deep within the dungeon.
It was as if their arrival had awakened the entire dungeon.
The group huddled together, cautiously watching their surroundings.
After the rumbling faded, no new enemies appeared for a long while.
They stayed on guard for some time. When nothing happened, they relaxed and spread out.
Aside from the five skeletons, there were no other enemies in the hall entrance, but there were mechanisms