Clang, clang, clang!
The sound of hammering iron rang out across the training ground.
Lynn and Geralt each held a blunt training sword, trading blows at speed.
Sparks flew again and again as the two blades collided.
They fought for a long time before Geralt pulled back of his own accord and lowered his sword.
"Not bad. In terms of swordsmanship alone, you've already reached the standard of a full-fledged witcher."
"Lambert was right. You really are the most gifted of this batch of recruits... at least, I've never seen anyone master such sharp swordsmanship while still an apprentice."
"Next, we'll begin your lessons in Signs."
Lynn lowered his sword too, panting slightly.
Even though his School of the Wolf Swordsmanship had already reached proficiency, their fierce exchange had made it clear to him that this famous sorceress-shagging machine had yet to give it his all.
That made sense.
He was the protagonist of the Witcher novels and games, after all.
Granted, in his previous life, Lynn had spent a while looking down on a hero who had been stabbed to death with a pitchfork.
That lasted until every pitchfork in the Town of Yharnam had killed him during his time playing Bloodborne.
Only then had he realized that pitchforks really could stab people to death.
"We witchers don't favor the complex incantations used by mages. We prefer simple spells that can be cast quickly with one hand in combat. These simple spells, which mages call cantrips, are our witcher Signs."
"Though mages look down on these cantrips, they can produce excellent results when used properly."
"Next, I'll demonstrate them for you one by one."
"First, the Igni Sign."
Geralt formed the Sign with his left hand.
The next moment.
A stream of fire burst from his palm, scorching a patch of the training ground's dirt black.
Had anyone been standing in front of Geralt, there was no doubt that the flames would have severely burned them.
"Next is the Quen Sign."
As he moved his hand, a bright orange shield flickered into being around him.
"Now, attack me with all your strength. Don't hold back. Don't worry, you won't hurt me."
Lynn nodded.
He raised his training sword and brought it down hard.
Clang!
It felt as though he had struck a heavy tower shield. The recoil numbed the web of his hand, and he nearly lost his grip on his weapon.
Yet the bright orange barrier did not budge.
Geralt dismissed his Quen shield and stepped forward, asking with concern.
"Are you all right, Lynn?"
Lynn shook his head. "I'm fine. My hand's just a little numb."
Geralt examined Lynn's hand carefully, only continuing his explanation after confirming that nothing was wrong.
"All right, let's continue... once you cast the Quen Sign and your enemy's hand goes numb like yours just did, you can seize the chance to step in and finish him off."
"But you need to remember that the Quen Sign has two modes:"
"One is sustained casting, like what I just did. As long as you keep supplying chaos magic, the shield won't collapse easily."
"The other creates a shield around you that doesn't need a continuous supply of magic, but the drawback is that it collapses very easily."
"The drawback of the former is that you can't move or attack while sustaining it, and you must stay focused. The latter has no such drawback, so which mode you use in combat is something you need to consider carefully."
"There's another defensive Sign called Heliotrop. It's like Quen, except Heliotrop requires you to cross your hands to cast it, and it's specifically used to defend against magical attacks."
Lynn nodded to show that he understood.
"Very good. Let's continue. The third one is the Yrden Sign." Geralt slapped the ground, and several streaks of purple light lit up on it. "Once an enemy enters it, their movements will slow, as though they've sunk into a bog."
"The Yrden Sign is best suited to fighting multiple opponents alone. Even a master swordsman is in great danger when surrounded and attacked."
"Sometimes, even a pitchfork thrust at you from behind can take your life. Neither witchers nor mages are impervious to blades."
"So using the Yrden Sign flexibly to create openings in enemies who were moving in concert is the key to turning a defeat into victory."
"In addition, the Yrden Sign can force wraiths and similar monsters to take physical form. It's extremely important when dealing with monsters like those."
"Finally, I'll demonstrate the Aard Sign."
Geralt thrust his palm toward a training dummy on the grounds.
Bang!
An invisible wave of air slammed into the dummy like a wall.
The dummy, made of straw and wood, was instantly sent flying and smashed to pieces.
Straw fluttered down in every direction like flowers scattered from the heavens.
"Well, you've seen what the Aard Sign does. Like the Yrden Sign, it's also well suited to fighting multiple enemies."
"But remember, the Aard Sign loses power over distance, so you need to judge your range carefully."
"Also, the Aard Sign may be less effective against large monsters or heavily armored enemies. That's another point to keep in mind."
"Hm? What's wrong? What's that look on your face?"
Puzzled, Geralt touched his face.
He thought there might be something dirty on it.
Then he heard Lynn say flatly, "That dummy you just blasted away was the one Master Vesemir only just finished. He spent an entire day making it."
Geralt's expression instantly stiffened.
He had looked so dashing casting that Aard Sign just now.
Now he looked every bit as bedraggled as he picked up straw from all over the place.
Lynn helped Geralt gather the straw scattered across the ground.
Then, while Geralt repaired the dummy, he practiced Signs nearby.
He started with the Quen Sign.
Of all the Signs, only the Quen Sign and Heliotrop were defensive.
Some might think offense was the best defense, but Lynn put more faith in staying alive to deal damage.
He concentrated and formed the gesture for the Quen Sign.
The next moment.
He felt the magic inside him surge like a tide toward his left hand, which was forming the Sign, before finally pouring out.
A bright orange shield appeared around him.
He had succeeded, but not entirely.
Because this Quen shield flickered on and off like an old light bulb with a faulty connection.
It would probably collapse on its own without even needing an arrow to hit it.
It could not compare at all to the one Geralt had just cast.
"It's all right. Everyone's like that at first. It's perfectly normal not to be able to keep a Sign stable. We've all been through this stage. You just need more practice."
Geralt, who was repairing the dummy off to one side, saw this and patiently reassured him.
Lynn nodded too.
Without feeling discouraged at all, he continued practicing.
When the sun set, Eskel and Lambert had not returned.
The same was true the next day.
It was not until the evening of the third day that Eskel and Lambert finally returned.
On the training ground, Geralt looked at the returning pair and asked, "How did it go? Our 'friend' from the School of the Cat didn't get lost in the Blue Mountains, did he?"
"No. We personally gave him a warm send-off out of the Blue Mountains. In return, he even gave us an international gesture of friendship."
As he spoke, Lambert made to demonstrate the gesture.
But Eskel quickly stopped him.
"Lambert, there's a kid here."
Lynn, who was practicing Signs nearby, did not care.
It's just the middle finger. It's not like I haven't seen it before.
What's so special about the middle finger? I even know several ways to use one. Have I ever bragged about it?