For the next two days, Damion stayed close to home. This made his mother quite happy, and she did her best to spoil her baby boy as much as she could. In the mornings, Damion would check the available missions at the Adventurer Association, not that he was intending to take one, but because he wanted to review what kind of missions were available to him.
After visiting the Association, Damion would meet with Ms. Teft in the school library and discuss his missions and magic. Then in the afternoons, Damion, accompanied by Ms. Teft, would head outside the city walls to practice with his sword and the fire attack glyph.
In the few days since Arica had inspired him to change the way he used the fire attack glyph Damion had become quite proficient in altering the magic. Now, when Damion slashed his sword, instead of a single crescent arc of fire, he released a phoenix. Or that is what Damion envisioned it as. Right now, the attack strongly resembled a fiery bird, but aside from a beaked head, wings and a tail, which could be said of any bird, it was pretty indistinct.
Damion’s ability to imbue his will on his magic, impressed Ms. Teft greatly. Just being able to alter the size and shape of his attack through the glyph was an impressive feat in and of itself.
“Arica used some sort of artifact in our fight with the bandits,” Damion began his question to his teacher. “If mages use artifacts like knights, what makes them any different from knights?”
Ms. Teft looked at Damion as if he was asking the silliest question in the world, but she managed an answer without mockery. “Anyone with mana can use artifacts, simply using one doesn't make one a knight or a mage. A mage can use their own mana to perform magic, while a knight can’t and has to rely on artifacts.”
“Then what separates a knight from someone that can just use a little bit of mana to activate artifacts?”
“How they live. A knight is a way of living. You use your fighting abilities and your artifacts to make a living. A mage uses their magic.”
“So, if a knight or a mage, stop using their skills, do they stop being a knight or a mage?”
Ms. Teft eyed Damion for a moment, but in the end spoke softly.
“That is a question for historians and philosophers. Right now, you need to focus on improving your skills.”
“Are there knights that have a bunch of artifacts of different elements? Or mages that do the same thing?”
“Artifacts will only get you so far. There are some who try to create an unbeatable arsenal with artifacts, but having more just means having to use more mana and more time to control them all. Training to perfection with one or two is always better than barely being able to use ten.”
“Can a knight with an artifact out-magic a mage?”
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“You mean can magic from an artifact overcome a mage’s magic? Perhaps, if there is an experience or power gap between the two. Let me ask you this, do you know why A and S Rank artifacts are extremely rare?”
“Because it takes an A Rank or an S Rank mage to make them?” Damion hesitantly answered.
“That is true but not the whole answer. The cost of just an A Rank artifact can let an enchanter retire in luxury. But they are very rarely made.”
“Why don’t they make more then?”
“A Rank and S Rank artifacts are extremely rare for two reasons. One, there are not that many knights that can make use of them, since they require so much mana to activate such artifacts, it is mostly mages that use them. And two, A Rank and S Rank mages don’t want to risk making something that can be used against them.”
“I guess I get it,” Damion said. The most powerful mages in the world did not want to accidently create an artifact that would one day be used to kill them. “But what if…”
“No more questions for now. You can ponder what ifs for your whole life. What matters for you right now, is increasing your strength. Here,” Ms. Teft produced four simple looking bracelets. “Put these on your wrists and ankles.”
Damion did as instructed and once he snapped the last one on his leg above his ankle, he felt a huge weight crash down on him.
“What the, why do these suddenly feel so heavy?”
“These are a training artifact. The bracelets add weight based on your strength. Keep these on at all times, and you will quickly see your physical strength begin to rise, as well as improve your mana.”
“I get how these will improve my strength, but how will they help improve my mana?”
“Because they are being powered by your mana.”
“What?” Damion was not channeling mana into the bracelets, but after what Ms. Teft said he could actually feel a trickle of mana being pulled out of him into them.
“Relax. If you get to the point where your mana is exhausted, the bracelets will stop draining your mana. On the same note, if you get to the point where you can’t physically move anymore, the bracelets will stop weighing tens of kilograms and let you move freely. While you use them though, it will help saturate your muscles with mana, as the mana is pulled from your core to the bracelets and passes through your mana pathways, this will increase the rate of your muscle growth and recovery.”
“What if I get into a fight and need to get these off?”
“You should keep them on, but if you are truly in a life-or-death situation, say ‘dimittis.’ That is the safe word and will release the bracelets.”
Damion silently committed his safe word to memory. He then picked up his sword, which was considerably more difficult now, and began to go through his normal training sequence. His actions felt slow and clumsy. The awkwardness of his arms and legs being weighted messed with his sense of balance and his ability to control the inertia of his swings.
By the time Damion was beginning to get the hang of it, he was dripping in perspiration and felt like he was about to collapse from the exertion. Just when Damion thought he had reached his limit, the weight on the bracelets began to lift, not completely, but enough that he would be able to walk home.
“Your stamina is very good, Damion,” Ms. Teft said as she escorted him home. “The bracelets will continue to challenge you as you grow in strength. Go through the training regimen I taught you every day. Soon enough you will see the results.”
“How long should I keep using these to train?” Damion asked.
“You can use them as long as you want, or as little as you want. But keep in mind, training to be stronger should never end, it should only become more refined.”
Damion gave Ms. Teft a weak smile before he entered his parents’ house. Dinner and a good night’s sleep was what he needed now. In the morning, he would do as Ms. Teft said and continue with the training regimen she had taught him. With any luck, Arica would have news of the dungeon run in a few days and he would be able to see the results of his training.