Serah plops the giant head of water drake onto the table, creating a loud thump.

“One water drake.” Serah says with a smile.

Mister Alfred-Russle purses his lips and nods, mildly impressed. “Good job.” He says as he picks up the drake's head and throws it into a nearby trash can, the head unable to fully enter. Mister Alfred-Russle hoped that would look cooler, but he ignores it and moves on. He turns around to find a book on the shelf, and after finding it, places it on the desk. “Your reward.” He says with a smile.

Serah picks up the book and reads the title. “Elemental Swordsmanship?” She says, somewhat inquisitively.

“Yes. I’ve read that you’re pretty proficient with magic swordsmanship, so this reward is suitable at your stage. Elemental Swordsmanship is an off-shoot of magic swordsmanship. Magic swordsmanship focuses on enhancing the properties of the sword with mana, while elemental swordsmanship focuses on adding properties to the sword with mana. When you gain sufficient mastery in this, you might be ready to try for a Sword Domain.” Mister Alfred-Russle says without much expectation.

“A Sword Domain? What’s that?” Serah asks, not having heard the term before.

Serah’s teacher smiles. “A Sword Domain is usually a sign of a grand mastery of the sword. It means that your skill with the a blade is so destructive, that the possible reach of that destruction can create a domain, where you’re essentially unstoppable against lesser opponents.” He explains, hyping the matter up a little more than necessary.

Serah’s eyes widen. “That’s wild. But I doubt I’m anywhere near that level.” She admits. She knew what she was capable of, and her skill with a sword wasn’t nearly that great.

Mister Alfred-Russle lets out a chuckle. Damn. Was kind of hoping she was more gullible than that. I love slapping down the kids who reach too high. He thinks, a little disappointed. “That’s most likely very true. But, for mages, it’s possible to simulate a sword domain with mana. It makes exploring what kind of swordsman you want to be much much easier. Sword Grandmasters who start out as mages usually have sword domains that are much more mysterious in quality, let alone often more destructive. If you can master Elemental Swordsmanship and Magic Swordsmanship, it’s possible you can start simulating the basic structure of a sword domain. If you have the talent.” He explains fully.

Serah continues to look surprised. Damn, the height seems so high. Do have what it takes to reach for it? She thinks before an excited grin appears on her face. Damn right I do! And I’m going to make it all the way too! She thinks, unfazed. Serah didn’t mind making the effort; to her that’s what life was all about. You don’t stop at the starting line. No, you keep reaching, and you push as hard as you can; then, even if you fail, there would be nothing anyone else could say. At that point you could say with pride, ‘I tried my best’, and anyone who dared to look down on you would be wrong.

…

…

Serah follows Carter and waits as he knocks on the office door.

The door opens and Mister Thorak opens the door, his hair messy and his face dirty, looking as if he had just woken up. “What?” He asks with some annoyance.

“Ugh, we got the water drake scales.” Carter says somewhat meekly as he raises a large bag filled with water drake scales.

Mister Thorak smiles. “Ah, good. Wonderful. Come inside.” He says before stepping back into the office.

Serah follows Carter into the dimly lit room and she covers her nose. Something seemed to be rotting inside and it smelled horrible. It wasn’t a surprise that the place was a mess also, with books and random pieces of paper scattering the room.

Mister Thorak goes behind his desk, trying to recall who these students were. “Mister Carter and… Miss Serah. Correct?” He asks, waiting for confirmation.

“Yes.” Carter answers, while Serah simply nods.

“And you completed the task together? Very well. I happen to have two copies of the book. You may each have one.” He says as he picks two books out of a pile and places them on the desk.

Serah picks it up and reads the title. Magic Missile? Damn, I got a classic. I wonder how many missiles I get per level up? She wonders somewhat seriously, forgetting that this wasn’t a role-playing game.

“Thank you, Mister Thorak.” Carter says with a bow.

“Thank you.” Serah says with a short bow.

“Alright. Go on. If you wish, come back in two weeks. I should have another mission by then.” Mister Thorak says before waving them away.

Serah promptly moves to exit the office, going back to the brightly lit hallway.

After exiting, Serah looks and Carter was looking at her with some hope in his eyes, clearly expecting something more after this errand.

Serah looks back and raises a hand to point at him. “No.” She says simply. “Bad dog.” She continues to deny before turning and walking away.

Somewhat stunned, Carter could only stare blankly with his mouth slightly open as Serah turned the corner and left.