BLACK CLOVER: The Whisperer - Yuno Grinberryall

CHAPTER XI. May We Meet Again

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Inari didn't lie when he said that he would double Xierra's training difficulty.

It had been days, and Xierra swore that she could still the joints of her body popping here and there when she moved. She would question at times where her bones and limbs were still intact or not.

Despite the ache she felt when moving, she could cast spells easily now without wasting too much mana in one go. At times, her control over stronger spells would waver, but Inari said that it would take her some time to get used to. The more she practiced controlling her mana flow, the easier it would be for her to learn to control her spells.

Strength, accuracy, impact, mana usage, skills, and techniques—Inari was beginning to figure out what set his master apart from his former master. They both had mostly similar strengths and weaknesses, but different personalities and ways of approaching things, whereas his previous master would tackle problems with numbers, Xierra would often be seen doing things on her own, even with Inari being around to help her when needed.

They both use their brains, but can't do much in terms of physical activities. To begin with, I cannot compare them when they are entirely different individuals, Inari reminded himself, sighing. Is it because she hasn't fully mastered her magic yet?

He frowned, staring at Xierra's grimoire whilst she held her stance with a wooden sword in hand. She learns quickly. But it seems that I have to teach her the more advanced spells, just in case.

"Urk—how long will this take, Inari...?" Xierra struggled to utter, feeling her calves burning from the uncomfortable position she had to endure.

"Just a little longer, Master." Inari swung his tail back and forth rhythmically as if he was enjoying the sight of his master's suffering. Chuckling, he then breathed out in a solemn tone, "You'll need to learn how to wield a sword before you can advance in your training."

Snapping her head, she stared at Inari with an incredulous gaze. "Huh?!" Holding back her groan, she adjusted her position back to its intended form and continued, "I haven't held a sword in my entire life. How am I supposed to get it down in time before the entrance exam?"

Inari closed her grimoire with his tail and wrapped it around the silver book. He skipped his way lazily towards the girl and stopped beside her, sitting.

"Oh, I strongly believe that you'll do just fine, Master." Grinning, he placed the grimoire down before patting Xierra's back, adjusting her faltering position. "You're a quick learner. You'll master it in no time. Now, back forward, please."

"Ugh..."

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The sun was at its zenith, sweeping away the sleepiness in Xierra's eyes. Squinting her eyes, Xierra enjoyed the warmth of the sun before dabbing away her sweat. Not only did Inari make her practice her sword stance, she never expected to swing the wooden blade so quickly. It had been a few hours after training started and she was able to get most of the basics down.

"I guess I really can do this," she muttered listlessly, staring at the wooden blade in front of her.

Inari did a good job at carving it from the firewood they collected yesterday, using the excuse: "Oh, don't worry. They won't even notice if one was gone from the pile." Not that she could argue.

"That's it," Inari encouraged with a grin, "you should believe in yourself more, Master."

With his long, black tail, he pushed the crescent grimoire forward and presented it to the girl. She looked at him perplexed, waiting for his explanation. "Before we go to the capital in a few weeks, I think that the time has arrived for me to explain what your grimoire really is."