True: Caught in a Summoning Spell – Isn't a Storage Specialist the Strongest?! - chapter 5

Chapter 5: Combat Training! Into the Dungeon

In one of the rooms of Tempela Palace, Princess Maria was discussing the current state of the summoned Heroes with Marlon, the head of the Mage Corps, and Tristan, the captain of the Second Knight Order.

Despite his advanced age, Marlon remained active as the leader of the kingdom’s Mage Corps, while Tristan commanded the kingdom’s Second Knight Order. The kingdom’s military hierarchy included the elite First Knight Order, followed by the Second and Third Knight Orders under Tristan’s leadership.

“How is the training progressing for the Heroes, Marlon?” the princess asked.

“All three have managed to manifest intermediate-level spells without issue. With continued practice, they should be able to improve both their casting speed and power,” Marlon replied.

“So, at present, both their speed and power are insufficient,” the princess noted.

“Regrettably so. It seems they struggle to concentrate on their training. I suggest incorporating combat scenarios earlier than planned to accelerate their development.”

“Understood. Tristan, how are they performing in their martial training?”

“The Hero’s physical stats allow him to swing a sword with overwhelming force—so much so that no one except me can spar with him effectively. The Sage’s skill with a staff and the Saint’s ability with a mace are comparable to trainee knights at best.”

“In other words, the Hero’s strength is not matched by skill,” Maria concluded.

“Exactly. At this rate, he’s likely to break any ordinary sword during actual combat. Even when I recommended blunt weapons like maces or hammers to improve his technique, he refused, insisting on using a greatsword.”

“That is troubling. If he cannot handle a training sword properly, there’s no way we can entrust him with the Holy Sword. What about the Storage Specialist?”

“Kodama is a diligent and earnest young man. His dedication is admirable. Unfortunately, his class appears to lack direct combat utility.”

“Though I haven’t overseen his training personally, I’ve heard from my subordinates that Kodama is polite and often uses his storage ability to assist maids in transporting heavy items,” Tristan added.

“Indeed, the maids have spoken highly of him,” Maria said. She sighed wistfully. “If only Kodama were the Hero, my job would be so much easier. Ah, forget I said that!”

“So, how soon can we prepare for combat training?” she asked, steering the conversation back.

“It will take about a week to organize. Once ready, we’ll use the shallow levels of the Kiln Labyrinth near the palace for training,” Tristan replied.

“Very well. I leave it in your hands.”

“One, two, three… ninety-nine, one hundred.”

Back in the courtyard, my practice with storing and releasing stones had advanced to the point where I could operate at a distance of fifty paces. The courtyard’s size prevented further range testing.

I had since moved on to a new exercise: releasing stones into the air about ten meters high and catching them just before they hit the ground. This repetition served a dual purpose: honing my control and testing an idea for a potential attack.

Without any real offensive options, I figured dropping stones on an enemy’s head might work. While testing this, I realized that smaller stones lacked sufficient impact, and targeting was harder than I thought. When I tried larger stones, the force was impressive, but the vibrations caused by their impact disturbed the surroundings. To avoid trouble, I modified my approach.

During this process, I discovered something fascinating: the velocity of a falling stone remained unchanged when stored and released. Stones subjected to repeated storage and release cycles gained tremendous speed, transforming into what could only be described as high-velocity projectiles. My accuracy also improved with practice, making this method increasingly viable.

I then stumbled upon a new idea—one that felt borderline malicious. What if I released a stored object inside another?

To test it, I targeted a larger stone and released a smaller one inside it.

Crack!

The larger stone shattered with a sharp sound, fragments scattering around me.

It seemed I could indeed release objects within solid matter if I concentrated. For the first time, I felt a slight drain on my MP, suggesting this technique might consume energy under certain conditions.

What remained untested, however, was whether this method could bypass an enemy’s Protection Aura (PA). If not, I could use high-speed projectiles to whittle down the PA first and then unleash a devastating internal attack. Either way, this opened up some exceptionally destructive combat possibilities.

As I continued my experiments, I noticed my storage ability was far superior to conventional Item Bags. Objects stored in an Item Bag could only be released nearby and required physical contact during storage. In contrast, my storage allowed for remote manipulation and seemed to have a much larger capacity.

After several days of training, I had nearly exhausted the supply of stones in the courtyard, either by breaking them or storing them as projectiles. Running out of materials, I began wandering the grounds of Tempela Palace, gathering suitable stones under the guise of taking leisurely strolls.