Evelyn's POV
After my speech, I ordered the children to take their positions for a skirmish. They were used to sparring among themselves, but this would be different—more serious. Not so dangerous that anyone would die, but real enough to test their courage, teamwork, and instincts.
Marcus took charge of the fighters, spear in hand, steady as ever. His voice cut through the nervous chatter, guiding the younger boys and girls into a loose line. Behind them, Lina organized the mages, her sharp eyes scanning for openings to support the frontline. Together, the two of them brought a sense of order that the others badly needed.
Once they were ready, I lifted my hand and activated my modified spell. The air shimmered, and from it emerged a mob of thirty goblins, their snarling faces and jagged weapons as real as any monster one might meet in the wild. At their head loomed a larger figure—a goblin king, its crude crown tilted across its brow, its fanged mouth stretched into a grotesque grin.
Several of the children gasped and faltered, fear rooting their feet to the ground.
"These are only constructs," I reminded them firmly. "Strike them down, and they will fall apart. No blood. No pain. Only lessons."
What I did not say aloud was that each weapon and claw was coated in healing magic. Any blow they landed would sting but leave no lasting harm. They had nothing to fear—except failure.
The goblins charged.
The first clash was chaos. A smaller boy raised his shield too slowly, and a goblin's club smashed into his arm. He cried out, stumbling back—yet instead of shattering bone, the impact dissolved into a harmless burst of green sparks that faded into the evening air. The boy blinked, startled but uninjured. The lesson was learned in an instant: he would not be spared again.
Marcus roared encouragement and surged forward, his spear flashing in the orange glow of sunset. He thrust through a goblin's chest, pinning it to the ground. Its body shuddered, then broke apart into swirling fragments of mana light, scattering across the dirt. The sight sent a ripple of awe through the children, but they had no time to admire—it was only the first of many.
A goblin rushed at Lina. Her hands moved swiftly, weaving fire into existence. She unleashed a wave of flame that engulfed three enemies at once. Their shrieks filled the air, but no smoke, no burning flesh followed—only bodies dissolving into glittering dust that danced briefly against the darkening sky before vanishing.
The children found their rhythm. The clang of steel and the hiss of spells filled the training ground. Goblins shattered under their weapons, each kill leaving behind nothing but fading motes of light. The more they fought, the bolder they became. Fear gave way to determination. They could fight. They could win.
At last, only the goblin king remained. Larger than the rest, it towered over Marcus as it swung its crude blade in wide arcs, forcing him back step by step. The children hesitated, but Marcus did not. He spun his spear, knocked the blade aside, and lunged forward. His strike pierced the goblin king's chest with a resounding crack.
The beast let out a guttural roar, staggering back as if clinging to life—but then its form splintered, breaking apart like shattered glass. Its massive body scattered into a storm of glowing fragments that drifted upward, glowing against the evening twilight before fading completely.
Silence fell over the field, broken only by the ragged breathing of exhausted children. Their faces were pale, their clothes stained with sweat, but their eyes were alive.
Marcus and Lina dropped beside me once it was over. Marcus leaned on his spear, chest heaving. "Since when," he asked between breaths, "did you learn to summon an army like that?"
I didn't hesitate to answer. "Only recently. It's not perfect yet—they follow orders but can't adapt well. That's why you were able to win. Still, it's a start. A tool I can use in the future."
Lina's brows furrowed. "They felt real. If not for the light when they fell, I'd have thought we were truly fighting monsters."
"That was the point," I replied quietly. My gaze shifted to the weary children around us, some sitting in the dirt, others leaning on one another for support. "If the goblins hadn't been coated in healing magic, half of them would be lying here broken. They need this. All of them. We'll repeat it every week until battle feels less like chaos and more like survival."
Marcus tightened his grip on his spear. "Then next time, we'll be ready faster."
I nodded. This experience would serve them well in the years to come. And as for me—I had proven that my modified spell could do more than I had hoped. With enough mana, the constructs could become even stronger, even smarter. But for now, this was enough.
The children had taken their first step into the kind of world that awaited them.