Alex was sitting in the shade of a tree on the outskirts of the camp, leafing through a book on combat strategies that Aria had given him a few days earlier. EMI stood a few paces away, arms crossed and a determined expression on her face.
"Enough is enough, Alex!" exclaimed EMI, interrupting his reading. "You can't go on like this. You have to train."
Alex looked up, visibly annoyed.
"Train for what? I don't have powers like you two. Or did you forget I was dragged into this world because of a 'protagonist error'?" he said, pointing at her sarcastically. "My only achievement was deciphering that basic rune I used for support."
EMI frowned, but before she could respond, Aria entered the scene with a confident smile and a leather bag in her hands.
"For once, I agree with EMI," said Aria, positioning herself beside her. "I don't want you putting yourself in danger again, even if it's my fault, Alex."
Alex looked at her incredulously.
"Not this again. I already told you: I'm just a normal guy. If those magic bandits come back, I'd rather hide behind you two. Good plan, don't you think?"
"That's not going to happen," replied Aria firmly, opening the bag to reveal a set of adorned runes that glowed with their own light. "Because I'm going to train you myself."
EMI gasped upon seeing them.
"Those are ultra rare! How did you get something like that?"
Aria flashed her a sly smile.
"Being a duke's daughter has its privileges. These runes are family heirlooms… I was saving them for a special occasion. But…" she looked at Alex with a flirtatious expression, "for my future husband, I would do anything."
Alex sighed, already accustomed to Aria's comments.
"Couldn't you use those things to help yourself instead of wasting them on me?"
"It's not a waste if it's for you," Aria responded with a smile, blowing him an air kiss.
EMI crossed her arms, clearly annoyed.
"What if you lose them or something goes wrong?"
Aria ignored her and turned back to Alex.
"Let's start with the basics. These runes are for defense, support, and a bit of offense. We don't need to turn you into a legendary hero… just into someone who can defend himself."
---
Aria placed a rune on the ground, activating it with a faint blue glow.
"This defensive technique generates a temporary magical shield," she explained. "Put your hand here and concentrate."
Alex obeyed, albeit with little enthusiasm. Several minutes passed with no results, drawing a sigh of frustration from EMI.
"Come on, Alex! Can't you even activate a basic rune?"
"Maybe if you left me alone…" murmured Alex, closing his eyes and trying to focus.
Finally, a faint light emerged from the rune, but the shield was so weak it barely covered his hand. Alex looked at it with a mix of surprise and resignation.
"Well, at least it didn't blow up in my face."
Aria smiled.
"It's a start. Tomorrow we'll try something more advanced."
---
Later, while resting after the training session, EMI sat next to Alex, who was staring fixedly at the sky.
"Why don't you try harder?" asked EMI softly.
Alex shrugged.
"I'm not like you. I don't have a great destiny or a hidden power in this world. My only skill here is knowing when to run, and to be honest, I'm perfectly fine with that."
"That's not true," said EMI, looking directly at him. "You're braver than you think. You risked your life for us more than once, even for someone you didn't even know who tried to kill you. You don't need magic to matter."
Alex was silent for a moment, then offered a small smile.
"I guess I'm the luckiest side character who landed on the right team." He then cracked a joke. "Or the wrong one because you guys always get me into trouble."
EMI smiled too and gave him a light punch on the shoulder, though there was a flash of sadness in her eyes.
"To me, you're not a side character, Alex."
In the distance, Aria watched them. Her expression was a mix of curiosity and jealousy as Alex and EMI continued talking under the starry sky.