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An Otherworldly Scholar - 23
🕑 Added 2023-06-21 22:53:57 +0000 UTCThe thunderous sound of the iron gate crashing into the cobbled path sent me a shiver down my spine. The manor’s front wall barely reached my knee, and was originally intended as the foundation for a fence, so it was easily covered by a jump. Whoever had knocked over the gate, had done so intentionally to announce their arrival.
I rushed into the manor, leaving Wolf and Ilya in charge of the younger kids. Before entering the manor, I caught a glimpse of the smaller ones gathering together around Wolf. With a fencing uniform and longsword in his hand, the orc kid looked fearsome. I just hoped I could defuse whatever this situation was without involving any of the kids.
I pushed my bedroom’s door with my shoulder and strapped my shotgun to my back.
A quick glance through the window revealed what I feared the most. Outside there were city guards with shiny armor and curved scabbards hanging from the belt. There couldn't be a worse timing for this. Elincia was far from the orphanage, searching for Firana, and the guardsmen would know that I was just a low level Scholar.
As I reached the front door, I wished I had some advanced oratory skill or passive.
There was so much adrenaline running through my veins that I wanted to puke, but time was pressing. I opened the front door and stood on top of the stairs, trying to look as menacing as my office worker physique allowed me.
Four armored men had entered the front yard and spied through the windows. In the center of the formation, with his arms crossed over his chest, there was a heavily armored man with a colorful short cape over his left shoulder and a plumed helmet. The man looked at me with a grimace of annoyance.
Behind him there was the iron gate resting on the ground, ripped off its hinges and battered with an unnatural force.
“Is there a reason why the city guard knocked down the gate of an orphanage?”
There was a reason I owned the [Classroom Fiend] title. Even if I rather not do it, I could act like the most severe teacher on the face of the earth. Now it was a good time to show some presence.
“Where is the half-elf woman?” The armored man bellowed, ignoring my question.
“The orphanage’s Governess isn’t here at the moment. What do you want?” I replied.
“Call the kids out, now.” The man demanded.
Our worst fears seemed to come true.
“You came to my orphanage knocking over the fence like bandits. I’m not moving until I know who I am talking with.” I said, breaking open the shotgun and loading it with my remaining shells.
The soldiers put their hands on the hilt of their swords but I kept my eyes fixed on their leader. He glanced at me, sizing me up, then they stopped over my shotgun. He squinted, trying to determine what kind of weapon it was.
“I’m Valerio Mer, Sergeant of the Marquis’s Guard. Now, bring out the kids.” He barked at me as if I was one of his henchmen.
“We don’t have any kids old enough for conscription.” I stood my ground, noting the soldiers hadn’t let go of their swords hilts. I could feel the tension boiling around me.
“You are not taking any kids from this orphanage before due time. You will have to come with a Scholar to identify them. I will not allow you nor the Marquis to throw underage children into the grinder.” I replied with clenched teeth.
“The Farlands grow in power and reach by the second. They will serve better in the army than dying of hunger in this vulgar orphanage.” The Sergeant spat to the ground. “If they join the army they will serve a cause higher than any of us. They will live and die with honor.”
“You will not take any of my kids.”
“Raudhan, remove the Scholar from my path! Captain Kiln said you were eager to prove your worth to the Marquis.” The Sergeant said.
The guards smiled as they retreated to the Sergeant’s side, leaving the stage for the youngest of the group. Raudhan, a tall young man with tanned skin and well formed jaw came forward. Awareness pointed out that his armor was shinier than that of his companions. His belt had golden rivets and the hilt of his sword was adorned by a gleaming red gem.
“Last warning.” Raudhan said as he smiled over his shoulder.
The guards laughed back as if bullying non-combatant classes was the most normal thing in the world.
With the shotgun I could eliminate two of them and then use my makeshift mana blade to try and fight off the other two, but killing them would just cause the orphanage more trouble. I certainly didn’t have enough ammunition to fight the entire city.
I needed Zaon to arrive right now.
“You don’t want to do this, Raudhan.” I said, trying to buy time. “They are kids without a class. They will die if they are sent to the front line.”
Raudhan drew his longsword.
“I’m sorry, Scholar. Uncle’s orders.”
The realization hit me like a truck. I was about to fight against the Marquis’ nephew, which meant I couldn’t just blow a hole in his chest and get away with it. The nobles would burn down the orphanage to the foundations if that was the case.
Where was Zaon?
Reluctantly, I left the shotgun on the floor against the door and drew my dull training sword. The guards laughed but I zoned them out. My [Awareness] worked at full speed trying to come up with a plan.
I walked down the flight of stairs to the cobbled path where Raudhan waited for me. Before he could even raise his guard, I identified him.
Name: Raudhan Kiln, Human.
Class: Fencer Lv.12
Titles: Nobleborn, Big Game Hunter, Reckless.
Passive: Fencing Lv.3, Shield Proficiency Lv.2, Riding Proficiency Lv.5.
Skills: Ghost Slash, Puncture, Nimble Step.
“What did you just do?!” Raudhan yelled as he raised his sword in a guard I had never seen before.
The young man was the same level as me, but I had to factor the fact he was a Fencer while I was a Scholar. I wonder how much better a Lv. 12 Fencer was than a regular human being. If anything, I was about to find out.
I adopted the alber guard, with the hilt of the sword at the height of my waist and the tip pointing to the ground. Alber invited the opponent to attack high, as my head was virtually unprotected, but it was also a trap for inexperienced duelists for the sole reason I could quickly parry despite the low initial position.
“Captain Kiln is going to smack your sorry ass when she finds out what you are doing, Raudhan!” I bluffed.
My words seemed to have an effect on the man, because the sword trembled on his hands if only slightly. Suddenly, Raudhan stepped forward and swung his sword at my head. Expecting the attack, I raised my sword and parried, leaving me in a good position for a counterattack.
When my sword cut the air, Raudhan was already out of my range. He was strong, fast, and skillful but not on a superhuman level. At least not yet.
“Not bad for a Scholar.” Raudhan laughed but he knew that, for a brief moment, I had him. I could see it in his eyes. If I had struck with all my strength I could’ve reached his head.
“Not bad for a prissy noble.” I replied.
Then, Raudhan turned into a gray and red blur.
[Awareness]: Opponent has activated [Nimble Step] skill.
My body moved by itself. Raudhan materialized to my left and I had a fraction of a second to block. The tip of my sword grazed my opponent’s, deflecting the strike just enough for me to retreat. A flurry of strikes made my arm go numb but after five seconds of intense danger, I was able to disengage.
“Out of mana already?” I mockingly asked despite the fact I was about to lose.
Raudhan’s forehead was beaded with sweat.
Anyone who had practiced martial arts knew that a minute could be an eternity, and for the next minute I fought for my life. Raudhan swarmed me with [Nimble Step] and [Ghost Blade]. The first skill made him faster for a few seconds at a time, the later, made his blade invisible. Luckily for me, Swordsmanship and Awareness were enough to let me guess where the blade was.
“Out of steam already, Scholar?” Raudhan taunted me.
Zaon was nowhere to be found. I needed to buy more time.
I pushed my mana into the sword, turning it into a blue flare, and raised my guard. The Sargeant and the guards gasped in surprise. [Awareness] read their lips for me. Mana Blade.
“That’s a cheap trick! You can’t fool me, Scholars can’t learn [Mana Blade].” Raudhan said.
As a reply, I pushed even more mana into my blade.
Sword play was all about flow, not strikes after stances after strikes but a single uninterrupted movement. And I was about to combo Raudhan’s ass into the Shadow Realm.
For the first time during the duel, I went on the attack. I took a step forward and followed with a well aligned strike against his head. As expected, Raudhan raised his sword and our blades met in the center. But I wasn’t really aiming for his head, I was aiming for his sword.
Raudhan’s face lost all color when my sword cut his blade like butter.
[Awareness]: Opponent has activated [Nimble Step] skill.
I activated [Stun Gaze], freezing Raudhan in place for an instant, but an instant was all I needed. The bones of my hand cracked as my knuckles dug into the man’s jaw. Momentum almost made me fall but I recovered just in time to raise my sword, however, neither Raudhan nor his ruined sword were in any condition to continue fighting.
Our little fight was interrupted by the Sergeant barking more orders in an annoyed tone, “Someone help Raudhan up. The rest of you be ready to cut the Scholar down If he resists any further. He’s winded, and clearly out of mana from his little demonstration.”
The guards advanced to help their fallen comrade and I quickly retreated to the doorway and grabbed my shotgun. At that moment Zaon opened the door behind me, carrying a pumpkin as big as his arms.
“Good, there’s one. We also take retards who think they can fight the Guardsmen with a pumpkin.” The Sergeant sneered at me but I detected a certain nervousness in his voice. “I know the Aias girl is inside too, so, let's stop this charade and hand over the kids.”
With all the adrenaline flowing through my body, blowing a hole on the man’s chest was an alluring option and I had to fight my finger off the trigger.
“When I tell you, you throw the pumpkin as high as you can and cover your ears, understood?” I turned around and gave Zaon a pat on the shoulder.
The kid was even paler than Raudhan was when my mana blade closing in on the Fencer’s face.
“How about a ‘little’ demonstration of what is going to happen to the next idiot who comes near the orphanage?” I said, grasping the shotgun with both hands and praying that the pulsating pain in my right hand didn’t interfere with my ability to shoot straight. “Now, Zaon!”
The elven kid threw the pumpkin into the air with surprising strength.
The pumpkin rose above the manor’s roof, giving me enough time to aim the shotgun and block my ears with hardened mana plugs. I prayed for my father’s soul to guide my shot as I pulled the trigger.
The soldiers recoiled with the booming sound of the shot as the pumpkin suddenly exploded to bits, hit by an invisible force. Shredded strands of the gourd rained from the sky like animal entrails, prompting the soldiers to retreat to the gate.
“First man who tries to come near the manor wins an extra hole in the chest!” I yelled as loud as I could.
“Your puny magic weapon works great against a pumpkin but it isn’t going to go through armor.” The Sergeant shouted back, trying to sound unfazed. He probably had a skill to remain calm in the face of fear, but the pumpkin guts hanging off his helmet didn’t make him look very calm.
“Fuck around and find out.” I replied, clenching my teeth. It wasn’t a surprise the soldiers weren’t intimidated, they had never seen what a firearm could do to human flesh and they felt secure under their armor. But I had to do something before I was forced to perform traumatic surgery with my shotgun. Something they knew was definitely lethal.
I tapped into my mana pool and opened the gates. Since I had gotten to Farcrest I had only manipulated small bits of mana here and there. Now, I went all in.
My hands swirled with blue fire, it was warm and tickled but it didn’t burn. I let the mana flow. The blue flames spreaded through my body, crackling, sparkling, and growing in intensity until I was turned into a giant and menacing torch.
The soldiers stepped back but I wasn’t done yet. I had more, much more.
I slid my shotgun back and drew my sword slowly. The raging flames embraced the sword, causing it to spark furiously as I pulled it from the scabbard. The gray sky darkened as my mana lit the front yard.
The soldiers’ faces were pale as paper but couldn’t take their eyes off me.
“I’m a humble servant of the secret flame and as long as I breathe no foul spirit shall pass.” I bellowed, my voice amplified by the mana surrounding me.
I relaxed my shoulders and puffed out my chest, then I pointed the tip of my sword forward and downwards adopting the fool’s guard. It was an invitation to come forward.
New skill acquired: [Intimidate]
Suddenly, my mana poured from every single pore on my body and exploded like great fireworks, spewing blue and white sparks all around the front yard. The Sergeant’s face paled and his eyes bulged out of their sockets in sheer terror as the flames reached him.
You have obtained Mana Depletion (Advanced). Temporary.
The guardsmen squad ran down the street like souls chased by the devil itself. I followed them with my eyes and managed to Identify two of them before they got lost beyond the maze of alleys.
Name: Valerio Mer, Human.
Class: Sergeant Lv.35
Passive: Archery Lv.2, Fencing Lv.4, Shield Proficiency Lv.4, Interrogation Lv.4, Extortion Lv.1, Brawling Lv.6.
Skills: Bellow, Rally Troops, Taunt, Armor Break, Shield Bash, Ghost Slash.
Status: Terror Lv.5
Name: Hoff Bowyer, Human.
Class: Soldier Lv.28
Passive: Arming Sword Proficiency Lv.3, Spear Proficiency Lv.3, Shield Proficiency Lv.3, Coercion Lv.1.
Skills: Puncture, Shield Bash.
Status: Terror Lv.7
The sudden exertion of mana had left me temporarily exhausted.
“Zaon.” I gasped for air. “You should never resort to violence if possible because violence breeds more violence. Don’t forget that. Violence is the wise man's last resort.”
I didn’t get to hear his response. Elincia suddenly appeared from the shadows of the alley across the street with her bow in hand and an arrow in the other.
“Is everyone okay?!” Elincia asked, almost ramming me as she got to our side.
“Everyone is safe inside, even Firana.” Zaon replied with a trembling voice. The fight must have scared him, or maybe it was me.
Elincia passed between us and opened the door of the manor. Inside, in the middle of the reception room there was Firana with her sword in one hand and a wooden shield in the other, ready to defend the orphanage from whatever threat crossed the doorway. Her eyes were fierce and the dried blood smeared on her face gave her a ferocious expression.
Elincia moved Firana’s sword away and embraced her. Firana dropped the shield and hugged Elincia, pressing her face against the woman’s chest. From the door that led to the bedroom, appeared the rest of the orphans led by Wolf and Ilya. Firana tried to get away but the swarm of small children quickly surrounded her in a chaotic hug.
I suddenly realized that I would go to any extent to protect the peace of the orphanage. I smiled. It’s been a while, years even, since I had a goal so clear in my sight. As much as I wanted to discover the wonders of this world, staying in Farcrest had been the right decision all along.
Zaon had not left my side so I pushed him through the doorway.
“Go, I’ll check the iron fence in the meantime.” I said.
Zaon nodded and ran towards the group of kids that swirled around Elincia and Firana. Meanwhile, I snuck away into the front yard, taking deep breaths in a vain attempt to calm my nerves. I tried to grab the iron fence but my hands wouldn’t stop trembling.
The last time I had an altercation was with a parent that wanted me to pass their kid with straight ‘A’s despite being a ‘C’s’ student. But even then, it didn’t escalate as much as this.
There were a few onlookers on the nearby doorways and windows but I didn’t pay them any attention. The residents of the poor part of the town barely interacted with each other and the houses near the orphanage were mostly uninhabited. Nobody wanted to have trouble with the Marquis and there was a collective understanding that the orphanage was a source of trouble.
It wasn’t hard to see why. Elincia had been fighting an uphill fight with treacherous allies against an invincible enemy.
“So much for an adventure laden fantasy world.” I sighed, calm enough to pick up the heavy iron door and lean it against the supports in precarious balance. For some reason, mumbling in English was extremely soothing. “I guess even in this world a man is a wolf to another man… at least wolves are cooperative among their pack.”
I sighed once again. The gate might not have been much of a defensive barrier against the guards but not having one reminded me how vulnerable we were.
The storm had passed but the orphanage was far from safe.
“So… cowardice isn’t a requirement to become a Scholar.” Elincia’s voice caught me off guard.
“You were watching?” I turned around, deciding the fence gate wasn’t going to get better aligned anytime soon. Elincia was on the doorway staring at me.
“I was waiting for the right moment to jump into the fray. My [Piercing Shot] isn’t as good as your boomstick but I think I could take down a Soldier with a stealth shot.” The elven woman casually replied, as if we were not talking about killing actual human beings.
“How is Firana doing?” I changed the subject.
“She’s all right. The guardsmen recognized her in the street and caught her, she managed to get away after a quick struggle, hence the nosebleed and the torn sleeve.” Elincia came down the stairs and stood by my side as we overlooked the street. It didn't look like the guards were coming back, at least for now.
The royal tax had to be paid by the end of the week and after that the orphans would be safe until the summer.
“So… you are a Servant of the Secret Flame. What about that, mystery man?” Elincia bumped me with her hip. As much as I was exhausted, she seemed to be in a great mood. She was a weirdo after all.
“I didn’t know what to say so I stole a line from a movie. I left my ‘Bad Motherfucker’ wallet in my car, so that’s that.” I shrugged my shoulders.
“What’s a movie?” Elincia asked with renewed interest.
Being the center of attention in the classroom every day had not prepared me for this kind of attention. I wished Elincia would return to the topic about the orphanage, I didn’t have time or energy to deal with my feelings right now.
“Rob?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just thinking.” I shook my head to dispel any intrusive thought my brain could formulate. “A movie is a series of pictures that create the illusion of movement. If we get enough paper I could show you a rough demonstration.”
I wondered if paper was expensive in this world.
“I will take your word for it. For now we have to think about what we are going to do to keep the guardsmen far from the kids.” Elincia said, regaining her governess's serious appearance. No matter how much her eyebrows converged, not a single wrinkle formed on her face. Elincia had a gracefulness and elegance hard to compare to anyone I knew from Earth, and it went beyond her mere appearance.
Suddenly an idea sprouted in my mind. I might know how to keep the guardsmen at bay for a while.
“Do you know any craftsmen here in Farcrest?” I asked.
“Sometimes I feel like you don’t really listen to me.” Elincia sighed. “And yes, I know a certain craftsman. His name is Ginz, he was an orphan here at the same time as me.”
Comments
Leonard Marchant
Suggestion - "You would cross a weilder of the flame of Anor?" *Something about erupting in fire* "None shall pass!" I've always felt that the climax of epicness should be very concise, in this case it is the flames, with the words before as quiet buildup, and those after in support.
Leonard Marchant
The servant of the secret flame thing is a bit too goofy, kind of ruins the vibe of what would've been an epic scene
Ruathim
I still have no idea why after all this time, fuck around and find out hits me with a shot of dopamine. Great chapter!
