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An Otherworldly Scholar - 123
🕑 Added 2024-05-07 01:05:28 +0000 UTCA thunderous roar reverberated through the sandstone stands, and the duel arena seemed about to explode. If Ilya, Zaon, and Wolf had sparked the crowd’s interest, Firana brought them to the edge of ecstasy. The exchange of wind and stone spells had everyone on the edge of their seats. Firana jumped through the air using [Windrider] to use thin air as solid surfaces and dodge the barrage of stones. For a moment, I forgot about the Skills and the limitations imposed by the System. All I saw was two magicians using up to their last trick to get the upper hand.
Firana landed and used [Windrider] to jump away from the stone spike emerging under her feet. She performed a backflip and landed softly, barely raising any dust, outside Belya’s range. The synergy between her skills was surprising, considering she had only one week to grow accustomed to them. Sure, the System assisted the usage of skills, but Firana’s movements were well beyond the basics.
Belya used her Geomancer skills to shoot a swift stone missile. Firana dodged, and the projectile crashed against the protective barrier along the arena's edges. The crowd ducked, but the barrier remained unscathed. Firana ignored the crowd’s complaints and darted forward, zigzagging between the stone spikes scattered over the arena, but before she could approach enough, Belya hid in another sandstorm.
Firana hesitated. The sandstorm obscured what happened on the other side, and getting close would have been risky. Suddenly, a stone missile shot through the wall of sand, hitting Firana directly in the chest. The crowd cheered as Firana hit the ground but quickly rolled away as a series of projectiles emerged from the sandstorm. She dodged, jumping between the stone spikes and using [Aerokinesis] and [Windrider] to change her direction mid-flight. The stone bullets crashed against the barrier, prompting a roar from the crowd.
The sandstorm subsided, revealing Belya standing in the eye of the storm.
I had to swallow my words. Advanced Classes were in a completely different league, even at lower levels. The strict hierarchy of this world made even more sense now. Belya and Firana had started the race well ahead of the rest and had a greater potential to develop down the way. At this rate, we would have to fight tooth and nail to carve our way to the finals.
“Focus, dammit!” Ilya yelled from the sideline.
“I’m doing my best! I can’t attack the sandstorm without going blind!” Firana replied, using the brief pause to catch her breath.
“It only lasts fifteen seconds, you airhead!” Ilya yelled.
Firana wiped the sweat from her forehead and pressed the attack. Belya raised her stone-crowned mace, seemingly weightless in her hand, and he blocked Firana's attack. The girl stepped back before the boulder could hit her barriers. The exchange was fast. Firana pressed the offensive to prevent Belya from casting her skills but had to keep her distance to avoid the mace. The fight was tight. Belya understood close-quarter combat well and was skilled enough to keep Firana at bay.
Across the pavilion, Lord Nara covered his face with both hands, defeated. The bracket had already been decided in the previous combat, but that didn’t hinder the crowd’s excitement. Even the other members of Team Nara stood by the edge of the arena, cheering for her teammate. I had been so focused on the court’s schemes that I had forgotten an essential aspect of the tournament. They were kids showing their recently obtained skills.
The common folk rarely saw combatants using their skills. Not in a safe environment, at least. Unlike back on Earth, there weren’t hundreds of shows all year round in Farcrest. The tournament would bolster the Marquis and the Prince’s reputation in the surrounding area.
I wondered how much protection the people’s approval would give us against the Marquis if Sir Janus was right and the Marquis plotted with Kellaren and the Osgirians. There was a reason why the Marquis and the Prince invited commoners, and I thought it had to do with the soft power of the masses. Governors required civil peace to rule over an area, which meant the love of the people could serve as a shield against the Marquis.
I made a mental note to consult with Elincia later. Maybe we could abuse the Alchemists Guild monopoly over potions to gain the hearts of the citizens of Farcrest.
“You are doing great, Firana!” I yelled from the bench, pushing my worries aside and focusing on the combat. Not everything was political agenda. My kids were taking their first steps into the world of adults, and they were doing great.
Firana turned around and waved at me just to take a big stone projectile directly to the head.
“Please, don’t distract Firana. I’m trying to make her win,” Ilya grunted, giving me a stern look.
Even Belya seemed worried about Firana because she dropped the flying boulder she was preparing, which gave her a moment to recompose. Luckily, the barrier had absorbed the impact. A moment later, Firana raised her guard, and Belya used geomancy to shower her with a wave of sand. Firana used aerokinesis to disperse the attack. Then, without warning, she jumped and attacked from above, taking Belya by surprise and equalizing the score.
Elincia snuggled up next to me with a broad smile on her face.
“Did you expect a better performance?” I jokingly asked.
“I have to stop doubting you, Scholar,” Elincia replied near my ear. “This is like a dream come true. Ilya got her dream class. Wolf is getting along with the other kids. Zaon is a great swordsman. Firana is happy.”
I nodded, but even a dream could turn into a nightmare in a blink. I tried not to think about that and enjoy the show.
“I could go without Astrid and Risha, but nothing is perfect,” Elincia added with a mischievous smile.
“Be grateful they are holding the fort for us, or Nasiah would have to do it,” I joked back.
Elincia grinned and focused on the fight. Firana had scored a clean hit with her sword and was now focused on dodging the mace. Belya couldn’t cast more than one skill simultaneously, which gave Firana enough time to react. Either she summoned a sandstone spike, swung her mace, threw a projectile, or created a small sandstorm around her.
Belya used her mace to kick a hail of stone fragments over Firana, but instead of dodging, she endured the attack and slashed Belya’s chest. Both girls breathed heavily, barely holding to their weapons. There was a reason why rounds in boxing lasted only three minutes. Fighting drained stamina at an alarming speed.
Firana smiled, and Belya grinned back; both were having a great time.
“How much more mana do you have?!” Firana grunted.
“Enough,” Belya replied with a smile, but the stones that wrapped her weapon slipped through the metallic surface, revealing an arming sword similar to Firana’s. “I’ll show you my titles later. My father told me I should reach level nine before the tournament, but I really needed that juicy [Geode Hunter] title.”
“Of course, you are a rock nerd. There’s no way a normal person has so much mana,” Firana sighed.
“Minerals, they are minerals,” Belya replied.
Firana rolled her eyes. In response, Belya dipped her sword in the ground and pulled it out covered in rocks. The stone spikes that hindered Firana’s movement now created a cage around the girls and prevented Belya from retreating. The mana reserves of both girls were dangerously low. From that point on, every skill mattered, and even the slightest mistake could mean defeat.
Firana attacked, but Belya’s close-quarter defense was as good as her channeling skills. She made up for her lack of finesse with the sheer volume of the mace. In a normal fight, that weapon could split open the head of an armored soldier with a single well-aimed strike. Firana didn’t seem concerned. She dodged by millimeters, trying to maximize her offensive options.
Belya’s style wasn’t a secret. She attacked with her skills and defended with the stone mace. Her movements were predictable, but Firana didn’t notice the patterns. Ilya almost pulled her hair by the sideline, trying to assist Firana. After a tight exchange, both girls ended up with their last barrier.
“Sandstorm!” Ilya yelled an instant before the whirlwind started forming around her feet.
Firana shot a wind blow with her free hand. The skill was disturbed, but Belya smashed the ground with her mace, unleashing a rain of debris on Firana. She instinctively covered her face, although the barrier blocked any hit against her. The pebbles didn’t have enough force to shatter it. Belya seized the lapse in Firana’s guard and swung her mace.
Firana grinned. It was a feint. Channeling the little mana she had left, Firana jumped over Belya’s head, letting the mace cut through thin air.
The crowd held its breath.
Firana found support on Belya’s shoulders and shifted mid-air to dive feet first directly against Belya’s legs. Both girls rolled on the dirt, mace, and sword lost in the chaos. Firana tried to push Belya against the ground, but the girl wrapped her legs around Firana’s abdomen, avoiding submission. The struggle continued, but none scored the upper hand. Their punches were too weak to break the barrier.
“I told you not to lose your sword! Goddamit! How many times?!” Ilya yelled.
“They look like a couple of drunks,” Wolf pointed out, but he was kind of a purist of the unarmed combat.
At least the crowd was down for a good brawl.
Belya used her geomancy to recall her mace, but Firana caught her wrist before she could swing. Then, Belya dipped her free hand on the ground to pull out surrounded by stone. The crowd cheered despite the dust cloud obscuring the view. Firana dodged the blow aimed at her head and caught Belya’s wrist, pushing it against the ground.
Firana managed to push Belya down, but there was a stalemate. The moment Firana let go, Belya would attack with her mace or stone-covered arm. No matter how hard she tried to break free, Firana pinned her down with her arms above her head.
“Unless you want to try to break the barrier with a headbutt, I think this is a tie,” Belya panted.
“I can get away before you can swing,” Firana replied, breathing heavily.
Both their faces were covered in sweat and dust.
“You don’t have enough mana,” Belya grinned.
Firana closed her eyes and focused, but her last strands of mana weren’t enough to cast any spell.
“I can’t believe I’m going to tie against a minerals nerd,” Firana sighed.
“If you give minerals a chance, I’m sure you would like them. Geodes are very cool.”
“I don’t even know what a geode is… but I guess it's a tie.”
Firana rolled away, letting Belya free, her chest going up and down as she tried to catch her breath. None of the girls moved, and the Master of Ceremonies had to approach to ensure they weren’t continuing the fight.
“Fight is over! It’s a tie!” The man announced with his magically amplified voice.
Lord Nara exited the pavilion in a rage, but I didn’t pay much attention. We had done it. Ilya, Wolf, and Zaon entered the arena and lifted Firana from the ground, trapping her in a tight group hug. Despite Lord Nara’s absence, the rest of his team also entered the arena to congratulate our kids. Even the Warrior who had trash-talked Ilya was humble enough to acknowledge his defeat.
Belya rummaged through her pockets and pulled out half a dozen geodes of rainbow colors.
“Kids surely make friends easily,” Elincia said as I offered her my arm.
“You didn’t?” I asked.
“I was a sore loser and a bad winner. If I were Ilya, I would be mocking them,” she replied, and I couldn’t tell if she was joking or talking seriously.
I guided Elincia into the arena as the Master of Ceremonies announced our victory. We were eleven points ahead of Team Nara despite half of our team being classless, and I couldn’t be happier. The performance proved to the kids that their hard work bore fruit and reassured me that my teaching method was effective. All those months of hard work and those sleepless nights were worth it.
“Those were great fights, kids. I’m very proud,” I said as Firana jumped into my arms with a wide smile.
Even Zaon seemed to start accepting the fact we had won.
We formed in the middle of the arena and saluted the crowd, my team to my left and Team Nara to my right. The crowd cheered, and I noticed a few chanted Firana’s name. That wasn’t going to be good for her ego. The Master of Ceremonies announced the next fight would take place after a short intermission.
“Shouldn’t we go with them?” Elincia asked as the kids turned around and entered the pavilion.
“We flex now,” I replied, walking in the opposite direction.
We crossed the arena, Elinica in her blue dress holding onto my arm until we reached the VIP box. Prince Adrien was waiting for us with a satisfied smile on his face. He moved his gold and green cape out of the way and leaned over the handrail to greet us. Everyone had to know this was a victory of the royalist faction.
“I hope our performance pleased Your Majesty,” I greeted with a bow. Despite how casual Prince Adrien was in private, we were on a social instance. Elincia did a graceful curtsy by my side, keeping her head low.
[Awareness] informed me the other nobles in the VIP box lowered their voices to overhear our conversation.
“I am surprised, Robert, Elincia. I didn’t believe there was such talent in the Lowell’s Orphanage,” the Prince laughed. “Well, I don’t know if I can say I’m surprised after seeing your titles. Osgirians have a long way to go to procure Scholars of your experience.”
I bowed, accepting the compliment, but I couldn't overlook that he had used ‘Lowell’s Orphanage’ instead of ‘Rosebud Fencing Academy’. After all, being beaten by a group of orphans was way more shameful than being defeated by an established fencing academy. I wondered if the Prince was behind the sudden change of name. I knew him well enough to know he would’ve thought about that. The benefits were great, and the costs were minimal.
After hearing Sir Janus’ suspicions, I saw enemies behind every shadow.
“Some say Firana Aias is your best student, but I’m more interested in Zaon. I see Imperial Knight material in him,” Prince Adrien said, causing a stir in the VIP box. “How long until he gets his class?”
The Prince’s words caught me by surprise. I truly believed Zaon had unmatched bravery; he had jumped to the fight when the thieves attacked me, but I didn’t expect others to look past his timid personality after only one fight.
“By the end of the week, Your Majesty,” I said.
“That is excellent news,” Prince Adrien said, lowering his voice. “From now on, the competition will be harsh. You better prepare, Robert Clarke.”
I couldn’t help but read a second message between the lines.
Comments
I Dare Korval
Ilya is going to tease Firana so much because she didn't win her bout, isn't she? Keep up the great story work.
Kalmars
THEY ARE MINERALS
