elra
patreon
An Otherworldly Scholar - 91
🕑 Added 2024-01-10 00:43:39 +0000 UTC“This man is Robert Clarke, the instructor at the Rosebud Fencing Academy.” the Marquis said. “He is a Scholar, Prince Adrien.”
Despite the gasps from the nearby nobles, the prince didn’t react. Instead, he examined my appearance with a skeptical eye. A Scholar wasn’t supposed to match a warrior’s combat prowess.
Prince Adrien wasn’t as tall as Sir Janus or as imposing as the Marquis yet he radiated a dangerous aura. It had nothing to do with his arrogant posture or the fact he was the kingdom's soon-to-be ruler. Silvery mana particles swirled inside the prince’s chest with a storm's strength. Even the Marquis's igneous mana paled in comparison.
[Awareness] told me to run away, but my legs were petrified.
“A Scholar’s biggest magical feat is to use their mana to grab books without having to stand up from their desks, not flinging Lv.30 soldiers in full armor across the room,” Prince Adrien said with a humorous tone as he combed back his already perfect short white hair.
His remark didn’t ease the Marquis's visage.
I couldn’t tell if the prince was putting on an act or not. [Awareness] couldn’t read his face. The prince’s expression showed no anger even though I had attacked his soldiers; instead, he seemed curious.
“Show me your Personal Sheet,” Prince Adrien demanded.
The Marquis quickly said, “My Lord, Robert Clarke arrived at Farcrest via a portal accident. Under Old Imperial Law, he is protected from–”.
“It will be my pleasure,” I interrupted.
The outline of a plan was quickly sketched in my mind. It was a risky gamble at best; the whole idea was supported by incomplete information. I just hoped Prince Adrien and the Marquis operated similarly.
With a controlled hand movement, I summoned my Character Sheet and turned it around. The nobles stood five or six meters behind the prince, at the other side of the vestibule, which meant they couldn’t take a peek into my Sheet. They will have to trust the prince’s reaction.
Name: Robert Clarke, Human. (Light-Footed, Night Vision)
Class: Scholar Lv.15
Titles: Out of your League, Hot for Teacher, Confidant, Classroom Fiend, Favorite Teacher (98), Father Figure (2), Master Tutor, Silver Scholar, Delinquent Reformer (5), Stalwart Mentor (7), Making the Difference, Role Model, Headmaster, Expert Mathematician, Expert Physicist, Adept Historian, Adept Linguist, Journeyman Biologist, Novice Chemist, Novice Orator, Researcher of the Hidden.
Passive: Lv.5 Swordsmanship, Mana Mastery, Awareness, Master of Languages.
Skills: Identify, Stun Gaze, Intimidate, Minor Illusion.
The only visible reaction I got was a slight raise of his eyebrow, but [Awareness] knew better. The Prince’s rapacious eyes showed another emotion hidden behind the surprise. Greed.
“I’m ashamed for causing such a ruckus in your presence, My Lord. If you can forgive me, I’ll be in your debt,” I said with a deep bow. My plan was simple: Show Prince Adrien I was more valuable alive and free than inside a prison cell. I was already effectively in his camp, so I just had to play along so he could save face while letting me go. If my calculations were correct, no noble could resist the allure of a solid brick of titles.
It was up to the prince to conduct the conversation in a way that seemed I hadn’t embarrassed the royal army.
“Not every day you see a Scholar knocking a bunch of warriors off their feet. It’s been quite the show, Robert Clarke,” Prince Adrien said out loud. His words created a stir in the room. “Most of us would agree that so many warriors packed together in an enclosed space would only result in a fight breaking out sooner or later.”
There was the trap. Prince Adrien was putting anyone who found my actions reprehensible against himself. The nobles had two options: agree with the prince and let me go or voice his position against the prince in front of all the other noble houses. The second option was political suicide.
Turning a diplomatic disaster into a minor issue was going to be expensive. The favor of a prince was exponentially more costly than the favor of the Marquis of a city lost near the frontier. I was dipping my feet in deep, shark-infested political waters, but for Firana and the kids, I would go the whole nine yards.
An old priest dressed in white and gold was the first to support the prince's case, making me wonder if the Church of the System was on board with the royal family's plans.
“If nobles knew how to behave, Fortifiers would be out of work very quickly. Think about it. Why would the System grant us such breath-taking skills if not to occasionally flex them?” The priest said.
The atmosphere of the vestibule relaxed as more nobles jumped into the ‘it was just a little scuffle’ train. Finally, I could breathe in peace. The danger was gone. I took advantage of the noise to hammer the last nail of the coffin, to prove my worth.
“Lord Marquis, the men I just… had an argument with, they are likely victims of the Odrac-Aias scheme. They are valuable witnesses,” I whispered, covering my mouth with a hand in case there was a skillful lip-reader among the nobles.
The prince raised an eyebrow, asking for an explanation.
“The Rosebud Academy will represent Farcrest during the Stephaniss Cup. Robert Clarke is already aware of our plans for the tournament,” the Marquis said with a triumphal smile. “And, we might have found a connection between House Osgiria and illicit activities.”
“You’ll tell me anything you have on those Osgirian rats when we get rid of prying ears,” the prince replied with a pleased yet vicious smile. “And regarding this new addition to our team, well done, Tauron.”
“Indeed, My Lord. Thank you, My Lord,” the Marquis bowed his head.
The irony was not lost on me. Despite trying to avoid it at all costs, I became the Marquis's gift for the royal house. This time, however, I was better prepared to get my cut out of the situation. I smiled. My read on Prince Adrien had been correct: a leader would’ve sought justice for their wronged men; a politician, on the other hand, would’ve prioritized the strength of their faction.
A swift glance over the prince’s shoulder revealed the rest of the nobles were slowly shortening the distance between our groups. The prince wasn’t the only shark that smelled blood in the water. Everyone else wanted to have their turns with the famous newcomer.The time to pay for the favors was near, and I couldn’t help but feel like the new plaything of the kingdom’s nobility, for the best or the worse.
“High Priest Iloi, come meet the most powerful Scholar in the kingdom,” the prince said out loud. I didn’t need [Awareness] to tell me all the Great Hall was spying on our conversation.
The priest who had spoken in my favor approached us. He seemed old as time itself, and his tunic had enough gold to drag his movement down. Despite his age, he appeared as healthy as the rest of the nobles. A boon from the System, maybe.
“I’m Iloi, High Priest of the Church of the System. I wanted to speak with you,” the priest said. “Could it be that the System has blessed you? It’s been a while since I have seen someone using Fountain mana; even the Zealots from the Covenant of the Radiant Fountain have problems channeling such quantities.”
The priest’s watchful eyes betrayed his wrinkled face and peaceful smile. I had met enough teachers throughout my life to recognize a trick question. Despite the innocent question, the High Priest wasn’t asking me about blessings but about curses. I could use Fountain Mana because the Corruption shredded the walls of my mana pool and gave me access to the Fountain itself. The actual question was if I was using Corruption intentionally.
[Awareness] was the employee of the month once again.
I had the hunch that the Zealots from the Covenant of the Radiant Fountain used controlled amounts of Corruption to ease their connection with the Fountain. I wanted to avoid the High Priest suspecting me of using Corruption deliberately.
“I’d like to credit Scholar gifts for the discovery, but in reality, I stumbled upon the Fountain by accident,” I said with a polite smile.
“I understand,” The High Priest said. “It was a shock for me to know the Fountain was always there, under my own mana pool. Don’t be scared of it. If anything, it's a reminder that the System connects all of us.”
“I’ll remember that,” I replied, sure he was testing me. “Although I'd rather use my own.”
The priest nodded, looking over my shoulder where Firana was being tended by one of the System Zealots. “A wise decision, Robert Clarke. Fountain Mana should only be used in times of great need,” he said, seemingly satisfied with my answers.
A System Zealont leaned over the High Priest's ear and whispered something my [Awareness] couldn’t get. I took advantage of the lapse in conversation to look around. The Zealot with wolf ears that had called me by my name was nowhere to be found.
“If you excuse me, I have urgent matters to attend to,” the High Priest said, looking directly at my eyes. “Your majesty, Marquis, Mister Clarke. Hopefully, we will meet again soon.”
With the High Priest gone, Prince Adrien gave the Marquis a furtive look. A shiver ran down my spine. At this point in the conversation, I only desired to check on Firana and the kids, but it seemed the prince still had plans for me.
“You are well on track to become the next Prestige Class in our kingdom, Robert,” the prince said, loud enough for the nearby clumps of nobles to hear. [Awareness] told me everyone had at least one ear put on our conversation.
‘Prestige Class’ were big words to throw around.
Between Elincia’s explanations and the Book of Classes, I had an approximate idea about the progression system in this world. Kids usually got a Basic Class when they turned fifteen, although this wasn’t always the case. Elincia had obtained an Advanced Class right from the start with Alchemist instead of the basic class Herbalist. My case was similar. Instead of becoming a Scribe, the System deemed it more appropriate to make me a Scholar.
An Advanced Class was a sizable head start, although not an immediately noticeable one. The System balanced Basic and Advanced Classes, giving everyone a slow growth in the initial levels. Only after level twenty did power levels diverge dramatically. Evidence of this slow start was my ability to keep up Raudhan’s pace during our first encounter despite him being a Fencer.
Powerful Basic Classes, like Knight, could theoretically put up a fight with Advanced Classes of similar level. Prestige Classes were in an echelon on their own. They were exceedingly rare and exceedingly powerful. As far as the Book of Classes went, Scholars could evolve into two possible Prestige Classes: Sage and Tactician. The book, however, didn’t have much to say about them, and most of the boxes were marked as unknown. The brief line about Sage said it was a powerful spellcasting class, while Tactician could command large armies and countries with extreme ease.
The Marquis laughed, “My court Scholar, Luzian Abei, is obsessed with Robert. He said that with Robert as the Headmaster, we could found an academy that competes with the Imperial Library, but I’m sure he exaggerates.”
“With those titles? I believe it's entirely possible. I can see Robert giving the Imperial Scholar a run down for her money,” the prince laughed back.
As evident as the attempt to inflate the stature of my persona before the tournament was, I couldn’t help but think they were going too far. The more they elevated me, the harsher the crash would be if I failed. Considering the risks of dealing with nobles, I wanted a safety net. I had no doubt Prince Adrien and the Marquis would discard me the moment I proved useless to their plans.
“Please, don’t mention my level. I couldn’t live with such shame,” I replied with a laugh of my own. [Awareness] informed me it came out as stiff as humanly possible.
We talked for a few more minutes before Prince Andrew deemed that the nobles had seen enough of our ‘friendship’. By that point of the day, everyone must’ve known I was part of the royalist faction. I sighed. Anyone listening to Prince Adrien’s remarks about me would’ve thought I was some sort of young savant of unmatched wit.
Playing politics was tiresome, but at least I wasn’t requested to speak to anyone else. After exchanging pleasantries, Prince Adrien said his goodbyes, and I was left alone with the Marquis. Both of us sighed in relief. Dealing with nobility was going to be bad for my cardiovascular health.
“Izabeka, please escort Robert back to his manor. Don’t let anyone else speak to him. Or have an ‘argument’ with him,” the Marquis said as soon as the prince disappeared among the crowd. Out of nowhere, Captain Kiln appeared with Raudhan and Firana by her side.
It was finally over.
Captain Kiln whispered into my ear, “Don’t worry, I already have the kids waiting outside.”
As we left the Great Hall and I saw my class waiting for me at the steps, a weight left my shoulders.
“You should’ve seen it! A soldier grabbed me by the neck, and then Mister Clarke pushed all this mana into the shape of a fist and bam! He sent the soldier flying across the room,” Firana said with a slightly hoarse voice before I could open my mouth.
The markings around her neck had almost wholly disappeared. If not for [Awareness], I couldn’t have noticed them. I sighed. At least Firana was in a good mood, which was only marginally worrying in the grand scheme of things.
“I swear to the System that the soldier’s arm snapped in front of my eyes, with armor and everything,” Firana said. “Then Mister Clarke sent another attack, and in the blink of an eye, he had neutralized four soldiers. Prince Adrien said they were level thirty or so. Oh, and Mister Clarke met the prince; and they became friends!”
“Don’t tell Shu the prince is handsome, please,” I said as their glances of disbelief fell upon me. “And don’t tell Elincia I got into a fight in front of the nobles.”
“It was awesome!” Firana interrupted me.
“It was awesome, indeed,” Captain Kiln said.
I sighed. Most of it had been luck and good timing. If the prince had a more vindictive personality, or the Marquis wouldn’t consider me a potential ally, I would be done and dusted.
“I haven’t seen such an idiot in ages,” Raudhan grunted.
I couldn’t tell if he was playing an act or if he really hated me. What was certain was that I needed time to get my thoughts in order. Once again, I had disobeyed Elincia’s wishes by picking a fight, and I still had to tell her about Risha. I should’ve told her before my transgressions piled up.
At least the relationship improvement with the Marquis and Prince Adrien was a net positive.
“Well, who wants to eat pastries before lunch?” I asked.
The kids, particularly Ilya, had done an excellent job that deserved a proper reward. Zaon smiled, Ilya licked her lips, Firana shot her arms to the sky, and even Wolf celebrated my decision to pick something sweet on our way home.
“I didn’t hear a yes from Captain Kiln!” I said.
“I’m on call,” she sternly replied.
“Auntie has a sweet tooth but doesn’t want anyone to know–,” Raudhan said before Captain Kiln wrapped her muscular arm around the young man’s neck.
“I’ll take a small muffin just because of the troubles you have given me,” the woman said.
“Let’s go then,” I said, ignoring Raudhan’s increasingly purple face.
Comments
Silver Beard
half expected him to lose it when he started channeling Foundation Mana.
I Dare Korval
Good to see that Robert got his awareness back just in time. I'm looking forward to Robert being able to add sounds to his illusions and make them really realistic in all ways. It would make for some great mischief/trickster pranks and distractions in fights. Also I noticed corrupted [Identify] was not showing corruption. By the way I think you made a mistake with the line "We talked for a few more minutes before Prince Andrew deemed that...". I think you ment "Prince Adrien". Lovin' the story so far, keep up the great work.
Valderan
If you're channelling the fountain I'd recommend "unlimited sword works" myself. Just go absolute ham.
Kalmars
awesome chapter, now to wait for the next fix
David Ellis
Would be awesome to see Robert combine the fountain magic with his illusion magic and recreate stuff like the Kamehameha, Rasengan, Gomu Gomu no Pistol, and Bankai to confuse and intimidate the enemy (and of course get the "Massive Weeb" title) 🤪
Kazrik
Ahh, just the fix I needed. I'm kind of terrified of what the Prince's class is going to be. Another great chapter!
Gingiberry
well... I mean... at least he knows he can *throw* a punch now lol
oreganoe
I'm getting excited for the tournament!
Kovak
thanks for the chapter! great as usual
