The match began with the sound of steps pounding the earth, pushing the older sibling forward as he used [Gale Steps]. In a zigzag fashion, Jonathan closed the distance between him and Ellaine, readying himself to strike his sister with his blade, but in the crucial moment, he hesitated.
Although shocked by her brother’s sudden acceleration, Ellaine’s arm instinctively swung her blade, remembering every time I would “teleport” before her. Her brother jerked back, but this left him wide open as Ellaine’s hazel and emerald spell rings were already shining, ready to cast spells. Without a doubt, Ellaine had anticipated her brother’s attack and had her spells readied, it was just that she couldn’t control her shock.
Jonathan, gritting his teeth, dash back up to her and attempted to disarm her, but it was already too late as a brown magic circle materialized underneath the latter. With a whisper, Ellaine cast [Earth Wall], sending her flying up in the air, avoiding her brother’s attack, before casting a [Wind Blast] at point-blank range to blast herself even further away while sending Jonathan falling onto his back.
Nice, that’s my move! Don’t let him get close to you, Ellaine! Use your spells not only as attacks and feints but also for movements and displacements!
As Jonathan was recovering from a point-blank blast of wind, which should have dazed him from just the force even if it hadn’t done any actual damage, Ellaine’s twin-gem ring shone brightly once again. Using [Multi-Cast], two magic circles—one brown, one green—appeared on her body and cast [Sturdy Earth] and [Swift Winds], buffing herself up.
“Good. Applying stat-increasing spells is a challenge for most apprentice mages, regardless of whether they face a knight, a fellow mage, or a beast. Battles are always hectic in the beginning and most overly-excited casters simply forget or even abstain from using them. For that reason, catalyst and alchemical stones were created, my dears,” Marianne was monologuing, commenting on the battle from her seat. As it was loud enough for everybody close by to listen to, which included some guards and her personal knights, I had a feeling she was secretly a shoutcaster. “Lady Hestia, my daughter does not know how to fight. Did you perhaps teach her these tactics?”
O-oi, what the hell was that blunt statement! I complained in my head as I flinched from Marianne’s sudden remark, which showed her strict side as she gave her opinion on her Ellaine.
“Yes, I did give her some advice on how to fight, especially close-combatants; however, aren’t you being a bit too harsh, Lady Marianne? When we first sparred, she seemed competent enough, considering she barely has experience fighting against stronger mages.”
However, Marianne shook her head in disagreement. “You are being too kind. Let us continue watching the spar for now.”
Ruthless mom!
The moment she said that, Ellaine landed on the ground, being forced to roll, letting the ground absorb her momentum. It wasn’t anywhere close to being elegant or lady-like, as I opted to have her learn the more practical and efficient parkour roll I learned from movies and parkour videos. I used it and she copied me without a question … Although, it did receive a ton of complaints from Josine and Manuela.
At the same time, Jonathan was already back on his feet and used [Gale Steps] once again. Due to the need for chanting, spells used without [Chant Revocation] were always slower than weapon or unarmed Abilities since the Abilities could be used immediately or with just a small wind-up. It was my first time fully witnessing the struggles a mage would have against a frontliner.
Ellaine raised her left hand, looking like she was about to ready a spell, but after a split second reflection, she quickly two-handed her sword and raised that up instead, blocking her brother’s incoming attack. Their blades collided for the first time, the sound of dull steel echoed through the training field with a loud clank.
“Urgh!” Ellaine groaned, grimacing in displeasure.
She was holding her stance well, but, seeing as her brother was not only taller, but also physically stronger thanks to a strenuous training regimen over the years, Ellaine couldn’t defeat her brother in a strength match-up. Despite managing to level up ten times during our hunting trip, she has only been receiving my training for a little over a month and, unfortunately, she wasn’t blessed with a dragon’s or garm’s evolution paths and natural growth rates.
She couldn’t overpower or outspeed her better-trained brother, regardless of what their level difference was. Ellaine knew this. She bent her knees, letting her brother’s sword slide down her blade to the side, before launching her own sword attack. Jonathan easily parried it, using the momentum of his moving blade..
At this position, Jonathan had a good shot to kick Ellaine’s chest, creating some distance while also knocking the air out of her lungs. I guess he was going easy on her, since that would be what I would do if I was in his shoes. Or, he was honorable and hasn’t learned how to fight dirty yet.
Or just punch, grapple, or even a good ol’ headbutt. Swordplay is also about using fisticuffs.
Nevertheless, Jonathan’s swordplay was filled with “honesty,” as he relied purely on his blade to launch a flurry of attacks, looking like he was showing his techniques off. Against this barrage, Ellaine’s lacking sword skill couldn’t keep up with her brother’s, letting a few strikes hit her. The swords were dull, but they were still made from steel. One good smack would still break your bones and rupture organs.
“[Sturdy Earth] and [Swift Winds] are working well, otherwise Ellaine wouldn’t be able to keep fighting like this,” Marianne commented, pointing at Ellaine’s increased vitality and agility. “However, how will she get out of this predicament, I wonder? Jonathan can’t fight either, but he still has more experience sparring with others than Ellaine does.”
At this point, I understood why she thought her children couldn’t fight, as she was projecting her standards as a seasoned mage and adventurer on them. I agreed that the quality of this fight wasn’t something to talk about, but Jonathan was moving around pretty well, which proved that he had been training hard up until this day.
Sadly, in a real fight, being too honest with your attacks was a surefire way to get countered. Ellaine’s usage of her magic to maneuver around instead of using them purely for offense and defense, was the first step for a mage to branch out. Creativity was the essence of us mages, as our arsenal of spells allowed, and even promoted, us to manipulate both the environment and our opponents.
Therefore, I did agree with Marianne that—
“Huh?” I stopped my line of thought, gasping at the battle.
“Oh my?”
“Wha-?!”
Similarly, Marianne and Jonathan, respectively, were flabbergasted at Ellaine’s next move.
For some reason, Ellaine suddenly let go of her sword. No, she threw it at Jonathan’s face. With remarkable reflex, Jonathan swirled his body to the side and swung his sword like a baseball bat, sending Ellaine’s blade flying away. He was supposed to recover from this action, but he suddenly began to fall to the ground, surprising even the knights behind us.
They were looking, wondering what just happened, but Saori and I smirked as we looked at Jonathan’s feet. A small brown magic circle was there, hidden behind a cloud of dust due to the siblings’ constant movements, which conjured up a small [Earth Wall]. It was too tiny for anybody to see at first, as our eyes were focused on the fighting, but just tall enough to trip Jonathan.
Ellaine! I shook my hand, grinning in elation. Misdirection into debilitation; that was how one should fight!
Without missing a beat, a green magic circle appeared before Ellaine’s hand. “I beseech your strength, Goddess of Wind! Wind Slash!”
“Kuek! I call upon your winds of protection! Air—ARGH!” Jonathan also had a catalyst of his own, an emerald ring similar to Ellaine’s on his left hand. It shone green as he was trying to cast a spell, but Ellaine’s spell activated first, tearing the left side of his gambeson around his stomach. “—Shield!”
Bearing through the pain, Jonathan managed to cast a shield of wind around him, preventing Ellaine’s second [Wind Slash] from landing. Still, the first one managed to draw blood.
Don’t slow down! Continue casting, Ellaine! Bombard him with spells!
As if she was able to read my mind, her rings glowed once again. Multiple small [Wind Cutter]s shot out from Ellaine’s magic circles, forcing Jonathan to dodge them to prevent his shield from going down, all while spikes erupted from underneath him from Ellaine’s [Earth Strike].
I clapped my hands, feeling the intensity of the fight increase from this one move. “Use fast spells to lead your enemy, then hard-hitting spells to damage them. Nice, Ellaine.”
“Good! She has the basics down with using different magic elements,” Marianne praised with a smile. The refined noble lady was fully immersed in this spar.
I tilted my head, letting a questioning “huh?” out. “Did the academy not teach this to her?”
“Oh no, the royal academy isn’t incompetent. Experienced mages and trained knights act as tutors there, so the academy does teach the basics of fighting. In addition, my husband and I tutored them, so if you were to question Ellaine’s prior training, I would feel quite sad, since it would point to my flaws as a teacher,” Marianne stated with a wry smile.
“Then why did you say Ellaine and Jonathan cannot fight? If you ask me, they are fully able to fight something like a lower-tier rank E monster by themselves; Jonathan especially with his sword prowess. Aren’t you being a bit too demanding?”
Barathan stepped in, lowering his head to speak to me, “Lady Hestia, it isn’t that Lady Marianne is strict because she has to be as a noble, but rather because she wishes for the best for both the young lord and lady.”
Manuela nodded. “The idea behind the royal academy is to act as a place for students to meet each other and build up relationships for the future. For masters to find competent retainers. For knights and mages to find comrades. Unfortunately, that also means that proper combat training comes after graduation.”
… So it was exactly how I envisioned the academy: a place to network.
“You are not too surprised, I see,” Marianne noticed from my expression, then turned her head towards Saori. “Madam Saori, you mentioned you had students, no? Are you perhaps an educator or instructor? If you could, may I hear your opinion on your preferred teaching method? What would you do to reveal the potential of your students?”
Oh, that’s right, Saori was a teacher. I haven’t heard much about that so this might be interesting, I turned my focus from the match to Saori.
Saori placed a hand on her chin, frowned, and looked to the side. It was obvious that she was thinking. “Hmm, I do not believe I have much to offer, really. I have only been a teacher for four years, and I would say I was still learning the intricacies of being an educator for young minds. If there was something that I learned that worked, then it would be to put on a stricter facade than usual during class, as students would challenge the authority of teachers if they see them as incompetent. The moment you lose their respect, that is when everything will descend in chaos.”
“That does sound wise, no? That is especially the case for us nobles, where your birth and parents count towards your influence. A mednoble may teach the child of a greifnoble, but even if the academy is a place where your social rank does not affect your evaluation, it doesn’t mean the child will accept their educator. Commoners aren’t too welcomed by certain nobles, or greifnoble children would blackmail lower-ranking teachers. Being strict to prevent your children from becoming spoiled has been a goal for my husband and me, and we will continue having high standards so our children will always have a goal to strive for, even if it isn’t their current one.”
“However, building a bond with your children is important, which also includes finding what they are interested in. In the country that I taught in, teachers were also like life counselors for our students. We would help them find what they wish to do in the future or try to settle problems for them whenever we could, however, intruding too much into a student’s life was frowned upon,” Saori continued. “At the end of the day, students are young and impressionable. Being a teacher, there was a need to balance what you needed to teach them and what you should be teaching them. A school might have a curriculum for what subjects students need for the future, but a student does not suddenly become wiser after they graduate. Teachers and parents are also responsible for teaching them about life.”
Parents, too, huh? I wonder what my parents thought about me after disobeying them for so long?
“I see, thank you very much for this insight, Madam Saori.” Marianne then turned back to the duel. Ellaine was pinning Jonathan down with magic; even though he was firing back his own spells, they weren’t as frequent as Ellaine’s.
The training field had been transformed through [Earthen Wall]s and [Earth Strike]s, which the siblings were using as cover.
“She’s so much better with magic, so why the sword?” Marianne mumbled. She then turned to me. “Lady Hestia, were you the one who told my daughter to pick up the sword again?”
“No,” I replied. “I personally believe that mages should train their stamina and physical abilities as it directly impacts their fighting capabilities. My situation is special, so I can focus on close-quarter combat in addition to magic, but that doesn’t apply to Ellaine, so I wouldn’t suggest she train her swordsmanship.”
“I can attest to this, Lady Marianne,” Barathan interjecting himself into the discussion. “Manuela and I have overseen Lady Ellaine’s training and it was the young lady herself who wanted to learn how to wield the sword from her knights. She alone made the choice, and we accommodated her.”
“... I see. Maybe there is a bit too much of you in her, Andre. Maybe our daughter would have grown up differently if you had kept training her?” We all could hear her muttering, but nobody spoke up about it. We simply stayed silent as it was polite.
“Earth Spears,” Ellaine shot out her level six earth spell, piercing through a wall, causing dust to spread. Jonathan’s figure was obscured by the brown fog, and it seemed like Ellaine couldn’t pinpoint him.
“Haa … shouting out the name of your spell? She must be tired.” Marianne shook her head before her mouth formed a wry smile. She looked at the battle with a sullen look, as if she was regretting something. “If only we had opened our eyes. After all, both of our children are talented.”
The fog dispersed, caused by a single [Wind Slash] slicing through the air towards Ellaine. The distance was far enough for her to respond to it, dodging to the side while preparing her next spell, but Ellaine suddenly tripped. It was revenge. A brown magic circle for [Earthen Wall] was located under her; Jonathan made her take her own medicine.
With [Gale Steps] Jonathan finally found an opening to close the distance, dashing through the fields. Ellaine quickly stood up and activated [Wind Blast] to push both fighters back; nevetheless, another [Earth Wall] appeared behind Ellaine, stopping her from moving any further.
Jonathan’s brown ring glimmered again and another [Earthen Wall] was cast; this time, it was underneath him. Using this platform, he stomped on it and jumped, flying through the sky with his sword held up high. Ellaine dodged sideways.
Verdammt! He’s copying what you showed him!
Was this the difference in combat experience? Jonathan quickly understood what his sister was doing, using spells to disorient and displace as much as possible. He wasn’t focusing on offensive spells now, but using whatever he could to bring his sister closer to him. He couldn’t win from afar, so he forwent the ranged offensive completely.
Since those two had different fighting abilities and both knew they couldn’t compete with their counterpart in their preferred field, they were trying very hard to keep their advantages. Ellaine wanted to stay away and continue chucking spells at Jonathan, while Jonathan needed to come closer to attack.
“Arck! Urgh, Air Shield!” Jonathan was receiving damage, trying to bring Ellaine close to his sword. It reminded me of my first spar with Farron and how he would tank my spells.
The two danced around as more earthen constructs were erected. Ellaine sweated as she had to continue running around, kiting her brother as best she could, but looking at how heavily she was breathing, her stamina must be close to empty. And seeing how many spells she was using, either arcane corruption or mana stress was just around the corner. I couldn’t help but clench my teeth.
“It is over,” Marianne stated, knowing the battle would end soon.
So did I. “Come on, Ellaine! Just one more decisive hit!” I stood up from my seat and shouted to cheer for my friend. I could see the health difference between the two, so I knew she just needed one more clean hit.
However, that chance never came. As Ellaine was about to launch another spell, the cast fizzled as she flinched in pain, clutching her head. Her skin was slowly becoming a light purple-blue, the first symptoms of arcane corruption. Marianne asked me to get my healing spells ready in the worst case, something I already knew.
The fight continued for a few more seconds before Ellaine’s offense died down completely. Her catalyst rings stopped shining and she was massaging her temples to ward off the headaches caused by arcane corruption. Jonathan didn’t let this go and quickly closed the distance between them.
Ellaine’s long blue hair fluttered in the air as she dodged her brother’s attacks with ragged breath.. Ellaine, in her desperation, had led the battle to the very spot her sword landed when it was initially blasted away. She then ducked under a sword swing, to launch her own sword attack. Without any other attacks, Ellaine had to rely on her swordsmanship.
Unfortunately, her brother wouldn’t allow her to do so. Jonathan parried Ellaine’s attack, and smacked his sword’s handle into her stomach, causing her to empty her lungs. He then disarmed Ellaine and shoved her onto the ground like a MMA grappler, before standing back up, pointing his blade at his sister.
Jonathan won.
So, he can fight dirty.
“Stop. The battle is over! Jonathan is the winner,” Marianne announced, causing the bracelets on the siblings’ arm to activate the runes on them. Josine quickly ran towards her mistress, a dragorade ready in her hand, courtesy of Saori.
“Good fight, sister! You … really surprised me,” Jonathan praised his sister while offering her a hand to stand up, like a chivalrous knight from a fairy tale. Unlike Ellaine who was breathing heavily, Jonathan only seemed slightly winded despite having to run the whole match long. His stamina must be fearsome.
“That was a wonderful duel, my children. You cannot believe how proud you have made me,” Marianne spoke through a smile, despite previously complaining that her children weren’t showing the quality of fighting she was used to. Parents, right? “It is great to see your progress, Jonathan. You still have one more year before you may join a knight’s order, so keep up your training, otherwise, the squire training might be too challenging. Keep this up and I can see you doing well in the tournament this summer.”
“Thank you, mother! I will do my best to bring honor to our house!” Jonathan smiled like a happy puppy after being praised. “I cannot slack now. This was not a good showing after all my training. I adapted too slowly and nearly lost the duel.”
He was so close to 60% Health that I was sure if Ellaine hadn’t gotten that headache, he would have lost.
Marianne nodded in agreement. “You underestimated your sister. Do not make this mistake in a real battle, Jonathan. Ellaine hasn’t reached the advanced elements yet—and neither have you—so she hasn’t reached the heights of an experienced mage who can devastate a battlefield. I would advise you to redouble your magic training, Jonathan. Manuela, look over his schedule and adjust it for me.”
“Yes, Lady Marianne!”
“And Ellaine, my dear daughter.”
Ellaine was standing thanks to Jonathan, but it seemed she needed Josine to support her while she drank her dragorade. Her face made her look like she just want to fall onto her bed and take a nap
Marianne giggled but didn’t bring it up. “I see you have reached level six with both wind and earth magic while I was gone. I am so proud of you; if you keep up your new-found dedication, then you will most likely reach your advanced elements next year.”
Ellaine formed a wry smile as she saw her mother’s joyous attitude, “Actually, Mother … I have already reached level seven with both. I have [Wind Amp] and [Earth Amp]. Ehehe …”
The surprise of hearing this news made Marianne’s eyes go wide, even forcing her to hide her agape mouth with her fan. “Impossible. Leveling so fast after only two months? No, you have only trained for around a month, no? Arcane corruption, mana issues, and stress should prevent you from improving this fast.”
It was true, arcane corruption and mana supply were the main bottleneck for mages. The higher your [Arcane Corruption Resistance] and Mana capacity, the longer you could train, which made leveling skills up far easier and faster. If only there was a way for mages to reduce their arcane corruption with a special drink, right?
Seeing as Marianne didn’t know about my dragorade, did that mean that Ellaine hadn’t told her about it? Wow, Ellaine! Keeping the secrets of your friend!
“Well, it is Lady Hestia’s doing, so if you wish to learn more, please ask her,” she praised me with an innocent smile. However, it wasn’t! Marianne’s eyes flashed like a beast as she stared at me, but only for a moment as her gaze returned to Ellaine.
“Jests aside, I am very proud that you have made this much progress, Ellaine. Truly. You have settled some concerns in my heart with your display today. From never being able to challenge Jonathan, to a valiant defeat. Ellaine, I can assure you, if you show this growth at the academy, the ridicule will stop and you can return to noble society with your head held high.”
I guess the scene at the tea party was only one of many examples of Ellaine’s current situation. The consequences of her action, but I just thought it was too harsh. What could I say? If my returned memories were true, then it meant that I had also caused my friends trouble with my selfishness back on Earth. My old friends had good reasons to distance themselves from me. I didn’t know enough about Ellaine’s former friends to say much about it.
Ellaine looked at her mother with a smile before excusing herself to come to me. Josine let go of her. “How did I do?”
I raised my thumbs up and winked, showing I was happy to see her fight well. “Fantastic. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you get the win though. However, it was definitely a better spar than the one we had at the beginning. Right? Saori? Tasianna?”
“It was a great performance. I am glad that your restructured schedule and training regiment could help you,” Saori answered.
Tasianna showed a thumbs up like I did, but didn’t say anything. She kept up a smile, though!
“I am very glad to hear that. Very glad to not have disappointed you, Lady Hestia. Then it means I have proven myself …” Ellaine then suddenly bent her legs and kneeled, holding her head down. “Lady Hestia Atsuko! I, Ellaine Fiero Helvas, wish to go under you as your retainer and knight!”
Huh? … Ehhhhhh?!
“Wha-wha—Ellaine?!” I stumbled backwards.
“My abilities are nowhere close enough to be able to fight by your side yet, Lady Hestia. However, if you would accept me, then I promise from today onwards that I will undergo whatever trial you hand me. Sword and magic. They will be formed according to your wishes, Lady Hestia!”
Everybody was stunned, especially Marianne and Jonathan. The girl with the inferiority complex wished to become my retainer? I mean, she was still degrading herself for some bloody reason, but she was still offering to become my retainer, yo! Yo, this was crazy!
“Ellaine, dear, what is the meaning of this?” Marianne asked with a surprised expression.
“Mother, I have thought over this idea for a long time, but I wish to serve somebody after I graduate. I know my place as the daughter of a noble house is to be married off to another family, especially after I dishonored myself so much by giving up my birthright, but I cannot accept it anymore. Not after meeting Lady Hestia,” Ellaine voiced out her inner desires. “Lady Hestia, I admit, your songs moved me. Both ‘Promise’ and ‘Memories.’ They made my soul … happy. I felt like I was wasting my life with how I always kept comparing myself to others, and then being disappointed that I couldn’t live up to anybody’s expectations. I-I don’t understand how I wasn’t able to realize this until now. So, I wish to improve myself as much as possible now, and I believe it can only be by your side, Lady Hestia.”
She then raised her head, showing a face full of conviction. “I am not a knight yet, but I wish to become yours. I want to become somebody that can serve you, Lady Hestia!”
As I was listening to her words, two telepathic messages entered my head. The first was from Saori. [“I think we should accept her, Hestia. Did she show you how she’s an apprentice artificer? That alone makes her valuable.”]
Tasianna then gave her opinion, [“From watching her work, she is a capable manager of the estate, Lady Hestia. Miss Saori desperately requires somebody to take some of her workload off, especially when it comes to our finances and trade deals. Lady Ellaine is trained as a merchant thanks to her noble upbringing.”]
[“Tasianna, I can work just fine, why, thank you. I am healthy and stress-free,”] Saori rebuked.
[“Yes, but you still work far too much. I admire it wholeheartedly, but please allow someone else to help so that you may get more sleep, Miss Saori.”]
[“Tasianna, I—”]
In the end, I decided to interject myself. [“Tasianna has a point, Saori. You are a workaholic. I mean, it’s not my place to say that since I haven’t volunteered to ease your burdens yet, but facts are facts. That alone makes Ellaine invaluable.”]
The discussion only lasted for a few seconds, and the moment it was over, I spoke, “Ellaine … our travels will be arduous. I mean it. It will also mean you might leave the kingdom for an extended period, since we are planning to leave Artorias no matter what. Are you sure you wish to join me, despite all of this?”
“Yes, Lady Hestia. If trials await me, then I will train and prepare for them. I will not cower any longer, so please, allow me to serve you,” Ellaine answered. “I wish to finish my year at the academy, first, if possible. I want to say goodbye to certain people. After that, I, Ellaine Fiero Helvas, will dedicate her life in your name, Lady Hestia! Whether as a knight or an artificer, I can guarantee I won’t let myself rest until I become worthy of your party.”
I sighed but smiled in the end. “So, be it. Barathan. Manuela. Josine. Svena. Lord Jonathan. Lady Marianne. I am sorry to say this, but I will be selfish and accept Ellaine into my party. I hope all of you can forgive me for this!” My declaration didn’t cause anybody to shout out in anger. The moment I saw Marianne smile wryly, I knew I had her best wishes. “From today onwards, I, Hestia Atsuko, graciously welcome you into our midst. I foretell that our travels will shine ever so brightly and bring us joyous memories in the future.”
Huh? She didn’t become my follower. Oh wait, does that mean she’s already one of my fans?
In addition to becoming one of my followers—as evident from Saori and Tasianna when I accepted them—Ellaine confirmed that the SP system was unlocked in her profile, although she had zero SP. She had to start grinding up, especially with me sharing my experience increase.
Ellaine couldn’t formally join the party yet, since she still had matters to complete at school, but Aurora just gained our fourth member. A bit of a surprise, since even the human-hating Tasianna gave her approval.
Guess I need to do another carry bus soon, haha!
AbyssRaven Fourth member get! Another role for Aurora: an artificer!
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Thank you for reading this chapter.
The match began with the sound of steps pounding the earth, pushing the older sibling forward as he used [Gale Steps]. In a zigzag fashion, Jonathan closed the distance between him and Ellaine, readying himself to strike his sister with his blade, but in the crucial moment, he hesitated.
Although shocked by her brother’s sudden acceleration, Ellaine’s arm instinctively swung her blade, remembering every time I would “teleport” before her. Her brother jerked back, but this left him wide open as Ellaine’s hazel and emerald spell rings were already shining, ready to cast spells. Without a doubt, Ellaine had anticipated her brother’s attack and had her spells readied, it was just that she couldn’t control her shock.
Jonathan, gritting his teeth, dash back up to her and attempted to disarm her, but it was already too late as a brown magic circle materialized underneath the latter. With a whisper, Ellaine cast [Earth Wall], sending her flying up in the air, avoiding her brother’s attack, before casting a [Wind Blast] at point-blank range to blast herself even further away while sending Jonathan falling onto his back.
Nice, that’s my move! Don’t let him get close to you, Ellaine! Use your spells not only as attacks and feints but also for movements and displacements!
As Jonathan was recovering from a point-blank blast of wind, which should have dazed him from just the force even if it hadn’t done any actual damage, Ellaine’s twin-gem ring shone brightly once again. Using [Multi-Cast], two magic circles—one brown, one green—appeared on her body and cast [Sturdy Earth] and [Swift Winds], buffing herself up.
“Good. Applying stat-increasing spells is a challenge for most apprentice mages, regardless of whether they face a knight, a fellow mage, or a beast. Battles are always hectic in the beginning and most overly-excited casters simply forget or even abstain from using them. For that reason, catalyst and alchemical stones were created, my dears,” Marianne was monologuing, commenting on the battle from her seat. As it was loud enough for everybody close by to listen to, which included some guards and her personal knights, I had a feeling she was secretly a shoutcaster. “Lady Hestia, my daughter does not know how to fight. Did you perhaps teach her these tactics?”
O-oi, what the hell was that blunt statement! I complained in my head as I flinched from Marianne’s sudden remark, which showed her strict side as she gave her opinion on her Ellaine.
“Yes, I did give her some advice on how to fight, especially close-combatants; however, aren’t you being a bit too harsh, Lady Marianne? When we first sparred, she seemed competent enough, considering she barely has experience fighting against stronger mages.”
However, Marianne shook her head in disagreement. “You are being too kind. Let us continue watching the spar for now.”
Ruthless mom!
The moment she said that, Ellaine landed on the ground, being forced to roll, letting the ground absorb her momentum. It wasn’t anywhere close to being elegant or lady-like, as I opted to have her learn the more practical and efficient parkour roll I learned from movies and parkour videos. I used it and she copied me without a question … Although, it did receive a ton of complaints from Josine and Manuela.
At the same time, Jonathan was already back on his feet and used [Gale Steps] once again. Due to the need for chanting, spells used without [Chant Revocation] were always slower than weapon or unarmed Abilities since the Abilities could be used immediately or with just a small wind-up. It was my first time fully witnessing the struggles a mage would have against a frontliner.
Ellaine raised her left hand, looking like she was about to ready a spell, but after a split second reflection, she quickly two-handed her sword and raised that up instead, blocking her brother’s incoming attack. Their blades collided for the first time, the sound of dull steel echoed through the training field with a loud clank.
“Urgh!” Ellaine groaned, grimacing in displeasure.
She was holding her stance well, but, seeing as her brother was not only taller, but also physically stronger thanks to a strenuous training regimen over the years, Ellaine couldn’t defeat her brother in a strength match-up. Despite managing to level up ten times during our hunting trip, she has only been receiving my training for a little over a month and, unfortunately, she wasn’t blessed with a dragon’s or garm’s evolution paths and natural growth rates.
She couldn’t overpower or outspeed her better-trained brother, regardless of what their level difference was. Ellaine knew this. She bent her knees, letting her brother’s sword slide down her blade to the side, before launching her own sword attack. Jonathan easily parried it, using the momentum of his moving blade..
At this position, Jonathan had a good shot to kick Ellaine’s chest, creating some distance while also knocking the air out of her lungs. I guess he was going easy on her, since that would be what I would do if I was in his shoes. Or, he was honorable and hasn’t learned how to fight dirty yet.
Or just punch, grapple, or even a good ol’ headbutt. Swordplay is also about using fisticuffs.
Nevertheless, Jonathan’s swordplay was filled with “honesty,” as he relied purely on his blade to launch a flurry of attacks, looking like he was showing his techniques off. Against this barrage, Ellaine’s lacking sword skill couldn’t keep up with her brother’s, letting a few strikes hit her. The swords were dull, but they were still made from steel. One good smack would still break your bones and rupture organs.
“[Sturdy Earth] and [Swift Winds] are working well, otherwise Ellaine wouldn’t be able to keep fighting like this,” Marianne commented, pointing at Ellaine’s increased vitality and agility. “However, how will she get out of this predicament, I wonder? Jonathan can’t fight either, but he still has more experience sparring with others than Ellaine does.”
At this point, I understood why she thought her children couldn’t fight, as she was projecting her standards as a seasoned mage and adventurer on them. I agreed that the quality of this fight wasn’t something to talk about, but Jonathan was moving around pretty well, which proved that he had been training hard up until this day.
Sadly, in a real fight, being too honest with your attacks was a surefire way to get countered. Ellaine’s usage of her magic to maneuver around instead of using them purely for offense and defense, was the first step for a mage to branch out. Creativity was the essence of us mages, as our arsenal of spells allowed, and even promoted, us to manipulate both the environment and our opponents.
Therefore, I did agree with Marianne that—
“Huh?” I stopped my line of thought, gasping at the battle.
“Oh my?”
“Wha-?!”
Similarly, Marianne and Jonathan, respectively, were flabbergasted at Ellaine’s next move.
For some reason, Ellaine suddenly let go of her sword. No, she threw it at Jonathan’s face. With remarkable reflex, Jonathan swirled his body to the side and swung his sword like a baseball bat, sending Ellaine’s blade flying away. He was supposed to recover from this action, but he suddenly began to fall to the ground, surprising even the knights behind us.
They were looking, wondering what just happened, but Saori and I smirked as we looked at Jonathan’s feet. A small brown magic circle was there, hidden behind a cloud of dust due to the siblings’ constant movements, which conjured up a small [Earth Wall]. It was too tiny for anybody to see at first, as our eyes were focused on the fighting, but just tall enough to trip Jonathan.
Ellaine! I shook my hand, grinning in elation. Misdirection into debilitation; that was how one should fight!
Without missing a beat, a green magic circle appeared before Ellaine’s hand. “I beseech your strength, Goddess of Wind! Wind Slash!”
“Kuek! I call upon your winds of protection! Air—ARGH!” Jonathan also had a catalyst of his own, an emerald ring similar to Ellaine’s on his left hand. It shone green as he was trying to cast a spell, but Ellaine’s spell activated first, tearing the left side of his gambeson around his stomach. “—Shield!”
Bearing through the pain, Jonathan managed to cast a shield of wind around him, preventing Ellaine’s second [Wind Slash] from landing. Still, the first one managed to draw blood.
Don’t slow down! Continue casting, Ellaine! Bombard him with spells!
As if she was able to read my mind, her rings glowed once again. Multiple small [Wind Cutter]s shot out from Ellaine’s magic circles, forcing Jonathan to dodge them to prevent his shield from going down, all while spikes erupted from underneath him from Ellaine’s [Earth Strike].
I clapped my hands, feeling the intensity of the fight increase from this one move. “Use fast spells to lead your enemy, then hard-hitting spells to damage them. Nice, Ellaine.”
“Good! She has the basics down with using different magic elements,” Marianne praised with a smile. The refined noble lady was fully immersed in this spar.
I tilted my head, letting a questioning “huh?” out. “Did the academy not teach this to her?”
“Oh no, the royal academy isn’t incompetent. Experienced mages and trained knights act as tutors there, so the academy does teach the basics of fighting. In addition, my husband and I tutored them, so if you were to question Ellaine’s prior training, I would feel quite sad, since it would point to my flaws as a teacher,” Marianne stated with a wry smile.
“Then why did you say Ellaine and Jonathan cannot fight? If you ask me, they are fully able to fight something like a lower-tier rank E monster by themselves; Jonathan especially with his sword prowess. Aren’t you being a bit too demanding?”
Barathan stepped in, lowering his head to speak to me, “Lady Hestia, it isn’t that Lady Marianne is strict because she has to be as a noble, but rather because she wishes for the best for both the young lord and lady.”
Manuela nodded. “The idea behind the royal academy is to act as a place for students to meet each other and build up relationships for the future. For masters to find competent retainers. For knights and mages to find comrades. Unfortunately, that also means that proper combat training comes after graduation.”
… So it was exactly how I envisioned the academy: a place to network.
“You are not too surprised, I see,” Marianne noticed from my expression, then turned her head towards Saori. “Madam Saori, you mentioned you had students, no? Are you perhaps an educator or instructor? If you could, may I hear your opinion on your preferred teaching method? What would you do to reveal the potential of your students?”
Oh, that’s right, Saori was a teacher. I haven’t heard much about that so this might be interesting, I turned my focus from the match to Saori.
Saori placed a hand on her chin, frowned, and looked to the side. It was obvious that she was thinking. “Hmm, I do not believe I have much to offer, really. I have only been a teacher for four years, and I would say I was still learning the intricacies of being an educator for young minds. If there was something that I learned that worked, then it would be to put on a stricter facade than usual during class, as students would challenge the authority of teachers if they see them as incompetent. The moment you lose their respect, that is when everything will descend in chaos.”
“That does sound wise, no? That is especially the case for us nobles, where your birth and parents count towards your influence. A mednoble may teach the child of a greifnoble, but even if the academy is a place where your social rank does not affect your evaluation, it doesn’t mean the child will accept their educator. Commoners aren’t too welcomed by certain nobles, or greifnoble children would blackmail lower-ranking teachers. Being strict to prevent your children from becoming spoiled has been a goal for my husband and me, and we will continue having high standards so our children will always have a goal to strive for, even if it isn’t their current one.”
“However, building a bond with your children is important, which also includes finding what they are interested in. In the country that I taught in, teachers were also like life counselors for our students. We would help them find what they wish to do in the future or try to settle problems for them whenever we could, however, intruding too much into a student’s life was frowned upon,” Saori continued. “At the end of the day, students are young and impressionable. Being a teacher, there was a need to balance what you needed to teach them and what you should be teaching them. A school might have a curriculum for what subjects students need for the future, but a student does not suddenly become wiser after they graduate. Teachers and parents are also responsible for teaching them about life.”
Parents, too, huh? I wonder what my parents thought about me after disobeying them for so long?
“I see, thank you very much for this insight, Madam Saori.” Marianne then turned back to the duel. Ellaine was pinning Jonathan down with magic; even though he was firing back his own spells, they weren’t as frequent as Ellaine’s.
The training field had been transformed through [Earthen Wall]s and [Earth Strike]s, which the siblings were using as cover.
“She’s so much better with magic, so why the sword?” Marianne mumbled. She then turned to me. “Lady Hestia, were you the one who told my daughter to pick up the sword again?”
“No,” I replied. “I personally believe that mages should train their stamina and physical abilities as it directly impacts their fighting capabilities. My situation is special, so I can focus on close-quarter combat in addition to magic, but that doesn’t apply to Ellaine, so I wouldn’t suggest she train her swordsmanship.”
“I can attest to this, Lady Marianne,” Barathan interjecting himself into the discussion. “Manuela and I have overseen Lady Ellaine’s training and it was the young lady herself who wanted to learn how to wield the sword from her knights. She alone made the choice, and we accommodated her.”
“... I see. Maybe there is a bit too much of you in her, Andre. Maybe our daughter would have grown up differently if you had kept training her?” We all could hear her muttering, but nobody spoke up about it. We simply stayed silent as it was polite.
“Earth Spears,” Ellaine shot out her level six earth spell, piercing through a wall, causing dust to spread. Jonathan’s figure was obscured by the brown fog, and it seemed like Ellaine couldn’t pinpoint him.
“Haa … shouting out the name of your spell? She must be tired.” Marianne shook her head before her mouth formed a wry smile. She looked at the battle with a sullen look, as if she was regretting something. “If only we had opened our eyes. After all, both of our children are talented.”
The fog dispersed, caused by a single [Wind Slash] slicing through the air towards Ellaine. The distance was far enough for her to respond to it, dodging to the side while preparing her next spell, but Ellaine suddenly tripped. It was revenge. A brown magic circle for [Earthen Wall] was located under her; Jonathan made her take her own medicine.
With [Gale Steps] Jonathan finally found an opening to close the distance, dashing through the fields. Ellaine quickly stood up and activated [Wind Blast] to push both fighters back; nevetheless, another [Earth Wall] appeared behind Ellaine, stopping her from moving any further.
Jonathan’s brown ring glimmered again and another [Earthen Wall] was cast; this time, it was underneath him. Using this platform, he stomped on it and jumped, flying through the sky with his sword held up high. Ellaine dodged sideways.
Verdammt! He’s copying what you showed him!
Was this the difference in combat experience? Jonathan quickly understood what his sister was doing, using spells to disorient and displace as much as possible. He wasn’t focusing on offensive spells now, but using whatever he could to bring his sister closer to him. He couldn’t win from afar, so he forwent the ranged offensive completely.
Since those two had different fighting abilities and both knew they couldn’t compete with their counterpart in their preferred field, they were trying very hard to keep their advantages. Ellaine wanted to stay away and continue chucking spells at Jonathan, while Jonathan needed to come closer to attack.
“Arck! Urgh, Air Shield!” Jonathan was receiving damage, trying to bring Ellaine close to his sword. It reminded me of my first spar with Farron and how he would tank my spells.
The two danced around as more earthen constructs were erected. Ellaine sweated as she had to continue running around, kiting her brother as best she could, but looking at how heavily she was breathing, her stamina must be close to empty. And seeing how many spells she was using, either arcane corruption or mana stress was just around the corner. I couldn’t help but clench my teeth.
“It is over,” Marianne stated, knowing the battle would end soon.
So did I. “Come on, Ellaine! Just one more decisive hit!” I stood up from my seat and shouted to cheer for my friend. I could see the health difference between the two, so I knew she just needed one more clean hit.
However, that chance never came. As Ellaine was about to launch another spell, the cast fizzled as she flinched in pain, clutching her head. Her skin was slowly becoming a light purple-blue, the first symptoms of arcane corruption. Marianne asked me to get my healing spells ready in the worst case, something I already knew.
The fight continued for a few more seconds before Ellaine’s offense died down completely. Her catalyst rings stopped shining and she was massaging her temples to ward off the headaches caused by arcane corruption. Jonathan didn’t let this go and quickly closed the distance between them.
Ellaine’s long blue hair fluttered in the air as she dodged her brother’s attacks with ragged breath.. Ellaine, in her desperation, had led the battle to the very spot her sword landed when it was initially blasted away. She then ducked under a sword swing, to launch her own sword attack. Without any other attacks, Ellaine had to rely on her swordsmanship.
Unfortunately, her brother wouldn’t allow her to do so. Jonathan parried Ellaine’s attack, and smacked his sword’s handle into her stomach, causing her to empty her lungs. He then disarmed Ellaine and shoved her onto the ground like a MMA grappler, before standing back up, pointing his blade at his sister.
Jonathan won.
So, he can fight dirty.
“Stop. The battle is over! Jonathan is the winner,” Marianne announced, causing the bracelets on the siblings’ arm to activate the runes on them. Josine quickly ran towards her mistress, a dragorade ready in her hand, courtesy of Saori.
“Good fight, sister! You … really surprised me,” Jonathan praised his sister while offering her a hand to stand up, like a chivalrous knight from a fairy tale. Unlike Ellaine who was breathing heavily, Jonathan only seemed slightly winded despite having to run the whole match long. His stamina must be fearsome.
“That was a wonderful duel, my children. You cannot believe how proud you have made me,” Marianne spoke through a smile, despite previously complaining that her children weren’t showing the quality of fighting she was used to. Parents, right? “It is great to see your progress, Jonathan. You still have one more year before you may join a knight’s order, so keep up your training, otherwise, the squire training might be too challenging. Keep this up and I can see you doing well in the tournament this summer.”
“Thank you, mother! I will do my best to bring honor to our house!” Jonathan smiled like a happy puppy after being praised. “I cannot slack now. This was not a good showing after all my training. I adapted too slowly and nearly lost the duel.”
He was so close to 60% Health that I was sure if Ellaine hadn’t gotten that headache, he would have lost.
Marianne nodded in agreement. “You underestimated your sister. Do not make this mistake in a real battle, Jonathan. Ellaine hasn’t reached the advanced elements yet—and neither have you—so she hasn’t reached the heights of an experienced mage who can devastate a battlefield. I would advise you to redouble your magic training, Jonathan. Manuela, look over his schedule and adjust it for me.”
“Yes, Lady Marianne!”
“And Ellaine, my dear daughter.”
Ellaine was standing thanks to Jonathan, but it seemed she needed Josine to support her while she drank her dragorade. Her face made her look like she just want to fall onto her bed and take a nap
Marianne giggled but didn’t bring it up. “I see you have reached level six with both wind and earth magic while I was gone. I am so proud of you; if you keep up your new-found dedication, then you will most likely reach your advanced elements next year.”
Ellaine formed a wry smile as she saw her mother’s joyous attitude, “Actually, Mother … I have already reached level seven with both. I have [Wind Amp] and [Earth Amp]. Ehehe …”
The surprise of hearing this news made Marianne’s eyes go wide, even forcing her to hide her agape mouth with her fan. “Impossible. Leveling so fast after only two months? No, you have only trained for around a month, no? Arcane corruption, mana issues, and stress should prevent you from improving this fast.”
It was true, arcane corruption and mana supply were the main bottleneck for mages. The higher your [Arcane Corruption Resistance] and Mana capacity, the longer you could train, which made leveling skills up far easier and faster. If only there was a way for mages to reduce their arcane corruption with a special drink, right?
Seeing as Marianne didn’t know about my dragorade, did that mean that Ellaine hadn’t told her about it? Wow, Ellaine! Keeping the secrets of your friend!
“Well, it is Lady Hestia’s doing, so if you wish to learn more, please ask her,” she praised me with an innocent smile. However, it wasn’t! Marianne’s eyes flashed like a beast as she stared at me, but only for a moment as her gaze returned to Ellaine.
“Jests aside, I am very proud that you have made this much progress, Ellaine. Truly. You have settled some concerns in my heart with your display today. From never being able to challenge Jonathan, to a valiant defeat. Ellaine, I can assure you, if you show this growth at the academy, the ridicule will stop and you can return to noble society with your head held high.”
I guess the scene at the tea party was only one of many examples of Ellaine’s current situation. The consequences of her action, but I just thought it was too harsh. What could I say? If my returned memories were true, then it meant that I had also caused my friends trouble with my selfishness back on Earth. My old friends had good reasons to distance themselves from me. I didn’t know enough about Ellaine’s former friends to say much about it.
Ellaine looked at her mother with a smile before excusing herself to come to me. Josine let go of her. “How did I do?”
I raised my thumbs up and winked, showing I was happy to see her fight well. “Fantastic. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you get the win though. However, it was definitely a better spar than the one we had at the beginning. Right? Saori? Tasianna?”
“It was a great performance. I am glad that your restructured schedule and training regiment could help you,” Saori answered.
Tasianna showed a thumbs up like I did, but didn’t say anything. She kept up a smile, though!
“I am very glad to hear that. Very glad to not have disappointed you, Lady Hestia. Then it means I have proven myself …” Ellaine then suddenly bent her legs and kneeled, holding her head down. “Lady Hestia Atsuko! I, Ellaine Fiero Helvas, wish to go under you as your retainer and knight!”
Huh? … Ehhhhhh?!
“Wha-wha—Ellaine?!” I stumbled backwards.
“My abilities are nowhere close enough to be able to fight by your side yet, Lady Hestia. However, if you would accept me, then I promise from today onwards that I will undergo whatever trial you hand me. Sword and magic. They will be formed according to your wishes, Lady Hestia!”
Everybody was stunned, especially Marianne and Jonathan. The girl with the inferiority complex wished to become my retainer? I mean, she was still degrading herself for some bloody reason, but she was still offering to become my retainer, yo! Yo, this was crazy!
“Ellaine, dear, what is the meaning of this?” Marianne asked with a surprised expression.
“Mother, I have thought over this idea for a long time, but I wish to serve somebody after I graduate. I know my place as the daughter of a noble house is to be married off to another family, especially after I dishonored myself so much by giving up my birthright, but I cannot accept it anymore. Not after meeting Lady Hestia,” Ellaine voiced out her inner desires. “Lady Hestia, I admit, your songs moved me. Both ‘Promise’ and ‘Memories.’ They made my soul … happy. I felt like I was wasting my life with how I always kept comparing myself to others, and then being disappointed that I couldn’t live up to anybody’s expectations. I-I don’t understand how I wasn’t able to realize this until now. So, I wish to improve myself as much as possible now, and I believe it can only be by your side, Lady Hestia.”
She then raised her head, showing a face full of conviction. “I am not a knight yet, but I wish to become yours. I want to become somebody that can serve you, Lady Hestia!”
As I was listening to her words, two telepathic messages entered my head. The first was from Saori. [“I think we should accept her, Hestia. Did she show you how she’s an apprentice artificer? That alone makes her valuable.”]
Tasianna then gave her opinion, [“From watching her work, she is a capable manager of the estate, Lady Hestia. Miss Saori desperately requires somebody to take some of her workload off, especially when it comes to our finances and trade deals. Lady Ellaine is trained as a merchant thanks to her noble upbringing.”]
[“Tasianna, I can work just fine, why, thank you. I am healthy and stress-free,”] Saori rebuked.
[“Yes, but you still work far too much. I admire it wholeheartedly, but please allow someone else to help so that you may get more sleep, Miss Saori.”]
[“Tasianna, I—”]
In the end, I decided to interject myself. [“Tasianna has a point, Saori. You are a workaholic. I mean, it’s not my place to say that since I haven’t volunteered to ease your burdens yet, but facts are facts. That alone makes Ellaine invaluable.”]
The discussion only lasted for a few seconds, and the moment it was over, I spoke, “Ellaine … our travels will be arduous. I mean it. It will also mean you might leave the kingdom for an extended period, since we are planning to leave Artorias no matter what. Are you sure you wish to join me, despite all of this?”
“Yes, Lady Hestia. If trials await me, then I will train and prepare for them. I will not cower any longer, so please, allow me to serve you,” Ellaine answered. “I wish to finish my year at the academy, first, if possible. I want to say goodbye to certain people. After that, I, Ellaine Fiero Helvas, will dedicate her life in your name, Lady Hestia! Whether as a knight or an artificer, I can guarantee I won’t let myself rest until I become worthy of your party.”
I sighed but smiled in the end. “So, be it. Barathan. Manuela. Josine. Svena. Lord Jonathan. Lady Marianne. I am sorry to say this, but I will be selfish and accept Ellaine into my party. I hope all of you can forgive me for this!” My declaration didn’t cause anybody to shout out in anger. The moment I saw Marianne smile wryly, I knew I had her best wishes. “From today onwards, I, Hestia Atsuko, graciously welcome you into our midst. I foretell that our travels will shine ever so brightly and bring us joyous memories in the future.”
Huh? She didn’t become my follower. Oh wait, does that mean she’s already one of my fans?
In addition to becoming one of my followers—as evident from Saori and Tasianna when I accepted them—Ellaine confirmed that the SP system was unlocked in her profile, although she had zero SP. She had to start grinding up, especially with me sharing my experience increase.
Ellaine couldn’t formally join the party yet, since she still had matters to complete at school, but Aurora just gained our fourth member. A bit of a surprise, since even the human-hating Tasianna gave her approval.
Guess I need to do another carry bus soon, haha!
AbyssRaven Fourth member get! Another role for Aurora: an artificer!
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