“The winner of the fight is Kaeli Herran!” The Master of Ceremonies announced, walking into the center of the arena and stumbling on the stubby bushes.
As Kaeli cut the connection between her skill and the environmental mana, the small trees and bushes dried up and withered in a matter of seconds. The boulders and rocks, however, didn’t return underground. The girl clung to Zaon’s shoulders as she was too weak to hold her own weight. She looked around in a panic and tried to channel her mana, but the skill whiffed in a trickle of golden sparks.
“I can’t turn the arena back to normal,” Kaeli said, embarrassed.
“We will see what we can do, Lady Herran,” The Master of Ceremonies dismissed her worries and sent them back to the pavilion.
Zaon helped Kaeli walk back to Team Herran’s bench, the girl comfortably hanging from his neck. The complete shapeshift had exhausted her mana, but unlike Firana or Dreva, at least she could walk. Lord Herran looked happier when Zaon left her and turned around.
Ilya was waiting for him, hands on her hips and a dissatisfied expression.
“I’m sorry, I got cocky. I never expected her to turn into a bear,” Zaon sighed.
I caught the boy under my arm and patted his back.
“Don’t beat yourself. It would be foolish of us to expect you to beat a bear,” I replied, giving Ilya a quick warning glance. I knew she had strong opinions about Zaon’s fight.
The gnome girl sighed, getting the memo. “You did well keeping the score gap low, but that doesn’t excuse you from flirting with her during combat.”
Zaon sat down and massaged his shoulders in an unsuccessful attempt to hide his blush. “I wasn’t flirting! I was assessing the situation! Mister Clarke always says every puzzle has a solution, so to win the fight, I figured I had to keep her grounded.”
After seeing Zaon’s fight, I doubted I could do much more for the kids, even if my coaching had brought them to a decent level. Magic combat was outside my field of expertise, and eventually, the basics of swordsmanship would not be enough for the kids to have successful fights. If they wanted to keep improving, they would have to find new mentors.
“Assessing the situation? You two were literally talking about bodily functions! How does that reflect on the orphanage?” Ilya reprimanded Zaon.
“We were talking about fleas!” Zaon defended himself.
“It’s totally natural for a kid your age to be interested in talking to girls, Zaon,” I jokingly said, trying to dispel my worries.
“I-I’m focused on winning the tournament,” he replied.
“It doesn’t seem so,” Ilya pointed out, crossing her arms.
I noticed the girls were jealous of Zaon, like an overprotective older brother with their younger sister. It made sense in my mind. Zaon was kind-hearted to the point someone could easily trick him, but I thought the girls were ignoring his wits. I put a hand on Ilya’s head. It wasn’t the moment or the time to discuss Zaon’s romantic life. We were a point behind, and Ilya’s matchup against Herran’s Snow Mage didn’t favor us, as Ilya’s lack of defensive spells left her open to the ranged attacks of a mage.
Prince Adrien had already become interested in Zaon and Firana, but Ilya had comparatively passed unnoticed. She had gotten a few invitations from barons to join the ranks of their rangers, but that didn’t exempt Ilya from being sent to the front. Considering our commoner status, we had two options to put off conscription: getting into the Imperial Academy or getting the Marquis to declare me a noble.
“I don’t want to put more weight on your shoulders, Ilya, but you need to win this fight if we want to go to the next round,” I said, locking eyes with her. “Fight defensively. The Herran Kids have more tricks than we expected, and I don’t want you to get caught.”
“You got the right gnome for the job, Robert,” Ilya replied, pushing my hand away from her head.
“I’m talking seriously. We have surprised everyone here, but that isn’t enough for us. We need a flawless victory, otherwise—”
“Otherwise, we would end up in the royal army fighting in the Deep Farlands. The better we do, the more they will want to use us, but unless we reach the top, we will have a say,” Ilya stopped me.
I smiled. “You are too smart for the army, you know?”
“Maybe. I wonder if I will be good enough for the Imperial Academy,” Ilya shrugged.
“You are,” Zaon interrupted us. He blushed as we both turned our heads toward him. “I sometimes feel I’m trying to be something I’m not, but you were always determined, reliable, and hardworking. If any of us should become an Imperial Knight, that should be you, Ilya.”
Ilya cracked a laugh and punched Zaon’s shoulder. “No wonder why girls like your skinny ass. Not everyone can pull those embarrassing lines with a straight face and sound credible. Not even Mister Clarke.”
“I try my best, but not all of us can be as charming as Zaon,” I pointed out.
We laughed, and the atmosphere relaxed. There was nothing else much to do except trust in Ilya’s strategist's mind and the extra hours she had put on the sword. In the arena, the Master of Ceremonies briefly discussed with the aides before calling the next combat. It seemed that Kaeli’s renovations were going to remain after all.
“Mister Clarke?” Ilya said.
“Yes?”
“Even if I get sent to the army, I feel like I’m in control of my life. That wasn’t a feeling I had before, so… thank you,” Ilya said as a grin crept into her mouth. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to lose today. I will not play nice like a certain elf boy.”
Ilya turned around and walked to the weapons rack where the old Fortifier waited for them. I wondered what kind of trick she would pull today. Whether my teaching methods had reached a limit, I couldn’t ignore that each kid used the tools as they deemed fit. The German School of Fencing didn’t account for magic vines, windwalking, or phantom blades, despite the kids naturally mixing their knowledge with their Skills.
I laughed at how close I was to becoming a helicopter parent.
“What about you, Zaon? Do you think the Imperial Academy is for you now?” I asked him as Ilya examined the weapons on the rack.
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“If Ilya goes to the army, I will go with her,” he replied.
“I figured out you’ll say that,” I put my arm around Zaon’s shoulders, remembering I promised Elincia I would take Ilya back to my world before conscription. It seemed it wouldn’t be necessary, which was a great relief. The last thing I wanted was to be taken away from Elincia and the kids.
The one who was in the greatest danger was Firana, and I wondered if the Imperial Academy would be enough to keep her away from her obligations as an Aias.
Ilya picked the same slim longsword as Zaon and walked to the middle of the arena without even looking at her opponent. For a moment, I expected her to pull the same ‘helpless gnome’ trick as before, but Ilya wouldn’t play the same trick twice. After defeating the Nara Warrior, the participants and the spectators already knew about her skills.
Vigdis Herran wasn’t like the Nara Warrior, though. The Snow Mage had the Herran genes; she was tall, and her straight red hair fell like a neat curtain over her well-formed shoulders. Two fox-like ears protruded from the top of her head, and a white-tipped tail poked out from under her cloak. Unlike the rest of her siblings, her face was inexpressive as a granite block. I thought she would be even considered good-looking by Earth's standards if not for his uncanny lack of expression.
Ilya saluted the stands, and the crowd cheered. It may be wishful thinking on my part, but Ilya seemed already to have a group of fierce fans among the spectators. Even if the underdog wasn’t a popular ‘trope’ as back on Earth, Ilya had demonstrated during the first round that she was a ruthless combatant. How she disarmed and humiliated the Nara Warrior seemed to resonate with some commoners.
Vigdis, however, showed no sign of being intimidated by the crowd.
“The terrain is going to remain as it is?” She asked, her voice as cold as her expression.
“We had no ruling saying the arena has to be reconditioned between rounds, so it will remain as it is until the end of Team Herran versus Lowell’s Orphanage, Lady Herran,” the Master of Ceremonies replied.
The organizers didn’t anticipate that low-level kids would have the skills to change the landscape so severely, and neither did I. I expected it to be a fancy magic swordsmanship show.
Ilya remained unfazed at the news, but I knew the gears of her brain were turning at full speed.
“Are you worried about being at a disadvantage against a gnome?” Ilya taunted.
“A gnome will never beat me, even if I surrendered half of my barriers,” Vigdis replied. Her voice remained as inexpressive as her face, but thanks to [Awareness], I noticed a hint of irritation.
“If you have a spine, you’ll put your money where your mouth is. Use your snow powers to break five barriers,” Ilya said, raising her eyebrows.
A shade of surprise crossed Vigdis's face.
“Go on, I’m waiting.”
“You can’t be suggesting a lopsided match,” Vigdis said.
“You were the one who suggested you needed only five barriers in the first place. I have no problem with a balanced match as long as you claw back your words,” Ilya replied with a self-sufficient smile.
Before Vigdis could reply, the Master of Ceremonies came to her rescue.
“Let's begin with the match. Please, take distance.”
Vigdis turned around, but Ilya had one last word.
“You’ll remember this day as the day you almost defeated a gnome. Mark my words.”
The Master of Ceremonies scolded Ilya and threatened to take a point from her if she didn’t take her position. Illya remained still and waited for Vigdis to turn around, then, after exchanging one last glance, she slowly walked twelve paces back as if I had all the time in the world.
I knew that Ilya had never watched a football match, but for some reason, she was adept at the dark arts of shithousery.
“That was a bit mean,” Zaon said.
“It’s part of the show,” I replied.
The Master of Ceremonies’ amplifying spell had caught Ilya’s voice, and the whole arena heard her words. Other than the nobles inside the VIP Box, everyone seemed to enjoy the exchange, and the crowd even heckled the Master of Ceremonies while he scolded Ilya.
Finally, the girls took their positions.
“Guards up!” The Master of Ceremonies said. “Fight!”
Our plan against the caster was simple: close the distance as fast as possible and engage in close-quarters combat to prevent them from casting. Ilya lunged, but the distance was enough for Vigdis to channel her mana and summon an ice sword. Vigdis parried Ilya’s attack and countered it, but despite her superior reach, Ilya managed to escape.
We expected Vigdis to have close-quarters capabilities, as the Herran Family was known for its warriors rather than its mages.
Vigdis’ blue mana sparkled in her hands, and an icicle materialized over her head. Ilya took another step back and raised her guard. The icicle shot forward, and I noticed the skill took time to speed up. Ilya casually parried with her blade. A moment later, she was engaged at close range, preventing Vigdis from summoning a second icicle. They exchanged lazy blows, testing the waters, but the treacherous ground prevented Ilya from displaying all her expertise.
Unlike Zaon, Ilya had no mobility traits.
Vigdis was the first to get a hold of the fight and channeled mana into her blade to increase the length. It was an intelligent move, considering Ilya’s reach was naturally shorter.
Ilya gritted her teeth. She had to maintain a greater distance to remain outside Vigdis’ range. The more distance was between them, the easier it would be for Vigdis to cast. Ilya’s swordsmanship was superior to Vigdis’, but she couldn’t chain a successful strike at that range.
Vigdis used her extended range and natural agility to push Ilya back.
“Ilya is not casting,” Zaon pointed out.
“She’s testing the waters,” I replied, hoping I was correct.
Vigdis pulled back with the help of her beast folk agility and summoned half a dozen palm-sized ice shards. Ilya also retreated. If she couldn’t prevent the spells, she would need enough space to dodge them.
Instead of raising her guard, Ilya wove her mana into bright blue razor-thin strands and shaped them into arrows. It has been a while since I saw her [Mana Manipulation], and I was surprised to see how good she was at it. The arrows buzzed and sparkled as if they were full of energy, but in reality, it was just a visual effect.
Vigdis hesitated to go on an exchange of barriers. The bluff had worked. The arrows crackled with energy, and, at the last moment, Vigdis dispelled the ice shards and raised an ice wall. The timing was perfect. An instant after the shield had been formed, Ilya shot her illusory arrows, each impact turning into an explosion of blue sparks.
Vigdis reinforced the ice wall, but it was a mistake.
Ilya took advantage of Vigdis’s loss of line of sight over the arena and surrounded the ice shield. She lunged, stabbing Vigdis in the side. A barrier shattered, and the crowd roared, but Vigdis didn’t let Ilya chain another blow and summoned an ice spike where the gnome girl stood.
Beastfolk's reflexes saved her.
Ilya recognized the spell and jumped back, smiling. Our preparation was bearing fruit. [Ice Shard], [Ice Wall], and [Glacial Spike] were three of the most common spells of Snow Mages, and we had prepared accordingly.
With those spells revealed, Ilya knew most of Vigdis’ arsenal. Without wasting a second, Ilya summoned a vine and wrapped it around Vigdis’ ankle. The beastfolk girl tried to pull back, but the vine pinned her to the ground.
Ilya lunged again, using the length of her longsword to her favor. A glacial spike emerged from the ground and shot forward, but Ilya dodged with room to spare. [Mana Manipulation] might seem like a gimmick skill, but it also improved mana detection. Ilya knew where the attacks would come an instant earlier than the regular low-level person, and that advantage was enough to turn the tables.
Ilya scored a second hit, and Vigdis had to unleash a series of glacial spikes to push Ilya back. When Vigdis had enough space, she froze the vine around her ankle and broke free. Expecting another glacial spike, Ilya stepped back, but the spell didn’t happen.
Vigdis continued channeling her mana.
“You are a slippery one, I give you that, but no more,” she growled as the ground around her froze.