Chapter 147
Nokti and Virdian stood on top of a chair, pressing their snouts against the kitchen windows. Breakfast had just finished, and the little ones had the morning free of lessons, so they were scattered around the orphanage. However, the snake twins refrained from joining the other kids in their games. Instead, they remained intensely focused on the backyard. Outside, Risha worked the ground and despite his pace, the twins exchanged a worried glance.
“Should we stitch a blanket?” Virdian asked in a whisper.
Nokti’s tail lay lifeless in her hand, away from the cold floor planks.
“For a blanket to work, you have to warm it yourself.”
“Should we sleep in the field then? Under the blanket?”
I ate my gruel in silence as they argued about the health of the future potato farm. My motto was not to interrupt a student while they were thinking. Too many teachers expected instant answers when the best approach was to give them time to think and polish their ideas. The conversation between the twins, however, degenerated into a vicious circle of doubt and unanswered questions to the point they started to panic. At least their logic was sound. The colder the days were, the worse it would be for the crops, and spring refused to peek out.
In fact, the days seemed to grow colder.
I closed my eyes and focused on the environmental mana thinking that maybe someone might be using a subtle area spell. No matter how much I focused, the mana currents around the orphanage remained normal. ‘Normal’. Elincia was in her room crafting potions, Ginz was using some kind of fire-elemental spell, Firana was probably walking on the walls of the sleeping quarters, and Risha was using a self-buffing skill that surrounded his body.
The feeling of the Lich’s area spell was still too vivid in my memory, and I didn’t detect anything similar. If someone was tinkering with Farcrest’s weather, I would certainly notice. His evil presence was too distinct, too powerful to forget.
When I opened my eyes, I found the snake twins hugging Lyra tightly. She wasn’t much taller or stronger than them, so between the two she was completely immobilized. It was a strange sight. Lyra’s elegant dark dress contrasted against the kids' patchwork coats, yet none of the three seemed to notice.
“So you are telling us the potatoes will be okay?” Nokti asked.
“Yeah, in the worst case, we will delay the season, but the crop will grow healthy in the end. No winter can last forever,” Lyra said, with her usual matter-of-fact tone while fighting to push air out of her lungs. Then, she was about to proceed with a technical explanation about plant growth, but the kids squeezed her slender frame even harder, preventing her from uttering a word.
I gave Lyra the thumbs up, and she replied with an uncomfortable smile.
That was the kind of life I wanted. I wanted to worry about potato farms, patching leaks on the roof, and taking Elincia on dates. It seemed I was getting what I desired. Kellaren had left town and the remnants of his so-called Aias Mercenaries were in disarray. Izabeka had informed me that most of the sellswords were looking for work in the royal army or in the city guard while others just left town, looking for greener pastures. A heavy burden fell from my shoulders, maybe the biggest one to date. The orphanage was safe, Firana was safe, we had Prince Adrien’s patronage, and we were somewhat famous among the lower echelons of the kingdom and Farcrest commoners.
I glanced at the pile of letters on top of the kitchen counter. Since the match against the Osgirians, the amount of mail had grown exponentially and there wasn’t a single baronet or viscount who hadn’t invited one or several of the kids to their courts. Some of the offers were really good. There was a second pile beside the letters. Eggs, hams, cabbages, grain. The commoners had also started to make donations to the orphanage in hopes to enroll their kids in whatever we were doing.
As useful as the donations were, I didn’t forget that they hadn’t helped when the orphanage needed it the most, and neither did Elincia. The commoners wanted to ingratiate themselves just because we were useful now, but we couldn’t refuse the food with Risha and Astrid eating like they were going to hibernate any day now. In the end, we told the commoners that Lowell’s Orphanage would open its doors during summer.
Elincia was excited about resuming Mister Lowell’s dream of educating the kids of Farcrest, but we needed to make preparations for that to happen. First, I wanted to put our resources into making life at the orphanage as easy as possible. Before that, we had to prepare for the last round of the tournament.
Nokti and Virdian freed Lyra from their embrace and ran outside the manor to oversee Risha’s work. In their words, everything had to be perfect for the ‘greatest yield ever’. I finished my breakfast and exited the kitchen with a smile on my face. It was time to do something I had been thinking about for a long time: cheese the System and get the kids some titles.
“Why so happy, Master Clarke?” Lyra asked as she caught up to me.
“Is there a reason not to be happy?” I replied, and Lyra instantly opened her mouth. “Please don’t answer. It was a figure of speech.”
“Oh.”
The girl followed me across the orphanage, sketchbook in hand as always, waiting like a vulture for an idea to slip through my lips. Despite trying to appear more mature, she was as excited as the snake siblings were about potatoes. There was no reason not to give her a treat. I channeled my mana and projected a small lathe. I heard Lyra’s charcoal pencil scratching against the paper behind me. Then, I cast a milling machine, a drill press, and a band saw. It wasn’t hard to maintain four different illusions as long as they weren’t perfect.
“I want to upgrade Ginz’s workshop with tools to maximize the precision and efficiency of his Skills,” I explained. “It might be a small delay, but they will allow us to produce new designs more easily. I only know the basics about these machines, so your first task will be to produce working prototypes.”
Lyra scratched her chin with a thoughtful expression as she examined the illusions.
“I know Tinkerers at the Imperial Library are all about automation, but how are we going to power them up? I don’t see us non-combatants exerting enough force to make them work manually, and the orphanage isn’t near a river,” Lyra asked as she gave her sketch the finishing touches.
“Enchantments,” I replied. “We will power them up with magic.”
“That will be expensive,” Lyra cut me. “You might already know this, Master Clarke, but an enchantment with the strength to cut metal has to be exponentially more powerful than a Warm Blanket or a Light Stone. I’m talking about a thousand gold coins more expensive, and we might need several for each machine.”
I already expected that only the wealthiest families could afford high-level enchantments, but I couldn’t reveal my Runeweaver class just yet.
“Then we try to use the minimum of enchantments and a lot of smart mechanical solutions,” I said, “In my homeland, most machines are ultimately driven by a steam engine, for example. I already showed you one of those, and Ginz has a few more sketches.”
Lyra would eventually realize I could make enchanted items, but before then, I wanted to turn her into one of us. As naive as Lyra seemed, I could see she was raised to conform to Jorn’s principles of loyalty toward the community. Life in the Jorn dukedom had to be really harsh if the individuals were ready to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the community.
Lyra was only seventeen years old, but she had traveled half the kingdom to assist the Imperial Library and help her hometown. I couldn’t help but admire her determination. At seventeen, I was worried about partying and hanging out with my friends. It was hard not to trust her.
We continued towards the ballroom.
“Lyra, I want you to join us today,” I said, changing the topic to a more pressing matter.
“I’m afraid I’m not a great fencer, Master Clarke,” Lyra replied. “Really.”
I could swear I saw flashbacks of Duke Jorn’s private lessons in Lyra’s eyes.
“We aren’t going to spar today. We are going to prepare for the finals against the Imperial Cadets,” I said. “Also, call me Rob.”
Lyra gave me a quizzical look, but I couldn’t tell her I intended to cheese the System without risking a four-hour-long discussion about its infallibility and the dichotomies of skills and levels. I pushed the ornate double doors and entered the ballroom. The kids were already doing laps and joint mobility exercises around the perimeter of the room. They stopped as soon as they saw us and formed up in the middle of the room.
“Good morning, kids. Today, we will prepare for the match against the Imperial Cadets,” I greeted them. “We have seen what they are capable of, so to beat them, we will have to resort to our ability with the longsword, the Skills you have gathered along the way, and your innate capabilities. If we use all our resources, I’m sure we can win.”
Months ago, the kids would’ve resisted the idea of winning against Imperial Cadets, but now, they were completely on board with my judgment.
“So… Clarke Family’s secret techniques when?” Firana asked.
Ilya rolled her eyes but remained silent.
“Unfortunately, there will be no secret techniques, but Lyra will be joining us today as a student, so please don’t be too harsh with her,” I said.
The news caught them off guard.
“But you said—” Lyra mumbled in panic.
“As we know, Lyra already is a very competent Scholar, so I will ask her not to answer any questions unless prompted,” I continued. “Is that okay, Lyra?”
“Y-yes, I guess I can do that,” she replied.
“Perfect,” I clapped my hands. “Welcome to Arithmetic 101. In this course, I will teach you how to solve everyday problems using basic math. Now, everyone, please grab a waxed tablet from the wardrobe and sit down. ”
The kids exchanged confused glances but ultimately obeyed. Firana started doodling even before I voiced the first problem.
“How is this going to help us defeat the cadets?” Lyra raised her hand.
The others seemed to have the same question because they put down their tablets and focused on my answer.
“Imperial Cadets are better swordfighters than us. They have more training hours and field experience, but they don’t use Skills. Our best chance to mix our Skills with swordsmanship. The more skills we can use, the less the gap will be, so we need more mana,” I replied.
Lyra understood instantly where I was going with the lesson.“They are not Scholars, though.”
“If they reach the level of a Novice Mathematician will they not receive the title?”
It was a possibility, but I was willing to bet that the System would reward our effort and hard work. That was the essence of class cultivation. I was a Scholar, after all, but the System rewarded my training with the sword. The same happened with Elincia and her bow.
Lyra doubted for a moment. “I’m not sure. I don’t know anyone who studied real math outside the Scribe, Scholar, and Sage classes. Even Merchants rely on the System to make calculations, so they don’t really study. For us, reaching novice rank will take at least a year of arduous study.”
“Arduous? Study? Just end me already,” Firana winced.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
I raised my hand before she could continue.
“Despite popular belief, learning isn’t that hard, Firana. You just need the right guidance, smart work, and confidence in your success,” I said with a reassuring smile. The kids themselves were proof of how far someone could go. “Is there anything else you want to discuss?”
Firana raised her hand. “What about Wolf? From what I know, he doesn’t have a Class or access to the System.”
The kids turned their heads towards Wolf.
“I do have access to the System! My father used the System, so I inherited it,” he interjected before I could open my mouth. The revelation left me speechless. “Orc Shamans can scrap it as long as I don’t have a Class.”
We all looked at Wolf as if it was the first time we saw an orc.
“What? That’s how it works. How do you think you got the System?” He said.
That was a great question, and Lyra almost jumped from her seat to answer.
“I assumed everyone got the System regardless of one’s parents, but it makes sense now that you mention it. It is safe to assume the System appeared at some point in time, and its first users must’ve made some sort of pact,” Lyra pointed out, pulling her sketchbook and scribbling down some ideas. I gave her a moment, but she continued writing, unfazed by our glances. After a minute, she realized we were waiting for her. “Well, not that it matters right now. We should be focusing on Master Clarke’s lesson.”
Maybe Lyra was expelled from the Imperial Academy for derailing her Preceptor’s lessons. The System was true regarding titles, and Lyra’s first title was [Insufferable]. Even [Jorn Heir] came afterward. I couldn’t help but envision a younger version of the girl sassing Duke Jorn and her teachers over a minor technicality of monster taxonomy.
“Anything else before we start?” I asked, hinting there shouldn’t be more interruptions.
Firana, of course, didn’t take the hint and raised her hand. “I’m kinda dumb. Can I skip this lesson?”
Ilya slapped her in the back of the head with a little more force than needed.
“Please, girls, we are in the classroom. Physical punishment is strictly forbidden,” I scolded them.
“She deserved it,” Ilya muttered.
“You are salty because you lost the match against the Osgirians,” Firana replied.
Ilya jumped to her feet, and a grimace of annoyance appeared on her face.
“Enough, you two!” I stopped them before Ilya could retort. She was preparing verbal daggers. “Before dinner, we were having a serious conversation, so don’t make things worse for yourselves.”
“I’m sorry,” Firana muttered.
I was aware of the tensions between the two girls after the last round, but I hadn’t found the right moment to address them. They weren’t great at talking to each other, but what fifteen-year-old was?
“Don’t think you’ll get out of this one for free,” I said. “Now, let’s focus on today’s lesson to kick some ass tomorrow.”
If my theory was correct, the System measured the understanding of a certain topic to confer the correct title. This wasn’t a matter of memorizing formulas but understanding the underlying principles. Maybe Lyra was right, and the System measured the progress of a Scholar differently, but we didn’t lose anything trying. I glanced at my class. Elincia had taught them the basic arithmetic operations, so we weren’t starting from zero.
“All of you know your numbers and how to add and subtract them, so none of this should be too hard with a little work,” I prefaced, setting my expectations at a reasonable level.
I couldn’t expect them to run before learning to walk.
“First problem. In a certain bakery, a berry cake costs two pieces of silver—”.
“Can it be an apple cake?” Firana raised her hand.
“Yes, Firana. Any flavor you want,” I sighed.
Why did I expect something different from the kids in this world?
“In a certain bakery, a berry tart costs two pieces of silver. Firana has one silver coin, and Ilya has one silver coin,” I said, casting an illusion of the girls, the money, and the cake. The effect was well received by the class. “If they pool their money to buy the cake, how much cake should each one get to make things fair? Don’t answer just yet.”
I paused for a second, examining the kids' faces. They got the answer almost instantly. It was pure simple logic, but it was the first step.
“Zaon?”
“Each one gets half of the cake,” he said.
“Perfect. Now, let’s think of a bigger apple cake that costs three silver coins. Zaon has one silver coin, and Wolf has two. How should they divide the cake to share it according to the money spent?”
This time, it took them a little longer but they answered correctly. We were up to a good start. If knowing how to calculate ratios was enough to become a [Novice Mathematician], the lesson wouldn’t be long. As the lesson progressed, I presented harder combinations of coins and prices, and eventually, the kids inferred the method to answer correctly each time. They were ready for the next step.
“This is a tricky one,” I said. “There’s a special offer in the bakery, two cakes for the price of three pieces of silver—”
“What a deal!” Firana interrupted.
At least she was paying attention, and Ilya hadn’t thrown any more slaps.
“As I was saying. Two cakes for the price of three silver. Ilya, Zaon, and Wolf have one silver each—”
“What about me?” Firana said.
“You don’t get any hypothetical cake until you keep quiet while others talk.”
The kids giggled, and Firana sunk into her seat.
“As I was saying for the second time. Two cakes for the price of three silver. Ilya, Zaon, and Wolf have one silver each, so they pool their money to buy the cakes. How much cake should each of them get?”
This time the answer didn’t arrive right away. They turned to their waxed tablets and scribbled with the wooden styli. Lyra was the first to get the answer, but she refrained from voicing it.
“I’ll check the answers in three minutes. Don’t rush it, and please don’t try to just guess the answer because I’ll ask for your thought process,” I said, walking through the ballroom and peeking through the windows while the kids worked. The little ones were causing a commotion with their games outside. “Ready?”
“One more minute!” Firana said.
“One more minute, then,” I replied.
I continued raising the difficulty level until the fractions required to solve the problems became increasingly esoteric to the untrained eye. I even added bronze coins to the mix, which at first confused the kids. However, step by step, the morning passed until they got a solid grasp of fractions, ratios, and non-integer numbers. Just to be sure, I asked a few questions in more technical language, and the kids were capable of performing the operations normally.
None of them got any titles, so I assumed ratios and division weren’t enough to grant [Novice Matematician].
“Good job, everyone. We were going to take a lunch break, but before that, I will give you the next problem so you can start thinking about it,” I said, and Firana shifted in her seat. “Imagine that Firana and Ilya share a cake evenly in relation to the money spent. If Firana gets three-quarters of the cake, and Ilya has contributed two silver to the pool, how much did the cake cost?”
The kids exchanged confused glances, but before they could start asking for clues, I spoke again.
“Let’s take a break now. You can talk to each other about the last problem if you want,” I said, sending them out.
Firana darted through the ballroom door, using Aerokinesis to push herself forward. The other kids followed at a normal pace, although I noticed they were as eager to stretch their legs. Only Lyra remained behind, working on the last problem. I examined the kid’s waxed tables. Firana’s scribbles were as obscure as Olmec's writing. Ilya’s writing was tidy and organized. Zaon’s was delicate, barely scratching the surface. Wolf, surprisingly enough, had the cutest-looking writing of the group. I made a mental note to not mention it out loud.
Lyra put down her tablet.
“You look surprised,” I pointed out, and she blushed as if I had just caught her thinking something inappropriate.
“I mean, I knew Master Clarke was a good teacher with all those titles and stuff, but… it took me a while to wrap my head around these concepts back at the Neskarath Spire. The kids understood everything with barely any theoretical explanation. They almost discovered the formula for themselves,” Lyra said, rushing her words. “Again, it doesn’t really surprise me but… well, it might have surprised me a little bit. No insult intended.”
“I’ll take it as a compliment,” I laughed, defusing the situation. “The trick is to take small steps each time at first. Then, as they become more proficient, you can challenge them more and more. Keep things dynamic and challenging, but not stressful.”
Lyra nodded. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
An hour later, the kids returned, and we slowly started dipping our feet in the exciting world of linear equations. The little ones were playing around the orphanage, so Lyra used [Silence Dome] to create an area of silence. I made a mental note to copy the skill later. It could be really handy for doing things discreetly, like sneaking into bad guys' dens and other things that required muffling sounds.
I shook my head and focused on the lesson.
The sun was getting low while the kids worked on the dreaded ‘How many hours do two workers take to paint a fence’ problem. If the System decided that wasn’t enough to award the novice title, then I was giving up. The kids had the arithmetic level of a sixth or seventh grader, so there wasn’t much more I could teach them with the time constraints. I closed my eyes and focused. Maybe a visual proof of Pythagoras Theorem would do the trick?
I had to hold back the urge to feed them the solution. It would be easier, yes, but the System might not recognize the achievement as theirs. It was only a little step from the previous exercise, so I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. Was the System programmed to detect this kind of shenanigans? Lyra managed to solve the problem rather quickly, but she was already a [Journeyman Mathematician].
Minutes passed when suddenly Wolf’s eyes lit up.
“That was easy,” he bragged, hiding his smile with a hand.
I knew he was up to something, but I decided to wait. A minute later, Ilya put the tablet down, followed by Zaon. None of them voiced the answer, and Firana looked around, desperate to find any clue. The others, however, covered their answers with their arms.
“I give up. I feel like a gnome in a house full of high shelves,” Firana sighed.
“Welcome to my world,” Ilya grumbled.
Firana was smart and analytical, but she used her brain best when it came to physical exercise. When it came down to thinking tasks, she gave up too quickly, even before she could draw all her potential. Part of being a good teacher was keeping students motivated throughout the year, and I know what levers and buttons worked with Firana.
“Wolf, cover Firana’s ears. Zaon, you cover her eyes,” I said.
“Come on!” Firana said, but it was too late.
Wolf was just too strong and no amount of struggling made him budge.
“You rascals got it, didn’t you?” I asked, and the masks over the kids’ faces broke down.
Zaon pulled out his Character Sheet.
Name: Zaon, Elf (Light-footed, Keen Senses, Night Vision).
Class: Sentinel Lv.1
Titles: Kind Hearted, Novice Mathematician.
Passive: Longsword Mastery Lv.2, Fencing Lv.1, Sentinel’s Oath, Awareness.
Skills: Steadfast Shield, Ghost Blade, Sonar, Second Wind.
“I got the same,” Wolf said, although he didn’t summon his sheet.
Ilya’s face was suddenly livid, and my heart skipped a beat. What could have gone wrong? It was just a title. With a movement of her hand, she turned her sheet, and I held my breath.
Name: Ilya, Gnome.
Class: Hunter Lv.2
Titles: Governess’s Little Helper, Giant Slayer, Small-time Mathematician.
Passive: Mana Manipulation, Longsword Mastery Lv.1, Archery Lv.1, Tracking Lv.1.
Skills: Piercing Arrow, Entangling Vine, Spirit Animal, Mark of the Hunt.
Wolf burst into laughter, barely keeping Firana’s ears covered as he convulsed in his seat. Zaon turned around, doing his best to remain silent, but Ilya didn’t overlook his wide grin. It seemed that the System hadn’t lost all its sass.
“That is strange,” Lyra pointed out the obvious as she furiously scribbled in her notebook.
“Strange things happen around Robert,” Ilya replied, not happy at all.
Lyra raised an eyebrow.
“Enough for today, everyone. Good job. You are free to go,” I said, and Wolf let Firana go. “And as for you Firana… I have a special deal. Complete the exercise, and I’ll teach you the ultimate secret technique for Wind Fencers.”
The other kids stalled their exit, listening in to the conversation.
“But you said there weren’t secret techniques!” Firana countered.
“I lied, naturally,” I said. “Do you really think I studied for two decades without learning anything about wind magic?”
“Give me half an hour,” Firana’s eyes turned greedy. “Dome me up, Lady Jorn!”
As gullible as Firana was, at least she was motivated. Wolf, Zaon, and Ilya left us alone in the ballroom, and Lyra domed Firana so she could have a perfect environment. Outside the silence dome, I tried to mimic the skill with moderate success. Twenty-nine minutes later, per [Awareness], Firana jumped from her seat.
“Check it with your own eyes, Rob!”
“It’s Mister Clarke,” I replied.
Name: Firana Aias, Human (Strong, Fast).
Class: Wind Fencer Lv.1
Titles: Aias Heir, Gifted, Currents Seer, Novice Mathematician.
Passive: Longsword Mastery Lv.2, Fencing Lv.2, Acrobatics Lv.1.
Skills: Aerokinesis, Windrider, Puncture, Feather Fall, Gust Blade.
“I had to go over previous exercises several times, but everything was there,” Firana said. It takes the two painters six hours to paint the whole fence! System be damned, but I’m good at this!”
Firana jumped to her feet and imitated Shu’s little dance. Then she grabbed her long sword and signaled me to join her.
“I’m ready for some secret techniques, teach. You wouldn’t believe how much mana I have now. It would blow you away,” Firana said, blasting a gentle breeze in my direction.
“Alright, my dearest student,” I smiled. “Grab a new tablet because this is Aerodynamics 101 just for you.”