A knock on my door woke me up. The sun poured through the windows, casting glints of silver and gold over the coins scattered over the table. I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the last remnants of sleep, and for a moment I thought I was back in the Farlands. But there were no doors in the Farlands.
I pushed the blankets to my feet and jumped out of bed. I overslept. My class, as usual, was behind schedule and there wasn’t a single second to waste. In a rush, I put on my pants and button up my shirt, and opened the door.
“Good morning Miss Elincia, Ilya says she already–”
Our eyes met. Firana’s jaw fell, and her eyes opened wide, her expression usually poised with confidence now was frozen in astonishment. Did I put my shirt backwards? I took a quick glance at my attire, everything seemed to be in place.
“What did Ilya say?” I yawned.
If I had to guess, the gnome girl already herded the younger kids to the kitchen for breakfast. The angle of the sun rays told me I had really overslept.
“N-nothing She said nothing.” Firana replied with a quiet voice. Then, she turned on his heels and zoomed across the sleeping quarters at the speed of sound. That was a strange first interaction, even by Firana’s standards.
I scanned the corridor. The sleeping quarters were deserted, which meant Ilya had taken care of the younger kids’ morning routine. I closed the door behind me and stretched my back. The inner workings of Firana’s mind would remain an enigma.
Or so I thought. A flush of embarrassment crept up my cheeks.
Elincia was sleeping on the bed. Her open arms encompassed as much space as she could, and her wide nightgown made her look like a starfish. A cute, white starfish. At least her nightgown covered the important bits.
I couldn’t help but laugh at Firana’s reaction. By now, the whole orphanage must know what was happening. Not that we could keep it a secret for long considering how keen the kids were when romance was involved.
Elincia curled into a ball. The morning was cold and the air in the room was crisp. Lighting the brazier wasn’t one of our priorities last night. Not that we needed it. Elincia radiated heat at a worrying rate, and she was a clingy sleeper.
I pulled up the blankets and sat by her side.
I watched Elincia's peaceful slumber, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. Her silvery hair cascaded over the pillow, framing her delicate features. It was hard to believe that a few months ago my life was so ordinary, so empty.
As I outlined the contours of her lips with my finger, I admired her peaceful expression. Her lips were pale and her skin was smooth. The thin nightgown adhered to her slender body, giving her the elegant appearance of a marble sculpture. And yet, a closer look revealed her human heritage. Dark circles around her eyes, small freckles, expression lines, and hints of crow’s feet were starting to appear in the corners of her eyes.
The Corruption was a small price indeed.
I wished I could remain there, but the matters of the orphanage were pressing.
“Eli, wake up.” I whispered near her ear.
Elincia slowly opened her eyes. The sun rays dazzled her for an instant and a sudden expression of confusion drew on her pretty face. She looked around, searching for an invisible opponent.
“The onion golem!” Elincia slurred. It took her a second to realize there was no onion golem inside the room. Just the two of us.
“I know I have grown a bit of muscle since I arrived, but I wouldn’t call myself a golem yet.” I replied with a smile. It was hard to keep a serious expression when my chest brimmed with joy. I flexed my arm. The daily training and a diet heavy in beans did wonders for my physique.
It took Elincia a second to recover her natural sass.
“You were a twig when we first met.” She mockingly said as she grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me to the bed.
“And you were super rude.” I replied.
Elincia rolled her eyes but kissed me nonetheless. I was getting addicted to her lips.
“At least I’m not that kind of person who goes through life falling in love with the first girl they met in the woods.”
“At least I’m not the kind of person who falls asleep in the middle of a kissing session. And I’m truly glad I’m not the kind of person who snores and farts while sleeping.” I replied with a mischievous smile.
Elincia glared at me with her mouth agape.
“Your sleeping face is adorable by the way.” I managed to add before she covered my mouth with her hand. The fact she was red as a tomato told me that half-elves could indeed fart. Particularly while sleeping.
“I don’t fart while sleeping, you dumbass liar!” Elincia poked my still bruised ribs.
“You do.” My voice became muffled by her hand.
“You are done, Robert Clarke.” Elincia threw the blanket aside and pounced on me with feline grace. She knocked me back and pressed her lips forcibly against mine. It was a weird punishment, but I happily accepted it. After a minute of playful struggle, kisses, and tickles, I finally managed to restrain her.
Elincia’s face was completely covered by her hair, but I could see her smile and her flushed cheeks between the strands of hair. I could wake up to this every day and be happy for the rest of my life. When I let her hands go, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me towards her.
“The kids are going to suspect us if we don’t appear soon.” Elincia whispered.
“I’m pretty sure they already know, considering Firana saw us.” I replied before explaining my little mistake.
Elincia had to grab her stomach as she laughed at me.
“Well, I guess that means we can stay here for a while longer. Maybe make up for the fact I fell asleep last night.” Elincia whispered into my ear. Her face was red as a beet, but her eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint.
I got goosebumps.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
A knock on the door interrupted us. We remained still; however, the knocking became more frantic to the point it seemed that whoever was at the other side of the door was trying to hide from something.
“I’ll go.”
As I opened the door, Firana knocked on thin air.
“You have to go, Mr. Clarke! The little kids are getting restless without Miss Elincia, and they will be here at any moment. I won't be able to cover you any longer.” Firana rushed her words as if she was being chased by goblins.
“We weren’t planning to keep this a secret.” Elincia said as she grabbed her woolen shawl. Despite her composed expression, I could tell she was deeply embarrassed.
“This?” Firana asked cautiously. “Are you two gonna marry?”
Elincia elbowed me.
“Well, it’s not that simple, Firana. Remember that I’m from a different country with different norms and customs. But what’s important is that we care for each other, and we want to be together.” I said. “Now go and tell the others to wait for me in the backyard. We are training with the sword today.”
Firana nodded and rushed out of the sleeping quarters.
“I don’t care how things are in the City of Light, you are mine and you are not getting a harem.” Elincia said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
It took me a moment to realize she was teasing me.
* * *
Cold gusts of wind bit my face as soon as I left the manor. Autumn was coming to an end and the trees stood like skeletal figures all over the perimeter of the grounds of the manor. The muddy ground was covered by dry leaves and the ocher tones that had reigned in the backyard were just a distant memory.
My four pupils were finishing their warm-up laps, with Firana in the lead and Ilya lagging behind in last place. The gnome girl had come a long way since the first lesson. Even with a thick layer of mud under her soles, she was able to finish the laps.
“You are late.” Ilya panted as I approached the group.
“He’s the teacher, he can be as late as he wants.” Zaon replied on my behalf.
“Mister Clarke was probably doing important things with Miss Elincia late last night… like brewing potions.” Firana said with a stone-cold face, and I couldn’t distinguish if she was trying to tease or help me.
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“I apologize for my tardiness. If I demand punctuality the least I could do is to abide by the same rules.” I said.
Considering the surprised faces, they weren’t used to adults apologizing.
“Well, show me what you have learned during these two weeks. Let’s start with Zaon and Wolf.” I said, clapping my hands and sitting on the big tree stump. As I lacked precise knowledge about passives and levels, it was best to see with my own eyes what a Lv. 2 [Longsword Mastery] looked like.
The kids put on their training masks and faced each other. Zaon had one level of advantage over Wolf, however, as soon as they crossed swords, I noticed that Wolf’s strength was enough to damper Zaon’s movements. Surely, Zaon was more skillful, but Wolf’s basics were fairly polished, and the speed of his sword was superior.
Before a clear winner emerged, I stopped the sparring and paired Firana with Zaon. Despite the fact both had Lv.2 [Longsword Mastery], Firana had the clear advantage. Their skills were somewhat equalized but the girl’s instinct to judge distances and trajectories was better. Zaon defended successfully until I called the bout finished.
I swapped pairs for the next half an hour, measuring how much the skills weighed during the exchanges. My findings were interesting. Despite Zaon and Firana having the same level, Firana was the better fencer. In the same way, Zaon had the level advantage over Wolf, but that didn’t translate into the duel.
And then, there was Ilya, who was able to successfully fend off most of the attacks of the other orphans despite not having a single level in [Longsword Mastery]. Sure, she was the least skillful of the lot and she got hit on the head several times, but that didn’t mean she was helpless.
“Firana, you and me.” I said.
Zaon instantly jumped up and offered me his jacket and mask, but I refused.
“But the safety…” The boy said.
“I’ll be okay.” I said.
Firana stood in front of me with her sword raised over her head. Her fierce expression was barely noticeable under her mask, yet the intensity of her eyes bore on my skull. It wasn’t her usual solemnity towards fencing but something else. Not that it mattered, I planned to end the exchange quickly.
If my theory was correct, there was a whole different set of abilities that [Longsword Mastery] didn’t encompass.
“Fight!” Zaon yelled.
Firana lunged forward and aimed for my head, but I mindlessly smacked her blade out of trajectory. The girl quickly recovered, then, she came forth and brought down her sword in a diagonal slash. I sidestepped, letting her blade cut thin air.
Firana struck again with a rapid series of masterfully woven thrusts and slashes. Yet, I managed to parry each blow. I let her continue with the attack until her movements became more erratic and desperate. Maybe it was Firana’s competitive nature coming afloat or the fact she wanted revenge for our previous duel, but she really wanted to hit me in the head.
I parried Firana’s attack and connected a swift strike against her mask.
Firana muttered a curse.
“You all have improved a lot, congratulations. But Ilya was the only one who passed the test.” I said with a smile.
Suddenly, all eyes fell on the gnome girl, but she was the most confused from the lot.
“Me? Don’t you mean Firana?” Ilya asked in disbelief.
“During a real fight you can’t spend even a speck of energy on external distractions. Even the slightest slip of concentration might mean the difference between life and death, and Ilya was the only one who remained focused from start to finish” I said.
Zaon had panicked and closed his eyes when Firana overwhelmed him, Wolf was surprised even by the most basic parry, and Firana had lost her cool trying to hit me. Even if Ilya had received the most hits, she never panicked no matter how much she failed.
“From now on, we will add another layer to our training regime. Keeping your mind clear in the most tense situation is a skill you have to cultivate in and out of combat.” I said. “Now, sit down and close your eyes.”
The orphans looked at each other for a moment but in the end they obeyed.
“Try to keep your mind blank. Focus on your breath. Relax your shoulders, Zaon, this isn’t an exercise in strength.” I slowly walked around the group, repeating instructions. “The goal is to be conscious of the thoughts that appear in our mind and get rid of it. Be conscious of your breath, your posture, your body, but remove all thoughts from your mind.”
Unlike Ilya, who was already acquainted with meditation, Zaon frowned as if he was trying to expel the intrusive thoughts by sheer force.
“Just relax, Zaon. Do less.” I said, holding a giggle. “You don’t need to reply, just focus.” I quickly added as he opened his mouth.
Zaon relaxed his body and seemed to get the grasp of the exercise.
The younger orphans were inside the kitchen with Elincia, so the backyard was in complete silence. Only the occasional gust of wind against the naked branches broke the peace of the morning.
“I’m done with this. This isn’t going to make me stronger. Call me when you start with the actual training” Wolf stood up in a huff, his voice was calm as ever, but I could notice certain turmoil underneath her words.
Before I could react, Ilya opened her eyes and jumped up on her feet. “Hey! That’s disrespectful!”
“Weren’t you the one who made a scene just the other day.” Wolf raised an eyebrow.
It wasn’t like him to engage in arguments with the other kids.
“That was completely different!” Ilya bellowed with her high-pitched voice.
“Watch out, gnome, people say too many stacked levels of Denial make you go bald.” Wolf grunted before turning around and walking towards the grove at the end of the manor grounds.
There was no need for [Awareness] to know something was troubling Wolf.
“Continue with the exercise. I’ll go talk with him.” I said. “Oh, and you will not go bald, Ilya. I have seen men with like ten stacks of denial and full-on scalps.”
* * *
Wolf wasn’t so far away, behind a tree thick enough to somewhat hide his bulky frame. He took a deep breath and threw a punch at the trunk, making a thumping noise. The blow made the branches shake.
“You can’t treat Ilya like that, you know? She’s like your sister.” I said, standing a few paces from the tree.
Wolf had gotten rid of his boots and jacket, and faced the tree with his guard up. Wolf’s stance was similar to a Muay Thai fighter, with his hands up and his legs ready to shoot up.
“Ilya is not my sister. Wrong skin color.” Wolf replied, as he punched the tree yet again. Despite the lack of unarmed combat instructors, his form was great. I wondered if he learned that before being dropped at the orphanage.
“Ilya might not be related by blood, but she worries about you. When you were sick she made sure you received a big portion of soup.” I said. “The same goes for Miss Elincia and I.”
Wolf continued flattening the bark at a steady pace. Even if his face remained stoic, there was an uncharacteristic, barely noticeable urgency in his usually calm movements.
“If words hurt her, then she is weak.” Wolf said, putting all the weight of his body behind the next punch. A bunch of splinters fell to the ground.
Given the state of the trunk, Wolf had been doing this routine for a while now. I noticed his protruding knuckles and the hardened skin covering them.
“Words are not like swords, Wolf. The damage they can do doesn’t lie merely in the skills of the speaker but in who he is.” I explained trying to introduce some reason to the half-orc’s skull. “Ilya cares about you. She knowingly handed you the weapon and you are using it against her. It doesn’t seem fair to me.”
Wolf threw a high kick against the tree, making the lower branches shake.
“Then it is her responsibility if she gets hurt.” Wolf grunted.
“Partially. Yes.” I conceded once again. “But now you are conscious about the power you have over her and it will reflect badly on you if you misuse it. You two will be companions for the foreseeable future and I will like you to support each other.”
Wolf changed guard and kicked with the other feet harder than ever before. He frowned his eyebrows as bark splinters cascaded from the trunk.
“Something else?” He asked, seeing me still standing there.
“I was also hoping my wisdom would amaze you to the point you came back and meditated with the rest. It seems it didn’t work, though.” I shrugged my shoulders.
There was a slight flash of one of his tusks as his lip curled up in the slightest smile.
“Meditation is more complex than sitting with eyes closed and breathing, Wolf. Just like you are controlling your physical pain now, meditation will help you to control mental pain.” I continued speaking after Wolf resumed his routine. “The Imperial Academy isn’t going to be just swords and brawls. They will probably teach you history, arithmetic, and military strategy among other things. You will have to master those concepts without using a single muscle. It won’t be trivial. You will need the mental strength to govern your mind, overcome your desire to do anything else and sit through it until it's done.”
My grandiose speech seemed to work because Wolf stopped kicking the tree and glanced at me with an unreadable face.
“I am not going to the Imperial Academy.” Wolf suddenly said.
“Why not? I know you have the potential to do it. It’s better than the army.” I replied.
“I’m not going to the army either.” Wolf muttered. He seemed to regret his words because he instantly avoided my eyes.
Then I remembered what Dassyra had said.
“You will be returning with the tribes.” I said.
Wolf nodded, his expression was full of shame.
I nodded in silence, processing Wolf’s words. I have seen kids living with loving foster families craving to go back to their original parents many times before. It was a drive stronger than hunger and cold. Maybe irrational, but I couldn’t feel anything but sympathy for those who yearned for home.
“It has been happening for the last few months. Getting sick then getting stronger just to get sick again. As the days pass I’m becoming more and more like an orc, strong I mean.” Wolf made a small pause in his exercise to stretch the muscles of his back.
“Why keep it a secret, Wolf?” I asked.
Wolf just shrugged as he leaned against the tree. For someone who could punch a hole almost the size of his head in the bark of a tree, he was really distressed.
“I don’t know.” Wolf replied. “You can try stopping me if you want, but please, don’t tell Miss Elincia. She has been nothing but good to me. I don’t want to seem ungrateful.”
For a moment, Wolf seemed much younger than he really was. With his stoic manners and her muscular body, it was easy to forget she was a fourteen-year-old kid. A fourteen-year-old kid who hadn’t seen his mother in seven years.
“I don’t believe you are wrong for wanting to come back with your family, Wolf.” I said, coming forth and putting a hand on his shoulder. “I will help you if that is what you really want.”
Wolf’s eyes shot wide open.
“Why?!” His voice came out almost accusatory.
“School doesn’t always conform to people’s life project. But that's the school's problem, not the person’s.” I explained, unable to hide a smile. “When you turn fifteen you will be an adult in the eyes of the System and the kingdom, and when that moment comes, I will respect you as an equal. But in the meantime, while I’m your teacher, I want you to grow as much as you can.”
I let Wolf’s shoulder go and he instinctively retreated, which was weird considering he had the strength to shred a tree without even having a Class.
“You are a peculiar man.” He simply said while he grabbed his jacket and boots.
“What a polite way of calling me weird.” I replied, making him flush. “I met your mother, Dassyra, in the Farlands. They are waiting for you, Wolf, but Dassyra made it clear it was your choice. Elincia is aware of everything, so she will help you if you decide to return to the tribes.”
Wolf nodded in silence.
“Did mom say anything else?”
“She said you already know everything you need to know.” I repeated Dassyra’s cryptic words.
Wolf seemed satisfied with the answer.
When we returned to the tree stump, the rest of the orphans were still meditating.
“Enough meditation for today.” My voice broke the silence and Zaon fell back to the grass, arms open.
“I think my inner voice wants to kill me.” The elven boy simply said.
Firana and Ilya exchanged a glance and burst out laughing. Even Wolf grinned a bit.
It was good to be back.