Mahon took a large detour through the mangrove while keeping his Flow active to make sure no one was following him. He then slowly converged back to Lakefield and went to the Protectors Circle where they were supposed to meet after an attack on their client.
Jorik jumped on him almost as soon as he entered.
“Mahon!” He had a wide smile on his face. “I had guessed you managed to escape the two sorcerers when I saw them come back without you.”
“You doubted me?” Mahon grinned. “And from your smile I can imagine you reached the Protectors Circle without any problem?”
“Yes. Mission accomplished!” Jorik clapped Mahon on the shoulder. “Everyone came back already. You’re the last one. Come! We were waiting for you for the results.”
Jorik led them to the main arena that was also used as a reception room when they needed to address all the Protectors. There were at least three hundred people gathered on the sand. The promotion of a new batch of Protectors didn’t usually attract that many people, but the Protectors Circle had called every available Protector back for the incoming tournament.
On a small platform, Paegis was facing the crowd, with Rania and the two other sorcerers that Mahon had fought earlier on at his sides. Now that the two were wearing their Protectors uniform, Mahon realized they were the two other vice-masters of their bodyguard center. One of them was handling the Protectors Circle branch in Drulens, the second biggest city of Finem, while the other had been on a mission until then, but the other Protectors had talked about them on a few occasions already.
Before he could discuss their meeting further with Jorik, Paegis asked for silence with a raised hand. Immediately, the conversations died down, and all eyes followed the Protectors Circle master’s every move.
“My friends!” The old man started with an energetic voice. “Before I call every name that will join our rank today, I wanted to share a few words with you. It’s a troubled period we’re living in. Our old neighbors threaten our borders, going so far as to reveal cards they had been holding close to their chest for years. Rumors go wild about Ill Immortals, and some of us have already witnessed weird changes occurring in our country.”
At this mention, Mahon witnessed a few foreign visages among the crowd nodding along Paegis’ words.
Something is happening with the Ill Immortals?
He tried to memorize the people who had nodded while Paegis continued his speech.
“The Pack of Hawks, our long-time competitor for Finem’s best bodyguard center, is also going through a period of unrest and turmoil that bears nothing good for us. For all these reasons and more, we’ve decided to call back most of our members for the tournament. Your task for the next month is to train as hard as you can and win this tournament. Show Finem we’re worthy of their praise. Show the Hawks they can keep dreaming of surpassing us. And show Rining we’re not afraid of their flat provocations.”
A wild clamor welcomed Paegis’ declaration. The Protectors struck their chest with their fists while stamping on the ground, showing their support to their master. Paegis let them loose for half a minute before he continued his speech and talked more in detail about their situation and the importance of the tournament.
He kept it short, though, and he was done after five minutes. He then quickly left and gestured for Rania to take his place.
“Protectors!” She yelled to reclaim silence after Paegis’ departure, and all men and women turned to her. “Before you’ll be given a trio with which you’ll practice and fight in the tournament, let us welcome our sisters and brothers that join us today.”
She paused a bit before she called the first name.
“From Lakefield, welcome Protector Solana!”
A loud applause followed Rania’s words while a woman left the rank of the crowd and joined the vice-master on the platform. She bowed slightly and the three vice-masters returned the gesture. Then, one of the two men stepped forward and gave her a Protector insignia.
The other sorcerer grabbed her practice sword and, invoking his flame, he broke the sword in two with practical ease. He then gave her a real sword instead, and Mahon recognized the work of Siraye even with the distance. A circle of shields, the emblem of the Protectors Circle, adorned the handle of the sword.
Her fellow trainees yelled their joy as the woman turned to face the crown and bowed again under the applause of all the Protectors.
“From Drulens, welcome Protector Horith!” Rania shouted next.
One by one, all the trainees were called and received both their Protector insignia and sword. No one had failed the exam, but it didn’t mean all had succeeded. The instructors had expelled at least half of them during the year-long training. Only those who had been deemed ready had passed the final test, and it had been more a formality than a real test for them.
It had also been the occasion to showcase their talents, and before Mahon and Jorik were called, two trainees had already got the veteran Protector rank, meaning both of them had reached six-star.
“From Lakefield, welcome elite Protector Jorik!”
A Protector joining directly as an elite was an event few had witnessed. If the Protectors Circle didn’t lack seven-star warriors, it was usually due to their continuous training within the bodyguard center as well as their numerous fights against strong opponents in duels. That someone was already a seven-star even before joining a bodyguard center, and at such a young age, was really a rare occurrence.
“From Lakefield, welcome instructor Mahon!”
This time an uproar shook the crowd. Even Mahon was surprised by the title. Although some of the instructors were still active, most of them were retired seven-star Protectors. That Mahon had been directly promoted to instructor showed how high the bodyguard center valued him.
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Hiding his surprise behind an impassive face, Mahon exited the crowd not without exchanging a glance with Ailluin who smiled widely back at him. He even had the gall to wink before Mahon turned his head back to the stage and the three vice-masters.
“It’s an unprecedented event,” Rania spoke louder than the clamor, “but Mahon’s contributions, talents and benevolence to teach were deemed enough to grant him such a title. Even though Mahon lacks in terms of bodyguard wisdom, he’s a bottomless pit of strategy knowledge. His fighting abilities are on par, if not superior to even vice-masters,” Rania threw a glance at the two sorcerers at her side who nodded eagerly, “and his teaching methods, willingness and patience makes him a very good instructor. As such, please, make a warm welcome for our new instructor!”
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After the ceremony, a giant party was organized in the main arena. All the trainees went to congratulate Mahon and Jorik. The noble returned each handshake with a small sentence of his own specific to each trainee. They had spent a lot of their time with them in the last six months, and the noble had tied with most of them enough to even know the name of their relatives.
Mahon also answered with kind words tailored to each, although they were often related to the trainee's progression as he had acted as an instructor for most of their sword lessons. He had even taken turns with Ailluin in their morning training routine once he had shown interest in it and proposed a few modifications.
Ailluin and the other instructors also came to congratulate him and exchange a word with their new recruit. Their relations were ones of mutual teachings as Mahon had coached them all with the sword while they taught him bodyguard duties and Lakefield’s secrets.
All three instructors from Drulens that Mahon had never seen before also went to talk with him. Ailluin stayed close to him the whole time, and he introduced him to everyone he didn’t know yet. That is mainly the people that had been away due to long missions and those from Drulens.
The trio of vice-masters also exchanged a word with all the trainees, but it was clear that except for Rania, the two other sorcerers were mainly interested in Mahon. They clearly hinted at a coming-soon training session where he would have to show them the tricks he taught Rania to beat them.
Both sorcerers seemed pretty casual and friendly to Mahon and made a much better first-impression than Rania if he didn’t count their ambush earlier that day. Once the procession of people ended, and the party turned less formal, Jorik escaped to other groups to socialize while Mahon was left with the still smiling Ailluin.
“By the way, Ailluin,” Mahon started, “how did that tracker thing work?” He took out the compass he had stolen previously during the test.
The head instructor chuckled. “Incorrigible. You never stop, don’t you?”
Mahon could only shrug apologetically while Ailluin laughed even louder.
“Well, it was master Paegis’ ideas. It’s one of his abilities so he would better explain it than me, but it goes something like imprinting me with his magic and imbuing compasses with his magic to keep track of it.”
“Really?” Mahon was surprised. He had checked the compass with his Flow multiple times, and even Ailluin for that matter, but he hadn’t found a single scrap of fire magic on any of the two.
It seems there are still many things I don’t know.
“Ah, you know. Magician stuff and shit.” Ailluin explained with a bitter smile. “Sorcerers are already behind my understanding. There is no need to mention magicians, and even less Paegis.”
“You’ve met other magicians?” Mahon didn’t miss the underlying information. “Is master Paegis above normal magicians?”
“I’m an old man, and I’ve seen many things.” Ailluin answered casually at his first question. “And yes, Paegis is a step above anyone else. I’m actually afraid of what will happen once he passes out as he’s the real person keeping in check most of the nearby kingdoms and he has no successor…”
Ailluin was far from being a stupid person, and he knew very well Mahon had only needed six months of training to be able of beating Rania on a reliable basis. He threw him a hopeful look as he mentioned a successor, but Mahon masked his real thoughts to the instructor and smiled politely instead.
There is so much on my plate already, Ailluin. I’m sorry, but that will have to wait for someone else.
“Does that also have to do with the Ill Immortals growing agitated?” He asked, echoing Paegis’ troubling words of introduction.
Ailluin sighed loudly. “There are still many things you don’t know about the hidden powers in this country. The Ill Immortals aren’t just the rumors to scare unruly children we’ve all heard. But even we don’t know much. Paegis has had his fair share of skirmishes against them, though. A bunch of ambitious and dangerous mercenaries, that’s what they are. But yes, it’s a whole. Rining’s turmoil. The Ill Immortals strengthened presence. Something bad is brewing. That’s for sure… But enough of that old man rumbling! Today is a day of celebration, so let’s celebrate!”
Ailluin threw a knowing glance at Mahon before he added in a conspiracy tone. “You know, the trainees, I mean, the new Protectors, will get to know their trio tomorrow morning and train with them until the tournament. But one of the perks of being an instructor is to know a bit more in advance than the others…” He winked at Mahon. “Want me to introduce you to your partners?”
“Are they sorcerers?” Mahon immediately asked with an eager face.
Ailluin chuckled. “No. Paegis will not take part in this tournament for his own reasons. And with three sorcerers left, we would be stupid not to pair them together. Even the Pack of Hawks only has two sorcerers. With a trio, we’re sure to secure first place in this tournament.”
Mahon grimaced at the thought. A favor from the king was likely to be their one in a lifetime opportunity to get hold of the Immortal Kings book without being a Count. But if he had to defeat a trio of sorcerers to win the first place, it wouldn’t be the easy victory he had imagined, far from it.
“I’m at least with Jorik, right?”
“Yes.” Ailluin answered. “You two are probably our best two fighters already, and the only ones to be able to contend with sorcerers. Besides, your coordination is top-notch even among our most ancient pairs. I don’t know what you guys did when you were children, but it’s like you’re from the same mind.”
Mahon nodded without adding anything. Duo training was the basis of Ratho’s fighting system, and two Flow users would obviously sublimate that cooperation to even higher standards.
“We had trouble assigning you a third person because of that, actually. Adding an unknown element in your mix would risk making everything crumble. So we looked into people you already trained with. And they had to be seven-stars too. In the end, Myrthil volunteered, and we also thought it’s the best match in this situation.”
Ailluin gestured with his head to the side, and following his direction, Mahon saw the young and energetic woman flirting with a smiling Jorik a dozen meters ahead. Myrthil was a very promising Protector as she was one of the youngest at the seven-star rank. Her interest for Jorik had also pushed her to train often with him. All in all, it was probably the best suited person after the sorcerers.
She’s a very good candidate. But she’ll have to face the truth sooner or later. Let’s just hope Jorik’s rejection will not hinder her.
“Anyway,” Ailluin interrupted Mahon’s thoughts, “with such a strong lineup we’ve good hopes for you. You’re still wet behind the ears even though you’ve amazing talents, and there will be countless cunning experts ready to exploit every single mistake you make. But if you practice hard, you could reach the top ten easily. Even higher if you manage to hold your ground against sorcerer teams! Show them!”