An excited murmuring broke out amongst the Coldsteel Knights at this. They looked at Knight Commander Bardin with excitement. I guessed seeing her in action was a rare treat. Meanwhile, a few looked at me with a mix of curiosity, anticipation, and pity. I was still concealing my true strength, so none of them noticed that I was also an Aura Master even though I resisted Knight Commander Bardin’s pressure without issue. If any of them had noticed, they kept it to themselves.
Knight Commander Bardin and I headed off to the sparring arena, with the Coldsteel Knights in tow. The arena was an amphitheater large enough to hold a crowd of hundreds. It was made from the same gray stone as the rest of the castle. In the center of the amphitheater was a sand pit. Runes imbued with mana were carved into the walls of the sand pit.
“A barrier spell,” Knight Commander Bardin explained when she noticed me staring. “To protect the spectators should any accidents occur.”
I nodded in understanding. When Aura users fought, there was always some collateral damage. This was even more true when Aura Masters fought. Without a barrier spell to keep our match contained, Knight Commander Bardin and I could end up destroying this part of Kaltbrand Castle.
A crowd started filling up the amphitheater’s seats. At first it was only the Coldsteel Knights who had been in the training yard, but soon others joined as well. They were also other Coldsteel Knights, ones who hadn’t been scheduled to train in the morning. Word about the sparring match must have spread fast. Soon, the Coldsteel Knights filled out more than half of the amphitheater’s seats. All of them were Aura Experts.
I resisted the urge to whistle in admiration. I knew the Coldsteel Knights were one of the best knightly orders in the Reichwald Empire, but I hadn’t realized they had this many Aura Experts among their ranks. With an Aura Master as their leader, I doubted any other force on the continent could match them in strength, except perhaps the Order of the Imperial Guard, the imperial family’s personal knights. Like the Coldsteel Knight, the Imperial Guard were also led by an Aura Master, Werther Bennet.
“Someone get us some swords.” Knight Commander Bardin called out.
One of the Coldsteel Knights scurried off to obey her order. I raised an eyebrow at her.
“I already have a sword,” I said, brandishing my weapon.
She smirked at me.
“If we’re going to fight, then you need a proper weapon.”
My eyes widened and a thread of excitement wrapped around my heart. Did that mean what I thought it meant? A few minutes later, the knight who ran off returned with two sheathed blades. He handed one to Knight Commander Bardin and gave me the other. I gave him my sword in return. The sword he gave me felt lighter than mine. I unsheathed it. A grin spread across my face. I felt like a child who had just received the toy he had always wanted.
The sword’s blade was made from a whitish-gray metal. I touched it. The blade felt almost as cold as ice. Coldsteel. It was a rare material that was stronger than steel, but lighter and more durable. That alone would have made it valuable. However, coldsteel was able to channel mana better than other material in the world, making it ideal for the creation of enchanted weapons, enchanted armor, and magic tools.
Coldsteel could only be found in small quantities in the Barrens, with the entire supply being under the control of House Kaltbrand. The sale and trade of coldsteel was also highly regulated by imperial law. The only ones allowed to wield coldsteel weapons were the Coldsteel Knights, thus their name, and the Imperial Guard. The rest went to the Tower of Magic to be used to create magic tools that were reserved for House Reichwald’s exclusive use.
I swung the coldsteel sword around a few times. It wasn’t a perfect fit for me, but it was still a superb weapon.
“I’ll give you your own coldsteel sword later on,” Knight Commander Bardin said. “Consider it a gift from your teacher. However, that one will do for now.”
I nodded, before taking a stance. Knight Commander Bardin took one as well. The knight who brought us our weapons scurried off.
“Activate the barrier.” Knight Commander Bardin ordered, keeping her eyes on me.
Moments later, a barrier made of blue light sprang to life around the sand pit.
“I’ll let you make the first move,” the knight commander said. “Show me what you’re capable of, Disciple.”
I took a moment to consider my options. We were both Aura Masters. However, a wide gap existed between us. Knight Commander Bardin had been an Aura Master for close to twenty years, while I had only been an Aura Master for one. Not only was she more experienced than me, but she also had more mana. Like other Aura users, Aura Masters continued to increase their mana reserves when they went through mana training. This didn’t increase their strength, but it gave them more staying power.
In an extended fight between Knight Commander Bardin and myself, I would lose. She had much more mana to draw upon than I did. If I wanted to beat her, an unlikely prospect already, then I needed to beat her as soon as possible. Otherwise, my defeat was guaranteed. An Aura Master without mana had no chance of defeating an Aura Master with mana.
Still, even if I lost, I wouldn’t mind. The chance to test myself against Knight Commander Bardin, my hero, was something I had only ever dreamed of until this point. It was the fulfillment of a childhood wish of mine. It was also the chance to use my full strength without worry, a rare opportunity for someone like me. Also, I was no longer worried about hiding my strength. Now that I was the (fake) heir to House Kaltbrand, rather than some random mercenary, the attention I would receive wasn’t an issue. In fact, it was a boon.
After giving it a moment’s thought, I decided to stop thinking about my options and just let loose. I dashed towards Knight Commander Bardin at my full speed, scattering the sand where I had been standing. When I reached the halfway point, I summoned my Aura. It cloaked my body and the coldsteel sword in my hands. Knight Commander Bardin summoned her own Aura and watched me approach with a calm expression on her face.
I swung my blade at Knight Commander Bardin and she blocked it. The impact exploded out, throwing up clouds of sand. A screeching sound rang out as our Auras clashed against each other.
The crowd watching us let out a roar of excitement.
“He’s an Aura Master?” I heard Viktor shout.
I ignored them all and continued to attack Knight Commander Bardin, probing her defenses, but she fended me off with ease. There were no openings for me to exploit. It was like attacking an impenetrable fortress. No matter what I tried, Knight Commander Bardin remained unfazed. At first I thought she would remain on the defensive, but then she threw me off balance after parrying one of my attacks.
“My turn,” she said.
Her speaking those two words gave me a chance to recover my balance, but it mattered little. Knight Commander Bardin went on the offensive. When I watched her duel against Gotthard Wendel, I found her swordplay beautiful and elegant. I still did. However, now that I faced her myself, I realized just how overwhelming she was.
Knight Commander Bardin’s attacks came so hard and so fast, it was like facing a storm of steel. It took everything I had to defend against her. She shut me down every time I tried to seize the initiative and retaliate against her. Despite this, Knight Commander Bardin’s expression remained calm, as if she were taking a relaxing stroll rather than sparring with another Aura Master.
When it came to raw power, I was stronger than her. This was something I realized on an instinctual level. However, she outclassed me in both skill and experience. At this rate, it would only be a matter of time before I lost. If I wanted to win, then I needed to take a risk and catch her off guard.
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An idea occurred to me, though I didn’t know how well it would work out, if at all. Still, taking a risk and losing was better than waiting for the inevitable like a sitting duck. I waited for an opportunity and when Knight Commander Bardin hit me with one of her attacks, I let my sword go flying. This surprised her for a fraction of a second, but that fraction was all I needed. While I specialized in the sword, I was proficient with my fists as well.
Taking advantage of the opening I created by losing my sword, I moved in close and struck out with my fists. Knight Commander Bardin tried to block me with her sword, but I was within her reach now, which made things difficult for her. She blocked my first attack, but my second one grazed her shoulder. Embolden by this, I followed up with a flurry of blows.
Or rather, I tried to.
Knight Commander Bardin snorted, before she dropped her sword and grabbed my arm. Within moments, she had me face down in the sand, twisting my arm to keep me pinned down.
“A good attempt,” Knight Commander Bardin said, a hint of smugness in her voice. “You actually managed to graze me. Most don’t even get that far. Your swordplay is decent, but you need to work on your unarmed combat skills if you’re going to get into any more fist fights.” She twisted my arm further. My joints creaked in protest. “Do you yield?”
I tapped the ground with my free hand, since my mouth was full of sand at the moment. Knight Commander Bardin let go of my arm. The crowd of Coldsteel Knights broke out into excited chatter. Some even cheered at their commander’s victory.
The moment I was free, I hopped to my feet and checked my arm. It hurt, but it wasn’t broken or sprained. Other than that, I hadn’t suffered any other injuries.
“That was amazing!” I said. “Can we do that again?”
That was the most fun I had ever had since coming to the Barrens. Most of the time, when I fought, it was often life or death. Yes, that was exciting. However, I wouldn’t call that “fun”. Sparring with others hadn’t been an option since time was money for a mercenary. I also wanted to focus on building up my reputation, all for the sake of joining the Coldsteel Knights. Besides, as an Aura Master, there were few who could match me in a sparring match.
Knight Commander Bardin looked taken aback by my enthusiasm, but then chuckled.
“This is refreshing,” she said. “Most people try to avoid sparring with me a second time after I beat them. The only one who ever asks me for more is His Grace.” She sighed. “Unfortunately, our time together is up. It looks like His Grace is here for you.”
Someone started clapping. I turned to find Grand Duke Kaltbrand approaching us. Knight Commander Bardin and I both bowed to him.
“Impressive.” Grand Duke Kaltbrand said, sounding genuine. “Most people don’t last five seconds against Sofie. You managed to hold out for half a minute. You even grazed her, which is something even I hadn’t managed to do when we first sparred against each other as Aura Masters.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.” I said.
Knight Commander Bardin scoffed.
“That’s because you got cocky,” she said. “Wulfe here was smart enough to avoid that mistake.”
Grand Duke Kaltbrand grinned in response.
“How may I be of service, Your Grace?” I asked.
“I want you to join me for breakfast,” he said, turning towards me. “I thought we could take the time to get to know each other better.” He gestured towards me. “After that, we can finish our discussion from last night. There are also a few… formalities we need to get out of the way. The most pressing of which is the lineage test.”
I frowned at that. As the name suggested, the lineage test was a procedure that determined if two people were related or not, and to what degree. It was often used when a child’s parentage was called into question. There were two kinds of lineage tests, one which used a magic tool and one which used divine power. The former was more accessible, but the latter was more reliable, albeit by a small degree.
Lineage tests were particularly important when it came to a succession dispute within a noble house. However, I didn’t see the point in going through a lineage test. I already knew that I wasn’t the grand duke’s son. It would be too much of a coincidence if that were the case.
“Is that necessary?” I asked, speaking in a low voice to make sure no one overheard me.
Grand Duke Kaltbrand nodded, his expression solemn.
“As I said, it is a formality but one we need to go through.” he said, before lowering his voice. “I’ll explain more later.”
While I still didn’t understand the need for a lineage test, I nodded.
“When?” Knight Commander Bardin asked in a quiet voice.
“The sooner, the better.” Grand Duke Kaltbrand said, facing her. “Join us at Arend’s tower in two hours.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Knight Commander Bardin bowed to the grand duke once more, before turning to face the Coldsteel Knights. “All right you louts! We’ve wasted enough time. Get back to training!”
The Coldsteel Knights, still talking about the sparring match, started to head back to the training yard. I walked over to the coldsteel sword I used for the match and located its sheath. I used my shirt to wipe the sword clean before sheathing it. Maybe I should have given it back, but this was a coldsteel sword. It was worth several times its weight in gold. Unless Grand Duke Kaltbrand or Knight Commander Bardin told me to give it back, I planned on keeping it.
When I turned back to face the grand duke, he smirked at me, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking.
“Shall we?” he asked.
I started to reply, before I looked down at myself and grimaced.
“I think it would be best if I washed up first.” I said.
Grand Duke Kaltbrand barked out a laugh.
“I don’t care about such things, but if that’s what you prefer, go right ahead. Someone will arrive at your quarters to lead you to the dining room.”
I bowed to the grand duke once more, before I headed off back to my rooms.
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After I finished washing up and exited my rooms, I found a servant waiting for me outside. The servant led me to a small dining room deep within Kaltbrand Castle. Given its size, I guessed this dining room was reserved for members of House Kaltbrand and distinguished guests. I assumed there was another dining room, a larger one, used for banquets, parties, and the like.
Grand Duke Kaltbrand was waiting for me inside. Breakfast turned out to be an enjoyable affair. At first I tried to discuss the details of the job with him, but he insisted on sticking to lighter topics. Since he was the client, I went along with his wishes.
We ended up swapping stories about our childhoods. It turned out that Grand Duke Kaltbrand had been willful as a child, causing no end of trouble for his parents and teachers. It gave me a deeper glimpse into the man behind the towering figure that was the Lord of the North. I told him a bit about my time living with House Guld, and some of the adventures I got up to, though I made sure to omit any names.
There were servants listening to our every word, so I kept the details as vague as possible, just in case. Gossip spread like wildfire among servants and nobles alike, and I didn’t want to have the wrong rumor get out.
The food itself was delicious. I had almost forgotten how well nobles ate. After leaving House Guld, I ate commoner fare. It wasn’t bad per se, but it couldn’t compare to the food nobles ate. I made sure to eat my fill, since I hadn’t eaten anything other than breakfast yesterday. It took me a little bit to remember my manners, since I hadn’t used them after leaving House Guld, but soon I ate as if I had always been a noble.
After breakfast, Grand Duke Kaltbrand led me to a tower located at the southeastern corner of Kaltbrand Castle. When we arrived, I could tell that the area was thick with magic. There were spells and enchantments everywhere.
“This tower belongs to Arend,” the grand duke explained. “My court magician. He’ll be the one performing the lineage test.”
I nodded in understanding. The imperial family, the ducal families, and many lower ranked families, often hired a court magician to advise them on matters related to magic. Well, except for House Galdur, the ducal family that ruled the Mistwood to the south, since they themselves were a family of magicians. In House Guld’s case, their court wizard was Baroness Alfreda Walther, who also served as my academic tutor. She had been a stern, but fair, teacher.
When we entered Arend’s tower, we found a neat and tidy study inside. Bookshelves lined the walls, each one filled with books and arcane curiosities. The floor was bare stone. Mana crystal lamps hung from the ceiling, providing light and warmth. At the far end of the study sat a large wooden desk with a wooden chair behind it. There was no other furniture in the room. Behind the desk was a map of the Reichwald Empire. A staircase spiraled around the room, leading to the upper floors.
In the center of the room was a magic circle made purely out of mana. Impressive. Magicians used magic circles for a variety of purposes, depending on the magic circle in question. Some magic circles helped with precision and control, while others amplified the power of a magician’s spells. Others were used to keep things in, or out. However, most magicians used a medium to channel their mana when creating a magic circle, such as ink or chalk. It took great skill to create a magic circle using mana alone.
In the middle of the magic circle, sitting atop a fluffy cushion, was a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties. However, he was certainly much older. The man had the mana signature of a Grand Sage. Like Aura Masters, Grand Sages aged slower than regular humans, though not to the same degree. This man was at least a decade older than he appeared, if not more.
Most magicians were physically weak, and appeared so, but this man had a physique that any warrior would envy. He was almost as tall and broad as Sir Kane. He had light brown skin, elfin features, and long, flowing silver hair. This meant that this man, or his ancestors, came from the Mistwood to the south. He wore a set of flowing silver robes. Altogether, this man had an ethereal and mystical air to him.
The grand duke and I remained silent after we entered, since it was clear to the both of us that this man was mana training. We didn’t have to wait long. Soon after we entered, the man took a deep breath and let it out. After he finished exhaling, the man opened his eyes. They were piercing silver.