"Ah, there you are," Igneal remarked as he approached. “I’ve been looking for you. It was clever of me to search the outer section of Valis before moving to the inner section.”
Fiona clicked her tongue. “You've only just met and you're already on the path to becoming a stalker. A little shame might benefit you.”
Ignoring her completely, Igneal targeted Tyrus instead. A chuckle escaped him as he glanced at the coat. "You've managed to obtain a pseudo-artifact in the limited time we've been apart. Did my sister plead with Aunt Selena for money like a beggar and buy it for you?”
“As if I’d ever beg for money,” she scoffed. “Anyway, it’s none of your business how Tyrus received it in the first place.”
Finally, the boy turned to Fiona. "Oh, I was oblivious to your presence. No wonder my ears have been feeling itchy. I thought a fly was buzzing around. Then again, considering your position, you might as well be one."
Glaring daggers at Igneal, she opened her mouth, as if ready to spout out a slew of curses, until she sighed and massaged her temples. “He isn’t worth it… He isn’t worth it. Don’t fall for the bait.”
…I should probably do something, Tyrus thought. Knowing Fiona, she was probably on the verge of cracking if her venomous brother were to sling another insult at her. Witnessing a murder right before his eyes was not an experience he desired when their time could be better utilized elsewhere.
Besides that, there was an abundance of gazes fixed on the group. At the moment, the four of them were still standing in front of Erza’s shop. A lot of the passersby were pointing at Igneal, whispering to themselves. They were primarily discussing Igneal's striking resemblance and his apparent wealth.
It seemed like he heard the onlookers also as a smirk was plastered on his face. Did he really enjoy the attention that much? Tyrus would have found it burdensome if everywhere he went, all eyes would hone in on him as if he hadn’t showered in days. Thinking about how his skin would tingle from burning stares and the hushed whispers among the crowd would have him fleeing.
"Now, in regard to business," Igneal stated. “I have sought you out to discuss a proposition that may intrigue you.”
Tyrus looked at him skeptically. “I said I won’t be your friend. You might as well stop asking because my answer will always be no. Your true intention of becoming my friend is still hidden, and I don’t really like that.”
And so far, I don’t like your personality, Tyrus added. Of course, he wouldn’t dare say that out loud. The amount of trouble that would bring wasn’t worth it.
Igneal shook his head. “Come now, I didn’t come all the way here to repeat my previous offer. Let me cut to the chase–I’m here to request a friendly duel.”
“A friendly duel?” Fiona and Tyrus said simultaneously.
“To be quite frank with you, I feel as if, in order to build that trust you so desperately want, sparring should be in order. What better way to understand the other than to cross blades? By observing your enemies’ combat techniques and conduct in various situations, you can extract a wealth of information.”
“Since this will be a friendly duel, we will be using wooden swords in order to minimize injuries. I have brought over my servant here to kick things off and watch over. Rest assured, he is an Augmentation Sorcerer and capable of stopping the fight if it were to… get out of hand. Now, your answer?”
Fiona leaned over and whispered, “Hey, you don’t have to accept the duel. There’s a good chance he wants to use this opportunity to humiliate you for rejecting his friendship.”
Though her warning was loud and clear to Tyrus, he still contemplated the matter. Now, if it were him of the past, he would reject the duel with no hesitation if there was nothing to gain from it. But, with the monthly exam tomorrow and its contents still a mystery to him, he needed to know how much he had grown since he set foot in Valis.
Accepting the duel was quite appealing. It would be his first actual fight against another sorcerer. Him being pursued by those two air Elemental Sorcerers didn’t count since he hadn’t really fought back. During that time, he focused on escaping, feeling hopelessly outmatched and outnumbered. But a duel against Igneal? A person who was around his age and probably just as inexperienced would be a great learning experience. As he mentioned, they could glean much information from a simple bout. Tyrus would be able to locate what he needed to focus on and improve upon it.
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He would also get a chance to peek at how he compared to a kid near his age. Was he stronger, equal, or weaker than Igneal? Erza had mentioned that few people would be stronger than him since he awakened early. That was all well and good, but he needed a sort of benchmark to get a good idea of where he stood.
Most importantly, other than learning and gauging his own strength, he just really wanted to utterly crush him. Every time he looked at those prideful eyes of his, it felt as if he were looking down at him. Being seen as a weakling by a person he could probably beat in a confrontation didn’t sit well with him.
“The look on your face has changed,” Igneal said. “I assume you have reached an answer?”
Tyrus glanced at Fiona, giving her a reassuring nod. “You said a friendly duel, right? If so, I will accept your request. Where and when will we do it?”
“We’ll talk more about it in front of the guild. Arrive with an hour to spare before the sun reaches its peak. I’m sure someone like yourself will make it on time, yes?”
“No problems here; I wouldn’t dare miss it…”
Igneal smirked as he spun on his heels and began walking away. His bodyguard trailed behind him, glancing over his shoulder and clicking his tongue disapprovingly before resuming his stride. Tyrus watched the two until they retreated into the crowd. As soon as they were gone, he relaxed his shoulders.
I hope I made the right decision…
****
A lot of time had passed since his brief meeting with Igneal. Pristine beams of moonlight streamed into the room, casting a glistening glow onto the wooden floor that revealed layers of dust. The sounds of mugs clinking and cheerful laughter wafted through the air like fresh grass in an afternoon breeze. Mingling with the scent of roasted meat and alcohol was the smell of candle wax on a nearby table. A bright flame pierced the shadows, flickering occasionally as a a gust swept inside.
Tyrus was sitting at the edge of a bed, twiddling his thumbs as he gazed out at the moon. His limbs, shoulders and back included, felt as stiff as a plank; It had been a long and arduous week. Days of fighting, training, sleeping, and digging had done a number on his body even while having the benefits of an Augmentation Sorcerer.
During his outing with Fiona, he didn’t feel all that fatigued when they went shopping. But as soon as he had gotten himself a room at an inn, eaten, changed into new clothes, and sat down on the bed, fatigue struck him like a tidal wave. Though he should be resting for the big day tomorrow, thoughts about the exam and the duel occupied him like a hungry mosquito.
“I hope the exam isn’t too difficult,” he mumbled. “Preferably, I wish it had something to do with hunting beasts. That, I can do easily. But if I had to collect herbs or items, then the risk of failing increases. And if it’s none of those, what if I had to complete an exam that tests my knowledge about the world!?”
The prospect of the exam being anything other than a confrontation with beasts frightened Tyrus. Sure, he knew some things related to surviving in the outdoors, but when it came to knowledge about certain things like magic, herbs, or even history about the land, then he might as well quit while he was ahead. Well, he wouldn’t really give up. He’d still try his best, but passing the exam would be nearly impossible.
All he could do was pray to whatever god would listen to him and hope for the best. If he was destined to fail, then he would try again next time. There were other ways of making money other than joining the Explorer Guild. Hunting beasts and bringing back whatever materials shopkeepers were buying would have to do if he wanted to keep sleeping on beds and eating delicious meals like stew.
“Ah, there’s also the duel with Igneal. I’ll have to be careful and not injure myself. Then again, he shouldn’t be too difficult to fight. I fought beasts way scarier and bigger than him.”
It was still a mystery why Igneal requested a duel out of him. Tyrus could only think of two reasons. Igneal either wanted to humiliate him like Fiona had said or to gauge his strength. Igneal did say he was interested because of his father’s actions and wanted to know more about Tyrus. Still, good intentions or not, Tyrus didn’t see the reason to be friends with him. What would he be able to offer to him?
“Speaking of friends, I’ll have to visit Wildwood when I have the chance. Elder Treant and Meadow must be worried about me.”
Despite his hasty departure, he was fairly certain that one of the treants caught sight of him exiting Wildwood, considering their role in guarding the outskirts. Surely, they would inform Elder Treant about what they witnessed. If so, then the old tree and Meadow would understand why Tyrus had to leave without a goodbye.
Sighing to himself, Tyrus glanced at his storage ring. Silently, he retrieved the sword he had just bought; the weapon appeared in his hands instantly. Like a shining star, the cold steel glittered under the light. Tyrus brought the sword closer and rubbed his hands across the flat side of the blade. A shiver ran up his arm as he stared. An idea came to mind when his hand stopped at the tip.
“Yeah, I’ll use a sword instead of a dagger. I'll take advantage of the duel and use it to improve my swordsmanship. If it looks like I’m losing, I’ll switch over to a dagger.”
Tyrus nodded as he rose from the bed, moving toward the middle of the room. Clenching the hilt with two hands, he assumed an awkward stance. His own feet felt weird and foreign to him, so he tried shifting his legs around until he felt comfortable. With a determined look, Tyrus raised the sword, his small arms trembling slightly under the strain. After taking a deep breath, he swung the sword in a clumsy arc; the blade cutting through the air with a whooshing sound.
“…So, this is what it feels like to swing a sword. Way more difficult than using a dagger.”
Before he knew it, he had already continued swinging the weapon around. His attention was razor sharp, focusing only on the sword as he made sure not to injure himself or accidentally strike the walls or table. Beads of sweat trickled down his cheeks and arms as his arms grew numb over time. In the space, grunts and Tyrus's own heartbeat were the only sounds as he made adjustments to his posture and swings.