I watched as Alden and Warfarin faced off, the former in a casual stance with a long rapier adorned with precious metals and jewels, and the latter in a combat stance, holding a pair of daggers that reeked of blood.
The silence of the forest lasted only a few moments; the vampire advanced with commendable speed for someone who had only been training for a short time, skirting her opponent.
If I had an eyebrow, I would have raised it in curiosity when she swung one of her daggers and a bloody blade surged towards Alden. I thought she was just a healer, but apparently her Arts did more than that.
The redhead didn't worry; for a moment it seemed he wouldn't dodge, but at the last second, he stepped aside, avoiding the blade whose blood boiled and burned upon hitting the ground.
My eyes might be playing tricks on me, but I was sure Alden had become a blur as he dodged. Whether it was arts or sheer speed, I couldn't tell, but perhaps the rumors weren't so absurd after all.
Warfarin continued with her strategy, circling him while sending more blades, but just like the first, they all missed their target.
Strangely, Alden seemed to have a preference for rolling away from attacks, even when he could have dodged more easily. As insane as it sounds, I swear some of the blades should have hit him, but he took no damage upon rolling at the exact moment.
In her next move, she closed the distance, leaping and delivering a spinning kick, something that was easily stopped when Alden's hand gripped her foot.
Her scream echoed through the forest as the man shook her like a rag doll, spinning his body and throwing her away like a stone. The blur she had become only stopped when she grabbed onto a tree branch, hanging on before standing on the piece of wood.
"BLEEGH! What were you thinking?! I almost fainted!"
She screamed, bracing herself against the trunk while clutching her stomach, her pale face turning green.
"Would you prefer I hit you?! I can do that next time, after all, you're getting better, so I believe I should try harder!"
Alden pointed his rapier at Warfarin, and an arc of gleaming blue swords surged above his head, shooting towards the vampire after a forward thrust.
Her face contorted in terror, the green turning pale again before she leaped to the tree branch beside her, but the redhead followed her movements, maintaining the barrage of swords.
He clearly could have moved faster than that and hit her squarely, but he spun a few seconds slower, giving her a chance to escape.
Most of the swords stuck in tree trunks or cut branches before disappearing, though some came close to hitting Warfarin, leaving minor wounds on her clothes and skin.
The vampire finally returned to the ground, sending bloody blades flying as she fell.
I saw her wounds healing mid-fall, and when Alden dodged the last blade, she was already in front of him with her daggers halfway to hitting him.
CLANG!
A metallic crack sounded as he lowered his rapier into an inverted grip, locking both weapons in an X position. Surprise flashed across her face for only a second before Warfarin tried to retreat; after all, it was pointless to try to match strength.
Unfortunately, she didn't move fast enough; a sweep sent her crashing to the ground, and soon a sword was pointed at her face.
"You lost."
"No need to rub it in my face."
She sighed in disappointment, accepting Alden's hand to help her up.
"You should be proud. You learned how to use ashes of war and how to incorporate them into your fighting style. It may not seem like it, but you'll be able to defeat strong opponents more easily now."
"Yes, but what about defeating you?"
Alden remained silent, looking away in shame, making her click her tongue in frustration.
"I figured. I'm not even close, am I?"
"Well, you made me use a ash from war, so that's a start. I'll teach you about Power Stance, Dodge Rolling, and Charged Attacks soon."
The vampire showed the same confusion as me, although I was more curious about the ashes of war they mentioned. Is that related to the demonstrated arts?
"Am I going to be rolling around like a ball just like you?"
"It's a great way to dodge attacks."
"But I'll get all dirty, and that's a terrible way to dodge."
"Only if you fail to memorize your enemy's attack pattern and the timing, range, and speed of their strikes. And about getting dirty, you'll get used to it. I've rolled in dirt, mud, poison, lava, and much more, and here I am, clean and smelling good."
"You have problems."
"You only realized that now?"
They exchanged a blank stare, conveying an unspoken message and strange understanding between them, but before the situation became even more bizarre, I coughed into my fist, drawing their attention.
"That was a great display, Warfarin, your skills are commendable, but I believe it's my turn now."
"Great, if you need me, I'll be licking my wounds and sulking in a corner."
She shuffled toward a tree where her bag was, sitting down with a relieved sigh before drinking from her canteen. Alden and I moved toward the center of the clearing, taking up opposing positions before preparing for combat.
"Are you only going to use that rapier?"
"Forgive me if I offended you, but I won't use another weapon until I deem it necessary."
"Hmph! I'm no amateur, so you don't need to hold back against me."
"Right, I'll keep that in mind."
I placed my shield in front of me and kept my trident pointed in his direction, ready to attack and defend from his first move.
The man in front of me pointed his weapon, and the luminous swords followed. They shattered upon hitting my shield, but I widened my eyes in surprise at the dents forming on the other side.
That moment of distraction was more than enough for Alden to close the distance, and when he was in front of me, ready to strike, I used all my strength to move my shield in time, blocking the attack.
My heart leaped as the rapier's tip pierced the metal, stopping just inches from my arm.
I dismissed those thoughts—fear and hesitation were equivalent to death on the battlefield—and I stood firm, stepping forward with the intention of striking him with my shield. Surprisingly, he barely moved, remaining in place after retreating a few inches.
"I must admit, you possess admirable strength!"
"The same goes for you! But you're not fighting seriously, are you?!"
He smiled nervously, and I felt a pang of anger burning in my chest. If he won't take me seriously, then I'll force him to. With a grunt of effort, I used my arts, invoked the power of my bloodline, and a red aura surrounded me.
The ground cracked beneath my feet with each step, and a look of surprise appeared on Alden's face as he began to be pushed back.
Planting his feet firmly on the ground and applying more force slowed my advance, but didn't stop me, and with a final thrust, I broke his balance, pushing his weapon aside and striking him with my shield.
There was a snap, and Alden staggered backward, but didn't fall. When he regained his balance and raised his head, I saw blood trickling from his broken nose.
"Right, I'm to blame for playing when I shouldn't have."
"It's good that you finally realized. Will you use your famous arts and a weapon that matches your fighting style?"
"So you noticed."
"Yes, you use more strength and speed than you should, and you deliver wide swings that aren't appropriate for your equipment. You're used to a larger, heavier weapon with more reach."
"Your eyes are sharp, something I would fail to notice in my opponent."
"It's the kind of thing you learn after years on the battlefield."
"Another skill I need to add to my arsenal. Well, if you desire it so badly, I think I can put more effort, but I must ask, are you sure? We can end this fight right here and now."
"Do you think I'm not worthy? That arrogance will eventually bring about your downfall."
"It's not that, I'm just afraid of doing something I'll regret, but if you insist…"
The more I observed, the more I realized the man before me defied all logic. He put his rapier in the small pouch at his waist and removed another weapon.
Initially, it was the hilt of a sword, but the blade kept coming out, and out, and out, and out…
My mouth dropped open in disbelief, because as soon as he finished, Alden raised a massive black sword, bigger and wider than his own body, as if that wasn't enough, he held it with one hand, as if it weighed nothing.
You must be playing with me.
"Ready?"
"Oh, shi…"
Before I finished speaking, a flame ignited in his hand and he slammed his fist into the ground.
The earth trembled in a localized earthquake. I managed to stay on my feet, but this brief moment of relief didn't dispel the surprise I felt seeing a line of flaming pillars erupting from the subsoil and advancing towards me.
I ran to the side, trying to dodge, however, my stomach sank as the pillars followed me, so I kept running and thankfully, the flames dissipated after a few moments.
The heat on my back and my charred armor showed how close they were to hitting me, yet I was put on the defensive again when a dart made of yellowish lightning nearly pierced me.
My shield withstood the attack, but not without losing part of its upper right area. At that moment, I realized I couldn't move, and looking at myself, I saw the same golden rays coursing through my body.
I clenched my teeth, fighting the pain, forcing my flesh to move again, for my opponent was close. At the last instant, I managed to send my trident forward. At the same time, Alden swung his massive sword.
Time slowed down, whether through the arts enhancing my body or some otherworldly force. This proved to be a curse, for I saw in detail how my weapon shattered into a thousand pieces and the sword approached.
I thought I would die right there and then, I was ready to embrace death, but a gust of wind snapped me out of my stupor. Everything returned to normal, and when I finally understood my surroundings, I saw the sword resting near my neck.
"I think that's enough, that was pretty good training."
Alden smiled at me, exchanging his sword for a staff while holding a kind of signet in his other hand. Ringing the signet, a golden light surrounded us, instantly healing our wounds.
My mouth opened and no sound came out as I tried to process what had happened. This worsened when he raised his staff and several luminous green particles enveloped me, repairing my damaged equipment.
It was as if the fight had never happened.
"Don't feel bad, I've had my share of defeats before becoming who I am. You have a long path ahead, so keep honing your skills and you'll certainly get stronger."
With a polite nod, he walked towards Warfarin, talking to her about something.
I remained paralyzed like a statue, staring at the back of that man who possessed such power. There was a chasm between us, and only one question echoed in my mind as I watched him.
Who are you?
-XXXXXX-
It was strange how the situation had changed. After the beating we called training, we found ourselves sitting on the floor in a circle, eating some sandwiches.
So casual, feelings of bitterness didn't exist here after such a humiliating defeat. Another person in my place would feel revolted, while someone in Alden's place would probably revel in their victory and skills.
"Alden, there's something you need to know."
The man and his vampire companion stopped eating, wiping the crumbs from their mouths before looking in my direction.
I hesitated for a moment, feeling ashamed of what I would say, but as soon as the words came out, it was as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
"Training with you was just a pretext for something bigger. Actually, I came to warn you. Tales of your exploits have reached the Royal Court, and now they plan to invite you to the castle to judge whether you are a danger or not. Each of them sees you differently: a spy, a traitor, a filthy foreigner, or a resource to be used. Some want to execute you, while others want you in their forces because of your combat skills and miraculous products. In the end, everyone, including my family, has their own interests. At some point you will be invited to the Castle, and whatever happens will decide your fate in Kazdel—what that will be, I cannot say."
Seriousness settled on both their faces, though Warfarin seemed more worried, then Alden spoke.
"I am grateful for the warning, sincerely. Refusing the invitation shouldn't be an option, and running away would only worsen the situation, right? So I will go to the Castle when the time is right. Is there anything I should know?"
"Some lessons in etiquette and what to expect will be useful."
"Let me help! I don't want to have to disappear from Kazdel because he offended the whole court."
With that done, Warfarin and I gave Alden a lesson on how to behave and the customs of the capital's nobility. I won't lie, this little moment away from the conflicts was pleasant.
-XXXXXX-
The day arrived, time to go to the Castle. I made a final note of my observations on the biology of the Originium Slugs, preserving the dissected remains in a jar on the shelf of my alchemy workshop.
I paused for a moment to observe the contents of the other jars and the diagram attached to the wall, with the drawing of the various layers and organs of the slugs, with lines bearing names coming out of each one.
I felt a certain revulsion upon seeing this image; after all, I had a slug as a pet, and this was the kind of work I would never do near my little friend. However, the revelations these observations brought were invaluable.
They live in symbiosis with the ore, its secretions and mucus mixed with Originium in their exoskeleton and external parts, but keeping their internal organs untouched.
Surprisingly, they don't contract Oripathy because the ore in their body is inactive, but that doesn't mean it can't be activated and cause the disease; it only takes a spark, so to speak.
The same process occurs with titanite, except for the part about getting infected.
Covetous showed no side effects, but that doesn't mean nothing will happen because he has divine ores in his body; perhaps he will start conjuring miracles by accident. He is certainly larger than a normal slug now.
Hmm… I'll need two more slugs for him to reproduce, one normal and one with titanite, then I'll analyze the results of his offspring.
I felt I had wasted enough time, so I left my workshop and walked towards the entrance where a carriage awaited me.
I paused for a moment to check my appearance in the reflection in the window and, after a quick nod, said goodbye to Warfarin, who was watching me anxiously from behind the counter.
I entered the carriage and the short journey to the castle began. I didn't have time to appreciate the surroundings as soon as we passed through the main gate; I was guided by the guards to a pair of double wooden doors, and after one of them entered the room, I was told I could proceed.
I received rather impolite warnings not to try anything, and as soon as the doors closed behind me, I found myself in the center of a dark room with ten thrones.
"Your Majesty and Honored Royal Court."
I fell to one knee and lowered my head, waiting for permission to stand. I heard their whispers and felt countless eyes piercing my body, and with the words spoken next, the trial began.
"Rise, we have much to discuss."
END OF CHAPTER