amonky193: Here you go.
Qrious writ3r: Glad to see you're still looking forward to chapters. Honestly, I didn't expect much reception when I decided to post the last chapter, lol. As for pairings, I'll keep it a secret for the time being. All I can say is that Erik will be in a relationship... Whether from characters from the main cast or his Servants, I'll leave it to your imagination. Merlin having many sides besides just being a funny big sis character is why I love writing her. Thanks! More FE references to come-
SaintLeiker: Thank you for reading.
Zarai: Thanks for keeping your interest and reading the latest chap. To make things interesting, Erik won't be doing field studies as a member of Class VII... He'll still be very much involved in their activities, whether as Marth or just that classmate from Class III lol. Harem? Okay, I'll say straight up that it is a harem. And patience, my friend! The main cast will see all of the Servants in due time.
ALTER-BOT: I mean... I understand why one would think she can be annoying. Liability? Maybe. But she is still the Magus of Flowers and Kingmaker.
Koncor the great: I personally enjoyed Calvard and looking forward to its conclusion. Honestly, there are reasons why characters returned in Kai, but in any case, I don't really plan to talk about Kai in my fics... Except maybe in my other fic *cough cough* shameless plugging about to happen-
Einzven: I will! Uploads are just slow and take time. Hehe, thank you. Keep reading then to see if he does end up with a harem... well, who ends up in it, anyway.
Shameless plug here, everyone! If you'd like to read a fic centered around the events of Trails Through Daybreak/Kuro no Kiseki, then please check out Way of the Yakuza in my profile or in the list of Legend of Heroes fics! A Kiseki x Like a Dragon/Yakuza crossover fanfic written by myself and a friend. I've been meaning to write the other arcs with my own twists of a system or crossover, so do check it out if you are interested.
But for now, here is the chapter.
...
3rd P.O.V.
...
"Are you alright, Alisa?"
"I'm fine, Emma. My body just feels a little sore." How could it not be? She was one of the unfortunate victims of getting a stone tail slammed against her.
"Why don't you rest back at the dorms...?" The plume-haired girl suggested, concerned. "I don't mind bringing you back some food for dinner."
"It's all right, really!" She waved it off with a smile. "Instructor Beatrix already patched me up! I'm just being a baby, haha..."
"Well, if you're certain..."
The two were out and about in Trista after they were done settling into their dorm. They had tried inviting the rest of the girls for dinner. But Laura chose to fully rest in her room for the rest of the evening. Fie, on the other hand, was already gone before the two could ask her if she wanted to have dinner together.
Alisa and Emma decided to try Kirsche's Cafe & Inn for today.
The blonde-haired girl noticed a familiar mane of metallic grey walking with a dazed sway, eyes widening in recognition.
"Erik! Over here!"
The young man blinked twice, soon waving back with a wry smile as he approached them. "Oh hey, Alisa. What's up?"
"That's my line." She huffed. A concerned smile grew on her face. "You seem kinda out of it. Didn't you and the others just go to your respective classrooms?"
"Yeah. I'm just tired from unpacking my stuff."
"Seriously? You're tired from that?"
"I had a lot of things to unpack."
"You know, saying that you were training sounds more believable than that excuse, but whatever."
"Hey! I had to deal with a full-blown military man as my homeroom teacher. Naturally, I'll feel sluggish after listening to him all day!"
"If you say so."
Alisa snickered at his groaning before realizing that they weren't alone. Emma was smiling with some amusement on her face as the blonde cleared her throat.
"B-By the way, this is one of my classmates in my class. Erik, Emma! Emma, Erik!"
The glasses-wearing teen smiled and offered her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Erik! I'm Emma Millstein— one of Alisa's classmates in Class VII."
"Erik Brandt. Class III. A pleasure." He smiled back, shaking her hand before they withdrew them. "I'm guessing you girls are heading out to have dinner?"
"With introductions out of the way... It's perfect timing that we met up!" Alisa's eyes shone with a bit of mischief. "I did say we should have dinner together with my classmates, Erik."
"I don't want to intrude."
"Oh, you're not intruding at all!" Emma quickly reassured him. "If anything, I feel like I'm the one intruding on you two—"
"You're not!" And now it was Alisa trying to assure her. "He's just my friend from back home! My best friend, okay?!"
"Oh, I see! ...I wasn't really assuming anything, though?"
"W-We're just friends!"
"I-Indeed you are."
"Really! We're not in a relationship or anything!"
"I think you should shut your mouth unless you want to dig yourself into a deeper hole, Alisa."
Alisa buried her face in her palms, wishing a monster could just swallow her up. Not even a hole in the ground was enough to make her recover from such an embarrassing fumble. Her own fluster got the better of her, and before she knew it, her mouth was spouting nonsense left and right.
"Let's go already..."
The Class III student and her fellow Class VII classmate exchanged glances before two smiles broke out— one wry and the other sheepish. Then, they were off.
...
Erik's P.O.V.
...
I wasn't expecting to see Alisa and Emma when I went out to clear my head after my failed rolls in the gacha. My initial plan to refuse the dinner offer was dismissed. Maybe a meal with a friend and her classmate might make me forget my horrible luck... temporary it may be.
We took our seats as a waitress set down three menus on our table.
"What would you three like?" The waitress asked, pulling out a small notepad.
"I don't want to eat anything too heavy today..." Alisa muttered.
"Are you sure, Alisa?" Emma looked at the blonde with a concerned frown. "I think it's okay for you to eat more for the evening after our orienteering exercise..."
"I guess..."
"Orienteering exercise?"
It looked like the two momentarily forgot I was at the table if their startled reaction was any sign. I kept a poker face of confusion as Alisa scratched her cheek.
"Remember how me and the other students in red were left behind?"
"Yeah?"
"We had to do an 'orienteering exercise,' and it's far from any orienteering exercise I've ever heard or done." Alisa didn't bother the bite or annoyance in her voice, groaning.
"H-Haha. I suppose we can continue to talk about what happened another time. It's not really a pleasant memory to recall."
"Agreed." The blonde-haired girl nodded in agreement at her classmate.
"Far be it from me to pry." I raised my hands in mock surrender. Plus, I already knew what happened anyway... I was there. I turned my attention to the waitress, handing the menu back. "I'll have the Salisbury steak."
"I'll get the baked salmon then... a side of garden salad."
"Potato gratin for me, please."
"Coming right up!"
After taking Alisa and Emma's orders, the waitress went to the back.
A silence came, but the glasses-wearing girl was quick to start up a conversation.
"You mentioned how your homeroom teacher is a military man, right, Erik?"
"Yup. Neithardt Wolfram." Nodding my head, I gave my homeroom teacher's name. "He'll be our instructor for military science. It's still the first day, but he doesn't seem like a bad guy... He might get a little too intense, though."
"I can imagine," Alisa grumbled, rubbing her forehead. "I don't know if I want an uptight military man or a laidback, carefree nutjob as our homeroom teacher.
"Now, now. Like Erik said, it's just the first day. I don't think Instructor Sara is a nutjob... Though, I can't deny she's a bit carefree."
A wry chuckle escaped my lips. "She sounds... interesting."
"Interesting is one way to put it." Alisa frowned, soon muttering, "I still think that trap door was unnecessary."
"Trap door?"
Her cheeks flushed for a second before she shot me a glare. "I-It's nothing. Nothing worth mentioning."
I once again raised my hand in surrender to drop it.
The three of us continued to converse about our expectations of school life at Thors, our meals arriving shortly after. We dug in while continuing our conversation. I shot the two of them subtle glances and recalled how they were the unlucky few who got hurt by the revived gargoyle's attack.
Because of Merlin's interference, they were caught off guard and got hurt. I'm partly responsible for any injuries they received. Thanks to learning Heal through Merlin, the least I could do was to give them some healing.
The only problem was that... I wasn't exactly confident in casting it properly.
To quote Merlin's words...
Wow, you suck in using that spell, Master! You can properly use Reinforcement, but you can't control the positive mana flow to heal someone? Goodness, you actually suck at something!
Just recalling the words was giving me a headache.
Now that I was thinking about it, there was another problem.
Emma.
She was a witch. Even if we're both different spellcasters, she could still detect mana. The way she reacted to my Elfire in the Old Schoolhouse only reinforced my assumptions.
If I'm not careful, she'll definitely notice something is off.
"This baked salmon is so good. It's like my fatigue is melting away..."
"Hehe. This potato gratin is quite delicious too."
"Oh! Can I have a taste, Emma?"
"Of course! May I try your salmon, then?"
Wait.
Maybe I could pull it off.
I activated my circuits and cast the lowest output of Heal I could manage while they ate. Any signs of fatigue had gradually disappeared.
"Delicious! They're really generous with the cheese!"
"The baked salmon is very tender and flavorful. I can taste the herbs they used."
It didn't seem like Emma noticed. Inwardly sighing in relief, I was glad that I managed to cast the lowest output of Heal on my first try.
"You want to taste my salmon too, Erik?" Alisa's offer grabbed my attention. She smirked. "You 'll have to give me a taste of your meal, though."
Chuckling, I pushed my plate forward slightly. "Feel free to have a taste. I have a feeling you deserve it after whatever orienteering exercise you guys did."
"Feeling pity for me, huh?" There was no bite in her voice. She grinned as she set a piece of salmon on my plate before taking a piece of my Salisbury steak. "Still, thanks for your generosity."
"You can have a taste too if you want, Emma. Sounds like you had it rough as well."
"Then, you can have some of my gratin too!"
"Thanks."
We exchanged a portion of our meals to have a taste, groaning inwardly at the whispers I heard around me.
"Is that guy already out on a date on the first day of the school year!?
"With two girls from that new class, no less!"
"They already seem pretty close..."
Great. It's only the first day, and there are already rumors about me. Meanwhile, these two continued to eat their meal, blissfully unaware of the whispers.
I made my way back to the commoner's dormitory to see Merlin and Cu Chulainn... playing a game of what looked to be Blade on the floor.
"And that's a game!"
"How the hell do you keep getting those Bolt cards!?"
"Hey, it's not my fault I keep drawing them. You only have your E-Rank luck to blame."
"Dammit!"
Pissed, Lancer threw his cards in the air and plopped on the ground, making me sweatdrop. Merlin happily took her winnings, which was a pile of sweets from Aidios knows where.
The succubus finally took notice of my present and happily waved. "Welcome back, Master!"
"Hey, Master..."
My eye twitched as I rubbed my forehead. "Where in the world did you two get those cards and sweets?"
"I still craving something sweet, so I snuck into the pantry of the academy's cafeteria and took some."
"And why exactly did you decide to steal them?"
"No particular reason."
What kind of answer did I even expect? I turned to Cu Chulainn, ignoring his damper mood. "And the cards?"
The Lancer Servant had more sense than the Caster as he simply replied, "Some guy left a deck of them in front of your room, Master. Apparently, he's been doing it to the rest of the first-years here."
I gave a hum, nodding at his answer. It must have been Crow Armbrust, then. I vaguely recall him being the one who created the Blade card game before. Plopping down on my bed, Merlin sat beside me, grinning.
"Looks like someone isn't feeling bitter about his poor pulls anymore."
"You just had to bring that up again, huh?"
"Oops." Her innocent smile did not do her any favors. "I suppose you're not over it— ow!"
The succubus yelped and covered her forehead after I gave her a flick boosted by Reinforcement. Cu held his mouth, but Merlin heard his snort loud and clear. She redirected her glare from me to him.
"Anyway," The Child of Light sat in my desk chair, crossing his legs. "What is tomorrow's agenda, Master?"
"Things will probably be slow for a bit because I now have to attend classes," I muttered. But I won't be neglecting my training, of course."
"Naturally." The Lancer Servant snorted. "You need to keep training without skipping a day if you want to get better at rune writing. You still haven't perfected your own version of Gáe Bolg."
"I know..."
With my current level of Rune Writing skill, I could only use Ansuz and Algiz— the defensive rune Cu Chulainn taught me, but that was about it.
It was a bit frustrating, but I suppose learning runes was never actually easy.
"Will we be training in magecraft as usual, Merlin?" I asked, tilting my head as she ate some candy.
"Hmm... I think it's all right if you train your magecraft in your own time." The succubus remarked with surprising seriousness. "Your System allows you to use a variety of magecraft and create something that's completely unique to you. I'll simply guide you if you feel stuck in a rut. You're the only one who can truly perfect your craft, Erik."
"Whoa, Merlin. You actually said something sensible. I thought you'd keep playing the fool." Cu quipped, dodging a bar of chocolate.
"Oh, hush!" She stuck her tongue out, then puffed her chest proudly. "I am Erik's girlfriend and 'big sis!'"
"You're still on about that?" I gave her a half-lidded look. "Also, stop making things weird!"
"But it's true!"
Having enough of her nonsense, I called upon the System's interface, remembering the five gacha tickets I received earlier.
Without wasting much time, I used three of the tickets in quick succession for a chance to get good skills. The slot-like machine appeared as the reel spun.
Bronze.
Bronze.
Gold.
[You have received two Bronze Skill Books and one Gold Skill Book! Which one would you like to view?]
Let's look at the gold one first.
-Mana Circulation Skill Book-
[Grants the user the Mana Circulation skill: Through utilizing mana with one's breathing efficiently, the user recovers MP.]
Nice! This was just the kind of skill I needed!
All of my spells required MP, and since I didn't know if there were ways to improve the cap of my MP, this skill would be a lifesaver.
"Ooh~! It looks like you managed to pull a good one!" Merlin commented, taking note of my reaction.
"I'm not done yet."
This time I used my remaining tickets for items as the hologram resumed its spinning animation.
If there were particular items I'm hoping to get in the gacha, they would either be items I could sell for mira, more ores for Gan Jiang's Forgery, or usable equipment and accessories.
The gacha animation finished and landed on...
Bronze.
And silver.
Two small sacks appeared out of thin air, softly landing on my mattress.
Merlin and Cu leaned closer, curious to see what I received. I opened both to see what they contained.
"This just looks like a bag of gunpowder..." I muttered, inspecting one of the small sacks before closing it. That had to be the Bronze item. Peeking at the other bag, my brow arched upward. "What is this...?"
"They're pills," The Lancer Servant mused, picking one out of the sack and sniffing it. "Medicine, I think. I can smell some herbs."
I would do the same and use Transcendence Sight to bring up an interface.
{Stamina Pills}
(Recovers a small portion of stamina. Perfect for training. Never consume more than five, though! Unless you want stomach troubles!)
I felt like my face went pale.
Stamina pills? Seriously? Sure, they'd be useful for training, but that "warning" about taking too many wasn't exactly inspiring confidence. Merlin took note of my expression, tilting her head in mild amusement.
"What's wrong, Master? Are those pills not to your taste?"
"No, no. They're fine. Just… wasn't what I expected."
"They're not poisonous, I can tell you that much, Master," Cu assured me. "Let me test it out for you."
Before I could advise him not to, Cu Chulainn popped the pill into his mouth, and his eyes widened.
"Whoa... It feels like I got some energy back! Not that I need mana to sustain my form but still." The spearman flexed his muscles, grinning ferally before he grimaced. "But it has an awful aftertaste!"
A mischievous glint shone in Merlin's ruby eyes as she grabbed a handful of pills from the sack.
"Hey, Lancer?"
"What—"
Thanks to expert mana control, seven pills shot out from Merlin's palm and into Cu Chulainn's throat, nearly choking him as he glared at her.
Managing to swallow them all, Cu gritted his teeth. "What the hell, Merlin?! What was that for—"
He froze, and the color on his face went down the drain.
Cu Chulainn's expression shifted from outrage to unease as he clutched his stomach. "Oh no..."
Merlin giggled, her ruby eyes practically sparkling. "Goodness! It seems like it's even effective against Servants~"
"You damn... succubus...! I got to go!"
The spearman disappeared into spirit form, cursing at the succubus and how he swore that he'd get revenge. I couldn't help but wince with some sympathy as I turned to Merlin.
"How did you know there was a side effect by consuming that much?"
"Oh, it was just a hunch."
"You're going to be the death of him one day."
Uneventful days went by.
But that was almost a given since I wasn't part of Class VII. That didn't mean it was easy for me, either.
Being in a military academy, the curriculum was still plenty difficult for your average student. Subjects like military science and combat classes might be a little too much for them. Luckily, I didn't have much trouble with the latter.
The former took a fair bit of effort for the material to stick to my head.
Then, the first free day of the school year had come.
What was the first thing I did in my free day? Train, of course.
In Merlin's Territory Creation, Cu and I exchanged blows with our spears, Gradivus brushing against Gáe Bolg. The blue spearman continued holding back whenever we trained, but it didn't mean I was having an easier time dealing with him. Each thrust was lethal damage, and I had to match its force with Reinforcement.
If I couldn't dodge, I'd cast Earth Barrier before enforcing it with the Algiz rune to defend myself from Cu Chulainn's savage assault.
Leaping back to make some distance, I prepared to use my incomplete Gáe Bolg. The Child of Light wasn't generous enough to give me the opportunity as he leaped up and dove at me, plunging his spear downward.
I thrust my palm and fired a couple of fireballs.
"That's not enough, Master!" Cu grinned, batting the spheres of flames with his spear like a baseball bat. "Oh crap—!"
A grin of my own appeared on my face, Gradivus glowing thanks to the Ansuz rune.
"Gáe Bolg!"
My spear flew out of my hand with a boom, heading straight to the Lancer Servant. The shock on his face quickly faded, replaced with a large grin as he twirled his spear and reeled it back.
"Too weak!"
He met my S-Craft head-on, his own weapon crashing against Gradivus with a clang. The force of his swing sent my polearm flying off course.
As I stumbled back from the recoil, Cu landed in front of me, delivering a hard kick to my abdomen, knocking me back a few feet.
Grunting, I clutched my stomach and panted. I managed to use Reinforcement to reduce the damage, but the pain was apparent.
"What now, Master?" Lancer chuckled as he crept closer while I caught my breath. "You're unarmed. What will you do next?"
"Ahaha... Whoever said I was unarmed?" I gathered mana in both of my palms, wind coiling on my left and flames sparking on my right as I grinned. "A magus is never completely helpless!"
Pushing both palms forward, I combined Fire and Wind and blasted the spearman with a tornado of flames.
Cu Chulainn gladly accepted the challenge as he spun Gáe Bolg around before thrusting forward— the force behind it releasing a blast of wind to match my attack.
My impromptu attack wasn't meant to do any real damage.
It was to distract Cu Chulainn!
With my flaming attack concealing my movements, I summoned Ragnell from my inventory.
Bursting through the flames, I caught Cu by surprise as I delivered a swift downward slash, putting all of my strength behind my attack. Cu's eyes widened as I swung, and he raised Gáe Bolg just in time to block, but the force behind my attack was more than he'd expected.
The impact knocked him back and caused him to skid across the ground. Cu landed on his feet, grinning wildly despite the hit.
"Now, that's more like it!"
I barely had any time to catch my breath before Cu came charging at me. His movements were like a beast aware of weakened prey. This time, he wasn't going to give me the chance to surprise him.
Bracing myself, I gripped my blade tightly. The spearman lunged his spear with precise thrusts that forced me into the defensive, each attack getting faster than the last.
The Hound of Culann smirked and twisted his spear, aiming at my blind spot. Survival instincts took over, and I brought up Ragnell to my side the second he jabbed his polearm at me, reinforcing my body with mana. The power behind the attack was almost doubled compared to before, sending me flying as he rolled on the ground.
"Okay, maybe I underestimated that last attack..." I grumbled, using Ragnell as support to help me up. "Not even Reinforcement was enough to keep myself from being knocked back."
"I'd say you did a splendid job in keeping up with Lancer, Erik." Merlin offered some comforting words, skipping toward her Master before healing him with a tap of her staff. "I'm happy to see your swordsmanship didn't rust, but you're not using that Mana Circulation skill of yours to the fullest."
Her words struck me right in the gut. It was hard to argue with the succubus when she was serious and raised a valid point. My breathing was all over the place as things dragged on further, and that caused my Mana Circulation skill to recover my MP at a terribly slow pace.
"It's hard to maintain it in the heat of battle."
"And that's why we're training, silly!" The succubus gave the Lancer Servant a mischievous glance. "You can take a break. It's magecraft training now~!"
"Don't hurt him too badly, Merlin." Cu Chulainn laughed, heading off to the side and plopping down on his ass.
Finally regaining my breath, I straightened myself and returned Ragnell to my inventory. I began to circulate mana throughout my veins as though they were blood.
Merlin clapped her hands, a spark of excitement lighting up her ruby eyes.
"Good! Now, maintain that state while you cast your spells." She soon smirked. Snapping her fingers, swords of light circled around the succubus. "If you can, that is."
As the light constructs tilted themselves and aimed at me, I prepared to cast my spells.
I can only imagine the mental fatigue I'll have after training, but at least this would serve as good practice for later!
"Ugh..."
My head rested on my arms as my temple throbbed. Merlin trained me in magecraft, exhausting my reserves until they were completely empty before using Mana Circulation to restore my magical energy. She forced me to repeat the process thrice before I got a migraine.
"A-Are you okay, Erik?"
"You've been groaning since you got here! Should I get you some food?"
I raised my head from my arms. My classmates, Monica and Mint, looked at me worriedly. Surprisingly, I've managed to get close to these two. It helped that they were more approachable than the rest.
Beryl was too mysterious for her own good, and I'd rather she doesn't do any fortune telling on me. Meanwhile, Hugo was busy... conversing with that Becky girl from Class V. So, we were more or less just acquaintances and classmates.
Brushing off their concern with a wave of a hand, I smiled wryly. "I'm fine, you two. I just did some morning training is all."
"Ohhhhh!" Mint's eyes widened, staring at me in awe. "So that's why combat classes seem like a breeze to you!"
"I guess? My dad taught me how to use a spear to prepare me for the academy."
"Lucky..." Monica muttered as she sulked. "I wish I had some form of combat experience. I could barely lift the sword I used last time."
"Heehee... Somehow, I broke the orbal gun I used during combat class last week!"
"I-I don't think that's something to boast about, Mint."
"For someone who's related to Instructor Makarov, you sure break more than orbal tech, huh?" I quipped, grinning.
"Hey! I don't break things all the time!" She pouted, crossing her arms. "And I only broke an orbal gun twice!"
"And we had combat classes twice." I spouted the truth she was clearly ignoring, and Mint sulked as a result. Satisfied with the teasing I've done, I asked, "By the way, you girls found any club you're interested in?"
The two perked up at my question and exchanged glances.
"I-I was actually planning to check the gymnasium. I'm curious about the Swimming Club." Monica admitted.
"I plan to stop by the Wind Orchestra!" Mint announced, bouncing in her seat.
Her eyes were practically shining with stars. That kept me from joking about the instruments that would likely break if she got her hands on them. Mint narrowed her eyes, puffing her cheeks at me.
"Why do I feel like you thought of something rude?"
How did she know? "You're imagining things."
Mint continued to give an accusatory stare. She'd drop it moments later. "What about you, Erik? Any clubs you're looking to join?"
"I think I'll stick to the Go-Home Club."
"Are you serious?" My answer brought surprise to their face. Close your jaw, Mint. You might choke on a fly. "None of them caught your eye?"
"Not really." I shrugged. "Maybe I'll give them all a visit again, but I'm plenty busy already."
"How can you be busy when you're not in a club?" Monica asked curiously.
I just smiled and got up from my seat. Strangely enough, talking to them helped ease my headache.
"That's for me to know and for you two to find out."
My classmates shared a confused look as I turned to leave the Student Union building.
What should I do now?
I finished my training for the day, and now I have nothing else to do. Cu was "babysitting" Merlin back in town, so I could relax, but...
A part of me was worried that the succubus was just going to corrupt my Servant, roping him into her shenanigans.
Oh well. I did say that I was going to check out the clubs.
My next destination was the academy field.
As I walked toward the field, I caught the sight of a certain blonde playing lacrosse with a few girls in the same uniform, her pigtails bouncing as she sprinted across the field.
Alisa pleasantly surprised me. Besides her archery skills, I didn't think she was that athletic. But what she showed in the field proved me wrong.
I watched her dart past that first year before scooping up the ball and hurling it with impressive force. It flew through the air and landed in the net, shocking the lavender-haired first-year.
"That was incredible, Alisa!"
"Are you sure this is your first time playing lacrosse? You looked like you were in your element!"
"Hehe, you think so? I just did what you two taught me." Alisa brushed off the praise with a humble smile before our eyes met. She turned back to her seniors. "Sorry, can you give me a minute?"
"Sure thing! I was just about to suggest a water break."
"Thanks!"
The blonde girl grabbed a water bottle and jogged over to me, wiping the sweat from her eyebrow as she shot me a playful glare.
"Is watching girls play lacrosse a hobby of yours now, Erik?"
"Your accusation wounds me." I chuckled, arms raised in mock defeat. "I have to say: you really surprised me. I didn't think you were that athletic. I honestly expected you to look haggard."
"I'll have you know that I played all sorts of sports when I was younger!" She gave me a half-hearted slap to my arm, scowling with a glare. Her expression softened. "You're not in any club yet?"
I shook my head. "Like I said to my classmates earlier, I'm part of the Go-Home Club, Alisa."
"You know, you're missing out. Clubs are supposed to be part of the Thors experience."
"Maybe," Shrugging, I crossed my arms. "If I feel like it."
"You have no problem training every day back in Roer, but the thought of being in a club is where you draw the line?" She stared at me with a deadpan gaze.
"I am a busy man, my friend."
"Busy, right." She rolled her eyes but chuckled.
We basked in comfortable silence for a moment until I caught her face softening, looking down at her water bottle while fidgeting with the cap.
"Hey, Erik?"
"Hmm?"
Pink started to show in the blonde's cheeks as I raised a brow. She stared down at her shoes. "So, um... I was wondering... Do you have any advice on how to apologize to someone after... slapping them?"
Oh.
Oh!
I almost forgot that happened in the Old Schoolhouse.
"What exactly happened?" I asked for clarification while feigning curiosity.
"Remember when I mentioned the orienteering exercise my class and I did?" I nodded. She bit her lip, and the pink on her cheeks turned red. "W-Well... We fell into a trap door in the old schoolhouse. And I… well, I kind of landed on top of someone. I-I panicked, and my first reaction was to..."
"Slap him?" I finished for her, and she nodded in embarrassment. "Well, a slap is one way to thank your human cushion."
"When you say it like that, it sounds terrible!" She groaned, frowning. "A-And it's not like I meant to! It just... happened! I was embarrassed, okay!?"
"I get it, I get it."
"I just… feel bad, Erik." Alisa sighed. "I mean, I basically treated the guy like he was in the wrong when it was clearly an accident. I tried apologizing to him before, but I can't stop myself from giving him the cold shoulder because I'm too embarrassed."
My lips curled into a wry grin. I guess I should stop teasing her now.
"Look, just be honest with him, Alisa." I patted her shoulder. "Tell him you panicked and didn't mean anything by it. I have a feeling he's pretty understanding, so if you're straightforward with him, I'm sure things will go smoothly."
"You think so?"
"I know so."
She seemed to mull it over, her fingers idly twisting the cap on her water bottle. A smile showed on her face.
"Okay. I'll take your advice to heart." The blonde would take one last swig of her water when her seniors called out to her. "Phew! Thanks, Erik. I'll catch you later!"
I nodded, watching her jog off and rejoining the rest of her clubmates. My eyes swooped the area as I spotted a black-haired teenager walking off to the path of the Old Schoolhouse.
...
3rd P.O.V.
...
"I-Is it over?" Elliot asked no one in particular, panting.
"...I think so. I don't sense anything out of the ordinary anymore."
Gaius agreed with Rean's thoughts with a nod. "I believe what we have just fought was the last monster in the area."
"Indeed. You have completed the first official trial of the Old Schoolhouse."
Alarmed, everyone raised their weapons as shadows swirled at the center of the room before a figure formed out of nothing. The sight of the familiar tattered clothing and butterfly mask made the students gasp.
"Marth!"
"You remember me? Good. I did say we'd meet again" The masked figure spread his arms. "I would like to congratulate you on defeating the Guardian of the First Floor."
"F-First floor?!" Elliot repeated, eyes widening. "How many floors are in this place...?"
"I wonder..."
"You mentioned last time that you'd come to assess our strength once we overcome these 'trials' you keep talking about." Rean narrowed his eyes, pointing his tachi at the masked man. "Am I right to assume that that's the reason you're here?"
"Correct," A flame sparked to life in his gloved palm. "Fight me. If I am satisfied with your strength, I may answer one of your questions."
"Then there's no need for us to think things over."
"P-Please go easy on us."
Gaius got ready to fight as Elliot groaned but braced himself as well.
The flame in Marth's palm shaped itself into a sphere as the three students readied themselves for another battle.
"Now... Let us begin your assessment!"
Marth threw the fireball at their most vulnerable teammate. Elliot's eyes grew wide as fear gripped him in place, watching the projectile hurtling toward him.
"Elliot, snap out of it!" Rean shouted.
Gaius was already moving, instincts kicking in as he moved between Elliot and the incoming fireball. With a swift motion, he swung his spear downward, summoning a gust of wind that deflected the attack. It exploded a few feet away.
"Thanks, Gaius…" Elliot breathed, clutching his staff with shaking hands.
"Stay focused. We'll get through this."
"Good reflexes," Three black spheres formed around Marth. "But let's see if you can handle this."
Spheres of darkness circled around his form. He waved his hand, and the projectiles took off, launching themselves at the teenagers.
"Gaius, Elliot! On my signal, let's break formation!" Rean commanded.
The tachi wielder ran to the left while the spearman darted to the right. The two spheres directed at them changed course, pursuing them. Remaining in the back, Elliot used the chance to fire an Aqua Bleed at the Flux approaching him, canceling each other out.
Rean and Gaius slashed through the projectiles that homed on them.
Marth's masked gaze flickered with approval as the three students evaded his attacks, but he wasn't finished yet.
The masked man became a blur, appearing right in front of the Nord spearman. He sent a punch, but Gaius was able to bring his spear up, using it as a shield. The strength behind his fist sent him off the ground.
"Gaius!"
"You should worry about yourselves first."
The second Rean blinked, Marth was already in front of him, raising his leg for a roundhouse kick. He barely managed to dodge his boot, feeling the force graze past his cheek. He stumbled back, only to find Marth already closing the gap. Marth's gloved fist already took aim.
Rean gasped as he felt his knuckle connect to his chest, knocking the air out of him as he slid back.
"Two down." Marth turned his gaze to a trembling Elliot.
"A-Aqua Bleed!"
"Fire."
Art and spell collided into steam, but Marth used the smoke as cover, vanishing in a blur and reappearing behind Elliot. A slash cut between him and the redhead as Rean changed the angle of his blade, swinging at the masked man.
Marth leaped back before it could reach him. That's when he noticed Gaius with his spear pulled back.
"Gale Stinger!"
Thrusting his spear, the Nord fired a blast of wind at Marth. With a wave of his gloved hand, he retaliated with razor-sharp wind blades, cutting through Gaius's Gale Stinger.
He landed on his feet as the three students in red grouped together once more.
Each of them felt the weight of Marth's overwhelming strength pressing down on them. They were tired, and their muscles were strained. They knew they couldn't match Marth's speed and raw power directly; if they wanted to stand a chance, they'd have to use every tool at their disposal.
"Rean," Elliot whispered, glancing at him. "W-What do we do? He doesn't even look like he's putting much effort!"
The tachi wielder tightened his grip around his tachi. "We have to use our combat links to the fullest. We might be able to predict his moves and strike back."
"Let us synchronize our ARCUS units and work as one." Gaius smiled despite his exhaustion.
The redhead student nodded. Their ARCUS flashed a brighter light as the trio's senses sharpened, heightening their awareness of each other's movements.
"That's more like it. Now, this will be worth my time!"
Before they could respond, Marth charged forward, his movements blurring as he closed the distance. Rean braced himself and focused, feeling the subtle cues from Gaius and Elliot through the link.
"Now!"
Rean ducked under Marth's punch and countered with a slash to Marth's side. Marth twisted his body to avoid the blade, but Gaius was already in motion, lunging forward with his spear. The combat link allowed him to anticipate Marth's dodge, adjusting his aim just enough to force Marth to step back.
Elliot wouldn't waste the opportunity and slammed his orbal staff on the floor, "Resounding Beat!"
A melody boomed throughout the room as a pulse of energy washed over Rean and Gaius, enhancing their defenses and stamina.
Wordlessly, Marth summoned another set of dark orbs. Flicking his wrist, he sent them flying toward the trio in quick succession.
Through the link, Rean sensed Gaius's intentions before he even moved. The two of them sprinted to opposite sides to draw each orb away from the other. Elliot, now much calmer, fired another Aqua Bleed to intercept the orb flying at him.
Rean dodged the orb chasing him with a quick roll, feeling its dark energy whizzing past him. He glanced at Gaius, who had his spear raised, wind energy wrapping around it.
"Gale Stinger!"
Gaius thrust his spear forward, sending a concentrated blast of wind at the last orb and Marth. This time, with the combat link's precise timing, the craft landed.
It overpowered Flux and forced Marth back, though he managed to disperse the wind with a swift motion of his hand.
Rean didn't waste a second. Closing his eyes, he sheathed his tachi, "Autumn Leaf Cutter." before dashing past the masked man, multiple slashes coming to life.
Marth reacted swiftly, sidestepping and deflecting some of the strikes with his gloved hands, though he couldn't completely evade the onslaught. A few slashes grazed his cloak. Gaius was quick to follow up Rean's attack with his own as the two coordinated their attacks, pushing the masked man to keep his focus as he dodged every single one.
The tachi and spear wielder suddenly stopped and leaped back as glowing runes circled around Elliot. Sharpened blades of ice manifested from the floor, the redhead casting it at Marth.
"Impressive teamwork," The masked man applauded, snapping his fingers as a pillar of fire rose, intercepting the Frost Edge's path. "I think that's enough for the time being. You're learning to move as a unit, covering each other's weaknesses. But remember, strength and strategy alone will not be enough. Complacency will lead to failure. Push beyond your limits, or you'll never be ready for what lies ahead."
As Marth raised a hand, a voice stopped him.
"Wait." The masked man's gaze turned to the tachi wielder. "We passed this trial, right? That means you're willing to entertain a question of ours?"
"Ah, of course. The heat of battle made me momentarily forget." He nodded, tilting his head. "I suppose your teamwork was beyond what I expected. Very well. You may ask a question."
"May I assume that you wouldn't tell us your identity if asked?" Gaius asked, his guard still up.
"That is one question I cannot answer."
"I thought you'd say that." Elliot groaned, slumping his shoulders.
Rean furrowed his brows, pondering. There were so many questions they wanted to ask, but if they could only get one answer, it needed to be the kind that would benefit them. The tachi wielder would meet his gaze.
"If we're going to face these 'trials' you keep mentioning, then tell us how many trials we have left to face in the Old Schoolhouse."
Marth fell silent, arms crossed as he tapped his forearm thoughtfully. The silence was almost deafening as they waited for his answer.
He finally uncrossed his arms and spoke. "Including the trial you had completed earlier, you have six left. I cannot say anything more than that."
"Wait! Y-You're not even going to tell us when we'll be having another one of these trials?" Elliot sputtered, thinking that it was a bit unfair that he wouldn't disclose that piece of information.
"Like I said before, the answers you seek will come in due time."
With those parting words, Marth's form began to blur, shadows swallowing him until he vanished completely, leaving the three students standing as their breaths filled the silence.
...
Erik's P.O.V.
...
Watching the three of them head back to the main building, I took off my mask and sighed, rubbing my temple as I let the mental toll from low magical energy wash over me.
That's what I got for testing them while my MP was still recovering.
I glanced down at the System interface, congratulating me for completing the quest.
-QUEST COMPLETE-
[Trials of the Hooded Magus – Part I]
Test the mettle of Class VII! Assess their strength until the System is satisfied!
Unable to complete the quest will lead to your death!
Rewards: 270000 EXP, 15 AP, 3 Saint Quartz, Guaranteed Level up of [Rune Writing]
The rewards were generous enough that I decided to stop complaining for the day.
"Good work, Master."
"You pulled the 'mysterious masked warrior' act well~"
Cu Chulainn and Merlin materialized behind me as I turned to them, pulling my hood down.
I rolled my eyes at the Caster. "I have to act completely different from myself if I don't want to raise suspicion."
"Sure, sure, but it's still pretty amusing seeing you act like a... what's the word? Edgelord?"
"Watch it." I glared at her half-heartedly. "Even though I've only interacted with Alisa and Emma as myself, I don't want to take any chances by letting my own quirks slip into my Marth persona."
"It's a good thing you stuck to using magecraft then, Master," Cu said, crossing his arms. "If you continue to interact with those kids, then they might start noticing the similarities of how you and Marth use a spear."
Nodding my head, I stashed away my cloak and mask in my inventory. "I am aware."
"What about Ragnell?" Merlin asked out of curiosity. "Publicly, you use a spear as your weapon in the academy."
"That's overkill." I sweatdropped. "I'm saving it until they at least reach the fifth floor of the Old Schoolhouse."
Merlin hummed. Her smile screamed mischief, but she nodded nonetheless.
"Saving the best for later, then? I suppose even you have a flair for the dramatic."
"If I'm going to help them grow, I'll need to give them challenges that push them but don't overwhelm them," I explained my reasoning. "They're still lacking, but I think they won't have difficulty in what they'll be facing this month."
Cu couldn't help but grin. "Sounds like you're having fun being their 'wall,'"
Maybe... It wasn't a bad feeling.
After a final sigh, I activated Shadow Mist, wrapping myself in a veil of darkness that concealed my presence completely. Caster and Lancer returned to their spirit form. Leaping off the rooftop of the Old Schoolhouse, my Servants and I decided to head back to my dormitory.
On our way back, I caught a glimpse of Rean heading down the path toward the academy field. My gaze shifted a little farther down, and I saw Alisa gathering lacrosse equipment near the field, likely cleaning up after practice.
I knew it wasn't right, but as someone who had advised Alisa about apologizing, I wanted to check if she was going to go through with it. With my presence concealed, I followed after him and watched from afar.
"And why exactly are you stalking them, hmm, Erik~?" Merlin asked teasingly, nudging me with a smirk. "Worried about Alisa~?"
"Hmm..."
"Erik, are you ignoring me?"
"As he should."
"I'll shove those pills in your gullet again, Lancer."
Too tired to care, I continued watching as the two awkwardly cleaned up the lacrosse equipment in silence. Alisa was still putting on a cold front, but I could tell that she was nervous.
I saw them pack everything up in the storage room. They didn't say a word until they both opened their mouth at once, stumbling over their words. The two stared at each other, laughing a bit a second later. I felt my lips form a smile, satisfied with the outcome.
"Let's head back. I'm craving some food from Kirsche's."
Cu Chulainn nodded while Merlin puffed a cheek, displeased at me for ignoring her. I simply ruffled her hair before resuming my walk back to town.
"J-Just a sec! What was that for, Erik? Erik! That's what I'm supposed to do!"