Cursed Explorer of the Arcana

19695 The 2nd Summer

Let’s just say Martha didn’t disappoint, I probably went through what having your legs burnt off should feel like before someone heals them and repeats the same thing a second time. My morning laps were not doubled but tripled, TRIPLED! I know she’s one salty old woman but she could’ve at least shown some mercy, you know, to respect the hustle.

Despite having my family back and a vague outline of what my life could’ve been without my stupid Blessing my training didn’t stop, especially the squad battles. Mainly to practice for our Academy debut because from what I’ve heard the Fist is responsible for providing a complete team to the tournaments almost every year. I’d much rather prefer some solo duels but as long as I’m getting paid I have no complaints.

Sadly Mom and Dad couldn’t be there to watch us wash the floor with our opponents because they’re unaffiliated with the Fist and we’d like to keep their location a secret, even if just a minor one. No one knows, I might still be in danger, and as eager as they were to get revenge on the shadows I’d rather have them safe and happy. This also means they didn’t see our blunders and shameful defeats so I’m not too upset about it.

The time with my parents has been enjoyable. We visited most of the restaurants in the city, sometimes went into the forest together, yet most importantly we just spent time in each other's company. My mornings and afternoons have been filled with action and adrenalin for years now, so this unusual peace made me feel uneasy.

“I know how you feel sweetie, it’s the same for us but let’s enjoy these moments while they last.” Mom wipes the grill sauce off my mouth, shaking her head at my clumsiness.

Yeah, the accidental splotch on my face that I definitely didn’t leave there just to get pampered…

The mediocre street food we’re munching can’t even compare to the endless troves of treasure that the mess hall is but the company makes up for it. And let’s not forget the atmosphere. The loud and rowdy crowd in the Fort is nice and a constant source of amusement but the nighttime bazaar with families and music does not pale in comparison, not one bit.

Unlike the usual flicker stones on a metal post all along the streets, lanterns take care of bringing light to the night in this marketplace colored just like the three moons hanging leisurely above us. The smell of food, sweets, perfume, and many other pleasant and questionable things fills the air along with loud chatter that’s starting to get on my nerves.

Some mages perform spectacular light shows or seemingly life-threatening tricks which to my no longer rookie eyes reveal nothing more than light magic and clever mana control. A few years of real near-death experiences teach you how to differentiate showmanship and real skill. The few sneaking Halflings and Demikin stealing purses and wares left unattended seem like better entertainment, especially when they get close to being caught.

My favorite attraction is the elven lady sitting nearby, singing a solemn song while playing her harp. Her voice is unnaturally soft and every word leaving her mouth seems to soothe the soul.

“Tavaszi szél vizet áraszt, virágom, virágom

Minden madár társat választ, virágom, virágom

Hát én immár kit válasszak, virágom, virágom

Te engemet, s én tégedet, virágom, virágom…”

I have no clue what she’s singing about, it's elven, yet the melody still calms my young heart.

“Dad, what is she singing about?” I ask my father, as an elf it would only be appropriate if he spoke his kind’s tongue.

He scratches the back of his head, paying closer attention to the lyrics. “It's a song many times older than me. She sings about spring, how nature changes with the arrival of the season, and about finding love. Now that I think about it, this was one of the lullabies my mother sang me in my cradle, a lovely melody.”

“Khm.” Comes the signal from Mom sitting on my other side.

“Of course, she doesn’t even come close to your gorgeous mother and her voice.” Dad quickly corrects his mistake.

Never compliment another woman in Mom’s presence. I’m the exception of course.

I’ve wisened enough to know staying quiet and invisible is the best thing I can do when an argument is on the way, or else I’d become collateral damage. Been there, done that, not fun. The usual bantering doesn’t last long, as our calm family time together is soon coming to an end.

“It’s been such a blessing to be reunited with you Eli, this summer has been wonderful even if a bit too short.” Dad picks the easy way out of the argument by turning sentimental. “We got to see who our daughter grew up to be, the person you chose to become, both as a girl who’ll crush many boys' hearts and a menace.” Dad’s compliments mean nothing to me, I’m definitely not blushing! “We’ll have to leave early tomorrow morning to make the best time back home. Well, not home for long.” My parents smirk at each other. “We’ve been talking, your mother and I, and we decided we should move to the capital with you.” Dad drops the news.

They act like it’s a big surprise, but the only strange thing would’ve been if they chose otherwise. Let’s be real with ourselves, they want the best for me, the Academy is a great opportunity, and living separately for a few more years is off the table. So yeah, it was a given. I still act dumbfounded, just to give them the satisfaction of delivering the good news.

And I get caught immediately, they are my parents after all.

After some more details and small talk, it’s time for the farewell, a short one, a painless one. I’m still reluctant to part with my parents with the mark of the past still stinging painfully after a long three years but I have confidence.

I still have a few days until the delegation from the capital arrives but that time will be spent wrapping up our etiquette lessons and purchasing what we might require. Besides, Mom and Dad need to hurry up and buy a place we can call home again because unlike the Fist they don’t have a command center or safehouse in every second major city.

I’m actually a bit surprised my parents never settled down anywhere and lived like some nomadic warrior for three years straight… Saved them a lot of money though, I hope they can buy a nice place with a good view in Sereban, I’ve always been curious about the capital.

I trudge back to the Fort, my mood soured by the absence of my family's warmth and the fact that I won’t be seeing them again for weeks. It won't be any better during my school days, though at least the distance needed to visit will be much shorter, minutes really.

Fort Karon sort of turned into a second home for me. I know the place so well I could navigate with a blinding headache and a sprained ankle in the pitch dark late at night. Tried and tested. I would still prefer to live back in Meliorport with my parents, although the bathhouse here has grown quite close to my heart, just like the seemingly endless food appearing in the mess hall… money really does stand close to magical wonders.

Anyway, let’s spend some time with my irritating, obnoxious, and beyond-redemption idiotic friends, I’ve neglected them a little lately.

***

Two days… weird two days. First the grind without my parents, then calm and happy afternoons with my parents, and now back to the usual without them again… although the hectic preparations kept me occupied enough so I didn’t have time to complain.

How to eat properly, sit properly, walk properly and address the nobility… I knew from the moment Martha tried to force the basics onto us that I would forget all of this nonsense the moment I was deemed passable and wouldn’t use it even in a million years, it’s just an unnecessary hassle. Besides, the whole forced pristine behavior just sends chills down my back.

Other than that the two days were nice and dandy, so all that’s left is for the special guests to arrive. Although the trimester only starts in the autumn we’re making the journey a bit ahead of time, mainly to finish the entrance exam and to settle in.

An exam… In the last six years, only two kids managed to fail out of the… thirty-six? Yes, the thirty-six candidates the Fist has sent. They need us to win their tournament for prestige and we want to get in for fame and maybe to scrape some extra knowledge together, it’s a win-win. With that said if you don’t know the history of the Empire, the basics of mana, some geography, and other trivial pieces of information then even admitting you would already lower their standards and tarnish their name.

All in all, don’t be a dumbass and everything will be fine.

The six of us are clean, smell good, are well fed, well groomed and even our clothes have a certain expensive feel to them. A pretty skirt, pretty blouse, cute sandals and earrings… I’ve never looked this pristine in my life.

Add to that the welcoming delegation of some Fist higher-ups and plenty of other members armed to the teeth to make what I can only call a pretty majestic sight. Not that we kids contribute much to it.

A~and the carriage rolls in. We got the info about their arrival passed down even before they reached the gate so none of this is a coincidence. Adult mind games, it’s exciting.

Two beings who I can only call embodiments of the word prick step out of the glorious blue and white ride wearing robes in similar colors with everything about them screaming wealth. But it’s not their attire that makes me dislike them so fast, it’s the face, the frown, the raised nose, and those condescending eyes.

They leisurely walk through the main entrance of Fort Karon as if they owned this place before addressing the old man Ehrhardt, one of our generals and head of the welcoming party.

“By orders of Chancellor Malcador, we’re here to honor the old traditions and accompany the children fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to study in Sereban.” The blonde prick declares in a voice so arrogant that makes me wonder how nobody punched him in the face yet. Then his eyes turn to us six. “I heard you’ve found quite a few… special ones this year. They’ll do.”

This arrogant fucker…

[Mage lvl ???]

I’m not surprised he’s beyond my strength but the fact that Identify didn’t improve even one level tells me he’s just a child in a den of monsters. Monsters very much displeased by his attitude.

What comes after this can only described as a round of treacly sweet words and pleasantries I’m not interested in. We’ve learned that good relations and public opinion are high priorities for the Fist and that’s exactly why I gave up on becoming our squad’s leader. I don’t want to deal with this shit.

Our bags are loaded while the whole farce gets wrapped up and I finally get a chance to do what I’ve been looking forward to since the moment these two arrived. I can inspect the carriage.

As unimpressive as the representatives were, their ride is a whole other story. Let's start with the monstrous horses, at least double the weight of any normal animal of their kind I've ever seen and…

[Horse lvl ???]

[Horse lvl ???]

Yep, not the normal stuff, evolved like any other beasts although I think some sort of Stable Master or Horse Whisperer guided these to become perfect for their purpose. If they are as strong as they are big then they could pull an entire building, let alone a carriage.

Speaking of carriage, it’s the same blue-white color scheme as anything related to Valeria with the Academy crest paltered on the side. The imperial white phoenix is in the middle with an open book behind it like the wings of knowledge and a seemingly endless body of water filling the bottom part. Quite stylish.

The fancywork be damned, I care little for those things, the magic infused into the carriage, however… The inside is many times the size of the whole coach, a masterful display of space magic.

I activate Mana Perception to inspect the structure better while boarding the thing but I can’t even comprehend the otherwise invisible cavalcade in front of my eyes. Beautiful. Sadly this Skill is still dependent on levels and stats so it can only supply so much information. If a spellwork is too strong or complicated, it would appear to me like someone vomited crayons and this one isn’t much different, almost like a basket of colorful jumbled yarn.

It’s pretty mediocre actually, my Skill I mean. Some kids I fought throughout the years managed to fool it with some simple Rogue Skills that didn’t even make them invisible or anything and just masked their mana presence. Now if someone let’s say Mom’s level tried this… yeah, I’d be pretty dead. And that’s exactly why we have three Fist members accompany the gang as escorts for the journey and also as a gesture towards the Chancellor.

That title, Chancellor… it sounds wicked. To top it off he holds real, actual power inside the Empire, being the head of the main learning institution in a country of millions and supposedly a close advisor to the Emperor.

Anyways, the three mercenaries accompanying us are Bennett, a younger woman wearing armor that looks like someone weaved the winds and shadows together and another guy. He’s the quiet type, let’s just call him Steve for now, who by his equipment should be some kind of Rogue. Cool daggers for sure.

Seeing how the old fart and Wyat took care of a bunch of bad guys I think we’ll have no problem, especially if the two pricks can pull their weight. Soon everyone gets tired of the pointless chitchat and it’s our time to be on our way.

It’s an entire house inside the carriage. There are four rooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms and even a small closet. It’s fucking ridiculous, I know I said the horses could pull an entire house but I was just joking, this carriage probably does weigh the same as an entire house.

I only notice us rolling by looking out the windows with the weird warped scenery but just when I’m about to settle in for the week-long trip…

“Don’t bother, just have everything with you, we’ll be moving in a minute.” Bennett stops and slumps down in one of the chairs near the entrance.

He lied, it took seven minutes, I counted. We turned off the well-traveled dirt road leading through the forest about three minutes ago and have been moving past trees ever since only to come to a halt… nowhere really, just a random clearing in the woods.

When we get out however something much more welcomes us. I’m really happy I kept my mouth shut.

Knights on horseback, seven of them, and another carriage although this one is red and yellow just like the knights instead of our blue and white. Everyone is armed, every surface is armored and everyone is… calm?

“We’re switching rides, the earl of Hebron was graceful enough to lend us a hand for our journey.” Bennett leisurely walks past me, although I can see a hint of caution in his eyes. “We’ll make a small detour north and travel under his banner as a disguise, one can never be too careful.”

If you say so… I don’t really care as long as it’s comfy.