Practice (4)
Findel.
“Hey, Rize.”
“Yes, teacher?”
From noble mtl dot com
Rize, who was in the middle of practicing magic, stopped using mana and turned her head at Martin’s call.
Even then, Martin hesitated for a long time and then spoke with difficulty.
“Rize, do you plan to come to the Mage Tower?”
Rize couldn’t help but tilt her head at the words, which must have been abrupt and difficult to guess Young’s intentions.
In addition, Martin could not help but feel Irina’s eyes staring fiercely from behind as if she was doing some trick.
“Oh, no. Well, there are a lot of things related to magic in the Mage Tower, so Rize might like it, and there are also a lot of interesting mages, and… … .”
“Then are you going to play in our magic tower? Excursions?”
Rize lifted both hands clenched into fists in front of her chest and looked up at Martin with sparkling eyes.
Martin met eyes full of anticipation and pursed his lips for a long time with a pricked expression on his conscience.
Realizing that he had misunderstood, Lize became more and more sullen, and Martin hurriedly raised his voice.
“I have to go back to the Mage Tower soon!”
“yes?!”
Rize as well as Irina were taken aback by those words.
However, she nodded slowly as if she was convinced, and Martin spoke words that supported her thoughts.
“Since I’ve been a tutor for almost half a year, my grandfather insinuates that I should come back. Although he is a teacher to Rize… … I still have a lot to learn.”
“Do you really have to go?”
“yes… … . The reason I came here in the first place was my grandfather’s intention to look back at my basics while teaching Rize magic. Oh, don’t worry about that, someone else will come as the teacher instead of me.”
“I like Mr. Martin… … .”
At Rize’s words, Martin’s eyes widened, and soon his cheeks turned red.
I knew it wasn’t meant that way, but I never thought I’d ever hear something like that.
The unexpected blow was a fatal blow.
“Kuhm.”
Hearing Irina clearing his throat as if to come to his senses soon, Martin flinched and involuntarily took a step back.
Seeing Rize with a sad look on her face, she couldn’t hide her hard feelings.
It was all the more so because she knew very well that no matter how much Rize felt sorry for her, she was no more regretful than herself.
Martin smiled and tried to hide his feelings.
“Rize, do you have any plans to go to school?”
“School? Um, I hadn’t thought about it… … .”
I knew what the school was like from Irvin.
However, Rize had planned to enroll as soon as she reached the age where she could work as a mercenary, so she hadn’t even thought about school.
“Then, why don’t you go to the school in the Mage Tower?”
“Is there a school in the Mage Tower?”
“Precisely, it is its own educational institution. It is a place where children who have a talent for magic are gathered and taught magic in depth. I’m sure Rize will be able to come in without difficulty.”
In terms of skill, Rize had already mastered 9th tier magic and was already learning 8th tier magic. Even compared to his peers who were learning at the Mage Tower, he was not inferior at all.
In addition, considering that Irvin had made the magic tower’s long-cherished wish come true, there was no reason why his daughter Rize couldn’t come in.
However, Rize’s expression was not so bright.
“I like magic now, but… … Still, I prefer the sword. Everyone who goes there is serious about magic, but I think it would be rude if I was halfway there.”
“then!”
Martin fully expected Lize to refuse.
Even so, I was momentarily taken aback by Rize’s sincere answer.
After catching his breath for a moment, Martin looked at Rize with a more determined expression than before and said,
“Soon there will be an Imperial School run directly by the Empire in Findel! No matter whether you are an aristocrat or a commoner, if you have any talent, you can enter the school! I will enroll there and return to Findel again! If you have any thoughts about school… … I will wait there.”
Rize looked at Martin with a slightly embarrassed expression at the sight of a lifelong decision about to happen.
However, he soon blinked a couple of times and smiled bashfully.
“Yes, I will definitely go see you again.”
Martin smiled at him as if he was happy just by saying that, and Irina broke the atmosphere with a clap as if she couldn’t see him anymore.
“Okay, when you’re done talking, let’s train again. The lady is very busy, so we need to save time.”
Martin, who didn’t even dare to grumble, could only cast a resentful look, but Irina didn’t even snort.
Seeing the subtle restraint between the two, Rize laughed briefly as if she was having fun, then remembered the school Martin had mentioned.
Of course I remembered the place where the school was built.
I often passed by it, so every time Irvin had hinted that he would like to go to school.
Even then, I didn’t pay much attention to school, but… … I started to get a little interested.
An imperial school managed by the Empire and widely accepting both nobles and commoners.
What kind of people will gather there?
Rize smiled softly as she remembered Rowen and Nora, whom she had met before.
As expected, let’s talk about it when Dad comes back.
* * *
Words from the mouth of a suspicious man.
Dark Truth Church was a word that the five children could not easily pass over.
In addition, the fact that he suddenly brought up that story became a clue to guess his identity without difficulty.
The author is clearly related to the Dark Truth Church.
As the children looked at him with surprised eyes, the masked man immediately smiled.
“I never thought you would react like this to something I said lightly.”
“Kuk.”
I should have said something more.
Rowen regretted it belatedly, but soon realized that their answers weren’t that important to him.
Even though he said that, he didn’t show any change in his attitude.
He just moved his feet slowly, starting to spin in small circles in place.
“Not long ago, an entire branch of the church was destroyed. Unfortunately, there were no survivors. But it wasn’t that there was no harvest.”
He shook his head lightly as if thinking about it gave him a headache and continued talking.
“Inside the near ruins, we found research materials. I won’t tell you what the experiment was. The process is downright awful.”
At the nonchalant remark, the children all crumpled their faces.
It was because the terrible memories that had been buried now naturally came to mind.
And he immediately stopped walking and continued talking.
“But, to my surprise, the experiment was a success. Even five of them! Thousands of beautiful sacrifices have finally blossomed!”
It seemed like the nausea would come out of nowhere.
However, none of the children were quick to open their mouths.
It was because he was overwhelmed by his gaze as he looked at them in a strange way that sent chills down their spines.
He grinned, showing his teeth, and added one more word.
“And you too… … Are there five of you?”
“Scatter!”
At that moment, Rowen broke the silence and shouted vigorously.
None of the children reacted properly, but Rowen gritted his teeth and whipped himself as he charged towards him.
The weapon in his hand was the longsword that the chief goblin had been holding.
It’s hard to see because of that robe, but if it hurts even a little… … .
widely.
“I must have said I had no intention of threatening you.”
The hand, not knowing at what moment it had been extended, let Rowen’s attack flow naturally.
The moment Rowen noticed the attack missed, he quickly got out of there, but he just stood there leisurely.
Then he smiled and clapped slowly.
“Great. It was a quick situation judgment and action. The same goes for trying to stab me without hesitation. however… … Your younger siblings are not spirits.”
“… … !”
I didn’t think he would react right away. But I didn’t expect it to be frozen like that.
I had already learned how to behave when I met an enemy I couldn’t deal with.
Run away unconditionally, ask for help, and join somewhere else.
However, since the opponent in front of him didn’t seem to give him a chance to do that, Rowen tried to get the other kids to run away.
“Get up quickly! Run away!”
So I gave strength to my knees once more.
In this place where neither Irvin nor Hazel was around, he had to protect his younger siblings.
It was an attack with such a desperate heart, but it missed again and only pierced the air.
“The courage to step out alone is imaginary, but are you trying to hold on to me with this movement?”
“What are you doing! Go quickly!”
Only then did the children, who had barely come to their senses, move their bodies hesitantly.
While scrutinizing the children, he leisurely dodged Rowen’s attack, and soon his eyes shone coldly.
“You can’t run away.”
“… … !”
I was terrified and had goosebumps all over my body.
Would it feel like this if you met a beast alone in the forest?
The overwhelming energy that radiated from him awakened a sense of fear in the children.
If you move, you die.
The children trembled, unable to move from their place, and Nora, among them, collapsed to the ground as her legs gave out.
“mister… … .”
Even Rowen couldn’t control his trembling body, so he couldn’t attack again, and he spoke again in a low, heavy voice.
“Now, can you guys really run away? If this is the case, let’s try together. Weren’t you guys resentful of our church? Are you going to keep trembling like that even with the enemy in front of you?”
At those words, the children remembered.
A village that was attacked, people who were brutally trampled on, families who lost their lives in the name of experiments, and those who didn’t even treat themselves as human beings.
Every time I thought of it, the trembling subsided, and the emotion of anger took the place of fear.
“Wow!”
It all started with Frederick.
“die! The enemy of your parents!”
He drew blood from his body to make a blade and stabbed his enemies.
He laughed and avoided it as if it was implausible, and looked back at the dagger that flew right after.
The dagger that passed by like that spun around in the air as if it were alive and aimed at his back.
“It’s a good collaboration!”
He shouted with joy and swung his robe to remove the dagger and kicked Rowen’s sword with his foot.
However, the children continued to attack without being intimidated at all.
Although they did not speak to each other, thanks to continued training together, the children continued to attack as if flowing water.
“Oh, what a surprise.”
And suddenly, a hand that came out of his shadow swung a dagger, and he jumped out of the spot in a fright.
Nora, who had lost her place to hide, rose from the ground and silently glared at him.
There was a clear life in those eyes.
There was no way the other three would leave him unsteady, and in an instant, attacks interlocked in all directions.
Kakakakang!
Immediately after, a distinct metallic sound was heard.
He, who had been fighting with his bare hands until now, finally took out his weapon.
A slightly longer sword than the daggers used by Delan or Nora.
Thinking that the other side might be injured as well, Rowen attacked more carefully.
Frederick was in a state of excitement, but he was completely focused on the enemy, and Dellon was supporting by throwing or manipulating a dagger.
Nora’s hands were getting busier, too, as Nora also launched an out-of-the-way attack through the shadows.
Rowen, who continued to move her eyes and examine the battle situation, felt something strange little by little.
From noble mtl dot com
In spite of this fierce fighting, neither he nor the children were hurt.
Maybe it shouldn’t hurt us?
If not, am I just playing with it?
A number of thoughts came into my head, and then I noticed another strange thing.
“Claire?”
Claire, who had never attacked him before, was still standing there, looking this way.
An expression of contemplation with narrowed eyes.
Then, with a bright smile on his face, he started walking toward us with light steps.
As you clenched your fists.
“hey. If I get even one hit, please grant me a wish.”
“… … .”
What are you talking about?
At that moment, Claire kicked off the ground and charged at him.
Without thinking at all about the blades of the four people who were swinging at him.
Rowen’s eyes caught everything.
If things continued like this, he could see the future that would surely hurt Claire.
“… … Chit.”
At that moment, with a short tongue clicking sound.
Kaaang!
All the blades ricocheted off at once.
He wrapped his body around Claire as if to protect him, holding an outstretched fist.
“What are you going to do with this atmosphere?”
He said that as if to reprimand, and took off the mask he was wearing on his face as soon as he saw the children saying he didn’t know what the situation was.
“ah!”
In the meantime, Irvin’s face, which the children had been looking for so earnestly, was right there.