"I know you are the real 'Abiyr of Cirencre'."173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjxiFRb0rD
The General's assertion was a glacial chill that shook Mavros to his core like a tower built on muddy foundations.
"But, how...?" he managed to stammer, abruptly halting in the middle of the deserted street he and his guide were traversing.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1tHEStPEx
"The dinachrome can no longer deceive me. It's not the first time I've dealt with warriors from your people. I faced several on the battlefield during the Nefeshic wars," the General explained, maintaining his cold composure, which in that situation was more unsettling than reassuring. "From the start, your armor seemed familiar to me; I knew I had seen it before. Zeham summoning you for one of his interrogations confirmed my suspicions."173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWTr4PD5ge
Damn… That clarification was a low blow to the wandering knight, who was beginning to feel hopeless. Regardless of his heroic deeds, he had been fortunate that Ser Janpelan accepted him as someone trustworthy despite his background, but there was no guarantee that Chatel Chatel would show the same leniency.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWmD0ftUZl
Not only had he had the perspicacity to see through his simple but convincing disguise, but he had also dared to inquire further than the Niespalian captain had bothered to go.
Both remained in a brief but tense silence.
"Stop looking at me as if I were an Ashaim," the General rebuked him. "If Zeham let you go, it's because my intuition was correct."
The knight looked disoriented. "Thy intuition?"
Chatel Chatel nodded.
"You are a Tarburian, but it's obvious you're not an Abiyr. You pose no threat to our kingdom," he said. "I'll ask you again, were you raised here or in the Green Moon?"
Mavros lowered his gaze. Although he no longer felt in danger, being questioned about his origins in such circumstances made him extremely uncomfortable.
"I hath spent mine entire life within this world. Mine upbringing hath been upon the Isle of Tiberland, akin to any other mortal; this is the first occasion I hath journeyed beyond its bounds," he confessed, meeting his inquisitive eyes again. "Naught but ancient tales do I possess regarding the Green Moon and the Tarburians... and what little I could find of them in Tiberland."173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLTYdWCldM
The General frowned.
'What little he could find of them in Tiberland'... Is he saying he stumbled upon that armor by pure chance in a place like Tiberland? Does he really have no idea to whom it belonged? 173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8wpwBubEH
For a moment, the Holy Warrior suspected the knight of dishonesty, but his body language suggested otherwise. He tried to decipher whether that comment was a display of false modesty or stemmed from genuine ignorance about the value and history behind his discoveries.
"You'll tell me more later…" he finally said, noticing they were nearing their destination, and streams of people began to reappear on the road.
"Where are we heading to, Ser?" Mavros asked, but soon distinguished the likely candidate to be their destination: a collection of expansive, rectangular buildings, separated by green areas with lush trees and pathways paved with black and white tiles, forming a simple yet visually striking wavy pattern. "What is this place?"
"The University of Netzach," replied the General. "This is where I wanted to bring you."
He invited him to follow him inside.
It's wonderful, like almost everything in this city… The knight was delighted by the balance between the beauty of nature and human ingenuity. But I doubt this is the only thing Ser Chatel Chatel wants to show me.
"’Man At Axes’?"
"What's he doing here on a Soladi?"173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VadSYCO9l
"Who's that accompanying him?"
Some students murmured as they watched them move from afar.
"Professor!" As they approached, they greeted him with slight bows, which the general reciprocated with a silent but courteous gesture.
"Professor?" Mavros inquired.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy03AR3AFA4
"I've been teaching strategy and combat with melee weapons for a few years now," he explained. "It was my wife's suggestion; she recommended me to the administration, and they welcomed me with open arms. At first, I hesitated to accept her invitation. Teaching had never crossed my mind, but the political differences I've had with His Majesty motivated me to give it a try."
"Is Lady Dana also a professor at the university?"
The General observed the knight with a approving smile.
"Indeed. She is the dean of the Faculty of Engineering."173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW55H2zTkN2
Both entered a particular building.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJrUA3HzHF
"This is the Hanahulan, the 'training building'," he said, leading him through its spacious and neat corridors. "It has many tools and facilities for students to prepare for their exams." He glanced at Mavros. "And that includes those for Nefeshic martial arts."
Next, he took out a key and opened a door. Behind it was a dimly lit room, moderately spaced and uncluttered. A sort of black, metallic sphere in its center, as large as a watermelon, was the only thing occupying it.
A... Yukain? The strange object held no mystery for the knight. It was a relic from his adolescence, from the time when he took his first—and innocent—steps on the 'Way' of his code.
"I don't see much surprise in you," said the general as he closed the door to the room. "Were yukains one of the 'few' Tarburian things you already knew in Tiberland?"173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9kY7AwBsO
Mavros turned to him. He was caught off guard once again by the accuracy of his deduction.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhrzApppaC
"Yes..." he admitted, with some indifference. On one hand, he was pleased to have something that reminded him of the best part of his past, but on the other, it was disappointing: he had hoped for something he had never seen before. "But I didn't expect to encounter one again in these lands."
"Among the Holy Houses, they are more common than you think," the General said, going towards the object to bend down and manipulate it. "Our best weapons and equipment are adaptations or inventions directly inherited from your civilization. The few that have been understood or allowed to be preserved, up to our days."
Upon standing up again, the sphere came to life, levitating gently to his eye level. It had several round, blueish lights at different points, resembling a spider's eyes, which focused on both men.
"I won't be able to give you a training session today, but in the meantime, I want you to stay busy," Chatel Chatel said. "You'll practice with this Yukain at level twelve, the maximum. You should aim to complete at least six rounds."
"Verily, if this be of the same ilk I hath trained with in Tiberland, it shall prove simple," Mavros affirmed, unconcerned by the challenge. He drew and wielded his staff. "I used it so much that I mastered all its tiers."
“I don't doubt that, but that's in the past; it's no excuse for you to become complacent in the present. Reflexes and quick reaction time are the first basic fundamentals you need to catch up on for the tournament," said the General.
He turned around, ready to leave and attend to his own affairs.
"I must go; I'll be back in two hours. We'll meet at the doors of this building," he handed Mavros his keys. "If you finish early and get bored, feel free to visit the martial arts library on the third floor. You won't miss it. There are several books there that might interest you."
The General began to walk. He touched the door handle.
"Wait, Ser."
However, Mavros stopped him just as he was about to turn it.
"Why dost thou trust me? Why dost thou persist in aiding me?" he asked, unable to contain that doubt any longer. "Unlike the Salamandera family, there exists naught that binds thee to me in debt. Furthermore, thou art already aware of my hidden truth."
"I believe it's worthwhile," he assured him. He turned to face him. "Before you came, I had heard several rumors that the 'Abiyr of Cirencre' was not a villain as Captain Ser Janpelan claimed in his official report, but a hero who helped him and his forces repel the corsair attack. Naturally, I thought it was an unlikely nonsense the first time I heard them, unworthy of attention, but I was wrong. That's what matters to me, not where your blood comes from."
He said quietly. He turned away from him.
"The Salamanderas and the Order of Lebias are jeopardizing their fate by helping to conceal your identity, but thanks to their audacity, I have an opportunity within my grasp that I never thought I'd have again in my life: to make contact with the elusive Tarburians. To know them beyond the version that the Maskirian Church has sold us for centuries."173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4B12TaKBze
He stepped away from him.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1v0bp9mOV
"I won't waste it," he said, looking over his shoulder as he opened the door. "I'll continue to vouch for you as they do."
He closed it, leaving him alone with the Yukain, which remained motionless in mid-air, awaiting instructions.
'...to make contact with the elusive Tarburians. To know them beyond the version that the Maskirian Church has sold us for centuries.'... 'I'll continue to vouch for you as they do.' 173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡef9KQZmKtf
Mavros remained silent, reflecting on those words from his now mentor. Thank you, Ser, but I'm afraid I'll disappoint you. I don't even know my roots as well as I would like...173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cJB9GTur5
The knight focused his attention on the sphere, which faced him motionless, as if patiently awaiting his instructions.
"Lebelak chisad, ackischi!"
The knight commanded it in the only language the machine could process. Immediately, it began to rotate on itself, making short, dizzying movements in different directions like a hummingbird, but without straying too far from its original position.
Mavros assumed a defensive stance. He knew what would come next.
Without any warning, the sphere fired a bright beam from one of its many eyes. With his staff, Mavros intercepted and repelled it towards one of the walls of the room, whose reinforced surfaces absorbed its impact without suffering any damage.
That's one of the main goals of my journey, he thought, blocking and deflecting with skillful moves a succession of other shots from the device. To meet my 'master,' the mind behind the Way.
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iBNCRNbQf
***
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"And this, is the martial arts library," Gabran said to Luciara, pointing to the entrance of one of the many libraries at the University of Netzach. He and his brother Olivrin had acted as her guides in the institution, showing her this and other major points of interest.
"Do you want to go in?" he asked.
"Of course. It's what I've been most eager to visit," she replied.
She entered, delighted with the tour they had given her so far.
"I thought so. I wanted to save the best for last," the actor smiled, although he stopped smiling when he glanced at the time on a clock placed just a few inches above the entrance to the martial arts library.
Darn it, I didn't realize so much time had passed. It's late, they're going to kill me if I don't leave right now, he realized. "Olivrin, could you do me the favor of showing Luciara the library?" he asked, with palpable anxiety. "I just remembered something I had to do."
"Huh?" His younger brother looked at him confused by his sudden change of mood. "What is it? Do you have to leave?"
"Yes, it's outside of the university. I'm in a hurry, I'll tell you later," he lied. He looked at Luciara. "Luciara, if you need anything, you can see my mother. She'll probably be in her office all afternoon."
He turned around and raised his hand. "See you soon!" He said goodbye and ran until he disappeared from the hallway where they were standing.
First that 'Revival' thing and now this... what's gotten into him today? Olivrin thought, watching with bewilderment the corner he had turned. His brother had never been a man of so many unexpected events.
Finally, he snapped out of it, remembering his priority.
"So... shall we go in, cousin?" he asked Luciara, who nodded eagerly. He pushed the door and invited her to enter.
At least six corridors with rows of shelves full and several meters high stretched out before her: a forest of knowledge trees. Its neat black-and-white tiled floor like a chessboard, and its sculptures of legendary Holy Warriors served as perfect decoration.
To think that this is just the hall dedicated to martial arts works. In the main library of Cirencre, there was barely a single small shelf for the nefeshic spells section. There must be many more here. The young woman gaped like a child at a variety she had never imagined possible. Other youths like her were pulling out some of the neatly arranged books to browse through them or to take them away in their arms.
"Is there anything specific you want to read?" Olivrin asked her, forgetting for a moment about proper manners. "I know it pret..."
"SHHHHHH!"
The young man fell silent as several students around him, and a librarian, reprimanded him immediately with sharp hisses.
"Sorry, sorry," the boy apologized, waving his hands as he lowered his voice to a whisper.
"Where is the spell section?" Luciara asked, imitating the same appropriate tone.
"Over here," Olivrin indicated with a gesture, leading her to a nearby aisle.
"They're all these bookshelves," he said. "If you can't find a book you're looking for, or you see it but can't reach it, you can ask a librarian to get it for you. If it exists, it's most likely cataloged here."
"Thank you," the young woman said. She inspected the spines of the books displayed on one of the shelves indicated by her cousin. Olivrin, a frequent visitor to the section, accompanied her, also looking for something to read that afternoon.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Uyl5hN6BP
Let's see... where are the books on pyromancy? Luciara sifted through several shelves. She didn't have any particular title in mind, but she knew the topic she wanted to study. Just when she thought this wasn't the right library, she saw a title that caught her attention. The Art of Pyromancy IV. Nirolo Aryan.
That's what it said.
This one! Luciara picked it up without hesitation. She had grown up with the other volumes of the series, collected by her father; she would sneak them away, regardless of his express lack of consent. Until then, she had been content with mastering the first three levels of nefeshic art, which were more than enough to give her good chances of admission to the university, but now she wanted to take the next and more advanced step.
She moved away from Olivrin and found an area with tables. She took one of them and opened the book. She searched through the index, then jumped to the chapter that interested her.
The Blue Flame. That was its title.
The 'Blue Flame,' also known as the 'Flame of Rona'—in honor of the first disciple of Our Lord Maskirio—is the hottest and most complicated of the pyromantic fires…
Thus began its introduction, which Luciara decided to skip as it consisted purely of more details about its history and etymology.
Invocation Method.
She found the point she wanted to get to.
The 'Blue Flame' requires prior familiarity on the part of the pyromancer with the other fires that precede it. Its sequence could be considered a simultaneous combination of all the same, but with additional, more complex junctions and at a faster pace, which demand a well-matured mental dexterity… She read.
The student faltered for a moment as she proceeded to interpret this "sequence."
“Holy palm of Maskirio…” she muttered wearily. It was even more complicated than the book made it seem. Now she understood why her father never bothered to learn it despite his years of service as a Holy Warrior. Such was its difficulty that it usually only served as a subject for high-ranking pyromancer courses, which seemed very distant for someone like her.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGk71wM9K5
If that prick could learn it as a mere sublieutenant, I'll do it too! She reminded herself, giving herself the motivation she needed not to give up. She raised her index finger in front of her eyes, generating a small flame like that of a candle on its tip.
Come on… It alternated between red, orange, and yellow repeatedly, in her first laborious attempt to conquer the Blue Fire.
She was so focused that she completely ignored the arrival of someone else at the library. It was none other than the person who, for better or for worse, had inspired her to study it prematurely: Sublieutenant Docemin.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoVTHEQALM
I should find something here to help me counter that bastard's techniques. She thought to herself, absorbed in the cover of a book she had just taken out: the first tool she would use in her preparation for the Eh Nam Tournament. She was about to sit down to read it at one of the tables when she noticed the presence of the aspiring Holy Warrior.
That... That was his protege, wasn’t it?! What is she doing here?!
She wondered, almost dropping the text at her unwelcome company. She felt like kicking her out, but she refused to disrespect the sacred silence of the library, especially as an avid reader herself. She tried to ignore her and continue with her own business.
"Huh?!"
However, it became somewhat impossible as she examined her more closely.
That flame... She knows pyromancy… She recognized. She ran a hand through her hair, which she had to cut as short as a man's.
That simple act reminded her of the reason: a puzzling mystery... that had just ceased to be.
How did I not realize it?!
Her face turned into a boiling sea.
IT WAS YOU! She accused internally, pointing at her accusatorily. ACCURSED BITCH! YOU BURNED MY HAIR!173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC874Y3TETu
