"That is true... And what was the reason for the conflict between the two girls? Or shall I leave that up to them to explain?" asked Mavislin, shifting her attention at Rina.
Midori and Rina looked at each other with guilt in their eyes. Rina opted to explain the situation first.
"Please do forgive me for my actions, Lady Roydon. I was merely trying to duel with her since it was part of the training. But unfortunately, Midori caught me off guard when we got transported to another realm. So we both started fighting as the training started."
"But I didn't know what overcame me... I wasn't on board with the fact that she was disrespecting me. She bore a grudge on me, and her strikes had the intent to kill me when it was supposed to be a friendly match. The child was also bearing a grudge against me."
"I wanted to halt, but she kept striking before I could stop..."
"Damn right you did!" yelled Duncan, standing up.
Baldwin looked up from his food to see what was the commotion. Everyone had an expression on their face, be it shock or worry. Only the Valkyrie's expression remained unreadable.
"If you tried to stop my sister, then why'd you provoke her into continuing the fight then? She was showing you her best offensive tactics. She did as you said! She's an ace of the blade, and she was showing you what she'd do in a free-for-all duel!" yelled Duncan, right at Rina.
"Hey, now... You don't have to shout at the Mage. She-"
Baldwin got cut off instantly by Duncan as he continued his explanation.
"That forest was the first spell she made that was for attacking others! And it remains the most effective when we need to run from those horrible people. It was a spell created to be at Midori's advantage, with terrain that she was familiar with and easy to move around."
"No disrespect to you, Mother Mavislin, but don't you think that my sister was right to jump into action after doing a spell? She wasn't going against the instructions. So you can't expect a saber's strong suit to spell?!"
"A swordsman is known as such because of their great command and technique to the blade they use. Midori's prowess as a swordsperson was unbeatable when up against Rina. But, unfortunately, my sister was only proving that fact when Rina scoffed at her!"
This kid has got some strong points coming out from that loudmouth of his. Mavislin was amused that a kid like him could understand that the session as a whole was unfair from the beginning. You can't teach a fish based on how far it can fly. The same thing applies here.
How could they judge them just by Elemental Powers alone when most of them were combatants? It would be like asking a saber to use their sword like a lance. It defeats the purpose of gathering them together. And Mavislin knew it well.
The session to determine what they lacked was a mistake in and of itself. Nasima, Midori, and Duncan cannot be tested using this method as they rely on physical combat skills. Unfortunately, this kid picks up fast on that fact. He might even shift the blame on the Valkyrie instead.
Luckily for the Valkyrie, Duncan couldn't bring himself to do so since he thought of Mavislin as the one who saved him. That image of Mavislin giving Duncan a slice of apple to eat will forever remain in his heart. But another thing was interesting, why would Rina provoke Midori suddenly?
"Oi kid! Sit back down and watch your manners!" exclaimed Ashley, yanking the kid back down to the ground.
"Mother Mavislin! This Mage didn't try to reason with my sister in any way at all! Rina was the one who taunted my sister first by telling her not to be so confident in her skill as a combatant! It could've been a friendly match if Rina hadn't provoked Midori!" yelled Duncan.
Ashley quickly covered the boy's mouth and got bitten in the process. Circe quickly covered Nasima's eyes while Tomoe watched with amusement. The Marksman was bleeding profusely for a few seconds before the wound closed up instantly.
"Get a hold of yourself, Duncan! I don't know your problem, but Mavislin was only asking about the incident just now. You don't have to be so angry about it!" scolded Ashley, preparing to silence Duncan right there and then.
Mavislin glared at the Marksman, signaling him not to hurt Duncan. Ashley could feel the tug on his lifeforce as Mavislin did so. It looks like the Valkyrie was truly angry now. Or she wanted to be firm and gain control of the situation before it went downwards.