Arthur couldn't think of many people capable of stitching him up and even fewer were going to use magical strings to do it.
The prince didn't delve into the details of how the procedure had been done. Instead, he was just glad he'd made it.
Who knew what could have happened if he'd simply bled out?
"Darius, was this…?"
"My first foolish attempt at First Aid. Yes… yes, it is. Be glad I was here otherwise you wouldn't have made it. You were bleeding so badly when we found you," Arthur's friend replied with a tight-lipped smile.
Darius was a tall scrawny boy with an exceedingly pale complexion. If it wasn't for having spent time with him, Arthur would have thought the boy was weak and frail.
Surprisingly, he was quite the opposite.
Darius was a great many other things that Arthur had come to value in his person. Traits he could spend all day mentioning.
Right now, however, his genius in the arts of magic had saved his life… and perhaps his future course as well. Speaking of which, "Dar, do Warlocks also have to go through this same kind of setup during the Sorting?"
"No, they don't. I'm actually… here to become a hunter, unfortunately," Darius rubbed his spiky mop of hair in frustration, "My old man… He… sort of crashed the ceremony when I was just about to have my magical affinity tested."
"You're kidding… T-the actual Arcanium… made an appearance," Arthur gawked.
"I was shocked too. He never shows up unannounced but this time he did. He seemed insistent on not wanting me to attend the school under the Warlock Course.
He even suggested I'd be better off if I just study to become a 'Civilian' instead," Darius scoffed.
The more he spoke of it, the more agitated his face got. Out of anger, Darius struck the ground with his fist, then stared at it and grimaced at the shallow cuts on his knuckles… "…Ow"
Another reminder that this boy wasn't made for hand-to-hand combat.
"Don't hurt yourself. We still need you if we are to get through the Sorting. Even though I don't know what that is… exactly. That old geezer conveniently told me everything else but this," Arthur sighed.
Since the start of the Sorting, everything happening around Arthur had been a surprise and completely unexpected.
From goblins to demon bears…
At first, he'd thought they would be fighting creatures of their level. Creatures that they could beat with the unpolished skills they all possessed but that theory completely flew out the window the moment Arthur had to face demon bears.
Not only that but with each passing second during his fight against the beasts, their tactics and attack power had changed significantly, making them much more impossible to deal with.
The speed and energy he'd used to evade them were only possible because of the supernatural strength and agility he had as a phoenix.
It had been the same with the goblins too… considering how they never attacked in the same fashion again. Each time was unique and different, forcing him to adapt to the different conditions.
When he thought about it, a human of age seventeen would not have been able to last in a battle against the demon bears let alone escape them.
They'd even be impressive if they got through as many goblins as Arthur had managed to put down before finding the demon bears.
But then again, with the right RuneWeapon, the tide could change. Arthur eyed his fire spear and wondered if he'd made the right choice in choosing it.
As a phoenix, flames were his natural element. Learning how to use a lance was mandatory, so learning how to use a Fire Lance came as an obvious choice.
This wasn't his first time using one but considering the limitations of not being able to properly use the powers he had as a phoenix, he was starting to see a disadvantage in this choice.
Even with the heat attribute of the spear activated, it hadn't been able to slice through the demon bear's claws. Was there perhaps a lance with an enchantment that made it much sharper that he could have chosen?
And if so, would it have helped him as much as the fire lance had?
Everything happening so far didn't make sense to the prince and he had to use his instincts for the most part.
What was supposed to happen during the Sorting? He knew nothing of what he was supposed to be doing or what the Sorting even was.
How did the simulation even come to an end?
"None of us know what the Sorting really is. And when I say none, I mean none. Of all the students I've met in here, there isn't a single one with a clue about what was happening or supposed to happen.
None even had any tips on how to get through this. It could be a tactic they use to keep the students from cheating and level the playing field.
Preparation would produce imperfect results, so the students are all sent in without a clue of what they will face," Darius shrugged.
Arthur remembered the upperclassmen he noticed snickering at the landing pad earlier.
The Sorting wasn't something they could simply cheat their way through!
"How can they keep anyone from cheating?"
"I don't know how. But I'm certain that strong magic is used to hold the Sorting. Those wounds you have look so real and life-threatening and yet I've never heard of anyone dying during the Sorting.
The way the monsters die in an explosion of runes. It's really powerful magic.I can't even begin to imagine what network of runes and magic rune circles were used to make this all possible.
And coming from me, that's something," Darius mused, ruffling his spiky black short hair in thought.
"It won't help thinking about powerful magic now," Arthur sighed. He finally turned to the other two people in their presence. A girl and a boy.
Both of them looked too young to be seventeen which was the age they were allowed to enrol into the School, "I have a question. What happened to the Demon Bear?"
"Gee, thanks! Because I couldn't have taken it down!" Darius sighed.
The girl raised up a large bow, signalling to the half-empty quiver on her back and the boy spoke in her stead, "We got to you just in time and I, the Greatest Squire, took it down."
"Oh! Is that so?" Arthur smirked.
"You don't even know how to hold a bow, Leo," the girl countered. Her voice was as soft as her appearance.
Taking in her whole appearance, Arthur was not sure what to make of her. Momo was on the short side, the same height as Lucy.
If it hadn't been for her deep brown locks and soft eyes, he could have thought they were related.
Her soft voice never went too high and she spoke far too polite to be considered a threat… and yet, Arthur was inclined to keep an eye on her.
"That's true. But I do know how to wield a sword and while your glorious skills in archery were a good distraction, I was able to land the finishing blow on that fiend," Leo continued, raising his voice even higher and with more gusto.
"You didn't even touch the demon bear," Momo added.
"I reached it first, didn't I? A good vanguard never shies away from a fight. Mwahaha…"
"Leo is very brave and chivalrous," Momo smiled.
"That's right. But don't fret. I couldn't have downed that beast without your help. Those flimsy toothpicks were exactly what I needed to get an opening."
Arthur figured he was hearing this story the wrong way and turned to Darius.
"What really happened?"
"I found these two and helped patch up Momo's leg. While I was helping them, they told me their story… along with your intrusion. A white-haired boy with a fiery spear had saved them from three demon bears.
There aren't many people out there with white hair and even fewer that can wield flame spears as well as I know you can. After all, I did learn from the best," Darius raised his own lance before placing it down and continuing with the story.
"I knew it had to be you so I asked that they point me in the right direction. When we found you, the last bear was about to take your life… and that's when little Momo unleashed the most dazzling archery skills I've ever been blessed to witness.
She shot that thing right in the eyes with two shots and even managed to make a notch in its hide that Leo used to land his finishing blow."
When Arthur turned back to the girl, his view of her had changed completely. "Now that's impressive indeed."
"Hey, it was I who dealt the finishing blow… Me... all me," Leo screamed, trying to switch their attention to himself.
"Well… I thank you too, Leo. I don't think the arrows would have been enough to finish off the demon bear, but without them to blind and distract it, I would be dead.
Don't you think she deserves some credit?" Arthur asked.
"She already has all the credit she deserves… Ugh… She's Momo Hawks, for crying out loud," Leo groaned.
"Hawks? Like… Lucy Hawks," Arthur asked.
"Oh, so you've heard of Lucy too. I guess fame does reach your uncivilised caves," Darius shrugged.
"Caves?" Leo's ears perked.
"Never mind him. And I'm not sure I should know who Lucy is. I just met her on the R-Train from Alcove. I didn't know anything about her before this. Is she somewhere here as well?" Arthur asked.
"No… Lucy isn't here." Momo's expression fell.
"Oh, okay then. We need to work on getting out of this place and returning to Barthlorn… where here is. Does anyone at least know where we are?" Arthur asked.
"No, we are all unfamiliar with this place. My parents and I go camping a lot and have seen plenty of places outside of Alcove but never one like this.
But from what Darius said, it's possible this place isn't even real," Leo suddenly sounded serious.
'I think I liked the boastful you better,' Arthur inwardly groaned.