Archibald was in shock as Rolo informed him that he was being removed from the team, despite traveling all the way from Pantoran to be here.
"What? Why are you removing me? This is unfair!" Archibald shouted at Rolo.
Rumia also stood up for him. "Yeah! Archibald's right! What's the reason?" she yelled at him.
Lamperogue, still as indifferent as ever, said nothing.
He thought to himself how amusing it was that Rolo had picked Lutessa over Archibald.
It was like picking apple juice over orange juice.
"Oh my goodness, this is all so overwhelming.." (Lutessa)
She wasn't built for this sort of drama.
Rolo looked at them with a stern expression, "The reason is simple. Fifteen is the age of adulthood. You two are thirteen and fourteen, respectively," he said looking at Rumia and Lamperogue. "And looking at the chest of Lutessa, she's around the same age as you guys," Rolo added as he scanned Lutessa.
"Did he really just do what I think he did?" Lamperogue muttered to himself.
Indeed, he used Lutessaʼs large chest as a basis for her age.
Strange as it wasn't always an accurate method for discerning a woman's age.
After all, Felinela was twenty-three, and yet shared resemblance with a child puberty missed.
Archibald, still confused, shouted back at Rolo. "I don't understand. Why does that matter?"
Rolo sighed deeply. "It matters because, Archibald, you're only eleven years old," he said matter-of-factly.
"I can't let someone as young as you enter such a dangerous endeavor like a potential war," Rolo explained.
Felinela, feeling the tension and drama, pestered Larc to say something. "Larc, say something! You're the only one who hasn't spoken yet!"
Larc put one of his hands on Rolo's muscular shoulders. "Rolo, calm down. Your decision may be a bit too abrupt," he said, trying to ease the tension.
Rolo shook Larc's hand off and turned to Archibald with a glare. "It wasn't too abrupt. As the leader appointed by Undine, I have a duty to ensure stability. And having a child on the team doesn't help anyone," he said firmly.
Lobo growled loudly, noticing how enraged Archibald was by Rolo's decision.
"I still agree with Archibald. This is outrageous," Rumia said, her voice heavy with anger as she looked at Rolo.
Archibald refused to accept Rolo's decision, he kept on arguing, but Larc urged him to remain quiet.
Then, he turned to Rolo and let out a deep sigh before he spoke. "Rolo, Archibald is talented with a sword, and we could use someone with such skills on our team," Larc said, trying to reason with him.
Rolo, still proving to be difficult, shook his head. "It doesn't matter how talented he is. He's still a child," he said with finality.
Larc leaned closer to Rolo.
"You should think deeply. Archibald might have been training with the sword even before he was ten," he said, keeping his voice low.
Rolo's brows furrowed. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
Larc took a deep breath before he spoke. "If Archibald is so good with the sword, wouldn't it mean he's been training with it even before he was ten?" he asked, looking straight at Rolo.
This information surprised Rolo.
He had seen Archibald with a sword, and he was, indeed, good.
But when Larc pointed out that he had been training before he was ten, it put a new spin on things.
Why? Because a child born with their class as a swordsman could only start training from when they were ten, the age where they develop strong bones.
Rolo then turned to Archibald with a serious stare and asked him, "What age did you start training with a sword?" He was stern, "Don't you dare lie to me boy," his eyes narrowed.
Archibald's face turned red with seething rage as he responded, "I won't lie to you. I started training when I was three years old."
The moment he said this, everyone screamed loudly in shock.
Rumia, Felinela, Larc, Lutessa, and even Lamperogue were shocked, although he didn't scream like the others.
"That's horse crap!" (Rolo)
He claimed that Archibald was lying and immediately approached him, telling him to say the truth.
Archibald shouted back, his rage clear on his face. "I'm not lying! Why would I lie about something like that?"
As Rolo and Archibald were arguing, a sudden commotion could be heard from outside the door.
Everyone turned their attention towards it, curious as to what it could be.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and a lady with large breasts and a voluptuous body entered the scene.
She was dressed in a witch's attire which covered very little skin.
It was Fatima, the beautiful silver haired woman, and she was there to interrupt their argument.
"Excuse me," she said, walking towards the group. "But it seems like your decision is a bit forced, Rolo."
Rolo looked mildly irritated by her input. "I'll stand by it," he replied defiantly. "Archibald may have some skills, but he's just a kid. And he lied to us."
Archibald's face reddened with anger. "I didn't lie!" he shouted back.
"Please calm down Sir Knight," Lutessa interjected calmly. "Let's hear everyone's opinion."
Fatima stepped forward, her eyes locked on Rolo. "Rolo, how exactly did Archibald lie?" she asked.
Rolo looked at her, his gaze firm. "He claimed to have been training with a sword since he was three," he told her.
Upon hearing this, Fatima burst into laughter.
Her laugh was so loud that it could be heard from outside the building.
Archibald looked taken aback, his face a mixture of confusion and annoyance.
"Is it a joke?" Fatima asked between fits of laughter. "No one can train with a sword at such a young age."
Archibald's anger boiled over. "It's not a joke!" he exclaimed. "I trained with a sword from a young age, just like my family has for generations."
Fatima's laughter died down as she realized Archibald was serious. "Wait... what family are you from?" she asked.
Archibald raised an eyebrow and then casually said, "I'm a Pendragon."
Everyone was shocked, excluding Rumia and Lamperogue, who had seen it all.
"He's not lying though... I saw it on his Adventurers' ID.." (Rumia)
"You gotta be kidding." (Larc)
"No, he is. He's from the Melvis branch of the family." (Lamperogue)
As tensions rose and emotions ran high, the group realized that they needed to work together to achieve their common goal.
The addition of Archibald, who had plenty of skills despite his age, could mean the difference between success.
Fatima smiled smugly at Rolo, who then got surprised by her sudden appearance.
"What's that smug look for?" Rolo asked, his voice laced with suspicion.
Fatima shrugged nonchalantly and said, "It's nothing. But you can't really refuse Archibald now, can you?"
Rolo let out a deep sigh and walked past Fatima towards Archibald.
His large stature towered over the smaller boy as he loomed over him.
"Let me get straight to the point," Rolo said firmly. "I want to test your worth and see if you're deserving of the Pendragon name."
Archibald looked up at him, his face still filled with confusion.
"What do you mean?" he asked hesitantly.
Rolo placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, which was strapped to his back.
"I'll judge you using nothing but the steel of my weapon," he said ominously.
Everyone in the room was taken aback by Rolo's sudden declaration.
Rumia was the first to speak up.
"Isn't that taking it a bit too far?" she asked ambivalently.
Felinela nodded in agreement, saying, "Yeah, I don't think we should resort to violence."
Rolo dismissed their concerns with a wave of his hand.
"If Archibald insists on talking about being a Pendragon," he said coldly, "then it's up to him and his sword to prove his worth."
"Mr. Rolo, please, there's no need for this," Lutessa pleaded with him.
But Lamperogue had a different opinion. "A fight would be the most efficient way to settle this," he said, grinning eagerly.
Archibald was still hesitant. "I don't see the point in this," he said, shaking his head.
Rolo stared down at him, his eyes filled with determination.
"Unless your sword skills are useless, then you'll accept my challenge," he said challengingly. "It's the only way you'll join the squad."
Archibald sighed and then shrugged proudly.
"Fine, I accept your challenge," he said, his voice full of confidence. "I won't let you say that I'm not worthy of the Pendragon name."
And with that, a battle of swords began.