"Weiss defeats another opponent with his dagger! A knockout!"
"Solaris has blasted another opponent with her fire!"
"Our little Jojo zips through all his opponent's attacks!"
"Isaac has won without getting touched!"
"Wow, Roland's opponent has forfeited!"
"In her previous match, Flare had severe injuries, but what will happen this time after her recovery?"
"Today, she is carrying only a sword."
When her second match started, Flare outmaneuvered her opponent. The game ended without her taking a single scratch.
"She is not the same person she was 20 days ago!" the commentator announces.
Flare proudly walked out of the ring after knocking down her opponent with her hilt, and she could feel eyes watching her. She smiles a bit, feeling like she made a name for herself. However, that all changes when she turns in for training.
…..
"Well, her movements are not stiff like before," Slag comments, despite seeing an exhausted Flare already lying on the ground.
"Yup, she is training quite well," Boyd adds, standing firm while holding a wooden Eastern blade.
Flare stabs her wooden blade, which is similar to Boyd's, and pushes herself up.
"…That blade you wanted demands great dexterity, and it seems you are quite far from it," Boyd states to Flare.
"I know," Flare frets in exhaustion.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to swing and evade your opponent's attacks continuously? This is an Eastern blade, not the standard sword," Boyd scolds Flare.
"…Your sword will break away. Eastern blades are meant for stabbing," Flare repeats Boyd's teachings.
"Aim for the weak points and stab. That is the proper way to use the blade. It is simple and quick; otherwise, your blade won't last long."
"So, you must master the other weapon combined with the Ikazuchi. You have to master the sword," Boyd tosses a real rapier to Flare.
Flare puts down her wooden blade and grabs the sword.
"What can you tell me about the rapier, Your Highness?"
"Rapiers are primarily meant for thrusting attacks but can also be used for slicing. You must be nimble in your movements and stab at pinpoint accuracy."
"Very good. What else?"
"Rapiers are dueling weapons, usually used by nobles. It can easily get the first strike if we are in a first-blood battle, but in a fight to the death, it is at a disadvantage."
"Why?"
"It lacks the shocking blow of a sword, but it has greater reach. It is quick, light, and good for poking. A sword is a soldier's weapon due to its versatility, weight, and durability. Attacks dealt by a rapier can be minor or fatal, depending on the depth of the stab. An attack by a sword could cleave off one's arm due to its cutting power and weight.
"And?"
"A rapier is best used if the opponent is wearing light armor, like Weiss, but is at a large disadvantage if the opponent uses heavy armor, like you."
"What if you are dealing with an enemy with heavy armor?"
"I have to find the weak points of the armor, such as the space between two armor plates at the joints or the neck."
Boyd nods while Slag claps in amazement.
"Good. You've learned a lot this past few days," Boyd praises Flare and pats her head.
"If you wouldn't mind, may I ask why we are doing physical training?" Flare asks, panting.
"Huh? Didn't you learn this from the books, Your Highness-?" Boyd inquired.
"The fitter the use, the larger the magical output that can be used from said user," the man laughs.
"Which is why you feel woozy, and you passed out when you used the large lightning bolt when you battled with that foe when we were in Cantor," Boyd points out, referring to the Executioner whom King Ragnar sent to hunt her down, while still patting her head.
However, Flare quickly stops Boyd from doing so. The old man is puzzled by this before Flare points at one of the trees at their side. When Boyd turns his head, there is a silhouette of someone hiding behind the trees before the pink figure disappears.
"Not again…" Boyd sighs, rubbing his front helm.
Flare giggles.
"It's not funny!"
"It's hilarious!" Flare giggles, holding her stomach.
"Hmm…Mmm…"
"Mmm…Hmm…hmm…"
Boyd turns his head and faces the tree once again.
"Oh, hey, Marcie!" Boyd hollers at the silhouette while waving his arm.
The figure heard it because the tree suddenly shook.
"What, are you peeking at us again? Why don't you come join us?"
Suddenly, Marcia slides into sight with a red face.
"I-I-I wasn't peeking!" she exclaims, flabbergasted.
"I-I was just making sure that…-that you are-are training her well! I was observing if you don't do anything weird!" she adds, still blushing.
"You don't have to worry. Today's training session is already finished. We will continue tomorrow," Boyd answers her caution.
"Oh, okay. I'll come back tomorrow," Marcia nods awkwardly before walking away.
The situation was awkward, even for Flare. Once they finished packing, they walked out of the jungle and to the market. While walking through the market, they noticed a pink figure tailing them from behind amidst the crowd.
"We should…" Flare tries to turn around and call Marcia, but Boyd prevents her.
Once the two of them drop off Slag at his stall, they proceed to the cottage and continue to see a pink-colored figure tailing them each time they glance backward.
"Don't you think for once that we can just lend a helping hand?" Flare whispers to Boyd.
"I gave a pouch of coin enough to buy a ticket out and a horse, along with food for a month. She can survive," he states.
"Shouldn't we…"
"If she has something to say, she has to have the right attitude. She wants a roof to sit under; she only needs to ask."
"…"
"Pitying someone won't make things better. Once she learns some humility to bow down and ask for help, I'll help," Boyd claims before stopping to send Flare off to her cottage.
Flare stops and bows at Boyd.
"Thank you for the training!" Flare thanked Boyd before entering another different world inside her cottage.
For some reason, Solaris, Jojo, and Weiss are already sitting at the center of the cottage in front of the fireplace, eating snacks and drinking juice. As Boyd's footsteps outside slowly fade away quietly, Solaris waves her hand and starts to call Flare by her name.
"Oi, Flare! How about you join us?" she invites Flare to join.
Quickly, Flare opens the door and steps outside. She counted to five before entering back and was greeted by the same scenery.
"What in the world are you doing?" Weiss asks, puzzled.
"N-Nothing, just making sure…" Flare mumbles as she walks into her room to undress her armor.
"So, what is all this…meeting is about?" Flare asks while undressing her armor.
"Why don't you come here and see Big Sis?" she could hear Jojo's jolly tone.
She chuckles and sits among them after completely undressing her armor. Jojo offered her a cup of orange juice, and she drank it without hesitation, which noted all three of them.
"Mind sharing me what is happening here?" Flare asks after drinking the juice.
"The title of Champion is fated to end up in the hands of the one most worthy, and the battle here in the Knights' Mausoleum will determine who that person is," Solaris states while munching on cupcakes.
"However, if it is just a means to decide, then there is no need for further bloodshed."
"If every contender can acknowledge each other's ranks, then the matter will settle itself," she finishes while handing over a cupcake to Flare.
Surprisingly to Flare, Solaris did not throw or drop the cupcake when she reached for it. Flare grabs the cupcake, thanks Solaris, and munches the cupcake.
"…Woah, this is delicious…"
"Wait, I think I've seen this before back at the palace…" Flare thought in her head, trying to recall a memory of someone making a cupcake.
She shakes her head. After that, she pours a cup of orange juice and hands it to Solaris with confidence. Solaris smiles when she sees this.
"Oh?"
The pyromancer takes the cup and drinks it.
"So you wish to start by comparing everyone's rank against each other?" Flare asks Solaris.
"…No, no. I didn't want this," Solaris shakes her head politely.
"I wanted to!" Jojo shot his hand upwards.
This situation surprises Flare since she assumes that Solaris is the one who wants to start this conversation.
"Indeed, Your Highness!" he grins happily.
Flare turns and looks at Weiss, and even he is smiling. Then, she turns to Solaris, who remains content.
"Tch, she told the kid!"
"As all four of us call ourselves contenders, this is not something we can avoid. Consider this a Champion's Dialogue rather than the title of Champion.
"Aren't you curious which of us is more suited to be the Champion?" Jojo sleazily persuades Flare to join.
Flare grabs another cupcake and hands it over to Jojo. The kid quickly munches on it happily since he almost gobbled Flare's hand with the cupcake.
"The matter will settle itself while we drink, Captain," Weiss concurs with Jojo's idea.
"This is pointless, lowly heretics," Flare suddenly hears someone enter the house.
She turns around and sees Reverend Isaac entering while holding his holy book.
"Priest, what is your business here?" Solaris asks with a hostile tone.
"Ah, I saw him on my way here, so I figured I might as well invite him for a snack," Weiss answers Solaris's question.
"I assume this won't be a problem?" he grins.
Solaris clicks her tongue and looks at Jojo, who is just loitering around like it is nothing.
"…Tch!"
"No, there is no problem. Please, sit, Isaac," Solaris invites him to sit next to Jojo.
The priest casually sits beside the kid, who is fascinated by his Divine Faith necklace hanging around his neck. He attempts to touch it, but the priest casually flicks his hand away with his left hand while his right-hand holds the holy book.
"What's the rejected royal blood doing here?" Isaac asks.
Flare pours a cup of orange juice and hands it over to him despite the overwhelming feeling of smacking the priest's face. The moment Isaac pulls out the royalty card, Weiss expects that Flare will flip out and become hostile, similar to how Solaris was back at the ship and when they were lining up before. However, he was pretty surprised to see how Flare managed to control her temper and act civilized. Isaac calmly took the cup and thanked Flare for her hospitality.
"Hmm, someone has grown a bit, hasn't it?" Jojo harmfully teases Flare.
"…Ah hah…it's nothing," Flare blushes while shaking her head.
Solaris clicks her tongue and slides a stack of gold coins to Weiss. The man joyfully takes the gold.
"This alone should indicate which among us is the greatest contender," Weiss declares.
"Hmph! Sell-sword, her attitude is indeed worthy of the best contender. Unfortunately, the title of Champion is not determined by personalities," Solaris chuckles.
"What are you talking about?" Flare asks, slightly irritated.
"We… made a bet on whether or not you would get angry before Isaac taunted you, and it turns out I was right," Weiss puffs his chest.
"They were trying to discern who has the best judgment of character for a contender," Jojo explains.
"So, this meeting is just to humiliate me further?"
"I see that this is not a discussion at all," Flare accuses the two of them.
"Are you done? Why don't we get back to business?" Isaac pushes the agenda, ignoring Flare's bickering.
However, Flare looks at him with a dubious stare. Slowly, she raises her hand and points at Isaac's book.
"Um…"
"It…It's upside down; your book," Flare mutters.
Instantly, Isaac's eyes pop open wide. His glazed expression slowly changed quizzically while slowly turning the holy book he held back to normal. After that, he ignores everyone's expression and begins reading sacred sermons.
"Yes…let us get on with the dialogue," Weiss agrees with the priest.
Flare, Weiss, Solaris, and Isaac turned their heads to Jojo, waiting for his word.
"First, each of us has to tell the scale of our purpose in being here," Jojo proposes the first topic.
In that instant, all four of them noticed that something was wrong.
"…Yes, yes, I know. We were asked the same question back on board by Captain Walker to qualify for getting here. What I am asking is our true motive here."
"Why?" Isaac asks.
"Sooner or later, each of us might know what the other's purpose of being here is. Sure, we all seek strength to grow stronger, but what is our real purpose of being here?" Jojo explains his question to Isaac.
"I started this session so that I will answer it first."
Jojo immediately clasped his hands together. After that, his joyful expression changes. His eyes became more sinister, and his expression turned more serious.
"Joe…" Solaris calls his name, a bit worried.
Her concern caught everyone's attention, but she stopped halfway without finishing her sentence.
"It's alright, Solaris," the kid comforts the worried Solaris, which, again, caught everyone's attention.
Jojo took deep breaths to calm himself before making his decision.
"I came here to have a rematch against that jester, Roland," Jojo reveals his intention.
"…"
"When I was 11, I participated in the Trooper Examination to get one of those tags. I managed to pass until I reached the final stage, a submission battle."
He paused for a while before continuing his story.
"My first opponent was Roland."
Flare's eyes pop open, quite surprised.
"I circled him around and waited for the perfect chance to strike, but that jester outsmarted me."
At the same time Jojo was telling them this, his hands began to shake in anger.
"Soon after, Roland beat me into a pulp. I remember thinking, for the first time, that I was dying. However, that psychopath let me live…"
"He said I owed him now," the kid fumed.
"He said that?" Weiss asks.
Perhaps even he is surprised by the jester's erratic behavior.
"I told him that I didn't need his help, and he broke three of my ribs and sent me flying," Jojo grips the table they are surrounding.
Veins appear on the back of his hand.
"He said I will not owe him anymore if I can punch him like he did me back at the exam…"
"I-I was subdued…and I was so mad! I was mad that I couldn't do anything against him…" Jojo fumes his anger, and tears flow out of his eyes.
He tried to hold his tears back, but they continued flowing on his cheeks. Jojo quickly wipes it off and forces a smile.
"After that, I was lonely and miserable. So, I decided to train and battle him again," Jojo concludes his story.
He opens his eyes and notices that his story somehow moves Flare since her eyes turn teary. The teary princess puts her hand on Jojo's right shoulder.
"Jojo, I'm sorry to have thought you were just damned cocky brat all this time," Flare sniffles.
"Hah? You were thinking that?" Jojo flips out.
The two of them bickered for a while after that. Jojo pulls Flare's hair while Flare pinches both Jojo's cheeks. The other three just observed the dumb fight and tried very hard to laugh, but they failed and laughed anyway.
"...Those two are getting along well," Weiss tells Solaris, who is smiling.
"Joe has acknowledged Flare's strength when she battled me and decided to open up to her. I rarely see him this playful around me," she replies.
"It seems…so have you," Isaac deduces, pushing his glasses closer to his eyes.
"Hmm…"
"She has a lot more to learn, but she is not a pushover, is all I can say," Solaris concludes.
"…"
The conversation continues.
"I came here to polish my pyromancer skills. I have been getting rusty for these past years," Solaris tells them her intention.
"The Church has assigned me to hunt down a heretic by the name of Alward and also investigate the appearances of Husks on the island," Isaac responds.
"I…I came here to battle the Underworld King," Weiss answers.
This surprised Flare since Weiss answered a question truthfully.
"What about you, Your Highness?" Jojo asks.
"Me? Well…I came here because an idiot used our traveling money, but I also came here to become stronger by battling stronger opponents."
"Why?" Solaris inquires.
"…Is it to take back your throne?" Isaac suggests.
"That is the long goal, yes…"
Weiss smirks.
"However…"
"I realize now that simply born into royalty does not mean you automatically gain a free pass," she states.
This caught everyone's attention, including Weiss.
"What do you mean by that?" Jojo asks, intrigued by Flare's reasoning.
Flare took a short pause before continuing her justification.
"People are free. They are freer than any living thing in this world."
"I am indeed weaker since I did not understand this concept of freedom until I stepped outside the palace back in Whitefall, but that does not mean, in my weakness, I can become aggressive and order people around."
"I don't have the right to take advantage of my weakness and use others as tools. I…-I was forced to realize this a few weeks ago since my arrival here. It is…. frustrating, but all I can do right now is my best, even if it may not be enough at times," Flare explains.
"…Without a doubt, you need an army to take back the throne," Weiss interrupts.
"Let's not get too far. Creating an army is only useful if the army's foundation is strong. My intention in coming here aligns with my greater goal."
"What is the point of having some weak-willed army march towards Whitefall Palace for me?"
"It is a goal that I will entrust to myself. All I want from the Knights' Mausoleum…"
"…is the first step of that process," Flare finishes her story.
"Doesn't that sound a bit selfish?" Solaris inquires.
"My dad, and…Mitchel told me once…"
"…'Seek strength…The rest will follow…'…" she quotes it from her memories.
"It seems to me that King Edwen might be a lousy dad," Solaris giggles.
Flare felt a bit annoyed, but somehow, she thought that it was funny.
"Yes…yup, he is," Flare agrees with Solaris.
"I mean…it wasn't always easy, but yeah."
"You are lucky. I had to sneak out my bathroom window to get here. I have strict parents," Jojo complains, resting his head on the table.
"What about you?" Isaac asks Weiss.
"Huh?"
"Yeah, you have been silent this entire time. What about your family?" Solaris asks.
"Uh…uhm…" Flare immediately picks it up and attempts to persuade them out of the conversation.
Weiss pauses for a while.
"He…"
Everyone turns to Flare, puzzled.
"I don't know my parents," Weiss answers.
The four of them, including Flare, instantly turn to face Weiss. Flare, who attempted to stop the conversation, decided to go with the flow.
"I lived on the streets for years before that old man took me in," he adds.
"You mean that examiner?"
"…It seems you also have a lousy person as your father figure," Jojo teases.
"But, you love him?"
"…With all I have," Weiss answers straightforwardly.
"Yeah…" Flare also answers their question, which puzzles the other three.
She quickly turns silent. Weiss clears his throat to get everyone's attention away from her.
"I mean, the old man's not going to win any 'number one dad' awards, you know? But…"
"You know, damn if he wasn't there when I needed him," Weiss sips a cup of orange juice and suddenly chuckles.
"What's so funny?" Jojo smiles, curious.
"…I mean, uhm…I was training with this old guy in Atlis when he joined the Demon War."
"Demon War? So, this guy was a soldier," Isaac thought.
"Makes sense."
"The news that the war ended didn't reach my ears then, so I begged the old man that trained me to let me go to the city for once," Weiss passionately tells them about his experience.
Flare, Jojo, Solaris, and Isaac smirked when they knew about it.
"…But the old man, both of them, had this thing about Atlis cities. You know, too big, too loud, too dirty. And Boyd hated the Sun Elves, big time."
"Somehow, I managed to convince my master to let me. So, I go, I get to see all the sights. Rode the carriages, overeat food, the whole nine. Then, at night, when my master was zonked, I figured, 'Hey, why not?' I snuck out and walked around the city again."
"That time, I didn't know much about geography, and I didn't know that the city had a red light district," Weiss chuckles again.
Everyone just chuckled along with him, including Flare.
"I got in a lounge and watched elf ladies singing inside. Anyway, I was really…underage at that time, so I got in there. I sneak in, and it is crazy."
"I mean, people are drinking, smoking and they're…snorting whatever. There's also a fat elf with a Mohawk at the edge of the lounge just screaming like a maniac."
"…And, uh, my mind is blown. I don't even know what to do."
"Then this girl walks up to me, and she says, 'Hey, why don't you come over and sit down with me and my friends at our table?'. I was like, 'All right.'."
"As you can figure out, they got me drunk. First time I was drunk, but not the…fun drunk."
"I am not quite sure what was in that drink they gave me, but the room starts to spin…and I feel like I was going to puke. Forever."
"And right about that time, I hear him."
Weiss changes his expression and makes an impression on Boyd.
"Leonard Weiss!" he said in a deep, intimidating voice.
Everyone made an impressed face.
"The old man…"
"I don't know how, but he found me, and he is still in that armor. I can tell by that time he already cleaned it, but now, I'm freaking out."
"I'm freaking out because he is just standing there - not saying anything."
"I hid underneath the table, and I looked around. Everyone else is freaking out, too."
"Nobody is even looking at him in the eye."
"…And finally, this one guy with a scar on his face, sword strapped to his waist, and an ancient-looking tattoo with marks and all, looks up to him, and he says…"
"Sorry, sir," Weiss forces a smile, mimicking the elf that apologized to Boyd during that moment.
Everyone is smirking and chuckling simultaneously, amazed and impressed by Weiss's story.
"Yeah. Sorry, sir," the man chuckles.
Weiss pours a cup of orange juice for everyone.
"He saved you," Isaac states.
"Yeah, and you know what he got for that?" Weiss chuckles.
"Me whining about how much he embarrassed me."
"Me telling him that I hate him. Me telling him that he is not my dad."
"…But then he stopped, turned around and looked at me; he said…"
"Little potato, you don't like me? That is fine."
"It's not my job as an elder to be liked."
"It's my job to raise you right," Weiss smiles and drinks his juice.
Weiss is just nodding continuously while smiling. Everyone is.
"Yeah…and he did."
"I got to become a warrior and a Pathfinder Knight to our esteemed Princess," Weiss expressed.
Isaac and Solaris's eyes pop out.
"You are?"
Weiss smirks and looks at Flare, who has been staring at Weiss since he started his story.
…..
"You were right," Flare said to Weiss.
The meeting has finished, and everyone is starting to mind their business. Solaris and Jojo decided to take a night stroll before sleeping and spar with each other. Reverend Isaac returned to his cottage after thanking the residents for their hospitality. The cups are cleaned, and everyone wants to prepare for their upcoming battle. After all that and everyone is dismissed, Flare asks Weiss to wait a while since she has something to say to him.
"About what?" Weiss asks while sweeping the floor.
"…"
"About me, you and Boyd."
Weiss continues sweeping.
"I'm sorry that I did lose hope in him, and I tried to pick a fight with him."
Weiss stops sweeping and focuses on Flare.
"I'm sorry that I spent most of my time clinging to you when that didn't work out," Flare apologizes to Weiss.
"I mean, for all I know, Boyd knew that I would probably hate him. As much as I want to get things back to the way they were when I first met the two of you, I know that will never happen."
"…" Weiss remains silent, just looking at Flare.
"So, you're right. You could say that I am stuck in my ideals, and what I am doing right now is too little," Flare adds before looking at Weiss straight in the eyes.
"I'm stuck…and I'm not all right…"
"Not at all…"
Flare's eyes became watery, but she held it back. She takes a deep breath and lets out a huge sigh.
"…But neither are you," Flare tells Weiss.
The sell-sword remains silent.
"That much I know."
"I'll let you get back to it…" Flare said before entering her room.
* * * * *
"Was Alward killed?" Treyton asked.
"…I found his body at the very bottom of a pit," Elania answers his question.
"That man is more than just a dumb brute."
"I know that. I was the one who tested him, remember?"
"What do you mean by a pit?" Hawke intrudes.
Treyton is shaking in anger while Pearl sits on a chair silently. Roland and Hawke remained calm when they heard the news from Elania.
"When I got to the north side, everything was just too clean. So I scoped the place out and discovered a pit filled with weapons, dismembered body parts, and corpses," Elania adds.
"…You discovered?" Roland asks with a surprised tone.
"Yeah. When you dig something up, no matter how clever, there will be traces of the excavation. However, the pit I dug up looked similar to the rest, like it hasn't been touched like the rest," she continues to give more detail.
"…Then his enemy is either an Earth-user or an Animator since you cannot just fake something like that," Hawke deduces.
"His opponent may use Projection-magic," Pearl tells them her thoughts.
"I should've gone with him! Damn it!" Treyton expresses before punching a wall.
"Oi, settle down!" Elania scolds Treyton.
"Alward is a dominant fighter, but in a one-on-one fight, he is vulnerable to an expert Animator."
"Many Animators give magical energy to things they replicate. Some of those abilities could render Alward helpless. Projection can also be considered, but no matter how powerful the user is, it is near impossible to project every bit of grain in the soil," Hawke explains his theory.
"An Earth user could have a hard time with him, but as I recall, there were reports of tremors from the north side. Plus, they can easily falsify the traces with their power," Elania finishes his theory.
"…Even if that man is fighting a tough opponent, he had the wits and the experience to prevail," Treyton continues to deny the report.
Hawke turns around and looks directly at Treyton's eyes.
"It looks like he had messed with the wrong opponent this time, Treyton," Hawke slams the fact to Treyton, who is still in denial.
"We should be searching for the one who killed him! This damn…!" Treyton groans and activates his Magical Presence in his rage.
"…I believe we understand that Treyton, but your moronic attitude is not bringing us anywhere. We wait for the order!" Hawke reminds him and activates his own.
In that instant, everything object between them crumples into a ball. Even the wooden floor underneath them began to crack bit by bit, along with the windows. However, Pearl, Roland, and Elania remained quiet. They are not frightened; instead, all three of them feel like it is just a bother.
"Remember what Big Boss told us? Whoever screws with us will get theirs," Treyton groans.
"I understand that rule, and I was next to him that time, remember? We are waiting for his orders! Stand down!" Hawke commands Treyton.
"How about the two of you stop acting like idiots and listen?" Elania yells at the two of them.
"…"
"…"
The two of them quickly turn and face her.
"I just received word from the Big Boss," Elania told them.
Instantly, their expression changed.
"There will be a change in plans."