"Well, now that you've explained everything, I need you to do me one more favor, Elaine." said Ron, who took Elaine by surprise.
"If it's within my power, I'll try to help you" replied the girl, who felt she was indebted to Ron and Erwin;
Ron stood up from his chair, and then walked over to Erwin and stopped behind the boy, then laid his hand on Erwin's shoulder, with the latter somewhat puzzled.
"I would like you to face Erwin in a sparring match; what do you think?"
"WHAT?!"
Erwin and Elaine, after hearing Ron's proposal, exclaimed in unison, puzzled by the middle-aged man's request;
"Hey Ron... what's this story?! Why should I sparr with her?!" asked Erwin, who, did not understand the reason for such a request, especially after all that had happened that night.
"Well, consider this sparring as part of your training; you might learn a lot." Ron said dryly and decisively, still not convincing Erwin, who had a thousand reasons for not wanting to fight Elaine.
"First of all I'm still a little tired, even though my wounds have healed! And also... damn Ron, that wouldn't be challenging for me!"
Elaine, who didn't have the slightest desire to do an unnecessary sparring, was intrigued by the boy's words, not understanding what he meant, although in her mind she had half an idea about the meaning of those words;
"What do you mean by that?" the girl asked, looking with serious eyes at Erwin;
"Well, even if it's a sparring, it would be like a rass to raise my hands against a woman, that's not fair. I apologize for this wicked request, Elaine.." - Erwin said, not realizing that at that moment the elf took those words very hard: in fact, if there was one thing that bothered her, it was the fact that she had always been underestimated because of her appearance; it was something she hated, and which Erwin naively reminded her of.
"Okay Ron, I would gladly accept your offer." Elaine said, thus catching Erwin by surprise, who couldn't believe what he had just heard;
"What the heck---!!"
Erwin was about to ask Elaine what was going through her head, when a single look at Elaine's eyes was enough to make him realize that the girl was really angry at him; she was so angry that her look scared Erwin, who in fact could no longer say what he wanted;
[What did i say now?!] thought puzzled Erwin, who looked at Ron in a bad way to make him realize that he had no desire to face the girl in the slightest; in response though, Ron completely ignored him, not caring about his ideas;
"Well, now that we've decided, let's go to the garden" Ron said, thus heading toward the garden set in the back of the inn.
"I didn't decide anything!" - replied Erwin, annoyed by the way things were bending against him.
"In fact I decided for you, I don't see the problem...Right?" said Ron, looking the boy with his usual cold and impassive look.
[... Dammit!] Erwin thought frightened: He knew that look very well, and he knew that if he still insisted that he did not want to do this sparring, Ron would probably hit him with his most classic of head punches. And since, he had no desire whatsoever to be hit by Ron, despite his reluctance, he decided to follow Ron's directives.
*****
"I still think this is a very bad idea..." Erwin said, while reluctantly stretching a little ahead of the upcoming sparring.
"You don't think, just do what I tell you" Ron said in an annoyed tone of voice, tired of the boy's constant complaints;
Erwin knew that his master never did anything for no reason, and he was certain that, again, there had to be a reason why Ron was asking him to spar with Elaine; but at that moment he did not understand exactly why, and that was the source of his unhappiness.
Meanwhile, Ron detached a medium-sized branch from one of the trees in his garden, and began to draw a large square on the ground, then invited the two boys to enter it;
"Okay, the rules of the sparring are simple" – said Ron who stood in the vicinity of the house-inn so as not to get in the way of their fight – "What you see is a small ring, and the first person to step outside this square will lose the match... Elaine! Use your entire arsenal, but try not to create life-threatening weapons, as you fight against an inept. And also, try to don't hurt him too much."
"Don't worry Ron, it will be over very quickly." – said the girl, starting to snap her fingers;
"Wait... do y'all really think I can lose?" Erwin asked annoyed, provoked by the way Elaine and Ron were talking.
"Yeah, you have 0 chance of winning this sparring..." the girl replied with a serious look, as her body began to be surrounded by her sky-blue mana, which shone with its own light.
"Okay, I think you are delusional now...." - said Erwin, who in the meantime began to enhance his body, with the latter beginning to release a faint light that indicated, indeed, his mana; his initial intention was not to go too hard on Elaine, but since the girl began to take him lightly, in addition to particularly annoying him, it made him change his mind, thus wanting to demonstrate the gap between him and the elf.
"You seems motivated now..." said Elaine, who expected just this reaction from her opponent.
Meanwhile, Ron waited a few moments and, when he saw that the two boys were completely focused, he started their sparring.
"You can start!"
Erwin, who wanted to finish the sparr as soon as possible, launched himself into the attack, moving at high speed and running in zig-zags to disorient Elaine; the princess, however, was not surprised by Erwin's swift movements, and after taking a great leap backward, she created three small glowing spheres of water around her, from which small, highly concentrated jets of water began to shoot out, looking much more like bullets;
"This... This is nothing compared to Rudolf's attack!" said Erwin, who with ease, began to dodge all the shot towards him with quick and precise movements,leaving Elaine completely dumbfounded by the boy's quick and precise movements....
"He's much faster than I thought..." said Elaine, who despite having seen Erwin's dexterity against Rudolf, was still taken aback by Erwin.
Erwin managed to dodge all the blows and bring himself close to Elaine, attempting to hit the girl with a mighty punch. Erwin's blow was quick and accurate, and Elaine, caught again by surprise, still managed to dodge the blow, not without some difficulty by making an awkward leap to the side.
Erwin's fist, went to impact the ground violently anyway, and to Ron and Elaine's enormous surprise, the power behind Erwin's fist was such high that it went on to destroy a small area of the ground with ease, thus creating a small crater about a meter deep.
[...am I mistaken, or did he not possess this destructive force?!] thought the princess surprised, that besides realizing that her attacks had no effect, she now had to worry about that power behind Erwin's blows as well.
Erwin himself, seeing the power of his blow, was surprised: he did not understand how he had managed to give that much power to a simple punch, but he had the feeling that he could replicate such a blow with ease, since he was feeling at the peak of his strength.
"He's evolving..." thought Ron aloud, noticing how the mana inside Erwin circulated totally differently than when he had returned, thus wondering if the fight against Rudolf had somehow helped him progress.
He was happy to see his pupil grow so exponentially, but at the same time he had a doubt: could it be that that was all Elaine could do against Erwin?
"Don't you think we should stop here, Elaine?" said confindetly Erwin, who at that moment, seeing his current level, he coouldn't see how Elaine could beat him, if this was his level.
Elaine did not swallow Erwin's arrogant words, and although she was convinced that she could not replicate that enormous strength, she was still convinced that she could beat him. So, leaving Erwin stunned, she decided to dissolve the three mana orbs, which were the only thing that at that moment, allowed her to partially control Erwin's rapid movements.
"Do you think you are that strong? Come, I'm waiting for you with open arms..." said the girl making a mischievous smile, thus opening her arms.
Erwin did not understand the reason for that choice, and he didn't know why Elaine was so confident; but at that moment he had the opportunity to be able to attack Elaine in a clear way, and he could not let such an opportunity pass him by.
So, he strengthening his legs to the maximum with the mana, and he made an absurd sprint that instantly destroyed the ground under his feet; his speed was incredible, and judging by his expression, He was sure he could beat Elaine with that attack; the Elf, however, was calm and impassive, which Erwin did not pay any attention to.
Erwin was now about to hit her, and this time, he strengthened his fist with mana: he did concentrate a lot of mana into his fit, but it was enough energy to knock her out;
"It's over!"
Erwin set off a violent right jab; the punch approached Elaine at a frightening speed; the blow was fast, strong and accurate, and Elaine could follow the speed of the blow.
Although it was her plan, facing that vicious punch made the girl agitated, but she tried to stay focus; she knew that, in terms of speed and power, she was inferior to Erwin, however, judging from the boy's movements, she realized that his patterns, though precise, were very foreseeable; therefore, Elaine trusted precisely Erwin's accuracy and predictability, so as to launch her counterattack.
She trusted her gut, and when the right time came, with a quick movement of her hand upwards, Elaine raised a water barrier which parried Erwin's blow with extreme ease;
"!The Fuck?!"
".... Water Spell: Repulse!"
In the next instant that Erwin's fist was stopped by the barrier, an extremely bright alchemical circle appeared inside the barrier. Erwin did not even have time to realize what was happening, as suddenly, the barrier released a powerful shock wave, which violently struck Erwin and sended him out of the ring, leaving Erwin puzzeld by that ending.
"It looks like I managed to beat you..." - Elaine said in a provocative tone of voice - "Not bad for a girl, right?"
"W-Wait, that's not---!"
"The sparring is over. Congratulations Elaine, you won." Ron said interrupting the boy, who was quite annoyed by the thing.
"... Thank you, Mr. Ron." said the girl, who slightly embarrassed, made a small bow as a sign of respect.
[What... what the fuck!] Erwin thought furiously, who did not accept the defeat at all; he felt he had dominated her for all the fight, and that the only reason Elaine had won, was because of a simple trick.
Ron noticed that Erwin was furious, but instead of consoling him, he ignored him, as in his eyes, this defeat was part of the boy's growth.
"Elaine..." said Ron, approaching the girl; - "What do you think about Erwin after this fight?"
The Elf, analyzing the situation, began to understand why Ron organized this sparring; she had doubts, but the fact that the boy did not use any element against Rudolf or against her, was very strange for her, and she come to the conclusion that Erwin was unable to manipulate the elements.
So, she intuited that perhaps, Ron wanted Erwin to notice his limits, although the elf couldn't figure out what the hell Ron was thinking at the moment, since his expression was always so impassive;
"Well... Erwin is fast and powerful; for his age, his movements are really fluid, and the control over his body is good; in strength, reflexes and agility, he is better than me, although not that much... but that's all, he has nothing special and he's relly to much on his instict and he's a simpleton, that's why it took me a simple move to beat him..."
"... What did you just say?"
Hearing those words, Erwin felt hurt, mocked; he did not accept that he had lost to Elaine, and he also did not accept that this girl spoke as if Erwin was just "one of many."
He would have liked to counter, to respond to those harsh words that sounded more like accusations to him, however, he asked himself if could he really do so, when in his heart, he knew that the words said by Elaine came close to the reality of the facts? Therefore, the only thing Erwin could do was to remain silent, and begin to accept the bitter defeat.
Ron thought Erwin was going to lost it, but as soon as he saw the boy's reaction, he breathed a sigh of relief, as at that moment Erwin showed to him, some type of maturity.
"Thank you for your honesty, Elaine. Could you leave us alone for a moment?" Ron asked, wanting to talk privately with the boy.
The girl looked at Erwin for a few moments, seeing in his eyes the anger towards her; [Not that I care much...] said the elf, who nodding, entered the house, thus leaving Erwin and Ron alone.
The two, after being alone, stood for a few seconds in silence observing each other, until Ron, having found the right words to say, began to speak.
"... Judging by your reaction, I think you understood the reason for this sparring, right?"
Erwin was really frustrated; he knew in his heart that right now he would not be able to beat Elaine, even though well or mlae, the quality and quantity of their mana was very similar. But still, it was difficult for him to admit that he was "defective", which is why, driven also by his pride, he did not respond, because it meant agreeing with Ron as a result of what he told him at Ludwig's house...
Ron, who knew Erwin well, knew that he would never admit it; therefore, hearing no response from Erwin, he continued his speech.
"This is the difference between you and people like Elaine: although you can be strong and fast, you will always be disadvantaged against a person who uses an element and who is even slightly more experienced than you. Put it in your head..."
"... Yes, yes..." replied annoyed Erwin, who in those few minutes, finally realized how relly difficult his journey to become like his father would be.
Ron knew that Erwin would understand today's lesson on his own, so he did not worry too much about his negative attitude; however, that was not all he wanted to tell him, since Ron, that evening, had the goal of opening the mind of his "nephew", but he had to capture his attention first, and Ron knew the right thing to do so.
"Erwin, Do you want to know what kind of "trick" Elaine did to beat you?" Asked Ron; Erwin, hearing those words, was like triggered, and although he did not give Ron an exact answer, the latter only had to look at his gaze, to understand that the boy yearned in finding out how he had lost to Elaine.
[Indeed, you're such a simpleton...] Ron thought, thinking about how easy was to to fool Erwin...
"You see, those who use the elements, have a number of advantages against one who cannot use them; one of them, is the possibility of being able to expand the capabilities of their elements for a short period of time through spells"
"Spells...?" Erwin replied, drawn to the subject.
"That's right. You saw that alchemical circle that appeared in the water barrier, right?"
Erwin thought about it for a moment, but indeed, the moment before he was wiped out by that energy, he noticed an alchemical circle. But he was so angry that, for a moment, he had forgotten about it.
"Yes, I remember seeing something like that..."
"Exactly. That's a spell; the spells, which are based on alchemical circles, are magic formulas that serve to alter the nature of objects or people; these spells are usually sung or pronounced, but the effect is almost the same. The spells are mainly used by wizards who are not very good at hand-to-hand fight, relying to medium/long-range attacks. They can also use spells to cast defense systems, just as happened just before. In your case, the spell Elaine used is Repulse, a fairly common spell among kids who attended the magic academy or who have been taught by professional wizards. The peculiarity of Repulse is that it is a versatile spell, which finds use in many fields. In this case, Elaine took advantage of the elasticity of the water wall to absorb your blow, and at the same time, applied repulse to send the shock force back; it's a seemingly simple technique, but it's difficult to applicate it since you have to active the spell on the right timing..."
At that moment, Erwin finally understood how he lost against Elaine: it was not a mere trick, as Erwin had thought, but it was the result of technique, precision and skill. Now, that defeat that bothered him, started to hurt him less, and indeed, he began in a way to admire the girl, since from the way Ron spoke, he understood that what Elaine did a while ago was something difficult.
"... I thought that alchemical circles could only be written: so does it mean that I can learn to use magic spells too?"
"First of all, magical spells use the same principle as an alchemical circle, that is, to use drawings... But the substantial difference is that to create a spell, you must first understand the alchemical circle and memorize it; then through the mana, you have to materialize it; and this step is not only difficult, but also needs the supervision of a master of magic" - said Ron, trying to use simple terms to make Erwin understand the subject;
"And anyway no, it will be difficult for your empy head to learn to cast and spell; In addition, many of the spells work only with the elements. So I recommend you to focus on something else." said Ron, thus dampening Erwin's dream of learning spells
"Damn, then the mages who can manipolate the elements are the strongest!"
"Not exactly..."
"Uh? What do you mean?" asked Erwin, intrigued by the teacher's ambiguous answer;
"You see, in this world there are people who, despite not being able to use an element, have the ability to face them; they called those guys "archaic mages." said Ron, leaving shocked Erwin, who believed that there were only wizards capable of manipulating the elements or not;
"Archaic wizards?"
"That's right; numerically speaking, elemental mages are much more than archaic mages, but at the same time, archaic mages are not as rare as some may think. : these wizards have extremely bizarre powers, from the most harmless to the most destructive or dangerous power, such as the power to be able to violate the great physical laws. Fortunately, those who possess this kind of destructive power are rare, otherwise it would be... dangerous for all of us."
Erwin realized how immense the world he lived in was; until recently, he believed that the world unknown to him was simplely made up of wizards who controlled the elements, gifters and nothing else; now instead, he had a somewhat different view of the world, since he was now aware of other types of wizards with more varied powers. This, however, only increased Erwin's curiosity to travel around the world.
Ron looked at Erwin, and in him, he felt the same excitement that his father had for the world: he had tried to kill this adventurer "spirit" of his to protect the boy, but as he finally realized, it was impossible.
[Good blood never lies...] thought Ron, recalling another saying his father often told him and his brothers.
"Right now, you're more and more like going on an adventure, don't you?"
Erwin did not answer, but for the middle-aged man, his answer was clear; by now he knew him like his pockets, and moreover, it was enough to look at his eyes to understand what his thoughts were.
"You can't respond? Ok, i will be more direct: do you really want to become an official wizard and travel the world, despite all the things you heard today?" Ron asked him again, pointing also to Elaine's terrible story.
"..."
Erwin thought of Elaine's story, realizing that in reality, the world outside of Hakvill was not all roses and flowers as he thought; the world was vast, and the mere fact that he had heard that story, made him wonder if there were actually people like Umarth here in Mykotos as well... But, at that moment, he did not see how this could prevent him from discovering new places, cultures and civilizations. Maybe his expectations would have been destroyed, maybe he would never enter the academy and never become an official wizard, but if he hadn't even tried, he would probably regret it for the rest of his days.
"Yes, my intentions have not changed: I want to follow in my father's step!"
"!!"
Ron looked at the boy; despite his thoughts being quite simplistic and careless bothered Ron, at the same time it was something that made him happy, since at that moment, in the boy's flaming eyes, he saw the right mood to start this difficult journey.
"Well, if this is the case, then I'll give you permission..."
"The permission for what?" asked Erwin, who didn't understand what Ron meant.
"You Idiot... I'm giving you the chance to leave this ugly place and try to enter in a magic academy..."
Erwin was silent for a few seconds; first he looked at Ron, carefully observing his expression; he believed that he was joking, since Ron was know to never change his mind. But soon after, he realized that maybe that wasn't the case, as Ron wasn't used to joking or using any form of sarcasm.
"D-Don't joke with me, Ron..."
"...Seriously, you are an idiot..." - huffed Ron, slightly annoyed by Ron's reaction -"Honestly, I still don't want you to leave: I'm still convinced that you're at a disadvantage against most of the students who are there; but you're so stubborn that i know that if i'm not letting you try your chance, i'm sure you would have run away from me. So... go and give it your best--!"
As soon as Ron finished talking, he was overwhelmed by Erwin, who jumped on him for the happiness
"HAHAHAHA! Thank you! Thank you!" Erwin screamed with joy, who kept swirking like a madman, unleashing Ron's anger, who shrugged off Erwin without too much compliment, hitting him with his most classic of fists.
"Damn, you're too big for that..." said slightly embarrassed Ron, who didn't expect such a reaction.
"Anywhow...You'll go to the same academy as your father, the academy of the thousand magical arts of the capital. But there are 2 conditions: the first is that you will leave in two days: we still have to solve the problem related to the transition between mana and aura and it will take at least the whole day; the second is that you will not be alone, but you will be accompanied by Elaine."
"What?! Why with Elaine?!" Erwin exclaimed, who was certainly not exactly happy with these conditions.
"Because you're such an idiot that if I send you alone, I'm sure you'll end up in some trouble." - Ron replied dryly, with a serious expression – "Either so, or you'll be stay here and work—"
"Okay...I accept..." said Erwin, who despite being reluctant to the idea, would never miss such an opportunity
"Also, there are two other rules you must follows"- Ron said again, again worrying Erwin, who didn't know what to expect this time -"Rule No. 1: Don't reveal that you are the son of Artemisius; Rule No. 2: Don't talk about me to others, do you understand?"
"Huh? What Kind of---!!"
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" He repeated Ron again with a serious and cold look, thus frightening Erwin, who desisted from asking the reason for such rules.
Erwin was not stupid, and he understood that Ron was probably hiding his identity; he was curious about what he did before and why he found himself in Hakvill and not in the ultra part, but he knew that, tough as Ron was, he would never reveal anything to him. Besides, if he insisted on that, he was convinced that Ron was capable of preventing him from leaving.
[Better to mind my own business for now...] thought Ron, who, despite his curiosity, held his tongue, then nodded to the two rules Ron proposed.
"Well, having said that... you can go. I'm already sick of you..."
*****
*P.O.V by Elaine*
It had been a few hours since my sparring with Erwin, and from that moment I had entered the room that Ron had kindly offered me;
It was really late, and the only thing I wanted to do was sleep enough to be ready for tomorrow, so I could leave Hakvill as soon as possible;
Unfortunately, however, I could not sleep that night; despite I was safe, despite knowing that Rudolf could never return to the conditions in which he was, the trauma I had suffered in this last month was so serious that I could now see ghosts everywhere; with every creaking, at every step I felt, my heart seemed to burst, thus going on alert for nothing;
Back in the time, I loved the dark, I liked the fact of being submerged in that darkness that scared children so much; but at that moment, because of my perennial attention, I wanted to be sure of everything, and now I was even forced to sleep with the candle burning...
"Damn...will I be able to heal from all this?"
At that moment I was really going crazy, as it seemed that this trauma would never leave me and that it would accompany me for the rest of my life.
*TOC TOC*
Suddenly, I heard someone knocking on the door while I was submerged in my thoughts, and the next moment, I snappered on my feet, unconsciously creating an ice dage to defend myself... Yes, at that moment, although I seemed healed, in truth my soul was still shattered in thousand pieces.
"... Who is it?" I said in a trembling voice, trying not to let anyone outside understand that I was agitated at the time.
"... I knew I found you awake..."
"Ron?"
What was he doing at this time of the night in front of my door?
"Can I come in?"
At that moment, I hesitated for a moment; I was no longer used to this serene and peaceful climate, and letting Ron into "my space," gave me a little discomfort; at the same time, however, Ron was my "hero", and in a way, inside my heart I knew I could trust him.
"Y-Yes, come in..."
Ron opened the door, and after watching me for a couple of seconds with his cold black eyes, he finally decided to enter the room.
"Do you need anything...?" I asked Ron, not understanding the reason for this sudden visit, since his face was completely indecipherable.
"....You must be tired, so I will go straight to the point: What's your goal?"
Of all things, this question...
"I don't know what you're talking about, really..."
I tried to stay as impassive as possible, as it was risky for me to reveal my future plans; as grateful as I was to the man, I did not know what could happen to him or what he could do, and there was a risk that, if I opened my mouth, the latter could then be pressed by the Darksold clan, and this would be a serious problem for me.
"One thing is sure, that is, you are really smart..." - replied Ron, who went to sit on the only chair in the room – "Come on, sit on the bed, we need to talk..."
I don't know what was going through his head, but I felt a strange feeling coming from the man; not threatening, of course, but something told me that that man in front of me had discovered something. I could deny everything or ask him to get out of the room, but I don't think it would be of any use; so, a little reluctant, I went to sit on my bed, with both of us looking straight in the eye.
"Well, Elaine... Now, I'm not in your head, but I'm sure you're looking for revenge, I'm right? You said before you just wanted to escape, but I just have to look at your gaze to see the anger, hatred and thirst for blood."
"Ah...ah ha... You're wrong..."
"Am I wrong?" – Ron said, squinting slightly – "I don't think so"
"How can you be so certain about something that is not true?" I asked him, trying not to show my real feelings.
"Well, because I too, once, felt the same kind of feeling as you."
When he said those words, for the first time since I knew him, I saw eyes of compassion in front of me; at the same time, I also noticed sadness in those cold black eyes, which now didn't seem as scary as I thought.
At that moment, without me realizing it, a tear stried my face;
"... Even if it was? Will you stop me? "
"No, it's not up to me to decide, but I want to ask you one thing: are you sure you want to spend your life meditating on revenge? Because let me tell you, revenge is a dangerous weapon..."
"I.. I.."
At that moment I was confused: I had sworn revenge, I had sworn that I would not stop until I killed Umarth; yet, at that moment, listening to Ron's words, and seeing that almost melancholic expression of his, I wondered for the first time, since I had left Lorien, what would become of me after I realized my revenge;
But then, in my mind I saw the image of my mother and father being slaughtered by those bastards, and suddenly, anger, but also determination, skyrocketed inside of me.
"I... I want to take revenge, it's my only and only goal now." I finally replied in a cold voice and a fiery look, forcefully wiping the tear on my face, which for me was a symbol of weakness that I absolutely did not want to show;
"... I understand." said Ron, who seemed to have been sorry for my response.
After hearing my answer, he got up from the seat and hewalked toward the exit of the room; i thought that now i could sleep, but when he went out, he left the door open leaving me a little bit puzzled; after a few seconds he returned back, this time carrying with him an ampoule containing a strange black liquid, a long-haired wig, passport, a strange silver necklace and a small bag containing many gold coins.
"What is all this stuff?" I asked Ron, not understanding why he brought me all these things into the room;
"I want to give you a chance to carry out your revenge.."
Those few words that came out of his mouth, made my heart gaspe: what did he mean by those words? Would he really have helped me with my plan? And yet, until recently, I was sure he wouldn't want to help me... what had made him change his mind in such a short time?
"I see you'rea bit confused" – said Ron, leaving everything he took on the board – "I'll explain everything to you, but first sit here in the chair...."
Slightly hesitant, I got out of bed, then sat on the chair like Ron said; After making me wear that silver necklace, Ron opened that strange ampoule he had brought with him, then spreading all the contents on my hair, which within a few moments, became pitch black; after that, he made me wear the wig he had brought with him, putting it on my head with extreme care;
I looked in the mirror, which was placed right in front of us, and at that moment, I looked completely different; my elve features, as well as my pointed ears, had been completely hidden;
"I look like another person, but I don't think the camouflage can help me, since the mana remains the same...?"
As I spoke, I looked through the mirror at Ron's eyes, which were fixed on me; at first I didn't notice, but at that moment, his gaze became extremely melancholic, almost as if at any moment he would collapse on himself. At the same time, as he looked at me with those eyes, I felt a strange feeling of Deja-vu...
"... Don't worry, I'm not that stupid..." - said Ron, who noticed my gaze, turned almost quickly, as if he wanted to hide something – "With that silver necklace, not only your elven traits will be camoufled, but your mana will be perceived slightly differently... And anyway, from today your identity will be another: As of today, the passport on the table is yours."
I finally realized the usefulness of that silver necklace on my neck! I was stunned that there was a similar tool on Earthland!
Intrigued by the passport, I took it without hesitation, curious to know if that also had any magical functionality; but the moment I opened the passport, I was completely shocked by what I saw at the moment: the passport belonged to a girl named Lucy Blazestorm, and what surprised me was the fact that the girl in question depicted in a small recognizable photo, in addition to being the same age as me, was damn similar to me! Aside from the hair, and the amber eyes, that girl was very similar to me! I looked at the date of birth, and I noticed that the girl in question, although in the photo she must have been about my age, to date she had to be 20 years older than me...
Then, all of a sudden, the passport in my hand suddenly lit up, and at that moment, the photo that was there just before changed, assuming my appearance; the personal data also changed, leaving me impressed again. Despite this, however, the image of that girl did not get out of my head, and a certain sense of curiosity almost began to torment me.
"H-Hey... but who was that—"
"No questions, please..." said Ron, who in the meantime had turned around, with his face coming back indecipherable again; Ron was looking at me with his cold eyes, yet at that moment, it was as if he wasn't looking at me; it was a strange thing, something I had never seen before, and it was something that in a way, gave me a strange feeling of fear, which instantly erased all the curiosity I had;
"Right now, if you stay here, Umarth's men could probably come looking for you; I'm sure the reason it took you 1 month to get here, is because your goal was to enter the Domul kingdom, I mean well?"
"B-But how did you get it..."
"Well, it certainly doesn't take a genius to understand that the kingdom of Domul is the only place on this earth where you can hide. Unfortunately for you, I'm sure Umarth understood your plan, and so... here you are in the twenty-first district..."
I thought back to those hectic moments following my escape from Lorien; in fact, wherever I went, it was as if the men of Umarth had some sort of advantage over me; of course, the fact that they were numerous did not help me, but their organization and their moves were far too well thought out to be the result of a simple case;
"So? What do you advise me to do?"
"... How about going to the capital?"
"... Why in the capital? There are too many people there, it's not a safe place..." I asked Ron, remaining quite skeptical about what he told me;
"There are too many people, of course, but it is also the safest place on Earthland: first of all, The abode of the King of Mykotos is located in Veras City; this means that the controls are tighter, and the city guards are at a very high and competent level; moreover, also in Mykotos, there is the academy of "The Thousand Magical Arts", one of the best academies in the world, if not the best: don't you think it is the best place to hide and train to faster reach your goals? The money I gave you is for you to participate in the selection, so there should be no problem..."
The more I thought about it, and the more Ron's words made sense; however, if on the one hand I had the chance of life, on the other I knew that there must necessarily be an ulterior end in his actions, although he and Erwin saved me without asking me anything in return: that perhaps, his act of generosity towards me was due to the fact that I looked like that girl in my passport? I wanted to ask him, but I had the impression that even if I insisted on the subject, the man in front of me would never, ever answer me;
"I'm sure you have an unurterior end..."
"Exactly" – said Ron without hiding it, crossing both arms and leaning against the wall – "I want you and Erwin to leave together for the academy of a thousand magical arts..."
Even though I was hoping otherwise, I was almost sure that Ron wanted something in return, and in fact I was very sorry to see that my instinct was right; surely though, traveling with that guy was not something I had taken into account, and it wasn't even something I wanted to do, since despite the fact that he had saved me, there was something about him that bothered me.
I wanted to refuse her request, since at that moment, I felt almost used and I was angry with Ron, since he made me feel like a mere object, and also, I didn't want to babysit a seemingly problematic guy.
But at the same time I knew that such an opportunity could not happen to me again, and that being conditioned by my ego would certainly not help me...
"...When are we leaving?"
End of Elaine P.O.V
*****
The next day, Erwin and Ron went back to Ludwig, to complete the transition between mana and Aura: Ron had given Erwin time to reflect, since it was up to him whether to choose one type of energy or another: the fact that Erwin gave signs of being able to develop the aura, meant that his body was inclined to develop that energy, and in theory this could help him in his development;
But the fact that the aura had so many disadvantages compared to the mana, meant that the choice in question could not be simple, since anyway, until today the mana was much easier to control.
Full of doubts, Erwin arrived at Ludwig's house, who was curious about the boy's choice;
"Did you have time to reflect?" asked the man, as he watched the boy visibly thoughtful, leaving the man perplexed, since he expected that the boy would have an answer by now
"Hey Ron... Don't tell me you didn't help him?!" said the 21st district administrator, looking with annoyed eyes at Ron.
"It's his choice, I can't help him..." - said Ron, as he looked at Erwin out of the corner of his eye – "If he doesn't know how to make such choices now, maybe it's better for him if he abandons his dream of becoming a ---"
"I get it! Let me think for a moment, you deconcentrate me like this!" Erwin said in a annoyed tone of voice, as he had the feeling that Ron was making fun of him.
Erwin began to think deeply about the merits and weaknesses of the two forces, although in his case, strengths and weaknesses were very similar, weighing a little more on the aura: if he had chosen the mana, probably, since he already had a good control of the latter, he would certainly have been able to improve himself, but at the same time, he knew that there was a limit on how much he could progress with the mana, since the mana did not marry with his fighting style; on the contrary, choosing the aura meant choosing a type of energy adequate for his body, but that he had a series of disadvantages, such as control, and this meant wasting time in learning from zero to control the aura: he did not know how much it would take, but certainly, he know that if he had not become good enough in control the aura, he would probably no longer have the right age to enter the academy of magic of Veras.
For this reason, in the middle of his thoughts, such an absurd idea was born in his mind, but that only a frivolous boy like him could think of such a solution.
"U-Uncle Ludwig... It's just a question, but is it possible to combine mana and aura?"
"... I don't think I got it right..." Said Ludwig nervously, who initially gave no weight to that question.
"... Since mana and aura have their own powers, but also their flaws, I want to be able to use both so that I can benefit from both pros!"
Ludwig widened his eyes, being completely shocked by that sentence: then, however, looking at the reaction of Ron, who smiled a small at the words of his supil, he remembered that there was no surprise by such reasoning, since his father and his teacher were real crazy people.
[It's normal... he grew up with some crazy dude...] He thought the administrator of the 21st district, snorting and shaking his head;
"It's impossible... isn't it?" Erwin said disconsolately, seeing Ludwig's almost bewildered reaction.
"I'd like to tell you it's not possible, but in truth it's not exactly like that..." Ludwig said, but looking at Erwin with serious eyes.
"You see, I'm sure that idiot of Ron didn't even explain it to you, but in addition to the Aura and Mana, there is a theoretical third force, which is the result of the union of mana and the aura."
"There is such a thing? Why the hell didn't you tell me Ron?!" exclaimed Erwin, who seemed to have finally found the solution to all his problems.
The two men in the meantime looked at each other: while Ludwig had a worried expression, Ron instead seemed very calm, almost not caring about what was going on; Erwin noticed this strange climate, wondering what it was due to;
"Is there any problem?"
"Ahhh... I have to explain a few things to you; do you know why the Aura and Mana, although they are similar, can't mix?"
"... No"
"You see, the aura is a power that is based solely on the strengthening of the body, and is not obtainable by everyone; the mana, for its part, is an energy that allows us to violate the laws of physics, such as the manipulation of elements for example. For this reason, the aura and mana, theoretically cannot be mixed: they are a bit like water and oil, two liquid substances that however cannot be mixed ... At least, this is what is said theoretically. It is said that the union of these two powers is forced, a third can be born, a 'total' power. Not much is known about this hypothetical third power, but we know that only a few have managed to obtain this power. Many have tried to unite these two forces, but the process is so painful that over the years, fewer and fewer people have tried to do such nonsense; so for me you should let it go---!!"
"Okay let's do it!"
Ludwig at that moment, remained in disbelief at the boy's immediate response; he, who had seen Erwin grow up, knew how brave the boy could be in the face of certain situations; but he also knew that there was a fine line that separated courage from unconsciousness, and in this case, he saw Erwin in a huge unconsciousness, since despite his words, Erwin seemed to not care about the consequences.
"... Ron, damn it, say something!"
"And what should I tell him? Just look at his eyes to understand that whatever you say to him, he will go into one ear and pass through the other..." Ron said, almost shrugging.
"Uncle, I decided" – said the boy, looking with firm eyes at Ludwig – "Let's face it: even if I chose one power between the mana or the aura, my level wouldn't improve that much... or rather, not as much as I would like, since my goal is to become the best mage in the world! I'd rather lose my core forever, rather than become a mediocre magician! So.."
Erwin, in a last desperate attempt to convince Ludwig, who was extremely hesitant about what to do, got on his knees, prostrating at his feet.
"Uncòe Ludwig... please, let's do this. I'm ready for anything!"
The administrator of the 21st district was stunned to see Erwin beg him on his knees; not so much for the gesture itself, even if that had its effect, but for the fire he saw in his gaze, a look so determined that, although he was against putting Erwin's future at risk, at that moment he could not reject such a request made with heart.
"Ahhh.... Get up, don't do this kind of thing!" - exclaimed Ludwig embarrassed, as he helped Erwin get up from the ground – "If you really insist... then I'll try to combine the mana and the aura!"
*****
The next day...
Finally the day of their trip arrived; Erwin, who was no longer in his skin, had not been able to sleep, staying all night in the living room, watching the hands of the clock go on slowly, too slowly for his taste.
When he heard a carriage arrive in the distance and stop in front of the inn, he finally realized that the time had come to leave, with a huge smile that at times seemed disturbing.
The only thing he didn't like, if we could say so, was to travel with Elaine; the relationship between the two had definitely started on the wrong foot, and everything had worsened as a result of their sparring: Erwin had certainly not appreciated the cold comments of the girl, while Elaine, who at first felt a bit of empathy for the boy, after the agreement with Ron felt a certain hatred towards him, since the last thing she wanted to do was to babysit guy "problematic" guy.
Moreover, Elaine didn't like the fact that Ron was using her like an object, but she was forced to accept it, given the circumstances in which she was.
At that moment, while Erwin was immersed in his thoughts, he felt some footsteps behind him: it was Elaine, who was going down with a bag to some clothes kindly bought by Ron;
".... Good morning" Erwin said with a decidedly forced smile; he had not yet gotten used to that extravagant new look that Elaine had adopted, and he didn't even know why, but now, that girl who had a grumpy attitude for him, looked much more disturbing with those long, curly black hair;
In response, the girl simply raised her hand, then headed for the counter, where Ron was waiting for her.
"Although I don't appreciate some of your methods... I'm still grateful to you." said Elaine, who despite the annoyance she felt, knew that without Ron and Erwin, she would probably be captured, or worse.
Erwin didn't understand the reason for those words, but judging by the girl's slightly annoyed look, Ron probably must have done something to Elaine that had made her angry.
The girl, after thanking her "savior", headed out towards the carriage, going up and no longer looking over her back...
"Uh... what did you do to her, Ron?" Erwin asked, looking at Ron with suspicious eyes, but he slipped the question... simply ignoring Erwin's question.
"Did you take all your stuff?" asked the man, who in the meantime had finished doing his usual cleaning, before opening his inn.
"Uhm... yes. I took it all!" Erwin said, as he quickly thought about the things he would serve there in Veras City.
Ron looked at Erwin with a very attentive look; the sensations he felt at that moment, were the same as he felt when Erwin's father, Artemisius, left for Veras City. The more he looked at Erwin, the more he saw in him the now deceased pupil, and the more he felt that he had to stop him. But he knew that a rebellious spirit like the boy's would not stay in this place forgotten by God for a long time, and that therefore it was better to help him as much as possible.
"I have some things for you." said Ron, who from under the counter pulled out a bag full of gold coins, and a strange notebook.
"H-Hey! what are hell are all these gold coins?!" asked Erwin, who had never seen a similar amount of money in his life.
"... Your father had put a lot of money aside for you when you would become quite responsible. So even if you're stupid, I think these are rightfully up to you."
"Dad..." Erwin said in a low voice with a smile, then turning his gaze up, thanking his father again, who despite no longer being with him, was as if he were watching over the boy anyway.
"Anywhat, what is this notebook?"
"Well, since you're not the most talented guy in the world, the book I gave you will definitely serve you to become stronger..."
"Stronger, huh... that would be nice, although, unfortunately, I didn't get this hypothetical new power..." said the boy looking down, slightly discouraged by the fact that he didn't get a power that perhaps would have been able to help him.
Ron had also been disappointed with the outcome of the mystical transition: in his heart, he hoped that Erwin could really combine the two energies, since despite the contrast between the two forces within Erwin, the boy was not only fine, but it was as if there was some sort of balance between mana and aura. He was therefore quite surprised, to see that the only result of the mystical transition was the sole manifestation of the mana.
He therefore knew that the chances of seeing Erwin admitted to the Academy of a Thousand Magic Arts were low, but for some strange reason, he was certain that Erwin was a genius, and that it was his duty to bring out the genius that was inside him.
"You idiot!" - exclaimed Ron, hitting Erwin in the back of the neck, this time with more force than usual – "What is that downcast look? If you think you can't make it, then maybe you should stay here, don't you think?"
"N-I don't want to stay here..." said Erwin, who grabbed his head in pain;
"Then get that book, you stupid brat!"
Despite the pain, Erwin was surprised to see Ron in that state: he had always been someone cold, who never showed his feelings; yet, at that moment, it was clear that Ron was angry because of his behavior, and in a way, this made Erwin happy, since now Ron, in his eyes, seemed a little more human.
".. What is this book?"
"Now you're asking the right questions!" - said Ron, who put himself in his arms folded. - "That book is perfect for someone who likes to throws hands like you. This book encapsulates the art of "Focus"; more than a style of combat, it is an ancient art that is based on the mastery of our senses: Sight, Hearing, Smell, Touch, Tension, Pain, Balance, Proprioception and Magnetism; the union of these senses constitutes the Focus..."
"It sounds interesting..." said Erwin, who suddenly saw his morale rise again; - "Do you think I could get even stronger, if I had to master this focus?"
"You see, the fact is that to date, no one has been able to master the focus, not even I... not even your father; it's a theorical book that probably, will help you improve a little"
"B-But then how can I..."
Ron grabbed the boy's shoulders with Force, looking him straight in the eye;
"Listen... The focus has several stages: the more a person masters his senses, the more the focus becomes effective; the level of my focus was a step above that of your father's, but I have never reached the "perfect" Focus, and also, I'm still very far from being able to reach it, and I'm sure that will never reach it; but unlike your father and me, you have something that is innate: that is, your hell of an instinct! When you fought against Rudolf, I saw your movements, and although you have no experience, thanks to your instinct and your exceptional body control, you managed to beat an opponent several times stronger than you! I'm not sure if you'll be able to fully master the Focus, but I'm sure you can reach a much higher level of Focus than ours!"
Despite his doubts, Ron's words at that moment were gold fallen from the sky for Erwin, who felt a huge boost in his confidence, which until recently was not so high.
"Ok! I'll try to do it!" exclaimed Erwin, who took the book, without any hesitation.
".... Good! Now go, the coachman is waiting for you!" said Ron, giving Erwin a slight push;
The boy took a few steps, then stopped at the edge of the door; turning around, he saw Ron, who didn't understand why Erwin was staring at him. But he had his answers, the moment, his puil, ran towards him with tears in his eyes, hugging him tightly, leaving Ron displaced for the first real time in a long time.
"T-Thank you...thank you old man...I-I'll try not to let you down!" Erwin said, as he was soozing; he had always wanted to leave Hakvill since he set foot there, but now that he was about to leave, the idea of not seeing Ron for 5 years freaked him out.
Ron usually hated everything that seemed even a slight affection, but looking at the boy, he could only soften a little, since deep in his heart, he was sad that he would no longer have Erwin next to him, whose growth he had practically followed as if he were his father...
"I-Idiot..." - Ron said slightly embarrassed, gently stroking his head; - "Now stop crying and go, it's getting late!"
Erwin quickly wiped his tears, and with a smile on his face, he headed for the exit of his house, this time without any weight;
"I'll see you soon, Grandpa!" said Erwin who, after greeting him for the last time, walked out of the inn, closing the door and no longer looking back.
"... It took you a while..." said Elaine, who was in a hurry to leave and who had no patience.
"Hey... give me a break..." Erwin said snorting, going up into the carriage;
After a few moments, The coachman started the horses, which with great speed began to forcefully drag the carriage, which quickly depart from Hakvill;
Erwin looked in front of him at the landscape of Hakvill, beginning to evoke all the memories he had of that place; despite for a short time he hated coming here, at that moment, as he was leaving, he began to appreciate for the first everything he saw in front of him, beginning to already feel a certain sense of nostalgia.
"You sure you don't want to stay?" Elaine said in a serious tone of voice, noticing in his eyes the same sadness she felt when she had to abandon Lorien.
"No... By now I've made my decision." Erwin said determinedly: he was sad, of course, but one thing was certain for him: as soon as he became a Gifter, he would return to Hakvill again, he was certain.
******
Meanwhile, in Ron's inn ....
Ron sat down in the chair; it had been a strange day for him, with Erwin's "goodbye"; he believed that after so much time and after so much suffering, he would no longer feel such feelings, but seeing Erwin leave, some pleasant memories came to his mind, which soon after, however, were accompanied by memories that he hoped to erase and that he had locked into the depths of his conscience.
For this reason, since he could not understand his state of mind, he opened a bottle of wine placed behind the inn counter, starting to drink after so many years that he had stopped; he hated drinking alcohol, but at that moment, it was the only thing that seemed to be able to help him;
"You took it really badly, huh?"
Suddenly, a male voice interrupted his thoughts;
"Ludwig, what are you doing here?" asked Ron, who at that moment had no desire to talk to anyone, not even his long-time friend Ludwig; but the latter sat right next to his friend, ignoring his cold gaze.
"Well, I came to drink with my friend... Can't I?" said Ludwig, who took the first clean glass, inviting Ron to pour him some of that red wine he was drinking.
"...Just shut up and we will be ok..." Ron replied almost annoyed, pouring some wine into his glass, which Ludwig drained in a single sip;
"... Good!" said Ludwig, who asked Ron for another glass, who at the moment seemed even more frustrated.
Ron got up from his chair, then headed to the counter; he took another bottle of wine, then laid it forcefully next to Ludwig and looked at him with annoyed eyes.
"Drink."
"O-Ok..." Ludwig said slightly intimidated, realizing that the friend, at the time, was not really in a good mood.
The two men spent several minutes drinking, without saying a word; then, however, alcohol began to activate its effects in Ludwig, who, feeling a little more relaxed, opened his mouth.
"So... Why did you change your mind?"
Ron also seemed less angry, and if he didn't feel like talking before, now he felt a little more relaxed too.
" About what...?"
"About letting Erwin go!" - Ludwig said, in a slightly high-pitched voice – ""Does it have anything to do with the letter I gave you?" asked Ludwing, who even though he was half drunk, his insight and intelligence seemed intact.
Ron remained silent, as he looked at his bottle, which no longer contained much wine; so he drained the wine that remained inside;
"Well, something like that..." said Ron,with his face that in the meantime had turned slightly red;
"What could ever have made a stoic man like Ron the Terrible change his mind?"
"... My father is dying."
At that moment, a deafening silence shet into the room; Ludwig had imagined a couple of things, but in the end, the worst possible scenario for Ron had occurred;
"That... a problem." said Ludwig, who despite being slightly snake, had taken on a very serious expression at the time.
"Yeah, but that's not all..." Ron said, with a moffing smile on his face.
"What do you mean?"
So Ron, after a few moments of silence, began to tell what had happened these days, from the arrival of Elaine, to the clash against Rudolf and the latter's threats. Finally, Ludwig began to understand the reason for such a choice to let Erwin leave, even though he was very worried at the time.
"So... the reason you changed your mind about Erwin being able to go to Veras, and because of the Darksold... I'm right?"
"That's right. I wanted to kill that Rudolf, but if I killed that bastard, tehn I don't know what would have happened; Also, that bastard saw Erwin, and it's too dangerous for him to stay here. And let's not forget about this fucking letter, since now I'm required to go back "home." and since i don't want Erwin to find out about my past... I seized the moment" said Ron, who breathed a long sigh of disappointment.
"Wait a minute... so are you going back to home?" Ludwig asked, looking worriedly at Ron, but he seemed very calm;
"Well, I'm forced, Ludwig. Or have you forgotten about the deal I made with my father?"
"... How the heck i can forgot something like this?! I was there that day too, remember?!" - exclaimed The administrator of the 21st district, banging his fist slightly – "But didn't you think about Erwin? We both know that it's almost impossible for Erwin to enter the academy of a thousand magical arts; what will I tell him when he gets home and doesn't find you in the inn?"
"I'm not that stupid... that's why he goes to Mykotos' number 1 academy; I know the principal, and he's a very 'open' person mentally. Then it's true that for him, a without-element, it will be difficult to get in, but you know a professor from that academy, I right? He can help us..." Ron said, giving a slight mischievous smile.
"Tsk... I would have contacted him anyway, since you're irresponsible! Don't worry!" Ludwig said slightly annoyed, as he realized that his bottle of wine was also finally empty.
"Anyway... are you Really sure you want to go home? I mean, you and your father..."
"Yes, stop asking that. Even though I hate him, it's still thanks to him if for a while I could live as I wanted..."
Ludwig looked at Ron's expression, and realized that no matter what he would tell him, it was evident that he would still go back to home, and this time, it would be forever. He was sad, but at the same time, in his heart, he knew perfectly well that this day would come, sooner or later.
Ron knew it perfectly well, who had now accepted the thing; the man then, had a closed envelope dragged on the table, leaving it close to the man; above the letter, it was written "X Erwin"...
"When he comes back, tell him I'm gone for a long trip, or that I'm dead..."
"... Okay, I get it. When he comes back, I will hand it over to him." said Ludwig, putting the letter in the pocket on the inside of his jacket;
The administrator then got up from his chair, thus going to the exit of the inn; as he walked, he noticed places near the entrance, a small bag containing clothes and Ron's sword, which had accompanied him in numerous battles.
"Ron, be careful..."
"Sure..." said Ron, who without turning around, raised his hand, greeting what was undoubtedly his best friend.
Ludwig gave a small smile, and left the inn without saying a word;
Ron, on the other hand, cleaned up the inn again from top to bottom; that inn, which he had built with so much effort and sweat, had become almost a part of him, and he was sad that, in all likelihood, he would never come back here.
After cleaning the last corner again, the man went to the middle of the room, looking carefully at every little detail of what for almost 40 years, was his humble dwelling and seat of his humble work;
He then thought of Erwin, feeling guilty toward Artemisius, as he had promised to raise his son and take care of him as he thought best: the fact that he had to leave, was like a failure, and although it was not a thing that depended on him, he was annoyed by how things had gone;
"I'm sorry..." he said with a long sigh. He took his bag and sword, and after giving the last farewell to the inn, he walked out the door, no longer looking back...
END OF CHAPTER 9 – DECISIONS.