"Apparently, you have used most of your life force and you pushed your body to summon the magic circle. Because of that your body used its last available bits of life force to cast the spell." Karl quietly listens to the doctor. There is only silence between them. Doctor continues "I know this is a delicate matter. But as a doctor and your senior I advise you to drop out."
Karl does not answer.
"You cannot survive in the school with no mana. There are other ways to fight and survive besides using mana. Drop out, study droid engineering and live a quiet life until your fifties." He puts his hand on Karl's shoulder.
"Listen to me, Leonard."
Karl looks at the doctor in the eye and says. "No."
Doctor sighs visibly. After some minor checkups doctor leaves Karl alone.
'I am not going to die without giving the same humiliation to Mikaela and Jake a hundred times.'
After few hours of sitting in the silence, Karl hears a knock. "Come in."
Andressa cutely pops her head. "Are you okay? How are you feeling? Does it hurt anymore? Are you hungry?"
"You are asking too many questions in one breath."
"Oh. I am sorry. I didn't mean to do that."
"It's fine. I was getting bored anyway."
A loud voice comes from outside. "Hey! Don't eavesdrop at the door."
Andressa and Karl looks at the door. Then, a red-faced Ian with a bag in hand walks inside the room.
"Seriously dude? You were eavesdropping? Where is the pride of a knight?" Karl taunts.
"Shut it."
Karl smiles. "What is that?" He points at the bag.
"Oh! I brought few elixirs from home which helps in mana regeneration." Ian takes a glass bottle out of the bag which has a beautiful craving on both sides. He placed it on the table besides Karl.
Andressa pouts in the background.
"What?" Karl asks.
"Hmph. I came earlier and you ignored me and started talking to him. How rude." Ian keeps a clueless face and Karl sighs.
"Anyways Leo, you said that you have a plan for the duel."
"Well, that failed even before it began."
"What? What happened?"
"So, listen-" Karl then proceeds to tell them about the shortage of life force and the Mikaela's incident. Ian grabs a nearby chair and sits down while looking up at the celling fan.
Andressa comes closer to Karl and slaps him. "Why? Why? Did you have to go that night? You could have kept quiet. I would have handled it; I could have endured it. N-Now look at you."
Suddenly Karl looks at himself. All he sees is a malnourished boy with bandages. All of a sudden Karl feels powerless.
'I mean, why did I infiltrate the girl's dormitory? For her?' Karl glances at Andressa. 'No. I did for him.' Karl slowly points at himself. Karl did it for Leonard as a pity. Karl felt it too, the way Leonard's body reacts toward Andressa. Karl recalls the night he escaped from the girl's dormitory. He could have literally grab anything. Yet, he grabbed that thing. Karl face turns a little red.
Karl looks up and sees Andressa crying. He slowly grabs her sleeve and pulls her. Andressa closes in and both hug eachother.
Oblivious to all of this Ian is deeply thinking about something.
Few minutes passed.
"Okay, I have a plan guys- What in the Great horizon is happening here?" Ian almost screams.
Andressa quickly gets away from Karl and he clears his throat and asks "What is it?"
Ian continues "I have great plan. We will steal the Tears of Nebula."
"Does it even exist anymore? It has been nearly two centuries since it was last seen in Central Continent." Andressa questions.
Ian smiles "Oh. It exists. In the Branchio family's Greenhouse."
"What is this Nebula Tears?" Karl finally asks.
"Around two thousand years ago, a meteor crashed on Far Eastern border of Lycan continent. The shockwave from the impact wiped half of the creatures off the continent. After few hundred years, a lake was formed on the impact side. This wasn't a normal lake. The water was red in color, which had the ability of restoring lost life force and the ability to extend lifespan of any creature. That water was named as the Tears of Nebula, Every race in the world fought countless wars for that lake. At the end, not even one drop was left. It was stolen by various kingdoms and factions." Ian explains.
"But that was a long time ago. Why do you think Branchio family has it?" Andressa questions.
"Yes. This is confidential information but when I was little I went to Branchio family's castle with father. There I saw a very small pond of red liquid and my father confirmed it that it was the Tears of Nebula. Apparently, they use it to grow precious herbs."
"So, are we going to break into Branchio's greenhouse?" Karl asks.
Andressa facepalms herself.
"Branchio family is one of the strongest sentinel family in the world. Breaking in is impossible."
"Then, what are we supposed to do?"
"The knight succession tournament is just two weeks away. It's a tournament where talented individuals from all over continent competes to attain the title of a low knight. If the individual is talented enough, he or she can get recruited directly into a sentinel family as a low knight. But that is not our goal here. Our goal is to be the runner up of the tournament as the runner up gets to choose any mid-level resource from any sentinel family present and this year Branchio family's second young master is going to participate." Ian confirms.
"Is the Tears of Nebula a mid-level resource?" Karl asks.
"Of course not, you dwarf. It is one of the most desired resource ever. When you will enter the Branchio's greenhouse and just steal few drops."
Karl's face suddenly becomes bright as he sees a hope. Ian continues "But there is small problem. The minimal requirement to participate is to be in second year minimum which means that you have to master 2 spells."
"So, what?" Karl asks in a confident tone.
"Leo, even a talented student takes atleast 6 months to learn any new spell." Andressa states.
"Oh, don't worry about that. I can do it."
Andressa looks at Ian with a concerned look and sighs heavily.
"What about your duel with Mikaela?" Andressa asks.
"Oh, can't I just surrender?"
"No, if you do that then by the federation law you will be arrested for using a knight's name for felony."
'Killing people is permissible but using a name isn't. What a shitty world.' Karl thinks.
"So, I have to fight?"
"Not just fight. You need to win. To participate in knight succession, you need a recommendation from a high knight. I am going to convince my father to recommend you. But if you win this duel, it will make convincing a lot easier." Ian clarifies.
"Okay." "
"Well, don't worry about it. The duel is on the day after tomorrow, you have one day for training. I can teach you some tricks." Ian pats Karl's back.
"Sure."
Five hours later, Karl finally gets a discharge and now he is in the wind range with Ian. "Your mana generation depends on your life force. That's why mana regeneration speed decreases as you get old. But your life force is nearly empty which means you are already knocking at dead's door. So, avoid using spells more frequently."
"Okay."
'I can cast a spell 16 times a day. After that my fatigue kicks in.'
"Now, attack me."
Karl runs at Ian. Suddenly his right-hand glows purple. Karl throws a rock Ian. Ian steps aside. Another glow appears, Karl throws another rock. Ian dodges again. Karl keeps a distance of two meters from Ian. Another glow appears, Karl lifts his hand and just swings it. Ian dodges instinctively. But no rock was thrown.
This startles Ian. Now, Karl throws the rock. Ian barely dodges the rock, this unbalances Ian. Karl takes the opportunity and jumps at Ian, pinning him down. Ian struggles to break free but fails.
'What is this tactic? Is he really fighting someone for the first time?' Ian thinks.
"It's my win." Karl says as he releases Ian. Ian is still in shock, does not say anything.
"What? Our pretty knight can't defeat a half-crippled student?" Karl teases.
Ian takes a deep breath and smiles. "I wasn't using spells because you just got discharged but from now on, I am serious." Ian takes the battle stance, a magic circle appearing on his left hand.
"Brace yourself."
'Shit.'
Thirty-two minutes later. Karl is laying on the grass with cuts all over his body. He is panting heavily. Ian leans over to see Karl's face. "You have a great decision-making ability for our age."
"Thanks."
"Your strength and agility are above average too."
"Thanks."
"But unfortunately, you are fighting Mikaela. She is a genius. Her agility and talent as a mage is a notch above yours. The only advantage you have is your element. A lot of people don't really understand how it works including me. Use that as your advantage. Be creative." Ian extends his arm towards Karl.
"I keep that in mind." Karl says as he takes Ian's hand.
"Oh, I forgot to ask. What is your primary weapon?"
Karl makes an awkward face. "I had a sword, but it broke." Ian nods.
"LEO! IAN!" Both of them look back to see Andressa calling for them.
"Let's call it day." Ian says.
"Yeah."