Henry scoffed, "You wish to take squirehood when you don't know the honor of Bericius? I sincerely hope you don't die in this duel, Aridel."
"The feeling is mutual." returned Aridel as he grasped the hilt of his sword tightly, anticipating the move of Henry.
As the duel began their blades met and the steel rang loudly across the forest.
Quickly, Aridel was the first to move, and for slight second the world seemed at his fingertips and in accordance to him.
His sword flowed with ease, cuts chained together with a smoothness that felt inhumane, with pure confidence and zero hesitation whatsoever. In response, Henry raised his blade to parry.
Then he parried again, and again, then again. Eahc strike forced him to let up ground. Aridel's footwork was light, precise, his body responded as fast as he could think it. Strength followed his intent seamlessly, when their swords met, the one winning the clash was Aridel.
Henry grunted as a sharp cut kissed his sleeve.
Luther frowned," That's not right… he's winning?"
Aridel pressed on, his blade slipped past Henry's guard and stopped a breath from the squire's throat. Henry had twisted away in the nick of time, with his boots scraping the ground as he retreated.
Then Henry's expression hardened.
The air shifted.
Power surged through Henry's limbs, power enough for someone to take heed. His movements seemed - impossible.
He stepped forward and struck.
Aridel barely blocked it. The impact rattle his bones, driving him back to where he started. Henry followed relentlessly, each blow carrying weight no body could possibly possess. Aridel parried, but it didn;t matter.
This was no longer a contest of physical skill.
Henry advanced like a storm, his sword crashed down in heavy, decisive arcs. Aridel dodged narrowly, feeling the ground shake wherever Henry struck. A glancing blow tore through Aridel's guard and sent pain flaring across his ribs.
Luther sighed, "Scary. To push Henry to use mana, the kid's incredible. But alas, if you don't use mana, you can't overcome someone who does use mana, it's as simple as that."
Aridel was losing.
But that was unlike him, soon his mind shifted into another gear, when Henry would move, it felt as though Aridel understood the movement before it finished.
Because he did.
The angle, the intent, the moment where strength committed. His body reacted a fraction sooner than before, blade sliding into place just in time.
Another strike came. Aridel sidestepped where he should've been hit. Not faster, Just aware.
Aridel endured. He found gaps too narrow to be coincidence, answered blows that should have overwhelmed him, his sword slipping through openings that vanished as they were being exploited. Henry frowned, pressing harder, his ability growing more with each strike.
Steel screamed. Sparks flew.
Originally it was a disservice to Henry Kartier to say they were evenly matched, now it was a disservice to Aridel to say they were not.
Aridel's chest burned, his vision sharpened painfully. It seemed his transcendent-like state had come to an end, as sweat poured down his face, muscles trembling as exhaustion crept in like poison.
Henry knew.
He struck again and again, forcing Aridel to answer, to see, to react. Each exchange costing more than the last. The clarity he relied on began to fray at the edges.
Another clash, Aridel blocked but it was that fraction late.
The force sent him crashing to the ground, his breath was ripped from his lungs. He tried to rise, and failed.
Henry stood over him," You fought well, but this is over, I reclaim my honor of Bericius."
Henry stuck out a hand to Aridel, who took it, after some time of rest.
As Aridel's breathing steadied, clarity returned - sharp and merciless. He had moved faster than thought. His sword had sung. His body had answered every command. Yet it hadn't mattered. The moment Henry had channeled enough mana, Aridel had become a man fighting with his hands tied behind his back. The three curses Aridel had weren't obstacles to overcome through skill. They were a ceiling. And until that ceiling broke, every mage, every knight who had learned to weave mana would be untouchable. Aridel understood then: he wasn't just fighting to become a squire. He was fighting against the foundation of his own existence.
"It's unfortunate you had to face me, I'm to be knighted soon, and of the imperial squires who aren't serving the Knights of the First Order, I'd personally say I'm the strongest squire in Caldrithia." Henry gave him a light smile.
Juniel watched through the quest log as Aridel fell. A Tier 6 quest was meant for moments when everything hung in the balance - when failure didn't just mean a setback, but ruin. Aridel had survived. He had lost, but he had survived. The penalty still loomed: if he failed to become a squire, if the dynasty died before it truly began… he would never father a child. Juniel would die with him. The quest was still incomplete.
"He's right, however, that doesn't mean you'd beat any squire as of now, at least those who have their first circle." said Luther Gillian, walking into the conversation.
"First circle?" asked Aridel.
Silence struck the path to Haldrin. For them, basic knowledge such as mana circles was basic information amongst even the lowest of social classes.
Henry was the first to speak up," the first circle around your mana core, something everyone has, is the start of how you harness the mana within your core, I'm on my fifth circle myself, using the Kartier method. Sir Luther Gillian. however, is on a whole different tier entirely, he's on his second silver circle."
The information was extremely confusing to take in.
"He's right, I'm in the Silver domain - after your ninth circle in the Bronze domain they combine into a silver circle. Much more difficult to climb. I'm working on finishing my second silver circle. For reference, the First Knight of Caldrithia, Gareth Montayne, is working on his fourth silver circle, and the strongest mage, Lucan Bellrowe, is on his third silver circle - and before you ask, mages progress through the same as swordsmen." finished Luther.
Luther studied Aridel for a long moment, as though calculating something. Then he smiled - not unkindly, but with the weight of someone who had seen many talents rise and fall. "The selection tournament," Luther said, "is where the empire finds its future. The top fifty become imperial squires - functionally, they become nobility in all but name. The rest find patrons among the lesser knights. But the truly exceptional…" He trailed off. "The truly exceptional get noticed by people above my rank."
Luther invited Aridel to give him a visit when Luther would eventually return to Haldrin after his group's mission, which was "classified". Gave him ample directions to Haldrin and also gave him some important info.
"If you truly want to be a squire, the selection tournament will happen soon, it costs 5 gold Erids to enter, so I'll give you that- if you want to join of course." Luther told Aridel.
"I do wish to join the tournament" said Aridel, who was subsequently given 5 gold Erids, even though he already had enough Erids to join the tournament, free money is free money.
"It's starting soon and with your talent, a knight selecting you will be simple. You should be on your way, and make sure you understand what you're going into - not knowing how to use the honor of Bericius every Caldrithian has could stop you from being a squire outright. The honor isn't just tradition. boy. It's the spine of this empire. Break it, and you break yourself."Chan
"As will I, Sir Luther Gillian." Aridel returned the favor.