By the time I found the subject it was getting late already, but I'm dead set on finishing the mission today. The sooner I get to it the sooner I can get back home. Everyone in town was celebrating and enjoying themselves, but the boy carried on his duty paying no mind to the news.
"You're not going to participate in the challenge to lift the sword?"
"Sir! You're here! There's no need for me to try, I know I won't be able to." The boy's face lit brightly at first, then dimmed down as he kept talking.
"How can you be sure if you don't even try?"
"I can't even use slash... that is why I didn't pass the squire test."
"Right..." I sigh, casually tapping on the system.
"Slash is the most basic squire skill in this world. It's a medium range strike that cuts following the weapon's vector."
"Maybe you just need more practice."
"It's not that... I've practiced all my life. I was considered a genius from a young age. I even taught my friends how to do it, but it just doesn't work when I try."
"Let's start with the basics." I say as I hand the boy a small sword fresh from the system.
"Huh?"
"Show me what you got, kiddo."
The young boy grabs the sword and takes a stance. With both eyes shut and a steady breathing he seemed to be in the zone, then he swished the sword in a slashing motion. From the posture to the movement it was perfect, graceful to the point of an art form.
"I can see the problem." I nod knowingly.
"Yes, the slash doesn't extend any further than the blade."
What followed could be summarized as a training session where I just nodded pretending to notice mistakes, then asking him to show me something else. It wasn't like I needed to actually teach him anything, just by standing close to him the system was getting fixed but I couldn't let the subject know that.
"You're doing it wrong! You need to focus more on your breathing!" I barked as though knowing what was what.
"Yes!" And then it finally happened. The slashing motion of the blade prolonged just enough to scratch a wooden pole. It looked like a small step, but it meant the world to the boy who dropped on its knees crying. To me it's just another day in the office. Not really in the office though.
"Thank you, thank you so much. I will never forget your kindness." He wept.
"I didn't say you could stop, stand up and keep practicing." My glare meant to be scolding was received like a compliment as the boy's tears shifted into a wide smile.
The subject trained hard for hours, but the system manager informed me it was still not done with the repairs. As an excuse to spend more time near to him I invited him to take the sword challenge the next day and this time he readily agreed.
Going back to my room I was approached a crowd composed mostly of nobles who failed the test. They brought all manners of gifts from items of sentimental value to gold coins, even jewelry. Some people might have been tempted, but the bureau has a very strict policy against bribes.
"I'm sorry, I can't accept any of this." I raise both hands to stop them.
"It's just a sample of our appreciation... and if it helps a little..."
"It's not in my power, the sword will chose its rightful owner and there's nothing I can do about it." I shrug as I walk past them.
"You did well today, keep it up tomorrow and the screw up will be fixed. Just try not to meddle any further with their history." The system said before clocking out.
The next day I showed up in the square where the sword remained where I left it which is impaling the peddler's foot.
"Sorry, pal." I mutter to myself, though the man didn't seem bothered now.
"Is that all you got? What a fopdoodle!" The peddler laughed at a muscular man who tried his best and failed to take out the sword. The next man in line pulled up his sleeves and growled as he pulled on the sword, with such bad luck that he vented one out. "and now he farts! Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse." People laughed at the peddler's remark.
Most of the city knights and nobles had already taken the test and failed. No surprise there as the sword can only be wielded by allowed users. In other words, just me and the subject.
"What do you think you're doing here? Go shovel horse shit or something." Oegerius, the baron's son, blocked the subject's path with arms crossed.
"I am done with my work already." The subject said keeping his gaze low. Now that I see him, he has bags under his eyes and looks tired which means after the training session he stayed awake cleaning the stables. That devotion to duty is something I respect and I can't let this go any further.
"Don't intervene." The system warned. I took advantage of people's attention being focused on the scene and went to a quiet corner before speaking.
"I just wanted to defuse the situation."
"That's going too far. The subject's system is fixed and his status is back to traveler. That means your job done is here. I'm sending a request for immediate recall."
"Hold on, we haven't confirmed the system is working properly. You said it would take a few days." I argue. I like being thorough, but that's not all.
"Fine, but you should let the traveler make his own choices. If it escalates into a fight then there's nothing you can do." Just as the system finished speaking those words, the traveler who had been shoved to the ground by the baron's son stood up and dusted his clothes.
"You have no right to keep me from taking the challenge."
"Garbage like you have no rights." Oegerius cruelly laughed prompting the subject to clench his fists so tight they sounded like leather.
"Are you really that afraid that I might be able to lift the sword? I thought we were friends..."
"Friends? With trash like you?" Oegerius spat on the ground then directed a scornful glare to the boy. "we were never friends. I just took pity on you because you were so ignorant."
The boy remained silent, his gaze nailed to the ground and he attempted to walk past Oegerius who once again stopped him. However, instead of being shoved to the ground, the boy dodged with an agile footwork causing the baron's son to fall on the ground instead.
"You filthy..." Before finishing standing up Oegerius had already placed his hand on the hilt of his sword releasing a powerful slash attack the moment the blade peeked out of the sheathe. Noticing that things would get physical, people distanced from the scene. A smirk was drawn on the baron's son as his attack crossed the air, but the boy casually repelled it with a slash of his own.
"It seems you forgot who taught you how to fight, but that's fine. I can remind you." The boy lifted up his face in a fierce expression and the fight broke out as people formed a circle around them to watch the fight.
They traded blows for a while, each attack cancelling the opponent's. The fact that they came into a tie was pretty impressive considering how the subject had only learned the skill the day before and how he spent the rest of the night working. It meant he was obviously superior to his opponent and it should have been an easy win. Unfortunately for the subject, all he had was the average sword I gave him while his opponent was vested in full plate armor and his sword was not just larger but better in every way.
"I need to do something, he's going to get killed." I whisper.
"You can't... I know not intervening is always hard and the first time is the hardest, but you must endure."
"Why does it have to be this way?" I grit my teeth as I watch how the boy lands two strikes on Oegerius armor for each one he takes in the flesh. Even worse, the crowd quieted as the clanking sound of the subject's sword breaking against the armor echoed around us leaving the boy without a weapon.
"Travelers are free to choose the path they wish to follow, but they must also bear the consequences of their decisions."
"You're right." I didn't really understand what the system said, but I understood something. Maybe it was because I wasn't wearing a suit and a badge anymore, but I slowly let my own personal emotions drip into my work.
I am not a hero, I am a public servant and right now I am on the clock. I need to do my job, but I needed to do it properly.
"Do it, now!" I shout from behind the scenes.