[TWS] Chapter 319 – Local Entrance Exam (Patreon)

“So, how are you finding Glimmervale after moving in?” Miria asked Irelia as they were moving through the streets in the direction of the castle.

“It’s just as nice as Rosewind. Perhaps even more. We haven’t been here long enough to judge, honestly,” the girl answered. “Most people are nice and there are a lot of elves. I don’t think anything can compare to the beast calling itself a Dracodon.”

“Yeah. Venuzathor is definitely kind of unique right now.” Asterios chuckled.

“I spoke with him once. It was pretty scary at first, but he seems like a kind monster. Maybe monster is not the correct word but I just can’t help thinking of him like that because of how big and ferocious he is,” she admitted.

“That’s only until you see this one in all his glory.” Grea jabbed Asterios in the side with her elbow while grinning impishly.

He shot her a glare as Irelia glanced at them in mild confusion and curiosity. The young knight seemed like someone they could trust, but they didn’t know each other well enough to share such secrets yet. Even if they felt like it wouldn’t remain private information for that much longer.

“Ignore her. She’s always trying to confuse and embarrass people. There’s only one Dragon she can’t stop thinking about all the time,” Asterios replied with a faint smirk.

The teasing demon lady snorted at Ast’s attempt to mislead her, amused with the way he had succeeded in doing so. Technically, nothing he’d said was a lie. And she was about to lean more onto him to prove his words right when a flick landed on her forehead and she hissed in disappointment.

“Maybe we can start our own academy here, Master?” Miria suggested with her head tilted adorably. “That way Irelia could stay close to her family while training and studying.”

“I’m afraid Glimmervale doesn’t have enough people who could fill the roles of the instructors and teachers,” Selene commented. “And neither does it have any buildings that could serve the purpose.”

“We can always build one, no? After the wall is completed and when there isn’t anything else that’s super important.” The panthergirl wrinkled her nose.

“I understand where you are coming from but she is right.” Asterios ruffled through her hair with a gentle smile. “Raising such a structure would take quite some time and funds. But, it isn’t a completely useless idea. It would be a decent attraction for the town, inviting more visitors to not only pass through but also even settle down. We can always pitch the thought to the Committee for the future.”

“Despite not being exactly that young of a city, Glimmervale still has a lot of potential to develop further,” Bryn said. “Tales about it and us are traveling through your realm, Master. One thing I can be certain of is that strong and talented people tend to be drawn to such places more than the others.”

“And if the rumors prove to be right, we are definitely going to attract even more attention,” Silvia pointed out. “People would do anything to establish their presence next to something like that. Especially martial guilds and schools. In the end, it’s an almost free training ground for them, full of real battle experience.”

“You are right.” Asterios nodded, stroking his chin. “Perhaps we should think about this sooner than later. It would be silly of us to ignore such an opportunity. Mom would literally disinherit me after learning that we missed something with so much potential now that I’m an actual part of her great family.”

The girls chuckled at him while agreeing. Kindra was certainly proud of her lineage and the achievements she and her ancestors had managed to gather under their name. But, she also was extremely fond of him and loved Asterios like nothing else in the world. Therefore, there was just no way she could be angry or disappointed with him for longer than a few days at best.

“Having a decent academy next to home sounds like a dream,” Irelia finally shared her thoughts. “Even after finishing my studies at any other one, I would still love to visit the local school as much as possible to continue learning and polishing my skills while staying around my family.”

“Alright! We are going to have a serious talk about priorities with those guys and gals in just a moment!” Grea snickered and patted Irelia’s head.

The young girl didn’t fight back and let the crimson-skinned woman mess her hair up a little. Thankfully, most of it was bound in a ponytail.

They reached the segmented drawbridges a moment later and passed through the gate. Guards and sentries saluted and greeted them with friendly smiles. Asterios and the girls answered with polite and also kind nods. It was a nice feeling seeing everyone look like they were happy to see them back and continued to enjoy their posts and jobs.

Without further ado, Ast’s group headed for the training ground, sensing their blue-haired companion’s presence there. In the meanwhile, Irelia’s gaze wandered all over the inner side of the island fortress. It was clear that it was her first time getting inside and she did not hide her curiosity. It was one of the things that reminded them that she was still a young teenager past all that knightly decorum and brave heart. The sparkle in her eyes was just so noticeable.

As they arrived at their destination, they found quite some people gathered there. A few groups were formed. On one side, they could see Tina’s squad chatting amongst themselves while taking care of their valiant steeds. On the other side, a bunch of soldiers wearing armor adorned with the kingdom’s crest also chatted together, sharing some laughs too. In the middle, there was Tina, Ted, and a small group of Glimmervale’s garrison, including the men their head of defense and security trained relentlessly.

Noticing their arrival, Tina smiled tenderly and waved at Asterios and the others. They quickly made their way to the central gathering and exchanged brief greetings.

“How is it going?” Asterios asked after leaving a peck on Tina’s cheek.

“Just so.” She showed a brief grimace. “There is some good and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?”

“Let’s go with the good one,” he answered, taking a glance at Ted, who clearly wasn’t too happy about something.

“Okay, the message first, then.” Tina nodded. “The Twelfth Regiment has been ordered to stay in Glimmervale for a while longer and assist however they can in case their help will be needed. The king is clearly aware of the rumors and doesn’t want anything as bad as the last time happening again to Glimmervale. Kathy and the guys are glad to stay with us for some more time. I am too, to be honest.”

“Good for you.” Asterios smiled. “What’s the problem, then?”

“It’s not just them who are staying,” Ted joined in, gesturing at the other group of men with his head.

“Ah. They must be the reinforcements we’ve heard about on our way here.” Miria’s ears perked up.

“Correct,” he confirmed. “The king sent us some of the elite troops in case things go down once more and you aren’t around to immediately save our asses from whatever monstrosity crawls out of that cursed hole again. They are a step below the Royal Guard, possibly capable of joining it one day. And that’s a problem in itself.”

“They seem to be quite proud,” Tina added with a soft sigh. “Simply speaking, they seem to view themselves above the others. While they don’t show that too openly in front of my squad, the fact that we are technically a reserve does fuel their weird superiority complex a little bit.”

“Our guys have some trouble getting along with them, as you can imagine.” Ted shook his head. “It’s not good for the garrison when cliques like that form. Too much unnecessary conflict that leads to nothing. And it’s not even close to a competition, which can be good sometimes if controlled properly. They are above competing, though.”

“Can’t we just send them the fuck back? Tina’s little family is surely more capable than them anyway.” Grea crossed her arms over her chest, directing a squinting glare at the kingdom’s soldiers.

“It would be rude to refuse help from the king. Especially when he stations a somewhat skilled group at your place for everyone’s safety,” he answered. “Plus, they had their official arrival so everyone already knows they are here. People would spread rumors after we kicked them out just like that. The king wouldn’t be happy.”

“I can handle that,” Asterios suggested. “What’s important is unity amongst our forces. If these guys are a bad influence, I’m all for turning them down. I’m the lord here so you can put all the blame on me if you want. But, I don’t think the king will oppose it too much.”

“Father might have a different plan regarding that,” Silvia said and everyone turned to her. “I don’t believe he would send us troops that could cause trouble without knowing. Especially elite ones.”

“So he did it deliberately?” Miria frowned.

“Most likely, yes.” The princess nodded. “He might be aiming to straighten them up under our watch. He has to be aware of their personalities. This might be the last chance for them to change for the better before he either releases them from service or demotes them. Their skill must be real if he is going that far.”

“So kind of him to shove all that onto us instead of taking care of the issue himself.” Grea sniffed.

“I’m not going to stop you if you decide to send them back.” Silvia glanced at Asterios. “We haven’t agreed to anything so you have all the right to be dissatisfied with his decision.”

“We’ll see about it.” He scratched his head. “Doesn’t hurt to pay him a visit and talk about it first. I’m sure you would like to visit home anyway.”

She graced him with a faint smile. “My home is now here, with everyone. But yes, I would like to do so. Thank you.”

“Anyway, we have one more thing to discuss.” Asterios turned his attention to Ted. “Do you think we can find a spot for one more person amongst your young trainees?”

The man raised a brow at him. “Someone recommended by the lord himself? I will personally make sure that there is room for them. Who do you have in mind?”

Asterios placed a hand on Irelia’s shoulder and brought her more to the front. “This here is Irelia Richtenstein. You might have heard about her family moving in some time ago. She is an aspiring Knight who is going to take the exam next year so I thought about giving her some actual experience with your subordinates before that. I can assure you that she doesn’t lack the drive, nor the talent.”

“Greetings, Instructor.” Irelia bowed respectfully.

“Hmmm. Most of my guys are quite a bit older. Will she be alright within such a group?” Ted examined her with his observant gaze.

“What I lack in physical strength, I try to supplement with my wits and polished techniques,” she answered calmly. “My parents provided me with the best available teachers. Additionally, I’m already proficient with a few strengthening techniques and maneuvers.”

“Oh, I meant as not being around your peers rather than that. I don’t think anyone would give you any trouble here but I would hate for you to be uncomfortable during our practice,” he clarified.

“Irelia is super tough! She doesn’t care about such things, right?” Miria beamed at the young girl.

“It would be unwise of me to avoid any environment that provides me with a chance to learn just because of my age or gender,” the young trainee responded.

“I see. You certainly don’t lack the spirit. I believe we can think about this.” Ted showed a friendly smile.

“It looks like the situation here is even worse than we heard if the local garrison is forced to recruit little girls into its ranks,” someone added and they all directed her gazes towards the source.

One of the men sent by the king had approached them with his arms crossed and one brow raised, a faint smirk of amusement on his lips. He looked to be mid-twenties with shoulder-long brown hair and sandy eyes. Judging by the looks the other people from his group gave him, he was most likely the leader of their squad.

“That sounds awfully close to you having a problem with women,” another voice joined in, this time more feminine.

Opposite him stood Kathy in a similar pose, glaring at the guy without hiding it in the slightest.

“I didn’t say that.” He spread his arms and shrugged. “But she looks more like a liability than an asset. She is too young to have anything under her belt yet. People who think they are something without even receiving the proper training are the first to die when a fight breaks out. Sometimes even during practice.”

“Yeah? Why don’t we see about that?” She put her hands on her waist and cocked her hip to the side.

The guy snorted. “I don’t think Ted has any training dummies for kids to spare.”

“It’s Instructor Ted for you,” Kathy countered. “Why don’t you volunteer, then? You seem like the perfect dummy.”

The girls snickered behind Asterios, which made the soldier frown.

“I would hate to accidentally kill a child. Especially considering that the local lord seems particularly fond of her,” he replied.

“Face it. You are just afraid to make an ass out of yourself. I wonder what the capital’s garrisons would say after learning that one of theirs was beaten up by a little girl.” She smirked at him provokingly.

“In your dreams,” the brown-haired man replied. “There’s no chance she can lay a finger on me.”

Asterios clapped his hands to capture everyone’s attention. “Why don’t we test that theory, then? A practice spar between the two of you. If she can do as much as threaten you with an injury, she gets in. If you dominate her, she doesn’t. My fondness for her won’t be in the way with this. That good with you, Irelia?”

“I would be honored to prove myself in front of you, My Lord.” Irelia pressed her fist to her heart respectfully. “But, I left my practice sword at home.”

“I can send one of the boys to fetch some,” Ted offered.

“No need.” Selene flicked her wrist and a bunch of shortswords materialized out of her ring. “You can use any of these.”

Irelia approached her and picked most likely the most plain-looking weapon out of them all. She gave it a few glances, test swings, and practice thrusts before nodding to herself.

“Even though it doesn’t fit me too well, it’s a good sword. Thank you.” She made a tiny bow to the fox lady.

“Only amateurs look for excuses with their weapons.” The man snorted, drawing his own shortsword.

“Only fools don’t pay attention to their weapon’s compatibility with them,” Irelia countered with more coldness than usual, most likely unhappy that he was disrespecting some of the lessons from her past teachers. “A Knight’s weapon is an extension of their will. It can’t flow properly through a sword that rests wrong in one’s grip.”

“These are sharp, though,” Tina pointed out.

Selene snapped her fingers and a cerulean aura covered the entirety of both blades. With that taken care of, everyone made some space for the contenders, surrounding them with a comfortably wide circle. The man took his position loosely while Irelia firmly planted her feet on the ground and held her sword at about forty-five degrees in front with both hands. It looked fairly heavy but she didn’t have much of an issue with holding it steady. Asterios could tell that she was using her mana to enhance her muscles and was doing pretty well too.

Before they started, Miria quickly trotted up to her and whispered something into Irelia’s ear. The young girl nodded, took a deep breath, and Asterios sensed the change in the flow of her energy. Her posture relaxed just a bit exactly where it needed to and her sword felt more confident. Running back his way, Miria winked at him, clearly having provided their friend with some tip about Physical Strengthening.

Ted stepped forward to supervise the duel and both parties got ready. He met their gazes and signaled the beginning of the challenge. Irelia moved first, clearly pushing herself forward with a similar or even the same rushing technique she’d used during Ast’s visit to her father’s office back in the past. She knew she was at a disadvantage here due to their difference in sizes and general builds so she had to take the initiative.

Her opponent was slightly shocked seeing her speed but managed to parry the first strike without much of an issue. They exchanged a few quick blows and Irelia backed off just a moment before he attacked with his whole weight. Her perceptiveness made him click his tongue, but before he could get into the offensive, she was already running in circles around him, looking for another chance to strike.

But, he wasn’t that easily surprised anymore and showed that he wasn’t really all talk and no bite. The official training was clearly visible in his almost instinctive movements. When Irelia changed her direction and lunged at his thigh, he easily dodged aside and threw his own swing straight at her head.

She was forced to abandon her attempt and duck, which earned her a smack on the back with the flat of her opponent’s blade, sending her stumbling forward. He went right after her without holding back and she barely blocked the next three blows, which pushed her weapon from side to side. After the last one, he closed the remaining distance between them as her sword was forced upwards and slugged her right in the face with a vicious smirk.

Irelia fell backward with the force of the blow and rolled away into a crouch. A streak of blood ran from her nose but she wiped it off without a hint of fear while standing up. He jumped at her straight away and forced her to defend. He definitely didn’t lack skill with a blade, even if his techniques weren’t that elaborate and most of them relied on strength.

“I don’t enjoy bullying weaklings like this so let’s end this,” the man stated and prepared a clearly enhanced thrust, aiming to finish the duel with a single move, preventing Irelia from getting a chance to land a hit on him.

Regaining her balance after his relentless barrage, Irelia seemed completely vulnerable to his incoming attack and a wide grin rose on the guy’s lips. He sped forward in a quick and accurate charge, aiming for her head.

But, that was when Irelia’s demeanor suddenly changed.

Her posture became firmer and her expression more focused and resolute. Faster than before, she positioned her sword in the incoming thrust’s path while holding it upside down and parried the blow. Her attacker ran straight into her shoulder and was met with resistance equal to a thick tree, bouncing back with a grunt.

She followed her block with an immediate pirouette and guided her sword into a seamless swing upwards, gathering the speed and strength through the wide arc of an almost full vertical circle during her spin. Her blade was coming straight at him from below and he had no time to react.

All the men around winced when the tip of Irelia’s sword struck the man’s crotch, continuing upwards over his stomach, chest, and even face, leaving a red line over it from the friction caused by the protective coating Selene had applied to their weapons. Irelia’s swing was so strong it bumped him up a tiny bit during that first contact and would have no doubt sliced the man in half if she was wielding even a slightly magically sharpened sword.

He fell to his knees and spasmed violently a moment later, just after she jumped back to avoid his fall. Breathing heavily, she regarded all the red rashes and stinging lines over her body she’d gathered from the fight and looked down at her opponent.

“One of the first rules you learn as a Knight. When facing a much stronger opponent, act even weaker than you are. Your only chance of survival is either finding a window to run away or an opportunity to finish them in one strike,” she said in between her breaths. “Thank you for underestimating me and giving me this chance to learn from my betters.”

Ted leaned towards Asterios with an impressed expression as she slowly approached them. “She has good basics. I didn’t think she was that far. She will fit nicely with our guys. I’ll gladly take her under my wing.”

“And so will we while we are here,” Kathy added, moving to intercept Irelia and turn her around towards Tina’s squad, wrapping her arm over the younger girl’s shoulders. “Nice moves. Want to learn a few more tricks with us?”

They wandered off to her group while the other party began collecting their colleague from the ground.

It looked like the garrison was going to be lively in the upcoming weeks or months.