An Otherworldly Scholar - 214

Wolf and I were sitting on the stone edge of the fireplace, white napkins over our laps and steaming meat pies in our hands. The mana manipulation lesson had gone smoothly. The cadets didn’t yet take Talindra all that seriously, but I used The Glance to keep them in line. With the class under control, Talindra barely stuttered.

Wolf ate half his pie in a single bite.

The green wisps of [Sanctuary] still surrounded us.

“This food is better than the barley paste we get in the dining hall,” he mumbled. 

I was used to kids outgrowing me around eleventh grade, but Wolf was off the charts. Even hunched over his meat pie, he was more than a head taller than me, and that counted the couple of inches the System had given me after I gained my Prestige Class. I took a bite from my pie: poultry and liver. I wasn’t a liver fan, but the pie was great.

The kitchen staff consisted almost entirely of gnomes, so we didn’t have to walk to the dining hall. Having lunch delivered to Cabbage House was handy; it saved the long lines and gave the cadets more time to rest before the afternoon lessons. I silently thanked Ilya. Once again, having a strong community helped more than a handful of levels.

Odo and Harwin weren’t thrilled about the lack of china and silverware, but Malkah didn’t seem bothered by having to eat with his hands. The two henchmen covertly slipped towards the fruit basket to pick the best-looking apple for their lord. After the morning training, everyone was hungry enough not to complain, but the food still got awkward looks from the noble cadets.

Leonie and Yvain weren’t used to eating with their hands.

“Can we have a loaf knife at least? I don’t want to eat well-handled bread,” Leonie asked, looking at the loaves stacked in the middle of the table.

I summoned a mana hand and a mana knife and made them float across the room. With a few precise cuts, I divided the loaves into fourteen perfectly symmetrical pieces. Unlike armored Chrysalimorphs, wheat bread offered little resistance against my blade.

“Showoff,” Fenwick said, his cheeks puffed with meat pie.

“Keep running your mouth, Fenwick, and I will tie your hands to your back until you learn proper mana manipulation,” I replied with a playful smile.

“I’d get one of Rup’s puppets feed me,” he said.

The girl shook her head, half horrified, half disgusted.

Other than Fenwick, all the cadets were still fairly cautious around me.

Leonie and Yvain exchanged a confused look. The fact that I didn’t behave like a typical Prestige Class raised many eyebrows back in Farcrest. This place was no exception. High-level Prestige Classes were the most scarce resource in the kingdom, and having one joking around with a cadet in an almost dilapidated house wasn’t a common sight. Still, interacting with students outside the classroom was one of the most enjoyable parts of being a teacher.

“Did you have formal instruction before the Academy, Leonie?” I asked.

“W-well, yes,” she said, still uncertain about what attack angle to use on her meat pie. “There’s no shortage of warriors in the Almedia Estate. Not quite a school, but still. My father taught me one or two things.”

There was no tactful way of asking Leonie if her father was alive, with a dozen cadets listening to our conversation. Leonie’s father seemed famous, and most famous people I’ve heard of were dead. Monster Surges and political subterfuge were equally dangerous.

“Wasn’t your Class more fitting to the Library’s magical combatants?”

“I will become a Spellblade,” Leonie replied. “...eventually.”

The girl was more daring than I expected. Advanced Classes weren’t challenging to achieve, but jumping into a Prestige Class was entirely different. All Prestige Classes were high-level people, but not all high-level people were Prestige Classes. Still, daring was good.

“Is your father a Prestige Class?” I continued with the interrogation.

The cadets looked at me like I had spent the last decade living under a rock. They weren’t wrong. Earth couldn’t be further from Ebros, and Farcrest was the sticks, to put it tactfully—at least until the new trade route was completed.

“Well, yes, he is
” Leonie replied.

“Sir Gerar Almedia, Marquis of Almedia, is one of the most famous Imperial Knights alive. He single-handedly stopped the Nychtys Queen Monster Surge. The Gairon Dukedom owes him everything,” Yvain interrupted her with a scolding glance.

“Should we start calling you Lady Almedia?” Fenwick asked.

Leonie blushed. 

“Please don’t do that.”

Leonie was daring but humble. Not a bad combination.

I withdrew from the conversation and let the cadets interact with each other. Instead, I focused on Wolf. During the gnome party, we talked almost exclusively about the kids. It was my time to tell him about Whiteleaf Manor and the Teal Moon Tribe. Life at Farcrest was peaceful, so most of the news I bore was about the progress of the little ones and the valley’s production. Wolf was pleased to hear we sent about a hundred kilos of iron and steel into the Farlands weekly. Unlike Umolo, Whiteleaf Manor created long-term value for the tribe even during peace, which translated into higher chances of survival. 

Wolf didn’t seem in a hurry to return.

When I checked the cadets again, not even a crumb remained.

“How is your mana pool doing, Wolf?” I asked.

[Sanctuary] had been going during the whole hour Talindra taught them mana manipulation plus the few minutes of lunch. Wolf gave me a mischievous glance. 

“My reserves are doing great. I’ve been title fishing,” he said, summoning his character sheet.

Name: Wolf Clarke, Half-Orc (Strong, Sturdy). 

Class: Warden Lv.27

Titles: Stalwart, Teal Moon Warchief, Heartbreaker, Adept Anatomist, Adept Chirurgeon, Novice Mathematician, Novice Orator, Novice Historian, Novice Bialogogist, Novice Chemist, Silver Healer, From the Brink of Death(7), Field Doctor(17), Safe Surgery(11), Patchwork Professional, Bonesetter, Bloodletter, Wart Slayer, Tooth Fairy, Gift of Life, Doctor Doctor Please. 

Passive: Longsword Mastery Lv.4, Polearm Mastery Lv.4, Hammer Mastery Lv.4, Diagnosis Lv.4, Riding Lv.1, Throwing Lv.4, Sewing Lv.1, Surgical Precision, Sanctuary, Physician’s Sight, Warden’s Oath.

Skills: Greater Regeneration, Stupor, Shape Mana, Healer’s Compendium, Purify, Hearth, Ethereal Hut, Fortress, Ward, Incision, Mend.

“Tooth Fairy?” I asked.

“Healing teeth is particularly difficult, so pulling them is the safest option most of the time,” Wolf replied, matter-of-factly.

Considering the bulk of his forearm, he probably didn’t even need pliers.

“You said you got your titles from teaching many kids. I figured out I could get a lot of titles by healing as many people as possible,” Wolf said, suddenly embarrassed. “I might have crashed the local Wart Potion market in the process
 so I think local Herbalists hate me, but the people are fairly happy. There’s only so much a low-level Healer can do, and most people can’t afford the high-level ones. In the end, it’s a win-win situation. I get titles, and they get rid of their rotten teeth.”

I wondered if the [Gentle Giant] title was close.

A wide smile appeared on my face.

“Doctors are very popular among girls. Any special patient you like to visit often?”

“I’ve been busy.”

“Too busy to notice, or just not interested?”

“I’ve been mighty busy.”

I decided to cut him some slack. Wolf told me about his titles while the cadets rested at the [Sanctuary] circle. [From the Brink of Death] and [Field Doctor] didn’t count the same type of wounds more than once, so the more stacks he gained, the harder it became to get more. During the last field trip, the Wolfpack was deployed into an area with a plague of Rock Golems, so Wolf expected someone to break their skull. Unfortunately, Aardvark had prevented every monster ambush. 

[Wart Slayer] was a well-known title among Healers, yet despite the mana boost and the relatively easy way to earn it, very few Healers attained it. No one in the Medical Circle wanted to have such a ridiculous title. Wolf, on the other hand, was more pragmatic.

[Tooth Fairy] was about pulling a hundred teeth. [Bonesetter] was about fractures. [Gift of Life] was about a difficult baby delivery—although Wolf didn’t go into details, he said he wasn’t cut for the job. [Bloodletter] wasn’t about healing at all.

“You have been studying a lot,” I pointed out, looking at all his [Novice] titles.

“I want to be prepared for the next time a Lich appears,” Wolf replied.

Back at the table, Leonie raised her hand. Color had returned to the cadets’ faces, and they didn’t look sick anymore. I nodded at Leonie to speak.

“What happens next?” she asked.

The other cadets straightened and cast covert glances in my direction.

I cleared my throat, returning to my teacher act.

“Lessons will be the same daily: physical conditioning, sword drills, and mana manipulation in the mornings. In the afternoons, we will practice what we taught you in the mornings,” I said.

“So
 is Zaon coming?” Genivra asked.

Wolf massaged his eyes and mumbled something along the lines of ‘not another one.’ Beauty standards at Ebros tended to favor strong-looking individuals, so elves were at a disadvantage, but Zaon had a charming personality, even if he didn't realize it. 

I looked through the window. There was still some time until lunchtime finished. Zaon and the others should be having lunch at the dining hall.

I was to tell the cadets to focus on resting when the door blew open.

“Alright bitches, I have come here to eat tarts and kick cadet ass
 and I’m all out of tarts,” Firana said, sleeves rolled up and three swords in her belt. There were stains of jam on the corner of her mouth.

Ilya smacked Firana’s head. Hard.

The cadets were too surprised to react. Even Talindra was frozen in place, holding a fork and knife. More than half of her meat pie still lay on a wooden plate. I briefly wondered where she had gotten them, but Firana entered the house and ran into me. Her arms wrapped around my chest, constricting me like a boa. Once again, I thanked the System and my rank B Endurance.

“A gnome?” Odo asked, but Harwin jumped and covered his mouth with his hand.

“That’s the Nugget! Do you have brain damage? Do you want brain damage?” Harwin whispered.

Ilya didn’t notice, or at least she pretended not to notice.

I prayed for the boys.

“Sorry for the intrusion,” Zaon apologized, entering last.

Aeliana gave Leonie a naughty glance. 

Rup, Kili, and Genivra joined heads at the other side of the table and snickered.

It was too late to back out.

“These are my old students, Zaon, Wolf, Ilya, and Firana—” I stopped short, noticing Firana’s expectant eyes upon me. “—Firana Clarke.”

The girl beamed.

“Your daughter?” Fenwick asked, a mischievous smile on his face.

My [Teacher’s Sense] tingled. I could tell the gears of his mind were spinning at full speed, calculating the chances of pulling whatever prank he had come up with. I rubbed the bridge of my nose. The boy was a menace.

“Adoptive, yes,” I said, tired already. “These four are third-year cadets. They were all my students back at Farcrest. They have survived every selection exam so far, so I expect you to learn from their experience. Feel free to ask them anything.”

Leonie’s hand shot up.

“Anything?”

“Within reason,” I quickly added.

Cabbage House's longhouse-shape was perfect for holding fencing lessons indoors. I used [Mana Mastery] to summon a dozen hands and disassembled the makeshift partitions on the left side of the fireplace. The old, rusty nails weren’t a rival for my magic powers. The result was a broad, open section only interrupted by the pillars holding the second floor. 

“Remember, everyone, we are practicing the fundamentals. Thirty percent intensity, not more. This will be a long session. Understood?” I asked, and the cadets nodded. “Great. Grab your training swords. Don’t forget to wear protection.”

I marked the floor with [Magical Ink] to create four squares, one for each of my kids.

“Don’t be too harsh with the cadets. Thirty percent intensity, but push them a little if they do it well. Check their fundamentals. Don’t use skills,” I said. My eyes fell on Firana’s devilish grin and I knew she wasn’t joking when she said she was there to kick cadet ass. I grabbed her head and cleaned the leftover jam from her face. “Firana? Fifteen percent intensity for you. Try to trick them, not hurt them.”

The girl was crestfallen but ultimately agreed.

I clapped my hands.

“Let’s start, then. Four cadets into the squares, go!”

Naturally, the commoners stepped back so that the nobles could go first. Yvain, Leonie, Aeliana, and Malkah entered the sparring squares. Yvain, in his infinite male naivety, entered Zaon’s square before the girls could get ahead. 

I stifled a laugh and stepped aside. 

Talindra joined me.

“Two squad leaders, the third year star, and Preceptor Holst’s assistant. Sir Rovhan is going to have an ulcer when he finds out those four were your students,” she said. “How did you do it?”

I shook my head.

“Can’t take all the credit. Mister Lowell believed commoners could achieve as much as nobles with the proper instruction. Ilya and Zaon were raised under those precepts since birth almost, Wolf for half his life, and Firana
 she’s special,” I said.

Talindra leaned forward, trying to read my expression.

“Special?”

“Her birth name was Firana Aias, from the Aias Mercenaries. She was raised to become a warrior and has a natural aptitude for swordsmanship. Have you heard of them?”

Talindra gave me a knowing look.

“Yes, they were famous in the Vedras Dukedom too. Based in Magnolia before changing allegiance. Mistwood isn’t far away,” she said, shrugging.

“That’s her. My special girl,” I said, summoning a mana hourglass. “The sparring session will last two minutes, then the next four cadets will enter the sparring area, and so on. Two minutes of sparring, four minutes of rest. Let’s go!”

I turned the hourglass. My kids moved before the first grain of sand touched the holographic bottom. The cadets took a moment to react, and only Malkah managed to block the first attack—the boy had the reflexes of a cat. Firana interpreted it as a challenge.

“Fifteen percent, Firana!” I shouted from the sideline.

“Fifty percent, understood!” Firana replied, quickening her pace.

Fenwick grinned as Malkah retreated to the edge of the sparring area. I made a mental note to keep those two as far apart as possible. Troublemakers didn’t just add their mischief; they multiplied it. 

“Fifteen!”

“Fifteen hundred!”

Malkah stood on a tightrope, pushing back Firana’s flurry of strikes. He was doing it well, so Firana pushed a bit further. Regardless of her words, she was following my instructions to a tee.

The sand fell slowly to the bottom of the hourglass, and by the two-minute mark, the cadets were covered in sweat.

“Time!” I shouted, and my kids retreated.

The cadets let out a sigh of relief almost in unison as they dropped their guards. The difference in skill was abysmal. The cadets still relied too much on the System, but they had done well.

“You are strong warrior, blue one. Much respect,” Aeliana said, her face shining as if she had a hundred grains of sand embedded on her skin.

“You are not bad, Karid. Your footwork is as good as I expected from a dancer,” Ilya replied.

“You know my people?” Aeliana was surprised.

Karid. I had assumed Aeliana was some sort of desert elf. Her ears were pointy, her hair was like white sand, and her skin was light bronze, perfect for camouflage in arid environments. I had thought those were natural traits for surviving in the desert.

“I met a few during a field trip to the Orgirian border,” Ilya said.

Aeliana’s eyes shone with pride.

“Next group!” I shouted, realizing that Ilya and the kids had seen more of the world than me. I made another mental note to take Elincia on a vacation someday—maybe to the Alchemist Circle in Mariposa. [Aerokinesis] and Mana Potions should allow us to travel quickly anywhere.

Yvain, Leonie, Malkah, and Aeliana saluted and sat by the fireplace. 

Fenwick, Rup, and the two Henchmen entered the sparring grounds.

Rup had ended up before Firana. The girls looked like a mouse and a tiger. Knowing that Firana had no qualms about smacking a much weaker opponent and that Rup needed a more gentle touch, I decided to pair her with Zaon. 

“Rup, Odo, change places,” I said.

Odo nodded, and Rup gave me a silent look of gratitude.

“Go!” I said, flipping the hourglass.

Despite her weak body, Rup wasn’t a lousy fencer. The Book of Classes said that a Puppeteer’s puppet was only a medium for their combat skills. Puppeteers had to know how to fight if they wanted their puppets to perform well in combat. Rup had to have at least a Lv.1 [Fencing]. 

As the afternoon passed, the cadets slowly built up exhaustion, and by the twentieth sparring session, they could barely keep up with my kids. 

“One more cycle and we are done!” I announced.

Ilya, Zaon, Wolf, and Firana would not be permanently available, so I wanted to make the most of their presence while I could. Third-year cadets had no scheduled lessons but were deployed throughout the kingdom to quell monster activity and level up. One way or another, levels were also important, and Imperial Knights were expected to reach level forty ahead of the curve.

By the end of the session, the cadets were exhausted.

“Enough for today. Great job, everyone,” I said.

“The sun is still up,” Leonie pointed out before Fenwick could shush her.

“Resting is an important part of learning,” I said, dispelling the hourglass. “You are free for the rest of the day, but I want you here as soon as the sun sets. Use the baths, take a dip in the lake, or nap at the grove—whatever you like. Just have dinner at the hall before returning and be here before sunset. Understood?”

The cadets nodded and skittered away before I could change my mind.

They have had more than enough for a day.

I turned around. Firana was almost on top of me.

“Your next line will be ‘Mister Clarke, spar with me’,” I said before she could open her mouth.

Firana jumped back, her eyes wide open, and she adopted a defensive stance like she had seen a ghost. “How did you know?! Did you learn a mind-reading skill?!”

Ilya, Zaon, and Wolf slapped their faces at the same time.

I wasn’t looking forward to socializing with the teaching staff, so we hung out at the Cabbage House for the next hour. Firana and I did a bit of light sparring. I expected her to be in the mood for a full-fledged fight, but she was more talkative than anything else. Talindra also sparred with us. She wasn’t half bad with the sword. 

When we decided to go to the dining hall, the gnomes ambushed us. Two days of partying was too much even by their standards, but they forced us to have dinner with them. It was impossible to say no, and even Ilya’s complaints were ignored. Seeing how well-respected the kids were made me feel warm.

Gnome food was simple but tasty.

I made sure to shoo away any gnome who wanted to pour mead into Talindra’s mug. 

When the sun set, the cadets returned to Cabbage House in groups of two or three.

I took the roll call—one head was missing.

“Has anybody seen Kili?” I asked, looking down the path.

The girl was nowhere to be found.

Malkah raised his voice.

“I saw her walking towards the main gate.”

The little thief had been avoiding all my attempts to single her out—with great skill, to be fair. I wondered if she was returning to town to participate in their ‘extracurricular activities’. Something didn’t feel right. I had pushed her to the extreme during the training session, so even with [Sanctuary]’s recovery, she shouldn’t have much gas in the tank for anything else.

I couldn’t let her get caught.

“Talindra will sort you,” I said, channeling [Minor Aerokinesis]. “I will go get Kili.”