CHAPTER 187: INTERMISSION

After Eisen’s match, there was a brief rest period. The semi-final matches will start in the afternoon. So, for now, the winners needed to do their best to restore their stamina and mana.

The audience went out of the coliseum to go around the city to eat lunch. The city was abuzz with conversations about the semi-finalist.

It had been such a long time since a commoner was able to get this far in the tournament. The last one was a few centuries ago.

A commoner gifted in swordplay was able to rise to become a marquess; he even challenged the Runescar family, but ultimately failed.

Of course, they were also talking about the battle between Elyra Runescar and Evander Judicar.

Who knew that the first one among the ducal heirs to lose was Evander Judicar, the oldest of the ducal heirs?

In the beginning, most people thought that it would be Lucen Thornehart who would be the first among the ducal heirs to be eliminated.

Yet after watching his matches, they understood that they knew nothing about the heir of the Iron Duke.

***

The taverns and streets of the capital were bursting with energy. Merchants shouted special lunch offers for spectators, children waved small flags bearing the crests of their favorite noble houses, and soldiers off duty argued over who would win the tournament.

"This year’s tournament is so exciting!"

"Yeah, who knew a commoner like us would be able to reach the semi-finals?"

"That’s right. It just goes to show that even if they’re nobles, they’re still humans just like us."

"Hahaha! What’s this guy saying? They’ve always been human. Are you treating nobles like some kind of monster?"

"That’s not what I meant!"

"Who cares! Let’s drink for our compatriot Eisen Terre!" One of the people in the tavern raised their mug, and so did the others.

"To Eisen Terre! The pride of us commoners!"

"Eisen!" "Eisen!" "Eisen!"

The crowd cheered and then drank their entire mugs. A few of the nobles who were just outside the tavern heard their chanting and frowned.

Of course, not all nobles were like them and didn’t really care much about those kinds of things.

Seeing as many of the nobles now were once from commoner families that simply rose to the position through their own efforts, not by bloodline.

***

Lucen met with Robert, Sir Thalos, and his men. The very second Robert saw Lucen, he could not help but speak.

"Did you see that kid, Eisen?! He’s using just two basic spells with great effect. I already knew that the kid had a massive amount of mana, but he’s only a first-circle mage. Who knew that he would make that defect into something great!"

Robert continued to excitedly tell how amazing Eisen was, until Harlik interrupted him.

"How about we let our little leader rest. Seeing as he has a match later."

"This guy didn’t even use much mana in that last match, and his stamina is still full. That idiot from the Black Tower basically self-destructed, throwing out powerful spells without anyone to pin Lucen down." Robert answered, sounding a little annoyed when he remembered how the black tower mage fought.

"I do like these talks, but how about we find a place to eat first, before we continue talking." Sir Thalos joined in the conversation as well.

"Sir Thalos is right. I do want to eat before my next match starts." Lucen said while touching his stomach.

After searching for a place to eat but finding every tavern packed, they decided to return to the Thornehart estate.

The chefs prepared a quick meal for Lucen and the others. While they were eating, Sir Thalos spoke to Lucen.

"Who do you think will be your next opponent?"

Lucen shrugged his shoulders as he took a bite of the meat on his plate. "I don’t know. It doesn’t really matter who my next opponent is; I will bring back victory either way."

"That’s our little leader for you! So confident." Harlik said with a bit of pride in it.

"Of course! This is the person I follow. I also wanted to join in the fun and fight all those strong guys." Thrall spoke while he still had some meat in his mouth.

"Since our leader says he already won. There’s no point in watching, right? So, can I just stay here and sleep?" Daniel spoke while looking lethargic. He only had a few bites of the meal in front of him.

"The little leader is doing his best to bring victory. As his subordinates, we need to be there to watch him grasp glory in his hands." Harlik spoke, giving a quick glare at Daniel.

"Aaagghh..." Daniel could only slump in his chair as he now had no choice but to continue watching the matches.

"Seeing you so lethargic, do you want to drink one of my creations? It will give you the energy you need to continue watching."

Robert took out a vial with a purple substance inside it. Hearing what Robert said and seeing the vial in his hands, Daniel sat properly.

"There’s no need for that. I actually feel better now. Let’s go and support the leader!" Daniel tried his best to sound as energetic as possible.

"Oh? Is that so? What a pity, I wanted to see how much energy this gives you." Robert said, sounding disappointed.

"Why don’t you drink it then?" Lucen asked Robert.

"Unfortunately, I drank too much of my own creations, so I have become rather resistant to a few materials. I either won’t feel the full effects of this potion or it won’t work at all."

"Do you want me to drink it?" Thrall asked. Normally, Robert would quickly agree if it were anyone else, but Thrall was an exception.

Robert had already made Thrall test out a few potions and later learned that, unlike most people, Thrall had a high natural resistance to many of the ingredients he used in his potions.

So, with a similar reason as to why he wouldn’t drink the potion himself, he cannot let Thrall drink it as well.

"No need, I’ll just find someone else to drink it... How about you, Milos? You haven’t spoken in a while."

When his name was called, Milos looked at Robert and then at the vial in his hand. Robert paused for a few seconds before speaking.

"... Sir Robert, is there a potion that can help me awaken my aura?"

Robert, who was about to answer, was interrupted by Sir Thalos. "What are you saying, young Milos? Are you trying to take a shortcut? To awaken one’s aura, you must do it yourself. By training and continuing to train."

Milos gritted his teeth and did not respond. Seeing his reaction, Lucen spoke.

"Milos, can you tell us what you’re feeling right now? Why would you ask Robert to help you awaken your aura? Don’t worry, we’re all comrades here. Just tell us what you feel."

Milos glanced at Lucen, who was younger than him, looking at him with such gentle eyes, it was as if Lucen was the older one and he was the younger one. Milos then glanced at the others; they all seemed to wait to hear what he had to say.

Milos sighed before speaking. "I... I feel restless... I have been training for two years under Sir Thalos’s teaching. I have never skipped training, not once. I have kept at it for two years, and I even went beyond that training, and pushed myself to the very limits every single day..."

Milos clenched his fist hard as he breathed in and out. He paused for a little bit before continuing to speak.

"Yet, no matter how hard I try, even now I still haven’t awakened my aura. Every sunrise, I told myself today would be the day. But it never was... Watching the matches just showed me that kids younger than me already awakened their auras, or have their mana cores and are at the second mantle or second circle, while I remain auraless, and with no mana core to speak of."

There were now a few tears trying to fall from Milos’s eyes, but he held them back. "After experiencing the monster waves and seeing the leader fight those matches, I... I knew that in the future, he would become something greater. He would go on grander adventures, to more dangerous places, and someone as weak as I would not be able to follow..."

Lucen stayed silent for a few moments after hearing Milos’s words. The others didn’t speak either. After several seconds, it was Sir Thalos who spoke.

"Milos," Sir Thalos put down the fork in his hand and spoke. "Do you know how many people awaken their aura naturally?"

Milos stared at Sir Thalos and shook his head weakly.

"Even with proper training and guidance, there’s only about one in two hundred who would awaken their aura. Harlik, when did you awaken your aura?"

"I was seventeen when I awakened my aura. It happened during a battle when my life was on the line."

"When did you start going to the battlefield?" Sir Thalos asked.

"Since I was eight."

"You hear that, Harlik has been honing his body for that long, and only awakened his aura by chance. Even the young lord had only recently gained a mana core and awakened his aura. And he had been training since he was able to walk."

Sir Thalos knew that Thrall did not use aura and something else entirely, so he skipped him and spoke to the lethargic Daniel.

"How about you, young Daniel? When did you awaken your aura and gain your mana core?"

"I got both at the same time. I was eight at the time. It was the first time I held a sword."

Sir Thalos turned his gaze back to Milos. "Even someone like Daniel, who awakened earlier than the young lord, is only at the second mantle, and is a first circle mage. The young lord, on the other hand, is at the first mantle and second circle mage. That’s because of the effort the young lord put in."

Sir Thalos then showed a bright smile. "I myself awakened my aura at the age of nine. At the time, there were many geniuses far above me, but now I’m at the fifth aura mantle, while those people got stuck at the third or fourth aura mantle. Everyone awakens their aura at different times. There might also be a chance that you won’t awaken your aura."

When Milos heard those words, he lowered his head slightly, but then he was surprised to hear what Sir Thalos had to say next.

"But, no matter if you awaken your aura or not. The effort you’ve poured in will never betray you. If you take a shortcut now, that would be a betrayal of all the effort you, yourself, put into."

Sir Thalos then looked Milos in the eyes. "Still, I will understand if you truly want to take that shortcut if Robert does have one. I will not force you to follow the path I think is right; you must follow the path you, yourself, think is right."

"I... I think I will simply continue training under your tutelage, Sir Thalos. I will become a true knight with or without awakening my aura. I will make sure that I’ll keep up with everyone and I’ll be there as the leader’s legendary story unfolds."

Milos, who was teary-eyed just moments ago, now had eyes that looked like they were sparkling.

When Lucen heard those lines and saw this scene, he couldn’t help but remember a few anime tropes he had watched in his past life. ’This guy might actually be the protagonist of a spin-off story or something. Really, if I didn’t know Alexander was the protagonist of the game, I might have thought it was this guy. Those cheesy lines come out so naturally from him.’

"That’s good to hear. Since you put your trust in me. I promise to train you into a great knight." Sir Thalos pounded his chest.

Robert shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I didn’t have such a thing in the first place. But I was going to try and make one for you, as long as you are the test subject. Since you don’t want to do it anymore, I guess that’s that... Still, the idea of forcefully awakening one’s aura or mana core does sound intriguing." Robert mumbled the last part to himself.

Lucen and the others, with their enhanced hearing, were able to hear those whispered words.

The group once again started talking merrily at the table when they heard the ringing of a bell. That was the signal to return to the Royal Academy.

’Of course, after a cutscene like this, the next stage comes. Alright, time to win the semi-finals.’ Lucen thought to himself.