I've made a grave mistake...

A week has passed, my training with Shive is like hell, one time I almost hit her but she can dodge it. While Vivi already able to use mass healing and high buffs and Kiel's magic power is increasing incredibly and learned more about manipulation magic. The last time she used her manipulation magic was when I was using the toilet at Gyne and she removed the door. Everyone was laughing at me, why I'm the one that to be the laughingstock. This morning we're not going to the training ground, Vex recommended Kiel to do a B Grade quest, that's why we're going to Gyne right now. When we arrived at Gyne, we told Marie about it and she's thinking about it for a moment, then she says,

"I'm not worried about it since Vex recommended it. But, with one condition, Val, you can't help her do the quest, while Vivi allowed to giving Kiel buffs. If you guys can accept that condition then I'll give you the B-Grade quest."

We discussed it then we agreed with Marie's term. Then she gave us the B-Grade quest, which is a hunting quest, to kill 1 Elder Lizard in the north Crude village. Lizard is the enemy of Mage, they're agile and fierce, their instinct and reflexes are insane, and Elder Lizard is immune to water and fire. We did it twice before we met Kiel, it's quite tiring. I said to Kiel if she's okay with this, she says,

"It's not a problem, I have other spells I learned from Vex and Lizards can't stop me."

With her words, I and Vivi believe her and so we're preparing to go to do the quest. At the north gate, I'm looking at Kiel, she looks nervous. Before we are passing the north gate, I say to Kiel,

"Don't be nervous. Remember Vivi's words at the riverside. If you have the will you will reach your goal no matter what, you have me and Vivi, we are watching each other's back to reach our goals and I remember when Shive told me that, facing your fear is good but accepting of who you are first is more important. Believe in yourself, convince yourself, then you can overcome your fear. We believe in you, Kiel."

She slaps her cheeks then she nods and says,

"Thank you, Val, that's the last piece I needed. I got this!"

We go to the place where the Elder Lizards are, it's a swarm and they are huge and a bit scary, especially the sounds they're made. On our way looking for Elder Lizard, I noticed that something's a bit off. It's too quiet, they're usually talking to each other, and right now we can only hear the sounds of frogs and Insects. I heard a rumor that Elder Lizard can camouflage, and they can hide their presence and make no noises at all. I told Kiel to use flame spells and use them around us. As I expected, this is bad. There is not only one Elder Lizard, but 20 of them lurking near us. They've been following us since we entered the swarm. We can't handle this, we need to run, I told Vivi to chant protection to all of us, then Kiel step forward I tried to stop her but she said that it's okay and she uses a manipulation spell, the spell that Vex did to me, Gravity Manipulation. She pushed all the 20 of them to the ground, then she cast Freezing Field and made them frozen, then she cast Icesword Rain then stabbed them all and killed them all. I and Vivi dropped our jaw shocked, and then Kiel turns around and says,

"YAY!! I did it Val, Vivi."

Kiel is smiling and then hugging Vivi. I reply,

"Ye-yeah we can see that, did Vex teach you all that Kiel?"

She nods and smiles, I told Kiel to bring the Elder Lizard's head, and I collected all the Elder Lizard's canine. After I collected all the canines and Kiel bringing the head, but she can't lift it, her squishy arms can't handle that, so I carrying the head as well. When we arrived at Gyne, I gave Marie the Elder Lizard's head and 40 Canines. She's confused and asks me,

"How many did you kill?"

I reply,

"Well, first of all, it wasn't me."

She asks,

"Hmm, what do you mean?"

I reply,

"Do I look like someone who just killed 20 Elder Lizards to you, Miss Marie?"

She checked my equipment, my clothes are clean, my sword is clean, no lizard's bloodstain on my sword. She asks,

"Then who killed the 20 Elder Lizards?"

Vivi and I are pointing at Kiel, she waves and smiles with her cute face. Marie's jaw dropped, then she shook her head and laughed. She says,

"You guys are something, I have no idea what Edith, Zee, Shive, and Vex teach you all 3. Well, I believe you, Val. No way you would lie to me, so... Kiel, since you killed 20 Elder Lizards, you don't need a promotion quest for your class change. Give me your adventurer license and you're now officially an Arch Mage!! Congratulations Kiel!!"

Kiel is jumping and screaming with joy, everyone is looking at her. They heard what happened also they know that I killed the Boss Bear. Some are congratulating us, and some mad and jealous about it. That's a 15 years old party that became Tier 2 in less than a month. Our fame is getting us an enemy. Then Zee and his friends barging in and congratulate Kiel for her class change. We all eating lunch at Gyne, it's Zee's treat. Of course, Kiel ordered 3 steaks and 5 desserts. We are all having a great time and then Shive says to me,

"After this, let's do some training."

I nodded then asked Vivi and Kiel if they want to train after done eating, they nod. But Shive says,

"No Val, I want you to come along this time."

After we are done eating lunch. We are on our way to the training ground. Her face is a bit different than usual. She's a bit scary, I don't know what happened. Maybe I'll ask her later. Also, this is unusual that only Shive, Zee, and I are going to the training ground. After we arrived, she throws me a black wooden sword on the field and asked me to pick it up. I tried to pick it up but I can't, it's crazily heavier than the other one. Then she screaming out loud and says,

"PICK IT UP VAL, ARE YOU THIS WEAK?"

I'm surprised and can't answer her question.

Is she mad at me? Zee is just sitting on the bench watching. I tried my hardest to pick it up. I'm screaming and try to pull it up. While I'm too focused on the sword, Shive stares at me. The same stare as before, and I was right. My mind is blank and started showing nightmares, and the things I'm afraid of if that happens, it shows me an image of Kiel and Vivi dead with blood covering their bodies, also my family and my aunt got impaled and screaming with pain. I scream so loud, my whole body starting to get itchy then it becomes unbearable pain. This time I can't move my eyes and focusing on Shive, I can't close my eyes. Shive approaching me, with the black wooden sword, and she suddenly already in front of me and whisper in my ear,

"Why are you so weak, you even panicking when facing 20 weak lizards like that? Are you really a leader? Are you really capable of being a leader? But you didn't do anything at all and Kiel with no hesitation facing them with no fear. I'm disappointed."

Suddenly my whole body is making a cracking sound from head to toe. I can finally move my eyes, I looked at my body. All my bones… I can see them… then I'm starting to feel the pain, I scream but I can't open my mouth. Am I going to die, if I then make it quick, I can't handle the pain anymore, I beg for someone just to kill me now then I passed out.