Chapter 8: This is how I got beaten and ILLUMINATI?

18 June 422

While I was quite interested in taking on the challenge of learning how to properly use a sword for the sake of not dying anytime soon in a world where gunpowder is still a distant mirage, for the sake of humility I will be honest with what happened after a good day or two spent practicing with Fourier and Wilhelm.

The blond youth was a challenge, not something impossible to overcome but every fight generally ended with some cheap tricks from my part that would get me some victory.

The prince knew positions and stances, how to properly guard and parry.

But he wasn't by all mean someone that could go in a war without some basic rules I was surprisingly drilling in his semi-naive brain: by the second day of training, I was unable to fully capitalize from launching a fistful of dirt on his face for the umpteenth time, the young man recovering the same moment I was trying to get a hit on him, parrying and then getting me back on the defensive.

Sure, I know enough tricks to avoid getting caught in some unpleasant situation during the spars, but the awe at how quickly the blond was learning about the difference between duelling and fighting was impressive.

When I had started with my tactical actions, I had expected Wilhelm to intervene and chastise any possible 'unacceptable' action during this part of the training... which he didn't. Without an input, the Sword Demon merely suggested that it was high time for the prince to learn something more other than 'pompously swinging' and end up killed by some smarter opponent.

But of course it was difficult that any support from this kind of individual was without reasoning, which was provided when yesterday he asked a spar to fully gauge my full potential and... I was obliterated not even two minutes in the fight.

It was an humiliating thought at first, but then I was reminded against whom I was fighting. Someone that in his prime had gone and beat Theresia van Astrea. The grandmother of Reinhard was considered the third strongest swords(wo)man in Lugnica's recent history, the first being her grandson and the second being her husband.

Even thinking that I was surely going to fight her in the future because of the Witch Cult was not a funny thought to have as a knee kept driving deep in my guts. Recoiling from the waiting elder, I was starting to regret how easily I had accepted his offer for a rematch and how quickly he was decimating any chance of landing even a single hit.

Cheap tricks failed when the man I was fighting was a battle-hardened veteran of the Demi-Human War. His two practice swords were blurs compared to my awkward actions and the fact he was purposely poking at my guard and rarely targeting my glaring openings was kind of... infuriating.

Sure, I don't want to lose to someone in any chances and, from my understanding, no one in general like to lose anything to anyone, but to think that I would end up in that particularly humiliating situation because the man was feeling 'playful' in the spar was starting to get in my fucking nerves now. It didn't help that some form of taunting was now starting to be caught by my ears inbetween strikes.

"How did you even survive that ambush?"

It was Fourier and... I wasn't taking the entire group of attackers all at once.

"To think that the prince has lowered himself to someone this much... disappointing."

I mean, it's his choice by the end of the day-

"I wonder how much of a disappointment you are to your mothe-!" I felt wood crash on my upper face, whipping my forehead but leaving no pain on its retreat. My mind was going through those words over and over and over as my own practice sword fluttered through the air, slashing upward as it gazed the man's chest. I felt the tip of the sword touching the cloth without damaging it.

A surprised blink was what channeled my sudden reaction, which was far from over as I moved the blade to hit again. Only to be intercepted by one of the swords. I was fully open for a clean hit on my ribs, which the second practice tool was directed at with the same pacing as before. The burning sensation, the one consuming much of my logical side because of the sore spot being probed, fueled my actions to seek a way out of that unpleasant predicament I had fallen into.

But my body was not capable of dodging or block the approaching attack, my entire torso way too sore to bend away and my blade stalled by the Wilhelm's second one. I gritted my teeth in annoyance and then... I saw something unique. My mind went lighter as I saw it, the stillness of Wilhlem as the blade stopped right few moments from truly hitting my chest. I blinked in shock, trying to make sense of what was happening and-

Wack!

Pain surged from my lower ribs, the crack echoing through my entire chest as I fell on the floor, sword forsaken by my hands as I went to press on the aching spot on my chest. The elder nodded, dropping the swords and crouching to get me up as I saw two silver 'bullets' rushing by my side. Hans and Fritz looked insanely worried there and I felt kind of sad that- "Hey, don't sleep yet!"

I snorted as I felt my footing still missing as the Sword Demon took me up and let Fourier help me to walk to the chair he had previously used. I saw slowly, pain still burning through my ribs as I saw the prince press his hand on the hurting spot, a green light blooming from there as I felt a cool sensation chill down the fiery aching on my chest. I blinked as the more time passed, the more I felt gain some relief out from that spell he was using.

The light decreased almost instantly and I sighed tiredly as the youth sat on another chair there. "T-That was a little more than usual." He hummed quietly as he closed his eyes, his whole posture dropping to one of dizziness. Seriously, was magic that much draining and... what had happened there? Why Wilhelm and everyone else had... stopped?!

Time Magic was something that suprisingly didn't exist didn't exist in this part of the universe, it was one of the things that this fantasy world lacked in terms of known spellcraft. People have tried and horribly failed to 'create' new magic from the existing knowledge of old tomes.

The common theory regarding the impossibility of casting the 'magic of old' is that after the sealing of the Witch of Envy, the massive change in the world's balance led to some incredible reduction of the magic potential in human beings.

The seal used to keep Satella from returning was tied to... everyone. The woman was so much strong that the energy required to keep the insanely complex prison going was a small toll given to everyone.

How this was possible? Flugel had personally placed several grand 'drain systems' through the entire 'world', making sure that none of those would ever risk of getting tampered while siphoning a... 2% percent of everyone's energy per week. It was a weird estimation but I didn't have any calculator and a world-wide census on me to get some proper idea of the real numbers.

And while I had been glad for a time that I wasn't going to deal with some world-munching bipolar witch, I was now regretting the fact I was going to deal with her anyway.

Why? Well, it would seem that the zone where she is currently being kept contained was quite close to where Erindor was and, for that reason, there were monthly 'checkups' from the local Church of Flugel to see if everything was still going smoothly... and the mayor had to be present in those occasions.

...Fuck!

Sleep was surprisingly easy that day, especially since I had started to get incredibly sleepy just after finishing dinner. It was a strange situation as I had never felt this much tired so suddenly after eating and, ignoring the fact I had completely forgotten to go through the bathroom and directly went to crash on my comfy bed. But while sleep was easy to obtain, the same could be said about losing it.

The moment I felt my back land on something creaky and sturdy, my eyes snapped open in shock as I found myself in a... room. No windows, now door visible... just candles which showed just part of the place.

A masked figure was standing tall in front of me, the mask literally making it difficult to understand who it was and... then I noticed the strange symbol painted in the wall behind him and-Oh!

Mysterious shadow, unknown room and some curious insigna. The conclusions should be easy to draw from those three elements.

My mouth opened in realization and, before the stranger could speak, I decided to blurt out a simple question.

"Are you an assassin?"

The man went still at the sudden query and I was unsure that it was either the shock of the question or that I had bullseyed that situation right from the beginning. He tilted his head and his deep, thunderous voice replied with something equally simple.

"What?"

"I mean, you got all the elements spot on." I stated calmly. "You got a barely-lit room with a strange symbol painted right in front of me and... you look quite shady."

"Our group is not made by 'assassins' as you foolishly denounce, Mayor Bukharin, and I would mind my tone if it was me in your place."

"Do you work for justice? For the people? For the freedom of everyne?-"

"SHUT UP, YOU FOOL!" He snarled the outburst just... so fine. I mean, I would be pissed too if someone ruined my 'plans' so brilliantly. He readjusted his posture, relaxing just a little as silence ruled for few moments. "Your presence here is a matter beyond the simple affairs of Lugnica-"

The man paused, glancing my way as I innocently blinked back at him. What? Did he expect me to prolong an already stale joke? That is such a lame prediction.

"-We are part of an organization that seek to prevent the success of the wrong-doers, of the villains and... of the cults." His tone turned poisonous just at the end and I nodded. "But the reason you are here is not as complex as it might sound. After seeing your recent work, our leaders have agreed to extensively study your case and see if the 'Curse' should be lifted."

"You mean that-" "Your predecessors tried to work with several nationalistic groups that would have destabilized the Kingdom of Lugnica, which we prevented by using the 'Curse' to take them out of the picture altogether."

... "So you do kill people-"

"Only those who warrant our intervention." He defended staunchly and I sighed.

"But you still kill people- Actually, let's cut the chase and just give me a name."

...He stared for few moments, either confused or suffering from some brain-fart at my careless attitude at the moment. Sure, I was pretty scare in that gloomy room with someone that could kill me but... I was feeling cocky enough to test how peer pressure worked on this organizations' member. Until now, they sucked very hard to keep composed during some 'work interviews' but I might be a special case just thanks to my inherent behavior.

"We are... the Enlightened Ecclesia."

...

"You are a Church?" He didn't deign me an answer, preferring to literally knock me out with a well-placed kick on my head. But as I was dragged back to my house, I slowly realized something.

...

Illuminati Confimed?!