[Chapter 22 - Humilitas Occidit Superbiam : Humility Conquers Pride Pt.3]

A couple of days had passed. What it came down to was that this outcome was the only way to make a solution in which all parties were satisfied but apparently that is all I was allowed to know. At least back at the estate she was pretty open with questions but it seems here that isn't so much the case. In fact I had hardly seen her at all since that day.

Living wise there is definitely nothing to complain about. Our new home was an enormous manor in the heart of the noble district. While I may not have left it yet I had been able to get a basic understanding of the surrounding layout with the help of Patron. Over the past years he's become increasingly more useful, like he grows alongside me.

Anyways, Lindor is essentially one large commercial and residential kingdom built with the most elite at its center. Nearby is the Great Fort of Balor which is essentially a second, militaristic, version of Lindor centered around the training and management of a majority of the FSE's forces. It's become clear that war, both with the environment and other people, is a consistent and integral part of life in this world.

With that said my mother left a letter for me stating that today I would be traveling to Fort Balor to undergo an assessment for the academy I guess I will be attending, among various other things. Though to be frank I was just happy I would have a moment alone with her on the ride over. There was still a lot I wanted to ask. Like for example about the engagement I was entered into. All I know is that she is Arbor's daughter. Patron seems to not know anything beyond that and when I try to ask one of the various servants here they get panicked and try to end the conversation before quickly scurrying off.

Nevertheless the time my mother stated had come and a carriage arrived. I was dressed in casual attire with my wand in a black leather sheath on my side.With haste made my way into the carriage. Filled with anticipation I started speaking as soon as I opened the door

"I'm so glad we can finally talk there is so much I've"

The blank expression of a silver helmet stared back at me. I froze, hunched inside the carriage as the door swung in the breeze behind me. Without missing a beat the Valkyrie spoke "She's busy" and reached past me grabbing and pulling the door closed before falling back into her seat.

"Now hurry and sit. We have a lot to get done and I am not doing this for a second day."

I silently followed her instructions and sat down. A tightness formed in my throat and the carriage began to move. The Valkyrie stared out the window hidden behind her helm ; I'm not sure how much time passed before I worked the nerve up to speak but eventually I did and she turned to face me

"Vincent right? Your name that is.."

"Yes" she replied in a monotone and emotionless voice. I had been trying to practice my social skills so I continued anyways

"Thank you for taking the time to accompany me." she remained looking at me in silence "I hope it was not too much of an inconvenience"

"..."

"But it shouldn't happen again!" I started to panic. "After all, my mother was just busy this time!"

She scoffed with a slight chuckle layered behind it and redirected her attention back to the window. With that I took my defeat and returned to my silence for the rest of the ride.

We now stood side by side at a large wood topped stone bar. On the opposite side was a younger elf man gathering various papers,stamps, and small items before setting them in a basket on top of the counter. We were inside an administration type building and on either side of us were similar clerk-like interactions occurring. Aside from that, various different warriors and uninformed individuals were moving about engaged in their own various affairs.

From what I had managed to see so far Fort Baron was roughly the same Lindor, outer Lindor. There were streets full of carriages and people with various buildings stretched as far as you could see. The main difference was that most everyone here was clearly centered around combat. I don't think I have yet seen a single person without a wand, weapon or piece of equipment on their body.

"Alright sir. That should be all the necessary materials. Please take this to analysis room 4 and you'll receive further instruction from there."

"Thank you" I grabbed the basket and pulled it off the counter. The Valkyrie had already begun walking so I followed her deeper into the building until we reached a door. Walking in the room was a rectangular shaped box made of stone. In the very back were 3 granite looking statues in a V formation, in front was a long wooden desk with a significantly older man sitting behind it facing us.

He spoke in a tired and bored way that made it sound like he was a bad voice recording "Welcome please place the basket here and close the door behind you."

I did so and he began quickly and lazily emptying the basket onto the table before shuffling some papers and preparing a quill

"I will start by asking you a series of standard questions. Please answer them as plainly and accurately as you can. After this we will move onto the practical application some of which will confirm your question responses so do not bother lying on the questions. Do you have anything to ask me"

Before I could even inhale to speak "No? Okay good let's start." he dipped the quill "Do you have either ki or mana control"

"Both but I only know how to use mana"

"Current Primary Class"

"Chromatic Mage" I said and he stopped writing. He inquisitively looked up at me and the Valkyrie before resuming

"You are a noble I presume, house name?"

"Vinswain" . The old man's quill nib snapped. He paused briefly and cleared his throat

"I see." he opened a desk drawer, sliding the papers and broken quill into it before pushing it shut. "Let us just move to the practical shall we?".

He began pulling various things from the basket. A small tied cloth bag with a rune on it, a tennis ball sized crystal orb, a wooden tablet with a magic circle and a blue soulstone. He placed the orb aside and sat the tablet centered on the desk with the soulstone beside. "Arm" he said as he pulled a leather glove on and picked up the cloth satchel untying it

I hesitantly and with uncertainty began extending my arm to him. He looked at me with a dumbfounded and tired expression as he grabbed onto my wrist and slammed my arm against the desk pinning it as he reached his other hand into the satchel. What he pulled out was a leech looking creature, pinching it by the tail end. The body was gray like rotting meat and dripping with a thick mucus. It shrieked with a high pitch clicking as it thrashed around. I could feel the skin stretch tight as my eyes widened.

"This is a lamprey, a mana eater. Please do your best not to move, the better it latches the faster this goes."

"What does that mean?!"

Without response he shoved the moth of the lamprey against my forearm. Instantly a vacuum-like seal formed as its circles of layered teeth dug in.

"NGHGHG" I grunted as I could feel it start sucking my blood. Still holding my wrist down the man stared intensely at the lamprey as it wriggled around attached to my arm. The lamprey's skin started to change in color from pale gray to a bright yet deep blue. Once the change stopped after a few seconds he pinched the base of the lampreys mouth and ripped it off of me, placing it onto the wooden tablet. The lamprey had quickly become engorged and was now about 2-3 times its original size of an inch or so. He quickly reached into the basket and pulled out a blacksmith's hammer that had a rune and magic circle etched on the head.

With a swift swing he smashed the soulstone and the magic circles black ink began to glow blue.

Holding my arm I watched as the lamprey in the middle began to thrash before it screamed and began to smoke quickly withering away to a small, dried and shriveled lump of char.

As he began tossing all the materials back into the basket and sliding the crystal over "Unique Eligible, SS Mana Potential. Please grab and hold the orb, imbue it with mana as you do."

I followed his instruction and the clear orb became iridescent. He grabbed it and placed it back in the basket as well. "Now if you would please go and stand at the marked line" he gestured to a white chalk line in the stone and I complied

"With the 3 statues as your target please use your strongest skill. There are no requirements as to types, you do not have to achieve any specific outcome. The statues are at a range of 25, 30 and 40 feet. You may begin."

I took a deep breath in. I honestly had no clue about anything that just happened. I'm still not even entirely sure what my goal here is. But if the task is to impress this old man then I can do that. I had poured all my exp into being able to unlock this skill and even if I still don't have the best mastery of it, it's the strongest thing I have by far.

Lifting my wand I exhaled

"Feathers of Water and Wind." a small marble sized orb of liquid white light appeared at the wand's golden point "Talons of Fire and Earth." the orb began to twist and warp. I felt my hand and the wand begin to tremble a bit. "Paint the story of life before me!" air had begun to swirl as the orb shifted into an arrowhead like form

"WHITE PHOENIX"

The arrowhead shot forward leaving a white blurred trail behind it. Striking the statue an whirlwind of air and water burst outwards like a mini hurricane. I stiffened my legs as I felt myself being pulled forwards. Papers went flying past me and the older man let out a distressed groan. The hurricane-like formation quickly began to implode back to the impact point and the moment it vanished the statue exploded revealing a volcanic like area where the back of the room once was.

Along with all three of the statues a substantial amount of building was annihilated. Through the crumbling hole I stared at the shocked faces of street people. Breathing heavily I lowered my wand and turned to face the Valkyrie and disheveled old man behind me.