Five - Vambrace and Grand knight inheritance

The next day, when Leylin finally appeared after hours of having gone missing, George couldn't help but size him up.

His disheveled appearance and the flushed face were things that he could recognize very well, but the prospect of doing it with someone while being kidnapped by the knights made him find the situation completely impossible to comprehend.

"Leylin... don't tell me you were violated and even liked the experience?"

Hearing George's question, Leylin frowned and looked at him displeased. Fuck, he was even trying his best to keep the feeling of that bountiful chest which he got to squeeze many times in his mind but that idiot had to say some shit and cause him to forget it!

"Damn George, if we weren't friends I would beat the crap out of you right now."

Seeing the anger in his face, George could only stare in confusion. "I don't get it, If I didn't know better, I would think you got laid and it was even high quality women. But how could that even be?"

Hearing those words, Leylin couldn't help but stare at him in surprise. Sitting next to the bonfire that had long been put out, he couldn't help but wonder what the heck this guy usually did besides training for him to even know when someone had sex.

"Do you remember that gal who stays in the carriage with a heraldry containing the drawing of a tower?"

Hearing those words, George froze and stared at him with wide eyes. "Fuck! So fierce! My good brother even got laid with a Magi?!"

Even Leylin felt proud when George spoke about it like that. It's not like she forced herself on him or anything... cough. Somewhat embarrassed, he noticed that some people were looking at them. "Keep it down! This is serious!"

George nodded at those words and toned down a bit. "I don't understand though, if I were to get laid with a beauty like that, I would feel elated for a whole day. You on the other hand, looks like you just survived a calamity."

Leylin nodded hearing his description of him. Of course he felt like that, who wouldn't after going through what he did.

Pondering for a moment he decided to explain the whole situation.

After hearing Leylin's words for a time, George didn't know if he should feel happy or envy. "Damn, your luck is beyond my understanding. So the things on the backpack are...?"

Leylin nodded and opened the front cover a bit to let George take a look.

Inside it, there were two objects, the most eye catching one was a strange piece of armor with a golden gem encrusted on top of it. It was a vambrace made in a mysterious way, the craftsmanship was exquisite and transcended the methods of mortal men. Despite the intricate patterns made of a golden and white metal, the whole object shimmered with a holy golden metallic luster that was impossible to comprehend. Metal polished to this extent should have looked like chromed plated cars, however, even the white metal had the golden metallic reflection when put against the sun.

"And that book?"

"That woman said it's a grand knight's inheritance. Supposedly of the highest quality too."

Hearing those words, George fell silent. They looked at each other for a moment and Leylin smiled.

"Dear George, I'm not your brother, only siblings share their things for free." Why did he say that? Simple, when he asked the woman, she just waved her arm as if anxious to throw me out of her carriage. Since she never mentioned if he had to keep it a secret or not share it, he thought it would be okay if it was only one person.

Nodding, George started pacing back and forth while thinking of a solution. He was well aware that their friendship wouldn't be enough to bridge the distance between him and such a valuable thing that could make kingdoms go into war to obtain. After pondering for a while he remembered something that he never discussed with Leylin before as it never crossed his mind.

"Uh, say, what do you think about joining the same academy as me?"

"Same academy?" Leylin was about to reject but before he could, George's words made him decide to wait.

"Yes. You see, many people of my family have joined Ennea Ivory Ring Tower over the years, right now, I have one elder cousin who is on the verge of becoming a Magus there. No matter what, she has access to a lot of valuable information that we don't, besides being able to teach a lot of things to us. If you let me practice this technique with you, I shall do my best to get my cousin to help you too when we are in the academy!"

George's words made Leylin fall into deep thoughts. Knowing him after so many years, it was unlikely that he was lying. And if his family has been going to Ennea Ivory Ring Tower for a long time, it's really possible that he will be able to obtain valuable information before anyone else and from a trusted source.

Overall, the benefits seemed quite good, after all, it was just a grand knight's technique in the end. No matter how rare it was, when they reached the level of a level 3 acolyte, it wouldn't make much difference anymore.

Nodding, he shook hands with George and allowed him to study the Grand Knight's Technique with him.

As he did so, he couldn't help but think about Lady Angelia's words.

...

The day before.

After having gone through a round of energetic fun, Leylin was lying on the bed of that female fatale. Too tired to move even a finger, he couldn't help but stare at Lady Angelia with fear. Wasn't she an acolyte? How the fuck does she have more energy than a preparatory knight?

Flexing her arms, she gave him a seductive glance before sitting naked on her reclining chair, which allowed him to have full view of her beautiful body.

"Going back to our previous business. It will be like this. I'm going to give you a magic tool and a set of Grand Knight's Technique. If you follow my and my master's arrangements, I assure you that your power will be a lot more special compared to that of a normal magi. For instance, you should have noticed my endurance, no? I can last a lot longer than you because I'm a grand knight. Oh, and just so you know, I'm still twenty years old."

As she said those words she moved her fingers and a chest on a corner of the carriage opened. From within a vambrace and book came flying into her hands, followed by a backpack.

"Also, don't worry about not being able to use it, this one is special and can be activated by igniting your life force."

...

Weirdly enough, he had been forbidden from practicing the techniques of a magi before reaching the level of an actual knight! According to her own words, it would lower the quality of his life force if he were to advance as magi first.

Not only that, if he did advance to a knight and was granted a set of meditation techniques, he was also forbidden from entering the realm of a magus before becoming a grand knight...

Could it be that they follow a mixed path that involves the power of the knights?

Without anyone to answer his questions he could only focus on his training.

A few days later, Leylin hopped off the carriage and stretched his arms. The glaring of the sun made him frown and cover his eyes. They had stopped for a break where the acolytes candidates could relive themselves and also eat lunch.

"Remember, we are still in The Great Plains of Death! Don't stray too far off or you will die!"

The words of the black robbed knight sent shivers up to the spines of the kids who could only nod silently and obey.

George came out of the carriage wearing his armor and looking like a proper knight, following him were the ladies and the boys of the Furze Alliance. Overall, they occupied all the three carriages in the front section which was the closest to the acolytes protecting the caravans.

As they left the carriages, many youths stared at them in envy and hatred.

The news had already traveled that Leylin had somehow hooked with one of the lord magus protecting the carriage.

That lady may have a cold and hard exterior, showing arrogance and disdain to everyone, even him, but she probably still had some consciousness inside her, after all, she even made this unfair arrangement to increase the security around him.

When the news started spreading, Leylin confronted George, but he was very sincere when said he didn't know anything about it. After scouting around and questioning some people, he discovered that it was Ourin and his group that spread this matter. To make everything worse, it's not like they knew anything, in fact, they had just been spilling nonsense without knowing it was the truth.

Sighing, he couldn't help but think that fate was messing up with him.

Because nobody could explain why the Furze Alliance was given preferential treatment, everyone took that as the truth. Lady Angelia too abandoned all decorum and blatantly ordered a knight to keep close watch on his group, if anything happened, he was only to make sure that Leylin wouldn't die.

Meaning, even if he was gravely injured, the knight wouldn't interfere so long as he wasn't in immediate threat of death.

"Alright everyone! You already know the drill! The gentleman will protect the ladies. Do what you gotta do but stay close and alert! Also, if you don't want to freshen up, stay in the carriage where it's safe. Don't cause unnecessary trouble for us!"

Everyone was restless and full of pent up tension. The claw marks on the carriages was a testimony to how much they suffered during the travel. The Furze Alliance was more fortunate thanks to being closer to the knights, but the others not so much. Three kids had already died and more were expected to leave this world.

One of the boys, Kassa, was so shaken up that he refused to come out of the carriage and said he would stay to help protect the girls that would stay behind.

Leylin only shrugged his shoulders at that.

The remaining boys and the girls nodded and they all departed in search of a river.

"Ahh, it's getting worse and worse we venture further. Look at this place, there aren't even trees around here, it's really a dead place." Yarfuan, one of the boys from the Furze Alliance, spoke dejectedly as they neared the end of their journey.

"It's quite strange isn't it? I wonder what's wrong with this place. Feels like it's in the process of turning into a desert." Another boy answered.

Hearing their conversation, Leylin couldn't help but frown. From what he remembered in the books, the continent they are in is considered a barren land. There are no resources worthy of a magus here, but there was also another matter. When the magus first used their spell in the books, one of them definitely mentioned this place to be filled with negative energy, as in there being too much of it.

Could it be that there was something especial about this place that no one knew?

As the thought crossed his mind, his heart suddenly tightened and a feeling of distress took over him. Looking around in fear, he barely had time to react.

"Move!"

No one noticed how or when, but a wolf about 1.5 meters in size had jumped towards Leylin.

Despite the surprise, it was not enough against him. Unsheathing his sword, he took a step back while spinning around his center of gravity. The sword slash left a silvery trail behind as a headless body fell down.

From afar, he could already see various wolves approaching.