I got dressed and headed towards the melee arena. I'm In the original timeline Arn had been late and ran there. I could have just gone downstairs like whisper did to meet the Guildmaster but I didn't care much for ceremonies. So I went straight to the arena.

I wasn't waiting long before the Guildmaster and the other students arrived. To my surprise, it didn't just whisper like in the game. There were some other white-robed apprentices and a young teenage Briar rose in tow as well.

She looked kinda like a female version of Harry Potter. She had the same round glasses and haircut. If only she knew the reference so I could give her a "sick burn".

She was a senior apprentice getting ready to take her final exams and become a Hero. I could tell she was already getting arrogant. It was the way she carried herself like she knew she was better than all the other youths.

I didn't care to get involved with her regardless. I have little patience for obnoxious individuals that look down on others. So what if someone doesn't have powers? They are still people and deserve to be given some respect. The medieval mentality is that might is always right. Dang girl wasn't even born a noble and yet she acts like she's one.

The guild.master started by having Briar Rose fight another senior apprentice to showcase their techniques and skills. Briar Broad Rose did have some grace and skill. She fought like a fencer with her falchion/saber-like sword. The other apprentice she paired with was not so skilled. Sloppy footwork, bad aim, easy to read movements. Even his sword swings were clumsy.

The other senior apprentice was named Tom and was the Guildmaster's son. I thought back to the game and remembered he was the one who claimed he was the fastest apprentice. Then when Arn beat his fastest timed lap to the demon door said he had to be good at something. I remember thinking, that he should have been a more central character. At least for comic relief or something. That guy never becomes a hero or anything. He's never seen after the protagonist graduated.

It made sense that the game made the heroes intro simpler and easy to follow. They were expecting most of their game's players to be young children after all. I had always wondered how Briar could be barely older than the protagonist but more renowned. He would have had to see her at the academy when growing up and yet she acted like she didn't know who he was in-game. What a stuck-up bitch!

Whisper was still new to the guild like myself so once again when the time came to pair her with an opponent I expected to be facing her. My expectations were wrong.

"Theresa you will be sparing with Whisper, you two are about the same age even if you have a height advantage on her," The Guildmaster told Theresa.

The fight that proceeded was even more one-sided than Briar Rose's fight had been. Theresa kept smacking Whisper to the grown with a swift grace that screamed "Kung Fu Master". It shouldn't surprise me that Theresa could handle herself in a close combat fight if needed but it did. How much time has she spent living through other timelines? Whisper got her butt handed to her until she finally called Theresa a "Fat Cheater" which resulted in getting herself beaten to near unconsciousness before ultimately surrendering and being forced to apologize.

Next, I was sent to spar with Theresa. The Guildmaster was shocked by my sister's skill and talent. Pretty much, everyone, was even Briar Rose was eyeing her with caution. Looks like you got a rival now sis, I chuckled internally.

Theresa looked like a master of reading her opponent's movements but I knew better. She was just using her future sight and striking as efficiently as possible. I too would fail to overcome such an opponent if I hadn't thought of a way to fight an enemy who held the same power. In Fable, Maze speaks of "Seers" as if they were not that uncommon. Someone even tries to steal Theresa's power after the first game. Theresa is gifted even for "Seers".

Theresa took her position opposite of me in the small melee arena. She looked nervous which let me know that she had tried to glimpse this fight and failed.

"Never put all your eggs in one basket sister," I said activating [Time Control].

How can someone accurately see the future when they cannot be certain when it is? My method? Ever heard of military-style encryption? I overlap an accelerated field of time with a thin barrier of slowed time. To onlookers, it would appear as if we moved super fast but the field I made was large enough to surround the watching trainees and Guildmaster. So no one would notice the difference except Theresa. This moment in time was blocked from her vision.

I could see her hesitance to strike out on her own. Theresa had become too dependant on her sight. I struck out with my wooden sword. She narrowly dodged to the side almost tripping because she wasn't watching where she was going. Being able to see other weaknesses had meant she never lost a fight. She had never learned a very important lesson about "Always being aware of your surroundings".

She kept backing away from me as we fought. I forced her wooden sword to the side and charged forwards with my other shoulder. She was rammed into the low fence of the small arena and accidentally toppled herself over.

"Haha," mocked some of the apprentices.

"SHUT UP," I shouted sternly.

"NO ONE MOCKS MY SISTER BUT ME!" I added with a stare. A few young apprentices gulped fearfully in response.

I helped Theresa up, "Do you know why you lost?"

"Because you countered my power?" She asked.

"No... because you've become too reliant on knowing the outcome beforehand. For everyone else, we have to cross boundaries through skills like reading body language and memorizing the terrain accurately at a moment's notice. You have taken a short cut and it could someday be what gets you killed."

Theresa nodded in response, "Thank you for pointing out my deficiencies Brother".

"You are very humble, sister. Many at your level would have repaid my answer with scorn."

"I am not those fools," She smiled.

Our moment of sibling bonding was interrupted by the other apprentices.

"I call Bullshit!"

"Me too!" Said a second apprentice.

"Yeah, she mopped the floor with me and yet went down so easily when her brother charged her. That doesn't even make sense," Whisper added.

"Now, children there is a logical explanation," The Guildmaster cut in looking at me to fill them in.

So Reaver the Guildmaster could sense my time manipulation spell? Or maybe Theresa's future sight? It could possibly be both and he was just enjoying watching a fight of melee and Will between two skilled users.

"Theresa was born with the power to see the future and I can use slow time. Its harder to see the future when the flow of time suddenly changes. My power happens to counter hers well and even the odds," I explained.

"WHAT??? SHE WAS CHEATING!" Whisper yelled stomping in frustration.

"There are no rules that say you can't use body enhancing Will powers during a melee duel child," Reaver remarked.

That shut Whisper up briefly but I could tell she was still fuming and she carefully contemplated her next statement, "But we don't have Will powers yet."

"Best not to point out your own deficiencies child," The Guildmaster retorted. Damn, Whispers gonna need some aloe vera for that one.

I caught a glimpse of A massive man in bronze armor striding towards us angrily. Oh, its Thunder come to complain about me... err us?

The presence of two farm children changes things a little.

"Ah, Thunder come to see how your sister is doing have you?"

"Yes, the servants tell me you have her training with,~scough~, some farm children"

"The girl cheats!" Whisper added.

"THAT IS ENOUGH WHISPER," The Guildmaster said commandingly. The girl went quiet and visibly pale. It was the only time I had ever seen the Guildmaster raise his voice.

"So you're not even having her train properly. I should have known..." Thunder fumed.

"So my children are too dirty to train with your royal highness now?" Scarlet Robes questioned. There was a murderous aura about the woman.

"You... You are?"

"Scarlet Robe the one and only in the flesh!"

Most of the students had seen her come over to watch the spars and had been quietly gossiping. What loving parent doesn't want to check in on their kids if they can? You see Nemo and Maze had worked something out with the Heroes Guild Demon door to get it to protect them. Just like "Hits" did for the archeologist later in the game. "Hits" being a demon door that will only open for those who know his name. This is the safest place for us all to be right now. Dad was currently taking care of Kren in the demon door nearby.

"So my son and daughter aren't good enough for an upstart hero like you?"

"I... I never said that..." Thunder tried to reason.

"My children are far more gifted than your little sister. she will gain from training with them as I've personally trained them before. This should be enough for you unless you doubt my power and skill," Scarlet berated while slowly bending a steel greatsword hin her hands.

The greatsword in fable, is not like the ones on earth. It has no taper: meaning the blade stays the same width the whole length of the blade. It also has no point at the tip, being just a giant hacking cleaver. Historically on earth, this weapon was called, "The executioner's Sword".

Scarlet had taken a liking to this weapon from the guilds shop and bought it to train with. She bought the master greatsword as well but trains with the steel one mostly because it weighs more. The master Greatsword is made of enchanted bronze that weighs significantly less. Plus I've even seen her dual-wielding two at once. I didn't think such a thing was possible until she did it. Soon I would guide her to "Huws Sword" that is sealed in a bolder outside Avo's temple. She is more than strong enough to rip it from the stone with sheer force. Maybe someday she can use Avo's tear too? I had no idea how her skills would develop going forward. Brom uses a shield, unlike other heroes. Only, "Nostro" the hero who founded the guild was ever known to use one. His shield is buried with him at Lychfield graveyard. Plus I also need to get him a pair of magic gauntlets that let the user cast spells.

"... Mam, I meant no offense. I was unaware these children were yours," Thunder apologized backing away. Bending a steel cleaver the size of a six-foot-tall man would send shivers down anyone's spine. If she keeps going like this I won't even have to fight Jack again myself! I thought jokingly. I would still have to fight him because he can steal life force and may have other aces up his sleeve. It was still nice to watch the arrogant Thunder be put in his place. I never realized that the whole Thunder's arrogance story arc only happened because the protagonist's heritage was unknown at the time and because of Lady Greys advances towards him in that timeline. Then once he knew who the MC was he said it didn't matter because he'd always be just a farm boy to him. That's because he already hated him and made up his mind until he lost a battle to the death and was spared.

This time, however, lady Grey has always been mine! Wait... What? I asked myself.