Chapter 14: Debt Collectors Arc – Squire Avilina and the Foolish Magus's Surprise

Sena practiced on the fields alone. Her sword Astra making winds as she uses it. The nobles looked at her figure. Mumbling about her swordsmanship, they were quite chit-chatty. But mostly they were talking about the scar on Sena’s face and her feats.

Most of them have tried to surpassed Sena but with how things are now. Her managing to fend off the Magus Killer and getting her first battle scar made her oddly more dazzling to them. The scar across her left eye was quite attractive. And her vigorous training made her a scene to watch. No one would dare to disturb her in practice.

Sena held the sword Astra in her hands tightly. It has been days since the incident in the slums. It was already the last week of fall of Year 495. After this week winter will arrive and Sena’s ascension ritual would finally come. The other apprentices will also graduate out of the academy. Her squire Bruno will be also be graduating. He will return to his family for a while before returning back.

Sena could not wait for the ritual. But she wasn’t being careless. She realized that back in the slums she was quite careless. Due to that, she has to be saved. Her bloodlust and battle lust was not in control. So in order to fix this Sena started disciplining herself.

While Sena practices a Squire holding her sword randomly looked around. Clumsily this squire didn’t watch where she was walking and when Sena who was practicing made a thrust. She saw the Squire and with a quick swift stopping movement of her wrist avoided killing her in one blow.

“Watch yourself out.”

The Squire froze on the spot. Her legs trembled as crazy as the sword of Astra pointed at her neck. If Sena didn’t stop then her head would have been cut off. The Squire realizes this and fell down backward shivering. Sena looked at the squire who fell down. She wondered how a meek-looking girl could become a squire.

The crowd looking at the scene secretly started to get excited. Knowing Sena Saclea she probably would punish the Squire. But contrary to their imagination Sena extended her hand. When they saw this, the crowd got baffled. Sena was someone who was focused on training. Even if she accidentally killed someone she wouldn’t turn an eye and continue practicing fanatically.

“Thank you, Lady Saclea.”

“Be careful next time.”

Sena would have ignored this woman if she didn’t experience the events in the slums. But now she has decided to become better, a knight protects, a knight is honorable so she could temper herself. Of course, despite that mindset, her feelings of wanting to scold the woman for being clumsy are still there. She is merely hiding it.

Sena was about to start her practice. But the woman squire looked at her with practically question marks floating above her head. Sena got a bit distracted about this. So she can only sheath her sword and asked.

“Is there anything wrong?”

“I am... I will only bother milady.”

“And you haven’t already?”

“I am sorry!”

The Squire said while trying to apologize. Sena could only wave her braided her hair. Touching her forehead, she then said.

“Speak it out. You haven’t said your name.”

“I am sorry milady; I am Avilina of House Lubis. I am looking for someone.”

“Someone?”

“Yes, I am looking for the servant of mine...he was just around.”

“And you haven’t found your servant even though you are a Squire?”

“I am sorry!”

“Stop apologizing. Do you want help then?”

“But...”

“You have already bothered me. Let’s go.”

With that Sena gestured for Avilina to find this Squire of hers. Avilina could not refuse, especially when it was a Saclea so the two went to search for Avilina’s servant. With Sena Saclea with her, the search wasn’t that hard. Along the way, an odd Auburn-haired person helped them. Sena recognized the person but didn’t talk to this person due to his status.

All she knows about the foolish magus was that he was foolish. Helpful to everyone, but lacking in talent in magic, he would be a great servant but Sena doesn’t like his lusterless eyes that has no fire in it. So when Avilina was talking to the foolish magus she kept her distance. Sena attracted a lot of attention so when they finally found the servant of Avilina who is named Tulobis.

Finding this man Avilina scolded the servant. Sena was about to leave but she felt a strange cold aura around the air for a moment. She looked around but only saw the vacant-eyed foolish magus staring at Tulobis. There was no cold aura so she thought that it might be just her mistake.

Avilina lectured Tulobis for a whole before apologizing to Sena. She also shooed the foolish magus away after his help. It was normal to shoo the magus that way so Sena didn’t find anything wrong. Although she found it disturbing now that she thinks about it.

“Thank you for your help lady Sena.”

“It is fine. It is not that much.”

“How can I thank Lady Sena?”

Sena thought for a while. She scanned the squire Avilina from head to toe. She had a typical blonde hair and was quite tan. Sena practices under the sun but her pale skin never really got tanned in any way. Sena’s bloodline had quite the resistance to the cold and the sun.

“How about you train with me, Squire?”

“That’s.”

Avilina sweated. She knew that Sena Saclea is the top of the line Knight to be in the academy. So having practice with her would be quite an experience but at the same time, she fears that she might get killed.

“Do not worry, I will hold myself back. I merely wanted someone who can clash swords with me. Practicing all alone is quite nothing. At least I could feel my sword rattle.”

Sena could not ask for help to other nobles. She was fairly wasn’t fond of the other that was like her. They belong to the other family and the ritual made the other nobles stray away from her due to her own status of the only one able to kill a spectral death knight.

So she can only ask Avilina to practice with her.

...

Sena wore her training uniform. Sleeveless, and reveals her neck, nape, and shoulders. In front of her was Avilina with the same outfit but her left arm had a sleeve. They were training under the morning sun. Their sweat glistening under the light, as they move around.

Avilina’s servant, Tulobis watches the two spar it out, as a man, he could not help but stare at the two. He wasn’t alone in this. The other field trainees looked at the two beauties exchanging blows. They were quite fast, and their wide sort of movements, bending made the lecherous stare.

Near the field where they are fighting, there was one who didn’t bother. His auburn hair, his vacant eyes, along with his silence made him quite unnoticeable. His eyes were pointing at someone. This, someone, was Tulobis, and every time he gets the creeps.

Is there anyone out there? Tulobis wondered. He looked around only to see the clown of the Academy. He has known this clown after becoming Avilina’s servant. A foolish yes-man that could not refuse anyone who asks for help, whether it is dangerous or not the clown known by everyone as the foolish magus would agree. He hated pretentious ass like him more than anything. That is why when he sees that clown he would snide at him.

Idiot, Tulobis thought. The Foolish Magus was doing nothing. He could guess by the volunteer uniform he was wearing that he would become’s training dummy. But he also sees that he was already dirtied. And his hair was uncombed and messy.

His eyes didn’t have any light. It was eerie that he could not help but feel something odd. Dead eyes, even I could beat this man to a pulp, he thought. He turned to sparring session of the Lady of Saclea and her master Avilina. Their spar is elegant, and their fluttering hair made them looked divine. Even the ladies took a look at their fighting. Clearly amaze by Sena, while at the same time impressed by Avilina who is keeping up with the lady of Saclea.

Sena was holding back. Clearly pushing forth her strength would break Avilina’s sword. She might damage her wrist. So instead of using her strength, she was holding her sword as if it was a light stick. She was flailing around but despite that, the audience seems to think that she was serious. Sena only wanted to move around. She was doing okay with mental training so this was far better than she imagined.

She was always alone in her practice so it was a new thing for her to do this. Although the stares from the lecherous men and women could stop, she thought. Avilina did her best despite Sena holding back. To her, this was a real spar. Even though she somehow guessed that her opponent was not taking her seriously. But at the same time, she was glad since she knew that Sena going out would mean that she might get really injured or worse has her precious sword broken.

While they were sparring a commotion broke out.

Sena stopped and looked at the noise. She saw three minor nobles pushing the foolish magus away. They slap him thrice with their gloves indicating that they want to ‘spar’ with him or at the very least make fun of him. The other nobles could see what this going to lead to.

“How about we spar foolish magus?”

The three laughed as they spitefully told the Foolish Magus who had quite a red face. Being slap thrice in the cheeks with leather mail gloves was quite something. The Foolish Magus stood up.

“Please can you Ser’s let this go?”

“Ah, a coward to boot!”

One of the nobles said. While the other noble spat on the foolish magus’s face.

“Please, Ser, I beg you to stop this.”

The Foolish magus said with a weary face. He didn’t look scared at all. He was looking more worried.

“Shut up plebe! Remove that volunteer armor right now! And show us something!”

One of the nobles said.

Sena who was in the distance saw how pathetic the four was. She looked down upon the three nobles and even more so to the foolish magus who was taking it all without any anger. There was no fire in his eyes and seeing it made Sena disgusted.

“Are you sure about this Ser’s?”

“Just shut up and fight!”

One of the nobles kicked the Foolish Magus in the stomach. He fell on the ground, and the audience laughed at his meekness. Face with three nobles, seeing this clown show made quite a scene for the watchers. The crowd started to shout, telling the Foolish Magus to do it already.

Seeing them, the Foolish Magus stood up and removed the volunteer uniform. Dropping it on the ground, he looked at the three and told them.

“Fine...”

“Heh, we shall teach a nosy plebian like you a lesson. Isn’t that right everyone? Even though one could be foolish, it is even more maddening for someone to be such a nosy plebe!”

The noble spread his arms as if he was about to make a good show. The noble then turned to the Foolish Magus. He then took a stance and proceeded with a straight punch. The audience looked at that well-trained punched. Sena, who was looking thought that the foolish magus was up for some torture but contrary to everyone’s expectation.

The Foolish Magus slapped the wrist of the noble, and then curved his arm and with the use of his elbow, he hit the noble right in the chin. The blow was quite fast, and swift, enough to knock the noble out. The audience was quite shocked at what happened. Sena who thought that the foolish magus would get hurt also got surprised.

The two nobles was a bit surprised. But as trained as they are, the two rushed at the Foolish Magus with the intent to break a bone.

The Foolish Magus dodged the first punch, he step sideways and using his palm he broke the elbow of the noble, bending it, which he then followed with a quick tap to the noble’s diaphragm, knocking out the noble. The other noble tried using his right leg to kick the Foolish Magus’s side of the head; But the Foolish Magus blocked the right kick with the back of his left hand, pulling his left hand back into a fist while his right hand went straight to the chest of the noble. His fist was formed like he was holding a sword, and with a twist his fist buried deep into the noble, followed with was his left hand rotating and hitting the stomach of the noble.

The final noble fainted. All three of them were defeated within a quick succession.

The ‘crowd’ who thought they would witness a laughable scene gasps at the Foolish Magus crisp’s moves. They expected the foolish magus to be humiliated but instead, they saw something new. They never saw the Foolish Magus fight so who would have thought that he was good at it?

He was sturdy but for him to know how to fight well surprised everyone.

Sena who was watching also quite shocked.

Avilina who thought like everyone else was also shocked.

It seems that the foolish magus that they looked down upon was quite good at using his limbs.