Chapter 15: Debt Collector Arc - Lacking Pride

Arden looked at the three nobles without any emotion on his face. The shocked faces of the nobles around him did not give him any pleasure or accomplishment.

“He must have cheated!”

Looks like it, Arden thought. That was the reply he was waiting from the sore loser, prideful nobles that could not believe a mere plebeian could defeat them. The three had a backup in case they didn’t win. He knows too well that they might devious but they aren’t retarded. That’s why he tried to get a way out a while ago.

“He might be a foolish magus but you all know how he practices that transmutation on himself! There is no way he could do that without any help from magic!”

The noble who Arden once got in trouble with, looked at him with a crooked smile. The nobles around went obviously to the side of this noble. There boos and insults came hurling at Arden. No allies, no one to count on huh, Arden sighs inwardly as the noble slapped him with a glove. But the glove once it hit Arden’s cheeks made Arden almost blacked out. He could feel metal on that glove. Making Arden’s cheeks more bruised than ever. A trail of blood came out of Arden’s nose.

“See my friends? Not A simple slap with a glove made this weakling spill blood. Now without his transmutation, he is nothing but a weakling! That is why I shall take you into a duel!”

A duel—it is a right that is allowed in the Academy when nobles or commoners have a lot of things they could not bear to deal with. It also acts as a way to make sure that after the duel things will be settled. A duel usually ends with a cripple or a corpse. So seeing that the noble in front of him was planning to intact those two to him, Arden can only sigh inwardly again.

He only wanted to observe the one that Bell and Syr wanted to find. But it seems that luck is not on Arden’s side today. That is why Arden can only take a stance, not even bothering to make excuses anymore. The noble took that as a sign that Arden accepts. The crowd yet once again cheered. The noble raised up his defenses claiming that Arden was using magic.

“Let’s see how you like the taste of this cheater!”

The noble rushed at Arden with breathtaking speed. Arden could see the noble making a straight punch towards him. The punch is accompanied with a gust of wind, splitting the air. A hit from it could cost Arden his life. It was coming straight to Arden. He never flinched and once the fist was near him. He merely took a side step to the right, grabbed the wrist of the noble with both of his hands. Then used the noble’s own force against him, with the balance of the noble disrupted, Arden then uses his right shoulder as a lever to throw the noble in the ground. Arden didn’t feel any crack. The magic of the noble that allowed him to strengthen his body worked like a charm. But even with that, Arden wrapped his legs on the noble’s right arm. Arching his back, making use of his weight, he bent the enchanted arms of the noble with a bit of ease.

Crack!

That loud sound of the noble’s bones cracking made the crowd drop their jaws. They already knew that the noble was finding an excuse. And they knew that Arden didn’t use any transmutation magic on his limbs. They would have sensed it otherwise. What shocked them the most is that Arden manages to neutralize the noble!

But to Arden it was simple. The first three nobles without Spellcraft enhancement had wood-like bones. While the noble who had his arms strengthen were like a simple metal. So the only thing he needed to do was do a shoulder throw and followed it by wrapping his legs around the arm of the noble, using his body and weight like a crank to bend his arm. With this Arden can break even a metal-like arm. This move was imprinted and taught by his foster to him. This would work on lesser magus like the noble but it won’t work on full pledge knights easily unless Arden was twice as heavy or the knight was rather careless.

The noble who Arden broke an arm screamed as he held his hand. Arden stood up while being bathed with the gazes of the noble. The sun above him makes his brows crease due to sweat. Arden’s buttoned overcoat uniform was dusty especially his back. Arden looked around and saw that they were in awe. But the moment they got their senses back. They began scowling again, their eyes hinting that how dare a commoner could do that to a noble. But the duel is a duel, and even the prideful nobles would follow that sacred tradition.

The fight was over.

The nobles arrogantly sneered while they helped their fellow nobles. The commoners watching from the back raise their thumbs at the foolish magus. Seriously, how troublesome, Arden can only think inside. He attracted attention which Arden is uncomfortable with. He never wanted to use such moves if possible.

Despite already tasting blood and killing someone, Arden has a strong distaste for violence. That is why despite managing to defeat three haughty nobles he felt bothered. He doesn’t want to use the things he for himself. He felt that he had no right to do so. That is why with a bitter smile on his face. Arden can only look down and carry himself out of the training fields dejected.

He could not continue to linger and observe now that he had done something to make people looked at him. So with his back disappearing inside the academy, he decided to try again when things calm down.

As he leaves however...he failed to notice a conspicuous stare directed at him.

Sena Saclea saw the back of the dejected Foolish Magus. He won yet he was dejected, Sena could not understand. She saw the fight as a rather interesting match. The Foolish Magus was definitely lacking in using magic. But he was someone that could take down three nobles with ease and defeat an enchanted noble without using his own magic.

His moves were well-trained and he had an insight on what to do. Sena saw it clearly that if that shoulder throw didn’t knock out that last noble The Foolish Magus fought then he would break that Noble's arm. She saw that the foolish Magus was thinking ahead on what to do. Honestly, Sena was pretty impressed.

But even with that, there was something she could not understand. The lack of emotion and the lightless orange-golden eyes of his didn’t have any light on it. Even though he was fighting there was no fire in his eyes. As if what he was doing was disgusting him. He was someone that Sena thinks that has no pride in his own skills.

As if it was merely borrowed.

She could not understand such lack of pride on his skills. Whether it is due to his convictions, ideal or aspirations, Sena could not understand. That is why despite the impressive feat he has done. Sena could not care less about the Foolish Magus. In her eyes, people without aspiration or fire in their eyes were not worth racking her brain. But even so, she could acknowledge that prideless skills of the Foolish Magus. It didn’t have any ‘pride’ on it but it was worth noting just because of that.

“What’s his name?”

Avilina who was still in awe at the rough brawl that just happened blinked twice. She looked at the straight postured Sena who was bathed in the sun’s light. She heard her ask what the Foolish Magus’s name was so she replied.

“I think it was Arden?”

Even Avilina who is a noble would know such infamous name. Although he is nicknamed only as a ‘foolish magus’ she still could hear the others call out his name.

“Arden...huh”

Sena said without any interest.

“Why does Lady Sena want to know the Foolish Magus’s name?”

“Nothing much, I am merely impressed with his skills in close quarters combat. And he might be a good servant if he has a fire on his yes.”

“I see.”

Avilina didn’t get it all. Sena turned to the dumbfounded Avilina and shook her head. She grabbed the hilt of her sword and sheathed it. She cracks her stiff neck and said with a disinterested face.

“We are done for today. Get some rest.”

“Thank you for the lesson Lady Sena.”

Sena nodded as she drags herself inside the campus. She still had a class for the following hours and as a studious knight that wants to reach her ascension ritual without any problem. She could only focus her thoughts on that matter. The match she saw slowly didn’t matter. In just a matter of seconds, she was now solely dedicated to her studies.