Ambient Mage

We had probably clashed swords for 40 minutes, before Armoria spoke up.

"Dad, this is boring, let's do something else, you're not even testing him, you're just hitting him."

As much as I wanted to deny I was being smacked around, she was right.

It wasn't anything serious, a nick here, a bruise there.

But he was slowly accumulating damage on me, while I had at most gotten a few cuts on him.

With her words however, he started to pick up the pace.

I was losing ground and deflecting less attacks.

His speed and strength grew.

Add onto that the fact he has wielded the sword for more than a decade and a half, well, I was in for a bad time.

I was promptly cut down to size, literally and physically, but unlike last time where I dispersed, this time, they had an anti-magic barrier, since they assumed my dispersion was an artifact spell.

I, a 4th star swordsman, facing off a 7th star swordsman was already bad enough, but now I was without any of my magic.

My magic is incorporated into my fighting style.

It makes up for some feints, blocks some attacks, and adds general variety to my attacks.

Now I had lost half my arsenal, and most of my escape options.

I was dead lost.

I could try to propel myself out of the arena with my aura blades, but that wouldn't be sustainable, and with the speed of most humans in the 7th tier, I wasn't getting very far.

So I dragged out the fight, despite the differences in our experience, strength, and agility, our stamina was relatively similar.

The difference in our agility was also made up by the fact I could see most of his movements, and I could put out short bursts of energy to match his speed.

So the match lasted nearly one hour, with my loss.

My loss in battle was more for the nerves of the parent's.

They wanted proof I wouldn't run, or struggle.

Which to be fair was reasonable to protect themselves and their children, but was completely innappropiate for me.

Likely after I lost I would be handcuffed and questioned, but honestly I think answering the questions after they have me handcuffed as opposed to having a sword impaling me is better.

My loss ended a little anticlimatically, with my surrender, but with Kieru's aggressiveness, he wouldn't allow for anything short of total victory, which in my opinion was completely contrived.

How could I put up any resistance with antimagic?

Regardless, I was knocked out and taken presumably into the house.

Before I fully left consciousness, I heard the twins scream, so I can relax I guess.

No death for me.

***

And I woke up to a chair, table and only one handcuffed arm.

Wow, almost spot on with that one.

I looked around, just empty grey walls, two chairs opposite of me, and the door.

"Hello? I kinda need to go back to school right about now."

I rocked back and forth in my chair bored.

Armoria came into the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

"Sorry, Lucas, this never should have happened."

"On the bright side, though, we don't have school for a 2 days, so at least the duchy won't move."

"Armoria are you on my side or what?"

She giggled.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry. It's just funny how the captive is so relaxed and the captors are running around like headless chickens."

"So what exactly did they want to know? They aren't exactly forthcoming with that information."

"Well, I guess it's how you found our parents' names."

"My mom is the princess of the Karikan tribe, and my father, is the third prince of the principality."

"But you knew that how?"

"Well..."

I began a long thought out response to this during my fight with Kieru.

The first was simple, tell him about finding his secret room.

As for Yraham, this was going to be harder.

There wasn't much public on her, and by much I mean essentially none.

Her age, face, and whereabouts were unknown.

Even inside the Land of the Giants, the information was limited, and most of the time unreliable.

However I guess that's where the town Avren comes into play.

I wasn't exactly ambushed by surprise.

More like after I had taken certain actions I had been ambushed by a large amount of cultists.

Avren town wasn't a foriegn town to many players of 'Total Brake'.

It's one of the first villages sacrificed to the demons.

And somehow inside the sacrificial room underneath the entire town, a Karikan child existed.

To be fair, I didn't glean much information from them, as they were a child, but it was enough to hide the fact I knew everything about Yraham from the game.

"I found your dad through his secret room in the principality's portrait hall."

"As for your mother, I helped a Karikan child once, who was captured by demons, they happened to witness the marriage secretly."

This should be enough to satisfy the parents right?

The parents entered the room.

"Well, we need to know how he knows."

"I'm in agreeance with you, but torture isn't the way."

My eyes lit up at the words torture.

I wouldn't have that happen again.

In fact, Oskarog would be the sufferer of my inner demons, but if these people really wanted to torture me, then it was out of my hands.

"See, look what you've done, he's afraid."

"He's clearly glaring Yara, what do you mean?"

"Ahem."

Armoria coughed.

"So, Lucas."

Yraham began.

"What do you know and how?"

"Ask her first and then I'll fill in any gaps."

The three talked together quietly for a few minutes.

I watched as the door which had been closed by the couple, was now cracked open, with three heads watching from the little opening.

"How did you find my room?"

Kieru turned to me and asked.

I had already planned for this though.

"The key, it is in the hands of-"

"my mother."

Kieru finished my sentence.

"So how did you convince a woman like that to give up the key?"

So in reality I've never visited the principality except as part of the envoy between nations.

I've never even spoken to the king one on one.

However, the 2nd consort, Kieru's mother, has long since been dead.

I guess he never found out in all his time hiding away from the principality.

"The 2nd consort is dead, Kieru."

"What?"

"I obtained the key from the king."

"But how?"

"He allowed me one item, and I chose the prince's key, since he wasn't entirely sure what it was and what it meant."

"No, I mean, how did my mother die?"

"She died from poisoning, alcohol induced, she killed herself."

"I always knew her drinking habit would kill her."

"So then, you found my room in the portrait hall?"

"Yes."

"And my father raised no questions? I find that hard to believe."

"Well, he asked how I managed to find a room to a son he had kept hidden."

"I told him that if he waited 5 or so years I would eventually find you."

"And how long ago was that?"

"2 years ago ish."

"Well then you're certainly good at what you do."

"Meh."

"Unfortunately I have zero vested interest in returning."

"I have a wife and a family now."

"You don't have to return as the third prince you know."

"You can simply return as Kieru Karodan, and for as long as you want."

"Like a family vacation."

"We don't have the time or money for such a-"

"Alright dad, don't lie, just get on with the questioning."

"Hah, fine, so you just so happened to conveniently find a Karikan child, who knew of our wedding?"

"Well, she knew the princess was getting married, and to a foreigner, and the name of the princess."

"And you connected that to me how?"

"Well, traveling scholar, meets princess of the Land of Giants, marries her is quite the logical leap."

I conceded.

"Except when the last name of said scholar is not the last name of the principality, but his wife, who just happens to be Karikan."

"When you put it like that, it makes more sense."

"Also, the fact her name was in fact Yraham, and she wasn't easily identified by me, means she was higher than the 6th tier, so, yeah, Princess of the Karikan Tribe, and Prince of the Principality."

"Alright I get it."

"Yara, any questions for him?"

"Hm? Oh, yes."

She turned to me and smiled.

"So, what are your intentions with my daughter?"

My jaw dropped.

Armoria looked horrified.

The door fell open as the kids and Kimoria fell through.

"Well, if we are going to talk about this can we do this in a bigger room? Preferably in one that has more light and doesn't need me tied up."

"Yes."

Kieru looked both displeased and amused at the same time.

I wonder why.

***

So I found myself back in the original room I had been in before I had been attacked.

"This is nostalgic."

"Don't say that like you haven't been here in a while."

Armoria smacked my back.

"Look honey they get along so well."

Armoria and I both turned around to see Yraham looking at the two of us, with one hand on Kieru's shoulder and the other supporting her face.

"Mom!"

"Sorry honey, but if you want a man, you're going to have to take him."

"What?"

What?

No wait I think I said that out loud faster than I thought it.

"She has an uphill battle ahead of her right?"

"She told us all about your closeness with your mistress and the princess, as well as a few other women."

"However, she is quite skilled in magic, and technically is a princess of two nations as well, so I would appreciate it if you would at least allow her to get closer to you."

"Um... Sure?"

I didn't know how to respond honestly.

"Well, it's alright, Ria-sweety, just take him away."

"Lock him in a cell for however long it takes, he'll fall for you eventually."

Her smile seemed a little distorted for a moment.

"Okay, so wait, am I no longer suspiscious?"

"No you are, however, until we find evidence that you lied about that Karikan child, we presume you to be innocent."

"You couldn't have done that from the beginning?"

I deadpanned.

"No."

"Why not?"

"You were too unknowable when we first met."

"Your tier is still unidentifiable to us."

"Armoria told you though right?"

"Yes, but only after we had already nearly killed you the first time."

"I guess that's fair."

"But only that?"

"Well, the information you knew was known to a few select outsiders, and you aren't one of them, so suspiscion is really the only path for you."

"Then I just have to wait for the evidence to clear my name then?"

"Yes."

"Well, honey, he could just marry in."

"Yara, stop that, Armoria's going to explode."

""

She and I turned away from each other.

Tosho walked up to me and tugged at my sleeves.

""

""

""

This is wierd, it's almost like being comforted, except I'm being unilaterally accepted by the family.

"Well it's been nice getting to know you all today, but it's getting late, and I need to return to the dorms."

"You may stay with us tonight, Lucas, but you will sleep with Tosho not, my daughters is that clear?"

I nodded at the tiger mom.

Did I really have an option to refuse?

"It's fine Lucas, just eat dinner and stay the night with us, tomorrow you're training us anyway."

"Ah yes, Lucas, thank you for teaching my daughters."

"I'll make sure they have the proper education if you ever need to fight."

"What do you mean I can already fi-"

Armoria stopped mid way through her sentence.

A red blush filled her face.

"And if you ever decide she is too much for you to handle, we have the other one here too."

"Thanks mom, for not forgetting about me."

Kimoria looked tired of the antics.

"But I don't think Lucas would even be interested in Mia, much less myself."

"Don't say that, anyways dinner, I'll get started, as for the rest of you except for Lucas, go get the table ready, and yourselves ready."

"Yes, Mom."

"Alright."

"As for you Lucas, come here, you're going to learn about the cooking of the Karikans."

"And a few other things about my daughter."