An Otherworldly Scholar - 132

AN: sorry for the delay, this one was super hard to write.

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Ilya, Wolf, and Firana entered the ballroom. Although I told them we wouldn’t be training, they wore their sparring clothing. At least their motivation was at an all-time high.

“Didn’t I say no training today?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Wolf shrugged. “It feels weird wearing anything else.”

Ilya nodded in agreement. “We better strike when the iron is hot. Istvan Kiln’s team will be harder to crack than those Osgirian scrubs.”

Only Firana remained silent, lost in her thoughts. It only took me a glance to know she hadn’t told anyone about her predicament. Firana was strong. Even now, she tried to keep her problems from overshadowing the festive mood. Kellaren, however, wasn’t going to extend that courtesy to us.

It was time to update the kids on the orphanage’s situation.

“Please take a seat. Today, I want to have a serious conversation with all of you,” I said, signaling the old dinner table we had dragged to the corner.

“I will go, then,” Risha said.

“Please stay. This has to do with all members of the orphanage,” I stopped him.

He gave me a quizzical look but sat on the table.

The kids had grown a lot since I first arrived at the orphanage. They were adults under Ebros’ law. I remembered the first day I met them: Ilya, with her defensive demeanor; Wolf, indifferent about his companions; Zaon, doubtful of their own capabilities; and Firana, distrustful of the world. Now, they stood before me not just as orphans but as capable young adults.

They looked at me with anticipation.

“So, why did you call us here?” Ilya asked.

“By tomorrow, you all will have a Class and will be adults in the eyes of the world, so this will be my last lesson,” I replied.

The kids exchanged confused glances.

“But you said we weren’t going to spar,” Ilya pointed out.

“This will not be a fighting lesson. You already learned most of what I had to teach in that regard, and I am proud of your progress,” I replied, looking at each one for a second as I chose the right words. “This is a lesson on adulthood.”

The ballroom fell in complete silence.

“I want you to know that you aren’t adults because the System gave you a nice Class. Being an adult is more than the ability to kill monsters and level up. Being an adult means taking responsibility for your actions. From now on, whether you decide to stay at Farcrest, join a Guild, or try your luck at the capital, you, and only you, will be the one taking the reins of your life,” I said, going over the speech I gave to half a dozen groups before. “You will be taking the shots. However, that doesn’t mean you are alone in this. The orphanage will continue to be your home, and we are going to be here to support you.”

My monologue was starting to sound like a graduation speech.

“You might already suspect this, but adults make mistakes, and you will make them too, but don’t be afraid of stumbling as long as you learn a lesson at the end of the day,” I said, my eyes lingering on Firana. “Just because you are adults now and have funny numbers floating by your names doesn’t mean you must stop working on your skills. Progress only happens to those who try and keep trying, this is not the end of your learning journey, just the next chapter.”

There was so much more I wanted to tell them, but I knew my words would fade away with time. I could only hope the work ethic and habits we had been practicing lasted longer than the memory of my speech. Looking at them, I was optimistic.

“You have been my first class in a long time, and working with you all during these months has been an honor and a privilege,” I smiled. They have quite literally changed my life. “Thank you. I enjoyed it.”

Firana raised her hand almost timidly.

“Does this mean we can call you Robert now?”

The group giggled, and the solemnity of the situation evaporated.

“No. You will continue calling me Mister Clarke until you are eighteen years old or level twenty; what happens first,” I replied. Having former students calling me by my name never bothered me, but I didn’t want to jeopardize my authority over the little ones. They were wild, and they copied everything Firana did.

Firana looked around for support, almost offended by my reply; however, she got none.

“I respect Mister Clarke too much to call him Robert,” Wolf said, and the rest nodded in approval.

“It’s not a matter of respect. We are both adults now!” Firana explained.

“I’ll eat a Green Slime before recognizing you as an adult,” Ilya said, jumping down the desk.

For an instant, I thought she would challenge Firana to a duel, but instead, she walked up to me.

“As the team captain, I would like to thank you, Mister Clarke. I think I speak for all of us when I say we couldn’t have reached this point without you,” she said, her words losing security as she went on. “And thanks for believing me even if I was a Gnome.”

Before I could notice, the four kids approached to thank me.

Risha winked at me from the table, his eyes teary, but we didn’t have time for a group hug or a crying session. I had worked well over twelve hours daily for the past months, and it seemed the orphanage would require me to pump those numbers. Winter was coming to an end, and the orphanage was at a crossroads.

The graduation was over.

“Now that you are all adults, I have to tell you a few things Elincia and I have been keeping from you,” I said, and the kids immediately stopped fooling around. This was the hard part. “We believe the orphanage has been systematically attacked since before my arrival. The death of the crops, the robbery attempt, the harassment by the Guard, and the attack on the orphanage, we believe there’s one person behind all those attempts of sabotage. I’m not going to sugarcoat it anymore. We are in real danger.”

The ballroom seemed to freeze, and the festive mood disappeared in one fell swoop.

“However, we haven’t been idle. Elincia and I have secured Prince Adrien's support, so we believe there will not be any attempt of a direct attack on the orphanage,” I explained, measuring the kid’s reactions. Even Zaon seemed to absorb the information calmly.

Firana, on the other hand, fiddled with her fingers.

I explained that the tournament wasn’t just an event to raise the morale of the royal army but also a battleground for the kingdom's political future. I told them about the trade routes, the factions, alliances, and our position in the conflict. They just listened without panicking until I reached the part I wanted to avoid the most.

“We believe Kellaren Odrac-Aias is behind the attacks. He has been trying to weaken the orphanage to take Firana away and restore the Aias Mercenaries to their former strength,” I said.

Before I could continue explaining the situation, Ilya jumped forward.

“We will help. We are ready to fight—” She said.

“No,” I cut her. “If something happens, you will not interfere, and under no circumstance will you fight.”

My words surprised even Risha.

“If he tries to take Firana, then we should do something. She’s our companion. We can’t just let him take her away!” Zaon pointed out.

“We are commoners, Zaon. Kellaren has the support of House Osgiria, and we can’t attack a noble faction without suffering repercussions,” I replied, and the kids deflated in their seats. “That doesn’t mean we can’t do anything. We just have to be subtle and tactful. We can’t attack directly, but we can break the alliance between Kellaren and the Osgirians. Isn’t it like that, Risha?”

The half-orc grinned. “Kellaren has a history of shady business, a kind of history that nobles wouldn’t want to be linked to.”

A smile appeared on Ilya’s face as she connected the dots. “So, where do we appear in this plan?”

“You will let me deal with Kellaren and only act if my plans fail,” I said. “If something happens to me, I want you to ask Lord Vedras for help and relocate the orphanage to his dukedom.”

It was a long shot, but Vedras shared the same dream as Mister Lowell. He might value the orphanage enough to take them under his wing and pull them far from the Marquis's reach. However, in case we failed, there would not be an easy way out for Firana. Prince Adrien’s protection only worked while I was alive because he wanted me to raise cadets for the Imperial Academy. Things would get ugly if Kellaren got me.

“If we fail, Firana will have to become the head of the Aias Family. Otherwise, the Marquis and the Osgirians will retaliate,” I explained.

Ilya was going to argue, but Firana interrupted her.

“I am ready for that scenario, Ilya. I don’t want the orphanage to suffer because of me. Besides, I’m a Wind Fencer, I just need a couple of levels more, and Kellaren will not be able to touch me,” Firana said, puffing her chest to appear bigger than she really was.

“Even if this is the worst-case scenario, Firana will be alive, and Kellaren will not harm her as long as he needs her,” I said, turning to Risha. “I wanted to ask you to join the Aias Mercenaries and protect Firana until she has enough levels to fend for herself.”

Risha put his hand on my shoulder.

“You got it, boss.”

Now that I have put the situation of the orphanage in words, the future doesn’t seem that bad. Even if I were removed from the picture, the orphanage had a chance to remain operative, safe from the power play between the Marquis and the Osgirian faction. Even Firana will have a chance to survive. It wasn’t the best outcome, but there was hope even if we lost.

“Life wasn’t easy before my arrival, ladies and gentlemen, and it will not be easy going forward, but you are a capable bunch,” I said. “This is my only request as your teacher. Keep the orphanage safe.”

The kids nodded. Despite the grim appearance of the news, they remained confident.

“W-why are you talking like you were already dead?” Firana said.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I was explaining the worst-case scenario, which will not happen because Sir Janus, Risha, and I will unmask Kellaren’s plot before the end of the tournament,” I replied.

“Are we working with Sir Janus now?” Risha asked, and I detected a hint of excitement in the half-orc’s voice. Sir Janus was a celebrity, after all. The only commoner that managed to become an Imperial Knight.

“Sir Janus is interested in Kellaren’s demise,” I replied. “How is the investigation going?”

Risha shook his head. “Not particularly well. We have gathered a handful of victims, but Kellaren knows how to cover his tracks. Word got out, and we have been bombarded with fake victims.”

It was expected. Kellaren wasn’t going to go down so easily.

“We have a plan,” I replied.

“A plan? I’m very good with plans,” Firana said.

“Firana, no. The only plan you lot will stick to is to rest for the next round,” I replied, turning towards the kids. “The tournament is really important to the orphanage because the better we do, the more protection the royalist faction will give us.”

The kids seemed disappointed, but after a bit of explanation, they understood their role was equally important. The topic of the conversation slowly changed towards the next round of the tournament. We were going to face the Marquis’ team, and Ilya was the most excited of them all. It seemed her feud with Istvan Kiln wasn’t going to be resolved any time soon.

“All right, everyone. Tomorrow is Zaon’s special day, so go help Elincia with the preparations,” I said, clapping my hands.

The kids begrudgingly abandoned the ballroom. Despite the fact I wanted to tell them about my runeweaver powers, I thought it would be too much to load on their shoulders in a single day. For now, I wanted them to accept the fact that the orphanage was in a dangerous spot.

“So, we have a plan,” Risha said when we were alone.

I pulled a roll of parchment and spread it open over the desk. It was a small reproduction of the layout of Kellaren’s manor, three floors high, with smooth walls and windows blocked with sturdy iron bars. The whole building seemed to be constructed to avoid outside interference, and it almost felt like a bunker.

“Enter, take important documents, and escape,” I said.

Risha scratched his incipient beard as he examined the layout.

“Where did you get that?”

“Firana has allies among the Aias,” I replied, rolling the parchment and hiding it in my jacket. “I want to scout the area beforehand. Sir Janus wanted to act by the end of the tournament, so we have a bit more than a week to prepare.”

“You got it, boss,” Risha said as he walked to the door.

-------------------------

While the orphanage prepared Zaon’s birthday, Risha and I walked through the streets of Farcrest. Any trace of the pleasant temperature of the first day of the tournament had been replaced with the bone-chilling wind. The veteran guards outside the orphanage warmed their hands around a small brazier, their shoulders covered in thick cloaks. They greeted me with a nod and continued watching the street.

There hadn’t been any suspicious movement since the last attack on the orphanage, but the presence of the guards didn’t feel as reassuring as before. If Sir Janus was correct, and the Marquis was secretly working with the Osgirians, then we couldn’t count on the Guard to cover our backs.

“I’m sorry for dragging you into this,” I said as we entered the maze of alleys that was the Northern District.

“I owe you,” Risha nonchalantly replied. “And it’s better than fighting monsters. How did you manage to beat the Lich, though? We had a good share of problems with undead, and they are not particularly easy to deal with.”

“I used unfiltered mana from the Fountain but got Corruption in return. Still got some, but as long as I refine Fountain mana before using it, I will be okay,” I replied.

As much as I had to thank the Lich for showing me the Fountain, I would rather not encounter any undead ever again. I touched the old rotten wooden beam of an abandoned house to protect myself against bad luck. The last thing I needed was undead spirits floating over Farcrest.

“Did the System give you the [Daredevil] title?” Risha asked.

“Don’t give him ideas,” I replied.

Risha gave me a quizzical look, and we continued our way towards Kellaren’s manor. We stopped in a dark alley near the Dizzy Wolf and piled old boxes and debris to climb to the roof of an empty house. Then, we crawled over the shingles and peeked over the ridge to have a clear view of the manor.

The Osgirian banner waved over the main entrance, recruits trained in the front yard, and the security was thick. The only entrance in the wall was a guard post. The grounds were bigger than the orphanage’s. From our point of view, it was hard to grasp the whole extent of the terrain, but at least we had a good view of the manor.

“The grove seems to be a good spot to enter. The trees will serve as cover, even if there are guards with [Night Vision],” Risha said, pointing further north.

The Odrac-Aias forces were mostly humans, so I doubted a lot of them had access to night-vision traits.

“Sentinels will be a problem, but even they have problems detecting small war parties,” Risha said with a smile. “Plus, we can throw them off with… let’s call it, an incident in the front gate. I think I can gather twenty rowdy royal soldiers on short notice.”

I knew Risha’s charisma was going to be valuable sooner or later.

We moved to a second location, always staying at least a block away from the manor to check on the security. The outer wall was four meters tall and thick enough to withstand the charge of a Crystal Boar Matriarch. Then, there was a flat area between the wall and the manor with nothing to hide. Even the grove was separated from the manor by a broad patch of grass. It would be hard, but with Sir Janus’ [Shadow Step], we would at least have a chance.

“I want to know what’s on the roof,” I said. “If there are hidden surveillance positions, we are cooked.”

Risha looked around and clicked his tongue with displeasure. “There aren’t any taller buildings nearby.”

“I can help you with that,” a third voice said.

I almost fell over the ridge into the street below, but I was able to hang on for my dear life without being noticed. Ilya peeked over the edge and pushed herself over the rooftop with the help of a vine. She was wearing a dark cloak that covered her whole body and a scarf that only showed her eyes.

“There aren’t many Gnomes in Farcrest, so I’m going incognito,” she explained as she summoned a small bird made of mana. It was one of her Spirit Animals.

“I told you to stay at the orphanage,” I muttered.

“I’m sorry, Robert. I’m an adult now,” she replied, throwing the bird to the sky.