37 Responsibility (1/2)

Jin

Moving outside the academy, Jin was almost smiling as he thought about his interaction with Vel. It was a moment when things started to make sense. As they parted, Vel told Jin she'd speak with Al, something that would hopefully ease his mornings moving forward.

As he walked out of the main building, he found Al's group, him, Vel and Jaina, sitting at one of the benches near the exit. Al was pacing back and forth, he looked anxious about something. Jin was about to head out of the academy in full, when Al started walking up to him. He'd expected an apology, but what he heard had him recoiling.

”I want to duel.”

”What?” Jin replied, asking with what was possibly the most confused expression he'd ever made.

”I want to duel.” Al reiterated.

”Why?”

”Because I have to prove something to you.” Al responded, he didn't look mad as he said it though, he looked stoic. Determined. ”In half an hour, meet me in the training field. Magic only. First to fall loses.” On that note, Al spun on his heel and left, leaving everyone to take in his words.

Jin glanced at Vel and Jaina, silently asking for a reason behind the sudden request. Jaina wouldn't meet his eye, Vel simply shook her head and shrugged. Without an explanation to satisfy his curiosity, Jin went to find someone who could maybe give him an answer as to what the heck just happened.

He went back into the main building and went through a few halls until he was in front of a certain blonde's office. He knocked once.

”Come in.” A sultry voice answered.

He entered the room, finding Theresa sitting on a chair with her back turned to him. The chair spun, something Jin didn't even know chairs could do, revealing an Elven woman wearing a smirk.

”Jin... Have you come to relieve my daily frustration?” She asked slowly.

”Uh... No.” Jin asked, confused as to what Theresa just said.

”Well, that's a shame.” Theresa's tone suddenly turned normal. ”So, what are you here for? What do you need?”

”Someone just challenged me to a duel.” Jin stated.

”Wow, haven't been here more than a week and you've already offended someone to that extent? What did you do?”

”I mean, I thought I had just fixed my problem with them, but he challenged me anyway. Is that a thing?” Jin asked.

”Yes, duels are fairly commonplace, specifically among noble children who often have petty squabbles on a regular basis. Still, as petty as they are, squabbles need resolving and the adults of the families usually have social ties to keep in place, so the children duke it out amongst themselves. It also allows commoners the chance to solve problems with nobles, as these duels can take place between people of any social class. The teachers allow it to happen because it is honestly the most efficient way to end these matters. It's not hard to see who is better than who when one lies on the floor in shame.”

”So, is that what this is about? Seeing who's better?” Jin asked.

”Not necessarily, that's simply the most common cause of these kinds of affairs.” Theresa continued. ”I assume the person in question laid the rules out for you, but I'll remind you. Magic only, no weapons, first to fall loses. When is this duel taking place?”

”He had said half an hour, about ten minutes ago.” Jin replied.

”Then you have twenty minutes to form a plan.”

”But, I don't even know him. I don't know how he fights.”

”In times like these, Jin, strategy is still possible. Think about the tools you possess, the order you wish to use them in.”

”... All I have is my [Fireball].” Jin replied.

”Then take this as a lesson.” Theresa said, as if it was obvious what the lesson was.

”What do you mean?”

”Think about it. Good luck.” She said with a smile.

Jin walked out of Theresa's office, almost more confused than when he came in. He said he wanted to 'prove' something. Prove what? And how am I supposed to fight a ”magic only” duel when all I know is [Fireball]?

Still though, he didn't deny the duel when it was proposed. He hadn't even thought of it. So, with no other choice, he made his way to the Training Fields. The place was empty, save for some training dummies and students sitting at sporadically placed benches. He breathed in deep. He was getting nervous. This is ridiculous. Jin thought. I've fought monsters, nightmares, the most dangerous beasts. Why am I... feeling like this? He asked himself.

Strategy. Theresa had said he could still make one, but he couldn't think of anything to do. All he had was his [Fireball]. Before he could even realize it, Al was standing in the middle of the field. Shit. It's already time?

He started walking down when he made eye contact with the boy. Suddenly, he started trying to reason with his anxiety. Jin, you took down a Yargoth. You've fought beastmen soldiers, rogue mages. You've got this. This guy isn't at your level. He smiled to himself, noticing that he was now standing face to face with Al.

”We start whenever you want.” Al said, calmly.

Jin raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

He pulled his hand back quickly, launching off his first [Fireball]. Al raised his hand, and there appeared a silver shield, different to the one his Reality Magic teacher had made, that Jin broke. This one held up. Jin tilted his head, not noticing that Al had quickly transitioned into launching a stream of flame at him.

Jin slipped in his attempt to dodge. He nearly fell to his left, but quickly placed his foot down, skidding on the dirt floor. As Al tried to aim the stream at him, Jin took the opportunity to send another [Fireball] his way. Al spun, a dark flame engulfed his left hand. As he spun, Jin's [Fireball] seemingly attached itself to Al's left hand. When he completed the spin, the [Fireball] Jin had sent was on it's way right back to him!

Something, maybe the instincts he'd accumulated over his travels, told him to duck. Jin found himself with his hands being the only thing keeping him up. Before he could even look back up at Al though, a black liquid was at his hands. Jin felt himself losing his grip! One second, he'd been kneeling, the next, he was flat on his face.

He had lost.

What just happened? Jin thought. The black liquid disappeared, like it had never been there and Jin was able to get a grip on the ground again. Before he stood up though, he found a hand extended his way. Al was trying to help him.

”So... Did you 'get it out of your system'?” Jin asked.

”You're arrogant as fuck, you know that?” Al replied.

”What?”

”People leave seats open all the time. I had said Jaina's chair was 'taken', and you, instead of just looking for another chair, chose to make a big deal out of it. Then, you accepted a duel against someone who's range of spells you had no knowledge of, when all you could use was a [Fireball].” Jin looked down. As much as it hurt to hear, Al was completely right. ”We're cool. Vel cleared things up, but you need to think before you get yourself in situations like this.”

”I'm not from this place. All these rules you guys have are weird to me.” Jin replied.

”Well, get yourself some friends. Learn from them. Anyway, don't fuck with Jaina and we'll be just fine.” On that note, Al simply turned around and left.

Jin stood there. He hadn't noticed the pack of students that had been watching the fight. When had they even arrived? As the conversation between them ended, they started to disperse. Jin heard a few whispers, things like ”that was pathetic” and ”is he actually that weak?”

”Well, that was something.” Jin heard a woman say behind him. He looked back and saw Theresa there.

”A Magic Only fight. I didn't stand a chance.” Jin finally understood.

”True. If you were allowed to use weapons, and if this had been a fight to the death, I'd give you the overwhelming advantage. But, your magical repertoire is severely limited. Take this as a lesson. You still have a long way to go, my apprentice.” Theresa patted Jin on the shoulder before leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Decena

”Psychic?” Decena asked. Despite the fact that she was currently walking in a house that was entirely strange to her, her eyes were fixed on the pale beauty she was speaking too. She was almost afraid that if she were to look away, the vision of Enverna's body sitting opposite her on this couch would go away.

”Yes, for some reason, they've taken to calling me that. I don't think they've seen someone who can use [Telekinesis] before, that's what they're calling it.”

”Crazy...” Decena smiled. She'd been doing that a lot this past hour. ”I...” She breathed, trying not to start crying again. ”I'm really happy you're here. With me, I mean.”

Enverna grinned back at her.

”I'll be honest, I never thought I'd see you again.” Enverna looked away for a moment. ”That day, when they had you on trial, I thought it was all over. I'm so happy I was wrong. Was it okay?” Enverna asked.

”What?”

”Your... Time, like, without me. Did you spend it well, at least?”

”No.” Decena immediately replied. ”I hadn't been told you were alive. These past three years, the entire time, I thought you were dead.” Her voice cracked at the end. Enverna slammed their bodies together, holding Decena in an embrace she hadn't known she'd missed so badly until today.

”I knew you were alive, obviously, but you didn't tell anyone where you went. I had thought you'd be here, in Corona, since it's the closest major colony. When I didn't find you, I was so scared.” Enverna uttered, like she was telling a story to a child. ”I didn't even know the language. I had to pick it up in conversation aside. People can only yell the same stuff at you for a bit of time before you figure out they're telling you to fuck off.” Enverna smirked.

”Hey! You started cursing, good for you!” Decena patted her head, like they were sisters.

”I've been working as a farmer, all I know is being dirty.” Enverna shrugged.

”Why are you even doing that?” Decena asked.

”Well, Verana, the only spell she'd ever learned was one to make plants grow faster. It was one she taught me, so, that coupled with my [Telekinesis] makes for a pretty potent farming weapon.” Enverna grinned proudly.

”... It's so ironic. That day, you were wearing a wedding dress and I remember just as I was about to confront that bastard for taking you away, I thought to myself 'damn, I really do have the most beautiful girlfriend in the word, huh?'”

”Stop it...” Enverna looked away meekly.

”Seriously. Before that, when we went to the Grand Ball, after I won the Invitationals, every other student thought you were royalty.” Decena's eyes half-closed, thinking back to that time.

”All the stuff you went through to get me back.” Enverna shook her head. ”Let's go through it all, shall we?” She shifted closer to Decena. ”You fought as a gladiator to raise money, you won the Invitationals so you could become a noble, you beat the top gladiator, so you could buy my freedom.”

”That idiot wanted to marry you.” Decena replied. ”It was the only way I could have the right to challenge his proposal.”

”You're pretty crazy, you know that?” Enverna chuckled.

”... Not gonna lie, it's all a little embarrassing now that you say it like that, but if I had to do it all again, I'd do it.” She leaned forwards and pressed a small kiss on Enverna's lips.

Someone knocked on the front door. Decena had to restrain herself from going to punch whoever had interrupted them. Enverna sighed and the short girl stood to answer.

The door opened, showing Ayami on the other side.

”Hey.”

”Hello!” The two hugged. They hadn't been anywhere near as close as Enverna was with Decena, but according to Ayami, anyone that special to Decena was special to her too. She really was one of the best friends Decena could have hoped for.

”What's up?” Enverna asked.

”Is Decena here?” Ayami asked.

”Yeah.” Decena stood up, walking to the door. ”You told the duke?”

”Mhm. He said he's going to be sending some knights over to that place. Apparently it's called 'Joya'. Said they should be there within the hour.”

”Good. It's got me worried.” Decena admitted.

”What does?” Enverna asked.

”... Before we got here,” Decena started, ”we saw a huge fire happening in the distance. It was an entire village in flames. In the middle of it all... You remember that attack in Nova, three years ago?”

”When the cultists tried to sack the city?” Enverna asked.

”Yeah, it was them. Or, at least, they were dressed the same.”

”Well... There are bound to be some followers who escaped that day.” Enverna stated.

”But, what's weird is their numbers. That wasn't the only recent time I've encountered them. I was on this mission before, it's a long story, but yeah, I found them then too.”

”That's... Unnerving.” Enverna rubbed her forehead.

”I just want to make sure there's nothing to be really worried about, is all.” Decena replied. ”Anyway, is the carriage ready?” She asked Ayami.

”Yeah. Coachman's waiting on my word.”

”Okay, well,” Decena turned to Enverna. ”Get your things.”

”W-What?”

”We're going back.” Decena smiled. ”We're going back to Nova.”

Enverna's eyes widened. They glistened a little, showing a hint of tears.

”But, our exile...”

”The queen pardoned me.” Decena declared.

”What?”

”Yeah. Last month, she requested the help of any volunteer villagers where I was staying at. I did the mission, and she pardoned me for it.” She flashed her pin. ”I'm a knight again.”

”T-... That's great!” Enverna smiled warmly at Decena.

”So, yeah, grab your things. Let's go home.”

Just as quickly though, that smile disappeared.

”I... I can't.” Enverna said.

”What?” Decena asked, the girl's answer didn't even register in her mind. ”W-What do you mean?”

”I can't. Listen, this place... Over the last several years, I've carved out a spot for myself working and making friends, but other than that, they've become pretty reliant on me. If I leave, their crops won't grow till the end of the season. Most of these people, with very little exception, will starve.”

”But, come on, they were here before you, they can survive.”

”Before me, they were struggling to make ends meet. When I came here, most of these families that are living all around me were fighting for every loaf of bread they could get. People died, were murdered over water and food. In these three years, I made a difference. I saved them.” Enverna turned away from Decena's shocked eyes.

”Enverna, what are you talking about? This sounds like you... Like you've become a slave!”

”... It's tiring.” She replied. ”The war's drawn a lot of the younger people away, so my workload's increased. I can't remember the last time I took a day off. It got so bad that I couldn't even work up the energy to send letters anymore. Then, when I missed a few weeks, I thought mother, and Ayami resented me, so I stopped altogether.”

”Of course not.” Ayami cut in. ”You should have told us.”

”Yes, of course. But, I wasn't thinking clearly.”

”Kind of sounds like right now.” Decena angrily muttered.

”No, Decena, I'm quite sure of this. I mean, maybe if you could give me time to overproduce a little, leave them on a good foot, I'd do that...”

”Decena starts training with the Saviors in less than two weeks.” Ayami spoke, and for a moment, Decena regretted ever having accepted that gift.

”See?” Enverna said. ”Even if I went back with you, we wouldn't even see each other often.”

”Are you kidding?” Decena tried as hard as she could not to sound spiteful. ”If you stay here, we won't be seeing each other at all.”

”Besides,” Enverna continued, ”you were pardoned. I haven't had the same honor. I can't go back to Nova right now.”

”I'm a knight. All I have to do is throw in a word or two and the queen will grant you a pardon. Come on, Enverna. Please.” Against her will, a tear slid down her cheek.

”I'll... I'll let you guys talk it out. I'll be back at that restaurant.” Ayami turned, closing the door behind her.

”... Why are you making this so hard?” Decena asked. ”I don't get it.”

”Decena, I have a comittment to the well-being of this place. I chose to have that commitment. And you have a commitment to your training. It's not ideal right now.” As Decena looked down, clenching her fist, Enverna placed a hand on her chin, and brought her head back up, kissing her on the cheek.