The wind howled outside as it bashed against the city walls carrying with it dry air which made the lips cracked and sore.


    "Mmmmm, warm~" I hummed as my legs turned to jelly bringing me closer to the magically heated sand in the training ground. "Lady Siri, can we stay here? You''re better at magic than any of us. I would have no doubt you would win the tournament if it was only magic base."


    "It isn''t?" Vilkas who had tagged along with me and Siri asked while kneeling and feeling the air swirling above the training pit.


    "No purely, the tournament is a sort of display for our lecturers to flex their teaching proficiency but it is also a battleground for the Sophist families to fight for prestige. Like all other nobles martial prowess is seen as a pinnacle of brilliance. The explanation I received was that it is a hybrid between our usual practical lessons and tournaments west of Vitas." I answered unable to stand up in fear of freezing to death.


    "You got that from the explanation we all got?" Vilkas raised his eyebrow as he asked. His gaze shifted to a deathly pale girl whose tall leather heels clicked each time she skipped a step trying not to step on the many cracks in the floor. "Another benefit of caring for her?"


    "I''m not Lady Siri''s nanny Vilkas. I was assigned to guide her around the vast ground belonging to the Academy."


    "Uh huh, and that rant about bad luck was also a part of that?" He discreetly pointed at the high noble on her tiptoes who seemed deep in thought strategically planning out her path through the brickwork.


    "Lady Siri!" I ran over to the Firmusian. I only made a passing remark about bad luck but she took it to heart like they were words from Alithea as soon as I mentioned it was tradition. Damn Bastion, making people take tradition as gospel. "You don''t need to worry about walking here."


    "But you said that stepping on a c-"


    "Yes, stepping on a crack is seven years of bad luck but..." I took a deep breath trying to come up with an answer which I don''t think anyone else in Niuran had to come up with, at least children get bored eventually but knowing the Blackworm she would skip over each small crack till her twilight years. "... I was just mentioning it since I saw you doing it but you only need to do it if eh... it is a super deep crack, I mean like really deep." I explained letting out an internal sigh as I covered all my bases.


    "Ahhhh, thank you for teaching me, the subject." Siri opened her mouth and her pearly teeth flashed in the bright sunlight as a preciously adorable expression threatened me to break etiquette and hug the very soft-looking woman. "Why are we here?"


    "Well, I thought since everyone is so focused on the magic we could train with weapons since unlike the native nobles we don''t have access to private training areas. I figured it would be best to touch up our combat skills while it''s not crowded." I answered.


    "I do miss duelling since coming here. I feel as rusty as a zombie''s sword." Vilkas chimed in, sharing the same sentiment as most nobles I spent time with. Training to protect our subjects and land was our side of the feudal obligations, so those nobles unspoiled by city riches spent most of their time perfecting their mastery of arms. Whether it was the sweep of a blade, the precision of an arrow, or the heft of a war hammer, there was an artistry in the craft that demanded many bells each day to keep sharp and ready for facing humanities darkest foes, terrors vast and vile.


    I wouldn''t deny that I was itching for a sparring session. It was hard to break the years-old routine of daily training with my naginata, something I had done since I was old enough to walk. I wouldn''t deny that on occasion I would pick up a long stick imagining it to be my weapon and swing it at the empty air chasing away invisible monsters like children in the village did each morning. Still, I waited for Lady Siri''s answer as seeing how hesitant the girl looked at the weapon wrack I wouldn''t be surprised that it would be the first time touching a weapon in her sheltered life. I wouldn''t want her to feel left out.


    "Would you like that Siri?" I asked.


    "Can I cast magic?" She replied back turning away from the array of training weapons.


    "Combining melee and magic is the preferred Oriri fighting style so yes but you should really pick a weapon. Casting battle magic can be exhausting and without mana, us mages are as good as dead."


    "Then I pick this." Siri reached and with her slender fingers pulled out a wooden dagger used to simulate finishing off armoured opponents.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes."If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "Is this your first time sparring?" Vilkas casually asked as he was balancing a training-long sword on the palm of his hand before catching it as we all stepped into the sparring area.


    "I''m familiar with the practice." Siri said.


    "So no? Maybe Sofia and I should spar first and then you can choose when to join in." He asked and the northern woman seemed indifferent as she sat down near the pit.


    "Alright then," I said, gripping the shaft of a wooden naginata from the rack. Its weight was heavier than my usual weapon, but it would suffice for practice. I stepped onto the sand pit, already warm underfoot, and motioned for Vilkas to join me. He smirked, giving his training sword a quick flourish as he stepped into position.


    The wind outside intensified, a mournful howl that made the warm training grounds feel even more like an oasis. While a brief light show emanated from both of us as we cast buffs on ourselves Siri sat cross-legged on the sidelines, her wooden dagger resting idly on her lap as she observed us with the curious intensity of a judge.


    "Ready?" Vilkas called, raising his sword in a high guard. His stance was relaxed but disciplined reminding me of my brothers who liked to strike at the last possible moment catching most off guard.


    "Born ready." I replied, shifting into a low stance with the naginata, the tip of the weapon aimed at his center mass zoning out most of the quick jabs he could try to pull off. My muscles coiled, ready to spring in riposte.


    We circled each other, the sand crunching softly beneath our feet accompanied by the hum of warding spells. The first clash came quickly Vilkas darted forward with a diagonal slash, testing my reflexes. I twisted the shaft of the naginata, parrying the blow aimed at my hand and countering with a sweeping arc that forced him to step back, a cloud of fine sand rising behind his heels.


    "You trained?" He asked as we began to circle again, he was at a disadvantage as with shorter reach he needed to approach.


    "Maybe." With a quick jerk of my wrist, I swung at him. The tip of his sword made a loud thunk sound as he smacked it against my weapon trying to open my guard but with a quick dash backward my weapon stayed true and ready.


    With another fury of strikes trying to leverage the naginate out of his way our sparring intensified, each movement deliberate yet fluid. The training weapons weren''t as deadly as the real thing, but they still carried enough force to sting. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as the familiar rush of adrenaline coursing through me fueled my strikes.


    I was taught a very defensive style of combat. Killing frontier beast involved more teamwork than individual skill making the fight drawing for longer a significant advantage to avoid getting your skull bashed by a beastman. Yet Vilkas slowly began to make cracks in a style I was proud of. His quick movements forced me to turtle behind my weapon, a mistake my brothers had long ago beaten into me in our sparing matches and his relentless rushes of strength ended right before he would have overextended letting me ditch my polearm and stab him in another way.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Siri watching intently, her pale fingers clutching the wooden dagger a little tighter. Her gaze wasn''t just curiosity it was cold calculation, as though she were mentally dissecting every move we made.


    "Want to join us yet, Lady Siri?" Vilkas called, his tone teasing as he sidestepped another swing with the agility of a cat. "Or are you enjoying the show?"


    She tilted her head, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "Perhaps," she said, her voice as calm and measured as always. "But I think I’d like to see Sofia win first."


    I smirked at her vote of confidence, planting the naginata into the sand for a moment. "Careful, Siri. Betting on me might not be the safest gamble."


    "It''s not finished!" The high noble''s high-pitched voice called out as if a great plan was being ruined causing me to instinctively kick the wooden shaft, spinning it ready.


    "Auch!" Vilkas''s hand shot up to his shoulder as the polearm''s heavy blade accidentally landed squarely on him. "That hurts more than I expected."


    "I''m so sorry Vilkas, it slipped from my grip." I hurriedly jogged to his side through the sand. Neither of us seemed to have used all our buffs to be able to take more rounds of practice today and knowing this big dummy he cheaped out on warding spells. "Did I break the skin? Does it hurt a lot?" I pulled at his collar trying not to touch his skin while taking a look at his shoulder.


    "Nah and not as much as Siri''s words." His words rang like a bell and my hands let go of him as I turned toward the gifted girl who seemed as innocent and oblivious as ever and yet very smug.


    "Don''t tell me..." I held my tongue already taught how will Siri respond if asked a question starting with Don''t tell me or something similar. "Can you see into the future? Is this how you predicted I''m going to win?"


    "Wouldn''t call that a win." Vilkas said already looking like the pain was fading away.


    "Why would you think that?" The high noble tilted her head like a puppet controlled by strings. "I wanted to see how you would deal with someone faster than you. Iris would- never mind." Her voice turned into a barely audible whisper and her hand she excitedly punched the air with landed on her lap.


    "So you are not a seer?"


    "Of course not, what a silly question that is." The ice-cold mage made a face as if something in her should have told me the answer long ago. "Can I try?"


    "Of course Siri. Whom of us will have the privilege to spar with you first?"


    "Sandwich."


    The minor noble smirked as he rolled his eyes, despite his casual demeanour he gave the high noble a deep respectful bow before recasting his pre-fight buffs. I could see that this time he cast fewer spells and from the general haze around him he skipped the melee-centric protection, rightfully not expecting to be eliminated by the short knife.


    Opposite to Vilkas, the cryomancer seemed relaxed her arms limply staying at her side. She radiated a feeling of being lost as her eyes meandered all over the floor rather than focusing on her opponent, the complete opposite of what a mage should look like.


    I hope he doesn''t hurt her on accident.


    "Begin." I felt like saying as I sat on the side and a moment of stillness overwhelmed the sand pit.


    The scion of House Amroch jerked forward fainting a charge but the high noble appeared unbothered as she see-sawed on her feet back and forward.


    "Am I attacking?" The shorter mage asked eventually after a long time of Vilkas circling her.


    "We are both attacking each other." Vilkas answered before rushing forward activating his abilities. No matter what Siri might have held back as a hidden ace, his speed and superior choice of weapon would end the spar before it even began.


    "Oh."


    As the adorable noise made me pity the inexperienced woman even more Vilkas became a head shorter than a moment earlier before falling over onto the warm sand.


    "Tap." A dagger tapped Vilkas''s collar as he spit out a mouthful of sand.


    "What did you do Lady Siri?" I asked hoping that I could come up with a countermeasure as I watched the swordman struggling to stand up, his leg having sunken deep into the sand.


    "I created an air pocket underneath and pushed it out through the sand before your foot landed. I was surprised you weren''t trying to stop me," She explained and I could only turn toward Vilkas, no words coming to mind as a response. "Why did you use air magic?" I voiced a random thought."


    "I''m bad with earth magic." Siri''s eyes dropped and while her iron mask didn''t leave her face, she raised her heel off the ground and twirled the tip of her shoe in the sand.


    "And here I thought Lady Siri was perfect." Vilkas chimed in upon freeing himself. "If I may can I spar with you again but this time no magic at all."


    "I don''t know." The snow-white maiden sheepishly replied.


    "I''m not doing it because you won. I''m not as petty."


    "As." I repeated taking a seat, trying to find a good grip on my weapon as I watched the two in front of me.