Echoes of Fire and Shadows
Chapter 73: The Answer to a Certain Question.
—Neris's POV—
I could not believe what I had just witnessed… I was simply too flabbergasted after watching Julius's defeat his opponent in a spectacular manner.
"Jeez… This mean boy won't even give me time to prepare myself? Seriously… Trying to embarrass a poor priestess like me in such a manner… I really need to have a stern talk with him…" Myria complained with a flushed face while devouring some pie. Most likely out of embarrassment.
"Oi… Shtrel… I am not seeing things, right? What I just saw actually happened, right?" Felicia asked with a mix of delight and disbelief in her voice. She was wagging her tail as if her life depended on it.
"You were not seeing things… Everything really happened…" I said while staring at the familiar silhouette of that person, still completely flabbergasted by the events of the last duel.
As I looked at Julius, who was standing beside Professor Dante and the Vice-Principal with his sword still in hand and his usual cute smile, I became certain of something.
There's no way I would not recognize that move he used… That technique was definitely Bright Star… The same technique that my father spent the better part of fifteen years trying to master.
There was no doubt in my mind that Julius was able to use the most difficult sword technique of my family's swordsmanship style. But the thing is, that Julius took it even further beyond the limit of the normal technique, something I found impossible to believe even though I had witnessed everything happening.
My own father says that he has never managed going past 21 strikes while in The Zone and performing Bright Star, yet here's a boy not even half his age capable of doing 45 clean strikes as if it was as natural as breathing for him…
Just where in the world did he learn about Bright Star? How could he know about our family's secret technique?
"If everything actually happened and it is not a product of my imagination then that would mean that he was holding back way more than I was during our duel back in the preliminaries… If he had used that sword and that technique against me, I would have been done for… How dare he hold back so much!? I'm so pissed off!" Felicia spoke with disbelief and a bit of anger. Though, if the movements of her tail were indicators of what she truly felt, in reality she was pretty much very ecstatic.
As I focused my gaze on Julius, who was still at the center of the arena, I realized that he was also looking back at me.
The precocious boy I had met recently simply waved at me before giving me his usual warm smile.
Jeez… You just keep giving more reasons to fall harder for you… Myria's right about you, you're really mean, you know that?
As my feelings of love kept growing about the boy I was crushing on, another person suddenly appeared in the middle of the arena. It was my dear but weird childhood friend, Zoe. She had also managed to easily claim victory in her match.
"HOHOHOHOHOHO…!" Even while being a bit far from the center of the coliseum, I could still hear Zoe's characteristic laughter even while the audience was cheering her and Julius's names.
She was clearly in a good mood after winning her match, though that good mood of hers suddenly changed. From the distance, I could see her go from shocked to being as pale as a ghost within moments. Julius just giggled at her before he started walking back towards our table.
Zoe remained stunned in place until she was urged by Professor Dante to return to her seat as well.
As Zoe and Julius returned to the table, the public cheers became louder and fiercer. They were chanting their names with increasing fervor and admiration. Though, the audience was split on who they were cheering on. The common folk were chanting Julius's nickname, while the nobles were praising and even singing for Zoe.
Julius was the first to arrive as he had managed to get some distance from Zoe before she was told to return. Felicia, Myria, and I found ourselves silent upon his return. None of us three knew what to say to Julius, all of course due to the exchange that happened before he and Zoe left for their respective duels.
He paid no mind to the three of us and simply took a seat by my left side. As he had put away his weapon, he looked far more relaxed after he sat down.
"Well, that was quicker than I thought." He said before serving himself some fruit juice and taking a sip. "So? Have you girls given some thought to my question?" He suddenly turned his gaze to me.
The serious yet friendly look on his face somehow made me feel more nervous than usual. For a moment, I thought that my heart was going to burst out from my chest.
Again, none of us were able to say a word to him. The awkward silence was becoming more and more uncomfortable as time went on…
"Well, I suppose it is fine if you don't want to answer now. It is also fine if you want to forget that I even asked anything." Julius said with an easygoing tone as an attempt to dispel the awkward atmosphere around our table.
Yet once more, all three of us remained silent. His efforts had proven futile… Though, only for a bit. The person who I least expected was the first of us to break the silence of us three.
"So… Let's say that I feel something about you. What do we do about it?" Myria spoke to Julius, looking incredibly nervous, just like before her first duel.
"It depends on what you want, of course. I'll only let you know that I am the commitment type of guy." Julius smiled confidently at the nervous dwarf.
"What exactly do you mean by that? You really haven't answered my question… I want a more specific answer." Myria asked with a frown on her face. Her cheeks were completely red due to the embarrassment of this situation.
"Exactly what I said, Myria." Julius continued to smile at Myria. "Though, you haven't really answered my question, either. Do you have romantic feelings towards me?" He asked Myria with a teasing expression.
"You're a bully…" Myria pouted in response. She was surely beyond embarrassed.
"What can I say? I just find it funny to see you pouting. It is also very cute, so I enjoy the sight very much." Julius suddenly complimented her.
"Ah…" Myria's face became even redder. "I-I-I… I suppose I like you a little…" She said in a shy manner.
"Only a little…?" Julius suddenly sounded a bit saddened. "A priestess of the Goddess of Virtue shouldn't lie, you know?" He decided to tease Myria while feigning sadness.
"Okay! I think I really like you a whole lot! Without you, I wouldn't even be here sitting at this table right now! Are you happy to hear that? You are such a mean bully! The Goddess will punish you for being mean to one of her dutiful daughters!" Myria got a little bit and yelled for the whole world to hear.
"I certainly am very happy to hear that. Not about the punishment part though… I’d rather we skip that part entirely." Julius’s expression had changed completely. He looked pleased as he nodded to himself after hearing Myria’s confession.
“What about you two? Do you girls like me as well?” Julius then looked back and forth between Felicia and me.
Naturally, I was still frozen in place, as I didn’t know what I should say. I wasn’t exactly sure of how I should express my feelings? Should I play coy like Myria did? Should I just be upfront with him? Should I remain silent and make him press the issue further? It was a simple question with many ways to answer, yet I couldn’t come up with one that I felt comfortable with…
On top of that, every time Julius and I made eye contact, my heart started pounding like crazy and my mind simply went blank… It was a disastrous situation for me, so I could only remain as a spectator…
“Arrogant bastard...” Felicia replied with annoyance while clicking her tongue. “If I didn’t know you any better, I would have punched you in the face a long time ago. There’s nothing I hate more than arrogant pricks who think they can say things like that just because they are cute...” Felicia said while crossing her arms and averting her gaze. She was still wagging her tail very intensely.
“What’s stopping you now from punching me in the face?” Julius asked with a smug look on her face. “Also, you called me cute. I’m glad to know what you think about me.” He smiled from ear to ear while looking at Felicia.
“Maybe the fact that you’re way stronger than me?” Felicia looked really pissed off now. For a moment, I thought that I had seen her pout.
“I don’t really know about that, Felicia. I might be strong using my weapons, but when it comes to raw hand-to-hand combat, I think we are pretty equal in terms of skill. In fact, I’d dare say you would win if we were to fight barehanded. After all, I did not expect that you were able to use [Limit Break] of all things. You could have easily taken me out during the preliminaries with that.” Julius shook his head and spoke with admiration towards our wolfkin friend.
“So you’re underestimating yourself now? I would like to disagree with what you said about me winning. Even without your weapon and me using my [Limit Break], your fighting spirit, your magic, your stamina… Everything about you is on a whole different level.” Felicia suddenly looked at Julius. Her expression had softened, and her eyes were focused only on Julius. “I suppose that I have no choice but to admit defeat… You win this one, Julius. You’ve won our duel, both inside and outside the arena… What I’m trying to say… Ummm… In other words…” Felicia blushed while looking at him straight into his eyes. She seemed to be unable to finish her sentence.
“In other words?” Julius made sure to maintain eye contact with her, all the while he was smiling from ear to ear again.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Myria asked while frowning. She looked a little jealous too.
“I would be lying if I said I didn’t.” Julius nodded to himself happily.
“You’re cute… Very cute, in fact. I suppose that I might also like you a lot… When I think of who I want as a partner, I can’t think of anyone but you.” Felicia said shyly before averting her gaze once more. She was wagging her tail like crazy while trying to shoot glances at Julius.
“I’m really happy that you think that of me, Feli.” Julius nodded again and smiled at Felicia.
“F-F-Feli!?” Felicia suddenly looked at Julius and gasped. Her cheeks had been painted in a deep crimson due to her new nickname.
“You don’t like it? Hmm… Though, if I’m being honest, I think that Licia sounds cuter than Feli. I hope that you don’t mind if I call you that from now on.” Julius said, a teasing smile had appeared again on his face.
“D-D-Do whatever you want!” Felicia suddenly crossed her arms once more and turned her back towards Julius. She seemed to need a moment to compose herself.
“Very well, Licia.” Julius giggled to himself.
“Someone is certainly enjoying himself a little too much… Hope that you don’t forget that I’m also here.” Myria said while pouting.
“I haven’t forgotten about that, honey.” Julius replied playfully before winking at Myria.
“H-H-Honey…?” Myria immediately became flushed as soon as she heard Julius words. She got caught completely off guard by him.
“Well, I suppose I know what I’ll be calling you from now on.” Julius just smiled at Myria.
The dwarven priestess chose not to reply and simply averted her gaze, just like Felicia.
“Anyway, that only leaves you, Neris. Have you given any thought to my question?” Julius asked in his usual friendly manner after turning his head towards me.
Even though I knew it was going to happen sooner rather than later, my mind still went blank from the embarrassment of having him showing me that beaming warm smile of his…
“Well… I…” As I looked at him, I couldn’t help but fall silent. Since it was the first time I faced this kind of situation, my nerves had easily gotten the better of me. “...” I was unable to answer his question. I felt way too awkward to say anything.
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt if I’m the one to do it this time around.” He jokingly pretended to let out a huge sigh before suddenly grabbing my left hand. “Neris, I’ve been thinking for a bit, and I’ve realized that I genuinely like you. Not only as a friend, but as a girl too. You could say that I have a bit of a crush on you.” Julius said with a serious and straightforward look on his face.
Huh…? What did he just say to me?
“Though I am happy already by having you as my friend, I really hope that you feel the same about me.” He said while looking straight into my eyes. Those small brown eyes of his were all I had in my mind.
Huh…? Did I hear that correctly?
“So, what do you think? Do you like me as well?” Julius asked. His gaze was so focused on me that I thought that I was going to lose my mind.
No matter how hard I tried, words would not leave my mouth. I felt so unbelievably happy and shocked at the same time, and yet I couldn’t say a single word… I could only stare at him back.
“C’mon, answer him already.” A familiar voice suddenly whispered in my ear. “I am getting tired of watching all of you become so lovey-dovey. I know my fate is to become the fifth wheel in this group, but can you at least put an end to this quickly and confess for once and for all? This is literally the opportunity you’ve been waiting for, Neris. You already know he likes you back, so what’s the big deal with telling him how you feel?” That voice belonged to Zoe, my dear childhood friend.
I don’t know why, but Zoe’s words simply felt reinvigorating to hear. I felt relieved just by having her present here. It was as if my nervousness had suddenly ceased to exist. Thanks to my friend’s support, I felt like I could take on the whole world if I had to. Her mere presence was a huge source of courage in this strange situation…
Now, don’t screw this up, Neris… You just need to say it plainly and directly, nothing less and nothing more. Okay… Here it goes…
“Before I tell you how I feel, there's something I need to ask you, Julius.” I gathered my courage and looked at Julius in the eyes.
"What is it?" He tilted his head in an adorable manner, still keeping the same beautiful smile on his face.
"Back in your duel… The way you use that sword. That technique… Where did you learn it? How can you be able to use Bright Star?" I asked Julius.
"Ah, I was also planning to talk to you about it after the tournament was over, but I suppose that since the cat's out of the bag, we could talk about it now." He replied, looking relieved for some reason. "The short answer is that my real father taught me how to use a sword. He also taught me that technique you saw. But, I assume what you truly want to know is how I am able to use a secret technique from your family's swordsmanship style, right?" He said, almost as if he had read my mind somehow.
"Yeah, that's exactly what I want to know." I nodded.
"Unbelievable… She has her opportunity right in the bag, and she now wants to talk about swordsmanship…" Zoe let out a huge sigh before plummeting to her seat.
"The answer to your question is that the style I learned and the style your family uses are one and the same. Or, at least, they once were part of the same style at some point. I was able to confirm my suspicions during my duel by using that sword for the first time." Julius explained.
"What exactly do you mean by that? They were one style? I mean, from what I've seen your style and mine do seem to be almost identical, but in a way, they also felt a bit different from one another somehow. Another question I have is: Are you able to enter The Zone as well? That moment where everything just slows down around you?" Despite his explanation, I still had several more questions.
"Yeah, that happens to me a lot. Though, I have to say that's a curious way to name that phenomenon." He said while rubbing his chin. "Also, the technique you know as Bright Star, for me, it is called Sublime Heaven. It is one of the 15 techniques of the ancient style of the Blade of Tranquility. The origins of this style go back to even before the Thousand-Year War. During that time, my ancestors, who created this style, split the family into two branches before the war started. This separation would cause the creation of several variations of the Blade of Tranquility throughout the years." He finished his explanation.
The Blade of Tranquility… Why does that name feel so familiar… But if his style and my family's had the same origin during the war, then that would explain why he was able to pull off something my father and I could not.
I must say that I am a little bit mad that he didn't show this to me earlier while he was training during the days leading to the tournament…
I guess it doesn't matter that much right now, but I will still try to learn more from this "Blade of Tranquility" from Julius after the tournament is over.
There could be some books about the origins of our styles back in my family's state. I might need to go into the old section of our library… I wonder, does Father know about this as well?
"Alright. Thank you for answering my question." I obviously didn't forget to thank Julius for his honesty.
"It appears that you two were made for each other, sheesh! Can you both stop talking about swords and finish what you started? It is becoming unbearable to watch." Zoe expressed his annoyance. She immediately nudged me to push me closer to Julius. "You better tell him now, before I do." Zoe pointed at the amused boy who was still holding my hand.
Even while this situation was really embarrassing for me and my heart couldn't stop beating wildly, I didn't feel as nervous as before. If anything, I wanted to keep holding his hand and never let it go…
"Do you remember that locket and the book I gave you for your birthday?" I looked at Julius and asked nervously.
"Of course I do. I tore through the book that same night after you left." Julius nodded before falling deep in thought. If I remember correctly, the one I liked the most was something along the lines of… Even when the freezing waves hit the coast and the maws of the raging fire consume everything in its path, my heart shalt remain unyielding." Julius recalled one of the poems of the book perfectly.
Naturally, I was both a little stunned and so unbelievably happy, since the poem he liked was also my favorite.
"That's my favorite poem… I'm really happy that you liked it too." I smiled shyly.
"I was going to wear the locket too, but since I didn't want it to get damaged, I left it at home. But who would have thought we would like the same poem? I think this must be a sign." Julius giggled to himself somewhat nervously.
"Yeah, it must be. Do you know the hidden meaning behind my gift?" I said before I decided to imitate him and show him a beaming smile. "When someone from my family gifts a book and a locket to someone from the opposite gender, they are usually asking for marriage." Even though I was so unbelievably nervous, I wasn't particularly scared anymore. That's why I could show him my best smile.
"So you were asking me for marriage back then?" Julius looked a little shocked as well as a little amused. "I suppose that since I accepted your gift, that means that I accepted your proposal, right?" He asked. He had decided to smile back at me.
"It depends. Are you impressed with my abilities?" I asked him while melting inside due to his wonderful smile.
"Very much, obviously." He nodded several times. He even looked excited about the topic.
"You haven't seen anything yet." I couldn't help but get a little giggly.
(Then that would just leave impressing his mother, and our engagement would be good to go!) I was incredibly fired up about my next match.
"Then? You still haven't told me how you feel about me." He suddenly shot me an inquisitive look.
"Jeez… You're really going to make me say it? I guess Myria and Her Highness were right about you, you really are such a mean boy…" I laughed awkwardly while trying to compose myself. "It should be obvious by now that I like you. I’d even dare say that I love you." I told the black-haired boy exactly how I felt about him.
I couldn't help but give him a hug after telling him my feelings… Julius didn't respond, he simply accepted the hug without saying a word.
The only thing I could hear while that was happening were the sounds of Zoe clapping happily. Even though this whole situation was so unbelievably awkward and embarrassing, I could only push through it all because of her friendship.
"Wonderful! I'm glad that you two feel the same about each other." Zoe nodded to herself. "Though, I assume that would mean that our little game is off since it was all just a little plot of mine to get you and Neris to have a date. Heh, I suppose what starts well, ends well." Zoe seemed completely relieved.
"Not necessarily. It is too late for any of us to back out from the bet, especially now that my pride is on the line for obvious reasons… So, the game is on." Julius shook his dead in denial after taking a look at me and the others. He looked very adorable even when serious.
"Ahh… Is that so… That is great, I suppose… The game is on…" Zoe, on the other hand, was pale once again. She really seemed as if she didn’t want to partake in a duel with Julius.
Even in spite of the happiness I was feeling on such an important occasion, I wasn’t blind to the sudden shifts in Zoe’s personality…
She’s been acting off ever since the preliminaries ended… No, everything started when she proposed that bet of hers to Julius… What’s going on with her? There’s no way someone as confident and skilled as Zoe would be afraid of a little challenge.
I wonder if she’s still feeling ill from putting salt on her tea…
Before I could dwell any further into that, my thoughts were interrupted by a certain dwarven girl.
"Changing the topic, I know that you and Neris have known each other for longer, but will I get a hug too or what?" Myria started pouting again. "If you don't hug me, I will annoy you until the end of time!" She stood up and threateningly pointed at the boy we all loved with her staff.
"I wouldn't mind getting one too…" Felicia mumbled to herself.
"That's fine by me. I can roll with that and give everyone some hugs." Julius said happily.
"You also haven't told either me or Felicia how you feel about us! I also want to hear you say it!" She quickly walked over to us and tried to pull Julius towards her.
"I obviously like the two of you. If you want to, I can tell you that as many times as you want." Julius said without missing a beat. “Sure, we just met today and all, and we still need to get to know each other on a much deeper level, but I’m definitely sure that I like the two of you.” Julius said with utmost confidence while smiling from ear to ear.
“Hmph… That much is certainly true.” Myria nodded in agreement right before sitting on Julius lap once more. “There are a myriad of things that I would like to have deep conversations with you about, but I definitely want to hear you say how much you like me first.” She had a pleased look on her face while she leaned against the boy we loved.
“Again, that’s fine by me. I’m actually looking forward to having those talks with you, honey.” Julius nodded in agreement while bringing her into our hug.
“You bully… You’re really hellbent on calling me that… I don’t particularly dislike it, though, so I may allow it occasionally.” Myria ended up blushing quite a lot before burying her face on Julius’s shoulder.
“What about you, Licia? I assume that you also want to hear me say that kind of thing to you?” He spoke to the wolfkin who was constantly casting pleading glances at us.
“I really would like to hear it too…” Felicia seemed beyond embarrassed. Though, despite her embarrassment, she quickly rushed at us before giving us all an extremely tight hug.
“Hehe, I really enjoy seeing you acting so embarrassed and shy, Licia. It is very adorable.” Julius said with an honest smile on his face.
“Bastard… Don’t push your luck…” Felicia tried to speak in a threatening way, but it was very difficult to take her seriously when she was wagging her tail like crazy.
“Aww! How cute! So cute that I think I may get ill from so many sugary words and feelings in the air this time around.” Zoe sounded a both happy for me and annoyed due to the whole situation…
“Well, it is cute now that we’re done with the easy part…” Julius suddenly became rather nervous.
This is the easy part? What does he mean by that…
“The difficult part will be having to explain this to Mia… And probably my sisters… And your parents too…” Julius sounded a bit tired and nervous.
Oh… Right… Mia gave me permission to pursue Julius and tell him my feelings, in exchange for helping both Liliana and Luna to confess to him as well. I suppose I must keep my part of the deal now that my feelings were reciprocated.
Though… I am a little worried about Felicia and Myria… I still remember how scary Mia was being when she gave me permission to come after Julius…
Speaking of which… The air here feels rather cold all of a sudden… I think I’m forgetting about someone important that is also somewhat involved in this situation…
“Who’s Mia?” Felicia asked.
“My first fiancée. I think you would like her… In most situations, except this extremely awkward one.” Julius said with a deadpan expression.
“Oh, right… You did say that you were already engaged. If the Goddess approves, then I’m fine with it.” Myria didn’t seem to have a problem with the current situation.
“That makes sense. I guess that would explain why you smell like a rabbitkin girl…” Felicia nodded to herself.
“Don’t worry, I’ll have a talk with her! I’ll explain that your heart is definitely big enough for all of us to fit in, and it will still be all cozy!” Myria was being optimistic about having to explain the situation to Mia.
Oh, Myria… You sweet summer child… You have no idea who you’re going to be dealing with… It doesn’t matter how strong you are, there’s something deeply frightening about that rabbit girl. I like her a lot, but I definitely don’t want to get on her bad side…
<Alright, everyone seems to have had enough time to recover and prepare for their next match. Myria Estner, Aurora Teralis, Elizabeth Ephrain and Renard Caprasania, please come to the center of the arena to continue with the second round.>
“Oh, well… It seems like duty is calling. I’ll think of what to say to your fiancée while I win my next duel. I’ll tell her exactly how this mean playboy I know just appeared out of nowhere, whispered sweet his sweet words to us, and then suddenly made us fall for him hard. Wish me luck, everyone!” Myria said very happily as she managed to free herself from Felicia’s grasp. “Though, I think I may steal a bit from you.” Myria said as he gave Julius a peck on the cheek.
“Time to show that Valciar royal that she is about to mess with the wrong dwarven priestess!” Myria shouted while rising her staff in the air. She immediately ran towards the arena in an excited manner.
It was the same reaction she had during her first duel after Julius had managed to motivate her.
“I’m happy that she’s feeling confident about herself. If I need to sacrifice a bit of my luck for her to feel like that, that’s fine by me.” Julius said to himself while touching his cheek. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?” Julius immediately blushed as soon as he noticed Felicia and I staring at him.
“You’re cuter than I expected… I certainly don’t dislike that.” Felicia smiled as she hugged the two of us tightly.
“You have no idea how adorable he can be.” I smiled back at her. “How about I tell you about that time he went to a flower field to gather flowers and made bouquets for everyone in my order?” I couldn’t help but tease the mischievous boy who had swiftly stolen all of my love.
“Well, this is certainly going to be embarrassing…” Julius let out a sigh before looking at the center of the arena.
“For the two of us, that’s for sure.” Zoe let out a big sigh as well.
After that, Felicia, Julius, Zoe, and I watched the ongoing duels, all the while I merrily told everyone vividly the details about my trip to Mutm with Julius.
And thus my confession had been a success. Though I did not expect Felicia and Myria to join me in such a situation, I was happy that it all turned out fine. Our feelings had been reciprocated and Julius seemed happy about it too.
In the end, Myria was able to win her duel without issue. Compared to her first duel, her second duel ended in a complete and swift victory for the excited dwarf priestess.
Although everything was going well, I was still worried about those occasional sudden shifts in Zoe’s personality. There was something that wasn’t sitting well with me about it…
Bro is going build a kingdom with his offspring alone at this rate god damn
It is possible that he might. He will have some superb Father's Day gifts tho
.... can i get the physical description of all the girls so far lol.... start making that glossary already
..i only remmeber Mia is a rabbit red haired and blue eyed girl... and that felicia is a wolf kin
I think Imma take a break (not a very long hiatus) from the story as soon as I am done with this arc in order to plan the next one. I think I can work on the glossary while on my break.
thanks for the chapter
Thanks for reading!