Echoes of Fire and Shadows

Chapter 76: The Eager Dwarven Priestess.

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—Myria’s POV—

“So? Care to explain yourself, you precocious playboy!?” I was pulling the cheeks of the brown-haired boy sitting beside me. His most recent exploits had annoyed me beyond belief.

Sigh… He’s already a womanizer at this age… A priestess of my caliber definitely needs to have a very stern talk with him and his parents as soon as the tournament is over!

A few minutes had passed since Julius’s and Zoe’s match ended. Julius was able to claim victory over Zoe and move forward to the semi-finals, though when he returned his uniform and his bracelet were basically in shambles, which served as proof that his victory was not an easy one.

However, something else also happened during Julius’s duel against Zoe that got Felicia, Neris and I quite pissed off at him. I won’t enter into details, but basically the three of us were able to listen to their entire conversation at the end of the duel, all thanks to Professor Dante.

So, after spending a bit of time comforting Neris about something Zoe did for her sake, the three of us hatched a plan to annoy the heck out of Julius for what he did during his duel. Which would lead us to this moment.

“Yeah, I would like to hear that explanation myself.” Felicia said with a menacing tone while inspecting her claws. She made a show of it on purpose.

“I’m sure he has an explanation that would satisfy all three of us, don’t you, Julius?” Neris smiled at the boy while also keeping a tight grasp on her sword.

“In my defense, I was left unsupervised.” The boy replied in a deadpan tone, clearly uncaring that I was using all my strength to pull his cheeks.

“Oh? So you were left unsupervised and you decided to seduce my friend? Really graceful, I must say.” Neris asked. Her smile did not reach her eyes at all.

“I did not do such a thing. I just said that I liked her. Just like I told everyone here at this table.” Julius got a little indignant. “I also told her that she should have a talk with you before anything, but you already heard everything about that, didn’t you?” His expression quickly turned playful while looking at Neris.

“Wait, how do you know we heard everything!?” I was a little taken aback. Well, not a little… I was very surprised to hear that Julius knew that we were listening to his conversation with Zoe. 

Even while Professor Dante’s Spatial Magic is extremely powerful and capable of creating perfect copies of the places he has been in before as alternate dimensions, in such a huge coliseum like this one, unlike the sounds of explosions, spells and steel clashes, conversations and people's voices are incredibly hard to hear, especially with the masses chanting and cheering on the participants of the duels.

However, just when Julius's and Zoe's duel was reaching its climax, a small sphere similar to the one hovering over the arena appeared above our table. It was Professor Dante's doing. He said through the sphere that we would perhaps like to get a better idea of what was going on with the pair.

He wasn't wrong. I definitely had to hear what was being said between the two duelists.

Even though I felt a little jealous of Zoe about what I saw and heard, I must admit that I did get a little weak in the knees… In my eyes, it was a very adorable moment between the two! Now I just can’t help but pair Julius and Zoe together!

Though, I guess this means that our plan to annoy him a little was a failure… Dang it! He’s always one step ahead somehow!

"Let's just say that I have my methods, okay?" He said to us casually. "That being said, I don't know what to feel about Zoe's secrets being revealed before she could get the opportunity to have a talk with Neris… Dante's probably going to need to escape to the western continent before Zoe finds out." Julius appeared to be extremely annoyed at Dante.

"He will definitely need to get away as soon as possible." Neris nodded in agreement before letting go of her sword and leaning against Julius. "I suppose this is also the end of our little prank… Just when Myria and I thought that we could mess around with you for being so mean to us… Ah, what a failure." Neris let out an overly exaggerated sigh as she laid her head on Julius's shoulder.

 "What a shame… And here I thought we could make you panic a little." Felicia quickly laid back on her seat and relaxed. She seemed a little disappointed.

"You know, it is difficult not to notice when you're trying your hardest to prevent yourself from wagging your tail. Your lips were also slightly curled up, so that was further proof for me that you were just trying to mess with me." Julius said to the disappointed wolfkin.

"Ehh? I did?" Felicia asked with shock as she tried to hide her face due to the embarrassment.

"Yep. You definitely did. We definitely need to work on your acting skills, Felicia." I nodded to confirm Felicia's worst fears.

"No way… I can’t believe that this stupid tail of mine is to blame!" Felicia soon became dejected.

"I don't think your tail is stupid, on the contrary, I think it is quite lovely and fluffy, Licia.” Julius didn’t miss the opportunity to give Felicia a compliment. He was looking at her tail with sparkling eyes…

In response, Felicia said nothing. She was beaming with happiness, and she was furiously wagging her tail because of it. She chose to avert her gaze to try to hide this fact from Julius.

“Anyway, regardless of what I think of Licia’s fluffy tail… You seem to be taking everything well, Neris.” Julius composed himself before shooting a glance at the chivalrous girl sitting beside him.

“Well, to be honest, it was quite shocking to find out that my best friend has been acting all these years like a completely different person in order to protect me, but I think I have properly processed everything! So there’s no need to worry about me! Everything is fine now! I just need to talk to Zoe and that’s it!” Neris tried to lie to Julius in order to not worry him, but I was not going to allow that.

“She’s lying. She was not taking it well at all!” Both Felicia and I said in unison.

“H-Hey! Don’t tell him that!” Neris rose from her seat and looked at us as if we had betrayed her. She was quite flustered.

“She cried. A lot. A really awful lot.” I said right after I denied Neris’s words. “She was even ugly crying a few moments before you returned. It was up to yours truly to comfort her.” I said before serving myself another piece of cake on my plate.

“Yeah, I also noticed that.” Julius nodded. “I mean, to be fair, it was difficult not to notice because of how red her eyes are due to the tears and all.” Julius smiled awkwardly.

“She also punched a hole on our table… And it was not a small one either, we literally had to replace it with the abandoned table of the Oriana sisters.” Felicia added while also eating some snacks.

“So that explains why there’s a broken table on the other side of the arena…” Julius’s smile soon turned into awkward laughter. 

“Gods… Please bury me now beneath this arena…” Neris fell to her seat and covered her face due to the embarrassment she was feeling.

“So you knew that we were listening to your talk, but you didn’t know that Neris punched a hole in our old table? That’s a little weird.” I decided to point that out while enjoying a nice and sweet cake.

“I’m not omniscient, Myria. Even my methods have their limitations. I suppose I can tell all of you everything, but I think that we should wait until the end of the tournament. That way I can explain everything to Zoe, Cassandra and Reina as well.” He said after giggling a little. “In any case, if you need a shoulder to cry on and someone to talk with, you know that you have me here for you, Neris.” I was moved by how serious Julius looked about comforting Neris.

“Thank you, Julius.” Neris smiled at him before holding his hand quite tightly.

“Though, I really need to ask… Are you alright with what happened with Zoe? Not only what happened between me and her, but also about the fact that she was acting so flashy and boisterous to protect you.” Julius looked at her with concern.

“I suppose I can’t really lie to you. I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to worry you, but I guess it is better if I tell you my feelings on the matter…” Neris let out a tired sigh. She still seemed very worried about Zoe. “Truth to be told, I was having my suspicions about the fact that Zoe was acting ever since she proposed that game to you. I mean, it was difficult not to notice how absentminded she seemed at times, or how she would suddenly get as pale as a ghost whenever someone mentioned the fact that you two would fight. I just… Don’t know what to feel about that. On one hand, I am grateful. She’s my best friend, and she has done so much for me ever since we were little that I feel like I simply cannot repay her.” Neris looked down at her lap and shook her head with disappointment.

“And on the other hand?” Julius asked.

“I feel angry at her. And I feel guilty.” Neris said bluntly. “Even if we are friends, she should have never put herself in that position. Even did it for my sake and was worried about me, she shouldn’t have sacrificed herself and worked herself to the bone just to get the attention of everyone off me… I just simply can’t accept that she did such a stupid thing for me. That she acted like someone she was not, just to protect me…” Neris seemed like she was about to cry again from the frustration.

“I can understand that.” Julius nodded while caressing Neris’s hand. “But I also understand why Zoe did what she did. We all do things that others might consider stupid or foolish for the sake of the people we love, even if it causes us harm.” Julius had a saddened look on his face as well as a nostalgic smile. That look made him seem as wise as one of the older priests from my temple.

“But I never asked her to do such a thing... I never asked her to lie to everyone and herself just to protect me! It is all because of my shyness that this all happened! I never wanted for her to hurt herself like that…” Neris looked at Julius with desperation in her eyes. She was feeling really guilty about this situation.

“That’s the thing, Neris… You never ask friends to do such things. Only a true friend would be willing to put themselves in such a position for your sake.” Julius then placed his hand on Neris’s head. “I know that you’re feeling really guilty about it, but Zoe decided to put herself in that position out of her volition. She wanted you to reach your full potential without anyone putting unnecessary pressure on you. I think she did something wonderful for your sake, and I am glad to know that you have a friend that would go to such lengths for you.” Julius smiled while patting Neris’s head.

“But…!” Neris was about to protest, but Julius stopped her.

“I am not done yet.” He said. “Look, even if you feel guilty about it now, there’s not much we can do to change a decision Zoe made in the past. But that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing you can do for her. You can always repay the favor to your dear friend, you know?” Julius said while smiling warmly at her.

“You mean…” Neris looked at Julius with a surprised expression the moment she understood what he meant.

“She made that entire act for your sake. All for the sole purpose of shielding you from all the people trying to pressure you. All so you could bloom as a person and become a master of the sword, right? Well, I think that it is only fair if you return the favor and help her this time around. It is time that you help her to become the person she’s supposed to be. I think that’s what friends are for.” Julius explained his reasoning.

Neris then fell deep in thought. As moments passed, she started to look more and more conflicted than before.

“Then how should I help her? I am not good at acting, and I don’t think I could act the same way she does… There’s no way I could be so boisterous in front of other people… In fact, when I think that there are thousands of people watching my very move right now, I can’t help but feel terrified and awkward…” Neris face grew pale by the mere mention of all the gazes of the masses.

“That’s the neat thing about this, Neris.” Julius smiled grew as he started to pat Neris’s head once more to comfort her. “You don’t need to act like a different person or create an entirely different persona, just like Zoe did for you. You only need to do two simple things.” He raised his fingers and spoke playfully

“And that would be?” Neris asked, almost desperately. She really wanted to make up to Zoe.

“You need to thank her from the bottom of your heart and be there for her as her friend when she needs you. That’s all you need to do to pay her back, Neris.” Julius said while looking at the sky above. For a moment, his mind seemed to be on a distant place, far away from this arena…

“I… I see… I know that I can do that much.” Neris nodded in understanding. “But, are you sure that’s all I need to do? It feels a bit insufficient.” Neris still seemed a little worried. 

“I’m sure of it, Neris. You just need to be there for Zoe and you will have nothing to worry about, okay? You need to trust me on this one.” Julius reassured her with his usual warm smile.

“Then I suppose that I’ll do just that.” Neris nodded in response. “Thank you, Julius. I am happy to call you my fiancé and the fact that you were by my side to help me while I was lost and didn’t know what to do. I feel much better thanks to you.” Neris smiled back at Julius. Her soft smile was proof that her worries had been eased.

Awww! That’s so cute! I think I’m feeling nauseous all of a sudden due to how sweet everything was! I am also a bit jealous too… I suppose there’s only one thing I can do in order to feel better myself… It is time to tease the boy who stole my heart!

Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to tease him about it anytime soon… It was time for my next match already.

<Attention participants. It is time for the next duel to begin. Myria Estner and Renard Caprasania, please head to the center of the arena without delay. That is all.>  Professor Dante announced with a sense of urgency in his usual depressed tone.

Dang it! I swear that I will tease him about this later! He won’t be spared from my righteous fury!

“Sigh… I guess I should get going.” I said before grabbing my staff and rising from my seat. “Someone has to win this tournament, after all.” I smiled confidently while shooting a glance at the one who had made this possible.

Truly… I don’t think I’ve ever felt as confident as I am feeling right now… And to think that is thanks to the small boy in front of me. I guess I’ll have to work hard to pay back my darling for becoming the source of this confidence.

“Go get them, honey.” He immediately gave me the thumbs up while showing me a supportive smile.

“Don’t worry, darling! I am ready to break some bones!” I raised my staff in the air, almost wanting to roar due to the excitement I was feeling. It was only a few moments after that I realized that I had accidentally revealed the nickname for Julius that I only used in my mind…

“So I am your darling huh… That is good to know, honey!” A huge grin appeared on Julius’s face as soon as he heard my words. I could see that he was dying to tease me about I had just said to him.

“S-S-Shut up! It was just a slip of tongue! It is also very embarrassing that you’re still calling me that! I said that I would only allow you to call me that occasionally!” I immediately got flustered and turned my back to him. “If you’re lively enough to tease me, then you’re lively enough to do your job to keep comforting Neris!” I tried to change the topic as I prepared to flee from the scene.

“Consider it done, honey. I was already planning on doing that.” Julius replied. “Do your best and don’t forget to crush some skulls. Teach them all that they are messing with the wrong priestess and don’t forget that I will be always supporting you!” Julius said with excitement. The playful tone in his voice was making me feel even more embarrassed than before.

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you!? Stop teasing me right before an important match!” I couldn’t help but look at him and frown.

“I wonder about that.” Julius replied in a playful manner while grinning at me. “Now, what are you waiting for? Those skulls aren’t going to crush themselves. This tournament won’t be won by itself, either.” He was motioning me to go already.

“Fine! But you will regret embarrassing me when we have to face each other in the semi-finals! It will be the second Lover’s Quarrel of this tournament!” I shouted at him before running towards the center of the arena for my next match.

“I’ll be certainly looking forward to it, then! I can’t wait!” Julius replied with excitement, while I was leaving.

Tsk… He really knows how to make my heart skip a beat… This cute bully is dangerous… I need to think of something that could really embarrass him before I return.

“Go get them, Myria! You’ve got this!” Neris shouted as loudly as she could.

“That’s the spirit! Show the son of the prime minister that he’s not even on your level! Show that fancy pants everything you got!” Felicia also didn’t forget to encourage me.

As I looked at the people that were now cheering me on, I couldn’t help but feel a great warmness within me. I was ecstatic that I was able to form new connections in this tournament out of all places, an event that I originally didn’t even want to be part of. I could only be thankful towards the Goddess for putting these people in my path, and also towards Julius for helping me to stand back up while I was at my lowest.

It was because of the two of them that I could be in the quarter-finals of this tournament while holding my head high and proudly.

I feel so weird right now… I feel like I’m so full of energy that I am going to explode any moment, and surprisingly I don’t feel nervous or afraid, even though I am about to face one of the strongest students in the academy, the son of the Prime Minister…

“Well, I guess I better show the whole city, my new friends and my darling what this priestess is made of!” There was no way that I could contain all the excitement I was feeling.

(That’s the spirit, Myria! But don’t allow your excitement to make you lose your composure. The most common cause of defeat is overconfidence. Make sure to remember that, my dear Myria.) The Goddess also cheered me on and gave me some advice.

“Patience is the virtue of saints, but humility is the virtue of the faithful servants of the Goddess. I don’t think I’ll be able to forget all of your many teachings that the Archbishop worked so hard to instill on me.” I said to the Goddess. “You can rest assured, Lady Yraura. I won’t lose because of overconfidence. If I am destined to lose, then it will be after I give my best to win. I’ll humbly accept the results, no matter what they are.” I smiled warmly as I reached the center of the arena.

(You really have grown to be a splendid priestess, Myria. Seeing that you’re finally able to feel confidence in yourself while you remain humble warms this beating heart of mine.) The Goddess seemed to be proud of me. (Certainly… There’s no one better fit to be my apostle than you, Myria. Now show your opponent what you can do, I believe in your abilities, my dear apostle.) With those parting words, Lady Yraura’s presence became weaker.

“That I shall do.” I whispered as I now stood in front of the Vice-Principal and Professor Dante.

On my left, stood a tall young man with a pair of glasses. He was around 1.75 meters tall. He had short and slick brown hair as well as a pair of dark green eyes. He was wearing a crimson robe on top of his academy’s uniform. On the right side of the robe, the coat of arms of House Caprasania was sewn on it… A silvery dragon flying over a field white snowy field surrounded by tall peaks. He was also holding a simple gray staff with a small orange jewel at the top on his left hand.

That young man was Renard Caprasania, the eldest son of the Prime Minister, heir to the Caprasania Dukedom in the east, and descendant of the ancient Wyvern Kings of old from the Riltza Mountain Range.

If I had been told yesterday, before I had even met Julius and the other girls, that I would have to face in the tournament someone such as Renard, I would have either laughed at the impossibility of me getting this far or I would’ve been sitting in the corner while trembling with the fear of making a fool of myself yet again. 

But here we are… It turns out that this was not impossible, and I am not trembling with fear even after considering who my opponent is, on the contrary, I simply cannot help but be excited about this match. I simply feel so confident that it is unreal.

“Myria Estner… I believe this is the first time we speak to one another, but allow me to congratulate you for getting this far on your first tournament. I am honored to be your opponent.” Renard spoke politely while addressing me.

“Thank you for your kind words, Renard. Are you sure that you wish to fight this humble priestess? I think I may need to inform you that I am also very motivated about our match, and that I am definitely not going to hold back, especially against such an esteemed personage such as yourself.” I smiled at him while giving him a warning. 

“Is that the case? Then may the best of us win.” He said before looking at the Professor. “Though, I must admit that it would have been for the best if you had decided to retire now. A pity.” Renard seemed troubled. He had let out a small sigh of annoyance.

“Hmm… I didn’t know that you liked intimidation tactics, my lord. But worry not, those kinds of things won’t affect me anymore. I am more than ready to make you try the wonderful taste of the dirt beneath my boots.” I replied playfully to his annoyance. I couldn’t deny that his words had pissed me off a little.

“We will see.” He replied to my taunts with indifference.

You won’t be acting so indifferent when I get you with my chain and hit you with my unbreakable staff! 

“Alright, alright, enough of whatever you have going on. It is time for you to choose your battlefield. You know the drill, you say the place, and I’ll flip the coin.” Professor Dante got tired of waiting and took a step forward.

Hmm… A place to battle someone like Renard… I think I got one!

“Professor, me first!” I raised my hand before Renard could say anything. “I want the Ruined District!” I revealed to the world the place I wanted to fight in.

“Huh… That is certainly a clever choice.” The Professor seemed mildly surprised about my choice, but he then gave me a nod of approval. “Your thoughts, Raphael?” He asked the Vice-Principal.

“Not a bad place for a duel. It has lots of places to hide and find cover. Very good for a duel between two skilled magicians.” Said the Vice-Principal, while he was rubbing his chin and playing with the tip of his long white beard.

“Agreed.” Professor Dante nodded. “And you, Renard? Have you made up your mind about the place in which you want to fight?” He asked my opponent.

“Not really. I don’t have any preference.” Renard said while adjusting his glasses. “This will be over in a heartbeat, so I might as well grant my opponent the courtesy of choosing their preferred location before their defeat.” He said without any hint the politeness he showed to me before.

Oi! What makes you think I will lose to you just like that!?

While Renard’s words made me annoyed, I didn’t let it show on my face. I simply gave him a polite smile while planning my strategy for our match.

“Sigh… I might as well forget about the coin toss for this whole ordeal! What’s the matter with you people?? Are you not confident about your luck that you don’t want to toss a damn coin even once!?” For some reason, Professor Dante got very angry all of a sudden. “Forget about it… That makes things faster anyway. Whatever. May the best of you win this match…” The professor quickly composed himself before snapping his fingers.

As soon as I heard the snap, I was overwhelmed by a familiar sensation. The feeling that the entire world was being shaken all around me, while my vision was stolen by a powerful white light.

The moment my vision returned, I was met with the sight of tall white walls of the city of Mutm. But instead of the usually lively center of the city, the enormous busy docks or even the dark and dangerous slums, I was in a place filled with ruin.

Just as I had told Professor Dante, he had brought us into a perfect copy of the former noble district of the city which was now known by all as the Ruined District, for obvious reasons.

This was a place I had to frequent a lot due to my job as a priestess. Because of the nature of my job, I usually found myself coming with other priests and priestesses to bless this destroyed district and to perform exorcisms for the sake of the souls of those who perished in that great earthquake five years ago.

As a result of my many trips to this place, I am confident that I know my way through all the decayed manors and collapsed buildings in the area. I’ve even discovered a few secret alleyways during my time exploring the area with the help of Lady Yraura.

Oh, I should try to remember to take Julius to the Alley of the Innocent Lovers later when this is over!

Anyway… Where was I…? Ah, Right. I know my way through this place just as if it was my second home! So my opponent will have no chance in opposing my chains! Getting the upper hand while I have so many places to have should be a piece of cake!

Or at least… It should have been a piece of cake… As soon as I looked forward, I noticed that Renard had already raised his staff and was pointing it at me. Before I could even process what was going on, a gigantic ball of water had already been shot at me.

(Myria! Watch out!) The Goddess shouted with urgency. It was only because of her voice that I was somewhat able to react.

That’s too fast! When did he manage to cast a spell like that!? We’ve barely been in this place for less than thirty seconds! Fuck! I don’t care about that, I need to duck!

With those thoughts in mind, I tried my best to crouch in order to avoid the rapidly approaching ball of water. However, I was unable to do so as roots came flying at me from all directions, completely binding my movements. I desperately tried my best to free myself from the roots, but I was not strong enough to break free. And worst of it all, I didn’t have the time to cast a spell to gain my freedom from these bindings.

And thus, without any way of avoiding it, Renard’s water spell hit me square in the face. The freezing water ball made my whole body shiver as it crashed against me, but instead of just ceasing to exist or simply falling to the ground beneath, the water ball retained its shape while covering my mouth, making me completely unable to talk or even cast the most basic of spells, whether it was by a full chant or by using Chant Shortening, I couldn’t cast anything.

In less than half a minute, Renard was capable of stealing my freedom and making me unable to utter words or even the most mundane sound to use my magic. For a magician who couldn’t use the Voiceless Method of casting, something like this was a disaster.

“As I said, I find it a pity that you didn’t decide to retire while you had the tasted the sweetness of victory. A shame that you will now taste the bitterness of defeat at my hands.” He said as he lowered his staff.

Huh? How…? How did this happen? How could he do something like this so quickly? It doesn’t make any sense for him to have reacted so fast… It just doesn’t make any sense! I never heard anything of him being able to use the Voiceless Method! This shouldn’t be possible!

Needless to say, I was shocked by the sudden development. I was defeated in the blink of an eye. I had failed to even put up a fight…

“You must be wondering how, don’t you? How was I able to react so fast after reaching this place? How was I able to put you in such situation that quick, even while I am not proficient enough with the Voiceless Method? Many questions that I will answer.” Renard looked at me with a serious expression as he began walking towards me. His staff was brimming with energy the whole time.

(His staff… Did it always have so much mana charged into it…? No… It is simply not possible… I would have noticed if he had started to charge it before the match began.) I thought to myself while looking at Renard with a dumbfounded expression.

(Myria… No… This is my fault… I… I didn’t notice how much mana he had put into his staff… This shouldn’t have happened… I shouldn’t have failed to notice that…) Lady Yraura seemed as shocked as I was.

“You seem to have caught onto something. If you thought that I was able to catch you off guard because of the staff I am holding, you’re partially correct.” Renard said nonchalantly as he continued to make his way over to me. “This [Nightingale’s Song] is different from other staffs or wands, as it is capable of holding the mana of its wielder for more than a month if necessary, as long as it remains with said wielder. The key lies within the orange jewel at the top. A very precious thing, not only beautiful but also very rare in the Empire. It is said that this was the egg of a True Dragon that unfortunately did not hatch and turned into stone instead.” Renard explained. He was already halfway on his patch to reach me.

The more Renard explained and came closer to me, I grew more and more dumbfounded and shocked by his revelation.

Holding mana for more than a month…? Half a week I can understand, but not even the [Staff of Humilitas] could manage to achieve that kind of thing… How could such a staff exist!?

“This staff is one of the many relics left by my ancestor from the Thousand-Year War. Please believe me when I say that I was not planning to use its special ability in this tournament, but I simply couldn’t take any risks while facing you. Especially if I want to face the Son of the Skull Crusher.” Renard said while looking at me with a cold expression. “You see, as I have already explained, this staff can store the mana of its wielder for them to use at a different time. Though, this ability is not limited only to storing the mana from the user. It can also store simple spells, like the ones I just used against you.” A proud smirk suddenly appeared on his face.

A staff that can store spells and hold mana for more than a month… No way… How is that possible…? But, that would explain how he was able to launch to consecutive spells so quickly, just as the duel began… He had everything prepared beforehand…

“It is said that this staff was made and used to belong to the founder of this very Academy, the Sage Blaise himself.” Renard revealed the origin of its magical tool. “Though, as I previously stated, while the formidable capabilities of my staff were a great factor in this turn of events, it is not the entire reason why you are in this predicament, Myria Estner.” Renard had finally reached me. He had placed himself directly in front of me. The young son of the prime minister easily towered over me.

It belonged to the Sage Blaise… That’s just unfair, isn’t it…? Even with the [Staff of Humilitas], how could I compete with that…?

(But why does he have that staff? I was told it was lost when Blaise abandoned the Empire…) Even the Goddess seemed as shocked as I was.

“The other half of the reason why you were defeated is that I have studied everything about you during your matches. Every move, the way you breathe, the way you wielded your magic, and even the way you suddenly made a comeback on your first duel thanks to your willpower. I witnessed it all and then planned accordingly after your second duel.” He explained while adjusting his glasses in a very condescending manner. “I must admit that for someone who is participating for the first time in this tournament, you were rather promising compared to other participants from previous years. But still, it was quite easy to tell that you’re a complete novice when it comes to duels like these. It was easy to exploit that fact.” Renard said while shaking his head with mild disappointment.

“...” I couldn’t help but looking at him with annoyance. Even though there was nothing I could actually do, I could still try to make him explode while staring daggers at him.

Even though I knew there was no way for me to release myself from my bindings either physically or magically at this point, I couldn’t help but struggle as if my life depended on it, I didn’t want to go down without even trying. I even went as far as covering my body with [Fighting Spirit] even when I was not good at it, but it was still futile no matter what I did.

But still, even if everything failed, I had to at least try. I didn’t want to be seen as a failure… I want to be the same cowardly and unconfident person I was before the tournament began. After all the encouragement I had received from everyone, even if this was a lost cause, I didn’t want to disappoint them.

“So, to make a long story short, you’ve lost because of your lack of experience in dueling. I’ve also noticed that your lack of offensive spells leaves much to be desired, and while your casting speeds are fine, it wouldn’t hurt to improve it some more. Perhaps you could even try to learn the Voiceless Method. You should even learn some martial arts for situations like these where you can’t use magic. That is all the advice I can offer if you wish to participate next year.” Renard said in an indifferent manner. “Alas, although it was short, I believe that our time together must come to an end.” He said as he raised his staff and pointed it at me again.

As soon as I had a glimpse at the bright orange light at the end of his staff, I was struck by a myriad of emotions. Anger, disappointment, annoyance, acceptance…

Even though, I tried to muster all the strength I had and continued to struggle against my bindings, a big part of me had already accepted the fact that I was defeated and that there was nothing I could do to fix that.

(Myria…) Lady Yraura seemed to be watching over me. Her ashamed tone was enough to make me fully accept the reality of the matter.

“With this, my chance to battle against the Skull Kid is secured.” Renard seemed to be feeling pretty gleeful about his victory. “Very well, it is time for us to bid farewell to each other.” His staff was slowly approaching my bracelet.

My third and last duel had come to an end in the blink of an eye. My opponent had barely given me any time to react to his attacks, and much less time to digest the way he had defeated me. As I watched his staff filled to the brim with stupid amounts of mana slowly approach my bracelet, I couldn’t help but fall deep in thought.

Ahh… I’ve really lost, didn’t I? And worst of it all, I wasn’t able to put up a proper fight… This is truly the worst case scenario. Sigh… Even though the Goddess warned me about getting overconfident, I failed to heed her advice… Perhaps I do deserve to lose like this.

In my last moments during the match, my gaze wandered all over the place. From the huge city walls to the destroyed buildings that were fully covered in moss and even the tiniest of cracks of stony roads of the district… While I looked at those things, I could only wonder…

I wonder if Julius is disappointed in me for losing like this… I wonder if Felicia and Neris will consider me weak after this…

Despite the fact that my worst fears had become a reality, I was not feeling particularly afraid, just like I was during my duel against Emma. If anything, my defeat only made me feel a little frustrated with myself for losing in such a spectacular manner. It wasn’t the end of the world like I had previously thought.

In fact, the only thing that I was dreading was the sermon I was surely going to receive from my father about embarrassing the family and whatnot. To be fair, it wasn’t particularly scary, just very annoying…

(Myria. You did well. Even if this marks the end of your participation in this tournament, I am happy of how far you have come. And I think that you should be happy about it, too.) The Goddess said to me in her usual kind voice. At times like these, I felt like I didn’t deserve her encouragement.

(Thank you, Lady Yraura. Of course, I am happy. It is a bit strange… Even though so unbelievably frustrated about everything regarding this duel, I am still feeling very happy. I still feel confident somehow.) I was honest with Lady Yraura and told her how I felt.

(That is because you’ve made it this far thanks to your own efforts. Even if you couldn’t give yourself some credit before, you cannot deny it any further. You’re very strong, Myria, and I am happy to have you as my apostle.) The Goddess said happily.

(And I am happy to be able to receive your teachings. I am grateful that you have been there for me ever since I lost my mother.) I replied as I watched the glowing orange jewel in Renard’s staff shining brighter than before. (And it seems this is really the end… Jeez, we’re making it seem as if I was about to die or something. Let’s not be dramatic!) I tried to act playful in order to hide the fact that I was getting a little emotional.

(Well, if it serves you as some consolation…-) The Goddess said in an equally playful manner before she was interrupted.

“Farewell, Myria.” Said Renard as the tip of his staff touched my bracelet, shattering it almost immediately.

(They are all very angry for your sake, Myria. You’ve made some wonderful friends.) The Goddess finished what she was saying before she was interrupted.

Right before I was sent to the infirmary, I was given a vision by the Goddess. In said vision, a particular trio of two girls and one young boy appeared, all of them standing from their seats and looking at my match with enraged looks on their faces. But the vision did not end there, three more girls were watching from the infirmary, two girls with pink hair and one with blonde hair, all of them which were cursing like sailors…

Jeez… I really made some good friends because of this tournament… I guess my Father and Rebecca were not entirely wrong about participating in this tournament…

Hehehe… 

I suppose I wouldn’t mind teasing my darling about the fact that he was angry, all for my sake!

And thus, my participation in the tournament came to an end. I was promptly reunited with the Oriana sisters and Zoe. But instead of being sad about the fact, I humbly accepted the results and was now looking forward to watching Julius kick Renard’s butt in the semi-finals!

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 Chapter 76: The Eager Dwarven Priestess.

END

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EXTRA: Myria’s Status

Name: Myria Leona Estner

Race: Dwarf

Age: 13 years old 

Ability Points: 1,800 points

Titles: Honest Noble / Apostle of Virtue / Heir of Estner / Hard Worker / Kindhearted / Heart of Gold / Wielder of the Staff of Humilitas / Expert Cleaner / Expert Chef / Saint in the Making / 

Jobs: High Priestess Lv.5 / Exorcist Lv.1 / Expert Healer Lv.7 / Potion Maker Lv.8 / Apostle of Virtue Lv.2 / Chef Lv.10 - MAX / 

Level: 26

EXP: 25,921 / 30,101  

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Attributes

HP: 1,200

MP: 11,001

DEX: 421

STR: 199

VIT: 4,000

DEF: 107

RES: 500

LUCK: 550

SPD: 220

INT: 279

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Common Skills 

Cooking / Level 10  - MAX LEVEL!

Hunting / Level 1

Riding / Level 5 

Dancing / Level 3

Singing / Level 10  - MAX LEVEL!

Praying / Level 10  - MAX LEVEL!

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Combat

Archery / Level 1

Armed Combat: Daggers / Level 1

Fighting Spirit / Level 1

Spearmanship / Level 1

Swordsmanship / Level 2

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Magic

Mana Manipulation / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!

Mana Perception / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!

Magic: Earth Element / Level 4

Magic: Fire Element / Level 4

Magic: Wind Element / Level 6

Magic: Water Element / Level 5

Magic: Light Element / Level 10  - MAX LEVEL!

Magic: Dark Element / Level 1

Magical Aura: Protection / Level 6

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Resistances

Charm Resist / Level 3

Elemental Resistance: Earth / Level 4

Elemental Resistance: Fire / Level 5

Elemental Resistance: Wind / Level 3

Elemental Resistance: Water / Level 6

Elemental Immunity: Light / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!

Elemental Immunity: Dark / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!

Pain Resist / Level 1

Paralysis Immunity / Level 3

Poison Immunity / Level 2

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