Chapter 25: Hiccup
Though he was understandably apprehensive about 'getting serious' against a twelve-year-old girl, Cairn understood that refusing to fight would only worsen his impression in the eyes of Chelsea and the other Neophytes. He frankly could care less whether they liked or accepted him, but he felt obligated to answer their resolution to grow stronger by demonstrating his own.
As Chelsea stepped back from the rebound of her Piercing Blow, taking a moment to catch her breath, Cairn immediately charged forward with his shield against his body. He had never wielded a shield, but if holding it to his body meant he could be knocked off balance more easily, it stood to reason that it allowed him to put his weight into it.
Surprised by Cairn's speed, Chelsea attempted to deter him by raising her sword and angling the tip at his face. Cairn responded by lifting his shield higher, but this left his body wide open, Chelsea's kick landing squarely in his ribs.
To Chelsea's surprise, kicking Cairn's open ribs felt like kicking an iron plate. She had padded boots with metal inlays to protect her shins but still felt a sharp pain in her leg as Cairn's momentum carried him into her. She originally intended to knock him off balance, diverting his course, but the end result was him crashing into her, causing them both to trip.
With Cairn landing on top of her, shield first, a pained groan emanated from Chelsea's throat as the impact stole her breath away. She only took around 173 damage, but losing a little more than a tenth of her remaining HP in one blow was nothing to scoff at.
Though it might have been better to keep Chelsea pinned, Cairn rolled off and away from her, climbing to his feet as the disgruntled blonde rolled in the opposite direction and did the same, grimacing and glaring at him with distinctive, pale purple eyes.
"That's no ordinary silk cloak..." remarked Chelsea, forcing herself to raise her sword despite her injured leg and shortness of breath.
"Yeah, but without it, I wouldn't be your match," contended Cairn, holding up his shield with a serious expression. The next time Chelsea charged at him, he would be ready. At least, that's what he told himself.
As it was plain to everyone that Cairn was a complete novice, Chelsea no longer felt he was teasing her. Instead, she looked at his stand and said, "Your feet are too close together...spread them a bit wider and bring your left foot forward..."
Surprised by the sudden shift in Chelsea's attitude, Cairn raised his brows and asked, "You're giving me advice...?"
"This isn't a duel, and we're not enemies," said Chelsea. "We gather here to improve, not just ourselves, but each other. Now, prepare yourself...I'm about to attack..."
Punctuating her statement, Chelsea used both Charge and Piercing Blow simultaneously, a bluish-white aura enveloping her body as she appeared to glide across the ground. Cairn managed to get his shield up in time, but his HP decreased by a whopping 119 as he was blown backward, knocked off his feet.
Instead of following up and taking advantage of Cairn's downed position, Chelsea remarked, "Brother Asim told you not to hold your shield close to your body. If you were going to do that, you should move forward to meet your opponent's attack, not wait for it to reach you."
Rising to a seated position, Cairn ignored the ding informing him that his Pain Tolerance had increased, smiling wryly as he replied, "You say that, but you didn't even give me time to react..."
"More than any enemy would..." countered Chelsea. Then, as Cairn was still sitting down, showing no indications of getting up, she asked, "Are you done...?"
"I'm not a Berserker..." replied Cairn, beads of sweat materializing on his forehead. Chelsea's previous attack had fractured his left radius and ulna, rendering the limb and attached shield useless. The only thing preventing him from screaming out in pain was his pride...
Realizing that Cairn was severely injured, Chelsea blinked in surprise, her mouth opening in moderate disbelief. She had no way of knowing that his Vitality and most HP were less than half of hers, so while he appeared to be in great shape, his resilience was comparable to a Neophyte that had just started their training.
Stabbing her sword into the ground, Chelsea intended to heal Cairn's arm but stopped when Kaia interjected, saying, "Allow me. My aggregate Mana is much greater than yours, and once I'm done healing both of you, you'll be able to continue your match in earnest."
"Uh...okay?" replied Chelsea, feeling unnerved by the prospect of having a Karakut treat her but doing her best not to let it show. As for Cairn, he had a deadpan expression on his face, the realization that his training had only just begun impacting him like a cow patty after a faceplant...
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Though the ordeal caused him quite a bit of embarrassment, Cairn getting his ass kicked by one of the weaker Neophytes caused the others to view him more favorably. It was probably more accurate to say they pitied him, but at least they no longer ignored or treated him like an outsider...
Sitting next to Cairn in the dining hall, Chelsea ceased eating her curry-like dish to remark, "Brother Cairn, Brother Asim mentioned that you and Sister Kaia are on your way to the Capital. Will you be okay traveling such a great distance on foot?"
"I'll be fine..." replied Cairn, feeling slightly annoyed but consoling himself with the knowledge that he could surpass Chelsea and most of the other Neophytes in a single day if he seriously put his nose to the grindstone. This might sound unfair, but if they put in a similar amount of effort, they could become stronger in the same manner...
"Why don't we all travel together?" asked Ariella, sitting on the opposite side of the table, hand-feeding Tarou pieces of metal she retrieved from the training hall's scrap bin. Neophytes went through a lot of equipment due to the intensity of their training, so there was an entire warehouse of broken and unusable equipment waiting to be repurposed, recycled, or, in this case, fed to Tarou.
Preempting Cairn's response, Asim enthusiastically replied, "That's a phenomenal idea, Sister Ariella! To be honest, the notion of separating from everyone has weighed heavily upon my heart for quite some time. More importantly, Lady Restia teaches us that any path shared with our fellows is a blessed course, so I welcome all who are willing."
"Count me in," said Tristan, momentarily recovering from the thoughtful stupor he had been in. He couldn't dislodge Cairn's statement about his true calling being the culinary arts from his mind, so a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Light could be just what he needed to 'center' himself. The possibility of meeting the Pope and witnessing the Decennial Tournament of Champions was just the icing on the cake.
"Since I'm the one who proposed it, I will obviously go..." supplied Ariella,
but everyone except Tristan could tell she was going because of him. The two had lived at the same orphanage and became Neophytes at the same time, so if Tristan traveled somewhere, Ariella would invariably follow, her motivations being fairly transparent...
"Do you think the Bishop will allow it?" asked Chelsea, primarily referring to herself. It was fairly common for the more 'zealous' Neophytes to make their way to Capital once they reached 14-15 years old. However, as she wouldn't turn fourteen for another eighteen months, Chelsea wasn't sure she would be permitted to leave.
"If necessary, I shall personally appeal to the Bishop on your behalf," said Asim, a broad, encouraging smile adorning his face. He truthfully believed it was too early for Chelsea to go on a pilgrimage, but since they would be traveling in such a large group, the risks were minimal.
Feeling assured by Asim's words, Chelsea turned to Cairn to express her delight, only to find him staring off into space with a deadpan expression. He was okay with Asim becoming a permanent member of his Party, but if Tristan, Ariella, and Chelsea joined as well, it would be impossible for him to move freely. Once his status as the Champion became known and they recruited the Saintess, they would doubtlessly choose to accompany him, effectively turning his Party into a group of missionaries...
"Brother Cairn...?" asked Chelsea, her expression and tone conveying her concern.
Adopting a smile, Cairn turned to Chelsea, pretending that Asim hadn't just thrown an enormous wrench into his plans as he responded with a casual, "What's up?"
"Oh, uh...you just seemed a little...out of it?" replied Chelsea, taken aback by how quickly Cairn's expression had changed.
Shaking his head, Cairn asserted, "I'm fine. I was just thinking about this morning's training and the future. I'm happy to travel with everyone, but the Capital is just one step in my and Kaia's journey. Once we arrive at the Cathedral of Light, we'll likely have to part ways..."
"Oh, I see..." replied Asim, caressing his chin as he was prone to while thinking. Cairn's words made him realize he had overstepped his bounds by inviting the others to travel with them of his own accord. However, as it was much safer to travel in a group, he adopted a broad smile and said, "I believe I understand your apprehensions, Brother Cairn. Because of the stigma associated with the 'Forsaken,' you believe we will be targeted by those who seek to harm Sister Kai'ankh. But, you see, that's even more of a reason to travel as a group. If we openly display the banner and colors of Lady Restia, none who purport to follow the Tents would dare to accost us."
Exhaling through his nose, Cairn remarked, "That isn't the issue here, but I appreciate your concern..."
Shaking his head, Cairn supplanted, "Let's just make a pact here. Neither Kaia nor I need your pity, so we will part ways once we reach the Capital. I won't tolerate you sidelining your original goals and aspirations because of a misplaced sense of duty..."
"Very well," replied Asim. "If that's what the two of you have decided, it's not my place to intercede. However, before we go our separate ways, I'd like you to meet my sister and show you where I plan to settle. You might never need my assistance, but if you do, I'd like you to be able to find me easily."
"That, I can agree to," said Cairn, his smile becoming far more sincere than the mask he had been modeling. He would now have to give up on recruiting Asim to his Party, but he was certain he could find a substitute vanguard. If not, he should be able to fill the role once he becomes more proficient with a shield. With him and Kaia spamming Shield Bash, all but a few enemies would be completely helpless against them...
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While Cairn, Kaia, and Tarou were eating breakfast with the Neophytes, a certain blind Cardinal sat naked atop a stone altar, silently observing the interaction with her Divine Sight.
"So you have chosen to follow your own path..." muttered the Cardinal, a faint smile adorning her immaculately carved face. As deep as her faith in the Church was, she didn't want Cairn to become too deeply entrenched in their politics and internal affairs. More importantly, she wanted to free her daughter from the burdens imposed upon her by the circumstances of her birth. The only person that could facilitate that was Cairn, so even if it was slightly blasphemous, she prayed in her heart that he might take her daughter somewhere far away from Cliabhaan, someplace the Church and the expectations of others could never reach...
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(A/N: Don't worry. Despite the implications of the Cardinal's words, the Church isn't an overtly malicious organization. It's the civilians/nobles who purport to follow the Tenets but only care about their self-interests that are the problem xD...)
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