Capítulo 21: Chapter 20 (Side Story)
Hillman had served as the guard captain for his hometown for a very long time, ever since he completed his 5-year service in the army in fact. He could have continued to climb up the army's ranks, there were certainly a few higher ups that had been impressed with his talent and dedication, he could have also joined under the service of a more powerful noble for better income but he did none of that. He had long made up his mind to put all his efforts into improving the condition of his home town just like their local leader had been doing for a long time.
The Baruch clan that managed Wushan town was a declining noble household, there was no nicer way to put it. They were poor and their numbers were low, less than a handful but they all were very hardworking and honest folk. Where any other noble household would constantly bleed those under them dry irrespective of their own living conditions, the Baruch clan was not like that. They only took the bare minimum of the commoners' wealth as tax leaving them enough to lead a comfortable life, often even having to pay out of pocket to fill the tax quota to the higher ups. This was the main reason that the population and living conditions of this town was greater than any other in the nearby area.
Thanks to the great impression these nobles had given him, Hillman had never thought about leaving his post no matter how lucrative the offers he received were. He did not know when but the loyalty to the town slowly began to turn to loyalty to the ruling Baruch clan itself. They had helped him out personally as well when he was young after all and his continued service to them only kept increasing their impression for him.
Lord Hogg treated him as if he were his own brother and had even started to personally train him in some wondrously mysterious cultivation techniques to help him increase his strength. His rank and strength were one of the very few short comings he was slightly sour over after all after, he had rigorously trained his body to the limit of what was possible and had stopped at the 6th rank as a warrior. He could have only gotten the more advanced techniques if he had fully committed to the army or he worked under more powerful nobles. While also being nobles, the Baruch clan's training methods demanded certain strict conditions mainly to do with the clan's bloodline itself and even its own members were incapable of training it most of the times let alone outsiders like Hillman.
This was all the more reason for him to be immensely grateful for Hogg when he shared some new techniques, he had acquired with him and a few of the other guards. The strength that he had long since felt had stagnated was now showing decent improvements. Sadly, his improvements were not fast enough it seems as Hogg advanced to the 7th rank much sooner than him and then proceeded to look in to the kidnapping of his wife that had occurred many years ago.
He knew his old friend and superior was hurting for many years since the incident but was powerless to find out what had become of his beloved wife. Hillman would do much the same in his condition but he was unfortunately also not powerful enough. His worst fears eventually came true soon enough though as Hogg returned from his investigations one day after being fatally injured. All his knowledge and experience in healing from his time in the army and a few lessons from the town healer Jerry told him that there was no chance Hogg could be saved without powerful magical methods they had no chance of obtaining.
All he could do was to try and ease the pain of his friend in his final moments and promise to look after his two sons from now on. The man was incredibly proud of both his sons despite his strict countenance, he loved them both dearly. He entrusted him with a letter to his eldest son Linley explaining what had happened and gotten him to promise to only hand it over to the young boy when he grew to the power of 7th rank or his teacher was also with him. he had not understood the part about Linley's teacher but Hogg had simply said that the boy's teacher was very powerful and might be able to help.
Again, things did not go as expected as Linley was able to simply over power Hillman and get Hogg's letter on his very next visit home. He was extremely shocked by the boy's progress, even if he was taken by surprise, getting knocked out that easily was very surprising for someone at his level of strength. He was then told about the mysterious teacher that Hogg had briefly informed him about as well as the shocking strength Linley had obtained under his teacher's guidance.
The shock and surprise did not end there though as the young lad proved more than capable of handling the news of his father's untimely demise as well as the affairs of the family. He got into managing the clan's responsibilities after completing the last rites for his father and just like Hogg, sought to help him with his own training as well helping him manage the town. Hillman was only too happy to help Linley and he had to say, the young lad proved to be very resourceful.
Hillman was initially reluctant to just accept the resources that Linley was so easily handing to him, not only the money and treasures in the form of magical beast cores but also the training methods his Saint level teacher had taught him. It showed exactly how much trust Linley had in him and it only served to further increase the guilt he felt over being unable to do anything to prevent Hogg's death. Hillman resolved to do his best to live up to the faith that Linley and the Baruch clan had placed in him so regardless if it was managing the town or training to improve his personal strength to better protect the clan, he worked really hard. He made incredible progress on both fronts in the next couple of years but life continued to throw challenges one after the other.
Some other nobles had made a grab for the right to manage Wushan town now that it was declared that Hogg had passed away. While Linley had already predicted something like happening due to the circumstances of the current members of the Baruch clan, Hillman was still a bit unresolved. The town had been his home for so long was about to change very drastically, he was all the more certain of it when he met the new nobles assigned to manage the town. It was some relation of Philip, the noble in charge of numerous towns in the area, he had always had an eye on Wushan as well as Hillman himself.
Needless to say, he and a couple of his close friends that were also a part of the guards employed by the Baruch clan had a slightly unpleasant confrontation when the new nobles had dropped by to check on the town. Hillman and his friends did not know what to do next so he made time to visit Linley and ask how to proceed. No matter the case he was determined to follow the young lad's lead as he had proven himself to be quite capable regardless of his age. He had was determined to even leave Wushan town behind and move elsewhere if asked to and he was sure he would not be the only person to make that decision.
Things worked out in the end though as Linley indeed had a plan, it was frightening just how much resources the boy could call upon on top of his already prodigious strength. The Baruch clan would no doubt flourish under his watch, if only his good friend Hogg were still alive to see all this.
Linley had made arrangements for all those willing to continue following his clan by helping them relocate to the O'Brian Empire's capital where his little brother Wharton was studying. On top of arranging transportation, he even accompanied their group all the way till the borders of the Holy Union in the north. He even acquired some allies of his clan along with finding some long-lost members of his own clan and getting them all to follow his lead.
The most valuable thing that Linley had given all of them though was not the chance to restart their lives in a better place though, nor was it the vast fortune he had given Hillman as a start-up capital. No, in his opinion the most valuable thing that Linley gave them were the advanced knowledge and techniques to improve one's strength. Hillman knew that the most important thing in this world was personal strength, if you were strong enough, even Kings and Emperors had to treat you with curtesy forget some nobles of a little town. And this strength was the very thing that Linley was so freely imparting to all of us that had chosen to sincerely follow him and his clan.
Hillman was sure that if he and the others were to diligently train as per Linley's guidance, they had a really good chance of attaining the Saint level themselves in the future. It may take decades but at least now it was an obtainable goal as these teachings no doubt came from Linley's Saint level teacher himself. In the months spent travelling to the borders of the Holy Union Linley had taken it upon himself to provide tailor made training regiments for all those he had taken under his wing. Each of the training plans was personalised to each individual and Hillman could only feel grateful when seeing that Linley seemed to be putting as much focus on him as he was putting on his allies and new clan members.
He still remembers asking Linley why he was so very invested in training him just as much as his own clan and his answer had shocked him- "I have known you a long time Uncle Hillman and like my father I have come to consider you family. Even before I meet my current teacher it was you who taught me all the basics and helped me grow strong, it is time I repay the favour. Plus, I know exactly how strict and dedicated a teacher you can be and it seems like little Wharton has gone astray with Grandpa Hiri being unable to discipline him properly. I can hardly drop all my commitments here and go teach that brat a lesson but you can do so in my stead. There is not another person I would trust in guiding Wharton and all the other younger members I have brought along other than you. So, I will impart everything I have learned from my teacher to you in the hopes that you may look after them until we meet again."
He had no words to describe how touched he was by Linley's words that day and while he seemed to give some reasonable excuses for why he was being taught so many powerful techniques, he knew in the end it all boiled down to how he saw him as part of the family. It was for this reason that when Linley began the spiritual and magic training for everyone, Hillman almost completely focused on trying to learn healing magics.
He knew he was a warrior and he might not even have even the slightest talent for things like magic but Linley's techniques were truly amazing as over the few months they were travelling, Hillman had experienced his mind growing sharper over time. As a way to thank Linley for showing him a new path he resolved to focus on learning healing magics to ensure he could better look after his charges. No way was he letting anyone under his watch die like Hogg had, besides he had already been knowledgeable on things like the human body, basic treatments and how to best train it to obtain the best results. He had also shown a lot of talent in basic non magical healing from his early days in the army.
With a goal set and a method to achieve it thought out, Hillman poured his all into the task he had set for himself after Linley saw them off at the Holy Union's border. He strictly oversaw everyone in their group's training while training himself just like he used to do for the young ones of Wushan town every day. By the time they had reached Channe he had obtained a good grasp of most of the techniques Linley had passed down in the form of journals and magic memory crystals.
His physical strength had finally broken through to 7th rank purely based on his body's strength, he had broken through the normal limits without even having any special physique like the descendants of the Supreme Warrior clans. He had also achieved rank 1 as a Life and Water attribute mage after much effort and guidance from Healer Jerry to expand on his knowledge of healing in addition to Linley's methods. All in all, he thought he was now reasonably more qualified to undertake the task Linley had entrusted him with.
"Uncle Hillman?! You're finally here, how have you been, do you have any news from my brother?" Wharton asked him with excitement when they met. As they got settled in the new accommodations, Hillman needed a few seconds reconcile with the how much little Wharton had grown since last, he had seen him. It had been close to 5 years now after all.
"Hahaha, look at you little Wharton, I hardly recognised you for a moment, it is good to see you are still excitable as always. I have been well; I've been doing much better recently in fact. As for your brother… what's this about you neglecting the training methods he had painstakingly made for you. He was quite upset to hear you have been neglecting spiritual training, at this rate, the gap between you and Linley will only get wider." Hillman chastises Wharton.
"Not you too. Grandpa Hiri is already nagging me enough about that but honestly, I do not see what the problem is. I am training to be a warrior after all, not a mage. Why is spiritual energy training so important for me?" Wharton asks petulantly.
Honestly, if Hillman had been asked this question as little as three years ago, he would have no response to answer with. But training under Linley's guidance had shown the importance of spiritual energy even to warriors and now he was wondering if the common belief of warriors being all muscle and little brains was actually true.
He had previously studied a bit of the Secret Dragonblood Manual with Hogg in the past hoping that together they would be able to decipher some of the convoluted techniques and words. It was only now that he understood he was thinking too much like a muscle-for-brains-warrior and the answer to the more advanced stages of combat lay in training spiritual energy. Linley's much simpler explanations and practical examples had greatly helped open the way for Hillman and now he had attained the wielding-something-heavy-as-though-it were-light stage or as Linley liked to call it- Second Stage Battle Techniques.
Guess it was now time to teach this little brat Wharton the true value of Linley's advice- "Come with me to the training yard out back, I will show you the importance of spiritual energy for warriors." Hillman called and he was followed by many of their group and not just Wharton as they were all curious of exactly what I would show. Although most of those who had come over from the Holy Union were taught directly by Linley and seen what he could do, they had not fully comprehended how all these various unique methods work together so he thought it could prove to be a lesson to them as well.
After a brief spar along with a demonstration of how vastly superior his damage output had gotten, Hillman was very pleased by all the jaws that had dropped in awe.
"Uncle Hillman, did you break through to the 7th rank? No, that can't be it, I have seen warriors of the 7th rank fight in the O'Brian Warrior's Academy. Their power is not even half of what you have shown… are you even stronger, the 8th rank maybe?" Wharton asks in shock.
"Hahaha, no Wharton, while I have increased in rank since we last met, I have only reached rank 7. What you have witnessed is me using the advanced technique recorded in your clan's manual, the wielding-something-heavy-as-though-it were-light stage. It's rather a mouthful and I've come to like Linley's simplification of calling it Second Stage Battle Technique, but all the same, I could not achieve this as easily as I did if I had not been training my spiritual energy extensively in the past few months." Hillman explains.
"H- How? I barely even understood what my clan's ancestors were even trying to say about that let alone the even more abstract 'Impose' technique that came after it." Wharton asks in shock and honest curiosity.
"The answer to your questions is high spiritual energy. If you follow your brother's advice, you'll be able to do stuff like that soon too. Even the so called 'Impose' technique will be easily attained if you don't neglect your spirit power. Here, let me show you a few more examples, I may not have reached that stage yet but your big brother has and he has painstakingly sent so many precious recordings for you to study." Hillman answers as he pulls out some of the recording memory crystals Linley had given him.
Everyone's eyes widen in awe as they watch Linley and some of his friends in action. It was not just advanced battle techniques that were on display after all, even the combined magic enhanced techniques were included. As intended, the flashy and powerful attacks had everyone's attention, especially the really young ones like Wharton, Keane, Jenne, Clair and Teresa. This was the first time he had revealed the memory crystals after all as he had wanted to hide these treasures and Linley had not really revealed his full power on the journey due to wanting to remain lowkey. Even the other adults were not aware of the full might of Linley so everyone was suitably impressed and motivated to train.
After giving some more pointers to all the suddenly very eager students, Hillman set off on making the arrangements to have everyone settled at the new place of residence. The manor was certainly impressive, much larger than even the old Baruch clan estate, the main buildings were huge with more than enough rooms and plenty of open space in the yard for rigorous warrior training. Despite it being more on the outskirts of the Imperial capital of Channe, the cost must have been insanely high. Even then he had no doubts that places like this could not be bought with just gold alone, Linley's connection with the Dawson conglomerate no doubt played just as important a part.
The support from the conglomerate itself had not stopped it seems as even after escorting his group to Channe, they maintained good relations with them thanks to Linley's influence. That boy had really done much to improve his family's status it seems, if only Hogg were still alive to see all this, Lina as well, she would also be very proud of her son.
Over the next few days, Hillman was busy managing the household he had been entrusted with. His brief stint of running Wushan town over the past couple of years showed its worth otherwise he truly would have panicked. He arranged for all the younger members, including the girls and his own son Nadar, to enrol at the O'Brian Warrior's Academy. Basically, following Linley's advice, other than the few he had specifically asked to be sent to the academy, every young one of age was given a chance irrespective of their previous social and financial status.
He was just thankful that the criteria for entry into the prestigious warrior school was not as strict as the Ernst Institute, at least initially. In the beginning, nearly anyone willing to pay the high fees would be allowed in but only the ones that showed promise could continue to study beyond the first year. If you did not show both talent and dedication along with results, no amount of gold would allow you to continue to be part of the academy.
Hillman was fairly confident that between the intensive physical training of the academy and Linley's techniques, everyone would be able to make it through. He had also made sure to let everyone know how strictly he would punish anyone who wasted this chance Linley was giving them all. Many of the children form town had opted out after losing faith in themselves, even his own son Nader almost gave up but after a little more encouragement, Nader and some of the others decided to give it their best shot.
With the young ones settled in, he got busy with making arrangements for the adults. He had to get everyone capable engaged in a good job, they had to have some decent income and could not always depend on Linley after all. While the sum Linley had given him could last their now high standard of living comfortably for a couple of years, Hillman remembered the struggles of the Baruch clan of old. He made it a point to be as frugal with expenditures as possible and always sought ways to increase their income to become self-sufficient.
Linley's deal with the Dawson conglomerate once again helped in getting everyone decent jobs and now Hillman once again made sure the adults knew to value the opportunity they were being given. The next couple of years passed with relative ease with everyone making decent progress with their given tasks. Where before we were completely reliant on the funds from Linley, we were now able to provide for our day to day needs ourselves and even a decent portion of the annual fee for the warrior school was provided by us. Linley continued providing some funds through the Dawson conglomerate though that reduced considerably after he had sent Linley a message about it. Now the funds coming in had reduced and Hillman was mostly saving it in case of emergencies.
Three years after we had settled in and had made a decent foundation, the rest of the Hyde clan that had allied with the Baruch clan joined us. Overall, while the numbers of the Hyde clan were nearly thrice that of the Baruch clan and their retainers were slightly more than that, they made no issues and integrated smoothly with us. Their current head, Vincent Hyde was a decent man and a considerably strong warrior in his own right, he was not even slightly overbearing as Hillman had feared and the two of them worked well together.
Just like Hillman, Vincent was especially proud of the younger generations doing well in the academy. Neither the clan kids nor the others given the learning opportunity let them down as the purely physical training of the academy was well supplemented by the additional spiritual training he imparted whenever the kids returned to the estate. He was certainly a lot stricter than Hiri had been with Wharton at first so none of the kids dared to slack off.
There were still a few problems, especially with the boys; Wharton, Youtian and Trey were still slightly more focused on pure warrior training and Keane was surprisingly more focused on magus training. Hillman was sure that if he and Vincent were not there to keep them in check, their training would have gone completely askew. Thankfully his son and the three girls; Jenne, Clair and Teresa, were a lot more diligent and kept with the training plan as Linley had advised.
Things got much better on the financial side with the Hyde clan making good use of the money Linley had invested in them to start up a quality blacksmith workshop. The additional techniques for training spiritual energy while forging that Linley had taught them also served to quickly improve the quality of their workmanship and they quickly rose to join the ranks of one of the top ten workshops in Channe.
Hillman's own personal contributions while not as immediately lucrative but still highly valued and appreciated by everyone in their group. In addition to his personal training and teaching the younger ones, Hillman continuously improved upon his original plan to learn healing magic together with Healer Jerry.
While old Jerry also showed certain promise for learning Life magic over time, sadly he was much too old and it was unknown how far he could make it before his natural lifespan was exhausted. Jerry didn't seem to mind though and just diligently taught Hillman and anyone else who had shown talent in the healing arts whenever he had the time. Together, the two had opened a well reputed apothecary and clinic that while not among the best of the city, was still well received and contributed towards their income.
"… And this is where we do some private training with our clan elders. Oh, hello Uncle Hillman, you are early, I thought that the training won't be for another hour or so." The sweet voice of Clair called out to him.
"Hello girls, I was just a little busy studying some of the… tools Linley had given to help our training. Who is this guest you have brought with you though; I have never met these two young ladies before?" Hillman asked politely while still being slightly cautious of the two strangers the girls were accompanying. He was still wary of Linley's warning of keeping things secret form outsiders but neither he nor Linley could really keep everything under wraps as there were most certainly powerful people who could spy on them without even alerting them. It was just that they were not important enough in the eyes of the really big and powerful players of the empire.
"Pardon the intrusion, my name is Nina and this is my close friend Lucy. We are also students of the O'Brian Warrior Academy and the two of us became friends with Clair, Teresa and Jenne while studying there together. There aren't really that many girls at the warrior school and fewer still are as strong as us at our age so we have become close." The more regally dressed girl answers in a graceful manner. The elegant yet firm demeanour of this Nina girl just further proved to Hillman that she was someone with a powerful background and judging from the way she did not mention said background or even give her last name, he assumed that she wished to keep it under wraps.
"Is that so, in that case I welcome you to our humble abode. I am Hillman, the guard captain for the Baruch clan and the care taker for some of the younger kids." He responds politely while keeping his inner insecurities to himself. He decides to test the waters cautiously and continues by saying- "Now I hope you three girls aren't planning to skip today's training just because you brought a friend over. I hope you don't mind Lady Nina; I do not mean any offence but I certainly cannot forsake my duty to my superiors with regards to their training."
"I don't really see what all this fuss is about though, Jenne, Clair and Teresa are already among the top warriors in their age group along with Lady Nina. Surely it won't be that much of an issue if they miss a day of training, the academy is already demanding enough." The other girl Lucy speaks up in a slightly haughty manner.
"No, I'm afraid Uncle Hillman is right Lucy. I'm sorry we won't be able to accompany you for long Nina, this training schedule is very important and specially set by Big Brother Linley so none of us can miss it." Jenne calmly tries to placate the guests. Hillman can only feel thankful that while the girls are a bit more open, they know what is important and won't mess with the goal, especially if they feel they would disappoint Linley by doing so.
"There is that mysterious 'Big Brother Linley' again. Will I ever have the honour of meeting this 'Big Brother Linley' in person, I have never seen him or heard of him in the capital?" Nina asks with a mischievous smirk that causes the three girls to blush a bit. Well, Hillman has no doubts that they all feel a certain amount of admiration for Linley, though being the young women that they are, their feelings could get a little confused causing them to be shy over it.
"Big Brother Linley in not in the city, he's not even in the empire either. He is training to be a powerful magus over at the Ernst Institute in the Holy Union." Teresa answers giving her a little more information.
"A mage student attending the Ernst Institute. Well, I can see why you admire him so much, he must be really talented to be allowed to study there. Though that still doesn't answer why you warriors have to follow according to lesson plans from a mage, especially since magus training is a lot more time intensive than warrior training. Your Big Brother Linley may be a talented genius but you all are likely to far surpass his rank as warriors in a few years, just wait till you begin training with Qi, your training speed in the higher ranks won't even slow down like it does for magi." Nina reassures.
Seeing the frown on the girls as they get ready to defend their Big Brother Linley, Hillman decides to intervene before things get heated and words are exchanged in anger. "That may be so Lady Nina but Linley is truly talented and may surprise you, besides he is also training as a warrior as per his clan's customs and I can assure you his strength is not lacking one bit. More to the point though, just like Linley, what we will be training here is Magic so while I am confident to leave warrior training up to the academy, I must oversee that their magus training is also on track." He states calmly. He has no doubts about Linley's strength though as even a few years ago he had already reached the 7th rank as a magus at age 12, now that more than 5 years have passed, he would not really be surprised if he had reached rank 8 or 9 even.
"You're training in magic as well? I did not know you all were magi too, I only assumed that little brat Keane was a magus." Nina exclaims in curiosity. She remembers that incident where Keane was being bullied by some senior warriors not long after he joined the academy. While the little boy was really talented and was able to keep up a bit in one-on-one fights, things got tense when the seniors decided to gang up on him. That was when the little brat had started throwing fireballs around as well and scaring his attackers, while the academy had given him a small punishment for the mess he created, they weren't strict at all as they were impressed by his talent.
"Hey! Who are you calling a little brat? Besides, can't you be quiet if you are not going to leave? Some of us are trying to meditate here." the young boyish voice of Keane calls out from a little beyond the trees. Lucy looked ready to lash out in rage at the disrespect towards Nina but the highborn girl herself held out her hand to stop her escort.
"Keane, be nice to our guests." Jenne chastises her little brother but other than a few incoherent grumbles, no reply is heard before everything goes quiet and Jenne silently complains while shaking her head- "Honestly, that boy."
"Well yes, we are also training in magic my Lady, though it is not our primary focus so none of us are all that strong. Still, it gives all of us a wider arsenal and Linley had insisted we all learn a bit at least." Hillman calmly answers to hopefully change track smoothly. He thought that would be enough non-confidential information to share as there were no consequences if that were to get out.
"Oh, this is wonderful. I am also dual training as both a warrior and magus, could I also join in on your training? Don't worry though, I will not make trouble, in fact my family has hired a powerful magus tutor for me and I have learned much. Perhaps I could also call on her for help sometime, maybe us girls could also train together from now on?" Nina offers sincerely.
What Nina truly desired from the three girls was honest friendship. As a princess of the empire, nearly all of her social interactions were formal ones, even those with her own family were now becoming increasingly becoming less lovingly warm and instead getting coldly formal. Despite hiding her true heritage before enrolling in the academy, many of the more influential students already knew who she really was. They only kept quiet due the pressure of the emperor after she had pleaded with her Royal Father. Sadly, the noble students still treated her with a lot of politeness and formality causing those who truly did not know her identity to distance themselves from her thinking her to be someone really influential that they rather not carelessly offend, or befriend.
That all changed though when Clair, Teresa and Jenne joined the academy a few years ago and advanced in ranks quickly showcasing their talents. The other nobles and even the instructors who thought they must keep the riff-raff away from the princess were not that guarded against other girls, especially those that were as talented as those three. They thought it would even be a chance for the princess to recruit some loyal retainers that would no doubt grow to be powerful experts in the future.
For Nina though, all that posturing and politics were secondary. The most important thing was that these three girls were from outside the empire and had no clue about her identity and thus were not so formal when interacting with her. This could be Nina's one and only chance at making some real friends so she had put herself forward and even gotten them to invite her over to their place.
"Well…" Hillman was caught between a rock and a hard place. He was trying his best to find a polite way of rejecting what seemed to be a really powerful young noble of the empire. While he did not want some of their private techniques to be spread around, he also did not want to antagonise the nobles of the powerful O'Brian Empire. They were intending to stay in the Empire for quite a long while yet so he was wary of offending anyone overtly influential.
"I think that would be lovely. I must thank you in advance for offering some advanced tutelage from senior magi then Lady Nina." Just then Kelly says as she walks up to the group after hearing the conversation.
"Now Jenne, why don't you and Hillman come help me find the three warrior fanatics or they may be late. I hope you don't mind Lady Nina but Clair and Teresa would keep you company till then, we won't be long." Kelly adds.
"Yes mother." Jenne quickly agrees to follow her mother and Hillman also goes along after a polite farewell to Nina.
"Humph, that Hillman fellow is awfully bold thinking he could just order us around." Lucy huffs in frustration on behalf of her mistress.
"Hey, don't blame Uncle Hillman like that. He is just doing his duty to the family by training all us youngsters." Teresa defends him and Clair nods along. Both of them have now spent a long time with their new caretaker and friends so they are very close, they will definitely defend their own people before outsiders irrespective of how influential said outsider maybe.
"Yes, I noticed he was very dedicated to your house, to your mysterious 'Big Brother Linley' especially. No need to blame him for just doing his duty Lucy." Nina decided to diplomatically smooth things over. It seems to work as the four of them continue to just chat away about random things after that as they wait.
"Thank you for the help, Lady Kelly." Hillman honestly thanks the woman. He really had no idea what to do next as he still only thought of himself as a retainer of the Baruch clan and thus felt he did not have the power to make such decisions.
"Honestly Hillman, how many times have I asked you to drop the formalities and just call me Kelly. Besides, I'm sure you could have made the call to include those nobles on your own. You are as much a part of the house as me and I'm sure Linley would also agree. We just have to be careful to not practice the more… secret arts while our guests are around though. Now Jenne, what can you tell me about your new friends, anything we need to be particularly worried about?" Kelly first reassures Hillman before asking her daughter for more information.
Kelly and Hillman learn that while the girls did not know the exact identity of Nina, she was indeed someone really important as Jenne had described the attitude of the other nobles and even the instructors of the academy. The two adults figured out that it won't do them any good to antagonise someone with that much power and influence so it was better that they go along with their requests for now.
They also decided to only concentrate on the magical and elemental theory lessons from Linley's journals when they have these guests over, they may include some of the newer spells and combat applications eventually. They would just have to reschedule the training of the more secret cultivation methods to a different time when things are more private.
They soon find Wharton, Youtian and Trey and drag the three boys for magical training with the rest of the group. They find out that the other few students like Hillman's son Nader and other kids along with some of the other interested adults have also joined in. They had all initially shown some polite curiosity towards the two newcomers, thankfully none of them had antagonised the two.
"Nina?! What are you doing here?" Wharton speaks up after seeing the guests.
"Oh, so the Big Lug is also here. I must say it really is surprising to know that you are also learning magic. I never knew a musclehead like you could also study the intricate mysteries of magic." Nina fires back in a slightly teasing manner.
"Hey! What is that supposed to mean? I'll have you know that while I may not be as talented in magic as my elder brother, I have already reached 2nd rank as a Fire style mage. Besides, you still haven't answered what you are doing in my family's estate." Wharton retorts.
"Hehe, what's wrong with me visiting my friends?" Nina answers with a raised eyebrow while gesturing towards Jenne, Clair and Teresa.
While there was some more not so polite grumbling from Wharton, Hillman quickly got the troublesome boy to fall in line with a strict glare that would make Hogg proud. The lessons proceeded smoothly under Hillman, Vincent and Kelly who were the unofficial instructors for the group. Finally, they somehow managed to get the whole thing over with without any more issues arising and everyone departed to get back to doing their own work.
"Wow, that was really insightful. While it wasn't a dedicated one on one lesson for only my affinity like I've had before, I learnt so much more. It was also really easy to understand even, although I have a higher ranked magus instructor, I sometimes struggle to understand what she is trying to tell me." Nina happily comments on the lessons as her three new friends escort her out of the estate.
"Don't forget the many new revolutionary spells, Lady Nina. I can somehow understand that instructor Hillman's reluctance to share knowledge with outsiders now." Lucy adds on.
"Oh, so it is 'Instructor Hillman' now and no longer 'That rude man'?" Nina teases her retainer.
"Pardon my earlier rudeness my lady. Still, I knew the Holy Union was more focused on magi, especially their Ernst Institute, I can see that it truly lives up to its reputation as the top magus institution of the continent. Those new spells are all very advanced and much further ahead than what we have in the Empire." Lucy honestly admits her earlier transgressions with a blush.
"Sigh, yes it truly is humbling in a way to see proof of the gap in the field of magic between us and the Union. Still, doesn't it make you all the more thankful to our new friends. Honestly, I am also starting to feel a little grateful for your Big Brother Linley for sharing such detailed lessons for all of you. Even without a high-level magus to oversee you all, I can tell your lessons are not inferior to my own." Nina adds.
Conversations continue in that manner until Nina and Lucy bid farewell to their friends at the gate. The two girls were frequent visitors to the estate from then on and slowly the relations between them and everyone in the estate improved to the point that they were more friendly to the guests. A few months passed peacefully in that manner but their new abode again saw numerous new visitors close to the end of the year 9999.
"I have told you numerous times brother Caylan, I am just visiting some of my friends to do some magus training together. I can understand teacher Paige tagging along but why are you and teacher Wallace also coming. Did my Royal Father put you up to this?" Nina asks in a huff as they were approaching the joint estate of the Baruch and Hyde clans.
"Now Nina, if you continue to say such words, I will be very hurt and think you do not want to spend time with your big brother Caylan. I am just interested in meeting your friends personally and see if I can also make some new connections to the house that has enrolled so many talented geniuses into the O'Brian Warrior Academy." Caylan coolly responded. His full name was Caylan Darryl, the son of the Empire's Left Premier and Nina's childhood friend. Though his words were disarming enough, his true intentions were not far from what he was being accused of.
While he was indeed asked by both his father and the emperor to watch over Nina's interactions with this group. The higher ups of the Empire had grown curious about the new group with many talented individuals that had settled within the capital a few years ago. He was also curious about these people that Nina had seemingly befriended and wanted to get to know them himself. Just as a safety precaution both of the young nobles were accompanied by their powerful 9th rank magus instructors, Paige a female Fire style magus and Wallace a male Wind style magus.
"Humph, fine, be that way. But let me just warn you all to be polite and not bully my new friends. Also, I have not told them my exact identity so while they are aware I am someone from a powerful background, they don't know the details and I would like to keep it that way for some time still. I don't want them become overtly formal and distant from me like others I have tried to befriend." Nina says petulantly.
"Hahaha, very well Princess. We will not make trouble; you did request me to come oversee some lessons for you and your friends before so I might as well help out with that as well." Nina's magus teacher Paige reassures her.
"Thank you, teacher Paige. Though could you not address me as Princess for a bit… it will give my identity away." She responds with a pout.
"My mistake Pri… My Lady. I will be more cautious in the future." Paige pacifies her.
"As you wish My Lady. Though I must confess that I am also curious about some of the new and interesting spells I have seen you practice recently. It seems that the Union has made many new developments recently but has not shared this new knowledge with the other powers, it would be good for the Empire if we were to learn some more as well." Wallace adds.
"Uuuhhh, fine but you still are not allowed to bully and force my friends to share more than they are willing to or I will complain to Father." Nina responds in a fiery manner.
"As you will, my lady." Both Wallace and Paige answer as their carriage comes to a halt before their destination. In their minds however, they know that the Emperor would not only not scold them like Nina expects but would instead praise and reward them if they were to contribute these advancements in magic to the Empire regardless of the means they used to obtain them.
"Nina, Lucy, it is good to see you again, please come in." Jenne calls out to her new friends.
"Oh, you have brought some friends as well." Clair adds as she sees three new strangers also following her friends out of the carriage.
"Welcome to our humble abode, I am Teresa, this is my little sister Clair and our good friend Jenne. I am afraid I do not know your esteemed names so how am I to call you?" Teresa makes a polite curtsey and introduction while also asking about the strangers. They also looked like high nobles so she thought it best to address them politely.
"Oh, let me introduce everyone. This is my childhood friend Caylan, he is mostly training to be a Wind style magus. These are our magus instructors, Paige is my Fire style magus teacher and Wallace teaches Wind magic to Caylan, both are 9th rank Magi. I did promise you all that I would ask my high ranked teacher to come help when she could after all." Nina makes the introductions.
"Oh, well then let me thank you for coming to help us Lady Paige, Lord Wallace. Please come in, I will…" Jenne hurriedly does her best to invite the powerful experts into their estate proper but they were interrupted by another group of uninvited guests.
It was quite a large group too as they came in five carriages that were shockingly pulled by powerful magical beasts, none seemed to be below the 7th rank. While the carriage themselves were not as grand as the one Nina had come in, the powerful beasts pulling them as well as the many experts escorting it let them know that this was not someone they could carelessly mess with.
"Hey what is the big idea blocking the way? Move it, we want to get through." One of the large and very muscular warriors roughly calls out to them.
While almost everyone else was just curious about these rude ruffians, some like Lucy were overtly offended by the large man's attitude and just as she was about to voice out her displeasure, another voice sounded out.
"How many times have I told you and your brothers to curb your rough behaviour and keep your attitudes in check." A lazy voice drawls as the speaker causally opens the door of the leading carriage and walks out. He also gives the big loud mouth a solid smack to the head.
"Ow, what was that for old man? I didn't do nothin." The big guy complains.
"Quit your whining and help your family unpack, we seem to have arrived at our destination." The not at all old looking 'old man' lazily orders the gruff man to get to work before approaching the group at the gates.
He was a middle-aged man wearing a grey loose long robe and while he could be called handsome, he was not particularly dressed in fineries like nobles usually do. Plus, the way he casually sauntered over to them in a relaxed and lazy manner threw people off as to what his identity was. Only some people like the young ones were confused though as the two Arch Magi of the 9th rank were aware of this dangerous man's identity, aware and terrified. They readied some powerful spells just in case and were already planning out ways to escape with their charges should this most feared assassin of the Yulan continent so much as twitch in an intimidating way.
"Lord Cesar, it truly is an honour to meet someone like you in person. Might I enquire what has brought you to our Empire's capital here today?" Wallace firms his resolve and addresses the King of Killers, the Saint level expert, Cesar.
"Oh, so you recognized me did you, well no point really if some little brats from the Empire know who I am. No need to worry though, I am just… running an errand for a friend." Cesar casually answers. While he was slightly annoyed at being questioned so, he decided to let it be since he did not come here to cause trouble. Besides, that lucky fire butt O'Brian would stomp him into the ground if he were to cause trouble within his Empire's capital. Better to just finish his business here quickly and leave to collect his payment from Linley.
"Now, on to business." Cesar calls with a loud clap of the hand that causes the two 9th rank magi to jump in fright, no reason to have a little fun even if he was not looking for trouble after all. He turned to the three young girls who he assumed were residents of this estate and asks them- "Would I be correct in assuming this is the estate of the Baruch clan little one. If so, I would like to speak to your elders for a bit as I have come here on request of Grandmaster Linley and I have a message from him as well."
"Uumm, this is the joint estate of the Baruch and Hyde clans… Lord Cesar. If you have a message from Big Brother Linley, I'm sure Uncle Hillman would want to hear it. Please come in Lord Cesar. Clair, could you go ahead and inform the adults about our guests." Jenne quickly takes charge and Clair runs off ahead soon after.
"Joint estate of the Baruch and Hyde clans you say… hmmm, interesting. Seems like Linley really is planning for the revival of his family's legacy…" Cesar mumbles a bit not really caring who hears him. He turns back to the people unloading the carriages and loudly calls out to them- "Hurry it up you lot, I have places to be and things to do."
"Don't rush us old man, we are nearly done. There, come on kids, let me get that dear." Another large statured man who looks to be related to the loud mouth from before calls back. He is now guiding some young kids off the carriages along with a lady they presume to be his wife.
Cesar and his large group soon follow after Jenne into the estate while she had asked Teresa to accompany Nina's group to the training yard or even see if they also wished to come in.
"Who was that man just now, Teresa?" Nina decides to ask her friend, she was also curious to know why her and Caylan's teachers seemed to be terrified of the man. Terrified enough to just accept being led away to the training yard instead of meeting the seniors of the estate in the main hall.
"Don't know, but he said Big Brother Linley sent him with a message so it's fine, I guess. Must be a friend of Big Brother's who dropped in for a visit maybe." She answers with a shrug.
"Ugh, this Big Brother Linley of yours must not be any normal fellow if he can call upon experts like Lord Cesar for such simple errands like delivering a message. Can you tell me more about Linley, miss Teresa?" Wallace subtly tries to dig for more information.
"Well, he is a really powerful warrior and a magus student at the Ernst Institute. He also taught all of us for a bit after we first met and he was really nice." Teresa honestly tells them everything she knows but the two seniors had no idea what to do with this information. It could hardly be called information at all, looks like they would have to make a serious report about this to the emperor, the people of this estate were no ordinary folk it seems.
"Whatever that is, I'm sure Uncle Vincent and the other adults will sort it out. Why don't we head towards the training area out back and the rest should join us after they finish discussing things with that Lord Cesar and his people?" Teresa offers.
"… That sounds wonderful. Please lead the way." Paige answers for the group albeit reluctantly. Both she and Wallace knew that no matter how much they want to know the reasons for Cesar's visit, with just their power and position, it is impossible for them. Even the Emperor would need to tread carefully around someone like Cesar. Even with the backing of some Saints, if they are not as powerful as Lord Fain, they would not stand a chance against Cesar. Thankfully the assassin would not dare to kick up too much of a fuss within the capital for fear of the War God so things should be fine.
Cesar was led into the parlour by the young girl who had received him and his group. He decided to just wait patiently while the adults gathered to meet him. He was seriously thinking if he should have really bothered to take so much time to personally escort the current members of the Armand clan all the way here. One look at the five overgrown bungling muscles for brain siblings told him that yes, there was a need to keep a close watch on them until he knew for sure that they have settled in a safe place.
He had almost forgotten all the mess he and Armand had gotten into in their youth due to their… unique characters and these five brothers seemed to have clearly inherited much of Armand's brash and straightforward attitude. Just that incident at the gate of the estate earlier proved his point as even someone like him could tell those nobles were of the more important sort that ought not to be messed with casually but that idiot Gates had scolded them. Cesar was sure that if he had not already given the brothers a crash course on manners then Gates would have actually cussed at those nobles and made a bigger mess.
Cesar was not left waiting long though and besides the refreshments he was offered were really nice as he relaxed. Two men and one woman, all middle-aged entered followed by that young girl- Clair who had gone ahead of them.
"Greetings Lord Cesar, my name is Kelly Baruch of the Baruch clan. With me are Vincent Hyde, the head of the Hyde clan and Hillman, the guard captain of my clan. I hope our hospitality is to your liking and we did not keep you waiting too long?" Kelly speaks up in a polite manner. She had been elected to be the spokesperson for the trio as she had the most experience with polite formality when meeting important figures. Hillman was just too nervous while Vincent was just a little too much on the arrogant side and from the little of what Clair had told them, this was definitely not someone they should offend. All the more since he had come under the request of Linley as a friend.
"Everything is fine, I thank you for your hospitality. Though I must apologise for coming uninvited especially as you seemed to be entertaining other guests." Cesar calmly replies.
"Well, these things can happen Lord Cesar, no point worrying over them. I heard you have a message from Linley for us, and who might your fellow travellers be? They seem to have moved to the city with their families and belongings; do you need some help in getting them settled in the capital here?" She asks.
"Yes, that would about sum it up, I guess. These people here with me are members of the Armand clan of the Undying warrior legacy and I have brought them here as a favour to Linley. Here, this is the letter he asked me to deliver, it should explain things in more detail." Cesar gave them a brief explanation while also handing them Linley's letter.
The three eagerly read the letter and soon Vincent happily greeted the newcomers of the Armand clan- "Hahaha, good good. On behalf of my Hyde clan of Violetflame warriors, I welcome the brothers of the Armand clan. Together we all might just revive the glorious legacies of our ancestors. Linley, that boy has truly not let me down. Now all that is left is the Grimori clan's Tigerstriped warriors, how I wish to see the day when all the four supreme warriors once again make waves on the Yulan continent."
"I doubt it will be that far away in the future from now. I must say that kid Linley truly is something, he makes old timers like myself feel really inadequate. Guess I will just have to train even more from now if I wish to maintain any face as an old expert. As for the Tigerstriped warriors joining you though, I wouldn't worry… hehehe… Linley is all over that… personally." Cesar adds the last part with a wretched sh*t-eating grin that the others don't really understand but are still somewhat pleased to know that Linley seems to have it handled.
"Is Big Brother really that strong Lord Cesar? I mean, I knew he was already very strong when I met him years ago but how strong is he now Lord Cesar? Could you tell us, please?" Jenne politely requests Cesar with great enthusiasm. She still remembers the day Linley visited and helped them so long ago, she and her family really looked up to him. Keane and her were especially serious in training just to be like their Big Brother Linley after all.
"Well… he had asked requested me to keep it a secret from others so, sorry, I think I will keep that to myself. You can ask him yourself when you meet him in person. I doubt he will be able to stay under anyone's thumb for more than a couple of years so he will no doubt join you soon enough." Cesar playfully answers causing Jenne to pout.
"Still, this is a great favour you have done for us Lord Cesar. I humbly thank you." Kelly politely thanks him.
"None of that now, this is more of a deal really. While I would have helped Armand's descendants myself if I knew about them before, Linley is paying quite generously for my services so there is no need for such gratitude." Cesar responds.
They all continue to make polite banter for some more time with the Armand brothers and their families also participating before the topic eventually turned to training.
"I must say I am quite curious to see your training methods. I can see that all of you are decently strong and I have seen what Linley has achieved, if you are indeed following his methods, I am sure you will also reach his level eventually." Cesar exclaims.
"Then please come oversee our training Lord Cesar, we did have a scheduled training session planned soon. Barker, you and your brothers can also join and if any of your children are over five years old it is best to get them started on training soon as well. I still remember overseeing Linley's training when he was that age." Hillman offers.
"Sigh, once again I am reminded by just how young that kid is. He truly has reached very high in such a short time, what a monstrous genius." Cesar laments slightly.
They all then make their way to the training yard where everyone else has already gathered and are either doing some quiet meditation or a light warm up. Nina and her group were also there chatting with Teresa and Wharton.
"Alright you lot, gather up. We will be having some new residents in the estate from now on, meet Barker and his brothers- Ankh, Boone, Hazer and Gates. They and their families are from the Armand clan and allied to our own clans so treat them well." Vincent first makes some important introductions as everyone looks on at the newcomers eagerly.
"Well, we've delayed long enough. Let us get to training, we have here with us a special guest, Lord Cesar is a Saint level expert and… a friend…" Hillman ventures and upon seeing no hints of denial from the man himself, he continues on more firmly- "A friend of Linley's. He has stated that he wishes to observe today's training so let's not disappoint him shall we. Let's begin."
Cesar was quite intrigued by this training regiment of these people. He was good friends with the ancestors of the supreme warrior clans, especially Armand's so he knew a bit about the training methods of his old friends. He was also a warrior Saint himself so he found it quite odd that all these younger members of the four supreme warrior clans and their friends seem to be focusing on training their spiritual energy and magic just as much as they do their body and Qi. As an extremely long-lived Saint, he can definitely see the benefits of training one's sprit from a young age but there was always the problem of not everyone having the talent or patience for it.
Warriors were normally too hot blooded for quiet meditation and just as he was marvelling at the discipline of everyone here, Gates, the most temperamental of Armand's descendants voiced out his frustrations- "What is this? Can this even be called warrior training, let alone the special methods of… our clans. This is just normal magus training; we are not magi." He proclaimed loudly.
"I would not brush this off just like that, spiritual power is just as important to warriors in higher stages as it is for magi. I have been told by reliable sources that higher spiritual power is actually the more important factor that divides a common Saint warrior to a peak Saint warrior, just raw power and Battle Qi have very little use at that point." Hillman explains patiently.
"Yeah well, the Saint level is very far away let alone the stage of peak Saints. In fact, I would wager that my brothers and I would have a much easier time reaching that stage far sooner than you could. You don't seem to be have the same advantages as our clans after all." Gates is still stubbornly holding his ground. While Cesar sort of agrees with Hillman and can see the actual benefits of this method of training, he did not speak up for the man. It was not like he wished to support Gates' idiotic rashness either, he was after all not going to spoon feed them. Descendants of his close friend or not, there was a limit to the help he would provide. He wanted to see how the man Linley trusted to handle the training of his family members would handle situations like this.
"Oh, you don't really need to reach the Saint level to obtain all the benefits of high spirit power. Even at my current power level, the benefits for me are immense. If you don't believe me, how about a spar?" Hillman calmly makes an offer to show proof of the benefits of this way of training.
"Ha, as if you could beat me. Very well then, but if I win, me and my brothers will not waste our time with this boring stuff any further. We will do our own training from now on." Gates accepts while also putting forward a condition of his own.
"Very well, and if I win you all will have to obediently follow along with this training method like everyone else." Hillman agrees.
Soon all the others paused their training and cleared some space so that the two warriors could have a spar. While the other Armand brothers were looking on at Hillman with disdain and just waiting for Gates to beat him easily, the others who had trained under Hillman for much longer were looking at Gates as if he were a poor idiotic fool who was going to get a good lesson. While the Baruch and Hyde members were very happy to be joined by the Armands, the former two thought the latter were still a bit too arrogant due to their ancestor's legacy and deserved a good beating by the devil instructor Hillman just like they had all been.
"Let me officiate this spar." Cesar offers and no one dares to object. Even the other guests accompanied by Nina today just decided to quietly observe the events. With someone as powerful as Cesar involving himself with these people, they thought it best to keep their head down as much as possible despite their political backing.
Gates charged at Hillman as soon as Cesar called for the spar to begin, although Cesar had warned all the Armand brothers to not casually reveal their Undying warrior legacy due to the presence of a few strangers, Gates was not that bothered. He had only recently reached the 7th rank by relying on just the power of his body and thus only recently able to start cultivating his clan's secret Qi technique. While he could not transform in front of the strangers and immediately jump ranks in power, just the basic advantage of being a member of the Supreme warrior clan would make defeating some no name like Hillman very easy.
That was what Gates and all his brothers thought but sadly that was not what occurred. Hillman was able to easily and smoothly dodge all of Gates' wild and powerful attacks. No matter what Gates tried, it looked like Hillman was just casually toying with him. His opponent even had the time to mock his fierce assault.
"Sloppy, very sloppy. Is this the best you can do?" Hillman had mocks him.
"Why you, hold still." Gates redoubled his efforts to strike at Hillman in revenge. One hit, all he needed was one solid hit and then he could over power his opponent with his superior strength.
"Well, I'm getting too bored, this is not even a challenge. Let's end this." Hillman calmly states and picks up the pace by suddenly dodging diagonally from Gates.
"Huh…" Gates could not follow as Hillman's last manoeuvre was simply too smooth and fast for him to follow. Before he could even understand what was happening, he was hit really hard in the jaw with enough power as to rattle his brain box and render him unconscious in just that one hit. It was no surprise really as Hillman had mastered the second stage of battle techniques and could easily amplify the power of each of his attacks at will now.
"Too easy. Now the rest of you, let us analyse this fight shall we. As you can see, no matter how strong you are it will all be for naught if none of your attacks hit the opponent. Just relying on pure power in fights between high ranked opponents is plain folly as more often than naught, the victor will be the one who is able to land a hit first. Even if your first attack does not give you a victory, if you remain calm and focused, the damage to your opponent will pile up and you will eventually be able to bring them down even if they are physically stronger than you." Hillman starts to turn the whole spar into a lesson for the others.
The other Armand brothers look on in shock. While they could better observe Hillman's movements from the side-lines, they were not sure any of them would be able to keep up if they were to face him up close. The power of that last punch was also no joke as it was able to easily knock out Gates, to them who always thought that there was no one that could compare to their strength in their ranks, they were badly startled by Hillman's strength.
"Well, let me just heal this one and we can all continue today's lessons." Hillman states and after Gates regains his consciousness, he looks slightly embarrassed and was about to demand for a rematch. Just as he was intending to ignore all the consequences and transform into the Undying warrior form to teach this upstart a lesson though, Cesar put a hand on his shoulder and firmly held him back.
"None of that now, you have lost so just accept the consequences. If you really want to fight with your all, you can do it later in a more private setting." Cesar warns the hot head. Given his level and vast experience, Cesar was able to gleam more insight while observing the spar than all the rest. While he expected this Hillman to be strong, he never expected him to be this impressive, if Gates thought he was holding back by not transforming, Hillman also seemed to be holding back a great deal of strength.
The man just had too good a control of the power of his body and his experience was really impressive. Cesar had seen many Saints without even half of that control and technique, this Hillman fellow truly wasn't simple and he could easily become a famous top combatant once he had accumulated his strength some more. Just plain accumulation was a simple matter of time so just like Hillman had first stated, the higher-level combatants focused much more on technique than just purely bulking up. It seems as though the Armand clan will be in safe hands if he were to leave them here, he thought.
The lessons continued after that bit of excitement and after a while of meditation it turned into a lecture and open discussion of magical theory. The focus was more on the different properties of various elements, what causes them and what they normally do which was much more interesting in Cesar's opinion. Again, the others might not understand the value of this but he could see that all this was actually more of a study into the various laws. What Cesar found really intriguing was the idea of studying the elements themselves through the effects of the spells of that particular style. This could be a quick shortcut for people to start understanding the laws and some of the deeper concepts were also very intriguing and shed some more light on his own battle with Linley a few months prior.
He had always thought that he needed to narrow his focus and only study one aspect of the Laws of Darkness before if he wanted to quickly break through the Deity level but now, he saw how foolish he had been. While that focus was good at first, now after so many years it had only given him a bad case of tunnel vision. He had resolutely closed himself to the other aspects of Darkness while he could have just studied and incorporated them into the aspects he already knew. He had always wondered how strange Linley's attacks were as he could feel that his understanding of the Laws of Darkness was not as deep as his own. Still the young Saint's attacks seemed to hold a few additional odd effects that when all combined together was able to put up a fight against him.
This inspired Cesar and gave him many new ideas on how to train better. He never expected to obtain another happy surprise like this while on an errand for Linley, he was already planning to spend some time in secluded training for a bit after he finished up his business with Linley. He was also thinking of forming a closer friendship with the boy as he had shown a lot of promise.
The lessons soon ended and everyone soon departed. Jenne, Clair and Teresa were apologising to their friend Nina for the unexpected addition of the new guests of the Armand clan while the latter was trying to do the same due to Caylan and his instructor tagging along. In the end the four just laughed it off as things happening out of their control and their friendship just grew closer as Nina and her group took their leave.
"Sigh, that was tense. Who knew we would be faced with that old monster when we decided to go visit those people?" Wallace comments with a frown as he was accompanying Nina and Caylan back to their homes.
"Still, it wasn't a complete loss. I must confess that their magic training methods are truly advanced. That Hillman fellow might not be as high ranked as us but he seems to have a firm grasp of the basics. His understanding of the many concepts of magic could rival even ours, if given time I am sure he and everyone under his tutelage would show great progress. Just all the new knowledge on magical theory we learned was worth it though." Paige offers her own opinion.
"Aye, they really do seem to know what they are doing. I'd reckon they have the best magical study material in all of the Empire outside the top experts of the 9th rank and higher. It is a shame we won't be able to… request them to share all of their knowledge with us." Wallace replies. He got a dirty look from the Princess when he mentioned obtaining their knowledge. He only just managed to change his words to make it seem like he would only make a polite request before her as both Paige and him were in fact subtly instructed by the emperor to learn all they could from these people using any means.
Now though, they were only too happy to follow Princess Nina's original request to the letter and completely forget the emperor's unofficial mission. They did not have a death wish and that was just what would have happened to them if they had tried to be even slightly overbearing in the presence of Cesar, the King of Killers.
Still, it wasn't a complete loss they thought, they got some knowledge out of all this and they knew it was best not to offend this new group as they seemed to have some powerful backing as well. It might not be a deity like the Wargod but it wasn't like the Wargod would entertain all their petty requests or involve himself with these political powerplays. Even the students of the Wargod could not be enticed to simply support the royal family in all matters let alone picking a fight with another top expert so they could forget about antagonising Princess Nina's new friends.
They would inform the emperor of much the same and advise him that it would be better for the empire to build a more friendly relationship with these Baruch, Hyde and the new Armand clans. After all, if the forceful methods were not useful, they could always use the softer approach to get what they wanted. It was just that with how militaristic the Empire was and with the safety net of their patron against the worst of the repercussions, the nobles had gotten used to just brute forcing their way into getting anything they wanted.
Back with the residents of the manor in question, the adults were happily chatting away without a clue about how lucky they got with Cesar's visit and the disaster it helped avert. The topic of discussion was mostly just the spar between Gates and Hillman along with Gates now loudly demanding a rematch so he could show everyone his true strength when he holds nothing back.
"Humph, like I said, you may be strong for your rank but don't think for one moment that you really are that much stronger than me. I was holding back my full strength as we had outsiders around and old man Cesar told me to keep our legacies secret. Come on, I want a rematch, I will warn you though that I will not hold back this time so you will experience first hand the full strength of an Undying warrior." Gates continually pestered Hillman.
Surprisingly, it was everyone other than Hillman that was angered by the loud mouth Gates and the person of interest himself remained calm. The long-time residents of the manor all knew and respected Hillman a lot now after spending so much time interacting with him, even the Hyde clan members who should have been more on Gates' side than an outsider like Hillman's were annoyed with him as they all thought he was just being an idiot.
"Very well, though I must warn you that the results might not be what you expect them to be." Hillman agrees to fight another round if for nothing else than to stop the bickering.
Everyone once again makes their way to the open training yard and Cesar once again steps forward to officiate. He already expected Gates to face a tough challenge ahead even if he does not lose this time but all things regardless, should he lose again it would be a good humbling experience for the rash youth, for him and his brothers. He had seen their attitudes change subtly over the days as they all grew increasingly arrogant with their strength increasing and the true history of their family was revealed to them.
Even at his level of strength, Cesar knew that he couldn't just do whatever he wanted so he thought that this would be a good lesson in humility for the Armand brothers. He could not beat them up himself to teach them either as they would feel that he was just using his greater rank attained long ago to bully some juniors. No, for them to truly learn and for the lesson to stick, they had to suffer a defeat at the hands of someone the perceive as weaker or beneath them. He had conveyed this message to that Hillman fellow via spiritual message discreetly so he would know to give it his all and hopefully give the remnants of the Armand clan the help they really need.
Gates did not waste time and immediately transformed into an over 3 metre muscular giant covered in thick white armour as he took on his clan's iconic Undying warrior form. "Now get ready for a beating." He pridefully calls out before charging at Hillman at great speeds. Both his strength and speed seemed to have undergone a significant increase from what he had shown previously but unfortunately for him, the outcome did not change.
Hillman was still able to avoid his attacks though it seemed to be not as easy as he had done before and the man also had to parry some blows this time around but he was still holding his own under the all-out assault of a 9th ranked Undying warrior.
"What? How can that man still fight against Uncle Gates? Shouldn't the Undying warriors be the strongest of all warriors of the same rank, it doesn't even look like Uncle's opponent is the same rank as him so how is he still fighting?" Bruce, Barker's eldest son askes his father in shock. He had been in awe ever since he had learnt about his family's true history and he thought that they were the best fighters around with no one even coming close.
"That is not true little one. While it is true that all the Supreme warriors have a rather unfair advantage over other fighters in the same rank, they aren't almighty either. Everything has a weakness for such is the natural order. As you can see for yourself, for all the vaunted strength your clan possesses Hillman's earlier analysis still holds true. If you can't land a solid hit on your opponent then your power is of no use." Cesar takes the time to explain to the young child as well as some of the other watchers who have grown interested to hear the perspectives from a Saint level expert.
"While Gates has only increased his strength greatly, his control and technique has only gotten worse as he is still not used to fighting in his transformed state. The same cannot be said for his opponent though, Hillman seems to have been holding back his strength before as well, I'd wager he is actually around the middle of 8th rank as a warrior and not just peak 7th rank. The other more important matter is that his control and technique has not decreased from before, in fact I'd wager he is now displaying even more now that he does not have to worry about any outsiders looking in." Cesar expands for everyone's benefit.
"That's right, despite not being a member of any of the Supreme warrior clans, Hillman is the strongest fighter among us. Even I am slightly embarrassed to admit that in a full on no holds barred fight, I am no match for him but that only makes me respect the man all the more. He makes full use of every advantage he has and fights in the most efficient manner, this is why all of us continue to let him lead the training exercises." Vincent adds his own opinion while also happy to know that his good friend Hillman seems to have gotten into the good graces of this Saint level expert.
"Still, technique aside, it doesn't mean that Gates will lose for sure. Even if he cannot land a hit on Hillman for now, he can still wait it out until his opponent's stamina runs out. Us Undying warriors are known for our stamina as well as defence as so it is not likely that Hillman will be able to take out Gates as easily as he did before." Barker still tries to speak up for his youngest brother but Vincent just shakes his head.
"Wait and see." Was all the head of the Hyde clan said as he obviously seemed to know more.
"Ah, I see, but still just those attacks will not be enough if he wants to overcome the defences of an Undying warrior." Cesar comments. He had noticed that Hillman gave up striking the thick armoured plates covering Gates after just a couple probing hits and had instead focused on the joints instead but he thought that it still would not be enough. While it was a sound strategy, Cesar doubted if Hillman would be able to dish out enough damage fast enough to actually bring down Gates. The defences, vitality and stamina of Undying warriors was no joke after all and Gates still had the chance to win if he could drag the fight out.
Unfortunately, things just started to get further and further disadvantageous for Gates soon enough. While Gates had the advantage of higher warrior rank and the Undying warrior form, Hillman also had a special ace in the hole; Hillman was a dual warrior and magus combatant and by following Linley's strict teachings, had now achieved 4th rank as a magus. He also had a good grasp of his elemental affinities of Life and Water attributes and made good use of it now as he froze the ground under Gates to make it really slippery.
This really messed with Gates' sub-par footwork increasing the frequency and strength of Hillman's counter attacks while also reducing the threat of Gates attacking. While Gates had the raw power to break apart the ice normally, the situation was by no means normal as Hillmans control was precise enough to ensure he got his opponent when he was least prepared. The area of frozen ground as well its resilience was also just enough to ensure that just any casual stomp from Gates would not shatter it to give the big guy the grip he desired.
No matter what Gates tried to do, it was of little use as Hillman started to systematically dismantle him. Gates' woes only increased when Hillman also created a ball of water around the former's head to obscure his sight and rob him of his breath. While a warrior of Gates' strength could hold his breath for quite a long time, it did get difficult when he was in the middle of an intense fight. Try as he might, Gates could not get rid of the water covering his head and the slippery terrain was not helping things.
The final nail in the coffin was when Hillman threw in some dirt into the water ball to hinder his sight even further, this gave him time to use some of the higher ranked spells to increase his damage output. Within a matter of minutes, Gates was laid out on the ground completely passed out and helpless.
Hillman still did not casually approach him though as he was aware some people preferred to feign defeat to lure the enemy for a counterattack from up close. It wasn't really needed this time though as Gates' Undying warrior transformation began reversing as Gates truly had been soundly defeated again.
"I hope you lot won't still look down on magus training from now on. Not only can it supplement your tactics and attacks, high spiritual power helps us to more quickly grasp the complex battle techniques of the Supreme warriors. Did Linley's letters not tell you about all this?" Hillman asks Barker.
"Well, the letter did mention all that but…" Barker starts kind of nervously as he was very embarrassed on behalf of his youngest brother as well as their attitud to these people before.
"I think that by now you should have understood that this lot won't learn much until you beat it into them. Still, that was an impressive display you put on; you will need that strength to run herd on this lot. I look forward to what you can achieve in a few decades' time, I have little doubt that you will face any difficulty in reaching the Saint level yourself." Cesar says and soon he decides to say his farewells as well seeing as there is not much else for him to do here. He has a sculpture to pick up and then it is time for some secluded training for him, he has a lot of ideas and insights after all. Who knows, he may even break through that last barrier and reach the Deity level as well this time around.
The days passed smoothly for the residents of the manor after that and while some hot heads still occasionally made trouble on occasion, it was nothing to worry too much over. Nina and her friends also continued to visit semi-regularly and join them for training, the two Arch magi of the 9th rank continued to maintain a humble and polite attitude much to the surprise of the adults. Nothing came of it though so they maintained the friendly but slightly distant attitude with them still to maintain the status quo.
The inhabitants of the house experienced a slight upheaval and panic a few days after the new year celebration of the Yulan calendar year of 10,000 though as news of the magical beast invasion and the Apocalypse Day spread to them. It did not affect anyone to the east of the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts but knowing that the territories of the Dark alliance and the Holy Union where Linley currently was, had experienced such a disaster caused all of them to worry a lot.
Thankfully, Linley's letter arrived soon after through their contacts in the Dawson conglomerate informing them all that he was safe and sound. They were also very happy to hear that he will be joining up with them all in a year or so. Everyone who had personally met and interacted with him were looking forward to meeting with him again while the others were looking forward to see just what was so special about this Linley, they had heard so much about.
With a rough reunion date set up, everyone redoubled upon their training in order to make a good showing when Linley comes by. Even the now frequent guests, Nina and her group had noticed this and asked about it.
"What is going on? Why are all of you training so much recently? Are you training to increase your strength enough to get revenge for your Big Brother Linley over at the Holy Union?" Lucy asked an insensitive question a few days after the news of the disaster of Apocalypse Day became wide spread.
"What? Why would you assume something like that? And what do you mean by take revenge for my big brother?" Wharton was the one to loudly question her in return.
"Ah, pardon young Lucy's rude questions Wharton, she may have been too insensitive. Only, we have heard news from a few channels about the calamity that befell the Union and according to our sources, the Church had declared your brother Linley as missing. Given the scale of dangers of the disaster, many have assumed your brother… well even if he was hailed as a once in a millennium genius, it would no doubt be difficult for him to face those dangers with his current strength." Wallace tries to go for a more diplomatic approach but by looking at the faces of the residents of the manor, he knows he has committed a terrible faux-pass himself.
"When and where did you receive this information from if I may ask Lord Wallace?" Kelly decides to speak up to ease the growing tensions. She had grown attached to the young boy who had helped them out and taken them into his clan years ago. Despite the short time they have interacted, she had a very deep impression of young Linley's strength and his most recent letter to them reassured them of his safety. Still, there was that bit of worry and she wondered if the nobles of the Empire had found some more recent information and what that might be.
"Ahem, well it is not much but our sources are just some official statements made by the Radiant Church's officials. According to them, all the guards and residents of Linley's manor were killed in the first few waves of the beast tide and there was no sign of him anywhere in the nearby area. None of the Church's officials have seen him since then either, hence the… dis-heartening report." Paige offers more information honestly and is somewhat surprised by the sigh of relief from the listeners.
"Have you heard anything else then?" Nina asks curiously with more hope.
"Yes, we had received a letter from Linley a few days back telling us he had made it out of the invasion of magical beasts safely." Hillman gives them a little bit of information and while the two Arch magi exchange significant looks at the news, the younger Nina, Lucy and Caylan honestly express their joy and relief on behalf of their friends.
Months flew by with the topic never being brought up again and while the wider public had no news on Linley and presumed him to be dead, his friends and family in Channe were reassured by the people of the Dawson conglomerate despite there being no other communication from Linley not long after Apocalypse Day. Wallace and Paige decided to keep quiet on the matter though as none of their own vast sources had much about Linley's current whereabouts.
The Empire had originally thought to send out a team to help bring Linley to safety in order to improve relations between them and his family but they simply had no clue about the young genius' whereabouts. The interest in the young genius magus and his family had only grown when a few of the more learned higher ups finally made the connections between the clan names of Baruch, Hyde and Armand to the legends of the Four Supreme warriors. If nothing else, the Empire wanted to ensure smooth relations with the clan members currently residing within the capital as they were all showing promise to eventually live up to the legends.
The adults had also very strictly told Nina, Lucy and Caylan to not reveal the depressing lack of information on Linley they had to their new friends as they may not take it well, Lucy was especially warned not to carelessly say anything.
Soon a year passed by in that manner and everyone had put the matter to the back of their minds in favour of focusing on the here and now. That is until Linley finally arrived at their door step one fine day that is.
Nina and her group had once again come to visit and train with their friends from the Baruch, Hyde and Armand clans. As they were exiting their carriage that day, they saw another visitor walk up to the property accompanied by two very fearsome looking magical beasts. One was a particularly terrifying looking Armoured Razorback Wyrm and the other shockingly looked to be a World Bear though a relatively young one by the looks of it and it was carrying a large chest.
The young man accompanying the beasts was looking at the five of them with curiosity as well. Nina had to admit that he looked quite dashing as he appeared to be no older than his mid-20s but the fact that he had such powerful magical beast companions spoke highly of his strength or his background. Judging by the way he carried himself and his simple attire, Nina's group were slightly more inclined to believe it was personal power.
"How may I help you sir?" The gate guard politely asks the stranger. Nina's group had now become frequent visitors of the manor and thus had an open invitation to drop by freely. This stranger on the other hand had to be checked before the house owners were notified and only after they gave permission would he be allowed to enter.
"Pardon me but could you please inform my little brother Wharton and Uncle Hillman that Linley Baruch has come?" The stranger requests the guards with a chuckle much to the surprise of the on-duty guards as well as Nina's group that were still lingering by the gates.
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