Chronicles of Legends

Volume 4 Chapter 3 - Paladins vs Lances

|Alistair|

With the royal insignia adorning the carriage, we were granted easy passage through the layers of security at the teleportation gates. In no time, we arrived at Zestier and made our way to the serene royal palace, the heart of the kingdom.

As soon as Tessia was taken care of by the palace maids, Grandpa Virion and I headed towards our usual training area. I felt both determined and slightly terrified at the thought of facing a Lance.

"Brat, are you sure you're ready to face a Lance?" Grandpa asked, making sure I was prepared. I nodded, my resolve firm.

"Good," he said, taking out a communication scroll. With a swift imbue of his mana, the scroll disintegrated.

"Now, we wait for your opponent," he said as we took our positions on opposite sides of the training ground.

I sensed a presence that seemed to be deliberately hiding itself. I turned my head towards the source, activating my aether vision to see through the shroud that concealed the person's identity.

I was met with a powerful aura that seemed to radiate from a young woman. Her hair and eyes were a light shade of green, and her facial features were delicate and beautiful, giving the impression of a noblewoman rather than a warrior. But the amount of mana emanating from her suggested otherwise, and I couldn't help but scrutinise her even further.

Her core, nestled in her sternum, shone a bright white, emanating immense power that surpassed even that of Grandpa Virion and Gary. I knew that facing her in combat without using aether would be a futile effort.

"Welcome, Lance Alea," Grandpa greeted her respectfully. I also bowed in gratitude for her arrival.

"I'm happy to be of service, Elder Virion, Prince Alistair," Alea replied, her voice laced with a cheerful tone. "It's my duty to assist."

Grandpa explained that I had asked for a sparring partner, and that's why we had requested her presence. Alea turned her gaze towards me, scrutinizing my mana core and body. Her green eyes held a hint of surprise as she smiled.

"Prince Alistair has grown quite a bit since we last met," she said, taking a step towards me. "I would be honoured to spar with you."

"The honour is mine," I replied as I summoned my weapons, Argentum's Fang and Faithkeeper, from my spatial ring.

The atmosphere was tense as Alea and I stood facing each other, the anticipation of the spar palpable. Grandpa Virion watched on, his hand raised to signal the start of the match.

Alea wasted no time, summoning a gleaming white sword from her spatial ring and attacking me with incredible speed and ferocity. Her movements were swift, but I was ready for her.

My enhanced eyes were my greatest asset, allowing me to see everything in slow motion. I adjusted the centre of mass for my body, lowering my stance and sidestepping her attack with ease.

Her sword missed me by a hair's breadth, and I took advantage of the opening to counter with a swift strike from my own dual swords, Argentum's Fang and Faithkeeper.

The clash of metal echoed through the training hall as our swords collided, sending sparks flying. Alea deftly parried my attack and countered with a swift kick, sending me flying backward.

Despite my heightened senses and swordsmanship, Alea's battle experience and higher core stage gave her the upper hand in our spar. As our clash continued, she suddenly increased the wind magic surrounding her, prompting me to activate lightning magic to match her speed.

Our swords clashed at a dizzying pace, but I struggled to keep up with her movements without using aether. Sensing my dilemma, she further intensified the fight by manifesting plant magic, which I countered with blue fire.