I reincarnated as the Duke from the North.

Vanessa

 

I had trained for this. Swung my dagger until my palm felt sore and my arm ached. Learn all the pugilist forms until I dreamt of sparring. I have had swords swing at me thousands of times. And yet. I freeze. A worn sword cut through the air slowly, but I could not move. The loud clapping is thunder to my ears. The flickered flames of candles danced to the voices of crazed men. Iron stunk from the ring, and its floor vibrated under me from the rhythmic chants and stomps.

Calm your mind and parry. Tarion's voice from the ring was a warm hug around my soul.

I calmed down. My left guided the mercenary’s sword to the dusty ground.

Strike.

My mana-imbued knuckles bounced off the mercenary’s face, flipping the fighter across the pit in the wooden wall.

Loud cheers made me jump.

Again.

I followed Tarion's instructions and deflected three incoming swords. Mind clearer, and less nervous, I figured out our opponent's tactics.

Target the weak one.

I will prove that it's the wrong plan.

A mercs sword swooped low to the left side of my body. Mana cloaked my left palm like segmented armour, and I grabbed on steel. A strike to a forearm brought out a girlish scream. In the corner of my eye, another sword comes to my right. Weapon slapped out of the way, my fist dug into the open mercenary’s chest with a mana-charged spiralling left straight. As the fighter flew to the wall with a trail of vomit, the third merc brought his blade down with mana. Arm up, a mana shield protected me against the third circle’s flaring sword. Up and then down, the angry warrior smashed his blade on my shield. My mana shield held. He smashed again, hitting nothing.

Slipping through, I became water flowing around a rock, and my left fist broke a rib. The third circle slumped down.

That was easy!

Keen to see my husband's reaction to my skills, I turned around.

“Don’t get distracted in battle!!” I spun back.

Well done.

A wave of goosebumps spread across my body. I wanted to hear it more. More praise.

Four more warriors walked up. Fists burnt blue with elation.

I must show him that I can join him.

Tarion

I don’t wish to test her like this. I wanted to take it slow. Build her knowledge, strength, and skills carefully. But I need to know how far she has grown. I needed to know whether I made her flourish as I planned. So she can protect herself even if I am not there.

But things have changed so drastically. Vel has changed things. I need to hurry my plans forward.

When I had asked Rydel to give the mage tower a letter explaining Vel's appearance in Osberg city, I expected Seekers to be sent to spy on the mage. I hoped they could have slowed him down from completing whatever plan he was working on or kept him from using magic around us. But that head in my carriage soured any such hope. But that could be acceptable. I could have prepared around it. Feign ignorance. But he knew. He saw me pretending that nothing happened like a pantomime clown while having me dance to his strings.

I am still alive. He saw how Vanessa has grown under me and has yet to interrupt. But for how long? Until the war with Wolfburn is over? Until the cursed sweeps across the lands? He could help.

Can I even tell the mage tower that their seekers have fallen? With his skill, he could be listening at all times. His tracking could be on any of my clothing.

With his power, this war would end in an afternoon like days of old. But hidden away from the mage tower eyes like a coward. But can kill a seeker with any apprehension. I don’t get him at all, can't read his motives. Love, obsessiveness, greed. Who is he working for? The cult? Himself? He brought me directly to the bandit leader, bringing the long search to an end. However, the animosity he has for me is not normal in the slightest. From the future, he knows the story's route as well as I do. Maybe better.

What could have happened that changed him from a docile, weak six-circle mage to the terrifying ninth circle?

So many damn questions and no clear answers.

Hey system! Give me anything, any clue! A Sign! Something!

Silence.

Quiet like always. Always…

I clutched my heart, remembering Vel's creepy touch.

Send a notification if you are still there.

Nothing.

Status…

PLONK

https://i.imgur.com/1h1IAMz.png

Oh shit….

“Ta - Ghost, watch out!!”

I felt a fist slam into my cheek.

“AHHHHHHHH!! MY HAND!!”

A swift kick to the face subdued the whining.

“I am good, Vanessa. Just thinking. Continue on.”

I finally had a lead. Whatever is in my mana heart, Vel considered it a treat. What can fix what a mage has broken?

Vanessa.

I will think of it later. Maybe Rydel has some ideas.

I am in the middle of something! I heard her knocking the spark out of a poor fellow with a heavy blow. A spear lanced at her face was caught. My hand leaked red from the cut made by the spear's edge.

Vanessa, heal.

First class. How to be a Cleric 101.

Vanessa

“YOUR HAND!”

“I know.” Tarion gripped harder on the spear, and his blood rained on the floors. With ease, he stole the first circle’s spear and whacked him across the face with the wood pole. He dropped the spear like a boring toy and showed me his disgusting injury.

Heal, please.

“I can only heal by touching!”

“Tether.”

My brain flashed and sparked with ideas and inspiration. Arm out a mana tether flew toward my husband's red hands. Circles churned as I summoned the holy power from the heavens.

Skin knitted back together and Tarion’s hand was like new. Tarion inspected my work from his eyeless mask.

“Good Job, Saintess.” Tarion turned the crazy crowd. “Today the rules are changing!! No weapons!! Make me fall, and the prize will double!! Madam!! BRING MORE!!!”

“KILL HIM! KILL HIM!!” The audience cried.

"Geez, you don’t need to be that excited. V, pick up your jaw and heal.”

Tarion, you don't do things without cause.

Through the eyeless mask, his gaze is strong.

“I am helping you along the path you chose. The path of a warrior. You think I didn't see how you would look at me every time I left for battles far away. You will get you Saint powers no matter what, yet you rush along finding your own power. I can't stop your pursuit of power and I won't. But it won't be an easy road to tread.” Dozens more fighters enter the pits.

“Still ready to walk it?”

I nodded.

“If it's my fate I must prepare myself. Hone myself.”

“Good. To fight in the coming war. Your ability to heal your comrades in the chaos will be crucial. A calm and clever mind is required to manoeuvre around enemies. This.”

Tarion raised his arms as more men ran in through the gates.

“This is the perfect training ground. Don’t get touched. By fist, kick, or grab. A touch is a death.”

A brawny fighter's meaty fist cracked against Tarion's cheek, and his face spun.

The staggering duke pulled up his mask to his nose and spat blood.

“Put your lessons in practice.” The white mask was back on, and he sprinted back into the madness.

I couldn't hesitate anymore, or my mad husband would be killed.

15 minutes later

“Defeat her, and he won't heal!!” I ducked a third circle’s mana fist, making a hole in the ring’s wooden wall. A double palm pulse to his chest blew my opponent back a foot and his stuck arm forced him to stay. My hands blitz on the tough warrior's body, pommeling him. Mana exploded on contact like a fist, and the mercenary finally fell on face.

“Is it…” I check my mana tether. I sighed with relief as it hummed with mana.

I step over the unconscious body And then another. I looked left and right, my mask feeling moist with sweat. An hour ago, I dressed in the best clothes money could buy in celebration of the noblest man in the land. Blood now spattered on my borrowed clothes, and not one man's finger touched me. I should be screaming my lungs off like my fellow ladies, fainting at the sight of this carnage. But I felt relieved. Relieved of work, responsibility, and destiny.

I didn't know I was this wound up that I had this much pressure building up but nowhere to vent it. Searching for more opponents, I became curious.

How can I make this feeling last?

No more challengers.

To my left, a beast huffed. Clothes soak in his own blood. He walked up to me.

“How is it? Real experience.”

He accepted everything. Their punches, their kicks. He bore unimaginable pain.

So I could learn.

Crazy endearing fool.

“It's interesting,” I said, looking on to the celebratory crowd. Although it is a strange idea of fun.”

Tarion pulled up his mask to his mouth, canines showing from his beautiful lips.

“Is it so strange to you with a big smile like that?”

I didn't even notice.

“So…next date, same place?” Tarion asked.

“Next date…” I grinned. “We increase the prize.”