Charles, still in his damp tunic clinging to his skin, eyed the girl in front of him. The sunset light tinged her brown hair with golden hues, and her gray eyes watched him with a mix of curiosity and amusement.
She kept smiling, as if she found his predicament entertaining, but there was no malice in her expression.
"And who are you?" Charles asked, crossing his arms to hide the chill he felt. "I haven't seen you before."
The girl tilted her head, as if the question caught her off guard.
"My name…?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow. Then she grinned and straightened, placing a hand on her chest with a theatrical flourish. "I'm Nora. And you are…?"
Charles nodded slowly.
"I'm Rian Cole. What were you doing out here?"
Nora shrugged, leaning against the tree trunk.
"I like the fresh air. And up there, you get a great view without anyone bugging you." She glanced him up and down. "So, what's this about a servant like you fighting in the arena tomorrow? That's not something you see every day."
Charles sighed, the weight of the situation hitting him again.
"It's a long story…" he said, staring at the ground. "Let's just say I got into a fight with Toren Vask's sons. I beat them, and now Lira says I have to take their place in tomorrow's match."
Nora blinked, clearly surprised.
"Toren Vask's sons? Those two…?" She repeated the names slowly, as if trying to place them.
Then she frowned, confused.
"Wait, I don't know them. They must be low-ranking, right?"
Charles shook his head.
"That's what I thought at first, but someone in the crowd said they were Mentor-rank."
Nora's eyes widened, her smile fading for a moment.
"Mentor-rank? And you, a servant, beat them?"
She leaned toward Charles, clearly intrigued.
"How'd you do it? Did you really take on two Mentors at once and win?"
Charles scratched his head, a bit uneasy with the attention.
"Yeah, well… it was more of an accident than anything."
Nora stared at him, as if trying to figure out if he was joking.
Then, suddenly, her grin returned, wider than before.
"What you did is pretty wild, you know? It's super rare for a servant to pull that off!"
She stepped closer, visibly excited.
"Hey, Rian, how about a practice duel? I want to see what you're made of."
Charles blinked, caught off guard.
"A duel? Right now?"
He gestured to his soaked tunic.
"Look, my clothes are wet. It's not exactly comfy to fight like this. Plus, I'm wiped out. Those two guys weren't exactly a walk in the park."
Nora tilted her head, sizing up his excuse.
Before Charles could say more, a sudden gust of wind hit him.
Whoosh!
The air whipped his tunic and hair, making him stumble back a step.
In an instant, the dampness that had been bugging him vanished.
Charles touched his clothes, stunned.
They were completely dry.
"What…?" he muttered, staring at Nora with wide eyes. "Did you do that?"
Nora laughed, crossing her arms.
"Clothes feel better now? Just a little air trick."
She gave a playful wave of her hand.
"Come on, no more excuses. What do you say? Duel?"
Charles was still processing what just happened. His tunic was dry, and the air around him felt warm and pleasant.
But despite Nora's trick, his muscles still ached with fatigue.
"Look, I really appreciate you drying my clothes," he said, raising his hands. "But I'm still beat. Fighting two guys at once isn't exactly a breeze, you know."
Nora's mouth dropped open, clearly shocked.
"So you did take on both at once… You fought two Mentor-rank guys and won, as a servant?"
Her voice was full of disbelief but also an enthusiasm Charles hadn't expected.
"Come on, you've gotta tell me what your power is. What did you use to beat them?"
Charles opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, a thunderclap rumbled in the distance.
Crack!
The sound was so loud it made him whip his head toward the sky.
Gray clouds were gathering fast, swallowing the setting sun.
A few raindrops began to fall, splashing his face.
"Great… rain," Charles grumbled, feeling the cold drops on his skin.
But suddenly, the rain stopped hitting him.
He looked up, confused.
The water falling above them was being diverted mid-air, as if an invisible barrier pushed it aside.
Charles blinked and glanced at Nora, who was making a simple circular motion with her hands.
"What are you doing?" he asked, unable to hide his awe.
Nora laughed, still moving her hands.
"Just controlling the air to keep the rain off. It's something any Mentor-rank can do without breaking a sweat."
She paused, smiling at him.
"Pretty handy, right?"
Charles nodded, still impressed.
"Yeah, that's… amazing," he said, watching the raindrops slide around them without touching. "I've never seen anything like it…"
From Charles's perspective, it was like a giant invisible umbrella shielding them!
Nora shrugged, as if it were no big deal.
"Just practice. But, hey, thanks for the compliment."
Her smile turned mischievous.
"So, what do you say? Practice duel? I promise not to use my power. I just want to see how you fight."
Charles frowned, hesitant.
"Wait, you're not using your power? Then why bother fighting?"
"To test your combat skills," Nora said, crossing her arms. "No powers, just fists and reflexes. I want to see if you're as good as you claim."
She paused, pointing to the circle of air keeping the rain at bay.
"And to make it fun, let's make a bet. If you can distract me enough to let the rain hit us, you win. If you win, I'll take you to the laundry room or wherever you need to go."
Charles looked at her, surprised.
"And if I lose?"
Nora laughed.
"Then I'll just say you're a lucky servant, nothing more."
She winked, clearly enjoying herself.
"Come on, Rian, don't be a buzzkill. What do you say?"
Charles sighed, scratching his head.
He didn't want to fight, but Nora's offer was tempting.
If he won, he could find the laundry room and maybe learn more about this place.
Plus, she didn't seem out to humiliate him like Lira or Kain.
"Fine," he said reluctantly. "But don't make me look like an idiot, okay?"
Nora grinned, stepping back and settling into a relaxed stance, hands raised in front of her.
"Don't worry, it'll just be fun. Come on, show me what you've got."
Charles got into a fighting stance, mimicking moves he'd seen in games and the few gym classes he hadn't skipped at university.
His muscles were tired, but Rian's body was stronger than he'd expected.
He could do this.
He just needed to focus.
Before he could take a step, a blue light flickered in front of his eyes.
The system panel appeared, clearer and more stable than before.
[Repair completed]
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