Volume 3 - Chapter 17 - School Fair

Apologize for the long delay, the reason is pretty obvious, hope y'all had a good holiday! I've been in the hotpot+sukiyaki phase for the last few (cold) days, so I've been... delayed in releasing this chapter. Will see about getting Dao Ming out tomorrow (2/3 done) and answer some of the back and forth in the comments from previous chapters, enjoy o/

Previously on EC…

The demihuman students that went to trade with Sardon returned with traders in tow, in for a quick visit. The traders finished their business at the Academy, deals done for the most part. Bell made Kun help her make a wine-based sorbet. Barthos is got hired by Bell to work on her resort project while Kun went to seek a solution to the unexpected expense of his instructors eating up the Academy’s foundation.

Chapter 17 - School Fair

“Senior, is this place really as amazing as everyone say it is?”

“Amazing… is an understatement. All the tactics we have used til now were inspired by the people running this place.”

“Then how come no one else knows about this place?”

*kata*

A harisen smashes splendidly on top of the young elf’s head; the woman responsible for the strike kneads her eyebrows with her thumb and index finger.

“You are aware that we have been escorting these stuff all the way from the Arde Principality to this place right?”

The youth rubs his head while trying to think it through, a look of concentration on his face.

*fumu*

The man in front smiles and shakes his head. “Think, Joseph, who hired us.”

“Isn’t it the Royal Gua… Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh!” The youth keeps his mouth in an O shape while shaking his index finger. “Wait, wait, if even the NPC Royalties know them, then how come none of the players are joining them?! I mean, didn’t our Guildmaster Niji advertise for them as well?!”

*KATA*

The harisen smashes on the youth’s shoulder mercilessly, it wasn’t painful, but the loud sound causes Joseph to start.

“That’s why you are forever to going to be a newb. Think, god damn it!”

“… Don’t mind her, Joseph, she says that to everyone that doesn’t know the stuff that she assumes is common sense, you could say, she’s a newbie at deduction.” The woman in question makes a face before suddenly swinging her paper fan, which he dodges readily. “It’s because there’s a general lack of trust. I mean, if you guys weren’t there at the [Barghest Dungeon] with the caravan, you wouldn’t have believed our achievements, right? And it took us summoning the Cadejos to convince you guys.”

The youth nods his head, “It does make sense.”

[Atonement]’s membership swelled enormously after their successful clearance of the [Barghest Dungeon]. The applications were a trickle initially since they had outside help, but after the subsequent clearance on their own, the applications came in the form of a flood. Niji and his core members, having suffered at the shady methods of [Monochrome Blades] and [Dawn’s Moonlight], enacted strict policies concerning transparency. This also meant an exhaustive screening process that significantly reduced the number of accepted members, though with that being said, the members are still numbered in the thousands.

This is because [Atonement] is one of the rare guilds that have no limits on its acceptance of non-mainstream classes, support classes and even crafting classes, when the first batch of applicants from these categories were accepted and were encouraged to recruit their friends, it spread like wildfire by word of mouth. That is to say, it’s the only non-specialized guild to accept these classes without the usual limits, outside of guilds made from groups of friends or similar circumstances.

The guild’s popularity only soared even more when the support classes were incorporated into their combat teams, something that hadn’t been done successfully since Second Phantasia’s inception. This allowed the guild to separate itself into individual divisions that specializes in selected fields while mutually supporting each other. Niji and his officers were obsessed ever since their duel at the Academy, their limited success at combining various «Skill»s had bolstered their resolve. Add onto the tactical formations and techniques they were exposed to during their adventure inside the [Barghest Dungeon] with the four exceptional players, it was inevitable revolutionary methods would be devised by them.

As it stands, they have a 98% completion rate for all the escort missions they’ve accepted from the [Continental Adventurer’s Guild], 86% victory rate for all the mercenary work they’ve done - they had only accepted jobs that are justified and on the defensive side - and have a robust internal structure that greatly benefits the non-combat classes; this contributes to the guild’s treasury with their higher than expected earnings through various means. This caused them to become the most reputable guild in the entire continent, even though their activities are still just limited to the eastern part of said continent.

“Alright, we are here, stand guard while our client registers and the leaders go give their greetings. Don’t. Do. Anything. Stupid. Got it?” The woman swings her paper fan threateningly at the youth and the rest of the escorts in the rearguard with her, emphasizing certain words.

“Haha, just keep an eye out, but if there haven’t been any changes since the last time, there shouldn’t be any trouble… Don’t glare at me like that, Daisy.” The man backs away a step from the woman, whose arms are crossed, tapping her foot in irritation, staring at him. “Well, we will be going then!” The man walks off while the rearguards smirk at his quick get away.

* * * * *

“Name?”

“Felicia Damu-” The girl accidentally bites her tongue in nervousness, taking a moment, she moves her tongue inside her mouth before continuing. “Denique.”

“Age?”

“E-eleven.”

“Affiliation?”

“Disciple of the Cilia House in Feia.”

“Alright, here you go, welcome to Zinnia Academy. Did you read the rules and do you have the payment ready?”

“Yes, ah, um… here! Thank you.” The girl replies in a fluster, with the answers in the incorrect sequence, handing over the gold coins on a string.

Isnic gives the brunette girl a quick smile, carefully suppressing her laughter before giving her a plaque with her dormitory information as well as a set of keys for the doors and her private chest inside the dorm.

“Umm… is-is daihakase-sama here?” The girl nervously shuffles, clutching the items in her hand.

[T/N: 大はかせ - which I’m pretty sure is 大博士, which transliterates to “Big Professor”. According to Japanese wiki, 大博士 means “Ph.D”, but another reference I found was “Master of Arts” and a ministerial title.]

“Who?” The harpy-esque demihuman tilts her head as though multiple question marks are appearing above her head.

“She’s b-big, pretty like a waving flame, with jaguar ears.”

“Oh! You mean Bell-sensei? Don’t worry, you will get to meet her and the rest of the senseis and instructors during school, don’t worry about it. Oh, right, there are instructions in your private chest, make sure to follow that, or go around the Academy with your guardians if you prefer.”

“T-thank you, big sis!” The girl bows a few times quickly before picking up her unusual amount of luggage and heads toward the nearest signpost.

“Next!”

…
…
…

The registrations of the students proceed smoothly, the accepted students carry their own luggage into their respective dorms as servants and family members were prohibited from entering the Academy beyond the reception area. Of course, an area has been set aside for these waiting visitors to rest, with light refreshments being provided.

…
…
…

“Name?”

“Owain Hysgarlad”

“Age?”

“Fourteen.”

“Affiliation?”

“Second Son of the Hysgarlad House.”

Isnic lifts her head up from the vellum to look at the dignified youth. The youth stares back at her with a slight tilt of his head. “Where are you from?”

“Oh! Right! Sorry, Sardon.” The youth replies quickly with a sheepish look, a faint blush on his face.

“No problem, did you read the rules and have the payment ready?”

“Yes, and eh, we paid in bulk, here’s our receipt.” The youth hands over a strip of treated hide, with the proof etched into it.

“Here you go, welcome to the Academy.” Isnic hands over the necessary items, unexpectedly, a commotion takes place on the next table over.

“How dare you! I’ve never been so humiliated!” A youth dressed in bright, gaudy clothing, with his retainers right behind him, shouts.

“Rules are rules, all registrants were required to read the rules before coming here.” The demihuman girl answers flatly, her feathers raising slightly in agitation.

“Rules only apply to the damn plebs, now get this over with. Or else.”

“Or else what?” Isnic makes an apologetic nod to Owain before getting up from her seat, stomping her way over.

The gaudy youth turns toward her voice with a sinister face, sneering all the while. “The hell you want, bitch?”

“Okay, that does it.”

*FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII*

Isnic releases a loud whistle, causing everyone else nearby to look in their direction.

*TA TA TA TA*

Within seconds, two squads of guards surround the gaudy youth and his entourage, weapons held in a defensive position.

“Escort them to retrieve any of their belongings and get them out of here.” Her voice cold, her gaze sharp.

“Don’t. You. Dare! Is this how you filthy animals treat Royalty?! I will see to it that your little trading post is removed!”

*DA DA DA*

The sound of slow, heavy clapping can be heard from the side. “Are you putting on a show, cousin Ludu?” Owain makes his way over as well, stopping at a respectful distance from the guards.

The gaudy youth’s retainers take an unsteady step backward, staring at the floor. The gaudy youth turns to look at them in disgust, his face turning even more ugly.

“My Prince.”

“Tsktsk, you don’t have to address me that way, didn’t you read the rules? Status is meaningless here, I’m just a student here that’s following the rules, just like the ‘plebs’ and the others. I didn’t know you never learned how to read though… but didn’t the messenger that delivered the message read it out for you?” The dignified youth turns his gaze to the retainers. “Don’t tell me all your retainers are illiterate as well.”

Ludu’s face twitches at Owain’s admonishment, seeing the unfavorable situation. “Look, I was-”

“As for that ‘little trade post’, you are aware that it’s viewed as the equivalent of a Royal Purveyor by the Court and is under the direct protection of Hysgarlad, right? There was a notable increase from the recent Tax Collection from the area, so I don’t see why a loyal subject would have a problem with it… Unless you are planning on a rebellion?”

The colour of Ludu’s face changes swiftly, it didn’t take long before it changed into the colour of his name sake.

[T/N: Dat trip into google was no fun, good thing I traced back to the city names mentioned in Sardon and vaguely remember the odd peerage title used. Ludu means Ash, in Welsh. This also applied for Owain’s full name as well, Welsh, not ash :P.]

“No, no, of-of-of course not!”

“Ah, that’s good to hear! I will make a report of everything that happened here and send it back to Court, just in case any misunderstandings occur.” Owain looks at the guards and then shifts his gaze onto Isnic, ignoring the silenced jester. “Ah, sorry for interrupting your work. I hope I didn’t overstep my bounds, just wanted to have a chat with my cousin here.” The youth makes a slight bow, before heading for his luggage and picks them up after putting the plaque into one of the bags.

Isnic smiled slightly, making a mental note of this interesting prince, she turns her head towards the unsightly-looking group of people. “You are to leave the grounds immediately, you and your servants are prohibited from entering these grounds, should you do so, you will be judged as criminals and be treated as such. Understood?”

The gaudy youth can only gnash his teeth and storm off, the demihuman guards follow the group at a fixed distance, ensuring their departure.

“The senseis are certainly smart…” The goose feathered girl mumbles with a slight sense of awe. The rules were made to reduce conflict between the Nobles and Commoners as well as people from different sovereign states, but it was also made with the intent to act as a filter to remove troublesome elements before they can establish themselves within the Academy.

* * * * *

*pachi pachi*

“That was a typical obstacle course that students with interest in being messengers as well as soldiers will have to undergo. Next up, we have a sparring demonstration by Kun-sensei and Hank-ishi. Please turn your attention in that direction.” The bear-like announcer speaks clearly with his deep voice, directing the audience’s attention. “After this, we will take a short rest and then serve some sample lunches of what’d normally be eaten by the students, please let us know if anyone has any suggestions!”

[T/N: Ishi (医師) is the job title honourific used for “doctor”, technically, sensei (先生) could also be used (it’s more respectful), but this is used to reflect the different level of respect from the perspective of the speaker. Something that I don’t know how to convey in English. This will also come into play later on, hence my inability to chance it.]

Without fanfare, the two of them jump onto the makeshift platform in the field, readying themselves. Hank is unarmed, protected by a set of manica, while Kun is equipped with a wooden sword and rod. As though it is mutually agreed upon, they immediately start the match.

*hyun*

*daku*

*dohyu*

The rod smashes down quickly from Kun’s leading right hand, causing Hank to deflect it with the manica on his left arm. In a fluid motion, the wooden sword in Kun’s trailing left hand does a backhanded slash following the rod, aiming for Hank’s exposed left flank. The move is quickly avoided as Hank takes a step back after blocking, switching into a southpaw stance. One of the advantages of using two weapons against an unarmed opponent is the option for saturated attacks, by using the added range of the weapons, attacks can be forced onto one part of the opponent’s body, overwhelming their ability to defend themselves properly.

The rod sweeps outward and comes back in with a circular motion, had Hank tried to counter attack, the rod could’ve easily returned to strike his head. The pair circles the platform and size up each other, with Hank turning his body even more to the side, limiting his frontal profile. Switching back into an orthodox stance suddenly, he dashes forward with a ‘married couple’ fist, leaning his weight forward excessively.

Without being able to wind up, the rod gets pushed back against Kun’s sword when Hank pushes it down with the side of his palm, temporarily sealing Kun’s attack options. Not to be outdone, the young man pivots backwards with his left leg, shifting the center of force between the two combatants. The rod drops down toward the waist due to the sudden change in leverage, exposing the sword’s blade. Following the change in momentum, Kun slides his sword as Hank’s weight leans against his weapons, making a draw cut.

Ignoring the cut, Hank takes a big step forward with his right leg, making a three quarter turn, launching a devastating right hook which Kun avoids by leaping backward, abandoning his attack. Hank, who seems to be over-rotating and out of balance, shifts and pushes with his left leg, closing the distance immediately.

As though expecting it, both of Kun’s weapons raise together, aiming for the man’s face. Hank’s right arm raises and flexes, drawing back slightly, becoming a shield for his face. The two weapons land softly, followed by Hank stumbling a few steps back. The attack on the head was merely a feint for Kun to launch a front kick to the body.

Hank recovers and looks down at his body, dropping his guard while wearing a bitter smirk on his face. A crisp white mark can be seen on the leather manica on Hank’s upper left arm, a clear footprint on his right abdomen, a potentially painful liver blow.

[T/N: Plenty of stuff I’d probably need to explain. Manica (マニカ) is a set of armguard that runs from the hand to the shoulders. A southpaw stance is where the right arm and leg are in front, the orthodox stance is done the same, but with the left side instead. 夫婦拳 - transliteral “husband wife fist” hence “Married Couple Fist”, a fist technique that have the fists move in tandem, really annoying to breakthrough in term of defense and a foundation for some grappling techniques. Draw cut - a cut that’s made by only sliding the blade without the need for chopping or other external motion. A liver blow is any attack that targets the liver, it is excruciatingly painful and have been used as a Technical Knock Out in boxing and various martial arts.]

The pair shakes hands before bowing once to the crowd, retreating from the stage.

“Wait… That’s it?”
“Tsk, what was that, it ain’t anything special at all.”
“Pffffttt, backwater country bumpkins. If they can be sensei, I could be the grandmaster!”
“Hey, hey, why don’t we start our own academy when we get back, I can chip in for some RMT if it’s this easy to teach.”

Murmurs of dissatisfaction and complaints can be heard from some parts of the audience. On the other hand, the Feians are relatively quiet and some of the senior guards that escorted their charges from Sardon, Norman and elsewhere are deep in thought, with their brows scrunched.

“Shut up, you fools!” A Sardonian captain shouts at his subordinates who were mouthing off and boasting, drawing others’ attention. The other veterans all turn to the middle-aged man with a handle-bar mustache, making their way towards him. Some of them are licking their lips while others are pondering on their own. The scorned subordinates swiftly get out of the way as an impromptu discussion between veteran warriors takes place.

“Anyone know who that dwarf was? Was that some dwarven taijutsu master?” A mercenary guard from the Arde Principality asks the gathered group.

“I have never heard of dwarves being that nimble in all my years, let alone a taijutsu master… Also… Didn’t the announcer call him ‘ishi’? Then isn’t he a doctor?” An elven guard chirps in.

“You sure? Anyone here know of him?” Another guard asks.

“Eh… He might be like us…” An unassuming man with murky blond hair interjects.

“Wait, he’s also an Immortal? You know him?” The mercenary turns to the officer from [Atonement] that has worked with him on the way here.

“No, but if no one here heard of him, then that’d be the logical choice. But what’s the big deal? He did pretty good, but he still lost in the end, no?”

“““Hahahahaha”””

“My friend! Everyone knows that anyone with a weapon will usually win a fight against someone without one, that’s a given! But in order to win against someone wielding a weapon unarmed, you need to be better than them, or have the element of surprise!” The Arden mercenary explains passionately.

“Right, right, that young man is a master in his own right. I’d have never expected that dwa- that Immortal would purposely throw his punches that way and use the resulting imbalance to close the distance. I wonder what would be the follow up had the young man not countered with that feint.”

*fuuu*

Several of the veterans sigh and shake their heads, they doubt they would be able to recover as quickly as that young man had they been in his shoes.

“Also, that mark…” The elf guard adds in vaguely.

“““Eh?””” Many of them didn’t find that mark that strange.

“Kun-sensei used a wooden sword, for it to leave a clean mark like that with a draw cut, it means his blade alignment is amazing.” The Feian Captain finally opens his mouth, as he feels that aside from the elf and himself, no one else really paid attention to that white mark. But it was really more a matter of having the proper vantage point and sharp eyes than anything else.

[T/N: Blade alignment is how the cutting edge of a blade is positioned and the axis relative to the force being applied. For a ‘blunt’ weapons to leave a mark from a draw cut, the contacting edge must be pretty precise. Try cutting an onion by sliding the knife (a draw cut pretty much), now do the same but with a slight angle. The former will cut through easily, the latter would probably get stuck without reaching the chopping board.]

The veterans continue their discussion, dissecting the movements and making speculations on what they’d have done in the combatant’s shoes. The dissatisfied onlookers surround the group and listen earnestly, although it’s more accurate to say they were eavesdropping.

After a while, the announcer returns with his booming bear voice, announcing that the guests should either head to the canteen in the west of the Academy or the nearby cafeteria that’s situated closer to the farming fields. As the guests head to sample the food, the students that were already at the Academy alongside its staff start preparing various stalls and platforms to showcase their favourite classes.

* * * * *

I’ll make a t/n just for you

“Yes! Yes! YYYEEESSSSS! Finally!” A Feian Noble dances around in victory, as a small, monkey-like demihuman pouts with his arms crossed.

“Hahaha, do you know why you lost, Jo’en?” A youth with a lion-mane asks from behind, looking at the map of the wargame.

“Un! I underestimated him and I overextended myself with the frontal charge of the cavalry!” The monkey-like demihuman turns to the young Noble. “Again! You won’t win again so easily!”

The young man stops mid dance step, composing himself. He recalls how many times he has lost to this kid in the past, that’s one reason why he was so happy. He spent numerous hours studying actual wars elsewhere as well as tactics and strategies on his own after his numerous defeats during his last visit, the victory was the proof of his effort.

“Alright! Let’s go again!” The arrogant attitude he had in the past is long gone, replaced with a sense of humility as well as respect for this so called Tactics and Strategies class of the Academy. Many descendants from the House of Stanson, which will be synonymous with the House of Strategists in the future, would attribute their House’s eventual raise from a minor Nobility to a Major one due to this happenstance encounter.

[T/N: Since our editor forgot about these guys completely, the noble in question is referring to the time when the Feian came to visit the Academy where [Atonement] had a spar with the MCs. The Noble was talking trash about the Tactics and Strategies class, then got paired with a kid who whooped his ass at the wargames.]

* * * * *

*Ding Ding*

*Ding Ding*

“Come one, come all! Try it before you buy it~!” Till’s cheerful voice pierces through the murmuring of the crowd, along with the rings of a brass bell. “Hey, watch it buddy, I remember giving you a sample already!” The small girl shakes her finger at a young man who was reaching for a sample in her tray with mock anger, who sheepishly goes back to his spot in line, held onto by his friends.

On the opposite side of the road, another voice fills the air to compete for attention.

“Try some of these Drunk Rabbits and this Velvet Ice Sand, it goes really well together! Don’t worry, these samples are free, feel free to try one!” A graceful, slightly glowing, girl is giving out samples at the end of the line for one of the stalls.

*gasp*

“Eru-sama! What, what are you doing?! Just leave it to your servants!” An old maid who happens to recognize the girl becomes slightly angered. This causes a minor commotion, as there was the announcement of the Princess attending here, but no one ever expected her to be doing the tasks of some lowly servant.

“Haha, nono, this is part of the student experience. And it’s quite fun!” The 1st Princess of the Norman Kingdom laughs happily while interacting with her countrymen and other visitors. Being released from the burden of Royalty, the current life style is very fulfilling. Unlike a prized bird kept in a gilded cage, she finally feels like she’s flying in the sky for the first time. The joy, the commotions, the laughter, she couldn’t remember being so carefree since her childhood with her mother.

“Here, try this! Oh, and try the various Iced Tea too, I recommend the Honeyed and Pear version!” Eru places a cone-shape cup made of leaves filled with ice, topped with a wine-puree mixture and a piece of jerky on a flat leaf. “Too bad we didn’t have any spare Sardonian cheese, otherwise these would taste even better.”

The old maid deflates, unable to stay mad at the cheerful girl that’s positively glowing, reluctantly accepting the samples. Eru gives her a bright smile and waves goodbye, before calling out loudly once more, giving out samples.

…
…
…

“Two Drunk Rabbits, and four Velvet Ice Sands are ready. I repeat, Two Drunk Rabbits, and four Velvet Ice Sands!”

“Right here, sweetie.” A cleanly dressed woman raises her hand, presenting small strips of coloured wood.

“Thank you, enjoy!”

The servant and her two colleagues pick up the items after exchanging the strips of wood for the goods with a smile, steadily heading toward a group that’s waiting for them at one of the benches with food from other stalls. Even as servants, they were still given samples to try, and the price for some of the novel food items are affordable enough as a treat even for themselves, so they have a good impression of the food stalls here.

The sample lunch served not too long ago was intentionally small in portion, to whet the guests’ appetite and curiosity. Norman’s name as the “Food Garden” isn’t just for show, as its citizens have kept the food stall area packed as soon as it was opened. The long lines of course drew the interest of visitors, resulting in a positive cycle. Even visitors who were familiar with the Academy’s food are surprised by the new items. This, of course, lead to some visitors seeking to do formal trade or inquiring about the goods involved, guiding them to the stalls being presented by the Commerce class, the Baggage Traveller (Peddler) class and the Logistic class in the next area over.

For the more martial minded, they would head to the Free Sparring area, where senseis and instructors are on hand to provide demonstrations - and entertainment for the veterans who would send their subordinates in to get their asses kicked. Needless to say, Bell is the one that has the most fun.

The ‘open house’ cum ‘orientation day’ closes by late afternoon, ushering tearful goodbyes for some of the new students while allowing others to give off a sigh of relief. The idea was brought up by the groups that went to trade in Ashentor, which was quickly approved by Bell and Till. Unexpectedly, it turned into something like a School Fair, which only Bell and Rick had experienced. Unfortunately, Rick still hasn’t been able to log in, thus missing out on the fun.

Till, who never attended her own school’s festivals, is still smiling, obviously in a good mood. Seeing her adopted siblings’ hard work being recognized probably has a lot to do with that. Bell, dubbed ‘The Elegant Brute’, remained undefeated in all the unarmed spars, while Kun and Hank had their hands filled directing the instructors and answering the various inquiries by the veteran warriors, who would show up in turns as their shifts change with the guards outside. The ones that benefited the most though, was probably Mikhal -who blended in with the veteran warriors without being noticed-, [Atonement] and the demihuman blacksmith, who has yet to discover what all the crates that were delivered to the smithy is all about.

Bell, Kun and the majority of his employees logged out soon after the event was over, as they were busy with everything else. So Till ended up being the one to oversee the cleanup and such. The newer students were sent to the canteen near the dorms while the ones responsible for the open house had their meal at the old cafeteria.

“Till-ne?”

“Yes, Dosnak?”

“I think we should do this every year.” The translucent humanoid shifts lazily at the table where the elder siblings are gathered, after having their dinner. He was instrumental patrolling from the shadows, keeping situations from getting out of hand and catching troublemakers.

“Um~ I will think about it~” There were a few fights, theft, and minor headaches, but to this girl that’s always hidden away from society, this was a good experience. Seeing how much fun the rest of her siblings had despite the troubles, she isn’t heartless enough to say no, so she just ended up teasing them.

“““Yay!””” The younger ones, who can easily overhear the entire conversation, cheer. The demihuman guards can only smile with loose expressions from the side, a tinge of bittersweet taste in their mouths.