What the hell is she trying to pull? Is she testing my strength?
I didn't care about fighting that scout. He was weaker than Roy, and I was confident I could beat even Roy in a one-on-one. That wasn't the issue. What annoyed me was someone else making decisions on my behalf.
Sure, technically, I could refuse. But I had no doubt Aria would spin that into a reason to exile me. And I needed to stay. I needed to be part of the tribe.
Fine. I'll play along. But I'm getting something out of it.
If Aria wanted to "use" me, then I'd use the situation right back.
"I've no issue acting as your champion," I said, "but fighting in an honorable duel while half-naked and covered in mud feels… disrespectful."
I didn't have to push too hard. I knew the Velmoryns took pride in their customs. All I had to do was frame it as a matter of honor, and they'd do the rest.
Whatever they give me probably won't be anything special, but it's better than nothing.
I looked at my blades with disappointment. They cracked far too easily.
Originally, I planned to create my own weapon with Creation. But I wasn't sure I could actually hold something made with divine power. And if I couldn't even touch a weapon forged by the God they worshipped… well, in the best case scenario, I'd be banished.
Roy nodded and turned to Vivien. She didn't need to be told twice. She darted away immediately, probably to fetch what I needed.
"I shall explain the rules, then," Aria said, smiling like she'd just won something.
"This will not be a duel to the death. You may not use any skills, but spells are permitted." She began explaining, already mentioning something I did not understand.
What's the difference between a skill and a spell?
I had no idea, but I didn't ask. If it was something everyone here was expected to know, asking now would just raise questions I wasn't ready to answer.
"If your opponent dies by accident, you will not be punished," Aria continued, her eyes locked on me. "But if your intent is to kill, you shall be executed."
Her tone grew more serious as she spoke, but it didn't carry the same genuine emotion she showed earlier when she failed to read my mind.
"No potions or external tools. Only the weapon you declare before the duel may be used." She finished the explanation and walked toward Elrier, probably to explain the rules to him too.
So, it's more of a sparring match than a real fight. I thought, my gaze locked on Aria's back.
I'd expected something a lot more brutal, especially after how easily Roy challenged Jira to a death match earlier. So if this duel was going to be harmless, why was Aria pushing for me to be the champion? What was she trying to achieve?
I didn't have time or information to figure it out.
Vivien returned, carrying folded clothes and a sheathed weapon.
"I am sorry, Elar," she said, offering them to me. "I could not find anything better. But the weapon should serve well enough."
I took the longsword first. It didn't feel like the elven blades I'd touched before, no strange familiarity, no immediate sense of connection. Just a weapon. But the memories of how to wield a longsword or even a greatsword were still there.
"Thank you." I bowed politely and quickly put on the pants and shoes. Unfortunately, I was not given any underwear, but it was fine. I already felt far better now that I wasn't wearing that tattered, stinky robe.
"I am ready," I said and stepped forward, heading toward Aria and my opponent, who were still talking.
"No. The duel shall be held before our Lord's statue," said Roy, catching me by the shoulder and turning me toward him. "Thank you for standing as my champion. Here, take this."
He handed me the pouch he'd been guarding since we left the ruins.
"It was meant for you, regardless. I have no doubt you shall win, open it after the duel." He gave a small nod, then walked over to Vivien.
I tied the pouch to my new pants, watching Roy and Vivien speak in low voices while occasionally glancing in my direction.
I might have thought that he was trying to encourage me, but he already knew my strength. He had seen my speed, measured my power. So, he must have known that I was stronger and faster than him, let alone a Bronze Rank scout.
Aria finished her conversation with Elriel, and we began walking toward the center of the tribe, where the massive Oak Guardian stood. As we passed by the shacks, more Velmoryns began to join us, maintaining some distance and observing me with curious eyes. It was clear they were interested in the duel, but I had the feeling most of them just wanted to see what I was capable of.
The village felt different now that I was experiencing it firsthand. The shacks didn't look as poorly built anymore, and even the Velmoryns themselves no longer seemed as weak. Their bodies were lean, but not frail.
I also noticed something I hadn't paid attention to before - children. They ran around us excitedly, laughing and tagging along like this was some kind of festival. One little girl even ran and handed me a fruit that looked like a pear, though it had a thick, leathery skin that I had to peel off.
Thankfully, one of the Velmoryns nearby was eating the same fruit, and I mimicked the way he peeled it. If I hadn't, it would've looked strange, like I didn't even know how to eat properly.
The moment I took a bite, I winced. The fruit resembled a pear, so I'd assumed that it would be sweet. Instead, it was sharp with salt and sourness. Across from me, the child who had handed it over grinned wide, likely mistaking my reaction for delight.
I kept eating, not out of pleasure, but to mask my surprise. I had liked for the combination of sour and salty. It tasted like indecision.
I need to introduce myself as someone who doesn't remember his past. I wasn't sure about it before, but now I am. I know absolutely nothing about this world, and trying to fake it will only get harder.
I decided that once the duel was over, I would start shaping Avenor properly. I would introduce myself as someone who had forgotten his past, then slowly earn the Velmoryns' trust. In time, I would become someone they accepted, even admired.
"Have you chosen your weapon?" Aria asked as we reached the Oak Guardian.
"Yes. I shall fight with this sword," I said, showing her the longsword.
She nodded and walked over to my opponent, who was already standing beneath the tree.
The Oak Guardian wasn't just massive, it radiated presence. It felt ancient and divine. What surprised me most, however, was the pull I felt from it, like something inside the tree recognized me.
As I observed the giant tree, I accidentally stepped on a thick root breaking through the surface.
A faint zap ran through me. It was quick and sharp, like the tree had responded.
But I could not be sure, because the sensation was brief and didn't return, no matter how many times I touched the root again.
"Your opponent has chosen a bow and a dagger," said Aria, stepping aside to clear the space between us.
I didn't respond, I was focused on my opponent now. Despite the clear gap between our strengths, in a duel, any mistake could make the level difference irrelevant.
Elriel bowed, following Velmoryn custom, but his expression told the real story. His brows were furrowed, his mouth twisted in contempt. Nothing about it showed respect.
I bowed in return, but mine was deeper, deliberate. I kept my face serious, even added a small nod at the end to show I was ready. He was welcome to attack.
Elriel didn't hesitate. He fired an arrow instantly, then retreated to widen the distance.
Do I want this to look easy… or like I struggled a little? I dodged the arrow while thinking it over.
I noticed this during the spider fight, too. When I focus, everything slows down just a bit.
Whether it was my Agility or Dexterity, the arrow looked slower than it should have. Easy to track. Easy to avoid.
I kicked off the ground and closed the distance in a blink. Elriel was still drawing another arrow when I reached him. I drove my right fist into his face, using the sword's pommel to reinforce the strike.
The hit rocked him. He dropped the bow, staggering as his legs buckled beneath him.
I didn't press the attack. Instead, I bowed slightly and turned my back, walking toward Roy and Aria.
Go on. Take the bait.
Even with my back turned, I was watching him through the Window. I wanted to give him a chance to make himself look dishonorable and he took it.
He had been angry before the fight even started. Being disarmed in a single blow pushed him past the edge, and seeing his opponent casually walk away was more than he could take.
He charged, dagger in hand, aiming straight for my back.
I let him get close. But the moment someone in the crowd screamed, warning me about incoming danger, I turned. In one swift motion, I blocked his attack and then knocked him down, burying my left heel into his abdomen, just under the ribs, close to the liver.
He coughed instantly, spasming on the ground like an injured snake.
"Why strike again? The duel was already over," I asked, shrugging. I waited for a moment, confirming that he was not going to stand up. Then I turned around and walked toward Roy and Aria.
My goal wasn't to get Elriel killed. I just wanted to look like someone too honest for their own good, someone who didn't fully understand the rules of a duel.
Roy approached, trying to explain.
"The duel was not over before. You were meant to leave him unable to fight. But striking you from behind cannot b…"
"I don't want him executed," I cut him off before he could finish. "The Velmoryns are few. We can't afford to lose one over a moment of lost control. We don't even know if he meant to kill me. Maybe he didn't. I was the one in danger. The right to forgive should fall to me!"
I used my hands as I spoke, using every gesture to sell the act. I knew most of them wouldn't believe me, not completely, at the very least. But if I played this role long enough, repeated it enough, eventually they would.
"You do hold that right, but..." Roy hesitated, raising a brow. He sounded unsure and unconvinced.
He didn't know me well enough to be sure about anything, but it was obvious he didn't buy it. A Velmoryn living in a forest full of monsters simply couldn't grow up as kind. As forgiving.
"It falls to the victor to decide the loser's fate," Aria said, stepping in. "And by our customs, having won the duel, you are now one of us. Speak your name! We cannot continue calling you 'Elar' anymore."
She was faking it too. Just like me. But every Velmoryn around us nodded at her words, their eyes filled with admiration and respect.
She has them wrapped around her fingers.
I smiled at the thought and answered:
"My name is Avenor. But… I remember nothing else."
I lowered my gaze as I said it, letting silence carry the shame I pretended to feel.
"Welcome to the tribe, brother Avenor," Aria said, ignoring my emotional moment and placing her hand on my chest. She didn't even acknowledge the part where I claimed not to remember anything.
Other Velmoryns followed Aria's lead. Some approached to place a hand on my chest, while others touched their own as a sign of welcome. It only lasted a few moments before Vivien stepped forward and spoke.
"We'll prepare a place for you to rest tonight. But your home - you'll have to build it yourself," she said, smiling warmly.
In her mind, I was probably her husband's savior, at least to some degree.
"Thank you," I replied, bowing slightly.
Then I walked toward the Oak Guardian, like I wanted to pray. But in reality, I just wanted to check the pouch Roy had given me.
If he had found anything else in the ruins, there was a good chance it was something the goddess had prepared for herself, something valuable.
Something special.
**
A/N -
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