Sword Saint's Reincarnation-Chapter 73: Tournament (8)

Rylan finished putting on his boots and looked at Sarah. As beautiful as ever, she stood next to the bed with pristine posture and bearing, wearing simple clothes. A strange light danced in her eyes as she stared at him with a small smile. After looking at her for a few seconds, Rylan sighed.

“That can be a problem,” he said.

Sarah nodded.

“It’s spreading like wildfire. I think everyone who was paying attention to the tournament is now aware of your name, young master.”

Rylan rubbed his chin, noticing the bit of stubble on it, and stood up. With a furrowed brow, he looked at the ground.

“…Do you think they’ve heard of it?”

Sarah nodded again. Concern filled her expression.

“Yes, it’s likely. I believe they’ll come looking for you soon if they aren’t already.”

She hadn’t needed to ask who he was talking about. Rylan donned a bitter smile. He hadn’t really thought about how Regis and Lillia would feel after hearing about him. To be frank, he was scared. Would he be able to earn their forgiveness once they talked? Would they even want to talk to him? Should he tell them about his reincarnation? Would they believe him? The questions were endless, but he had no answers.

Sarah stared at him. After a couple of seconds, she took a few steps forward, then firmly grabbed his shoulder with a delicate hand.

“My lord,” she said, making Rylan raise his gaze and look into her green eyes. They looked like pieces of jade but felt strangely warm. “You’ve changed. Not only that, but you’ve also helped young master Aelfric. Your siblings will acknowledge it, but you must keep trying, even if you fail at first.”

Silently, Rylan put his hand over hers.

“…I will. Thank you, Sarah.”

She smiled and he smiled back.

“I will help you, and so will the Family Head. We believe in the person you’ve become, even if I still don’t understand why or how you changed,” she said.

Rylan’s smile faltered.

“I’ll tell you one day. I swear. Once I'm confident I can protect you.”

“I’ll be waiting for that day, my lord,” her smile gained a mischievous edge. “It will be a good change of pace.”

Rylan laughed loudly and stretched his body as her hand left his shoulder.

“Now, let’s go. It’s going to be a long day,” he said with a grin.

He felt a bit calmer after Sarah’s comforting words. It was a bit ironic how the person who used to despise him the most: because she was the one who knew everything about him: now supported and comforted him.

She nodded and bowed.

First, to Aelfric’s battle.

With steady steps, Rylan and Sarah left the room and stepped out of the building. He pulled the hood over his head. It was an attempt to hinder anyone who might recognize him. Caer Rhelon’s streets were as lively as ever, bustling with people and conversations. Rylan grinned and walked through the packed streets, making way for carriages along the way. Conversations reached his ears as he circulated his mana out of habit. It was the best way to react to a possible ambush.

“Hey, have you heard about that Rylan Flameheart? He defeated Isaac! Isaac Hutchdal!”

“Of course I’ve heard of him. Who hasn’t? Crazy shit, not gonna lie. I would have called it bullshit if so many people weren’t saying the same thing.”

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“Yeah. Second Circle at eighteen but still beat one of the tournament’s favorites. I hope my kid turns out to be like that in the future…”

“Not gonna happen. Keep dreaming, though.”

“You!”

From the other side.

“He said he’s a swordsman? But he defeated Isaac with magic alone.”

“Maybe he just likes swordsmanship? Like that girl from the Lamollet house.”

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“That’s different. I was told he said he was a swordsman and not a Mage.”

“Listen to yourself. How is that possible?”

No matter where they went, almost all conversations were about Rylan. Through the open doors of a tavern, he could see a drunk man standing on a table and yelling at the crowd around it.

“I was there! He dodged those Earth Spikes like he could see the future!”

One person shouted back.

“How did his Magic Shield hold on?”

The drunk man laughed loudly.

“There was no Magic Shield! He just dodged them while casting a Magic Missile!”

After a collective gasp, more questions poured at the man, who smiled like he was the one who won the fight. Rylan let out a small sigh. This was a bit of a problem, but nothing he couldn’t deal with. Part of him hoped that these news and rumors would somehow reach the rest of his family. He wanted them to see that he was different now.

Soon, a bit lost in his thoughts, he arrived at a small stadium, very similar to the one where he’d fought Isaac. This time, however, instead of entering the fighters’ corridor, he made his way to the stands with Sarah in tow. Rylan got a few stares as he pulled on his hood, but nobody stopped him or approached him. Part of it was because they probably didn’t recognize his face.

Even if they’ve heard of my name after the battle against Isaac, they don’t know what I look like.

At moments like this, it was a small blessing.

After showing his tickets to the guards, he wormed his way into the very front row. His gaze immediately went to the boy on the right side. Aelfric donned a nervous expression and fidgeted in place, already grasping his wand. Rylan glanced at the opponent.

Second Circle.

The brown-haired boy stood confidently with his chest puffed up, in stark contrast to Aelfric. He was probably confident about his fighting abilities, as most who had gotten to this point were. Rylan eyed his younger brother with a grin.

It’s going to be a good experience.

It didn’t matter if Aelfric won or lost. The most important thing was learning from this battle and becoming better because of it. As long as Aelfric could do that, it was enough. To be capable of learning from both defeat and victory was an important trait of all who went far.

And if he can’t do it yet, I’ll help him.

With a satisfied nod, Rylan waited for the battle to begin. After a few minutes, once the stands were filled with people, the announcer in front of the judges’ podium stepped forward and walked to the middle of the square arena. He was an unfamiliar man.

“Dear spectators,” he yelled, his wand close to his mouth. It amplified his voice, making it echo throughout the stadium. “We are now past the middle of our tournament! Here, we will witness a battle between two young men who shed their blood, sweat, and tears to get to this point!”

Aelfric closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Rylan watched him attentively, and so did Sarah. Once Aelfric opened his eyes, he looked much calmer than before. The grip around his wand was no longer too tight, and his muscles had relaxed a bit. Rylan nodded to himself. This was the state of mind one needed in a fight.

“On one side,” the announcer said, pointing at Aelfric. “Aelfric Flameheart! Sixteen years old, Second Circle! A youth with great talent, seeking to prove himself!”

The atmosphere in the stands changed. People exchanged looks, whispering to each other.

“Wait, Flameheart?”

“Like that one kid? Rylan?”

“Bro, hold on.”

The announcer smiled as if he could hear the crowd’s conversations. With a flowery move, he pointed at Aelfric again.

“Yes, my friends! You all have noticed the truth!” he exclaimed with a triumphant smile. “Aelfric Flameheart is the younger brother of Rylan Flameheart, who shook the city to the core!”

Rylan frowned as the atmosphere in the stands froze. After a few seconds, a veritable wave of excitement and expectation washed over the audience. Some people stood up and shouted, while others hurriedly turned to their friends with wide smiles.

“Hey, Aelfric! Show us what the Flamehearts can really do!”

“Are you stronger than Rylan?”

Rylan looked at Aelfric. His previous calm demeanor was marred by the sweat flowing down his brow.

He’s too young to know how to handle expectations from others.

Rylan glared at the announcer. Because of his words, Aelfric would have a harder time, even if it was the best way to hype up the crowd. Even the judges looked more interested, leaning forward.

“On the other side,” the announcer finally said after letting the atmosphere build up for almost ten seconds. “Jonathan Driscoll! One of the children of the Driscoll house who has proven himself as a skilled combatant by getting this far! This is going to be one hell of a showdown, ladies and gentlemen!

The announcer stepped back, leaving the paved arena. The judges raised their wands and staves. A blue mana barrier crawled over itself and surrounded the arena, encasing it completely.

“Now…” the man continued. Jonathan and Aelfric let out a breath. “Begin!”

Rylan leaned forward without blinking as both combatants started chanting at the same time. Unlike Jonathan, however, Aelfric started running to the side. Both of them finished their chanting almost at the same time.

“Earth Spikes!”

“Firebolt!”

Rylan could perceive Jonathan’s mana sinking into the ground and forcing it to rise in the shape of spikes. The Earth Spikes appeared around Aelfric. Two of them targeted his back, while one other aimed for his chest. Simultaneously, a sphere of fire took shape at the tip of Aelfric’s wand and shot toward Jonathan. Firebolt was the spell Aelfric was most proficient in, but it wasn’t a good match against Earth Spikes. Circulating his mana, Rylan eyed the Spikes and evaluated their angles.

The one in front is a distraction.

The two that aimed for Aelfric’s back were the ones who truly sought to end this battle. Considering Aelfric’s physical abilities, he only had a second at most to react before the Spikes reached him. Rylan stared at his brother. The Spikes got closer.

Suddenly, Aelfric let out a breath and almost lunged to the side, then rolled on the ground. The three Spikes missed him by just a bit, but as if he hadn’t even noticed how close he had been to a severe injury, Aelfric rose to his feet and lightly swung his wand.

The Firebolt, which had arrived in front of Jonathan, abruptly curved its trajectory and landed on the boy’s right forearm. The magical flames burned the skin and flesh, wrapping themselves around the limb. Jonathan screamed in pain, stumbling. The Spikes crumbled.

Rylan smiled.

His younger brother wasn’t that easy to beat.