V

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Arc V Chapter 4

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18th Ignis Solar 753 AAC

A new day dawned. It was the start of a new week and the start of her most recent educational adventure. After surviving drillmaster and his punishing lessons, Aurora and her doll were now braving the challenges and pitfalls of this world's educational system, namely, they were finally going to school, or at least what qualified in this day and age as an equivalent educational facility! The usefulness of such an institution, though, remained undoubted despite certain reservations on her part.

Armed with a solitary piece of chalk and a blank slate tablet, Aurora and her doll manned their school bench while enjoying a clear view on the teacher's desk. That was all the guild provided her, which was already plenty. Not that she complained. Paper and parchment were limited commodities, and her utensils proved sufficient to master the most sacred and noble art of literacy. She, her doll, and her fellow adventurers would be provided with a semblance of elementary education at the expense of the guild. The education was rudimentary at best, but they were given reading and writing classes to combat the scourge of illiteracy among the classes of humble birth. The course was thus well frequented, with the classroom filled to the brim.

“♫ ♪♩♪ ♫ ♬ ♩♫ ~. ♫ ♪♩♪ ♫ ♬ ♩♫ ~. ♫ ♪♩♪ ♫ ♬ ♩♫ ~”, Aurora and her doll were humming in peace, while scribbling on her slate in an effort to refresh her memory after her most unfortunate case of amnesia. Her muscle memory and writing skills slowly but surely returned. Her hands remembered the lines and patterns. Contrary to other less fortunate individuals who struggled with the way of the chalk, the art of writing came understandably naturally to her. In fact, her quick progress surprised and astounded even Erika. She praised her refined handwriting and commended the calligraphic touch of her hand. Erika supposed that she had to be a natural talent, which was indeed the case.

Aurora mustered a content grin. Once again, her former self and the benefits of her noble education proved their worth.

Her hand moved her chalk, drawing a giant A across the slate. It was the letter Erika taught them yesterday. They were told to write the letter down a few hundred times in order to memorise its shape and form before proceeding to the letter B. The foundations were important. Repetition builds practice, and practice builds memory. They would work their way step by step through the alphabet before commencing with proper reading and writing. First block letters. Later on, the fundamentals of cursive, which was already everything the course had to offer. It was a rudimentary class at best that consciously refrained from touching any advanced materials. The treacherous realm of grammar and syntax, the realm of declensions and conjugations, of nouns and pronouns, of adjectives and adverbs, of verbs and prepositions, of interjections and conjunctions, of causal, final, consecutive, conditional, temporal, and relative clauses would forever remain beyond the mere, simple adventurer.

Aurora finished her work and marvelled at her chalk born handiwork. The letter A was a most important letter, according to Erika. It was a vowel and the first letter of the local alphabet. Furthermore, many important words started with A, such as Aurora. And other important words, such as Aurora. There was no Aurora without A. “What do you think, Dolly?”

“... ... ...” Silence. Her doll ignored her, but she must have her reasons. Her doll wasn't much of a talker. She was apparently more of a shy, introvert type ...

“Hey, you, ... what are you doing there?” Aurora blinked in surprise. A voice interrupted her discussion. The brash voice was coming from behind.

Aurora turned around, glancing backwards. There was a boy sitting behind her and staring at her with his arms crossed and a scrutinising glare at his disposal. He was a fellow ... ... ... She had no idea whatsoever who the little rascal was or what he wanted, nor did she care in the slightest.

“... ... ...” The boy whose name she couldn't bother nor cared to remember continued glaring at her.

“Hmm ...” Aurora and her doll tilted their heads.

“... ... ...” Still glaring.

“...” Their staring match continued, but Aurora didn't budge. This was a battle of honour! A battle she was not allowed to lose!

Who was he? What did he want? Aurora had no idea. Yet he appeared as if he wanted to strike up a conversation with her. Her hand pointed at herself. “Are you talking to me?”

“... ... ...”

“Hmm ...”

“... ... ...”

“Hmm ...”

“... ... ... Yes.” The boy merely nodded. The conceited tone in his voice didn't escape her. “I am asking you, what are you doing there?”

Aurora chose to ignore his lack of manners. The common populace might not be as versed as her in the intrinsicities of noble etiquette and basic politeness. Her doll and she thus proudly presented their work, showing him their slate. “Oh, I was drawing my favourite letter A. I decided to practise and improve my writing skills, while waiting for teacher Erika.”

The boy clicked his tongue in derision. “Silly girl ...”

Aurora pouted in response. “Hmpf, what's so funny about it?”

The boy smirked with a blatant sense of superiority. Her fellow student was lacking much, but certainly not confidence. “Nothing. As it turns out, however, you are just another one of those illiterate country bumpkins. Hardly surprising, though, I guess.”

“Hey ...” Aurora protested, pouting. She heard that. “No need to throw insults ... And what are you even doing here if you can read and write? Why are you attending a writing class; then?”

The boy rolled his eyes in frustration. Unbeknownst to him, he was taxing the limited lenience he still enjoyed to the utmost. “Because they are mandatory, silly girl ... Your attendance rate contributes to final evaluation, so I can't skip them, regardless of how much of a chore they are.”

“...” Aurora tilted her head. “That makes sense, I guess. And yet, ... who are you to judge me? Who are you to talk so high and mighty? I have no idea who you are to begin with.”

“... ... ...” Her words gave the boy pause. “My pardon, I suppose you are correct, an introduction is indeed in order. Not that it matters. My name is Erich von Frundsberg. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Edelgart.” Not only did he remember her name, but he also offered her a slight bow. Impressive.

Aurora studied her counterpart with renewed interest. “... von Frundsberg ... Are you perhaps a noble?”

Her question visibly startled a speechless Erich, eliciting more than just a furrowed eyebrow. “...”

“What?”

“...” His eyes narrowed and his gaze intensified. “... You know, Edelgart, you are a curious girl. You say you can't read nor write, and yet the moment I tell you my name, you immediately latch onto my surname ... How peculiar ... But to answer your question, we aren't. At least, not any more ...” What an enigmatic reply on his part.

Erich returned his attention to her. “Anyway, tell me, what are you doing here? Enlighten me!”

“Hmm ...” Aurora raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that, Erich?”

The boy clicked his tongue. “Don't play dumb, Edelgart. You know what I mean. No matter how much I am thinking about it, I don't get it. I don't get how you were able to beat Ludolf.”

“Ludolf, who?” Aurora tilted her head.

“Ludolf ... My friend ...”

“...” Aurora tilted her head further.

“The boy you beat up the first day ...”

Realisation finally hit Aurora. “Ah, yes, that one ... I remember now. Yes, his name was Ludolf. So what?”

Erich crossed his arms. “You know, he might be a bit of a braggart and not the brightest candle in the chandelier, but I know him. Ludolf is a talented fighter, so how on earth was a little girl and her doll able to defeat him? You won, yet you shouldn't have.”

Aurora was stroking her chin before resorting to a smile. “I guess that is an excellent question indeed~.”

“I watched the fight, Edelgart. The more I think about it, the clearer it becomes. Your movements were fluid. Your steps were smooth and controlled. You are far stronger than you let on. You are hiding your strength. In fact, you were playing with Ludolf, weren't you?”

His words made her giggle, amusing her. “Hehehe, I won't deny such a possibility~.” And thus the boy named Erich had suddenly turned into an intriguing specimen.

“Which leads me to my next question, who are you? What are you doing here? What are you doing here at the guild?”

Aurora maintained her smile. “Well, well, isn't that obvious? I am trying to become an adventurer~.”

“Yes, you are, but you clearly don't belong here. The way you fight ... The way you behave ... The way you act ... They way you speak ... You are different.”

That was like the pot calling the kettle black. “And what is that supposed to mean, Erich~?”

“... ... ... It is your carefree attitude. Everything is just a fun little game to you. It is ... It is as if ...”

“As if what?”

“... ... ... Never mind, forget it.” Erich shook his head. “Know, though, that I will watch you. I will keep my eyes on you and your doll.”

Aurora and her doll merely smiled before returning to her scribbling. A radiant beam was their answer. “Thank you, that is good to know~. We will feel now a lot safer~.”

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