Ch 111 – Lute’s “Past”

Inside the grand Sage's Magic Academy, it is filled with vast fields of grass, many patches of dense trees, crystal clear ponds and lakes, wandering animals, and is clearly an area where life is prosperous. Due to these conditions, many students resort to eating outside to enjoy the nice outside plains of the academy.

If you were to look left, you would see cute girls in the prime of their youth eating sandwiches and pastries, while feeding the roaming animals all around. If you were to look to your right, you'll see rowdy male students rambling about as they ate like pigs. Wherever you go and visit, you'll see how lively the academy is.

And in one such area, two students can be seen eating over a white blanket floor placed on top of the lush green grass all around them. One was a student with the appearance of a young, petite boy. His eyes were wide, colored a dark shade of purple, and were protected behind a pair of glasses. He wore the usual male uniform of the academy consisting of a black blazer with the insignia of the academy etched on the left side of the chest, a pair of black pants with golden accents, and black leather shoes.

Beside the young-looking boy, was a girl that was a lot taller compared to the boy who sat beside him. Her eyes were ocean blue, set right behind a pair of black-rimmed glasses that gave her an intellectual air. Her hair was long and brown, reaching even below her waist. She also wore the same upper uniform as the boy, yet wore a black skirt and white knee-high socks.

If one were to look at the both of them, they'd think the two were intellectually superior students with high grades. Yet they couldn't be more wrong, well for the girl at least.

"Lute-kun, can you please share me your notes? I promise I'll return them next Monday!" Imerda, now currently disguised as Emily, pleaded for Lute who ate a slice of white bread.

"Sure," Lute responded, his eyes focused on a book placed over his lap as the pages flipped automatically without him moving it himself. As he chewed on the slice of white bread, some bread crumbs fell down to his book, and the two watched as a white feathered bird landed right beside them.

"Oh? Does it want some bread?" Imerda muttered as the two watched the white bird slowly walk toward Lute's book, and pecked on some breadcrumbs.

"Chirp! (Mmm! Bread is so good!)" the bird chirped happily as it ate more of the breadcrumbs on Lute's open book. Chuckling, Lute took the slice of bread from his mouth and pluck out some huge chunks, placing them right on the open blanket beside him.

"That's for you little, Bird-san," Lute smiled, and watched as the bird chirped and walk out from his lap and onto the blanket to eat more of the bread.

"Chirp, chirp! (Thank you for the meal!}" the bird chirped and went to eat the bread chunks. Its eyes were squinted, indicating its joy as Imerda can't help but chuckle.

"No problem, Bird-san, eat as much as you like," Lute smiled, slowly patting the bird's head as it cooed lightly.

"Chirp! (Thank you too, mister! My name is Popoco!)" The bird announced, its head turning towards Lute, and gave Lute his name.

"Popoco? That's a good name you have there," Lute said, grinning as he gave more bread to the bird to eat its fill.

'Eh? Wait… Did he just understand what the bird said?!' Imerda widened her eyes, reeling back in shock, she gasped and pointed at Lute, catching his attention as the bird cooed in interest.

"Y-You understand the bird?!" Imerda shouted, her finger waddled in the air as she almost choked on the bread she was eating from sheer shock. To suddenly see Lute talking to a bird so nonchalantly, her mind couldn't keep up with the sudden news she just learned.

"Oh? You also understand Popoca-san too, Emily-san?" Lute's eyes brightened as Imerda slowly nodded her head, realizing her mistake. She inwardly clicked her tongue as Lute might have realized that she can understand all animals. From her understanding spirits to understanding birds, it's pretty clear she's a suspicious individual.

"Y-Yeah, I understand Popoco, but I'm asking is that how do you understand Popoco?" Imerda asked before she blushed and remembered the scene from before. The very scene of Lute talking to the spirits for the first time.

*** (Flashback)

Under the shade of the large tree beside them, Imerda glances at Lute who conversed with the Wind Spirit in his hand. Her mouth was agape while her eyes were shocked. Gulping, she opened her mouth and asked, "H-How did you do it?!"

"It's just simple magic. I just basically ask the Spirits of the World to let me hear them and now I can hear them. I guess the spirits really just liked me, the price really wasn't that much such that I was able to do it," Lute grinned while patting the spirit in his hand. The wind spirit bobbed its elemental body up and down as it wriggled on Lute's palm.

*** (Flashback End)

'Oh yeah, I almost forgot I'm talking to a genius who can fucking reverse engineer an entire language in just a matter of seconds. A fool I truly am.' Imerda thought, before coughing.

"Never mind, you don't need to answer my question," Imerda said, sighing. Standing up, she patted her skirt clean from the breadcrumbs that fell.

"Hmm? Are we going to the arena already?" Lute asked, also standing up and bidding farewell to Popoco before it flew away once more.

Nodding her head, Imerda asked the spirits to lift her bag to her before saying, "Yeah, we should head back early because we're gonna spar for the first time. We don't want to accidentally miss such an important event."

"Hmm? I thought you hated the idea of sparring, Emily-san?" Lute asked, grinning as he walked right beside her.

"Yeah, I hate sparring. But I kinda want to see you sparring too, Lute-kun," Imerda said, grinning lightly as she imagined how Lute would fight.

'He's most proficient at his magic, so he'll definitely plan to make distance between him and whoever his opponent would be.' Imerda thought, even though she was a spoiled brat, she has a keen eye for combat considering she is a Reincarnate who fought along the strongest beings of this world.

"Well, I kinda want to use the sword for my turn," Lute lightly laughed. Halting in her tracks, Imerda raised her eyebrows in confusion and look at Lute, surprised.

"Eh? A sword?"

"Well, it's kinda embarrassing to say this, but when I was still staying at my old village, I spent most of my time training my swordsmanship. And it's partly due to an embarrassing reason," Lute wryly smiled.

"Eh? Something embarrassing, even for the normally calm and collected Lute-sama? C'mon, spill the beans already!" Now Imerda's interest was piqued, wondering the reason why Lute devoted years of his life to training the sword to now becoming a master of Magic, a talented one at that.

"Well… It's because I wanted to become comrades with the Reincarnates. In fact, I was such a fanboy for Kilt-sama," Lute smiled before his face became slightly red.

'Uwah! I have never seen him blush this hard before! Ahhhh! To think even my adorable Lute-kun would feel embarrassed. But… What would happen if he were to know I am his beloved Imerda-sama.' Imerda coquettishly smiled before shaking her head and taking her nefarious thoughts away into the deepest vaults of her mind.

"Hmm, then you must be pretty good with the sword, right? Lute-kun."

Hearing her question, Lute halted in his tracks before answering, "Not really, I was pretty bad with the sword. That was until… Until that fated day."

"Hmm? What fated day?" Imerda asked.

"The day… The day I woke up just outside the gates of the Pendragon Kingdom with no recollections of how I arrived there."

"WHAT?!" Imerda gawked at the sudden news, almost tripping herself to the ground.

"Yeah, after regaining my clarity, the whole world around me turned a lot different. It was like my mind literally changed. I guess you can say that was the day I turned into a genius," Hearing what he said, Imerda gulped at the shocking revelation and couldn't help but wonder what happened.

"Eh? Then aren't your friends back from your village worried?"

"I'm also worried too, so I plan to visit the village once we finished our studies at the academy in two years."

Hearing his plan, Imerda nodded her head before the two finally arrive at the fighting arena. Entering it, they found their teacher along with their classmates and sat in their seats. When their teacher saw that they were all finally there after a few minutes, the teacher cleared their throat and started to announce how the spars would be like.

"Hey, hey. Who do you think would be your opponent here, Lute-kun?" Imerda asked as the two listened to their teacher's loud voice from a far distance.

"Well, anyone should be fine other than you, Arthur Pendragon, or Flores Elfheim. You three are really the only threats I think could defeat me," Lute said nonchalantly, as Imerda nodded her head without questioning him. Considering his achievements in magic, his arrogant claims couldn't be refuted.

'Hmm, I wonder who would be my opponent.' Imerda thought, watching absentmindedly as many students went on stage and duke it out against each other. That was until a few minutes later when she finally heard her name.

"Emily and Flores Elfheim, please come up on stage!" Hearing her name, Imerda looks back at Lute who gave a thumbs up towards her and grinned. Ordering the spirits of wind to lift her, she slowly floated down to the large arena on the ground and saw Flores Elfheim do the same.

Flores Elfheim, her appearance can only be considered divine. The very pinnacle of perfection. Her eyes were wide and colored emerald green. Her hair was long, vibrant, and blond. Her skin was snow white with no blemishes, it was soft and supple to the touch. Her lips were pink and seemingly magnetic to the mind. Her ears were pointy, just like an elf. Her gaze was cold, yet anyone who looked at her would instantly fall in love. She was Flores Elfheim, the princess of the Elfheim Royal Family.

'Tch, another pretty girl. I can't let any of these bitches have Lute falling in love with them! But if I take off my glasses, Lute might realize my true identity!' Imerda thought. But on the outside, her face was all smiles.

"My name is Emily, it's nice to meet you," Imerda said, bowing her head for respect.

"Likewise," Flores responded with her soft voice. Yet Imerda felt the arrogance from her and got slightly pissed, even wondering if she should just defeat her for the satisfying feeling.

"Start!" Hearing their teacher's voice, the two started to chant as multiple magic circles appeared all around them.

At first, Imerda only used a small hint of her true prowess, intentionally allowing herself to lose. From barely dodging the hurling balls of flames, to counterattacking whips of water, she only felt slight boredom with the fight. That was until Flores opened her mouth.

"Hmph. To think somebody would dare challenge me in a magic duel of spirits. Is it arrogance? Or ignorance? I shall open your mind, you frog stuck under a well," Flores lightly muttered, yet it was crystal clear to Imerda's ears as veins bulged on her forehead.

'HUH?! You think you're better than me in Spirit Magic, you spoiled brat! I'm gonna show you who's the frog in the well!' Imerda gritted her teeth, before activating her cheat and it was as if she has just opened the floodgates. Instantly, Flores opened her eyes to see the spirits all around the arena flocked to Imerda.

"Spirits of Earth, burrow my enemy under your tight grasp, [Earth Bind]!" From the ground, Flores widened her eyes as her two feet got stuck on the ground.

"Spirits of Ice, keep my enemy in place under a frozen state, [Freeze]!" All around her, Flores found her body got encased in ice as she can't move her body.

"Invigorate my body with fiery vigor! Make me as fast as lightning! Light, be my sword to vanquish evil foes!" Instantly, Flores watches as multiple spirits surrounded Imerda like an endless swirl. From a fiery glow that boosted her strength, to the spirits of lightning increasing her speed, to even the spirits of light becoming her sword.

Gulping, Flores felt fear for the first time in what she presumed an easy fight. In just one instance, the enemy suddenly showed combat experience befitting of a seasoned mage. Paralyzing her movement and increasing her own strength to deal with her.

"S-Spirits of Fire, remove the ice-"

"Too late!" Instantly, Flores widened her eyes before she could even finish her chant. In front of her, the blade of light stopped right in front of her neck, while Imerda wore an evil grin.

Nearing her face towards Flores' ear, Imerda whispered as satisfaction coursed through her whole body, "Do you surrender, Flores-san?"

She wanted to refuse, she wanted everyone to know she still have a fighting chance, but her defeat was already given. "Halt! Emily wins!"

Hearing their teacher, Flores felt her heart skip a beat.

'I… I actually lose to a commoner? ME?! T-This must be a dream!' Flores felt an unknown emotion appear deep within her. Throughout her whole life, the term defeat has never applied to her. She was part of the Elfheim Family, a powerful mage who control countless spirits at her beck and call, yet now… Yet now, she lost in just a few seconds without being even able to fight back.

"Woohoo! Lute, did you see that? I told you I'm an expert at Spirit Magic!" As Flores watches Imerda fly away into the distance back to her seat, she gritted her teeth and felt the unknown emotion in her heart swell, the aching feeling made her grit her teeth while the spirits she controlled melted the ice encasing covering her.

And so, the fight between a Reincarnate and a Royal Elf was concluded in a landslide victory.

AN: This chapter has 2423 words.

Future author here, let's act like the Pokemon chapter never existed, okay? I will delete it in a few hours, but you can still find it in the shitpost novel.

POWER STONES, NOW! KABOOM!

(August 5, 2022 – 254th day of writing)