Chapter 71-Song of the Enchantress

"Hello Eric." Princess Denise says triumphantly.

I don't respond as I'm currently falling into a trance, as if I'm fighting off sleep.

"Don't worry about talking, I just want you to listen.

Throughout these entire ranked games, you'll help me achieve my rightful place as the first ranked.

You'll assume the 2nd ranked where you won't ever contest my spot and hold off the third ranked."

Her words form a chain which slowly wraps around my soul and attempts to bind it and I offer no resistance.

'I must please the Enchantress for her will is my own.'

Just as the chains fully entwine themselves and almost lock into place, a black shadowy hand catches it.

While holding the lock, a finger extends pointing at my body and sends out a mini shadow lance that connects with it, sending a wave of pain that brings me out of the trance.

"Snap out of it Eric, you need to resist her words." Chathis says.

Silently thanking him, I assess my situation.

She doesn't seem to notice that whatever she just attempted didn't work.

I needed to get out of whatever spell she had me in that limited what I could do.

I could only assume that it was a close proximity spell as it didn't active until she was nearby.

I had roughly 30 seconds before Pith Orientation ended and I was blind once again.

My best bet was to take off running to get away from her, but as I was surround by her men, they were sure to get in my way, allow her to reapply charm once again.

I sighed, as I prepared myself to at least attempt it before I went blind.

Just as I was going to take off running, a mana signature entered my field of perception.

I immediately identified the source as Lawson.

Hopefully he could provide an excellent distraction for me to slip away and regroup.

Worst case scenario we were both going to be working for Princess Denise.

Making it to us in no time, he jumps up to a nearby tree.

"Well well well, two Class As in one place, the Princess and Eric no less."

Regaining her usual calm face, she turns towards Lawson.

"This matter has nothing to do with you, for your sake, I'd suggest moving along." Princess Denise says.

Smiling devilishly, Lawson responds, "Well I'm kind of curious to see if you either have a strong influence or are strong to end up in Class A.

Plus, I have some business with Eric, so no I won't be running along."

Her usual calm demeanor sours as a great scowl appears on her face, "Just when things always go my way, someone always has to intrude."

As the time winds down on Pith Orientation, I can feel Denises mana surge momentarily.

Pith Orientation picks up that a stream of mana flows from her mouth towards Lawson as she talks.

"Run along like the good dog you are."

When the mana connects with him, and he stumbles a bit, falling out of the tree.

He stands, shakily, swaying back and forth as his mana is in disarray.

Denise smiles at her victory, hold her head high as she peers at Lawson from down her nose.

Lawsons mana then flicks out for a second before exploding back extending outside his body in a resemblance to flames.

The last thing I see before everything goes black, is Lawson falling on all fours then pouncing on the nearest guy with a roar.

The sound of battle erupts all around me but I have no clue what's going on.

Then Denise in a panic shouts, "Eric, do something."

In her frenzy, she forgets she had me in a bind.

I was resisting her influence, but without the use of skills or spells, it was only a matter of time before she had me.

With her vague command, endless possibilities of what that meant opened up.

Her limitations of my skills and spells dropped and I immediately recast Pith Orientation.

I see that only four of her band of male students remain and Lawson is in a state where waves of mana roll off of him.

With each successful take down, Lawson howls towards the sky before launching another attack with a roar.

Denise is continuously recasting charm on him, to no effect.

She turns to me, motioning towards Lawson, "Well?"

In return I smile, then swap places with my clone who disperses immediately upon connecting with sunlight.

Leaning on a nearby rock, I start to breath heavily as I realize just how close that was.

Chathis begins to speak, "The prowess of an Enchantress is no joke, no matter how weak."

I don't remember seeing that class in the book, so it must be another class where certain requirements are needed before you can acquire it.

It doesn't make sense, because every time she was identified, her class came up as Knight.

"Why was her real class hidden behind the Knight class?" I asked Chathis.

" Ah, makes sense how she hasn't been found out yet. Much like Shadowmancy, Enchantress is considered taboo."

That encounter humbled me down, so I decided to think the time while I had it to figure out how to counter Denise and see Mariath.

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Lawson pounces on another one of my charmed minions and he turns to dust, getting eliminated.

I was just in control, why isn't my charms working on this mere beast-kin?

Panicking, I look over and remember I still have my new ace, the charmed Eric, who isn't doing anything.

"Eric, do something."

I don't know his capabilities, but as long as he did anything, I could work with whatever happens.

A howl from Lawson snatches my attention back to him, and I see him dash towards my three remaining minions, eliminating him easily.

I turn back to Eric who is supposed to be following my orders.

"Well?" I saw motioning towards the howling Lawson.

Eric faces me, flashes me a smile before a shadow takes his place that poofs into nothing.

Shocked, my mind reels as to how exactly he just managed to escape my grasp once again.

I have no time to think as Lawson roars again, preparing to eliminate another one of my minions.

I sigh as I realize that I have to deal with Lawson myself.

I was royalty, I shouldn't have to get my own hands dirty. I shouldn't have to fight my own battles.

My blood begins to boil as I have to use another trick I was saving for at least the next game.

Without wasting another second, I click a button on my bracelet.

I wasn't stupid to think that this fight wasn't being watched.

I'm sure that the head master reported whatever he saw to my family.

There's no way he wouldn't know about my forbidden class and report it to them.

I couldn't afford to be discovered yet, I even went through the effort of getting a relic that showed another class to even the crystal.

Therefore, my bracelet had a rune that canceled out the rune used for surveyance on this game.

Now that the situations in my favor, I turn towards Lawson who begins his leap towards the last two of my minions, who begin to take off running in fear.

Not hiding anything back, I say,

"Trees, bind him."

Roots come out the ground and catch him midair as they wrap themselves around him.

With him preoccupied at the moment, I activate my skill.

The two minions suddenly freeze as their eyes become glossy and begin to drool.

Soon they begin to grow taller in size, their muscles expanding until they're both eight feet tall.

Flexing their newfound muscles, they turn towards me as I quickly don my calm face.

Kneeling in front of me in deep voices they say, "Thank you Princess. Would you like us to take care of this for you?"

I respond through clenched teeth as I had to reveal so many of my skills already, "Yes please."

Standing they turn to the bound Lawson who is struggling to free himself from the roots, while cracking their knuckles.