Previously on Charisma 100: My Academy Life As A Heartbreaking Commoner...
Aegis and her associates discuss a newly identified potential member of the Umbral Blade, Fenn Arlo, who has been meeting with Sylceris. Aegis decides to wait for more information instead of acting rashly and plans to get closer to Sylceris by offering to spar with her.
{p}The training grounds were cool in the early morning, the sun barely over the academy walls.{/p}{p}A handful of students were scattered around the edges, stretching or running laps, but the central ring was empty.{/p}{p}Aegis and Sylceris stood across from each other, practice swords in hand.{/p}{p}"Rules?" Sylceris asked.{/p}{p}"First to three clean hits. No magic."{/p}{p}Sylceris raised an eyebrow.{/p}{p}"No magic?"{/p}{p}"I want to see where I stand with just the sword. If I use magic every time, I’ll never know if I’m actually getting better or just leaning on a crutch."{/p}{p}"Fine by me." Sylceris rolled her shoulders and settled into her stance. Low, balanced, her weight centered over her back foot. A fighter’s stance. The kind you learned from actual combat, not from textbooks.{/p}{p}[She’s done this before. A lot.]{/p}{p}Aegis raised her own sword, set her feet, and waited.{/p}{p}Sylceris moved first.{/p}{p}She closed the distance fast, faster than her build suggested, and came in with a diagonal cut aimed at Aegis’s left shoulder. Aegis stepped back and parried, her blade catching Sylceris’s with a sharp crack. The impact traveled up her arm and she redirected it, shoving Sylceris’s sword to the side and countering with a quick thrust toward her ribs.{/p}{p}Sylceris twisted sideways and the point missed by an inch. She reset and came again, two quick slashes, high then low, and Aegis blocked both, her footwork tight, her weight shifting the way Scarlett had drilled into her over months of training.{/p}{p}[My reactions are faster than they used to be. Muscle memory’s filling in where my brain used to have to think.]{/p}{p}They traded blows. Once, twice, three times. Aegis caught Sylceris’s fourth strike on her blade, slid forward, and shoved her back. Sylceris stumbled half a step, recovered, and her eyes sharpened.{/p}{p}"Not bad," Sylceris said.{/p}{p}"Thanks. I’ve been practicing."{/p}{p}Sylceris came in harder this time. A feint to the left, then a snap cut to the right that Aegis barely got her sword up for. The blades connected and Sylceris pressed forward, using her leverage to push Aegis’s guard open, and then her sword tapped Aegis’s shoulder.{/p}{p}Clean hit. First point to Sylceris.{/p}{p}[Shit. She read the feint before I did.]{/p}{p}They reset. Aegis rolled her neck and adjusted her grip.{/p}{p}Second exchange. Aegis went on the offensive this time, driving forward with a series of short, controlled strikes, nothing flashy, just pressure. Scarlett’s style, adapted for Aegis’s lighter frame. Push, push, push until the opponent makes a mistake.{/p}{p}Sylceris didn’t make a mistake. She absorbed every strike, gave ground when she needed to, and waited. The moment Aegis overextended on a thrust, just a fraction too far, Sylceris stepped inside her guard and brought her sword across Aegis’s stomach.{/p}{p}Second point.{/p}{p}[Damn. She’s patient. She doesn’t chase openings, she waits for me to create them and then punishes me for it.]{/p}{p}"One more," Sylceris said.{/p}{p}"I know how to count."{/p}{p}Third exchange. Aegis switched her approach. Instead of pressing forward, she hung back, let Sylceris come to her. Sylceris obliged, closing in with a measured advance, testing Aegis’s guard with probing strikes. Aegis parried each one, watching, analyzing.{/p}{p}[There. She drops her elbow after a high cut. Tiny window, but it’s there.]{/p}{p}Sylceris swung high. Aegis parried, stepped to the outside, and drove her sword into Sylceris’s exposed ribs before she could recover.{/p}{p}Clean hit. One point for Aegis.{/p}{p}A few of the students watching from the edges murmured to each other.{/p}{p}Sylceris looked down at where Aegis’s sword had touched her side, then back up at Aegis.{/p}{p}"Good read," she said. There was no frustration in her voice.{/p}{p}"You drop your elbow after overhead cuts. Just a little."{/p}{p}"... Noted."{/p}{p}They reset. Sylceris adjusted her stance slightly, elbow tucked tighter, and Aegis smiled.{/p}{p}[She just fixed it in real time. One note and she corrected. This girl’s the real deal. Damn shame she’s an enemy.]{/p}{p}The final exchange was the longest. They circled each other, traded feints, tested guards. Aegis got close twice but couldn’t land cleanly. Sylceris pressed her back toward the edge of the ring and Aegis used Aether Step on instinct, blinking three meters sideways to reset her position.{/p}{p}Sylceris paused.{/p}{p}"Thought you said no magic."{/p}{p}"That one was free. Bad habit."{/p}{p}[Dammit. Instinct kicked in.]{/p}{p}Sylceris came in before Aegis could fully reset. A quick combination, low cut into a rising slash, and her sword touched Aegis’s neck.{/p}{p}Third point. Match over.{/p}{p}Aegis lowered her sword and exhaled. Her arms were sore, her breathing was heavy, and sweat was running down the back of her neck.{/p}{p}"Three to one," Sylceris said. "Not bad."{/p}{p}"Not bad?"{/p}
"You're better than I anticipated," Sylceris declared, placing her training sword back on its stand. "Your basic techniques are solid, and your instincts are sharp. You just need more practice."
"That's my entire life story," Aegis quipped.
---
After collecting their meals from the canteen, they found a spot to eat outdoors, settling on the steps near the courtyard. The early hour meant the area was relatively quiet, with only a few students rushing to their early classes.
Aegis took a bite of her bread roll, patiently waiting. She had learned that Sylceris would speak when she felt ready, and any attempt to hurry her would only cause her to withdraw.
About five minutes passed.
"I'm from Thessmark," Sylceris finally said, her gaze fixed on her food. "It's a territory in the southeast border region."
Aegis continued to chew. She recognized Thessmark from the game; it was one of the last territories Valdria had annexed during its expansion.
... It wasn't a particularly pleasant history.
"My great-grandmother still recalled our independence," Sylceris elaborated. "She would tell me stories about it – how we had our own laws, our own customs, even our own language. Now, everything is 'Valdrian standard.' Our language isn't even offered in schools anymore."
"That's seriously messed up," Aegis commented.
Sylceris broke off a piece of her bread.
"When Valdria conquers a territory, they don't just seize the land. They take everything: your language, your traditions, your very identity. Then, they package it as 'unification' and present it in textbooks as if they've done you a favor."
"And what happens to the people from those territories?"
"We become second-class citizens. On paper, we're considered equal. In reality, Thessan commoners in Rosevale are given the worst dormitory assignments, receive the least scholarship funding, and are subjected to the most 'random' disciplinary actions. In the two weeks I've been here, academy guards have stopped me three times for 'suspicious behavior.' Can you guess how many times a Valdrian noble has been stopped? Zero."
Aegis put down her roll.
"For what it's worth, I understand. Not in the same way, of course. I'm Valdrian, and I grew up on a farm, so my struggles were different. But I know what it feels like to walk into a room and have everyone make assumptions about you before you even speak. To have people assume you don't belong simply because of where you come from."
Sylceris met her gaze.
"The key difference is you married your way out of that situation."
"I fought my way out," Aegis corrected. "The marriage was just the final step. Before that, it was about achieving high test scores, improving my combat rankings, and enduring constant doubts about my capabilities. The system wasn't designed for people like me either. I just found a way to break it from the inside."
Sylceris remained silent for a moment. She finished her bread, wiped her hands clean, and then stood up.
"Same time tomorrow?" she inquired.
"Same time tomorrow."
They walked back towards the academy building together. As they neared the entrance, Sylceris cast a brief glance her way, nothing noteworthy. She then turned and headed off to her first class.
[+15 affection]
Sylceris Wynne
[Favorability: ❤️❤️❤️🤍🤍]
Watching Sylceris depart, Aegis allowed a small smile to surface.
