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[LFTAW] Chapter 20: Ariel
🕑 Added 2024-01-08 07:51:26 +0000 UTCIn the courtyard, an unknown and beautiful scene quietly unfolded.
The wind was picking up.
The wind was gathering.
Visible air currents, like a playful fairy, suddenly swept in from all directions, wrapping around Ais's body.
In this visible wind, the girl, enveloped by the gentle breeze, had golden hair that shimmered like sand, dancing in the air.
It was a sight as beautiful as a painting.
"This is my magic." Ais said calmly while being surrounded by the wind as if she had transformed into a wind spirit.
Riezel stared intently at the wind around her body, memories in his mind coming to life.
Ariel.
That was Ais's only usable magic, an enchant-type magic.
Enchant-type magic could attach a certain magical attribute to oneself or objects one touches, enhancing one's power and abilities.
Ais's Ariel was a wind element enchant-type magic.
The chant for this magic consisted of only one word, an ultra-short chant. This made it exceptionally fast to cast, with a difficulty level surprisingly low compared to other magic.
When activated, the magic provided the caster with the protection of the wind, the power of the wind element, control over wind force, and the ability to wrap wind around the body and weapon.
It served as both protection and assistance in attacks, increasing speed, and even granting the ability to fly short distances. It was almost an all-in-one package of attack, defense, speed, and support, with the only drawback being its inability to perform long-distance attacks.
Now, this magic was unfolding before Riezel's eyes, imprinted in his memory.
At this moment, he felt it.
His memories were stirring.
"Tempest."
As if by instinct, Riezel chanted the ultra-short chant he had just heard a few seconds ago. The stirring memories immediately responded to his chant.
*Whoosh—*
The wind swept in again.
However, this time, it came from all directions. It started off faint, but gradually, the powerful wind created by the atmosphere became more and more spectacular, wrapping around Riezel's body.
'My magic...' Ais's attractive eyes widened involuntarily.
Not only Ais but even Riezel in the courtyard failed to notice that, above, several windows were open, allowing lines of sight to peek through, gazing in their direction.
"Succeeded...?" Loki muttered in astonishment as she looked at Riezel effortlessly using Ais's magic. Her expression was quite comical, unsure if she was crying or laughing.
"That rookie actually pulled off Ais's magic?"
"This is going to be interesting."
The Amazoness twins peeked from their room, clearly witnessing everything.
"Tch!" Bete clicked his tongue silently and turned away.
Meanwhile, Finn, Riveria, and Gareth gathered in the same room, looking at each other in dismay as they watched a boy and a girl entwined with the wind in the courtyard.
"It really worked..." Finn sighed emotionally. "It seems our rookie, in terms of uniqueness, might be the best in the entire Familia."
"Isn't that obvious?" Gareth quipped, his muscular arms crossed. "If he can learn Ais's magic, could it be that kid isn't an ordinary human like Ais?"
At his speculation, Riveria remained silent, only staring at Riezel's figure, then at Ais's with her brow slightly furrowed.
She knew very well how special Ais's magic was.
At first glance, it seemed like just a typical enchant-type magic with nothing extraordinary. Enchant-type magic wasn't even that rare in Orario; there were probably dozens of adventurers with enchant-type magic, and even in Loki Familia, Ais wasn't the only one with it.
But compared to those enchant-type magic, Ais's enchant-type magic had a strong difference.
The ultra-short chant was just one of the characteristics of this magic.
The true uniqueness of this magic, visible only through use, was something impossible to discern with the naked eye.
"Riezel Brynhart?" Riveria muttered. "I wonder if letting him learn Ais's magic is a good or bad thing."
Hearing her mutter, Both Finn and Gareth remained silent.
It wasn't until after a while that Finn broke the silence.
"Regardless, we have a highly potential genius in our Familia, which is a good thing." Finn smiled slightly. "Train him well, and he might become another Familia's backbone in the future."
"Yeah..." Gareth chuckled, stroking his long beard. "I get it now. Loki gathered us all, and introduced that kid to us, not just for us to simply teach him magic, no?"
"She wants us to focus on cultivating him, right?" Riveria looked at Finn. "What's your plan, Finn?"
"For now, I don't plan to do anything special..." Finn bit his thumbnail, thinking for a moment. "He joined the Familia just two days ago, and he's had the blessing for only two days. Now is precisely the time for him to lay the foundation and clarify his own path. If we interfere hastily, it might be counterproductive."
"Oh?" Gareth raised an eyebrow. "Are you worried we'll lead him astray?"
"That's right." Riveria agreed with Finn's view. "We don't know enough about him, and his combat style hasn't fully developed. If we interfere randomly, he might be influenced by us."
Everyone should have their own path, their own development—the one that suits them best.
Riezel was still too young in their eyes, and his time for growth was too short. Before he clarified his own development and path, if he was influenced too much by others, he might end up on a path that was completely unsuitable for him.
That was not good and must be avoided.
Therefore, Finn didn't plan to intervene too early in Riezel's growth stage.
"Later, I'll go have a chat with Loki and see if she can spill some beans..." Finn said with a smile. "Judging by her attitude yesterday, there's probably something special about Riezel's body that we don't know about yet. We need to understand it before making any plans."
"What else is that kid hiding?" Gareth muttered with anticipation. "Hmm, what could it be? Damn, it's really intriguing!"
"It could be skills or other magic..." Riveria said while looking thoughtful. "Either way, Loki's attitude definitely signals something."
In just a few words, the three top executives of Loki Familia settled on a plan for dealing with Riezel.
This also indicated that from this moment on, he officially entered the attention of Familia higher-ups, garnering importance.
However, the three top executives, as well as those secretly observing, were unaware that they were still underestimating him.
What happened next would shatter their perception of him, making them reconsider and truly understand his uniqueness.
===
Ais continued to gaze silently at Riezel, who was surrounded by swirling wind, confirming his current state.
'Really learned...'
Ais found it challenging to describe her feelings at this moment.
Seeing someone else, like her, using 'Ariel' didn't bring joy; instead, it stirred up some bittersweet emotions. After all, this magic held significant meaning for her.
Suppressing the emotions about to surge within, Ais's eyes flickered for a moment as she glanced at the sword gripped in Riezel's hand.
She hesitated for a moment, then looked directly at his face.
"Want to give it a try?" Ais asked calmly.
Observing himself and curious about the changes in his body, Riezel understood her intention upon hearing her question.
"Draw your sword." Ais said calmly. "Let me see what your wind looks like."
After saying that, she unsheathed her sword, revealing a bright silver sword.
However, she didn't grasp the sword hilt; instead, she held and raised the scabbard and casually tossed the sword aside.
Seeing this, Riezel's eyes flickered.
The girl in front of him was the strongest swordswoman in Orario, a true first class adventurer.
She was powerful.
At least, for his present self, she was an object almost impossible to reach.
Leaving aside everything else, just the difference in their levels was like heaven and earth, something incomparable.
In this world, just one level gap alone represents a huge difference.
Moreover, with each level up, the increase in power could be described as a whole evolution.
Therefore, in this world, let alone facing a Level 5 first class adventurer, even a Level 2 third class adventurer, Riezel had almost no chance of winning at the moment.
But so what?
Facing a powerful opponent and being able to throw a challenge at any time was quite exciting, wasn't it?
*Ba-dump!* *Ba-dump!* *Ba-dump!*
His heartbeat accelerated, and a familiar excitement surged in his heart.
"Please teach me."
As he unsheathed his sword, Riezel wasted no time in assuming a stance, pointing the sharp tip towards Ais's throat.
In his eyes, a hint of coldness emerged, completely contradictory to his inner feelings.
"..."
Ais, who had been acting nonchalantly, seemed to sense something. Her heart tightened while her body subtly tensed up.
It felt as if she was being stared at by a ferocious beast—a sensation that gripped her heart. Though not intense or dangerous, it still made her subconsciously tighten her guard.
*Crack!*
In that instant, Riezel forcefully stepped on the ground with the wind swirling around his body. With the aid of 'Ariel', his figure turned into a bullet, charging towards Ais, whose pupils had contracted, marking the beginning of the battle.
