Knight (36 page)

“Oh, good gods!” Headmaster Kylon coughed, trying to contain his laughter. “I only noticed it now!”

“Very perceptive! Very perceptive!” The Court Leader was clapping his hands, his laughter booming. “I commend you, Valeriana!”

“I don't find this funny.” Corvan said, crossing his arms over his chest with his frown worsening.

“Well, is this your great something one thousand times grandpa or what?”

Headmaster coughed. “That is correct. He is called Hildegaud Vaushna.”

“Aha! I was right!” She exclaimed.

“So what if he was?” Corvan asked, irked. “Hildegaud Vaushna was the king's right hand man during the Great War against the demon lord Valdis. If there was someone else who could stand up to the demon lord, it would be him.”

She giggled. “You take after him a lot, then.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?” He asked her.

“Which one do you think it is?” She asked.

Corvan opened his mouth to retort until the headmaster stopped him and motioned for him to keep quiet. He walked towards the coffin and held out a hand, beckoning for Valeriana to come with him. The girl reluctantly followed and stood beside the headmaster as he stopped in front of the king's casket.

“See here, Valeriana.” He waved a hand towards the coffin. “Why do you think we brought you here?”

“I'm not actually sure . . .”

“Not all of the students in the academy know of this.” He told her. “The fact that the king was buried underneath the academy is a big secret—for with his remains is a very important treasure sought by many.”

“What treasure?”

“The most powerful holy artifact known to contain the power of the five gods.” He said. “The Ouranos, sword of the heavens.”

“So it's here?” She stared at the coffin wide-eyed.

“That's correct.” The headmaster nodded. “Right here, on these very chambers. I suppose you were thinking before,
'Why would someone even build an academy here in the middle of enemy territory?'
Well, this here is your answer. The excuse to let students get accustomed to demonic presence is just that—an excuse.”

“But why me? Why would you tell me something important like this?”

Valeriana reached towards the coffin. The moment she laid a hand on the surface, she felt a sudden pulse that made her stop short and gasp. She pulled her hand back as if she was burned and backed away from the coffin warily, holding her arm close. Staring at it wide eyed, she breathed.

Lord Aeron, Headmaster Kylon, and Corvan looked at her questioningly.

“Don’t be too shocked. It does have that kind of effect. Its power is overwhelming, is it not?”

“Oh, I . . .” She looked hesitantly at the headmaster before glancing back at the king's coffin.

“As I was saying, as one of the Twelve, it will be your duty to guard this chamber with everyone else.” He said.

“What? Me?”

“Who else is the fifth-ranker?” He asked.

“Are you serious?!” She asked excitedly. “Guard this chamber with the others? Really?”

“I trust you to do your job well.” He said, stringing the key on a golden chain and clasping it around Valeriana's neck. He stepped back and smiled at the girl. “Fifth-ranker.”

“Thank . . . you.” She muttered, before looking down at the ground and her voice dying.

“What's wrong?” Kylon asked.

“I'm just . . . happy.” She said, sniffing. She grinned at the headmaster with glassy eyes.

“That's a good thing but don't cry.” He chuckled.

She nodded and hastily dabbed her eyes with her sleeves. She grabbed the key that hung around her neck along with the necklace of protection she was given. The object looked undoubtedly pretty, especially when the light hit the colorful stones imbedded in it.

“This key? Is it mine?”

“Of course.” He answered. “Be careful with it, Valeriana. It does not only open the door to this chamber, but it also opens the king's coffin where Ouranos is. It's one of the twelve keys needed to obtain the sword. Do not, at any cost, let it fall to anyone else's hands—not even the other rankers.”

“You can trust me on this, Headmaster! I won't let you down!” She told him cheerfully. Her face then twisted in confusion. “What's the reason for giving this to students? Shouldn't bigger people do this instead? Or you, even.”

“I already did—when I was still studying in the academy. And for the reason why, I do not know.” He told her. “It wasn't that easy, though. That will be the hardest part of being a fifth-ranker. So, Valeriana, take care of the key—even if it costs you your life. No one must get the heaven's sword until the rightful owner comes to retrieve it.”

“The rightful owner?”

“King Friedel.” He answered.

Valeriana raised both of her brows. “Huh? But he already has it with him. Shouldn't he keep it?”

“Pfft.” Corvan placed a fisted hand over his lips. “Stupid.”

Valeriana flashed him a glare. “Stupid? Immediately? Can you not say slow first? Not my fault if I don't get it—but that doesn't mean I'm stupid.” She rolled her eyes.

“Then, slow.” Corvan corrected.

Valeriana shot him daggers.

“You have a point. King Friedel has been long dead—but his soul and blood lives on.” He touched the coffin. “Did you feel a pulse of energy under this, Valeriana?”

“Yeah . . . sort of . . . a while ago.”

“I figured since you looked so shocked.” He said. “The sword reacts whenever a soul comes forward. A person who has a pure soul is a good candidate for a new wielder, but it does not necessarily mean you can immediately handle its power. In order to wield the sword Ouranos, you must also have King Friedel's blood running through your veins—because he who is not a kin will be consumed by the power and turn to dust.”

“Er . . .” She gulped.

“This is the same concept that applies to you, Valeriana.” He said. “One who is not born in the lands of Valemnia cannot withstand the power pressure. This power pressure is the reason why we have unique abilities that sets us aside from humans. The blood in our veins allows us to use whichever ability we're born with.”

“I see . . .” She sighed. “So there's no hope for me.”

“Do not be upset, my dear.” Lord Aeron said, making his way beside the two. “You can always become a slave.”

“No way!” She jumped a few feet back from where the Court Leader was standing.

“Are you really not going to change your mind?” He teased.

“No! Not ever! So stop it, will you?” She growled at him. “But I do have one more question.”

“What is it?”

“Why is the most important treasure of King Friedel be in a place like this?” Valeriana asked. “And why ask the students to guard it?”

The Headmaster and Lord Aeron exchanged glances before returning their gazes towards Valeriana, who waited the answer to her question with anticipation.

“That isn't just one question but . . . we don't know as well. That's a big mystery, what we do know, however, is that it is tradition.”

“Tradition, huh.”

Chapter Thirty-Three ♣ Out of Energy

D
ays at Celeste Academy were everything except boring. Without even realizing, weeks had gone by. Valeriana's life hadn't gone any faster before. Her days were filled with so much work to do—stress, pressure, and excitement at the same time. She was surprisingly able to catch up with most of the classes, and every now and then, there would be unexpected things coming up from every corner. She worked hard to gain experience in the needed areas and it was shockingly enjoyable. To be able to enter a mysterious world never seemed so exhilarating.

The attitude of the other students towards her changed. After winning the duel with Zion—which clearly wasn't a fluke this time—she was regarded with more respect than before. The circle still treated her as if she was their slave but the work they were asking her to do grew lesser and lesser each day.

Regarding her situation with Zion . . . it wasn't pretty. He was acting all touchy-feely whenever Valeriana was near. Because of this, the girl tried not to be in the same room with the guy. But of course, it was inevitable during certain occasions.

Despite all these trials and obstacles, there was still something good that came along occasionally. Valeriana never had to work so hard before. This was a big change—and she found herself getting accustomed to her surroundings faster than she previously assumed.

She would say that mostly after spending almost a month here in this school, she enjoyed having so much work to do. Her assignments were all piled up and, with her position in the Celestial Circle, she barely had time to rest. Even so, this did not stop her. She found being busy was somewhat enjoyable.

There was one time that Corvan had shoved her into the training yard to test her skill in archery—to be trained by Brindon—and the most obvious fault of hers was having a bad aim. The first few times, she never even had the chance to shoot the arrow properly. It kept falling from her fingers whenever she would try to fire it. It seemed that the first-ranker could not bear to watch any longer. The young lord did not honestly understand the extent of the twelfth's patience, but it was astounding. He had to come over and show her everything himself.

After Brindon demonstrated the proper stance, she tried shooting the target. However, she fired past the goal and barely missed Raziel. The narcissistic sixth-ranker had screamed his throats out complaining about being
hurt
and having his
flawless skin
wounded. Putting that aside, Valeriana certainly needed some work on her skills.

Dressed in the proper attire, Valeriana aimed for the target and fired her arrow with shaky hands. Corvan observed her shot closely and saw that her arrow failed to hit the target. Valeriana disappointedly broke her stance and placed her hands on her knees while breathing in deeply through her mouth.

“Can you not even give a proper aim? This will be much harder on horseback.” Corvan stated as he folded his arms. “Well, I guess this is a nice improvement. The first time, you can't even shoot the arrow properly.”

“Not.” Brindon agreed, dropping the hand that held the bow to his side.

Valeriana was only about to have her first month of stay in Valemnia. It was unbelievable to think that time flew by so fast. She had been undergoing
training
eighteen hours every day and even during weekends, she was expected to make progress in her studies.

Since she was not really good at memorizing the names and different terms, seeing as they had hard and weird words, she needed to put in more effort than usual.

Though it was obvious that she was bad at something at first, she improved fast. This might be because of Corvan
helping
her. She would admit that she was an idiot, but not totally. It was nice knowing her hard work was paying off.

“I already showed you the proper stance for this, right? How many times do I have to tell you to balance your weight? Also, fix your arms.” Corvan adjusted her arms to a lower position, as if straightening it. “Your arms are too tensed. You can't be reckless here. The thing most important about archery is accuracy.”

Valeriana dragged the bowstring with an arrow fixed on the spot, pressing it against her cheek. She stepped into the proper position and tried to balance her weight like Corvan said.

She couldn't quite follow what he was saying. She was sleep-deprived and utterly exhausted. She couldn't even bring herself to focus.

“I feel sleepy.” She muttered, seeing her eyes become blurry until black spots covered her vision entirely. Her feet gave in under her, simultaneously, her fingers loosened and the bow and arrow slipped from her grip. She could hear her weapons falling on the grassy terrain as she lost consciousness in an untimely manner.

“Hey! Valeriana!” Corvan's voice rang faintly in the background. A pair of strong arms wound around her back and waist securely, breaking her fall.

“Mmm . . .” She moaned. “The devil has risen from hell.”

Corvan felt his brow twitching at her half-conscious statement. He suddenly wanted to drop her to the ground and let her fall, but that would make him seem like a cruel person.

“Rowe!” He yelled, and the charming chap came rushing forward. Few of the Twelve who were watching had been taken aback by the suddenness of the girl collapsing, but did not make any move to interfere. “Take this girl. She disgusts me.” He lifted her from the ground and threw her into the arms of Rowe, who was barely able to maintain his balance when he caught Valeriana.

Rowe sweated. “She's heavy. How can a person who looks very slim possess such a heavy weight?”

“You never notice. But during lunch break, she eats like a pig.” He stated. “Take her to the infirmary.”

“I'll try my best.” He grunted and adjusted the position of Valeriana whom he held.

Corvan repeated the guttural sound at the back of his throat while frowning at the figure of Valeriana. He felt gravely annoyed. “Seriously,” he brushed back the hair that fell on his face and raked his fingers through its long strands. “Fainting in the middle of training, I'll make sure to work you off to death later.”

It took a few minutes to reach the infirmary, and the pair received stares from the other students along the way. After successfully arriving, Rowe gently set down Valeriana on a bed. He called for the healer and turned in time to see Corvan with his back against the door frame.

“You can relax, Lord Rowe. The girl will be fine.” The healer assured and swept the curtains to get to work.

“What are you doing here, Lord Corvan?” Rowe smiled while asking. “Are you guilty?”

“No, I'm not. She even dares faint when she has a lot to do?”

“She already lost consciousness and that is still what you're thinking? Where is your heart?”

“It's not my fault that she doesn't know anything.”

“And it isn't Valeriana's either.” Rowe pointed out. “You’re pushing her really hard, Lord Corvan. That’s terribly cruel of you.”

The healer then came out while shaking her head. “I'm sorry, boys. She'll need adequate rest for a while.” She said. “She's sleep-deprived, and looking at her condition, she had greatly overworked herself. She's stressed. I think she might've pushed herself too hard. What were you making her do that made her end up like that?” She turned towards the two beside her and quirked a brow.

“Corvam made her study the first seven books of history, the first eight books of demonology, and about five of the books Law. What's more, he made her practice combat archery and her swordsmanship. All in a short span of time.” Rowe narrated.

“You're making me sound like a cruel tyrant.”

“Aren't you?”

The healer laughed, humor riddling her gaze. “I see, I see. That was where all the stress and pressure were coming from. If you want her to continue living, you should go easier on her.”

Not a second later, someone came running through the doors. Startled, everyone looked up to see a flash of midnight blue hair appear and Zion came in, panting.

“Is she alright?” He asked, slightly sweating as he entered.

“Why do you care?” Corvan asked, irritated. “Didn't you want to kill her?”

Zion's eyes went over to the two standing near the bed where Valeriana slept. He flipped back the hair that was matted against his face and grinned at the sight of the two highest rankers who were in the same room as he was. “It's an honor meeting you again, Lord Corvan, and you too, Lord Rowe.”

Rowe frowned at the sight of him. “It's a pleasure.”

Corvan glared at Zion. “Why are you here?”

“Why, I am visiting Valeriana. Isn't that an obvious fact? You should know by now, Lord Corvan.” He told him as if what he was talking about was a very obvious, commonly known matter.

He heard of the rumors about Zion taking a liking to Valeriana and openly showing his affection for her despite being in public, but he was not the type to believe in hearsays.

“You do not have to worry.” He grinned at him almost mockingly. “You see, I have taken interest in this woman through the most unlikely way.”

The young lord glanced at Valeriana, who slept soundly on the bed where she was put. The blankets covered her to her waist with her one of her arms resting on her stomach and the other resting on her side. Corvan observed her chest heaving rhythmically. She was breathing through her parted lips which were pallid.

He found himself wishing she should just remain that way when she slumbered. That way she wouldn't start talking and irritating him to the extent that he wanted to have her hanged.

The first-ranker frowned. “What way?” He inquired, thinking that this girl was like how they named her to be when she was awake—a roaring tiger.

And quite literally liked to roar in his ears.

“By being defeated.”

Corvan huffed. “Don't you always lose?”

“I only lose to people who are worthy.” Zion remarked confidently. “All the other fights, such as the one I had with you, were something which I lost on purpose. You are not like Valeriana.”

“Do not insult me.” Corvan shot dagger in his direction.

Zion only chuckled. “Touchy as always. But I mean what I said.”

“Why do you think I care?”

“I don’t want anyone unnecessarily making her suffer.” He told him. “So, Lord Corvan, I recommend you do not do this again lest you want your position taken away from you.”

“And who are you to threaten me?”

“Now, that I think about it, it’s unlike you to pay this much attention to someone. Have I found myself a rival?”

“Don’t be mistaken, Zion. Get your facts straight.” He almost growled.

“Hmm.” He laughed. “I hope you don't eat your words someday.”

“Believe me, I won't.” With that, Corvan turned towards the door and left.

Rowe nodded gratefully at the healer and smiled at Zion. “Well, then . . . we'll be taking our leave. Please look after her.”