“Wait, what? Why? I thought you weren’t interested,” Minerva asked, her voice tinged with confusion as she stared at Ludwig. Her eyes narrowed slightly, trying to gauge his reaction.
Ludwig barely held back a groan, his skeletal jaw tightening as he forced a neutral expression. “Let’s just say things have changed,” he said, his tone clipped. He didn’t want to explain the sudden quest update or the fact that Necros’ Blessing had essentially forced his hand. It was better to keep things vague.
Minerva frowned, clearly not satisfied with his answer, but she didn’t press further. “I see,” she said slowly. “You’ll need to go and prepare, then. The tournament starts early in the morning, and you’ll need your rest.”
Ludwig gave her a strained smile, nodding. “You’re right. Let’s head out of this creepy forest,” he said, turning on his heel and beginning to walk away. Minerva followed close behind, her steps quick and light as she tried to keep up with his long strides.
The two of them soon left the forest, rejoining the rest of the search groups who were gathered near the academy’s perimeter. The mood was tense, with everyone exchanging hushed whispers and uneasy glances. Danny was among them, his expression serious as he approached Ludwig and Minerva.
“Nothing, I presume?” Danny asked, his voice calm but laced with concern.
“Nothing,” Ludwig confirmed. “No damage to the surroundings, no signs of battle, and definitely no human presence. What about you guys?”
Danny sighed, running a hand through his hair. “We found something, but it’s… awkward,” he admitted.
“What is it?” Minerva asked, her curiosity piqued.
“A note,” Danny said, pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket. “From Esteban. It was under his pillow. It says he’ll be leaving for his hometown.”
Ludwig’s brow furrowed as he processed the information. “That doesn’t make any sense,” he said, his tone skeptical. “Why would he leave a note like that? Shouldn’t he at least inform his friends verbally or the Student Council?”
Danny nodded, his expression grim. “We thought the same. But that’s all we’ve got. No other clues, we searched the whole academy and found nothing.”
Ludwig crossed his arms, his mind racing. Something about this felt off. Esteban’s sudden disappearance, the cryptic note—it all seemed too convenient. But without more evidence, there was little they could do.
“Is that the reason why I was called in?” Ludwig asked, changing the subject.
“Called in?” Danny replied, his brow furrowing in confusion.
“Kaela asked me to join her in the tournament,” Ludwig explained, his tone resigned.
Danny’s eyes widened slightly, but he quickly masked his surprise. “I see,” he said, nodding. “I guess she must have realized that without Esteban, she’ll be disqualified. Don’t worry about joining her team, Ludwig. She’s pretty strong. All you need to do is stay behind her. She’ll probably take care of all the issues for you guys, especially with Sabrina on your team. The only problem you’ll have is Haku.”
Minerva tilted her head, her curiosity getting the better of her. “Who will you be cheering for, Danny?” she asked.
Danny chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ah, that’s a tough one. Both Haku and Kaela are members of the Student Council. I can’t be seen showing favoritism. But honestly, I’m not a huge fan of how Bron acts. And now that Ludwig is with Kaela, I’m more than interested in seeing your swordsmanship,” he said, turning to Ludwig with a grin.
Ludwig smiled faintly, though his mind was already elsewhere. “I would be more than happy to show you, if I had a proper weapon,” he said, sighing.
Danny’s grin faltered. “What do you mean?” he asked.
“My weapon is currently being repaired,” Ludwig explained. “And I don’t have a spare.” he shrugged.
“Ah, that’s going to be a problem,” Danny said, his tone sympathetic. “Especially since you’ll be facing a sword maniac like Haku. I also can’t help you much—I’m a mage, and Kaela has been collecting nothing but war axes. Sabrina is also a mage…”
“It’s fine,” Ludwig said, waving off Danny’s concern. “I’ll figure something out. Master Van Dijk should have one or two weapons in his possession. I’ll ask him to lend me one.”
Danny nodded, though he still looked uneasy. “Good luck with that. Let me know if you need anything else.”
Ludwig nodded, his mind already turning to the next problem: finding a weapon. He bid Danny and Minerva farewell and made his way to the Black Tower, hoping Van Dijk would have something he could use.
***
Some time later, Ludwig stood in Van Dijk’s study, his arms crossed as he stared at his master. “No,” Van Dijk said flatly, not even looking up from the papers he was reading.
“Really, Master? Not a single one?” Ludwig asked, his tone incredulous.
“Nope,” Van Dijk replied, his voice calm but firm. “Do you regard me as some sort of ape to be holding on to swords and blades?”
“You use blood daggers, though…” Ludwig pointed out, his tone slightly defensive.
Van Dijk finally looked up, his expression unimpressed. “Those are different. That’s magic,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Ludwig couldn’t help but sigh, his shoulders slumping. He had hoped Van Dijk would have at least one weapon he could borrow, but it seemed he was out of luck.
“Also,” Van Dijk continued, his tone softening slightly, “you have another teacher you could ask favors of. I’m not the best when it comes to swords and recognizing their full potential. But your undead nature heavily suggests you should use something bulky and heavy. Ask Joana—she’ll have something for you.”
Ludwig nodded, though he couldn’t help but feel a pang of annoyance. Van Dijk’s dismissive attitude was grating, but he knew better than to argue. “Understood,” he said, turning to leave.
Before he could take a step he finally realized why his master seemed a bit annoyed at him, Ludwig spoke again. “You know, Master,” he said, his tone casual but with an edge to it.
Van Dijk paused, raising his face back to ludwig “What is it?” he asked.
“The only reason I’m asking for a sword is because my magic is too lacking,” he said sheepishly.
Van Dijk’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“I don’t want to shame you by using subpar magic in a tournament. People would think lowly of you if I were to use weak magic to fight.” Ludwig gave a convincing argument.
“So you’re blaming me for your lack of understanding of magic?” Van Dijk said.
Ludwig’s jaw tightened, but he forced himself to remain calm. “No, Master, god forbid. It’s the other way around. I managed to do this,” he said, pointing at his forehead where the emerald mana stone was embedded.
Van Dijk raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Come here,” he said, gesturing for Ludwig to approach.
Ludwig stepped closer, and Van Dijk leaned in, examining the mana stone with a critical eye. “Seamless fusion,” he murmured, his tone approving. “Not bad. How did you operate on yourself?”
“I simply removed and replaced the old mana stone with this one,” Ludwig explained.
Van Dijk leaned back, his expression a mix of surprise and mild annoyance. “I did ask you to wait for me to do this for you, and you did it yourself,” he said, his tone dry.
“One should be venturous and have a sense of discovery,” Ludwig replied, his tone light but with a hint of defiance.
Van Dijk sighed, shaking his head. “You have an answer for everything,” he said, though there was a faint smile on his lips. “Fine. Wait here.”
Ludwig remained in the room, his patience wearing thin as Van Dijk left. He returned after about fifteen minutes, carrying four books of varying sizes and weights. He placed them in front of Ludwig with a flourish.
“These are all tier-three magic spells,” Van Dijk said, his tone serious. “With one of them having more potential than the others. You have about ten or so hours before the tournament starts. You better start studying.”
Ludwig inspected the books, his eyes scanning the titles:
[Bounds of Latvia]
[Explosive Mines]
[Vow of Silence]
[Vengeance]
He looked up at Van Dijk, a mix of gratitude and determination in his eyes. “Thank you, Master,” he said, his voice steady.
Van Dijk nodded, his expression softening slightly. “Don’t disappoint me,” he said, before turning back to his papers.