Possessed By My Enemies
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I was in the middle of a war. I had been for quite some time, and it wasn’t going well at all. The enemy was just too strong; they’d already killed my father and taken control of most of our land. It looked like we might lose this one. We needed to make sure that didn’t happen, so I went out hunting with my friends. That’s where things took an unexpected turn…
“You’re late!”
The moment I stepped into the clearing, someone shouted at me from behind. When I turned around, I saw two people standing there: a man who must have been about thirty years old and his younger sister, probably no more than eighteen or nineteen.
They both wore leather armor made up of pieces sewn together—a common style among hunters here in the forest. Their weapons were also simple: short swords strapped to their backs, bows on their shoulders, and quivers full of arrows slung over their chests.
Their eyes met mine as soon as I entered the clearing. “Sorry,” said the older brother. He bowed slightly toward me before continuing. “We’ve been waiting.”
“No problem…” I replied, looking down at myself. As far as I could tell, I hadn’t done anything wrong. But then again, he did look pretty angry.
He seemed familiar somehow, but I couldn’t place him right away. Then suddenly it hit me. This guy is one of those guys who always act tough even though they don’t really know how to fight!
It was true that I’d never actually seen them use any real skills when fighting monsters. In fact, they spent most of their time running away from fights. And yet, despite that, everyone treated them like heroes. They were practically celebrities. Whenever anyone wanted to get stronger, they would come to these two first. People came from miles around just to learn their secret techniques.
But what exactly are they teaching? I thought, watching the young girl walk off toward the edge of the clearing. She stopped once she reached the tree line, pulled her bowstring back, and let fly an arrow that flew straight through the air without missing its mark.
She’s good. Really good. Even if you told me she was a member of the royal guard, I wouldn’t believe it.
Then the older brother spoke. “So, why haven’t you shown up?”
“Oh yeah…” I started. “I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he responded easily, waving his hand dismissively. “Come on, follow us.”
They led me deeper into the woods, past several small lakes and streams until we finally arrived at a large stone building. The entrance was covered by a wooden door, which opened when the brothers pushed against it. Inside, there were three other men sitting around a table drinking tea.
One of them stood up immediately upon seeing me. “Ah, welcome home, Master Rudeus!” His face was completely bald except for a few wisps of hair sticking out in random places. He smiled broadly and extended his arms to hug me.
“M-Master…? Wait, isn’t that…?”
“Yes, it is indeed,” he answered proudly. “My name is Gildarts, the leader of the Order of the Black Blade. You may call me ‘master’ as well.”
Gildarts was wearing a black robe with gold embroidery along the edges. A golden sword hung from his waist, and in one hand he held a long staff topped with a crystal ball. His skin was pale white, and his eyes were dark red. There wasn’t much else to say about him. He was of average height and build, and looked like your typical knight.
That’s not the only thing that makes him different, though.
“This way, please.” With that, he walked over to a corner of the room and beckoned me forward. Once I followed, he pointed at a pile of cloth lying next to a chair. “Please change into something more comfortable. I’ll be back shortly.”
With that, he left the room. After changing my clothes, I sat down on the floor and waited. Eventually, a woman wearing a plain brown dress appeared in front of me. Her hair was tied up in a bun, and she had a gentle smile on her face.
“Welcome, Master Rudeus. May I take your coat?”
“Uh, yes, thank you.” I handed it over to her.
She placed it carefully on top of another pile of clothes, then knelt down beside me. “Thank you very much. Now, let’s see… Ah, this should do.” She took hold of my hands and began to massage them gently. It felt so nice that I almost fell asleep.
After a while, she finished massaging my hands and moved onto my feet. I closed my eyes and relaxed completely. How wonderful it feels to have someone touch you like that.
“All done now,” she said, smiling at me. “If you need anything else, feel free to ask.”
“Okay,” I replied.
The lady nodded and turned around. Just as she was about to leave, she paused and glanced at me. “You’re quite handsome, aren’t you?”
“Huh?”
“Your face is so cute, I can hardly stand it. Your cheeks are rosy, and your lips are full. You must be popular among the girls.”
“Um, thanks…”
“Now then, let’s go.”
“Wait, wait, wait!” I shouted after her. “What did you mean by that?!”
The woman giggled. “Sorry, I didn’t think you’d mind,” she apologized. “I’ve been doing this job for many years, and I know all kinds of things about people. I saw you looking at that girl earlier, and I figured you liked her.”
“No, no, I definitely don’t!”
“Hmm, okay. Well, anyway, I’m here to help you relax.” She gave me a warm smile before turning around and leaving the room.
As soon as she disappeared, I heard footsteps coming from behind me. I slowly turned around to find a man walking toward me. He wore a simple gray tunic and pants, and carried a shortsword strapped to his hip.
“Hello, Master Rudeus.”
“Hey, uh, hi.”
He smiled at me. “It’s great to meet you. My name is Gildarts, but everyone calls me ‘master.’ I’m in charge of training new recruits. If you ever need any advice or guidance, just come talk to me.”
“Thanks.”
“Well, if you want to get started right away, I suggest you join our morning exercises. We start tomorrow at eight o’clock sharp, so make sure you’re ready.”
“Right…”
“In fact, you might even catch sight of some familiar faces. That’s because we also accept students who wish to learn how to use magic.”
“Magic? Really?”
“Indeed. In addition to being able to cast spells, we teach our students combat techniques and other useful skills.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. Magic is an important part of our curriculum, and it will greatly increase your chances of survival in the outside world.”
“Survival… Outside the castle?”
“Of course. The entire country is filled with monsters and bandits, so it would be foolish to rely solely on the protection of the royal family.”
“Is that true?”
Gildarts nodded. “There are plenty of stories about brave knights who saved princesses from peril. But what happens when those heroes die in battle against a powerful enemy? They become nothing more than a footnote in history.”
“So you’re saying that it’s better to avoid danger altogether?”
“Precisely. And that’s why we train our students to fight.”
“But won’t that make us enemies of the kingdom?”
“Not necessarily. As long as you keep yourself hidden, there’s no reason to fear punishment.”
“Hmmm…”
“Anyway, enough small talk. Let’s begin.”
Gildarts grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room. When we reached the courtyard, he stopped and looked around. Then, without warning, he kicked off the ground and jumped high into the air. His arms were extended straight ahead, and then he spread his legs wide. A moment later, he landed perfectly on both feet.
“Whoa! What was that?!” I exclaimed.
“That was a front flip. It’s one of the most basic acrobatics.”
“A-Are you serious?!”
“Very much so. Of course, mastering such a move takes time and effort. Even so, anyone can master it within a few months.”
“Really?! Wow!”
“Mastering it requires strength and flexibility, which is why it’s taught first thing in the morning. Also, it’s not something you’ll be using every day.”
“Yeah, I guess not…”
“Come on, try it.”
“Umm, okay…”
I took a deep breath and focused my energy. Then, I tried to jump up and land on my hands. However, I couldn’t do it. Not only could I not lift myself off the ground, I couldn’t even reach the height of Gildarts’ head.
“Wow, you’re pretty weak, huh?” Gildarts laughed. “I suppose I should have expected that from someone like you. Still, I hope you’ll work hard and improve over time.”
“Y-You’re too kind, sir.”
“Don’t worry. The first step is always the hardest. After that, it gets easier.”
“Okay, I understand. Thanks.”
We continued practicing until lunchtime. By the end of the lesson, my body felt exhausted. My muscles burned, and I couldn’t feel anything below my waist.
After eating lunch together, Gildarts led me back to the classroom. There, he introduced me to another student named Tia.
“This is my apprentice, Rudeus Greyrat,” said Gildarts. “Rudeus, this is Tia. She’s going to be your roommate for the next three years.”
“Hiya,” I replied.
Tia had long, silver hair tied into two pigtails. Her eyes were pale blue, and her skin was fair. Unlike me, she didn’t look like a complete novice.
“Nice to meet you, Rudeus.”
“Uh, same here.”
“I’m glad you made it safely. Now, let’s go find your bed.”
The classroom was divided by gender. Each section contained four beds, each equipped with its own desk and chair.
“Here we are.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
As soon as Tia and I entered the room, I spotted a girl sitting alone at a corner table. She wore glasses and had short brown hair.
“Excuse me, miss?” I asked.
“Huh? Oh, yes?”
She turned toward me and smiled. “My name is Alice. You must be new, right?”
“Right.”
“Well, welcome to the Academy. We’ve been waiting for you.”
“Thanks.”
Alice stood up and offered me her hand. “Let’s get started, shall we?”
“Sure.”
Together, we walked down the hallway and arrived at a door marked “Room 201.”
“Welcome home, Rudeus,” said Alice.
“Oh, thanks.”
“It’s nice to see you again after all these years.”
“Same here.”
I opened the door and stepped inside.
“Bye, Rudeus.”
“See ya.”
I closed the door behind me and found myself standing in an empty bedroom.
“What now?”
“First things first: unpack your stuff.”
“Gotcha.”
I unpacked my bags and set them neatly on the floor. Once everything was settled, I sat down on the edge of my bed.
“So, what should I do next?”
“There’s plenty to learn. First, read through the student handbook. It explains the rules and regulations of the academy.”
“All right.”
I picked up the book and flipped through it.
“Hmm… This is weird.”
I skimmed past page after page of information about the school. Most of it seemed fairly straightforward. However, there was one passage that caught my eye.
“…Students who commit any acts deemed inappropriate will be expelled immediately.”
“Ooh…”
“If you don’t want to be expelled, then follow the rules.”
“Understood.”
In other words, if I did anything wrong, the punishment would be swift and severe. That wasn’t exactly comforting.
“Now, let’s start with some basic training.”
“Sounds good.”
Gildarts led me outside the building and across the courtyard. He stopped at the edge of a large field.
“This is the main training grounds,” he explained. “Most of our classes take place here.”
“Cool.”
The grassy area stretched out before us, dotted with trees and bushes. In the distance, I saw several students running around. They looked like they were having fun.
“How many people are enrolled here?”
“About forty-five hundred, give or take.”
“That’s a lot.”
“Yes, but most of them aren’t very talented. Only about ten percent manage to graduate.”
“Ten percent sounds pretty good.”
“Not really. Ten percent means only one person in every twenty graduates.”
“Hm.”
“Still, even if you’re not the best, you can still make something of yourself. As long as you put effort into it, you’ll eventually reach your goals.”
“I guess so.”
“Good attitude.”
“Thanks.”
“Anyway, let’s begin.”
Gildarts took off his robe and began stretching. His movements were graceful and fluid, like those of a dancer. The sight reminded me of the way Albedo used to move.
“Okay, I’m ready.”
“Me too.”
Tia and Alice joined him. Soon, everyone was lined up along the edge of the field.
“Alright, class! Today we’re starting with the basics!”
“Yeah!”
“Go!”
We ran forward, following Gildarts’ lead. My legs felt heavy and sluggish.
“Come on, come on, keep up!”
Despite my efforts, I couldn’t seem to catch up with the others.
“Hey, slowpoke. What’s your problem?!”
“I’m sorry!”
“You better apologize properly, or else—”
“I’m sorr—!”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Gildarts waved away my apology. “Just focus on keeping up from here on out.”
“Okay.”
He nodded and continued leading the group.
After another minute of running, we finally reached the end of the field.
“Nice work! Everyone, stop where you are.”
“Yay!”
Everyone cheered.
“Today, we’re going to practice using magic without incantations.”
“Awesome!”
“Whoa!”
“Wow!”
“Are you kidding? That’s amazing!”
“No way!”
“Did you hear that?! She just cast a spell without saying anything!”
“Impressive, isn’t she?”
“Incredible!”
“Amazing!”
“I knew it! I told you guys, didn’t I?”
“Of course you did.”
“Well, it looks like you’ve got some catching up to do.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s get started.”
Gildarts walked over to a nearby tree and placed his hands against its trunk. Then, he muttered a few words under his breath. A moment later, the bark of the tree split open, revealing a hole underneath.
“Oh wow! How’d you do that?”
“Magic.”
“That’s crazy!”
“It’s not as impressive as it seems. It’s actually quite simple.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
Gildarts stepped inside the hollowed-out tree. We followed suit. After all, this was probably the safest place for us to hide.
“Here we go.”
Gildarts closed his eyes and spoke the same words he had earlier.
“Fissure.”
A crack opened up in the ground, splitting the earth apart.
“Wha—?!”
“What’s happening?!”
“Is it safe?!”
“Eek!”
“Get down!”
“Run!”
“Ow!”
“Watch out!”
“Crap!”
“Help me!”
“My leg!”
“Stop panicking!”
“Calm down, everyone!”
“Stay calm!”
“Please!”
“Calm down!”
“Calm down, please!”
“Shut up!”
“Everybody shut up!”
“Quiet!”
“Be quiet!”
“Shhh!”
“Take deep breaths!”
“Deep breaths!”
“Breathe deeply!”
“Relax!”
“Focus!”
“Close your eyes!”
“Listen to the sound of my voice!”
“Don’t panic!”
“Keep breathing!”
“Think happy thoughts!”
“Smile!”
“Cheer up!”
“Try smiling!”
“There you go!”
“Great job!”
“That’s right!”
“Excellent!”
“Yes!”
“You can do it!”
“You’re doing great!”
“You’re almost there!”
“This is easy!”
“You got this!”
“You’re almost done!”
“You’re almost at the finish line!”
“Almost there!”
“You’re almost there!”
“You’ve made it!”
The End