Lowlife, Scoundrel, Bandit Queen

Chapter 166 - 166 - Courting danger

The clash of steel once again fills the fencing hall as Szymona comes at me with all she has got but without aiming for any vulnerable spots. Most of her attacks are, due to the nature of the weapons we use, quick thrusts, but she mixes in some casual slashes too. Not powerful ones, but short ones, usually after I parry or block a thrust. I'm tempted to call them gutting thrusts. At least that is the best word I can come up with.

As she keeps going I dodge, I parry, I block and I dodge again. All the while I have to surrender some ground though, as my opponent keeps driving me ahead of her with her attacks. Technically I'm way faster than her and I could break her chain, her flurry of blows at any time, but I play along as my contract demands. Even more so since this means my [Dodge], [Block] and [Parry] skills all benefit, as does my [Shields] skill, to varying degrees.

It's lessons like this one that get me closer to the goal of unlocking a decent fighter class after all, preferable not as an upgrade of one of my existing classes though. If at all possible I want to bundle as many of my combat skills as possible in a dedicated, separate class. An upgraded duelist class would be nice. Something rare maybe? I wonder what kind of criteria I have to meet to earn something like that. High levels in the core skills probably are a must though. Thus I have all the more reason to give this my all, just like my sparring partner.

As Szymona drives me ahead of her, I draw ever closer to the wall in my back. It's time to turn this game around before I'm actually with my back to said wall. I sidestep her last thrust, improving my [Dodge] skill another little bit. Then, as Szymona is off balance for a moment I start my counter attack.

Now it's her who gets driven back. It's only fair. Besides she needs to practice bot offense and defense with her blade anyway. And who knows, she might just get some more of those coveted level up notifications out of this. Well, she will have to sweat for those!

I mimic her previous flurry of blows, quick, brief slashes and even quicker thrusts, except, I turn the speed up another bit. I'm simply faster than her. Thrust, slash, thrust and another thrust for good measure. All delivered without giving her a chance to catch her breath. My [Melee Weapons], [Blades] and [Long Blades] skills all benefit. None level up, but they are getting closer.

Szymona parries the first two attacks and blocks the third as her rapier is still out of position. The last one she has to actually dodge instead. Considering the way her eyes lit up once again she must have received another notification. I'd bet some of my scarce coin on another of her skills leveling up.

"Very good. That's enough for today. Justyna, why don't you accompany our young lord to the bath while I deal with the quest paperwork."

Lady Izolda's call for a stop is quite abrupt this time around, surprising both my opponent and me quite a bit. Neither of us, or Justyna for that matter, protest though. Justyna simply accepts her lot and Szymona sketches a short bow in my direction, which I quickly answer with one of my own, which makes my [Etiquette] skill improve another bit.

Once the two are out of the room I head over to the desk where I dropped my pack to hand the head maid my papers. As I do I decide to test the waters a little.

"Say, do you need outside help with any other lessons? Dancing perhaps?"

It's simply the first thing that comes to mind, thus I'm all the more surprised when the head maid goes deathly still for the briefest of moments, her gaze firmly locked on me. Finally she unfreezes again, satisfied, or at least not too displeased, with whatever she sees in me.

"You, Viviona, are not yet ready to learn the kind of dance I might teach."

Her voice is … weird. Not cold or condescending or anything, but not normal either. It makes a trickle of sweat run down my back though. And although I have a strong feeling that we are not quite on the same page right here and now, I never get a chance to ask for clarification, as she hands me back my signed and sealed paperwork.

"I will see you out. Please accept my genuine thanks for your hard work. I very much appreciate that you give it all you can, including more thought than I'd usually expect from adventurers."

I sketch another bow at her words, before I gather up the things I dropped off at the side table before the fencing lessons began.

"Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad I can be of service."

She acknowledges my words with a court nod before accompanying me back to the gate where she sees me off. It's curious how the guards straighten out a little more and do everything a little more by the book as soon as they become aware of her presence.

I take note of that but don't let it bother me too much. I'm well aware of her presence too after all. It's like I can still feel her eyes on my back for a little as I leave to head across the city's central square to the guildhall of the adventurers' guild. I still have to turn in my paperwork after all to get my reward.

The place is pretty quiet as I enter. It's not terribly late yet after all and most others are still out doing whatever jobs they got. Or they could be over at the fair and market of Sezemat's caravan. It doesn't really matter though. What matters is that I can get paid without standing in line forever.

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The clerk behind the counter accepts my papers without a comment, only checking seal and signature to make sure everything is as it should be. He makes an entry into his ledger too. Only once that is all taken care off does he get the coin I'll receive from the chest below the counter. It's only when he hands me the two silver coins that he says anything at all. And when he does so he does it with a friendly smile.

"Thank you for your hard work. Don't spend it all at once."

I chuckle and after a moment so does he. Usually the latter might be considered a friendly joke in between active and former adventurers. With Sezemat's caravan in town though it might just be a little more serious than usual. I can imagine some less responsible adventurers spending everything they saved up over the course of the year during this time. Thus I nod as I put the two shillings into my purse.

"I'll take care."

He smiles a big honest smile.

"You do that."

With one last cheerful wave I'm off again. I'm not planning on spending all my coin at once, but I plan to spend at least one of my shiny new silver shillings pretty much right away. I won't part with it for some impulse purchase or even good food though. No, I' heading over to the temple to make an offering to my divine sponsor.

I might pray for a little more healing right after too. I certainly could still use it. I'm not anywhere near death, but I won't be back in peak condition with just a good night of sleep either. No, I'll have to help my recovery along a little. Well, maybe even more than just a little. Maybe even a lot? I guess I'll see. One thing after another though and first things first, which means a proper sacrifice before any prayers for healing.

I take a moment or two to look around the market stalls set up on the square too, but I have no real intention to buy anything. Especially not as I already had a meal, even if it was a bland one, earlier.

Thus, before long I leave the square behind to enter the temple. I'll take the stairs up to the rooftop since I don't feel like doing a rooftop run in broad daylight. Wonderful silence greets me as the door closes behind me. Right until a young priest, one I don't know yet, greets me.

"Welcome! How can I …"

That's as far as he gets before I wave him off. I do so with a pleasant smile though.

"Sorry to be a bother. I just need to use the stairs. I'm headed to one of the shrines up top."

"Up top?"

The lad is clearly confused, but I don't feel like explaining. He can ask one of his own seniors to get the details. I just pat him on the back as I brush past him. I don't protest either, as I can feel him using an identification skill on me. The attempt fails anyway as his skill fails to take hold while my [Shrouded Soul] skill improves a little in turn.

If anything the attempt motivates me to play some mind games with him. The temple's interior is well suited for that too. All the columns and side chapels combined with the dim lighting make it easy for me to sidestep and pretty much disappear from his view, as I take a roundabout way to the stairwell leading up to the rooftop. That he just stood there gaping at me for a moment at first helps too. And anyway, my [Stealth] skill is thankful for the workout.

By the time the young priest thinks of checking the bottom of the spiraling stairwell I'm already leaving it topside. And I don't wait around to find out if he'll follow me up either. Instead I climb right to the tower window that is the only entrance to Fox's shrine and disappear from view entirely. I'm positively certain that he won't follow me here. In fact I'm pretty certain that neither climbing nor any other kind of strenuous physical activity have any part in his usual daily schedule. He simply doesn't look like it.

I take a moment to dust myself off, although I'm not really dusty or dirty anyway. The action allows me to catch my breath and order my thoughts as well, which is what really matters. It's not like I'm planning to have a grand conversation with Fox, but I still don't want to rush this anyway.

I drop my pack by the window and pull one of the silver coins from my purse as I step forward at last. I kneel in front of the shrine's altar and drop the shilling into the offering bowl.

"Fox, divine guardian of many masks. God of making mischief and Goddess of having fun. I beg you, accept this sacrifice by your devoted follower."

It's not some grand prayer, but it achieves what it's meant to achieve. The coin disappears with a tinkling sound and I'm rewarded with a notification whispered in the back of my mind in the voice of Fox instead.

[*Ding!* Your Karma increased by 12!]

Both my [Prayer] skill and my [Sacrifice] skill improve a little too. And I'm not yet done either. I get back up, sit down in one of the benches of the small shrine and place my hands over my heart before I address Fox again, to pray for healing this time around.

"Fox, divine guardian of many masks. God of making mischief and Goddess of having fun. I beg you, heal your servant and ease her pain."

It's another simple prayer, the words I use reduced to the bare minimum. That's not what really matters anyway though. Well, it'S not the only thing that matters. Tone and intent are not lost on my divine sponsor either and those matter at least as much.

The effect is immediate as usual. Some of my just earned Karma dissipates again and in exchange the dull aches I still felt after the near death experience I had earlier at the hands of Lady Izolda fade a little more. My [Healing Touch] edges closer to the next level up ever so little, but what really puts a smile on my lips is the notification that follows.

[*Ding!* Your skill Prayer has leveled up to level 7!]

Oh yes, that one is really good. Since it's a class skill it counts towards the progress of my masked mediator class.

This day has really been good regarding skill and class progress so far and it's not yet over either. Not by far. I still have an evening appointment with my favorite witches after all. I'm really looking forward to it. The idea alone of learning some new magic is exceptionally exciting. That it's summoning magic of some sort to commune with the dead just adds even more excitement on top.

I shoulder my pack once again. Before I leave though I turn towards the altar again to bow once more.

"Thank you Fox. For everything."

It's such a simple statement, yet at the same time it's a very heartfelt truth. More than that though it's something I feel should be said a lot more often out of principle.