That night he walked down the street and said that his clothes were torn to shreds, and how was he supposed to explain that to his mother? If he told her the truth she would worry and ask a million questions. It was difficult.
At that moment a man in a robe behind him swung a knife and tried to attack.
Louis knocked the knife out of his hand and threw it back at him.
The man cried out. How had he noticed?
"The smell of blood," Louis said. "It's impossible to hide."
The man said that he was much too relaxed for someone who was about to die.
Louis thought: these are experienced opponents. He would have to give it his all. He felt another presence off to the side and thought — especially that one. He looked very dangerous.
"Don't get distracted, youngster," the man shouted, "or you'll lose your head."
The man in black tried to attack him, and Louis dodged. He caught the man by the arm and threw him to the ground, and then the man began swinging his legs at him. Louis did a somersault and landed on his feet.
"Inhuman perception and advanced fighting technique," the man said. "The information is confirmed."
"Information?" Louis asked.
The man said that he admitted his hand-to-hand combat was at apprentice level. But what about his magic?
The others fired arrows from their crossbows, and Louis exclaimed, "What?" He dodged them and said, "Damn — those wind arrows again."
He frowned and thought: well then, a breathing technique. It used internal qi to enhance physical strength and release the body's hidden potential, for an instant increase in strength and speed.
He rushed forward, and the man shouted that resistance was futile. Arrows were fired at Louis, but he kept running.
"He's fast," the man said.
Louis pushed the crossbow aside with his hand, and the man asked where he had gone. Louis struck the bandit and threw him away, and the others tried to attack him. The man ordered them to stop him.
At that moment one of the bandits swung his leg at him, and Louis pushed him away too. He shook himself slightly and jumped to the side. He thought: this one is strong. He looked around and realised that he was surrounded.
Arrows were fired at him, and after that he fell to the ground.
"He's finally down," the man said. He was tired of shooting at him. Was he really a commoner? He was more trouble than an ordinary student.
At that moment Louis got up and struck his opponent's neck with the edge of his hand. The man spat blood, and Louis tried to take the crossbow from him.
"Is he playing dead?" the leader asked.
Louis knocked out one of the bandits, and the man clapped and said that this was impressive for a youngster.
Louis pointed the crossbow at him and said that his lackeys had been killed and he did not care.
The man walked forward and said he did not care about the fate of trash.
Louis tried to shoot him, but he dodged and said that he was clever. If it were not for that man's orders, he would have wanted to make him his apprentice.
He took out his weapon and swung it. Louis tried to block the attack, but the man threw him aside. Louis went flying through the air. He cried out — and then the man was standing in front of him again.
"His ability may exceed the level of an apprentice," the man said, "but he's nowhere near a fighter of a higher rank."
Louis looked up at him in fear, and then the man threw him down. He shouted aloud, and dark tentacles poured out of him.
The man looked at Louis and asked whether he was still alive.
"There's no way I'm going to die here," Louis replied.
The man swung his hammer and said that it was too late. His life would end here. Even God could not save him now.
Louis looked at him in surprise. And the man shouted, "A secret martial art. Heavenly hammer."
Louis thought: he cannot die. He wanted to master magic and protect his precious family. He wanted to change his destiny. No matter what price he had to pay for it, he would definitely survive.
He stood up and stretched his fist out in front of him. He pushed the man's mana away, and the man screamed, "What?"
There was an explosion, and Louis lay on the ground, coughing.
"It's strange," the man said. "It's as if I'm fighting an opponent of equal strength. This power." Now he understood why that man had targeted him. He swung his hammer and ordered him to die. He called Louis a monster.
And then a voice was heard.
"Enough."
A powerful stream of mana was directed at the man, who asked in fear what this was. The magic began to tear at him, and he screamed aloud.
What? Louis thought.
Aronian appeared beside him, and Louis asked, "Director?"
Aronian said that he had managed to suppress his rage. He needed to drink this potion. Louis reached for it and drank, and at that moment the man came flying down.
Aronian said that he had attacked a candidate of his academy. On whose orders?
The man said, in fear, "Grandmaster." And he told him not to imagine that he could protect this monster.
Aronian frowned, and the man screamed that this was only the beginning. His body exploded.
"Self-annihilation," Aronian said. Was this really the work of the assassins' guild? He hoped he was only imagining things.
Louis asked with admiration whether this was a top-tier healing potion. Even the broken bones had healed. Director — he had not simply happened to be passing by, had he? Why did he always save him?
Aronian said that they would discuss it at his house.
Louis grabbed his head and cried out that it was so late, and his mother was probably worried sick. He started running and shouted that this was a nightmare.
Aronian ordered Kylie to clean up here. A flow of mana had moved across the grounds.
Some time later, in the Candria Empire, in the northern city of Mantia, a shout was heard. She said she could repair this strange millstone.
Max seized Luciela by the hand and shouted, "How much of the grinding tax is she planning to steal?" He ordered her not to even think about mocking the lord just because the church supported her.
Luciela replied that she was only waiting for the children to come back.
The man ordered her not to lie to him. It looked as though she needed to be punished.
At that moment a foot flew into his face. Louis hit him and threw him aside.
Luciela cried out joyfully. "Louis! He's finally here." She grabbed at her face in fear, and Louis asked, "Mother, are you all right?"
Luciela took his face in her hands and asked what had happened. Why were his clothes torn and covered in blood?
He asked her not to worry. Everything was fine. He had simply caught his clothes on a tree during the exam.
"Is that right?" she asked again.
Max pointed his hand at Louis and shouted that he always broke the rules. Did he want to quarrel with the lord himself? Should he call the warrior George? He would report this to the lord.
At that moment Aronian appeared above them and said that he thought there had been a misunderstanding. He was the director of the Candria Academy of Arcanists. Aronian.
The man said that he was flying. Max cried out in fear that this was the grandmaster.
Aronian ordered them to convey his best wishes to the lord. Did they understand?
The men bowed in fear and answered. Yes. As he said, grandmaster. Then they started to run away.
Aronian turned and asked whether she must be Louis's mother. He asked her to forgive the suddenness of it, but he would like to discuss something.
After a while they entered the house, and she asked him to sit down.