Charisma 100: My Academy Life As A Heartbreaking Commoner-Chapter 240: Sparring Partners

Combat Fundamentals with Commander Korvo was, as always, held in the outdoor training grounds.

Aegis arrived to find about thirty students already gathered in the courtyard, most of them stretching or chatting in small groups. Korvo stood at the center with his arms crossed and his scarred face set in its usual expression of mild disappointment with the world. His milky white eye swept across the students as they filtered in, and Aegis could have sworn it lingered on her for a second longer than the others.

"Alright," Korvo said once everyone had assembled. "Today we’re doing sparring matches. One on one, training weapons only, first to three clean hits wins. I’ll be pairing you up myself, so don’t bother trying to pick your friends."

A few groans from the crowd. Korvo ignored them.

He started calling out names, matching students seemingly at random. Aegis watched as familiar faces got paired off. Scarlett got matched with a tall guy. Kanna got a girl who was rightly very nervous.

"Starcaller," Korvo called. "You’re with Alberic Pelmont."

Aegis looked around and spotted her opponent walking toward her from the other side of the courtyard. He was about her height, maybe a bit taller, with brown hair and narrow eyes. She didn’t recognize him from any of her classes, but the way he was looking at her told her everything she needed to know.

He didn’t like her.

[Great. Another one.]

They took their positions in one of the marked sparring circles, training swords in hand. Alberic was already sneering before they’d even started.

"I’ve heard about you," he said, keeping his voice low enough that Korvo wouldn’t hear. "The commoner who married into House Stone."

"That’s me," Aegis said. "Nice to meet you too."

"I don’t shake hands with your kind."

[Charming.]

Korvo’s whistle blew, and Alberic came at her hard.

He was strong, she’d give him that. His first swing had real force behind it, and if she’d tried to block it head-on, it probably would have knocked her training sword right out of her hands. But Aegis wasn’t the same person she’d been at the start of Year One. She’d trained with Nazraya, with Rosanna, with Scarlett, and Kanna. She’d slain monsters.

She wasn’t going to lose to some noble prick with a chip on his shoulder.

Aegis used Aether Step.

She teleported three feet to the left, Alberic’s swing cutting through empty air where she’d been standing. His eyes went wide with surprise, and before he could recover, Aegis stepped forward and landed a clean hit on his ribs.

"One," Korvo called from the sidelines.

Alberic’s face went red. He reset his stance and came at her again, faster this time, trying to overwhelm her with a flurry of strikes. Aegis didn’t bother blocking. She dodged, sidestepped, ducked, using the footwork that Rosanna had drilled into her during their training sessions. Every time Alberic’s sword came close, she was already somewhere else.

He overextended on a heavy swing, and Aegis punished it. She stepped inside his guard, brought her training sword up, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Two."

Now Alberic was breathing hard, sweat forming on his forehead, and the sneer had been replaced by something closer to desperation. He knew he was losing. He knew everyone was watching him lose. And judging by the way his grip tightened on his sword, he wasn’t happy about it.

He charged at her one more time, putting everything he had into a diagonal slash aimed at her chest. It was fast, faster than his previous attacks, and for a second Aegis thought she might actually have to block it.

But only for a second.

She used Aether Step again, vanishing from in front of him and reappearing behind him, and before he could turn around she’d already landed the final hit on his back.

"Three. Match to Starcaller."

A smattering of applause from the watching students. Korvo nodded once, which was basically a standing ovation coming from him.

"Good form, Starcaller. Clean technique, good use of mobility. Work on your follow-through." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Yes, Commander."

Aegis lowered her training sword and turned to Alberic, who was still standing there with his back to her. She reached out a hand to help him up. It was a courtesy, the kind of thing you did after a sparring match regardless of who won.

Alberic slapped her hand away.

"Don’t touch me," he said, turning to face her. His eyes were burning with humiliation and anger. "You probably used some shadow magic to win. That teleporting thing, that’s not normal magic. Everyone knows what you are."

Aegis pulled her hand back.

For a second, she felt a flash of anger. The urge to say something cutting, something that would put this asshole in his place. But she swallowed it down and let her face go neutral instead.

"You think I’d risk imprisonment so I could win a sparring session with you?" She kept her voice calm. "What I used was pure aether-weaving. The first empress herself, Queen Rosanna invented it. You can look it up in the library if you want."

Alberic opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. He clearly hadn’t expected her to have an actual answer.

"Good match," Aegis said, and walked away before he could think of a comeback.

She found Scarlett near the edge of the training grounds, leaning against a fence post with a grin on her face. Her own sparring match had apparently ended while Aegis was dealing with Alberic, and she looked entirely too pleased with herself.

"You’re actually getting good at combat, huh?" Scarlett said as Aegis approached.

"Don’t sound so surprised."

"I’m not surprised, I’m impressed. There’s a difference." Scarlett threw an arm around Aegis’s shoulders and pulled her in close. "Remember when you could barely hold a sword without tripping over your own feet?"

"I was never that bad."

"You were pretty bad."

Aegis snorted, but she didn’t deny it again. They walked together toward the weapon racks to return their training swords, Scarlett’s arm still draped over her shoulders in that casual, comfortable way that had become normal over the past year.

"So," Scarlett said, her voice dropping a little, "me and Kanna are hitting the cursed chamber tonight. You know, the one under your manor with the reviving monsters."

"I remember."

"We’ve been going down there a lot lately. Good training, keeps the skills sharp. Plus, you know." Scarlett’s grin widened. "Private."

Aegis raised an eyebrow.

"Private?"

"No interruptions. No one watching. Just the two of us, working up a sweat, getting all hot and bothered from the fighting..."

"Sounds less like you’re inviting me to train and more like I’m getting a private show."

Scarlett laughed.

"Call it what you want. We could use a third though."

Aegis looked at her. Scarlett looked back, her green eyes sparkling with amusement.

"You’re serious."

"As a heart attack." Scarlett squeezed her shoulder. "Think about it. You, me, Kanna. The cursed chamber. Lots of monsters to kill, and then afterwards, maybe..." She trailed off suggestively.

Aegis thought about it.

It didn’t take long for Aegis to respond:

"When?"

Scarlett’s grin got even bigger.

"Tonight. After dinner. Don’t be late."

She gave Aegis one last squeeze and then jogged off to catch up with Kanna, who was waiting by the exit with her arms crossed.

Aegis watched them go, shaking her head fondly.