"Vivienne, please have a seat." Vivienne sat comfortably as she looked at the man in front of her, Tavian Starwhisper. Isilindil's father.
She knew that such an encounter would occur sooner or later. She was invited to his room in the colessium which was without a doubt better than the room she had with her noble family.
Isilindil was also present who was also interested in her skill. "It seems that you were able to easily deal with Lirale and for that, it truly a commendable feat in itself."
Vivienne's eyes landed on the pair as she seemed callous as questions flowed from Tavian.
"It would seem that for the next part of the Sphin trials, we have to ensure that you as a participant are able to keep yourself safe." Vivienne found the comment rather pointless however the next statement made the prior sensible.
She had already proved that she could take care of herself on the arena in the eyes of many. "Thus we have to establish the basis of the principles of your skills."
"You are aware that due to your victory and able to secure the second place, the second half of the Sphin trials after the Matoreas test could land you in a perculiar position given that you lack a mana disc core."
She could now understand what he was trying to achieve. She already knew about this however she didn't care to mind about it.
"I'm simply trying to keep your best interest first thus provided you give a full analysis, I'm sure that those who have ill will against you would lay back."
'And there it is. It was without a doubt that Tavian was altering the skill point distribution along the fights as opponent who forfeited gave half points than the usual. All of this to ensure that his son would emerge victorious.'
'The reason why he is asking for a detailed briefing of my skills is so as to make a counter measure in the Matoreas test to pull me down.'
"Very well and I thank you Sir Tavian fir your protection." Her voice containing a trace of sincerity however that was not the image she had of him in her mind.
'Fear of failure.' Her conclusion as she started her fairy tale of a story. "My brother and I were in rough shape after the small spar that we had this we chose to brush up on our skills."
"I'm still not certain as to how my brother is able to progress at a rapid pace however his demeanor has changed from a free going individual to that of one who takes it seriously."
"As for me, I encountered some strange book while we were out hunting in the wild which seemed reactive when I came into contact with it. Upon opening my eyes after falling unconscious, I found out that I was capable of the skills that I have."
Tavian's eyes locked onto Vivienne's frame as he heard this. "And could you describe more about said abilities?" 'So pathetic.' Her thoughts ran as she kept on going.
"Of course however the current premise isn't suitable however I found out that I can manifest small orbs that can shape the space around them, similar to teleportation arrays however I can manipulate them to my whim."
"But my control over it is still rather basic and along with it is alievation, abling me to float in the air." She added to which a remark shot from Isilindil. "What about that move you made on Lirale?"
"Which one? The huge orb? That was something I did so as to end the fight rather quickly given that she was out of tricks." She was wondering why Isilindil was asking her questions however she didn't point it out.
"The real reason is because of people to think that you fully utilize artifacts is due to the fact that you lack a mana disc core. How are you able to execute your skills while you lack one?"
Tavian posed a question that had been bothering him for quite some time. Such an attribute could be considered a great advantage in battles and spars as it would make the attacks and defenses untraceable.
That was one of the few advantages she had over Lirale as her figure was equivalent to that of a mortal, making it harder to spot in a place with high density of mana, easy to stick out in a one to one confrontation.
"I still don't know how. I simply will it and it happens." She finished off as a small orb flashed in her palm which drew their attention before distablelizing and disappearing once more.
Tavian still had more questions to ask Vivienne such as the book that she mentioned, where the location was and more about her brother as the pair had been making waves all over, deemed as the dark horses of the competition.
"It would seem that I have other matters to attend to unfortunately but I'm sure that we should be able to talk soon." Vivienne shot out if the blue as she stood up, ready to leave.
It was a disrespect to Tavian's face. How many people dared to casually excuse themselves out of his presence as many wished to meet him before they passed away and here Vivienne brushed off his presence like air.
The door was closed behind her leaving the father and son duo alone in the room. "This still doesn't give us a proper analysis of her skills and seeing that she lacks a mana disc core, it will make the situation all the more difficult."
Tavian mused as he sunk into his seat. "So what does this spell for the Matoreas test?" Isilindil posed as his face grew rather unsightly. Not only did he want to prove the worth of the Starwhisper family, he also wanted to gain the benefits of the Sphin trials overall.
It would cement his position, the worst outcome landing him as a royal member, the highest going up to being one of the core generals of the queen.
And with such a position, he would have access to a lot of resources and doors that were closed previously. But he was sure with Vivienne's presence, she would rise up a stir not only in the Matoreas test but also the second part of the Sphin trials.
His father had already debriefed her situation to the other districts which caused a commotion however such people couldn't make moves yet till the latter part of the Sphin trials.
"The Matoreas constitutes of hunting and seeing how skilled and proficient she is in terms of movement, covering ground won't be a problem for her."
Tavian started off as he contemplated on how to curb Vivienne's success. 'It's a shame that I can't change some rules about the test.' A defeated sigh escaped his lips. 'If I could, then sabotaging her would be child's play.'
He had originally planned on staging her with a mediocre group for hunting however the problem was that one had the freedom to choose whether to do it in a party or in solitude.
Given that she seemed versatile in both combat against both other combatants but also hunting made it all the more troublesome to deal with. The more he looked into it,the less of a chance he felt that he had in turning it around.
He had already made slight deviations from the casual Sphin trials by halving the points one would have when one forfeited to curb her growth which if discovered by the higher ups would cause a stir.
This was because a lot of opponents would quit matches when facing Vivienne not to mention he reduced the amount of opponents she faced under the guise that the opponents would forfeit regardless stumping her domination.
And with such tricks, he was able to make sure that Isilindil was able to secure a spot above her and make quick work of some of the opponents that were thrown his way because of his father.
But he couldn't bend the rules anymore as a representative from the capital would be sent to monitor the Matoreas test which left unchecked would give Vivienne the chance to surpass Isilindil.
"That's it! A devilish smile formed on his face as an idea sprang into his mind. "Given the rampant growth of fear on the horizon of demonic attacks, I can stage that party groups are a must however certain problems will no doubt arise from this."
If he was able to convince the representative about this then he would force teammates that would either slow down or add no value to Vivienne's team.
But of course that depended on a completely different factor as well. He couldn't opt for bribing as that would instantly have him trialed and could have his position revoked thus he had to go about it ethically.
Isilindil also knew that such a tactic would be hard to execute. "But father, we are way too deep into the east and the least to face any form of demonic attacks!" Another problem that was present.
Since the demonic barren wasteland was separated from them thanks to the human kingdoms present, that would naturally give them the advantage of security as the humans would have to tackle the problem first which would whittle the demons by the time they arrive on their soil making it easier to deal with them.
Thus a guise that he had been planning to adopt was almost thwarted of the table. 'To think that protection would actually have such a downside.' He chuckled at the absurdity as he contemplated on another plan.
...
'It's quite clear given with how relentless Tavian seems to be, he will no doubt have some trick up but little does he know that I do not want to win this trivial test.'
Vivienne mused as she made her way back to her carriage to which the rest of her family was waiting. A step in and her mother seemed eager as to what we was conversing with Tavian.
"It was clear that he wants to gain a proper understanding of my skill to plot against it on the Matoreas test." Her explaination as she glanced at the duo in the same carriage as her.
"To think that Tavian would pull of such a dirty trick!" Narandial voiced her discomfort however she couldn't make a move whatsoever against Tavian. The gap was too big for her to cover and Thalion was busy engrossed with other matters.
"But given that the representative by the time the Matoreas starts, he won't try to do anything stupid or too crazy." She reassured Vivienne who didn't seem all that bothered by it.
"I hope that you still recall the bet, brother." Julian who was busy trying to recuperate heard a voice that thrusted him out of the world in his head that he seemed extremely invested in.
"But of course sister. How could I forget out little bet?" The bet that they had place had all been quadrupled as no one had actually thought that they would be able to turn things around.
But of course they themselves had no actual use for that money, the thrill and privileges of the upper echelon. Julian knew why Vivienne suddenly brought up this comment and that was because she had no active competitors left meaning that she had won the little game that they were playing.
"You wouldn't mind if I changed something about the rules we agreed on, right?" Julian so no problem with this. As for Narandial, she was passive about it. "What exactly do you want to change?"
"Given that you are going to lose tommorow, I don't mind extending the duration of when it is in effect. Pushing it to the very end of the Sphin trials." Julian was insulted as he heard this.
"You should have more faith in your brother, sister." Vivienne had her reasons and the it was because Julian was supposed to face Isilindil and knowing that Tavian wouldn't want his son to face defeat, he'd do anything to make it so.
"Very well I apologize but expect anything to be thrown at you." Her final remarks before shifting her attention back into the world of muses in her head.