Tbate - Making A Much Lighter Path

Chapter 44 - Ragebait

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I plopped back on the ground, my chest heaving. "I... I win."

Camus let out a sigh, leaning against a wall as he caught his breath. "Congratulations, but there are more pressing matters."

"I agree," Hester nodded beside him as she blotted the sweat on her forehead with a handkerchief. "Who's going to pay for the exorbitant cost of the feast?"

"Wasn't it decided that the losers were going to pay?" Buhnd asked, confused.

I sat up. I thought so too.

"True, but why hurt many when you can just break one?" Camus added, a smile forming on his face. "I vote that Buhnd pays for the meal since he's the one who got out first, causing the rest of us to lose."

"What!" Buhnd bellowed. "From whose sore ass did you pull that quote out from?"

"I second Camus' vote," Hester replied immediately with a show of hand.

"Hester!" The dwarf's eyes widened before turning to Kathyln. "Princess. You don't think the same way as those old bats, do you?"

Kathyln, who had been with my sister and Emily, averted her gaze from Buhnd, and raised her hand as well.

I could see the bearded dwarf's jaw drop as he began counting the theoretical cost of the extravagant meal with his fingers. After a minute, Buhnd straightened his posture and cleared his throat. "Gentlemen. Ladies. We are in times of war. We should be sparing resources for our beloved soldiers out there on the field. Isn't that right Miss Emer-argh! Damn bat! Release my earlobe!"

"What good will giving soldiers seventy-year-old alcohol do, you old fool. Don't try to get out of this!" Hester snapped while dragging her companion by his ear as the rest of us laughed.

After everyone had calmed down, we settled around in a circle for our last debrief. It was a bittersweet feeling. Two months flew by, but I formed bonds with the elders and had gotten to know the aloof princess a bit better during this period. Toward the end, Kathyln had started conversing more with Emily and Ellie, even hanging out together in the castle together from time to time.

"Now, the moment I'm sure that everyone has been waiting for!" Emily's chirpy voice sounded, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Alanis has recorded the progress of Arthur's mana flow utilization while I compiled the data of General Arthur, Princess Kathyln, Elders Camus, Hester, Buhnd and cross-referenced it against the data I've received from my assistants from students at a few academies and some soldiers."

Emily must've noticed the traces of skepticism written on my face as she mentioned the sample diversity and size.

"It's been pretty hard to get a wider range of participants, this continent being in war and all," she said glumly. "This measurement is something I'm planning on standardizing and actively promoting with Master Gideon's help, so getting data will be an ongoing process. For now, you'll have to make do with the two hundred entries I've received from various mages."

Buhnd fidgeted in his stone chair. "Well? On with it, girl. Only about a fifth of my ass is on my seat right now from all this anticipation."

I suppressed a chuckle. The bearded elder's reaction reminded me of a student anxiously waiting for their grades to be handed back by his teacher.

Emily didn't find Buhnd's impatience as amusing as I did and began quickly sifting through her stack of paper until her eyes brightened as I assumed she finally found what she was looking for.

"Okay! I'll start with Elder Buhnd, since he seems to be the most curious," Emily began. "Please be advised that this data does not take into account mastery over mana, simply the raw output of force that your average spell contains during battle."