《Hero Demon Synthesis》


 Chapter 1

    <Did you hear, the Demon Army has already invaded past the Royal Capital Terpii.>


    <I heard that a Demon Lord of Trent had killed King Albert and a majority of the Royal Guards in the castle¡¯s keep while the Demon Army ransacked the city.>


    <¡®I¡¯ve heard that both Queen Rebecca and Prime Minister Jordan haven¡¯t been seen since the battle three months ago.>


    ''This day just keeps getting better and better.''


    Paige, a Warrior employed by the human border nation of Alcudia, overheard the conversations in passing as she ran toward the castle gates. After the last war against Trent, the royal family had laid out defensive lines throughout the country as a safeguard against potential invasions, as well as a stockhold for regional supplies. She was lucky in that regard that Castle Molt was designated as the temporary capital by the surviving members of the royal family, as it vastly cut down her own travel time.


    She could feel the atmosphere turning worse as soldiers headed for the front lines. the marketplace was filled with families watching their loved ones leave, many who would never be returning back home.


    ¡®What can they possibly gain by fighting us? Did the last war not teach the Demon Lord anything?¡¯ thought Paige. ¡®We have coexisted peacefully for over almost two centuries now. They should know that the neighboringcountries of Appealte and the Leit Confederation would join together and repel them back to their borders.¡¯


    Although there had been rumors going around that Evidia was in a state of upheaval, no merchants or spies that she knew of were able to confirm this fact. By all regards, the Demon Lords of Trent had been unusually active the past few decades, as the growth of their economy and trade steadily grew.The surprise attack on both Evidia and the neighboring human border nation of Alcudia surprised citizens everywhere.


    <Did you hear? The first prince has issued a kill notice to any citizen with demon blood if they are seen outside after dark.>


    <That''s terrible! My neighbors are Demons, but they wouldn''t hurt anyone!>


    <I know right! What is the cou...>


    She slowed down as the implications of that order registered in her brain.


    ¡®Damn it! Has the first prince gone insane! What we need now is stability, not social unrest.¡¯


    Physically, demons and humans looked the same; so how were the guards supposed to check if they are human or not? That was madness! No, she supposed that would make sense in wartime, but safety and unrest was a check and balance she would not mess with right now, not when tensions were so high.


    She sped up her pace and briskly walked up the steps leading toward the castle gates.To her surprise though, the castle sentries had been replaced with the Royal Guards instead of the local militia.


    ¡®Has the royal family finally arrived? Or have the other diplomats arrived?¡¯


    After waiting for the sentries to check her status, she strode into the parade grounds confidently, though she paused slightly at the unexpected sight in front of her. Originally, the castle was constructed with the sole purpose of having a defensible location for the local militia and as a resupply point for the army every three hundred miles. But now the open areas had been divided into three distinct sections.


    Paige frowned as she took in the sight. Newly constructed houses had been built inside the castle¡¯s parade grounds for both the diplomats and the royal family. Multiple smithies had been erected to service the weapons, the heat from the bellows could be felt all the way from the other side of the keep. Lastly, the remaining clear space was subdivided into drill grounds as multiple army divisions trained together.


    ¡®The sentries would have announced that the diplomats have arrived, but there were already Royal Guards stationed throughout the Castle walls.That means the Royal Family should either be here or are close to arriving. I need to coordinate with one of them and figure out what truly happened in the capital.¡¯


    ¡°AuntPaige! Thank god for a familiar face!¡±


    As she headed off to the castle¡¯s keep, a familiar voice sounded out to her.Paige turned to the voice as a girl rushed over to embrace her.


    ¡°Alexandra! Where is your mom? What happened to the Queen?¡±


    Holding her shoulders, Paige looked her up and down and realized it had been a while since she had last seen the girl, no, the young woman in front of her. Crown Princess Alexandra looked almost exactly like her mom did when she had met her, with a mixture of confidence and poise that few could match. Her hazel eyes were misty with tears though, and her brown hair was cut short above her shoulders as was custom in times of war.


    ¡°Mother and Mister Jordan were attacked after father sealed the Royal Castle¡¯s keep. He hoped that the keep would command the enemy''s full attention and would let them both escape. Captain Riley said that a pair of assassins attacked them as they left the city prior to the invasion. The, they haven¡¯t woken from their injuries,¡± Alexandra said, her voice laced with melancholy.


    Paige frowned at the report. She was under the impression that the Demon Lord had attacked them; not a pair of Assassins. And even then, for them to be seriously injured while surrounded by guards? "...The royal guards are trained to fight in teams of three and are known for their vigilance. Even the trainees should''ve been able to repel a fair-sized squad, much less a pair of assassins. Hell, Rebecca and I alone can kill assassins by the dozen."


    ¡°¡­they weren¡¯t just any random grunts, Aunt Paige. Coupled with the Demon Lord attack on the city, Captain Riley is sure they were not assassins. He suspects that they have a Class. Nightwalkers. They poisoned the two of them with a single attack and left right after. He thinks they could be part of the Demon Lord¡¯s Party,¡± Alexandra whispered.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°¡­don¡¯t tell this to anyone who you wouldn¡¯t trust the Kingdom to.¡±


    "I know who I can trust. Mother trained me well in that regard."


    Paige nodded, though she knew what was left unsaid. ''With both the queen and the prime minister injured, little Alex will most likely have trouble handling the diplomats. Her mother wasn''t quite ready to let her deal with foreign interests alone.¡¯


    ¡°I hope you''re ready, Aunt. The foreign diplomats will be arriving soon and I may need some help pressuring them. A lot of the staff are focused on getting Castle Molt ready as the Command Center, so we''ll go together.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Paige said shocked. She hardly ever helped in political matters. ButAlexandra nodded forcefully, though she could tell that Alexandra''s eyes were pleading her to agree.


    ¡°You and Vanguard Tyler are the only national heroes not currently serving on the battlefield. I have decided thatthe two of you should be at the meeting to help represent Alcudia national interests.


    "With father dead, and mother and Mister Jordan injured, I need to showcase our national power in the negotiations; else I fear that the cost to retake the country will be too high a burden for us to bear alone. Having a High Class such as yourself might be enough for me to sway the upcoming discussions in our favor.¡±


    Her frank admission was a welcome change, though Paige knew that she had a valid point. Alexandra¡¯s choice to include her in the talks made sense the more she thought about it.


    To most of the population, having a Class meant having a defining trait; something that made you more than what you are. Since only the Gods were able to give Classes, it means that they have recognized your hard work, or maybe impressed that you survived an impossible situation. Sure, anyone could train to be a warrior. But only a few could gain the class of Warrior.


    But for a country, people with true Classes were an asset; the lifeblood and backbone of a country. Therefore, a person with a Class, especially one that could benefit the country, often held more power than lower nobility. The combat-related classes were even given the title of a national hero of Alcudia.


    As such, the border nation of Alcudia was held in high esteem due to the number of people and the varied amount of Classes that were affiliated with the royal family. Especially in regards to allowing any race to hold ranks within the government. Most of the other border countries shunned demons and mixed blood, favoring full humans instead, as indeed, they were part of the Human Empire.


    But due to a surge in the population of demons and halves that had moved into Alcudia, no one race or class dominated another, allowing the country to have an overall balance in the types of Classes that was protecting the country, instead of just favoring one Class over another.


    Paigesighed to herself. There was no way she would be able to get out of participating. Though she had to try at least try one more time.


    ¡°Alexandra, are you sure this is a good idea? You know me and Tyler have a thing going on, andhe is more than able to handle political situations such as this. I mean, that was his job before he retired!He''ll be able to handlesomething like this by himself,¡± Paige exclaimed tensely.


    Although Paige was friends with the queen, she did not dare to dabble in national politics and she''d rather not stand out more than she already had in the past. Negotiations that could affect the entire country was deftly out of her hands.


    Alexandra thought hard for a few seconds, her brows creased as she staredblankly ahead.


    ¡°I need a strongman, er woman, to back up my position. I have fallbacks for most of the situations I can think of, aunt, but mother said sometimes you need a hard fist rather than soft words.¡± As Alexandra said this, she turned around and started walking toward the newly built houses, her shoulders tight with tension.


    Paige took a hard look at Alexandra as she walked behind her.The young woman hadn''t changed her outfit; the wrinkles noticeable on the dress she was wearing. A faux pax in most situations, but she supposed the times called for it. Alexandrawas shouldering a lot of responsibility in too little a time. This was not the job for a Crown Princess to handle alone. Usually, her parents or the prime minister would be able to guide her along, or at least use their own experience to probe the other country''s bottom line; but that was no longer an option for Alexandra.


    Paige hesitated, trying to strike a good balance between what she would be willing to commit to. ¡°At most I can give sound advice from an adventurer''s point of view. You know I never really helped your mother in politics. But Tyler should be of some help since he was the former royal guard captain and all. And make sure to call me Warrior Paige or Miss Paige when in front of the diplomats.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    "You need to be in charge. Tyler and I can pressure our enemies, but you have to be the one to lead the nation now. At least until your mother or the prime minister get better."


    "Aunt, they aren''t our enemies. The nation needs allies."


    ¡°Bah. Who says diplomats aren¡¯t enemies? They are one of the craftier enemies to face as well. I just hopethat Tyler''s political sense hasn¡¯t totally deserted him.¡± Paige stopped as a random thought came to mind."Is Captain Riley¡¯s political acumen up to par? I don''t recognize the name.¡±


    ¡°He''s new. He was appointed by the king before mother left. His political maneuvering is not to the level of Mister Jordan, but he can manage a conversation pretty well.¡± Alexandra replied confidently.


    ¡°Oh, and how do you know that little Alex? Perhaps I should have a little talk with him about personal boundaries,¡± Paige teasingly said as she pattedher friend''s daughteron the shoulders.


    Alexandra slightly blushed. She finally said after suitably composing herself, ¡°Nothing has happened, aunt. We¡¯ve just talked a bit in passing since he is my guard captain right now.¡±


    ¡°Nothing has happened yet, you mean.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm. I''ll have to check him out later. And you''ll have to thicken your skin for this meeting, Alexandra. Now, onto more pressing matters, tell me what your brother is thinking. Why did he issue that decreeto the entire country? Killing demons at night? That''s not the smartest move, especially with a good portion of our scouts are demon themselves..¡±


    ¡°¡­First Prince Daniel has been talking with the foreign dignitaries already. Brother wants their backing so that he can lead the suppression army. Or at least, he wants to lead a major portion of it himself .¡±


    Alexandra stopped mid-stride, choosing her words carefully for her aunt.


    ¡°Although I am the Crown Princess, with father and mother incapacitated, the successor to the throne is not set in stone. Alcudia is a monarchy, so that tradition is the one card I can count on. But Daniel knows that major achievements can earn him supporters for the throne. If he can get over half the royal court to support him, they could potentially name him regent until the war is done, and from there he has a good chance of securing the throne himself.¡±


    Alexandra started to walk faster, her tone becoming grim.


    ¡°My older brother is good with military matters, but he is ill-suited for civilian matters and worse still his advisors are all retired generals. They''ve been out of their office for so long they probably don''t remember that the scout division is mostly demons now. I¡¯ve already had sister Beatrice go out and reassure the masses that this order is not meant to persecute our law-abiding citizens. Hopefully, I can fix the fallout before it gets too far out of hand.¡±


    Paige kept her face neutral, though hermood worsened as she thought of all the problems that had cropped up while she was gone.


    ¡®Great. So now the issue is not only invading armies and diplomats but there is also a fight for succession within theroyal family,'' she thought to herself. She sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. ''The things I do for my friends.¡¯

 Chapter 2

    Just as they arrived at the newly constructed houses, an anxious soldier shouted out to them.


    ¡°Crown princess! Vanguard Tyler ordered me to find you. He wants to have a meeting prior to the negotiations.¡±


    The soldier stopped to catch his breath, his chest heaving with exertion.


    ¡°Officer Steve, at your service. Here are his letters and seal.¡± He crisply saluted and held out a letter and seal, indicating that it was indeed an official document.


    After verifying the seal, Alexandra nodded and accepted the letter. Paige frowned as she saw his Class insignia embroided on his uniform. A Scout. She audibly tch''ed as Alexandra opened the seal and started reading. Alexandra was telling her the truth. Shemust really be short-staffed if theyhad to use Officers to do grunt work.


    Alexandra visibly brightened, a small smile on her face. ¡°It looks like we are on the same page. Good. Officer Steve, I¡¯ve already requested that Warrior Paige join us for the upcoming negotiations. Has Vanguard Tyler been notified of Miss Paige arrival?¡±


    Steve saluted crisply, visibly straightening. He quickly rummaged in his pack and handed another letter to Paige.


    ¡°Ma''am. I was also supposed to find you if possible. This saves me from running and waiting at the castle gates. Sir Tyler requested that both of you be directed over to the keep the moment you arrived.¡±


    Paige could tell that Alexandra wasa little miffed that the Officer was far more polite toward her aunt than herself, but she hid that well. Paigeknew she had a fairly good reputation within the army at large, while Alexandra had a better reputation with the citizens than the army itself.


    ¡°Officer Steve. If you''d please lead us.¡± Alexandra stated calmly, falling into step behind Officer Steve as he headed back the way he came.


    As the three of them headed toward the keep, Paige could tell that the surrounding soldier¡¯s eyes were trained on them. Alexandrawas doing well,not the slightest hint of nervousness in her step.


    ''That¡¯s good,''Paige thought to herself. ''Alexandra knows how to project her authority well. She was using her mother''s advice well. ''Rebecca always said that the first impression is key to diplomacy.¡¯


    Talking a second glance at her surroundings, Paige realized that even the officers were evaluating Alexandra as they passed by. ¡®Have rumors about the royal family already spread through the army? This is getting troublesome.¡¯


    ¡°Alexandra, you''ll need to address the Generals as soon as possible. They need to know that you are in charge of leading the country. Settle this chain of command issue before it gets out of hand. Ultimately, you want your orders to be more important than your brothers,¡± Paige whispered quietly. She could tell a few other Officer heard her as well, but she hoped her reputation would help Alexandra stabilize the country. A split country in times of war is not the best idea overall.


    ¡°I can help you coordinate the Army with Adventurers through the local Guild hall. An attractive enough reward will move plenty of people and will help you shore up the defensive lines before the joint army arrives. But I need to know, who is the current commander for the army now that your father is dead?"


    ¡°Before father died, he reorganized the army so that the commander¡¯s position will fall to the officer with the most experience and records,¡± she whispered back. ¡°Retired people with Classes are generally exempt from service as you know, but he had hoped that some would rise to the occasion. For the most part, he was correct. Some have returned from retirement to help,¡± Alexander said sadly as she thought about her late father.


    ¡°General William is leading the army, and Strategist Merrick is coordinating the logistics,¡± Officer Steve supplied helpfully, though he quickly turned around as Paige stared at him.


    Arriving at the keep, Officer Steve turned and saluted. ¡°General William is in Sir Tyler¡¯s office, third floor, second door to the right. It was an honor to meet both of you. May Alcudia¡¯s light shine through the darkness!¡±


    Alexandra accepted the bow and curtsied in return. ¡°Thank you for keeping us company. May Alcudia¡¯s light shine through the darkness!¡±


    As they stepped over the threshold and went into the keep, Paige noted that the temperature and humidity dropped noticeably. Alexandra sighed with relief. ¡°We had to get the royal court mage, Wind Mage Everest, to enchant the majority rooms leading up to the negotiating table. Castle Molt was chosen due to its proximity to the frontlines, not for its amenities. The keep has seen better days, and I hope this will give the diplomats some measure of relief.¡±


    The keep itself was alive with movement; shouts could be heard as the logistics teams coordinated the war efforts. No arguing, but plenty of passion abounded as people ran between rooms and delivered messages.


    ¡°In some ways, the army needed this war,¡± Paige said quietly. ¡°Although there are a lot of people with Classes, the army itself has seen a shortage of people with actual Classesholding leadership positions. It is far easier to get rich by becoming an Adventurer. I kept telling your mom that she should stop handing out titles unless they were willing to serve a few years in the military.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a double-edged sword, aunt. We have a lot of people affiliated with us, but we can¡¯t willingly force them to protect the country. We¡¯ve been blessed that most have stayed around and are doing their patriotic duty.¡±


    ¡°You should say that they are earning their titles now, Alexandra.¡±


    Alexandra smiled, a fierce light in her eyes. ¡°Mother said war is the best way to weed out those who areloyal to the nation. Of that, I have no doubt.¡±


    ¡ª


    As their conversation died down, they opened the door to Tyler¡¯s office. Two men, one vastly older than the other, were staring at a map laid across the table, as people around them reported the latest news from the frontlines.


    ¡°Tyler! We haven¡¯t fought each other in ages!¡± Paige shouted, the room quieting down while Alexandra waved down the guards.


    ¡°Paige, about time you¡¯ve come,¡± Tyler laughed as he strode toward the door, the other officers leaving to continue their discussions in a side room. He still looked the same as she remembered, his light brown hair and broad shoulders. ¡®The only difference is in his eyes.¡¯ Paige thought to herself, noticing the way he shifted in response to her own movements. ¡®He must have gotten a few new Skills since our last duel.¡¯


    ¡°[Greater Intuition] or [Battlefield Sense]?¡±


    Tyler hesitated midstride. ¡°Bah, curse your intuition. At least have an air of prestige in front of my peers. Don¡¯t randomly guess my skills the same moment you see me,¡± He sighed loudly as he clasped hands with his one time rival. ¡°What skill did you use just now?¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Neither, chalk it up to experience. I just have more practice than you.¡±


    "Heh." Chuckling, Tyler turned to address the noticeably older man staring at the map. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have taken that bet. I¡¯ll get you your wine by sunset. How did you know?¡±


    The manchuckled as he looked over, his shoulders haunched from age. ¡°Her reputation precedes her. Full name: Paige Alduit. Assumed Job Class: High Warrior; Guild assigned level: two hundred. Unmarried, age assumed to be around two hundred fifty; true age unknown. Left-handed, favors sword and shield style. Rumored to have a Class Blessing. Is suspected to have as many as fifty skills. Not contracted to any single party, but has many connections in the Guild hall and has a wide social network. Welcome back, Paige.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you could amend the report to say ¡®many friends in the Guild hall¡¯. And go right ahead and state that I am friends with the queen.¡± Paige said unabashed, noticing how Alexandra¡¯s eyes went wide at the confidential report the kingdom had on her. The report was wrong about almost everything, of course, but she hardly cared about what people thought of her.


    ¡°Two hundred fifty years old? You hardly look over thirty.¡± Alexandra said poutingly.


    ¡°Haha, of course, that is what you would focus on. Some battle classes tend to age slower than others. It just depends on fate,¡± Paige said sadly, remembering some old friends. She looked pointedly at General William.


    When she had first met, William, he had not even received his Class yet. Now he was noticeably older, an indicator that although he had received a Class, either his actual skill level was not high enough or he received it too late to overcome the body¡¯s slow decline of age. His hair was already balding; his skin was tanned with age and body haunched forward, but his eyes still clear, much to Paige''s relief. She hated watching her acquaintances grow old. Too much heartache, most of the time.


    General William waved off Paige''s well-meaning concern. ¡°Miss Paige probably started off as an Apprentice at a young age, crown princess. Enough about that, it is good to see you again, little Paige.¡±


    ¡°Bah, call me that again and I¡¯ll call you Grandpa in front of the whole army,¡± Paige shot back, smirking.


    ¡°Haha, with my looks I can guarantee at least half the army will believe it,¡± Williamreplied jokingly. ¡°You look and act young enough to be one of my great-grandchildren. Jenny says to come over and have dinner with us sometime.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stop by and say hello to your wife someday. I forgot about her birthday for the past couple of years. Does she still like white wine?¡±


    ¡°Red wine nowadays, but she¡¯ll appreciate the gesture and the visit. You know how much she dotes on kids like you.¡±


    "Hey-"


    While Paige and William talked about the past, Tyler performed a full bow towards Alexandra, an unspoken acknowledgment on where his allegiance lied.


    ¡°Crown Princess Alexandra, a pleasure. I¡¯ll have to request that you keep Capt. Riley near you in the future. As the next in line to the throne, the Royal Guards are required to keep a guard escort at all times,¡± Tyler admonished slightly. He had been the former Captain of the guards, prior to him receiving his Class some ten years ago.


    ¡°I saw Miss Paige and decided I would be safe enough with just her around. The only way I would be safer inside a castle is if a Knight was following me.¡± Alexandra teased, knowing full well that Paige had bested Tyler at every duel before he received his Vanguard Class. She hesitated, ¡°I didn¡¯t know Aunt Paige was that well known. Or that accomplished. Mother just said she is a good friend and we could trust her.¡±


    ¡°The report is a bit conservative in my opinion. In some circles, she is well known; she just doesn¡¯t like to be in positions of authority. I would wager that she could probably give the Demon Lord himself a run for his money.¡± He said proudly. ¡°Without his Party of course. She is the only one I know foolish enough to not have a Party. Or maybe she is just that confident in herself.¡±


    Alexandra sighed in relief. ¡°Regardless that makes me feel more confident for the negotiations. What did you want to talk about?¡± she asked politely.


    ¡°You need to decide right now what is important for the future of the country,¡± Tyler said, waving his hand to catch Paige and William''s attention.


    ¡®What is important for the country?¡¯ Alexandra thought to herself. Everything was important to the country! The war effort, reclaiming the homeland, pacifying the civil unrest plaguing the country. Getting revenge for her father.


    Coughing, General Williams spoke up first. ¡°Leit Confederation and Appealte will join in the war effort, of that I have no doubt. But it will cost us. Be it in terms of resources, land, or reputation. We can take the country back ourselves, but the cost will be too great a burden for our nation.¡± William quietly spoke. ¡°They know that if our nation collapses, their own countries will be in jeopardy. As such, it is far easier for them to assist us now rather than risk war on their own borders later.¡±


    Tyler picked upwhereWilliam had finished. ¡°The first prince has already talked to us about organizing a united suppression army to fight against the demons. We have already agreed to limit the number of soldiers and resources the other countries will be providing us. Our only fear is if they want to make a puppet nation out of us at the end.


    ¡°To that end, we have decided to go ahead and allow him to lead the army. I know the throne is unstable right now, with the void left behind by your father¡¯s death and coupled the queen¡¯s injuries, but I am sure that civil war will not happen until we have reclaimed the country. All of the nobles agreed to an oath on this. No one will place their own interests first before the kingdom has been restored. Besides, the queen is not dead, so there is little the nobles or your brother can do to the throne. Not with how much the citizens adore her.¡±


    Williams held up his hand. ¡°We cannot afford to fight on three different fronts. Since the queen and prime minister is injured as well, I will coordinate with Royal Mage Gale Everestto decide what the royal court is willing to do.¡± William interjected lightly.


    ¡°Hold, I am the crown princess! I will decide what the royal family stance is. Miss Everest can coordinate with me on what the royal family¡¯s official stance is. Her position of royal court mage does not supersede mine!¡± Alexandra¡¯s head started to spin. ¡®No! I can prove myself. I have to prove myself.¡¯


    A hand steadied her. She looked over as her Aunt patted her head, just like she had when she was just a child.


    ¡°True, but you also do not have the knowledge nor experience she has. You are barely twenty years old. Trust your mother¡¯s confidante. Apart from the prime minister, she is better suited to coordinate the official responsible for the royal family.¡± Paige said soothingly. She knew from experience where the young girl¡¯s thoughts were heading. ¡°Alexandra, a leader must learn who to trust, and when. Trust your mother. You have the training and supporters to help you; now it is time for practice. Ask Gale to guide you.¡±


    Paigeshot a look over at Tyler. ¡°Tyler is takingcare of the prime minister¡¯s duties right now; William was appointed by your father to lead the war efforts, so let him deal with the first prince; Gale will help you with your new duties as Regent. I''m sure others have been assigned to teach your younger sister Beatrice on how to reassure the masses. Everyone in the royal family must play a part, otherwise, morale will decrease if the population thinks a civil war will follow.¡±


    ¡°Everyone except your youngest sibling Isabella is being guided. You know her position is ¡­unique. Just relax and focus on what is coming next,¡± Tyler spoke up.


    Readjusting her emotions, Alexandra looked at Paige suspiciously, ¡°I thought you said you hated politics?¡±


    ¡°I do, but it doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t see the bigger picture,¡± Paige responded quietly. ¡°You will decide on the terms; Tyler and I will help you realize them, and Gale will help you draft the official document for the diplomats to sign.¡±


    An officer waiting by the door walked in and handed a new report to the general. Scanning the document, his brow started to wrinkle. ¡°We¡¯ll leave you alone princess to sort your thoughts out. Tyler, Paige, a word.¡±


    Moving away from Alexandra, they stepped toward the table holding the map as he handed them the new report. ¡°Our scouts may have found the Demon Lord¡¯s location.¡± He whispered, wanting to let the princess organize her thoughts for the upcoming meeting. ¡°He was headed toward Mount Terst.¡±


    ¡°The prayer grounds?¡± Paige responded, confused as to why he would head there.


    ¡°The royal mausoleum is there,¡± William said, his brows arching. ¡°The royal family has typically placed all historical relics in the vaults there. Although, the royal keep should have had the most powerful artifacts.¡± He looked toward Tyler. ¡°All of the moveable relics were moved prior to the capital being taken. I know the Healer Hall would have been willing to store them, for a cost. But theoretically, there should be nothing there that could move a Demon Lord.¡±


    Tyler was about to speak up when a suddenknock on the door interrupted their conversation. Officer Steve poked his head through. ¡°The diplomats have arrived. They are waiting in the main conference room.¡±


    Glancing at each other, they nodded as the princess adjusted her breathing.


    Alexandra headed toward the door. ¡°Call Capt. Riley over. He can announce us and check the room for threats. Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 3

    Nicholas Brent was annoyed. After three weeks of hard traveling, almost anyone would be tired of unwanted travel companions. The shrill voice only deepened his annoyance, no longer able to ignore it due to it echoing off the stone walls. ¡°We need to make sure we get good terms. Great terms! Alcudia is in dire need of our services! Old Nick, make sure you exaggerate the terms the joint kings have decided.¡±


    ¡°For the last time Johnson, I am only here to show that Leit does take this invasion seriously. I will not be helping you with negotiating anything.¡±


    ¡°But you are the highest-ranking member in our delegation. At least flaunt your Ranger Class a bit!¡±


    ¡°I am a Ranger even without a class,¡± Nick said, a tinge of annoyance in his voice.


    The diplomat stopped. He had enough sense to know that the person in front of him was getting angry. He took a second to reassess the situation.


    Nicholas had an intense air about him; as though the world owed him money, but had not a nickel to repay him. His blue eyes assessed the room, his bow and dagger hanging freely by his side. He knew that the man had a decorated carrier as a ranger, and had many local legends attributed to his name.


    But at only five foot four inches tall and an average build, his figure did not stand out at all. In fact, only his dull blue eyes stood out in the room, his presence easily overshadowed if one did not look carefully.


    Rangers were Leit Confederation¡¯s main protectors of the nation due to the vast oversight they lawfully had. To combat infighting among the different factions, the Ranger organization was tasked with overseeing the many local fiefs that constituted the Confederation. Much like a national army, though instead of soldiers they had Rangers. And in truth, most of the Rangers were former trackers or hunters that had been recruited due to their skills in navigating the many forest regions that dotted their landscape.


    As a decorated Ranger himself, his skills at tracking and archery were unparalleled, and people were often surprised that he did not have a class until recently.


    Thus, Nick was in a delicate situation; even without his Class he had a higher rank than the official diplomat of the delegation, but he had no interest in helping the man out. Especially in something far out of his usual elements.


    ¡°Fine then. Tell me once again what is the nations¡¯ bottom line,¡± Johnson asked politely, shifting his tone a little.


    ¡°Use your own brain, that¡¯s what you are getting paid to do.¡±


    ¡°How do you get along with anyone Nick?¡± Diplomat Johnson sighed dramatically.


    ¡°Easy. My sunny personality is a beacon of hope in the forest. Or at least that¡¯s what my wife says.¡± Nick said sarcastically. ¡±Just don¡¯t go overboard with the demands or I will reprimand you in the meeting. Our main concern is the full-blown invasion by the demon race. Our only goal is to push them back past the border nation. And keep their government intact. The land notwithstanding, it would be too expensive to fund and patrol a puppet nation.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll try and have a conscience. Heh, from the talks with the first prince, I can already tell their bottom line. I¡¯ll toe that line.¡±


    ¡°Do that. Any idea on who will be at the meeting? Anyone I have to watch for?¡±


    ¡°Retired General William Habert, Retired Captain of the Guard and Royal Vanguard Tyler Merk, Court Mage Gale Everest, and Crown Princess Alexandra Freal will be leading the conference and representing Alcudia. We will be representing Leit, and Royal Mage Zenith Hall will be representing Appealte interest.¡± Johnson automatically responded. ¡°My talks with the crown prince and Zenith should give us an advantage in the talks; it will just depend on how William and Tyler can negotiate.¡±


    Johnson paused to look at his notes. ¡°This will be the crown princess first true test. By all accounts, the queen has not allowed her free range in court politics. But with MissEverest there, unless they can coordinate their response, we could potentially wrest some benefits from the royal family.¡±


    ¡°So a Vanguard, Defensive General and two¡­¡± Johnson shuffled through his notes, ¡°..Two Wind Mages and a Ranger. It appears that Zenith and Gale studied at the same school; their relationship unknown. So you and Tyler should be the most experienced of the bunch. You actually, since a Vanguard is a defense oriented class,¡± he said confidently as he sat down, posturing himself to look more important as footsteps rang out in the hall.


    As the door opened, a youngish lady walked in. Johnson stood up to greet her amicably. ¡°Ah, Miss Hall, it is so nice to meet you. I hope your talks with the first prince went well,¡± he said politely as he bowed like a gentleman. ¡°We diplomats have to stick together after all, otherwise how would we get any benefits from the royal family ¡°


    Nick eyed the girl. She looked like a child! Zenith had the look of a typical mage, complete with staff, robe and bottles of potions, albeit all formal looking instead of practical. Her light green hair signified her alignment with wind magic. ¡®That¡¯s the problem with mages, age aside; you can tell what classification they study based on their hair color alone.¡¯


    ¡°I was able to get some concessions, just enough to make the Mage Guild and Senators happy,¡± Zenith replied confidently.


    Unlike Leit and Alcudia, Appealte was guild jointly by both the Mage Guild and appointed representatives from the five founding houses, some predating even the Alcudia royal family. As such,Nick knew that she had a much harder time balancing the interests of the families and the mages. He did not envy her job at all.


    ¡°Gale had given me some helpful hints on what the crown prince was willing to negotiate down to.¡±


    Johnson¡¯s smile twitched. ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t know you and Gale knew each other so well. I don¡¯t suppose you have any suggestions for me?¡±


    ¡°She was a former teacher at my school. She was willing to lend a helping hand to a fresh graduate. To answer your question though, maybe you should view this conflict at a higher level than just a national conflict?¡± Zenith smiled slightly. ¡°The mages are not willing to see the loss of the border nation. The Senators want material concessions. I sounded out Gale¡¯s opinion beforehand, so now all that is left is to get the crown princess on board with it.¡±


    Nick smiled slightly behind Johnson¡¯s back. ¡®At least someone has a level head on their shoulders.¡¯ He knew all too well how hard it was finding a balance between the interests of a few and the interests of the nation. Zenith¡¯s eyes swept over Nick, wholly unaware that he was sitting in the room. As a Ranger, his stealth was on par with an Assassin, his Class allowing him to remain hidden in plain sight, so long as he remained unmoved. [Passive Camouflage] made sure he blended into his surroundings, though at times he wished he had a better skill than that.


    As Johnson guided Zenith to a chair to discuss politics, Nick thought to himself for the hundredth time why did he have to come to Alcudia. ¡®Oh right, seniority. I keep telling them to use apprenticeor specialized rangers instead. More practical assignments are needed instead of paper pushers if we want people to be competent when we retire.¡¯


    He paused as he sighed sadly. It had been months since he had been home to his wife and young child. He made a resolution to push the younger rangers out on these diplomatic missions for the future.Closing his eyes, he listened to the conversation drone on and blocked out the sounds in the room. He could sense that a small crowd was headed toward the door. ¡®Five people by the sounds of it.¡¯


    The door opened, and he could practically hear the young man scanning the room for potential threats. ¡°Crown Princess Alexandra has arrived.¡± He declared solemnly. ¡°Arriving with her are..¡± ¡®By the Gods, he must not have that much practice in his post. Negotiations are all about getting the upper hand, just be quiet and stare solemnly as you enter.¡¯ He thought to himself as he remembered the few negotiations he had to lead in the past.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°They know who we are. Lead the princess in and check for threats..¡± a voice sounded out with a sigh. He could hear the voice mutter quietly amongst themselves. ¡°Political acumen up to par she says. I hope I wasn¡¯t that dramatic when I first started.¡±


    ¡®That must be Vanguard Tyler then.¡¯


    ¡°Let the boy announce us. You know he just got promoted to the role.¡± Chuckling, an older man¡¯s voice whispered back to Tyler. ¡°At least he did not try that in front of the whole court.¡±


    ¡®That voice must be the retired general.¡¯ Nick thought to himself. ¡®Three down so far, so that leaves the two females.¡¯


    As he listened, a light breeze whispered around the room. Stilling his breath, he held it until the breeze subsided. ¡®At least this mage knew what she was doing. It is a good idea to check how many are breathing in the room, since it is an easy way of detecting hidden foes.¡¯ Nick knew the few common tricks wind mages used for scouting, as he had developed countermeasures to defend against it while hiding. ¡®Too bad she didn¡¯t do this prior to us entering the room¡¯ he thought to himself.


    ¡°Zenith, so glad you can join us. At least we¡¯ll have one diplomat who is reasonable.¡± A quiet voice sounded out in the room. The air in the room trembled slightly; as if the voice came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. ¡®That must be the royal court mage.¡¯


    Nick opened his eyes slightly. He took stock of the people as they walked into the room. Crown Princess Alexandra walked into the room, her gaze and head leveled. ¡®Good, not too presumptuous. At least she doesn¡¯t lord her position over the diplomats.¡¯ He thought. He watched as the older mage hugged the younger. ¡®I need to ask Johnson about her age, she looks too young to be out of school.¡¯ His gaze wandered over to the retired general and the former guard captain. He noticed that Tyler stopped and looked suspiciously at the chair he was sitting on. ¡®He can tell something is off, but not what. Does he have a Skill that can detect hidden foes?¡¯


    He knew that some Passive Skills could detect when another Skill was currently being used. Unfortunately, he had no other choice other than to use a Skill to hide, as his natural methods involved camouflage. ¡®At least he knows where the threat is at.¡¯ He closed his eyes as he waited for the meeting to start.


    ¡°Now that we are all here, let us begin our conference.¡± Alexandra declared as she sat down at the head of the table. The other¡¯s started to sit down, only Tyler watching the seat Nick was sitting on.


    Unfortunately, Nick was not in the mood to undo his skill. ¡®Hurry up and ignore me.¡¯ He knew that not even Assassins would be so brazen as to announce they were sitting at a table.


    Something was off. Nick could tell at once. Why did the crown princess sit while Tyler was still standing? You¡¯d have to be pretty confident¡­


    Danger!


    Nick jumped up, his daggers about to be out of his sheath¡¯s when a sword was lightly placed on his left shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s all play nice at this meeting. Kind of rude, don¡¯t you think?¡± A woman¡¯s voice sounded out right behind him. ¡°So how about you cancel that Skill of yours before I slice something I probably shouldn¡¯t.¡± He looked back and saw a thirty-year-old or so woman smiling lightly at him. ¡°Nice skills though. My bet is Ranger? Or maybe some type of Tracker? You weren¡¯t planning on killing anyone though, otherwise, Assassin would have been my next choice.¡±


    Releasing his hold on his Skill, [Passive Camouflage], Nick turned around; not abashed at being caught. ¡°And you are?¡±, noting that only Zenith was surprised at their appearance, and Johnson at his predicament.


    ¡°Just a woman who is watching over her godchildren.¡± She responded. Nick noticed how Alexandra slightly blushed at that statement.


    ¡°Royal Guardian? Swordmaster? You can¡¯t be anything less than that.¡±


    ¡°Nope. Warrior.¡±


    ¡®Damn you, Johnson! A close combat battle Class! How did you miss that?¡¯ He glared heavily at Johnson, taking slight satisfaction in how he squirmed under everyone¡¯s gaze.


    Nick knew that anyone with a Class without a distinction before it was a true master of their craft. Even he himself had started worked his way up to a full Ranger, even at his age. ¡®What Warrior Skill can see through a passive skill?¡¯ Nick ran through a list in his mind. ¡®[Heart Sense]? [Enhanced hearing]?¡¯


    ¡°Ah, so you are a Ranger. I pegged you as one since Leit has them by the dozens. Ranger¡­¡± Paige trailed off, waiting for an answer. Nick gave the sword a pointed glance since it was still resting on his shoulder.


    ¡°Ranger¡­¡± she pressed, her sword sliding closer to his neck.


    ¡°Nick.¡±


    Paigepulled her sword back, resting the point on the ground. ¡°Ah! I''ve heard of you before. No easy feat killing a Giant with a dagger and a three dozen arrows. Good job.¡±


    ¡°Your sources are terrible. It was three arrows.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you must have used elemental arrows instead then. Three dozen would have been pretty good for normal arrowheads. I am glad you solved the kidnappings last year too.¡± Paige responded, sheathing her sword. She placed one hand across the chest and the other on the pommel of the sword. ¡°Warrior Paige Alduit¡± her head slightly dipping as she gave a formal warrior bow.


    ¡®I¡¯ll be representing the Guild Hall, as well as little Alexandra¡¯s muscle. Don¡¯t push your luck today.¡± She teasingly said, knowing full well that they recognized her name.


    ¡°Err, a pleasure to meet you Warrior Paige¡± Johnson stammered nervously.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this meeting started.¡± Paige ignored Johnson stammering and sat next to the crown princess.


    ¡°I was under the impression that the Guild Hall would not mettle in national affairs,¡± Zenith interjected. ¡°Has something changed?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no. Unofficially, I am here to represent my friendship with Alcudia''s current queen regent. Officially, the Guild Hall now has a reason to partake in these talks, which we will discuss after we come to an official agreement.¡±


    ¡ª


    After tense negotiations, Paige secretly sighed in relief. ¡®I forgot about those rules for what the Guild Hall is allowed to do. Ugh, I¡¯ll probably have to report this to the Guild as well.¡¯ She was not looking forward to that report.


    Luckily, Paige hadn''t needed to help Alexandra. Gale had met up with them prior to entering the room and briefed Alexandra on the state of the nation and what they could offer to the other countries. With her little intimidation tactic at the beginning, Leit¡¯s poor diplomat had it hard. Paige¡¯s hard stare had allowed Alexandra time to formulate her responses, cutting off his responses before he could pressure her. With William, Tyler, and Gale guiding Alexandra throughout the negotiations, Paige''s mood steadily improved.


    Alexandra stuck to the same agreement her great, great grandparents had signed in the last war, only modifying certain terms to fit the present times. ¡®At least the war reparation via looting was struck off the charter. That had not been a fun year.¡¯ Paige could still hear the cries of starving children in her sleep on her worst days. She couldn''t help everyone, after all.


    ¡®Now I have to deal with Mr. Sunshine over there.¡¯ Paige walked over and sat across from Nick. ¡°Your reputation does precede you, Nicholas. Nick.¡±


    Her smile faltered as she noticed that Nick was staring hard at her face. ¡®Crap, don¡¯t tell he recognized me.¡¯ She had been traveling in Leit for some time prior to the war, so it did not surprise her that they both made it to the castle about the same time. Although she was nominally a part of the Guild Hall, she was surprisingly not allowed to wander into countries without a country-appointed guide. ¡¯Did I do anything illegal recently? Nothing in Leit.¡¯


    ¡°Reten Fief. There had been reports of a sizeable band of bandits, but they had been wiped out to a man by the time the local Ranger arrived in the fief.¡±


    Paige¡¯s face broke into a smile. ¡°Ah, I heard they were terrorizing the villagers over there. Shame they died before the local Ranger could do something about it.¡±


    Nick scowled. ¡°Next time don¡¯t skip the border checkpoints. It would be a shame to kill a fugitive.¡±


    ''Oh, only if you knew...,'' she chuckled at that thought. ¡°Heh, you¡¯d have tocaptureme first.¡±


    ¡°Warrior Paige, are you ready?¡± Tyler asked, using her official title. ¡°Let¡¯s start the next meeting. Captain Riley, please escort Crown Princess Alexandra and Gale out of the room. This is now a Guild issue.¡±


    ¡°But ¡­¡±


    ¡°No Alexandra. This is a Guild issue now.¡± Paige responded sternly. ¡°Leit Confederation Diplomat Johnson, please leave. Ranger Nick, under Guild Regulation Six, all high-rank classes and those assigned a guild level of a hundred fifty and over are required to participate in this assignment.¡±


    ¡°Guild Regulation Six? It might as well be Regulation Ninety! You have no jurisdiction to take¡­¡±


    ¡°That is enough Johnson!¡± Nick said sternly. ¡°¡­Guild Regulation Six does supersede national interests. All high ranked people know what it entails. There are...consequences if we fail to follow these rules.¡±


    ¡°Miss Zenith, this applies to you as well.¡± Tyler turned to address her before she slipped out the door. ¡°We received confirmation before the meeting about your true class and guild level.¡±


    Zenith Hall stopped at the door. ¡°¡­Is that why Miss Paige is here? Regulation Six is a death sentence for Mages." She turned to face them. "We both know that Mages aren¡¯t suited for open battles.¡±


    Paige nodded. Mages were almost always a priority target for enemies. No one was foolish enough to let an enemy Mage have free reign over a battlefield. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be a battle, Zenith. It¡¯s just a reconnaissance mission.¡±


    Nick and Zenith blinked at that. It couldn''t be just a simple as that. ¡°You really think so?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain of it, solely because of the final party member.¡± Paige could feel her eye twitching. She didn''t like who was going to be the last party member.


    ¡°The final member? There shouldn¡¯t be any other high-class individuals free, not with the war going on. I thought Miss Gale said everyone else was on the frontlines?¡± Zenith frowned, but begrudgingly closed the door as Johnson left the room.


    Paige started at "Go ahead and tell her, Tyler. Your the one adamant about bringing her along."


    Tyler responded quietly. ¡°Princess Isabella. She will be the final member of our party.¡±

 Chapter 4

    ¡°Do you know any warding Spells Zenith?¡± Paige asked suddenly.


    ¡°I do;although it takes too much mana to hold for long,¡± Zenith responded, a faint glow protruding from her index finger. ¡°Wait a few seconds,¡± Zenith closed her eyes, her face stilling as she focused on her spell. Paige could feel the ambient mana thin as the mage absorbed the mana to use for her spells.


    Zenith took a deep breath and released her mana into the surroundings. ¡°[[Prison Wind]], [Mana Confinement].¡±


    The air stilled and the pressure swiftly increased as the mana in the air condensed and solidified on the walls. Opening her eyes, she nodded as the glow of the mana slowly evened out. "We''re good now."


    ¡°Earlier this month, our scouts had rescued some of the survivors from the capital city of Terpii. The city is gone,¡± General William announced quietly. He pulled out a map that he had prepared, laying it down on the heavy oak table. Paige could tell that it was a fairly accurate representation of the capital city. ¡°Most of the fighting had been in the royal district and merchant quarters, and those areas have been mostly razed to the ground. The slums and outer residential quarters of the city are relatively intact, bar the city walls. Trent''s army was methodical in that regard.¡±


    ¡°The slums and residential areas are still intact? Why would they do that?¡± Zenith asked the confusion evident in her eyes.


    ¡°Were there any survivors among the Royal Scouts? Although the slums may be watched, I refuse to believe that all of the smugglers'' tunnels leading out of the city were found.¡± Nick chimed in. In his experience, smugglers were often the only people you could count on to leave a trapped city unnoticed. He used abandoned tunnels himself when leaving for some assignments.


    ¡°A few managed to escape, mostly the trainees or their informants. They are currently undergoing therapy. Some of the survivors were not prepared to see some of the things they saw.¡± William


    ¡°Paige, you are the expert here. Break the news?¡± William looked over at Paige, her head bowed as she stared at a relatively accurate map of Alcudia that he had placed on the table.


    ¡°To answer your question Zenith, demons from Trent are different from the demons living in Evidia,¡± Paige said quietly, everyone straining their ears to listen. ¡°Alcudia has a large population of demons living in the country, but most, if not all,hail from Evidia.


    "You can think of Evidia as a border nation, only it''s demons instead of humans,¡± Paige looked between Nick and Zenith, ¡°I know both of your countries look down upon Alcudia, in part because there are a lot of demons and half-bloods in the country. Evidia looks the same way to Trent. Trent is just... darker.¡±


    Zenith¡¯s eyes widened and her face paled as she thought about what Paige was implying.


    ¡°I know most of the legends told around here, but there is some truth to the old stories.Demons can improve themselves with the use of blood sacrifices. And that is a quick death compared to some of the things they do.¡± Paige¡¯s hand shook slightly under the table, unseen by the others. ¡®Gods, it has been a long time since I¡¯ve thought of those horrors.¡¯


    ¡°Classes are the most sought out for blood sacrifices. They have some skills that can enable them to find the most potent blood for their many rituals. But it only works if their target is mostly stationary and confined to a small area.¡±


    Paige grimaced; her eyes hard. ¡°Classes, demons, halves, then humans. That is the order they sacrifice in.¡±


    Everyone stared at Paige, not asking the questions they had on their mind.


    ¡°The survivors reported that the Demon Lord and his subordinates were headed to Mount Terst; more specifically, the royal mausoleum.¡± Stopping the conversation from continuing, William indicated on the model of Alcudia. ¡°Typically, all relics of dubious origin are housed in the vaults there.So there should be nothing there of value that could move a Demon Lord.¡±


    ¡°So why do we care then?¡± Nick said. He had no intention of going on a mission that had a high chance of a pointless death. ¡°Give that job to the scouts. Or make the reward high enough for the Guild Hall to place a bounty.¡±


    ¡°And why is Princess Isabella coming?¡± Zenith asked the question on their mind. Even Paige herself was not certain why she was coming along.


    Tyler hesitated for a few seconds. ¡°We have to go and secure what the Demon Lord wants first. If he wants it, then we want it as well. It may well be the reason why he started this war, to begin with.As such, the Guild Hall has issued a notice to investigate the royal mausoleum. A majority of the Alcudia government is in the dark about it.¡± He looked over at William. ¡°The reason General William is here still is that he is retired and was the one who notified the Guild of the Demon Lord''s movements. As such he will be our contact with the suppression army.¡±


    ¡°In response to why Princess Isabella is coming, the Guild did a comprehensive background check on all people with a Class in the area. They found out that she was born with the Class, a so-called class natural. Regardless of her age, she must come. They wouldn''t allow for an exception, not for this rule.¡±


    Tyler frowned, annoyed at thefact that the information about Isabella was found out. But the Guild was able to dig any secret out eventually, and without the Royal Castle isolating Isabella from the outside world, her class was eventually discovered.


    ¡°...she was born with the Princess Class,¡± Paige begrudgingly supplied, noting that Tyler did not answer the question.


    ¡°So, there¡¯s even an unregulated Princess here. But that doesn¡¯t tell me why I must go.¡± Nick growled. ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time. If it was that important, the Imperial Family would have been here instead of the Guild hall taking the lead.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Time. The formations around the mausoleum are complex, so it should take some time before the Demon Lord is able to gain entry. A Princess is needed to access the royal mausoleum. A strike force consisting of myself, Paige, Zenith, and you will be able to go in and come out with relatively no obstructions.¡± Tyler responded, trying to dodge the question.


    ¡°You know what they want in there, don¡¯t you?¡± Nick asked suddenly. ¡°Otherwise, even the Guild Hall would be hesitant to use Regulation Six so liberally.¡± He knew as well as anyone present that Regulation Six had one requirement prior to being issued; an imminent threat to all of humanity.


    ¡°...A sword. We have reasons to believe there is a heroic class sword being stored in the vaults located deep in the mausoleum.¡±


    ¡°Damn it! Why the hell is a Hero¡¯s sword in an unguarded mausoleum!¡± Nick swore out loud.


    In truth, a hero sword was a popular misnomer, as anyone could use one. In the hands of a Warrior, it was still a better weapon than most, but only by a little. But in the hands of a Hero, the weapon was a boon, a direct gift from the gods themselves to their chosen. Usually, they were placed strictly in the hands of Humanity¡¯s Imperial Family, to safeguard it until a human hero was born and needed a weapon.


    The only problem was any race could have a Hero. A Demon Lord, for instance, was equivalent to a Human Hero. Thus, most races tried to collect these weapons before their enemies could.


    ¡°The mountain itself is a ley line, a natural location for mana to gather. That is why we are confident the Demon Lord will have some trouble with the formations around the mausoleum.¡± Tyler responded confidently.


    ¡°So not only has Alcudia not reported a Princess, but they also have a potential heroic class weapon,¡± Nick said darkly.


    ¡°It was not confirmed, there were only speculations of it. The royal family dug it out not even a year ago, right before the invasion began. As such, even I was just only informed of it when the current leader of the Royal Guard, Captain Riley, handed me a confidential letter from the late king.¡±


    ¡°The queen is head of the state, but the king holds a majority of the military¡¯s power,¡± Paige responded, filling in for Tyler. ¡°The queen told me the last time I visited three years ago, that they had potentially found an ancient battlefield and were planning to excavate it. Did the king actually find something there?¡±


    Tyler responded. ¡°That is unknown. However, the Guild and I cannot think of any other object that would be tempting enough otherwise. The queen was forced to send the news to the Imperial Family, about both the weapon and the princess, but the letter probably will not arrive to them soon enough.¡±


    ¡®That is probably where the information about her class was leaked to the Guild. Still doesn¡¯t explain the sudden invasion.¡¯ he thought quietly to himself.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Nick said curtly. Even he could not find a good reason to dodge this mission, not with a heroic class weapon at stake. ¡°When do we leave?¡±


    ¡°Today, and as soon as we are done preparing. Princess Isabella is at the Guild Hall, being informed of her role. The royal family should know by now, and then it will take us about a two week to get there.¡±


    ¡°I will direct the war efforts to help mask your approach to Mount Terst.¡± General William supplied. ¡°Secure checkpoints have already been placed leading to the mausoleum, so you shouldn¡¯t need a lot of supplies. Safe travels my friends and good luck.¡±


    As they left to go gather travel supplies, only Paige knew that bringing a Princess along might result in unintended complications.


    --


    Isabella was not having a good year. Not good at all. She was happy back in the palace, not a care in the world. But suddenly, her life was turned upside down as the country was invaded. ¡°Please let me just stay here in the castle.¡± she prayed. Although not even remotely close to the style or grandeur of the Royal Palace, the sight of a keep and solid stone walls made her feel relieved.


    Her prayers were short-lived, however, as the Guild requested her presence. Even though the royal family did not have to listen to the Guild hall, with the country in dire straits, her elder sister Alexandra acquiesced to their requests to meet her.


    As the crown princess and next in line to the throne, Alexandra knew that Isabella was unique among their family. She was a Princess by birth, not just by status.


    Royal titles such as Queen and Crown Princess were conferred upon them once the person in question had the recognition of their citizens and was not specifically a ruler¡¯s true class.


    Royal classes such as Princess were rare to receive at birth, since a country and the royal family had to be sufficiently old before it could be inherited, at least according to the few records available in Alcudia.


    As a result, Isabella was kept isolated from the rest of the world; her parents worried that if her class were to be leaked, she would be adopted into the Imperial family instead.


    And now she was about to head to the outside world, even a potential battlefield, without any family, protectors, or comforts. ¡°My class is worthless in battle! Everyone knows that one fact! I do not wish to go.¡± She pleaded loudly, her platinum blonde hair swinging side to side. ¡°Let Alexandra go! She is the crown princess; it is her duty!¡±


    Her voice traveled down the hallway to where Nick was waiting. ¡®Just great, the princess is a spoiled brat. Just the travel companion I wanted.¡¯ It was hard to miss the young princess; her face and arms were a health peach color, and her platinum hair was drawn in a ponytail, a diamond encrusted hair clip holding her bangs to the side. Adding in her haughty manners, her looks and personality instantly pegged her as royalty or someone with a powerful backer.


    He had gone straight to the guild hall as soon as he was done at the castle keep. He had no need to prepare supplies like the others since his training as a ranger mandated that he had travel supplies at all times. Thus, he arrived just in time to watch the guild master break the news to the young princess.


    ¡®I wonder if my daughter will be like that in the future.¡¯ Nick thought to himself. He quite missed his wife and daughter; only realizing now that it had been over two years since he had been home for an extended period. ¡®I¡¯ll cut back on the missions once I am done.¡± he thought to himself quietly, as Isabella complained loudly in the background. Making sure he had recorded the pertinent information, he quickly sent word to his fellow Rangers that he was going on another mission. ¡®...Please, tell my wife that I will be headed home for an extended break after saving the world. Again.¡¯ He quickly sent the messenger bird out the window, as the conversation in the background was ending.


    ¡°Princess Isabella, please be reasonable. Look, even Ranger Nick from Leit Confederation is going on the mission. How can you not step up to the occasion? The destination is the Alcudia Royal Mausoleum, to begin with.¡± Andrew, the guild master responsible for the Alcudia region, responded, chiding the young girl in front of him.


    As the local Guild master, the fit old man had stared down even hardened convicts. Indeed, he was once renowned as a battle-hardened warrior; but the years of bureaucracy had mellowed his personality. The mere sight of a child, not even a tenth his age, throwing a temper tantrum flustered him. ¡®This is what receptionists are for!¡¯ he thought to himself. ¡®Or maybe a secretary is what I need. Yes, I¡¯ll add that to the budget next year. I have plenty of official Guild business to do; I cannot be bothered to deal with every situation at hand.¡¯


    Clearing his throat, he spoke in a loud voice, drowning out the girl¡¯s tantrum. ¡°Guild Regulation Six requires this of you. The Princess Class is considered a higher ranked class, so you are going. And that is final.¡± He pushed her out of his office and locked the door. Isabella instantly turned around and started banging on the door. ¡°You can¡¯t do this! I don¡¯t want to go!¡± as she started crying to herself.

 Chapter 5

    Isabella turned and stared at Nick through tear stained eyes. ¡®She looks like she is eleven or so. Hmph, my daughter is only three, and she has a better temperament than you.¡¯ Nick thought to himself.


    Both turned when the hallway door opened, and Paige and the others walked in, quietly speaking to each other. Isabella instantly dashed toward Paige, giving her a big hug, as tears starting to drip from her eyes.


    ¡°Aunt Paige, help me please!¡± Isabella said while crying in Paige¡¯s arms. ¡°Talk some sense into that mean old man! A Princess should be in a castle, not on a battlefield!¡±


    ¡°I wish I could Isabella. But even I am required to go, much less you.¡±


    ¡°You are going too!¡± Isabella gasped. Although she had no idea how powerful her mother¡¯s friend truly was, it was telling that even she was going on this mission. Her face brightened, ¡®At least I will know someone on the trip.¡¯


    ¡°I can help you on our journey, but it will still be hard traveling for a few weeks. I went and grabbed some supplies for you.¡± Paige said, handing Isabella a bundle of items. ¡°I gave your older sister and Miss Gale a list of what you would need, so at least it is royalty grade supplies.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t Alexandra go? It should be her duty to do this, not mine,¡± she whined as tears gathered in her eyes.


    Paige soothed the troubled girl. ¡°The guild does not discriminate against Class types Isabella. You have a high Class, as such you are going. It will be good for you to travel and gain some experience outside of the castle walls.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but Alexandra has an actual Class! She is an Apprentice Fencer. Okay, she probably is not ranked very high, but it is still higher than my nonexistent battle class! The only Skill I have is [Royal Bearing] for goodness sake!¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t tell people what skills you have; you never know who is listening,¡± Paige said with a frown on her face. For some reason, Mister Tyler hmphed at her little comment.


    ¡°If your mother was awake and in good health, she would be the one going,¡± Tyler responded, getting his emotions in check. ¡°Only a royal title such as Queen or King is able to open the mausoleum. A Prime Minister or Regent might have the qualifications, but that is dubious in nature. A Crown Princess is even less likely.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°No buts. We cannot afford to waste time traveling there only to find out we cannot enter. You have a true Princess Class; therefore, you are going. We will be there to protect you, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± A girl shouted as she entered the hall. Isabella wondered who she was. She looked to be around her age, maybe just slightly older than she was.


    ¡°This is Zenith. She is the mage for our little party.¡± Paige said happily, noting that Isabella was studying Zenith.


    ¡°Not Mrs. Gale? Who is she? We need a true Mage, not an Apprentice!¡± Isabella asked loudly.


    ¡°My name is Zenith. You can call me Miss Zenith or Miss Hall. My official Class is Wind Magi.¡± Although she looked young, she did not like it when she was treated based on her young appearance. ¡°I¡¯ve already finished my schooling, and I was a former teacher to boot.¡± She responded, glaring daggers at the young girl with platinum hair in front of her.


    ¡°Hmph, so a child genius. Big deal.¡± Isabella said bluntly, not liking her attitude one bit.


    ¡°I¡¯m over twenty! I¡¯m just as old as the second princess. I just look really young.¡± Zenith declared strongly. She hated that she didn¡¯t look older; everyone treated her like a child. ¡°Since you are the youngest, you will act as our Apprentice. Be glad you can learn from us masters.¡± She said pompously.


    Paige knocked each of them on the head lightly. ¡°Both of you be nice. Zenith, act your age.¡±


    ¡°Back me up, Auntie!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t show favoritism, Paige!¡±


    Neither one of them were willing to back down from the apparent lack of respect from the other. Isabella could practically feel the mage¡¯s contempt toward her.


    ¡°We need to decide on the leader for the party.¡± Nick said suddenly. ¡°If there are going to be fighting among us, then let''s figure out who will resolve them.¡±


    ¡°I am the leader. My Class demands it.¡± Isabella declared haughtily. Her sad look was now gone, replaced with determination to make the most of her adventure.


    ¡°No.¡± Everyone else chimed in. They all knew the importance of the title Party Leader.


    The Party Leader was able to utilize almost any skill another person in the party had. The other members of the party also gained benefits proportional to the Party Leader¡¯s skill. As such, parties were usually formed to either maximize a team¡¯s advantage or to increase one certain trait.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    As such, the Party Leader title usually went to the person with the most experience or least experience, depending on the mission.


    ¡°But I am the weakest! I need all the help I can get.¡± Isabella pouted angrily.


    ¡°Higher ranked Classes are not that weak. And don¡¯t play ignorant with me; I was there when you threw yourself off the castle keep for fun.¡± Paige said her tone flat. That event had scared her quite a bit. At the time, even she did not know what the young girl¡¯s class was. ¡°Either I will be or Tyler. Thoughts?¡±


    ¡°You can lead,¡± Tyler responded, as Nick just nodded his head in agreement.


    ¡°Any chance of a party fusion?¡± Zenith asked hopefully. Even she had not had the chance to be in a high ranked only party.


    A party full of only Archers would allow them to utilize their training and skills to a more proficient degree, allowing even Apprentice Archers a chance to test out Skills prior to gaining them; while a party of mixed classes would be able to handle a multitude of different scenarios with relative ease. An Archer and Mage only team could even become a unique party such as Magic Archer, combining both traits of a Class into one. It was unknown how the Classes fused or why, but it was helpful nonetheless in a party.


    ¡°Perhaps. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been a leader in a party such as this.¡± She smiled a little sadly.


    Paige gathered her thoughts and mana. ¡®I formally add Vanguard Tyler, Ranger Nick, Wind Magi Zenith and Princess Isabella to my Party.¡¯ Her mana rushed out into the world, the mana taking the shape of dancing tiny swords, with a pale gold color infusing the air around them.


    ¡®You have been invited to ¡®Blessed True Warrior¡¯ Paige Alduit¡¯s Party. [Oath of Silence] has been automatically applied. All applied oaths have been restricted. Do you swear to follow her lead and answer her call?¡¯ A voice rang out, the mana trembling in time with the voice.


    That caught the attention of everyone within the Mana field. Usually choosing a Party Leader did not need someone to use mana to initiate a formal invitation. This was not a practice in the present era. It was more informal these days, with a party being able to disband and grow as needed.


    ¡®This is the reason why I only do missions alone.¡¯


    ¡°Blessed True Warrior. How in my mother¡¯s name did you get that Class?¡± Isabella asked her eyes wide.


    ¡°Secret,¡± Paige responded slyly.


    Even the others were wide-eyed at the mention of her Class. They knew she was skilled, but not that skilled.


    A Class with no specialization was uncommon, indicating they are a master of their chosen craft. Adding an adjective before a Class was rare. Now add two adjectives, Blessed and True to the Class, and it is almost impossible to find a person on record with those adjectives in the entire human realm. A person with those titles would be welcomed with open arms even in the Imperial City, much less a place such as a border nation.


    ¡°True Warrior. Total mastery over not just each specialization, but also every Skill has been trained to Master level.¡± Nick said, shocked. ''No wonder she was confident. I couldn''t take her even if I was in an ancient forest.¡¯


    ¡°How old are you exactly?¡± Zenith asked. ¡°As Diplomats, we are required to know all the high Classes and relevant examples affiliated with each nation. Your name is only on the Alcudian list, and I''m sure your name is only on the top hundred warrior rankings. Not even the top fifty.¡±


    Tyler was interested in that answer as well. He had known Paige the longest and was just as surprised at her Class. ¡®Why would she hide her true class? And how is that even possible?¡¯ He had remembered the party the current queen threw for her friend had when she advanced to a full Warrior, and that was only 40 or so years ago. Even her current Class of High Warrior was a recent addition according to the internal Guild reports.


    The Alcudian and Guild reports he had access to were consistent with each other. By all accounts, she should have been only a few hundred years old at the maximum, two hundred fifty a minimum. Met the crown princess as an Apprentice Paladin, advanced to Page Warrior, and finally advanced to the Warrior Class soon after the crown princess was coronated. Not too fast an advance for someone with her expected age and experience, but not slow either. Her records at the guild had indicated she never expressed interests in joining a party formally, which is why he was willing to gamble and let her lead. Tyler didn¡¯t ask the question on his mind though, knowing it was a discussion for a better time.


    ¡°A party fusion is almost guaranteed then!¡± With that title, Isabella was almost sure they would get a Class fusion.


    ¡°I¡¯m old but young at heart Zenith. Hurry up and decide. I don¡¯t like wasting my mana like this.¡± Paige said, annoyed since she had to concentrate to keep up the mana field.


    Each of them calmed down and accepted the invitation. Each of them knew the ritual to accept a party invitation since it had never changed. ¡®I, Isabella Freal, of the Princess Class, hereby accept the invitation granted by Paige Alduit, of the Blessed True Warrior Class.¡¯


    The mana surrounding her changed from pale gold to a resplendent golden color, rushing toward her core. This surprised her. From what she knew, mana transfers such as this were dangerous since the person chosen as a leader distributed their powers amongst the team. A person willing to sacrifice their own experience would have to be confident in their party. Not many were willing to put their lives and power in their team members like this.


    This was the true reason why formal party invitations were rare.


    As the mana around each of them turned to a resplendent gold, a mana line formed beneath them, outlining the shape of a star below them. Faint symbols could be seen beneath them as the mana rushed from the air to the line, forming an odd pattern of circles and symbols.


    A voice called out to them. ¡°Party Created. Party Members have accepted. Party Class Types confirmed. Party Class Fusion initiated. Party Leader has overruled the decision. Party Class Fusion cancelled. Party Member Skills shared. Party Leader has overruled the decision. Party Leader has lost Class Blessing and True Warrior Class. Apprentice Warrior Class subset shall be applied to all members. Advancement applied. Warrior Subclasses has been designated as Class subset. Warrior Skills have been distributed accordingly by Main Class.¡±


    ¡°Paige, what have you done?¡± Isabella responded, fear in her eyes. ¡®That is definitely not supposed to happen when a party was created. What was that?¡¯

 Chapter 6

    The mana slowly faded away, the symbols and patterns slowly breaking apart beneath them. Each one of them had a shocked face, bar Paige, who had a relieved smile on her face.


    Slowly, she realized that no one was talking. She spoke up, trying to break the silence. ¡°I forget how taxing it is to create a party. I haven¡¯t done that in a while.¡±


    ¡°A Party Leader can actually choose what happens?¡± Nick said, shocked at this revelation. He knew there was a price a Party Leader had to pay in order to create a true Party. As a Senior Ranger, he was required to help train and evaluate the new Apprentices. So, he often created parties and led them so that he could evaluate their performance. Usually, only his unique Class Skills were locked until the Party disbanded; or at worst his Class was repressed down to an Apprentice to match the rest of the party. These disadvantages were only temporary and disappeared once the party was disbanded.


    Indeed, even the Ranger Organization basically outlawed formal parties from being formed by any of the senior leaders. The intentional weakening of the leader in a formal party was a hard pill to swallow. As a result, most missions required only temporary parties. Of the few official missions he had participated in with his fellow Rangers, none of them had required such a huge sacrifice like a permanent Class loss.


    ¡°Huh, it is not the worst that could have happened though.¡± Her tone light with relief as she remembered what the voice had said.


    ¡®That¡¯s not terrible enough for you?¡¯ Everyone thought to themselves.


    ¡°What is the worst that could have happened, Aunt Paige?¡± Isabella asked worriedly. ¡°You lost your Class! What else could go wrong?¡±


    ¡°I meddled with the party creation. I overruled some of the choices but if I tampered with it too much, I could also have been denied the benefits and still lost my class. The Gods are fickle like that sometimes.¡± Paige said nonchalantly. ¡°Well, at least it went through. Now you have no reason to miss out on this adventure, little Isabella.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Check your Class and Skills now. Each of you should have gotten something from my sacrifice.¡±


    Isabella and the rest quickly closed their eyes and focused their mind. ¡®I, Isabella Freal, of my own accord, request my status.¡¯ She said in her mind. Slowly, words formed as she waited patiently.


    Isabella Freal, Princess Knight (Princess Class, Royal Paladin Warrior Class subset)


    Skills: [Royal Bearing], [Divine Right], [Divine Shield], [Divine Protection]


    Isabella was confused. ¡°My class changed to Princess Knight? But Aunt Paige, I thought a Knight was different than a Warrior?¡±


    Paige walked over to her and said out loud. ¡°I, Paige Alduit, request the status of those in the room.¡± Isabella could feel the mana slowly gathering from the surroundings and slowly she could see words appearing in front of each of her companions, their eyes still closed. Paige¡¯s eyes slowly wandered across each of them standing there, as Isabella focused on just her status, trying to read the words backward.


    Isabella Freal, Princess Knight


    ¡°Huh, it is different than what I can see?¡±


    Paige thought about the words in front of Isabella and snapped her fingers. ¡°Ah, a Knight is a Paladin Warrior with a Royal title. Usually, the citizens must truly believe that the person in question will protect the royal family for their entire life. In short, they must dedicate their life to the kingdom. That is why it is hard to find a Knight Class. Most people with the Paladin Class do not stay in one place for long.¡±


    Zenith and the others opened their eyes, and Isabella noticed that everyone had smiles on their faces. ¡®They must have gotten something too.¡¯


    ¡°You haven¡¯t received formal training for long, have you, Isabella?¡± Zenith asked, sensing Isabella¡¯s gaze and noting her confused reaction at her simplified status.


    ¡°Not too long, I just started under the Royal Tutor.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that is the reason then. Normally, simply checking your status would show only your class and skills. The guild and most countries will check this simplified status when you use their checkpoints. This allows them to screen people before they enter or leave.¡±


    Zenith voice shifted, adopting a teacher¡¯s tone of voice. ¡°However, most learn during their early school years how to use a spell called [Advanced Status]. It is not a Class Skill; however, it allows you the ability to see your status in far greater detail. This is something only an individual can use on themselves.¡± She huffed to herself. ¡°You need a new Royal Tutor if that is the limit to your education thus far.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°She had to be hidden. We both know that she would have been taken by the Imperial family if her status was leaked. Her fate is already not in her hands anymore.¡± Tyler said, feeling the need to defend the Royal family¡¯s decision.


    ¡°Well, I can teach you in the meantime, little Isabella.¡± Zenith jokingly responded, her mood vastly improving after seeing how her status had changed. She looked at her simplified status hanging in the air in front of her and watched as it slowly faded away as the mana dispersed into the surroundings.


    Zenith Hall, Mage Crusader


    That put a smile on her face. She quickly looked toward the others, noting only the classes; Princess Knight; Ranger Sentinel, and Vanguard Crusader. ¡®So, everyone did get a Warrior Subclass. This is the best decision I have ever made!¡¯ It was almost unheard of to receive a subclass at their class rank. Most people had to be born with a class in order to get a subclass.


    ¡®Wait, what class does Paige have now?¡¯ Her eyes darted quickly, spotting it just as it faded. ¡®Dawn Warrior. What kind of class is that?¡¯ She tilted her head, frowning slightly. She had heard titles like before, such as Knight of the Rising Sun or Sunset Guardian, but not a class like Dawn Warrior. ¡®Is that a Warrior who can only fight at dawn?¡¯


    ¡°So, I am the leader of this little Party. No fighting amongst ourselves.¡± She looked at Isabella and Paige. ¡°I would like it if both of you could get along. Zenith, since you mentioned her knowledge is a little lacking, could you tutor her on the ride to the mausoleum. Just the basics will do, or any knowledge you deem relevant to her future.¡±


    ¡°How is own your situation, Paige?¡± Tyler asked, worried. ¡°If it comes down to a battle, will you be able to stall the Demon Lord?¡± The whole mission depended on Paige being able to stall the Demon Lord if it came down to a fight.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine; I¡¯ll still be able to stall him. Technically, everyone should have a fighting chance as well with those subclasses.¡±


    ¡°How long will we have our subclass, Aunt Paige?¡± Isabella enjoyed having a new Class and Skills; but, did not like that she was robbing them from a family friend.


    ¡°...The subclasses are yours now. A true Party is different Isabella. I willingly shared my mana with you all, and my mana has already mixed with yours. Even if you died, there is no way that I know of that to get my mana back from you.¡±


    ¡°That seems unfair though. What did you get from us?¡±


    ¡°Nothing; It was the price I paid for meddling with the party creation.¡± She responded lightly. ¡°I really didn¡¯t need any skills from you all. I like who and what I am. That¡¯s why I stopped the party creation before it started to take mana from you to give to me.¡± Her party members looked at each other.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright; I know what I am doing.¡± She smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s head out, we have a long way to go to the first checkpoint tonight, and I do not want to arrive after dark.¡± She said, moving down the hall.


    Nick caught up to her before she reached the end of the hallway. ¡°How are we going to hide our new classes?¡± Nick asked suddenly. ¡°We both know that the guild will check our statuses upon exit and entry to confirm who we are. They will definitely realize something had happened.¡± Certain skills were able to mask your appearance, but it was thought to be impossible to mask your status. Before he saw Paige¡¯s true status, even he thought that no one alive would know, barring perhaps the Imperial Family.


    ¡°The Guildmaster will help us with this matter. All records of our entry and exit to the Guild Hall will be sealed and destroyed by him personally. Besides, I¡¯ll do something too; just in case. I learned a trick just for a matter like this.¡±


    She stilled and closed her eyes. Her mana seeped out of her, a cloud of mana slowly turning into a rope, inching toward each of them. She focused, and slowly she wrapped a thin line of her mana around each of their mana cores located slightly above their waist. Each of their mana cores started to vibrate, shaking slightly as they tried to match the pulsing sensation that Paige started sending out through her own core.


    ¡®I, Paige Alduit, as the Party Leader, hereby Change the Party Status. Convert Status to show Main Class only. Convert Party Member Isabella Freal Status to show Cleric Class.¡¯


    Each of them could feel their cores slowly changing, feeling as if something was changing inside of them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve hidden your class, Isabella. Princess is a little too conspicuous. This is a reason why a Party can be so powerful. But without a good teacher, most will never realize just how important a Party can be.¡± She turned around; one eyebrow slightly raised. ¡°So, make sure you learn a lot from Zenith, Isabella. A good teacher can make all the difference.¡±


    ¡°Can you teach me as well Aunt Paige?¡± Isabella asked, hope shining in her eyes.


    ¡°Of course, but let¡¯s head out now.¡±


    They each grabbed their supplies and headed toward a nondescript door. The guild had multiple secret passages leading toward and away from the building, preventing anyone besides themselves from tracking individual¡¯s whereabouts.


    ¡°Halt, this is a restricted area.¡± A guard stepped out of the shadow near the door. Paige walked up and spoke to the wary guard, Isabella following close behind her.


    ¡°My party have permission to use this door.¡± She opened her bag and withdrew an official guild report.


    ¡°Please step in front of the door.¡± The guard stepped aside after reading the report. Even though the report said not to monitor or record their information, he watched the plate on the top of the door carefully from the corner of his eye.


    Paige Alduit, Warrior.


    Isabella Freal, Cleric


    Nicholas Brent, Ranger


    Zenith Hall, Wind Magi


    Tyler Merk, Vanguard


    The guard was shocked. He did not think that the party in front of him was too impressive. He had assumed that two of the party members were mere Apprentices; the girl with platinum hair an Apprentice Cleric, and the other young girl an Apprentice Mage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Paige shouted, and Isabella looked forward to her adventure outside the castle walls.

 Chapter 7

    Paige and her party had left the Castle Molt in all haste to make it to the first resupply checkpoint before dark, located just outside of the castle¡¯s territory. It was during that time that Tyler had revealed the full route to the mausoleum. ¡°The mausoleum is located close to the royal capital. You''ve seen the latest war briefing, and the demon army has occupied almost half the country so far; mainly focusing on the cities and towns to the west of the capital. This is problematic since most of the checkpoints the guild set up were based around farming communities.¡± He grimaced. ¡°With these towns occupied, we have two main choices. The first, we sneak into these towns and have a potential fight on our hands. If we are lucky, the demon army may have already moved on. Or second, we can follow the general path and forage off the land.¡±


    Nick spoke up first, studying the map Tyler had laid out. ¡°I¡¯m for checking out the towns. Most of the supplies will be easy to find on the road, but if we have time to stop, let¡¯s stop.¡± Zenith and Isabella nodded together.


    Paige traced a route on the map with her finger. ¡°The frontlines are around the fifth checkpoint. That means we have about ten days of safe travels, and then up to two to three weeks of dangerous travel.¡± She pointed at a relatively larger town close to the front lines. ¡°We won''t use any of the established checkpoints after we reach the frontlines. So, everything before Trulton is fine; after that, we will strictly forage for supplies. After that point, any travelers will be under surveillance, from both sides. Let¡¯s not risk exposing ourselves too early.¡±


    ¡°What is General Williams plan? How are you coordinating with the suppression army?¡± Paige asked. The others looked at Tyler as well. This would influence the latter part of their journey.


    ¡°We are using homing pigeons right now to coordinate. We do have some message scrolls we can use if we encounter an emergency though. The priorities right now are the granaries and iron mines. The suppression army is hoping to use these to reduce the need for a supply line. Attack move capture. He has already sent orders to start attacking the captured towns and castles. Some of the castles on the defensive lines have not fallen, so the suppression army is trying to send reinforcements to them.¡± He pointed on the map to a location south of their destination. ¡°Castle Lidale, Vord, and Masthe are their main targets right now. Since the royal castle has been thoroughly destroyed, the crown princess has decided that once Castle Masthe has been retaken, it shall be renamed to Castle Terpiine, and will be the new location for the royal capital.¡±


    Paige thought for a minute. ¡°Okay, our general plan after the fifth checkpoint will be to follow the rivers toward the mausoleum. Will the suppression army be able to advance that far so soon?¡± She turned toward Zenith. ¡°I know Appealte is closer to the frontlines than Leit. How soon could the reinforcements get to Castle Vord?¡±


    ¡°The Mage Guild and the major families had already prepared their armies to deploy by the time I left. I have already messaged them the results of the negotiations, so I suspect they should be crossing the borders soon.¡± Zenith pointed at the map, to a location south of Castle Molt. Castle Vey is about a five-day march to the border, and another five days to Castle Vord. So Appealte reinforcements should be actively attacking by the time we reach Trulton.¡±


    ¡°Leit¡¯s reinforcements will reach Castle Lidale within ten days.¡± Pointing at a castle west of Trulton. ¡°So, they should start pressuring the frontlines around the same time we are trying to sneak past it.¡± Nick was hoping that he would cross paths with some fellow rangers.


    ¡°We might cross paths with Leit¡¯s reinforcements depending on our travel speed. Do you know which places they might be stopping at to resupply?¡± Paige asked Nick.


    He looked at the map and pointed at a castle northeast of Trulton. ¡°They probably will not stop at any of the towns. My best guess is they will stop at the just the castles instead. He traced a line from Castle Patel to Castle Lidale. We should cross paths with them somewhere past Trulton.¡±


    ¡°What about our pack animals? Are we able to change them out anywhere?¡± Nick asked. He did not like leaving his specially trained Ranger horse at the guild.


    ¡°We will have guild trained pack animals.¡± he indicated toward the mules sitting down around them. ¡°I know that Leit¡¯s horses are well trained, but the guild trained horses are not too far behind.¡±


    ¡°Ranger horses are specially trained, not Leit¡¯s. I¡¯d just feel more comfortable if I could bring my own horse.¡± Paige and Tyler nodded at that.


    ¡°What¡¯s special about them?¡± Isabella asked. In her mind, a horse is a horse, no matter their training. ¡°Do they have special abilities or something?¡±


    ¡°A Ranger¡¯s horse is their companion,¡± Nick responded. ¡°Their training allows them to travel the forests unhindered and with less noise.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a special breed of horse, Isabella. Just like how the army has specially bred battle horses, the ranger horses are specially bred for intelligence instead.¡± Paige replied dryly.


    Nick clarified his position, thinking Paige was undermining how good their horses really are. ¡°Any trained horse will listen to basic commands; a trained battle horse will not flinch in battle, but a good Ranger horse will be able to assess the situation and have a feel for what I am trying to do.¡±


    ¡°So, the horse is a mind reader?¡± Isabella questioned, her face showing disbelief.


    ¡°Not a mind reader, but intelligent,¡± Nick responded, a smile on his face.


    ¡°How do you hide it then?¡± Isabella questioned. ¡°If a horse is that intelligent, everyone would want one, wouldn¡¯t they.¡±


    ¡°Ranger horses are bred so that they look like draft ponies. If you were a thief at an inn, and the stable had a messenger horse, a battle horse, or a farmer¡¯s pony, most would pick the messenger¡¯s horse. We train our horses so that no else can ride them, even if they want to.¡±


    ¡°How do you do that?¡± The idea of a trained battle animal intrigued her greatly, although she would rather have an intimidating war hound or an attack eagle instead. And the idea of an animal only listening to her was even better, as no one would be able to take it away from her, not unless she wanted them to.


    ¡°Ranger Secret. Who wants to have first watch?¡± Nick said, ending that conversation. He unrolled his bag as he settled in beside a tree.


    ¡°Isabella will always take first watch.¡± Paige decided ¡°One of us will stay with Isabella on the first watch to teach her anything we deem necessary. Then we¡¯ll rotate the order between me, Zenith, Tyler, and Nick.¡±


    They all agreed and left to set up their campsites. ¡°Isabella, go set up your tent. We can talk afterward.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°Are you fine Isabella?¡± Paige spoke to the young girl after everyone had fallen asleep. The campfire was running low on fuel.


    ¡°Huh? Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± Isabella responded back, adding some twigs to the smoldering fire.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°If your mother was awake, she¡¯d probably resent this journey too.¡± Paige chuckled ¡°Although, that is how I met your mother anyways.¡±


    Isabella scooted closer to her Aunt. ¡°Mother always told us you were our Aunt, but how did you meet her? She said it was just an accident.¡±


    ¡°It was a hunting trip the royal family proposed, mainly so that your mother could meet potential candidates for her marriage,¡± Paige said, dwelling on the past. ¡°As they were headed to the hunting grounds, they were attacked by a team of demons from Trent. It was never mentioned to the public that demons from Trent were roaming the country, mostly because they were in small groups. Anyways, your mother was separated from her guards and she drove her horse straight into the woods.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± Isabella asked. Her mother had never mentioned any part of this story. ¡®She just said they met during a royal outing.¡¯


    ¡°I met her in the woods. I was hunting a pair of boars that were terrorizing a local farming village I had recently passed by and was offered a free stay in the inn if I could kill them.¡± She smiled in remembrance. ¡°It was an easy enough job, so I took it. So here I was, out in the middle of nowhere, when a young girl on a spooked horse rode by. I thought it was strange, so I asked if she needed help.¡±


    ¡°You stopped her to ask?¡±


    ¡°No silly, I ran next to her and asked if she needed help.¡± Paige shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I have a movement Skill that lets me run pretty fast. She said she was lost and needed help. So, I took her back to the village and we got to know each other.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Isabella replied. Surely something else must have happened?


    ¡°I was accused of kidnapping a princess and was forced to fight my way out of the kingdom, whereupon I swore vengeance unless she became my friend.¡± Paige looked at her, a smile on her face. ¡°That only happens in stories. But sometimes, your best friends can be met just like that. A random meeting. A helping hand. She asked for help, and I was happy to help.¡±


    She settled into her seat by the fire, her back facing the camp as she looked out into the forest. ¡°It took two weeks to get back to the capital, and with no money to our name, we had to finish requests each night before we were able to make it back. I think it made her a better Queen to be honest, since she got the chance to see how her citizens lived and worked. We¡¯ve been friends ever since.¡±


    She glanced at Isabella as she pulled her cloak around her, trying to still the cold autumn air from reaching her. Paige waited until Isabella was comfortable before she began talking again. ¡°Being a crown princess is hard. You must maintain your image, showcase your talents, protect the dignity of the royal family. I think I was her only real friend before she met your father and Gale.¡±


    ¡°So anyways, I kept in touch every other with Rebecca every couple of months, and eventually we did some adventures together. Your grandmother was rather protective of her though, so there was always a pair of Royal Guards following us. Tyler probably remembers those times as well, since I would duel him every time Rebecca left the castle so that we could have our little adventure by ourselves. That¡¯s how we became friends with your father and Gale as well. We were a team.¡±


    The fire slowly died down again as they sat in silence. Paige waited for Isabella to speak her mind.


    ¡°What will happen to me now, Aunt Paige?¡± Isabella asked quietly, her eyes absently staring at the dying fire. ¡°Mother told me what would happen if my class was ever revealed. I don¡¯t want to leave my family.¡±


    She turned toward Paige, the glow of the fire turning her hair from platinum to a low orange. A shred of hope shined in her eyes, slightly covering her despair. ¡°Will you be able to stop them from taking me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Paige hesitated to give an answer. ¡°When your mother gets better, we will decide what to do. I could do something to stop them, but that is a last resort option.¡± She looked into the young girl eyes. ¡°I am certain I can stop them up until you are almost an adult. But beyond that, we will have issues.¡±


    Both said nothing, knowing full well who they had to face in the end.


    Isabella got up and sat next to Paige, settling down and resting her head on her shoulders. ¡°Anything is better than nothing, Aunt.¡± She started to drift off to sleep. ¡°How come you didn¡¯t tell mother about your class?¡±


    ¡°Knowing would change nothing and everything, Isabella. You are young and kept away from court politics. If you had seen how your siblings grew up, you¡¯d be wary of people too.¡±


    ¡°Your mother had her guard up against me almost all the way up to the capital. She didn¡¯t have any other siblings to fight for the throne, but she did have many suitors and nobles who tried to influence her from a young age. In your mother¡¯s eyes, I was just another person who could be trying to manipulate her, even though we met randomly.¡±


    She looked down and saw the young girls¡¯ eyes close. ¡°Get some sleep Isabella, we have a long journey ahead of us.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°Nick, your shift.¡±


    Nick opened an eye slowly. His stared past the treetop at the constellation Leo above him. He whispered quietly. ¡°It¡¯s barely past midnight Tyler. Aren¡¯t royal guards supposed to stay up all night guarding?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but it is also a good time to talk.¡±


    He got up slowly as Tyler sat down on the opposite side of the tree. ¡°I¡¯ll take this side of the camp.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about? We¡¯ve barely known each other for half a day¡±


    ¡°To be fair, our records on you are extensive Nick.¡±


    ¡°Same could be said about you Tyler.¡±


    Both hesitated for a moment. Although Leit Confederation, Appealte and Alcudia were neighboring countries, each of them had strained relations with each other. If not for the sudden war with Trent, Alcudia would most likely be testing the borders right about now.


    ¡°Paige,¡± Nick said after a moment. He also had some questions that he hoped Tyler could answer. The numerous secrets surrounding Paige had scared him to some extent. ¡°You¡¯ve known her the longest out of all of us. How did she hide her class all this time? Our records on here are scarce. She doesn¡¯t interfere in national affairs unless the royal family is involved. The only known battle she participated in against Leit was when the Queen was captured and close to childbirth.¡±


    Tyler chuckled. ¡°That was the first question Zenith had asked as well.¡± He sighed to himself. ¡°We don¡¯t know either. I¡¯m almost positive the Queen did not know her true strength though. Otherwise, she would never have hesitated to go on those little adventures in her youth, not with a guard that strong.¡± He rubbed his arms distractedly. ¡°I always thought she was just a bit luckier than me; our duels had even odds if I were to believe the bookies.¡±


    Nick wasn¡¯t so sure though. How could someone hide that well for so long? ¡°And her Class upgrades were consistent? Nothing out of the ordinary?¡±


    ¡°She was friends with the crown princess at the time. The Queen had her entire background dug out; even the relatives of her supposed childhood friends were interviewed. We knew she was older than she appeared, but the guild reports collaborated our findings.¡±


    He turned his head sideways, looking at Paige and Isabella sleeping soundly next to each other. ¡°Those with Battle Classes age slowly, everyone knows that. We just assumed that she was born with a Warrior Class, so her age and looks would not match, regardless of her class rank.¡±


    ¡°She was just an Apprentice Paladin at the time she met the crown princess, so it didn¡¯t take long for the spies to figure out where and when she was born. You don¡¯t get a class like Paladin without having the drive to protect loved ones from evil. Her Class upgrades, Skills, and training were consistent too. Even within the Royal Guards, we praised her as an optimum warrior, since it seemed like she had a Skill for every occasion.¡±


    ¡°Was it all a lie?¡± Nick asked quietly. He did not like what he was hearing. Someone who was able to act that well had to have specialized training. Hiding your skills that deep was not something you could explain away.


    ¡°No, her friendship with Queen Rebecca is real. She truly cares about her and the kids.¡± Tyler responded instantly. ¡°Her true class though, I wonder what she had to go through in order to get it.¡±


    ¡°And how old she is. The hasn¡¯t been a large-scale conflict in centuries. You don¡¯t get those titles through sparring and practice.¡±


    Nick hesitated to ask his next question. ¡°Why was she out of the country when Alcudia was attacked? With her actual class, she could have defended the capital alone.¡±


    ¡°That is harder to explain. The queen had sent her to negotiate with the Imperial family,¡± Tyler sighed as he scanned his surroundings. ¡°The Queen did not think the war would last that long or go that far into the country. At the first sign of the Demon Lord, she had already made up her mind to ask the Imperial family for help. According to the king¡¯s letter, once they found the sword, they both asked her to negotiate with the Imperial family. My guess is that after Paige heard the news about the royal capital falling, she relayed the message to the Guild and came back. I could see her doing that.¡±


    ¡°The queen trusts her that much?¡± Nick asked calmly.


    ¡°Yes. She trusted that Paige would choose what is best for Isabella.¡±


    ¡°Do you still trust her?¡± His attitude toward Paige would change based on his answer. He would still make his own decision, but it did not hurt to know where his companions stood.


    ¡°Yes. Although I¡¯ll probably take her decisions into consideration. Her class is special.¡±


    ¡®I will too.¡¯ Nick thought to himself. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to learn from Paige.


    ¡°Get some rest, I can handle the rest from here.¡±


    Tyler agreed and nodded off to sleep. Nick thought deep into the night.

 Chapter 8

    ¡°So, is everyone getting along?¡± Paige asked loudly to the group as they headed off deeper into the woods. Paige had already decided to test her companions foraging and game hunting skills. Since they were going to have a few weeks of hard travels, it was better to know in advance if her party could manage without supplies. She had already told the party to help Isabella out, if she needed it. Nick had elected to stay at the campsite and Paige agreed; fully knowing that he would have no trouble with this little exercise.


    ¡°Aunt, this is the third time that you asked that question. In the last half hour.¡± Isabella said despondently. ¡°Why not ask something else?¡±


    ¡°Because, little Isabella, our party needs something to bond over.¡± Paige responded sagely. ¡°A party full of strangers is not a party. That would be a mob. We need to at least get to know each other.¡±


    ¡°What about our subclasses? When can you teach us more about them?¡± Zenith asked as she strolled through the woods. ¡°Do you have any suggestions on how to use them to our benefits?¡±


    ¡°I have some suggestions, but I need to see you in battle before I offer any comments. My insights will be different than yours since your main class will have the most impact on how you approach a battle.¡±


    Isabella thought that was weird. ¡°Why would that matter Aunt?¡± ¡®A Warrior Class is all about hitting enemies in close quarters. Get close, hit enemy. What else could there be to it?¡¯


    Zenith cleared her throat, catching Isabella¡¯s attention. ¡°I have years of training as a Mage, but just five days with a warrior subclass. I¡¯m hoping that we will be able to fight something before we reach Trulton or go behind the frontlines.¡± Zenith added. ¡°Most experts will say having a good teacher and studying is the best way to learn about practical applications for specific classes. But as a former teacher, I used to teach my students that the best way to learn is in a battle, whether it is a mock battle or a real battle.¡± Paige followed Tyler down a different path than them, heading into a deeper, darker portion of the forest.


    Zenith hopped across a small stream, motioning Isabella to follow her. They quickly found an animal trail and started to follow it. ¡°The reason is because everyone learns a little differently and everyone has their own preferences. For example, some prefer using a powerful skill versus a fast spell, or long spells versus slow skills. A battle will almost always tell you if your thoughts are correct.¡±


    ¡°You see Isabella, the most powerful spell I have as a Wind Magi takes over three minutes to cast. The weakest spell I can cast takes two seconds to cast. Now, which one will I most likely be casting in a battle?¡±


    ¡°The weaker one?¡±


    ¡°It all depends on the situation at hand. Give me a week to prepare for a battle, and I¡¯ll use my strongest move right at the beginning. If I can surprise the enemy, I would choose a fast and accurate spell; If it a warrior or a monster that is not used to fighting mages, I would use a concealment spell or a long-range spell.¡±


    ¡°What happens if they are close to your level, Miss Zenith?¡±


    ¡°Zenith will do just fine, little Isabella.¡±


    ¡°Isabella will do just fine as well then.¡±


    Zenith chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll stop calling you little when Paige does.¡± She slowed down a bit, seemingly noticing something up ahead. She started to whisper ¡°if they are close to my level, I probably would not fight them. Some people are not worth fighting.¡±


    Zenith and Isabella stopped as they see a deer up ahead, ¡°Watch. [[Air Pressure: High]] [[Sleepy Wind]].¡± The deer looked up and tried to bolt away, but ran into a tree, seemingly dazed. ¡°[[Cutting Wind]]¡± A squirt of blood shot out of the deer¡¯s neck, quickly killing it. ¡°You see Isabella, even though I could have used my new subclass to fight it, or some of my Mage Skills, but even simple elementary spells such as these can be just as effective in a battle.¡±


    ¡°Miss Zenith, why do mages use spells instead of skills?¡± Isabella asked, trying not to look at the dead deer in front of her. She noticed that Zenith was oddly practiced in processing the deer carcass lying in front of her.


    ¡°You see, skills and spells have two very different uses. Every class has certain skills that help define the classes from each other. For instance, a swordsman and a spearman will have the same basic Warrior Skills, but each set of skills will be closely aligned with the weapon. That is why when you get to the high rank, the class simply becomes Warrior.¡± She separated the deer head with the same spell and started to look for something behind the eyes. Isabella started gagging at the sight.


    ¡°Therefore, you can say that skills are almost always class restricted. You would almost never see a Mage with Melee Skills such as [Battlefield Sense], [Rapid Cut], or [Three Second Dash]. On the other hand, a Warrior with [Mana Sensitivity], [Mana Sense], or [Magic Molding] would be rare as well, since most Warriors would not need these magic-related skills.¡±


    Zenith¡¯s eyes brightened as she found a small bead behind deer¡¯s left eye. She threw the head into the bush and looked at the rest of the deer carcass. ¡°Are you okay little Isabella? Is it too bloody for you?¡±


    ¡°Go on, I¡¯ll manage over here.¡± She noticed that Isabella refused to look in her general direction.


    ¡°Now, where was I? Ah, spells. Spells are generally faster, use less mana, and do not depend on your class. They mostly depend on your alignment and natural talents. Some people can only check their status and nothing more. Others can learn only one set of spells, and others can learn every type of spell.¡± She pointed toward her pale green hair. ¡°For example, the idea that you can broadly define a mage by their hair color is a fact. As the mana becomes more concentrated in the body, it starts to define itself in this way. Thus, the characterizations. You could think of it as green for wind; blue for water; red for fire, white for healing.


    ¡°Does that make sense? My Skills define me as a Mage Class, but my Spells define my specialty. Together makes me a Wind Magi.¡±


    ¡°Then what would platinum hair be?¡± Isabella asked, pointing at her hair.


    Zenith frowned, ¡°I¡¯ve never taught anyone that had your hair color, so it could be anything or nothing at all.¡± she shrugged ¡°It just depends on if your aptitudes. There have been some debates that suggest that some classes can influence mana types, but that has largely been ignored. The gods may grant us our class, but our choices determine who we become. Now come here, I¡¯ll need help carrying dinner to the campsite.¡±


    ¡ª


    After gathering her nerve, and her stomach, Isabella gingerly helped Zenith carry parts of the deer back to the campsite. She was relieved that no one else was back yet. ¡®At least I can change, and no one will notice me.¡¯ She looked around and started to take off her bloodstained clothes.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°At least go into a tent before you start stripping.¡± A male voice sounded out behind of her.


    ¡°Ah!¡± She started to scream in panic. ¡®Who said that? I was sure there was no one nearby.¡¯ She turned and saw that Nick was calmly sitting on a dead tree stump, not even five feet away from her. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in little girls.¡± He said dryly. ¡°My wife is the only woman I need. And this is exactly why I did this now instead of after Trulton. A competent scout would have heard that scream from a mile away, even this deep in the woods.¡±


    He turned and caught a cast iron pot right before it clocked him on the side of the head. ¡°Aim for the body next time, you¡¯ll have a better chance of hitting someone.¡± He threw it back at Zenith.


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you some spells to detect anything hidden, little Isabella.¡± She gave Nick a reproachful look. She was about to start cooking when she heard the scream.


    ¡°I was sitting here the entire time. I never left the campsite.¡±


    ¡°You should have warned her first.¡±


    ¡°Well I wanted to see what she would do,¡± Nick said unapologetically.


    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m telling Aunt Paige. Let¡¯s see who¡¯ll get the last laugh.¡± Isabella said with a scowl on her face.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Miss Zenith, ah, I mean Zenith, thank you for teaching me.¡± She turned and saw that Isabella had changed her outfit to something more suited for the outdoors. ¡®But¡­why the cape?¡¯


    ¡°Nick said he would help me choose an outfit, as an apology.¡± She twirled, the mottled green cape floating slightly in the breeze. ¡°He said this was the best outfit to use in the forest.¡± Zenith stood up from her cooking pot and walked around Isabella. She was now dressed in dark-colored clothing, an eclectic mixture of what looked like a mix of a standard archer and warrior clothing. Her high neck collar was fanned out, hiding her pale neck, and the green cape stopped slightly below the small of her back, a few inches past her platinum hair. The leather bracers on both her arms looked new, and her tight brown pants showed off her childish figure. She had replaced her diamond hair clip with a wooden bow and arrow pendant instead.


    ¡°Your welcome little Isabella, I¡¯m just glad my little lessons helped.¡± she smiled, and the girl ran off; putting the hood on and pretending to be a Ranger herself.


    Isabella herself was proud of how she looked. Normally, she would not have the chance at wearing anything other than dresses and the like, and not form-fitting pants. ¡®The cape even had a hood! And Miss Zenith said that she¡¯ll teach me spells soon! This is great!¡¯


    ¡°Nick, why the cape?¡± Zenith asked. She noticed that the cape matched Nick¡¯s own cape.


    ¡°It¡¯s my extra Ranger cape and pendant,¡± he said as he pointed toward his own cape. ¡°We had to make do with what we had at hand. Her outfit is pretty good, although at the next village we¡¯ll need to go ahead and get her some boots.¡± Zenith looked back, noticing that Isabella still had flat, city shoes that were better suited for cobblestones than the irregular forest terrain. They both watched as the girl played in the forest, flourishing her cape dramatically. ¡°The cape and hood will help hide her hair. We should decide tonight what color to dye it though; since you can hardly miss her hair color.¡±


    ¡°If anything can dye it. I¡¯ve tried to dye my hair before; nothing really keeps.¡± She shook her hair. ¡°My mana has already seeped into my hair; everything I¡¯ve tried so far from the alchemists will only last a few days at best, a couple hours at worst.¡±


    ¡°Have you figured out which way she is leaning, class wise? We both know how important that is.¡±


    ¡°I think she is leaning towards magic based skills and related affinities. I can try a few tests to determine what her aptitude and class are leaning toward, but it will take some time.¡±


    ¡°I talked to Paige before you all left; she says we¡¯re done traveling for the day. I¡¯ll finish making dinner if you can start the preparations.¡± Zenith eyed Nick warily. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m a great chef. It¡¯s all in the spices.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°Zenith, what did you find in the deer¡¯s head?¡± Isabella, quite tired from her playing, stopped and asked Zenith; who was drawing circles into the ground. ¡°And why are you so practiced at cutting animals apart?¡±


    ¡°Some animal species are valuable to a mage. And it is usually more cost efficient to hunt them down yourself than pay for parts.¡±


    She sighed to herself. ¡°It¡¯s said that most people do not like working with mages since it is the one profession that wastes more money than blacksmiths and alchemists combined. The reason is simple, good materials are costly. Honestly, I envy other professions sometimes, partly because they can make do with almost any material. Mages though must be picky, for the one reason that all materials handle magic differently. Look at this glass orb, for instance, the one that I found in the deer this morning.¡± She pointed to the glass orb in the middle of the circles. ¡°This is the reason the deer panicked this morning. The deer could sense a change in mana in its surroundings. It had actually developed its own mana core.¡±


    She pointed down to her stomach. ¡°Humans and demon mana cores are located near the stomach, while animals or monster cores are usually located in their heads. This is the reason most people will check the heads of anything they kill first. Most hope to get lucky.¡±


    ¡°So how much does this glass orb cost?¡±


    Zenith appraised it for a bit. ¡°Depends on who needs it. I¡¯d probably spend a hundred gold on it.¡±


    ¡°A hundred gold! That could feed a family for a year!¡± Isabella was shocked. How could such a small bead be worth so much?


    ¡°It has the property of detecting mana. That in of itself is a relatively useful function. I¡¯d be surprised if the pendant Nick gave you didn¡¯t have a crushed or embedded core in it.¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± Nick said from across the campsite. ¡°I have a few different pendants to choose from, each one having a different core embedded in it. That one will heat up if mana is being directed toward the wearer.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Asked Isabella.


    ¡°Let¡¯s test it out.¡± Zenith eyed the girl and cast a relatively harmless spell. ¡®[[Updraft]].¡¯ A wisp of wind blew underneath Isabella, catching her cloak and causing it to float like a leaf on a breeze. ¡°Is it getting hot or not?¡±


    Isabella touched the pendant in her hair, but it did not feel any different.


    ¡°Use a Skill or an attack spell,¡± Nick responded back.


    ¡°That seems like a bad flaw.¡± Muttered Zenith.


    Nick could guess what Zenith was thinking. ¡°It is a design choice. That pendant will only detect skills or attack spells targeted at the wearer. It¡¯s more important to know if I need to dodge an attack and how quickly rather than know if someone is casting any random spell in our general direction.¡±


    ¡°What kind of monster has that kind of core?¡± Zenith asked. She had to admit that was a useful thing to have.


    ¡°Secret. Just try an attack. The more powerful it is, the hotter the pendant will get.¡± He walked up and stood behind Isabella. ¡°Try a slow, weak attack on her. I¡¯ll intervene if she can¡¯t dodge fast enough.¡±


    ¡°Okay. [Wind Shaping], [[Cutting Wind]] ¡± She focused and used a skill to shape the wind into a disc, coloring the wind a murky, pale green color. She could see her mana floating inside the disc, holding the wind in place. Zenith looked over at Isabella, the girl getting ready to shift her body to the left. She launched the disc, paying attention to the pendant hanging in the girl¡¯s ponytail.


    Isabella jumped sideways out of the disc¡¯s path and watched as it tore down a tree her size straight down the middle. Dazed, she looked back at Zenith, disbelief in her eyes. ¡°That was a weak spell?¡±


    ¡°Relatively weak spell. Didn¡¯t you see how murky green that spell was? IF I was serious, it would be a blazing green color and would move much faster. Is it hotter now?¡±


    She had watched the pendant the entire time. and it didn¡¯t show any changes to its appearance.


    Isabella touched the pendant and was told Zenith it was noticeably warmer. She looked at it carefully, trying to see how it was made. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± Nick said dryly. ¡°The pendant has been warded to explode if it is tampered with.¡± Isabella shot him a look of horror. ¡°It won¡¯t catch your hair on fire or anything; just break into a million little pieces.¡±


    She gave up after hearing that it was warded. ¡®Can¡¯t do much without a dedicated lab anyways.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and check your affinity once Paige and Tyler get back, Isabella.¡± She indicated at the circle in front of her. ¡°Just don¡¯t step on the core or the lines I¡¯ve drawn. Now, let¡¯s go and critique Nick¡¯s cooking.¡± Zenith said with a smile.

 Chapter 9

    ¡°Did you find anything Aunt?¡± Isabella and the others had already started eating by the time Paige and Tyler arrived back at the camp.


    ¡°We found a few wolves, but those are not good eating. Luckily, it smells like you found something delicious though.¡±


    ¡°Deer! Guess what, Mister Nick is a really good cook.¡± Exclaimed Isabella, nibbling the meat on her plate. ¡°He even found some wild herbs in the area too.¡± She got up and twirled, showing off her new outfit. ¡°And Mister Nick even gave me a cape and badge.¡±


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s nice of you Nick. What happened?¡± Paige asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Nothing. We need to do something about her hair though.¡± Nick said as he easily deflected her question.


    ¡°Ah, I was thinking about that too. I have some tea leaves; we can drink some tea and then start to dye her hair.¡±


    ¡°Tea leaves? Can that actually dye hair?¡± Isabella wondered; looking at her platinum hair.


    ¡°Yup, it¡¯s an easy fix. Coffee will work too, but neither will last long.¡±


    ¡°What about the mana in her hair?¡± Zenith asked. Isabella wondered why she looked so sad.


    ¡°We¡¯ll color it each morning if it fades. It¡¯s not like it costs us anything besides a bit more ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Aunt, Aunt! Guess what we are about to do!¡± she said mysteriously. It didn¡¯t take long for Paige to figure out what was different with the camp.


    ¡°We were waiting for you to come back. I found a mana core, so we can test little Isabella¡¯s affinities.¡± Zenith remarked.


    ¡°Have you tested the core out yet? How reliable is it?¡± Paige asked as she inspected the magic circle Zenith had drawn.


    ¡°The mana core will resonate to indicate how strong her mana is, and the magic circle I¡¯ve drawn around it will help identify any affinities she has with."


    ¡°Isabella, what are you hoping it will show?¡± Paige questioned her. ¡°Has Zenith taught you about affinities yet?¡±


    ¡°She has a little, mainly about hair colors and how they relate to mana.¡±


    Paige looked over toward Zenith. ¡°Ah, well that is one part of mana.¡± Zenith blushed.


    ¡°I was going to go more in depth before I started. Go get something to eat and we can teach her about it together.¡±


    As Paige and Tyler sat down to eat, Zenith brought Isabella to the circle. ¡°So, this is a magic circle. The main thing you need to know is always be wary of magic circles, especially if you did not see how it was constructed.¡± She pointed at one of the many symbols she had drawn earlier. ¡°For instance, look at the one that looks like a squiggle with a diamond around it.¡± Everyone stopped and stared at her; causing her to blush fiercely. ¡°It¡¯s what it looks like!¡±


    ¡°You mean the ancient symbol of Earth?¡± Isabella looked at Zenith weirdly. ¡°You said you were a teacher, right?¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to know what your old mentor taught you! You barely knew the differences between spells and skills, and yet you know how to interpret ancient symbols?¡±


    ¡°Of course. The palace is littered with magic circles, so my teacher taught me some of the basic symbols so that I would understand what would happen if I stepped on one.¡±


    ¡°You think magic circles are that common? They are not something anyone can just put together.¡± Zenith chided Isabella lightly. ¡°Even the Mage Guild only has a few magic circle formations around the guild buildings.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve seen Paige set them up. She even taught me some for pranks.¡±


    ¡°Pranks? Who would waste a mana core on something as trivial as that? Besides, how could a Warrior like Paige set up a magic circle?¡±


    ¡°Aunt Paige, back me up! Tell them you can do it!¡± Isabella turned to her aunt, knowing full well she could indeed do the same as Zenith. Nick and Zenith turned in disbelief.


    ¡°Hey now, I may be a Warrior, but I do know how to set up magic circles. Even Tyler can do it.¡± Paige said dryly. ¡°The Vanguard Class is like the Battle Mage Class, except with an emphasis on Warrior instead of Mage skills.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± This was the first Zenith had heard about how to get the Vanguard Class. Usually, the prerequisites needed for any individual class was a national secret.


    ¡°Paige¡­¡± Tyler looked askance at Paige.


    She hesitated. ¡°You might have glossed over it during the party creation ceremony but do remember there was an [Oath of Silence] that was applied to our party. It is ¡­ a complicated skill. Basically, any secret said in our Party will stay in our Party. You may have noticed it in little ways.¡±


    ¡°My Ranger pendant for instance,¡± Nick responded. ¡°That is one of the greatest secrets of the Ranger Organization.¡± He realized he had told Zenith and Isabella about how they worked.


    ¡°The oath is a form of trust for the party members. We can¡¯t even use what we know once we leave the party. If you ever tried to share or use the knowledge outside of the party, you¡¯ll subconsciously forget the conversation even happened.¡±


    ¡°Then can you share your history with us?¡± Nick asked succinctly.


    ¡°Perhaps another day,¡± Paige responded. ¡°Now, back to magic circles. I can set them up, but only small ones. You might be thinking of the Interlocking magic circles. That is way outside of my expertise, but I do know some basic ones.¡± Isabella watched as Paige closed her eyes for a second. ¡®I thought it was so magical how Aunt Paige did it; Zenith created her magic circle differently.¡¯


    A small circle of white mana appeared around Paige, and she slowly formed them to create a row of symbols. ¡°Engrave¡±. Isabella watched as her aunt¡¯s mana dispersed and left a copy of it burned in the ground. ¡®Haha, Miss Zenith¡¯s eyes look like they are about to fall out. Mister Tyler and Mister Nick¡¯s eyes shared the same look. Is it that uncommon?¡¯ She thought silently. ¡®Maybe I do need to reevaluate my aunt¡¯s skills.¡¯


    ¡°That that that¡­¡± Zenith kept repeating to herself.


    ¡°Looks familiar? It''s [Mana Overload]. Typically, only a high-class Mage would know this skill,¡± Paige responded, filling in her sentence.


    ¡°Mana Overload? I thought you said Warriors couldn¡¯t have Mage skills.¡± Isabella questioned to Zenith. She had stated pretty heavily that warrior and mage skills were quite different.


    ¡°She can¡¯t! That¡¯s impossible! The Warrior Class can¡¯t take both physical and magical properties! Your body should be unable to tolerate high levels of mana.¡±


    ¡°Not impossible. Improbable. And you are right; I don¡¯t keep a lot of mana in my core; mainly so I don¡¯t get mana poisoning.¡± Paige shrugged. ¡°A friend taught me this Skill.¡±


    ¡°Your friend can teach high-level Mage skills to non-mages?¡± Zenith¡¯s head started to spin. ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°You really know a lot of different people, huh Aunt?¡± Isabella said, her eyes shining with joy. ¡®Maybe Aunt Paige can stop the Imperial family from taking me!¡¯


    ¡°A few here and there. Although using magic circles for pranks was kind of a waste of a mana core. I¡¯m glad you had fun though.¡±


    ¡°Argh, back to the symbols Isabella." Zenith decided it was a waste of time to evaluate Paige''s skill. "You must be wary of magic circles since the different symbols could interact weirdly. There is a whole school of thought dedicated to uncovering new combinations of symbols.¡± Zenith pointed at the circle she had drawn, ¡°Memorize these combinations of symbols. This is an advanced affinity circle; usually, only specialty schools or guilds would have one of these and would hide them from view. Be wary of these, since they may uncover more than you would like others to know. But you should always know what a basic affinity circle looks like,¡± pointing at the smallest circle she had drawn, ¡°as every school or large city will have one.¡±


    ¡°Now, hurry and step into the circle, and grasp the mana core.¡± Zenith pushed the girl into the circle. ¡°Just be careful not to mess with the symbols! We¡¯ll test your class affinity first. Go ahead and use a skill.¡±


    ¡°Any Skill? Should I use my main class skill or my subclass skill?¡± Isabella looked toward Paige, who answered her. ¡°Either. Your mana won¡¯t change affinities just because you are using a different skill.¡±


    She thought of the only Princess Skill she had. She said quietly in her mind, ¡®[Royal Bearing].¡¯ She watched as the air around her grew stale, as the mana in the air and from her core rushed toward the symbols that had started to shine. Zenith and the others gathered to watch the symbols glow. Zenith commented about what was happening to the confused Isabella. ¡°When you are standing in a magic circle, the symbols will activate instead of any skills or spells; once enough mana has been detected to activate the symbols. Otherwise, it will just stay inactive.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°My guess is her class is leaning toward a magic based skill set. Physical oriented skills would be an odd choice for a Princess.¡± Paige said, waiting for the mana to stabilize in the symbols.


    ¡°Says the person who knows advanced mage skills as a Warrior,¡± Zenith remarked dryly.


    Isabella focused on the symbols that her mana was gathering toward. They had bypassed the smaller circle and were heading toward the larger circle beyond. She darted a glance at Zenith, who quickly her what was happening. ¡°The advanced magic circle will tell us which way your class characteristics are leaning. The basic circle will tell us which elements your mana is aligned to.¡± Her mana quickly separated into three different streams; one heading toward the mana core in her hand, and the others going toward the different circles. The core in her hand flashed with a brilliant light and the symbols on the ground started going out one by one.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s see...It looks like your class is purifying your mana; meaning you will be able to hold more mana than a typical warrior could. This is a good indicator that you have a greater potential as a mage than a warrior.¡± Zenith said after studying the mana core in Isabella¡¯s hand. ¡®Cool, maybe I can learn lots of different spells like Miss Zenith then,¡¯ Isabella thought to herself.


    ¡°And the other symbols?¡± Isabella asked. She knew a few of the symbols that were still glowing, but not all of them.


    ¡°Hmm...that one there is greater affinity toward healing...and that one is lower affinity to light...huh? A lower affinity toward darkness too? That¡¯s strange.¡± Zenith mumbled. ¡°Rare, but not too uncommon. Usually, you¡¯d see something like fire and water affinities mix.¡±


    ¡°You can step out of the circle Isabella,¡± Zenith called out. Isabella quickly stepped out of the circle; the mana in the symbols abruptly fading away. ¡°Is anyone else going to try?¡± Isabella asked, hoping to see what affinities everyone else had.


    ¡°The mana stone and circle won¡¯t be able to handle our mana,¡± Paige responded, dashing Isabella¡¯s hopes. ¡°As you get older, the amount and density of your mana core change. I suspect that mana stone like that can only handle so much mana before it explodes.¡±


    Paige looked toward Zenith for confirmation but still asked, ¡°It¡¯s your mana stone, do you want us to try it? I¡¯m fairly certain it will shatter though.¡± Paige looked at the magic circle as well. ¡°The circle will probably break as well since we didn''t really use any materials. The symbols would have to be engraved with mithril, or maybe gold before it would be able to handle our mana.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I mainly drew it to test Isabella¡¯s affinities. It¡¯s hard to teach someone if you don¡¯t know what their strong points are.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me what your specialties are at least?¡± Isabella asked, hoping someone here could teach her some spells that aligned with her own affinities.


    ¡°Mine are greater flame, lesser steel,¡± Tyler responded. ¡®Steel?¡¯ Isabella thought, but Tyler was still eating and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    ¡°Mine are greater nature, lesser wind,¡± Nick responded. ¡°This is partially why I can hide in a forest so well.¡±


    ¡°My affinities are lesser wind, lesser healing. So, I can teach you some spells,¡± Zenith remarked a little sadly.


    ¡°Not greater wind? I thought you were a Wind Magi?¡± Isabella said confusedly.


    ¡°I made up with hard work and diligence. Even geniuses can fall behind if they lack the proper work ethic.¡± Zenith said, her tone hard.


    Nick answered Isabella''s question from the side, ¡°Don¡¯t judge someone by their affinities. Schools will usually place more emphasis on those with greater affinities. I¡¯d be surprised if she had an easy time in school, especially if she went to a specialty school.¡±


    Isabella looked Zenith in the eye; easy since they were about the same height. She noticed that she had a sad look in them. ¡°Even my family looked down on me because of it.¡± Zenith said as she looked away from Isabella.


    ¡®I¡¯ll apologize later,¡¯ Isabella said quietly to herself. ¡°What about you, Aunt? What affinities do you have?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the best person to ask about affinities,¡± she responded. Isabella was skeptical; with all the secrets her aunt had so far, it would not surprise her if her aunt had a greater affinity toward all the elements.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any affinities.¡± She said lightly. Zenith turned toward Paige in shock.


    ¡°None at all?¡± Her voice matched her expression.


    ¡°Nope. My mana is completely empty of all the elements.¡± She turned toward Isabella to explain. ¡°The reason Nick told you Zenith was most likely bullied in school is related to this.¡± She drew a few lines on the dirt in front of her. ¡°A person with greater affinity can easily turn their mana into that affinity. Let¡¯s say for each mana they use in a spell, they can create two or three wind mana out of it, but only one mana or less for any other type of element.¡±


    Zenith walked over and picked up where Paige stopped. ¡°The problem with lesser affinity is that the conversion is higher. For each mana I use, I can create one wind mana; even lesser for other types of elemental spells.¡± She held her hand in front of Isabella; her mana quickly changing from a misty white to a pale green color. ¡°If I tried to create fire, it would take more mana to create, hold, or use. As a Mage, this means that I am basically limited to either wind or healing for my spells. This is the reason why my hair is pale green instead of bright green, because my affinity is mixed.¡±


    She looked over at Paige. ¡°Greater, lesser, adept, normal, none. Paige can¡¯t use any elemental spells; even elemental skills might be out of her reach.¡± She looked inquisitively at Paige, remembering that her mana was a golden color, instead of the white it was now.


    ¡°I have a few elemental skills, but my class used to make up for my lack of affinities. Class skills seem to bypass the affinity restriction to some degree. It¡¯s better than nothing at least.¡±


    Isabella looked toward Zenith and pleaded with her. ¡°Could you teach me some healing spells? Or, really anything? I¡¯ll settle for some basic spells.¡±


    Zenith hesitated. ¡°Well, usually you need permission from your parents to take a teacher, but¡­¡± Zenith looked toward Paige, ¡°Is it alright for me to be her magic teacher?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll approve it since her mother isn¡¯t here. Make sure you listen to Miss Zenith.¡± Paige warned Isabella, ¡°Taking on a teacher is a big responsibility since you will be representing Miss Zenith to some degree.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll listen!¡± Isabella went over and hugged Zenith and quietly said to her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about asking about your affinities. I didn''t mean to upset you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I should have gotten over it by now,¡± she hugged the young girl back. She sighed but gave a tight hug, ¡°Some things just hurt longer than others. Hopefully, you¡¯ll learn that someday later, rather than sooner.¡±


    Releasing her hug, Zenith decided to go ahead and start teaching Isabella and elected to take the first watch. ¡°Isabella and I will take the first shift. It''s still pretty sunny out, but I can dye our hair during our shift; you guys get some rest.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to dye your hair too?¡± Isabella said. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°To blend in. Plus I also want to see if it works better than the Alchemist¡¯s brews I bought. I swear I¡¯ll hunt them down for a refund if this works better than their stuff.¡±


    ---


    ¡°Have you asked Paige how you should use your Knight subclass?¡± Zenith suddenly asked Isabella. After they dyed their hair in the black tea, they had talked long into the night about the spells; and she had even shown her a few examples of healing type spells. They looked like siblings now, and even talked like siblings as well; during this time, they got to know more about each other, and Isabella started talking to her more comfortable; like she was her older sister instead of a mentor or a stranger.


    ¡°Not yet, I¡¯ve tried my new skills though. I don¡¯t notice anything different, so I must be doing something wrong.¡± She was slightly disheartened at her failure. Surely the skills had to do something remarkable or do something in general.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel too bad. Some skills present themselves in surprising ways. Maybe it¡¯s just not the right situation yet Isabella.¡± Zenith wondered if this is what siblings were supposed to talk like. Barring the age difference, they had the same personalities; which made it easier for them to get along. ¡®I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve had a civil conversation with my siblings since I¡¯ve left for school. Or at least not since before my affinity was revealed to be lesser wind. Clearing her throat, Zenith continued on, ¡°For now, I''m experimenting on my own too see what my new skills can do too. Hopefully, the knight subclass will do more than that.¡±


    ¡°What are subclasses supposed to do? Are they really that helpful? You were originally hoping for a party fusion instead.¡±


    ¡°Certainly. There are certain drawbacks when you decide whether you will be a mage or a warrior, especially for our bodies. As a Mage, my physical strength will be weak, but my mana capacity will be large. And vice versa for Warriors. Now, our stamina and overall health will be the same, since our classes will help our bodies stay in shape. If you were a Farmer or Merchant, it might be different; but for battle-classes, this is almost always the case. A party fusion would have been nice, but the benefits would disappear as soon as the party was disbanded.¡±


    She adjusted her position so that she was back to back with Isabella. ¡°A subclass circumvents this issue. Some of the best-known heroes had subclasses for instance. The increase in strength is probably less for Nick and Tyler since they are basically physical battle-classes; but for our classes, it is a good boon.¡± She smiled. ¡°All things considering, this isn¡¯t a bad party.¡±


    ¡°Have you been in a bad party before?¡± Isabella asked sleepily.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been in a few. I¡¯ve never been in a formal party like this though. It is a nice change though. Not having to be wary against your own party members. Hopefully, you won¡¯t have to deal with this when you go to school.¡±


    ¡°If I go to school. I might not even get a chance; no one has really told me what happens to Princesses once they join the Imperial family.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Zenith had nothing to say about that.


    ¡°...what does happen Zenith? Will it be all right?¡± Isabella grabbed her hand tightly. She noticed it felt cold. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to leave my family.¡± She could feel her shaking slightly.


    ¡°...It will be alright Isabella. Paige promised, and I¡¯ll promise too. It will be alright.¡± Zenith comforted her quietly.


    ¡°What does happen. Please tell me. Please.¡±


    ¡°...sigh. I haven¡¯t seen anyone from the Imperial Family before, but their reputation precedes them. Most of the Princesses are passed between the Imperial Scions, in the hope that one will birth a hero. In other words, a concubine. If you can birth a hero, you can become an Imperial Consort for a Scion and maybe fall in love, but otherwise, it¡¯s a loveless, hopeless life.¡±


    She noticed that Isabella was shocked silent. ¡°At least, that''s what I¡¯ve heard anyways. The rumors could be wrong. But your parents did take a great risk in hiding you; I know the Imperial Family deals harsh punishments for those who break their rules. You can tell they really do love you, Isabella.¡±


    ¡°I know. I used to get mad my mom and dad because they never let me go outside the castle. Aunt Paige was one of the few people outside of the castle that I talked to. She told me it was for my own good as well, so I eventually got over it. She told me a secret though.¡± Zenith noted that Isabella hesitated for a long time. She finally whispered quietly. ¡°I think she was a Princess as well. Or someone from the Imperial Family. She said she could relate to my situation and would try her best so it wouldn¡¯t happen to me.¡±


    Zenith responded quietly back ¡°It wouldn¡¯t surprise me, not with her main class. But why she¡¯s out in the borderlands instead of the mainland is surprising. Just take comfort she is your Aunt, Isabella. That will have more bearing on what will happen than anything we can do.¡±

 Chapter 10

    ¡°Look, sister! A city! We are finally at a city.¡± The farmers working the fields saw two young girls and their dad walk out of the path from the forest. Their dark brown hair and mismatched outfits looked odd; but, with the war going on there had been many refugees from the other side of the country heading inland.


    ¡°Hamlet. A proper city would have a wall and would check our status upon entry, Isabella.¡± Zenith replied; playing her part as Isabella¡¯s sister. She was glad her hair had stayed a dark brown from the tea staining. With their hair dyed, they looked almost alike, albeit one had longer hair than the other. ¡®I still can¡¯t believe that worked. I¡¯m going to kill those alchemists. I was even glad when they gave me a repeat discount!¡¯ She was still mad about how much money she spent trying to dye her hair. Luckily, Isabella¡¯s mood was infectious.


    ¡°Hamlet, village, town, city, capital, metropolis. They all describe the same thing. A place where people gather.¡± Isabella replied smartly.


    ¡°Not quite Isabella. Zenith¡¯s answer is more accurate. A village and a hamlet are usually more spread out. Most will have at least one central marketplace though and they are usually ruled by an elder or one of the oldest people in the region. Anything larger than a town though will have walls, multiple marketplaces, and are lead by either an elected mayor or whoever the court appointed to rule the region.¡± Tyler added in. ¡°Thus, it is quite important to know when traveling what the next stop is; because some goods just can¡¯t be bought in certain places.¡±


    ¡°A hamlet such as this suits our needs just fine. We need more spices for our travels, since Nick is so picky with the cooking supplies; and we need shoes for you Isabella. Hopefully, we can get both here,¡± Zenith added. ¡°Plus, with so many refugees here it will be easy to get updated information on the war effort.¡±


    Zenith had wanted to give Isabella a chance to run around free for a while. There were no threats that a Vanguard and a Wind Magi couldn¡¯t deal with; not in a hamlet this small. Plus, she felt a little guilty telling the girl what her future would hold.


    It was certainly entertaining watching Isabella try and barter for goods; she clearly was not used to buying supplies by herself. Isabella was too easily distracted by the shopkeeper¡¯s numerous sales pitches. ''At least there weren¡¯t any Merchants around; her gullible nature would lead to empty pockets in no time.'' Zenith thought wryly.


    ¡°A pair of boots; my size to be exact. Three sticks of cinnamon, four bundles of white clove, twelve leaves of oregano, sixty-four stalks of parsley and dried carrots¡­.¡± Isabella listed the ingredients just how Nick had taught her. ¡®Really Nick, why not just say a bundle of herbs?¡¯ Zenith shook her head. She supposed measurements really did count when cooking. She usually cooked with her nose first, eyes second, and taste last. ¡®I better stop her before the shopkeeper decides it¡¯s not worth it.'' ¡°We¡¯ll take all of it,¡± she responded, cutting Isabella off mid-sentence.


    ¡°Sorry miss, but I really can¡¯t sell all my food goods to you.¡± The shopkeeper responded wryly.


    Zenith frowned. ¡°We have the gold for it,¡± she said as she flashed a single gold coin. ¡°I know you¡¯ll make a decent profit on it.¡±


    ¡°Sorry little miss, but there is a mandatory ration in place. Most of the supplies are going toward the frontlines. Eighty percent of all food goods are headed that way; leaving the last twenty for the regions behind.¡± He looked at the two of them and warned them quietly, ¡°You sister¡¯s should probably have someone protect you when you go out; there have been a lot of bandits in the area due to the number of refugees coming this way. There¡¯s already have been reports about missing people.¡±


    ¡°Bandits?¡± Isabella exclaimed, shocked that there would be bandits this close to the frontlines. ¡°Why would there be bandits here?¡±


    ¡°Deserters most likely. Not everyone is cut out for service or are patriotic,¡± The shopkeeper said sadly. ¡°The past year hasn¡¯t been the best for morale. To be fair, the crown princess and the first prince are leading well, but they are no king or queen. I only hope Queen Rebecca can get better soon, then the nation will be alright.¡±


    Isabella thought that was a weird statement. ¡°Why would that matter?¡± Zenith and the shopkeeper stared at her. ¡°Did I say something wrong sister? Mister?¡±


    Zenith sighed loudly, ¡°please forgive my sister, mister. She hasn¡¯t done all that well in school.¡± Isabella blushed; not knowing what she said wrong.


    The shopkeeper laughed, as he measured Isabella¡¯s foot and started to look for a pair of boots that would fit her small feet. ¡°Mister Harry. Or Old Harry will do. My sons didn¡¯t do well in school either.¡± Isabella blushed even harder at that statement.


    ¡°The Queen¡¯s skills, young miss. Do you know of them?¡± He asked kindly.


    ¡°Umm, isn''t it something like [Nation¡¯s Blessing]? Or is it [Army¡¯s Blessing]?¡±


    ¡°Your right! At least you¡¯ve learned something in school. My boys couldn¡¯t even name the royal family.¡±


    Zenith spoke to Isabella, filling in her lack of knowledge. ¡°Although Queen is a title and not a class, it does grant some very useful skills.¡±


    Old Harry picked up where Zenith stopped. ¡°Even an old shopkeeper like me knows it¡¯s important. When the queen is awake, every person in the government will work toward the betterment of the nation. Or that''s what the rumors say anyways. Same for the King¡¯s skill; the army will not break from lack of morale.¡± He sighed. ¡°That is why the nation is so on edge. With the queen injured and the king dead, the nation is barely hanging on. If not for the numerous national heroes propping the frontlines up, I¡¯m afraid the Demon Army would have already occupied the whole country.¡±


    Isabella shook. ¡°Is it really that bad?¡± She had thought her older siblings could do just as well as their parents had done.


    ¡°There¡¯s been talk of civil war.¡± Old Harry grimaced. He adjusted his features after noticing Isabella blanch in fear. He didn¡¯t want to scare children. He cleared his throat and continued. ¡°But our national heroes will stop it before it comes to that. I hear that even Old General William has come back to lead the army. The nation is in good hands and it will be even better once the Queen awakens.¡± He bundled the supplies up in an old sack he had lying about his shop. ¡°Take this and be off quick. Remember, watch out for bandits.¡±


    Zenith smiled and told the shopkeeper as they left ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about bandits anymore, at least for a while. Thank you!¡± They skipped off out into the streets. ¡°Heh, they¡¯d have to have classes in order to deal with deserters.¡± Old Harry just laughed it off, not knowing how close to the truth he had been.


    --


    ¡°Zenith, do you think my mom will wake up soon?¡± Isabella asked quietly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know she was that well liked.¡±


    Zenith smiled back at the girl. ¡°Our internal reports indicated that your mother was a great queen; else she wouldn¡¯t have the title to prove it. When she was young, she and Paige went out on adventures throughout the country. They mainly did small things like fulfilling a request or to simply sightsee, but the citizens loved it. They called her the ¡®the citizen¡¯s princess¡¯ since she stooped down to their level to help them out. That was why there was such a big riot when she was injured; she was the moral support for the citizens throughout the war thus far.¡±


    ¡°If the queen matters that much to a country, then how do Leit and Appealte function?¡± Isabella was thoroughly confused about this matter. ¡®It is just a title, so how could it influence a country? I thought only the class mattered.¡¯


    ¡°They are alike but different. Appealte is ruled by the Mage Guild, but it also has governing houses, or you could call them the founding houses. Instead of a single person upholding the country like your mother, the bloodline of the founding houses protects the country. So long as the bloodline exists, the country will exist.¡± Zenith said proudly.


    ¡°Then what happens if one is destroyed? Or if a founding house goes into ruin?¡±


    ¡°The other houses would help it through. Or, that is the hope anyway. No family is quite willing to test out what will happen.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "That really didn''t answer my question though..." Isabella was skeptical that Zenith actually knew what would happen, butZenith''s shrug ended the conversation.


    They walked slowly to the meeting spot they had agreed to with Tyler. Isabella, getting bored at the plain houses they were passing, asked: ¡°So, what will happen to Alcudia if the queen doesn¡¯t wake up?¡±


    Zenith hesitated to answer but went along with the question. ¡°My guess is that if the queen dies, the nobles will split up into factions. The only reason they have not is because of the war. But If the queen is not awake once they take back most of the country, I can almost guarantee there will be a civil war between the Crown Princess and the First Prince. It¡¯s all theoretical though because your mother will wake up.¡±


    ¡°But how do¡­¡±


    ¡°Your aunt. She speculated that the queen will most likely awaken. She thinks it''s just taking longer than expected to flush whatever she was poisoned with from out from her system. Paige thinks there must be a Skill at play from whoever attacked her."


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great then!¡± A weight had been lifted from Isabella¡¯s chest. She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of losing another parent in so short a time.


    As they walked toward their meeting spot with Tyler, Zenith noted that a few people had marked them and were following them as they walked the main street to the marketplace. ¡®They¡¯re marking us as targets. Are they possible bandits? Not like they could kidnap me, but I don¡¯t want to worry Isabella.¡¯


    ¡°Eyes straight ahead Zenith. I¡¯ve seen them already.¡± Tyler said quietly, appearing behind a bend. ¡°Let not put a damper on Isabella¡¯s mood. From the way they move, they are army scouts. I told William we were likely to stop at one of these villages, so chances are he has some posted at each location. I¡¯ve already flashed the call sign we¡¯ve agreed upon, so they should...¡±


    ¡°Hey there young lads, care to join us at the Hunter¡¯s Inn?¡± A young man and his two travel companions asked. Zenith noted that the two behind them slowed down and spread out. ¡°Refugees such as yourselves should rest a little at times too.¡± He winked playfully at Isabella and Zenith.


    Isabella stepped behind Zenith, looking at the strangers warily. Tyler stepped forward to adress the people in front of them. ¡°Sure, we can, but only if you¡¯ll pay,¡± Tyler said with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Haha. Sure, we¡¯ll pay for you and your daughters.¡±


    ¡°Great, thanks. The skies have been busy with falcons.¡±


    ¡°And the trees have been filled with Rangers.¡±


    Tyler smiled and told Isabella and Zenith in a low whisper. ¡°That¡¯s the call sign. They¡¯re Royal Army Scouts.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Isabella¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°So, they aren¡¯t trying to kidnap us or anything?¡±


    ¡°Only if you want us to.¡± The man smiled. ¡°But that¡¯s more hassle than it¡¯s worth.¡± He led them toward a rundown tavern closer to the outskirts of the town. After giving the barkeep a glance and flashing five fingers, the man nodded his head and stepped outside, shutting the door behind him. His two companions went to either side of the room, securing the exits; while the other two following behind sat outside, watching for any threats. ¡°Officer Steve, reporting for duty.¡± He said while completing a standard salute. ¡°We have secured the information you requested from General William.¡±


    Shaking hands with the officer, Tyler responded. ¡°Great. What is the situation at Castle Lidale? How are the frontlines doing?¡±


    ¡°Castle Lidale has been holding on. The first prince is currently leading the army there. The front lines are holding steady, and moral is not an issue. There have been reports that small units of enemy scouts have infiltrated the countryside surrounding the castle though. General William says to go ahead to Trulton but be wary of enemy scouts. Divert to Castle Patel if necessary.¡±


    Officer Steve stopped to catch his breath. ¡°General William also reports that The Leit Confederation¡¯s reinforcements are heading toward Lidale as well. He estimates that they will start pressuring the area around Lidale in about a week; hopefully moving any enemy units toward Lidale instead of Mount Terst. Our scouts have said there have been no movements from the Demon Lord since he has arrived at Mount Terst. They believe he and his party are testing the environment around the mountain.¡±


    ¡°He must be looking for the ley lines,¡± Zenith added carefully. ¡°It is almost impossible to circumvent formations without studying the surroundings. We should have plenty of time still.¡±


    ¡°Tell the general we will still stop at Trulton in three days and will decide which route we will take via messenger falcons.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    Isabella hesitated, working up the nerve to ask Officer Steve. ¡°Has my mother awoken yet?¡±


    Officer Steve looked at the young girl critically. ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°Third Princess Isabella,¡± Tyler responded quietly.


    ¡°Ah, I thought she died at childbirth?¡± Officer Steve gave the young girl a formal salute, the other two officers stationed in the room followed suit. ¡°You do look a little like the Crown Princess.¡± Officer Steve gave Tyler a look of confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated. And restricted information, make sure all of you say nothing of this matter.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± All three officers in the room gave Tyler a formal salute. They knew that he was the former royal guard and knew many of the royal family¡¯s secrets. ¡°The queen has not awoken yet. She is currently at Castle Patel since that has the closest Healer¡¯s Hall.¡±


    Isabella sighed with relief. ¡®At least mother is getting professional help.¡¯


    Tyler looked through the plans the general had sent, gauging the best path to take for the remainder of the journey. ¡°Is there anything else? Why are there so many scouts here?¡±


    ¡°Besides giving you the updated information, we¡¯ve also come here because of the deserters. There have been reports of bandits in the area, so we thought we¡¯d wipe them out.¡± Steve replied gravely. ¡°It¡¯s a damn shame that the army isn¡¯t unified. But without the King¡­¡±


    ¡°Leave the deserters to us. Although Nick and Paige have probably found them,¡± Zenith was about to speak up when Tyler spoke for her. Looking toward Isabella, he outlined his thoughts. ¡°Don¡¯t undercount Nick¡¯s training; he knows the signs of people traveling in a forest. He probably could spot it easily, even without knowing the situation. This is one of the original jobs Rangers are tasked to do in Leit.¡±


    Isabella and Zenith were confused, the former greater than the latter. She understood after thinking about it for a moment. ¡°Ah, Leit Confederation.¡± She heavily stressed the last part. She turned to Isabella to explain. ¡°Leit is made up of many different fiefs, coming together as a whole only for national interests. But because of the many opposing views, it is hard for them to come together to form a national army; since each fief must send a certain amount of people based upon their population and proximity to the battlefield, Rangers are there to monitor the fiefs and arbitrate any problems.¡±


    ¡°And also to make sure deserters are punished. No army likes deserters miss.¡± Officer Steve responded. ¡°It makes the citizens nervous that army soldiers are prowling around killing and looting, especially when their own families are off on the battlefield and cannot protect their loved ones.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of the deserters around here. Hand me a messenger bird, and I¡¯ll let you know what we find. Let¡¯s go Zenith, Isabella.¡±


    ---


    ¡°So, Nick, have you tried any of your subclass skills yet?¡± Paige asked Nick quietly.


    Tyler was right about Nick¡¯s training; the Ranger had noticed a large group of people was traveling in the forest and they both decided to investigate. Paige had left most of her armor behind in favor of a leather vest.


    ¡°Some. Although they are useful skills, I don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ll use them. Ranger¡¯s rely more on camouflage and long range rather than close combat.¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t fought Rangers before.¡± Nick took a hard glance at Paige, going over past casualty reports. She rolled her eyes at him. ¡°I haven¡¯t killed any of the ones I¡¯ve met. I respect the work you do for your country.¡± Paige continued, keeping her tone level. He had noticed that she was not making much noise as they traveled through the forest. He gave her an inquisitive glance.


    ¡°Formal training of some kind?¡±


    ¡°I knew a few Ranger¡¯s myself; even taught a few. Heard of Ranger Diana?¡±


    Nick stopped in his tracks. ¡°Stop joking around. There hasn¡¯t been another female Ranger in over four hundred years; not since the organization was officially created.¡±


    ¡°I know. You really think a bunch of guys started the organization on their own. Who do you think funded them initially? The border nations must be united. Alcudia needed a strong neighbor, just in case of an invasion such as this; not small fiefs fighting amongst each other.¡±


    Paige walked through the underbrush, taking careful steps; her leather clothing muting the sounds of the twigs brushing against her. ¡°I helped fund and train the Ranger Organization. In fact, most of them eventually settled down inLeit because they felt they were making a difference to the people there. Ranger Diana and Ranger Daniel were twins who I trained together.¡±


    ¡®Damn, that is two of the original founders of the organization.¡¯ Nick thought gravely to himself. ¡°How old are you again?¡±


    ¡°I never did say,¡± Paige responded teasefully. ¡°And probably never will. One tends to forget things as they get older. The passing of the seasons is one of them; they tend to blend together after a while.¡±


    Paige stopped in her tracks. ¡°Smell that? Must be a pretty large group if you can smell the cooking fires this far out.¡±


    ¡°How do you want to do this?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the Ranger here. What would you do?¡±


    ¡°Says the person who allegedly trained the Ranger¡¯s.¡± Nick sighed. ¡°My gut says bandits. Or deserters. Either way, let¡¯s see what we are up against. There shouldn¡¯t be anyone with a high or a medium ranked class, so there should be no problems for us.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s check first then. It would be a hassle to deal with any hostages.¡± They both knew the first thing deserters did was kidnap locals. For ransom or worse.


    ¡°Well, you might have the chance at using your Warrior Subclass at least.¡± Paige responded.

 Chapter 11

    Paige looked over at Nick, who was slightly hidden in the underbrush. ¡°My gut says bandits. Or deserters. Either way, let¡¯s see what we are up against. There shouldn¡¯t be anyone with a high or a medium ranked class, so there should be no problems for us.¡±, she silently whispered, cupping her hands so that her voice would not spread.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check first then. It would be a hassle to deal with any hostages.¡± They both knew the first thing deserters did was kidnap locals. For ransom or worse.


    ¡°Well, you might have the chance at using your Warrior Subclass at least,¡± Paige responded.


    ¡°If they are army deserters, we should assume what skills or spells they know,¡± Nickwhispered quietly,craning his neck for a good vantage point so that he could see the campsite.


    ¡°It will mostly depend on if they have any officers and their training. Most Alcudian officers will know at least [[Attack Locator]] or [[Dispel Camouflage]] at the very least. We shouldn¡¯t expect any veteran soldiers with classes though, otherwise, we¡¯d have bigger problems on hand.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. Veteran soldiers know better than to stay in a group when defecting. At least if they are found defecting and haven¡¯t committed any crimes, they have a good chance of not getting executed. Let¡¯s assume younger officers and forced conscripts then.¡±


    Paige thought to herself quietly. ¡®Bandits know better than to kidnap people; too risky a job for little reward, especially out here in the country where the ransom amount will be a pitiful amount. And the countryside will be up in arms if they are not ransomed.¡¯ She relayed her thoughts to Nick, who agreed with her assessment. Moving forward tolook for a better vantage point, Nickreplied quietly, ¡°Merchants groups usually deal with the bandit problem, so we¡¯ll assume strictly deserters.Now the only problem is what to do if they have formed a party.¡±


    ¡°Kill the entire party,¡± Paige said decisively.


    ¡°Really? Not just the party leader?¡±


    ¡°If they are deserters, then they are most likely a small to medium-sized combat group to begin with. If the whole division has defected, then everyone has already agreed to it. Better to kill them all than to let a problem fester longer. If it''s bandit''s, we''ll capture them and let the local jurisdiction decide.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to check it out first or not? That will be the biggest factor in how we approach this battle.¡±


    Paige thought of the risks associated with a battle, especially since they were somewhat on a time crunch. "We¡¯ll decide once we find a good vantage point. If they¡¯ve killed anyone or have kidnapped any locals, we kill them outright. A soldier is there to protect the country, not terrorize it.¡± Her eyes scanned the tree line. ¡°Have you found a good location that probably isn¡¯t being watched?¡±


    Nick closed his eyes and released a bit of his mana. He frowned as he channeled mana into the forest, using his affinity to nature to his advantage. ¡°They¡¯ve cleared the forest surrounding their camp for a few dozen feet and have a good patrol in place. Two to a team, each watching the other¡¯s positions. It¡¯s not likely we will be able to sneak past them.¡±


    Paige assessed Nick for a moment. Narrowing her eyes, she whispered to him quietly, ¡°Use [[Farsight]] or [[Boosted Hearing]]. You should know those two spells. And before you say anything, I know that a Ranger with a bow and arrow pendant knows those spells.¡± She pointed toward his wooden pendant holding his cloak together. ¡°You were a Hunter or an Archer before you became a Ranger; and a good one at that, judging by the slight hint of mithril that is used to outline the pendent. So, you should know those two advanced spells as a minimum.¡±


    ¡®Damn, she does know her stuff.¡¯ Nick thought to himself. He nodded his head slowly. ¡°Your right. I do know those spells. Care to protect me while I use them?¡± Nickasked after a moment of silence. Knowing a person''s skills and spells was a sign of trust, one that Paige had not quite earned yet.


    ¡°Sure. Which one will you use?¡±


    ''Damn, she didn''t know which one I had. Was it really just an educated guess on her part?''. ¡°I¡¯ll use both. Let me just get to a good location.¡± Nick eyed the tree lines for a good spot and found one with a relatively good view of the camp ahead. Stilling himself, he focused and said clearly in his mind ¡®[[Owl Senses]]¡¯. ¡®She must not know using both at the same time creates this spell; odd, considering it¡¯s Paige we¡¯re talking about.¡¯


    Focusing his thoughts, he turned to the camp and started to focus on the conversations. The din of the camp amplified in his ears, allowing him to listen in. It took a lot of training to selectively choose which conversation to listen to though. ¡°...your cooking is crap Jacob¡­. why should I waste my life on scouting missions...we should be moving on soon¡­the dogs are restless again...let me have a go at the prisoners, I¡¯ll make them shut up¡­¡±.


    ¡®Damn, they did kidnap people. Well, that sealed their fate right there. But are they deserters or bandits?¡¯Nick listened for other conversations, hoping to figure out which it was.


    ¡°...any good targets nearby...a few young girls and boys in the hamlet to the east of us; good money from the slave traders if we can get near the Leit borders quietly...Officer Dawood has assured us we won¡¯t be noticed by the army. He knows how to spot scouts, we¡¯ll be fine...Officer Killian disagrees, he thinks we should take over a hamlet until their division is declared dead before heading to the borders.¡±


    ¡®Two officers at the least. At twenty a person under an officer, that makes it forty people at least. Hmph, two full divisions have deserted. And we¡¯re still a few days away from the frontlines. How is it going there then?¡¯


    Nick scanned the tents, keeping track of which tents were being entered and by whom. He focused on the voice that was talking about the prisoners and narrowed it down to three different tents. ¡®Got it, protect those tents then.¡¯ He silently canceled the spell and looked down at Paige, using standard Ranger hand signs to communicate. ¡°Two Divisions...Captured Locals...Two Officers known...Thoughts?¡±


    Nick watched as Paige thought for a minute and responded back, using outdated, but still recognizable,Ranger signs. ¡°I Around...Five Minute Wait...Pick Near Defenders...I Assault...Which tents?¡± Nick processed what he saw.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to tell the Ranger Command to teach only the new hand signals. I can¡¯t tell them why because of [Oath of Silence], but it shouldn¡¯t be able to stop me from stressing to stop teaching the old codes.¡¯ He silently thought of the older hand signals and quickly told Paige which tents to watch for. Paige signed them back to him and he affirmed she was correct. He watched as Paige unslung her small sword from her back, the blade shining dully in the forest shade, and walked quietly into the bushes. ¡®A magic sword of some type? Or maybe a blended sword?¡¯


    Eying the camp again, Nick started formulating his plan of attack. ¡®Okay, the camp is arranged in a standard round camp formation, food and priority targets near the center of the camp. I¡¯ll get rid of the ten sentries all at once.¡¯ Activating his spell again, he slowly pulled his quiver to his side, selecting ten arrows and held them in the same hand as the bow.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have less than a minute before the rest of the camp notices something wrong.¡¯ I need to kill them all beforeI ran out of mana.'' Channeling his mana, he said in his mind ''[Silent Arrow] [Armor Piercing] [Bow Stabilizer]''. His mana left his core and attached itself to his arrows and bows, giving them a dusky glow, as if dirt had settled onto the weapons from a dirt devil.


    Exhaling, he quickly kneeled and pulled his bow back; the short bow arching back steeply. Sighting his first target,Nick silently gauged how much time he had remaining before his mana ran out. ¡®Twenty seconds.¡¯ He waited a few seconds as the guards were talking and shot two arrows, one in quick succession. Not even looking at the results, he quickly shot two more arrows at each of the sentries but stopped before he shot the remaining guards on the far side of the camp.


    ¡®Almost ran out of mana. I should have rested after using those spells. I have to get a better short bow. I only brought my Ranger longbow with me from Leit. [Bow Stabilizer] takes too much mana to reinforce these standard issue short bows.'' This was the main reason he did not like using his short bow in the forest, the mana to kill price was too high in a situation such as this.


    Surveying his results, he nodded his head at theunmoving people below. Eight of the sentries were dead; none of them really knowing how they had died. He knew that his skill [Silent Arrow] blocked the typical sound the fletching made while the arrow was in flight. Adding in [Armor Piercing] allowed the bolts to go straight through the sentries, dulling the sound of the impact as it tore open the men¡¯s chest. He noticed that the dogs in the camp started barking erratically, heading toward the now dead sentries to investigate. ¡®The blood scent is spreading.¡¯Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    He abandoned his cover by standing up on the limb and pulled out his trusty longbow from his back. Sighting the dogs, he used the remaining two arrows in his hand to put down two war dogs that were headed in his direction.


    The camp burst into panic as the men saw the dead dog¡¯s and sentries. ¡°Enemy attack! Long range fighters!¡± Nick pulled more arrows out of his quiver and jumped out of the tree, running toward his next spot. He hoped his priority targets would show themselves. ¡®We need those officers dead. Come on, show yourselves already.¡±


    He watched as the deserters pulled makeshift barricades out from the tents and arranged them in his direction. None of them were as panicked as he hoped they would be. Seeing more people show up, he opted to start picking people off. Stretching his arms, he quickly discarded his typical, cast iron-tipped arrows, in favor of his long, steel-tipped arrows instead.


    He counted to three and walked out from behind a tree, selecting four targets hiding behind a stack of firewood. ¡®Good idea, but only if your opponent isn¡¯t a master archer. [Pulling Power]¡¯Nick pulled an arrow from his hand; sighted, drew and released all in the span of three seconds. Nick knew from experience that his arrow was flying true. He instantly repeated his shots, changing his angle slightly to adjust for the odd pieces of firewood.


    He was glad he used his longbow for this instead of his short bow. With his skill [Pulling Power],Nick was able to use his specialty Ranger longbow. Without it, he would not even be able to draw back his bow. His bow had a maximum of three-hundred-and-sixty-pound draw weight, he knew that the steel tipped arrows would have enough punching power to pierce both the wood and the people behind it.


    He heard gasps as the deserters saw the arrows kill four men, even with them hiding behind a mostly solid barrier. ¡°Get down, he¡¯s an Archer! [[Attack Locator]]¡± the voice screamed out of a tent, a fully armored soldier walking quickly in his direction, looking for cover every few steps.


    ¡°Go three to a group; he can¡¯t kill us all. [[Dispel Arrow Flight]]¡± screamed another voice; panicking at the situation.


    He noticed as a thin red line of mana gathered onto him, while another red line of mana attached itself to his arrows. He pulled an arrow out, watching how the mana reacted. The red mana line attached to him gathered quickly into a line; which followed his gaze. The arrow in his hand felt slightly heavier than normal, and he noticed a shimmering on the fletching of the arrows.


    ¡®Wherever my gaze goes the mana goes, and the flight of the arrows will be sporadic if it is interfering with the fletching. It must be a full group of scouts.¡¯ He was used to these disrupting skills; indeed, most of the Ranger¡¯s enemies would often use these two skills if they had it. Knowing who was being targeted was helpful in a battle, and having his main weapon rendered mostly useless was also standard for him.


    ¡®Just as well I suppose. I''m basically out of mana now. I guess Paige was right. I will get some practice in after all.¡¯Nick pulled out his dagger as he readied himself for close combat. Looking at the deserters coming closer, they jumped when his vision landed on them, as if they knew he was aiming for them. ¡®Good, no iron armor, just standard leather gear. That confirms it, they were just scouts.¡¯


    Sighing lightly, he jumped out from behind the tree and charged straight toward the nearest enemy.


    --


    ¡®Well, it looks like Nick has it covered on that end. I guess Diana changed the codes after they defected.¡¯ It made her sad to see the twins go, but they made their minds up after the Queen of Alcudia had tried to fund them instead, and had given them an ultimatum on who they were going to answer to¡­but that was a different royal line. She was pretty sure that line died out a few hundred years ago.


    She heard a faint sound in the air. ¡®[Silent Arrow] or [One with Nature]? Honestly, an Archer with greater nature would probably be a pain to fight in a forest.¡¯ She listened for the sounds. ¡®One...three...seven...eight¡­¡¯ Paige waited but she heard no other sounds. The camp was starting to come alive with barking though. ¡°Well, killing eight out of ten defenders is good, especially considering his maximum mana levels. Did they somehow decrease the mana cost for the Ranger spells?¡¯


    Paigewaited silently in the forest until the camp was fully alive and had found Nick, judging by the skills being called out. The whole camp was focused on Nick¡¯s side of camp, which made it easy for Paige to slip close to the last sentries; who were not paying attention to their backs. ¡®[Blink]¡¯ She appeared right behind them and quickly slit their throats; stopping any warning cries before they died.


    She heard a panicked voice scream a spell to stop Nick from picking them off at range.


    Wielding her sword, she ran through the camp and killed anyone that moved; their leather armor providing no protection against her mithril blade. ¡®Luckily Nick killed the two war hounds, so there shouldn¡¯t be anyone or anything else to warn that she was there. Now, Nick said the three main tents in the center were suspicious.¡¯ Casting a glance at Nick, she judged that he shouldn¡¯t have any trouble on his end. He¡¯d be letting the Ranger Class down if he can¡¯t even beat a few normal scouts by himself.


    She quickly went to the biggest tent, cutting her way in from the side. She noticed it was the officer¡¯s tent and was full of maps and plans; presumably ones to get away from the frontlines. Quickly moving, she strode to the adjoining tent and discovered there were about ten frightened children huddling in a circle, some younger than Isabella. Around their neck were leather bands, and chains joined each child together with another one. ¡®Slavers. Bah. At least it wasn¡¯t full of captured women instead.¡¯ Quickly walking toward the oldest looking one, she whispered loudly so that they could all hear her.¡± Be quiet. We¡¯ve come to rescue you.¡± Her sword made light work of the chains adjoining them.


    ¡°Please, get our parents too!¡± The boy asked tearfully. ¡°They were captured as well not three days ago.¡±


    Paige hesitated. That must be the last tent she had not checked, but it could only fit a few adults in it; certainly not more than five or six.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get them after. Huddle in a circle, quick.¡± She shooed them into a circle and quickly drew a circle around them, adding in a few symbols around the perimeter. ¡°This should keep you safe. Don¡¯t break the circle, got it?¡± Waiting for their nods of affirmation, Paige quietly released her mana, powering the magic circle. ¡°[[Concealment]]¡± The circle glowed in response and the children abruptly vanished from her sight.


    She walked around the tent, making sure the circle was hidden from all angles. ¡°Stay quiet and still; it won¡¯t mask sounds.¡±


    She quickly dashed out of the tent, killing the two guards stationed there. They never thought they would be attacked from behind since only the kids were inside.


    ¡®We¡¯ve killed almost half of the camp now, I guess I¡¯ll help Nick out.¡¯ She found the two officers yelling orders to surround Nick. ¡®He¡¯s doing fairly well actually; I don¡¯t think he¡¯s used any of his subclass skills yet.¡¯ For his part, Nick was moving erratically; and was making sure he had an opening to run towards. He had already killed four opponents in close combat.


    ¡®Something is wrong she thought to herself.¡¯ She idly wondered why the deserters only had daggers and standard armor and realized that something was off about the officers as well. ''They haven¡¯t used any skills or spells to enhance their men,'' she thought quietly.


    It struck her suddenly; she had been in this situation like this once before. A long, long time ago. ¡°Nick, kill them all, hurry!¡± Her shout rang across the camp, startling everyone. ¡®[Blink]¡¯ The officer¡¯s startled, looking down at the sword now in their chest; while the other wondered why he could see his body from below. She hurriedly slashed her opponents, fearful that she would not kill them all in time. ¡°It¡¯s a trap; they¡¯re demons from Trent. Kill them quickly!¡±


    Nick blinked for a second, watching Paige go on a killing spree. He quickly backed up, drawing his short bow and shooting the soldiers close to him; their leather armor doing little to stop the steel tipped arrows. ¡°Why do we need to kill them so fast?¡± He yelled at Paige.


    ¡°Because they¡¯ve already started their sacrifices!¡± He noted some of their complexions had changed to white from fear, and some had grim looks on their faces. ¡°Did they really not know?¡±


    ¡°Forget this!¡± Paige yelled suddenly. Nick watched as she burned the rest of her mana, her weapon quickly changing from a pale grey to a brilliant red, almost matching the setting sun in the sky. ¡°[Setting Sun]!¡± The heat of the sword started to warp the air around her. He noticed her movements became slightly weird; as if she was following a pattern of some type.


    Her mana quickly flew out of her, wrapping around the remainder of the enemies. ¡°Oh, Goddess of Sunset, Smite my enemies with your heavenly fire!¡± He watched as the sun above flashed in time with Paige¡¯s sword. ¡®[Inferno Slash]¡¯


    Nick¡¯s vision went white, and he quickly flipped the hood on his cape onto his head. His Ranger cloak was embedded with [[Flash Protection]] and [[Greater Heat Resistance]]; just in the off chance his enemies tried to burn down a forest, with him still in it.


    He quickly saw the rest of the opponents scatter into ashes; Paige¡¯s strike thoroughly killing everyone she thought was an enemy. He noticed that she had also focused on the smallest tent, one that he thought would have captives in it, judging by the conversations he heard.


    The tent burning, he realized that there was only an altar there, the air around the altar stopping the flames from coming close. He quickly noticed the dead bodies stacked around the altar; placed mockingly around it as if worshiping the altar. A symbol he had never seen before flashed above the alter, and he vaguely realized that Paige knew what the symbol represented.


    She quickly ran toward the altar, stopping to look at the bodies around it. ¡°May you all rest in peace. Your children will be taken care of; that I promise.¡± She did a weird gesture herself and raised her hand toward the setting sun. ¡°[Holy Sun Dog]¡± Suddenly, the sun split into three different parts of the sky, each one a different color. ¡°[[Blessed Sun Ray]]¡± A beam of light from the suns adjacent to the true setting sun suddenly fell onto the bodies, cleaning the remnants of blood and changing their faces from one of suffering to peace. The last beam of light fell onto the altar; breaking the symbol hanging above it in two.


    Nick realized that those weren¡¯t Warrior Spells, or really any spell he had heard of himself. ¡®I¡¯ll ask Zenith about it. Chances are Paige won¡¯t say anything anyways.¡¯

 Chapter 12

    ¡°Now what are we going to do?¡± Nick was standing with Paige as they surveyed the now ruined campsite. Realizing that Paige was not focused, he switched to a different topic. ¡°How did you realize they were demons from Trent? I noticed that even some of their own people hadn¡¯t realized they were enemies.¡± Nick knew that it was almost impossible to determine a person¡¯s bloodline by appearance alone. Usually, you would have to have a specialty magic circle to determine how pure someone¡¯s bloodline was, which was why there were strict checks at the borders.


    ¡°If you looked carefully at the leather armor, you¡¯d notice that they are all brand new, and some even had the royal insignia on the armor. They most have been plundered from the castle¡¯s armory.¡± She exhaled slowly. ¡°The altar was taking the life force from the bodies and enhancing the demon¡¯s bloodline. One or both of the officers were most likely demon officers who blended in and was assigned a scout group, and then subsequently convinced them to become deserters.¡±


    ¡°Any survivors left?¡± Nick asked quietly. He noticed that she had missed only one tent with her last attack.


    ¡°A few children. Children that small don¡¯t have as much vitality as adults; so, they aren¡¯t usually sacrificed like this.¡± She walked toward the adult bodies lying on the ground. ¡°Help me make the bodies decent; we can at least let the children say their goodbyes.¡±


    --


    ¡®This was great.¡¯ Isabella ran slightly ahead of Zenith and Tyler, as Zenith was informing Tyler about their discussion with the shopkeeper Harry. ¡®Maybe I could convince Paige to go toward Castle Patel, it¡¯d be great if mother could wake up by then.¡¯


    Tyler pulled Isabella aside, before using his broadsword to impale a snake on hiding in the bushes. ¡°Be a tad more careful, young Isabella. Stay in the middle of the path,¡±


    ¡°But the middle of the path is boring. There are not even any branches overhead, so there¡¯s no shade either.¡± She argued back. Unfortunately, Zenith walked closer to Isabella and chided her as well. ¡°I may have healing spells and skills, but I still wouldn¡¯t want to deal with poisons. It becomes a hassle since people react differently to even common poisons. Tyler, we¡¯re not likely to get poisoned by a simple snake like that, not with our classes, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be careful.¡± She chided Tyler as well, making sure she was fair with her criticisms.


    ¡®Simple teaching moments.¡¯ Zenith thought to herself. Isabella was still young, and Tyler was making it seem like the whole world was dangerous. ¡®It¡¯s a good lesson for ourselves too; we usually don¡¯t have to deal with children this young.¡¯ She knew that Paige, Tyler and herself had no real experience with raising children. Furthermore, it was questionable how much raising Nick did, she thought, knowing how often Rangers were sent out to deal with the many different problems that came with a nation as disjointed as the Leit Confederation.


    Sighing sorrowfully, Zenith thought about Isabella¡¯s future. ¡®I know I promised her it will be alright but is there anything I can do to help? Would my family be willing to help me?¡¯ She had full confidence that Paige would stop the Imperial family from taking the girl, but how she would do it was a mystery.


    ¡®She must have some leverage she is able to use, and Paige does know a lot of people though, judging by her skills.¡¯ It was hard finding a teacher to teach the more advanced Mage Skill, like the one Paige had used to create the magic circle. Even her former school did not have many who could, or would, teach their disciples those skills, let alone students or friends. Still, Zenith sighed, lamenting that her skills as a Wind Magi couldn¡¯t even match up to a Warrior. ¡®Maybe she could teach me?¡¯ She thought idly to herself.


    Tyler stopped ahead of Isabella and Zenith, signaling them to stand still and quiet. Zenith focused on the wind and she could faintly hear children crying. ¡°That¡¯s in the direction of our camp.¡± Tyler said quietly. ¡°It looks like they found the bandits.¡± He pulled his sword and buckler out, attaching it to his arm. Tyler stepped quietly into the clearing but stopped when an arrow embedded itself on the tree next to him. He hadn¡¯t even heard the arrow being launched before it had hit the tree with a resounding thump.


    ¡°Eek!¡± The children started to scream as Nick dropped his short bow to his side. Paige was just smiling, trying to console the crying children.


    ¡°I told you it was them.¡± Paige admonished Nick, saying loudly over the cries of the children. ¡°And you said you know how to deal with children.¡± Even from this far, Zenith could tell her voice was dripping with disdain.


    ¡°I know how to deal with babies. I didn¡¯t say children.¡±


    As Zenith walked into view of the campsite, she noticed that Paige had on an additional piece of clothing underneath her leather armor. She was now wearing a full body suit in addition to the armor. She assumed that it was her full warrior garb, after noticing that the bodysuit was shining slightly even in the forest shade, making the material easily identifiable.Zenith was sureno one else noticed Isabella''s outfit, either. ¡®Is her whole bodysuit made of mithril? That¡¯s...rather expensive.¡¯ She assumed the leather armor on top was being used to hide the true value of her bodysuit. Paige''s mithril armor was rather flexible too, judging by how it hugged her body tightly as it followed the contours of her body. Mithril was famous for its defensive properties, as well as its flexibility to be made into thread if there were no other metals blended in. That was the hardest and most costly part about mithril; finding a blacksmith or tailor who knew how to process the ore alone.


    ''I¡¯m not even sure the elders in the family own a blended mithril breastplate.'' She was very jealous; even if she could sell everything she''s ever earned, it still would not even amount to a mithril weapon. ¡®Her gaze is slightly darker too.¡¯ Zenith wondered what had happened while they were out in the hamlet.


    ¡°Aunt Paige, who are they?¡± Isabella asked as she walked into the campsite. "From their looks, they can¡¯t be much younger than me. Are they the kidnapped kids the shopkeeper was talking about?¡¯¡¯ She was shocked that the shopkeeper had been telling the truth; she only assumed that he was saying that to scare her.


    ¡°You all stay here with sister Isabella and Zenith¡± Paige spoke kindly to the children around her; ¡°I¡¯m just going to talk with Mister Tyler over there and then we¡¯ll get you all safely home.¡± Zenith was shocked at how Paige was behaving. ¡®I guess Paige does know how to deal with children.¡¯ The children cried even harder and clung to Paige, not wanting her to leave. ¡°Isabella, Zenith, a little help please,¡± Paige said wryly, trying to gently pull a little girl off her legs.


    --


    ¡°That is bad news Paige. Is there any way to verify this?¡± Tyler face was grim as he started to write a message to Officer Steve back in the hamlet. He had informed the duo quickly about the meeting they had at the rundown inn.


    ¡°At least half of the soldiers were infiltrators, Tyler. I could see it in their faces when Paige yelled it out. More than half of the corpses had armor from the capital¡¯s keep.¡± Nick added. He had made sure to check their armor when he retrieved the arrowheads from the corpses. The shafts he left behind; steel tipped arrows such as these were not cheap, nor was it easy to find in Alcudia.


    ¡°Thoughts Paige? Nick?¡±


    ¡°Let General William decide what to do on that front. That is the army¡¯s problem, not ours,¡± Paige said after a minute.


    ¡°Paige, that is just deflecting the problem to someone else,¡± Tyler remarked, disagreeing with her suggestion.


    ¡°But it is a valid solution. Although the first prince is the commander of the suppression army, we all know that the Generals from Appealte and Leit will only converse among themselves and then they will inform the first prince of the plan.¡± Paige argued back. ¡°Nick, what are the Ranger¡¯s likely to do?¡± She turned to face Nick, who was creating more arrows by the smoldering campfire.


    Nick gathered his thoughts, and after a moment he looked toward Tyler. ¡°I agree with Paige. Let the army decide army matters. Ranger Command will not take an active role in the suppression army; at most they will just be oversight and protectors for the King that is chosen.¡± After going through a list in his head, he shared his thoughts with the two of them. ¡°King Erickson of Ocean Fief will most likely be leading the suppression army. His fief is the closest to the borders, and he has experience fighting with the late Alcudian King.¡±


    ¡°Will he make a move against the Queen?¡± Paige asked Nick harshly, her eyes twitching.


    ¡®Ah, that was the one time she had attacked Leit.¡¯ Nick thought to himself. He knew that King Erickson had a reputation as a philanderer and was smitten when he saw Queen Rebecca last, even though she was pregnant. Alcudia had immediately declared war when that fool of a king kidnapped her during a diplomatic mission. Of course, that war only lasted a few days since Paige stormed the castle herself to rescue Queen Rebecca. He had a good laugh at that; until he read the confidential reports stating that the Warrior had given advance notice she was coming, and still had knocked out every Rangerand defender in the castle.¡°No. Although he won¡¯t be the only king on the battlefield, the Ranger Command will be watching, as well as the others. The chance to get prestige like this does not come often, so the other kings will be looking for any reason to replace him.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll inform General William to be wary of infiltrators, and how you spotted them. Hopefully, that will be enough information for them to come up with a plan, quietly.What are your plans for the kids, Paige? What of the parents?¡± Tyler asked, noticing how Paige and Nick stopped as he brought it up. He knew that Zenith had already found some clues about what had happened. ¡°Sacrificed. Kids were going to slavers,¡± Paige said after a moment. Tyler saw Zenith shake when Paige said that. ¡®She must be using a spell to listen as well.¡¯


    ¡°I was hoping you could let Officer Steve take them to the nearest royal orphanage. The regular ones are probably full of refugees this late in the war. Their parents did die at the hands of deserters when it is all said and done.¡±


    Tyler hesitated. ¡°I can request it. You know that¡¯s not really our place to...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll write a letter to Crown Princess Alexandra. She¡¯ll approve of it. If that doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll send a letter to General William¡¯s wife. Let¡¯s see if he says no to that.¡± Paige cut Tyler off, challenging him to say anything else.


    ¡°Fine. Let me send the messenger bird off, and we can travel back to the hamlet. We should be able to make it back to camp by nightfall at the very least.¡±


    Paige hesitated, clearly torn at whether to object to that or not. In the end, she agreed to it; knowing full well that they shouldn¡¯t waste more time. The kids cried, but she was able to convince the older kids that it was for the best.


    ¡°Zenith, I¡¯m going to travel with Tyler, Isabella, and the children to the hamlet. Did you want to come as well?¡± Isabella had gotten her way as well, clearly trying to act like an adult; even though she was only older than a few of the kids by two or three years.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay. I had my fill of walking; so, I¡¯m planning on resting a bit before dark. I¡¯ll take first shift with Isabella again once you get back.¡± Zenith responded.


    ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t let Nick take liberties with you.¡± She replied, trying to lighten her own mood up by teasing the younger girl.


    ¡°He is married you know,¡± Zenith stated dryly as she blushed. Looking over at Nick, she had already noticed that he wasn¡¯t too terrible looking. But he flatly stated he wasn¡¯t interested in Isabella. She wasn¡¯t sure that didn¡¯t include her as well since they looked about the same, even though she was over twice Isabella¡¯s age.


    ¡°Mhmm, long nights away from home too. Rest well.¡± Her mood was better now after messing around. Paige picked up some children and started walking toward the hamlet.


    ¡°I want to ask you something, Zenith,¡± Nick said suddenly. She noticed Nick had been sending out his own carrier pigeon as Paige and Tyler were leaving, so she did not know if he had heard their little discussion.


    ¡°Sure, what can I help you with?¡± She said, blushing slightly.


    ¡°Paige used some spells today; or maybe a skill. I wanted your take on it.¡± He replied, his voice gruff and professional sounding. Zenith knew he was being serious, so she settled her mind and listened as Nick spoke about what he saw Paige do.


    ---


    ¡°It is sad that they were being taken to the slavers. Parts of Appealte still hold onto that disgusting tradition.¡± Zenith sighed sadly, tears in her eyes. She had known many children at the school who had indentured families or were slaves themselves. She had heard that some parties were made entirely of slaves, or their masters were the Party Leaders.


    ¡°But it is slightly better than being executed or starving to death. At least some crimes can be pardoned after they have served their time or have repaid the debts.¡± The laws surrounding child slaves were very strict in Appealte and Leit; they were required to be set free after becoming an adult. Although it was not easy to protect children from abuse; the use of truth spells made it easy to check for and harsh punishment awaited those who broke that law. Most of the founding families placed very strict standards on their offspring, and she had seen prominent kids from other founding families be placed into slavery for breaking those very rules.


    Nick didn¡¯t say anything. He knew Zenith was from one of the noble houses, so he didn¡¯t break her bubble of ignorance at how bad some slaves were treated.


    ¡°That aside, what do you think of Paige¡¯s actions. Were those skills or spells?¡±


    ¡°Skills. They almost had to be class skills. Her status said she was a Dawn Warrior, so my best guess would be her class gave them to her. Or maybe her title did. Blessed Sun Ray might have been a spell though, it¡¯s hard to say.¡± Zenith responded instantly, regulating her emotions. ¡°You said she spoke something prior to using a skill, right? Do you remember what she said exactly? It has to be exact.¡±


    He thought for a second and said quietly, watching the sky warily. ¡°Oh, Goddess of Sunset, Smite my enemies with your heavenly fire!¡±


    Zenith¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°She really said that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Then her sword practically exploded with flames.¡±


    ¡°That was a prayer. Or maybe an incantation.¡± She responded excitedly. ¡°You almost never see that in our countries in the west. I hear out east there are mages who supposedly get all their powers from the gods. Even the Imperial family is said to pray to certain gods for power.¡±


    ¡°Only mages?¡± Nick asked. He had noticed that point when Zenith was talking. She was quite animated, her eyes practically starry. ¡®I haven¡¯t seen a look directed at me like that in ages.¡¯ he thought, thinking of his wife back home. Trying to get Zenith to slow down talking he interrupted her. ¡°What about warriors? Have you heard of the class Dawn Warrior?¡±


    ¡°I personally haven¡¯t. Although there are weird classes and titles such as Advanced Farmer or Illogical Mage, so it could just be a special class.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know of anyone concrete who could tell you the answer to that; either at my old school or from my family.¡±


    Hesitating for a bit, she added ¡°We won¡¯t really know much unless we ask her directly. Or maybe ask Isabella to ask. I don¡¯t think she would say no to her. I asked her last night if she could ask Paige to open up to us a bit more.¡± She relayed what Isabella had spoken to her last night, focusing on what Paige had said to Isabella as consolation.


    ¡°I think she might have been a Princess, or maybe even part of the Imperial family. But without knowing her age, it¡¯s really hard to say who she may be affiliated with.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s over five hundred years old. I can verify that with proof.¡± Nick responded instantly.


    Zenith was shocked. ¡°Five hundred? Some of my great, great, great grandparents aren¡¯t even that old. The great elder might be approaching seven hundred, but who knows if he is even alive still.¡± She had not seen the great elder before, since her standing in her family was low; even lower than some of the servants.


    ¡°It is rare to see someone that old look their age, but high classes do age slower. We tend to live longer too.¡± Nick said quietly.


    ¡°True. Was there anything else you wanted to ask?¡± Zenith quickly spoke up. ¡°Otherwise I¡¯m going to take a nap before watch.¡±


    ¡°There is something, but it can wait.¡± He really wanted to ask about the symbol but hesitated. ¡°I¡¯ll make something light for dinner; you can have it during your watch.¡± Nick turned, setting up a cooking fire. ¡°Have a good rest Zenith.¡±


    ¡°...Thank you. You too Nick.¡± She went to her bedroll and tried to rest.


    --


    After reaching the hamlet, the chief elder and older shopkeepers saw Paige and the small children emerge from the forest. They had been in an uproar, as some had recognized the children as locals from the farming dwelling just beyond the other side of the forest. Luckily, Officer Steve and his companions had gotten the message and had assembled in their official gear; helping to relieve the tension in the air.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already asked the children, and most of them don¡¯t have relatives in the area. Can you take them to the nearest royal orphanage, and also try and contact their relatives to let them know the children are being taken care of? I know it¡¯s a long shot and will take some time, but please try.¡± Paige spoke to Steve quietly.


    Although the settlement had been attacked and everyone was killed, it would be easy for the locals to repurpose the now abandoned settlement for their own young adults instead. She knew some of the shadier adults in the hamlet would try to adopt the children; just so that they would have a reason to take over the settlement.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, Ms. Paige.¡± Officer Steve replied, not using her title of warrior since some of the locals were clearly trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take full responsibility of this matter.¡± She hesitated, but eventually pulled a slightly worn piece of paper out from a hidden pocket in her leather breastplate. She quickly wrote something on the paper and sealed it with a wax ball and a ring on her finger.


    Steve though was shocked. The paper was originally just a blank piece of paper, but he noticed at the end of the page it was already filled out and signed. ¡°...by my order, I, Queen Rebecca Freal the Third, hereby proclaim that whatever is written on this page shall be done in my name.¡± He looked at the seal, and saw that it resembled the queen¡¯s seal, except around the coat of arms, there was a banner that simply stated ¡®Paige Alduit, Savior of the Queen.¡¯


    She smiled at Steve¡¯s shocked face. ¡°Heh, I bet Rebecca never thought I¡¯d use it for something like this.¡± She smiled. ¡°I got a few of these after the saving the queen a few times. Said I deserved at least this much.¡± she chuckled slightly. ¡°In truth, I think I scared her when I told her I¡¯d request a full mithril bodysuit next time I save her.¡±


    Her bodysuit was costly; she¡¯d be surprised if the queen could even afford a blended mithril heart protector; let alone a full bodysuit like the one she had on. Unless you knew what to look for, Paige¡¯s armor looked like a slightly shiny full bodysuit; one that a female Monk or Brawler might wear. Although, a regular bodysuit would not be able to stop magic or blades quite as readily, if at all.


    She knew in her heart that when Rebecca saw her bodysuit, her attitude shifted toward her significantly. Only a few had ever seen her in her bodysuit, and even fewer knew the true worth of what she was wearing. ''It is pretty eye-catching though''. She noticed quite a few people were staring at her. Out in the sun, her bodysuit was less conspicuous, at least in terms of hiding the true value of it.


    ¡°Cough, Isabella, come on. Let¡¯s head back to camp.¡± Clearing her throat, she attracted the attention of Isabella and the children, the latter were already tearing up. ¡°Mister Steve here is my friend, and he¡¯s said that he¡¯ll bring you somewhere special.¡± She patted the head of the youngest child. ¡°It¡¯ll be a safe place and agood opportunity for you all. Study hard and stay well.¡±


    She started to walk away when the oldest boy, not even seven years old, asked with uncertainty ¡°WillI be able to get revenge one day if I go?¡±


    Paige stopped to look at the boy. "What is your name?"


    "Pe, Peter. My name is Peter."


    Paige smiled at the name. Bending down to him, she whispered to him slightly. "That''s a good name Peter. I''ll tell you a secret. My brother was named Peter." Eying the other children, she told them directly, locking eyes with each of them."Yes, you can get revenge if that is what you want. But hopefully, you will also learn to enjoy life. Where there is life, there is hope." She smiled brilliantly. ¡°I¡¯m the best example of that.¡±


    Isabella wondered why Paige had said that.

 Chapter 13

    ¡°Will those children be alright, Aunt Paige?¡± Isabella asked for the third time this morning. She had been unusually quiet yesterday during their travels. Paige was irked after answering the first time she had asked. Now she understood why Isabella was upset when she kept on asking the same question a few days ago.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine Isabella,¡± Tyler responded this time, saving Paige from reiterating once again. ¡°While it is sad their parents died, it was an incredible boon for their futures as well. The Royal Orphanage is not a place just anyone can go.¡±


    ¡°An Orphanage? Why is it called a Royal Orphanage?¡± Zenith asked, confused at the term.


    ¡°An orphanage is a place that takes in children who have nowhere else to go. The Royal Oprhanage is the place that children of soldiers who died protecting the Alcudian Royal Family are able to go. Think of it like a school. Every child there will have a specialized mentor who will help them develop their talent, no matter what it may be. Most will go straight into service under the royal family in some capacity, such as the Royal Guards, Head Gardener. But whatever they wish to be, they will be trained to the fullest in that field.¡± Tyler responded. Some of the best soldiers under his command as the Royal Captain had been from the Royal Orphanage.


    ¡°Those kids are lucky then. In Appealte children with no family will usually choose to become a servant to survive. The unlucky ones get sold into slavery or worse.¡± Zenith said sadly.


    Isabella agreed that was no way to treat children. ¡°Do you think those children will grow up happy though?¡±


    Paige stopped and looked at Isabella seriously. ¡°They¡¯ll never forget what happened to them. It¡¯s even more unlikely they will forgive the demons either. The older ones especially. Possibly the ones younger than three will grow up happy, but even that is unlikely.¡± She noticed that Nick was watching her. ¡°Something wrong,Nick?¡±


    ¡°You recognized that symbol on the altar. And even had a countermeasure against it. What does that symbol mean?¡± He had asked Zenith that after her nap the day prior, and even she wasn¡¯t familiar with the symbol. ¡°Care to tell us what your class is?¡±


    Paige stopped. She looked at her party and decided she might as well share what she knew. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the symbol stands for either, but I know that it is a standard component of the blood sacrifices. To answer your other question though, my class is Dawn Warrior. It¡¯s a class that has certain benefits against demons, but only if you follow certain restrictions. For one, the sun must be up in the sky. Shocking, I know. Two, my equipment has to be able to withstand high heat; otherwise, I¡¯d be in trouble every time I launch an attack.¡± She pointed at her leather breastplate. ¡°It¡¯s been enchanted with [[Greater Heat Resistance]] so that I can actually use my attacks and not get hurt in the process.¡±


    ¡°Did you know what class you were going to obtain?¡± Tyler asked shocked. They had gotten their supplies ready prior to forming their Party.


    ¡°I had an inkling it would be this class or one just like it. My vest has greater resistance to all elements, not just heat resistance. But only heat resistance matters right now.¡± She shrugged.


    Nick shook his head in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Most equipment can¡¯t handle the mana overload that conflicting spells create. Even my Ranger cloak can only have one greater resistance to an element. The craftsman was sure of that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t judge Paige¡¯s equipment by our standards.¡± Zenith interrupted Nick before he could go further. ¡°Do you even realize how much her equipment cost?¡± Everyone stopped and evaluated Paige¡¯s equipment. It was just a bodysuit and leather armor, how much could it cost? Zenith rolled her eyes at them. ¡°You need to research material more often. I can already tell you her equipment cost more than the national budget of all our countries combined.¡± They were shocked and looked more critically at Paige.


    ¡°Well, usually I would cover up my realy bodysuit with another one, but with my current class it''d be a waste. Eyes up here Nick. Tyler.¡± Paige smirked, pointing at her eyes. ¡°What gave it away Zenith? It¡¯d be debatable if even Merchants could recognize the material by sight, or even know why it is different.¡±


    ¡°Your bodysuit shines in the shade. There¡¯s only one material that does that.¡±


    ¡°Mithril? Her whole outfit is made of mithril?¡± Nick exclaimed, shocked. He knew Zenith wasn¡¯t joking about the cost. The Ranger Command had often talked about getting a mithril cloak made, and the benefits of having even one made; but the cost alone was enough to bankrupt their organization five times over. Moreover, it had been brought up multiple times that it would be hard hiding the glow of the material in the forest.


    ¡°What kind of leather is that then? Dragon leather?¡± Isabella asked. Although she didn¡¯t know how much mithril cost, just looking at Nick and Tyler¡¯s face made her realize it was expensive, even for someone of their station.


    ¡°Nope. Unicorn. If I killed a dragon, I¡¯d be wearing dragon scale armor, not a leather vest silly.¡±


    Her answer still shocked Isabella. ¡°A Unicorn? Can youkill a dragon, Aunt?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be a bit hard, but I would stand a fair chance against one.¡± Paige smiled confidently, shocking them into silence again.


    ¡°Your sword, it also shone in the shade,¡± Nick said, remembering that small detail from the battle.


    ¡°It¡¯s also mithril, but the cutting edge is diamond. It¡¯s a little cheaper to create it that way.¡± Paige confirmed.


    ¡°Umm...Paige, why did you need us to come at this point?¡± Zenith asked dumbfoundedly. She had heard stories of Imperial Scions supposedly killing a dragon, but those were myths. If Paige really could kill a dragon¡­


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here either if not for Guild Regulation Six. The guild blacklists members who fail to follow this rule and they distribute detailed records to every guild hall. It took a lot of time and effort for me to stay low key like this.¡±


    ¡°Low key? Why do you need to stay low key Aunt?¡±


    ¡°I have enemies too, and they would keep a close watch on the Guild lists. I¡¯m only well known in Alcudia right now, which is why I haven¡¯t been noticed all this time.¡± Hesitating slightly, she continued on talking, ¡°We all have a past. I haven¡¯t done anything illegal; I¡¯m just...running from my past and I ended up here.¡±


    Isabella ran up to Paige and gave her a hug. ¡°Sorry for asking about it Aunt.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, maybe one day I¡¯ll share it. Knowledge is power, but certain things are too dangerous to ask about.¡± Paige stopped the conversation at that.


    Isabella scuffed the ground with her boots. ¡°Well Aunt, do you perhaps have any extra supplies? Maybe a mithril hair clip or something?¡± she asked quickly, hoping to receive an expensive gift. Zenith idly wondered what else she could have.


    ¡°I uh, do have some extras equipment,¡± Paige said. ¡°I can lend it out to you all, but it is substandard stuff; but if you¡¯d like it¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes please!¡± Isabella shouted. She noticed that Zenith had shouted at the same time as well.


    ¡°Nick, Tyler; Do you want some stuff as well?¡± Paige asked hesitantly. ¡®They are my party members, but¡­¡±


    ¡°What equipment is it? You aren¡¯t carrying a lot of item¡¯s Paige.¡± Nick noted that her pack was just as large as the rest of theirs.


    ¡°Umm, it¡¯s a random assortment of stuff. I might have some warrior equipment...It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve checked what I actually have.¡± Paige said, patting her pockets as if looking for something.


    ¡°Is it trinkets? What can you fit in your pockets aunt?¡± Isabella was confused, but Zenith and the others already had an inkling of what she was looking for.


    ¡°Is it a spatial ring?¡± Zenith whispered. She idly wondered exactly how rich she was.


    ¡°Umm, yeah. I know I have it here somewhere. Ah, here it is.¡±


    She pulled out a nondescript ring from her leather vest, a single ruby encrusted with her name on it.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Expensive. Just like the rest of her outfit.¡± Tyler said. He was already a little disturbed by the number of secrets Paige had hidden. ¡°Where did you get that from?¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I stole it from an Imperial Scion''s dead body.¡± Everyone breath stopped at that statement.


    ¡°But it has your name on it?¡± Isabellaasked shakily.


    ¡°It¡¯s a joke. Heh, even I wouldn¡¯t joke about killing an Imperial Scion; it¡¯s too much paperwork and pretty hard to hide after the fact.¡± Paige said jokingly.


    ¡°Aunt Paige¡­¡± Even she knew that slandering the Imperial family was a crime punishable by death, if told to the right person.


    ¡°Sigh. A friend made it for me. Before the Imperial family started to control the sale of spatial rings.¡±


    ¡°When did they do that? I thought that the materials to make them were just exceedingly rare.¡±Zenith asked.


    ¡°It is rare, but not that rare. They killed most of the craftsmen out here in the borderlands who knew how to make it.¡±


    ¡°The borderlands?¡±


    ¡°Basically any place bordering a nonhuman dominant country. Anyone they couldn¡¯t persuade to join them were killed.¡±Paige said sadly. ¡°My friend was one of them. I couldn¡¯t find her in time to save her.¡±


    ¡°Like the Queen. I¡¯ve always wondered how you rescued the queen so fast. It wasn¡¯t even King Erickson¡¯s main castle.¡± Nick said out loud, retelling the story for Zenith and Isabella''s benefit. ¡°Ocean fief castle is located on the surrounding islands close to the mainland, which makes it a hassle to travel there. But you found her not even two days after she was captured.


    ¡°...I asked a friend for a favor. I have a spell called [[Friend Finder]]. You can only cast it once a year though, and the restrictions are fairly hard to satisfy.¡± She quickly told them the restrictions.


    ¡°Friend Finder? That¡¯s a real spell?¡± Zenith was shocked. ¡°You have to be in sight, giggling over a story for thirty-nine seconds while slapping each other on the back? And the conversation must start at the beginning or ending of the summer or winter solstice? You actually satisfied all those requirements?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we got quite drunk after her coronation.¡± Paige joked, scratching her cheek lightly.


    ¡°Aunt can tell us after. What¡¯s in the ring?¡± Isabella was impatient with all the waiting and talking. Even though Nick''s story was quite interesting, she wanted to see the ring in action.


    ¡°Okay little Isabella. Step back a bit.¡± She pulled a slip of paper out and read it quickly. ¡°Ring ring ring. Show me my stuff.¡± She said loudly. Isabella gave her a dumbfounded look, her face practically screamed how dumb Paige looked.


    Nothing happened. Paige blushed slightly as everyone stared at her weirdly.


    ¡°Ring ring ring. PLEASE show me my stuff.¡±


    Still nothing happened. Paige¡¯s face darkened ¡°Show me my stuff or I swear I¡¯ll break you.¡±


    A transparent red box appeared ahead of her, which was further separated into smaller boxes. The ruby shining with a faint light. ¡°My friend liked to joke a bit.¡± She said, not glancing at anyone¡¯s eye.


    ¡°I might have a few items here that you and Nick can use, Tyler. Unfortunately for you, most of the items are for women.¡± Quickly scanning the boxes, she started tapping on a few of the tiny boxes. ¡°I know I have some mage equipment you and Isabella can wear too.¡±


    ¡°Will they fit us?¡± Isabella asked worriedly. Paige was a full-grown adult, and Zenith and her could pass as young teenagers.


    ¡°It will; they are enchanted to fit properly. Now, let¡¯s see what I have in here for all of you. Some of these I expect back afterward.¡±


    ---


    Almost everyone was in a good mood. Although she hated giving away her equipment, a good party leader did what was best for the party. An old friend had taught her that.


    At first glance, Zenith and Isabella equipment hadn¡¯t changed much. As soon as Paige had said the equipment were enchanted, Zenith had elected to wear a more mature magician dress. Her usual clothes were children clothes or custom order ones. As a result, she was embarrassed by the lack of stylish dresses she could wear. Even her usual magician robe was a standard Apprentice Mage robe that she had customized to match someone of her caliber. ¡®Although, the enchantment is pretty good.¡¯ She had to admit the magic that went into the clothing was mind-blowing. ¡®What class would you have to be in order to even add this type of enchantment to the clothing?¡¯ The Magic Tailor I worked with could only add elemental resistance to the clothing; not something as complex as altering the fabric to match the body figure of the one wearing it.¡¯


    ¡°Paige, how do I look?¡± Zenith asked, blushing.


    ¡°It looks good on you! Much better than that customized apprentice robe.¡± Paige smiled. ¡°It¡¯s called a Kimehana dress. You don¡¯t see them much in Appealte or Alcudia, but I believe you do see them in the western part of Leit. Southwest region Nick?¡±


    ¡°Hrmm, there are a few traveling groups of nomads that wear that style. Theirs tend to be a darker color though.¡± Nick had seen that style of dress before. It was surprising that Paige had the same style dress, but he shouldn¡¯t be too surprised anymore.


    ¡°True.¡± Paige made a slight sound of acknowledgment. She preferred lighter colors, natural colors; but it was supposed to be a stealth mission. Paige smirked as she thought of something to do. She tapped the left strap of the dress and spoke quietly. ¡°Change to ranger forest green.¡±


    Zenith¡¯s dress instantly changed from a yellow-white color scheme to a mixture of dark and light green hues; ones that bore a striking resemblance to the color of Nick¡¯s own outfit. She was instantly flustered. ¡°Paige! What did you do! I liked those colors!¡±


    ¡°Well, I hope you like them more now,¡± Paige smirked.


    ¡°They can change color too?¡± Isabella saw what her aunt had done. She mirrored Paige¡¯s actions and said out loud. ¡°Change to ranger forest green.¡± Hers stayed the same though.


    ¡°Only the magician¡¯s outfit can change color. It¡¯s assumed that if you are wearing archer clothes that you mean to be stealthy.¡± Paige laughed as she saw Isabella pout.


    For her part, Isabella had chosen to wear something like what she had on. Paige had told her she was wearing an Archer¡¯s standard outfit; an outer layer of worn leather hiding an interior layer of smaller plates. Combined with the ranger cloak she received from Nick; at first glance, she could pass as an Apprentice Archer. ¡°The interior plates are made of a mix of mithril and steel, so you should be relatively safe. Thoughts Nick?¡±


    ¡°What about their heads?¡± He asked, studying the two of them. Zenith and Isabella waited to hear his thoughts.


    Paige glanced at the two of them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with their heads?¡±


    ¡°A helmet would be better than that piece of metal you put on their heads.¡±


    ¡°Says the person who chose to wear a leather hat with a falcon¡¯s feather in it?¡±


    ¡°I noticed that the hat is enchanted with [[Blunt Resistance]], and the feather with [[Pierce resistance]].¡± Nick gruffly replied. The equipment Paige had stored was very limited in what he could choose from.


    ¡°The circlet has both, and has [[Greater Mana Gathering]] woven into the steel as well. It¡¯ll be useful for both of them since they are heavily leaning toward magic skills,¡± Paige replied. She thought she had chosen well; both were wearing a simple silver circlet around their head that rested right above their forehead. Zenith had a simple cut emerald embedded in the band while Isabella had a polished marble stone in hers.


    ¡°Paige¡­¡± Zenith started to struggle with how rich Paige was. Did she really think that the headband was just something you could pick up from any Merchant?


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can keep the circlets. I do want the clothes back though. Consider it a perk for joining the party.¡±


    ¡°Then what would you consider the subclasses we got?¡±


    ¡°A blessing.¡± Paige smiled. ¡°Haha, I forget how old you are Zenith. Sorry if it feels like I¡¯m spoiling you.¡±


    ¡°No no, I¡¯m fine with it. Honestly Paige, I wished you were my aunt. You treat me better than all of my family.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want us to keep this Aunt? I can tell by Zenith¡¯s face that all of this is expensive.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, its fine little Isabella. My party can¡¯t be in rags when I¡¯m covered in riches. What kind of Party Leader would I be?¡± She puffed up her chest at that thought. Her previous thoughts about lending it to them temporarily all but forgotten.


    ¡°Then do I get anything?¡± Tyler said with a forced smile on his face. Paige blushed in response. Her entire ring was filled with clothes for professions other than warriors.


    In his mind, if you have a storage ring you would fill it with items your class needed. But Paige had done the exact opposite. Judging by her former class, she had certainly mastered every warrior class and their skills. So why had she elected to carry only mage and archer equipment! Of her warrior gear, she only had one shield; a simple round buckler. True, the value of her bodysuit, leather armor and sword were almost impossible to calculate, but he saw Paige give a magician¡¯s mana shield to Zenith, and what appeared to be a modified mana shield that looked like a steel arm guard to Isabella. Two full-blown mana shields! He had seen the Guild master of the Mage Guild before, and he was sure he only had a simple runic shield. ¡®Substandard equipment my ass.¡¯ he grumbled in his mind.


    ¡°Tyler, we are almost at Trulton. I think we need to decide on which route to take.¡± Paige decided to sidestep the issue at hand.


    He exhaled loudly and focused his mind on the task at hand. ¡°Nothing has changed on William¡¯s side, so either we can follow the original route and go west from Trulton to Castle Lidale and head north to the mausoleum. Officer Steve mentioned that the queen is recuperating at the Healer Hall at Castle Patel though, so we could go north to Castle Patel and head west instead.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear your thoughts first, then I¡¯ll decide as the Party Leader,¡± Paige confirmed. ¡®Maybe I can hit up one of my remaining equipment stashes. I feel guilty not giving Tyler anything.¡¯ Paige truly didn¡¯t keep warrior equipment on her; she had several weapon stashes hidden across the country. Luckily though, she had decided to relocate several of them that were close to the borders of Evidia prior to the invasion. Unluckily though, she had deposited them in Appealte and Leit instead.


    ¡°I would like to visit mother if possible. Maybe Beatrice will be there too?¡± Isabella said hopefully. She hadn¡¯t seen her mother or her older sister in almost half a year now, not since the first few defensive lines were initially broken.


    ¡°I say Castle Patel. The Rangers should be arriving there around the same time we would be, so I would like to get a few things from them.¡± Nick said. For his part, he wanted to see if he could get a Ranger¡¯s horse instead of a pack mule.


    ¡°I say Castle Lidale. We can coordinate with General Williams when we arrive in the area and have him start pressuring the frontlines.¡± Tyler argued against changing the plans.


    ¡°I say Castle Patel. The Healer Hall would have a way to contact the Mage Guild, so I would like to contact them if possible. I would like to meet the Queen as well if Isabella and you don¡¯t mind...¡± Zenith trailed off. She was truly thinking of Isabella and Paige as part of her family.


    Paige listened to their reasonings and decided to postpone it until after dinner. ¡°Let¡¯s try and get to Trulton by tomorrow. I¡¯ll think about it until then.¡±

 Chapter 14

    Before they had arrived at the town, Paige changed their party class designations to fit their looks, and then together with Nick, she had forged their own copy of the guild papers to match their new classes.


    ¡°Paige Alduit and Tyler Merk. You can check our credentials.¡± As they walked through the gate, a team of guards quickly stopped Paige and Tyler, and they were quickly shown into a side room at the gate. Isabella watched them get detained, and soon Nick stepped forward and handed them their forged papers. She was nervous that they would get detained just like her aunt when the head guardsman quickly scanned their papers and looked them over. But she let out a sigh of relief when he asked them to step through the gate and motioned for the next group to step forward. Isabella glanced at the words that floated in front of another guard as they went past the gate. A single line of words still hung in the air. Isabella Freal. Apprentice Deerslayer.


    Paige had elected to keep herself and Tyler as high rank classes, as they were well known in Alcudia to begin with. Nick¡¯s class was changed to Bodyguard Huntsman; and Zenith and Isabella classes were changed to Apprentices that Nick was tasked to protect. That was done intentionally, as it would be expected that two young girls would have a protector of some sort watching over them in a city this size. Isabella¡¯s hair had faded to a light blonde, which sort of matched Nick¡¯s sun-bleached hair. A daughter inheriting the same type of class as their father would draw less attention, although Zenith had talked about dyeing their hair again tonight if they had some time.


    ¡°So, what would Trulton be?¡± Isabella asked Zenith, talking loud enough to be heard over the sound of shopkeepers hawking their wares. Trulton had a fully functioning gate and guards, but she had taken her previous lesson to heart. She did not want to stand out as ignorant, especially with the number of people around her. ¡°I remember you said anything bigger than a village would have guards, but why did Aunt Paige and Mister Tyler get detained for no reason?¡±


    ¡°Trulton would be a small to medium-sized city. Although, Tyler would know if there is a Mayor or a Duchess governing the land here.¡± Zenith replied, moving closer to Isabella so she would not have to speak louder. ¡°In truth, Paige and Tyler were detained because of their classes. Paige knew that we would all be detained if our actual classes were shown. That is the reason why we are moving in two separate groups right now.¡±


    ¡°Anyone with a high or medium ranked class are automatically placed on the guards watchlist and they are detained while theycoordinate with theGuild Hall to see if there are any warrants for their arrest or while they debate if they should be allowed in a city. The guild had detailed records available, for a cost, so most cities that could afford the cost did so.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easier for the guards to stop a person from entering than trying to get a person with a high ranked class to leave.¡± Nick supplied as well, keeping close to them. ¡°Just imagine if a Warrior came to a city and was known to have an issue with the local lord. If they ignored the guards and broke into the city, the lord would have a valid reason to have the Guild issue a warrant for their arrest. Now, whether anyone would try to arrest them is another matter entirely. But having your reputation take a hit like that is usually not worth it in the long run, since it would affect the missions you could take at the Guild.¡±


    Nick shrugged as he kept walking, keeping the shopkeepers away with his glare. ¡°With them being affiliated with Alcudia, it would be no problem for them to get released. There would be bigger problems if they detained me or Zenith though, since we are affiliated with another country. We would need a valid reason to enter the city, it would take longer for our records to be found, and then our movements would be watched heavily by the Guild.¡±


    ¡°Why would the Guild care?¡± Isabella asked. It seemed odd that they would care so much.


    Zenith answered that question while stepping around a hole in the street. ¡°Because they don¡¯t want to take responsibility if someone theyvouch for causes an incident. What do you think would happen if a mercenary suddenly went and killed a prominent merchant or a local hero?The Guild got its reputation of being fair by heavily enforcing their own rules and actively protecting their image in cities.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that makes sense,¡± Isabella responded. ¡°Mister Nick, what are we looking for? We¡¯ve been wandering the city for a while now.¡± Isabella hadn''t minded, but they had been following the main road this wholetime.


    ¡°A good inn. I didn¡¯t think it would be so busy this late in the harvest season.¡±Hehad been to a few inns so far, but all the inns he had visited had been fully booked. There were many farmers waiting in line with them at the city gates, and by the looks of it, many of the local merchants had booked the inns for their customers.


    ¡°Should we go to an inn affiliated with the Guild Hall? Those should be available for adventurers only.¡± Zenith asked quietly, dropping back to walk in step with Nick.


    ¡°We could, but then they would check our credentials with their own internal guild records.¡±


    Nick and Isabella were wearing Archer equipment, and the young girl could easily pass off as an Apprentice to Nick. Zenith had changed back into her modified Apprentice Robes. But it would be hard to convince the inn not to check their identities against official guild records.


    ¡®I wonder if Paige can change our names as well.¡¯ Zenith thought to herself. Seeing as Paige was able to change their classes at will, she had a heavy suspicion that their Party Leader could also change their names if she wanted to. ¡®She said a good teacher would know how to do this, but this begs the question of how many actually have knowledge of this.¡¯


    Zenith knew that what Paige was doing was very dangerous, as most cities and borders only checked the class and associated rank. It was too much to ask guards to record every person that entered, but the more important classes were regularly recorded. What guard would care about a low ranked class such as Farmer or Blacksmith, if a middle-class Merchant or Spear Master were trying to pass by? Even if Trulton¡¯s guards did not know Paige or Tyler¡¯s reputation, their classes were too conspicuous to ignore, even for an Apprentice Guardsman.


    Nick hesitated slightly but decided the benefits of using a guild affiliated inn outweighed the costs. If nothing else, they could get an idea of how the frontlines are doing from a civilian point of view. ¡°Let¡¯s go find an inn, and then we can go shopping for supplies. We¡¯ll let the inn know that Tyler and Paige will be staying there as well.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be suspicious?¡± Isabella thought for a moment and asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Not too suspicious; we can just say they paid us with room and board if we saved them a spot at the inn.¡± Nick supplied nonchalantly. ¡°High ranked classes have certain benefits when it comes to Guild matters. It¡¯s almost expected that the Guild would accommodate anything they requested.¡±


    ---


    ¡°Ugh, Guild regulations are such a hassle to deal with.¡± All Paige wanted to do now was drink her night away. ¡®First I had to spend my morning forging documents and then I still had to be stuck in a room with Tyler for a good part of the morning.¡¯ For the most part, Tyler had talked about the past and all the hassle she put him through while he was the captain of the royal guards. Although Paige was surprised that Tyler had asked outright if she had met Rebecca in the woods by accident. She truly had met the crown princess in the woods by accident, or if she was more skeptical, by fate. In fact, she was headed out toward Evidia and by extension Trent when she first met Rebecca and wasn¡¯t all too concerned about the girl at the time. It was purely a coincidence, and out of politeness, that she had decided to ask if the girl needed help; she had seen one too many young masters disregard her outright initially, only to ask for help later when things got desperate.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡®Heh, and that was the start of our friendship. Although I did paint a prettier picture of the situation to Isabella than what actually happened.¡¯ She had fought off the assassins every day that they were traveling, using the daily requests as an excuse to fight the enemies away from other people. It was only after reaching the capital that she had realized they were after the crown princess, and not her.


    She had become fast friends with the sheltered girl and used it as an opportunity to make some happy memories. Some of her best memories, at least of those she could recall. She had forgotten how much joy a good friend and children could make. She sighed sadly in her mind. ¡¯At least it lasted until I got caught. Shouldn¡¯t have strolled in like that and rescued her. Rebecca¡¯s attitude has been more polite after that.¡¯ The one good thing Paige had salvaged from that was a promise that she never told anyone. ¡®She¡¯s always been true to her word. Although our conversations have been strained ever since then.¡¯


    She didn¡¯t quite hold it against Rebecca since she herself knew the feeling. But it still hurt, even more, when her children still called her Aunt, but her friend no longer called her by name.


    ¡°Aunt, was it that terrible? What¡¯s it like being detained for no good reason?¡± Isabella watched as Paigerubbed her face in her hands as if trying to massage a headache out.


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t terrible. Tyler is just a bad conversationalist,¡± Paige hmphed madly.


    ¡°You mean he didn¡¯t even try to take any liberties with you?¡± Zenith asked behind her back. She glanced back and saw the girl sticking her tongue out. Zenith had wanted to get Paige for her little trick, but Paige ignored the comment outright.


    ¡°No Zenith. I may be a man, but I still want to live another day.¡± Tyler grunted from the side. ¡°She could kill me in half a heartbeat if she wanted to.¡±


    Nick evaluated their faces. ¡°Did anything go wrong at the guild? You were detained for quite a while.¡± He had thought it would have taken only a quarter hour at most, but they were stuck there for over four hours.


    ¡°No. Tyler went down to the Guild and got in touch with William. He had wanted to talk about the spies we found a few days ago and let us know what they plan to do.¡± She didn¡¯t add that she had gone and covered up her forgeries. Luckily, she was able to remove all records of them coming to the city before anyone had noticed. The record room was still being guarded by only a few guards and a standard detection magic circle. Without an official record, most people would forget that they had even visited this place after a few years.


    Afterword she had gone back and waited for Tyler to come back. The Guild had politely informed them that their accommodations had been placed by another team. Both knew from experience that this was a benefit they received, and most parties wouldn¡¯t hesitate to get a free room for informing the innkeeper to reserve a room for a high-rank class while they were detained.


    ¡°Nick, please tell me the rooms are at least high-grade rooms. I want to eat and sleep the rest of today away.¡±


    ¡°Nope Paige, those were already rented out. We had to rent a Party room instead.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, so now I have to share a room with you two as well. Wake me when it¡¯s dinner time.¡± Paige said frustrated. ¡°Make sure there is something to drink too.¡±


    --


    After Paige had left to go rest, Tyler quietly briefed everyone on what he had learned. They selected a corner table that was adjacent to the inn¡¯s kitchen.¡°Zenith, can you use a warding spell?¡± Tyler asked, sitting down across from Nick. Nick had chosen the best spot to watch the crowd, and he lazily scanned the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too busy yet, so we should be fine without one.¡±Nick spoke after assessing the room.


    ¡°Just in case. The Guild provides warding spells at the tables, but I¡¯d rather not risk it. Who knows what else the magic circle can do.¡± He pointed to a small circle in the middle of the table. A few mana cores sat next to it in a bowl.


    ¡°I could, but the spell is not something an Apprentice could do. They wouldn¡¯t have enough mana for it.¡± Zenith replied. Since she was currently a fugitive, in her eyes at least, she did not want to break her disguise.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be [[Prison Wind]], just conjure up a breeze that will stop the sound from travelling past us. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to tell if someone is trying to listen magically.¡±


    Zenith thought about that for a moment. ¡°That could work, although it will be harder to detect if someone is listening since I am not technically creating a mana bubble around us.¡± Closing her eyes, she finalized her plans. Tyler could hear her say under her breath, ¡°[Mana Confinement], [Mana Sensitivity], [Air Molding].¡± Their eardrums popped as the air around them increased in pressure. Nick idly noted dust swirling in circles around their table. It was hard to spot if one wasn¡¯t looking for it, but it could be explained naturally; since the kitchen¡¯s door was swinging open and closed as the young waitress brought drinks and food out from the back.


    ¡°There. That should be good for our purposes Tyler. An Apprentice could probably hold it for an hour at the most. One hour on, off two hours minimum.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay Zenith?¡± Isabella asked after watching Zenith wipe a bead of sweat from her forehead. She had also noticed that Zenith¡¯s hair had slightly glowed a faint, pale green when she had used her spells. She watched as the pale green glow of her mana slowly faded and was replaced by her dyed brown hair. ¡®Looks like the tea dye only darkens the hair, but it cannot suppress her natural mana. I¡¯ll let Zenith know about that later.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. The skills cost me little to maintain, but it takes a tremendous amount of energy at the start. Tyler chose a hot spot as well.¡± The hot stoves in the kitchen were causing the air around them to be slightly warmer than the rest of the room.


    ¡°Was everything fine with the Guild?¡± Nick wondered if using forged documents was a great idea since the Guild knew was accompanying Paige and Tyler.


    ¡°Everything is fine, we told them that you were staying outside the city. Do you think anyone noticed when you entered?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°No; our identities are solid. We registered as a new team when we arrived.¡±


    Tyler sighed. ¡°I still don¡¯t know how I feel about Paige being able to hide our classes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. That¡¯s what it is.¡± Nick said under his breath. Tyler fully agreed with that statement.


    ¡°Is Paige alright though? Why was she so tired?¡± Isabella asked worriedly.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. I tried to press her about her past. It didn''t work out as well as I hoped.¡± He stopped talking as the waitress came and gave them drinks and some snacks. The innkeeper knew her stuff, little perks like this were always appreciated. Tyler noticed that the waitress¡¯s eyes darted toward Zenith and the magic circle covertly.¡¯ She must be a former adventurer. She recognized that a warding spell was being actively used.¡¯ He watched as she went about her business. ¡®I¡¯ll tip a bit more for discretion.¡¯ he thought to himself.


    Taking the chance to sip his drink, he continued. ¡°I think Paige was a little depressed. She doesn¡¯t like to talk about anything prior to meeting Rebecca.¡±


    ¡°Depressed? Why would she be depressed? She was probably the most powerful person in Alcudia until recently.¡± Nick was incredulous.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t like her class,¡± Isabella spoke up. They all looked toward her. ¡°Although she says it has opened a lot of doors for her, she would also say that her class is a burden as well. Mother once said that Aunt Paige would rather be a Farmer than a Warrior.¡±


    ¡°A Farmer?¡± Zenith repeated. ¡°Why a Farmer, Isabella?¡±


    ¡°Aunt Paige used to tell a lot of stories when she would visit,¡± Isabella said quickly. ¡°But I don¡¯t think all her stories were fake. She once told me that her mother and father were farmers.¡±


    ¡°Unlikely. A battle class being inherited from a support class? Not unless her family was fighting against bandits or thieves their whole life or something. It would be debatable if a Farmer could even kill a bandit. There is a reason why most Farmers live in communities after all. And even the gods wouldn¡¯t make a mistake like that.¡± Nick refuted that idea. He looked at Tyler and Zenith, who shared the same disbelieving look.


    Isabella wasn¡¯t so sure. ¡°I think she did tell the truth though.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you could share with a few stories later then. Tyler, has Paige decided which way we are going?¡± Zenith asked, moving the conversation forward.


    ¡°I think she has.¡± He saw that the inn was starting to get crowded with the dinner crowd. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since Paige left to go sleep. Isabella, could you go and get Paige up for dinner?¡± Tyler asked after a moment.


    He watched as Isabella quickly ran up the stairs to the sleeping quarters. A few people came down the stairs, but few would bother an Apprentice running an errand. And he definitely recognized the two people coming down. ¡°Nick. You said the high-grade rooms were already occupied, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a few local parties are evidently heading toward the frontlines. The innkeeper didn¡¯t mention any names though. Why?¡± He picked up Tyler¡¯s agitation.


    ¡°We might have a potential problem on our hand.¡± Tyler sighed. ¡°And they have a problem with Paige.¡±

 Chapter 15

    As they waited for Isabella to fetch Paige, Nick leaned toward Tyler while glancing at the group behind him. ¡°They have a problem with Paige? What did she do to them?¡± He wasn¡¯t worried so much as annoyed. Although he had only known her for over a week, her whole reputation was a conundrum. On one hand, she was friends with the current royal family and the local guild master, but on the other, it seemed like she had a notorious reputation among mercenaries and adventurers.


    Tyler waited for the waitress to pass by and refill their drinks before he answered the question. ¡°She doesn¡¯t do well in parties. Or rather, she usually refuses to even join parties. When she was traveling with Queen Rebecca, Paige did not join them as a party member. She mainly just tagged along and watched them do requests. The Guild and the former Queen was upset with her for the longest time because it was hard to evaluate the crown princess''s party guild rank.¡±


    ¡°So why do all the adventurers hate her?¡±


    ¡°Because she is one of the rank assessors for the guild in Alcudia. They have to either defeat her or get her approval before they are allowed a rank above one hundred fifty, which is why there is a shortage of people who can do fulfill Regulation Six.¡±


    That got Zenith and Nick¡¯s attention. ¡°That¡¯s a requirement here?¡±


    ¡°The Royal Family petitioned the Guild Hall. Most people believe that Paige had actually requested it.¡±


    ¡°Did she?¡± Zenith asked quietly, her words slurring a bit. ¡°I got my guild rank from fighting monsters and because of my Wind Magi class. I don¡¯t think I would¡¯ve been able to beat Paige, even on my best days.¡±


    Tyler noticed that Zenith was starting to slow down from her drink. He glanced at the drink in his hand. ¡®Can she not handle alcohol?¡¯ Clearing his throat, he continued. ¡°No, Queen Rebecca made that a rule. She may have a lot of secrets, but Paige has always been a good judge of character. The Queen hoped that it would increase the quality of adventurers in Alcudia, and actively sought out anyone who Paige approved of. She was hoping it would strengthen their bonds to the country.¡± Tyler shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°But it worked. Paige had only approved maybe twenty or so people ever since the Queen was coronated sixty years ago. In fact, many of the national heroes currently at the frontlines are the ones she approved.¡±


    ¡°Why did it work?¡± Zenith slightly wondered. She knew that Appealte had over a thousand guild affiliated high rankers. In fact, she had originally thought that the Guild Regulation Six would not affect her when she signed the pact with the Guild; not with so many other people available to be chosen from. That was the reason she tried to leave when Paige had first brought it up in the conference room.


    ¡°A few reasons actually, but the main reason is that she also didn¡¯t discriminate against a person¡¯s bloodline. Full blood demons and halves had as much of a chance at passing as a full-blooded human. So long as she thought they would protect the country and had a strong sense of justice, she would almost always approve of them. Hence the royal family rumor.¡±


    The air freshened up instantly. ¡°One hour¡¯s up. I¡¯ll need to rest for another two hours Mister Tyler.¡± Zenith responded carefully, knowing that someone was bound to be listening in the now crowded inn. ¡®I need a break too. That drink is too strong.¡¯ She had ordered the same spirits that Tyler and Nick chose and had noticed a bit too late that the drink was slightly stronger than she was used to. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ll order a fruit juice like Isabella next time.¡¯ She didn¡¯t want to be treated like a child, and she had almost come to blows against the waitress because had not given her the drink initially.


    ¡°She can hold her mana for quite a long time. Your ward is pretty good for an Apprentice Mage. Although I still don¡¯t think she will be able to do it again tonight though. Here¡¯s your winnings.¡± Tyler handed Nick five gold coins to complete the fake bet. Although it wouldn¡¯t stop anyone from spying on them, having a valid reason for a Mage to use a warding skill was necessary when staying in a guild affiliated inn.


    ¡°Give her two hours and I¡¯ll bet she can keep it up again, even though she is starting to get drunk,¡± Nick said, thinking the same thing as Tyler. He went ahead and got the waitress attention, replacing her drink with a fruit juice instead.


    ¡°The food better be ready.¡± A familiar voice called from the top of the stairs.


    As Paige stepped down the stairs, he noticed that she had changed her outfit to something more appropriate for a night in the city. Her dark bodysuit and leather armor were gone; in its place was a simple faded blouse and brown skirt. A single yellow bow was holding her light brown hair in a small ponytail. Her confident attitude and small smile had captured the crowd¡¯s attention. Not to mention she was beautiful.


    ¡®Oh hell.¡¯ Tyler closed his head as the bar quieted down suddenly and everyone¡¯s eyes were drawn to Paige. He had just remembered from long, repressed memories, that Paige was notorious for another reason; she had a reputation of beating people unconscious whenever she stayed in inns. Queen Rebecca had made sure that Paige had a full-time residence in the royal capital to downplay that rumor, but he had forgotten over time that Paige and Rebecca were constantly kicked from inn¡¯s when they were traveling because Paige did not know moderation when she was drunk.


    Isabella hid behind Paige as she walked toward the table. He noticed a group of people at the bar were staring daggers at Paige.


    ---


    ¡°Good good, proper inn food. Just what travelers like us need.¡± Paige had not noticed or had not really cared about the looks the people around her were shooting at her. She waved at the waitress and asked loudly over the returning din of sounds. ¡°A cup of ale please; I¡¯m parched!¡± Her face had an easy smile, she continued, speaking over the inn ¡°And a cup of juice for my little friend here!¡± She had already noticed Tyler and the group in the corner. ¡°Send it to that table over there.¡±


    Walking quickly, Paige and Isabella sat down next to Zenith, who was nursing her new juice in her hands. ¡°It smells heavenly. Whoever chose this spot had good tastes.¡± Chuckling at her own joke, she sat down just as the waitress came to bring her and Isabella¡¯s drinks. ¡°Thanks Maggie. You¡¯re a lifesaver.¡±


    ¡°Aunt, you know the waitress?¡± Isabella asked confusedly. All Paige had done when she arrived was sleep.


    ¡°Yup. Right Mags? How¡¯s my new favorite waitress doing?¡± Paige looked Maggie up and down, noting that she had grown since the last time she had seen her. She hadn¡¯t seen her in a few years, but her sense of style was still a little odd though, if her mismatched clothes were any indicator. Her dark brown hair was tied up in a ponytail, but she had a pencil behind one ear and a chef¡¯s hat sitting on top of her head. She was wearing a pale, checkered blue dress that cinched at her waist and a white scarf around her shoulders, but she was also wearing a slightly stained apron and no shoes. It looked like she was trying to balance too many jobs at one time.


    ¡°Great actually. Are you going to ruin another inn today? I haven¡¯t forgotten the last time you came to town.¡±


    ¡°Haha, no no. You know I never start the fights.¡±


    Both shared a look and laughed. ¡°I was surprised your new party members didn¡¯t know of your reputation as an inn wrecker. They came right up and asked to reserve a spot for you.¡± She pointed at Nick and told Paige with a smile.


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± Nick asked warily. He had noticed the innkeepers were wary the minute he brought Paige¡¯s name up, but he didn¡¯t know why.


    ¡°She¡¯s ruined many an inn across the nation,¡± Maggie said cheerfully. ¡°Among innkeepers, Paige has an informal nickname. ¡®Goddess of Remodeling.¡¯ Only innkeepers would know that though.¡±


    They stared at Paige, who was hiding a small smile behind her cup. ¡°It¡¯s really not my fault. And let¡¯s be fair Maggie, I do give large tips to pay for the damages. And I¡¯ll tip your dad great tonight by the looks of it. Was that ¡®Slayer of Demons¡¯ and ¡®Light Bringers¡¯ parties I saw at the bar?¡± She nodded her head back toward the bar. ¡°I was wondering who stole the high-grade rooms from me.¡±


    ¡°This is actually my inn now. I¡¯m officially an Apprentice Innkeeper, but I still feel more comfortable doing my job as a waitress or a cook. That was them by the way, I remember signing them in. Pretty sure they are still mad at you for what you did last time.¡± She flashed a youthful smile toward Paige. She was proud of her class advancement since it was rare to be an Apprentice Innkeeper just out of school age, but she sighed exasperatedly. ¡°And for the record, they didn¡¯t steal it, Paige. You know it is first come, first serve on the good rooms.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll grudgingly believe you. Can I get the standard items from you? And dinner for everyone as well.¡± Paige asked perfunctorily. She had noticed that there were only drinks and snacks on the table, so they must have waited for her to come down.


    The waitress Maggie opened the kitchen door and asked the cook to bring some food over soon. After she was done talking with the chef, Paige tossed a mana core onto the magic circle. The runes around the circle briefly lit up and thin fog appeared around the table. The conversations around them slowly died away and their surroundings shimmered slightly, as though a glass wall had been placed between them and the rest of the room.


    ¡°I already compiled it for you when I heard you wanted to stay here.¡± Maggie pulled out a few stacks of paper from within her apron and slipped it to Paige. ¡°These are the rumors and views of the residents for the last six months. I¡¯ve dated them oldest to newest for you.¡± Maggie quickly plucked the stone from the circle and went to grab their food from the kitchen for them. The din of conversations slowly came back.


    Isabella and Zenith were shocked. Nick had told them he had chosen an inn with a bar so that they could listen quietly to the gossip. She noticed their looks of surprise and added quietly. ¡°I know a few innkeepers across the country who I pay to gather reliable information. In fact, I¡¯m pretty sure a few of the innkeepers I use also pass the information along to the royal spies.¡± She turned to Nick, a smirk on her face downplaying the scorn in her eyes. ¡°You really thought Tyler or I wouldn¡¯t have a reliable way to gather information besides the guild?¡±


    Nick grunted. ¡°It¡¯s more reliable to listen to conversations in person and make your own judgment calls. Besides, I usually operate by myself and in secrecy too. Most people do not like strangers.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Paige gave a small nod. ¡°I usually cause a ruckus so that I have a reason to pay the innkeeper.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you were kicked out of inns so often during your little adventures?¡± Tyler asked questioningly. Paige knew that the Royal Family paid the innkeepers handsomely as well to keep Rebecca¡¯s reputation intact.¡± That had been a sore point between the former Queen and Paige; her daughter being kicked out of inns had been a rumor going around the noble circles at the time, but no innkeeper ever verified the rumors.


    ¡°Yeah. But to be fair, Rebecca, Gale, and Albert all had fun; and we won every bar fight. They enjoyed those days more than you¡¯d think Tyler. Gave them perspective and confidence all at the same time.¡± Paige smiled at those fleeting memories.


    Maggie stepped out of the kitchen and briskly set the plates of food down for them before refilling their drinks. As they all started eating, Paige spoke quietly. ¡°So, I¡¯ve decided that we will go to Castle Patel and head west from there. I know it¡¯s not following the plan, but we should reach the mausoleum around the same day regardless of the path we choose. Go ahead and tell William that we are going a separate route.¡±


    Tyler stopped and put his knife and fork down. ¡°Okay. What will we do for supplies? We¡¯ll have to stop using the guild checkpoints if we choose to go this route.¡±


    Paige nodded. ¡°Yeah but depending on how fast we move we can be there in as little as two weeks. I¡¯m thinking we travel to Castle Patel, stay a day, and head over to Mount Terst. We can easily get supplies for the road. The food we''ve been eating is passable for travel food and we can stock up on spices at the Healer''s Hall, since they wouldn''t have rationed the Healer Hall.We can be back within a week or soto Castle Lidale or Patel, depending on the outcome of our mission.¡±


    ¡°I think that is very conservative Paige. I would almost double it since we need to be stealthy. There is a high chance that the Demon Lord will be chasing after us; they must have a way to track the location of the 0heroic weapon.¡± Nick said. ¡°Alone, that would be feasible. In a group like ours, not so much.¡±


    Paige shrugged. ¡°We really have no other choice. If they do have a way to track the weapon, then it will still be better to head east from the mountain toward Castle Patel instead of trying to fight through the demon army to get back to Castle Lidale. Both have risks, but I believe this one is less risky. Besides, there¡¯s something I need to pick up from around Castle Patel anyways.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What is so important that we need to go that way instead of following the plan?¡±


    Paige hesitated, and leaned forward, putting a mana stone back into the circle. She waited for it to activate before speaking again. ¡°You may have noticed that I¡¯m not carrying any other warrior equipment. That was intentional.¡±


    ¡°You intentionally did that?¡± Tyler asked. He thought it was weird that Paige had just that equipment on her.


    Paige nodded and continued speaking. ¡°I have a couple of stashes hidden away across the continent. If I am killed, my killers would at least be denied my equipment. I wasn¡¯t lying when I said I carried only subpar equipment. My equipment stashes are far more valuable.¡±


    ¡°Anything that could be traced back to me I kept hidden; others are out in plain sight.¡± She glanced at Zenith and Nick. ¡°A few trial grounds are actually locations where my equipment has been found. The Air Bow and Magi¡¯s Scepter, for instance, are mine.¡±


    They sucked in a cold breath. Zenith asked shakily, ¡°Those are yours?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I deposited different class equipment in different countries. Alcudia has many of my warrior equipment; Leit my archer equipment; Appealte my elemental mage equipment, etc. Even smaller countries such as the Pruite Monarchy has specialized equipment. The stashes were meant to encourage distinct classes in different regions. It didn¡¯t necessarily work here in Alcudia, but other countries have class specialties. Appealte has a large majority of Mages for instance, in part because the trial grounds have mostly mage equipment. And before everyone asks, I didn¡¯t create the trial grounds or the dungeons. I think the high concentration of mana in the equipment altered the land around it.¡±


    ¡°Who are you Paige,¡± Nick asked quietly, his eyes hard. ¡°No one can have that much time or equipment on their hands naturally. You got them from somewhere or someone, and you put them there for a reason.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s personal,¡± Paige said harshly in response. ¡°And I did do it for a few reasons. All you need to know is that none of the items are stolen.¡±


    ¡°Give me one good reason for doing putting equipment stashes across the continent Paige. Or I¡¯ll quit the party right now.¡± Nick whispered harshly back to her. ¡°You¡¯re hiding too many secrets from us.¡± Zenith and Tyler said nothing, quietly watching Paige. Zenith had remembered that Isabella thought Paige was potentially from the Imperial Family, which could explain her situation.


    Paige visibly hesitated. ¡°Heroes. One of the reasons is that it was meant to foster class specific Heroes.¡±


    Isabella asked quietly. ¡°But Aunt, I thought Heroes could only be born from a Princess?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mostly right Isabella. That is why the Imperial family keeps a strict watch for Princesses. But there are some ...unusual ways to gain the Hero Class as well. Fate, alignment of the stars, the god¡¯s sneezing wrong; there are many ways, but often a Hero is born. The Imperial Family prioritizes Warrior Battle Classes; mainly since Warrior Heroes tend to live a lot longer than other types. A Hero with an Archer or a Mage Class could potentially live for five to seven hundred years naturally; a Warrior even longer.¡±


    She looked at each of them gravely. ¡°But humanity has more enemies than friends. If you ever get to my level, I¡¯ll happily share what I know. But until then this is all you need to know.¡± She pushed the mana stone out from the circle, signaling that was all she was going to say about that matter. Her mood quickly soured as she looked squarely at Nick. ¡°Anything else you want to ask?¡±


    Nick noticed her mood, but eventually asked. ¡°Is the mausoleum an equipment stash of yours too?¡±


    ¡°No. That mausoleum is old. I¡¯m pretty sure it has been here long before people settled here. Even I haven¡¯t had the chance to explore it''s secrets fully.¡± Paige said briskly.


    By now, all of them sitting at the table had realized Paige was in a terrible mood. Her face and body language didn¡¯t show it, but they could tell by the way she was sitting perfectly still. They all hesitated to say something to break the tension building up. Even Isabella wasn¡¯t sure what to say to her Aunt.


    ¡°Well well, look who it is. A woman and a coward. The Royal Family isn¡¯t here to protect you today.¡± A voice spoke from behind Paige,


    Zenith, who had started to drink her juice, sprayed it out onto the table and onto Tyler. ¡°Am I about to witness a murder?¡± She said a bit too loudly.


    ---


    ¡°Am I about to witness a murder?¡± A young girl¡¯s voice rang out in the inn.


    The inn quieted down at that statement and people started looking over at their little corner of the inn. Zenith shrunk in her seat, blushing furiously.


    Paige blinked at the sight, her mood improving slightly. Not a lot, but just enough not to kill the owner of the voice outright. ¡°You¡¯d best watch what you say Jackson. The Guild isn¡¯t here to stop me from maiming you. Jayden, you¡¯d best control Jackson and his dogs before he says something else he shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    She turned her head slightly and looked indifferently to the bar, singling out two people.


    ¡°What did you say!¡± A man wearing heavy armor smashed his cup into the bar, his steel grieves splintering the polished wood bar. A few others at the bar stared daggers at Paige, taking offence at her remark; their hands moving to rest on their sheathed daggers.


    ¡°Jackson, watch what you say. This is a guild affiliated inn.¡± Jayden winced when he noticed the waitress staring, alternating her gaze between Jackson, the splintered wood, and broken tankard. ¡°Paige, don¡¯t mind Jackson, he¡¯s a bit drunk.¡± He started wiping the front of his mage robe before they became stained with the spilled ale from Jackson¡¯s broken cup. His wife Ava were on speaking terms with Paige, so even though he did not like her, he recognized the indifference in her eyes and realized Paige was in a terrible mood. She was well known for being easy to talk to and had many friends; as was evident by her sitting next to an Apprentice Mage and Archer, the two young girls shrinking in their seats. Coughing to ease the tension in the air, he tried to explain to Paige lightly. ¡°He¡¯s still a bit mad from the evaluation and the report.¡±


    ¡°He should be. What type of Vanguard Warrior tries to attack an enemy directly instead of waiting for an opportunity? And he even got his whole party to follow his example. At least you were there to cover for his party, but even that wouldn¡¯t save you in a real battle.¡±


    The party known as ¡®Light of Dawn¡¯ flushed slightly at the provocation, while the ¡®Demon Slayers¡¯ party all stood up in indignation. The people in the inn quickly realized this might be a little too dangerous for them, even if they were all adventurers. Some of the younger people quickly exited the inn, while the other patrons watched with interest; wholly confident they could defend themselves in a bar fight.


    ¡°It was a sound strategy for fighting against a single opponent! Heavy armored individuals in front to delay the enemy, and long-range mages stay far away from combat and attempt to snipe the target!¡± Jackson said vehemently. ¡°It was pure luck that you dodged all of our attacks!¡± He thought back to the battle that ruined his team¡¯s reputation a few years ago.


    Jackson had wanted to wipe that small smile Paige had on her face as soon as they arrived at the guild that day to undergo their evaluation assessment to a higher guild rank. His party, the ¡®Demon Slayers¡¯ and the ¡®Light of Dawn¡¯ party had travelled together across a few countries and had decided to undergo the evaluation together in Alcudia instead of going back to their Appealte. They had high hopes to be the first parties in a long time to apply for a higher guild rank in Alcudia. They were surprised however when the Guild master told them they had to beat Paige in combat in order to advance their class rank. Jayden had tried unsuccessfully to overturn that requirement, since their parties were registered in Appealte. But the Guild master denied them since they were trying to take it in Alcudia.


    Eventually, Jackson tired of the argument and agreed, since Paige had a well-known reputation for being a Warrior that had more luck than skill. Even her high-class rank of Warrior was thought to be attributed more to lady luck protecting her than her skill, and her high guild rank due to her looks and friends rather than her achievements.


    Unfortunately for the two teams, Paige had destroyed them within a few minutes; despite facing twelve people at once. Jackson nursed a deep hatred of Paige ever since, especially when she announced the combat report afterword to every Guild Hall across the country. The jobs the guild had allowed them to take drastically reduced to almost nothing, and they had to work hard to restore their damaged reputation as combat worthy fighters.


    ¡°Your just lucky that the Queen is your friend! Let¡¯s see what you can do here once she is dead!¡± Jackson spouted vehemently.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t mean that Paige, he¡¯s really drunk.¡± Jayden said loudly, trying to stop Jackson from saying more. Paige stood up slowly, her face deadpan. Tyler grabbed Paige¡¯s arm and Zenith and Isabella grabbed Paige¡¯s other arm.


    ¡°The food is on the house! Everyone please leave!¡± Maggie suddenly screamed. She started shoving people outside the younger bystanders out. She started panicking as the older patrons opted to wait and watch a show. ¡°This is now a reserved area. Only those ranked a hundred twenty and higher can stay. Those who disobey will face official Guild sanctions.¡± The older patrons hesitated but decided to leave as well.


    Maggie turned and walked slowly until she stood in front of Paige. ¡°They¡¯ll get punished for saying that. I swear that on my inn.¡± Paige gaze bore right through her, still focusing only on the struggling Jackson; Jayden and his team were trying to diffuse the situation on their end as well. ¡°Please Paige, for me?¡± She said quietly.


    Paige shifted her gaze down to the young adult in front of her. She wasn¡¯t the tiny child anymore who loved to play jokes on her guests. No, now she was mostly grown up. Her face was a mixture of blind confidence and belief, but her apron was trembling slightly. ¡®A few more years and she¡¯ll look just like her grandmother all those years ago.¡¯ She closed her eyes and exhaled softly, letting go of her anger. ¡°For you Maggie.¡±


    She flashed a weak smile. ¡°Thank you. Come with me to my room. We can talk over there.¡± Maggie quickly pulled Paige into the kitchen toward the back rooms, hoping to stop Paige from doing something terrible. Isabella quickly followed the two of them as they went through the kitchen door.


    Jackson¡¯s face grew furious at the sight of Paige leaving. ¡°Now you wait here you¡­¡± As he stepped toward the kitchen door, an arrow embedded itself deeply into the side of the bar, scarring his plate armor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± A gruff voice sounded out.

 Chapter 16

    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± A gruff voice sounded out. Everyone in the inn stopped moving.


    Jackson stopped and looked out the corner of his eye. He knew that the archer had him in his sights; the steel tipped arrowhead still nocked on the bowstring. Something caught his eye on the floor. Looking down, he noticed it was a sliver of steel; one that matched the size of the scar now on his plate armor.


    ¡°They are piercing arrows. It can punch through you and three other people.¡±


    Jackson sobered slightly with the threat, his drunken mind struggling to churn out an answer. He recalled that a seasoned archer could sight a target, gauge distance, pull and release within a few seconds. For a target at range. This close to the target and he could just pull and release, the arrowhead wouldn''t drop that much in the space of a few meters. ¡°There¡¯s only one group of archers around here who have the arrows that can do that. Care to tell us who you are, Ranger.¡±


    ¡°Bodyguard Huntsman actually. What use is a bodyguard if they can¡¯t stop a person in armor. Especially a hostile one.¡± He came up with a factual response and responded evenly. ¡°Unfortunately for you, my little ward has gone off in that direction as well. This is your only warning.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d best figure how to apologize Jackson,¡± Jayden groaned as he turned toward Tyler. This man scared him more than the Archer with the bow, and for good reason too. He realized who Paige was sitting next to. ¡°He was drunk sir. He really didn¡¯t mean it like that."


    ¡°Talking bad about the royal family can land you in jail, banishment or execution,¡± Tyler looked him square in the eye. ¡°And you actually said it in front of the former Royal Captain and the Queen¡¯s best friend.¡± He leveled his gaze onto the two parties; his eyes eerily similar to Paige¡¯s just moments ago. ¡°Your apologies better be good, and it better show your sincerity. Not even the Guild will overlook what was said.¡±


    ¡°Heh, all I see is a coward who isn¡¯t fighting at the frontlines.¡± Jackson spat at Tyler, ignoring his threats outright. WIth the happening, it would take a while before the government would be able to respond to this minor slight.


    Jayden discreetly told his team to back off and slowly edged away himself. They were friends, but Tyler was right about what he said. The Guild nor the Alcudian Royal Family would not let this insult stand.


    ---


    ¡°Aunt, are you okay?¡± Isabella asked quietly.


    ¡°Aunt?¡± Maggie looked at the young girl critically. ¡°I thought it was weird that you¡¯d be cooperating with a mismatched team like that. Heh, you are more mismatched than I am, and that''s saying something.¡± Paige said nothing, walking steadily away. Maggie slowed down and grabbed Isabella¡¯s hand, stopping her from following too close to Paige.


    ¡°Let her have some time to herself,¡± Maggie said quietly. "She¡¯ll vent her frustrations, and all will be well.¡±


    Following behind a few steps, they stopped after walking through the kitchen and as Paige walked toward the back room but stopped short of it. Isabella watched as she tapped a spot on a wall three times, and a secret passage revealed itself. Paige walked in and the passage shut silently. ¡°It¡¯s a safe room¡± Maggie replied quietly. ¡°The Royal family built it, just in case something happened, and the crown princess needed a safe place to go.¡±


    ¡°Mother built this for Alexandra?¡±


    Maggie eyed Isabella quietly, putting the pieces together and coming up with her identity. ¡°No, your great grandmother built it for her daughter,¡± Maggie explained quietly to the young girl. She stopped and looked Isabella in the eyes. Bowing slightly, she said quietly. ¡°Maggie Green, Apprentice Innkeeper, at your service. I humbly welcome you to my abode, Third Princess Isabella. It is an honor to be of service to the throne.¡±


    ¡°The, the pleasure is mine,¡± Isabella responded shyly. She usually did not have to respond to such a forward greeting.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Everyone knows that the third princess died at childbirth.¡± Maggie warned her quietly. ¡°Most people will not associate your name with the dead princess, but you have to be careful. You were obviously hidden for a reason.¡±


    ¡°Eh? You can tell all that from just my name?¡± Isabella said shocked.


    ¡°Even Paige says I¡¯m pretty sharp at times.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re traveling with Paige and Royal Vanguard Tyler Merk. Plus, everyone knows that the queen¡¯s children call her aunt. That puts you on a very short list of people.¡±


    ¡°Next time someone asks you for your name and Paige or Tyler is not around, just say your name is Bella and deny everything else. Those two can handle the pressure, political or otherwise.¡±


    Isabella was speechless at that logic.


    Leaning on the opposite wall, Maggie eyed the now-closed passageway and decided to explain part of her mother''s legacy. A view from the outside in. ¡°Do you know why your mother is so well loved by the country?¡±


    ¡°Not really. I don¡¯t really get out much.¡± Isabella said quietly as she sat down next to Maggie..


    ¡°The story goes that somehow Paige convinced your grandmother that it was a good thing for a crown princess to go exploring and meet her subjects. I¡¯ve heard from my grandparents said that there were times that the crown princess was out of the royal capital for months on end. Paige was never shy of announcing where they were headed either; so many of her adventures and exploits were well known. That¡¯s also why many nobles send their daughters out to adventure now, to gain recognition and experience just like the queen did.¡±


    Isabella spoke quietly as she looked up at Maggie. ¡°Mother was allowed out if Paige defeated Tyler in mock combat. Then they would quickly flee out of the capital before anyone in the Royal Guard could trail them.¡±


    ¡°Aw, you ruined the story for me. Now it¡¯s not as good anymore.¡± Maggie pouted. ¡°That was one of the rumors. The others were more imaginative.¡±


    ¡°Really? Like what?¡±


    She started to tick her fingers one by one. ¡°There were rumors that Paige actually loved the Queen; a hypnotist; a Sorcerer; that she was an Imperial spy; Leit spy; foreign spy; a secret royal tutor; etc.¡± She moved closer to Isabella, whispering so quietly that Isabella had a hard time hearing ¡°I was leaning toward the first one myself. After the queen got married and her party members formally joined her as king, prime minister, and royal mage; Paige spent noticeably less time in Alcudia. It was only after her children were born that Paige started to stay more often. At least, that''s what my parents said.¡±


    ¡°Do people really like Aunt Paige that much?¡±


    ¡°She may not be high on any watchlists, but if I had to choose one person to protect the country, she would be it. I¡¯d bet most people would say the same. Most of the guild just says she¡¯s lucky, but I think there¡¯s more to her than just that.¡± Maggie said confidently.


    Isabella kept quiet about her aunt¡¯s true job class.


    ¡°Well, while you are here, you might as well learn how to open the passageway as well.¡± Maggie righted herself and beckoned for Isabella to come closer to the secret passage. ¡°You tap these three spots and it¡¯ll open. It¡¯s been warded so that all skills and locator spells will be unable to penetrate it, or so Paige says. The key thing you need to remember is that you must identify yourself if you have not used it before. Only Paige, my family, or a child with the surname Freal can open it. Supposedly anyway. I¡¯ve never tried the last two options myself since I know how much it costs to activate it.¡±


    As she headed for the back room to grab a seat for the two of them, Maggie quietly sighed to herself. Listening closely, she could hear the sounds of fighting from behind of her. ¡°Hopefully the others won¡¯t destroy my inn too much. I really do like my bar.¡± she whispered to herself, confident that would happen. At least Paige wasn''t in the fight, then she''d have a whole lot more cleaning to do.


    ---


    The bar had been destroyed. Well, in the sense that you couldn¡¯t put your drink down on it anymore. Jackson and his team had made sure of that. The polished wood countertop was still intact in one piece but was now lying on the ground.


    As soon as Jackson had said those fighting words, Jayden quickly stepped back with his hands up and Tyler tackled the man to the ground. Even though Jackson had his plate armor on, the fall had knocked the breath out of him. Tyler kneeled over him and started punching him straight in the face. His team rushed forward to help, but Nick had jumped in as well. Nick quickly cut his bowstring and rushed forward to help Tyler, brandishing his now unstrung longbow like a sword. The first person stepped forward and tightened his grieves, quickly trying to pass Nick. Everyone had the good sense to not fight with actual weapons, at least at this point of the bar fight.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Jackson and his team were still wearing their plate armor, so the first team member to step up did not think that the wooden bow would be able to hurt him. He rushed forward, clearly trying to take Nick to the ground so that the others behind him could help the team leader on the ground. The rush of adrenaline helped him sober up and he quickly threw a punch at Nick¡¯s chest. Nick held his ground and then moved the bow in a sideways arc, twisting just his hands.


    The bow hit the man¡¯s wrist from the side, deflecting the punch away from Nick¡¯s body. He took a small step forward and twisted; his bow sliding straight up the other man¡¯s arm and hitting him on the side of the face. Completing his twist, he quickly shot his leg out and kicked the man in the knee, a clean snapping sound heard right after. The man fell unconscious from the pain as soon as his head hit the floor.


    ¡°They got Hugo, get them!¡± The other four people rushed to get Nick, hoping to use their greater numbers to take Tyler and Nick. Nick quickly backed up, grabbing Tyler on his way back toward Zenith.


    One of the men grabbed a bottle from the shelf behind the broken bar and shattered it, hurling the bottle toward Nick¡¯s back.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Zenith screamed. She shoved the table away and grabbed a worn looking short staff that she had left leaning against the wall next to her, the markings on it slightly worn and faded from time. Zenith¡¯s new and original staffs were safely tucked away in Paige¡¯s spatial ring, but she had chosen to use her original Apprentice Mage combat training staff to match her current Apprentice class. Standing up, she pointed at the shattered bottle and quickly yelled ¡°[[Air Shield]]¡±. A translucent spiral of air quickly formed behind Nick, stopping the shattered glass in midair. She quickly flicked her staff downward and the shattered remains embedded themselves into the floorboards. She tried to take a step forward, but her vision suddenly went out of focus and she stumbled. Nick let go of Tyler and grabbed Zenith before she could hit the floor.


    ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just have some vertigo for some reason,¡± she mumbled, her face red. ¡°Moved too fast.¡± Watching the other people trying to surround them in a corner, Zenith decided it wasn¡¯t worth it to fight in close quarters.


    ¡®Forget this.¡¯ Zenith thought to herself. She mumbled under her breath ¡°[[Air Pressure: High]]¡±. As the pressure in the room started to gather on the people in front of her, Zenith opened her adventurer kit and withdrew a slightly glowing bottle. Throwing it toward the drunken opponents, the bottle smashed open and a cloud of purple smoke was suddenly released.


    Closing her eyes, she willed her mana and imagined a sphere surrounding the now smashed bottle. The smoke suddenly stopped expanding outward and upward as Zenith used her skill [Air Molding] to force the smoke into staying in place. ¡°I¡¯ll make the cloud stay there, just knock them unconscious as they leave.¡± Mage skills were powerful, but the drawback was the need to stand perfectly still and eyes shut to focus their mana. She rarely used her Mage skills, preferring to use spells instead so that she wouldn¡¯t be vulnerable to an attack.


    Tyler and Nick obliged, quickly knocking the other four people out when they stumbled out of the cloud, coughing up a storm before they knocked them out. Zenith counted the impacts on the floor and suddenly raised her hand toward the smoke and made a grabbing motion and moved her hand toward her chest. The smoke quickly compressed into a ball and flew toward Zenith, who suddenly opened her eyes and collected the ball into another glass bottle, which started glowing again as the ball diffused back into smoke.


    Zenith gaze shifted to where the other Mages were standing. ¡°Please don¡¯t try anything. I¡¯m still a bit tipsy.¡± She said quietly. Her staff still pointed in their general direction, she walked slowly back to her seat and sat her head down on the table, trying to make the room stop spinning. ¡°They¡¯ll be fine by the way. Just some knockout smoke in a bottle.¡± She pulled the bottle out and laid it on its side, spinning it absently. She closed her eyes when she saw the kitchen doors swinging open and was fast asleep soon after.


    --


    ¡°My bar! Well, it¡¯s better than I thought it¡¯d be.¡± Maggie said, looking around. ¡°I think it¡¯ll be around twenty gold coins for that. Meh, gotta add in the food and drink for the other patrons as well. Let¡¯s say thirty-five...nah forty will do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on! A plate of food is less than a silver coin. How did it come to an extra twenty gold coins?¡±


    ¡°Hassle and reputation costs. It¡¯ll also cover buying everyone¡¯s silence on this matter.¡±


    While Maggie and Jayden argued back and forth about the reparation costs for the inn, Isabella quietly told Nick and Tyler that Paige would be fine in a bit. ¡°She¡¯s calming down in the back, she¡¯ll be out in a bit. I think she was about to kill him if she stayed.¡± She looked to the men lying unconscious on the floor. ¡°Do you think she would have?¡±


    Tyler hesitated but eventually shook his head. ¡°No, not with so many civilians nearby. Paige is well known for her bar fights. She would have calmed down after maiming a few people. Probably.¡±


    Nick waited for a lull in the innkeeper¡¯s discussion and walked up and asked pointedly. ¡°What will be reported to the Guild?¡± Jayden stopped and waited for her answer.


    She thought for a second, evaluating the mostly intact inn. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fill out an incident report. But it will depend on what Paige and Tyler decide as well.¡± She looked over to Tyler, trying to gauge his view on the matter. ¡°We¡¯re on a guild mission. I won¡¯t petition for formal punishment, so long as their teams gives the royal family an appropriate response.¡±


    ¡°We were headed toward the frontlines. if we join the defenders at Castle Lidale, would that be a good enough show of faith to our commitment to the country?¡± Jayden asked hurriedly.


    Tyler thought for a second before replying. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll try and convince Paige that this will be good enough.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be, but it¡¯ll do for now,¡± Paige answered briskly. At some point, Paige had come and picked Zenith off the table. ¡°I¡¯ll take her upstairs. Tyler, since you said you would try and convince me, you, Nick and everyone else still conscious can help Mags clean up the inn.¡± Looking toward Jayden¡¯s group, she amended her words slightly. ¡°You can rest Ava. At least you had the good sense to not get involved, unlike like the rest of them.¡±


    The red-headed mage nodded gratefully. ¡°I¡¯ll try and teach them some commonsense Paige, but it is hard being the only girl in the party.¡±


    Motioning for Isabella to follow, Paige carried Zenith up the stairs, calling out to those behind of her. ¡°Thanks Ava, just try your best. And make sure I don¡¯t meet Jackson alone. Maggie, I¡¯ll pay for any damage incurred in your inn tonight. It would be bad for my reputation if I didn¡¯t. We¡¯ll take separate rooms now as well since the inn is empty.¡±


    ---


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re still up, Paige.¡± A voice called out to her after the cleaning had been done. Paige walked back downstairs shortly after Nick and Tyler had gotten into their room. She had just sat down by the fireplace when she was rudely interrupted.


    ¡°Jayden. I really have nothing to talk with you about.¡± Paige said as she sighed to herself.


    ¡°Thought I¡¯d find you here though. I just wanted to say sorry.¡± Jayden walked over to where Paige was sitting mostly in the dark, a single piece of wood burning in the fireplace illuminating the empty dining area. He sat down in a chair adjacent to Paige and warmed his hands by the dying fire. ¡°Your Mage was pretty good on her feet. Quick thinking too.¡±


    ¡°Apprentice Mage.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s just an Apprentice I¡¯d be impressed. I¡¯d say she¡¯s close to an elemental specialization then, so she¡¯ll probably be an Apprentice Wind Mage soon.¡± Jayden raised a single eyebrow. ¡°The Archer too was really good. Although I¡¯ve never heard of a Bodyguard Hunter class before.¡±


    ¡°You need to travel more then. Or interact with the higher members of society. To be fair, it¡¯s not a well-known class.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose we do need to branch out more.¡±


    They both sat in silence for a moment, as Paige prodded the firewood absentmindedly. Eventually, Jayden spoke up. ¡°I am sorry about all that. Jackson was out of line. Ava gave me quite the scolding.¡± He chuckled to himself quietly. ¡°Although, you probably knew my wife would scold me after not stopping Jackson.¡±


    ¡°Ava has more common sense than all of you combined. But you already knew that as well. What did you really want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°That young girl, does she have a party? An Apprentice Mage like her would be an asset to our team. Her skills aren¡¯t anything to laugh at either. She had only used some basic skills yesterday, but her control was phenomenal.¡±


    ¡°Why? Wait, let me guess...Ava?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s been wanting a child, but¡­¡± He hesitated to continue.


    ¡°You¡¯d have to disband your party to take care of a baby.¡± Paige filled in. ¡°You¡¯ve been adventuring for over twenty years, of course it¡¯d be hard to stop adventuring. Were you thinking that a younger team member would fill the void?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We were planning on settling down after this next mission, but I was hoping that Ava would be satisfied with a younger team member to watch over instead.¡± Jayden spoke quietly.


    Paige responded briskly. ¡°The mage does have a party, sorry. What will the rest of your party do once you and Ava leave?¡±


    ¡°The plan is to merge with Jackson¡¯s party and continue on adventuring.¡±


    They watched the fire die down before Paige added another log onto the dying fire. ¡°Any advice for the future?¡± Jayden asked, gauging Paige''s mood.


    ¡°Find a good wet nurse. I¡¯d suggest settling down in Appealte or one of the larger villages. You and Ava could probably find a job either at the Guild or Mage Hall. Or you could be a mobile tutor in the countryside. Probably shouldn¡¯t live anywhere smaller than a farming settlement though, otherwise it¡¯ll be hard to make a living, even as Mages.¡±


    ¡°I mean about my party and retirement.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Just keep in contact and wish them luck. Settle down in a place with a guild branch if you want them to visit more often though.¡±


    Jayden hesitated but eventually asked. ¡°Do you miss being in a party with the queen?¡± Paige warily looked over at Jayden. He sighed and continued. ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss my team, Paige. We¡¯ve been together for so long and done so much. It¡¯s such a big change.¡±


    Paige watched the fire die down and said quietly ¡°You¡¯ll still have your memories Jayden. Everything eventually changes, even if we do nothing. Make your choice and come to peace with it. At least Ava will be there with you, as well as any future children.¡±


    ¡°...Thanks Paige.¡±


    ¡°No problems, now how about leaving me to my thoughts?¡±


    ¡°You never did answer my question. Do you miss adventuring with your friends?¡± Jayden spoke while heading upstairs.


    Paige whispered quietly to the now empty tavern after he left. ¡°It was just an interlude to my travels.¡± Only Paige knew whether she was being truthful though.

 Chapter 17

    ¡°My head hurts.¡± Zenith groaned when Paige woke her up a few hours later. ¡°And why are we up so early anyways?¡±


    ¡°Because Zenith, we have to leave before the rest of the town wakes up. Hopefully Isabella can wake Tyler and Nick; it looks like they spent quite some time yesterday cleaning this place up.¡± In the dim morning light, she noticed that the place did look good, all things considered. The bar countertop was now upright, and the splintered wood was sanded back down to a smooth finish. Absently running her finger across the tables, she realized that even the tables were dusted. ¡°Huh, and they did a decent job too.¡±


    ¡°They did Paige. I stopped watching halfway through when I realized some of them knew how to actually clean. The archer even sanded down the splintered wood for me.¡± Maggie¡¯s head poked out of the kitchen, her hair strewn about messily. ¡°It was fun watching Tyler get bossed around, but I suppose he doesn''t do much cleaning back in the capital to begin with.¡±


    ¡°Heh, nope. They have maids and butlers to clean up the mess they make. Too bad I missed it.¡±


    ¡°Nick knows how to clean?¡± Zenith said, shocked awake by that news.


    ¡°I do indeed know how to clean. My wife made sure of that.¡± Nick said grouchily as he walked down the stairs. Zenith flinched, looking away before he noticed her red face. ¡°Tyler could learn a thing or two about cleaning up a mess though.¡±


    ¡°Paige is paying over forty gold, and the other teams will be here until they recover. I don¡¯t understand why we had to clean last night.¡± Tyler said grouchily as well. Isabella had loudly woken them up, and the trap Nick set for intruders had gone off, which did not help. Even in a guild affiliated inn, Nick had opted to set his own simple net trap to stop people from entering their room. Isabella¡¯s scream of surprise was louder than her initial wake up call. It was not the best way to wake up in the morning.


    ¡°When you are a guest, you should always aim to leave a place the same or better than we arrived,¡± Paige said wisely, closing her eyes and nodding to herself. Nick gave her a reproachful look. ¡°Ranger¡¯s Forestry Code; second line slightly modified.¡±


    ¡°Paige¡¯s common sense, original first line,¡± She shot back, rolling her eyes. ¡°Where is Isabella?¡±


    ¡°Getting herself out of a net trap.¡±


    ¡°Heh, good learning experience for her. And you too Zenith.¡± She said under her breath to Zenith, who gave her a glare in response.


    ¡°So we¡¯re heading out then? Have you figured out how to get around the guards?¡± Tyler asked after yawning.


    ¡°The guards won¡¯t be a problem. There was no report filed and the inn is spotless. They would have no reason to stop you.¡± Maggie called out from the kitchen. She came out with a few bags full of travel rations. While handing them out, she continued talking ¡°Even if the local duchess was trying to exert her pressures on you or the Guild, both of you could effectively stop anything she tries. And don¡¯t try to tell me otherwise. I know you can call in some favors, political or otherwise.¡± Isabella came down the stairs holding a thin net, staring at Tyler and Nick with an indignant look.


    ¡°True, it would be a hassle though.¡± Paige agreed with a shrug of her shoulders. ¡°Here¡¯s the gold for the damages from yesterday. The rest is in the back.¡± She pointed toward the kitchen. ¡°You¡¯ll know where to find it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Paige. You¡¯re welcome back anytime you know.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the offer, Maggie. I¡¯ll take it up another time. Isabella, to the stables. We¡¯ll eat on the road.¡±


    --


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny aunt! They left me there on the ground to die!¡± Isabella pouted to Paige as they were crossing a riverbed. They had quickly left the city and had decided to cut straight through the forest heading toward Castle Patel instead of following the established merchant route. They were not worried about fighting any bandits or outlaws, and Paige was half hoping that they would find a bandits hideout in these woods. ¡°They said it was my fault that I didn¡¯t check the room before entering. How was I supposed to know Mister Nick would booby trap the door? And then they had the gall to say it was my fault for not knocking!¡±


    ¡°Did you knock little Isabella?¡±


    ¡°...No, but none of the doors had locks on them anyways.¡±


    ¡°Well, now you know. Before entering a room, always check to see if it is trapped. And count yourself lucky too, since Nick was the one guarding the door last night. If Tyler was guarding it, you¡¯d probably be nursing a bruise on your head instead of just a bruised ego.¡± Paige admonished Isabella lightly.


    ¡°Zenith, was it really my fault?¡± Isabella decided to ask someone else who would hopefully sympathize with her more than her aunt.


    Zenith eyed her, knowing what the young girl was trying to accomplish. ¡°It was. Most parties will always have at least one person guarding a room, even in an inn. A net trap is pretty lenient all things considering.¡±


    ¡°How would you have booby-trapped a door?¡± Isabella said questioningly.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not watching out for danger, I would probably aim for knocking out an opponent with either a magic circle or a trap spell. If I think a town is dangerous though, I¡¯d use a warding spell and a crossbow. In a guild affiliated inn like that though, unless you have a lot of enemies, it¡¯s pretty safe.


    Isabella relented, albeit grudgingly. ¡°Fine. It was my fault. But how would you check a room for boobytraps?¡±


    ¡°Everyone has their own way of doing it. I use magic to sense for traps or to get a general layout of the room. Paige, Tyler, how do you check for traps?¡±


    ¡°Patience,¡± Tyler spoke up from behind, talking loudly so that they could hear his answer. ¡°I open the door slightly, and if anything changes in the room I know it is trapped.¡±


    Paige, on the other hand, had a far different answer. ¡°Usually I don¡¯t check. I¡¯m confident that I¡¯d be able to evade in time. Now, if I am trying to be sneaky, I¡¯d use this.¡± She passed it over to Zenith and Isabella. It was a simple square piece of paper. ¡°I slip this under the door and simply wait a few seconds.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Isabella flipped it over, trying to figure out what the slip of paper could do. She noticed one side was shinier than the other and had what looked like faint writing on it.


    ¡°It¡¯s heavy-duty magic paper and ink infused with steel shavings. At night you can see an outline of an active magic circle. If someone is awake, they¡¯d recognize the danger of an unknown magic circle and would rush to destroy it.¡±


    ¡°What happens if they wait and see?¡±


    ¡°The circle activates and spews out a thin layer of smoke.¡± Paige shrugged her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s expensive, but I find it¡¯s the best way to check if someone is waiting inside a room.¡±


    Zenith looked it over critically. ¡°It¡¯s well made too, although most would use silver instead of steel shavings for something expendable like this.¡±


    ¡°But that still doesn¡¯t answer how you would check a room for boobytraps.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d kick the door open and use my shield for cover. If it¡¯s an empty room I would use my instincts to determine if something was off.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Stopping by a large tree, Paige stopped everyone to wait for Nick to find them. ¡°We can rest here for a bit. Hopefully, Nick found a bandit¡¯s hideout, or maybe even a monster nest. That would be helpful for us.¡±


    She sat on her bag and took out the paper¡¯s that the young innkeeper had given to her last night. Idly flipping through the notes, she decided to pass the time talking with Zenith. ¡°So I heard you didn¡¯t get the chance to use your Crusader subclass skills yesterday. I¡¯m kinda disappointed at that. I was hoping to hear your thoughts about it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to blow my cover as just an apprentice. And hiding my class was harder than I thought it would be if I am being honest.¡± Zenith replied frankly. ¡°I still ended up using something more advanced than what an apprentice would be able to do.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but not by much. Jayden assumed you were close to a specialization instead, so it worked out in the end.¡±


    ¡°Jayden? Was that the Mage team leader for the ¡®Bringers of Light¡¯ party? When did you do that?¡±


    ¡°He was up a little before I was actually. He wanted to try and poach you for their team since you showed so much promise as just a wandering apprentice.¡±


    Paige caught the look in Isabella¡¯s eyes and answered before she could ask a question. ¡°Most apprentices would already be practicing in their field, like Maggie as an Apprentice Innkeeper. But since you were dressed like Nick, and he was guarding you and Zenith, he assumed that Zenith would be for hire soon. It¡¯s rare to see a battle class apprentice wandering without a mentor.¡±


    ¡°Even for Apprentice Warriors or Apprentice Mages?¡±


    ¡°I can answer this Paige,¡± Adopting her teacher tone of voice, she started lecturing Isabella in the basics. ¡°There are two things required before you can advance to the next class. One, training. Someone has to train you after you receive the class. An Apprentice Mage without training is about as useful as a commoner because they can¡¯t actually use their class for anything. Two, variety and experience. You cannot become better by focusing on just what you know. You have to branch out and learn, testing the limits of what you know and expanding your horizon.¡±


    ¡°That is why the Warrior Class is so powerful; because they can learn multiple types of combat.¡± Zenith crouched down, using a stick to draw a simple diagram on the ground in front of her.


    ¡°Think of class advancement as a line. Let¡¯s say you start off at the beginning as an Apprentice Warrior. The middle of the line would be the class specialization. So, maybe you become a Sword Master, or maybe a Spearman. Once you become proficient enough at your specialization, you end up as a Warrior.¡±


    Below her diagram, she drew another line, except this one, had another line parallel line in the middle. ¡°But let¡¯s say you learn many different weapon styles, but still stuck to one main path. So let¡¯s say a Swordmaster also learned how to use a spear, just as good as a Spearman. In the end, both people would still become Warriors, but now one may have different class skills as a Warrior. It just takes more time; time some might not be willing to waste when they are young.¡±


    ¡°Then why is your class Wind Magi instead of a Mage?¡±


    ¡°Mages are a little different. Your final class depends on what element you have affinities toward. My class went Apprentice Mage, Wind Mage, Wind Magi. If someone had affinities toward all magic types, you could probably end up with a high class of just Mage, but more than likely your greatest affinity will govern your class type.¡± Zenith shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°But what about...¡±


    ¡°Did you find anything Nick?¡± Paige suddenly called out, interrupting Isabella. Nick came out from the heavy forest brush and caught the food bag Paige had thrown toward him, pulling out some jerky to munch on.


    ¡°I noticed an odd clearing a few miles east of us, but I have my suspicions that it is a group of Treants. Not really worth our time to clear them out, especially this deep into the woods. Other than that, there¡¯s nothing of interest within a few dozen miles of us. At this rate, we should arrive at the castle within two days.¡±


    Stowing her notes back in her pack, Paige stood up and stretched. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s keep on moving then. We¡¯ll make camp shortly before dusk.¡±


    ¡°Hey Zenith, what about being born with a high class? Does that change anything about the class? You know, from the line example you showed earlier.¡± Isabella ran and caught up to Zenith, walking side by side next to her.


    ¡°Hm? Rephrase your question please, what exactly do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°I mean, is there any advantage of being born with a high ranked class instead of earning it?¡±


    ¡°If you had a class at birth, you would have an apprentice class rank instead. As for advantages...you might already know a skill or two, and if you could afford a tutor you¡¯d have more time to practice your spells and skills as a child. But everything usually equalizes by the time you are an adult.¡±


    ¡°So what about the Hero class or the Princess class; how does that affect a person¡¯s path? Since you really don¡¯t start out as an Apprentice Hero or an Apprentice Princess.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Paige, can you help out with this question? You know more since you were intentionally trying to create Heroes.¡± Zenith spoke up, grabbing Paige¡¯s attention. Paige dropped back and walked with them and listened to Zenith recount Isabella¡¯s question.


    ¡°The Hero and Princess classes are special because the class themselves are more like a title than a class. Think of your mother for instance. Her title is Queen, but her actual class is Advanced Fencer. When she received the title of Queen, she gained the skill [Nation¡¯s Blessing]. In your case, when you were born you received the skill [Royal Bearing]. The main difference is if a Queen is overthrown, they would lose their skills. But you will always have the skill [Royal Bearing] because of your class. Your skill might change if your class changes though. Most don¡¯t know this, but you can advance your class Isabella; it¡¯s just really hard to do.¡±


    ¡°Really Aunt? What can I become?¡± Isabella asked hopefully.


    ¡°If no one interferes, you could become whatever class you want to be. A true Princess Knight, a Princess Mage. Eventually, a Princess class changes to Empress or a Heroine. I became a Warrior before I ever advanced though, so I¡¯ve never had the chance to test that theory before.¡±


    ¡°If no one interferes?¡± Zenith caught onto the key phrase. Nick and Tyler stopped ahead to listen to the conversation.


    ¡°The Imperial Family would rather a hero be born than allowing a Princess to go to battle since typically Heroes must be born. That¡¯s where the tradition of taking Princesses to be Imperial Consorts actually started. Far better for the Empire to keep the Princesses safe and secure. Peh.¡± Paige vehemently spat out the last sentence, her nose wrinkling in disgust. ¡°Actually awarding Princesses to Heroes like they are some kind of trophy to be collected.¡±


    ¡°Imperial Scions are all Heroes?¡± Zenith asked shocked.


    ¡°Yeah, or their descendants.¡± She looked over to Isabella. ¡°Has anyone told you what will happen if you are taken away?¡±


    ¡°I asked Zenith last week,¡± Isabella said quietly, her face slightly downcast. Paige eyed Zenith, who quickly recounted what she told Isabella.


    ¡°Hmm. She¡¯s accurate for the most part. A Hero has to do something pretty important or life-threatening before the Imperial Family will give one away since the amount of Heroes will always be greater than the number of Princesses.¡±


    ¡°Aunt, were you a Princess? You know a lot about what happens in the Imperial Family¡±


    Paige slowed her steps down ¡°I...was a Princess at one time. I was captured by the Imperial Family...But, I escaped and wandered the world for a while, before I ended up in Alcudia and the Western Borderlands.¡±


    Noticing how everyone was raptly paying attention, Paige continued on, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they wrote me off as dead though. Most, if not all, of my companions, died in the escape and subsequent pursuit. Afterward, I became a Warrior and traveled to distant lands; followed the wind; and made new friends. Most of the equipment I stored in places came from people who helped me escape but didn¡¯t survive. Had to do something with them, and I felt bad that they were going to waste.¡±


    ¡°Then why lay low?¡± Nick asked Paige.


    ¡°The Imperial Family keeps very strict records. Although only a few have access to the records, I didn¡¯t want to take any chances.¡±


    ¡°So you were in my position before?¡± Isabella asked excitedly. ¡®If Aunt Paige was able to escape, then I could probably too!¡¯


    Paige said with a small smile. ¡°Not exactly the same position, Little Isabella. I wasn¡¯t born a Princess. Didn¡¯t you think it was strange that I knew that Heroes didn¡¯t have to be born? That there were other ways to inherit the class?¡±


    She smirked. ¡°It¡¯s a common belief that only the gods can bestow the Hero Class. But I¡¯ve found that a person can also earn the class if they can pass some hero worthy trials, just as if they were born a Hero. So I deposited equipment in multiple places so that there would be a trial for people to undertake. It¡¯s far less likely a Hero will appear, but the Heroes that emerge from surviving the trials tend to be stronger than the ones born into the Imperial Family. That is one of the reasons they are even letting the trials stay in the hands of the local nations. Otherwise, the trials grounds and dungeons would have been dug up or confiscated by now.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t anyone be able to become a Hero then? There¡¯s really nothing stopping higher ranked classes from entering the trial grounds; nothing besides tradition anyways,¡± Tyler asked, perplexed. The Alcudian Royal Dungeon was used to train new recruits. Finishing it really was not something worthy of becoming a Hero.


    ¡°The Appealte Trial Grounds are used mainly to test Mage elemental affinities. Sure, sometimes you may find a weapon or an artifact, but I agree with Tyler,¡± Zenith added. Nick nodded as well, thinking of Leit¡¯s many dungeons and trial grounds.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the equipment stored there are testing peoples abilities. Haven¡¯t you ever wondered why only a few die there each year? And when was the last time you yourself had tried it? I¡¯m almost certain that anyone at or above a high ranked class has a far higher chance of dying. The equipment stored there might not be heroic ranked equipment, but they are close to it.¡±

 Chapter 18

    As dusk fell the next day, Isabella organized her thoughts about what she had learned while setting up her tent close to Zenith¡¯s tent. Paige had only answered a few questions after that, and then the rest of yesterday and today was spent mostly in silence. Nick, Tyler, and Paige had spent much of the time travelling sorting through the papers, looking for any rumors that might be helpful.


    Tired of the forest scenery and sore from the travels, Isabella went to brush the mules and asked any questions that came to mind, trying to fill the silence. ¡°Zenith, are party sizes always less than six people? Both of the parties yesterday had six people in them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a really good question, Isabella. Most kids don¡¯t ever ask that since they think having more people is always better but they quickly learn at school why that is wrong. The number one reasons all parties will have less than six members is mainly because of cost,¡± Zenith said as she put down her supplies next to her campsite. ¡°think about the two teams who fought yesterday at the inn.I¡¯d be surprised if food and supplies cost them less than twenty gold a week for both their teams combined.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too expensive though. A family of four could survive on a hundred gold a year. Twenty gold per week, per year, would come out to¡­eighty gold per person?¡±


    ¡°For an adventuring team that is expensive. Think of it like this. With the mana core that I found; they could survive on the rewards for a little over a month if they found someone who needed it fast. If they traded it directly to the Guild, they would at most get about thirty or forty gold instead, which would last them about two weeks or so,¡± Zenith spoke, shrugging her shoulders while she walked toward the mules to help Isabella.


    ¡°But the chance to find a core like that is close to one in a thousand, Isabella. They would need to fulfill missions full time just to keep their party running. And that is not assuming they get hurt, their equipment breaks, etc. I joined maybe three or four parties before I graduated, simply because we ran out of money each time.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just for fun?¡± Isabella asked, noting Zenith¡¯s rueful grin.


    ¡°Parties are usually formed in the first year and kept together throughout the entire school term, which is why most parents try to send their kids to the more prestigious schools. Bigger schools, more opportunities. But with more people, you start to get different factions, or multiple groups of parties combining under a single banner. In Appealte, for instance, the different founding houses had separate factions and encouraged people to join them. Tyler, how are school¡¯s run in Alcudia?¡±


    ¡°Same for the most part, although factions are somewhat frowned upon. Some noble children try, but the Queen forbid her children from forming one themselves. Better to let them interact with different types of people instead of just one group''s narrow thinking,¡± Tyler responded absentmindedly. ¡°Talking about schools, I heard that Alcudia, Leit, and Appealte were trying to form a single school for nobles to interact with each other. Something about promoting unity or extending goodwill. Paige, did you see something about that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, check page five or so. One of the papers mentioned briefly that the Duchess was trying to get a spot for her son when it opens in a few years. Although they say nobles only, it would almost certainly have commoners as well.¡±


    Isabella tilted her head and stopped brushing for a moment. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°Because little Isabella, if it was just nobles, who would they pick on? Who would they suck up to? The more ambitious ones will certainly try to recruit talented commoners and forge connections with other nobles. Nobles who might be able to help them in the future. I¡¯d wager that most commoners will gladly join a noble¡¯s party simply for the benefits.¡±


    Paige continued. ¡°Not to speak ill of anyone, but even Everest and Albert joined me and Rebecca initially because their families wanted them to get closer to your mom while she was still just a crown princess. In a party, benefits simply matter more than friendships. Although it is always nice to have both. Right Zenith?¡±


    Zenith looked away from Isabella¡¯s hopeful stare. ¡°Your Aunt is right, Isabella. Unless you have good friends, benefits will always matter more than friendships. I knew of some nobles who willingly exploited commoners and then cast them away. Their children would have been taught to know who they can and cannot offend. Commoners are just easy, low-risk prey for them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not right though,¡± Isabella said angrily, mad at the idea that some parties were formed simply for benefits.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. The most I could do was not join those parties or hang out with those nobles. But I wasn¡¯t ever allowed to condone it in public. ¡®For the good of the family¡¯, as my family always said.¡±


    ¡°What would you have done differently Zenith, if you were able to go back?¡± Isabella asked awkwardly. ¡®It seems like Zenith really didn¡¯t get along with her family or her classmates.¡¯ She thought silently.


    Zenith reminisced for a while, eventually saying ¡°If I ever went back, I¡¯d be far warier of nobles, even the ones my family were friends with. I would hide my identity and see how they act toward someone of lesser standing. Not all nobles are bad, but one bad apple can spoil the bunch as they say.¡±


    ¡°Can you see if I am doing this spell right, Teacher Zenith?¡± Isabella changed topics quickly, hoping Zenith would be happy to see her progress.


    ¡°Sure. Which spell are you going to try?¡± Zenith nodded, her eyes glowing with anticipation.


    ¡°I was thinking of practicing [[Healing Light]] again, but Nick and Paige suggested I try [[Shadow Healing]] instead.¡±


    Zenith had taught the girl only a few cantrip spells to test out her abilities in manipulating mana. Although Zenith was more adept at teaching her healing spells, Isabella¡¯s lower affinities toward light and darkness were intriguing to test. She had focused on wind magic in school, but the school she had gone to was known for its research in combination magic. As a result, she was required to have a basic understanding of each affinity and their typical usage. Learning mixed affinity spells were one of the last classes you would take, but she had decided to teach Isabella differently.


    Looking over at Nick, Zenith raised a single eyebrow. Nick raised his head when he heard his name and caught the questioning look from Zenith. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about magic, but I do know that while [[Healing Light]] is a good spell to learn, it is also quite noticeable. Paige said there is a spell called [[Shadow Healing]] instead that might be a better option to try.¡±


    ¡°But those are two very different affinities. How would they even correspond to each other?¡± Zenith questioned Paige.


    Paige spoke up to defend her position. ¡°A few classes have certain skills that do almost the exact same thing. That¡¯s where the inspiration came from. In the far east, there is a class called Witch Doctors that can use dark affinities to heal people. Even some battle classes over there can heal using their dark affinity. I think they were called¡­Ninja¡¯s?¡± She faltered at the end, not knowing if that was what they were called. ¡°I¡¯m sure that it can work though.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll work on both Isabella. The reason I suggested [[Healing Light]] over learning something like [[Healing Touch]] is because we can practice combining similar elements together. Theoretically, it could work¡­¡±


    ¡°It will work,¡± Paige said confidently.


    ¡°¡­Could work but it will be a bit harder to practice. Tell me again what your thoughts on what it means to heal, and we can go from there. Remember, your intentions matter for spells,¡± Zenith stressed heavily, using herself as an example. ¡°For instance, when I think of [[Healing Wind]], I think of a summer breeze caressing me. Think of something that can relate to both darkness and comfort. Maybe even ask Nick about his thoughts, since most of the older forests are perpetually dark. Eventually, though, you must have a concrete idea of what you want the spell to do, and how it will do it. Watch me.¡±


    She grabbed a short dagger from her side and slashed her left hand, suppressing the urge to scream. Closing her eyes, she imagined the wind gathering around her, focusing on the wound. Her breathing slowed, and she said lightly under her breath. ¡°[[Healing Wind]]¡±. The pain subsided greatly after a short while.


    ¡°That was amazing!¡± Isabella said. Healing spells never ceased to amaze her. She had watched from the side and felt the air move as a breeze gathered around Zenith, miniature whirlwinds of leaves dancing around the clearing. Isabella watched as one whirlwind slowly enveloped Zenith; her wound glowed with a white light as the whirlwind fully encompassed her. Slowly, the light diminished, and the wound was gone. Although that did not stop Zenith from shaking her hand, as though trying to dispel the pain. Touching her now healed left hand with her right, she focused, and a bright white light gathered in her palm. Isabella quickly blinked the stars out from her eyes as the flash of light disappeared.


    ¡°You can easily see the difference between the two spells. My combination healing spell was able to encompass the entire clearing, but it only healed the flesh wound and was not able to completely block out the pain. My regular healing spell though, [[Healing Touch]], got rid of the underlying pain, but it was very noticeable. Therefore, I use [[Healing Wind]] on battlefields instead of [[Healing Touch]] and is also was one of the few combinations I am glad to know. Now, stop gawking and grab your staff.¡±


    Urging the young girl to action, Zenith waits for Isabella to come back to show her how to collect mana from the environment once again.


    ¡ª


    ¡°We¡¯re close to Castle Patel. Should only take a couple more hours or so,¡± Paige said quietly while taking a break to watch Isabella struggle to gather mana.


    ¡°These latest rumors don¡¯t paint a pretty picture for the war effort,¡± Nick sighed after reading through all the pages.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°I agree, but they are from a civilian¡¯s perspective. There is a lot of hysteria over the defensive lines being lost, and how they have not been retaken yet,¡± Tyler responded. ¡°The defensive lines were not supposed to be lost this fast. For half of the country to be taken over in less than a year, the pressure on each castle must be immense.¡±


    He looked back at his notes. ¡°It looks like the castles on the frontlines are resisting well though. These rumors indicate that the Jenna, Markus, and Ronald are still supporting Castle Masthe from falling. General William is probably coordinating with them. I think they¡¯ll try and pincer the enemy from behind and reestablish the defensive route between the castles.¡±


    Paige nodded. ¡°I agree. That should pull many of the scouts away from the mausoleum. We should be able to arrive in secret as planned. It looks like the enemy commander has shifted his forces though. Most of the enemies in the north are now heavy infantry, so they should have fewer scouts to begin with anyways.¡±


    ¡°Leit¡¯s suppression army will not be able to as help much then. It¡¯ll mostly be pikemen and archers. A few of the fiefs might bring knights, although you shouldn¡¯t count on it,¡± Nick said after a moment.


    ¡°No Rangers? Pikemen and knights will still useful though, they can at least stop a frontal attack effectively.¡±


    ¡°If there are Rangers, it¡¯ll probably be only a few fully trained Rangers. Ranger Command will probably send more Apprentices or Marksmen.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so punching power might be an issue for them. Tyler, what type of soldiers is William working with? I thought I saw some knights in the reports, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Mostly warriors and mercenaries. The Guild Hall is putting out lucrative missions though, so it really depends on the area and strategic importance. William is fortifying some parts of the frontlines with just mercenary parties. First Prince Daniel has most of the Knights under his command, and he is currently at Castle Vord supporting the resistance there.¡±


    ¡°Tyler, I¡¯m assuming you have been in contact with Williams. Where is the crown princess now?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s with him at Castle Lidale. Gale is there as well.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Well, we missed them, but we¡¯ll see the queen. Do you happen to know where the second princess is?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s at Castle Patel watching over the queen.¡±


    ¡°Great, I haven¡¯t seen her in a while. Hopefully she¡¯s still a rambunctious child,¡± Paige¡¯s mood brightened, and while going over her plans tomorrow she thought of a question for Nick.


    ¡°Your Ranger emblem should be able to sense if there are others nearby. Can you tell how close they are to us?¡± Paige asked after thinking for a minute.


    ¡°They are nearby. We should meet them at Castle Patel,¡± Nick was confident the other Rangers were moving at a faster rate than the rest of the army. ¡°I¡¯m planning on contacting them while you visit the Healer¡¯s Hall. Is there anything you need me to ask?¡±


    Tyler thought, then nodded his head in affirmation. ¡°Have them coordinate with General Williams if possible. Williams is already coordinating with King Erickson¡¯s strategists, but it will be good to keep the Ranger¡¯s in the loop as well on our end.¡±


    As Zenith helped Isabella along with her mana control, Paige decided it was time to help as well, ¡°Nick, Tyler. Since Zenith and Isabella are practicing their spells, do you have any questions about your subclass?¡± Paige said suddenly, ¡°Let me check what skills you¡¯ve gained; focus on just your subclass while I check your status.¡± Inhaling, she focused her mana and said loudly, ¡°I, Paige Alduit, request the subclass status and skills of my party members in front of me.¡±


    Nick frowned, focusing his mind and thinking only of his subclass. He could subconsciously feel his surroundings get denser as the mana from the forest accumulated in the gathering. He noticed Zenith looking at the surroundings carefully as if trying to figure out how Paige had done it as well. ¡®I¡¯ll have to ask how she is doing that,¡¯ he thought to himself quietly. Words floated across his view and he quickly identified what they said.


    Ranger Sentinel


    [Advanced Close Combat], [Weapon Shift], [Defensive Engagement].


    Vanguard Crusader


    [Battlefield Sense], [Weapon Break], [Party Damage Distribution], [Offensive Engagement].


    Paige arched her eyebrows and let out a low whistle. ¡°You both actually got some of the better skills. Congratulations. And those skills are rather helpful for parties too.¡±


    ¡°I used [Defensive Engagement] and [Weapon Shift] in the bar fight, but nothing really happened.¡±


    Paige disagreed. ¡°Jackson¡¯s team was planning on fighting you one on one. So [Defensive Engagement] worked out great. That skill is meant to force single combat, unless someone else uses a skill that conflicts with it, such as [Offensive Engagement]. And I heard you parried and knocked another out with your bow. Did you strengthen the bow with a different skill?¡±


    Nick recalled his actions at the bar. ¡°¡­No. I only used those two skills.¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t try to tell me that you often use your bow like that. We both know that the wood used in bow construction is chosen for its limberness; otherwise, the draw weight would be too heavy, and the effective range would decrease. [Weapon Shift] worked out great too. It changed the properties of your bow so that it stiffer and more like a wooden sword¡± Paige continued. ¡°At least you didn¡¯t say the names out loud. Those have nothing to do with a typical Archer class.


    ¡°Paige, how do you become a Sentinel? Those skills could almost be Vanguard skills,¡± Tyler remarked after hearing Paige¡¯s analysis.


    ¡°Hmm¡­I think I got that class for patrolling and defending an area against intruders. So, I guess you could say it¡¯s like a defensive warrior? It makes sense that it was paired with Nick¡¯s class. Yours too, to some degree.¡± Looking at Tyler, she crossed her arms and evaluated his skills as well, ¡°It¡¯s not really a coincidence that you received the Crusader class either. It seems like your subclass is helping round out your capabilities.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t random?¡± Tyler was shocked. Although he had never seen someone create a party as Paige had done, it seemed farfetched that even the subclasses were assigned rather than given randomly.


    ¡°I had an inkling of what skills each of you would have; so, I chose a class that would help increase the areas in which you were lacking. A Vanguard is good at defense, and our battles show that. The only reason I lost after you became a Vanguard is because of that stupid time rule, not because you actually beat me.¡± She pouted, indignant at the losses she suffered, ¡°A Crusader though is known for its offensive techniques and their control over a battlefield. The skills you received reflect that.¡±


    Paige intentionally thought out loud to herself, so that Nick and Tyler could follow along with her, ¡°Now, those two classes have more than just three or four skills, but the skills you received are some of the more advanced ones. If you were unlucky, you could have received something as mundane as [Polished Armor] or [Quiet Step], which would have rendered the subclasses basically useless at your level.¡±


    ¡°What about mine then Paige? What¡¯s the difference between my Mage Knight and Isabella¡¯s Princess Knight subclasses?¡± Zenith had been paying attention to what Paige had been saying.


    Paige turned and repeated her instructions, formally looking over the skills each had received.


    ¡°It looks like your subclass granted you two defensive skills, [Defensive Cloth] and [Vital Guard], which would help you in close combat situations. I¡¯d recommend testing it though to see how much protection the skill can give your clothing though,¡± Paige turned to Isabella, ¡°Meanwhile, in Isabella¡¯s case¡­do you believe in any specific gods? [Divine Right], [Divine Shield], and [Divine Protection] all point to a deity¡¯s blessing instead of class skills.¡±


    ¡°Not that I know of. Are those skills bad? What is a divine level skill, Aunt?¡± Isabella asked worriedly.


    ¡°Well¡­when we normally use a skill or spell, we have to convert our own mana to materialize the skill or spell into reality. That is why you typically cannot use skills while you are battling someone around the same skill level as you; because it takes time and attention away during a battle.¡± Paige indicated toward Isabella¡¯s teacher, ¡°For instance, Zenith¡¯s new skill, [Defensive Cloth], uses her mana to increase the density of her clothes, allowing it to better resist slash or piercing attacks. Or [Vital Guard], which uses her mana to protect vulnerable spots on her body, like her heart or head. But she would have to use it at the start of a battle because of how draining it is to her mana.¡±


    Pointing at Isabella, she continued, ¡°A divine level skill doesn¡¯t use your mana to activate the skills, which is a problem since we don¡¯t know what deity gave you a blessing. Maybe [Divine Shield] can only block one or two, or maybe it needs a special requirement to activate the skill. Since it doesn¡¯t use your mana and not knowing how often you can use it, it¡¯s hard to say what the limits are. Whatever the case is, it looks like you can protect yourself against physical and magical attacks at least once.¡±


    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be that bad to have a god watching over you. Right?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. I¡¯d rather be Blessed than have a few skills though. Okay, some skills are good to have in a pinch, but the requirements are usually pretty hard to fulfill.¡± Paige frowned thoughtfully, ¡°Well, maybe you¡¯ll become a Blessed Princess in the future?¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡ª¨C


    ¡°Okay everyone. Let¡¯s fight.¡± Paige declared loudly. Everyone stared at her skeptically. After eating dinner, Paige had cleared out a large swath of forest so that it was open and relatively leveled.


    ¡°You all haven¡¯t fought a Demon Lord before, so it¡¯s best if you get an idea of how tough one is,¡± she said exasperatedly. ¡°He¡¯s in a party as well, so we might as well operate under the assumption that he¡¯s getting the full benefits of being a Party Leader. With two Nightwalkers in his group, I¡¯d assume his speed is high, and maybe his stealth too.¡±


    ¡°And how does that translate into fighting you?¡± Tyler asked, after seeing how serious Paige was acting.


    ¡°Not to be rude, but I am probably the only one comparable to the Demon Lord in the entire Western Borderlands. Now stand up, I¡¯ll give you all a few minutes before I start,¡± she said as she walked toward the far side of the clearing.


    Eying Paige¡¯s back, Zenith remarked quietly, ¡°So¡­ how should we do this? Tyler, you¡¯ve fought Paige the most. Any suggestions for fighting against a Warrior?¡±


    ¡°The problem we have without Paige is defending against close range attacks. We¡¯ll go like this. Isabella and Zenith in the back, Nick in the middle, and I¡¯ll be in front. Zenith, you stick within arms reach of Isabella. I¡¯ll block long range attacks, and if she moves in to engage, then we¡¯ll gather closer together. Nick, fall back and defend the spellcasters and let Zenith use spells to entrap the enemy.¡±


    ¡°What should I do Mister Tyler?¡± Isabella asked nervously. ¡°I wasn¡¯t really supposed to be fighting.¡±


    ¡°No, but it¡¯s good practice to know what to do in a fight. If this was a real fight and you didn¡¯t have a plan, you¡¯d be dragging our team down. Since you were practicing your spells earlier, try and focus on healing during a battle. It¡¯ll be harder since we will be moving, so just focus on healing one person at a time.¡± Standing up, Tyler grabbed his trusty tower shield and planted it firmly in the ground. The others gathered behind Tyler, getting ready for the battle.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Paige visibly relaxed, her sword resting idly on her shoulder. She stood twenty meters away, settling into an attacking stance; her left leg slightly bent, and her upper body leaned forward.


    ¡°Ready. Stop at first blood?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll stop if you can wound me, and I¡¯ll stop if I wound all of you.¡±


    ¡°Here I come then,¡± Paige took a step forward and disappeared. An impact jolted him from the side and a sharp pain worked its way across his cheek. ¡°One.¡±


    ¡®Skills!¡¯ He quickly realized what had happened and swung his tower shield horizontally. A hand grabbed the shield, stopping it in place. ¡°Done.¡± He stared blankly at her, then swung his head to look at the rest of his team. A small cut could be seen on each of their cheeks.


    ¡°You never said to use skills, Paige! I thought we were going to do a normal battle.¡±


    Paige looked askance at Tyler, ¡°That is how fast the Demon Lord can go. Besides, who said I used a skill?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to play dumb, you¡­you were taking easy on me all these years, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No, I did try my best, at the level I was claiming to be. You should be glad at that; not many can do force me into a stalemate. But yes, under the assumption that I am not limited by hiding my abilities, your abilities are lacking. This is about the level of most Imperial Scions, not to mention a Demon Lord. No offense, but there IS a reason why Heroes are hard to kill. Reflexes, strength, dexterity, charisma; whatever you name, Heroes have it in spades.¡±


    ¡°If we must fight the Demon Lord, I¡¯ll be blocking him. Your roles would be to block his party members while we retreat. If we can retreat with the heroic weapon, great. But our goal is to verify and retreat, alive. We¡¯ll let the Imperial Family deal with getting the weapon back if we cannot.¡±


    Paige appeared back in her spot at the other end of the clearing. ¡°This time use your skills and block. I¡¯ll tone my speed down a tad, maybe to the level of his party.¡±

 Chapter 19

    ¡°I¡¯m heading out,¡± Nick said quietly to Paige after they had passed the gated checkpoint leading into the city surrounding Castle Patel. Since the Royal Guards had taken over the duty of the local militia, Tyler and Paige were able to use their status to bypass the usual procedures.


    Paige nodded in affirmation, ¡°We will be at the Healer¡¯s Hall. I think we¡¯ll stay there the night. You are welcome to come as well if you want. Just head that way when you are done.¡± Waving goodbye, she quickly brought Zenith and Isabella with her toward the castle proper.


    ¡°Why are we headed to the castle? Shouldn¡¯t we head to the Healer¡¯s Hall?¡± Isabella asked Zenith as Paige hurried in front of them.


    ¡°The Healer Hall acts differently than the other class guilds, like the Mage Guild or the Guild Hall. They are protected by the Imperial Family and the nation they are residing in. The castle is probably Alcudia contribution to the Healers Hall.¡± Zenith said, hurrying behind Paige. Paige stopped, letting them catch their breath.


    ¡°Whoops. Sorry, for rushing you two. We have to get there before noon otherwise, they will lock up their main doors. Isabella, remember to hide your name. Maggie told me before we left that you were giving your name out. We¡¯ll call you Bella for short.¡±


    ¡°Tyler gave my name out before that though, so I didn¡¯t think much about it.¡± She idly recalled Tyler giving her name out in the presence of that Alcudian Officer. ¡°I think his name was Steve?¡±


    ¡°Meh. Well, let¡¯s abbreviate your name just in case. I don¡¯t want to tip off the Imperial Soldiers stationed there. Listen, Isabella,¡± she warned carefully and quietly, ¡°this is dangerous for you. Now, usually, I wouldn¡¯t deal with something like this. There will be repercussions if they find out who you are right now. I avoid the Healer Halls for a reason. Hopefully, they won¡¯t recognize me, but if they do, run.¡± Paige watched as Zenith and Isabella traded worried glances. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t recognize my name, but still. I¡¯m using my identity I¡¯ve created while I¡¯ve been living here, so they shouldn¡¯t do any other stringent checks. Come on, let¡¯s see how this will go.¡±


    --


    They passed through the checks with relative ease, which surprised Paige. She had thought it would have been much harder to get through the walls. The Imperial family must have attached greater importance to the borderlands than she realized, for Rebecca¡¯s personal healer was the head of the Healer Hall itself, and someone Paige had recognized.


    Gathering her thoughts together, she listened to the diagnosis, while Zenith and Isabella crowded around the queen, still unconscious, but healthy looking. ¡°The queen has been unconscious since she has arrived. The Prime Minister has awoken and is already headed to Castle Lidale to help Crown Princess Alexandra stabilize the war effort,¡± Prim, the head of the Healer¡¯s Hall, told Paige quietly. They watched as Isabella and Zenith sat next to the sleeping queen. ¡°Second Princess Beatrice is out helping the refugees settle down in the temporary shelters. She¡¯s already been notified that you are here.¡±


    ¡°Have you identified the poison yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It is a curious poison, almost reminiscent of the poisons used in the east. It is a combination of magic and herbs, which is causing problems as we are trying to isolate both portions at the same time. We have no doubt that the queen will get better, but it will take some time. But there was another troubling issue that we have taken care of already.¡±


    Prim walked over and showed Paige a hand sketch of a symbol, one that she recognized instantly. ¡°This was burned onto her back. Regular healing had no effect on the wound. We had to use [[Dispel]] on her before we were able to start normal healing. She was cursed.¡±


    Paige stared at the symbol Prim had drawn. It was the same one the demon infiltrators had used in the forest. ¡°Thanks, Prim, for healing her,¡± Paige said quietly after a moment. ¡°Me and my party will be staying here the night. We¡¯ll head out at first light if that is alright with you.¡±


    ¡°That will be fine. We will be happy to host you for the night. And don¡¯t worry about the queen or the second princess; she is a wonderful helper. Just make sure your party doesn¡¯t disturb the queen too much,¡± she said, eyeing the two young girls. ¡°I know you vouched for them, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It will be fine. On another note, I know this is a rude thing to ask, but can I see your advanced healing spell tomes? I¡¯m afraid our cleric will not be up to par for our mission.¡±


    ¡°Paige, you know what you are asking¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. You have my word that nothing will leave the party. And we both know how much my word is worth.¡±


    Prim closed her eyes and nodded her head slightly after a few minutes. ¡°I can let your healer see [[Dispel]] and [[Neutralization]]. Anything else and she will have to join the Healer¡¯s Hall. No exceptions Paige, not even for you.¡±


    ¡°That is more than enough, Prim. That will round our Apprentice Cleric out for our mission. You know, it was hard to find someone with the right affinity who was not attached to the Healer¡¯s Hall. You can check her class status if you want. She even has a greater affinity to healing and lesser to light you know...¡± Paige said unabashed, not worried that anyone would catch her lying. Zenith rolled her eyes, thinking that Paige had probably changed Isabella¡¯s class once again.


    Prim eyed the young girl, clearly evaluating her potential. ¡°Well, if she wants to learn more healing spells, we will always welcome a new healer to our halls. I¡¯ll bring the tomes over shortly.¡± She walked away, leaving them in the room alone.


    ¡°I thought you were afraid of the Healer¡¯s Hall, so how did you manage that Paige? They are known for their monopoly on healing spells and skills. Most wouldn¡¯t even be able to watch them work, let alone learn from them.¡± Zenith asked quietly after the headmistress had left. ¡°Even finding a teacher willing to teach healing spells are rare, not to mention restricted spells like that.¡± She knew full well that if she was born in a different family, other than becoming a servant to someone else, she would not have had a chance to utilize her affinity toward healing.


    ¡°I rescued some people a long time ago. Most of them went on to become healers themselves. So, you could say the Healer¡¯s Hall owed me a favor.¡±


    ¡°How rare is that Zenith? For the Healer¡¯s Hall to owe someone a favor,¡± Isabella asked from the side quietly while resting her head on her mother¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Clerics are usually contracted by the Healing Hall or the Imperial Family. It¡¯s very rare to find a self-taught healer in a party for this reason, as most will use an alchemist or herbalists¡¯ potions to recover from injuries. It¡¯s very, very rare to find a mage who specializes in healing. Even I am not supposed to teach you healing moves. I guess the [Oath of Silence] is helpful in your case.¡± Zenith said quietly, looking over to Isabella. ¡°Those skills are useful against curses and poisons, which will help us out.¡±


    ¡°Can I have some alone time with mother, Aunt, Zenith?¡± Isabella said quietly.


    ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll be outside in the foyer,¡± Paige said gently, heading outside. Zenith stopped and looked at Isabella, making sure that is what she wanted. Isabella nodded, and she stepped out of the room with Paige.


    ¡°A lot has happened these last few weeks for the young girl.¡± Eyeing Zenith, she asked quietly, ¡°How have you been, Zenith? I know you¡¯ve been watching out for Isabella, almost more than I have.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice feeling, having someone look up to you. Someone who treats you like family. I can almost see why the Queen¡¯s children look up to you so much.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We had some great times together. But all good things don¡¯t last forever Zenith; eventually, there comes a time to part,¡± Paige said, walking toward a window and staring out at the city.


    Zenith hesitated, but walked and stood next to Paige, the city below in constant motion. Paige could see that Zenith had something to talk about and waited quietly for the girl to gather her thoughts. ¡°The reports I read stated you left and didn¡¯t return until after she started having children. Did something happen between the two of you?¡±


    Staring out at the city below, she chose her words carefully. ¡°We had a difference in opinions about a few things that really didn¡¯t become an issue until after she became a queen and was married. So, I left to do some things and eventually came back.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Was the issue really bad?¡±


    Chuckling sadly, she shook her head. ¡°It was a stupid argument, and both of us had valid reasons to say what we said. It looks like I was right in the end though.¡±


    Zenith parsed through the information Appealte had gathered about the Alcudian Queen and decided to fish for some more information. ¡°Was it about her expansion to allow demons to hold official ranks in the government?¡±


    Eyeing Zenith, Paige shook her head, ¡°No, that was actually my idea and she agreed with it. And it worked; if the recent rumors are accurate. Most of the demons and half-blood citizens have joined the army, simply to stop the discrimination from getting worse. No, our argument was actually about sending people into Trent and beyond.¡±


    Sighing, she continued on with her story, ¡°This is confidential information that only a few people know. Rebecca had traced the origins of the citizens that have full demons and found that they are branch families of the royal houses of Evidia. For some reason, Evidia has been sending their families to Alcudia and has been for centuries. I know Leit and Appealte have strong feelings against demons and halves, and for the most part, they have settled in Alcudia wherever they can. I know some have even resorted to joining the guild as mercenaries to get out of Alcudia.¡±


    Zenith shook her head, ¡°I can see why the queen would have a problem with that. Why would you hire someone to stay when they are trying to leave or those who have unknown motives?¡±


    ¡°You have to know the origins of Evidia to see what is wrong. The Evidia Royal Houses were exiled from Trent. From what I gathered, at some point in time, the practice of blood sacrifices became predominant in Trent. They left and outlawed the use of blood sacrifices, and eventually created Evidia. Now, Alcudia, Evidia, and Trent don¡¯t really get along, but Evidia helped us out in the last demon-human war. I wanted to know why they left Trent to begin with.¡±


    Zenith was confused about why Paige would mention the last war, as Evidia was the one who started the war. ¡°Demon-human war? Do you mean the war that happened two centuries ago? That was why the defensive line was established, because Evidia started to invade, but was pushed back by the alliance. In fact, I think Alcudia even gained territory because of that war.¡±


    ¡°No, not the latest war. It¡¯s from a really, really long time ago. In fact, the demon-human war is what gave demons their bad reputation. Truth became fact, the fact became hearsay, hearsay became folklore. Nowadays, people only remember the old stories of demonic sacrifices and the like. I don¡¯t discriminate against talent, no matter what race they are. But the demons living in Trent was and still is bad news.¡±


    ¡®How old are you Paige?¡¯ Zenith thought to herself quietly. ¡°What were you hoping to find, if you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡±


    ¡°...the symbols. I wanted to know what their true role in the sacrifices is. They left Trent for some reason, but why? Everything operates on a give and take. They gain powers the more people they sacrifice. So, what do the symbols gain from...¡± Stopping mid-sentence, she looked across the city; her eyes focusing on the eastern part of the city. As an experienced Party Leader, she had known that distributing her mana came with a few benefits that most would not consciously know. Although she could not get her mana back from them, it did allow her the rough ability to know their locations and feelings, but only if they were experiencing an intense fluctuation in their emotions. She noticed that something was wrong with Nick.


    Hesitating, she quickly thought of a plan and decided to go check out what had happened to Nick.  ¡°Something¡¯s come up. I¡¯ll be back. Here, if Prim or Beatrice comes back before I do, show them this. They¡¯ll know what it means.¡± Quickly taking off a necklace, Paige shoved it into Zeniths hand before standing on the windowsill. Zenith watched as she swiftly left her field of vision. Looking down at the necklace, a very worn pendant was hanging gently at the end; a single sapphire crystal hung between the two ends of the metal necklace; her name inlaid in gold directly in the center.


    --


    ¡®It¡¯s pretty,¡¯ Zenith thought to herself, turning the pendant over and quickly put it around her neck. The necklace instantly tightened, and the length adjusted itself to match her other necklaces. A knock on the door behind Zenith startled her, and she turned around to see Isabella looking around the room.


    ¡°Hey Zenith, did Paige leave?¡± She could tell Isabella was nervous about something.


    ¡°Yes, she left for a little bit. Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The head healer came back in and gave me some books. Did she say when she¡­¡±


    ¡°It is alright Bella; I¡¯ll talk to Zenith while I wait for her to come back.¡± The headmistress appeared behind Isabella, a slight smile on her face. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the necklace Zenith was holding. ¡°While we chat, how about you read the spell tomes and if you have any questions, I¡¯ll try to answer them as best I can. Maybe read them aloud for the queen, she might like someone to talk to.¡±


    Isabella nodded gratefully. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll be over here if you need me then. Thank you, Miss Prim.¡±


    Nodding in affirmation, Prim walked out of the room and Isabella shut the door behind her. Looking over toward Zenith, she stared at the necklace and spoke quietly. ¡°I hope you know; Paige must really trust you if she was willing to let you hold onto that.¡±


    Zenith reevaluated the jeweled necklace. ¡°Is it special in some way? It¡¯s pretty, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an Imperial ward stone. It can bypass almost any ward stone or magic circle barrier. It¡¯s practically priceless.¡± Eying Zenith, she wondered aloud, ¡°This mission must be important if Paige is willing to reveal herself to people again.¡±


    ¡°Again? Has she done something like this before? I know she is pretty powerful, but half the things she can do she attributes to her teachers and friends.¡± Zenith was confused about Paige¡¯s experience as well. A Warrior who was able to learn advanced Mage skills? As well as her current class, ¡®Dawn Warrior¡¯, that seemed more like a Mage class than a Warrior class.


    ¡°How much of her history do you know, if any?¡± Zenith shook her head, knowing full well she was not talking about Paige¡¯s history in Alcudia.


    ¡°The Healer Hall is associated with the Imperial Family, so our records are quite extensive. She usually uses fake names when she appears, so it is quite unusual for her to use her real name like this. If you look through the legends and records of various families across the empire, you can trace her appearance back over two thousand years now; though the name Paige hardly shows up.¡±


    Isabella came back to ask a few questions to Prim, allowing Zenith to formulate some questions of her own. Prim for her part was helpfully explaining to Isabella about the finer details of the spells [[Dispel]] and [[Neutralization]] without hiding anything from Zenith, she noted idly.


    ¡°Why are you being so nice now? My family had to bribe and threaten a few healers before one was willing to tutor me at school. What is so special about Paige that you would be willing to go this far for even her party members?¡±


    Prim stared out the window, her back facing Zenith. ¡°How old do you think I am?¡±


    ¡°Average lifespan for those with a class is around a hundred, so I suppose maybe a two hundred or so if you have a high class?¡±


    Chuckling quietly, Prim turned and looked at Zenith, her face neutral. ¡°You have to be wary of high classes, most are older than they appear. The lifespan for those with regular classes is much shorter, most less than a hundred years old. Battle classes and high classes can live longer, but the average before they are killed in battle is roughly around three hundred or so. Something about staying active in battles lets you live longer, but the longer you fight, the higher chance you have at dying. Injuries tend to pile up the older you get. I myself am around three hundred years old.¡±


    Prim sat down, indicating for Zenith to do the same. ¡°The healer hall rotates its members once every fifty years or so. But the travel is rough for healers. There are too many enemies that would rather see us dead or captured. The rotation is to give us time to prepare for the move and to forestall attacks on the regular Healer Halls. Why attack a heavily defended area when our enemies know we are vulnerable every fifty years? Paige saved me when I was just an apprentice, almost two centuries ago, when we were heading to Alcudia.¡±


    ¡°You''ve never seen her fight for real, have you?¡± Without waiting for an answer Prim continued, ¡°It was while we were in the southeastern part of the empire. We came under attack by a group of dragons. The imperial family knew we were going to be attacked and arranged a force to protect us from the dragonkin army. What we didn¡¯t know was that there would be Ancient Dragons waiting for us as well. They separated us from the imperial army and was about to kill us when the sun suddenly shone above.¡±


    ¡°She killed three Ancient Dragons by herself before she forced the rest to retreat. I¡¯ve now been to enough Imperial Tournaments to know how impressive Imperial Scions are, Zenith. But Paige can outclass Imperial Scions by a fair margin. She had been using a different name at the time, but I can still remember how she looked after the battle. The Senior Clerics and us apprentices promised not to reveal who saved us, but the Imperial Family eventually pieced together the clues. Digging up even her name or a part of her history was a lot harder though. I don¡¯t know why she is so afraid of the Imperial Family though; no one really likes to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°She said she could only wound a Dragon. But she was actually able to kill three Ancient Dragons in one go, and live?¡± Zenith zoned out during the last part of the conversation; her mind reeling from what she just learned. ¡°Wait, you said the sun suddenly shone when Paige was fighting. Do you know of any classes that would be able to do something like that?¡± Zenith couldn¡¯t say what Paige¡¯s class was, but she was hoping the headmistress would have some ideas.


    Prim thought for a moment and spoke slowly. ¡°There are a few classes around the empire that could cause a phenomenon like that. Although they are quite rare. A Monk, Dawn Warrior or a Samurai possibly; a Solar or Nature Elementalist from the northern or southern regions. But to get those classes are rare since you would practically need a Blessing to inherit the class. But from what I know, Paige isn¡¯t Blessed.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what is so special about a Dawn Warrior that you would need to be Blessed before you could even gain the class?¡± Zenith wondered aloud, hoping Prim would continue.


    ¡°It is a combination of a Cleric and a Warrior class, as well as a God¡¯s Blessing. Only the founder and a few of the elders of the Healing Hall was known to have the class though, and that class hasn¡¯t been seen in the past few millenniums.¡±

 Chapter 20

    ¡°I¡¯m heading out,¡± Nick said quietly to the party after they had passed the gated checkpoint leading into city surrounding Castle Patel. Since the Royal Guards had taken over the duty of the local militia, Tyler and Paige were able to use their status to bypass the usual procedures.


    Paige nodded in affirmation, ¡°We will be at the Healer¡¯s Hall. I think we¡¯ll stay there the night. You are welcome to come as well if you want. Just head that way when you are done.¡± Nick watched as Paige waved goodbye, practically dragging Zenith and Isabella with her toward the castle.


    ¡°Take this badge with you. The Royal Guards around the castle will notify us and we¡¯ll come and get you.¡± Tyler handed over a simple copper badge, one stamped with the Alcudian national flag on one side and the Merk Family coat of arms on the other.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Drawing his hood, Nick walked away from the castle and headed toward the slums located in the easternmost portion of the city. Since the castle was part of the Alcudian defensive line, stricter measures had been put in place to safeguard the city; thus the slums were not the typical slums you¡¯d expect to see in a smaller town. The houses were not rundown and in disrepair, but rather were rather modest in size and material compared to the rest of the city.


    Holding his Ranger pendant hidden in his hand, he walked on the cobblestone paths, the pendent heating up as he neared his fellow Rangers. Stopping at the intersections to see which way to go, he followed his pendant to a tavern that was discreetly hidden in the cellars of an old bookshop.


    Stopping to read a simple sign that pointed toward the cellar door, his eye twitched when he read the sign. ¡°The Parched Tavern. A good book and good wine will water your soul and mind. To enter, you must state the last book you¡¯ve read (and finished),¡± the sign stated, heavily underscoring the last part of the sentence.


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t pick a normal tavern?¡± Making sure this was his final destination, he walked around the building, cursing quietly when his pendant had confirmed that the other Rangers were indeed in the bookshop cellar. Walking up to the door, tested it lightly to see if it would open. Noting that the door was locked, he rapped the door with his knuckles and said loudly. ¡°An Archer and his Bride.¡± He chose at random a book his wife had been reading the last time he had visited home.


    ¡°A classic fairy tale. Aren¡¯t you a little old for a book like that?¡± A voice called out. Low chuckles drifted out from beyond the door.


    ¡°I have a young daughter. Unlock the damn door.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, fine. You¡¯ll find a better book than that here. Welcome to my tavern.¡± From behind the door, a man unbolted the lock and gestured behind him, ¡°Party or individual?¡±


    ¡°Party.¡± Stepping in, he scanned the room. Oddly enough, there were more people in here than he¡¯d thought there would be, judging by the location of the tavern. The room was lit by torches resting in the pockets of the cobblestone wall, safely away from the wooden beams holding the bookshop and the many flammable materials above. Tables were dotted around the cellar, with lounge chairs in the circle. Dozens of short bookshelves isolated the tables, almost creating individual rooms.


    ¡°There¡¯s a group like you over in the far corner; reserved the entire back portion for themselves. Here¡¯s a ward stone,¡± Nick turned as the man handed him a stone. ¡°It¡¯s not mine. I was paid to hand it to someone like you and to keep quiet. With this, my business is done. If you want wine, you have to come to the bar.¡± The owner of the tavern turned and headed for the bar, grabbing a book to read on the way over.


    Fiddling with the stone in his hand, Nick confirmed that it was indeed a standard issue Ranger gear and walked over to the back corner of the cellar. ¡°The stone is too nice and polished.¡± As he walked, he took stock of the people he passed and noticed each of them were Apprentice Rangers in training. ¡°Amateurs,¡± he sighed, noticing that every eye was on him, and some had even stood up as he headed toward the active ward. ¡°Who the hell trained these apprentices?¡± Brushing his hand across his cloak, his Ranger pendant glowed with a fresh light. ¡°Out of my way.¡±


    Eyes wide open, the apprentices in front of him quickly sat down and looked away. Stopping at a line of symbols on the ground, Nick confirmed that the symbols etched onto the stone in his hand was identical to the one on the ground. The consequences for stepping over an active ward without protection was not something he wanted to deal with this morning. Nodding his head, he held the stone in front of him and walked through, the room going out of focus as mana in the air condensed to form an opaque wall.


    Walking completely through it, the room got noticeably brighter and a few people were conversing quietly at the many scattered tables. He strode straight to the middle table where four people were playing cards and slapped the stone on the table, a metallic clunking sound issuing out. ¡°Those apprentices out there are terrible. They wouldn¡¯t be able to hide their intentions from a child.¡±


    ¡°How are you, Rick? Was the traveling fun, Rick? Why didn¡¯t you bring my apprentices, Rick? It¡¯s good to see you are in good health, Nicholas,¡± an exasperated voice sounded out. Looking at his cards in disgust, he threw them on the table and looked at Nick. ¡°You need to work on your pleasantries. Your nothing but business.¡± Rick stood up, holding his hand out for Nick. ¡°Welcome back brother in arms.¡±


    Nick chuckled, shaking Rick¡¯s extended hand ¡°The apprentices really could use some work, Rick.¡±


    Sighing, Rick nodded as well. ¡°We sent out a few groups of Rangers, and I drew the short end of the stick and got stuck babysitting them. But a majority of them aren¡¯t mine,¡± he said as he nodded over to the Ranger on his left, ¡°talk to this guy about their training.¡±


    The Ranger folded his cards with a sigh, ¡°I fold as well. Nicholas, what a sight for sore eyes. It¡¯s been years since I¡¯ve seen you last.¡± A youthful voice sounded out as the Ranger stood up to greet Nick.


    ¡°Ranger Dave, I haven¡¯t seen you since you became a full Ranger. Are you still at Terril Fief?¡± Nick was actually glad to meet Dave, as he was one of the original apprentices he had trained. A sense of pride welled up in him, knowing that his efforts to train the young man was worth it in the end.


    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m actually at Reten Fief now. I was assigned there to help Ranger Lorney get rid of a band of bandits, but they were cleaned up before we got there. Lorney retired soon after, so now I¡¯m in charge of the area. I¡¯m still trying to track down any leads for that actually when I¡¯m not training apprentices, that is.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother with it. I already know who did it, and there is no way we can press charges against her,¡± Nick replied back.


    ¡°Her? Someone all of us knows perhaps? I fold, how do you have such a good poker face?¡± The voice in front of him rumbled lowly. Turning around, an older, heavyset man turned in his seat and faced Nick. ¡°Welcome back Nick.¡±


    Nick nodded to the man, ¡°Jerril. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. The queen¡¯s friend, Paige Alduit, evidently cleaned up the area when she passed through. Unless we want to force a diplomatic issue, it¡¯s not a good time to confront her about it; not with the war going on.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the supposed ¡°Warrior of Luck and Good Chances¡±. How was she able to get past the borders? Reten Fief is pretty far from the Alcudian border.¡± The last man said with a zealous voice. ¡°Was it on the orders of the Alcudian Royal Family?¡± The speaker lifted his hood and revealed his face, his amber eyes glowing with an ardent light.


    ¡°Commander Austin. She¡¯s a fully licensed Adventurer aligned with the Guild Hall. My guess is she got into the country that way and left the same way.¡± Although he said that, he now knew that Paige would have no trouble evading seasoned Rangers and would have even less trouble with regular border guards.


    ¡°I knew having a centralized Guild Hall would be a terrible decision. Allowing people free access to every fief is a danger,¡± Austin''s voice echoed in the room, drawing stares from the other tables.


    ¡°Yes, but so is not having mercenaries available to offset our workload. We¡¯ll petition the Guild Hall and address this issue with Ranger Command.¡± Nick said confidently.


    Austin eyed him suspiciously. ¡°Your last communications was noticeably concise. Care to tell us in greater detail about these demon infiltrators over a game of cards? Stakes are in gold.¡±


    ¡°Sure commander, I¡¯ll be happy to take some gold off your hands.¡± Nick knew his poker face was just as good as his immediate superior. ¡°You can also tell me the latest news as well.¡± Although he had mentioned to Paige and Tyler that it would mostly be apprentices heading over, the sight of two of his peers and one commanding officer shook him. Even more when there were still four tables occupied with other Rangers.


    He quickly informed them off the battle and the aftermath.¡°Sixteen Rangers. That is quite a lot for a suppression army.¡± Nick said somewhat politely, knowing full well he might not get an answer if he asked later.


    ¡°Forty Rangers. One hundred Apprentices. That''s how many there are.¡± Austin supplied briefly while looking at his cards. ¡°Half of Ranger Command is here to help out. It¡¯s not our policy to get involved in other nation¡¯s affairs, as God knows we have our own problems to deal with. But we are determined to stop the war from getting anywhere close to our borders. Another quarter will be patrolling the borders, now that we know there could be demon infiltrators as well.¡±


    ¡°Was it really that bad, Nick? Even you couldn¡¯t tell something was off with the officers?¡± Jerril spoke, already throwing his cards down. ¡°Blood sacrifices is a nasty business.¡±


    ¡°It was bad. It makes our illegal cults look civil. The demon infiltrators knew enough to confuse even appointed officers. Only their armor gave them away. I think we need to halt all soldiers from entering the borders, Commander Austin.¡±


    Austin glared at his cards. ¡°Agreed. This is bad for humanity overall. Ranger Command has told the Alcudian Queen that allowing demons and halves to become citizens would be a mistake, and here we are now.¡± The rest of the Rangers were quiet Nick answered each of their questions, specifically the unknown symbols and Paige¡¯s combat level. Although he could not outright answer some of the problems, they all had enough experience to know something was off about Paige.


    ¡°You said she indicated her battle plans to you?¡±


    ¡°Party Secret.¡±


    ¡°Could she interpret Ranger commands?¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Party Secret.¡±


    ¡°Umm, why are you repeating yourself, Nicholas?¡± Dave asked after the twentieth time Nick had said that.


    ¡°I swore an oath. I can¡¯t divulge any secrets about the members of the party.¡± So long as he said nothing or tried to keep it a secret, it seemed like the [Oath of Silence] would not stop him from saying ¡®Party Secret¡¯.


    ¡°How strong is she, Nicholas. Stronger than the Grand Commander?¡± Austin pressed harder.


    A sharp tug in his core told him he was headed into dangerous territory. ¡°Stop asking Austin.¡± Paige had said any conversations concerning secrets would be forgotten, but it seemed that she had left out the part about questions impacting a person¡¯s mana core. ¡°I can¡¯t even hint or guide this question, even if I wanted to. Formal Party rules¡±


    ¡°You actually joined a formal party? What were you thinking, doing something like that? There is a reason Ranger Command forbids forming formal parties. What did you lose when you joined?¡±


    Nick hesitated, testing the limits of what he could say. The pain decreased as he found a suitable response. ¡°Guild Regulation Six. I can¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Austin drew in a sharp breath. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll stop asking. But you better have a good response after the mission is done.¡±


    Dave whistled softly, ¡°How come they didn¡¯t ask anyone else to help afterward? Is there a special rule I don¡¯t know about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a reconnaissance mission. No point in tipping off the target with multiple groups of people.¡± Nick responded briskly.


    ¡°Commander, I am requesting time off after my current mission. I have been away from home far too long now.¡± Nick had hesitated to ask the entire night, but eventually, he steeled his mind and asked away.


    Austin hesitated. ¡°How about a few more missions Nick? We desperately need your help pacifying the northwest region. Your the only other commander that can navigate the passages between the highland marshes and the tidal banks.¡±


    Nick¡¯s eyes hardened and his brows furrowed. ¡®What is making the commander hesitate? That is exactly the opposite direction of my hometown.¡¯ He grunted in acknowledgment and didn¡¯t press the issue with Austin. Glancing at the rest of the tables, he realized that no one else had really spoken to him.


    Instead of asking a question, he singled out the one person he knew he could pressure. Nick stared at Ranger Dave until he broke out in a sweat.


    ¡°Umm, what do you need, uh, sir?¡±


    ¡°What is everyone hiding?¡±


    ¡°It can wait until you get back Nick,¡± Dave said, trying to dodge the question.


    ¡°No. It can¡¯t. What news is so bad that everyone is hesitating to tell me?¡±


    Dave hesitated but quietly told Nick the bad news. ¡°There was an incident, Nick. Anna and Claire are dead.¡±


    ¡°Dead?¡± Nick¡¯s head spun. ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible.¡± Grabbing Dave roughly, he growled, ¡°How? When?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just them Nick. The whole village was massacred Even the Rangers protecting your family died.¡± Commander Austin said quietly from behind Nick. ¡°Over here.¡± Breaking a ward stone on the ground, a magic circle appeared and separated Austin and Nick from the rest of the Rangers.


    ¡°There¡¯s a traitor in the organization Nick. Six families have already been killed in unusual circumstances.¡± Austin said gravely.


    ¡°Who else?¡± Nick said after a moment, his voice unnaturally steady.


    ¡°Mine and a few of the others. There are no patterns to who is chosen that we can establish, and no solid leads either. The only clue we know is that they are targeting our families. Hence, a traitor,¡± his voice had a rough edge to it as he continued, ¡°I want revenge as much as the others, but I will not outright state there is a traitor in our organization.¡±


    ¡°One is a coincidence, four is a pattern Austin. We both know that. How did my family die?¡±


    ¡°A battle, and a hard one at that. Your wife went down hard Nick. No bodies were left intact. My family died the same way. Whoever did it left no witnesses either.¡±


    ¡°And my child?¡± Nick stared directly at Austin. ¡°What happened to my child?¡±


    ¡°...The butler and nursemaid were found dead outside the village. Your child was with them. They had enough time to escape the village, but no farther than that.¡±


    Austin continued, ¡°And before you ask, from what we can gather the Rangers were the first to die. Rangers, then those with classes, and finally commoners. That is why I was interested in your encounter with the demons. If they are involved...¡±


    ¡°...then we have a major issue on our hands.¡±


    ¡°We need to find the traitor, especially before anyone else dies. The only new link we have is the demons, so it is important to figure out how they are being singled out.¡±


    ¡°...was there any weird symbols in the area? And no one else survived? Not a single person?¡±


    ¡°No. Ranger Command sent all of the closest Rangers to each scene. None of them saw a living soul within at least twenty miles of the attacks. Whoever did this was thorough in their attack. The most we could¡­what is she doing here?¡± Austin stopped talking, looking over at the tavern¡¯s entrance.


    Nick turned around and groaned quietly, his headache now worsening. He watched as Paige walked down the steps, looking idly at the surroundings. She had donned only her leather armor and her buckler shield, her hair braided around her head. ¡®At least she is not in her bodysuit,¡¯ he thought to himself. ¡®Although she is showing off way too much skin.¡¯ Paige reached into her pocket and threw a badge at the barkeep before he stood all the way up, giving him a pointed look while talking slowly, ¡°Tavern inspection. By the order of the queen.¡±


    ¡°This is a private bar! You can¡¯t just walk in here, there are established rules you have to go through,¡± he said quickly, trying to stall Paige from walking fully into the room. Nick watched as the Apprentices started to stand up, the hands going toward their bows under the table.


    ¡°Are they in danger Nick?¡± Austin broke the ward circle he had created around himself and Nick and motioned for the other Rangers to get ready.


    ¡°No, they aren¡¯t in any danger. They¡¯ll have bruised egos though.¡± He said quietly, sitting down on the chair Austin had been sitting in.


    He watched as Paige stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked around the room. ¡°There are three things wrong with this picture." He saw as she seemingly locked eyes with him and headed directly toward him. "First off, there are over a hundred young men in here and not a single woman. Odd for a tavern this size. Second, all of you are wearing the same style of clothing and have the same weapons." As she passed, she gave a provocative look at some of the older apprentices, "At least try to blend in a bit. Peh, Ranger standards must have gone down a notch."


    ¡°Who are you calling a Ranger miss? We¡¯re honest woodsmen.¡± One of the younger apprentices spoke up, looking toward the others for encouragement. A choral of voices chimed in as well. ¡°Besides, the entrance sign clearly stated no women allowed.¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t try to negotiate with someone clearly hostile and knowledgeable. Just deny everything or else you¡¯ll only make things worse. That¡¯s practically the first rule of Ranger Code if you have been identified.¡¯ He closed his eyes, already seeing how this would play out.


    Paige¡¯s face took on a hurt expression, as she walked over toward the apprentice, her eyes flickering between the back of the room and the apprentice. ¡°Oh no, the rules will be broken. What will become of me, a lone girl in a tavern; clearly outmatched and outnumbered? Are you going to hurt me, young man?¡± As the apprentice started to stutter and looked toward his friends for help, she covered her face and flashed a smile toward Nick¡¯s location.


    ¡°Crap. Who trained those Apprentices?¡± Nick heard mutterings from behind, ¡°A single look and a sentence was able to lower their guards. Have they already forgotten that she is working for the queen? Her outfit clearly marks her as a close range class of some type.¡±


    ¡°Ranger Dave....¡± Austin turned and looked toward the younger man.


    ¡°To be fair, I was a bit of a flirt before I joined. How was I supposed to know some people have trouble talking with women?¡± He said, offended at the accusation. ¡°They know all of the standard codes.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s already positioned herself to attack the apprentices too.¡±


    ¡°The third point, young man,¡± interrupting the apprentice, Paige looked toward the crowd and dropped her aggrieved tone of voice, ¡° is that there is an active magic circle in the back, which is highly illegal in a tavern like this, and you all are clearly blocking my way forward. Get out of my way before I make you move.¡±


    ¡°Hah! You really think you could take on all of us?¡± A slightly drunk Apprentice chuckled.


    Paige sighed to herself, clearly embarrassed for Nick. Throwing a sympathetic gaze toward the back, she mouthed to the back of the room quietly, ¡°I¡¯ll just knock them out. If you have any complaints, please file them toward the nearest embassy.¡±


    ---


    ¡°Well then. That went faster than I expected,¡± Paige said quietly, her left eye twitching a bit. In truth, she had expected the apprentices to put up a decent fight at the very least, or have no problems coordinating with each other as fellow Apprentices. Sloppy positioning, no coordination, and at the very end of the fight some had had even drawn their short bows in the hopes of stopping Paige. ¡°They should have just surrendered. I thought I clearly stated this was official business from the Alcudian government. With the war ongoing, it¡¯s not like I would actually force the situation into a diplomatic incident.¡± Sighing to herself, she walked up to the magic circle and stared at the symbols shining on the ground.


    ¡°We¡¯ll increase the difficulty of the training and beat some common sense into the apprentices. Add in practical training as well.¡± Austin had a dark look on his face, as though he himself was ashamed at the apprentice''s performance. ¡°Ranger Mitch, write down that we need to add to the manual how to talk with women and strangers; what not to do on foreign soil; as well as coordination between different parties.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t know what to do without a Senior Ranger telling them. We should rethink their training on coordinating who is in charge when everyone is the same rank,¡± Nick said after a moment. He idly noted that Paige was staring at the symbols, and he had a bad feeling she was about to do something she shouldn¡¯t be able to do.


    Idly plucking the string of his bow, the heavy set Jerril, still sitting down, spoke, ¡°She didn¡¯t loot the apprentices for a ward stone. What is she trying to do?¡± They watched as she stood up, tapping her shield on the wall of mana. She nodded as if she understood something.


    ¡°What is she¡­¡±


    Paige flicked her shield at the wall and the symbols cracked on the ground, a thin line of cracks appearing on the wall.


    ¡°She is trying to break the mana wall! Isn¡¯t she worried it will explode?¡± Dave said shocked, quickly backing away from the volatile wall. Breaking an active magic circle usually did one of three things: nothing; a mana implosion, killing everyone inside the circle; or mana explosion, killing everyone outside the circle. Only two options were good for either party and one bad for the opposing party. Most sane people would not try their luck.


    ¡°She¡¯s watching the symbols. I think she¡¯s trying to drain the mana from the wall.¡± Nick confirmed after a moment, watching as the wall thinned and the room in front of them came back into a clear focus.


    ¡°Ah, Nick. Glad I found you. Who are your friends?¡± Paige said with a smile, looking around at the gathering of Rangers. He watched as she assessed the Rangers and focused on Commander Austin. Raising her eyebrows, she playfully commented to him, watching as he flushed with anger, ¡°You really need to focus on training the apprentices better. Who was the Ranger that was in charge of training these people? Actually not knowing how to flirt with a woman, peh.¡± Over to the side, Ranger Dave flushed at the accusation.


    ¡°Well excuse me for not training them up to your standards, miss.¡± Dave shot back in an acerbic tone of voice.


    ¡°You should be.¡± Dismissing the young man outright, she turned toward Nick; idly noting something was off about him. ¡°You alright Nick?¡±


    Nick sighed to himself, ¡°...I¡¯ll be alright in a bit. Just dealing with some personal issues.¡±


    He watched as Paige evaluated him, her eyes worried. ¡°No, something is¡­¡±


    ¡°How were you able to find Nick? The cloaks are warded to stop tracking spells.¡± Austin jumped in, stopping her from asking out loud. Although all of the Ranger¡¯s knew what was happening, no one wanted to voice out loud the problem, for fear that their families would be next just for talking about it.


    ¡°Simple. Party resonance. It doesn¡¯t take much for a Party Leader to find their own members. Am I interrupting something? ¡± Paige frowned as she surveyed the other Rangers.


    ¡°No. Let¡¯s go.¡± Nick stood up and started walking toward the tavern door. He called out behind him, ¡°I¡¯m taking time off after this mission, Commander. And I won¡¯t stop until I find out who did it.¡±


    Paige looked thoughtfully at Nick and the other Rangers, who were feeling uncomfortable. ¡°Did what?¡±


    ¡°Nothing you need to know about Paige,¡± Nick said darkly as he left the tavern and Paige behind him.

 Chapter 21

    ¡°Stella, how are the preparations going? Are we able to enter deeper into the mausoleum yet?¡± Markus asked quietly. It was not the first time today the Demon Lord of Trent had asked his subordinate. He had been impatient ever since leaving his homeland.


    Markus was an adult with a lean build. His eyes were the most notable thing about him, a pale yellow that shone like the sun. He was idling the time away by sharpening his blackened sword. In truth, he enjoyed the scenery. A relaxing day, watching others work while he did nothing.


    Markus watched as one of his childhood friends calculated something on the ground. ¡°Not yet. I still need a few more days at least. There is something wrong with this mausoleum; it makes the Royal Keep of Terpii look like a child¡¯s doodle.¡± Stella said exhaustedly, as she retraced the symbols once again, testing what each one did. He didn¡¯t mind the view, as it reminded him of simpler times. He practicing combat in the garden while she practiced her magic. Not to mention her twin sister Luna, who did whatever she wanted.


    ¡°If we recklessly try to force our way into the inner chambers, there is no way of knowing what will happen,¡± Stella said with a sigh, pulling her cape around her. The mountain had started to get cold as the sun went to the other side of the peak, and it didn¡¯t help that she was still in her traditional Nightwalker outfit; a form-fitting shirt and pants that showed too much skin for her taste, but was the best for moving around in and did not catch on sharp objects. Her sleeveless shirt was the main contributor to her feeling cold and she had to rub her arms to chase away the sudden chill. She was deciding if it was worth it to put on her actual uniform but remembered that her sister had taken it since it had a higher resistance to magic. ¡°Luna had to wear my Nightwalker outfit to even enter the formation. If we didn¡¯t have my uniform, we wouldn''t even be able to analyze the formation from both the inside and outside.¡± Stella pleadingly looked to her friend Shavie for support; tired of repeating the same answer over and over again to Markus.


    Looking over at Shavie, Stella knew that Assassins and Nightwalkers were arguably the same class, but both knew that each class had its own benefits; one was more inclined to combat than the other. Nightwalkers were actually a type of support Class, one that was well suited for coordinating with Warriors to deal the final blow to an enemy. Assassins were more inclined to act independently and were hard to spot if they were concealed.


    Shavie stood up and stretched her muscles, her dark brown hair bobbing up and down as she lightly exercised. ¡°Stop rushing the twins Markus, they are doing the best they can. If you really wanted to speed things up, then we should¡¯ve brought the King with us. Evidently, it is usually opened by the King or Queen.¡± Shavie said as she laid on her side. The Assassin was just as bored as Markus; her idea of relaxing was not quite the same as his. ¡°How about I go and grab the King, and then we can finally go home.¡±


    ¡°I already told you, that is impossible. He was shuttled away by the generals to the homelands as a negotiation tool. I personally saw three of them escorting the King to the carriages; they would be halfway home by now.¡±


    ¡°We need to get back sooner than later. There is no telling what will happen with us gone. Have our spies gotten back to us yet from the areas we have conquered?¡±


    Count Bishner stepped forward and bowed, his polished dark armor reflecting the last of the afternoon sun. ¡°The latest news is that all dissension in the former Royal Capital of Alcudia has been stopped and is now under martial law of General Rigel. Grand General Linel has mentioned that there a lot of resistance across the country. He¡¯s even mentioned that most of the humanities defensive castles are still resisting capture, which is surprising. Even more so when I read reports that there are high-class demons fighting with humans.¡±


    ¡°They are fighting for the humans? Have they forgotten about the ancient war when we waged total battle against them?¡± Markus said furiously.


    ¡°Sire, not all of us study the ancient books of our forefathers. You are probably the only one who even remembers there was a grand battle.¡± Bishner frowned, and although his posture was upright and confident, his eyes betrayed his worry. He was older than the rest of the party, and unofficially he was the Demon Lords subordinate, but it did not stop him from advising Markus. ¡°This is more concerning, especially for you. The Senators have requested us to move at all haste and secure the weapon if there is one. They say the frontlines are in danger of buckling again, and for us to leave the rear as soon as possible. Supposedly, General Rigel has already gotten ahold of House Ricnar, and will be providing support and transportation for us as soon as we can leave.¡±


    ¡°Damn the devils to hell. How are they pressuring the frontlines this time? I thought we stopped their portal?¡± Markus swore softly. He had worked for over a year to secure the portal, and now it looked like a waste in both lives and resources.


    ¡°We did, but it seems like they have another portal farther into their territory. The Senate is grateful that you are personally retrieving the demonic weapon. House Lorn is recommending sending the forces to secure the captured lands and to push toward the interior of Humanities homeland.¡±


    Shavie swore loudly. She had been against an invasion, to begin with. ¡°We should¡¯ve just sneaked in and dealt with this silently. But no, half the Senate favored an all-out war against a semi-peaceful race instead. Like the first war wasn¡¯t bad enough.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not an all-out war, not yet. Although demonic level weapons are rare, the Human¡¯s Imperial Family wouldn¡¯t wage a full-scale war over a single weapon; that is well recorded in history. But you are right Shavie, we can¡¯t afford another war.¡± Markus sighed loudly and said tiredly, ¡°Send a message back to the Senate. We will be pulling out of most of the country once we secure the weapon. We have cleared the human infiltrators in Evidia; the Alcudian King and Queen are still alive, and we are about to have a new demonic weapon. So long as we pull back to Evidia, the humans are unlikely to pursue us.¡± He touched his shoulders, the pain still radiating from the King¡¯s final attack. ¡°What was that King¡¯s blade dipped in? Poison?¡±


    ¡°I checked it out myself, your highness. It is just plain holy water.¡± Shavie walked forward, stopping to pat Stella on the head.


    Stella looked at the wound worriedly, ¡°Holy water usually has no effect on us though. In fact, it is usually beneficial for us.¡± She frowned as she looked at the wound. ¡°They didn¡¯t find an antidote in the Royal Keep or that Healer place?¡± Stella and her sister Luna had hidden in the royal capital for months, looking for clues on where the weapon could be. She had been impressed at the city, and at how the different races treated each other equally in most manners.


    Count Bishner frowned, ¡°No. I¡¯ll request General Rigel to look harder though.¡±


    ¡°I told you we should¡¯ve just sneaked quietly instead of attacking. This is why we are in this mess.¡± A loud female voice shouted irritably out at him. Turning around, he saw Luna walk out from mausoleum entrance, her face dusty and covered in sweat. She was wearing Luna¡¯s Nightwalker outfit; her long cardigan sleeves almost trailing in the dirt as she walked from the mausoleum. Her white one-piece dress was a swirl of different colors, unlike the drab singular color that the Nightwalker outfit was. He knew that Stella had designed the cardigan herself, and had a master weaver crochet the cardigan into her design; a pattern of enlarging circles that glowed faintly in the sun. In fact, Markus new that Stella could usually pass as a Mage if she had a staff or wand, but the steel daggers prominently displayed at her hips indicated otherwise.


    No, it wasn¡¯t just her cardigan glowing; her entire outfit was glowing faintly, the excess mana from the formation around the mausoleum had leached itself to the clothing and was slowly dissipating into the air. Stella handed her sister a moist towel from where she was sitting as she passed; which Luna wiped her face with and then proceeded to throw the dirty towel at Markus, a scowl forming on her face. ¡°Just know that you might have started another war; this one for no reason other than a weapon.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Sister¡­¡± Stella said quietly from the side.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sister me, Stella. No one wants to take responsibility for this mess. I heard what Bishner said, and I don¡¯t blame our brethren for helping humans. They¡¯ve lived their entire lives in peace here in the rear, and then we showed up and destroyed it.¡±


    ¡°Luna, is that dissention I hear?¡± Markus said quietly, the towel smearing dirt on his face as it fell. ¡°I am the leader here, not you. Everyone else agreed, and so did the Senate. We need this weapon, the last one was destroyed during the last excursion.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask us for our opinion. You just heard what you wanted from the Senate, your other friends, and your lover back in the capital.¡± Luna said vehemently. ¡°Go ahead, ask for our honest opinions. Your PARTY¡¯s honest opinion. Should we have invaded both Evidia and Alcudia, all for a single weapon?¡±


    Markus hesitated. He had been having this argument with Luna over the course of the year. He even felt like he was a villain when Luna said that. ¡°Luna, we¡¯ve been friends for forever. But¡­¡±


    ¡°ASK!¡±


    ¡°... fine, if only to stop you from continuing with this argument... What is everyone¡¯s opinion on this.¡± Everyone except for Stella looked away from Markus.


    ¡°Stella; Bishner; Shavie. What is your opinion on what I chose to do?¡± Only silence answered him.


    ¡°There. Does that answer your question, Markus? It was a mistake to do this.¡± Luna hmphed madly while stomping her feet angrily on the ground. She turned and sat on a stump so that she wouldn¡¯t have to look at Markus.


    Markus sighed. ¡°It was our only viable option. And don¡¯t start by saying we could have sneaked all the way here undetected. At least we have the human king and the numerous clerics in captivity; kept the civilian casualties down to a minimum and have locked down their defensive lines.¡±


    He stood up, grabbing his darkened blade. Giving it a few swings, he sat back down to sharpen the blade. ¡°We¡¯ll pull back slowly and ransom them for peace. The Imperial Family cares about their Clerics after all. If we are lucky, they will send just an Imperial Scion out. If we are unlucky, they might send a party out.¡±


    ¡°How strong are the Imperial Family. Supposedly?¡± Shavie asked Markus with interest. ¡°The Senate makes it sound like a walk in the park, but you¡­ you''re hesitating. Why?¡±


    Markus stopped and organized what he knew from old records. In truth, not many from Trent had crossed paths with the Imperial Family.


    ¡°Although I have been training since I was young, my greatest weakness is still my age and experience. I¡¯m barely over a hundred years old. With you all helping me as my party, I can fight against enemies far stronger than me. The problem is, the Senate has forgotten that Imperial Scions are supposedly almost as strong as I am. If they come as a party, we will have problems."


    Shavie sucked in a deep breath. ¡°Wow. Well, let¡¯s not fight them anytime soon then.¡±


    ¡°You forgot a part, Markus. Every high-class demon who has invaded past the borderlands were killed soon after, supposedly by the Imperial Family.¡± Luna responded quietly from the side. ¡°Every single one.¡± The rest of the group looked shocked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you''ve read the ancient history books, Luna. I¡¯m impressed. When were you allowed to do that back home?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. Unlike Trent, Alcudia opens its libraries to everyone.¡± She opened her bag and withdrew a small, leather book, and tossed it lightly to Markus.


    Catching the book, he flipped it open to a random page, reading the first few paragraphs he saw.


    ¡°...True demons have been invading Humanities western borders over the past few millennia and have only recently gotten stronger. Although Alcudia and Evidia have remained wary partners, both are afraid of an invasion from the west, from the True demons of Trent. Although humanity has classified those living west of Alcudia as demi-humans, you cannot discount that both have similar traits. Only some of the classes vary; a trait that is shared amongst all the races on Humanities borders.


    Alcudia has regarded demons as a friendly race and has successfully integrated them into the border country. While Leit and Appealte are still wary of demons, they are no longer as prejudice, perhaps from the Queen¡¯s successful use and policies. But the True demons of Trent have been and will continue to be classified as disasters. Their open policy and liberal use of blood sacrifice, and their utter disregard for all demons, halves, and humans have contributed to the prejudice seen in humanities land. Note for instance the War of ¡­.¡±


    Closing the book in disgust he commented rudely; garnering Luna¡¯s look of ill will; ¡°What is this trash? It¡¯s insulting, to say the least.¡± He looked at the cover with interest. A History of Demons and their War against Humanity. Author P.A. Markus threw the book back at Luna, who carefully caught it.


    ¡°Careful Markus. I had to leave collateral at the library to borrow it. I would like to get my items back if possible. And you didn¡¯t even bother looking at the index. Look.¡± Luna turned to the back of the book and flipped a few pages, before finding what she was looking for. Holding it up for the party to see, it didn¡¯t take long before Markus noticed what it was; an exact replica of the Ricnar Family Coat of Arms. She turned more of the pages, and he idly noticed that over half of the Senate was listed in the appendix. ¡°Okay, so the book has a few of the Senator''s family crests. Big deal, most demons can recognize them.¡±


    ¡°Look at the dates in which they were killed,¡± Luna said, passing the book over to Bishner to peruse. Markus watched as Bishner furrowed his brow. Standing up, he grabbed the book and scanned it, looking for what had made Bishner tense up. He quickly spotted the anomaly. ¡°Two hundred years ago? No, there hasn¡¯t been a war in the rear for well over a millennium.¡±


    ¡°Not according to the author. Look, detailed battle plans, mobilizations, and even military communications. Everything is listed here. Something is wrong Markus.¡±


    ¡°Nothing is wrong. Not with us, nor with the army. We just have to trust that everything will be okay. We¡¯ll grab the weapon and then leave.¡±


    Although hard, he ignored Luna¡¯s look of disbelief. He noted that Stella went over to Luna and whispered something but quickly shoved it to the back of his mind.


    ¡°Markus. What is the plan after we get the weapon? Do we go with House Ricnar directly back to Trent? I really don¡¯t trust them,¡± Shavie spoke up from beside him. ¡°Not just because my family doesn¡¯t get along with them. To be honest, I agree with Stella. There¡¯s no need for us to listen to the requests of Senate or General Rigel. With our speed, we could arrive there not even a day less than if we waited for them to come and get us.¡±


    ¡°I know you hate hearing bad news Markus, but I too am worried about our army. Our whole battalion has not contacted us since we have left the capital almost two months ago. The general and grand general are insisting they are fighting on the frontlines, but I gave them strict orders to wait for us. It is not like Sargent Xavier to disregard my orders.¡±


    ---


    As night fell and the others went to bed, Luna stayed behind as Markus settled in for the first watch of the night. He noticed, and quietly sighed to himself, knowing what she was going to say next.


    ¡°Getting that symbol engraved was a mistake you know. You¡¯ve changed since you¡¯ve gotten it.¡± Luna said sadly.


    Markus shook his head in response, rubbing his temples with his hands. ¡°No. I grew up and took greater responsibilities. That¡¯s what war will do to you. And it¡¯s far different than you think. The symbols grant us greater power so that we can fight the devils evenly on the frontlines. It is practically useless for everything else.¡±


    ¡°There is something wrong with the symbols the Senate has created. I just know it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve felt better than ever since I¡¯ve gotten it. Even more so now that I¡¯ve had a chance to relax on the rear.¡± Markus said contently. Frowning at the thoughts of the future, he asked lightly, not getting his hopes up. ¡°Luna. How far were you able to go now? Your sister says she still hasn¡¯t deciphered the magic circles surrounding the mausoleum. What are your thoughts?¡±


    She hesitated, and Markus closed his eyes with regret. ¡°I¡¯m guessing not far then.¡±


    ¡°Hey now. I was able to get pretty close to the inner chambers this time. But it is bigger on the inside than it would seem.¡± Luna said, scowling at his lack of confidence in his party. ¡°For starters, it looks like there is a centralized courtyard that is inside the main mausoleum, but somehow none of the entrances lead to it. I¡¯m still trying to sort that mystery out. The design of this mausoleum is really weird.¡±


    ¡°I already talked to Stella, and she agrees that we have a good chance of breaking the magic circle. I think she¡¯s finally figured out how the magic circles are drawing power from the surroundings. Give her three days Markus, and we¡¯ll be able to decipher which way to go. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Luna. Look how helpful your sister is, and she doesn¡¯t even complain about the hard work.¡± Luna scoffed at his statement. Clearly, only she and her sister were doing anything of importance, the rest just complained every other hour.

 Chapter 22

    Zenith was flustered whenever she was around just Nick, now not just because of her growing affection toward the Ranger. Now it stemmed from his bad mood. Paige and Nick had returned long after both Prim and Beatrice had left. She had been happy when Beatrice treated her like a sister too, but her mood dropped when she saw how bad Nick had looked. Something terrible must have happened when Paige had left, and his mood had not gotten any better these last few days of traveling. Luckily, they were close to the mausoleum at this point, but it was hard not to notice how Nick had withdrawn himself from the party.


    ¡°Hey Isabella, I¡¯ll switch with you tonight. You get some rest, and I¡¯ll wake you and Paige for the next shift.¡± She made up her mind and switched shifts with Isabella, who was looking nervous as well.


    ¡°Thanks, Zenith. I¡¯ll, uh, see you in the morning.¡± The young girl spoke quickly, betraying her anxiety. She ran off to her tent as fast and politely as she could.


    ¡°... you didn¡¯t have to do that.¡± Zenith noticed Nick¡¯s eyes twitched at the sight of the girl running away from him.


    ¡°I know, but it looked like you needed some peace and quiet. Isabella would probably have tried to fill the silence again if she had stayed. You stopped your lessons with her at night, so she confided in me that she was uncomfortable on watch with you. I¡¯ll be over here if you want to talk things out.¡± Zenith knew that having time to think was important for personal issues, but having someone to talk to that was outside of the situation would be helpful as well.


    They had camped out at the foot of the mountain range that Mount Terst was a part of. As far as you could see, ancient pine trees were shooting out of the mountainside. A gully separated the mountain range from the plains, although not easily seen from afar. Seeing as Nick was concentrating on the forest around them, she decided to meditate. Closing her eyes, she instantly felt the cool wind whistle around her. The surroundings were highly charged with mana, which she did not expect in a forest such as this. She opened her eyes and lightly released her mana, watching as the pale green mana surrounding her was whisked away with the wind almost instantly, the sound of the wind creating a low pitched sound as it released the excess mana back into the air. Reaching toward a strand of mana, she realized that it was incredibly hard to manipulate.


    ¡°Nick,¡± she started to say, but the man interrupted her quietly, a bit of mirth in his voice, ¡°I thought you said I needed peace and quiet?¡±


    ¡°For your personal reasons yes, not professional ones,¡± she blushed, pulling her cloak overhead. ¡°Do you feel that excess mana in the surroundings? You have a greater affinity for nature. Can you feel a difference since we¡¯ve set camp?¡±


    Nick furrowed his brows, lightly concentrating. He touched the damp earth with his hand; a dark brown cloud of mana settled into their surroundings. Zenith watched as the cloud of mana rushed back to him. She was jealous of his greater affinity, the benefits of having a greater affinity showing. He didn¡¯t even have to fully meditate in order to gauge how much mana was available, which showed how in tune he was with his surroundings. ¡®He would have been a good mage,¡¯ she thought in the back of her mind. She listened as Nick started talking. ¡°There is a lot of mana coursing through the forest here. Tyler mentioned the mountain acted like a leyline, but he didn¡¯t mention which type of mana powered the formations.¡±


    Thinking for a moment, she responded quietly, the sound of their conversation echoing lightly in the forest. ¡°I can feel a significant amount of wind mana here, so if you can feel nature mana here, it must be at least a dual leyline. Normally a leyline would be dependent on the surroundings, not created by the environment. This mountain must be pretty special.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± Nick frowned as he thought of the different uses a dual leyline could be used for. ¡°Paige said the mausoleum itself is ancient. One can only wonder what it was before it became a mausoleum.¡± He stopped and went to a crouch, peering out into the darkness.


    ¡°See something?¡± Zenith asked quietly, pointing her staff in the same direction he was looking.


    ¡°...the animals are restless. A group of wolves just passed by.¡± He nocked an arrow onto his bow, drawing his quiver close.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not too bad,¡± Zenith whispered quietly, crouching down by his side. Zenith thought they could take down a few wolves, but Nick''s voice was serious.


    ¡°Direwolves. A group of twenty. And an elder wolf. They stopped across the ravine. They probably located us through our mana. They¡¯re upwind of us right now,¡± he whispered urgently.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and wake the others. You and I can¡¯t defeat an elder wolf, not without some help. It¡¯ll be tough with just three of us, but someone has to protect Isabella.¡± Zenith whispered back, getting ready to turn toward the camp. Nick caught her arm quickly.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t fight. Not this close to the mountain. Any fight is liable to draw attention to us. A battle can echo off the mountains. The last thing we need is to alert any scouts of our presence.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Turning toward the camp, Zenith almost let out a startled scream as Paige crouched in front of her. The smirk on her face made Zenith want to hit her.


    ¡°Nick. Did you say it was an elder wolf?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell, but there should be an elder wolf in that pack. Usually, direwolves announce themselves before they attack. This group didn¡¯t, so it has to have a pack leader. Here one comes now.¡±


    A rustle in the trees in front of them caused Zenith to flinch, as a large, pure white wolf emerged from the brush. Nick swore under his breath as a few darkened wolves emerged from the shadowed forest, noting the others had started to circle their camp. Elder wolves were a Ranger¡¯s worst nightmare, as they were patient and skilled enough to lead their pack to track a Ranger and his horse through a forest. In fact, most of the Ranger casualties from monster attacks were caused by elder wolves.


    ¡°Wait a second before you start a fight,¡± Paige said, putting a hand on Nick¡¯s shoulders. She started walking forward, holding her hands open in front of her.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious Paige!¡± Zenith whispered back to her as Paige started walking forward toward the elder wolf. ¡°You¡¯re going to get yourself killed. You can¡¯t reason with a wolf pack. Look at their sizes, they have got to be at least a few hundred years old. I¡¯ve seen carriages smaller than the smallest on here.¡± She eyed the smallest one in the clearing, one that had to be at least twenty feet long. The elder wolf had to be at least forty feet long, and a good five feet in width.


    ¡°Hey there, sorry for intruding. Mind if we pass?¡± Paige whispered quietly. Zenith eyes twitched at the sight. The white wolf looked at Paige, and his gaze flickered over toward Nick and Zenith. ¡°Put your weapons down you two, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°You know you are crazy right?¡± Nick swore quietly. The pack animals started to neigh nervously behind, causing Zenith to look back at the camp. She quickly noted that Tyler was already awake and standing beside Isabella¡¯s tent, one arm holding the reins to the pack animals, and the other resting on his scabbard.


    ¡°What do you and Tyler know, Paige? Is there something special about these wolves?¡± She hesitated but rested the head of the staff on the ground. She put her hand on Nick¡¯s bow, pushing it gently to the ground. Nick shot a look at Zenith but offered no resistance as she tried to push it down.


    ¡°We have to be careful about the animals here; most are smarter than you would think,¡± Paige whispered quietly. Looking toward the elder wolf, she bowed her head minutely; her eyes never leaving the wolf. ¡°What do you want, oh elder one?¡±


    Zenith waited tensely, watching as both of them gauged each other. A rustle from Isabella¡¯s tent caught her attention, her heart rate increasing. A young girl popped her head out, sleepily asking out loud, her voice the only sound in the campsite, ¡°Aunt? Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡®Of course, that would happen. What else could possibly go wrong?¡¯ Zenith quickly backed up, getting close to the tent. ¡°Isabella, are you dressed for combat?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why?¡± Blinking her eyes, Isabella quickly noticed the wolves around the campsite. ¡°Aaahh!¡± she screamed in shock, quickly covering her mouth; her eyes darting across the campsite until she spotted her Aunt looking at a large, white wolf. She nearly screamed again when the wolf¡¯s eyes focused on her. It took Zenith hugging her from behind to stop her from screaming again.


    ¡°Paige, hurry up and do something,¡± Zenith whispered loudly in the clearing. The wolves for their part stood around tensely, their leader opting to sit on his hind legs, causing the wolf to careen over the rest of the group. She could tell that the surrounding wolves were waiting for their leader to decide how to proceed.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t hunted your pack, and we have no quarrels. Speak your mind, elder one. I still need to sleep for my travel ahead to the prayer grounds.¡± Paige spoke up, her eyes never leaving the wolf.


    ¡®Prayer grounds? Why does she call it that instead of a mausoleum?¡¯ Zenith thought to herself. She noted that Paige had idly stepped in front of Isabella, shielding him from view. A low wolf call echoed out of the white wolf, causing Zenith and Nick to tense up; Nick the most. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°He¡¯s calling for the rest of his pack, Paige. We need to decide what to do now before we are outnumbered more than we are now.¡± His eyes darted behind the elder wolf, silently calculating how much time before reinforcements arrived.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad your feeling better Nick. If I had known your mood would improve this dramatically with a single fight, I would have opted to fight something right after we left Trulton. Relax. It¡¯s not the right wolf call for a hunt. Let¡¯s just see how this goes,¡± Paige said sarcastically, although Zenith thought that Paige did sound confident about the latter half of her conversation.


    The tense atmosphere only got tenser. A few minutes later, Nick said quietly, ¡°Ten more incoming. Smaller than the rest though.¡± The brush revealed ten smaller wolves, all sporting varying degrees of injuries. The worst one limped idly on three feet, another wolf bracing him to stop him from falling. The white wolf looked over at Paige; moving his head to get a view of Isabella.


    ¡°Ah. Isabella. Zenith. Get your staffs. He wants them healed.¡± Paige said after interpreting the elder wolf¡¯s message. The wolf¡¯s head nodded in response, seemingly understanding what she had said.


    ¡°Are you sure this is safe Paige?¡± Nick said tersely. ¡°Elder wolves are a serious threat.¡± An arrow was still nocked on his bow and he glanced left and right, not letting the wolves nearest to him out of his sight.


    ¡°Are we in Leit or Alcudia? It¡¯ll be fine, hopefully. On the flip side, if they attack you have free range. How about that?¡±


    ¡°Au, Au, Aunt. Are you sure about this?¡± Isabella popped herself back inside the tent, raising her voice so that everyone could hear.


    ¡°Tyler, back me up on this,¡± Paige said after a moment.


    Tyler froze for a moment, then talked loud enough for Zenith and Nick to hear him. ¡°That elder wolf guards the area around the mausoleum. We leave their pack alone since they usually do not attack the royal family. It helps us deter graverobbers and spies away since they are very territorial in nature. Although we did not know his pack had grown this much.¡±


    ¡°See. Perfectly safe. In a confrontation of two opposing parties, both of roughly equal status, one side will eventually have to show a bit of faith. We heal them, they¡¯ll leave us alone. Right?¡±


    Zenith could practically see the gears in the white wolf¡¯s head spin and watched as the elder wolf nodded after a brief moment. ¡®Although which part he agreed with is suspect. Maybe Paige irked him a bit when she said parties of equal status,¡¯ she thought to herself. Grabbing Isabella¡¯s hand as she left the tent, she walked up slowly to the injured, but wary wolves, glancing at the elder wolf every few steps. Stopping briefly, she decided to test the pack leader¡¯s intelligence herself. ¡°Third Princess Isabella Freal here has not been formally taught healing magic for long, so she may be out of practice. I know a few intermediate healing spells myself, but I will need physical contact for the best effect. I can do healing magic from range, but it will not be as effective.¡± Weaving in Isabella¡¯s status as royalty and her healing abilities, Zenith really hoped that the wolf was as intelligent as she thought it was.


    She could tell that the elder wolf was parsing through what she had said. To that regard, she had no idea. But nevertheless, if what Tyler said was true, then the elder wolf either held the mausoleum or the royal family as important. A low growl came out of the elder wolf¡¯s mouth, and the injured wolves slowly lowered themselves to the ground and slumped on the ground, their ears laying flat back in a submissive posture. The other wolves surrounding the campsite slowly backed away into the woods, only the elder wolf remained where he was sitting.


    Isabella was rooted in place, seemingly afraid to get closer to the prostrated wolves. ¡°It¡¯s fine Isabella. Just follow behind me. Remember that Paige gave us all new equipment. We should be fine against even the Demon Lord¡¯s party, so some wolves should not scare you as much. Just think of them like larger, furrier, more majestic dogs. No offense.¡± Pulling her hand, she let Isabella trail behind of her, the young girl walking with halting steps. ¡°Okay, you can heal from there. Remember what I taught you about healing. Positive thoughts.¡±


    Looking toward Paige, she lightly commented to both her and the elder wolf, ¡°the glow of the healing will alert anyone with a decent ability to sense magic. How do you want to deal with this?¡±


    Scratching her cheek, Paige looked toward the elder wolf for ideas. ¡°Can you hide the magic?¡± she asked the wolf stupidly. Zenith was about to say how stupid an idea that was when the wolf howled, a light mist curling around the campsite. The howls of wolves surrounding them echoed in the forest, creating an eerie atmosphere. She watched as the dark forest seemed to get even darker, and even the moon itself seemed to lose its glow.


    ¡°Elder wolves such as this one are able to hide their pack well at night, and can even isolate their surroundings so that their prey can¡¯t escape. I didn¡¯t know they could block out magic though,¡± Nick said quietly to the rest of the party.


    ¡°Well, now you know. Zenith, Isabella. Please try to heal them quickly. I¡¯ll negotiate with the elder wolf here and see if he can lead us to the prayer grounds without alerting the Demon Lord and his party.¡±


    Zenith knew that it was going to be a long night.


    ---


    ¡°Well, that worked out for the best,¡± Paige said quietly as they reached the outer perimeter of Mount Terst. Zenith partly agreed but looked over the party with a worried glance. Paige was being Paige, Tyler was confident, and Isabella looked worried. But It looked like only Nick had not gone to sleep for the last three days. Out of professional habit or fear of his head being bitten off,Zenith did not know. It had taken her and Isabella the majority of the night to heal the most injured wolf, and Paige had insisted that the pack would lead them safely to the mausoleum. The elder wolf and the rest of the pack had only appeared at night after that, meaning that their pace was being set by the most injured wolf.


    After finally healing the last wolf, the elder wolf led them to a large, inconspicuous rock that was jutting out on the far side of the mountain. It disappeared back down the mountain with a few bounds after stopping at the large rock.


    ¡°Aunt, why did you keep calling it a prayer ground instead of a mausoleum?¡± Isabella asked after the wolf had gone out of her view. Zenith had wondered that herself, but she wasn''t about to get into a theological debate with Paige. The dead were dead after all. Graves markers were meant for the living to remember those who died, not for the dead themselves. A mausoleum to one could easily be a prayer ground to another. Just a matter of perspective she supposed.


    ¡°We may call it a mausoleum, but I think it would be more accurate to call it a prayer ground. This whole area has been blessed by one of the gods. Which one, I have no idea. But I can feel my class weakening just be being near the mountain.¡± Zenith watched asPaigeshook her hand, as though testing something. ¡°Not much, of course, but it is still worrisome. It definitely did not feel like this the last time I was here though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d believe you, Paige. You can practically see the mana formations in the air. How many leylines are converging in this one spot?¡±Zenith caught Isabella staring blankly, prompting her to continue her thoughts out loud. ¡°The Mage Guild would practically invade the country for this one mountain alone. Look at that cloud over there Isabella.¡± Looking over to the cloud up ahead,Isabella quickly noticed something was wrong with it; a line had been cut straight through the cloud, bisecting it neatly. ¡°The magic circle is drawing all of the surrounding mana into the circle and powering it. It would take months to analyze something this large, and basically suicidal too. I couldn''t imagine trying to break this without knowing exactly what each symbol did.¡±


    Zenith stopped and stared at Paige and Tyler. Seeing this formation had thrown all of her previous assumptions out the window. There was no way it would be as simple as just stating your name. ¡°How is Isabella going to get us into the mausoleum? The formations are still active.¡±


    Tyler answered Zenith this time, looking at the formation with interest. ¡°Isabella is royalty, and the formations have always allowed royalty to enter, but only at sunrise. Theoretically, all Isabella needs to do is to state her name, and the formation should transport us directly to the interior courtyard From there, we can enter the Treasury, grab the sword, and leave.¡± Zenith was skeptical about that. With this much mana powering the formation in front of her, who in their right minds would allow entry with just a name and a class? At least there was a specific timeframe they had to enter by, otherwise she would flat out state that it was impossible.


    ¡°What about the Demon Lord¡¯s party?¡± Isabella asked worriedly.


    ¡°The formation is still active, so they have not breached the mausoleum yet. If it works, great. Otherwise, we''ll have to rethink our mission. It was never our intention to fight the Demon Lord, and it never will be either. If this fails, we''ll let the Imperial Family decide what course of action to take.Go ahead and try young Isabella.¡± Tyler hesitantly said after a moment.


    ¡°Okay. Here goes then.¡± Isabella took a deep breath and walked up to the stone, symbols gathering around the monolithic rock as she neared. The symbols became more pronounced as Isabella stepped toward them, the colors turning darker and brighter red as she neared.


    Seeing them go bright red, Zenith quickly stopped Isabella. "That is close enough, Isabella. Any closer and the formation might label you as an intruder. If It doesn''t work from where you are at, we will have to try something else."


    Isabella nodded, apprehensive at getting close to the red symbols. ¡°I, Isabella Freal, of the Princess Class and of Alcudian Royalty descent, hereby request entrance to the mausoleum for myself and my party,¡± she said out loud.


    The symbols flashed blue and the party heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that her request was accepted. Symbols gathered around their group, each of them standing still so that the symbols could anchor themselves to the ground.


    Right at this moment, the magic formation around the mausoleum flashed brilliantly; the symbols around them quickly turned red and shifted chaotically.


    ¡°Oh no! Get out of the circle!¡± Zenith screamed quickly, trying to leave the circle that the symbols had engraved around her. The others quickly tried to leave as well, but the symbols activated and started to glow brightly. They all knew better than to try and break an active magic circle, particularly with them standing in it.


    Panicking, Zenith quickly looked at the symbols and her heart sank as she identified each one. ¡°They tried to break the circle the same time we got permission! It is a random warp now!¡± Zenith screamed, the hum of the magic circle drowning out the noise of the forest.


    ¡°Isabella, stay where you are! Everyone else, plan to meet back here! I¡¯ll find you after I reach Isabella.¡± Paige yelled, disappearing as the magic circle activated. A bright light quickly traveled to the other side of the mountain.


    ¡°Wait! Isabella will be at the¡­¡± Zenith tried to yell, but the magic circle activated, quickly bringing Tyler, Nick and herself away in rapid succession, each beam of light traveling in a different direction; none of them landing on Mount Terst itself.


    Closing her eyes, Isabella waited until the flash of light dissipated before she opened her eyes again. A random group of dumbfounded strangers appeared before her eyes. She was about to speak, but a cool sensation on her neck caused her to tense up. Looking down, the gleam of a short sword entered her view. A quiet female voice spoke to her from behind, ¡°Stand still. Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Umm...would you believe me if I say I am just a passerby?¡± Isabella said shakily, a nervous smile on her face.

 Chapter 23

    ¡°Okay Markus. I think I have deciphered all of the defensive magic circles.¡± Stella said confidently comparing her notes against her sister¡¯s notes. At first, she had tried to use brute force to destroy the magic circle surrounding the mausoleum by destroying the symbols But she had severely underestimated the surroundings around Mount Terst and had almost killed everything on the mountain when the magic circle destabilized the surrounding mana.


    ''How was I supposed to know it was a naturally powered formation?'' Stella thought to herself as she reviewed everything that lead up to this moment. She had never seen a formation quite this big before, but she had soon realized the benefits of tying a magic circle to the environment versus powering one with a mage''s mana. It was almost impossible to break and could continue on so long as there was mana available. Stella realized very quickly what the main drawback was though; It was intricately tied to the environment. She had found almost thirty different symbols that were tied to seemingly random events and time. The time, place, location; even how much free mana was being absorbed by the formation were constantly being monitored.In fact, a majority of her time spent was identifying what triggered the symbols.


    She then had tried to overload the interlocking magic circles by manipulating the symbols to give false readings, but instead, the formation just continued absorbing her mana. Where the mana went was a mystery, but nothing seemed to happen.After that, Stella took a very conservative approach to analyze the magic circle. Having Luna inside the mausoleum and recording the changes as she manipulated the magic symbols had allowed her to make a few assumptions that had greatly decreased the amount of time required.It was only afterLuna started entering the mausoleum though thatthe local predators started taking really close notice of them, or so it seemed to Stella. The direwolves, while notfatal to a party their size, were still a threat they had to be wary of.


    ¡°Are we finally able to enter and exit safely?¡± Markus asked, a slight smile on his face. That was the Markus she knew; a confident, prideful man.


    ¡°Mhmm, we should be good to go. Everyone, please transfer your mana to me. There is only a small window of opportunity that we can take advantage of. One of the symbols seems to reset every other symbol on a daily basis. So long as I interrupt that, we should be able to gain access for at least an entire day. ¡± Closing her eyes, Stella focused on the magic formation in front of her. ¡®Okay. I can do this. We¡¯ve marked the relevant symbols, so we are good to go. Just have to erase these markings, and that one...and maybe that one. Or was it that one?¡¯ Panicking, she almost opened her eyes, but a quiet voice reassured her, ¡°You can do it sister, believe in yourself.¡±


    ¡®Phew. I can do this. Everyone believes in me. I know what I have to do.¡¯ Stella drew in a sharp breath and activated her skills with a low shout. ¡°[Mana Link], [Mana Overdrive]!¡± A line of magic connected the party together and she could feel her mana. Although she was a Nightwalker Class, she had specialized in magic in lieu of close combat. This limited her options in assassinations and sneak attacks but allowed her to support her party in a variety of roles instead.


    ¡®And¡­now!¡¯ Opening her eyes, she quickly slashed her hand across a portion of the symbols that had floated in front of her, the symbols that she had deduced would destabilize the entire formation. As she slashed the symbols, she noticed the symbols flashing blue for a moment right before she slashed it, causing the symbols to glow a dark red. ¡®Huh? Eh?¡¯ The magic circle flashed dangerously and she unconsciously stepped back away from the circle. Her eyes widened with understanding as she realized what had happened. ¡°It¡¯s a mana loop! Someone else is tried to modify the magic circle when I broke it! Back up, quickly!¡± Stella grabbed Luna¡¯s hand as she raced back to the team, a nervous look on her face.


    Markus and Bishnir quickly stepped forward, grabbing their shields and shoving them into the hard, rocky ground. ¡°Stella, do you mean to say someone was waiting for us to break the magic formation?¡±, he shouted quickly while looking at the surroundings.


    ¡°No way, I checked the mountain myself this morning before we started. There was only a pack of direwolf tracks around the perimeter of the magic circle! But they¡¯ve been here since we¡¯ve arrived.¡± Shavie yelled, bracing Bishner from behind.


    Stella quickly hid behind of Markus; Luna watching the magic circle with interest. Stella quickly spoke to the entire party while trying to grab Luna and pull her behind of the large shield, ¡°Without knowing what the other party tried to do, we really have no way of knowing how it will react!¡±


    As they watched, the magic circle twisted; the symbols in the air moving about erratically. ¡°The magic formation is about to overload, whatever happens will happen soon!¡± They braced themselves as the formation pulsed four times in rapid succession, and the whole formation glowed white for a moment, blinding them. Opening their eyes, they saw a young girl standing where Stella had been, her arm covering her face as though she was blinded as well.


    Luna quickly flashed over behind the girl as she started to move, positioning her short sword so that it rested on the unknown girl¡¯s neck. ¡°Stand still. Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Umm...would you believe me if I say I am just a passerby?¡± the young girl said shakily.


    Kicking the back of the girl¡¯s knee, Luna brought her down to a kneeling position. ¡°Don¡¯t tell any lies. Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Luna! Stop it! You won¡¯t get any answers that way.¡± Stella rushed over, evaluating the girl in front of her. Tears had popped up in her eyes, her light brown hair catching the sunlight. Her grey eyes were looking at each of them, and Stella realized that the look of pain had been replaced by fear. Quickly scanning the girl, she could tell that everything she wore was of high quality and that her headband and bracer were heavily enchanted if her senses were correct. It would be hard to tell in a city environment, but out in the woods, those two equipment were practically glowing in her senses. Stella could feel traces of magic around here, confirming that she was a magic type class, even though she was wearing an archer uniform. She frowned, as there was no real benefit of wearing clothes not suited for your class. ¡®Was she trying to hide her class?¡¯


    Closing her eyes, she lightly stated for the party to hear ¡°I, Stella Sharman, request the status of the person in front of me.¡± She watched as the girl wiggled uncomfortably, her mana leaving her body as it combined with Luna¡¯s and the surrounding mana. Words combined in front of her, but quickly jumbled as a thin golden line of mana was suddenly released from the girl; somehow obstructing most of the words from fully materializing.


    Isabella Freal


    Apprentice Cleric


    ¡®I¡¯ve never seen that happen before,¡¯ Stella thought to herself. But the girl''s name and her Class was more of a surprise. Before she could say anything however, Luna quickly hit the back of the girl¡¯s neck, causing her to faint.


    ¡°Look at her last name and class!¡± Stella said quietly, evaluating the now unconscious girl.


    ¡°An Apprentice Cleric? What would she be doing out here?¡± Shavie said as she poked the girl. Turning to Luna, she idly remarked, ¡°I thought you said it was almost impossible to see a Cleric outside of the Healing Halls?¡±


    ¡°It should be,¡± Luna replied carefully. ¡°And they are usually well protected too. In fact, the Healer Hall in the Alcudian capital rivaled the Royal Keep in some ways. But you should look at her name instead.¡± She and her sister had gone and scoped out most of the places in the capital, or at least the places that pure demons were allowed to enter. Even she was surprised at how many places she could go unobstructed, so long as she had a reason to be there. Even the Healer Hall was open to pure demons, although there were time restrictions and a multitude of status checks. She had gotten lucky when a carriage had broken a girl¡¯s leg, and she had offered to help take her to the Healer Hall. It had shocked her that she was able to enter and leave without any issues, as well as the healer¡¯s generosity to heal those injured for free. She did not press her luck though since she had recognized the Imperial Sigils surrounding the deeper portions of the building.


    The girl''s name though was important, at least for her. ¡°Freal. Isn¡¯t that the last name of the Royal Family?¡±


    Markus perked up at that question. ¡°It is. The king announced his name and everything before we fought. Does that mean what I think it does?¡±, he said as he looked at Stella.


    ¡°Mhmm, I think that is what she was doing, to begin with. I think she was trying to teleport into the mausoleum the same time I was trying to break into the mausoleum. Since we disrupted the sequence, it must have transported her here outside of the mausoleum entrance instead of inside. The other flashes must have been it teleporting the rest of her party to different areas.¡±


    ¡°So we have at least four people nearby, and an unconscious Apprentice Cleric. Can we enter today?¡± Markus said briskly, the idea that there was an unknown, but likely hostile group of people nearby not sitting well with any of them.


    ¡°Not today at least. Tomorrow at sunrise would be the earliest we could enter.¡± Eying the magic circle in front of her, she could tell that the many formations surround the mausoleum were currently behaving erratically. She knew from the past few weeks that the formation would promptly reset itself at sunrise. If she believed the books Luna had borrowed from the library, it had something to do with a new start and second chances.


    ¡°Let¡¯s set camp then. I want everyone ready for battle. Stella, release your skills; we¡¯re done for today,¡± Markus said after a moment. ¡°Wake her up after we set up camp as well. We need to gather more information from her.¡±


    ---


    As Bishner started a fire, Stella and the girls were still arguing about who will lead the interrogation. ¡°No, I¡¯ll do the talking,¡± Luna said, arguing with her sister and Shavie. Bishner tried to volunteer as well but was shot done by all three of the girls. ¡°I may have been a little heavy-handed,¡± she said, ignoring the pointed look from Stella while trying to stop Shavie from taking her fun away. ¡°But I am the best one for interrogating a person. Shavie, you are better at torturing people for information, which is the exact opposite of what we want to do.¡±


    ¡°Fine. But I call dibs next. You know...¡± Shavie continued to argue with Luna, as Stella walked over to Markus who was keeping watching over the unconscious girl.


    ¡°Markus, let me handle talking to her. Luna already made a bad impression, and Shavie is Shavie.¡±


    ¡°Hey! We heard that you know.¡± Shavie and Luna turned to look at them both, unhappy that Stella was trying a different tactic.


    ¡°Markus. Even barring her last name, she needs to live. We need healers back in Trent. You know there hasn¡¯t been an actual healer class in Trent for millennia, and every race bordering us keeps their shamans and healers on a tight leash. The entire army couldn¡¯t even break into the Healer Hall back in Terpii, so we can¡¯t even bring those Human Clerics back with us. I would almost say let¡¯s just forget about the sword; we need her instead.¡± Stella said quickly, knowing that her sister and Shavie would be interrupting soon.


    Stella held her breath, hoping that Markus would agree with her. ¡°Fine. We need the information. If her party is weak, then we¡¯ll go after the sword. If not, we¡¯ll retreat.¡±


    Letting out a sigh of relief, she quickly bent over the girl and held a stick of incense to her nose. The strong odor of the smoke quickly roused the girl, who startled as she opened her eyes. ¡°Isabella Freel, Apprentice Cleric. You aren¡¯t exactly a passerby.¡± Stella said quietly as she sat across from her, startling the girl even further. ¡°And your equipment is top notch too. So tell me, why are you out here, in the middle of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Isabella hesitated to say but quickly eyed the steel bracer the other girl held in her hand. ¡°That''s mine!¡±


    ¡°Was yours. Now, not so much,¡± Stella lightly said, fiddling with the bracer. She knew it held a secret, but she still could not figure out how the equipment worked. ¡°How about this, you tell me what I want to know, and I¡¯ll give you your clothes back.¡±


    Stella watched as the young girl glanced downward, and realized that she was almost naked, as she only had her underwear and the green cloak on. Pulling the cloak close, her face turned bright red, noticeable even by the firelight. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I undressed you myself. I did pack the pendant away though since it seemed like it was something that is easy to track. Now, think of it as a game. You tell me what I want and I¡¯ll give you back your stuff.¡±


    As Isabella struggled to make up her mind, Stella almost felt bad using her skills, [Truth Seeker] and [Good Friend] on the poor girl. It was an unusual set of skills for a Nightwalker to have, and even her sister did not believe those were a true Nightwalker skill. The best reason anyone could come up with was that it would help get close to unsuspecting targets. Although it worked both ways, as she felt sympathy toward the girl and the situation she was in as well. A curious skill.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you party secrets. Anything else is fine though. Can I please have my shirt and pants back at least?¡±, her grey eyes welling with tears. Grabbing the clothes in question, she was about to pass them over until a hand stopped her. Markus grabbed the clothes and set them down in front of the girl. ¡°Answer a question first, little human Isabella. Are you part of the Alcudian Royal Family?¡± Isabella flinched as Markus stared at her intently. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°You are scaring the girl, Markus!¡± Stella watched as Luna smacked Markus in the back of the head, quickly scooping up the young girl clothes. ¡°Now, don¡¯t you worry about the ugly looking man over there. You don¡¯t have to be afraid of us, you know.¡± Luna smiled brightly, handing the clothes over to the stunned girl.


    ¡°He¡¯s not ugly though¡­¡± Isabella whispered almost silently as she hid in her cape to change; Luna and Shavie had to clutch their stomachs and point at Markus; seemingly making fun of him for having an admirer. Markus for his part just twitched his eye at their fun and sat down near Bishner instead.


    Waiting for Isabella¡¯s head to pop back out, Stella spoke slowly for the girl. ¡°We already know who you are. I¡¯ll make it an easy question for you. Are any of your party members an Imperial Scion?¡± She frowned as the girl shook her head in denial. ¡°Can you tell us their names then?¡±


    She hesitated, but Stella pushed the matter. ¡°We know there are four other people. It¡¯s just their names, nothing else. Names aren¡¯t a secret.¡± Stella had been in enough parties to know what could and could not be asked, especially under an oath.


    ¡°...My aunt Paige, Miss Zenith, Mister Tyler and Mister Nick,¡± Isabella said after a moment. Luna grabbed a worn book from her side and flipped through the pages, trying to match the names to a person. Isabella¡¯s eyes widened as she saw the Alcudian royal symbol on the cover, as well as blood. ¡°At least two Warriors types then. Zenith and Nick aren¡¯t on this list.¡±


    ¡°Isabella, what countries are Nick and Zenith from,¡± Stella asked quietly, but the girl continued to stare at the book. Stella turned to Luna, and whispered quietly, ¡°where did you get that book from?¡±


    ¡°From the king of course. It¡¯s not like Markus was going to go loot his opponent for spoils. That¡¯s practically our job.¡± Luna said off hand, stopping after she realized why Isabella was staring at it. ¡°Crap.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Father¡¯s book,¡± Isabella whispered, tears gathering in her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. She just borrowed it from him. He can have it back when Alcudia pays the ransom.¡± Shavie said in a playful voice. Isabella¡¯s eyes hardened with hate as she pulled the cloak closer around her body, her hands slightly shaking. Stella felt her skill weakening and was confused about what was wrong.


    ¡°You liars! You killed him and the rest of the capital! Everyone was killed after the fall of the Royal Keep!¡± She cried, tears falling slowly from her eyes as she stared daggers at everyone around her.


    Stella frowned. Her skills were still active, meaning that Isabella was telling what she believed was the truth. ¡°No Isabella. The King was taken to Evidia. The rest of the city is under martial law.¡±


    ¡°Nu-uh. Aunt told me that the Royal Capital had to be changed to Castle Lidale since the capital is now a dead metropolis after the blood sacrifices. Mister Tyler said that father was killed in battle because the generals under the king were all demoted to Fallen Generals since they all survived while the king had died. Even Mother might not survive, not since she was struck by a Nightwalker¡¯s poison.


    ¡°Blood sacrifices? Nightwalker poison? What are you talking about Isabella?¡± Stella was shocked by her statements.


    ¡°Tell us from the beginning. Everything.¡± Markus stood up from where he was sitting, frowning all the while.


    --


    It took a while for Isabella to calm down, and Stella even had to use [Mana Overdrive] in order to sustain [Good Friend]; otherwise, it was improbable that the girl would have told them anything. ¡°Are you sure about this symbol Isabella? This is very important.¡± Stella stressed heavily after hearing Isabella¡¯s second-hand count of the deserters. She could tell that Isabella was trying to fight her skills off, but the girl obviously had no real training in how to defend herself from a mental skill.


    ¡°Mhmm, Aunt Paige went into great detail about how the symbols and blood sacrifices work. She said that the symbols will increase some characteristic like speed or power, but she didn¡¯t know what price was being paid in response.¡±


    Everyone looked at Markus with worry, as the symbol the girl had drawn matched what Markus had engraved on his back. Luna spoke gravely, ¡°And you said the royal capital was massacred? No one was spared?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Mister Tyler said.¡± Isabella nodded shakily, her forehead damp with sweat.


    Stella noticed the girl was starting to experience mana poisoning and whispered to her quietly. ¡°[[Heavy Slumber]].¡± Isabella closed her eyes, and the party glanced at each other.


    ¡°No worries you said. The Senate wouldn¡¯t start another war for no reason. Bah!¡± Luna yelled angrily. ¡°Well how about confirmed instances of demons using blood sacrifices and a massacred capital, Markus? And let¡¯s not forget that the royal family is practically on their deathbed, seemingly poisoned by a Nightwalker. Gee, I wonder how many of those are out here in the rear.¡± Luna and Stella were worried about that last part, as they were supposed to be the only Nightwalkers in the country at the moment.


    ¡°...she¡¯s delusional. Trent has never employed blood sacrifices to fight. We don¡¯t have the population for it.¡± Markus said, trying to dispel his worries.


    ¡°We don¡¯t, but obviously all of our neighbors do! Or do you think there is another reason that Evidia was trying to resist the army when we came through?¡± Luna paced back and forth as she organized her thoughts. Even Bishner and Shavie were having a hard time believing that the Senate would do something like this.


    ¡°The symbols Markus. She knew what that symbol looked like and did.¡± Stella said after a moment. She worriedly looked at Markus, seemingly staring through him at the symbol on his back. ¡°It grows as more people are sacrificed. That¡¯s what she said. How many people have that symbol, Markus?¡±


    ¡°Markus. You said you were feeling better than ever a few nights ago. Are you sure it''s not from the symbol gaining power?¡± Luna said quietly, her voice echoing in the silent campsite.


    Markus closed his eyes to think. ¡°...The Senate said they had been researching this symbol for a few millennia. I don¡¯t know much about it otherwise. I can confirm I have become more powerful after having it though. But blood sacrifices? I refuse to believe that is how the symbol works,¡± he declared strongly. ¡°After we get the weapon and bring back the girl, we¡¯ll confirm how the symbol works. Bishner, refuse all communications from both the Senate and generals. We¡¯ll go straight to my family and set everything straight.¡± Markus knew that this would have serious repercussions, for both Trent and the rear.


    Fiddling with the girl''s equipment, he handed them to Stella for safekeeping. ¡°Shavie, keep an eye out for the girl¡¯s party. I refuse to believe they are that weak if they are able to have a Cleric in their party.¡±


    ¡°Everyone else, get some sleep. Shavie and I will keep watch tonight. At first light, we¡¯ll use the girl to break into the mausoleum. After that, we¡¯re going to have a long day of traveling.¡± Markus sat down by the fire, thinking about many things that night.


    ---


    ¡°Can you make the girl open the formation?¡± Markus said after watching Isabella struggle to get free. He could tell Stella was hesitating to force the girl, but they needed to get things moving and fast. The magic circle ahead of them had finally settled down and were floating peacefully in the air. ¡°We need to move, and fast. Her party has to be close by now.¡±


    ¡°I can. It¡¯ll just take a little more time,¡± she replied. Dawn had come quickly, and Markus was ready to head back. The more he thought about what Isabella had said, the more worried he became. He had known that their main enemy employed blood sacrifices regularly, and was worried about what that meant for his own country. Luckily, the others in his party had not gone past the frontlines; as they were being used to boost his attributes at the time. Leaving them behind as he and the rest of the army advanced to close the portal, they had missed the scenes he had seen, and he hoped that the others in the army did not spread the word about the conquered portions of Trent. ¡°I just need to figure out what words she needs to say to disable the formation.¡±


    Death is approaching. Markus stopped for a second, then followed his instincts.


    ¡°We need inside the circle, now!¡± Shoving Stella out of the way, he grabbed the girl and shoved the girl''s arms into the magic circle, causing her to scream in agony as the dense mana ripped her skin apart.


    ¡°Markus! Stop, you''re going to kill the girl!¡± Stella screamed, the others puzzled by his sudden actions. Blood ran from the girl''s arm to the symbols floating in the air; the symbols blocking them lit up bright blue as the girl''s blood mixed into them. An entrance slowly appeared in the barrier separating them from the true mausoleum entrance, although it flickered unsteadily.


    ¡°ISABELLA!¡± Two voice screamed out from behind them as two women ran into the clearing.


    ¡°Aunt! Help me!¡± Isabella cried, her voice layered with pain.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold them off. Get inside, quick!¡± He realized the formation was slowly opening as the girl''s blood mixed with the symbols. The formation receded, and he noted that she had to be touching the floating symbols in order for the blood to mix. ¡°Bishner, hold the girl. Stella, let us know when we¡¯re able to pass through. Luna, Shavie, to me!¡± He hesitated but activated the symbols engraved on his back. He trusted his gut feeling and realized the warrior in front of him was strong.


    The sun shining in the west quickly moved overhead, causing the others to realize something was wrong. ¡®What type of Skill is that?¡¯ He noticed the warrior had locked onto him, her eyes hard with hate. He watched as she mumbled something to the mage beside her, and they quickly separated, the warrior heading straight for him.


    Death. He stopped in place and raised his tower shield, narrowly saving him from being impaled by the Warrior on her first attack. The Warrior knew the skill [Blink]! Quickly parrying her attack, he went on the offensive; knowing full well that the skill she had used would not work on a fast moving opponent. He focused his attention on her, trying to gauge how much mana she had left. ¡®It takes a lot of mana to use that skill, so she shouldn¡¯t be able to use attacking skills for the moment.¡¯


    Taking a chance to look to his side, he realized that Shavie and Luna were having a hard time fighting against the mage, who had elected to fight in close combat against the two fighters. Streaks of bright green mana hummed around her as she ran toward the formation, Shavie and Luna moving to dodge the attacks. ¡®A wind mage, and a close combat specialist to boot.¡¯


    Markus quickly dodged an attack aimed at his neck and slashed back with his blade, regretting that he was using a one-handed weapon. Block, parry, slash. He had forgotten how much work it was to fight against a technical opponent such as the woman in front of her. She had excellent form and was fast; her weapon moving naturally as it raced toward his vitals, forcing him to be constantly on the defensive. ¡®It¡¯s like I¡¯m fighting my dad¡¯, he kept thinking to himself. ¡®She¡¯s a natural Warrior. I have to stop her from getting into her rhythm.¡¯


    Bracing himself, he quickly realized that she was constantly moving toward Bishner and that she was pushing him back toward the Mage. ¡®Does she think the Mage can hold off three people at once?¡¯ Taking a quick glance at their equipment, he realized that both were wearing some rather impressive gear; almost as impressive as his own when he was still on the frontlines. ¡°If the guards of an Apprentice Cleric is wearing equipment like this, then what does the Imperial Family outfit their Scions in?¡±


    ¡°Shavie, Luna. Hold that Mage off. They¡¯re aiming to rescue the girl!¡± He shouted between attacks. He heard a ¡°tch¡± from the Warrior as she stopped in place, intent on trying to exchange attacks instead of passing him. He realized that she was slowly getting stronger as the sun reached the zenith above them, a line of sunlight gathering over both her and her weapons. ¡®What type of warrior class is that?¡¯ he thought to himself as he blocked yet another attack, this time noting his shield was starting to warp under the heat and pressure.


    ¡°Markus, back up quick! She¡¯s gathering mana and a lot of it!¡± Stella yelled from behind, protecting Bishner back as he held the struggling girl. Her eyes widened as she looked at the sun above, and watched as magic circles started to form in the air. ¡°She¡¯s a Warrior Mage! Get back here, now!¡±


    ¡°What!¡± they all yelled in disbelief. Markus quickly bashed the Warrior with his shield and threw the shield at her waist, shoving her back toward the forest they had left from. A Warrior Mage, and a Combat Mage. He realized that the intel they had gathered from the girl interrogation and the king¡¯s book must be off.


    Shavie and Luna both used their skills to slow the Mage down, trying different curses and skills to stop her from getting close. They both disengaged once the Warrior started heading their way to help the Mage. Markus stepped next to Isabella and pushed her into the formation, her screams increasing in volume. ¡°Sorry! But we have to get into the formation before that attack lands!¡± The formation ripped his arms, blood gushing from his wounds as well. He hoped that it would not affect the symbols, and thanked the stars that the formation did not explode. Both of their blood fully combined with the symbols, and the formation flickered out of existence around them. They hurried in, Markus walking forward as he held the whimpering girl until they all had gone through. The blood faded from the symbols fast as she was pulled out of the formation and closed quickly behind of them. The Mage threw blades of wind at them while yelling for them to get away from the girl, but she dared not fire them at Markus for fear of hitting Isabella. The symbols in the air flashed with a faint glow as it absorbed the mana from the attacks. ¡®It can absorb her attacks. Good, at least that has not changed.¡¯


    He let out a breath as the formation fully closed and tossed the girl back to Stella. ¡°Put something on her wounds and shut her up. Something¡¯s about to happen.¡± Stella stepped forward and applied lotion on the girl¡¯s wound, silently apologizing about the rough treatment she had endured.


    ¡°Hurt her any more and there will be hell to pay!¡± The Warrior screamed from behind the condensed wall of mana. Both of them tried different attacks, but the formation absorbed the power behind them with ease. They all knew how strong the magic circles around the mausoleum were and relaxed as the formation protected them from their attacks.


    As the sun reached the zenith, the warrior shouted out loud while pointing her sword straight above, attracting everyone''s attention, ¡°Oh, Goddess of the Solstice, Smite my enemies with your heavenly fire!¡± They watched as the magic circles above flashed dangerously, and compressed into a line of pure, deadly mana. Swinging her sword down, she screamed [[Mystic Inferno]]!


    The formation surrounding them shuddered as the golden beam of mana dropped from the heavens, striking directly above them. He shuddered as a line of mana surrounded him and his party, seemingly avoiding the Apprentice Cleric in their midst. ¡°It¡¯s a controlled attack! She trying to direct the attack only to us,¡± Stella cried as she recognized what the mana around them meant.


    ¡°Can we attack from the inside?¡± he yelled, the attack above deafening his hearing.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t. The wall of mana is fully condensed. We¡¯re more liable to be transported outside if we try to attack right now.¡± Luna yelled as she had tried that many times before.


    ¡°Oh, what now!¡± Markus swore as he watched the warrior do a weird gesture, tracing out a symbol in the air in front of her, the sun above splitting into three different parts in the sky. ¡°[Holy Sun Dog], [[Blessed Sun Ray]]!. The suns in the sky shot out beams of light, trying to overload the magic circle. ¡°How much mana does she have available to use?¡± The formation held steady, glowing a golden yellow after the attacks were finished.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a lot of mana Markus, she¡¯s getting it from a deity! A god must be watching over her, Markus; there¡¯s no other way to account for her skills and spells.¡± Stella had noticed that the Mage was looking in fear at the Warrior as much as they were.


    ¡°Will the formation hold? Can it take another attack like that?¡± Shavie asked shakily. She had never seen an attack like that. The ground outside was glowing red with heat while other spots the stone had turned into glass.


    ¡°Yes. Look, the sun is heading back to the horizon now. Markus, we need to go. Hurry up and decide what we should do.¡± Luna said after a moment, realizing that her shadow was elongating. She eyed Paige and Zenith, who were arguing outside the mana shield. If the girl hadn¡¯t lied, there were at least two others heading this way. Luna silently calculated her odds that they would be able to leave alive, and they did not look good.


    ¡°Head into the mausoleum. We¡¯ll grab the sword, then we¡¯ll attempt to destroy the formation from the inside, which should teleport us far away from the mausoleum.¡± Markus answered briskly, motioning for Stella to pick up the girl so they would be able to enter the inner chambers and the treasury. They had to leave, especially before more reinforcements arrived.

 Chapter 24 - End Book 1

    ¡°We need to wait for Tyler and Nick, Paige. With a full party, we can concentrate on one enemy at a time.¡± Zenith argued, shouting at Paige. ¡°If they were close to breaking the interlocking formations, I can analyze the surrounding mana and attempt to recreate what they were doing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good enough. They¡¯re going to use the formation to teleport them away from the mausoleum. They cannot take Isabella and the weapon with them. We need to get in there fast!¡± Paige argued back angrily.


    ¡°Then use your Imperial Wardstone to bypass the wards. Prim told me what that necklace was, Paige,¡± Zenith yelled back, her temper flaring. ¡°But we still need to wait for Tyler and Nick.¡±


    Throwing her sword at the raised symbols, Zenith watched as the enchanted mithril blade pierced the symbol, but could not penetrate past the condensed wall of mana. The Demon Lord¡¯s party were heading into the mausoleum already, keeping a close watch on her and Paige. Isabella stared back tearfully at them but was forced to move by one of the Nightwalkers and quickly disappeared into the mausoleum proper.


    As her post-battle nerves calmed down, Zenith realized just how tired she was. Using [Vital Guard] and [Defensive Cloth] at the same time had used the majority of her mana, causing her to only be able to use simple [[Wind Blades]] to force the enemy back. Luckily, the mountain had an abundance of wind mana, so it wasn¡¯t hard to replenish her mana. The mock battle against Paige had allowed her to test the limits of what her clothing could handle. Thus, Zenith was unafraid of getting into close combat with the two opponents and used her [[Wind Blades]] as both an offensive and defensive spell.


    ¡®Prim had been right when she said that I¡¯ve never seen her fight for real,¡¯ Zenith thought to herself. She had seen glimpses of Paige and the Demon Lord¡¯s battle, their swords and shields moving faster than anything she had ever seen. But that ruined her mood even more. ¡°Paige, how confident are you that we can get Isabella back, unharmed? It seemed that you were on par with that Demon Lord.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s good, better than most Imperial Scions actually. I stopped him from using his skills, but I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be such a technical fighter.¡± Glancing at her outfit, Zenith had noted that Paige¡¯s mithril bodysuit was torn in places. ¡°He must have been trained by a True Swordmaster, or maybe a True Warrior for him to be able to recognize a few of my moves. On the bright side though, it looks like that party is mainly boosting the Demon Lord¡¯s attributes. Did those two Nightwalkers you were fighting use any Warrior skills?¡±


    ¡°No, they didn¡¯t use any as far as I could tell. Paige, can your wardstone bypass the formation?¡± Zenith pushed for Paige to use her wardstone, knowing that it would be the easiest way to enter the formation if it worked.


    Paige pulled out her sapphire necklace, the same one Zenith had shown Prim. She saw how Paige hesitated, alternating her gaze between her necklace and the formation, silently calculating if it was possible. Zenith looked around at the destruction ¡°Are Tyler and Nick close by? Nick told me you had been able to find him relatively fast.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re close by. Probably another half hour or so. There¡¯s no way they could have missed those attacks. They¡¯re flashy, but nothing to scoff at.¡± Paige said absentmindedly. She sighed. ¡°I can use my stone, but we¡¯ll have to wait for them. It¡¯ll be a one-way trip though, the stone wasn¡¯t really meant to bypass a mana wall this condensed. Paige smiled wryly, as though it was not her fault the magic circle was currently overloaded with mana.


    ¡°Then why are you hesitating? What happens when it breaks?¡±


    ¡°Bad things happen Zenith. It allows me to enter and leave most wards and active circles, but the cost...well, just know it also protects me from the Imperial Family. They can¡¯t harm me so long as I have this stone, and it is harder for them to trace my whereabouts. But a formation this large...It would probably break upon entry¡­¡±


    ¡°Prim said you whereabouts are an open secret though? Even she was able to trace your fake names for the past few centuries, let alone anyone in the Imperial family who was given the same task.¡±


    ¡°Knowing who I was and where I am now are two entirely different matters. They can trace my past, but everything up until I use the stone is a mystery to them; so long as I try to keep my cover, that is. Even an Imperial Wardstone can¡¯t hide gross negligence on my part. But the moment I use actually use the stone, every Imperial Scion will know where I am.¡±


    ¡°And that is bad because¡­¡±


    ¡°Because Zenith, I¡¯m wanted by the Emperor!¡± She said miserably. ¡°He needs me for a specific ritual, but he can¡¯t really touch me so long as I have this. I stole this before I left all those years ago, and it has saved me in more ways than one.¡±


    Paige sighed, holding the wardstone in her hand; the weight seemingly too much for her to hold. ¡°But if it can save Isabella and stop a Demon Lord...I...I will just have to get another one, I suppose. Let¡¯s wait for the others to come and we¡¯ll go and get Isabella back.¡±


    Paige sat down and pressed on her clothing; her white mana weakly rotating around her as she tried to mend her clothing. The mithril cloth shone with light as it gradually mended itself. ¡°Zenith, could you and Nick stop the Assassins? It looks like their party is comprised of two Assassins, two Warriors, and one Shaman. Mostly close combat, so the Demon Lord must be getting a pretty solid close combat boost from his members. Hrmm, still doesn¡¯t explain his swordplay though¡­¡± Paige muttered to herself.


    Zenith thought about the question and hesitantly nodded. ¡°We probably could Paige, but with Isabella being captured, it¡¯d be hard to avoid her from afar if they tried to use her as a shield. Even if I tried using a highly accurate spell, their Shaman would notice it¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t use her as a shield. She¡¯s too important. A captured human Cleric is something the other countries need desperately, especially one her age. I don¡¯t think there are any non-human clerics any more,¡± Paige said with a frown on her face. ¡°It was another mystery I intended to solve, but I never got around to it. Too many things to do in human lands that required my attention.¡± Paige¡¯s mana stopped rotating around her, forcing her to close her eyes to meditate. Normally she would be able to replenish her mana just by breathing, but the large scale attacks had displaced all of the free mana in their surroundings.


    Nick and Tyler emerged from the forest not soon after. Tyler looked at the formation with astonishment ¡°This formation is not supposed to be this strong. It was only supposed to be able to protect against simple intruders, not a full out offensive." Surveying the land, they quickly spotted Paige and Zenith, who were both resting. ¡°We could see that attack from across the mountain range. But¡­ you weren¡¯t able to kill the Demon Lord, even with that attack?¡±


    Zenith answered for Paige since she was busy meditating.¡°No, she was trying to get Isabella back before they noticed her main attack, but they used Isabella¡¯s blood to break into the mausoleum. Evidently, her blood is able to force the magic circle open as well." Looking at the magic circle, she idly flicked a piece of stone at the still active formation. "This magic circle is something else. I¡¯ve never seen one that can absorb that much mana in one go and still be fine. We were waiting for you before we break in.¡±


    ¡°Could you tell what the composition of the party is?¡± Nick asked, frowning at the battlefield.


    ¡°I think it is two Nightwalkers, two Warriors, and one Shaman, with the Demon Lord being one of the Warriors. The Demon Lord is a technical fighter, he knows his swordplay. It doesn¡¯t surprise me that he wants the heroic weapon in the vault; his equipment was pretty subpar for someone his level,¡± Paige said while releasing her mana to fix her outfit again. ¡°Barring the Demon Lord, I think we could take the others on with relative ease. I mean, if Zenith could take on both Nightwalkers by herself, then with you two we¡¯ll have no problems.¡±


    Zenith blushed as Nick and Tyler looked at her with astonishment. ¡°Well, semi-relative ease. We still need to get Isabella back.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you guys focus on getting Isabella; I¡¯ll stop the Demon Lord. While it would be kinda devastating to lose a heroic weapon, it would be worse if they get away with Isabella as well. Thus, as Party Leader, I declare that our focus will be rescuing Isabella, then escaping at all haste.¡±


    Holding her wardstone in front of her, Paige walked up to the magic circle. ¡°Let¡¯s get ready to fight. We can do this. Everyone, hold hands and release your mana. It¡¯s not really meant to do this, but I¡¯m pretty sure this will work.¡±


    As their mana stormed around them. the wardstone shone bright with light and forced the mana wall apart, the symbols on the circle cracking in response to the light shining from the stone in Paige¡¯s hand. ¡°Move, now!¡±


    Rushing forward, Zenith watched in horror as the symbols flashed green, the almost unmistakable response that magic circle was reacting poorly to the additional mana that was trying to force the existing mana away. ¡°Paige! Do something quick!¡± she screamed, as the condensed wall started to shrink toward them. Zenith had seen how it had shredded Isabella¡¯s arms and did not want to experience it for herself. Granted, Isabella was not wearing her circlet or mana shield, but those two items wouldn¡¯t necessarily protect her from a mana-rich environment anyways.


    Paige grunted in reply, a wisp of golden mana left Paige and inserted itself into the wardstone, causing the light to shine gold in response. The mana wall suddenly stopped and parted for her party, who quickly rushed into the mausoleum. As Nick exited the wall of mana, the wardstone in Paige¡¯s hand dulled, cracking her name in half. Paige visibly flinched as it cracked. Steeling herself, she asked Tyler quickly, putting the now ruined necklace back behind her leather armor. ¡°Tyler, you¡¯ve been inside the mausoleum the most. Can you lead us to the Treasury?¡±


    ¡°Sure. There aren¡¯t any traps, but we need to be prepared for any ambushes by the Nightwalkers.¡±


    Paige disagreed. ¡°No. You and I will lead the way, Zenith in the middle, and Nick will take the rear. They won¡¯t be able to kill us on the first move. Get in, rescue Isabella, get out.¡± Nodding their heads, they raced into the mausoleum. As they entered the building, Zenith couldn¡¯t help but notice that the symbols outside had started to change into a golden hue. She put aside her questions and raced to the interior, hoping that Isabella would be alright.


    ___


    ¡°They entered the building, Markus. We need to hurry,¡± Shavie announced quietly to the group. They had gagged Isabella as they entered, fearing that she would scream out to the group behind them.


    ¡°At least we made it to the Treasury. Look for a weapon, it should be a one-handed sword.¡± Stella said quickly, running through the aisles with Isabella in her hands. She had advocated treating Isabella better, but their tense nerves had gotten the better of everyone else¡¯s opinion. The Treasury was incredibly tiny and was situated at the very bottom of the mausoleum. Stella looked around and saw hastily placed research notes lying scattered about the room, as though the researchers had been in a hurry to leave. Picking up a random file, she scanned it for anything that could help. Artifact #26001, Battlefield, Grid 1E6D, Priority Low. ¡®Well, at least I¡¯m in the right area,¡¯ Stella thought to herself as she continued to pick up files that she had passed.


    During this time, Isabella recognized that Stella had treated her the best out of all of the Demon Lord¡¯s party, but was confused as to why. Paige had explained that being a Cleric meant you had a lot of protection in human lands, but also a lot of foreign enemies. But the way Stella was treating her was almost as if she needed her help instead of extorting her for some goal. Still, Isabella rested in Stella arm¡¯s and decided not to put up a fight, at least not until Paige or Zenith came to rescue her. Still, she had a feeling that she should help them find whatever they were looking for. ¡°Father was really strict about researching historical battlefields. They would have organized the battlefield into a priority grid system, so you should be looking for something near the middle of the grid, where the densest group of squares will be.¡± Isabella spat out the gag, coughing while she tried to help Stella.


    Stella stopped and considered what Isabella had said. Scanning the room for a map of some kind, she realized that there was a weird looking square hanging on the wall, a mixture of what looked like a topographic map and dense icons marked by flags. Heading over to the map, she realized that Isabella had been correct, and they had taken care to color coordinate what they had found and where. Looking at the legends, she realized each square had been allocated its own aisle. Looking back at the map, she quickly looked for the center of the battlefield, hoping that the weapon in question would have been found there. ¡°Check Aisle 9H! That¡¯s the most likely spot where the weapon would have been placed!¡± Stella called out, telling them which aisle the sword should be placed.


    They ran to the aisle and stopped, a row of weapons on either side of the aisle. Stella glanced at the weapons in confusion but saw Markus¡¯s eyes focus on a single, rusty sword. She stared in disbelief at the weapon. The sword in question was rather plain and old; a broken one-handed broadsword, the hilt bindings partially ripped. All in all, it looked like a random weapon that someone had dropped in the woods and had started to rust.


    Gingerly grabbing the weapon, they gasped as it changed shape, the rust peeling off as the blade lengthening considerably. The blade became pitch black, the blood grooves marking the flat sides of the blade becoming blood red, as though the weapon had just plunged into an enemy. Swinging it lightly, Markus smiled at his party. ¡°It¡¯s a perfect match. Come on, let¡¯s get out of here fast. Head to the inner courtyard, we can attack the formation from below. Stella, gag the girl, we cannot allow her to give away our position.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The team headed back up to the inner courtyard, stopping at corners to make sure no ambushes awaited them. Isabella¡¯s two guards should have already arrived at the Treasury, so it made no sense why they were not yet here.


    Clearing the hallways leading up to the inner courtyard, Stella realized why they had not bothered to go to the Treasury. Instead, the two female guards were waiting at the other end of the courtyard, intent on stopping them from progressing past. Markus stepped forward, intent on clearing the path. Stella was the only one able to attack the formation from here, so unless they were planning on throwing their weapons, they had to get closer to the formation.


    ¡°Get out of the way and you both can live. There¡¯s no reason to throw your life away.¡± Markus said while brandishing his new weapon.


    The female Warrior, Paige, stepped forward, eyes alternating between the new blade and Isabella. ¡°How about this. Give up my goddaughter and you¡¯ll get to leave with the sword. I¡¯ll even promise not to hunt you down afterword either.¡±


    Markus chuckled, holding the blade in front of him. ¡°What is stopping me from taking both?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to leave; not with us here. Give up the girl and you and your party will live to see another day.¡± The Mage gathered close to the Warrior, her staff glowing green.


    ¡°Markus. We need the girl. We haven¡¯t had a true healer in Trent for centuries. We can¡¯t stop the Devil¡¯s advance this way, not with the casualties we are taking.¡± Bishner walked forward, getting his shield and broadsword out. ¡°Two enemies, we can do this.¡±


    Nodding his head, Markus spoke to his team. ¡°Stella, hold onto that girl and focus on attacking the formation above. The rest of us will stall for time. May the gods watch over us all.¡±


    ---


    Going back a few minutes prior¡­


    Paige watched as Tyler and Nick took their positions, hopefully outside the range of the two Assassins. ¡°We need Isabella back. Anything less than that is unacceptable.¡±, Paige stated for the group once again.


    ¡°We¡¯ll assume that attacking the magic circle from the inside will teleport everyone out. I really hope it would not self destruct. Watch out for their Shaman, Zenith. She should be the only one able to attack the formation from here. Focus on her and stop her from making things worse. Nick, Tyler, focus on protecting Zenith and killing the other party members. When they die the Demon Lord will experience a rebound from the loss of mana, so we¡¯ll be able to better rescue her at that time.¡±


    Looking up at the sky, Paige recognized the golden glow of the symbols above. Only Paige had known how great a sacrifice it was to open up the mana wall for her and her party. Forcing the wall open had taken away her Dawn Warrior class, as it had consumed the last of the divine mana she had accumulated. Most of the mana had gone to the party to create their subclasses, something that Paige still had no idea if it was a good idea or not. When she had created the party, she had thought it would be a class fusion as well. But it appeared the gods, or at least the divine mana. had other opinions.


    The loss of her classes and her blessings had been painful, but the loss of the divine mana was catastrophic. There was no way she was going to be able to gather that mana again, as it had taken a unique set of encounters that was almost impossible to replicate. Shoving the thought out of her head, Paige quickly formulated her goals for after they rescued Isabella. ¡®Get Isabella and leave before the Imperial Family comes. That¡¯s my short term goal. Long term goal, kill an Imperial Scion and take his Imperial Wardstone. Little tough to do since they know I broke mine, but hopefully a few centuries will have worn down their guard. Just gotta find a hot-headed, entitled Scion. Shouldn''t be too hard.¡¯


    Seeing the heroic weapon become fully demonized had irked her, more so when she saw how the Demon Lord ego had increased to match his new weapon. Although the mention of the clerics, frontlines, and devils had piqued her interest, she knew it was not the time for talking things out peacefully.


    ¡°Zenith, stop that Shaman!¡± Paige screamed as she took the initiative, hurtling toward Markus and Bishner. She knew full well that she¡¯d be able to take both on for a short while. Superior swordplay only goes so far, and the heroic weapon cum demonic blade was a serious threat to her. Her leather vests and mithril bodysuit, while impressive, was not really meant to block weapons of that caliber. There was a reason why most heroic weapons were attacking weapons and not shields; a person wielding a heroic class shield would almost always die first since they were almost always relegated to passively blocking an opponent. One wrong move and you were dead. Her mithril blade could withstand a few attacks, but she had to be careful to protect it from breaking due to brute force.


    The Shaman across from them was still holding Isabella, gathering her magic to strike at the formation above. Paige didn¡¯t know how many attacks it would take before it teleported everyone out, but it couldn¡¯t be much.


    ---


    Zenith watched the two Nightwalkers ran forward to meet her in battle. She opted for long-range combat this time, gathering her mana to strike at the Shaman in the back. Zenith watched as the two opponents were about to strike her from a distance, when a flash of light erupted from behind her, blocking their weapons from reaching. Tyler emerged from the hallway behind, his shield glowing with a faint light, two scars running across his shield. ¡®[Range Shield],¡¯ Zenith guessed to herself as she lashed out with a wall of wind. She had learned from her last battle that in a contest of speed and flexibility, her opponents outmatched her.


    ¡®I can¡¯t use too much mana, I have to stop that Shaman. It¡¯s fifty-fifty odd that either everyone will be teleported, or we will all be killed.¡¯ Zenith had to trust that Tyler would protect her. She ran past the two Nightwalkers, who tried to follow but was pulled into battle by Tyler instead. ¡®[Offensive Engagement]¡¯. Even Paige had trouble getting away from that skill since it forcibly used the person¡¯s mana to attract the attacks of the enemy. Unless the person using the skill was defeated or ran out of mana, it was incredibly difficult to stop. The Nightwalkers realized that their bodies were shrouded in mana and were slowing down as they chased Zenith, and turned around to face Tyler.


    ¡°[[Cutting Wind]], [[Hurricane Force]]!¡± Zenith cried as she struck down the Shamans spells, which were oddly colorful in nature. ¡®She must have a lot of elemental attacks.¡¯ A small, dark ball attracted her attention though. ¡®What is¡­¡¯, Zenith thought before the ball exploded, sending a dark mist into the courtyard, obstructing the view of the Shaman and the formation above.


    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s [[Dark Mist]]!¡± Zenith yelled out, attracting Paige¡¯s attention. Paige dodged the Demon Lord as he pressed onward, freeing Bishner to head toward her, his sword swinging down as he lunged at her.


    As she watched, an arrow took off his head, blood splashing her as the head flew sideways.


    ¡°No!¡± The Shaman and the Demon Lord cried out, as her other opponents immediately put Tyler between them and the hallway beyond, where the arrow had been loosed from.


    ¡°Get us out of here Stella, now!¡± The Demon Lord shouted, throwing his new blade at Tyler.


    ¡°Watch out! It¡¯s [Blade Throw]!¡± Paige cried late, just as the sword pierced through Tyler¡¯s tower shield, his face in disbelief as he sunk to the ground. Zenith watched as the blade flew back into the Demon Lord¡¯s grasp. Paige immediately pressed the attack, trying to force him from throwing the blade toward her other two party members. The Shaman pointed at the ceiling and a thin jet of bright yellow light struck the formation above; the mana wall glowing ominously green as the attack was absorbed.


    Zenith knew had no time to waste now, as the two Nightwalkers raced toward her, intent on getting back to the Shaman. Arrow after arrow shot past them came in greater frequency as Nick strode into the room, forcing them to keep an eye out from behind them. Zenith forced the two Nightwalkers to separate, and quickly took the initiative to attack the purple-robed Nightwalker. Behind her, she could hear the Shaman cry out ¡°Luna!¡± from behind, but she had no time to spare listening to the enemy.


    Casting [[Cutting Wind]] multiple times, Zenith quickly cornered the Nightwalker and attacked in close range, effectively sealing off the other¡¯s chance at dodging the fatal attack.


    But a sword pierced her side, and Zenith fell to the ground. She had realized the chances of surviving was minimal, and instead had used the rest of her mana to kill the Nightwalker. ¡®Goodbye, Nick.¡¯ She thought as the world faded from view.


    ---


    ¡®No. nonono.¡¯ Isabella thought to herself as she watched the battle progress from where she was standing. Tears had already started forming in her eyes as people died in front of her. All that was left in the room now was Paige, Markus, Stella, and Isabella.


    She cried out when Zenith was killed, and even harder when Nick had traded his life for the last Nightwalker''s. That left just the four of them.


    The building groaned as the formation destabilized. She could feel tears falling on her as the Shaman Stella attacked the formation.


    As Markus got in range of the two of them, he immediately grabbed Isabella, the sword pressed tightly against her body diagonally.


    Paige stopped, her eyes going toward the magic circle, Markus, and Isabella herself.


    ¡°Let her go,¡± Paige said quietly, her voice trembling with rage.


    ¡°Get back or she dies. I¡¯d like to bring her along, but if it comes down to killing her and taking just the blade, then I¡¯ll do it.¡± The man holding her responded angrily. Both had lost the majority of their teams, but Markus had known his team for a long time, even growing up with some of them. His rage was boiling over, the symbol on his back glowing dark red.


    ¡°I should kill the girl just to spite you,¡± Markus said, pressing the blade into Isabella. She closed her eyes and gasped in pain as the blade started slowly sinking into her; her clothes offering no protection against a blade that sharp.


    ¡°Markus. Stop. The girl is innocent in all of this.¡± Stella said, brushing her tears away. Her mana was fully depleted now, the magic circle shrinking down and glowing dangerously as arcs of charged mana started to appear. By now everyone knew that the formation would not teleport them; rather it was destabilizing around them, the mana chaotically tearing the buildings around them apart. Stella gathered behind Markus, hugging him tightly.


    ¡®The pain...It hurts...I have to stop the pain!'' Isabella thought to herself, bringing her arms up to the weapon. Grabbing the blade that was cutting her, she cried out softly, ¡°[[Heal]]¡­[[Dispel]]...¡±. The blade flashed, but nothing had happened.


    Her hand was bleeding as she grasped the edge of the blade. She thought back to the clearing and used a skill she had not dared to use. ¡°[Divine Right]! [Divine Shield]! [Divine Protection]! [[Heal]]! [[Dispel]]!¡± she cried out, this time the blade shining bright and the pain stopping.


    Markus screamed as the blade transformed in his hand and the symbol on his back broke apart. Stella grabbed Markus and pulled him back as Paige lunged to grab Isabella. A minuscule shield made of golden symbols had gathered around her, stopping the blade from cutting in her half as Markus was pulled back. Paige hugged Isabella in one arm; her free holding onto the half-transformed weapon.


    Isabella looked blankly at the weapon. One side of the weapon was a pure white staff; a white crystal floating peacefully at one end. The other was still the demonic blade, half of the blade¡¯s length had been transformed into the staff that Paige was grabbing tightly.


    The formation around them condensed around them, the circle had now gathered around the inner courtyard where they were standing, stopping right after it had consumed the hallway they had both entered from.


    ¡°We need to leave Aunt!¡± Isabella cried out over the screaming wind that was surrounding the courtyard.


    ¡°We can¡¯t leave, Isabella. This is the end of the road. The last thing I can do is make sure the blade isn¡¯t fully demonized. It should be able to survive the explosion!¡± Paige screamed, tears gathering in her eyes.


    Markus and Paige pulled the weapon, as their two final party members held onto them. Isabella could feel something happening, as her mana was draining from her body and she felt weak, but no one paid attention to her screams. The light of the surroundings intensified, and Isabella Freal, of the Alcudian Royal Family, shut her eyes for the last time.


    Epilogue


    --


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your Majesty,¡± Maggie said quietly. Queen Rebecca the Third was sitting right in front of her, reading the tiny report Maggie had quickly compiled. The Queen had been going around the country, pacifying the civil unrest with her daughter Beatrice and the New Headmistress of the Healer¡¯s Hall, Prim. The Imperial Forces had arrived not soon after she had awoken, and had taken control of the war efforts against Trent; steadily pushing the Demons back toward the original borders of Alcudia. Luckily she had awoken too, otherwise, even her non-human citizens would have been removed by the Imperial Family.


    Maggie polished the bar quietly, standing off to the side. The rest of the inn was occupied by the Royal Guards, who were busy watching for threats. She flinched as the queen threw the stack of papers to the far side of the inn, and looking quickly, Maggie hadn¡¯t noticed when the queen¡¯s tears started falling down her cheeks, her frame trembling.


    Maggie gathered the papers, looking at what she had written once again.


    Mount Trent and the surrounding mountain ranges were destroyed due to a magic formation overload. The mausoleum defenses were thought to have been placed by the royal family when it was first established. Unfortunately, an ancient magic formation was found to be circling the entirety of the mountain ranges, which was previously unknown. See map attached. The mausoleum was located at the center of the formation, based on the estimated radius of the explosion.


    Overloaded formation hypothesis gathered from eyewitness statements, who saw a ray of light crash down at Mount Terst, as well as a subsequent earthquake in the early morning.


    Based on the mission details, destruction of the magic circle indicated that the heroic weapon was in danger of being extradited out of the country. It is believed that Royal Vanguard Tyler Merk or Warrior Paige Alduit had advised the destruction of the mausoleum defensive circle, conceivably killing the demon lord and his party before they were able to escape. The unknown ancient magic circle was then assumed to overload as well in response to the fluctuation in mana, thus destroying the entirety of the surrounding mountain ranges. Imperial Forces have surrounded the mountain range, and are looking into party member Paige Alduit and Isabella Freal history. All relevant parties have been assumed to be killed in action.


    The Imperial Family, Appealte, and Leit have sent formal protests to Alcudia, and demand compensation for the loss of¡­..


    ¡°Isabella...Paige¡­why did you have to die...¡±


    ---


    Somewhere in the world, a Dragon awoke with a start.


    His bronze wings flapped uneasily as he shifted his gaze toward a tiny altar. The once golden altar was now a ruined mess.


    He eyed his wounds and stirred slightly. Even though he wanted to go back to sleep, he still had to complete his end of the bargain. Protecting a small tract of land was going to be easy at least. He just had to sit there and look menacing, and hopefully the dark humans would just go back home.


    "...Paige would have been pissed if she had realized what had just happened."


    He bobbed his head nervously, his imposing and awe-inspiring manner nowhere to be seen. This was a dangerous gamble, even for him. On one hand, he had gained everything he had wanted. On the other, Paige was dead.


    He crushed the altar into dust. For good measure, he buried the ashes and sealed his lair. He wasn''t going to be able to come back for at least a few millennium. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He was sure he and his fellow Dragons got the losing end of the deal, but with nothing to vent on, he could only fly away with a huff.


    ''Still, that Oath was rather binding, even for my liking,'' he thought. ''...Hopefully my message went through.''


    Flying away from his lair, he shuddered as he thought of the consequences.


    "Not my problem now. Good luck, Daughter of the Sun."

 Character Codex - Book 1

    Character reference sheet: Skills listed have shown up so far, either in text or in action


    (This is what I was working with initially when I started writing. If I wrote something contradictory, particularly their looks, just let me know and I''ll fix it in the text.)


    <hr>


    Isabella Freal


    Age: 11


    Affinity: Greater Healing, Lesser Light, Lesser Dark


    Class: Princess - Princess Knight - (Apprentice Deerslayer: Fake - Apprentice Cleric: Fake)


    Skills: [Royal Bearing], [Divine Right], [Divine Shield], [Divine Protection]


    Spells: [[Healing Touch/Light]], [[Shadow Healing]], [[Dispel]], [[Neutralization]]


    Naturally born Princess. Her class has led her to live a sheltered life. Although she knows it was for her own good, she resents not being able to experience a happier, freer childhood.


    Looks: Pale white, blue eyes, Platinum hair (dyed brown for most of book 1). Ht - 4''-3". Dressed in mock Ranger/Archer/Cleric equipment.


    Greatest hope: To experience life outside of being a Princess.


    <hr>


    Zenith Hall


    Age: 25


    Affinity: Lesser Wind, Lesser Healing


    Class: Wind Magi - Mage Crusader - (Apprentice Mage: Fake)


    Skills: [Mana Sensitivity], [Mana Sense], [Magic Molding],[Air molding], [Mana Confinement], [Defensive Cloth], [Vital Guard], [Danger Sense]


    Spells: [[Prison Wind]], [[Air Pressure: High/Low]], [[Sleepy Wind]], [[Cutting Wind]], [[Wind Blades]], [[Healing Touch]], [[Healing Wind]], [[Hurricane Force]]


    She hates her childish figure and how people treat her because of it. Comes from one of the Founding Houses of Appealte, House Hall. She was marginalized in her family since she was not a pure elemental mage. She had to rely on herself for most of her childhood. Unknown what her parents think of her. Develops a crush on Nick.


    Looks: Tanned white, Shoulder length pale green hair (dyed brown most of book 1). Ht - 4''-3 1/2". Wears mostly a modified apprentice robe.


    Greatest hope: To change her appearance to look more mature. To be in a loving family.


    <hr>


    Nicholas Brent


    Age: 160


    Affinity: Greater Nature, Lesser Wind


    Class: Ranger - Ranger Sentinel - (Bodyguard Hunter: Fake)


    Skills: [Silent Arrow], [Armor Piercing], [Bow Stabilizer], [Pulling Power], [Bow Reinforcement], [Advanced Close Combat], [Weapon Shift], [Defensive Engagement], [Danger Sense]


    Spells: [[Farsight]], [[Enhanced Hearing]], [[Owl Senses]], [[Piercing Shot]], [[Nature''s Calling]], [[Pathfinder]]


    Fiercely loves his country and family. Before the spell, he learns that his family was killed while he was out on the mission. He assumes that someone has betrayed the Ranger command, hence his family was killed.


    Looks: Tanned white, Chestnut Brown hair, blue eyes. Average build. Ht - 5''-8"


    Greatest hope: Regrets not spending time with his family


    <hr>


    Tyler Merk


    Age: 220


    Affinity: Greater Steel, Lesser Earth


    Class: Royal Captain - Royal Vanguard - Vanguard Crusader - (Royal Vanguard: Fake)


    Skills: [Greater Intuition], [Ailment Guard], [Battlefield Sense], [Weapon Break], [Party Damage Distribution], [Offensive Engagement], [Reinforced Armor], [Reinforced Shield], [Danger Sense]


    Spells: [[Range Shield]], [[Shield Bash]], [[Enhanced Senses]], [[Enhanced Reactions]]


    Was originally the Royal Captain. He had to deal with Paige and Rebecca wandering the countryside. He eventually retired from the Royal Guard after receiving his High Class. He has many contacts around the country from his time as the Royal Captain. He steps up to protect the country once again when the King and Queen are injured. Unknown what he did when he retired.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Looks: Tanned white, Brown hair, grey eyes. Muscular. Ht - 6''-6"


    Greatest hope: Spending so much time with politics


    <hr>


    Paige Alduit


    Age: 1400+


    Affinity: Null


    Class: Farmer - Princess (Fake) - True Blessed Warrior - Dawn Warrior - (Warrior: Fake)


    Skills: [Battlefield Sense], [Blink], [Mana Overload], [Rising Sun], [Sunny Day], [Setting Sun], [Inferno Slash], [Holy Sun Dog],[Danger Sense], [Greater Intuition]


    Spells: [[Burning Blade]], [[Spell Visualization]], [[Concealment]], [[Blessed Sun Ray]], [[Mystic Inferno]]


    Her path was chosen from a young age. Stronger than Most Imperial Scions.Good friends with the Queen and Guild Hall. Values trust and family bonds. She feels regret at not being able to choose her own life. Was taught by amysterious teacher who taught her many secrets, especially regarding the party and systems. She eventually escapes from Imperial Family and chooses to become a Warrior, mainly to hide and take control of her own fate. She dad many friends, but most have either died or have long since been captured by the Imperial Family. Wanted by the Emperor for unknown reasons.


    Looks: Tanned white, Long brown hair; usually braided, blue eyes. Ht - 5''-4".


    Greatest hope: Normality. Wants to go back to simpler times. She can handle tough situations, but would rather not let fate run its course.


    <hr>


    Markus Ederite


    Age: 40


    Affinity:Greater Darkness


    Class: Demon Lord


    Skills: [Battlefield Sense], [Advanced Swordplay], [Symbol: Status Enhancement: High], [Party Leader Enhancement: High], [Danger Sense]


    Spells: [[Dark Blade]]


    Has been raised on the battlefield. Participated in major attacks against the devils. Childhood friends with Luna and Stella. His family is from a long line of Demon Lords, and has a major presence in the Senate. Rumored that his Father had lost against a human in combat before, hence he made sure to drill his son heavily on proper swordplay. He has a unique love of history and weapons, hobbies he does not usually have time to spend on.


    Looks: Tanned white, unkempt black hair;brown eyes. Muscular. Ht - 6''-0".


    Greatest hope:To save his country from the devils.


    <hr>


    Stella Platz


    Age: 40


    Affinity: Lesser Elemental: All


    Class:Nightwalker: Mage (Paige assumes Shaman)


    Skills:[Mana Sensitivity],[Mana Sense],[Mana Overload], [Elemental Resistance],[Mana Link], [Truth Seeker], [Night Vision], [Shadow Walking], [Good Friend], [Party Enhancment: Low]


    Spells: [[Mana Shot]], [[Elemental Burst]], [[Curse]]


    Younger twin of Luna. Growing up under a time of war, Stella''s childhood memories are mostly a blur or action. Not until meeting Markus were they able to settle down. Under the request of Markus, she was trained as a Nightwalker so that she could join his party. Her magical affinity does not mesh well with being a Nightwalker, but it was the best option at the time. Her caring nature shows through her handling of both the party and Isabella.


    Looks: White,Black hair; usually braided and in a bun, Brown eyes. Ht - 5''-4".


    Greatest hope:To live in a peaceful town away from conflict.


    <hr>


    Luna Platz


    Age: 40


    Affinity:Greater Darkness, Lesser Wind


    Class:NIghtwalker: Warrior (Paige assumes Assassin)


    Skills:[Lesser Intuition], [Night Vision], [Shadow Walking], [Acquaintance], [Party Enhancement: Speed Low], [Danger Sense]


    Spells: [[Dark Blade]], [[Mage Killer]]


    Older twin of Stella. Luna took great care to protect Stella during the war time draft. They both ran away from home to avoid the draft, and was picked up by Markus and his family to act as sparring partners. Luna''s affinities aligned well with the Nightwalker Class, and was chosen as a prime candidate to join Markus''s party. Forward and brash personality, she is quite careful and has a sharp mind. Loves to read, but does not have the chance to often in Trent.


    Looks: Tanned white, Long black hair; usually straight, brown eyes. Ht - 5''-4".


    Greatest hope: To live in a peaceful town away from conflict


    <hr>


    ShavieAlievi


    Age: 110


    Affinity:Greater Darkness, Lesser Wind


    Class: Assassin


    Skills:[Battlefield Sense], [Sneak], [Advanced Dagger Proficiency],[Assassination],[Party Enhancement: Offensive Low], [Danger Sense]


    Spells: [[Dark Blade]], [[Torture]], [[Concealment]], [[Mage Killer]], [[Heavy Armor Killer]]


    Discarded by her family, she was trained as an Assassin during her childhood.Her life was defined by how many battlefields she had survived. Upon rendering great merit in the fight to close the portals, she was chosen to join Markus''s party and was accepted back into her family. Luna and Stella''s personalities cheerful helped Shavie break out of her blank shell and caused her to be more outspoken and outgoing. Most would say she has declined as an Assassin, but her party knows otherwise.


    Looks: Tanned white, Shoulder length dirty brown hair,brown eyes. Ht - 5''-8".


    Greatest hope:To be useful to someone.


    <hr>


    BishnerMatos


    Age: 400


    Affinity:Greater Darkness, Lesser Steel


    Class:Shield Bearer


    Skills:[Battlefield Sense], [Defensive Engagement], [Reinforced Armor], [Reinforced Shield], [Danger Sense]


    Spells: [[Shield Bash]], [[Enhanced Senses]], [[Enhanced Reactions]]


    As the fifth born son of the Matos family, a large aristocratic family, he was sent off to the frontlines to achieve glory for the house. His way was paved by his family through their connections with the Senate and was groomed to be an officer. He joins Markus as a personal advisor after seeing how incompetent the Senate chosen advisors were.


    Looks: Tanned white, brown hair, grey eyes. Muscular Ht - 6''-4".


    Greatest hope:To make a name for himself, using his own talents instead of his family

 Chapter 25

    It¡¯s time to get up, Paige! The cows need to be milked at first light, otherwise, they¡¯ll run dry.


    I open my eyes to see an unfamiliar roof above. The rough sawn wood that formed the ceiling was unpolished, as though there were other projects that were more pressing. The smell of fresh cotton and warm sunlight filtering in from outside.


    ¡®It¡¯s just a dream. Just a dream.¡¯ Paige thought to herself. She knew what was going to happen next. Voices drifted in from the outside, a sense of urgency in the voices of the adults outside. Standing up from the large hay bed, her tiny feet crept quietly to the window, as she stepped on her tiptoes to look outside. A single traveling merchant had arrived at the tiny settlement, carrying a bloodied girl back.


    ¡°There was an animal attack or something. I looked around, but it seems like she was the only survivor¡­¡±


    ¡°Peter, go get your sister up. She should have some clothes that can fit the poor girl.¡±


    ¡®Why did she have to come here? If she hadn¡¯t arrived¡­¡¯ Paige sighed as she remembered what had followed the days after her arrival.


    ...It¡¯s the Demons, run away!


    ....Hide Paige! It¡¯s an attack¡­.


    She¡¯s the only survivor...Someone needs to take the Princess class¡­ it cannot die with the stupid girl¡­


    Waking with a start, Paige realized that she was not in the mausoleum. Looking around, she watched as the land moved around her. No, not land. Wheat. she was sitting in a field of wheat, the chaffs were about 3 feet tall, the wheat inside just about to break their hard outer shells.


    ¡°Zenith? Tyler? Nick? Isabella? Is anyone here?¡± She called out, looking around the empty field. Paige faltered as she tried to stand, her breath heavy with exhaustion. Paige hadn¡¯t felt this weak in a long time. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she felt something was odd. She wasn¡¯t in her sleek bodysuit anymore either. Instead, it was a rough cotton shirt and pants, the colors faded from the sunlight. ¡°I, Paige Alduit, of my own accord, request my status,¡± she called out after a moment. She watched as her mana slowly left her core, the words in front of her fizzling in the dark night.


    Paige Alduit


    Farmer


    ¡®What is happening?¡¯ Although her class was Farmer and she felt exhausted, deep down she felt fine, almost as though she had just received the Princess class for the first time again.


    A cry in the woods startled her, and as she listened to the sound in the wind she realized it was the sound of a baby crying. Paige groaned as she stood up. ¡®Focus Paige. You can do this. You¡¯ve fought Dragons before. No need to be scared of something. You¡¯re just in a dream or something.¡¯ A sharp pain in her head distracted her, almost causing her to lose her balance due to pain. ¡®Can¡¯t lose consciousness. FOCUS!¡¯


    Wandering off into the woods, she realized that she had been in this place once before. Yes, she had been here before. ¡®The Echoing Woods? Rebecca and I explored this place once before when we were trying to debunk the folk tales in this area. What am I doing here? How had I gotten here?¡¯ She followed the sounds, remembering her past visit here to locate the location of the cry.


    Steadily approaching the location of the cry, she unconsciously felt for her weapons and grabbed empty air, stopping her mid-stride. She immediately felt for her other gear, checking to see if anything was left behind. Her heart sank as she came up empty, but brightened when she felt her chest. Looking into her shirt, a single thread of hair was holding a ring slightly above her breasts, a ring that still bore her name on it. ¡°Paige Alduit¡±. She recognized that the ring was glowing brightly, and quickly stowed the ring back in her shirt. She knew that grabbing any equipment from the ring would be a bad idea at the moment since the mana releasing from the ring would alert any magic user who had [Mana Sensitivity]. Looking around, she opted for a semi-long branch instead.


    Paige frowned as she tried to use her mana to shape the improvised weapon and failed. [Weapon Shaper] was a skill most Apprentice Warriors picked up since most would not be using true iron swords straight from the beginning. ¡°A Farmer huh¡­¡± She recalled a simple skill her father used to use all the time and closed her eyes, her hand gripping the branch. ¡°[Craft Modification - Plowing].¡± The branch shifted in her grasp, and as she opened her eyes she held a wooden hoe, even the blade at the end was simply made from wood, it¡¯s edge gleaming in the moonlight. Swinging the hoe lightly, she realized that she had not lost any of her Warrior skills or techniques, nor had her strength decreased. An intriguing find, but something that could wait until later.


    Slowly walking into a clearing, she noticed a bundle of clothing directly in the middle, the forest mist slowly settling close to the ground. ¡®No traps, but also nothing else is in these woods.¡¯ Paige frowned, thinking something was off with the forest. Peering at the bundle of clothing, she saw a baby wrapped in a dark cape, the moonlight shining directly over them. Looking at the cloth, she realized where she had seen that before. The Demon Lord¡¯s cape.


    Paige¡¯s gasped in pain as her memories rushed back to her.


    I kept my eyes open, waiting to see what death looked like. I refuse to die with my eyes closed! Suddenly though, I noticed that the surroundings have stopped moving. Huh, so this is how I die? Watching oblivion come to me one slow second at a time. But nothing happened. Or so I thought.


    The green glow of the magic circle was replaced by a golden glow, coming from Isabella. This must be her [Divine Protection] skill. Or is it [Divine Right]? But what is the point of this? She noticed that the Shaman ahead of her was looking around in confusion as well.


    Paige watched as a stream of mana absorbed the dead, an unknown symbol drifting up from the ground. The golden glow coming from Isabella was being repelled by the red glow from the Demon Lord¡¯s back, but both the glow of mana and the people themselves were absorbed by the weapon in her hand. The weapon and the symbol rotated, a golden orb swirling in a sea of red mana, while a red orb was swirling in the sea of golden mana. The symbol and weapon suddenly cracked in two, separating Paige and the Shaman, as well as each portion of the mana with the two respective people. The formation suddenly turned green above, and then¡­.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Paige frowned. Nothing. ¡®Why can¡¯t I remember what happened afterward? We¡¯re not even on the same side of the country anymore.¡¯


    The cry of the baby broke her concentration and she crouched down, evaluating the baby. She could already make some suppositions on who this baby would grow up to become, but the question became why did it happen. ¡®The symbol split into two separate parts. Does that mean Isabella is with the Shaman?... A heroic weapon that can resist both demonic and divine mana...a magic circle hidden under the mausoleum, and could absorb divine mana...a trap?... But what happens if he dies...¡¯


    ¡®I need more information.¡¯ Paige sighed quietly. Focusing her thoughts, Paige threw the unknowns out and stared hard at the baby in her hands. ¡°Okay baby. Let¡¯s see who you are. I, Paige Alduit, request the true status of the baby in front of me; [[Compelled Advanced Status]].¡± Her mana weakly gathered around the baby, and she waited, waiting to see what came out of the spell. As the words gathered in front of her, her breath stilling as it formed words.


    Markus Ederite


    Race: Human/Demon


    Class: Blessed Apprentice


    Skills: Unknown


    Spells: Unknown


    ¡®Well, that¡¯s a whole lot of unhelpful and contradictory information. His race is messed up; his Class is messed up, and he¡¯s being watched by some type of deity. No problem, we can figure out which one eventually, and the guild libraries should be able to fill in all the relevant information. The bigger problem is if someone recognizes he¡¯s the Demon Lord.¡¯ Grabbing the baby, she picked up the Demon Lord¡¯s cloak and shoved it into her spatial ring, disregarding the risks. ¡®No sense in leaving it for someone to find. Let¡¯s see if I can find anyone else in the woods,¡¯ Paige turned the baby over and noticed the markings on his back were gone. She thanked every god and star she knew since that was a dead giveaway for at least blood sacrifices. Shushing the baby gently she walked deeper into the woods, as she knew that there was a settlement in the woods.¡¯


    Paige stopped after walking for an hour. She knew the settlement was in this area but the area was changing as she walked. By her estimates, she should have walked the entirety of the forest. ¡°Zenith! Nick! Tyler! Are you here?¡± By now, she was not worried about any enemies, not with her skills. The baby in her hand started fussing and crying, and she knew that she¡¯d have to find something for the baby to eat soon. Looking down at her breasts, she knew that there¡¯d be no milk producing happening before the baby starved to death. ¡®No nursemaids here, so what can I do to make the baby live?¡¯ Paige¡¯s eyes widened as she recalled a conversation, one from a very long time ago.


    ¡°Father, how come you are able to work so long in the fields? Doesn¡¯t it get hot?¡±


    ¡°Haha, no Paige. I have a very special Farmer spell. Developed especially by Mages for Farmers actually. No one likes a famine after all. Its called¡­¡±


    Holding her hand to the baby¡¯s stomach, she whispered lightly while transferring the mana over. ¡°[[Mana Nutrition]].¡± The baby soon settled down after a few moments while Paige leaned against the tree, catching her breath. She never had to deal with flashbacks before, and she realized that her mana core had shrunk significantly. ¡®Nothing new I suppose. Just have even less mana to work with right now. Gathering her strength, Paige continued calling out into the forest. ¡°Come on! Hurry up and get out here. I know you guys are out here. Somewheres!¡±


    A faint rustling up ahead alerted Paige. Brandishing her hoe in one hand, she quietly walked forward, shielding the baby between her and the noise. A woman stepped out from the bushes, moving the prickly branches out of her way with a sweep of her walking stick. The woman muttered slightly, not seeing Paige until she stepped fully out of the bushes. She moved the sharpened edge of the walking stick toward Paige. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I should be asking that. What is your name?¡± Paige asked, a hard tone edging her voice. The woman in front of her was wearing slightly expensive and revealing night clothes; something that a villager would wear in the safety of their home, not in a forest such as this. She was Paige¡¯s height and build, her skin a tad lighter than Paige¡¯s skin that was a nice bronze tan from the sun. As she locked eyes with the woman¡¯s evergreen eyes, Paige was sure that she had never seen this woman before, but something in her gut told her otherwise. It was the woman¡¯s hair that threw her off though. Her brown hair was tinged with bright green at the ends. ¡°Wait, is that you Zenith?¡±


    The woman looked at Paige in surprise. ¡°Paige? You look¡­¡± Zenith looked Paige up and down. After looking carefully, she realized that Paige really didn¡¯t change much beside her outfit and her weapons. She had a farmer¡¯s tan, as though she was in the sun for a majority of her day, and was using a hoe as a makeshift sword. The only thing that threw Zenith for a loop was the baby now being held in Paige¡¯s arm. ¡°Well, the same really. How long was I out for Paige?¡±


    ¡°Have you even looked at yourself Zenith? You look totally different.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know, but there are certain spells that can do that temporarily. I¡¯ve never heard of a spell that can affect someone look permanently, so it is unknown how long I will be in this state anyway.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s assume nothing right now. Zenith, have you seen Tyler or Nick?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t,¡± Zenith answered lightly, staring at the baby. ¡°Paige, what happened after we went into the mausoleum? I¡¯ve been trying to remember, but for some reason, everything is a blank. Did we save Isabella? And where did you find a baby?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story; let¡¯s find Tyler and Nick before I tell you all what happened.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Is the baby alright? I know a few spells that can heal minor ailments.¡± Zenith motioned to carry the baby. Handling the baby gently, she tried to cast a few spells but failed after a moment. ¡°Strange. I can¡¯t use my usual spells¡±. Frowning, she handed the baby back and closed her eyes to focus on her status.


    ¡°I noticed my status was off as well. I¡¯m a Farmer instead of a Warrior. Are you still a Mage?¡±


    ¡°I, Zenith Hall, of my own accord, request my status.¡± They both waited, but nothing happened as they waited for her status to appear.


    ¡°Are you sure you have enough mana, Zenith?¡± Paige said as she stared worriedly at Zenith, who was starting to panic.


    ¡°I should. I mean, almost anyone can check their own status though! You¡¯d have to have no mana at all to stop it.


    ¡°Well, how about I try then. I, Paige Alduit, request the status of the person in front of me; [[ Status]].¡± The words that were missing soon floated into their view soon after.


    Zenith Anna Brent


    Teacher


    Paige and Zenith stared at the status, their face a mix of bafflement and disbelief ¡°Uhh, Zenith? Did you elope with Nick when I wasn¡¯t looking?¡±


    ¡°NO! Paige, he¡¯s married. I wouldn¡¯t do something like that before a rescue mission!¡± Zenith half shouted, hiding her red face behind her hands. ¡°And what in wind¡¯s fury is a Teacher!? That¡¯s more of a title; not a class!¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s just another mystery then. Let¡¯s go find Tyler and Nick then.¡± Paige said while shrugging her shoulders. ¡°This whole thing is strange. What¡¯s one more mystery?

 Chapter 26

    Zenith¡¯s feet were hurting as she followed behind Paige, as her shoes were really not made for the uneven forest. ¡®How did Isabella even walk a few days like this? It¡¯s exhausting.¡¯ She thought to herself quietly. ¡®Well, at least the fog is starting to evaporate away.¡¯ ¡°From what you told me, the woods shouldn¡¯t be this large. It feels like we¡¯re walking in circles, Paige. And this awful fog is killing my sense of direction. I think it¡¯s even inhibiting my mana sense as well.¡± Flicking her hands across the fog, Zenith watched as the mana was silently absorbed by the fog.


    Looking up above the forest canopy, the sunlight silently crept over the forest, evaporating the weird fog as it rose above the canopy. They had waited for dawn to appear before they went searching again. Paige sighed as she held the baby Markus in the crook of her arm. She didn¡¯t quite know what feelings she had for the baby, but until she decided what to do she would care for the child as best she could. That, and the baby was adorable!


    ¡°Heeeeey. I¡¯m Paige. Yeah. I found you here in the middle of the woods.¡± A cough sounded out from behind her. ¡°Yeaah, don¡¯t look behind me. I¡¯m holding you right noooww.¡±


    ¡°Paige! Let me have the baby. You¡¯ve been monopolizing him ever since you found me.¡± Zenith pouted lightly as she watched Paige play with the baby.


    ¡°Finders keepers. I found the baby, I¡¯m claiming the baby. For now at least. Who knows what¡¯ll happen in the future.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, fine! But as soon as we find someone else I¡¯m taking the baby from you.¡±


    ¡°Have you noticed we¡¯ve passed nothing edible yet? Not a flower, berry or root vegetable.¡± Paige said as she looked around the forest. Using her free hand to hold the hoe, she lightly swung it and plowed the earth open. As she moved forward a few paces, she turned around and bent close to the ground, looking at the now upturned earth. ¡°Look, even the soil doesn¡¯t have bugs in it. Not even a single earthworm. The forest wasn¡¯t like this the last time Rebecca and I came through.¡±


    ¡°I really hope we find someone soon Paige. This mist is really creeping me out.¡± Zenith hugged her arms together and crouched down, rubbing her arms and hugging her knees to her belly for warmth. As Paige looked over at Zenith, she frowned. Even though Zenith had changed appearances, her habits and speech remained the same. A conundrum for sure, but one that was easy enough to fix over time. ¡®Just think of it as though she actually grew up. Different face, same personality. I¡¯ve never heard of a magic circle that can bring people back to life. So a different body might have been needed to house her soul. I guess we¡¯ll see once we meet up with Tyler and Nick though.¡¯


    Sighing to herself, she handed the baby over to Zenith, who hugged the boy fiercely. The baby was a little hand warmer, his light snores filling the two with warmth. ¡°At least we have good company. Now, which way should we try now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ve tried going in circles and in a straight line.¡± Zenith stood up and looked at the surrounding forest warily. ¡°Splitting up is not an option. How about we try to retrace our steps and see if we are caught up in some type of illusion?¡±


    Smirking, Paige grandly gestured ahead of the two of them. ¡°Sure. After you, my fair and semi-voluptuous lady. I bet Nick will go mad with lust as he caresses your new body.¡±


    Zenith blushed heavily, her new face even adopted the same shade of red as her old face. ¡°Paige, you really need to rethink your form of humor. Your intentionally teasing me, aren''t you?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. I bet he will be surprised though. You would fit in any town in Leit with clothes like that.¡± Paige looked Zenith up and down, making sure she was correct. ¡°Yeah, only ladies in Leit would carry a garter dagger on their thigh. How that would help anyone in a dress is beyond me though.¡±


    ¡°I know you said you wanted to wait, but can you give me the basic rundown on what happened at the mausoleum, Paige? No formation that I know of is able to do something like this.¡± Zenith said, gesturing at her body. ¡°Our classes were changed; our bodies were changed. Please?¡±


    ¡°Fine, but only a little. We went in to rescue Isabella and succeeded. The Demon Lord took his weapon and was about to leave when the formation went critical and exploded. The next thing I knew, here we are in a creepy forest with nothing around us but trees and fog. I¡¯ll give you the details after. we. find. the. others.¡± Paige stressed heavily, sounding out the last sentence piece by piece. ¡°I don¡¯t know what type of teacher you are, but can you understand the words coming out of my mouth?¡± Paige said playfully, dispelling the dark mood from around them.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find them. No formation can last forever. It must be using a ton of mana to fuel this though, judging by the density of the fog.¡± Zenith said as she parted the mist in front of her. ¡°Or maybe not. I mean, I can do the same thing on a muggy day like this, given enough water to create a mist. It¡¯d be a pain to do, but possible.¡±


    Paige let out a soft sigh. ¡°Zenith, do you know of any skills a Farmer might be able to use? I thought of [Find Livestock], but I know there has to be another skill or spell that can find people.¡±


    Zenith looked at Paige critically. ¡°A Farmer skill? No one other than Farmers would pay that close attention to low-class skills.¡±


    ¡°Zenith, you''er a teacher of some type right now. Just think about it please?¡±


    Zenith let out an exasperated sigh, ¡°Fine. Give me a few minutes to think about it.¡± Walking along the forest path, Paige could feel the forest moving in response to whatever path they chose. Without a benchmark or something to anchor their position to, It would not be easy getting out of this forest. Zenith snapped her fingers suddenly, a bright smile on her face. ¡°There is a skill that Farmers have, called [Trail Finder], that Farmers use to protect their fields from wild animals. They use that so that they can fence in their crops, as well as grow things in the animals'' path to discourage them from coming.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, sounds like a weaker version of a Scout¡¯s [Pathfinder] skill. Look at you go Zenith! What a teacher you are turning out to be, I¡¯m learning new things already!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t help knowing what a skill does if you can¡¯t learn it, Paige.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Hah! Who says I can¡¯t learn a measly Farmer¡¯s skill? I¡¯ve mastered every Warrior skill under the sun. Okay, some have more restrictions than others and are terribly bad for your body, but still, a skill is a skill.¡±


    ¡°Well then, why don¡¯t you try to master a simple, easy [Trail Finder] skill, that you just heard a few seconds ago.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I will,¡± Paige said as she stopped on the path and closed her eyes. ¡®If I was an animal, I would take the path of least resistance. Easily accessible, but with a clear view of the surroundings.¡¯ As she took a step forward, her mana started twisting rapidly in her core. ¡°This way Zenith, follow me.¡±


    ¡°Paige, this is stupid. You''re walking with your eyes closed. How are you going to find a path that way? You''re about to run into a tree. And another one. One more Paige,¡± Zenith grumbled.


    ¡°Quiet Zenith, you''re ruining my concentration here. I¡¯m figuring out how to use [Trail Finder].¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Paige. In order to learn a skill, you have to train systematically and pray heavily that the gods will bless you with that knowledge to make it work. It¡¯s impossible to learn a skill just by hearing a description of it. If that was the case, then there¡¯d be no point in going to school to learn!¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯ve never heard of the term, ¡®genius¡¯, before then. Cause guess what I just learned?¡± Paige smirked victoriously. ¡°Ah, Zenith, you need to learn that some people are naturals at learning new things.¡±


    Zenith''s eyes went wide at the victory sign Paige was pointing in her direction. It was unheard of for someone to learn a skill just from hearing about it. ¡°You¡¯ve really mastered it, Paige?¡± Zenith asked shakily.


    ¡°Yup figured out how it works too. We¡¯ll be able to find our way through the forest a bit easier now too. I¡¯ve even figured out how to track an animal too!¡±


    ¡°Instead of a Warrior, you should be called a Monster Paige. You know that is unheard of right?¡±


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s what you get when your family is all Farmers, the tricks of the trade.¡±


    Zenith stopped in her tracks. ¡°Paige, were your parents really Farmers? That is...unusual, to say the least. You¡¯ll have to share that story with me sometime.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe one day,¡± Paige said as she looked away dubiously. ¡°But for now, let''s go look for Nick and Tyler. We should all be here in the woods.¡±


    ¡°If we are here, then what about our enemies. Do you think that they could be here too?¡± Zenith said.


    ¡°Probably not. That last magic circle split into two parts before we teleported here, so we should be fairly separated. But if I am being honest, I don¡¯t think it was a coincidence we were sent here.¡±


    ¡°Well, the faster we can get out, the happier I¡¯ll be. What is your skill saying? Are we getting close to anyone?¡±


    A tiny tingling in her brain stopped Paige from moving, her instincts kicking in as she surveyed the surroundings for something hidden. ¡°You know what, Zenith, I actually think we are.¡± As Paige released her mana out into the forest, the damp mist clung to the mana, seemingly trying to rip it into pieces. Paige breathed heavily as she exerted herself, her mana rapidly leaking out into the woods. Eventually, her mana formed a path in the woods, away from the walking path that they had been following. ¡°Look. A semi-hidden trail. Looks like you were right Zenith; [Trail Finder] really can find a path in the woods. The branches have been disturbed here. I guess we¡¯ll see what made this path.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a good idea, Paige? If something is living in these woods¡­¡± Zenith trailed off ominously as she followed behind Paige¡¯s back.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine Zenith. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve lost the ability to fight.¡± Paige said as she waved off Zenith¡¯s concern. ¡°I may not have my [Danger Sense] skill anymore, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m oblivious. I¡¯m better than Assassins at spotting ambush locations.¡±


    As they neared a field, one eerily similar to the one she had found baby Markus at, Paige peeked from behind a low tree, spotting a green cloak and worn pendant lying on the ground, but with no one else around. ¡®Obvious much? That¡¯s a terrible trap, Nick. But if Zenith didn¡¯t have her staff with her, then Nick shouldn¡¯t have his bow.¡¯


    Motioning for Zenith to take the baby and step back, Paige walked forward into the clearing while glancing up into the trees. She had enough hunting experience to know that the best line of sight into a clearing was high in the trees.


    Unfortunately for her though, her choice did not work quite as she planned. ¡°Stay where you are. Hands up where I can see them, Farmer. Call your friend out too.¡± Nick stood up from the bushes to her left, a makeshift bow in his hands. ¡®Huh. Who¡¯d have thought he¡¯d be able to make a bow. Where¡¯d he get the string from?¡¯


    ¡°Hey, Nick, it''s just me, Paige. Have you changed any?¡± Paige said as she dropped her wooden hoe.


    ¡°Five people went out to defeat a monster. What city did they start at?¡±


    ¡°Castle Molt, along the Alcudian fifth interior defensive line.¡±


    ¡°What is the most expensive item own?


    ¡°The mithril bodysuit is the most expensive item I personally own. The Imperial Wardstone was a spoil of war.¡±


    ¡°Tch, I knew you weren¡¯t lying when you said you stole it from an Imperial Scion¡¯s dead body. Why are we here? What happened at the mausoleum?¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s alright now! Look who we found!¡± Paige called out, turning behind her.


    As Zenith walked into the clearing, Nick turned to see who it was and froze, shock written on his face. ¡°Anna!¡± Nick yelled, dropping his bow to the ground as he fell to his knees.


    ¡°Nick! Are you okay?¡± Zenith asked in a panic. She ran over to Nick, stopping to hand the baby over to Paige. ¡°Nick, are you...¡± Her words were interrupted by Nick as he kissed her fiercely, setting Zenith ablaze in embarrassment.


    ¡°I thought I lost you for good when Austin said you were killed, Anna. Where is Claire? Tell me that she is alright, Anna.¡± Nick said quickly as he twirled Zenith around in the air, joy written on his face.


    Anne. Paige and Zenith stilled as they locked gazes, recognition in their faces. Her status had said her name was Zenith Anne Brent. ¡°Nick. I¡¯m Zenith, not Anna. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Zenith said quietly, her gaze sympathetic.


    Nick stopped twirling, his mind going blank. ¡°What did you¡­¡± he stuttered.


    ¡°I¡¯m Zenith, Nick. I¡¯m sorry. Whatever happened changed my appearance and class.¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s impossible. That¡¯s¡­¡± Nick dropped to the floor, his gaze fluctuated as he closed his eyes in defeat; his tears staining the forest floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss, Nick. Is that why you were in a bad mood to the mausoleum?¡± Paige said quietly, giving Nick a consoling pat on the back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to rush you Nick, but the fog is inhibiting our mana. Can you find us a way out of the forest?¡±


    Zenith stood in front of Nick, hesitating what to say. Nick stood up and hugged her tightly, Zenith freezing in shock.


    ¡°Nick,¡± Paige warned him lightly, her hand reaching back to her wooden hoe.


    ¡°Let me just pretend. Just for a moment.¡± Nick said, his voice laced with sorrow. ¡°Please.¡±


    Paige took a quick glance at Zenith, who nodded her head in reply. Motioning for Zenith to pat Nick on the back, Zenith quietly wrapped her hands around Nick, who shuddered at the familiar touch.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright Nick. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Zenith said quietly. She quietly pushed Nick down to his knees, dropping down to her knees to hug him as he cried.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your...¡±

 Chapter 27

    Paige followed being Nick as he strode through the woods briskly. "You sure you''re okay? I don''t want what just happened to color our teams'' relationship you know." After crying, he was able to pull himself together and told the two women what he had learned while they were staying in Castle Patel. The death of his family, the murderer unknown.


    "I''m fine Paige. I will be fine. I just wasn''t ready to see...Anna. Zenith. God, I feel years younger. Look years younger too. An-Zenith looks just like the day I met her."


    ¡°Tell me again Nick, what is your class?¡± Zenith said from behind them. ¡°You keep touching every tree you pass. It¡¯s kind of strange.¡±


    With Nick¡¯s help, finding the path through the forest became much simpler. Although his class had changed as well, the instincts he shaped prior to becoming a Ranger helped him navigate through the forest proper. ¡°I¡¯m now a Bowyer. Someone who makes bows. And these trees are precious. Old wood too, judging by the density of the trees. They must have had a lot of dry seasons to be this dense.¡±


    ¡°So a specialized woodworker right? Or is it different?¡±


    ¡°It''s a similar class. Woodworkers usually carve or manipulate wood into what they desire. But a Bowyer mainly works with just bows. There are a few Bowyer¡¯s stationed at Ranger Command. They basically research and experiment to find from what I gather. They can do a bit more, but the idea they were trying to accomplish was blending wood materials to create the best bow possible.¡± Nick said absentmindedly. He did not dare to turn around to face Zenith, and even hearing her voice brought back saddened memories. He had almost the same conversation with his wife when he had first gotten married. The same look, the same voice, and even the same temperament. ¡®Zenith is a Teacher, huh.¡¯ Nick sighed to himself quietly. While Anna had not been a teacher, she had been interested in learning anything that crossed her path. ''I just have to remember that they are two different people. They just look the same.'' He already knew he would have trouble in the future because of this.


    Deflecting his thoughts to something other than his wife, he looked at the baby in Paige¡¯s hand. "Paige, are you sure you don''t know what happened?"


    "I, uh, may have an idea of what happened. But let¡¯s find Tyler first before I go over it again. I really want out of these woods.¡± Paige said as she played with the baby. It was the happiest he¡¯d seen Paige, besides the time at the inn when she was reminiscing. ¡°Besides, until we get out of these woods¡­¡± Paige trailed off, hacking her hoe in the ground as she passed.


    ¡®These woods are strange.¡¯ Nick thought to himself. ¡®For two days now, no matter which way I left the clearing before, every path led me straight back to where I started. I know that the trial grounds of Leit emphasize teamwork and that it is impossible to move without a group of three. So does this forest operate on the same principles? Or could it be something else?¡¯¡¯ As he took a glance back to look at the baby he caught Anne¡¯s eyes, who quickly looked away. ¡°An- Zenith, How long were you out in the woods for before you met up with Paige?¡±


    Zenith tilted her head and frowned, the question catching her off guard. ¡°It wasn¡¯t long. Maybe a few hours at the most. What about you Paige?¡± Gazing at Paige, she motioned for her to give the baby up while she thought.


    Rolling her eyes, Paige handed the baby off to Zenith. ¡°Was I last to awaken then? I woke up; afew minutes I went to find the baby. Maybe an hour to find Zenith, and then around half a day to find you, Nick.¡±


    Nick stopped and frowned, clearly unsettled. ¡°Fast for you maybe. I¡¯ve been stuck in that clearing for almost two days now. I¡¯ve had a lot of time to think about what might be happening. Paige, you haven¡¯t been back to the Leit trial grounds have you?¡± Nick said after a moment.


    ¡°Nope. Not in a few hundred years at least. There was no reason for me to go and grab Archer equipment. Do you think we are in a dungeon of some type?¡± Paige said as she walked closer to Zenith and the baby.


    Nick nodded. ¡°We could be. The Leit trial grounds emphasized teamwork over all else. If we are in the same position¡­¡±


    ¡°...you think its a natural formation? One that covers a whole forest? That would be impo-. Well, if the Mausoleum could have a formation around it, then maybe...but then something would have to...¡± Zenith mumbled under her breath.


    ¡°Great, look what you did Nick. You sent her into a logic loop.¡± Paige chuckled as Zenith mumbled to herself quietly.


    Zenith snapped out of her thoughts and scowled at Paige.¡°Stop making random conditions up Paige! And I think Nick could be right! I think I''ve figured out what the fog is. I think it could be a mana dispersion fog phenomenon!¡± Zenith said as she spun around. ¡°It¡¯s been well documented that high concentrations of mana can cause skills and spells to react differently. But high concentrations of mana usually clear up over time because the mana reverts back to its original state. I think the fog is the mana that has not reverted yet!¡± Zenith happily smiled as she looked around. You didn¡¯t get to see something like this often.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you''re happy that you figured out what the mist is, Zenith. But how does that help us right now?¡±


    ¡°Well, to be honest, it doesn¡¯t really help us right at this moment. But since a mana fog is generated by excess mana, we should decide if we are going toward the epicenter, or away.¡± Zenith said, a twinkle of light dancing in her eyes. ¡°I say we should head toward the epicenter. Maybe we can find a remnant of the magic circle that caused this mess.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Yeah, but look around Zenith, the fog is pretty uniform. How long does it take for this mana fog to totally disperse anyways?¡± Paige asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I never had to deal with this before. I¡¯m not exactly a magic researcher, you know. Well documented does not equal personal experience,¡± Zenith pouted as she exclaimed, the baby in her hands wriggling in her arms.


    ¡°Enough. Nick, there was a settlement here in these woods. Would you be able to find it?¡±


    ¡°How large of a settlement are we talking? A few families worth or one?¡± Nick said with interest. Woods this old would usually have a few full-time lumberjacks and the like.


    ¡°One. it was an old rundown lumber mill. I remember that because it was supposed to be haunted, but the owner was just really old and I swear he had a movement and stealth skill. He sold some really nice wooden equipment too. In fact, the handle of my sword was made from this same wood. It was a remarkable mana conductor, and easily enchantable too.¡±


    ¡°Paige¡­ that sounds really sketchy. Are you sure he wasn¡¯t a ghost?¡± Zenith said as she adjusted the baby, holding him in her arms.


    Paige waved it off nonchalantly. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be. I had the feeling I could kill him if I wanted, so he had to be somewhat mortal. But no one could ever find him again,¡± she trailed off, her face serious. Zenith¡¯s face contorted with fear. Holding her laughter, she struggled to keep quiet until Zenith looked over, who quickly realized Paige had been tricking her all along. Well mostly anyway, as no one could find him after that and Paige had hardly spent the effort to find him again. But she wasn¡¯t about to tell Zenith that.


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny Paige! He could have been a ghost!¡± Zenith pouted ahead, stomping angrily.


    ¡°Yes, a ghost who willinglysellsmana-rich wood for a king¡¯s ransom. Even including inflation, I paid more for the handle on my blade than I did the blade itself! And that¡¯s saying something.¡± Paige said huffily. Even thinking back on the old man¡¯s grin when she finally paid made her gut wrench. ¡°But that¡¯s supply and demand I suppose.¡±


    Nick shrugged as he answered. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much you paid, but he¡¯s probably right about the price. Mana-rich wood is pretty rare, even in Leit. These woodsare almost comparable toLeit''s ancient forests and we''re not even in the heart of the forest. That''s saying something about the quality here. Almost any bow I make from thesetrees can rival my old longbow.¡±


    They stopped talking as they followed Nick through the forest. Eventually, the baby awoke with a muffled cry. ¡°The baby is getting hungry again Paige. It¡¯s concerning that we have nothing to feed him, Paige. We need to find some real food, mana sustenance is dangerous long term wise, especially for children.¡±


    ¡°Nick, any clues on what¡¯s up ahead? How have you been choosing which direction to take?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been following a person¡¯s footsteps. It looks like its leading to the edge of the forest, judging by the density of the trees.¡±


    ¡°Good. I guess we don¡¯t even need to find a settlement then. We¡¯ll get some current news and then we can plan from there. Hopefully we¡¯re following Tyler¡¯s footsteps; otherwise, we¡¯ll have to go looking for him again.¡±


    ¡°It should be, at least judging by the weight and foot size,¡± Nick said after a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m shocked that you can tell that much from footprints, Nick. But I haven¡¯t really seen any footprints since we¡¯ve started following you.¡± Zenith said.


    ¡°It¡¯s there, you just need to know where to look. For example, look at this rock. Notice how it¡¯s been pushed down slightly, and that the dirt around it has been forced upwards? Feel the ground around it and you¡¯ll notice it is loosely packed and dry, yet the soil around the rock is damp to the touch. Someone had stepped on it and forced the damp soil underneath upward.¡± Nick said with a smile, watching Zenith¡¯s look of amazement. ¡®I¡¯ve forgotten how much joy it was to teach Anna something new.¡¯ His smile faded when he remembered that Anna was dead, and the person in front of him was Zenith.


    ¡°Thanks for teaching me Nick,¡± Zenith said as she stood back up.


    ¡°No problem Zenith. I¡¯ll be happy to teach you more later.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for interrupting your little discussion, but we have a problem up ahead,¡± Paige said from behind them, a frown plastered on her face. ¡°A big problem.¡±


    As they followed Paige, Nick noted that Paige¡¯s hoe was slightly blackened. ¡°What did you find up ahead?¡±


    ¡°Well, the forest does end up ahead, but when I tried to leave this happened,¡± Paige said as she held up her hoe. ¡°We can¡¯t leave the forest.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t leave? How does that even work?¡± Nick said, a frown on his face. ¡°Zenith said that this fog disperses mana, so how would it stop us from leaving?¡± As he asked, the trees around them noticeably thinned out and decreased and they walked close to a merchant¡¯s path, judging by the old cart marks left in the mud.


    ¡°Well Paige, care to give us a demonstration? There should be nothing here that could stop us,¡± Nick said as he looked around in confusion.


    ¡°Watch.¡± As Paige stepped forward she held her hoe in front of her, using it as an example, as she passed the final tree leading out of the forest, the fog suddenly strengthened; the hoe charring quickly as the mana enriched air combusted in front of them, but only around the hoe.


    As she stepped away, the fog dispersed once again; only the charred look and smell emanating off the hoe were the only indicator that what they had seen really happened. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to risk stepping out myself. So, what do you think Zenith?¡±


    ¡°It looks like we have to find the formation the fog originated from then. It could be that it is still active, and is preventing us from leaving. Do you recognize where we are though Paige?¡± Zenith unhelpfully said after a moment as she looked at the barren field in front of them.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t memorize every road I pass,¡± Paige said sarcastically.


    ¡°We should be able to follow the trail back through the woods. Look.¡± Nick said, pointing at the far end of the road. He could see that the path winded through the low hills and eventually entered the forest not too far away from where they were standing. ¡°Paige, you were able to find me when we were at Castle Patel. Are you able to find Tyler the same way?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. A Party Leader is able to, but we aren¡¯t exactly a party right now, or else I wouldn¡¯t have blindly gone wandering the woods. Let''s go back and follow the path.I just hope it''s not a dead end.¡±

 Chapter 28

    ¡°About time we found something. I was going to be highly upset if we followed this path to the other end of the forest for no good reason.¡± Zenith grumbled as she followed behind Nick and Paige. She eventually gave up the baby to Paige and had to resort to using her makeshift staff as a walking stick, her shoes not meant for the uneven forest ground.


    ¡°To be fair Zenith, Nick offered to carry you. He ignored me outright when I asked.¡± Paige said as she played with Markus from her side. Tilting her head close to Zenith, she whispered as she looked at the direction Nick had gone. ¡°Zenith, Nick is going to have a hard time adjusting. I know you have feelings for him, but...¡±


    ¡°I know Paige. I want him to like me for who I am, not who I resemble.¡± Zenith completed Paige¡¯s unspoken words. At first, Zenith was completely happy with the change of her appearance. But now that Zenith knew she resembled Nick late wife caused her to feel terrible. She shook her head and cast her thoughts out as she took in the dilapidated settlement ahead.


    The settlement had seen better days. The overgrown weeds were crowding out the path ahead and were starting to climb the low stone fence surrounding the settlement. Three two-story buildings were located inside the fence, their roofs starting to sag and the walls had noticeable holes that exposed the interior rooms to the weather. Beside them, a small barn was centrally located, and what appeared to be a broken blacksmith¡¯s anvil and rusted iron tools. A simple waterwheel was attached to the barn, although the water level of the stream beyond was not high enough to move it.


    ¡°Wagon marks lead into the settlement, so either they passed by or they are here,¡± Nick said after a moment.


    ¡°The mana fog is gone as well. Look, it''s stopping right outside the settlement.¡± Zenith eyed Paige and raised one brow, silently asking for her opinion.


    ¡°Zenith, hold the baby. Nick behind me. I¡¯ll go first.¡± Paige whispered, passing the baby quietly over to Zenith. ¡°What¡¯s the effective range on your bow, Nick?¡±


    ¡°Unarmored killing range with this bow is thirty meters. I¡¯m confident I can hit any moving target at eighty meters though. Assuming they are not using a movement skill.¡± Nick said after gauging his bow and the settlement beyond. ¡°I¡¯ll stay in the trees with Zenith. So long as you don¡¯t go into the houses, I can cover you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do much without a dedicated magic staff, but I can cover you as well with some cantrips. Not much, but I can still provide some distractions.¡± Zenith helpfully added to the side, adjusting her hold on her staff and the baby.


    Looking at the two of them, Paige nodded and started walking to the clearing, her new wooden hoe resting on her shoulders. ¡°Is anyone there? Tyler, you in there?¡± She shouted as she watched for any signs of movement. ¡°And before you try to hide, I know someone is there. The wagon tracks are still fresh.¡±


    The door creaked open as a short, pot-bellied man walked out, his face oozing with sweat. ¡°A stereotypical Merchant?¡± Paige asked out loud, disbelief in her eyes.


    ¡°Says the stereotypical Farmer.¡± The man spoke, his face contorting with displeasure. ¡°It¡¯s not like I chose to look this way, Paige.¡±


    ¡°Tyler? How¡¯d you get so...you?¡± Paige said as she gestured up and down his body. ¡°Zenith, Nick, it¡¯s Tyler.¡± Tyler glanced at Nick and Zenith and realized that they had all changed, some more than others. Paige still looked mostly like herself, although her hair had grown a few inches and she had an even suntan. Nick looked the same as well, although his beard could use a trimming. Zenith had surprised him, as well as the baby boy judging by the face. He was partly glad he wasn¡¯t the only one whose appearance had changed, although he would be hard pressed to say that he did not get the short end of the stick. Glancing down, Tyler almost cried again as he looked at his massive belly and chubby arms and legs. The only thing he could be happy about was that his head was not balding.


    ¡°Well, Tyler looks like you¡¯ll need to exercise that weight off. And possibly a diet too.¡± Nick said, humor in his voice. He had been slightly jealous of Tyler¡¯s appearance when they had first met. ¡®Whatever deity made it so that Warriors retained their youthful looks longer than others should be banished and forgotten. But at least he¡¯s gotten his just desserts,¡¯ ¡¯ Nick thought to himself. ¡°Heh. It¡¯s gonna take months to work that fat off, Tyler. If you can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve trained Apprentices into full Warriors. If I can¡¯t do the same to myself, I¡¯ll eat a wagon.¡± Tyler yelled indignantly. ¡°I did bring some food though. I almost starved to death when I was last here. I was about to try and fix up this settlement when you all came.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Zenith, take the baby into the house. Tyler, look for some firewood. Nick, get some food ready. I¡¯ll clean out the chimney and then we can all talk business.¡±


    ---


    ¡°Tyler, you¡¯ve been awfully quiet during our stories. Mind sharing yours?¡±


    Tyler listened quietly to their experiences, saying nothing throughout the groups'' arrival experiences. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for almost a month now. I knew where we were, so I followed the roads to the nearest town of Cidala to get supplies. I used the supplies I found here to open a line of credit with the local merchants association, and went ahead and bought a few items I knew I could sell. I¡¯ve been coming here every week though, thinking I¡¯d eventually find you all here.¡± Tyler said as he ate Nick¡¯s soup. The ingredients he had brought in from outside the forest had come in handy.


    Zenith inched forward to take more food. ¡°How are you able to leave the forest, Tyler? The mana dispersion fog was stopping us from leaving the boundary of the forest.¡±


    ¡°Mana dispersion fog? Is that what that? It was hard to find a way out of the forest but other than that it really posed no problems. In fact, I hardly ran into any animals either, not until I hit the farmland closer to the city.¡± Tyler looked across at Paige, who was cradling the baby. ¡°Paige, we are close to Castle Freton. I wasn¡¯t willing to collect information, not until we all gathered. But I think it¡¯s time you tell us what happened in the mausoleum. None of us remember what happened after we passed through the formation. Care to fill us in on what happened?¡±


    Zenith perked up as well with a question of her own as well. ¡°What happened to Isabella, Paige?¡±


    Paige settled down on the hard-packed floor, leaning lazily against the wall frame. ¡°We went into the formation and elected to rescue Isabella instead of safeguarding the heroic class weapon. The Demon Lord was unwilling to give up either, and we fought to the death against his party.¡±


    Paige hesitated to continue, not knowing how they would take the rest of the news. Coughing lightly, Tyler motioned for her to continue. ¡°That doesn¡¯t really tell us anything specific, Paige. What happened next?¡±


    ¡°You all fought heroically and died in battle.¡±


    ¡°We died! But how are we here then?¡± Zenith said shocked.


    ¡°The formation around the mausoleum was going critical due to the Shaman¡¯s attack. Right before it went critical, Isabella used her skill, and...something happened. Zenith, help me figure this part out.¡± Paige stopped and drew the formation she saw, indicating what happened step by step, starting from when Isabella used her Skill to the formation splitting in half.


    ¡°That...is really out of my league Paige. I could research it if I was in the Mage Guild, but offhand, I would say that the formation going critical was the key that activated the other, unknown formation.¡± Zenith started drawing circles within circles in front of her. ¡°But what I don¡¯t get is the formation breaking in half. Or why it would absorb the dead as well. Assuming we were dead that is.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, you all were quite dead.¡±


    Nick interrupted from the side, ¡°You said a symbol appeared and absorbed both Isabella and the Demon Lord mana? Does that make any sense to you Zenith?¡±


    Zenith frowned. ¡°The symbol then split and separated into two, distinct parts. In which the Demon Lord¡¯s mana was floating in golden mana¡­¡± A thought struck Zenith, who looked at Paige. ¡°The baby.¡±


    ¡°What about the baby?¡± Tyler said, not understanding the significance of the baby Paige was holding.


    ¡°The baby is the Demon Lord, isn¡¯t he?¡± Nick said quietly, connecting the dots.


    Paige hesitated, holding the baby close. ¡°He is. Or I presume he is.¡±


    Nick stood up, his bow already in his arms. ¡°Kill him now, Paige. I¡¯m serious. We should kill the Demon Lord before he becomes a problem in the future.¡± If Nick¡¯s gaze could kill, Paige and the baby would have long been corpses.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. He¡¯s just a baby.¡± Paige locked gazes with Nick.


    ¡°A baby that is able to kill all of us when he grows up,¡± Tyler said from behind Nick. ¡°That baby is a big risk, Paige.¡±


    Paige slowly got up from the floor, her body shielding Markus. ¡°I may be a Farmer right now Nick, but trust me when I say I can still kill you. Even if we do not know the specifics, I know that the formation has tied Isabella¡¯s mana to the boy; and his vice versa. We are not doing anything without more information on that ritual or whatever that was.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy Paige. Step away from the baby. He¡¯s the source of all our troubles.¡±


    ¡°No Nick. We are doing no such thing.¡±


    ¡°Nick, Tyler. I think Paige is right. The baby has to live.¡± Zenith said suddenly from the side as she walked in front of Paige. ¡°A formation is always constructed for a singular purpose. Whether that is to check someone¡¯s status or to stop people from spying. Look at the mana fog outside. With this much power still lingering even after the formation has broken, it is unwise to even think about messing with anything even related to the formation. Nick, please. Put your bow down.¡±


    Zenith pleaded with Nick, who was clearly hesitating. Zenith continued on, pushing her argument. ¡°How about this Nick. We know the boundary of the forest as well as the range for the mana dispersion fog. I can backtrack the location of the formation and hopefully find out the specifics. All formations leave some type of imprint, even destroyed ones such as this. There have to be some rules in place to protect the ritual. It was able to transform the Demon Lord back into a baby, so it must also have a failsafe in place as well to protect him.¡±

 Chapter 29

    ¡°Please Nick. That¡¯s all I¡¯m asking for. Time.¡± Zenith pleaded quietly in the tense room.


    Nick¡¯s heart hurt at the sight. He knew that it wasn¡¯t his wife in front of him but the sight, the mannerisms, were all the same. He locked gazes with Tyler, who was looking between Paige and the Demon Lord.


    The Demon Lord. The source of all his troubles. Had he not been sent to do this mission, he would have been at home with his wife and child. He could have protected them from their grizzly fate. He should have.


    Nick hesitated, but eventually put down his bow. ¡°Fine. We can do that. Paige, is that a fair compromise for you? We¡¯ll wait to see what the consequences are before we act.¡±


    Paige sniffed her nose. ¡°That¡¯s all I wanted to begin with. We are not going to kill him just because of what he could become. Tyler, is that good enough for you as well?¡±


    Tyler¡¯s eyes shifted between the three of them. ¡®He does look like a shifty merchant when he does that. I wonder if the appearance dictates a person¡¯s character. Or maybe it''s like how Zenith is displaying the same mannerisms as Anna.¡¯ Nick thought to himself. Either way, it was both frustrating and funny. ¡°It is Paige. But if he starts going down the wrong path¡­¡± Tyler trailed off, waiting to see what her response would be.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kick his ass and set him straight. With all four of us here, I am sure we can teach him good morals.¡±


    Nick thought back to what Paige had said and asked aloud, ¡°You said you were a Farmer. How would you be able to kill me?¡± He knew most skills that a Farmer would have, and not many of them translated into a lethal attack.


    Paige was affronted. ¡°Who said that a Farmer needed a Skill to kill someone? That would be a weak Farmer. When was the last time you¡¯ve seen a Farmer fight?¡±


    ¡°Never Paige. That¡¯s the point.¡± Tyler interrupted before Nick could respond. ¡°Can you show us a Farmer Skill? One that you deem lethal enough to threaten Nick?¡±


    ¡°Bah. Nick is a Bowyer. Zenith is a Teacher, and you are a Merchant. Anyone of these classes is practically just as useless in a battle.¡± Paige tsked slightly. ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten the training regiment for new recruits. So why would I have forgotten how to fight like a Warrior?


    ¡°Because Paige, a Warrior is vastly superior to a Farmer in a battle,¡± Tyler quipped seriously.


    ¡°Yeah, well the foundation is there. I may not be buffed like a Warrior, but I¡¯m sure I can hold my own against one still. Nick, what about you? Have your skills decreased or something? I feel great.¡±


    ¡°It has actually. My muscles are far weaker. I¡¯ll have to train as well to get back into shape. You Zenith?¡±


    Nick saw how Zenith hesitated. She looked toward Nick and spoke quietly. ¡°My mana pool is smaller, but the main problem is that I can¡¯t test what elements I am more suited for now. The tips of my hair are green though, so I should be able to still cast wind magic. How much though is up in the air, so to speak.¡±


    Nick sighed. He knew that Zenith was trying hard not to be insensitive. ¡°Anna was adept at using Nature Magic. I don''t truly know what her affinity was though.¡±


    ¡°Did anyone have any of their equipment when they awoke?¡± Tyler asked. Paige brightenedand snapped her fingers together. ¡°I do have something to mention.¡± Nick watched as Paige grabbed something from under her shirt; a familiar looking ring.


    ¡°You still had your ring on you Paige?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s one of the few things that I still had actually. I already stored Markus¡¯s old clothes in the ring, so no one should notice a thing.¡±


    ¡°Markus? You¡¯ve already checked his status?¡± Nick thought out loud. ¡°What did it show?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easier to show you actually.¡±Paige¡¯s mana floated into Markus as she quietly recited something under her breath; ghostly words forming in the air after they intermingled with the baby¡¯s own mana.


    Markus Ederite


    Race: Human/Demon


    Class: Blessed Apprentice


    Skills: Unknown


    Spells: Unknown


    ¡°What in God¡¯s great name do his Race and Class mean, Zenith?¡± Tyler remarked quietly. ¡°A Blessed Apprentice, but it doesn¡¯t say what Class he is an Apprentice of. And it¡¯s impossible to figure out the deity watching over him either, not at his age at least.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°I was an Apprentice Mage, but I¡¯ve never seen just an Apprentice Class by itself. Paige? Any Imperial Secrets you¡¯d like to share that might perhaps enlighten us all?¡± Zenith said, heavily laying out her thoughts. Paige sighed as she rocked the baby in her arms, not quite holding him in full view of Nick.


    ¡°Why yes Zenith, it is an Imperial Secret, a deeply hidden one. It¡¯s called I don¡¯t know either. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve ever had a baby when I was in the Imperial family, so how would I know about baby statuses. You come from an aristocratic family. Shouldn¡¯t this be your forte?¡±


    ¡°Usually, if I was the firstborn daughter or son. But I¡¯m not. The most training I¡¯ve ever gotten was ¡°Don¡¯t make our family name a laughingstock. And don¡¯t embarrass our partners either.¡± Zenith eyed Paige and both of them sighed in unison. ¡°Can I hold the baby, Paige?¡±


    ¡°Just make sure Nick or Tyler does something we¡¯ll all regret,¡± Paige said dejectedly as she handed the baby off. ¡°Okay, we shouldn¡¯t have any trouble here tonight. Zenith and I will sleep in the wagon. We¡¯ll switch off watch every three hours. Tomorrow at first light we¡¯ll look for the formation remnants.¡±


    ---


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like it Nick, but Paige and Zenith have a strong argument. Even I have qualms about killing a baby. How can you not?¡± Tyler said after Paige and Zenith left for the wagon out in front of the house.


    ¡°My wife and child died Tyler. How would you feel if that happened to you?¡±


    Tyler sat next to Nick, his face heavily perspiring despite the chilly weather. ¡°Honestly, I never had any children, so I wouldn¡¯t know how it feels. I only know how I feel now. Even you admit that your Commander said the other Rangers stationed there were killed as well, so how are you confident that you could do what they could not?¡±


    ¡°Not many know I have a greater affinity for nature. In a heavily forested area like Leit, I am sure I would have been able to survive, or at least get one or both out alive.¡± Prodding the fire, Nick continued on. ¡°I know the Rangers who were stationed there. They got the position to guard other Ranger families not because of their actual ability, but for their stealth and defensive skills. Hell, I could probably take them all on. I wouldn¡¯t be able to kill everyone though, that is much harder to do.¡±


    Tyler stared hard at Nick. ¡°Nick. It wasn¡¯t your fault you weren¡¯t there with your family. It also wasn¡¯t the baby¡¯s fault.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so hard Tyler. Even more so when I see Zenith standing in front of me. All I can see is my wife standing there.¡± Nick whispered silently. ¡°I chose to do this mission. I chose to leave them behind, again. But she never once faulted me for it. She knew how important being a Ranger was, and she loved me despite it.¡±


    Tyler patted Nick hard on the back. ¡°We can only rise to the occasion, Nick. I know how hard it is to choose between love of country or family. Learn from your past mistakes. Be a better husband. And get revenge for your late wife, just like I did.¡±


    ---


    ¡°Are you all right Nick?¡± Zenith asked as she walked to his left. ¡°You didn¡¯t wake us up to finish the night shift. I¡¯m sorry that you didn¡¯t get any sleep.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine Zenith. I needed some time to cool my head and really think about some things.¡± Nick said as he walked, focusing on the forest around him. The trees were getting larger and larger, something he was not used to seeing in a forest this age. ¡®Perhaps it is the mana? I should talk to Zenith about that possibility.¡¯ Shaking his head, he organized his tired thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about yesterday. Finding out he was the Demon Lord was a bit too much for me.¡±


    ¡°I know the feeling. I was shocked too. But what Paige said was correct I think. Circumstances matter more than birthright. Even a pauper can be a great king if given the chance and guidance. What¡¯s to say Markus is any different?¡± Zenith said as she followed along, grasping Nick¡¯s hand in hers. ¡°Follow me, Nick, we need to go left. The mana is getting thinner that way. Are you sure you know which way leads to the heart of the forest?


    ¡°That path was a much easier climb. I know Tyler didn¡¯t bring any other supplies and your shoes aren¡¯t meant for walking on such an uneven path. You know that you could have stayed and helped Paige and Tyler at the settlement. It does need a lot of work to make it livable again.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to come with you. It¡¯ll be a fun trip. We can go find the formation, get some of our questions answered, and then we can plan for the future. Besides, these shoes aren¡¯t too bad. I¡¯m just not used to wearing something without any padding.¡±


    Nick walked along beside Zenith, helping her navigate some of the rougher terrain. It wasn¡¯t long before Zenith spoke up to Nick. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I look like your late wife Nick. I really am. If I could choose to look like someone else¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something you could control Zenith. I¡¯m not faulting you. It¡¯s just hard right now.¡±


    ¡°Well, just know that I am sorry,¡± Zenith said with a sorrowful smile, one that almost broke Nick¡¯s heart once again. He knew that look. ¡°Nick, do you see what I see over there?¡± Zenith asked frankly. He turned his head and frowned at the sight.


    A tree. A single tree was enshrouded by the mist; the fog rolling off of it endlessly. ¡°Yeah, I see it.¡± As he walked closer to the tree he noticed that a clearing was nearby, the grass within leaning away from the middle, where a lone tree stump sat.


    ¡°There are runes here Nick. I think Paige said she found the baby alone in a clearing. If that is the case, I think this must be where he was found. It makes sense since the formation was meant for him.¡± Zenith studied the runes from the ground on her tiptoes, looking up at the tree trunk. ¡°They¡¯re scorched into the tree. Help me up, I can¡¯t see them well from here.¡±


    Nick shot her a disbelieving look. ¡°And how am I supposed to do that?¡±


    ¡°Easy, lean over by the tree and I¡¯ll get on you.¡± Zenith paused and amended her statement with a slight blush. ¡°I¡¯ll stand on your shoulders and inspect them up close. The runes. And make sure you don¡¯t look up either.¡± Zenith said with a full blush as she realized she still only had a dress on.


    ¡®There¡¯s the awkward Zenith I know.¡¯ Nick smiled to himself. It would be tough to get used to, but Nick knew deep down that he could make it work. ¡°Give me a second to put my stuff down. I¡¯ll help you out.

 Chapter 30

    "You were right Paige.¡± Zenith strode into the now cleared house, coughing at the dust flying in the air. Waving her hand idly, a slight wind blew the dust outside.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m usually right. But what exactly am I right about this time?¡± Paige idly said as she dusted the room with an old rag she had found.


    ¡°It is about the formation. Some of the runes were scorched on the trees around where you found the baby.¡± Zenith animatedly responded. She frowned as Paige kept dusting, sending more dust into the air. ¡°Stop dusting Paige, it¡¯s not good for the baby. Wait, where is Markus?¡±


    ¡°The baby is outback in the shade. I lowered the waterwheel down so that it would move and it¡¯s creating a nice breeze outback. Although you could just conjure up a breeze again if you want to get rid of the excess dust for me.¡±


    Zenith stopped and looked at her hand. ¡°Huh, old habit I guess. I know I¡¯m still proficient at wind magic at the very least. Can you get Tyler? We¡¯ll meet outside and I¡¯ll tell you what I¡¯ve learned.¡± Paige watched as Zenith strolled out of the house, calling out to Nick to meet by the waterwheel.


    ¡°Tyler, get down here. Evidently, Zenith and Nick found something.¡± Paige shouted up the stairs. A coughing sound soon sounded out in response.


    ¡°Cough, I¡¯m trying to reset this roof beam before it totally collapses on all of us. I¡¯ll head down in a minute. Throw a wet rag in the stream for me, I''m sweating up a storm.¡±


    ¡°I can do that for you Tyler. Don''t take too long. I''m hoping to get the downstairs clean before the sun goes down,¡± Paige called back as she went outside to meet up with Nick and Zenith. She was surprised to see Nick waiting outside for her though. ¡°Nick.¡± Paige curtly acknowledged.


    ¡°Look, I know you are upset at me Paige. I wanted to say I¡¯m sorry for my behavior.¡± Nick bowed his head slightly to her, his eyes locking on her own. ¡°I was upset and took it out on both you and the baby. I should¡¯ve been a better man than that.¡±


    Paige was taken aback by his behavior. ¡°Apology accepted. What prompted that?¡±


    ¡°I talked with Tyler last night and thought things through. It wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s fault but mine. I shouldn''t have taken the job to guard the diplomat to begin with. It just happened that I was the only one on call that was available. I... just didn¡¯t want to take responsibility for Anna and Claire''s deaths. Instead of laying the blame on the baby, I should focus more on the people who did the deed instead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still not the healthiest viewpoint to have,¡± Paige said worriedly. "Who knows how long we''ll even be stuck here for. I don''t know anyone who has ever said brooding is a good therapy option."


    ¡°It is not. But it is better than being mad at your friends,¡± Nick said calmly. ¡°And despite all we¡¯ve been through Paige, I do see you as a friend. Of sorts.¡±


    "Aw, well thanks for that vote of confidence. I guess." Paige chuckled as she passed by, patting Nick on the shoulders.


    Tyler walked out of the house not long after that, brushing the dust off from his clothes. ¡°Cough, so what did Zenith find? Anything remotely useful for us¡±


    Paige shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Dunno. Zenith, mind telling us what you found?¡±


    Zenith looked up from the baby, as she began rocking him slowly. ¡°We found remnants of the magic circle, not the entire thing, mind you, but enough to make an educated guess. First and foremost, they are still glowing heavily with power," she stressed, looking eye to eye to make sure they knew that point. "The fog won¡¯t disperse for a few years, so we will be stuck here until then. But the more important bit is that I found some of the conditions that apply to us in particular.¡± Zenith said, her eyes shining. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it at the Mage Guild, but I do know what some of the symbols can correspond to.¡±


    ¡°Go on, tell us already Zenith. What were you able to find?¡± Paige asked, impatient at the reveal.


    Zenith pouted as Paige''s question.¡°Well, only the trees on the perimeter of the circle was had symbols on it, so I do not know what rules apply to the baby. But we ourselves have a few rules that the formation is actively applying.¡± Holding Markus in her arms, she moved and showed them a few sketches she had drawn earlier on the ground, apparently the symbols she had seen. ¡°This one I have seen before, and I think this is what is stopping us. It appears to be a modified version of a Trap Rune that is powering the dispersion fog. Until that one runs out of power, we¡¯re stuck here. From what I can tell, it should break apart naturally withintwo or three years.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°But I am able to leave Zenith? Why is that?¡± Tyler asked, knowing he wasn¡¯t restricted by the fog.


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing! I think it was part of an interlocking magic circle, and the one I found had some conditional runes attached to it. See, that rune is the symbol for the Goddess of Wealth, a pair of interlocking circles to represent coins. I think that was intentionally built into the formation, as we would most likely die of starvation if everyone were unable to leave. That being said, be careful on the road from now on, as you are literally our only lifeline outside of the forest for the next few years.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting and disturbing at the same time. Were our classes chosen for us then?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but we should probably assume that is an accurate assumption. A Teacher, Farmer, Blacksmith/Bowyer, and Merchant. That¡¯s basically the bare minimum a settlement needs in order to function. Assuming that everything is meant to provide a safe haven for Markus.¡±


    ¡°I guess I can do blacksmithing, though most Bowyer work solely with wood. No battle classes though. ¡± Nick said from the side, his first time learning about this information as well.


    ¡°Is that really a problem for us though? We all still remember our training and skills though. I¡¯m sure that we can take care of anything that at least an Apprentice Warrior could.¡± Paige commented offhandly, waving that concern aside.


    ¡°Anything else? Anything that might explain our current predicament?¡±


    Zenith hesitated to say. ¡°I¡¯d say Isabella¡¯s Skill may have done something, but Paige said mana was absorbed by the formation as well. There were a few runes that I have no idea what they could represent. I¡¯d have to research it heavily. Normally I¡¯d be able to go straight to the Mage Guild¡¯s library, but being a Teacher¡­¡± She trailed off, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°Tyler? Paige? Do you know of any way we could research runes in Alcudia?¡±


    Tyler and Paige glanced at each other, weighing their options. ¡°Alcudia libraries are open to the public. I¡¯d say the royal library would be our best bet to find ancient runes...¡± Paige started to say, ¡°But those books would most likely be restricted. Or at least watched heavily. And we all can''t travel there, at least not for a few years like you said earlier,¡± Tyler finished her statement.


    They sat in the clearing and thought about what Zenith had said. They were stuck here for at least a few years. Paige realized that they needed a plan for the future. She shook her head and breathed deeply, focusing her mind.¡°Okay. Let¡¯s get a long term plan ironed out. We know that only Tyler can leave right now, so he¡¯ll have to do a majority of the researching and intelligence gathering.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need money in order to fund my activities. Right now I¡¯m working off of a short term loan. The only reason I even have the wagon is that I told the Merchant Association that my goods were stuck out here in the woods. I have a few days before they get suspicious and send mercenaries after me,¡± Tyler said dejectedly. He was secretly thankful that Paige and Rebecca had snuck out so many times, as he was definitely out of his comfort zone as a merchant.


    ¡°I can make some pretty good trainer bows with the woods here. That can be your merchandise. I¡¯ll do a few today so that you can prove you have an inventory.¡± Nick said after a moment of thought.


    ¡°How about this. While Nick is making bows, we¡¯ll make the houses liveable. Zenith, you dust downstairs and watch Markus. I''ll help Tyler fix the roof before he heads back to town. If you think you can get me some seeds to plant, Tyler, I¡¯ll start clearing the fields in the morning.¡±


    "Got it!¡±


    ---


    ¡°These are pretty good bows, Nick. Do you have a Class Skill already?¡± Paige tested the bows while Tyler appraised them, nodding his head in agreement.


    ¡°No. Basic longbows like this are easy to make. You just need to have a good eye for wood. For the more complex bows, I¡¯ll have to learn a Class Skill. It won¡¯t be easy to gain a Class Skill without a Mentor though.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that to Paige. She learned how to use [Trail Finder] just by hearing a verbal description of the skill,¡± Zenith mumbled by their side. She was feeding Markus some mashed up leftover soup they had scrounged up for lunch. ¡°But I do agree with you Nick. We¡¯ll need to figure out some Bowyer skills, or maybe some spells that may be useful for a Bowyer.¡±


    ¡°The town should have a local library at the very least. I¡¯ll look around for some reference books, but don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡± Tyler said with a shrug.


    ¡°Zenith is a Teacher. Just look for an Apprentice book for low classes, and Zenith can parse through it and figure out some other spells.¡± Paige said offhandedly. ¡°I¡¯m sure Nick and Zenith can work out the inner workings of the skills or spells between the two of them.¡±


    Paige thought of another problem that they might potentially have. ¡°Let the town know we are creating a settlement here as well. The mayor will probably want to collect taxes from us, and it¡¯ll be helpful for other merchants to come this way as well.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure about that Paige. You don¡¯t want to stay hidden for now? At least until we have some more information?¡±


    Paige bit her lip; thinking hard about what they should do. ¡°Yes. I think we should go ahead and register. Just say you have a local supplier out in the woods and they should send someone out to investigate. Assuming the war is still happening, it would not be hard to say we are refugees who fled to the area recently. We¡¯ll need some news on the frontlines as well for our cover to work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll gather what news I can. See you all later then.¡± Tyler said as he pulled the handcart back onto the main path out of the forest. ''Hopefully Tyler would be able to bring back good news. Otherwise we''re going to have a rough few years here.''

 Chapter 31

    ¡°Do you want the good news, bad news, or the terrible news first?¡± Tyler said as soon as he arrived back to their little settlement in the woods. He strode into the house and started pacing nervously.


    ¡°Quiet Tyler, we just got Markus down for a nap. Start with the good news first. We can always come back to the bad or terrible news if we must.¡± Zenith said sagely.


    Tyler stopped and breathed heavily. He puffed himself up with pride. ¡°First off. I sold all the bows you made Nick. I was able to sell them for almost three gold apiece. Even got some assurance for repeat customers for future business.¡±


    Nick swore loudly. He toned down his voice after noticing the glare from both Paige and Zenith. ¡°They are worth a minimum of at least twenty gold Tyler! Each! Ten would be pushing your bottom line pretty bad. Hopefully they needed it.¡± He hissed angrily.


    ¡°Damn. I knew I should¡¯ve pushed the purchase price higher. I¡¯m used to dealing with steel weapons, not wooden ones. I¡¯ll need some pointers on wooden weapons if you''re planning on making more,¡± Tyler sighed, his proud look gone. ¡°Well, they were a group of rookies mercenaries, so this should be a good boon for them.¡±


    ¡°It should for the quality of the weapon that they got in return,¡± Nick grumbled. ¡°Hell, even Apprentice Rangers wouldn¡¯t qualify to use those bows. Ones that you literally sold for practically a silver coin for every gold you could have earned.¡±


    ¡°He did build some rapport with them. And more importantly the Merchant Association. Maybe offer mercenaries some more discounts, that¡¯ll get your name out fast to the locals at least. You¡¯ll need a wide range of clientele to be a successful merchant,¡± Zenith supplied helpfully, trying to ease Tyler¡¯s mood.


    Tyler shook his head and grinned ruefully. ¡°Well. It is what it is. I got a good price on the seeds and other necessities though, so we should be good on that front. Paige, I took the liberty of buying a goat, some chicken and a sheep too; since we have a barn. I really didn''t know cows and workhorses were that expensive, so we''ll have to wait awhile before we can buy one, assuming we need them that is. But the other animals are attached to the cart.¡± Tyler spoke decisively about his purchases. They weren¡¯t cheap and he used all the gold he had just earned.


    ¡°Well, weapons sold for cheap and our supplies gathered, was there any other good news?" Nick grumbled. He stopped when Zenith and Paige started staring at him.


    Tyler pulled out an old, worn book from his bag. The thin sheets were partially falling out due to the age-worn bindings. ¡°I found an old Apprentice book. Apparently, a traveling teacher discarded it years ago. It doesn''t have instructions on how to learn or even practice these skills or spells, but it does have the names and uses of common abilities. I also talked to the mayor as well. The town will send their inspector out next tax season, so we have a year at least before someone will come to check. IF they decide to come next year.¡±


    ¡°They will. A good farmer can have at least four harvest year round, and the quality of bows will also fetch a hefty sum. No tax collector will miss us.¡± Paige shrugged as she leaned back in her chair, balancing on the one good leg that had not fully rotted out.


    ¡°Now for the bad news. The war against Trent has been pushed back to the borders of Evidia and Alcudia.¡± Tyler said with a grimace. Everyone sat up, waiting to hear what was wrong with that. ¡°The Imperial Family took over the war efforts, under the guise of ¡°Protecting Humanity¡¯s Borderlands¡±. The Alliance army has withdrawn their troops as well.¡±


    Zenith was confused about why that was a bad thing, and her face reflected her confusion. Paige sighed ¡°The Alcudian Royal family is practically a puppet government right now. Especially since the other border countries were expelled. How large is their army? Where you able to find the terms of their agreement?¡±


    ¡°No to both. But I did find something else out." Tyler stopped and took a deep breath. "Mount Terst is gone. We have all been officially declared dead. Well, most of us at least. Apparently, the Alcudian Royal Family published the news not long after our deaths.¡±


    ¡°Most? How is it most?¡± Nick said, confused why he worded the news that way.


    ¡°Some things have...changed, as we all know.¡± Tyler looked at Paige first, worry in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll start with the major changes first. Paige, you don¡¯t exist. No one has heard of your name. Even when I asked who was in Queen Rebecca''s party, none of them said your name.¡±


    Paige frowned thoughtfully. ¡°So history has changed? How did Rebecca survive the assassination attempts then? Someone had to have helped her.¡±


    ¡°Someone did travel with the Queen, but his name was Peter. From what I can tell, everything you have ever done in Alcudia was attributed to him instead. Even the party was led by Peter Alduit, with Royal Vanguard Tyler Merk, Wind Mage Zenith Hall, and Ranger Dave as support.¡± Paige blinked, her eyes going wide as she thought about something unknown.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Ranger Dave? He¡¯s not even remotely qualified to act as a Diplomat¡¯s escort. Where was I in all of this?¡± Nick frankly supplied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll try and get more information on you Nick, but with us being far from Leit, it will be hard to gather accurate intel.¡±


    ¡°Zenith, I found some information on you, but it¡¯s not pretty either. Your family gave you a state funeral for you after your death at Mount Terst. But it was rumored that they crossed your name out of the family register, for falling in love with Peter Alduit. You are no longer part of the Hall family.¡±


    ¡°The, they crossed me out of the family?¡± Zenith sat in her chair, shocked. ¡°J, ju, Just because I fell in love with someone else?!¡± She started shaking as her outrage grew. ¡°And I suppose it has to do with my fiance? The one my family supposedly found for me?¡±


    Tyler nodded his head slowly. ¡°Apparently it was from another founding family. They were rather discontent that you made your own decisions.¡±


    ¡°Of all the¡­¡± Zenith stood up and ran outside, tears streaming down her face. Nick followed after her quietly.


    ¡°Tyler, what is it that you always wanted? More than anything else in the world?¡± Paige asked, her features worried.


    ¡°I ... ¡± Paige interrupted him immediately. ¡°Not the first thing that comes to mind Tyler. Really think hard about this.¡±


    They both waited for Zenith and Nick to come back. Tyler thinking quietly to himself while Paige went upstairs to grab Markus after he had started crying for attention. She started to rock him while she thought about her hypothesis once again. ¡®Peter. Peter Alduit. But he died shortly after everyone else did. I know he did! I buried them all myself. Thinking back though, Peter was a good flirt, and his social skills were pretty good as well. And now I¡¯m a Farmer...¡¯ She sighed, knowing that the circumstances could no longer be described as coincidental.


    Nick and Zenith walked into the room shortly thereafter; Paige noting that they were holding hands. ¡°The formation Zenith,¡± causing the girl to jump away from Nick and blush, ¡°I know another part of the formation. It changed the world to fit our deepest desires.¡±


    Zenith tilted her head and frowned. ¡°How¡¯d you come to that conclusion?¡±


    Paige hesitated, but steeled her nerves and told them all bluntly, ¡°I never wanted to be a Princess or a Warrior. I always longed to go back to my childhood, where I was just a Farmer¡¯s daughter. Not a Princess burdened by fate. Not a Warrior burdened by responsibility. Not risking my life in a fight. Just me, and a quiet life. And I think I got some of what I wished for.¡±


    Paige didn''t bother to look any of them in the eye. ¡°I once had a brother named Peter. But he died shortly before I became a Princess. I assume that the formation tried to change everything, but it could not change how big of an impact I made throughout the Empire. So it did the next best thing and attributed everything I ever did to my brother instead.¡±


    Tyler spoke up, his eyes serious. ¡°I was tired of the responsibility. Tired of watching over the Royal Court, with all it¡¯s subterfuge and politics. All I wanted was to go and make an honest living. I was jealous of how free a Merchant¡¯s life was.¡±


    ¡°Think about it for a moment. What do both of you really want in life? If you had the chance?¡±


    Zenith paled slightly. ¡®I wanted to be different. To be loved and part of a family. To be¡­¡¯ Tears started running down her face as she realized why she had become Anna. Nick. She wanted to fall in love with Nick. And now it happened in the worst way imaginable.


    Nick gasped, ¡°I wanted a second chance with my family. I was regretting not spending time with my family.¡± He turned toward Zenith, his eyes full of compassion. ¡°Zenith, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not yo, your fault, Nick.¡±


    Paige sighed. ¡°All that remains now is figuring out Isabella, Markus, and the Demon party members. What desires did they have?¡±


    ¡°Paige, what should we do now? We¡¯re practically dead to the world.¡±


    ¡°We keep it that way for one. Reincarnation is impossible. Even the Head Imperial Healer can¡¯t reverse death. For all we know, we all had a dream and awoken some memories.¡±


    ¡°How likely is that Paige?¡±


    ¡°Not very likely. But it is a safer reason than saying we reincarnated. That will bring us a whole lot of trouble. One that we certainly can¡¯t defend against, not with our current classes.¡± Paige warned severely. ¡°I cannot stress how much we have to hide our identity. Think of excuses now, as well as backstories for anything you might know. Tyler, you parents were a confidant of Tyler Merk, and you were named in his honor. Zenith, Nick, make something up that is reasonable. Birthright transfer, secret mentor, something. It just has to be within the realm of reason, no matter how farfetched.¡±


    ¡°Paige. What about your ring? Can it be traced back to you?¡±


    ¡°No, it... should be safe. At least in theory. Spatial rings are rare, and the people who can make it are even rarer. You¡¯d have to be in very close proximity to notice any anomaly. As a High Class, it¡¯s almost impossible for others to tell what you have on you since your mana would be highly condensed, but as a Farmer...we''ll have to test that out later. Let me check what equipment is in there though. I don¡¯t think I have anything with me that could trace back to our actual identities."


    ¡°Ring ring ring, show me my stuff,¡± Paige said loudly as the ring glowed brighter and brighter. Rows of boxes appeared in front of Paige, who started fidgiting nervously as she looked over the items. ¡°Oh. Well, I might have to amend my statement. I have a ton of stuff that may get us in trouble.¡± She tapped on the boxes and familiar items appeared in front of her. One was the most conspicuous of all the items.


    A tower shield with the royal insignia. A staff and magic robe. A pendant with a bow in the middle. And a necklace with a simple, intact sapphire at the end of it. One that had her name engraved on it. Her Imperial Wardstone.

 Chapter 32

    ¡°Are you sure you know how to farm Paige? It¡¯s probably been ages since you¡¯ve last tried your hand at growing things,¡± Tyler said while sweating profusely. Watching her work was giving him a mini heart attack. Barring the livestock, he watched as Paige seemingly wasted almost all the money he made.


    ¡°Of course I know how to farm. My family was farmers, after all,¡± Paige shrugged while working in the fields. ¡°What kind of Farmer¡¯s daughter would I be if I couldn¡¯t even help out around the farm?¡±


    ¡°The kind of daughter that grew up to be a Warrior instead. Umm, Paige, what did you do around the farm, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± Zenith said, stifling a laugh back.


    Pausing for a moment, Paige thought about it and nonchalantly answered. ¡°Standard stuff. Milk the cows, shear the sheep, gather fruits, check traps, water plants. Basically everything you need to know.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything about planting Paige. I know you¡¯re doing it wrong.¡± Nick said with a deadpan voice. ¡°Just look behind you Paige.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Paige turned, confused as to what was wrong. She thought she was doing a great job.


    ¡°Paige, you''re just hacking the ground with your hoe. And you''re not even piling the soil to make rows. And you''re literally throwing the seeds behind you.¡±


    ¡°Nick, Nick, Nick. That¡¯s the problem with watching a Farmer work his fields. Everyone thinks they know better than the one working.¡± Paige tutted, shaking her head in disappointment. ¡°What you see as hacking the soil, is me making irrigation trenches. With this much foliage on the ground, I won¡¯t need any fertilizer, and we don¡¯t have any specialized equipment or a large field, so there is no need to plant in rows. I''ll double back later and cover the seeds while I water them.¡±


    ¡°Paige, not to put a damper on what you said, but I¡¯ve seen rows of wheat before. Even sunflowers and fruit trees are always planted in rows. Why are those Farmers wrong then?¡± Zenith said with uncertainty, not really believing Paige¡¯s argument.


    ¡°Those Farmers also had a large field and if they have to pay farmhands by the day, then making harvesting efficient is key. On the other hand, we barely have even an acre of land available to farm on right now. We¡¯ll have to expand that out to at least five acres or so for us to live independently, but that¡¯ll be hard to do short term wise.¡± She shrugged and continued on hacking at the land with her wooden hoe.


    ¡°Tyler, what seeds did Paige ask you to buy?¡± Zenith asked quietly.


    ¡°A little of everything actually. Mostly wheat seeds, but also some corn, berries, clover, potatoes, lettuce. Judging by what Paige is doing though, I think she is planning to plant all of them at once. Look, she¡¯s clearly marking out at least fifteen plots of land. But the main problem is that nothing will be ready for at least a few weeks. Hell, even the wheat will take at least a year to grow.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to import our food for that long? How will you be able to expand your business if you can¡¯t leave? We need information, but we also need to be sure we can get supplies on a regular basis as well.¡± Zenith bit her lip as she tried to think of a good solution.


    ¡°Paige said she had a way to grow food faster, but skills like that are rare to have. Do you know of any spells that could make plants grow faster?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly a druid you know. But my school did cover some of the basics¡­Nope. I don¡¯t know of any spells that are applicable for farming. Battles sure, but you¡¯d have to fall on pretty hard times as a Mage to even think about spending time on something as inconsequential as farming spells.¡±


    ¡°You forgot to mention how most spells make food taste horrible. Something about the mage''s mana mixing with raw produce made plants inedible, even for most animals.¡± Paige called from the field below. ¡°My senses are as good as ever Zenith. You could¡¯ve just asked me.¡±


    Zenith was unsure about Paige¡¯s retained senses. ¡®Prim said battle classes had better constitutions than other classes. So how do our new classes affect our senses?¡¯ ¡°Ahem, so how fast are you able to grow things, Paige?¡±


    ¡°You might not believe me, but when I was a Warrior I did garden a bit. There was one skill in particular that I learned from the Royal Gardeners. [Green Thumb]. With the right amount of sun and some luck, I should be able to grow things twice as fast.¡± She said with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Wait, Gardeners isn¡¯t a real Class, Paige! How on earth do they learn skills? Wouldn''t they need a real class like Farmer?¡±


    ¡°Heheh, it is a Class, just a very specialized one. When someone gets serious with a hobby, there is a chance for it to become a Class. Have you ever heard of a Drunken Warrior? That¡¯s a ridiculous Battle Class, and the mortality rate is really high, but I¡¯ve seen people with it. Can¡¯t fight a chicken off with a sword when sober, but give them some alcohol and they¡¯ll fight a dragon with nothing but a tankard and a sword.¡± Pausing her swing, she nodded. "Yeah, that''s about right, actually. I''d give them a fifty-fifty chance of survivingtoo, depending on how long it takes for them to get sober enough to run away."


    Tyler only sighed while Zenith and Paige argued about the validity of what Zenith believed to be fake classes while Paige continued digging irrigation ditches. ¡°Nick, grab the baby. You can teach me about wooden weapons while they argue. I¡¯m not about to sit here and watch Paige farm all day.¡±


    Nick eyed the baby warily. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s even a good idea? Paige and Zenith are awfully protective of him.¡±


    Tyler waved off his concerns. ¡°All they¡¯ll do is argue. Besides, I really do need to learn more about bows and you can tell me what you would like me to investigate in the future.¡± That got Nick¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Fine. Zenith, Tyler''s taking the baby with us. We¡¯re going to get some wood to refill Tyler¡¯s inventory.¡±


    ¡°Sure, just make sure he¡¯s safe! And not too hot! Or hungry!¡± Zenith called out as they walked into the forest proper.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about investigating?¡± Nick said after they walked for some time. Tyler had modified a potato sack to hold the baby on his back, as his hands were busy moving the heavy underbrush aside. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°I know what Paige said about not revealing ourselves, but I think it will not do us any good in the long term. Paige definitely has experience with forging documents, so we should be good in the short term. But we still have no idea about your circumstances after all. For all we know, you may still be alive in Leit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, Tyler.¡± Pained, Nick told Tyler what Commander Austin had told him at Castle Patel. ¡°...so you see, if I didn¡¯t go on the mission, there is still a high chance that I am dead.¡±


    ¡°A high chance, yes. But not impossible. Traitors are hard to deal with because they can be hidden in plain sight. There is some risk involved with looking into different country''s politics, but if I have a good enough reason, nothing is impossible to find.¡±


    Nicks'' eyes widened at the thought. ¡°The bows. You want to sell bows to the Rangers.¡±


    Tyler nodded. ¡°If it is possible. You''ll have to make Ranger worthy bows, but we have time. It won¡¯t be hard to gather information on this Peter person, and I am planning on using some of my...more hidden assets to gather information reliably, and more importantly, quietly. Only information on you and Zenith will be hard to gather and verify.¡±


    ¡°Ranger bows, even longbows, will be a tough sell. Especially if they find out you traveled half the country to sell bows. That alone screams spy more than anything else, even if the quality of the bows is good.¡±


    ¡°Long term goals, Nick. I was the head Guard of the Royal Family, I know how to gather intelligence. It¡¯s just harder to do now since I cannot abandon this identity,¡± he said as he looked at himself. ¡°Anyways, what are we looking for Nick? We probably shouldn¡¯t go too far with the baby. I''m sure Zenith and Paige will start to worry if we are away for too long.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for some young saplings and certain types of trees. The bows that I made for you initially I carved out. But those bows are only good for so long since the grain of the wood is exposed and I hardly varnished them. Now I am looking for a complete sapling, one that will hopefully be able to withstand constant use. The baby will be fine. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find some berries or something, so relax. I filled up my water skin as well, so we can wander at least half the day and be perfectly fine.¡±


    ¡°If you say so Nick. But wouldn¡¯t it be easier to find saplings where the canopies aren¡¯t as densely covered?¡±


    ¡°It would be, but trees growing without a dense cover above them also tend to have more branches on them. This deep into the forest, and they should be growing straight upward, making it easy to create a good, straight bow. At least, that what I remember a Bowyer saying. I always told them I wanted a good bow, but all I heard were excuses. It shouldn''t be too hard to find good wood in a forest.¡±


    Tyler just shrugged, not really understanding the differences between a good wooden bow and a bad one. Nick muttered under his breath as he found good saplings, but none lithe enough for his liking. ¡°Good wood everywhere, but none even halfway decent for a great longbow.¡±


    ¡°Just make a crappy one then. The quality of the ones you made yesterday were fine.¡±


    Nick glared at Tyler. ¡°If I¡¯m going to make Ranger quality bows, I need to eventually find good wood. It¡¯d be better to know what these woods offer before I start using good wood on subpar bows. We¡¯ve passed by at least thirty different types of trees that would be perfect for regular and army grade bows, but not Ranger bows.¡±


    ¡°If you say so, Nick.¡± Tyler fed the baby some berries he found after Nick had approved of them. ¡°Did Paige ever tell you that these woods have a certain¡­ reputation.¡±


    ¡°Paige told me these woods were haunted,¡± Nick said boredly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you believe in those stories.¡±


    ¡°Oh good. That saves me the trouble of explaining it. These woods are haunted, Nick.¡±


    ¡°Hah! I¡¯ll believe that when I see it.¡±


    ¡°Which story did Paige tell you about? The lake, the merchant, or the town?¡± Tyler said seriously. Nick looked back annoyedly but noticed that Tyler was carefully surveying the woods around them. ¡®Was she telling the truth?¡¯ ¡°The merchant. Something about an old man.¡±


    ¡°The Queen and Paige had come here multiple times, but eventually Rebecca had enough of Paige bringing her to these woods. Too many strange things happened around here.¡±


    ¡°She said she never came back to find the man though?¡±


    ¡°She never found the man. Paige was furious about it too. Evidently, she sold something quite valuable and was furious about the trade afterward. But by then he was gone.¡±


    ¡°Heh, sounds like a good conman to me.¡±


    ¡°Well, tell that to Paige then.¡±


    Nick stopped suddenly. ¡°What was that about a Lake?¡±


    ¡°Well, she said she found a Lake here one time, but even with specialized birds, we were never able to find a substantial body of water here. She just kept going on and on about there being a huge lake in the forest. But based on her descriptions of the size, it¡¯d be impossible.¡±


    ¡°Well, it looks like we found it,¡± Nick said as he stared out into an open lake, complete with a waterfall on the far side of the lake.


    ---


    ¡°These woods are weird. We found a lake here.¡± Nick said as soon as they arrived back at the settlement.


    ¡°Of course you found a lake. There had to be some way the stream was collecting water after all.¡± Zenith said frankly. She glanced at the stream to their side. ¡°It should be a relatively large one too, judging by the depth of the stream. The water is moving pretty fast, all things considering. The slope isn''t that steep.¡±


    ¡°A lake with a waterfall though? I swear, the far side of the lake was practically formed by waterfalls.¡±


    ¡°Hah! I knew I saw a lake here last time. Rebecca hardly believed me when I told her that.¡± Paige smiled since she was finally proven right.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think that¡¯s strange? At all?¡± Nick said, flabbergasted at her lack of interest.


    ¡°Nick, you¡¯ve never seen the forest from the outside, so you probably would think it is strange. From the outside, it looks pretty flat, but the truth is that the ground dips noticeably close to the center of the forest. Add on three rivers converging somewhere in the forest and only one leaving, I¡¯d assume the lake is real. Just never could find it again.¡± Paige shrugged her shoulders, making Nick feel dumb about his discovery.


    ¡°Was there anything else, or¡­?¡± Zenith asked hesitantly.


    Nick and Tyler looked at each other. ¡°Nick found some edible berries for the baby. We found some good lumber for bows as well. Nick, do you want to tell them about the animal tracks?¡±


    Nick looked at Zenith. ¡°I remember you telling Isabella that you hunted monsters exclusively for parts. How were you able to do that as a Mage?


    ¡°I, uh, may have exaggerated just a bit. I did fight monsters for parts, but only magic insensitive ones. The rarer ones I¡¯d need a team to lure out and distract the monsters, and then use a few magic circles to kill it. Why?¡± Zenith said with small blush.


    ¡°Well, we did find animal tracks, but from what I can tell, they are all aggressive monsters. Forest elk, wild boars, black bears, timberwolves. I even found some raven nests and sturgeons in the lake, but it seems that a majority of the land and air animals have already left the forest. Do you think the fog caused all the animals to leave voluntarily?¡±


    Zenith frowned. ¡°The fog may mess up their senses, especially if they can sense mana. But that would mean all of them have developed mana cores, which would be unlikely.¡±


    ¡°As unlikely as all of you reviving from the dead?¡± Paige said as she stopped farming for the day, her wooden hoe practically falling apart from the work.


    Zenith shrugged. ¡°Point taken. Just watch out for fresh tracks. If they all have developed mana cores, it¡¯ll be slightly dangerous for us if they think we are intruding into their territory. Nothing we shouldn''t be able to handle, but just be aware for the future.¡±


    Paige just laughed it off, not knowing how bad a few monsters could be. ¡°That sounds like a good challenge Zenith. Farming and a few monster attacks! Just what I¡¯ve always dreamed of.¡±

 Chapter 32.1 (Side Story - A visit from a Tax Collector).

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have to travel to that godforsaken place. Stupid no named traveling Merchant. Why the hell did he even know to report an unmarked settlement?¡± Aldwin Sala cursed to himself as he traveled down the lonely road. His escorts had distanced themselves from him as soon as he started asking questions about their income levels and taxable receipts.


    Aldwin Sala. A normal name for a mostly normal tax collector. Normal in the sense that the Salas family was known throughout the kingdom as the trusted Kingdom Tax Collectors. But if you asked any of the shopkeepers in Cidale, they would have quite a different opinion. At a hair less than six feet tall, he was known as the broody, moody, alcoholic who liked to most of the day away, except tax day. But deep within his unkempt exterior laid a smart, resourceful man.


    As the lone tax collector in the little town of Cidale, he enjoyed the peaceful days of quiet and relaxation. He only had to visit each shop every few months to receive the taxes due to the town and the nation. But with the news of a settlement in the Echoing Woods, he now had to travel at least once a year to check in on them. For safety reasons. He couldn¡¯t just let refugees die because of negligence; that would haunt him for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Maybe I can hire someone next time. I¡¯ll need to check the local regulations on that, but I am pretty sure I can authorize a mission to the guild to check on them in my stead.¡± He muttered, coming up with a reasonable plan of action.


    But an errant thought struck him, ¡°That Merchant said there was a Teacher living there. Crap. That means Madam Thompson will most likely be checking in as well. But what are the chances she¡¯d ask me about them?¡± He thought for a moment and sighed. ¡°More than likely she¡¯ll want some information on them. There hasn¡¯t been a new Teacher in these parts for years.¡±


    ¡°Mister Sala sir, we are approaching the woods. Did you want us to follow you?¡± A young woman¡¯s voice sounded out from beside his carriage, just out of view from where he was laying.


    ¡°Of course I would, Miss Rain. Unless you think the donkey can find his way there by himself.¡± He responded lazily.


    ¡°Apprentice Warrior Cindy Rain to you, Mister Sala.¡±


    ¡°If you want to pull rank and force me to call you an Apprentice Warrior then you can call me Head Tax Collector of Cidale; officially appointed by the Royal Family to govern the collection of taxes within this region of land. I already know which one holds more weight.¡± He paused for dramatic effect. ¡°Of course, once you become a specialized warrior I will call you whatever you like. Until then though, I will be calling you Miss Rain, or Party Leader Rain if within earshot of your party.¡± He knew better than to burn all his bridges in one go. ¡®Politeness will get you far in life. Sometimes.¡¯


    He could hear the girl muttering under her breath, ¡°Of all the nerve¡­¡±, but didn¡¯t bother to respond. He knew full well that they were getting paid with the town¡¯s tax money, and he would be sure to delay payment if they even couldn¡¯t even bother to take him all the way to the settlement. Clearing his throat, he caught the girls attention. ¡°The job description clearly stated ¡®escorting one person to the newly located settlement within the Echoing Woods.¡¯. Which part indicates the job is done once you escorted me to the edge of said woods¡¯¡±?


    ¡°...None sir.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then take me into the woods.¡±


    ¡°You know these woods have a certain...¡± Party Leader Rain started.


    ¡°Yes yes, it is impossibly hard to navigate. Which is why the mission required someone with at least a low affinity to nature, or [[Trail Finder]].¡±


    The wagon stopped, causing Aldwin to frown. ¡°Why did you stop the cart? I was almost asleep,¡± he lied as he continued to lay there. In truth, he just did not want to get up.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. Your pack animal stopped by itself. Looks like I can¡¯t budge him either. Walking it is.¡± Miss Rain said with a hint of humor in her voice.


    ¡°I swear if I get up and he moves, I¡¯m deducting a gold piece from the mission request for blatantly lying to the requestee.¡± A few tugs on the cart indicated that she was indeed trying, but the donkey refused to go forward. ¡°Well, it feels like you aren¡¯t lying. Great, just my luck to find an animal that won¡¯t willingly go into the woods.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think we requested a raise on the mission request? Every party knows these woods are dangerous, for more reasons than one.¡±


    ¡°Eh, Is it really that dangerous?¡± Aldwin said suspiciously. His lack of interest in anything outside the town was starting to show, and not in a good way. As he sat up, he looked over to the girl. She was wearing only leather armor and had a semi rusted iron shield strapped to her back. Probably a family heirloom or perhaps an ill-fated adventurer''s equipment, he supposed. Her bright blue eyes were framed with freckles on her cheeks, her reddish-brown hair pulled back into a braid. At just over five feet tall, she had to look up at him, even when he was just sitting up in the cart. ''Not my type of girl, but she''s probably more fit than any other girl I''ve met.'' He caught himself staring a little too long and stood up, dusting imaginary dirt away.


    Partly Leader Rain looked askance at him. ¡°You requested this mission without even knowing how dangerous it is? There are all kinds of rare materials hiding in these woods, but the number of people who die there yearly can fill an entire lot at the cemetery. These woods are unofficially called ¡®The Land where Novice Parties go to die¡¯. Over three hundred different predators live in there, you know.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Aldwin''s eyes started twitching. ¡°And this is inspiring confidence how?¡±


    ¡°We have new bows to fight with. If we stay on the path, we hopefully can pick off any monsters from a distance.¡± Cindy said with a small chuckle. ¡°Lou, William, York, form up!¡±


    Aldwin looked behind and groaned slightly. ¡®I should¡¯ve checked the party members before I laid down in the cart!¡¯ Two young boys and one girl headed for the cart, each of them carrying a wooden short bow. Their ages couldn¡¯t possibly be over the age of twenty! He looked over at Miss Cindy with a dark gleam in his eye. Unfortunately for him, a sheet of paper was dangling in front of him. ¡°Escortee requests the cheapest party available that can hopefully fulfill this request to the Echoing Woods. Notice which two parts the receptionist pointed out. For a measly twelve gold, we are already pushing it with this mission.¡±


    ¡°...I probably shouldn¡¯t have shouted at her. Crap.¡±


    ¡°Probably not. Louise and William will guard our backs. York, stay close to Aldwin. I¡¯ll take the front. Shoot anything that moves with an arrow first. York, use a spell if you think you can hit the target, otherwise use your bow.¡±


    ¡°A mage? Apprentice?¡± Aldwin¡¯s hopes perked up but were soon dashed by reality.


    ¡°Hah, not quite. He has the mana capacity to be a mage, but he hasn¡¯t received the class yet. A few tricks are all he can do right now. But I¡¯m hoping that winning a few battles will change that soon. Overcoming trials and all that.¡±


    As they walked into the forest, Aldwin noticed something odd, something he hadn¡¯t felt for a long time. ¡°Stop. My mana is resonating with something. That¡¯s usually a bad sign¡± Although he had grown up and become a professional Tax Collector, he couldn¡¯t quite rid himself of his dream to become a Mage.


    ¡°No, someone mentioned in the last few Guild reports that mana here is unusually hard to control. Best not use any skills, lads, unless you really need to.¡± Cindy said to the group as she buckled her iron shield to her shield arm.


    The walk through the forest was unusually tense, the stillness of the forest unsettling him. No, not just him; even the Party he hired was nervous, Aldwin noticed nervously.


    ¡°Are we getting close?¡± Aldwin spoke aloud, his voice echoing in the quiet woods.


    ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t draw attention to us. According to the Merchant, it should be around the next few bends.¡±


    On cue, a pair of dilapidated houses appeared in front of them shortly, parts and pieces of the buildings were a different color, obviously new wood. Clearing his throat, he called out loudly: ¡°Tax Collector, in the name of Queen Rebecca the Third, I order you to show yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Huh, you arrived pretty fast.¡± A young woman voice called out from their side, startling them all. Cindy turned abruptly and Willaim fired an arrow on instinct.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Aldwin yelled, cursing the novices. If he had to file a death report¡­


    Turning, he saw a young woman holding an arrow in her hands, eying them warily. ¡°Careful kid, you could¡¯ve killed someone like that.¡± A wooden hoe was stuck in the ground beside her. Probably a Farmer, judging by her outfit. She looked over the group carefully, noting the weapons each of them had. Aldwin noticed the woman¡¯s eye glance at his foot and his shoulders, clearly marking where his weapons were hidden. Formal training or retired mercenary? She''s definitely not just a farmer...


    ¡°A Tax Collector huh? Well, welcome to our humble abode. Want to talk out here in the fog or in the house?¡±


    Fog? What fog? It¡¯s a perfectly clear day. Great. The first person I met is already delusional.¡¯¡°We¡¯ll talkright here. The Merchant said there were four people here. I need the Names and Classes of anyone present. Where are the others?¡±


    ¡°Ah, a census I see. I¡¯m Paige, a simple Farmer. Zenith, the Teacher, is out with Nick, the Bowyer. Both are gathering supplies,¡± the farmer replied. Peh, simple Farmer she says. Never met a Farmer who can pluck arrows out of the air. Farmer Conscript maybe.


    "Can the Teacher teach magic or nonmagic classes?" Aldwin said, writing down the responses.


    "Magic classes."


    ¡°And the last person is¡­¡± Aldwin supplied suspiciously.


    ¡°And a baby is with them. That makes four.¡± Paige said with a deadpan voice, her eyes narrowing slightly.


    ¡°All settlements are required to have at least one battle-oriented class. Alcudian Settlement Rule #15. You have to vacate the premise immediately.¡± Aldwin stated happily. So long as she didn''t confirm she was a Conscript, if he could make them move out of these woods, his whole life would be simpler.


    ¡°Alcudian Settlement Rule #23-4b. A settlement may forgo the need for a battle-oriented class so long as two rules are followed: One, a marked boundary with sufficient defenses suitable against monster attacks; and Two, a sworn affidavit acknowledging that the nearest town will not be able to help during an emergency.¡± Paige said lazily in response, challenging Aldwin¡¯s grasp on the kingdom¡¯s law. He knew that there was something like that stated, but was it stated exactly like that? ¡°Give me a piece of paper and I¡¯ll sign it. To appeal against a settlement, the Royal Family must state their case against the settlee in person, and provide sufficient remuneration in regards to the loss of property. I don¡¯t think the Royal Family will be coming this way any time soon.¡±


    ¡°Bu, Tha, A, A, A, A three-foot stone wall is hardly a defense against a black bear! Or any other monster in these woods!¡± Aldwin screamed. The thought of having to come out here constantly was starting to bother him immensely.


    ¡°Bah, says the person not living here. I think it is fine, so it is fine. Just settle down in the house and wait for the others to come back. Can¡¯t you see that I am busy tilling the fields? Of course, you can always grab a hoe and help if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°No thank you. We¡¯re leaving now. Just remember taxes are to be paid in either gold, services, or trade goods. And don¡¯t die. Just in case you don¡¯t know, watch out for the monsters in the forest, as well as any bandits. The last people to come here fared...poorly against both threats.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we will be just fine. I can guarantee it. Next time make sure you get up around daybreak to make it here. I¡¯ll have some fresh food when you come here next quarter. Hahaha.¡± Her laugh echoed behind him mockingly as he walked quickly away, determined to check the local laws again.


    And of course, that farmer would be right.

 Chapter 33

    ¡°It¡¯ll be ten silvers Miss.¡± The shopkeeper, Tim Vann, told the young girl in front of him.


    ¡°Ten silvers! That¡¯s practically robbery Mister Vann. Six silvers and you have yourself a deal.¡± The youngish girl in front of him said in response. ¡°And don¡¯t try to go any higher, otherwise I¡¯ll get my sisters to come instead.¡± Stella giggled as Mister Vann¡¯s face changed to a sour grimace, fully indicating how much he hated dealing with Luna.


    ¡°Oh, if only your sister was as reasonable as you are. A sight for sore eyes, she is. But that temper of hers¡­¡±, he ruefully stored the food supplies in the wooden crate in front of him, making sure all the liquids were sealed tight. ¡°Make sure you bring back these glass bottles. They¡¯re rather expensive as is.¡±


    ¡°Yees daaad,¡± she exclaimed with a smile as she strode out of the shop, a light skip in her step. She could hear muttering behind her, but chose not to listen to him talk about her skewed sense of manners once again. Her plan to use Luna and Shavie to intimidate everyone had gone off swell, or as well as it could in a city such as this. The hard part was how to safely toe the line between mischief and crime, and they already had a few complaints from the Nespe City Watch from the wimpier merchants. Luckily, their age and looks softened their fines, but only a bit.


    ¡°Glass bottles, check. Now I just need to drop this off with Shavie and we¡¯ll be good on supplies for at least a few days.¡± She smiled to the other shopkeepers as she passed the main road, making sure to greet each of them in turn. ¡®Relationships are key to all missions. Remember that Stella. A smile can have more value than a dagger at times; the key is knowing when to use which tool.¡¯ Her footsteps faltered for a moment, but she sped up, making sure to stick closer to the shadier portion of the street. ¡°I¡¯m not an Nightwalker anymore. I¡¯m just an alchemist. Just an alchemist,¡± she whispered quietly to herself.


    Waking up in the city with a baby had confused her at first. She could remember everything that had happened, the events from the ritual imprinted in her mind. Checking around for any witnesses, Stella quickly fell back to her Nightwalker training. ¡°I forcefully request the status of those around me. [[Hidden Quick Status]].¡± Their status quickly appeared and Stella waved it away after a long glance.Stella Platz, Human, Alchemist.Isabella Freal Platz, Human/Demon, Blessed Apprentice.Those few days before finding and meeting up with the rest of her team was rough, but she weathered it all with some help from the local shopkeepers. That, and her knowledge of alchemy and medicine helped open some doors as well.


    ¡°Hopefully Bishner can find some information, but none of us are well suited for our new roles. Well, except maybe Shavie.¡± As she rounded the corner Stella looked upon an odd building; one that did not fit in with the rest of the neighborhood. It was fully surrounded by a brick wall, a central courtyard could be seen from the road. But upon further inspection, one could make out what was missing. The roof was missing for a good portion of the house. ¡®Ugh, it¡¯s going to cost a fortune to replace the rotting roof line. Maybe Shavie can poison a carpenter discreetly. Maybe I could barter medicine for help¡­¡¯ Stella bit her lip and banished the thought away. ''I¡¯ll get an estimate later. Perhaps it''s cheaper than I thought, and it would not be worth it if I get caught.''"Shavviiee, you there? Luunnaa?¡± she yelled as she grabbed the simple gate and opened it.


    ¡°I¡¯m here Stella. All you had to do is turn your head and you¡¯d see us.¡± Luna scolded lightly. Luna was sitting in the shade of the lone courtyard tree, A bundle of cloth on Luna¡¯s stomach. ¡°Wake me up later, I need to get back to the library around noon.¡±


    ¡°Where is Shavie?¡±


    ¡°She is somewhere around here. Just follow the sound of the guards yelling and you¡¯ll probably find her nearby.¡±


    Stella frowned at the frank response. ¡°Luna, goodwill only goes so far. Please make sure that she doesn¡¯t do anything that will draw too much attention to our...unique situation.¡±


    ¡°Relax, she¡¯s still trying to figure out her own circumstances. Peaceful times do not make an Assassin any less tense. Especially when she can¡¯t solve her problems with killing,¡± Luna said tiredly.


    Stella looked over at Luna, who was falling asleep under the reddening maple tree. ¡°You''re gonna get sick that way, you know. At least have a blanket nearby; it¡¯s pretty chilly in the shade.¡±


    ¡°I finally got into a comfortable position, and the baby is acting like a weighted blanket. Besides, it''s not often we get to relax like this. And the baby will wake me up when she needs something. And yes, I made sure she ate all the mush you prepared earlier. I''d honestly be surprised if she woke up within a few hours, the weather right now is peeerfect.¡±


    Stella sighed. ¡°Luna, when was the last time you got up? Shouldn¡¯t you get ready for your day job? I thought you said Miss Heather and her family were going out of town for awhile?¡±


    ¡°A few weeks to gather new books. Relax, the library isn¡¯t going anywhere. And if someone tries to steal something...well, at least Shavie will have something to do.¡±


    ¡°A teacher, an appraiser, an alchemist, and a bodyguard,¡± Stella said as she picked up the bundle of blankets, revealing a swaddle, sleeping baby girl. Her platinum hair caught the sunlight coming through the tree just right, twinkling like the stars at night. ¡°What can we even teach you, our little Cleric? What are our roles in all of this?¡±


    ¡°For now, it¡¯s just surviving. At least we found a place that the weird fog isn¡¯t willing to gather at. Can you even imagine spending all day in that god awful fog? I¡¯m getting shivers just imagining it,¡± Luna said, her gaze resting outside the courtyard. Stella turned and saw the low fog that was resting on the cobblestones of the town. Both of them knew that the fog was only visible to the four of them; the rest of the city and the people around them couldn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°Weird fog. Are you sure it¡¯s even dissipating? Do you know how hard it is to actually run around this city and not being able to use our skills reliably? It takes almost ten times longer to gather mana than before. That¡¯s barely a spell every few days. Or a skill once a week!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably the point Luna. How would we be able to explain our abilities otherwise? ¡®I¡¯m sorry, mister guard captain sir, I didn¡¯t mean to heavily injure the poor sod for harassing us. How was I supposed to know I could still break half the bones in his body with a single hit. To be fair, he was a creeper and was looking at us funny.¡¯ Do you know how much legwork I had to do in order to stop us from being expelled from the city? I swear, I was about to have a heart attack when Shavie said that out loud.¡± Stella said with a groan.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Haha, well, at least you were able to soothe the issue out peacefully. And a crying baby helps too,¡± Luna chuckled. ¡°Has the boy¡¯s family been harassing you again?¡±


    ¡°No, my medicine is spot on. Honestly, I¡¯d be more surprised if they could find a poison that is not fatal that we don¡¯t know about. The guards put a stop to it after the fifth attempt.¡± Stella said quietly. ¡°I did offer to heal the boy, but the guard captain said it would be a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d trust a law enforcement officer more than any noble. Besides, they have no dirt on us. The chances they do something against us is minimal.¡± Luna scoffed and brushed the problems aside with a wave of her hand.


    Banishing potential problems and darker solutions away, Stella shook her head and asked the question on her mind. ¡°Has Bishner found any news on Markus?¡±


    Luna sat up and twisted her body, her jointspopping lightlyfrom the stiffness. ¡°Nope, nothing new so far. He¡¯s going to go and check the other towns that were previously conquered soon. Hopefully one of our army contacts left information somewhere hidden. But as far as the world is concerned, we are ¡°dead¡±. And let¡¯s leave it that way for now. At least until we can all leave the city.¡± Standing upright, she jumped up and down slightly, the baby in her arms moving around in slight discomfort.¡°Walk with me to the library? It¡¯ll be a good change of pace.¡± Luna said as she held out her hand. Stella grabbed it tightly, and Luna gave a heartfelt smile. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. We made it through Nightwalker training together. Who¡¯s to say this will be tougher than that?¡±


    With a rueful grin, Stella agreed. ¡°You''re right. Let me deactivate the wards when we leave, it¡¯s too expensive to leave on continuously.¡±


    Passing by the courtyard gate, Stella brushed the inside of the gate, wiping the eavesdropping wards away. The inert material landed on the ground. Looking over it critically, Stella sighed to herself. ¡®Privacy wards are too expensive this way. It¡¯ll take me at least another twenty grams of shade leaves and alcudian moss to create that reagent. I think Mister Vann will have some in, or maybe I should go to an apothecary for that? But those materials don¡¯t really have a use in traditional medicines...¡¯


    ¡°So, how did the shopping go? I noticed you brought supplies. Soup tonight?¡± Luna said as she gazed ahead at the road. She noticed Stella had zoned out, probably determining costs again. They weren¡¯t too poor, but poor enough to have to stretch each silver coin as much as possible.


    Stella herself noticed Luna was marking out escape routes and hiding spots. Old habits were hard to kill. ¡°It was fine. I threatened Mister Vann for a discount. Said you and Shavie would pick up the supplies next time.


    ¡°Hah! That¡¯s my sister! Do the same to the baker by the library. I think they were the Baker¡¯s? Heh. Make sure to get some fresh bread when you head back.¡±


    ¡°Luna, do you think it¡¯d be like this if we were back home? You know, if we never got our classes?¡±


    Luna slowed, clearly thinking about the question. ¡°Probably not. You know, everything was centered around the war. We¡¯d have a different class instead most likely. Maybe field medics or something, since we are friends with Markus. We probably wouldn¡¯t have met Shavie or Bishner though.¡±


    ¡°No, probably not.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a good crowd up ahead. Did you want to listen to the town crier for updated news?¡± Luna said quietly. The road ahead was filling up with people as the traveling crier brought updated information about the war efforts. The premise of someone yelling the information at you instead of reading it filled Stella with distrust.


    Stella listened silently to the crier and shook her head. ¡°Not particularly, sister. I''ll read the news bulletin just fine. Shopkeeper Vann should have it soon, so I''ll get the newspaper there. And we can use the extra paper to patch holes in the wall afterward. How about we take the backroads to the Library instead?¡±


    ¡°Suits me just fine,¡± Luna said with a shrug. Picking a route she had already mapped out, Luna walked briskly through the narrow alleyways. ¡°So Shavie is not the best babysitter. Do you think we need to find a nursemaid or something?¡±


    ¡°I would, but we don¡¯t know who we can really trust yet. The boy¡¯s parents are friends with the local Duchess, so...¡± Stella trailed off, sighing loudly. ¡°I know Shavie meant well, but it made a few things harder for us.¡±


    ¡°Shavie will get the hang of it. I¡¯ve been reading up on the local laws as well, so they won¡¯t be able to get us with the law. I¡¯m sure I can mount a perfectly good defense. And if not, I¡¯m sure Shavie will be able to send a message or two.¡±


    Checking the street for any crowds, Luna and Stella walked over to the library. The stone building was separated by a wide street on each side, each street fully paved with brick and a well on each corner of the building. Stella looked over at the building and thought it was a waste for a library to command such a prime location in the city. Even the city hall and guard station were abutted by shops on each side.


    ¡°I looked up the history on this building. Evidently, the Queen and someone called Peter Alduit built it. The wells and streets are meant to be a firestop, and the library is the primary evacuation spot for the civilians in case of an attack. It¡¯s apparently also the second largest library in the nation. I can¡¯t access the vaults yet, but Miss Heather said that she could try and get me access to it; if I do a good job while she is gone.¡±


    ¡°Heh, so that¡¯s the real reason you got up huh?¡± Stella giggled as she waited for Luna to deactivate the wards surrounding the main entrance.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you around.¡±


    ---


    ¡°It¡¯s huge¡­¡± Stella looked around, her eyes wide at the sight. From the outside, the stone walls and wide streets made the building look smaller than it was. Rows and rows of books lined the inner portion of the building, a small glass ceiling above shedding light evenly throughout. No, Stella realized it was not just the floor, even further down the light penetrated, revealing rows and rows of books. The floors were made of glass as well!


    ¡°The streets, walls, and rooftop have been heavily reinforced. Apparently, Miss Heather said it could withstand at least a few blows from an Ancient Dragon if need be, and the offensive wards can stop even the Imperial Scions from barging in recklessly.¡± Luna said with respect, her love of history revealing itself.


    ¡°Do you think that the Senate¡¯s library would pale before it?¡±


    ¡°In terms of decor, most definitely. And to think, this is the second greatest library in the nation. But the Senate¡¯s library has the entire race¡¯s history and knowledge stored within it. How could a single border country ever compare to the depth of knowledge it holds.¡±


    ¡°Well, what about the vaults?¡± Stella asked as she was reminded of them.


    ¡°Ah, well, apparently that is where they house the more...dangerous books? According to Miss Heather. Don¡¯t know what that means though,¡± Luna said with trepidation. Luna took a sharp right at the entrance and started walking forward, her hands idly skimming the spines of the books. ¡°For some reason, the queen herself has to sign off on anyone who wants access to these vaults. I only noticed it because it felt dangerous in this corner.¡±Luna stopped and pointed toward a darkened corner of the bookshelf ahead. The shadows stuck to the wall for some reason, as though hiding something. Looking closely, Stella realized that there was a door hidden within the shadows.


    ¡°I hate it. It gives off the same vibe as that damn Mausoleum.¡± Luna said under her breath.


    ¡°...what?¡±

 Chapter 33.1 (Side Story - A Hunter and a Bow)

    ¡°I need a bow.¡± The girl said seriously. ¡°And it has to be a good one.¡±


    The shopkeeper in front of her smiled. ¡°Well, we have just what you need then! Take a look at our selection on the back wall.¡± Ash tried her best to control her facial expression but caught sight of Shopkeeper Kate¡¯s smile fading fast. ¡°I really don¡¯t have any other bows. Most go to the Guild Hall to buy bows since they are made specifically to hunt monsters.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t need to hunt monsters. I need to hunt deer, maybe even a rabbit or a fox. Do you know what happens if I use an Adventurers'' bow to kill game animals? THEY EXPLODE!¡± She yelled as she pounded the wooden counter with her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t want to pick up the pieces of an exploded deer. Again!¡±


    ¡°Sara..¡± ¡°ASH! My name is now Ash, Kate. Please.¡± The girl shook slightly; her voice unsteady.


    Kate reevaluated her friend. Sara¡¯s hazel eyes were starting to blur with tears, her lightly tanned face was smeared with dried dirt, and her dark green clothes were covered with leaves and small twigs. Even her hair had started to grow out longer than she¡¯d seen in years; her dark brown hair hiding twigs in it as well. Had she been sleeping outside again? Kate had known Sara all her life and was part of her party in school. When Kate married her childhood sweetheart and settled down to become a Shopkeeper, Sara had joined the local Guild Hall as an Adventurer. Or did she become a Mercenary? By all accounts, she was a really good party member, but after her last mission¡­


    ¡°Ash. A specialty bow costs money. More so since you have to import weapons from the capital. Last I heard, the Royal Family has not rescinded the order to create army-grade weapons. It seems that most of the Army¡¯s supplies were already plundered when the defensive line castles were finally retaken by the Alliance Army.¡±


    ¡°I know that Kate, but I still need a bow. I can¡¯t keep using a training bow to hunt game animals. By the time they bleed to death, another predator would have already gotten to it.¡± And I feel bad for prolonging the pain...bleeding out¡­blood trails to a dead body...


    ¡°Ash, you alright? You turned pale all of a sudden.¡± Kate¡¯s concerned voice brought her back into reality.


    ¡°I, I¡¯ll be fine Kate. Nothing you need to worry about.¡± This worried Kate more than anything. She knew that Sara was usually headstrong and confident, but now¡­ A thought blossomed in her mind, going back to a few weeks ago. ¡°You know Sa-, Ash, a Travelling Merchant came through a while back and needed a cart to get his supplies from the Echoing Woods. No one believed him, but I offered to lend him my cart to gather his supplies, for a small fee of course. No real worry, since I am the vice-chair and my line of credit is good. So imagine my surprise when he comes back to return the cart and tells us that there are people living there. Now, he had already sold his merchandise, and I checked the sales receipts and it indicated they were short bows. They must have been pretty bad bows since they were only sold for around three gold a piece though, or perhaps he sold them at a loss to gain some goodwill.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going with this Kate?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting there! Patience Ash; heh, you used to always tell me that! Well, the tax collector just stopped by and said there are people living there, and guess what the classes are?!¡± Kate said with a small smile.


    That intrigued Ash, but she was not in the mood to guess. ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°A Bowyer, Ash. And a Teacher!¡± Kate mimed Ash answering, who just rolled her eyes at the sight. ¡°Can I hire you to do something for me, Ash?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the payment?¡±


    ¡°A warm bed, heated bath, dinner with my family. George is out on a supply run to Nespe, so it¡¯s just me and the kids. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be happy to see you again. Maybe I can even get Julia to stop by as well with her son.¡±


    ¡°Okay. What request do you have in mind?¡± Ash said with a tired smile.


    ¡°Lady Emilia wanted someone to bring a contract over to the teacher, or to invite her to negotiate the terms. Apparently, she is having trouble finding a teacher for her daughter. I figure you could go and give it to her, and also ask the Bowyer if he could make you a custom bow.¡±


    Ash hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t have the money on hand fo-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. Just let them know the Merchant Association is covering the bill. Consider it a bonus reward for a good job done.¡± Kate teased playfully.


    ¡°Monster sightings? Any known bandits?¡± Ash got down to business, evaluating what supplies she would need for the day trip over.


    ¡°Nope and nope. You think Lazy Aldwin will go anywhere it is even slightly dangerous? I talked with Cindy already and she confirmed she saw no monsters in the vicinity of the settlement. I have some lunch packed for you already, just head over and come back. We¡¯ll figure dinner out tonight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a lifesaver, Kate!¡± Ash said gratefully, truly smiling for the first time in a long time.


    Kate smiled. ¡°I know. Here are the Lady Emilia¡¯s contract and a notarized letter from the Merchant Association stating we will cover the cost of the bow.¡±


    Ash stilled, ¡°You planned this, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yup. Now hop to it, the clock is ticking and the requester is waiting for an answer!¡±


    ---


    Ash let out a loud whistle as she left the town of Cidala. ¡°Tweeet¡± Pausing to check her surroundings, she let out another whistle, waiting for the response.


    ¡°Tweet tweet,¡± a small bird peeked out of an old oak tree, nestled in the shadow of the town¡¯s outer walls.


    ¡°There you are, Sara! Let¡¯s go, we have a job to do!¡± Ash called out. The small, blue songbird fluttered over and landed on her mule, laden with a few supplies. Kate would not be surprised to know she was right; A semi worn blanket could be seen draped over the mule, its pack noticeably empty.


    ¡°Kate gave me some food. I know she¡¯s worried about me, but I¡¯m fine. Really fine.¡± No, I¡¯m not fine. Not fine at all¡­ ¡°I just wish someone¡­¡± Shaking her head fiercely, she banished her darkened thoughts to a corner of her mind.


    ¡°So, guess what Sara! We¡¯re gonna find a Bowyer! Supposedly they are able to make really good bows. The best Bowyers are even said to be able to turn metal bows into wooden ones! Can you imagine it Sara, a wooden bow that has the strength of a steel one, but still able to retain its flexibility and decreased draw!¡± Sara the songbird just tweeted in response, unknown if it was really understood or not. Ash was just glad for the company. She talked the entire way to the forest, remarkably different than when she was with Kate. She stopped when she reached the edge of the woods, the mule and the songbird quieting down as soon as she stepped into the shade of the trees. A tingling sensation ran through her, causing her to shudder. She knew the reputation these woods had as much as any other native. But she knew that there were safety and danger hidden in these woods. Probably more danger though.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Well Sara, my [Danger Sense] isn¡¯t going off, so instinctively I don¡¯t recognize anything on sight that could be dangerous. But my [Trail Finder] Skill isn¡¯t going off either, and there is a trail right in front of me. I knew I should have gone to the Guild and gotten updated information. Okay Muellner, let¡¯s go. Slowly. Ash slowly coaxed her Mule, Muellner, into the woods; going slow to give him the chance to get used to the surroundings.


    Biting her lip, she slowly released her mana, letting it soak into the woods. She willed her mana into her songbird, the bird stilling for a few seconds. ¡®[[Blessing of the Wild]],¡¯ the only spell she knew besides [[Advanced Status]]. ¡°I need help, Sara. Please guide me to my destination.¡±


    The blue songbird slowly flew in front of her, stopping at a low hanging branch; seemingly waiting for her to move.


    In truth, [[Blessing of the Wild]] was a unique skill; one that most Hunters hoped for, but most would never receive. She didn¡¯t have much mana, but her lesser affinity toward nature helped her feel the surroundings. Noting that her surroundings were mostly at peace, and no predators that she could deduce from her initial feel of the forest, Ash hesitated and decided to use her skill on Muellner as well. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have to use a skill, so I can be a little less frugal with my mana here. Her mule slowly followed the songbird without her instructions.


    Ash pulled open her pack, reaching for something that was hidden in the bottom of the bag. A long dagger, and a slightly damaged wooden short bow. As the bag was emptied, a rusting buckler could be seen strapped to the mule¡¯s left side. She reached into the other bag and pulled out a few broad tipped iron arrows, the bag flapping up and down with the mule¡¯s gait. She chose one of the straighter arrows and nocked it tightly on the string. ¡°Just because they didn¡¯t see any monsters doesn¡¯t mean there are none. Some like to hide in plain sight. Sara, Muellner, be careful.¡± She would rather explode a monster than let it kill another party member of hers. ¡°Mullany would be furious if he was here. Ashton would probably laugh at both of us, saying he¡¯d be cooking us stew for dinner since the meat is already prepared,¡± she said quietly to herself.But they are never coming back. And it¡¯s all your fault. Her breath caught, a mild panic setting in. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have done this. What was I thinking of going into the Echoing Woods by myself? I need a team!¡¯


    Her breath was coming in gasps now as she slowly sunk into her mind. She flinched as something pecked at her, but she had no time focus on it. ¡®I need to get out of here. It¡¯s not safe. I have to tell my party members! I ha-¡¯


    She crashed into the damp forest floor, her back cramping with the sudden pain. ¡°Wha?¡± Muellner looked at her with unfocused eyes, Sara flapping around her head anxiously. Ash slowly realized what had happened. ¡°Sorry for making you two worried. I¡¯m fine now. Let¡¯s get to that settlement and go home.¡± Unbeknownst to her, a pair of eyes had seen everything that had happened.


    --


    The first indicator Ash that she was getting close to the settlement was the sound of a hoe hitting the ground. Or at least she hoped that was a hoe hitting the ground. The smell of freshly turned dirt wafted from behind the trees, a comforting smell. Damp dirt meant someone was actively farming. And no sane Farmer would dare farm if there were monsters nearby.


    "Stop right there." A grim voice stopped her from calling out to the Farmer.


    "I am a Hunter Ash Kovak from Cidala. I took on a request to bring something over to the Teacher living here." She said carefully, dropping the arrow from the bow to the ground. The otherquietly rested on her dagger.


    "Your name isn''t Ash. Try again." The man''s voice echoed from the woods. Ash was having a hard time locating it, even with [[Blessing of the Wild]].


    "My, my name is Sara Kovak. A Hunter from Cidala." Ash spoke aloud, noticing that the thumps of the hoe had stopped up ahead. "I do have something for the Teacher here. It''s a teaching contract, or at least I think it is."


    "Nick, stop scaring the girl. She''s practically shaking in her saddle!" A woman appeared fromthe trees ahead, clearly evaluating her. The Farmer, Sara guessed lightly, judging by her worn and faded brown overall. Her blue eyes shone brightly within the forest shade, her hair was pale gold, almost the color of wheat. She looked a little older than herself, but she still couldn''t be a day older than twenty-eight. ''She must be pretty brave to live outside of the village.'' She snapped out of her thoughts as the Farmer murmured to someone unseen. "Anyways, You can follow me, Sara. Your pets can come along; just make sure they don''t eat my plants." She said with some humor in her voice.


    "Zenith! We have some company. Someone wants to hire you!". Sara was surprised by the amount of work that was being done to the settlement. The buildings were obviously really old, but she could tell they were being renovated. The bottom portion already had new wooden boards up and someone had started mudding it, giving the lower portions of the building a nice, flat sheen of clay plaster. Artistic too, judging by the wooden stamp that was being carved for the corners of the building.


    "Wa! Wait a moment, Paige! Let me finish changing Markus!" A panicked voice called out from the house.


    "So, Sara, did you see any monsters trails?" Paige asked while she fidgeted with her wooden hoe, clearly nervous about monsters.


    "No ma''am. I had a really nice ride over."Please leave, please leave.Ash stood straight as she waited for the Farmer to leave.


    "Well...that''s good I suppose?" Ash noticed that the Farmer was watching her with a pensive look.


    "Is there something I can help you with?" Ash said in a slightly acerbic tone of voice.


    "You said your name was Ash. Is it short for something?"


    Ash caught herself before she said something she shouldn''t. "I go by Ash. Look, do you know where I can find the Bowyer? I need a specialty bow crafted."


    "Yeah, I can tell by the blood on it you''ll need a new one. Must have been some battle to damage it that much."


    Blood on it...Using it to hold Ash upright, Mullany laying there, his eyes open...


    A loud clap woke her from her thoughts. "Did you hear what I said, he''s over in the woods to the right. Give me the contract, and you go ahead and talk to him. I wouldn''t want to delay your travel back to the town now." Paige said as she grabbed the contract from her hand. For some reason, Ash could tell Paige was a little nicer all of a sudden. "Go on, it shouldn''t take long," the rude Farmer waved her off like a fly.


    --


    "A bow? What is your draw strength with and without skills?"


    "It''s about twentypounds without skills, about sixty with."


    "Hrmm, less than average draw then." Less than average! What was his expectations for a Hunter?!


    "And what are you hunting? Treants? Gryphens? Elder Elk, Forest Boars, Burning Boars, Death S-?"


    "Wha, no! I just want to hunt game animals! Normal game animals! Foxes, deer, maybe an occasional wolf. I don''t hunt monsters anymore!"


    "And why not?"


    "Its...look, I don''t want to talk about it. Can I get a simple, high-quality bow made?" Ash said a little louder than she wanted.


    "Sure. Just answer me this," the Bowyer looked up, waiting for an answer.


    "Huh?" Sara hesitantly nodded.


    "Who was Ashton and Mullany?" The Bowyer asked quietly.


    "What?" Ash could feel the world spinning.


    "Were they your party members? You said their names in the forest earlier."


    "Wa, How could you hear that? I had [[Blessing of the Wild]] activated? NO! Wh whwhy should I tell you! I don''t have to tell you anything! I''m leaving!" Panicked, Ash started walking away.


    "You can''t run from your past!" Nick said as he followed behind slowly


    "Go away!"


    "It wasn''t your fault!" Nick calmly said. Ash stopped midstride.


    "You survived where your friends did not Sara. But that doesn''t make it your fault."


    "It does make it my fault. IT DOES! I was the newest person of the party! I was the weakest one there! So why did I survive!" Ash fell down, her entire body shaking.


    "I survived..." Sara said as she fainted.


    ---


    "...Wa...u...Wake....Wake up!" A voice shook Sara awake.


    Sara''s tears started falling. "I survived..."


    "People die kid. You''re not the only one to lose friends in a mission, and it won''t be the last time. The wrong day, wrong monster, wrong intel." The Bowyer said quietly. Sara was going to refute, but something in his voice stopped her. "Your bow''s seen better days. It''s bent far beyond what it''s supposed to be. Hundred-eighty pounds. Give or take. That''s how much weight your bow was supporting when it bent past its elastic range."


    "My first party was killed by Direwolves. They were just a myth where we grew up. Our whole class snuck out of the school to go to practice for our final exams. It was supposed to be a simple tracking exercise. But we didn''t know that there was a severe famine. They got fifteen of us within a few moments, twelve of us as we ran. Half of the Ra..Renowned Adventurers that were supposed to protect us died stopping the wolf horde, allowing us time to escape."


    The Bowyer looked over, a sad smile on his face. "Don''t feel guilty about surviving. Live your life to the fullest instead. If not for you, then for the life those who died would have lived."


    "Give me a few weeks for a simplegame animalbow, if you still want one. Until then, take that," he said, pointing at a bow laying to the side of the tree she was resting under. Sara looked over at the bow, her eyes widening at the sight. A small unstrung wooden bow laid next to her, the curves of the bow gleaming as the sun hit the lacquered polish. A true recurve bow, judging by how it curved outward.


    "It has a thirty-pound natural draw, but it''s been enchanted to withstand up to a hundred. Just make sure not to dry fire it. Go on Hunter Sara Kovak. I think Paige and Zenith are waiting for you back at the settlement."


    --


    The return trip flew by in a blur, Sara realized as she stood in front of Kate''s door. Hesitating, Sara knocked on the door. "Kate, it''s me. Di-"


    The door abruptly opened as someone appeared behind the door. "Sa-Ash! Welcome back! I was starting to get worried that you wouldn''t be back tonight. Come in! Tyler, Xavier! Look, its Aunt Ash!"


    "Aunt Sara, actually. Kate, thank you. For everything."


    It took longer for the famous Hunter Sara Kovak to recover, but her road to recovery started here.

 Chapter 34 - students arrive

    Paige was standing outside in her field when she noticed that Zenith was searching anxiously for something.She winced internally as Zenith strode up to her and hurriedly ordered her about. "Paige! Help clean up a bit! Quickly!"


    "Why? We just cleaned up last week. Can''t you tell I''m busy farming?" Zenith stopped and stared ather, and she quickly looked away from her accusatory gaze. She knew that Zenith still wouldn''t call what she had been doing as true farming. No one probably would. To the untrained eye, all she had been doing was walking the fields with her wooden hoe as usual, but any Farmer would have nodded their head in understanding. Coughing slightly, Paige continued on talking. "Besides, nothing special is happening today that I know of."


    ¡°Paige, remember that we are having guests. Have you seen Markus? I was going to get him tohelp too.¡± Zenith asked worriedly.Zenith started fidgetingas she looked around the field for Markus. Paige understood that feeling quite well. They had all underestimated his age by at least a few months to a year, placing him squarely within the toddler age group. Although unsteady on his feet,Markus was able to move around pretty fast and could somewhat understand them. Usually, Paige would have Markus in the morning and he would be toddling around the field, but she couldn''t see him anywhere.


    ¡°Guests? Is that tax collector coming back again? Or is it that Hunter?¡± Paige stopped and counted the days since either of them had visited. ¡°No, neither of them should be coming this soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping to teach three times a week, remember?At least, if I can secure the contract. Please just make sure you don¡¯t do anything...weird. We have a bad enough reputation already as it is, just by living out here in the forest,¡± Zenith sighed. ¡°Not entirely your fault, since we didn''t know that other people can only feel the effects of the mana dispersion fog but not see it. But it is what it is, I suppose. But Paige, I can¡¯t find Markus!¡±


    ¡°He went with Nick when he went to go get wood. They¡¯ll be back around midday or so, don¡¯t worry.


    ¡°But with all the recent monster sightings, will it be safe with just the two of them? Maybe you should go and look for them. Or better yet, maybe you should clear the forest path.¡± She said nervously.


    ¡°Relax Zenith, I read the contract you signed when that shopkeeper first visited. It clearly stated that Cidala¡¯s Town Guard will escort them to the forest. They can take care of a few monsters, just like Nick and I can. Barring Direwolves, nothing in a forest will be able to beat a Ranger,¡± Paige stopped, idly wondering what could kill a Ranger in a forest. ¡°Well, unless the monster''s cheated or had helpers at least.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, fine. Okay. All of the families are coming to meet me. Please, please, please try to make a good impression Paige! I do want to teach someone. I feel absolutely useless right now.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll make sure they get here safely. Just for you, Zenith.¡± Walking away, Paige shot through the forest, arriving right at the edge of the forest path. Holding her hoe out, she tested the boundary once again. ¡°Tch, another half a foot farther than last time. It''s progress, I guess, but not great progress.¡±


    Paige sighed lightly as she sat downoff ofthe main path. ¡°Not that I want to leave, but I wouldn¡¯t mind heading to a city or three to see some old friends. Or, new friends I suppose. If the queen doesn¡¯t remember me, then no one else in this country will either. Probably shouldn¡¯t tell people what my last name is though.¡±


    ¡®Hm? Ah, here they come.¡¯ Paige watched in silence as they came closer. The three guards were lacking in discipline, she noted idly, watching as the Guard Captain, if that was his rank, flirted with one of the women in the cart. The other two women, one dressed in a long blue dress and the other in a well-made cotton sundress talked about mundane things such as what was in style right now. The kids were fully lacking in manners, the two oldest, a boy and a girl, complained about the trip and how long it was taking. The other two boys, probably a little older than Markus, were whining about the weather.


    Frowning, Paige watched as the party passed by, completely missing her sitting there. ¡®They have bad perception if they can¡¯t see me standing still. To be fair, I did have a lot of practice hiding from Assassins. But have the standards fallen so low for Guard Captain that he can¡¯t even see a Farmer hiding in plain sight? Am I regaining my skills over time? Or is my class hiding me from [Danger Sense]?¡¯


    ¡°Something to test, I suppose,¡± Paige said clearly. The woman in the blue sundress stopped speaking for a second and looked around as if she had heard Paige.


    ¡°Something wrong, Miss Emilia?¡± The guard captain asked politely.


    ¡°...No, I thought I heard something. Pay it no mind,¡± Emilia said while looking in Paige¡¯s direction with a frown. ¡®At least someone has a good head on their shoulders..¡¯ Paige waited in silence until she was fully out of earshot.


    ¡°Curious. It¡¯s hard to sneak past a Guard Captain at a checkpoint because they are so familiar with their surroundings, so they intuitively know if something is different. A Farmer in a forest sticks out, but perhaps not in a field...or maybe I am gaining all of my skills back. Hrmm...bah. I guess I¡¯ll bring it up to Zenith later and we''ll all check our statuses again.¡±


    Not wanting to follow the group into the forest, Paige stopped and thought about what she should do next. ¡®Anyways, last time that Hunter was here she said that there were fresh monster tracks heading back into the forest. But so far I haven''t seen any dangerous monster tracks. A few Elder Elks, some local variety of magical boars, maybe a Gryphen or two, some Death Snakes. But nothing too terrible for a Warrior.'' Paige stopped and sighed once again. "For a Warrior. I''m supposed to be a Farmer. I could kill them myself, but then how would I sell the spoils?" This conundrum bothered her greatly. Her eyes widened after a moment of thought.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "Wait a minute, who says Zenith doesn''t need magic cores. She shouldn''t have forgotten how to process monster parts. Maybe she could use them to create some magic gear for us. Or her new pupils..." Paige smiled wickedly. "Yes. That''s what I''ll do. I get to practice fighting monsters, and Zenith gets the monster parts. Nick probably wouldn''t turn down monster cores either. Everything works out." Laughing, Paige slowly followed one of the monster trails, one that she noticed was heading straight for her usual training grounds...


    --


    ''Well, this is just great.'' thought Paige as she strode into the ruined clearing. It had taken her weeks to clear out the forest by hand before realizing that she could be using her other, less used Warrior Skills instead. She still couldn''t wield anything that resembled a sword, but empty-handed skills still seemed possible. A few [Seismic Steps] here; a few [Boulder Palm Strikes] there; and what had taken herweeks turned into a few hours at the most. Afterward, she planted the rest of her clover seeds, thinking that there needed to be a few pastures for the animals to grazeat. A nice, quiet place away from the settlement that could double as a practice field if she was feeling...antsy.


    But now instead of the soft green clover field, she found a field of dirt, complete with a tiny boar sleeping in the middle of the remaining clovers. The boar''s large tusks made quick work of the rest of the pasture, not even sparing the roots of the clover.


    "Of all the!" Paige yelled angrily, springing forward and kicked the boar hard.


    The boar in question, a rather young boar, roughly four feet tall and twice that in length, was sleeping peacefully before the kick, finding that his usual tree and rock infested feeding grounds had magically changed into heaven. Or, what he presumed heaven would be for a boar. Soft clovers begging him to eat them; the soft, tender roots, asking him to rav-".The kick promptly awoke him from his dream and shattered his pride to boot as he rolled continuously across the clearing.


    The boar was not happy. Paige was not happy. Thus the two fought.


    ---


    "Tch, a standard physical enhancing mana stone, not even a good one at that. It''s not even worth it for me to kill you and extract your core. Why couldn''t you be something tasty, or something more useful. No, instead I get an oversized pig who is slightly stronger than normal," Paige said as she kicked the downed wild boar. The boar indignantly squealed in response, his mighty form being humiliated by the person in front of him. "It took me days for that clover to grow! Days! And then you ate up the roots as well. How are they supposed to regrow now? Are you an idiot?!"


    The boar stopped squealing, his mind whirling into action. His heavy exterior and squealingconcealedan intelligence not fit for a wild animal. He was just biding his time before attacking again.Butthe words, "days to grow", repeated endlessly in a loop. He knew what he had to do. The boar stared hard at Paige, his snorting growing anxious."Squaaaaaalll"


    Paige stopped kicking, looking blankly at the boar. "Hrm?" She watched as the boar got up and slowly used his snout to patch the holes in the now ruined field. The boar quickly and efficiently patched the ground, returning it to its former state, albeit without any clover. "...You may not know, but wolves will sometimes imprint themselves onto someone if shown a good deed. So what''s caused you to be all...caring?" Paige said suspiciously, knowing that the boar could at least partially understand what she was saying.


    The boar went over to the remaining clover patch and pawed at it, then turned around and started doing the same in different spots, looking over at her to see if she understood what he was trying to show her.


    Paige scoffed. "You want me to plant for you? What do I get out of this deal?", not entirely convinced it was worth the effort. The boar blinked and fell to the ground, squealing loudly. He got up and repeated it again and again. Paige stared at the beast. "This is new. I don''t usually play charades with wild animals. But fine. I get to...beat you up regularly?"


    "Squaal, " the boar ''happily'' responded.


    "... well, I''ve had worse deals I suppose. Fine. You get clover, I get a practice dummy." Paige walked up to the boar, patting its head. "You need a name. How do you feel about the name Boary?"


    ---


    Paige walked back to the clearing in a good mood, a smile plastered on her face. It seemed that their guests were ready to leave, judging by the conversation she could hear. The woman in the plain cotton sundress was reading over the contract while the other bowed slightly toward Zenith. The kids were hovering around theirparents, seemingly wanting to head back to the village. "Are you sure you''ll be able to teach this many children, Teacher Zenith? I can always find a different babysitter if need be."


    "No, no. It will be fine Miss Kate. I can handle two pupils and three babies. Besides, It''s only three times a week. I have help as well, so it''s not a big deal. And I should be thanking you for letting Mister Tyler borrow your cart. Sara told us the last time she stopped by with meat."


    "Kate is fine. Are you sure your husband is fine with watching the kids? I''d hate for it to interfere with his work."


    "Paige is here too, I''m sure she''ll be happy to help," Zenith said with a smile. "She loves playing with Markus, so it should be fine." Paige didn''t like the sound of that too much. Children are fun to play with in small bursts, not babysitting entire days.


    "Paige? Is she the Farmer? Is she around; we haven''t introduced ourselves yet?" Kate politely asked as she looked around the clearing.


    "You all haven''t met Paige? I thought she went to greet you all at the entrance to the woods?" Zenith asked politely, a little perplexed at the situation.


    "I saw them at the entrance to the woods. Then I went and planted some more clover seeds while you entertained the guests." Paige said as she leaned against the house, startling everyone in earshot. The kids screamed as though they had seen a ghost.


    "Paige! Don''t scare them!" Zenith said abashedly.


    "Sorry kiddos. didn''t mean to scare you. Surprised you, didn''t I?" Paige said as she knelt to the children''s level.


    "I''m the Farmer here, so I''ll be in charge of cooking and ... with helping Zenith out while she teaches. It''s a pleasure to meet you all."

 Chapter 34.1 (Side story - A lady and a boar)

    ¡°You really should think about moving to Cidala. It¡¯s such a lovely town you know, and it¡¯s pretty close to this area, to begin with. A forest such as this is no place to raise a child. I swear I¡¯ll go and tell your husband that he is doing a piss poor job at protecting you and caring for his family,¡± Lady Emilia Thompson exclaimed angrily. ¡°At least come to town once in a while, You know Lily would love you for it.¡± Her brown eyes were practically emitting flames as her hair rose without nay a breeze to be felt.


    Well, that¡¯s what Emilia thought she looked like anyways, if she believed her husband''s nonsensical description of her when she was mad. The person in front of her just shrugged, sipping her tea with grace.


    ¡°I like the forest, Emilia. It¡¯s peaceful and quiet. No distractions, no annoying neighbors. Just...nature.¡± Zenith smiled back, filling Emilia''s cup with freshly brewed tea. ¡°How have things been for you? It¡¯s not often you come with Lily to the forest for lessons.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine Zenith. I wanted to make sure Lily is behaving properly. You know, Lily scared off the other teachers in the area. I thought I was going to have to send her to a boarding school.¡± Emilia said with a small grimace. ¡°That girl will be the death of me yet!¡±


    ¡°Emilia! That¡¯s no way to talk about her. She¡¯s a perfect angel. Mostly.¡± Zenith glanced away, hiding her smile.


    Emilia looked over at Zenith. The young teacher would fit right in Nespe or Cidala if she could ever get her to move. Her brown hair was tied in a braid, the ends dyed forest green. Her manners were impeccable,(judging by the tea tasting they were having), and her clothes marked her as somewhat fashionable. But even constant pay raises couldn¡¯t move the girl, and Zenith almost kicked Lily out of her class when Emilia tried to force her to come back with them.


    Sighing into her teacup, Emilia slurped the drink fast, discarding her elegant demeanor. She had been surprised by how anyone would be able to live in the Echoing Woods, and had made a small bet with her husband by how long they would last before moving to Cidala. A bet she lost handily. Not only did they not move for the last two years, none of them even died (to her relief), and the teacher was amazing and cheap. Well, not too cheap since the cost to send her to the woods every day was rather high, but the education she was receiving was just as impressive, if not more, than her own alma mater of Nespe Academy. Lily thirst for knowledge was almost limitless, something she no doubt obtained from the teacher in front of her. She even started volunteering at the local library, just so that Lily could get into the building even earlier than usual.


    Emiliatried a different track instead, one that had truly been bothering her. ¡°Let me be blunt Zenith. This forest is creepy as hell. So is that Farmer you''ve hired. Please come with me to the city. Let your husband come to the forest while you stay safe inside the town''s borders¡±


    Zenith frowned as she stared back at Emilia inquisitively, ¡°What¡¯s gotten you so worked up Emilia. This isn¡¯t like you.¡± They stared at each other, and surprisingly Emilia looked away first.


    ¡°Its...it¡¯s a banquet that is happening. I¡¯m supposed to be hosting, but¡­¡± she sighed quietly. ¡°But I don¡¯t particularly like anyone that is going.¡±


    ¡°Well, you could always ask Julia or Kate to come to it. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d take you up on the offer. I¡¯ll watch the kids as well if you¡¯d like. Maybe do a camping trip or something.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯d enjoy dealing with stuck up people Zenith. Sometimes I don¡¯t even know how they put up with me!¡± Zenith coughed a little, hiding her laugh.


    ¡°It¡¯s true Zenith, don¡¯t laugh at me! I know I can come off a little...brash. But the people going to the banquet are absolutely horrendous to be around. You might not know this, but around here Cidala is considered the outskirts of civilization around here. There¡¯s hardly any other town this way unless you hit the defensive line or the Appealte border. So the city of Nespe and the families there are the closest things to nobles around here, and they lord it over the people too.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and invite Julia and Kate. It¡¯ll be an experience for all of you. Kate will probably take you up on it since her husband is out hunting with his friends; Julia will probably say yes if I babysit. You get some friends, I get to teach more, and Markus has a few extra babysitters. See, a perfect cocktail of events right there. Tea?¡±


    ¡°No thank you. Is that Farmer still around?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Paige? Yeah, she is. I think she mentioned something about being busy. Why?¡±


    ¡°My guards wanted to spar with her. Something about her making fun of his form. Honestly, why Lukas would even want to fight a Farmer is beyond me.¡± She said as she rubbed her forehead, completely missing Zenith¡¯s pitying gaze.


    ¡°Cough, well she might be around later. She¡¯s with Lily and Tyler, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem right now.¡±


    Emilia glanced up sharply, ¡°My daughter is with her! What happens if they run into a monster?¡±


    ¡°If they do, it¡¯ll be a good practice I suppose. Relax Emilia, this sort of thing is common in schools. The fact that Lily hasn¡¯t even done it once was telling in of itself. She needs to practice using her spells in combat, and Tyler needs practice defending against attacks. The two children will never gain a class if they keep getting coddled.¡±


    ¡°We both know that every school will hire adventurers solely to protect the students. And Kate was fine with it? Letting a Farmer watch over her children?¡± Emilia said with a slight frown. ¡®How would a single Farmer be able to fight against monsters and protect both children?¡¯


    Zenith sat upright, looking Emilia square in the eye. ¡°Emilia, I know you don¡¯t like Paige. But I trust her, and that should be enough for you as well.¡±


    Zenith¡¯s unwavering gaze settled Emilia¡¯s nerve. She knew Zenith was telling the truth, even without her Skills.


    ¡°If Lily and Tyler are with Farmer Paige, then where is John, Xavier, and Markus?¡±


    ¡°Kate and Nick are watching them right now. Nick found some herbs that Kate needs for a client, so he¡¯s guarding while Kate and the kids are harvesting. Julia said she was trying to finish knitting a blanket for her neighbor. I think she said Miss Leia was having another baby.¡± Zenith said with a thoughtful pause. A playful grin came onto Zenith¡¯s face, and Emilia knew she was thinking something troublesome once again. ¡°You know what, it¡¯s kind of boring sitting and drinking tea. How about we go and check on Lily? It might do you some good to see your daughter¡¯s adventurous side.¡±


    ¡°Zenith, you know I don¡¯t do nature. If not for you refusing to leave the forest, I¡¯d host the classes at my house. You wouldn¡¯t know, but I do have room to spare a classroom or two.¡±


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯ll be fun! We wear the same size shoes, you can borrow these.¡± Zenith handed her a pair of boots and pulled a simple walking stick from a nook by the door. The stick was heavily polished, and the sheen could almost match Emilia¡¯s own steel staff.


    ¡°If you insist Zenith. Some light exercise probably wouldn¡¯t hurt me.¡± Emilia said with a resigned sigh. ¡®Honestly, if only Zenith wasn¡¯t so friendly and outspoken.¡¯


    ¡°Madam, it¡¯s not safe in these woods! I insist you stay here where it is relatively safe.¡± A gruff voice sounded out as she followed behind Zenith. Her personal guard and his assistants ran over and stopped in front of Zenith and Emilia before they got onto the forest path. They meant well, and she knew her husband chose them to protect her from harm while out of their estate. But that didn¡¯t stop her temper from flaring up from being told what she could and could not do.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you say anything when Lily and Tyler followed Farmer Paige into the woods. What have I said about protecting Lily over myself?¡±


    ¡°Wha! They certainly did not! Farmer Paige and Lily went into the barn as soon as we arrived. They haven¡¯t left since.¡± Guardsman Lukas exclaimed haughtily. At six feet tall, his steel breastplate shone dully in the forest. His confidence notwithstanding, he was the best Cidala had to offer in terms of guards. The fact that the head guardsman was willing to follow her told Emilia just how much her husband Richard had offered for the town guards assistance.


    ¡°You might want to check again, Sir Lukas. It¡¯d be safe to assume that Paige can travel anywhere unhindered.¡± Zenith said lightly, not meeting anyone¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Wha! Wayne, Kindale, go and check the barn!¡± Lukas said with a grimace. Emilia already knew that Zenith was right. She had seen first hand how uncanny the Farmer was. Even when she was watching, a single slip of her concentration and it almost impossible to follow the Farmer; even if she was in plain sight.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Just stay here and watch the settlement. If Bowyer Nick or Shopkeeper Kate comes by, let them know we are checking in on the others. And before you say anything else, that is an order,¡± she stated frankly, taking nothing else for an answer. Taking Zenith¡¯s hand, she stomped out of the clearing and headed straight for the forest path in front of them. She could hear Lukas stuttering in the background and eventually told his apprentices what their new orders were.


    ¡°They mean well Emilia,¡± Zenith eventually said as her temper subsided.


    ¡°I know that. Still doesn¡¯t stop me from being annoyed.¡± Emilia looked around, not really sure where they were now. Growing up in the city did not help her sense of direction, and she was honestly confused now that there were no landmarks to orient herself. ¡°Do you know where they are?¡±


    ¡°Wait one second,¡± Zenith simply said. A second laster, a light breeze flowed through the forest and rippled the dress Zenith had on, but oddly left Emilia dress untouched.


    Magic. Oh, if only money could be exchanged for magical talent! Unfortunately, it was not possible. Still, it was both heartwarming and heartbreaking watching her daughter learn magic. That was one of the reasons why Emilia made sure Lily was being taught by Zenith; competent (and in her opinion, honest) magic teachers were rare, even this close to the Appealte border. The ones she had interviewed exclusively told her bluntly that learning spells and skills would be extra, and even she almost had a panic attack when they told her the cost to learn even cantrip spells.


    ¡°They¡¯re this way.¡± Smiling, Zenith indicated a direction to their right, stepping forward to part the undergrowth away as she followed the wind.


    ¡°You¡¯re too nice Zenith. Honestly, those other magic teachers should be ashamed of themselves, especially with what they were charging.¡±


    ¡°Hrmm. The closest graduate-level magic school would be Vidmar School of Elements. Not a bad school by any means, but the cost is rather high to attend. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they charged four hundred gold to tutor and teach tier zero spells.¡±


    ¡°Try two hundred to tutor, and four hundred to teach cantrips,¡± Emilia said with displeasure. She choked back a laugh when she saw Zenith stumble in disbelief. ¡°So, you never mentioned what your Alma mater is. Would I know the school?¡±This had been bugging Emilia for quite some time. Someone as good as Zenith could hardly have learned everything she knew from attending regular city schools, even if she had gone to the Terpii National Academy. Maybe the Royal Orphanage, Emilia thought to herself, but Zenith didn¡¯t strike her as an orphan.


    ¡°I uh, went to Hall Academy for my primary education as a Mage, then Hall Institute for my thesis level classes in magic tutoring,¡± Zenith said quietly.


    ¡°Hall Academy? Where is that?¡± Emilia said, going through the list of Alcudian schools.


    ¡°It¡¯s in Appealte. A small school, but they do have a reputation for excellence,¡± Zenith said, not looking back at Emilia.


    Something in her voice made Emilia think it was not as small as Zenith would like her to believe. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t doubt it Zenith. An excellent alumnus such as yourself says everything about their standards for education.¡±


    ¡°Oh stop it, Emilia. Any more praise and I¡¯ll be flying in the sky. But we are getting close to them, Emilia, quiet.¡± Zenith said as she crouched behind a tree, peeking out discreetly. Emilia noticed how Zenith had changed the argument and stopped asking, respecting her boundaries. Some people just didn¡¯t want to talk about their past, and Emilia didn¡¯t want to drive her friend away. Still wouldn''t stop her from inquiring about Hall Institute though, just for curiosity''s sake.


    ¡°Come here, Emilia! Watch how Lily does.¡±


    Lily was actually here? Stepping close to Zenith, Emilia stayed standing and peered over Zenith into a small clearing that had been carved out of the forest. She noted the rows of clovers and wildflowers growing in the clearing. ¡®So that is where Lily had been gathering her flowers at.¡¯ Usually, they wouldn¡¯t be blooming this late into the growing season. But what caught her eye was a young boy holding a wooden shield with a sharpened wooden training sword, and a young girl holding a rough-looking stick.


    No, not a stick, a staff. The staff was slightly larger than the girl herself; one end planted in the dirt to help balance the staff. In front of them was a wild boar, roughly as large as the children themselves. The boar¡¯s body was covered in scratches while its sharpened tusks laid broken by its feet.


    ¡°Tyler, remember your role. The shield-bearer must protect their party, for without them¡­¡± a young woman''s strict voice sounded out somewhere in the field in front. The voice reminded Emilia of her old drill instructors.


    ¡°Without them the party is defenseless.¡± Tyler¡¯s childish voice sounded out in reply, finishing the well known saying. His eyes and stance showed his grim determination to stop the boar in front of him.


    ¡°Lily, you need to focus more. Trust your party members. Trust is¡­¡±


    ¡°Trust is the basis of the party. For without it, a party is useless.¡± her daughter said loudly, her eyes focused on the boar in front of her. Emilia swelled with pride at the sight, but she still looked apprehensive at the boar. In truth, she thought that it was too tough of a challenge for the children. When she was a child, her party had only fought after the instructors had practically killed the training monster.


    The boar in front pawed the ground roughly, and even Emilia could tell the beast was settling into a charging stance. ¡°Tyler, focus on what the beast is doing. Don¡¯t hide behind the shield yet. How will you know which way to deflect the monster if you aren¡¯t even watching it? Lily..¡±


    ¡°I know! ¡®O blowing winds¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s getting ready to cast her spells. At eight years old, she doesn¡¯t have the mana capacity to instantly cast tier zero spells, so she has to use incantations to prolong the casting time. Lily would be ahead of her class right now if you sent her off to magic school.¡± Zenith said proudly. Emilia could tell without looking that a smile would be plastered on Zenith¡¯s face right about now.The boar grunted loudly and charged, heading straight for the two children. To the boy¡¯s credit, Tyler stood his ground and watched the boar rapidly advance toward him. Lily faltered, but closed her eyes and focused on her words.


    ¡°How is he going to stop the boar? It¡¯s as large as he is!¡± Emilia whispered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. Close combat is not my specialty. I¡¯ll stop it if it gets too dangerous, don¡¯t worry. But let¡¯s see what he comes up with.¡± Zenith spoke quietly, pointing her walking stick at the boar.Just as the boar was about to strike Tyler, he leaped to the side, causing Emilia¡¯s heart to stop. Lily was right in the path of the boar!


    ¡°...Push the enemy, [[Gust]]!¡± Lily screamed out, a gust of wind caused the trees opposite of them to sway heavily. Tyler screamed and jumped as the gust rammed into his back and shoved the boar¡¯s head to the side, causing the relatively massive beast to fall heavily into the ground and roll, pushing the monster away from Lily. ¡°[[Shield Bash]]!¡±


    The sight stunned Emilia. She knew deep down that their teamwork was far better than her party had at their age. No, not even their age. Even up to her teens, the party she had been in was not as coordinated.¡°Good job you two! Next time make sure to stab after you bash, Tyler. Lily, after casting your spell you should move in the same direction as the Shield Bearer. Keep your eyes open so that you know which way to move.¡± Paige clapped her hands, startling Zenith and Emilia. She had been standing right next to them!


    ¡°Paige! What did I tell you about sneaking up like that!¡± Zenith exclaimed angrily.


    ¡°Just checking to see who it was, no big deal,¡± Paige frankly stated as she walked back to the clearing. ¡°Boary, thanks for the practice! You¡¯re free to go.¡±Emilia stared as the boar rolled to his feet, snorting angrily. Paige watched it boredly, her hands on her wooden hoe. ¡°That¡¯s the deal, they get to practice, you get free food.¡± The boar snorted again, looking over at his tusks with anger. ¡°We both know your tusks are too dangerous for children. Tell you what, you come to me when you have a problem and I¡¯ll deal with it personally.¡± Emilia watched with a daze as the boar walked off with a limp. Was Paige a Rancher instead of a Farmer?


    ¡°BYE BOARY! Mother! I defeated a boar!¡± Lily¡¯s voice broke Emilia¡¯s line of thought and put a quiet smile on her face. She hadn¡¯t heard Lily this happy in ages.


    ¡°You did amazing, Lily. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do that with my party when I was your age.¡± Emilia said, severely downplaying what age her team would have been able to handle a boar that size.


    ¡°I am amazing aren¡¯t I,¡± Lily said proudly. ¡°Did you see Tyler block that boar mother! We made a great team!¡± Tyler blushed as they all looked at him.


    ¡°You both did well. But remember, you are not allowed to fight monsters by yourselves, not until I and Zenith allow it.¡± Paige said seriously.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± Tyler and Zenith shouted, their non-dominant hand-pressed on their chest in the standard battle-class salute.


    ¡°Lead on you two, show us your navigation skills!¡± Tyler and Lily nodded, pulling out a small compass and a tiny map from their waist knapsacks. Emilia raised a brow at the sight.


    ¡°Really Paige, survival training at eight? That¡¯s at least six years too early.¡± Zenith said with a disapproving tone.


    ¡°Bah, every child should know at least how to survive in the wilderness for a few days. It¡¯s not like it hurts them to know how to navigate. We¡¯ll follow the two of you. Lily, make your mother proud!¡±


    ---


    ¡°You were off by forty feet. Not bad, but remember to keep your steps even.¡± Paige admonished lightly as they stepped into farm fields. Emilia narrowed her eyes and calculated where they would have ended up; and marked a few loosely hanging wooden slats on the corner of the barn to their right.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do better next time Teacher Paige!¡± Lily said with determination. Paige cleared her throat lightly, Lily quickly catching on, ¡°I mean, if I go off again. No, I mean when TeacherZenith teaches us these techniques. Yeah, that.¡± Lily said proudly, blushing just a bit. Zenith sighed and Emilia laughed at the sight.


    ¡°Whoops, gotta go!¡± Paige said quickly, running back into the woods. ¡°GET BACK HERE FARMER PAIGE!¡± Lukas yelled from the main path, rushing quickly over to try and head Paige off from escaping.


    As they all headed back to the main house in mostly high spirits, Emilia caught sight of Kate playing with the smaller children. ¡°You know what Zenith, maybe I will invite Kate and Julia to the banquet. A change of pace is exactly what I needed.¡±


    Zenith smiled. ¡°That¡¯s all one really needs at times, Emilia. A nice, quiet change of pace.¡±

 Chapter 34.2 (Side Story - Cidala Heroes Random Adventure Pt.1)

    ¡°Get up. It¡¯s time for training.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to train! I want to read books! I -¡±


    ¡°ENOUGH! YOU WILL TRAIN UNTIL YOU FALL!¡±


    ¡°Hey Markus! Is Miss Paige around?¡±


    ¡°YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO FIGHT! UNTIL IT BECOMES SECOND NATURE!¡±


    ¡°Markus¡­¡±


    ¡°YOU WI-¡±


    ¡°MARKUS! WAKE UP!¡±


    Markus awoke in a fright, his arm swinging reflexively upward to his enemy. ¡°Ouch! Markus be careful! I swear, you better move that arm before I start hitting you.¡± A scary voice sounded above him. He blinked the stars out of his eyes and saw a girl standing over him. Her dark green hair was flowing slightly. His arm was pushing Lily''s chest, a place he probably shouldn¡¯t be touching if Lily¡¯s twitching eye was any indicator. Strange, since Auntie Zenith didn¡¯t mind Uncle Nick touching her like that...


    ¡°YOU IDIOT!¡± Lily said as she used her wooden staff like a club.


    ¡°Ouch! Stop it; I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Markus yelled in fright, curling up to protect himself. ¡°It¡¯s an accident! It¡¯s not all my fault!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to shift the blame to me!¡±


    ¡°Umm, Lily. You did startle him though.¡± Tyler said hesitantly while watching from the side. ¡°But everything is still his fault,¡± he said quickly as Lily turned to him.


    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll settle the odds with you later. Where is Miss Paige? She was supposed to take us on another adventure today!¡±


    ¡°But, but I thought the guards said no more adventures?¡± Markus said quietly as he rubbed his bruises.


    ¡°No, the guard captain merely stated more monsters were roaming the fields than usual. But Miss Paige said that we¡¯d be fine so long as we had one protector with us. Maybe we can find Boary and have him take us into the fields. And I think Boary counts as a protector!¡± Lily pumped her hands as a large smile appeared on her face. ¡°This is the greatest thing that¡¯s ever happened! Adventures every week, monsters to fight, learning how to use spells, getting away from the awful house. It¡¯s my dream come true!¡±


    ¡°Lily, hush! The guards will find us at this rate!¡± Tyler whispered as he looked through the wooden slats of the barn. ¡°We have about two minutes before they rotate their positions again. Miss Paige says the best time to move is while they are on the move too.¡±


    ¡°I wanna come!¡± Markus¡¯s eyes brightened at the sound of an adventure. Usually, Auntie Zenith was very particular about where he went in the forest, especially alone. Auntie Paige, not so much; so long as he stayed in sight and he was definitely forbidden from leaving the woods.


    Lily and Tyler hesitated, clearly thinking it would be a hassle. Markus quickly came up with a reason. ¡°I¡¯ve never been out of the woods before. Can we find Boary and go on an adventure. Pleeeaasee. Auntie Paige wouldn¡¯t mind!¡± he quickly lied about the last part. He knew full well that the adults would be furious if he left the woods. It was almost like they were scared of leaving, but that can¡¯t be true. He saw Auntie Paige kill an Elder Elk with just a hoe last week!? So how could she be scared of leaving the woods?


    Lily and Tyler whispered quietly and Markus was making sure to act pitifully whenever they glanced at him.


    ¡°Okay. Miss Kate and mother are coming here to pick us up later today, so how about we go and meet them on the path just outside the woods? That¡¯s relatively safe, and we¡¯ll have a wide range of vision.¡±


    Tyler nodded. ¡°John and Xavier aren''t here anyways, so chances are Markus would follow us anyways. Boary should be able to keep us safe, at least from the monsters around here. Hunter Sara said elder boars like him are hard to kill and dangerous for most monsters to fight.¡±


    Lily turned and stared hard at Markus. ¡°You have to promise to listen to me since I am the Party Leader!¡±


    ¡°Okay! Okay!¡±


    ¡°Good. I, Party Leader Lily Thompson, hereby request Markus Ederite to temporarily join my party!¡± Markus watched as Lily released her mana; the vivid green flowing swiftly like a summer breeze. Markus released his mana like Auntie Zenith had taught her and watched as the two swiftly combined. A voice echoed in his brain, ¡°Do you wish to join the Party?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I accept!¡±


    Lily nodded as Markus said yes aloud. ¡°[[Status]]¡± Markus watched as Lily closed her eyes and quickly opened them. ¡°Okay, you are now an official temporary member of the Cidala Heroes! Come on, let¡¯s go find Boary.¡±


    Markus followed after them as they quickly evaded the watch of the bored guards. He bit his lip though, as he thought of his own status. He had the feeling that something was missing from it; that there should have been more to it than he could see. Was he really just a Commoner?


    Name: Markus Ederite


    Race: Human


    Class: Commoner


    Skills: [Trail Finder],[Craft Modification - Farming, Bows], [Green Thumb], [Natural Explorer], [Empty Handed Strike], [Basic Swordplay], [Seismic Slash]


    Spells:[[Seismic]], [[Appraisal]]


    Party: Cidala Heroes: Temporary


    Markus sometimes wondered though, who was he, really?


    ---


    Lily looked back at Markus as he struggled to keep up. Honestly, why she agreed to let him follow was a mystery. She should be having an adventure with her best friend, Tyler. Instead, it seemed that her kindness had been taken advantage of (in her own opinion). ¡°Markus! Make sure to keep up with us. Boary is usually in one of Miss Paige¡¯s hidden farm plots, so we have to search throughout the woods. Tyler, have you found our previous trail markers yet?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I think she scuffs them out every time we leave. I know this is the spot we visited last time. Let me pull out my map.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Why would Auntie get rid of your marks?¡±


    ¡°She likes to see us suffer,¡± Lily said in a lifeless manner. ¡°Her idea of training lately is throwing us in the woods and finding our way back before we can eat. Luckily Mister Nick told us to always have extra supplies ready, or we¡¯d probably be lost and hungry in the woods.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s her version of training. All practical training with consequences if we fail. We even have to wear armor every time we come into the forest, just in case.¡± Tyler said quietly as he scanned the surroundings. ¡°Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be wearing this leather armor. I think she may have reinforced it with iron plates. It¡¯s almost as heavy as my sword and shield combined.¡±


    Lily saw Markus nod his head after hearing the soft thud that emanated from Tyler¡¯s armor.


    ¡°Even mine is pretty stiff. Miss Paige said it would get softer with age, but honestly, it still feels pretty terrible. But she said I can¡¯t modify it since she doesn¡¯t have the materials on hand. I hope Mister Tyler can get the additional leather to fix my equipment the next time he visits. I hear he was able to find a person who has [Craft Modification]. A person with that Skill can literally create anything they have ever seen before, so long as they''ve done it manually before.¡±


    ¡°Oh. So that¡¯s what [Craft Modification] does. Auntie crafted the armor by hand for you both.¡± Markus said offhand, causing Lily to frown. She had read more than enough books to realize the importance of [Craft Modification] to skilled workers like Armorers or Blacksmiths. Even Mister Nick might have [Craft Modification], though she had only seen him creating bows by hand.Carve something, yes; but not molding the material like putty into its final form. So why would Miss Paige have a skill like that?


    ¡°...I thought Miss Paige bought these from Mister Tyler?¡± Lily asked suspiciously.


    Markus blanched. ¡°Umm. She did! She bought the material from Uncle Tyler for your equipment. I think Auntie was complaining about the material that was available in Cidala.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. Just the right size too.¡± A loud snoring sound broke Lily¡¯s concentration, her eyes lighting up with delight. She noticed Markus sighed in relief out of the corner of her eyes. ¡®I¡¯ll check in on that later. There¡¯s no way a Farmer could know something as advanced as [Craft Modification]. But Paige is different than every other Farmer I¡¯ve met.¡¯ ¡°BOARY! We need a favor!¡±


    Pushing forward into the bushes, Lily walked into the clearing as a large boar lay sleeping. The brown boar snores rattled the bushes and caught her leather tunic. His tusks were still jagged, but instead of blood, it was lodged with dirt instead. Looking around, she soon found out why. ¡°Boary! You ruined another clover patch! Miss Paige is going to beat you up again!¡±


    The words hardly left her mouth before the boar was up and looking around. His dilated eyes focused on her and her breath stopped. She had forgotten just how big Boary could be. His head was at the same height as her own, which spoke volumes about how massive the boar was compared to children.


    ¡°Sqaeauk.¡± Boary yawned tiredly, looking for more clover to eat. Lily backed up as Boary walked closer, sniffing the ground for food.


    ¡°Boary, we need a favor! Can you bring us to the plains and protect us while we play? Markus had never left the forest yet, and I think it will be fun.¡± Lily stated her case, hoping the boar would approve. Unfortunately, her initial plea did not work; judging by the lack of enthusiasm from the boar. Time for her next plea. ¡°I can bring you some quality hay? The same one we give to the warhorses.¡± The boar stopped, his eyes swiveling toward Lily. ¡°How about half a bay of hay for bringing us out? The boar shook his head, pawing the ground twice. Lily knew she had him. ¡°How about three quarters to take us there and back and to protect us from harm.¡± Boary stared and thought for a moment before walking away from the children. ¡°Fine! One and a half bays of hay. And we¡¯ll help you level the ground before we go! But no more than that you lazy boar!¡± Boary turned and seemingly grinned as he laid back down on his side; his view of the clearing unblocked.


    ¡°...Lily, did you just lose a negotiation to a boar?¡± Tyler asked quietly, his eyes never leaving the boar as he started patting the ground level. Markus went and joined him as Lily stood looking flushed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lose! You have to make concessions sometimes to make a long term deal stick. The trick is just knowing when to stop. Clearly, the boar is smart enough to know he holds the upper hand in this situation¡± Lily flushed in response and started hitting Tyler with her staff. ¡°Besides, it won¡¯t take us long. Miss Zenith taught me a spell! Just watch, I¡¯ll be done in a minute. Now go!¡± lily said as she pushed Markus and Tyler out of the clearing. Boary blinked, stood up and stepped out of the clearing as well as the wind gathered around the clearing. She closed her eyes and felt her mana within her core. ¡®Good, I still have all of my mana. Add in the mana from the environment, and I should be able to pull off this spell.¡¯ Drawing a long breath, Lily started chanting slowly, prolonging the spell as much as she could. ¡°Oh, blustering winds, gather around me and force the wind down onto the earth. Strike the earth with your mighty gale.¡±


    The wind slowly spun around the clearing as she chanted, gathering up into an almost physical manifestation of power. ¡®Zenith said that magic is a representation of the user¡¯s wishes. So what I want is to go on an adventure. And to do that I need to level this clearing. I can do this!¡¯ [[Air Hammer]]!¡± She felt her ears pop as the pressure rapidly changed in her surroundings as a mighty gale slammed vertically against the ground.


    ¡°Hah, hah, hah. See. I, hah, told you I could do it.¡± Lily panted heavily, beads of sweat started to form on her skin. She was thankful for the leather armor now, it would be mighty embarrassing to be seen wearing damp clothes.


    Tyler and Markus nodded, looking at the mostly leveled clearing. It was still in rough condition, but many of the potholes had at least been filled. Now, whether Paige would be happy with it was another question entirely, one that all four of them had conveniently forgotten. Boary nodded his head in approval and walked over to the now panting mage. Lowering his body, he squealed and jerked his head, trying to tell Lily something.


    ¡°I think he says you can ride on him while we walk,¡± Markus said after seeing blank stares from Lily and Tyler.


    ¡°I know that Markus! It¡¯s just he¡¯s never let me do that before now. Hmmm, my power and grace must have made a difference.¡± Lily nodded her head confidently. Tyler nodded as well after hearing Lily¡¯s statement, but Markus had a skeptical look on his face.


    ¡°I think the boar wants to get his part of the deal over with.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. You just don¡¯t know a genius when you see one. Boary, let¡¯s go! Onward to the main path.¡± Lily pointed off into the distance in front of her. The boar turned his head to look at the girl, then moved in the opposite direction.


    Tyler sighed and told Lily the bad news. She felt her cheeks reddened as Tyler looked at her with pity. ¡°Lily, the main path is the opposite way¡­¡±


    ---


    ¡°Stupid Tyler. Stupid Markus. Stupid stupid...¡± Tyler was regretting his word choice as he heard Lily cursing him from above. Their grand adventure was quickly going south, he realized. Neither of their parents knew that while they are taught three times a week by Miss Zenith, typically the last week of the month Mister Nick or Miss Paige would take over and teach them small tricks or tips to be an adventurer. They never quite explained how they knew what they did, but Tyler didn¡¯t pay it any mind, especially since they were close to finishing their tutoring within the next year and a half anyway. He knew that Lily was suspicious of the two adults as well, but perhaps in fear of not getting to go on adventures like this, Tyle wasn¡¯t sure if Lily had ever brought it up with her mom or not. Probably not.


    Even Markus was an anomaly, he thought to himself. Markus, John, and Xavier were all around the same age, but Markus acted very differently. Tyler had taken Lily¡¯s frustrations in stride and allowed her to hit him until she was tired since his leather armor stopped most of the blow. But he had seen how Markus twisted with the blow and fell to the ground. He was dumbfounded when Markus punched himself in the cheek and turned to Lily, tears streaming from his face from the seemingly rough blow Lily had dealt him. Lily profusely apologized and offered Markus a ride on Boary, leaving Tyler in charge of clearing the path for the large boar. ¡®I should ask Miss Paige how Markus evaded like that. And I bet she also taught him how to fake an injury,¡¯ he thought to himself as he stared hard at Markus. The young boy just gave a toothy grin and waved from up high while he clung to Lily for balance.


    ¡°Lily, I know you said we could meet our parents in front of the path, but we could go a little farther out. Maybe to the halfway point? There are plenty of people there, and most would recognize us from a distance. Boary can just run back to the forest from there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Markus has never been out of the forest before, so we might as well make it something special. I¡¯m sure Boary wouldn¡¯t mind going a bit further out anyways. Does that sound good to your Markus?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! That sounds great!¡±

 Chapter 34.3 (Side Story - Cidala Heroes Random Adventure Pt.2)

    ¡°This is boring,¡± Markus complained while he was resting on the boar. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do here. Just grass. Lots of grass. ¡°And it¡¯s hooooot.¡± Tyler was already regretting taking Markus with them.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we are in the shade. It¡¯s called a field for a reason you know.¡± Lily grumbled as she too looked for something to do. ¡°Usually we are in a shaded cart and the sun isn¡¯t above us.¡± She walked closer to Tyler and whispered to him, ¡°should we go back into the forest? I didn¡¯t think it would be this hot. Even most of the flowers are half dead. This is pointless.¡±


    Tyler looked around and nodded. The yellow summer grass was swiftly blowing with the breeze, but everywhere he looked it was half dead due to the heat. He brightened as he looked around and saw no one in sight. ¡°Should we do a mock battle instead? We have the space for it, and there is no one around. Miss Paige always said we should have a backup plan in case things go wrong. What better way than this?¡±


    ¡°Than what?¡± Lily said as she looked around.


    ¡°An open field and a reason to hurry back! Remember, Teacher Zenith said that there will be an examination to determine what class we¡¯ll get into at school, as well as who will be mentoring us. So we might as well practice right now!¡±


    ¡°A fight? I wanna help! I learned how to fight too!¡± Markus yelped as he jumped off Boary¡¯s back. Tyler and Lily shot a glance at Markus skeptically. ¡°Mhmm. Auntie Paige has been helping me with my warrior stances!¡± he said angrily.


    ¡°She¡¯s teaching you how to fight?¡± Tyler said breathlessly. He frowned. It wasn¡¯t fair! ¡®Everytime I asked it was always no this, or no that.¡¯ But maybe it was a good thing. He could always learn by watching, afterall. ¡°Okay Markus, Lily. Let¡¯s do it like this. Lily will pick a target and attack it at range, and Markus and I will run up and attack in close combat.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s nothing here to fight. How will we find a monster to defeat?¡± Markus said as he looked for a monster to fight.


    ¡°Duh, we pretend of course! Boary, can we practice with you?¡± Lily asked Boary nicely, patting his head gently. But Boary was no ordinary boar to be swayed by such crude means. He snorted and pawed the ground four times. Tyler and Markus looked over at Lily, fully knowing what the boar wanted. ¡°...Fine. Next time I come I¡¯ll bring five hay bales with me. Five and a half, sorry.¡± Lily sighed as the boar in question snorted.


    ¡°Okay. So we¡¯ve secured our testing dummy (snort). Now, let¡¯s practice on our way back to the forest.¡±


    ¡°Can I borrow your sword, Tyler? I don¡¯t have my own yet.¡±


    Tyler frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t have a sword? How have you been training then?¡±


    ¡°Auntie lets me play with her hoes after I help out in the fields. I¡¯m not allowed to have my own sword until I¡¯m at least six.¡±


    ¡°...Fine. Miss Paige said the test will be on my defensive skills anyways. The key to a good defender is knowing when to advance. Lily, are you ready?¡±


    ¡°I am! Okay. As the Party Leader, I saw we stop every thirty paces to evaluate how we are doing. We¡¯ll go in this order: Tyler, Markus, Me. Markus, make sure you get behind Tyler after each attack.¡± Lily said carefully as she drew her hair into a ponytail. ¡°Let¡¯s do it! Cidala Heroes, attack!¡±


    ---


    ¡°Markus! Make sure you back up after each attack!¡± Tyler yelled at Markus as he moved forward to block the semi charging boar. The boar had been training with the two children for over two years now, and had learned how to regulate his power to match what the kids could withstand. Even a slow trot for him amounted to several hundred pounds of force on Tyler¡¯s shield. ¡®And...now!¡¯ Tyler thought as the boar rammed into the shield. He quickly angled his shield and his body so that the boar would veer off to his side, lessening the pressure he himself felt. The only problem with this was that the boar¡¯s trajectory did not veer too far off course, and if the boar decided to continue forward with his attack, Lily would be in danger.


    That was where Markus¡¯s role came in. Tyler turned his head slightly to watch what Markus would do. As soon as the boar¡¯s head was deflected sideways, he saw Markus quickly swung his wooden sword at the boar¡¯s leg. ¡°Hah!¡± Markus yelled as he planted his foot heavily on the ground and swung his sword horizontally, using the boar¡¯s momentum to help augment his attack.


    But the boar¡¯s meaty leg absorbed the attack with minimal discomfort to said boar, who continued forward. Even without Paige there to direct him, Boary understood the danger of a Mage casting a spell, something subconsciously telling him that there was danger ahead. The battle would end so long as he could get within ten paces of the mage, something that was heavily drilled into him by Paige. But an object coming toward his head caused him to jump sideways and veer off course of the mage; the gust of air as it passed by made him glad that he had dodged the object. No, the shield.


    ¡°Good swing Tyler!¡± Markus yelled out excitedly. Tyler nodded his head as the boar circled around for another charge. What Markus did was no different than what Miss Paige had taught him, he realized. She had repeatedly stressed the importance of having a solid stance, making sure that his footing was stable as he moved or blocked. But where he would block and sidestep, Markus stood his ground and attacked, which Tyler thought was a bad idea. At that point, a shield bash would be a better option, since you could force the enemy to a passively defend against your follow up attack. ¡®Still, it was gratifying swinging the shield like a sword. I wonder why Miss Paige never taught me that?¡¯


    ¡°...blustering winds, confuse my enemy. [[Vertigo]]!¡± Tyler watched as a small tornado appeared around Boary, the sheer amount of wind moving was creating a shrill, loud whistle that started to hurt Tyler¡¯s ears, much less the boar who was surrounded by it.


    ¡°Tyler, Markus, now!¡± Lily said confidently, moving forward to reach their position. Both of the boys moved forward. Drat! That would have been the perfect chance to attack, Tyler realized belatedly. But getting closer would have impacted them as well, judging by how Markus was moving oddly, his balance severely affected by the shrill wind. something they would have to discuss with Miss Paige or Miss Zenith on how to correctly use it in a battle.


    If there was one thing he did not like about their teacher¡¯s style of teaching, it would be that they did not give practical applications of the spells or skills they taught. Rather, it was up to Lily and himself to figure out the best way to use what they were taught. Something about a person¡¯s style, but that did not make sense to him. Why not just teach everyone how to use a spell or skill the same way? Tyler moved that thought to the back of his mind as he swung the flat of his shield and Markus swung his sword against Boary¡¯s side, causing him to fall over. But where Tyler stopped his attack after the swing was completed, Markus stepped forward with his back leg and stomped the ground; angling his completed swing downward. Tyler watched as the young boy used the momentum of the swing to set up his next attack, an overhead slash, the impact causing a meaty slap.


    ¡°Sqkeaeaak.¡± Boary cried in pain, not used to actually feeling it in these training sessions with the children. Against Paige, sure, as her attack somehow managed to make even his bones hurt. But a dull ache in his side confirmed that the last attack had actually bruised his muscle. Boary rolled on his side away from the children as the smaller child tried to land another attack, using the same move but on his right side instead. He quickly rolled to his feet and jumped away, drunkingly trotting away from the children. Circling around, Tyler knew that Boary was getting serious, his feet digging heavily into the ground below. The boar lowered his head, his broken tusks aiming at Lily.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Boary is settling into his final attack! Tyler, shield bash. Markus, draw his attention away. I¡¯ll use gust to help Tyler¡¯s attack! I need at least half a minute Markus! Make sure to retreat by that time! Oh blowing winds¡­¡± Lily cried out quickly before settling into her chant. Tyler nodded his head at the suggestion. While it took an incredible amount of practice to make it work, Tyler knew from experience that their combined move was the best way to stop a charging enemy, human or otherwise. Miss Paige and Mister Nick agreed too after testing it with them. Markus quickly ran diagonally toward the boar, Tyler quickly angling himself to match Markus¡¯s movement. Miss Paige had said that unless the opponent had a ranged attack, it was almost always better to angle to one side. Both to split the enemies focus as well as to set up his own counter attack.


    ¡°Markus, can you draw Boary¡¯s attention for ten seconds?¡± Tyler asked as he saw Boary¡¯s eyes swivel between Markus and Lily, unsure of which to attack first. Logically speaking, Boary would have gone toward Lily first, as it would be the fastest way to end the battle. But the ache in his side made the boar uncomfortable about leaving his back toward the child with the sword.


    ¡°I can do that! Tell me when, Tyler.¡±


    Tyler paused to listen to Lily¡¯s chant, trying to gauge how much time they had. Looking backwards at Lily, he realized that her eyes were open and watching him, as she nodded and moved forward slightly. ¡°Markus, change of plans. Attack!¡± Tyler cried as he moved forward, confident now that he knew Lily was watching the battle. Teacher Zenith had made sure to teach Lily how to prolong her spell as short or as long as needed, something about flexibility leading to adaptability. ¡°Charge ahead now Markus, I¡¯ll be ten steps behind you!¡±


    Markus nodded his head and sprinted forward, with Tyler following closeby. Even wearing his leather suit armor, Tyler¡¯s speed was not slower than Markus¡¯s speed unhindered. Benefits of age, training, and muscle that talent alone couldn¡¯t match.


    Boary listened as they were talking and figured out their main plan of attack. That was the problem with animals that developed a mana core; their mental, physical, and latent traits increased dramatically, hence the term monster. Of course, the children did not know how smart Boary really was that at the time, so they did not take precautions against an enemy listening. He grunted and charged at Lily, determined to break apart their plan. So long as the mage was taken out, either attacker would not pose much threat, certainly not before he ran out of steam.


    ¡°He¡¯s going after Lily! Markus, fall back. When I deflect his charge, you aim for his feet. It¡¯s the only way we can get him to stop before he passes us!


    ¡°No, attack him, Tyler! We can stall for time while pressing the attack! Even defenders need to attack sometime!¡± Markus yelled as he sprinted at an angle to the boar.


    ¡°Tch! Dang it Markus!¡± Tyler yelled as he strode forward, running straight at the charging boar. ¡°Lily, now!¡±


    ¡°...Give him strength and push my friend forward! [[Gust]]!¡± Lily yelled from behind. Tyler shoved his shield in front of him and sprinted forward, his speed increasing as the wind propelled him forward faster and faster. ¡°Aaah! [[Shield Bash]]!¡±


    The wooden shield impacted the boar with a mighty thud. But the unexpected happened as well; his shield shattered upon impact as Boary used one of his broken tusks to parry the blow, Tyler widening his eyes at the sight. His thoughts traveled back to what Paige had said once before.


    Paige had been standing over Tyler as he panted heavily on the ground, his shield broken in two. ¡®Hahaha, A shield bash is powerful, but you have to be careful to recognize the limits of your shield. The base material of your shield will always limit how much force it can take before breaking. That is why there are always two trains of thought for weapons; durability and sharpness. The common saying is that durability will always win at lower levels, but sharpness will win at higher levels, assuming the base materials don''t clash of course. But eventually, the best defense is the greatest offence, Tyler. Hahaha.¡±


    ¡°Tyler! Watch out!¡± Lily¡¯s scream snapped him out of his reverie. Boary¡¯s momentum hadn¡¯t decreased quite as much as he had hoped, or Boary¡¯s judging by his panicked gaze. ¡®He¡¯s going to fast. This is definitely going to hurt!¡± Tyler thought as he watched Boary getting closer and closer.


    ¡°Aaaah! [Seismic Slash]!" Markus screamed from the side as his foot planted heavily into the ground, the ground near his foot rippling with an unseen force. Tyler could visibly see the shaking motion travel up the boy¡¯s leg and through his body before focusing directly on his sword. The wooden sword shone with a black light, and as the body of the sword connected with the boar, the boar¡¯s body rippled slightly as he was physically shoved to the side; narrowly missing Tyler by nearly a foot.


    ¡°Ow ow ow!¡± Markus cried as he rolled on the ground. Tyler stared in awe as Lily ran forward to check on Boary. ¡°Thanks Markus. That...was amazing actually.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something you can learn too. Auntie Paige uses that move all the time when she is digging. Just watch her movements the next time she is farming.¡± Markus said tiredly as he sat still on the ground.


    Lily walked over, Boary walking beside here. ¡°We need to hurry back Tyler! Look at the sun, we have to head back before mother comes! It¡¯s one thing to play in the fields, but another to be caught without a teacher here!¡±


    ¡°Right! Markus, get up! Quick, we need to get back!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts Markus, we¡¯re leaving now!¡± Lily said, pulling Markus across the dirt road.


    ---


    ¡°Did you have a good day?¡± Lily¡¯s mother asked as they left the forest. Luckily they had made it back and found Paige in the same clearing, Boary nowhere to be found.


    ¡°We did have a good day. Tyler and I found out that we need to have a backup plan just in case our first plan fails. We need to work better as a team if we are to get a good spot at Nespe Academy. Right, Tyler?¡± Lily asked as Tyler walked beside the carriage home. She could see that Tyler was trying to imitate Markus¡¯s moves with his shield. A low sweeping motion, followed by a quick spin into an overhead chop, followed by a stomp and a backhanded swing. She snorted quietly in her head, not really seeing why Tyler was so focused on it. There was no way an attack would be able to defend better than a solid shield. Useful she supposed, but at that point why not just bash the enemy with your shield?


    ¡°Right. I need to have a backup plan just in case my shield breaks.¡± Tyler said seriously as he practiced against an invisible foe.


    ¡°What did Miss Zenith teach you today?¡± Lady Emilia asked suspiciously.


    ¡°She, uh, taught us how to coordinate as a party. We even had a mock fight to test our theories,¡± Lily cheerfully said as she nodded, closing her eyes so that her mother could not catch her lying. ¡°But Tyler¡¯s shield broke when he defended. We think that if it breaks next time, Tyler could go on the offensive instead of retreating from the attack.


    ¡°I see...Well, just keep up the good work. I expect great things from you Lily. I knew you would like Teacher Zenith, Richard. And Stephone thought that she would be subpar. Hah! Her results speak for themselves.¡± Lily and Tyler stiffened. Turning to the front of the carriage, they noticed that the usual driver had been replaced by two men, one person noticeably shorter than the other.


    ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Sir!¡± The two children said at the same time.


    ¡°Haha, like I would miss the chance to see how much you¡¯ve improved! Very good Lily. Very good.¡± The smaller, stouter one spoke happily, grinning widely at his daughter. Richard looked over at her daughter and smiled happily. ¡°Look at you, my little Wind Mage!¡± The other person, a younger man dressed in a butler suit, frowned at Tyler.


    ¡°That was a very odd attack combination. Did you learn it yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± Tyler nodded. Lily rolled her eyes but said nothing, knowing full well he was only imitating what he saw from Markus.


    ¡°Good. We may make a Warrior out of you yet. Very fine move. Most wouldn¡¯t think about using that type of attack with a shortsword though, as it is much more devastating with a weapon with a longer reach. But using it with your shield is much like swinging an axe, due to the sheer mass of your equipment. That stomp though... it looks you''ve figured out the importance of having good footing when defending and attacking."


    Butler Stephone looked critically at Tyler, sizing him up. "Learning from a Farmer Conscript can only get you so far, boy. Since she is focusing on defensive skills, how about you I teach you instead. Are you ready to learn some offensive skills? I''m sure I can teach you [Seismic Slash] within a few years.¡±


    ¡°I am!¡± Tyler nodded, thinking that today¡¯s random adventure truly was a great one.

 Chapter 34.4 (Side Story - Mentor and Magic)

    ¡°Now, back to the subject of the gods¡­¡± Teacher Zenith''s voice echoed in the small clearing as she wrote in the soft, muddy ground. Lily groaned in protest. ¡®Honestly, the gods are dead, teacher! No one even remembers their names! Why can¡¯t I learn something practical instead, like spell casting!¡¯ Lily sighed as her teacher started talking more excitedly, eager to pass on what she knew.


    Looking up from the ground, Lily looked at her teacher. A thin layer of dirt covered her slightly tanned face but it did not reduce the sparkle in her eyes. No, rather it made it more pronounced. Her green floral dress was slightly shorter than usual; probably so that it would not get as dirty if she knelt, Lily realized belatedly. That should have clued her in on what they were going to do today but she had not paid it mind back at the settlement. A gust of wind blew through the clearing, picking up dirt and spreading it across them. Lily grimaced as she concentrated and called her mana out, a slight gust of wind swirled lazily around her, picking up the dirt that had landed on her and blew it back to the ground. Tyler coughed by her side as he inhaled some of the dirt.


    Her teacher merely stopped and frowned. ¡°Lily, pay attention. This is important, especially for you. You too, Tyler. No slacking off on this. This could easily kill you if you are not focused enough.¡± Lily watched as she waved her hand slightly and a large gust of wind danced around the clearing, forcing the dirt back to the ground. Her teacher made it look so easy!


    ¡®No fair! Why isn¡¯t my mana that powerful? I have a greater affinity to wind.¡¯ Lily pouted slightly. As the wind circled the clearing, Lily''s tied up ponytail drifted into sight. Her hunter green color of her hair ponytail should have indicated how powerful she was, but her teacher merely had the tips of her hair the same color and she was just as powerful, if not more. ¡®She¡¯s not dyeing her hair. I know what products she orders from Tyler¡¯s mom. And the alchemists'' dyes don¡¯t work nearly as well, not for the price they are charging. Maybe Teacher Zenith would be willing to share her secrets. It¡¯s too hard trying to pair up green hair and an outfit.¡¯


    A swat on the head quickly brought Lily back to the present. Her teacher was frowning at her lack of attention. Lily blushed and excused her lack of attention. Teacher Zenith continued after eyeing Lily. ¡°I will be testing both of you on this. Now that we¡¯ve spent the last few weeks focusing on the background of the gods, it is time to get into the practical applications of this knowledge. Almost every deity will have a corresponding symbol, which is why it is important to remember the relationships between the gods. Look at this symbol, the squiggle bisecting a diamond. That is the symbol of Anitp, God of the Earth. Protector of the Foundry and the Home.¡± Lily blinked uncertainly. ¡®Eh? That looks like¡­¡¯ ¡°Anitp, as you should remember, oversees the safety of people and their work. That is why almost every defensive magic circle will start with Anitp as the foundation for the circle. Now, Ertea is the Goddess of -¡±


    ¡°Teacher! Are you teaching symbology!?¡± Lily asked excitedly, her boredom now officially gone. Specialized magic circles and the symbols used in their creation were a highly secretive field of magic. If not for Peter Alduit freely disseminating the knowledge of Imperial status and affinity magic circles some hundreds of years ago, it would almost be impossible to verify a person¡¯s status if they were not willing to share it. She knew that her father had been entrusted with quite a fortune to build one for Alduit Academy; Alcudia¡¯s contribution to the now renowned school.


    Her teacher rolled her eyes. ¡°Of course I am. History of Deities is a basic lesson all mages are required to learn before we start delving into magic circles. While it is quite uncommon for a Mage to die while trying to set up a magic circle, it is important to know the correct order of symbols for certain formations; since the same symbols can cause different outcomes depending on the order. Honestly, the standards of teaching in this nation are too low if you¡¯ve never been told that before. Even Isabella knew that...¡± her teacher grumbled under her breath; Lily missed the last sentence entirely in her excitement as she shook Tyler nervously.


    But Lily knew the importance of what her teacher was about to teach. ¡°Are you going to mentor me, Teacher?¡± Lily knew how different having a mentor was versus having a teacher. A teacher¡¯s role is to teach but a mentor¡¯s role is guidance. Individualized attention, a broad perspective, and future support are what every Apprentice wants. Especially for Mages, who hoarded their secrets. Just the fact that Tea-Mentor Zenith was even willing to share her knowledge on symbology showed how much she trusted Lily as a future Mage. ¡®I have to make sure not to betray the trust she has in me!¡¯ Lily thought seriously.


    ¡°Of course I am mentoring you, silly girl! Do you think I¡¯d be putting this much effort this early for any other reason? I shouldn¡¯t have listened to Paige about the standards of teaching here. By the time I am done teaching you, you will have at least been exposed to all the material from at least the middle to upper school level.¡± Mentor Zenith said with confidence.


    ¡°Umm, are you mentoring me too?¡± Tyler asked hesitantly. Lily wondered about that as well.


    Zenith frowned at the question. ¡°I didn¡¯t make two separate lesson plans, so you are just learning whatever Lily is slated to learn since that is technically my specialty. If you want a mentor for a physical battle class though, you should ask Paige or Tyler about that. They¡¯d be better at mentoring you in close combat techniques.¡±


    ¡°Merchant Tyler knows how to fight in close combat?¡± Tyler asked with a shocked expression. Lily was highly amused at the sound of that. Thinking back to the portly man, he was almost as out of shape as her father, and twice as large too! What could he do in battle? Rollover people? She snickered as she imagined a Merchant doing that in a battle.


    ¡°Paige and Tyler are similar in many ways. But where Paige is strong in offensive techniques, Tyler is almost as strong in defensive techniques. At least, from what I¡¯ve seen in mock battles. You haven''t seen him recently. He¡¯s gotten back into shape.¡± Lily and Tyler chuckled at the thought of him being in shape.


    ¡°Ahem. Anyways, after thinking about the combat practice Paige had set up for you, I realized there were several ways that you could have stopped the enemy, Lily. Knowing Paige though, she probably only covered a frontal assault as a party. I¡¯m planning on changing your conception of strategies with Nick¡¯s help. Strategies will usually be limited based on the makeup of the party, which is why Paige¡¯s strategy isn¡¯t necessarily wrong. But Lily, as an Apprentice Mage in training, there are other ways more suited for us than blindly charging into battles. A well-laid trap has much more utility than standing outside in the middle of an open field. Hence, why I am teaching you about magic circles.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Her teacher''s brown hair started to rise a small gust of wind blew through their makeshift classroom. Her teacher scratched her cheek idly as she thought about something. ¡°To be perfectly truthful Lily, Mages burn up more resources than any other profession combined, at least material wise. Mana cores; monster body parts; mana rich items; any items that are useful to a mage are rare and costly in some regards. Which is why you and your party will have to hunt monsters for resources and parts if you want to upgrade your equipment. Warriors have it harder in some regards since rare ores and the like don''t regenerate often over time, but some monster parts can take the place of metal almost as well. Anyway, I¡¯ve already set up some magic circles around the forest, so follow me and you can see first hand how useful a well-placed trap can be.¡±


    The mere thought of adventures sent shivers down Lily¡¯s spine. Magic circles, hunting, what more could a girl ask for!?¡±


    ---


    ¡°Bleegh.¡± Lily threw up into the bush in front of her, Tyler not far behind. Her mentor¡¯s new idea of practical experience was almost as bad as Miss Paige''s. Their little trip had started wonderfully as Miss Zenith taught them more about the symbols and their relationship to the dead gods. How she knew so much about them was a mystery, but Lily had been taught by her parents on how important it was to not go past certain boundaries. Especially with the people you trust.


    Going back a few minutes, Lily had collided with Tyler as he stopped suddenly, and was about to say something when she noticed Tyler and her teacher ducking behind a bush. She quickly followed suit and knelt low, moving slowly to limit the amount of noise she was making. ¡°What is it, mentor?¡±


    ¡°Look. It¡¯s a Wind Sparrow! Not what I was expecting to see here, but it will have to do.¡± Her mentor quickly pointed at a tree branch full of vibrant colored leaves, but she failed to understand what her teacher saw.


    Zenith¡¯s eyes were full of light, however. ¡°A Wind Sparrow¡¯s ability is the manipulation of wind. But the reason it is hard to find one, especially one this large, is because it¡¯s feathers can mimic its surroundings. Those leaves are its feathers, Lily. Use your mana and sense the surroundings. Carefully.¡±


    Lily nodded and quickly drew in a breath. Closing her eyes like she had been taught, Lily released her hold on her mana and quickly shoved it away from her. As her mana expanded outward and started to change back into natural mana, it turned into a slight gust of wind that she could faintly feel the presence of. The gust of wind blew through the trees, the leaves swaying back and forth, all except for the branch that her mentor had pointed out. The leaves shifted slightly in the wind but not enough to escape close notice. A nagging sense of unease penetrated her thoughts, as though something was bothering her.


    ¡°Once you gain the Mage skill, [Mana Sense], it will be easier to spot abnormalities in the ambient mana. Most monsters with cores absorb mana much faster than the ambient mana can replenish. But you have to be careful when using [Mana Sense] since it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean they will be weak monsters. If you get [Mana Sensitivity], you will be able to tell how strong a monster is compared to you, but even then I would be wary of trusting a Skill for something like that. Always assume an enemy is twice as powerful as it is, and most plans won''t fail. Luckily, I have a magic circle nearby in this case; otherwise I would probably skip fighting this mosnter since we are proficient at the same element. Remember you two, while rare resources are always nice to have, it is better to be alive than rich.¡±


    Zenith pointed back toward the way they came. ¡°Go back twenty yards. I''ll get its attention and lead it over to the magic circle. Get behind the boulder and I''ll see you in a bit."


    Lily pouted, wanting to see her mentor in action, but begrudgingly listened. "I know mentor is strong, but how strong is she in combat? I know Sir Stephone always says that mages aren''t as powerful as warriors, but I wonder how true that is."


    "Well, we know that Miss Paige can beat Boary, and Miss Zenith can defeat Boary, so they should be just as strong. I think teacher Zenith is slightly stronger though, since she can defeat him with a wave of her hand from thirty paces away." Tyler said aloud for Lily''s benefit. Lily smiled at that thought but personally thought that Miss Paige probably was a bit stronger than her mentor. Thinking back, Lily realized she had never really seen Paige look out of shape or breathing hard after battling with Boary.


    "The last magic circle we saw was the status checker right? At our fifth birthday?" Tyler asked hesitantly. She knew that Tyler had been looking for it, and in truth she was too. But nothing stood out in the forest beside this rock.


    "It was." Lily nodded. The sight of the mage activating the magic circle had been her first encounter with magic, and it had fueled countless dreams of wonder for her. Dreams full of magic and adventure. Although in reality, she had quickly learned that magic circles were equivalent to death for many mages, especially those who thought they could do the impossible. But know it looked like her very own Mentor had what those others didn''t. Knowledge. ''If Mentor started off with saying what that arcane knowledge was used for, maybe I would have paid more attention. Better attention. Oh, I hope she doesn''t mind going over it again!''


    A loud screech emanated behind them as a gale of wind blew through the forest floor, almost powerful enough to knock her over as she clung to Tyler. "Behind the rock!" Lily yelped and grabbed onto Tyler, bracing herself against the windas Tyler moved cautiously around the boulder, making sure he had stable footing before he moved. Luckily they were pretty close to the rock in question. Another gale of wind blew through the forest, this one much stronger than the one before. She watched in awe as the ambient mana seemingly turned into the wind, resonating with some unknown force. ''No wonder Mentor said she would have skipped it. It must be what Paige had said before. In a battle between two opponents with the same weapon, the one with better skill will always win. Mage versus Mage must be the same way then. The stronger, more skilled one will always win in direct combat.


    "[[Wind Blade]]!" Mentor Zenith strode into their view, her back facing toward them. She slashed the air in front of her, causing a large green line to appear before her. The mana was a clear, vivid green and caused the wind around them to die down, as though it absorbed the ambient mana that was floating around them. Flicking it lightly, Lily''s eyes widened as it tore a tree in half. No, not one tree but three before a bush moved out of the way. ''When will she be teaching me that? And that was all without a wand helping her focus her mana?!''


    ''Wait. The bush, it moved out of the way!'' Lily''s eyes darted across the forest, looking for the odd creature. ''There! It is using the shaking of the leaves to help blend in with the forest!'' Lily noticed that her mentor had seen it too and was backing up closer to them. "Get down!" The command came suddenly and both of them obeyed and dropped to the ground. She heard a swish of wind pass over them and saw a few strands of hair floating freely away. She turned and saw Paige laying prone with them. "Both of you need to be more careful. It was trying to use you as a distraction so it could get away."


    "Oh no! Will she have enough time to activate the magic circle?" The bird gave a loud screech and darted back off into the woods, but both Zenith and Paige stood still. ''What are they -'' Zenith stomped her foot down heavily and released her mana into the ground, a wide arc of mana could be seen darting into the forest beyond. "[[Prison Wind]], [[Piercing Wind]]!" A shrill cry in the forest broke out but stopped quickly. "We got it. Thanks Paige, I didn''t want to activate it too early."


    "No problem, I noticed it was a Wind Sparrow. They usually love doing something like that as a diversion to get away. You gonna process it yourself, or are you going to get them to do it?"


    "Oh no, Paige. They''ll be doing it. After all, they''ll need the experience so that they won''t waste materials in the future..." Zenith laughed evilly.


    And thus they were mentally scarred for a few days, at least until they found out how much money they saved by processing the monster''s parts by themselves.

 Chapter 35

    ¡°Mommy, mommy! Wake up, wake up!¡± A young girls voice called out, rousing Stella from her sleep.


    Stella sleeply called out, hoping to doze back to sleep quickly.¡°Wake me up when the sun is above us.¡±


    ¡°Nooo, We¡¯re gonna miss the event! Remember! Even Auntie Luna is already awake!¡±


    Stella gasped as she fully awoken, realizing what today was. ¡°You¡¯re right! It¡¯s time to get dressed! Quick, get your dress on. It¡¯s a big day today!¡±


    ¡°It is! It is! It¡¯s testing day today!¡± Isabella shouted excitedly. Stella stopped suddenly but picked her pace back up. ¡°It is that, but it¡¯s also the first day your Aunt Luna is opening the Library officially as the new Vice Librarian! We¡¯re gonna have a party today!¡±


    ¡°Mommy¡­ Remember my teachers said I have to do it this time.¡± The girl pouted cutely, knowing exactly how she looked. Her long platinum hair was braided in a bow, a simple ribbon holding her braid together at the end. Stella smiled ruefully at her daughter. ¡°Maybe next time love. Today¡¯s just not a good day.¡±


    ¡°The teacher said I was gonna get into trouble. I don¡¯t want to be in trouble!¡± Isabella pouted sadly.


    ¡°If you get in trouble, they¡¯ll get into even more,¡± a voice called out from behind Isabella, eliciting a scream from Isabella. The scream caused Stella to wince in pain. ¡°Too early Shavie for that. I think you just ruptured my eardrum with that little prank.¡±


    ¡°Auntie! That is not funny!¡± Isabella pouted angrily at the shadow behind her.


    ¡°It was pretty funny though.¡± The shadows from the wall spoke aloud, showing the outline of a figure. Stella groaned in displeasure though. ¡°[[Shadow Talking]]? For real Shavie? You have that much mana to waste that you decided to use what you had saved on a prank?¡± A sudden thought caused Stella¡¯s eyes to twitch. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you forgot to deactivate the wards before your little trick. That cost me twenty grams of Alcudian Moss every time you decide to break the wards forcibly.¡±


    The shadow stopped laughing suddenly, it¡¯s motions jerking as it started to scratch its head, clearly nervous. ¡°... whoops. Anyways, we¡¯re waiting at the library. Hurry up, Bye!¡±


    ¡°SHAVIE! Of all the-¡± Stella counted to ten lightly before turning to her daughter. ¡°Well, accidents happen right? Come on, they¡¯re waiting for us. Wait by the door while I get changed Isabella!¡±


    ¡°Mhmm,¡± Isabella nodded in understanding as she walked to the courtyard entrance.


    Stella watched as her daughter left. She smiled at that thought. Her daughter. If anything, these last few years in peace had taught her to value family much more than she had before. ¡°Shavie and Luna are family too. Bishner too, if he ever decides to come back again. A dysfunctional sort of family, but one nonetheless.¡±


    Stella thoughts were racing as she put on her slightly frilled white shirt, her dark leather pants, opting for something that was easy to move in, yet durable enough to resist chemical stains. ¡°Looks professional enough.¡±


    ¡°Isabella, come along, and remember...¡± Luna paused, waiting for Isabella¡¯s answer.


    ¡°To always disarm and rearm the safety wards when leaving. Too many dangerous chemimicals in the house,¡± the young girl answered carefully, looking to the discrete wards places at the foot of the entrance gate. She carefully bent down and erased a few symbols before leaving and creating a few symbols after stepping over the gate¡¯s threshold.¡±


    ¡°Good job!¡± Luna praised cheerfully after checking the symbols herself.


    ¡°If it¡¯s really that dangerous, how come we don¡¯t keep it separated from where we sleep?¡± Isabella asked dubiously. ¡°How come I¡¯ve never seen anything dangerous in the house?


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. Shavie usually guards anything dangerous. The wards are mainly there just in case Shavie is being Shavie. It¡¯s just easier to get into the habit of protecting than reacting than not at all.¡±


    The young girl nodded her head, though whether or not she truly understood was another matter, one that Shavie could explain later. Stella smiled and grabbed her hand gently, pulling her toward the library. ¡°I know that your teacher wants you to test your affinity, but I¡¯ve already told you that it is too dangerous for you, since we¡¯ve already tested your affinities at home. You¡¯d attract too much attention, and there is a good chance that you¡¯d be taken away from us.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to leave,¡± Isabella said quietly, squeezing her hand mother¡¯s hand. ¡°I just don¡¯t like when the teacher tells me you¡¯re wrong for not following the rules.¡±


    Stella scoffed. ¡°Let me worry about your teachers. I¡¯m your mom so I¡¯ll decide what they can do. And don¡¯t let them tell you otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Yes mommy. Are you sure I won¡¯t get into trouble though? The teachers sai-¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°It will be fine Isabella. The country cannot force children to find out their affinities. Now, let¡¯s get the cake and magic poppers!¡± Isabella brightened up at the sound of that. The city of Nespe was full of life as children and young adults traveled to the many schools in the city. Stella noticed that Isabella looked on a little envious as children her age moved toward the school district. ¡°I know you want to go to school today. We¡¯ll make it up to you, my love.¡±


    Isabella hesitated. ¡°I know, mommy. I want a pet.¡±


    ¡°Oh! A pet we can do. Do you want a death snake? A dark drake? Slime? We could probably even find a baby Beholder if we search the black markets!¡± Stella said happily. She had a dark drake as a child. Such a good pet too, once you get it fully trained to not eat anything that moved.


    ¡°Nooo, nothing dangerous or evil! I want a kitty! Or a unicorn!¡± Isabella whined. Her mother had such a weird sense of pets!


    ¡°Haha, maybe we¡¯ll search the pet stores after this. Shavie might know someone who is selling some specialty pets.¡±


    Stella pulled Isabella close as they got closer to the library, the plaza surrounding the library full of people as they traveled to the many separate sectors of the city. The library entrance itself was practically empty though, as a large sign hung above the library door. ¡°CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS,¡± Stella sighed as she realized how Luna had secured the building for their celebration party. ¡°Luna¡¯s going to be in so much trouble if someone actually looked into it. She should know better than to use government property for private use!¡±


    ¡°The library is actually under renovations, dear sister. Give me some credit at least, I¡¯ve been informing all the patrons for the last few weeks that the library will be closed today. ¡± Luna said as she stepped out of the shadows with Shavie. Giving her sister the cold shoulder, she knelt down to Isabella¡¯s height. ¡°Come on little Isabella, I¡¯ll show you around my new office.¡±


    ¡°She has done a lot, you know. At least, more than when we were back home. I didn¡¯t know she liked to read that much,¡± Shavie said as she gave Stella a slight tap on her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re clear, by the way. I didn¡¯t notice anyone following you.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t want her teachers to find us. They¡¯ve been rather pushy about testing lately. I don¡¯t know why though,¡± Stella said with a small frown.


    Shavie shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Does it matter? If they push, we push back. Luna¡¯s read every law book in the library. She¡¯s sure she can get Isabella out of testing. And if that doesn¡¯t work, a few bribes here, some blackmail there, and everything will sort itself out.¡±


    Stella could hardly disagree with that, as it had worked quite well so far. That, and being one of the best Alchemists in town helped soothe out any...inconveniences.


    As they passed through the doorway, Stella¡¯s eyes focused on the bookshelves to her right, specifically the corner farthest from the entrance. ¡°Has Luna gotten access to the lower levels yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. The rumor going around is that they were doing background checks on all of us. Nothing¡¯s come up so far though, at least from what Bishner and I could tell anyway. Our identities as refugees helped, as most of the smaller towns were totally destroyed. Bishner said he had already forged some documents for us as well, so we should be good.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So long as you¡¯re sure about it. I think most of our answers will be found there. The fog still isn¡¯t decreasing though.¡±


    ¡°Mommy, look at Auntie¡¯s office! It¡¯s amazing!¡± Isabella voice echoed throughout the vast and empty library. ¡°We¡¯re coming, my love!¡± Stella laughed as she moved to the back of the library.


    ¡°Do you miss Trent?¡± Shavie asked suddenly. Stella slowed as she turned to Shavie, her gaze questioning. ¡°I mean it, do you want to go home? We both know that the war on the frontlines are still ongoing. They need us back there. They need Isabella. If she can teach them how to heal-¡±


    ¡°No Shavie. We¡¯ve had this discussion before, in many different forms. Isabella is still too young, and I¡¯m not even sure we would even be accepted back into the country, not without Markus. You know his dad has most likely killed everyone we know since his son died. Either that or he¡¯s consolidating his power to get revenge. That¡¯s the only explanation why the Imperial Family still has not left the country after four years here. They know there is a threat that can take over this border country,¡± Stella spoke terse, knowing full well how this argument would end. ¡°And I like the peaceful city. It¡¯s everything we were working towards.¡±


    Shavie nodded slowly. Stella knew that Shavie did not quite agree with her reasons, but that would be an argument for later. Turning a corner, Stella saw Luna¡¯s office and winced as she entered. The whole room was covered in a random spattering of decorations, ranging from mundane plants to semi-exotic dragon skeleton. Or maybe they were highly realistic fakes. Probably not if Shavie was involved with it¡¯s procurement.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­totally you Luna! Random with a bit of excitement.¡± Stella chuckled, knowing that the room represented almost all of Luna¡¯s interests. The only thing missing was a dagger collection.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking sister. Miss Heather actually said to hide my dagger collection. ¡®Too dangerous¡¯, or ¡®You can¡¯t use a dagger as a bookmark!¡¯.¡± Luna said dryly. Stella could see her twin doing that though, especially if her focus was split.


    ¡°Mommy, look! She even has a pet!¡± Isabella said as she petted the animal in question. The black, fuzzy furball was hard to recognize at first, but the telltale purring identified it as a cat. Albeit, a large, fluffy cat that was almost as long as Isabella was tall.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Midnight Maine Coon. Or some weird name like that. But he¡¯s Midnight for short.¡± Luna said as she held up a rather large, dried fish. ¡°Lucky for us, his food is already placed within the Library¡¯s budget. Otherwise I¡¯d have to get rid of this old lump of a cat.¡± Luna teased, holding the fish above her head. ¡°Come on you lazy cat, you need a lot more exercise than what Miss Heather was giving you.¡± Midnight just stared at Luna, huffing in displeasure.


    ¡°Auntie...¡± Isabella said sadly, pouting at the injustice her new furry friend was receiving. Luna took one look at the girls expression and quietly lowered the fish to Midnight. Stella could tell that Luna was already whispering promises of exercise to the cat while her back was turned to Isabella.


    A knock on the door stopped their celebration before it could officially begin however. ¡°The Library is closed!¡± Luna yelled at the top of her lungs, the sound of her voice echoing clearly.


    ¡°This is the Healer Hall. We¡¯re looking for a Miss Isabella.¡± A woman¡¯s voice echoed back, her tone full of authority. ¡°By the Order of the Alcudian Royal Family, please present her here.¡±

 Chapter 36

    ¡°What is the Healer Hall doing here Shavie? I thought you said no one was following us?¡± Stella hissed at Shavie, clearly feeling like they had walked straight into a trap. The library was mostly famous for its secondary use an emergency shelter. A shelter that only had one entrance.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t follow you! How could they know we would be at the library of all places?¡± That thought raised a few questions, one that the youngest person in the room would know. All three adults looked over to Isabella, who was already displaying a guilty look.


    ¡°I, I, may have told my teacher my Aunt was going to be the new Librarian...¡± Isabella said quietly.


    They all stopped and stared at Isabella, who was standing in place shrunk with guilt. ¡°Well, if you were skipping school, and you weren¡¯t at your store, then the next logical place would have been to check would be the library,¡± Shavie said quietly, putting the pieces together. ¡°It''s not all your fault, love. They must have already checked everywhere else that you could have gone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it, sister. They shouldn¡¯t have the power to do this, not without the Royal Family present. Libraries are strictly out of the Healer Hall¡¯s jurisdiction, mainly since the Healer Hall is a well-known branch of the Imperial Family.¡±


    Stella nodded gravely. ¡°Okay sister. But we¡¯ll all go together.¡± Quickly glancing at Shavie, Shavie nodded slowly, walking backward into the shadows. Her figure quickly faded from view as the woman¡¯s voice once again called for them to come forward. ¡°Isabella, it¡¯ll be alright. No one will take you, we all promise.¡± Isabella nodded fearfully.


    ¡°We¡¯re coming!¡± Stella shouted out. They all walked slowly toward the front, taking their time around the library to scout out their intruders. Two women were standing in the doorway, while two columns of knights stood on either side of the closed entrance. ¡®At least they weren¡¯t planning on making things public. For better or for worse.¡¯ Stella almost cursed aloud as they got close enough to see emblems on their dresses. The Royal Family¡¯s seal was adorned on one, while the other had the Healer Hall HeadMistress rank embroidered on the side.


    ¡°What can we do for you, your majesty, headmistress,¡± Luna said carefully, curtsying deeply to both the queen and the headmistress in order. Queen Rebecca the Third was standing there, her purple outfit flowing down to the floor. Her sky blue eyes were piercing to see, a shade lighter than Isabella¡¯s. Her hair was braided into a crown that wove into a loosely braided ponytail. Stella could hear a faint clicking sound of chainmail coming from the queen, indicating that she was wearing at least one set of armor beneath her dress.


    The queen turned to Stella nodding her head. ¡°You have a sharp eye. I am Queen Rebecca the Third, and this is Headmistress Prim of the Healer Hall.¡± She paused slightly as she looked at Isabella. ¡°We¡¯ve noticed that young Isabella has been skirting the affinity testing. Care to tell us why?¡± Queen Rebecca said lightly, carefully scrutinizing the young girl in front of her. Stella moved Isabella behind her, blocking her from the two women in front of her.


    ¡°I regret to inform you, your highness, that per the Alcudian Constitution that you yourself ratified not even forty years ago, it is not required for children to check their affinity. So we haven¡¯t.¡± Luna said carefully, checking the expressions of both women.


    ¡°But it is the tradition to do it once they reach six years old. Especially girls. It is better to know at a young age what affinities you are attuned to than not. Especially before going being taught spells and skills. How will you know what Class she could become?¡±


    ¡°Traditions can be broken, as is seen with Prince Daniel. Ratified rules, not so much.¡± Luna argued back, testing the Queen¡¯s bottom line. Since the Queen had not remarried yet, and with the debacle surrounding the heroic weapon retrieval, Prince Daniel had requested the Imperial Family to give him control of the military, effectively taking half the power of the country under his, and by proxy the Imperial families control. It would be civil war at this point between her two children if the queen were to die, the most likely reasonher skeleton was not sitting in a tomb right now.¡°No, we will not be checking her affinity.¡±


    The two leaders looked at each other; the queen quickly waved her hand, her knights moving outside of the building. ¡°We already know she has a greater affinity to healing.¡± The Headmistress said quietly after the knights left the building. Stella said nothing in response to the accusation, knowing it was just that. An accusation. Prim raised her eyebrow and smirked. ¡°But you already knew that, didn¡¯t you?¡± The queen turned and looked at the wall carefully. ¡°Call out the person hiding in the shadow too.¡±


    Stella and Luna hesitated and glanced at each other. Luna nodded, quickly flashing a hand motion. Shavie appeared moments later, unhappily scowling. The queen just frowned as the new woman appeared. ''Damn you Shavie! Use a different technique once in a while. [[Stealth]] is definitely not a skill any regular person could have.'' The queen took a glance at her gloves and relaxed her grip on her rapier, something that Stella noted quickly. But a quiver on her dress caused Stella to worry about more pressing matters. She turned and looked as Isabella trembled quietly, hiding behind her mother. Stella squeezed her hand tightly and looked over to the two women. ¡°...She¡¯s not going anywhere. Especially not to the Healer¡¯s Hall.¡±


    ¡°Her natural affinities would be a tremendous benefit to all of humanity. That is the Healer Hall¡¯s responsibility after all. Just think of it, young lady. Being able to go anywhere in the world, meeting new people, exploring distant lands. Anything and everything you could ever wish for.¡± Prim said graciously as she painted a pretty picture for Isabella.


    ¡°You forgot to mention that Healer are specifically targeted by every other race and that it is often too dangerous to leave the Healer Hall without worrying about assassins. No, she is staying in this city.¡± Luna rebutted rather quickly.


    Stella noticed that Prim looked rather astonished by Luna¡¯s depth of knowledge. ¡°Where did you hear that from? There is no danger in becoming a Healer.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to Peter and his many travel journals. He paints a rather different picture than the one you just painted.¡±


    While Prim and Luna argued about the safety and validity of Peter¡¯s journals, Queen Rebecca and Stella were having a different battle; one that Stella thought was infinitely more dangerous than the former. Queen Rebecca just stared at the girl. ¡°Can I talk with the girl for a moment?¡± she asked Stella politely. Stella glanced at Isabella, who was still trembling with fear. ¡°Just for a moment. I¡¯ll be right here Isabella.¡±


    To her surprise, the Queen crouched down to her height and just sadly smiled. ¡°I once had a daughter named Isabella. She...died at childbirth though. Maybe if shewas born with a class, she would have lived. But the doctors all said the chances of that happening were minimal. Do you know what the name Isabella means?¡±


    ¡°...it, it means to live a happy life, your royalness?¡± Isabella said timidly.


    ¡°Your mother taught you well. It does mean that. I wanted her to have a happy life, for as long as she could live. Even one of my best friends, Peter, couldn¡¯t do anything about it. He said only a Princess would have been able to save her, and one that was truly selfless and cared enough to willingly give away her class. But the Imperial Family wouldn¡¯t dispatch one out here to save a little princess from a border country... Do you know why I¡¯m telling you this?¡± Isabella shook her head. ¡°I want you to have a happy life as well, little Isabella. At least, as long as I am able to.¡±


    The Queen waved at Prim and shook her head. Whispering to Stella, she continued on. ¡°The Imperial Family has ways to track potential healers. It would behoove you to figure out some countermeasures against scrying, either through the black market or through using artifacts. I can at least give you until she is ten, but she will have to go to Nespe Academy. No exceptions. If she excels there, she may transfer over to Alduit Academy. But that will all depend on her.¡±


    Stella spoke up suddenly. ¡°What¡¯s stopping us from running away? Surely we can find somewhere safe.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The queen smiled ruefully. ¡°No, not with the Imperial Scions here. For some reason, the Imperial Family is taking this border fight seriously. Historically speaking, Trent¡¯s armies would have retreated out of Evidia by now, but for some reason, they are securing the borders. So until they leave or we push them out of Evidia, The Imperial Scions will be here in the country. They''ll have full control of the Healer¡¯s Hall until they leave.¡±


    ¡°...How is the rest of your family doing? I know you have two other daughters.¡± Stella asked, feeling awkward. She knew that Isabella was actually her daughter, but know she was saying that her daughter had died at childbirth. A conundrum for sure.She silently activated her one skill, [Good Friend], in the hopes of figuring out the temperament of the queen.


    The queen blinked but answered sadly, ¡°Princess Alexandra has to serve the Imperial Scion until he leaves. A political hostage, to make sure I stay in line. Beatrice is safe within the Healer Hall. For now at least.¡± Stella could see the fog slowly entering the building and quickly canceled her skill. That was the problem with this weird fog, it was drawn tothem every time they used their mana. And bad things usually happened if it fully touched them, something she did not want to deal with at the moment. ''If only the fog didn''t slow down mana absorption!''


    The queen blinked and frowned, knowing that she had used a skill. She checked her gloves again and the tension melted away from her body posture. Stella glanced at the gloves. ''She said artifacts. Maybe those gloves have been warded? Is it checking for ill-intent or something?'' ¡°Anyway, back to your daughter. Isabella is safe for now, but the future is uncertain. I just hope the Imperial Family will leave soon."


    Stella was sure that would not happen any time soon. ¡°Do you know someone called Paige Alduit, your majesty?¡± In her initial interrogation with Isabella, she had said the female warrior was called Paige, which both the king''s journal and the wind mage had confirmed during the battle. But the only names she had recognized from hearing about the debacle at the mausoleum was Tyler and Zenith. There was nothing about a person named Nick or Paige. But it goes to say that Paige would have to either be siblings or spouses if they have the same last name. ''Peter Alduit and Paige Alduit. Peter, a well-known Hero. That would have to make Paige a Princess. And she actually gave away her class? But then shouldn''t Isabella be a Princess instead of a Cleric?''Stella''s head swam with unanswered questions, although her face didn''t betray anything.


    ¡°...where did you hear that name from?¡± The queen asked suspiciously. Stella glanced around at the library. The queen nodded, as though she understood something. ¡°Ah, you must have seen it in Peter¡¯s journal. That was his younger sister, but she died a long time ago. He never really liked to talk about what happened to her though.¡± She hesitated but continued on. "He always believed that his sister was still alive, just...lost. Said the gods were watching over her. But the gods are dead, so how could that be true?"


    ---


    ¡°I, I don¡¯t want to go away!¡± Isabella cried sadly as she held onto the fluffy cat. Her brave front had quickly left her once the queen had left.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere, my love,¡± Stella said gently. Shavie and Luna escorted the two women out, carefully. Luna and Shavie came back holding a few books and the cake intended for the party. Shavie and Isabella dug into it, venting their frustrations onto the sugary treat.


    ¡°This meeting didn¡¯t go too bad, you guys. Stella, I got preliminary access to the lower vaults. I''ll start looking into it, but i need to have a guard with me for the first few months, in case of emergency. I don''t know quite why she said it like that, but it shouldn''t be too bad. I think?" Luna said nonchalantly, waving away any potential dangers.


    "We needed more information, and what better source than the two that just arrived. Look here,¡± Luna said as she held out a book for Stella. She grabbed it and was immediately shocked. The book was rather worn, but you could still make out the words. Tome of Healing. Luna nodded. ¡°Since the Queen is reluctant to move her, the Headmistress wants Isabella to learn how to Heal on her own. If she can¡¯t learn it by the age of ten, she will be taken by the Healer Hall. They want her to gain the full Class shortly before enrolling in school, tch, as though she could control that. But not only that, we got definitive news on Trent as well. They never moved their armies back. We all know it was never the plan for the Senate to occupy Evidia. If anything, we needed to cooperate with Evidia to secure an evacuation route. The frontlines were still in danger of being overrun when we left years ago. And now it looks like they are occupying the safe zones. So what¡¯s changed since we¡¯ve been gone?¡±


    ¡°...mommy, aren¡¯t Trent demons evil?¡± Isabella said quietly behind them, her eyes wide. ¡°Why do you care so much about the bad guys?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not evil, Isabella. Just like how your classmates Sophia and Hayden aren¡¯t evil just because they are demons. It¡¯s just that Trent has its own problems to deal with, and they made a mistake. Several mistakes actually. That¡¯s what your Uncle Bishner is doing right now. He¡¯s trying to find clues as to why they did all these bad things.¡± Stella sighed while hugging Isabella. "We allcame from Evidia, butTrent was not like that when we left. They were peaceful neighbors. Something must have happened."They had all agreed that it would be for the best to tell Isabella they were from Evidia. While this would be highly suspect if told to the wrong people, the war had displaced many people from both Evidia and Alcudia, and being Human helped lessen the prejudice against them immensely. Hopefully her classmates weren¡¯t coloring her perception of Trent. But Stella knew it was looking bad for their home country. ¡®Bishner better have some news to share the next time he comes back, or there will be hell to pay.¡¯


    "The bigger issue will be her Class though. We don''t know of anyone who could Mentor her, besides the Healer''s Hall of course. Stella, do you think you could teach her spells?" Shavie asked from the side, her face a scrunched in worry. "If she can gain the Class, we would have a buffer of a few years to plan. It took almost ten years for me to gain my class though, even as an Apprentice."


    "I- I want to become a Cleric and stay with you all!" Isabella declared loudly, her mana leaking out steadily as she held onto the massive cat. For some reason though, it wasn''t the golden mana that Stella knew she had, but rather a cloud of pale white mana instead. The cloud of mana started to swiftly rotate and condense around her.Stella blinked as the pale white cloud started toformsymbols around her and started to worry. Class recognition? How did Isabella get it that easily? But Isabella was already starting to panic at the unfamiliar sight. "I-I can''t stop it mommy!"


    Locking eyes with Luna and Shavie, she bit her lip and released her own mana, Shavie and Luna moving to either side of Isabella and doing the same. A dark cloud of mana released around each of them and started to flow in a circle around all of them. "Don''t worry Isabella; we''ll help you stabilize your Class. Close your eyes and focus on what we say."


    "Mhmm!" Closing her eyes, she got ready to listen, missing the sight of a wisp of golden mana encircling around her head in a ring.


    Oh, why isn''t anything normal for Isabella? Well, nevermind, Stella thought. Nothing is particularly normal for them right now either. "...Flowing darkness, combine and congeal around the target. [[Dark Mana Cluster]]." The cloud of mana Stella, Shavie and Luna had released started to gather around Isabella and forced the symbols to gather densely around her. "Isabella, stay calm. Class stabilization is an important first step whe-" She had hardly even began to force their mana to push Isabella mana back into her core when the golden ring around Isabella''s head flashed brightly and engulfed their dark mana and Isabella''s own mana into a bead, which it silently absorbed and flowed back into Isabella without fail.


    Stella stared at Isabella, who still had her eyes shut tight. Peeking at Luna and Shavie''s expressions, she noted wryly that the process Isabella had gone through was definitely not how receiving a Class was supposed to go. "...Okay, all done Isabella. Go ahead and check your status, shall we?"


    "All done? But I don''t feel different," Isabella said unconfidently. Gently motioning her to go ahead, she watched as Isabella call out her status. "I, Isabella Freal Platz,of my own accord, hereby request to show my Class. [[Status]]." Platz. Stella still didn''t know why Isabella had gotten her last name, but she was still happy to hear it spoken out loud by her daughter.


    <div>


    Isabella Freal Platz


    Human


    Apprentice Cleric


    ¡°Huh, it is different than what I can see?¡± Isabella cocked her head and frowned confusedly.


    Stella let out a breath she had been silently holding. "That''s because your status is private. There are not many spells that can force a person''s status to show all the details. Not even [[Advanced Status]] or [[Command Status]] can show a person''s skills unconditionally unless you want it to. But remember Isabella-"


    "Never show or tell my full status to anyone but family, and only when we are in the safe zone. I remember. "


    --


    Isabella looked at her mother''s face and beamed happily. Her status had gotten significantly larger now that she had a Class. Although it looked a little weird, she was more than content to have it so filled in. It still looked strange, but she liked how it now looked. She felt a little funny about saying she was a human and a demon, but her mother and aunt didn''t hold it against her for some reason, though they stressed not to tell anyone about her race or Class.


    Name: Isabella Freal Platz


    Race: Human/Demon


    Class: Blessed Apprentice / Subclass Apprentice Cleric


    Skills:[Mana Sensitivity],[Mana Sense], [Shadow Walking], [Truth Seeker], [Night Vision], [Good Friend]


    Spells: [[Healing Touch]], [[Mana Light]], [[Gust]]


    Party:None

 Chapter 37

    ¡°Look Paige, the fog is almost gone!¡± Zenith exclaimed excitedly.


    Paige did not share Zenith¡¯s excitement though. ¡°Couldn¡¯t we have come back in the morning? You know, after the sun has risen and I¡¯m not freezing my butt off. Look, even the morning dew is frozen!¡±


    ¡°Paige, we¡¯ve been stuck in here for four years now. How are you not tired of being in a forest? I love nature as much as the next person, but I want to go shopping! I mean, I¡¯m glad Kate is sending merchants this way, but her sense of taste is¡­ not the greatest. I really don¡¯t want another cotton sundress.¡±


    ¡°Notice how Nick isn¡¯t here? That¡¯s exactly how I feel right now.¡±


    ¡°Well someone had to watch Markus. It¡¯s far too cold for him to be out right now.¡±


    ¡°Nu-uh Auntie! I, I, I am fine!¡± A childish voice called out behind them.


    ¡°MARKUS! Get back indoors, it¡¯s freezing outside. Even the morning dew is frozen.¡±


    ¡°But, but, you said once the fog is, is, is gone we can go to the town!¡± Markus complained loudly. Paige looked over with a smile. Markus had grown over the last four years, but he was still quite the runt. Barely passing three feet tall, he was slightly taller than her waist, his brown eyes shining bright even though the sun still had not peaked over the forest trees behind them.


    ¡°He noticed both of you walking on the path and decided he was done with sleeping,¡± Nick said tiredly, his mock Ranger robe wrapped around him. I¡¯m headed back to bed now.¡±


    ¡°Nick, you''re already here, stay a bit! It¡¯s an exciting day you know!¡± Zenith happily exclaimed. ¡°I worked a few days to figure out the exact day the fog would dissipate, and today is the day!¡±


    ¡°Aunt look, the fog is disappearing! It¡¯s leaving, it¡¯s leaving!¡± Tyler jumped up and down, his voice echoing slightly through the woods behind them.


    ¡°Countdown Markus! Three! Two! One! And now!¡± Zenith and Markus screamed excitedly. Paige rubbed her arms tiredly while Nick stood still, but both watched as the fog disappeared from view.


    ¡°... Hooray?¡± Paige said as she looked around. The forest did look a little weird without the everpresent fog. Not that she would admit it out loud though. ¡°Hold out your wand Zenith. Last I checked I could go about twenty paces out of the woods.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go Markus! We¡¯re off to the town!¡±


    ¡°Hooray! Let¡¯s go see Xavier and John! We can go! We can go!¡±


    Markus ran out happily screaming, easily passing the mental line Paige had drawn on the plains in front of them. Zenith tiptoed closer to the boundary as well. She had known just how far she was able to go as well since they were stuck within the confines of the mana dispersion fog.


    ¡°Okay, here I go!¡± Zenith closed her eyes and jumped forward, not screaming in pain, which was always a good thing in Paige¡¯s experience.


    ¡°Congratulations Zenith! Now can we go back home?¡± Paige grumbled as she saw Zenith running around in a circle.


    ¡°Haha! Nick, come on! Let¡¯s go shopping! We can make it to the Cidala before sunrise if we start running now!¡±


    Nick smiled, a rare sight for Paige. She¡¯d only seen him smile on occasions, but never about something as benign as shopping. A rare wood or a successful fishing trip maybe.


    ¡°Sure, Zenith. Markus, get back here!¡±


    Paige watched as Nick strode forward; his eyes locked on Zenith. That¡¯s when she noticed the anomaly. The mist, Paige realized. The mist was rising back from the ground.


    ¡°Nick, stop!¡± Paige yelled hurriedly. Nick turned just as he crossed the line, his face a mix of confusion. ¡°Oh, hell!¡± She hurried forward, knowing what was about to happen. Nick¡¯s foot hit the ground, the mist coming back in full force around him.


    ¡°AAHHH!¡± Nick screamed in pain as he fell to the ground, writhing in pain.


    ¡°NICK!¡± ¡°UNCLE NICK!¡± Markus stood shocked as Zenith ran back to pull Nick back into the forest.


    ¡°Get him back into the forest, quick!¡± Paige yelled as she stopped, holding her hoe out in front of her. She cursed as the hoe quickly darkened. ¡°Crap! My mana¡¯s still being recognized! I can¡¯t get him Zenith!¡±


    She drug him back into the forest. ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible. I was able to leave, why, why why!¡± Zenith exclaimed as tears formed in her eyes.


    ¡°Is, is uncle alright?¡± Markus asked shakily, bringing back some unhappy memories.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine in a bit, Markus. He just fainted.¡± Paige said after poking Nick carefully.


    ¡°Zenith, I think we need to reevaluate. Look.¡± Paige pointed at the forest. A slight mist wafted through the trees, refilling the forest.


    ¡°NO! It shouldn¡¯t have happened like that! We were supposed to all be able to leave!¡± Zenith panicked at the sight of the fog.


    ¡°You were able to leave Zenith. Can you calculate to see when the fog will dissipate again?¡±


    Zenith sucked a breath in, her chest heaving in shock. ¡°You think only the first person to walk out is able to leave?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Tyler''s situation is iffy since it seems that the formation actively chose him to be able to leave. But seeing this, I think it may have also been an unfortunate coincidence. By our accounts he awoke first and left the forest first. So¡­¡±


    Zenith thought about it for a second but noticed Markus still had not calmed down. ¡°Okay. okay. Markus, it¡¯s alright. It¡¯s alright. Shhh shhh, we told them we¡¯d visit today, so we¡¯ll still go.¡± Zenith quietly said, calming Markus down with a hug.


    ¡°But, but uncle. He he -¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Uncle Nick, kiddo. Go and have some fun, and make sure you give them our presents. Tell them sorry for us, Zenith. I¡¯ll watch Nick and check on the runes when he¡¯s feeling better. He¡¯ll be fine, Zenith. I promise.¡±


    ¡°...okay. Phew. Okay. Markus, hold my hand. We¡¯ll use [[Wind Walker]] to make it over to Cidala. Take care of him, Paige.¡± Zenith said steadily, although her eyes betrayed her inner worry.


    ---


    ¡°....and so, this is my shop! Isn¡¯t it grand! And you didn¡¯t believe me when I said I was the vice-chair of the Merchant Association.¡± A voice called out to Zenith, awakening her from her thoughts.


    ¡°You''re right Kate! I didn¡¯t think your shop would be this close to the town square. To be fair though, when we first met you said your shop was a modest little shop. You never mentioned your location,¡± Zenith smiled a bit, her mood improving. ¡°But where are John and Xavier? Markus was really excited to play with them.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re helping Tyler and Lily pack their bags. Joanna, can you take Markus here over to Emilia¡¯s house? Thank you!¡± Zenith watched as a young girl barely older than Markus reached her hand out to grab Markus¡¯s. ¡°Th, this way,¡± she said quietly as she pulled him fast out the door.


    ¡°My little niece is visiting from Trulton. Too little to do in the winter there, so my sister usually sends her this way where it is a bit warmer.¡± Kate said with a shrug as she caught Zenith¡¯s wondering gaze.


    Zenith laid her head down on the counter, sighing loudly. ¡°Sigh. I can¡¯t believe that Lily and Tyler are already leaving for school. It feels just like yesterday that I was just tutoring them, and now...¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s compulsory schooling for you. But they did get into Nespe Academy on their first try, and without recommendations! You know that they only accept less than fifty students a year. I was worried that I might have to grease a few fingers to get Tyler in, but he did it without my help. Lily did too, come to think of it.¡± Kate said as she packed a few things up from her shop. ¡°Emilia made such a fuss when Lady Emrus bought her son a spot to Nespe Academy. Lily even taunted the poor boy, saying that he probably couldn¡¯t even beat a Farmer if he tried. Oh, the look on everyone¡¯s faces!¡±


    ¡°Well if the Farmer in question is Paige, then Lily¡¯s probably right. They tried so hard to land a hit on Paige last week. Hopefully, they didn¡¯t bruise their ego¡¯s too much.¡± Zenith said, hoping it would be enough. The week prior, Lily and Tyler requested Paige to stop taking it easy on them, hoping to see just how good Paige was. Their battle was rather....embarrasing to say the least. Everyone present could see just how little effort Paige was putting into the battle. She had closed her eyes and started to hum, still fully able to stop Tyler and Lily from hitting her.


    ¡°Where are Paige and Nick anyway? I thought you said everyone was going to visit today?¡±


    ¡°We all were planning on visiting, but Nick and Paige got sick when they left the forest.¡±


    Kate winced. ¡°Ah, did they start vomiting blood again?¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Yeah. Mana poisoning is no joke. It took me four years before I could leave the forest without triggering a negative mana feedback loop. We didn¡¯t know the ambient mana there was so violent, otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have stayed. It looks like Paige and Nick accumulated more than I did, hence the effect. I''m just happy it doesn''t affect kids.¡± Zenith had to make up a plausible explanation to what happened to Paige some time ago, and mana poisoning seemed like the best explanation at the time. Luckily it worked and the Healer¡¯s Hall was not called in. ¡°I have their gifts with me. It won¡¯t make up for them not being here, but at least they¡¯ll know they did intend to come. Paige even asked Merchant Tyler for some special supplies for her gift, so they should enjoy whatever it is.¡± Zenith patted her bag, some gifts so large they were hanging out of the bag.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep them in our prayers.I''m confident they¡¯ll get better soon. Heh, I¡¯m glad Tyler brought something for the kids; that means it¡¯s at least better than the last giftPaige gave them. I mean, I know she is a Farmer but she could¡¯ve given them something better than just seeds.¡± Kate said with a chuckle.


    Zenith also chuckled but was slightly curious if the two kids managed to grow anything. ¡°Supposedly, Paige said they were magic seeds. But she never really told us what plants they were from. Did anything grow from it?¡±


    ¡°Funny you should ask. A weird tree grew from both. A bonsai really. Paige¡¯s instructions for the tree are pretty rigorous for a kid to follow. Has to grow in the pot she gave them. Three hours of sun, two hours of shade, a minimum of one hour of mana exposure. Enough water to last all night. Actually, that lastinstruction gave Lily and Tyler some problems, since the pots she gave them couldn¡¯t hold that much water. Emilia had to get a blacksmith to create a drip pot for them.¡±


    Zenith blinked. That did sound¡­well, it really sounded like it almost could be a magic tree. In fact, it felt like a practical joke until Zenith remembered Paige¡¯s nonsensical [[Friend Finder]] spell and it¡¯s ridiculous conditions to cast. ¡°And they actually keep that schedule?¡± Kate nodded happily as they walked to the front door. ¡°Mhmm. You said they should practice releasing their mana as long as possible, so they do. I think the tree was a good practice tool for them in that regard.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Well, they¡¯ll be ahead of their class for sure then. Paige said Tyler has a good chance of being tutored one on one with a Warrior instructor, and I think Lily will be shoved into the gifted magical program. They might even be able to skip a few classes if they can get a good enough score on the academic side.¡± Zenith followed Kate, telling her what their chances were of graduating early. She fully enjoyed the town atmosphere. She hadn¡¯t realized how much she missed being in a town full of people. Most days it was just Paige and Nick to talk with, since Tyler spent a majority of his time growing his business and collecting information. On rare occasions, Kate or Emilia would come too, maybe every few weeks or so.


    ¡°So, uh, where are we going Kate?¡± She wondered as the houses started spreading out farther apart. The houses were starting to get nicer as well.


    ¡°Emilia¡¯s house. We¡¯ll be there in a few minutes. Why?¡±


    ¡°Umm, so I never felt comfortable asking. But what is the Thompson family known for?¡±


    ¡°Hm? You never asked? Well, her husband Richard is a pretty influential merchant. He dabbles in a lot of things really, but he helps manage the supply lines for the Alcudian Defensive Lines. The southern part of Alcudia is one of the largest grain suppliers in the nation. We account for almost forty percent of the annual food supplies for the military. He¡¯s even received recognition from Queen Rebecca for his management skills during the invasion. Emilia, on the other hand, owns some of the local iron mines here. But she¡¯s really gotten involved in the library since Lily goes there all the time. Not many are willing to get on their bad side, even in Nespe.¡±


    Zenith blinked. ¡°Huh. Maybe I should have increased the price for tutoring. A hundred gold a year for everything is sounding pretty piddly now.¡± Kate coughed, ¡°Actually Zenith, we have a contract¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha, I know. Next time I¡¯m charging three hundred gold.¡± Zenith laughed as Kate partially tried to convince her to change her mind, both knowing full well that Zenith would never really do that to Xavier and John. Kate stopped in front of a mansion, complete with a Butler standing in the shadow of the gate.


    ¡°Hello, Sir Stephone. Which way do we go today?¡± Kate asked, bowing her head politely. Zenith followed suit, not knowing how polite she had to be. Butler¡¯s tended to be pretty low on the social totem pole in Appealte, but she hadn¡¯t met a butler in Alcudia prior to this, even when she was a Diplomat.


    ¡°Lady Kate. Lady Emilia and guests are already in the garden. You should hurry, the carriage is leaving at sundown to make it to Nespe in time for the opening ceremony in the morning.¡± Butler Stephone said lightly. He stared hard at Zenith, clearly evaluating who she was. Frowning slightly, he took in the woman in front of him. Light complexion, but not light enough to be indoors all day. He could feel a slight magic fluctuation from her, but he couldn¡¯t quite pin down how strong she was. Either she was vastly stronger, or vastly weaker. Her dress clearly marked her as some type of foreigner, typically only seen in the plains to the far east. ¡°And this is¡­¡±


    ¡°This is Miss Zenith. Lily¡¯s magic and general tutor. She¡¯s been under her care for the last four years now.¡± Kate supplied carefully, edging in front of Zenith.


    ¡°Hrmm...you said you come from Appealte right? Then how come the style of your dress is reminiscent to the Kimihana dress worn in the Eastern Plains?¡± Butler Stephone''s eyes narrowed slightly, carefully watching Zenith¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Eh? My husband is a Bowyer from Leit. How am I supposed to know where he found the dress?¡± Zenith truthfully admitted. ¡°My husband says the best Bowyer¡¯s always trained in Leit. We moved here when Markus was young.¡± They both looked at each other, one young and one old. They both knew the other was hiding their abilities. Paige had said the dress was worn by traveling nomads in Leit. But she never said it originated in the Eastern Plains. So how did this Butler know where it truly originated from?


    ¡°We really need to get going, Sir. Which way do we go?¡± Kate interrupted their little staring contest.


    ¡°...to the eastern gardens, next to the daylilies.¡± he said after a moment


    Kate grabbed Zenith¡¯s hand and ran ahead, calling out after he had informed them where the party was being held. ¡°Thank you, Sir. Come on Zenith, we¡¯re going to be late!¡±


    ---


    ¡°He means well, I think? I¡¯ve never seen him look that way before.¡± Kate apologized profusely.


    ¡°Well, no harm no foul. I¡¯ll just be careful around him if I see him again.¡± Zenith shrugged. She didn¡¯t dare use her mana to check his Class level. But as a former Wind Mage, she knew she had at least a fifty percent chance of beating him outright. From a distance of course.


    ¡°Good idea. Ah, here¡¯s everyone!¡± They turned the corner and ended up in a large garden, a large field blooming with purple daylilies, Lily¡¯s favorite color. A lot of people were gathered here, a majority of those unknown to Zenith. She could tell everyone was evaluating her; her looks, her social rank, her abilities, but Zenith paid it no mind. Wearing a polite smile, Zenith nodded at a few people, unworried about other people¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°TEACHER! MENTOR!¡± Two young voices called out to her, causing her to truly smile. Lily and Tyler were growing up so fast! She bent down to give each of them a hug as they ran up to her. ¡°You really came today! I just knew you would leave that dark and broody forest to come here!¡± Lily said with a wide grin. Was the forest really that dark and broody though?


    ¡°But where is Miss Paige and Mister Nick?¡± Young Tyler looked around, hoping to spot them in the crowd.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Tyler. I know it would have meant much for Miss Paige to be here, but she still can¡¯t leave the forest yet, due to her condition. Mister Nick is the same. But I do have their gifts here for you.


    Tyler smile faltered for a second, but he shook his head and nodded. ¡°Okay, maybe next time.¡±


    ¡°Tyler, Lily, go and greet the other guests! We¡¯re about to dothe present segment next!¡± Emilia knocked both of their heads gently. ¡°And make sure you smile!¡± Getting both of their promises, she released them back into the crowds. She turned, looking at Zenith cheerfully, causing her to step back suspiciously. She was never usually this cheerful. ¡°Zenith, thank you for coming! I want to introduce you to everyone!¡± Emilia laughed a little loudly, hugging both Zenith and Kate.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright Emilia. As much as I¡¯d like for you to show me off like a prize dog, I am here just for my two students.¡± Zenith chuckled slightly, knowing full well what Emilia wanted to do. ¡°Sorry for being late.¡±


    Emilia just shrugged, knowing she had been seen through. ¡°Well, Markus is having fun with the kids over there. I¡¯m glad you two were able to come. I overhead what happened. I am sorry about Nick and Paige as well. Are you sure you don¡¯t need me to hire a healer to come this way? It¡¯s the least I could do for you.¡±


    Zenith was grateful that Emilia at least looked concerned about the two of them. ¡°It¡¯s alright Emilia. Mana poisoning is not something that a Healer is able to fix. Time is the best medicine for that. I do have their presents, do you want me to put them on the table?¡±


    Emilia shook her head, ¡°No, I know full well that both of the children will want your gifts first, no matter what I say. So you might as well keep them on you.¡±


    Zenith linked arms with Emilia, leading her away from the more crowded areas of the garden. ¡°Emilia, I met your Butler. He has quite an intense air around him. Do you know of any reason at all why he might not like me?¡± She gave Emilia a quick rundown on what had happened at the main entrance.


    Emilia frowned. ¡°From what I know, he shouldn¡¯t. And he¡¯s not my butler, per se. He¡¯s Richards butler, appointed by the Queen herself. During the war, there were a lot of officers that had been assassinated at their own homes. Before his death, the late king had placed Royal Guardians to protect the surviving officers. Normally we wouldn¡¯t be included in that list, but with the majority of food supplies flowing from this area¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah. Fair enough I suppose. I¡¯d be wary of strangers too if I lived a life like that.¡± Zenith thanked Emilia, and then separated to look for Markus, but she could not find him anywhere. ¡®There is a hedge maze right next to the garden. What are the chances that Markus is playing in there? Hmm. Probably pretty good. Maybe I should go and look for him discreetly.¡¯ Zenith paused and stared at the hedge maze, lightly sending wisps of wind throughout the maze, hoping to find Markus.


    ¡°Do you need help finding something?¡± A males voice called out directly behind her.


    Zenith steeled her nerves, calming herself down. ¡®That butler again. He¡¯s pretty good to get this close to me without me noticing.¡¯ ¡°I am looking for Markus. Have you seen him? About three feet tall or so, brown eyes, black hair.¡±


    ¡°I believe Lily and Tyler brought the kids over for the present portion of the event. This way, if you¡¯d please.¡± Stephone bowed slightly, indicating which way to go with a sweep of his hand.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zenith noted that everyone was moving toward that way, making it less likely that the butler was targeting just her. ¡°Zenith, this way. You''re up first!¡± Kate called out helpfully, seeing that Zenith was next to Stephone.


    As she arrived, Zenith frowned as she noticed that the kids were intentionally separating Kate and Tyler from each other. ¡®Emilia said some of the parents were hard to deal with. Did the parents intentionally tell their kids to do that?¡¯ Zenith decided to fix that problem herself. ¡°Tyler, Lily, I need both of you here,¡± she called out, pointing to where she wanted both of them to stand. Tyler moved there easily, while Lily had to push her way out of the crowd of children.


    ¡°This is a big milestone for both of you, and while Paige and Nick could not come, I do bring their messages. Lily, Tyler. Choose your party carefully. They will either bring you to new heights or bury you.¡± Zenith ignored the whispers behind her, keeping eye contact with the two of them until they both nodded slightly.


    ¡°From Nick, an adventurer¡¯s knapsack for you two. Never go without one, for you never know when you might need a basic tool.¡± She pulled out a tiny camouflage bag, one that Nick himself always wore when he went into the forest. Focusing on Lily, Zenith smiled. ¡°Lily, as your mentor, know that I am proud of how far you have come in the last four years. Here is something that Nick and I made for you.¡± She pulled a thin rod from her sleeves, the sides were highly polished.On the tip shone a bright green shard of stone, the light reflecting green rays of light to the floor below. ¡°The tip is made from a shard of a wind sparrow mana core. The wand itself will last you until you graduate from school. Although I wouldn¡¯t recommend a staff until after you stop growing, you can take the shard off and move it to another.¡±


    Lily smiled brightly as she grasped the wand, the light emanating from the wand fading slightly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trade it for the world, mentor!¡±


    She gave the girl a quick hug before turning to Tyler. Zenith hesitated. This was really supposed to be Paige¡¯s responsibility. That and she didn¡¯t particularly like what she had to do since Paige was not here. ¡°Tyler, your gift is a little different. Paige had Tyler and Nick help with her gift.¡±


    She opened her bag, pulling out two small items. A wooden sword handle, and a woodengripfor a shield.

 Chapter 38

    ¡°What happened, Paige?¡± Nick croaked as he tried to sit up. He arched in pain as his nerves spasmed uncontrollably.


    ¡°Woah, now. Don¡¯t try to get up, Nick. Relax. The mana dispersion fog only allowed one more person to leave. So we¡¯re still stuck here for the time being.¡± Paige said from his side as she laid another towel over his head. He moved his eyes, tracking Paige¡¯s movement.


    ¡°I thought-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we all did. But I checked the tree while you were passed out. It¡¯s still going, albeit weaker than previously. I looked back at my damaged hoes, and it seems that the dispersion fog strength is currently around the two-year mark. Luckily, you weren¡¯t using your mana when you tried to leave, otherwise, you¡¯d probably be in a coma for a few days or so.¡±


    ¡°Damn. So we won¡¯t know who won our bet, will we?¡±


    ¡°Nope. But I¡¯m sure Tyler will pick the guard handles.¡± Paige said with a smirk.


    ¡°I still think he¡¯ll choose the sword handle. The boy has spirit, you know. Even a Ranger like me can see that.¡± Nick sighed painfully. ¡°You think your gift will go as you planned?¡±


    ¡°I do. Unless his other mentor tries something drastic. He has to be receiving extra tutoring from a Warrior, or a Swordmaster at the very least. Even talent wouldn¡¯t be able to explain some of his moves. And before you argue, Zenith will be fine. Even barring a Warrior, her skills have not deteriorated to the point that she can¡¯t handle close combat. I¡¯ve made sure of that.¡±


    ¡°But your gift is too early. You said it yourself that this is a question all Apprentices go through. But he¡¯s not even that yet. He¡¯s still just a child.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll get that class, I¡¯m sure of it. The gods seem to be fairly lenient after all. Hell, you didn¡¯t even become an Apprentice Hunter after your first few hunts. I¡¯m certain that the party was just too small to qualify him for the class.¡± Paige said with certainty. Although Nick disagreed, Tyler himself had confirmed that Paige¡¯s gift was not too excessive a gift. If anything, Tyler¡¯s gift was even more extravagant for the young boy, if the boy chose the guard handles.


    ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll see once they come back.¡±


    ---


    ¡°Tyler, your gift is a little different. Paige had Tyler and Nick help with her gift.¡± She opened her bag, pulling out two small items. A wooden sword handle, and a wooden handle for a shield. Tyler looked between the three gifts, his two items clearly not as important as Lily¡¯s wand. Zenith noted his disappointment and confusion and amended her words slightly. ¡°Paige said this gift is worth much more than a wand, Tyler. You need to decide very carefully about which one you take.¡±


    Zenith could hear laughter behind her; clearly, some thought it was a joke gift. Emilia was already starting to shush the loudest of the jeers rather loudly, to the embarrassment of Tyler. ¡°Can you tell me why I need to choose?¡±


    ¡°...Paige knew that you had another teacher outside the woods. One that was mentoring you in combat,¡± Tyler¡¯s eyes widened at being caught, ¡°and she doesn¡¯t fault you for it. She forced you to pick up the shield since Lily was there and needed a protector. But now you have a choice to make. Either to pick up the sword and learn offensive skills in school, or pick up the shield and learn defensive skills. You cannot be an Apprentice Warrior and an Apprentice Vanguard, Tyler.¡±


    ¡°But Sir Stephone said that you could be both,¡± Tyler whispered quietly, just loud enough for Zenith and Lily to hear him. ¡°He said a Warrior was a culmination of all battle techniques, even defensive ones. That Miss Paige was just focusing on one part of the Class.¡± Lily nodded in agreement as Tyler looked between the two items, clearly preferencing the sword handle.


    ¡®So the butler was his other mentor,¡¯ Zenith thought to herself. Now it makes sense why he¡¯s been evaluating me. Not only because I was teaching Lily, but more for Paige¡¯s skill level. Zenith chose this moment to tell the young boy Paige¡¯s final words ¡°...Butler Stephone might not have mentioned this part then. An Apprentice Warrior cannot be in a party with an Apprentice Mage. If you decide you want to become a Warrior, you have to dissolve your party with Lily.¡± Lily and Tyler''s eyes widened, both of them clearly hadn¡¯t been told that. ¡°It¡¯s common knowledge in schools. Your new teachers will pair up parties by class types. The only exception is if a defensive class is paired up with a mage since the mage is allowed to request a specific defender. Offensive classes are always randomly assigned.¡±


    ¡°This is why it¡¯s important Tyler. Choose the sword and lose a friend, or choose the shield and lose the sword. Paige says this will determine your path for the next eight years, at the very least.¡±


    Tyler shut his eyes and breathed deeply, his mana churning in disorder as he thought. Using the same technique that Paige uses to calm down, his mana settled down and started to shine outward. Lily looked on nervously, clearly caring about what Tyler¡¯s final decision would be. Zenith held her hand for support, but she knew that it would ultimately be his decision. ¡°I choose the shield,¡± he said loudly as he opened his eyes; eyes that were hardened with determination.


    Lily shouted happily and hugged Tyler, who only blushed in response. ¡°Ahem. Since you chose the guard handles, here is the second part of your gift.¡± Zenith lightly coughed, causing Lily hurriedly separate, blushing fiercely as the crowd heckled behind them. Zenith pulled out a simple metal plate, one that could fit behind a shield. Zenith waved toward Kate, telling her to bring up the other item she had ready, just in case. Coming forward, Kate uncovered a simple tower shield that was almost as large as Tyler was, the noticeable difference being the rather large spike in the middle. ¡°It¡¯s a specialty tower shield, one that is meant for offensive techniques as well.¡± Zenith turned the shield over and placed the plate and wooden guard handles on the shield, making sure both were well secured in place. ¡°Tyler, insert some mana into the shield please.¡± Tyler stared in confusion but did as he was told, his bright yellow mana swiftly fusing with the shield. The mana he inserted into his shield tower and the mana in his core quickly combined and shone brightly, casting him into a golden light.


    As Tyler and Lily watched, words appeared on the plate, ones just at his eye level if he was crouching behind his shield.


    The shield-bearer must protect their party, for without them the party is defenseless.


    Those who you are relying on you as Party Members: Lily Thompson


    ¡°Merchant Tyler and Paige wanted you to have this. So that you always remember who is relying on you in battle.¡± Zenith said carefully. Patting him on the head, she smiled at the two of them one last time. ¡°May you accomplish great things together. We all have high hopes for the two of you.¡±


    ---


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill Paige when I get the chance!¡± Zenith said to Kate as she left the garden. Truthfully, even she was a little ashamed at the lengths Paige was willing to go to keep Tyler as a Defensive Class. Or was she being a matchmaker this early on? Either way, the look on everyone¡¯s faces as they stared at her almost caused her to lose her Diplomats smile. Especially Butler Stephone, or maybe Sir Stephone would be a better title for him. Most didn¡¯t even know how important the young boy''s decision was, but she had noticed a few people give her a small nod of approval, clearly they were battle-oriented classes as well judging by their posture.


    ¡°Hey, it could have been worse. Lily could have kissed him as well. That would have gone off swell with the people trying to rope Lily into their family.¡± Kate said with a small smile, although she wouldn¡¯t be opposed to having Lily as a daughter in law either.Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Just make fun of me why don¡¯t you. I¡¯m probably public enemy number one now. Where is Markus!¡± Zenith wasn¡¯t ready to abandon all decorum as she looked for Markus, but she was getting close.


    ¡°Auntie! I¡¯m here! Look, look!¡± Markus called out excitedly, Zenith turned and her heart almost stopped. He was standing in a magic circle, one that was clearly about to go off! ¡°Markus!¡± she called out, a gust of wind forming around her. She was about to destroy the formation when she noticed other children lined up behind him, clearly waiting to go in as well. Zenith hesitated, looking carefully at the symbols of the active magic circle. ¡°An affinity checker. And it''s even an advanced one?¡± she asked suspiciously. The one engraved on the ground looked eerily similar to the one she had once created in the woods to check Isabella¡¯s affinity. Instead of a small mana core though, it was noticeably large, one almost the size of her fist. That would cost a fortune alone.


    ¡°Mhmm, Emilia rented it out from Nespe Academy. Didn¡¯t you see the guards? Heavens, it even looked like they were about to attack us!¡± Kate whispered loudly, pointing at the people surrounding Markus, one¡¯s Zenith only noticed now. Three Warriors and One Mage was eyeing her warily, each of them clearly evaluating Zenith. The Mage herself was staring wide-eyed at her. No, at the wind around her, Zenith realized belatedly. She released her hold on the wind, a heavy breeze flowing through the garden. Not powerful enough to be unnatural, but definitely one of the heavier gusts she had felt today.


    She nodded apologetically toward the defenders while speaking to Markus, who was still standing in the circle. ¡°Sorry about that. Markus, come along, we shouldn¡¯t waste their time.¡±


    ¡°But I haven¡¯t gone yet! It¡¯ll only take a second, I promise!¡± Markus called out, asking the mage to hurry The mage eyed Zenith, asking with her expression if it was alright. Zenith hesitated but nodded back. The young mage closed her eyes and released her mana, lightly whispering something as her pale blue mana flowed into the symbols below.


    ¡°So, what elements do you think Markus will be proficient in? Nature? WInd? Do you know what his parents were adept at using?¡± Kate asked, waiting for Markus to release his mana. She never had really seen any of them release their mana before, at least not to her knowledge. Markus waited patiently for the mage to give him permission to release his mana, as Zenith had taught him early on the dangers of messing with an active magic circle.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon enough. We never really bothered about testing his elemental affinity,¡± Zenith carefully lied. His hair was a clear indicator of any what his affinity would be.


    ¡°Fair enough. The country really only cares about girls anyways, since an affinity for healing is rare enough as it is.¡± Kate supplied unhelpfully. Zenith would have to confirm later on that the magic circle was not recording the personal mana signatures.


    Markus released his mana, a black cloud gathering around him. Zenith heard the gasps coming from the children and the mage. The magic core absorbed the mana, a few symbols within the magic circle started to glow. Ghostly words started to appear to Zenith¡¯s horror. An affinity checker and a status checker!?


    Markus Ederite


    Human


    Greater Darkness, Lesser Light


    ¡°Congratulations, young man. It¡¯s actually a greater affinity to darkness. Really rare for a human to have, you know.¡± The mage said carefully, as she eyed his status carefully. Zenith eyed it as well, wondering why it was only showing Human. When Paige had done revealed it to them last, it had clearly shown Human and Demon as his race.


    ¡°Zenith, you should do it too,¡± Kate whispered beside her. ¡°At least that would stop the rumors that an untalented mage was tutoring Lily.¡±


    Zenith frowned, ¡°Since when has that been a rumor?¡±


    ¡°Since Emilia started telling every magic tutor the rate you had been teaching at. Most called you that in an attempt to belittle Emilia¡¯s decision. She had to put up with a lot of dissenting opinions, especially from those who came with references.¡± Kate added in, describing what was being said about her in greater detail as she led her closer to the magic circle. Markus stepped out and held Zenith¡¯s free hand, but was intercepted by Kate.


    ¡°Okay, enough Kate. I¡¯ll do it, just for Emilia¡¯s sake. Though she¡¯ll owe me one for this,¡± Zenith frowned as she released a wisp of mana from her fingertips, waiting for confirmation from the presiding mage. The mage just frowned at her though. Coughing lightly, she chided Zenith from where she was standing. ¡°You need to step inside the circle before I can start powering the formation.¡±


    ¡°If I step inside, I take no responsibility for the potential destruction of the mana core. It¡¯s been modified to check children¡¯s mana capacity and affinity, not an adult¡¯s.¡± Zenith said as she evaluated the magic circle. The mage thought for a second and nodded, indicating that Zenith had been right in her assumptions. Zenith eyed her robe and spotted a faint logo on the sleeves. ¡®She must be a magic teacher from the Academy.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll power it myself, thank you very much,¡± Zenith added as she started gathering her mana up. The mage teacher stepped back, knowing how dangerous it was to interrupt another mage. The wind swirled around Zenith, flashes of green danced around the air as it swirled faster and faster around her. Tapping the magic circle with her foot, she channeled her mana through her body and into the circle, not even bothering to get out her wand. The circle activated just as Zenith flung a wisp of mana toward the mana stone waiting inside the circle. Zenith watched as the stone absorbed her mana and the symbols below lit up, clearly more than what had released when Markus had channeled his mana. Zenith eyed the results, already having an inkling on what elements she would be proficient in.


    Zenith Brent


    Teacher


    Human


    Greater Nature, Greater Wind, Lesser Healing


    She was surprised to see greater affinity for wind though, as only the tips of her hair were a pale green. The rest of her hair was a chestnut brown, similar to Nick¡¯s, presumably due to her affinity toward nature. Not that she minded of course.


    ¡°Wow, Zenith! You could almost be a Battle Mage with affinities like that! And you have an affinity for healing as well!¡±


    Zenith released her mana, powering down the magic circle. Judging by the look in the guards'' eyes, she was certain Emilia would hear about her affinities before the end of the day. ¡°Bah, who¡¯d want to be a Battle Mage. I¡¯m perfectly happy just teaching others.¡± Zenith replied as she walked away from the mock testing site. Zenith could feel Kate using a skill to see if she was telling the truth. But she truly meant it; she was far happier teaching than she was as a Wind Mage. ¡°Did you have fun, Markus? How was your first day here?¡±


    ¡°It was fun Auntie Zenith! Joanna took me to visit the candy shops along the way, and I even got into a fight with some older kids! I didn¡¯t get to spend a lot of time with Lily or Tyler though. They were always busy.¡± Markus said rather upbeat about his day. Zenith overlooked the fighting part gracefully; after all, how much trouble could he have gotten into?


    ---


    ¡°Markus! How could you do that!¡± Zenith berated softly, her eyes twitching at the sight. In front of her stood some really irate guardsmen, complete with injured children and angry parents far behind them. Markus had the decency to look slightly embarrassed though, but mostly proud of his accomplishments. ¡®Damn it, he has the same look Paige has when she does something wrong,¡¯ she cursed as she surveyed the injuries. None of them were too terrible, mostly bruises to their extremities. Only one child had severe injuries, his face blackened due to injuries.


    Zenith cast a questioning gaze toward Markus, nodding her head to the children. He shrugged in response. ¡°They started the fight. I just finished it.¡±


    ¡°What did they do that you had to be that rough. That¡¯s almost a year¡¯s worth of injuries to that one boy right there,¡± Zenith asked quietly, controlling the wind to project it quietly to Markus.


    ¡°He made fun of me for not having a dad.¡±


    ¡°Okay, now for the real reason. That¡¯s never bothered you before.¡±


    ¡°He made fun of Auntie Paige because she is a Farmer who dreams of being a Warrior.¡±


    ¡°We both know what Paige is capable of. Don¡¯t lie to me again, Markus. What is the real reason.¡±


    He scuffed the ground with his shoes. ¡°They wanted to take Tyler away from Lily and break up the party so that they could be in it instead. So I stopped it.¡± Zenith nodded at his explanation, her eyes hardening. She turned to the scruffy guardsman who had stopped her from leaving the party, his eyes a little darkened from a lack of sleep.


    ¡°Is that true, Guardsman...Albecki?


    ¡°Senior Guardsman, actually. Miss Zenith, the boy is your ward. How do you intend to punish him?¡±


    Zenith eyes furrowed. ¡°Why would I punish him for that? He¡¯s already told me what those boys were planning, and I know which one is a harsher crime. I was told that the Royal Family looks down on factions, and that Party Manipulation is a very harsh crime, especially when the party members have already formed a party.¡±


    Senior Guardsman Albecki took Zenith to the side, his back facing the parents. ¡°All those kids are going to Nespe Academy with Lily and Tyler. He¡¯s not going to have a peaceful school life at this rate. Just a token punishment will be enough for me to put this to rest. Besides, if we¡¯re talking crimes, Class Manipulation is a worse crime than Party Manipulation. Honestly, you have some nerve doing that blatantly at this party. Couldn¡¯t you have granted the boy his Class in private? You¡¯re lucky you are his Teacher and his parent''s don''t mind, or this could have gotten ugly. Fast.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±

 Chapter 38.1 (Side story Lily and Tyler Arriving at School)

    "....are you sure that your Mentor is this...Farmer Paige?" The guardsman in front of her asked Tyler once again for confirmation.


    "Yes. My mentor is Miss Paige." Tyler responded confidently.


    The guardsman was about to ask again when Lily finally interrupted. "Why does it matter so much who the main mentor is, Mister Albecki? Tyler already chose his class, so there is nothing those other kids can do about it." Scowling at the kids in question, she realized most of them had the decency to at least look ashamed at their behavior. Only a few were still indignant about the situation, Mister Stephone included.


    "Because Miss Lily, Class manipulation is a serious crime. Sir Stephone already indicated that he was the boy''s main Mentor, and that he was teaching him privately for the last two years or so. That he is willing to take a...Farmer, no matter how skilled you claim she is, is unheard of."


    "Well, a Teacher is my Mentor, and she is doing a great job. How come no one is complaining about that?"


    The guardsman sighed. "Her affinities are remarkable. Just the fact that you both have the same affinities is enough to overlook any potential problems. But a Farmer teaching battle skills?"


    "Farmer Conscript then. More reasonable now?" Lily said aghast. "Honestly, this is embarrasing. Father, Mother, this was supposed to be a happy event, now..."


    Her mother stepped up and silenced the crowd with her gaze. "Mister Albecki. The boy has already stated who his mentor is. And he willfully chose the Vanguard Class. This should erase all doubts. Sir Kenton, a word if you don''t mind." A larger man walked forward, his clothes practically bursting at the seams. She looked over at Tyler in confusion, who whispered to her quietly, "He''s the head of the Close Combat classes at Nespe Academy. I think he''s a Brawler or something. Miss Paige said you could always tell a Brawler based on the way he dresses."


    Grabbing the shield from Tyler, Emilia turned it around and passed it over to Sir Kenton, who merely looked at the plate Mister Tyler and Miss Paige had bought for Tyler. Lily was confused about why that plate would eliminate all the doubts, but the head teachermerely took one look and nodded his head. "You are right, Lady Emilia. The boy willfully chose the Class. I can vouch for that." He turned and cast a piercing gaze at Tyler, who shifted slightly under the gaze. "...Good conviction, boy. You''ll do well next year."


    The parents were already clamoring in anger but was silenced immediately by Sir Kenton. "Wha- that is impossible! We all clearly saw that Teacher manipulating his class!" Sir Kenton took a hard glance at the parents and scoffed. "Don''t tell me that none of you also forced your children to become a defensive class. Otherwise, we will have a big problem on our hand next year. I don''t need a skill or spell to take a guess that some of these children did not want to be a defensive class either. Do I need to request the Royal Family to dispatch a Mageto test the children?Expulsion will be the least of your worries then." Making eye contact with the other parents, Sir Kenton wanted to see if any of the other kids would have enough conviction to deny his allegation, but he was disappointed in the end result. "Tyler, Lily. I and the other teachers are heading back today. We''ll take you over and show you around the school. Say your goodbyes."


    ---


    "It is rare to see mentored kids nowadays, but I do suppose Cidala is quite far from any organized schools. You''ll have the chance to go home about twice a year, mainly depending on the crop cycle; but most parties enjoy doing missions to earn some money and bond during that time instead. While we do train battle classes here, a large majority of the students are in support classes like Farmers, Ranchers, Merchants, etc. Necessary, but usually overlooked, classes. As such, while a large majority of your classes will be topics pertaining to battle classes, you will also be taking classes in other areas."


    Lily and Tyler listened with rapt attention to Sir Kenton aide, Miss Laila, talk about what they should expect at their new school. The other teachers were sitting in the shaded carts that created a small convoy down the road that headed to the field plains of Nespe. Tyler looked back at his hometown, now growing smaller and smaller as they headed to the path that would He would miss his family, but also his mentors in the Echoing Woods far beyond the horizon. A lot of changes were going to happen soon, but taking a glance to his side, he was glad to have his childhood friend still with him.


    "I can''t wait to show my Mentor all that I''ve learned!" Lily said excitedly. Her hands were shaking with excitement. Or fear maybe, Tyler thought to himself as Lily flashed him a nervous smile. "Miss Paige said she''d test us the next time we get back, we''ll show her how much we''ve grown!"


    "I still can''t believe you took a Farmer as a Mentor, Mister Tyler. Wouldn''t it have been better to say that Bodyguard was your mentor? He was at least a Warrior, or maybe getting really close to being a true Swordmaster." Miss Laila asked questioningly, her brown hair braided into a ponytail almost in the same style as his Mentor. Her brown eyes clearly showed some haughtiness, or maybe it was something closer to contempt?


    Either way, the question irked Tyler. "My Mentor said actions always speak louder than words. Just because she is a Farmer doesn''t mean she is totally helpless or that she doesn''t know how to fight."


    "Very true words, Tyler." Sir Kenton spoke aloud, taking a glance at his aide. "Her class may be Farmer, but who are we to say if she is closer to a Warrior at heart than not. Even a Conscript can be just as deadly as a fully trained Warrior, in the right circumstances."


    "I know that sir, but-"


    "SkreeEEEEeEeEee"


    Tyler heard a familiar sound as he watched as the teachers around him tense up and grabbed their weapons. "Wild Boar! Be wary of it''s charge!" Kenton yelled out, jumping off the cart while surveying the forest to their sides. Tyler could tell the differences between the teachers just by watching their reactions. Sir Kenton and his aide, Laila, took up positions on either side of the cart almost immediately after the first call. A few mages popped up almost instantly too, Tyler realized, as a few pulled out tiny wands from their sleeves or their belts and stood on the carts. A few of the other children were huddling together quietly, for fear of distracting the teachers. Kenton''s head swiveled toward the forest on their left, a subsection of trees that had expanded outward from the forests beyond and intentionally left to act as a windbreaker for the fields beyond. The teacher''s all moved to the same side as Kenton, separating the carts from the forest beyond.


    Lily was about to shout out when an intimidating size boar walked out of the clearing, wisps of steam coming from his nostrils every time he breathed. Already, Tyler could hear calls of Elder Boars from the teachers. Though its horns were broken, its face was a mask of blood as it chewed on a very dead wolf carcass. Lily and Tyler were shocked at his appearance. Was this the same boar that they trained with every day? No wonder Hunter Sara was so leery about meeting Boary without Paige or the children around.


    Tyler saw the boar''s eyes widen in recognition and watched as it quickly swallowed the rest of the wolf carcass. Falling to the ground; everyone stared in stupefaction as the boar rolled sideways and plowed the ground with his face, effectively cleaning off most of the blood.


    "... did someone drug that Elder Boar?" Laila spoke aloud, shoving her rapier point into the dirt.


    "...it''s possible. Pick up your weapon, Laila. Elder Boars can get to its full charging speed within a few seconds. Look at its tusks. It must have been forcibly kicked out of its sounder already."


    "BOARY! GO HOME!" Lily effectively broke the tension in the clearing. Everyone else besides Tyler looked aghast at Lily.


    "...Miss Lily, an Elder Boar is a monster. It''s not something you can reason with." Laila said wth perplexed look. "Monsters instinctually attack sentient races because our mana cores help them grow. That''s the reason why we have a Guild Hall to deal with problems like this."


    Lily bowed. "He''s a good pig. BOARY! GO HOME! MISS PAIGE IS GOING TO BE ANGRY IF YOU DON''T HEAD BACK SOON! GO HOME!" The boar stopped his movements, clearly in thought. With a large huff, it got up and slowly walked away, looking back forlornly. "... MISS PAGE HAS THE WHEAT IN THE BARN! GO HOME!" Tyler sighed to himself, knowing that their Mentor''s reputation would have another mark added to it.


    ---


    Evading the questions the teachers had asked, the rest of the trip was spent in relative silence. After arriving at Nespe, they skipped the residential and commercial districts and headed straight for the heart of the city.In truth, the school occupied a majority of the city. But it wouldn''t be wrong to say instead that the city grew up around the school instead. Nespe Academy was different than most city schools because of this. Where other schools were just a few buildings hobbled together, the Academy was a fortress, or rather an independent castle. Originally built to protect the lush farmlands of southeastern Alcudia, it was transformed into its current role after the Royal Family built whatis now the Defensive Line.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "Tyler, look at that!" Lily whispered furiously, her eyes wide as she looked around the prestigious school. Tyler turned and saw a statue of a man, his arms opened as though welcoming a friend. "It''s a life-size statue of Peter Alduit! I wonder which mage created that. Do you think that''s a true representation of him?"


    "I don''t know, Lily."


    "Whoa, look at that girl! Her hair is white! I wonder what element she''s proficient in,Tyler! There''s so many people here!"


    "Lily, you''ve been here more times than I have. Nespe is like ten times larger than Cidala, so of course there are so many people. And don''t stare, it''s rude!" Tyler whispered quickly. He looked over where she was pointing and saw a young girl walking with her mother to the library. Even he could tell that was the library, as no other building had firebreaks or kill zones in a city proper. "More importantly Lily, did you see the guards at the gates? I bet any single one of them could defeat Cidala''s guards! I think one set of their armor is more expensive than the entire budget of Cidala''s guards."


    "You''d be right about that. The Royal Family puts a lot of effort into protecting promising seeds of the future. The country is nothing without the support of the next generation. That includes you two now as well." Sir Kenton spoke with a prideful voice. He could hear the other teacher''schittering in the background as well, but paid them no mind. Actions always spoke louder than words, and if his skill didn''t impress them, nothing would. Watching the head of the combat classes walking toward a particular building. Tyler already had an inkling of an idea of what was going to happen, his senses telling him to get ready for a fight. ''Mentor Page walks the same way he does...'' "Umm, sir, are you using a skill to walk?"


    Sir Kenton stopped and looked at the boy thoughtfully. "Why do you ask?"


    "My, uh, well, both of my mentors walked the same way you did before a fight,so I thought it was odd."


    He smiled at the boy, amazed at his discernment. "I''m surprised the Farmer knows this. It''s not a Skill, rather it is a mental technique that helps strengthen one''s focus. Now, there are skills that you can learn that do the same thing, but most would agree it is a waste of time to learn those types of skills. Personally, I learned this technique so that I could focus my attention on learning battle skills instead."


    Tyler noticed the other teachers were moving the kids to a different building, along with a large crowd of students. Following Sir Kenton, they entered the building to the side and he realized his suspicions were correct. What could have been an old storage room had been changed into a sparring room, complete with dummies and practice weapons hanging on the sides of the room. His eyes darted to the other students who were in the room, four groups of six practicing drills. "Do I need to ask my Mentor to teach me that technique?"


    "Not particularly. You''ll learn it in your third year. Now, onto more pressing matters. Lily, Tyler, come here if you please. We need to check your teamwork." Sir Kenton, his aide, and a blue-haired mage stepped forward into a ring, shooing the other students aside. Besides a few grumbles, the older students made way and parted to either side of the ring, intent on watching what they hoped to be a good show. "Now, it is true that an Apprentice Mage can request a specific Apprentice Vanguard, but we still need to evaluate how good your teamwork truly is. Myself, Warrior Laila, and Mage Mary will be testing you right now to see where you will be placed. The other students will be tested separately and randomly assigned to a party. However, since you are applying as a party already you will have more leeway in your party members; so long as you can clear this little examination."


    ---


    Kenton watched as both kids nodded to each other and separated, coordinating perfectly if you consider their age. He frowned as Lily stood off at an angle to Tyler, who was unhooking his rather largeshield from the rest of his bag. Or perhaps a custom tower shield for his size? A sole defender with a tower shield was a rather unusual defensive tactic. With just two members, it would make sense for the defender to stick close to the mage, so as to be better able to defend the mage from long-range attacks. But Tyler was clearly getting ready to pounce forward in an attack, his stance indicating he would not be just a passive defender. Laila and Mary noticed too, judging by their frowns asLaila distributed the blunted practice weapons.


    "...Kenton, who on earth would teach an apprentice vanguard tonot defend a mage. Look at the space between them. It has to be almost twenty feet." Mary said quietly as she watched Lily pull out her wand.


    "Is he getting ready to charge forward? There''s three of us. How is he going to defend if both attackers decide to go straight for the mage?" Laila asked with a perplexed tone.


    "He knows a few Skills already. And his attention to detail is spot on. Not many would recognize that mental technique, not at his age. From his application and talking with who I thought was his mentor, he knows [Seismic Slash] at the very least. I didn''t bother to ask about defensive skills at the time, since by all accounts he was supposed to be training to be a Warrior. Standard rules you two. Laila, force Tyler to be on the defensive. Mary, go for Lily." Seeing the two kids settling into their stances, he decided it was time to test them. "Alright, here are the ground rules. If either Laila or I get within sword reach of Lily within three minutes, or if Mary is able to hit Lily two times with a spell; then the party placement will be random. " He saw the boy''s frown and amended his statement. "I''ll be walking at an even pace toward Lily and Mary will only cast four spells. Only Laila will be actively attacking you. I''ll start attacking once you are within arm''s reach of me. Are you ready?" He asked, noticing how Tyler was tensing up. Seeing the boy''s nod, he shouted out. "Begin!"


    Tyler dashed forward and raced straight for Laila, his shield held loosely to his arm with the help of a few leather straps. ''Going for a shield bash? Or forcing Laila to attack? He''s moving awfully fast with that shield. What type of wood is that light and sturdy? Birch? No, maybe it''s Redwood.'' Mulling over the weight of the shield, he watched as the bottom of the shield scrapped the ground a few times, throwing dust into the air behind Tyler as he moved forward. ''Ah, so that''s why the bottom of the shield curves slightly to a shallow point. That must mean Lily is going to use it in her attack. I''ll let Mary be the judge on Lily though. Let''s see how he will stop Laila.''


    Laila walked forward slowly, angling slightly to try and force Tyler to shift his attention away from Mary and himself. ''I hope he realizes that I was lying about the conditions.'' The true purpose of the test is too see how he does under pressure. Will he focus on his own battle, and will he have enough awareness to notice when his party member is in trouble. Kenton started walking forward slowly as he evaluated the boy''s movements. ''Good movements, although strapping the shield to his arm was probably not the best idea.''


    "Haa!" Laila yelled as she thrust her blunted rapier out, aiming the top of the tower shield. A good choice usually, since the natural reaction to an attack at the face is to block it. Most instructors aimed for the face as a simple test of character, since you would lose track of the opponent if the shield was brought up to block it. So it was a surprise to Kenton when Tyler not only didn''t brace for the attack but moved into it; angling the bottom of his shield upward in an attempt to stab Laila with the pointed end. ''Good reflexes, butwhy force the attack?


    Laila snorted as she saw the attack and switched her stance to a parry, planting her feet solidly to withstand the mass of the shield. She was intent on using her blade as a fulcrum to force his shield to the side.


    "...[[Air Hammer]]!" A young voice called out suddenly. Snapping his head to the girl, he watched as a translucent mass of wind mana charged straight for Tyler''s back. ''He''s using his shield to block Laila''s view of the attack! So how will he dodge it?'' The mana charged closer to the boy, but he didn''t move out of the way. "[Shield Bash]!" Tyler yelled out as he held his shield perpendicular to the ground just as the gust of mana hit him from behind. Laila''s rapier was pushed back and she had to lean into the attack to keep her balance. For an Apprentice to be able to push back a Warrior, Kenton''s eyebrows raised at the sight. "A combination attack huh? That''s...rather impressive for their age."Just that sight was almost enough tostop the test;the amount of practice required to pull something like that off was telling enough to their training and trust.


    ''Time to see how he''ll deal with the unexpected.'' Kenton abandoned his walk and started jogging toward Lily, making enough noise to attract Tyler''s attention. Tyler''s eyes widened in alarm. "Lily!"


    "Oh no you don''t!" Laila yelled as Tyler tried to disengage.Sensing the pressure on her sword decrease, she stepped forward and quickly grabbed the top of his shield and pulled; forcing the boy to stay put. This was the moment Kenton wanted to observe. Everything depended on the boy''s ability to control a battlefield, even when he is at a disadvantage.


    Tyler stopped trying to pull away and instead forced his shield into Laila, who quickly used her training weapon to block against the raised metal spike on the shield. "[[Gust]], [[Knockback]]!" Two voices overlapped at the same time, Tyler''s shield quickly flashed and collected at the center of his shield. A small, concentrated bubble of mana forcefully exploded at the front of his shield, separating the two of them. Tyler jumped up as a gust of air pushed him noticeably backward, almost withina few feetof Kenton himself.


    "Enough," Kenton yelled out, stopping as Tyler swung around to face him. "I don''t need to see anymore. You''ve already qualified for at least the gifted classes with that display. Mary, how did Lily do?" He looked over to Mary, who was swirling a ball of water around her. She shrugged as she answered, "She did fine. A tier one spell and a tier zero spell in that amount of time is a good enough display for me as well. Although her wand played a big part in getting the spell ready so fast, just having the mana capacity to cast the spell is telling enough to her practice."


    "Ahem. Good. Congratulations you two. You''ll be assigned party members from the gifted classes, depending on the results of the regular selection. Head over to the dorms and get your official uniforms and then get ready for the entrance ceremony. The Queen herself will be giving a speech about the importance of learning and being good party members," Kenton said with a smile, pointing to someone who would help them with their next steps. Tyler and Lilysmiled at each other happily as they both walked out of the training hall with a guide in good spirits. Kenton sighed at the sight. ''Oh, how good to be young. Just being happy at something going right...''


    "We should investigate their mentors. There is something clearly off about them. No Apprentice is that good," Laila said quietly as she massaged her wrists. None of the teachers had thought Tyler would use a skill, especiallyafter already using[Shield Bash].


    "Both Lily and Tyler mana core''s are very large for their age. Lily used six spells during that match.Although they were tier zero and tier one spells, that is still an impressive display. I can tell that Lily''s wand is helping with the absorption of mana and it''s release, but Tyler shouldn''t be able to use two skills consecutively. By all accounts, he should have fainted from mana exhaustion. Give him a few more years to grow and his mana core to stabilize and he''d be fine slinging six to eight weak Skills in succession, but not this soon."


    Kenton sighed. "...we''ll keep it to ourselves for now. With the Imperial Family here, any good seeds are liable to be taken away from the country. I will let Queen Rebecca know that we have some good candidates for the future though. Besides, it seems to me their mentors are trying to keep a low profile. So long as it is good for the country, if their mentor''s don''t make any waves, we won''t either."

 Chapter 38.2

    ....or instance, when I think of [[Healing Wind]], I think of a summer breeze caressing me. Think of something that can relate to both darkness and comfort...


    ...think ofthe varying shades of darkness as a light...use that as the basis of [[Shadow Healing]] and g...


    ...you''ll do fine, Little Isabella. After all, a Princess can do some amazing things if given time to grow...


    "Isabella, wake up!You''ll be late for training at this rate."


    Isabella heard a voice and groggily turned over, burrowing her head into a nearby pillow. Cracking an eyelid, the entire room was still rather dark, meaning that the sun hadn''t even started rising yet. "Mhmfhgm."


    "I don''t want to do this, my little cleric, but you may leave me no choice..." A hand grabbed her ankle and started dragging her from the comfort of the warm, dark, fluffy pillow she was hiding under. "You''re going to fall off the bed in five, four, three.." The lack of solid support at her legs indicated this was a true fact, and judging by how fast the feeling was traveling up her legs meant the voice was serious.


    "Mhggmmmhm. Stoooop, it''s dark outside." Shaking her legs, she wiggled out of the hand''s grasp and dove back under the pillow, where greater darkness and fluffiness combined together.


    "Auntie Luna is serious about training, Isabella. Hurry. Otherwise, you''llmiss out on the first day of school."


    Miss...school...day.....the thought drifted in her mind a few seconds until the words made sense. School! The wonderful word for learning and fun! And friends! Isabella shoved the pillow away and stood up groggily, though her eyes were bright. "I get to go to school today! But but but-" Her mother just pointed at her dresser and shooed her toward it, talking while she helped her put on her clothes for the day, a rather simple cloth skirt and a dress reinforced with leather below her chest to protect her from chemical burns,basically a scaled-down version of what her own mother was currently wearing.


    Her mother looked her over and nodded at her outfit. "I don''t like the idea of you being out and about, but the queen is rather insistent. She''s already signed you up, so after morning training Shavie will take you over to your new classroom."


    "Eh? New classroom? What about my friends? Will Hayden or Hana be there? Robin?"


    "...probably not. Most of your old classmates will be going to the subsidiary schools still. Nespe Acadamy is typically for children ten and up, so it is really rare for you to be going right now. Now, come along. By the time you finish with Shavie, I''ll be done cooking breakfast."


    "Mhm. Where is Auntie today?" Isabella asked hesitantly. Her mother smiled. "That''s for you to find out. Good luck finding her!" Isabella pouted, but started eyeing the shadows warily. Her aunt''s idea of training was ... not particularly pleasant. Especially in the dark and early morning... but that was what skills are for, right? ''[Night vision],'' Isabella whispered to herself, feeling something in the pit of her stomach start to empty. But the room suddenly brightened considerably, no longer dark like at night, but rather like she was holding a candle. ''Auntie Shavie likes to hide by the walls. So I need to stick close to the walls.'' Isabella walked over to the walls and the clarity of the walls increased as she stayed close to the walls. "Momm-" Isabella turned but noticed that her mother had disappeared already as well. How she had done it was a mystery, as the window was still locked and the door was still closed.


    Opening the door slightly, she checked the hinges of the door before opening the door wide enough for her to pass through. Isabella knew that her Aunt was probably already following her and grading her progress. She thought of what her aunt had constantly repeated.Check the door hinges to make sure you can move unhindered and in silence. Stay close to the walls to blend with the shadows.Light steps, make sure you know what material you are stepping on. Of course, her Aunt placed things in the hallways in the mornings to make sure she had to practice moving around objects. How early did her Aunt get up to move furniture into the hallways each morning? Not that she was complaining though since it was kinda fun to sneak around. "Auntie was hiding in the kitchen last time, so I''ll head that way."


    As she headed down the cluttered hallway, she stopped as she remembered her latest dream....there are ways to walk through the dark unhindered, Little Isabella. Sometimes going slow is not the best way to go, especially if you are trying to sneak through a path you know is trapped. A beautiful adult woman smiled at her kindly while explaining the hidden magic circle in front of her. The bright glowing circle slowly faded as she watched."So what should I do?" I asked excitedly. The woman happily smiled back, "There are always two options. Use a skill, or set off the trap. There are only certain times you will ever need to sneak carefully, so if you have a skill, use it. Whatever you choose will be fine, Little Isabella. After all, a Princess can do some amazing things if given time to grow. Here, I''ll show you how to set off the magic circle..."


    Blinking the dream away, she looked carefully at the cluttered hallway and frowned. Could it be trapped? No, Auntie Shavie wouldn''t do something dangerous. So, maybe it''s time to use another Skill? ''...[Shadow Walking].''


    ---


    "How is she doing?" Stella asked Shavie quietly. Luna, Shavie, and Stella were sitting in the courtyard, listening to Isabella''s progress inside the house. They sipped on their hot coffee as they waited for Isabella to come outside. In truth, the test Shavie had set up was not supposed to force Isabella to use Skills, but rather to force her to use her brain to come to the best conclusion on how to approach a problem. Stella hoped that Isabella would eventually just go out the window since that would be the easiest way to quickly look around the house for Shavie, but she wasn''t about to ruin Shavie''s fun; though it was a pain to move the furniture around for the test each morning.


    "She''s going slow, but this time she is actually missing most of the clutter. Listen, her steps have gotten confident. Think she is using a Skill it did we make it too easy?" Shavie asked with a frown. Stella froze and listened harder, immediately noticing that Shavie was right. Isabella was moving more confidently today. She was still quiet and her steps were carefully placed, but much faster, as though she could see what was in front of her.


    "...[Night Vision] or [Lesser Intuition]? No, it should be [Night Vision], since she does have an affinity towards Darkness. But I never taught her that. Shavie, Luna?" Stella frowned as she looked at her sister and friend. They should have known not to waste Isabella''s time with learning something as useless as [Night Vision]. She had no intention of pushing Isabella toward anything that was even remotely close to Assassins or Night Walkers like they were.


    "I never taught her that. Shavie?" Luna said as she glanced at her friend.


    "Nope. Not me. It''s not entirely useless, but I''d rather she have actual skills than a Skill. Besides, nothing I''ve done requires [Night Vision] to do. A city isn''t the best place to learn [Night Vision], and it takes a long time to learn too. It took me almost two weeksin a cave to learn [Night Vision]. I don''t know about you two, but I''m not about to force Isabella to learn like that." Shavie said hurtfully. Stella knew she wouldn''t force Isabella into a dangerous situation, but it didn''t hurt to ask. There weren''t any dark forests in the city either, so Luna probably wouldn''t have taught Isabella the way they had learned growing up.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "Why is Isabella hesistating? Do you think she ran out of mana?" Shavie asked after not hearing Isabella move for a minute. Stella looked over and focused on Isabella, lightly releasing her mana in her direction. "No. She still has some mana left, and she is absorbing it at the same time, based upon how the ambient mana is being drawn to her. Bu-" She stopped as Isabella moved and disappeared from her senses. Standing up quickly, she was about to dash to the room when Isabella showed up in front of her, walking out of the shadow of theexterior wall of the hallway, her head covered in sweat. Stella dashed and caught Isabella before she fell to the ground. She let out a breath as she checked over Isabella''s condition. Mana exhaustion.


    "Shavie! Why did you teach Isabella [Shadow Walking]?! You know that is too dangerous for her to learn at this age!" Stella turned toward Shavie, her voice laced with fury, but her anger quickly disappeared as she took in Shavie''s surprised and worried expression, her friend''s dark dirty brown hair shaking from side to side frantically.


    "I didn''t teach her that, Stella. I promise on my name. I know what Isabella can and can''t do. Don''t forget I started learning how to be an Assassin at a younger age than Isabella is. Is she alright?"Shavie walked over and gently picked Isabella up, resting the girl''s head on her shoulder.


    "Mhmm. Mana exhaustion. She overdrafted her mana and fainted. But the bigger question is why can she do that? [Shadow Walking] is a fairly complex and mana heavy Skill." Stella frowned as she massaged Isabella''s back, slowly gathering the ambient mana around Isabella to accelerate her recovery.


    "Do you think she learned it from watching us? I mean, I know I use it often, but I''ve never explained the Skill I used."


    "Maybe it''s not a good day for Isabella to go to school. I''ll ju-"


    "Shavie, go ahead and watch over Isabella like we planned. Stella, cancel your appointments today. We''ll look for books at the library and see if we can find anything about innate skill acquisition. Maybe it''s not rare for humans to have? Or maybe it''s just a function of her main Class. We never did figure out what Blessed Apprentice really meant anyways, so we''ll go and look for more information about that now that I have more access to the library vaults." Luna stopped the conversation and stopped Stella from continuing.


    "Sister! Bu-"


    "No. Come on."


    ---


    ...it''s time to get up, Little Isabella. You still have to learn from...


    "I have to go learn--Ack! Auntie Shavie?" Isabella awoke with a startle, scaring the person in front of her. "Where is mommy? And why is the sun starting to rise? What happened?"


    "Shhh. You found me, fair and square. Honestly though, why didn''t you tell anyone you gained a Skill? We would''ve had a party to celebrate."


    "Mommy said not to tell anyone my skills or to show them my status, so I didn''t." Isabella''s eyes widened as she processed her aunt''s statement. "I found you! So my Skill did work!"


    A swift knock on the head was her only reply. "Next time tell usbefore you use a Skill for the first time. You''re lucky we got to you in time, Isabella. Mana exhaustion is no joke, especially for someone your age. Come on, we''ll eat as we head to your new school."


    Walking beside her aunt, Isabella noticed that the shadows were no longer as dark as she remembered. She could even see straight down the northern and southern alleyways, even though they were oriented so that the light wouldn''t travel down them. She enjoyed walking with her aunt, as her peculiar habits were fun towatch and follow. For some reason, her aunt only travelled in the shadows of the buildings, and avoided the sun as much as possible. Isabella was jealous of her aunt hair though, as it allowed her aunt to blend much better than she could with her white, platinum hair. "Hey Auntie, how come you like to stay in the shade so much? The middle of the road is much nicer and smoother to walk on."


    "It''s simple. I don''t like standing out. Which is pretty hard with you here, Isabella. Hard, but not impossible," Shavie said with a rueful smile as yet another person took notice of her. "Just your hair alone is pretty noticeable, you know. We could try another of your mother''s concoctions. I''m sure one will last longer than a few days."


    "No thank you. They smell. A lot." Isabella scrunched her nose at the thought of trying another one of her mother''s weird magic paste. Smelly, magic paste.


    "Hm. Maybe I can get you a cloak then. That should help hide your looks then. But that''ll be for later. Are you excited for school?"


    "I am! I''m going to make a lot of friends! I''ll have the most friends ever!" Isabella said excitedly as she thought what her first day would be like. So many new friends, new classes, new school! She noticed the castle walls were getting closer. Looking around, she noticed that her new school was much closer to the Library. "Can we go visit mommy and Auntie Luna?"


    "Nope. We''re gonna go straight to the school. You can''t be late for your first day, Isabella. Just head straight over to the Library when your done, ''kay?" Shavie said with a slight smile as she stopped at the school''s gates; the Library directly across the city square was highly noticeable even from where they were standing.


    "You don''t want to meet my teachers?"


    "Not supposed to. They have a strictrule about student''s and teachers only, unless it''s visiting day. Don''t worry, if you can''t find your way, just ask for help from another student or teacher. Female teacher or student though. It''s the first day of school for everyone, so there will be plenty of people around to help. Have fun, we''ll be at the Library, so just head over when school is done."


    Watching her aunt walking briskly toward the Library, Isabella hesitated to walk inside the building. "I can do this. I can do this. New friends. New friends. Today will be a good day." Pumping herself up, Isabella walked into Nespe Academy for the first time.


    ----


    "I HATE SCHOOL! I WANNA GO BACK TO MY OTHER SCHOOL!" A sharp yell penetrated the halls of the library and startled Stella, who quickly shut the books she was reading with a grimace. Although she didn''t know how much she could trust from reading a historical account of past Human Heroes, it seemed that Isabella might actually have had the Princess Class, as much as she hated to admit. ''Advanced senses, increased skill and spell acquisition, and insane amount of luck is all the trademarks of a Hero, and it fit''s Isabella''s circumstances practically to a tee. Is a Princess just a female Hero? But why would Paige Alduit give up the class willingly? And why can''t I find any historical accounts of Princesses?'' Stella thought for a quick second and shook her head. "Princess or not, she still my daughternow," she said aloud for her own benefit. Although, she would have to tell everyone eventually. Maybe Bishner or Shavie knows something about why the Princess Class is so special?'' "Isabella, we''re over here!"


    Stella''s heart almost broke in two at the sight of her daughter crying profusely. Was school really that bad? "Hey hey, calm down, we''re here. What happened that was so bad?"


    "They they they..." Isabella could hardly even talk through her sobbing. Looking over at the shadows, Stella gave a confused and worried look.


    "They stuck her in a class all alone. She''s in a class of one. Apparently, the Healer Hall let out word that she was going to be a future Cleric, so the school decided to keep her well-protected." Shavie said as she appeared out of the shadows, her face darkened with annoyance. "I bypassed the school guards easily enough, but her teachers are actual Clerics and she even has a few Guardians posted around the building and rooms, so I had to be wary of what Skills I used. That means on some level the Imperial Family must know, or that Headmistress had more power than we''d both thought."


    Luna appeared out from behind a bookshelf, "...what are their plans for her Shavie?"


    Shavie''s face said it all, her expression dark. "At this point it is more like a prison for her than a school. They have plans to watch us as well, to make sure we don''t run off with their precious Cleric. We''re confinedto this town. Luckily Bishner is still out collecting intel. I''ll leave a message at the tertiary drop point about this "


    That made no sense to Stella. Who in their right mind would evendo something like that? ''I don''t think the Queen would do that. So that leaves only Prim. But what is she so afraid of, that she''d go to that extent to protect a potential Apprentice Cleric?'' Isabella''s crying snapped Stella out of her thoughts. Whatever the case, these next few years will be troublesome unless something changes.

 Chapter 39

    ¡°This is serious, Paige! It¡¯s unprecedented! This affects us immensely! Affects everything!? The gods are dead, Paige!¡± Zenith shouted hysterically as she paced the living room. They had been able to move Nick from the bedroom so that they could all discuss Zenith''s revelation. ¡°Think about the ramifications that entail! People¡¯s classes are no longer limited to what the gods decide, they have their own free will to choose!¡±


    ¡°At least you know why Tyler and Lily didn¡¯t particularly enjoy that subject, especially the earlier classes. It even explains why they have such a poor understanding of symbology and magic circles.¡± Paige shrugged as she held Markus, who was quite dead to the world as he laid fast asleep in her arms.


    Zenith stopped and thought about her lesson plans. She had indeed transitioned from theology to symbolism. ¡°Magic circles are highly dependent on symbology. If they don¡¯t know what the relevant symbols correspond to¡­¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯d be a toss-up of what to expect. Even I know simple circles could kill you if the combinations were terrible, much less interlocking magic circles.¡± Nick supplied from the side, a light sheen of sweat shone off his face. ¡°Not that Ranger Command had a lot of magic circles, but you¡¯d be surprised how often criminals and cultists had access to magic circles. Even simple privacy wards were a pain to deal with.¡±


    ¡°How far did your class go, Zenith? I only remember you going into basic magic circles and how to check for one. I know for sure I taught Tyler and Lily how to create a basic concealment magic circle. If the creation of magic circles is a secret...¡± Paige said worriedly. Nick nodded his head too. ¡°I know I taught a simple tracking magic circle.¡±


    ¡°You know how to create magic circles too, Nick?¡± Zenith said with a hint of surprise.


    ¡°Our pendants are based upon the idea of a tracking spell. Each one is linked to a magic circle back in Ranger Command headquarters. We also have specialty pendants for tracking known criminals, if we can get a sample of their blood.¡±


    Zenith thought hard about where she ended her lessons with them. She had gone over it twice, the last time far faster than before. ¡°Well, I did teach Lily how to create up to Tier two spells, but those are mostly only good for ambushes. I hardly doubt she will have the chance to showcase that at school.¡±


    "That still doesn''t sit well with me. We need to come up with a plan for how to explain it. Should we make some forgeries outlining magic circles? No, that won''t do much. Or maybe we should tell them to use it withdiscretion. And only in life-saving emergencies." Nick thought aloud as he judged the feasibility of it.


    ¡°Okay, magic circles aside Zenith, we have a bigger problem,¡± Paige said quietly as she laid Markus down on the padded, wooden couch. Patting his head, Zenith could hear her whisper quietly, ¡°Good job, Markus. You should always stand up for what you believe in.¡± Standing up, Paige quietly looked over at Zenith, her expression worried. ¡°I don¡¯t know why people think the Gods are dead, Zenith since we can still hear them in the party creation. But I can tell you definitively that the Gods aren¡¯t dead.¡±


    Zenith traded looks with Nick, who was equally just as confused. ¡°How can you be certain of that, Paige? Gaining recognition from the gods was the hardest part of getting a Class.¡±


    ¡°I have two concrete ways of knowing that Zenith. The first is something we all know about. The blood sacrifices. Tyler confirmed that the previous capital, Terpii, had still been razed to the ground, all of the citizens killed. According to his notes, the Healer Hall confirmed that all the citizens that could not get to their walls in time were ritualistically slaughtered. The power from the sacrifices is still going somewhere, Zenith. That altar was not something a mortal could construct by themselves. The second way I know is because of this,¡± Paige drew a deep breath and released her mana, a milky white cloud of mana floated lazily around her. AsZenith watched, Paige''s mana quickly changed from the milky white to a golden sheen of color, which quickly disappeared as Paige withdrew her mana. ¡°I still have access to Divine level mana. This isn¡¯t something that can be replicated either.¡±


    ¡°Divine mana? What kind of mana is that?¡±


    Paige hesitated as she started fidgeting with her hands, ¡°Divine mana is something that you can chance upon if you know where and what to look for. I thought I used the rest of my stockpile when I gave you the subclasses, and when I broke through the Mausoleum''s defenses. But I actually have quite a lot again. I mean, some is still missing bu-"


    "What does it do, Paige?"


    She stopped and took a deep breath. "Well,in general terms,it augments my skills and spells and lets me do things that I normally couldn¡¯t. Like messing with the Party Creation, or overtaxing my mana. Even Blessings are a form of divine intervention.¡±


    Zenith stared at Paige and her mind ran through what she had said, and what she had not. ¡°What about Classes then, Paige? How do you explain the Class acquisition without divine intervention?¡±


    ¡°That one is harder to explain, but not quite as hard. If a person can gain the Hero class by undergoing some worthy tribulations, who''s to say that a person can¡¯t train to become a Warrior? A Vanguard? But I would have to assume once you choose a class, it is permanent. Did you look into that? Or Class consolidation?¡±


    Zenith blushed. ¡°No, honestly I didn¡¯t. I came straight back after dealing with Senior Guardsman Albecki. I¡¯ll go back tomorrow and research it. And I''ll send a letter out to Tyler and Lily so that they don¡¯t disclose anything we¡¯ve taught in regards to magic circles.¡±


    ¡°Good. That¡¯ll probably be for the best. Hopefully, Tyler will have some new information about the impasse at Evidia.¡±


    Nick cleared his throat. ¡°Paige, I think it¡¯s time we move from Alcudia and Evidia and focus on other areas. Like what happened to me. I¡¯ve made a name for myself here among the Guild Hall, and I¡¯ve been getting some inquiries from Leit, according to Kate anyways. If they¡¯ve started noticing my bows, then I may be able to trade information with Ranger Command. Many concessions can be made for a good bow.¡±


    ¡°...true, but we still have at least two years before you can head that way yourself. Tyler won¡¯t know how to contact the Rangers without being overly suspicious. So we might as well use this time to try and find the rest of the Demon Lord¡¯s party. As far as we know, they haven¡¯t traveled back to Evidia. So Isabella is still somewhere here in Alcudia. Zenith, what are your thoughts?¡±


    ¡°I agree with Nick. I think we should start transitioning Tyler back this way, Paige. Travel time to the borders is two months there and back. After your harvest started and he''s been able to travel without worry, he''s barely been back six times in the last three years. We can do much better with him around here. Leit is hardly two weeks away, and Appealte is barely a week of travel. Besides, Markus will be starting school soon in four years, so Tyler should be around us more often instead of doing everything alone.¡±


    Paige sighed. ¡°Okay, he''s scheduled to start heading back in a few weeks anyway, so we¡¯ll start transitioning his route back this way. Your right about Markus too.He is getting older too, so we should all start thinking about what we should be teaching him.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Do you think he remembers any of his past, Paige? The guardsman said he was using sword techniques, but as far as I know, none of us have ever taught him that.¡± Paige choked on her water, and she tried unsuccessfully to stifle her coughs.


    ¡°I, uh, might have been using some Warrior skills to augment my farm production. You both may not know, but correctly doing the motion for a technique can sometimes cause the same effect as though you had used a Skill. It makes it slightly weaker and it is nonreliable in battle, but I¡¯m pretty sure both he and Tyler figured out how some basic movesand seismic skills from watching me.¡± Paige sheepishly said, looking embarrassed.


    Zenith frowned, her brow furrowed as she thought. ¡°Yeah, once it becomes a habit, the body instinctively remembers and uses a minuscule amount of mana to achieve the necessary effect. Fine, that explains some of it. And sword techniques?¡±


    Paige chuckled nervously. ¡°That¡¯s a funny story too. You know I¡¯ve traveled a few places throughout the kingdom. And I, uh, may have used some farming tools from other parts of the empire. Because, you know, why not use the best tool for the trade.¡±


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why we let you modify the water wheel so that it could be used for a variety of uses. So?¡± It didn''t take a genius to know Paige was obviously trying to evade the question. Zenith raised her brows and waited for Paige to continue on.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯d be surprised how many weapons started from a farming tool.¡± Paige picked up her hoe and as Zenith watched, it quickly morphed into a large butcher''scleaver, then into a wooden sickle; two tiny poles; a long, pointed dagger; a pitchfork; finally reverting into a hoe. ¡°Gathering rice, butchering livestock, threshing wheat, moving produce; there is a farm tool for everything. And the farm tools can easily turn into weapons. I may have been showing off. Just a bit.¡±


    Zenith and Nick looked askance at Piage.¡±Okay, so maybe more than just a bit. But a slash is a slash. I¡¯m not going to use bad form when I am swinging my farm tools. I sometimes, sometimes mind you, use the corn and wheat fields as enemies when harvest time comes around. I mean, why not? Why would I waste a perfectly good chance to show off a bit..." her argument faltered slightly as she looked away. "But I have not taught him anything formally, so it''s just intuition. Or maybe he is just a genius. I''ve seen far too many people like that to not count it out."


    ¡°Oh, Paige¡­¡± Zenith sighed. ¡°Okay. I can work with that. I¡¯ll get it cleared up with the guards and start looking into the side effects of Classes. I¡¯ll take Markus with meto town too.¡±


    "Stay the night in Cidala, Zenith. Kate should have some of these supplies, but you may have to contact an Alchemist in Nespe to get some of the medicine for Nick, since he didn''t exactly have his guard up when it happened. His condition is stable, for now, but I would feel better if you could get some poultices made." Paige said.


    Zenith looked over to Nick, who nodded in response. "I can manage for now. But I don''t want to be bedridden for weeks like last time. Paige, you really should make a field for medicinal herbs."


    "Poultices and raw herbs work fine, usually. It''s too much work defendingcommon medicinalfields, as there are too many things that like to nest near them. Not to mention their maturation time is too long, even with my Skills. Let someone else deal with that."


    Before Paige could continue her rant, Zenith interrupted. "Okay. I''ll send Sara over if I need to wait a few days. I''ll be back as soon as possible though."


    "So, barring the whole issue of the Gods, what did Tyler choose to study in school? My bet is he ended up going on the Vanguard skill path." Paige asked with a knowing smile. "If I was his other tutor, and I wanted him to focus on offensive skills, I would not tell him that Lily can choose a defender. So..."


    "He did choose the Vanguard skill path in the end, and he really enjoyed the Party Plate you and Tyler made. But that was the other issue Paige, your gift forced him to choose a class. When he chose the guard handles, he received his class. I confirmed it myself after the fact. He is an Apprentice Vanguard."


    Paige frowned, deep in thought. She mumbled lightly to herself, "Well, the whole point of that little tradition was to make sure you focused on one aspect of your class. Offensive, defensive, technical. Nick, Zenith; there had to be some type of tradition you guys did too. Every class has it''s own quirks and history."


    Nick was already falling asleep, but he focused slightly at the question. "...we had to practice hitting a target in the forest. Once we could curve an arrow at will, we were basically ready for true Ranger missions."


    "Nick, rest. I''ll get the medicine for you. You''ll get better, soon." Zenith laid her hand on Nick until he fell asleep. Paige just sat there and waited until Nick was asleep.


    "We only had one tradition, and that was creating our first magic spell. But that was usually after we became an apprentice, not before." Zenith and Paige thought for a moment, trying to figure out the mystery.


    "Paige, how many specialized classes did you go through before you became a Warrior?"


    Paige frowned at the question. "I, uh.. I went through all of them. You don''t really get the True Warrior Class without going through all of the specializations."


    "Sowhy didn''t theGod''s advance your class to Warrior as soon as you mastered one specialization?"


    "Well, I knew there was a True Warrior Class, so I actively strove for it. I didn''t want to settle for less." Paige stopped and thought about that line of thought. "Once I learned as much as I could, one day I naturally got the True Warrior Class. Hmmm... when you go to the library, get me some books on famous Warriors. I can try and glean the class advancement rules as much as I can based off of their stories. I have some ideas already, but we''ll talk about it after I get some more facts."


    "But there''s... there''s a reason why I hadn''t taught Markus or Tyler sword skills, Zenith."


    "Hm?"


    "I still can''t use a sword, Zenith."


    "You just had one in your hand, Paige. That cleaver is pretty much a sword."


    "No, I mean I can''tuse a sword Zenith. I''ve been experimenting a lot with my leftover weapons, like replacing the blade of my spears with the hoe blade, and I can still use it just fine. But when I pick up a true weapon..." Blinking in confusion, Zenith watched as Paige took out a simple iron sword from her ring and frowned. "Watch," Paige simply said as she grasped the sword.


    Nothing seemed to happen, or at least nothing dramatic like Zenith thought would have happened. She knew that Paige wouldn''t have informed her if it was not a big deal though. Staring at the sword, she soon realized that the bladewas vibrating. No, not the blade. Paige''s hand. Was it glowing as well? Unless... "Thanks for showing me, Paige. You can put it away. Weapon Dissonance? But you''re a High-Class Warrior? I could understand that if you were an Apprentice or something, but for your body and mana to react just holding a weapon..."


    "I can''t use any of my main Warrior equipment in a fight. Bodysuit, shield, sword, spear. And it''s not because of the mithril. I tested that by replacing the core of my hoe''s shaft with my mithril spear, and I canwield it just fine when there is a hoe blade. It''s just when I am holding a true weapon that I have problems."


    "Well, it has to be because of the magic circle... You said you didn''t want to be a Warrior. Just a Farmer, which is what you became."


    Paige nodded. "Yeah. I can still do the forms and the stances; I just can''t use them personally in battle. You probably couldn''t tell, but I was pushing my mana hard, Zenith. It''s not until Iwas about to use a sword skill that the weapon dissonance happens."


    "...I don''t think it''s that simple, Paige. I think you still don''t want to be a Warrior. You were fine holding a shield when you were teaching Tyler, after all." Holding up her hand to forestall Paige, Zenith continued on with her hypothesis. "Even though we don''t know the full breadth of the magic circle, we can already guess by observation that our wishes are factored into the very fabric of the spell. Wishes and intent, otherwise how could you explain everything thus far? I''ve been keeping track of Tyler''s changes, and although he was initially overweight, now that he is in shape he is getting back to what he looked like before, body-wise. If he wanted to be a self-reliant merchant, I could see someone his size looking that way, especially if they never worked out or took care of their health. Now that he was serious about getting back in shape though, his body changed to match his wishes. Barring myself in a new body and upgraded affinities, only your change was minimal, all things considering."


    "...You think that so long as I don''t truly wish to become a Warrior again, I won''t?" Paige asked, her face pensive.


    "You have to figure that out yourself, Paige. I''m going to get some rest, Paige." Zenith left it at that. Some problems couldn''t be solved with just a simple analysis. This was something that Paigewould have to deal with on her own.

 Chapter 39.1

    "Pray tell me, why is my pass not allowed? You can clearly see it has been issued by Cidala''s Merchant Association." Tyler''s eye twitched as the guard in front of him gave yet another excuse as to why he was not allowed into Castle Livon. Granted, it was still pretty close one of the closest castles on the defensive lines to the Evidia border, but that is all the more reason to allow Merchants to sell their inventory.


    "Security reasons. You are not on the authorized list of merchants. You can sell to any of the neighboring towns, but not to the castle directly." The guard simply said, motioning him to leave. Tyler restrained his anger and left in a huff, knowing full well how much time was wasted in this journey. The whole reason he came to Livon was to secure his backup supplies, ones only he knew about.As the former royal guard, he had set up stashes of supplies, just in case he was in the area and there was an emergency. Usually, that involved paying off the innkeepers of the inns that Paige had wrecked, but now he used the money to further fund his intelligence gathering.Intelligence gathering that was not going well. By all accounts, the war had already shifted toward the Evidia border. But recent rumors painted a much darker story.


    "I shouldn''t have left some of my stashes in secured areas. But who would''ve thought that I''d no longer have access to it either." He took one last look at the castle behind him and left dejectedly. Drawing himself up, he walked confidently toward his lodging. He noticed a lot of stares being directed toward him and ignored it. Even some Warriors themselves were looking enviously at him. It wasn''t every day that a Merchant who could rival a Warrior in physique walked down the crowded path away from the castle. Tyler carried his merchandise with him at all times, as both a security measure and a training one.


    Tyler walked with a purpose, each step measured as his bag bounced up and down in a rhythmic motion. At shy over six foot tall, he stood out amongst the crowd, and so did his equipment. His bag was larger than he was, and each step rattled a few loose shutters. His boots were mudstained, but if you looked close enough you could tell there was a fair amount of blood on them as well. Although his bag labeled him as a traveling merchant, it didn''t take a guardsman a second glance to tell he was dangerous.


    "Hey, hey hey mister! Do you have any treats?" A small voice called out from behind him. Turning carefully, his bag swung around him and just missed the carriage that had passed to his side. Looking down, a young boy was staring at his bag with awe. Well, awe and curiosity. Most merchants elected to use wagons to travel, but Tyler rather relied on his own two feet, and a small packhorse instead. Most threats to a Merchant were hardly threats to an ex-Vanguard.


    Tyler gave a wry smile and pulled his bag off his shoulders, the loud thump as it hit the ground startled a few passersby. "I do have some, but it is costly." He said in a grave tone, although his eyes said differently. While it might seem mundane by anyone else''s standards, Tyler truly enjoyed interacting with the common citizens he vowed to protect. He never told anyone why he had resigned from his position after getting his class, only vaguely stating that the Royal Family had a policy of not letting those with Vanguard stay in the position of the Captain Royal Guard. In truth, he was just...tired. Tired of politics. Tired of responsibility. He wanted to help the country, not manage the upper class and their personal desires for the nation.


    So he left. He kept his badge and shield just in case the country ever needed him again, and after the war started in earnest he quickly came back and focused on helping the Royal Family deal with the issues at hand. No one ever asked what he had done in that time that he had left, and he probably wouldn''t tell. Especially Paige. He knew that Paige probably had an inkling of what he did, since her network of contacts was probably just as large as his. Focusing on the task at hand though, he quickly whipped out a bag from the side pocket closest to him and spread the goods on a light, solid plank of corkwood he sometimes used for displaying his wares. The cry of joy instantly attracted the attention of the surrounding kids, who stared wide-eyed at the goods displayed.


    Candy. Rock candy, to be precise. Tyler had noticed that Rebecca had been sucking on something one day during his regular sweep of the castle and had asked politely for some. He was instantly hooked on it the moment he tried it, and had badgered Paige for quiet awhile, even going so far as to turn a blind eye to Rebecca''s and Paige''s party for a week. Of course, Rebecca''s mom had been quite furious with him at the time, but the secret recipe to it was worth it. After leaving his position, he opened up a sweet shop in a town he had never visited, and strove hard to keep a low profile, even going so far as to not sell to merchants. The local kids were dismayed when he left, and he never quite forgot the feeling of a child''s bright smile whenever they tried one.


    "A copper piece for a stick, A silver for five sticks." Tyler shouted out loudly to the parent''s chagrin. It was cheap enough for a small treat, yet expensive enough in bulk to push away any thoughts of buying out his inventory, something else he learned when he opened up his shop.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    While watching the children, he took careful note of what the parents were discussing as well. The best information always came from what rumors were flying around, for each rumor had a grain of truth embedded. Usually anyways. But one conversation stuck out more than the others. Straining his ears while enteracting with the children, he quietly homed in on the conversation.


    {...I can''t believe the price of grain increased again. Now it''s almost one silver per pound of flour!}


    {Just be happy the price of meat has been staying low. Besides, you can always get corn instead....}


    ''...hmm, so the price is increasing here too. The cost is even higher close to Evidia. Are the merchants not travelling this close to the borders anymore?'' Sweeping his eyes across the path, he noted only four different merchants organizations, all of them locals judging by their familiarity with the passing townsfolk.


    ''Dangerous situation the defensive line seems to be in. How much damage did the castles take if they are checking the identities of merchants? Royal procedure is eighty percent of the castle must be damaged for lockdowns to occur. But General Williams letters said that the castles along the southern defensive lines were holding. Curious. And the fact that no one really knows is odd as well.''


    Selling the rest of the candy with a smile, he put up his wooden board and walked over to his lodging; a rather old inn with a stable attached to it. Checking the inside of the stables that were situated off to the side, he noted that his pack mules had already been groomed and fed for the night. Nodding at the sight, he walked inside the inn and noticed that dinner was already being served, despite it being just past noon. "Byron, any messages for me?"


    The bookkeeper looked up to see his best customer. "Tyler! Funny you should mention it. I saw a messengerfalconfly in, but he wouldn''t let me get close to him. The colors matched your descriptions though so it should be the one you''ve been waiting for. Do you want me to try and get him?"


    "No, I''ll get him. I''ll have dinner and some elk nibblets as well."


    "Okay, it''ll be out waiting for you." Byron nodded andordered one of the waitresses to grab Tyler some leftover raw nibblets from the kitchen. "So, are you thinking of heading out soon Tyler? You''ve been waiting on that messenger falcon since you''ve arrived here two weeks ago."


    Tyler nodded. "I am. I''ve already visited the towns closest to Evidia, and unfortunately business isn''t as good as I thought it would be. They still won''t let me into the castle, even with the Cidala''s merchant association backing me. I was hoping to make some money selling some miscellaneous items, but it looks like I''ve lost money on this travel."


    Byron shook his head in consolation. "Cidala produces the majority of the food for the army, but it was a good bet to use their name. Your items are good, especially the bows, but not many would need specialized equipment. If you had processed the ores, maybe it could have been sold to the castle, but some Blacksmiths may be willing to take the ores if they have an apprentice or two available."


    "Yeah, and then at least half my expected profit would be gone. It''d have taken at least an actual Blacksmith, not his apprentices, to process the ores, and even then they''d have to take the time to manually smelt it. The army would have shipped it to the royal blast furnaces at their own costs. That right there would save me at least ten gold coins in purchasing power alone."


    Byron frowned. "Hmm, I didn''t think of that. Well, the army hasn''t sent out any conveys for a few months now, so it must have enough supplies for now."


    Tyler stiffened slightly and agreed with a nod of his head. Seeing the waitress come with his nibblets, he accepted the bowl and walked outside, thinking to himself. ''They haven''t sent out a convoy in a few months? How much restoration does the castle defenses need? From what I remember, Castle Fredman held out the longest out of the southern defensive lines, and even the civilian shelters were left intact. Or was it because of the defenders here? Warrior Bultron and Veronica had helped take charge of this castle when the war started. DidVeronica''s demon heritage play a role? Did the defenders retreat all the way into the central keep? Or did they want to dismantle the castles here instead?''


    Whistling in a loud pitch, he threw a few nibblets into the air, waiting for the falcon to catch it. Say what you will about Paige, but her ability to seemingly tame any animal had come in use in more ways than one. First that Elder Boar, then this Peregrine Falcon. The falcon alone made communications easier, although they still rarely communicated this way. Although it may be fast, it was also highly conspicuous, which limited their ability to send messages this way. Donning his gloves, he held arm up as the falcon descended, holding out the nibblets in his hand. The message was brief and concise, and judging by the handwriting it was most likely Paige who wrote it.


    [Cm bk nw, Le/Ap bus''s grwth. Bow supp rdy for p/up. M rdy /teach.]


    "Really Paige, would it have killed you to write it out?" Tyler said after reading the message a few times. "Guess it''s time to head back." Quickly writing a response, he let the falcon go and watched for any birds flying from the castle, which none did. Tyler grimaced as no bird was released from the castle to follow the falcon back east. "Castles Fredman, Livon, Carmel, Cison, Freton, Millon, Vaste, Tangre. Essentially the entire southern defensive line has been locked down by Royal Guards and in various stages of repair. Central and northern defensive lines should be assumed to be in the same state. No wonder the Imperial Family took control, even if the Royal family wanted to, there is no way the Royal Family could afford the repairs on so many castles concurrently."

 Chapter 40

    "Zenith! How wonderful to see you again, and so soon I might add. Need any supplies? Food? Clothes? A letter of good behavior for Markus?" Kate waved as Markus and Zenith stepped into her shop, beaming happily at Markus. "I heard what you did, brave little man. Thank you for stepping up to protect Joanna, too. She''s a little shy." Their first stop had been to Kate''s shop, right around the time Zenith thought most stores would open.


    Walking in, Markus puffed up his chest and eyed the room. "Hah! That''s what Cidala''s Heroes are here for! To protect those in need, and to beat the bad guys up!" Markus declared proudly as he snuck some candy out of a bowl. Zenith knuckled his head lightly.


    "Ugh, don''t get me started with that, Kate. How was I supposed to know Markus was going to get into a fight? I''m glad that none of those kids are in Lily''s party, and I would put gold down saying that Emilia was not too thrilled of the idea either."


    Kate snickered. "Nope. Emilia was pissed after you left. Not only because you left in a hurry, but also because of those parents. Jerald and Eugene Lewis have been hoping to secure Lily''s engagement with their son, Randolf, for years now. They''ve been trying to pull their weight around here too, even before I met them at the tea party and learned why it''s been so hard to get contracts in Nespe. They''ve literally blacklisted me! Me! The Vice-chair of Cidala''s Merchant Association! You can have that candy, Markus, as the reward for punching their son''s face in. Serves them right too."


    "Kate, don''t reward bad behavior! Markus, banish that thought from your head." Zenith chided, but lightly, as she agreed with Kate''s reasoning.


    "Yes, Auntie. Can I go play with Joanna and Xavier? John went with his parents hunting for the next week or so." Markus asked as he chewed his treat.


    Casting a quick look at Kate, she answered after seeing her nod. "Sure, go ahead. You stay with Miss Kate''s family. Go have fun!"


    Zenith waited for Markus to leave the room before she turned to Kate. "Hey, what is the punishment for Class manipulation? I mean, all I got was a fine since Tyler agreed it was what he wanted. But, worst-case scenario, what would happen?"


    "Hm? Your asking that now?" Kate said aghast.


    "Well, Classes are ultimately decided on by the individual, so..." Zenith trailed off.


    "I don''t know about other countries, but here it''s a pretty serious crime. Intentionally leading someone to a wrong class is banishment and being marked as a criminal. Otherwise, it''s the death penalty if it can be proven. Honestly, you should be a little more wary, Zenith."


    Zenith paled. "Oh. Well, it''s a good thing Tyler said I didn''t. Umm, I''ll be at the library if you need me. It shouldn''t take too long to find what I need, but we might be staying the night here in Cidala if that is alright, Kate." She took a deep breath and walked out the door, albeit a little unsteady


    Kate shook her head ruefully. She called out before the door fully closed. "No problem, Zenith. Say hi to Emilia for me too. Dinner at my place tonight!"


    ---


    Cidala''s library was a quaint stone building set in the middle of the town, directly opposite of the square to Kate''s store. Luckily she asked for directions before she left since the town still relied on the antiquated system of using symbols on signboards to denote what the building''s use was. Zenith stared hard at the store with a frown. "I can''t believe that I had to ask for directions. If I believed Paige''s description of the library, I would have been looking for a much grander building than this." It was a rather unassuming building, barely larger than Kate''s own store. it''s stone walls blending in with the town around it. Even the door itself looks like it was made out of stone and reinforced with metal bars around it.


    She walked around the building curiously, noting that the library was separated by a firebreak and was seemingly separated away from the rest of the town, even though it was clearly in the middle of the town. "The library so important that it has to be guarded this heavily? Whatever. I''ve spent many a night reading by torchlight. Maybe I should learn [[Mana Light]] again. I''m coming in!" She yelled as she tapped on the doorway.


    The door opened to reveal a rather impressive view. From where she was standing outside, the building looked fairly boring, but the inside was very different from her thoughts. The library''s inside had been excavated into multiple levels, each one slightly smaller than the level above it. The bookshelves were built directly into the walls, leaving a majority of the building empty. Directly in the middle of the ceiling above was a rather large skylight with a glass orb hung right below it, casting a nice glow of light across the entirety of the building.


    "Okay, that is a little more impressive. I can see why Lily enjoyed reading here. With no windows, I daresay there''d hardly be any distractions when reading."


    "It is easier to fall asleep though, so you need to have a really good book to keep you awake," a voice Zenith recognized immediately. "If I knew you were coming back so soon, I would have met you at Kate''s shop before I started my shift here. I presume that is where you left Marcus at if you''ve brought him with you."


    "Emilia! So good to see you again! I actually forgot that you are the part-time librarian for the town. I thought you would have quit once Lily went to school?" Zenith cast of confused gaze over at her friend. She sat her bag and staff down to give Amelia a big hug.


    Her friend really rolled her eyes but accepted the hug. "It''s always nice to see you my daughter''s favorite teacher. Or should I call you her mentor instead? Honestly Zenith, you could have told me that you accepted Lily as a true apprentice years ago. I wouldn''t have invited so many of the teachers here. Some of the more prominent magic teachers were impressed by her level."Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Well, a teacher and a mentor are almost the same thing. if I knew how big of a deal it was I would have asked you first. Sorry." Zenith winced and apologized profusely. She really hadn''t known the difference between a mentor and a teacher, and this had been her first time teaching outside of a school.


    Her friend accepted her apology with a wave of her hand. "It''s okay, Zenith. Although I am her parent, she has to decide by herself who her mentor will be. And judging by your affinities, I think Lily chose well. You really surprised everyone there with your affinities.You wouldn''t be able to tell your affinity to wind-based on your hair color. But I guess that is one of the good things about having dual affinities."


    "Ah, who leaked that news? The magic teacher or one of the children?"


    "The teacher did. She was really impressed by your control of mana and knowledge of formations, too. She''s is going to be Lily''s first-year magic teacher."


    "Eh? Knowledge of formations?"


    "According to her, youknew how to activate the formation without any outside help. She had asked what school you previously taught at, but I didn''t say which school you originally went to since that is your own personal matter."


    Zenith blinked. "Thank you for that, Emilia."


    She smiled back. "You don''t get to my position without having a bit of discretion. You treat Lily and me well and with respect, and that is enough for me."


    Happily smiling, Lily looked around the library and browsed the titles of the many books available. "Is there any rule about checking books out? Paige wanted to read some in her free time, but..."


    Emilia frowned at the question and pulled out a worn handbook from where her desk she was sitting, coincidentally next to the main door. She pulled a lever and the door slowly closed, and as it fully closed a magic formation appeared on the door, the symbols quickly circled the library walls and silently disappeared. "The library is warded from the inside? Why on earth would a library have a formation? Even the town gates didn''t have a magic circlereinforcing it. Aren''t magic circles supposed to be rare?"Zenith was quite shocked at that sight. Not many schools in Appealte would pay for such an expense, and this was just a tiny city library.


    Emilia merely shrugged her shoulders. "Every library is considered the closest evacuation point besides the defensive lines castles. We have full confidence that we can last at least a few weeks, which would give enough time for the army to come and rescue us. Or, that is the hope anyway. I heard that most of the libraries in the towns closest to Evidia were left standing, but everyone inside starved to death. I don''t know which way I''d prefer to die at that point."


    Zenith walked up to the door and traced the outline of the magic circle. "It''s well made. Offensive and defensive spell matrixes, and message symbols are embedded into it as well to alert someone if it has been broken. I don''t know how much of a beating it can take, but judging by how it circled the walls it was meant to distribute the force across the perimeter."


    Emilia walked up and stood next to Zenith, frowning at the magic circle. "Peter had a soft spot for this country. The popular consensus is that he fell in love with the queen. He personally warded every library himself even. I don''t know much about all that, but according to Peter Alduit, each library can withstand at least one blow from an Elder Dragon."


    "Peter Alduit? The Warrior? Why would he know magic circle theory?" Zenith frowned, Well, Paige knew how to create magic circles, so on some level, it did make sense. But she had thought Paige was anexception.


    Emilia sighed. "Honestly Zenith, your social and historical knowledge is severely lacking. He''s the person who disseminated the creation of magic circles. The Imperial Family wasnot happy with him for doing that. I''ll recommend a few books for you to read.And according to the rulebook, I do have the authority to lend books out. What books does Paige want?"


    "Warrior books of course. If you have a book on Peter, that would be great too. Can you also point me in the right direction to the history books? I want to read up on some of the local folk tales."


    "We do have a few of the more popular Warrior bibliographies, but for history and folk tales... we might have to get more of those transferred here. I think our library only has three or four of those available. since most people don''t read history books for fun. I have ''Imperial Rule'' and ''Classic Folktales of the Western Countries''.


    "Then what do the rest of these books cover? By my estimates, there are hundreds of books here," Zenith looked around at the library in confusion.


    "The usual genres, Zenith. Mainly there are children books, romance, fantasy, suspense stories. And then there is a small subset of training manuals for battle classes. It''s not the newest training manuals, but they do help guide learning"


    "...huh?"


    ---


    ''....and so, the mana must be released from your core at a rate of ten mana cost per second. Circulating the mana counterclockwise around your core, you can condense the mana to become denser prior to spellcasting. The tier zero spell [[Gust]] can thus be formed by simply releasing your mana so long as the velocity of the mana wave is directed in a small area in a small timeframe. Thus, the basis of wind spells are condensing mana and releasing in a short amount of time. Failure to gather enough mana will result in mana exhaustion.''


    "What is this crap? Mana cost per second?" Zenith mumbled to herself as she read the basic training manual,''Introduction to Wind Magic'', that Emilia had shown her.Lily had read all of the training manuals in the library prior to her being taught by Zenith, andshe quickly realized why Lily had initially been disappointed in her magic lessons. Everything Zenith had taught was more based upon visualization and intent rather than a specific method to spellcasting. To quantify even how much mana one should output per spell was a little...well, weird.


    Blinking, Zenith followed the spellbook instructions and quickly realized that the book was partially correct after she figured out the technical terms, but the amount of mana that was needed was far greater than what she was used to. ''I''m a full Wind Mage and even I needed time to figure this out. How long would it take someone self-studying?''


    Zenith sat the book down and did some rough calculations in her head, her right hand tapping the desk rhythmically. She stopped tapping and waved her left hand suddenly, a faint gust appeared around her and flipped the cover of her book closed. ''If I follow this introductory book, it takes roughly three times more mana thanhow I was taught. Is it because you are skipping the visualization and intent portion and forcing the mana to retain its shape? A simple tier zero spell shouldn''t cost as much as a tier-one spell. Hrmm... at that point, an Apprentice would most likely get [Mana Condensing] as their first Skill... It''s not a bad skill to have, but it''s not really useful to a Mage as [Mana Sense] or [Magic Moulding]. I suppose spells would be slightly stronger due to the condensed mana, but it would be much harder to cast spells continuously.''


    She frowned as she thought of the ramificationsa simple skill set change would have for Mages everywhere. "At least with [Mana Sense], you could focus on which element to absorb. How fast would a Mage''s natural recovery speed be with [Mana Condensing]?"


    And that was just one introductory spellbook. Looking at the array of books in front of her, Zenith realized she was going to have a long day ahead of her.

 Chapter 41

    "Sigh. I''m getting nowhere''s on this." Zenith said to herself quietly as she held another training manual up, this one even more ridiculous than the last. ''Mana, and Where to Find it.''. The fading sunlight was casting a gloom on her thoughts as well as making it much harder to focus. Idly playing with the orb of mana she conjured, she sighed. Even the pure bright orb couldn''t put a dent in Zenith''s mood. She was lucky to even find a training book that had even talked about [[Mana Light]]. From her very impromptu investigation, certain spells were no longer as common as before. "If mana regeneration is harder and more time consuming, then it would make sense to use spells that were more reliable in battle instead of more simplistic, versatile spells."


    Idly drumming her hand on the table, she thought of all the spells she knew. Most of her spells were dependent on [Mana Sense] and [Mana Sensitivity] to not only increase the passive mana regeneration but also to convert the surrounding natural mana to her spell as well. The use of [Mana Condensing] practically forced single and wide-area attack spells into the highlight, as manipulating the surrounding mana by using small spells suchas [[Gust]] to augment wind attacks would only be helpful in battles where you had excess mana to burn.


    "In high-stress battles, Ishould be abledo aboutsixty[[Cutting Winds]] or maybe twenty [[Wind Blades]] in conjunction with my skills before I tire out. If I base consumption off of condensing my mana beforehand though... that would be a lot less of each. Ouch. How can any mage sustain that amount of mana in a battle?" She winced as the numbers of spells that she would be able to usestarted dipping close to single digits.


    "...I''ll ask Lily to send me a few of her books. Or maybe I''ll head over there myself one of these days..." Shaking her head ruefully, she collected the books with a wave of her hand andhovered them back to the bookshelves they were residing in. "I wonder how common [Magic Moulding] is then? I haven''t seen a book on that yet, but that spell is even more mana consuming than others."


    "That''s a pretty orb, Zenith. Did you make it yourself?"A voice from behind startled her slightly. Turning, she saw Emilia staring at the orb with interest.


    "Hm? Yeah, it''s a mana light. Not a lot of mages use it, but I think it''s helpful for a mage when reading at night."


    "...is there any other reason to learn that spell?"


    Zenith blinked at the question. She had originally learned that spell just to make reading easier at night. That was a basic spell that every apprentice learned early on. Well, she hadn''t taught Lily that spell, so it made sense to question the use of an orb of mana. What was the official reason that the training manual said?"Ahem, well, you can use this spell to test the ambient mana in the surroundings with this spell. See how the light is pure white? That means that the surrounding mana is pure, neutral mana; which makes sense since there is an active formation protecting us.I suppose not many mages like using this spell, though, since it does take a rather substantial amount of mana to create something physical like this. It''s useful if you don''t know the skill [Mana Sense]."


    Coughing politely, Zenith realized it was getting pretty late. "Are you about to head out, Emilia?"


    Emilianodded, her light brown hair still swirling as Zenith continued to hover the books back to their proper receptacles. She stared enviously at Zenith and sighed. "I am. That is a useful skill to have. Although you really didn''t have to put the books back, Zenith. It gives us Librarians something to do during the night shift."


    "Librarians sure do have a rough time, huh? I thought it would be a rather cut and dry job, but by the sounds of it..."


    "Mmm, it''s a lot more responsibility than people realize. The law is rather clear about the roles of a Librarian, even a temporary one like me. It took me over a year before I was able to even clear the security clearance, much less get approval from the royal family."


    "Are you sure you don''t have any copies of Peter Alduit''s biography? I do want to borrow these elementary spell books in addition to the books for Paige if that is alright."


    Emilia checked over the books Zenith wanted and confirmed that there were extra copies available in the library. "You can borrow those books if you''d like. Usually, you would need to put a deposit down but I know you are good for it. And in regards to Peter Alduit''s biography, I know our library doesn''t have one available. I could try the Nespe Library and see if they have a collection of his feats available to borrow. Unlikely, but I can try for you."


    Zenith smiled. "That''d be great, Emilia! Paige is really interested in Warrior''s stories, so she''ll be happy to read about some in her free time. Honestly, she probably has more free time than I do most days."


    To Zenith''s surprise, Emilia shook her head. "Probably not, Zenith. I may not be a Farmer, but I do manage quite a few. You''d be surprised how early they get up to work. And while Paige''s plots of land are small, their quality is stupendous. As well as her variety. I don''t think I''ve ever seen a Farmer cultivate that many species of plants at once, especially those non-native crops. She is a remarkable Farmer for someone her age."


    ''Is Paige really that good of a Farmer?''Zenith blinked at the rather frank praise."Well, maybe she is a really good Farmer then. Anyways, she''ll have something to do besides sleep her afternoon away now."


    "Haha, I could see her do that. She does seem to be rather blase about things that don''t interest her."


    They both shared a laugh as Zenith finished putting up the rest of the books. She collected the books she was planning to borrow and hurried to the main library doors. Covering her orb of light up, the library resumed its orange hue as the torchlight resumed its original function. Zenith stared at her mana orb. "Guess I don''t need this anymore." Willing the orb away, the orb slowly dissipated into the surroundings as they strode up to the doors.


    "I''m headed to Kate''s house tonight, Emilia. I''m sure she''d be delighted if you stopped by for dinner."


    "I usually head over to her house after work, since it is prohibited to loiter near the library. I''ll be over once the night shift Librarian comes." Emilia responded. Pulling the lever by her desk, the stone door slowly opened.


    Zenith waited until the magic circle fully deactivated before she stepped through the doorway."Got it, Emilia. See you in a bit." She waited until the door fully closed before she started walking back toward Kate''s house. The sun was noticeably lower than she''d thought it''d be, but the red hue of the sky was a nice change of view to the stone walls and printed words. The town was still very lively, although the shopkeepers and food stalls were slowly closing shop for the day as the townsfolk and travelers found their way back to their homes and lodging. Stopping at the nearest food stalls, she quickly bought the remainder of his snacks, a light pastry filled with honey, for the children. Not too sweet before bed, but sweet enough to satisfy a sweet tooth. Humming to herself, she knocked on Kate''s door and waited for it to open. The door swung open to reveal a slightly tanned woman with hazel eyes. "Ah, Sara! I wasn''t expecting to see you today. How have you been!" Zenith walked up and gave the girl a hug.


    "It''s good to see you too, Zenith. I heard about what happened to Nick. Is there anything I can do to help?"The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "No, no. It''s all good. Kate''s already sent word to Nespe to get some supplies, so it shouldn''t be too long." Zenith smiled at Sara as they walked inside the slightly cluttered house. Taking a moment to check on Sara, Zenith realized the girl was looking much better than when she had first met her. Her dark brown hair was now well kept and braided, and judging by the lack of dirt on her skin, she was at least staying indoor now instead ofcamping outdoors. Or maybe just taking better care of herself. A slight bird call could be heard from the back window near the kitchen. "How is your animal companion? Paige said she had just finished harvesting milk thistles if you wanted to pick some up next time you visit. She''ll trade you for a deer."


    "Hah! The only Farmer I''ve ever met that had the gall to trade meat for birdseed. But Ash does seem to enjoy it. She practically goes on strike whenever I run out" Sara ruefully smiled. Sara had been their main supplier of meat since Tyler had gone off to run his merchant business and gather information. It had been a nice change of pace to see someone every few days before she had started tutoring. Zenith laughed and withdrew a small bag of thistle seeds. "I had the feeling I''d be seeing you, so I snagged some from Paige. This should last you a bit until you go hunting again."


    "I don''t know why you even need my help hunting game. I''ve seen your larder, Zenith, and I know my cuts of meat. Judging by the elder wolf and elk meat I saw hanging up, I can certainly say that Nick is a better hunter than I am."


    "Well, he''ll be happy to hear that. And he doesn''t go hunting often, only if something gets too close to the barns. The livestock all attract too much attention in the forest. In fact, I think he''d like having someone to teach archery too, if you are interested in learning from a Bowyer." Zenith didn''t want to mention that Paige had actually been the main hunter of their group. Paige actively sought out monsters for their mana cores, while Nick was more inclined to use traps or his own bows while he was searching for bow worthy wood.


    "Really? Did he say that? I''ve been bugging him to teach me how to curve an arrow through the forest but he''s been stubborn about it so far." Sara said excitedly. Zenith knew it was probably tough for Sara to find a teacher who was willing to teach for free. The Guild Halls had competent Archers, but she knew first hand how expensive lessons could get. Especially after specializing in a Class.


    "Um, well he may not be teaching that exactly. But you can join Markus if you''d like. He''s been asking about learning how to shoot a bow for a while now, so you might as well tag along for a refresher course."


    "Hrmm, you know, maybe I will. And maybe he''d be willing to mentor me too. He''s awfully good at archery, and his bows are top-notch." Sara said as she led the way to the back patio, where Joanna, Xavier and Markus were setting the food and plates on the table. "Kate! Zenith is here. Are you sure you don''t need any help with that?" Zenith took a look around for Kate and found her unhooking clothes from the clothesline.


    "Emilia should be on her way over as well," Zenith supplied helpfully as she waved her hand. A strong breeze gushed through the enclosed backyard and focused around Kate, throwing the clothes off the line and into the air. A surprised cry sounded out as the clothes folded themselves neatly into a pile as they floated to the ground.


    "Wah! That was amazing! Zenith, you should stop by more often." Kate sounded pleased as she looked at the laundry all folded.


    "Don''t get any ideas now, Kate. You''re just lucky I have mana to spare right now. [Magic Moulding] is not something I normally waste mana on."


    Kate shrugged. "Well, now that I''m done with that I can help out with dinner. Mind helping me get the food, Zenith? If you said Emilia is coming, then shouldn''t be too far behind now."


    ---


    "What! Xavier and John don''t want to do lessons in the forest? What happened?" Zenith exclaimed after the children had left the table to play. Sara, Emilia, Kate and Zenith were chatting over a cup of Paige''s tea while they waited for Emilia''s butler to arrive.


    "Politics. Guardsman Albecki complained that the town''s guards shouldn''t be used to protect just two children. Would you be able to come here instead?" Kate asked quietly. Kate knew she was asking a lot from Zenith.


    "It was fine when Lily was going since I could leverage her safety as a reason. But Stephone is still holding a bit of a grudge against Paige, so he''s not being as helpful as before." Emilia gave Kate a small nod. "I hope it doesn''t impact things too much."


    Zenith drummed her hands on the side of her cup. "I could possibly come here instead. I wouldn''t mind spending more time at the library. And Markus would enjoy getting out of the forest too. But the bigger issue is what I''d be able to teach them while I am here. Markus wants to be an Adventurer and Xavier''s already indicated that he wants to become a Shopkeeper like you, Kate. And Julia''s alreadymentioned thatshe and her husband were thinking of moving up north since there is more game variety to hunt, so I''d really be teaching just the two of them.I can test Xavier''s mana core to see how much mana he can hold, but..."


    "Xavier''s affinity is totally different than yours. I know. But I''d still like you to teach him." Kate said resolutely.


    Zenith thought for a minute and nodded. "I can teach him Kate, although it will probably be only twice a week if that is okay with you. I''ll work with Paige and come up with a lesson plan that would hopefully suit a Shopkeeper."


    "Paige?" Kate and Emilia asked thoughtfully.


    "She used to travel a lot, so she knows a lot of people. Well, mostly innkeepers and such, but I wouldn''t be surprised if she knew a skill or two that would benefit a Shopkeeper. Nothing major, but hopefully she can draw on her experience and give me a broad scope." Zenith said nonchalantly.


    "How did you all meet anyways? It''s not often that people come together to make a settlement in the woods. Especially without any battle classes helping out." Sara asked, clearly interested in a good story.


    Luckily Zenith had a fairly good, and more importantly, rehearsed, backstory.


    "Well, the war displaced a lot of people, you know. We met Paige on the road and Nick and I had just moved from Leit the year prior. We all wanted a nice, quiet place away from the war, and when we heard that there was a settlement in the woods, we decided to try our luck and join them. We didn''t know that the previous tenants had died though, so it was quite a shock. But since everything just needed some repair, we decided to stay. And the rest is history. Talking about Nick, were you able to get the medicine I asked for?"


    "I did, and it''ll be here in the morning. But don''t change the subject yet, Zenith. You''ve all been here a while, but something has been bothering me. When are you going to have a baby?" Kate asked with a sly smile. "I wagered you would have had one by now, but it''s been almost four years. Don''t tell me he''s..."


    Zenith spit her tea out, her face flushed with embarrassment. "That''s private, Kate! And no, he''s not. We just have a hard time. His... his first marriage didn''t end well," Zenith said a little quietly.


    Clearing her throat, Emilia decided to jump in and help Zenith out. "Oh? Well, then let''s talk about something else. Do you think the children will do fine at school?"


    Zenith nodded gratefully to Emilia. It''s not like they haven''t been trying for children, but that was their own private matter to deal with. "I did ask Paige what the process was since I am a little fuzzy on how the school system is run in Alcudia. But Paige says they should be assigned to a party, probably either a four or a six-person party, depending on the other student''s rankings. I have no doubt that they will be in a group together. Now all that is left to be seen is the rest of their party. Hopefully, they''ll be in a good one. Paige said that we won''t see them for a few years though."


    "You can always go and visit Zenith, it''s just that the school highly discourages mentors from visiting within the first two years. It''s to give the children the chance to develop their own battle styles without interference. If you''re worried, go ahead and visit." Sara said aloud. "I can always use the company if you''re heading that way. I''m sure Markus will be thrilled to go to a large city too."


    "Well, maybe I will head that way when Markus turns eight. There''s really no rush for now. I really want to take a look at Lily''s textbooks though. Nespe is a rather large city, and it might be fun to go on a daytrip over there." A random thought wormed it''s way into Zenith''s head at that moment, something Tyler and Paige were worried about the last time he had stopped by. "Emilia, what is the price of wheat today? I wanted to buy a few bales of hay before winter comes. I was planning on redoing the barn and perhaps making some flour while the weather is still nice."


    "We only sell wholesale to the army. But last time I checked we were selling it at around ten gold coins per bale of hay. Kate, what about you?"


    "I''m at about fifteen gold coins per bale. Shipping is about three gold for one."


    "Hm? Isn''t that almost a gold coin more than last year?"


    Emilia shrugged. "It is, but the quality of this year''s hay bales are really good. The weather has been cooperating all harvest, so naturally the price reflects that. Why do you ask?" Emilia wondered with a frown on her face.


    Zenith chose her words carefully. "It''s nothing. Tyler and Paige were arguing about the true worth of her crops and the viability of selling it since her last harvest was good. Kate, Nick also wanted to know if the prices of his bow are slated to rise in value. What do you think?"


    "Well, I can give you a better price than that traveling merchant can, Zenith. Had I known I was competing with him I''d have offered a better price. And besides, Paige''s produce is the tastiest I''ve had. I wouldn''t mind buying the excess, you know." Katechimed in. She tapped on the table as she calculated the costs of Nick''s bows. "The demand for high-quality bows have increased, and Nick''s are gaining greater recognition. I wouldn''t be surprised if he could get a few more gold out of each bow, if you are pressed for money and not on time."


    "Great. I''ll let Nick and Paige know that," Zenith said with a smile. The two questions had revealed what she wanted to know, and it seemed that Paige and Tyler were right. The gears of war had already started ramping up slowly across the country.

 Chapter 42

    "Hmmm, and these are the only books they have? I thought a library would have more than just this?" Paige exclaimed as she skimmed the titles of the books Zenith had brought her. She had arrived around midday with the supplies from Nespe to help heal Nick. Nick rocked in the chair beside the couch as Zenith helped give Nick the medicine. Markus was already asleep, as though he didn''t get a full night''s sleep. Probably didn''t, judging by the way Zenith was yawning as well.


    "Well, I may not have looked as closelyfor Warrior biographies as I should have. I got a little sidetracked on a few other books while I was there, but Emilia said those are the ones she recommended for you."


    "No books on Peter?"


    "None that were available, no. I could ask, but th-"


    "Meh, it''ll be fine. Who know''s what the Imperial Family wrote about him; it''s probably all propaganda anyways. Maybe one of these days I''ll read up on what my brother did.Hm?" Interrupting Zenith with a wave, Paige looked over at the books Zenith had handed her, she read the label aloud. "''Wind Tome of Knowledge? ApprenticeMage Index of Spells'',Zenith, what are these books? These sound...ancient. And a bit familiar for some reason." Flipping the pages, she scanned a few pages and scoffed. "Bah, who even writes like that anymore? These are very outdated. I hope that''s not what Lily was learning."


    Zenith shook her head as well. "That''s what every library has supposedly. It''s really, really, outdated materials. Even I''ve never read heard of these books before. It makes sense that Lily didn''t like these first few lessons. My way of teaching is very different than how she was learning originally."


    Skimming through the magic books, a random thought came to Paige. Tomes of Knowledge. Hah! Paige started to laugh as she glanced at the other books. "Haha, these books are old, Zenith. But, I do know why you learned differently."


    "Huh?" Zenith cocked her head while Nick stared at Paige in incomprehension.


    "Well, you know I said I escaped from the Imperial Family right? Well, I didn''t just take a Wardstone and leave in the night. No, I took far more than just that.I took everything I could. If it wasn''t bolted down and was nearby when I escaped, I took it. Books, weapons, equipment. If not for them eventually using my storage amulet to track my general location, I would still have most of it with me. But it''s no wonder current magic theory is so far behind, it''s literally still centuries behind what the Imperial family was teaching their mages."


    Zenith''s eyes widened. "You mean.."


    "Yup, the current magic theory you learned was based upon Imperial Family research.They kept a pretty tight stranglehold on magic knowledge. Which is why I initially traveled across the Empire to different countries. The first thing I did was ''gift'' the information to the most prestigious, and least connected to the Imperial family, schools and sects in certain countries.Of course, I had to hurry from one place to the next before the Imperial Scions tracking me could catch up, but it worked. With so many countries increasing their powers and the instability caused by only certain countries growing, the Imperial Family decided it was not going to risk civil war amongst the empire and released their full research to all."


    "Wasn''t that dangerous though? What if it didn''t work as you planned?"


    "Meh, I was already wanted the moment I escaped. What''re a few more reasons? Besides, even if it didn''t work like that, the chaos would have covered my tracks, so it was a win-win situation for me. Anyway, after that I laid low and took my time traveling in disguise." Paige sat back in her chair and stared at the ceiling. "I still don''t have any idea why the gods are unknown here,I''ll admit that. But what you learned in school Zenith is straight from the Imperial Family. If current mages don''t have that..."


    "...then only by joining the imperial family would you be able to match up against their prodigies."Zenith''s eyes widened as she thought of the implications.


    "Yup. Add in the fact that magic circles are now rare and the mortality rate is extremely high, means the Imperial Family has a great recruitment tool. Obviously, I don''t know the real reason why Peter only released the knowledge for status checkers, but if I had to guess, hisImperial backing probably needed a reason to "gift" it to the rest of the Empire. Someone in the Imperial household probably intended to stop demihumans from infiltrating past the borderlands. Much easier for them to let the border countries watch the flow of people than themselves."


    "Paige, you are going off-topic. I was taught to prioritize mana sensitivity. Are you sure that mages really learned to condense mana as their first skill prior to your... escape?" Zenith pressed her question.


    "Mhmm. Back then, there was a large portion of mages who had that skill. A mage with [Mana Condensing] alone could power a magic circle quickly and could double as heavy artillery, but the downside is the low recovery rate. But [Mana Sense] allows for greater mobility and uses than a single spell, which is why most battle mages alwaysprefer having mana sense instead."


    Paige got out of her chair and moved over to the chalkboard Zenith had made for her lessons. "It comes down to situational confrontations, Zenith. I know you were never in the army, so I''ll simplify it. In armies, a mage with [Mana Condensing] is preferred, but in parties, [Mana Sense] is preferred. Why do you think the defensive lines were able to last so long? The formations protecting the castles all had multiple mages powering it. Even I would hesitate a bit before assaulting a magic fortified castle with ten or more mages. Not impossible to do, but definitely time-consuming, noticeable, and hard if you can''t tire out the mages faster than they rotate out. Having both skills would be great, but most mages tend to only have one or the other."This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "...will there be any problems for Lily?"


    Paige hesitated. "...there...there shouldn''t be any problems for Lily. Even back then, Mages outside of the Imperial Family had known of [Mana Sense], but the specific training regime was not known or well tested." Paige said while biting her lip, thinking hard about the ramifications. "No, she should be fine. There were a few Mages who could rival Imperial Mages even back then. Just claim youlearned it from an ancient tomeor something and no one will know any better. It''s not like anyone can refute it. In fact, I think I have some oldbooks you can look through to familiarize yourself with current standards. Be careful with them though; they are all originals." Grasping her ring, she quickly muttered the release code and flipped through the transparent boxes, tapping on a few. At once, a pile of books landed heavily on the floor.


    Zenith poked through the pile and stared at the titles. ''Overlord of Magic.'', ''Harmonic Mana Skill'', ''Mana Physiology'', ''Classical Wind Magic'', ''Fire Magic Basics'', ''Tome of Forbidden Secrets'', ''How to train an Apprentice''.And those were the top ones she could see.She recognized a few of the titles as she shifted on her knees to look through the pile of books, but the others had confused her"...why did I have to go to the library if you had all these books? Andwhat are some of thesebooks? I''m pretty sure I read some of these in the library."


    "...Frankly, I forgot that I had them." Paige shrugged as she looked over the books she had deposited. "They are books I had leftover or got in exchange for the books I gave away. You can read them if you like. I don''t know about the quality or content of them, but they should cover a decent amount of topics. Since you are a Teacher, you may be able to learn spells and skills faster. If that is the case, I would suggest learning [Mana Condensing] if you are able to, and maybe some other spells as well."


    "I''ll try. I''ve never seen a Battle Mage with both skill sets, butit''s not like we are pressed for time," Zenith agreed absently.


    Nick grunted and sat up, his hand grasping his chest. "Paige. You said you taught the Rangers early on, or at least two of the founders. What would change if you hadn''t taught them? We never really talked about what ramifications your past would have, otherwise I''m surewe would have noticed this issue much earlier."


    "Well, my past is my past. I''m not keen on looking back." Paige muttered.Shecocked her head in thought as she thought about her time training. Did she have a large roll in it? "Well...I don''t think I played too big a role? The Alcudian Royal Family had the plan already set. I was still laying low at the time, so I was just one of the trainers and Imainly taught survival skills, not archery. So I don''t think that much should change in the long run. Maybe a few of the sayings in the Ranger Handbook; and maybe one or two fewer women in the organization as a whole?"


    Nick gave her a sidelong glance at her account, "Huh. From the way you were talking before, I almost believed that you trained the entire group yourself."


    "That would be ridiculous. Besides, if I needed to hit a target at range, I''d throw athrowing knifeat it; not drop my sword, unhook my shield, take out a bow, string it, aim and shoot. I mean, I could probably do it, but it''s not my forte. So, all in all, barring the wilderness training and a few female Rangers, not much should have changed." Giving Nick a sidelong glance, Paige settled back down into her chair and reviewed the books Zenith had brought once again. None of them were well known, and all of them were Human, which hardly made sense considering the top hundred national heroes were separated pretty evenly between Humans, Demons, and Halfbloods. ''Did Rebecca not implement her policy to allow Demons to hold rank? I mean, it was her idea and she had no real opposition against it that I remember. Hrmmm, I didn''t think that much would change if I wasn''t around... I''ll ask Tyler when he comes back. He''ll know better than Zenith what to look for.''


    "Before I forget, I sent a message to Tyler. The hawk should have just arrived by now. I''ll send a regular messenger bird in a few days once the reply comes." Paige remarked off hand, while she flipped through a book.


    "How did you learn to train animals, Paige? I thought Nick would be a better trainer than he is, no offense Nick. You can barely ride the draft pony." Zenith gave Nick a fake mocking look. He took it in jest and tched painfully.


    "I''m not a Ranger Falconer, okay. I barely tolerate war dogs, much less mundane farm animals. You''ll see me in a much better light after I get a Ranger horse. I just have bad memories of other typical companion animals. Trust me, I''ve seen more than one Ranger retire after having to kill an injured companion. Horses you can take anywhere and not attract attention; dogs and falcons not so much." Nick dryly said.


    "You pick up some tricks here and there when you travel vast distances, Zenith. You''d be amazed at how slow news travels across the Empire. For more important messages it''s still better to go in person than to rely on messenger birds, even elite ones. We''re just lucky we found a nest here; otherwise, it''d take a few years to get it trained to the point of listening when it is outof sight. Hey, listen to this.." Paige furrowed her brows and read aloud a passage she noticed. " ''...after a hard battle against the Evidian Army,Vanguard Sanderson successfully advanced his Class to Sentinel. Of his surviving party, only two came out unscathed and advanced their Classes; Dolman and Heva, respectively to Sharpshooter and Soldier. Thus, the party...''"


    As she trailed off, Paige looked over at Nick and Zenith with worry. "Did you notice the problem?"


    Nick looked grave, while Zenith pondered over what Paige had said. "...the Class Specialization. Vanguard to Sentinel. Sentinel should have been the Class Specialization, not the other way around. Are the Classes themselves different now? Can they decide how they want their specialization to progress? Zenith, you said Tyler received the Apprentice Vanguard Class after he chose the shield handles. Right after he made up his mind, or before?"


    "...most likely after. I only checked before I left with Markus, but he did indeed have the Apprentice Vanguard Class. Lily had her Apprentice Mage Class too, but I was pretty sure she had it to begin with. I''ve never heard of anyone actually being able to cast elemental spells without at least the Apprentice Mage Class. Being able to focus and sense mana is one thing, sure, but controlling the elements is very hard without the class. Once they hit puberty it''s a different story, since a person''s mana core finally condenses and solidifies to its final state." Zenith tapped her chin lightly as she thought about her new apprentice. Shaking her head, Zenith remembered something that had bugged her. "Kate did say that Xavier confirmed he wanted to be a Shopkeeper of all things as his first choice. Most children would get a support-class as a last resort. I guess being able to decide your own class does come with benefits, and potential problems too."


    Nick shared a look with Paige, "I think Classes just got a lot more complicated."

 Chapter 43

    Paige thrived on routines. Even when she was in disguise, she always liked to have a set routine, something to start her day off right. As a Warrior, she would have been swinging her sword, or at least checking her equipment for any loose straps. But as a Farmer, she followed the same routine her father had, or at least, what she could remember her father doing the few times she woke up before the sun arose. Although she couldn''t remember what he had been doing, she remembered her father''s words clearly. ''Our farm is much more than land, my sweet Little Paige. Our farm is built upon the sweat of family, hard work, and love.'' How she wished she could remember his face. Paige sighed to herself. There were times that she even forgot how old she was and the names of her family, though her memory was pretty fuzzy after she had awoken in the Imperial Family. Was it shock or something else?


    Shaking her head ruefully, she checked on her watermelon plants, idly noting that they needed more water, otherwise there would be a high chance that the fruit would be small. Looking back, she looked over her plots of vegetables and grains and grinned. They may live on a small farm, butPaige could say with pride that everything they had was top quality and tasty too. Well, maybe not a small farm, she amended to herself slightly. After working out the logistics with everyone early on, they had decided to keep the footprint near the settlement down to a small two acres of land, since they were not likely to stay here in the forest long term.


    Not counting the other non-protected plots of farmland she had scattered about the forest, she was quite content at how well she was able to farm. Quickly checking the fields, she noted that a few cows were already out in the fields, and that one was already showing signs of having a calf. Good good, Paige nodded to herself happily. Rearing and training simple farm animals was much easier, and safer, than the other animals she had trained previously. "..Although, if I could have trained that pack of Drakes, finding Dragons would have been much easier. Gods above, it took months to successfully track those Elder Dragons before they attacked, even though I knew where they would most likely attack."


    Finishing with her daily plot check, she started twirling her hoe absently. "What to do, what to do." Taking a glance around the settlement, she slowly started stretching, her overalls tightening as she twisted and turned.Grasping her worn hoe, she took a slight stance and swung it in a light arc, flowing from one move to the next. Taking a step forward, she started to swing in earnest. Overhead chop, followed by a small half step back into a vertical slash.


    This was the other part of her morning routine, one that she was hesitant to stop. Attack patterns; defensive maneuvers; grip coordination. Being a Warrior was more than just having Skills and the god''s approvals. It was knowing how to fight; when to attack; and more importantly, when to run away. ''Let''s see, can I incorporate that sliding move from the northern seas? Was it called ''Bellowing the Horn'' or ''Stormy Sea''s''...Probably ''Stormy Sea''s'', knowing those Islander''s flair for naming everything. Slide, step backward and spin. Her hoe started moving crisper, the bladed end rending the air with a whoosh each time she swung and stopped before she overextended herself. ''Forward grip into a handshake grip, followed by a windmill grip.''


    Sliding her hand across the hoe blade as it swung toward her head, her hoe morphed into a long-bladed scythe as it completed its forward spin. ''Bladed Ax to Crescent Slash, Crescent Slash to Whirlwind Strike. Whirlwind Strike to a quick slice.'' Now only if she could actually hold a weapon without the dissonance occurring...


    "Aun-" She swung her scythe toward the voice, stopping mere inches away from Markus, who was looking at her with awe. Paige frowned and looked at the now unlocked door of the settlement. Did I miss him somehow? "... Markus. Shouldn''t you be asleep at this hour? We''re still at least an hour or two away from true daylight."


    "I, I had a bad dream. What were you doing, Auntie? And why did your hoe become a scythe?"


    She frowned at his question. He must have been there longer than she''d thought. Was he watching from the house? "[Craft Modification]. It''s a handy skill for any Class. Not many battle classes learn this Skill since it takes time away from learning actual Battle Skills though. Hm? Want to learn it?"


    "I know it already, although I think I can only do farming equipment and bows. I can make a spade with a stick." Markus said.


    "...I see. Good job learning it. Just wondering, Markus, how did you learn that skill?" Paige cocked her head in thought.


    Markus blinked at the question. "I watched you and Uncle Nick do it often enough, so I learned how."


    Paige smiled, byt grimaced internally. That was not normal. Well, not by normal standards anyways. But if you went on the basis as an Apprentice or a Hero instead... "Well, next time let us know when you get a Skill. It is a cause for celebration, you know." Patting Markus on the head, Paigechanged her scythe back to a hoe blade and started leading Markus back to the house.


    "Au, aunt. Can you teachme how to do that?" Markus said in a hopeful tone.


    "Hm?"


    "It looks so cool! You were swinging your hoe with a whoosh, and then it turned into a scythe and it went voom and-!"Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "Haha. It does look pretty cool huh. So tell me, Markus, if you had to choose a weapon, what would it be?"


    "A sword!"


    "...that is a good choice. What do you want to be when you grow up?"


    "A Swordmaster! I''m going to save a lot of people and defeat all the bad guys!"


    "Spoken like a true kid, my young little Markus! Hrmm.... okay, how about this. We''ve all talked and said you weren''t allowed to have a sword until you are seven. But since Nick is planning on showing you how to shoot a bow...I''ll can teach you some things too. If you want, of course."


    "Sure! Thank you so much, Aunt Paige!"


    "Don''t thank me just yet. First we have to practice..."


    ----


    "Ummm, Paige? What are you doing?" Zenith had to ask, just to make sure she wasn''t dreaming.


    "I''m teaching of course. What''s up?"


    The sight Zenith had awoken to after she left the house was...mind-boggling to say the least. Paige was standing in a weird pose, her upper body arched while she balanced on the ball of her foot, while Markus was attempting poorly to emulate Paige''s stance. "And what, pray tell, does that silly stance do?"


    "An, and how come you didn''t make Tyler do these weird stances?" Markus asked as he failed to maintain his pose.


    "It helps increase your sense of balance and sensitivity to your extremities. I won''t teach you any sword styles for now, but I will help increase your foundation. You''ll learn this later, Markus; but every party has to adapt to the needs of the individual members. Lily needed someone to protect her, so Tyler had to pick up the slack. If Tyler wants to learn this later, fine, I can teach him later. Not like stretching is something that has to be done at an early age."


    "But, then then why are you making me do it!"


    "Most of the swordplay I know is based upon being flexible enough to do the forms correctly on the first try. It takes practice and time, but I promise I will train you to the best of my limited abilities. I''ll teach you some techniques once you pass my test. Otherwise, it''ll be too hard to learn some of the harder techniques."


    "If your abilities are limited, then every Warrior might as well call themselves Apprentices," Zenith muttered to herself. "Ahem. Sara should be coming around today to learn with Markus on how to shoot in a forest."


    Paige looked over with a look of disbelief. "Huh. I didn''t know Nick volunteered to teach too. That''s awfully nice of him. What was the occasion? And don''t tell me he volunteered himself either. We both know he isn''t that nice."


    Zenith blushed slightly. "...so I may have volunteered him to teach Sara when I haddinner at Kate''s house. They''ll both do fine with Nick. I think. Anyways, Paige, I was thinking of reading in the makeshift study you made in the barn, so just let me know if you need anything. Well, on second thought, I''ll probably head off to watch how Nick trains them as well. Would you mind making dinner tonight for us?"


    Soaking the sweat on her forehead with the back of her sleeves, Paige nodded absently. "Yah, I can do that Zenith. Okay, Markus, it''s been a few hours now. You can stop for breakfast and go see Uncle Nick. I''ll go and finish up my planting. Oh, and by the way, I expect to see you up every morning at the same time from now on to do the stretches. You can watch me practice in the meantime if you get up early enough." Watching as Markus left with Zenith, she wondered for the nth time if hiding Markus''s class from him was a bad idea. Class progression was a tricky thing for a Hero, and she desperately hoped that this deception wouldn''t come back to haunt her. Sighing to herself, she wondered if it was a good idea to train him in swordsmanship. He had been able to kill Tyler and he put up a rather good fight in the Mausoleum. Scuffing the ground with her boot, she filed the thought away for another day.


    Thinking back, training an apprentice was a rather fun past time, although she would have to modify her routines now to account for Markus. ''It has been a while since I have trained an apprentice. Although, maybe I should go and look up how she isdoing...''


    --


    "Hrmm, where is my hoe? Crap, did I forget it after training with Markus? Well, it''s not going to walk away or anything." Shrugging as she walked toward her nearest clove patch,Paige closed her eyes and followed her instincts, not even using a Skill to navigate the terrain, just following her gut feeling. That was the thing about Skills, although it was immensely helpful on occasion, Paige just couldn''t help but feel... unaccomplished. Knowing where you were going was different than walking blindly, which is what she wanted to do on occasion. Thus...she learned of a way to stop her Skills from activating.Risky to do, but it was more fun to travel this way, in Paige''s opinion.


    Right up to the point where shestepped face first into a tree. Ruefully glancing at the tree in the path, she stepped around it and kept on walking. "Ouch. Well, at least I know the trick still works. If I use up all my mana, my skills won''t work. Duh. But intentionally keeping myself close to mana exhaustion is harder than I''d thought it''d be with my new core. Why would my mana core be larger if I am a Farmer than a Warrior? I mean, I can understand that Zenith has less mana now as a teacher than as a Wind mage, but as a Farmer, why do I have more mana than when I was a Warrior? Did I have too many skills?Or was it those elemental skills I learned that tied up so much of my mana?"


    "Spells are the foundation for elemental skills. That''s the whole reason why most people stick with their natural affinities. Technically, I''m not supposed to be able to use elemental spells with my null affinity, but I used divine mana to forcefully acquire them. Maybe I wasn''t supposed to do that, and the decrease in my mana core was the penalty for learning elemental skills? I thought the problems originated from that curse from the Northern Isles, but maybe it wasn''t. But now I already know how to use elemental skills. Could that be the reason why I have more mana?"


    Paige frowned as she sidestepped around another tree. "Classes. Mana. You can choose your own class now. My mana is higher. So how would Ieven investigate the latter? No, Zenith is in a better position to investigate that. I can give her a broader view though, she is still quite young after all, and she likely doesn''t have the experience to know what to look out for... So barring mana, could I test class acquisition? How could I-, wait a second, there is a way for me to investigate classes! Boary! Come here, quick!" Paige yelled out loudly as she stepped intoher cloverclearing, looking around for her pseudo training partner.


    Hercallechoed in the clearing and out into the forest. She knew that this might just work!There might be something that she could personally test after all.

 Chapter 44

    "Hehehe. Boooarry! I have something special for you! It''s super special," Paige called out to the surrounding forest. Boary had to be somewhere in the vicinity. She knew that the boar usually didn''t leave this clover patch if he didn''t have anything else to do, as the environment here was perfect for both growing clovers and for recovering mana, something which would help the boar upgrade his mana core over time. "Hey! Where are you?" Hearing no response, Paige frowned. With no boar, how was she supposed to test her theories? "Tch. Looks like I have to find him first. Usually he is here, so what is different about today? Hrmm, well it isn''t wasn''t a full moon yesterday and there have been no changes in the ambient mana, so the most likely option is... an intruder? What could fight a mostly grown Elder Boar? Direwolf Pack? Armored Blackbear? Freshwater Alligator?"


    Looking around the empty clearing and locating a few animal trails Boary had likely used, Paige decided to use the simplest solution she had. "Let''s see where you went off to. [Trail Finder]." In truth, she hardly needed to use her Skill, since she practiced trackingextensively when she was training Lily and Tyler, but Paige needed to use her mana and it was hardly worth the time to analyze when each path was last used. A nagging sense in her brain informed her that the path leading deeper into the woods was the one that had last been used. Paige frowned as she confirmed that her skill was indeed right, though it hardly made sense to her. She knew from her landmarks that the only place of interest that the path led to was a few plots of evergreen trees. Nothing exceptional that would warrant a trip for the Elder Boar in question, at least.


    Following the path her Skill was informing her of, she walked briskly, letting her skill take the lead on where to go. Paige picked up varying sizes of pebbles and placed it in her overall pockets before hefting up a piece of a fallen tree limb and muttering quietly to herself. "No monster tracks thus far besides Boary, which in itself is odd. A monster that can fly? Could it be a Stone Hawk? No, there shouldn''t be any here, their migrating pattern doesn''t go this far west during the winter... wait, did Zenith say where Nick was planning onteaching today?" Stopping slightly, she thought for a moment and shook her head before continuing on the path. "Ranger standard training, assuming they haven''t changed anything, would put them somewhere in the fringe of the forest for practicing archery, not in the heart of a forest. So am I the only one this deep in the woods?"


    A sudden chill assaulted her from in front, her skin crawling with goosebumps. Paige looked incredulous at her arms, shaking them lightly. "What was that?Was that amana wave, a skill, or was it a monster trait? It... it kinda felt like a Frost Beholder, but in a forest?" Frowning at the path ahead, she dropped the tree limb and held her ring, taking out a few metal bangles and a heavy steel spear. A tingling sensation quickly traveled up her arm as she held the shaft of the weapon. Grabbing some of the heavier stones from her pocket, she quickly modified the spearhead with her skill; opting to replace thesharpened metal edge of the spear to a simple stone bladed hoe. She bit her lip as the tingling in her arms slowly abated and walked faster toward the location she felt the mana wave originated from.


    She could already start to hear muffled grunting sounds and heavy breathing as the trees swayed back and forth in front of her. Now that she was closer, she could feel a deep thump from the forest floor and could hear the sound of a pitched battle; the boar''s squeals of anger were clearly reverberating in the forest now. Stopping slightly before a clearing, Paige quickly hid behind a tree, taking care not to be noticed.


    Breathing deeply, she quickly rotated the mana in her core and whispered quietly to herself. "[Natural Explorer], [Hide in Plain Sight]," She could feel her mana and the mana in the forest intermingling, and she carefully pulled her mana back toward her, hoping to draw the ambient mana around her like a bubble. It was certainly not the best way to use her mana, but it did allow her a bit more flexibility and stealth while in a forest. Waitingcarefully to makesure that none of her mana leaked out into the environment, she slowly pushed away from the tree and walked around, ''Now let''s see what Boary has gotten into.''


    Walking slowly into the clearing, Paige immediately noticed the two sets of blood. Everywhere. But whereas one was a deep red and smelled of iron, the other was blue and smelled...differently. Almost like how the air smelled when it snowed. Not a precise smell, but distinct enough. And true to her gut feeling, Boary was facing a relatively rare monster, for this side of the world at least. An eye the size of a wooden gate was locked on to the boar as it charged once again, wary of the Elder Boar''s tusks, which was painted in the blue blood of its enemy.


    A Frost Beholder, but a minor one by the looks of it. The main Eye was floating almost six feet above the ground, the monster''s mana resisting the pull of gravity through natural instinct alone. The six tentacle arms flailed in an unseen wind, the eyeballs at the end focusing hard on the enemy in front of it. Paige blinked. ''It''s not an Elder Beholder, that much is certain. But still, it''s almost a few thousand miles to the nearest permafrost, so how could it get here? The thing practically melts if it stays in the sun too long.'' Paige stared at the beast confusedly as she watched the fight.


    A loud squeal interrupted her thoughts, and she almost whistled aloud as she saw what her training partner was doing. The boar''s tusks were shrouded in hazy light, one that was solidifying quickly. The jagged tusks were now replaced with glowing tusks, nearly as long as a knight''s jousting lance. ''...that''s a new one. Spectral, magic, or elemental based? Probably something close to the [Magic Lance] or [Light Lance] if it was a Knight Skill. Still, how come it never did that in our mock fights? I''d still win of course, but it would have been a nice challenge every now and then.''


    Boary charged once again, angling his charge sideways to avoid the Frost Beholder''s frozen gaze. Tactics. Paige nodded as she saw the boars'' actions. ''Only took Boary two years to figure that out. Good. At least it learned something from the mock fights.''


    The Beholder tracked the boar wearily while scanning the clearing, looking for something. Paige smiled as she noticed it''s actions. ''Heh. I forgot how mana sensitive Beholder''s are. I''d be a little worried if it was an Elder or Ancient Beholder, but not for this runt.'' She started walking steadily around the clearing in the opposite direction of Boary, distracting the Beholder from the fight on hand.


    The beast knew something was there and sent out probes of blue light across the clearing, shrouding the sun and the surrounding forest. The intensity of the blue beams increased remarkably as the air steadily became colder. A thin layer of frost was starting to gather onto both Boary''s hide as well as Paige''s clothes.


    ''[Frost Aura].I guess it could technically survive a bit then in the shade. But that still wouldn''t be enough for it to travel this far,''Paige thought to herself as the frost evaporated slowly from her clothes. Eying the metal bangle on her arm, the inscriptions of the bangle was suddenly alight with power. [[Frost Resistance]]. All this free time had done wonders for Paige''s crafting skills, and Zenith''s incessant begging to learn inscriptions had only worsened once Paige had shown she had known how to work spells into materials as she crafted Lily and Tyler''s armor. Sure, Mage Inscribers and Blacksmiths all had their own trade secrets, but it wasn''t too hard to figure out after watching her friends do it a few dozen times. Not that she had the mana to actually inscribe anything when she was a Warrior, but now with all the excess time and mana, she decided to try her hand at it with varying success.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Evaluating the worth of the monster in front of her, Paige pouted. ''If it was An Elder Beholder, I''d be tempted to get the core, but a juvenile... I''d rather just have the monster parts. It''s not like I am lacking monster cores after all.'' Paige realized something as she walked around the clearing; the Beholder hadn''t left yet after what looked like a rather long fight thus far. ''Beholders are rather skittish creatures, so why hasn''t it tried to escape yet? I mean, most monsters aren''t that stupid to fight out of their element... Bah, something to figure out later,'' she thought as Boary was struck by another icy blast.


    "Boary! Attack pattern delta!" Paige yelled out as she stopped channeling her mana, her form slowly appearing in the clearing as her hold on her mana slowly fizzled away.The Beholder jerked in surprise but shot beams of light over to Paige as she appeared. Watching the beams coming closer, Paige simply ducked and threw something at the main eye, attracting the attention of the Beholder and the beams of light, hoping to freeze the projectile as it traveled closer to its body. A pebble. A fast-moving pebble that slowly transformed into a large, solid ice sphere; one aimed directly at it''s main eye!


    The Beholder recoiled in horror as the pebble''s forward momentum carried it closer and closer to its body. Moving sideways to avoid the now large projectile and glaring hatefully at the new intruder, the last thing it saw was the new interuder waving at it before the boar''s enlarged tusks pierced it''s body through. The dark blueblood trickled downthe boar''s tusk and pooled below it, a heavy scent of snow diffused across the forest.


    Paige nodded to herself as the boar shook his head and flung the body to the side. "Good job impaling it and missing the eye. Phew, it''s rare to be able to save the main eye. I can make something good out of it at least," Paige laughed happily. It was always better to have extra materials than not. She stopped as Boary turned and faced her; it''s gaze unfocused and his head angled downward, his enlarged tusks pointing straight at her.


    "I haven''t had something thick and round pointed at me in a long while. Point that at someone else before you regret it." Paige said with amusement. She got serious as the boar started pawing the ground. "Boary. Wake up before I start getting offended." Paigestarted drawing in the ambient mana forcefully, the air solidifying quickly with an unseen force as the density of the mana started making the air feel stuffy. It was a little trick Paige had learned from the far east, though it usually didn''t work if the opponent wanted to fight. She sighed in relief as Boary stopped and focused, his eyes staring confusedly at the Farmer in front of him, one that was unusually scary today.


    Seeing the boar calm down and the eyes started to have a shred of intelligence, Paige reigned in her mana as well. "Good. Hey Boary, care to split the spoils? You can have the core if you want, but I want to process the body. I did do half the work after all," Paige said unreservedly as she pointed at the dead body. ''It''s weird, did he not know he was fighting it? I''ve seen monsters fight before, and this one was strange. Is it the environment or the magic formation again? But then how did this monster get here? she thought to herself as she started cutting away the important material from the body. Idly extracting the core and gathering her spoils, she watched Boary''s reaction as he followed the core with a burning gaze.


    Of course he would want it; what monster with a core wouldn''t want the chance to upgrade itself. That was exactly what Paige wanted to check too.Boar, Elder Boar, Elemental Boar, Ancient Boar. Most simply thought it was a title or a ranking system the Guild Hall used, but the truth ran deeper than that, not that most people cared about the truth. In fact, perhaps only Monster Trainers knew the true reason they were called that. Monster Classes.


    Every living creature had a mana core, but just like how people could consolidate the mana in their core to advance their Class, so could monsters. But while people used monster cores as materials for their equipment, monsters absorbed any core they could in the hopes of advancing. That was why monster hunting was a dangerous prospect; it was hard to tell who was the hunter or the hunted.


    "I want to test something Boary. You can have this Frost Beholder core... or a Lava Bearcore. Which do you want?" she said with a smile as she pulled out a fist-sized core with care, the orb pulsing with heat. Taking the other core and making sure they were both around the same circumference, she held it out in front of the boar.


    The test was a simple one: confirming ifClasses gained by monsters still operated under the same rule as before. Sara had said a four-legged creature wreathed in flame had killed the rest of her party when they came to this forest before, but in the last four years, the only elemental creature they had seen was this Frost Beholder and the Wind Sparrow Zenith had killed. Everything else they had hunted were Elder monsters at best, regular animals at worst. But knowing now that Tyler was able to choose his class, could that mean monsters could choose their class as well? Usually eating an elemental core would, theoretically anyways, instantly upgrade an Elder monster. Was Boary staying as an Elder Boar for a reason? Or did Monster Classes change as well?


    Or could it be that was much deeper than that? If she could stop from advancing to a Warrior until she hit every warrior specialization, could amonsterdo the same? Even the Imperial Family had never successfully created an Ancient monster before, so maybe that was how one reached Ancient. Had she stumbled upon an ancient secret?


    "First off Boary. How di-," A crunching sound interrupted her thoughts as she blankly watched the boar eat both cores at once.


    "Ack! Hey! It took a few days for me to track that bear when I was travelling in the southeastern part of the Empire," Paige grumbled slightly. Now it was a waiting game, though Paige hoped that it wouldn''t take too long to see a quantitative change in Boary.


    ---


    "What a waste of time. At least I got some monster parts but still," Paige grumbled as she and Boary walked back to the main settlement. She had waited a good six hours for a change, and she had nothing to show besides dirt-stained overalls and dead leaves in her hair. The stupid boar hadn''t even condensed his mana or anything to show for him eating two cores! Two! Looking down at her clothes, she knew she would be in for it later. "Gaah. Had I known I''d be traipsing through the forest on an adventure today, I would have worn my coarser overalls instead of these cotton ones. Zenith is probably going to kill me for not wearing my rough linen gear instead."


    Paigestopped as she suddenly thought about what Zenith had said before she left. "...was I supposed to make dinner tonight? Shoot, I should still have time to make something edible. Maybe something with a vegetable base. Pumpkin soup or lentil?" Hmmm, tapping her cheek idly, Paige stopped short of the houses and scanned the clearing ahead, making sure to check a few key areas, especially on the wooden gate set in the stone wall. It was still closed. ''Good, the magic circle hadn''t been broken,'' she thought as she nodded her head. That was one of the few defenses they had surrounding the entire settlement, used only in the case that everyone had left the premise.


    It was a simple formation, one that most people wouldn''t even consider, not unless they were either Assassins or full Mages. By creating a stone fence around the entire premise and having only one true exit, it was quite simple for Zenith to create a magic circle with the fence as a fuse. Should anything larger than a bird pass over the stone fence, the gate would unlock and open discreetly. One door of the gate was used to indicate how many people passed over the magic circle, and the other was used to indicate the relative size of the people entering.


    Looking across the settlement for any clues to see if someone had passed by but not entered, she nodded to herself after reconfirming with her skills that nothing had passed by. "Don''t have to do a sweep around the perimeter. Come on Boary, let''s go get some food ready." Rolling her sleeves up, she led the way to her fields to pick her ingredients for dinner.


    Had she turned around, Paige would have noticed how Boary''s eyes flickered between blue and red, before slowly returning back to normal.

 Chapter 45

    "I''m glad you were able to stay for dinner, Sara. It''s quite rare for you to actually take us up on our offer. Am I not scary anymore?" Paige asked with a chuckle, clearly enjoying having company. She used to be well known as a social butterfly when she and Rebecca had been traveling together and she loved the feeling of meeting new people and helping others.Well, that and knowing she would hardly be able to stay in a single location for more than a century had always cemented the opinion that knowing more people was better than less. It was possible to uncover hidden talent in less time, so long as you took the time to meet new people.


    Sara squirmed under her gaze, answering Paige shyly. "I did have a good time. Most of what I know is from the teachers at the academy, so it''s nice to get a refresher course. It''s always good to see a master archer at work," Sara mumbled quietly.


    "Ha, hear that Nick! You''ve advanced from a Bowyer to a Master Archer in the blink of an eye! How does it feel gaining an apprentice, Nick? Care to set a wager on who would win; Markus or Sara? Within a range of one, three and five years." Her eyes twinkled with light as the wager lit a fire in both Sara and Markus''s eyes.


    Nick scoffed at the bet, clearly knowing what Paige was up to. "We both know that''s not a contest. Now, let me choose time, place and scenario and maybe I would take you up on that bet."


    Zenith laughed from the side as a light-hearted argument arose on the feasibility of a fair duel. Even Markus started to participate more freely. ''For all her quirks, Paige really was a people person. A little pushy, yes, but she knows how to interact with others,'' Zenith thought to herself.


    And for whatever reason, she was in a good mood. "We had a good time, Paige. Maybe next time you should come.Sarapracticed trick shots and estimating yardage while Markus practiced shooting. Even I tried my hand at shooting. I suppose it''s easier for me since I can practically see the wind, but Nick showed them a few ways to predict how the wind will affect an arrow. So, that was our day in a nutshell, Paige. How was yours?"


    Paige stopped andsmiled enigmatically. "You passed by Boary earlier. Did you notice anything...special? Different?"


    "He was sleeping more than usual?" Markus said hesitantly.


    "He was bleeding." "He smelled differently." "There was a foreign mana signature on him." Sara, Nick and Zenith responded.


    "Yup to all four answers. He was fighting something when I found him, so I helped him out a little. Guess what it was." Paige said a little too seriously for Zenith''s liking. Something that could force Paige to join in ... "Was it an elder monster?"


    "Sort of. It was a juvenile elemental monster. First one we''ve seen here in ages."


    "Was it a Flame Bear?" Sara said venomously, her hands balled into fists.


    Zenith watched as Paige shook her head slightly, though the look in her eyes was already indicated that was probably going to start looking for that monster herself. "Haven''t seen one of those in these woods. No, it was far stranger actually. It was a Frost Beholder of all things."


    Everyone blinked at that. "A what?" Markus asked. Nick and Sara also had a blank look on their face. But Zenith knew the importance of what Paige had seen.


    "A Frost Beholder. You know, it has lots of eyes and floats. Shoots laser beams from it''s tentacle eyeballs. A Beholder... Come on! That''s a classic monster!"


    Nick laughed at her description. "That has got to be the worst monster I have ever heard of, Paige. Is it''s natural enemy a sand storm? And what, pray tell, is a Beholder good for."


    "An adult can see through most deceptions and illusions. And they can see pretty far too. You can make some pretty neat stuff with their eyeballs. Most use it for goggles and the like." Zenith quickly said. "But tjat''s not the important part. A Beholder -" Zenith started before Paige shot a warning glance at her. She stopped and amended her words carefully for everyone, "A Beholder is rare enough of a find for a Battle Mage. Most if not all high-class mages will have at least a Beholder amulet of some type, just for its illusion dispelling capabilities."


    "So what monster parts did you gather, Paige? If you don''t mind me asking." Sara asked innocently.


    Paige gave Sara a hard look. "No no, before we talk about that, let''s talk about this Flame Bear you are looking for. Now, I usually look the other way when you come to these woods to hunt, but that was before I knew what you were looking for. Before you start looking for elemental creatures to fight, how about you come here and get one of us. There is no way you are going hunting in these woods without at least Boary following you from now on."


    "Eh? Sara''s been coming here often?" Zenith asked, surprised at the revelation. Was Paige able to tell when someone was close by? Or maybe only when they are nearby and hiding?


    "She''s a regular in these woods.She''s here atleast once a week or so. And before you say anything, Boary and I make sure that your campsite stays safe at night." Holding up her hand to stop Sara from arguing, her tone softened, "You could have come to us, Sara. I know that it wouldn''t feel closure unless you killed it yourself, but if you want we can all go and take a little closer look around these woods, as a group."


    Sara blushed and looked at her plate, clearly avoiding Paige''s gaze. "I, I might ask for your help once I find that monster. But right now I want to try doing it myself."


    "Let her be, Paige. We will have to change some of our defenses around here though. Markus, no more wandering without us." Nick said after a short moment. "And I agree with Paige, Sara. You need to have someone nearby as well from now on. At least until we say its safe in these woods."


    "Well, what about you all? How come you aren''t worried about fighting elemental type monsters alone in these woods?" Sara challenged back.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Look me in the eye and ask me that Sara. Ask any of us that question," Paige said quietly. Sara sat in silence. "You already know Nick and I are stronger than we appear. An elemental monster though is something none of us should be fighting against alone. Get our approval, or go with a partner from now on. Even if it is just Boary."


    Looking between the three of them, Zenith decided to throw Sara a lifeline. "Sara, this is a good opportunity. Paige and Nick aren''t that busy that they can''t teach you some tricks and the like. Without Tyler and Lily here, Markus will need someone to practice with as well. I''m going to be teaching Xavier soon, so if you don''t mind some company we can head this way as a group."


    "That sounds great!" Sara beamed at the suggestion, not forgetting to throw a thankful gaze over. Zenith could tell that Paige was hiding her smile from behind Sara.''At least I get to be the good guy this time,'' she thought to herself.


    Heading to the kitchen Grabbing to grab the food, Zenith decided it was time to shift the mood and put all of this behind them. Plus,now they had something to talk about after Sara and Markus was gone. "Sara, you can stay in the guest bedroom in the stable. I could use a travel companion for tomorrow, after all. Markus after we eat it''ll be time for bed."


    --


    "So you deflected the talk rather quickly, Zenith. What is so important about Beholders?" Nick asked after Sara and Markus had left. The room was lit by candlelight, their shadows dancing silently on the walls. Paige was already standing by the door, making sure that Sara and Markus were asleep. Seeing the slight nod from Paige, Zenith started back where she was in the past conversation, prior to Paige cutting her off.


    "I''ve never personally hunted a Beholder before, but they are an attractive enough target for any Mage that they are the most common case study for theoretical hunts. It also helps that most countries, as well as the Guild Hall, have a rather detailed description intheirbestiaries of you have some gold to spend perusing their collection. The main thing is that while Beholdersare usuallyonly found in mana dense locations, Elemental Beholders can only be found in its specific biomes. A Frost Beholder can only survive in Tundras, Flame Beholders in Volcanic Areas; Aqua Beholders underwater; etc. So that begs the question: how could a Frost Beholder be found in a forest? Paige?"


    Paige was silent for a moment, but warily asked, " What was the highest-rankedmonster the two of you have fought?"


    Zenith thought for a second, going through her past hunts. "By type or by size? Type wise I have helped fight off a Winged Drake before, but if we are going by sizethen I would say a Hurricane Swallow. And before you ask, both of those hunts were coordinated between the Appealte Army and the Founding Houses."


    "Elder Direwolf pack. A group of seven. Nothing noteworthy or elemental though, if that is what you are looking for." Nick said quietly, the look he was giving her was causing her to blush a little. Too bad Paige was here, so nothing was going to come from that look tonight.


    "So nothing higher class..." Paige said with a frown. That stuck Zenith as odd, since a Hurricane Swallow was technically a more powerful Wind Sparrow. "Well, I really have no clue about this.I''ve fought many higher class elemental monsters, but none outside of an environment that suited it." Paige said, clearly perplexed about the matter.


    "Just give us your best guess, Paige. You have more experience dealing with random and weird stuff than Nick or I."


    "Har, har. Very funny Zenith. My best guess is a portal of some type or some type of random event, but both options would be troublesome to deal with. Most monsters never leave their natural habitat, especially since most predators will focus especially on atypical monsters. That Frost Beholder being here though is a problem. Even if it was just a juvenile monster, I can usually sense when there are monsters nearby that could pose a problem. But I didn''t notice that Beholder until I was practically at the battlefield."


    "Paige. Do you think the forest is still safe for us?" Nick asked from the side. "I don''t have the same experiences as either of you two, but I know forests. A healthy forest doesn''t tolerate lots of monsters. From what I have seen in the past few years and based upon the herds and packs we''ve encountered, I would say the forest is in relatively good shape. Hell, it''s almost comparable to the ancient forests in Leit in terms of how the mana feels. If something is changing in the forest, it is happening either really gradual or really fast."


    Paige sighed. "Nick, clear your schedule for the next few weeks. We need to check the forest again. Let''s just all hope it has nothing to do with the ritual we went through," Paige sighed as she stared at the ceiling above. "I think we need to figure out how that Beholder got here, Zenith. In any case, that Beholder could not have gotten here by normal means."


    "So, what parts did you get from the Beholder, Paige? Hopefully, you saved the core and the main eyeball. I personally never had a Beholder amulet before, but I do know some of the more common items you can make from its parts."Zenith shuffled closer to Paige from the side. This was an important question to ask. Beholder parts were always in demand, and the complexity of fighting one without destroying all the useful parts was a tough task for any competent bounty hunter. She really hoped that Paige wasn''t in that category of people.


    "Boary ate the core. But I did harvest the main eyeball and six subsidiary ones. So overall, I had afairly good haul."


    Zenith nodded but was inwardly saddened by the fate of the monster''s core. The lack of a Beholder core was disappointing, as a Beholder core was arguably the most important part for a Mage. To be used as a snack for an Elder Boar was almost the epitome of feeding diamonds to swine. Literally in this case.


    Pulling out her ring, Paige quickly showed her the fruits of her labor, taking great to not damage the large eyeball.Zenith was not expecting to see one as big as that. Seeing the eyeball wasamazing, yet also quite eerie. As the large eyeball reflected the light off of the candle, Zenith noted something odd; no matter where Zenith stood, she could swear the eyeball was following her.


    "Don''t stare at the eyeball too long, Zenith. I don''t know what class you took on it, but it clearly missed one point. Staring at the main eye is a bad idea. A Beholder''s gaze can charm an enemy quite easily, and most of the fatalities against Beholders often happen because of a lack of attention."


    "I, I wasn''t staring that much."


    "It''s been almost ten minutes. Honestly, I thought after the first five you would have realized something was wrong."


    She could see from the corner of her eye that Paige threw something on the eyeball and suddenly her interest in the eye quickly vanished.Zenith blushed as the realization she had indeed been mesmerized by the eye, but luckily for her the candlelight hid most of it. "The lighting is bad here, so I needed a closer look."


    "Mhmm. Anyways, the main eye is fairly large. Zenith, could you incorporate it into a magic circle? I suppose we could make it into a shield, or possibly a scrying mirror? But with only one eye, I don''t know how I feel about doing it ourselves. Is there anyone in Appealte that can process this, Zenith?"


    Zenith didn''t need a moment before she shook her head. "Not with the circumstances we are in right now.I know a few Mages who dabble in craft making and would love to get their hands on this, but our identities are the main problem. The questions that would arise from us even having this would be fairly problematic to deal with."


    Paige sighed. "True. And suspicious. I know of few underground groups who could process it, but none of them are basedclose to Alcudia."


    Storing the materials back into her ring, Paige sighed as she stood up. "For now I''ll hold onto these. We can try to make something ourselves, bit I think it would be better to wait for Tyler to get back to decide our best course of action. Nick, get a good rest. We will definitely have to check out the forest again."

 Chapter 46

    "Paige, we''ve been at this for almost three months now. How much longer do you want to comb the forest?" Nick said with a weary tone. The sunlight barely penetrated the upper canopy of the forest, dark shadows and the ever-present fog were grating on his nerves. The first few weeks had barely been a trial run of mapping out the forest in full, but the more they explored in-depth the more their written map didn''t seem to make sense. Even systematically mapping out the forest was an issue, as some parts just didn''t seem to link up when looking at the map. Only the main paths in and out of the forest, and perhaps about a hundred yards to either side were consistent. After that, it seemed chance played a bigger part. Or was it Skills?


    Nick knew on some level that something was strange with the forest the last four years, buthe relied heavily on his Skills to traverse this ancient forest. It just didn''t seem right not to initially, for some reason. Besides, after walking the woods so many times with his Skills he was always able to get back to where he wanted with relative ease. But with Paige present, his Skills no longer seemed to work, which brought the inconsistent feeling back to the forefront of his mind.


    The forestwasn''t transversable bynormal means, that much was certain. Nick looked over at Paige, who was walking with her eyes closed. This is what they had to resort to: alternating each of their Skills. Nick''s [Nature''s Calling] skill was somehow incompatible with Paige''s [Natural Explorer] skill, which made sense to Nick after working through the issue. One skill focused on listening and moving along with nature, while the other was focused on exploring nature. A small distinction, but it seemed that it mattered now in these woods.


    "We''ll keep on traveling until we find something recognizable. I can swear I have been here before, Nick. I just know it."


    "You said that about every place we''ve found so far. How you''ve ever survived out in the wilderness is a mystery, Paige."


    "You are just mad that I can find the way back to the trails faster than you can, mister ''I''ve lived in forests all my life.'' Psh, more like lost in a forest all your life." Paige shot back, her sickle slicing through the underbrush with relative ease as she cleared a path ahead. "It has to be some type of natural formation. I mean, I think I''ve seen something like this in the far east. I remember that some bandits had made their home in a forest, and I tooka job to flush them out."


    Nick eyed Paige as she was trying to remember the details. It was odd how he forgot how old Paige was sometimes. She certainly didn''t act her age, but hearing these stories from her past really highlighted how experienced Paige truly was. Not many battle classes left their home country and even less traveled the majority of the Empire, willingly or not. She had to be over a thousand years old, surely. "So, pray tell Paige, how does this remind you of bandits?"


    Paige could hear the sarcasm in Nick''s voice but ignored it outright. "It took me almost two months to find their hideout and flush them out. The main reason was the forest changed constantly. You had to take a certain path each time to reach certain parts of the forest. That particular forest was lined up to the cardinal directions, and you had to use a specific pattern to reach different parts of it." He stared at Paige with a frown. She was a lot smarter than he gave her credit sometimes. "You''ve already tested it, haven''t you?"


    She nodded. "Somewhat, when I was looking for Boary, I was using [Trail Finder], and I followeda trail that I knewheaded toward some ancient pines deeper in the forest. You know which one I''m talking about. Well, I never made it. I ended up in a clearing instead. I never really gave it much mind until a few days ago, but I haven''t been able to find that clearing again, even with my Skills."


    "Maybe the problem lies with your Skills then, Paige. Have you talked to Zenith about it?"


    "I have, but both of our Skills are fairly rare to have. Even Sara''s skill is relatively rare for a Hunter to have. Or what is our equivalent to a Hunter? An Apprentice Marksman?" Paige asked hesitantly.


    "An Apprentice Archer more like, or whatever monster she killed the most of. An Apprentice Deerslayer? Marksmanare usually only found in Armies." Nick replied after a moment.


    "You were a Hunter, right? Before you became a Ranger, I mean. The pendant you gave Isabella had a slight hint of mithril. Not a lot, but just enough to make it shinier than usual."


    Now this was rare; Paige actually brought up Isabella on her own. Privately, Nick thought Paige was far more doting on Isabella than she should. Was there a story behind that? "I was a Hunter before a Ranger. The skills translate pretty easily, you know. And to answer your original question, Paige, I don''t know if Sara would be classified as an Apprentice Archer. Just her Skill alone would mark her close to a Class Specialization. [Blessing of the Wild] is not something to sneeze at, Paige. Even I don''t know how she gained that skill."


    "Fortuitous encounter, perhaps? Or maybe it''s just an innate skill. Definitely not something her affinity granted her. She should only have a lesser affinity to nature, if that,and her mana capacity is minimal to none." Nick could see Paige thinking about something, though judging by her finger taps she was calculating something. "I''m surprised she can even use her Skill, if I am being totally honest."


    Nick grunted in acknowledgment. He couldn''t speak for Paige, but he knew his support skills hardly used that much mana either, and he had more mana than Paige. Originally at least. Over the last few years, he had noticed Paige using more and more skills on a daily basis. For some reason, with Zenith as an exception, their mana cores had somehow gotten denser than when they were High Classes. It was hard trying to determine if their mana density was being affected by the ritual, the mana dispersion fog or just theirnew Classes though since Zenith was an exception to that. Nick guessed probably the ritual since Zenith had gotten a stronger affinity in exchange for less mana. But even that hardly made sense if he thought about it. "You know, your mana capacity wasn''t anything to talk about either. I was more surprised you could use Skills as a Warrior. Especially after hearing you don''t have an affinity toward anything."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Yeah, but I also had years of practice to make my mana consumption very, very efficient." Stopping at a boulder, Paige sighed. "We hit Zenith''s trap formation again. So going northwest toward the lake takes us southwest instead."


    Nick noted idly that the fog and canopy had thinned out considerably as well. "It took us far out of the depth of the forest as well. I don''t know how we missed that. Let''s head back Paige, we can restart from this location tomorrow."


    Paige nodded with a sigh and started heading back the way they came. The main path soon appeared and they reached a slight turn in the road, confirming to Nick that they had indeed traveled farther than they should have. They were far closer to the settlement than they should have been, considering that they had started heading off toward the lake initially.


    "Nick, what do you think of Sara? Does she have enough potentialto truly mentor her?"


    Nick stopped. "What brought that on, Paige?"


    "You haven''t really gotten any of your combat skills back. So maybe mentoring someone would let you get it back. I mean, even Tyler and Zenith got some of their original Skills back that way."


    "I could try, but you didn''t get your Battle Skills back that way. You got yours from practicing constantly in your fields. Marcus told me you like to have mock fights with Boary."


    Paige blushed slightly, not really denying his claims. "Okay, so I do sometimes have mock fights; but the majority of mycombat skills are still locked, unlike Tyler and Zenith. And it''s still iffy whatcombat equipment I can reliably hold as well. Only the ones I heavily modified for farming or traveling are consistent. Andeven passivelyusing combat skills is even less consistent. I still can''t use [Blink] or [Seismic Slash] reliably, for instance. Maybe one in ten passively? One in five? Either way,it still isn''t high enough for me to take the risk using them in battle."


    "Would it kill you not to brag, Paige?" Nick''s eyes twitched at her estimates. Using a skill subconsciously, having even one in a hundred would be praiseworthy, all things considering, not to say her ten to twenty percent.


    She scoffed. "It''s the truth though. Especially for a skill like [Blink]. The whole purpose of having an instant movement skill is being able to set up an attack from a distance. Do you know how stupid it would look slashing blankly at nothing if the skill doesn''t work? Not to mention it practically shouts to the opponent that you knowaskill that disregards distance." Paige frowned at Nick, clearly reevaluating him. "Have you never fought a High Class to the death before?"


    "I don''t make it a regular occurrence. And I''m a Ranger, Paige. Sneak attacks and ambushes are what I''d rather plan for. You wouldn''t see me waiting in the middle of a path for an enemy to arrive and trading attacks. You''d get an arrow to the heart instead if I could manage it."


    Silence. Paige thought about it for a moment and shrugged. Slowing his steps to walk behind, Nick looked beyond the forest and thought about Paige''s original question. Sara. Would she be a good Ranger candidate? He knew that it was against every regulation to train someone outside not fully recognized as an Apprentice Ranger, but to his surprise, he wasn''t conflicted as much as he thought he would be.


    ''If what Paige said is true, then mentoring someone should help me unlock my battle skills. Probably. But do I need all of my combat Skills? I already have [Nature''s Calling] and [Silent Arrow].'' Unstringing his longbow, he thought about his other skills. One for stabilizing the bow, another for increased punching power, and another to reinforce the bow to minimizebreakage. Those were more Marksmen problems than Ranger problems though. When had he started relying on his Skills to be a Ranger? Was it right to even call him a Ranger at that point?That was the main reason he wasn''t in a hurry to gain his Skills back. Did he really need them to be a Ranger?


    "Hey, Tyler is finally back. Wonder what news he has to share with us." Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked toward what Paige was pointing at ahead. Tyler''s backpack was leaning on the steps to the house, his cart and pack mule already tied to the side of the barn.


    Walking quickly into the settlement, Paige whistled sharply, looking up to the sky for something. A figure darted out of the woods and quickly circled around Paige''s head. The Peregrine Falcon that she had trained. "Paige, how did you train that Falcon? Shouldn''t you need a Class, or at least a beast taming skill?"


    "Usually you would, but I''m not asking for it to do anything special. Now, if I wanted it to gather intelligence, or stalk something then sure, without a lot of time I''d need a class and a few skills. But all I really wanted the falcon to do is deliver messages to a specific recipient and to be able to its way back. Time, a scent for tracking, some positive reinforcement, and a command to show itself is really all that is needed for a messenger bird." Holding her hand up, Nick watched as Paige whistled a simple tune, which the falcon in question chirped back. "Okay. It is Tyler. I guess let''s welcome him back home."


    --


    "Paige. Nick." Tyler said as they both walked through the door. He was sitting at the table, already munching on an apple Zenith had left on the table for decor. Tyler was looking much more fit this time around than even last time, Nick noted. True to his word, Tyler had shed most of his weight and bulked up in muscle instead. His worn backpack straps told how much weight he was carrying and how much use they had gotten out of, the leather practically fraying where most of the weight was distributed across the straps. His brown hair was cut short as usual, almost to a regulation buzz cut most armies so typically favored.


    Nick noticed that Tyler had less of a tan this time around than his past trips. ''He must have taken mainly forest routes then,'' he thought to herself. Locking his eyes on the map that was laid out on the table in front of Tyler, Nick quickly plotted his most likely route, based upon his assumptions. Almost a month out would have put him quite close to the interior zones of the defensive line. He must have already been headed back this way for him to have made the trip this soon.


    "Tyler, you look happy. Did you have a good time sightseeing and selling... weapons, supplies, ... and candy? It smells like you burnt some of it," Paige sniffed the air heavily at her last question, as though she could smell something in the air. There was a light smell, but hardly enough for Nick to recognize it like Paige had.


    "Haha, I did burn some sugar. For some reason, the smell sticks heavily to the leather. I need to apply some lacquer to the leather, but I ran out of high-quality flax oil."


    "Hm. We can ask Kate for some next time you go to the merchant association. Or did you already head that way?"


    "I went there already to report my earnings. I saw Zenith teaching there too, which was surprising. But I''m guessing something went wrong, since Nick and you are still here in the forest. That was definitely not the plan."


    "Yeah, we can explain while we wait for Zenith to come back. We''ll catch you up on what''s been happening here first. Care to give us a snippet of what you learned after?" Paige asked with a frown as she looked at the map thoughtfully. Nick looked over the map as well and came to his own conclusions. The bright x''s on the defensive line castles did not paint a pretty picture.


    Tyler grimaced. "It''s not looking good. Not by a long shot."

 Chapter 47

    "The castles are all unoperational? How the hell did that happen!" Paige practically shouted that out as soon as Tyler finished his account of what he had seen, and she knew that Tyler was probably right about his analysis. No messenger birds traveling to and from each castle; barring merchants from entering visual range; and the number of supplies heading into each and none going out painted a clear picture to those who knew what to look for. The savvier merchants were already stockpiling their supplies if the increased prices were any indications. "No, don''t answer that yet Tyler. The war. What happened differently?"


    That was the question Paige had; how had the war gone so differently? She had left early on to deliver the terms for Isabella, but by all accounts, her brother would not have had any reason to leave Alcudia at the beginning of the war. Nor would he have been so stupid as to let the defensive lines fall. She hoped that was the case anyway.


    Of course, Paige couldn''t leave the forest to check on anything, but from what she gleaned from Tyler''s travels up to now was that there were only minimal changes in the world. For the defensive lines to fall so easily, especially with so many of the National Her-.'' Her eyes widened. "The National Heroes Tyler. Who was protecting the southern defensive lines?"


    Tyler sighed. "Not many Paige. From what I could tell, only Lidia, Daniel and Robert were holding down the southern castles. The other ones had no little to no High Classes at their castles."


    Paige frowned and shook her head. "It couldn''t have been just them Tyler. You know as well as I do that Jordan and Ezekial would never leave Castle Carmel. Too many memories for them. And Haylee would never leave Castle Vaste, not with her husband being the Chief Sargeant of the Guards. Veronica and Brulton were easily your match Tyler, no offense. And Ponce-"


    Tyler held up his hand, forestalling Paige''s arguments. "The Admission Act never passed, Paige. Rebecca never got it past the planning stages. Her Operation Darkfall never got off the ground either. That already cuts the number of Heroes by two-thirds."


    "Impossible. Those were her idea to begin with!" Paige faltered. That was too big a change, Paige realized. She didn''t think she played a part in their passing... had she?


    "Tyler, Paige. I''m unfamiliar with what you are talking about. Whatare those referring to?" Zenith asked quietly. Although she had been a diplomat for a short time, she hadn''t been born when the Queen ascended the throne and knew little to none about what they were talking about.


    Nick interrupted, surprising the entire room. "The first one was controversial from the start. The Admission Act allowed full-blooded Demons and Halfbloods to become full citizens. Before that, they were allowed in the country but they had no real power or protection against prejudice. I don''t know what Operation Darkfall was, but if I had to guess, it would be when she allowed them to join the military and hold an office, both in the military and in politics. The spies from Alcudia got noticeably harder to trace after demons were allowed to join afterall. It was for that reason, Zenith, that when Queen Rebecca formally passed it, Leit and Appealte went to war. It wasn''t until Evidia invaded Alcudia that the border countries, as Paige likes to call us, reconciled to fight off a common enemy."


    "Trent actually. It wasn''t well known, but Trent had sent out a few platoons in that war. They were the main opponents, under the guise of the Evidian military. Not that Appealte or Leit would have known the difference." Paige said quickly, her eyes darting back and forth,her mind deep within her own thoughts.''Repercussions. The capital Terpeii was still destroyed, but the southern lines had been standing when we left on our mission. Was it because the Demons were resisting at those castles? Or something else? Oh Peter, what did you do?''


    "-the castles have most likely fallen. The Imperial Family seems to be supporting the rebuilding though, so it can''t be too far from completion. But judging by the crests I''ve seen, the majority of the nobles have their own armies at each castle as the bulk of the defenders." Tyler said.


    Nick scoffed. "That means absolutely nothing, Tyler. For all we know, the Imperial Family has political hostages. Even the Crown Princess is apparently serving the Imperial Scion stationed here. In what capacity, I don''t care to know. Paige, What will the Imperial Family do next? Of everyone here, you would know best what their next move will be."


    "It... it depends on the Scion, really. I don''t know how much has changed in their teachings now, of course. But the Imperial Family places the safety of the Empire above all. If the Scion does something that goes against that mandate, death would be the least of their worries. But I do know something that may be helpful. By all accounts, there is only one Scion stationed here. That''s something, at least."


    Everyone blinked at Paige''s statement. Zenith couldn''t help herself though and asked the question on everyone''s mind. "...How is that helpful, Paige?"


    "He didn''t come as a Party. So it''s notthat serious. Or, maybe I should say not as serious as it could be. I''d expect at least a dozen Scions or more if there was a significant threat. I mean, there are usually at least six parties of six Scions when the Healer Hall transfers Clerics every fifty years."


    "Peter didn''t have a Party either, Paige. Neither did you, for that matter."


    "I wasn''t acting in any official capacity for the Imperial Family. We don''t know if Peter didn''t have a party. I wouldn''t put it past him to have wooed a few people here and there. I mean, he was a Hero after all," Paige stilled and deflected with a slight wave of her hand. "Look, it doesn''t matter. We can inquire into his Party later as well. That Scion too. If you can get me a name, Tyler, and not just his title, I could tell you what I know."


    Nick sighed. "So the castles have mostly fallen, the Imperial Family is seemingly getting ready for war, but it is not critical yet. How much time do we really have? Before we start seeing a true ramp up in prewar preparations?"


    "At the rate the castles repairs are going, and based upon Paige''s assessment of the Imperial family''s stance, I would say full out war within three to six years. Assuming that the castles will be fully operational before the next war starts and no other Imperial Scions arrive. I wasn''t able to see the castle walls, but based on the security perimeter around the castles, I would say they are in the process of restoring the formations around the Castles. Even the basic ones take some time." Tyler said quietly.


    "That''s assuming they have large formations," Zenith added quietly.


    Tyler shook his head in denial. "No other reason to keep such a large security perimeter around each castle otherwise. I saw some of the material they were hauling in, and I could spot at least three carts full of mana cores. Can''t think of another reason to have that many cores unless they were reestablishing the perimeter magic circles."


    They all became quiet at that estimate. Three years was not comforting at all. Especially when Nick and Paige were still stuck in the forest for the worst-case scenario. Zenith spoke up quietly to the room. "Short term plans. Should we warn anyone? I mean, Kat-"


    "No. Barring our private thoughts, our activities would be interpreted as spies of some type. No noblewill willingly disclose this to the public, and it is likely even the Imperial Scion will keep this under wraps for as long as possible. Besides, keen merchants will most likely notice something within these two or three years. " Tyler interrupted Zenith quickly. "It all comes back to our identities. Our classes really limit us on what we can do. If we had battle classes, this would be a different story, and we would have at least a few ways to release this information quietly. We won''t let Lily or Tyler come to harm, Zenith. Their families either. But we cannot be the ones who let this information go public."


    "Tyler, wewere thinking of moving ourfocus away from the Evidia border to around here from now on. Are you okay with that?" Nick spoke up, moving the conversation along.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "I am. Barring the ones in the castles, I got most of my hidden stashes. So we won''t be limited by funds in the short term. But Paige, moving this way means stopping the search for Isabella at the borders." Tyler spoke quietly to the room. Paige looked down and sighed. The search for Isabella close to the Evidia border was the main reason she was pushing Tyler to spend his time there. "I am sorry, Paige. We will find Isabella. But for now..."


    "... for now, let''s change our focus. As the Party Leader, I formally announce that we will change the direction our party is heading. We will focus on improving our current identities instead. Tyler, it will go along way for us if youcan work with Nick and Zenith to expand our network toAppealte or Leit. Hold off on contacting anyone of importance and focus on commoner to middle-class contacts. Nobles and above should be avoided at all costs. Military too. Any other suggestions?"Paige spoke firmly, settling her mind on this.


    "I''ll stick to local Merchant Associations that have no known backings to any regional players. That should help us spread our name and not get dragged into anything unsavory for the time being," Tyler nodded. He had played politics for the Royal Family enough to know how to stay low key.


    "Appealte will be a little harder for us to penetrate into since the Founding Houses keep strict watch over their jurisdiction. The only way I can see us making a name for ourselves is if wesell either monster parts or refined some magic trinkets and amulets.Nothing that would stand out for a merchant going to Appealte, at any rate." Zenith added her remarks.


    Paige glanced over, "Is there a high enough demand for elder monster parts? Monster cores and the like? Of the monster parts we''ve collected, only a few of themhave a bounty at the Guild Hall."


    Zenithnoddedher head. "Apprentices would be interested enough in elder monster parts. Rarely would a specialized mage need materials such as those. They might use an elder core if they were poor or in desperate need but at their level, they should be looking to upgrade their equipment. I don''t think it would raise too much suspicion, and even if it did, no mage would freely give away who they got their equipment from. Paige, I was paying attention to the crowd when I was giving Lily her staff and none of the battle classes present were really surprised by the gift. If Nick could spend some time carving a few staves, we could look to sell those as well. Tyler, do you think that would be too conspicuous?"


    Tyler thought about it shook his head slowly. "I should be fine. Selling bows in Appealte would hardly make sense, so having something in demand would help smooth things out over there when I pass the borders. Paige, Nick, any objections?"


    "Hold off on the amulets and focus on the staves. We need to check out the marketfor amulets," Nick stated quietly. "Amulets attract too much attention in Leit, so I can''t say the same about Appealte. But weapons and monster parts are universal, no matter the market," he added quietly after seeing Zenith blink in confusion.


    "Fair enough. I''ll get Kate to give me a letter of recommendation and have the Cidala Merchant Association write me up a travel permit." Tyler responded.


    "Great, you can come with me and Markus next time I go to teach in two days."


    Nodding their heads, they all got down to business and started planning their short term goals, as well as to tell Tyler about what they know about the changes in Classes.


    --


    Paige sighed to herself as she sat outside, watching the stars idly as she sat in her fields. Not too far away, Boary was resting in a field of clover she had planted, mainly to distract the boar from eating the tastier crops. Not the best conversationalist, but he would do. "The meeting went better than expected Boary. Still, I really don''t want to be stuck here when the war breaks out. Not that I can help much anymore. Or rather, why should I help out? It''s not like that time in the Northern Islands, or when the Clerics were attacked.I''m not in any position to fixthe Empire''s problems anymore."


    She sighed as Boary rolled over to his other side. "I WAS just a Farmer''s daughter. It was just blind luck that I survived and became who I am. So why do I always feel like I need to help others?"She fell silent as a meteor shower passed overhead. "Can I make a difference now? As Farmer Paige, instead of Warrior Paige?" Her intuition strongly shouted yes to that question. She could feel that in her bones that she could make a difference here if she wanted to. She knew better than the others how much denser her mana core had gotten. What would have been an exercise in efficiency before now became a free for all when it came to Skills. If-, no, once she got all of her Skills back, Paige was confident that there would only be a few things able to kill her in the entire Empire.


    It''s just that she didn''t know if she wanted to start back to being...herself right now. Surely she could have a break for a few years, nay decades, at the very least? Her propensity for finding trouble was a problem, but if she stayed low and did nothing, how bad could everything go? Training Markus was not the worst way she had killed a few years. Not by a long shot. And she was having fun as a Farmer. But Paige couldn''t help but think of the first thought she had every morningsince she had awoken in the forest.Find Isabella. Train Markus.Were those her own thoughts, or... regardless, Paige knew she had to eventually do those things; at the very least to stop those thoughts from bugging her each day. And at least it wasn''t an incessant wail like -


    Paige shook her head before the thought completed itself. She knew thinking of it would only make it worse. Storing those thoughts away into a deep corner of her mind, Paige sighed as the thought of her little niece came back to mind. "...We will find you, Isabella. I promise." They would find Isabella eventually, of that Paige was sure. She was hardly afraid that the Demon Party would kill Isabella outright. When she was captured, Isabella''sclass was listed as an Apprentice Cleric and judging by the reactions of Markus''s party at the time, they certainly knew her worth.


    Barring that, Paige knew from experience that it was almost impossible to hide a Princess for long; not without help at least. The only question was did that Shaman know how to hide a person''s class. ''If the Imperial Family knew, is it possible that the Demons know how to hide a person''s true class as well? There shouldn''t be more than twelve people alive who have seen me change a person''s status before, so what are the odds? Or rather, what ways could they hide her Class?'' Paige was sure that if Isabella''s true Class had gotten out that they would have heard rumors, even out here in the middle of nowhere. People loved spreading rumors, and a powerful Class was the best rumor of all.


    The other problem she had was harder though. Train Markus.Her head hurt just by thinking about how many problems could arise from this. How much was she willing to impart to someone who could rival herself one day? He couldn''t have been very old before this mess started; otherwise, he would have known better and tried to escape without the sword instead of staying to fight. Young people tended to stay their ground and fight because of pride and whatnot,a stage Paige got over fast after a few near escapes. She was certain a Cleric was worth far more than any weapon, as the surrounding races had few if any true healing classes. But the Devils. That put a frown on her face as she thought about that race again. She''d never heard of that race before. But she was sure Markus had mentioned something about them in the Mausoleum.


    Paige stilled and ruefully shook her head. Other problems; ones that she had just said she wanted to take a break from. That was something to look into if she had the ability to travel again, and had access to a few libraries. ''Meh. I''ll let the Imperial Family do the legwork this time. It''s about time they protect the Empire at large.''


    Markus. That was her main problem now. They had been carefully watching Markus for almost five years now, and by all accounts it seemed that he truly had forgotten his past. Which was a good thing. She couldn''t imagine that he would have had a good childhood either, not with the training he had at such a young age. ''Still, how should I train him? Certainly not how Imperial Scions learned. His technical skill was really good though. Maybe I could teach him a modified version of Grandmaster Flynn''s teachings? Wait, am I allowed to pass that on?'' Paige stopped thinking and sighed. Her other apprentice wasn''t that hard to teach since she already had her own combat styles she favored, but from what she''d seen of Markus he was a very technical fighter, much like herself.


    Could she even teach him regularly? Not being able to hold an actual weapon and being restricted by what Skills she could use was a high bar for most anyone. Sure, she could teach using a farm tool, Paige supposed, but shewas fairly certain she wouldn''t get around the issue of weapon dissonance that way once she started using full-blown battle skills.


    A sudden solution came to her as she thought about that question. Teach him regularly.Well, what if she didn''t teach regularly then? That could work...right?


    "Well, I learned how to use a sword that way. So it shouldn''t be toohard to teach him the same way? But first... I truly want to pass down what I know. I want to truly pass -" She chanted that to herself quietly, hoping it would work. ''Zenith assumed it was all my own thoughts that were stopping me from consciously using Warrior skills, so maybe changing my mindset would let me work around some of these issues. After all, I am able to use most of my Skills when I use them specifically for farming instead of combat. Perhaps mindset really is a key factor in all of this. Gotta remember to test this somehow later.''


    Finishing her chanting, Paige looked to her hoe that was sticking straight into the ground and quietly changed its shape to something that shehad not thought of for centuries. As her mana finished modifying the material at hand into its final form, she blinked as she stared at what she made. A short pole now took the place of her wooden hoe, the originalcotton binding of the hoe''s handle dangled in the cool wind at the end of the pole. Something that did not look like a sword at all, but more like a toy to allow a young girl to twirl a ribbon for fun.


    Her original training weapon.

 Chapter 47.01 (Side Story - Lily is bored at school)

    Lily sat on the ground in the spacious close-combat training fieldas she watched Tyler practice his drills. Well, not on the ground per se, since she was sitting on Tyler''s school uniform.Her teachers would have some choice wordsif she walked into the classroom with a dirty uniform since she was expected to look ''prim and proper'', andLily wasn''t in the mood to listen to her teacher''s nag about her appearance. In contrast,Tyler was almost expected to have dusty and dirty clothes for some reason. Something about sweat and dirt equals hard work? Whatever the reason, Lily still missed the days where she could just wear whatever to her lessons and not be judged. "Do you ever feel like leaving Cidala was a bad idea, Tyler?"


    "Well, it is definitely not the forest, if that is what you are asking. The training field is great, though I don''t really know how hitting a wooden dummy is supposed to teach me how to fight,"Tyler said. His dummy was already rather worn and leaned heavily to one side. Of course, Lily knew that he had started taking more care once he found out that he would have to pay for a new one. "I miss our mentor''s way of teaching. Practical, no-nonsense teaching and none of this ''Warrior''s Ethics''. Did I tell you that Kevin actually cried after I didn''t let him hit me? They called me a bully for dodging his haphazard blows."


    "Haha! A bully! Next time you need to hit them. Then you''ll advance from a bully to a brute!" Lily laughed as she made fun of her childish classmates.


    "Har har, Lily. My reputation is already terrible here. The last thing I need is for everyone to ignore me." Tyler said aggrievedly. Lily stopped laughing. She knew Tyler wasn''t having a great time right now, partially because of her. Her mother was right, there were a lot of people that had tried to suck up to her right from the start, just because her parents were rich and influential. Well, that and Lily was an only child who was set to inherit a lot of money. She handledthat with ease, but then people started to spread rumors about Tyler. That was something she wasn''t going to take lying down.


    "Sorry, Tyler. It''ll get better once Mother talks to their parents about it. You know she doesn''t stand for groundless accusations."


    Tyler hit his dummy lightly once again, the dummy falling to the ground as it''s support post broke. Lily winced as she noticed Tyler would not be able to fix his wooden dummy this time. Tyler sighed as he noticed the same thing. "Yeah, I suppose so. Or maybe I just need to try and make more friends? If that is even possible at this point. Anyways, Lily, how is your magic classes going?" Wiping his sweat off on his shirt, he frowned as he looked over at Lily, who was using his clothes as a makeshift cushion.


    Lily noticed his gaze and stood up, lightly brushing off the dirt that had embedded itself into the threads of his clothing. "Miss Mary is nice, but Mentor Zenith had already covered all of the lessons I''ve had with her so far. And she teaches weird. Like, really, really weird. She didn''t believe me when I told her I wasn''t paying attention to my mana spell cost."


    "Spell cost? What''s that?" Tyler asked a bit confused.


    "It''s something that Mentor didn''t believe in. Miss Zenith said almost all tier three spells and below use about the same amount of mana, soI just have to count the total number spellsI can use before I hit mana exhaustion. But Miss Mary said in class that the cost goes up exponentially as you use higher-level spells, so I wouldneed to know what combinations of spells I can use instead." Lily knewTyler was probably just as confused as she had once been. He had been forced to sit through all of Miss Zenith''s lectures, and mana spell cost was something Lily was sure never came up intheir lectures. And the times Lily had mentioned it, her mentor had just scoffed at that term and ignored it outright, so Lily never had the heart to bring it back up again. Still, she knew it was a thing since everylibrary spell tome referenced the required cost to cast the spell listed.


    "Huh. So who is right?"


    "I''ll kick you if you ask that again. Mentor knows best. Plus, it''s easier to just count the overall spells, so mentor must be right."


    "Mhmm. Anyway, Sir Kenton asked us about our Party makeup again." Tyler said as they headed back to the classrooms. They had a little time to kill before the next class started and they wouldn''t see each other again until the final classes of the day. Probably why he asked beforethey went their separate ways again. It didn''t stop Lily from making a face though.


    "Ugh, I don''t want anyone else in our Party. At least, none of our current classmates. Even the older classes had a few people trying to join our Party. Who made up that stupid rule of a minimum of three people to a party?"


    "It''s a good rule, Lily. And three people would help free up our roles. I can''t be both an attacker and a defender."


    "That''s why I am here though. You remember the stories Miss Paige told us. There is no reason why I cannot be a "mobile magic fortress" as she liked to call it. Though, I think she made up those people just to tell us a story about different fighting styles. Father said there was no one called "Magic Fortress Haille" on record in any villages close to Castle Vaste."


    "Hm, fake stories aside, Lily, I would feel better if there was someone else watching our backs."


    "Okay. Once I find someone who fits our criteria."


    They both nodded and spoke their own requirements for their new party at the same time;


    "Honest, can protect herself, and is a girl," Tyler said thoughtfully.


    "Trustworthy, knows how to keep a secret, and most importantly, is a boy," Lily said seriously.


    Lily and Tyler stopped and looked at each other. Lily frowned and couldn''t help but ask again. "You did say ''is a boy, right?'' I thought we agreed I would be the only girl on the team."


    He shook his head in refusal. "No, that is a terrible idea. Our next party team member should be a girl."


    Lily could feel her eye twitching. Did Tyler really want another girl on the team? Why in the world would she allow someone else to try and fight her for Tyler''s undivided attention? Not that she cared that much. Well, she probably cared more than she would like to admit at this point. Begrudgingly, she scuffed her shoes on the ground. "Okay, but you betterhave a good reason. Why a girl?"


    "Because you already promised Markus he could join our team, remember? That would make our party two boys and one girl. Having one more girl would round out our team quite evenly in that regard. Remember, starting next year we will have practical lessons outside of the school. And Miss Paige said we should always aim for an even ratio if we are staying in inns since it would be easier to rotate guard shifts."If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "I suppose that is a good reason. Though, when did Ipromise Markusthat?" Lily asked with a slight frown.


    Tyler nodded. "You promised him a few visits after he temporarily joined our party."


    "Did I? Oh, was that when Miss Paige found out Markus joined our party for a day?" Lily thought hard about it. Had she promised? But why couldn''t she remember it?


    "She wasn''t really happy we did that. ThoughMiss Paige did look confused when she found out he was just a temporary member. Anyways, so after that, he was really bummed about it and you said once he got a Battle Class he could join us when he comes to school in two years."


    Lily grinned. "I knew you would eventually warm up to Markus. He isn''t all bad, you know."


    Tyler reddened slightly. "Yeah yeah. I only reminded you about it because he is a better option than anyone here."


    Reaching the academic building, Lily took a sharp left while waving goodbye to Markus as she headed to her classrooms. "I guess we could both look for a good candidate. Who also happens to be a girl. But I get to decide if she is a good fit!"


    Lily could hear Tyler call absently back as she headed toward her classroom, "Fair enough, oh great Party Leader. Choose well! I need to give Sir Kentonan answersoon."


    --


    "A party member. Who is a girl. And who Tyler won''t necessarily like better than me," Lily mumbled to herself as she sat down in her seat at the front of the classroom. Sitting upright in a good posture, Lily waited for her teacher to arrive and start lecturing before she let her mind wander. Even though she knew her material, it would still look bad on her family and her mentor if she lazed about and didn''t look like she was listening during class.


    As the lecture started in earnest, Lily looked around her classroom discreetly, evaluating her female classmates with renewed scrutiny. Most everyone was too busy writing notes to pay attention to her, which gave her a good chance to actually look at her classmates. ''No, no, no, no, no, maybe, no, no, definitely no,'' Lily checked each of her classmates and mentally calculated who she would be willing to be in a party with. Her wandering eye caught the attention of a few of her classmates, who shuddered when they saw that look in her eye and quickly looked away. Lily caught that too. Not many people were brave or strong enough to stand up to her, for better or worse. ''I probably have even fewer friends than Tyler,'' she suddenly thought to herself. ''Acquaintances sure, but not very many friends. Is it because of my family? Or maybe it''s just because I''m more talented than they are?'' Lilyknew that having a mentor made a difference, but what a difference it made! Etiquette and history aside, Miss Zenith had hit almost every topic imaginable, ranging the full gambit from theoretical to practical knowledge. If not for the fact that her mentor''s grasp of history and local customs was practically nonexistent, she would have not even needed to go to the majority of her classes.


    Lily sighed as she finished looking over her advanced magic class. Of the twenty people in the room, over half were female and mostly older than her. But even then she was sure she could beat everyone in the classroom, teacher included. ''There aren''t really any good choices, even in our advanced magic class. Even Marian over there is barely average. We need a good party to get into the Academy.''


    That was the other reason she hadn''t shared with Tyler. Alduit Academy. That was her main goal for her party, at least before they become Adventurers. Getting into that prestigious advanced school would be tough for them, Lily realized, since it catered to the nobility of the Western Countries, but her father hadmentionedthat some parties could enter it directly if they could get approval from a Royal Family. Of course, getting in as a full party was much harder to do, but itshould still be possible with a good party. Lily had the feeling that she and Tyler could get into the school just fine, but this ''minimum party of three'' requirement was really hard to get around. Even assuming Markus could hold is own in three years, by the time he could go to school she would already be forced to have another party member and would still have to figure out how to get into the prestigious school with her whole party still intact.


    Which led back to her original question. The best party member for her future party. ''They would have to be a mage,'' Lily thought to herself ruefully. ''That would even out the front and back lines, but what type of mage would be best?'' That question ate up the entirety of her attention; barely even recognizing that the class was packing up to leave for the last class for the day, Alcudian History.


    Leaving the classroom, Lily stopped near the windows and looked out over the town, the sun above casting shadows over the training yard as it started to fall for the day. ''A team member that can get us into Alduit Academy. If we could get a recommendation there, I am sure we would learn more than we could here. Plus Mentor said I should always broaden my horizons. Should I look into other schools as well? Maybe mentors'' school in Appealte?'' Lily hesitated. Was Alduit Academy too lofty of a goal? ''...No.Father saidevery country supposedly contributed a portion of their spell collection. I am sure they have some rare spells there that are dying to be read by me. And Peter Alduit himself wrote many of the tomes for the Skills he knew. That means Tyler and Markus can get stronger too, which will be a plus for our Party.''


    The ringing of a bell snapped Lily out of her reverie and she headed toward the large auditorium that was the location of the history class. She was sure Tyler would have saved her a seat, but it wouldn''t look good if she arrived at the classroom late. Biting her lip, she circulated her mana and decided she could forgo the rules just this once. "Gust," she whispered lightly, concentrating her mana at her feet. Taking a step forward, she chuckled happily as her stride increased by almost three times. Miss Paige had suggested using the spell this way as a joke, but it really was fun moving this fast. Now, just to make sure..."Mana Sense: Active," Lily whispered, the world coming alive in color.


    It was hard to make sense of this spell, Lily thought to herself. Her teacher had said this skill varied from one person to another and even from place to place and use to use. If she was away from a city, activating this skill would let her see the ambient mana in different colors and allow her to see mana as it moved. But in a city or well a well-traveled area, it was a lot harder to make sense of what she was seeing. Something about the ambient mana not replacing itself fast enough or something, which was why it was important to have certain areas marked off for mages to train or meditate to not impact the overall ambient mana balance. Why this was important, Lily had no idea. But Miss Paige had nodded when her mentor had said that, so it must be an important reason. Maybe something to ask her teachers about?


    Anyway, that wasn''t really important right now, Lily realized. She had to use the skill to make sure no one was coming her way. Using magic in this building was explicitly forbidden for some reason. The rumor she had heard from the upper classes was that there was an ancient treasure some of the teachers had found, and they hadn''t figured out how to use it yet. But Lily thought that was nonsense.No one would keep a powerful artifact in a school..., right? Or was that the safest place since no one would think there was something valuable in a school.


    Lily slowed suddenly as the flow of mana shifted quite noticeably. Either something here was gathering and using mana, or a magic teacher had just passed by, neither one a good option for her. Stopping her skill, she blinked as the world returned to normal and she was in the middle of a darkened, nondescript corridor; one that she had to pass to get to the mage training fields. Peering suspiciously, she shook her head as she looked around for the source of the disruption. "No one down that hallway, and no one coming this way." Lily tilted her head in confusion. What had caused the mana shift then? Maybe there was some truth in that rumor...


    A ringing of a bell startled her once again. She was definitely going to be late at this rate! Filing this discovery for another day, Lily accelerated down the hallway, using all her mana to hopefully reach the classroom in time.


    Quiet returned to the corridor as Lily left, the shadows of the setting sun basking the entirety of the corridor walls in shadows. A pair of eyes opened close to where Lily had stopped. Walking out of the shadows, the person looked over to where the young mage had gone. "Interesting. Very interesting. She actually noticed something was wrong... And she is not afraid to break rules and is quite confident in herself. Lily Thompson." The person said as they held up a student badge, one they had pocketed discreetly when the young girl had stopped. Dropping the badge on the ground, the person quietly chuckled. A plan was slowly coming together, something that would hopefully break the status quo...

 Chapter 47.1 (Side Story - Isabellas nonexistant school life)

    Three months. That''s how long Isabella had been staring at this same chalkboard in front of her. Not all at once of course, since she was able to go home after school. But she was sick of it all the same. As the sun peeked out from the clouds through the window to her left, Isabella turned her eyes away from the chalkboard and stared at the top of her desk as it reflected the light. Maybe the newly applied lacquer was making it shinier than usual. Or maybe it was a magic desk and it was naturally this shiny in the sun. Honestly, at this point, she couldn''t decide which one she''d rather it be, not that it would matter much in the long run.


    Still, it would not be a lie to say that she was unhappy in her classroom. Even her teacher in front of her could tell that. Isabella winced as she heard her teacher speaking concernedly to her with that teacher-like tone of voice. "You will have a test on this, Miss Isabella, so It would behoove you to listen well to this lecture. Or if you really want to zone out, keep your head off the table and don''t drool."


    Isabella blinkedand realized the chalkboard had been sideways for some time now. She was wondering why the words looked funny. She blushed as the last part registered in her brain and quickly sat straight. Checking the desk and her sleeves, she realized both were drool-free. "Very funny, Miss Elena. I''ll try to drool less than I already am," Isabella said quickly as she plopped her head back down onto the cool, wooden table.


    She turned her head as she heard her teacher sigh. It wasn''t her teacher''s fault that she was stuck in this room, but Isabella''s mood was infectious, or so she was told. Honestly, the only reason she even put up with going toschool was because of the sunlight. The perpetual fog blocked out a good portion of the sky in the city, or so she thought. It was only here in the school that the sky was so...blue. Was it because her classroom was so high? The castle did overlook the town, after all. But even the blue sky could only improve her mood slightly after three months of seeing the same scenery. Well, the sky aside, the fact that her new protectors/teachers would come and get her if she tried to skip class was another big reason she put up going to school daily. "What you are learning is very important, Isabella. Besides, everyone decided this arrangement together," her teacher responded dutifully.


    "You''re right.Everyone also decided I couldn''t be in a classroom with other people. Or be in a Party. Because Iam an Apprentice Cleric," Isabella mumbled quietly. Both she and her previous teachers had gone through this argument before, not only with the school but also the Healer hall and the Royal Family. Even her mother and aunts couldn''t change this arrangement to Isabella''s horror, though her Aunt Shavie said she would keep a closer eye on her so that she didn''t mysteriously disappear one day. She hadn''t believed her Aunt Shavie before now, but she could now tell that even though the other adults in the classroom hadn''t moved much, the so-called protectors of the classroom were keeping an eye on her at all times. They even shifted their positions in response to how she stood or sat down, something that she had seen her mother, aunts, and uncle do when they were around strangers or the guards.


    "You just need to get through this lesson, and then we will be done for the day. I know it is boring but this is important for all Clerics to know. Back to the final discussion of the gods..." Isabellagroaned after the teacher said that. She already knew what she was going to say, as every lesson ended the same way. "The gods are dead, and we know absolutely nothing about them, except that they matter for anything a Cleric can do," Isabella drolled on, completing the sentence for her teacher.


    Teacher Elena frowned at her statement. "Not entirely true. The Healer Hall and the Imperial Family supposedly have some records of the gods, which is why they know how to create magic circles. Now, while I can''t teach you anything about the gods, I can tell you that we do have records on the gods. Only the Headmistress is allowed to see the true records, and only within the Imperial Healer Hall. But that is a lesson for later. Today isa practical lesson on Clerical Skills. Now, remember that Clerics have no real battle skills, but we are an important factor for any battle. Barring poultices and alchemic potions, Clerical healing spells are the best way to heal someone back to their peak health. Isabella, please recite the main Clerical spells back to me."


    "[[Healing Touch]], [[Healing Light]], [[Mass Heal]], [[Holy Light]]... umm, [[Neutralization]] and finally [[Dispel]]," Isabella dronely repeated after watching a few clouds pass by the window.


    "You mean[[Affliction Resistance]]. Only Alchemists and the like can remove poisons and other such afflictions at a moderately high rate." Her teacher corrected her knowledge seriously.


    Isabella nodded but inwardly she was doubtful. She knew she had heard of those skills from somewhere. By all accounts, theyseemed to be real Skills, and she had the faintest feeling that she could learn them whenever she wanted to. Were they Alchemy Skills instead? Maybe her mother told her about them when she was younger.


    She stared blankly ahead as her teacher sighed and continued with her lecture plan. At least today it involved actual practice, Isabella realized as Miss Elena pulled out her wand from a hidden pocket in her sleeve. That would make today a little more bearable, though not by much."Now, get your wand from your bag and we will practice. You should strive to keep your wand within reach of all time. You never know when you will need it at a moment''s notice.


    "Mmm." Isabella reached over to her bag and felt around for her stick, or wand as her teacher liked to call it. Pulling it out, she still felt bitter about her wand after seeing it again. It was a short stick, not even polished or anything, and it still had most of its leaves at the end. You could even tell where it was just yanked off from the tree. Truthfully, she felt that they were just cheapskates who gave her a half-finished present just to say they tried. Her mother knew a lot of plants, and ifshe didn''trecognize what tree it was from, then it must not have been a very special tree.


    Wait, Teacher Elena said practical lessons today. Could today be the day?"Are we going to practice outside the classroom today? It''s not like anyone else is using this floor, and all the classrooms are empty." Isabella trailed off as she looked at the door. A faint circle could be seen etched in the frame if the sun shone just right. Even the doors were designed to keep Isabella contained in this single room. Someone was controlling it, Isabella realized early on since it only opened once the class was done and not a moment before.


    "No. This is a special classroom designed specifically for you. The wholecorridor is designed to keep people away and allow us to teach you without worry. So for now, we will practice inside this classroom. Don''t worry, I and the other Guardians will ensure nothing goes wrong with your spellcasting." Her teacher smiled back, a little forced. Isabella froze and sighed. So much for seeing people. She knew the school had a training ground for mages to practice at, as she passed it every day and could always feel the mana moving toward that location.


    "Let''s practice healing once again. Now, the basis of healing..." How did Miss Elena make learning magic so boring? Even in her dreams, learning magic wassupposed to be fun, mysterious, and perhaps just a little scary. Reality was boring, Isabella realized sadly. Lecture, practice, lecture, practice. She watched as her teacher quietly chanted to herself, and a light appeared at the end of her wand, her forehead lightly covered in sweat. "So you can see, if you use your mana wisely, you can create an outward sign of healing. This is all based upon using the correct amount of mana at the correct time. Too early and your healing will be lackluster; too late or not enough and you will not heal at all. Thus, [[Heal-"


    "Thus, [[Healing]] is all about intent, Isabella. Well, all magic is about intent, I suppose, but more so for Healing." A girl withgreen hair looked at her and flicked her on the forehead. Looking around, Isabella couldn''t see her classroom at all. Instead, she was sitting in a forest, complete with a campfire. Looking down, Isabella could tell her outfit was meant for the outdoors. Even her cloak and boots were the color of the forest! And boots! She''d never actually worn boots before, not that you''d need it in the city.


    The girl in front of her continued talking, flicking her forehead every once in a while. Either the girl didn''t like her, or she wanted to make sure she was paying attention. Isabella really couldn''t decide which it was, but that wasn''t an issue to think about right now. "If you don''t even know what you want to do, how could expect to use your mana? To fix a wound, you have to see a wound. In the same vein, no pun intended, if you don''t know something is wrong, how can you heal it? That is why most people who can affordsupplies will take antidotes and potions after each battle, just in case they were poisoned or hurt and they cannot feel it due to the battle high. Then they could at least check themselves after and make sure they are okay. Only trulywealthyor important people could afford using [[Healing]], [[Neutralize]] or [[Dispel]] on themselves after a battle, and that is assuming you were close enough to a Healer''s Hall and you weren''t about to die to begin with." The girl in front of her looked to the sky proudly. Pulling a dagger from her robes,the unknown girl lightly cut her hand and watched as it bled. "Not to brag, but being able to heal out in the field gave me a lot of opportunities I wouldn''t otherwise have had. Anyways, we are focusing on healing right now, so go ahead and calm your mind and focus on what you want your mana to do. Here is a wound, so now you can go ahead and practice hea-Stolen novel; please report.


    "Isabella, pay attention! Practicing your Spells is important. So don''t stand there idly," Miss Elena warned sternly.


    Blinking, Isabella realized that her teacher was waiting for her to demonstrate what she had just learned. She was still a little shaken from her dream. "Was it just a dream, or something else? Should I tell mother about them?" Isabella took a deep breath and focused. No, her family already had a lot of things to deal with ever since she became an Apprentice Cleric. She didn''t want to burden them even more than she already had, especially with something as nonsensical as dreams.


    Still, she hadn''t been led astray by her dreams yet. At least, not intentionally. And it seemed like her dreams were generally helpful too, thoughit wasweird. "Calm my mind....focus. What do I want to do? Well, there is nothing to heal so I can''t practice that. So what does my teacher want to see? ... well, she wants to see a light at the end of my stick."


    Opening her eyes, she focused at the end of her stick at the leaves still dangling on the stick. "A light... I want light!" she thought to herself. Releasing her mana, Isabella could feel her mana slowly flowing to the branch, going from her core to her arms, to the tips of her hand. Then it hit resistance. Her wand. Isabella looked at her stick wand with a frown. Was it supposed to do that? Meh. She cast the thought away and pushed more mana to her fingertips, wishing for a light to appear at the end. And there was. As Isabella watched, the leaves of her stick started glowing with a soft, white light; much like her teacher''s wand had. From where she was standing, Isabella knew that both lights looked identical.


    "Good, very good. No wonder you got your Class so soon, you''re practically a natural Cleric! Now, let''s practice a few more times," her teacher said as she beamed proudly at her, even though Isabella knew that she couldn''t actually heal anyone or anything with this light. Isabella felt a little bad, knowing that she was just faking it. Her affinity towards light mana was very helpful in this situation though. No wonder her mother always said to keep your status a secret.


    Still, even practicing would more bearable if she could have some friends to pass the time with. Or party with. That was what she wanted most of all right now. She vowed deep in her heart that she would do almost anything for a Party. Heck, she''d even actually try to be a good Apprentice Cleric if she could have some friends in this place!


    That thought had just passed through her mind when the door violently opened, something she had not seen since she had arrived here. More unusual was that her guardians weren''t even worried about it, as they were looking outside the window warily.


    As she looked over to the door, an older girl appeared in the doorway; her leg stretched out as though she had kicked the door open. Her face was a mix of confusion and pride; like she hadn¡¯t expected that to actually work but happy that it did. But the girl gave it no mind as shestepped forwardinto the room. The crystal at the end of her staff gleamed brightly, and the girl''s green hair shone vividly to Isabella and reminded her of the mage in her dream, though the girl in front of her was not the same as the dream girl. In fact, as the light on her own wand faded, Isabella realized that the girl was actually glowing slightly. She stiffened as the older girl looked directly at her and pointed her staff, loudly calling out into the silent classroom, "I choose you! I, Apprentice Mage Lily Thompson, hereby formally invite you to join my party!"


    ¡®You have been formally invited to the Party, ''Cidala''s Heroes'' by Apprentice Mage Lily Thompson. Do you wish to join?¡¯A voice rang out in her mind, though the mana in the air trembled around her. Something about this seemed... familiar, she realized. ''Did I have a dream about this before?'' she thought to herself. She could see her teacher and the surrounding adults saying something and shaking their heads frantically, but the only thing on her mind was the invitation. Should she accept it? She looked at the girl, who was smiling brightly. Isabella didn''t have to be an adult to realize that the girl was going to be in a lot of trouble, no matter what Isabella chose. She didn''t think her mother said anything aboutnotjoining a party if offered, although her family did say she should bring them over to visit beforehand, just to make sure they were a good fit for her.


    But she would only get one chance,Isabella realized quickly. She most certainly would be getting more protectors after this event. She didn''t know what she had to do to accept, but something deep in her heart told her what she had to mentally say;¡®I, Isabella Freal Platz, of the Blessed Apprentice Class, hereby accept the invitation granted by Apprentice Mage Lily Thompson.''"I accept?" Isabella repeated out loud for the older girl''s benefit, much to the horror of the surrounding adults.A bright, white light shonearound Isabella as the glow of the mage flew outward and encircled herinstead. She could feel something changing, but what?


    "You''remy new Party Member! Congratulations on joining Cidala''s Heroes, whoever you are!" The girl laughed proudly, though she stopped when she saw the faces of the adults turn toward her.


    ---


    ¡°You should really put a note on the door or something then. How was I supposed to know not to enter? I mean, who wouldn¡¯t try to open a door when a light is shining underneath mysteriously? That practically screams ¡®Open me please!¡¯." Isabella stared confusedly at the sight of the Apprentice Mage, Lily, talking back to her teacher and those grumpy old men.Something had happened thatadults did not like. Not one bit, though no one would answer her why it was a bad thing.


    Even Lily herself was a little perplexed at the situation. For her part, all she had done was ask a person to join her party and some other stuff. Lily looked at the girl critically, now that the excitement had died down. ''Was the girl sick or something?'' Being the ace student of her class thus far, she had known most of her classmates and the new children who joined, but this girl was a mystery. In fact, it was just a chance meeting. She hadn¡¯t expected her school-issued hat to blow into a hallway, though she had not known there was even a hallway there to begin with! Well, not true, since she had felt something in that hallway not even a few days prior. But watching her hat float mysteriously down the mysterious, darkened hallway had piqued her interest.


    She soon stopped upon entering the hallwaywhen she noticed what were on the walls and floors. Magic circles. Lots of them and all of them glowing. She was about to leave to get Tyler when she noticed that her hat was still floating;directly over the magic circles. Cocking her head, Lily blinked at the sight. "That is definitely not supposed to happen."


    Edging close to the circles, Lily was stunned as she realized why her hat could go over it without the magic circles activating. They were all incomplete. Portions of the circles were missing their corresponding symbols. ''.. the activation symbols are gone? Who would put this much effort into creating magic circles and then not even finish them?'' Lily frowned as she thought about her lessons on magic circles. With the last row of symbols missing, the magic circles wouldn¡¯t activate, even if they were glowing hot with mana.


    Well, her mentor always said to look at the beginning to figure out the end, and these circles seemed oddly familiar somehow. Still, with only twenty symbols on it, it wouldn''t be hard to figure out,and she knew it would only be a matter of time before she could make a reasonable guess.


    The first symbol was faint, but she could see it if she squinted really hard, thus cluing her in on the symbol. ''Bague, God of the Unseen. Wait, isn''t this the combination for [[Concealment]]?'' Lily tilted her head when she realized why it looked so familiar. Quickly eying the rest of the circles, she realized all of them were the same. It was the most useful adventuring magic circle, according to Miss Paige. ''...Miss Paige said that it doesn''t have any other use besides hiding, so I should be fine?'', she thought to herself nervously.


    Biting her lip,Lily knew that this chance was probably only going to come once. A magic hallway definitely ranked high up on Miss Paige''s top ten things to be ''wary of, but also excited for''. It also ranked high on her actual mentors'' list too, ''top ten ways to get yourself killed''. Lilystopped to think, watching idly as her hat seemingly taunted her to move forward and follow. "Rule One of Adventuring. Check the circumstances. A random gust of wind led me into a magic hallwayin a school. I see no problem with that. Is it safe? ...yes? Should I walk down alone? Probably not. Traps? None that can be seen.DoI have areason to go that way? No... well, yes. My hat. I need my hat. Yeah. I''m just going to get my hat. And any other item that might be here." Her adventuring spirit was awakened, in no small part because of the dull classes Lily was forced to sit through.


    Even though she knew the magic circles wouldn''t activate or explode on her, Lily carefully avoided the magic circles lining the beginning of the hallway, and followed her hat to this door and excitedly kicked the door down, thus causing the subsequent issue. So why were these adults mad? She had done exactly what Sir Kenton had wanted her to do, which was to get another party member. "Hey. So, uh, who are you anyway?" Turning away from the flustered adults, she turned to the girl who looked shocked that someone was talking to her. Was she a recluse? The sun shone through the window and caught the girl''s silvery hair. Lily blinked as she remembered something from a few months ago. She had seen her before actually, right before they got admitted to the school! "I''ve seen you in the town before. Your hair is really pretty. And noticeable to boot."


    "Th, thank you," the girl said quietly.


    "You are in so much trouble! You wait here until the Headmasters arrive. Watch them!" The mean and loud teacher stormed out of the room, leaving the four men to watch them. Each of them gave Lily the creeps. Not in a good way either. It felt a little like how Miss Paige would watch them during a battle, but...more hostile? Or maybe more serious and focused.


    "So, umm my name is Lily. Lily Thompson. What''s yours?" She asked, looking carefully at the girl. She looked a little haphazard, as none of her equipment matched. Her uniform wasn''t colored like the typical school uniform, a faded green and brown. Instead, hers was pure white with gold lacing. That alone screamed a combination of privilege and class. But her wand was a stick for goodness sake! Lily frowned at the wand. Those leaves though... wasn''t that the same type of tree she and Tyler were growing in their dorms? It was something to look into later, she supposed, but Miss Paige had said her gift would take a few years of patience before it would be useful.


    "M, my name is Isabella. Isabella Platz. Nice to meet you, Miss Lily."


    "Hm. Nice to meet you. You know, I really did think there was a super powerful artifact. Or you know, a wand of power or something. But you did help me with a problem I was having, so thank you." Lily nodded gratefully.


    "Hm?" The girl tilted her head, her silver hair falling to her side.


    "My teachers were complaining that my party was too small and that I had to get at least one more person for my party. And my classmates... well I really, really don''t want any of them to be in my party. So, thank you. This really worked out for me." Lily laughed as the girl''s eyes went wide. "Well, anyway, welcome to my Party. I''m an Apprentice Wind Mage, and my partner is an Apprentice Vanguard. And you''re a..." Lily trailed off expectantly. ''Please be a super powerful fire mage! Gotta be something unique at least!''


    "...I, I''m an Apprentice Cleric."


    "...eh?"

 Chapter 47.2 - (Side Story- A Simple Meeting?)

    "Mother! My new friendsare coming over! My Party Members! This is so exciting! I''ve never had friends over before!" Isabella practically glowed with excitement. No, she was glowing, Stella realized after a moment. She had known that feelings could invoke a mana response but she''d never seen a person with light affinity do that before; not that many Demons even had an affinity towards light mana. Still, that would not be good for most, if not all, combat situations.


    "Now, now Isabella. Relax. Breath. They are not your party members yet. A lot of people have to approve of it before it is official." Stella chuckled as Isabella ran around the house cleaning things up. She was even cleaning up her perpetually messy bedroom in her haste to make things presentable.


    Isabella stopped mid-stride, staring at her mother fearfully. "But you said they would be! I don''t want to lose my new friends and party already! I only had them for a few days!"


    "They will be your party members. Hopefully. Luna is already taking care of that situation for you and she''s already petitioning the Queen and the Headmistress to allow it. Even they have no way of changing it, not unless they want to kill that girl outright. Honestly, why did that mage even word her invitation that way? Has she never been taught about party creation before? That is basically the only rule most people remember."


    "They, they won''t kill her, right? Will it be my fault if th-"


    "No, Isabella. Let I and Luna worry about that. It was an accident on that girl''s part. It seems like her mentor had no intention of actually having the girl have other party members. Otherwise, who would forget to mention the rules behind party creation." Looking out the window, Stella calculated the time based upon the courtyard tree''s shadow. "You should probably go outside and wait for our guests. Remember to -"


    "Stay inside the formation. Yes, mother. I promise I won''t get taken away."


    "You won''t if you listen. Remember to deactivate the wards before they walk in, and discreetly too. No need to inform the spies that we have the means to protect ourselves." Her eyes narrowed as looked outside, knowing full well that someone had the gall to plant Watchers around their house. In a different time, Stella would have made sure they all disappeared before the sun rose, but not now. She had no real recourse to do so, and she knew any discrepancies would only make things worse. ''I''ll give them some space. But the moment they start snooping over the courtyard walls is the moment they die,'' she promised herself quietly. They had far too many secrets hidden about the house.


    Watching as Isabella went outside, Stella quietly lamented to herself that Isabella was growing up. "Stella, come on. I need help hiding the weapons," Shavie came out of the shadow, whispering, "We have far too many things around here that are dangerous for kids. Should I change the wards in the safe room as well?"


    "No, Shavie. You''re almost as bad as Isabella. Honestly, it''s just her new party members coming over for dinner! What can go wrong?"


    "But they arekids, Stella. Assassins fear only a few things, Stella, especially when we can''t kill them without serious repercussions. Kids almost always have protectors in the shadows, or are doted on by some monster or is a great, great, great apprentice of someone who has laid low for a few hundred years and has finally accepted an apprentice for the first time. More Assassins and Organizations have been decimated solely from killing a child at the wrong time, and I for one do not want to be next. Then add in the fact that kids are usually fearless, adventurous, meddlesome, problematic, curious, little people mean that things can go wrong. Fast. "


    Stellathought about that for a minute and had to give Shavie some leeway, that did sound like a problem for an Assassin. But she still had to fix something Shavie had said. "Isabella wasn''t a problem when she was young though. In fact, I remember her being the perfect baby and toddler."


    "Exception, not a rule.Icould get her to calm down with a bottle and a bit of rocking. Do you think that is typical?" Shavie said dubiously, her brows rising in disbelief. "And a perfect toddler? She nearly activated the wards almost sixty times when she was learning to walk. Almost tripped the failsafe around our equipment eight times; used an attack amulet as a teething ring, used Luna''s Nightwalker clothes to play dress-up, my curse mannequin as a makeshift doll; dest-"


    "And it all was an accident, Shavie. Although, I didn''t realize you and Luna hid that much from me when the two of you watched her." Shavie sputtered nervously as Stella stared hard at her. The air around Stella was quickly distorting as the mana reacted to her emotions. Even Stella''s braided hair was starting to unravel as the mana started moving rapidly.


    "It was Luna''s idea! I swear!" Shavie said resolutely. ''I''ll make it up to you, Luna! You deal with your twin!''


    "Hmph. Both of you will get it. Deep breath, deep breath," Stella glared menacingly. Sighing heavily, she looked at Shavie irately. "Change the safe room wards. Hide anything even remotely dangerous."


    Before Shavie left, Stella just had to ask. "Are multiple kids really that hard to handle?"


    "Oh, Stella. Just wait and see. I can practically guarantee something will happen today."


    --


    "Where are they? They should be here by now!? Did something bad happen to them?" Isabella paced the courtyard front steps nervously. So many things could go wrong, she thought to herself. What if her Aunt couldn''t stop the Queen and that head Cleric? Would they really kill her new party members?


    That thought alone terrified her to no end. Things were finally starting to look up, and now everyone besides her family was trying to put an end to it. Her mind was so caught up in her thoughts that she almost missed her new party members walking up to her. "Isabella! Why are you pacing about so much? Are you okay?"


    "Ah! Miss Lily! You''re alive!" Isabella cried happily as she turned to greet them. Nothing terrible had happened yet!


    A boy and a girl were standing in front of the courtyard gate as she turned. The girl''s bright green hair was tied in a simple braid, her head cocked slightly to the side as she looked at something. Her outfit was a little weird, Isabella realized. It was almost like a mix between a shopkeepers apron and a Farmer''soverall. Her white undershirt and weirdly cut blue overalls struck a striking contrast. Isabella blinked. ''Is that what people wear in the countryside?'' Turning to the boy, Isabella realized that she had seen him before. "Ah!, I''ve seen you before!" His brown hair and grey eyes were very noticeable, and he was almost always at the training fields practicing. In fact, her new party member was still dressed in the school''s practice garments. The brown shirt and pants hid the stains well enough, but as she looked, Isabella could spot a few places where he had not brushed off the dirt from his clothes. The wooden shield on his back was a little strange though. It was smaller than the ones she had normally seen lying around the practice grounds.


    "Silly girl, are you trying to jinx me or something?" Lily asked with a slight frown. "I mean, I don''t think I''ve done anything dangerous lately?"


    "Going down a random corridor is not your idea of dangerous? You should''ve gotten me, Lily. I wanted to have an adventure too, you know."


    "Yes, yes, Tyler. Next adventure, I promise to come and grab you. Happy? Isabella, this gate is weird. It feels kinda dangerous?" Lilydropped to a whisper, and Isabella had to lean forward to hear what she was saying.


    "Ack! Sorry. The wards are still activated. One second." Isabella remembered the wards were still active and quickly moved forward to deactivate them. Opening the gate, Isabella couldn''t help but ask. "Umm? How did you know there were wards?"


    Isabella focused on restarting the wards discreetly as Lily started talking behind her. "It feels kinda like the entrance to the library. You might not know, but the Library has some impressive wards surrounding them. If you spend enough time in them, you''ll start to notice when they are active and when they are not. The surrounding mana feels funny when a magic formation is active." As Isabella glanced backward, she realized that both Lily and Tyler weren''t even looking at her, rather they were inspecting the courtyard instead. Flushing with shame, she coughed lightly to indicate she was done. They had more tact and self-control than she ever had, Isabella realized as they turned to face her.


    "You''re not gonna ask about the magic circle?"


    "Hm? Nope. My mother says it''s rude to pry into other people''s secrets," Lily shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. Tyler coughed politely and added, "our mentors would work us to death if they heard we were playing around with magic circles without supervision."


    "Good mentors you have. So they do know what they are supposed to teach," a voice sounded out behind them.


    "Auntie!" Isabella cried in surprise as Lily and Tyler jumped forward and shielded Isabella. She was amazed at how fast Tyler was able to pull the shield off his back and solidly plant himself in a stance. Lily held her hand out and pulled out a well-polished stick from her clothes, pointing her wand behind her as she shielded Isabella between Tyler and herself.


    Her Aunt Luna stepped out of the shadow of the tree, her eyes hard. Isabella blinked at the sight. Was something wrong? She usually didn''t have that kind of look on her face. Her expressions must have alerted her Aunt though, seeing as her face softened after a slight moment. "Good teamwork there. Although, why did you point your wand backward?"


    Lily hesitated as she looked between Isabella and the stranger in front of her. "My mentor says I should watch our rear and trust my party to stop anything coming from the front. There is a good chance that any surprise in the field could be a distraction." Isabella saw Lily stare at the shadows of the courtyard wall and realized what her aunt had probably done. [Shadow Steps]. But, how did Lily know where her aunt probably was before she appeared? Was she missing something? Isabella noticed that her aunt was watching Lily suspiciously as well. Though she only nodded her head after a moment.


    "...good. You even had the mind to push Isabella behind the defender. Solid teamwork you have there."


    "Aunt Luna, these are my new party members!" Isabella cried happily, running around Tyler to hug her aunt. Looking up with a hopeful look, she hoped that her aunt would get the message and stop testing her new friends. She wanted to make a good impression, and her aunt''s behavior was not helping make a good impression! Her Aunt Luna gave her a helpless look and patted her head forcefully. "Aunt, how are they? Good right? You always said that my party had to be good!"


    "They are exceptional, Little Isabella. I can see why the Queen and the Head School Teacher are hesitant to kill her."


    "Hahaha, you shouldn''t joke like that, Auntie! She''s just joking," Isabella laughed nervously. not looking anyone in the eyes. Shaking her head, she quickly flicked her platinum hair to her back before dragging Lily and Tyler forward to the house and away from the courtyard. "Welcome to my house! My mother and my other aunt are inside. Come on, I''ll show you around!"


    Luna sighed as she watched the children leave, her long black hair floating gently with the passing breeze. "...I wasn''t joking Isabella."


    ---


    "I''m so sorry about my aunt! I promise she is really nice. Usually." Isabella said after closing the door.


    Lily could tell that Isabella was flustered. Honestly speaking, even Lily herself was starting to feel flustered. "Your family is weird. But that''s okay. I''ve known weirder people before," Lily laughed nervously. ''Did I actually do something wrong?'' she thought to herself. Even Tyler was frowning at what Isabella and her aunt had said before. What was so special about a Cleric? Granted, she''d never seen an Apprentice Cleric before, but everyone had to start as an Apprentice. Right? Playing absentmindedly with her bangs, Lily caught herself and shook the thoughts out of her head. Whatever. Her Mentor always said if the sky was falling,they could protect them from danger. If they could tame an Elder Boar, then surely they could do something about her situation right now.


    As Tyler and Lily took off their shoes and placed their equipment down by the entrance, Lily noticed that the interior of the house was...very nice. The furniture and decorations were obviously of a higher quality than she''d thought possible if she was judging by the state of the courtyard. Rosewood entrance chairs, ironbark door wood panels, glass panels with textured paper inserts. Even the floor was hard, polished wood instead of typical floor carpets andsmooth,stone floors. In contrast, the courtyard only had a single crabapple tree, and from the looks of it had passed its fruit-bearing period. Still, she supposed it would produce a modest amount of shade for the courtyard, but little else. Most families lined the entrance of the courtyard with at least six plum trees, mainly for aesthetics and to increase the ambiance of the home. EvenMiss Paige had planted a few different varieties of trees in their little settlement in the woods. "Your mother has good taste in furniture, Isabella." Lily nodded in approval of the decor. Her mother would most certainly be impressed as well. "I didn''t know you could get rosewood chairs. That seems expensive."


    "Eh? I suppose? I like it since it smells nice. I could ask my Aunt Shavie if she could get you a pair?"


    "No, no. I can''t afford chairs like that. I''ll stick to my regular, padded chair. Your house is cozy, Isabella."


    "Thank you! Mother, my new friends are here!" Isabella beamed happily, running into the interior of the home.


    Watching as she ran off, Lily turned to Tyler, who was already frowning at everything that had happened so far. "We need to contact our Mentors, Lily. I think you''re in a whole lot of trouble."


    Lily scoffed. "You think? All I did was invite her to my party!? I don''t know why are they making such a big deal out of it. It''s not like she can''t leave whenever she wants to. I''m sure that Mentor said she had left a few parties before when she was in school." She raised her foot to stomp on the ground but thought better of it after seeing the nice, polished wood.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Did you notice those people on the other side of the road? They were watching us from the corner of their eyes, Lily. That, and a magic circle guarding the courtyard doesn''t paint a pretty picture. We should probably start wearing our full adventurer gear from now on, even inside the school." She hadn''t been paying attention to the surroundings, but if Tyler said so, then it must be true.


    "She seemed so lonely though. She was the only one inside that classroom, Tyler. If I didn''t know better, I would almost say they were keeping her as a prisoner instead of a student. But, for a school to do that..." Lily bit her lip lightly. She knew deep down that something had led her down that hallway. Could it have beenthe girl''saunt? Although she appeared in front of them, she could swear she felt something behind her initially. It hadn''t felt quite the same as when Miss Paige appeared out of thin air, but she knew it had to be some type of Skill. Maybe a Spell could do the same thing? Though, why would the girl''s family have done that?


    She startled as Tyler reached over and held her hand tightly. "Lily. Isabella''s aunt specifically said ''Queen and Headteacher''. That means Mister Kenton knows about this. We could try asking him about what is going on. Don''t worry, I''ll protect you, Lily."


    "...Mm." She held his hand for a moment before letting and called out to the house, "Isabella?Where are you?"


    ---


    "It''s quite rude to leave your guests, Isabella. Miss Lily, Mister Tyler, Welcome to our humble abode. Come along, make yourselves comfortable. This is the first time we had guests here, so just let me know if you need anything, snacks or otherwise. Isabella, why not take them to the secondary living room and relax there?" Her mother said lightly to her new friends. Isabella was starting to feel sick with worry at how her family was acting. She had gone straight to her mother and aunt and specifically warned them not to be so weird. Nothing was going well so far! She didn''t want her new friends to hate her right from the start! "This is my mom. She is the Alchemist over at her shop, Stellar Works, at the south end of town. And you met my other aunt, Aunt Luna. She''s the Head Librarian of Nespe''s Library. And this is my other, other aunt; Aunt Shavie. She''s a professional bodyguard."


    "Wow! Besides your hair color, Isabella, I can see where you got your talent and looks from," Lily said as Isabella introduced her family. "Your whole family is gifted, Isabella! And they are all mages too!" Isabella beamed at the compliment. Truly, her mother knew how to handle guests best.


    Her mother laughed. "Such a flatterer you are, young miss. We have a lot to talk about later over dinner, but go on and have fun for now. Isabella, you and the mage can help me make dinner later, and the warrior can churn the butter for us."


    "Mkay, mommy. I''ll come to the kitchen when it''s about dinner time. Come this way! I''ll show you around the house!" Dragging Lily away, she failed to notice how Lily''s eyes tracked her mother, nor how Tyler was standing between her Aunt Shavie and Lily.


    "Not the entire house, Isabella. Don''t go into the back storage rooms. I put all my alchemy supplies back there, so it''s still quite dangerous to play around."


    "Okay, mother!"


    ---


    "And that is my house!" Isabella beamed happily as Lily and Tyler sat down exhausted.


    Lily looked up wearily. "Isabella, no offense, but your house is..."


    "Amazing? Cool? Wonderful? Small? Boring? -" Isabella listed out adjectives helpfully.


    Lily stopped to make sure Isabella wasn''t playing any tricks on her. The entrance was stunning, the house itself was wonderful, and Isabella''s family were okay, but deeper in the house the mana... felt off somehow. Even the shadows felt weird to Lily. And even Tyler looked uncomfortable and he could hardly sense ambient mana! Still, the hopeful gleam in Isabella''s eyes made it hard to tell the truth. "It''s umm, it''s wonderful overall. But it is a little stuffy. Say, Isabella, you wouldn''t happen to have [Mana Sense], would you?"


    Isabella looked around and whispered. "Umm, are we supposed to share what skills and spells we have when we join a party? My mother said never to tell anyone what my status has on it."


    "Well, I suppose you don''t have to. Anyway, the surrounding mana in the house is really, really dark and uncomfortable. Don''t you feel it?" Lily asked with some concern.


    Isabella stopped and closed her eyes. "It feels normal, I think?"


    "Then what about that shadow. It''s way darker than it should be," Tyler asked as he pointed to the table right under the window. Lily saw that Isabella didn''t think anything was abnormal about that.


    "It, it looks normal?" Isabella said uncertainly.


    Lily closed her mouth and stopped to think. If she didn''t see anything normal, then... "Do you have an affinity toward darkness, Isabella? Does your whole family? Don''t get me wrong, I''m not saying it''s a bad thing. But mana is naturally attracted to places of power. If your whole family has an affinity toward darkness, then it could explain why it feels so uncomfortable to Tyler and me,"Lily added after seeing Isabella squirm uncomfortably.


    Isabella''s eyes widened as Lily explained. "I, I do. Is there something I can do to help?"


    "Would your mother mind if I used wind magic? If I can replace some of the dark mana with wind mana, it would help us acclimate better. I don''t feel very good when there is no moving air around me, for instance."


    "I am okay with that, little miss. Although, next time just let me know and I can gather the ambient mana before you arrive. I was wondering why you two seemed so ill at ease after walking in." Her mother said as she walked in with a plate of food and refreshments. Waving her hand, they watched as the shadows quickly lightened around the room, the air of oppression slowly fading away."There. That should do for a while. Here is something for the three of you to munch on. Isabella, they are your new party members, so you should get to know them better. Our rules don''t normally apply to a Formal Party such as this."


    "Formal Party? What''s that?" Lily asked, her eyes focused on the food. But that term had stuck out to her. Most of her teachers had complained about something similar as well.


    Isabella''s mother stilled noticeably."Ah, it''s a special type of Party. You really don''t know what that is?" Seeing both kids shake their heads, Stella realized why they didn''t know how much trouble they were in. "That explains some things. Well, I''ll explain over dinner tonight. Go have fun!"


    Waving goodbye, Lily could hardly wait until Miss Stella had left before she started laughing excitedly! "Tyler! Did you see that! Her mother grabbed the ambient mana! She grabbed it! I have to learn that from her! How much control do I need before I can do that!?"


    "Lily, how about wesurvive whatever we got into first?" Tyler sighed as Lily already started to imagine being stronger than she seemed.


    "Umm, is Miss Lily okay?" Isabella asked with concern as Lily started mimicking her mother''s motions.


    "Just Lily. And you can call me just Tyler. She''s fine. Lily has always daydreamed about being a powerful Mage."


    Seeing Lily playing pretend and Isabella staring, Tyler couldn''t help but ask, "...do you have a deck of cards?"


    --------


    So Isabella''s mother wasn''t as scary as Lily first thought. It must have been the dark mana influencing her, as she had originally felt really, really nice, but also very dangerous. Like, angry-mentor level dangerous. But now that shehad helped cook and was spending time eating dinner with Isabella''s family, it kinda felt like when her grandparents came over and spoiled her. Like, a mix of friendly and happy. Like they were all really good friends. Isabella''s mother especially.


    "So wait, you''re telling me that I am in trouble because I said ''formally invite'' when I asked Isabella to join our Party? That is so stupid!" Lily exclaimed. Truth be told, she thought it had something to do with Isabella being a Cleric more than the wording of her invitation. "I mean, that''s how I was taught! You know, that intent matters more than the literal meaning!"


    Miss Stella shook her head, a mix of disbelief and uncertainty in her eyes. "Then shame to your mentor for teaching you wrong. A formal invitation is very, very stringent in terms of sacrifice. Usually, only High-Class Adventurers will issue formal invitations to Apprentices since the downsides to them are very minimal. But for the whole party to be Apprentices, what did the party creation cost for the three of you? You especially, Lily."


    Heart warmed by the worry, it took her a second before she realized she had been asked a question. "Cost? And why me?" Lily asked bewildered. Miss Paige had not said anything about this when she taught her how to create a Party. The only part that she could remember was that Party Leaders get more benefits than Party Members, which is why she insisted on being the Leader. That, and not adding anyone to the Party she wasn''t sure about.


    "Did your mana decrease? Did your affinity mutate? Were your Skills or Spells locked? Surely something happened to you? You''re only an Apprentice Mage, after all." Miss Stella pushedinsistently.


    Lily thought hard about it. What had happened during that time? "...It got harder for me to sense mana, but only a bit. And my mana did decrease a bit as well. But I was assured that it was all temporary. It got better after a few weeks."


    "Your mana decreased because part of it was being distributed instead. Your friend''s mana core is a lotdenser than I would expect. But, since you are the Party Leader, I guess that makes sense that one benefit of your Party is increased mana capacity. It probably took a few weeks for your mana to stabilize and reach equilibrium again. If you were a High-Class, it wouldn''t have taken so long for your mana core to equalize."


    "Okay, so my party members get benefits. What do I get?" Lily was miffed thatMiss Paige had neglected to tell her this. Would it have been so hard, or was there another reason?


    Miss Stella answered this time. "Hmmm. It varies based upon the class and your power level. Most formal parties are usually formed to either maximize a team¡¯s natural advantage or to boost the Party Leader. Since all of you are Apprentices right now, my best guess is that you are helping your party more than they are helping you. In terms of concrete benefits for you, though... you could probably use a few spells that Isabella knows. Skills too,maybe? You should notice something different though by now. Has your status changed any recently?"


    "I don''t know. My mentor says I shouldn''t look at my status so often since you never know who may be looking," Lily said.


    "You can show us. We''ll help you understand the changes." Isabella''s mother smiled gently at her.


    Lily blinked. Something felt wrong, Lily realized. But what was wrong? Miss Stella blinked at her in bewilderment. "Is something wrong, Lily?"


    Lily looked around the room. No, nothing felt wrong. Tyler was eating his food while talking with Miss Luna and Isabella was talking with her Aunt Shavie. But still, something felt...off. Something that Lily couldn''t quite place, "Umm, no. I think I must have a headache. What were you saying, Miss Stella?"


    "Can you show me your status? I may not be an expert, but I can tell you if anything looks off."


    "No, I -, I, well, I guess I could." Lily stammered slightly. "I, Lily Thompson, reveal my spells and skills. [[Status]]." A slight tug on her mana was the only thing she felt beside her headache.


    Lily Thompson


    [Mana Sense], [Mana Sensitivity], [Airflow Control: Low]


    [[Gust]], [[Air Hammer]], [[Summer Breeze]], [[Downdraft]], [[Wind Chain]], [[Whispering Wind]]


    "You know a lot for being just an Apprentice. Your mentor must be good. Tell me, what is your mentor''s name? Do you know of her past?"


    "It''s Miss Zenith Brent. She graduated from a rather prestigious academy in Appe-," Lily shut her mouth with an audible click. Something was wrong! Lily could tell now that Isabella''s mom wasn''t looking at her. She could feel sweat forming on her head, and her mana core was emptier than usual, despite not using any mana. ''Is it a spell or a skill? Mentor said something about mana depletion when resisting mental attacks.Is it intentional?'' And no one else was paying attention to their conversation, she realized suddenly. She couldn''t even hear the other''s conversations. though she was sitting at the same table.


    "Zenith huh? How many girls named Zenith can there be in Appealte?" Miss Stella frowned for reasons unknown.


    "It''s the fifth most common name in Appealte. Just like how Tyler is the fourth most common name in Alcudia. Tyler was named after the Royal Vanguard, right?" Lily said with not a moment of thought. Lily could feel something shifting in the room, as though something was no longer present.


    "Hm? Oh, I was. My mother was a big fan of his work ethic among other things. Are you alright, Lily?" Tyler broke off of his conversation with Miss Luna when he noticed Lily was sweating.


    "Lily used her mana to show us her Status. So she''s feeling a little off, right now." Isabella''s mom smiled warmly.


    "Thank you for the meal, but we have to go now Tyler," Lily said in a rush. It had to be a Skill! Why was she explaining things toIsabella''s mother otherwise? She knew herself well enough to know that she wasn''t normally this helpful to people she''d just met.


    "Hmm? Okay, le-"


    "Stay awhile, Mister Tyler. It would be quite rude not to, after all." Miss Luna said quietly.


    "We can stay a bit longer, Lily. We only met them today, after all."


    Lily now knew without a shred of doubt that Miss Luna and Miss Stella had some type of mental skill, and was using it on them directly. Shelooked around fearfully at the adults. She didn''t have to be an adult to know this was a bad situation for her and Tyler to be in, especially without any help. But something in the room snapped as Isabella spoke up. Lily could feel that the mana in the room dispersing away. "...mommy, Lily said she wanted to go back to her dorm." Turning, Lily was stunned to see Isabella''s eyes watering up. Did she noticesomething was happening as well? Isabella''s mother and aunt looked over to her, frowning.


    "...Auntie Shavie will let you out of the courtyard. Sorry, Lily. I, I''ll...I''ll see you guys at school. Tomorrow?"


    "...yeah. We''ll see you at school. Tomorrow. Let''s go, Tyler." Lily backed away slowly, holding onto Tyler and keeping her eyes on Isabella. She hadn''t known what her parents were doing. Right?


    ---


    Silence. Deathly silence. That was what the dining room developed into as Isabella sat there. She might be a child, but even she knew what fear looked like. Lily had been staring at her family in fear. Her new friends, and more importantly now, her new Party, was looking at her family like they were some kind of monsters.


    "It''s not all bad, Isabella. Your mom and aunt are just worried about you. The Skills they used don''t harm a person, it just makes them a little more friendly and approachable. Honestly, that girl overreacted. Merchants do things like that all the time," her Aunt Shavie said nonchalantly as she tried to make the mood in the room better.


    "But they are my newfriends. Wh, what will happen if they don''t want me in their party anymore?" She could already feel tears falling down her face as she thought about the potential consequences of their first visit to her house. How was she going to survive school when she had no friends, and then if the friends she just made no longer wanted to be near her.


    "I''m sorry, daughter, but I needed to make sure of who they are. I mean, what are the chances they found your classroom naturally? For all we know, the Imperial Family could have planted them here. That''s why I needed to investigate who their mentor is. Luna, what did you get out of Tyler?" Stella sighed regretfully and shook her head, turning to talk to her sister.


    "He has a few mentors who taught him. Both of them were part of the Alcudian Army. One officer, one conscript. Each taught separate disciplines. It makes sensethat a conscript would teach only defensive techniques since all they want to do is survive. Not too talented though. Honestly, the magic tutor is something to look into though. If I take their word at face value, then their tutor could rival you in mana manipulation Stella."


    "Her hat floated away," Isabella mumbled quietly to the room.


    "Hm?" Stella turned and frowned at Isabella. "What was that?"


    "Lily said her hat stayed in the shadows and floated. I know one person who can do that, and who watches over me constantly. Hic. I, I thought you all wanted to help me! Instead, you made my new Party hate me!" Isabella shouted, dashing away from the dining room table.


    Stella blinked and turned to the side, only to find Shavie missing. "SHAVIE!"


    "You don''t have to yell at me, Stella. Before we start pointing fingers, let me remind you that you and Luna used your Skills, not me. And let''s be clear, you would have done the same to any Party that she joined." Shavie spoke quietlyshe laid prone on the living room couch. Shavie turned and looked over wryly.


    "No, I wouldn''t have blatantly used [Good Friend] on h-"


    "You used it on the Queen herself, Stella. Honestly, the only reason you stopped bothtimeswas because that accursed fog started penetrating through the walls."


    Stella and Shavie stared hard at each other, but without any real tension. Stella sighed resignedly. Shavie was right, of course; she would have done it regardless had she known or not. "At least tell me why you chose them."


    Shavie turned over to Luna, who was uncharacteristically saying nothing."I talked it over with your sister, Stella. It''s been three months, and none of us liked the situation Isabella was in. I wasn''t about to let Isabella be a prisoner for her entire childhood, not like how I was. So while you and Luna dealt with Isabella and the Healer''s Hall, I decided to add some variables into the mix. Besides, Bishner also approved of my plan and you know how hesitant he is about things like this."


    "You all..."


    Her sister stood up, taking the unused dishes away from the table. "It was the best way to change things up, Stella. And I think Shavie chose quite well. It was a well-calculated risk choosing someone talented enough that both the school and the country would want to protect. Now some things didn''t go as planned. I didn''t think the girl would know how to formally invite someone, even by accident. And I underestimated the resolve of the Healer''s Hall. It''ll be close, you two. They are calling that girl''s mentor in for questioning as soon as they finish their own initial debates. Depending on how she does ..." Luna trailed off, shrugging her shoulders lightly as she balanced the last of the dishes in her hands. "Either Isabella will have a Party or not."


    Passing behind Stella,Luna patted her on the back before going to sit by Shavie. "Go and comfort Isabella. I''ll brainstorm with Shavie on how we can twistthis situation to our benefit."

 Chapter 48

    "Aunt Paige,you said you were going to teach me how to use a sword! All you''ve done so far is teach me how to stretch, spin and play around!" Markus threw done his stick angrily, his face scrunched up in frustration. Paige sighed to herself as she watched Markus from the side.


    "This is how I learned how to fight. It works, Markus. Just trust me."


    "This isn''t even a sword! Tyler''s teacher let him use a sword, and you even gave him a sword after he learned [Shield Bash]. All I have is a stick with a rope attached! This isn''t fair!"


    "Paige, you might want to show him the end result. Even I would say it looks...childish, to say the least," Zenith coughed from the side. When Paige had told Markus after breakfastthat shewas going to teach him how to use a sword just like she was taught, even Zenith stopped what she was doing to watch. But all Paige had him doing was swinginga rope on a stick.


    "It has a name you know. It''s called a twirling ribbon. But that''s not the point. You really can learn how to use a sword this way." Paige frowned as Markus picked up his stick and thrust it out. The rope drug across the ground as Markus moved forward at a steady pace. It wasn''t supposed to look that way. So what was Markus doing wrong?


    Eying his movements, she hit upon what was happening. "Markus, thrust faster with the tip slanted upward!" Paige yelled out suddenly. Markus tilted the end of his stick slightly upward instead of parallel to the ground. Paige watched as the rope danced slightly off the ground and nodded. "That is what you want to feel when you thrust." Beckoning Markus to her, she lightly took his practice weapon and sat him down next to Zenith.


    Taking a simple fencing stance, sheangled her body so that she was partially facing to the side with her weapon pointed in line with her body. Breathing in, she quickly dashed forward and thrust repeatedly. Zenith and Markus watched asthe ropefloated parallel to the ground, snapping rhythmically in time to her thrusts. "Step forward slightly and thrust, pulling your arm back once your back foot completes the motion. Watch my rope, Markus, it never touches the ground after the first thrust." Paige stopped and grabbed the rope before it fell to the ground. "What did you notice from my example?" Smiling, she knelt and waited expectantly waited for an answer. She could tell that Markus was thinking about how the rope moved.


    "...the rope swayed side to side instead of up and down?" Markus asked hesitantly.


    Paige stilled, impressed that he was paying that much attention. "Good job, Little Markus. I wasn''t sure you would have seen that. Well, just like how every Class has its quirks, every weapon will have its specific rhythm. That is why most fighters will have a specific preference on what type of weapon they use. My lessons, while a little unconventional, should teach you the fundamentals for each type of attack, no matter the weapon. Slash, thrust, sweep, parry, chop, block. Maybe by the end, you will realize what else I am trying to teach you. But for now, practice by having fun. Just do whatever you feel is natural," pushing Markus back to the clearing, Paige waited until he started before she sat down next to Zenith.


    "Is this really how you learned, Paige?" Tyler asked doubtfully from behind her. "Why not teach him the normal way, with a dummy, a practice partner and lots of drills? He won''t be able to replicate what you did for at least a few weeks, and by that time it might be too late to fix any habits that arise from this."


    "I wasn''t allowed to practice swordsmanship in the Imperial Palace, so I did the next best thing. Trust me, it should work. Even Grandmaster Flynn agreed that thetheory behind me using a twirling stick was sound... not that he used any of this when he conducted his lessons or that even approved of me practicing initially," Paige added after a moment.


    "Grandmaster Flynn? I haven''t heard of him before. Was he important?"


    "He was. He was the head combat teacher for Imperial Scions when I was still there. He... he was the one who helped me gain a Warrior subclass when I was still a Princess. And more importantly, he was the one who helpedme plana way to escape."


    Tyler whistled but noticed what Paige had said. "Hm, Zenith told me about how you forced the Imperial family to turn over their magic research to everyone. I thought that was a little unusual for you. But it makes sense to do it that way if you had someone planning it for you and you just followed along with it... You said was. What happened to him in the end? After your escape?"


    "He was tasked to hunt me down. He refused and paid the price." Paige said after a long moment. She smiled sadly as she watched Markus swing his stick randomly, going from a thrust to a slash and awkwardly stopping as the rope got in his way.She probably looked just as ridiculous when she was young. Probably more so since she was usually in a dress.


    Zenith wrapped her arm around Paige. "Do you think this will work for Markus?"


    Paige shrugged after a moment. "If it doesn''t, I''ll switch over to traditional teaching methods, though Tyler might have to teach some of the skills instead of me."


    "Hey Paige, this is a random question, but is Boary okay? I noticed I haven''t seen him in a week or two." Zenith asked as she looked around for the telltale sign of the boar.


    Paige took a glance and noticed the clover patch she had for him was growing fuller than usual. "Hm? Boary should be fine. He''s just spending a lot more time in the main clover patch. I guess he''s probably having a hard time digesting that Beholder mana core he ate." Paige blinked as she remembered her one-time experiment. He had eaten two elemental mana cores at once. Maybe that wasn''t the best idea for an elder monster. Now she felt a little guilty. She had honestly given up on the experiment after the first month had passed without any results. She had told the rest of them about her little experiment...right? Yeah, she probably did. Mentally shrugging her shoulders, she decided the best course of action was to wait and see. What was done was done, after all. "I''ll, uh, check in on him again if he doesn''t come this way soon. But he is rather lazy right now..."


    "Well, just check in on him. If he bites the dust I know Lily will be sad. But hopefully, we''ll be able to get that Beholder core back without issue."If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    That got a chuckle out of Paige. "Hah, so that''s what you''re actually worried about! Don''t worry about him, I''ll check on him. If not today then sometime soon."


    ---


    "Hah! Ho, Hah!" Markus thrust his stick forward, the rope tied at the end dragging across the ground. He stared hatefully at the coarse, woven rope. Aunt Paige had made it look so easy! He still didn''t know what he was doing wrong. Looking over to his aunt, he noticed she was talking with Aunt Zenith and decided not to interrupt whatever they were talking about.


    Thinking back to his dreams, he frowned as goosebumps formed on his arms, exactly where he was hit in his dream by a grumpy looking old man."A THRUST IS MEANT TO KILL THE ENEMY IN ONE HIT! SNAP YOUR ARM FORWARD AND PIERCE THE TARGET. GO FAS-"


    "A thrust is meant to put an enemy on the defensive. But a bad thrust will put you on the defensive since your arm is now fully extended. Remember Markus,the motion and range of your sword is dependent on how you move. It''s your initial step that is moving the rope forward. Step forward first to close the distance, and then snap your arm out. Otherwise, the rope will never get off the ground."


    Markus startled and turned to see Aunt Paige staring at him, her conversation with his other aunt apparently finished. "You''re being too forceful with your thrust, Markus. Watch me again." He nodded and sat down to watch. His aunt was a much better teacher than that grumpy old man. And nicer too.


    His aunt was amazing though. Even as a Farmer,her teachings matched what the old man said sometimes, if in a roundabout manner. Which brought a question to mind. "Hey, Aunt Paige? Why do you know so much about fighting?"


    "Hm? Can''t a Famer know how to fight?" Paige stopped her thrust and looked at Markus wryly.


    Markus knew that her aunt was trying to distract him. It wouldn''t work today! "Lily and Tyler saidyou all aretoo strong for the classes you supposedly have."


    "Mhmm. And Lily and Tyler are better than their classmates now. So, what does that mean about us?"


    "You... you had a good teacher? Or you''re hiding something?" Markus asked with a tilt of his head.


    "Or both. Maybe one day we''ll tell you, Markus. But right now, I am just a Farmer. Zenith is just a Teacher, and Nick and Tyler are a Bowyer and a Merchant. I promise." Paige said seriously. Markus watched her face carefully. She was serious, he realized. That must be a clue! ''Right now'' she is a Farmer, than wha-.


    "Everyone has a secret, Markus. You shouldn''t pry into your Aunts and Uncles." Lily sighed as she tapped Markus on the head.


    "But you said yourself that they are too powerful! Why not ask them outright before you leave?" Markus said with a whine.


    "Because it''s not our place to ask. Some things just shouldn''t be asked, Markus. Not until they decide when to tell you. My mom tells me all the time that she lost most of her friends that way. That''s why she is hesitant to inquire about your aunt''s past, even though my mom knows where she went to school. What would knowing aboutMiss Zenith''s past do to their relationship now? Make it stronger than it already is? Or would it cause problems? She''s not a criminal, and she treats us nice. That''s all we need to know about her character."


    "I''m sorry for asking, Aunt Paige," Markus said quickly. How had he forgotten about what Lily and Tyler had told him?


    Luckily, his aunt smiled and rubbed his head. "It''s all good. I gotta go and check on all my food plots. And maybe Boary. Run along to Uncle Tyler now, Markus. I think he was planning on teaching you something as well. Or would you rather read books with Aunt Zenith instead?"


    "Umm... I''ll go with Uncle Tyler. I don''t like reading books. It''s kinda boring," sticking out his tongue, hewaved goodbye and walked over to his uncle, who was sitting idly on the ground. Markus could already hear his auntlaughing and telling Aunt Zenith what he had said from behind him though. Blushing slightly, he sat in front of his Uncle and waited for him to say something.


    Being the only child here was harder than Lily and Tyler thought, especially amongst only adults. Each of his aunts and uncles had specific quirks that he had to watch for. Aunt Zenith was the most approachable, but she was also liable to make anything into a lesson. Uncle Nick was quiet and withdrawn and was almost impossible to find in a forest. So any questions he had would have to be asked either before bed or right after breakfast. Uncle Tyler was the most serious of all the adults, and Markus really didn''t like to ask him any questions. But he did bring treats back, so he was fine to be around. Aunt Paige was the fun one though. There was never a dull moment, though she was kinda weird at times too.


    And Aunt Paige was the leader. That Markus was sure of. Everyone usually deferred to her decisions and she had the final say in most matters. Or so it seemed to him anyway. He knew of their late-night discussions, but after the fifth time they caught him sneaking about, his punishments went way up.


    After five minutes of sitting, Markus hesitantly broke the ice. "Umm, Uncle? Thank you for the treats. Did you want me for something?"


    "Look at the sky, Markus. What do you see?"


    Ugh. "... a few clouds, some mist, Miss Paige''s pet bird. I think that''s it."


    "Time flies by fast. Just four years ago the mist was so thick it could almost block out the sun. You were also just a baby back then. Now look at you, you''re almost seven years old now and the mist is sputtering away."


    "Umm, you were also fat back then. Lily and Tyler made fun of you a lot because of that."


    Tyler laughed softly. "True, I was rather large back then. But that should tell you what I am trying to get at."


    Markus frowned. Did clouds have something to do with time? "I really don''t."


    "Time waits for no one, Markus. What do you want to learn?"


    That was a stupid riddle! How did that go together at all? Feeling rather vexed, Markus decided to forget that made up analogy and answer the question at hand. What he wanted to learn was easy. "How to be an Adventurer! I want to join Lily and Tyler''s party, but they said I need to have a Class first. But I''ve tried to get a Class, and my Class is still Commoner." Markus noticed Tyler pause. "Can you teach me how to get a Class? I want to be a Swordsman! Or maybe even a SwordMaster!"


    Tyler whistled, clearly impressed by Markus''s choice. Though that slight grin on his face was odd. "Not a Warrior?"


    "Nu-uh. Lily and Tyler said a Warrior is weaker than a Sword Master. Something about being too generalized a Class. So, any Sword Master must be much better than a common Warrior.If I get a strong Class, they said they''de let me jointheir party for the final yearat Nespe!."


    "Haha, don''t let your Aunt Paige hear you say that about Warriors," his uncle said as he stood up. Markus filed that comment away for later. His uncle stared at him as he began to stretch his arms out, seemingly trying to gauge what to teach. "Well, Paige gets first dibs on training, and she is already teaching you how to stretch, balance and swordplay. So, what can I teach you... tactics? No, you were there when the other children were learning that... you said you want to be a Sword Master? Then how about I teach you how to parry correctly?"


    "That won''t mess up Aunt''s lessons?" Markus was confused. His uncle had already said Aunt Paige was teaching him swordplay. He had watched Tyler train, and parrying was definitely something he considered swordplay. Or would it be shield play in Tyler''s case?


    "Parrying, if you remember from my lessons with young Tyler, is about timing and decision making. And since Paige is teaching how she was taught, maybe I should do the same as well," Tyler said with an unnatural smile.


    Markus decided he did not like the look on his Uncle''s face. Not one bit.

 Chapter 49

    "Roll, Markus!"


    He could hear Aunt Zenithyelling, but for some reason, he himself didn''t know what was happening. ''Wait, why did she say roll? And what is that whistling sound?'' The darkness engulfedhis mind before he could find an answer.


    Blinking his eyes, Markus knew somethingwas off about the sky. Right, wasn''t the sun much farther down than before? And he was looking up at the sky.


    "Uncle? Wha, what happened? Ts, ow ow."If he could move, Markus knew that he would have curled up in a ball as the pain lanced through his bodywhen he mistakingly tried to sit up.


    "You got hit, that''s what happened. You were supposed to sidestep away or roll to your feet. Or, at least roll away from the strike."


    For reasons unknown, his uncle''s voice sounded from afar. Turning his headslowly to one side, he noticed that his Aunt Zenith was sitting next to him. Her face was tinged with concern as she held her hand above his chest; her hands radiant with light as they moved vertically in time with his breathing.


    "You have a mild concussion. Just relax while I heal your other wounds. Don''t move your body; you dislocated a few of your ribs when you were hit by that shield."


    "It wasn''t my fault, Zenith. He was doing just fine parrying a sword. How was I supposed to know he would blank outthe moment I hit him with a shield?"


    "Just stay in there until I finish healing Markus. Honestly, I''m amazedeitherof you ever gotbattle classes if that''s how the two of you were originally trained. One trained with a rope and one trained with beatings,"Zenith huffed angrily.


    Markus counted to ten beforehe could gather enough strength to movehis head the other way, the whistling sound increasing as he slightly angled his face. He now knew why his Uncle wasn''t next to him. A semi-solid mass of wind was rotating around him sharply. Judging by how the rocks were scarring the ground as they moved clockwise in front of his uncle''s feet, Markus decided it was probably for the best that his uncle wasn''t trying to escape. He was glad that his uncle was looking at him with concern though, his voice clearly apologetic and confused.


    "So, why did you stop suddenly, Markus? You were in good form right up to the point Iswitched over to a shield, and then you fainted right as I struck. I am glad you were able to watch up to that point, but if you faint every time you are about to get hit by a shield..."


    "Sorry uncle. I don''t know what happened either. I''ll do better next time."


    Thinking back, he was confused as well. His uncle had elected to do a simple parry exercise. The same exercise that he had shown Tyler, in fact. You simply stood there and tried your best to deflect the blows to away from your body. Or barring that, sidestepping or ducking if the blow was coming at a bad angle. He tried his best to think back. What happened at that last moment?


    He thought hard about what he could remember. ''I got into the rhythm of parrying after a quick lesson from Uncle Tyler. Uncle did an overhead slash and I parried the top half of uncle''s blade and deflected it. He switched to a backhanded slash. Parried with the middle of my blade and deflected it above me. Repeat, repeat, repeat. He switched over to a shield and stepped forward for a shield bash. So I sidest-


    "DON''T DODGE. PARRY!"


    An old man stoodabovehim, sneering while he held a solid steel cane and shield.


    "Worthless. Don''t ever try to sidestep a simple [[Shield Bash]]. Just cut it with your sword. Everything in the world can be cut with a sharp enough blade. Hmph. When I was your age, I was cutting Devil''s by the dozens. Shield or not."


    "But Father sai-"


    "Don''t mention that bastard son. He utterly disgraced our family name, actually losing to a Human female in swordsmanship. It would have been acceptable if it was a Demon female, but a Human!? Peh. I''ll train you twice as hard, just to make sure that mistake never happens again. Now. GET. UP."


    Standing up, I-


    "Markus, sit down!You are in no shape to continue practicing," Aunt Zenith said while gentlyrestraining his movements, forcing his back to solid ground.


    "I can still go on, Auntie. It was just a light tap. I think? Why is your hand glowing?" Markus gibbered as his mind wandered slightly.


    "I have a lesser affinity to healing, so I know a few healing spells. Granted, I''m not as good as a Cleric, but I can heal lesser wounds like this fairly well. None of you really got injured enough to warrant me using healing spells before."


    "Uncle Tyler, could we go again later? I promise to do better."


    "It''s not all your fault." Tyler sighed andpicked up his equipmentas the wall of wind died down in front of him. "We''ll practice parrying and dodging with exaggerated motions next time. And I''ll pick up a wooden shield in town next time. Perhaps using a solid steel shield wasn''t the smartest decision for a practice drill."


    "You think!? Tyler, you shou-"


    Markus closed his eyes as Aunt Zenith began berating his Uncle Tyler in the background.''I haven''t had any bad dreams lately. At least, none like that in a long time...do I knowthat old man? I don''t recognize anything in the dream, but the person who was practicing seemed to be much older than I am now. But if there was one person whomightknow something...''


    "Aunt, can I get up and see Aunt Paige? I think I''d rather stick to a rope on a stick for a little while. At least, until Uncle gets a wooden shield."


    "She already left to go check her clearings. You still have a concussion, so how about you stay here and read a few books instead so that I can keep an eye on you? I did get a lot from the library, and your Uncle picked some up from his travels as well."


    "I don''t like reading though. I''d rather go and do something instead. Pleaaase?" The thought of reading already made him sleepy. What use was reading books anyways?


    "No means no. Tyler, a little help?"


    "...Markus. Do you know how most Adventurers gain their Skills?" his uncle asked enigmatically.


    "Hm? Don''t they watch someone practice until they learn how? That''s how I learned all of my Skills. That¡¯s how Tyler learned his skills too." Markus was confused. Was his concussion affecting him more than he thought? Why would his uncle bring that up?


    "Most Apprentices wouldn''t be able to find someone who could guide a person through examples alone. Instead, they read. They learn how to use Skills and Spells by using their predecessors'' insight."


    "... they read to learn abilities? That can''t be true!" Markus exclaimed.


    His aunt sighed from the side. He could already tell that she was about to lecture him. "Lily was learning how to use Spells long before she came to me for tutoring. Even Tyler was studying how to use [Shield Bash] on his own whenever he was not here for lessons. The library has copies of Apprentice level spells and skills for that express purpose. The problem with reading is are you able to understand what someone else wrote. That is why most people would rather learn from a tutor if you have the money."


    "So couldn''t Aunt Paige teach me how to use Skills? That''s how I learned how to use [[Seismic]] and [Seismic Slash], by watching auntie do it so many times. She even said that she could teach me any battle skill so long as I have enough mana to use it."


    Auntie Zenith sighed. "...of course she would brag about something like that. How about this? Certain Spells are really hard to learn. And if everyone who learned a certainspell died..."


    "...then it was a really bad spell?" Markus said hesitantly.


    "Well, the chances of that are low, but in some cases that could be true. What I am trying to get at Markus, is that sometimes what one person understands isn''t what another person understands; which is why it is good to have multiple sources to draw upon when learning a new ability. Reading is one such way."


    Flicking her hand lightly, Zenith rotated a small sphere of mana in front of her. Take my wind spells, for instance. My understanding of the laws of wind is vastly different than Lily''s. So my Spells, like [[Prison Wind]], might be different than Lily''s when she eventually learns it. Maybe she''ll focus more on the cutting aspect of the Spell instead of the controlling aspect. Same spell, but different. We read to better understand someone else''s point of view, which will help us come up with new innovative ways to use thesame spell."


    He nodded, though his aunt''s spell naming was terrible. Who would call a sphere of wind a prison? "Uncle? What about a Skill then. Like [Shield Bash]. How does reading help with learning a Skill?"


    Markus turned as his uncle picked up the conversation. "Most Skills are universal and don''t vary from person to person. So a [Shield Bash] is just that, bashing a person with a shield. But there are certain things to pay attention to. A good teaching tome would highlight everything a person would have to do in order to learn the Skill. If you recall, it took almost half a yearbefore Tyler got the Skill, [Shield Bash], and that was with practice and someone tutoring him exclusively. It wasn''t until he learned how to adapt and use it in combat before he got the Skill. Other Skills are the same."Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    "This is why we do not want to rush the basics, and why I am letting Paige train certain things first. Her understanding of battles is different than mine. But reading won''t interfere with your training since everything you read is theoretical until you can master it in combat."


    His uncle tapped his chin, evidently trying to figure out how to word his answer. Markus hung tohis every word, something easy to do since he was still laying down. This was the most his uncle had spoken to him in as long as he could remember.


    "Since Zenith chose Lily as an example, I''ll choose Tyler as one. Say he becomes a fully pledged Vanguard. One of the Skills he might learn is [Offensive Engagement]. The whole point of the Skill is to force the opponent to take you as a major threat, something he cannot ignore in battle.


    "So, maybe to learn the Skill, the key is learning how to present yourself as a threat, maybe learning how to stay just outside of your opponent''s blind spots. Reading about it will help him learn how to apply it in combat, and then with practice, it can become a Skill."


    "Skill acquisition is tough for most people. Only a few people can readdifferent books on abilities and not get information confused. That is why it is not good to spread out your focus on a lot of Skills that may not have any relevance to you, and also why most people will acquire one Skill at a time."


    Tyler poked Markus with his foot as he passed by, very much to his aunt''s displeasure. "So before you start askingus to repeat Skills until you learn them, first figure out which Skills would be most relevant for you to have. We all know a variety of combat-related skills, but we typically only use a few of them in actual combat, depending on how much mana we have and the situation at hand."


    Markus nodded after a moment. It made sense. Sort of. Though, he probably would need his aunt''s help choosing what books to read. "I, I guess I''ll read a book then. Aunt Zenith, are there any good books on Sword Masters?"


    <hr>


    "Auntie, this book says Sword Master Tempest Tallis famous Skill wascalled [Sky Rendering Slash], and h-."


    "That''s not a real Skill. His slasheswere so fast that he could seemingly rend the sky apart. But in all actuality, he just augmented his slash with a [[Wind Blade]] so that itcould cut the clouds above him in half. It''s only good for showing off and somewhat for posturing," Paige said offhand as she sat at the dinner table and prepared for dinner.


    Looking over at Markus, she was surprised to see that he was surrounded by a pile of books, most of them the ones Zenith had brought from the library of the more local heroes. She Markus was really getting into the stories of Sword Masters, although she was a little bummed about his apparent enthusiasm. She was a full-blown Warrior, and she didn''t even have a book about her feats! Hell, even that bum Tallis had a book on him!


    Zenith elbowed her hard. "Paige, don''t kill Markus''s enthusiasm. That one was a good read, although I do agree with your judgment about his skill."


    Looking over, Paige did realize she was killing Markus''sdrive to read. Most of the books were really worn with age, though the newer ones were clearly the library''s copies of books. At least Zenith had organized the books by topic, though one book was rather out of place.


    "Well, how about you read this one, Markus."


    Picking the out of place book, she quickly smiled at the title. It was indeed the perfect book! And it was her original copy of it. Turning to Markus, she carefully handed over a small weather-worn book, the title barely visible through the sun bleached leather cover. ''The Ghost of Alun Tep''.In truth, it was one of Paige''s favorite books. Mainly because it was actually about her! Well, it was heavily fictionalized, and the author had even created a fake (male) identity and amostlyfictional backstory for most of the characters.But the conclusion and all the descriptions of the Skills she had used were entirely accurate.


    "Is this a real story? Auntie Zenith said it''s bad to use fake stories as a reference on which Skills I should think about learning," Markus asked with a frown, looking at how old the book was.


    "Hey now! I''ll have you know it is extremely accurate." Paige said feeling personally attacked. "Skill-wise anyways," she mumbled after seeing Zenith''s skeptical face. "Markus, whenever they say Warrior in the book, insert Sword Master instead. The skills the main character uses are all valid skills for Sword Masters. I don''t think this copy has a codex at the end, so you''ll have to read the entire story to find out which Skills he knows."


    Zenithfrowned at the choice of the book. "Ghost of Alun Tep? You are talking about the person who haunts the ancient forest regions of the northeast and kills Elves and Humans on sight? Why in the world would you let him read that story? It''s terrible what happened in those woods and the repercussions that arose from that."


    "Hey now, they shouldn''t have been dealing in illegal slave trading. It''s not m-his fault they all decided to fight to the death instead of surrendering peacefully. Andhow was he supposed to know there was an Elven Princess hiding there? And that he would be blamed of getting said princess pregnant and plunging the northeast corner of the empire in a brief war, which subsided after he killed twenty Elven Protectors in a battle to regain his lost honor?"


    Markus''s eyes widened as he clutched the book and ran off to read what should be a fantastic tale of adventure.The adults though sat in silence. Paige watched as Zenith quietly took out a small mana core and placed it on the table, activating the hidden ward they had etched into the table. They had finally decided to install a privacy ward now that Sara was coming more often, and Markus was starting to stay up later and later in the night. "...that was awfully specific Paige," Nick muttered eventually.


    "...I didn''t get the princess pregnant; that was just artistic embellishment on the author''s part. The nobles kidnapped and tortured her,and I rescued her and brought her back. But instead of thanking me, her entire family decided instead that it would be a good reason to start a war. A Noble Elven Princess getting sullied by some human noble."


    Paige''s annoyance grewas she remembered the finer details of the event in question. "And they even had the gall to blame me for everything since I was traveling incognito! But since they wanted to start a war andmy reputation was being drugged through the mud, I told them I would kill a High-Class Elven Protector every day they didn''t leave Alun Tep. They rethought their idea after I killed twenty of them." She smiled after a second as a thought popped in her mind. "Heh. I guess I''m not a persona non grata anymore in Elven territory."


    Paige stopped as she saw Zenith''s eyes twitching. "So, what brought this reading frenzy on anyways? I thought Markus hated reading."


    "He does, but Tyler told him you can learn Skills and Spells from reading. I told him to read those stories to see how some Skills are typically used in combat. Paige. The Twenty Day War was over nine hundred years ago. And you played a part in that? Then, do you think anything has changed in the northeast of the Empire?" Zenith asked carefully.


    Paige knew she should care more but she just shrugged off the whole ordeal. "I haven''t thought about it. If something has happened, it happened nine hundred years ago. The final outcome really depends on what happened to that Princess." The look in Zenith''s eyes was starting to worry her a bit more than she wanted to let on. "But honestly, even if the Elves could penetrate past Alun Tep, all the Imperial Family would have done is dispatch a couple Party of Scions to take back the territory by force. Or maybe diplomatically, but I highly doubt that."


    "After I teach Xavier, I''ll go to the library and look for a few history books. Honestly, though, Paige, is there anything else I should be on the lookout for?"Zenith said as she slumped in her seat.


    "Well, there were a few events...I''ll draw up a map of what I can remember."


    "You mean a list?"


    "Peh. My memory isn''t that good. I know general layouts of where I got into more trouble than others, but I''d need something to spark my memory of an event. A map will do just fine. And in my defense, it''s not like what happened at Alun Tep vastly changed my life forever, so I forgot aboutituntil Isaw that book. The only real consequence was that I just couldn''t travel further into Elven territory than I previously tried since they got a good read of my mana."


    "How far could you get?"Nick said with interest. "I''ve heard stories of their ancient forests, and as much as I''d hate to admit, Leit''s ancient forests wouldn''t even come close age-wise."


    "It''s okay. There are more monsters to watch for and some things even I hesitated to cross, but overall it was a forest. You''ve seen one, you''ve seen them all. And the Elves even lived in treehouses, for goodness sake. Although their main palace was a rather impressive tree."


    Paigethought about the capital city of the Elves. Nowthatwas a forest. Though she wouldn''t admit to anyone that the sight was impressive. But with hardly any hills or mountains, it was tough to gauge just how far the forest stretched.


    "Hmm, speaking of travels, if you really wanted to see some ancient trees, I''d go to the Dragos Territory. The whole area is littered with ancient forests, though it would also be more dangerous than going into Elven Territory. The stupid lizards are very, very territorial. And there were a few ancient forests in the Demon Territory too, though I never really made headway into there to explore. Their Demon Lords are no joke to fight against, all things considering. They''re practically trained for war."


    Which might have more merit than Paige had previously thought prior to fighting Markus at the Mausoleum. ''Maybe there was a reason why they were so powerful. Powerful opponents are always the best way to grow... Meh, not my job right now. Not my job,'' Paige thought as she happily shoved that idle thought away.


    Zenith took a worried look at Markus, who was happily reading by the fireplace. "Paige, do you know a lot about Demon Lords? I would be lying if I said I wasn''t concerned about how fast Markus picks up Skills."


    Paige stilled, realizing that her viewpoint of Markus was rather skewed in comparison to everyone else. To her, Markus''s growth was perfectly normal in most ways.


    "You have to remember that a Demon Lord is the equivalent to a Human Hero. From what I can tell, Markus is picking things up just as fast as a Hero would. Probably slower, actually. We aren''t exactly teaching him everything we know and we are still limited by the fog to some degree.As far as I know, he''s picking up random Skills through experimentation and observation."


    "So is his growth normal?" Tyler asked seriously.


    Paige nodded. "It is if you are comparing him to a Hero. But you also have to remember, his actual race and Class is Human/Demon and Blessed Apprentice. I''m guessing his greater affinity to darkness comes from his demon side, the lesser affinity to light from his human side. But after that, we have no idea how his race or class is affecting his growth."


    "About that." Zenith interrupted briskly, "Race aside, should we tell him about his Class now that he is older? We''ve been hiding it since we found him, and he''s been upset that his class is still Commoner,"


    "How would we explain the Class upgrade? The minute he sees someone else gain a Class, he will start to wonder why he didn''t have to go through the same ordeal," Tyler spoke up, seemingly refuting that idea.


    Zenith took a deep breath. "How about we fake it?"


    "Eh?"


    "I''ve been thinking about this for a while now. Class upgrades are essentially three parts: mana recognition, mana upgrade, and mana stabilization; and not everyone''s class upgrade is the same. Tyler''s class upgrade was a glowing cloud, for instance, which practically describes mana stabilization. I would bet money that the other two parts happened months ago in his sleep, but it manifested when we made him choose a single path.But, I remember the same thing happened when we gained our subclasses..."


    "No. That''s a terrible idea. Let''s just tell him directly," Nick interrupted, which surprised everyone.


    He looked gravely at the others, "Lying long term will not help anything. Let him see that he actually has a Class, but it has to be kept a secret since we don''t know how it can affect his future. He probably already knows it himself that something is off with this whole situation. I mean, he clearly knows we do not havesimple support classes, so why wouldn''t he be different as well? Just don''t lie about how we found him and everything will eventually work itself out. Paige, can you do it? Or would you rather Zenith does it? The two of you have spent the most time with him overall, so one of you should do it."


    "Since I was the one who hid his Class in the first place, I should be the oneto fix the problem. I''ll... figure something out tomorrow when I take him to train. But no matter what, I will still hide the Blessed part of his Class."

 Chapter 49.1 (Side Story - Royal Puppet)

    "Your Highness, I know what... you''re asking... and it is impossible."


    Williams closed his eyes toavoid the gaze of the bowing queen in front of her; his wheezing voice the only sound in the room.


    "I know I am asking a lot, Sir Williams, but I need your help with this war. The country itself needs you. We both know that the nation won''t last another war without the support of the High Classes. And we are sorely lacking in that regard right now.


    But we need someone with more experience to take the helm. The Imperial Scion has already enlisted the rest of the court and transferred what little authority I had away to my son, and we both know he is not ready for that. The support lines need someone to manage the reconstruction, and -"


    Rebecca knew she was asking the impossible, but she had to at least try.


    With hardly any supporters left in the Royal Courts, she was already the epitome of a puppet monarch, at least in her eyes. Only tradition and the presence of the Imperial Scion had stalled any attempts to fully usurp the throne from her.


    And there was a good chance that she would be dethroned regardless since it was publicly known that she had sent Peter to the Mausoleum and subsequently caused his death.


    ''Not technically my fault, but who would believe that now,''she thought ruefully.


    Even four years later, that mistake was manifesting itself in different ways. Why hadn''t she realized one simple fact?


    Peter wanted to die. So why would he care about what came after? And now here she was, all alone and picking up the pieces to a ruined plan; a queen without any backing; and a broken family.


    "... that''s enough, your majesty. I''m sorry... But I can''t do it anymore, not... after this last attempt on my life..


    My... late wife would want me... to help you, your highness, but... I can''t. Not after what I saw."


    William visibly shuddered as the bindings on his arms slowly turned red as the movement tore open his wounds.


    "I can''t... help you in my condition... and while I would like... to think better of my peers, not... many will be willing to step up... Not after the last rounds of... the assassinations... Your proposals would... have come in handy now... Hindsight, eh?"


    "...no one could have expected this back then, William, not while Peter or the Imperial Scions were here. And my proposal might not have worked either, not for the opponents we are facing now," she faltered, knowing just how much ofher original Royal Court was left now.


    "And no one stepped up either, Williams. Most of the surviving High Classes left the country or had aligned themselves with the Imperial Scion. With Alexandra in the hands of that monster and Beatrice in lockdown, the Alcudian monarchy is finished. And it doesn''t take much to figure out that Daniel or Alexandra will be a puppet monarch for either Leit or Appealte, depending on what the Imperial Scion decides to do."


    It was a gloomy topic, but it had to be said aloud. Alcudia was on the brink of disaster.


    "... this round of assassination attempts. How did it happen, William? I was traveling incognito when it happened, but the defenses around your estate should have been comparable to Nespe Academy. Barring the defensive magic circle, of course."


    Rebecca knew that it was not the only reason she survived the latest attempt, but there was no point in announcing the true reason.


    "They struck at night... Three full scout parties attacked... Judging by the... sentries'' bodies, they were caught unaware... died within the first few seconds of the encounter. It was... plain luck that one guard survived... to sound the alarm. And even then... it was too late." Williams trembled as he wheezed painfully, whether from fright or fury the queen couldn''t tell. "They slaughtered everyone...no matter howwellthe safe rooms... were concealed. Everyone... they were methodical.... about the slaughter... just like the war."


    That was one topic she did not want to dwell on again, and was probably the largest reason why she had lost public support. Peter assured her that thedefensive castles would be left standing and that the libraries in each city would be able to withstand the brunt of the attacks. Instead, what she was left with were ruins and mausoleums. Not a single one of the defensive castles behind the frontlines was spared. And those were the lucky ones. The worstones became just like the old capital of Terpii. Ritual zones. And with Peter gone, she had to deal with the blame of practically everything, ranging to something as mundane as appeasing both Appealte and Leit for the loss of their diplomats, to begging the Imperial Family for forgiveness for the loss of Peter himself and the heroic class weapon.


    "I need help, Williams. What can I do to help my children?" Rebecca whispered quietly. With her authority all but gone, she hoped that she could at least do something for her daughters. And her son as well, though she feared that would be impossible at this stage.


    "You can''t... use your Skills anymore, can you... your majesty?" William asked suddenly. "You... don''t have to answer; I already... know you can''t. And with the king dead... how is Alexandra doing? She is the crown princess... after all."


    The queen''s look of anguish told William all he needed to know. "... remarry. That would be the easiest way to... stabilize the country. Renew the citizens... faith in you, start using your... Skills again, and focus... on the upcoming war. Barring that... find a backer... one willing to go against... the Imperial Scions...decisions."


    To his surprise though, Rebecca did reply. "...and if there was one. A person, I mean. Willing to stand up for me?"


    "Then half of your... problems would be gone... Got a guy in mind?" William inquired skeptically.


    "I have someone in mind."


    Motioning for William to continue lying down, Rebecca strode to the door and opened it, her guards stationed at the door following close behind. Rebecca could feel the eyes of thecitizens following her as she strode into her carriage. There were no more cries of jubilation anymore, even if people still believed in the Royal Family.


    The trip from Castle Molt''s Healer Hall back to Nespe gave Rebecca some much needed time to think about the situation of the country overall as well as the immediate problem that had cropped up in Nespe, one of her final bastions of support in the country. The Healer Hall had finally forced her to contact the girl''s mentor. Rebecca could only hope that she would have some way to change the Healer Hall''s mind, as it had been decades since she had seen anyone with as much talent as that little Apprentice Mage had, and it was unlikely the Healer Hall would bend to what little pressure she could exert.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Strolling into Nespe Acadamy, she declined all the invitations offered to her and proceeded straight to her room, placed squarely in the Academy''s reconfigured Keep. Unlocking the door, she peered in and made sure nothing had changed in her room before walking in carefully, slowly inspecting her gloves.


    It had taken a lot of research and development to create her magic detection gloves, something she kept squarely to herself. No doubt there would be people asking questions had they known she washad artifacts that were not Imperial products, but she had no qualms saying Peter had given them to her.


    Sweeping the room and finding nothing, Rebecca turned and slumped on the edge of her bed, safely away from any prying eyes. Looking toward the setting sun outside the window, countlessmemories ran around in her head.


    ''Peter said everything would start anew if he went to the mausoleum. So what am I missing?'' Falling to her back, Rebecca curled into a ball, only mildly ashamed at her own behavior. She was a grown woman, and she was basically acting like a teenager.


    Flicking a stream of mana out from her hand, Rebecca eyedher mana and released as much as she could, almost to the point of having a mana cloud around her. She could feel herself reaching the point of mana exhaustion but continued on, knowing what would follow. Her vision blurred and beads of sweat rolled down her face.


    ''I just have to hold on. A test of will to reveal the truth.'' Finally, as the last of her mana was released from her core, it happened. A spark of golden light colored the cloud and forced her mana back into her core. That was when she collapsed, her mind in a state of incoherency as the world swam around her.


    --


    "Hey, do you need some help? Kinda strange that you''re alone in these woods, kiddo."


    "You need to get to safety, your highness! Protect the princess! Run! Ru-"


    "Name''s Paige. Huh? My last name? Hrmm... Alduit. Yeah, that''s it. Hey, I didn''t make up my last name! It''s called stranger danger! Hey, you''re the one lost in the woods, not me!"


    "My name is Peter. Peter Alduit. And I''ve heard a strange rumor about you, your highn-..., where did you get that mana from? WHERE!?"


    "Commoners? Peh, when was the last time you''ve left these walls, Rebecca!? Come on, we''re going on an adventure."


    "It''s absurd. There is no way the Royal Court willallow that, Rebecca! You''ll only get yourself killed!"


    "You need to push, Rebecca!...Ioffer my Class to this baby, Isabella Freal, that she may live!"


    "I''m sorry, Rebecca... But noone was willing to transfer their class. It''s highly unlikely it would have worked anyway."


    "Mommy, do I habe to stay in teh castle? I wanna go play!"


    "Mother, are you alright? You shouldn''t spend time in this room, you know the rumors..."


    "I''ll...negotiate with the Imperial Family, Rebecca. Sucks that you found a heroic weapon lying about. I mean, what are the odds...Yeah, I can do it. I can do things diplomatically, after all. Sorta. So long as they don''t attack first. Hey, I know it''s important! Isabella will be fine, I can promise you that much."


    "...I''ve got to go to the mausoleum. That is the focal point... The Empire needs her, Rebecca, not me. Just tell her...I''m sorry she has to clean up my mess."


    "It, it means to live a happy life, your royalness?¡±


    --


    Rebecca awoke to the sounds of birds chirping outside. The memories! She had to hold onto the memories. Grabbing her head, Rebecca gathered her mana, praying to herself that it would work. Focusing her mind, she tried to retain as much of the memories as she could, though the memories slowly turned into fragments of themselves as she failed to retain but pieces of them once again.Closing her eyes, she reviewed the memories that shehad been able to retain.


    "Isabella Freal Platz. My daughter is alive, but she''s not my daughter anymore..."


    It hurt her, knowing that someone else was acting as a mother figure, but her now alive youngest daughter had been happy with her adopted family. She would try harder to protect the girl, butRebecca knew she was already stretching the limits on the help she could provide without attracting more attention to the girl. Just the fact that the Imperial Scionandthe Healer Hall had their eyes on her youngest daughter was a very tough hurdle forher to work around. Maybe she should posta few more guards around their house, just to protect the girl from the influence of the Healer Hall at home. Or would that be too much?


    She opened her eyes. Peter had been right. Something had changed when he went to the Mausoleum and did whatever he had planned to do. And if her daughter was seemingly alive... then maybe it was time to look for her friend in earnest once again. Peter was sure Paige could make a difference, and from what little she remembered of her friend, Paige would most likely be willing to help people again if she had the chance. At least, that''s what she hoped.


    "Haille. Are you there?"


    Rebecca paused and waited, knowing full well it would take a few seconds for her hidden protector to appear. Her secret scouts were a key reason why she had not been assassinated as of yet. She knew the advantages of having Demon Scouts and knew they would be helpful. But she hadn''t quite expected the public pushback to be so harsh, thus stalling her attempts to get them formally recognized. It helped in her current situation though, so she was ambivalent about how it all turned out.


    "The latest assassination attempt. What happened that day?"


    "...They never attacked, Becca.The enemy scoutsstoodjust outside of our attack zoneand hesitated for a long while. Then they just... left. Your guess is as good as mine. My husband was ready for a good fight though, so he was disappointed, to say the very least."


    A woman appeared from the shadows, taking careful stock of the room. Her black hair and dark clothing painted her as an Assassin, but her wand and flowing dark robe clearly indicated otherwise.


    "Tell your husband to cool his fighting spirit. I can''t risk losing the new head of my Royal Guards," Rebecca replied while looking at one of her few friends that were still alive.


    ''Magic Fortress Haille''.As a full-blooded Demon from Evidia, Haille should have been hung for even being this close to the queen, ifRebecca had listened to her court''s opinions.


    ''What dribble, believing that anyone but Humans should live in Alcudia.'' ButRebecca was glad she had her weird memories and even gladder that theywere more useful than not. She should have pushed harder to pass those laws. ''Damn my courts''opinion and damn Peter for not helping!'' But that was in the past, and no amount of cursing would fix her problems now.


    "What are the chances Trent''s Assassins can infiltrate Nespe Academy? Your professional opinion. I cannot risk this school if they are able to pierce the defenses. This is the future of Alcudia."


    "Not likely, Becca. We are keeping a close watch on the perimeters and are scrutinizing anyone that have even a semblance of formal training. Now if they were already in the town before we set up our perimeter, there is nothing we can do. The magic circles around the Library and the Academy already heavily affects thecity''sambient mana."


    That was true, Rebecca thought after a moment. "You''ve seen the Apprentice Mage. What do you think of her? Is she worth saving?"


    A callous way of asking, but she knew Haille''s opinion of other mageswould besuccinct and to the point.


    "Absolutely. She''s phenomenal for her age. I know you have your reservations, especially with Beatrice stuck in the Healer Halls, but I would save her. At her rate, her lower limit will be just around what Gale was. Probably not to my level, since I do have an abnormally large mana core, but still." Her proud eyes had a hint of melancholy in them, Rebecca noticed sadly.


    From her original Party, Only Rebecca herself was left now. Sheknew that Haille still bore a grudge against the Royal Court Mage, though they had both learned that she had been assassinated in the latest attempts. Her goal of proving Gale wrong was now gone, and she probably hated the fact that her mock battle record would be tied forever now.


    But that was not important to dwell on right now. "Haille, I need to send a message to the innkeeper. I want her to travel here. I may need her to do something for me."


    Haille frowned. "You can''t keep on relying on that girl. She''s married now and has another kid on the way."


    "I know, but she''s still the only person I can trust to gather information for me, especially now since my authority has practically diminished. I''m running out of people I can trust." Rebeccawas glad someone would question her actions and hold her accountable, but her late husband''s and her own guards were all that was left now, truly putting her in a bind. "Look, just ask her to come. If she doesn''t, I''ll manage somehow."


    "Fine. But she probably won''t be heading down for at least ayear or two, depending on her newborn. But what are you planning on doing with the Apprentice?"


    "I''m sending some of the scouts that way to contact her mentor and bring her here. I''llwithhold my judgment untilafter I meet her. But I''m leaning on keeping their party intact. As much as I can, anyway."


    ''Especially since Isabella is in her party,''she thought quietly to herself.


    Whatever she could do to help her other daughter, she would.


    Isabella. To live a happy life. She could only hope that she would be able to keep her promise to her youngest daughter.

 Chapter 49.2 SS - Isabella and Lily in the classroom

    "And this is where you''ve been taught every day since school began?" Lily asked incredulously as she looked around the plain classroom. Sure, the four windows on the side of the south wall was a pleasant change, as you could see almost the entirety of the town from its high vantage point. And if she squinted enough, Lily could even make out the mountains on the horizon, marking the borders between Appealte and Alcudia.


    But even that wouldn''t help mood of the classroom once it was all said and done. Looking around, Lily realized what was so off about this situation. A quiet classroom, plain walls, immaculate chalkboard.


    ''All that is missing is a boring lecture and I''d be able to fall asleep with no trouble at all. How had Isabella fared alone then?''


    Her new party member, Isabella, fidgeted from the side. Lily knew that if she was in Isabella''s shoes, she''d have thrown a fit a long time ago.


    ''She was probably just too nice about the whole situation and didn''t complain much.''


    "It''s not as bad as you think. Miss Elena is a good teacher. Actually, a great teacher," she amended as Lily stared at her.


    ''Yup. Definitely too nice.''


    "Sigh. And how much real practice are you getting in? You know, as a mage. Experimenting with spells? Actual Spellcasting? Combat training?"


    "..."


    "Yeah, that''s what I thought, Isabella. Bells. Bella."


    Lily groaned lightly and frowned as she sat in the front of the classroom.


    "Bella, help me out, please. Grab that end of the desk."


    "Huh?"


    "I''m moving them over here by the window. Look how nice it is outside, and with the sun shining on us we''ll be able to fall asleep faster."


    "Umm, I don''t think that''s what we are supposed to do during class, Lily."


    It still didn''t stop Isabella from helping her move the desks closer to the windows though. Ignoring her party member''s comments, Lily smiled as she sat down at her new desk, the sun beating down warmly as she sat under the window. It was the perfect spot, much better than even her own classrooms. Being a perfect student was tiring after all, as was sitting in the front seat listening to old information presented in an even worse way than the first time.


    "It''ll be fine, Isabella. Look at this desk. It''s so inviting and sparkly. It''s basically begging us to relax and sleep on it. Just...wake me when...it''s...for..clas..."


    --


    "Lily, wake up! Miss Elena is very mad."


    "I''m mad Lily. Why did you wake me up? It''s so relaxing here," Lily pretendedly grumbled.


    "YOU ARE HERE TO LEARN!"


    "I don''t want to learn from her. She''s boring and she''s not really teaching us anything important." Lily murmured.


    ''This is worse than my regular schedule. Who planned this curriculum?'' Lily peeked out, her vision filled with Isabella''s face as she worriedly looked at her. She had been awake for a good portion of the class, and the truth of the matter was she really almost did fall asleep.


    But whatcouldn''t stand about the situation was that the education they were receiving was subpar, even for Lily''s nonexistent standards.


    ''How come my mentor classes was so interesting and she was just in a plain teacher in a forest. While here in Nespe Academy with the best facilities, and even the Healer Hall teaching exclusively one on one, I am learning absolutely nothing!


    ... All right, it''s time to speak my mind on this. As father always said, ''If no one is complaining then something must be wrong.''''


    "This is the worst class I''ve ever been in, Bells. Your teacher is really bad. I think even my advanced magic teacher is better than her, and he just reads straight from a book!"


    "Lily, you have to be nicer! She''s our teacher."


    "She''s not even fit to be your teacher. And she wouldn''t even qualify as a backup for me," Lily murmured, sitting up to look at her teacher with disdain.


    "Please, Lily. I don''t want to get into another fight. Look, even the guards behind us are getting upset, and I''ve hardly ever seen them show emotions!"


    "Tch, they should be upset as well. Her teaching style is terrible. She devoted a full two hours on nothing more ''than the gods are mysterious and I won''t tell you about it unless you join the Healer Hall.'' She could have been using that to teach spells or any other subject for that matter!


    I mean, I''ve seen bad teachers before, Bella, and she''s one of them. Either we need to get a new teacher soon or complain until we have someone competent to teach us instead."


    She could feel the guards behind her still, hopefully deep in thought instead of anger. Honestly, they should be concerned about the education any apprentice is getting.


    "Wha, that is untrue young lady!"


    "The most I got out of the whole morning class was that there are actual records of the gods hidden deep within the Royal Family and the Healer Hall''s archives."This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    While Isabella''s teacher tried to come up with a reasonable excuse, Lily herself zoned out. ''That does beg the question though; how does mentor know so much about them?'' Lily thought to herself. She shook her head, both physically and mentally, ''No, mentor will tell me when she''s ready. After all, I am still an Apprentice. Maybe it''s a big secret?/''


    The ringing of a bell broke her concentration, though the teacher was still trying to prove her own case.


    Slapping the table, Lily jumped up and grabbed Isabella''s hand, fully intent on leaving the classroom. Though her new party member was dragging her feet.


    "Lunch time, Bella! Let''s hurry to the cafeteria, we need to arrive earlier if we want to eat the good stuff. Maybe we can even meet Ty- eh? Why are the doors locked?"


    "We can''t leave the classroom, Lily. Not until the final class is done," Isabella murmured.


    "Wha! That''s ridiculous!"


    "You two wait here while I discuss things with my boss." Shooting a venomous glare at Lily, Miss Elena swiftly left the classroom, followed closely by a single guard. The door slammed shut before either of the two girls could get close.


    "How rude. I hope she gets replaced."


    "She is really nice though, Lily."


    "Bella, being nice and being a good teacher are two vastly different things. We need competent teachers at our age. Otherwise, our growth will be stalled."


    Lily bit her lip. ''And I really want to get into Alduit Academy by my own efforts.''


    "Fine then. What do you do during lunch?"


    "I wait until the lessons start again. Sometimes I even fall asleep... Sandwich?" Isabella asked helpfully from the side as she took out her own lunch, holding half of her sandwich in Lily''s direction.


    "... thank you."


    "Your welcome."


    Three grumpy old guards and two children. This was the worst lunch she''d ever sat through. No, actually Isabella''s family dinner was the worst. But this was pretty bad as well.


    Finishing her sandwich, she looked around, gauging the size of the classroom once again.


    "Well, if we can''t leave the classroom, then its time to practice combat, Isabella!"


    "Out of the question." One of the old guard simply stated.


    Lily pouted, glaring at the guards in the back. "Why?"


    "That is what we are here for."


    "No wonder Miss Elena is so weak then. No party member of mine will not know how to fight in close combat. Besides, Isabella can practice healing ifweget hurt. Isabella, go and reason with them, quick! We have nothing else going on for a bit anyway."


    Isabella cocked her head to the side.


    "But why do we need to fight? We''re just mages. We''re supposed to stay in the back."


    "Silly. What will you do when you''re about to run out of mana? Or if we get mobbed by monsters? Roll over and die? No, we''re going to protect ourselves as best we can while we regenerate our mana. The guards are good, but they can''t protect us from everything," Lily berated harshly. That was one of the most impactful lessons she received from Miss Paige.


    "What a unique thought. Most mages would hesitate to get into close combat situations."


    "Meh. Train for the worst situation possible. Then you''ll be ready for anything!"


    "Umm... yeah! Sure, Lily! I want to practice!"


    "Okay, so I''ll start by attacking you and then we''ll take turns. Is that alright with you?"


    ¡°What are we hitting each other with? I don¡¯t think we¡¯re supposed to use our textbooks for that.¡±


    ¡°No silly, we have practice weapons for a reason. Every classroom should have some to use. Come on, help me find them.¡±


    Rolling her eyes, she edged around the guards in the back. Lily kicked the walls, ignoring Isabella''s bewildered look until she hit a cavity hidden at the base of the walls. Isabella was shocked as Lily started pulling out random weapons.


    ¡°It¡¯s a space-saving feature, as well as to keep the classrooms looking nice. No one wants to spend time making practice weapons look presentable if a guest comes to inspect the classrooms. It''s much easier to just shove everything into a pile and out of sight."


    Lily checked the conditions of the practice weapons and shoved the larger ones back into thehidden compartment. "Now then, would you like a sword, shield, staff, or a dagger to start?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ what are you going to use, Lily?¡± Isabella hesitated, her eyes looking at each of the weapons nervously.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use a practice staff, since I don¡¯t want my own staff to get damaged."


    ¡°I, I¡¯ll use a dagger then.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°My aunt taught me how to use a dagger. And my wand isn¡¯t the best for blocking things.¡±


    ¡°True, your wand is rather...unique,¡± Lily struggled to say something positive about her wand as she handed over the dagger. When she compared it to her own staff sitting next to the table, even she had to admit the branch was piddly. Though she was positive there was more than meets the eye to Isabella¡¯s wand.


    ¡°You do know how to hold a dagger. Right?¡± Lily frowned as Isabella took up a weird stance a dozen steps or so away.


    Instead of holding the dulled iron dagger like a sword, Isabella was holding it upside down, like she was about to stab someone. And she was protecting her face with her hands crossed.


    ¡°Mhmm. My auntie said this is the best way to fight with a dagger.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Well, I guess your aunt is a Bodyguard. It''s just a little weird looking. But fine. Now, I¡¯ll rush over to attack you and you have to either dodge, parry, or attack.¡±


    ¡°Umm, are you sure this is a good idea, Lily?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Yeah, it should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll move in three...two...one...now!¡±


    ---


    Lily awoke with a start, her head throbbing in pain. A blinding light was hovering over her head, though it faded quickly, Isabella''s face came into view as she blinked the light out of her eyes. Looking to the open window, the sun hadn''t moved much, so she must have been out for just a few minutes.


    "Are you okay Lily?" Isabella''s concern was clear through her tone of voice. Lily realized she was resting with her head on Isabella''s lap. Reflecting, Lily slowly pieced together what happened. She had dashed forward and then...


    "... your guards hit me, didn''t they?"


    "... yeah. On accident though! They sounded really apologetic. I guess they weren''t expecting you to be quite so fast."


    "...tss."


    "Sorry."


    Lily sat there with her head in Isabella''s lap as she started to heal her again. The pain was coming and going, and yet... "... Bella, does it usually take this long to heal a wound? I think I would''ve died if I was in a fight by now. I''m seriously going to have to rethink how our party fights if it takes this long to heal wounds. I was sorta expecting it to be a lot faster than this. Like, I could get up after a few seconds fast and continue fighting."


    "Sorry. I''ll practice harder. I just haven''t gotten to head wounds yet. Sorry!"


    "...and why do I have a bandage on my head? It''s tied rather tight."


    "Sorry! I haven''t gotten to actually practice healing cuts yet. Sorry!"


    Lily smiled a bit foolishly. "It''s okay Bella. We''ll have plenty of time to practice everything. We are party members, silly."


    ''And maybe one day we''ll be friends,'' Lily thought to herself as she closed her eyes again, the light penetrating through her eyelids ebbing Isabella moved her hands over her head.


    Isabella''s family was still quite scary, after all.

 Chapter 50

    "Aunt Paige, why are we coming out here? I thought you hated being near the lake?" Markus asked after passing the river boulder on the path toward the lake. He could easily recognize it, since it would have been a perfect skipping stone if it was more miniature than not.


    His whole family had been acting weird lately, ever since Uncle Tyler came back.Had his uncle done something that upset everyone?


    And now Uncle Nick hadn''t let him join him in the forest to go on an adventure with him, on account of him looking for mana heavy locations and the increased chance of running into Elder Monsters. Not that Boary cared about Uncle''s decision. In fact, Markus thought to himself that Uncle Nick was probably going to just follow Boary around.


    Paige''s voice broke his introspection though.


    "I don''t particularly like going to the lake, but training under a waterfall is a classic and time tested method to build strength."


    Markusknew right away that his aunt had intentionally left out something like ''probably, supposedly, or I think'' to her sentence. He must have been staring skeptically at his aunt too long since she quickly turned and swatted him on the head.


    "It is! It will! I know this method works!"


    "Will this help me gain a Class? Auntie, I really, really want a Class!"


    Markus bit his lip. ''It shouldn''t be this hard to get a Class! Lily was born with a Class, but Tyler got his class really fast! How long will it take me then?'' Markus frowned in thought.


    "Hey, don''t worry about it, little Markus. When you get a Class, it''ll be an amazing one. Just you wait." He could tell that his aunt was really trying to help.


    "I know, Aunt. I guess I''m just jealous about not having one. Even Xavier has a Class! Although he is just an Apprentice Shopkeeper."


    "Why do you need a Class though, Markus? You''re already learning battle Skills without one."


    His aunt looked at him confusedly. He knew what she was getting at. He looked over at his aunt, the words already on his lips. But he realized at the last moment what she was really asking. His Aunt Paige was just a Farmer, yet she could rival even the Cidala''s Guard Captain. Or more, if her mock battles with Boary was any indication.


    "I want to be special, aunt. I don''t want to be a commoner for the rest of my life," Markus grumbled quietly.


    "... sometimes being common is special, Markus."


    He shook his head in denial. "Fine, I want to be more special than others. I want to have adventures; rescue people in need; fight villains and monsters and earn lots of money! Haven''t you ever wanted that, Aunt?"


    Aunt Paige kept walking ahead of him, slowly parting the brush in front as they headed deeper into the woods.


    "Once upon a time, I was the happiest little girl. My father was a Farmer, my grandparents were Farmers, my great grandparents were Farmers. All I ever wanted to be was a Farmer. Then my whole life changed because of another person''s adventure."


    His auntwalked into a clearing, the morning mist hadn''t yet gone away and was lingering on the forest ground. Markus wavered, the clearing odd. There hadn''t been a clearing last week on this path. Had his aunt cleared another section of the forest?


    "Wanting to have a grand adventure is the same as wishing something bad would happen to someone else so that you can feel good about yourself. So no Markus, I never really wanted to have an adventure. And I never wanted to be what I eventually became either, even though I am good at it."


    Markus thought about that for a few minutes. His aunt''s class was a Farmer though, so what was she before now?


    "Well, when you put it like that, Aunt... I wish I could protect my family and friends from danger. Would that be bad of me to say?"


    "...no, that is a better reason to want a Class. Classes are gifts from the gods, but they are also born from our desires. I just hope that you can tell a good reason from a bad one, Markus.


    "But the gods are dead, Aunt. So shouldn''t our choices be more important," Markus said a little skeptically. His Aunts and Uncles really did believe the gods were alive, butthen why did everyone else claim they were dead?


    "Xavier wanted to be a Shopkeeper, just like his mother. Emilia desperately wished for her daughter to be a Magician. Who''s to say the gods themselves didn''t have a role in Lily or Xavier''s Class? Even I would be hard-pressed to say my Class wasn''t given to me by the gods. Even if everyone else thinks they''re dead."


    ''Your class being...'', Markus waited for his aunt to say what her actual Class was, but she didn''t say anything else, not until she reached a lone stump in the clearing.


    "You know Markus, this is where I found you five years ago. I and the others got separated in this forest, and as I was walking, I could hear a baby crying. You were just laying here, no note or nothing. Who''s to say the gods weren''t playing a role in that either?"


    "I don''t know Aunt... Tyler and Lily say a baby can''t live that long alone." Markus hesitated to believe his aunt with her story this time though. "A, Are you sure that there was nothing?"


    He loved his aunt''s and uncles, but he desperately hoped there was something. Anything that could link him to his real family. It would also collaborate his aunt''s story, though Markus had little hope that there was anything there to help identify who his birth family was.


    "Well...I wouldn''t say nothing. There, there was something, but..." his aunt stammered,hesitant about mentioning whatever it was, Markus realized suddenly.


    "I wanna know! What was it!?"


    "A, a cape. And a few other things..."


    Markus watched as his aunt took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Holding his breath, he waited until his aunt looked back at him, her eyes steeled with determination.


    "How about this, Markus? You try your best today and get a Class, and I promise on my Class I will show you it."


    "DEAL!" Markus could feel the darkness practically disappearing around him. Even Paige was looking around, evidently impressed by the action.


    "Good spirit! Come on, let''s get to the waterfall and get you a Class!"You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    --


    "Hey, Aunt? What exactly is this supposed to be teaching me?"


    Markus had to yell over the din of the waterfall as he tried to balanceon the slippery rocks. In truth, he thought his aunt was just joking about training under a waterfall. Maybe next to one, sure. But no. No, she actually meant standing right below the waterfall and forcefully resisting the force with nothing but hard work and determination.


    In fact, even as he shouted, he couldn''t help but stare at his aunt while she was practicing. His aunt was just standing there under the waterfall, just like he was, but instead of bracing his feet in a wide stance, she was balancing on one foot as she held both arms parallel to the rocky ledge. Standing perfectly still was all Markus could handle, and only in short bursts as he lost his grip and fell back into the small pool below.


    "A few things. Balance, coordination, physical exhaustion, sensitivity. Eventually, you will start swinging the flat of your sword against the flow of the waterfall, and then the edge of your sword later. And before you ask, the reason I didn''t train Tyler like this is that this wouldn''t help him. He should know how to deflect the force away from him, which is why I used Boary''s charge instead.


    For an attacker though, we should be wary of how we strike an opponent.Unless you have a really good weapon, there is no guarantee ourweapon can slice through our opponent''s defenses, especially ifthey use a defensive Skill. This will help us practice forcing our weapon to where we want it to go."


    Markus slowly edged back to the edge of the waterfall and steeled himself before he went back under the waterfall. "Isn''t that what Skills are for?"


    "Well yeah, but you should never rely on Skills when fighting. You''ll have times when youhave to conserve your mana, after all. Or do you think there is a Skill that can last this long continuously with little to no cost?"


    "You said Tyler should beworried about swift hits. Well, what type of situation would be comparable to sitting under a waterfall for an attacker?"


    His aunt walked out of the waterfall, tapping thoughtfully on her chin while hesitantly speaking, "...getting hit by a dragon?"


    "..."


    A dragon?Had his aunt reallynot thought about what made this training important!? Her answer was so random that he hardly noticed that his aunt''s clothes weren''t really soaked, even though she was standing under the waterfall just a few seconds ago.


    He could already feel his drive to do this training waning. Who would even think about fighting a dragon? And how many dragons were there that someone would feel the need to train to fight them? He knew his aunt liked to boast, but she usually didn''t boast this bad.


    "Hey! That''s a perfectly reasonable answer. Getting hit by their tail would almost feel the same as a waterfall. Sort of. And that''s assuming you can survive their tail hit to begin with."


    "Mhmm. But don''t dragons breathe fire and fly? Why would they whack you with their tail?"


    Hadn''t every story he''d heard of started off with the dragon breathing fire and flying?


    "That''s just in stories. A dragon is more liable to whack you with their tail since most things can''t survive the hit anyway. They only use their breath attacks if things are looking south and they are trying to escape or as a diversion."


    "That...okay. I guess?"


    "Yeah. It is. Now, get back under the waterfall. I know you are stalling for time. You''ll never get a Class at this rate."


    "Okay, ugh. Hey, aunt, how many dragons have you fought before?"


    "A few dozen. I got really close to killing a few too. Mostly I knocked them out and took some spoils from them. And I was really good friends with one dragon in particular, though I am pretty sure he hated my guts. In fact, let me tell you a story about the time...," His auntchuckled lively as she started telling him a rather funny story about how she met this particular dragon while pooping in the woods.


    As he stood under the waterfall and laughed along to his aunt''s ridiculous story, he couldn''t help but think that his Aunt was an excellent storyteller.


    ---


    "Are we done for the day Aunt?" Markus asked as he laid his head on his aunt''s shoulders.


    It was only past noon so far and he was dead tired from standing under the waterfall. Say what you will about the methods his aunt came up with, but it really felt like training at the end of the day. His whole body was sore and he could hardly stand up, yet here his aunt was carrying him around like a sack of potatoes.


    "Yeah, I forgot how tiring that can be. It feels good to be training again, though it would have been far more entertaining if that monster actually attacked."


    Eh? "A monster?" There wasn''t room for any monster that Markus could tell. The pool under the waterfall was barely ten feet wide to begin with.


    "Yeah, it was a small Alligator by the looks of it. It was swimming upstream. What a rookie move. Barely eight-feet long but it would have still been a good workout."


    A good workout she said. Markus shivered at the thought. A full morning worth of beatings from a waterfall and then a monster fight. How was this a workout? And more importantly, how she still moving?


    "Are you using a skill?"


    "Hm? Nope, just good old fashioned muscle. Why?"


    "I read that book Aunt Zenith had in her reading nook. ''Encyclopedia ofApprentice Level Skills.'' It said there was a skill called [Lesser Endurance] that you could spontaneously learn if you pushed yourself hard enough.


    "There is a Skill with that nameand it is a rather handy skill to have. Hm, I don''t know about learning it spontaneous since you still have to train past your breaking point to get it, but most warriors would rather have something like [Battlefield Awareness] or something instead. No amount of endurance is enough if you can''t tell how a battle is going and when to retreat. And before you ask, I don''t havethat Skill right now." His aunt said rather thoughtfully.


    But something just didn''t seem right with her statement, thoughit took a while before Markus couldplace it. "Aren''t battles fought to the last man standing? Why in the world would you want to retreat?" Markus asked with confusion.


    Hethought back to all the tales of heroes and adventures and realized his aunt''s view on heroes was really negatively skewed.His other aunt and uncles told grand tales of fights, adventures, and drama; yet all Aunt Paige ever talked about was how bad heroes were.


    "In stories or reality? You should ask them next time to tell real stories. It is far better to live another day than to stay and be killed in a battle. Where there is life, there is hope. Well, for some anyway."


    "That seems like a bad way for a Hero to live, Aunt."


    "They are a Hero so long as they are alive. They are just another dead man when they die. A memory at best."


    "So what would happen if I become a Hero?"


    His aunt stopped and sighed heavily, "You don''t have grand illusions that you can save everyone. You save who you can and leave the rest to fate. And even then,some of your choices can hurt more people than you save.


    If, and this is a big if Markus, you become a Hero, I hope to the gods above that you become a better Hero than the world has ever seen. Because from my experience, most heroes are overrated, egotistical bastards who care nothing for others."


    "...so if I want to save people, should I still become a Hero?"


    "...Class wise, yes. That is still the best Class that can make the biggest impact in the world. But if there is anything I hope you have learned from us thus far, is that a Class does not define who you really are. Some Heroes are no better than Bandits, and some Bandits are better than Heroes."


    They both went quiet as they traveled back to their tiny forest settlement. He knew his aunt was thinking about something, her face noticeably blank. Still, why would his aunt be so mad at heroes?


    "Anyway, you did really good today Markus. Not bad for an Apprentice."


    "An Apprentice? Is that a Class?"


    That seemed like a weird Class to Markus. Didn''t Classes start off as an actual Class, like Apprentice Swordmaster?


    "I think that''s the Class you''ll be getting since technically you are learning a bit from everyone. An Apprentice would match your situation perfectly. You''ll probably get your Class when you fall asleep tonight, Markus. You should anyways. There is a chance your mana could condense when you are awake, but judging by how much mana you used so far today, it is far likelier to happen tonight."


    Stopping by the clearing to her food plots, his aunt cocked her head in confusion,frowningas she looked up into the sky. It didn''t take long for Markus to realize what she was looking at. Her falcon was circling the skies, and if Markus concentrated he could hear a faint shrill coming from its mouth. How had his aunt heard it though? It was practically silentamong the natural sounds of the forest.


    Paige held her arm us asher hawk dove down, flapping its wings to arrest its dive. But only one claw gripped Paige''s forearm; the other was holding a struggling bluebird, one with a message tied to its leg. "Isn''t that Miss Sara''s bluebird?" Markus asked, reaching out to hold the bird in question as Paige lightly stripped the letter off its leg.


    "Yeah, it is. Did something happen in the town to-" Paige voice slowly faded as she read the small letter. "... Oh. Well, that is a problem."

 Chapter 51

    "Are you sure it is a good idea to let Paige teach Markus? All of her training so far seems...ridiculous, considering it is her," Zenith asked Tyler quietly as they walked along the main road of Cidala.


    After seeing Paige''s training for herself, Zenith seriously considered if Paige was just playing a bad joke or not. But for reasons unknown to her, Tyler himself really didn''t disapprove of it.


    "While unconventional, it does actually teach the motions of certain actions. Somewhat. After practicing it myself, I can say that I look stupid doing it but it could work as a beginner''s tool. But only that. It''s definitely not how I learned how to use a sword."


    "So she wasn''t just making it up? Do you really think she reached her level through unconventional methods?" Zenith was still dubious if Paige actually learned like that.


    Tyler shrugged, "Anything is possible, especially if you have time torefine your techniquesin actual battles. And you really can''t deny it does seem to work. It''s just weird that it works as much as it does. Either Paige is a genius or her teacher was to develop a training regiment for her out of something like that."


    "Maybe I should ask Paige how exactly she grew up? I mean, besides being a consort and having babies, whatis a Princess allowed to do in the Imperial Household?"


    She thought about that for a moment as they continued walking toward Kate''s shop. As a daughter of a Founding Household of Appealte, she had grown up in a highly regimented household and thought she could relate somewhat to Paige''s upbringing. She assumed that a Princess would have about the same type of upbringing, though individualized lesson plans, if that''s how Paige was taught, were a rarity within her own home. That''s what a school and mentors were for.


    Stopping by the door to Kate''s shop, Tyler patted Zenith''s shoulders in mock good luck. "Good luck getting her to say anything about her time there. She hardly likes to think or talk about the last decade, not to mention something presumably centuries ago."


    Seeing that look of mild skepticism on his face, Zenith had a strong urge to punch him but knew that it would probably hurt her hand more than she''d like this early in the morning. Suppressing an urge, she shook her head and stuck her tongue out. "You just don''t know how to ask the question. Typical guy problem. Peh, I wonder how you will ever get a wife at this rate," Zenith repeated Tyler''s actions back to him, taking delight in his twitching eyebrows.


    "A, anyways Tyler, do you think Kate will be able to help us out? How do the merchant associations customarily do intercountry trades? Is there a trade pact or something that applies?"


    Zenith watched as Tyler stopped to lookaround the street at a few people. There were few if any merchants setting up yet and even fewer people out, as the mornings were getting colder. Frowning, he adjusted his bag on his back, looking for something.


    "Ahem. It really depends on the association as well as the trade goods in question. Cidala''s primary export is food goods within Alcudia, so it is hard to say if Kate will have access to intercountry permits for weapons and finished trade goods. Then, taking into account travel times, protection costs, export taxes and the association cut of the sale; a merchant would be able to calculate if the travel is worth it. If it is and you can make money, great; if not then there is no point in trying to sell your goods across the border."


    Zenith frowned as Tyler pulled out a small buckler and sword from his bag.Followinghis cue, she pulled out her wand and watched from the corner of her eye as a few people dipped into the alleys.


    "Trouble?" She made a vortex of wind surround them, isolating their voices from any listening ears.


    "...Unknown. But they had training, Zenith. Not as good as Royal Trackers, but they are at least Army level. Be careful today. Something seems wrong."


    "I''ll go to the Library after this. That will be the best place for me to hold up if there is trouble in town. Have you done something recently?"


    "No, not that I am aware of. Paige and Nick forged our identities well, so there is no chance of something going wrong on that end. And my merchant business is clean. Still, for someone to be lurking..." Tyler grimaced. "Let''s ask Kate if something is wrong."Holding the bell knocker on the door still with her wind magic, Zenith pulled the door open and wasstartled to hear Kate yelling at someone from the back of the store.


    "- I don''t care about that! It is the school''s responsibility to protect its students! I-"


    Nodding at Tyler, Zenith took a step back so Tyler could open the back door. Whatever was happening, it seemed a good idea for Tyler to take the lead. Flashing a three with her fingers, Tyler nodded and dipped his head slowly, bracing himself for what was to come. One...two...three! Promptly stepping forward, Tyler leaned his upper body back and kicked the door open heavily and stepped forward with the motion, swinging his shield arm to deflect the blade aimed at his face while his other arm moved up to plant the edge of his sword on his opponent''s neck.


    "Stop!" Zenith and Kate yelled quickly before Tyler could complete his next action. "She''s from Nespe Academy. The aide to the Headmaster? An Apprentice Fencer, right?" Zenith hesitantly said. She had looked familiar, but the dark cloak she was wearing did not help Zenith''s memory. "But what is she be doing here?"


    "This is Warrior Laila, an aide to Sir Kenton. Zenith, Tyler and Lily are in trouble! They did something wrong, but Laila won''t tell me exactly what." Kate responded apprehensively. "Emilia sent her over here, evidently she and her husband are already on their way to Nespe! I-"


    "Zenith, shut the main door, quick!" Tyler yelled out, angling his shield to block the view of the front door. Zenith swung the bottom tip of her staff backward without looking, hearing the telltale slam of a door shut. "We''re surrounded. Fifteen people at least. Miss Laila, tell us what is happening in three sentences or less." Tyler responded curtly, moving toward the windows to pull the blinds away. Instantly the room darkened, though the sound of boots moving closer outside increased.


    "Lily issued a formal party invitation to someone she shouldn''t have. Kids are in trouble with Healer Hall. They want you, Miss Zenith, to question!" The young girl responded briskly.


    Zenith blinked.She hadn''t taught in great detail how to create a Party since Paige had seemingly lectured and created their Party in one of her lessons. But a Formal Party plus Healer Hall painted a pretty clear picture of what Lily had done. Still, Zenithcouldn''t see any problems. Sure, a Formal Party is a little over the top for an all-apprentice party, but they could always dissolve it with minimal ease with the help of the go-


    "... Miss Laila, how is a Formal Party dissolved?"


    Tyler blinked at the question and inhaled sharply as he recognized what Zenith was worried about. He had been in a few Formal Parties while he was a Royal Vanguard, and dissolving or creating a Formal Party typically required a full ceremony, as well as a punishment for annulling said Party. Usually for High Classes that meant Skills being restricted for a certain amount of time, as well as a temporary decrease in mana depending onthe makeup of the Party. Permanent restrictions, while not common by any means, were still possible; which is what Zenith had gathered from Nick''s talk about how Leit used Formal Parties when training their Apprentices and why it was inherently dangerous to do so.


    Paige, of course, was an exception to the ceremony rule, Zenith surmised, as she created a Formal Party without a ceremony and used nothing but her mana and some words. But even she had lost her Class when she tampered with the Party Creation.


    That begged the question: how had Lily known to make a Formal Partywithout the gods'' help and how did one go about dissolving a Formal Party now? Thinking back, hadn''t Lily said she and Tyler already made a party? And she hadn''t bothered to ask who helped and just assumed that Lily''s family had helped. Did that mean Paige actually did it instead!?


    Miss Laila only looked at her dumbfoundedly. "You taught her Party Creation and you don''t even know the answer yourself!?"A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Well, I only briefly described Party Creation, and someone else helped create her current Party. So no, please tell me the process for dissolving a Formal Party." Zenith held her breath as she thought of the most radical,surefire way of dissolving a Party instantly, praying that there were other ways that she didn''t know about.


    But Laila bit her lip and whispered the answer she had known. "Deathof the Party Leader."


    ---


    "Miss Zenith, you are required to head to Nespe for questioning. We are here to escor-"


    "No, you are not taking her anywhere without a Royal Decree stating this is the intention of the Royal Family! You have no authority to kidnap citizens without due process involved a-"


    "We are the law keepers, not you! How da-"


    Zenith shut the back door closed as Tyler argued loudly with the Royal Guards at the front of the shop. She was already regretting letting Paige teach any of her classes. Did that mean that Lily and Tyler''s party was actually a Formal Party? Assuming Paige did teach them, how come she didn''t just do a regular party. Or did shenot know how to create a regular Party? Even shehadn''t joined a formal party before Paige had invited her on this ill-fated mission. And now Lilywas in one and already in trouble?


    Zenith counted to ten and looked around for some parchment and ink, fully intending to get Paige and Nick''s help in this matter. Let them help out where they can. She was going to have her hands full already; that much she was sure about.


    "She''s waking up, ma''am," Miss Laila said quietly as Kate slowly startled awake.


    Kate had fainted suddenly after she had parsed out what had happened herself. Rushing over, Zenith took her hand gently and forcefully squeezed it.


    "It''ll be fine, Kate. We won''t let anything happen to Lily or Tyler."


    Kate''s breath was laced with worry, her eyes panicking as they stared around the room. "Tyler would never let something happen to Lily. He''s gonna get himself killed."


    "No one will be dying, Kate. I promise that on my Class. And so do the rest of us. We''ll handle the fallout. Now, rest up while I write Paige a message. Laila, listen to Kate here and follow her instructions. Kate, when you can please get Sara to send this message over to Paige," Zenith commanded as she moved from the couch over to the table to write.


    This would be tricky, she realized, as their common sense was undoubtedly different than others. ''Our ignorance of how this new world operated and being secluded away from civilization created this mess. Of course, it was a small price to pay given our apparent death at the Mausoleum, but still, why couldn''t we have been sent to a village or something instead? No, instead we were stuck in a forest in the middle of nowhere!?''


    Zenith shook her head, getting rid of the random thoughts and focused on the task at hand. ''The crux of the matter is an Apprentice Cleric being in a Formal Party with other Apprentices. That means the resolution will be dependent on Healer Hall''s argument and stance in this matter.''


    "Laila, Kate. How much authority does the Healer Hall have in Alcudia?"


    "A lot, Miss Zenith. The Royal Family even built their main branch right across from the castle in the former capital city of Terpii. That alone should tell you how much authority they have," Laila said quickly, her face a mask of impatience.


    Zenith disputed that immediately. "Nonsense. Every country is required to provide accommodations for a Healer Hall to be created in a country. The Imperial Family has a dedicated branch of guards to protect the Healer Hall from all outward threats."


    ''I''m sure Paige had brought that up at one point or another. Probably during her story about the Healer Hall moving its people every fifty years to draw out the enemies targeting them. Still, the Healer Hall is a subsidiary branch of the Imperial Family. Does that mean the Scion is aware of this and is directing them? Or are they doing it themselves before the Imperial Family can get involved?''


    ''Paige will know how to pressure the Healer Hall and the Royal Family. I can at least rely on my diplomat training to argue my case, assuming I have the chance,'' Zenith thought as she hastily wrotea message for Paige. Tyler had already told her there was a high chance they would not be able to go back to the forest and would be forced to go to Nespe by nightfall. It wouldn''t take the guards long for them to get actual authorization, not if both the Royal Family and the Healer Hall was already convening the trial there.


    "Give this message to Sara as soon as possible. I need a few things from the forest, and I doubt I will have the chance to go." Handing over the message, Zenith quickly gave Kate some emotional support before heading off to Tyler''s side, noticing that the guards had left the building but were still loitering outside inconspicuously. "That''s nice of them to back off like that.I''d feel bad if there were rumors aboutKate''s business."


    "Standard procedure to reduce public panic. Still a problem for us though. It''s a mess Zenith. I can already tell you that we will be heading over to Nespe beforemid-afternoon. One of the guards just released a messenger falconso hopefully our message to Paige will get to her quicker than their response." Tyler said quietly. "Thoughts?"


    "We need to learn more, Tyler. Our common sense is warped just enough to make almost anythingwe know a problem. If I am being honest, I''d be more comfortable if Paigewas the one handling this."


    "Agreed. I can handle the Royal Family side should they present a case, but Paige would be a better person overall to deal with an issue like this. Do you know of any Imperial laws about Clerics and Formal Parties?"


    "Nope. I know it is more common to have Clerics in parties when the Imperial Army arrives, but there haven''t been that manynon-Imperial parties with Clerics that I am aware of. I know some mages who had a lesser affinity to healing, like me, joinparties instead of becoming affiliated with the Healer Hall. But that might be more of an Appealte custom than the Empire as a whole."


    "Alcudia preferred that those with an affinity toward healing be sent to the Healer Halls, but Paige would typically interfere and the Healer Hall would concede. She had a way of swaying the Healer Hall, which is not surprising to me anymore but at the time it was mind-boggling."


    Zenith thought for a moment and stared outside. They were stuck in the town for now, so they might as well make the most of it.


    "...Let''s go to the library, Tyler. We can at least review some of the laws to make sure nothing has changed in that regard, and it will allow Kate some time to meet up with Sara."


    ---


    "Zenith, you have a package!"


    Kate called outtoZenith as she was reviewing the law books in the library, under the careful scrutiny of both the Royal Guards and the Cidala Guardsmen. Her friend briefly halted but stepped forward bravely, knowing that the package might help the two of them save Lily and Tyler from their current predicament. Everyonestared with suspicion at the small falcon Kate was holding, a single package gripped tight in its claws. The package was rather small but still was stretching the limit to what the falcon could carry.


    "Zenith," Tyler spoke as she started to unravel the package. She stopped as she saw Tyler''s eyes sweep over the guardsmen around them.


    "..."


    Zenithhesitated, but pulled out a single stone from her pocket, watching the guards warily as they watched in turn.She was hesitant to use the item since the guards had already been jittery at her use of magic.


    ''They should have seen one of these before. Right?''


    She could only hope so. Taking a deep breath, she silently gathered her mana and tapped the stone on the table, speaking clearly to the watching crowd, "Ward."


    The world turned foggy around the trio as the mana stone activated, the simple warding spell activating. Kate''s sound of surprise sounded loudly in Zenith''s ear and she winced lightly, already knowing this was probably not common now either. How in the world did anyone have secure conversations without wards?


    "We havetwenty seconds before the mana stone disintegrates. Tyler, get an explanation ready. I don''t think they''ve ever seen a privacy ward before," Quickly unraveling the package, Zenith blinked and sharply inhaled as a fairly noticeable item fell out, along with a nondescript metal bracer, another trinket and a rather worn booklet.


    Zenith quickly grabbed the bracer and the one item she was fairly certain Paige wanted to be hidden without even needing to read the note. Paige''s Imperial Wardstone. Quickly putting it on, the necklace adjusted itself automatically, the jeweled end sitting just inside the top of her dress.The necklace itself was still cool to the touch but she realized idly that the jeweled stone had a few inconsistencies that stood out. The blue sapphire jewel glimmered far less and was smaller than before. But the most glaring inconstancy was that Paige''s full name was not showing on the stone.Still, she knew without a doubt that it had to be a wardstone.


    Hastily reading over the message, she threw the message up and ripped it to shreds with her own wind magic. As the message shredded itself into oblivion, the mana stone on the table cracked audibly as the mana was finally depleted; the surroundings snapping back into clear focus, though the guards'' wary faces and drawn swords did not help the mood in the library.


    Letting Tyler deal with that issue,Zenith thought back tothe letter and the remaining two items left on the table, the cross trinket and a rather worn book.


    "Hopefully Paige knows what she is doing," Zenith mumbled under her breath; closing her eyes to review the letter she had just read.


    Good luck! I know you can do it our little Diplomat! Wield the law like a sword and strike down our enemies!


    Barring that, Zenith, use book and trinketas the first resort to force the issue to pass. The trinket is an Imperial Healer''s Cross, should grant one favor from the Healer Hall if shown.The book is a diary from an old healer who owned the trinket. Use it to pass the issue of knowing how to Heal and why you have the trinket.The ownershould be dead, found in Appealte centuries ago. Just say you found it in the mountains of Appealte close to the Dracos border.


    Be careful if the Imperial Family is involved, though the mana shield and your skills should be sufficient enough to protect you! By the way, the necklace is an Imperial Wardstone from a Scion I previously killed. It''ll prove you are at least affiliated with Imperial Family if shown. Look at everyone with disdain and say nothing if pressed for an answer. Umm, wardstones do weird things when other wardstones are present; just keep calm and don''t hesitate to resort to violence if you want to. Just do not break!! And maybe show it only as last resort. Last Resort!


    "Of all the-!"


    Zenith slumped heavily and banged her head lightly on the table as Tyler deflected the guards'' questions on what had just happened. These next few days were going to severely test her diplomatic skills, as well asher common sense, to the limit.

 Chapter 52

    "I feel like I''m the one on trial. Could the guards have any less tact?"


    Zenith muttered to no one in particular as she sat in the uncomfortable wagon. The pedestrians around them were clearly judging her as they entered the city proper. Still, she could feel her eyes twitching as she saw yet another mother pull her son along and avoided her gaze as they quickly walked away. Altogether, her first visit to the city of Nespe felt very, very uncomfortable.


    Tyler shrugged as he repackedhis inventory. How he was able to fit that much into his bag was a mystery, as it should''ve burst by now with all the stuff he had managed to cram into the various pouches. "It is well within their rights to transport us in a manner of their choosing, and within your rights to argue for damages to reputation arising from this. Being a Teacher and all, your compensation will likely be limited to three times your last teaching contract."


    Groaning lightly, she commented back, "Great, so I geta pittance for all this trouble. Ugh, I should have increased the contract for Xavier. I could''ve worked an arrangement out with Kate discreetly."


    "And let Tax Collector Nolton bug us about forging our income. Again? Not worth it."


    Zenith chuckled as she thought aboutthat visit. But small bantering aside, both of them knew it was going to possibly be a rough trial if the items Paige sent didn''t work.


    A trial to decide Lily''s fate. That thought irked Zenith. She could understand having a trial if Lily had forced an unwilling student to become her Party Member, but from she could deduce from Laila''s talk, the other Apprentice was clearly elated to joina Party. For the Healer Hall to have such a hard stance against Lily reeked ofa hidden agenda. At least the school and the government was nominally on Lily''s side.


    Thinking back to her previous visits to Alcudia, she never really spent time with the Queen or King when she was a Diplomat. Or rather, she would almost always seek out her old classmate and start negotiating there, since Gale Everest was the Royal Court Mage. By the time Zenith got to the Royal Court and presented her case to the nobility as a whole, the Royal Family would already know of the matter and have an appropriate counteroffer that Zenith was willing to take. Most of the time anyway.


    But that begged the question. Who would be representing the Royal Family? The Queen herself? Zenith squashed down the uneasy feeling in her stomach. Surely the Healer Hall wouldn''t pressure the Royal Family to take their side... right? She winced when she realized why that could be possible. The Second Princess Beatrice.She had been with her mother in the Healer Hall right after she was poisoned. Could she be a politicalcaptive as well?


    Casting a quick breeze of air around them, Zenith isolated the sounds as best she could on the move. "You knew the queen before she met Paige. DidPaige make that big of a difference to her life? I mean, ifPaige just being her friend could impact the laws she passed..."


    "She...may have impacted the queen more than I would like to admit. Probably more than she would like to admit too." Tyler sighed quietly. "I haven''t exactly been keeping track of the queen since I assumed she would have been the same even without Paige''s influence. I should''ve looked into it more, but not being able to meet any of my contacts have severely limited what information I can gather discreetly, especially about the Royal Family."


    "I knew Paige was her best friend on paper, but why is that?"


    "Well, besides saving her life a few dozen times, just having Paige there led Rebecca to spend far more time away from the capital. She got to travel the country, be in a Party of her choosing, having adventures. Itwas a hassle during that time, but I think Rebecca got a real view of the country and her people. That''s probably why Rebecca really pushed for the Admission Act in the first place. Disregarding the will of the Royal Court to enact her laws was a tough decision she made, and she did face a lot of pushback on it. Paige... being Paige helped things through. And Paige was willing to take the fall for certain things."


    "...the Guild Rankings in Alcudia. You told us Paige was the test proctor, which is why Nick and I were forced to join when there were no free High Classes available." Zenith widened her eyes. "And that team from the inn..."


    "Let''s just say that the number of worthless people holding ranks within the government decreased significantly. As did the Queen''s detractors. What rose from the aftermath was new blood in the government and a total change in the National Hero rankings. Paige upset a lot of people in the country, but she was also loved by a lot of citizens who got the chance to change their lives for the better."


    Zenith stared blankly. Tyler at least had the decency to blush in shame.


    "...this day keeps getting better and better Tyler. Thanks for sharing this revelation a few hours before we have to argue against the Queen. Let me take a wild guess about your investigation into Peter. For the past four years, you haven''t been able to figure out what he''s specifically has done in Alcudia because you have no contacts within the Royal Court and looking into it means a high chance of being exposed."


    "..."


    "..."


    "I really hate your investigative skills, Tyler. I swear, you and Paige must have the worst memory of anyone I know. How did you fail to mention this before now!?" Zenith whispered angrily.


    "Do you remember every little thing you''ve done?"


    "Please don''t tell me you just asked a Mage that. A good memory is practically expected, especially when we start learning spells."


    "...fair point. But you are also a lot younger than we are. The older you get the harder it is to remember the details of certain events without a trigger. You can ask me anything specific about my time as the Royal Vanguard and I could probably recall it, but day to day events during that time are a lot harder to remember." Tyler shrugged. "Now, Paige and Ihave a remarkable memory when it comes to reading people and faces. Names, not so much. The hazards of being a Battle Class, you might say."


    Zenith lookedat the path their wagon was going and realized they were getting close totheir destination. Of course, the trial would be held in the one of the more private, secure spots in the city. The Library.


    "Great. Just great. So the two of you have remarkable memories, but only when it pertains to people you have tried to kill or are potential threats."


    Their conversation stalled as they arrived closer and closer to their destination. Zenith was about to stop her mana when Tyler spoke out again.


    "I''ll check out the secret corridors and make sure they still operate on the same rules. You worry about Lily, and I''ll make sure Tyler doesn''t do anything stupid."


    "Thanks, Tyler. Hopefully, this will go better than we can imagine."


    Zenith doubted that would be possible, but she could always hope for the best and have a plan for the worst.


    ---


    "Mentor! I swear I-"


    Zenith shook her head, quietly cutting Lily off. Quickly walking up to Lily, she grabbed the girl into a big hug, squeezing her tightly.


    "Hey. It''s okay, Lily. Just believe in your mentor. We''ll get through this. Together."


    Zenith could feel the girl shaking. All of this probably affected her more than the girl showed. Of course, it would worry her, Zenith realized.Lily was still young, and far, far younger than Zenith''s first brush with death at the very least.


    "Hey, hey. Don''t worry. Tyler, buy us a few minutes. I need to talk to her. Alone."


    Watching Tyler leave with younger Tyler in tow, Zenith sat Lily down and held her quietly. Waiting until Lily composed herself, Zenith looked over her little apprentice with a critical eye. She looked fine by all accounts, and beside her faint shaking, she was already composing herself. Good good.


    "Have you already seen your mother?"


    "...no, they won''t let me see anyone until after the... trial."


    "Nothing bad will happen to you, Lily. That I can promise. Now, how did you get into this mess?"


    "Well..." Zenith listened to her quietly. Sure, some points were fairly standard stuff, like having a minimum of three members in a party. Others... "and that''s when I found my new party member."


    "Whose name is..."


    Zenith trailed off, waiting for a name. Honestly, it was a little weird howno onehadtold her the other person''s name yet.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "...the Healer Hall told me it was confidential and not to spread it around, least my... situation, became worse than it already is," Lily said after a moment.


    "Typical. They don''t want the public at large to know of her. At least, not until she is a full Cleric. Fine."


    Zenith sighed. This was going to be a little more difficult. If she used a prodigy as an example, it made sense that the Healer Hall wanted to indoctrinate her first and then let her be in a party than the other way around. Much harder to influence someone who still had contact with other people, after all.


    "Tell me, did she want to be in your party? That will make avery big difference, Lily. I can force a few things to our benefit, but if she doesn''t want to be in your Party, then everything willbecome difficult."


    "She really did mentor, I swear on my Class! Miss Paige said that my Party Invitation would be different since supposedly a person can''t join a formal party unless they really want to. But I really had no idea that all of this would happen!"


    Lily did look genuinely concerned about her actions, which eased Zenith''s mind.


    "You should have told mePaige helped you createa Formal Party, Lily. I would have never guessed that Paige would have taught you as she had."


    "I kinda begged her to make Tyler and I into the best type of Party she knew. I didn''t think itwould be that big a deal, and Miss Paige said she could always annul it if she was forced to."


    ''...Paige, you and I are going to have a word about this. First, it was Markus and skills, and then Lily with Parties. Not everyone is as good as you are, okay!? That is not low key by any means!''


    Calming down, Zenith thought out her plans for the upcoming trial. Well, at least now she knew Paige could annul a Formal Party, which sheshould have thought of since Paige was an outlier on most things. But it gave her another way to solve the mess Lily was in. Of course, they''d have to escape custody, pretend to kill Lily and then she''d have to go into hiding for a few years so that everything would calm down. But it would still be possible forLily to escape with her life.


    Granted, it would be difficult, but it was already a better outcome than she had originally expected.


    "The Apprentice Cleric''s family is arguing their case right now, and then it will be your turn." Lily quietly stated after a moment.


    Zenith nodded absently. ''Just great. Well, at least the girl''s parents would hopefully be okay with their daughter being in a Party.''


    "Lily, I need to know what the Royal Family and Sir Kenton stance are on this matter. What have they said about this situation?"


    "They both don''t mind, and I think the Queen even approves of it for some reason. Only the Healer Hall is againsttheir Apprentice joining my Party."


    "Good, that is something at least." Zenith gave a sigh of relief. Perhaps Beatrice wasn''t being held captive by the Healer Hall.


    Seeing Tyler walk in and nodding to her, Zenith knew it would be time to test her own mettle.


    ---


    ''Rules, rules and more rules. That''s all I''m hearing about.''


    Zenith sighed as she stood straight in the center of the Library, listening to the other parties bicker about what would be the best course of option.


    Glancing around, Zenith was honestly surprised at the sheer scale of the Nespe Library. Now, this was a library. Multi-tiered floors separating topics, floating bookshelves meant to test a person''s ability to practice the spells without experiencing mana exhaustion, a full mana well for practicing spells, and, judging by the mana flow, there was certainly a few secret passages where the...more dangerous books were being stored. If she closed her eyes, she could almost mistake this for the Hall Academy Library.


    In truth,Zenith surmised they had chosenthislocation simply for the number of people present instead of it''s defensive capabilities. The librarian must have cleared the area of bookshelves since the openspace Zenith was standing in the middle was currently separated into four distinct sections, one for each party.


    In the parent''s corner, Lily''s parents were already here and had presented their case, Zenith assumed, as well as the otherwoman she assumed to be the Apprentice Clerics mother. The Librarian, judging by her badge, was listening to this rush of a trial, as it was her building, so it made sense for her to be here as a spectator. Both Tylers were standing there two, the larger gripping the younger with an iron grip.


    On the other side, the Royal Family was represented by a few dozen guards for the Queen and the Queen herself. ''Miss Gale is missing,'' Zenith realized with a small mental frown. ''She should''ve been present as the head Mage for the Royal Court. Was she busy?''


    Representing the school''s side of things, the Head Combat teacher Kenton, the Mage from the party, Mary, and Miss Laila were standing in a group. Zenith already wrote them off in her mind. ''No help from them. They really didn''t have much say in the matter overall.''


    And finally, the largest group in this trial, the Healer Hall had not only the Headmistress Prim but a multitude of younger women as well as their guards. Probably the aforementioned ''specialized teachers'' she heard about. Peh, they should be called Wardens instead if she believed Lily''s view of how she found the other apprentice.


    They hadn''t even asked her any questions or her thoughts on the matter before the Healer Hall took over and argued against the case. Either way, Zenith knew Prim had changed a lot. It didn''t take much to realize that the Head Healer had a very prominent scar across the left side of her face. Evidently, the attack in the south must have gone very differently without Paige there.


    "...Healers have a role in the safety of the Empire at large. To jeopardize a future healer solely because ofan ignorant girl is wrong. I motion to go ahead and kill the girl and be done with -."


    "Excuse me, thank you for inviting me to the city of Nespe. Lovely city, I hadn''t realized there were so many fields so close to the city." Zenith said briskly. She knew the importance of when to interrupt the discussion, but that had been a little too close for comfort.


    ''Had they already decided on the results?'' Filing the thought away, Zenith quickly switched into a diplomat''s role, startling the others a tad. "My apprentice and I are humbled that we could meet with such distinguished guests. If I may say so, your majesty, your reputation precedes you. I was unaware that you would personally be attending this meeting. I was under the impression that the Royal Mage would be present to give her thoughts on the matter since it is a ''trial'' for another Mage."


    "...what is my reputation, if you don''t mind me asking?" The queen looked over to her, a smallfrownon her face. That was perplexing. No mention of the Royal Mage either. Zenith didn''t know quite what to make of that knowledge.


    "Fair. Andmore importantly, a person willing to take a chance on others. I am sorry to say that I and a few others were very upset by the rejection of the Alcudian Royal Court in regards to the Admission Act a few years back." That got a few backs to straighten up in alarm. Zenith knew she was taking a very big risk with this information since it was unknown if she even tried to pass something like that without Paige being there.


    Not to mention thatshe hardly looked old enough to remember something that happened so long ago. That was at least a few decades ago, and she hardly looked over the age of twenty right now.


    "Oh ho. It''s... surprising to hear that you actually know of that. One of the weaker moments of my reign, unfortunately. If Peter hadn''t been there, I would most likely not be the Queen right now." Rebecca looked over the girl critically now.


    Zenith could practically tell what the Queen was thinking. ''Why had she brought that up?'' The subtle glances to Sir Kenton and his shake of the head indicated to her that she made the right call. A Diplomat''s role was usingkey information to gain the most benefit, and she was certain this would help on some level. At least, she hoped this would change their perceptions of her. She wasn''t a small-time, backcountry teacher ignorant of the world. No, she had some way of hearing secrets.


    "We are here to talk about the problems your Apprentice caused, Miss Zenith. Please stay on topic." The Headmistress responded curtly.


    "Yes, about that Miss Prim," Zenith said, eschewing Prim''sactual title, "I do have something I would like to bring to your attention."


    Narrowing her eyes, Zenith looked critically over at the Healer Hall, and especially the people sitting behind Miss Prim. The protectors. Lily had mentioned something about them being the only ones in the classroom beside the teacher.


    "I have heard about this little arrangement you had decided for this Apprentice Cleric, and I for one disagree with the setup. Specialty concealment wards, individualized teachers, isolated classroom and away from peers her age. Not to mention having four Protectors stationed by her at all times. It was like you actually meant to imprison this child.


    "I can see why any child would accept a request for a Party, even if they were being forced to join a Formal Party. And before you say anything, by your own admission the Apprentice Cleric accepted the invitation. Willingly if I might add. I do not wish to force the Healer Hall, but if you insist on going forward with this punishment against my only Apprentice and her Party, I will be forced to act to fix this apparent wrongful oversight by the Healer Hall."


    Silence.


    Not only was everyone surprised at Zenith''s harsh analyses and choice words, she even had the gall to openly threaten the Healer Hall! Even Lilywas starting to worry that her Mentor was over her head in this matter. Everyone could tell that the faces of the Healer Hall Head Clericand her guards were practically spitting fire from there eyes.


    "And how-"


    Prim chocked on her words as Lily pulled out the simple, unadorned cross from her sleeves. Holding it up toward Prim, Zenith mentally cheered as she analyzed her reactions.


    ''Prim knows what this item is. Good, this saves me the hassle of trying to make up why this stupidthing is important; especially since Paige had practically failed to mention anything relevant about it''s history.''


    "We both know the merit of this item. Drop this silly trial against my apprentice and let their Party experience a normal school life. I''m fine with putting a few''discreet'' guards around them, especially whenit is time forpractical training, and leave it at that."


    That statement got everyone''s attention. Why was she so confident that the cross would allow her to do as she pleased. And more importantly, was it worth it for the Healer Hall to do so?


    "That item alone is not enough, Miss Zenith. I think w-," Prim''s voice failed her once again as Zenith pulled an old, worn book from her sleeves as well. "...who is your sponsor?" Prim asked respectfully. This was starting to be an issue now. If Prim had known that the girl''s mentor was someone who the Imperial Healer Hall owed a favor too, she wouldn''t have agreed to the Imperial Scion''s request to break the Party and keep Isabella isolated from the public eye.


    "..." Zenith didn''t have to be a Diplomat to know that not every question had to be answered. "Is this enough to lay this trial to rest?"


    She could tell Prim was debating something. Eventually, Prim''s called out, her voice was ladened with grief, "...Imperial Scion Maxwell has demanded that the Apprentice Cleric be kept under watch."


    Zenith mentally flinched. ''Crap. Should I use the wardstone? No, let''s try another tact. Wait, I''m pretty sure Prim told me that the Healer Hall was a subsidiary of the Imperial Family as a whole, not just one Scion. That''s how she was able to look into Paige''s past without alerting anyone when she started investigating.''


    "Am I to take it thatyou''re telling me the Alcudian Branch of the Healer Hall has pledged itself to Scion Maxwell, instead of the Imperial Family?"


    "I wouldn''t call it pledging. Merely working together to protect our own." Prim started sweating as this issue became larger and larger.


    ''She''s sidestepping the issue.''


    Zenith smiled brightly, the task ahead of her looking easier and easier.


    "I think you need a break, Miss Prim.Take some time to cool off and decide what course of action is best for the Healer Hallas a whole. Just know that I already stated my bottom line. Leave this Party intact and let them have a normal school life."

 Chapter 53

    "Aunt Paige, do you think everyone will be alright?"


    Markus anxiouslyglanced over at his aunt as he paced about the clover filled clearing. His Aunt Paige was looking over Boary once again, with far more care than he''d ever seen his aunt show prior. Her frown wasn''t helping his anxiety, though she had already told him that everything would be okay.


    "Your Aunt Zenith knows what she is doing. So long as she words her statement diplomatically, everything will be fine. She''s not crazy enough to threaten the Healer Hall. I mean, I would threaten them outright, but I would try to depend on the items I gave her first. Order of things, you know? At best they drop it outright, at worst she fights a few Protectors and thrashes them."


    Patting Boary on the head as he continued sleeping, his aunt finally stood up a walked back to the house, seemingly content with Boary''s condition.It was like she had barely spared a thought for his other aunt, but that hardly surprised Markus. He knew full well that his aunt liked to push problems down the road and deal with them all in one go instead.


    But that didn''t help his nerves right now.


    "... Aunt Zenith is just a Teacher though."


    "Meh, so what? I''d be more surprised if she got injured. She has a mana shield, knows [Defensive Cloth] and [Vital Guard]. She can practically rival a Rune Knight with those defensive skills alone. I''m sure she can withstand a few hits before Tyler jumps in to help. Besides, nothing speaks louder than a Mage surviving a close combat situation. And if worst comes to worst she has those items I gave her; which I know for a fact will end any debate the Healer Hall has to offer." Paige stopped as she thought about what Zenith might do when she got back. "If anything, she''ll probably try and kill me for not giving her enough information, but again, that''s what Tyler is there for, to provide backup if needed."


    Shooing Markus off in front of her, Paige slowed as she felt someone nearby. Grabbing a stone from the path, she tossed it lightlyat the tree as she talked into the breeze, "Stop pointing that arrow at me, Nick. Zenith will be fine."


    Paige watched lazily as Nick abandoned his hideout and walked beside her, both of them keeping track of Markus ahead. "You''re awfully confident that everything will be okay, Paige. Would it have killed you to have told her all that in writing?"


    "Nick. We both know Zenith can handle herself. And it''s good exercise for her. She''snot even thirty yet. She can handle a few high-stress encounters. Honestly, I think it''ll do her more good than harm in the long run. You don''t stay a High Class in peaceful times, after all."


    <hr>


    "You did it, Mentor! Though, what were those items?" Lily cheered quietly but excitedly as the Healer Hall left to converse amongst themselves.


    Zenith let out a quiet breath. That had... well, not gone as well as she had hoped, but it was still an acceptable outcome. Still, it would have helped if she knew the true background of the item''s Paige had given her. The Nespe Academy and Royal Family might as well not be present for all the help they were, a fact both had probably realized judging by their awkward expressions.


    "The items aresomething relatively useful to have. Technically, by presenting the item you have the authority to make a demand to the Healer Hall.At least, that''s what I gathered it should be able to do. And the book was an olddiary thatcontained a few healing spells. Came in handy when I was learning healing spells. To be honest, I didn''t think that would work since I did get both items from a corpse."


    "Cough, cough. That you discoveredduring one ofyour travels," Tyler added rather helpfully after seeing the others freeze.


    "Yes, of course, that I procuredfrom a corpse during my adventuring days."


    Zenith amended her words slightly, though she was inwardly skeptical about Tyler''s reaction. It was a fairly standard cover story. Or was it not customary to loot the dead in Alcudia? Any Mage worth their Class would check for useful items on a corpse. Or at the very least figure out how the person died. That sometimes gave more information than actually scouting a place, and was usually safer as well.


    "Anyway, Emilia, I''m really sorry about all of this. I really hadn''t known that Lily was in a Formal Party, otherwise I wouldn''t have been blindsided by this situation. This is partially my fault, but I promise that Lily will be safe."


    Zenith bowed rather heavily to Lily''s parents. This could have been mostly, if not entirely, avoided had she taught that lesson personally. But no, who knows what had possessed her to let Paige of all people teach that one subject. Paige! The person who literally could manipulate the whole ritual to her own benefit!


    "It, it''s fine Zenith. I am just surprised you had something that important lying around. And that you were willing to use it for Lily''s sake."


    Zenith looked up sharply. "It''s not a wasteto me, Emilia. What good is an item if you never use it? Honestly, I probably could take Lily back to the forest and she''d get the same education as here. Still might tutor her myself if the school system doesn''t keep her best interests in mind," Zenith said rather pointedly as the head combat teacher approached.


    "Now, it worked out for the best. Both the Academy and the Royal Family have their own set of issues to deal with. Though, it is hard to say if you made it better or worse. The Protectors don''t take threats lightly," Kenton said quietly as he looked over to the Healer Hall.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Zenith frowned. No one takes threats lightly. That was the whole point of issuing a threat in the first place. Plus, she never outright stated that she would attack, only that she would fix the problem herself. Subtle nuance aside, it was hardly worth starting a fight over.


    "Well, assuming they even have a legal leg to stand on, I still feel confident that we have the upper hand. Still,Lily, stay nearTyler for now until we leave. If the worse comes to worst, he''llbe able to protect you untilthe three of youreach Cidala. We''ll have to figure something out about your other party member though."


    "Mentor? Do you think they''ll attack? They are the Healer Hall after all," Lily asked nervously.


    "... how good is the leverage they have on you, your majesty? Nevermind," Zenith rescinded her question after seeing the queen stiffen.


    Now Zenith was starting to feel the tension rising in the library.


    ''Paige! Why am I the one having to deal with all this crap! This is all your fault!''.


    She could see the Librarian doing something from the corner of her eye as she sat down by her desk. The sudden stilling of the ambient mana clued her into what the Librarian had just done.


    "Lily. Stay within two steps of Tyler. It looks like we might be in for a fight."


    "Eh?"


    "The Librarian activated the building defenses. Be careful,"


    Lily cupped her hands and blew into it, focusing a portion of the ambient mana toward her palms instead of the formation surrounding them. The Healer Hall had come to a decision and was walking back toward the trial floor.


    ''Best to get ready for a fight,'' she thought as she compressed the wind into a tiny orb. The ambient mana died down and Zenith grasped the orb in her palm. ''I really hope it doesn''t come down to one.''


    ---


    "We''ve come to a conclusion..."


    Healer Prim announced solemnly as everyone strode back to their respective positions. Zenith shooed Lily over to her stand by her family and Tyler instead of front and center next to her, and she alone strode up and stood squarely between Lily and the Healer Hall. They would have to go through her before they could get to Lily.''Please, please don''t force me to fight.''


    Zenith stilled, focusing on the air around the library.


    ''Not enough to really cast a barrier of wind, though I can manage at least a dozen [Wind Blades] if need be.''


    That was the problem for a Wind Mage with fighting inside a building. She knew a portion of her mana would have to be set aside for her [Air Molding] skill to allow her to quickly form the wind into a blade, though not quite as much mana as when she was a Wind Mage since she now had a greater affinity to wind; but it would still limit her to a small degree. And then she would have to dedicate another portion of her mana separate to defend against any offensive Skills or Spells that she was sure to encounter.


    "... that the girl, Lily Thompson, will be allowed to keep her party intact. The Protectors of the Healer Hall will take a step back and protect the girl in secret, conforming to your general wishes, Miss Zenith."


    Zenith waited for what was coming and kept a close watch on the Protectors themselves.


    ''Although...''


    "Although, we are unsure about the veracity of the items in your possession. Please present them for inspection."


    ''... that''s a bunch of crap.'' Zenith was sure they would attack her the moment she got in range, most likely for something as nonsensical as ''getting to close to a Cleric''. And it would probably be even worse for her if the Protectors came close to her. She hadn''t seen a High-Class fight yet since they arrived, and she would be damned if she was the first to test a High Class in close combat before Paige or Tyler.


    Still, she had to decide fast what to do.


    "... I''ll float the items over."


    Releasing some of the wind from her fist, she slowly pushed the items over, keeping a careful watch on the people in front of her. This would be the best time to attack while she was busy focusingon levitating the items.


    But to her surprise, Prim just stood there and waited for the items to fall into her hand.Zenith held her breath as Prim lifted her cross to the one she just gave, clearly waiting for something to happen. As Prim circulated her mana, her cross started to glow, and with it, the one Zenith had claimed glowed as well.


    "Okay, they are not counterfeit items. This trial is adjourned. The girl may live."


    Relieved, Zenith turned to face Tyler and took stock of his eyes and spun back around, protecting her head with crossed arms, using the compacted ball of wind to push backward and away from her position. The slicing of a blade told her all she needed to know.


    ''Of course they would attack! Stupid Zenith, get your head in the game!''


    The blade was coming in for another attack, judging by how the slashing of the blade had not finished. A windmill slash.


    ''[Defensive Cloth], [Vital Guard]!''


    Zenith shrunk herself as much as she could, hoping to reduce the target area as much as possible. Her bracer light up as the blade edged closer, the mana shield fully activating in response to an attack. And then it quickly dimmed as the blade dipped away from her head and the bracer. Zenith grimaced and focused more of her mana to her skills to resist the attack, just in case her opponent used a Skill.


    ''Great!The shielddissipates if an attack is not aimed at it!? Of all the mana cost-saving measures to use, why on earth would anyone choose that option fora shield!?''


    Even worse, it was not fun watching the blade edge closer and closer to her body.


    ''This better work Paige or I''ll haunt you forever!''


    Paige had painted a rather nice picture of her fighting against two Assassins and surviving with just her two defensive Skills, so she gambled on Paige''s expertise and experience.


    The hard-knocking sound the sword made as it hit her robe, and the absenceof a noticeable mana drain told Zenith that her opponent hadn''t used a Skill when attacking. Still, the impact jolted Zenith backward and she released her hold of the orb of air, fully expending the small orb and pushing her away from her attacker.


    Luckily, that gave Zenith enough room to maneuver, hopefully far enough away from the enemy.


    ''[Air Molding], [[Wind Blade]]!''


    She slashed her arm horizontally, hoping to hit the Vanguard or whatever Class her opponent was and hit... nothing.


    "Damn! Where''d he go!?"


    Recalling the wind before it got too far away,Zenith braced herself fora coming attack and stopped as she took stock of the library. Her enemy wasn''t trying to pursue her as she backed up. No, he had instead elected to kneel on the ground, his head bowed deeply. She frowned as she noticed the Queen and Prim take a step back and curtsy as well, and soon the others in the room displayed the same actions.


    It didn''t take long for Zenith to realize what had happened as she stood still. The light of her necklace was hardly noticeable in her vision, but to everyone else, it was a pale deathly blue.


    ''...the impact and my spell pushing me backward must have jolted the necklace out from under my robe.''


    Zenith counted to ten before she started moving again, hoping she could display enough arrogance to pass off as someone important.


    ''This is the worst day ever. And I''m going to kill Paige when I get back.''

 Chapter 54

    Being the Librarian had its own perks, Luna decided from the sidelines as she watched the trial proceed. For one, she had the combined knowledge of Alcudia right at her fingertips. Every spell tome, history book, monster codex; everything! Knowledge was power after all, and Nightwalkers excelled at using everything to their advantage. Most of the time anyways.


    Okay, so Luna knew that Shavie could assassinate someone faster than she could, but that was a difference in Classes, not skill!


    But the other benefit was mundane yet oddly satisfying for her, at least where this trial was concerned. No one could kick her out of the library since she was technically the one in charge of activating the defensive circles.


    Aside from the mundane laws, Luna was fascinated by the power dynamic she was witnessing. The Human''s Imperial Family was located deep within the Central territory, as Humans liked to call it, but they still held immense power out here in the border countries. And for some reason, the Imperial Family didn''t even need to be consulted for every matter, as whatever Scion was sent apparently had the full backing of the Imperial Family.


    Even Markus himself had to get orders from the Senate, so it was strange that a lone Imperial Scionscould havethe power to overrulea country''s decisions on the go. Without seeing the army in action, Luna couldn''t fathom how a General would be willing to listen to an Imperial Scion, especially one that probably did not care for the welfare of the nation.


    Still, that was for the future. Right now though, Luna was certain that if Shavie wasn''t watching Isabella at their house, her friend would be eating some snacks while watching all this political drama unfold.


    The beginning of the trial had gone smoothly, thoughLuna wasn''t certain why her sister and the girl''s family had to present their views on the matter. She knew that the Healer Hall was the ones calling the shots, with the Royal Family and the school only nominally participating.


    Though Isabella was stillbeen relegated to a separate classroom, for the time being, she at least had another girl in the classroom with her.It was apparent thatLily''s move to a separate classroom wasunder the guise of a ''punishment''. But what was more interesting was the girl''s stubbornness; her disbelief of the teaching material; and finally, her inherentpersonality evidently clashed with almostevery one of Isabella''s teachers that had been assigned to her. Whatever the case, these last two weeks had gone by fast and Isabella''s mood had markedly increased for the better, a point the Royal Family and her sister was quick to defend as a positive.


    Still, Stellahad done an okay job at stating her own views of Isabella joining a Party before she left; she knew full well that there was nothing else she could do for Lily.


    ''Thanks for leaving Stella,'' Luna thought to herself wryly.Typical,her sister would make be the bearer of the news.


    Luna glanced at the people that had been standing close to her sister. Wealthy, but certainlypeople that were unwilling to flaunt their wealth openly. A lacy, silken pattern lined with a hint of golden thread outlined the sides of the woman''s dress; while the man was in a freshly pressed suit and silk cuffs.


    ''Shavie choose really well this time! I was afraid she was going to give me more work, but this time she really came through,''Luna thought contentedly.


    The little Apprentices'' background was apparently even better than Luna could have initially hoped for too after shehad heard their introductions; apparently, her family controlled a good portion of the grain and produce stock for the entire Alcudian Army. Well, now their little region of land produced food for the entire country since the eastern towns that had survived had not recovered to the point of being self-sufficient.


    But nowthe matterwas starting to get a little out of hand. Looking at the other participants for this trial, it was apparent that the Queen had learned from their last meeting and brought actual High-Class guards with her this time. As a precaution against the Healer Hall or themselves, Luna had not the faintest idea.


    As she let her focus slip,Luna was overcome with a slight sense of uneaseas shelooked over in the Queen''s general direction. Most humans would attribute it to nervousness. After all, she was a Queen and most certainly had some Skill or Spells that were special. But Luna''ssensitivity to dark mana was telling a different story. The mana surrounding the queen had shifted imperceptibly. Nothing major, in fact, butit was just enough to alert her that another Demon was present andsecretly using something similar to [Shadow Walking], though the specifics elluded her. Still, why would the queen have a Demon for a bodyguard? Was she that desperate for talent now?


    In fact, this was the first time Luna had seen another Demon actually doing something with their affinity. Most full-blooded Demons kept their heads down and out of people''s way and really restrained themselves in public. Half-bloods were far easier to spot in the town as they were not fully discriminated against, buttreated with an apparent lack of respect overall. Probably why her sister''s alchemy shop was doing so well sinceStella was fair to pretty much everyone, to Shavie and her own general displeasure. That was the biggest change she''d noticed since the ill fated ritual at the mausoleum; Demons and half bloods had far less rights than before.


    Butbarring the school andthe queen''s opinion, which hardly mattered for anything in this trial, the finaljudge was the Healer Hall. Luna shifted slightly to watch the Healer Hall.


    "Prim is easy to handle. Not even a High Class herself yet, judging by her mana. But her Protectors... are they all High Classes?"


    Luna eyed the twenty robed men sitting behind the headmistress herself. For all her posturing of ''no danger involved'', Prim sure had a lot of guards protecting her and the other Clerics.


    "I could kill some of them with a little bit of effort if I was still a Nightwalker, but a Teacher turned Librarian? Maybe with a well-placed Spell or two, some very liberal uses of Skills, and perhaps using a few assassination techniques. But that would be risky."


    She averted her eyes before the Protectors noticed her stares and calmed herself. Even after these four years of relative peace and relaxation, she couldn''t help but revert back to her training every now and then. It wasn''t the thrill of killing that Luna enjoyed, but rather the satisfaction of a good battle.


    ''Calm down, calm down. What did that book say about Protectors? Sworn to listen and protect the Clerics from any perceived harm. Quite an open-ended statement there.'' Luna frowned as she thought about that statement. ''Maybe itwas for thebest that Stella had left as soon as possible.''


    But it was the Mage that worried her. Luna looked guardedly at Lily''s mentor. Zenith Anna Brent. Class, Teacher. History, Unknown. The chances were slim, but she had committed to memory Isabella''s old party members. Aunt Paige, Miss Zenith, Mister Tyler, and Mister Nick. The king''s book of names did not have a Zenith or Nick, so chanceswere high that they were not Alcudian Officers protecting an Apprentice Cleric; Paige and Tyler were most likely they were there as the guards for the Royal Family since Isabella was the Third Princess of Alcudia at the time.


    There was a Zenith Hall that had been from Appealte at the Mausoleum according to the news she had gathered, but a person called Nick nor Paige was mentioned at all. Chances were high that it could be her,though how she really gained the items and her general knowledge of the inner workings of the Imperial Family was a big question that had to be answered sooner than later.


    Even her bragging was suspicious. <...to be honest, I didn''t think that would work since I did get both items from a corpse.> Luna scoffed in her mind. Few if anyone wouldpublicly ever say they looted a corpse, though it was standard practice for any Adventurer to do so. And by sheer happenstance, she was able to find a corpse that had Imperial level artifacts? No, not even their old Party was lucky enough to stumble upon something of that nature, and their Party Leader was a full-blown Demon Lord!


    But the slight glint of metal on the Mage''s armtroubled her even more. ''... The bracer is identical to the one that we have hidden in the safe room.'' It was a simple enough looking arm guard that any adventurous girl might wear and no one would look twice at it. But the pattern and markings were identical. That couldn''t be a coincidence. Could it?


    ''So what is so special about that bracer? I know Stella said it was absorbing mana, but we never did try to use it... Regardless, for that Mage to be here now of all times, was our cover blown or is it really just chance? And is she looking for Isabella?''


    Her eyes lit up with a sense of schadenfreude as she looked toward the Healer Hall as she noticed their actions.


    ''If that Mage survives, we''ll have to get Shavie and Bishner to deal with her while she''s still in the city. She really shouldn''t have started her dispute with threats.''


    She frowned asa random thought came to mind. ''...what did my job description say about fighting in a library?''


    ---


    Everything was going so well. Luna had hoped that the Healer Hallwould kill the mage outright, using the mage''s own threat against her. And it almost worked too. Zenith, for all her posturing, was evidently unconcerned that the Healer Hall would attack her.


    Still, Zenith''s reaction against the hidden attack spoke volumes to her battle experience, as did her defensive Skills. Luna gathered all the information she could as she watched her fight.


    "Tier 5 defensive spells; Can block against superior weapons wielded by High-Class enemies. Tier 4 wind magic. [Wind Blades] or [Wind Slash]. Greater Affinity to Wind judging by the mana purity, density, and/or lack of physical focus when casting. Bracer is a magic item; defensive and offensive capabilities? Test Isabella''s for the same response."


    But it was the necklace that pushed her fury to new heights.


    "Zenith is a companion to an Imperial Scion!" That thought alone almost pushed Luna to attack right then and there and damn the consequences. Had Isabella''s Party not come just as they were about to break into the Mausoleum, they would have been back in Trent with not only a Demonic Sword made just for Markus, but also a true Healer for the Eastern Frontlines! And the chance to figure out what was happening within the Senate and the blood sacrifices! But no, instead they were stuck here babysitting an Apprentice Cleric and waiting for the fog to disperse so that they couldstart their own investigations.


    Still, seeing how the Healer Hall yielded the battle outright, Luna matched the other''s motions and curtsied before the symbol of the Imperial Family. She had read enough about the Imperial Family to know what that stone was.


    An Imperial Wardstone. Capable ofbypassing any formation and able to protect the user from harm. Supposedly, at least. The books she had read that information from was very vague in their usage, as it was just an old traveler''s diary detailing the fall of the magic city of Vestial, a city that rebeled against the actions of the Human Empire.


    They had thought their formations would have protected them from harm, but when the Scions arrived and bypassed them all with ease, the city became a self-imposed tomb to the rebels instead. For Zenith to have one meant she was either well trusted or well-liked by a Scion. Perhaps that Nick person that they had no real information on was an Imperial Scion, and the others were chosen to accompany him. But then why protect Isabella when she was just a Cleric?


    Luna resolved to herself that the Mage Zenith would die before she left the city. Or maybe interrogated first. After all, if she was part of Isabella''s old party, she would hopefully know what happened to Markus as well, since they were still missing their Party Leader.


    ''If Markus is dead then so are you and your entire party,'' Luna vowed as she memorized the Mage''s mana signature.


    ''No. A Poison artifact from Bishner and a well-timed strike from Shavie. Or maybeI could activate the library''s defensive system and kill the Mage here. That would seal the Mage''s fate quite well and possibly earnmesome points with the Healer Hall, though Isabella would probably never forgive me for that.''


    Luna struggled to get her thoughts back into order, systematically killing off each thought with a reason why each one was not a viable course of action for now. Plans within plans. Verification first, then action.


    Luna focused as her enemy started talking again.


    "Forget being nice. I order this trial suppressed. Their party is to be left alone. Isabella shall be placed within the school system at large from now on, and all protectors are to stay outside of the school. Tell Maxwell to be on his guard if he wants to interfere with this party. Theothers are already aware of this situation and are watching. Discreetly."Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    How much of a bluff it was, Luna couldn''t say. IF Zenith was the same enemy from their encounter at the Mausoleum, then it would be to their benefit to capture her. But if she wasn''t part of Isabella''s original party, then they would be getting into a fight with the Imperial Family when they still were unable to leave the city.


    It all came back to not knowing what that ritual was! If Isabella''s age could be repressed back to a baby, and even their race and classes were forcibly changed then they might as well not make any assumptions about their situation, especially since she was still unable to penetrate deeper into the hidden archives strewn about the library.


    ''Maybe Shavie can follow her around. They have to slip up sometimes if they are the same party we had encountered. Or maybe dropping Isabella''s namewould be the easiest test, though if Lily had already told her mentor Isabella''s name then would the reaction to the name be a good indicator?''


    A voice snapped Luna out from her thoughts. "Thank you for alerting me, Miss Librarian. I wouldn''t have prepared so readily had you not done what you did."Her (potential and eventual) enemy was standing not three feet away, with not a care in the world.


    Luna calmed herself. "It was just my duty. Protecting the books and all. Some of them are priceless and irreplaceable. And the magic circle is a painto repair and all of the supplies required to fix it gets deducted from my paycheck. Or so I am told," Luna said, officially stating a reason, lest the Healer Hall give them more pressure.


    "My name is Zenith. Zenith Brent. And you are..."


    "...Luna. Luna Platz. Head Librarian of Nespe Royal Library."


    She was mildly disappointed that the name didn''t mean anything to the Mage, at least from what she could tell. "Nice to meet you, Miss Platz. Unfortunately, I will be unable to come back for a good long while,so I was wondering if you could help me find some books?"


    "...What books are you interested in. We are in a library, after all."


    "Peter. I want every book on Peter the Library has to offer. Also, give me the condensed history of the Empire from the viewpoint of Alcudia. These ... last few meetings are bad for my health. It seems my assumptions on what people are used to are a little... off, you know, from being away from home." Zenith smiled wryly to herself. Luna scoffed. Zenith didn''t know the half of it.


    "It will take some time to gather all the relevant books. It seems you know the Thompson family well. If it is not too much trouble, I can have any books you want to peruse shipped over to their estates, or to your local library; whichever is more convenient."


    Luna couldn''t care less about what Zenith chose.''Either way, it will be easy to track you once either of those options is satisfied''.


    Zenith frowned in thought, which was fine for Luna. It gave her more time to think of a plan, after all.


    ''Too risky following them, especially with their current cover. Secondary plan. Apply pressure on Lily, since she is officiallyIsabella''s party member. She would know exactly where her mentor was hiding. Confirm with Shavie to test the boundaries of the fog again.''


    "...I''ll be traveling heavily for the time being. Send them over to Cidala, and I''ll coordinate with the local librarian on how to access the books."


    "Okay. It looks like Miss Lily is waiting for you. And let me be the first to congratulate you, Miss Zenith, on saving your dear Apprentice."


    Luna smiled brightly. Everything was looking up now. For both Isabella and her own party.


    <hr>


    Emilia could feel her husband''s gaze on her. "...Zenith has never worn that necklace before, Richard."


    "I know that, my love. It doesn''t make sense for her to be a representative either. Definitely not a consort or a slave, and most certainly not a member of a Scion''s Party either. A servant, perhaps? She''s too nice, for the lack of a better word."


    Whatever the case, Emilia was savvy enough to know that benefits and consequences straddled the same line. For Lily to be noticed by an Imperial servant, or whatever Zenith was, was practically a godsend for a young Apprentice just starting out.


    ''So long as the Imperial Scion didn''t take notice of Lily,'' Emilia thought worriedly. But Zenith had been a good friend so far and doted heavily on Lily, so Zenith was unlikely to mess with Lily''s growing affection with Tyler.


    It had taken more willpower than she would have admitted to not investigate Zenith background. Even a cursory look into Hall Academy revealed just how prominent the school was. Founded by the Hall family itself, it was said to be the best place for a Wind Mage to learn their trait, and no small number of the school''s alumni were High-Class Mages themselves. ''A small graduate school for her teaching degree, Zenith had said.'' She had almost spit out her tea when she recieved that news. Nespe Academy had less than sixty people enrolled in its magic courses at any given time, and that was fairly large!


    But was it possible Zenith was just faking it? No, that wouldn''t make sense. Even though she had not seen a wardstone before it would take a blind man to not notice the expression the Queen and the Headmistress had when they had seen the necklace. And a counterfeit wardstone was even less likely. Who in their right mind would attempt something like that?


    That left just one reason. Zenith herself was trying to keep a low profile.


    Emilia knew that their whole party in the woods was certainly more powerful than they appeared on the surface. Their unchanging appearance was a testament to that. Their appearance had practically stayed the same these last four years. Not impossible to do with the right set of routines and lifestyles, but improbable to say the least. Even Paige, for all her quirks, looked and acted young, but some moments just didn''t seem normal to Emilia. Like she was far older than she looked. But Zenith herself felt young. There was no mistaking youth. Zenith had to be about the same age as herself, if not younger. Maybe even closer to Kate''s age than her own.


    ''Could Nick be an Imperial Scion in disguise?'' Emilia stopped and dismissed that thought outright. ''There was no way he was one, just based off of his scruffy look. And he is Zenith''s husband, so that nixes Zenith as a Consort. Tyler couldn''t be one on account of his former weight. Though he does look much better now that he got his weight back in control.''


    Which left only Paige. Emilia hesitated when she thought of Paige. ''All things equal, if Paige changed her clothes into something less typical of a Farmer, she would look gorgeous. At least, she should. She looks great in a Farmer''s outfit, and that''s just plain hemp and cotton.'' Could she be an Imperial Consort and the rest were protecting her?


    As she thought about it more, Emilia mentally shook her head. No, Paige was definitely not an Imperial Consort, that much was certain. Her personality left much to be desired in that regard.


    Emilia stopped and inhaled when she realized she had forgotten one person. Markus. The boy they were all taking care of.


    Could he be an illegitimate child of an Imperial Scion and they were all his protectors?


    <hr>


    The Queen stared out the Library windows, watching the mage and her apprentice leave through the city gates. The mage was wary, that much was certain. Even at this distance, her gloves were vibrating from how much mana the mage was using to disrupt the spying on them. She was certain that her spies would have nothing of note in their reports.


    "I want all the information you can gather about her discreetly. I can''t wait too long on this, Haille. This is too much of a coincidence for it to be normal."


    For Zenith to be an Imperial Servant was almost impossible. Besides her posturing in the beginning, at no other time did she display any arrogance typically associated with the Imperial Family. Sure, her strength was very surprising. And how she deflected that blade was a mystery. But the stone was real. That much Rebecca was certain of.


    "We can''t follow her, Becca. Did you see how she stopped that magic enhanced blade? True, the Protectors didn''t use a Skill or anything obvious, but even I wouldn''t trust my clothes to deflect an Imperial-made Blade. And I''m not about to risk confronting an Imperial either."


    Rebecca could tell that Haille was intrigued by how she had blocked the blade. She watched from the corner of her eye as her friend prodded her dark robe with a dagger, cursing under her breath as she ripped a line straight through her clothes.


    "Stop that Haille. It had to be a Skill. Or maybe a Spell, but I doubt that is likely."


    "It''s still interesting to see a mage do that! I mean, I want to do that, Becca. I could tell even Ronald was suitably impressed. It''s not often you see a cloth armor deflect a steel blade."


    ''Not anymore,'' Rebecca thought to herself. Still, she wasn''t quite sure if that was an Imperial made armor or not. If it was, then the Imperial Family would have no shortages of mages clamoring to join as a servant or other similar roles. Even the girl''s magic shield was highly impressive, though the mana consumption must have been through the roof to power it for that short amount of time. With how much power was flowing through it, it was no wonder the Protector wasn''t willing to risk hitting it. Who knew what else that shield could do.


    "Tell me, Haille. Did everything work out in the end?"


    "...it depends on what the Healer Hall does, honestly. Though, If more than one Scion is watching over the Cleric, then there''ll be a fight in the future. If Mage Zenith has some support, it''ll be an even fight. If not," Haille shrugged. "it''ll be a short fight."


    Rebecca thought for a moment and inhaled, listing orders as she thought about the problems at hand.


    "Haille, pull back the scouts surrounding Isabella''s family, as well as those around her party members. We''ll follow Imperial Servant Zenith''s wishes and stop actively guarding the party, though I do want a few more guards posted around the Academy. Tell Ronald we will be staying here for a while.


    "Tell the guards to stop following the Imperial Servant. We know their general location, and she seems genuinely concerned about the wellbeing of her Apprentice. I can wait until Maggie comes down before we start our search in full."


    She stopped and thought about the final problem surrounding Isabella. "Also, I want a letter drafted to Prim stating we request a meeting. If I can work together with her, we''ll be able to give an adequate response to both the Imperial Family and the Healer Hall. Work with the Librarian to gather any information on that Cross as well. That may be a clue on who is working in the shadows."


    Rebecca sighed as Haille left, sitting down heavily on the lone chair that was placed in the room.


    ''Paige was suspicious of any Imperial Servant, no matter their rank. So what are the chances that she would be willing to Party with one? Still, I''ll let Maggie look into it before I do. No telling how many spies are watching me, and for who.''


    Williams''s reminder rang in her head. Someone willing to stand up to the Imperial Scion. Hopefully, whoever Lily''s Mentor was would fit the bill for now.


    <hr>


    "Of course Luna would order me around. After all the trouble I went through to keep Isabella calm, now I have to follow a possible enemy without the use of all my Skills," Shavie grumbled to herself as she trailed behind the Mage, theMerchant, and Isabella''s new party member, Lily. In truth she was not the only one following the mage, as she noticed at least thirty other people doing the same thing; but she was the only one blatantly doing so.


    The best disguise was an honest one, at least in Shavie''s personal opinion right now. Humans, in general, were picky about honesty and loyalty; a trait Shavie had no problem abusing to her own benefit. And openly following a person wasn''t hard to do, so long as you had a destination that coincided with your target, that is. What made it even easier was that since it was the end of the week, most of the merchants were starting to head out and resupply for the upcoming weeks ahead, as the Academy''s practical lessons were about to start for the upper classes. Something to take note of for the future now that it seemed Isabella would be free to participate.


    Still, not being able to use her Skills was a tough handicap. Even more of a handicap really, since the accursed fog had started accumulating to an alarming degree in the past few hours sincethe early morning.


    ''Damn fog. This little assignment would be so easy if I could just use a Skill or two without repercussions,'' she thought to herself.Shavie shivered as the fog rolled around her. Shecould still remember the pain after Stella saved her life the first time they tested the fog and she for one was not keen on reliving that personal hell again.


    Butthe fog was congregating solely on the Mage and the Merchant, basically protecting them from her. Shavie''s mind wandered, deep in thought. ''...It''ll be hard to killthem without touching the fog. Could it be that the fog protecting them?But then why don''t theynotice it?''


    Shavie sighed as she thought of the weapons she had on hand. "Hmm... A throwing knife won''t kill her, not at my range. My Skills could do some damage. High sixty? No, Luna said her outfit can deflect weapons and possibly even Skills. Low twenties then? Or should I go after the Merchant instead? No, that''d break my cover. Tough choices. Very tough prey."


    She smiled to herself. Despite all the challenges, this was the most excitement she''s had in a long time.


    ''Decisions, decisions. Well, I definitely can''t kill or captureeither of them by the time they leave, that much is apparent.''


    The Merchant slowed as they arrived closer to the gatesand it was apparent that Lily would soon be getting off the wagon. But it was the look on the Mage''s face that was concerning to Shavie.


    ''...Welp. might as well eavesdrop. [[Selective Hearing]].''


    Shavie hoped that the fog wouldn''t come close to her, and sighed in relief as the fog stilled slightly but continued to gather around both the Mage and Merchant. She frowned as nothing happened.


    ''...that''s strange. Is she blocking the sound out with a Skill?''


    It was no wonder the other people following her the pair were coming closer and closer. Magical interference was a pain to deal with at a distance after all. Though she doubted that the other Scouts would have better luck than her trying to pierce through the interference with just an ordinary hearing Skill.


    ''Meh, stupid Mages. Fine, I''ll push my luck. [Shadow Clairvoyance].''


    One of her more advanced Assassin Skills, one capable of even piercing through privacy wards if she had seen a shadow before it activated. That Skill definitely caught the attention of the fog though, as the fog started inching its way back to her in response. Shavie eyed the fog and slowly increased her pace. The closer she was to the target, the less mana her skills used, and hopefully slow down the fog.


    ''I cancontinue using my Skill at least until they get out of the city.'' Walking parallel to them, she zoned out as she listened to their conversation.


    <"Are you sure the Cleric''s name is Isabella, Lily? This is extremely important.">


    <"Mhmm, her name is Isabella Freal Platz, according to my Party Status. Are you okay Mentor?">


    <"Hm...Don''t spread her name around. That is extremely important. No one should bother you anymore about your party. If they do, just let us handle everything and focus on having a good time at school.">


    Watching as Lily waved her mentor off and walked back toward the school, at least half of the people following trailed after Lily.


    <"I gotta tell Paige about this. She''s gonna freak out when she finds out!">


    ''...looks like we''ve found our enemy.''


    Shavie grimaced. Her window of opportunity was shrinking fast.


    ''Should I kill her? Damn, this would be a great time to have Luna or Bishner here.''


    She hesitated andfidgeted with her clothes, stopping to seemingly look for money to pay to pass through the gate. Shavie knew she could aim and throw her hidden knives from here, but was it worth it to do so? Lily was still in the city, so it wasn''t like they were lacking the bait to draw their enemies back in.And there were too many uncertainties right now, especially with so many other people keeping watch as well.


    And that accursed fog was still surrounding the two of them! Provoking the fog was the furthest thing Shavie wanted to do. But it was then that Shavie noticed something weird happening to the fog. As the Mage got closer to leaving the city, the fog started actively doing...something to the two people left in the cart. At least, Shavie judging by how the fog stirred around them violently.


    <"Isabella is here! This is great news for us, Zenith.">


    <"I gotta tell Paige about this. She''s gonna freak out when she finds out!">


    Shavie watched as the fog slowly pulled away from the two in the cart, their conversation shifting noticeably the more the fog left. Isabella''s name appeared less frequently, and the mage''s jubilation turned to rage as the fog pulled away completely. Even the Merchant was trying to placate the mage now, though she knew they were both in the same Party.


    <"I''m gonna kill Paige! How dare she makes me handle all the hard work! And now I have to do deal with the aftermath!? Gaah, and how will I explain to Emilia and Kate. I swear, Paige, I''m gonna...">


    Shavie blinked. Now that was interesting. Very interesting.

 Chapter 54.1

    "... and then her whole conversation and feelings changed. I''m no expert, but I''m pretty sure her memory was erased after she passed out of the fog," Shavie announced to their small Party from within the safe room. With magic circles being almost nonexistent, a safe room like this was probably the most secure place in Alcudia.Even Bishner was present now that he was done with his investigations, though he couldn''t stay long since the house was still being watched around the clock.


    "Are you sure theyspecifically said the name.Paige? Shavie, that is important. They might know what happened to Markus." Bishner responded gravely. Markus''s situation weighed heavily on his mind as he was Markus''s advisor, as he was the one who initially developed the plan to secure the demon blade. Shavie knew that the loss of both probably did not sit well on his conscience at all.


    "I''m sure, Bishner. I say we follow them. That''s the best lead we have on Markus so far. And we even know where they are."


    Even Stella was happy with them finding a clue on Markus. "If we find Markus, we can head back to Trent with him and Isabella in tow."


    ¡°No. We''re going to stay put here." A single cold voice broke the mood of the room.


    Shavie frowned as she looked over to Luna, her dark black eyes tinged with concern. What was her friend doing, disagreeing at a time like this?


    Luna held up two fingers. "First off, we have to remember our circumstances. We¡¯re Humans right now, and it''s a major crime to investigate the whereabouts of Imperial Servants, which we can assume they are. The moment we start moving, we will be facing everyone here alone.


    "Two, Shavie, Stella and I still can¡¯t leave the city. And finally, we still need to bring Isabella with us as well."


    Luna looked to each of their eyes. "Right now, this is the best time to figure out what is happening in Trent. Whatever this fog is, it looks like it is meant to protect us somehow. Even our race is Human for god''s sake. Not being able to use demon spells or skills is hardly a punishment for us. This is practically a godsend for a spy," Luna said quietly.


    ¡°Bu-¡°


    ¡°No buts Bishner. I am the temporary party leader, and what I say goes. Unless someone wants to fight me for this position.¡±


    Bishner paused, and Shavie could tell he was gauging his chances of winning a fight. She shook her head discreetly as he glanced her way, ignoring his hidden gestures. No way she was going to get into a fight with Luna, especially when Stella was here as well. Alone, Shavie was sure Bishner and her could overpower Luna since a Nightwalker was technically amore magically aligned Assassin. But with Stella there to provide magical support, the chances of beating Luna was slim. Plus, the moment they start using skills the fog was liable to come and incapacitate them all, rendering their battle useless as Stella would recover far faster than they would.


    And that''s not even mentioning the fact that Stella was an Alchemist now too. She had far more worries that Stella would poison them outright by this point. Or already had. But Stella''s cooking was the best in their party and continued cooking all the food.


    ''Note to self, test all known poisons again for immune response.''


    Bishner closed his eyes and calmed down. ¡°No, Luna. We all agreed. Reluctantly in my case, but I will still follow your lead.¡±


    ¡°We will go and find him; just as soon as we can all leave this city. Shavie, we¡¯ll have to start testing the surroundings again.¡±


    Shavie shivered. That wouldn¡¯t be a fun experiment. Not one bit.


    ¡°Bishner, you¡¯re lucky you weren¡¯t here when the Healer Hall and the Royal Family were initially investigating us. That gives us some leeway, though we will have to work on your disguise. The Queen has been checking all the backgrounds of everyone we have contact with. Are you sure your identityis solid?"


    "Yes. Same with my merchant company. Everything is legitimate and aboveboard."


    "Okay. You''ve been gone for almost three years now. What were you able to find out so far."


    Bishner nodded, taking off a bag he had over his shoulder. Shavie frowned as she saw him take out bottles of wine. He scoffed at her confused face. ¡°I¡¯m an appraiser, Shavie. How do you think I¡¯ve been funding our party? Fine wine is one of the simplest ways to make money. And no one asks questions how I store the rarer variety either, which helps when dealing with the¡­ harder inventory.¡±


    ¡°Not judging you Bishner, though I am. You should''ve just created a gang and become a boss. How''d you think I was keeping track of everyone here?¡±


    ¡°Duly noted. I''ll put that in my logs that you were killed by a Human Guardsman for starting a low level, useless gang.¡± Bishner sneered as he uncorked a bottle and started unscrewing the bottom, the glass screeching in protest as the sealed end slowly opened. A few of his bottles were there to hide his more covert journal logs.


    Smoothing the rolled logs and maps, Bishner handed them to his left and right, passing them around for the others to see. Having detailed maps of the country helped immensely, though Shavie frowned at the numerous red cross marks that were on the map.


    "It took time, but I was able to sneak back to the second military zone in Evidia and investigate discreetly. The rest of the time was spent making money legally. But I can tell you that all of our connections are gone. We have no real way of gaining up to date information of the happenings in Trent."


    He paused and shuffled his logs to the very beginning, pointing to a few symbols Shavie recognized. Military divisions.


    "Judging by the divisions guarding the border, over the course of a year Trent had to pull back the majority of the divisions to the interior. And since the last four years have passed without a major conflict on this side,my best guess is the Senate needed to reinforce the Trent''s western frontlines.


    "Assuming everything else is the same, securing the demonic weapon was vital for stopping at least two portals for the devils. Without it, I do not doubt that they will only be able to stop one of them at a time. For that, they''ll need enough bait to draw out the devils from hiding, hence why they have pulled back the majority of the divisions."


    Everyone stared at the maps as they analyzed the division''s movements. Shavie knew that they didn''t have enough information to analyze the western battlefront, but Bishner''s estimate was most likely correct.


    Luna spoke up, looking up from the maps to Bishner. "Best guess on when they will have enough manpower to attack the rear lines again? That will play a major role in how we approach the next few years."


    Bishner frowned. "Can''t say. It depends on how the frontlines are doing. It could be as little as one year, depending on how many portals they can shut down before the area is entrenched. We should see an uptick in Scouts when it is getting close though."


    "Did you make any headways on the other issue?" Stella asked quietly.


    Bishner nodded slightly. "A bit. I''ve gone ahead and looked into what happened at Terpeii, as well as the other parts of the country. The blood sacrifices did happen, but I did not see any altars in the towns. Even Evidia had a few villages that were massacred outright."


    Shavie had to speak up. "So that did happen. Even in Evidia?"


    Shewas shaken. Shavie knew that it was one thing to kill enemies, but it was an entirely different problem when it came to a full-on slaughter of non-combatants, especially with blood sacrifices. That almost sounded like what the Devils would do. So then why would Trent try the same thing?


    Luna had the same thoughts on her mind. "What about the symbol the Senate had engraved onto Markus. So far we only have Isabella''s second-hand account on what the symbol supposedly does."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Grabbing a book from her bag, Luna laid it carefully on the table. Shavie recognized it, as it was one of the few items Luna had pre-ritual. The title simply stated ''A History of Demons and their War against Humanity''.


    Luna continued talking. "It has a ton of information relating to our wartime patterns, but the main problem is that the blood sacrifices aren''t covered in this. It just notes to destroy all altars as soon as possible, as well as alerting the Royalty if the symbol Markus had engraved was seen. I''vesearched numerous times, but I have not found anything remotely like this book here. The Imperial Family may have restricted accessto this book for some reason now. Shavie, any luck on your end?"


    "I''ve tapped into my underground contacts as well, and they don''t have any books on Demons like the one you have."


    "So we are still in the dark... Bishner, of the three goals for the invasion, how many of them were completed by the army?"


    "... The main goals were to secure an easterly escape route, weaken the Human resistance and secure the blade. As far as I can tell, the first two were done well. Even better actually. Barring the sacrifices, the entirety of the Alcudia''s western defensive lines were lost. No castle was left standing after the war."


    "Hm? I thought all of the southern castles were left standing?" Shavie thought back. Markus had been furious that Demons were defending the castles, but by the sounds of it now there were hardly any Demons. Perhaps the discrimination against Demons was farther reaching than she had initially thought.


    "There was heavy resistance, but there were two major problems. For one, no demons were defending the castles, thus the scouts were able to slip in easier; secondly, the magic formations were incomparable to what we are used to seeing. They barely had defensive magic placed on the walls, and from what I could tell, most castles only had three or four offensive magic circles.


    "... Keep us in the loop if you start seeing Trent''s Scout divisions in our area. Worst case scenario, we''ll have to evacuate Isabella out with you Bishner.Shavie, we''ll test the perimeter tonight. Anything else?"


    Shavie frowned as Stella fidgeted to the side. Suspicious. But then again, she was raising Isabella, running her business and slowly working Isabella''s new party members.


    "Bishner, we''ll make a show of buying your wines. Stella, make sure that at least one spy sees the transactions."


    "No, Luna. I''ll head over to Bishner''s shop and pick up a few goods. I need to get rid of a few things at the same time, so that might be a better option."


    "From the gang you created? Guh, fine. Just make sure it''s nothing terribly illegal. Meeting adjourned."


    ---


    "Welcome, Lady Shavie! Come in, come in! I have everything and more you are looking for."


    "Thank you Sir Bishner. I have some curios I''d like to sell. That is if you are still in the market for them. One can never trust a merchant too much. Especially one of your stature. Anyways, I''d hate to take up your time for nothing. How about we go into your office for some..one on one time? Hmm?"


    Shavie almost threw up then and there. What kind of Assassin had she turned into!? How she missed the days she could just go out and covertly kill a few enemies.


    ''Peh, this is terrible. I can''t imagine Luna or Shavie ever doing this willingly... Meh, they probably use their skills more often than not. Gods, I''d kill for that Skill!''


    "Ho ho, you certainly drive a hard bargain. Please, step this way."


    Bishner held his arms out low. Shavie''seyes narrowed. If Bishner actually had the gall to touch her...


    ''Touch me and die,'' she covertly signed.


    He waved his arms in mock appreciation.''Play your part, Shavie.''


    Bishner''s lowered his arms and held the door open instead. "Please, welcome to my shop. I can certainly guarantee wecan come to some sort of agreement."


    "Fine, but I hope you will break out a nice vintagefrom your collection. I can guarantee that my items are worth quite a large sum of money."


    Leading her to the back of the shop, they idly talked about inane topics until Bishner closed the door and isolated the room, the inlaid magic circle surrounding his office floor shone with a dull light as he activated them. Shavie could tell that he had taken Luna''s idea seriously and modeled his office just like the library. Still, his office was relatively unadorned, with nothing but a desk and chair in the middle of the room.


    Shavie frowned as she looked for a place to sit."You can''t even bother to make it look used? And hide the magic circle, for god''s sake. Come on Bishner." Still, for all her vexing she kicked over the chair for Bishner to sit on while she sat onhis desk. "What is so important that you couldn''t tell us as a Party? I mean, the maps told us everything we needed to know."


    Bishner sighed. "Not tell Shavie. Show. There were... complications in Evidia."


    Gently grabbing his arms, Shavie frowned as Bishner started rolling up his sleeves and a leather arm guard appeared, apparently hidden underneath the long woolen sleeves.Ithad been getting noticeably colder outside, so she hadn''t thought twice of Bishner''s long-sleeved shirts. But why wa-


    Blood. As Bishner unhooked the leather guard and threw it to the side, the stench of bloodcircled the room, the heavy iron scent almost unmistakable from any other smell. A glance at the leather guard was enchanted to mask the smell of blood, one of the more useful enchantments for fighting in the wilderness.


    But as Bishner started to unwrap the bandages, she noticed something peculiar about it. Her breath stopped as she realized what was wrong with his wounds. The symbol.


    "Shavie wait! I ca-" The sharpened edge of her blade rested on his throat, cutting off his words. They both knew how fast Shavie could draw her blade if she meant to kill him. Her Class may have changed, but her skills hadn''t. "...Six words. Now."


    "Eastern front lines. My original Party."


    Shavie knew that was a plausible answer. The three of them hadn''t been there with Bishner and Markus on the frontlines. "...Why didn''t you tell Luna?"


    "With all three of you there? I''d be killed within a heartbeat."


    "Talk."


    "It happenedalmost three hundred years ago. The islands of Los Mons. Six full divisions were sent to investigate the island''s strange phenomenon, as well as to restore the communications from the islands.Five of them were killed within the first month."


    "... the first portal. Go on, I know my history." Shavie removed the knife from his throat, but not before backing up quickly out of striking range. "Stay sitting. I know you can''t draw a shield in that position."


    "We were the last division standing. The Scouts were able to gather enough intelligence about what was happening on the islands to replicate their rituals. The blood sacrifices. It was during that time that the Senate proposed trying the same thing, using sacrifices to bolster our forces."


    "Trent would never push their citizens to do that. That would make us like the Devils themselves."


    "You''re right, so the Senate proposed something else. To go east. It was a small skirmish, but by using the war against the humans as a cover, the Senate was able to replicate the symbols and engrave them onto the members of our division. We were able to shut down the portal with only an eighty percent casualty rate, but we weren''t able to remove the symbols afterward. The most we can do is hide the fact we have them," He pointed slowly to the desk to her right. "The bandage rolls are in the top drawer of my desk, pass me some?"


    Shavie stared and reached behind her back, grabbing a pair of extra bandages from her hidden pocket. She tossed them over, the roll slowly unfurling itself as it stopped by his feet. Bishner slowly grabbed the roll and started dressing his wound.


    "The Senate wanted to apply the symbol to all the Demon Lords directly, but without knowing the consequences... we were quarantined for over twenty years to make sure there were no long term problems. None of the division experienced any known side effects, so the Senate eventually decided to start applying the symbol to the newer Demon Lords. If there was a problem, the older Lords would be able to correct the problem before it got out of hand. The first generation Lords had the symbols applied to their arms like us, and then slowly the symbols got larger, eventually ending up like Markus''s where it took up the majority of his back. You can''t deny the benefits the symbols provide."


    "No, but you never had a problem with the symbol before, and neither did Markus."


    "He did, if you remember. The Holy Water burned Markus. But there is a bigger issue, Shavie. I didn''t have the symbol when we were changed. It appeared once I passed into Evidia, and became more pronounced the closer I got to Trent. Soon after that, every time I got close to a ritual zone the wound would start to bleed. I think it was absorbing energy from the sacrifices, Shavie, though I''m hazy if that is the reason why."


    Shavie stared at Bishner. He wasn''t lying, that much Shavie could tell. But could she still trust him?


    "We can''t go back to Trent, Shavie. Once we find Markus, we need to stay away as far as possible. I agree with Luna on that. We shouldn''t go back until we know for sure what Trent is up to."


    "And how will we do that? You spent three years trying to infiltrate Trent with no luck."


    "No, but there is another way. You don''t think I spent all that time making money?" Bishner chuckled as he finished wrapping his wounds.


    "I don''t care what you''ve been doing. Just get to the results. How have you been investigating this issue?"


    "This," Bishner pointed toward his desk. "Below the desk is a hidd-"


    A slice of light flashed, cutting the desk in two. Sheathing her blade, Shavie frowned as a small, wooden crate was left partially embedded into the floor, with a fairly large mana stone embedded in the top.


    "Go ahead and open it. It better be good."


    "It is." Standing up, BIshner slowly moved over to the side and opened the lid. "And this is the other part I need you for."


    Shavie smiled as she realized what he had meant. It had been a long while since she was able to practice this set of skills.


    "I wasn''t able to find any books that, Luna, had wanted. But I found the next best thing." They both peered into the open crate. An unconscious demon was lying there, the symbols etched into the box specifically designed to transport prisoners. "It''s a Trent Scout. But look at his arms."


    Shavie glanced down. Both arms were covered in symbols. Much like... "Anything else that''s relevant?"


    "I was able to follow a few Evidian Scouts, but it took some time to capture a Trent Scout alive. All of them killed themselves as soon as I left Evidia. It took forever to successfully drug him. You can claim the credit, Shavie, since you are the one extracting the information from him. But I want to be there when you reveal the information. If the Devils have infiltrated the Senate..."


    "Deal."


    Shavie smiled. It was time to get some answers.

 Chapter 55

    "Aunt, Aunt! I got a Class! A Class!"


    A light touch awoke Paige from her slumber, though she idly wished she was still asleep. Peeking an eye open to look out the open window, she moaned as she saw the constellation of Antip slightly above the treeline.


    "Hrmm. Markus, it''snot even three in the morning yet! Let a girl rest a bit, okay."


    "Aunt, it''s important! I got a Class!"


    Paige sighed. Of course Markus had to wake up and find out he had a Class. Why couldn¡¯t he wait until morning training in just two more hours to tell her?


    ¡°Markus. As much as I love you, even I have my limits. Wait until morning,¡± Paige murmured in displeasure. ¡°Please Markus. I promise I¡¯ll be happy in two hours. Tops.¡±


    ¡°Come on! I wanna practice my new Skills!¡±


    Now Paige was starting to wake up a little more.


    ¡®¡­ new Skills? Nick and I haven¡¯t used a Skill around him in days. What Skill could he have gotten? From training? It has to be something like [Lesser Endurance]. Maybe [Enhanced Strength]. No, maybe it''s Class related?¡¯


    ¡°Okay, fine. Give me a few minutes to get ready for the day.¡±


    Shooing Markus away with a wave of her hand, Paige stayed in bed and waited until the door closed.


    Thump.


    Asteelspade inserted itself between the bottom of the door and jamb, stopping the door from opening once more. Paige sighed as she lowered her hand.


    ¡°Markus. I want you stretching by the time I get outside. And don''t wake Nick up.¡±


    Shoving the blankets off of her, shesat up and stretched,shivering lightly as the cool morning air hit her bare skin. Idly, she pulled her cotton sleeves down while pulling the blankets to cover her bared legs. Running her hands through her hair, she grimaced as she pulled out bits of straw.


    ¡®Note to self, switch from straw bedding back to sheep wool. Why did I believe Nick when he said straw bedding is comfortable? Make sure to ask Zenith when my bed will be ready for pickup. Kate should be done restuffing it by now.¡¯


    Sitting on her bed, she looked around her little room. Not the best accommodation she''d ever stayed in long term, but it reminded her of home, which instantly brought it up to the top ten bedrooms, easy. Spacy, yet cramped. Worn down boards replaced with new onesand the creaking sound as the windows shutters swayed in the wind almost, almost, felt like her old bedroom, or what little she could remember of it.


    Still, the autumn air was starting to get uncomfortable in the dark. The wooden boards creaked lightly and she got up and walked to her wardrobe. In truth, she had most of herequipment in her ring hanging from her wire necklace, but there had hardly been a reason to wear any of them so far, especially since everything she owned was worth far more than a Farmer would ever be able to make.


    ''Maybe we''ll invite Kate and Emilia over for the winter harvest festival. I don''t know if Cidala has done there''s yet.''


    Blindly feeling the clothes, Paige felt them one by one, trying to gauge what the warmest one would be.


    ''Cotton? No. Leather armor? Not this early in the morning. Ah,'' Paige smiled as she caressed the heavy woolen vest jacket. ''Perfect. Let''s add in a long sleeve woolen shirt, a heavy pair of cotton pants, and some gloves and I should begood until at least midday.''


    Pulling thesharpened spade from the floor, she opened the door and half expected Markus to be waiting right outside. Luckily, Markus had listened to her the first time and had not woken Nick up. The last thing she wanted to do this early in the morning was to get into an argument with Nick. He was quite cranky in the morning without at least seven hours of sleep.


    ¡®Well, my morning routine is broken. I¡¯ll go and check the food plots when the sun starts to rise. Now, what skills could Markus have gotten last night?''


    She stopped at the open door as the cool morning breeze flowed through.


    ''Markus couldn''t even close the door? This is just-''


    Stop. Her foot hovered just behind the threshold.


    ''The door is enchanted to automatically close after one minute. It''s been at least five since Markus came to wake me up. Is...Is he trying to test me just like how I test him?''


    Paige smiled. ''How brave of him! Now this will be fun.''


    Taking a step forward through the doorway, she quickly took stock of her surroundings, trusting her instincts to protect her from harm. Without the moon to provide lighting, only the twinkling of the stars above illuminated the clearing around the main house. The cool morning air was causing the perpetual mist to rise and fall rhythmically, as though the forest itself was alive and breathing. The torches on either side of the gate had been extinguished, but only recently as the embers were still alight and slowly fading away.


    "[Craft Modification]."


    Hersteel spade silently changed into a modified shovel; the handle elongating while the bladed edge straightened into a square, the edges gleaming in the starlight.Testing the balance of her new shovel, she nodded as she swung the shovel, the air displacing rapidly as she swung it with the flat of the blade.


    ''So Markus said he got a Class. But he didn''t say which one it was. And he also wanted to test out his new Skills.


    My mana''s not draining, so it''s not an active Battle Skill, that much is for certain. So, that leaves passive and support skills. No, not a typical support skill either. If it was something like lesser endurance, he wouldn''t have needed to do all this to set the mood.''


    The glance around the settlement had given her a good enough idea of what the skill was.


    ''So. Markus''s Class is an Apprentice, but it has to be a combat skill. And one of the first combat skill almost everyone learns is... Okay. Time to test it out.''


    Chuckling to herself, she dashed over the fence and ran straight into the barn, stopping right in the middle. Holding hershovelup, she fell into a defensive stance.


    It was almost universal that everyone would gain this skill, assuming they did not have a null affinity like Paige. [Elemental Blade]. Elder monsters aside, most Adventurers would only fight elemental monsters weak against their own elemental affinity for good reason. More powerful monsters meant more powerful cores and a much higher pay rate. After all, not many people were like Paige and hunted whatever crossed her path.


    ¡°Okay Markus. Let''s see what you got.¡±


    ---


    "Aunt Paige! That was no fair!"


    "It was perfectly fair. It''s not my fault you were impatient."


    Paige rubbed Markus''s head as her legs pinned him to the ground. Okay, so using the shovel as a makeshift ax and shield was a little unfair. But it should teach Markus to be wary of any type of weapon, she supposed.


    And she had been right. All she had to do was wait for Markus to attack first, and the battle would be done. Shrouding a blade with a Skill was pretty useful, though less useful when facing people who knew what you could do.He had made a few mistakes that she was not going to fix any time soon. He had to learn what was going wrong himself.


    Extinguishing the lit torches had beenhis first mistake. Okay, so maybe [Dark Blade] was a useful skill to have, but the conditions to use it successfully in battle was rather hard to set up. That Skill was highly favored amongst Demon Scouts and Assassins, as it was excellent for night battles and sneak attacks. It dulled the reflection of the blade while also enhancing the sharpness of the blade, making most shields useless. In fact, Paige reasoned that it was the combination of the demonic weapon and the use of [Dark Blade] that allowed him to penetrate through Tyler''s upgraded armor.


    But with Markus''s affinity toward darkness, he could have just used his own Mana instead of the surrounding mana to enchant his blade, so there was little to no need for Markus to do it now, other than showing off. Something she''d have to fix sooner rather than later.


    His second mistake was rather petty, buta mistake was a mistake. Seeing that Markus had no intention of moving first, Paige simply did what any adult would do in the same position.


    "I''m going back to bed if you don''t do something soon, Markus...


    Five.


    Four.


    Three.


    You better hurry up Markus.


    Two.


    One."


    She smiled and turned, making a motion to grab the makeshift short sword that appeared from behind her; the blackened edge seemingly dissipating as she moved her hand forward to grab the very dulled iron blade.


    ''Thanks for watching out for me, but I would''ve been fine. Your mana density isn''t that high. Yet.''


    She knew full well that the skill would make the hit hurt a little more, but not too much given his ApprenticeClass. Now, if he had an edged weapon she might be a little more worried about him actually hurting her, especially since she was essentially blocking the blade with only a pair of sheepskin gloves. In the end, either it would either sting a little or hurt like hell, depending on how fast she could release her mana to dull the Skill.


    But she trusted her gut thatMarkus would pull back before he hit her in earnest.


    Letting the blade go, Paige''s fingers slid down the flat of the blade and grabbed his wrist in a solid lock. Twisting her body, she simply took a step forward and rotated his arm and elbow while kicking his feet out from under him and following him down to the packed dirt floor.


    "Ow ow ow. You were the one counting down, Aunt! What was I supposed to do?"


    "Let me leave for one. That would have been the easiest option. You could have found a better ambush point than the barn. There is a reason why most assassinations occur outside. Nice use of [Dark Blade] though, Markus."


    "Thank you, auntie. Can I get up now?"


    "In a bit. Nick, how would you say he did?" Paige chuckled as she looked over to the barn doors.


    Nick was crouching beside the open door, watching the pair sit on the ground."He could''ve easily just used more of his mana to blend into the surroundings rather than use the ambient mana. Or none at all, especially given how dark it is outside. The mana drain was negligible, but anyone above a specialized class could have found him just by that alone."


    Standing up, he took out his flint and sharply whacked it against the steel bar, sending a harsh light out to the barn as the sparks fell upon an already tarred torch. The light was a nice welcome since it was still rather dark in the barn.


    "Tch. He was supposed to figure that out himself. Thanks for spoiling that little lesson."A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "So he finally got a Class. I thought he would''ve gotten his Class a few days ago at least."


    Paige could feel Nick''s eyes on her. And she knew exactly why too. But it wasn''t her fault, at least not what she could tell. Honestly,Markus should''ve gotten his Class a few days ago. She had done everything a normal person would''ve done in order to get a Class. Sure, she was monitoring his status to make sure it would not show everything. But even when she finishedmodifying his Status to show Apprentice, his Class was still hidden from Markus, which honestly surprised her.


    "So what Class did you end up getting?"


    "After we talked, I couldn''t decide between a Swordmaster or a Hero, but I eventually got Apprentice Swordmaster!"


    Paige blinked. "Huh?"


    "You said it yourself aunt. That the gods also play a part in gaining a Class. So I prayed these last few nights to every random god I could remember from Aunt Zenith''s class about which one would be better and then I finally got a Class today!"


    Now she couldreally feel Nick''s pointed gaze. Luckily Markus was facing her; Nick''s eyes twitching was not a good tell right now. And that was definitely not how Class acquisition is supposed to work!?


    "Umm, Markus. What gods exactly did you pray to?"


    ''If he prayed to all of them...''


    "Umm, the major and minor gods. And the adventuring gods. And the -"


    "Huh. Well okay. That''s great Markus!"


    Paige could feel her back sweating from the pressure Nick was exerting. ''I mean, I was just saying the gods have a role in Class acquisition, not that you have to pray to them to get a Class! Andhe''s already Blessed. Can you get blessed multiple times? And did he get any divine level skills? Gods, how am I supposed to explain what that is? No, no, let''s check to see what he has first and then worry.''


    "Markus. Close your eyes for a minute, I''m going to look at your status, if that''s alright with you."


    "Hm? Couldn''t I do that myself?"


    "You could, but I know how to do an [Advanced Status] check, which would help us guide you along."


    "Hm? Is it that much better than me looking at my own status?" Markus asked confusedly.


    "It isn''t, butyou wouldn''t have to use your own mana. Your core should be rather low after this fight, and Nick and I might need a few minutes to go through your status. You''d probably hit mana exhaustion within a few moments if you tried to sustain the spell alone."


    "Okay."


    Markus sat down and waited, closing his eyes while relaxing.


    NIck started signing the moment his eyes fully closed, his signals moving forcefully.


    What thinking!? Pray gods Class? Problems?


    Paige signed back using her old Ranger codes. Nick still hadn''t taught her the updated signs yet.


    All good. It shouldn''t be a problem overall.


    Inhaling, she focused her mana and quietly stated, "I, Paige, request the full status of the Apprentice in front of me. [Advance Status]."


    The air in the room got noticeably stuffier as the mana rushed into the room and combined with Paige''s own mana, her pale white cloud floated around Markus. At the last moment, she released a bit of her divine mana, a single golden thread combining with the pale white cloud for just a moment.


    That was how she was hiding his Class, at least from Markus. He''d have to have a lot more mana before he''d be able to break the lock surrounding his real status. Extremely wasteful, but it would stop him from seeing his true Class, and that was a good enough reason for her to justify doing it.


    The cloud of mana swiftly formed into a dense row of characters. Nick stepped forward to read the status with Paige.


    Name: Markus Ederite


    Race: Human/Demon


    Affinity: Greater Darkness, LesserLight


    Class: Blessed Apprentice / Subclass Apprentice SwordMaster


    Skills:[Trail Finder],[Natural Explorer], [Night Vision], [Shadow Walking], [Craft Modification - Farming,Bows, Armor, Weapon, Staff], [Green Thumb], [Seismic Tilling], [Empty Handed Strike],[Basic Swordplay],[Basic Archery], [Seismic Slash], [Dark Slash], [Silent Arrow], [Power Strike]


    Spells: [[Seismic]], [[Appraisal]], [[Dark Shroud]], [[Mana Orb]]


    Party: Cidala Heroes: Temporary


    Paige was suitably impressed with his status, though he had learned far more skills than she''d thought once she saw his status. She was impressed that he knew [Shadow Walking], though she had known a few Demons who could do that adeptly. No wonder he would want to test out his new Skills and had to set up the battlefield. Still, she''d have to drill it into him the importance of choosing the skill for the right occasion.


    ''An Apprentice Swordsman is good too. Still, for it to be listed as a subclass is rather surprising. And it''s good that he''s not a hero class. That would be far harder to hide.''


    "Okay. You have to be careful when usi- "


    "When using skills. I know aunt. Aunt Zenith taught me how dangerous it is. I only used two skills, and I watched how I was feeling the entire time as well."


    Markus fidgeted as he stood up. "Aunt Paige, co, could I see the item now?"


    ''Huh?''


    Her gaze must have given away her confusion. "You said that after I get a Class, you would show me the item. Remember?" Markus asked, suspicion lacing his question.


    ''...crap! I did say that, didn''t I?''


    "I remember Markus, it''s just too early to think clearly right now."


    ''I really can''t fake this one. Tell the truth about how we found him. We all agreed on that much.''


    "Ring ring ring, show me my stuff."


    An opaque box opened in front of Paige as Markus blinked at the sight.Going through the list, she quickly found the one item she was looking for. Markus''s old cape. Well, old in the sense of him having no memory of it. She was rather impressed by the cloak too and she''d wear it if it wasn''t so...vain looking.


    Tapping on the box that held the item, she quickly grabbed the cloak as it appeared, the black cape shimmering from the flickering of the torchlight. The edges were lined with some type of monster fur, though Paige couldn''t quite make out what type of animal it came from. The inner side of the cape was adorned with patterns, somehow forming a picture of a man on a hill if you crossed your eyes and unfocused. But the outside of the cloak was impressive and gaudy at the same time. A symbol adorned most of the back, the thread clearly magical as it alternated between blending in with the cape and showing a brilliant golden marking.


    The symbol was gaudy to say the least. Still, it wasn''t a symbol that made up the blood sacrifices; wasn''t any of the known gods; and it wasn''t from any of Trent''s armies that she''d seen over the years; so she hadn''t bothered tounstitchthe markings. She had designed a few symbols herself on a whim before, so it wasn''t too terrible to let Markus see his former symbol either.


    "You found me in this?" Markus breathed as he looked at the cloak. It must have been quite an impressive sight for a child of his age.


    "Yeah. Anyway, when you get old enough to wear it I''ll let you have it. I promise. Hmm, rather, how about we put it up in your room? Yeah, that''ll work. Perhaps you''ll grow enough to wear it when you go out on Adventures."


    She could see tears forming in his eyes. "Th, thank you aunt."


    "...don''t mention it, Markus. Maybe one day you''ll find your family."


    ''Hopefully not, but one can hope,'' Paige thought to herself quietly. That would probably not be a happy reunion.


    "Not to interrupt this, but Paige, you should get ready."


    "Hrm?" Paige looked askance at Nick. ''Jerk. You ruined themoment.''


    Nick smiled, something that instantly caused warning bells to ring in Paige''s head. Nick normally wasn''t this helpful to her, not unless it was something that was sure to cause her grief.


    "Zenith and Tyler are about to be here,"


    "Oh shi-," Paige yelped and ran out of the barn.


    "Huh? Why is au-"


    "Paige has always been a good judge of character. So, what do you think will happen when Zenith comes back?"


    "Umm, throw a party?" Though, evenMarkus himself wasn''t too sure about that. His auntwas acting awfully panicked, after all.


    "No, Zenith is going to try and kill her. Now, whether she actually succeeds or not is another matter entirely. Come on, I''ll take you to the top of the barn. You''ll have a good show to watch pretty soon."


    <hr>


    "Why would Uncle Nick say there is a good show? Isn''t it dangerous to try and kill people? Or was he just joking?"


    Markus frowned as hesat on top of the roof barn, watching the clearing below. It was a good vantage point though. Turning his head, he saw that his uncle already had his bow out and an arrow nocked, though the arrowhead was just a sharpened shaft rather than the usual steel hunting arrowheads that were usually attached.


    "Gotta run, Zenith is gonna kill me!"


    His aunt was unusually loud right now too. He quickly looked back to the house and saw his aunt in something he had almost never seen her wear. She was actually dressed in a makeshift set of leather armor,complete with a tiny buckler and a... shovel? Though, why would it take so long for her to get dressed? It was almost mid-morning after all. It surely hadn''t taken her that a few hours to put on a single set of armor... or had it?


    "STOP RIGHT THERE PAIGE!"


    He could see his aunt falter and turn shakily, waving before she started sprinting in earnest.


    That was when his other aunt appeared, in something he had rarely seen her in as well.


    "[[PRISON WIND]]!"


    A very bad mood. Even the trees started to shake as she appeared and waved her hand forward, a gale of wind rammed through his aunt''s food plots and slammed right into his Aunt Paige as she tried to leave the clearing to the forest beyond.


    From his vantage point, he realized why his aunt had called her Spell a prison instead of a cage. The wall of wind was angrily blocking the entire clearing, the wind racing furiously around the whole settlement, much like how it had trapped his uncle last week. Though this was on a much, much larger scale than before.


    "It wasn''t all bad, you know. Was it a good workout for you? Let loose a bit?"


    Markus winced. Apparently his aunt had forgotten all about tact in her haste to leave.


    "A GOOD WORKOUT!? I WAS NEARLY CUT IN HALF! AND YOUR STUPID SHIELD DID NEXT TO NOTHING!" he could hear her muttering something angrily as she slashed her handforward, a blade of wind heading straight for his aunt.


    Uh oh, Aunt Zenith was really mad at Aunt Paige. His eyes widened as he saw streaks of wind tear up his aunt''s food plot, swirling around much like the ball of wind his Uncle was once trapped in almost week ago, thoughon a much, much larger scale.


    "Make sure you don''t use up all your mana, Zenith! You know the fog limits you in that regard right? I''d hate for you to experience mana exhaustion!" He could hear his aunt call out worriedly as she...cut the wind!?


    Diagonal slash, horizontal cut, backhanded strike, uppercut. She was constantly swinging and moving in time to some unknown pattern. His aunt moved side to side, twisting her bodyround and round as she swung repeatedly. No wonder she said that the motion of the sword was highly dependent on your own body position. Most of her strikes would be highly unconventional if not outright impossible to link together otherwise.


    Each of the motions of her plain shovel dissipated the blades of wind as it neared her. She was hitting the wind with the flat edge of the -


    No, Markus realized with a jolt. He focused on the head of the shovel.His aunt was initially slicing the blade first with the edge and then twisting the shovel to the flat edge to scatter the air, causing the blade as a whole to miss her!His aunt must have noticed too, based on how she was alternating her attack angles while moving closer.


    "Tyler, hamper her! Nick, I want supporting cover or you can forget about tonight! I want to get a solid hit on her before this is all said and done!"


    Markus frowned. How were they going to do that with his aunt still slinging magic around?


    "Nick! No fair! And Tyler, stop that before I actually hurt you!" His aunt yelled out, clearly flustered about something. Her movements had started getting more erratic and random. A flash of movement caught Markus''s eyes as his aunt dodged something again.


    ''What is Uncle Nick doing?'' Turning, he watched as his uncle stood behind his Aunt Zenith and fired. Markus almost screamed to warn his aunt when suddenly she whipped her hand backward; a gust of wind pushing the arrow around her body and accelerating forward.


    ''Okay, we have to get an Archer for our team! Then Lily can do the same thing as Aunt Zenith!''


    Satisfied that he knew what Uncle Nick was doing, Markus turned and looked to his other uncle, who was pacing around Aunt Paige slowly.


    His Aunt was clearly watching him move, which accounted for a few more erratic movements.


    ''But why is Aunt Paige watching Uncle Tyler when Aunt Zenith is more of a threat? It''s almost like she is worried about him being a thre-'' Markus''s eyes widened. ''[Offensive Engagement]? It had to be something like that. But hadn''t uncle said that was a skill Tyler could learn when he became a Vanguard? Why would uncle know that skill?''


    And how much mana did his aunt have? Markus frowned as he continued counting how many spells she had cast so far, and realized that she had already cast over forty blades of wind, in addition to the larger circle of wind surrounding the clearing.


    Still, she was getting awfully close to Aunt Paige. And she still hadn''t used her staff yet. Was she planning on fighting with her staff? Hadn''t she said in the lessons with Lily said she shouldn''t use her staff as a close combat weapon unless as a last resort? So what wou-


    "[[Wind Sword]]!" Zenith cried as she spun her body, swinging the staff sideways at Paige while she was still at a distance. A greatsword sized compressed blade of wind appeared at the end of her staff and arced toward her as she barely used the flat of her shovel to block the attack.


    "Hah!" Markus watched as Paige deflected the blade upward and spun toward Zenith, using the momentum of the block to move in.


    But it looked like his Aunt was waiting for that moment. "[[Cutting Wind]], [[Wind Blade]]!"


    He could tell that his Aunt was happy she stepped in, and it was apparent why. His aunt had launched several lines of wind, each seemingly harmless line of wind moving randomly, much like a gust of wind on an open field. The main blade of wind Paige blocked with her shovel, yet the tiny lines she took with devastating effects.


    Each line neatly cut into the leather armor and his aunt''s skin, tiny streaks of blood wisping away with the wind.


    "Ack! That hurts, Zenith!"


    "I hope it hurts just as much as that sword did for me!"


    Paige and Zenith stopped and looked at each other warily.


    "Feeling better now?"


    "Can I hit you one more time?"


    "..."


    "... fine. Yes, I''m better now. Please think a little more before something like this happens again. Now we have even more problems to deal with." She huffed in displeasure.


    "Good job Auntie! You won!" Markus shouted from the rooftop of the barn.


    Zenith swiveled and gasped. "Markus, get down from there! That''s too dangerous!"


    "I got a Class, Auntie! Let me tell you about it!"


    <hr>


    "And that is how I trained under a waterfall to gain my Class!"


    "Good job, Markus! An Apprentice Swordsman is very impressive for your age. Though, I am surprised you didn''t get the Apprentice Class."


    "Same here, Zenith. But it''s all good. A Swordsman is very impressive too."


    "Markus, we have some things to talk about in private. Can you go and train? And before I forget, Lily and Tyler says hi."


    "Do I have to?"


    "Yes, go Markus. I''ll get your gifts later."


    Paige knew what Zenith wanted to talk about. Something had to have gone wrong if she was that mad. Sure, it wasn''t pleasant going into those situations, but Tyler should''ve been there to help.


    "Sigh. I made a few mistakes, Paige."


    "Not at all, Zenith. Your use of [Air Molding] and [[Prison Wind]] was a good idea. And you were even able to save your mana and reuse the [[Wind Blades]] by molding the spells together."


    "Not that, Paige. Lily and Tyler are safe, but there were complications," Zenith said quietly.


    "Must not have been that bad if you are still alive. Tyler?"


    "Zenith threatened the Imperial Scion by proxy. Evidently the Healer Hall had aligned with the Scion while he is here."


    "Huh. Well, it''ll be no big deal for now. It is a veryserious crime to investigate the Imperial Family, so we shouldn''t have to worry about it short term. But still, was the Apprentice Cleric that outstanding to warrant all this extra protection?"


    "No, it''s a genius Apprentice Cleric or something. They are keeping her under guard until they could indoctrinate her.Lily and Tyler not even allowed to say her name. I was able to get them some freedoms while in school, but even then I don''t know if it was worth it to antagonize Scion Maxwell."


    Paige blinked. "Who?"


    "Maxwell."


    "Huh. I guess that monster would still be alive."

 Chapter 56

    "Monster? Do you know anything about him?" Zenith asked quietly.


    Paige hesitated.She knew she was going to have to tell some of her past to her Party, especially the parts she wanted to forget. "Yeah, there are a few things that I knew about him. Well, before I killed him anyway. He didn''t have the best reputation, even amongst the other Imperial Scions at the time."


    "You killed him!?" Zenith was rather shocked at her blunt admission. She knew that Paige escaped from the Imperial Family, but she hadn''t knownor believed that she hadkilled other Scions outright.


    Paige scoffed. "Where do you think I got the extra wardstones from? I took it off their corpses."


    "I thought that was looked down upon?"


    "No! Who in their right mind wouldn''t check a corpse? And at the very least, I buried a momento of the good ones when I could. I''m not that heartless."


    Nick spoke up. "Back up Paige, you need to start from the beginning."


    "...Barring Zenith; what do the two of you know about the reputation of Imperial Scions?" Paige glanced over at Nick and Tyler. Well, even their ages weren''t that old, so maybe even they didn''t know the buried stories of Imperial Scions.


    Nick grunted in reply. "In a word, Heroes. A singleScion is said to be a match to most High-Class Parties, solely on their Class."


    "Reputation matters to them, and they are the protectors of the Empire,"Tyler responded. "And they are always on the lookout for Princesses."


    "Yeah, well that''s more because the Imperial Family wants more heroes."


    "And that matters because..." Zenith asked quietly.


    Paige ignored the question outright. "Look, the crux of the matter is that Imperial Scions didn''t exactly have the sterling reputation they had when you guys were growing up."


    "Sterling reputation?" Zenith scoffed. "That''s hardly the right words to describe them."


    Paige fidgeted. "Okay. Maybe it''s time for a lesson in Imperial Politics.


    "So, everyone knows why Imperial Scions want Princesses. Well, Princesses gain more power within the Empire the more their children excel. That in turn also impacts how many resources the Scions themselves gain.They have sex,give birth to Heroes or Princesses, who in turn fight to become recognized as Scions themselves and the cycle continues. The more Scionsthe Empire as a whole means we can withstand foreign threats far easier.


    "It''s sort of a multi-generational thing. You could say that the more influential a Scion is, the higher their position is within the Empire.But that''s not how things originally occurred before you were all born. No, Scions had a much, much worse reputation."


    Zenith scooted in, enraptured with the story, no, with the inside look at the Imperial Family. She could tell Paige really, really did not want to talk about it, since her hands hadn''t stopped being clenched since she started talking.


    "Scions were protected by the might of the Empire at large, which is why most people are hesitant to cross them. So you can imagine thata few started to become more arrogant as time went on. Arrogant, self-centered bastards. Not all of them of course, but a few bad apples can ruin the whole as they say. And to these Scions, the Empire was just a toybox. Their toybox totake, build or destroy at their heart''s content."


    Zenith shook her head. "Paige, that doesn''t make sense. That''s almost the opposite of what any ruler would do in their country. Can you imagine if a Crown Prince acted that way? Public opinion can sway many things, and I wouldn''t be surprised if a Crown Prince was assassinated for his behavior. Why would the Emperor allow it?"


    "The Emperor had no qualms about it, as he was focused on the bigger picture. So long as the Scions did their duty as expected, he would let them vent their frustrations on a few people rather than risk the safety of the borders."


    But to her surprise, it was Tyler who spoke up in Paige''s defense. "Zenith, your assumption is based solely on the fact that the Empire would not be able to squash any rebellion outright. But they can, especially if the ImperialMages have an advantage." He turned to Paige, who nodded her head. "Is that how you changed the perception around Imperial Scions? Through selective culls and releasing their magic research?"


    "Yeah. Or rather, I should say I killed the morally corrupt ones who came after me. They stopped coming in force after I killed a hundred or so over... one, maybe two hundred years? That got rid of the majority of problem Scions. The rest came in smaller groups spread out over the next seven hundred years. Anyway, Maxwell was one of the former groups. Heand his party were able to track me to a rather highly-populated mountain range, something I was unaware of at the time. Maxwell ordered the entire mountain range to be razed to the ground. There were no survivors in any of the twelve mountain villages.


    "Anyway, I faced wholesale slaughters, abductions, threats while I was escaping. They did pay for that, but I hardly had time to relax.


    Paige smiled. "But that was before the Empire was almost plunged into a civil war due to me releasing the Imperial family''s magic research. The Emperor was forced to reign in all of the Scion behaviors after the other countries started gaining more power. After a few Scions were almost killed outright by countries, the Scions started targeting just me. Why risk getting a nation offended, especially over a few civilian casualties. By the time you were all born, the nations were basically self-sufficient and only needed to turn to the Imperial family if the nation was on the brink of destruction like Alcudia was."Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "There are problems with your explanation, Paige." Nick looked up, his gaze piercing. "But I''ll focus on the one major one. What is the real reason for so many Scions? Why the need for Heroes?"


    "..." Paige was quiet. "I told you that once you can reach my level, I''d let you know. That is still true."


    "I agree with Nick, Paige. Give us a reason why. Our ignorance already almost cost the lives of Lily and Tyler. I won''t let that happen again with us."


    "... let me just say the loss of the gods is a big deal, Zenith. A very big deal. There is a reason why almost every Hero is Blessed." Paige stopped. "That''s all I will say about that matter. If the issue impacts us as is, then we are better off not worrying about it. I''ll just assume the Empire is doing its job overall since we are all still alive."


    That was a rather grim answer, but Paige brushed the questioning looks away. "So, anyway; Zenith,Tyler said you threatened the Imperial Scion by proxy. Does that mean your wardstone was seen?"


    Zenith bit her lip. The look in Paige''s eyes was warning everyone to drop the previous conversation. It was food for thought, but Paige was opening up to them, slowly. "It was my mistake, Paige. I jumped back to dodge a blow and the necklace slipped loose. I tried to be arrogant and ordered the Imperial Scion to not interfere. Will that be a problem?"


    Paige was oddly nonchalant about the entire ordeal. "Do they know where we are?"


    "Mhmm. Alcudian scouts were able to find us in the town, so chances are they can find us here." Zenith turned to Tyler. "Your thoughts?"


    "He''s got to know we''re here. Most of the information is easily accessible."


    "Good. It''s no problem then. Even Maxwell would hesitate to visit us if he knows we''ve been here for four years. That''s a lot of time to prepare for unwanted guests."


    "And if he does? Or he threatens the town? You already said he wasn''t shy of killing innocent people in pursuit of a goal."


    "Then we go and kill him. Look, in less than two years Nick or I will be able to leave, and if the trend continues then one more year after that we will all be able to leave. Even I would hesitate to execute a plan to kill a Scion in an established base within three years. Well,Icould do it. " Paige leaned back as she thought about what the Scion would do. "If Tyler is right about the country, Maxwellis going to have his hands full defending the defensive lines while the castles are being rebuilt. Neglecting the castles is the same as neglecting the security of the Empire. Even if he wanted to, he''s not going to have time to spend on us. Even messing with the Healer Hall is treading a dangerous line for him. He probably will back off if he knows other Scions are waiting for him to mess up."


    Tyler spoke up. "So in essence; he''s smart, not suicidal?"


    Paige nodded.


    "We can work with that, Paige. And if his Party or other Servants come?"


    "We kill them as a warning. Only the Scions themselves are protected by the might of the Empire. We should get some magic circles ready though, just in case one does come."


    "That''s a terrible plan. And I need to have a word with you about creating a Formal Party for Lily and Tyler. What in the world were you thinking!?" Zenith huffed. This is what started the mess they were in, not taking things seriously.


    "I uh, wasn''t, to be perfectly honest. Lily requested I help her create a Party for the two of them, so I did."


    "And the reason you chose to do a formal party was..."


    "...I''m old fashioned? Ow, watch it!" Paige said as she dodged a blade of wind. "That''s a relatively new thing for me, creating parties specifically with the intention of it being temporary. That''s only within the last couple hundred years that that is even acceptable in society."


    "So that was the reason why you never joined Rebecca''s party?"


    "Mhmm. Well, that and my Class would be exposed to Rebecca. Without an [Oath of Silence], I would have to flee almost immediately to escape tracking. My Class is rather noticeable, after all."


    "You used your real name in Alcudia though?"


    "Yeah, well by that time I saved so many people that people startednaming their daughters Paige Alduit. I could relax just a bit, so long as my cover was solid."


    "So that''s how you were able to pass your history off as the real thing. You practically had doubles." Zenith exclaimed bitterly.


    Paige blinked. Why did Zenith sound disappointed? "Mhmm. There were enough children that I could keep track of their ages and then chose one that would match my expected age. For friends and relatives, I would just have to disguise myself and pop in every once in a while to continue the misunderstanding. There really was a Paige Alduit who was in a warzone and became an Apprentice Paladin. Shewas killed in a battle though when their whole division was practically wiped out. In short, you''d have to do some serious digging to find out I was using a fake identity even though I was using my real name."


    "Tch. I thought you had used magic. Nick assumed a disguise, and Tyler said you paidthe sources. I guessNick was the closest to the truth. Looks like youwon that bet, Nick."


    "Mm. I''ll figure out the favor the two of you owe me later. We need to decide on our future plans."Nick stood up, looking outside to where Markus would be. "We can''t stay low key much longer. Eventually, we will be forced to act."


    They were all quiet at that. Paige looked the most troubled by that simple fact.


    Tyler stood up and started walking to the door but stopped short of opening the door. "We all need to start training for combat again. Paige, I know you have a hard time acting like a Warrior, but please try to get your strength back. Battles may be unavoidable long term, and having a True Warrior would help us immensely. Same for you Nick, Zenith."


    "Fair enough, Tyler. I''ll... try my hardest and keep up with training. And we''ll still train Markus, though as a Swordmaster instead of an Apprentice in general. Nick, Zenith, try to keep your combat skills down to a minimum around him. It''s not very common for a swordsman to use a bow, but if he knows archery skills in addition to his normal skills, it will raise some unwanted questions when he starts going to school. Same for Spells, Zenith. A few cantrips is acceptable, but nothing major. And definitely no attack spells."


    "Fine. Paige, I''ll need your help fixing my relationship with, Emilia, and Kate. I don''t want to lose my friends. And they''ve helped us over the years as well. I don''t feel right about how everything went down."


    Paige sighed. It was hard to keep friends when you are living a lie. Still, she would help Zenith as best she could."...sure. I''ll help you come up with a mostly true and factual cover story. And let''s plan on doing somethingwith them. Perhaps we''ll invite them over to make amends? Or volunteer to host a harvest feast for them sometime? I''m pretty sure I remember how to host one."


    Tyler spoke up at the mention of a festival. "Rebecca kept that tradition going at least. I never stayed for the entirety of one since I''m not much of a dancer, but I know they are still common throughout the country."


    "Hm. Most Farmers know of the tradition, so it wouldn''t surprise me if that gained traction even without me here. And Cidala is the breadbasket for the country, so no doubt any Merchant would also know and spread the word of it. After all, more parties mean more chances to sell their goods. Give people something to do in the winters, at least."


    "Well, there''s our plan, Nick: Train; fix our relationships; continue to make money, and wait here quietly until we can all leave this forest."


    Seeing that nothing else would come out of their discussion, Tyler walked out to train Markus, with Nick close behind. Paige happily smiled as Zenith went to grab some lunch for the two of them. She leaned in her chair as she thought about what the next few years would hold. It was an easy enough plan. Markus would be around school age, which would be a perfect time to move to Nespe, or anywhere else for that matter.


    And more importantly, they''d be able to go seek some answers.

 Chapter 56.1 - Interlude I

    "So, what did you want to talk about, Miss Zenith?"


    "Yes, and before we get to more pressing matters, your Imperial Royal-highness Miss Lady Zenith, would you like a dash of Alcudian refined sugar to go with your tea?


    "Please, Emilia. You know I don''t like to be called Miss. And stop that Kate."


    Zenith knew it was going to be tough explaining her situation to the two of them without actually telling the truth. Emilia she half expected to be more polite, but Kate was just being over the top with her dramatics. She was even in an actual maid dress, and practically had a few bakeries worth of goods lined up along the side of her wall.


    She huffed in displeasure. ¡®Fine. If that''s how Kate wants to act,¡¯ she thought to herself, "...I''ll take that sugar, Shopkeeper Kate. You can take the money out of the local business cophers."


    "...okay. Would madam like one or two cubes of sugar?"


    "Three pounds of sugar per cup."


    "...I can spare three cubes," she whispered back.


    Zenith could tell that Kate was cracking under the stress. Sugar was expensive! Three cubes were already more than she was willing to give away for free. That was profit flying out the window!


    "Fou-"


    "Okay! I give up! And I''ll give you a quarter cube, just how you like it. Can''t take a little joke?"


    "A little joke? Those pastries must have cost a fortune! No, you bought them, didn''t you?" Zenith looked over to Emilia, who was sipping her tea with grace.


    ¡°No, I did. I was using the leftover money I had sitting around since Xavier isn¡¯t being tutored since his teacher went into hiding. He thinks it¡¯s because he¡¯s a bad student that his teacher left him to brave the world alone.¡±


    ¡°Stop guilting me, Kate. I just needed to take a few months off to lay low. And I did give you his whole curriculum the last time I stopped here, remember? When I had to get all those books from Emilia¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for almost a year now, Zenith. And it¡¯s so hard to teach and be a shopkeeper. He¡¯s helping me with the shop, you know. I saw you had that in the lesson plans so I skipped ahead.¡± Kate sighed dramatically. ¡°He¡¯s not quite good enough to manage the shop by himself, but he can at least inventory just as well as I can. But he¡¯s not gaining an education like Tyler had.¡±


    Zenith knew Kate wanted what was best for her kids, and she had been, no, was still a good teacher. She just didn¡¯t have time for it. ¡°I should be able to teach again soon. We had some things to prepare in the forest, just in case we had some uninvited visitors show up shortly. You guys should be careful as well.¡±


    Kate chuckled rather nervously. ¡°New people stopped coming by after you all holed up in the forest. Or rather, I should say after the tenth person who entered died.¡±


    ¡°Okay, those deaths can¡¯t be blamed on us. How were we supposed to know they would find a couple of monster nests!? I mean, Sara and Nick have been combing through that forest for years now and we¡¯ve never stumbled on any of those!¡±


    Zenith was rather flustered about that accusation. They had been fine the entire time there, but as soon as other people started intruding on their peace, all hell broke loose. She knew that Paige and Nick were having trouble mapping out the place, but they all had been rather surprised at how many Monsters were actually living there.


    Sure, she knew that was how Sara¡¯s original party died after running into an elemental monster before. But she thought that was just a random coincidence. After all, a fire elemental monster in a forest? But no, ever since the scouts came in there had been no less than ten groups of elemental monsters that everyone had to fight. It was good practice for all of them, though even Boary had to jump in at some points to protect his precious clover patches from getting ruined from their battles; the lazy, gluttonous beast caring only for its food.


    Hence, Zenith was probably the busiest of all of them. Not only did she have to reinforce the defenses around their little settlement deep in the woods, but she also had to recharge and repair the magic circles almost daily to offset all the monsters setting off the traps.


    ¡®Though, if Paige could actually help out every once in a while¡­¡¯ Zenith sighed. Why would Paige help out? She was having fun training Markus at the moment. Nick and Sara were solely focused on practicing Archery techniques against monsters, with Tyler there as backup for them. Even the two of them alone were pushing the boundaries of their luck, something she was reluctant to test.


    Clearing her throat, Zenith remembered what she had originally come here for.


    ¡°Anyway, I wanted to ask if the two of you had plans for the spring harvest festival? Paige was thinking of hosting one in our little clearing. Were you planning on celebrating it here in Cidala?¡±


    Emelia frowned. ¡°We usually hold one on our estates with the rest of the Farmers. I can¡¯t imagine they¡¯d be willing to go to the forest to celebrate it, not if they have to bring their own produce for the season¡¯s blessing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Paige said she¡¯d have more than enough for the blessing. She said just bring a handful of food for the blessing. Though I¡¯m quite lost on the specifics of it. They hardly ever perform it in Appealte.¡±


    ¡°Hm? It¡¯s not common there?¡±


    ¡°No, at least not where I was. Our school always assigned a lot of practical assignments, so our parties had to focus on those first.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm, your relatively small graduate school must have been torture,¡± Emilia spoke up.


    Zenith paused. She had called Hall Academy small, didn¡¯t she? ¡°Um, relative to other schools, yes. Now, if you want to see a big school, the Mage Guild operates the largest practical training school in the country.¡±


    ¡°Zenith. We need to know. Do you have Lily and Tyler¡¯s best interest in mind?¡±


    ¡°...what brought that to mind, Emilia?¡±


    ¡°Kate and I know you aren¡¯t an Imperial Consort,¡± Emilia shook her hand, ¡°and you don¡¯t need to explain anything. You have a wardstone, Zenith. That means you have to at least be a servant of some type or a confidante of some kind. And make sure you keep it on, otherwise your cover really will be blown.¡±


    ¡°Do you even know what that stone represents, Zenith?¡± Kate asked as she leaned in to look at the stone as Zenith reluctantly put the necklace back on.


    ¡°Of course I do, but it¡¯s not like I have to wear this stupid thing all the time!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone hear you say that!¡± Emilia looked around nervously.


    Zenith shrugged. She had already made sure no one was listening to their discussion.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. And I really do care about them, you know. Nothing bad will happen to them, I promise.¡±


    ¡°And if something bad does happen¡­¡± Kate asked quietly.


    ¡°...We¡¯ll fix it. No matter what happens, Kate. We¡¯ll fix it.¡±


    Zenith sighed. Of course, it would take more work to gain back their trust, but at least the two of them were not totally mad at their whole group.


    ¡°So, Kate, Emilia; would you like to come to our harvest festival? Paige is going all out with it, apparently.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to go.¡± Kate smiled brightly. ¡°But are you sure the forest will be safe for us?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm. It will be. We¡¯ve already started going out and clearing the area, and Paige already said Boary would be patrolling the area if you guys came.¡± Zenith nodded heavily. Paige would keep her word about that. She was quite happy to plan this festival, after all, and as she said, the more the merrier.


    ¡°Umm, so how are you two?¡±


    It would take a while, but Zenith was sure she¡¯d gain their trust back.


    <hr>


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Settling into the semi-comfortable wagon, Shavie waited for Bishner to move before she started asking questions. ¡°Are you sure this is the right way, Bishner? And why the hell would they pick a forest to hide in?¡±


    Hiding in a forest was usually bad for several reasons; the main one being a lack of reliable and swift information. Thus, for anyone to choose a remote location like that had to have either some kind of information exchange or a way of entering and leaving unhindered and unwatched.


    Still, looking around at the farmland and open plains, it would be almost impossible for someone to move secretly.


    Bishner nodded as he looked at his map. ¡°This is the right area. And besides, even if it¡¯s not the right area, we still need to go there to grab Stella¡¯s ingredients. She¡¯s running out of that moss, and supposedly the forest is stock full of it. Though, why she even feels the need to keep the wards running full time is beyond me.¡±


    He looked around the open field with a grimace. ¡°And Shavie, you should know better than to judge our enemies like that. They aren¡¯t any random adventurers. Each one is a High Class. If they chose that forest, then it was because it had something they needed.


    ¡°Besides, the open field helps them as well. If they have a Tracker or someone with the related Skills, even we would be hard-pressed to enter secretly. The lack of information is hardly a moot point in comparison.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but it sucks that we have to travel over here to this godforsaken land. We should¡¯ve just gone ahead to Evidia instead, but no,¡± Shavie drawled. ¡°No, your stupid wards couldn¡¯t keep the man unconscious long enough for me to get any useful information on Trent.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. We got plenty of good information. At least we know when the war is expected to start again. That¡¯s something. And we know that everyone but Luna can leave Nespe now.¡±


    ¡°Bah. We would¡¯ve tested that anyway. But we don¡¯t know if Isabella can leave, which is the main problem! Now, Stella is worried about everything and wants us to go stockpile for war!¡± Shavie threw her hands up, watching the fields of grass all around them sway in the wind.


    ¡°How about this, Bishner? Why not just go and kidnap the Mage? I mean, we already know that she leaves the forest to teach.¡±


    ¡°Used to leave. She only leaves sporadically now. It¡¯s hardly worth the effort for one of us to stay here for more than a few days. And if the forest is as dangerous as they claim, then-¡±


    ¡°You actually believe that there are Elemental level monsters in there? Ten, no twenty gold says that their team is killing them and dumping their bodies so that monsters can find them. We both know we could fake a murder like that.¡±


    Bishner hesitated. ¡°No bet. That shopkeeper was certain there are Elemental monsters in there. I bet that their Party has hunkered down with magic circles. That would be the easiest option, especially if all of the necessary ingredients can be found within the forest.¡±


    ¡°Hrmmm...¡± Shavie tapped her chin as the cart steadily strode forward. She knew they could make it there faster by walking, since it was a good hour or two by wagon, but it was worth it to keep their actual abilities hidden. And she didn¡¯t have anything to do in the meantime. ¡°Whatever, just wake me when we get there. I assume you can handle a few Scouts by yourself. Or do you want me to do the heavy lifting around here?¡±


    ¡°Tch. If I can handle Devils on my own, I can handle a few Human Scouts,¡± Bishner waved haughtily. ¡°You can rest, Assassin. Just remember your cover story.¡±


    ¡°I know how to lie, Bishner. Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±


    She settled down, lying prone on the cart as it steadily moved forward.


    ¡®Tch, if I were to tell my past self that I¡¯d be riding a cart instead of sprinting, I think I¡¯d kill myself. And since when do Assassins have to use cover stories? Oh, how I¡¯ve fallen.¡¯


    Shavie thought about her status. Bodyguard. Similar to Assassins, she supposed, but not really. Though she hated to admit it, she knew she was having fun with all her side projects. Starting her own gang, smuggling illicit goods, making money; all while being able to move openly. Sure, there were a few close calls, but her knowledge of the darker side of society helped in those cases.


    ¡®Still, a cart is relatively comfortable.¡¯ Shavie thought to herself as she started drifting to sleep. ¡®My life...isn¡¯t all bad...now..¡¯


    ---


    ¡°Wake up,¡± Bishner called quietly.


    Shavie opened her eyes swiftly and scanned her surroundings. She frowned at the sight of the forest in front of her. Well, far, far, in front of her. Bishner had stopped almost a full mile away from the forest.


    ¡°Why on earth did you stop this far away?¡± Frowning in displeasure, she sat next to Bishner, who was staring hard at the forest in front of her.


    ¡°Try taking a step forward,¡± he said lightly as he pulled the reins tightly, the horses obligingly backing up away from the forest ahead.


    ¡°...¡±


    Taking a glance at Bishner¡¯s frown, she lightly jumped from the cart and stood where the wagon had just been. Taking a glance at her surroundings with a more critical eye, she noted that there were no traps or obstructions on the dusty road, though all of the weathered tracks were headed into the forest and only a few heading back into town.


    ¡®What is he worried about? No monster tracks and none of my skills are going off yet. So-¡¯ Taking a step forward, Shavie focused on her surroundings. Nothing was moving as she picked her foot up and was about to put her foot down -.


    Death


    She hopped backward on one foot, her eyes narrowing as she looked for the source of her feelings. ¡®What was-¡¯


    ¡°You should be careful going into these woods, you two. A lot of people have died recently, what with the monsters and all.¡± A voice called out to them from just beyond another hill, as a young woman walked forward.


    Shavie turned and stared at the girl in front of her, inwardly shocked that she hadn¡¯t been able to notice her.


    The girl¡¯s blue overalls were heavily stained with dirt but she noted that they were roughly the same pattern as Lily¡¯s clothes, though her overalls were very open and exposed on the sides and the back, judging by how the straps were pulled back behind her shoulders. Her gloves were well worn, while her dirty hoe was resting on her shoulders.


    Her blue eyes blinked concernedly at her. ¡°I mean it, I think something like ten people has already died, and they even had to call the guards to rescue a few people from the elder monsters inside the forest.


    ¡°You mean there really are monsters in there?¡± Shavie asked bewildered. She turned to Bishner and angrily waved her hand. ¡°You said nothing about me protecting you from Elemental level monsters!.¡±


    ¡®Stick to my cover story,¡¯ she thought as she observed the Farmer in front of her. The girl was weird.


    ¡°I thought that was just local lore! Besides, we only need to grab some alcudian moss for our client, and then we¡¯ll leave.¡±


    ¡°Alcudian moss? What do you need that for?¡± The Farmer asked skeptically. ¡°How about some wheat? Now, I have lots of wheat here, and my boss could probably cut you a pretty good deal, with her owning most of this land anyway,¡± the Farmer waved at the land around her.


    ¡°Is this land owned by the Thompson Family? I had no idea they owned all of this as well.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm, the Army needs food after all, and no one¡¯s using it on account of it being close to these woods.¡±


    ¡°And you are farming here because¡­¡± Bishner fished for information. Shavie knew something was wrong with the girl in front of her.


    ¡°Because it pays three times as much. Heck, it¡¯s almost as much as battlefield pay, assuming you survive to cash in,¡± she chuckled quietly.


    ¡°... you know Tyler Madson, don¡¯t you?¡± Bishner asked suddenly.


    The Farmer stilled slightly. ¡°...oh? You know little Tyler? How¡¯s he doing in school?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s part of our client''s party. He¡¯s a good customer too.¡±


    ¡°...huh. Good for him.¡±


    Shavie blinked at the farmer girl. This was the Farmer Conscript that Tyler had trained under. Was she¡­ ¡°So, Miss¡­¡±


    ¡°Paige. Or Farmer Paige, if you¡¯d like.¡± Paige smiled as she held out her hand.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss Paige. So, being a Farmer and all, would you happen to know where we could get some moss? Or at least somewhere safer than going into that forest?¡± Shavie walked up and shook her hand, ignoring the warning she was getting in her gut. She had to play her part perfectly, or else her cover would be blown.


    Paige shook her hand lightly and smiled. ¡°You can ask some of the local hunters in the area if you want. They should know where most of the monster nests are, and can probably do it for cheap, all things considering. Your life is the most valuable thing one can own, after all, so a few gold coins are piddly in comparison.¡±


    ¡°True. Very true. Thank you for the warning, Farmer Paige. We owe you our lives, at the very least, for the warning,¡± Bishner walked forward and grabbed the Farmer¡¯s hand, shaking it profusely.


    ¡°No problem¡­ Can you send a message to little Tyler for me? I can pay a few copper coins if I need to. Merchants don¡¯t come this way often, as you can imagine, and it¡¯s a full day wasted if I try to walk to Cidala from here just to send a message.¡±


    ¡°Sure, and no charge for you. What would you like to send?¡±


    ¡°Ask him to come and visit me sometime. And his girlfriend, if they¡¯re still together. I want to see how much the school has actually taught him. Nothing can beat tried and true battle worthy moves, in my opinion.¡±


    ¡°Haha, we can do that. Take care, Farmer Paige!¡±


    Shavie and Bishner turned and walked to the cart, their bodies relaxed as they noticed the Farmer just watching them.


    ¡°Wait, what are your names? I forgot to ask that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Bishner. An appraiser. Gotta make sure the Alcudian moss is the real deal, after all. And this is my hired bodyguard, Shavie,¡± Bishner shouted as he turned the cart around to go back to town.


    ¡°Hm. Nice to meet you both! Have a safe trip back!¡± Paige waved as they left, and continued waving until they were both out of sight.


    ¡°...¡±


    Shavie and Bishner stiffened, pulling out their weapons. This would be the perfect time for an ambush, they both knew from experience.


    But... nothing. As far as they could tell, no one was following, listening or spying on them. Shavie shook her head and relaxed as nothing came to fruition.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve found our enemies, Bishner. Should we ask about Markus?¡±


    ¡°...no. We¡¯ll ask in the town about it. Someone would have to know if they¡¯ve seen him.¡±


    ---


    ''...the scouts are getting better at disguises. Still, can''t do much if I don''t have proof.''


    Paige kicked the ground and frowned as the bodyguard and merchant quickly left the area. She looked down and eyed the line of fog separating her from the outside world. Tapping the boundary with her hoe, the metal quickly scorched in response as the mana within the hoe violently reacted against the fog.


    ¡°...Six steps. I could¡¯ve captured both if they walked just six more steps inside the barrier. They must have some type of intuition-based skill. No, probably a greater intuition skill. Ugh, I hate Scouts that have that!¡±


    ¡®Merchant Bishner and Bodyguard Shavie. Not a bad cover story. Maybe Nick and Tyler could spin it that way? Or would that raise more questions?¡¯


    Waiting for a moment longer, she could tell that the cart was leaving at a steady pace, heading back toward Cidala. She kicked the dirt and turned around, heading back into the forest to train Markus.


    ¡®Either way, they both knew Tyler and Lily. Hopefully, the kids will come back soon. I have some questions for them¡­¡¯

 Chapter 56.1 - Interlude II

    ¡°Kate! Emilia! My two favorite people!¡± Paige waved as her two favorite people arrived with the small caravan to their tiny settlement. ¡°Oh goodie, and you even brought your husband Emilia!¡±


    ¡°Charmed to see you again, Miss Paige, and may I say you do look rather fine this evening.¡± Richard waved from his seat in the carriage as he looked Paige over. Emilia elbowed her husband lightly, though Paige was wearing something unusual, at least for her.


    She was wearing a dress! And it was well made, Emilia thought as she looked Paige up and down. The dress was an unusual pattern for the area, with the coloring of the dress, a color that reminded Emilia of ripened wheat was concentrated solely to the middle while the sides of the dress remained a pure white. Her shawl gave a splash of color to her otherwise neutral dress, a deep red that screamed expensive, even to Emilia.


    ¡°That¡¯s a rather...unique outfit for you.¡±


    Paige laughed, but curtsied and swept the ceremonial staff in her hands back to her food plots beyond.


    ¡°Farmer Paige to you, good sir. And this is just a standard festival garb, Emilia. I¡¯m required to wear this as the host. But I¡¯m rather surprised you all didn¡¯t dress up more, actually," she looked around at the other carts passing by and shrugged as she saw no one else wearing festival clothing. ¡°Regardless, I welcome you all to this harvest festival as my formal guests,¡± She was being rather formal, something Emilia had never seen her do in all the years she had known her.


    ¡®She is taking this rather seriously. I thought Zenith was kidding when she was describing all the preparations Paige was setting up, but she really is going all out.¡±


    Taking a look around, Emilia noted that the clearings beyond had changed from what she was used to seeing. The whole farmland had been transformed into a rather festive area, the entire area awash with light as many a bonfire encircled the clearing, bringing light and warmth as the sun started fading away, bringing the chill of the night with it.


    It was rather risky to hold it at night, especially with all the monsters that had been raming apart. But Zenith had given her assurance that they had all dealt with the monsters and pledged that all guests would be safe. Most of the Farmers had been skeptical about that, right up to the point where Zenith came riding out on an Elder Boar, that is.


    ¡°Paige, it is good to see you about! You should come to town sometime, you know! Even Nick is finally getting out of the forest.¡± Kate jumped out of the wagon, politely curtsying to the host. ¡°May the soil be well for the upcoming harvest.¡±


    ¡°And may you have a bountiful harvest for the rest of the year. I¡¯m surprised you know that phrase, Kate. Usually, only Farmers know that saying.¡±


    ¡°You learn a saying or two when your main suppliers are Farmers, Paige. This is the breadbasket of Alcudia, after all.¡±


    Paige smiled. ¡°True. Where¡¯s Xavier at? And did Lily and Tyler not make it back?¡± She looked around as the last of the caravans drove past her toward the clearing beyond.


    ¡°The rest of the school is on break, but because of their situation, they had to stay there and do some remedial training. Apparently, they can¡¯t leave until the Cleric¡¯s Protectors are confident enough that their Party can survive an attack.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Well, that¡¯s good that they are getting individualized training. The Protectors are no joke to deal with. You rarely get that kind of training, as a child.¡±


    ¡°Is it harsh?¡± Kate asked worriedly.


    ¡°No, not harsh. Just...very specialized. It¡¯ll be good for Tyler to learn from a master.¡±


    Kate bit her lip. ¡°If you say so, Paige.¡±


    ¡°Hey, cheer up! It¡¯s a festival! And you can always ask Zenith to go with you to Nespe. Or just go with Emilia¡±


    ¡°Would she go with me?¡±


    ¡°Sure! Well, maybe! Or rather..¡± Paige frowned in thought.


    ¡°What about Markus? He could come with us to visit.¡± Emilia asked suddenly.


    ¡°Nah, he¡¯s still in training, which is why he can¡¯t leave the forest for a while. Plus I¡¯d rather surprise them with how much he¡¯s grown when he joins their party.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Emilia gave her husband a telling glance. She was sure her thoughts on the matter had to be close to the truth.


    ¡°Well, worry not Farmer Paige, we were planning on going that way anyway. No need to bother Miss Zenith about going.¡±


    Paige shrugged, acting like her usual self, though her eyes shifted away from them. ¡°Huh, well that solves that problem! And she may still want to go, just to check up on Lily. No harm in doing that at least.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and did you bring Boary¡¯s food? Cause I think he¡¯s looking for it in the caravans.¡± Paige clapped happily and pointed over at one of the carts, where the large boar was digging through the food with glee.


    Emilia smiled. ¡°You should be more worried than us about that. He¡¯s ruining the food for the harvest blessings that we brought.¡±


    ¡°Eh? BOARY! Get back! Shoo, shoo; this is all the stuff I need!¡±


    They laughed wryly as Paige struggled to move the large boar while making sure her dress stayed clean.


    ¡°Well Kate, shall we go find our friend?¡±


    ---


    Emilia watched as Paige started the festivities with a brief blessing and started actively engaging the other Farmers, dragging them to the various activities she had planned and liberally, very liberally, shoving the adults to the tankards she had set up everywhere. She could tell that all her Farmers were vastly overwhelmed by not only the decor and the celebration but also the sheer differences between themselves and Paige.


    They were all Farmers, of course, Emilia had made sure to ask her subordinates to confirm her Class, but she was¡­ a far better Farmer. She hadn¡¯t even known that was possible, but even her Head Farmer, John, had confirmed he was vastly outmatched when she asked about his thoughts of Paige.


    "No fense'', Miss Emilia, but I''d join her inn''a heartbeat if she''s looking for Farmers. Either that or outright move if she''s lookin'' at expanding. My guts tellin'' me she could outperform the entire region if she had the heart to farm."


    "She is farming though, John. She''s self-sustaining her little group here in the woods."


    "Nah, this ain''t farming. This here''s passin'' the time. Besides, what kinda Farmer wouldn''t want ta expand?"


    Not hearing a reply, Farmer John nodded and went to get another drink. She sighed as she came up with a reasonable answer. ''The kind that isn''t planning on staying here long term,'' Emilia thought to herself.


    Sighing once again, Emilia looked for Paige, which was easy to spot her since she was one of the only women dressed up. Watching Paige as she moved back and forth, she hoped that she hadn''t offended her by not dressing up. But it had taken a lot more assurances to just get her the majority of her farmers to even come. The harvest festival was a tradition amongst Farmers, and most of Alcudia in general, but not many of her subordinates were willing to even come once they found out Zenith was associated with the Imperial Family.


    ¡°So Zenith, when you said Paige was going all out with her planning, you forgot to mention we were supposed to dress up,¡± Emilia asked quietly as Paige started the festivities.


    ¡°Hm? Tyler said that it was common to dress up though? Why do you think I¡¯m wearing this right now instead of something more comfortable?¡± Zenith waved at her clothing, a green dress with a cascading pattern of fall leaves embroidered down the dress. It was artfully embroidered and was not typical of any dress she had seen Zenith wear before. "Even the guys are dressed up, though I don''t know why Paige chose leather armor as their formal wear."


    ¡°It was common to dress up; until the Scion came. No one wants to catch his eye, Zenith. No one with a brain anyway. And she chose well for the guys; the leather armor symbolizes that the husband is the protector of the hearth.¡±


    "Hm. I guess the Imperial Scions do have a bad reputation." Zenith said quietly as she picked up a random cup. Sipping lightly, she thought about Emilia''s answer. Protector of the hearth. That sounded suspicious like... "Who came up with that tradition?"


    "Queen Rebecca. Or maybe Peter did. Either way, the queen started hosting festivals every year during her reign. Made her rather well-liked amongst her citizens, especially around here in Farmer''s country."


    "Hmph, so the queen is good at doing something then. She wasn''t much help for Lily." Zenith frowned as she sipped on her cider.


    "She did help some. Her presence in Nespe is increasing the security of the city, which is something at the very least. And I hear she''s very taken with Lily''s party. She practically coddles them."


    "Well, I just hope she''s not around too much. It''s not good to have them depend on someone for every little want or need," Zenith looked over, her eyes locking on Emilia. "She''ll be fine. Her party too. We''re keeping an eye out for them, though we are more low key about it. Tyler and Nick are good at keeping track of people."


    "You say that Zenith. It''s just hard," she stopped and looked away, leaving the rest of her sentence unspoken. Hard to trust your word.


    Zenith must have realized what she was going to say. "...It''ll be fine." Taking a glance around, Zenith leaned in conspiratorily. "Though... have the prices started increasing yet? They should be rising, by all accounts."


    "Hm?"


    "The war. It''s been almost five years since the war lulled down, so the castles should be almost finished now. They''ll need rations at the very least pretty soon."


    Emilia looked away, thinking furiously. The castles?


    "You didn''t hear it from me, Emilia. But I would keep some of your assets...liquid. And just in case, be more careful about any Scouts that come to Cidala. Something doesn''t seem right with them." Zenith smiled, a bit forced. "But that''s all a problem for tomorrow you. Come on, we should go and do a few activities with everyone."


    Emilia realized why Zenith was being so cryptical. Trust. It still didn''t help soften the blow of the news, but Zenith was right. That was something tomorrow''s Emilia would have to deal with.


    "So is Paige going to do the blessing tonight? Or at sunrise?"


    "Don''t know. Tyler said he never stayed awake for them, so I don''t know when it happens." Zenith shrugged. "Whenever it is, I hope it''s soon. Markus needs to go to sleep soon."


    "Do you want me to ask about it?" I''m sure the Farmers won''t mind if we move the blessing forward."


    "Hmm..." Zenith shook her head after a moment. "No, it''s not my tradition, so I don''t have a say in the matter. Paige has a set order for events for this, so I might as well let her have her fun. Still, what is the blessing about anyway?" She turned to go grab another drink from a nearby table.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "It''s a blessing of the land. A harvest goddess is chosen from the crowd and blesses the food, which in turn blesses the land."


    Something felt wrong to Zenith, but she couldn''t place what it was. "So why did Paige have to be the one to lead it?"


    "Don''t know. Initially, the Queen would only choose Farmers, but she eventually left it up to the crowd to decide because so many people complained that they couldn''t be chosen. Are you okay, Zenith?" Emilia asked after seeing Zenith stumble.


    "Yeah, yeah, I think so. I think Paige made everything a bit alcoholic," she said after looking at her cup suspiciously. "I need to go tell Markus not to drink anything Paige made. And maybe lie down for a bit."


    "Hey, it''s time to wake up."


    "Hrng, a little longer."


    "You''re going to miss the blessing if you continue sleeping, Zenith. Paige has already started the ceremonial dance."


    Zenith woke up, the alcoholic fog that had been plaguing her waning with her slumber. She sat up and gasped as she finally realized what was wrong. "Where is Tyler!?"


    ''Harvest festival, Protector of the hearth; blessings; ceremonial dance. Shit, it''s a full-blown ritual!''


    "Emilia, who is the goddess of the harvest?"


    "Hm? Paige is. Do you need to sleep a bit more?" Emilia frowned as Zenith stood up and quickly looked around for Tyler.


    "No, I mean, who is the Goddess of the harvest? Who do Farmer''s worship?"


    Zenith thought of all the gods she knew, but none of them were remotely close to anything about farming. She paled as she realized one key fact; she only memorized the ones related to magic circle creation, not their subsidiary roles. Sure, there was lore for every god; which was what made it easy to recognize which symbols complemented each other, but she hadn''t been required to know who was in charge of something as stupid as Farming!


    "Peter said who it was at one point, but it was hushed up pretty quickly," Emilia said quickly as she noticed the worried look on Zenith''s face. "I remember it since some Farmers asked me about it, so I asked my husband about it. It was something... something like..."


    Zenith stopped and waited for her to answer, though she still looked around for Tyler. Ahead of her, a large bonfire was already going, In it was a multitude of fruits and vegetables piled up. The smell of the smoke wasn''t acerbic, no, it was fresh like ripened fruit. Zenith paled further as she thought about what was happening.


    "Quickly, Emilia!"


    Emilia bit her lip. "...something strange. Something to do with the season, I believe? Or maybe it was the time of day?"


    "Come on Emilia, which is it?!"


    "Solstice. Goddess of the Solstice. Strange name, right? I mean, at that point you could claim anything can be a god."


    "Son of a -" Zenith cursed and ran toward the clearing, looking for Nick or Tyler. Paige had been so good recently, and Tyler said it was a tradition already so she hadn''t thought about what that entailed. "Tyler! Where are you?"


    "Over here, Zenith. What''s wrong?" Tyler asked as he looked over, frowning lightly.


    "Is this a ritual?"


    "Of course it is. It''s a fairly standard one too. See?" He pointed over to Paige, who was slowly walking around the bonfire.


    "No, I mean is it an actual ritual?"


    "Yes. A blessing is common. I made sure of that last year, remember? We all went to the winter harvest festival to make sure Paige didn''t screw anything up. It was right after Nick was able to leave the forest."


    Zenith blushed at that memory. Sure they had gone to the festival, but she hadn''t spent a lot of time outside at the festival. "Was there a ceremony like this? What I mean to say is, did someone else do this exactly?"


    Tyler frowned and put his cup down. "Yes. Markus was even allowed to vote for who was the harvest goddess there, and we watched the ceremony and went to bed right after. This is all standard stuff."


    Zenith stamped her feet angrily. Pulling a stone from her picket, she quickly shoved mana into it, the world turning fuzzy as the ward activated. "Was it a Farmer?"


    "What?"


    "The person who was chosen. Was it a Farmer? Had Paige ever been selected when she was a Warrior?" Zenith whispered.


    "No, Paige never was selected. Said the harvest goddess had to be a Farmer."


    "Well, the Queen or Peter had changed that rule due to popular demand, Tyler. Was the person chosen a Farmer?"


    "...No. I think it was a Blacksmith daughter. Or maybe his wife? I don''t interact with him or his family."


    "Shit! Tyler, I think Paige is doing an active ritual!" Zenith flustered. This was bad.


    Tyler frowned. "No, that''s ridiculous. Why on earth would she do that?"


    "BECAUSE WE SAID SHE COULD!" Zenith yelled frantically, trying to get it through Tyler''s head. "WE SAID SHE COULD DO IT! She wasn''t there to see the festival, and we confirmed that everything was the same but it''s not!" Zenith crushed the mana stone, the world around them clearing up.


    "What''s wrong?" She turned, Nick, standing right beside them. "I felt the ward. What happened?"


    "Paige! She''s doing a ritual!"


    "Yeah, we knew she would be. She explained it in great detail, after all, to make sure we were on board with it." Nick nodded slowly.


    "Yes, and I was. Am. But not when she''s performing one! I thought it was just for show!"


    "Explain. And are we able to stop it?"


    "I thought it was just lip service, celebrating a successful harvest and hope for the next one to be just as successful. Not an actual ritual to bless the land! Tyler, what is she doing now!?" She gasped as she looked toward Paige.


    Nick and Tyler turned, though Tyler shrugged when he saw what was happening. "It''s the next part of the dance. The mana stream. You did watch the ceremony last winter...right?"


    "I skipped it!"


    Tyler paused, worry now in his eyes. "...the chosen harvest goddess releases her mana and dances, making her mana look like a moving river. The bonfire as the sun, the harvest as the land, the mana as the water. Everything you need for a successful harvest."


    "That''s it? Nothing else?" Zenith hoped that was the case, though with Paige...


    "...and an appeal to the goddess for a blessed harvest."


    "...which one?" Nick frowned as he thought of which gods it could be.


    "Goddess of the Solstice," Zenith murmured sadly. "Great. Just great."


    "How bad of a ritual is this?"


    "...the largest successful one I''ve ever witnessed was a provincial wide blessing. The smallest barely went past the outer city walls or failed."


    "..."


    All three of them looked at another. Finally, Tyler spoke up. "This is a problem."


    Turning to the bonfire where Paige was dancing, Zenith thought of all the feasible options. Killing Paige and stopping the ritual midway was out of the question. That left...interfering with the results. "...Tyler. Help me through this. So -"


    ''And a left, a left, and a right, right, spin, spin, twirl, twirl-'' Paige happily thought to herself as she dove deep into her memories.


    A harvest festival! She never had the chance to do one as a child, though she had watched her old village mates dance and practice. No one had bothered their small community of people, or at least, none that she could recall with clarity. The innocence of a child. Sure, tensions ran high sometimes but a village grows together.


    And by the time she was eligible to do participate as a candidate, she was ill-fatedly whisked away. It was ironic as well that she could barely remember anyone''s face, but she could see the movements in perfect clarity. But that didn''t stop Paige from imitating the dance she saw so very, very long ago.


    ''...still, this is pretty tiring, all things considered,'' Paige frowned imperceptibly as her mana started rapidly declining, though it didn''t wipe the smile off her face. ''Is it supposed to use this much mana? I mean, surely not, right? What Farmer would have this much mana available? I''m practically about to run out of mana soon, and I''m not close to finishing.''


    Paige knew without looking that she still had a good quarter of the circle left before she could link up her mana to form the faux-river. Then she realized what had happened. Her affinity. ''...I''m not absorbing mana fast enough! Most Farmers have an affinity to either earth or nature, otherwise, it''s probably next to impossible for a Farmer to finish this dance successfully!''


    That wasn''t good. Paige knew her options were running low. Even if she elongated her movements, she would still run out of mana before she completed the full circuit. She didn''t even dare think about the mana backlash that would occur if she emptied her core fully during the ritual. But that left her with little to no recourse other than...


    Divine mana. She had that in literal tonnes, mana capacity wise anyway. Even at her current rate of consumption, it would take her centuries to burn that much mana. Or in her case, being stingy with the remainder of her divine mana had lasted her over a millennium.


    Now the question was, would that be a little too conspicuous? Paige thought back to the conditions Zenith had presented her when she started planning the events out. ''It had to be common practice before she came to Alcudia. No standing out, if possible. Whatever actions must be easily explained.'' Paige quickly ran through the options again, just in case she missed something.


    ''I can limit my mana usage by increasing my stride. It''ll make it a bit more messy in the end, but it''s the thought that counts. Self-expression is the best expression; or something like that. So divine mana it is. And at least it''s only the end part.''


    Releasing her hold on her mana, she quickly thought of the other mana cloud floating inside her mana core. The golden orb was so dense it was practically solid; the wisps of mana swiftly revolved around itself, keeping itself contained and compressed through sheer force of willpower. Just a wisp or two. Shouldn''t take too much for this one ritual.


    With but a thought, a strand of mana quickly broke away, the ends of it mana quickly diffusing as the mana filled her mana core, the pale white of her mana cloud quickly fading into a golden sheen.


    But to her horror, she realized that the divine mana was spreading throughout the faux-river, dying the pale mana to the same bright golden hue. ''Yup, Zenith is going to kill me again. Great. Just great. I try to do one thing and it backfires! Meh!''


    "Okay, that''ll be fine. This will be fine. Just gotta finish my movements and end it with a blessing.''


    Left, right, spin, spin. Her ceremonial shovel danced around her, the cloud of mana rapidly settling in the air as she moved around the bonfire. She could see a few of the children watching with undisguised glee, though most of the adults had dumbfounded looks instead.


    ''Well, the festivals were always magical to me. Hopefully, they''ll have good memories of this one too.''


    ''Three. Two. One. And...now!'' Paige quickly spun her shovel before planting it deep in the earth. "May the Goddess shine upon us for the new year. And may our harvest be bountiful! Oh Goddess of the Sun, bless us!


    "[[Bounty of the Harvest]]!"


    As she yelled the spell, Paige hoped that it would work. This should work. I mean, I used divine mana to power this spell,'' she thought to herself wryly. Not the best use of divine mana, not by far, but you have to adapt to the situation at hand.


    Paige could feel the power of the ritual coursing through the spell. The golden glow of her mana enveloped the bonfire and the produce; the mana within multiplying as the farmer''s produce inside disappeared. In its place, a golden globe slowly took its place. She smiled. She knew that the blessing had worked.


    Everyone watched in awe as the orb slowly fell to the ground. The ground shuddered as the globe touched the earth, a golden wave of mana surging through the land as the smell of fresh produce could be easily smelled.


    "[[Divine Bounty of the Harvest]]"


    Paige stilled as she heard a small voice whisper inside her mind.


    She looked up and stared straight into Zenith''s twitching eyes. ¡®Yup. Deny everything.¡¯


    "Zenith! It worked! I finished that ritual without a single hitch!"


    Zenith almost passed out after hearing her say that. Of course, Paige would think nothing was wrong with her actions!


    She looked at Paige and sighed lightly, though everyone else was still entranced by the orb of mana that was slowly being diffused throughout the ground, waves of mana coursing through the land as swiftly as the ambient mana was moving through the air.


    ¡°It¡¯s a ritual spell?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm. It¡¯s designed to bless the land and the fruits of the harvest. I think I did pretty good, all things considering. It should radiate out to at least the nearest defensive line.


    ¡®So basically a province. That¡¯s good. It¡¯s at least in line with a typical blessing then. I was afraid it would be an issue.¡¯ Zenith wavered, though she had to ask. ¡°Gold mana?¡±


    Paige stilled slightly and blushed, something Zenith hadn¡¯t seen her do in a long time. ¡°I ran out of mana partway through. Farmers usually absorb mana to complete the spell, whereas¡­,¡± she shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t do that during the ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Zenith understood. Her null affinity had worked against her in this case. ¡®Still, that shouldn¡¯t interfere with what we are about to do,¡¯ she thought quickly. A lot of people were now looking at Paige akin to worship, which Paige proudly accepted.


    Zenith was about to ask a question when the sound of something peeing was heard quite readily in the silent clearing.


    Paige stopped and shakily turned toward the source of the sound.


    Zenith almost laughed aloud at the look of horror on Paige¡¯s face.


    "BOARY! DON''T PEE ON MY HARVEST BLESSING! YOU''LL RUIN IT!"


    The boar was peeing on the orb of mana as it silently disappeared into the ground. Paige practically teleported as she moved next to the boar and kicked it readily outside the clearing, though another distinct wave of mana leaked outward; not as strong as the waves before it but, a unique wave of mana, one Zenith had never felt before.


    ¡®Well, one problem solved. Tyler said animals were never allowed near the site since it could ruin the blessing. I hope that decreased the range the mana wave will go.¡¯


    Zenith looked up at the sky while Farmer¡¯s congratulated Paige with her blessing and Emilia walked quickly in her direction.


    There were only two things she was sure of: the next harvest was bound to be a good one, and she¡¯d have a lot more explaining to do.

 Chapter 56.1 - Interlude III

    "Damn it! I order you to go and find out what they are up to!" Maxwell lashed out angrily with his riding crop again, angry at the fact that his current Party was useless.


    "No. We may be assigned to the same Party, but we do not have to obey your every command." The girl watched apathetically as the man in front of her finished venting his anger. "And you should know that there are allegations against you already. I caution that you should control your urges a little more, though I doubt you have the capacity to do so."


    His raised hand stopped as he thought about the allegations he was already being accused of. "Tch. What have you figured out then? And it better be worth the money I''ve spent, Mina."


    "You mean the money that should''ve been used to restore the defensive lines? Five years later, and not a single castle has been completed!" The mage shook in fury. "The whole reason your Party has been replaced is because of your gross negligence! Had we not been notified by the Imperial Healer Hall of all the mistakes you have done, the Emperor wouldn''t have deemed it necessary for us to be in this backwater country!"


    Maxwell sneered back and angrily lashed his arm down, taking great joy as the stinging sound of the impact caused Mina expression to slightly falter.


    "You are getting dangerously close to disrespecting your superior. Even your sponsor can''t save you here, not with you in my Party."


    She stopped and focused, going back over the information she had about Maxwell.


    Maxwell Maffei


    Son of Imperial Consort Julia Maffei. Assumed age - upper thousand. Hard to work with. Conceited, though smart in his actions. Toes the line between success and failure. Though often described as a failure of a Scion, Internal Guild reports have assumed to be ranking one hundred fifty. All Parties have been known to be placed under an [Oath of Silence] at party formation. Most unassociated Servants hesitant to cross him.


    His age aside, she knew that Maxwell had a significant backer. Consort Maffei. Mina mentally grimaced as she thought about his backer. She was well known to place her family above all others, even the Empire should it come to that. Plus, she was rich enough to pay for the defensive lines thousand times over. It was no wonder Maxwell had no sense of money, though he liked to spend and hoard it.


    And it broke her heart seeing someone tortured in front of her. But she knew Maxwell was intentionally baiting her.


    "No one will save you should the Empire''s borders fall, even for a single minute. Even a fool should recognize that much," Mina whispered quietly above the sobs.


    "Healers! Get in here, right now! Or I swear there will be hell to pay!" Mina shouted out, turning to face the closed doors behind her.


    "Stop moving. You still haven''t informed me of what you found out."


    Mina halted, though she was glad that a few Healers came in to heal the poor girl, and visibly sighed in relief as their Protectors walked in close behind them. Even Maxwell wouldn''t cross the Healer Hall without sufficient reason.


    "Unknown Imperial Party. Peter has been seen walking in those woods before. Combining it with the records we have, it is believed to be a full Party dedicated to watching the movements around the borders, as well as keeping you accountable for your actions."


    "Don''t tell me what I know. Even I know Peter always operated alone. And his stone was returned upon his death. So who is their backer?" Maxwell practically growled as his grip tightened around his riding crop, though he relaxed as he saw the Protectors drawing their blades in response. "They have to have left some trace of who it is. Which Scion has not been seen wearing their Wardstone? I refuse to believe she is just a Servant. Who is her lover?"


    "Per your last instructions, we asked your contacts. They just responded that all Scions and their personal wardstones have been accounted for."


    "THEN BRIBE NEW CONTACTS! Someone must be a double agent and selling me bad news, hoping that I mess this up." Maxwell paced angrily, as Mina backed away and tightened her hand on her wand. Even though she knew a Scion couldn''t attack his own Party, it gave her a sense of security having a weapon close by.


    He stopped walking. "It has to be Consort Maskal. She already opposes everything I do. I wouldn''t put it past her to seduce another Scion into letting her borrow their Wardstone. It was a smart move, hiding the name on the Wardstone. But no matter," He turned and grinned. "Imperial Servant Mina Caeli, I order you to infiltrate that forest and find out who it is."


    "No." Mina shook her head. Even the Healers behind Maxwell looked at her in shock. "Even you can''t order me to my death, not if it doesn¡¯t benefit the Empire."


    "You think infiltrating a forest will cause your death?" Maxwell sneered contemptuously.


    "Yes. Whoever it is has completed a fortified stronghold, one powerful enough that the secondary mana waves could be felt here, almost six hundred miles away. There is no way I will go there, even with a full Party backing me up."


    "Tch, I read your report. The spies reported that there was a harvest festival going on at the time. And I''ve reviewed the spell that is typically cast along with this festival. And while unique, it is nothing to be afraid of. Don''t tell me you are scared of a little growing spell?"


    "No Farmer or spell is that powerful. I believe it was a cover to hide the fact that they completed their stronghold. How about you go and assault a fortified stronghold, one that has an Imperial Magi powering it." She narrowed her eyes. "I''ve read the report from the Healer Hall. The Mage in question was powerful enough to withstand a Protector''s enchanted blade with her bare clothes! Let me see you do that, and then we''ll talk about assaulting a Magi in a stronghold."


    "Capture her Apprentice."


    "No." A man said quietly. Maxwell and Mina turned as they identified the speaker. An old man stood there and frowned, looking down at the person Maxwell had been torturing. Mina inhaled sharply as she identified the person''s rank. High Protector. The Imperial Healer Hall had actually sent someone here to this backwater country?


    "Imperial Scion Maxwell. You are ordered to stay away from the Nespe and the surrounding provinces. You are not permitted to interfere with the plans that have been set in motion," he said as he assessed Maxwell, his eyes narrowing in displeasure. "We have received a formal complaint from both the Alcudian Healer Hall and the Alcudian Queen. You are hereby ordered to stop interfering with the politics of Alcudia."


    "You have no proof that I have not done my duty to the letter," Maxwell said quietly.


    Mina knew that was partially true. All the money he had collected was pure donations from the nobles of Alcudia, and she was positive they would back up his claim.


    "A majority of the old royal court has been killed or replaced. That is enough to cast suspicion over you, even should it be mere coincidence. Worse still is the rumor that over sixty High-Class individuals have been assassinated within the past five years since Peter has died. In the last five years you''ve been stationed here, no less. Should that rumor be substantiated by the rest of the Empire-"


    "The Demons are crafty. If I had my way, they''d all be transferred back to Evidia, but they''ve poisoned the mind of the Queen. She still hasn''t officially stripped them of their citizenship! I have been working to-"


    "Your orders were to oversee the repairs of the defensive line and investigate the country of Trent, not regressing the laws set down by the royal family stationed here. By the order of the Emperor," the High Protector turned and revealed a small seal, to which Maxwell begrudgingly kneeled to. ¡°Do the job you were assigned. And nothing more.¡±


    He turned and started walking toward the open door, though he spared a glance at the broken girl lying on the floor. "Get this girl out of here. It''s useless to heal her body at the moment. The damage is in her mind, not just her body."


    Maxwell looked up. "You have no-"


    "You''ve tortured this girl long enough. Send her over to the nearest Imperial Healer Hall branch. We expect results, Scion Maxwell. Results that should have been apparent by now."


    Mina sighed in relief as the girl was taken away by the rest of the Healers, though she feared that Maxwell would fine someone else in her place instead. "You have your orders, Scion Maxwell. How shall your Party assist?"If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    She watched as Maxwell took a deep breath and focused. "Kill all Trent Scouts that have infiltrated the country. They''ve served their purpose. I want them all dead."


    Mina''s anger rose as she thought about that. His former Party and current one knew that Maxwell had been watching the Demon Scouts movements, but he had made no attempts to stop them from assassinating those against his policies. It was an open secret amongst the royalty by now that Maxwell wanted to place the First Prince as his puppet. With a whole country in his corner, Mina knew that he would be able to siphon resources into his own pocket; but more importantly, he would have the manpower to search for Princesses. But now with other Scions interfering, the most he could do was warn the nobles of what was to come should they cross him.


    ''[Oath of Silence]. Tch, I knew something was wrong when I saw him apply that spell to our Party.''


    ¡°...consider it done. Any other orders?¡±


    ¡°...get me all the information on the Queen and Peter¡¯s actions while he was here. He spent the last sixty years here. I want to know what he wanted from the Queen. Since the High Protector took her daughter just now, she¡¯s going to be insufferable.¡±


    ¡°Fine. And the defensive lines? Peter made those for a reason. Anyone can tell that much. It¡¯s well known that he was apprehensive of Demons in general.¡±


    ¡°Send my order out to all nobles. I want those castles finished within the year.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way the defensive magic circles can be applied that fast. It takes time.¡±


    ¡°Focus on the fifth defensive line and higher. The other four close to Evidia will be used as a stopgap and early warning system. Send the rest of the Queen¡¯s current allies out to the fourth and below. That¡¯ll get them away from the Queen¡¯s influence in Nespe and out of my way.¡±


    Mina bowed and headed out the door. She could only pray that the war wouldn¡¯t start soon.


    <hr>


    ¡°Scion Maxwell better not interfere with our plans. Inform me with all haste should he or his Party come within the vicinity of Nespe.¡±


    High Protector Glenn Fellis ordered his subordinates as he strode back into Nespe Academy. He walked with purpose though the halls of Nespe Academy, though none of the students or teachers noticed him walking. He sighed as he strode through the school. There were distinct differences between High Classes, though most never reached his level to experience it. He had been watching Maxwell for the past six months since the formal complaint had arrived, along with two mysterious items that instantly aroused the suspicions of the Imperial Healer Hall.


    When formal complaint was first presented to the Imperial Healer Hall, it was almost outright denied, as the ramifications of the Healer Hall being pressured by a Scion would certainly shake their foundation. Trust was a currency that would take years to amass and a single moment to ruin. But it was the items that got everyone¡¯s attention.


    The Imperial Healer Cross. Or rather, an exact replica of the one the Grand Healer was currently wearing. As well as the Grand Healer¡¯s personal journal.


    The transcripts of the meeting were verified, and by all accounts, the Mage had told the truth when she said the items were indeed found on a corpse, which was impossible in their case. The Grand Healer was isolated almost entirely after the last attempt on her life. But the comparisons of the two otherwise identical journals were startling once it was deciphered.


    Same Healer. Different lives.


    Either it was a very convincing fraud, or there was something far, far more intriguing going on. Coupled with Scion Peter¡¯s unnatural interest in Alcudia painted a mysterious picture, especially for the black sheep that he was.


    Still, it was something to investigate, quietly.


    *Ding, Ding*


    Stopping at the hallway, Glenn waited for the bell to stop ringing, waiting as the last students rushed past him to make it to class on time.


    He turned and took a step through the wall, the illusion falling apart as he strode forward through the hall. Glenn peered at the magic circles as he passed them. [[Concealment]] wards, and a lot of them. It was apparent that Peter had invested heavily in Alcudia for whatever reason only he knew.


    Peter may have been a black sheep, but his knowledge of magic circles was enough to grant him special privileges, even amongst Scions. Magic circles to conceal, status checkers, even defensive and offensive magic; Peter had an uncanny eye at making specialized circles, and had saved several Mages from making fatal mistakes. Thus, even being the solitary soul he was, he had enough backing within the Imperial Family to stay neutral amongst the various factions.


    In fact, one of the reasons the Imperial Family was so invested in Alcudia still was that Peter¡¯s heritage was supposedly being stored in Alduit Academy, under one of the last magic circles he personally designed. It was high on the Imperial Family¡¯s desires to break the lock, though everyone feared the cost that would be involved.


    ¡®What were you doing here, Peter? And why here?¡¯ Glenn stopped, taking his jacket and cape off. ¡°Store. Retrieve.¡± he said aloud as he tapped the ring on his finger. A bright light enveloped the hallway as his jacket and cape was replaced by a slightly inferior copy, the markings on the cape and jacket changed to a slightly modified Protector rank, though any Protector would be able to realize who he actually was.


    Opening the door, he smiled slightly as he heard the sound of a story finishing within the classroom.


    ¡°-and then Tyler and I dove through the brambles and captured the elusive Thistle Rabbit! Though he wasn¡¯t as tasty as the rumors said it would be. Thus, Cidala¡¯s Heroes finished our fifth quest, ¡®Catch and eat a Tier 1 stealth monster¡¯!¡± Lily stood there proudly as she talked up her accomplishments to their young prodigy.


    Glenn raised an eyebrow. That was rather good for two Apprentices. They couldn¡¯t have been more than ten at the time and they could find a tiered stealth monster? That was close to a Scions record as an Apprentice.


    ¡°Wow! Is that the kind of quest you applied for us? A fetch quest? Monster quest?¡± Isabella stare was full of praise as she jumped excitedly.


    ¡°Hm hm, I got a good one. Tyler saved it for us. It¡¯s a slaughter quest, ¡®Slay Fifteen wolves!¡¯¡± Lily waved the flyer in her hand. ¡°We even get paid for this, and we can even keep whatever monster parts we can process!¡±


    ¡°Not so fast.¡±


    Glenn plucked the flyer from her hand and raised ignored the protests from the two young girls. He read over it with a knowing eye. Wolves were tough for any apprentice party, especially as a pack.


    ¡°...It says the requirements are a Guild ranking of thirty.¡±


    ¡°Which my Party has. Me and Tyler passed that requirement before we joined the school. Hm? You¡¯re different than the other one? You look...older?¡± Lily looked at him and stared, suspicion clear in her eyes.


    ¡°You replaced sixteen Clerics so far with your scathing remarks. It¡¯s only fair to rotate their protectors along with them.¡± Glenn eyed the girl critically. A guild rank of thirty at the age of twelve?


    ¡°Who verified your ranking?¡±


    ¡°...and you actually talk. Are you sure you¡¯re a Protector?¡±


    ¡°Who verified your rank?¡±


    ¡°My Mentor did. She said I was about rank thirty-three. Me and Tyler together is about rank thirty-nine.¡± Lily raised her head in challenge. ¡°And with Isabella here, we should be rank forty or so. High enough to challenge a pack of wolves alone.¡±


    ¡°And you think you are bringing Isabella because¡­¡±


    ¡°...she¡¯s my Party member and we need to have an adventure.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...and because the practice tests are coming up. Our scores are highly dependent on how we do. Don¡¯t give me that look! Isabella needs practice as much as we do,¡± Lily pointed over to Isabella, who was shrinking under their combined gazes. ¡°It¡¯s been two years now, and she still can¡¯t heal adequately enough! I think some real practice will help her. Magic is fueled by intent, and a safe school is no place for a Healer to hone their craft.¡±


    Glenn knew that was true, but the casualty rate was too high for Clerics, even if it was not well known throughout the empire as a whole. Most were killed before their prime on the main battlefield, which is why it was so important to keep Clerics safe, at least until their mana cores were fully developed and had a large repertoire of spells.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read reports about your party and your Mentor. I¡¯ll verify and I¡¯ll even allow it, assuming you can pass my requirements.¡±


    ¡°...Are you sure you''re a Protector?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to go on an adventure, or do you want to stay here and listen to lectures?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get Tyler, Isabella! You make sure he doesn¡¯t change his mind!¡± Lily rushed out of the room, leaving Isabella and Glenn in the room.


    ¡°A Clerics sole responsibility is to ensure the party survives. Isabella Platz. Do you think you have the skills to do that?¡±


    ¡°...I think so?¡± Isabella whispered.


    ¡°Do you? Will you hide behind your Party? Or will you watch them all die before you instead. Being in a Party is not something a Cleric takes lightly,¡± Glenn whispered, though the question echoed in the silent room.


    ¡°I, I can heal them. I know I can. I will heal them.¡±


    ¡°Tell me then, Apprentice Cleric Isabella Platz, will you protect your Party?¡±


    ¡°I will!¡±


    Glenn could tell the young girl was serious.


    ¡°Fine. Apprentice Vanguard Tyler Madson will continue receiving advanced training by the protectors stationed here. This test,¡± Glenn waved the paper in his hand, ¡°will determine whether or not your Party will be allowed to go on future adventures. Remember that.¡±


    ¡°Umm...who are you?¡±


    ¡°Someone who is very interested in your Party. And how far it can go.¡±


    Glenn looked out the window suddenly. ¡°Tell your family that the school grounds are off limits. We will be able to protect you adequately here. Should she come again in my presence, I will assume she is a spy and act accordingly.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play games with me. I know your whole family has an affinity to darkness. Greater affinity, in fact. You too. While rare for a human to have, it¡¯s not exactly unheard of to have an affinity mutate or pass down.


    Regardless, tell your family to stop using [Shadow Walking]. I grow tired of guarding against it.¡±


    ¡°Ummm¡­ okay?¡±


    ¡°What is the girl¡¯s goal for the party?¡±


    Isabella bit her lip. ¡°...it¡¯s a secret.¡±


    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m satisfied by that answer?¡±


    ¡°She, uh, she, wants to get into another school. A very special school. But we need really good scores to get in as a party.¡±


    Glenn stilled. This might be even better than he could hope for. And quite a goal for their little group. But if their Party went¡­ then would their Mentors follow? Could it be they were after Peter¡¯s heritage as well? ¡°You¡¯ll need to do more missions than this to get in as a Party. Work hard.¡±

 Chapter 57

    "You failed. Again."


    "Aww, come on Uncle Nick! This makes it a hundred times! Can''t you give me some type of hint of what I''m doing wrong?" Markus complained bitterly.


    "Nope. Learn from your mistakes. Think about what you''ve been doing consistently for the last hundred times, and change it." Nick chuckled at Markus''s predicament.


    They were standing in the forest. Or rather, Nick was standing while Markus was staring up from the pitfall trap. Markus groaned as he jumped, grabbing onto the roots lining the pit walls. Nick snickered as Markus slid down the walls, the muddy soil impeding his climb upward.


    "I don''t know what I am doing wrong, uncle. I''ve done everything you''ve taught me and I''m still getting trapped! Please, Aunt Paige is going to kill me if I lose to Miss Sara next month!"


    "I heard what your punishment would be, and it''s not that bad."


    "Two days of standing under a waterfall! Two! Days! I can hardly stand there for half a day, and she said that she''d be dropping things from the waterfall if I fail!"


    "Zenith won''t let that happen. Besides," Nick smiled as he reached out his hand. "you might need more motivation to take this competition seriously. Paige doesn''t like losing. Not without a good reason. And right now, you don''t have a good reason to lose."


    "Sixty pitfall traps, ten rope traps, nine illusions, three monster dens, eight formations, and ten times finding my way out of the forest slower than Sara. Come on uncle, just a hint will do!" Raising his hand, Markus pleaded silently.


    Nick sighed as he held out his hand. "Fine. A simple hint." Pulling Markus out, Nick thought about the hint. It couldn''t be too obvious; otherwise, Markus would have a really good chance at beating Sara, especially with the Skills he knew. Sara had a bigger advantage with her Class and Skill, but Markus had an overall advantage should the competition continue to nightfall. Mana affinity trumped Skills, especially in a simple navigation competition such as this.


    "A hint¡­ Markus, you''re using the wrong skills to navigate inside a forest."


    "I''m using [Trailfinder] and [Natural Explorer], so I don''t understand why I''m so much worse than Aunt Paige and Sara at navigating through this forest! I mean, I was practically raised here for god''s sake!"


    Nick looked over to the boy, his leather armor stained heavily by mud. He cut a sorry figure with his clothes looking like that. Not as bad as a child beggar, but he''d give them a run for their money. At least he had kept his sword grip clean. Paige would certainly scrape a layer of skin had his sword grip been ruined. And Tyler would too, once he got back from his travels.


    "I said the wrong skills, not Skills. You are relying too heavily on your Skills without knowing how they work. You may have them and are receiving information through them, but you don''t know how to separate good information from bad ones. Like this pitfall trap. Why did you walk straight into it?"


    "...because my Skills said this was the best way to go."


    "Because this was a very hidden trail Paige and I made, and you mistakenly believed that your Skill would inform you that something was wrong with the path. You should know better than that, Markus. You''ve seen Paige practice walking through the forest without her Skills. Did you think she was doing it for fun?"


    "Well, with Aunt Paige I have no idea if she''s being serious about it or not," Markus said as he rubbed the dirt off his gloves. He grumbled as the dirt stain spread further across his gloves and pants now.


    Nick stilled. That was entirely true. Half the things Paige tended to do made little to no sense for him as well. Things usually went her way though, so she either knew what she was doing or her luck was astronomical. "Fair enough. But I know Paige checks with her Skills first and then verifies the results manually. That''s why she takes a little longer to travel than Sara or I.Trust, but verify.


    ¡°As a Hunter, Sara is more at home in a forest than Paige, not to mention her affinity. Now, that ''s enough of a hint for you. I''ll tell you more after Sara officially beats you next week."


    "Ugh. Thanks for the vote of confidence, uncle." Rolling his eyes, Markus turned to walk back to the settlement as Nick followed behind. Turning, Nick looked over his shoulders to where Boary was standing and grimaced. "Boary, are you coming or what?" Nick turned to stare at the forest beyond, but there was nothing over there. At least from what he could tell. The boar had been acting far more agitated recently, though neither he nor Paige could make out why he was feeling that way.


    And now he was acting agitated again. His fur started to change colors as he walked forward until he seemingly blended in with the forest itself. Nick unfocused his eyes, trusting his mana to show him where the boar was. Illusion magic. Nick knew that the Boar had successfully absorbed the Beholder core, and this was a very, very strange upgrade for a boar. Then again, he¡¯d never heard of a person giving a Beholder core to a Boar either, so maybe it wasn¡¯t that strange of an upgrade.


    Watching as Boary wandered further into the woods, Nick hesitated but ultimately chose not to follow him. Although Markus was almost nine, none of them were willing to let him wander the forest alone, not with the increase in Elemental monsters appearing in the forest. Even with Zenith recharging the magic circles, there were far too many monsters, as even Paige had started to avoid monster dens. It was starting to get dangerous in these woods, even when they stayed on the main paths.


    "Uncle? Will Boary be fine?"


    "Yeah, he''ll be fine. He knows where all the traps are too, and he''s crafty to boot." Nick watched as he Boary cut open a new game path through the woods and quickly disappeared from their view. Mentally making a note to follow the trail later, Nick caught up with Markus. "So," he started.


    "Hm?" Markus looked over.


    Nick sighed. He knew he was rather bad at helping kids, but encouragement from adults was one thing he always strove for as a child. He only hoped that Markus felt the same. "So, I know that Paige has been pushing you rather rough lately. How''s your training going?"


    "Bad. Aunt Paige is good at fighting. Like, really good." Markus kicked a pebble. "But she still won''t teach me the cool tricks, like how to block a sword with a pair of gloves."


    Nick grunted. "Good. She shouldn''t be teaching stuff like that to an Apprentice. That requires more technical techniques than what you are capable of right now. I''m surprised she even tried that as a Farmer."


    "Well, I say gloves, but she uses more than just gloves. I actually got her to block some of my strikes with a shield. Okay, not really a shield; it''s just one of her tools instead," Markus colored a bit as he got caught in a fib.


    "She stopped using just a hoe?"


    Markus nodded. "Mhmm. It''s a massive wooden spade head instead. I don''t get why she had to make it look like that. I mean, she gave Lily and Tyler some fence boards and called it a shield. At least theirs looked like a shield. Hey uncle, why is Aunt Paige so set on using farmer tools to fight?"


    "It''s just how she is, Markus. We all have our own personal faults."


    Markus turned to his uncle and frowned.


    "What would yours be then, uncle?"


    "Skills. Do you know why I don''t use a lot of abilities, Markus?"


    "Because it''s hard to learn archery skills and you aren''t really trying?"


    "Funny. No, it''s because I don''t need to use a lot. Even at my prime, I hardly used more than nine abilities at a time."


    Nick could tell Markus was frowning. "That''s not a fault, uncle. Tha-"


    "Fine. I have one, but it''s personal, Markus. Maybe one day I''ll tell you a story about my past. But not until I can resolve the issue myself."


    "Have you started to do something about it?"


    "Perhaps. But first I need to see what news Tyler brings back."


    Nick''s eyes narrowed as he thought about his request for guessing Paige''s secret.


    ...


    "I want you to go to Leit, Tyler. Just a short visit," Nick asked as they sat by the lake. They were there protecting Markus while Paige and Boary went to eliminate some monster nests that had seemingly popped up overnight.


    "Hm? I thought we all agreed to focus on Appealte since it was closer."


    "I want to find out what changed for me, Tyler. If... If my daughter is still alive, at the very least."This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Tyler sat up "...not your wife as well?"


    "I had a choice, Tyler. I chose to do this one last request, and then I vowed to take more time with my family instead of the organization. If I chose to stay..." Nick sighed."Look, I told you all the news that Ranger Austin told me, and something stuck out to me. All the surrounding Rangers tasked to protect the village died. But my servants were able to escape with my family outside of the village before they were killed. That got me thinking, Tyler.


    ¡°My wife and I both agreed that if something were to happen, Claire should be brought away to safety over everything else. If I had stayed, I would¡¯ve been covering their escape.¡±


    Tyler thought hard for a moment. ¡°You said traitors and blood sacrifices. But Paige said the sacrifices always targeted those with Classes first though. What makes you think you being there would have made a difference?¡±


    Nick hedged his words a little. ¡°The fact that people were able to escape is telling enough, Tyler. I¡¯m just saying, that if I was there, I would have made sure my daughter survived.¡±


    Tyler thought for a moment, conflicted. Leit was not too far away, sure. But he was sure Paige was going to stop him if he mentioned he was going to check on Nick¡¯s family. ¡°...Fine. What am I looking for? You have to give me something, Nick. And don¡¯t be like Paige. Either tell me everything I need to know or I¡¯d rather not risk heading that way. I want to spend as little time as possible over there. You know merchants don¡¯t fare well alone in Leit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. An old couple was living close to our village. A two day walk, minimum. We had made arrangements to protect Claire, just in case anything did happen. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s where my servants were heading. I¡¯ll give you a map and everything. Just drop in, see if they have any news, and head back. You¡¯ll be there for less than a week, max.¡±


    ¡°...that¡¯s it?¡± Tyler frowned as Nick pulled a map from his knapsack. He really was prepared this time. Unraveling the map, he pointed out to a small village, right on the outskirts of the Alcudian border. Tyler frowned. ¡°It¡¯s pretty close to the borders, all things considering. I thought you would¡¯ve put them somewhere further into Leit.¡±


    ¡°The village was remote enough that only certain people knew the exact location of it. Most merchants would pass those areas up since it is remote enough that most would lose money off of it should the maps be outdated, so it was relatively protected from outside influence.¡±


    Nick took out another map, this one far more detailed. Tyler could tell that it was a map of the village and the surroundings. ¡°An abandoned animal trail led to their house. From there, the main roads were only a quarter-hour away, so it was a nice, unassuming spot; which is why Anna and I decided it was our best fallback plan. The chances of someone finding it naturally is low, even for Rangers. This map,¡± he tapped the map, ¡°will tell you how to get there, once you arrive at the village. Just make sure you have your compass ready.¡±


    ¡°Paige and Zenith won¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t like half the things Paige has gotten us into thus far, Tyler. I think I have some leeway in that regard.¡±


    "And Zenith?"


    "... Zenith will understand."


    Tyler sighed but grabbed the map. ¡°Three weeks, Nick. I can make a fake travel log to Appealte, but I¡¯ll need some way of entering Leit. Safely and legally, mind you.¡±


    ¡°You''re a merchant. Take a few of my half-finished bows and say a Bower wanted to sell his wares. You¡¯ll get laughed out of most cities, but that¡¯s to your benefit in this regard. Remote villages are more likely to purchase goods, even if it is foreign made.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Uncle, did you hear me?¡±


    Nick shook his head, focusing on the task at hand. Tyler would be back soon, hopefully with some information about his daughter. ¡°What did you ask, Markus?¡±


    ¡°I said, can you teach me an archery skill? Any will do.¡±


    ¡°Paige already forbid you from learning Archery Skills, Markus. You know as well as I do that it would raise too many questions.¡±


    ¡°Aunt had said that there is one skill that would be useful for a Sword Master though, so I thought I should ask at least.¡± Markus scratched his head idly as he waited for a response.


    Nick frowned as he thought of all the skills he knew. Most of them didn¡¯t apply to a Sword Master though. ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°[Deflec-.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Uncle! It¡¯s a simple skill, and it sounds really useful.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess what Paige said about it. ¡®You can whack arrows with your sword to deflect them¡¯. Was I about right?¡±


    ¡°...Not in so many words. But yeah.¡± Markus blushed.


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason why most people dodge instead. Deflecting an arrow within reach is a bad plan altogether. There¡¯s no telling what Skills have been applied to an arrow, especially if an arrow was able to get that close to you without you being able to notice it. A quick dodge is preferred instead. You might as well ask Paige to teach you [Blink].¡±


    ¡°Aunt Paige knows [Blink]? Why would a Farmer need that skill?¡±


    ¡°To kill Dire Crows. It¡¯s a problem up north.¡±


    ¡°Haha, your kidding Uncle¡­ Right? Uncle?¡±


    Nick strode past Markus as he entered into their clearing. ¡°Damn. I shouldn¡¯t have told him about Blink. Markus is going to-¡± Nick swore to himself as he checked around their little secluded home. Their little house on the hill was peaceful; the animals were all out in the fields as their gate swung op-


    Nick grabbed Markus and rushed back to the forest proper. Markus stayed quiet as they hid in the treeline.


    The gate. Markus realized after a moment what Nick was looking at. Both sides of the gate were open.


    Markus quickly walked up to Nick and started signing.


    Monsters?


    Nick looked around and shook his head. No. Animals in field safe. People. He frowned. Sara wasn¡¯t supposed to be here today, and her little songbird was not singing. Zenith was in town with Kate and Emilia, and Paige was supposed to be restoring the magic circles for Zenith today so she could go shopping.


    He eyed the two gates. Three enemies, human. Already gone. He signed to Markus as he noticed the gates pointing inward.


    ¡°Safe, uncle?¡±


    ¡°...¡± Gathering his mana to his hand, he gently touched the tree beside him and closed his eyes.


    Nature. Life. Sounds.


    Releasing his hold on his mana, he waited as his surroundings became clear to his senses, the sound of nature amplified many times over. The forest was unusually still, but life was resuming for many of the animals. That was a good sign for them. Whoever had visited was already long gone.


    ¡°We¡¯re safe. Get your weapon out, just in case. We¡¯ll sweep the barn and then the house.¡±


    ---


    ¡°Nick, we had visitors?¡± Paige asked as she entered the house, her hoe resting on her shoulder while she held a spade in the other. Seeing her eyes tracing the entryways, Nick knew that she wasn¡¯t expecting anyone to visit either.


    ¡°We did. Whoever it was hadn¡¯t stayed long or left a message. They didn¡¯t even go into the main house or barn. Looked like they came, checked for signs of life and then left when they found nothing here.¡±


    ¡°Hm... Suspicious. And just our luck too. Hey, where''s Boary?" Paige asked suddenly. " I don''t like that he''s alone. Not while he''s acting so strange."


    "He noticed something in the woods and made a new game path. Wherever he went, I know where his starting point is."


    Paige turned and sat down at the table. Nick had rarely seen her so exhausted. Paige smiled weakly. "The magic circles are too draining. Zenith hadn''t mentioned that the circles were all wind elemental ones. It makes sense in hindsight since she''s the one that usually powers them, but it''s too draining for me to do it alone. Markus?"


    "Upstairs. He fell for the pit trap."


    "Sword hilt?"


    "Clean. He''s learning fast, Paige. I heard you even had to start using a shield. What''s that about?"


    "Slowly getting used to fighting people again. And it¡¯s a spade head, not a true shield. I still can''t use a shield or a weapon really, but I don¡¯t need to right now either.¡±


    ¡°You should try again. Markus asked when he was going to learn how to block a sword with a pair of gloves.¡±


    ¡°Heh. Okay, I¡¯ll stop doing that at least. It does keep him on edge though.


    Paige sat down at the table, inspecting her equipment for defects, though Nick knew that her equipment only looked shabby from use. He knew that Paige had been replacing all the shafts of her equipment with spear shaft instead, and the same with all of her equipment. Even the spades and hand forks had been replaced with mithril infused steel, which had hurt his heart when he saw how liberal she was with mithril. He knew that the Imperial Family was rich, but the sheer amount of mithril Paige had stored within her ring was mind-boggling to him.


    It was nice that she was sharing her stockpile of materials though. All of their equipment had gone from top-class adventurer equipment to pseudo-hero level equipment, with solid mithril plating wedged between the layers of their armor. To make up to Zenith, she had even spent months crafting mithril chainmail for Zenith to wear under her mage robe.


    Of course, Paige¡¯s mithril bodysuit was far more expensive than everything else she owned due to the manufacturing difficulties.


    ¡°You¡¯re able to wear your bodysuit now, I see. That¡¯s a good change.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. But even Farmers need to protect themselves, so it¡¯s not that strange. But weapons¡­¡± Paige trailed off, shrugging to herself.


    ¡°Hm. Well, I¡¯m going to bed Paige. Unexpected visitors make me nervous. I¡¯ll take the second watch tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll send a message to Zenith. She should probably stay in Cidala tonight.


    ---


    ¡°Nick, wake up!¡± Paige hissed quietly. ¡°We have a problem.¡±


    Nick awoke and dropped the arrow he was holding. Even though it was dark, it was hard to mistake Paige for anyone but her. He looked to the door; the lock still attached securely to the door. The moonlight that shone throughout the room clued in how Paige had gotten in.


    ¡°Paige. What are you doing here? And why-¡±


    ¡°Use a different trap sometimes, Nick. And get a better window lock. But we have a bigger problem.¡±


    He stopped and looked at Paige. Her voice was laced with stress, her words coming out tense; more angry than afraid though.


    Pushing her aside so he could get up from the bed, Nick strode over to his chest and pulled out his equipment, clasping his iron pendant and cloak around him. ¡°What equipment do I need?¡±


    ¡°All of it. Grab your steel arrowheads. Make sure you¡¯re well-armored.¡±


    Nick stopped and looked up. Paige was ready to fight something...but what caused this change? He pulled a tiny compartment on his chest held his hand out to catch the front of the chest as it unlatched, revealing a multitude of arrowheads and empty arrow shafts.


    He held his hand above the arrowheads and grabbed a leather pouch and a bundle of shafts. ¡°You¡¯re in a mood to fight. What happened.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see when we get outside. How long will it take you?¡±


    ¡°Give me three minutes to craft the arrows. Magic arrowheads as well?¡±


    ¡°...no. Use high-quality steel though. And make sure it¡¯ll fly quietly without Skills.¡±


    ¡°What are we hunting?¡± Nick asked absently, focusing on which arrowheads he would need to pull out.


    Paige looked out the window, her voice barely a whisper.


    ¡°People.¡±

 Chapter 58

    Nick stopped as he was about to close his chest. ¡°Explain.¡±


    Paige waved his question aside. ¡°I will once you come outside. Change into your Ranger gear as well. We¡¯re going to have a fight on our hands. Oh, grab an extra bow as well.¡±


    He looked over at Paige, finally noticing what was different about her in the dim lighting. She had her bodysuit and leather armor on. His eyes swiveled to her weapons. He could see the hoe was hanging off her shoulders, though the blade itself was more weapon like than he¡¯d seen before. The blade of the hoe was straight instead, more for thrusting into the ground than tilling. No shield, but he did spy a sheathed carving knife hanging from her belt, within easy reach should she need to draw it.


    She was ready for a fight, at least more than she usually was. And that was saying a lot for Paige.


    It was then that Nick¡¯s eyes noticed a glimmer by the door. A simple card was duly shining, the crushed mana core powder twinkling from the light of the moon. Her magic circle cards.


    Paige must have followed his line of sight. ¡°I don¡¯t want Markus to leave the house. I already trapped most of the upper floor, so nothing should be able to get in or out of the house until we get back. Just close the window on your way out.¡±


    Watching Paige leave through the window, Nick hurried and started assembling his arrows. Grasping the shaft, he quickly scored the bottom with his grooving tool embedded into his desk, the wood screeching lightly in protest as a thin strip of wood was etched out. Carefully aligning the arrowheads with the fletchings and making sure the groove was on the bottom of the arrow, Nick watched the arrow as he tossed it at the far wall. The arrow flew straight and embedded itself in the wall. Nodding to himself, he quickly started working to modify the remaining arrows.


    ¡®High-quality steel and needs to fly quietly without skills. That means I¡¯ll be using my skills to either increase the punch or to ensure I don¡¯t miss,¡¯ he thought to himself. ¡®Accuracy, distance, silence, punching power.¡¯


    ¡®The groove will help keep the arrow¡¯s flight path relatively straight over a further span. I¡¯ll have to account for a flatter trajectory though. Maybe I should increase the weight to account for no skills. No, don¡¯t have enough time to load the shafts. ¡¯


    Looking at his fletchings, Nick cut the fletchings off half of his arrows, electing to let the groove stabilize the flight of his arrows instead. No fletchings would help minimize the sound, though he would still have to use his skill to decrease the sound of the bow twang and arrows in flight. Still, less sound meant less mana wastage, so Nick shrugged off the expected cost.


    The cold breeze outside traveled through the now open window and with it, a faint smell of iron. Nick¡¯s eye twitched as the smell came in. No, not a faint smell. As the breeze continued blowing, the thick stench of blood wafted through. Someone was bleeding. And a lot.


    ¡°Shit Paige, what have you gotten into now?¡±


    Grabbing his gear, he quickly pulled open the dresser and pulled out his cloak and eyed his bows, hidden behind the rest of his and Zenith¡¯s clothes. Long, short, recurve, complex, cross; Nick had a full arsenal of bows at his fingertips. Eyeing the arrows he had just made, he silently pulled a darkened quiver out and placed the arrows within.


    ¡®Night raid. Hiding won¡¯t be a problem, so¡­ a short bow. That¡¯ll give me the best utility inside the forest. Line of sight will be a problem anyway.¡¯


    Stringing the bow, he pulled the arrow out of the wall and tested the draw weight and feel of the arrows, quickly calculating how much force the arrows would have. He wouldn¡¯t be able to get more than eighty pounds naturally, but that would still be enough to kill an enemy, assuming no high-quality steel armor or defensive skills. But that was why he had [Armor Piercing]. If one arrow wasn¡¯t enough, then four or five would do the trick. Not everyone was like Paige who could probably shrug off an arrow if she wanted to get hit.


    Slinging the quiver over his back, Nick quietly walked to the open window and jumped down, crouching as his feet landed. The stench of iron was far more pronounced now. Turning in a circle, his hand never left the bowstring as he looked for the source. This much blood was bound to attract monsters over. Though, oddly enough the forest was quiet.


    ¡°Nick, over here,¡± Paige called out quietly from behind the house.


    ¡°Monsters?¡± he whispered back.


    ¡°No, none will attack tonight.¡±


    A strange prediction, but Nick was hardly in the mood to question her statement. Walking around the house, Nick inhaled as he saw Paige and the shadow next to her.


    The stench of blood was coming from Boary. Deep scars ran across his body, blood oozing out as the white of the bones could be seen even in the moonlight. His wheezing breath was labored with pain as he laid there. Paige was there sewing the worst of the cuts up, her arms slowly turning deep red as she worked to stop the loss of blood.


    Nick walked up and inspected the cuts. There was no doubt that the boar had fought something, though Nick was hesitant to say it was done by a sword. Paige was using a lot of herbs, slathering a thick coat of paste onto the rest of the boar¡¯s body, taking great care not to touch the deep wounds.


    ¡°How long ago?¡±


    ¡°Less than half an hour. I had to stem the worst of the wounds before I was able to get you.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think it¡¯s people? I¡¯ve seen Boary cut straight lines in other monsters before.¡±


    ¡°Check his mouth.¡±


    Nick blinked at the suggestion. The mouth? His eyes tracked to the boar''s mouth. The boars heavy panting was constant, his breath forming a tiny cloud of fog as his warm breath hit the cold morning air. His tusks...Nick inhaled quietly as he spied what Paige had noticed.


    A broken bow laid in his mouth. The bow itself had been torn asunder, Nick took a careful look at the bow. The limbs had splintered on the outside edge of the bow, he noticed.


    ¡°... it is Sara¡¯s bow. But the bow was broken from too much tension on the limbs. It looks like she drew it back too far. But that doesn¡¯t explain your theory.¡±


    Nick could see that Paige finished sewing the deepest wound on the boars back and moved to his side. ¡°I count seven distinct strikes on Boary¡¯s hide. My best guess is he tried to rescue Sara, but the first strike dashed his hopes on doing that alone.¡± She pointed to the boar¡¯s head before going back to sew the next cut. He got the cue and walked in front of fallen boar, waiting for Paige to continue her analysis.


    ¡°The first strike sheared off his left tusk and continued forward, though the blow was shallow. The weapon was strong enough to break the tusk but broke after the strike. That¡¯s why it¡¯s a shallow cut. The next one was deeper and hit bone. I think that¡¯s when he abandoned the rescue and went for her weapon instead. Took three blows to the same side, so he had to show him his broadside. And then the last two blows were on the opposite side to his back. They attempted to close him in as he ran past.¡±


    Nick frowned at Paige¡¯s analysis. When she put it like that¡­ ¡°Breached the perimeter, got surrounded, escaped?¡± Nick turned. ¡°Paige, if that¡¯s true then we need to go rescue Sara. Right now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what I already know! Let me finish stemming the blood first. You said you know where his trail started. That¡¯s why I need your help. We¡¯ll follow the trail together and get her out.¡±


    ¡°If he was able to charge, then he must have had enough room to build up his speed. Which clearing has enough space for Boary to complete a charge and then escape?¡±


    ¡°Usually only the clover fields; but if he took a new path, then it¡¯ll be next to impossible for me to find it without your help.¡±


    Nick settled down to wait for Paige to finish. Judging by how fast she was sewing, it wouldn¡¯t take more than a few more minutes.


    ¡°Who could do this? And why?¡±


    ¡°Any High-Class Warrior could do the second blow, Nick. Specialized Warrior, maybe. It depends on how long they have been working in a group.¡±


    Nick looked over the boar again, hoping to find more clues. The boar cut a rather sorry sight, though the smell of the medicinal herbs had finally started replacing the acerbic iron smell in the air. Besides the cuts, Nick could tell that the boar had not been acting right for the past few days. Did this have something to do with it?


    He stood up as Paige finished cleaning the last of the wounds, and waited back while Paige said something quietly to the boar. She turned and headed his way, her eyes hardened with resolve.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Nick. Lead the way.¡±


    Paige frowned as she followed behind Nick. The path they were following was awfully close to leaving the forest proper. Even though she was able to leave the forest, Paige could only pray that the path changed direction soon, or else Nick would be on his own. ¡°Are you sure this is the right way?¡±


    ¡°It is, Paige. Keep quiet; Boary¡¯s movements started changing here.¡±


    Paige was miffed. Nick was going so slow!


    ¡°Nick, how come you¡¯re taking so long? Last time we fought bandits you weren¡¯t nearly this slow.¡±


    ¡°We had surprise on our side. Since Boary attacked, they¡¯ll have a wider range for their sentries. Can¡¯t risk it.¡±


    ¡°Use a skill then, Nick! For god¡¯s sake, we could¡¯ve been there by now if you used [Hide in Plain Sight] or something! Come on, these are basic Ranger Skills, Nick!¡±


    Nick stopped. ¡°[Hide in Plain Sight] is not a basic skill, Paige. Even I don¡¯t know how you got that one.¡± He rolled his eyes and continued forward.


    Paige narrowed her eyes and followed. ¡°It¡¯s a standard Ranger skill. Okay, it¡¯s a skill normally taught to Ranger Trackers. I should know, I taught that skill to the Rangers. It¡¯s one of the better stealth skills for a Ranger to have, in my opinion.¡±


    ¡°Well, then whomever you taught that to died. It¡¯s not taught anymore.¡±


    ¡°...really?¡±


    ¡°Really,¡± Nick turned his head back to her. ¡°You¡¯ve seen my status. Why is it such a big deal?¡±


    Paige frowned as she thought about the past. Hadn¡¯t she taught that skill to Ranger Diana? Or maybe Daniel? ¡°I figured you hid it somehow. You were able to hide that other spell you knew, after all. [[Owl Senses]] or whatever that spell was.¡±


    ¡°...you know what spells I use as soon as I use it?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm. An unspoken benefit of being a Party Leader, after all. Though it consumes far too much mana for such a simple enhancement spell.¡± She saw Nick bewildered gaze, but Paige wasn¡¯t in any mood to ask about it. ¡°Anyway, give me your hand. We need to hurry up.¡±


    She stretched out her hand, waiting impatiently for Nick to move. His gaze rested on her hand.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Just do it already. I could¡¯ve been done by now. And release your mana as well.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    He slowly moved his hand forward. Rolling her eyes, she stepped forward and extended her mana to her hands, a slight tinge of gold coloring her mana.


    ¡°I, in my capacity as the Party Leader, share my skill [Hide in Plain Sight] temporarily.¡±


    Party Leader Paige Alduit skill transfer [Hide in Plain Sight] to Party Member Nicholas Brent complete. Party Leader Skill has been locked. Party Leader Skill downgraded to [Concealment]


    Paige nodded as she heard the voice. Altogether, the penalty wasn¡¯t half as bad as she thought it¡¯d be. At least she still had a stealth skill available, even though it was technically not helpful for close combat.


    ¡°You can share Skills?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm. Individual skill transfers are not as helpful as a Party Fusion, but in this case, everyone doesn¡¯t need the skill.¡± Paige shooed Nick forward and continued whispering, ¡°I told you before that Party Leaders have a lot of power. There¡¯s a reason they¡¯re called Party Leaders.¡±


    ¡°How come you haven¡¯t told any of us that you could do that?¡±


    ¡°Skill transfers is a dangerous thing to do. Ask me about it later, when we¡¯re not on a rescue mission. You can pick up the pace, Nick. I¡¯ll follow twenty paces behind.¡±


    Watching Nick grimace and scout ahead, she thought about what Nick had said and slightly frowned as well. Hadn¡¯t Nick said something about Leit using formal parties to train Rangers? It was the same basic concept. A Party Leader helping out his Party by sharing his Skill, though she had never really tried it with a team of Apprentices. Apprentice Parties were weird, to begin with.


    No matter. What was more important was that Nick had an actual stealth skill. Now, whether he used it was not her problem. Paige smiled as she followed the trail Nick had left for her and noticed it got harder to follow as time went on. After all, having hands-on practice was essential for skill acquisition.


    Still, her high from doctoring up Boary and realizing Sara had been kidnapped was fading fast. The elder boar¡¯s behavior had been odd. Not as odd as the rest of the forest, since it too had been restless. But something hadn¡¯t felt right in the forest for a few weeks.


    She couldn¡¯t quite place the feeling though. Had it been in a normal forest, she would¡¯ve gone straight to the source. But whether it was the forest itself or the fog that made traversing the forest impossible, she had no clue.


    ¡®Nick better find that clearing soon,¡¯ Paige thought as she followed Nick¡¯s trail. She looked up and spied the constellation of Ertea slowly dipping toward the horizon. ¡®It looks like we¡¯re getting closer to the edge of the forest? But why would Boary take a circular route to get here?¡¯ She knew that the Boar was able to leave the forest, as he had delivered items for them before.


    Paige stopped as she reached Nick¡¯s next marker and eyed it. Nick had stopped breaking branches and had scuffed the ground instead. That meant he was being more careful with his movements.


    ¡®...We must be getting close to a sentry.¡¯


    That was a good sign. And a good test of her skill. [Concealment] wasn¡¯t a very useful skill when moving. But in a forest like this at night, she hardly needed to use a skill to stay hidden. Crouching down, Paige took measured steps as she followed Nick¡¯s trail; crouching closer and closer to the forest floor as she continued moving forward.


    Paige stopped moving as a gale of wind picked up around her, goosebumps forming on her arms as the temperature around her dropped from the sudden breeze. She stifled her breath before she shivered aloud. Making sound was not her friend right now. It was a rookie mistake to move when the wind blew, as most scouts would instinctually listen harder during said time.


    Counting to ten, Paige slowly worked her way forward, taking care to avoid the worst of the fallen leaves. The damp, cold air of winter had started to make the leaves brittle; the crunching of the leaves faintly noticeable in the dead of night. It was hard in the darkened forest, but she made due, trusting her instincts.


    Crouching down and taking measured steps, she stopped as she saw Nick in front of her, hiding behind a bush.


    Nick started signing as soon as they made eye contact, his hands flashing the simple signs she knew. Twenty guards, circle. Class unknown. Battalion. Three tents. Nine hostages seen.


    Paige bit her lip and signed back. Warriors?


    A light shake of his head. Unseen


    ¡®There has to be a few. Those cuts are consistent with a Warrior!¡¯ She grabbed for her scabbard and felt nothing. Had she left it? No, she was using a spear right now; the shoulder strap digging into her chest as she leaned forward, though it felt far heavier now.


    You take perimeter guards. I circle.


    Nick stared at her, hard. Can you?


    She scoffed. ¡®Can I? That¡¯s a stupid question to ask.¡¯ Yes. Find person?


    Yes. Prisoners. Left camp. Six guards around them. Nick stopped and grabbed a few stones, outlining the positions of the camp ahead, as well as the locations of the sentries he¡¯d seen. He must have used a spell to scout it out, as she couldn¡¯t see far into the clearing ahead. Unless their opponents had someone with a greater affinity as well, Nick and Paige were unlikely to get caught using their mana.


    Precautions aside, Paige nodded as she memorized the crude map. At least they knew where Sara was. But having prisoners in the open did complicate things, especially since they had no idea what their opponents were doing here. What was their purpose in all of this? Unlucky souls? Hostages? And were they willing to kill their prisoners outright if they attacked?


    All women?


    Nick shook his head. No.


    Kids?


    Yes


    That helped ease Paige¡¯s mind a bit. That spoke volumes that the kids were still alive. Hostages then.


    Paige flashed her hands. I¡¯ll attack prisoner guards. You assist. There was a high chance that the guards would try to capture the prisoners again since it would be a death sentence for them otherwise should they escape and get help. She smirked. It was already a death sentence for them since they captured Sara.


    Grabbing his extra bow and a few arrows, Paige flashed three and started moving to her left, toward the prisoners. If they could get Sara¡¯s help, she could lead the rest of the prisoners away from the camp while Nick and herself covered their escape. That would be the best-case scenario.


    ¡®Hiding, hiding. Gah, I should¡¯ve asked how good the sentries were! I¡¯m sure I could slip by unnoticed if they are bandits. Though, the last ones were defectors...¡¯ Paige couldn¡¯t help but think about her last battle against bandits. The little children she had rescued.


    The altar. She stopped suddenly as that thought echoed in her mind. ¡®That would explain a few things. Maybe that¡¯s why Boary was feeling off? But, why would they be all the way here? What the hell is Maxwell doing? The first thing he should¡¯ve done is to restrict the borders. So, how did they get this far without anyone else noticing?¡¯


    Closing her eyes, she moved those thoughts to the back of her mind and continued moving forward, taking care not to disturb her surroundings in her haste to get in position. Nick would be getting ready to attack soon and she was getting close to the first sentry, assuming that Nick¡¯s judgment was correct.


    She could tell that there was someone nearby, his body leaning against the tree lazily, facing out toward the forest beyond.


    Sneak attacks weren¡¯t her forte. But the chances of something happening were slim already if she was able to get this close without them noticing.


    ¡®...I could hit them from here with my throwing knives...if I brought them with me,¡¯ Paige frowned as she felt for her knives and came up empty. ¡®Tch. How could I forget my weapons? No matter.¡¯ She pulled her spear off of her and quietly got into position, taking care not to look at the sentry. Without knowing what skills the person had, she was unwilling to alert him with her intent.


    Paige took a deep breath as she counted down. ¡®...three...two...one¡­Now!¡¯ She sprung up, her spear going straight for the sentry''s neck. ¡®Cut the throat, pin the body so that it doesn¡¯t fall... Eh?¡¯


    Paige watched as the body fell, the hidden rope holding the body to the tree swaying idly as her thrust tore the body off the tree. It didn¡¯t take much for Paige to realize what had happened, especially as the body crashed onto the forest floor.


    A TrapUnauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡®Great. Just my luck.¡¯ Drawing back her spear, she spun around to grab the dagger headed toward her skull. ¡®The sentries are hiding in the trees.¡¯


    Swish. Paige spun as she heard the dagger coming toward her and caught the dagger mid-flight. She flicked her wrist in the same direction, throwing the dagger back, the dagger practically invisible as it flew far faster than it had been thrown at her. She didn¡¯t bother to listen for the body to fall. She knew her aim was solid.


    ¡°It¡¯s a trap!¡±


    She felt foolish even yelling that. But it alerted more of the sentries hidden around their flanks that she was there. That was the most important part. She had to make sure the prisoners were safe. Or more out of the way, at least.


    [Battlefield Sense]


    Paige listened to the forest around her as it came alive. The rustling leaves and the sharp screeching sound of blades scraping their scabbards gave her a good idea of what she was up against, though it was a lot harder to distinguish daggers being drawn from her opponents'' belts. She could tell that at least seven people were trying to surround her. The thumps of Nick¡¯s arrows coursed through the air told her that he had gotten her message.


    But the sounds at the camp proper were oddly silent.


    ¡°Sara, you okay?¡± Paige called out urgently. She hurried to the clearing, running erratically to avoid any throwing knives that might be aimed at her. Even on her worst days, Paige could still dodge a simple attack, especially when they were using their mana to target her.


    She dodged another blade and caught the other as two of her opponents tried to ambush her. There dark clothing and blackened blades told her who she was up against.


    Paige turned and faced her opponents, moving forward to attack before they could coordinate against her. She spun her weapon in her hand, changing her grip as she pressed forward.


    ¡®Slice, dodge, thrust, spin! Damn it! Demons? Here of all places?¡¯ she cursed to herself as she kept track of her enemies blades.


    A faint wave of mana hit her from behind. Paige ducked as a mana enchanted blade rippled through the air, the dark mana leaching into the very air itself. ¡®That¡¯s a good trick to teach Markus. How to time your enchantments.¡¯ Paige spun and kicked the butt of her spear up as she spun it, the spiked end arching upward into the Scout''s chest.


    His shocked face quickly turned into a blank stare as she spun her spear, the bloodied blade tearing through his armor and chest with practically no resistance.


    ¡®Phew. I would¡¯ve been worried if his armor could withstand a mithril spearhead. He''s not a high-class opponent though. His control over his mana was subpar at best. Maybe he just recently advanced to a Specialized Class?¡¯


    She backed up and hit a tree as two more enemies arrived, their swords already blanketed with mana. It was getting harder to notice the swords as the dark mana covering them started influencing the ambient mana, the forest darkening in response.


    Paige drew in a breath. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this.¡± She turned and ran, her opponents behind her just a few steps behind.


    Her mind raced as she ran, listening as her pursuers got closer and closer, their footsteps trailing close behind her. ¡®...skills, skills. Which ones to use? Hmm, the forest restricts most of the spear techniques I know... Tch, what a bad time to not have my sword.¡¯


    Paige dashed forward as she realized something. Something so simple she chided herself for not thinking of it before now. ¡®...Why do I have to bring a sword? Jeez, and I complained about Zenith needing more battles.¡¯¡¯


    She stomped on the ground with her front foot and pivoted backward toward her closest enemy, her whole body off-centered as she tried to stop her forward momentum.


    He was barely four feet away, his sword already held aloft to strike as soon as he got in attack range. She watched as his face turned into shock as she turned to face him as he hastily lowered his sword to a more defensive posture.


    But it wouldn¡¯t be enough. Taking stock of her pursuers positions, Paige tilted her upper body forward, while making sure she had enough room on her sides to complete her action. She outright disregarded the throwing knives that were heading toward her.


    ¡°[Javelin], [Arching Throw],¡± she whispered with a grin. Her spear lashed out of her hand and impaled the first outright, barely stopping as it tore through his heart and arced toward the person behind who was throwing knives at her.


    The other two Scouts stood in shock as Paige calmly grabbed the sword from their dead comrade. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have gone after our friend.¡±


    ¡°[Blink]¡±


    She swiped her sword forward and cut one of the sentry''s throat before grabbing a throwing knife and ramming it into the other before he could utter a warning.


    Wiping the blade clean, she winced as she thought of her hoe. That would be expensive to replace if she couldn¡¯t find it again. ¡°...Boary should be able to find it for me? I think?¡±


    Paige shook her head, getting her thoughts back in order. Sara. She had to give her the short bow. Nick would probably be needing some help soon too, depending on how many arrows he wasted killing the fake sentries.


    ¡°I¡¯m wasting too much time on this. Sara! Where are you?¡±


    Paige turned and ran straight for the prisoners, hoping that they were all right. Running out of the forest and into the clearing, Paige was shocked to find that Nick was still shooting on the far side of the woods and that no one was following her. Shaking her head, she looked over and saw Sara, who was wide-eyed with fear.


    ¡°Sara! Thank goodness you¡¯re alive! Are you able to¡­ Sara? Hey, you there?¡± she snapped her fingers in her face, but Sara just kept on staring at the center tent. Paige glanced at the other prisoners; mainly Farmers and Merchants, it seemed. But what was unsettling was that they were all still with fear.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. Not the best time to be doing that, Sara.¡± She turned to the forest. ¡°Nick! Clear the forest!


    The forest immediately died down as Nick backed into the clearing; an arrow in his hand and on the string as he waited to get a good shot.


    ¡°I got three, Paige. You?¡±


    ¡°Six. So much for only six sentries,¡± Paige scoffed as Nick arrived, his frown getting deeper as he noticed how still Sara was.


    ¡°They had a much wider perimeter. We got lucky that they didn¡¯t find us in the first place. What¡¯s wrong with them?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t care. We need to hurry and leave though. I don¡¯t want to stick around much longer, not with an active altar here.¡±


    Nick¡¯s head spun toward her. ¡°Altar? Shit, demons?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t find that out from their mana? They were pumping out so much dark mana that it was starting to distort the natural mana field.¡±


    ¡°Tch. No, they hardly used any skills. Can you destroy the altar like last time? Smite it or something?¡±


    Paige frowned. ¡°I mean, I probably could if I get closer. But I¡¯ve never been in a situation like this before.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I always arrived after everyone had been killed and the ritual is finished. But haven¡¯t you noticed? None of the scouts came into the clearing,¡± Paige said as her eyes narrowed. ¡°So what do they know that we don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do about Sara and the others here? We can¡¯t leave them like this.¡±


    ¡°Do you know of any way to break this spell? At least, I think it¡¯s a spell?¡± Paige poked the Sara with the short bow, and she fell, her eyes still stuck on the center tent. ¡°...well then. Looks like we have to destroy that tent and everything in it. Have any flame arrows?¡±


    ¡°Does it look like I¡¯d bring tar with me? Or even elemental arrows? I wasn¡¯t planning on setting things on fire, you know. Use your skills to do it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a Farmer. What skills could I possibly have that would destroy that tent from here?¡±


    ¡°...smite it or something? Whatever; just use the same spell you did last time and let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    ¡°I have to be a Warrior to do that, Nick. You know I can¡¯t use weapons right now.¡±


    Nick frowned as he looked at her. ¡°Then what are you holding?¡±


    She stilled as she remembered what she had just done. She had used her hoe as a javelin! And she had been able to use her skills!


    ¡°I, uh, guess in high-stress situations I see myself as a Warrior. Fine, I guess I can do it then. ¡± Not quite looking Nick in the eye, she turned and faced the camp. It was still night, but she knew she could still do the spell.


    She gathered her mana, making sure to tap into the divine mana she held in her mana core. Hopefully, she didn¡¯t need to use a lot of it since there was an altar there. Paige knew that there was a connection there somehow, since every time she had destroyed an altar before it came at little to no cost for her spells.


    ¡°[[Blessed Sun Ray]]!¡±


    She pointed her sword up at the moon, and released her mana, slashing her sword straight down at the lone central tent.


    The moon ahead shone bright; a lance of pure white light dropped onto the tent, their surroundings brightening as though it was day. Paige looked at the spell with appreciation. It looked far more dramatic at night, but it didn¡¯t radiate heat, which took away part of the wow factor. Nick whistled in surprise behind her and ruined her moment.


    ¡°You can that skill it at night? Shouldn¡¯t you be calling it a moon ray though?¡±


    ¡°... don¡¯t ask me for specifics, Nick. It works, so I don¡¯t care about the why. Besides, I worship the Goddess of the Sunset, not the Moon Goddess.¡±


    ¡°And the Goddess of the Dawn, and -¡±


    ¡°Okay, well there are a lot of gods. Maybe the Sun and Moon Goddess are sisters? Or relatives. Whatever.¡±


    The lance of moonlight continued to drive through the tent, the hill slowly dipping as though it was trying to restrain the lance from hitting something inside the tent. Paige frowned as she watched the spell continue, the thread of divine mana slowly starting to dissipate.


    ¡°Well, the spell is a bit weaker at night than during the day. Maybe because there¡¯s no heat involved that the attack isn¡¯t as powerful?¡±


    Nick started to frown as the forest around them started to shake, as though enraged by the attack. ¡°Maybe you should stop the attack, Paige. Something doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±


    Paige shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s about to end naturally. I don¡¯t want to experience a mana rebound by outright severing my connection to it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, bu-¡± Nick started to say something when a roar echoed from the tent, the lance of light dissipating as the attack ended. In its place, a pillar of fire erupted, as though enraged.


    The tent walls burned, revealing the interior of the tent. Amongst the burning corpses stood a bear; it¡¯s bulky form shielding an altar below it. A symbol glowed ominously red, it¡¯s mana leaking out into the surroundings. She could tell that there was a ruined formation around the tent, the metallic glow of the circle reflecting the light from the flame surrounding the bear. It was as though the magic circle was stopping the altar¡¯s mana from leaking outward, though why that was necessary Paige had no clue.


    ¡°What kind of monster is that?¡± Nick cursed aloud, looking at the very large, deformed flaming bear.


    ¡°...A Demonized Flame Bear?¡± Paige frowned as she looked at the bear. It still had some characteristics of a Flame Bear, but it¡¯s aura matched the symbol it was protecting. And more importantly, she had seen one before. A long, long time ago.


    But that one had been a rug. Well, a trophy rug for someone she had well respected.


    Grandmaster Flynn.


    ¡®Well now. That solves one mystery. Maybe I should try to pass that information onto Grandmaster Flynn. Assuming he is still alive.¡¯


    She snapped out of her thoughts as Nick tapped her with his bow. ¡°Are you able to kill it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Although I need to have a better weapon to fight that. A far better weapon,¡± she said as she pulled out the ruby ring she had hanging on her necklace.


    ¡°Ring, ring, ring. Give me my weapon.¡±


    She grabbed her sword and shield as it popped into existence in front of her, spinning her sword absently as she moved forward.


    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s three scouts left, Nick. Make sure Sara and those other people stay safe.¡±


    Markus followed the trail through the woods, listening carefully for any monsters that might have been roaming the woods at night. Even with [Natural Explorer], [Trail Finder], [Night Vision] and [Shadow Walking], he felt ill at ease as he wandered the dark woods. Alone.


    He knew that it was a bad plan, but something made his blood boil as he looked at his injured friend. The boar had been sleeping peacefully when he had jumped out of Nick¡¯s window. He had half suspected it to be one of his aunt¡¯s tests since it seemed like something she would do.


    But the boar was far too injured for it to be a simple test. He hadn¡¯t awoken even when he was practically touching the boar. No, it was a true emergency. That much he could gather from his uncle¡¯s stash of weapons missing, his aunt¡¯s sewing pattern, and Sara¡¯s broken bow resting by the boar.


    Still, he¡¯d felt better with the short sword his Aunt Paige had stashed away. It must have been a present for him since it was made in the same style as the practice weapon that Aunt Paige had made for him.


    ¡®Aunt Paige forest rules: Rule One; Don¡¯t use mana unless you have to. Or your affinity matches the surroundings. It does, so I should be okay with that. Rule Two; Silence is golden. Check. Rule Three; Follow your guts.¡¯


    He paused as he followed the trail forward. He could hear fighting in front of him, as well as his Aunt yells of ¡®It¡¯s A Trap!¡¯


    His palms started sweating. He hadn¡¯t been in a true fight yet. And in truth, he had a feeling that his family was training him to fight monsters, not people. Which made sense, since he wanted to join Tyler and Lily as Adventurers. But now that he had to face other people¡­ he hesitated. Could he kill someone if he had to? It was one thing to kill an animal to eat. But a person¡­


    That was when the moon shone brightly overhead. He stared blankly as a lance of light fell to the ground in front of him, the dark mana within the forest dissipating as the soft glow of the moon shone throughout the forest.


    ¡°...who is Aunt and Uncle fighting?¡± Markus knew his family was powerful but was it possible for them to do that?


    He smiled ruefully. Of course, it was possible. After all, his Aunt was involved. Chances were high that she had done something.


    The trees around him shook as a wave of mana dispersed throughout the forest. A wave of...unpleasantness spread from in front of him. He gagged as his stomach churned. Something didn¡¯t feel right. He could feel something happening to him. He thought fast to his lessons about mana.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Markus half shouted as he released his hold on his mana, the darkness forming around him like a cacoon as it pushed the ambient mana away around him. He fidgeted as his mana started decreasing steadily. He would have to stop if it got down to dangerously low levels. ¡°Gotta hurry. I hope this will be enough.¡±


    A roar startled him, a monstrous call that he hadn¡¯t ever heard before. Even an elder monster''s death cry wasn¡¯t as terrible as the sound from in front.


    ¡°They need my help!¡± Markus dashed forward as the moonlight disappeared. In its place, a flame pillar arose instead. He had to go and help!


    But he stopped as the clearing got closer, and the sounds of fighting increased. He could feel the mana in the air coming toward him in waves. Whatever was happening ahead was far above what he had seen in training. It was almost comparable to his aunt casting multiple spells at once! How would he be able to help, when his family didn¡¯t even know he was heading this way?


    ¡®Rule Number Five of Parties; Don¡¯t surprise your teammates. That is a quick way to get someone killed. So, I don¡¯t know what is happening ahead, so what is the best way I can help?¡¯


    ¡°¡­shouting out the name of the attack! That always works for Aunt Paige!¡± Markus whispered to himself excitedly.


    Markus got onto his belly and started crawling forward, the musky scent of the earth calming his nerves. ¡®Just like training. Just like training.¡¯ Moving parallel to the clearing, he listened to the sounds of the battle, hoping to figure out what to expect when he would finally join.


    The heavy twang of his Uncle¡¯s bowstring was non-stop. The shrill sounds the arrows made as it impacted the tree trunks around him. His Aunt yelling with exertion as she attacked whatever had made that fire pillar. The roar of anger of the unknown monster.


    But whomever his uncle was fighting was not making any sounds at all. It was hard to even hear them over the natural sounds of the forest. The forest was shaking, as though a heavy wind was blowing through it.


    ¡®Uncle isn¡¯t using his mana, but why? He has to be in the open to be firing like that. His position hasn¡¯t changed much either. And he is firing at me, so¡­ I¡¯m in his line of sight. And so are his.¡¯


    He shivered, knowing full well that a single mistake could cost him his life. His Uncle was a good shot, after all.


    ¡®They have to be close by. But why haven¡¯t they attacked me yet then? Coincidence? No, either they haven¡¯t noticed me or they think I am an ally. But if uncle is shooting at me, then how come he can find me and they can¡¯t?¡¯


    His eyes widened as he thought of a likely reason. The darkness. His mana affinity and skills were complementing each other. That had to be the reason! And if they were helping him...then the scouts must be doing the same thing! He started sweating as he realized that his uncle must have been targeting him as well. ¡®He couldn¡¯t find my position, so he fired at chest level where I could be hiding instead. But if he hasn''t found me...then the scouts haven¡¯t found me yet either.¡¯


    Markus paused as the sounds of arrows being fired started slowing. ¡®Uncle must be running out of arrows. He has to be down to less than six arrows then. He has to make those count. That means there have to be less than three enemies here. No, two enemies if he was counting me as well.¡¯


    ¡®The best way to help uncle would be to distract one enemy so that he can get a lethal strike in.¡¯ Pulling his sword out of his sheath, Markus held it in a tight grip, his hands aching with stress. He closed his eyes and waited. He had one chance to make it right. All he had to do was find the enemy near him.


    ¡®Focus. Uncle wouldn¡¯t shoot if he had a good chance of hitting it. The arrows he aimed at me were relatively close to my actual position. So¡­¡¯


    Markus shifted slightly to his right, knowing full well that the clearing was on that side. He could see the arrows embedded in the trees in front of him. The enemy had to be there, somewhere within that spread of arrows.


    Markus waited there, his blade darkened with mana as he watched the area he suspected a person to be in. He mentally planned his attack as he watched. He was already using [Dark Blade], so all that was left was to use [Shadow Walking] to close, and [Seismic Slash] to finish. ¡®Easy enough... I hope.¡¯


    Seconds felt like minutes as the forest continued to stay quiet. He could hear the sound of iron striking against each other further out, his aunt¡¯s mana coming in waves, though he had hardly heard her speaking since the fight had started. ¡®Uncle should be getting ready to attack. The enemy will have to move if Uncle is actively shooting at him.¡¯


    Chee...Thunk! An arrow rammed itself into a tree, the gleam of the arrowhead piercing through an old oak tree like a knife through butter. Markus sensed movement and picked himself up, moving quickly before his uncle shot at him too.


    ¡°[Shadow Walking].¡± Markus felt the surrounding mana for an obstruction ahead. The skill wouldn¡¯t allow him to occupy the space of another person, something his aunt had drilled repeatedly through practice. Usually anyway. It was a double-edged sword, but one that only mattered if your opponent was sensitive enough to the change in ambient mana as you moved.


    Markus moved forward toward the location of the embedded arrowhead. He could tell someone was around, but the location eluded him. Markus frowned as he realized his opponents must be a specialized class. Whether his attack would hit or not was coming down to sheer luck now.


    ¡®If I was hiding, where would I be!?¡¯ Markus thought to himself. He winced as his head spun. He knew the feeling well. ¡®Not now! Not -¡¯


    ¡°Why would I hide behind a tree? That is the stupidest idea I¡¯ve ever heard out of your mouth,¡± an older woman said as she looked skeptically at him, her mouth curved in a half-smile.


    She was probably about aunt¡¯s age or looked like she was around there. It was hard to tell what age people with Classes were.


    ¡®No, not now!¡¯ Markus tried to get his thoughts in order. ¡®I am in a battle, trying to find the enemy! It¡¯s dangerous!¡¯


    He watched as an older him scoffed absently. ¡°Then where would you hide? A tree is a perfectly good cover and shield, all things considering. You can use a skill to conceal yourself at that point, and any enemy would have trouble finding your exact location.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem with a Warrior Class. You think everything can be solved with a single skill. No, if I was going to hide, I would hide-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Markus bit his tongue hard, the world spinning back into normality. He stepped forward and jumped, raising his blade upward toward the branches above.


    ¡®I would hide in the branches.¡¯


    He knew that he struck true as the blood rained on him, his blade slowing as it bit into flesh and armor. Kicking the tree trunk, he rolled into the clearing, mainly so that his uncle wouldn¡¯t shoot at him.


    ¡°Markus, get over here. NOW!¡± His uncle yelled as his nocked arrow pointed at the forest beyond him. He turned to survey the clearing and stopped.


    His uncle was protecting a lot of people. Most of them were unconscious, though he spied a few people drunkenly assessing their situation. Sara was there, trying to get out of her bindings; his uncle had to keep watch over the other scout and had no free hands to help her.


    But it was his aunt that caught his attention most of all.


    A sword in one hand and a shield in the other, she twisted and slashed at a monster, one straight out of his dreams. She was hacking the monster to parts, targeting his weak points with precise strikes. Markus watched as his aunt battled, fighting only with technical sword skills. There was truth in her aunt¡¯s saying as he watched her fight in earnest. ¡®There will always be a time when you run low on mana. Swordplay will save your life.¡¯


    But as much as her swordplay entranced him, the monster itself attracted most of his attention. The feeling of wrongness was coming from the bear itself. As he watched, the deformed bear turned and roared challengingly, the flames rising and fury in his eyes increasing as the monster noticed his staring.


    His aunt had noticed the same thing as her strikes landed unhindered, her sword rending a deep portion of the bear¡¯s side off.


    His back crawled and he gasped in pain, a gloomy feeling spread from his back and he stumbled under the gaze of the bear. He could tell that it was intent on killing him, at all costs.


    Danger!


    Markus dashed toward his uncle as his aunt swore loudly, the bear all but abandoning the fight as it lumbered towards Markus instead. Markus could feel it¡¯s furious eyes tracking him as he ran toward his uncle, but he had no time to spare either, his eyes tracking the enemy in the forest proper.


    ¡°Markus, free, Sara, now!¡± His uncle half shouted as he reached him, moving to put himself between the monster and Markus. ¡°Sara, shoot the eyes of the Flame Boar. We need him blinded. I have my hands full with the hidden Scout.¡±


    Markus fumbled with the bindings on Sara¡¯s hands, the coarse rope oiled and pulled tight against her crossed wrists. He hadn¡¯t the slightest clue on how to loosen them.


    ¡°Get mine! I¡¯ve already loosened it. I can help you,¡± a soothing voice called out from his side. Markus turned and saw a young woman watching his movements. Her brown hair and blue eyes shone out in the darkened forest. ¡°Miranda. Hurry, I know this particular binding, but I can¡¯t unravel it alone,¡± she held up her hands and pleaded quickly, ¡°Come on! That monster is coming over! Miss Paige can¡¯t hold it off alone!¡±


    Markus could tell that the bindings on the girl''s wrists were looser than Sara¡¯s and moved, quickly following the girl''s instructions on how to remove the wrist bindings.


    Miranda pushed herself over to Sara and started unraveling her bindings as Markus quickly cut the bindings off her ankles. He marveled at how fast the girl was able to undo Sara¡¯s bindings. She mustn''t have been too much older than, Sara, or his aunt but her presence was steady and she knew what she was doing.


    ¡°Thanks. Grab the short bow from the Ranger. We need to move, fast. Miss Sara, run to the treeline as soon as you are done and start shooting at the bear¡¯s eyes. Mister Markus, the bear is targeting you for some reason. Can you draw it away from the prisoners?¡± she turned and stared at him, her gaze steady as she evaluated him.


    Markus flushed. ¡°I, I can.¡±


    His arms started trembling as the heat of the bear started to get close enough to feel uncomfortable.


    She patted his arms lightly. ¡°You¡¯re a brave little man. Just like when you saved Joanna, just distract it. Hurry.¡±


    Markus calmed himself and ran away from her, his thoughts drawn to what Miranda had said. ¡®Miss Kate¡¯s niece? How did she-¡¯


    ¡°ROLL MARKUS!¡±


    Markus jumped forward and rolled, a searing heat erupting where he once stood. He scrambled and crouched down, moving as fast as he could in an irregular pattern. Unpredictability was key. His aunt had told him that was the best way to confuse a monster, though he had slight misgivings about that.


    Thunk. Tink. Tink


    Markus turned as he heard the sounds of arrows impacting the bear, though two of them were slightly weaker. He watched in horror as only one arrow embedded itself into the bear hide, the other two snapping upon impact. The bear stopped spewing fire from his mouth as it lumbered forward.


    ¡°Shit! [[Deflect Arrows]]. It¡¯s a Hunter-Killer!¡± Nick swore as he noticed the bear ignoring the arrow that had pierced its side. He had never heard his Uncle state that term, but Markus knew that the arrow had swerved somehow. It definitely wasn¡¯t where his uncle had wanted to land his shot. He watched in horror as it steadily approached him, forgoing Paige¡¯s furious strikes.


    ¡°Paige! Kill it.¡± Nick yelled.


    ¡°Trying! A lot harder than it looks,¡± she tersely responded. Her bluish blade sunk to the hilt as she ripped it diagonally, surely an instant kill for any other creature.


    ¡°Nick, go after that Scout! Kill him! You¡¯re no help to me here!¡± Paige yelled irately as her next attack failed to kill the monster in front of her. ¡°Markus, evade! I have an idea!¡± She stopped and watched the bear, pointing her sword at the sky. ¡°Oh, Moon Goddess, smite my enemies with your heavenly light!¡± He watched as the moon above flashed in time with Paige¡¯s sword. ¡®[Moonlight Slash]¡¯


    Markus dove and even the bear itself visibly braced as Paige swept her sword. But she hadn''t aimed at the bear. She swung it down at the altar again, the altar wholly unprotected now. The altar pulsed and attempted to block the attack, but failed. The symbol above distorted and broke apart until it vanished completely.


    Markus could feel the mana in the air changing and sighed in relief. The bear screamed in fury as it charged toward Paige, it''s massive bulk expanding as it came closer to Paige.


    "Au-" Markus scream cut off as he watched Paige throw her sword into the bear''s skull, the massive brute crashing down.


    She walked up and made an unknown sign, whispering something unknown before she released her mana in full, a golden cloud forming around her. It wasn''t the first time he had seen her mana turn that color, but Markus watched in awe as she grabbed the handle of her sword, the dead bear''s form receding as the golden hue covered the bear.


    She turned to him and smiled. "Good job Markus."


    Markus smiled, then promptly fainted.

 Chapter 59

    Zenith sighed. ¡°Great. Just great. I go off to Cidala to see my friends for a few days, and look what I come back to!¡±


    She glared at the group in front of her. How did everything get so complicated so fast!?


    ¡°We got Sara out though. And we saved a few people too. That¡¯s something at least.¡±


    ¡°Yes. But you also let Markus wander out with you,¡± Zenith said through gritted teeth. ¡°Why in the world did you not stop him beforehand!?¡±


    Zenith pointed over to Markus, who had the decency to look...not ashamed. She faltered. He didn¡¯t look too proud of his actions either. Rather, more...Afraid? Shaken?


    Zenith knelt down to give the boy a hug. ¡°Markus, hey. It¡¯s alright. They told me what happened.¡±


    Markus startled. ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°Shhh. It¡¯s okay. You did good. Go and rest now, you had a tough adventure.¡±


    Zenith smiled reassuringly at the boy. He smiled back gratefully, though he looked half-dead on his feet.


    ¡°I think I will, auntie. I¡¯ve had enough for one day.¡± Markus mumbled as he walked slowly into the house. They watched him go, his shoulders hunched, as though burdened with some unknown baggage.


    ¡°He did do really good. Rescued a damsel in distress, even.¡± Paige nodded to herself, omitting the other half of his actions. Her actions were radiating contentment; much like a teacher watching her student progress by himself.


    But Zenith knew how dangerous the fight had been.


    By all accounts, Nick and Paige had been busy with their own respective fights and hadn¡¯t been paying attention to Markus following them from behind. Paige was right of course, she had no way of knowing that Markus would be able to leave the house. And they all knew that Markus had acquired most of the skills they had, so it was not surprising to see that he was able to follow them without help.


    ¡°Still, tell me again Paige. What did you find?¡±


    ¡°An altar. A few people sacrificed. It¡¯s not entirely safe for us here anymore, Zenith. I think we need to find another place to live soon. After we get the rest of these people settled, of course. Tch, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have to fill out paperwork for them.¡±


    Paige looked over to the barn with a frown. Zenith knew the rest of the survivors were being kept there. It broke Zenith¡¯s heart to see the children there, so despondent and lackluster. Some of the adults were no better, though a few had surprised her.


    Well, two really. Sara and another girl were doing alright, all things considering. She had heard what had happened. She presumed that after Paige had attacked the altar they had snapped out of whatever spell they were under. Most were incoherent though. Or maybe traumatized was a better word.


    ¡°Are they fit to travel?¡± Zenith asked.


    Paige leaned on her trusty replacement hoe, Zenith noticed, it¡¯s shaft and blade not even covered with dirt yet. ¡°Not alone. I¡¯m sure if you and Markus are up for a transport quest we can get them out of here today or tomorrow. Send a request to Emilia though, and have the guards meet you halfway. Or let the Queen handle the fallout. No reason for us to get the credit.¡±


    ¡°Why would Queen Rebecca care?¡± Nick asked with a scoff. None of them were fans of the queen at the moment, barring Paige. Too many memories for her.


    ¡°The other girl is a Royal Scout. ¡®Miranda Evans¡¯ is a fake name that Rebecca made. It¡¯s one of many names that she calls her informants by.¡±


    Zenith looked over at Paige with a questioning gaze. ¡°And the reason you didn¡¯t say that before is¡­¡±


    Paige waived their concerns aside. ¡°I don¡¯t really care that she is an informant. She¡¯s just lucky to be alive. And I¡¯m not about to torture or threaten a girl that just went through all that,¡± she shrugged idly as she walked to her fields, ¡°Besides, who in their right mind would believe her when she says that a Farmer, a Boywer, and Apprentice could rescue everyone?¡±


    ¡°She reports directly to the Queen. Even Queen Rebecca wouldn¡¯t outright dismiss that information.¡±


    ¡°Then she¡¯ll chalk it up to Zenith. Good job, Zenith. Your dossier is probably going to get even larger after this.¡±


    ¡°Wha! Why would they pin the accomplishments on me!? I wasn¡¯t even there! Everyone would be able to find out that much,¡± Zenith panicked.


    Paige smiled. ¡°Doubt it. Since you are already helping her out with Lily, contributing the spell to you would help her more than an unknown servant did it.¡±


    Zenith deflated. They wouldn¡¯t be able to hide Paige¡¯s spell; that much was certain. In fact, the spell was the only reason she had come back at the break of dawn.


    Paige¡¯s dumb attack spell had illuminated the entire countryside. Since she could see the top end of the spell from Cidala, anyone within a sixty or so mile on ground level would have been able to see the effects. Feel the effects too, depending on their mana sensitivity.


    In fact, Zenith didn¡¯t doubt for one second that the Mage Guild was sparing no expense in trying to track down the source of that Spell. She had never even heard of Imperial Mages slinging spells that large around. Still, that was going to be a very good recruiting point for the foreseeable future for the Imperial Family.


    ¡°Can you please just ask for me, Paige. Please. I already have enough pressure on me,¡± Zenith asked. ¡°I mean, you should get some acknowledgment too!¡±


    Paige frowned and glanced over at her, disdain and disbelief were written clearly across her face. Zenith quickly thought of what could appeal to Paige.


    ¡®Money...no, she¡¯s probably richer than the average Scion. Status...she¡¯s been on the run for centuries, so that¡¯s a no go. Power, Influence¡­ nope. Gaah, what could Paige possibly want!?¡¯


    Her eyes darted back and forth across the clearing. ¡®Something Paige would want. She has no family, no real disciples, no hobbies. I mean, she¡¯s been the most content of all of us, and she¡¯s just a Farmer!¡¯


    A Farmer. ¡°LAND!¡±


    Nick and Paige startled at her low shout. ¡°Land! I¡¯m sure the Queen would give us some land, somewhere to go and relax and escape from the world if we were influential enough.¡±


    ¡°Umm, that¡¯s what this forest is forest is for.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but now it is clearly unsafe for us, long term wise. We all knew that we would have to abandon this place eventually. Why not have the Queen deed the forest to you for your actions? You always said that the forest was mysterious enough for you to explore later on,¡± Zenith paused and smiled mysteriously. ¡°And you¡¯re not a true Farmer if you don¡¯t have any land to your name.¡±


    Paige frowned. ¡°We¡¯ve lived here almost six years now. It¡¯s already ours. I know the laws here, Zenith.¡±


    ¡°Then you would also know about the Transference of Land Rights.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Paige¡¯s eyes twitched. Zenith smiled. She knew she had her. It was supposed to be their land, yes. But there was one thing that Zenith had found out about the forest that she hadn¡¯t told the rest of her Party. Other people had already claimed the forest. Well, one person really.


    Paige¡¯s older brother. He had bought the entire forest and had personally funded the construction of Cidala and Nespe. So the entire region was nominally owned by him. Even Emilia had to pay taxes to both Alcudia and Peter¡¯s estate. Who got that money, she had no idea, but it wasn¡¯t an insignificant amount every year.


    ¡°You know who owns it, don¡¯t you?¡± Paige asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowing slightly.


    ¡°I do. And I¡¯ll tell you, after you talk to the spy.¡± Zenith pointed out.


    Zenith watched Paige carefully, noting how her face shifted between desire and laziness. Sure, she could probably just send a letter, but that would take time. And that was what she was betting on.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go talk to the girl. Markus told me some interesting tidbits anyways, so I¡¯ll go and get some answers. One quick question, is the person still alive?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°The person who owns this property. Even the queen can¡¯t take away property if the owner is still alive. It¡¯s not worth asking questions if I can¡¯t get the land in the end.¡±


    Zenith blinked. She was sure Peter was dead, so¡­ ¡°The person who owns it is dead. Definitely dead.¡±


    Paige turned and walked off toward the barn. ¡°Tch. I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Paige slipped quietly into the barn, careful to not make any sudden sounds. The rescued people were understandably jumpy, and with what they had to go through, she didn¡¯t have the heart to fault them. She looked around and spotted the younger girl taking care of a toddler. Her smile was restrained, but Paige could tell there was a hint of longing in her eyes. She wasn¡¯t sad as she played with the toddler, but she had experience with younger kids.


    A mom. Young mom, perhaps. Which would fit Markus¡¯s description. A funny coincidence... Or was it?


    Still, as Paige watched her from across the barn, Miranda stiffened and looked up, instantly meeting her eyes. ¡®Scout confirmed. But why would she be one?¡¯ Paige cocked her head to the side, and strode out of the barn to wait for the girl. No point in having other people listening to them, and she didn¡¯t want to deal with toddlers right now.


    No, Paige was as tired as Markus was, if not more. She hadn¡¯t used that much power in a long time, and she could feel herself slowing down.


    ¡®That dumb monster was tough. Really tough.¡¯


    If not for her skills and divine mana, she wasn¡¯t really sure if she could beat it normally, or at least not without turning it into a battle of attrition. Even Dragons bled, and that creature hadn¡¯t been afraid of exchanging blood for blood. At least, not until she destroyed the altar.


    She shuddered as she thought about what the Battlefield must look like now. But that was all. It wasn¡¯t her problem to deal with. The Imperial Family was still there and had Scions to spare, so the situation there must be stable.


    ¡®Maybe elemental magic would have been a better counter? Elemental Skills? Magic circles would be the best way to counter them. Maybe bombard them from afar?¡¯


    She stopped thinking about it as Miranda creeped out of the barn, jumping down from an open second story window.


    ¡°May I help you, Miss¡­¡±


    ¡°Cut to the chase. You already know my name. And Markus¡¯ name, for that matter,¡± Paige waved away her question idly. ¡°Joanna. Markus saved her from being bullied during Lily and Tyler¡¯s party. But how did you know my name?¡±


    Miranda blinked and smiled. ¡°Joanna loves talking about that incident.¡±


    ¡°Extended family? No, definitely her mother.¡± Paige amended her statement as soon as she said it. The look of longing made sense now. ¡°So, what is a royal spy doing here in these woods.¡±


    The girl looked down. ¡°I¡¯m no-¡±


    ¡°Miranda Evans is a fake name. Standard royal protocol,¡± Paige held up her hand and stopped the girl. ¡°I don¡¯t really care about that. What are you going to report to your Queen?¡±


    Miranda paused, looking straight into Paige¡¯s eyes. ¡°To our Queen. Or, do you not recognize her sovereignty?¡±


    Paige regarded what the girl had said with a weary gaze. A trap. A verbal one, nonetheless. She quickly thought of the laws that would apply in this situation, and which outcome would be best for them.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I am a loyal citizen of Alcudia with all the rights and so on and so forth. But that¡¯s not what I asked.¡±


    Paige mentally frowned as the spy smiled, feeling that she still managed to mess something up. Everyone''s forged identity was solid, to the best of her knowledge anyway.


    But Paige brushed that concern aside. It hardly mattered much to begin with. Paige knew that they vastly outclassed everyone else. At least, everyone up to a Scion. Without seeing one in person, it was hard to say what the Imperial standards were.


    ¡°I will tell her the truth. Like I am supposed to,¡± Miranda answered confidently.


    ¡°No. You¡¯ll amend it to give Zenith credit for everything. She did everything herself,¡± said Paige unabashed.


    ¡°... You¡¯ll never get the other people to agree to that. They all saw you, Nick and Markus rescue them.¡±


    ¡°All an illusion spell to keep them from panicking.¡±


    ¡°Does the Mage know how to do that?¡± Miranda asked carefully, her face skeptical.


    ¡°She will.¡±


    ¡°And the spell that was used?¡±


    ¡°Classified. But you didn¡¯t hear from me that it could be [[Mana Overload]], combined with a [[Lunar Beam]], and a few artifacts she had set up to channel mana to herself. Call it a one-time spell,¡± Paige made up everything on the spot. She would have to teach Zenith a new spell, of course, but the artifact would be easy to explain away. Paige was sure she had a book that explained how to cast Lunar Beam, though she amended her schedule slightly just in case she had teach Zenith how to fake to make it look realistic.


    Miranda watched her carefully. ¡°And what do you get from this?¡±


    ¡°Anonymity. Though I would like the forest and the land surrounding it to be transferred to her name.¡±


    Paige smiled and pushed everything on to Zenith. She already had enough excitement for one lifetime. Not that she wouldn¡¯t help Zenith, of course. But she¡¯d rather be in the background for once instead.


    ¡°...you¡¯re so powerful though. Why wouldn¡¯t you want to help? Especially since you have the capability to do so.¡± Miranda struggled to voice her thoughts.


    Paige sighed. This was not something she wanted to talk about. And not with a stranger, no less. ¡°Look, all I want is to be left alone for a good while. Well, for me and my Party to be left alone. It¡¯s...complicated. Look, maybe you should go back home and be a mother. No offense, but you really aren¡¯t cut out to be a Royal Scout.¡±


    ¡°None taken. But I think you are wrong about that. Someone once told me that I should find my own way in life, and do everything to the best of my ability. But most importantly, do what I want to do. And right now, I want to be a Royal Scout,¡± Miranda said with conviction.


    She frowned and looked at Paige, a little bit of disdain shining in her eyes. ¡°And who says I can¡¯t be a Scout and a mother?¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. Not my place to judge another. Just giving my own opinion.¡±


    Miranda scuffed the ground with her shoes. ¡°Well, to be honest I usually wouldn¡¯t be in this kind of situation. But the Queen is short on Scouts, so she asked me to come check this place out. I mostly deal with parsing through information.¡±


    ¡°I figured. Not many spies have kids,¡± Paige answered wryly. ¡°So, you asked me a question. Now it¡¯s my turn. Did the queen know that Trent¡¯s Scouts have penetrated this deep into the country? Or does she have any idea why they were here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve had no reports of Trent¡¯s Scouts in the region. The Imperial Scion finished rooting out the enemies a few years ago. I don¡¯t know why they were here since I was captured shortly after I arrived in the region,¡± Miranda snapped to attention while she spoke.


    ¡°Last question. How come you and Sara weren¡¯t killed?¡± Paige¡¯s eyes narrowed as she looked Miranda up and down. ¡°Those with Classes are always killed first. I would say the two of you are well into your Specialized Classes, and I doubt the people who were sacrificed were stronger than you both.¡±


    ¡°I, I don¡¯t know? Luck, maybe?¡±


    It was clear that the girl didn¡¯t know about the sacrifices went, but Paige knew better than that. There was always a process. So if they were skipped¡­


    ¡°What items have you acquired recently?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°A weird item. Or maybe a gift from someone. Artifact? Or maybe an heirloom? A unique item, basically.¡±


    Something that could hide a Class. She knew of such things, like her Imperial Wardstone. True, it could break through magic circles, but it had far more functions than Scions gave it credit for. But that was assuming you were willing to break one, that is. And Paige was well accustomed to using them.


    Sara would have to have one too, or maybe it just hid the Classes of everyone within a certain distance. Either way, it would be good to know what items the altar was not able to pierce through.


    Miranda stilled as she reached into her pocket. ¡°I did get something, though I don¡¯t know what it is. Don¡¯t break it though, since I had to trade for it.¡±


    Paige waited in suspense as the girl took something out of her pocket. It was made of wood and was carved by an experienced hand. It was a simple statue, showing a figure seated on a ledge. The small figure looked playful, though the weapons that sat next to her were nothing to be scoffed at. A girl was smiling as she looked up at something, in her hand was a plain looking amulet.


    She could feel her eye twitching at the sight. The figure looked exactly like her. No, it was her. Paige grabbed the statue and looked at it carefully. Turning it over, she looked at a tiny inscription that was written on the back. ¡®A Happy Idiot.¡¯


    She had half a mind to destroy the damn thing right then, but the sight of Miranda watching her carefully stopped her. Paige frowned and looked closer at the little statue. Something was off with the background. Taking a closer look, she scoffed as she realized what it was. The little Paige wasn¡¯t sitting on a ledge.


    It was a hearth.


    ¡°...where did you get this lovely statue from?¡± Paige asked as she handed it back.


    Miranda coughed politely. ¡°Funny you should mention it, I got it here in these woods.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°From an old man, actually. I traded a few things for it. Why?¡±


    Paige stiffened. An old man. In these woods.


    ¡°Is, is there anything else?¡± Miranda asked.


    ¡°No, no that¡¯s all. We¡¯ll be transporting you all today, just as soon as the caravans come from the town. Just remember, attribute everything to Zenith. That¡¯ll help the Queen more than if an unknown Farmer did it. Understand?¡±


    Miranda stared at her. ¡°Mhmm. I understand perfectly. For the good of the country. Right?¡±


    Paige sighed. ¡°Yeah. May the light of Alcudia shine bright in the night.¡± She saluted idly and turned around, not caring for the glances Miranda was giving her.


    There was something, or someone, in these woods she had to go find instead.


    Zenith walked alongside Nick as they headed back toward the town, the rescued people sitting quietly in the carts alongside them.


    ¡°So what did Paige tell the girl? Did you ask her.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm. She said she would report everything honestly. I¡¯m proud of Paige, she¡¯s actually going to take responsibility for once.¡±


    ¡°Paige said that? I half expected her to go about her merry way.¡± Nick looked over, his face cloudy with skepticism.


    ¡°Well, in not so many words, according to the girl. Officially, she said that the whole Party would have to receive credit for rescuing the prisoners, but her own personal reports to the Queen will be accurate.¡±


    ¡°And that is better how? Having conflicting reports is bound to get us in trouble at some point, you know.¡±


    ¡°True, but now you all have a reason to appear, instead of just me alone. And so long as the Queen believes it, then Paige will have to do something other than lay around.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    ¡°Though¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she look familiar? Just a little?¡± Zenith frowned as she looked over to the front of the caravan. Kate, Sara and Miranda were sitting there, chatting. Evidently Miranda and Kate knew each other,


    ¡°Markus said something about Joanna. Know the girl?¡± Nick looked at the girl and shrugged. He grabbed his water skin instead.


    ¡°Ah! That¡¯s Kate¡¯s niece from up north! No wonder she looks familiar then.¡± Zenith looked over at the girl, her brown hair swaying idly in the breeze. She still looked familiar, but Zenith couldn¡¯t figure out where she had seen her at. Her memories were usually better than that.


    ¡°Hey, do you know when Tyler will be coming back? Think he¡¯ll have any news from Appealte?¡±


    Nick coughed as he choked on his drink. ¡°Ack, what?¡±


    ¡°Tyler. Do you know when he¡¯ll get back? I thought he said the trip wouldn¡¯t take long. I mean, Appealte is barely a few days from here.¡±


    Zenith looked over at Nick.


    He faltered. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ checking into something for me. And he¡¯s trying to gauge whether my bows will sell or not.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I wouldn¡¯t lie about something that minor.¡±

 Christmas random

    ¡°Hey, Aunt?¡± Markus asked in a small tone, breaking the silence of the cold, dark evening.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    The fireplace was full of half dead embers, the shadows danced on the wall as Paige looked up from the newspaper Sara had just delivered, her reading candle almost down to the wick itself.


    It was her turn for night watch, as it was too ingrained in their habits to have at least on lookout, even within the settlement. The newspaper helped take some of the dull out of the evening, as it detailed the recent monster sightings around their area. Important news for any Hunter in the area, really, as the livelihoods of many people were tied to the mass migrations of animals.


    Well, not so much the animals. Monsters. The flow of monsters would inevitably change with the seasons, as their usual prey would shift. And why would a monster willingly leave their hunting ground when there was another source of prey available. Humans. A tasty, delectable treat so long as the right one was chosen. Thus, Paige kept an eye out on the recent, and not so recent sightings of monsters in the area. Just because they couldn¡¯t hurt her or her party didn¡¯t mean that she would willingly let them hurt others. Well, only on the basis that the monsters were within the forest, that is


    But that wasn¡¯t important right now. Paige looked over at Markus, who looked like he had just awoken from a nightmare. The boy was having cycles of nightmares, but he had never asked for help until now.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Markus? Nightmare?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm. I was walking all alone and then this this, shadow came and -,¡± Markus mumbled sleepily, not making any sense.


    She waited until Markus had finished narrating his dream and patted the bench beside her, ¡°Come here, Markus. I can give you a back scratch until you go to bed.¡±


    Markus walked slowly, but leaned heavily against her side and slowly laid his small head in her lap. Paige stilled, but placed her hand on his head, patting it softly.


    ¡®How did my mom help me fall back asleep when I had a bad dream?¡¯ Paige thought to herself. Her early memories of her parents were well and gone, though she felt like she remembered snippets of it, a time so very long ago. She shook her head as nothing really came to mind.


    Though, her parents weren¡¯t the only role models she had to draw upon. ¡®... what did Rebecca do when her kids were unnerved by bad dreams?¡¯That would be a much better choice right now. A slight chill entered the house, clearing her thoughts for a second. She had a good idea.


    ¡°Hey Markus, how about I tell you a good story? About an old man who tried to change the world?¡±


    ¡°Mhmbmbm.¡± Marksu sleepily responded.


    ¡°Well, once upon a time, long, long ago; high on top of a mountain, there was a huuuge castle. And in this castle lived an old man. A man called Sant de Clas. What was special about this old man though, was not his looks or where he lived, or what his Class was, but what he did for a living.¡±


    Markus shifted slightly, though Paige could tell that he was still drifting in and out of consciousness. Not a bad thing, per se, but she wasn¡¯t going to tell as many details if he wasn¡¯t even going to be awake to listen.


    ¡°He loved to bring joy to people. And every year, around this time, he would go and give the best gift of all to someone who needed it. And so he would find a person and¡­.¡± Paige quickly narrated a nonsensical story she partly made up as she scooted out from the bench seat and picked Markus up. She was halt tempted to leave him downstairs, but the couch was not as comfy as his own bed and she still had night watch to complete.


    ¡°...and that is why we give gifts to all our friends this time of year,¡± Paige finished as she reached his room.


    Markus stirred as she finished her story, and started tucking him back under his covers.


    ¡°I¡¯ve...never heard...this version before¡­¡±


    Paige chuckled. ¡°Probably not. This one is a nicer version than reality.¡±


    ¡°Did you tell this story to Lily and Tyler?¡± Markus mumbled.


    ¡°Mhmm. Didn¡¯t want to get yelled at by Zenith for teaching the classic story of Sant de Clas.  If you remember, ask me tomorrow to tell you why his clothing was important.¡±


    ¡°Mhmbmbh¡­¡±


    Paige stretched out her weary arms. Markus was getting heavy. Pausing as she reached the door, she realized that she had forgotten something important.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    She hadn¡¯t sent her own gifts out yet.


    ¡°Lily¡¯s been rather jumpy lately,¡± Tyler frowned as he was walking next to Lily.


    The city square was getting crowded as throngs of people went shopping before the winter solstice. The majority of Merchant¡¯s would soon be stopping for the winter, as the snow covered ground would hinder all but the most well prepared and light cargo, as the wagon wheels would most certainly get caught within the heavy snowbanks.


    ¡°Hm? Not more than usual, though. She¡¯s been rather jumpy, after all. Getting new teachers every other week hasn¡¯t helped much, either. And why did you notice that specifically, Tyler?¡±


    Tyler could practically feel Lily¡¯s eyes narrowing at him. He knew that it was one of her quirks, but he didn¡¯t get defensive. He knew that Lily cared for him, and he her. Not that he had ever said as much.


    ¡°Remember that story my mentor told? About the guy that would come around this time of year?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Sant de Clas? What about him?¡±


    ¡°Well, remember how she said he would give gifts around this time of year? I was thinking that we should get a gift for our new Party member. One that would hopefully help her calm down. I was hoping that you would know of a good present for her that would do just that.¡±


    Tyler waited as Lily thought about what he had requested. He knew Lily would eventually agree with his reasoning. It wasn¡¯t that hard to tell that the girl had been feeling anxious the past few days.


    ¡°Well¡­ I do enjoy their gifts every year. I do hope that mentor sends me another mana shard for my staff. Although, Miss Paige¡¯s gifts are a little weird. I can understand sending practical items and such, but who sends clothes to people?¡± Lily kicked a stray pebble as she continued moving forward.


    Tyler nodded, though inwardly he thought that Lily was a little biased. While they weren¡¯t the most expensive gifts Lily would be receiving, Miss Paige¡¯s items were the most used throughout the year. Lily wore the outfits and clothing Miss Paige had sewed constantly. Tyler glanced over, noting her white socks. Those were definitely not school issued. And if she was wearing those, then chances were high that she was wearing a few more of her hand stitched items under her school uniform.


    ¡°I just hope she sends me more socks. The school¡¯s standard issue socks are practically gone after a few months of use.¡±


    ¡°...okay, so the clothes she makes are really nice. And I do like the knee high socks she made for me. But I wish she would branch out in dress styles! All the dresses she made for me so far are practically Farmer-wear!¡±


    Tyler agreed as he thought of Lily in those dresses. ¡°And they all look good on you, Lily. I really like the side button one.¡±


    Lily blushed. ¡°Really? No, regardless, I¡¯m a Mage, not a Farmer! I should be wearing magic robes and the like!¡±


    ¡°Well what about your armor? Is it not fitting?¡±


    ¡°...it does fit. But that¡¯s not the point, Tyler! I want to wear something that looks good on me, and that would define me as a Mage! When I wear the uniform, you can hardly tell what Class I am supposed to be!¡±


    ¡®Probably why she made it look like that. Since when is Miss Paige anything but practical?¡¯


    ¡°So, a gift for Isabella. And for our mentor¡¯s to boot. Unless you already got them something?¡±


    Lily looked over suspiciously. ¡°...I¡¯m starting to think you want help selecting gifts for everyone.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...can you help me, Lily?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I can!¡± Lily laughed happily.


    Tyler chuckled. Lily¡¯s bright smile made his day.


    ---


    ¡°This will be great!¡± Lily whispered quietly to Tyler as they hid behind the door. It wasn¡¯t the best hiding place in the room, but it was the best the two of them could do on such short notice.


    Tyler was unconvinced that this would be a good idea. ¡°Are you sure surprising her is the best idea?¡±


    ¡°Positively. I¡¯ve even gone ahead and told her Protectors about what I am about to do, and they have even checked out presents. We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Lily said.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re sure about this¡­¡±


    ¡°I am! Trust me!¡±


    Tyler was hesitant, but he could already feel the faint vibration of someone walking towards them. Someone was heading towards the door.


    ¡°Fine!¡±


    The door opened slowly as Isabella walked in, her steps laden with exhaustion. Tyler already knew he was going to feel bad in a moment.


    ¡°SURPRISE!¡± Lily shouted over him, his yell of surprise echoing slightly out of time with Lily¡¯s.


    ¡°NOOO! DON¡¯T EAT ME!¡± Isabella shrieked out loud as she dropped to the floor.


    Her wand erupted with a golden light as a thin layer of light fully covered Isabella.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Eh?


    ---


    ¡°- and, and that¡¯s why his he surprises people!¡± Isabella said with a small pout as Lily hugged the girl from behind. Her platinum hair was shaking in time with her sobs, causing Tyler to feel bad about their little surprise.


    Still...¡°Why on earth would anyone tell that story instead of the happier one!?¡± Tyler was confused about that. In fact, everyone was rather confused about Isabella¡¯s initial reaction.


    ¡°To, to teach little kids not to go outside to meet strangers? Because not, not, everyone is nice,¡± Isabella shot an aggrieved look over at her friends.


    Lily shuffled in place. ¡°Well, umm¡­ sorry, Bells. I guess I didn¡¯t know about your family¡¯s tradition. I got you a present though?¡±


    Tyler apologized as well. ¡°We¡¯re really sorry, Isabella. Lily and I just wanted to cheer you up. We, uh, wanted to surprise you with something. It¡¯s how our families celebrate. With jokes and presents. To cheer us up on dreary days like this.¡±


    ¡°I accept your apology,¡± said Isabella.


    ¡°Next time I¡¯ll just ask what is bothering you instead,¡± Lily blushed. ¡°But in the meantime...would you like to see your present?¡±


    They learned a big lesson today. Everyone celebrates traditions differently. And Paige really sent them all more clothes.

 Chapter 59.1

    ¡°Look for a house in the woods, he said. It¡¯ll be easy to find, he said. Tch, this is why you don¡¯t trust Rangers away from their elements,¡± Tyler grumbled absently as he finished parsing through the woods to an open clearing.


    His irritation aside, Tyler was glad that he had found the village, though he expected more. As he walked through the long-abandoned village, he noted that the houses were already in various forms of disrepair as nature strove to recover its original land. He walked carefully around, not touching any of the houses, but rather looking thoughtfully at the ruins. Disrespecting the dead was one thing he did not want to do, especially in a foreign country. He knew that more than one merchant died every year due to that very reason.


    But it was easy to tell that a battle had taken place here, and was a hard one at that. None of the houses were burned down, no, but his keen eye noticed that the damage that was intentionally done. A broken door here, a gate there. A fence panel there. He walked up toa house near the center of the village and sighed.


    ¡®Nick said there were traitors. But can he trust the intel he received?¡¯ Tyler stopped as he stood by a ruined door, the top of the door kicked inward. His eyes narrowed as he noticed marks on the door. It was obvious something had been there, as a door wouldn''t have splintered naturally. Pocketmarks. Thick ones at that. He got down on one knee and peered at the holes. Seeing the deep, thin gouges of the holes told him all he needed to know. The marks were made by arrowheads. Whoever had been shooting had shot a lot of arrows at the house. And they all had really bad aim. The marks were all over the place, with no rhyme or reason to them that Tyler could tell with a glance.


    Running his hand down the door, his eyes narrowed as he ran into jagged pieces of wood. He looked down for any remnants, but he could already tell that the arrows had been pulled out carefully afterward. Whoever cleaned up the battlefield did a remarkable job at it. The wood was too worn to tell if there had been blood, but he would have guessed not. He lightly pushed the door to see the other side. Clean. It hadn¡¯t punctured through the entire door.


    ¡®No Skills from what I could tell, but a lot of arrows were shot.'' Turning around, he glanced upwards for a bowman¡¯s perch. There had to be one inside the village. There were no watchtowers or any semblance of a fence, so an artificial one would be required. ''The high ground is always the best vantage point for someone with a bow.''


    His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of a roofline close to the village center.''That is afortified keep. No other way to describe it.'' Though it looked like a gathering hall of some sort andit could certainly hold a fair amount of people, it was actually larger than he would expect a village this size to have. Even if it was used as a bazaar, the exterior walls were far sturdier than he¡¯d expect for a village, and he could spy iron plates peeking out from the damaged portions of the building. It was built to resist attacks, that much was certain.


    Ty;erstopped and stared at the roof, imagining the angles an archer could get from there.


    ¡®Nick said that there were at least three Rangers here guarding the village. And him, if he were here. Four Rangers then, with a healthy amount of ammo, could account for all of the arrows puncture marks on the buildings. But then what were they aiming at, and why did they miss?¡¯


    Getting up, he lined his sight up with the top of the keep and walked backward, keeping a hand on the walls to track where the arrows had landed. Most were aimed at the chest height, though most of the damage was along the walls of the house and noticeably decreased as he reached doorways.


    ¡®They were aiming at something moving alongside the houses. People must have been leaving the houses, which would account for why there were fewer pockmarks as they got closer to the door. They slowed their fire just in case someone was trying to get out.¡¯


    He stopped moving as he lost sight of the keep, his brows furrowed as he looked around for more clues. Tyler looked around from where he stood.


    ¡®A secondary kill zone. If I was setting it up, I would have another attack location solely to hit the blindspots of the main defensive spot, but would still cover the most ground. Two Rangers at defensive locations and one more to patrol within the kill zone to provide ground-level cover fire would be ideal in a village like this.¡¯


    He paused as he looked toward the ruins of a house, set further back than the rest of the village. That house would have been his first choice. But whoever had been in there had died almost instantly, if the crumpled remains of the house were any indicator.


    ¡®Killed the backup outright. Then the attacker moved steadily forward. Tanked a few dozen arrows at the very least, and then what?¡¯


    Tyler shook his head. A conundrum for sure, but it would be helpful for Nick to know. This wasn¡¯t important to him. All he came to do was find information. ¡®Northwesterly edge of the village, follow an old path to a house in the woods. Old couple would have information.¡¯


    He walked north, passing the ruins of the village. He still took a look into each house, though he stopped himself from walking past the threshold. It wasn¡¯t in his nature to loot the dead, no matter how long ago it was. No bodies, no graves, and no altar were found, even after checking every house he passed. He looked up at the keep as he passed it. He spied no damage to the roof, which meant that the enemy had either bypassed it completely or killed the Ranger from where he was shooting.


    The doors were locked tight but through the damaged wall panels he spied a messy interior; the tables and chairs were thrown about haphazardly. A mess, but no bodies in that one either. And no bloodstains, at least from where he was standing.


    ¡®This is getting creepier and creepier.¡¯


    His nerves were now starting to tingle, an unknown sense of dread urging him to be careful around here. Tyler paused and slowly walked away, heading to the edge of the forest. It was clear that whatever happened here was not pleasant. That much was certain.


    --


    He found Nick¡¯s house after another hour of walking. It wasn¡¯t that the directions were off. Rather, it was Nick¡¯s directions. His house was isolated from the village, even by Tyler¡¯s own standards. If not for a slightly worn path, he would have missed it entirely. The house was in much better condition than the rest of the village, the low stone wall still stood around the courtyard, though a few tree saplings had started to root in the now unkempt yard.


    Tyler paused within sight of the house, but not out of the woods. He bent down and looked for something in the piles of dead leaves. Nick would have trapped his surroundings. He was certain of that much. Tyler had the feeling that Nick would have been an overprotective parent had he been home all the time.


    And then add in the fact that he was a High-Class meant that he would have the expertise and time to install booby-traps.


    Did install. Tyler looked at the remains of a tied rope and looked toward the end, where the weathered crossbow now sat, the wood now overrun with moss and a snapped string. An empty crossbow. Tyler eyed the trap with a keen eye. The crossbow had a clear line of sight along the full length of the rope.


    ¡®Clever, though seeing how they shrugged off arrows in the village, it''s doubtful that the crossbow would have done better.¡¯


    He followed the rope to where it had snapped and moved forward, carefully checking his surroundings as he moved. Whatever had set off the first trap had continued moving toward the house in a straight line, setting off every trap without fail.


    Moving into the clearing, he paused as he bent down, peering at something he hadn''t seen until then. Shards of wood, oddly out place. The remains of an arrow shaft. Pocketing them, he followed a trail of shafts that led toward the side of the house.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    He paused as he spied a piece of cloth caught on the underside of a log. ¡®They tried to escape. Or maybe make a stand. So there was enough of a notice to run. Or maybe they were already prepared.¡¯


    He stopped as he looked around. ¡®This would have been the best place to make a stand, assuming the house and tiny stone wall could funnel an enemy toward it. But the wall is untouched.¡¯


    Tyler stood there, trying his best to glean clues based on what he could see. But whatever transpired here happened too long ago, any traces already worn down by the power of time and nature.


    ¡®Back of the house, tiny, unused game trail.¡¯


    Tyler backed away slowly and adjusted his bag, taking care to keep his sword and shield ready. He could usually tell if there was a Scout nearby, but something about the area unnerved him.


    He left, walking away from the village as he strode into the woods beyond, keeping a careful eye for any long abandoned game trails.


    And for the next several hours, he wandered the woods, searching for a clear path. And he would have missed it entirely had he not been on the lookout for it. A small, dried stream was all that remained, yet as he followed the path it took through the forest, it would have led back to the house. A perfect cover, yet easy enough to overlook if you were not searching for it.


    Tyler warily followed the now dry stream, keeping a close eye out for any monsters. He recognized it now, as he mentally calculated his route. The stream must have been a very tiny offshoot, probably only overflowing during the rainy season, and atypically at that.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t he just tell me it was a stream? Gods, I¡¯ve basically spent all day here only to find some broken arrow shafts.¡±


    He stopped as he heard movement ahead, the ¡®thunk¡¯ of someone chopping firewood echoed from afar.


    ¡°Hello!? Is someone there? I¡¯m a Merchant!¡± Tyler called out ahead, hoping not to scare anyone off. He knew there was supposed to be a house, but an older couple wouldn¡¯t be able to chop wood nearly as consistent as he heard.


    ¡°Halt, this is private land! What could a Merchant possibly be looking for out here?¡± A young man called out warily as the sound of wood chopping stopped echoing in the woods.


    ¡°I¡¯m from ¡®cross the border. I have a Bowyer who¡¯s looking to sell some bows. When I mentioned that, I followed some advice from the border guards, and they sent me to a deserted village. Unhelpful bastards. Can¡¯t a man make an honest living?¡±


    He shouted back, waiting to hear a response. Nick had said that people were prejudiced here about foreign bows. He hoped that would be enough to dispel any doubts about him being there.


    ¡°Come forward thirty paces. I already have an arrow at you. Any funny business and it¡¯ll go straight through you, shield or not.¡±


    Markus doubted that, but he saw no reason to argue with the younger man. Holding his hands up, but with his sword and shield still grasped tight, he walked forward while counting his steps aloud. Trust was the best currency for a merchant, and this was an unusual circumstance to be meeting a merchant.


    He walked out of the woods and into a small clearing in the woods. An older structure sat in the middle. Not so much a hunter¡¯s shack, but more a hunter''s lodge. The two-story structure stood there, massive wood columns tying the corners of the building together. Not many windows on the ground floor, but the top floor was slotted with openings between wooden posts. Intentionally made to let light and smoke filter through the openings.


    All in all, not what he was expecting when Nick said a small house owned by an older couple.


    ¡°Stop there. First, show me the bows.¡± The young man called out warily as he stood there, his hands calloused with hard work. An arrow was notched on his bow, though Tyler could tell he was aiming for his chest.


    Planting his sword in the ground, he moved his hands slowly and opened the top of his bag. Unlatching a carabiner, Tyler slowly withdrew his hand from the bag, the straps holding the bow loosening enough for him to grab one as it fell.


    The man whistled lightly as he saw one of Nick¡¯s rougher made bows, intentionally done so that he would have a reason to visit outlying villages. But even so, it was a fully functional bow, and with varnish and care, the bow would probably be good enough to pass down one day.


    ¡°I have a rather large inventory of bows I was hoping to sell to a village, but¡­¡± Tyler said


    ¡°Ah. Someone told you wrong then. That village¡¯s been abandoned for almost seven years now. May I?¡±


    ¡°Tch, just my luck. Know what happened?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Some cultists got to it. That¡¯s what happened. A shame too, my grandparents had some friends in that village. Broke their hearts so much they left to greener pastures in Alcudia. Too dangerous for them here now, with the cults and all.¡± He tested the pull on the bow and nodded, clearly pleased with the finished product. He handed it back, a little hesitantly. ¡°Good draw, that bow.¡±


    ¡°Tell you what, I¡¯ll trade a bow for two weeks of travel rations. Got anything else you¡¯d like to sell for a little gold? I¡¯m not making any profits on this little trip.¡± Taking his bag off his back, he pulled out his travel papers and Merchant log, the Cidala Merchant Association seal and border stamp clearly visible on the bottom.


    The man visibly relaxed as he saw that Tyler was an actual Merchant. ¡°Yeah, I can do that. I have a few local products that might get you a fair sum abroad. Though I can tell you that your Bowyer fairly decent in his trade.¡±


    ¡°You said your grandparents moved to Alcudia? Want me to pass anything to them on my way back? I¡¯ll have to pass through the eastern part of the country to get back to Cidala.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but it¡¯ll be tough to find them. Barely sent my mom a letter saying that they were moving. Scared my mom half to death, but the border patrol did confirm they passed through, and the signature matched, so it must be true.¡±


    Tyler nodded, though he knew there were ways to fake that if someone really tried. ¡°Sure, just give me a name and I¡¯ll see if a tax assessor can find their location.¡±


    Tyler sighed as he passed back into Alcudia, carrying less than what he started with. Nick would be furious that he traded the bow for so low, but the intel he got was worth it in Tyler¡¯s opinion. He wasn¡¯t able to check the border patrols record, not without a valid reason that couldn¡¯t be traced back to him, but he took it on good faith that the man wasn¡¯t lying.


    Well, good faith and decades of serving as the Royal Guard Captain.


    Still, he was glad to be back in his native country. There was just a tad too many trees in Leit for his liking.


    Walking to the closest border town, Tyler sighed as he sat down in an old tavern, the smell pleasant enough to whet his appetite, yet big enough to have a stable and an empty room available. He was glad that some things hadn¡¯t changed. It would be too hard for a merchant to get reliable pack horses otherwise if the government hadn¡¯t made cornered the market.


    He settled down and thought about what he had noticed as he came to the town. It hadn¡¯t taken him long to realize that the townsfolk he had passed was nervous.


    Not towards him, no. But about something. Something he hadn¡¯t heard yet.


    ¡°Hungry?¡± An older woman asked him as she passed, cleaning the tables one by one with a dirty rag. He mentally made a note not to clean his own utensils.


    ¡°Yes. Is the innkeeper in?¡±


    ¡°Yea. He¡¯s making food right now. What¡¯dya want?¡±


    ¡°Whatever¡¯s available. I want to talk to him as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Got beef with him? He doesn¡¯t need another merchant selling him stuff either,¡± she grumbled angrily.


    ¡°No, just had a question to ask him, that¡¯s all. About the local market. He¡¯ll understand.¡± Tyler spoke carefully and slid three silver coins over discreetly. Tyler hoped a few coins would ease the conversation.


    The old woman looked at the silver coins and grumbled under her breath, Tyler flushing a little as she called him a cheapskate. Sure, three silver coins weren¡¯t much, but he wasn¡¯t asking for much, to begin with either. Tyler sighed and pulled out two gold coins, hiding it under the dirty rag the old woman had placed on his table.


    ¡°Better. He¡¯ll be out in a moment,¡± she said as she pocketed the silver and grabbed her dirty towel, sweeping the gold underneath straight into her apron pockets.


    ¡°Bob! Ya got a customer here. Get out here!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push me, woman! If my parents didn¡¯t like you, I¡¯d-¡±


    ¡°Doubt it. If I wasn¡¯t here, you¡¯d be swamped in work.¡±


    ¡°I-¡±


    Tyler waited until the worst of the argument passed before coughing politely. The tavern was deserted now since no one liked to listen to an argument drunk. ¡°I need news updates. What¡¯s happened within the last three weeks?¡±


    Tyler noticed the woman and man exchange glances, the woman pouring a pitcher of water for him from a dirty cup. Tyler picked it up and waited.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking ab-.¡±


    ¡°May Alcudia¡¯s light shine bright in the darkness. The country needs you,¡± Tyler interrupted. He hoped that the passcodes hadn¡¯t changed any in the last seven years. No real reason to, unless there was a security breach or something that warranted updating an entire network of people.


    And reality proved he was right. As soon as he said that, the innkeeper paused and shot a look at the old woman, who ducked into the back rooms.


    ¡°May it shine in the darkness. What does the Queen require from us, sir?¡±


    It was good to see that the Queen still had support. ¡°Information. Local, rumors, and citizen reactions to news. Standard rate.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes lit up, though it dimmed just as fast. ¡°I have nothing worth the standard rate. Everyone¡¯s jittery, sir. With the beginning of the war and all.¡±


    Tyler paused. ¡°The war?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The war with Trent¡¯s been restarted. Conscription notices are starting to appear too. No one wants to fight a losing battle, after all.¡±

 Chapter 60

    ¡°You need to decide soon. The situation here is...not ideal, in light of recent developments.¡±


    Isabella sat still and bowed her head, not daring to look at the Protector in front of her. She sat alone in the classroom; Lily, and Tyler, were noticeably absent from this discussion between the two of them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already outlined the options for you. Go and seek counsel from your family, but do let them know they will be watched. I don¡¯t quite know what your family was planning to do with all those supplies, but know that you will not be staying here for much longer, even if your family wishes it.¡±


    She didn¡¯t need to look to see that the old man was mad. Very mad. In fact, it¡¯s the maddest she¡¯d ever seen him since he had arrived.


    The three of them still hadn¡¯t found out his name, but he had to be important. Or not, judging by how much free time he had. Personally, Isabella thought that he¡¯d been rather content at watching their Party go on adventures for the last year and a half. Sure, there were a few...minor setbacks and mistakes, but overall Isabella thought they were doing a fantastic job!


    Isabella knew enough by now to know how special an Apprentice Cleric was, especially for a Party. And why there were so many Protectors around to guard each Cleric.


    She could still see Lily¡¯s scowl in her mind when they had first left to go on their class assignment. Every other Party had one or two teachers shadowing the class to make sure they stayed safe, yet had enough autonomy to learn the ropes by themselves.


    No, they had a full squadron shadowing them, along with four Protectors within a few steps of Isabella at all times. It was not how Lily had expected the assignment to go. Even with Lily and Tyler¡¯s superb skills at evading the squadron¡¯s notice, they had failed to hide from the Protectors.


    But that was all irrelevant now that the war had come back to the country.


    War. Isabella shuddered when she thought about that. The stories of the blood sacrifices had already started spreading, and she had overheard her aunt talking about it actually happening around the country.


    The Protector noticed her shudder and mistook the reason. ¡°Now, you¡¯ll be safe. The Imperial Healer Hall can guarantee that. Your family too. But the question is where do you want to go. Alduit Academy is a good choice, and I know the mage wanted to go there; but, the Imperial Healer Hall has everything and more for a Cleric to hone their trade.¡±


    Isabella bit her lip. A Cleric. But not a Mage, and certainly not a Vanguard. Sure, Tyler was learning how to defend better, and they did give practical lessons to Lily. But there was a limit on what they could teach, and she was sure they were rapidly getting close to that point.


    ¡°I, I¡¯ll think about it. But I want to be with Lily and Tyler. I want to follow them,¡± Isabella said. Her mother had told her it was important to lay down a line and stick to it. And that was her minimum requirement. She wanted to stay in the same party as them.


    ¡°If they want to go to Alduit Academy, they¡¯ll need to find another member. Do they have one in mind? Someone that is just as monstrous as they are?¡±


    That was the most praise Isabella had ever heard from the old man¡¯s mouth. He really did have high expectations for their future.


    ¡°Mhmm. Their mentors had another person they were teaching, it¡¯s just that he was younger than them. They went back home to see if they could get him in their Party since he should be getting ready to go to school as well.¡±


    "A boy? And he¡¯s your age?¡± The man frowned in thought.


    ¡°Mhmm. A childhood friend, apparently. Lily and Tyler don¡¯t really talk much about him though.¡±


    ¡°And the boy is being taught by their mentors? For the past several years, no less?¡±


    ¡°...is that important?¡± Isabella frowned in thought. He was acting weird right now. Usually, he didn¡¯t talk much if it had no relevance to Isabella herself. But it was clear that he was really interested in the boy now.


    The old man looked out the window, some unknown emotion flickering from his eyes ¡°...I¡¯ll go ahead and contact the Healer Hall over at Alduit Academy. Looks like you¡¯ll be headed that way.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Isabella stood up. ¡°You mean it!¡±


    ¡°Shoo, shoo. Go and tell your family the news.¡±


    Isabella stood up and practically ran to the door, though she did stop and bowed heavily toward her stalwart protector.


    ¡°Thank you, for everything.¡±


    Watching the young girl leave, Glenn looked toward the southwest, where he had felt that magic burst a few days prior. The mana wave had shocked him when he had felt it, but now that the war had started, he had very little time to investigate personally. Better to wait for the news from Queen Rebecca or the Scion, though he knew that the mysterious party there would soon have to act if they haven''t started already.


    They were training a child. That was enough verification by itself that they were aiming for Alduit Academy. Now he had a bigger question to answer.


    Who was the boy, and why was he so important?


    ---


    ¡°Aunt! Aunt! I have something great to tell you!¡±


    Isabella ran out the gates of the school to the Library, barely waiting for her Aunt Luna to deactivate the wards. The words could hardly stay in her mouth, she was so excited!


    ¡°The old man said that we were going to Alduit Academy! Isn¡¯t that great news! I don¡¯t have to split up my party anymore!¡±


    Isabella joyfully laughed, her laughter echoing endlessly against the library¡¯s wall. Staying with her Party was the only thing she wanted now. The last few years were happy because she was in a Party. She had friends, companions, adventures because of Lily¡¯s relentless attitude toward the matter.


    In short, it was her dream come true. A dream which almost shattered because of the war.


    ¡°That¡¯s great news, Isabella. I¡¯m sure your mom will be happy to hear that,¡± her aunt grumbled.


    Isabella''s laughter stopped short. ¡°You still haven¡¯t gotten a replacement?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet. The queen is still looking. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s keen on us leaving the country.¡±


    ¡°But Alduit Academy is barely a few miles outside of Alcudia! We wouldn¡¯t be too far away at that point!¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it is also out of her sole control. Alduit Academy was created as a trial ground for all of the western border countries. So, even though she funded a quarter of it, Leit and Appealte contributions mean that her control over there is limited as well. Everything is based on a collective agreement.¡± Her aunt frowned and looked at Isabella. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Eventually. Even Trent¡¯s armies can¡¯t penetrate all the way here within a year. It just means that I¡¯ll have to come at a later date instead.¡±


    Isabella fidgeted. Her mother would not be happy to hear that. Still, there might be something that she could do instead.


    ¡°Aunt Luna, what if I go talk to the queen? She likes me, I think?¡±


    ¡°Out of the question. You know we don¡¯t like you around the queen all by yourself.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s really nice though! Lily says she¡¯s as nice as her mentor, and you know Lily is really...opinionated.¡±


    ¡°Tch, she¡¯s probably still holding a grudge against us. Silly girl, she has to grow up eventually.¡± Luna grumbled.


    ¡°Aunt, you used a really bad Skill on her and Tyler! Of course she¡¯s going to hold a grudge. I¡¯m lucky that they don¡¯t hold it against me!¡±


    Isabella frowned as she remembered the description Lily had used. Happiness and contentment. Nothing was wrong at the moment, just happy to be around the other person and be noticed.


    A good friend.


    Luckily, Isabella never had to worry about her parents using it on her, nor did she have any desire to learn that particular Skill from her parents even if they were willing to teach it. It just seemed the wrong way to go about it, making friends for just a moment. And her family wasn¡¯t very open about why they would even have a Skill like that.


    ¡°Umm, is my mother at home?¡± Isabella asked quickly before her aunt could say something mean about her friends.


    ¡°She¡¯s at her shop. Get Stella to take you over there. Or Uncle Bishner. Though, no one should bother you on the way there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Aunt Luna. I¡¯ll head over to them. I¡¯ll tell them you said hi!¡±


    Waving happily goodbye, Isabella¡¯s smile faded fast as soon as the doors closed. She kicked a pebble lying close by, watching as it bounced across the paved cobblestones. Her aunt was stuck in the town still. Until she could get a replacement from the Queen.


    ¡°...she wouldn¡¯t say no. Right?¡±


    ---


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but she isn¡¯t quite free at the moment. She has some very important things to discuss right now.¡± The queen¡¯s personal guard, a woman fitted entirely in dark clothing, stopped Isabella from entering the temporary courthouse.


    ¡°But, but she said that I could come at any time! And Lily said that I had to tell the Queen something important.¡± Isabella fidgeted nervously.


    There was a fine line to dealing with the Queen¡¯s guard and her family¡¯s wariness to anyone in power, Isabella realized early on. Or rather, Lily noticed early on. Since Isabella¡¯s family didn¡¯t want her to meet the queen by herself, Lily would drag Isabella and Tyler, along instead. Isabella wasn¡¯t keen on exploiting her relationship with the Queen, but Lily insisted that they meet up at least every month or so, if not for herself than for Lily¡¯s family. Lily¡¯s father pushed everything to Lily to deal with, in anticipation of her taking control of the family business after her adventuring days were over. And that meant updating the Royal Family on the state of the nation¡¯s crops, any surpluses, news, - basically, anything that could jeopardize the crops had to be relayed.


    The guard frowned as she watched Isabella fidget. ¡°You usually don¡¯t lie. What¡¯s wrong, little girl?¡±


    ¡°Miss Haille, I really want to talk to the Queen. Will she have time soon?¡± Isabella asked quietly, trying hard to look pathetic. Lily said she had a good act if she tried really hard.


    Unfortunately, the guard knew that too. ¡°Stop giving me that face. Give me one good reason why.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°My aunt will be here soon otherwise, and then it¡¯ll be too late.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°Aunt Shavie.¡±


    ¡°Shi-, ugh, I hate dealing with her. Too slippery trying to follow her.¡± Guardswoman Haille coughed but smiled.


    Isabella knew how she really felt about her Aunt Shavie. For all her quirks, Haille really liked having a good challenge, and Shavie was one of the few things she looked forward to whenever Isabella visited.


    ¡°Please, I should only have about thirty more seconds before she arrives!¡± Isabella said anxiously.


    Somehow, Shavie had a knack at finding her wherever she was not supposed to be. And she was not supposed to be talking to the queen alone. Luckily, Isabella timed her so that she knew how much time she had before she got caught.


    ¡°You should time her again then. She¡¯s already behind you.¡±


    ¡°Wher-¡± Isabella turned nervously and meekly faced her Aunt Shavie, who was watching her with a frown.


    Haille chuckled under her breath. ¡°Quite mean of you to intentionally slow down. What kind of lesson are you trying to teach her by doing that?¡±


    ¡°The lesson where she gets her butt handed to her.¡±


    Isabella shuddered. As much as her aunt loved her, her idea of punishment was a lot more physical than her mother¡¯s.


    Luckily the guardswoman interceded for her. ¡°The Queen would like to talk, actually. To both of you. She was waiting for you to come along as well.¡±


    Shavie blinked, though her mouth turned into a small pout. ¡°Hmm, pray tell, why would she want to meet me of all people?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a weird Skill. And you¡¯re more reasonable of the three.¡±


    That got a chuckle out of Shavie. Isabella started to dawn her pitiful face but got nowhere as Shavie¡¯s glare stopped her cold.


    ¡°...Please, Aunt? The Queen is really nice, and I won¡¯t be alone if you¡¯re there as well.¡± Isabella panicked. But knowing full well she was going to get punished anyway, she tried a different tact. ¡°It has to do with Aunt Luna. Please~?¡±


    Shavie sighed. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go and meet the queen.¡±


    Isabella beamed happily, though less happily once Shavie put her arms around her. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten good at your pity face. I¡¯ll have a word with Lily about that, you know.¡±


    Eyeing the guard, Shavie and Isabella walked into the building, her aunt¡¯s tight grip betraying how at ease she was feeling.


    The keep turned dormitory turned courthouse was a very large building, in no part because the Queen had renovated it as her permanent residence for the time being.


    ¡°You okay, Aunt Shavie?¡± Isabella asked.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, though her aunt¡¯s eyes darted to the windows and closed doors as they walked deeper into the building.


    ¡°She¡¯s a nice person. The Queen, I mean. She just looks really strict. Sort of like you, Aunt Shavie.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And how am I like the Queen?¡±


    ¡°Well, okay, you¡¯re really not anything alike, but you both care about me, so that makes her like you in some way,¡± Isabella nervously replied.


    ¡°To your left, girl.¡±


    Hallie directed her from behind, her hand never quite leaving the butt of her staff. She pointed to the door and whispered quietly to both of them.


    ¡°She¡¯s having a war conference right now. Apparently, the Healer Hall is sparing no expense in helping the Queen, even pulling out some of their own artifacts to help out.¡±


    Holding her finger to her mouth, she knocked thrice and opened the door slowly, poking her staff partway through and easing the door open slowly. Frantic yelling could be heard inside the room, but Isabella focused on the calm, steady voice that was issuing orders.


    ¡°No, I want the Third battalion stationed at the secondary defensive castle. How is the first defensive castle holding up?... I hereby overrule Prince Daniel¡¯s previous command. Send the second battalion to Andria Point. They can hold off a larger force from there.¡±


    Isabella peered inside and marveled at the sight. The Queen stood there, peering above a table while talking calmly. But what was more surprising to Isabella was the orbs floating overhead. Voices could be heard from the orb, and as she looked about the room, Isabella saw the Protectors standing about the room, watching. Evaluating.


    She wilted a little under their collective gaze. She hadn¡¯t expected them to be here. It almost felt like she was betraying their trusts, though she knew better than to think that.


    She looked over to Haille, confusion in her eyes.


    ¡°They¡¯re letting the Queen borrow their communication tools. Ugh, what I would give to have something like that!¡±


    Haille eyes were filled with greed, though even she wilted a bit when the Protectors stared at her. Even Shavie herself noted them for later. Those tools were far more advanced than what the Senate back in Trent had. Long-distance birds were the main means of communication for a reason.


    ¡°How come the Alcudian Royal Family doesn¡¯t have anything like that? It seems weird that they wouldn¡¯t have a long-distance communicator?¡±


    ¡°Apparently it¡¯s rare. Even the Imperial Family has only a few in their possession. At least, that what the Queen was told. They have a few dozen protectors watching over each orb. They¡¯re supposed to retreat if the enemies get within a days march of their location though, to prevent them from being stolen or destroyed.¡±


    Isabella watched as the Queen issued, order after order. She had rarely seen adults so focused on their tasks. It was a far different queen that stood before her. She wasn¡¯t just a centerpiece or a pretty doll on display. No, the Queen now commanded obedience, her sole focus on protecting her country.


    Isabella knew that her first impression of the Queen was rather bad and under bad circumstances. But since they had been meeting regularly the last couple of years, Isabella¡¯s impression of Queen Rebecca had changed for the better. The Queen looked happier these last few years, and more driven as well. Something had changed after the trial, and though no one mentioned anything, it was apparent that Lily¡¯s mentor had helped the Queen somehow. Her reputation was on the rise, that much was obvious to Isabella.


    The Queen took a glance and smiled wearily at Isabella. She beckoned her forward with a small wave. Isabella hesitated but moved forward to look at the map on the table. No, it wasn¡¯t just a map. It had pieces on the board as well, with little flags dotting the landscape. Blue pendant flags were marked with numbers, while the red flags were marked with symbols instead.


    It was confusing to look at, though she vaguely understood what she was looking at. It was the western border of the country. Long, jagged lines cut through the map. Those had to be the defensive lines if Isabella was remembering her lessons in geography correctly.


    Her aunt moved beside her, her face passive as she stared down at the flags.


    Isabella watched as the Queen moved pieces as she talked, her words following as she moved pieces one by one. ¡°General Theodore, move the Fifth and Ninth Battalions over to Supply Depot Number Seven. Proceed to the fourth defensive castle, and move directly over to Coffer Bluff. Move the Seventh Battalion over to Firestone Mountain, and head toward the Lower Plains.¡±


    Queen Rebecca moved the pieces as she talked, and Isabella watched in horror as Shavie picked up a red flag and moved it forward and around the first defensive line, completely bypassing the Queen¡¯s own flag.


    ¡°Belay that last order. Move the Seventh Battalion toward the Lower Valley and block the entrance to the Lower Plains. Assist the first defensive line castle and await further instructions. Scion Maxwell; General Williams; Second Prince Daniel; you may have the floor.¡±


    The Queen flicked a small golden orb and the other orbs pulsed in time and stopped glowing. She looked over at Shavie, who looked over the board lazily.


    ¡°Any reason for that?¡±


    ¡°It looked open. Of course their commander would move past a stationary target. Only a fool would sit back and waste lives to destroy castles.¡± Shavie shrugged.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Trent¡¯s armies didn¡¯t seem that opposed to doing that the first time around. Though, I guess you may have a point. Only time will tell how they will react this time.¡±


    Isabella looked over in awe at her aunt.


    ¡°Wipe that look away, Isabella. I know I give good ideas.¡±


    Rebecca sat down on the couch while the Protectors packed up the orb and left. Shavie watched them go with a curious frown, one that the Queen noticed.


    ¡°It has to be recharged every so often with Light Mana. I guess the artifact is attuned to it somehow, though the specifics elude me. So tell me, Isabella. What can I help you with today?¡±


    ¡°Umm, Lily says hi. And that the harvest has been exceptional this last year. So there will be plenty of rations.¡±


    ¡°I saw her weekly report. But that¡¯s not why you came here,¡± Rebecca politely stated while she drank her tea with a content sigh.


    Isabella faltered slightly. Did Lily send weekly reports, in addition, to verbally updating the queen? No, that wasn¡¯t important to dwell on right now.


    ¡°I, uh, wanted to ask about my Aunt Luna¡¯s replacement. Had another Librarian been found?¡±


    ¡°Oh? What brought that on?¡±


    Queen Rebecca, Haille, and Shavie looked over at Isabella.


    ¡°I, uh, was talking with the Old Man Protector and he said that we were going to be going to Alduit Academy shortly. As soon as Lily and Tyler got back, that is.¡±


    The queen¡¯s hand stilled as she lifted it, her teacup still in the air. ¡°Oh. Did something change?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm. They were going to talk to their families and their mentors about what they should do, but the old man says we will most likely be going there.¡±


    ¡°You have another party member? That was what was setting your Party back thus far. Lily and Tyler have more than enough clout to get in on talent alone. You too, of course. So, who did Miss Lily choose?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Their childhood friend, I think?¡±


    The queen placed her teacup down, a slight frown on her face as she thought of something unknown.


    ¡°Miranda, come here for a second,¡± Rebecca called out to a side room that Isabella hadn¡¯t seen in her brief look around the room. The room extended far more than she had previously thought as another girl walked from behind a far sidewall.


    Isabella watched as the older girl walked up, her face set positively, though she walked with a slight gait, most likely from an unhealed injury. Her brown hair and blue eyes were alight with joy.


    And she looked familiar. Really familiar, though Isabella failed to piece together where she had seen her before.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am. Royal Scout Miranda, reporting for duty.¡±


    Isabella was shocked. The young woman couldn¡¯t have been much older than her mom, and she was already a Scout!


    ¡°Miranda, your report mentioned a young boy. How would he fare against young Tyler? Is he good enough to get into Alduit Academy?¡±


    Isabella turned to Miranda, confusion on her face. Though she saw from the corner of her eyes that her aunt narrowed her eyes slightly.


    ¡°He would. He slew an enemy Scout and rescued the prisoners while the Party at large fought to protect us. Both the Warrior and the Ranger fought against the other Scouts to make sure the coast was clear, while the Mage fought the corrupted beast. Without him present, I am sure that Trent¡¯s Scouts would have sacrificed more people to placate the monster¡¯s thirst.¡±


    Sacrificed? Isabella¡¯s sharp gasp of horror was apparent in the quiet room.


    Rebecca looked over at the girl with concern. ¡°There have been reports of the blood sacrifices starting up again, though it seems to be pretty isolated, all things considering. A small blessing thus far, morale would be a bigger issue if that continues to gain traction again.¡±


    Her aunt was dead set on a different piece of information though.


    ¡°...a boy killed a Scout?¡± Shavie asked.


    Miranda looked over and nodded.


    ¡°Mhmm. Sneak attack, but it still killed him. The Scout was hiding in the branches and he got a lucky strike in.¡±


    ¡°Well, if that is true, Miranda, then I can tell you some good news, Isabella.


    ¡°I do indeed have someone in mind. Lily¡¯s mother is quite capable of taking on that role, should she be willing to move here.¡±


    Rebecca stood up and looked out the window to the plains below. ¡°I am getting a banquet set up for when they arrive back. Everyone will be there so that we can discuss your party going to Alduit Academy. Their childhood friend will be there too, though I am not sure if his family will be coming as well.¡±


    ¡°What is the boy¡¯s name?¡± Shavie asked suddenly. ¡°So that Isabella won¡¯t have to ask.¡±


    ¡°Markus. The boy¡¯s name was Markus.¡±


    ¡°Hm, keep that in mind, Isabella. First impressions are important. Is there anything else you would like to add, Isabella? We¡¯ve taken up a lot of the Queen¡¯s time already.¡±


    Shavie stood up, clearly intent on leaving soon. It was true that Isabella had nothing more to say, but she felt bad taking up the Queen¡¯s time to ask a question and leave without doing anything in return. She pointed over to Miranda, who stared blankly back at her.


    ¡°Umm, that was all. Your majesty, can I heal Miranda? I¡¯m pretty sure I can heal her wound.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your offer. Your thoughts, Miranda? Are you okay with Apprentice Cleric Isabella healing your wounds.¡±


    Miranda smiled gratefully back. ¡°Thank you for the offer. If you don¡¯t mind, we can go to the back and heal, so that the Queen can restart her war conference? They should be arriving back with the communication stones soon.¡±


    Isabella turned to her aunt, who let out a breath exasperatedly. The Queen politely coughed and pointed to the table.


    ¡°Go on. Miss Shavie, if you wouldn¡¯t mind. Could you give me some insights on what the opponent might do next? It¡¯s hard to plan things out by oneself, after all.¡±


    Shavie eyed the board and Isabella and rolled her eyes. Begrudgingly, she nodded her head.


    ¡°Isabella, hurry up. We need to go home soon. Your mother is probably freaking out by now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Aunt,¡± Isabella replied.


    Walking back toward the far room, Isabella couldn¡¯t help herself as she got ready to heal the young woman.


    ¡°Miranda¡¯s not your real name, is it?¡± Isabella asked suspiciously as the woman rolled up her pant leg. A nasty scar wound was around her ankles, as though they were tied tight and bit into her flesh.


    ¡°Of course it is. Why do you ask?¡± Miranda smiled mysteriously.


    Isabella had the feeling that it wasn¡¯t, but she couldn¡¯t place why.


    The girl laughed as she watched Isabella face change. ¡°I have a few names. It¡¯s practically required for a Scout to have a few identities. Care to guess my other spy name?¡±


    ¡°Maggie?¡±


    Miranda blinked. ¡°Good guess, but wrong. What made you choose that name?¡±


    Isabella pointed to something behind the girl. ¡°Your apron says ¡®Maggie¡¯ on it.¡±


    Maggie smiled. ¡°So it does. So it does...¡±

 Chapter 61

    ¡°Welcome back, Lily!¡±


    Paige watched with a grin as Zenith rushed over to Lily. She was growing up, that much was apparent. Gone was the slightly shorter girl who was willing to roll in the dirt and go on adventures. Most likely anyway.Now as Paige looked on, she could tell that Lily stood confidently, her proud demeanor evident to any who looked. Lily was still slightly shorter than Zenith, but she was havinga growth spurt and was probably going to catch up pretty soon.


    And Lily looked adorablein her mage uniform, the solid hunter green that the school had chosen for theclasscomplimented her hair and staff quite well. Paige''s smile deepened as she noticed another fact. Lilyhadn¡¯t forgotten the lessons she had taught her. While Lily was wearing her school mage uniform, it was cinched with a leather belt and pack that was easily accessible from the side. An adventurer¡¯s pack. And Paige could spy the thin, leather armor underneath her mage robes. While it hid any growing curves that Lily might have shown otherwise, Paige was glad that the girl chose security over vanity. At her stage of development, any level of protection was necessary.


    Now that she was done inspecting Zenith''s pride and joy,sheturned to look at little Tyler, who was being sized up by Tyler himself. Who, if Paige was reading his actions correctly, approved ofthe training he had been receiving. Gone was the lanky boy who could barely hold up a wooden tower shield. In its place was a well built young man, his body toned from exercise.


    And he too hadn¡¯t forgotten his lessons. She could spy a metal tower shield on his back, made in a similar style that she had created for him four years ago. Iron, most likely. He had elected to wear his leather armor over his uniform, and she spied an adventurer''s pack on his side as well. But she spied that his weapon was different now. Instead of a simple one-handed sword, she spied what appeared to be a sword breaker dagger instead. An odd choice for asecondary weapon, but his shield had enough mass that it probably struck like an ax.


    ¡®That¡¯s good. He¡¯s learning what he is proficient at, and what his weaknesses are.¡¯


    Paige smiled. She felt glad about his choice. He was no longer blindly following her advice but instead picking out what most suited his needs at the moment. That was a big improvement to any close combat battle class.


    Younger Tyler noticed her stare and politely ended his conversation with Tyler. Paige wryly grinned to herself. He was more polite than she had ever been at his age.


    ¡°Mentor,¡± Tyler politely nodded, though she noted that one hand stayed firmly grasped to his dagger pommel.


    Paige could tell Tyler wanted her approval, though an errant thought struck her. ¡°Well, look at you! Practically a grown-up already! And you¡¯re just as tall as I am!¡±


    ¡°I am growing up, Miss Paige.¡±


    ¡°Hoo, still doing your exercises as well, I see. I¡¯m glad that you haven¡¯t forgotten to keep practicing the basics. Most Apprentices forget that the simplest-¡±


    ¡°-simplest motions can save your life. I remember. I did have to upgrade my shield though.¡± Tyler smiled wryly and tapped his shield with his finger.


    Paige started slightly as she heard a slight, dull echo sound from the shield as he tapped it with his leather gloves.


    That wasn¡¯t normal. Paige¡¯s eyes homed in on the shield. The tower shield was practically made for someone his size. No, custom made for his size. And it wasn¡¯t plain crude iron either. Steel. Expensive, for a shield that size. Not to mention...


    ¡°Good shield.Emilia chose well.¡±


    Paige nodded as she finished appraising it. Kate wouldn¡¯t be able to buy that herself, even if she pulled some strings and got a loan from the Merchant Association. Military-grade shields were hard to get customized. Thus, Emily had to have gotten it. Paige smiled happily to herself. The harvest must have been really abundant for her to get her hands on a shield like that.


    ¡°It was a gift, Miss Paige, but it wasn¡¯t from Mrs. Thompson.¡±


    Paige paused. If not her, then it could only be from a few other options. Though one was far more likely than another. ¡°...Hm. Then either the Healer Hall or Royal Family was very generous then. That must have cost a fortune.¡±


    She didn''t bother waiting for a response and startedwalking around Tyler, inspecting his leather armor. He stood still and raised his arms loosely, knowing what his mentor was looking for.


    It was no surprise that they hadn''t trade out his leather armor. She knew that beside plate armor, Tyler''s armor was practically the best option for him, especially if they had inspected what she had done to it. The bindings were getting a little worn from use, though not to the point of having to restitch the whole thing. But his greaves would have to be resized, as they were starting to become disproportionate to his legs and arms. At least that would be an easy fix.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t change out your armor though. It took forever for me to make the bindings adjustable.¡±


    "Everyone said it was good armor. And I''m not strong enough to wear plate mail every moment of the day."


    "Hm. True."


    She walked forward and held his arms aloft.Hereyes narrowed as she started inspecting the leather greaves in earnest.Paigecould tell from the worn leather by his elbows and forearm that Tyler was bracing himself correctly behind his shield, which was to be expected. But what she hadn¡¯t expected was the leather by his knees were getting worn down too.


    ¡®Is he kneeling to brace himself against attacks?¡¯


    Paige paused and knelt to get a closer look at the damage. The scratches were all running in the same direction, parallel to his leg. Not a good sign for a defender.


    ¡®He¡¯s getting pushed back. Armor is scrapingagainstthe ground, though he is staying in form. Hmm, is it because his opponents are taller or stronger? Or both?¡¯


    He was kneeling to brace his body from getting knocked down. It wasn''t an ideal way to block, but it was better than getting sprawled out on the ground after an attack.


    ''Maybe I should teach him some advanced parry moves. They probably haven''t taught him that much yet. Or maybe it would be better to -''


    Tyler coughed lightly, attracting her attention. She blinked as she noticed that everyone was looking at her.


    ¡°Ahem. Sorry, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Lily asked where Markus is,¡± Zenith said.


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ around,¡± Paige said cryptically with a smile on her face. A test. Her idea of a warm welcome was a practical test. Now, how she got Markus on board with the test was a totally separate question.


    Tyler paused as he heard that and unstrapped his shield from his back, his dagger already unsheathed and pointed outward; while Lily moved toward Tyler erratically as she surveyed the area around her.


    Lily looked back at her mentor, who resignedly sighed and pushed her toward Tyler, indicating that Paige wasn¡¯t joking. She nodded, and ran toward Tyler, stopping once she had her back on Tyler¡¯s.


    Paige eyed the two young kids, noting their movements. The long separation hadn¡¯t dulled their senses in that regard. And they were a lot more comfortable with the actions as well, which meant a few different things. On one hand, the practical courses must have gone well; on the other hand, their relationship must still be solid. Childhood relationships could change once puberty hit, and she was glad that the feelings hadn¡¯t changed. Or maybe they had. It had been so long ago for her.


    ¡°Umm, what is the scenario, Mentor?¡±


    ¡°Farmer. I¡¯m just a Farmer who is well known in the area as the only location with a roof for the next five hours. Take a guess what the scenario is, rich adventurers who hadn¡¯t bothered to mask their travel path.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. You owe me lunch, Lily. I told you Miss Paige would do this,¡± Tyler whispered quietly.


    Paige tched. She didn¡¯t do it every time. It got too predictable after the fourth time.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°How was I supposed to know she was in charge of classes today? Mentor always gave us advanced warning!¡± Lily said as her eyes darted to the shadows.


    ¡®Now that is interesting.¡¯ Paige¡¯s eyes narrowed.¡®That is highly unusual. The safer bet would be to keep an eye on the buildings and forest, yet Lily had disregarded that entirely.¡¯


    She watched Lily¡¯s eyes, tracking the girl¡¯s line of sight rapidly. ¡®Lily is watching the shadows.¡¯


    Paige frown only deepened when she noticed that Tyler was paying attention to the shadows as well. ¡®...Anti-Scout measures? At their age? Why in the world would they learn that of all things? They¡¯re supposed to be learning how to fight monsters, not people.¡¯


    Her mind spun fast, thinking of how that was possible. There was really only one answer she could come up with. ¡®The Protectors. It has to be them. But why would they have to teach that?¡¯


    She wasn¡¯t the only one that noticed their actions. Nick and Tyler both frowned, while Zenith arched an eyebrow as Lily released a stream of mana at the surrounding shadows. Their actions were not what an Apprentice should be doing. Even specialized classes were unlikely to be learning mid-tier measures like that.


    ¡®Damn, that¡¯s going to be a problem for Markus.¡¯


    Paige knew that their whole strategy was dependent on being able to hide in the shadows to catch the two of them by surprise. And the last few days Paige had made sure to practice extensively with Markus so that he could show his two friends what he had learned.


    ¡®Well, if Markus can¡¯t find the right opportunity¡­ I¡¯ll make one for him.¡¯


    Paige walked up to the kids, who watched her warily.


    ¡°Hey, travelers. Now, I usually don¡¯t worry about strangers barging in with weapons drawn, but I do ask that you sheathe them while you¡¯re on my property. No sense in scaring my family because you had a hard day of travels.¡±


    Lily paused and bit her lip. ¡°Umm, pardon us, Miss Farmer. We were just being careful. Would you mind if we keep our weapons in hand?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Paige said abruptly. ¡°Either sheathe your weapons or don¡¯t come near the settlement.¡±


    She could tell that Lily and Tyler were hesitating. Her face must have told Lily that she did something wrong since her tone became humbler at once.


    ¡°Well,¡± Lily started, ¡°It¡¯s been rather dangerous on the road lately. We¡¯ve heard that there have been reports of dark type monsters on the road.¡±


    ¡°Shadow wolves,¡± Tyler supplied under his breath.


    ¡°Yeah, shadow wolves. They¡¯re rather dangerous monsters that like to hide in unexpected places. We¡¯re just checking the surroundings to make sure that everything is okay. No need to thank us, Miss Farmer.¡±


    Paige was bemused. Lily needed to work on her delivery. That was not reassuring or humble in the slightest. Had she said that to an actual Farmer or Innkeeper, she¡¯d be lucky if her Party was allowed to sleep in the stables, much less the inn.


    Her face must have given something away, as Lily took on a humbler tone.


    ¡°If you would like, my Party and I could go out and check the surrounding forest to ensure that no monsters have passed by. My Party has a guild ranking in the low forties, so we are certified to eradicate any monster nests in the area. Do you have a specific request that we could fulfill?¡±


    Paige locked eyes with Lily, but she could see Zenith¡¯s head bobbing from the corner of her eyes. The key was having a real reason to have weapons out. Even keeping Lily¡¯s attention didn¡¯t help Markus though, since Tyler was still on the lookout.


    Fine. If Tyler and Lily were already on edge, then the only thing she could do is lessen the distance. ¡°¡­That¡¯s mighty nice of you to offer. How about we talk about it inside then? The cost to sleep in the stables is one silver. The inn, three. Payment upfront.¡±


    She stuck out her hand, demanding payment upfront. Paige started walking forward. ¡®Hopefully, Markus knew what I am trying to do.¡¯ She reasoned that he probably did since he was rather smart in matters such as this.


    Paige walked forward at an even pace, wearing a mostly honest smile on her face. She slowed as Lily frowned and pulled at a bag on her side. Her coin pouch, most likely. A slight change in the ambient mana alerted her that Markus had guessed what she was trying to do. Lily and Tyler shifted slightly, wary of a trap.


    Her steps slowed as she narrowed the distance to Lily. ¡®Three¡­two¡­one¡­now!¡¯


    Paige gasped and fell backward as Markus materialized out of her shadow, his blade slashing across where her body was. She coughed dramatically as she fell but kept close watch of Lily and Tyler''s actions.


    Markus had completed his slash and strode to Lily in a single motion, his blade already sweeping toward Lily¡¯s side. Aiming for the neck would have been preferable for a sneak attack, but it was a riskier option overall. If Lily was wearing just her robe or light armor, his strike would most likely break her ribs with his strike. That would stop Lily from spellcasting unless she was able to focus through her pain.


    To her chagrin, Lily and Tyler''s actions spoke for how much they had practiced together.


    ¡°[Gust]! [Air Shield]!¡±


    Both Tyler and Lily shouted as they moved together. Lily jumped backward as her spell pushed her forward, while Tyler¡¯s shield intercepted Markus¡¯s dark blade for a single moment, just enough time for Lily to back up.


    Tyler moved forward to block Markus¡¯s path as he cocked his blade for a throw. A risky move, though it was far more perilous for Markus to abandon his attack altogether. An uncontested mage would dominate the battlefield, especially in an open space such as this.


    Zenith and Paige got ready to move. This was the most dangerous part of Paige¡¯s plan, and Zenith had almost vetoed it outright when Paige had first mentioned it. But danger was synonyms with growth for Adventurers such as them.


    Markus finished cocking his blade and tossed it upward, everyone¡¯s eyes tracking it warily as it tracked upward. The blade itself gleamed as its polished edges caught the light. It reached the peak and fell to the ground silently, the blade disappearing from view like smoke.


    ¡°¡­huh?¡±


    Tyler and Lily looked back and panicked. Markus wasn¡¯t in front of them anymore.


    ¡°Lily, roll!¡± Tyler shouted quickly as he spun and threw his shield with a mighty swing of his arm.


    Lily jumped forward and rolled, narrowly dodging Markus¡¯s uncontested strike.


    Paige caught the shield with her hand, stopping the heavy metal shield from striking Markus while blocking Lily¡¯s panicked strike with her other hand.


    She smiled happily. ¡°Good job you three.¡±


    --


    ¡°You did great, Markus!¡± ¡°Yeah, that was surprising.¡± Lily and Tyler talked together as Markus happily smiled.


    Paige and the others watched from the side as the three kids talked amongst themselves. They all had done remarkably. She would have to talk with Markus about how to distract enemies better. It was risky for a warrior to waste their mana with creating a fake blade. It would have been far better to move to the side and throw a knife instead of using his skill to travel through shadows multiple times.


    He was probably glad that the gap hadn¡¯t widened too much since they had left for school. But the lessons that Lily and Tyler were learning¡­


    ¡°Tyler, that was Anti-Scout training. Right?¡± Paige looked over to Tyler for confirmation.


    He nodded. ¡°It was. They shouldn¡¯t learn that unless they join the army or the militia though.¡±


    ¡°I thought so. Protector¡¯s don¡¯t usually teach that to Apprentice level people either. It¡¯s clear that they had practice though. Did you see how Lily was methodically checking the shadows around her?¡±


    Zenith slowly nodded, lost in her thoughts. ¡°Actual practice, too. I didn¡¯t learn that until my advanced-level classes. It¡¯s highly frowned upon for Mages to learn how to kill people until they are more mature.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Fine. Something to ask them about over dinner. Did Lily tell you the reason they came?¡± Paige asked. ¡°It¡¯s a little strange for them to be coming here now of all times. They should be getting ready for field practice soon. Or maybe cross-country traveling? They haven¡¯t told me what classes they¡¯re taking right now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious they came for a reason,¡± Nick interjected. ¡°They haven¡¯t been allowed to visit us yet, but something had changed now.¡±


    Tyler agreed. ¡°The war.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm. Well, I guess we¡¯ll see what they have to say over dinner.¡±


    ¡°So, Lily. Why were you sent here?¡± Zenith asked after dinner.


    The fireplace was already going, a semi-bright flame illuminating their small living room. Everyone had a cup of Paige¡¯s homemade cider, the steam smelling distinctly of fresh apples and cinnamon.


    Lily paused as she brought her drink up, her posture relaxed as she sat on a bundle of wheat stalks that Paige had made a cotton cover for. It wasn¡¯t the comfiest seat, but it was softer than the wooden seats that they would otherwise have to sit on.


    Young Tyler sat his drink down as he looked at Lily to see if she wanted him to take over. She shook her head as she took a small drink of her cider.


    It was strange for Lily to gather her thoughts together. Usually she would already have a plan of action. That made Zenith curious. Was she worried about something?


    Lily sat her cup down, a nervous look on her face. ¡°Mentor, are you able to leave the forest for good now?¡±


    Zenith paused, her eyes never leaving Lily¡¯s face.


    Young Tyler sighed by her side, nudging Lily with his elbow.


    Lily bit her lip. ¡°Miss Paige. Is your entire Party able to leave the forest?¡±


    ¡°Hoo, my Party? Now, that¡¯s an interesting way to ask, Lily. Who said we are in a Party?¡± Paige asked, her voice oddly neutral. Her eyes were slowly turning hard as Lily looked at her.


    Lily looked away, ¡°You did, a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit. I usually don¡¯t curse in front of children, but that is a boldface lie.¡± Paige said quietly to the room. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me again, Lily. Why do you think we are in a Party?¡±


    Lily stayed silent as she looked down at the floor. Paige¡¯s eyes slowly shifted from Lily to Tyler.


    ¡°I made that assumption, Mentor. Everyone listens to your opinion, and you haven¡¯t broken apart yet.¡± Young Tyler said as Paige focused on him. ¡°And since Mentor Zenith is associated with the Imperial Family, then you all¡­¡± his voice quieted down as he stopped.


    Zenith mentally frowned as Tyler glanced over at Markus.


    His look didn¡¯t escape Paige¡¯s gaze either. ¡°Mhmm. That is a good assumption.¡±


    ¡°Markus. Why do you need Markus?¡±


    Markus started. ¡°Me?¡±


    Lily took a deep breath as she looked over at Markus. ¡°Markus, do you want to come to the Academy with us?¡±

 Chapter 62

    ¡°You want me to come with you?¡± Markus asked, shocked at the question.


    Markus could tell that his family was not happy at all. Well, most of his family. Even Lily was looking nervously at him. Did Lily not realize that she was pissing Aunt Paige off?


    No. There had to be a good reason. Markus thought carefully about what order Lily had asked. Leaving. Academy.


    ¡°Lily, is there a reason you need me to go with you?¡± he asked as he pointed to himself.


    ¡°I do! We need another person to join our Party! We need to have four to go to Alduit Academy!¡± His whole family started coughing as Lily continued talking. ¡°Please! I¡¯m certain that Tyler and I can get into the academy easily, but our other party member needs help! So, if you join our Party, we¡¯re sure to all get in!¡±


    ¡°Alduit Academy?¡±


    Markus turned. His Aunt Zenith had a look of disbelief.


    Was the Academy that important?


    Lily nodded her head ¡°It is supposed to be the best Academy in the entire Empire. I hear that they even students across the Empire travel to get a spot for their party or just as an individual. They have the best teachers, a full library, and Peter even stored his entire legacy there!¡±


    ¡°I thought the Academy was just for the western border countries?¡±


    Lily shook her head. ¡°My father told me that it was originally meant for that. But Peter decided once it was done that it was the perfect place to store all of his belongings. And once he died¡­


    ¡°Well, father said that public opinion was heavily against the Queen. She renamed the Academy and dedicated it to Peter instead. All of his stuff is stored there, and with so many magic circles surrounding his stuff¡­¡±


    ¡°Magic circles?¡± Paige asked suddenly.


    Lily nodded. ¡°Mhmm. He was an expert in magic circles and martial arts. And he was a Blessed True Hero! Of course, everyone wants to go to where his heritage is!¡±


    ¡°¡­ backup, Lily,¡± his Aunt Zenith said. ¡°Why are you transferring schools all of a sudden? It¡¯s practically the middle of the school year.¡±


    Lily and Tyler glanced at each other. ¡°The war, mentor. We don''t have a choice. The Healer Hall gave us an option: either we go to Alduit Academy or the Imperial Healer Hall for further studies.¡±


    Paige whistled quietly to the room. Markus could tell that she was somewhat impressed.


    ¡°That¡¯s a fine offer right there. It¡¯s rare for the Imperial Healer Hall to let outsiders train in their facilities. So what¡¯s stopping you from taking that deal?¡±


    Markus turned to his Aunt, confusion in his eyes. She caught his look and explained it to him.


    ¡°The Imperial Healer Hall trains their Protectors there. Markus, Protectors are some of the best defenders in the Empire. Even better than Vanguards, really. Vanguards shine in large battles, but Protectors are better in individual fights. Pit ten of each against an army, a beast horde, and a full Party; and I¡¯d expect Vanguards to win against armies, Protectors against parties, and both would have the same chance of surviving a beast horde.¡±


    ¡°What about Heroes?¡± Markus asked suddenly.


    Paige hesitated. ¡°Heroes¡­ It¡¯d depend on what equipment they have. If the hero has a good weapon, then I¡¯d bet on the Hero every time. But if they have comparable weapons, then it¡¯d depend on the focus of the battle.


    ¡°If the Protectors just want to defend or stall, then they could do that pretty easily. But any more than that and it¡¯d be a hard fight.¡±


    Paige frowned. ¡°Which begs the question again, Lily. Why do you not want to go there?¡±


    Lily bit her lip. ¡°It sounds amazing, it really does. But I was told their facilities for Mages are lacking. And we can¡¯t bring our family along with us,¡± she looked down. ¡°I don¡¯t want to really leave, especially when the country needs us. That¡¯s why I am pushing for Alduit Academy. They already have a good curriculum for Mages and Battle Classes, we are close to our families, and we can all be together. So why not go there instead?¡±


    Paige thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°I suppose so. And that is the reason you need to Markus?¡±


    ¡°We need four people to register as a Party. I¡¯m sure that we can successfully pass the entrance exam with Markus on our team!¡±


    ¡°What about your other teammate? Are they able to pass the entrance exam?¡±


    ¡°Umm, I¡¯m not sure if she even has to take the exam. I think the Healer Hall is making some concessions to let her get in automatically.¡±


    Tyler looked over to Paige while quirking his eyebrows.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ they probably could do that.¡±


    Markus watched as his aunt tapped her chair absently. It was times like this that Markus wanted to ask how she knew so much. His aunts and uncles looked at each other. Markus wondered if they had already come to a consensus. Were they already planning on leaving home? He felt saddened at the thought of leaving the forest that he called home all his life.


    ¡°We were thinking of leaving the forest, now that the war had started. Maybe it would be a good time to move,¡± Paige sighed.


    ¡°Markus needs to go to school anyway, so it¡¯s for the best. And we can go ahead and follow along.¡±


    ¡°Umm, there might be a problem with that, Mentor,¡± Lily spoke up suddenly. ¡°They had a problem with that before. Now, only direct family members can follow along. For everyone else, the requirements to get in are very strict. Even the surrounding cities have strict requirements for who can enter and how long.¡±


    ¡°That could be a problem then. What about merchants? We have two right here,¡± Paige pointed over to Tyler and Nick. ¡°And I¡¯m sure they could always use an extra Teacher and a Farmer.¡±


    ¡°I heard that the requirements are really high. Even nobility has trouble getting in.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Something to think about later then.¡±


    ¡°Markus, your thoughts?¡± his aunt asked him suddenly.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m ready for it?¡±


    His Uncle Tyler chuckled, spilling some of his drink on the table.


    ¡°Pft. You¡¯ll be ready. Don¡¯t worry about that. A little practice working as a team and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    His aunt sighed, barely audible in the room, yet Markus picked it out easily. Markus saw her look into her cup, a little more annoyed than anything else. It sounded like the academy that Lily was talking about was supposedly the best, but why did she have that look on her face?


    Markus turned to his friends, who looked about as excited as he felt. A new change was coming!


    ¡°So, I can finally join ¡®Cidala¡¯s Heroes¡¯ as an official member! That makes it me, Lily, Tyler and ¡­¡±


    Lily smiled happily. ¡°Isabella. Our Cleric.¡±


    Paige sat still as she thought about how much could change just because of a person¡¯s gender. She had been on the run for centuries, albeit some of it of her own making. Sure, she would have been hunted down regardless since she was a Princess, but her actions and choices didn¡¯t help her make a lot of friends either.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    And looking back, Paige knew that she would have hardly made a different choice. But the past still haunted her. That, and the fear that something could have been different.


    What if it had been better¡­


    She sighed bitterly to herself. Her brother could get an entire academy named after himself. And he had been a Blessed True Hero. That spoke volumes about what he accomplished during his lifetime. Hell, she had hardly been a Blessed True Warrior, and half her Class had been by luck rather than skill alone!


    ¡°Isabella. Our Cleric.¡±


    She glanced up sharply. What¡­


    ¡°She¡¯s great! Well, not really great, more clumsy than not! But she tries really hard! And she is getting better at ¡­healing¡­. too¡­¡±


    Lily¡¯s voice faltered as she noticed the sharp stares the adults were giving her. Markus and Tyler blinked and shuffled in their seats. It didn¡¯t take much to notice that something wasn¡¯t right.


    ¡°Isabella. Platinum hair, about yea high or so? And a Cleric? Or an Apprentice?¡±


    Lily shocked gaze told Paige all she needed to know.


    ¡°She''s an Apprentice Cleric. I, I told mentor about her the last time she visited in Nespe. I thought she would have told you about my other party member. Mister Tyler was driving the cart too!¡±


    Paige''s head turned slowly to Zenith. Zenith was already shaking her head in denial. Tyler sat there with a pensive look on his face, though he too shook his head imperceptibly.


    ¡°I had no idea, Paige! I swear I would have told you that!¡±


    ¡°I have no recollection of that either. Driving the cart yes, talking to Lily yes, but nothing about Isabella.¡±


    Paige''s mind moved swiftly. Something was afoot. This was not normal, even for her.


    They both had altered memories. It had to have been a wide area spell. No, Lily remembered it. So what could affect a Mage and a Vanguard equally, yet miss an Apprentice talking with them? And a single memory at that? Paige supposed that it could have been an Imperial Mage, one specialized in memory magic. But was there even such a thing as a [Modify Memory] spell?


    Paige turned toward Tyler and tugged her necklace out with one hand, hiding it from the view of the kids. Grasping the small, blue stone tightly with one hand, she grabbed the shaft of her hoe with her other, swinging it toward Tyler¡¯s head. She already knew that Nick would have a fit if she did this suddenly to Zenith.


    Tyler sat still, already sensing that Paige wasn¡¯t about to attack him. She pointed her hoe at his head and tapped his forehead lightly.


    ¡®[[Remove Curse]].¡¯


    A Paladin skill. Or maybe it was a Dawn Warrior skill? Or both. Paige could hardly be bothered to remember which Class had given her that skill but she knew that it was the second-best only to [Dispel] for removing negative spell effects on people or equipment.


    Paige¡¯s brow furrowed as her mana didn¡¯t change. Glancing down, she loosened her grip on her stone slightly, the blue hue of the stone peeking out from the top of her hand. Even her Wardstone hadn¡¯t experienced any changes.


    She sat down, ignoring the others in the room.


    That idly confirmed two things: One, it was unlikely that a Mage had used a spell. And her Wardstone hadn¡¯t experienced any changes, so she could reasonably presume that an Imperial Mage hadn¡¯t laid a long-term spell on them; and second, if she thought the danger was high enough, she had a good chance of using her Warrior skills. That was good to know.


    ¡®It wasn¡¯t a normal spell. that much is for certain. That only leaves a few options.¡¯


    Her eyes stopped on Zenith as she looked her up and down. She was still wearing the spare Imperial Wardstone and she was also affected. So it was doubly doubtful that a magic circle had specifically targeted them, not with that on her.


    Zenith opened her eyes and nodded gravely.


    ¡°Paige, there¡¯s no one around us. Nick¡¯s going to go and scout the area as well, just to make sure of that.¡±


    ¡®The ritual then. It has to be. So the question is, where and when did it start affecting them?¡¯


    ¡°Umm, aunt? Everything alright?¡±


    Paige started and looked over to the kids sitting awkwardly to the side. It dawned on her that their actions probably did look a bit strange.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, it¡¯s fine. Tyler and Zenith suffered a mental attack. It doesn¡¯t seem like it left any lasting side effects.¡±


    Paige clapped her hands, startling the trio in front of her. ¡°Well, since it is almost night time, stay the night here. I¡¯ll send a carrier pigeon over to your family, Lily, to let them know.¡±


    ¡°But I re-¡±


    Paige softened. ¡°I insist, Lily. It might not be safe right now for you to leave. The forest has gotten more dangerous since you¡¯ve been here last. Look, you can send a letter as well letting them know that Markus will be coming along and anything else that might be time-sensitive.


    ¡°It¡¯s been ages since you¡¯ve been here, and you might not be coming back for a while. Come and stay at least a night. And see Boary?¡±


    ¡°Well, I sup-¡±


    ¡°Great! Lily, you can room with Zenith tonight, or sleep in Sara¡¯s guest bedroom. Tyler, you can sleep in Markus¡¯s room.¡±


    Paige walked up the stairs toward the bedrooms. She knew that Lily and Tyler were taking note of what they were doing, but it wasn¡¯t the time to bother explaining what they were potentially guarding against.


    ¡®Things just keep getting more and more complicated.¡¯


    She sighed. Perhaps a change in scenery was in order.


    ¡°Talk. Zenith kicked me out of the room, so we have time.¡±


    Nick muttered aloud as he sat down in front of Tyler. For his part, Tyler just looked at his cup and waited.


    ¡°For crying out loud, Tyler. Just get on with it.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you asked me for a favor.¡±


    ¡°A favor I won.¡±


    Nick watched as Tyler just quirked his brows lazily. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and grabbed the teapot in front of him, rapidly pouring a cup for himself; and, begrudgingly for Tyler as well.


    ¡°There. Now talk. What did you see?¡±


    Tyler sighed.


    ¡°Before I tell you what I saw, let me ask you a question. What can make a Ranger miss a target?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I mean it. What can make you miss a target? Or what would stop you from hitting a moving target?¡±


    Nick paused as he sipped from his cup. His brows furrowed as he thought of the ramifications of the question. And none of them were good.


    ¡°Before that, tell me what you saw first.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Well, for starters, the directions you gave were worthless. But¡­¡±


    Nick listened with bated breath as Tyler started talking about what he had seen at his village. But that only exacerbated his confusion. A devastated village. Arrows. That was not at all how it was described to him.


    From what he was told, he imagined that there would have been less chaos than Tyler was describing. He thought back to what Commander Austin had said.


    ¡®...They had to have scouted the villages first. Attacked the Rangers stationed there first. It had to have happened fast and quietly. By the time anyone noticed the attacks, it was too late for anyone to escape. Killed everyone, one by one. The farthest anyone was able to escape was just outside the village gates.¡¯


    ¡°In conclusion, the attack was different,¡± Nick stated quietly.


    It was clear that the changes in this world were farther reaching than he had initially thought. Now the question was, how much had changed and how to figure out where to investigate next.


    ¡°To answer your question, Tyler, there are just a few ways that could make a Ranger miss, especially when they are in their element.


    Besides being drugged, there are only a few things that could actively make us miss. Denial type skills are the likeliest reason. Rarer reason would be just like the monster Paige and I faced. Hunter Killers.¡±


    Nick stopped and put his cup down, looking over at Tyler gravely.


    ¡°Direwolves. Do you know why they are so dangerous to Rangers?¡±


    ¡°Hm. I know some of it. But I faced different threats than that on a usual basis.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. Just like how people can have titles, it is presumed that monsters can too. A Hunter Killer is just that, a monster who kills Hunters. If they survive enough encounters, they seem to gain the ability that helps them ward off fatal attacks.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t asked about the attack, but I can fill you in on one detail. Even with the altar in place, Paige wasn¡¯t able to kill the monster outright. For all we were hitting it, our attacks were landing, but we weren''t able to wound it.¡±


    ¡°How badly?¡±


    ¡°Paige¡¯s strikes were missing every vital. She couldn¡¯t even cripple the monster outright, even though it was healing at an insane rate. I couldn¡¯t hit its vitals either.¡±


    Tyler paused.


    ¡°Hm. Well, based on that, I would have to say that it was likely a monster that did it. It destroyed a house, Nick. What monster could do that?¡±


    ¡°...not many regular monsters. But¡­ the monster we just faced could do it.¡±


    Nick and Tyler stopped to think.


    ¡®A monster attacked the village. But there were casualties. Cleaning the battlefield is standard practice to send any remains back to families... But the bigger question is were they sacrificed, or did something else happen?¡¯


    Nick sighed to himself. Priorities. Focus on what mattered now at the moment. And so he decided.


    ¡°Tyler, what about my daughter?¡±


    ¡°I verified that an older couple traveled to Alcudia with a baby, but I¡¯ve lost track from there. Do you know anything else about them? A location or relative perhaps?¡±


    Nick closed his eyes and slumped in his seat.


    ¡°No. If they traveled to Alcudia to escape, they would have covered their tracks well behind them. Damn. I don''t know much about them either.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t even have their real names? How on earth was that your backup plan for your only child?¡±


    He could tell that Tyler was utterly baffled by their decision.


    ¡°If they could find a Ranger village, then there is already a problem. It was safer for her to go somewhere that had no relation to the Ranger organization. Once we found out that they had family across the border, we knew that they were the safest option for her long term wise. Best to isolate her far from conflict.¡±


    ¡°And if someone needed to find her¡­¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t. That¡¯s the whole point.¡±


    Nick took a sip of his bitter tea and frowned. This was going to be a lot harder to find her than he realized initially. It was one of his worst-case assumptions, but it still hurt to realize that she was effectively a ghost right now.


    ¡°Anna didn¡¯t want to dig into their pasts. And so long as they followed the laws in Leit, I didn¡¯t bother wasting resources looking into the past either.¡±


    ¡°So what is your plan now?¡±


    Nick looked up.


    ¡°Same as it was before. Find my little girl, no matter what it takes.¡±

 Chapter 62.1

    Paige and the trio of kids stepped out of the house, quietly as the sun rose over the peaks of the trees. It was becoming more dangerous to live out here ever since the attack. Even more monsters were coming out of the woods now. Nothing they couldn¡¯t handle, but it was far more annoying to deal with.


    Still, the sense of caution helped give credence to her statement that the woods were becoming more dangerous.


    Boary sat in his field of clover, idly scanning the edge of the forest for any signs of movement. Paige called the trio to come close as they gathered around him, his bulk sheltering them from the wind and the cool autumn morning.


    ¡°So before you go back, I need your help with something. All your help, actually.¡± Paige whispered quietly.


    ¡°Hm? Our help?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s an old man in these woods who sells what you need the most. The problem is, you can only find him once in a lifetime or something. Anyway, I need your help to find him.¡±


    Lily, Markus, and Tyler looked at each other oddly. That was a very weird request, even if Paige herself was asking for help.


    ¡°Why not ask Mister Nick or someone else?¡±


    ¡°Intuition. They don¡¯t have anything they really need. You three, on the other hand,¡± Paige said as she pointed at the three of them, ¡°will have something you¡¯ll need since you are young. No offense.¡±


    ¡°Um, Aunt? What happens when we meet this old man? He gives us something we need?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He gives you something that you¡¯ll need, either for now or in the future. It¡¯s hard to say, really. But for a baseline,¡± Paige said after a moment of thought, ¡°the Royal Scout and Sara survived due to what she received.¡±


    ¡°Woah! What did she get?¡± Lily asked excitedly.


    ¡°Just a statue that could hide mana signatures.¡±


    ¡°And what did you get?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Last time. You must have gotten something if you had met him last time and can¡¯t find him.¡±


    ¡°...¡±, ¡°...¡±, ¡°...¡±.


    The three kids stared at her with an intense gaze. Their gazes of suspicion and doubt were fine, but it was Lily¡¯s gaze of downright disbelief that irked her the most.


    ¡°... a sword hilt.¡±


    ¡°Pft. Rea- ow!¡±


    Markus yelped as Paige whacked him across the head. Her look silenced him immediately.


    ¡°I thought it was a good trade. A mana-dense sword handle for a trinket. It wasn¡¯t until later that I found out later that I got tricked into a bad trade. Hence, I want to find him. Now, are you all going to help me, or not?¡±


    Lily and the others looked amongst each other and nodded earnestly.


    ¡°We can, Miss Paige. But how do we even find him?¡±


    That was the most confusing part, even to Paige. She hadn¡¯t been able to find her, even when she was alone and in her prime. She was half tempted to call it impossible, but she looked at the kids and nodded inwardly.


    The ignorance of Youth. The age of Vibrancy. The willfulness of Life.


    Those three components would draw things together, Paige was sure of it. She motioned them along toward the side of the road and gently pushed them into the forest.


    ¡°You go on ahead and Boary and I will follow behind. Think of it as us shadowing your Party in a mission.¡±


    <hr>


    Tyler was starting to sweat by the time the sun was fully rising above him. The forest air was far more humid than he would prefer, and even the chill of the forest was unwelcome. Still, they had been traveling in relative quiet since they had left, and he judged that it would be safe to start talking now, especially since they hadn¡¯t seen any monsters as of yet.


    ¡°So what type of sword handle do you think she got as a gift?¡± Tyler asked quietly.


    He knew that Paige could probably hear him since even the Protectors could listen to their conversation with relative ease. But it didn¡¯t hurt to ask the question on his mind.


    Tyler could see that Markus was frowning.


    ¡°Aunt said it was a ¡®mana-dense sword handle¡¯. Whatever that is. Lily?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I think it¡¯s probably like my staff. Without a mana shard at the end, the wood itself is what is absorbing my mana and releasing it. So, I guess a sword handle would do the same? Mana dense wood is rare. I think?¡±


    Markus looked around and tapped on a few trees. Tyler paused as he watched Markus. He followed behind and tapped the trees. They all sounded and looked the same to him, though he could tell that Markus was looking for something.


    ¡°Is it? Uncle Nick says this forest is stuffed full of it. That¡¯s why Aunt said it was a bad trade for her. She could have made one herself.¡±


    Lily stopped as Markus tapped a tree with his knuckle.


    ¡°I think this is the type of tree that your staff was made from, Lily. The Something something moonlight tree.¡±


    ¡°A Forest Autumn Moonlight tree?¡±


    Markus stopped and looked at the tree.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that was what it was called,¡± he said hesitantly.


    Lily pursed her lips in thought.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t remember the true name of it either. Besides, it¡¯s easier to just call it by the properties it has currently. One of my advanced classes had a sample for us to inspect year-round. It¡¯s a special tree that changes properties depending on the time and location. With the right conditions, you can make it so that resonates with a single type of mana.¡±


    Lily walked up to the tree and lightly placed her hand on it. He watched as she drew in a breath and released her mana, a pulse of light green released from her hand and enveloped the tree. Tyler stared at the branches, the leaves changing from autumn orange to spring green.


    ¡°See. It can even mimic your own mana somewhat. Releasing a mana wave is how you can find one in the wild. But you have to be careful since you don¡¯t know what monsters could also be lurking around.¡±


    ¡°Huh. That is neat. I wonder¡­¡± Markus walked up to the tree and placed his hand on it, much like Lily had. ¡°Can it also mimic dark mana?¡±


    Lily frowned in thought. ¡°Maybe? Isabella wasn¡¯t present for the display, so it¡¯s hard to say if it could mimic dark mana.¡±


    Tyler knew he had to put a stop to it before something weird happened. Testing it at this time was bound to get them into trouble somehow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s such a good idea, Markus. We¡¯re supposed to be finding a person, not playing around. We can always try on our way back. Besides, they¡¯re probably getting sick of waiting.¡±


    Markus withdrew his hand from the tree and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re probably right.¡±


    ¡°No. I think you should do that, young boy,¡± an old, wizened voice called out to the trio.


    Tyler started and turned to face the voice, making sure to keep Lily behind him.


    His training hadn¡¯t failed him yet. Tyler knew that the first step to dealing with an unknown situation was to always protect the Mages. He was about to call out to Markus when he noticed that he was right beside Lily, scanning the surroundings behind him for any movements. Lily¡¯s hand shot up as she muttered something under her breath, and a circle of mana appeared in her hand. She held it aloft and calmly looked around.


    Tyler scanned the surroundings ahead of him and frowned when he noticed something weird. The forest looked normal. But he knew somehow that something was standing in front of him, at least within a few dozen feet of him. The feeling shifted to his left and he adjusted himself accordingly.


    ¡°Hm? Now, that¡¯s something I haven¡¯t seen in a long time. Who would even enchant an armor like that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but please, we mean you no harm,¡± Lily called out hesitantly as the mana in her hand expanded outwards around the trio.


    ¡°Neither do I, young Magi.¡±


    Tyler blinked and an old merchant stood there, his back bent with age and hardship, though his eyes twinkled like tiny stars. His back was empty, and he was nondescript, save for his carved wooden cane.


    Lily¡¯s panicked gasp and the shift of her feet told Tyler that she hadn¡¯t seen him at first.


    ¡®How was I able to see him before Lily?¡¯


    Tyler knew that something was odd about the whole situation, and he suddenly realized what was wrong. Paige and Boary were missing.


    The whole plan was centered around the fact that Paige was following behind them. If she wasn¡¯t there, then what use would it be to find the man in the first place!


    Tyler racked his brains and tried to figure out when he had last seen the two of them following behind. It seemed like mere minutes, but he was unsure of when he had last sensed Boary and Paige following.


    ¡®Stick to the plan. Miss Paige will surely find us.¡¯


    ¡°Umm, sir? Are you a Merchant, by chance?¡±


    It was a fair question for him to ask since the man clearly had a bag on his back. Or did he? Tyler squinted slightly. Something was strange about the man. He seemed to change slightly as he looked, but only when he lost his concentration. Was there a bag on his back earlier?


    ¡°I may be, and I may not be. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Just wondering. Your bag looks pretty heavy, especially since you are bent over.¡±


    ¡°Tyler, don¡¯t be rude. He isn¡¯t bent over at all,¡± Lily whispered from behind.


    Tyler looked again, and the man wasn¡¯t bent over. In fact, he didn¡¯t have the cane from before either. He shifted slightly, blocking Lily¡¯s body from the man. He didn¡¯t feel dangerous, but something was odd.


    ¡°Lily, is your mana dipping? Active spell?¡± Tyler whispered.


    ¡°...no, my mana hasn¡¯t dropped. Why?¡±


    ¡°Something is odd about this situation.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say, Tyler,¡± Markus whispered as he shifted closer. ¡°Something is off about him. Even my skills are having a hard time sensing him, and he¡¯s clearly standing right there.¡±


    ¡°Call me Pitna. Merchant Pitna, to be exact. And if you have some time, I¡¯m willing to make a trade with the three of you.¡±


    Pitna pointed his cane at the tree, his eyes sparkling as he examined it.


    ¡°That there is a Chameleon Mana Moonlight Tree. Very rare in certain parts of the world, though it seems to like these woods. I¡¯m willing to trade for some of my trinkets for a Death Shadow Moonlight Tree. That should be simple enough for the young man to do, with his actual Class and all.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Tyler was confused. Death Shadow? And what did he mean by Markus¡¯s actual Class? That would be something to ask Markus later, and not in this situation.


    ¡°Wh, What¡¯s in it for us?¡± Lily asked hesitantly.


    Tyler knew that Lily was feeling nervous about this situation too. The old man stared at them, and he could feel...something happening around him. His stare was penetrating, as though he could see into his very soul.


    ¡°... three trinkets. One for each of you. A shield, a wand, and a sword. I take it you¡¯ll need it soon enough, with the war and all.¡±


    ¡°What about one big item instead? What would that get us?¡± Lily asked suddenly.


    The old man frowned and stared at Lily.


    ¡°It depends. Who is it for?¡±


    Tyler glanced back at Markus. ¡°Lily or Isabella?¡±


    ¡°It has to be one of you three. I don¡¯t make deals with people not present and cannot consent to the gift,¡± The man replied suddenly.


    ¡°Can you give us a hint on what it would be?¡± Markus asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Well, that stinks. We¡¯re basically doing a random exchange at this point,¡± Markus grumbled. ¡°Aunt Zenith always said to prioritize Mages. So, Lily, care to take it?¡±


    Lily nodded. ¡°Sure, if no one else minds.¡±


    ¡°One big item for our Mage, for the tree,¡± Tyler nodded.


    ¡°Deal. The tree first, then payment,¡± Pitna replied happily.


    ¡°Markus, can you even change the tree¡¯s properties into what he wants?¡± Lily asked suddenly.


    Markus frowned as he looked over at the tree.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ you said the tree takes on the properties of whatever is around it. So, I can mimic a shadow just fine if I push my mana to form a cloud. But for death¡­ any ideas?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ you could try killing something? Well, probably not. What about skills? Did your aunt teach you any spells?¡±


    ¡°Umm, I know a few dark affinity spells, but nothing remotely related to death.¡±


    ¡°Hey, how do we do imitate ¡®death¡¯?¡± Lily asked abruptly.


    Pitna stared blankly. ¡°Use [[False Life]].¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know it,¡± Markus said.


    ¡°[Ghost Touch].¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know that one either.¡±


    Pitna frowned. ¡°[Ghost Sound]? [Death Touch]? [Death Blade]? [Assassinate]?¡±


    The three of them stared at the weird man. Markus looked just as perplexed as Tyler felt.


    ¡°...what do you think I¡¯ve been learning? Wait, what Classes learn those?¡± Markus said bewildered.


    ¡°Huh, I guess you haven¡¯t been learning anything useful. Well¡­ just channel your mana into the blade and think of how you felt when you first killed someone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the stupidest thing ever!¡± Lily half-shouted. ¡°How do-¡±


    ¡°Magic is tied to intent. Or did your mentor not teach that?¡±


    Lily faltered. ¡°Well...that¡¯s...fine! Markus, hurry up and do it.¡±


    Tyler watched as Markus pulled out his sword and walked up to the tree, inspecting the tree. The glow of Lily¡¯s mana was starting to fade from the leaves of the tree.


    ¡°Well¡­ here goes nothing,¡± Markus muttered.


    The world around Markus started to shift, a grey cloud swirling around him as he forced his mana out. Dark mana. It reminded Tyler of Isabella¡¯s aunt, though she wielded her mana in a much subtler manner. Markus¡¯s blade darkened in his hand as his mana flowed into his blade. Markus took a deep breath and suddenly thrust his blade into the trunk of the tree.


    The tree groaned in protest as it changed, as the bark shriveled while the leaves fell off in bunches.


    ¡®Death and shadow. Though, had Markus actually killed someone before?¡¯


    ¡°The deal is set. Here¡¯s your item,¡± Pitna called out happily as he looked at the tree.


    He tossed over a tiny item to Tyler, barely taking a glance while he tossed it over. Tyler lunged forward to grab it and he stared at it. It was a tiny amulet, with a single name etched into it. Lily Thompson.


    ¡°How did you know Lily¡¯s name?¡± Tyler asked guardedly.


    That was not normal. Not normal at all.


    Pitna waved them off. ¡°The deal is struck. I have nothing more to say to the three of you.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then we have time to talk instead,¡± Paige called out suddenly as she and Boary stepped forward from the trees. ¡°Hello again, merchant.¡±


    <hr>


    Going back a few minutes...


    ¡®How could I lose the kids!?¡¯


    Paige stared at the forest ahead of her. She had even taken care to keep within twenty feet of them, and they were still missing. She hadn''t even realized they were missing until Boary''s confused call alerted her.The air was fresh as she stood in the middle of the forest. Unnaturally fresh. The merchant had done something to stop her. How he had done it, she couldn¡¯t say. But Paige knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to find the kids normally.


    Which is why she brought Boary along as well.


    ¡°...Boary, find Lily.¡±


    Boary stepped forward and started to sniff the air.


    ¡®If I can¡¯t do it, then chances are that it confuses only people who have met him. But, what are the chances that it could target monsters as well?¡¯


    It was a big risk, but it would be worth it in the end. The man was a living legend, and it was well established that nothing bad would come out of meeting him. And the kids would get something too; something that they would all need in the future. That would probably be enough to placateZenith, not that they would be exposed to much danger, to begin with.


    ¡°Boary, any luck? We need to find them fast,¡± Paige said hurriedly. She followed behind the boar, but she could tell that his path was curving around to where they had initially lost them.


    It wasn¡¯t working. Whatever the merchant was doing was interfering with Boary as well. Paige hesitated. The last time she went searching, even using divine mana to augment her skills didn''t help her.


    "Boary. Do you have her scent?"


    She could tell that Boary was hesitating, but he still nodded his head. Paige rubbed the boar body, her hands gently touching the healing scars.


    ''Fine. You''ve earned some of my trust, Boary. Desperate times and whatnot.''


    "Boary, hold still. I''m gonna try something different."


    Paige knew it was a risk, but she had to do it. She needed answers, and the old man probably knew something. She closed her eyes and focused, her mana swirling inside her while keeping a hand on Boary. She hadn''t ever tried it before, but she knew the theory behind it. If you could transfer mana to others, then it should be possible to transfer mana to monsters as well. They had a core, after all.


    She just wasn''t sure if it had ever been done to a non-contracted monster. A Beast Tamer''s sole goal was to tame monsters, and while she never had the chance to see one actively tame a creature, the only real reason she could deduce was that they were somehow using their mana to manipulate the monster. But the bigger question was, had anyone ever used divine mana to tame a creature?


    Releasing her mana, she drove the mana toward her hand and into Boary. The boar froze as Paige''s mana flowed straight into his core. Paige watched Boary carefully to make sure that he wasn''t experiencing anything drastic. He shouldn''t since he could absorb dual opposing mana cores at once and come out fine, but she needed him to be awake and not in a month-long coma.


    ''Moment of truth now.''


    She breathed heavily and released a single strand of divine mana, which flowed into Boary without resistance. Boary''s squeal of confidence was a nice change.


    "Boary. Find Lily."


    ---


    Paige chuckled at the sight of the four people in front of her.


    ''So monsters can break through...whatever the merchant did. That''s good news. I can find him again if I need.''


    Pitna looked aghast at the uninvited intruders.


    "How did you-"


    "Aunt Paige! You found us!" Markus shouted happily.


    "Paige?" Pitna whispered in horror.


    "I did. Death Shadow wood is really rare, you three. Did you get something good for it?"


    "We got one big gift? I guess?" Lily said.


    Markus asked, "What can you make out of it?"


    Paige chuckled, though her eyes never left Pitna.


    "A few things. Demon Assassins prefer it as their main choice of materials for their daggers. It''s practically invisible and the compatibility to dark affinity is great. All they have to do is slide a thin blade of metal for the killing edge or they shave it down for a hilt. Now, the three of you follow Boary home. I have some business with him."


    "Um, are you sure, aunt?"


    "Yes. Go home. Boary, take them with you."


    Pitna''s eyes tracked the boar as the children left with him.


    "What have you done?" he whispered fearfully.


    "What I needed to. I want my pendant back." Paige thrust out her hand.


    "A pendant!? Did you make that monstrosity just for a single pendant?" Pitna''s eyes bulged. "That, that thing, is a monster! Do you even know what you have done! To waste your mana on a monster, that, that''s-"


    Paige narrowed her eyes. He could tell that she had used divine mana on Boary.


    Her voice dropped down low. "I don''t care about Boary. So far, he''s more trustworthy than you are. Back then, you gave me a bad trade. I want to get my pendant back."


    "I don''t know what you are talking about."


    "When Rebecca and I met you last time, she asked a specific question. ''What happens if we don''t like the trade later on?'' And you dared to laugh and say, and I quote, ''You can get a refund if you find me.'' Guess what, I found you."


    Paige and Pitna stared at each other. Though it was tense, neither side moved.


    "Do you know what the pendant does?" Pitna asked.


    "Now I do. The little voice in my head is adamant I get it back this time."


    Pitna sighed. "Kill the boar and I''ll call it an even trade."


    "No. You take your hilt back, and I call it an even trade."


    "You can''t kill me," Pitna said nervously. "The gods are watching."


    Paige stopped, her mind working furiously.


    The gods are watching. Are. Watching.


    She chuckled under her breath, watching as the man squirmed nervously. No matter. She only minded one god anyway, and Paige knew that it was important to get her item back from the man, no matter the cost.


    "It''s funny you say that. Everyone here believes that the gods are dead."


    Pitna stared. "Your pendant or answers. Pick one."


    "Pendant," Paige instantly replied.


    Answers were good and all, but she needed the pendant back. That was non-negotiable.


    The old man watched her warily and slowly pulled a small pendant from his shirt, holding it aloft with one hand. Paige stared hard at it. The golden, yellow gleam of the metal was unmistakable for what it was. Pure gold. But it wasn''t the metal that was important. Rather, it was the symbolism attached to the pendant. A golden sun rising above the landscape could be seen etched into the tiny pendant. As she watched, the sun slowly set below the etched horizon.


    A token from the Goddess of Sunset.


    Paige could feel her eye twitching as she saw the pendant actually do something. If it had done that before, she wouldn¡¯t have traded it in the first place!


    Pitna smiled mischievously.


    ¡°You might not want to lose it this time. Or let it break. I think someone would be very upset with you, should either happen again.¡±


    ¡°What are you-¡±


    He chuckled wryly and threw it low to the side, away from both of them. Paige could see the pendant twirling to the ground and cursed. She lunged forward to grab it before it hit the ground, though her body ached as she landed hard on the ground.


    She checked the pendant quickly, noting that the pendant was the exact one she had given away, all those years ago.


    ¡°Are you crazy!?¡±


    Paige turned back to Pitna, only to see an empty clearing. Even the dead magic tree was gone. The large, empty hole was the only evidence that the tree had been there before. Whoever he was, he worked fast.


    Paige took a step forward to check on the whole, but as soon as she started to move, she could sense thather location had shifted unnaturally. Paige stood there as she waited for the forest to settle down, wary of another trap.


    ¡®What was..¡¯


    She looked around for a marker or something to tell her where she was currently at. She found one soon enough, a large boulder that was a common feature throughout the forest. Moving carefully, Paige moved toward the marker silently andfrowned as she saw the handwriting on the boulder. She felt a headache coming as she saw the words; the same one she had written a couple of months ago.


    Three Monster nest nearby. Be quiet!


    -P.


    ¡°That boar will be a problem in the future! Mark my words!¡± Pitna screamed, his echo bouncing off the trees and into the forest beyond.


    The forest was still for a second before it burst into activity.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    ---


    Paige walked back to the clearance in worse shape than she had left. A lot worse shape. The front of her overalls was covered in dirt and cut apart, and her hair was disheveled. Even her hoe was bent unnaturally.


    Lily was reading a note from a hawk while Markus and Tyler practiced. They all stopped to stare at her. She knew it had been quite a long time since she had looked that disheveled in front of Markus, and certainly, it led credence to her warning about the forest being more dangerous than before. She could tell that Zenith had noticed, though she was doing a better job at feigning disinterest in her look.


    ¡®Maim him. I will definitely get him back for this!¡¯ Paige thought to herself. Though it would be even more difficult to find him now. But it was clear to her that Pitna knew something of the ritual. Thinking back to her brief interaction, she could tell that he was rather surprised to see her, though he somehow had the item that she herself had traded. A conundrum for sure, though she was sure it would be quite some time beforeshe would see that person again.


    "So, uh, did you get your item back, aunt?" Markus asked hesitantly from the side.


    Paige turned, her annoyance clear to all. ¡°I did. And then I got attacked. By not three, but six nests. Six.¡±


    ¡°Huh, what did you do to alert them?¡± Zenith asked.


    ¡°I did nothing. Someone shifted the markers we placed on the monsters, so I used the wrong tool to fight each monster nest,¡± Paige said tiredly.


    Paige looked at her hoe and sighed. Had she known she was going to be facing all armored monsters, such as the accursed Armored Alligators she had fought with last, she wouldn¡¯t have used a hoe. She would have switched to something more useful against monsters, like a tamper. Or a sledgehammer. Her spear shaft, while made extremely durable, still had its limit, and she had definitely not utilized it correctly.


    ¡°Hey, Paige. Lily, had something she wanted to ask you.¡±


    Zenith called out and pushed Lily forward, directly into her path.


    ¡°Fine, but hurry. I want to take a bath and sleep. I¡¯ve had a long day so far,¡± Paige said irately.


    Lily saw the look on Paige''s face and shrunk.


    ¡°Umm, mentor? Would you like to give her the news instead?¡± she said quietly.


    Zenith smiled. ¡°Nope. You need to get more practice in giving bad news.¡±


    ¡°Bad news?¡±


    Paige stopped. How could the day get any worse?


    ¡°The queen is holding a banquet for their entire party. Guess who all is invited?¡±


    Her day just got worse.

 Chapter 63

    ¡°Are you sure you can make it, mentor?¡± Lily asked skeptically.


    Zenith knew why she was asking since Paige was hardly in the mood to bother with it, but it still irked her to hear her little apprentice nag.


    ¡°I will make sure to hurry Paige along. We¡¯ll be there in a week. I promise. But are you sure you don¡¯t want any company for the ride over? Markus and I could follow the two of you to town.¡±


    ¡°We, we¡¯ll be fine by ourselves, mentor. But please don¡¯t forget that the Queen is planning a private banquet, so if you need anything at all, just-¡±


    ¡°Relax, Lily. I can handle things in that regard. Just enjoy your break and we will see you soon.¡±


    Standing at the edge of the forest, Zenith waved them off until they were out of sight before she turned to look at the young man standing next to her, standing indignantly off to her side.


    She cocked an eyebrow.


    ¡°Well? Are you going to say it now?¡±


    ¡°How come I couldn¡¯t just go with them right now! It¡¯s not like you need me for anything here! They¡¯re my only friends, aunt!¡± Markus exploded.


    She turned and headed back to the house, following the same dirt path they had first walked on a scant eight years ago. Time was flying by, but now things were starting to change, hopefully for the better.


    ¡°Oh, hush. Xavier would be offended if he heard that.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d have to see him first, aunt. I hardly see him either, nowadays.¡±


    Zenith¡¯s stern face faltered. He wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. Besides training in the forest, Markus hadn¡¯t had the chance to go see anyone his age for quite some time now.


    ¡°We need your help packing things up. And saying goodbye to Boary as well. An elder monster like him won¡¯t be able to go with us to the Academy. He¡¯s going to have to stay here.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Boary isn¡¯t coming with us?¡±


    Markus stopped on the path. Zenith looked over to Markus and blinked. His body was starting to blend in with shadows. Already his form was starting to become hazy.


    ¡®His control over his mana was getting better,¡¯ Zenith noted. ¡®It¡¯s a shame he didn¡¯t want to become a mage, though he probably would¡¯ve had a hard time.¡¯


    ¡°He can¡¯t. There is a difference Markus. But he won¡¯t be alone. Sara will still be coming here to stay instead, at least to sleep and hunt. That¡¯s one of the reasons why I personally have to stay here, at least for a good portion of the week. I¡¯m planning on modifying the surrounding magic circles to better suit her needs.


    Markus frowned. ¡°But I thought that the magic circles would have to be powered every so often. Is Miss Sara able to power it by herself?¡±


    ¡°No, but we¡¯ve been storing mana cores for a while now. We really don¡¯t need them for anything, and we wouldn¡¯t get a fair price in the cities if we sold it.¡±


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°No, but that is beside the point. We¡¯re going to have a lot of stuff to do once we move, so we have to use this time wisely. Your uncle is already heading to Nespe to look at temporary lodgings for us, and then we¡¯ll decide what our next plan is once we understand what will happen with your new party.¡±


    ¡°Um, aunt? About that,¡± Markus hesitated. ¡°Who is Isabella?¡±


    Zenith stopped and sighed. ¡°You¡¯ll hear about her eventually, so I guess I could tell you. She¡¯s¡­ important. To Paige.


    ¡°I know that much, aunt. But why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated. Paige has been looking for her for a long time now.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t exactly know why. She knew her mother, but even then, it doesn¡¯t really explain her persistence in trying to find her,¡± Zenith lied.


    Zenith knew exactly why Paige was insistent on finding her. Isabella still had Paige¡¯s old Princess Class. Or, Paige said she should still have it.


    Her explanation of why hardly made sense, but Paige had only one argument.


    ¡°Their original Classes will attract endless troubles. And if Isabella doesn¡¯t have the Princess Class yet, then chances are she¡¯d have the Apprentice Class just like, Markus. So we need to find her sooner rather than later.


    ¡°I never gave birth to a Hero, Zenith, so I have no idea if Apprentice is the starting point for everything. If they mature into those classes...¡± Paige trailed off.


    That argument still holds true to this day, for both Markus and Isabella.


    Even though Paige had postponed looking for Isabella four years ago, it hadn¡¯t stopped her from asking Tyler to keep an ear out for any new information. Zenith could only pray that the eventual meeting with Isabella would not be terribly awkward.


    She shook her head. That was all in the future. Zenith looked over to Markus and rubbed his head.


    ¡°Look, Markus, things will be hectic once we move. We need to be ready to settle down in a new location as soon as possible. Can you please help out around here?¡±


    Seeing his nod, Zenith paused for a moment and looked around. She would miss their little slice of paradise out in the woods.


    ¡°We have a week. Let¡¯s make the most of it.¡±


    ---


    Zenith looked around and was astounded at how fast Paige had packed up her room. It was practically empty now, save for her furniture. Of course, having a storage ring had helped in that matter.


    She turned to look at Paige, who was leaning on the door, her eyes closed in concentration as she activated a privacy ward, the magic circle gleaming heavily as Paige kept her finger on it. Zenith didn¡¯t want to be jealous, but it was getting harder as she noticed how much Paige¡¯s mana core really expanded. Even with her null affinity handicap, her core could almost rival a Specialized Mage¡¯s core. That was a very big upgrade for her, though she noted that Paige was still very efficient with her mana usage.


    ¡°Okay, Zenith. It¡¯s been activated. So, what did you and Nick find out?¡± Paige asked.


    Zenith took out a simplified map of the heart of the forest, showing the symbols that she and Nick had seen. For whatever reason, the center of the forest never changed positions, which made it easy to map out.


    ¡°Paige, the symbols that we found were inert. From what I can tell, the ritual is either running out of power or it has completed its purpose.¡±


    Zenith knew that would happen, as the mana dispersion fog was now totally gone from the forest. She half wondered if the fog was suppressing the forest itself, as the problems didn¡¯t start cropping up until the fog had started to disperse.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s Class is still the same though, and we haven¡¯t changed back to our original bodies. What are your thoughts on it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, Paige. You are our Party Leader, so we¡¯ll follow your lead. But you need to think about your plan again. I¡¯m not an expert at ritual spells, Paige, but with the formation losing its power, I think we are stuck here in this alternate world. Forever. We need to decide how we are going to survive here, long term.¡±


    Zenith and Paige sat in the quiet room. She could only hope that Paige started to take their situation more seriously. Paige wasn¡¯t the worst leader Zenith had ever followed, but it was hard to trust her judgment sometimes, even though things had worked out thus far. She knew that Nick and Tyler felt the same way, as well. But Paige was far stronger than all of them combined, even as a Farmer.


    Farmer Conscript? Farmer Warrior? Zenith sighed for the umpteenth time. She hoped that Paige could change her Class if she started using battle skills more prominently. They all would, actually. The moment they stepped on a status checker, their cover would definitely be exposed. After all, how would they explain how their Support Classes could rival High Battle Classes?If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Thanks for trusting me, Zenith. I know that I¡¯m not the best leader, but I am glad you all decided to stay,¡± Paige suddenly said.


    ¡°Just remember that trust goes both ways, Paige. We need to work together, and that means our plans and goals as well.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know,¡± Paige sighed. ¡°I mean it. I know that. Which is why I wanted to get your opinion on this before I talk with Nick and Tyler.¡±


    Zenith paused. ¡°Your opinion on¡­¡±


    ¡°On how this banquet will go. See¡­¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°The message said that they are coming? To the banquet?. All of them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your majesty. Lily has already confirmed it. Her mentor and the rest of her party will be coming,¡± her guard Haille expressed with interest as she read the response letter.


    Queen Rebecca paced back and forth nervously in the conference room, her eyes swiveling and lips pursed. It was apparent that something was wrong, even to Glenn, who hardly knew the Queen.


    ¡°And that is bad because?¡± Glenn asked boredly. He stared at the open map, the red pendants markers increasing ever so slightly at the western edge. He was rather impressed by the Queen¡¯s choices.


    Had Isabella been present, she would have been surprised that the old man was even talking. It was apparent that he wanted to meet this suspicious group, though the particulars eluded Rebecca as to why.


    ¡°Something isn¡¯t right. It¡¯s too easy. This party has been here for some time now and they¡¯ve never wanted to meet, so how were they persuaded so easily?¡±


    Rebecca made up an excuse, but she knew something had made Paige move, not the other way around.


    ¡®For Paige to just get up and move here is suspicious, in and of itself. If that was the case, then why hadn¡¯t she made any moves before now?¡¯


    From her memories, Paige should¡¯ve been chomping at the bits to do something. Anything. She knew that Paige had never been good at settling down in one location for long. But here she was, staying hidden in a forest for years on end now.


    ¡°Now that you mention it, Queen Rebecca, I have some questions to ask that Scout who met them.¡±


    Rebecca turned around and evaluated Glenn warily. It wasn¡¯t the first time he had asked that, but he had only written letters to her; letters that she intentionally did not answer. But as she looked around the room and the communication network that the Healer Hall had lent her, Rebecca knew that she couldn¡¯t justify her actions any longer.


    Glenn was far too abnormal. Even as he stood there, Rebecca noticed that the other Protectors had left their posts around the equipment. It was clear that the man in front of her was confident in protecting the artifacts alone. And it was also clear that he wasn¡¯t a normal Protector either. His actions in protecting Isabella and her Party were very much needed, as she was afraid that Maxwell would have abducted the three of them long ago, just to deal with the girl''s mentor.


    But the man had promised many things in the name of the Healer Hall, and he had actually followed through with his promises almost instantly. In her opinion, that actually reminded her of someone and made him far more dangerous than she had initially thought.


    Rebecca closed her eyes and calculated the risk. ¡°...Haille, call in Scout Miranda. I believe our guest has some questions to ask her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    Rebecca watched Haille leave and sighed. She knew that Glenn had something on Paige and her party. She could only hope that they didn¡¯t know everything.


    ---


    ¡°You met this Party. How strong are they?¡± Glenn asked for the tenth time.


    ¡°Strong, sir,¡± Maggie replied in a deadpan voice.


    Rebecca stared ruefully at the scene in front of her. Maggie was surprisingly strong-headed about a few things, which is why she was such a good spy. Why she had chosen to be an innkeeper in her spare time was beyond her understanding.


    Though, she couldn¡¯t blame the girl either. She knew that the memories were a double-edged sword. Something must have called out to her from her memories, something she wanted to keep hold of.


    Just like Isabella was for her.


    Protector Glenn looked over at her, a faint trace of anger marking his face. She could tell that he was getting annoyed at the situation, but Maggie could be just as stubborn.


    ¡°Queen Rebecca, your Royal Spy is oddly secretive about what she knows. Care to help?¡±


    Rebecca made eye contact with Maggie.


    ¡°Miranda, our relationship with the Healer Hall is strictly give-and-take. Right now, we need to give. Please answer his questions in more detail.¡±


    Maggie frowned but nodded her head slightly. She turned to Glenn and reiterated her answer.


    ¡°Their Party was strong, sir. I only saw three of them in action, but from what I can tell they are probably on par with you, sir.¡±


    ¡°Class type and Guild ranking?¡±


    ¡°Mage, Warrior, Ranger. And a battle class trainee. An Apprentice Scout, or perhaps an Apprentice Swordsman? As for guild rank, sir, I would place it solidly in the upper one hundred.¡±


    It was Glenn¡¯s turn to frown at the information.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. They have to be specialized in one field. Were you not able to deduce that information which specific Class they were?¡±


    Rebecca knew that look in Maggie¡¯s eyes. She was trying to hide something. ¡°I wasn''t. But they were those Class types, sir.¡±


    Glenn¡¯s frown deepened as he reevaluated Maggie. His eyes narrowed in thought.


    ¡°...you¡¯re not lying to me. Youknow theyare those Classes. But they are also as strong as I am¡­ So that means you can evaluate the chances of surviving an encounter. Probably [Keen Senses] or [Battlefield Awareness]. I¡¯m guessing the former.¡±


    ¡°And you have a Skill to detect lies. Isn¡¯t that odd for a man of your stature and position?¡± Rebecca frowned as she noticed his use of skills. This wasn¡¯t an interrogation.


    ¡°Shopkeepers have a similar skill. It¡¯s important to know who you can trust when you get to the position we are in, your majesty. So, you¡¯ve told me their assumed class and rank. Now, what are their names, Miss Miranda?¡±


    ¡°Their names?¡± Maggie hesitated.


    ¡°Yes. Their names.¡±


    ¡°They are law-abiding citizens, right? Even Scions have to pay taxes on the properties they own. I assume they would not cover up their own status of Imperial Servants, so their names should be listed somewhere.¡±


    Rebecca hesitated. ¡°The land they are living on was owned by Peter himself. He opened his land to anyone who could actually survive in it. But it sat unsettled for a long time, so I am not sure if their local tax office would have recorded their names or not.¡±


    ¡°Survive? Is the forest that dangerous?¡± Glenn asked with a frown.


    Rebecca shrugged. ¡°That entire forest is weird,but Peter assumed the whole area was dangerous. Miranda, please tell, Sir Glenn, what their names are. If you know them, that is.¡±


    ¡°I know some of their names. Zenith Hall, Nick Hall, Tyler Merk, Paige, and Markus.¡±


    ¡°No last name for Paige or Markus?¡±


    ¡°None that I could tell, sir. But I do know what they listed on their taxes, your majesty.¡±


    ¡°Oh? They actually paid them?¡± Rebecca said.


    She was surprised that they had done their civic duty, and voluntarily at that. Rebecca knew full well that Scion Maxwell hadn¡¯t paid a single coin to the Treasury, and he had forcefully occupied the Royal Castle for years now.


    ¡°Yes, your majesty. But when I looked into their records, their classes were listed as Farmer Conscript, Teacher, Bowyer, and Merchant. Their status was verified by the local tax collector and the Cidala Merchant Association as well.¡±


    ¡°They are all mainly support classes? You¡¯re sure about that?¡± Glenn hesitated.


    In truth, Rebecca was inwardly astounded as well. Paige was a Farmer Conscript? She was supposed to be a Warrior. Had something else changed as well?


    Glenn paused. ¡°Did they all voluntarily multiclass in a worthless profession, just to go undercover? Then how did they hide their actual Classes?¡±


    Multiclass. Rebecca hadn¡¯t even heard that was possible to take more than one Class. But, if there were conditions that had to be met, then the Imperial Family would certainly have the resources to conduct formal experiments.


    Glenn moved on, his voice steady.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to look into their background a little closer as well. Forget about the adults for now. The boy, Markus. You said that he probably had a Class already. How skilled is he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s good for his age, sir. He was able to kill a Demon Scout in the dark by himself.¡±


    Rebecca was astounded. The boy was good. Rebecca knew that without Haille and her guards around, even the RoyalScouts would have a tough time dealing with Demon Scouts at night. Especially if they were Trent''s Scouts.


    ¡°But you have no verification of what his Class actually is?¡± Glenn asked.


    ¡°No, sir. He has not enrolled at any school nor has he undergone any formal testing,¡± Maggie hesitated but continued on. ¡°There were rumors that his status had been checked four years ago, but I was unable to verify his last name. The mage who powered the magic circle did remember that his natural affinity was Greater Darkness and that he had no battle class at the time, though.¡±


    Glenn nodded and waved his hand.


    ¡°Hm. So he can hold his weight. That¡¯s good to know. Your dismissed, Miss Miranda.¡±


    Rebecca locked eyes with her and tilted her head to the side. She still had to ask Maggie some questions as well. Maggie saw the look and limped over to the nearest wall and stood there. Glenn grimaced.


    ¡°I was told that Apprentice Cleric Isabella healed your injuries?¡±


    ¡°She did, sir. But something didn¡¯t work quite right with her spell. I¡¯m using a temporary knee brace to offload my weight.¡±


    She tapped the side of her knee crisply as a dull metallic clang echoed from beneath her pants leg.


    ¡°Hm. Go to the Healer Hall and get a Cleric to look at the injury. If there is something inhibiting the spell from working, it is better to find out now while Trent is passive.¡±


    Maggie nodded but she leaned on the wall and waited.


    ¡°Do you trust them, your majesty?¡± Glenn asked without warning.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rebecca instantly replied.


    Glenn evaluated the room with a stern eye. This was the key moment, Rebecca realized deep within her heart. And by the same token, possibly the moment their entire relationship could crumble.


    ¡°The Farmer. What is her last name.¡±


    All eyes focused on her. Rebecca wanted to deny it, but the look in Glenn¡¯s eye was telling. He already knew the answer.


    Rebecca knew she had to tell the truth, or she might lose their cooperation. Had Peter was standing right beside her, he would have cautioned her not to confirm anything. That the Imperial family would stop at nothing to find out what he had done, and for what purpose.


    But Peter was dead now. And Rebecca knew she needed all the help she could get during this arduous time.


    ¡°Alduit. Paige Alduit.¡±

 Chapter 64

    The morning air was crisp as Paige stood at the entrance to the settlement they had called home. Everything would be changing now since they were leaving their little haven deep in the woods. She wasn¡¯t a sentimental person usually, but the thought of leaving almost brought tears to her eyes.


    ¡®It had been a long time since I¡¯ve been so hesitant to leave a place. Guess I¡¯m getting old. Older.¡¯


    And what irked her the most was that they had renovated the entire area themselves, and now they were going to let it go to waste. Somewhat.


    Sara stood by the house as she looked around the familiar, yet unfamiliar scene. It had taken a majority of the week to renovate the area. Since Sara would be the only was using it for the foreseeable future, Paige and Zenith agreed that the settlement should be remodeled to suit her needs. Gone was the animal barn, the tiny blacksmith workshop, and the stone fence that used to encircle the area.


    In its place stood a deceptively simple hunter¡¯s lodge, just large enough for Sara and a few others, should she invite her fellow hunters out. On the back was a small hut where Sara could work on her bows, as well as a tiny lean-to, just large enough to hold Sara¡¯s horse and a few supplies. The stone fence was moved in to circle the house, a small vegetable garden, and a tiny clover with just enough space for a large boar to lay on. It was large enough to mark the area and reduced the consumption for the magic circles hidden within the area.


    Paige turned to her larger food plots and her heart nearly broke. Gone was the orderly food plots of varying plants and vegetables. Now, a vast field of clover took its place.


    ¡®Theoretically, that should last quite a long time for Boary, assuming he doesn¡¯t waste it all in one go. Crap, maybe I should leave more seeds for Sara.¡¯


    She turned to look at the small vegetable garden, the last remnants showcasing her efforts at farming. The best of her plants, though she had to admit she had given her an eclectic mix of vegetables.


    Still, it was time to put this stage of her life behind her. Or at least on hold. After all, the good thing about farming was that it could be done anywhere.


    Paige turned to Sara and hugged her.


    ¡°Just remember what Zenith, had taught you. The emergency stash of monster cores is hidden underneath your bed. If Boary is not around, I would suggest you activate the magic circles just to be safe.¡±


    ¡°I will. And thank you, for everything these past few years.¡± Sara said.


    Killing the fire bear had helped ease Sara¡¯s guilt over her former party¡¯s death. Paige was glad to see that some good had come from killing that monster.


    ¡°Paige, we have to get going! We¡¯re already pushing for time! We¡¯re going to be late at this rate!¡± Zenith said from her seat on the covered wagon.


    ¡°I hear you, Zenith! Just give me a second to finish saying goodbye!¡±


    Paige turned to the large boar, who was resting peacefully on his patch of heaven. She patted his body and rested her head on the boar¡¯s side.


    ¡°You be good too, you hear? Sara will be watching over this place for us, though I suspect we will be returning here at some point. She¡¯s also delivering your hay, so be nice to her. And don¡¯t get yourself eaten or anything.¡±


    The boar let out a bored grunt and turned over. Paige knew that he was far stronger than he appeared, and that was fine with her.


    ¡°Take care, Boary.¡±


    Paige turned as the morning sun peeked over the horizon.


    A new day was starting.


    ---


    Their little convoy of wagons had successfully traveled with haste to make it to Nespe. Paige had half hoped that there would be some bandits or something to liven the trip, but her hopes had soon been dashed.


    Paige eyed the patrolling guards as they passed by, her mood worsening as their horses kicked up the dust from the road.


    ¡®Ugh, Cidala is the breadbasket of Alcudia. Our battle must have lit a fire under the army. For Trent to be able to infiltrate that deep into the country is no laughing matter,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    She mentally cursed the wagon that Zenith had rented once again as they hit another divet on the road. She had forgotten just how monotonous and painful traveling to new places really was. Especially when they were using cheap wagons. As much as she appreciated Kate, her means and methods had left much to be desired.


    ¡®Cheap wagons. At least its covered wagons. But still, Kate, would it have killed you to get one that had seat pads? Surely it wouldn¡¯t cost that much more.¡¯


    Still, at least she had Markus and his youthful enthusiasm as her companion for the trip.


    ¡°Aunt Paige! Look at the size of that city!¡± Markus yelled from his seat.


    ¡°Yes, yes. I see it, Markus,¡± Paige called back wearily.


    The city of Nespe would be a grand sight for anyone used to seeing a small village like Cidala, but to Paige, it was still just a glorified castle town.


    Or had been. Paige sat up straighter as the outer city walls came into view. The city walls had been heavily enchanted. She could vaguely feel the mana around the city being drawn inward as the walls somehow absorbed the ambient mana. She squinted her eyes as something else caught her attention. Royal Guards. Although they were in disguise, it wasn¡¯t hard to spot the difference between them and the normal guards. And not only that, Paige noticed idly, there were Demons there as well, watching safely on top of the city walls.


    ¡®Huh. I guess if you can¡¯t pass it, make them your personal guards. Nice job, Rebecca. But a magic circle this big? I know they have an Academy here, but isn¡¯t this slightly overkill?¡¯Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    She slowly pulled on the reins waited for Zenith¡¯s cart to catch up.


    ¡®Surely Zenith hadn¡¯t missed how much mana the city was absorbing. Even I would be hesitant to attack this place.¡¯


    Zenith¡¯s cart came into view, and Paige noticed the frown plastered on her face.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t like this either, I¡¯m guessing?¡±


    Zenith shook her head.


    ¡°No. The city¡¯s absorbing the mana like a sponge.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell what the mana is powering? I mean, if it¡¯s pulling in mana from this far away, the formation should be huge. And highly noticeable. The walls?¡±


    ¡°No, not the walls, though I can tell you that they are benefitting from the ambient mana being so highly charged. But that¡¯s not what worries me,¡± Zenith said quietly. ¡°Besides the libraries, nothing else we¡¯ve seen have had been fortified with magic. Even the defensive castles hadn¡¯t been enchanted. So, what makes this place so special?¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll be finding out soon. Check out the northern walls. Royal Guards. They blend in well, and by the looks of it, they have been integrated into the daily watch. They¡¯ve been here a while.¡±


    ¡°You can tell that much from here?¡±


    Paige sniffed.


    ¡°Well, it also helps that I recognize a few of them.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Zenith? Do you feel that?¡± Markus said.


    Paige turned and saw Markus waving his hand in the air. She was inwardly astounded. Markus could feel that something was different as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s a charged mana zone, Markus,¡± Zenith said quietly. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of mana moving around us.


    ¡°I like it here. It feels just like the forest.¡± Markus said happily.


    ¡°Like the forest? The forest was a dead zone, Markus.¡±


    ¡°Hm? But it felt just like this.¡±


    Markus tilted his head and looked around. Eventually, he stood up and waved his hands in the air, clearly feeling the ambient mana moving though his hands. Paige and Zenith glanced at each other, concern in each of their eyes.


    ¡®...The mana dispersion fog inhibited us, but it didn¡¯t stop our mana absorption....did it affect him differently?¡±


    Paige took a look at the walls and hesitated, shaking her head at Zenith. They were getting awfully close to the range that any experienced Scout could potentially hear their conversation, assuming they had the Skills or spells to do it.


    ¡°Markus, get down from there. You¡¯re liable to get shot by the archers on the wall if you act funny. Look, they¡¯re already aiming at you.¡±


    ¡°Ack!¡±


    Markus dove into the wagon. Paige stifled a laugh as she saw his actions, though she idly noted that Markus had chosen to dive directly behind her.


    ¡°That¡¯s the most excitement we¡¯ve had all day, huh Markus?¡± Paige said with a laugh.


    Markus peeked out from behind her and groaned. ¡°That¡¯s not funny, aunt,¡± he said as he sat back down in his seat.


    ¡°No, and neither is getting shot,¡± Paige murmured. ¡°Nick and Tyler should have reserved an entire inn for us, so we¡¯ll head there as soon as we get inside the town.¡±


    ¡°How would they have enough money to do that?¡± Markus wondered aloud.


    ¡°We¡¯re not poor, Markus. Hmm, maybe I should have tutored you more on adventuring economics. Well, no matter. Once you start your classes, you¡¯ll realize just how filthy rich we are. Not that you should tell anyone, of course.¡±


    ¡°Which class would teach that?¡±


    ¡°Monster Hunting, of course.¡±


    Paige smiled as she heard Markus¡¯s grumbling, though her smile quickly faded as she saw the line of merchants waiting outside the gates.


    ¡°Zenith, hurry to the front and flash your necklace. They''ll let us in immediately.¡±


    ¡°I will most certainly not do that, Paige! We can wait, just like everyone else.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s standard practice for egotistical Scions who can¡¯t wait for anything. They¡¯ll half expect it out of us! It''ll be fine.¡±


    Markus frowned and whispered quietly. ¡°Aunt, I thought you said that it was a f-¡±


    ¡°Figure of speech. Scions are heroes, so of course, that would be rude for someone to say that. Luckily we are an exception to said rule.¡±


    Markus noted her look and nodded his head knowingly. Paige inwardly grimaced. They had already told Markus that Zenith was not a real Imperial Servant, but perhaps they should have worded it a bit differently. There was a big difference between not knowing someone was a fraud and suspecting it. In their case, they were banking heavily on the fact that they were an unknown party.


    Which brought something to the forefront of Paige¡¯s mind. Scion Maxwell. How come he hadn¡¯t done anything these past few years?


    Glancing at Markus, Paige took out her own necklace and discreetly placed it cupped it in her hands, holding it close to her forehead.


    ¡®I¡¯ll teach this trick to Zenith later. Hopefully, she¡¯ll never have to use it though.¡¯


    She stopped. That was on the assumption that the stone she had given Zenith was powerful enough to do said features.


    ''No matter. I''ll put that on my to-do list. Note for future self, check out everyone''s stones and make sure they are not lesser wardstones.''


    Content with herself, Paige closed her eyes and focused.


    Search


    She could see the stone glimmering from behind her eyelids for a brief second, and quickly shoved the stone back under her overalls. Paige frowned as she thought about what she had just seen.


    ¡®...besides the one I gave to Zenith, there are actually no lesser wardstones within three hundred miles of me. Hmm, I guess that really does mean that Maxwell and his servants are actually doing their civic duty at the front lines.¡¯ Paige thought for a second. ¡®Hopefully. I guess they could be undercover and not have a wardstone. But what are the chances of that?¡¯


    ¡°Paige, just be patient. I¡¯m sure someone will notice us and send us in quickly.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine, Zenith. We¡¯ll do it your way.¡±


    Paige tied the reins to the post beside her and leaned back.


    They had at least half the day to kill anyways.


    ---


    ¡°Well, that was half a day wasted. So much for that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t test me, Paige.¡±


    Paige chuckled wryly as she watched Zenith finish paying their entrance fee into the city.


    ¡°What? Expect royal treatment without telling anyone your status? Honestly, Zenith, I could have told you what was going to happen.¡±


    ¡°Hush. We need to hurry to the inn. We still have to get ready for the banquet tonight!¡±


    Paige frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to take that long to get ready, Zenith. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to be dressing up for it.¡±


    Paige chuckled. Zenith did not.


    ¡°...We are most certainly dressing up, Paige.¡±


    Paige raised an eyebrow mockingly.


    ¡°And how exactly does a Farmer afford nice dresses?¡±


    ¡°The exact same way they rent out the entire inn. Easily.¡± Zenith said deadpan.


    Paige stopped and shrugged.


    ¡°Fair enough. Though I am still a Farmer, Zenith.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I am still a Teacher. Now hurry up! We still have to coordinate with Tyler and Nick about the banquet!¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Markus said.


    Paige and Zenith stopped and stared at Markus.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be meeting your new party member, so make sure you leave a good impression,¡± Paige said nonchalantly. ¡°I sent Lily and Tyler a matching set of clothes soon after they left, so chances are they¡¯ll wear it at the banquet. I made you a set so that you¡¯d match Tyler, as well as another set for your new party member.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And who said they weren¡¯t getting ready for a banquet?¡±


    ¡°This banquet will be great!¡± Markus laughed.


    Paige sighed in her heart. ¡®That¡¯s debatable, Markus. Very debatable.¡¯

 Chapter 65

    ¡°And you willingly helped her!? How could you, Shavie!¡±


    ¡°Stella, please. I barely did anything.¡± Shavie paused. ¡°And I got more intel than the three of you combined. Over a cup of tea, no less!¡±


    Shavie leaned her body over the couch and stretched her feet out, landing them straight onto the coffee table.


    ¡®Say what you will about couches, but I¡¯m starting to enjoy actually having one.¡¯


    It was funny how the little things in life mattered far more to Shavie now, she suddenly realized as she stretched out. She frowned as she realized the couch was inhibiting her view of her Party and forcibly leaned into the couch.


    The clear sound of wood breaking echoed in the room, as well as a sharp hiss of air.


    ¡°Shavie! That was a purple heartwood! Do you know how expensive that was!?¡± Stella said.


    ¡°Yes, Shavie. And don¡¯t you remember how much trouble it was finding someone who had one and acquire it? Legally, of course.¡±


    Shavie tested the couch and tilted her head up, the room turning upside down as she looked upward at her close friends. She frowned as Bishner smiled at her own misfortune.


    ¡°I should. I bought all of it, remember?¡±


    Stella faltered.


    ¡°Well, be that as it may, I liked the couch. Now it¡¯s practically ruined.¡±


    ¡°Meh. This is my spot from now on. Not like you can fix it now- huh?¡±


    Shavie felt her body moving forward as someone pushed her feet up into the air, though she regained her balance just as easily. That was one of the first things she learned after all. Being able to keep one¡¯s balance was just as necessary in her line of work as concealment and swordplay were.


    Tilting her head back down, she realized that it was Luna, who had destabilized her.


    And Luna was still holding her feet hostage as she moved them up and down, forcing Shavie to sit up.


    ¡°Rude much?¡±


    ¡°You bought the couch. I picked out the table. Now, explain the real reason why you helped her.¡°


    Luna glared dangerously down at her. Shavie faltered. She recognized that look in Luna¡¯s eye, and as much as she didn¡¯t like to admit, Luna''s skill set was much more useful in situations such as this.


    ¡®I have got to get me one of those Skills. How hard could it really be to learn something that helps in social situations while also being acceptable.''


    ¡°Fine. The pendants matched House Ricnar¡¯s family emblem. I thought I¡¯d give them some trouble. Hmph, I hope they realize how terrible it is to be set up by an ally.¡±


    Shavie had thought long and hard about their time in Alcudia. In fact, they all had. And there was one point they agreed on. Someone set them up. It was clear through the sacrifices and the destruction of the Alcudian capital that whoever had set them up had backers. And House Ricnar was certainly on that list of betrayers.


    Shavie made eye contact with Luna.


    ¡°Ricnar, Lorn, Midler, Harned, Mathos, Alievi, Ederite. Those were the families the Senate tasked with leading the eastern expedition into Evidia and Alcudia. One or more of them were in on whatever this was. I just got the chance to dish out some early revenge, and I took it,¡± Shavie said with conviction.


    ¡°...Fair enough. I probably would have done the same thing.¡±


    Luna sighed and sat down next to Shavie, though she didn¡¯t break the couch. Stella stood up.


    ¡°Luna! We all agreed that-!¡±


    ¡°We agreed to act in the best interest of the party. Well, anything that can weaken the ongoing attack is good news for us right now. And we can all agree that House Ricnar is an obvious enemy anyway,¡± Shavie interjected.


    Luna¡¯s voice sounded out tiredly. ¡°Everyone, just drop it. We have a bigger issue at hand. There are too many Houses attacking at once. Bishner, do you agree?¡±


    Bishner looked down at the map Shavie had drawn and nodded slowly. Everyone had noticed what was wrong, but no one wanted to talk about it. Or perhaps even Queen Rebecca didn¡¯t know why it was important.


    ¡°Twelve separate Houses, both major and minor. But what is more concerning is that their territories are located in the western part of Trent.¡±


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t have retreated...right? Surely they must have closed the portals?¡±


    Bishner frowned as he rubbed his arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely they failed. Even if the regional divisions failed, the Demon Lords should still be able to do it.¡±


    ¡°True¡­¡± Stella frowned as she looked at the pendant symbols Shavi had marked. ¡°Still, some of these families aren¡¯t exactly on the friendliest terms. Bishner, Shavie, assuming we help the Queen, how long can we delay them from entering the country? We can¡¯t exactly leave until Luna can go with us.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Shavie shrugged. ¡°A little bit. Bishner. Your thoughts on it? Nespe is pretty far away, but if we can delay them as long as possible, then that gives us more time to infiltrate Trent while they are busy here in Alcudia.¡±


    Stella nodded happily. ¡°That¡¯d be great. Then Isabella can finish up her schooling here while we investigate.¡±


    Everyone stared over at Stella. Shavie knew that was exactly not what they wanted to happen. They wanted Isabella to experience some of her life in Trent, but they had to agree that the situation right now was not ideal. Eventually, her sister spoke up.


    ¡°Stella, I know you want what is best for Isabella, but we do need to go back home as well. They might need Isabella more than ever.¡±


    ¡°I know. But I also want Isabella to experience a good childhood too,¡± Stella said quietly.


    ¡°We all do, Stella. Really. But now that we know where Markus is, we also have to get ready to return home,¡± Bishner said.


    ¡°But he¡¯s a child too,¡± Luna said unhappily. ¡°That throws a wrench in our plans. We weren¡¯t exactly thinking of taking two kids with us back home.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and it throws a wrench in our plans to investigate as well. If Markus was still an adult, we would be able to at least infiltrate Trent with our Party at full strength. Now though¡­ We¡¯re barely better than a Scout, Luna,¡± Shavie admitted. ¡°Our strengths don¡¯t exactly lend itself to anything except assassinations. Frontal assaults will be a terrible idea, no offense, Bishner.¡±


    Bishner picked up his drink but faltered as it slipped out of his hand unexpectedly. Shavie eyed him suspiciously. She knew that arm was covered in glyphs, but why was it hurting him now? The invasion had started weeks ago, and he had been no symptoms up until a week ago.


    Bishner caught her eye. He shrugged his shoulders as he picked up his cup with his other hand.


    ¡°None taken. A Shieldbearer with three Assassin-type classes isn¡¯t a functional Party, by any means.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll ask him about his arm. He said his arm had started acting up near Trent last time. I should review the information I got from my sources for the past three weeks. Something had happened.¡¯


    ¡°Hey, do you think that he remembers us?¡± Luna asked quietly.


    Shavie looked at her friend. Luna was probably the most devastated by Markus¡¯s disappearance. But then again, that¡¯s probably what happens when your lover goes missing for years on end.


    ¡°Doubt it. Isabella hasn¡¯t said anything about her old Party yet. So chances are faint he would.¡±


    Shavie hated to do it, but even Luna had to eventually let go of the past. They all had to, on some level. But this one fact probably hurt Luna the most. Seeing Luna¡¯s face, she decided to ease the bad news a little.


    ¡°But, sometimes I do wonder what she really remembers. Her Skills are a bit odd, though it¡¯s hard to say whether or not it¡¯s from the party acquisition or from her past. And Markus was a full Demon Lord, so chances might be high that he remembers more of his past than Isabella¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°True, very true Shavie.¡±


    ¡°We are all getting ahead of ourselves. What are we going to do about that Party? We still don¡¯t have a good plan,¡± Bishner said.


    That shut down the conversation in the room. None of their usual plans would be applicable here, not while their own identities were a problem. But the same also held true to the other Party, somewhat anyways.


    ¡°It all depends on that Party¡¯s reaction. We have Isabella at least, so chances are that Warrior isn¡¯t going to be attacking outright,¡± Luna said. ¡°And worst comes to worst, we can expose that they aren¡¯t a true Imperial Servant, though we really have no evidence of it. The most we can do is cast doubt on them.¡±


    Shavie really didn¡¯t like the sound of that plan at all.


    ¡°But Stella also said that their team killed all of us and that Paige was able to stall Markus with a Demon Weapon. Alone, no less. Without Markus here...¡±


    Luna shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re at an extreme disadvantage. And our only edge is Isabella, who- wait, where is Isabella?¡±


    Luna frowned as she looked around the house, seemingly peering through the walls to look for the girl.


    Stella glanced sideways.


    ¡°She¡¯s meeting with Lily. Apparently, they are both getting ready for the banquet at the school.¡±


    ¡°Shit, why did she do that!? We told her not to leave the house!¡± Luna stood up.


    ¡°The Protectors won¡¯t let her leave. Isabella will be fine, even if she¡¯s with Lily.¡±


    ¡°They might still try though,¡± Luna murmured.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s better they fight the Protectors and not us. We¡¯re still inhibited by the fog, Luna! Eight Skills between the four of us before we get incapacitated. That¡¯s not even close to a proper fight,¡± Stella said.


    Shavie frowned. ¡°It could be, under the right circumstances,¡± she tapped her chin thoughtfully. ¡°They might be under some restrictions here as well. We know that the fog erased their memories before, otherwise I¡¯m sure they would have headed this way years ago.¡±


    ¡°And losing their memory is not the same as decreasing the battle capabilities! Luna, you said that the fog hadn¡¯t shown up in the library when the Mage was slinging spells. That already tells us that they aren¡¯t operating under the same circumstances as us!¡±


    ¡°Well, we could try diplomacy,¡± Shavie muttered aloud.


    It wouldn¡¯t be ideal for them, Shavie knew, but it would be the easiest option to get them to come here. A fight here might benefit them, especially if the magic circles Luna and Stella had engraved were activated. That would at least slow down the fog a fair bit. Twenty Skills gave a lot more wiggle room, especially if they flooded the room with Dark mana before the Mage could convert it.


    Shavie blinked, a bit annoyed at the stares she was receiving.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather assassinate someone, but we can¡¯t exactly do that here and now, can we?¡±


    ¡°Shavie. That might just be a good idea,¡± Stella gasped excitedly.


    ¡°Diplomacy? Wait, I haven¡¯t explained-¡±


    ¡°We talk with them. They¡¯re in the same situation as us as well, and they certainly don¡¯t want to expose their cover any more than we do.


    ¡°If we can work together with them, then Markus and Isabella will be in the same Party, and together at all times. Then we slowly work at Markus, while somehow keeping Isabella away from her old party. That¡¯s a good starting point for us, at least!¡±


    Stella prattled excitedly, ignoring the others'' looks.


    ¡°Go and get dressed for the banquet! I¡¯ll talk with Paige since she and I were the last ones to make out of the ritual. You¡¯re a genius, Shavie!¡±


    Seeing Bishner¡¯s and Luna¡¯s odd stare, Shavie felt aggrieved. That was definitely not how she had envisioned the conversation going.

 Chapter 66

    Paige eyed the brightly lit outdoor training grounds and frowned. A large tent stood in the center of the training ground. The perimeter was surrounded by lit torches, though the rest of the school was lit by condensed [Mana Light] placed every so often. She stared at the last well lit post as she walked to the very unusual location for a banquet.


    ¡°So, you never told us that the banquet was going to be in the middle of the training grounds,¡± Paige whispered to Zenith.


    ¡°Lily hadn¡¯t told me that either. I mean, it¡¯s being held at a school. What school doesn¡¯t have a ballroom or something?¡±


    ¡°Apparently this one. It was an old castle, Zenith. Buildings aside, they probably focused more on practicality than formalities.¡±


    ¡°Still,¡± Zenith held her hand tightly. ¡°Does it really matter that much, Paige?¡±


    ¡°Yes, actually. I wouldn¡¯t have worn this dress for one. And it makes it a bit harder to implement our plan.¡±


    Paige could tell that Zenith was looking her over, but she was telling the truth. Their dresses were really meant for the indoors. Even now, she could feel her dress sticking to her legs as she moved forward. It would make for a bad first impression, should she meet anyone before she entered the tent.


    Zenith¡¯s dress was a faded green dress that was cinched at the waist by a leather band, a wavy pattern representing the wind was stamped into the length, while the buckle was a mountain and a tree buckle that interposed itself when it was locked. Nick had made it special for her, to represent both of their affinities. Her blue wardstone shone with a subdued light as it reflected the light of the fires around them. Zenith¡¯s wand was snugly in place on the left arm by a simple cloth band, though her long sleeves would be able to hide it from most who were not looking for it.


    Paige had elected to wear a simple autumn dress, one that perfectly defined her as a Farmer. Her outfit was a solid blue, much like her overalls, though the material was far nicer. Her dress flowed freely around her feet, while a row of buttons traveled down her side to her waist, holding the upper portion of her dress tight across her body, nicely outlining her curves.


    But it was Paige¡¯s accessories that were problematic. Her hoe was still with her, the shaft tied with a leather band which crossed her body. Her hands were covered in worn leather gloves while wrists were laced with thin metal bangles, each one slightly different than the next, though they hardly jingled as she moved. And a simple necklace with a red ruby ring and bluestone, slightly larger than the one Zenith was wearing.


    Paige sighed in her heart as Zenith eyed the Imperial Stone she was wearing. It wasn¡¯t her usual one. No, she knew that one would be far more eye-catching, for really good reasons. And while she desperately wanted to be left alone, she knew that was no longer an option, not now that they were effectively stuck here.


    ¡®Unusual circumstances, for sure. But since there are no other Imperial Servants around, I can probably afford to show it off. Geh, this is exactly not what I wanted to do. Heh, at least Nick and Tyler have one as well, so we all stand out equally¡­ I hope.¡¯


    ¡°So, do these gloves work? You did do it correctly, right?¡± Paige asked suddenly.


    She looked down at her worn leather gloves. Her original idea of killing Markus¡¯s old Party was out the window now, because of one thing Lily had said.


    Her Family.


    Just like how they had raised Markus, Isabella had to have been raised by his Party as well. And Paige knew how it would look if she walked in and attempted to kill Isabella¡¯s family, especially if she had lost her memory as well. The Shaman was her best choice, based solely on her conversation with Markus at the Mausoleum when he had attempted to kill Isabella to stall her.


    ¡°She¡¯s innocent in all of this, Markus.¡±


    So, her entire idea was to engrave a magic circle, hidden on the inside of the glove and talk with the Shaman. If they were okay with cooperating, then it was acceptable. If they weren¡¯t¡­ well, they wouldn¡¯t be able to kill her, not without Markus blocking her.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have problems if someone questions why I am wearing this, Zenith.¡±


    The only material they had that was thick enough to block out the light was leather, so Paige could only hope that her wardstone would distract everyone from her odd choice of accessories.


    ¡°Well, we should have used a lesser reagent then, Paige. Of course mithril will shine through most other material when it is activated. Honestly, I¡¯d be more comfortable if we had more time to do a trial run. But if the book you had was accurate, then it should be casting a [[Silence]] bubble around us, so long as you are holding hands with someone. I haven¡¯t seen any indication that it¡¯s not working.¡±


    ¡°Okay, just remember the plan. Be on the lookout for three females, one male. All high classes and we should assume that they had received support classes, just like us. We don¡¯t exactly know who is coming, but if they are not from the Royal Family, then we can assume it is them.¡±


    ¡°And if they attack us first? You¡¯re positive the mana shield will activate, even when I have it attached to my leg?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Zenith. My friend made it especially for me. The mana shield will only stop fatal attacks. If it doesn¡¯t activate, it¡¯s not a fatal attack.¡±


    Zenith sighed in relief while Paige rolled her eyes.


    ¡®Tch, she seriously thought it was a design flaw? Has she never seen a working mana shield before?¡¯


    Walking forward onto the training grounds, Paige gave a slight smile to the guards stationed there, who was staring quite noticeably at the two of them.


    Paige shyly smiled at the man and started walking forward. She was quite surprised when the man stepped in front of her, barring her path ahead. She was even more surprised when he started stuttering.


    ¡°D, d, d, d, do you have an invitation, madam?¡±


    Paige blinked. Invitations? Why on earth would something like that delay her?


    ¡°We received a verbal one. Hurry up and announce that Miss Zenith Brent and Miss Paige have arrived.¡±


    ¡°I, I, I, I need to see some form of identification.¡±


    ¡°...Our Wardstones are enough, soldier. I don¡¯t care who has given you your orders. Disrespect to the bearer of an Imperial Sigil such as this is the same as offending the Scion in person. So. Move. Now.¡±


    ¡°Bu-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here, soldier. By the Order of the Queen,¡± a clear voice called out.


    Miranda stepped out from the inside of the tent, walking forward with a slight gait. Paige frowned as she eyed the girl. Her dress was a solid black one-piece, a conservative enough dress for someone who wanted to blend into the background.


    ¡®Her injury got better. That¡¯s good. Though, the Cleric hadn¡¯t healed her leg fully. Complications?¡¯


    ¡°Miranda, it¡¯s nice to see you again. You should probably ask for a different healer for your leg though. It looks like you¡¯re still a little stiff.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there were a few complications to the healing process. But it¡¯s getting better, so it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Miranda stopped and stared at her necklace, her eyes darting between hers and Zenith. ¡°I am glad that you are able to make, Imperial Servant Paige. May Alcudia¡¯s light shine in the darkness.¡±


    ¡°Geh, don¡¯t start with that. Farmer Paige. When this is all over, I¡¯m going back to being unknown,¡± Paige muttered quietly. ¡°Your report probably doesn¡¯t help my case at all though, does it?¡±


    Miranda smiled slyly. Paige was in a hurry to find the merchant after seeing the statue and had forgotten one little detail in her haste. She had no real way of binding Miranda, not without adding her to her Party.


    ¡°I made it truthful as possible. Hello, Miss Zenith. You look very different than the last time I saw you. Clothes really do make the person, huh? Oh, will Imperial Servants Nick and Tyler be joining you soon?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be here in a moment after they drop off Markus with his new Party.¡±


    ¡°Great! We¡¯ll give them some time to socialize before they come here. First impressions are key, after all.¡±


    ¡°No kidding,¡± Zenith murmured.


    ¡°Well, if you would allow me the pleasure, I will help introduce you to the people of interest, as well as shielding the two of you from those who would like to curry favors from you.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Paige chuckled.


    ¡°Hah, the queen really knows her stuff. Let me just throw my arms around you while we do it, just to better give the impression that we really know each other well.¡±


    Paige slipped an arm around Miranda¡¯s, though she chose her side carefully. There was no need to injure the girl¡¯s leg more than necessary.


    ¡°Paige¡­¡±


    ¡°Relax, I know how to act. Hey, so who is already here?¡±


    ¡°The Royal Family, Healer Hall, and the kids'' families are already here. The Queen also invited a few of the local merchants and nobles from around the area as well, just for the pretense of honoring the Imperial Family.¡±


    ¡°Great. Well, we can ignore that entire group then. Zenith, you don¡¯t have to say anything to them, and it¡¯s up to you to decide if you want to reply to any of their questions.¡±


    ¡°I know how to act like a Diplomat, Paige. All Mages get trained in common courtesy. Not like someone I know.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s see who has more political acumen then. The winner gets a favor,¡± Paige smirked internally as Zenith¡¯s face subtly changed. ¡°Come, Miranda. If you¡¯d be so kind, do not announce us as we walk in. We¡¯ll meet the people we need to in due time.¡±


    Miranda nodded, though her eye landed squarely on Paige¡¯s hoe.


    ¡°I will need you to leave that outside, of course. And the bangles on your wrist,¡± she pointed over at Zenith too, her eyes looking her up and down for potential threats. ¡°And your wand. Just as a precaution.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m surprised you don¡¯t ask me to take off my necklace and gloves as well. Should I ask why?¡±


    ¡°Lily mentioned you made all of her dresses. And Tyler said the same about his armor. So chances are high that you know [Craft Modification]. No need to let you bring in more material than not,¡± Miranda replied cheekily.


    ¡°...you¡¯re smart. I hope the queen is paying you for your smarts,¡± Paige acquiesced after a second, slowly removing her hoe and bangles before placing it before Miranda. ¡°I do want these back.¡±


    ¡°We have secure storage inside. In fact, the Healer Hall guarantees all the people gathered here today will be safe. Them and their equipment, of course,¡± she juggled the items in her hands before settling to use the hoe as a makeshift walking stick. ¡°Now that safety concerns are settled, I welcome both of you in the name of the queen.¡±


    Paige walked in step with Miranda and parted the cloth door open for her, grabbing her wardstone with her free hand. Miranda gently shook her arm free as they entered and carried the items to a nearby Protector, allowing Paige a moment to survey the room.


    The room was fairly lit, with the majority of light projecting from a rather large [[Mana Light]] spell. A waste of mana, for sure, but she wasn¡¯t about to complain. It would take far more candles than appropriate to light the room otherwise. But a quick glance told Paige which group of people were in the know and which weren¡¯t.


    The Queen and the Healer Hall was easy to spot; their protectors were aligned in a circle around them, clearing a space for them amongst the fairly spacious room.


    Paige couldn¡¯t quite see her friend from where she stood, but she could spot that Miranda had sent word over to the queen. But Paige did catch a familiar face, though it had taken her a second to realize whom she was thinking of.


    Headmistress Prim. She still held herself as she remembered, but the scar across her face was noticeably different.


    ¡®I wonder how she survived the Elder Dragon attack? That¡¯s not something she should¡¯ve been able to survive, alone¡­ A Blessed True Hero. I guess Peter could¡¯ve taken on three, though judging by the scarring he wasn¡¯t able to divert their full attention. Still, it¡¯s a rather light wound, all things considering.¡¯


    Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of another person, one that should not be anywhere near the borderlands. Prim¡¯s guard was following behind her, but Paige could tell that he had already noticed her staring at him.


    ¡®...A High Protector. Here, of all places? Shouldn¡¯t he be protecting some ancient artifact or something at the Imperial Healer Hall? Coincidence, or planned?¡¯


    Paige stepped to the side as Zenith walked in confidently, her head held high as she walked directly toward the Queen. She could hear the gasps as people recognized what Zenith was wearing and was glad that she had hers still in her hand.


    The crowds tentatively surged to Zenith¡¯s destination, the Queen. Paige let out a sigh of relief as soon as Prim and her protector was out of sight and continued to scan the room for the one person she was looking for. She failed to find the Shaman in the time it took Miranda to walk back.


    ¡°Miranda, I thought you said the parents were already here? I see Emilia and Kate, but I don¡¯t see anyone who fits a Cleric¡¯s family,¡± Paige whispered quietly.


    ¡°They¡¯re here. Miss Stella, Luna, and Shavie are all here,¡± Miranda whispered quietly.


    Paige memorized the names, thankful that Miranda knew that much.


    ¡®Shit, I don¡¯t see the Shaman. Did she change bodies as well?¡¯


    Sighing, she gave up on trying to mark their locations and focused on their last party member.


    ¡°Well, you can introduce me to them last. Let¡¯s...say hello to the Healer Hall first, since Zenith is already meeting with the Queen.¡±


    It would be a risk, but she already knew that there was a High Protector stationed here, which left her little to no wiggle room in dealing with them. She was certain that she had been marked as a Party Leader though, as the tingling sensation since she had seen him had never stopped.


    Paige led Miranda by the arm, walking forward as she slipped her wardstone between her and Miranda¡¯s arm, concealing it from any prying eyes. She was relieved that Miranda had only squirmed a little before she got used to the hard stone pressing into their arms.


    ¡°Miss Paige, -¡±


    ¡°Paige please, Miranda. We are all adults.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that. But is there a reason why you are hiding your wardstone?¡±


    ¡°Zenith is already a good figurehead for our Party. The fewer people know I am with them, the better.¡±


    ¡°But you said that the other members will have their stones out?¡± Miranda pointed out.


    ¡°Fine, I want to deal with certain people quietly before I start being watched. Happy?¡±


    ¡°Quite.¡±


    Paige rolled her eyes at the girl¡¯s admission. That was why it was hard to work with upbeat people like her, she realized. Upbeat, or perhaps a better word would be passionate. She evaluated her acquaintance with a steady gaze. Miranda clearly wanted to make the world a better place. Or at least fair, that much was certain.


    ¡®She¡¯s very patriotic. Though, she¡¯s oddly perceptive about everything too. And why does she care about my actions so much?¡¯


    That vexed Paige the most. It hadn¡¯t taken much for Paige to notice that Miranda was trying to force her to protect Alcudia.


    ¡®Geh, first thing first. Figure out why that High Protector is here. And ideally, who he is.¡¯


    Paige led Miranda on a semi-random path, though she knew that it would intersect with the Healer Hall soon. Sooner, in fact. As she sidestepped a couple talking, she walked straight into Prim. Prim and her unknown guard.


    ¡°Cleric Prim, I haven¡¯t had the chance to thank you for your help with healing my leg,¡± Miranda said as she patted her leg.


    Prim sniffed. ¡°And I see you are not following my instructions for bed rest either. Her eyes moved over to Paige. ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°Farmer Paige, I¡¯m a friend of Miranda¡¯s. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Cleric Prim.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure,¡± Prim said with a deadpan voice as she stepped past Paige. Paige knew that would probably be the most common reaction she would get from people now. Farmers were not high on anyone¡¯s list. At least, not until there was a famine.


    Paige shrugged and pulled Miranda aside as Prim continued walking forward, though oddly enough the High Protector bowed his head in acknowledgment.


    ¡°And what is a High Protector doing here?¡± Paige whispered as Prim¡¯s guard stepped by.


    The man stopped slightly. ¡°Doing the same thing as an Imperial Servant, most likely.¡±


    ¡°Paige, that is Sir Glenn. He¡¯s been helping the queen out the past few years,¡± Miranda whispered helpfully as she shook Paige off her arm. Her wardstone slipped out from between their arms and rested square against her chest.


    Paige stopped and looked at Glenn, her mind racing as she thought back to her time in the heartlands of the Empire. She hadn¡¯t had very many dealings with the Imperial Healer Hall, not with them being so close to the Imperial Family. But that name was familiar. And she knew enough to recognize a threat, and the man was one, for all he tried to hide it.


    ¡°... High Protector Glenn Fellis. Shouldn¡¯t you be protecting the Grand Healer or something?¡±


    ¡°I could be asking the same to you,¡± he said.


    ¡°True.¡± Paige nodded.


    She could tell that Glenn was evaluating her with a frown. Paige smirked. Even if he had the Skills available to check her status, her Class of Farmer was not faked. Though Paige had no idea how Miranda or those two Scouts had been so perceptive, she attributed it to their coincidental meeting and seeing her fight in the forest, respectively. Even she would be suspicious if she was in their shoes.


    But Glenn was unsettled. Paige could tell that much from his deepening frown. If he had [Greater Intuition] or something, he should be feeling uncomfortable from being this close to her. Paige stepped forward slightly, watching as Glenn stepped forward to her left side. Her guard side.


    ¡®Tch. I¡¯m getting rusty if he could tell my offhand side.¡¯


    Paige gave a slight nod of her head and was about to walk away when Glenn whispered quietly, ¡°The Queen and I have some things we need to discuss with your Party. About your situation here.¡±


    Paige stopped and narrowed her eyes. That was all she needed to know from the Healer Hall. ¡®Of course, the Healer Hall has something to do with this situation...Wait, about my situation here? Does he know we aren¡¯t Scions? Or is he talking about the ritual?¡¯


    There were too many variables, though Paige realized the biggest one was still the ritual formation. From all accounts, that formation was something that had been etched around the Mausoleum for centuries, well before even she had been born.


    Either way, it was not something to talk about in a room full of people. Paige bowed slightly, ¡°In due time, Sir Glenn. Miranda, if you¡¯d be so kind as to lead the way to the Queen? I think it¡¯s time for me to say hello.¡±


    Paige turned and started walking away from Glennwhen she realized that Miranda was nowhere in sight. Though, judging by the whispers around her, more and more people were realizing what she was wearing.


    ¡®Just my luck. And now my guide is gone.¡¯ Paige sighed and glanced around the room for someone she knew when she made eye contact with a stranger, not even a few paces away. Paige knew she had never met her before, but she was familiar in some way.


    Paige tilted her head in thought as she looked the woman over. The woman¡¯s outfit clearly labeled her as well off, though, judging by the stains in her fingernails, she had to be a Herbalist or something. But it was the eyes that made alarm bells go off in her head. She had a terrible time remembering faces and names, but she never forgot someone she fought against.


    Paige stepped forward to the girl and reached out her hand. For her part, the woman stood there and waited. They both knew who the other was. The Shaman stared at her outstretched glove. Gingerly, she stepped forward and grabbed her hand.


    Driving her mana outward, Paige waited until the tingling sensation passed, waiting for the magic circle hidden in her glove to finish casting the spell.


    ¡°Hello, Shaman.¡±

 Chapter 66.1

    ¡°Is this really a good idea?¡± Isabella asked Lily as she sneaked out of their classroom. ¡°I mean, won¡¯t we get into a lot of trouble for meeting up with Tyler and-?¡±


    They weren¡¯t even dressed for the party yet, and the sun was already dipping below the horizon. In fact, as Isabella turned around to look into their classroom, she spotted their dresses still hanging up on the cloth hangers.


    ¡°All we need to do is get changed and fix our hair, and that won¡¯t take more than a few minutes if we hurry. Come on, Isabella! We won¡¯t have this chance again!¡±


    Isabella could tell Lily was excited. Though the building was guarded, the interior was empty since the school day was over. It was the perfect time to go exploring, according to Lily¡¯s muttering. Isabella blinked as Lily quickly shoved her extra mage robe into her hand.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a little big on you, but the belt cinches. Your outfit is too noticeable. Your hair too, but we can¡¯t fix that right now.¡± Lily looked over with a frown. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to try your mother¡¯s dyes again? They are less smelly than other ones I¡¯ve tried.¡±


    ¡°No thank you. I¡¯m sure that there is another way. I just haven¡¯t remembered it yet.¡±


    Lily rolled her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that before.¡±


    ¡°I swear it¡¯ll work this time! It¡¯s not like the last time!¡± Isabella pouted. Throwing Lily¡¯s mage robe over her head, she fumbled as she pulled it down and scowled as the edges hit the floor. She hiked up the robe and cinched the belt tight across her waist.


    The lights on the building were starting to turn on as the sunlight fully faded away, the corridors slowly turning bright once again. Isabella stopped and looked back one more time as they left the corridor behind them, heading deeper into the building toward the regular classrooms.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s fine, Bella. I was able to sneak a look at the banquet itinerary earlier this week, and we aren¡¯t even showing up til¡¯ the end of the banquet. Mother says the whole thing is about adding more prestige to the Queen; we¡¯re just a bonus to show off how good our education is here at Nespe. Though, even that is a lie.¡±


    Lily peeked into the room and shook her head, moving to the next one. Isabella peeked into the room and looked around. It was much like her own classroom, though with more seats.


    ¡°Hey, Lily? What are we looking for?¡±


    ¡°Well, the rest of our Party is here. Somewhere. So I thought we¡¯d go exploring the rest of the building. It seems strange that there wouldn¡¯t be more to the building than meets the eye.¡±


    Isabella gave her the flattest look she could. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that one before, Lily.¡±


    Lily slowed and flushed. ¡°Yeah¡­ well, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something here! And now we have more people to go explore with!¡± Her eyes practically radiated light as a slow breeze floated past the two of them. ¡°Follow me! I¡¯ve found them!¡±


    Isabella turned to follow and slightly frowned as she jogged behind Lily. She would be lying to herself if she didn¡¯t say she was jealous of Lily. Even though she had a few wind spells as well, she didn¡¯t have the affinity to make the spells work as Lily could.


    Lily stopped at the door and gathered her mana at her feet. Isabella stepped back, knowing exactly what Lily was planning on doing. She rolled her eyes as Lily took a deep breath, and stepped forward and kicked the door, her mana throwing the door open as the wind whipped the room into disarray. ¡°Tyler! Markus! We¡¯re here! Let¡¯s go explore!¡±


    ¡°Lily! We were just about to eat!¡±


    ¡°Whoops. Umm¡­ let me get a rag. I¡¯ll clean that up.¡±


    Isabella followed Lily and laughed. Tyler was sitting down at the table, his sandwich blown to pieces across his face and behind him. He was already wearing his specialty outfit; a form-fitting leather armor with a shield emblem stitched over his heart. That suited him since he was a Vanguard and all.


    But the other boy. Isabella looked at him and felt...odd. He must have been sitting in front of Tyler since only his hair was blown back. He too was wearing a leather armor set, though as she looked at his back, she noticed a few straps that could possibly hold a sword. Or maybe both armors were like that.


    But as the unknown boy turned to face her, the odd feeling grew inside her. He was a stranger, and yet he seemed familiar. His eyes and hair were dark black, much like her mother¡¯s hair. And he held himself like her Uncle Bishner, his hand resting on his hip, right where his sword hilt would have been.


    She made eye contact and the feeling grew; so intense she felt sick to her stomach. A feeling of panic washed over her for some strange reason. It was supposed to be a happy moment, where she met her future party member. But instead, it was quickly turning into unease. His presence scared her. Like a nightmare come to life.


    ¡°Lily? You okay?¡±


    Isabella looked over at Lily, her face plastered with concern.


    ¡°I, I¡¯m fine. I just don¡¯t feel good right now.¡±


    Lily paused and swept the room with her mana and the feeling decreased slightly. She looked over to her Markus with a frown. ¡°Hey, your mana is leaking out, Markus. Can you control your mana?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I can,¡± the boy said as he closed his eyes and took deep breaths.


    ¡°That¡¯s how we feel when we¡¯re around your family. Markus has a greater affinity to darkness, just like your mom. Maybe you¡¯re not used to feeling someone else have such a strong affinity,¡± Lily said quietly.


    The feeling faded slightly as the boy opened his eyes and stared at her, though she quickly hid her feelings deep into her heart. ¡°...yeah. Thanks, Lily. Ar-, are we going to go explore now?¡±


    Lily stared suspiciously at her face, clearly looking for signs that Isabella was lying, but she channeled her inner Aunt Shavie and fooled Lily. ¡°Yeah, since there are no teachers around, I thought it¡¯d be cool to go and check out the upper floors since we won¡¯t be here much longer.¡±


    Lily quickly cleaned up the mess and turned to the three of them. ¡°Okay, Cidala¡¯s Heroes, follow me!¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ----


    Isabella followed hesitantly behind the three of them, her eyes never leaving the unknown boy¡¯s back. No, not unknown. Markus. Markus¡¯s back.


    ¡®Why does Markus scare me so much?¡¯ she thought as she walked behind her group silently. She bit her lip. ¡®It doesn¡¯t make sense. I don¡¯t even know him, so why am I so bothered?¡¯ She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she ran straight into Markus¡¯s back.


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    ¡°Sorry! Are you okay... Isabella?¡± Markus asked.


    He held out his hand, but Isabella hesitated.


    ¡°I, I, I can get up by myself,¡± she said hurriedly.


    Markus tilted his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re scared of me. But why?¡± Markus asked.


    Isabella looked down. He wasn¡¯t scary. She just didn¡¯t feel comfortable around him for some reason. ¡°Your mana feels weird,¡± she muttered.


    Markus started. ¡°... it feels weird to me too, recently. But no one else had said anything, so I thought it was just my imagination.¡±


    Isabella shook her head. ¡°It feels dark. And scary.¡±


    Markus frowned, his brow creasing in thought. ¡°My family and fought had to fight recently. Some demon soldiers came over and did some terrible things. Its mana felt the same way. Maybe I absorbed some of it when I was running low?¡±


    ¡°I, I guess?¡± Isabella pondered over that. She knew it was possible to absorb ambient mana, but wouldn¡¯t that mean the affinities had to be similar? She shuddered as she realized that whatever had happened could happen to her since she had an affinity to darkness as well.


    As they turned a corner, they ran straight into Lily, who had a fake smile plastered on her face. ¡°Soo, what¡¯s the big secret?¡±


    ¡°He feels funny,¡± Isabella blurted out. She blushed as everyone turned to her and she realized what she had said. ¡°I mean, Markus absorbed some bad mana, so his mana feels funny.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Is that what¡¯s causing your discomfort? His mana feels normal to me.¡± Lily waved her hand around Markus, a slight breeze filled the hallway as Lily channeled her mana. ¡°Well, mostly normal. It gets hard to control my mana as it gets close to you. Hmm, did mentor teach you how to passively resist mana?¡±


    Markus nodded. ¡°She did.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s just that then. We can ask your family later, Markus. But for now, we need to hurry before it¡¯s time for us to leave.¡±


    Lily grabbed Isabella by the hand and briskly walked forward, passing various signs that stated no students were allowed.


    Isabella did not like the look of the signs. ¡°Lily, are you sure we can go this way?¡±


    ¡°The signs say keep out, so that is exactly what we are not going to do,¡± Lily said excitedly


    ¡°And what exactly is this way, Lily?¡± Tyler stopped to read a sign. Isabella looked and paled.


    Caution: Enter at your own risk.


    ¡°Lily, I don¡¯t like this,¡± Isabella said.


    ¡°This way is the most secretive place of all. At least, in this building. The Teacher¡¯s Lounge. Peter reinforced this area himself, you know.¡±


    Markus looked at the signs suspiciously. ¡°Lily, that is ridiculous. I don¡¯t think the teachers would play a trick like that.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll find out soon enough,¡± Lily said with a smile.


    ¡°I hate to burst your bubble, Lily, but we¡¯re running out of time,¡± Tyler said. Isabella turned to look. Tyler was looking out the window at the night sky. The lights from the school made it hard, but Isabella knew he was trying to figure out the time based on the star¡¯s location.


    ¡°Ah, come on. It¡¯s not that late.¡±


    ¡°You and Isabella still need to get ready for the banquet. We¡¯re not supposed to be late for it,¡± Tyler pointed out.


    Lily stopped and peeked quickly out the window.


    ¡°We should have enough time to check it out.¡±


    ¡°As much as I like dangerous signs in a school, we can¡¯t be late for the banquet. Remember, we still need the queen¡¯s recommendation before we go.¡±


    Lily stopped and wistfully stared at the hallway. The signs were becoming sparser now, though Isabella could still see a few that heavily cautioned people to stay away. She watched as Lily hesitated, the war between adventure and caution clearly raged in her mind. Though to Isabella¡¯s relief, caution emerged victoriously.


    ¡°Ugh! Fine. We¡¯ll save the adventure for another time. Come on, Bella. Let¡¯s go get changed.¡±


    Isabella was glad they turned around, though she wondered what exactly was down the hallway.


    ---


    Isabella waited her turn for the mirror and started to braid her hair as Lily undressed, quickly changing into the pale green dress that had been hanging on the rack. It looked good on Lily, Isabella thought. The pale green dress coordinated well with her hair, though a few of the accessories were a tad weird. The belt and wrist bands were all made of fine leather and matched the outfit, but it was the headband and necklace that was odd.


    A polished green stone was hanging from a leather necklace, one that was familiar to both of them. It was the same stone that was embedded into Lily¡¯s staff. The hairband was a copper circlet that was open in the front and rested directly on Lily¡¯s forehead.


    All together, Isabella was sure Lily enjoyed her outfit. Isabella looked over at her and sighed. It was still just a solid white robe, the same standard Cleric robe she had been forced to wear to school for the past four years.


    ¡°So, what did you think of Markus? Your true thoughts, Bella.¡± Lily said.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Your thoughts on Markus. Did he really seem that scary to you?¡± Lily asked lightly. She tidied up a few creases in her outfit in the mirror as she waited for her reply, though her eyes never left Isabella.


    Isabella bit her lip and looked away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I acted funny, Lily. He¡¯s okay. I think we¡¯ll be a good party,¡± Isabella partially lied. She didn¡¯t quite know what to make of the boy yet. And she already missed just having Lily and Tyler in her party. They were her friends! And now a childhood friend was coming along.


    Lily noticed. ¡°He¡¯s been lonely, Isabella. He hadn¡¯t had much of a childhood, not where his family was.¡± Lily sighed. ¡°Look, I¡¯ll ask my mentor about the weird mana feeling you get from him. Better safe than sorry since you can feel it. Though, he is a friend, Lily. I promise nothing bad will happen, not while Tyler and I are around.¡±


    Lily stepped away from the mirror and grabbed Isabella¡¯s outfit for her. Stepping forward to grab her outfit from her friend, she blinked as she touched the fabric. The outfit was far nicer than she was used to. Though it was still solid white, the robe felt smoother to the touch. Even the edges of the robe were lined with some type of silvery thread.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift from Markus¡¯s family. His aunt is a really good tailor, among other things,¡± Lily said cheerfully. ¡°She also made our armors for us.¡±


    Isabella traced the outline of the silver thread across the hem of her sleeves. Though the outfit was identical, the material was smooth like silk, yet it also had some weight to it.


    Stepping forward to the mirror, she unclasped her belt and took off Lily¡¯s old robe. Putting her new robe on, she noticed why it weighed more. Though it was hard to see from the inside, she could tell there were a few thin sheets of metal stitched to the inside of the robe. As she attached her adventurers'' pack to her belt, she was surprised at how flexible the metal sheets were.


    ¡°It¡¯s a really nice robe. His aunt sounds incredible.¡±


    Lily smirked. ¡°She is. But your family is great too, you know. Though, maybe you should ask your mom to give us a better discount on stuff. Like, make it free, perhaps.¡±


    ¡°I think my mother would kill me if I did that, Lily.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d kill us, Bella. You, not so much.¡±


    Isabella thought about that. ¡°True. She doesn¡¯t believe in handouts.¡±


    Isabella could hear a voice call out from outside. ¡®It must be time to go,¡¯ she thought to herself. ¡®It¡¯ll be fine. Mother will be there, and so will my aunts and uncle. They¡¯ll keep me safe.¡¯


    ¡°Lily, everything will be okay, right?¡± Isabella asked before she opened the door.


    ¡°Yeah. Everything will be.¡±

 Chapter 67

    ¡°Hello, Shaman.¡± Paige smiled slightly at the girl in front of her, though even she could feel that her smile was very, very insincere. She lifted her other hand to her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s a [[Silence]] bubble. Use your other hand to block your mouth. It¡¯ll stop the others from hearing us, but they could still read our lips.¡±


    The Shaman nodded slowly and brought up her own hand. ¡°That¡¯s mighty impressive, for a Warrior. Or should I call you Paige?¡±


    ¡°Call me what you will. So which one are you? Stella, Luna, or Shavie?¡± Paige asked quietly. They didn¡¯t have much time. She could tell that they were already attracting attention.


    ¡°Shavie.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit. I¡¯ve already met Shavie. And Bishner. And Zenith mentioned that the librarian¡¯s name is Luna. So that leaves you as Stella. We¡¯ll meet up after this, but let me just remind you of something. If you hurt Isabella, I will kill you all.¡±


    ¡°I can say the same about Markus.¡± Stella¡¯s eyes turned sharp.


    Releasing their handshake, Paige stepped forward and watched the crowd next to Stella. She could tell that Zenith and Glenn had seen her talking with someone, though both had very different expressions. Paige inwardly grimaced as a few Protectors moved in closer around them. The Healer Hall was watching over Stella. Had to watch over, Paige corrected herself. They couldn¡¯t exactly let Isabella¡¯s ¡°mother¡± die under their protection.


    She eyed her glove and noticed she had some time to kill before the magic circle would dissipate. ¡°...you know. This is not exactly how I expected to meet your Party. Here, peacefully at a banquet,¡± Paige whispered.


    Stella looked at her warily. ¡°Oh? And how did you think it was going to happen?¡±


    ¡°Well, if I went with my initial plan, it would have ended with me standing over your dead bodies. But I can¡¯t exactly do that now.¡±


    Stella scoffed and whispered back. ¡°You really expected it to go just like that? Waltz up and kill a few people, and then what, kidnap Isabella and successfully escape?¡±


    ¡°Well, ideally Isabella would remember who I am. I¡¯ll admit, there were a few weak points in my plans. And while I¡¯ve never had to kidnap a person before, today¡¯s a new day to learn.¡± Or not, Paige thought to herself as she eyed the gathering Protectors. Having the Healer Hall involved was never part of her plan either. They wouldn¡¯t be able to stop her, but they could slow her down. Especially Glenn.


    Stella must have known that too, judging by how she looked around. Or rather¡­ ¡°Still, your group has shown an awful lot of restraint. Shavie and Bishner had me marked for well over two years now.¡±


    Stella gave no response. That was fine with Paige though. She didn¡¯t need someone to talk to. Rather, she just wanted to pass the time. And what better way to do it than with a potential enemy.


    ¡®No, not an enemy. Diplomacy, Paige. Get it together! You¡¯re not exactly warming yourself up to Stella. Remember, she is Isabella¡¯s family now.¡¯


    Paige inhaled heavily and let go of her irritation. Isabella¡¯s new family.


    ¡°Well, time heals all wounds and such. And since both of our groups have rather¡­ unique situations, I see it only fair to let the water flow under the bridge and all that. Since you guys have Isabella, and we have Markus, how about we have a get-together and discuss what our relationship between our two parties will be moving forward?¡± Paige half-heartedly said.


    That got Stella¡¯s attention. Paige could see why it would, as it heavily favored their Party. Even if Stella was still a Shaman, Paige¡¯s (forged) identity as an Imperial Servant would still grant her far more leverage than Stella could resist.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Well, so long as you don¡¯t try to kill us, we won¡¯t either. You have my word as our Party Leader.¡±


    Stella studied Paige and smiled.


    ¡°Well then, this is exactly why I said I should talk to you instead of the others. I¡¯m sure that the others would have messed something up by now,¡± Stella took a look at the gloves and waved her hand, clearly feeling the ambient mana. ¡°It looks like your spell will fully dissipate soon. We need to chat longer. Where?¡±


    Paige shrugged. ¡°Neutral location. Library or something works for us¡±


    Stella shook her head. ¡°My house. You¡¯d have a legitimate reason to visit, with Markus joining their party and such.¡±


    Stella gave a glance at Paige and walked forward to Kate, who was quickly moving towards them with Miranda in tow.


    Paige blinked. What was¡­


    ¡°Kate. My favorite shopkeeper! Tell me, has my products been selling well?¡±


    ¡°Stella! It¡¯s been selling well, actually. In fact-¡±


    Paige watched their interaction from the behind and sighed in relief as she took a glance around. The Protectors were backing off, now that she wasn¡¯t interacting one on one with Isabella¡¯s parent figure. She knew that the Healer Hall would be hesitant to let a Scion talk with a Cleric¡¯s family, especially an Apprentice¡¯s family.


    Still, it was hard to ignore Kate talking with her former enemy. Paige could feel her eyebrow twitching as they made small talk. Though, after a moment of thought, Paige realized that it wasn¡¯t too weird for Kate to know Stella, especially if Stella and her group were also primarily Support Classes.


    ¡°Kate, what does she sell?¡±


    ¡°Potions. Really good ones too,¡± Kate answered. ¡°Stella here is a natural at potion-making, and Tyler and Lily use her a lot to stock up on supplies. You wouldn¡¯t believe the efficacy of potions for wound care!¡±


    ¡°I would, but I don¡¯t believe in potions to heal wounds,¡± Paige said. She blinked as everyone looked at her skeptically. ¡°I don¡¯t! I would never trust my health to someone else. Especially for potions! I¡¯ve nearly died every time I¡¯ve taken a potion before. Besides, a few bandages and herbs will do the same with time. If you¡¯re going to bleed out before that, then you¡¯re doing something wrong.¡±


    ¡°... what potions were you taking at the time?¡± Stella asked skeptically.


    Paige glanced away. She hadn¡¯t really known what potions she had been drinking. She had so many random ones that she had taken in her initial escape, and none of them were labeled. ¡°The healing type? Come to think of it, I think I got mana poisoning each time, no matter which potion I used. After the first initial time, I sorta just wrote off potions completely.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Your mana core must have been pretty small if you got mana poisoning from just taking a standard potion... You can tell by the glow how much mana has been infused into the creation of it. How much was it glowing?¡±


    ¡®Well, that may have been the problem. I could use them as a torch if I needed too,¡¯ Paige thought to herself. Clearing her throat, she continued. ¡°Well, regardless, dependency on potions is dangerous. Miranda, have my other companions already arrived?¡±


    Paige took a glance at her crystal and noted that it had started shining. Nick and Tyler should be nearby, she knew from experience. Miranda stepped forward to answer, though Paige spotted Kate¡¯s wry grin. Kate knew her actual name, not the fake name she had called her. She made a mental note to ask Kate about it and focused.


    ¡°They have. Sir Nick is with Miss Zenith, and Sir Tyler is with Miss Shavie.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well then. I¡¯d love to stay and talk with the two of you; Kate; Stella; but I should probably see my companions. And Stella,¡± Paige added after a brief second, ¡°I¡¯d love to do dinner with you and your family. Kate, if you could ask Emilia about joining us as well, that would be great.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to stay and talk?¡± Kate asked.


    ¡°While I would love to, Kate, I still have to talk to one other person. Could you do me a favor though? When you have the time, tell Tyler not to bug Shavie. The Healer Hall is already having a fit and I¡¯d rather not make it worse.¡±


    ¡°Umm, sure Paige, bu-¡±


    ¡°Miranda, care to show me to the queen?¡±


    ¡°Most certainly, Miss Paige. I¡¯ll see you around, Kate.¡±


    As Paige walked off, she looked at Miranda with suspicion clear in her eyes. Miranda was a weird one, that much was certain. And the chains of coincidences that surrounded Miranda were odd as well. Paige smiled lightly at the gathering crowd around her, though her smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes. The more astute bystanders quickly left, quietly dragging their slower companions away. ¡°How secure is this room, Miranda? For private conversations.¡±


    ¡°Fairly secure. The queen filtered the guests list herself, and the Healer Hall had set their terms down for those entering. They will not tolerate eavesdropping Spells.¡±


    ¡°So, before we get to the Queen, tell me Miranda, who are you exactly?¡±


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m just your average Scout,¡± Miranda whispered.


    ¡°Mhmm. A Scout who happens to have a child. I may be old, Miranda, but I know how Rebecca trains her Royal Scouts. And I specifically remember the rules of conduct for Royal Scouts.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re oddly well versed in Alcudian affairs. For an Imperial Servant, I mean,¡± she paused. ¡°You are right about that but the rules can be bent, especially if the Queen authorizes it.¡±


    ¡°True, but not this much. Having a potential weakness like that is far too risky. And that means something.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hardly one to talk. You¡¯ve bent more rules than I have,¡± Miranda muttered. ¡°My husband takes care of her when I¡¯m preoccupied with this job. His job is far more¡­ stable than mine, so it works out nicely.¡±


    ¡°And your relationship to Kate is¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister in law. I married her older brother, Kevin Madson.¡±


    ¡°Huh, so that¡¯s how Joanna plays into all of this. So I guess the two of them are not here then, since you are ¡®Miranda¡¯ right now.¡±


    ¡°My husband has time to spare. He¡¯s an innkeeper, after all. He just has to hire extra help to watch Joanna and keep the business going.¡±


    ¡°And you come from up north?¡±


    ¡°Northeast. We live in Trulton.¡±


    Paige nodded but was furiously thinking. A lot could change in eight years, but the innkeeping business didn¡¯t change that often, Paige knew. Sure, an innkeeper could die, but the family would always pick it up and start anew. But she was sure there were no Madson¡¯s who owned an inn eight years ago.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°So, umm, which inn does your husband own? It¡¯s been some time since I¡¯ve been over that way.¡±


    ¡°Singsong Inn. It¡¯s in a nice spot in town. Not too close to the Guild Hall, but just enough so that we are favored by Adventurers and Mercenaries.¡±


    ¡°Hm? I thought the owner was a young girl?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯d let a girl run an inn by herself, especially one with Adventurers? No, she left the business long ago. Said something about following her heart. But that was years ago.¡±


    Paige exhaled quietly. That was most definitely Maggie¡¯s inn. Paige blinked as she thought about Maggie. The girl had left to do something else? ¡®Following her heart¡¯? She had a conversation about that once, but for the life of her she couldn¡¯t remember exactly what it was about. She only knew that it happened when Maggie was really little, long before she had gotten her Apprentice Innkeeper Class.


    ¡®Check on Maggie later¡­ Maybe check on all my friends here, just to see how they are doing. But later.¡¯


    Paige cocked her head slightly as they approached the queen. Zenith was still talking to her? Nick was close behind her, so it wasn¡¯t too strange. But did they even have enough topics to talk about? They were even talking right up to the point where Miranda stepped in.


    ¡°Your majesty, Imperial Servant Paige would like a word with you,¡± Miranda said, curtsying slightly to Zenith.


    ¡°After you are done talking. I didn¡¯t realize you two had so much in common, Zenith,¡± said Paige.


    Zenith tilted her head slightly. ¡°No, we were about done anyway, Paige. I was just talking to Rebecca here about the invasion from Trent. Apparently Imperial Scion Maxwell is taking it more seriously now, ever since we set up our base in the forest.¡± She smiled slightly, though it hardly reached her eyes.


    Paige smiled back and nodded. ¡®A base set in a forest? Hah! They mistook the ritual for a large scale [[Fortification]] spell? ¡­ Actually, that would be a logical conclusion, since that spell discharges a mana wave that can be felt hundreds of miles away. But how would they know that?¡¯


    ¡°Yes, the Imperial family has its ways to track illegal [[Fortification]] spells. Luckily, Peter had already set up everything in advance for us. Can¡¯t be letting just anyone build a hidden fortress near the borderlands,¡± Paige said. Technically true, since someone was able to recognize a mana wave. And she did do a ritual, though it wasn¡¯t the same as a fortress.


    But she knew she was stalling. She looked over at her old friend and smiled, just a bit sadly.


    ¡°Your majesty, I am pleased to make your acquaintance,¡± Paige said, bowing deeply. It was the least Paige could do for Rebecca, not after she had failed her all these years.


    Alexandra; Daniel; Beatrice; Isabella. Each one she said she would be there for, and yet each one she failed. Even being isolated in the woods, Paige could guess what was happening to Rebecca¡¯s children.


    Paige already knew the fate of Alexandra, that one was evident by Maxwell¡¯s presence. She had far too little hope that she was in good health; as she knew the horrors of the Imperial Family all too well, even if she had escaped before she had to deal with it personally. Daniel was off playing a fool to Maxwell¡¯s fiddle. She had little faith that he was pretending. No, power corrupted, and he had already severed the familiar bond between him and the rest of his family.


    Beatrice had to be a prisoner, either for the Healer Hall or by proxy for the Scion. The Healer Hall would be the far better option for her. And then there was Isabella. The one person she promised to keep safe. It was just a simple scouting mission. In and out. But instead, she had gotten her killed.


    Paige realized she lost track of time. Her friend was just standing there, waiting.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Repeat that again?¡±


    ¡°I said, I¡¯m pleased to meet your acquaintance, Miss Paige.¡±


    ¡°Paige, your majesty. You can call me Paige.¡±


    ¡°Farmer Paige, Warrior Paige, or Imperial Servant Paige? Which would you like?¡±


    ¡°...if I said Farmer, would you believe me?¡±


    ¡°I would. I am fortunate to be privy to a few secrets, both from Glenn and Peter.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Good. Farmer Paige then.¡±


    Paige stood there awkwardly, the words dying in her mouth before she could utter them. I¡¯m sorry, Rebecca. I¡¯m sorry your family had to go through this. Her regrets still lingered, even though the world had changed around her.


    ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°The children are about to arrive, your majesty.¡±


    Paige started but Miranda interrupted her. Rebecca looked pensive.


    ¡°Already? I thought they weren¡¯t supposed to be here until much later?¡±


    ¡°They are the stars of the banquet. We need to give them a chance to mingle as well. They are the future of Alcudia, after all. And the Healer Hall invited them over after they noticed where they were exploring.¡±


    ¡°Well, Paige, I am sorry to cut our time together short. We¡¯ll have to catch up later.¡±


    ¡°Of course. May Alcudia¡¯s light shine in the darkness.¡±


    Paige smiled and backed away. It wasn¡¯t a good time to talk anyway. Watching her friend go, she turned and almost ran straight into Zenith, who quickly grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind, Paige!¡± Zenith said after the gloves had fully activated. ¡°I mean, at least you could try to not be weird.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for getting reminiscent.¡±


    ¡°We need her to get us passage to Alduit Academy! We still don¡¯t have a way to settle down there, not without help.¡±


    ¡°... yeah, about that. We might have some leeway with that, since the other party is willing to talk with us. It looks like our assumptions were right about them, they are being restricted somehow, just like us.¡±


    ¡°How badly? Do we have the upper hand, or not?¡±


    Paige frowned. ¡°Both of our situations are not ideal. It¡¯s tough to say how much they are being restricted, but I can say that their classes have changed, just like ours had.¡±


    Paige shifted to look behind Zenith and noted people were gathering around to the entrance. ¡°It looks like the kids are here. We¡¯ll have to pick this back up later.¡±


    Paige gently pulled her hand away and started walking towards the entrance. She could already feel a headache coming.


    ¡®Glenn; Stella; Miranda; Kate; Rebecca; Zenith. Gah, my list of conversations are getting even longer... I guess Miranda and Kate aren¡¯t that important for now. So that leaves Zenith; Stella; Glenn; Rebecca.¡¯


    Paige already knew that she would personally have to talk with Glenn and Rebecca. Zenith was a good Diplomat, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to navigate around someone of his stature. Rebecca too, though to a lesser degree.


    ¡®Rebecca had some serious equipment on herself. Her armor was better, her gloves were fairly good and could doing something, and the scepter she was holding wasn¡¯t normal either. Did the Healer Hall give it to her, or had Peter given her something? Rebecca would be the best person to ask about what Peter had been doing here in Alcudia.¡¯


    ¡°-Alcudia¡¯s next generation of leaders!¡±


    Rebecca¡¯s voice interrupted her train of thought. Peering over the crowd on her tiptoes, she could spot the kids fairly easily.


    But it was Isabella who caught her eye. Her platinum hair reflected the light almost as much as her new robe. The silken sheen of the fabric playfully reflected the light as she stood there. Of course, Lily and the others were standing nearby as well, though she scoffed at Zenith¡¯s choice for Lily. She was almost a mirror image of Zenith, except younger.


    ¡®Good, at least the kids will be a welcome change,¡¯ Paige thought.


    ¡°How much longer do we have to stand here?¡± Markus whispered to no one in particular.


    ¡°Markus, hush. The Queen has to do this,¡± Lily whispered.


    They all listened halfheartedly to the queen¡¯s speech. Markus grumbled as the queen started heavily embellishing Lily, Isabella, and Tyler¡¯s accomplishments while they were at Nespe. Lily fought three wolf packs alone, and it was all thanks to her education at Nespe? Markus rolled his eyes as he heard that.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t she have done this before we got here then?!¡±


    ¡°Markus, at least show some courtesy to the queen. You know your aunt is going to be mad if you keep acting like that. At least pretend to smile,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°Ugh. Fine.¡±


    Markus scanned the crowd for his aunt and sighed in relief when he didn¡¯t find her immediately. Still, he knew that Lily and Tyler were right. It was only natural to let the Queen toot her own horn about how Lily and Tyler had grown.


    His eyes looked over to his last companion, who was searching the crowd of people for a familiar face as well. He shifted in place slightly as he leaned sideways toward Isabella. ¡°Pst. Hey, who are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°My mother. She said she would be here, but I don¡¯t see her.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t find my family either. Still, after the queen is done we can go and look around. I¡¯m sure Lily and Tyler will want to peruse the banquet hall as well.¡±


    ¡°Peruse?¡±


    ¡°Same thing as wander. I think?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Markus fidgeted. He knew that Isabella was still wary of him. ¡®My whole family is really interested in Isabella though. I have to make a good impression!¡¯


    ¡°-Alcudia¡¯s next generation of leaders!¡±


    The sound of polite clapping startled Markus slightly, though he was glad that he was finally able to wander freely about the hall.


    ¡°Aunt Shavie!¡± Isabella cried to his left.


    Markus turned and saw an adult turn and smile. His brows raised in astonishment as he saw who was standing next to Isabella¡¯s aunt. Uncle Tyler.


    Isabella turned in shock as Markus stepped forward with her.


    ¡°Miss Shavie, Uncle,¡± Markus said politely. ¡°Uncle, this is Isabella, who is part of Lily¡¯s party. Isabella, meet my uncle, Tyler.¡±


    ¡°And Markus,¡± called a voice from behind. ¡°Meet Shavie; Isabella¡¯s aunt as well as a professional bodyguard.¡± Markus turned and saw his aunt standing right behind him. She tutted playfully. ¡°Well, so far I¡¯ve met Stella; Shavie; and Bishner. So where is the other one in your party?¡±


    ¡°Ah. Miss Farmer. I guess tilling wheat is a good way to move up in the world,¡± Shavie said.


    ¡°It is a fairly lucrative job, I¡¯ll admit; though I want a refund for my message. You never did give it to Tyler or Lily.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve met her before?¡± Lily asked from the side.


    Paige smiled slightly, though Markus could tell she wasn¡¯t really smiling. ¡°Briefly. Small world we live in, eh?¡±


    ¡°Very,¡± Shavie said. ¡°Isabella, meet Imperial Servants Paige and Tyler.¡±


    ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you,¡± Isabella said.


    ¡°Hah! I knew you were more than a Farmer!¡± Lily cried.


    ¡°Just slightly more. Though, you have to admit my crops are delicious,¡± Paige said playfully. Turning to Isabella, his aunt dropped her playful attitude and took on a far more formal look. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you too, Apprentice Cleric Isabella Freal Platz. You and your family.¡±


    ¡°Where is my mentor at, Miss Paige?¡± Lily asked quickly.


    Paige shooed her and Tlyer off in the right direction. ¡°Go over and greet her. I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s over there. And make sure you mention you like your clothes.¡±


    ¡°Great, thank you!¡±


    ¡°umm... thank you for the clothes as well. Lily said you made it.¡± Isabella spoke up.


    Markus watched everything from the side and noticed something peculiar. His uncle had quickly stepped away from Isabella¡¯s aunt for some reason, while Miss Shavie stepped slightly forward to guard Isabella. And more telling, Paige had stepped and placed her hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you like it. Only a girl would realize how precious the material is. Markus would probably have ruined the cloth if I made anything for him with it.¡±


    Markus could feel his face heating up.


    ¡°Aunt Paige!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only the truth, Markus. Even your leather armor gets roughed up in the underbrush. I¡¯d hate to see what would happen if you were wearing anything less sturdy than that.¡±


    ¡°Isabella, it¡¯s time to go say hello to your mother,¡± Shavie said. ¡°I would say it was a pleasure, but I don¡¯t know how much I trust an Imperial Servant, not from what I¡¯ve heard about Scions themselves.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is a good thing that we will be having dinner together then. It¡¯ll be nice to work out our differences.¡±


    ¡°Tch. Let¡¯s go, Isabella.¡±


    ¡°Bu-¡±


    Markus frowned as he looked between his aunt and Isabella¡¯s aunt, who was clearly avoiding them. But It was clear that they knew each other somehow. And it was strange how they were emphasizing certain parts of their discussion.


    ¡°Hey aunt, do you know them, personally?¡±


    His aunt grabbed his hand and smiled sadly.


    ¡°... I guess it¡¯s time to tell you a few things. Yes, there is some bad history between us; but, that happened long before you or Isabella were born. We were hoping that things would get be better now that the two of you are in the same Party.¡±


    ¡°Is it something to be wary of? Should I tell Lily and Tyler?¡± Markus asked with concern.


    Paige paused. He could already tell she was trying to word her situation in a positive light.


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s just something we have to work out with Isabella¡¯s parents. You¡¯ll understand when you grow up. Certain things can be resolved peacefully, but only if both parties step back.¡±


    ¡°And what if Isabella¡¯s family doesn¡¯t step back?¡±


    ¡°Then I beat them until they do.¡±


    ¡°Aunt¡­¡±


    ¡°Either way Markus, it won¡¯t affect your Party. We all agree on that much.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Nothing will stop the two of you from being in the same party,¡± Paige said resolutely. ¡°Now, go and enjoy the banquet. Don¡¯t talk to strangers, and smile politely to everyone. Good impressions are key, after all.¡±


    Markus eyed his aunt and then Isabella¡¯s aunt who disappeared within the crowd. He wasn¡¯t sure that his aunt knew how to make a good impression.

 Chapter 68

    ¡°I¡¯m here to see the Queen,¡± Paige said.


    She tapped her foot briskly as she waited to enter the room, but a familiar face was stopping her from entering. She had a lot of things to get done today, and being forced to wait was not going to work for her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Imperial Servant, but I can¡¯t allow you to enter just yet. The Queen is in the process of issuing war orders to the Army. The Healer Ha-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that shit, Haille. I know full well that the Healer Hall is afraid I¡¯ll steal one of their ¡®precious artifacts¡¯ or whatever. Go get High Protector Glenn.¡±


    Paige knew she would be able to check two things off her list if Glenn was present as well. Both Rebecca and Glenn had to know what Peter was up to here, and she hoped that it would make whatever conversation flow easier with both of them in the same room.


    Haille blinked and was staring at her weirdly, and Paige belatedly realized her mistake. Haille hadn¡¯t introduced herself yet.


    ¡°We have ways of uncovering information we need to know, and I already know who the Queen has contact with, and what the Healer Hall has let her borrow.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡± Haille asked suspiciously.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What is the name of the artifact?¡±


    ¡°The Healer Hall only has one artifact that would be useful in this situation. Now, Let. Me. Through,¡± Paige bluffed. She really had no idea exactly which artifact would have been chosen. An offense artifact or weapon would be the most ideal choice, but with the Imperial Scion here, she was sure that the Healer Hall would hesitate to send anything that they could not protect. So that left a support artifact of some type. ¡®Wait, could it be some type of healing formations? They have those¡­ right?¡± It would be expensive, but well worth it in a prolonged war.


    Paige sighed as Haille stayed in her position. She could do it the hard way and barge in, but how would that help her?


    ¡°Look. What exactly is the issue? Why am I not allowed in? There has to be something that can get this process moving.¡±


    ¡°You have to beat me in a fight first.¡±


    Paige blinked. ¡°...what?¡±


    ¡°You heard me. Or show me how the mage was able to deflect a sword with her clothing. Either one would be acceptable,¡± Haille said.


    That was more like the Haille Paige knew. ¡°Either one is fine?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a solid bar of Mithril that had been spun into thread. I had a tailor custom sew it into a cloth armor.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Haille asked skeptically.


    Paige nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°...so what¡¯s mithril? Is it an alchemic metal?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s mithril. You know, mithril. Everyone knows what mithril is?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Is it rare?¡±


    Paige was shocked. Was mithril not a known substance anymore? Well, it wasn¡¯t something Haille could afford anyways, not as a Scout. Okay, not even the country could afford a mithril armor. It was expensive, even for her. And she had used every favor she had to even get a friend discount on her own set of mithril armor. Speaking of which, Paige looked over her old acquaintance and paused. Haille was wearing a standard Royal Guard outfit; complete with the symbol for a Scout. It had been a while since she had been her tester for the Guild ranking, but she was sure Haille was a Mage.


    Though a miniature crossbow hung by her waist and a short sword by her side, she had to have a wand somewhere. She eyed Haille¡¯s sleeves suspiciously. It would be a tight fit to hide a wand there, but it was possible. Her gaze shifted down toward her shadow. She knew that Haille had a high affinity toward darkness, so perhaps she was just hiding her weapon in the shadows.


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s costly to process. It¡¯s an okay material, though with your mana capacity you might as well try and learn a defensive spell that could do the same. Hell, you might as well just conserve a bit of your mana and learn [[Shadow Shield]] or something instead.¡±


    Haille tensed and Paige could see the shadow¡¯s darkening across the room. She could feel a few more people in the room now. She flicked her eyes at the shadows and shrugged her shoulders lightly.


    ¡°Well, I guess that solved the riddle why the Queen is still alive. I¡¯d wager any Demon Scout would be hard-pressed to escape the detection of both Demon Mages and Demon Scouts. Good job.¡±


    Haille shifted. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to try and attack?¡±


    ¡°Why on earth would I do that?¡±


    ¡°Imperial Scion Maxwell slew six Royal Scouts when he realized we weren¡¯t full Humans.¡±


    Paige blinked. ¡®Of course. That sounds like something Maxwell would do.¡¯


    ¡°Well, not everyone looks at Demons with clouded eyes. Your husband certainly doesn¡¯t,¡± Paige teased.


    ¡°Guh. Your source of information is accurate. Fine, the Queen should almost be done with her war conference, so I don''t really have a reason to stall you anymore. Do you want me to announce your presence to the room?¡±


    ¡°No. But please try to stall Glenn for a moment or two. I''m sure someone has told him I''m here¡±


    "My duty is to the queen."


    "As a favor then?"


    "No guarantees about that," Hallie muttered softly. Opening the door just enough for Paige to pass through, she squeezed into the room, the door softly shutting behind her. Rebecca stood in the middle of the room, her eyes never leaving the map. She could tell that her friend was stressed though.


    ''The war must be going worse than I thought. What the hell is Maxwell doing?''


    Paige walked forward silently, listening to her friend''s orders.


    ¡°- want all battalions to reinforce the third and fourth defensive lines. Get relief supplies to the first and second defensive lines, at all costs. Prioritize those castles closest to the Evidian borders.¡±


    ¡®Okay. So Glenn was tasked with bringing this monster out of the Imperial Healer Hall. One mystery solved.


    Paige stepped forward and looked at the map, sensing that Rebecca finally noticed her. She almost whistled aloud when she saw the map. The Healer Hall wasn¡¯t playing around with this. The Queen was holding onto a golden sphere, issuing her orders while she simulated the plans. The golden spheres circling the queen were very noticeable, but it was the queen¡¯s orders that told her what the Healer Hall was providing.


    Communication artifacts were rare, even rarer than spatial rings had been. If she remembered correctly, it had to do with something about a linear decay of mana over distance. Or, when she had pressed for a dumbed-down answer, it had to do with active mana converting to ambient mana as the spell moved further away from the spell caster¡¯s control. Either case, the Healer Hall was going all out providing support for the Queen.


    Paige studied the map and frowned the more she looked at it. The defensive lines were faring¡­ poorly. Well, the first five or so anyway. It had scarcely been a month since the first reports came in, and they were already close to cutting off a swatch of the defensive lines. Again.


    ¡°We need to pull back to the sixth defensive line. I recommend pulling back and reorganize our forces. We must preserve our armies strength,¡± a dissenting voice called out.


    Paige focused on the voice. She knew that voice. It was Daniel¡¯s. She eyed Rebecca and noted her tight frown.


    ¡®Well now, I guess Daniel is still under the allusion that he¡¯ll be king in the future. Fat chance of that.¡¯


    But it was the second voice that made Paige mood drop.


    ¡°I agree with Crown Prince Daniel. I order you to abandon the defensive lines that are at risk of falling to the enemy. Have them commence scorched earth tactics while retreating. This is all your fault, Queen Rebecca. Your confidants are sorely lacking.¡¯


    Maxwell.


    Paige eyed the area on the map and grimaced. The situation wasn¡¯t that bad yet. At least, not as bad as they were making it out to be. The defensive lines still had plenty of contested land that could give them an edge in a defensive battle. But that the two of them would even be willing to contemplate the idea that retreating was the only plausible idea was not a good sign.


    Paige stepped forward beside her former friend. ¡°Fuck off, Maxwell. The defensive lines will be reinforced per the Queen¡¯s orders. The next time I hear words like that coming from your mouth, you¡¯ll be removed from your post and someone more qualified will take your place. I am sure you would rather enjoy being on the other battlefield instead.¡±


    ¡°HOW DARE YOU! THE IMPERIAL HEA-¡±


    ¡°I do dare, Maxwell. Go ahead and threaten the local Royal Family. You should know better than I that there are others just waiting for you to cross the line. And they are more than willing to take your place right now," Paige threatened softly. "Go on, just say the word, and you¡¯ll be sent to the other battlefield for your failures. We both know the punishment for failure.¡±


    The silence was golden.


    She could feel Rebecca¡¯s shocked gaze from the side. Paige turned and looked over, her gaze filled with pity. It was clear that Glenn had not coached Rebecca on how to truly deal with Imperial Scions. Heavy hands were always required, otherwise given their status, it would be hard to even keep them in check.


    But it was odd that Maxwell had even backed off to this extent. ¡®What leverage have they been applying so far to Maxwell?¡¯ Something to think about, but right now it was more important to shore up the defensive lines. ¡°Imperial Scion Maxwell. Acknowledge the Queen¡¯s plans and make them happen. We want those castles lines defended. Meeting adjourned.¡±


    She could hear Daniel coming to Maxwell¡¯s defense, and Maxwell shouting something, but Paige had no time to listen to their arguments. She tapped the artifact lightly severed the link between that and the other orbs as the room plunged into silence.


    She could hear the queen chuckle beside her, which soon devolved into a hearty laugh.


    ¡°I bet Maxwell is fuming on his end. Good. It was about time he was put in his place. Thank you for that, Imperial Servant Paige.¡±


    Paige smiled, though she looked at the Protectors in the corner. ¡°Come and collect the artifact. We won''t need it for now. Send Glenn this way as well, if he isn''t heading this way already..¡±


    She turned and walked over to a side room that she had noticed. She could hear Rebecca following her, as well as the Protectors storing the artifact for safekeeping.


    She didn¡¯t have much time. She needed to talk to her alone before Glenn arrived. Paige waited for the sound of the door to close before she turned to look at her friend.


    ¡°Hello, Rebecca. What did Peter do? And how much do you remember?¡± Paige said quietly, her eyes focused on Rebecca. ¡°I can¡¯t help until I have more information.¡±


    Rebecca¡¯s smile dropped from her face. This was a huge risk, Paige knew. The queen could deny that she knew anything. But she had to know what her brother intended. Surely Peter had a reason for dragging her here¡­ Right?


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°Peter. He was your best friend, by all accounts. So tell me, what was his end goal? Why me?¡±


    Rebecca struggled to answer, but she didn¡¯t say a word. Paige frowned as she realized what was happening.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡®An oath? Did Peter use an oath to stop any leaks from happening? How is it still active when Peter is dead?¡¯ She sighed as she realized it was far more complicated than she had thought. ¡®No matter, if I can¡¯t ask about his plans, then maybe I can get around it by using personal questions instead.¡¯


    ¡°You remember, Rebecca. I know you do. And if you remember me, then a few others should know me as well. How much do you remember?¡±


    ¡°...pieces, Paige. I remember fragments, but that is all. How did you know?¡±


    ¡°The banquet and the Scout. You both specifically said ¡®May Alcudia''s light shine bright in the darkness.¡¯ But few would realize that is not the historical saying, not unless they had an interest in history. We made that up together since the actual saying is far more cumbersome to say when drunk.¡±


    ¡®When heavily drunk,¡¯ Paige amended to herself.


    ¡°Rebecca, this is important. I know Peter applied an oath, but it should be weakening with his death. Why did he do this? I shouldn¡¯t even be here, not if he was alive.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Paige. He told me to tell you sorry, whenever saw you next.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it? No, Peter had to have left something for me. Anything.¡±


    ¡°His messes, Paige. He left you his messes. I can¡¯t tell you what how he did it or why exactly, but I could tell he wanted your help. He said only you would be able to fix the problems plaguing the Empire at large.¡±


    Paige blanched. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a random coincidence that he found me. He was following some type of pattern. He¡¯s known to be a wanderer, but there was a reason for that. While he was here, he would wander around, looking for people, visiting places. But he wasn¡¯t doing it for fun, Paige. He was looking for something specific. Anything related to you, he researched heavily. Places you¡¯ve been, people you interacted with. All of it.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Memory. I followed him on a few of the trips. He traced a few of our trips perfectly.¡±


    Paige¡¯s mind whirled into action. The changes throughout the Empire. Even though she hadn¡¯t investigated that far, she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn¡¯t interested in how the Imperial Family solved the problems that had been plaguing the Empire in the past. Especially the problems she had a hand in quelling or creating.


    ¡®If Peter was able to find out who I talked with, then he should have been able to trace all of my movements,¡¯ Paige realized. But that led to another important question.


    ¡°...how did Peter know who I talked to? And where I¡¯ve been,¡± Paige mumbled.


    The answer was obvious to Paige after she said it aloud. There was only one way it was possible. Her mana. Or rather, the divine mana she had. But how would Peter be able to track her that way?


    ¡®Peter was a Blessed True Hero.¡¯ Lily¡¯s voice rang out in the depths of her mind.


    ¡°Rebecca¡­ how many Scions are Blessed Heroes?¡± Paige asked slowly.


    ¡°Only Peter, as far as I know. The Imperial Family doesn¡¯t outright state what Class a specific Imperial Scion is, though most will call themselves Heroes. It¡¯s hard to say substantially who is and who isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡®Shit! That¡¯s bad. Really bad. No wonder everyone believes the gods are dead. Does that mean divine level skills and spells aren¡¯t in use either? And Maxwell stayed silent when I threatened him just now. Just how bad is the casualty rate over there then?¡¯


    ¡°Your majesty, Sir Glenn has arrived.¡±


    ¡°One moment, Haille,¡± Rebecca called out. She looked over to Paige and sighed. ¡°Paige, we¡¯ll have to pick up our conversation later. I need your help though. Please, if not for me, then for my children. They deserve better, least of all from you.¡± The queen turned and walked out of the side room, her voice calling out to her guard outside.


    Paige sighed hard. That hit her right across the gut. Paige knew Rebecca was probably holding that against her, even if she didn¡¯t have all of her memories. She was their godparents and she hadn¡¯t done anything for them in their time of need. Not that she could since stuck in the forest, but it was unlikely that was supposed to have happened either, judging by Rebecca¡¯s tone.


    Though, that was also the thing she was unsure of. ¡®Just what did Peter promise you, for you to actually agree to whatever plan he had?¡¯


    ---


    Paige walked out of the room and stared passively at the Head Protector as he conversed with the queen. She could already feel the drive to talk with Glenn fading away. Or maybe it was due to the guilt. But she had to stay and talk, not least because she had to know what the Healer Hall knew.


    Still, it also gave her a chance to right one wrong.


    ¡°Release Beatrice from captivity. I know the Healer Hall has her.¡±


    Glenn paused mid-sentence. He turned, his brows arching, ¡°She¡¯s safe with us.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be safer with me.¡±


    ¡°Paige, I-¡±


    ¡°The moment she leaves the Healer Hall, another Scion or a servant will apprehend her. Besides, I doubt you have so much free time that you would be willing to travel out to Pruite Monarchy for a single girl.¡±


    Paige stared. ¡°You sent her out of the country?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Queen Rebecca requested us to. With Prince Daniel firmly entangled with Scion Maxwell, controlling Crown Princess Beatrice would be the next best choice for anyone wanting to exert power over the Royal Family,¡± Glenn said.


    Paige knew that was a valid reason, but the whole argument ignored one key person. ¡°Beatrice is second in line to the throne. What happened to Crown Princess Alexandra?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in a medically induced coma. The Healer Hall is attending to her recovery,¡± Rebecca said quietly.


    ¡®Maxwell¡­ shit! That¡¯s why Rebecca¡¯s mad at me. No; she¡¯s probably mad at me for not rescuing her sooner.¡¯


    ¡°...She survived, so I¡¯m guessing the damage is more mental than physical. What drugs are you using to induce memory loss? I assume some type of hallucinogenic, though I guess an alchemist may know more about that than healers.¡±


    Glenn and Rebecca stared.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s a valid treatment. Wipe the last eight years or so and let her move on with her life. It¡¯s far more humane than letting time or meditation ease the pain, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    Glenn narrowed his eyes, clearly evaluating her. But Paige knew that it all depended on Rebecca. If Peter was so paranoid as to figure out how to keep the oath active even after his death, then it was highly unlikely that he would have told any even remotely related to the Imperial Family anything.


    ¡°You are vastly different than I imagined. Tell me, is the other Healer Hall that patient with you? I imagine that any Healer would take offense at your suggestions.¡±


    Paige shrugged. She had also saved quite a bit of Healers as well, so why would they get mad at her. Still, she knew that Glenn was probably right. But his words gave Paige a pause. The other Healer Hall. ¡®...the cross and journal. I didn¡¯t pay it any mind when Zenith said Prim took it. So that means that the Grand Healer is either still alive or someone else found the remains.¡±


    ¡°So, what exactly has Queen Rebecca told you? She had to have given you something, otherwise there¡¯s no way she¡¯d have gotten her hands on that artifact.¡±


    ¡°No, we were willing to loan out the artifact. The mere fact that Peter left his heritage here is enough to warrant our involvement. Should Alcudia fall, I do not doubt that Alduit Academy would be targeted next, even with Peter¡¯s foresight. It was not meant to forestall an army, not by itself.¡±


    ¡°But, the Queen has told me one thing, one that would corroborate with the evidence we have on hand: Tell me, Paige Alduit, how exactly did Peter bring you here?¡±


    Paige sighed in her heart. He knew her name. That was already a bad sign.


    She shrugged. ¡°Honestly? I have no idea. I was in the middle of securing a heroic blade for the Imperial Family when the whole mountainside suddenly exploded. And the next thing I knew, me and my party were standing in a forest.¡±


    ¡°Just like that?¡± Glenn said.


    Paige narrowed her eyes. His tone betrayed his true thoughts. Glenn had to have some type of perception based skill. It would be hard skirting around the truth against him, though she hoped that half-truths would work. It typically did, so long as she mostly told the truth. ¡°Well, what did you expect me to say? The last time I saw my brother, he was bleeding out. I was¡­ taken in by the Imperial Family soon after. I learned how to be a good servant and worked to better the Empire.¡±


    She glanced at Rebecca and hesitated. ¡®Tch! How much did Rebecca tell Glenn about me? I¡¯m in deep trouble if she mentioned I was a Princess... No, if she knew about Isabella, then she should remember how her birth went.¡¯


    ¡°And the Wardstones you have? They are far too big for your supposed Imperial Servant status.¡±


    ¡°I have extras. Not like the Imperial Family is short of them. Plus, we need them to do stuff like this.¡±


    Paige gripped her Wardstone in her hand and smiled at Glenn. Crushing the stone in her hand, she watched with satisfaction as Glenn¡¯s face turned to horror. ¡°I, Farmer Paige Alduit, change my status to Warrior Paige.¡±


    ¡°What have you-¡±


    ¡°I freely show my Class and Name. [[Status]].¡±


    Glenn stopped and stared at the ghostly white words that formed from Paige¡¯s mana.


    Paige


    Warrior


    ¡°The size of the wardstone was rather large, so the effects will last a few years maybe. Short of some advanced status checkers, the disguise is perfect.¡±


    ¡°You wasted an entire Wardstone on that demonstration?¡± Glenn said, his eyes twitching.


    Wasted. Paige smiled. She opened her hand and watched as the broken wardstone disappeared into the air, glittering shards evaporating quickly as they fell.


    ¡°Yes. Wardstones aren¡¯t in short supply. At least, it wasn¡¯t for us. But judging by your face, I¡¯d say Wardstones are rather rare now. So rare, that only certain Scions and Consorts must have them, hmm?¡±


    Paige lied through her teeth. Even she knew that Wardstones weren¡¯t exactly in supply either, but she wasn¡¯t exactly keen on giving back her spoils, not after she had been hunted for so long. And it was only a coincidence that she had learned Wardstones could do that since no one else was insane enough to waste one like she just had.


    ¡°Tell me, what will it take for the Imperial Healer Hall to secure our cooperation? I¡¯m not exactly thrilled with being a Servant again. Not with Maxwell here.¡±


    ¡°...Peter¡¯s heritage. We need his specialized magic circles, especially for the central battlefield.¡±


    ¡°What grade of magic circles?¡±


    ¡°Any. It¡¯s said that Peter left all of his documents concerning magic circles at the academy. The problem is, it¡¯s surrounded by specialty magic circles. We have no way of accessing them.¡±


    ''Specialty magic circles. So, he had some type of restriction on it? Or is he being literal about it?'' she thought. Either way, it was something for the future. Right now, she needed to get her whole Party there. ¡°Fine. Secure us a spot and we¡¯ll get you information about magic circle creation.¡±


    Glenn shook his head. ¡°We can get you an interview, but even we don¡¯t have control there. There are...too many people aiming for the same goal. Even moving Isabella¡¯s family is posing a logistical problem for us. ¡±


    ¡°... meaning there are enough Scions there to give you pause. Great. Your majesty, I thought Alduit Academy was governed by the border countries?¡± Paige asked. Her knowledge of the academy was practically zero. She was heavily relying on the old intel they had received in the other world.


    ¡°Ideally, but no. We get some benefits, but Peter specifically chose who was to administer the school. The most I can do is give a chance for some students to apply. From there, they have to use their own talents to get in.¡±


    Paige sighed. It was not ideal, but maybe having someone inside the school would be helpful. ¡°Fine. An interview then. Zenith can become a teacher there, and we¡¯ll support her from the side.¡± Paige¡¯s eyes turned sharp. ¡°But I want it in writing, a full blood oath, Glenn. From both you and the Grand Healer. Our cooperation for the Imperial Healer Hall¡¯s unconditional support in Alcudia, as well as concealing our actual history. Also, I want it clearly stated that Isabella will get to decide her future. Her Party, living conditions, etc. All of it. And that the Imperial Healer Hall will support her decisions.¡±


    A hard bargain, but Paige knew she was walking a thin line. That should be just at the limit at what the Healer Hall would accept.


    ¡®...they must be desperate. The Healers especially. Magic circles were always the first line of defense to thin down the ranks. The amount of injured is probably high enough to justify my demands, though perhaps I should give them something.¡¯


    ¡°In exchange for the blood oath, I¡¯ll give you the formation sequence for¡­ two area-of-effect spells. Tried and true formations, specifically for the main battlefield. [[Scatterstrike Firebolt]] and [[Eye of the Pathfinder]]. And they do just what it sounds like. Any others we find, we¡¯ll get it for you after we settle down in Alduit Academy.¡±


    She turned to her friend. ¡°Queen Rebecca, the invasion must not pass through the borderlands. The Imperial Family already has its hands full. I can give you [[Lightwall Defence]] to help stem the pressure on the defensive lines. It¡¯ll cost an arm and a leg, but it will help. We¡¯ll talk later, your Majesty, Sir Glenn.¡±


    Paige walked out of the room without another word. She felt bad, knowing that she was leveraging lives for support, but she knew that Glenn would take the deal.


    He had to.

 Chapter 69

    ¡°Remember, Markus, that we are here to talk with everyone¡¯s parents. You-¡±


    ¡°Me and everyone else will go and get our supplies ready. I know,¡± Markus said resignedly.


    ¡°And stay in the city, too. And don¡¯t talk to strangers.¡± Zenith said.


    ¡°Yes, aunt. We¡¯ll be safe.¡±


    Markus grumbled and walked ahead, away from his nagging aunt. Paige glanced over and sighed.


    ¡°Relax, Zenith. They¡¯ll be safe here in the city. The Healer Hall and Royal Family are making sure of that. And Tyler will be shadowing them. Nick too, if you want extra assurance.¡±


    Paige stepped in to stop Zenith from making another fuss. She didn¡¯t want to make a bad impression as they stood outside a rather plain-looking house. The courtyard could use some touching up, but at least it wasn¡¯t too far off the beaten path and was fairly inconspicuous amongst the other houses. The only difference was how many people were surveying the area with a keen eye. She could spot at least eight watchers in the area just from a glance, though three of them were much harder to spot.


    Zenith was stressed, Paige realized. They were just going to have lunch, not a fight to the death.


    And after her conversation this morning with the Healer Hall, she knew that her Party would be under heavy watch. There was just too much at stake for the Imperial Healer Hall. Even if they tried something underhanded, her willingness to destroy Wardstones to change their status was a powerful deterrent.


    ¡°No, I¡¯d rather have Nick with us, Paige. But are you sure we¡¯ll be safe?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m positive. We have enough defensive equipment on us to fight Dragons. Trust me, the moment they start a fight, we¡¯ll win. Even if they somehow powered a magic circle, they don¡¯t have a Party Leader strong enough to stop me. Their safest bet is to have their Assassin buffed by the Party, but I¡¯m confident I can survive. We, I mean,¡± Paige said quickly as she noticed Zenith¡¯s sidelong glance. ¡°We can survive. And there¡¯s Nick.¡±


    Paige tilted her head to the corner, where Nick was swiftly approaching. He was dressed in his leather outfit, the very one Paige had crafted for the festival. It was far nicer than his other outfits and was close enough to his usual Ranger wear that Nick hadn¡¯t complained much about it. But Paige focused on the package in his hands. She frowned as she stared at the bottle.


    ¡°Wine? Really, Nick? We hardly needed to bring anything.¡± Paige watched as Markus stepped into the courtyard, already waving at Lily and Tyler, who was standing safely inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s called good impressions, Paige. And it gave me a good enough excuse to watch the gates. A few Protectors left quickly, just like you said.¡±


    ¡°They have to leave if they are going to establish a blood oath,¡± Paige whispered.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, Zenith. They¡¯re going to accept the deal I proposed. But the Grand Healer has to seal the oath.¡±


    ¡°And what did you have to give them in exchange?¡±


    ¡°A¡­ formation I had memorized. Back when I was still part of the Imperial Family. Something to ease the pressure off of us in the long run.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You memorized formation patterns? Which ones did you give them?¡± Zenith asked, pleasantly surprised that Paige hadn¡¯t foisted that job onto her. She was happy that Paige was taking up more responsibility now that everyone was out of the forest, which was far more than she could have ever hoped for. But it was about time Paige stepped up; a Party Leader should at least act like a leader.


    ¡°[[Scattershot Fireball]] and [[Eye of the Pathfinder]] for the Healer Hall, [[Lightwall Defence]] for Alcudia.¡±


    ¡°Hm? But those are just standard formations? Even I know those,¡± Zenith remarked.


    ¡°Yeah, but they don¡¯t have them. And you and Tyler know them as well, so if I made a mistake the two of you could correct it.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give more to Queen Rebecca? I thought you and her were friends?¡± Nick asked.


    Paige waved off the question and looked at Nick. ¡°Appearances. I have to offer more to the Healer Hall first. For now, [[Lightwall Defence]] will be enough to slow down the invasion. Tyler and I will figure a way to give them a spell or two once we settle in Alduit Academy.¡±


    Walking into the courtyard, Paige glanced around for any signs of a trap. So far, there was nothing besides a simple [[Alarm]] formation, just like they had in the forest. Suspicious, to say the least. All in all, it looked like the Demon Party was trying to keep the peace between them. She hoped.


    ¡°You¡¯ve figured a way for us to get in? How?¡± Zenith asked. Nick paused and stared at her, his eyes already narrowing in thought.


    ¡°Yup. I¡¯ll, uh, tell you more about it when we have our talk. We might not need it, but it might help us in the long run,¡± Paige hastily evaded the question. That part she hadn¡¯t run by Zenith yet. Still, she turned around and waved them in. ¡°No offensive magic circles are active, so we should be safe,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we be safe?¡± Lily asked from behind.


    Paige turned and blinked as the three kids were staring at her. They were a lot closer than a moment ago. Still, she had a valid question, so Paige reluctantly answered. ¡°Haven¡¯t we taught you the dangers of walking into an area with an active magic circle? You could tell that the gate and courtyard have been set up to activate a spell as soon as the gate is closed.¡±


    ¡°I know that, Miss Paige. I saw Isabella deactivate it before. But how did you realize there was one the moment you stepped in?¡±


    ¡°The, uh, ambient mana shifted slightly.¡±


    ¡°I thought only Mages were sensitive to mana though? You always said to let Lily worry about the mana, and that I should focus on real threats,¡± Tyler asked with confusion.


    Paige blinked. Well, that was partially true. Very true, actually. But that was where experience and skills helped to bridge the gap. ¡°Well, -¡±


    ¡°It just takes practice, Tyler. You can feel it in your gut when the ambient mana changes,¡± Markus interrupted. ¡°Just go to the library every day and you¡¯ll be able to feel a difference eventually before and after you enter.¡±


    She nodded reluctantly as Tyler looked at her for confirmation. That was indeed one way to do it, though it would be hard learning it naturally like that. Markus had a lot of advantages that Tyler didn¡¯t, and he would probably learn it faster through battles than through passive means like that.


    Adding a new training regime for Tyler to her list, Paige looked around as Markus kept talking, but she could feel that something was interfering with her senses. Since both Lily and Tyler were here, Isabella, and by extension, her mother, should also be around. The building was heavily warded somehow. Not like the Library was, nor was it a typical magic circle either. Demon magic? No, if that was the case, she¡¯d have seen it in during her trips into Evidia. Not even Dragon¡¯s could hide from her this close.


    She shot a look over to Zenith, who was frowning at the surroundings as well. Paige could hear her whispering something under her breath. No, a spell. She was invocating a spell, trying to draw the mana from her surroundings instead of her mana core. Paige watched her from the corner of her eyes. A few green wisps were floating around Zenith; not many though, which was kinda surprising. As a Wind Magi, she should have been able to convert far more than that, especially now that her affinity had been increased substantially.


    ¡®...the surrounding mana has already been converted into a mana dense zone? But what type is it? ...Bah, that¡¯s a stupid question to ask yourself, Paige. It has to be dark mana. They¡¯re Demons, barring Isabella, after all. But the kids don¡¯t look like they are suffering? Have they already acclimated to it?¡¯


    ¡°Tyler; Lily, where is everyone? Are we supposed to go inside?¡± Paige asked.


    ¡°No, Bella¡¯s getting ready inside. Her mom¡¯s cooking, but I haven¡¯t seen the rest of her family today.¡±


    Tyler looked up, eyeing the shadows on the wall. ¡°Miss Luna should still be at the library. I don¡¯t think her shift is over until evening. Maybe the Night Librarian hasn¡¯t arrived yet?¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not keep our hosts waiting. We¡¯re coming in!¡±


    Paige yelled at the door, fully aware of Zenith and Nick¡¯s stare behind her. She reached for the door and stopped short of grabbing the handle. She blinked as a gut feeling told her to be wary. The door was a simple sliding door with an indent to push the door to the side, but the entrance was strange. It was pushed a few inches into the house. Paige realized why after a moment. The door would slide into the walls as it was opened. They must have modified it themselves since sliding doors were not common in Alcudia.


    ¡°Umm, probably not a good idea, mentor,¡± Tyler said from behind. ¡°It shocks you when you touch it. We have to wait for someone on the inside to open the door.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡®Typical. Well, there¡¯s more than one way to break an enchantment,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    She reached to her hip and pulled something absently from her bag. A small wooden spade, fashioned in her spare time. Idly feeling in her bag, she looked over to the kids with a mischievous smile.


    ¡°Well, lesson number thirty-six, you guys. When presented with an enchantment that is activated by touch, the easiest thing to do is to drain its power supply. Unless they know you can do that, then the easiest thing is to do something else. Like so.¡±


    Paige smiled as she found what she was looking for. A metal string and a small metal spike. Both were a simple blend of steel and silver, just what she needed for her demonstration. Tying a simple knot to the handle of her spade and the stake, she dropped the stake and pushed it into the ground, whistling all the while.


    ¡°Paige, this is a terrible idea,¡± Zenith said. She eyed the stake in the ground and the wooden door, backing away slowly to a comfortable ten steps away.


    Lily blinked, and pulled Markus and Zenith back as well, standing roughly the same distance away. ¡°Mentor? What is Miss Paige doing?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s attempting to draw the mana out of the enchantment. The mana has to go through a focus of some type, either a stronger piece of material or some type of mana conduit. Just like how our wands help draw and focus our mana, every permanent enchantment must have one as well. The trick though is finding it.¡±


    ¡°Way to ruin my lesson, Zenith,¡± Paige mumbled. ¡®And way to put the pressure on me.¡¯ She eyed the plain wooden door as she spun her spade around in her hand. Zenith had failed to mention how hard it was to do it on the first go. She was ready to just fling it into the door, but now that would look terrible if it didn¡¯t work.


    Conventional wisdom would suggest the middle of a magic circle, and in this case, probably the middle of the door; but she had no idea how the door was even enchanted! Much less how it was powered.


    ¡®Think, think! How would I power this door if I was Zenith.¡¯ Paige paused. ¡®That¡¯s a terrible line of reasoning, Paige. They are all Assassins. Think, if I was an Assassin trapping my own house, how would I enchant the front entrance?¡¯


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    Paige spun the spade a few more times before letting go, watching as the spade shot towards¡­ the upper door jamb. The odds were rather high that the focus was either the handle or hidden on something in contact with the door. And more importantly, the upper left door jamb was the ]only part of the door still protected from the evening sun. A perfect spot for the Demon¡¯s to mask their mana.


    The wooden spade embedded itself deep into the wood. Paige blinked and jumped back as her gut told her she was right. She landed near Zenith as the spade started to darken, the silver and steel cord slowly started to darken as the dark mana traveled down the thin wire. The ground started to darken as the mana was forced into the ground; the doorway itself creaking as whatever material was used for the enchantment slowly warped as the mana was forcibly removed.


    All in all, it was about what she had expected would happen. Seeing the kids surprised face helped her mood though. She knew she wasn¡¯t the best teacher, and little demonstrations like this would go a long way.


    ¡°How¡¯d you know where the mana was being channeled from? I was going to help you out after a few tries.¡± Zenith whispered.


    ¡°Tch. Mhmm, after I made a fool of myself. It comes with age, Zenith. There are only so many ways to change a door trap.¡±


    Looking over with mock disdain, Paige stepped forward on the balls of her feet onto the now darkened patch of grass. She half expected something to happen, but the soil was slowly returning to its normal color.


    Paige chuckled to herself. ¡°Duh, it was a non-lethal trap to begin with. Who in their right mind would trap a trap? Tha-¡±


    I would.


    Paige backed up quickly, peering at the darkened patch of soil.


    ¡°Aunt, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She pointed at the darkened patch of soil. Motioning Markus and Lily to move forward, she quietly explained, ¡°If you know what your opponent will do, an easy way to hurt them is to set additional traps. Like this one. You could learn something from this, Markus. Lily, do you see what Isabella¡¯s mom did?¡±


    Lily peered at the soil. ¡°Not really? But it hasn¡¯t changed back to normal. Mentor?¡±


    ¡°...she created a secondary formation, just in case someone tried to drain the mana into the ground. [[Shadow Blade]]?¡±


    ¡°Yup. One of them is pretty good, considering their actual Class.¡± Paige took out a tiny metal spade and dug into the ground around the darkened patch, looking for the magic circle that had to be buried nearby. It had to be made from something that wouldn¡¯t rot, yet also wouldn¡¯t degrade with time. A metal circle would be ideal, though she supposed metal shavings would also work just as well, depending on how long ago it had been created.


    Zenith rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s wasteful if you ask me. At that point, you might as well just create a secondary magic circle that would target us from a distance. They had no way of guessing you would try to disarm the trap instead of me. The magic circle would have to be made of pure silver, at the very least. Who in their right mind w-¡±


    ¡°They did.¡± Paige tapped on the metal band, the etched symbols on the side fading as Paige sliced the band in two with the edge of the spade. Peering at the band, she rubbed the tarnished silver and handed it over to Lily, who was looking at it with interest. ¡°It¡¯s been sitting there for a few years, at the very least. Here, you can tinker around with it, Lily. Maybe draw some inspiration from it and try making one for yourself; though if you do want to try it out have Zenith show you the proper steps. Working a spell into a bracelet like this is a little different than drawing a magic circle on the ground and activating it.¡±


    ¡°But Miss Stella might want it back?¡±


    ¡°Meh, it¡¯s a gift from them to you.¡±


    Walking up to the door Paige knocked on the door and opened it soon after. ¡°We¡¯re coming in!¡±


    ¡°Paige¡­¡± Zenith said reproachfully.


    ¡°What? I¡¯m being civil. I knocked before entering, and they were already expecting us.¡±


    She waved Zenith¡¯s concern away, more focused on the now open doorway. She could sense that there were people inside there, now that the formation was broken. One was clearly panicking, while the other was acting normal. Paige was impressed. A linked magic circle? It must have set some type of alarm off, judging by Isabella¡¯s panicked reactions. Still, she felt just a tad bad about her actions now.


    ¡°Bella, hurry up! We haven¡¯t got all day, you know! We¡¯re supposed to be having dinner with our families tonight!¡± Lily looked over to her mentor, who nodded in agreement. This was all Paige¡¯s idea. She had just randomly decided to drop by for lunch since Markus was supposed to meet up with his party here anyways. ¡°Miss Stella! Markus¡¯s family is here!¡±


    ¡°I noticed. You owe me for the damage you caused.¡± A voice greeted them from the side. Paige turned to look at the wall as the shadow from a nearby bench swiftly traveled up the wall. Paige could feel Stella¡¯s presence moving from the kitchen to here.


    Paige blinked as Stella walked out of the shadow, dressed in¡­ a dusty apron. Her hair and hands were covered in flour, her fingers covered in bits of dried dough. She really was cooking.


    ¡°You¡¯re here. Early, I might add. All you had to do was wait for Isabella to open the door. Do you even know how long it took to set up that formation?¡±


    ¡°Meh, we¡¯ll pay for it. I know you were busy cooking, so we just wanted to drop by and help with the cooking and all. You know, as a gesture of good faith.¡±


    ¡°All three of you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯ll be a big crowd tonight. I¡¯m sure they have some variation of ¡®The more the merrier¡¯ where you come from,¡± Paige happily said as she lied through her teeth.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Paige felt her face cramping from all the smiling. Even the kids had backed off at this point. But it really did look like Stella could use some help. It would have been far more sensible to have everything catered, but it wasn¡¯t her job. More importantly, it wasn¡¯t being held at their own place.


    ¡°Paige, I thought you said we were invited?¡±


    ¡°We were, just not exactly for lunch.¡±


    Stella sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this. Don¡¯t touch anything. Isabella, when you''re out in town, send word to your Aunt Shavie that we have guests.¡±


    Paige turned to face the kids. Hopefully, Markus hadn¡¯t forgotten, but she spoke aloud anyway. ¡°And Markus, remember what you need to do in town. You need a standard training set and a guild ranking. Aim for a guild ranking around the low thirties or so. That should bring your whole party to roughly the low fifties or so.¡±


    She stopped as she ran through her mental checklist. There was something else that Markus had to do, she was sure of it¡­ Ah, Markus¡¯s identity. They needed to fix that little problem. Besides the local census, Markus had no concrete identity. But a few letters and a high guild ranking would solve most of the problems. After all, Paige knew that child geniuses were afforded far more leeway than an average person.


    ¡°...oh, and go bug the Queen about a few letters of introductions too. Lily, you can go with and give the Queen your weekly updates while you¡¯re there. I¡¯m fairly certain that your dad has been making you send the agricultural reports to her.¡±


    Paige nodded as she silently checked the items off of her to-do list. Now, there was just one other item that she had to deal with today.


    Stella.


    ¡°Something smells like it¡¯s burning. Zenith, you and I can help cook. Nick, can you take them to the Guild Hall? I¡¯m sure Markus will need a sponsor, and you can sponsor their Party for a rank update. I just found out that they¡¯ll have some competition at Alduit Academy.¡± Extending her hand into a pocket, Paige threw something over to Nick, who caught it. ¡°Use that if they question your Guild Rank.¡±


    Stella eyed them warily. ¡°You¡¯ll follow the laws of hospitality?¡±


    Paige blinked. That was the first time she was asked for a long time. ¡°You don¡¯t think we¡¯d follow basic etiquette?¡± She tried skirting around the question, but the look in Stella¡¯s eyes made Paige¡¯s heart sink. ¡°Fine, I hereby swear on my Class that my Party and I come in peace, and will leave in peace. So long as our host abides by the same rules.¡±


    She could feel her mana slowing as her oath took effect. While not quite a formal ritual, it would still limit both parties from devolving straight to a fight.


    ¡°Paige,¡± Zenith asked quietly, ¡°What exactly did you do now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an oath. Not quite a formal one, but it levels the playing field. The Party that breaks the peace gets punished.¡±


    ¡°Punished how?¡±


    ¡°Bad luck, ill fortune, etc, etc. I think Stella also applied another Skill in addition to the oath. Since she¡¯s a shopkeeper¡­ I would say it has to be something like [[Shopkeeper¡¯s Watch]].¡±


    ¡°[[Shopkeeper¡¯s Reputation]], actually,¡± Stella said tiredly.


    ¡°Meh, basically the same thing,¡± Paige countered. The burning smell was getting stronger now. All she had to do was wait and eventually Stella would cave in.


    And she was right. She could practically see the gears in Stella¡¯s head turn as she smelled the food burning in the kitchen. Stella gave an exasperated sigh, she hurriedly shooed the kids away, but not before telling them to be back before dinner.


    Paige watched as they left, watching Markus and Isabella walk away. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Isabella have more clothes? She¡¯s still wearing the same outfit from yesterday?¡±


    ¡°She likes that one. Now then, why did you really come? It''s not a coincidence that you showed up here when everyone else is busy.¡±


    Stella stood in the middle of the doorway, her dusty hands on her hips. Something nipped the back of her mind, though Paige shrugged it off. Their silent match of wills continued, right until smoke started wafting out of the kitchen like a fog.


    ¡°Not going to let us in?¡± Paige asked with a frown. That was a lot of smoke. What was she trying to cook?


    ¡°No. Even with an oath, I¡¯m not sure I trust the two of you that much.¡±


    Stella took a glance upward and sighed as the smoke started wafting through the open door. ¡°Nevermind. I need some help. We can¡­ talk while we cook.¡±


    That was all Paige wanted.

 Chapter 70

    ¡°Are you sure they¡¯ll be alright?¡± Tyler asked with a frown as they left the courtyard.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine. Aunt Paige promised she¡¯d be nice.¡± Markus nodded confidently, though he too was worried. His aunt was a lot of things, but she usually kept her word. Most of the time, anyway. He winced as he remembered something important about his aunt. It all depended on what his Aunt Paige wanted.


    ¡®She did promise that she wouldn¡¯t make my position in the party awkward. That¡¯s something at least?¡¯


    It was comforting, but it still left him troubled. She wasn¡¯t the type of person to be forced into accepting the shorter end of any deal. But he had the feeling that his aunt was treading carefully.


    His eyes swiveled to the young girl talking to Lily. Isabella. Everything revolved around the girl. He still hadn¡¯t forgotten his family¡¯s reaction to her name. They knew Isabella, somehow.


    ¡°Markus, c¡¯mon! We have stuff we¡¯ve got to get done!¡± Lily shouted at him from afar.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming! Geez!¡±


    Looking back at the direction he came, Markus knew his family had secrets, but why was Isabella so important?


    And why was it important enough to draw them all out of their self-imposed hiding?


    <hr>


    Watching as Nick led the kids away from the house, Paige turned and waited. It was clear they were unwelcome, but she was hoping Stella would be understanding. ¡°Well, now that you are in my house¡­ welcome,¡± Stella said hesitantly as she gestured into her house. ¡°Just follow the smoke to the kitchen. I need to set up the wards again. Your friend can knock. And, well, you can get comfortable, just don¡¯t make a mess of things.¡±


    Paige shrugged nonchalantly and walked in, ushering Zenith along with her. Stella had every right to dictate how she protected her own home. And Nick would certainly know to knock on the door since not everyone was like her and Zenith, who could disarm mana traps with a fairly large success rate. He might have his own ways of bypassing, but experience told her that Rangers were not used to dealing with disabling magical traps. Nick was more likely to wait right outside and lay an ambush instead of alerting a potential foe. It was a heavily biased view of Rangers in general, of course, but she knew that there was some truth to it.


    Still, with Stella resetting her wards, it gave Paige some time to look around at the¡­rather extravagant house they were in. Though the smell of burnt food lingered in the air, the faint smoke did nothing to obscure the craftsmanship of what she saw. Silk curtains, polished hardwood floors, handcrafted murals on the walls. She should have known that the rest of the house would be lavish after seeing the two rosewood chairs at the entrance, but after seeing the main living space of the house, Paige was already becoming numb to the flagrant display wealth. Money was just a number after a certain point, and Isabella¡¯s family had most certainly reached that point.


    Or almost reached that point, as she spotted a broken couch. It was clear that someone had broken the back support for part of the couch. But even broken, Paige knew that it must have cost a fortune. Still, she knew that she would fix it when she had a moment to spare. As a friendly gesture, at the very least.


    Eyeing the hazy trail of smoke to the kitchen door, she paused as her eyes ran over a simple painting on the wall. On it, long, dark shadows stretched across the hills and valleys of the Lowcountry. In reality, it was probably a battlefield since those very hills would be perfect to repel the invaders. But it wasn''t the location that drew her attention. No, it was a masterpiece of Dewel Clarkson, but more importantly, it was specially commissioned for General Williams¡¯s wife. She should know since she commissioned it herself as a gift.


    ¡®... how in the world did they get their hands on that? Williams would never willingly part with paintings from his prized collection, especially this one,¡¯ she thought, a small frown forming on her face. It was troubling, but a cursory glance at the decor had similar results. At least six of the other paintings were of similar quality. Peering at the signature on the bottom, it was clear that it was the original painting. Assuming that creating fake, magical copies was not possible anymore, that is.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Stella asked as she turned around.


    Paige stopped peering at the painting and shrugged. Even if they hadn¡¯t bought it, the paintings alone were a good indicator of her party¡¯s capabilities, illegal or not. And for a party of Assassins, they sure had a keen eye for art.


    ¡°No problem. I really like your decorations, though.¡±


    ¡°They are quite pleasant to look at. I recognize some of these places though.¡± Zenith said helpfully by her side. It was clear that she didn¡¯t know the value of the paintings, but it helped mute her own reactions.


    Reactions that were still evident to Stella. Stella stepped forward next to her and scowled at the painting. ¡°They were all legally acquired,¡± Stella claimed after a moment. ¡°...I think,¡± she added after sensing Paige¡¯s skepticism. ¡°No one¡¯s said anything thus far about it and we have plenty of guests.¡±


    ¡°You have a Cleric in your family and are favored by both the Queen and the Healer Hall. Who in their right mind would point out illegal activities?¡±


    Stella stopped.


    ¡°Good point. Are any of them particularly noteworthy?¡±


    ¡°Some...are a little conspicuous.¡± Paige hedged her words slightly, ¡°But your Assassin has good taste. I''ll have to ask how she got her hands on some of them. They''re... relatively well-known pieces, and most are quite expensive.¡±


    ¡°Our Bodyguard does have her vices. Still, are you going to help cook or just investigate my home for contraband?¡±


    Eyeing the darkening smoke, Paige sighed as she waved the smoke away. Whatever was on the stove was well past the point of saving.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Zenith, could you?¡±


    Zenith nodded as she started funneling the smoke for the trio. Stella had a good point. So far, she hadn¡¯t acted as though she was really there to help. It was just that after seeing some of the paintings she had lost some of her drive to help. Just a little. But she had offered to help. Goodwill. Paige had to keep in Isabella¡¯s, and by extension her family, good graces.


    Paige walked forward through the smoke as Zenith cleared the last of it away with her magic. She already knew that she was going to be taking back some of these pictures.


    After all, she wasn¡¯t the only one who had to compromise.


    <hr>


    ¡°...Okay, just spit it out. Why did you come so early?¡±


    Stella grumbled as she placed her dusty hands on her hips. Stella¡¯s outburst caught Paige by surprise. She looked down at the noodles she was kneading and at her own clothes which were dusty with flour. It was pretty obvious what she was doing. She was simply doing what she had promised.


    ¡°I¡¯m helping you cook? I mean, you know how many people are coming. So the easiest thing to make for a large crowd is pasta.¡±


    ¡°Besides that. I have my own ways to spot lies, and practically everything you¡¯ve said so far is suspect. Why are you here? And of all the times you could¡¯ve visited, why come right now?¡±


    ¡°Well, for starters I do want to help. Somewhat. But you¡¯re right; I wanted to catch you alone. And not because I want to kill you, so you can stop powering up that formation under the sink.¡±


    Paige eyed the sink and stepped behind the kitchen island. It was already suspicious that Stella had avoided standing right in front, but it was good to have confirmation.


    Stella paused and shot a look over at Stella. ¡°Tell your friend to stop forcing a mana conversion then.¡±


    ¡°Well, excuse me for trying to get comfortable,¡± Zenith murmured.


    ¡°Enough.¡± Paige shook her head. She knew now was the most ideal time. Any longer and the rest of her Party would be heading this way. ¡°...I want information.¡±


    ¡°In exchange for¡­¡±


    ¡°My good mood. Look, I¡¯m willing to be nice, but you have to reciprocate. Besides, you need our help more than we need yours. Especially since your Classes are even worse than ours.¡±


    ¡°...what¡¯s wrong with being an Alchemist?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. But that¡¯s not the problem. Your problem is not being able to access your actual Class.¡±


    Stella stilled.


    Paige continued on. ¡°Sure, you might be able to do a few things from your time as an Shaman, but how much can you really do without attracting attention. That your Assassin had to go out and legally acquire stolen goods is probably pushing the boundaries of what your Party can do. If you are still a Party, that is. Let¡¯s face it; your Status is as much of a hindrance as it is a help.¡±


    Paige eyed Stella. Everything she said was true, but it wasn¡¯t the main reason she needed to help. ¡°You need our help. Just because of one fact that you aren¡¯t aware of. Isabella¡¯s true Class.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a Princess. I already know that.¡±


    Stella smirked at Paige¡¯s dumbfounded gaze. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot. I don¡¯t know how you hid your Class, but you were not just a Warrior. Not even a Demon Lord could do a quarter of the things you did at the Mausoleum. So by that logic, Isabella must not have been an Apprentice Cleric if you were her guard.


    "But it was your brother that helped me realize something was off with you. Peter Alduit. A Blessed Hero. So, why did everyone think that you were just a simple Warrior? And from what I know about Isabella¡¯s birth, only a Princess could save her. And there would be some dire consequences for the people involved.¡±


    ¡°How did you-¡±


    ¡°I asked the Queen. Or rather, she told me offhand. She¡­ cares for Isabella. A lot more than the situation demands. My daughter is happy and safe, so I¡¯ve let things slide,¡± Stella responded to the quiet kitchen.


    Her daughter. Paige sighed slowly. Stella really did care about Isabella, which made the situation far more delicate. Even if no one else in her Party cared about Isabella¡¯s well being, it was already unlikely that Isabella would willingly separate from her mother.


    Paige went back to making her pasta, thinking things through. The rhythmic sounds of chopping soon filled the room as everyone went back to their respective task.


    ¡°What do you plan for Isabella? Surely you want to go home,¡± Paige said quietly.


    ¡°... we haven¡¯t decided what to do. For now, we just want Isabella to have a happy childhood. What about Markus?¡±


    Paige nodded to herself. That was good enough for right now. She looked over at Zenith, who was watching her and quietly answered back.


    ¡°We want the same for Markus. We''ve all teaching him, actually. He¡¯s been happy.


    "And his training is going fairly well," Paige paused. "He''s progressed a fair amount as a Swordsman. I could see him reaching his High Class by the time he''s an adult.¡±


    ¡°A fair amount? Has he mastered any sword techniques yet?¡±


    ¡°No, but he¡¯ll get to that point within a few years.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re not really teaching him. He is a prodigy.¡±


    ¡°Was a prodigy. I don¡¯t know how you taught him, but while he is remarkable, he has a few fundamental flaws in the way he attacks. Too much forward intent and not enough mobility. And that is just when he is attacking. Defense, magic ability, long-range attacks; we''ve had to teach him from the ground up. And if we¡¯re going to compare apprentices, has Isabella learned any of the basic healing spells?¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°A few. We care about her development and future,¡± Stella glanced over, suspicion written on her face. ¡°Unlike someone, I know.¡±


    Paige felt her face heat up slightly. That...wasn¡¯t entirely true. Sure, she wasn¡¯t training Markus like a Scion, but that was probably for the best anyways. In her opinion, the cruelty of the training to the end result was probably why most Scions ended up with such deviant behavior. Besides, there was more to life than just training.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing just fine for his age. In fact, he¡¯ll mop the floor of anyone his age; barring Scions, of course. But even then, he¡¯ll give them a good fight.¡±


    ¡°Which part of ¡®he is a prodigy¡¯ did you not understand?¡±


    Paige waved her dusty hand lazily. ¡°Every part of it. I¡¯m training him just like I was trained. He¡¯ll fulfill his role yet.¡±


    ¡°Agh! Enough! Paige, why did we come here?¡± Zenith said as she slammed her hands down. ¡°You better have something more important to talk about, Paige. We have far more things we need to do before we leave than have a fight over who is a better parent.¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s not a fight.¡±


    ¡°Hardly a fight when I¡¯m right.¡±


    Paige and Stella stared hard at each other, conviction in both of their voices.


    ¡°Gah! Paige, I swear to god th-¡±


    ¡°I paved the way to getting us into the Academy. All of us. But we¡¯ll have to work together,¡± Paige suddenly said to forestall Zenith''s complaints. ¡°But I need something from them, Zenith.¡±


    Paige saw Zenith pause. She had already hinted that she had done something, but not the specifics. And Zenith was probably getting suspicious with how she was dancing around the topic.


    ¡°What do you need from us?¡± Stella said warily.


    ¡°Information. I want to know everything. War plans, troop formations, weaknesses. As well as what you have found out about our situation.¡±


    ¡°...And why would I give you that?¡±


    ¡°Because,¡± Paige said confidently, ¡°in exchange, I can stop the Healer Hall from interfering in Isabella¡¯s life. Permanently.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Paige, you know that is risky,¡± Zenith said as they conversed quietly.


    Glancing over to the dining room table, it didn¡¯t take a genius to tell that Stella was seriously contemplating Paige¡¯s offer. And from what she gathered thus far, Isabella¡¯s mom really cared about her.


    It was a very different attitude than Paige¡¯s with Markus. It was probably closer to her and Markus''s relationship, really. Sure, Paige trained him hard and cared for him. But parental love? Zenith wasn¡¯t sure about it. Or maybe training Markus was her way of showing her love. She had given him his old equipment back, after all. Even that creepy cloak. Or perhaps it was just thoughtfulness on Paige¡¯s part. It was hard to say. And besides their short journey together to the mausoleum, she really had no idea how Paige¡¯s relationship had been to Isabella. She still didn''t really know, though she was going to press for answers sooner than later.


    ¡°In exchange for freedom? She¡¯ll take it. Now, how useful that information will be is another question. Hopefully, she¡¯ll give us information that can be readily verified, but I¡¯ll take what I can get.¡±


    Paige was talking quietly, though her voice had a slight edge to it.


    ¡°...is the war going that badly? I know you said the defensive line was lacking but is it to the point that you have to do this?¡±


    ¡°Rebecca needs more information. The formations I gave them will help slow down the advance, but if their defensive lines were broken once, they can be broken again. Especially if they do not have defensive formations in place. And if Alduit Academy comes under siege, there is no doubt in my mind that Isabella will be taken to the Imperial Healer Hall. She should know that too.¡±


    ¡®That is true,¡¯ Zenith thought to herself. ¡°And how will we get into the Academy? You¡¯ve been edging away from giving me a direct answer.¡±


    Zenith narrowed her eyes as she looked at Paige, who was again ignoring eye contact. She already had a suspicion of what Paige was going to say and she didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°...think you can still teach?¡± Paige said with a wry smile.


    Zenith''s eyes twitched. ¡®Of course, Paige would do something like that. And here I thought she was becoming more responsible!¡¯


    ¡°Paige! You didn¡¯t!¡± Zenith furiously whispered.


    ¡°Hey! I did what I could. Even the Healer Hall is unable to get Isabella¡¯s family into the Academy, not with so many Imperial Scions watching over the place. The only reliable way is to have someone at the Academy sponsor us, and they assured me they could at least get you in the door as a teacher.¡±


    Paige stopped and glanced over at her, smiling wickedly.


    ¡°And having you teach there is perfect! Plus, you already have the training and background to navigate the hallowed walls of academia without drawing suspicion. Supposedly, there is even a treasure hoard there. One worthy of a Scion. Just think of all the valuable spells and material that are waiting to be sto- appraised.¡±


    She shouldn¡¯t have been so flustered at that thought, but Zenith knew that Paige''s idea was probably a reliable way to get in. Assuming she could become a teacher, that is. And she could continue teaching Lily as well, so there was a slight advantage with being a Teacher.


    ¡°Will that really work?¡± Stella asked from the side.


    ¡°It will. Zenith is a great teacher. But I do need information from your side to make this work. Everything falls apart if Trent invades though,¡± Paige said warningly. ¡°We all need this to pull through.¡±


    ¡°... let me think about this for a second.¡±


    Stella sighed as she walked out of the kitchen. The smirk on Paige¡¯s face really irked Zenith though.


    ¡°Hopefully we¡¯ll be able to get some information before the rest of her team shows up. I have a feeling that the others aren¡¯t going to be as easy to persuade,¡± Paige said. Smiling to herself, Paige started back at kneading her dough.


    Zenith sighed as she started back on her own preparations.


    ¡®Her plan falls apart if I don¡¯t get a teaching position,¡¯ Zenith thought to herself. ¡®Jeez, this is why Paige shouldn¡¯t be the tactician for our Party. She always assumes that her plans will work out.¡¯


    All in all, it was basically what Zenith expected from Paige. A half baked plan that still had a chance of working out somehow.


    Surprisingly though, Isabella''s mother apparently thought it could work. ¡°I can work with you, but we need more than what you are giving as well. I want information about what happened at the Mausoleum.¡±


    ¡°Easy. We have none; no specifics or reasons.¡±


    ¡°Then I have nothing I can give you. The Healer Hall is amicable to Isabella, and while your deal is helping us, we didn¡¯t ask for it. We have our own ways of making things work,¡± Stella said with a shrug. ¡°Besides, this is essentially your problem. Not ours.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Paige mulled over that, while Zenith inwardly flinched. But Stella did have a point. There was little risk for them since Isabella was a part of their family, and Paige was doing all the heavy work for Isabella¡¯s sake.


    ¡°We can swap what we know, but it isn¡¯t much,¡± Zenith said lightly, signaling Paige to step back from the negotiations. This was her specialty, after all. ¡°We have our past, but we also have the future ahead of us. And like it or not, we will have to cooperate. At least for Markus and Isabella¡¯s sake.¡±


    Stella frowned. ¡°What does Markus have to d-¡±


    ¡°Paige is tutoring Markus. I have no doubt what Paige said earlier was true. Markus will reach the level of an Imperial Scion at some point, and so too will Lily and Tyler. But what about Isabella?


    "She will need a Party that can back her up. And if her actual Class is revealed, she will need a solid backer to prevent her from being captured. An unsecured Princess is no joking matter, especially for the Imperial Family. We can provide both. A little information now for future cooperation is in both of our interests.¡±


    Stella smiled gently at her, though Zenith twitched as she felt her mana dropping subtly. It came and went suddenly, leaving her a bit confused. Stella had tried something, but the specifics were alluding her. Still, Paige wasn¡¯t bothered and she was standing right beside her, so it wasn¡¯t a combat spell.


    No, Stella wasn¡¯t just a Shaman, just like she wasn¡¯t a Wind Mage anymore. So if it wasn¡¯t a Combat Skill, then it had to be a Support Skill of some type.


    ¡®...I don¡¯t feel different, so chances are it isn¡¯t some type of perception based skill? She''s an Alchemist, and probably also a shopkeeper, so maybe it''s simply a Skill that helps in negotiations then? Gotta keep the terms short and concise, then.''


    ¡°We all want what is best for the kids. And we believe it is a fair trade; tit for tat. Think of Paige helping Isabella as our way of saying sorry for the past. Formally.¡±


    Closing her mouth before Stella could try her Skill again, she waited and focused on Stella¡¯s facial expressions. She would have thought that Stella would be able to school her expressions to be neutral, but she was oddly easy to read. Her face changed from hesitation to reluctance, reluctance to...acceptance?


    But behind the mask of emotions, Zenith could feel one thing clearly. Stella really loved Isabella like her own daughter.


    ¡°I can give you some information, but temper your expectations. I don¡¯t know much about the war situation, being a human, under constant surveillance and all. And even less about what we know from the ancient formation, but if it will help Isabella¡­ fine. Tit for tat.¡±


    ¡°Though, what¡¯s the big deal about being a Princess? Why would the Imperial Family care about that so much?¡±


    Zenith winced and went back to her dough. She had done her part, now it was Paige¡¯s turn.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hah! And you got mad at Shavie for helping the queen. Look at you, Stella; you willingly gave them everything they asked for. And for what? A promise? Even Shavie knew better than to reveal anything important.¡±


    Stella was already irked about how the dinner went, but that was to be expected. What she hadn¡¯t expected from her family was the negative pushback she was getting, especially from her twin sister.


    ¡°It was a solid trade, Luna. Besides, most of the information she already knew. Her book already detailed most of the troops that each of the major Houses has. I just helped fill in the gaps.¡±


    Stella shuddered as she thought back to her conversation with Paige. The woman was oddly adept at filling in blanks, jumping from one conclusion to the next with frightening speed once she had explained the relationships between the parties involved.


    ¡°And judging by how the war is going, the country does need some help prolonging the war,¡± Stella said quietly.


    ¡°We all knew the war was going to start poorly for Alcudia. That much was apparent from just the repair work they were able to do. But why did you help them? And what happened to my spot?¡±


    Shavie disagreed loudly. Leaning back in her spot, she grunted as the couch creaked and groaned. Stella eyed the couch. Whatever Paige had done, it was weathering the abuse steadily. Not enough to discourage Shavie from breaking it again, but it was putting up a valiant fight. Stella sighed loudly as Shavie broke the couch once again.


    ¡°Look, Isabella will need to be free from the Healer Hall if we are to return to Trent. If they can do it, then that solves one of our many future problems. A problem we do not have to lift a finger to deal with.¡±


    She turned to the last person in her Party, waiting for his comments. Bishner frowned as he read through Stella¡¯s transcript and notes of the meeting.


    ¡°They are oddly worried about Isabella being labeled a Princess. But nothing in the notes say why.¡±


    ¡°They alluded the Imperial Family would be heavily invested in capturing a Princess. Something about prioritizing capturing a Princess over killing a Demon Lord.¡±


    Stella lied outright. She could feel Luna''s gaze flickering to her, but she didn''t have the heart to state the truth. Finding out what happened to Human Princesses here confirmed what she already knew. They had to go back to Trent before things got out of hand. But they were confident they could keep Isabella safe, and overall that information wasn¡¯t important now, not with everything else going on.


    ¡°Look, we need more time. We can¡¯t go back to Trent like this, not as we are now. And we¡¯ll be with Markus, so-.¡±


    ¡°You think they¡¯ll let us influence him? I¡¯m half-convinced that Paige is going to kill us. If not her, then her Party. Hell, and she has the gall to call herself a Farmer.¡±


    ¡°That''s the problem. She¡¯s is, from what I can tell. But she still held herself like a Warrior. And there is our problem¡­ they all full access to their Battle Classes,¡± Stella confessed.


    ¡°Shit! And all we got was stupid Support Classes?!¡±


    Shavie swore as she realized just how bad their situation was. Sure, they could all fight to some degree and now most of them could use their Skills without the accursed fog from finding them; but fighting a Warrior strong enough to rival a Demon Lord alone? And with her full Party at that? No, they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance as they were.


    Shavie slumped back into her seat as Stella watched. It was indeed a problem. How much could they trust the other party, especially when Markus is still with them?


    ¡°Isabella is still with us, and thus far, Paige is willing to keep the peace. That says something about their bottom line. They haven¡¯t even asked for her back, which tells me they know something about what happened to us. Something they didn¡¯t share.¡±


    They all quieted and turned to Luna. That was one of the main reasons she became a Librarian, and yet she hadn¡¯t been able to get much.


    ¡°Did you tell them about the Library?¡±


    Stella shook her head.


    ¡°No, they didn¡¯t ask about us or our situation. They just assumed it was similar and left it at that. And they steered clear from anything related to Markus or Isabella. That works to our benefit. Once we get access to the entire vault, that is.


    "But their way into the Alduit Academy can work. We can change our plans slightly, but we will be safer there and have a good chance of interacting with Markus. I say we go ahead and work with them, at least for now.¡±


    ¡°And they are okay with that?¡±


    ¡°They have to be. They need us just as much as we need them. For now, at least.¡±


    Luna sighed as she tapped her fingers lightly on the coffee table. Stella knew she was weighing the costs.


    ¡°...we¡¯ll keep the peace, for now. Since I can¡¯t leave yet, I nominate Stella to be the Party Leader, until I can meet up with you. Bishner, since you have been investigating Trent, see if you can capture a few Scouts alive. Shavie, you go with Stella to the Academy. Infiltrate if possible and collect anything useful against the Devils. That will be our ticket back, assuming the Senate and your families are clean. Thoughts?¡±


    ¡°I can do that, Luna. But what about Markus? He needs to learn about his heritage,¡± Bishner said.


    ¡°Long term goals, Bishner. If you can get a clear picture of what is happening back home, then we might start working on gaining Markus¡¯s trust. Until then, we keep the peace. Let them train Markus as they have been, and don¡¯t give them an opportunity to sway Isabella over.¡±


    Luna sat back and sighed. Stella sympathized with her twin sister. Starting from now, things were going to get a lot more complicated, for everyone involved.

 Chapter 71

    ¡°That¡¯s how you¡¯ve been training him!?¡±


    Shavie looked on with disgust as she watched a mockery of a training drill. It was already bad enough that Markus wasn¡¯t getting the benefit of standard training, but what she was watching wasn¡¯t a drill.


    It was utterly disgraceful.


    She watched from her wagon as Markus waved a weighted rope around as he moved forward, the rope jerkily moving in the air as he moved. It was much like a child would do if they were playing with a cat, though on a larger scale. But that didn¡¯t make it any better; in fact, it made him look even more ridiculous. And even he knew it, judging from his beet-red face as everyone stared at him. Even Lily and Isabella were trying to stifle a laugh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the nonsensical banter from the side, Markus. You¡¯re doing great,¡± Paige responded as she ¡°trained¡± with him.


    ¡°Great? First, you had him stretch for god knows how long, and then you have him swinging a wooden stick with a rope and a stone on the end. Tyler, put that down! No Party member of Isabella¡¯s will train like that.¡±


    Shavie glared at Tyler as he dropped the stick in his hand. He watched with a frown as Markus moved.


    ¡°It looks silly, but it does look like a workout, Miss Shavie. Besides, it looks challenging enough.¡±


    Shavie grabbed the edge of her cart and lifted herself up before something caught the edge of her shirt. Turning, she looked down to see what had caught her.


    ¡°Aunt Shavie, you promised!¡±


    Isabella held tight as she attempted to pull her back. Swatting her hands lightly, she turned to the other silent companion in their cart, who also stared skeptically at the sight.


    ¡°I promised I wouldn¡¯t interfere when I thought I would see some real training, not, not that! Come on, back me up, Stella.¡±


    Paige wasn¡¯t backing down though.


    ¡°We agreed to not interfere with each other''s training methods. Now, I know it looks a bit unconventional, but It¡¯s the best way I know of how to train Markus. Unless the two of you have a better idea of how to train a Swordsman?¡±


    Shavie stopped and bit her lip. That was the problem with her background, she had no idea how regular people trained. As she thought back to what she had to go through as a child, she couldn¡¯t even be sure her training as an Assassin was typical. But it didn¡¯t take a genius to know this wasn¡¯t normal.


    So, Shavie defaulted to someone who was learning how.


    ¡°Tyler, how do Apprentice Warriors train at school? That''s close enough to what Markus is.¡±


    Tyler paused as he stopped checking his gear as he thought about her question. She could tell that Markus was listening as he slowed his movements down.


    ¡°Typically they start with practice swings, then move onto drills and-¡±


    ¡°Aunt Paige!¡±


    Shavie grinned inwardly as Paige stopped to explain herself.


    ¡°That¡¯s for typical people, Markus. Of course, they¡¯re going to do something more structured when there are that many people learning. But I¡¯m teaching only you and Tyler, so I have the flexibility to cater my instructions to what you need. Which, for you is flexibility, and Tyler¡¯s problem is his stance.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with how I¡¯m standing?¡±


    ¡°Look at your leg gear. It seems you are falling to your knees when you take a heavy blow. Nothing wrong with that, but it¡¯s a bad habit to get into,¡± Paige cautioned.


    That...was true. Shavie knew from her time watching Isabella and her Party train that he did have that problem. But then again, his opponents were Protectors, and they hardly ever pulled their attacks back. And she had no reason to correct his problems. That was for him to figure out.


    But that wasn¡¯t important to Shavie, not like Markus¡¯s training. He was a full-blown Demon Lord, not some typical swordsman. And this farce of training would not get him anywhere close to that level. No, she couldn''t let Markus waste his best learning years with this crap!


    ¡°Teach him something useful for a Swordsman; like [[Fast Strike]] or something. He has the mana capacity to learn a few moves. From what I see, there¡¯s no way he would last against an opponent with what he knows.¡±


    Paige stopped twirling and frowned as she caught Shavie¡¯s meaning.


    ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s not learning to fight people. In case you haven¡¯t noticed, the kids are learning to be Adventurers. And we¡¯ve taught him how to subdue an enemy if he needs.¡±


    Paige shrugged. Shavie controlled her urge to scream at the insufferable Warrior.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to teach him how to kill people!¡± ¡®Not at this point, anyway¡¯ ¡°-but at least teach him how to fight someone above his level.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m doing a good job. And my Party thinks so to,¡± Paige said with a self-righteous smirk.


    Of course, from where she was crouching, she could see the resigned faces on Markus, Zenith, and Nick opposite of her.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡®Even your own Party Members don¡¯t believe you!¡¯ Shavie screamed in her mind.


    She sighed, but it gave her the perfect opportunity to test something out.


    ¡°Prove it.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Prove that you can fight against someone at the same level, using just what you¡¯ve been teaching him, Warrior.¡±


    ¡°Farmer. At least get my Class right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call it as I see it.¡±


    Shavie scoffed as Paige started to frown.


    ¡°Shavi-¡° Stella whispered furiously.


    ¡°Call me Farmer Paige, before I start calling things as I see them too.¡±


    Shavie was about to speak but noticed a gleam in the warrior¡¯s eye. Paige was starting to get mad. Why on earth she was getting mad about her Class was beyond her though. For someone who reached the top, Paige treated her actual Class like it was a burden rather than a boon.


    ¡°Keep the peace, Shavie. Calling her a Farmer to keep her happy is simple enough,¡± Stella whispered. ¡°We lose out far more than they will if you keep this up.¡±


    Which was also very true. But seeing Markus learning like that irked Shavie more than she would like to admit. And if the Warrior was willing to fight her as though she were a Farmer, then why not? She already knew this mock fight was heavily stacked against her, so any advantage she could secure was one step closer to victory.


    ¡°Fine. Fight me like a Farmer. Show me your training will amount to something.¡±


    Eyeing Paige¡¯s ¡°Farmer¡¯s¡± outfit, Shavie could tell that it wasn¡¯t anything special. She half expected it to woven from steel thread, but this close, she could tell it was just plain cotton. She''d seen bandanas with better stitching and less rough than what she was wearing. As for her weapons¡­ she didn¡¯t even have a single weapon on her. Just a few gardening tools and a really, really, worn down hoe strapped across her back. And nothing was even enchanted. All in all, Paige was taking her Class far more seriously than she¡¯d first expected.


    ¡®...is she a Warrior? Hell, a regular crossbow bolt could probably kill her.¡¯


    Shavie cast a covert stare to Stella. Her information should be right, but all the signs so far painted her as an actual Farmer. Jumping out of the wagon, Shavie started warming up as she looked around for a good place to fight. Training on an open road was acceptable, but mock combat, not so much.


    Jumping a low, wooden fence abutting the main field, Shavie wandered onto a pasture and continued stretching as she tested the soil beneath her. The field was full of clovers and partially tilled; typical for the late winter season. She could already spot a few young farmhands headed her, clearly trying to decide if they should talk to her or just chase her off.


    ¡°Huh, you know, I half expected you to start a fight on the main road,¡± Paige said from behind.


    ¡°I know the local laws.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. The other one is a Librarian now. Luna, right? I was wondering how you were able to skirt so many laws. Did she help you get those paintings as well?¡± Paige asked nonchalantly.


    Seeing the farmhands come closer, Paige passed by and waved. ¡°Since you¡¯re so eager to lose, I¡¯ll deal with these workers while you limber up. Haven¡¯t fought someone for real in years.¡±


    Shavie ignored her, though her random comment stuck with her. Was something wrong with those paintings she had?


    Filing the comment away, Shavie waited for Paige to finish bargaining with the workers to allow them to fight. Eyeing the hoe, Shavie narrowed her eyes as she inspected the hoe. Though the handle and head were well worn, the underside of the blade edge caught in the morning sun. A wicked sharp edge was concealed below the dirt. The shaft too was battered from use, but she spied a few nicks that stopped suspiciously.


    ¡®The shaft is concealing an interior metal rod. At that point, why didn¡¯t she make the whole handle a metal pole?¡¯


    Still, with just a hoe, the types of attacks she could do was severely limited.


    ¡°You ready?¡± Paige called, motioning the farmhands to go by the wagons. Unslinging the hoe from her back, Paige happily smiled as she hefted the hoe to her shoulders, walking away until she was a scant twenty feet in front of her.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s see just how good a Farmer is in a fight.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be surprised in a second.¡±


    Slowly shifting her weight to the balls of her feet, Shavie adjusted her daggers hidden within her sleeves. She had to deny Paige from getting a good swing in with her hoe. Or at the very least, she had to stop her from angling to her sides.


    Shavie and Paige stared at each other, waiting for the other to move. Normally, it would be to her benefit if Paige moved second, but there was no telling what her Class specialties were. Most Warriors were offensively based, but standing in front of Paige, her intuition was screaming that it was a bad idea to make the first move.


    ¡®Is her subset defensively based? Paladin perhaps? Or something more troubling like Duelist?¡¯ Shavie thought to herself.


    Sweat trickled down her brow as Shavie stood there, trying to find a good opening to strike. With none present, and her brain warning her not to close in, Shavie did the next best thing.


    Swinging her arm upward, she threw the hidden dagger with an underhand throw, the blade crossing the distance swiftly as she swiftly retreated.


    ¡°My move!¡± Paige shouted as she shifted her body slightly, twirling the butt of her shaft to deflect the dagger away. Taking a step back, Paige smirked as she swung the hoe down to the earth between them. Shavie¡¯s eyes widened as she jumped sideways. Most attacks aimed at the ground had to go in a straight line. But she hadn''t expected this to happen.


    ¡°[Power Till]¡±


    The earth erupted from the impact point, the soil upheaving in a pillar as it traveled forward.


    Shavie turned her head in time to see Paige grinning, her hoe arcing towards her face as she swung it down.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Shavie swore as she hurriedly stepped forward, using her other dagger to stop the shaft from hitting her. She frowned as the dagger bit into the wood shaft but stopped, the telltale ding of metal against metal shrilled against each other as Paige forced her back.


    Stepping forward to strike, Shavie twisted as the bladed edge thumped next to her, the ground exploding again as Paige evaded direct combat.


    Shavie grimaced as she realized what Paige was doing. She was showcasing her footwork. Dodging the hoe as it bent upwards, she moved out of the way, looking for an opportunity to strike.


    ¡®Hoe my ass; she¡¯s using the damn thing like a spear! Did she take the spearhead off and affixed a hoe instead?¡¯ Shavie ducked out of the way and increased the distance between the two of them.


    Throwing her dagger down, she glared at Paige as she pointed at the faux spear in her hand. ¡°Farmer my ass! You¡¯re a fucking Spearmaster!¡±


    ¡°Farmer. Didn¡¯t you see my awesome tilling skill?¡± Paige asked as she pointed at the field.


    Gone was the packed earth and fields of clover. As far as she could see, the ground sparkled as the sun hit the moist earth, while an earthy smell radiated around them.


    Shavie could feel her eyes twitching. ¡°Peh. [Power Till]. You just regulated how much power you used from [Earthquake]. Besides,¡± Shavie pointed a to the hoe blade! ¡°You till backward, not forwards. Your Skill is a fucking lie!¡±


    ¡°Haha, who can say for certain though?¡± Paige laughed as she strolled back to the dumbfounded spectators. ¡°Strength isn¡¯t everything for a Swordsman. It might be hard, but trust me. I generally know what I¡¯m doing. Markus won¡¯t be any weaker than he was before. Now, about Isabella¡¯s training...¡±

 Chapter 72

    ¡°It¡¯s about time we made it here. I can¡¯t stand the wagon,¡± Zenith said as she viewed the border gates from afar. ¡®Alduit Academy really was taking their borders seriously,¡¯ Zenith thought to herself as she looked at the sprawling stone wall separating it from Alcudia.


    The last few weeks were far more stressful than she¡¯d like, especially when it shouldn¡¯t have been. And all of that was because of Paige.


    Well, maybe it wasn¡¯t all Paige¡¯s fault, Zenith amended as she looked over at the other cart. The dark-haired Assassin was also at fault. She and Paige butted heads over Markus¡¯s training far more than even she and Stella had with Isabella¡¯s training.


    Or maybe it was simply because, Lily, her own pupil had elected to learn what Paige was teaching. That hurt her pride as a mentor far more than she''d like to admit.


    ¡°Lily, you don¡¯t have to learn that right now. If you have time to learn footwork, you have time to learn meditation and focus instead. We''re called Mages for a reason.¡±


    ¡°But you always said to broaden my horizons. I just...have to¡­ practice! Haah!¡±


    Lily panted heavily from the side of the cart as she practiced with Markus and Tyler. It physically pained Zenith to see her pupil practice Paige¡¯s nonsensical movements, and even more as she saw Isabella watching from the corners of her eyes. Still, she had to admit that Paige¡¯s former display was visually impressive.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t believe that [Power Till] was a real Skill. The farmhands¡¯ reaction of surprise was apparent enough to see for all. She had heard Shavie¡¯s complaint time and time again about how Paige had cheated and used [Earthquake], but Zenith wasn¡¯t sure that was exactly it either.After all, seeing Tyler and Markus practice the same movements, it was apparent that Paige had done...something to do that move. Perhaps she actually did create a new Skill. It was possible, though Zenith wouldn¡¯t put it past Paige to use her divine mana and cheat to win a simple duel.


    ¡°Lily, you know that¡¯s something a Wind Magi would never be able to do.¡±


    ¡°But Miss Paige said I could do something similar if I try hard enough! Besides, even Isabella¡¯s Protectors said I need to train more.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, Miss Zenith. They said we need to be able to run away faster. We¡¯re really bad at that apparently!¡± Isabella spoke up, her head rising from her tome.


    ¡°And that is because¡­¡±


    ¡°...Lily doesn¡¯t run away from a challenge, so Tyler has to stay back and I need to stay near Lily. So we stand there until we win or it becomes too dangerous to continue.¡±


    Not typically a problem she heard from a Party, but that was indeed a problem for Apprentices. Those that didn¡¯t learn when to run ended up dead sooner than later. But Zenith grasped on the important part of Isabella¡¯s guards'' complaint.


    ¡°Isabella,¡± Zenith said slowly, ¡°what does Lily do when the monsters are above your level to challenge?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    Isabella really needed to work on her bluffing skills, Zenith noted ruefully.


    ¡°Isabella¡­¡± Stella called out slowly.


    While Stella interrogated Isabella, Zenith herself looked back and narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Lily! Come here for a second.¡±


    Lily looked up and winced as she saw the look in her teacher''s face. But she had the sense of mind to look mollified.


    ¡°Yes, Mentor?¡±


    ¡°What is the one rule that all Adventurers know by heart? My list, not Paige¡¯s nonsensical one.¡±


    ¡°...not to fight alone and trust your Party?¡±


    A solid answer, but it was not the one she was looking for.


    ¡°If you ca-¡°


    ¡°If you can¡¯t defeat the enemy with the first attack, retreat and try again,¡± Lily hurriedly finished. ¡°But we do defeat the enemies with the first attack. Every time, really. Okay, well, there was this thing with the wolfpack, but it wasn¡¯t our fault! No matter what Isabella¡¯s guards said.¡±


    Zenith sighed.


    ¡°Lily-¡°


    ¡°They did great against that wolfpack. Heard the whole story from Miranda. Nice thinking with the [[Wind Wall]],¡± Paige said as she stepped next to Lily. ¡°It¡¯s not every day that a Party of Apprentices is able to take down that many wolves alone, even though they were two different packs fighting amongst themselves. Good thing I taught you that trick.¡±


    Zenith processed that statement for a few seconds. It was times like this where she regretted letting Paige teach seemingly simple life lessons. Like not risking your life.


    With the walls coming into range, Zenith sighed. An in-depth interrogation would have to be postponed. They had more important things to worry about, like if the Healer Hall was going to uphold their end of the bargain. This whole trip would be wasted if they weren¡¯t able to cross the border.


    ¡°...do I even want to know the details, Paige?¡±


    Paige paused. ¡°Probably not. Besides, you won¡¯t have time to worry once you become a teacher again.¡±


    ¡°What possessed me to let you teach practical lessons? You know, sometimes I wonder why I even put up with you, Paige.¡±


    Paige winced, thought it made Zenith¡¯s mood turn for the better. At least she knew how much trouble she had gotten them all involved in. Which was practically everything thus far.


    ¡°Because I make things interesting?¡±


    Zenith rolled her eyes. Only Paige would make that a positive reason to stay in a Party.


    ¡°Did Glenn say how we would get past the checkpoints?¡±


    ¡°Nope. But we¡¯ll be fine. Haven¡¯t you noticed that we haven''t passed any other carts, even though we are this close to their checkpoint? I figure the Healer Hall has already cleared the path for Isabella.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re basing everything on not seeing carts for a few days?¡± Stella scoffed from the side.


    Looking back, Zenith shrugged as she locked eyes with Stella and Shavie. It wasn¡¯t a great reason, but it did have merit. She wasn¡¯t about to let it slip that Nick had scouted the area and came to the same conclusion. And they had both noticed Shavie slipping away at night as well; probably for the same reason.


    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t say it was a good reason. If they stop us, we¡¯ll stop. If not, we¡¯ll just take it at face value and continue on,¡± Paige said lightly.


    Even though she said it nonchalantly, Zenith noticed that Paige was scanning the horizon slowly, her hand slipping to rest on her spades hanging loosely from her belt.


    ¡°...are we going to fight someone, Paige?¡± Zenith asked lightly as she manipulated the wind to encircle the adults.


    Shavie grinned as she scanned the horizon for an invisible foe. An Assassin like her could probably find someone hiding, though she doubted that there would be anyone this close to the borders.


    The same thought must have crossed Stella''s mind too as she frowned. Staring at the looming walls with concern, she quietly said what was on her mind.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°From what my sister and I have gathered, no one is willing to cross the Academy. We¡¯re more likely to encounter a test at the gate than an ambush.


    ¡°Zenith, are you ready to showcase your talents? If I was evaluating new talent, that is what I would do.¡±


    Zenith nodded slowly as she felt a brush of wind on her back. Pushing her mana forward, she watched as her mana mingled with the gust of wind and moved steadily forward.


    Lily¡¯s head snapped up from where she was practicing, though she frowned as she looked around. Zenith took a look back and frowned. She had only leaked her mana out for a second, though she wasn¡¯t foolish enough to make a simple mistake. Being this close to Lily, it could have been possible for her to notice something, but it was possible that her natural affinity and her Skill, [Mana Sensitivity], would allow her to sense something had happened to the wind.


    Regardless, Zenith made a resolution to test Lily later as she focused, sensing her mana spreading out, blending silently as it pushed through the gated opening.


    It was a simple enough concept; spread her mana thin and see how many things reacted to her mana intrusion. Of course, unless they had a Skill or were very, very perceptive; it would be hard for someone to notice a change in the slight change in their mana as it resisted hers.


    Of course, that would have been impossible for her to do it out in the open when she had a low affinity to wind mana. Seeing Lily react, Zenith noted that there were still some things she had to worry about even though her mana affinity had changed for the better.


    Focusing her thoughts back to the task at hand, Zenith frowned as she noticed that there were not many people present, which was strange. There were only ten or so people there; and of them, half of the mana she felt were unfocused, as though there were children present. Probably closer to Lily and Markus¡¯s age, which would make them somewhat talented to have condensed their mana cores at their age.


    Opening her eyes, she realized that everyone was already looking at her.


    ¡®Did they sense my attempt as well? Well, at least we have confirmation that everyone has a greater affinity,¡¯ Zenith paused. ¡®And Paige probably cheated.¡¯


    ¡°Less than twenty. Guards, as well as some children; possibly students. Somewhat talented. No one that could stop us though if we forced our way in.¡±


    Stella and Shavie grimaced though as the looked at one another.


    ¡°Peh, I¡¯d bet gold that there is at least one child Assassin in that group.¡±


    ¡°We should avoid trouble at all costs. Nothing good will come from interacting with people here. Do we all agree that the kids should get in the wagon?¡±


    Nodding in agreement, Zenith was happy that they all agreed it was probably for the best. Paige was even being helpful and herding the children into the wagons.


    Zenith turned toward Nick, waiting for his opinion. Barring Paige, she was sure that he had more experience with subterfuge than an Assassin and a Shaman. Rangers did have a reputation for investigating and avoiding traps, after all.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just continue on. The chances that this is a trap is low. I¡¯d wager a test closer to the actual Academy. No one has anything to gain from waylaying new students, especially this far from the actual school.¡±


    Zenith nodded in agreement, though she had barely started to nod when a voice spoke up from behind.


    And of course, it was Paige who was rather dismayed by everyone¡¯s reaction. ¡°The kids are suspicious, but it would be a nice change though. Who knows, maybe we¡¯ll get lucky and one of them is a bastard child of the Principle? Or perhaps the granddaughter of a Head Teacher?¡±


    ¡°Paige, we aren¡¯t here to investigate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, we should all keep an open mind.¡±


    Shrugging her shoulders, Paige slowed her steps until she was walking in time with the back of the cart; most likely to watch the kids from leaving the cart. Eyeing her for a moment longer, Zenith turned to the border gate and waited for the inevitable border stop.


    To her surprise though, none of the guards stepped forward. Blinking in surprise, they fully passed the border wall and realized that she was nervous for nothing. There wasn¡¯t even a border stop here, nor, as she realized with a start, that none of the guards even stepped forward to check their Classes or Status. Whether it was complacency that they would have no problems at the borders, or they were already notified of their arrival, she had no idea.


    Hesitating for a second, she slowed her wagon and looked over to the very unprofessional guards. She could feel Shavie, or maybe Stella, gaze on the back of her head, but she had to know why they weren¡¯t being stopped. Of the six guards, she could see three of them playing cards out in the open, while the other two were barely keeping an active watch. The last, and probably the most professional of the six, were dealing with the other children.


    Getting a good look at the children, Zenith realized with a start that they were all dressed in regular clothes instead of a school uniform. They were certainly good enough to be highly sought after in an actual school, but here, it looked like they were no big deal. The boys and the lone girl were caked in mud, some far more than others.


    Looking them up and down, it was certain they were commoners. Cotton clothes; and no accessories, weapons, or armor that she could see. A common sight in a city, perhaps, but not out by the borders. Not unless the Academy was far closer than she assumed it was.


    And from what she gathered quickly, the guard was settling a dispute with the kids. Noticing her gaze, the guard quickly shooed the kids away, though interestingly enough they headed away from the border gates.


    Locals then, Zenith thought as they walked away. The guard shook his head, muttering something about spoiled brats before coming closer to their wagons.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have safe passage so long as you don¡¯t stay for long. Don¡¯t travel off the road. Don¡¯t damage the fields. Don¡¯t mine, forage, hunt, or fish here without permission. Finally, you¡¯ll be in a world of trouble if you mess with the wrong people. Any questions?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Zenith blinked. This was quickly becoming the worst checkpoint she had ever been to.


    ¡°What do you think we¡¯d do? Kick you out?¡± He waved his hand. ¡°Nah, the Academy will handle all that. We¡¯re just here to warn you not to cause any trouble. You might be big shots wherever you came from, but here, you ain¡¯t nothing.¡±


    Zenith was conflicted. There had to be some agenda that she was missing.


    ¡°And the children?¡±


    The guard quirked his eyebrow and pointed behind him. ¡°Oh them? Locals; they all like to bother newcomers here. But we have laws about soliciting, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Soliciting? What are they selling?¡± Stella asked.


    ¡°Themselves, of course.¡± Noticing their stares, he coughed. ¡°Their talent, I mean. They all hope to catch the eye of someone coming to school, but it¡¯s a long shot. I have to shoo them away every day.¡±


    ¡°Poor kids. They have no families?¡± Lily asked as she popped her head out.


    ¡°They do, but their families are Support Classes, so they don¡¯t have a chance to enter. But the City Guards will tell you all the rules here, just follow the road until you reach the city.¡± With a wave of his hand, he motioned them to continue on their way.


    Paige smiled at his actions and tossed a golden coin his way. ¡°How about you tell us now. We¡¯re traveling merchants, after all.¡±


    The guard visibly hesitated. ¡°Now, it¡¯s not really my pla-¡±


    Zenith rolled her eyes. Of course. Some things never changed, no matter the place. Looking toward Nick, she nodded. Pulling a small bag from his sleeves, he handed it over and she held it aloft, the metallic clinking easily recognizable.


    The guard smiled as he grabbed the bag. Money talked, after all.


    ¡°You could say that Alduit Academy is an academic city. Everything is catered around the students and staff there. As such, it¡¯s hard to even step into the city if you aren¡¯t affiliated with the school. There are strict limits on everything there. Even the City Guards are Teachers there.


    ¡°But it is still a city. And the lifeblood of a city will always rely on Support Classes to help keep it running; Farmers, Merchants, etc. So while you can¡¯t stay in the city, there is nothing stopping you from staying in the various suburbs surrounding the school. That¡¯s where a lot of people settle, and there the ambitious ones try to get into the school. Even if they have to sell themselves to do it.¡±


    Zenith whipped her head around and stared at Paige, hard. From the way she told it, they wouldn¡¯t be able to even stay in the borders if they didn¡¯t get into the school.


    Paige coughed. ¡°So we can stay in the suburbs without a problem?¡±


    The guard chuckled. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t say that. The school owns everything past these walls. They sell contracts to the land and enforce them with an iron fist, so in order to get a place to settle down, you will still need a contact in the school who can grease some wheels for you. Or have a large enough backer to force someone to give you their spot.¡±


    Zenith settled down. That was more familiar to her. Factions. And if the Imperial Family was here, then it made sense to treat everything with caution. No telling who you might offend here, even accidentally.


    After a few more questions, Zenith thanked the guard and edged her cart forward.


    ¡®Have to find the local Healer Hall. They¡¯ll be able to direct us from there. That¡¯ll save us some trouble at least. Though, if the Healer Hall is being watched...¡±


    So absorbed in her thoughts of the future, she missed the local kids fighting off to the side of the road. It wasn¡¯t until Lily poked her that she broke out of her thoughts.


    ¡°Lily, stop that. It¡¯s rude.¡±


    ¡°Umm, mentor? Shouldn¡¯t you stop Paige?¡± she asked timidly.


    ¡°Wha-¡±


    Before she could ask, she heard Paige talking from her side.


    ¡°Hmph. That¡¯ll teach you to treat a girl that way. You can travel with us to the city,¡± Paige said kindly.


    Zenith turned and groaned aloud. Paige stood over the battered forms of the boys, the lone girl staring wide-eyed at Paige as she headed back to the wagon.


    ¡°Paige. What part of ''don¡¯t look for trouble'' didn¡¯t you understand?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I see it and I have to help,¡± Paige shrugged helplessly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t about to let the poor girl get roughed up.¡±


    Zenith was about to berate her when Nick held her hand. A quick look back revealed Nick¡¯s cautious face. Reigning her temper in, she realized what she had missed earlier, and why Nick was cautious. Though her tone was playful, her gaze was serious. She hadn¡¯t done it on a whim.


    Paige had noticed something.

 Chapter 73

    ¡°Thank you again so much. It was really nice of you to bring me along to the city. Are you guys here for the entrance exams as well? And-¡± the young girl prattled on and on.


    Even distracted as she was, Paige could hear the pleading, hopeful tone underlying her questions. Rubbing the back of her head while absently answering her questions, she scanned the horizon for an anomaly, even though she knew it would be hard spotting the girl¡¯s Guardians. Looking at the girl from the corner of her eye, Paige almost pitied the girl for what she was about to do, but some things had to be done the hard way. The girl picked up on the look though and started fidgeting.


    ¡®...good instincts. Little late, but that comes with experience,¡¯ Paige praised in her heart. If only she wasn¡¯t a -


    ¡°Umm, Miss¡­?¡± the girl stuttered nervously.


    ¡°Ah, sorry. I lost my focus for a second. Those boys sure were rough, huh? You should be more careful with country boys like them. They don¡¯t play fair. At least none of them had rocks; otherwise, I¡¯d be worried about our carts,¡± Paige replied with a mostly honest smile as she patted the rough canvas covering of the cart and the already damaged weatherproof canvas. ¡°Of course, any Merchant worth their Class would make sure to protect their wares, but children will be children. And we can¡¯t be bothered to chase children throwing rocks; after all, for all I know they could be a simple distraction so thieves could rob me blind.¡±


    The girl nodded in agreement, though she surreptitiously looked behind at the ragtag bunch of kids following from behind.


    ¡°They can¡¯t hit us from there¡­ can they?¡± she blushed guiltily. If they did start throwing rocks, it would be because of her little scuffle.


    It was surprising seeing the girl so open with her feelings. ¡°Meh, probably not. We''ll be on the lookout since there are plenty of rocks along the path.¡±


    ¡°If they try it, I¡¯ll skin them to their bones. We¡¯ve had a nice trip this far, and I¡¯ll be damned if they break the goods when I¡¯m this close to making some profit.¡±


    Shavie jumped up into the cart and glared back at the children, though her face quickly turned into a pleasant grin. Paige huffed as she saw the Assassin''s performance. At least Shavie had some tact, unlike a certain someone in her Party. She had been worried that Zenith¡¯s abrupt change in attitude would startle the girl, but Shavie and Stella were oddly...persuasive at times. It had to be a Skill of some sort, and a good one at that, judging by how fast the girl¡¯s attitude had changed. Nor was it a typical Merchant Skill either since it didn¡¯t affect anyone else except the girl.


    Paige narrowed her eyes as she thought about the potential drawbacks of that Skill. If that skill was tailored for assassinations, then either it affected only one person¡¯s perception at a time or only someone weaker than the one casting it. Skills like that were dangerous, given the right circumstances.


    Paige snapped out of her thoughts and thanked her goddess in relief as she heard the low pitch sound of a rock in flight, and even more when the back of the cart was hit. The loud thunk as the stone ricocheted off the wagon startled the younger girl, and Shavie quickly jumped up to yell at them. The kids scattered further back, though she could hear rocks skipping across the dirt path further behind her.


    ¡®Good. Just in time too,¡¯ she thought as the wagon reached a small curve in the path. It was just slight enough that she would have to turn the wagon a little to the right. Probably just a cartographer who needed to adjust the angle of the road, but it worked to her benefit in this case.


    Her worrisome passenger next to her turned her head and stuck out her tongue rudely. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them,¡± Paige said as she patted the hand of the girl, startling her. ¡°Shavie scared them off. We¡¯d probably get struck by lightning sooner than a rock. They are pretty far behind us now.¡±


    The girl turned and smiled in relief right before something clipped her head from behind. Her grin of relief was frozen on her face as she fell to her side knocked cold.


    Shavie dropped her arm and glanced down at the girl as she tilted her head. Dusting her seat off, she stretched her fingers out as she picked up the small, iron ball rolling idly across the seat. Pocketing the item she had thrown at the girl, she grabbed the air as Stella tossed a small satchel over. Looping the item around her neck, Shavie settled down and waited with a pointed gaze for a reasonable explanation.


    Okay, everyone was waiting for a reasonable explanation from her. She could sense the kids trying furtively trying to eavesdrop and staring at the adults in trepidation even as Zenith crushed the mana stone in her pocket to protect their conversation.


    ¡°Child Assassin? I called it, so someone owes me some gold,¡± Shavie snickered with glee.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t a very good one if she was,¡± Nick frowned as he scanned the flat horizon.


    ¡°So an Apprentice then. Whatever. Wait, perhaps she¡¯s the bait for an Assassin to capitalize on,¡± Shavie paused. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind duking it out with someone in the same trade. Just to see what the standards for Assassin are like nowadays. It''s been years since I''ve had a good fight.¡±


    Paige almost nodded her head in agreement but she caught herself. ¡®I¡¯m a Farmer. I shouldn¡¯t be looking for a fight. Even though I would win,¡¯ she sighed sadly. Was a little excitement in life too much to ask?


    Sensing that Nick was on the lookout, she turned her head to explain and saw Shavie propping her feet on the unconscious girl back. Easing herself forward, Paige gently pushed Shavie¡¯s feet off the girl. That got everyone¡¯s attention and the look was almost insulting. She bristled slightly. She had perfectly good manners!


    ¡°...do none of you find anything odd about her?¡± Paige asked.


    Zenith shook her head as the others took a closer look at her. Paige looked the girl over again. She was fairly nondescript, which would¡¯ve helped her on her travel. Her clothes were nothing special, and her strawberry blonde hair was slightly dirty from travel. But it was the aura around her that gave away her heritage.


    ¡°You care. That¡¯s enough for me. So? What¡¯s so special about her?¡± Zenith said after a moment.


    Paige smiled wryly to herself. That was the problem when working with youngsters. Their worldview was so much smaller than hers. She didn¡¯t begrudge them or anything, it just made moments like this a tad more difficult to deal with.


    ¡°She¡¯s half-elf. Kinda surprised we haven¡¯t been attacked yet. Elven Royal Guardians are very, very ornery about who can associate with a Princess.¡±


    ¡°An Elven Princess!?¡±


    ¡°For god¡¯s sake, Paige!¡±


    ¡°Another one?¡±


    ¡°Shit! I knocked out a Princess?!¡±


    They all started and looked carefully at the girl at her feet. Paige rolled her eyes. The girl¡¯s elven features were muted, though whether it was from magic, her mixed heritage, or simply because she hadn¡¯t hit puberty yet. She¡¯d clue them on her aura if they asked, but they took her at face value and accepted her judgment.


    ¡°So¡­ what exactly are you planning to do with her?¡± Nick asked carefully as he notched an arrow.


    ¡°Well, ideally we use this to cement our reputation. The other Imperial Scions won¡¯t take kindly to us intruding, especially if they think we are working for rival families. And capturing a Princess will rile up her backers. That will help us narrow down which Scions are present.


    ¡°Best case, we can get some people to owe us favors. Worst case, we found a Princess in hiding.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Zenith hesitated.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Paige caught her unspoken question. ¡°Nothing bad will happen to her. You know the old saying, ¡®A Princess and Danger go hand in hand.¡¯ It¡¯ll be a slap on the wrist at worst for her. Maybe this''ll work even better for us.¡±


    Paige sat back in her seat as the mana stone ran out of power. Still, the worst-case scenario was terrible for them. Having one Princess was problematic enough, and that wasn''t even counting the two ex-Princess and on ex-Demon Lord already in their little group. ¡®I mean, I was intending to cause some problems anyways, but if problems come to us that works just as well,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    Consoling herself while ignoring Stella and Zenith¡¯s dubious gazes, Paige focused on the problem at hand. She wasn¡¯t lying when she said problems followed Princesses. If she had learned just one thing in her time as a Princess, it was problems inevitably found her. Almost like a Hero, actually, which solidified her idea that a Princess could become a Heroine if given enough time.


    Still, she knew that all Elven Princesses were required to have a Guardian around them at all times, mainly because of her foolish disciple¡¯s actions. She wouldn¡¯t have been drawn into that political disaster if she had followed protocol in the first place. It was close to impossible that a Princess would have been able to escape notice if Glenn was telling the truth about how many Scions were muddying the water here. She couldn¡¯t think of a single circumstance that a random Princess would be left alone¡­ unless the Princess had help from someone. Someone powerful enough to flaunt the rules. And that was highly unusual to begin with.


    But as minutes passed, the probability that she had slipped away from her guards somehow was becoming a real possibility. Or her guards were dead, but that was bordering on impossible. There would have been news if the Elves crossed the Empire''s borders to retaliate. That would be the best-case scenario.


    Paige winced. Zenith was not going to be happy if nothing happened. Passing the time, she could hear Shavie talking as Nick kept watch. ¡°You won¡¯t find an Elf that way, forest boy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised by what I can find,¡± he muttered. ¡°Trent Scouts are just as easy to pick out as a deer is in a forest.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Then you haven¡¯t fought a Trent Scout at night.¡±


    Settling back, Paige noticed Shavie turning and staring at the unconscious girl. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve killed plenty of Elves before, but none of them looked like this. The ones I know had far darker skin than this. Almost ash-colored. Awfully adept at using poison, too.¡±


    Paige frowned. ¡°Really? Maybe it¡¯s just a regional difference?¡±


    This was the first she¡¯d heard of that. She¡¯d killed a fair share of Elves too, but it was almost universally known that Elves were known for their fair skin. And forget poison, the ones she killed were all forthright about having duels to the death, even if they used bows as their main weapon. Then again, as Paige looked down at the girl at their feet, if humans could fall in love with anyone if the conditions were right, then it wasn¡¯t a large stretch for a demon and elf to fall in love either.


    Paige grinned ruefully. Here she was just thinking about how small the others¡¯ worldview was, and she had just learned something new.


    ¡°Nick, you can stop looking. An Elven Guardian would have attacked us by now.¡±


    ¡°And if she was being guarded by Humans instead?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rather unlikely. Even Halfblood Elves get protection if they are royalty.¡±


    Still, with no guards coming to check on their sleeping beauty, Paige could only hope that this chance encounter didn¡¯t end up being more than she bargained for. Scratching her head, she sighed as the city came into view.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what the local Healer Hall has to say. And let¡¯s hope someone attacks us soon; otherwise, we might have a real problem.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ¡°So my plan didn¡¯t quite go as I expected. Not my fault,¡± Paige ruefully started to no one in particular.


    Looking down at the city below from their spot in the conference room at the Healer Hall, Paige pointedly ignored the looks she was getting, but she could especially feel Isabella''s gaze digging into her back. Kidnapping a random stranger had definitely not won her any points. But that didn''t change the fact that the unconscious girl was sleeping soundly underneath the table. Whatever Shavie had put around her neck really worked.


    ¡°As planned? Paige, you got some nerve -¡°


    Paige sighed as she tuned Zenith¡¯s scolding out. She made one tiny mistake and Zenith was all over her. It was like she thought Paige had done something unreasonable. Of course, they hadn¡¯t experienced how much trouble a Princess could get into, so Paige couldn¡¯t quite explain how her actions weren''t too bad.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t the first time she had saved a Princess from getting caught by the Imperial Family. And it would give both parties an opportunity to fight a Scion. Well, a much weaker Scion than if they were Blessed. Paige smiled internally. Combined, she was sure both Parties could kill any Scion that came around, even without her help.


    Her mana churned at that thought of a battle. ''Assuming I need to fight, that is,'' she thought quickly. Even using farm tools, it was hard to say if she could kill someone without experiencing Mana Rejection. Even her ¡®training¡¯ match with a Shavie was a close call for her. She knew deep down that had Shavie not blocked or dodged the attacks, she would have experienced a strong backlash with her second attack.


    A knock on the door interrupted Zenith¡¯s scolding. Paige thanked the Sunset Goddess that Zenith''s nagging was cut short. But to her surprise, the people who came in were not the usual low ranking Cleric and guards. Instead, in walked the High Protector Glenn.


    As he scanned the room for threats, and as he specifically looked at both her and Shavie, she realized she had overlooked one small detail. This was no mere Healer Hall. There was no way it would be, not here so close to Alduit Academy. Not with so much at stake either.


    No, this was an Imperial Healer Hall. Probably the first and only one outside of Humanity¡¯s cradle, nestled deep in the Central Territory. Had she remembered that small tidbit beforehand, Paige wouldn¡¯t have brought the unconscious Princess here, not where she would be in danger from her own allies.


    As she watched in mounting trepidation, more Protectors came walking into the room; identifying threats and getting into a defensive arrangement by the door. Old faces were hidden partially under their helms; while their armor was marked heavily with scars. Veterans, the whole lot of them. ''...True High-Class Protectors, and not by current standards either. That''s....a problem.''


    She could sense the others around her shifting in response to the newcomers. Zenith was slowly moving toward the far side of the room while Nick quietly motioned the kids to the corner of the room, well away from the windows. He must have noticed something outside that made him wary. Stella was motioning Isabella to move closer to her as she reached for something in her pockets.


    Shavie for her part smiled, which set alarms off in Paige''s head. That would not bode well right now. But what was problematic was Glenn was on guard against Shavie far more than the one known Magi in the room. Glenn had pegged Shavie as something, and that did not sit well with her. If he thought they were all one Party...


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s the old man! And Isabella¡¯s guards are here too!¡± Lily shouted.


    Paige halted mid-step on the way to the table, cognizant of the covert gazes she was getting. Maybe it was because Shavie was acting confidant that she could take them, but Paige was sure that she was the priority target in every scenario she could think of. It wasn¡¯t the fact that there were so many potential enemies that worried her. They would be almost as hard as killing an Imperial Scion just by merit of teamwork alone. But she loathed showing that much power right now. Not when she wasn¡¯t hidden from society at large.


    ¡®...I¡¯m in deep trouble. Mhmm.¡¯


    Paige slumped. Her future anonymity was at stake. Ignoring the confused looks her party was giving her, she sat down, making sure to position herself close to the unconscious girl on the floor. For once, she was regretting her swift actions. The girl''s presence would only make things more difficult.


    ¡°High Protector Glenn. Shouldn¡¯t you be, you know, back in the Central Territories? Protecting your ward and such? I can¡¯t think of a single reason why you need to be here of all places.¡±


    Paige desperately hoped he was just there to bring back the formations she had promised. Formations such as those could warrant these guards after all.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t have to come. But I felt it was necessary,¡± a tired voice said from beyond the threshold.


    The rhythmic tapping of a heavy staff echoed off the marble floors and into the room. The light aura she felt radiating from beyond the door made her pause. Paige could tell the others felt it too, especially Shavie and Stella, as their faces turned into a silent grimace. Of course those two would notice the affinity changing. The highly charged mana must have been uncomfortable for them.


    ¡°We¡¯ve come to trade,¡± the voice called out. As the last of the guards strolled in, a younger group of Guardians flanked the door, colored capes and sashes adorning their armor. A young, tired, and mostly irritable woman strolled in between them as they turned as one, saluting as she passed. Waving her hands grumpily, she pulled the chair closest to the door out from under the table and sat down heavily.


    Paige blinked. The woman in front of her was practically radiating light from just sitting there. Not blindingly bright, but it did add a sense of holiness to her, though the grimace plastered on her face detracted from that feeling. Well, that and the crooked miter on her head, the disheveled hair and dark bags under her eyes. Most likely from hard travel, Paige thought to herself, though she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it was just from lack of rest. Or maybe it was just her natural look.


    Veterans; an honor guard; the change in the ambient affinity; any one of these was a good indicator of the woman''s status in the Imperial Healer Hall. But it was the necklace that clued her to who this newcomer truly was. The Imperial Healer Cross, one identical to the one she had given Zenith so long ago, was hanging around her neck.


    Zenith''s gaze drilled into the back of her head. IF the day could get worse, Paige knew she would be in big trouble.

 Chapter 74

    Odessa Haven Goodwin III was not having a good time right now. First, she had been whisked away from her life of comforts in the Imperial Capital at a moment''s notice, then came the dreaded hard travel and rations just to make sure they arrived sooner than later.


    And it all stemmed from one small fact. She was the youngest. That, and her whole family, from which a multitude of Grand Healers had arisen from, were all a bunch of shut ins. Instead of being the responsible adults they should have been, they spent all their time at home, enjoying the comforts of the world safely inside the Imperial Healer Hall¡¯s grand estates. If they ever wanted a new view (which was very rare), they would simply go to a different estate.


    Of course, being able to heal mortal wounds tended to allow Grand Healers such a lavish lifestyle.


    She glared at the people in front of her. They were the origin of her current problems. It all started when a simple book and counterfeit cross were revealed during a small dispute in a backwater border country. Not something she would usually deal with, but it had concerned an Apprentice Cleric and an Imperial Scion overstepping his bounds to force the Healer Hall to limit her movements. Just that was enough for her to take notice and intervene here.


    Though the faction behind Imperial Scion Maxwell had pushed for her to sweep everything under the rug, the mere fact that the Alcudian branch had been influenced was damaging enough to their reputation of being neutral. Infighting between factions was already heated enough; and if Scions started thinking they could monopolize healers¡­well Odessa had enough worries to deal with without adding more to her plate. But she had weathered the storm through some quick thinking on her part. After all, it was just words, as well as a mostly sincere promise to look into the matter. More problems soon followed though, as the Imperial Cross was real, much to her disbelief. And one look at the book cipher revealed who the owner was. After that, her great, great grandmother, Grand Healer Odessa Haven had started doing something she hadn¡¯t done for a long time; she took notice of the outside world once again.


    ¡°We¡¯ve come to trade,¡± Odessa spoke irritably to the crowd around her as she sat down at the head of the table. Adjusting her posture, she made sure her Imperial Cross settled neatly above her breasts as she sat. ¡®Guh, Uncle Glenn is going to scold me again if I¡¯m messy.¡¯


    Odessa glowered at the Party in front of her, the party leader a simple Farmer if she could believe the reports given to her. The fact that an Imperial Servant could hide their true Class was already very disconcerting to know. And of the suspected servants in the room, there was enough evidence to narrow down to a broad class, but their specialization was unknown. That was the real reason she had elected to bring even more veteran guards with her.


    And that wasn¡¯t even taking into account that even Sir Glenn had reservations about fighting this party¡­


    ¡°Trade? I don¡¯t think so. You need something from us far more than we need you,¡± The ¡®Farmer¡¯ stated wearily. Odessa blinked as she looked for the voice and saw the Farmer sitting directly across from her. Now she realized what the other Protectors felt, and why they were so guarded against the woman.


    She couldn¡¯t sense the woman, even this close; and that wasn¡¯t even the worst part. As she stared into her eyes, she could faintly see something in the depth. She had seen that look before. Though Paige was wearing a simple Farmer¡¯s outfit, and her body language clearly showed she was wary, Odessa was sure that Paige was confident she could kill them all.


    ¡°Show your respect to the Grand Healer!¡± one of her personal guards yelled before she could stop him.


    Paige smiled, her eyes never leaving Odessa¡¯s. ¡°Glenn, how many of them are trustworthy? I spot at least three different factions, and that¡¯s not even considering the makeup of the Honor Guards.


    Odessa rankled at the accusation. The Healer Hall was above the petty factional disputes! Of course, her honor guard had to have some Servants in it, but for the veterans to be untrustworthy was unthinkable. Or it was in her mind before Glenn nodded slowly.


    ¡°Everyone here is trustworthy. And while some of us have more allegiances than others, we all have sworn an oath to protect the Healer Hall.¡±


    Odessa paused. Now that was something she hadn¡¯t known. Nor was it the right time to think about it either. She focused back on Paige. By Glenn¡¯s own account, Paige was the leader of the Party and more importantly, the main decision-maker of the group.


    She had to take control. Clearing her throat gently, she said, ¡°I know who to trust. As acting Grand Healer, I have come to renegotiate the terms of the blood oath.¡±


    ¡°...blood oath?¡± The dark haired woman asked.


    Odessa smiled as she looked over to the dark haired woman. By her uncle¡¯s account, she was Isabella¡¯s mother. The dark black hair cascading down her back narrowed down who this was. That either had to be Isabella''s mother or one of the aunt¡¯s she had read about. No, judging by how Isabella was hovering behind, that had to be her mother. She paused for a moment before adjusting her tone to something far more pleasant. ¡°The blood oath to prove the sincerity of our deal. Imperial Servant Paige-¡±


    ¡°Farmer Paige.¡±


    Internally rolling her eyes, she kept going. ¡°Farmer Paige had initiated a rather unique exchange. We just want to make sure both parties are happy, since she had also negotiated on behalf of your family.¡±


    ¡°The exchange is fair. We give you something you want, and we get something we want,¡± Paige focused as she sat up. Narrowing her eyes as she swept her eyes across her guards, she slowly pointed her hand at a few of her guards, seemingly at random. ¡°You, you, you, you, you...and you. You six can leave.¡±


    Odessa mentally identified who was pointed at, trying to find the common link between those chosen. Two of the veteran Protectors and four of her six honor guards. But none of her honor guards had anything in common. Even their backers were different, and some were even rivals. And two of her close friends were among the honor guard that was chosen.


    She could already hear her friend, Parker Brinker, bristle at being singled out. He was highly skilled at close combat, though internal records and personal experience showed he was a bit brash. And even her best friend, Lori Bell, had been selected.


    ¡°Only the Healer Hall can-¡°


    ¡°Get out, Parker. The rest of you too. I order it as the acting Grand Healer.¡±


    Odessa closed her eyes. If Glenn hadn¡¯t confirmed Paige¡¯s accusation, she knew she would be defending her friends right now. But as it stood¡­ it was better to be safe than sorry, especially considering the strength of the people across from her.


    She could already imagine the scrutiny she¡¯d be undergoing once she got back home. And the loss of trust from both her close friends. But¡­ the good of the Healer Hall was above all else.


    Waiting until the door finished closing, Odessa opened her eyes fiercely and slammed her fist down. Though it hurt her, the loss of trust hurt her heart more. ¡°It cost me a lot to do what I just did. You better have a good reason for that.¡±


    Across from her, Paige smirked. She hated that look on her face, and she¡¯d barely known her for more than three minutes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like their teacher. Nor do I like the factions they represent. You¡¯ll thank me later for this.¡±


    ¡°How about we take a step back and talk about this blood pact?¡± Stella''s mother suggested.


    Paige tched. ¡°Oath. Not a pact, Stella. They are totally different things,¡± Paige said. ¡°And it better be a full blood oath. I¡¯m not handing you the formation pattern for [[Shatterstrike Firebolt]] and [[Eye of the Pathfinder]] for a simple spoken oath.¡±


    ¡°And I agree with that, Paige. But please explain the agreement to me. I may have some reservations myself since I am unaware of the specifics,¡± Stella agreed.


    Odessa wavered slightly. They were on first name terms. But hadn¡¯t her uncle said they hated each other?


    ¡°I can go over the terms.¡± Odessa was hoping for Stella to frown as she reiterated the content of the agreement to Isabella¡¯s mother. While the terms seemed fair on paper, Odessa knew that wasn¡¯t the case. It was essentially blackmail. In exchange for material goods, a future Cleric would be in the grasp of a single Scion. And after hearing what the formations could do, even her mother and the other retired Grand Healers had agreed that it was well worth the cost. Odessa hated it. She was the one who would have to fix the problems that would arise from this deal.


    She wasn¡¯t quite sure why the Imperial Servant even wanted these terms specifically. It was almost like they were sure they could keep Isabella safe from other factions. She couldn¡¯t name a single faction that had the guts to hoard a Cleric for themselves. And while they were strong, they couldn¡¯t be more powerful than the ones coming from the Deep Battlefield. If anything, she would rather pressure them to give up the formations as well as the location of Peter¡¯s Party. That must have been where they got that knowledge. Or maybe that was who needed a Cleric?


    Stella thought for a moment and slowly nodded her head. ¡°That¡­ seems rather fair. Thank you for that, Miss Paige,¡± Stella said after listening to the full agreement.


    ¡°I ran it by Queen Rebecca before I offered it, so we do have a reliable witness who can verify the oath was made in good faith.¡±


    Odessa coughed. ¡°Well, there have been some complications. You have to understand that Clerics have a special status. In addition, Apprentice Cleric Isabella will need personalized training if she wants to advance and specialize. That training is only possible within the Healer Hall.¡±


    Stella and Paige paused as they glanced at each other. Odessa knew that was the only leverage she possessed over the party. She had to tie in the girl with the Healer Hall and stop her from socializing with only a single faction.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    And seeing the frown on Paige¡¯s face, Paige knew that as well.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to the Imperial Capital or anywhere even remotely close to the central territories. You can forget that right there. And you¡¯re not the only one who can teach Isabella how to heal. In fact, she is already learning how to heal from our Teacher.¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Odessa stated confidently. ¡°That knowledge is sacred. Only chosen individuals are able to learn how to heal. And only a Cleric can teach another how to heal. Not to me-¡±


    ¡°Zenith; show the poor girl how misguided she is.¡±


    The Mage behind Paige simply nodded her head and held her hand out. Grabbing at a dagger on her belt, she watched as the Mage slit the palm of her hand swiftly. A faint wisp of mana swiftly gathered in her other hand as she dropped the dagger, the green light swiftly changing into a translucent white as it brushed against her wound.


    Odessa closed her eyes. The wound closing was proof enough. More importantly, her actions gave credence to her uncle¡¯s report about her supposed specialties. A mage who had talent in wind, nature, and now healing magic. But how did she learn how to heal without alerting the Healer Hall? Her mind quickly spun, trying to find a reason why. Her eyes widened as she realized how.


    ¡°...great, great, grandmother¡¯s book. Someone made a copy and leaked the Healer Hall secrets.¡±


    Her mood dropped. It was bad enough she wasn¡¯t aware of spies in the Healer Hall. But for someone to have the audacity to do that? That was too far. As soon as she got back, she resolved to clean up the Healer Hall from foreign influences.


    Paige spoke up. ¡°Glenn, while I would love to chat more about all the problems you have back home, let¡¯s focus on what we need. You know, a place to stay; that teacher recommendation; a completed blood oath. Come on, you can sort out your own problems by yourself. We have a schedule to keep.¡±


    Odessa glared at her uncle. He was supposed to be helping her with the negotiators, but so far he was no better than dead weight.


    ¡°Farmer Paige,¡± he started. Odessa scoffed internally as Paige smiled. ¡°We accept your conditions.¡±


    ¡°Like hell we will!¡± Odessa stood up. That was exactly what she did not want to do. They had to make them compromise. Why couldn¡¯t he see the problem at hand?


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to worsen our relationship with them. We have more important matters to discuss as well, ¡±Glenn''s gaze flickered toward her and then back over to Paige.


    Her face paled as she realized Glenn was not going to endorse her decision. ¡°We need more formations! I can give you something in return. A personal favor perhaps.¡±


    Paige¡­ paused. Really paused. Odessa desperately hoped that she had more to give. This was probably her last shot to ask.


    Minutes ticked by as Paige frowned to herself. Odessa was about to beg again when Paige looked up and asked a question.


    ¡°... where is Grandmaster Flynn currently stationed? I¡¯d wager he¡¯s somewhere in the outer edges, or perhaps he¡¯s been stationed at the Gate?¡±


    Odessa hurriedly answered. ¡°He''s at the Gate. Been there for a few years now and he¡¯s holding down the fort. He really only comes back every couple of months, but for some reason he¡¯s been there almost two years now.¡±


    That was big news years ago, before she got sidetracked by the current situation. Still, she hoped that her answer would get her some points with Paige. She wasn¡¯t concerned by the look on Paige¡¯s face as she sat back, clearly troubled by the information.


    Odessa waited in anticipation as Paige mulled over her thoughts.


    ¡°Hm. That does change things. Well, I have a gift for him. You can send it with the next platoon of reinforcements.¡±


    ¡°The Healer Hall cannot inf-¡±


    ¡°I have one more formation that would work for you. A large scale defensive formation; but, only if a platoon is sent to the Gate. Also, I want supplies to be sent to Alcudia to enchant their defensive lines.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡± Ordessa nodded. The first part would be hard to manage, but the retired Grand Healers could possibly manage it. Watching as Paige wrote a list of supplies, Odessa knew that it wouldn¡¯t be cheap, but at least she had gotten one more formation out of it. And more importantly, having the formations gave them leverage back home.


    ¡°Now. About why we are all here¡­¡± Paige trailed off.


    Odessa glanced over to Glenn who nodded.


    ¡°Everything is taken care of. I¡¯ve already spoken to the Headmaster here, and he has assured me he will give you a fair test tomorrow. Accommodations have also been taken care of for you all as well.¡±


    Odessa smiled. She had negotiated hard for the school to free up a house for them to stay at, even trading a few favors for their cooperation. And even then, they were slightly unwilling to even help her gain a spot for the test.


    ¡°Good. Hopefully our shop will be located somewhere on the main thoroughfare, otherwise it¡¯ll be-¡±


    Odessa held up her hand in confusion. ¡°Shop? What shop?¡±


    ¡°The shop we¡¯ll need to sell our goods. We all have actual day jobs. You didn¡¯t think we¡¯d just stay at home all day¡­ did you? Hell, I''m a Farmer. I need some land. We have a Bowyer, and Stella here is an Alchemist. Surely that was taken into consideration when looking into our living arrangements?¡±


    Odessa felt a headache coming on. They were Imperial Servants. All they had to do was demand things and it would be given to them.


    ¡®Why would they make me do all the work? And why on earth would they be taking on menial jobs like farming or shopkeeping? Just hire someone for that!¡¯ she thought angrily.


    Keeping her face neutral, she slowly nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ inquire about that, but no promises. You could probably rent a space easily enough though.¡±


    Paige nodded slowly, though they both had the same thought in mind. A shop was out of the question.


    Stella coughed politely. ¡°Is there anything else you would like to discuss? We still have a long day ahead of us.¡±


    Odessa shook her head. Honestly, she was ready to wash her hands of this matter. Though, something did bother her. ¡°What factions are my guards representing? And why did you ask about Grandmaster Flynn?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let Glenn answer the first question. The second¡­ is a bit personal. Now, as for my gift to Grandmaster Flynn...¡± Paige smiled wryly as she took out a rather gaudy ruby ring. Odessa¡¯s eyes almost popped out as Paige whispered something and a large package appeared in front of her. A spacial ring. She was on guard as she upped Paige¡¯s importance in her mind. Most Scions didn¡¯t have regular access to equipment like that. ¡°You can hand him this. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll enjoy it. As for my message¡­ tell him exactly what I am saying. ¡®Lava is effective. And the vagabond is safe.¡¯ He¡¯ll know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be hard but we¡¯ll get the message through to him. You have my word on that.¡± Odessa stood up, fully intent on getting a good night sleep before heading back home. But looking at the future Cleric in front of her, she hesitated. ¡°Isabella. You can call us for help, no matter the problem. Clerics watch out for each other.¡±


    Motioning with her hand, she waited until her guards started leaving before she stood up. To her surprise, her uncle hadn¡¯t moved from his spot.


    ¡°You can go and rest, Odessa. I¡¯ll catch up shortly after I finish the blood oath.¡±


    Odessa bit her lip and bowed slightly as Glenn pulled out the document from his own spatial ring. They both knew who held the true authority here.


    As the door closed, Paige stretched out. She was glad that the girl at her feet was asleep.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why you are so guarded against the Healer Hall,¡± Glenn said as he sat down at the table. He signed the document and sealed it with ten stamps before he rolled it over to her.


    She opened it and looked at the stamps he had used. Numerous glowing symbol were firmly stamped onto the document. ¡®Good. Even the retired Grand Healers have agreed to it.¡¯ Passing it over to Stella, she answered Glenn. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand. Honestly, if the battlefield was in that bad of a shape, I¡¯m surprised the Imperial Capital hasn¡¯t collapsed yet. At least that girl was honest about how bad it was. You didn¡¯t mention anything of the sort when I was offering magic circles.¡±


    ¡°Battlefield?¡± Stella asked with surprise as she looked up from the document.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later. It¡¯s a secret you¡¯re better off not knowing right now.¡±


    Paige sighed as she watched the gears turning in Glenn¡¯s head. Couldn¡¯t Stella have waited until he left? But that was probably the point.


    Paige sharply glared at Glenn. Now wasn¡¯t the time for this. Picking out the formations she and Zenith had drawn, she passed it over to Glenn. ¡°Our bargain is complete, Glenn. The Healer Hall can do as they please with these formations. Now, about our living arrangements...¡±


    Glenn nodded as he eyed the formations Paige had given her. ¡°... here is everything you¡¯ll need. Test location, notes, and accommodations are in here. You¡¯ll have to get a shop and farmland by yourself though. We¡¯ve used up most of our goodwill already.¡±


    Grabbing the bundle of papers as Glenn slid if forward, Paige riffled through the pages. ¡°Fair enough,¡± Paige said as she glanced over the documents before passing it over to Stella. Still, something bothered her. ¡°When are you going to tell the girl she isn¡¯t going home anytime soon?¡±


    Glenn sighed. ¡°After a good night''s sleep. Her mother was very insistent about her coming here to help the war efforts. Alduit Academy must not fall.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Paige looked away. There was far more to that story than he had let on. The girl wasn¡¯t a Grand Healer just yet.


    Her thoughts were spinning rapidly. ¡®Probably the next in line, since she still has an honor guard and not a Head Protector. But still, for them to send a Grand Healer candidate away is already irregular¡­ teaching; helping; or escaping. But which one is it?¡¯


    ¡°Thanks for the help, Glenn.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Glenn looked over her shoulder to Zenith. ¡°Our cooperation is based on getting formations. Are you sure you can get this job?¡±


    ¡°I can. I know what the standard is for Imperial Servants, so I was planning on teaching around the same level.¡±


    He nodded carefully. ¡°Good. Your Apprentice is remarkable for her age. But just that. There are a few students who could match her. And even a few who could best her in combat.¡±


    ¡°Lily is remarkable,¡± Zenith said with pride. ¡°Give her ten years, and she¡¯ll not only be my best Disciple, but also my peer.¡±


    That caught his attention. He nodded toward the young apprentice, ¡°Your teacher has high words of praise for you. Not many can reach their full potential this young.¡±


    Paige watched on as Glenn continued. ¡°Miss Stella; Miss Shavie. I haven¡¯t pried into your history because of Isabella, but I caution restraint while you are here. Especially you, Miss Shavie. And while we tolerated it, the school will not look kindly on your repeated intrusions.¡±


    Shavie smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll actually try to hide then.¡±


    Glenn nodded slowly as Shavie took his warning as a challenge.


    ¡®Good. Now go away,¡¯ Paige hoped. But to her dismay, he just sat there and waited. Paige cursed herself. He had noticed.


    ¡°About the girl at your feet...¡± Glenn trailed off.


    ¡°She fainted. We¡¯re just taking her along with us until she gets better. We don¡¯t even know her name,¡± Stella bluffed helpfully.


    Paige kept her face neutral. ¡®Glenn has a stupidly high perception. But how did he recognize her? He hasn¡¯t even seen her face yet.¡¯


    He tapped the desk idly with one hand.


    ¡°Grandmaster Flynn certainly took some large risks for her to get here safe. Even though he wasn¡¯t charged with anything, his actions were suspicious enough to warrant him a semi permanent stay at the Gate. I¡¯m curious though, how did you coordinate this with him to get the girl here safely to the borderlands?¡±


    Paige stared coolly. Of course her mentor would help a Princess escape. Her mind quickly spun. Was the girl that talented to warrant her escape or was there another reason why he would help her?


    ¡°Is she worth the trouble you¡¯ll get involved in?¡± Glenn suddenly stated. ¡°Your identity is solid to a point. We can-¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s here because she was meant to be here. We¡¯ll manage just fine by ourselves, Glenn. Just remember; you uphold your bargain, and we¡¯ll uphold ours.¡±


    Nodding, Glenn stood up and left the room, taking great care to store both her gift and the formations into his spatial ring. She knew this would be the last time she¡¯d see him in a long while.


    As the door closed, Paige covered her face. She really was hoping to encounter something way less troublesome than a Half Elf Princess.

 Chapter 75

    ¡°Wow, they really got us a small place. And here I thought we¡¯d have at least two houses for ourselves. Tch, and they had the nerve to say they were doing us a favor,¡± Paige muttered to herself.


    Paige strolled through the house and counted the rooms. Taking a look into the first room, her face fell as she measured the size of the room. It was smaller than her room back in the forest. And the windows were much, much smaller. She was already disappointed that the house was so small, and the number of rooms cemented that even further. Though there was a good number of bedrooms, each of them were cramped.


    Scratching her head as she walked down the stairs, she sighed. ¡®Hell, this might have been an inn once upon a time!¡¯


    It most definitely was an inn, Paige decided, as she took a harder look around. The kitchen and the common room set back inside their new home was very atypical. No normal house needed six different stoves, nor four different ovens. And as she walked through the other end of the kitchen to the common room, she noticed more details that stuck out to her. Sure, the wide-open area could have been construed as a great hall of some sort, but she could see the indents in the floorboards where the tables used to rest. She just hoped her moniker of ¡®Goddess of Remodeling¡¯ wouldn¡¯t come by to bite her.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not what I was hoping, but it is a place to live,¡± she stated as she walked into the room.


    Looking across the busy room, the first item that caught her eye was the young girl sleeping on a pile of boxes. Shavie has hit her across the back of the head, but it wouldn¡¯t have caused the girl to be out this long. Unless she had used a Skill, but Paige didn¡¯t know too much about the Bodyguard or Assassin Classes to say otherwise. Still, it was something for her to ask about later.


    Stella was already unpacking her boxes as she unloaded a multitude of alchemic supplies. Paige turned her head to the other side of the room and frowned. While they were both technically working, Nick and Shavie were on opposite sides of the room as they glanced warily at each other. Maybe it was because their Classes were almost opposite, but she didn¡¯t think that Nick would be scared of an Assassin. Hell, she wasn¡¯t even a Night Walker, as far as she could tell anyway. Sure, Shavie still had a high affinity toward darkness, but the distinct lack of any magic and the way she moved back at the Mausoleum painted her as a pure Assassin.


    Stella sighed as she locked gazes with Paige. ¡°Well. This makes our house in Nespe feel like a summer mansion. And here I thought we¡¯d at least have a yard.¡± Stella didn¡¯t quite glare, but it was close.


    ¡°Yes, well... once Zenith passes the teacher exam, maybe we¡¯ll get a larger space? I mean, there has to be dormitories on campus for the students to live at, so that¡¯ll free up some of the rooms,¡± Paige said after a moment. ¡°And we can always renovate.¡± She really couldn¡¯t refute Stella either since she was expecting the Healer Hall to have more clout than they actually had. They were the Healer Hall for goodness sake!


    Stella paused and stopped unpacking her things. ¡°They are staying right here. There is no way I am allowing my child to live unsupervised.¡±


    ¡°Well you might not have a choice. Say, how normal was your childhood?¡±


    ¡°Probably as normal as yours was,¡± Stella said.


    ¡°Ouch. Sorry to hear that.¡±


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t reach our level by having a normal childhood. This is practically a long term vacation,¡± Shavie murmured from the side.


    Nick sighed. ¡°At least Tyler and Bishner aren¡¯t here. That saves us from doubling up too much. But we really need to solve this issue, Paige.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Paige. You honestly believe it¡¯s okay to sleep under the same roof with an Assassin?¡±


    ¡°Former Assassin,¡± Paige countered.


    ¡°As far as you know, ¡± Shavie murmured.


    Paige rolled her eyes.¡°Yes, as far as I know. You can call yourself one when I see you actually do something Assassin like; Miss ¡®I can¡¯t beat a Farmer that¡¯s using a simple hoe¡¯.¡±


    Still, seeing the skeptical look on Nick¡¯s face, she went for her sure answer. Checking to make sure the others were busy for a moment, she lowered her voice. ¡°Look, Nick. We¡¯re all in this together. Just¡­ think of it as an extended mission from your training days. Besides, it¡¯s not like you¡¯ll be alone at night anyways. Just set up a shift if you¡¯re that worried.¡±


    Nick¡¯s deadpan gaze told her his answer. And Paige winced as Shavie snickered from the side. ¡°Yes. Let your wife protect you from the mean, scary Assassins.¡±


    ¡°Cut the bullshit. We all know nothing is binding us together besides the kids. And even then, I¡¯m positive that you would kill us if given half a chance.¡±


    Paige coughed. Yes, they all knew that but she wasn¡¯t about to say it out loud. ¡°And what can we do, Nick? We¡¯re all High Classes. There¡¯s no way to bind us together. We can¡¯t even create a Party together if everyone isn¡¯t willing to be in one. Just¡­ have faith?¡±


    ¡°This is a death trap waiting to be sprung,¡± Nick warned.


    ¡°We don¡¯t exactly trust your Party either. And you have more of your Party here than we do. Are you that afraid of us?¡±


    Nick gave them a steady look. ¡°Seeing that we all were killed at the Mausoleum, yes I am. We all have a right to be wary of each other.¡± He turned, picking up his and Zenith''s boxes. ¡°I trust you in a lot of things, Paige. Just make sure you¡¯re positive about this before things get too far.¡±


    Watching Nick leave, she turned and held up her hands in apology. ¡°So, yeah. That¡¯s our resident Bowyer.¡±


    ¡°Ranger,¡± Stella corrected.


    ¡°That too. But we both agreed to play nice. And a Shaman is good for their word.¡±


    Stella nodded slowly. ¡°That¡­ is very true. There is a reason why most Demon Lords have Shamans as advisors or heads of states. How do you know so much?¡±


    ¡°See, Nick, I don¡¯t have much to worry about,¡± Paige called up the stairs. Turning her head, she shrugged. ¡°A Demon Mage told me some stories. The penalty for a Shaman going against their word is almost as bad as breaking an official Party apart, all things considering.¡±


    ¡°True. After all, no one wants to die,¡± Stella confirmed.


    Paige nodded inwardly, though she was still a tad bit skeptical. There were always exceptions to the rules. At the time though, she was on good speaking terms with Hailee, so her intel should be accurate. Eyeing the two of them, she picked up the closest box, which happened to be a box of expensive but haphazardly stacked paintings, and started to carefully set them down by the walls.


    It was rather fortuitous for Stella and her group to have brought along a large majority of their furniture, Paige thought as she looked around their new living space. When they had left the forest they had packed all their valuables in her spatial ring and had left all the furniture for Sarah to use. All they needed now was some furniture, food, decorations. a shop, and land and they¡¯d be set!


    ¡°Hey, do you think Zenith will get the job? She seems competent enough as a Mage,¡± whispered a voice from her side.


    Paige looked up as Shavie poked the still unconscious Princess on the cheek. For some reason, Shavie was talking so quietly that she was sure Stella didn¡¯t hear her. Batting her hand away, Paige turned and whispered back.


    ¡°Hey, stop that! Let the poor girl sleep. She must have had it rough coming this far.


    ¡°And yes. I think Zenith will do fine. Her entire education is the culmination of the Imperial Family research. And even if she doesn¡¯t draw upon those, I¡¯ve given her so many magical tomes that I would be surprised if she hasn¡¯t learned enough to teach High Class Mages something new, let alone a bunch of Apprentices.¡±


    Shavie took that in with a slight nod. ¡°Hm¡­ well, do you want to go and check it out? You know, scope the school out and such. Come on, we can make it a competition too. Stella will make a fuss if I leave by myself, but if you come along...¡±


    Paige bit her lip. That was a highly tempting idea. She wouldn¡¯t turn down the offer, especially if it was a competition, but¡­ Zenith. She¡¯d already hoisted a lot onto her friend and party member.


    But Shavie¡¯s next words cemented her decision.


    ¡°You know, you probably didn¡¯t read all of Glenn¡¯s notes. Today is the final day for testing. So if you want this Princess to go to school¡­¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Zenith was most certainly going to kill her.


    Paige made up her mind. Grabbing the girl, she gently tied her to her back as Shavie looked at her skeptically.


    ¡°Stella can watch her. You know, she¡¯s pretty good with kids, after all. Isabella turned out just fine.¡±


    ¡°I hardly think we can enroll her without her being physically there.¡±


    Paige averted her eyes as Shavie stared inquisitively at her. She knew that wasn¡¯t a good reason to bring her but it was the best she had at the moment.


    ¡°Need to tell Stella we¡¯re leaving?¡± Paige asked.


    Shavie shrugged. ¡°Hm, I¡¯ll make a suitable excuse to placate her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait by the door, then.¡±


    Turning around, Paige glanced over her back and waited for Shavvie to leave before she started releasing her mana. She had to do this fast. ¡®I, Paige Alduit, forcibly check this girl''s status. [[Compelled Status]]¡¯. Closing her eyes, she made sure to keep part of her mind active to track Shavie while she looked over the girl''s basic information.


    Name: Nimi Cerino Alduit


    Class: Princess


    Race: Human / Elf


    Paige eyed the girl¡¯s, no Nimi¡¯s status with a wary gaze. ¡®Cerino! Shit, shit, shit¡­ Peter, you knocked up my disciple!? And why hadn¡¯t anyone hid her status before she escaped?This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡®Guh, this is messed up! I knocked out my niece. On accident,¡¯ Paige thought as she eyed her sleeping niece. ¡®Well, guess I¡¯ll do the hard work then.¡¯


    Reaching into her mana core, Paige didn¡¯t hesitate as she pulled a cloud of divine mana from deep within her. Without her being in her Party, she couldn¡¯t hide Nimi¡¯s Status temporarily, nor did she have time to shatter an Imperial Wardstone. It was a waste, but she had more than enough divine mana to spare. She was part elf though, so a Fencer Class would work, even if it was a bit stereotypical. But her other information¡­


    ¡°I, Paige Alduit, forcibly suppress, Nimi Cerino Alduit, Status. I humbly ask for her name to be altered to Nimi Ceri; her Class from ¡®Princess¡¯ to ¡®Fencer¡¯; and her Race from ¡®Human / Elf¡¯ to ¡®Human¡¯.¡±


    Paige waited for the god¡¯s to acknowledge her request and sighed as all the mana merged with the girl unobstructed without the usual voice narrating the alteration. ¡®The gods couldn¡¯t even bother with answering me? Peh.¡¯ Paige huffed, but she accepted it with blind faith. At least she hadn¡¯t gotten a punishment for doing this.


    ¡®That¡¯ll take care of a few future problems. Hopefully,¡¯ she thought.


    Paige opened her eyes as Shavie walked out of the shadows.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Shavie asked.


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    <hr>


    Zenith strolled through the school, not entirely impressed with what she had seen thus far. Sure, it was a big step up from Nespe Academy, but so what? The only redeeming factor she had seen so far was the large scale, interconnected magic formations overhead; but even that was only comparable to her family¡¯s school back home. The formations above were incredibly wasteful since there probably wasn¡¯t enough Mages on campus to justify the cost to set up a Mana well.


    ¡°Look at that, Isabella! Those dormitories are huuuge! Do you think we¡¯ll get one?¡±


    ¡°Lily, you remember the room challenges we had to do at Nespe. Do you think we¡¯ll have to fight for a room?¡±


    ¡°You have to fight for a room? Was it tough, Tyler?¡±


    ¡°More annoying than not. Well, you see¡­¡±


    Zenith smiled wryly. At least the kids were enjoying themselves. Looking at the buildings on the campus, Zenith questioned who exactly designed the layout and aesthetics of the school grounds.


    Sure, the sweeping balconies offered a good view of the surroundings; and the large swathes of open land between the buildings were helpful for the ambient mana. Every building was covered in some type of white rock, probably marble, so that the building could absorb and store mana. All in all, it was rather pretty to look at, but as a student or teacher? Her day was going to be long if the class schedules had to factor in travel time.


    Zenith paused as the main building came into view. Situated directly in the middle of the campus was a building that could easily encompass most of the outer buildings. In fact, Zenith parsed through her memory and realized that the building was hidden up to this point, even though she should¡¯ve had a clear view of it no matter where she stood.


    ¡®A formation etched directly into the building or an incredibly large [[Concealment]] formation? I suppose that is possible with enough ambient mana, though¡­ why would it need that much mana?¡¯


    Resisting the urge to investigate with her mana, she continued walking forward while grasping her necklace in her hand. Looking down at the stone nestled in her hand, the stone was still cool to the touch and was not radiating light. Putting it back underneath her clothes, Zenith frowned as she looked at the building.


    No, something didn¡¯t make sense. The building wasn¡¯t being powered by an active formation, nor was it being empowered by the intertwining magic circles overhead. Biting her lip as she examined the inert formation above, Zenith could faintly make out the symbols with [Mana Sense], but watching it was giving her a migraine. The basis of the formation was unlike anything she had seen before. It was incredibly messy with conflicting symbols linked together; yet it was holding together just fine.


    ¡®The building has to be powered by a separate, isolated magic circle within an established one. Almost like an interlocking formation, yet... How was Peter able to do that?¡¯


    Zenith chuckled. ¡®Wait. Assuming he was like Paige, then it kinda made sense.¡¯ Whether that was because Paige¡¯s older brother was just as powerful, intelligent, or cheated and used divine mana, was up in the air and would have to wait until she thoroughly investigated the formation. But based on how Paige had used her divine mana before, Zenith was leaning towards Peter relying on divine mana to sustain anything and everything he did.


    Looking to her side, Zenith noticed Lily was eyeing the building and formation above critically as well. Her little student had a great talent at formations, though she had hardly been able to utilize it.


    Pausing by the door, Zenith held up her hand to forestall Lily¡¯s question. Glenn¡¯s notes specifically stated to wait at the door until an escort arrived. Which, to her mild surprise, was a familiar face.


    ¡°Miss Odessa? What brings you here?¡± Zenith readily asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for the teacher examination. Sir Glnnn left to bring the formations back, but, I¡­ I¡¯m stuck here! I¡¯m not allowed to go back home,¡± Odessa said.


    Odessa''s eyes started watering as Zenith and the kids watched awkwardly.


    ¡°Umm, well¡­ at least we¡¯ll both be doing the test?¡± Zenith patted her shoulder. She could sympathize with her predicament since she was Paige¡¯s default choice to foist things off on too.


    Odessa sniffed, but nodded. ¡°You can follow me to the test grounds. The kids can follow us too. There aren¡¯t a lot of people left, so take that as you will.¡±


    Zenith nodded and walked into the building behind Odessa. She was surprised by Odessa¡¯s behavior though, and immediately questioned the sad girl beside her. ¡°So, did you have big plans back home? You seem sad that you weren¡¯t going back.¡±


    Odessa shook her head. ¡°Not really. I usually stay at home and pass the time by helping teach Apprentices or managing the Healer Hall. It¡¯s just, all my friends and family are there. Here? I get inhospitable old gramps and now I have honor guards whom I can barely trust. Why can¡¯t I just go back to living a mostly carefree life?¡±


    Zenith could relate. The girl was being awfully open with her feelings, now that there were no one else around. ¡°I know the feeling all too well, Miss Odessa.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Odessa. I don¡¯t have to follow protocol and call you Imperial Servant Zenith, do I?¡±


    ¡°No, you can call me Zenith.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m Lily, Party Leader for Cidala Heroes! I¡¯m her number one student. And here is my Party! We¡¯re all Apprentices, but we are really good!¡±


    ¡°Lily¡­¡±


    Zenith smiled wryly. Lily did like to show off her Party. Odessa looked over the children carefully. ¡°Hm, you should do well. Do you know what faction you''re going to join?¡±


    Lily slowed her steps down. ¡°Faction? Why would we want to join a faction?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about wanting, it¡¯s practically required from what I can tell. There are too many powers here fighting to establish a foothold, so everyone here will try to get more followers, even if they have to break apart a party to do so.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Miss Paige told me what to do if someone makes a move on me or my Party,¡± Lily glowered.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Zenith and Odessa paused and turned. This was the first time that Zenith had heard about this particular lesson.


    ¡°She said if it was a boy to kick him in the balls and intimidate him, and if it¡¯s a girl to slap her silly until she cries and gives up.¡±


    Lily smiled mischievously as she waved her hands back and forth. Zenith frowned. The problem was she could almost believe she was telling the truth. ¡°Practicality aside, what did she say, Lily?¡±


    ¡°Well... she used that as the main example. Her exact words were ¡®never to show fear and to always take the initiative when dealing with jerks like Scions,¡¯ and that was a good way to do since we are younger than them.¡± Lilly pondered a bit more. ¡°She had some really choice phrases on what to do if adults were threatening us, but she said she would deal with it should it arise.¡±


    ¡®When did Paige have the time to teach them all this?¡± Zenith counted to five and continued walking forward while Odessa stilled but caught up beside her a moment later.


    ¡°That¡­ can Imperial Servants talk like that?¡± Odessa wondered.


    ¡°Paige can be a bit...dramatic. My best student wouldn¡¯t have learned something like that. And she certainly has more sense than that.¡±


    Zenith laughed it off, though she glared at Lily from the side.


    Odessa blinked and shrugged. ¡°Anyway, the kids will be tested separately. From what I can tell, they¡¯ll test their affinities and then a simple demonstration of their abilities, combat, and such. Our test should be similar.¡±


    ¡°Hm. That¡¯s fairly ordinary. I thought it would be harder than that,¡± Zenith admitted.


    ¡°Well, it will be. Remember, we are up against the best of the best. Anyways, do you join up for the test? I, uh, well, to be quite frank, my uncle hadn¡¯t exactly told me I would be staying here, and I left my honor guards back at the Healer Hall, so...¡± Odessa stuttered slightly, ¡°can you help me out a bit?¡±


    ¡°You left everything and everyone behind?¡±


    ¡°Of course. This is Alduit Academy. I¡¯m not in danger here.¡±


    Zenith sighed. Of course a lone Cleric would need help with a test. She eyed the girl''s rather nice outfit and sighed. Unless her robe was woven out of mithril, which it probably wasn¡¯t, Odessa would have a rough time on any test at their level. That was probably Sir Glenn¡¯s way of having them help out the Healer Hall as well. ¡°I have a few equipment you can borrow for the test. Do you have a wand with you?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Zenith stopped and took stock of her equipment. Luckily she brought along her spare combat gear with her. ¡°Here, you can take this shield and spare wand. The wand is nothing fancy, but the shield is mana intensive, so make sure you keep a portion of your mana dedicated toward defense.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s just an arm guard?¡± Odessa started as she looked over the deceptively plain Mana Shield.


    ¡°Trust me, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Zenith smiled and continued walking down the main corridor of the building. Judging by the lack of a reaction, Zenith assumed she was headed in the right direction, though it was strange that the hallways had a slight downward slant. Whatever the case may be, the air was still fresh this deep into the building, so it was clear that there was adequate circulation.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to adjust my combat plans. No mana shield, but I also don¡¯t have to babysit Odessa now. I¡¯m still wearing the mithril bodysuit that Paige had lent me and I know [[Mana Cloth]], so defensively I am still okay,¡¯ Zenith thought. She hoped they didn¡¯t have too many competitors left.


    Clearing her throat, Zenith inquired politely, ¡°So, how many Teachers have been tested? Less than a dozen?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re lucky. For the three available spots, there have only been six dozen applicants.¡±


    ¡°Seventy-two applicants from just the surrounding border countries? All trying for the same slots?¡± Zenith asked. Sure, there were plenty of schools, but she couldn¡¯t think of more than a dozen teachers that were capable enough to teach here.


    ¡°Oh no, from across the Empire. Supposedly there hasn¡¯t been an opening here for years, but the Academy gave almost two years of advanced notice that there would be spots open.¡±


    Glenn¡¯s warning last night finally made sense. Faced with this many applicants, the Imperial Healer Hall would have trouble staying neutral. Even the Grand Healer next to her would have a hard time getting a foothold inside the doors here. And how many students would she even have here if she did become a Teacher?


    No, looking at Odessa¡¯s situation from a different angle, she probably had an easier time getting accepted. Instead of a Teacher, she could just apply for a support position instead. And what better position for her than a resident Healer here?


    Zenith smiled at her acquaintance beside her. She would tell her that option if she failed to get a spot. After all, the school wouldn¡¯t give Odessa a hard time. There was a reason why everyone loved Clerics, after all¡­


    ¡°So, we just have to impress the current faculty. That¡¯ll be easy enough. So what are we fighting? An Elder Hydra? Elder Manticore? Or maybe they¡¯re letting us choose our opponents to showcase our strengths...¡±


    Odessa blinked and slowly shook her head. ¡°No...We have to impress the current students too since we¡¯ll be their new teachers. As for our opponents¡­ it¡¯s the other Teachers. And we¡¯ll have to beat their bodyguards as well.¡±


    Seeing the look of incredulity on Zenith¡¯s face, she continued, ¡°It¡¯s rather dangerous traversing the Empire alone, so it¡¯s only natural that they would come with a Party. It¡¯s also their way of showing their charisma. After all, fighting elder monsters is a bit too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°...so why would Glenn¡¯s note say to come to the test site alone?¡±


    ¡°Oh. The faculty is rather prejudiced about what happened to Peter while he was in Alcudia, so anyone from Alcudia already has a negative mark on them. Having a Party would only decrease your chance of getting in.¡±


    Odessa sent a look of pity at the kids as her voice lowered. ¡°You guys will have it tough since you are coming here with a recommendation from the Alcudian Queen..¡±


    Zenith bit back an expletive. Great. Now she had to not only impress people, she also had to fight against others for a position.


    Stopping by a door that most likely led to the testing room, Zenith turned and asked a final question. ¡°Do any of our opponents have a High Class, or are they just Teachers?¡±


    ¡°High Class?¡± Odessa questioned. She blinked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so? But there are a lot of people with Specialized Classes here.¡±


    Zenith sighed in relief. As long as there weren¡¯t any High Classes, she should be fine.


    Opening the door to the room, Zenith strolled into the exam room confidently, wholly forgetting one simple fact that they had discovered years ago.


    People here weren¡¯t classified by the same standards anymore.

 Chapter 76

    Walking into the room, the first thing that had stuck out was the layout. The center of the building must have been carved out the ground to make this massive training field, complete with raised stands that circled the entirety of the field.


    They were high enough to grant an unopposed view of the entire training grounds, yet set far back enough to stay safely away from any errant spells. But what confused her was the large glass cube hanging above the field. It was transparent, though Zenith wondered if it was the medium holding the building¡¯s numerous formations together. A novel approach, though there were more ways to anchor a formation around a building than constructing an entire artifact.


    But aesthetics aside, the raised stands were now packed with students and teachers alike. Calculating the area, she quickly calculated that there must have been more than five thousand people sitting in the stands, and most were students if she judged solely by age.


    Five thousand students. On seeing this many students, Zenith mentally raised the importance of Aleutian Academy by several notches. She was expecting it to be a few hundred elite students, not a few thousand. That number easily made it almost fifteen times larger than her family¡¯s ancestral school. That also raised the difficulty for her too, Zenith realized. Even if each teacher took on twenty-five students under them, that would still place the lower limit of teachers to about two hundred. Zenith was baffled. Scheduling alone would be an issue with this many teachers. How on earth were students supposed to learn in such an environment?


    Though few in the stands had paid her any mind as she passed by, she noticed more and more gazes focusing on her as she made her way down toward the field. But, she could feel the hostile gazes from the people down in the field. Her opponents had already marked her as a tough competitor. Zenith took a glance at Odessa before shifting her gaze back. Odessa was evidently a magnet for trouble. If she didn¡¯t know any better, she would almost accuse the Healer Hall of making things more difficult for her. Or maybe it was simply because it was hard to miss the fact that both Odessa and Isabella were in their official clerical uniforms.


    Zenith winced and slowed her steps as a high pitched squeal rang out. The flow of mana had abruptly changed as she stepped down onto the field. Shrugging off the discomfort, Zenith walked steadily forward into the training field, though she paused as Odessa ushered the kids a different way; pointing them to an Instructor further down the field. Locking eyes as Lily passed by tepidly, she gave her a smile and a slight nod. Zenith knew they could handle whatever challenges came their way. She watched with pride as Lily nodded and straightened her back as she walked beside her Party.


    In a good mood, Zenith scanned her opponents with a cursory glance and sighed as she failed to recognize anyone she knew. Of the supposedly seventy-odd competitors, only twelve or so were still there, each one surrounded by their bodyguards. The smallest group had just six people, while the largest group had more than twenty.


    They all looked toward Zenith and Odessa stood there, waiting for instruction. She could feel the disdain from more than one group though, while the teachers among them were wary. That actually made perfect sense to her considering the size of her current Party. Hell, she wasn¡¯t even in an actual Party nor a Party Leader, which worked against her in more ways than one. Now, if Paige was here¡­


    Zenith chuckled under her breath. If Paige was her, she would have probably insulted half of her competitors the moment she arrived. More importantly, she was part of Paige¡¯s Party, and that was a boon in and of itself. If any of the teachers were able to grant even half the benefits she had gotten, then she¡¯d be astounded. Sub Classes; equipment; knowledge; Paige had all of those in spades and shared them without recompense. Well, the last reason was suspect, but Paige had freely shared what she had and that balanced the scales somewhat in her books.


    Okay, the heaps of magic tomes had balanced the scales heavily. Zenith had forgotten her passion of teaching long ago. She loved the feeling of being a Teacher and absorbing new information, even more when all the information was new and novel. Of course, she knew that she¡¯d never use even half of what she had learned, but it had exposed her to more magic theory than ever before. Magic she hoped was now commonplace throughout the Empire. Even she knew that would be a real advantage she could use.


    Still, one person could only do so much. Worst case scenario, it would be her against a party of twenty. That wasn¡¯t too bad considering she had a Healer, and most of the parties were fairly balanced. Only two were heavily specialized toward long-range combat, a group of Archers and Mages, and they were the smallest of the groups with six members each.


    Zenith frowned at the sight. If she was a betting woman, she¡¯d put down gold that those two teachers had taken two of the open spots already. There was only one reason for having so few members, and of the same Class. A Party Fusion. And judging by their equipment, they had a fairly good backer too, one with money. Most likely a nation had sponsored them.


    Or a Scion. Zenith shook her head slightly and looked away from those teams. That would be something for Paige to look into.


    Still, seeing a party of twenty was rather odd for Zenith. The largest party she knew of had barely ten people, and that was for a full dungeon diving party.


    ¡°Odessa, what benefits do the Parties get in all of this?¡± Zenith asked quietly.


    Odessa thought for a moment. ¡°I heard that their children can get into the school as provisional students. They won¡¯t get personalized instruction, but they can sit in two classes of their choice each week. A Teacher is also able to sponsor students as well, depending on how much funding and support they get from the school.¡±


    That hardly made sense to Zenith. ¡°Enough for a Party of twenty?¡±


    ¡°...maybe? It all depends on how well the teacher performs, after all. This is a prestigious institution, after all. Only the best of the best can get in.¡±


    ¡°So each party here has a reason to help their respective Teachers win. Just great.¡±


    Zenith tsked in displeasure. This day was getting worse and worse. Odessa coughed politely as one of the instructors walked over. She already hated his face, and that feeling was cemented even more as he rudely loomed over the two of them.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you two ladies in the wrong place? This is for competitors only.¡±


    ¡®Oh, for the love of god¡­¡¯ Reigning in her temper, Zenith smiled and nodded to Odessa by her side. ¡°We are here to compete. Magic Teacher Zenith Hall. My teammate here, Odessa, is here to showcase her talents for a position as a School Nurse. There¡¯s going to be some people needing healing after this.¡±


    The Instructor, a man named Bart if his name tag was accurate, only grunted in response.


    ¡°Healer Odessa Haven Goodwin the Third, is that the Imperial Healer Hall¡¯s position on the matter? From what I know, the Headmaster has already denied you entry to-¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not here to teach, although I am sure she would if there was a worthy student. I¡¯m sure the school can create a suitable position for the Grand Healer while she is present.¡±


    Zenith pushed her point, though the teacher¡¯s attitude in front of her chilled her to her core. Did no one respect the Healer Hall? Even worse, were they trying to subtly deny her a chance to compete fairly?


    Zenith raised her voice, catching the attention of her closest competitors. ¡°If the school will not even accommodate the best choice for said position, what is the use of this competition? There isn¡¯t a better Healer in all of the Borderlands. More importantly, have the slots already been chosen? I haven¡¯t traveled this far for the competition to be a thinly veiled farce.¡±


    The slight shifting in their ranks was telling of the ruthlessness of the competition. Three spots, with some already taken? She already knew her comments were sure to ruffle some feathers.


    ¡°Zenith¡­¡± Odessa whispered.


    Bart stopped and evaluated Zenith with a sharper gaze. A Warrior¡¯s gaze. Had Zenith been just a pure Mage, she¡¯d probably have backed up at this point. But now she stood there and weathered it calmly. She wasn¡¯t just a Wind Magi, nor was she a Teacher. She was a Mage Crusader. And that gave her the confidence to stand toe to toe against a close combat battle class.


    ¡°What gives an Imperial Lackey the confidence to walk in here and throw orders around?¡± his low growl echoed across the field and brought the shuffling around the field to a halt, though the movement up in the stands stayed the same. ¡®Someone must not have wanted this to be spread.¡¯ Looking back, she spied a shimmering in the air that wasn¡¯t there before. The formation surrounding the field had been activated.


    ¡°Do you see a necklace out? Cause I don¡¯t. I¡¯m not here as an Imperial Servant. I¡¯m here as a Teacher. If the school cannot differentiate between the two then the school has bigger problems to worry about. Teaching students is what I¡¯ve come here for.


    ¡°Now, there should be one position left. Has it been taken already or is the spot still up for grabs?¡±


    Weathering his gaze indifferently, Bart eventually looked up as a piece of paper floated in the wind toward his face. Grudgingly, Bart nodded as he finished reading the message. Crumpling it back up, she watched as it floated silently away.


    Zenith raised a brow at the contradictory sight. It took a substantial amount of control to float a piece of paper to a correct location; even more so than something like a heavy book. But Bart¡¯s actions at the end betrayed the illusion. Sure, anyone without an in-depth knowledge of wind magic would think it was impressive, but crumpling the paper simply made it simpler to control.


    ¡°The Headmaster agrees to Miss Odessa becoming a school nurse, provided she also teaches prospective healers her craft.¡±


    Bart turned and checked the girl¡¯s reaction. Odessa took a moment to go over the pros and cons and nodded her head in agreement. Bart waited a moment as a stack of papers floated toward him.


    ¡°As for you, look over the agreement and confirm you are okay with the school policies.¡± Bart spat as his face took on a pissed off look. ¡°Though there are¡­ extenuating circumstances around your entry, we will enter you as a potential candidate. There are already a few candidates for the last spot, but there is technically one more spot available.¡±


    Grabbing the papers out of the air, he swiftly tossed them at Zenith. With a sweeping grasping motion, Zenith organized the papers in the air and held them aloft around her, the papers crisply snapping as she forced the air into a semi-tangible wall around her.


    Reading the papers swiftly, she did not see anything that was too out of the ordinary for a Teacher. Salary and compensation were clearly listed, though it was lower than she¡¯d like to see. It was just large enough that a Mage would be able to study their craft without concern. The terms and agreements were almost downright insulting to her as it seemed to cater to the needs of a Specialized Mage, but only to one that had yet to reach High Class. Hell, there was even a chart listing the specific monster drops that Teachers could trade for, and though there were rows and rows of Elder monster materials, there was hardly anything noteworthy.


    As she scanned the last few pages, one condition that stuck out were the benefits to a teacher¡¯s Party. Just like Odessa had stated, certain provisions within the contract were centered around the people you brought with you. In fact, Odessa was discounting their compensation, as they seemed to enjoy a fair amount of privileges here. Just the right to study at the school library was probably tempting to some guards, as they could learn a Skill or two while doing this assignment. And if they had kids, it was even better as they enjoyed the right to participate in both school events and classes.


    ¡®Perhaps the school wasn¡¯t just looking for a Teacher, they also wanted bodies here too,¡¯ Zenith thought as she neatly stacked the papers in the air and floated them back to Bart with a flick of her wrist. Absently accepting the conditions listed, she glanced upwards at the crowd of children and missed the solemn looks her competitors were giving her. Most, if not all of the children, had on a uniform denoting what specific Class they were. And from a cursory glance, she couldn¡¯t spot a specific detail that delineated between provisional and formal students.


    Bart folded the papers in her hand and nodded once, passing a numbered billet with the number seventy-three carved into it.


    ¡°The last spot available is being chosen by a simple free for all battle. You missed the lecture and theoretical portions, so you will solely be judged on your combat prowess. Good luck, Imperial Slave.¡± Bart grinned mischievously as he backed slowly to the center where he was standing originally.


    Spreading his hands out, Zenith frowned as the mana within the field slowly accumulated within the cube above started to absorb the mana. She hissed in displeasure. ¡®Damn it! A free for all battle? I need mana!¡¯


    Reaching her hand to the sky, she closed her eyes as she started fighting for control of the ambient mana. A hard task, since the cube above her had a far stronger pull. The cube started glowing with a soft white light as the mana pooled together.


    Zenith could feel sweat form on her forehead as she wrested mana into the palm of her hand. It wouldn''t sustain many spells, but any mana she didn¡¯t have to pull from her core. ¡®This is exactly why Mages need to cast spells far away from active magic formations! Or at least prepare beforehand!¡¯


    Turning her head, she nearly cursed aloud as she saw Odessa standing there nervously. She wasn¡¯t even trying to prepare!


    ¡°Odessa, grab as much of the ambient mana as possible! Quickly!¡±


    ¡°Eh? But there¡¯s plenty around. Why would we need to prepare?¡± Odessa wondered aloud.


    ¡®She doesn¡¯t have [Mana Sensitivity]?¡¯ That would be a problem to solve later. ¡°Quickly, just hurry up and prepare,¡± Zenith said hastily.


    Odessa frowned at the green orb of mana slowly forming in Zenith¡¯s hand and dutifully started raising her own hand. Odessa frowned as she failed to produce a mana orb-like Zenith had done. A few of the more discerning Mages, including the full party of mages, started following their lead as they noticed the duo endeavoring to keep a hold of the ambient mana. It was only a minute longer before the rest of the competitors noticed and started preparing themselves as well. Zenith lowered her hand and frowned as she watched over half the people in the field fight for the remaining ambient mana. It wasn¡¯t worth it to fight for the remaining mana, especially when the cube had a far stronger pull. And unless the cube above somehow inhibited movements, this battle heavily favored physical battle classes far more than mages.


    As the last of the ambient mana was absorbed by the cube above, a small pinprick of light grew from the bottom of the cube and cast a harsh beam of light on Bart. ¡°For those who would like to scout your prospective classmates, please go to the side training field. Otherwise, this last battle exhibit will show you what true professionals look like. Take pride, since it is rare to see a fight like this. Three of the Teacher contestants shall be chosen from this group to be your new teachers.


    ¡°Now, direct your attention to the screen above you. This artifact that Peter had personally designed will determine the power ranking and status of everyone within the field. Let¡¯s see who is considered the strongest opponent in the field! Status cube, activate!¡±


    Zenith blinked in confusion.


    The blue light around Bart exploded outward, enveloping everyone within the field. She moved to a defensive position, but she hesitated to act since her mana had remained inert. Since it wasn¡¯t affecting her, Zenith looked up as the cube retracted the light. Ghostly words formed along the sides of the cube as it rotated slowly, and to her trepidation, her name was shining in golden letters.


    Name: Zenith Anna Brent.


    Race: Human


    Class: Teacher: Magic Theory


    Affinity: Greater Wind, Greater Nature, Lesser Healing


    Name: Odessa Haven Goodwin the Third


    Race: Human


    Class: Grand Healer


    Affinity: Greater Light, Greater Healing


    Party: [Let¡¯s get this over with] Temporary Party.


    Party Guild Ranking: 200. Members: 5


    ¡®Perhaps it only showed information that was relevant to the training field?¡¯ Zenith sighed in relief as she read the information shown. All things considered, what was shown wasn¡¯t too bad. Sure, if it could copy her spells she¡¯d be in trouble, but this? This was a waste of an artifact. And it didn¡¯t work that well either since there were only the two of them there, not the supposed five. Still, Zenith was happy that it didn¡¯t show anything from her real party.


    The last part surprised Zenith though. The Guild Ranking was a bit too high in her opinion. Unless a Healer made that big of a difference in a battle, she should have been comfortably around one hundred ten or so. In fact, Paige was supposedly around two hundred by herself and she was quite sure she wouldn¡¯t be able to match her even with Odessa¡¯s help.


    ¡°We, we¡¯re ranked two hundred! How are we so high!?¡± Odessa yelped.


    Zenith turned and shrugged. ¡°Dunno. I guess having a Grand Healer in a Party helps tremendously? Fancy that,¡± Zenith joked. ¡°Well, you must know something that will help in a battle. I¡¯m not ranked that high alone.¡±


    Zenith watched with bated breath as the cube spun and to her dismay, it revealed a more simplified list of opponents.


    Party:  [Bloodsteel] Party.


    Party Guild Ranking: 198. Members: 6


    Party:  [Meteor Falls] Party.


    Party Guild Ranking: 195. Members: 6


    Party:  [Shelter of the Oasis] Temporary Party.


    Party Guild Ranking: 194. Members: 12


    ...


    ---


    Watching the cube a little longer, Zenith glowered as she looked down at her hand. As she manipulated the mana for her first Spell, she turned to complain to Odessa.


    ¡°Tch. Favoritism here at the finest. The stupid thing must be broken. How is all of this information even useful? It just gave us the Party names.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re all famous! And we¡¯re stronger than Bloodsteel and Meteor Falls? But they¡¯re all Specialized Parties!¡± Odessa stressed.


    ¡°If they don¡¯t have any High Classes among them, it doesn¡¯t really matter what their parties are made of. It depends on synergy and cooperation,¡± Zenith muttered quietly. Still, looking at the many looks she was getting, Zenith quietly changed her plans around. Even she would be hard-pressed to defeat this many people herself. ¡®...gotta defend. Looks like we¡¯re gonna get a good majority of the first attacks.¡¯


    ¡°Hey, need help?¡±


    <hr>


    *A few minutes before*


    "Big school. Kinda weird how many obstructions we''ve faced."


    "Keep talking, cheater. I knew I shouldn''t have taken that bet."


    Shavie glowered as she followed along beside Paige. It should have been an easy win for Shavie; whoever could bypass the most defenses would win a favor. Paige had even offered to carry the unconscious girl as a handicap, and Shavie had graciously given her a plus one bonus. It was that bonus that had clinched the win.


    Slipping through the defensive formation was hard, even for her. She had taken almost three minutes to analyze and slip through without activating any symbols.


    Turning her head, she smirked as Paige stood there. It took skill to slip in unnoticed. "Your turn, Farmer."


    Paige blinked and smiled. "This bet is soo unfair even I feel bad about what I''m about to do."


    Paige stepped forward to the edge of the formation and laughed as she simply stepped through the active formation without regard to her safety. The symbols shuddered violently before disappearing completely.


    "What the-"


    "Haha, what a stupid formation! Who makes a defensive formation that can''t counterattack?" Paige laughed as she continued walking.


    Shavie took a deep breath. That was utterly stupid. Who the hell walks through an active formation? Wasn''t she afraid it would just explode or implode and kill everyone?


    Suppressing her curiosity to ask, they continued in silence before they stopped moving, as another formation popped up in front of them. Except this time, it was a ward.


    "...You don¡¯t see this every day. Is it typical to have multiple formations? And this one is clearly a ward formation, not a defensive one like last time."


    ¡°It depends on the place, though you do have to be careful when choosing formations to combine.¡±


    Shavie was getting uncomfortable. This was getting a little more dangerous than she¡¯d like to admit. They¡¯d gone through one large scale defensive formation and she had enough sense to not destroy said formation. But Paige didn¡¯t care about keeping the formations intact, which spelled trouble when it came to wards.


    ¡°...should we go back? We really didn¡¯t disguise our approach here, so it¡¯s clear someone noticed us.¡±


    "Meh. We¡¯re already here and we passed through the first one, and we were fine. Do you really think the next ones will be any different?¡± Paige shrugged and walked through the ward without fear. Grabbing onto Paige, Shavie walked through alongside her. Whatever Paige was doing extended to anyone touching her. Letting go, she quickly looked back as the symbols around them shuddered before it resumed their normal appearance and disappeared.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid it¡¯ll implode and kill everyone inside?¡±


    ¡°Nope. We¡¯re at a school, Shavie. Who in their right mind would design a ward to implode?


    ¡°Hell, even military mages know to hedge their bets and make it explode outwards. Except for paranoid mages. They tend to implode their research before they die. So, the fact that it didn¡¯t explode as soon as it noticed something amiss is telling enough for me.¡±


    Shavie took that information with a grain of salt. Paige sounded like she knew what she was talking about though. Still, walking through a formation sounded suspiciously like that story Luna had told them long ago¡­ ¡°Your wardstone! That¡¯s how you¡¯re bypassing through without a care in the world. Luna found a story about that in the library.¡±


    ¡°Good guess, but no. I wouldn¡¯t use a wardstone like that right now. Nah, for weaker formations like these, it¡¯s far simpler to just shatter it with force and suppress the formation from activating,¡± Paige explained as she walked through another formation without worry.


    Shavie glanced over. A faint sheen of golden mana was surrounding the three of them as they walked. ¡®It¡¯s similar to Isabella¡¯s mana,¡¯ Shavie thought as she analyzed it. ¡®No, her mana is white and gold. Weird. I guess she has dual mana types as well?¡¯


    ¡°Is that a typical Warrior Skill?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    Seeing that smug look on Paige¡¯s face, Shavie sighed as they continued walking. ¡®What I wouldn¡¯t give for a Skill like that. It¡¯s every Assassin¡¯s dream to be able to do this! Well, it is fairly noticeable, but still.¡¯


    Their leisurely pace was slowing down as the formations in front of them got thicker the closer they got to the heart of the campus. By this point, Shavie had all but stepped back so that Paige could do the heavy lifting. Even then, the look of envy grew deep within Shavie¡¯s eye. So preoccupied with her thoughts, Shavie almost ran into Paige. At some point, a huge building appeared before them. Paige frowned as a formation activated right in front of them. They both looked at each other and frowned. The thickness of the mana wall was atypical of the ones they had encountered thus far.


    ¡°Think they don¡¯t want us to get in?¡± Paige asked skeptically.


    Shavie scoffed. ¡°No shit, you think so? Is this even the right way?¡±


    ¡°Should be. I can feel that Zenith is ahead of us,¡± Paige rolled her eyes at Shavie¡¯s skeptical look. Party Leader ability; not me cheating,¡± ¡°But I can still get us in. It¡¯ll just cost me a bit more mana.¡±


    The formation in front of them was thick. Even at a conservative estimate, it was at least six feet thick. It was the thickest one she¡¯d ever seen thus far, though Stella claimed that the mausoleum¡¯s mana wall was an impossible thirty feet wide.


    ¡°Hmmm? It¡¯s sturdy enough to outright stop most of the Scions I¡¯ve fought. That¡¯s something noteworthy at least.¡±


    Shavie watched as Paige tapped the formation experimentally, and felt her eye twitching as it shuddered with each tap. ¡®She measures things based on a Scion¡¯s capabilities? Hell, how did we suppress her at the mausoleum?¡¯ It was the first time Shavie was disappointed she didn¡¯t have her memories of that battle. At this point, Paige was far more dangerous than Stella had assumed.


    Paige was certifiably insane. And she was strong enough to back up her actions wantonly, too.


    ¡°Well, it seems like something is about to happen. Zenith¡¯s heartbeat increased suddenly. We should hurry on our way,¡± Paige said suddenly.


    Grabbing her hand, Shavie watched as Paige released a weird golden mana into a cloud and pulled her into the formation with her.


    ¡°Can a Party Leader really sense that?¡±


    ¡°If you know how to. Most don¡¯t bother to experiment or remember how True Parties work. Parties of convenience were all the rage these past few centuries. And now there are even temporary parties! Imagine that, being able to be in multiple parties at once. Stupid, but hey, youth.¡±


    The symbols around them trembled violently as they congregated around them. Though as they touched the golden cloud of mana, the symbols quieted and resumed their normal look. Now that was a neat Skill she had to learn. Paige was suppressing the symbols around them as though they weren¡¯t even passing through. Though that golden mana¡­ perhaps Isabella would be willing to share some of that mana with her.


    Or better yet¡­ Shavie looked to Paige and hesitated. This was the worst moment to try something, but they were getting close to the other side of the mana wall.


    Mentally weighing the benefits, Shavie braced herself mentally. It was a risk she was willing to take. ¡®I want that mana! Just a sliver of it! [Steal].¡¯


    Reaching out, Shavie touched the mana cloud with her free hand while making sure to shield her actions from Paige. Nervously, Shavie tore a portion of the mana away and watched as it slowly shifted closer to her hand. Grasping it tightly, Shavie quickly sealed it within her Skill. The small bundle of light was too small for her taste, but Shavie stopped her actions as Paige started to frown.


    ¡°Weird. My mana started flowing faster. Is the formation adapting? Hmm, wait, this seems familiar somehow?¡±


    Suppressing her urge to absorb her ill-gotten gains, she shrugged her shoulder when Paige looked over. That went better than Shavie had expected it to. Sure, it was weird for an Assassin to have [Steal], but most High Classes she¡¯d killed were weird in some way or another. And unlike her usual Skills, this one actually had use for something other than killing! As they passed through the final ward, the cheering of a crowd could be heard deep within the building.


    Glancing at each other, both of them quickly sprinted down the corridor toward the cheering of the crowd. Slipping through the door stealthily, Shavie glanced at the glowing cube floating high in the air. The crowd was mostly young adults, which now made sense why the campus was empty.


    ¡°Huh, a Status Cube? That¡¯s¡­ so old fashioned. Geez, even the Imperial training grounds wouldn¡¯t rely on such outdated artifacts,¡± Paige scoffed at the sight.


    ¡°Is it expensive?¡± Shavie asked.


    ¡°Hell yeah. Couple that with fragile and exploitable, and you have the main reasons why it¡¯s not used. No wonder they needed to ward the entire field, a single errant spell would likely shatter it.¡±


    Still, Shavie could see why a school would use it like this. Even though it displayed barely anything, it was still easier to manage than using magnify sight spells or relying on Class abilities to see long distances.


    But looking at the big words ¡®Free for All¡¯ posted on the top of the cube announced why Zenith¡¯s heart rate increased. She had a good number of opponents to beat if she was going to become a Teacher.


    ¡°Do we need to help her? We really aren¡¯t equipped to fight this many opponents.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can spot you some equipment. And most of them had actually reached High Class judging by their guild ranking. The median party ranking is one hundred sixty. That means the average party member should be High Class.¡±


    Shavie looked back at the field and narrowed her eyes. It was hard to sense from a distance, but she could tell that their mana cores weren¡¯t that condensed. Okay, some of them could be considered close to High Class, but not all of them. Skeptically, she glanced back at Paige.


    ¡°You sure about that? I¡¯m pretty sure I can kill them all without too much of a fuss. One on one, of course¡±


    Paige took a moment before answering. ¡°Hmm. Well, that is assuming the guild rankings work the same way. If you didn¡¯t know, Class advancement is a little different nowadays.¡±


    ¡°We know that much,¡± Shavie replied.


    Paige nodded. ¡°Zenith is going to need our help. Even if they are weaker, we can assume most of them have reached High-Class status. So they must have mastered something, even if it is just a single combat path.¡±


    Shifting the girl on her back, she started walking forward toward the field without waiting for Shavie. Taking her time to look around, besides a few errant looks they were getting, most were outright ignoring them. Okay, they were ignoring Paige mostly, simply because she still had her ridiculous Farmer gear on. Shavie wasn¡¯t much better, being in a nondescript outfit that a bodyguard might actually wear, but her outfit was far more form-fitting; which accounted for almost all of the looks she was getting.


    They quietly approached the edge of the training field, close to where Zenith was, and she was already complaining to the Grand Healer. How had she suckered her into becoming a party?


    ¡°If they don¡¯t have any High Classes among them, it doesn¡¯t really matter what their parties are made of. It depends on synergy and cooperation,¡± Zenith muttered quietly to herself. Shavie frowned and looked at Paige skeptically. Hadn¡¯t she said they all had reached High Class?


    She shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Maybe she forgot? Hey, need help?¡±


    Zenith started and turned. Glancing backward, she edged closer to the ward and spoke quietly.


    ¡°This is getting messier and messier, Paige. They purposefully left out parts of the message. This is the final day of three for testing and now I¡¯m in a stupid free for all tournament!¡±


    ¡°So? Just do your best. As they say, a strong fist solves all problems.¡±


    ¡°The problem is that two of the three teaching spots have been filled. And with an average party size of nine, I need to beat over a hundred people!¡±


    Shavie frowned. That¡­ was a problem, especially when she already had a big target painted on her back. It was hard to miss their names written in gold floating above them, after all.


    ¡°Well, at least you have two more people to help you then. A Healer isn¡¯t that useful in a large scale conflict. That¡¯s the main reason Healers are usually assigned to the backlines or stay in their strongholds. Too many chances of them dying otherwise,¡± Paige said.


    They all turned to Paige who was smiling happily. The look in her eye changed too as she looked around. ¡°I can take...well, I¡¯ll take half of them if you want.¡±


    ¡°Ha, half!?¡± Odessa squeaked.


    Shavie rolled her eyes. Even she wouldn¡¯t take on more than ten alone. But on a chaotic battlefield like this¡­ She shook her head. It wasn¡¯t worth it to go all out, just for a silly competition.


    Still, something about Paige¡¯s attitude irked her fiercely.


    ¡°Are we allowed to kill? I could take on a good bit if that is the case.¡±


    ¡°No, though how they will stop that is beyond me,¡± Zenith admitted.


    ¡°Hm. Little harder then.¡± Turning to Paige, she held out her hand. ¡°Where are those weapons you promised me?¡±


    ¡°Tell me what type and I¡¯ll craft it for you right now. I have [Craft Modification], after all.¡±


    ¡°Daggers. No, wait, do weighted knuckle gloves instead. Preferably up to my elbows.¡±


    ¡°Like a cestus? I guess I have the material for it. Want some steel throwing balls too?¡±


    ¡°...sure, though, make them hollow on the inside. I want to incapacitate Mages, not kill them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but the ward is already up and you¡¯re late. We¡¯re not going to deactivate it to let the rest of your party in,¡± a man stated from inside the formation.


    Paige took out a copious amount of materials from her pockets as a teacher approached harassed Zenith. Shavie watched with interest. There was no way she had that much in her pockets. She must have been using her storage device from inside her pocket.


    ¡°They¡¯re part of my Party. It even says so on that cube of yours!¡±


    ¡°Yes, but-¡±


    Tuning their argument out, Shavie watched as Paige grabbed a few metallic bandanas and rolled them into a ball in her hands. The material swiftly glowed as she walked over.


    ¡°Lift your hands up. I¡¯ll do it this way to skip a step.¡±


    Frowning, she watched as Paige lifted the glowing orb and gently ran her hands up her arms. A slightly blue metal glove swiftly formed around her arms as more of the threads congregated at her knuckles, forming into a solid block of metal as Paige withdrew her hands.


    Blinking at the new gloves on her arms, she watched as they turned black as her mana seeped into the material. That was actually really cool. Most material wouldn¡¯t readily absorb her mana like that.


    ¡°Hm, I do expect those back, you know; so don¡¯t get too attached to it.¡±


    Paige grabbed a few of her metal spades and quickly scrunched it into a ball as metal balls dropped. Shavie was impressed. That skill was able to modify different types of material, perhaps even wood or-.


    ¡°Aha, you¡¯re the one who messed with my couch! Don¡¯t touch my stuff, it¡¯s like that for a reason.¡±


    Shavie glowered. Someone had fixed her couch. She loved her couch the way it was!


    ¡°Regardless, they are not in the field, so they will not be able to participate. Now, get ready for the match to start,¡± the annoying teacher said from the other side of the ward.


    Paige turned and looked at the ward with a keen eye. ¡°Hm? We just need to be in the field? Why didn¡¯t you just say so.¡±


    The teacher turned and huffed angrily. ¡°It¡¯s a ward. No one is coming in or out until the battle is done.¡±


    Shavie and Zenith frowned as Paige started tapping the ward with a flick of her finger. She watched as the symbols around them shuddered and turned red with each tap.


    ¡°Stop touching that! Even children know not to touch an active ward! You could destabilize and kill everyone here,¡± the teacher warned quickly. Shavie could feel a few adults behind them stand up in alarm.


    ¡°Highly unlikely. Peter would have to be stupid if he designed a ward like that for an indoor training field,¡± Paige muttered.


    Raising her hand, she grabbed Shavie¡¯s hand and forcefully pushed her way through the ward. The whole ward started pulsating as Paige and Shavie stepped into the field.


    The silence was deafening as the symbols within the ward stabilized. But then came the laughter from the stands as the cube above them formed new words.


    Name: Paige


    Race: Human


    Class: Farmer


    Affinity: None


    Name: Shavie Alievi


    Race: Human


    Class: Bodyguard


    Affinity: Greater Darkness, Lesser Wind


    Name:


    Race: Human


    Class:


    Affinity:


    Party: [Let¡¯s get this over with] Temporary Party.


    Party Guild Ranking: 200. Members: 5


    Shavie stared for a moment before pointing at the unconscious girl. ¡°It didn¡¯t pick up the girl¡¯s information?¡±


    ¡°The artifact above isn¡¯t omnipotent. It¡¯s designed to pick up basic status information on a large scale and she¡¯s unconscious. It should be pushing the limit just showing this much information,¡± Paige stated with a frown. She eyed the girl¡¯s status before looking away. ¡®With how much divine mana I wasted, the Status Cube better not have picked anything up,¡¯ Paige thought to herself.


    ¡°And our ranking didn¡¯t change because?¡± Zenith asked.


    Paige shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not well known but per guild rules, everything above 200 is classified. Otherwise, it¡¯d be far too easy for spies to get a hold of such critical information,¡± Paige said after she sighed in relief after reading the cube.


    ¡°Well, at least your last name didn¡¯t show up. That would have caused a problem,¡± Shavie stated calmly.


    ¡°True. Anyways, Zenith, you¡¯re looking at this all wrong. We don¡¯t have to beat a few hundred or so people. Only seventy, really, since it¡¯s the teachers we need to knock out.¡±


    ¡°Teachers who are surrounded by their parties, Paige.¡±


    ¡°Hm, true. Hey, Odessa, hold the girl for us while we fight. I don¡¯t think there¡¯ll be much for you to do here.¡±


    ¡°Wha? H, Hey! I can help. Somewhat. I finished...basic combat training...as an Apprentice...¡± Odessa faltered and quietly took the girl off of Paige back as Paige stared at her. Just stared.


    Taking the girl off her back, Paige loosened her shoulders and started talking. ¡°Now, here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. I¡¯ll take those thirty over there first and act as the frontline. Shavie, you go and protect Zenith as the backline. Odessa, you just hang back here and stay out of the way. Unless you know [[Holy Barrier]] or something useful. You do know that right? Nevermind. Zenith, you¡¯ll have to protect Odessa and yourself. Lay down the traps and then-¡±


    ¡°Paige. I¡¯ll focus on subduing my opponents; after all, I am supposed to show off what I can do as a Teacher. Shavie, could you protect my back? I¡¯ll initiate close combat,¡± Zenith interrupted. She paused as she looked at Paige. ¡°Paige¡­ can you help protect us as well? I don¡¯t think a straight fight is what the school is evaluating us on. Let me be the Party Leader for a change.¡±


    Shavie kept quiet as Paige hesitated, but they both saw the look in Zenith¡¯s eye. This battle was mainly hers to fight. ¡°Your right, Zenith. Sorry about my conduct before. What do you want me to do.¡±


    ¡°Can you localize your [Power Till] to conceal our actions? Give me a minute or so to cast [[Wind Barrier]] to separate the groups. Unless they are willing to take the damage or have a better understanding of wind magic, it¡¯ll give us some breathing room to fight each group separately.¡±


    Shavie nodded to herself. That was leagues better than Paige¡¯s plan. Though, why didn¡¯t Paige think of that? Or had she? Either way, it looked like the battle was about to begin in earnest now that everyone had a chance to prepare.


    Flexing her hands, Shavie limbered up as she noticed the stares directed at them. Zenith''s plan was solid, but only the first few minutes after the battle started. Before that, they would have to rely on her and Paige to stall.


    Sliding over to Paige, she whispered, ¡°So, uh¡­ Paige. How are we supposed to stall for that long? You do remember that my Class isn¡¯t exactly known for defending. I may have been slightly bluffing earlier about taking this many people on at once.¡±


    ¡°Zenith¡¯s opponents should be prioritizing their own safety, so no one should be stupid enough to immediately start close-range combat. Just aim to deflect the projectiles.


    ¡°Besides, we can take a few hits without worry,¡± Paige said as she looked over at her. ¡°Your armor should be strong enough unless your standards have fallen.¡±


    Paige noticing her hidden armor irked her, but she had a point.


    ¡°And if they use Skills?¡±


    ¡°...deflect it? I mean, There¡¯s only so many Skills they can use. An arrow is still an arrow, regardless if the Archer used [Piercing Shot] or [Power Shot].¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really something, you know that?¡± Shavie tched. Paige sure was taking this whole thing lightly. And that wasn¡¯t even accounting for the Spells. ¡°And how will we deflect Spells?¡±


    Paige chuckled as she checked something on her belt. She still had her stupid gardening tools on her. Checking her back, she stepped forward three steps and positioned herself to the left of Zenith. Checking her surroundings, Shavie moved slightly to Paige¡¯s right.


    ¡°That¡¯s a silly question. You si-¡± ¡°Start!¡±


    Paige flicked her hand forward and spun her hoe around. Shavie noticed that the flat of the garden spade slightly deflected the crossbow bolt aimed at her heart while her hoe broke the shafts before they passed her.


    Shavie swat at an errant metal bolt bypassed Paige¡¯s position. Shavie frowned as she spied the liquid running down the metal shaft. ¡®Mhmm. Some non-lethal battle this is.¡¯ Rubbing the liquid with her finger, Shavie flicked a metal ball back in the same direction. ¡®Taste your own damn poison. [Focused Throw].¡¯


    ¡°Oi! Healer, we got poison attacks! Make sure you protect us from that,¡± Shavie warned.


    ¡°I can¡¯t heal poison! That''s an Alchemist¡¯s job!¡±


    ¡°Some Grand Healer you are! What will you do in a real battle, roll over and die from a single poison dart?!¡± Shavie swore as she batted a few more arrows away. A slight breeze wafted past her suddenly.


    Though the battle had started, Shavie could tell that most of the long-range attacks were directed at them. Paige walking through the ward probably had some of the other teachers rattled. Or maybe it had to do with the massive spell Zenith was weaving that was setting some of them on edge.


    ¡®Zenith started casting her spell¡­ but Stella really downplayed just how strong Paige is. Did Markus really beat her?¡¯


    Shavie swung her fist out and twirled as she stopped a javelin from going past her. Twirling it around, she tossed it back and jumped as a fireball exploded to her right. Now she was getting targeted as well. She had her hands full dodging the attacks, but Paige was still standing in the same spot as she twirled her hoe around. Spinning her hoe, Shavie watched as she slashed an icicle the size of a fist while simultaneously deflecting another crossbow bolt aimed at her heart.


    But even countering all of that, Paige still had time to plant her hoe in the ground and use her nonsensical [Earthquake] Skill to shroud the area in front of them with dust and debris before swiftly resuming her defensive posture.


    Shavie finally realized why Paige had stated power wasn¡¯t everything for a Warrior. Even Markus would have started evading or pressing forward by now. But how was she sensing the attacks coming through the dust cloud? With Zenith casting her spell, the dust was flowing backward toward her, and yet she was still locating each attack with apparent ease.


    ''...there has to be some trick she''s pulling. Even an incompetent Archer wouldn''t aim at her more than once with the way she''s defending, so how''s she making them direct their attacks to her? And more importantly-¡® Shavie punched a javelin out of the air, ¡®How is she forcing me to intercept the heavier attacks?¡¯


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t keep forcing me to defend against these attacks! You think I like defending against them!?¡± Shavie yelled.


    ¡°Hell, with those gloves you better be doing more than defending! Deflect them back! Do I need to teach you how to fight as well? Use [Shadow Portal] or whatever rubbish you should know! I¡¯ve seen literal Scouts fight better than you!¡±


    ¡°You think I can do that at will? I don¡¯t have the mana capacity to do shit like that!¡±


    ¡°Your gloves were woven from mana and you act like I¡¯m the one not pulling my weight here!¡±


    Shavie paused slightly as she watched another javelin shot forward at Paige. There should be six or so seconds before Zenith was done with her Spell so there was plenty of leeway to experiment with her new equipment.


    Swiping her hand forward, she was surprised as a small portal opened far in front of Paige, though it just missed the javelin.


    ¡°Hey! At least intercept the damn thing! How did you miss it? It was right in front of me!¡±


    Grabbing the javelin with her hand, Shavie shrugged. Paige had still deflected it, though she got hit by a crossbow bolt instead. Shavie narrowed her eyes as she saw the bolt fall harmlessly after it pierced her cotton shirt. How many skills was she using right now?


    Shavie stepped back as the wind swirled around them. Even with her back pointed at the spell, she could feel the charged mana swirling around them. It was clear that Zenith had completed her spell. The world flashed green as a green ball of mana spread out above their head. Shavie paused as she saw symbols floating inside and around the orb of mana, though the pure mana inside concealed a vast majority of the interlocking symbols. That wasn''t a spell she was familiar with. Though, as she stared at the orb, it looked vaguely familiar for some reason.


    ¡®Wait, symbols?¡¯ Shavie looked back and realized why it looked familiar. That was a full-blown magic formation! ¡®No¡­ you could protect a small fortress with that defensive formation! She¡¯s pulling all the stops just to impress some kids.¡¯ Shavie took a second to look around. ¡®Well, she¡¯s doing a good job of it so far.¡¯


    The stands were quiet as Zenith stood below her orb, opening her eyes slowly as she finished her massive spell. Too massive for a single mage.


    ¡°[[Wind Barrier]],¡± Zenith said quietly. The orb vanished as a solid wall of wind descended about the entirety of the training field and neatly separated the field into separate segments. She took a deep breath and the color returned to her face. ¡°We need to hurry, I can¡¯t keep this spell powered for long. Just focus on defeating the defenders, I¡¯ll take on the Teachers.¡±


    Shavie nodded to herself. This match was about to get a whole lot easier.


    ---


    The battle was finished the moment Zenith had finished casting her spell, Shavie thought as she incapacitated another Mage. Some type of Pyromaniac or something, judging by his flaming robe. Walking beside Odessa, she idly kicked a Warrior in the stomach before stepping on him.


    This was almost unfair the way they breezed through their opponents. Zenith charged into a fairly balanced party as she headed for the Teacher in question, a grizzled Spearmaster. His spear twirled in an erratic fashion as Zenith weaved side to side, her wind covered shoes helped her slide across the field as she waited for a flaw to appear.


    She pitied the man. His bodyguards might as well be nonexistent with how Paige was blocking them. Her hoe spun just like the Spearmaster as she twirled around, striking the earth at random times to off-balance her opponents as she held off the group of seven by herself.


    ¡°Umm, Miss...Shavie? Shouldn¡¯t you be helping?¡± Odessa asked again.


    Shavie rolled her eyes. ¡°Why should I do anything? I¡¯m not getting paid to help.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re about to face Bloodsteel! Don¡¯t they need to rest a bit?¡±


    ¡°You said that about the last ten parties we¡¯ve faced. And one of them even forfeited outright. But if you want, you can go and let Paige have a break. I¡¯ll hold the girl for a few seconds or so while you get beat up.¡±


    Shavie washed her hands of the problem as she looked across the wind wall to their next opponents. In truth, Zenith¡¯s plan was well thought out, but that was under the assumption that the other Parties would fight amongst themselves before they got there. Instead, they waited for them to come and attack en masse.


    Looking over, Shavie raised a single brow as a few men glared at her. They must be the ¡®Bloodstain¡¯ party Odessa was talking about. Their crimson robes hid their equipment, though Shavie could faintly see the outline of a bow. Narrowing her eyes, she scanned their party and realized why they were glaring at her. One of their teammates¡¯ robes were shaking slightly as they clutched their arm painfully. Her arm, she realized as she eyed the face hidden inside the robe. Shavie smiled as she realized what must have happened.


    ¡°Stupid bitch. Can¡¯t even take a little of her own poison? Just die and save us some trouble.¡± she mouthed to the team, who started shaking with anger. She chuckled slightly and turned her head as Odessa looked at her oddly. ¡°Zenith and Paige are going to have a hard time against the next one. They seem to be holding a grudge against us.¡±


    ¡°Really? Their party is known for being calm-headed in battle though...¡±


    ¡°Meh. Just stay behind Paige and we¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Shavie rolled four steel balls in her hand before launching them silently at Paige¡¯s opponents. The unsuspecting targets dropped as the steel balls shattered their jaws and knocked them out. Paige frowned as she waved her hoe at two steel balls that had ricocheted toward her. Spinning around, she batted the steel ball and shattered two knees before whacking her hoe against their head as they dropped down in pain.


    ¡°Odessa, please heal them. We don¡¯t need people holding grudges against us. Make sure to cast [[Sleep]] or something as well. We don¡¯t need them waking up to fight us again.¡±


    ¡°That was only one time!¡± Odessa yelled angrily as she adjusted the girl on her back.


    ¡°Well, Zenith is about to win, so we should think about stopping soon. We should''ve done enough to get the last remaining spot.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think that party is going to rest until they fight us, Paige. They seem awfully mad for some reason,¡± Shavie grinned inwardly.


    ¡°Hm. Well, maybe one more then. I still haven¡¯t quite warmed up yet. Maybe they¡¯ll be better -,¡± Paige stopped suddenly as she twirled around and stared at a wall.


    Shavie looked over and didn¡¯t see anything special about the wall.


    Blinking, Paige inhaled sharply before flashing a smile. ¡°....well then. I have something else I need to take care of. Good luck Shavie! I know you can do it.¡±


    Within the span of a few seconds, Shavie could only stare as Paige quickly grabbed the girl off of Odessa¡¯s back and swiftly blinked to the edge and punched her way out of the ward.


    ¡°Okay! The next one will be our last!¡± Zenith exhaled heavily as she stood over the unconscious combat teacher. Dissipating her wind blade with a shake of her hand, she quickly noticed who was missing. ¡°Wait, where did Paige go?¡±


    Shavie groaned as the wind wall separating her from the vengeful party started dissipating. She probably shouldn¡¯t have antagonized that party...

 Chapter 76.1 - Heroes of Cidala enter the stage

    ¡°Hey, how tough do you think our opponents will be?¡± Markus asked quietly.


    Lily shrugged nervously. ¡°Who knows, but it¡¯s too bad Miss Paige knocked the girl out. She seemed like she tried the entrance exam before.¡±


    Lily¡¯s steps nearly faltered as she stopped herself from seeking her Mentor for guidance. Her dream of getting into Alduit Academy as a Party was right upon them!


    And yet, it was scary being watched by so many of her future classmates. Much like how they were ranked at Nespe Academy, this entrance exam would most likely determine what benefits they would receive as students.


    Lily sighed as they walked to a side training field. ¡°We could really use more information! Like Mentor always says; she who has more information shall hold the upper hand.¡±


    Isabella bobbed her head in agreement. ¡°My mother says strength wins battles but information wins wars.¡±


    ¡°What would your Aunt Paige say, Markus?¡± Tyler asked.


    Markus thought for a second and chuckled. Lily already knew it would be bad advice.


    ¡°She would probably say something like a strong fist can break through most traps." Markus grinned. ¡°But did you see the look on the Healer¡¯s face when Lily repeated what Aunt Paige said about Scions? I didn¡¯t even know she said that.¡±


    Lily glanced over and pouted. ¡°That¡¯s because you''re not a girl. She told that to me secretly after our farewell party at the academy grounds.¡±


    Markus thought for a moment and shrugged. ¡°Hm, true. I guess girls have more problems than guys in general.¡±


    Lily tsked in annoyance. Of course Markus could say something rude like that. He didn¡¯t have to put up with people ranging from admirers to bootlickers to jealous rivals. Okay, Tyler had to deal with that last one more than she had to, but still!


    Still, the discussion helped calm Lily doen. Looking at her party walking alongside her, Lily swelled with pride. This was what she had always dreamed about. Now all they had to do was graduate from here, and their adventures could truly begin!


    A stout Defender and a beautiful (young, and powerful female) Mage was the bare minimum of every adventure story she had ever read about. Well, adding a Healer as an unexpected party member would also be pretty standard in stories, but Isabella was definitely an exception rather than the norm.


    And then there was Markus. If life was a story, then Markus would definitely be someone noteworthy. Of course, his talent and ability had grown exponentially, and he was almost able to match Tyler with sheer skill alone. Lily was happy that Markus was here with them. Somewhat. Their last team practice went horrible, but that was to be expected after a few years of separation.


    ¡®Well, we hadn¡¯t had a chance to fix our teamwork, but today is always a good place to start!¡¯ Looking to her side, she watched Markus joking around with Tyler. Markus was just¡­ gifted in combat. Lily smiled wryly. ¡®Mentor Zenith might say that I¡¯m talented, but that is because of all the hard work I put in. But even I can tell that he¡¯s a true genius.¡¯


    Still, no one ever complained about having good teammates, and she wasn''t about to start that trend now either.


    Pumping her spirits up, Lily looked around at their competition. She blinked as they arrived at their testing grounds, one far removed from the main testing field. Luckily, it looked like there was only ten or so actual parties here, which was good news, but there were alot of people standing around the field alone.


    Looking up, Lily realized that it was a miniature version of the main testing field, complete with a floating cube high in the air. And there were stands here too, though there were far fewer students in the stands. But each of them had something in common. Lily eyed the clipboards they had and frowned. ¡®Are they scouting people for their factions?¡¯


    Mentor Zenith and Miss Paige had some choice words about factions and how they are bad, but she wondered if it was a rule here. If they only allowed the best students in then it had to have some type of ranking system in place; even if it was solely to motivate new students to do their best.


    ¡®Maybe the school bases everything on merit? That would be like Peter to do that.¡¯


    Lily brightened at that thought. Her role model would surely do something like that!


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the look on some of their faces,¡± Isabella said worriedly. ¡°My aunts said to watch out for people who act like that.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Markus asked as he looked up warily. Lily glanced up and frowned. They looked like normal people to her. Talent seekers even, based on the clipboards they held.


    ¡°Slave traders,¡± Isabella whispered. ¡°They don¡¯t look at people the way we do. They only see costs and benefits. Aunt Shavie said most people that fall for that someone with that look will die young.¡±


    Markus nodded sagely. ¡°True... Is this the faction thing Aunt Zenith warned me about? Or is it the family thing Aunt Paige said? Both of those options would be troublesome.¡±


    Lily blinked. ¡°Family thing?¡± Was it...


    ¡°Yeah, my aunt said that the imperial family does factions a little differently." Markus shrugged. "Something about Imperial Consorts and babies? She had some analogy to go with it¡­ Larger the family tree, larger the benefits?"


    Lily and Isabella shivered. That specific conversation was something she did not want to get into again. Her parents had warned her of the signs, and even Miss Paige and her own mentor warned her against committing to something this young. ¡°Yeah, that doesn¡¯t sound good. A, Anyways,¡± Lily looked around as their surroundings quieted. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re gonna be tested soon! Remember what we agreed on, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll protect the backline,¡± Tyler said.


    ¡°I, I¡¯ll heal as needed!¡± Isabella chimed in.


    Markus begrudgingly took his time before answering.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ help defend and won¡¯t engage an enemy?¡±


    ¡°Just for now, okay Markus?¡± Lily bit her lip. She couldn¡¯t begrudge Markus, but him being here just made her job as a Mage a bit harder. And she wasn¡¯t quite used to spell casting around someone other than Tyler. ¡°Mentor said that it¡¯ll get easier as we do more battles. I just need to time my spells right.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll make sure to dodge wind blades from behind next time. They hurt, you know.¡± The look of skepticism on Markus¡¯s face wounded her pride. She wasn¡¯t that bad. Usually. Markus was just¡­ Markus.


    ¡°Lily, I think they¡¯re about to announce what the entrance exam will be,¡± Tyler said.


    Lily followed his finger to the Teachers who had suddenly appeared. As she swept her eyes over the incoming adults, it was hard to pin down just what each taught. Two were clearly Mages if she judged solely by clothes, and two were clearly Combat Classes, but the others were very nondescript. Talking quietly amongst themselves, one Teacher huffed and walked briskly to the middle of the training field.


    His blue robe floated slightly as he walked, and Lily spotted what appeared to be a rapier hanging from his waist. But what was more intriguing was the wand tucked on the other side of his belt. That was intriguing. She¡¯d hardly ever seen a Mage with a sword before, beside her Teacher that was; and even then she had recommended a dagger for its utility and size instead. A rapier, especially when sheathed, took time and focus to draw; both of which were much better spent getting ready to spellcast instead.


    As the teacher''s eyes darted around the field, she noticed that he was marking a few people before he locked eyes with her. A flash of surprise was quickly hidden as he blinked and continued onwards. Coughing lightly to clear his throat, his brash voice echoed across the quiet room. ¡°Since we have so many parties here, we have decided that the entrance exam will be slightly different. It will be-¡±


    ¡®A mock battle! A mock battle!¡¯ Lily prayed.


    ¡°-a specialty elimination battle. Every party shall choose one member for a chosen specialty. If even one party member fails the challenge, that party shall be disqualified. We are looking to add in one party officially, with the rest of the spots being filled by the results from the Teacher''s test."


    Lily winced. That was far more brutal and stringent than she had heard! She was under the impression that they just needed a recommendation letter and they would be halfway in. And what was that about her mentor¡¯s results influencing her own test?


    ¡°Therefore, it is in your best interest to create the strongest party possible. You have three minutes to create your respective parties. Since we have three hundred or so applicants, the minimum for a Party will be five. Maximum is ten.¡±


    The field was quiet before everyone exploded into action as people started segregating and announcing their achievements and guild rankings. What was more worrisome was that some parties were actively separating and heading off to other groups.


    ¡°Individual guild ranking of forty! Swordmaster!¡±


    ¡°Party of six; guild ranking of seventy! Looking for a Mage!¡±


    ¡°Party of eight; guild ranking of seventy-five! Looking for a Warrior!¡±


    ¡°Party of seven; guild ranking of eighty! Looking for three Swordsmans¡±


    The teacher paused as another person whispered something to him. ¡°Sorry, forgot to mention we are keeping track of scores as well. And parties are fixed after three minutes. Good luck.¡±


    Lily blanched. This was the worst possible test imaginable. But the one key point caught her attention.


    ¡°Eh? Five?¡±


    ------


    ¡°Hey, Lily? Hate to interrupt your thoughts, but should we be looking for someone as well?¡± Markus asked, his eyes darting around the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking here, Markus! Just give me a second!¡± Lily paced back and forth as she thought quickly. ¡®Multiple challenges, if even one fails... Our party is pretty balanced, all things considering¡­¡¯


    ¡°Hey, Lily? We have two minutes. Lily? Shit! Tyler, she¡¯s not listening, I¡¯m gonna-¡±


    Her thoughts spun rapidly as she paced. ¡®To better our chances, we probably need to get someone close to our guild ranking level¡­¡¯


    ¡°Isabella, just go and choose someone quick! Tyler, we have less than a minute! No, just go grab someone that is clearly panicking. That must mean they need to join a party! I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m not the leader, Tyler! Isabella, just grab someone near us!¡±


    ¡®Or maybe we need to focus on one higher-level person. But would they be willing to join our Party?¡¯ She shook her head. It was tough being the responsible one in her party. ¡®And what gender would be best for the party? Right now it was pretty balanced, but if it was a guy? Or worse, a girl¡­¡¯


    ¡°Yes, you! You aren¡¯t with a party right? So come on! No, we don¡¯t care about your Class and stuff, just hurry up! We have like twenty seconds left!¡±


    ¡°Got it! We need to get someone around our level, a boy, and a close range fighter!¡± Lily shouted.


    Markus threw his hands up exasperatedly. ¡°LILY! Hurry and add her to our group!¡±


    ¡°Fifteen seconds left. Finalize your party now!¡±


    Lily was flustered as Markus shoved a girl over. She was clearly an archer of some type, though why she had both a shield and a bow was beyond her. Still, she did like the green color of her clothing. Worse still, it was exactly what she did not want in their party.


    ¡°But who is she?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°Clairence Shiffrin, from some country not around here. Hurry, Lily!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush me, Markus! Ahem, I, Party Leader Lily Thompson, hereby request Clairence Shiffrin, to join my party.¡±


    Lily paused as nothing happened. That was unusual. Usually a mana cloud would appear. Time was running short. Lily hurriedly glanced at the girl. ¡°Real name! Quick! We don¡¯t have much time!¡±


    Clairence hesitated as she bit her lip. ¡°Do I have to?¡±


    ¡°Quick!¡± Lily urged.


    ¡°Five. Four-¡±


    ¡°...Claire Shiffrin, of Pruite Monarchy.¡± the girl spoke quickly.


    ¡°I, Party Leader Lily Thompson, hereby request Clair Shiffrin, to join my party temporarily.¡±


    Pouring her mana out quickly, Lily sighed in relief as a strange golden mana cloud enveloped Claire. It was always strange seeing that golden cloud, Lily thought, but it clearly had something to do with party creation so she disregarded it. ''Well, that was one problem out of the way. I hope the girl was good at her Class.''


    ¡°Umm, what was that?¡± Claire asked nervously as she looked at the rapidly dispersing mana cloud.


    ¡°Miss? What were you doing?¡±


    Lily jumped forward and placed her staff defensively in front of her. The Teacher reached out and grabbed the swiftly disappearing mana cloud, though his hands swiftly passed through it without interference. He grimaced as the cloud rapidly dispersed and entered both Lily and Claire.


    ¡°I hope you hadn¡¯t just added her into your Party against her will? Especially if you did what I think you just did. That is a serious matter.¡±


    ¡°Hey! You said five was a minimum. And she joined us willingly. You can¡¯t join our Party if you even have a sliver of doubt, mister¡­¡±


    ¡°Educator Renvi Wefter,¡± Renvi stated.


    ¡°Mister Renvi-¡±


    ¡°Educator Renvi. Or Combat Mage Renvi. Use your manners, child.¡±


    ¡°My name is Lily Thompson then. Or Apprentice Mage Lily. And she¡¯s not a full member either, so it¡¯ll be fine. I learned my lesson about doing that,¡± Lily started with confidence. At least, with as much confidence as she could muster. ¡®...I had added the word temporarily to my statement¡­ hadn¡¯t I? No matter, I know there is a way to break it without me dying, so everything will be fine.¡¯ Miss Paige said intent mattered for party creation, and she didn¡¯t quite want another girl in the party either, so to her, it was no big deal.


    Her confidence did nothing for the Teacher. Renvi stared dubiously. ¡°Hmm¡­ your Mentor was that person you came with? The Imperial Servant?¡±


    Lily frowned at the implication, though she bit her lip. Her mentor had rarely ever used her position as an Imperial Servant, nor did she wield her position to power over other people. In fact, if every Imperial Servant was as nice as her mentor, then was it a problem with bias, or was it because her mentor was just that nice? ¡°Is that a problem, sir? I thought the school judges applicants solely on their skill?¡±


    ¡°No true Educator here is fond of how the Imperial Family is interfering with the school. Unless you-¡°


    ¡°We are the best Alcudia has to offer,¡± Lily stressed.


    Just because her mentor was linked to the Imperial family, (and even then, Lily had her doubts), it didn¡¯t mean that she had to identify herself as one. For goodness sake, Markus didn¡¯t identify as one, and his family was apparently full of suspected Imperial Servants.


    Renvi frowned as Lily stood her ground. With a searching look, he nodded reluctantly and moved back to the center of the field in a flash.


    Watching him move, Lily whispered. ¡°Did anyone see how he sneaked up on us?¡±


    ¡°His feet blurred for a second, so probably a movement Skill?¡± Tyler said forcefully.


    ¡°Maybe a spell? He did say he was a Combat Mage or something?¡± Markus added with interest.


    Everyone quieted as Renvi called for time. ¡°Okay! Now that the parties have been established, anyone not in a party can exit off of the stands. You have failed the first test of the entrance exam!¡±


    The few individuals who were abandoned or had failed to join a party were indignant.


    ¡°Wha-! You can¡¯t do this!¡±


    ¡°We spent years traveling here! How da-¡°


    Ignoring the rising clamor, Renvi merely waved his hand as the earth moved around him, forcing those lone students forcefully away from the training field. As quiet returned to the field, Renvi swept his eyes at the remaining parties.


    ¡°Situational awareness is key to survival, and to that end, knowing what you need for your party and how to manage it is key to being a good Party Leader. And just because you started with a party now doesn¡¯t mean it is the best party for you to be in later! Flexibility in your party will allow you to take on a diverse set of enemies; enemies you¡¯d have no chance against otherwise.


    ¡°Therefore, the test wasn¡¯t about how many were in your party, but whether or not you had a party.¡±


    Seeing his pointed stare, Lily puffed her cheeks in annoyance ¡®... so we didn¡¯t really need to have five people. His idea of a test is almost as bad as Miss Paige¡¯s!''


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for the elimination challenges. Follow me to the next training field,¡± Renvi stated as he turned to another side room.


    ¡°Ugh. And I thought I knew stupid tests. Hey, Isabella, good job on finding someone. Unlike someone...¡± Markus muttered rudely.


    "Hey! I had a plan!" Lily said defensively.


    ¡°Says the person who was absorbed in their own thoughts that we nearly failed an exam,¡± Markus scoffed.


    Lily¡¯s face colored. Markus was right, but he also wasn¡¯t under as much pressure either! ¡°I had half a minute or so. We had plenty of time for us to showcase our charm and grab someone.¡±


    Speaking of which¡­ Lily turned to really see her new party member. She was a little less concerned since Isabella has brought her over rather than Tyler or Markus. The girl fidgeted as Lily turned to inspect her gear and rather unique outfit.


    Her main weapon, now that she had time to really look, was a crossbow. It was odd for an Adventurer to have one as their main weapon since they were notorious to load in combat. The shield would be even more cumbersome since she would hardly be able to crouch with it attached to her back like that. And even her quiver attached to her leg wasn¡¯t holding more than six arrows.


    All in all, a six shot archer with a shield was not her ideal companion, but she could work around that. Somehow.


    Lily could feel her eyes twitching as she evaluated Claire''s clothing. Beside the color, which she approved of; the girl''s entire outfit screamed ornamental! With an overly poofed hat that hung down at an odd angle, to her tight leather armor that surely must be hard to run in; it was clear that whoever designed her clothes hadn¡¯t asked what she was planning on doing with said outfit. And those medals dangling above her heart was a fairly noticeable target to aim at.


    Combined, her weapon and outfit painted her as someone who never had actual combat experience, and Lily could only hope Claire had gotten a recommendation through merit rather than a political favor.


    ¡°Umm, thank you for adding me to your party. I promise I won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    Lily paused her steps as Claire curtsied in gratitude. Flustered, she waved her hands. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. Though, you¡¯re stuck in our party for the time being.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I, uh, needed to get into a different party anyways. My family was only able to get me a spot here, not a party. Soo¡­ yeah. Umm, thank you.¡±


    Her humble response answered most of the pressing questions Lily had in her mind. A political recommendation, no combat experience, a non-functional outfit, Pruite Monarchy¡­ she hod some connection to royalty!


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯m Lily, Party Leader of Cidala Heroes. Umm, just so you know, Cidala is our hometown in Alcudia. And this is Tyler, Isabella, and that rude one is Markus.¡± Ignoring Markus¡¯s low curses, she walked step by step with Claire. ¡°So, uh, what¡¯s your Class and guild ranking?¡±


    Claire winced and Lily¡¯s heart sunk a bit. ¡°I, uh, I¡¯m an K- Archer! A really good one though! I¡¯ve even won numerous archery competitions back home. But¡­ my guild ranking is really low. I...have some bad memories about monsters.¡±


    A shame, though Lily nodded in understanding. She probably sneaked out or something, and was traumatized somehow or another. That would be in line with a pampered, sheltered noble. Peeking at her clothes, Lily decided to help her new party member.


    ¡°Well, first, take off those medals. Anyone in their right mind will use it to aim at. And if you have some looser clothes, you should change into them. Or let me or Isabella help you adjust your leather chestplate. Your range of motion looks awfully restricted and chances are we¡¯ll be fighting another party at some point.¡±


    Claire tilted her head as she thought aloud. ¡°Eh, but I always wear this when I compete?¡±


    ¡°...okay. That is all well and fine in an archery competition, but if we fight any ranged opponents, please take them off. It¡¯s painting a bullseye right over your heart.¡±


    Watching her take the medals off, albeit a little unwillingly, Lily could feel a headache coming along. ¡®Please let the tests be easy.¡¯


    <hr>


    ¡°The first test is simple,¡± Renvi stated as they walked into a new room. He pointed at a rather large contraption; an odd shaped tower, much like a water tower she had seen in Nespe, towered high above them. Though incredibly, this one was opaque and semisolid. A slight pinging sound rang out from it as white balls bounced off of each other inside the machine.


    ¡°As you can see, we have compressed an orb of air with over seven hundred balls inside, enough for every person here to get two balls. By pulling the lever here, the orb will open and three balls will drop down. Each ball has a star crystal inside of it, in various forms such as pentagonal crystals, hexagonal crystals, etc.


    ¡°You will only be able to pick two of the three balls. The test is to pick the balls that have the highest number vertices on them. The more your party gets, the higher your score shall be. There are even some unique crystals inside that may be counted differently. The balls will be refilled after so that the odds are always the same.


    ¡°¡®Glorious sun¡¯ party, you are first up.¡±


    Renvi took in their dumbfounded gazes as he stepped away to the side and started calling party names.


    Lily pouted as she heard the test. Beside the machine and the balls, it was practically the same test Miss Paige had them do every couple of months before they went to school.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Crap! It¡¯s a stupid luck test,¡± Markus said from the side.


    Her, Tyler and Markus grimaced together as they watched the first party of eight pool their crystals together. Most were six or seven pointed crystals, while one had over ten points. The boy who drew it looked pleased at himself as his teammate congratulated him.


    ¡°Hey, Tyler; what¡¯s a ten sided star called?¡± Markus asked.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t know? If five points make it a pentagonal crystal, then maybe a dual pentagonal?¡±


    ¡°Decagonal," Lily answered. She blinked as she looked at the crystals. "I learned at school that besides mana cores, crystals are the other main way mana is naturally stored, with each point denoting how much mana is compressed inside. I think twelve is the highest natural forming mana crystal found in Alcudia, and they are hailed as national resources¡­ And here the school is using them as testing instruments."


    Lily saw that Markus was clearly impressed, though his interest in the test wavered as he rudely stared at the teachers'' equipment.


    "Do you think he¡¯s the party leader?¡± Lily said as she watched another team pool their crystals, with another crystal far larger than the others.


    ¡°Maybe? Aunt Paige said a Party Leader gets special benefits. I thought she was making that particular one up though. I get sharing mana and spells and whatnot, but luck? That seemed a little far fetched.¡±


    Lily agreed. Mana was tangible but she never really believed in luck. Especially after Miss Paige¡¯s so called tests.


    ¡°Ugh. We¡¯re going to be in trouble, Tyler,¡± Lily said sullenly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. Markus, how¡¯s your luck?¡± Tyler asked.


    ¡°Terrible. Hopefully Isabella has more luck than we do.¡±


    ¡°Umm, luck test?¡± Isabella wasn¡¯t the only one confused, as Claire was also interested. Few paid attention to their conversation, though she spotted a few people shifting subtly toward her.


    ¡°A test to determine how lucky you are. Like, if you could find a gold coin on the side of the road, or whether or not it would rain when you are unhappy. That sort of thing. Totally ridiculous, if you ask me. And most so-called ¡®luck based¡¯ tests are like this.¡± Lily paused for a second to organized her thoughts. ¡°In reality though, my mentor says luck tests like this are all based on probability. With seven hundred balls, the odds of getting a good score should be rather low. But as you can see, it looks like the party leaders are getting higher mana crystals, which could be testing your luck, but it¡¯s probably something else¡­ hmm¡­.


    ¡°The stronger the mana affinity you have, the stronger the attraction to mana crystals should be. That¡¯s why most crystal hunters are Mages with naturally high affinities. If the test makers aren¡¯t accounting for that, then the test would simply be a thinly disguised mana affinity test, which would help us immensely,¡± Lily stated confidently.


    ¡°But why choose three balls then?¡± Claire asked.


    Lily shrugged as she watched for a pattern.


    ¡°To give it the illusion of luck? A party with naturally high affinities has an advantage when casting spells or using Skills. Following along those lines, a Party Leader should have a larger crystal by default.¡±


    Snapping her fingers, she watched as yet another party piled up their crystals. And yet, only the Party Leader has gotten anything larger than seven points. So far, her theory was sound. But it really depended on the next group.


    ¡°True Fire Party, you¡¯re up next,¡± Renvi called.


    Lily watched with bated breath as a full party of mages walked over to the large contraption. The first mage pulled¡­ two hexagonal crystals. She nodded her head as the next seven mages pulled seven and even eight sided crystals respectively; far higher than the average thus far. The party leader, an average looking boy around sixteen or so, walked forward haughtily and released his mana as he stood before the lever. Dark orange flames erupted around him and as he pulled the lever, his flames turned into snakes that coiled around his arm.


    Watching the orbs fall, Lily noticed that the balls fell swifter than the previous ones. Flicking his hands, the snakes coiled around two balls and erupted loudly. Smoke billowed outward as Lily stared. Two twinkling shards fell from the smoke, one twelve pointed crystal, and the other¡­ a fourteen pointed crystal.


    His sneer directed at the previous teams was very out of place. It was very rude, but his actions did validate her theory. Mages were pulling higher pointed crystals than Warriors.


    ¡°He was listening to our conversation,¡± Tyler remarked quietly. ¡°Lily, do you think it¡¯s really a luck test?¡±


    ¡°...I hope not. You remember what Miss Paige said about our luck.¡±


    ¡°What did my aunt make you two do? I had to fight monsters by myself until I dropped because my luck was so low.¡±


    Tyler and Lily shared a look. ¡°Same. I think we fainted after three or four waves of monsters while she and Boary watched.¡±


    Isabella was confused. ¡°How is that supposed to help your luck?¡±


    ¡°She never quite explained it. She just thought that was supposed to. You¡¯ll get used to her antics after awhile,¡± Lily said with a chuckle.


    Still, Lily looked over the mainly disappointed crowd. With most of the teams having pulled, their chances of doing well in anything other than a luck test was rather high in her opinion. ¡°Hey Isabella, how good do you think your-¡±


    A roar of laughter attracted her attention, and as she turned she saw a Warrior pulling a fourteen pointed crystal as well. Holding the crystal above him, he danced with glee as he yelled, ¡°Haha, you can¡¯t beat a future Champion in luck!¡± His eyes locked onto hers as he tossed the up and down in his hands. ¡°Let¡¯s see how some spoiled children match up to this.¡±


    ¡®Spoiled children?! I worked hard to get where I am!¡¯ Lily fumed, though her eyes widened. He was a Warrior, and still pulled a crystal that was way above the average. Could this really be a luck based test?


    ¡°-Cidala Heroes, you¡¯re up.¡±


    It was the moment of truth, Lily realized. Her steps were heavy as she inches her way forward. She hated her luck, especially when she knew just how bad it was. Stopping at the lever, she shared a glance with the two boys. They already knew how bad their luck was.


    ¡°Miss Lily? Should, should I go first?¡± Clair asked after a second.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll-¡° Lily started.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± Tyler said as he rushed toward the lever and pulled.


    ¡®Good luck, good luck, good luck! Please!¡¯ Lily prayed to as many of the gods as she knew.


    The balls dropped well below the average pace, Lily realized with dismay as three balls quickly fell near Tyler. All identical, as far as Lily could tell. With a deep breath, Tyler pulled his sword and slashed two orbs in quick succession, revealing¡­


    Nothing. Absolutely nothing.


    Lily¡¯s heart dropped at the sight. That was exactly what she was afraid of. The surroundings were quiet before the sounds of laughter echoed. Of all the parties that had gone before them, none of them had gotten an empty ball. At worst, they had gotten a pentagonal crystal.


    ¡®Is our luck really that bad?¡¯ Lily bit her lip and walked forward. Renvi from the side cast a dubious look at her, as all the other Party Leaders had gone last. ¡°Maybe my luck will help my party later?¡± Her voice shook lightly as she said it. Even she had no confidence that she would do any better.


    Not even bothering with unleashing her mana, she took a deep breath and pulled.


    If it was even possible, Lily could swear that her chosen balls dropped even slower than Tyler¡¯s had. ¡®All of them are empty¡­¡¯. Suppressing her worries, she flicked her hand as a thin line of wind slashed open two balls. Two empty balls.


    The crowds quieted as the shattered remains of the balls fell. Even Renvi was surprised by the results. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ some luck your party has so far. There¡¯s only seven or so balls in there that are empty.¡±


    Clearing her throat, Lily motioned for Claire to go next.


    ¡®A one in a hundred chance. Well, at least that means we all can¡¯t do much worse,¡¯ she thought as Claire pulled the lever.


    The balls dropped down at a normal pace as Claire selected two orbs. One empty ball, and the other, a tiny crystal shard. Claire shuffled back, her face aflamed as Markus stepped forward and grudgingly pulled the lever. Without even bothering to look, Markus flicked his sword out, and with a flash he cut two balls in mid flight, revealing nothing.


    A few chuckled at the sight, though most were silenced as Markus glared at them. And though his display was certainly impressive, Lily¡¯s eyes twitched at the results. She twirled around to Renvi, her fear of the Teacher fading as indignation arose in its place. ¡°Are you sure this test isn¡¯t rigged? Or do we get an automatic pass instead?¡±


    ¡°...¡± Renvi stared at their pathetic crystal shard and pointedly stared at the second smallest pile before eyeing the other Teachers. ¡°Statistically unlikely, I¡¯ll admit, but we are testing your luck. You, no, your team just seems to have really bad luck.¡±


    ¡°Unlikely?! We literally got the worst possible results in a row!¡±


    ¡°Guess even Imperial Servants can be super unlucky,¡± a fellow contestant said from the side. Lily turned, fire in her eyes as she looked for the voice. The guy merely smirked as wisps of smoke surrounded him; twin fire snakes swirled around his head and hissed as she glanced at them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not an Imperial Servant, so shut your mouth before I shut it for you,¡± Lily snapped.


    Taking a breath to calm her nerves, Lily eyed Isabella with a hopeful gaze. Surely her luck wouldn¡¯t be as bad as theirs. She was an Apprentice Cleric, for goodness sake!


    ¡°I, I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Isabella cried as she pulled the lever down.


    With a flash, three balls fell with an audible thud as they crashed onto the floor. Without even needing to choose, each of the balls burst open to reveal a perfectly rounded sphere nearly the same shape as the balls had been. They were, by far, the largest crystal revealed today.


    Everyone stared in disbelief as Isabella tapped at the crystal orbs with her wand. Even one orb had more mana in it than the full party of Mages had in all of their crystals! Feeling the urge to sit down, Lily smiled in relief as Renvi cleared his throat and announced the winners of the first competition.


    Lily sighed to herself. At least they finally knew where all their luck went.


    <hr>


    ¡°Sucks to be them. Still, some people have all the luck,¡± Markus grumbled unhappily.


    ¡°Stop that, Markus. We¡¯re just lucky she¡¯s in our party,¡± Lily said, though she inwardly agreed with his statement.


    Isabella alone had allowed them to pass the first trial, one that had cut almost half the participants in one go. Still, if looks could kill, then her party would have died ten times over by now. The low whispers of hate rode with the wind, and Lily winced as another team proclaimed them as Imperial slaves. Lily knew it shouldn¡¯t let their words get to her, but it hurt knowing that she wasn¡¯t being seen for who she was; for her accomplishments. The tests didn¡¯t help in that regard either, as they had little chance to actually showcase any of their skills.


    ¡°Now that we have eliminated a good portion of the candidates, it is time for the next test.¡±


    ¡°Each party shall divide their group into two parts, Group A and Group B. Each Group will have an individualized test that they will need to pass. Both groups must pass in order for the party to continue onto the next phase of testing. You have two minutes.¡±


    Renvi smiled as the teachers behind him split into two groups.


    ¡°Do we get any clues?¡± a mage asked.


    ¡°Short answer is no.¡±


    ¡°Then how are we supposed to plan?¡± another student asked.


    ¡°In life, you will not have all the answers. You just have to make due with what you have," Renvi said briskly.


    ¡®Is this even a test!?¡¯ Lily thought to herself. This was insane; it was like the school was trying to get rid of potential students. Still, she paused as she looked at the teachers.


    ¡°How do you want to do this?¡± Lily asked quietly. ¡°It would seem that one group will be testing magic, and the other strength. Otherwise, there¡¯d be no reason to separate the teachers like that.¡±


    The others glanced at the teachers and realized why she had said that. It wasn¡¯t hard to distinguish what the Teachers specialized in.


    ¡°Mages on one team?¡±


    ¡°But what if they need a defender? Then it would make sense to have Tyler on the same team as the mages.¡±


    ¡°And if they are testing individual talent instead?¡±


    Lily could feel a gaze on her back. The head Teacher was staring at her party. ¡®Maybe this is also a test?¡¯


    ¡°We¡¯ll separate by Class. Isabella and I can handle whatever test the magic teachers can give us.¡± Raising her hand up to forestall arguments, she looked to Tyler. ¡°Tyler, you will be the leader for Group B. Markus; Claire; you guys listen to Tyler. He¡¯s had plenty of practice fighting against tougher opponents.¡±


    Seeing the others nod, Lily looked to the most troublesome of the bunch. ¡°No objections, Markus?¡±


    ¡°Nope. It¡¯s too tiring being a Party Leader. Too many decisions to make. Plus, it¡¯s way easier to listen to someone else,¡± Markus waved off her concerns lightly.


    There was something off with the way Markus acted, but she nodded anyways. He had a point, it was tough being a Party Leader.


    ¡°Group A will stay here. Group B, follow me.¡±


    Lily watched as the magic teachers stayed put and waved off Tyler. She relaxed as she grabbed Isabella¡¯s hand. Looking around at her competitors, she realized that she wasn¡¯t the only one who had noticed how the teachers had been grouped.


    Seeing as Renvi had left, one of the remaining teachers, a short, portly woman stepped forward.


    ¡°Congratulations on making it this far. In truth, this is the last remaining test for new students. All others will have to find another way to enter the school, per the outlined instructions we gave out prior to your journeys here.¡±


    Lily shot Isabella a questioning look, who soon shook her head in puzzlement. Journey? This was the first time they¡¯d heard of this. Everything she had read up to know had stated that the school was only for the western border countries, per Peter¡¯s will. Sure, she had suspicions when Claire had said she came from Pruite Monarchy, but that was still technically a border country, just a bit further away.


    ¡°As you know, we are looking to add four new parties to our student population. We do not care when or where you last went to school, nor what you learned. Here, we only have one motto: ¡®Only the best allowed¡¯. For those who get in, our lessons will surely benefit you in the future.¡±


    Lily watched as the other candidates nodded as she and Isabella stood in the back.


    ¡°Lily, didn¡¯t you say their motto was ¡®May knowledge be passed on?¡¯¡± Isabella whispered.


    ¡°It should be. Something doesn¡¯t seem right with this whole selection process.¡±


    Lily quieted as the teacher continued on.


    ¡°I, as the Vice Chair of the Magic Department, Myra Eyler, shall now administer the test. As we are all Mages, we will simply do a battle of will. Your group shall combine your mana and resist us as we unleash our spells.


    ¡°Despite what Sir Renvi has stated, this ranking will matter when we combine your parties'' scores. Please separate at least ten feet away from the others and we will begin shortly.¡±


    Miss Myra smiled as the teachers behind her spread out. The air grew heavy as Teachers readied their spells.


    Seeing the others spread apart, Lily and Isabella watched in mounting confusion.


    ¡°Lily? Do you know what they are talking about?¡± Isabella asked.


    Lily searched for the condescending mage and quickly found him by looking for the smoke. He stood calmly with a portion of his party as they stood behind him, placing their hands on his shoulder as they held their staffs with their other hand. The snakes moved toward his hands as he held them in a defensive posture. He focused on the teachers as the snakes shifted in the air. He was clearly casting some type of Spell, though he wasn¡¯t verbally talking. He had to be using a Skill of some type, or perhaps his mana capacity was incredibly high.


    ¡°I think they¡¯re about to attack?¡± Lily said hesitantly. Seeing the mages put their hands on one person clued her in on what they were doing; mana transference. But her mentor had always stated that was too dangerous to do as Apprentices. Mixing mana was a sure way to reduce the purity of your own mana. But to her, it seemed that none of the other mages cared about that.


    ¡°Lily?¡± Isabella said quietly.


    Lily could feel Isabella tensing up. This was certainly not something they had ever tried before. But she was a fast learner. Watching the others hold their weapons in front of them, she gripped her staff with her hand and copied their motion.


    ¡°Bella, think you can focus on only gathering wind mana? If you can gather it around, I can shape it how I need.¡±


    Seeing her nod, she looked around the room once more. The other mages were creating [[Mana Shields]] of various elements. Most of the parties had materialized at least four shields, while most were split between making their shields thicker or creating a fifth shield. Only her and Isabella were standing there blankly.


    ¡°Without knowing what spells they use, it¡¯ll be hard to defend solely with Wind magic. I could try to do that Spell I just learned,¡± Lily said after a moment. ¡°But I won¡¯t have enough mana to sustain it indefinitely, if I can even cast it in time.¡±


    ¡°I''ll keep a portion of my mana to heal our wounds if the attacks get through. I¡¯ve been working with Miss Zenith to heal while being distracted. We can do this, Lily!¡±


    Nodding her head, Lily focused. ¡®Magic is all about intent. I want a shield. I want a shield. I wa-,¡¯ Lily chanted those words as she readied her spell. ¡°[Magic Moulding]. Oh, hidden grove deep in the forest, let¡­¡± Lily colored slightly as she ignored the looks the other Mages were giving her, since she was the only one chanting aloud. Her mana seeped out of her hands and into her staff as she continued chanting.


    Even the Teachers were giving her pitying looks as she continued chanting her Spell. They were clearly giving her ample time to prepare. The Mage with the snakes smirked as the smoke wafted around him and formed into a single word.


    Pathetic.


    ¡®Tch! Acting like you¡¯re already a Mage!¡¯ Lily almost stopped her spell right there, but refocused quickly as she felt the wind shuddering around her. Her mentor had told her that the spell was hard to control, especially if her intent was mixed. She needed it to be a purely defensive shield, otherwise both of them would be in danger from her own spell.


    ¡°...forge a cage; and imprison those inside! [[Wind Prison]].¡±


    As she tapped her staff onto the stone floor, her mana shard embedded at the top of her staff dimmed noticeably. Their clothes flapped a bit as the wind swirled around them. Lily gasped for breath, her chest heaving in exertion as her mana dipped far below her self imposed threshold. Though the wind had stopped stirring around them, she could feel her mana all around her. Lily looked at her surroundings with pride. The spell had worked!


    ¡®[Mana Sense], [Mana Sensitivity].¡¯ Lily activated her other Skills as she steadied herself. That was the main reason she had not used a magic circle to defend them; while it was useful, it would significantly decrease the amount of mana she could replenish over time.


    ¡°I got you, Lily. [[Healing Wind]],¡± Isabella said concernedly. Reaching into her bag, Isabella was about to pull something out when Lily shook her head. No one else had used a mana potion to restore themselves, so Lily wouldn¡¯t either. A mid-summer¡¯s breeze wafted around them, it¡¯s gentle warmth coursing around as though she was standing in the middle of a field rather than inside. She could already feel her body losing the tension as the leaves on Isabella¡¯s wand glowed with a green light, though her mana density in her core remained the same.


    ¡°Now that the last of you have prepared, let us begin. We will be using area of attack spells first, and then focus on single target spells as the weaker applicants leave the field.¡±


    Myra looked around and smiled gently. ¡°Let us begin.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°[[Lightning Lance]]¡±


    ¡°[[Flood Waters]]¡±


    Lily could feel her clothes start to stick to her back. The teachers were strong! Lily thought to herself, as she braced herself for the next attack. A good third of the opponents had already failed from the first two attacks. All of the mana that she had recovered was slowly being drained by their attacks. But even with the mana drain, she was glad that she had learned this spell from her mentor. There was no way a standard [[Mana Shield]] would have been able to defend against a focused attack, nor a field attack.


    ¡°Lily, they don¡¯t like you for some reason,¡± Isabella said.


    Lily nodded her head. That much was evident. The only question was whether it was prejudice against her coming from Alcudia, or her mentor.


    At least the first teacher had been somewhat fair, but she¡¯d be blind if she couldn¡¯t notice that the majority of the second attack was centered around her. To her senses, the second teacher was visibly focusing her mana on her alone, which spoke volumes to how unfair they were being.


    ¡®...is this really the school Peter created?¡¯ Lily thought as the next teacher moved up and focused on her. ¡®Why are they so...biased?¡¯


    ¡°Lily? Something is wrong,¡± Isabella said suddenly.


    Lily could feel it too. The ground was shifting beneath her feet as he moved forward. And the way he moved felt familiar, almost like¡­, almost like he was probing her shield. No, he definitely was. She could feel the mana she had absorbed starting to decrease furiously as the ground below her turned green in response to the probing.


    Yet no one else was being attacked, to Lily¡¯s dismay. He walked past the first row of mages without so much as a blink, yet he was focusing all of his mana directly underneath her. She leaned into Isabella as she rocked back slightly. The shield was using too much mana!


    ¡°Lily, you¡¯re going to faint if you keep this up!¡± Isabella whispered.


    ¡°Isabella, just heal me!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t heal mana exhaustion! You know how dangerous it is to go into mana exhaustion,¡± Isabella exclaimed worriedly.


    But Lily couldn¡¯t focus on the ifs. The next teacher was scarcely thirty feet away at this point and she was running out of options. ¡®What to do!?¡¯ Lily thought as she searched for a solution. Her spell was about to run out of the ambient mana she had just imbued it with. Already she was reinforcing it with her own mana, but soon she¡¯d have to either cancel the spell or go into shock.


    Unless¡­¡±Isabella, just like the wolves! Just tell me when!¡±


    Isabella hesitated. ¡°Are we allowed to?¡±


    ¡°Who knows, but we need to do something!¡±


    Lily focused her mana as Isabella started to pull things out of her bag. She could hear the clinking of bottles as Isabella pulled a few vials of liquid and a pair of heavy gloves, before carefully uncorking them. Lily held them very carefully as Isabella reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded, compact crossbow and bolt that had somehow fit into her dress pocket. It must have had a hole that allowed her to strap it to her leg. The teacher visibly slowed as Isabella took the vials and poured them onto the bolt before setting up the crossbow, her arms shaking as she strained to set up the weapon and pull the string back.


    ¡°You are a Cleric... right?¡± The teacher asked. ¡°Why would you carry a detachable crossbow?¡±


    Lily could feel the man shifting his mana around to defend, giving her ample time to prepare for her own attack.


    ¡°Because...I¡¯m...also an...Adventurer!¡± Isabella called out loudly as she cocked the crossbow into place. She stepped to Lily¡¯s side and pointed it down range. ¡°Stop right there before I shoot!¡±


    Sure, Isabella still technically had her wand in her hand, but the crossbow was not normal by any means. Lily could feel everyone eyes on them. This was definitely not how any Mage exam was supposed to go.


    ¡®Well, it''s...sorta like Miss Paige said, ¡®there¡¯s no such thing as cheating in battle.¡¯¡¯ Lily thought.


    Evidently the Teacher thought the same.


    ¡°What did you pour on those bolts that you think would incapacitate me? If it even hit, that is.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Even I know that Poison is against the creed of the Healer Hall; so if I had to guess, it would either be a mild paralytic or a bluff.¡±


    Lily slowed her mana gathering as he eyed her. That was remarkably close to the truth.


    Isabella hesitated. Even she didn¡¯t know what was in the bottles. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is. My mother said it could stop any enemy for a few seconds.¡±


    ¡°Well then¡­ have at it,¡± the man chuckled. ¡°You two are the only one that passed my test, so I¡¯d like to see what you can do.¡±


    Lily paused. Despite his statement, the other teams hardly looked like they¡¯d been beaten. In fact, it looked like most had scaled back their mana usage and were barely keeping their spells activated.


    ¡°I¡¯m a Geomancer. They lost before we even started. Your spell saved you, which is why I am concentrating my attack on just you.¡±


    ¡°...so you aren¡¯t deliberately trying to make us lose?¡±


    He paused and laughed. ¡°We might not like Imperial Servants, but we are Educators above all else. So come, show me what you are made of!¡±


    His eyes gleamed brightly as he waited, though Lily could feel his mana starting to gather around again. It wasn¡¯t quite gathering under her feet, but it hovered just a few inches outside her shield now.


    A test of wills. Lily knew this had to be part of the test. It was a thin line between risk and reward, but if she could change their views of her Party¡­ ¡°Do you think he¡¯s telling the truth, Bells?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I think so. Or, more truth than lies?¡±


    Lily took that in and looked toward the teacher. His brown robe was engraved with a dizzying pattern that hurt her eyes to stare at, but was it able to deflect steel? But as she looked at his eyes, she recognized the gleam.


    It was the same look that was perpetually in Miss Paige¡¯s eyes. Confidence. Power. He was certain beyond a shadow of doubt that he could block their attack.


    ¡°Isabella. Delta pattern, lethal,¡± Lily whispered, though she knew that the teacher could hear them from this distance. ¡®[Magic Moulding]¡¯. She was treading the line with her mana, even though her Skill used hardly any mana this time.


    Isabella looked over as Lily gathered as the shield around them started to glow green with mana. Holding her above her head, the wind started to spin faster above them and a small green whirlpool descended as her shield opened along the middle and rapidly turned into a small orb of mana that settled in her hand.


    ¡°Okay, Isabella! Three! Tw-!¡±


    ¡°[[Blinding Light]]!¡±


    Isabella stepped behind her as she released the mana inside her wand. Holding it slightly above and behind Lily¡¯s head, she knew that the leaves would flash green and then emit a shockingly bright light.


    ¡®Now!¡¯ Lily dispersed her shield outward as she threw the orb at the teacher. She watched as his eyes tracked her spell, before the dirt around him suddenly shifted. Watching as he took a step back, somehow her own spell started shifting backwards.


    Seeing her wind orb backtrack, Lily realized what the teacher had done and remembered her own mentor¡¯s lesson too late.


    ¡®Besides spires exploding from underneath, an Earth Mage¡¯s favorite technique is to shift the battlefield. More than one Warrior has died from his allies Spells by simply moving the ground forward.¡¯


    Lily¡¯s own spell was almost next to her, and she winced as the spell started to unravel itself as she had planned beforehand. Her mana was dipping low and she felt lightheaded again as she used her Skill to push the volatile orb of mana further away from her.


    ¡®Why didn¡¯t I remember sooner!¡±


    Lily gasped for breath. She had to do something! Anything! What had happened after that lesson?


    ¡®Psh,¡± Paige mumbled off to the side. ¡°It¡¯s fairly easy to kill an Earth Mage., even if he does that. One, you could simply move with it, or even easier-¡¯


    Lily struggled as she reached for the remnants of her dispersed spell as her vision darkened. ¡°[[Wind Blades]]!¡±


    ¡®- you just have to remove him from his element.¡¯


    She prayed that her spell would be enough.


    <hr>


    ¡°-ly! Lily! Wake up!¡±


    Her body ached as Isabella shook her roughly. ¡°Bells, stop. I already feel sick enough.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness you''re alright!¡± Isabella yelled.


    Lily winced, though she kept her eyes shut. ¡®Breathe in and out. Relax and feel for the ambient wind mana. Feel¡­ hm? Who converted all the mana to wind mana?¡¯


    Lily tentatively opened her eyes and realized that they weren¡¯t in the same room anymore. Isabella was next to her, along with the rest of her Party. Tyler, Markus and... Claire, her new party member, looked like they too had a rough time. Markus was covered head to toe in what looked like bloodied dirt, while Tyler and Claire were covered in grime.


    ¡°Why were you bleeding?¡±


    Markus rubbed the caked on blood off of his face and grimaced. He almost had his Uncle Nick¡¯s grimace memorized. ¡°We had to do mock battles with Combat Classes. Complete with Mage support. Lucky Claire came with us, otherwise we would¡¯ve been in major trouble. A Vanguard and a Swordsman do not make a good team by themselves.¡±


    ¡°To be fair, Markus, I was attracting all the fireballs,¡± Tyler said grumpily. ¡°And at least you got to hit them.¡±


    They were arguing again. Lily knew she would have to do something about that. ¡°How did it go, Claire?¡±


    The girl jumped at the question. ¡°We, uh, did good actually. Really, really good. We were one of the only teams who were able to get close to the instructors. Sir Markus and Sir Tyler were amazing!¡±


    ¡°Heh, she called you sirs,¡± Lily chuckled. She didn¡¯t quite know why it was funny, but it was.


    ¡°Lily, you shouldn¡¯t move too much. Miss Paige said you might have a concussion from the way you fell.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Miss Paige is here?¡±


    ¡°Yes I am. Lucky I made it too, otherwise you would have worse side effects to deal with than a rattled brain. Honestly, I thought Zenith taught you better than this,¡± Paige tapped her head lightly. In the same second, she appeared behind Markus and smacked him on the back of the head. ¡°What have I told you about being a team player, hmmm?¡±


    ¡°Miss Paige, did we pass?!¡± Lily tried to sit up, but was forced back down by Paige.


    ¡°...yes, you all have passed. Zenith should¡¯ve passed too. Congratulations, you six are now officially students.¡±


    Lily sat her head back down before she noticed something odd about her statement. ¡°Five,¡± Lily amended. ¡°There are only five of us.¡±


    ¡°No, six.¡± Paige said quietly. ¡°I added someone to your Party while you were sleeping, Lily. Congrats, your party is now filled.¡±


    ¡°Wha-, but I-¡± Lily wavered. She tried to sit up, but her headache increased with her movements. She could feel herself starting to tear up. Filling a Party was something she was supposed to do as a Party Leader! As she looked over, she saw Miss Paige wave her hand slowly, silencing her. Her eyes were unremorseful, though her tone was soft. ¡°Sorry, Lily. I had to do this. You rest a bit, and then you can meet your new teammate. She¡¯ll be a great help. It¡¯ll really round out your party, too.¡±


    If it was possible, Lily¡¯s face fell even more. A new party member, and it was another girl!


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not what you wanted, but I need it, Lily. I¡¯ll make it up to you somehow, I promise.¡±


    Lily closed her eyes and rested. This was not how she had expected today to go.

 Chapter 76.2 - Mage Teachers POV

    A silly little girl, playing a game way over her head.


    That was the impression Myra Eyler got as she watched the poor girl play with magic. Her showing so far was even worse than years past, where they had just taken in students from the borderlands. And her luck was so low it might as well not even exist.


    It was like she wasn¡¯t even a Mage. That was the minimum Class someone had to be to even get past the application stage. Somehow she got past that restriction, but that wasn¡¯t her jurisdiction to deal with. Still, seeing as she hadn¡¯t set a time limit, Myra was being remarkably patient as she let the girl try her best.


    She wasn¡¯t like Renvi, who shattered more dreams than not. But she would be lying to herself that it was mildly irritating to see someone casting a Spell like this. This was an advanced school, not some hick country school that anyone with a recommendation could get in. Well, even Myra couldn¡¯t lie to herself about that last part. Recommendations still carried a lot of weight, especially when countries were willing to part with resources...


    Myra sighed to herself quietly. Things were much simpler when they only accepted students from the nearby border countries. Still, since there was clearly time to talk, Myra whispered to her closest teacher and friend, Educator Karen Shird. ¡°Who is that girl?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. Supposedly she has a recommendation from the Alcudian Royalty, but it was delivered by the Imperial Healer Hall,¡± Karen whispered back.


    Myra cast her gaze about. This wasn¡¯t a topic that they should be discussing in front of students, but they were far away enough that it would be hard for them to listen in. Her friend continued. ¡°We were able to find out that her teacher is an Imperial Servant.¡±


    ¡°Another one? Whose is it this time?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing; from what I heard, we have no information about who the Scion backing her is. We all heard the rumors, but Maxwell¡¯s movements have been monitored continuously. And if our intel is right, the others have only just arrived. Even the [[Advanced Status]] formation around the school grounds were unable to figure anything out. It just lists her as a Teacher with no affiliation to the Imperial Family. It¡¯s worrying more than a few people that she is able to get around these restrictions.¡±


    Now that was strange indeed. Peter¡¯s formations should have picked up what Scion the servant was indebted to. Peter¡¯s formations were even able to distinguish which students were in which factions, a known secret to all of the Educators. It was one of the ways they kept the balance between here, by pitting student against student, faction against faction. Though tumultuous at times, it allowed the school to continue running without too much outside interference.


    Still, as the minutes passed, Myra silently increased the girl¡¯s worth. The girl in green was still casting her spell and it was rather surprising at how long this incantation was. Typical incantations for Spells were barely twenty seconds long, and that was for someone close to becoming a Mage. And this was no typical Spell either, as she really listened to the spell. Her words were carefully chosen, yes, but it didn''t sound like a spell. It was more like she was describing what she wanted instead.


    But the end result was disappointing. The girl''s mana surged out of her staff and disappeared with just a small gust of wind.


    ¡°Well, at least it looks like she¡¯s finishing her Spell. Do you recognize it? I''d ask Renvi, but he''s off playing as a Knight again."


    "I would too if I was half as talented. And no, it''s not a common spell I''ve seen before. You think it''s an imperial grade spell?"


    A gruff voice echoed behind her, interrupting her conversation. "I''ve gleaned a few things from the Servants in my classes, but none of them chanted even half as long. Hopefully she won''t disappoint."


    The girl doubled over in exhaustion and Myra almost thought she would faint. At that point, the Cleric in her party did something, a bright green light illuminating from the end of her¡­ stick. It had to be a powerful magic tool, but it looked ridiculous. It even had leaves still attached to it!


    Seeing as the Cleric had healed her party member, Myra readied herself while she alerted the students. ¡®It must be nice having a personal Cleric in a party,¡¯ Myra thought in envy. More than once that would have been helpful in her adventures.


    Dispelling that thought, she focused her mind and felt for the mana around her. As Myra and the three other Educators started seriously gathering the mana, the stands above shifted as the ambient maba swirled around in a sudden gale.


    [Mana Condensing]. The best Skill a Lightning Mage could ask for. Or really any Specialized Mage for that matter. Sure, there were other, lesser Skills that were somewhat useful, like [Mana Sensitivity], but the Imperial Family held onto the Skills with an iron fist. Even Peter wasn¡¯t able to teach that Skill successfully.


    "Let us begin," Myra said.


    Light gathered in her hand as arcs of electricity scattered about her. Throwing her hand up, a dark cloud formed above her as she focused the orb in her hand up into the cloud.


    [Lightning Field]. It was one of her favorite Skills, one she had learned after she had advanced past a simple Electromancer. By gathering over eight hundred points of mana, she could create a Spell that self sustained itself and could unleash a wide area of attack; it was even possible to separate the mana to specific amounts, thus ensuring that she could control the amount of damage she was causing.


    Myra smirked as she saw the dumbfounded gazes of the Mages in front of her. They all thought they were the best, and while that might be true, it was only amongst their level. Until they hit Specialization once or twice, they were nothing but children playing with magic. The sound of thunder echoed out above her as she condensed her mana, though she blinked in surprise as her own mana started seeping out of her mana core. Looking up, she blinked as the size of the cloud was smaller than it should have been at this point.


    She furrowed and sent an accusatory gaze to the other Educators behind her. They had decided beforehand the order they would go, so it was quite rude for them to absorb the ambient maba before she had the chance. She had been holding back for the girl to chant, but it was still quite rude of them to gather mana before her.


    ¡°First attack. [[Lightning Lance]]¡±


    Myra flicked her hand as a bolt of lightning as thick as her arm shot out of the cloud and rapidly dispersed to tinier arcs of lightning. She felt bad for the Mages that had metal rods since it would draw the lightning directly toward the wielder, for better or for worse. Already, she could see a couple spells flicker out of existence as her attack overwhelmed the Mages. But it was a testament to their skill that they weathered the attack and started casting another shield as they endured the pain. Her attack fizzeled out as the shields started diverting the energy toward the ground. ¡®Though I don¡¯t personally agree with that style, at least they saved enough mana to cast multiple spells.¡¯


    The scratching sound of pen on paper caught her attention as she sent a warning look to the stands above. A majority of the students ducked their heads in repentance, though a noticeable few sent a glare back. Talent Recruiters. She knew a few by reputation. The few parties whose shield had held were already being watched as potential candidates for the various factions around the school.


    Looking around, she mentally tallied those whose shields had held and who she wanted in her own class and stopped at the girl in green. She stood with her head held high as the Cleric stepped out from behind her. A black scorch mark surrounded the two girl in a perfect circle, though she hadn¡¯t seen quite how she had stopped it.


    Curious. She would have attacked again, but she had limited herself to a single attack. Myra looked to her friend. ¡°Karen, focus your spell on the girl in green. I want to see how she dodged my attack.¡±


    Karen nodded in response. ¡°Sure, though I¡¯ll have to change the volume some students will defend against.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be fine. Spread out the difference and focus on her. Something seems off about her.¡±


    Her friend sent a questioning gaze, but nodded slightly. As her friend focused her Spell, a wall of illusory water appeared in front of her and quickly gathered in volume.


    Her friend pointed her staff down at the Mages and released her mana, the water gaining a depth and color that it hadn¡¯t had moments before. ¡°[[Flood Waves]].¡±


    The water poured out of the wall toward the potential students, and the Mages quickly adjusted their stances and their shields as water battered them. Within moments, most were grimacing as the waves steadily rose, from barely ankle height to waist, then chest level within the span of a dozen seconds. It stopped at just below head height for most of them, though the smaller Mages were desperately bobbing their heads above the waves.


    She hoped that none of them had anchored themselves to the ground, otherwise they were likely to drown with this spell. Karen panted as she controlled the flow of water to pound the applicants over and over. It was a good spell to use for an examination, as it tested a candidates ability to rapidly adapt to a given environment. After all, most Elder monsters were able to affect their surroundings to some degree or another.


    Focusing, Myra watched as the girl in green frowned as the water rose, though the water was still circling around her. The waves parted as it came near her and a spray of water splashed upwards before the falling mist spun rapidly around her.


    Now that Karen¡¯s spell was encompassing her, Myra could spy wisps of green encircling the girl. ¡®Did she encase herself in an orb of wind?¡¯ she thought. As it finally rose above the girl¡¯s head, she blinked in surprise as a translucent orb appeared around them, almost like a bubble of air that was trapped under water.


    Comparing her spell to the other Mages that had an aptitude to wind magic, it was clear which one was better. The others had formed semi-solid shields of air by merging their mana with the air, yet she was manipulating the very air around her. Just that alone made her spell even more important; even if the initial mana consumption and casting time was high.


    As the water finally rose above head height, a few Mages were swept away as they lost their footing or were forced to tread water. Marks against them, yet Myra only had eyes for the girl. The spherical, opaque orb was starting to appear with greater clarity as the girl released her own mana in an attempt to keep the spell activated.


    ¡°Myra, I¡¯m stopping my spell. I wasn¡¯t able to gather enough ambient mana for some reason. I¡¯m not about to dip into my mana core for a simple test,¡± Karen said as she wiped the sweat from her brows.


    Myra frowned. She knew that Karen could flood the entire area, but controlling it like this was costing too much mana as well. But what concerned her more was that Karen had problems collecting mana as well. Her friend was powerful, yes, but was known for being a stickler for not using her own mana. ¡°Did everyone have trouble gathering mana?¡±


    Larry Reigner, one of the few Geomancers in the school, nodded. ¡°Yes. I was about twenty percent off from what I needed.¡±


    Myra stopped and calculated how much mana she had used. Her mana usage and mana regeneration was stable, which made it simple to calculate how much mana she had used. ¡®Eight hundred points to cast the spell. Another forty seven to shape the spell and another forty nine to split the spell apart and direct it. So I used¡­¡¯ Mentally checking her numbers again, she cast a look at the others.


    ¡°I personally supplemented about fourteen percent of my spell''s total cost. Everyone, check your mana cores.¡±


    Karen frowned as she ran her own numbers, while the last Educator, Monster Teacher John Ingled, ran his own numbers. ¡°Twenty three percent here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m short about sixteen percent.¡±


    Rounding the numbers, Myra inhaled sharply as she realized what had happened. Someone else had absorbed almost a quarter of the ambient mana before they had been able to. And it didn¡¯t take much to figure out who had done it.


    The Educators cast a long glance at one person. The Mage in green.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡®Had she used ambient mana instead of her own mana to cast her spell?¡¯


    That question was on each of their lips as Karen¡¯s spell disintegrated, the water swiftly turning illusory and eventually evaporated around the field. A scant dozen were still in the same place, yet the girl in green and the Cleric were the only two that were untouched from the last spell.


    ¡°What is your name and Class, girl,¡± Larry said. His deep baritone voice echoed about the field as he amplified his voice with mana. The girl in question merely blinked as her shield blinked green as Larry¡¯s mana hit the shield.


    ¡°Incredible! Is her spell defending against all mana intrusion? Or maybe just targeted attacks,¡± John said under his breath.


    ¡°Quite, John,¡± Larry said.


    Waiting until the orb stopped flickering, the girl in green drew herself up. ¡°My name is Lily Thompson, of Cidala, located in Alcudia¡¯s breadbasket. Age, Fourteen and my Class is Apprentice Mage.¡±


    Myra watched as the girl said her introduction with pride. Lily looked proud of her Class, though it was nothing much to talk about at her age, especially in this case. Some of those around her were already Mages and close to specializing, and they were scarcely older than she was. Not to mention that her Class didn¡¯t even meet minimum standards to get in.


    ¡°All candidates, get back into your positions. You, who taught you that spell of yours?¡±


    Lily swelled up with pride. ¡°My Mentor did.¡±


    Myra inhaled quietly. That solidified her as an Imperial Servant in training. No wonder she had absorbed the mana faster than they had; most Imperial Mages were able to absorb faster due to their unique skill set.


    ¡°Thank you for your honesty. It¡¯s rare to find that in an Imperial Servant.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Her apparent confusion was noticeable on Lily¡¯s face, though how much of it was sincere was in the question.


    ¡°My turn,¡± Larry said as he strode toward the mage in question.


    _________________


    ¡®Marvelous. Absolutely marvelous. Even if she is in training, few could match them in practicality alone.¡¯


    That was what Larry thought as he watched the young party get ready to counterattack. The other mages had slowly given up and started to conserve their mana for the next teacher, which had annoyed him to no end. None of them had even tried to adapt their shield spells to stop the earthen spires that he was preparing.


    All but one. Apprentice Mage Lily Thompson and the Cleric. Standing in her defensive sphere, he felt how her mana was actively forcing his mana in the ground to disperse upwards. He blinked as the girl started to exhibit symptoms of mana exhaustion, yet as far as he could tell, the Cleric hadn¡¯t tried to share her mana. He could only feel wind mana gathering around them. Had neither of them learned how to transfer mana?


    Still, their frantic whispering was amusing to listen to. He confirmed that neither of them had learned to transfer their mana, which was surprising to see. That was one of the first lessons apprentices typically learned, since mana regeneration was a problem. Most apprentices could barely do six Spells without fainting from exhaustion, which is why mana transfers were so common.


    ¡°Isabella, just like the wolves!¡± Lily said suddenly.


    ¡®Wolves? What does tha-¡®. Larry slowed as the Cleric pulled out a few faintly glowing bottles and a miniature crossbow.


    The bottles barely looked dangerous but as she combined them, he felt his senses tingling slightly. Warning. It wasn¡¯t fatal, whatever she was combining, but it would still be a bad idea to get hit by it.


    Voicing his thoughts aloud, he nodded inwardly at the Clerics response. It was clear they had more experience in fighting monsters than other people, but it was odd for anyone associated with the Imperial Family to have that experience.


    Are they really from the Capital? His doubts came back in full as he saw their teamwork and daring. This was shaping up to be the most exciting test he¡¯d done. ¡®It¡¯s been years since someone has dared to do this.


    The blinding light startled him slightly as he withdrew his defensively mana around him, though he tracked both of their actions concurrently. Seeing their lack of a follow up to a surprise attack, he realized that they had probably never fought against a fully specialized opponent.


    Still, he wasn¡¯t about to underestimate the two of them.


    With a slight step backwards, Larry employed two Spells to protect himself, [[Dust Cloud]] and [[Earthen Shift]]. Forcing his mana behind him, the mana he had fused into the soil abruptly pulled him back while pulling the mage forward in turn.


    Seeing her own attack about to incapacitate her, he silently let out a sigh. ¡®What a let down,¡¯ he thought. He already saw the ending of the battle. Lily would soon be incapacitated as her spell exploded on herself. Isabella would shoot the crossbow and he would simply block it with an earthen wall. Lily would then be unable to continue the test, thus failing and ridding him of this curious puzzle. It was almost in writing that her mentor would be unable to join the school as a teacher, since she had so much stacked against her.


    That should have been how it went.


    The apprentice mage raised her hand suddenly and the spell suddenly stilled before shooting back towards him. A curious Skill. But what surprised him even more was that the girl had been able to repurpose her mana shield and change it to a blade before fainting outright from mana exhaustion. Eyeing the wind blade headed towards him from the side, he dismissed it outright by erecting a wall beside him. With her unconscious, the mana within the blade was already dissipating as it slowed toward him.


    He watched as the unconscious mage fell with a thud. Depending on how much mana she had used, it was possible that her condition could be fatal. Frowning, he pointed his staff at the girl and was about to transfer his mana to her when he noticed the Cleric panicking at his actions.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt her!¡± the Cleric yelled.


    ¡°Quiet, girl,¡± he said. Pointedly taking a look around, it was impossible that she didn¡¯t sense what he was about to do. Even the most basic of mages knew what a mana transfer looks like. Gathering his mana around him, the top of his staff glowed with a hazel light.


    ¡°I said no!¡±


    The Cleric ran forward and stepped in front of her downed party member. Her wand started emitting a bright white light, intermingled with flashes of green. In fact, Larry could swear he saw flashes of gold as well, but the Cleric¡¯s shimmering white and gold robes made it difficult to distinguish.


    ¡®What the hell are they teaching their Apprentices?¡¯ Larry thought as he hesitated. Mana exhaustion was fatal within minutes. He knew he had to hurry and act, but the Cleric¡¯s interference would be disastrous if his mana started to fight against hers.


    ¡°I need to transfer mana over to her. Step away from the girl before I force you,¡± Larry informed her.


    ¡°No! Lily said mana transference is too dangerous! She¡¯ll get better by herself.¡±


    To Larry, it sounded like she was deluding herself. He had seen it before on battlefields before when Mages had died as their mana cores imploded from the lack of mana. ¡°No one gets better naturally. Last warning, girl. Back away before I make you move.¡±


    ¡°No! I won¡¯t let you hurt my friend!¡± The Cleric screamed in anger as she held onto her wand. In his senses, he could already feel the Cleric¡¯s light mana influencing her surroundings.


    ¡°Larry, if you¡¯re going to do something, do it quick. The girl won¡¯t survive if you keep dallying,¡± Myra whispered quietly behind him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not about to get blacklisted by the Healer Hall, Myra. She¡¯s got a read on my mana, you block her mana while I transfer.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I can give you a five-second window. Three, two, one, now!¡±


    The world brightened as Myra quickly released the mana charged inside the dark cloud above her. The lightning occupied the Cleric¡¯s attention, and Larry kicked the ground and shoved Isabella away as he moved forward. He quickly gathered his mana to force it into the prone girl as the Cleric fell to the floor.


    The Cleric¡¯s eyes hardened from where she was lying. ¡°Lily!¡±


    The mana around her took on a harsh light around the Cleric as her mana gathered in power. It was bright, so bright that even he had to shield his eyes. [[D-¡±


    ¡°[Power Till].¡±


    The ground erupted as another voice quickly shouted from beyond the room. The floor shifted violently, as the mages around tried to keep their balance. Everyone¡¯s mana scattered as they lost their concentration. The light around Isabella darkened as the dust enveloped the area, and the young girl¡¯s voice caught in her throat as the dust storm seemingly distracted her. Larry stabilized the ground around him with a flourish of his hand before his mind exploded with a sudden feeling.


    Danger!


    Larry quickly distanced himself from where he was as the butt end of a spear spun where he was just standing.


    ¡°[[Earthen Spire]]¡±


    Larry counter-attacked and backed up quickly as he took his place by the other Teachers. Whoever attacked him had neatly dodged his attack.


    As the dust started to settle, he grimaced as he saw the faint outline of his spire. Whoever had cut it had shaved it diagonally, leaving a smooth flat surface.


    ¡°Who in-¡±


    Larry stopped as he felt the cool sheen of metal on the back of his neck.


    ¡°Careful now. Care to tell me why you were about to kill my friend¡¯s disciple?¡±


    ¡°The girl is about to go into mana shock. She needs treatment now,¡± Larry hissed. How could the Warrior not know what was happening? For someone to get the jump on not just him, but the others as well, must have meant his assailant was on the same level as them. Surely it would be child¡¯s play to check how much mana someone has, even for a Combat Specialist.


    ¡°...She¡¯ll get better naturally. A little rest and she¡¯ll be good to go," the woman said nonplussed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand how dangerous this can be for a mage! She could die!¡± Educator Larry was incensed, though he was wary to show it. After all, the cold steel edge of a weapon was still resting gently on his neck.


    He could feel the woman behind him still slightly, as though evaluating her claims. ¡®As soon as the dust settled enough for me to-,¡¯ Larry blinked as he realized something was off. The dust hadn¡¯t settled yet. In fact, as he shifted his weight slightly he paled when he couldn¡¯t sense his surroundings anymore with mana. As he stealthily pushed more mana out from his core into the ground below, he watched as it combined with the ground underneath his feet and then disappear. His connection to the elements was being severed somehow! Was this person a Mage Killer?


    ¡°...Tch, she just fainted; it¡¯s not like she overdrew her mana core or anything. Even she isn''t dumb enough to do that. Jeez, you all are making a big deal out of nothing,¡± whispered his assailant.


    He knew that was impossible. She was exhibiting all the signs of mana exhaustion, and that was the main reason Mages died in the field. But his assailant raised her voice and called for the Cleric. ¡°Isabella! Grab Lily; you two are done with this test.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think they¡¯ll become students if they leave now?¡± Myra said quietly from the side.


    The voice was dry, yet somehow was amused by this situation. ¡°In this room, there are only two other teams that are comparable to her. I refuse to believe that she failed a simple test like this. Either way, they¡¯ll become students whether the school wants it or not.¡±


    Larry paused as her words kicked in. He knew that there was little to no chance for Imperial Servant to get in, especially when there were more well-known candidates applying. Unless the students-, Larry¡¯s eyes widened. "The final spot was to be decided by the students. Have they already voted?"


    ¡°They will be soon. Either way, the kids will become students. One way or another, this is already written in stone.¡±


    The faint touch of steel slowly withdrew from his neck as his assailant shifted to the Cleric¡¯s side. He frowned as he saw what she was wearing. Dusty face, tanned body, cotton clothes,.. Hell, even the spear in her hand was reminiscent of a pitchfork, yet somehow he knew it had to be a real farm tool. Everything he saw pointed to her being a Farmer, yet he could faintly sense that she moved like a Fencer, Spearman, Martial Artist, and a Ninja, rare as that Class was on this side of the Empire. How many Specialties did this woman progress through?


    ¡°Watch your manners, she¡¯s a suspected Imperial Servant,¡± Myra whispered.


    ¡°Farmer, actually,¡± the woman said as she frowned. "Do you see me flashing an Imperial Wardstone around and strutting like I own the place? Neither do I. I''m simply here as a Farmer."


    Her rant aside, Larry watched through the settling dust, ill at ease, as the Cleric half-dragged her party member away from where they were standing. In a blink of an eye, the so-called ¡®Farmer¡¯ picked up another unconscious girl from the corridor and swiftly walked away carrying the two unconscious girls awaya without a care in the world.


    As the dust settled completely, Myra composed herself and clapped her hands. ¡°Our test is done. Head back and wait for the other group to arrive.¡±


    One of the braver students inquired. ¡°But what about the final teacher?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve made up our minds already,¡± Larry snapped. ¡°Get. out. now.¡±


    Myra shot him a glance as she shuffled the students out of the room in confusion. Karen waited until the room was empty before she turned. ¡°Larry, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Your mana is unstable. Take this mana potion,¡± John said as he pulled a flask from his belt.


    ¡°Tell your worm to leave. That Farmer did something to the field. I can¡¯t sense earth mana right now.¡±


    Larry mumbled before he took a swig of the mana potion. He could feel his connection to the earth slowly returning as his mana recovered. Or perhaps now that the woman was gone.


    John blinked, and Larry could tell that he had released his mana. Feeling better now, he could feel his mana fighting against John¡¯s, as the man¡¯s mana silently spread out to communicate with his beasts below. Larry felt the ground move slightly beneath him as the two of them spoke. John shook his head after a moment.


    ¡°He says the ground is normal. Even better, actually. He says he hasn¡¯t encountered soil like this since we¡¯ve left the former Fertile Plains.¡±


    ¡°Does that Farmer have a higher earth affinity than you, Larry?¡± Karen questioned. ¡°That would make sense, actually. Farmer¡¯s have some of the highest earth affinities, and if she could harness it for battle...¡±


    "...did you see how she moved? That speed. " Larry asked quietly.At the speed she had moved, it was clear that woman could have killed them all before they knew what was happening.


    "She moved faster than Renvi, that''s for sure. I''m pretty sure none of the dust moved either, which is impressive for a movement skill," John said quietly. "Natural Skill perhaps? How would you even teach a Skill like that?" Larry stopped listening as John started muttering to himself. ¡°Whatever. Just pay attention to which classes their party chooses. Something doesn¡¯t feel right about this entire situation, and that might let us gleam what their intentions are here.¡±


    He spared a glance in the direction of the so-called ''Farmer''. Things were about to change here, and for once, he wasn''t sure how he felt about it.

 Chapter 77

    ¡°Can this day get any worse?¡± Paige groaned as she sat on the broken couch.


    Her eyes followed the lines on the ceiling as she starred gloomily at the boards above.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t done anything the past three days, Paige. Why on earth is today bad?¡± Nick said accusingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m bored.¡± Paige sighed to herself. That was the truth of the matter. Simple boredom. She had forgotten the thrill of fighting against people, and even if they weren¡¯t up to par, it was still a fight. And now that she had fought, she had to hide.


    Paige knew that her involvement would generate a lot of interest in their group, but she was hardly worried about that here. Without a Scion actively looking for them, there was no one here who could successfully pressure them to act.


    That didn¡¯t mean that Zenith and Stella saw it the same way though. She and Shavie had been effectively placed under house arrest until the commotion they had caused. Although Zenith was happy for the help, Paige and Shavie¡¯s actions in the battle had almost eclipsed her own. And Stella had a fit when they had come back empty-handed without Isabella in tow.


    Even Nick was crankier without Zenith around. He was sitting on one of his benches from the forest as he slowly whittled away at an unfinished bow. Maybe he was also bored and needed something to do. Paige brightened at the thought. ¡°Nick, wanna explore the city a bit?¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t even bother looking up. ¡°No. You¡¯re not supposed to leave until Zenith gets back with the kids.¡±


    Blinking, Paige frowned at the sudden reply. ¡°Why not? We should be productive while we can. Just look at Stella and Shavie. They even found a shop that¡¯s perfect for us!¡± Well, it was really for Stella, but Paige could use a bit of the space for her own stuff. After all, she wasn¡¯t about to sell it to another farmer who would then charge a markup and sell it the exact same way.


    ¡°They know how to be low key. They¡¯re looking at other shops and buying groceries, so there is really nothing we need to do outside.¡±


    Nick kept working as Paige unsuccessfully probed him for a reaction. There had to be something she could do outside! And why was he being so calm about them now? Because they were a tad helpful? She was helpful! Could be helpful, Paige amended slightly.


    ¡°...farmland! I can go and look for some land to grow my crops. They can¡¯t do that for me. You need some woods as well, so we can scout out a good location. Together. So that I won¡¯t cause any trouble.¡±


    Nick stopped as he looked over at her. She could tell he was thinking it over. Even he had to agree that it was something she could do away from the city. And it would be hard for her to get into trouble if he was there watching her. ¡°How many more days for the orientation? Will they be coming back today?¡±


    Paige hesitated. Truthfully, she thought they should¡¯ve been back days ago, but even Odessa was still inside the school participating in the orientation. Truthfully, she didn¡¯t think it would be that hard to make a schedule, but what did she know about how to be an actual Teacher. ¡°I... think it was a few days for the students to apply to the teachers they want; interview, and then create their schedules. Or something like that. The school probably has a weird idea of how students should learn.¡± What baffled her the most though was the apparent freedom the students had. Practical lessons aside, having to secure your own teacher to teach you was a weird concept. ¡°Come on, Nick. We can go and find a spot away from the city. It¡¯ll be fun!¡±


    Nick hesitated to agree, but Paige could tell that it was tempting for him. He probably hadn¡¯t had much fun either these past few days. ¡°I know Sara and Kate said they¡¯d send over more of your saplings, but your stock was already low from the get-go. At a bow a day, you have maybe two weeks before you run out of things to do.¡±


    ¡°A bow a week, actually. That means I have plenty of time to kill. I intentionally limited my stock, Paige, since I¡¯m making higher-quality bows now.¡±


    ¡°Tch.¡± Paige sighed as Nick watched the door. Both of them knew that the gesture was a moot point since she could easily overpower him and walk out that door, but she hesitated. She was an okay Party Leader, all things considering. But even she had to agree that she was a magnet for trouble, and staying inside was the least she could do while everyone was gone.


    Resting her head on the table, Paige sighed as she rethought her plans for the day. She was really hoping Nick would relent on that. But maybe that was for the best.


    ¡®Time for Plan B,¡¯ Paige thought. Murmuring loudly, she slowly traced an outline of her dream farm on the table. ¡°...I need to find a place to farm and the kids need a place to train. Hm¡­ ten acres cut it last time, but this time I¡¯m thinking more like thirty. A hundred would be ideal, of course, especially now that Lily has an Archer in her party, bu-¡±


    ¡°Archer? Or an Apprentice?¡± Nick asked.


    Paige smiled inwardly. ¡°What did you say, Nick? Ah, she was definitely an Apprentice Archer. One from Pruite Monarchy, if you could believe it.¡±


    Nick narrowed his eyes as he watched Paige scribble on the table. ¡°I thought Pruite focused on Knights?¡±


    ¡°Not quite, although that is true in the general sense. Last time I traveled through there though, I did see a ton of Royal Knights and Royal Crusaders. I think their dungeon mutated to test a person¡¯s sense of loyalty, and the Monarchy took advantage of that.¡± And by the looks of it, nothing had changed either. Paige chuckled as she remembered that ridiculous outfit the archer had changed into. Sure, whoever designed her field clothes had an eye for ceremony more than practicality, but her everyday wear was even worse. She wouldn¡¯t be caught dead wearing a frilly blue dress, one complete with a ceremonial robe and rapier! And to top it off, the poor girl had to lug around a shield so that she could hide her crossbow from view. At least she didn¡¯t have a gaudy crown to go with it. That would have been downright embarrassing.


    ¡°Judging by her outfit, she was probably like the seventh in line or something, since she was able to get a recommendation to come here instead of being married off. Still, they¡¯ll need to have space if they want to train their tactics. A farm and some woods would be perfect for them...¡±


    Paige could literally sense Nick¡¯s skepticism over the matter, but she kept her face blank. Both of them knew that she was very vocal about what she viewed as necessary for the kids to become competent Adventurers.


    She was about to give up on her plan when Nick spoke up from his seat. ¡°We¡¯re just looking for land. We¡¯re not finalizing anything without Zenith¡¯s approval. And no fighting or poking our heads into other people¡¯s problems,¡± Nick said rather pointedly.


    ¡°Done! Let me get into sight-seeing clothes.¡± Paige paused and looked over Nick¡¯s outfit. ¡°You too, you stick out like a sore thumb. And no bow; I¡¯ll grab my ax.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a bowyer, not a lumberjack.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m a Farmer. Trust me, we¡¯ll get better quotes for you if they don¡¯t know you¡¯re a bowyer. I¡¯m thinking I¡¯ll be a middle-class merchant¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°One able to buy large amounts of land at a whim? You might as well pretend you¡¯re Tyler¡¯s wife. Kate can help validate the loan too under his name,¡± Nick countered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t look that old though,¡± Paige said as she looked into a mirror. She frowned as she looked for a mirror. She hadn¡¯t aged in years even before coming here. In fact, she looked even younger after the mausoleum.


    ¡°Trust me, Paige. We¡¯ll get in less trouble this way.¡±


    Shrugging, she knew that was true, but she didn¡¯t quite like pretending to be married. Whatever. It got her out of the house at least.


    Paige stepped into her room and paused as she looked over her clothes. None of them really screamed ¡®married¡¯ to her. Or middle class, either, for that matter. ¡®Merchant...merchant¡­ meh, a sun dress will be fine. Erm, earrings and necklace too. Bangles?¡¯


    Rubbing her hair messily, Paige randomly chose things that loosely matched each other and went back downstairs with a spare ax in hand.


    Nick was already waiting downstairs, clothed in a loose fitted shirt and pants. They were green, of course, but that worked better for her anyway. She was hoping to portray herself as rich enough to afford nice clothes for her workers so Nick¡¯s outfit wasn¡¯t too terrible a choice.


    Handing the ax off silently, Paige waited for until he grabbed it before speaking. ¡°Let¡¯s look around for some spots. If we find one that works, we¡¯ll go ahead and set up a contract and then let Zenith read it over. And I¡¯ll do the speaking in regards to price.¡±


    ¡°Can you afford it?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ----


    ¡°Four hundred thousand.¡±


    ¡°Have a blessed day, sir.¡±


    Paige turned before she pummeled the man standing in front of the poorly graded soil. Running her hand along the edge of the embankment, her smile quickly faded into a grimace. It wasn¡¯t hard to notice that whoever owned this land was not controlling the erosion of the soil, as the fields beyond were almost four feet higher than the road itself.


    ¡°Paige, that was the cheapest price yet.¡±


    Paige turned and plunged her hand into the embankment beside her. Pulling it out she threw the compacted clay to Nick¡¯s feet. ¡°I¡¯m not willing to spend more than fifty thousand gold for this waste of a field! Four hundred thousand? Peh. I might as well just buy an acre of land in the Imperial fertile plains for all the use we¡¯ll get from it!¡±


    ¡°But we are close to the city. Land is going to be more expensive.¡±


    That was a true statement. But even then, that much money for a poor return grated on her nerves. ¡°...is a hundred acre too much?¡± Paige turned around and started jogging to her next location, a relatively smaller farm situated on the western side of the city. There weren¡¯t many places that fit their criteria of woods and plains, especially if they had to factor in distance from the city. Half a mile wasn¡¯t nearly long enough for her liking, especially for what she wanted.


    ¡°Maybe I should go for a short-term lease instead? I hate throwing money away though. What¡¯d you think? Maybe six years? We should be long gone from here within six.¡±


    ¡°At this point, I¡¯ll be happy for a grove of trees, Paige. Last one for the day. If we can¡¯t find one, then we¡¯ll come back with Zenith. Maybe having a Teacher here will help,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Mrhm,¡± Paige grudgingly replied. That was something she wanted to avoid at all costs. She didn¡¯t need Zenith¡¯s help to buy a farm! She could be useful. ¡°Hey, this might be a random question; but how do you think I should make things right with Lily?¡± Paige said.


    Nick rolled his eyes. ¡°You broke so many laws I don¡¯t even know where to begin at, Paige. How about a heartfelt apology?¡±


    ¡°Did that. She was pretty down about it. Well, that or from the concussion she had. But either way, I do feel bad about adding a Princess into her party.¡±


    ¡°Were you able to explain why?¡± Nick looked over.


    ¡°...No, just told her she was a Fencer and left it at that. She was still sleeping, so I assumed that she¡¯d be able to explain herself after I left.¡±


    Paige ignored the look she was getting and sighed. She knew it would be troublesome for their party, but what could she do about it? She wasn¡¯t about to babysit a Princess; not when there was a whole school that was very open and fervently opposed to Imperial schemes. Sure, even she couldn¡¯t deny that one or two Teachers might have ties to an Imperial Scion, but it would be far easier to watch for Imperial Servants inside the school than out.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    And more importantly, it gave her time to relax and cast her worries away. Rebecca¡¯s words gnawed at her deep down. ¡®Fix Peter¡¯s mistakes. What mistakes could he possibly have made that warranted bringing me here? Well, me and Isabella. Rebecca did mention that was her reward.¡¯


    But as much as Paige wanted to deny it, there were major problems abroad. Her mentor at the Gate; a runaway Princess, and a half elf no less; even the Healer Hall sending their next Grand Healer abroad spelled trouble. And that was just within Humanity¡¯s cradle. She hesitated to even think about the other borders.


    ¡®...maybe it¡¯s time to see what Peter had actually done. If he followed my trail, then he should have resolved the same problems I ran into. Of course, he probably didn¡¯t have Scions attacking him the whole time, so he should have had more than enough time to formulate a better plan than I had,¡¯ Paige thought sullenly.


    Shaking her head, she pushed that thought out of her head and resolved to look into it another day. Surely all the problems could solve themselves without her help. What mattered to her now was getting some land, farming, and helping Markus and Isabella grow.


    After all, the Imperial Capital surely had an abundance of Scions watching over things¡­ right?


    ---


    ¡°The next one is a smaller farm. If our source is reliable, this owner used to own a large majority of the land the city is built on. The school paid him well, but he¡¯s slightly resentful for losing his farm land. Also-¡±


    Paige winced as Nick kept going through Shavie¡¯s impromptu notes, carefully highlighting every reason why the owner would probably not sell to them. The girl worked fast, Paige thought. Well, she half expected Shavie to have scouted out people of interest, but Farmers? They usually weren¡¯t high on anyone¡¯s list.


    ¡°Tch, they¡¯ve already lost most of their farmland. Still, they know their stuff. The soil here looks great.¡±


    Paige glanced over at the fields as she commented. Whoever owned these fields had just finished their spring harvest, or was getting ready to plant their next crop. She breathed in deeply as the smell of the earthy soil wafted from the field. She laughed as Nick held his nose as a few younger farm hands slowly spread compost onto the fields. Now this reminded her of home!


    ¡°I have a good feeling about this place, Nick.¡±


    ¡°At least you do. This place stinks to high heaven. What are they spreading that stinks so much?¡±


    Paige turned, a half smile on her face. ¡°Never been to a farm before? It¡¯s some type of compost. Never had to do it back in the forest since the soil was good enough.¡± She paused as she looked around. Already, the farm hands had covered at least a third of the fields. ¡°They must be producing a lot of food if they need to do that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been to a farm before, but this smells half rotted. Are they doing it right?¡±


    ¡°Hrm. They¡¯ll probably place a thin layer of hay and burn it. Or just till it into the ground. Either way, it¡¯s gonna be hard work for those apprentices.¡±


    ¡°Think they have the Class or just hired workers?¡±


    ¡°... some have the class. Maybe one or two of the lot. But there¡¯s really no benefit for an apprentice to do this work though. From what I know, there isn¡¯t a Skill that helps with rejuvenating the soil from over-producing.¡±


    ¡°You have [Green Thumb], Paige. Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°No. That only let¡¯s me know what will grow and when, not in what quantity or quality. That¡¯s all on me.¡±


    Saying that, Paige looked on as a few Apprentice Farmers slowly walked back to the far edge of the field toward a few farm horses tethered to a tree. Paige almost cursed when she saw the massive plow wheel resting under the shade. ¡°Tch, they aren¡¯t going to get better as Farmers if they don¡¯t do the work themselves! Lazy slackers...¡±


    ¡°Efficient, you mean. Not everyone can work as fast as you, Paige,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Meh. Dragging a hoe is just as fast,¡± Paige argued. ¡°Look, at least one of them have the right idea!¡±


    Nick eyed the farm girl grabbing a hoe and compared it to the plow wheel. ¡°I¡¯m not going to argue over what you think is acceptable, Paige. But hopefully this Farmer is more accommodating than the rest.¡±


    ---


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Miss. This is all the land I have left. If I leased even ten acres out, why, that¡¯s¡­ why, ten percent of my land,¡± old Farmer Line said slowly.


    It was more like half a percent of his land if she believed the other Farmers, but Paige wasn¡¯t about to argue over the math with the wizened man. When they had arrived outside the small settlement nestled deep in the middle of the field, even she hadn¡¯t thought that the old man leaning back in his chair at the gate was the owner of all this land. His skin was rough and sun-tanned; a testament to all the time he spent out in his fields.


    But it was his mannerisms that evoked her memories of her own grandparents, even if they were little more than a faint recollection. Still, it was better to be polite than not. Paige coughed politely and interrupted the man. ¡°I know I am asking a lot, sir, but I have no intentions of misusing your land. I simply -.¡±


    ¡°I heard that when that there school asked for land. And again when they wanted to expand. And again when they built that city. This here¡¯s my family¡¯s farm. Twelve generations back, and now we¡¯re down to a small patch of land! All in the name of progress. Peh!¡± Farmer Line wheezed.


    Paige winced. She could see why he would be dead set against someone looking at his land. She looked over to Nick, who was talking with a younger woman, probably the farmer¡¯s daughter, or maybe an in-law. Hopefully he would have a better result. Paige listened as the old Farmer repeated his stance and interrupted him before he could start again.


    Exasperated, she asked ¡°Look, Farmer Line. I want to farm the land for at least four years.That¡¯s it. What¡¯ll it take for me to rent a plot?¡±


    Farmer line stopped. Narrowing his eyes, he sniffed heavily, as if he was a hound dog. ¡°... a fellow Farmer, eh? Where¡¯s your tool?¡±


    Paige waved off his question. ¡°I always carry it with me, but that¡¯s -¡±


    ¡°Let me¡­ see it,¡± Farmer Line said. Struggling to stand up, Paige moved forward but was quickly cut off by the younger woman Nick had been talking to. ¡°Grandpa, let me.¡± Holding onto her arm for support, he nodded gratefully before looking back.


    The man was serious. Paige sighed but eventually pulled her ring out. The ruby ring shone with a brilliant light as her hoe appeared in her hand. Holding it out, she grudgingly gave it to the man¡¯s granddaughter. The farmer¡¯s eyes glistened as he watched. ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories from my great-great-grandparents about rings like that. That reminds me o-¡± his eyes narrowed as he held the shaft of the hoe. ¡°Good hoe!¡± Standing as upright as he could, he lifted the hoe to rest on his shoulder.


    Paige chuckled. ¡°Yes, I know; made it myself. Perfectly balanced and everything.¡±


    Paige could hear his joints cracking as he moved slowly to the fields, while his granddaughter followed him worriedly. ¡°Grandpa, you know father will worry if you go to the fields.¡± He brushed the criticism off with nary a glance while he moved slowly closer to the edge of his field.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll whip him across the butt if he tries. Bah, a man can¡¯t even work his own fields in peace,¡± he said. He looked around at the empty field and dropped his cane by the edge. He planted one foot in front of the other as he glanced around.


    ¡°Grandpa¡­¡±


    ¡°Too bad Heidi isn¡¯t here. Meh, when she gets back she¡¯ll see what a true Farmer can do.¡±


    Paige blinked. That stance¡­ her eyebrows shot up. Now this was interesting to see. She motioned to Nick quickly. ¡°Back up a few paces. He¡¯s getting ready.¡± Nick backed up as the old man hefted her hoe above his head.


    Balancing the hoe, Paige watched as Farmer Line slowly shifted his hands down the shaft and shifted his balance as the blade dipped down behind him. Taking a deep breath, the old man started forward and swung forward as he moved.


    ¡°[Power Till]!¡± Farmer Line wheezed.


    The ground in front of the Farmer heaved upwards in a wave as the hoe struck the ground. Five, twenty, a hundred, five hundred, nine hundred feet down, and maybe that much wide, Paige estimated cooly. Paige nodded her head at the sight. That was impressive for a man his age. Her earliest memory of that move hadn¡¯t even traveled half as far, at least from her own recollections.


    Gasping for breath, the old farmer dropped to his knees as he held the hoe, though his eyes never left the newly tilled field. Waving over his shocked granddaughter, he grabbed onto his granddaughter''s hand for support and looked over at Paige with pride. ¡°Hard finding a hoe to do that. Haven¡¯t done that in decades.¡±


    ¡°No kidding? Must have seen some action to know that Skill. Some story?¡± Paige asked quietly. There was a story he could probably tell; she knew that as a matter of fact. Something dangerous enough that he had learned a wide area attack as a Farmer, at the very least.


    Farmer Line eyed Paige and her hoe, and nodded slowly. ¡°Aye. One I¡¯ll take to my grave.¡±


    He paused as he stood up, his body moving slowly with fatigue. ¡°...farm for six years, eh? Teach my granddaughter that Skill, and you can use a hundred acres as you want.¡±


    Paige thought about that for a second before she nodded her head and set her own terms. ¡°I get to pick a location. And I get to use the land however I see fit.¡± A Farmer teaching an Apprentice Farmer? That wasn¡¯t a terrible deal. And she hadn¡¯t even needed to use any of her gold either!


    ¡°Now, about the rent¡­¡±


    ----


    ¡°This is great! I got us a farm and everything. And it¡¯s pretty close to the city to boot!¡± Paige said happily.


    ¡°What happened to ¡®run it by everyone else before we agree to anything¡¯?¡± Nick asked sarcastically.


    Even Nick¡¯s attitude couldn¡¯t put a dent in her happy behavior. ¡°Meh, I¡¯d still need a place to farm, and this is the only one that had reasonable terms. Teach an Apprentice Farmer and pay a few thousand gold? Done.¡±


    ¡°So that was a real Skill, huh? I really thought you just made up that Skill,¡± Nick said.


    Paige slowed to walk next to Nick. She smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a real Skill; it¡¯s just not that many Farmers live to earn it. You get it from fighting off large amounts of enemies on your farm. That right there is hard enough for most.¡±


    ¡°And you think you can just teach that Skill?¡±


    ¡°Meh, sure I can. I mean, I cheated and modified [Earthquake] before I finally figured out how to do it for real. The hardest part about learning the Skill is surviving an enemy attack. The kids can help me with this too.¡± Paige took a second before nodding to herself. ¡°Besides, it¡¯ll be a good exercise for the kids. Escort missions aren''t exactly a rare occurrence.¡±


    Nothing could bring Paige¡¯s mood down. Not Nick¡¯s sullen attitude, not Zenith was waiting by the door, no-. Paige slowed down as she realized Zenith was waiting by the door, but her face was apprehensive and nervous. Had something happened to the kids?


    Zenith saw them and walked forward, though her eyes had never left Nick. ¡°Nick, I wanted to talk to you before you went inside. It¡¯s about Claire...¡±


    Paige frowned as she stood off to the side.. Claire. That name sounded familiar, but why?


    ¡°My daughter? What about her?¡± Nick said gravely.


    Zenith took a deep breath. ¡°I¡­ may have found her. Just take a deep breath while I explain.¡±


    Alarm bells started ringing in Paige¡¯s head. Zenith should have been working these last few days, which meant she had found her while working. Her eyes widened. The Apprentice Archer she had made fun of. ¡®No, it couldn¡¯t be¡­ ugh, why now?¡¯


    Paige winced; her good mood fully gone. If what she was thinking was true, then this was a disaster in the making.


    <hr>


    Farmer Charles Line stared out at his field as the rest of his family came back home. He took pride in his work as he watched the dumbfounded faces of his descendents as they came home.


    ¡°Father? What happened here?¡±


    Charles snorted in annoyance as his oldest living son walked over to him. Sometimes his memory failed him, but he knew that he doted on this boy. After all, the only good feature the boy had was his descendants, and even that was more because of his wife¡¯s teachings than his own. His heart clenched painfully. His wife. It hurt him to know just how old he really was.


    ¡°I got tired of seeing my field in disrepair, so I got the job done myself, Brian.¡±


    He settled back in his chair as his son rolled his eyes.


    ¡°You know we have money troubles, father. Why would you hire someone to till the land? Gary or Timothy still owe us-¡±


    ¡°Bah, don¡¯t bring them up! The only real Farmer among all my descendents is Heidi, and she¡¯s busy working with the livestock. Peh!¡±


    Charles and Brian glared at each other. They both knew how this talk would end.


    ¡°... Bonnie wanted Heidi to learn another trade, just in case we lost the farm. You can¡¯t fault her for that. And she¡¯s trying to make amends with you.¡±


    Charles fell silent at that. Bonnie was a lot of help these days. Even if he was grouchy most of the time, it was nice having someone around, even if they were busy doing their own things.


    ¡°You said if I could find a Teacher for Heidi, you and Maxy would talk with your daughter about letting Heidi learn the family trade. I take it that¡¯s still true?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ true; yes. Why?¡± His son looked at him suspiciously, though Charles smirked internally. Bonnie had been right next to him when he completed the deal, which meant Heidi had a good chance of following in his footsteps.


    ¡°I made a deal with a fellow Farmer. Three hundred acres from Post Seven, across the Whispering Woods, down to Boulder Rock and next to Sleepy River.¡±


    ¡°Father! That¡¯s prime land! We pla-¡±


    ¡°I know what we plant there! I¡¯m old, not senile.¡± Charles huffed. ¡°A Farming Teacher came by and made a deal. Already accepted the deposit and signed the contract. Bonnie helped me look over the details before I signed,¡± Charles said.


    Calling for Bonnie to bring the contract, they both waited until she walked up.


    ¡°Miss Paige paid double the harvest cost for the next four years, and will pay a monthly rent on top of that, father. It was as good a deal as any,¡± Bonnie said quickly. ¡°Even fairer than the school, at the very least..¡±


    ¡°Yes, but we all know Teachers can¡¯t be trusted. Haven¡¯t we learned that lesson by now?¡±


    Brian sighed into his hands. Reaching his hands down for his pipe, Charles grimaced as he remembered Bonnie hadn¡¯t given it back to him. Something about Healers and living longer, though he lived quite enough already. He couldn¡¯t live forever, after all.


    ¡°She smelled like the sun. That¡¯s enough for me.¡± Charles said quietly to his son. ¡°Just like that man from long ago.¡±


    ¡°...that man stole everything we ever had, great grandfather.¡±


    ¡°But not our lives. Nor our livelihood. And if Heidi can safely learn¡­ I would trade my entire farm for the chance.¡±


    He looked back east, his eyes travelling far into the distance.


    ¡°Hmph, one day we will return back to reclaim our ancestral lands. We haven¡¯t had an Imperial Farmer for far too long.


    ¡°Far too long.¡±

 Chapter 77.1

    ¡°And now, let us welcome our newest teachers; Instructor Monroe Heather-Brant of Eltin Grove; Educator Martin Porres of the Eastern Isles, and finally Teacher Zenith of Alcudia.¡±


    The polite clapping did not soothe Zenith¡¯s nerve. In fact, judging by the not-so-pointed glares she was getting, she would have a hard time saying this was a joyous occasion. The mere fact that they had neglected part of her title was telling enough.


    ¡®Not even a day has passed and I feel like i¡¯m being hazed. What type of school is this?¡¯


    Hiding her worries behind a smile, Zenith evaluated the other teachers around her. There were noticeably fewer teachers than she had expected. In fact, for such a prestigious school, there were only a hundred teachers around her. A four-year school with a hundred teachers. Teaching almost five thousand students.


    ¡°Now, as you all know, the school year will be entering midterms soon. We will be evaluating your students¡¯ progress for your next resource distribution. All students need to show¡­¡±


    Seeing the look of greed around her, Zenith almost cursed aloud. They were Teachers, not some low-class mercenaries! And all they were fighting for were Elder monster cores!


    ¡°Miss Zenith, are you not going to try for it? Distributions only come every few months, after all.¡±


    Zenith turned and sighed. It was the rude referee from before.


    ¡°It¡¯s Magic Teacher Hall, Instructor Bert. And since I have no students, I think I will hold off this time.¡±


    Bert chuckled ruefully. ¡°Then I¡¯m Combat Instructor Trenor. Sorry for being so rude before, Magic Teacher Hall, but it¡¯s best to be strong-headed to outside teachers. Their heads are stuck so far up their ass, they need to be brought back down to earth. Privilege and whatnot, you know.¡±


    Zenith blinked. ¡°No, I understand. Mister Trenor, I apologize for my rudeness before too. You can call me Miss Hall instead of my title.¡±


    ¡°What about my apology? I should get one too, right?¡±


    Zenith and Bert paused and sighed in unison.


    ¡°Why do you need an apology, Odessa?¡± Zenith asked.


    ¡°Wha! He was so rude earlier, Zenith! Why, I have never been so mistreated this badly before now! And even...¡±


    Odessa continued to list reasons, but all of her complaints was from her own point of view, Zenith realized early on. In fact, beside being a little rude, none of her other arguments were realistic.


    ¡°... and he didn¡¯t even know my name when I arrived here!¡± Odessa stated with a huff.


    ¡°Odessa. How often did you get your name out when you were lounging about in the capital?¡± Zenith said slowly.


    Odessa stilled.


    ¡°And how often did you deal with people? Don¡¯t answer that. Look, there is a certain amount of leeway you need to give people. This is one of those times.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment, Miss Hall. I should apologize to you as well, Nurse Goodwin. I am sorry for my rude behavior,¡± Bert said quickly.


    Odessa nodded graciously but shook suddenly. Zenith smiled.


    ¡°Nurse Goodwin!? You mean Grand Healer Goodwin...right?¡± Odessa shrieked.


    Bert and Zenith shared a look before looking away. Zenith coughed delicately. ¡°Odessa, at a school you are addressed by your position. So you would be called Nurse Goodwin, Not Grand Healer.¡±


    ¡°Ahem. Quiet down, please. Now, for our new teachers, we will discuss how you will be allotted your students.¡±


    Zenith hushed Odessa quickly as she focused on the speaker. ¡°As of today, we now have around one thousand students and almost eight thousand provisional students. Upon the start of the next school cycle, the students will decide on what classes they want to take based upon their own interests. I would suggest that you coordinate your classes with the other teachers so that students can quickly go from class to class. In order to weed out most candidates, please make sure you set entry requirements; whether that be based upon level, complexity, or knowledge.¡±


    All standard procedures, Zenith knew. But to her surprise, that was all the speaker had to say about the matter.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? How are we supposed to coordinate?¡± Zenith asked Bert.


    He shrugged. ¡°You go talk with the other teachers, of course. And then shove your plans onto the master schedule so that students can decide what works for their schedule.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s nine thousand students. Shouldn¡¯t classes be regimented?¡± Zenith asked.


    A slight chuckle arose around her. ¡°It¡¯s based upon the student¡¯s interest. We would be leading them astray if we walked them step by step toward their next Class advancement,¡± a teacher beside her exclaimed. "They must grow into their own Class."


    Another teacher nodded. ¡°All the graduates would have the same Class in the end if we did it like that. The whole point is innovation. Let the students decide how to grow. We just supply them the tools they need.¡±


    Zenith paused and nodded slowly. Her mind went back to when Tyler had chosen his path. She had been accused then when she had nudged him to choose to become a Vanguard instead of a Warrior. That would indeed be a problem if the classes were separated as such. But at some point, she also knew that letting students decide their Class advancement would be a problem, especially if they chose poorly.


    But today wasn¡¯t the day to voice that concern.


    Looking around the room, Zenith saw that the teachers were beginning to break apart into smaller groups. Nudging Odessa, Zenith pulled her along toward a smaller group of mages. She caught the tail end of their conversation, an older woman with greying hair, and waited to interrupt.


    ¡°- so we¡¯ll work together with them on students. I want at least a group of thirty to be in our classes at all time.¡± Seeing the nods, she opened her mouth to continue her.


    ¡°Excuse me. How are we supposed to coordinate class times?¡± Zenith interrupted.


    The other teachers looked at her skeptically. ¡°And which faction are you in?¡±


    Zenith frowned. ¡°Faction? Why would teachers be in factions?¡±


    ¡°Oh. You must be one of the new teachers.¡± The grey haired woman looked her up and down. ¡°The dark horse, I should assume.¡±


    Zenith nodded.


    ¡°Hmm. You pick a faction that aligns with your interest and class type. From there, you can decide amongst each other on when to hold your class. If you have enough pull, you can schedule your class at a more popular time to get more students.¡±


    That sounded like a lot of work, especially for only thirty students. ¡°And if you don¡¯t have a faction?¡±


    ¡°Honey, everyone here is part of a faction. That¡¯s the only way to make sure you get a slice of the resources.¡±


    ¡°... thank you for your time,¡± Zenith said. Bowing her head slightly she turned to look for other teachers to ask.


    ¡°Always willing to help. If you have an interest in Nature magic, ¡®Asbore Grove Druids¡¯ are always accepting new members!¡±


    Politely declining their invitation. Zenith walked away with Odessa.


    ¡°Are you part of a faction, Odessa?¡± Zenith whispered.


    ¡°Nope. I¡¯m not even a real Teacher, Zenith. Besides, do you really think it¡¯s that easy to find someone with an affinity to healing? I may look around, but chances are I¡¯ll be pretty bored here. Which isn¡¯t a bad thing,¡± Odessa stated after a moment. ¡°What about you? Have you decided what faction you¡¯re going to join?¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Zenith shook her head after a brief look. Looking around the room, it was easy to see the mages were separating into distinct branches of magic, and some were even subdivided further still. She could spot two more groups, each composed of Earth and Nature Mages that were arguing between each other about the best soil to grow things in. This was a new experience for her; one she did not like at all.


    Separating from Odessa, Zenith introduced herself as she walked around the room. After declining invitations to join other factions, Zenith frowned as none of the groups really meshed with what she wanted to teach.


    Magic. Pure and simple. In giving students options, these teachers had somehow neglected to have a single class focused on improving a person¡¯s overall magic. Instead, it was a dizzying combination of magic branches that a student could pick and choose what they wanted to learn. She knew that had she had the choice, she would have loved a school like this. But looking back, she also knew that it would have stifled her growth as well.


    For instance, it was nice to have one class dedicated solely to wind magic, but knowing how other elements affect wind would be needed as well. That was the whole point of a comprehensive lesson plan. She hated having to memorize fire and earth spells and hardly ever used them, but they had come in handy throughout her adventuring days. And learning how to transform your mana to another element was key to surviving rough conditions in the field.


    Leaning against a wall, Zenith sighed as she rubbed her eyes. She might have overdone it during the entrance exam, but she was not one to go easy on a test. Just then, Odessa strolled over to Zenith. ¡°Psst. Zenith, I asked around, and they are giving classrooms based upon total class size. I think that is why those nature mages wanted at least thirty students. That¡¯s the minimum required to have a permanent classroom.¡±


    ¡°Just thirty? There¡¯s close to nine thousand students here. How competitive are seats for classes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Odessa frowned. Both of them knew that wasn¡¯t too hard, not with those numbers.


    ¡°Thirty official students, Nurse Odessa. That means a minimum of three percent of actual students. That is much more difficult than you¡¯d imagine,¡± Bert said from her side.


    Zenith turned as Bert strolled up with a few other teachers. Had Markus or Tyler been present, they would have pointed them out as the combat instructors from their test.


    Zenith eyed a man behind Bert and raised a brow in a silent question. Each of them had a weapon on their belt, but there was one person who stood out, even amongst the varied classes. A young man stood at attention, but though he had a rapier on his belt, she could feel the mana around him.


    Zenith blinked in confusion. He was a Mage. One posing as a Knight? No, a Swordsman?


    "Renvi Wefter; Mage-Combat Educator."


    "Pleasure to meet you. That''s an unusual style, you almost never see a Mage Knight." Zenith said softly. She could see Renvi eye''s twitch for a second. As far as she knew, Mage Knight was a Class that you could not get on your own. At least, she hadn¡¯t. "Or perhaps a Magic Swordsman? Crusader? Pal-"


    "Mage-Combat Educator, Miss Zenith" Renvi said slowly. ¡°Just because I use a sword doesn''t mean I am not inclined to fight like a Mage.¡±


    Zenith nodded slightly. That¡­ was true. But why practice swordplay when you could learn a spell instead? She paused and then shrugged her shoulders mentally. If Paige could stave off boredom better, she wouldn¡¯t have been roped into learning from her either.


    "Your student did remarkable, Miss Zenith," Renvi continued. "From what I hear, she passed with flying colors against three highly specialized Mages. Was her spell based around [[Mana Sensitivity]] or [[Magic Moulding]]?"


    Zenith smiled. "Neither, I''m afraid. Family secret; It''s been passed down and made mana-efficient throughout the years. But with her aptitude, I thought it a waste to not teach her."


    She could see Renvi considering that for a moment. "...mhmm. Good day to you, and good luck getting students."


    Renvi smiled and left, though Zenith noted his icly look. She paused and went back through her conversation, but nothing really stood out as offending the man.


    Blinking in confusion, Odessa lightly coughed to break the awkward atmosphere. "Educator Bert, can you explain why it''s going to be difficult?"


    Waving his colleagues away, Bert stiffly smiled. "Well, it''s about to get harder for you now that Renvi is pissed."


    "He''s mad that I have a good student?" Zenith slowly asked.


    "No, that you''re grooming her to be an Imperial Servant," Bert said. He blinked as he looked at the confusion on Zenith¡¯s face. ¡°That is what you are doing, right?¡±


    "Why does everyone think that? She can do what she wants with her life. It''s not like I can force her to be one," Zenith said forcefully.


    Odessa and Bert stared in confusion.


    "Zenith¡­ usually that is the only reason to have a student," Odessa said.


    Zenith rolled her eyes. "Hah! Good one, Odessa. I know the rules about forcing a Class on someone. I almost got arrested by accident because of that back home."


    "Home being¡­" Odessa prompted.


    "Alcudia. I''ve been living in Alcudia for a while now. And Leit and Appealte. They take Class upgrades seriously, you know."


    "That''s the law only amongst the border countries, and even then, only Alcudia has strict laws forbidding it," Bert said. ¡°And Alcudia is an outlier on many things.¡±


    Zenith visibly paused. "...ah. I could see why Renvi got mad then."


    Bert coughed. "Either way, Renvi does have a lot of influence among both warriors and mages. You can bet most teachers will be watching when you want to do classes, just to help Renvi out.


    "Now, excuse me while I go bash some heads in; I need to fill my quota too! Gotta get me some new equipment this next round!"


    Zenith waved goodbye and turned to the master schedule at the front of the room. Walking forward, she could already sense a few eyes on her. Bert was right; she was going to have competition. Of that, she was sure.


    -----


    "Might as well call it hazing at this point. Over half the mages in the room chose to have classes at the same time slot as me."


    Zenith kicked an errant pebble as she looked for Markus and Lily. She still hadn''t found the dorms, and was now a good ways away from the centralized buildings. She was thankful for the tracking spells, although she still thought the spell was a bit ridiculous to know.


    Zenith paused as her spell indicated they were on the move.


    ''I''ll go and surprise them,'' Zenith thought as she walked toward them.


    Waving her hand forward, she circulated her mana in front of her, just enough to get a good read on how many people were close to them. A few people here and there, but she expected it at a school. And even more surprising was hearing voices she didn''t recognize.


    "You''re what!" Lily screeched.


    "A Mage, silly. Why on earth would I be a Fencer?" The unknown voice answered.


    "Geez, i don''t know? Maybe because that''s what your status says!" Lily said sarcastically.


    "...I don''t know where you heard that from, but I''m not a Fencer!"


    "Well you''re lying, then!"


    " I don''t need to lie about my Class! If anything, you did something to me"


    "Maybe you''re both right," Markus drawled. "I told you I thought it was possible to hide your Class. Maybe this is it."


    Zenith couldn''t stand still anymore. This was getting dangerously close to the truth. "Ahem, Lily? You there?"


    "Mentor! Help! Miss Paige foisted this, this, unreliable person into my party!" Lily shouted.


    She took a moment to look around as Lily ran up to hug her. Lily was really upset about something. She turned to Markus, her brows raised in question.


    Markus shrugged lightly and quickly glanced at two people. One, the girl that Lily had been arguing with. Zenith heaved a long sigh as she recognized the girl. The Princess was awake. The second though¡­ Zenith could swear she knew the girl from somewhere.


    "Lily, care to introduce your new teammates?" Zenith asked.


    "Not really, I-,¡± Lily pursed her lips but paused as she noticed Zenith¡¯s eye on her. ¡°Ugh, this is Nimi and Claire, our... new party members."


    Both girls curtseyed as Zenith observed them.


    ¡°My name is Zenith Anne Brent. I¡¯m Lily¡¯s mentor, and Markus¡¯s aunt. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you two.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Educator Zenith. My Name is Nimi,¡± the half elf said with perfect grace. Or what Zenith thought would be appropriate.


    ¡°Charmed.¡± Glancing pointengly at the sword, she realized why Lily was accusing her of lying. Though, it wasn''t the first time she had seen a Mage wearing a sword today. ¡°Tell me, do you know of a man called Renvi?¡±


    ¡°Renvi?¡± Markus paused as he kicked an errant pebble. ¡°Hey Tyler, isn¡¯t that the guy who was annoying us with questions?¡±


    ¡°You met Sir Renvi?!¡± Nimi half shouted. ¡°He¡¯s my idol!¡±


    Zenith nodded slightly and looked over at Claire. Her face seemed familiar, but she still couldn''t quite place it.¡±


    ¡°Clairence Shiffrin, of the House of Shiffrin.¡± The girl said with confidence.


    ¡°She¡¯s from Pruite. I think that¡¯s¡­east of Leit?¡± Lily said quietly.


    ¡°Northeast, Lily. We¡¯ll review the countries again so you don¡¯t forget regional specialties. Shiffrin? That House sounds familiar to me. It¡¯s one of the lesser houses of the monarchy, right?¡±


    Claire stiffened. ¡°We are a major house. We just keep a lower profile.¡±


    ¡®Low enough I almost forgot, and I was trained as a diplomat.¡¯ Zenith thought to herself. But something struck her odd about Claire. Motioning her away, Zenith shot a glance at the others and shooed them away. ¡°From what I recall, those of House Shiffrin tend to have darker hair than yours. I thought it was closer to black than not?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ was adopted. My parents found me after a monster attack. They said my entire village was destroyed,¡± Claire whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t want the others to know.¡±


    Zenith nodded. Around the border countries, that was probably the number one personal tragic backstory. She could understand why she wanted to hide that fact. ¡°Monster attack? Do they have wild monsters in Pruite? The monarchy tends to dispatch guards quite often to keep the peace,¡± Zenith paused. Something came to mind as she spoke. ¡°Where were you from?¡±


    Claire shrugged. ¡°Leit? Or maybe Alcudia? My parents never really told me.¡±


    Zenith blinked. Monster attack? Everyone dead?


    ¡­Leit?

 Chapter 78

    ¡°Hey kids! Guess what Aunt Paige found for ya!¡± Paige yelled as she kicked the door open to their house. She was surprised the door could even take the blow.


    It would take a bit before she would get used to her new home, but at least it wasn''t crowded, even with a few more people inside.


    Walking into the room, she took a glance at Lily¡¯s party as they lounged around in their smallish house. But with her experience, she could tell that things were not as peaceful as she hoped it would be.


    Though Lily was talking politely with her new members, that was already very un-Lily like. Looking in from the outside, Paige could see that Lily was still holding a grudge against her two new party members.


    And truth be told, she couldn¡¯t even fault Lily for it. Paige knew what she did was wrong, but she still added both girls to Lily¡¯s party while she was unable to stop her. Paige knew how stressful it was managing people, and it was doubly so in a True Party, where all the members were under an oath to stay in the party.


    ¡°Um, hi Aunt Paige. Can I talk with you for a second?¡± Markus stood up quickly and rushed over to her.


    It took her all of five seconds to realize he was the sacrificial lamb that was being offered up to appease Lily¡¯s mood, but she wasn¡¯t about to play along with it. Her eyes traveled over the party and she sighed in relief as she noticed a standard school uniform on all of them. And by the looks of it, they even got to choose what type of uniform to wear! It was weird seeing Nimi and Claire wearing Mage uniforms, but hey, to each their own. Taking a moment to look at Claire, she stared at her features before looking back towards Lily.


    ''...she doesn''t look like Nick. Humph, at least Nick won''t have a conniption about what Claire is wearing. Heh, a Knight or a Mage, now which one will Nick hate more?'' Paige thought with a grin.


    Ignoring Markus outright, she walked forward to Lily and grabbed her hands. ¡°So, Lily, how¡¯s your Party going? Figure out any tactics for an Archer and a Fencer yet?¡± Paige asked.


    She noticed Markus wincing from the corners of her eyes as he strode forward and mentally frowned. Thinking back to her lessons, Lily should have figured out by now the best way to manage her small group. A Fencer and an Archer weren''t exactly rare Classes.


    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see. I have an Archer who dabbles as a Shieldmage, and a Fencer who dabbles as a Mage. So no, I haven¡¯t figured it out yet.¡± Lily snapped back angrily.


    Paige blinked at her behavior. This was not how Lily usually acted. Something was really bothering the girl. Frowning at Lily, Paige took a step back and really looked at the young girl in front of her. Lily''s mana was churning erratically within her mana core. She was so upset that she wasn¡¯t even paying attention to her own condition. In fact, was Zenith not paying attention to Lily¡¯s condition because of Claire?


    Well, Paige knew an easy fix for that. Plucking her hands into her pockets, she searched quickly for the smooth orb she always carried and smiled. ¡°Come here,¡± she said quietly.


    Lily quieted and took a deep breath. ¡°... no?¡±


    Paige could tell Lily was trying to adjust her mental state and mentally nodded. Even though Lily was angry, she knew better than to truly antagonize anyone stronger than her. Steeling her face, Paige¡¯s frowned. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a question. Come. Here.¡±


    Tyler stood up slowly. ¡°We¡¯re just having some problems at the school, Miss Paige,¡± he said as he edged forward. "We just need a bit more time to reorganize."


    Paige turned as she waited for Lily to step forward and placed a hand on her hips. Her eyes narrowed as Tyler edged closer to his shield.


    ¡®Ah, to be young,¡¯ Paige sighed exasperatedly as she rubbed her head with her free hand. ¡°Relax, I¡¯m not going to discipline her. I just need to have a talk with her; Party Leader to Party Leader.¡±


    Paige watched as Lily cooled down and evaluated her options. She didn¡¯t miss that Lily¡¯s eyes flickered between her original party, while she shook her head in a somewhat subtle way toward her newer teammates before she walked within reach.


    It was a good sign that she sensed the movement around her as the others moved slightly to support Lily just in case she was in danger. None of them were dumb enough to actually pull out a weapon though, though it did bother her slightly that Isabella was keeping her hand close to the hidden crossbow she carried with her. Even her two new teammates were distancing themselves appropriately as they moved into position.


    ¡®An Archer who is training in close combat, and a Fencer who is a Mage. Claire¡¯s problem I can understand, but why in the world was Nimi trained as a Mage of all things? The Elven royalty practically adores honor battles, and Fencing is their choice of combat. Not to mention, her affinity is practically nil from what I can sense.¡¯


    Pushing those thoughts away, Paige focused on the task at hand. Extending her hand out and smiling kindly, she waited for Lily to grab it. To the girl''s credit, she only hesitated for a moment before she grabbed Paige¡¯s hand.


    Activating the tiny ward stone in her pocket, she raised her brows as Lily¡¯s party member quickly attacked. A bad idea on a number of different levels, but to her surprise, even Markus was hitting the activated ward with a [[Dark Blade]] skill, though she could tell by the feedback that his action was mostly symbolic. At least Markus had a vague idea of what she was doing.


    ¡°Sheesh, no trust,¡± Paige said as she poured more energy into the circle; the world around them faded as a fog surrounded the two of them. She wasn¡¯t worried about them destroying the formation, not yet anyways.


    Turning around, Paige bent down and made eye contact with Lily, her face softening as much as it could. ¡°Lily, what¡¯s wrong? Your friends can¡¯t hear or see you, so you can tell me your problems¡­ if you want to vent.¡±


    Lily bowed her head, much to Paige¡¯s surprise. Paige knew that Lily was far more headstrong than that.


    ¡°I¡­ I think it was a mistake to come here,¡± Lily said quietly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always wanted to go here though,¡± Paige responded. She waited for Lily to get her thoughts in order. ¡®What happened this past week that could make her be in such a foul mood? Surely it isn¡¯t that bad?¡¯


    Lily struggled. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s just not what I thought it would be like. Here, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm... well, it is a nice school. I think? You know, I never really went to a formal school myself, but it looks like a good school. Most schools I¡¯ve seen can¡¯t really compare to it,¡± Paige lied through her teeth. A school with the funding of a fee border countries would never compare to some of the ancient academies throughout the Empire. ¡°Hey, you even get to choose your own teacher! You can learn at your own pace, and you even get equipment and funding from the school. What more could you ask for?¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not what I thought it would be,¡± Lily said shakily. ¡°I wanted it to be¡­¡± Lily was almost whispering now, but Paige could hear the pain underlying her statement.


    Lily looked up, tears welling in her eyes. ¡°Miss Paige, are¡­ are you really an Imperial Servant?¡± Lily asked. ¡°Here, everyone judges us because of you and..., not because we deserve it. I¡­ I just wish...¡±


    Paige stayed quiet as she waited for Lily to continue. ¡®It would be good for her to let out all of her grievances right now instead of bottling it up,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°...that¡­ that things were different¡­¡± Lily sniffed and wiped her nose with her sleeve. Fixing a complicated gaze at Paige, she nervously asked. ¡°Are you, Miss Paige?¡±


    ¡°The answer doesn¡¯t really matter,¡± Paige whispered.


    ¡°It matters to me,¡± Lily said.


    Paige paused for a moment to look at the ward. Lily¡¯s party was still battering it, quite heavily now actually. She¡¯d have to disable the ward before they drained the mana core. Turning her head, she glared at Markus¡¯s erratic shadow, which slightly staggered outside the ward.


    Looking Lily in the eyes, she smiled a sad smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll trust me when I say this...but no, I¡¯m not one, Lily. But we are strong, and we do know a lot of people in high places,¡± Paige said with a shrug. That was true, but that mostly applied only for her. She smiled as she patted Lily¡¯s head. ¡°But even if I say that; who would believe us, Lily?¡± Paige said quietly.


    ¡°I do. And that makes all the difference," Lily said with conviction.


    Paige smiled at that. Sometimes it seemed like Lily was a little too mature for her age, but that suited Paige just fine. ¡°Do you need any help?¡±


    ¡°No, I think I got enough help from you already,¡± Lily complained pointedly. ¡°Can I-¡±


    Paige shook her head. ¡°No. They need to stay in your party. For more than one reason now. Besides, I¡¯ll make it up to you guys for dealing with the extra hassle. Though, I would like you to get along with the other two. Just take it slow and get to really know them.¡±


    Paige heard a faint crackling as the mana core in her pocket chipped. ¡°Why are they attacking anyways?¡±


    ¡°I think Markus and Tyler remember your last lesson about wards and Party Leaders.¡±


    Paige blinked and chuckled silently. She had taught them well, hadn¡¯t she?


    ¡°Cheer up, Lily. Things might not be how you would like it, but I have a feeling it¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    Watching Lily clean her face, Paige silently added Lily¡¯s name to the growing list of people she owed a debt to.


    <hr>


    ¡°Ahem, well, now that I got to talk with Lily; anyone want to guess what I found?¡± Aunt Paige said cheerfully as she ignored their wary looks.


    Markus rolled his eyes. There were only a few things that could get his aunt this excited. And seeing that there was no battle happening and she wasn¡¯t training meant only one thing. ¡°You found a place to farm?¡±


    A smack on the head jarred him as his Aunt looked slightly down at him. ¡°Hush, Markus. Everyone else was supposed to guess.¡±


    He could almost feel his aunt''s spirit quickly perking back up. Whatever she had discussed with Lily evidently put a damper on her mood. Markus was intrigued, but he still hadn¡¯t figured out how to bypass his Aunt¡¯s wards to listen in. ¡°You have like two hobbies, aunt. Training and farming. If it¡¯s not one, then it¡¯s the other.¡±


    Paige deflated a bit. ¡°Well, be that as it may, I still wanted it to be a surprise. Ahem, I found both a farm and a place for you guys to set up a base! Great, right?¡±


    Markus nodded, a bit astounded that his aunt was able to actually do something without Aunt Zeniths¡¯ help. He quickly wiped his astonishment off his face as Paige¡¯s gaze flickered toward him. ¡®That was close,¡¯ he thought as his aunt focused back on Lily.


    ¡°How big of a base?¡± Markus asked intently.


    ¡°Eh, about a quarter-mile square or so. I haven¡¯t quite figured out how I¡¯m going to split the field yet, but I wanted to get your input on what you need before I start buying stuff.¡±


    Markus quickly ran through his checklist of training items when he noticed the others on his team looking blankly at each other. ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy for a base, Lily?¡±


    ¡°We have the school grounds though. Why would we need to build one?¡± Lily asked with a small sniff.


    "Because no one can spy on us?" Markus offered. He got the feeling that there were eyes everywhere around the school, even though he couldn''t quite place how that would even work. Having some privacy would be great. And if they could spy on his Aunt, then there were bigger problems. Problems that he¡¯d much rather let his family deal with.


    ¡°Well, yes, but more importantly, there are well over four thousand students, give or take. Do you really think there¡¯s adequate space for everyone to practice to their heart''s content? Think of it as my first congratulation gift to your party. I¡¯ll go ahead and reinforce your new uniforms while I have some free time too.¡±


    Markus blinked in surprise. His aunt was thoughtful, but usually not charitable.


    ¡°Umm, are you able to? I didn¡¯t know there were Enchanters in Alcudia?¡± Claire floundered as Paige stared at the girl. Markus rolled his eyes as he saw his aunt appraising the shy one. Isabella had her informal title taken away from her after a single day of knowing her. Claire was fine when she was around people her age, but as soon as an authority figure appeared her confidence popped like a bubble.


    Still, Markus was intrigued about what Claire had said. Enchanters. It didn¡¯t take a big stretch of the imagination to figure out what that Class did. His aunt knew what she was talking about though, as she shrugged her shoulders and waved off Claire¡¯s concerns.


    ¡°Meh, I can do simple stuff. I have [[Craft Modification]] for a reason. It¡¯s just figuring out far to push is the tough part. Too little and your lives will actually be in danger; too much and you¡¯ll have no sense of fear. Hmmm¡­ and you girls are growing too, which makes it harder to reinforce your clothing inconspicuously...¡±


    Markus wasn¡¯t exactly sure that was the best way to phrase it, but he partially agreed with his aunt. There were good reasons for them to rely on their equipment, especially when they were young. And though he had the same Skill, he hadn¡¯t been able to do as much as his aunt, nor with the same material as her either. ¡®Now, if I could figure out how she can shape steel into threads¡­¡¯ Markus could already imagine the possibilities. And then he could finally wear his cloak without fear of ruining it!


    Markus focused back as Lily coughed politely. ¡°Miss Paige, since we are going to school, how will we use the base? Class times are rather strict during the day.¡±


    ¡°Leave the school and head that way? I mean, it is rather close to the city, all things considering.¡±


    ¡°Bu-¡± Lily started.


    ¡°Fine. Tell Zenith and she¡¯ll give you a permission slip or something. Either way, I already know that Isabella¡¯s mom is going to push hard for you guys to come and use it, so you might as well make some time in your schedules to head this way. Now,¡± Paige clapped her hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go ahead and check out the base. It¡¯ll be fun and a good way to warm up as a team.¡± Her eyes lit up.


    Markus, Lily and Tyler shuddered as they noticed that look in her eyes. She wanted to train.


    Markus could feel Lily and Tyler turning toward him. Markus cleared his throat as he cautiously asked, ¡°Umm, we haven¡¯t really done anything as a party yet, aunt. Maybe in a few months we-¡±.


    ¡°Nonsense. The best way for a party to grow closer is naturally through combat. And I can help point out flaws in your teamwork, which is the point of training! Come on, follow me!¡±


    Watching his aunt pointedly usher them out of the house, Markus smiled wryly as Lily tried to get him to do something.


    ¡°Do something! We¡¯re gonna get tortured!¡± He imagined Lily saying with her eyes.


    Markus could already see that Tyler¡¯s eyes were filled with gloom. ¡°I still have bruises from her last ¡®training.''"


    Markus shook his head sadly in response. ¡°I practiced with her for years, do you think I can do anything to change her mind?¡±


    Isabella caught their hidden conversation. ¡°Umm, Miss Paige, can we do that some other time? We need to get our stuff over to the school dorms before nightfall.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Hm? Dorms? Why would you be staying there when we have a perfectly good house here?¡± Paige said.


    His aunt paused her steps and looked around at them suspiciously. Markus had a bad feeling about this. ¡°There¡¯s no way you guys are staying in the dorms. It¡¯ll either be here or your base, and even that option is up in the air.¡±


    ¡°But the school sa-¡± Lily started.


    ¡°You let us worry about what the school thinks,¡± Paige said. ¡°Shavie, Stella and I have the rooms adjacent to the stairwell, but the other rooms are available. You guys can choose your roommates when we get back. The last room will be the armory. But that will be for later. Come now, follow me to your base.¡±


    Markus didn¡¯t know how to feel about that. On one hand, they didn¡¯t have to sleep in the dorms. But on the other, they just lost their independence.


    Markus slumped as he walked. He knew they shouldn¡¯t have come home today.


    -----


    ¡°So, two actual mages; two actual close combat warriors, and ¡­ two weird hybrid classes? Why on earth would the two of you choose to learn something that isn¡¯t even remotely related to your actual Classes? Hell, you guys are still Apprentices!¡±


    Nimi started. ¡°Back home, everyone starts out as a Mage before transit-¡±


    ¡°Hush, Nimi. That¡¯s the stupidest thing I¡¯ve ever heard. And I''ve heard a lot of stupid ideas. And you, Claire. If you use a bow, then stick with it!¡±


    Claire flushed and whispered, ¡°...actually, everyone starts out as a knight in training...before¡­¡±


    "For the love of god, that had to be the stupidest thing I''ve ever heard!" Paige exclaimed.


    Markus chuckled as his aunt continued to lambast the two newer members of their party. He rechecked his armor¡¯s straps, and more importantly, the padding, on his trusty gear as he got ready to fight. His dark leather armor glistened in the mid-afternoon sun as he waited for his aunt to finish up her tirade.


    Leaning on an errant fence post as he waited, his eyes wandered over to Lily and Isabella, who were adjusting their leather robes and doing the same thing he had. Although, he had a fleeting suspicion that their clothes offered far more protection and padding than his own. His aunt¡¯s bias was definitely at work. Though, that reminded him of a question he had for Isabella¡¯s aunt, who was waiting quietly behind him.


    ¡°Miss Shavie, did you see where my Aunt Zenith and Uncle Nick went? I thought for sure I sensed them before we left.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Shavie, Markus. Hm¡­ they went to have some alone adult time. They¡¯ll come around eventually,¡± Shavie smiled brightly at him. ¡°Are you ready to fight?¡±


    Markus averted his eyes at the sight. Even though she was gorgeous, Isabella¡¯s aunt was weird; almost as weird as his Aunt Paige, which said something about both of their personalities.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready; not that it¡¯ll be a long battle. Aunt¡¯s gonna wipe the floor with us.¡±


    ¡°Hrm? She¡¯s not going to go easy on you?¡± Shavie remarked.


    Markus frowned slightly. ¡°No, she says it¡¯s easier to give feedback this way. Personally, I think she just has fun this way.¡±


    Shavie chuckled. ¡°True, she seems to enjoy fighting, even if she is a Farmer.¡±


    Markus rolled his eyes. If his aunt was just a Farmer, then he was a bonafide Hero.


    ¡°So, how are you going to fight?¡± Shavie asked.


    ¡°Fight? I¡¯m going to run away. There¡¯s no way we¡¯re going to win. I get more points from her by surviving a mock battle than dying midway,¡± Markus said.


    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s not the right attitude to have for any battle,¡± Shavie said.


    Markus shrugged. ¡°It is for Aunt Paige. Running away is just as important as knowing when to fight.¡± Markus ignored the look he was getting from Miss Shavie. After the fight in the forest, he realized that was probably the best advice he¡¯d gotten so far. ¡°Besides, during the day, I can¡¯t really hide from view in an open field.¡±


    Markus sighed as he looked around. There wasn¡¯t a shadow that he could hide in. A good majority of his Skills were reliant on dark mana and shadows, something his aunt had tried unsuccessfully to change.


    ¡°You know¡­ I could teach you a quick move that¡¯ll sure to surprise her.¡±


    Markus turned sharply. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Yes me. I noticed you have a greater affinity toward darkness. You should be able to tell that we have the same affinity as you. So? Want to learn a neat Skill?¡±


    Shavie smiled politely, though Markus could feel something shifting around him, and he could feel a pair of eyes on his back. Shifting slightly, he realized that he could faintly sense someone behind him, though he knew that the road behind him was empty.


    No, it was his shadow, Markus realized with a start. Miss Shavie was somehow extending her presence to his shadow.


    He averted his eyes away from his aunt as she lambasted Nimi over her life choices. His aunt had a remarkable intuition; even looking at her was likely to grab her attention.


    ¡°...okay, what do I owe you?¡± Markus whispered.


    ¡°A favor at a later date. Of my choosing,¡± Shavie said.


    ¡°One that doesn¡¯t bring harm to me, my family, or my party. And I get to decide whether or not to agree,¡± Markus said.


    ¡°Then why would I teach you?¡± Shavie said exasperatedly.


    Markus took a gamble. ¡°Why indeed?¡± Markus wondered aloud. ¡°If you want to teach me, then fine. Otherwise, I¡¯m going to run away from my aunt as soon as we start.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t a fool. He could tell that his family put up with Isabella¡¯s, and that was a strenuous peace at best. But for whatever reason, he''d have to be blind to miss the fact that both of their families wanted Isabella and Markus to be friends.


    There was a story in there, somewhere. Markus personally believed it had something to do with his father and mother, though he would never say that aloud. Some type of family feud; he couldn¡¯t think of any other reason that would explain why Isabella¡¯s family was heavily skewed toward dark mana, and why his aunts and uncles were looking for Isabella. He and Isabella were relatively close in age, after all, which might make them family, however unlikely. That might even explain his family¡¯s willingness to stay low key; though how that ties in with Isabella¡¯s family was unknown. A bad break between relatives?


    Filing his thoughts away for later, he observed Shavie observing him. ¡°Well? Are you going to teach me, or not? I don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    ¡°...fine. You just need to -¡±


    Shavie rapidly explained the process as Markus gauged his time. His aunt should be almost done, as she moved her hands across Nimi¡¯s and Claire¡¯s clothing, reinforcing their light armor to soften the inevitable blows they would be receiving today. It was favoritism at the finest; he had to beg to get the same treatment!


    ¡°Did you get that?¡± Shavie asked after he had a moment to think.


    Markus nodded. ¡°Yes. I know how the theory works. Now it¡¯s just putting it into practice.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little more com-¡±


    ¡°[Shadow Walking]; just gotta imagine myself in a shadow and use enough mana to travel there. I learned this lesson in my aunt¡¯s lectures years ago... I think I can do it by substituting [Magic Moulding], [Blink], and [Mana Sensitivity] all at the same time.¡±


    ¡°...you know Mage Skills?¡±


    ¡°I learned it from my Aunt Zenith,¡± Markus said absently, wholly missing Shavie¡¯s impressed look. His mood plummeted as he knew he had just been conned by Miss Shavie. And the worst part was, he could¡¯ve figured it out if he hadn¡¯t been so time constricted!


    Paige clapped her hands. ¡°Okay, time to test your abilities. Hey, Shavie, keep a look out for spies, will ya? Except if it¡¯s a Farmer; then it¡¯ll be alright.


    ¡°Lily, you go ahead and think of a plan. I¡¯ll give you¡­ two minutes. That should be plenty of time.¡±


    Watching as his aunt nodded her head, Markus groaned internally as he sped toward the rest of his teammates. ¡°Lily, plan?¡± he asked as they all moved closer.


    ¡°We have a few choices to decide on. We can either press forward and lose fast or run away and lose slowly,¡± Lily said.


    Markus twitched. How Lily had finished her missions, and successfully at that, was highly suspect. And she hadn¡¯t even bothered to take precautions either. ¡°Aunt, please don¡¯t listen in on our conversation.¡±


    ¡°Please, Markus. Give me some credit at least. I¡¯m not going to cheat against a bunch of Apprentices,¡± Paige called out. He looked over to where his aunt was standing.


    ¡°Aunt...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I promise I won¡¯t listen to your conversation.¡±


    Markus nodded inwardly and scowled at Lily. ¡°You need to take precautions against High Class opponents. Unless you are really careful, they are able to listen to conversations from a distance. In fact, their senses are magnified too, which is why it is so difficult to beat someone with a higher Class than you.¡±


    ¡°... I knew that,¡± Lily snapped irritatedly. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that we need to decide how we are going to lose. Fast or slow.¡±


    ¡°And why can¡¯t we try to win?¡± Markus countered, wholy ignoring the fact that he just had the same conversation with Shavie a few minutes ago.


    ¡°Markus, how many times have you won against your aunt? And then tell me we can win.¡±


    Markus looked away as Lily focused on him. She did have a point. But it just rubbed him the wrong way to see a Party Leader plan a battle around how to lose, even if he was thinking the exact same thing. Seeing Nimi and Claire looking around, he decided to give them the quick run down. ¡°What Lily said is true; we can¡¯t win. But we can decide on how realistic we want this battle to go. My aunt responds in kind.¡±


    Claire nodded slowly. ¡°My instructors sort of taught this way. I say we try to actually fight. We do learn much more with actual combat than not.¡±


    Markus was skeptical about that. That was the correct answer, assuming that you didn¡¯t have an instructor that didn¡¯t have any qualms with beating you unconscious under the guise of ''training''.


    Nimi shivered. ¡°I have a bad feeling about this. I think we should avoid close combat. Like, at all cost.¡±


    Markus eyed her suspiciously. Barring her unusual name, background and attitude, it was clear that Nimi could feel how dangerous his aunt was, even when she wasn¡¯t trying.


    Isabella shifted her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll heal, so we should be able to last a bit longer? Assuming she¡¯s like the Protectors, that is.¡±


    Lily looked around and then spoke for the rest of them. ¡°We¡¯ll¡­ actually try and lose slowly then. Markus and Tyler, you two go and pressure her from the front; Claire, hang back a bit and support them close range with your bow shield thing; Nimi, Isabella and I will fight at distance.¡±


    Nimi frowned. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be closer to Claire? My Class-¡±


    Lily interrupted. ¡°Your Class is all messed up. Even Miss Paige agreed with my thoughts on your Class. For now, it¡¯s better to focus on one and work toward mastering your Skills. I think you should stay back and help as¡­¡±


    Markus watched as Lily struggled to find a good reason. To be honest, if he was the leader, he would have kicked out Claire and Nimi the first chance he had. They had no real use in a Party other than dead weight. And even if they did somehow consolidate their opposing Classes, it was highly unlikely that it would be powerful. How could it, when the spread of Skills were so varied. And that went double for Nimi as a Fencer and a Mage.


    ¡°...as the last defender. That way, Tyler can focus on stalling her further away from us. Please?¡± Nimi nodded begrudgingly before Lily continued. ¡°Markus, Tyler; how will you guys fight?¡±


    ¡°Offensively,¡± Tyler said without a moment of doubt. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can defend you from her, so I might as well try and draw her attention.¡±


    Markus nodded. ¡°Same idea as Tyler. We¡¯ll try and pincer her.¡±


    ¡°Claire, is your ¡­ shield-bow accurate?¡± Lily asked. Markus looked at the unwieldy shield and his eyes twitched. Her stupid shield was half as large as Tyler¡¯s but almost twice as wide and practically screamed ¡®watch out for whatever I¡¯m hiding.¡¯


    ¡°It is. Trust me,¡± Claire said. ¡°I¡¯ve practiced fighting from the back when I was on other teams.¡±


    Lily nodded cautiously. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll aim for lasting...one minute for the start. Hopefully, we¡¯ll be able to get to five minutes by the end.¡±


    The other three girls blinked. Hesitantly, Isabella raised her hand. ¡°How many battles are we doing?¡±


    Markus smirked deprecatingly. ¡°We¡¯ll stop once my Aunt is satisfied.¡±


    ¡°Time to play, kiddos!¡±


    Markus sighed. It was time to get their collective asses whooped.


    <hr>


    Paige smiled as she stood over the kid¡¯s immobilized form. It only took a few hours before she was finally satisfied with their performance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you guys some feedback in a bit. All in all though, you did.... adequate for a party your size.¡±


    Granted, having two teammates who didn¡¯t have an exact combat role severely hurt their chances of lasting more than four minutes against her. But, they were young, so they had plenty of time to get better. Paige relented a bit sooner than she''d wanted because of that too, which she hoped that the kids would be grateful.


    Still, there was one problem she had to nip in the bud, and fast. ¡°Markus; Markus; Markus. Didn''t you hear my conversation with Nimi? And what have I told you about trying new Skills without practice?" She hadn''t missed Shavie explaining how his Skill worked. "How many times have I told you it¡¯s practically impossible for a Warrior to be Mage? Mages and Warriors are separate Classes for a reason, not to mention you are still only an Apprentice Swordsman."


    She rubbed her head idly before glancing over at Nimi and Claire. Why they wanted to have messed up Classes was beyond her. But maybe¡­ "Look , we¡¯ll assess your capability to blend both after you get a specialization, so don¡¯t try to rush into something new, especially if it doesn''t work in the end.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ll keep that in mind, aunt. Thanks for the training tip.¡±


    Paige sighed as she eyed Shavie. Even without listening to Shavie, she had recognized that Assassin Skill as soon as he tried to do it. At least Shavie had the decency to shrug her shoulders at the blatant accusation. She¡¯d have to keep a closer watch on Shavie since she clearly wasn¡¯t shy on helping her former Party Leader.


    Checking her surroundings, she frowned as she still didn¡¯t find the girl she was supposed to be teaching. In truth, she was trying to make sure she looked good for her prospective student, but all of her efforts had been wasted by this point. ¡°Shavie, has the Apprentice Farmer passed by?¡±


    ¡°Nope. But now that you¡¯ve had a chance to warm up, wanna have a fight?¡± Shavie twisted her body as she stretched, eying her with a predatory gaze.


    Any other time, and she might''ve taken that offer. But something was wrong if her new apprentice wasn''t here yet. ¡°I''m good. I don¡¯t want to ruin the soil with a fight,¡± Paige said.


    ¡°Tch. How about this¡­ I get a rematch, and I might give you back your equipment,¡± Shavie jested.


    ¡°...¡± Paige was almost tempted to take that bet but remembered she had another way to get her equipment back; a way she wasn¡¯t about to share. ¡°I fight, and you stop trying to teach Markus crap Skills. Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t recognize the basics of the skill he¡¯s been trying.¡±


    Shavie scoffed softly. ¡°I barely taught him anything. He figured out a way to do it himself. At least you weren¡¯t bragging when you told Stella that you and Zenith were teaching him. Come on, a quick warmup? Just to move my old bones.¡±


    Paige hesitated. But she was supposed to wait here to teach. ¡°Fine, just a quick warmup before I teach some farming techniques. My new apprentice should be here soon.¡±


    ¡°Th, that wasn¡¯t a warm up?¡± Nimi asked as she laid out on the ground.


    She clicked her tongue. ¡°Of course not. I barely tapped you guys and you¡¯re acting like I pummeled you into submission,¡± Paige said.


    From where she was standing, she could see Nimi shuddering as she thought back to their lackluster performance against her. But she was sure she was regulating her strength down to Markus¡¯s... level. Paige mentally winced. Markus could take a far greater beating during her spars than anyone she knew at his age.


    Checking the kids armor with a keen eye, she sighed in relief. She had indeed gone easy on them. None of their armor were even close to being damaged.


    ¡°Time to fight, Paige. First to draw blood wins,¡± Shavie grinned.


    Paige rolled her eyes. That was a typical setup for any speed based fighter, and one that heavily favored Shavie¡¯s quickish movements. ¡°How about the first one to get a good hit wins.¡±


    They both evaluated the other with an easy smile. Paige already knew that Shavie was thinking up counters for her movements that she¡¯d already shown. ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­ I should-¡±


    Clang! Clang!


    Paige and Shavie stopped as she listened to a soft clanging sound echoing across the field. The fields around them erupted into noise as the bells repeated themselves.


    ¡°Know what that is?¡± Shavie whispered.


    The bell was intentionally soft, though anyone at their level could hear it. Paige smiled as Lily, Markus, and Isabella scanned their surroundings as they tried to pinpoint the location of the sound. ¡®Their Classes are developing well. I expect it from Markus and Isabella, but it looks like Lily is on the right track too,¡¯ Paige thought happily.


    Paige nodded slowly. ¡°Farmer claxon. I was wondering why my new trainee hadn¡¯t shown up. Looks like¡­¡± Paige listened to the sound of the bell as it clanged out a simple message across the countryside. Her eyes narrowed as she decoded the message hanging in the air. ¡°Tch. Just a wolf pack sighting. How about you take the kids back with you while I look around.¡±


    ¡°We can help with that, Miss Paige,¡± Lily said warily as she settled her head back on the ground.


    ¡°Thanks for the offer, but it¡¯ll be fine,¡± Paige brushed her help aside lazily before helping the kids up off the ground. Paige stopped to listen as another warning claxon rang out in a different direction.


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Lily, it¡¯s fine. My aunt can take care of a few¡­ wolves. Seems the pack is less than two dozen or so.¡±


    Markus tilted his head to the side as he listened to the warning bell as he questioned Paige with his eyes. She shrugged. They both knew what the bells were warning about.


    Looking toward the setting sun, Paige estimated how fast they were traveling and looked back toward the direction where the first warning bell had gone off and grimaced as she realized the discrepancy.


    ¡°Shavie will take you guys home. Be careful for any stragglers; it seems like the wolf pack has split up into two parts.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Go ahead while I babysit everyone here. Come on boys, you got to rest for a few minutes. Daylight¡¯s burning while you guys are lazing about.¡± Shavie tapped Tyler with her foot as she looked back toward the city. ¡°Maybe we can make it home before dinner. Tyler, Markus, be gentlemen and carry your teammates extra¡¯s supplies Isabella, you and the other two go and fill the canteens over there. Lily, go gather up Claire¡¯s arrows.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss Shavie,¡± the kids groaned back as they started to follow her commands.


    Paige shrugged as Shavie gave her a frustrated look. She whispered low, making sure to talk quietly enough so that the others couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be too much trouble dealing with them.¡±


    ¡°How come I have to babysit them while you get to kill people?¡± Shavie said darkly.


    ¡°...it might not come to that,¡± Paige said. ¡°They may just let her go after I posture a bit.¡±


    She really did hope for that, but both of them knew that she was lying out her teeth. A coordinated kidnapping was not something one did without ample planning.


    Paige paused as she felt Shavie gathering her mana, albeit very slowly. ¡°Try not to make too much of a scene?¡±


    Shavie slowly whispered. ¡°You deal with your group how you want to. I¡¯ll do the same.¡±


    ¡°And the kids?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a smart bunch. It might do them good to fight an opponent or two.¡±


    ¡°Sha-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare try to tell me otherwise. If you¡¯re that concerned about them, you take them back,¡± Shavie whispered back.


    Paige and Shavie stared hard at each other, until a slight cough interrupted them.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready to go back, Aunt Shavie,¡± Isabella said cheerfully.


    Shavie turned and smiled down at Isabella before clapping her hands. ¡°Good. Come along, kids. We got places to go and people to see.¡±


    Paige shook her head and started walking in the opposite direction, promptly walking west on a weed infested path. Shavie did have a point. Sort of. Sighing to herself, she promptly pushed the issue to the back of her head and focused on the task at hand.


    Seeing that the kids were out of sight, she quickly released her hold of her mana and started modifying her outfit. No longer were they her plain cotton clothes; instead, she quickly added a thin layer of woven steel to the inside face of her outfit.


    Paige chuckled as she felt her mana engraving a few simple enchantments to her new metallic bodysuit. If there was one benefit she would be thankful for, she would most likely choose her improved mana core. It was a marvelous feeling, being able to use mana with minimal worry or concentration.


    Content with her armor, Paige tapped the ground with butt of the hoe, only to frown after hearing the metallic clink of metal hitting packed earth instead. Her face went blank as she looked down at the metal sword in her hand, the mithril blade glowing slightly as it reflected the fading light.


    Paige stopped, confusion in her eyes. And she started to ponder.

 Chapter 79

    ¡°Your aunt will be alright¡­ right? I mean, she is facing a pack of wolves,¡± Isabella said with concern.


    Markus frowned as he looked at Isabella, who was trailing rather close beside him. Stepping away, he frowned as Isabella matched his pace.


    ¡°... Aunt Paige will be fine. It¡¯s just a pack of wolves,¡± Markus lied as he idly scanned his surroundings. He wondered what brought about her questions, as Isabella usually shied away from him and Tyler.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie about it. My aunt and Lily have already said to be on the lookout for bandits.¡±


    Markus twitched as he quickly turned to face her, but not before Isabella moved in closer to grab his arm.


    ¡°Just act normal, Markus. No one else can hear our conversation. Lily is already coordinating with everyone else.¡±


    Looking toward Lily, he watched her for a second as she walked hand in hand with Nimi and Claire and noticed the odd glow of the ring on her left hand.


    ¡®Tch, Aunt Zenith is just as bad as Aunt Paige! How come they get enchanted accessories, and all I get is some crappy leather armor and a sword!¡¯ Markus calmed down and accepted the grim reality of being the unfavored child of the group. ¡°It looks like Aunt Zenith was really generous. Were both of your rings etched with a Silence spell?¡±


    Markus could feel Isabella shaking her head subtly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Miss Paige slipped it on both of our hands when she helped us up just now. Lily recognized the bell message and wanted to get your thoughts on what to do. My aunt told me to get ready for a fight, though.¡±


    Markus thought quickly. ¡°How far is the range for the ring?¡±


    ¡°My aunt said a few feet.¡±


    Turning backward, he blinked as Isabella¡¯s aunt smiled and nodded. "Hm.¡±


    ¡®... a muffling spell then, not true [[Silence]]. I guess that would look more natural at a distance.¡¯ His thoughts spun as Lily looked back at him and mouthed her idea.


    Parsing through her plan, he nodded as he reviewed his thoughts. With the sun visibly falling, it was only a matter of time before he could use his mana to hide their location, in which Lily could then quickly set up a Concealment formation. He watched as the team in front of him slowly started to coordinate.


    Tyler was already blocking the line of sight in front, using his tower shield as a pretend crutch. Lily was holding onto Claire¡¯s shield as the girl cautiously removed some straps, revealing a small, metal bow hidden that was once a part of her shield. Nimi herself was holding onto Lily¡¯s staff as she held her wand tight in her hand.


    All in all, it was a pretty good plan overall if the enemy was in front of them, which made him wonder if someone had helped Lily think of it. Or maybe he just hadn¡¯t realized how much Lily had learned these last few years.


    The only thing they couldn¡¯t plan for was Shavie though, Markus realized. But that too had already been taken care of.


    Without turning, he could already tell that Shavie was slowing down. It hadn¡¯t escaped his notice that her gait was changing, her movements now lighter and her presence even thinner. Even this close to her, he was starting to lose track of her position.


    ¡®Something was wrong,¡¯ Markus realized.


    Shuddering, his training took over as his mana seeped outward, as he channeled his senses, his mind marking her last position as he continued moving forward. Her presence gradually focused, though whether it was solely from his training he didn¡¯t know.


    ¡®... I know she claimed to be a Bodyguard, but ¡­ she moves like¡­¡¯ His mind sharpened. Shavie was moving like the Trent Scout he had encountered back in the forest.


    He looked toward Isabella warily as she smiled by his side. Both of their families had secrets. But how much did Isabella know, or even wonder?


    Isabella tilted her head. ¡°Markus?¡±


    ¡°We need to move closer to Lily,¡± Markus said as he pulled Isabella closer to the rest of the party. ¡°My aunt said that a [[Concealment]] formation isn¡¯t a cut and dry solution against people stronger than us, Lily. A single attack is able to neutralize the formation, not to mention that we would be stuck in a confined area.¡±


    Lily nodded as she acknowledged his thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing though, Markus. And it gives us a slight element of surprise. Tyler can defend against physical ranged attacks, and I¡¯ll take care of defending against magical attacks.¡±


    Tyler looked back and whispered, ¡°You aren¡¯t the only one who learned a few things, Markus. The only thing we haven¡¯t quite found a solution for is a reliable distraction.¡±


    And that was where [[Dark Mist]] would come into play, Markus knew. And probably why Isabella was so close to him and Shavie so far away. The wind shifted, and he could already feel the ambient dark mana slowly gathering around the three of them; their natural affinities at work.


    Isabella¡¯s aunt must have backed away to give them access to the ambient mana without having to compete with them. Lily too must have started focusing, since there was a steady breeze around them now.


    ¡°... Tell me when, Lily.¡±


    ¡°At the base of the hill,¡± Lily responded.


    Markus eyed the low hill coming into view and nodded. At least she had the sense not to say the top of the hill.


    You¡¯d have to be blind not to notice that was the best spot for an ambush.


    <hr>


    Shavie smiled ruefully from behind as the kids planned for battle.


    They had the right idea, but only if their opponents were around the same level as them. Sure, their ingenuity was refreshing, and their coordination was passable, but there were so many holes in their plan that she was tempted to call off their ¡®training¡¯.


    This was as likely to get them killed as it was to help them grow. Which, Shavie realized after a moment of thought, was exactly the point.


    Shavie knew she had to fix their sense of danger. Between powerful mentors, strong bodyguards, and useless fights against monsters, she could already see that their mentality was going to get them killed as soon as their protectors were gone.


    Of course, removing one or two of the kids would also be ideal for Isabella¡¯s growth. Loss was a powerful tool for growing up. And though Shavie was loath to admit it, losing her own childhood friends was a key motivator for growth.


    Looking toward the east, she could already feel six sets of eyes on the kids, with only one pair tracking her movements. It vexed her not being able to shake off the last set of eyes, especially at such a distance.


    ¡®Damn, I must be slipping if they can still sense me. Gotta work more on that.¡¯ Shavie scoffed as the mist started to come into her field of view as she started to release more of her mana. Grumbling to herself, she altered her gait and slowly lowered her mana output. The mist around her gradually vanished from view as her mana use dipped to non-existent levels.


    The so-called ¡®Mana dispersion mist¡¯, if she could take Zenith¡¯s word¡¯s as the truth. She¡¯d had rather chosen words for the mist herself, and after filtering through them, the words biased ran high on the list.


    True, they were able to leave the city without fear of death, but the mist just had to follow them and limit them. She could still use her Skills, but with a hard limit. And though the mist passed readily through Paige and her party, the noticeable exclusion was Markus, though she did note that the mist did take longer to pass through him than others. Something to keep an eye on, even if nothing came out of it in the end.


    Sensing the ambient mana flowing unnaturally, Shavie blinked in surprise as she noticed Markus¡¯s slight movements. This close to him, Shavie felt the mana within his body condense as he got ready to unleash a spell. Deliberate control over the mana within his body, one of the few tells of a Mage.


    ¡®Markus could hardly control [[Dark Blade]] before. At least he got one of his regrets fixed in all this mess,¡¯ Shavie thought.


    Only she knew just how much Markus had wanted to be a spell casting swordsman, a dream he once told her while he was drunk.


    ¡®I¡¯ll be one of the few Dual Swordsman! And then I¡¯ll mop the floor with my old man¡¯s face and liberate the western isles!¡¯


    Of course, his drunken boasting had immediately backfired on him the next day, but his ambition and drive to be better had stuck with her a long time thereafter.


    Nostalgia aside, she paused her steps as she got ready to make her own move. Looking beyond the hilltop, Shavie marked her target¡¯s location and made a split decision. Six fake High Class opponents were a tad too many for them to handle on their own.


    ¡®...one. One would be enough for them to practice on. Shavie, you are just so charitable these days,¡¯ she thought happily as Markus used his Spell.


    Reaching for the hidden daggers on her legs, her eyes reflected the growing dark cloud in front of her. It was time to hunt.


    ¡°[Shadow Sprint].¡±


    _______________


    ¡°[[Dark Mist]]!¡±


    Markus thought internally as he released his mana outward. A dark cloud spread around them as his mana churned, and he rushed to complete his part. Markus could already see a faint glow on the ground as Lily raced to etch the necessary symbols around them.


    The world spun around him as his mana dipped low within his core. The world was dark to his eyes, yet he could still sense the rest of his team¡¯s location. Isabella especially, for some reason. It must have been because of their matching affinities, he realized.


    The ambient mana around them stopped moving as Lily finished the formation, and Markus knew his part was completed. Gasping for breath, he held his hand up as he focused on his own recovery. He needed to condense the surrounding mana back into his core before he fainted. Time was of the essence, he knew; otherwise they would be blind inside the formation as well. As the mist evaporated around them, he could tell that most everyone was in a defensive position, looking out warily across the field. Claire and Nimi were hesitant though, and he could tell that they were nervous about being inside of a formation.


    Lily was sitting down as she breathed heavily, and Markus could tell that she was trying to rapidly recover her mana. Both of them had gone through his aunt¡¯s so-called ¡®Adventurer survival lessons¡¯, so he knew that Lily had recognized the warning bells. She had to have known that she was under watch and would be unable to gather the ambient mana. And without the ambient mana sustaining her spell, Markus knew that Lily would have to be efficient with the rest of her mana on the one defensive spell. Standing up, she motioned everyone to gather close.


    Gathering around Lily, Markus sunk into his go-to defensive posture as Tyler and Claire positioned themselves on opposite sides of Lily. Nimi stepped beside Markus as she watched warily, a flicker of flame dancing around her wand.


    Isabella was the odd one out though. Instead of settling into a defensive stance, she stepped behind Lily and hugged her tight. Markus wondered why for just a moment and then realized why Isabella had done so. The remaining dark mana around them was transforming into wind mana, albeit at a high conversion rate. His mind whirled into action as he remembered his aunt¡¯s lessons on affinities.


    ¡®How many affinities does Isabella have?¡¯ he wondered. ¡®She¡¯s a Cleric, so right off the bat she has affinities toward healing, probably light as well¡­. darkness too, since her family has it¡­ and now wind? Didn''t Aunt Zenith say something about conflicting attributes?''


    Lily nodded toward Tyler as she shifted her stance and started mouthing her Spell. Taking a moment to watch, Markus read her lips and identified the spell, his eyebrows raising in surprise.


    ¡®[[Wind Prison]]. No wonder she was confident,¡¯ Markus thought.


    He still remembered his Aunt Zenith trapping and battling Paige when she was furious. He would give almost anything to be able to have that stopping power. Well, almost anything, since close combat took precedence over all. His aunt had been able to block spells with a basic hoe, which spoke volumes on why physical skill was on par with magical abilities.


    Wiping the sweat off his brows, Markus focused on the surroundings as he imagined Lily¡¯s rhythmic chanting. Even without hearing her speak, he could feel the mana accumulating rapidly behind him, a prickling sensation of power that made him nervous. The mist outside the formation had started to evaporate, since he could no longer control the mana outside of the formation. One of the many flaws of [[Concealment]] he had been taught. It was the perfect tool for Scouts and ambushes, but one that relied on ample preparation and lack of surveillance to pull off.


    He quietly tch¡¯ed as Lily''s spell grew, a jealous look in his eyes. Looking around, his eyes locked gazes with Nimi, whose hazel eyes also were wrought with jealousy. Turning away, he realized that it was natural for most Mages to be jealous of Lily and Isabella¡¯s natural talent. As far as he could tell, Nimi barely had a lesser affinity toward fire.


    As he surveyed his surroundings, it took him a scant minute before he realized something was wrong.


    ¡°...when did Miss Shavie disappear?¡± Markus whispered lightly. It was a risk, talking aloud within the concealment formation, but he deemed it appropriate.


    Tyler glanced backwards, his voice tense. ¡°Shh. Don¡¯t worry about her. Keep watch.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Claire looked around before speaking up. ¡°Why are w-¡±


    Markus stepped sideways and clamped his hand around Claire¡¯s mouth, though the damage was already done. His eyes scanned the horizon as Claire struggled to pull his hand away.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine Markus, my ring is still active,¡± Isabella whispered.


    Looking back, Markus realized that Isabella was right, her ring was still shining, though it was rapidly dimming. Lily too, for she had finished her spell and was looking at him with a very annoyed expression.


    He could practically read Lily''s thoughts as he recognized the look on her face. It was a splitting image off his Aunt Zenith¡¯s annoyed look.


    ¡®It was your fault she started talking, Markus.¡¯


    He winced and shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡®Okay, so I did talk beforehand. But I whispered!¡¯


    Giving Claire a dark look, he removed his hand from Claire¡¯s smooth face and wiped his hand on his leather armor, removing the moisture on his leather gloves.


    ¡°This magic circle is meant for stealth, but it doesn¡¯t block out sound. And we have to be careful when we deactivate it too. Keep quiet,¡¯ Markus whispered lightly, and put his finger on his lips and pointed at Isabella¡¯s ring, which had finally dimmed.


    Claire¡¯s eyes swirled with a wrongful expression, and Markus looked away before he could feel guilty about his actions.


    The tense atmosphere lasted for a minute, two, then ten as¡­ nothing happened. The wind slowed around them as Lily regulated her mana. Just enough to give them a defensive edge, but not enough to use as a counter attack.


    The sun was almost below the horizon when Markus finally felt something and turned. His view turned green for a moment before his sword arched to his side to parry a dagger in the air, the serrated edge cutting light into Nimi''s side as she dodged behind him.


    Markus watched in slow motion as Claire ducked away from her own shield, the dagger¡¯s hilt caught on the shield as it protected Claire. Tyler too, though his shield flashed briefly as the symbols etched deep within it activated.


    The underpowered formation shattered around them. The ambient mana was no longer prohibited by the formation from reaching them, and the wind picked up as Lily focused her mana.


    Gathering his errant thoughts, he eyed the dagger lodged in Claire¡¯s shield. Paige¡¯s words flowed in his mind as he reviewed the weapon and thought back to his lessons on geographical differences of weapons.


    ¡®Serrated long dagger; southern style blade edge with two blood grooves on each side. Typical use is to bleed out an enemy or to deliver poison within the grooves directly to wounds. In essence, used only by a few Classes,¡¯


    ¡°Thief! Or a specialized Hunter!¡± Markus yelled as he looked upwards toward the hilltop. A lone man in black stood there, his gaze chilling his body as he looked into his eyes. The man was looking at him as though he was unworthy of his notice.


    As though he was dead. He could see his party freezing in terror and knew he had to do something.


    Markus bit his tongue as he reached for his belt and pulled out a small bone whistle. The sharp screech of the whistle grated on his nerves, though he sighed in relief as his party shook themselves out of their stupor from the harsh sound.


    He reached back with his arm and pulled Nimi in closer to the party and shoved her toward Isabella, who had already noticed the blood and was shifting through her pouch for something.


    Markus moved forward and stood beside Tyler, whose eyes never left the enemy above.


    ¡°Thanks for the assist, Markus,¡± Tyler said.


    Markus nodded, his sword resting lightly on his shoulder. ¡°No problem. He didn¡¯t aim at me. Nor did he use a Skill, from what I can tell.¡±


    Markus jumped as Lily yelled from behind, ¡°You are attacking students of Alduit Academy. Cease and desist your actions, or we will be forced to defend ourselves!¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure he knows that, Lily. It¡¯s hard to miss the uniforms,¡± Markus murmured.


    ¡°Buying time. Nimi is poisoned. Isabella is applying a general antidote now.¡±


    He cursed quietly. If he had been a tad faster, or not distracted by the flash of Lily¡¯s shield, he would have parried the dagger!


    ¡°We need to fight, Lily. He¡¯s aiming to kill us,¡± Tyler said quietly.


    Markus agreed with him on that. The man was clearly gauging his next moves, his body swaying as he moved forward. But it was the man¡¯s eyes that stuck with Markus.


    He had seen that look before in the forest.


    It was kill or be killed now.


    <hr>


    Watching his opponents, the wounded man swallowed back the blood in his mouth as his attack failed to kill anyone.


    Though his clothes hid it well, he could tell that he was starting to lose too much blood. A¡­ consequence he had to put up with now, at least until he killed one person that is.


    ¡®Damn it all! The intel we got was wrong,¡± he hatefully thought. ¡®...One Farmer and Bodyguard, four children with Mage and Warrior Classes. No Specializations of note.¡¯


    And now his whole Party lay dead behind him, killed by a simple ¡®Bodyguard¡¯.


    ¡®Imperial politics. And they had the gall to put me under oath for this job!¡¯


    His mind was in a haze as his hate soared beyond normal means, and his blood boiled in response. He already knew what he was going to do. Kill them all, and offer their lives to his fallen comrades, and only then w-.


    His body twitched imperceptibly as his mana core shuddered within him.


    ¡®Keep the black and silver haired ones alive,¡¯ a voice in his mind whispered.


    Swaying lightly from the blood loss, he knew he had to end it quickly.


    <hr>


    ¡°Dodge left!¡± Tyler screamed.


    Markus pivoted his foot and dodged left, trusting in Tyler¡¯s judgement. It was a close call too, as the sharp hiss of a crossbow bolt flashed past his face. ¡°Hunter type!¡±


    ¡°Three crossbows loaded, max! He shouldn¡¯t have any more!¡± Claire cried as she dropped her shield and tried to dislodge the dagger.


    Markus cursed at the sight. Of all the things Claire could have done, she chose to drop her shield!?


    Shoving Claire behind him, he stomped on the tip of the shield to force it upwards and ducked behind as another dagger embedded itself more inches from his face.


    ¡°For god''s sake, Claire! Shoot back!¡± Markus yelled as he grabbed the edges of the shield and planted it heavily into the ground.


    Markus staggered as Claire ran into him from behind.


    ¡°His daggers move almost three times faster than my arrows, Markus! And the daggers are in line with my handles! I can¡¯t even hold it up right now!¡± Claire said. Banging her hands on a few places, Markus watched as two metal poles detached from the backing and watched as Claire planted them into the ground.


    Markus had the urge to hit her as the steel poles dug themselves into the ground. She transformed her shield into an immobile steel wall. Against an opponent whose specialty was most likely based around speed, stealth and range.


    ¡°Tyler, location!¡± Markus shouted.


    ¡°North, northeast! Angling southeast!¡± Tyler responded.


    ¡°Need an opening! Claire, you better cover me!¡±


    Not bothering to listen to her reply, Markus waited until Tyler shouted before he ran around the shield, confident that he would be safe. Tyler was many things, but Markus learned quickly what Tyler had been working on while at school. Situational awareness, defensive measures, counterattacks and more; it was clear that while his offensive capabilities were rather lacking, his defensive skills more than made up for it.


    Edging his way forward, he sidestepped out to find his opponent. Sighting his opponent, Markus placed his hand on the flat of his sword and flicked it forward. ¡°[[Dark Blade]], [[Blade Slash]]!¡±


    A thin shadow arced across the open field, and to his dismay the enemy simply ran through it. Markus cursed as he looked at the shattered remains of his attack.


    ¡®Aunt Paige did say doing that was more of a gimmick spell than an actual attack, but still!¡¯


    The man was angling to his left as he ran down the small hill, and Markus realized why. He was wary of Claire and had elected to use their own party as a shield.


    ¡°Moving up!¡± Markus screamed.


    ¡°Markus, no!¡± ¡°Get back!¡± Lily and Tyler yelled.


    ¡°Let the sword reflect the setting sun, [[Fireblade Enchantment]]!¡± Nimi cried.


    A sudden bloom of heat erupted next to him, and Markus adjusted his posture to account for the flaming sword in his hand, taking great care to keep it away from his leather armor. That was another irritation to deal with post-battle. Against someone their age, maybe a flaming sword would intimidate someone, but against a hardened killer? Unlikely.


    ¡®Why on earth would she think a flaming sword is a good idea? The most it¡¯ll do is cauterize the flesh after I wound him.¡¯


    Swearing to teach his new teammates some common sense after the battle, Markus pushed forward to intercept and hoped Lily would give some actual long range support.


    Sixty, fifty, forty feet. The space between them was steadily decreasing, and Markus sensed something wasn¡¯t right. The man was outright ignoring him and was flicking daggers at the rest of his team, even as he moved forward. That wasn¡¯t normal by any means.


    The headwind slowed him down as Lily gathered it for an attack. The flames on his sword were starting to disperse from the wind, though he could tell from the sword handle that the sword was still burning. He prayed to every god he could think of and hoped that his sword wasn¡¯t too brittle from the heat.


    Thirty feet away, Markus finally heard Lily call out from behind. ¡°[[Wind Slash]]!¡±


    He could hear the wind moving towards him. Markus angled away, giving Lily a clearer view of the man in front of him for her Spell. Not technically necessary, since Lily had great control of her Spell, but since the man was ignoring him anyways, Markus reasoned that he should get in a good position for a follow up attack.


    The grin on Markus¡¯s face stiffened as the man¡¯s gait widened slightly. That looked -


    The man instantly shifted from his location to directly in front of Markus as he raised his dagger.


    ¡®He knows [Blink]! Shit!¡¯


    Markus knew he was in deep trouble. Swinging his sword diagonally, Markus¡¯s eyes widened as he focused on the man¡¯s hands. So long as he could parry the da-


    The dark cloaked man¡¯s hand shot forward, the gloves on his hands screeching as steel met steel. Blood ran down his blade as Markus¡¯s weapon cut through the back of his opponent¡¯s glove, though Markus realized too late that he needed to disengage.


    The hand held tight to Markus¡¯s wrist as the man abruptly pulled him, and Markus kicked off the ground as his enemy changed places with him.


    Markus¡¯s mind slowed down. He could hear the hiss of Lily¡¯s attack coming directly at him. Saw the man¡¯s pained gaze as he spun him, while flicking a dagger from his waist towards Lily.


    The man staggered and loosened his grip as a bloom of light impacted his back, and Markus was freed. Curling up into a ball, Markus realized as he tumbled through the air that Lily had altered her attack, though he knew it was at a great cost.


    Rolling to his feet, Markus noted that Tyler had also moved up to intercept, while Claire and Nimi were being useful now too.


    The enemy slowed as he now had to deal with a somewhat coordinated party. His movements were well coordinated and planned; a half step to the side to dodge Claire''s arrow; a single flick of his wrist to disperse an errant [[Fireball]], all the while flicking his other wrist at Lily and Isabella to distract Tyler, who had to adjust his position as he initiated close combat.


    ¡°[Shield Bash]!¡±


    The tower shield flashed as he struck the cloaked man, but Tyler grunted in pain as he was forced back with a simple shoulder check. Markus realized what had happened and cursed. He had the same problem when using Skills against his aunt. The difference in mana density between the two of them was causing Tyler''s Skill to lose faulter.


    Tyler struggled to regain his balance as the man unfurled a chain on his arm. With a flick, the chain snagged Tyler¡¯s foot.


    Markus moved forward. He had to stop the man from knocking Tyler off his feet. But he knew he was going to be too late. He watched with mounting horror as the man shoulder checked the shield again and pulled the chain. Tyler fell backwards. In a flash, the man stepped on the shield and waved his arm down. A serrated sword impaled itself to the hilt and Tyler stopped moving below.


    ¡°Damn you!¡± Markus screamed.


    The man sidestepped away as his attack missed. A flash of metal flickered toward Lily, and Markus tracked it with dread.


    Lily was staring at Tyler on the ground, her eyes not focused on the battle.


    Isabella screamed as she tackled Lily to the ground; the dagger following their motion.


    He had to do something! Markus stiffened slightly as he heard a grunt and watched as the dagger spun out of control and landed far away from the falling duo.


    Pivoting his foot, Markus spun around and savagely slashed the man¡¯s chest. As the metal sword tore into his opponent, Markus realized that the man had hardly put up any resistance that time, and blinked in confusion as he felt the blood hit his face. Why hadn¡¯t he dodged? Standing still wasn¡¯t a typical reaction from getting slashed through.


    Markus felt a sharp prick at his side as his own sword caught on the man¡¯s ribs, and having learned his lesson, he moved to disengage, right before an arrow caught the man in the lungs, while a bloom of blue light tore the man in half at the waist.


    Markus stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, staring at the body in confusion. Lily and Isabella¡¯s panicked cries filled his ears.


    The battle was over, just like that.


    _________________________


    Markus laid on the ground and stared up at the darkening sky. Chewing on a herbal paste, his body churned as the medicine slowly neutralized the poison, though his mind was wandering as the battle rush faded away.


    Bandaging his sides by himself, he chose guard duty as everyone kept Tyler still as Isabella attempted to heal his wounds. It was plain luck that the sword had struck deep into Tyler¡¯s side instead of his chest, and Isabella¡¯s face was pale as she tried to heal around the sword. The serrated edges of the sword was causing Isabella to hesitate. Markus knew that Isabella would have to pull the sword out of him, else he was going to die of shock than blood loss.


    A slight rustle of the bushes on the side of the road woke him from his stupor, and he grabbed the closest weapon he could find as he rolled himself upwards into a defensive position. The enemy¡¯s dagger held tight within his grasp, he moved to cover his team behind him.


    The bushes shook as Shavie stepped out from within it.


    ¡°Good job kids! Great teamwork,¡± she said happily.


    Lily groaned as she dropped her wand, her hair caked with dirt. Isabella pouted, but her eyes never left Tyler.


    ¡°That¡¯s not very nice, Aunt Shavie. We just had a tough time. And where were you when we needed your help?¡±


    ¡°Hiding in the bush.¡± Shavie smirked. ¡°Yeah, you never quite forget your first kill. Don¡¯t worry, the nightmares will be gone in a few months. Or a few days if you want to take some of your mother¡¯s potions. Need help with that?¡±


    Shavie seemed to take great pleasure in watching Claire and Nimi rush away from the dead body to throw up on the side of the road. Lily and Isabella would have too, but they concentrated on the task at hand.


    Markus rolled his eyes. Her lighthearted joke was too soon and in bad taste.


    Shrugging, Shavie ignored Tyler and went straight to loot the dead body, her hands quickly pocketing the many spare weapons he had on him. Noticing the odd looks she was getting, she did one last search for anything noteworthy and stood up while clearing her throat, wiping the dead man¡¯s blood from her hands onto her pants.


    ¡°Ahem. Well, let¡¯s get back home. A nice meal, a hot bath and a warm bed will do wonders for all of you. I¡¯ll carry the boy home, so don¡¯t worry about healing him, Isabella.¡±


    ¡°I need to stabilize him, aunt! He¡¯s wounded! And probably poisoned! He''s not responding at all!¡±


    As Shavie debated with Isabella, Markus itched to check the body for loot too, but chances were Shavie had taken everything of value. Well, that and he didn¡¯t want his party looking at him oddly either. Did they not remember the first rule of adventuring? Always loot enemies after combat.


    ¡°Fine, let me help you with this; Isabella. You have to get used to doing this by yourself though,¡± Shavie said.


    ¡°What do y-¡±


    Shavie grabbed the handle and swung it, the edges of the blade severing his side and exposing his gut.


    Isabella blanched as Shavie neatly grabbed the gut and stitched it up before packing it back into his body.


    ¡°There. You¡¯ll have an easier time healing his wounds now. A little pain now so that you can heal him later. Learn from that, Isabella.¡±


    Shaive callous voice rang out into the shocked clearing. Markus had known that was going to happen, though she should have done it a tad gentler. Shocked, Isabella¡¯s hand shook as she healed Tyler, his skin fully scabbing over as she closed the wound up.


    Shavie snorted impatiently as she turned to Lily.


    "Don¡¯t get so worked up over a party member getting hit. You almost got you and your whole team killed because of your hesitation.¡±


    Lily shook as she watched Tyler on the ground. Shavie waited over Isabella in silence before picking the unconscious boy up. ¡°That¡¯s good enough for now. He won¡¯t die on our way back. Pack up your things and let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°What about the body?¡± Lily whispered.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Shavie said.


    ¡°His body. We should bury it at least?¡± Lily said with uncertainty as she pointed at the dead man.


    Markus could tell burying someone was not high on Shavie¡¯s priority list.


    ¡°...I¡¯ll alert the guardsman and have them deal with it. The school will be very invested in finding the truth, after all.


    ¡°Now, get up and let¡¯s get you all home,¡± Shavie said.


    Isabella grumbled as she lightly berated her aunt about how he was holding the unconscious Tyler, while the others moved to grab their supplies.


    But Markus watched Shavie as he dislodged his sword with one hand; the poisoned dagger never leaving his other hand.


    Shavie hadn¡¯t been hiding there the entire time.


    And he hadn¡¯t missed the smell of blood drifting off of her either.

 Chapter 80

    Ding.


    Ding.


    Ding.


    Charles awoke with a start, steadying himself before he fell out of his chair. His back was stained with sweat as a high pitched bell chimed across the plowed field. There was only one bell that did that, especially on a farm.


    "Bonnie!" he called.


    Bonnie turned. "Grandfather! Heidi is still missing. We haven''t gotten any confirmation from fath-"


    "Call everyone home," Charles said.


    Bonnie started in disbelief. "Bu-"


    "Now!"


    Leaning his chair down, he shakily stood as Bonnie beat out the code on the bronze bell hanging on the doorway.


    Clang! clang, clang!


    Ding.


    Ding.


    Ding.


    The high pitched chime overpowered the clanging of the farm bell, even though he was standing next to it. The chiming was being spaced apart longer and longer, which was a relief to Charles.


    "Father! Why did you call us back? We need to be on the lookout for bandits," his son, Brian called out as he came into view, his farmhands and family behind him.


    Charles paused as the dinging echoed out again, but no one but him seemed to notice it. His mood plummeted as he realized why. Though a few had the Class, they didn''t have the heart of a Farmer.


    "Father?" Brian said.


    Charles quieted. "...are all the livestock in the barn?"


    "For the night, yes."


    "Release the weakest and sickest into the fields. At least half."


    Brian cursed as his wife, Maxine, held him back. "Father! They are our money makers right now! I know you hate that we are Ranchers, but-"


    Ding.


    Charles cut his son off with a glare. "The harvest bell is ringing son. And it''s claiming its share of the harvest."


    Brian paused, his eyes widening. He shook his head in disbelief. "...I remember the stories, father. You said it''s just an old tale from back home."


    "It was, son. Not anymore."


    Ding.


    "What about Heidi? We still haven''t confirmed if she was taken by the bandits or not," Maxy replied heatedly. "We aren''t stopping until I know she''s been found."


    Charles glanced over at his son.


    Brian hesitated as he looked between his father and his wife, before pulling her gently aside.


    "The Harvest Bell rings when a Farmer is in mortal danger, Maxine. But it requires sacrifice as well, which is why father is letting out the weakest livestock. IF the stories are true, Heidi will come home before dawn."


    Maxine took that in, turned back to her father in law, and nodded after a few seconds.


    "Farmhands, do as Farmer Charles commanded. Separate them out and I''ll confirm the selection after. Everyone else, head down to the cellars. Now."


    Ding.


    Clapping her hands, she directed the rest of the family inside before turning to her eldest daughter.


    "Bonnie, be a dear and alert your uncles of the danger as well. We might not be on the best of terms, but we are still family. Let our neighbors know what Farmer Line has commanded as well."


    Brian looked over in the direction of the stables. "I''ll check over the selection, Maxy. Get everyone situated in the cellar. We''ll need to make room for the farmhands too."


    "Hurry, dear." Kissing Brian, Maxy turned and walked over to Charles''s side. The bell¡¯s frantic ringing was loud, though she seemed able to ignore it.


    "Brian''s told me some of the old legends¡­ just how true are the stories?" Maxy asked quietly. Already she could hear some of the neighboring farms beating out the same message.


    Clang! Clang!


    Kling! Clang!


    Ding.


    Charles counted to ten and sighed in relief as the bell echo faded across the fields. Ten rings. That¡­ that was acceptable for this area. There would be some problems, but if the girl was one of the last Imperial Farmers...and if she could train Bonnie that way¡­


    Charles sighed. It had been nothing but setbacks up until now. And this would certainly raise a few questions as well. But he shrugged after a moment. Let the school face those issues. He listened to his neighbor''s bells in the wind. Some of the neighboring farms were clearly hesitant to follow his advice. He walked slowly to the bell and rang out his own message before stepping away. If his old friends and family didn''t want to heed his advice, then tough luck to them.


    Charles turned and stared at his daughter in law. He could tell that she was shaken. She''dve been a good Farmer in a different life. "...Peter rang the bell a hundred times, and the dragons and their army were routed¡­" Charles took a deep breath and looked Maxy in the eyes. "It''s also the reason my family left and settled down here, all those centuries ago."


    Maxine''s voice shook. "A, and the cost?"


    He paused and turned his back, his voice soft against the clanging of the bell.


    "They don''t call it the Southern Desert for nothing."


    <hr>


    "Y, y, you can''t be here! What did you do!?"


    Paige thought for a moment. "Hm? and here I thought you were just a greedy merchant. I''d start praying if I were you."


    Paige smiled lightly as she tapped the man''s head, and slowly dragged the unconscious man to the low cellar, his family shivering in fear as she tossed the man in.


    Dusting her hands off, she looked at his two kids and frowned slightly. She wasn''t used to being the bad girl in any given situation.


    "Wha, whatev-" the man¡¯s wife stuttered.


    "Hush. The bandits are already close by. Lock the inner cellar door and wait until dawn to get help."


    Without waiting for a reply, Paige closed the door and covered it lightly with dirt before turning toward the north.


    The clangs of frantic bells filled the air as Paige stopped to listen. Every farm was beating out the same instructions. Hide and leave the livestock outside. She narrowed her eyes in thought as she continued walking.


    ''Hrm¡­ Farmer Line probably knows what I''m doing. If that''s the case¡­"


    She sighed as she looked up to the stars. ''... Twelve generations, he claimed. Assuming marriage at twenty, that''s two hundred and forty years, give or take¡­ so either his ancestors were from the Fertile Plains¡­ or he was. I mean, that¡¯s where the ceremony originated from so it¡¯d make sense he¡¯d know about it.¡¯


    She thought hard about the possibilities before shaking her head. ''Probably his ancestors. I''ve never known a Farmer who lived quite that long.¡¯


    But putting aside Farmer Line¡¯s unusual background, Paige smiled as she counted her blessings. Luckily, her opponents had no intention of attacking her, so she decided to prepare a special surprise. And she hardly had to use any of her mana to do it! Of course, she would absolutely not tell Zenith anything about what she was going to do, either. Not after that last fiasco of a ceremony.


    Even she was surprised that her mana was dropping at a slow, steady rate. After all, it was based upon an old, old farmer¡¯s tale, one of the few she remembered hearing as a child. A simple enough ceremony, and it was even created just for Farmers! Untested, of course since she wasn''t a Farmer before, and she had never seen it in action; but even though her memory was spotty on the specifics, she knew the important parts.


    Use some mana, ring a bell a few times, pray for help. The part about the harvest decreasing was a tad problematic, if it was true, but that could be resolved easily enough with one or two harvest festivals.


    So, in theory, it was a net benefit for herself. After all, as Zenith would tell her, ''the less you do, the better!''


    Paige tapped her hoe on the ground as she walked through the rippling fields of wheat. She could still sense a few eyes on her, though some had clearly withdrawn back to their main camp.


    The Scouts were good, though not quite up to her level. She caught the sight of a crimson tunic and leather armor as one retreated and sighed. It was that team, Blood something. Shavie had antagonized them, somehow or another. But why on earth would they risk fighting this close to the Academy?


    Paige stopped. ¡®I¡¯m missing something. This is too coordinated for a sudden ambush....¡¯ She smiled. ¡®Heh, but is it something I have to be worried about?¡¯


    Paige waited a few minutes before chuckling to herself. ''That should be enough of a headstart.'' She leaned forward to find the answer.


    [Blink]


    The world blurred for a second before she stood in the cloaked girl¡¯s last location. Taking a glance around, it took her a few seconds before she started to follow the same path. The girl was okay for her age, Paige realized. Maybe a little worse than Nick, but it would be enough to befuddle Markus and Sara at least. Though, in Nick''s defense, to compare a Scout in a field against a Ranger in the woods was a tad unfair on many levels. It was like saying Elves are worse at hiding than Rangers in a forest.


    Still, the crimson cloaked girl took enough precautionary measures to throw off any would-be followers off her trail, so she had some common sense at least.


    As Paige took her time following the trail, she noticed that the Scout¡¯s Skills were rather varied. Tracking and stealth were a given, but she was also starting to lay traps down before moving forward, too. Not enough to slow her down, but it was surprising to see it done on the go like this.


    She heard a gasp of pain in the distance and stopped. Whoever was waiting to ambush her was fairly bad at this.


    Moving at a crouch, Paige slowly inched her way forward.


    ¡®Time to see what this is all about.¡¯


    <hr>


    Heidi gasped in pain as she curled into a ball. She winced as another kick landed on her back, though that wasn¡¯t the only reason she was afraid. She had a distinct feeling that none of this was her fault though.


    ¡°Damn girl, you better hope your new teacher comes,¡± a man whispered angrily. ¡°I have a score to settle with her.¡±


    Heidi stiffened for the incoming blow, but nothing happened. She could feel her bruises along her body and shuddered in pain. But with the reprieve, a small piece of her mind focused on her surroundings.


    The ground was freshly tilled, Heidi realized. Not as well as she would have done it, but it pained her to be ruining someone else¡¯s hard work. With her eyes closed, it was hard to place how many people were around her, but she knew most of them were angry about something. Or someone, rather.


    ¡°Stop beating the girl, Drew. We need her alive.¡±


    ¡°Peh, I¡¯ve barely touched her, Chloe.¡±


    ¡°All of you, shut it. She¡¯s coming this way slowly. I give it another ten minutes at her current pace¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s thirty of us here, Geoff. If we can¡¯t kill within the first minute, I¡¯ll kill myself,¡± Drew said with contempt. ¡°Simon, tie her to the stake. We need our hostage to stay still.¡±


    A hushed voice responded. ¡°Touch her and I¡¯ll kill you, Simon.¡±


    ¡°Give it your best shot, Helen. I¡¯m not afraid of your Party, even when it¡¯s not at full strength!¡±


    A multitude of voices swirled around her, though most were too quiet for her to hear. But the soft chime of a bell in the distance somehow made her feel safe. Well, as safe as she could feel while still being beaten, that is.


    But she kept quiet and remembered her grandfather¡¯s teachings, ¡®Stay quiet, don¡¯t look at anyone and don¡¯t show fear, Heidi. Stay quiet, do-¡¯, repeating them endlessly in her mind lest she succumb to fear.


    Heidi started as hands grabbed her, though they were gentler than before. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Up you go, girl. It¡¯ll be all over soon, and then you can get back home.¡±


    Opening her eyes for a brief second, she saw tender eyes staring at her but she knew better than to believe the woman standing in front of her. She was going to die tonight, Heidi knew that much was certain. She didn¡¯t need to be good at math to know one or two people couldn¡¯t stop the other twenty-eight from killing her.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, little girl?¡± the lady said.


    ¡°........¡± Heidi closed her eyes and shook her head.


    ¡°Stop socializing, Helen.¡±


    Helen snarled. ¡°Hey, Drew, how about you go and f-¡±


    ¡°Helen! Remember Kevin¡¯s instructions! We need to be nice!¡±


    Heidi gasped in pain as someone wretched her off her feet and instinctually slackened her body to lessen the pain of the fall.


    ¡°Joseph! Get your hands off her!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna get some answers out of her. Why did the bells change their signal, girl?¡± a gruff voice said.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting dark, what do you think will happen when a child is missing?¡± Helen replied.


    ¡°Sandra¡¯s said something is wrong with the signals now. They¡¯re not making sense,¡± Joseph said.


    Heidi could smell the heavy stench of alcohol on the man.


    The kind eyed lady spoke slowly. ¡°So? Get. your. hands. off. her!¡±


    Another voice interrupted ¡°Helen. Back up, they¡¯re serious.¡±


    Joseph spoke slowly. ¡°Girl, tell us what those signals mean. Now.¡±


    Heidi winced as someone shook her. But she only shook her head and repeated her thoughts to herself again.


    A sharp shooting pain pulled her out of her thoughts. A thin blade attracted her attention, and she watched as a bead of blood dripped from the point. Gasping in panic, she could feel her blood flowing down her arms in a slow stream.


    ¡°Signal. Now.¡±


    Heidi panicked as she listened. ¡°Th, th, th-¡±


    ¡°Out with it!¡±


    ¡°The bells say stay inside and keep the animals outside! Danger is coming!¡± she replied honestly.


    ¡°Tch. Sandra, is that true?¡±


    The man looked past Heidi warily, though she could still feel his gaze on her.


    ¡°Yeah, Simon. But why would they change the signals?¡±


    ¡°Heh, they¡¯re just Farmers. Everything is dangerous to them,¡± The violent man said with a chuckle.


    Heidi bit her lip as the people around her laughed. Farmers were not weak! Her grandfather was way stronger than them! Well, maybe not her grandfather. But her great, great, great grandfather had been!


    Ding


    Heidi paused as she heard the soft ringing of a bell, this time much closer. She looked toward the east and looked for the source of it. There was something about the sound of the bell that troubled her. Maybe it was because the sound was getting louder over time, Heidi realized.


    ¡°How much longer do we have to wait for Jules and his team? Our prey is almost here. That is, if Chloe isn¡¯t pulling our leg,¡± someone behind her said testily.


    With her eyes opened, Heidi glanced over toward the nice lady as her friend responded.


    ¡°She was taking her time to hide the Farmers on her way. It seems she is using the warning bells to figure out our relative location. And I know Jorge¡¯s party by reputation; he should be coming back soon.¡±


    An old, tired voice called out. ¡°No one attack until we figure out who she is working under. Agreed?¡±


    Helen turned to look and spotted the speaker. It was a very old man. He looked almost as old as her grandfather, though instead of a cane, he had a wicked looking ax in his hands.


    He paused as he noticed Heidi¡¯s gaze. Her heart stopped as she made eye contact. ¡°Drew, kill the girl. We don¡¯t need her anymore¡±


    Heidi tore her gaze away and held still as she noticed the nice lady and the violent man had somehow moved right to either side of her.


    ¡°Now wait one damn second. I didn¡¯t agree to killing an innocent girl!¡± Helen said.


    The man sneered. ¡°You gonna go against Sir Alan¡¯s wishes? I don¡¯t think your boss would like that very much.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, so not all of you are in it together. That¡¯s... disappointing.¡±


    A clear voice rang out in the darkness. Heidi turned her eyes, but she could hardly see in the dark. But she had noticed something peculiar. Everyone was warily looking in the same direction.


    ¡°Drop my apprentice or there will be hell to pay.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Sure, whatever you say, Farmer.¡±


    Heidi felt drowsy all of a sudden. The voices swam around her as she was dropped to the floor. The puddle she fell into was warm. Struggling to keep her eyes open, she could barely see was a blurry face off in the distance.


    Ding.


    ¡ª


    Paige frowned hard as her apprentice was dropped into a puddle of her own blood. That¡­ was going to pose a problem, Paige thought.


    ¡®That is definitely not supposed to happen! Isn¡¯t the ceremony supposed to protect the Farmer in need? Shit! Even my divine mana decreased somewhat, so it should¡¯ve been a real ceremony¡­ Perhaps she''s not in bad shape?''


    Eyeing her apprentice''s wound, she judged that she''d live for a few minutes without help. Was it just to rile her up? Her eyes wandered about the field as she finally took stock of her opponents.


    Paige narrowed her eyes slightly. Back at the school, she had hardly paid attention to the people she was facing. It wasn¡¯t a battle to the death, so she simply played around a bit, but now she recognized more than a few of them under the moonlight. Her eyes flicked to the closest person to her dying apprentice.


    ¡°...Helen Divinksi, I would count it as a favor if you saved the girl before she bled out. Please save her.¡±


    All the eyes shifted toward the cloaked woman standing in front of Drew. Helen paused, though she slowly knelt down. ¡°How do you know my name?¡±


    Paige ignored her question as she eyed a few others. ¡°Chloe Tive, Alan Henderson; Maximillion June, Barry Idelt¡­¡±


    Seven of the thirty she knew from reputation as good people. Were good people. The rest were¡­ problematic, to say the least.


    ¡°So you know of us. Big deal,¡± Drew said with a smirk on his face.


    Paige looked at Drew with displeasure. It shouldn''t have astounded her, but seeing dead people continue to cause problems around the Empire was grating on her nerves. Why couldn''t dead people stay dead?


    But her eyes were drawn to a single person. The old man.


    He was going to be a problem, Paige knew. Especially since she knew who it was. And who he represented.


    The old man stood up and pulled at his necklace. With a flourish, Paige watched dumbfoundedly as he pulled out a tiny glowing shard.


    ¡°I, Imperial Servant Alan Rook, hereby order you to state your Status, Farmer.¡±


    Paige waited as she looked at the tiny Imperial Wardstone. No, she could hardly call it that. Maybe a Shardstone? If that was even a thing. Hell, if she hadn''t known who he was, she would have doubted his claim that he was an Imperial Servant with a stone that small.


    ¡°Well?¡± Alan responded haughtily.


    ¡°Why the hell would I tell you anything? Imperial Servant, my ass. Let me find a sapphire and I¡¯ll order you around.¡±


    Paige scoffed with indignation, though inwardly she was worried. Barring it''s size, she knew it was genuine. Glenn¡¯s reaction should¡¯ve been a clue to that, she realized far too late. She had previously used a dead Scion¡¯s wardstone to do her little stunt with her Status. Perhaps¡­ Servants were just that now? Or worse, Imperial Wardstones really were rare.


    ¡°I order you, as the Chief Imperial Servant under Imperial Consort Julia Maffei, to reveal your Status!¡±


    Paige stilled before she glowered. That was all the confirmation she needed.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m not here to fight anyone, you bastard. I still have a score to settle with Maxwell over what he did to my goddaughter. Don¡¯t add on to it by throwing his mom¡¯s name into the mix,¡± Paige snarled.


    She had a history with Julia, and it wasn¡¯t a good one either. Even before she had escaped, Paige knew that Julia had been burning with jealousy over the attention she had received. Not to mention what had happened after she escaped.


    ¡®She already hates my guts for killing her son once. She¡¯s persistent too, which makes things even more bothersome. Ugh, why can¡¯t she learn from Mira and have a better temper. And personality.¡¯


    ¡°You heard her. She has smeared the name of the Imperial Family. I don¡¯t care who your Scion is, but you are dying tonight,¡± Alan said.


    She knew it was the wrong thing to say, if she had been a real Servant, but she hardly cared. Over half of the people readied their stance. She looked at the others and raised a brow at a fellow Warrior.


    ¡°Even you Maximillion? You have ties to the Imperial Family now? I''m surprised that your wife hasn''t killed you for that... Or does she not know?¡±


    Maximillion was perturbed. ¡°It...wasn¡¯t by choice, but yes. And before you ask, everyone here is the same. And we all want to know how you got so strong. I suggest you come peacefully and tell us what you know. It¡¯ll be less painful that way, Farmer Paige.¡±


    Paige sighed. That was the problem with Servants, Paige realized. Of course they¡¯d want to know how she got strong. That was probably the only reason they became a Servant as well. She knew the Imperial Family would have a great carrot to offer to Mages, but what about close combat classes? They would have to be insane to go to the battlefield at their level. She swept through the others and her eyes narrowed. Over half of them had some form of plate armor, with the others favoring light to no armor. That left little to the imagination on what types of warriors they were.


    But that was something to think about later though, as Helen had successfully bandaged her apprentice up. She was even thoughtful enough to hold the girl in her arms and was keeping away from Drew and the others.


    ¡°Pull out your weapon, Farmer. I have a score to settle with you from last week. I haven¡¯t killed a Spearmaster in decades,¡± Dave said chillingly. His eyes were crazed, but it hardly mattered to Paige. She looked over and cast a pitying gaze around.


    They were all dead to her, after all.


    ¡°Why should I fight? I don¡¯t have to do anything but stand here and make sure you all don¡¯t leave.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Dave paused uncertainty.


    Everyone shifted uncomfortably as she smiled. If they had more situational awareness, they might have realized what had silently appeared. Raising her hand, Paige pointed slowly above her.


    ¡°The Harvest Bell has been rung. Why should I bother with you all?¡±


    Their eyes¡¯ dilated as they saw a copper bell floating high above them. It was rather conspicuous, as most flying objects were. But only a few recognized what it signified.


    Alan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I, I, Impossible! That artifact hasn¡¯t been seen in over three hundred years!¡±


    Paige snorted. ¡°You attacked an Imperial Farmer within a few miles of her farm. What did you think was going to happen?¡±


    Paige also glanced upwards at the nondescript bell floating in the air. This sight would go on her top thirty list of strange things, even if she had been expecting it. It didn¡¯t look like a killing machine. From the parts she remembered, it should be shining or some-


    The bell shook once; as a clear melody rang out in the distance. Watching with satisfaction, Paige saw the treetops sway violently toward them. The grass and wheat shifted toward them as a gust of wind blew above the fields.


    As the gust hit her enemies in front of her, they all doubled over in pain. Paige nodded. That was more-


    Ding


    She staggered as the sound hit her. Paige blinked as she looked at the bell incredulously.


    It had affected her as well?! Paige¡¯s mind spun rapidly. She could feel her own mana core decreasing at a fast rate as another gust reached her. ¡®...It¡¯s forcibly sucking in the mana from the surroundings! Even mine? What kind of stupid ceremony affects the person who started it?! She was also Farmer in danger for god-¡¯


    Ding


    Staggering once again, her eyes darted to Heidi and twitched. She was sleeping soundly on Helen¡¯s shoulder. In fact, only her and the two crimson cloaked girls off to the side were unaffected by the sound of the bell.


    ¡®Threats to a Farmer! Tch, the bell identified Heidi as the one in trouble, so it¡¯s targeting everyone that she identified as a threat! And since I had shown up late and she fainted soon after...!¡¯


    Paige ground her teeth. This was not how she expected this night to go. And even worse, she recognized the symptoms. Mana exhaustion. No doubt that is why the close combat classes were having a much harder time than the mages.


    Paige hesitated. Mana exhaustion wasn¡¯t a joke, but then again, her mana core was a lot bigger than it had been. And she had a veritable ocean of divine mana she could pull from as well. At the rate it was going, she could probably weather the attack without a problem with her mana alone. Her eye twitched as the third attack hit her. Her mana core started depleting even faster.


    Taking a deep breath, Paige felt the flow of her mana in her body and willed it back into her core. With a thought, she quickly hardened her mana around her own core. Though it was a quick fix, it would take weeks for her mana core to recover from her actions. It leveled the playing field for her right now though, since most people who reached High Class would be able to do it, even if it exponentially increased the cost and time it took to use mana.


    Having fixed her own problem, she blinked as most of the people around her were barely keeping upright as the bell rang for the fourth time. Surely the others would have known to do the same, though Paige realized quickly what the problem was. If they hadn¡¯t already started the process, they probably didn¡¯t have enough mana to harden it around their mana cores to stop the leakage.


    Seeing the look of pain on everyone¡¯s faces, Paige realized this was what the ending of the bedtime story was alluding to. ¡®If there is no mana, then no monsters would come to the area. And if everyone died from mana exhaustion, then of course a Farmer would be able to go home safely. Why on earth wasn¡¯t that just spelled out in the story!¡¯


    As the majority of people fell, Paige locked eyes on the most important person here. Imperial Servant Alan started coughing blood as those who could move gathered around him. Only the five closest Magess to him were barely standing upright as the shard in his hand shone bright as it flashed in time with the ringing of the bell.


    Casting a quick glance around her for threats, Paige sighed as most of the other warriors had already succumbed to their injuries there. In fact, more than a few of the bodies were slowly disintegrating as the bell converted their equipment and flesh into ambient mana. A few glass orbs tumbled out of their armor, though they too were disintegrating. Curious, but not her problem right now.


    After the seventh ring, even Alan himself was having trouble standing, and Paige realized why. With each flash of light, the shard was dimming.


    ¡°Retreat!¡± Imperial Servant Alan commanded.


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡±


    Paige dashed toward the old man and stabbed the ground with her hoe. ¡°[Power Till]! [Power Till]! [Power Till]!¡±


    Her breath caught in her chest as her mana shuddered violently within her with the first attack, though she was pleasantly surprised that the other two attacks had pulled from her mana core. Her training was paying off now, or perhaps her luck.


    She watched with satisfaction as the ground violently churned in front of her. Paige just needed to distract them and the bell would do the rest. The few who could move tried to dodge, but those that left the faint light from the wardstone fell unconscious as the bell rang for the ninth time.


    Alan took a deep breath and swung his cane down. ¡°[[Granite Platform]]¡±


    The ground hardened around him as her attack reached him, and Paige humphed as the soil merely lifted him a few feet before flowing past him.


    Alan coughed blood as he took to a knee, and if looks could kill then Paige would have already died.


    Paige watched as the Mages who had tried to dodge breathe their last. It pained her a bit seeing Maximillion die, but he had made his choice.


    Heidi, Chloe, Helen, Paige, Alan, Albert. The six of them left were the only ones left alive in the clearing. Paige watched somberly as she waited for the final bell toll that would seal Alan and Albert¡¯s fate.


    Waiting a few seconds, she blinked in confusion as the bell stayed silent and started to disappear above them. Paige blinked at the sight and frowned. She quickly realized what the problem was.


    ¡®...I only rang the bell ten times. Don¡¯t tell me...¡¯ Paige sighed to herself. Of course it would come to this. She looked onward at the final two enemies and debated to herself whether or not to leave them alive.


    ¡°You¡¯re a dead woman!¡± Alan snarled. Raising the stone above his head, he yelled, ¡°You¡¯re all dead! Once the Imperial Cons- AHH!¡±


    Alan held his arm tight as he looked at his arm. His hand and the stone was missing. Paige lowered her outstretched hand as Alan writhed in agony. She blinked across the field and stopped behind Alan. Bending down, she retrieved her steel spade and stepped forward, the only sound in the field was her footsteps and Alan¡¯s screams.


    Looking down at the shard held tight in the dismembered hand, she lifted her foot and placed it lightly on the hand. ¡°You picked the wrong person to threaten, Alan. Maybe in your next life you won¡¯t make the same mistake." She paused. "Or maybe not, since it still came down to this.¡± Shifting her weight, she crushed both the hand and the stone underfoot.


    No, Paige had enough of the Imperial Family and their Servants.


    Turning around she stared at the few surviving people. The look in her eyes caused everyone to shudder. She was done playing around.


    Mage Albert looked in horror as he raised his hands. ¡°I sur-¡±


    The steel spade pierced his heart a moment later. ¡°Next time choose your friends better, Albert.¡±


    Walking forward, she stopped over the mage¡¯s body to pick up the spade and slowly strode over to Alan. His face was a mask of horror, and became even more realistic when Paige¡¯s spade impaled itself in his stomach.


    ¡°Sorry, Alan. But you won¡¯t be going down in a blaze of glory. And too bad, you old fool. Julia probably replaced you the moment you left the capital. She''s like that. Not that you''ve ever gotten to see past her facade.¡±


    Alan face turned pale before shouting aloud, ¡°Long live Imperial Cons-¡±


    Paige flicked the blood off her hoe. ¡°... I¡¯ll deal with Julia later. Someone needs to teach her a lesson. Again.¡±


    She sighed to herself before glancing toward the remaining two problems. Helen and Chloe stepped back as Paige debated what to do. Killing them would be easy, but she had a feeling that wouldn¡¯t work out well for her. Her eyes flickered to Heidi, and Paige let out a slow breath. But perhaps someone else could use some extra hands...


    ¡°Now then¡­ let¡¯s talk about the two of you.¡±

 Character Synopsis - Post Ritual

    Post-Ritual - Paige Alduit


    Class - Farmer - no mana affinity, restored mana/divine mana core - Age: 30''s


    Lazy boned farmer with full appreciation of life. Upon seeing Markus as a baby, she saves and raises him. Values freedom and personal choice. Too set in her habits to stop training, she is constantly urged to find Isabella and to train Markus. When pushed to fight, she will, though her battle skills are locked when she does not perceive an active threat. Veritable font of knowledge when she can recall information. She has a lot of holes in her memory, though she can recall better when stressed or with visual reminders.


    <hr>


    Post-Ritual - Zenith Anna Brent


    Class - Teacher - Age 30''s


    More powerful Mage, post ritual her affinity has increased and changed slightly. Takes on the appearance of Nick''s deceased wife after the ritual. Typical height, Hair color is brown with green tips due to dual affinity. She loves teaching and learning. Has one student, Lily Thompson. She is currently labeled as an Imperial Servant, though her Scion is unknown.


    <hr>


    Post-Ritual - Nicholas Brent


    Class - Bowyer. - Age: 30''s


    Has a hard time differentiating Zenith/Anna. Cannot gather clues due to forest restrictions. Learns that he and his wife had died, but the daughter is missing, presumed alive. Has inkling that someone has betrayed the Ranger command, hence why they were targeted. Monster attack at village does not confirm nor deny his suspicions. Daughter is currently alive.


    <hr>


    Post-Ritual Tyler Merk


    Merchant - Age: 30''s


    Seller of candy and misc goods. Focuses on gathering supplies and information for the Party as they are trapped in the forest. Currently still in Alcudia, keeping an eye on/working with Bishner and Luna to prevent the war from progressing further into the country. Has one student, Tyler Madson.


    <hr>


    Post-Ritual - Markus Ederite


    Class - Apprentice Swordsman (Others hidden. Main is Blessed Apprentice) - Age: 11


    Raised by extended family. Has a cape from his real family. He was trained by his aunts and uncles in various fields. He has been having flashbacks for most of his life, though he does not put a lot of emphasis on what is shown. He wonders about his real family, though he does not actively probe for information. Knows something is weird with Isabella''s family, and is suspicious on why they treat him so well. Wonders the same about Isabella and his family. He is rated by Paige to be lower than a Scion''s skill level, though his skill acquisition and learning ability is on par with one around his age.


    <hr>


    Post-Ritual - Stella Platz


    Class - Alchemist - Age: 30


    Mother of Isabella Freal Platz. She is currently working as an independent Alchemist who does not discriminate against Demons/Half Demons. Retains all of her memory from the fight in the mausoleum. She does not trust Paige''s party fully, but is committed to trying things diplomatically since it would be dangerous otherwise. She wants to go back to Trent, but is unwilling due to the unknown nature and reasons behind the blood sacrifices happening on the eastern front lines.


    <hr>


    Post-Ritual - Luna Platz


    Class - Teacher (Currently a Librarian) - Age: 30¡¯s


    Older twin of Stella. Loves indulging her hobbies of reading and relaxing. She is working towards getting access into the Nespe Library vault, where she hopes she can research more of Peter''s past and unlock what the ritual has done. Committed to going back to Trent eventually, though she wants full knowledge of what the Senate is doing before heading back with Isabella.


    <hr>


    Post-Ritual - Shavie AlieviSupport creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Class - Bodyguard - Age: 30¡¯s


    In her own words, she has become lazy and content with her new life. Too set in her ways to change, she has a fondness for trouble, usually of her own making. She has retained most of her skills as an Assassin, though it is shifted slightly to match her current Class. Protective of Markus and Isabella, due to her wanting them to have a mostly normal childhood. Wants them to get stronger, though, so she teaches them in her own way.


    <hr>


    Post-Ritual - Bishner Matos


    Class - Appraiser- Age: 30¡¯s


    He uses his new class to seek information and spy. It has shown that he is no slouch even as an Appraiser, capable of capturing Trent/Evidian Scouts alive. His arm is currently covered by symbols, which grant immense power at a cost. He acquired it as he moved closer to Trent. He is very wary of returning to Trent, though he is still patriotic and wants to return to his homeland.


    <hr>


    Post-Ritual - Isabella Freal Platz


    Class - Apprentice Cleric (Others hidden. Main is Blessed Apprentice) - Age: 11


    Daughter of Stella Platz. Overprotective family notwithstanding, she is happy. Has been having dreams from a young age. She has been shown to acquire skills and knowledge adeptly. Outwardly clumsy, Isabella is forced into becoming a Cleric due to her affinities. Has two good friends, Lily and Tyler.


    <hr>


    Lily Thompson


    Class - Apprentice Mage- Age: 16


    Main apprentice of Zenith. Has been taught a range of magic theory and survival skills from a young age. She has a longing toward adventure and wonder, and actively works toward her goal of becoming an Adventurer. Party Leader for Cidala''s Heroes. Currently has the informal label of ''Imperial Servant in Training'' plastered on her back due to her skills and mentor. Not in a recognized relationship with Tyler, though she is unopposed.


    <hr>


    Tyler Madson


    Class - Apprentice Vanguard- Age: 16


    Main apprentice of Tyler/Paige. Due to being in the same classes as Lily, he has been taught a range of magic theory and survival skills from a young age. Level headed, he recognizes that he is the main defender for their Party and actively works to do his best. Has training with the Healer Hall Protectorate on how to defend against threats to Healers. Not in a recognized relationship with Lily, though he strives to work harder to prove himself.


    <hr>


    Clairence Shiffrin


    Class - Knight in Training - Age: 16


    Adopted daughter of the House of Shiffrin, Fourth in line to the Pruite Monarchy. She is a recognized archer of Pruite, though she has been taught the relevant skills of being a Knight due to being in line for the throne. Although she is glad to be a student, she is slightly resentful for being unable to leave Lily''s Party. According to Paige, her class is all messed up from the wide range of skills she has been taught.


    <hr>


    Nimi Cerino Alduit


    Class - Princess (Currently listed as a Fencer) - Age: unknown


    Paige''s niece and daughter of Peter and her former disciple. In Paige''s eyes, she is a runaway princess, though she does not have any guards as far as she can tell. She has an unusually low affinity for mana, and a reduced mana core; both highly unusual for anyone with an elven bloodline, even if it has been diluted. She views herself as the granddaughter of Grandmaster Flynn. According to Paige, her class is all messed up from the wide range of skills she has been taught.


    <hr>


    Heidi Line


    Class - None - Age: 14


    Great, great, great, great, great, great granddaughter of Farmer Charles Line. She has the heart of a Farmer, though she does not have the Class yet. Apprentice to Farmer Paige. The bell has recognized her as a Farmer.


    <hr>


    Odessa Haven Goodwin III


    Class - Grand Healer - Age: 30''s


    The youngest of the Goodwin line, renowned for having the most Grand Healers of the Imperial Healer Hall. Has been burdened with responsibility due to her family being recluses. Forced to go to Alcudia to negotiate with Paige, though it has been shown she is effectively stationed there for an indeterminate amount of time. View''s Paige''s Party as Imperial Servants, though they do not act like the ones she has seen before. She has sent a message from Paige to the Dragons; though the delivery status is unknown.


    <hr>


    Queen Rebecca Freal


    Class - Fencer - Age: 80''s (looks 30''s)


    Current monarch of Alcudia, she is burdened with responsibility following the death of Peter and her husband. A proper High Class, though her strengths are unknown to many. She has survived the current war in Alcudia and is managing the country from Nespe Academy. Her son is currently acting as the puppet ruler for Scion Maxwell. Her two daughters, Alexandra and Beatrice, are away from the country. She regains a lot of her memory through the use of mana exhaustion, though the consequences are severe. She has made a deal with Peter that has not been fully explained, though she know that her daughter Isabella and Paige are now alive.


    <hr>


    Peter Alduit


    Class - Blessed True Hero - Dead


    Recognized as the only Blessed True Hero of the Empire at large, though Paige is doubtful due to Imperial propaganda. It has been shown that he has made a deal with the Queen to bring Paige to life, though the ritual has not been fully revealed to the all relevant parties. Rebecca thinks he committed suicide at the mausoleum to power the ritual. Rebecca also infers he is deeply regretful towards his sister, though the circumstances of his sister''s death are unknown. Asks Paige to fix his mistakes, though Paige does not know what mistakes he is talking about.


    <hr>


    Goddess of the Sun


    Protector of the Hearth and Fields


    One of the only major gods known, though the information is known to only a select few. Not much is known besides her name, and that is only known because of Peter doing the harvest festivals in Alcudia. The practice of the harvest festival has been shown to have spread across the Empire, though oddly the name has not. Paige changes the goddess''s name depending on the time of day it is.

 Chapter 81

    Paige blinked in mock surprise as she saw Markus waiting at the front door. She shouldn¡¯t have been surprised to see him, but what did surprise her was the faint scent of blood on him.


    ¡°You made it back alright. Anything exciting happened?¡± Markus asked after a moment.


    ¡°Nope. Only had to kill two by my own hand. The rest¡­ well¡­ let''s just say I had some help for the rest of them." That was all technically true, and Paige could use him as practice for when she had to fool Zenith. Already, she knew she had to heavily play down the ceremony or Zenith would attempt to kill her. Again.


    But that was a later concern for a different day. Paige pointed to his side and frowned as she saw the faint hint of red on his clothes. "You got injured? How tough was it on your end?"


    Besides the brief fight in the mausoleum, she had only known Shavie for the better part of a few weeks. But still, Paige was interested to see what kind of opponent Shavie thought would be a good challenge for the kids. It shouldn''t have been too difficult with her there to support them, but she wasn''t quite sure how sane Shavie was either. Thus far, Shavie was very different from what she imagined an Assassin would be like.


    Markus hummed a response. ¡° Hmph, I should have dodged better. Got grabbed, but no bad wounds. Tyler got injured.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Paige nodded. That was to be expected. She wasn¡¯t training Markus to fight against people to the death, and that went double for the rest of his party. But it was odd that he wasn¡¯t wounded more than just a slight flesh wound. With his fighting style, she expected him to have traded more blows than just one or two. Paige narrowed her eyes in thought. How come the opponent focused on the others?


    ¡°How bad is bad? Forget it , I can guess how bad it went¡± Paige said. If Markus said bad, then it was at least life-threatening in more than a few ways. ¡°Who was the opponent?¡±


    ¡°Hunter-thief variant. Serrated blades, wind affinity, ranged specialist. Didn¡¯t change fighting styles when I closed in, but he wasn¡¯t focused on me, Aunt. Or Isabella.¡±


    Paige nodded slowly. Markus wasn''t a complete idiot. And as a rare genius in combat, it hadn''t taken much for Markus to settle on the most likely reason for that.


    "I¡¯ll deal with it," Paige said.


    Markus grunted quietly. He stood in the doorway still. "I don''t mind the fight. It was good practice for us. But Tyler¡¯s injury is too much. Hell, I don''t mind that her family is weird, Aunt. I just want us to get compensation for being put through that."


    Paige nodded. Sensible enough. "Anything specific?"


    "Dunno. Whatever you think we need?"


    "Done. We''ll rob them of some good stuff."


    Markus raised a brow doubtfully. It almost hurt her to see him have so little faith. "Can you do it low key? The rest of the party doesn''t need to know."


    ¡°Done and done. Don''t worry, your Aunt Paige is on the job now."


    Paige chuckled under her breath as she patted Markus on the head as she passed by. He was getting a bit too tall for that now, but habits were hard to break.


    Stopping at the threshold, she paused as she recognized the trap already laid into the door.


    Markus spoke up. "The phrase to disable it is ''Eit mon sun'', or-"


    "May the sun never set. Hm, awfully nice of Stella to do that. And she upgraded her trap to deactivate to a verbal command. That¡¯s handy," Paige remarked.


    Markus coughed slightly, "Aunt Zenith upgraded it, and may have suggested it to Miss Stella; if only to break the ice a bit before you came back."


    That was unusually grown-up for Markus. Usually, he would feign disinterest and watch from the side. Paige knew that Markus was using this as a way to atone for his actions, or lack thereof, too. Whether intentional or not, she knew that Markus would rather have taken the injury instead of his friend.


    Opening the door swiftly, the heavy scent of blood permeated the centralized hallway. She upgraded her concern a few notches as she continued moving and stopped before the main wooden doors. She could hear the screams from inside, as well as a flurry of activity.


    "AHH!"


    Opening the door, Paige shifted her body as Nick stabbed at her. She sidestepped and snapped her own hand forward to stop Nick.


    "Paige, where the hell were you?"


    "Dealing with a problem. Good, Odessa and Zenith are on it."


    She released a pent up breath as a faint light enveloped a table. Odessa and Isabella held their wands aloft while Zenith held a scalpel. Tyler screamed in pain as Zenith cut into him while stitching up his intestines. Extremely messy operation, especially when the kids were doing their best to hold him down.


    That begged the question, what the hell was Isabella''s parents doing? They should have far more experience with tending to battlefield wounds than Zenith.


    A cursory glance around the room explained why Nick was standing by the door and why Zenith was doing the cutting. The mana within the room was a sight to see; the shadows clung to the surfaces away from the Healers. The darkness was unsettling as Stella and Shavie stood far off to the side, the darkness almost a solid wall as they worked on something. From her vantage point, she could faintly see a sparkle of light from within the darkness.


    Paige strained her eyes to pierce the dark veil, but with no avail. But as they moved, she thought she could see Stella pick up some herbs. Stella was making potions then, or something to that effect. That was ¡­ an unusual process, Paige knew. Not that she had much experience in watching an Alchemist work since she hardly believed in using potions. Supposedly, Alchemists were even more secretive than Blacksmiths with their recipes, something she had been chewed out on numerous times by her former crafting friends.


    ¡°How long have they been at it?¡±


    ¡°Since they arrived after dinner.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    A few hours then. Her eyes darted around the room before they landed on Claire. It was surprising to see everyone helping, but in her experience, fighting to the death usually improved Party relations if everyone survived. Paige was tempted to ask about Claire, but she knew it wasn¡¯t the best time to ask. And lucky for her, she watched as Zenith cast [[Sleep]] on Tyler.


    Everyone let out a breath of relief as Tyler quieted, the healing mana in the air quickly disappearing as Stella released their own hold on the dark mana in the room. Stella held a small beaker of liquid away from her. The liquid shone like a dying ember, not bright, but a deep glow of magic. As Paige watched from afar, she quickly separated it into three different bottles and diluted it with water before handing them off to the healers.


    ¡°Isabella, take this over the next ten minutes. You know the steps. Odessa, yours is over the span of five minutes. And Zenith,¡± Stella hesitated. ¡°Take it as you will.¡±


    Zenith grabbed her bottle and chugged it before noticing that Paige was there. She coughed before pointing viciously toward her. ¡°You have some nerve not being here, Paige!¡±


    Mana potion, if Paige was judging it accurately. ¡°Hey Zenith. Glad you''re having fun at school. And you don¡¯t need me; I can see you have everything under control.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been poisoned," Zenith said.


    ¡°So? You have three Healers here. And one is even a Grand Healer!¡± Paige countered.


    Odessa shuffled awkwardly, as Zenith finished chugging the last of her potion.


    ¡°A Grand Healer who can¡¯t neutralize poison!¡± Zenith hissed.


    Paige paused and chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re pulling my leg. Even Apprentice Healers know [[Neutralization]]! And barring that, you have two¡­ well, one Alchemist here. Surely they can whip up an antidote.¡± Surely an Assassin would know how to neutralize poisons.


    But reality kicked Paige in the gut as Stella coughed from the side. ¡°We are not well versed in Southern or Eastern poisons, for various reasons. Not to mention the regional fauna differences. Now other poisons¡­ well, I''ve been supplying mana potions at least.¡±


    Paige caught the hidden undertones. At least she knew why Zenith was so upset, it was falling on her to keep the boy alive.


    ¡®... jeez, I have to do everything around here!¡¯ Paige thought. Pulling out a small tome, she weighed her options before her, and tossed it over to Odessa with a sigh. This was ridiculous! What was the use of a Healer Hall that couldn¡¯t heal atypical battle wounds? ¡°Learn this spell. And then pass it on to the Healer Halls. Tell Glenn I expect something for this.¡±


    Paige turned her head and stared intently at Tyler. He was sweating and visibly in pain, even though he was unconscious.


    "I picked up some food on my way in, fresh from the bakery. Why don''t you kids go and reat. Odessa, you mind watching over them? You can read the introduction to the spell while you wait," Paige said.


    Her tone instantly set off Lily, but she held up a hand to forestall the girl. "I promised Markus that Tyler will be fine."


    "But!"


    Paige''s eyes hardened. "Lily. When a High Class speaks, everyone listens. That goes doubly for Apprentices. I know you are worried about Tyler, but we have our own means of healing, and that requires absolute control over the ambient mana. Just¡­ go and have a cookie, rest, and Tyler will be alright." Paige softened at the end. Even she wasn''t that cold hearted to kick Lily out like that, and doubly when Isabella was there too.


    Lily wavered until Paige noticed Zenith motioning her out. It looked like Odessa had wanted to stay too, but a pointed glare sent her scurrying for the door.


    As the door slammed shut, Paige threw a card onto the door, the faint silver lines etched into it glowed as it struck the door. "Okay, what the hell, Shavie? You had one job to do!" She turned, though she paused to make sure Tyler really was knocked out. "And poisoning Tyler? Really?"


    "I had nothing to do with his little accident, nor his poisoning. And I take offense to your accusations." Shavie said with mock surprise.


    Paige moved to stand between Shavie and Nick. "Mhmm, and every human Assassin knows how to mix poisons? And besides the fact that I''ve faced Demon Assassins before and recognize the symptoms, Markus also noted you killed the others in the party and left that one to face them. Hurry up and heal him."


    Stella cupped her head in her hands and massaged her scalp. "Shavie¡­ we''re playing nice."


    Shavie stilled as she considered her options. Giving her surroundings a glance, she let out a small groan and moved over to Tyler. Taking some small needle from her sleeves, she stabbed Tyler in a few places. Paige watched as the needles turned black, and Stella removed and replaced them until they no longer tarnished. Everyone watched her, and she must have felt uncomfortable, since she started filling in the silence. "To be fair, I did limit the danger. I even stopped him from killing them all outright. The poison¡­ well, let''s say I never met a human who used poison before. How was I supposed to know he would coat his dagger with his own blood! Or that my poisons would react with his?"


    "I told you that this would happen, Paige," Nick said.


    She turned and watched Nick lean back and fold his arms. He didn''t have his weapons out, which was good. And he may have had a point too. Paige considered it for a moment. "... One injury, three light wounds, and a few mental scars. For a party of Apprentices against a High Class, I''d count that as a success by any standard. Poison was a little over the top though."


    "See! Everyone was safe. I would have stepped in sooner, but the kids managed to kill him after his blade got stuck in Tyler''s shield," Shavie exclaimed. "How was I supposed to know he got nicked in the stomach by it? Stupid thin ass shield. Can''t even block a dagger."


    Paige nodded along to keep the peace since she knew only Markus and Isabella would have left alive if it was up to Shavie''s discretion.


    Paige eyed Zenith and coughed. She hadn''t forgotten she had to placate her, especially since her bad news was coming up soon as well. "Well, crisis averted. We''ll get the kids a full set of upgraded armor. Short of them getting stripped of their armor, they won''t have a scratch on them from now on. Stella will supply actual antidotes, and Shavie will teach how to identify poisons."


    Shavie frowned. "Unacceptable."


    Paige glanced over to Isabella''s mother. "Stella?"


    Stella sat there tired. "Material wise, that would be expensive." She rubbed her face, and dusty lines streaked across her face. Whatever material she had used was either really dirty, or had turned into ash.


    "More expensive than getting on Isabella''s bad side? And Markus''s?"


    "... Shavie will teach at night. I''ll get a list of materials ready."


    "Stella! You know my hou-"


    Shavie glared hard, but Paige watched as Stella stood up. "You brought this on yourself. And this had me making mana potions throughout the night. For no reason other than to cover up your mistake. I''m tired." Turning her gaze over to Zenith, she bowed heavily and apologized for Shavie''s part in it. She moved for the door and quietly pocketed the semi glowing card. "Shavie complained you had all the fun. How many people did you kill? And will it affect us?"


    Zenith choked on her potion as she glared. Paige didn''t meet her eyes. "I only had to kill two people, thank you very much."


    Zenith wasn''t fooled. "And how many others died?"


    "Close to forty. But lucky for me, Peter had sufficient safeguards around the school to prevent Imperial intrusion."


    A big fat lie, Paige knew. She was fairly certain her actions were going to come back to haunt her, and Zenith would definitely be dragged into the matter, but she wasn''t about to tell Zenith that she had used a ceremony based off of an old folktale; one that had worked far better than she would have thought, and might have very long ramifications for the future.


    It was much easier to put the blame on her brother at this point than to tell the whole truth.


    Zenith squinted. "Really?"


    "Yup. Peter had created a formation to target any active Imperial Wardstone shards, as well as anyone who was allied with said stone''s holder. How he did it, I don''t even want to fathom. But it vaporized everyone, so there was hardly any cleanup left besides checking for long range Scouts."Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Paige¡¯s mind went into overdrive and quickly spun a semi plausible event; taking great care to point out the Servant and a few of his allies from memory. She didn¡¯t mention who he was under, but anyone who investigated would find a small pool of people it could be. And while a few good people died with him, she would make amends privately when things died down.


    Mentally apologizing for dragging their names through the mud, Paige waited as Zenith parsed through her explanations and nodded, albeit begrudgingly. "I''ll handle it with the school. Having no bodies is inconvenient, but it will have to do."


    Paige blinked. ¡°You¡¯re not mad at me?¡±


    ¡°...honestly, I¡¯m more tired than mad. And since Peter had set it up, it will be easier for me to convince the school that it wasn¡¯t our doing. Now, give me a few days and I might change my mind on this.¡± Zenith sighed warily. ¡°If you weren¡¯t the Party Leader Paige¡­. Whatever. I can deal with this inconvenience.¡±


    It was mildly impressive how Zenith was taking this information in stride. She knew that anything related to Imperial Scions were bound to be problematic, especially when the Consorts were moving as well. But, if Zenith was willing¡­ Paige would make her a nice dinner as a thank you. It was the very least she could do.


    "Yeah. Well, now that Tyler is all healed, how about you all rest up while I settle the kids and Odessa."


    Paige turned and left before anyone could speak up. She sighed with relief as she closed the doors. Luckily, Zenith had bought her explanation, even if it had a few holes, everything she mentioned was plausible.


    Walking into the morning sunlight, Paige blinked as the kids ate their biscuits and fresh breakfast pies. They were fine, but Odessa was propped on the side of the wall, her head lolled in sleep.


    That¡­ was odd. She had expected it the other way around. She scoffed as she checked Odessa. Some Grand Healer she was turning out to be.


    Markus looked up and shrugged. "She fainted."


    "I can see that. How''s the food?"


    Paige waved Lily down and gave her a bright smile. "Tyler is fine and will make a full recovery. He should wake up in a few hours."


    Lily sighed with relief and visibly attacked the food in front of her. "You all must be starving. I''m glad you like the food."


    "Mhmm! The food is hot and gift is great. It was really nice of you to get this for us," Isabella said.


    "Heh, I hope the food¡­ gift? What gift?"


    Isabella paused to take a glance at Markus. "The wind chime. It makes a pretty sound."


    She watched with increasing tension as Isabella pulled out a tiny object from one of the bags.


    Ding


    Paige almost shuddered from hearing the sound as Isabella shook crumbs off the copper bell. A tiny paper sail was attached to the clapper of the bell, and as the wind caught it, Paige saw the writing on the sail change as it faced her, though it turned back to normal as Isabella read the words aloud.


    ''Stop getting into so much trouble!''


    "May the hearth be warmed by sunny fields of gold. What does that mean?"


    "... it''s a traditional blessing for Farmers. Welp, so long as you like it, I don''t mind if you keep it, Isabella. It''s, uhm, best used by someone like you. Yeah. Mhmm, don''t lose it. And, uh, Markus, send a message to the Healer Hall and let them know Odessa is exhausted from Healing. They can decide whether or not to bring her back to their facility. Nimi, let me know if you can ring it, too¡­ I''m going to bed."


    ''Whatever. Not my problem. Not my problem.'' Paige chanted her mantra as she picked up Odessa, turned, and walked back into the house. She had enough problems to deal with without adding that to her day.


    <hr>


    Markus watched his aunt cautiously retreat back into the house before looking back at the bell. Well, not just him, even Claire and Nimi were staring at the nondescript bell in Isabella''s hand.


    Lily looked at the bell with suspicion. Then she looked over towards him.


    "Think I should''ve told her that Miss Odessa passed out from fright?"


    Markus scratched his head. His secret was far more pressing. He wasn''t about to tell anyone that the bell had floated past him before neatly placing itself into the bag of treats.


    "...nah. I have a feeling that Miss Odessa will be giving my aunt a hard time about¡­ this... thing."


    "Still feel like dying every time you hear the bell chime?" Isabella asked before shaking the bell.


    Lily chuckled as Markus rolled his eyes. "Jeez, I say one thing to lighten up the mood¡­" He suppressed his discomfort and shook his head. The damn ringing was obnoxious, and it made his back crawl with a phantom pain.


    Lily motioned for the bell and shook it, though the bell stayed silent. "Weird. Markus, think this is number twelve or fifteen on the list."


    "Personally, I think this is number eight."


    "List?" Claire asked as the bell was handed to her. She shook it, and nothing happened.


    Markus shrugged. "My aunt has a list of adventuring rules. Eight is ''don''t look a magical gift horse in the mouth.''"


    Claire handed the bell off to Nimi. Nimi frowned, but shook it once. A clear chime echoed out, and Markus tensed as the sound hit him. Great, two people could make the stupid bell work.


    Lily pouted as Nimi shook the bell. "Twelve is ''equipment that can be used by certain people must be rare and should never be tossed.'' Fifteen can be summarized as ''Tools are meant to be used; first step is to find out why it was made.'' In short, we might have a quest!"


    Lily smiled, clearly intent on exploring this to the fullest while Markus curbed his enthusiasm. This had all the markings of a troublesome, and probably annoying, situation. At least it was getting Lily''s mind off of Tyler. He frowned as Nimi stretched out her arm to pass him the bell.


    "Your turn," Nimi said.


    He made eye contact with her and mentally grimaced. Deep in her eyes, he could tell that she was interested in what he had said before.


    Talking a deep breath, he took off his glove and grabbed the bell. His arm twitched once as the bell landed in his hand, though he hid it by shaking the bell.


    The bell chimed slightly, and a burning sensation raced across his back. He could feel something within his core shudder, and he felt like puking his guts out. Schooling his face into a bored expression, he was inwardly glad for his lessons with his uncle. "So, Isabella, Nimi and I can ring the bell. Thoughts, Lily?"


    Lily grabbed the bell and tapped it on the ground but it remained silent. "Too small of a sample. We''ll have to get your parents to try as well, and see what happens." Frowning, she handed the bell back to Isabella. "Since Miss Paige meant it for you, you should keep it for now, Bella."


    They all sat back and relaxed slightly. Their weekend had gone from relaxing to gut wrenching within the span of a few hours. "So, have you all decided on what classes to take?"


    Lily nodded dejectedly. "Most of the magic teachers have scheduled their classes around the same time as mentor''s, so I''m taking mostly general classes. Advanced Trap Dismemberment, Monster Identification, Monster Processing, Introduction to Magic Theory¡­. And I might add Party Theory and Leadership as well, if I can fit it in. And if I don¡¯t like those classes, I¡¯ll drop them and stay with Mentor and learn from her."


    Markus nodded to himself. Lily was still keeping true to her goal of becoming an Adventuring Party. That''s ideal, Markus thought, since he was tired of killing people for the time being.


    Monsters were fine, people¡­


    Lily settled down next to Isabella. Her eyes soon started to close as they both drifted off.


    Markus rubbed his shoulders. The pain on his back was slowly subsiding now, and instead was inching its way along his muscles. He pushed a finger into his tendon as he felt a knot forming. Counting to ten, he slowly eased up as he forced his muscle to stop holding the tension. Say what you will about his Aunt Paige, but learning how to relax his body was something he was immensely thankful for.


    Still, since he wasn''t as tired, he decided to converse with his new party members, lest Lily starts to complain about his behavior. "Nimi, Claire; are you two going to change your classes? My aunt did have a point to her rant."


    Claire shook her head. "Even though I am a Knight in training, my specialty will eventually show in my style; I just have to keep at it. My tutor said it''s not impossible to get both Hunter and Knight skills as a Knight Commander. The classes I chose complement both what I want and what the nation wants from me."


    Nimi pursed her lips in thought. "Your tutor isn''t wrong, but that''s optimistic at best, misleading at worst. My tutor said it is best to follow one path, and then transition once you reach the end."


    That caught Markus''s attention. He sat straight up as Nimi continued her mini lecture.


    "If you want to gain Hunter skills, you need to learn it in tandem with your other Skills. A Class advancement won''t gain you Skills from nothing. That''s why I am training as a Mage. Otherwise, I won''t gain Magic Swordsman. The prerequisite is Mage to Fencer to Magic Swordsman, not the other way around."


    Markus furrowed his brow in thought. His aunt had said something similar, back when he was considering his own options. Of course, she still clung to the belief that Mages and Warrior Classes could never mix, but perhaps seeing Claire and Nimi advance would make her change her mind.


    And even better, he already had a foundation for becoming a Mage! It was this moment that made him realize how useful his first Class was. Apprentice. It was so generalized, that he himself needed help narrowing down the choices. Some he still couldn¡¯t quite say what they were, but it was easy enough to separate them into a few categorical Classes. Mage, Knight, Ranger, Hunter, Warrior were all choices at the time, something that his aunt did not need to know. And while he may have told her one of the other special options, he had distinctly kept the other one a secret. That one¡­ was something he was afraid of becoming.


    ¡°Ahem, anyways, Claire, the point is that maybe you should at least think about taking some courses in Archery. It wouldn¡¯t hurt, you know. And besides, the chances that the school will have good advice for your own country is probably close to zero,¡± Markus said.


    Claire and Nimi looked at Markus oddly. He parsed through his answer and didn¡¯t find anything wrong with it. ¡°What?¡±


    Claire answered slowly. ¡°There are tons of royalty here, and the Class they specifically teach Royal Management, History, Governance, Politics¡­¡±


    Nimi nodded along and picked up the conversation smoothly. ¡°City Maintenance and Management, Defensive Architecture, Populace Densification Management¡­¡±


    Markus blinked. ¡°Popul what?¡±


    ¡°How to move people from crowded to less crowded places. You mostly need it for capital cities and the like to prevent large scale slums. It¡¯s all stuff the government has to deal with, to some degree or another. Now, there might be some biases depending on national alliances and whatnot, but the school is rather fair in that regard. Supposedly, that is. I see what Markus is getting at, Claire. None of those Classes will help you. If you were first in line, I could possibly see why it would be important, but from what I know, the Shiffron line has retired from the throne.¡±


    Claire sat there sullenly. ¡°...it wasn¡¯t their choice. They didn¡¯t have any children, and I¡¯m their first daughter. I should at least try my hand at it.¡±


    Markus frowned. ¡°It¡¯s your life, you know. Striving for someone else¡¯s dream is not living.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I make it my own dream? I¡¯m still young, after all.¡± Claire countered


    ¡®But will you have the resolve? And more importantly, time to change.¡¯ he thought. Markus shrugged his shoulders. He offered advice; what Claire did with it was her own business.


    Markus cast an errant glance at Nimi. ¡°Are you taking the same courses as Claire?¡±


    ¡°Half. It was hard getting the teachers to agree, but I¡¯m taking magic classes as well. I¡¯m hoping to consolidate my Class by the end of the first year, so that I can start taking combat classes as well. If I could learn even half of what Sir Renvi knows¡­¡±


    ¡°Sir Renvi? That pompous ass? What¡¯s so good about him?¡±


    Nimi bristled. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about one of my idol like that!¡±


    ¡°I heard the rumors on how he treated my aunt at the school. He¡¯s lucky he didn¡¯t try that against Miss Paige," Lily said softly.


    Nimi huffed, but relented slightly. ¡°He¡¯s strong. I¡¯ve heard he was almost as strong as Peter himself. He¡¯s had over sixteen Class Specializations! I¡¯ve even heard that his current Class gave him some of his Skills back too, and that¡¯s not even mentioning the fact that he knows magic too!¡±


    Markus blinked and narrowed his eyes. Now that was interesting. According to both of his aunts, Class progression was linear, and that advancement could only happen twice. This assumption was why he hadn¡¯t advanced yet, and most likely why Tyler and Lily still had their same Class as well. There were no benefits to gain by advancing sooner, not when you could master each Class first.


    For Mages like Lily, her class progression would heavily depend on what element she had affinities toward. Besides densifying one¡¯s mana core, learning and experimenting with other subsets of magic was an important part of being an Apprentice Mage.


    And for Tyler, that meant experimenting with different defensive styles. There was a difference between a Vanguard with a tower shield, a buckler, vambraces, etc. Learning which path not only suited you, but also what styles worked for what you have on hand, was what Uncle Tyler had said would allow him to advance from being an Apprentice to a Vanguard.


    That was drilled in so many times that he had held that as the truth. Hell, everyone in the school had advanced once already, which pressured him to no end. But if they didn¡¯t believe that... and with the fact that his Class used subsets¡­ Markus turned to Nimi. ¡°What is his current Class?¡±


    ¡°Mage Combat Master,¡± she said reverently. ¡°It¡¯s said that outside of the capital, he is the only one who could pressure Peter.¡±


    ¡°What about in the capital?¡± Claire asked.


    Nimi hesitated. ¡°Peter didn¡¯t spend a lot of time in the regions close to the capital; he always had to deal with one crisis after another. But he was also just one person. Most Scions have a party of Servants waiting. But I know that his teacher could consistently pressure him.¡±


    Lily spoke up. "So in essence, only Grandmaster Flynn could stand toe to toe?"


    Markus jerked his head as he turned to Lily. Her eyes were bright as she stared at Nimi. Had she been pretending?


    "You know an awful lot about what happens on Imperial lands, Nimi. More than my mentor, actually."


    Nimi stayed silent and averted her gaze from Lily''s bright gaze. Too bright, actually.


    "So my party members not only include a Cleric, but also a royal from Pruite, and someone from the Capital. Does that make you a Servant, Nimi?¡±


    Lily was incensed. Markus scooted away a bit. He knew that Lily hated being called an Imperial Servant, and having one in the party was sure to cause problems. It was one thing for his family to cause problems since Lily was a firm believer in repaying the kindness she had received from Aunt Zenith, but for someone else? He said a little prayer for Nimi as the staring contest continued.


    Nimi stared into Lily¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not. But my background is a bit special. I''m the¡­ adopted granddaughter of Grandmaster Flynn. That¡¯s how I know so much.¡±


    Lily looked highly suspicious about that information but stopped pressuring Nimi.. ¡°Mhmm¡­ Well, whatever. Look, I''m not interested in your past. We''re a party, so when you feel comfortable about opening up and telling the truth, you can.¡±


    ¡°But I am telling the truth!¡± Nimi said.


    ¡°Riiight, and I¡¯m the grand-daughter of Peter himself. It would be more convincing if you were actually adept with a blade, Nimi. If this Grandmaster Flynn is really that good, surely his granddaughter would be even better. Think of a better lie next time.¡±


    Lily turned and ignored Nimi¡¯s glare. ¡°Markus, what classes are you taking? You¡¯ve been dodgy about this subject for the past week now.¡±


    He looked up to the sky. ¡°About that. I did some digging, and the rules said that I can drop into classes as an official student, there¡¯s no need for me to worry about spots being filled. I¡¯ll decide on a daily basis,¡± Markus said. ¡°Besides, most of the classes are iffy at best, so if a lesson looks interesting, I¡¯ll go and sit in instead of committing an entire year to it.¡±


    Everyone looked at him oddly, though it was Lily who spoke up. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not exactly how classes work at school, Markus.¡±


    ¡°Meh, it¡¯s how I want to spend my time here. I¡¯m not particularly interested in listening to someone talk for hours on end. But I did hear that there is a large library, so I¡¯ll probably spend a lot of time reading books.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d rather read books than listen to someone teach aloud?¡± Claire asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sort of a bookworm. Lily¡¯s mother was the librarian at Cidala, so I got to borrow a lot of books growing up.¡±


    Markus smiled happily. It was his ideal way to spend the day. Practice with his aunt in the morning, read some books, sleep in the meadow on top of Boary in the afternoon¡­ well, that one got him into trouble more often than not, but it was fun helping Boary fight when his family wasn¡¯t around.


    Thus, he had a fairly normal childhood; one he wasn¡¯t about to ruin it by having to listen to someone else talk for eight hours a day.


    Lily must have understood something in his explanation since she deflated slightly as he smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sure my mentor would say something if she didn¡¯t approve. Well, just make sure you make some friends while you are here.¡±


    Markus chuckled at that thought. That was one of the last things to do on his list. He stopped when he saw Lily¡¯s gaze. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re serious? I have you all, why do I need to make friends?¡±


    ¡°Making connections is always helpful,¡± Lily said. ¡°You never know when someone you meet can help you. Whether it be in the form of supplies, business opportunities, or recommendations; most of the work we do as Adventurers is based on knowing the right people to get the job. And-¡±


    ¡°And how to fight monsters,¡± Markus added.


    Lily shook her head. ¡°Yes, that too, but we need to know where monsters were last sighted, characteristics, local surroundings, and the like. If we can¡¯t get people to open up to us, then we might as well not even bother being Adventurers!¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to fight monsters, Lily? There are far safer options,¡± Claire said.


    ¡°Fighting monster¡¯s is the best way to get our names out! And it always leads to new opportunities, unlike doing something like guarding caravans, or becoming a businessman. We get to explore new places, do new things-¡±


    ¡°Potentially die a gruesome death.¡± Claire said quietly.


    Markus frowned. Well, that was always an option, not just one against monsters. Hell, being sacrificed on an altar was a terrible way to die, so it was hard to say dying to a monster was the worse option. He paused and remembered that she had said something to Lily about having a traumatic experience.


    Lily remembered too, judging from the look on her face. ¡°Well, that is why we train and pick our opponents carefully. And it¡¯s not like we¡¯ll be fighting against elder or elemental monsters right off the bat. We¡¯ll work our way carefully up the food chain.¡±


    Markus nodded. That was the best way to gain fame. ¡°And it¡¯s therapeutic to kill monsters that killed your friends and family. At least, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve seen in action. My archery rival seemed more at peace after watching the monster that killed her party die.¡±


    Claire shuddered and looked like she was about to throw up. He wasn¡¯t expecting Claire to have that reaction. Nor was he expecting Lily to punch him in the gut. He rubbed his stomach idly. ¡°It¡¯s true though. You can ask Sara when you go visit your family, Lily. She¡¯ll vouch for me.¡±


    ¡°Besides the point, Markus! Claire¡­ Well, my family does supply food for the entire Alcudian army. If you want, you can practice the skills you learn there while we fight.¡±


    Claire frowned. ¡°Wait, why does it matter what the rest of the party is doing? I¡¯m going home during the breaks. We¡¯re a party, not a family.¡±


    Markus coughed and sent a look at Lily. She hadn¡¯t explained why her party was different? Or why Renvi had given them a hard time back in the exam hall? He quickly stood up and went inside to sleep. Tyler was alright, and he was about to start a new chapter in his life.


    And he wasn¡¯t about to get drawn into that argument.

 Chapter 82

    Odessa woke up with a start.


    "It''s, it''s -"


    "Yeah, a bell. Don''t wear out that statement. Youonly said it aloud the entire night," a tired voice said from the side.


    Odessa shook her head. "It''s not just a bell! It''s one of Peter''s personal weapons!"


    She turned toward the voice, but not before realizing something was wrong. It was far too cramped and dark for it to be her room. Even if it was a border Healer Hall, she had demanded a certain level of acceptability and comfort since she would be here for an unknown amount of time. And a closet like this was no way for a Grand Healer to live!


    But before she could take account of the room, a slight chill raced through her. Looking down at her bare arms, she flushed as she realized she was half naked. And she was certainly not in the same clothes she was wearing the day before. She ran through her memory, but she was certain she wouldn''t have changed into these ill fitting clothes.


    Her face reddened and she jerkily looked toward the voice and realized who she was talking to and who had most certainly changed her clothes for her.


    Imperial Servant Paige sat in a chair surrounded by both pillows and blankets. A miniature fortress of bedding sat piled in a chair, and somehow she made it look comfortable.


    Odessa ignored her embarrassment with grace as she pulled her bedding tighter around her. It was rather chilly in the clothes she was wearing, and it was rather tight around her chest as well.


    "My clothes?" she asked.


    "Getting cleaned. I''m not letting you sleep in my bed in those clothes, especially after fainting in the streets. That''s gross." Paige said tiredly.


    Her face heated with shame again as she remembered yesterday. It was a rather poor showing for her, especially in front of Apprentices.


    "Well, it was¡­ just surprising to see, that''s all."


    "No, it''s surprising to see your color choices," the woman muttered to herself, just loud enough for Odessa to hear. "But what is this about a bell being a personal weapon?"


    "...clothes. Please?"


    Paige rolled her eyes before reluctantly leaving the room.


    Odessa took the chance to gather her supposed regal look, before she realized that¡­ looks were deceiving. In fact, as she sat there in the quiet, chilly morning, she slowly sank back down into the bed and sighed in contentment as her eyes explored the room.


    The room was cramped, yes, but everything in the room revolved around one concept: comfort. The bed sheets, while plain white, were like lying on a fluffy cloud that was surrounded by lavender. It even retained body heat, which is why she got so cold, and made more sense why the Servant Paige had changed out of her clothes. Even her pillow was nicer than the one she had in her own room! It was filled with some type of liquid that supported her head just right, and even though her hair was in a ponytail, she could hardly feel the ornamental piece holding her hair together.


    Her eyes peeled out of the sheets and stared around. It was sparse in the room, a single desk and chair that was piled high with blankets, a dresser cabinet that was well worn, but looked well cared for. It was large enough for a dress to fit in, but would hardly fit more than six outfits. Farming tools were hanging on racks to the side of the cabinet. The handles were wrapped in some sort of soft fabric that Odessa longed to feel, but the metal blades were in such good shape that she wondered if they had even been used. Sure, her current identity was a Farmer, but it was hardly convincing with the state of her tools. Steel shouldn''t be that shiny.


    As the sun peeked out of the clouds, the window erupted into a storm of rainbows. She turned to look and saw a dizzying array of jewels covering the window. Thin shards, but a jewel was a jewel, and that instantly meant expensive. The pattern¡­ when she looked at it directly, it made her eyes sting for some reason, but the rainbow reflection of the room was lovely.


    Paige walked in and and cringed a bit as she held up her uniform. "Okay, well, your clothes are fine. I, uh, air dried it, so hopefully you didn''t have any magic laced into it. ... I''ll get Zenith to lace it back if it was."


    That piqued Odessa''s interest. Magic infused clothes? How advanced was this party of Servants? Besides the thin plates she sometimes wore while traveling, her clothes were just that.


    Odessa smiled. "I''ll make sure to thank Zenith. You asked about the bell? It is one of Peter''s greatest weapons. It''s official name is the Bellweather, and it was last seen during the sixty day war!" Her face drained suddenly. "But then what is protecting that area?"


    "...what area?"


    "The Southern Desert! The bell was the only defense against the Dragons!"


    Paige frowned. "It''s just a few dragonkins. No Dragon would dare cross the border."


    Odessa stared in shock. Surely everyone would remember those great beasts attempting to storm the Capital. There were depictions of the famous Dragon storm everywhere in the capital. Well, the focal point was always on Peter, but you couldn''t downplay the situation he was facing either.


    Odessa watched carefully as Paige''s eyes flickered with something. "Well, regardless, Peter himself had the bell here to protect the school. Maybe the one back there is a fake?"


    Protect the school? Odessa knew from stories that Peter had some reservations about the rest of the Imperial Family, but this was beyond overboard. Her look of disbelief must have told the Servant something, but Young Tyler''s injuries made more sense now that she knew they were fighting against Imperial Servants. Imperial Servants did not mess around, even against Apprentices. Or commoners in general, really. In fact, they were revered across the Empire at large, so what did the kids do to antagonize them? All something to look into in her free time, but there was something more important to focus on right now. "But what is protecting the Southern Desert? The bell was the only line of defense."


    Odessa waited in silence. This was far above her role as a Grand Healer. In fact, Paige would probably have to contact her Scion for advice. Then she could finally see who was advising them from the shadows. "...well¡­ I, uhh, have something that could help. But I need something in return."


    Odessa started. She had a way to solve that problem? "Something like¡­"


    "I need first edition copies of Peter''s exploits. And some reparation to be sent out. Some of the Servants... didn''t deserve to die yesterday. It was just bad luck that they ended up in range of Peter''s area of attack formation."


    Odessa slowly nodded. She had no intentions of interfering in Imperial politics, but reparations were a sort of healing, at least for the families of the dead. It would be¡­ hard not to show favoritism. But if she could get something out of it¡­ like some formations¡­ or some new bedsheets¡­


    "The first will be easy. But the second¡­ I need a favor, Imperial Servant Paige."


    "Just Paige. Or Farmer Paige. I''m rather busy, Odessa¡­"


    "I just need something to leverage my authority back home. I don''t want to be seen as taking sides, especially when it has to do with a part of Peter''s legacy."


    Paige thought for a moment before narrowing her eyes. "And if you can solve the issue of protecting the, uh, Southern Desert. How much political maneuvering will that allow you? Enough to issue statements of apology to a few dozen people?"


    "That¡­ yes?"


    Odessa hesitated. Everything she was taught about Servants was contrary to what she was experiencing now. Not that she had much interactions with Imperial Servants before, but she was certain that they shouldn''t have this much autonomy. Or did the Scion backing her have that much faith in her?


    "...I have something that can help. Or, at the very least it won''t hinder you any."


    Odessa nodded. She blinked as Paige took out a shiny red ring. The dimensional artifact.


    Oh, what Odessa wouldn''t give for one of those! Sure, her Uncle Glenn had one, but that was a rarity, even within the Capital.


    Paige released her mana and whispered something, and soon a smooth, large shield appeared in front of her.


    It was shaped funny, with the edges of it slightly dulled, as though it had gotten less shine than the middle had.


    "...okay, so what exactly is that, and how is it supposed to help?"


    Paige smiled as she took an inkwell from her table. She wrote something on the back before she started wrapping it in a bedsheet. What a waste of a bedsheet! "Well, I was owed a favor, and I intend to collect it. Hmm, fifty year ceasefire, at a minimum. That''ll do it, Odessa. Now, you just have to send someone to take it over and not mess up the traditional greeting."


    "...to who?"


    "Why silly, the Council of Dragons. Or is it called a nest? Roost? Roost of Dragons? Whatever, old Elzri owes me a favor, so I¡¯ll call it in."


    Odessa blinked and laid back down in the bed. She must be having a dream. She closed her eyes as the scratching of the pen on the shield continued. The Dragons hated humanity, especially Peter, after their disastrous defeat in the former breadbasket of humanity. That land was now a testament to both sides¡¯ hatred too, as it was inhospitable to almost every living creature. But Paige continued on talking. ¡°...and there. I¡¯ll wrap it up nicely. Gold leaf? Hrm, tricky. Nah, that would be too gaudy. But it also has to look expensive. Greedy dragons and such.¡±


    Odessa cracked an eye and watched with surprise as Paige grabbed a bar of steel and flattened it with her hands. Moving her hands steadily, she covered the bedsheet in a coating of steel, and even created a little bow made of such thin steel she was afraid it would break with just a slight jostle. ¡°What type of Skill is that? Must be a rare Skill,¡± Odessa mumbled under her breath. She thought she had said it quietly enough, but either Paige had exceptional hearing or her voice echoed within the quiet room.


    ¡°Hm? [[Craft Modification]]. Most useful Skill for any craftsman, really. Pretty cool seeing it in action, huh? One in a hundred usually learn this Skill. Or so I was told.¡± Paige smiled.


    Odessa stayed quiet. She made a mental note of the skill name before she looked at the wrapped object Paige was holding. Who was she really? And why wasn¡¯t she coordinating with her Scion for all of her actions?


    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ll teach you their traditional greeting so that your messenger won¡¯t melt the moment you meet them. Kinda like the Elves, really, with all their pomp and circumstance. Make sure you send someone who can replicate what I teach you. Now, how good are you at meowing?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ________


    "Remember, rawr! Like a kitten playing!"


    "R,R,R,R,Rawr!" Paige chuckled playfully as Odessa cried, tears in her eyes. She was close to a panic, and by the looks of it, she was nervous to boot as she pretended to be a kitten.


    That was the scene Zenith came to as she wearily came into the room.


    Paige wiped the smile from her face and became serious as she handed Odessa a rather large package. "Remember, give it to one of your honor guards. And the saying has to be done perfectly, or else the consequences will be unimaginable. And not a word to anyone!" She thrust a rather gaudy, but expensive looking package into Odessa¡¯s hands and pushed her past Zenith.


    "Zenith, hel-"


    Paige slammed the door shut before turning around.


    Zenith could already feel a headache coming on. "... and that was?"This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "Oh, nothing. Really! Just trying to get one of her honor guards killed. Or perhaps out of the picture at least." Paige explained as she straightened up her room. She took down a stained glass mural from her window as she moved her bedding to her bed. It was pretty to look at, though, without direct sunlight it was almost impossible to make out the pattern.


    "Care to explain?"


    "I''m rather busy, Zenith."


    Zenith took that in and barked a short laugh. "Hah! Your idea of being busy is not having enough time to do what you want! And before you go do your morning routine, what was that about?"


    Paige tched as she cleaned up her room. "I asked Odessa for a favor, so I''m calling one in myself."


    "A favor?"


    "Yeah, in exchange, the Healer Hall will placate a few families back in the Capital. No reason for us to deal with the fallout."


    "And that ridiculous scene I just witnessed?"


    "... The gift is for someone who¡¯s¡­he''s, uhh, unique. Yeah. That¡¯s a good word for it."


    Zenith sighed to herself, a mixture of relief and frustration. On one hand, Paige was doing something. The other, it was mostly her fault to begin with. And that reason¡­ well, she did say she had visited the far east part of the Empire, so maybe she knew a Half-Beast that owed her a favor.


    Reasons aside, she had a specific reason for coming. "I know you said the Imperial Family had interfered, but how can we prove that? You also claimed that their bodies were destroyed. Was anything left? Proof-wise, that is?"


    She already knew that the school was biased, but it didn''t take a genius to figure out where that many Imperial Servants had appeared from. ''So much for being biased against the Imperial Family,'' she thought to herself.


    Paige drummed her hand idly on her table. "Actually, Zenith, there is one piece of evidence."


    "Oh?"


    That was already suspicious for Paige. She usually left no room for interpretation, especially in regards to her own faults. A hole in the ground? Boary. A few dead bodies; a sacrificial ritual. Hell, even the harvest ritual had been carefully worded to keep the fault off of her. And now she left proof of something she had done? There had to be a catch somewhere.


    And her face matched her suspicions, so Paige raised her hands carefully. "I told you earlier, Peter did it."


    Zenith closed her eyes and counted to ten. Of course, it was all her dead brother¡¯s fault.


    "No, really Zenith! Did you ever wonder why the border guards were so laxidasical? And why there are farmlands everywhere?"


    She could hear Paige attempting to cover herself, but she still took the bait. ¡°One, because they had to feed the entire school, and there are more kids than adults here. Gluttonous, growing young adults,¡± she amended after a moment. But since Paige wasn¡¯t being forthcoming, she begrudgingly responded as she sat on the edge of the bed. "Okay, I''ll bite. What did Peter, your brother, do exactly?"


    Zenith narrowed her eyes. It had better be a good explanation, one that she was going to send Nick to verify. It was one thing to make up a reasonable story, but it was far, far harder to hide your mistakes on the go. "I thought more about what had happened when the Imperial Servant used his authority," Paige began. "It appeared to be a large scale, focused formation. The moment the Imperial Servant had pulled out his¡­ shardstone, it had gone off and killed him, his party and allies. Maybe that was the condition to begin the formation?"


    That¡­ could be possible, actually. So long as it was attuned to something, Zenith supposed what Paige said was technically possible, especially if the formations were focused to activate if an item appeared. And seeing as Peter had thrown together formations around the school, it wasn''t a far stretch to assume the same about the surrounding farmlands. After all, all the Imperial Family had to do was control the food supply and they''d be able to manipulate the school. And if it was attuned to only Imperial Servants¡­ Zenith looked up. "And the focus tool? What item was so conveniently placed that it activated in the middle of nowhere."


    "...well, since it was Peter''s personal weapon that killed everyone, I would assume that it was the focus."


    Paige had an answer for everything. Was she pinning the blame on her too fast? ¡°Did you manage to keep the weapon?¡±


    Paige hesitated. ¡°...no? No.¡±


    Zenith eyed her warily. Suspicious, but if Paige said no, then she usually meant it. She didn¡¯t have the weapon. Not that she could hold a weapon, as far as she knew. Hell, she was using her hoe during the testing exam! Well, Zenith conceded, at least she had a good idea on what to report to the school if she was questioned. She¡¯d take a page out of Paige¡¯s book and deflect everything back to the parties in question; Parties that will most certainly try something once school begins in earnest.


    She stood up to go before Paige motioned her to sit a moment longer. ¡°I have a question to ask.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s about Claire, Nick and I haven-¡±


    ¡°No no, well, I do want to ask about it, but it¡¯s about Nimi.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± She raised a brow. ¡®That was intriguing,¡¯ Zenith thought. Paige didn¡¯t usually show interest in anyone.


    Paige looked away, a sure sign of guilt as any. ¡°She, uh, might create some issues at the school. Not a big problem, bu-¡±


    ¡°Please tell me her last name isn¡¯t Alduit,¡± Zenith chuckled. Her smile faded as Paige sat there, not even looking close to her direction.


    ¡°...¡±


    Zenith¡¯s headache grew in earnest as she thought about the ramifications she was going to deal with. ¡®Great. A Princess, half elf, and an Alduit all in one! How the hell did that even happen? I mean, the Twenty Day war was over nine¡­ hundred years ago.¡¯ Her mind chucked out all the unimportant information, like what would happen if her identity was revealed while she was still in school.


    This was important. She turned to Paige, her eyes brightening as she talked. ¡°Why isn¡¯t she older? Elves grow slowly, yes, but that¡¯s only after puberty.¡± That wasn¡¯t the only problem, Zenith knew. ¡°And her magic affinity is terrible, even for a half elf. Elves are naturally attuned to mana, so it is theoretically impossible for her to have such a bad affinity.¡±


    Paige shrugged. "I have a few things in mind as well, but the biggest question really is, what is the benefit? Sure, the pregnancy might account for some time, and technically an Elf can stop labor from happening until whatever conditions are needed for their star alignment and whatnot, but decreased mana affinity is a steep cost for any condition."


    That was a good question as well. but in her mind, there was only one thing that could do something like this. A ritual. Paige must have been thinking the same, since she nodded slowly.


    ¡°I was going to ask you about that, Zenith. Besides what we went through¡­ are there any spells that could do that? Slow time, that is? After the incident at Alun Tep, the Elves closed up their borders soon after that incident, so there should be no way for Peter to meet up with Selena after that point in time.¡±


    She parsed through what she knew, but nothing readily came to mind. ¡±The autobiography is missing parts?¡±


    ¡°There were more than a few, uh, incidents, that weren¡¯t mentioned. Not everything I did was publicized, and some of it was¡­ sensitive. Things that the Imperial Family definitely would not want to spread around the Empire. I can say for certain that he didn¡¯t kill as many people as I did. Overall, his steps broadly matched mine, but I can¡¯t say for certain what he did or didn¡¯t do.¡±


    That was as good as knowing nothing, then. Zenith hesitated. There were still a lot of unknowns surrounding the ritual they went through. But as far as magic went¡­ ¡°I knew a lot of the theoretical magic that Appealte was trying to create breakthroughs in, but time magic wasn¡¯t one of them. It was deemed too dangerous overall. There was always a balancing of scales at the end, and smart researchers were deemed more important than results in magic creation.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. Living longer as a High Class is already breaking some sort of limit for sure, and even then, you have to fight to survive. I can¡¯t imagine someone creating a spell that can do the same thing.¡±


    ¡°How many battles do you have to do to stay young, Paige? I haven¡¯t had that problem yet,¡± Zenith asked.


    Paige looked away. ¡°That¡¯s a story for another time. IF you could get me a more complete biography set, I could start narrowing down some of my more extreme options. And if the ritual had nothing to do with Nimi¡¯s situation.... then we should look into Elves¡­ Dragons, and Beast Kings as well. Farfetched options, but might as well look into it since we have the time.¡±


    Zenith could feel her eye twitching. That was still leaving most of the research work to her! And it sounded like Paige was grasping straws more than having a set idea in mind. But, she did have a wider worldview, so maybe she really did know something? ¡°Paige, I¡¯m not sure we¡¯ll even find a book on them here.¡±


    Paige just shrugged. She could mentally hear her stating the obvious, ¡®If you can¡¯t find the book, then no skin off your bones¡¯, even though it was her time that would be wasted. Though, talking about books¡­ ¡°Everyone says that the school Is holding Peter¡¯s legacy. Perhaps that¡¯s the place to start?¡±


    ¡°Great! See, I knew you could figure things out!¡±


    Paige¡¯s optimism aside, Zenith hesitated. Did this really solve any of their issues? ¡°I¡¯ll look into it, Paige. But what are you hoping to find?¡±


    Paige got up and paced her small room. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ just a hunch I have. Nimi¡¯s situation should be related to us, but if it¡¯s not¡­ Then we have much bigger problems to worry about.¡±


    ¡°The battlefield you keep alluding to?¡± Zenith asked. That was a big issue, and one she knew Paige wasn¡¯t keen on even contemplating on sharing what she knew. "...We haven''t met a lot of Scions. That right there is a major problem, Zenith."


    Zenith cocked her head. "I thought you would want it that way, Paige. From what I''ve seen, everything related to them is trouble."


    "Yeah, but for the bigger picture, the more Scions there are, the less we have to do later on." Paige smiled sadly. "And I''m itching to kill some of the more troublesome ones. Just the fact that I haven''t heard of them is worrying. I''d ask about them, but I''d be drawing more attention to us if I did."


    Zenith used the time as Paige cleaned up her room to think. There were a lot of unknowns now, and school hadn''t even started in earnest yet. Teaching classes was going to keep her busy now, and that wasn''t even adding the kids or the investigation onto her list of things. She looked over and hesitated. It was so hard to ask Paige to do things. Not just because she was far older, stronger, and arguably wiser than her... but enough was enough. "Paige, I''m going to have a lot on my plate. Can you please pick up some of the slack? I can¡¯t do everything by myself."


    Paige stilled as she pulled some blankets out of her cabinet. Zenith held her breath as she waited. ¡®Please, please, please-¡®


    ¡°...alright. I can do some stuff,¡± Paige said, her tone very unwilling. ¡°Direct me to the library and I¡¯ll find the relevant books. And train the kids. And upgrade their equipment, watch Stella and Shavie, an-¡°


    ¡°Thanks so much! Okay, I¡¯ll talk to you after I find the school library. Bye!¡±


    Zenith dashed to the door and shut it tight before Paige could guilt her into doing everything herself. It was her tone of voice that somehow made her think she was doing Paige a favor if she did it herself instead of the other way around. She leaned her head back and sighed with relief. That went remarkably better than she had expected! Barring Nimi¡¯s last name, Paige had even remembered her promise from yesterday, and volunteered to do more!


    A slight scuff of a foot from outside her view attracted her attention. She smiled as Markus walked out his room, a familiar book in his hand. ¡°Reading the student manual? I¡¯m glad you have some good habits, unlike a certain person we know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Uncle Tyler needs to learn to come home more often. Such a bad habit to stay away from family,¡± Markus said as he played along.


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah, both of them need to try to improve themselves. Anyways, have any questions for me before I head to bed? I think Nick is making some lunch if you rested enough.¡±


    Markus rolled his shoulders lightly, as though he was reading on his stomach, a bad habit they both probably needed to fix. ¡°Nah, just wanted to ask Aunt Paige if we¡¯re still training today.¡± He sniffed the air like a dog as a waft of burning bacon filled the air. ¡°I¡¯ll head down in a few; Tyler snores a lot for a person who is injured. Save some biscuits for me, please?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll save some for you.¡± What a good boy Markus was turning out to be! Zenith rubbed his head, much to his chagrin. Walking down the stairs, she paused as she remembered her quick escape. She said a quick apology to Markus, and went down to eat with her husband.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hey, Au-¡±


    ¡°I just want to sleep! Why is that so hard?¡±


    Paige almost broke down into a fit of rage. There were only two times a day she had to herself. Bedtime, and then her morning routine before her morning training routine. And today, both of them were being kept from her!


    Not only did she have to give up her bed and clothes to someone who could hardly appreciate nice things, now Zenith had filled her day with useless crap all under the guise of ¡®keeping the kids safe¡¯ and ¡®investigating¡¯! The latter was an halfway acceptable, but the former? Hell, back when she was their age, she could still remember fighting half naked with only a stick, and still killing some Imperial Servants.


    Well, that last part was a stretch, even in her mind. Paige conceded it was mostly from luck, but she still had done it! ¡®Maybe Shavie¡¯s training isn¡¯t too bad for them to experience,¡¯ Paige grumbled to herself.


    She turned to the newest intruder to her room and scowled angrily. Markus should have known better than to disturb her!


    Markus raised his hands in supplication as he moved toward the bed. He hesitated before he sat down, noticing the deathly glare he was receiving. Coughing awkwardly to cover the silence, Paige nodded slowly as Markus offered her the bed instead. Handing him the chair, they exchanged seats before Markus continued. "We missed morning training, so I didn''t get to ask about the rewards..." He trailed off as he noticed the lack of recognition. "For the ''training'' mission Isabella''s aunt put us through. Did we get anything good?"


    ''I guess we did sleep the day away yesterday,'' Paige thought sullenly. "You''ll get upgraded equipment and lessons in¡­ apothecary?"


    Markus straightened in the chair. "Lessons in Alchemy?"


    Paige didn¡¯t miss that glean in his eyes. What was so good about knowing Alchemy? "No, lessons in apothecary. Field healing and antidote creation. You know I don''t believe in potions, Markus. Of course, Zenith will be giving supplementary lessons to Isabella to fix that hole in the party. Every Healer should know [[Neutralization]] as a bare minimum."


    "But I already know how to identify herbs. And you taught me some basics, remember?"


    "Yeah, but Nick and I aren''t real experts in it. Go and learn some useful tricks, and we''ll compare who knows more afterwards."


    Paige leaned back into her bed and sighed with contentment. It was tough finding that Cloud Unicorn, but it was definitely worth it! And not just for her leather armor either. She sunk into her sheets as Markus continued asking questions. Questions that could clearly wait until a later time, that is. She answered half heartedly and started drifting off to sleep and waved Markus to leave. His voice trailed off as he started to leave. ¡°Oh, and I read something in the student handbook that puts a dent in my carefree school life. Seems like you can get replaced as an official student if you skip classes, unless you fight¡­"


    Her mind woke for a moment before she turned over to sleep. Fights? In a place with factions? That was¡­ okay, it was a fair bit of a punishment for an elite school. ¡°Just don¡¯t kill anyone.¡± She made a mental note to update the girl¡¯s equipment once she woke up. And Tyler¡¯s. Markus though¡­ meh, she¡¯d upgrade his guards and call it a day. He needed to learn to take a few hits sometimes instead of trying to dodge so much! But all that could wait until after she slept.


    ¡°How hard should I try?¡± Markus asked.


    ¡°....mhmb, don¡¯t...embarrass...me.¡±


    She sunk into sleep as the door closed. Train Markus. That was the minimum she had to do to shut up the voice in her head. Now it was time to see if the training paid off.

 Chapter 83

    "Are you sure you know what you''re doing, Markus?"


    Markus turned to his childhood friend and flashed a bright smile. ¡°Of course I do, Lily.¡± He projected optimism into his voice, though it did nothing to relieve his friend¡¯s worried gaze.


    It was hard lying to a friend, even if it was for a good reason. He must not have been very convincing, since she pouted for a moment longer and turned to look at the southwest portion of the academy. Glancing at the shadows, she hesitated but walked away briskly.


    Markus waved goodbye and turned toward his other friend. Tyler''s gaze was more leveled, though he thought he spied a hint of concern as well. ¡°Was I not convincing enough?¡±


    ¡°We all read the same student manual. It doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what¡¯s going to happen. Need help?¡±


    Markus shook his head. ¡°No, you go and escort Lily to her classroom. Yours is near there too, so you should have plenty of time. Unless you need help moving?¡±


    He looked down at his friend''s waist and mentally cringed. He could already see tiny blood spots forming on his uniform. Undoubtedly, his wounds were already starting to bleed again from just simple movements. Usually, that wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but now...


    Tyler shrugged and turned to follow Lily. ¡°I¡¯ll calm Lily down. Just don¡¯t make too many enemies the first week of school.¡±


    Markus chuckled as Tyler jogged to catch up to Lily. ¡®Not make enemies. This whole system is designed to make enemies.¡¯


    There was still time before the bell rang, so Markus started walking randomly in the same direction as Lily and Tyler. He mentally eyed the campus and nodded to himself as he found good sleeping spots practically everywhere he looked. Rolling hills, shady trees, and clearly marked paths; this matched what he though school would look like. Of course, the buildings should be closer in his personal opinion, but that didn¡¯t matter much overall.


    He stopped by a grove of trees and a small trickling stream. He blinked as he felt the mana in the air. It felt reminiscent of the forest. A large boulder sat in the middle of the stream, and he mentally marked it as a great place to doze. Reading a book there would also be good, but since he hadn¡¯t figured out how to access the Library yet, he promised himself that he would use that spot one day..


    Still, even with the school buildings spread apart, there were plenty of students meandering about. No doubt most of them were heading to the coveted free classes, or perhaps they were heading to do missions. After all, he spied a few older students in full gear wandering the campus as well.


    He walked back to the main path and adjusted his gait and slowed to a more comfortable pace. Adjusting his shield and sword belt, it was time to get to business. ¡®...let¡¯s see. Five, four, three, two, one¡­¡¯. Walking past a grove of shade trees, he pulled his mana into a thread and hid it in the shadows of the tree, and quickly pulled it tight as he adjusted his shield straps on his shoulder.


    He knew it wasn''t the most covert application of the skill, nor the right way to use [Mana Shaping], but while his Aunt Zenith only taught the theoretical applications of it, Aunt Paige and Uncle Nick had quickly found some unusual, yet practical, applications for his skill set.


    A slight tug on his core told him that his mana had indeed interacted with something and a crash behind him told him his plan had worked. Quickly releasing his mana, he turned in mock surprise as papers floated to the ground behind him. A girl, probably a few years older than Lily, was sitting on the ground, her hands covering her knee. Her blue hair was tied into a simple ponytail, while her uniform was not the standard Mage outfits, rather instead of a pure white shirt, it was tinted a sky blue instead, and her dress went down to her feet. Books were sprawled out around her, no doubt the ones she had been holding just moments ago. And yet, he idly noted, her hand was still grasping a metal wand.


    Turning around, he grabbed the papers out of the air as he watched his surroundings. It didn¡¯t seem anyone noticed his little trick, which was good. And yet¡­ hardly anyone was helping her either. Grabbing what was clearly a cover page to a report out of the air, he spied the girl¡¯s info, Alice Matthes, year four, written across the upper right of the paper.


    ¡®Thank god! A senior mage!¡¯ Markus cheered in his heart as he scored big. She would definitely have the information he needed!


    ¡°You okay?¡± Markus asked with about as much emotion he could fake.


    Alice looked up and carefully scrutinized him, looking at or for something he didn¡¯t know. It was odd, and very awkward, but she soon blinked and broke out into a smile, her words tinged with relief. ¡°I¡¯m good. Thank you for your help.¡±


    ''Her reaction was weird. Intuition?'' Markus thought to himself. ¡°I¡¯m Markus. I just got here.¡±


    ¡°I know. You¡¯re one of the new freshmen on campus this semester. I heard from the information brokers that you¡¯re pretty good with a sword,¡± Alice said.


    That set alarms off in his head. He hardly liked the idea of someone recording his movements and abilities. Still, it was inevitable on some levels. Holding his hand out, he helped Alice up before stooping down to grab the books on the ground. He stopped to read the title of one of them. ¡°Force Multiplication of Mana Compression? What does that even mean?¡±


    Alice grabbed the book gently out of his hands. ¡°It means, you haven¡¯t advanced enough to recognize a good topic from a bad one.¡± Alice eyed the shadows around her and impatiently held out a hand for her stuff.


    ¡°Cut me some slack, I¡¯m an Apprentice Swordsman, not a Mage,¡± Markus grumbled as he handed her the books and papers. ¡°What teacher teaches that, anyways?¡±


    ¡°Educator Myra Eyler. She¡¯s one of the foremost experts on amplifying attacks for large scale conflicts.¡±


    ¡°...meaning?¡±


    Alice rolled her eyes. ¡°One can change a simple [Fireball] into a [Firewall] with the same mana consumption. She¡¯s on the forefront of this research.¡±


    That sounded like a great thing, but Markus just rolled his eyes. Just like with any magic that was powerful, there was probably something detrimental about it. With how many people learned [[Mana Compression]], Markus could already guess it was a one-spell-per-battle kind of spell.


    Now, if it was as good as his aunt''s spell, he''d have to start rethinking how to fight Mages in the future.


    And every teacher was probably the best on some topic here. Still, there was no sense being snarky, and he needed to be polite to get information. He eyed her posture and looked into her eyes. ¡°Well, it sounded like a hard fall. Is your knee in bad shape? How about I carry your books and you can tell me how to get into that Teacher¡¯s good graces.¡±


    Alice hesitated, but only until Markus calmly stated, ¡°You¡¯ll probably be late if you don¡¯t run, and it¡¯ll be hard for you with that much stuff in your hands.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Alice said, her voice laced heavily with suspicion.


    ¡°I¡¯m an Apprentice Swordsman. I¡¯m used to carrying stuff. And my class is being held in the south eastern testing grounds, Obstacle Avoidance 101.¡±


    ¡°...why would you need to take that Class?¡±


    That question hurt. ¡°My base Class is Swordsman. I¡¯m hoping to improve my focus during close combat engagements. It seemed like an obvious choice.¡± Markus sighed as he saw Alice¡¯s doubtful face. It was like most people didn¡¯t bother with the basics. Why was it so hard to lie about stuff? Still, he had signed up to take that class, so it wasn¡¯t a total lie.


    Alice hesitated, but shoved her supplies into his hands and took off at a slight jog. He was glad that he hadn¡¯t hurt her too much. After all, it wasn¡¯t his plan to get other people involved.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Okay, I suppose that class is relatively closeby,¡± Alice said with a huff.


    ¡°My friend says it¡¯s right outside the Magic Theory building. I¡¯ll just jump out of a window and I''ll practically be there. No big deal.¡±


    Markus lied and transitioned toward his preset questions. ¡°So, how do you get into the good graces of the Magic Teachers here? My girlfriend said most Teachers wouldn¡¯t let her get a spot in the Classes she wanted.¡±


    Girlfriend. Ha! His aunt would kill him if he tried fooling around. But from what he remembered with his Uncle, it all came down to semantics. Make it broad enough and any lie was able to pass intuition based Skills. Hell, half his party was girls, which made it that much simpler!


    Alice took her time answering, a frown on her face. ¡°Well, there wasn¡¯t a whole lot of information from the information brokers about the magic test results. The Educators in charge put a gag order on it for some reason, and threatened expulsion.


    ¡°But, if your party member had a recommendation from an upperclassman, it would be a good start for her around here.¡±


    Markus nodded. It was a good start. ¡°Mhmm, and what about the Library?¡±


    Alice stayed quiet and turned her head. He measured her breath and found she was starting to heave with exhaustion. ¡°You have an awful lot of questions for a new student.¡±


    Markus shrugged. ¡°Call it payment for goodwill.¡±


    They stayed quiet as they rounded around a bend in the path and headed for a building set away from the main path.


    The students were thinning out now, from what Markus could tell. Of course, if his memory served him correctly, that building was mainly for more advanced classes. A slight tug at his feet slowed him for a fraction of a step, but he soon regained his usual stride. He looked at the shadows on the ground and frowned for a split second before schooling his expression. ¡°So¡­ library access?¡±


    Alice slowed to catch her breath. They would make it inside the building before the bell rang, at the rate they were going. ¡°You need to be at least a second year student. Or have an Educator¡¯s access card. And those are usually only given to their own Students.¡±


    ¡°Hm, tough.¡± Markus halfheartedly said. That wasn¡¯t really a problem for him. He just had to get his Aunt to give him permission. Heck, he hardly had to go through this whole charade if that was the solution. Now he just felt bad for what was about to happen.


    "Well, this was a fun excursion, but we really should be heading our respective ways. If you need any help with anything, just ask around for ''Tempest Mages.'' You''ll find me eventually."


    He eyed the shadows and sighed. ''Sooner than you think, really.'' Handing her books over, he looked around and counted the people around them. This was going to be tougher than he thought.


    Alice looked at the shadow and walked toward the door. "You''d better get going, kid."


    "Hey, how''d you know I was an official student? What were you looking for?"


    Alice reached for the door and turned her head back. "Secr-" The doors shut with an audible bang as she reached for it. The large bell overhead rang aloud. Alice stood in shock as she tested the now locked doors.


    "Well, well. Look who''s out after the bell. Hello, Alice."


    Markus sighed to himself as the ambush closed in. By his count, it was twelve people against one Mage and a Swordsman. No, he amended, since they had known her name, they were twelve fourth year students by the feel of it.


    According to the student handbook, he only had to fight twice a day to skip all the rest of his classes. So he had mentally prepared to fight a few people, maybe even ambush a team to start the fight¡­ but not a well coordinated group like this. And definitely not out in the open either.


    He could hear Alice dropping her research notes by the locked door. "Jerome. I heard that you got a Dark Mage on your team¡­. [[Shade Curtain]] then. So he also did that trap, huh? And I told Matt just yesterday that was a stupid Skill to learn," Alice said quietly. Markus could feel the ambient mana started to flow toward her steadily. In fact, it was slightly on par with Lily, which was weird to see.He narrowed his eyes as he felt the mana moving.  ''It''s not [Mana Sense], but the way it''s gatheri-''


    The mana around him suddenly stilled as he stepped away. ''...compressing, not gathering. So that''s what [Mana Compression] feels like!''


    It was fairly noticeable to anyone who was sensitive to mana. Even worse, her hair was starting to glow too, a sure sign of mana leakage. Or maybe it was compressing so much she started to lose control over it?. Either way, he eyed Alice and adjusted his battle plans. Either her mana core was pathetically small for a Mage, or she was holding onto an excessive amount of mana.


    Markus turned to evaluate the two parties surrounding them and furrowed his brows in frustration. All of his Aunt''s lessons in identifying opponent''s Classes left him unprepared here. Sure, some of it was straightforward, like the crossbow held on a few people''s hand, but even some Warriors had a wand, or three! His eyes stopped on who he thought was Jerome and shook his head. ''How troublesome!'' A tower shield in one hand, and a large blunt club in the other, he was clearly a close combat class, and yet¡­ he was wearing a Mage outfit! ''...well, Aunt Zenith said a Mage should always equip themselves to harness more mana. Could that club be a staff in disguise?''


    He stepped to the side and eyed Alice to his side. "Hey, uh, Alice. Is that Jerome guy a Mage or a Warrior? Cause his entire outfit is a bloody mess."


    He might have said it a tad too loud, because everyone looked at him oddly. He could hear the mirth in Alice''s voice as she answered nervously. "He''s trying to become a Mage Knight."


    Markus looked back and shook his head in disbelief. ''What is everyone''s deal with advancing like that? Does no one even bother to master their actual Class?'' That went against everything he was taught. And yet¡­ it still highly tempted him to try that as well. Just imagining the possibilities, especially with his particular ocean of options, was making his heart beat faster.


    Jerome stepped forward, his face set in a grimace."Boy. How about you drop your weapon and give up peacefully. No reason for you to be beaten close to death on your first day. Especially when you aren''t in an allied party."


    Allied party? New terms, new information. Markus frowned. Just how much did Aunt Zenith neglect to teach him? "Hey Alice," he asked quietly, "how much can they get away with?"


    Her mana was holding steady, though he knew it would start decreasing within minutes. He had to have more information before the battle started in earnest. She sidestepped away. "Well¡­ he''d be right at the limit. Why? You scared to fight?"


    Her hands were shaking, Markus noted idly. But he shrugged. "I''m a realist. What do I get from repelling them?" Alice''s look of disbelief was uncomfortable, but he wasn''t here to fight senior students. Not when he didn''t know anything about them. Or, as Aunt Paige aptly put it, ''No gains, no pains.''


    "...three spells, of any element. For your girlfriend."


    "Hm?" Markus turned.


    "Three spells. Battle tested against Lesser Monsters and below to at least maim."


    That might have been a tempting option, if he wasn¡¯t a Swordsman; had a typical elemental affinity; and actually had a girlfriend. And if his aunt wasn¡¯t a Magic Teacher herself either. But it was Jerome¡¯s offer that was surprising.


    "I''ll let you keep your status as a student, boy. I''ll even swear it on my Party''s name. Just walk away. This here¡­" Jerome said with a sneer, "is personal.¡±


    Jerome¡¯s eyes were only on Alice. The air was distorted around him too. But his hair wasn¡¯t glowing. He must have had more control over his mana than Alice.


    Markus narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the Mages. It was hard to notice standing close to Alice, but only a few of the mages were gathering their mana. In fact, as he mentally calculated the distances between his opponents, it was clear that most were just there as moral support. Markus¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®Is that what he meant by allied parties?¡¯


    In a situation like this, there was only one thing to do. Nodding to himself, Markus raised his hands and walked forward. ¡°Okay. Well, I¡¯ll just stand over here then.¡±


    ¡°W-what!¡± Alice panicked behind him. Jerome eyed him oddly, as though he hadn¡¯t expected Markus to actually take his offer.


    ¡°It¡¯s too troublesome to fight this many people at once. And his deal sounds solid...Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Hmph. No one to save you this time, Alice. And your precious Mentor is having class right now. Let¡¯s see you get out of this one.¡±


    Markus stopped and turned, his eyes wary as he scanned his surroundings. Not all Teachers taught during the same period. His mind raced furiously. ¡®That must be why they are so confident about beating us close to death. The teachers must step in if we are in danger. And if that is the case, then... That means Aunt Zenith could be watching. And if she tells Aunt Paige what I just did¡­¡¯


    Markus screamed a curse as he jumped back towards Alice. It was one thing to step aside when there were no witnesses to report back to his family, but he knew there would be ¡°training¡± in store for him if word of his actions got around to the wrong person.


    Reaching into his sleeves, he flicked his hand forward and furiously pushed his mana out of his core. The small bone dart flashed through the air¡­ right into Jerome¡¯s shield.


    He was good, Markus realized. The bone dart was aimed at his knee, though how he had tracked the dart was unknown. Markus tsked in displeasure as he flicked more darts toward the other ranged combatants.


    ¡°Get ready to ru- shit!¡± Markus rotated and crouched low as the first fireball slammed onto his shield still strapped to his back. He staggered as the blow lifted him off his feet and onto the cobbled stone. Curling his shoulders, he winced as he fell wrong and twisted sharply, dodging the crossbow bolt that sparked on the stone streets. He knew that he had to get rid of Archers¡¯ line of sight before even more crossbow bolts started flying! Feeling his mana in the air, Markus dodged once more before he flung his arm out. A beam of blue appeared before him, and he instinctually shoved his cloud of mana surging ahead. ¡°[Dark Mist]!¡±


    The world darkened for a moment before he turned and ran, hoping that his allied partner hadn¡¯t moved.

 Chapter 83.1

    Alice shook in disbelief as the boy, Markus, started fighting without any warning. She had read the reports of the entrance exam battles, and knew he was slightly unconventional. But this was pandemonium! And adding in the fact that his actions were chaotic at best had left her reacting late.


    She wasn¡¯t the only one to react late, either. Though she didn¡¯t know exactly who Jerome had coerced into helping him, Alice knew that he wouldn¡¯t spare any expense to get his Student title back again. And yet, as far as she could tell, Markus''s sudden attack had already taken out at least a few of the supporting Archers.


    Archers that had yet to get up, actually. ¡®Poison?¡¯ Alice thought as she took a second to confirm they would not be ambushing her. Whatever Markus had thrown at them was strong enough to pierce through not only their uniform, but also the hardened leather arrow guard attached to their chest.


    But the boy was clearly ignorant of how to use his mana. His mana was leaking out into a cloud as he disregarded his mana usage. Was he not saving his mana for actual Skills? A sharp shrill in the air attracted her attention and she inhaled sharply as she tracked the sound and saw the sparks erupt on the cobblestone path. They were shooting crossbow bolts at him!? Markus''s actions were clearly threatening, but not to that point! And where in the world was the Judge?


    This was becoming dangerous, and fast. It was time for her to take action, especially since Jerome wasn¡¯t watching her. Alice surveyed the battlefield and focused her thoughts. ¡®Eighty paces, set in a loose semicircle. Minimal mana counter for three, high counter for four. Disregard two for area of attack. Maximum mana-,¡¯ Alice winced as she felt the mana draining away. She should have known that Jerome would wait to compress his mana until after she had!


    Alice flicked her wand sharply across the two parties. ¡°[[Tide Breaker]]!" Her hair dimmed greatly as a wave of water materialized from out of her wand as she hurriedly aimed ahead of Markus.


    Her spell was far weaker than she''d wanted it, but she was still learning how to focus the mass of water forward instead of it spilling outward, much like water was want to do.


    She was looking forward to seeing Jerome and his team being plastered to the ground before she noticed Markus pushing his mana forward in sheer panic. What a waste of -.


    ¡°[[Dark Mist]]!¡±


    Her breath caught as the cloud of mana expanded exponentially outwards. The air around her displaced, and she fought to catch her breath as the mist filled around her. It was thick, and irritated her lungs like it was smoke. Her mind hazed as she staggered to stay upright. She was going to suffocate!


    ¡°Tch. Idiot, don¡¯t stand upright!¡±


    Alice felt her feet giving out as Markus burst through the mist in front of her. His face was a mask of annoyance as he picked her up by the waist and ran out the cloud of smoke. He was no worse for wear than before, and his face held an easy grin as he looked back. ¡°If they were all as dumb as you, this will be a quick battle. Actually-¡±


    Markus sidestepped as a crossbow bolt passed dangerously close to them. Markus turned and ran back toward the town.


    ¡°We need to stay put!¡± Alice wheezed. ¡°The rules state we need a Judge to determine the outcome of the battle.¡±


    Markus looked back at the dark cloud and snorted. ¡°There is no way in hell I¡¯m doing that.¡± He jumped forward and ducked as two more bolts flashed out of the smoke behind him. ¡°Hm. Either good perception or they are being directed by the Mage. That Jerome guy had brown hair¡­ so either earth or nature mage. Tch, just my luck.¡±


    Alice squirmed. ¡°Earth mage. Don¡¯t look down on those Bowman either. And let me go!¡±


    ¡°And let you face them alone? I think not. I¡¯ll get killed if I let anything happen to a companion in arms, even for a silly fight like this.¡±


    She could feel his grip tightening around her legs and waist, as though he was afraid she was going to somehow run away. Alice looked at him slack jawed. Was he raised to be some sort of knight? What kind of kid even talked like that? ¡°At least watch where you are grabbing me,¡± Alice huffed.


    ¡°If you keep squirming, I¡¯ll throw you over my shoulders and you can cast magic that way,¡± Markus huffed.


    Alice blushed. There was no way she was going to be carried around like that, especially here at school! And by someone far younger than she was!  And Markus was out of his mind to think that she could cast spells like this. Spells required focus first and foremost, and high stress situations like this were not conducive for Mages.


    Holding still, Alice closed her eyes and focused on her mana core. Looking inward, she winced as she stared at her mana core. This morning it had been a blue so deep she could fall right into it, now her core was light blue, as though she was standing a few feet off the beaches in her hometown. It had taken her almost two days to gather enough mana to condense that much mana into her core, two days effectively wasted when she had let her emotions get the best of her just now.


    ¡°Great, just how I wanted to start this semester,¡± Alice said sullenly.


    ¡°Nice to see you meditating and such during a chase, but mind casting a few spells? And maybe running. You¡¯re kind of heavy for a Mage, no offense.¡±


    Alice opened her eyes with a grumble. This was exactly why she hated close combat classes. ¡°I can¡¯t cast while running. I need a static position.¡±


    ¡°Your kidding me, right? And I thought the Healer Hall was useless. You''re telling me that as an actual Mage, you can¡¯t cast while running!? What are they teaching you here!¡±


    Alice has the distinct impression that Markus would have left her behind if she hadn¡¯t been a girl. ¡°Hey! Not everyone is a Combat Mage! I resent that assumption.¡±


    ¡°The Library better be worth all this trouble, or there¡¯ll be hell to pay,¡± Markus said to himself under his breath. Alice frowned. Why was he so interested in that silly old place?


    Markus jumped over a bush and ran into a quiet wooded area on the side of the main path. Ungraciously dropping her on the ground, she grumbled as she dusted the leaves off her clothing and quickly crouched behind a tree. Alice listened for the telltale whistle of the bolts, and whispered gratefully, ¡°At least they aren¡¯t shooting bolts at you anymore.¡±


    Markus instantly disagreed.¡°I wish they were, actually. My armor isn¡¯t meant to ward off combat spells.¡±


    "Of course our uniforms aren''t meant to deflect bolts. We shouldn''t even be in an actual fight to begin with!"


    Alice peeked around the tree and got her bearings. They hadn''t traveled as far as she''d thought. Maybe only a few hundred feet at best.


    Markus shrugged as he wiped his sword with something. "Tell that to the guys shooting at us."


    "They shot because you injured their friends!" Alice grumbled.


    "Meh. Well, they need to learn to dodge. One surprise attack got rid of three people? Hell, even Guardsmen wouldn''t be that pathetic."


    She rolled her eyes at that. How was one even supposed to train against surprise attacks? They were called that for a reason, after all.


    But Alice knew the situation wasn''t about to get better anytime soon. Already she could hear the free students around then yelling about the commotion they had just caused.


    "We need to find a better spot to hide. Jerome isn''t a slacker. He''ll be able to track our location. If we can wait out the hour we can rush to the classrooms and be safe once the bell rings." Alice said.


    "I have to stay in a wooded area for my skills to work. Do you have a way to stop him from tracking our position if we leave?"


    Markus turned and eyed her, disdain practically oozing out of his eyes. Alice shut her mouth. Even she knew the odds. Escaping the perception range of an Earth Mage was unheard of, especially considering the distance they had traveled.


    She stopped and considered their options. Since they were fighting, the rules of engagement would be on their side. Two parties were already attacking them, so theoretically there would be no other opponents.


    "Jerome can''t track us if we go mingle with the other students. According to the rules, no one else is able to interfere with our fight now."


    Her eyes darted to the road beyond. More students meant more chances that there were other Educators there to make sure this fight didn''t devolve into¡­ well, more chaos.


    Markus sighed as he stomped on the ground in frustration. "Is there anything else I need to know?"


    Alice eyed Markus. "If you follow the published Rules of Engagement, then no."


    It was one of the required readings for all students, detailing the many combat simulations they were allowed to initiate to take one''s status of a student away. And their actions thus far were anything but.


    "Hm," Markus huffed. "Well, I have enough mana to shield us out of the forest. If we follow the path back, we''ll be next to the stream. That''ll give us a good tactical advantage. Good for you?"


    Alice nodded. Her mana regeneration would increase the closer she was to water. Thirty minutes near water and she''d be good for at least a few more attacks.


    And then she could bring the fight to Jerome.


    Markus nodded slowly. "Okay, follow me quietly. Stay within fifteen feet of me."


    Alice watched as Markus crouched and beckoned her to follow. Her face reddened as she copied Markus''s actions. This made her feel ridiculous.


    Crouching low, she followed him through the underbrush, and it did not take long before she realized something about Markus.


    He did not make any sounds while he moved through the forest. In fact, Alice knew that if she lost her focus, he could have disappeared without a trace.


    ¡°Have you done this before?¡±


    She could hear the mirth in his voice as he whispered, ¡°What, escaping through a forest from a bunch of angry people? No.¡±


    He turned, and she spotted a slight smirk on his face. ¡°Now, tracking and counter-tracking I have done,¡± he paused, his voice a whisper. ¡°Granted, it was against animals, but they are harder to fool than people in the right conditions.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    He stopped by a sapling and rummaged through a small pack at his side. ¡°First step of running away is to lay down traps behind you.¡±


    Pulling out a small bone, a jar, and some silk; Alice watched as Markus grabbed a few leaves and gently dipped the bone in the jar, keeping the liquid as far from his hands as possible. Pinching the leaves with one hand, he quickly wrapped the bone to the top of the sapling and pulled it down to his feet, taking great care not to break the small tree as it flexed.


    ¡°Is this even allowed?¡± Alice could feel her eye twitching as Markus finished stringing his trap.


    ¡°...yes?¡± Markus said as he slightly adjusted the angle of the tree.


    But the barest hint of hesitation set her off. ¡°Markus! Traps were deemed too dangerous in the rulebook. There is a reason why most people elect to fight in the open.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a non-lethal trap. The most it can do is take someone¡¯s eye out. And even that is pushing it.¡±


    Moving away from her, she could tell he wasn¡¯t about to disarm his trap. His voice softly called out to her. ¡°Rules of Engagement, number eighteen. ¡®Traps are permissible so long as they do not inflict mortal damage. Furthermore, traps must be clearly marked and broken down after the battle. I memorized the rules.¡±


    Alice turned and looked at the trap one last time before she started to follow. ¡°And how is this clearly marked?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s practically exposed. Any Hunter or Woodsman would be able to tell something is wrong at a glance.¡±


    ¡°But they aren¡¯t those Classes,¡± Alice whispered.


    Markus turned, his face scrunched with annoyance. ¡°Not my problem. Someone should really teach classes on woodland observation if you can¡¯t recognize a trap in a forest at first glance.¡±


    "And the poison?", she asked.


    Markus tched softly. "Again, not my problem. Just like it wasn''t their problem if I was hit by a bolt."


    His eyes shot through her body and Alice watched as Markus placed his hand on the ground. ¡°They are in the forest. Jerome is trying to locate me. Just¡­head north to the stream while I set a few more traps,¡± he whispered.


    She turned and felt the ground, but she didn¡¯t notice anything. Was she too lacking in mana? ¡°I can help too,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°A Mage with no casting power is a liability in almost every situation. Go and recover your mana first, and then talk to me about helping.¡±


    Alice balled her fist as Markus pulled out his equipment again. ¡®The nerve of this kid!¡¯ she thought to herself. She could still do some spells! Not many, of course, but she was the oldest of the two of them!


    Grumbling inwardly, Alice sighed and moved forward. Markus wasn¡¯t wrong by any means. She wasn¡¯t able to do a large area spell right now.


    Of course, that was why Mage Knights were dangerous. They could still fight, even without enough mana to cast a spell. Jerome had defended himself against Markus¡¯s first sneak attack, after all, which spoke volumes to the number of hours he must have sunk into non-magic classes since she had last seen him.


    If Jerome had half a brain, which she knew he did, Alice was certain he¡¯d be heading straight toward said stream. One of the few streams that flowed through the campus, actually.


    She could only hope Markus had a plan.


    <hr>


    ¡°My name is Lily Thompson. Yes, I do come from Alcudia. No, I am not a Imperial Servant¡­¡±


    Lily frowned as she introduced herself to another one of her new classmates. Classmates that did not look too kindly at her or her mentor¡¯s supposed status. She sat down as the bell rang, and contemplated what she could have done differently.


    It was one thing to hear Miss Paige say she was not an Imperial Servant, another to try to explain it. Yes, she was mentored from a young age. And yes, she did learn some unique spells. And she could cast spells quite a few times, but only the weaker ones!


    Focusing on the lecture at hand, Lily almost groaned as the first lesson started in earnest.


    ¡°...now, first you must realize that to harness your mana efficiently, you will need to account for the ambient mana in your surroundings that can also be harnessed. The equation for that follows as such: first you take your mana absorption¡­¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes twitched as she followed along with the teacher¡¯s explanations. This was wrong on so many levels she half expected everyone to complain. But as she watched on, she noticed the others taking notes seriously, as if this was something to memorize.


    It was then she realized that Alduit Academy and Nespe had more than a few things in common.


    ¡°Lily, do you have something to say?¡±


    Lily startled in her seat. Seeing the eyes of the other students, she shook her head and explained. ¡°I don¡¯t like taking notes. I¡¯m just¡­surprised at the lesson topic.¡±


    The older woman frowned. ¡°This is important to know. Ambient mana absorption and how to compress it will undoubtedly help you with the mana cost of any spell in the future. Even how to upgrade spell multiple tiers! I don¡¯t know what you learned, but¡­¡±


    Lily nodded repeatedly as she listened to Educator Thomaston. She had come highly recommended, if the number of students in the classroom was any indication of teaching style and preference. And it was a topic that interested her too. But the lessons she was learning in the first few minutes of the first day of school did not bode well for what was to come for the rest of the year.


    She sat there, dazed, before an abrupt tingling coursed through her body. ¡°Ack!¡± Lily jolted up and ripped a glowing blue badge off of her uniform. The sensation stopped, though not before her face flushed with embarrassment.


    Her teacher did not pay her any mind as she stared at the glowing badge sitting on the floor. ¡°Ahem. Well now, this is a surprise. Who would be foolish enough to get into a fight on the first class of the new semester?¡±


    She noticed that besides the new students, everyone else had shocked looks on their faces as well. Apparently, that was highly unusual. The teacher tapped her hand on the podium lightly. "Well then, decision time. A show of hands, please, on whether we watch the battle or continue on with the lesson."


    That got her attention. "Excuse me, Educator Thomaston. What do you mean by ''watch''?" she asked. She could see a trace of apology in her new teacher''s eyes. "I mean that literally, my dear. A blue badge means at least one upperclassman is participating. Learning from another''s failure is undoubtedly better than experiencing the situation first hand. That one of your party members is involved in a battle is¡­ unfortunate, but I am sure he can dust himself off and try the entrance exam next semester."


    "I didn''t see that in the student manual! Isn''t that spying?" Lily cried, appalled at this new revelation.


    "Of course, my dear. But this will also help once you graduate, too. Knowing the capabilities of your fellow alumni will help you form the correct balance for allied Parties. As they say, ''A bad Party Member will kill everyone involved.'' It is highly unlikely your teammate will be injured; the other Teachers will step in if something gets dangerous."


    Lily blinked in confusion. On one hand that was good news for Markus''s safety. On the other hand though¡­ Markus was trained by Miss Paige. Someone whose definition of fighting was very atypical. A slight clap snapped her out of her thoughts. "Okay, watching the battle it is."


    Her badge slowly levitated off the ground and approached the chalk board as Lily thought quickly. If someone could watch the battle¡­ "Am I able to reinforce my Party Member in combat? I am the Party Leader, after all. According to the school handbook, I have a few unnamed benefits. I believe this should be one of the benefits."


    That raised a few eyebrows. "...that is highly irregular. You could simply invite someone else to join instead of risking your own Student status."


    Lily did not hesitate one second. "I''m sure. A Party Leader leads by example."


    Her teacher smiled at that. "Alright. The battle hadn''t started yet, or the badge would have changed colors. Since someone on your team is involved, you can use your position as Party Leader to find him, assuming you know which person is the one in trouble."


    Grabbing her staff, Lily ran out of the classroom.


    "Well now. Let''s take notes on what not to do as a Party Leader."


    Educator Thomaston could''ve had the decency to wait until the door closed behind her.


    Lily already knew she was dropping that class.


    <hr>


    Markus watched from the top of his branch as Alice started to meditate. He felt a little weirded out when she started taking her clothes off, but luckily she stopped after taking off her leggings and boots.


    ''...I guess a water mage needs to touch water to gather mana. Who knew?''


    He focused as another loud crack echoed in the forest. The trees shuddered slightly as the sound of another set of trees fell.


    The Earth mage Jerome was carving out the forest, section by section, as he headed toward their location. The traps must have unnerved him, or barring that, Jerome was prioritizing time over mana consumption.


    Markus had taken a chance to watch his first few traps go off. It wasn''t likely they would be able to find him when he was standing still, not with his Skills and affinity working to his advantage.


    His first few traps went off just as he had intended, the shard of bone neatly piercing the jacket of yet another ranged attacker. The archer, or maybe a mage, dropped to the ground and stilled almost immediately.


    He was glad he had adjusted the angle of the spike trap, because he was now sure that it could have pierced a skull.


    ''...I really need to ask what animal''s Aunt Paige and Uncle Nick are sourcing these from.''


    It didn''t stop him from setting more traps though. After tying yet another bone spike to a tree, Markus grumbled as his opponents slowed their pace once again. He wasn''t sure how they were finding his traps as they slowed.


    Jerome had hesitated at first, but now he was progressing faster and faster with a solid plan.


    A mana intensive plan, but a plan nonetheless.


    It occurred to him that besides Wind Mages, he had hardly any experience fighting against mages with a different affinity. Aunt Zenith knew a dizzying amount of spells, but besides the occasional showing, she almost always defaulted to Wind spells.


    Markus hesitated as he crawled down the tree and rolled into the underbrush.He may have underestimated the difficulty of these fights by a fair margin. He imagined a one on one fight, twelve times. Not exactly impossible with his family''s training, but it would be a good measure of his growth.


    But two whole Party''s attacking a single student? And based upon what he''d seen so far, crippling and or death was a very real possibility.


    His options were already limited, and getting narrower by the minute.He could fight his way out, taking down as many people as possible. But five of those were clearly close combat classes. He didn''t like those odds, not without some backup.


    He could run away. No, Markus already knew that option wasn''t on the table as his mama dipped slightly. His skills only shielded him in a forest.


    Jerome was still pulsing his mana out randomly. As soon as he left, he was sure Jerome would pick up his trail. He was not keen on fighting an Earth Mage out in the open. And he was not about to let down his Aunt Paige eitehr.


    Slithering out of the bushes, Markus quietly opened a bottle and trailed it behind him, a black line quietly forming behind him.


    "Alice, how many spells can you do?"


    Alice frowned as she splashed him slightly. "It''s barely been ten minutes. I need more time than that."


    "Jerome is knocking down trees forty feet at a time. We don''t have any more time to spare. How. Many. Spells?"


    Markus held his breath. ''please fifteen, please twenty, pleas..''


    "Two spells," Alice whispered.


    Markus turned to walk away.


    "Two tier five spells! I''m not useless, you know!" Alice shouted with frustration.


    That got Markus''s attention. Tier five was a few full tiers above Lily. But ...there was always a catch.


    His mind spun quickly. "Alice. How long do your spells take to cast?"


    "Ten seconds."


    Markus blinked in confusion. Was that fast or slow for that tier of spell?


    ''If Lily takes a full minute for tier three spells...then maybe that is good? Power, check. Cast time, check. Then the problem was...quantity. Two spells was not a lot for a fight.''


    The ground shook as Jerome moved ever closer.


    "To live to fight another day, take precautions along the way."


    Markus focused. It was time to fight.


    "Alice, set up a formation. We''ll ambush them as they come out. Use [Concealment], small mana stone. That way we won''t risk the formation exploding on us by accident if they attack indes...crima¡­" Markus sighed as he saw Alice''s face. "You don''t know how to do that, do you?"


    "...."


    "Illusion spells?"


    "...."


    "D...defensive spells?"


    "...."


    "....trap spells?"


    Alice''s face flushed red. She said nothing.


    "You only know attack spells, don''t you?"


    "No! There are other spells I can do."


    "In combat situations?"


    "...."


    Markus almost fainted right there. Resolving himself to learn more spells in the future in case of unreliable help, he quickly adjusted the plans in his mind.


    A booming voice echoed out. "Haha, Alice is a one trick pony! If you reviewed previous battles, you''d realize she is purely an Academic Mage, not well suited for actual combat situations.


    Jerome stepped out of the treeline, his party behind him. "Besides her pretty face, she''d die the moment she stepped out into the field with her specific set of skills."


    Alice hesitated as Markus sighed. "He''s not wrong, you know." His eyes met Alice''s. ''Jerome''s not wrong about her face. Bah, focus!'' Shaking his head, he looked over the battlefield. Not the best of places, but it would have to do.


    ¡®If I had time, I''d fortify this position, leaving just enough space exposed to a water source. I''m not an idiot. Just¡­¡¯ Markus sighed to himself. ¡®A tad unlucky.¡¯


    Markus eyed his six opponents. The traps had taken out nearly all of the lightly armored opponents, leaving just one Mage. ¡®Note to self, bone shards don¡¯t penetrate steel breastplates.¡¯


    But the mage was giving Markus trouble. ''Judging by his hair color¡­ crap, what element is purple!?'' Markus could feel his eye twitch. ''Okay, trust my party members. Alice will know how to counter him.''


    The other five warriors were spreading out now, their weapons unsheathing as they moved.


    Two halberds, a sword, an ax¡­ and Jerome''s quarterstaff.


    He could feel the sweat trickling down his back. Feel the wind blowing around him, the weight of his sword.


    The trembling¡­ he was afraid.


    That was a lesson that was beaten out of him. "To fear is to die," as the old man would say.


    Paige''s voice drifted to his ears. "It''s okay to be afraid Markus. Fear is not always the enemy. Use it to sharpen your senses.


    "Reckless fear is the enemy."


    "Trust your senses."

 Chapter 83.2

    "Trust your senses. And Markus, trust yourself."


    Markus focused. Trust.


    "ALICE! That Mage!"


    Markus raced forward, taking a steep angle away from the purple haired Mage and straight toward Jerome.


    "Lesson number one hundred seventy four of Paige''s guide to combat. Trust.


    "Trust your Party to have your back. Trust your body to respond to your thoughts. Trust that in death, you have done all you could."


    He remembered pausing at that statement. He turned as he frowned at his favorite aunt. His aunt must have seen that look before.


    "We all will die one day, Markus. Every battle may be our last. Every moment may be our last. Don''t tell Zenith, but I''ve done some research in life and death. And guess what secret I''ve found."


    Markus looked suspicious at that statement. His aunt, doing research? Her next statement confirmed it.


    "There is a one hundred percent rate of death around the world. Mhmm. Everyone will eventually die."


    "And if they don''t?"


    He would never forget the look on her face. Her face stilled and glazed over, her body shuddering hard. "...then the right weapon wasn''t used. But that''s lesson for lesson five thousand eight hundred sixteen! This lesson is based around Trust.


    "As with any close combat class, the focus <u>must</u> be on other close combat classes. A balanced Party can handle most, if not all, situations for that very reason. So, today''s lesson is this. Don''t be afraid to jump into the breach. Trust that your Party will have your back. Now, for our exercise..."


    Markus gathered his thoughts. He had to trust that Alice knew how to fight with a close combat party member. And Alice had to trust him to block the others.


    He ran forward, and his heart dropped as four of the five close combat enemies focused on him. He could tell the man with the ax was going to ignore him, his line of sight only on Alice behind him. Welp, as his Aunt Paige always said, "In combat, If at first you don''t succeed, cheat."


    He saw the wave of mana coming toward him and tched. He hated Mages.


    A voice echoed across the clearing as the mana converged below him. "[[Earthen Spike]]!


    Markus dodged the spire of rock and stumbled toward the ax user. Markus stopped and turned, keeping half of his body hidden as the axeman fell into a defensive stance...an obvious choice, given his tactics this far. Feeling for the silk strands that were neatly hidden beside his sword belt sheath, he tugged and pulled it loose with his pinky.


    A small vial of black liquid swirled inside the capped jar. With a swing of his arms, Markus launched the thin tube, watching with chagrin as the axeman attempted to parry it with the blade of his axe. With a sharp crack, the vial broke and a heavy smoke bellowed out. Without any wind to sweep the smoke away, he was sure that his opponent would not be able to get out of it before it naturally dispersed.


    ''Wrong move. You should always dodge if you can.''


    Holding his breath, he charged at the man and tackled him to the ground. He could hear him suck in a sharp breath as he hit, and he pushed the ground and dumped the man outside of the cloud.


    He still didn''t know what was exactly in the bottle, but it could knock Boary out for at least a minute, which was what he needed.


    Jerome paused. "More poison? What are you, a Rogue? Warlock?"


    Jumping to his feet, Markus grinned as he placed his left hand back on his sheath. A bluff, since his aunt was stingy with ''external help'', but it was hopefully enough to force them to fight him as a priority target. It was times like this he wished he had Tyler''s defensive skills. Or even a taunting ability for situations like this. If it wasn''t early morning, he''d have already hidden himself with [Dark Step] and gambled on their perception being lower than Tyler''s to take control of the situation.


    ...his aunt was going to kill him if she ever found out how this battle was going.


    A pulse of mana rushed out from Jerome, and Markus quickly jumped over it as it passed. It didn''t look dangerous, but he wasn''t about to find out first hand what it was either. Alice should have noticed the mana wave, as the sound of rushing water behind his back started getting louder. Alice was manipulating the water, though he couldn''t hear any spells being launched.


    "Focus on the Trap Warrior first. I''ll pin him down," Jerome stated wearily.


    Four people. What could go wrong?


    --------


    Apparently a lot could go wrong, Markus thought as he deflected another high slash. Four warriors. Well, three warriors and a Mage, which, in hindsight, knew better than to charge him all at once. And even worse, his opponents were getting better at distracting him.


    Jerome steadily pulsed his mana out, a wall of earth shielding him as the ground wobbled up and down. He had to be wary of the waves, as any one of them could become a earthen spike. His stance was terrible as he shifted another two feet back, but there was nothing he could do about it. Cursing, Markus spun as the wave of mana shot upwards, and he hasitly hit the spike and rotated around it, forcing one of his opponents to back up slightly.


    Hit, block, dodge, block, spin, low cut to transition into a wide swing. At least his aunt''s training was working for him.


    Another wave, and the soil below his feet changed, quickly shifting between sand, mud and packed earth.


    Jerome was trying to get his feet stuck, making him an easier target for the others. A solid plan, one even his family would approve of.


    He cursed as the swordsman launched himself forward, his sword slashing down from above his head. A feint, he realized, and he stepped forward to force the swing to connect. He moved with the momentum and took another step back.


    His foot hit the stream and he cursed as he heard Alice behind him.


    "Out! Shock!"Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Two words, too late.


    His muscles froze as a shock traveled through his body. Of course, his opponent wasn''t having an easy time with it either since their swords were touching.


    ''Lightning!?'' Markus''s heart fell. Sure, he knew how to defend against thunder strikes, but his aunt was sure it was a one-time attack. None of his lessons dealt with fighting a Mage who could shock him continuously!


    His mind spun before he noticed something at his feet. He could feel the rushing water change direction.


    Three...two...one¡­ Markus shifted and grabbing the arm of his opponent.


    "Hah!" Markus shouted as he threw him into the stream to his side.


    "Alice! A path!"


    Spinning around, he jumped and was glad that a few rocks were now above the water.


    Maybe his aunt''s lessons at the lake would be helpful in very specific-


    Danger!


    Markus curled his body up instinctually as he heard something heavy and fast behind him.


    Crack!


    His mind went blank with pain. A small part of his mind took inventory on his body, and he could tell that his shoulder blade just shattered with that last blow. So much for his Aunt supposedly making his armor better. It was even worse than before!


    "Markus!" Alice screamed.


    A pile of water solidified as he hit the ground, and he thanked all the gods he could remember that he landed on his opposite shoulder.


    He gazed at the pile of ooze drifting down the stream and chuckled. Was that the other spell Alice knew?


    Worst. Party. Member. Ever!


    "You had your last chance," Jerome called out. "Drop your badges and we''ll let you off easy."


    ''Rule number ten, don''t get your hopes up in battle.'' He could see violence in the eyes of the warriors. And judging from his broken shoulder blade, being beaten half to death was turning into a real possibility.


    The tree tops shifted ominously as they stood at an impasse.


    Markus forced himself up, the pain in his shoulders making his head spin.


    He wasn''t one to give up without a fight. He was already in pain, what was a lot more going to do to him?


    A soft voice echoed in around him "..ten seconds, Markus."


    He watched as Jerome lifted his staff, the mana cloud around him turning him yellow.


    He wasn''t going to get five seconds.


    "[[Earthen Spike]]!"


    "[[Water Jet]]!"


    "[[Shockwave]]!"


    "[[Wind Blade]]!"


    The world turned colors as Markus felt the world spinning around him.


    This was without a doubt, one of his worst ideas in his life.


    ----


    "..kus. Psst, Markus."


    Markus could feel the warmth spreading from his arm across the rest of his body. Besides a raging headache, he twitched his fingers and felt a response.


    ''Good,'' he thought to himself. Still, he settled in and let his body keep healing.


    "Five more minutes," he said.


    "Your Aunt''s here. She''s not happy."


    "It wasn''t my - ouch!"


    Markus held his forehead as he looked at what he hit. Lily held a hand to her head with annoyance.


    "That''s the last time I heal someone like that. I knew Isabella was teasing me about healing someone on your lap¡­¡± Lily grumbled.


    Blinking the stars from his eyes, he scanned the room and noticed Aunt Zenith arguing with a group of other Teachers.


    There was that egotistical combat teacher, Renvi something, and that earth mage from the entrance exam. But what got his attention was his aunt.


    She was really worked up over something that was being said. His aunt was unusually red in the face. ¡°Know what they are saying?¡±


    Lily shrugged. ¡°Mentor set up a formation as soon as their tempers started flaring up. Think ¡®Miss Paige made a mistake¡¯ kind of mad and you¡¯ll get the gist of her temper.¡±


    That was bad. Incredibly bad, actually.


    ¡°Sooo, you two do know each other?¡±


    Markus turned and almost groaned aloud.


    Alice was still there, and so was Isabella. But Alice was the worst teammate ever! Ignoring her question and her existence, he turned to Isabella, who stuck her tongue out as he made eye contact.


    "You needed healing, and Lily wanted to try her hand at it."


    Markus eyed her as she looked away. She was a terrible liar. From what he could tell, she could barely heal flesh wounds. It was more comforting that Lily was able to heal, though he guessed that someone else had healed his shattered shoulder blade. Isabella gaze wavered as she glanced toward the teachers. "Also, I''d think of a good excuse if I were you. They are really, really mad at you."


    "What happened after I fainted?" Markus asked.


    Lily gave him an aggrieved look. "What do you think happened? Actually, you got into lots of trouble. And I had to come to your rescue."


    He saw her smile and rolled his eyes. Or attempted to, before his head split in pain. He closed his eyes instead to let Lily get an ounce of satisfaction. Well, a whole pound of it really. She rescued him, after all. He could feel her body moving, and already imagined her ticking her fingers off one by one.


    "Well, from what I can tell, fights on the first day of school rarely happen. So the Teachers were taking their time coordinating their response. Then, when somebody decided to attack out of the blue, rhey panicked as they went to get antidotes.


    "The teachers weren''t expecting you to do a dark spell, so the [[Dark Mist]] caught them off guard. Combined with [[Aqua Jet]] that girl used, they had to shield themselves and the area to prevent further damage to the school grounds.


    "Then someone ran off, but they had to stabilize the poisoned people before they could follow."


    "Someone set traps in the forest and they had to seal the area and rescue the additional poisoned people there."


    "And then there was a magic brawl at the end."


    "Lily did really well though!" Isabella supplied helpfully from behind her. "You though¡­ well, I think you had better days?"


    Markus scoffed. That was given. At least his shoulder didn''t hurt any more. Still, from all his training, he thought he would have done better than he had. Markus looked suspiciously at Alice and nodded inwardly. It was probably all her fault. Alice looked a bit roughed up, probably from the brawl at the end. But she still had her student badge pinned proudly above her breast.


    Markus looked down at his now empty chest. No badge. "Am I still a student?" Markus asked.


    "Maybe? I think they''re debating that now."


    "-k you, Renvi! I know what I saw! Markus!"


    Markus, Lily, and Isabella cringed as Zenith''s voice bellowed out.


    Markus rose to his feet and almost fell from dizziness. Whatever spell Lily had used hadn''t healed him back to full health.


    A breeze stabilized his body as his aunt caught him by the shoulder. He blinked in confusion.


    One minute she was by the Teachers, the next she was grabbing him.


    But he hadn''t seen her move.


    "What was the liquid you used?"


    Zenith''s voice was hard. He was in deep trouble.


    Markus faltered. When in doubt¡­.blame his aunt! "Emergency liquid number five. For use to debilitate and escape from a battle," he said gravely.


    Everyone stared at him. Markus wilted under his aunt''s gaze. "...also useful for battlefield healing, putting guards to sleep, infil-"


    "Be serious! Those other kids haven''t awoken yet. What. Did. You. Use."


    Markus coughed. "... it''s not actually poison. It''s a failed mana potion. Aunt Paige was teaching me how to make a one and-"


    Zenith swore as the other teachers murmured. "She did what!? That-urah!" She turned to Odessa. "She solidified their mana core! Put them on their side so they don''t choke on their own tongue."


    Odessa frowned. "Is that why the antidotes weren''t working?"


    Markus listened closely as he saw his aunt nod. "Their bodies shut down since they lost access to all of their mana! The coma is a natural response to avoid mana exhaustion."


    Renvi stared at him as he shuffled behind his aunt. "What is the efficacy of the potion?"


    They both stared at Markus.


    "...it could put Boary to sleep for a few minutes," Markus mumbled.


    "Based on what dosage?"


    "... A few drops."


    He saw his aunt''s hand tighten into a fist.


    "... they''ll be out for at least a month. Maybe even two. Odessa, get an Alchemist to make a nutrition potion and feed it to them."


    He was in deep, deep, deep trouble.


    Markus kept his head down as Zenith went back to talk with the teachers.


    Lily waited until she couldn''t hear them talking before she spoke.


    "Do you think I could grab some of that potion?" She whispered.


    Markus frowned. "I''m already in trouble. Don''t get me into more."


    Lily coughed lightly. "Tyler and I used all of ours up on fighting wolf packs."


    Markus glanced at her.


    "Tyler smeared his entire shield with the stuff while he was waxing it."


    "Is that why you said we shouldn''t eat their meat?" Isabella whispered.


    Lily nodded. "If it can drop a wolf just by touching it, there''s no telling what would happen if we ate their meat. I''m glad I thought of that."


    They all got quiet as they waited for his punishment.


    "... I''ll get a few more bottles. Aunt Paige keeps them under her bed, so we''ll borrow some during dinner or something," Markus mumbled. It was the least he could do for her.


    "Her morning training, maybe? She is a creature of habit, after all," Lily chuckled.


    They all stayed quiet as the teachers temper clearly flared inside the magic circle.


    "Hey Lily?"


    "Hmm?"


    "Thanks for the rescue at the end."


    Lily smiled. "A Party Leader protects her members.¡± She paused. ¡°And you''re welcome."