ă€ŠSavior! Redemption in Another World!ă€‹


 Chapter 1 - Death

    So, this is how I die.

    Not with silence, not with roaring applause, but with my cold face plummeting down the side of a twenty-story building.

    It was a good life. A fine life.

    Well, not really, but it could have been.

    I was born in a middle-wealth family, a hard-working mother, and a hard-working father. I was able to live a pretty lax life too.

    I''d like to say I''ve never wasted any time really. I was already reading, writing, and always trying to learn something new as a child. I was a bright child, and a bright middle schooler too. I was even a pretty bright high schooler.

    I got good grades up until my senior year, and from my previous hard work and with my naturally abundant luck, I was able to qualify and win a grant, allowing me to attend any college of my choice. I was able to calculate everything out so that I would achieve my degree with only that amount, so it was as if I paid no money for college!

    Full of life, happiness, and a youthful exuberance I set out on my college adventure!

    A year later, my heart was broken, my grades have done nothing but slip, and even my retreat of music has been invaded via the headphones I won in a giveaway snapping.

    Sure, I could completely abandon sleep, spend hours and hours every night grinding away on my old laptop to hopefully scrape out of the pit that is my grades. But to what end? I can do school work, I''m not a moron. But what''s the point of it all?

    I never should have come here. I never should have taken so many hours, I should have just stood up to my family and done my own thing.

    God, I should have done something even sooner.

    No, in my final moments I can accept it.

    I''m not brave.

    I''m not much luckier than the average person.

    I''m smarter than most but I''ve never followed through on it, I''ve never followed through on anything. Or anyone.

    All I''ve been doing, all my life, is running.

    That''s even what I did here. I ran.

    I''m so tired of running. I don''t want to run anymore.

    But hey, there''s no going back now is there.

    No.

    I want to live, I''m too good to die here!

    I want to prove myself! I want to.....

    "...ˇ­.."

    "Go on, I''m waiting." A strange, almost condescending tone says directly into my brain.

    Get outta my head. I''m not schizophrenic, at least I don''t think I am yet.

    Opening my eyes, I don''t see the cold hard concrete below where I leaped, and I don''t feel the warmness of being surrounded by my own blood.

    Instead, I find myself inside what looks to be an illustrious mansion. Beautiful looking chandeliers hanging from the ceilings, and a nice and comfortable couch I appear to be laying on.

    Sitting up and looking in the direction of the voice, I see a smug-looking.... thing?

    Calling him a thing might be a bit rude, but what else do you call what looks like a mix between a human and a chunk of obsidian?

    "That is more than a bit rude thank you very much. However, I''ll take that as a compliment, yet you may find obsidian would be lacking compared to my durability." The figure said, a twisted smile appearing on his smooth face.

    Wait, can you hear my thoughts? Are you reading my mind right now?

    "Well, we are IN your mind currently, so touching base with your mana and understanding your thoughts are something even a minor deity could do." The figure said in a manner-of-fact-like tone.

    Wait, in my head? Wait, Diety? Like God?

    "Lowercase G for me my friend, but in essence, yes. Actually, I''d almost you prefer you continue to call me that, it has a nice ring to it." The strange, still smiling deity said.

    This is a lot to unpack. What are you? Where are we? Where am I? How?

    "I''ll answer only the questions I need to. We are in your mind, I am what you call a god, you are also in your mind, and in short, magic. Now, I''ll ask you to again, complete that last thought." The figure said, as his smile began to wane.

    What? My last thought? It was something cringy I bet. Probably along the lines of ''I want to redeem myself.''

    Oh yeah, I killed myself didn''t I.

    Slumping back into the couch, my face twists into a distraught one, and I look down at my somehow not destroyed self.

    Average. Not fit, not good looking, painfully normal.

    "Hmmm, that would be accurate. Outside of course of your unnaturally large connection to the universe of course, as well as an interestingly dense mental power. Overall, you''re the epitome of the average cowardly person." The being said, tilting its head slightly as if it were thinking.

    "Strange, even the cowardly can be prideful in death. Very well, I have a deal for you. One I doubt you want to refuse." The being said, relaxing back into its chair, focusing me to level my head and look into its strange heterochromatic eyes.

    What could you possibly offer a dead person? I''m dead. It doesn''t matter if I get anything from you now. Besides, based on how you said that, are you some sort of devil?

    Suddenly, and in a strangely deeper tone, the figure laughed.

    "I''ve been called many things in the past, sometimes a god, sometimes a deity, and even sometimes a devil. I''ve gone by many names, Pride, Tengu, but my favorite would be Ego. To answer your other question, what else would I, labeled by you a devil, offer a dead person? What I offer you is life, of course." Ego said its smile once again broadening to a sick grin.

    Oh. A deal with the devil, with only death awaiting me without you. How cliche.

    Why do you even want me? I''m not anyone special, I''m just a depressed college student.

    "I''ve already told you two reasons you piqued my interest, but the one that matters is the connection you''ve established to the universe. If you can do that here, you can surely establish much more in the universe I have a piece of." The figure said, his smug tone never changing.

    And let me guess. I have to sell you my soul, and the soul of my first of kin, and the first of my kind kins, etc. Right? Yeah, I may be a coward, but even I know only bad can come out of dealing with a devil.

    "No no no, nothing of the sort. All you have to do is owe me one. Well not one, you''ll owe me three." Ego said, holding out his palm toward Vincent, raising three fingers.

    "On the other side, I''ll be able to call on you, and those three times, you will follow my orders. I may try and talk to you other times, but I''m not omnipotent and can''t truly influence the world too much." Ego said, putting his fingers down and leveling his head to look into my eyes as well.

    "Sounds like a pretty good deal right? Do you want to try and take back your life, redeem yourself, and find your pride? Or run away from your last chance to change." Keeping his broad smile, Ego stuck out his hand towards me.

    That actually doesn''t sound too bad. I can live free otherwise, not bending to anyone, only to something that is probably a god. He''s right, I can do it. I can finally make a choice on my own and not run.

    No further thought is needed. I stick my hand out to his and shake.

    "Welcome, my new Emmisarry of Ego. Your first of three favors starts as soon as you awaken in the other world. It''s a simple one to follow. Become stronger." With those words, Ego''s smile grew to take over an impossible size.

    Wait, gain strength? What does that even mean? Like, work out? Gain money?

    As my consciousness began to fade and fall around, Ego kept his wide grin and said something I couldn''t hope to hear.

 Chapter 2 - Birth

    As my consciousness began to regain, the mansion around me was gone and instead replaced by a strange, warm black space. There was a small amount of light and I could feel myself being pulled slowly towards it, feet first.

    Oh, good lord, I''ve just been born.

    That was probably the most disgusting experience I''ve ever felt, and thankfully it''s over.

    Looking around, there are some shocked faces looking down at me, a man and a woman who is not my mother, wearing strange clothing and holding a strange rock.

    " *** *** ****** ** ******, ** ***** ******** ***** "

    Gibberish. Pure and utter gibberish. I must be born somewhere that doesn''t speak French or Italian.

    Suddenly, I was picked up and placed into the arms of who I can assume is my mother.

    Beautiful. I mean, this is probably weird to say since this is technically now my mom, but good lord is she like a nine out of ten on my personal scale.

    She seems to be wearing some strange clothes too, weird.

    Looking around, the room we''re in seems worse for wear. Bare wooden walls, wooden floors, windows with dingy-looking glass, and everyone is wearing clothes that a bum in Naples would be ashamed of.

    Everyone seems to be looking at me with a strange look I can''t identify, but to touch on the subject, my father has good looks to him as well.

    I don''t swing that way, but I can call a handsome man handsome can''t I? Besides it''s my dad, I have that right!

    Why is everyone looking at me and speaking? Was I born early or something? I mean, it''s bad if a baby is born legs first but I came out fine!

    Suddenly, my mother brought me close to her and hugged me. This feels, nice actually. The nice warm feeling of a loving mother''s hug. A nearly forgotten feeling.

    God, I may start crying.

    ///

    The days in my baby body have passed both quickly yet painstakingly slow.

    It''s been almost two months now and some things have become apparent.

    First and foremost, I live in the fucking boonies! No electricity to be seen, the house is warmed by a fire in the fireplace, my mother writes with a feather and ink well, and whatever my father does for work he definitely doesn''t drive, as I''ve heard no cars and see no roads.

    We live in a two-story house at least, possibly three-story but I can''t tell if we have a basement or not, with my family and an assortment of others.

    There are two children, one who looks around six and one who looks around twelve, both of whom I can assume are my siblings. There also appears to be a whole other family living here, since I see an adult or two once in a while when my mother walks me around the house.

    Either way, I have no idea to tell if we''re rich or poor. We have an assumed three-story house, but we live with other people and we''re in the boonies.

    My father obviously works as a good amount of days he''s gone. My mother doesn''t seem to work as I get, uh, fed, every day, and I have no frame of reference for the rest of the people within the house.

    I still need more information if I plan on following Ego''s orders.

    //

    I can''t tell how old I am, but I know my birthday hasn''t come yet. I was born in fall and winter has already passed, so I think I''m around eight to nine months old. Either way, I can feel that my body is strangely strong.

    I can stand fully in my crib, and I can even escape and both crawl and walk around. Probably because I don''t have to learn how to move as if I was a normal baby, but otherwise I can move pretty well by now.

    Using my newfound abilities, I''ve discovered a number of things.

    First and foremost, there are more than a single-family living here and this is bigger than the house I thought it was beforehand.

    My house is roughly the size of an inn, remodeled to be a large house. There is one other family living here aside from my family, as well as two maids who live in the basement.

    So, based on the fact we have servants, you''d assume we''re well off.

    But no! We don''t even have running water!

    The maids and my mother wash our clothes by hand on a washboard!

    Even after nine months alive, I haven''t seen a car, or electricity, or anything resembling the sort! I thought at first we were Amish, but there are no horses or buggies, and even then I''d at least hear of something.

    It''s like we live in a damn village!

    ///

    It was a normal day like any other.

    I had a first birthday that amounted to everyone in the house telling me happy birthday, and that marked for me my first full year in this world.

    It was a day like any other, I can happily say I''m around a year and three months old, and I have just about a solid grasp of the language. I can make out most words that I''ve heard and I''ve already been able to speak in simple sentences.

    One day, exploring the house and avoiding the servants and my mother, I was looking out the window of my room on the second floor.

    The house we live in is surrounded by not much, only fields of wheat I can see farmers tending to in the front, and after a small backyard, there is a forest.

    Since I can''t go out that''s all I know.

    What I saw today was a strange sight, I saw my father, who I thought had work, doing something strange.

    He held a large sword in his left hand and a short sword in his right, both seemingly glowing with power. Wearing strange-looking clothing, he seemed to be fighting something.

    That something, was a dog, more than that, it''s a wolf! Nearly the size of a moose!

    In a few swift movements, the wolf was killed by my father, and he then raised his hand and began to say something. I couldn''t hear what he was saying but after he finished, a flame came out of his hand and burned the wolf!

    Today, I learned the key thing I was missing. We aren''t poor. Far from it.

    This isn''t my world.

    This isn''t my universe.

    This is a world of sword and magic.

 Chapter 3 - Baby Steps

    This changes everything. Can I do that? Do I have the ability to use magic too?

    I mean, if it''s genetic then there''s a good chance I can do it since I just saw it being performed, but there''s no guarantee.

    I feel like a little kid, I''m almost shaking in excitement.

    I mean, currently, I am technically a little kid but that''s not the point here!

    Magic! Real magic! The genuine article!

    I doubt I''ll be able to do much magic if I can''t chant like I saw Damien, but that doesn''t mean I don''t want to try!

    Oh yeah, I''ve also learned everyone''s names. My father is named Damien and my mother is named Stephanie. My middle brother is named Terrance and my eldest sibling is my sister Teresa. I think my name is Antonio or Tony for short.

    Teresa used to just stare for a strange amount of time into my crib and also occasionally reads to me so I appreciate that, whilst I barely see Terrance outside of looking at night.

    Getting down from my stool, I take off toward the room I''ve been ignoring for the last few months. Not because I''m lazy, I just don''t want to seem weird.

    No, that''s a lie. I''m just lazy.

    After a long and arduous three-minute journey, I push open the door to the study. It''s two doors down from my bedroom and one of the first rooms I found in this place, but since the language is nonsensical to me I haven''t even bothered coming in here on my own.

    For the last few months, I''ve been earnestly trying to learn the spoken language, paying more attention to the pronunciation, cadence, etc. of commonly used words.

    It''s not as if I''ve been neglecting the art that is written word, I''ve just been slacking a bit. Besides, the only time I have the ability to learn is when my mother or maids read children''s books to me. So currently, with all of my effort and understanding, I read at best at an elementary level.

    However, I''m not gonna let that stop me! I already learned a second language in my past life, I can learn a third here! The language here seems to follow the same orthography of letter and alphabet languages on Earth, so as soon as I find out what all of the letters in the alphabet mean, it''ll be easy to grasp.

    Walking around the study, I spot a number of books that interest me.

    ''Around the World and Back: A Dungeoneers Guide''

    ''Falderan''s Monster Guide''

    ''The Eight Disasters - A Tale of Heroes''

    All of them sound incredibly interesting, but there''s only one my stubby little legs can reach. On the bottom shelf covered in dust.

    ''Magic: From Plebeio to Dominus Tier''

    I may be a bit lucky that I can get my hands on this so early, so hopefully, I can get a head start on both magic and vocabulary.

    ///

    Magic seems to be broken down into three fields of use, Incantation, Invocation, or Inscription.

    Incantation is used most commonly, Invocation seems to be a more advanced technique, and the definition of Inscription seems vague, but I can gather it''s the equivalent of magic items.

    Incantation is what I saw Damien use, simply chat the magic lines, and bam some magic happens.

    Invocation seems to be either drawing simple magic circles with mana or visualizing them, at the cost of them being more complex.

    The casting of magic requires something the book calls somewhat disappointingly Mana. Man, I was hoping for a cooler name like ''Ammased Magical Influence'', but at least it isn''t some hacky name like Qui. I would have worried about the quality of the writer of this book if it was about the ''ultimate cultivation of qui''.

    Actually, there does seem to be a method of improving mana capacity mentioned here, apparently, if you meditate within nature you can slowly increase your maximum amount of mana, as long as you train on top of it.

    Cool! At least if I have a shit mana capacity to start with I have a way to slowly build it up.

    Well, no point in think-tanking it. The best way to see what I can do is just by trying to cast magic!

    ///

    After about three days of study, I think I finally understand every word in this magic incantation. It''s for an air spell known as Push, and it sends a blast of air out of my hands, at least in theory.

    "I call upon the air, bestow upon me a gift of strength, Push"

    Suddenly, I felt a deep shiver run through my body, as something seemed to pull out of my chest and flow through my hand, eventually forcing its way out of my hand.

    In the next moment, the dust kicked up and I heard a gentle ''Thud'' against the wall that my palm faced.

    I did it! I really did it!

    As my excitement began to grow, I place my hand out again, this time aiming at a piece of paper left on the desk of the study.

    "I call upon the air, bestow upon me the gift of great strength, Push"

    Wait, that didn''t sound right. Did I get the incantation right?

    Just as that thought crossed my mind, I could feel my mana being forcibly dragged out of my body and ejected through my palm.

    Thankfully, it seemed to work exactly as Push did. The force of air was sent out of my palm and blew the paper off the desk! I did it!

    Walking back over to the book, the incantation I just said is wrong! Why did it work then?

    Hmmm, I have an idea here.

    Sticking my hand out, I face my palm outward and close my eyes. Instead of focusing on the incantation, I focus on the feeling.

    The feeling of my body getting even colder than it is now, and the pressure. The pressure that feels like it''s trying to escape.

    It''s like a weight, moving from my chest, traveling up to my shoulder, down my arm, and out my palm.

    It feels as if I''m no longer imagining the feeling, instead I''m once again experiencing it.

    Opening my eyes, the weight hasn''t left, and it''s as if a small breeze is coming out of my hand. I did it! I''m casting without an incantation or invoking a magic circle!

    However, I can feel my consciousness begin to fall and the temperature of my body rapidly drop.

    As the adrenaline of success fades, panic ensues, as I can''t stop the gentle breeze of the spell.

    Suddenly, it feels as if I''m standing in a blizzard and the weight disappears, and along with it, my ability to stand.

    Falling backward, no energy or mana left in my body, I collapse with a ''Thunk''.

 Chapter 4 - Research

    Opening my eyes, it seems someone picked me up and put me back into my bed from the study.

    Looking out the window, I can guess that I passed out for at least three or four hours, I guess that''s what happens when you run out of mana huh.

    Still, that''s a little disappointing. I have what, three spells worth of mana?

    No, that can''t be true. That last time I just get spewing out magic, I probably used a lot more in that ten seconds than the two spells combined.

    Okay, most importantly, I need to find out how to stop the flow of mana once I start it mentally. What''s the disconnect between that and casting a spell even if it feels the same?

    There''s so much to discover and I''m only so patient!

    Placing my hand forward, I begin once again to eject mana as I did before, and after about twenty seconds of mana expenditure, my body begins to shiver and I can feel myself falling.

    What am I doing wrong?

    ///

    My second birthday came and went, and after nearly nine months I''m left with as many questions as I have discoveries.

    Most importantly, this book is wrong. Just flat out incorrect. Either it''s outdated, purposefully misleading, or the world has been fooled.

    Mana is not set in stone and only able to be gained via slow meditation at all! The more mana I use in practice and training, the more my mana pool grows!

    It''s not a one-to-one amount of growth either, when I first started casting magic I could barely cast Push four times, or keep pushing out mana for at most twenty seconds.

    Now, in nine short months of constantly cycling my mana, I can keep the wind flowing out of my palm for hours at a time! In these last three months, I''ve started expending mana out of both hands and my feet just to make the most out of my free time!

    I haven''t cast Push or any spell in as many months so I have no idea how many times I could cast it at this point, but based on what I know I don''t think I could cast it enough to drain myself at this point.

    On that thought, I have a general idea of what it feels like to run out of mana. At around fifty percent, I start to feel a bit chilly, at twenty-five percent remaining I''m as cold as waking up in winter, and once I''m scraping the bottom of the barrel my body begins to shake in the pure cold I feel.

    I don''t know if this is due to the nature of the spell I''m casting, that being just letting out a constant flow of wind magic, or if it''s just how mana exhaustion works. I can also feel myself getting physically weaker the more mana I expend, to the point that I pass out once I''m all used up.

    I''ve learned to control the amount of mana I push out, making the gentle breeze more violent than the spell Push ever was, to a barely noticeable draft coming from my index finger.

    Either way, for the past months I''ve done nothing but eat, practice basic hygiene, and abuse my mana until I pass out. However, even with the months of progress and training, I''m no closer to solving my one problem.

    How do I stop my mana after I''ve started?

    No matter how much I focus, no matter how much mana I push out or how much I try to limit it, it always continues to flow.

    For the past few days I''ve been unable to return to the study as the maids and the rest of my family seem to be very active. I have no idea what is happening and don''t really care, but it''s completely stopping me from sneaking into the study to read. I mean, if you saw a two-year-old reading about anatomy and physiology, you''d think he was weird too!

    So, without any other spell or feeling to base my findings on, it appears I''m going to be a mono-wind mage for the time being.

    Well, it''s a new day and a new idea. Placing my palm forward, I reach back into the recesses of my mind and try to recall the incantation for Push. There may be a clue within the spell itself and not the feeling.

    "I call upon the air, bestow upon me a gift of strength, Push"

    A very familiar feeling overcomes me, as the mana travels from my chest, and out my hands. The spell casts as normal, sending what amounts to a ball of wind out of my hand to hit the wall in front of me with a ''knock''.

    However, instead of having the mana continue to flow, it stops, as the remaining mana within my arm retreats back to my center.

    What is it? What''s the difference?

    Casting the spell again, I close my eyes and deeply focus on the traveling of mana.

    Weird. The mana feels as if it''s slowing down in certain spots as it reaches my hand, but that''s not all.

    As soon as it reaches the tips of my fingers, it collects externally on my palm and then fires.

    After firing, that''s it!

    As the ball fires from my palm, at the same time, there''s a small almost shock that comes from the places in which the mana slowed down originally! Like blood being told to flow to a certain area, it seems these spots control when and how the mana flows.

    My method completely skip these points, allowing for a faster flow of mana, but by disregarding them, I never realized that they were there. This has to be it! This has to be the key to stopping my mana!

    ///

    It was not the key to stopping the flow of my mana. At least, not at first.

    In the week or so I''ve spent focusing entirely on these ''mana nodes'' I''ll call them have revealed a few important facts.

    Firstly, ''mana nodes'' are located all throughout my body, and it seems whenever I cast a spell, they supply the spell moving through my body with additional mana.

    Secondly, ''mana nodes'' also act as mana intake areas. By meditating, I realized that whenever I cast, mana both comes in and goes out of these nodes, most notably the nodes in my hands and shoulders.

    Thirdly, is my solution. Once I begin to allow mana to flow out into a spell, what triggers it to stop are the mana nodes. So, as soon as I want to stop channeling mana and turn that into a spell, I simply have to will the mana nodes to. In essence, it''s solved!

    Sure, it''s rough and it''ll take some getting used to, but this should allow me to cast without incantations or invocations! I''ll most likely have to still use invocations or incantations for new spells until I know the timing and how they feel to cast, but I can still do it!

    Thank god that''s over. I''ve been doing nothing but making myself feel like shit for the past few months, it''s time for some good ol'' rest and recuperation.

    Just as I was about to lay back down on my bed, my door swings open, and the hotter of the two female maids enters my room.

    "Come with me young master, Lord Damien would like to see you." The maid says, gesturing me gracefully to follow her.

    Great.. I really set off a flag with that last one huh.

 Chapter 5 - Father?

    What could he even want with a two-year-old to send a maid to get me?

    Usually, every interaction with my dad goes something along these lines.

    Either I run into him while walking around the house messing with my magic or he comes to see me after whatever he does.

    He rubs my head, talks to me a bit with a goofy expression, says some stuff in the third person, gives me a hug, and we part ways.

    It''s a great relationship. I don''t want anything else from it. I never really got along with my original dad and I don''t really want to change that with my dad in this life.

    However, now it seems different. The atmosphere walking with the maid seems weird, and I can already tell exactly where we''re walking.

    We''re taking the short walk from my room to the study.

    I mean, I''ve been pretty careless. Passing out in the study, knocking papers and cups over to test different mana outputs, but it''s not like I''ve ever used magic in front of my family before, I mean I haven''t cast anything except the lowest tier wind magic spell!

    Stepping into the study, my father is sitting in the large leather chair, facing the doorway.

    "Thank you. You may leave now." He says in a stern expression to the red-haired maid.

    Closing the door behind her, it was finally just me and my father, Damien.

    Damien was an intimidating man. Well over six feet tall, with a toned body and an impressive physique. I mean, I slept in a crib in my parent''s bedroom until I got my own bed, I know how strong that body is. So, to have that beast of a man staring down at me with a stern expression is very intimidating.

    Well, time to bite the bullet.

    "What is it?" I ask, looking up at him.

    "Antonio. It''s about time I have a talk with you. Do you know why you''re here?" He asks, looking down at me and tapping his finger on his desk.

    "No, I''m sorry Dad I don''t," I say, looking down and trying to put on my best sad kid impression. I mean cmon, I''ve got the body, I might as well use it to my advantage.

    "That''s okay. I hear you''ve spent a lot of time in this room, is that right?" He asks, his voice softening.

    "Yeah, I do sometimes," I reply, looking up at him and using my two years of acting experience to their fullest.

    "Why?" He asks, his expression showing more confusion than anything else.

    "Well, I''m trying to learn how to read like the stuff that you guys always show me, and there''s a lot of books in here so I thought I could practice reading like I see you practice swinging your sword." Listen I''m not a professional liar here, this is the best I can think of on the spot.

    It''s not like I can say the truth! A two-something-year-old shouldn''t be able to read anything in here!

    "Well, do you understand anything? Also, look at my eyes when you answer my next two questions." He says, his voice once again growing cold.

    "Some of them, and what''s the other question?" I say, looking at him dead in the eyes.

    "** *** ********** **?" Suddenly, my father speaks something foreign, yet extremely familiar to me. That isn''t the language that I''ve grown accustomed to. That''s, Korean?

    I guess my look of genuine confusion was enough to off-put the stranger that inhabits my father''s skin, as a face of relief washes over him.

    "Sorry, I was just checking something. Don''t worry about it little buddy, just a hunch that was proven wrong." With that, he stands up and walks over to me, placing his hand on my head.

    "Now son, you''re going to be three soon. Once your birthday comes we can have another talk." With a small smile, he stands up and leaves me in the study alone.

    What?

    What does this mean? What did he say in Korean?

    Why does he know Korean?

    Is he like me?

    Should I have replied in Italian?

    No. That would be stupid, he definitely didn''t seem friendly when he was talking like that, and only after he thought I didn''t know that was Korean did he relax.

    I don''t understand anything. Ethier way, it appears I''ve just dodged a bullet. Thank God I didn''t learn Korean when I went to school!

    There''s too much to unpack with that right now, what I need to do instead is practice my magic more and try to figure out another incantation for a different Plebeio Tier spell.

    --- Point of View: Damien Razorhog, Park Ji-Woo ---

    Strange. Very very strange.

    The information from Lord Celiba is, wrong?

    No. He just must not be born yet.

    But the date is rapidly approaching is it not?

    According to Lord Celiba, my son should be born as a reincarnation under the thumb of one of the Dread Lords, yet when I spoke to my youngest in a language from Earth, there was nothing but confusion plastered on his face.

    I even thought I had gotten it right this time. I mean, what normal three-year-old is smart enough to learn how to speak and read from having children''s books read to him every night?

    I mean, I didn''t have that so in all reality that could be very possible, but I''ve never heard of it!

    If I don''t find him within the next ten years, the calamity as foretold by Lord Celiba will be unavoidable, so I need to have as many children as possible before that, so I can root out the reincarnation and kill him before it''s too late.

    I''m sorry my future son, but I can''t treat this matter lightly. Lord Celiba has never given me advice that has been incorrect before, and through his guidance, I''ve been able to rise up to the status I have now.

    If you must be sacrificed to prevent a tragedy in the future, then I will oblige even if it pains me so.

    Well, at least this gives me an excuse to get with Stephanie and Sierra more. Should I be this happy about having two families? I mean, they both seem fine with it and it''s not like I treat either of them worse than the other.

    This is for the sake of the future damn it! I just need as many sons as possible to find the emissary the fastest!

    So what if that''s a flimsy excuse to practice polygamy! I was a twenty-five-year-old sage damn it! I deserve this, I''m saving the world.

    --- Point of View: Antonio Razorhog ---

    For some reason, a deep shier just ran up my spine.

    I mean, I am reading and trying to decipher some magic right now, but it''s not as if I''m casting anything.

    Ehhh whatever, it''s probably nothing.

 Chapter 6 - Time To Grind

    After six months, I''ve been able to decipher and use every type of the lowest tier magic. The basic wind spell ''Push'', the fire spell ''Kindle'', the water spell ''Water Ball'', the earth spell ''Dirt Shot'' and the most interesting, the spell known as ''Restore''.

    Most of the lowest level spells are easy to grasp, it''s just the four elements put into magic form. Water ball is a ball of water that fires from whatever orifice I cast it, the same concept with Dirt Shot and Kindle. The interesting and harder to grasp spell is known as ''Restore''.

    Restore, as the name implies, is a healing spell. It''s effects and uses I don''t have a good basis on since I''m not willing to test it on myself, and casting it on someone else is not even near an option, but based on the description of it I can assume it can heal small cuts and wounds. It seems medical knowledge in this world is almost non-existent, to the point my high school education would be considered a top doctor.

    However, in place of medicine or medical knowledge, there seems to be healing magic. I can perform the same trick with healing magic that I did with wind, having it course through my whole body, but it drains mana at nearly ten times the rate as any other magic type.

    In order, the magic that consumes the most mana is healing, followed by water, followed by earth, followed by fire, and finally wind consuming the least amount of mana.

    I don''t know whether it''s because of wind being the first magic I used or if a person has a natural inclination towards using a certain element, but either way it''s nice to have a baseline.

    Either way, practicing with all types of magic should keep me both busy and answer a lot of my questions. If I practice more with water or healing magic, will it begin to cost less? Like when you build up a muscle, you can do the same exercises easier?

    Or is it the case that no matter what element or type of magic you use, the muscle that''s being worked out is your mana system, and it becomes easier for all types of magic.

    Maybe, there''s no effect on it at all, and the only effect that training magic has in early life is the expanse of your mana pool.

    It''s certainly true that the more I practice magic, the larger and larger my mana pool grows, seeing as when I started I couldn''t even let wind magic flow out of me for a minute, let alone hours on end of healing mana.

    So, based on everything I know, it appears that the only effect of training magic is the increase in mana capacity, and that is probably only in early childhood. Like after you hit a certain age you stop growing taller, and it''s harder to put on weight or learn new skills.

    In that case, wouldn''t it be better to train my magic and body as much as possible early on, so that way if it is true that training magic stops giving returns later in life, I''ll have an advantage?

    Considering those facts, and the mission I received from Ego in exchange for reincarnating after my death, there''s only one thing to do. Grind!

    Grinding is the fun of some games, and the bane of others, but in this case, grinding couldn''t be easier or more fulfilling! All I have to do is constantly run healing mana throughout my entire mana network, and in a few short hours, I collapse from mana exhaustion. Rinse, repeat! If I do this for the next few months, increasing the amount that the mana flows as I gain more mana, it''ll give me a huge head start on my ability to cast magic!

    Sure, I can assume most people do this as soon as they discover magic and how to cast without speaking or invoking anything, but either way, this will definitely help me get stronger and keep up with more magically adept people.

    Also, with the effort I''ve put in, I''m basically fluent in this world''s language! I can feel myself being able to learn and adapt better in this body, it''s probably because of my age, so let''s abuse that as much as I can! If magical growth is like physical, then I have nothing but time to improve!

    It may be true that having mana flow through my body at all times takes some focus and takes away from my normal life somewhat, but I''m two years old! I don''t have a life yet! It''s not like I have a life to live or anything, I''m just a kid.

    I mean, on the outside at least.

    Sitting down and lying back in my bed, I can''t help but feel, empty.

    In this world, I have a loving family. Siblings who seem to care about me, a mother who loves me, and a strong father who still seems to care about me after all this time.

    So, why?

    Why did I jump?

    The effort I''ve put in for the past what, two years I could have put into my studies. It wasn''t even that deep.

    Who''s making all that noise? It''s like a mix between a cry and an air horn.

    It''s ridiculous and so loud. Sound magic? Does that exist?

    Oh, hello Ms. Hot Maid. What do you need? Why the concerned look?

    Why are you walking over to me? Is that a napkin?

    Why are you wiping my face? Is there something on it?

    Oh. My face is very hot, and, wet?

    Oh, the yelling. It''s me.

    That''s why it''s so loud. That''s why I''m so loud.

    Why am I so loud?

    God, I feel lightheaded.

    ''Thunk''

    My body feels heavy, weighty, and strangely warm.

    It''s familiar, yet foreign.

    Oh, opening my eyes, my familiar blurry vision is back. It seems my glasses didn''t carry over.

    I''m back in my old body, laying in a familiar mansion''s living room.

    Sitting up, the obsidian black figure is there, and looks to be eating a sandwich?

    "Yo! It''s been a while hasn''t it." Ego says, his sandwich disappearing.

    Oh, great. You''re here. What do you want, can''t you see I''m trying to follow your orders.

    "No reason to get so mean," He says with a fake hurt motion, "I''m just here to give you some advice, not an order, just an idea."

    This sounds like a loaded interaction, but hey why not.

 Chapter 7 - Advice

    So, what''s this ''advice'' you''re planning on giving me exactly?

    "Did you just think in air quotes? I''m not even gonna bother unpacking that. Also, if you don''t want any of my help just say that." Ego said, sitting back and relaxing.

    God damn it, fine. I''m listening. Also, why am I back in this body? Shouldn''t I be in my other body?

    "That thought right there is the reason. You still consider that to be your other body or second body. I can only see the ''Ego'' of each person I interact with. It''s pretty obvious that you still consider yourself to be ''Vincent Decourville'', you still think like him, act like him, and that''s still who you are. I mean, take that little outburst as an example. The moment you stop considering yourself Vincent and start considering yourself Antonio, I''ll be able to see the new you." Ego said, his usual know-it-all tone returning as a smile creeps across his face.

    That makes sense at least. I mean, if I was Antonio instead of Vinny, I wouldn''t be able to even talk with you like I am now. I''d be a little kid, not a fully grown human. Either way, that''s only half of what I asked. What''s this advice?

    "So now you wanna know huh? What happened to this being a ''loaded interaction''." Ego says, adding the air quotes to the end of his smug tone.

    Every interaction with you feels loaded. I mean, you told me to get strong but didn''t even come close to telling me that this was a fantasy world or how to go about that. If this advice is half as vague as that order, then it sure seems loaded to me.

    "Fair enough, and don''t worry. My advice is very simple. When you turn three, you''ll be given an increased amount of freedom, as age three in this world is significant, so is the age seven, thirteen, and sixteen. So, when you turn three, venture out of your house and head into the woods behind your house." Ego says, his signature grin and relaxed tone feeling eerie.

    Aren''t the forests full of danger? If I head in there as a three-year-old, alone, I''ll surely die to one of those huge wolves I saw Damien kill.

    "On your third birthday, head into the woods behind your house. I can''t tell you much else, as just telling you this much and having this long of a conversation costs me quite a bit." He says, his tone falling a bit flat, almost as if he''s annoyed.

    Well, if you say so, I may try it. This isn''t an order right, just advice?

    "Yep. I wouldn''t use one of my remaining two orders on something like this, I''ve only got those over you now, I think it''ll be better to let them marinate as you continue to grow stronger." With that, Ego stands up and stretches. "Your connection to this universe has already grown to surpass what it was in your last, but even so that doesn''t mean we can abuse it. It''s time for us to part ways for now."

    Wait, I still have...

    Opening my eyes, the now-familiar feeling of being in a small body has returned to me.

    I''m laying in my bed, and I can see the sun setting. Hmm, the rest of the day must have passed whilst I was passed out, is that the toll talking to Ego takes on my body?

    Too many questions, not enough answers.

    No matter what, I''ve wasted too much time. Immediately I start to flood my mana network with healing mana, at this point in my training it''s already a bit past the mana that one cast of Restore uses, but even so, it takes at least three or four hours for me to start feeling the effects of mana drain, and after about six I pass out.

    Maybe I should increase the output level?

    No, if I increase it anymore I''ll pass out after only four hours, and I''ll sleep away most of the day. I still have my secondary goal, figuring out how to cast my first Dominus tier spell.

    After flooding my body with the correct amount of constant mana, I make my way to the study and open my trusty magic guide. I truly am lucky to have found this book and have it be on the lowest shelf.

    Opening it up, I skip over all of the Plebeio tier spells and land on my first Dominus tier spell. It''s a wind spell, named Blowback. The effects should be simple, a strong shockwave of wind comes out of my hand or hands, blows back whatever is in front of me. I can assume it''s a defensive use of wind.

    Placing my palm forward, I aim at the connecting wall I''ve always cast Push on and begin to recite the incantation.

    "I call upon those who dominate the air, blow away my enemies and clear my way, may your path be clear and unfettered, Blowback!"

    I can feel an intense amount of mana drain from my system, maybe casting this whilst also using healing magic is a bad idea? Ahh, can''t change it now huh. Besides, it''s not as if the mana is that much in the grand scheme of things, I could probably cast this a good amount of times before I start feeling the negative effects.

    As Blowback leaves my palm, my arm is knocked back from the shockwave of it leaving my hand.

    That''s not good. That''s not good at all!

    Then, it was as if the world was moving in slow motion.

    I could see the violent orb of air, with a small cone at its front due to the air being pushed away by it, launch itself toward the wall.

    Then, time caught back up with me, as the wall in front of me was blown apart, followed by the next, to the point I could stare into my bedroom from the study.

    Books fell from the half-destroyed bookshelves, papers flew around the study, and my sister, who was now thirteen and whose room was in-between mine and the study, looked at me with eyes I''ve never seen her make.

    Eyes of both disbelief, and anger, as it appears I''ve destroyed her wardrobe that was on that wall.

    Uh oh.

    Before I could even think of a response, I could hear a loud crash followed by a figure appearing in the hallway at a speed my eyes couldn''t hope to ever follow.

    "WHERE IS THE MONSTER!" Damien yelled, his voice at a deafening volume, wearing his full hunting equipment.

    As if shaken from a daze, he then looks between me, my sister, and back to me. Then, his eyes finally land on the guide in my hand.

    The guide to magic that, ever since the first day, I''ve very carefully put back every single time I''ve studied it.

    The guide that was currently open to the Dominus tier spell, Blowback.

    Instantly, Damien drops his weapons and his guard, coming up to me before I even have time to breathe. Without further notice, he snatches the guidebook out of my hands, as my mother and the servants finally make their way upstairs to witness the destruction.

    "Antonio. I''m going to ask you one question, and you''re going to answer me." Damien says, holding the book, his eyes darting between me, the book, and my mother whose currently making her way to us.

    "Did you read the lines in this book?" He asked, his tone making it feel as if the very house itself was mere moments from freezing over.

    Looking towards the ground, there''s nothing else I can say.

    I''ve been caught red-handed.

    "Y-yeah. But it''s-" Before I can continue, my vision blurs as I can feel a force on the back of my neck.

    With a ''thud'' I fall to the floor and lose consciousness.

 Chapter 8 - An Important Talk

    --- Point of View: Damien Razorhog ---

    Picking up my knocked-out son, I set him on the bed.

    Strange. I''ve already tested him and he''s not a reincarnated person. Is my son just that much of a genius? Either way, this is not good.

    "Honey, we need to talk," I say, turning my head and looking at Stephaine. My sweet, sweet Stephanie. A gifted mage with absolutely zero talent or sense for battle.

    "Y-yes I think we do." She says, her face flushed yet serious. Cute.

    Walking downstairs, we head into the basement, dismiss the maids, and Stephaine removes the fake wall with her earth magic. Carved into the walls and hallway we''ve just revealed are an insane amount of intricate symbols.

    After resealing it, we head down further into our private basement. It''s more of a panic shelter than anything else, but in this case, it''s to hide from a very few select individuals.

    Sitting down on my couch, she faces me as our faces darken.

    "So, is he the one you''ve been warning us of? The so-called dangerous child that God had warned you about?" Stephanie asks bluntly. I forgot I told her the Lord Celiba was just God. Cute.

    "No. I''ve already tested him, he''s not the one who I''ve been warned about. However, it''s no stretch to say that he''s dangerous, for both this family and himself." Placing the still open magic grimoire on the table, I slide it toward Stephanie slowly.

    "He''ll turn three in two months, yet he already has the magic capacity and potential to cast a Dominus tier spell, not just that, but it appears that he was able to instinctively increase its output to something powerful enough to damage our house to that level. If he continues to grow like this, it won''t be a stretch to say that he''d be able to use two of those spells a day by the time he''s three. That''s beyond just dangerous, it''s unprecedented." I say, tapping on the spell he had cast.

    It was one of the stronger wind-based spells within the Dominus tier, a spell used to blow away and separate enemies, or blow apart enemies physically if they were hit head-on.

    Usually, due to the slow speed of the spell, most competent fighters can dodge it, especially since the chant is three lines. However, in the cases that they don''t dodge, it''s no stretch to say it can damage anyone under the Dominus level in any fighting style fatally.

    "I agree. Whilst I''m happy that one of my children was born with such talent in magic, it''s a dangerous gift to possess. Power is a double edge sword, and he nearly killed his own sister on accident already." Stephanie said, standing up and grabbing something out of her protected strongbox.

    Placing it on the table, it looks like it''s a business card, but a bit bigger, and there''s not just contact information on it.

    "What is this?" I say, reaching for the card, yet before my hand reaches it, Stephaine stops me.

    "This is a letter made of Blinktree parchment from my old master. She told me that if I ever changed my mind about the study of magic, or if any of my children decided to pursue it, to write on this paper and she would receive the message instantly. I don''t know exactly how it works, but I know it''s extremely rare." She says, bringing out an illustrious-looking pen and inkwell.

    "Magic classes? That may help him in the future, but it doesn''t change the danger he poses to our family. I don''t see how this would help us in the short run." Even if he can eventually learn to control his power and ability, it doesn''t help us now.

    What we need are preventative measures and the ability to continue making children so we can find the reincarnator before it''s too late.

    "I don''t think you understand my master very well. It won''t be something like weekly magic classes, she''ll take him with her to train. This is our only option. It will both nurture his growth and protect our family. I''m sorry, but I''m putting my foot down on this issue." With those words, she began to write on the backside of the magical paper.

    After a few minutes of writing and a few minutes of waiting, the parchment began to glow with beautiful blue light.

    What appeared on the parchment, just below what Stephanie had written, was more writing.

    ''Hello, darling! It''s so great to hear from you! I was beginning to think you forgot about me after all this time, you are human after all. Anyway, I don''t quite believe that your two-year-old has cast an empowered Dominus tier spell, what is more, likely is that your magical senses have dulled in your lack of real practice. Either way, a promise is a promise, and your gracious and caring master will happily help raise your son if he even has a fifth of your magical talent. I''ll be there in around three months based on the address you gave me. Thankfully I was in the Nation of Larune so it won''t be a far journey. - With Love, Elandria Volta''

    Good lord, she sounds dreadful. Either way, this takes care of my worries for now. I''ll simply forbid Antonio from casting any magic until his magic teacher arrives, that way even if he somehow remembers any of the chants he''s read, he won''t be able to cast anything without risk of angering me.

    Yes, finally everything is working out well.

    My plan was going to be just to keep the boy knocked out, tie him up, take him a few cities over, and drop him off at an orphanage. Sure, I would feel a little bad and Stephanie would probably be mad at me, but finding the reincarnator and preventing disaster takes a bit of priority over the happiness of my third child.

    Good Lord, I sound just like a villain in a bad Manhwa.

    Ahhh well, it just sounds like that. I''m not evil, I''m working for the cogs of good within the world! I have a revelation from God and a divine mission.

    It does feel nice to have an alternative as well, instead of being forced to abandon my extremely talented son. God my with is reliable huh.

    "Well, with that matter finished. Anything else we need to discuss in absolute privacy?" Stephanie asks, standing up and stretching.

    "I think that should cover everything, also staying in here is pretty draining. Let''s head back up and explain the situation to everyone. We can talk about it with Antonio when he wakes up." I say, walking back out of the chamber of secrets with Stephaine.

    That ended better than I expected, but it still feels like I''m missing something.

 Chapter 9 - Listening To Ego

    Opening my eyes, my head hurts, my neck is stiff, but otherwise, I''m fine?

    Well, fine isn''t the right word.

    In all honesty, there''s a deep pit of anxiety in my stomach.

    I was knocked out before I even knew what happened or got a chance to explain myself, now I wake up and it feels like I''m being watched. Why was I knocked out? Is being able to use magic at my age that rare?

    Sitting up, I look around to find my room about how I expected it as well as nothing like it.

    The wall is still blown apart so it''s covered with a huge sheet, and my room looks as if a bomb went off due to the wind blast and pressure.

    However, sitting in my room, looking at my previously sleeping self with a stern expression are two people. First and most frighteningly is my father, sitting with his arms crossed, wearing the same expression that he had when I was knocked out in an instant.

    The second person looks to be a brand new maid in the house. She''s younger than Young Maid but better looking than Hot Maid. Let''s call her Best Maid for now until I learn her name. I mean, I don''t know the names of any of the servants here but I can assume I''ll learn this one based on the fact she''s here.

    "Good morning, Antonio," Damien says, his expression softening as he meets my eyes. "Sorry about that, your father fights monsters so I just reacted and thought there was a monster controlling you. I''m glad you''re okay."

    Yeah, right. I may be young but I''m not that young!

    Well, I am, but that''s not relevant right now!

    "It''s okay! I''m all better now," Is what I actually end up saying in reply.

    "That''s good, very good. But, do you know what you did wrong?" He asks in a now friendly fatherly tone.

    "I read the book in the room? I don''t know what happened after that really." I say, putting my hand to my chin. I really need to act as if that''s my first time casting magic.

    "Yes, that book is very dangerous for someone like you. Have you read anything else in that book, or do you remember anything else from it?" He asks, maintaining his friendly tone.

    "No, I only got to read that one and I don''t really remember it," I reply with a simple head tilt. In all reality, I don''t remember the spell incantation. I need to read it a few more times to memorize it and cast it a few more times to learn how it feels I already have a good grasp on what to do, I just want to make sure.

    "Good. I''m forbidding you from even looking at that book from now on and I''m taking it from the study. That book is very dangerous, but I''m proud of you for learning to read, so I''ll let you have it back when you''re older." He says, nodding with a satisfied smile.

    Thankfully I''m able to keep my mask on and just nod while looking at him.

    But, WHAT?!

    WHY?! I NEED TO READ THAT BOOK! I NEED TO READ THAT SPELL MORE AND LEARN THE OTHER ONES!

    "Who is that?" I ask, mentally freaking out.

    "This is your personal servant from now on. Her name is Sierra, and she was meant to be assigned to you on your third birthday, yet because of your achievement I''m giving you this present early." He says with an easy-going smile.

    Oh yeah, sure, my achievements. This DEFINITELY not a person you hired to make sure I don''t cast or practice any more magic right?

    God this sucks! I thought I was supposed to be given more freedom on my third birthday, not a chain directly to my father!

    What if Ego is just wrong?

    I mean, does he really know all that much about this world?

    He didn''t even tell me about it when he sent me here.

    No, that''s not right.

    I''m not three yet, there''s still a chance he''s right.

    For now, I have no choice but to trust him and believe that the information he has is correct. I mean, he''s a god, right? He wouldn''t be much of a god if he was wrong.

    "Hello, as the master has stated, my name is Sierra and from now on I''ll be your personal servant." Best Maid, Sierra, says with a cheerful tone. I mean, this is probably a sweet gig. Basically just babysitting but getting a free place to stay and probably a good amount of money on top of it.

    I would take this job too.

    "Ah! Sorry! Hello, my name is Antonio Razorhog." I say, looking over and waving at Sierra.

    A soft smile creeps onto her and my father''s faces.

    "Well, I''ll leave you two to introductions, make friends okay Antonio? She''ll be your servant and guide from now on." Damien says, standing up with a smile and leaving the room.

    ///

    From then on, life was set into a new normal routine.

    My magic practice has come to a halt, so mana grinding takes priority. In these two or so months I''ve nearly tripled the amount of healing mana flowing through my body at all times. At first, I had increased the output to the point I would pass out after about six hours of activity, which I think is pretty normal for a two-year-old?

    I don''t know I never had any kids, I was a college student, not a family man.

    My family doesn''t seem to notice or see anything wrong with it either. Especially since I''ve kept up the same rhythm. No matter how much my mana pool increased, I''d increase the output to keep it at around that time frame.

    The time passed quickly, every day being about the same.

    Wake up, bathe myself, Sierra would then ''teach'' me how to read so I have an alibi for knowing how to read. She also ''taught'' me how to do basic arithmetic, from which I learned the number system in this world.

    Finally, after months and months on repeat, the fated day finally came. My birthday.

    As I get up and out of bed, I get dressed and noticed that Sierra was nowhere to be seen. That''s what tipped me off that today was my birthday.

    Heading out of my room and downstairs, I was immediately greeted by my entire family, the second family who lives with us to whom I''ve yet to be introduced, and all of the staff, waiting for me.

    "Happy birthday!" They all say in unison, as I''m ushered over to the table. Interesting, it seems like Ego is correct.

    This never happened on my other two birthdays, and it seems like people have even prepared gifts for me.

    Either way, the day passed smoothly. I got some assorted gifts, some books, some clothes, and even a nice-looking amulet from my parents. However, as the day came to an end and dusk began to settle, I was finally sat down by my father.

    "Son, you''re three years old now. Traditionally, this is when young men and women are able to start training or studying or trying to find something they''re good at as a kid. However, we''ve already discovered your talents, haven''t we? Tomorrow, I''m gonna introduce you to someone, so get plenty of rest okay?" He says, putting his hand on my shoulder with a gentle smile.

    "Okay! Do you mind if I go play outside for the rest of the day?" I ask, already knowing he''s going to answer yes.

    "Of course buddy, it''s your birthday and you''ve never really gone outside. Have fun and come back before dark okay?" He says, his smile broadening as he rubs my head and stands up to go about his business.

    Finally, I get dressed in some plain clothes and head out into the backyard, venturing into the forest.

 Chapter 10 - The Forest

    Walking into the forest, I make sure to walk in a straight line from my house. I mean, I don''t really know how far I''m going to have to walk to follow Ego''s advice.

    Continuing forward, the forest gets progressively denser and denser, filled with strange plants and flowers I''ve never seen in my last life.

    I was kind of expecting that since this is a different world, but I was at least expecting to see your standard ferns or moss.

    Well, there is moss, but it''s blue and glows so I don''t consider that normal.

    Either way, the deeper and deeper I head into the forest and richer and denser it becomes.

    Suddenly, I look back and I can no longer see my house in the distance. Most likely since the forest at this point is becoming less of an overgrown forest and increasingly like a flourishing jungle.

    Do we own property in a tropical environment?

    No, there was snow on the ground during winter, and the trees surrounding my house lost their leaves. Strange.

    It''s not as if I''ve veered too far off the straight path I planned to set, but this shouldn''t be possible. It shouldn''t be possible to have such deep and rich vegetation in the same forest that I was walking through before.

    Did I get transported? Is this the effect of some kind of magic?

    I didn''t feel any magic triggering, it didn''t feel like I cast anything or anything was cast on me, and all I''ve felt for the past about hour of walking was the pressure of the ground on my feet.

    Also, I''m pretty sure the cycling of healing mana throughout my body is preventing pain to some degree, as I should have hurting feet by now.

    Is this a trap? A trick? Was I kidnapped or taken somewhere? Or is this vegetation the result of magic?

    Like, the more magic in an area, the richer the vegetation will grow?

    No. At this point, I''ve gone down a rabbit hole that I have no way to verify.

    What I need to do is have some trust for once. I trust Ego, I doubt Ego would take the time and effort to reincarnate me and help me just to kill me after three years.

    Ego said to walk into the woods directly into the back of my house, and I did. All there is to do now is believe in him.

    I mean, what''s the worst that could happen? I die, and I can consider this a vivid pre-suicide dream so I experience some happiness before death.

    What''s the best outcome? This makes me a God and all of my wishes are granted from finding a mystical magic temple or super-powerful magical wizard tower artifact, or I stumble across a cute girl and we fall in love and I have a happy fulfilling life.

    Or maybe, I stumble across a book and by pure luck and zero skill come to find out I''m the secret heir to a powerful tribe of super vampires who live on another planet.

    Too on the nose? Maybe.

    What''s the most likely thing to happen? I get some sort of benefit out of this, that''s why Ego said to come here, then I go home and get to go back to my normal life until I''m older than a child.

    Wow, that actually worked. I read online that was a good way to cure anxiety, I didn''t think it was real.

    Getting myself back in the swing of things, I continue venturing deeper and deeper into the forest, and in the next moment, it all comes together.

    The rich vegetation seems to come into a small clearing, a ring of cleared-out forest with a diameter of about forty feet.

    At the center of the clearing, there''s a sight that makes me almost immediately puke out all of the food I''ve eaten for the past month.

    There are people, not just humans, four people of all different races and one human fighting together. A party of five.

    Reduced now, to three. As the thing that they''re fighting cleaves its hand in a wide arc and takes off the arm of a hairy, pig-faced warrior who was previously dual-wielding two silver swords.

    The monster they''re facing.

    It looks like if a venus flytrap and a deer that eats nothing but protein had a kid.

    Long black claws replaced its front hooves, as it stands hunched over like a gorilla.

    Its mouth is hanging open, bleeding from the cuts that removed its jaw from the rest of its face, showing the world its horrendous three rows of teeth.

    "Hazzet! No!" The halfling wearing chain yells as the man-bear-pig yells in pain and charges the monster, only to have his head removed like it was a cheap children''s promotional toy.

    In one swift movement, this seemingly tight band of adventurers have had their numbers cut in half, well technically in pieces but who''s counting huh?

    "I call upon those who control the winds, flurry and collect your power into my palms, bestow upon me-" Even after jumping backward and chanting at a speed I could barely keep up with, the older human also falls to the deer monstrosity.

    Just like that, the only two remaining people are the halfling in chainmail who is currently desperately trying to swing at the monster and a blue-skinned race I don''t recognize doing the same.

    I need to help.

    This is probably what Ego sent me here to do.

    I don''t know why the mage from before didn''t do silent magic to get distance or slow the monster down whilst he chanted the powerful spell, but I can''t ponder the deaths of an idiot right now.

    If I don''t intervene, then those two are going to die.

    Then that thing is going to sniff me out, kill me, and then probably massacre my family. I don''t know how strong Damien is, but that thing just took out a party of adventurers.

    Placing my palm forward, I NEED this to work.

    I need to kill it in one shot. I can''t use fire, as we''re in a forest. I can''t use earth as I have the least practice with it and I don''t know if I can do this with earth.

    I can''t use wind, even though it''s my best element, I don''t know how to even imagine a wind blade.

    What I can make, however, is ice.

    Pouring more and more water mana into my palm, I keep it from taking shape until I''ve dumped nearly four times the amount of mana Blowback took.

    The shape and firing idea is simple. I want an icicle about two feet long, made extremely dense and the sharpest possible point at the tip of it.

    When I fire it, I want it to spin in the air like a bullet to reduce drag and hopefully drill into this thing''s skull.

    It''s taken me about five seconds to fully craft this spell, and in that time unfortunately the monster has demoted the living halfling to dead. What, I use humor as a coping mechanism okay?

    The final adventurer has collapsed to their knees at the monster, as it slowly shuffles towards them.

    Thankfully, it''s stopped its fast movements and is moving in a line.

    Standing up, I place my palm toward the skull of the creature and let my newest and first-ever custom spell fly. Eisd?mon.

    The mana leaves my hand and launches with the high speed ''whir'' of a drill.

    It flies almost faster than my eyes can follow, and embeds itself squarely into his right ribs.

    Okay, maybe I ought to work on my aim when firing magic.

    Either way, the monster turns to look at me, a look of fury within its eyes soon replaced by nothingness, as its corpse falls flat.

    The monster, the Carnivoro I''ll call it, is finally dead.

    Just as relief washes over me, I see the blue-skinned woman faint whilst looking in my direction.

    That''s not a good sign.

 Chapter 11 - Escape

    Walking toward to collapsed woman, it takes me nearly two minutes with my tiny body coupled with my food being forced out of my stomach due to the thick stench of death.

    Once I''m about five feet away from the woman, I realize a few key facts.

    First and foremost, I really don''t want to get any closer as she may attack me.

    Secondly, even if she is out cold, I am three. In the body of a three-year-old, I don''t think I could even drag her.

    Great.

    What was the point of this? What did Ego want me to do?

    Watch them die? That''s basically all I could do. I couldn''t act, and because of it, four people died.

    Help them? Even if I killed the Carnivoro, four are dead and I can''t even move the fifth one, who passed out upon seeing me.

    Do nothing? Then they''d just end up dying anyway. Unless the halfling or the blue-skinned woman would have done anything if I didn''t, but there''s no way to guarantee that.

    Well, if no matter what I did these people were gonna die, then he sent me here for one of two reasons. Either to save this person or the reality that I''m choosing to ignore.

    No matter what he sent me for, it''s undeniable that I''ve helped someone, and that''s how I''m gonna see it.

    Stopping the flow of healing mana through my body, I gather my focus and begin to gather earth mana.

    What I need to do now is obvious, move the unconscious woman away from the dead bodies, then I need to burn the dead bodies with fire magic. I don''t know why, but every single time I''ve seen my father kill something, he''s always burned the corpses.

    After gathering my mana, I place my hands on the ground, sending my mana to the ground beneath the woman. Then, I raise it up beneath her into a ramp, with the hopes of sliding her unconscious body over to around six or seven feet away from the bodies.

    What seems to have ended up happening, is that she was forcefully flung to the top of my ramp, and then slid down and landed right next to me.

    Ehhh, it worked out in the end. She is away from the bodies and far enough back to where I can burn them.

    Firstly, I place my hands back on the ground and sink the group of bodies, Carnivoro included, into a pit around five feet deep.

    Standing up and walking over to the newest hole in the forest, I place my palm towards the pile and flood my hands with mana, similar to the spell Kindle, but with about twice the mana output.

    Out of my hand launches a sphere of orange and blue fire, about the size of a basketball that sticks to the clothes and corpses like glue. That should be good enough.

    Looking back at the unconscious woman, she is no longer unconscious and instead is standing on her feet, her ornate sword pointing at me.

    "Who and what are you, monster!" They yell, taking a step closer to me.

    This is bad. Really really really bad.

    "What?" I say, putting on my best scared face and looking around, as I secretly begin to harness wind mana into my palm.

    "Where?" I ask, looking up at the no less startled adventurer.

    Damn, I really thought that would work.

    "Don''t try and play me a fool, monster. I saw you finish off that monstrous creature, and still have the mana needed to bury and burn the corpses of my party. I don''t know what magic items you used or how you could have chanted without our detection, but even you should understand that you have no chance at this distance. Identify yourself and your race." She says, taking another step forward.

    Fuck. At least she isn''t wildly swinging and is instead talking to me. But why ask for my race? Isn''t that obvious?

    "My name is Antonio Razorhog and I''m a human," I say putting my hands up, palms open and forward. It''s probably better, to tell the truth here.

    "Now is not the time to lie. It is obvious by your ability to have a conversation at this level, cast such magic, and remain calm in the front of a sword that you''re not a toddler. I''ve never heard of a race that remains through their life looking like children, the closest would be a halfling but they show aging. So, Antonio, state your race and business within this forest." She is incredibly calm and also saw basically right through me.

    But I''m not lying! I''m a human, I think, just reincarnated! Of course, I can''t say that, nor the fact that I was sent here based on the advice of a god, but I need a convincing lie.

    Whatever something will come to me.

    "You''ve seen through me. I am one of a rare few whose name I am unsure of. I was coming into this forest in an attempt to gain strength, you could say I was coming here to test something. Now, who and what are you." I say, keeping my hands up, yet filling my other hand with water mana.

    If this conversation goes south, I can try and liquefy the soil under her feet, or just try and hit her in the jaw with a chunk of ice.

    "I am known as Teresa. It should be easy to see that I am a Jeralik, given the horns and skin. Now, Antonio, you will turn around and return from where you''ve come from. Your quest in this forest will bring nothing except your own death. I am unsure how you''ve even entered the Sacred Forest, but there is no way you can remain here. Consider yourself lucky, if you had not saved me and instead ran across my party, by Royal Decree I would have had you executed on the spot." She says with an angry expression, softening it before continuing.

    "However, it appears I am in your debt, so if we happen to meet outside of this forest, I will accommodate you for your services." She says, inching ever closer.

    What a pompous asshole! Lady, I''m basically your neighbor, and I just saved your life! You have some audacity! Besides, I literally just walked here, nothing else!

    "How do I know you won''t attack me as soon as I turn my back to leave?" I ask, pouring more and more mana into my palms. If she plans to kill me, I''ll need at least this much to escape.

    "I swear it upon my name as the heir of the throne of Elarus." She says, in a stern yet confident tone.

    That means nothing to me, do you know how many times I swore to some arbitrary title or nonsense in my last life?

    Whatever. I can''t think of anything else, so I begin to slowly walk backward, never breaking eye contact with the strange woman.

    Finally, I reach the treeline in which I came from and I break out into a full sprint back out of the forest. However, I quickly realize something as I run.

    I am completely turned around and lost.

 Chapter 12 - Lost

    Looking around, I''ve lost even the clearing from which I was running from, being utterly and truly, lost.

    What was rule number one for being lost again?

    Right. Stay put.

    I can do that, I can stay put. Roughly.

    Walking toward a larger cliff-face, I place my palms on the wall and begin to channel more and more earth mana, hollowing out a small cave-like structure for myself.

    It''s about ten feet deep, smooth on all sides, and even has a little bench/bed for me to sit and sleep on. I''ll also set up a little firepit and collect some wood to burn.

    That way, hopefully, someone will see the smoke and come find me. It''s not like someone would just attack a child right? Well, that one lady would, but the chances are slim that there are more people out there like her.

    This is gonna be a nice and easy woodland vacation for at most a day, where I''ll get rescued, go on home, and continue my early life training.

    Oh God, did I just set off a flag?

    ///

    --- Point of View: Stephaine Razorhog ---

    My husband is a pig. An insidious, perverse, borderline deranged human being. But I thought that, at the very least, he would care for his own children.

    I didn''t want to marry him, it was a political marriage between my family and his. I understood this, and he understood this, at first.

    One day, one very strange and cold day, Damien was out in the back collecting firewood. Then, without any warning or really any impact, he collapsed.

    I came out and helped him up, it would look bad if the head of the house died before I birthed an heir, and brought him into the living room. He was unconscious for three days, even through a doctor''s visit and multiple casts of healing magic up to Dux tier.

    He then suddenly awoke, an almost completely different person. He knew his own name, he knew his title, that I was his life and the territory in which encompassed our fief, but otherwise, he was a completely different person.

    He turned from a well-mannered, well-tempered, duty-bound husband to a disgusting, perverse, pig.

    The worst of it came when our first daughter came. We named her after one of the Five Heroes of Old, Teresa Goldheart, yet that was when I discovered something that nearly made me wretch.

    At first, Damien looked upon our daughter with scorn, almost hate. When confronted, he ranted to me about a ''mission from God'' that he received and that one of our children would be some sort of monster.

    It''s utter nonsense, especially since he is not a man who even comes close to following the teachings of God. He was barely a follower before the accident and now is far from it.

    After he somehow confirmed our daughter was not part of his strange schizophrenic scheme, his gaze twisted. As she grew older and older, it turned from a gaze of scorn to a gaze of something more than a father''s love.

    But I can''t divorce him or even run. I have no place to return to and no way to fight against him. There''s a reason he''s solely responsible for the protection of our village.

    So, for the last fifteen years, I''ve put up and dealt with him. For the last fifteen years, I held out some sort of hope, some sense that one day the man who I was fine marrying would return. Even if he didn''t return, he would at least care for the children he sowed.

    But, yesterday, those hopes were crushed. Crushed harder than when he knocked up another noble, crushed further than when he denied teaching our eldest son any swordsmanship or magic so that they may take after him, completely and utterly crushed.

    Antonio, our youngest, age three as of yesterday, is gone.

    I pleaded, begged for Damien to go into the forest to find him. Eventually, he caved and went in, yet came out empty-handed.

    Simply stating "He must have stepped into a Fae portal."

    Nonsense. Nonsense and bullshit. You have to specifically seek out a Fae portal, and then you must hope the portal is filled with natural mana, to finally step on it and be transported to another random portal.

    They''re truly things of mystery, with some scholars claiming them to be hoaxes and that those who claim to have passed through them to be paid off.

    The worst was the look in his eyes. Not one of worry, or even one of longing.

    This was the look of a man who was relieved. Relieved that his genius, magically gifted child, had died in our forest due to his negligence.

    That''s enough. I''ve had enough.

    Terrance is a fine heir, and he''s even been secretly studying swordsmanship and magic after seeing his brother''s talent.

    Teresa is an adult in a few months and can rule the fief on her own, a well-studied scholar already. She won''t miss her bastard of a father, and neither will anyone within this house. After Terrance is of age, she will be free to leave as requested.

    I can cover up the disappearance of my youngest son, by tying it to the death of my late husband, Damien Razorhog.

    Tragically, they both died whilst playing in the forest, to an ambush of assassins.

    Walking into the basement, I open the communication parchment with my master and begin to write.

    ''The genius son of mine in which I was going to entrust to you is gone. Killed by Damien''s negligence. If you want me to return to the fold, I have one simple request. Kill Damien Razorhog, and make it look like the work of Empire assassins. That is my only requirement.''

    Almost instantly, the parchment was filled with a return response.

    ''Of course darling. Consider the pig to be roasted. It will be such a joy to have you back within the Breakers. Very sorry about the young one, he is a dearly missed mage already.''

    Finally, freedom has never been closer.

    ///

    One week later, I can say with all of the weight in my heart that Antonio is dead.

    Even if by some fluke he survived in the forest, after not turning up for a week he must be long dead by now. He may have been able to use magic, but we stopped him from learning any spells, and he''s just a three-year-old boy.

    However, today, Damien has taken nearly all day to return from his morning clearing outside of the village, deeper into the forest and trails. It appears master has come a week early, that or by some miracle, there was a beast capable of taking him down.

    ''Knock knock knock''

    Speak of the devil, there''s a knock on the door. No one ever knocks on the door, the servants and political allies simply come in, whilst there aren''t really any villagers that don''t go up to Damien whilst he''s out hunting.

    Walking over to the door, I dismiss the servants and answer it myself.

    "Good evening," I say, opening the door to see two guards, on their shoulders was the embroidery of our neighbor''s territory, the Caldari''s I believe.

    "Good evening Lady Razorhog," The higher-ranked soldier says, as they both bow. A look of sorrow filled their face. Standing behind the two, are four more soldiers holding a closed casket. "May we come in? There is, much to discuss."

    Perfect. As expected of master, everything hopefully has gone well. Strangely, however, there appears to be two caskets....

 Chapter 13 - Lost (Part Two)

    No matter, I''m sure this is all within reason. It may be a fake corpse of an assassin.

    "Of course, come in come in. I''ll call over Sierra to make us some tea." I say, opening the doors wider and beckoning the soldiers to enter my foyer.

    "I would prefer to conduct our business outside of the home. Would you mind stepping out?" They ask in a respectful tone. Interesting. Are they perhaps wary of me?

    "Of course, I have an exterior tea room we could discuss our business in on the east end of my house. Would that be better?" I ask, attempting to read any of their expressions. There''s a mix of dread, fear, and a twinge of anxiousness within everyone''s face except the captain, who''s nearly unreadable.

    "That would work perfectly Lady Razorhog." He says, keeping his expression as stone-faced as I remember him to always be. Captain Boradere, a strange fellow who has served the Caldari''s for nearly twenty years now.

    Walking towards my eastern end gazebo, I begin to send specks of mana into the inscribed invocations around the house and around where we will be sitting. It''s only natural to keep wary of soldiers from a neighboring territory, and thankfully inscriptions do not require chanting to prepare.

    Sitting down first, the soldiers file in as well, taking a post at the entrance behind their captain, setting down the caskets.

    "Based on the articles behind me, I can assume you''ve grasped the situation. As a long-time friend of both Damien and House Razorhog, you have my deepest condolences." He says, taking off his helmet and bowing before sitting across from me.

    "I have always prepared myself for this day, so when he failed to return from his morning duties, I had feared the worst had occurred. I will not trouble you with my tears, only a single question. Did you at least kill the beast that took his life?" I say, dotting my eyes with my napkin whilst my years of political acting work to make my tear ducts flow ever slightly.

    "That is the thing Viscountess Razorhog. The thing that killed your husband was no monster, but a person." With that, he gestures for his men to bring over the first casket.

    As they reach down and open the casket, within it lies the scarred corpse of my late husband. His chest and legs are burnt black whilst his face is bloated and red.

    Typical of assassins of the empire, removing air is their first strike, followed by a barrage of magic on the confused and unsuspecting target. For more advanced targets, they also seem to trap them in a thick dome of either air or ice to prevent escape, rarely ever coming face to face.

    "Assassins." Are the only words I''m able to mutter in this situation.

    It is common knowledge between nobles that the Empire of Elves and the Peoples Unified Republic of Eladria are on bad terms, even more to the point that the assassination tactics are well studied.

    As a neutral nation, it''s important to be able to distinguish between the two.

    "Indeed, they appear to be working for the Empire. However, that is the strangest part. What could the Empire or even the Republic want with the late Viscount Razorhog? Due to the nature of our neutrality between the Empire and Republic, and the location of your fief being so close to their borders, it would make more sense to take a powerful noble as an ally would it not?" He says, his tone showing a hint of suspicion towards me. Well, it''s not as if they can prove anything.

    "That would make the most sense, but this could also be a message to the other Lords with territories bordering the Empire. Support their cause or you''ll be marked as an enemy, neutrality not being tolerated." I reply, averting my eyes from the corpse.

    It still is a bit painful, I did spend the last fifteen years with the man.

    "That was our original idea as well until we found this." With another gesture and a colder expression, the soldiers brought over and opened the second casket.

    Within it, laid the flayed corpse of my previous master, Elandria Volta.

    "Do you happen to recognize this woman?" He asks, his tone growing ever slightly colder.

    "Yes. That is my former master Elandria Volta, a half-blooded elven woman who I parted ways with around fifteen odd years ago. She was against my family''s wishes to marry me off and thought it would be better to continue my studies since at the time I was already a Dux Tier Wind Mage. I disagreed with her and we not so politely parted ways. Are you claiming that my old master would come after my life over something a trivial as a fight?" I ask, making my tone a bit more condescending as the conversation went on.

    My magical talent is not widely known, so that should serve to scare every guard aside from Captain Boradere.

    "Indeed. It seems that our research was correct, with a few discrepancies. We had heard you left on fine terms with your master, but regardless that is what it seems to be. Based on all available information on your previous master, Elandria Volta, she had spent about three months within our Nation of Larune, working as a tutor for the daughter of Baron Staton. Then, without warning, she left her position and made her way towards this fief, and once she arrived, it appears she attacked your husband on sight." He says, reaching into his coat pocket.

    "Now, I have something interesting that I ought to show you." He says, a sudden smirk appearing on his face.

    Placing his hand down onto the table, he taps a small booklet.

    The same booklet that my master used to communicate to every one of her students throughout the years.

    A booklet very familiar to me, as it''s the same booklet that I tore my page of blinktree parchment out of.

    This does not bode well.

 Chapter 14 - Found (Part One)

    Seven days.

    One week.

    It''s been one week since I was stranded in this wood, on a quest from an asshole of a god who won''t even give me a hint.

    Thinking about it, it''s obvious what he actually had wanted me to do.

    Something I could do fine in a video game, or something that made sense in every bad show or book I read.

    Loot. He wanted to give me loot. Those adventurers had on very nice-looking gear, and there was even a spell caster among them. I could have gotten some magical items, money, and a litany of other objects.

    If I was an absolute sociopath!

    Are you kidding me Ego? You want me to loot the corpses of dead adventurers, two of whom I could have saved with quicker action?

    I may be desperate and want to grow stronger, but I''m not THAT desperate! They were fresh corpses! I saw them die!

    No matter what sort of advice I was supposed to follow from Ego in this forest, it has obviously failed. Now, I''m lost, in a completely different forest than the one owned by my family, being forced to hunt odd colored wolves for meat and tree-like monsters for wood and safety.

    I was reluctant to eat the wolves at first, but it''s this is starvation. There''s one other option for meat, that being a monkey-like monster, but I am even less on board with eating the next closest thing to a human in these woods.

    Thinking about humans, the Carnivoro. I don''t know if it was like a boss or something in these woods, or a stray, or an invader, but there doesn''t appear to be any more here.

    Don''t get me wrong, I''m not complaining, it''s just strange.

    Either way, I can''t stay here. I''ve stayed in my artificial cave for a week now and it''s not only cramped but useless.

    What''s the point in staying in one spot if no one is coming to look for me?

    I mean, if my family was actively looking for me, my constant fires and movement in the forest should have allowed them to locate me by now.

    No, what most likely happened was that the first night I didn''t come home, there was a search party. Then, after I turned up gone, it was probably assumed that I had died. I mean, in a world of magic, swords, and monsters, I would not expect a literal toddler to be able to survive either.

    I mean, if I was just the average kid I would have died by now. The only thing that has kept me alive is the fact that I''m really a nineteen-year-old in here, not a person who has the mental capabilities of a goldfish.

    Well, technically I''m not nineteen anymore. Mentally, I''m around twenty-two now.

    Weird. It doesn''t feel that way at all, maybe because my body doesn''t match up to my mind?

    Either way, it doesn''t feel as if I''ve aged any except physically. That''ll probably fade with time, probably as my body reaches that of a teenager or young adult, my mind will start to recognize my aging. Or it could just be that it''s a mix of my new body giving me a fresh mind and the fact that it''s only been a few years.

    Only time will tell with some things.

    Another one of those things that time will tell, is when I begin my journey out of this forest.

    I''ve decided to hunt some more wolves, cook and smoke their meat so it lasts for a while, and just start walking in any direction. I mean, worst case scenario I eventually hit civilization either inside of or out of the forest.

    For now, all my hunting strategies need to change.

    So far, I''ve focused on finding wolves that are alone or eating, sealing their movements with a cage of earth magic, and just pelting them with either ice or earth spears.

    It works, but I want to have a nice stockpile of food before I head out, so today, I''m going to take down a pack.

    Now, that''s easier said than done. First, I need to find or lure a pack, then I need to wipe it out.

    The wiping out is easy in theory, get in a tree, enclose them in a wall of stone, rain magic on them one by one until done.

    Easy, simple, and free.

    Tracking and luring however is a different beast entirely. I have not the slightest idea what these things eat, how they move, or even where to start looking.

    Thankfully, during my deliberations, my problem solved itself.

    Wandering around the forest, just about a kilometer or two away from my artificial cave, I hear the loud howling that is typical of these wolf packs.

    On both a good note and a disturbing one, along with the howling of a wolf back, was a loud scream of terror.

    Great. Of course.

    The two things I wanted. Civilization and my wolf pack.

    The only thing I didn''t want was BOTH of them at the same time!

    Immediately, I collect all of my two belongings and rush toward the source of the scream.

    There''s no way. There''s absolutely no way I can ever get to that person in time if the pack is that close to them. If I were in my old body, I would probably stand a better chance, but even if that was the case, I can''t remember the last time I worked out.

    God, I really need to start working out. After like three minutes of running I''m panting out of breath.

    But I have to keep going, I won''t let a third person die because I''m slow. Especially since I know I can help.

    Out of ideas, I funnel an insane amount of wind mana into my legs and release it all at once, draining my mana total by a significant margin, but sending me flying through the woods.

    That worked for a moment until the pain in my legs nearly caused me to pass out and crash into a tree.

    Maybe that technique oughta wait a few years until my legs can handle the force of something like that. Cycling my whole body with healing magic, I can finally start to move again.

    I need to keep moving.

    I need to make it in time.

 Chapter 15 - Found (Part Two)

    I''m running. Sprinting through the forest.

    My chest is pounding, my lungs and legs burn ragged as I sprint through this underbrush.

    The only thing keeping me going is the healing magic cycling through my body, keeping the physical pain of my muscles to a minimum. However, healing magic can''t make up for my lung capacity, or my weak muscles, or my slow, stumpy body.

    But I can''t stop moving.

    I can''t stop running.

    I can hear the wolves barking and the sounds of a struggle.

    I can make it.

    I can do it.

    As I continue to sprint, I reach an edge, a rough face on the side of this mountain, with natural paths down the sides.

    Pressed up against this earthen face, appears to be two people. A young man and a young woman. A man is holding a sword, glistening with blood, whilst his right-hand lay limp. The young woman seems to be passed out and injured behind him.

    Not good.

    I''m too small and too tired to make it down there the normal way. But there''s no way I''d be able to jump down this forty-foot drop.

    During my brief deliberations, my legs give out. Leaning over the edge, my legs give out, and the ground begins to get closer, rapidly.

    "FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK" I scream, placing my plans forward and dumping as much mana as humanly possible into them. I want a cushion. A cushion of air to land on.

    Thankfully, for once, it worked. A huge bubble of air appeared and simultaneously disappeared as I slammed forcefully into it. The wind barrier broke most of my fall, and thankfully my ribs broke the rest instead of my face.

    With no time to think and the pack still around, I stick my palms out toward the wolves.

    "Oh, great wind. Blowback." I say, coughing out blood. Whatever, I don''t remember. Thankfully, it seems like all I need to do is say the spell name and it''ll activate, as long as I know the effects of course.

    Shooting out of my palms comes two orbs of air, smashing through around four wolves on either side of me, yet with people behind me and a pack of over forty in front of me, I need something more than air.

    Right, that one water spell. I was trying to decipher that one as well, but I couldn''t find out what line three was trying to say. It''s supposed to basically cover everything in a layer of ice, and then when you cast it a second time, it shatters them. Super mana heavy probably.

    It was the tier above Dominus I think. Dutch? Dunce? Duece?

    Whatever.

    Here goes nothing.

    What was the name again?

    "Ice Age." That''s the one.

    Suddenly, I can feel an insane amount of my mana being drained. Easily over a fourth of my total pool. But, in that same moment, everything around me, in a radius of about thirty feet, is covered with a thick layer of ice. One more time.

    "Ice Age." I cast again, as, in a gruesome scene, the now frozen wolves shatter into pieces.

    I did it.

    The pack is dead.

    I lived, I survived.

    In my joy, I try to circulate healing mana in my body, only to realize I''m shivering cold. Not good, I only have about ten percent mana left.

    Pressing my hand against my chest, I recite Restore under my breath and feel my ribs beginning to heal.

    That''s when I remember them.

    The reason I jumped and ran here for so long. The reason I was fighting this wolf pack.

    The injured man and woman, who I was trying to save.

    The battle, the fear, and the pain made me forget about them.

    Turning around, there are only frozen chunks left.

    I wasn''t too late.

    I didn''t indirectly kill them by being too slow.

    Frozen on the frozen man''s face isn''t the brave one I saw before, but one of sheer terror.

    I didn''t help these people.

    I killed them.

    I killed these people, with my magic, which I used out of panic. I didn''t save them, I didn''t heal them, there was even a chance that they could have gotten out of this.

    As the ice and snow from Ice Age melted, the forest fell to an eerie silence around me. No more wolves were coming, but the two people who I killed are still dead.

    I killed people. Two people. Innocent people.

    I could feel the heat in my throat, as I collapsed into a ball, and cried.

    I haven''t cried this hard except for one time in this world, and that was when I thought about my last one.

    But that was something in the past.

    Something I couldn''t have done differently.

    I could have if I was there, but I''m in a new body in a new world. I could be different in this world. I could live better, be happier, try harder.

    But no. I haven''t changed. I haven''t gotten any better, I''m still a useless asshole who does nothing but hurt people.

    Even in my last life I never killed anyone.

    Now there''s innocent tangible blood on my hands.

    Screaming, crying, as I nearly passed out.

    I heard them.

    Footsteps.

    Deep, heavy, footsteps.

    A group, made up of about six members, running towards me, with nothing but looks of sympathy and worry.

    I''d been found. I''m finally safe.

    But after looking in the surroundings, they have to know right?

    They have to have realized what I''ve done.

    Regardless, the leader runs up to me and gives me a deep hug.

    "It''s okay little one, you''re safe now." The strong, calm voice says.

    Finally looking up, I meet the eyes of a strong, strange-looking man.

    His skin a tinge of red, and his ears long and pointed, showing decadent jewelry.

    "He''s just a toddler, no older than my daughter. Whoever saved these people must have thought he was dead. Powerful mages tend to be a little crazy." It''s almost funny, the man talking to the person holding me sounds like an NPC.

    Do they really not realize?

    Am I really safe?

 Chapter 16 - Peace

    I was too stunned and honestly too scared to even notice I had been picked up and brought back to the place in which these people came. Their village.

    It was a nice, cozy, comfy village.

    There was almost a nice and homey feeling to the foreign magical place. It was like something taken straight out of your classic fantasy story.

    A quaint village, run by a council that''s made up of the community pillars. There''s a local blacksmith, routine of guards, monster hunters, and other assortments of nice buildings and storefronts.

    It was a small village, surrounded by thick wooden walls made of wood sealed with some type of mortar. They had some monster issues but between their strict routine of guards and weekly hunts to collect both food and keep the monster population down, they live relatively well.

    I don''t deserve this. I don''t deserve this opportunity to try a third time.

    Once I was finished with my tour of the village, meeting who the man I was following called the Pillars, and got a chance to calm down, I was finally able to talk to the people who rescued me.

    They were the squad of guards on duty that day and noticed that suddenly, a large section of the forest seemed to freeze over in an instant.

    Sensing danger for their home, they armed themselves and charged into the forest. Only to find me, a small young child, crying and surrounded by corpses.

    That brings us to right now, where the man is looking down at me, sitting inside the Pillars Diliberation Champer, expectantly.

    "So, that''s where I need you to fill in the gaps for us. Think you can do that for us?" He says, in a gentle tone. God, he''s nice, and I don''t even know his name.

    "I can try Mr. Uhhh.." As I began to stutter, he corrected me in a soft voice.

    "You can call me Gus for now. Now, go on." He said, a calm smile radiating from him. If only that could be said by the rest of the eight or so people in the room.

    "I was out in the forest, and uh..." I say as the perfect idea hits me. I don''t need to lie.

    I''m a child they found, ugly crying in the middle of the woods, surrounded by corpses. Injured on top of that.

    I can just pretend to have amnesia. They''ll find an excuse and be forced to accept it.

    For once, thank god my body is like this.

    "I- I don''t remember," I say, using wind magic to harass the insides of my nose and throat until I cry.

    "It''s alright it''s alright," Gus says, putting his hand on my head. Hook line and sinker. "Do you at least remember your name? Or the names of your parents?" He says, before shooting a worried glance at a white-robed older person. Healing mage? Doctor? General Wiseman?

    "Antonio. My name is Antonio." I say, looking around with the best acting I''ve ever done.

    "Well, hello Antonio. My name is Gust Renarus, and this is our village." Looking towards the white-robed man, he nods. "I''d like you to meet my friend here, his name is Blaze." He says as the white-robed man walks towards us.

    Ha, Blaze is a funny name for a healer. Fate can be like that I guess.

    "Hello, young man. Like Gust said, my name is Blaze. Blaze Nonie, and I''m a healing magician. Do you know what a magician is?" He says, putting his hand on top of mine.

    "No, what does that word mean?" I say, cmon, amnesiac here, I don''t know what magic is.

    "A magician is a person who can use magic. I''m going to use a bit on you to make sure you''re alright, okay?" He said, placing his hand on my chest.

    "Oh spirits of love and spirits of life, restore and refresh to this child all that he has lost, Recovery." I think that was a Dominus tier healing spell. Recovery, it''s meant to heal most wounds and do some other stuff that I wasn''t really able to figure out.

    Its effects are obvious, as all of my injuries heal to perfect condition and my mind has never felt sharper. Does it have some sort of other healing property outside of physical? Or is it just because my burden of pain is gone?

    "Thank you, Mister! I feel way better." I say with a huge, toothy childish grin. However, I can''t help but feel, empty.

    Is this really okay?

    Even though I killed someone?

    Even though I''m lying to you all?

    Even though I''ve done nothing but screw up?

    Even though I killed two innocent people, and probably caused this whole village a massive load of stress and strife?

    Even though, I''m, me?

    "It''s a shame that spell didn''t cure your condition, but nonetheless, it proved you really are just a three-year-old child. It may be under unfortunate circumstances, but please consider this village your home for now young man." With that, the rest of the Pillars started to funnel out, as Gust and Blaze led me to a strange building.

    All of the people I''ve seen so far have been like Gust. Red-skin, long ears.

    Is this an elven village?

    Is this how elves look in this world?

    Well, there was an elven corpse that the Carnivoro had killed, and she didn''t have red skin.

    Maybe there are different types of elves.

    Or I''m just being very racist right now, assuming that either of those races is elven based solely on the long ears.

    "This will be your house until you''re old enough to live alone." They say in a matter-of-fact tone that reminds me a little too much of someone.

    After they part ways, I''m left standing on the porch of a strange building.

    There are no fourth chances.

    I''m lucky to have even gotten a third chance to live. Hell, I''m lucky I even survived that pack of wolves.

    Actually, I''m lucky to have even had my second chance at life, reincarnating in this world.

    I don''t deserve this.

    Not one bit.

    But maybe, in this world, I''ll be able to save myself.

 Chapter 17 - One Fateful Night

    Four years. It''s been four long years since that strange boy was brought into our village, into my home, and made into my younger brother.

    Antonio. Antonio Icefield was the name he was given. When he was just a toddler, he was found by our forces surrounded by corpses in a frozen wasteland.

    We''ve been living under the same roof for four years now, and tonight we''re throwing a surprise party for him.

    Today he will turn seven, and in Tiamat culture, that is when a person enters their ''apprentice'' age, in which they begin working in whatever field they were studying during their ''discovery'' age, which begins at age three.

    I can''t wait for today to be over.

    Not because I hate Antonio, no, far from it.

    I care about him. He''s three years my junior, and a person I see as something akin to an adopted younger brother.

    But I already know what is going to happen.

    Tonight is going to be the same as every other celebration Antonio has ever participated in.

    He''ll smile, he''ll laugh, he''ll show a bit of the progress in his magic study, and then he''ll go home.

    All whilst keeping the same, hollow look in his eyes and behind his smile.

    I understand what the problem is.

    Uncle Gust and Blaze say it''s something called ''trauma''. A condition that usually can''t be cured without something changing within the person afflicted. No amount of healing magic no matter what tier can solve it.

    But that doesn''t mean it isn''t creepy.

    He replies and speaks like a normal person, but there''s almost nothing beyond that.

    I don''t hate Antonio, far from it, but in the four years he''s lived in my family''s house, he''s still no warmer than a stranger.

    Either way, I need to continue to help set up the house for his birthday.

    He''s out with the hunters right now, learning how to live and hunt in the wilderness in case he ever wants to leave the village.

    Uncle Blaze assures us that today is his birthday and he truly is a human, but he''s unlike any human I''ve ever heard of or seen.

    Sure, I''ve only ever seen two humans, the other being a merchant who came to the village about five years ago and left swiftly after, but that doesn''t convince me.

    Humans are fragile, yet adaptable. They''re worse at almost everything at the start, yet are able to grow faster than most. That''s how humans are supposed to be.

    Antonio is different. Antonio can''t be a human, since he does stuff humans can''t.

    He can use magic silently, which aside from extremely proficient mages, can only naturally be done by demonoid''s with an innate connection to magic or a person with an insane natural affinity with that type of magic.

    But Antonio uses all types of magic without incantations all the time, which theoretically should be impossible for a human.

    So he can''t be a human.

    Human children also shouldn''t be like him.

    Children aren''t supposed to be able to remember much, even if it''s the death of his family, what his brain should have focused on was being saved.

    No matter how many or how high of tier healing and diagnostic spells are cast on him, even going as far as to have Blaze cast a Dux tier diagnostic spell only to show his blood was majorly just human, the rest is not relevant enough to affect him.

    But the spell has to be wrong. Or Blaze has to have been lying.

    The hollow, empty face and eyes he has cannot belong to a child.

    I just hope tonight passes quickly.

    --- Point of View: Antonio Icefield ---

    Today is the day.

    It has to be.

    It''s my seventh birthday, my fourth with the people of Taft village.

    Today, I''ll ''regain'' my memories and explain who I am.

    These people are my family, they took me in, clothed me, gave me a bed and a room to sleep in.

    The Rangers are teaching me how to hunt and survive, they''ve already accepted my ability to cast silently and supplied me with the limited magical knowledge and materials they have.

    Hell, they''ve even given me a last name since I ''lost'' mine.

    I''ve been taught so much by these people, the least I could do is stop lying to some degree.

    Magic has been the thing they''ve taught me about the most, most likely since it''s something I have no basis for.

    Magic has a few dedicated tiers. The tiers go from Plebeio tier to Dominus Tier, to Dux Tier, followed by Legate, Imperator, and finally Deus tier. I feel like I''ve seen some of these words before, but I can''t place my finger on it.

    The tiers of Plebeio to Dominus are pretty simple. Magic at this level is more of a club to hit things with. Elemental magic just conjures and fires these elements, and healing, diagnostic, and every other type of magic just does one single effect.

    From the Dux tier, the magic begins to become more complex. A good example is Ice Age, a Dux tier water spell that has the effect of freezing everything in a radius and then shattering those frozen targets.

    I did learn that Dux tier spells can be targeted and focused, and I took that pretty hard, but I''d like to think I''ve moved on.

    Finally, is the ''tier'' system of all warriors. After a person reaches a certain tier of skill, they can identify themselves as such.

    For example, if a person can use a spell of Legate tier and still fight, they are known as a Legate Ranked Magician.

    The same is said for warriors. Something very interesting I learned is that fighting styles and physicality are also attributed to the same ranking system.

    A person who has learned to use a sword or an ax or a bow for a certain amount of time, yet has picked up no skills with it, is known as a Plebeio swordsman, or Plebeio archer. The more skilled a person is with their weapon, or the amount of raw power they can put behind it, the higher tier a warrior becomes.

    For reference, about one in ten mages can reach the Dux tier, and around one in ten thousand can ever reach the Legate tier.

    That gives me some amount of confidence that I can cast a Dux tier spell at age three, but I know that the world is a huge place and anyone who discovered magic at a young age like me is probably either just as strong or stronger.

    That is the final golden nugget of information I learned. It appears that no one understands that if a person practices magic from a young age, that their mana capacity will expand rapidly.

    I would never expose this fact, I mean it''s called an advantage for a reason, but it made me realize that I may have a small head start on some people.

    Using mana from that age also strengthens something called a mana network, which allows a person to use larger and larger spells. It''s the mana nodes I noticed before.

    For example, Gust can''t cast a spell above Dominus tier. His mana capacity and mana network simply cannot handle it.

    Aside from the magical and worldly knowledge, they also ''taught'' me a lot of information on how to live. So no matter what, I feel like I have to repay them somehow.

    So, coming forth and saying I''ve regained my memories can be the first step.

    All I have to do is reveal it tonight.

 Chapter 18 - One Fateful Night (Part Two)

    Heading back home with Gust, we''re taking a longer way than usual, making sure to hit every single spot that monsters usually come from.

    From dense forests, deep and strange caves, and anywhere else that monsters tend to form within two kilometers of the village.

    I know this is to burn time, most likely to let my family set up a birthday party under my nose, but I''m not a fool.

    There is a second reason.

    Our guards are getting anxious.

    Usually, during my magic studies and training, I''ll overhear conversations from wounded guards coming to Blaze for healing, or active duty guards and hunters talking about their rounds and kills.

    Recently, however, in the last month, it has been a different tale. There has been a huge change in the guards and rotations.

    They''ve increased and increased and increased yet startlingly, there have been about four monster encounters within the last month.

    Now that may seem typical to someone like me, who saw maybe one monster in my first few years on this planet, but it seems there is a startling difference.

    Apparently, there used to be nearly daily monster encounters, it was just the way of living in the village of Taft. Now, there have been barely any monster encounters.

    This is most likely Gust showing in a roundabout way, that it is most likely just something changing with the environment and that there is no danger in fewer monster encounters.

    Returning from the hunt around two hours after normal, we''re immediately peppered with questions from the reserve hunters and guardsmen. After a few minutes, Gust is able to calm them down and assure them that all was well.

    Walking back home, it''s around seven at night and there is near dead silence.

    Yep, it''s a party. Time to put on my best happy and surprised face. I mean come on, I enjoy birthday parties and gifts as much as the next guy, but it''s a little embarrassing.

    Canceling the healing mana that is second nature for me to cycle, I regain my full focus and walk through the door.

    "Happy seventh birthday Antonio!" My adoptive mother, Marble, adoptive sister, Surge, and my adoptive father, Gust all yell in unison.

    Wait, how did Gust get back here before me?

    I walked right here from the outpost, are there teleportation devices in this world or is he simply the fastest man alive.

    Regardless, I put on a huge smile and walk into the house.

    "Thank you so much! I forgot my birthday was today!" I say, making a big show of it and running to hug my weird red family.

    This feels, nice actually.

    It''s not like my old family or my old old family never hugged, but it never felt this, genuine.

    These people took me in when I had been led astray by a person I trusted, and saved me when I failed at the one thing I tried to do.

    I guess it just lets me know that at least these people care about me.

    After the long embrace and a delicious dinner, came the part I was waiting for. Gifts!

    Sitting in the living room, Marble gave me an ornate-looking earring and Surge a gold and silver bracelet.

    Hmmm, it looks similar to the earrings and ornate jewelry that Gust and Marble wear. Traditional?

    Then, Gust, my father, bent down and met my eye level.

    "This is my gift to you, but, please wait to open it under after we have a bit of a chat, okay?" He says with a soft smile, and pain in his voice and eyes. Handing me a wooden box around the size of my forearm, the rest of the family sit down with me in the living room.

    Now, as a family, we''re sat on the living room floor, but I''ve never felt more alien.

    They''re looking at me not like they usually do, they''re looking at me like the first time I appeared in the village.

    A look filled with sadness and remorse, almost pity.

    "What''s the matter?" I say, genuinely confused. Please, please don''t say something I can''t hear.

    "Well, you''re older now and I think it''s time to have a chat. A chat about who you are, who we are, and what that makes you." Gust says, putting on a calm facade.

    "What do you mean?" I say as I can feel my heart begin to drop.

    It''s happening again.

    "Well, we think it''s about time we explain to you some stuff. For example, look at your hand and look at mine. What do you see that''s different?" He says, the pain, yet strange coldness palpable in his voice.

    "Mine are smaller and less red, why?" I ask, knowing the full answer. Unable to even look at his eyes anymore, only my own hands.

    "That''s because, well, Antonio, you''re not from here. You''re something called a human, and we''re all called a Tiamat. Your skin won''t change colors like ours, your ears won''t grow longer or pointed, and most importantly, you won''t be able to do the same stuff we can." He says, in the calmest and nicest voice possible.

    "So what?!" I say, raising my voice to a near yell. I''m sorry.

    "Well, we just wanted to tell you that. In case you were ever confused about why you look different or why some people in the village may look at you funny. With that out of the way, please open your gift from me." He says, raising his chin and a bit of pride filling his voice.

    However, I''m stunned. Not physically, but I feel as if I can''t move.

    That''s it?

    You''re not leaving me because of that?

    Just telling me?

    Maybe I have the wrong idea of what parents are.

    Opening the smooth beautiful-looking box, inside it is a dagger, covered in a palpable amount of mana to me. The second item, beneath the dagger, is a headband. The same headband I''ve seen on every guard and warrior within the village.

    Marble seems to have one tied to her right arm as well.

    "That is your first weapon and our village''s symbol. You can tie it on any part of your body, and any other village or villager will be able to identify your home.

    It''s also what makes you, officially, my son." He says, as his voice increases with warmth, and I can see tears beginning to form in his eyes as I look up for the first time in the past minute.

    This wasn''t me being rejected by my family. No, I''m the one who''s been wrong this whole time.

    This is their way of saying that I''m one of them.

    Looking up to the faces of my new family, I tie the band on my left bicep, tearing beginning to flow.

    Just as we were all sharing one large group hug, exactly what I thought was gonna happen is happening.

    With Gust, the best scouter in the village MIA, and the guards extra relaxed after our long hunt, it could only happen tonight.

    The bells of alarm ring out, eight times in fact, signaling that something horrible was happening.

 Chapter 19 - Pandemonium

    As the alarm bells continued to ring, they were soon drowned out with screams of terror.

    Gust stood up quickly and dashed towards his armor and weapons, yet before he could finish preparing himself, a bloodied man bust through our door.

    It was Brand, one of the forward scouts that were on patrol tonight.

    As he stuttered to speak, I ran up to him and began to invoke my healing spell.

    "I call upon the holy spirits of light and life, heal this man and restore his might, return his condition and erase his plight. Replenish." As the mana began to flow out of my palms, the now sitting man was now able to speak.

    "Monsters. Tens, no hundreds of monsters. Not a swarm of them, a horde. Monsters of all types, rushing in the direction of the village. Prepare all warriors and mages who can fight, if they breach the walls, it''s over." He said, still gasping as his wounds continued to close.

    "Calm down, where is the rest of the unit, and are you sure? Monsters rarely get along, let alone multiple types of monsters." Gust says, calmly arming himself. He does have remarkable composure, and I understand why.

    After training every day for the last two years with him and the rest of the warriors, I can say with utmost certainty, Gust and the warriors of this village are strong.

    Very, very strong.

    In the two years, I''ve been following along and training with the hunters, we''ve encountered at one point three Carnivoro, or as I now know them as, Obsidian Cerva.

    Gust alone was able to take down two solo whilst the rest of the hunters took it as light work, even using it as what amounted to a training dummy for me to practice aiming spells.

    So I''m not worried, even if it''s a hundred of the same wolves or even a mix of wolves, boars, monkey demons, and obsidian cerva, I doubt their numbers are going to be such an amount that the small fries will make such a difference.

    At most, they have to worry about a large amount of Obsidian Cerva, but even then the village shouldn''t fall.

    "It''s alright Antonio, there''s no need to have that concerned face. Even if it''s a horde of one hundred monsters, if we all work together we should get through this with minimal casualties." Gust says in a very calm voice, patting me on the head and helping Brand up.

    "Come on now Brand, we''ve got to get going. I need to command the guards from the front, so I can''t leave you behind." He says, remaining calm, yet before he and Brand can stand up straight, Brand breaks from him and steadies himself.

    It seems my healing has finally taken effect, but he''s still out of stamina.

    "Cap, you don''t understand. I''m the only one left of the forward scouts. You-" Before he could continue, Gust gave him a stern look, and I could feel the hairs begin to stand up on the back of my neck. The feeling coming from him was palpable, and I could almost see icicles beginning to form on the windowsill.

    "Brand. We''re going. We can and will protect the village, with minimal casualties." Gust says with a stern voice and expression, forcing him and Brand to leave silently.

    As they take their leave, Marble and Surge break off from the living room, Marble heading to the kitchen and Surge sitting on the couch, reading a thick leather book.

    I decide instead to sit on the chair closest to the front window, allowing myself to see the people preparing in the middle of the village, as well as the warriors and mages heading to and over the walls.

    The warriors clear it in one jump, whilst the mages each have their own ways to get over.

    Not long after the first warrior jumps, the sounds of battle begin.

    ///

    After about ten minutes of echoing screams and sounds of battle, a loud crack could be heard.

    Instantly, Marble dashed out into the village and Surge ran to her room.

    Looking out the window, I was met with a scene of horror.

    The warriors and mages of the village were pushed back behind the walls, as the horde seemed to breach a part of it.

    Calling them a horde was an understatement, as it was more similar to a flood out of a certain popular movie back on Earth.

    However, something strange was occurring as well.

    As the horde flooded into the village, aside from the ones that ran straight at the warriors, the rest seemed to either scatter throughout the village or run straight through it.

    Why?

    Why would a monster, a beast of low intelligence, not attack on sight?

    Monsters are known for their ferocity. They''re known and documented to be untamable beasts, hence why they''re classified as monsters.

    Magic animals that are feral, noncommunicable, and untameable.

    So these beasts should attack on sight, yet they aren''t.

    There has to be something behind this.

    But before I can finish thinking about it, the scene before me makes my heart drop to the floor, and an abyss opens in my stomach.

    Lying on the ground, pulling a jet black horn out of his chest, is Gust.

    Next to him, is Marble, a non-healing mage desperately chanting a healing spell and trying to restore him.

    Blaze stands next to Gust, along with four other warriors, encircling them and fighting off the countless monsters. Thankfully, a good amount of the monsters are ignoring them and running elsewhere.

    That''s it.

    The monsters aren''t

    The monsters are running from something, and they''re just in the

    What are the monsters running from?

    Just as that thought crosses my mind, the horde begins to stop pouring into the village. No one else notices as they''re too busy fighting or healing, yet I can see it.

    I can see the hole in the wall, and standing on the other end of the hole, I can see

    There''s a group, five large, staring through the hole with wicked grins.

    Some in leather armor and others in robes, the leader appears to be in a blazer. At least who I assume is the leader, as he stands in the back.

    Humans. Human adventurers.

    Why?

 Chapter 20 - Pandemonium (Part Two)

    Why are you people here?

    What are you doing here?

    Why must someone always come along and ruin everything?

    No.

    Don''t.

    Don''t take it all away again.

    The wounds on Gust seem to be very slowly closing, yet before they''re able to fully heal, Marble collapses.

    She isn''t a healer, let alone a real caster. At most she uses magic in her day-to-day life, and from what I''ve learned from Blaze, it seems that magic capacity doesn''t increase for adults as it does for children.

    Gust can barely stand, and the rest of the warriors are struggling to keep up. Well over a hundred monster corpses can be seen, yet the monsters of the horde are still running rampant in the village. Most of them actually seem to have died or run away, yet those most violent are still attacking the warriors and the rest of the village.

    No. Please, please stop.

    Suddenly, Blaze seems to be hit by something. Hard. As his body comes cascading through the air, slamming into the ground a mere ten feet from our house.

    As he lands, another warrior who was fighting the monsters looks back, and an Obsidian Cerva takes his distracted head clean off.

    Four warriors remain against over twenty assorted monsters. Not to mention the monsters standing outside the hole, lying in wait.

    Suddenly, a warm, sensual, and confident deep voice begins to sprout in my mind. It sounds almost familiar.

    No. I can''t. I''m not nearly as strong as Gust or any of the fallen warriors.

    How? I don''t even know any magic above Dominus tier that I can use safely. I would just end up holding them back.

    Following along with the now dominant voice in my head, I walk out of my house, keeping low to the ground.

    Making my way over to Blaze, I try not to look at his corpse as I take his illustrious staff, made of deep blue wood and boasting a purple gem the size of a fist at the top of it.

    Yes. I need to save the village. My village. My home.

    Strange wording, but nevertheless, I''ll listen to my own consciousness.

    Following the voice''s instructions, I begin the incantation.

    "I call upon the wicked cold,

    As I finish, I can feel an enormous amount of mana begin to funnel into the staff. Even though I''ve spent every day since I arrived here expanding my mana pool, I feel at most I could cast three of these spells before passing out, and that''s with the staff''s assistance.

    What a dangerous amount of mana cost.

    As the mana finishes siphoning out of my hands and into the staff, as the staff touches the ground, a surge of pure white emanates from my core. It envelops everything I can see in a cold, blinding light.

    Opening my eyes, it''s as if a blizzard had passed through in a mere moment. Yet, something horrible has occurred.

    Everything is frozen.

    Every monster, the adventurers outside of the village, even the smaller objects throughout the village are turned into nothing more than ice sculptures.

    But that''s not the important part.

    That''s not the horrible part.

    As I look towards the group of warriors, my family, my knees collapse.

    I did it again.

    It happened all over again.

    The entire village is frozen solid, it seems that everything the light touched became no more than ice. The villagers, monsters, adventurers, warriors, all of them. They couldn''t brace or prepare for it, they couldn''t evade nor defend against it.

    This was a sneak attack. The whole point was that I would be able to catch the adventurers off guard.

    I was supposed to stop the monsters and the adventures behind them.

    That''s not what happened at all.

    Most houses in the village had a door or window or hole opened in them, and a simple glance tells me that everything inside any of those houses is frozen solid. People included.

    Everyone, everyone in the village is gone.

    I''m sure that no one survived. It''s the most powerful spell I''ve ever cast, and not a single person had any time to use any defensive magic or techniques. All I wanted to do was help.

    All I wanted to do was be of some use, to give back to the people who took me in.

    I didn''t do anything.

    All I did was fail.

    I don''t even know that spell. How did I cast that spell?

    I''ve never even seen that spell.

    All I know now, as my body collapses and I fall sobbing into the now snow-filled ground, is that I failed. Again.

    The spell didn''t do what I wanted it to, and I ended up doing exactly what I''ve spent so long trying to avoid.

    So what if they''re dead? So what if they''re stopped? The village is gone! The people are gone! The one thing I wanted to do is now flushed down the toilet! Why would I even begin to think something like that!

    Suddenly, it dawns on me.

    These aren''t my thoughts.

    These aren''t things that I would ever think. Especially the mysterious spell that I have never learned and never known.

    This isn''t and hasn''t been my consciousness.

    It took me a moment to recognize, but I recognize that tone now.

    I recognize that matter-of-fact way of speaking.

    That voice that I can see the smug, assholish, obsidian shit-eating grin.

    Ego. Of course, it''s you. This has always been some part of your wicked plan, hasn''t it?

    Great, that makes me feel so much better.

    Just as that thought hits my brain, I feel a familiar feeling.. The feeling of falling, as my consciousness begins to fade.

 Chapter 21 - Moving Forward

    As the feeling of falling continued to get stronger and stronger, my eyes shot open to reveal a now easily memorable scene.

    There I lay, on the couch of the Ego Mansion.

    Returned to my old body, the body of Vincent DeCourville. Left knee still aches, glasses now present on my face and wearing the clothes I last wore on Earth. A familiar feeling, yet strange after these years in a new body.

    Stretching my legs and sitting up, I looked across the coffee table to see Ego, sitting exactly where he always is.

    For some reason, I can''t feel the same hate in my heart that I felt before.

    "Well, that''s a good sign then. Really you have no reason to hate me." Ego said, his face broadening into the same old shit-eating grin.

    You say that, yet you are directly responsible for me getting removed from my old new family and killing my most recent. So, I think I have good reason to hate you.

    "I do admit I forced you to walk through a fae portal, it was for your own good. This is what would happen if I didn''t." He said, and with the wave of his palm, my eyes began to burn as foreign mana flooded them.

    Suddenly, it was as if I was looking from outside of my old house.

    I could see myself, the body I had was that of me around age nine or ten, walking up to my father. I say something along the lines of ''can you understand me?'' in Italian. Afterward, my father''s face darkens.

    In mere moments, my head is removed from my neck and the vision goes black.

    Rubbing my eyes from the pain, I''m finally able to see again.

    "What the hell was that?" I nearly shout.

    "That was the future in which I didn''t intervene. Eventually, curiosity would get the best of you and you would speak to your father in a language, not of this world. Then, your father would swiftly kill you. I can''t tell you the reason or what would occur after, as you have no Ego within that time." Ego says plainly before sighing. "So, what you should say, is thank you."

    Thank you?

    "You''re welcome!" He exclaims before I could even continue the thought.

    Either way, why bring me here now? To mock me? Or let me guess, to show me the future where I didn''t help and everyone died anyway.

    "Yes and no. Yes, the future was probably that if you didn''t help then everyone would have died. No as in I have no way to verify that. " Ego says, shrugging before continuing. "Everyone''s abilities have limits, even mine. It''s pretty easy to assume what would have happened, given that the abnormally strong elemental Tiamats were reduced to such a state, but I can''t say with certainty because that future never came to pass."

    That doesn''t really matter now, does it? They''re all dead anyway. I feel as if I should be much angrier than I am about that, but for some reason all I feel is calm.

    "It''s a form of cognitive dissonance. Right now, the world you lived in is nothing more than a memory, similar to a dream to the current you. Once you leave this realm and return to your body, they''ll probably come back. Also, please stop interrupting me, I haven''t even told you why you''re here yet." Ego said, a hint of amusement and annoyance present in his voice.

    Alright, fine. So tell me, why am I here exactly?

    "First off, to congratulate you! You did it! With this, I consider the first of my orders to you complete. Congratulations, Legate." Ego said with a satisfied smile. Wait, what?

    "That''s right. The spell I had you recite, Frost Domain, is a Legate Tier water spell. You are officially a Legate Tier Water Mage. Even though you still technically have another two years of magic development, this much growth in that amount of time is worthy of praise. In all honesty, you weren''t supposed to be this strong yet." Ego continues, his voice becoming more and more filled with a strange mix of pride and astonishment.

    Well, I have been training my magic every day. But is that all I needed to do to complete that task from you? Train my magic? What about my body? Or skills? Or anything else?

    "Magic users of your capabilities are exceedingly rare, especially in these times of relative peace. Sure, you may be physically weak right now, and you may not know much else about how the world and powerful people work, but those magical abilities combined with your creativity are more than enough. I encourage you to keep learning and continue training, but from now on, I consider you strong enough for my bare minimum requirements." He finishes, as a small sense of pride comes over me.

    I don''t necessarily like the idea that the culmination of all of my efforts is nothing more than the bare minimum, but it still feels nice to be praised for my hard work.

    I guess only one question remains, Ego. What is my next task?

    "I have no reason to give it to you right now." He says plainly, holding his hand up as I begin to refute.

    "Now, that''s not to say I don''t have anything else to say or that I don''t have any advice for you. Just that the next mission doesn''t need to be given to you just yet. However, are you willing to listen to my advice?" Ego says, putting his hand back behind his head in a relaxed posture.

    Why should I? The last two times I listened to you, bad things happened. Sure, I know now that you saved me from Damien, but what messed up advice is it going to be this time?

    "Well, if you don''t listen, then I can''t help you. However, since you know my advice at the end of the day was beneficial, care to listen one more time?" Ego says, with a tone insinuating that he already knows my reply. At this point, I have to listen and heed his advice.

    There''s no reason not to hear him out since I can just not follow through with it if I don''t think it''s a good idea.

    "Splendid." Ego says, standing up with a broad smile. Pacing around the living room with his hands behind his back, he continues. "My advice this time is twofold. First, and most importantly, you lot should head north. After traveling for a few months time, you''ll reach the capital of the Meldakin Empire, the magic city of Shilage. Only a small number of Shilage residents speak West Tounge, the language you know now, so seek out a translator or try to learn the language on your own." Ego says, sitting back down with a small grin.

    A few months? I''m expected to travel alone, purely north, for months on end, only to end up in a capital of a country I''ve never heard of? Also, what''s this about a different language?

    "What did you expect everyone to speak one universal language or something? The Tiamat village spoke West Tounge only cause their founder did and decided it would be best to teach it to everyone. You''re not on the continent you were born on anymore, it''s only natural that there''s a different language spoken. On that note, the journey you walk won''t be alone." Ego said, perplexing me greatly.

    What do you mean by that?

    "It''s quite simple. Your family, specifically Surge, isn''t dead."

    As those words left Ego''s mouth, I could feel myself once again begin to fall.

 Chapter 22 - A Single Step

    Snapping back to my body, I return to find myself collapsed, unmoved from where I cast that spell.

    Raising my head and looking around, it seems that at most an hour has passed. Some of the fires are still burning, and whilst the thin layer of snow has been melted, the sculptures are still in immaculate condition.

    Using the staff to support me, I slowly make myself stand up.

    Damn, talking with that obsidian bastard really takes it outta me. It feels as if I''ve just run a marathon backward.

    At least I have a direction now. A goal. I can head north and find the cities capital. By that time, depending on how long it takes, I''ll be able to get stronger.

    Strong enough to protect everyone I care about. Strong enough to stop letting people I''m trying to help die.

    Strong enough to protect my family.

    Suddenly, my reverie is broken, as I scramble towards the house.

    My family. Surge.

    Unfortunately, my body is not stable enough to keep up with my desires. Instead of running towards the house as I want to, I''m forced to slowly hobble towards the front yard.

    After slowly moving my heavy body to the house, I open the door only to hear a scream from the direction of the kitchen.

    "Don''t come any closer!" Surge yells, pointing at the door with a wand I''ve never seen her use.

    "Calm down Surge, it''s me," I say in a tired tone. I really have to find out how to stop being so weak after conversations with Ego. I mean, he''s basically my benefactor at this point, so I shouldn''t be useless after meeting with him.

    "Shut up! Say something only Antonio would understand!" She yells. Of course, she wouldn''t believe it was me. She''s still a child, barely ten years old. Besides, who would believe that a child could simply walk out of a battlefield where everyone else died.

    "My last name is Icefield, based on the field of ice I was found in when I was three. I got this earring from you, this bracelet from mom, and this headband from father." I say, looking towards Surge with an extremely worn expression. That seemed to be enough to convince her, as she drops the wand and runs towards me, only before stopping around one foot away from me.

    "How?" It''s a simple question, and after she glances outside, she asks once again. "How?"

    I... can''t think of a lie. Realistically, if we''re going to be traveling for months, my magical talent is bound to be exposed.

    Better to rip off that bandaid now instead of hiding it.

    "I, uh, I don''t really know. Something just came over me and forced me to run and grab Uncle Blaze''s staff. Then, I felt a ton of mana leave my body. When I opened my eyes, the monsters were all frozen, but so was everyone else." I say, genuinely regretful that the rest of the village got caught up in my spell. I mean, nothing wrong with trying to score some sympathy with a half-truth, right?

    Yet, before my tears were able to fall, I was... brought into a hug.

    "It''s okay. There''s no need to cry." Surge says, bringing me into a deeper hug with a shaky voice. No matter what, she''s still trying to be a strong older sister.

    "Thanks, Surge," I say, returning the hug.

    After a short hug, I step back from Surge.

    "We can''t stay here. We need to head north." I say as Surge looks at me startled.

    "North? I know we can''t stay here, but why would we head north? The closest town from here is two weeks South of our village by foot. I don''t even know if there is a town that''s north from here." Surge said, her voice still unsteady.

    Slowly walking myself towards the couch within our somehow intact house, I sit down before answering.

    "North of here isn''t much for quite a while. It''s a few months of travel, but that should spit us out right at the capital city. It''s a huge magic city, and we should be able to get some help or at least make some money there." I say as Surges face changes from one of confusion to one of shock.

    "The capital city? They don''t speak the same language we do, and aside from that, how do you know that?" She asks, coming over and sitting next to me on the couch.

    "Well, I''ve always been interested in books and learning stuff. When I was studying magic with Uncle I would also study geography, math, and stuff like that. I always thought it would come in handy." I say, replying once again with a half-truth. I can''t come out and say a god told me in a vision.

    "Even so, wouldn''t it be better to head to Bismark and stock up on supplies, or just head to Bismark in search of help instead of the capital? The people of Bismark should have plenty of people who know our language." Surge says in a more confident tone as she continues. It seems she may have already made up her mind.

    "If that''s what you truly believe, then you''re free to head to Bismark. I''ll still be heading towards the capital city." Come one now, I''m not gonna lose a negotiation to a ten-year-old. I don''t care if it takes all day, it''s better to head to the capital.

    "What?! Are you crazy? There''s no way I''d let you do that alone! If something were to happen to you, I couldn''t forgive myself. Let alone what father or mother would say." Surge says, only then realizing exactly what she just said. Marble and Gust are gone, it''s just us now. Still, it''s refreshing to have a sibling that cares this much. My old brother would probably encourage me to go alone and get myself killed, whilst I never really interacted with the first siblings I had in this world.

    "Then you have no choice but to come with me," I say, putting on a small smile.

    "You''re stubborn." Surge says in a slight pout.

    "I learn from the best. Also, I think I really need to sleep. Whatever spell the staff cast for me, I feel super drained."

    Nodding her head, Surge helps me to my room and I quickly pass out.

    Tomorrow, we plan on getting whatever supplies we can from the house and village, then begin our journey towards the capital.

    Although Surge is putting on a brave face, I can''t help but know she''s hurt. I''m blessed to have a caring older sister, but I have to remember. She isn''t like me. She''s actually a genuine ten-year-old child.

    I don''t know how Tiamat''s develop mentally compared to humans, but I can''t make any hasty assumptions.

    Hopefully, she can hold on and start to get better during the journey, otherwise, I don''t really know what to do.

    No matter what, tomorrow we take the first step towards our new lives. And every good story of new beginnings starts with a journey, right?

 Chapter 23 - A Long Road Ahead

    Waking up early, Surge and I packed up everything we could into our two backpacks.

    It was sad to see this place, this village, go. Yet, we had no choice.

    Sooner or later, monsters would come to the village due to the complete lack of defenses. Also, although we could reliably hunt and gather food, surviving was different from living.

    After a few more deliberations, we began our journey north.

    The village of Taft was in the northern section of the forest, and in about two weeks'' worth of travel, we''d make it to something known as the Demon Mountain Range, or Demon Range for short.

    The Demon Range was a huge stretch of mountains that cut the entirety of the continent in two. During ancient times, the Demon Range was considered the end of civilized society, with the other side of it containing only the foulest monsters.

    That rumor was also strengthened by the monsters and hostile demonoid tribes who lived on and within the mountain range.

    Most tribes and clans of demonoids and humanoids seem to have reconciled, but apparently, there were still those who were rude and even outright violent to outsiders.

    I wonder if the Tiamat''s are considered a clan, a tribe, or a village? It doesn''t seem as if they''re violent to outsiders either since they easily accepted me and took me in.

    Disregarding my strange preconceived notions, we continue to map out our route.

    After the Demon Range, we''ll be spit directly into something known as the Shredded Glades.

    It used to be called something different, but it was changed into being known under the moniker ''Shredded'' due to a battle between two very powerful swordsmen.

    After traversing through the Shredded Glades, we''ll arrive at the pleasant and peaceful region of Shilage, named after the capital city it contained.

    Originally, I wanted to make a beeline to Shilage, relying on water magic and hunting to get us there. That would get us to Shilage in around seven months.

    However, after mapping and planning it out, many holes came into that plan. First and foremost, it would be absolutely miserable to travel like that. There was also a high probability that Surge would get hurt due to being generally a non-combatant.

    The second issue is that the seasons do in fact exist, which is something I conveniently forgot about when I was planning this in my head. If we traveled there straight, we''d be caught in the middle of winter in the middle of nowhere.

    So, instead, we decided to town hop once we crossed the Demon Range. Town hopping would take considerably more time, pushing the time frame to a little over a year and a half, but I doubt that whatever Ego has planned is going to be severely affected.

    It''s not as if this is an order either, just a suggestion.

    Once our mapping and preparations were all done, we decided on a few miscellaneous details, and I grabbed Blazes staff to use both as a weapon to enhance my magic as well as a walking stick.

    Saying our goodbyes to the perfectly preserved ice statues hurt, as no matter how much sunlight or fire magic they received when I tried to lay them to rest, they never once began to melt.

    Heading out of the village, we began our travels northward. If only we were heading down a river first, I could make a timely joke about traversing through the woods.

    ///

    Far east, on the continent known as the Holy Land of Fiora, was a young woman, pouring mana into a stone at the deepest level of an estate.

    This woman was Stephaine Razorhog, the lord of the region and owner of said estate.

    Life had been hard on the now widow, losing her husband, and with him the protector of her home territory.

    She was forced to hire a young woman of unknown origin as a replacement. The woman was strong, being a Legate of Wind, yet it was only a temporary solution.

    Of course, that was what we had set it up as on the outside.

    In all actuality, life had gotten a lot better within these last three or so years for me.

    Aside from the unfortunate disappearance of my youngest son, and the death of my master of course.

    That being said, the ladder half was just about to be solved. Today should be the last day of having to pour mana into the Anchor Stone to return my master to this world.

    Unbeknownst to most, my master was not the elegant old woman that her appearance would dictate. She was actually my Aunt, a full-blooded Faery.

    Fae creatures are naturally tough, but Faery are one of the known immortal races. As long as someone recovers their Anchor Stone and gives enough mana to allow them to reform their bodies, they can easily be revived.

    After years of pouring mana into the stone, its faint glow grew to an intense bright blue, as a body began to form from it.

    The true form of my Aunt and master, a young woman with translucent bat wings, no taller than a foot off the ground.

    "Took you long enough, you lazy ingrate! You barely gave me the bare minimum amount of mana!" She said, putting on an over-exaggerated pouting face, before instantly dropping it and giving me a hug.

    "Thanks for the rez Stephy, that old oaf was a lot tougher an opponent than I expected. I never thought that a regular human, even if he was a Chosen, would be able to exert that much pressure on me! Truly, humans are becoming a little remarkable in these last hundred-odd years. I still remember the days when they were pushed to the brink of extinction by the demis!" The old coot continues to prattle off, hyper exaggerating a lot of the story. I do have a point in reviving you ya know?

    "Aunty, please remember that my father was a human as well. I consider myself human so everything that you''re saying still applies to me." I say, as her large smile fades nearly instantly.

    "Awww I''m sorry if that stuff hurt your feelings Steph, but although you''re half-human, the other half is Faery at least! I wasn''t insulting all of you, just pointing out the weakness of half of you." She said with a seemingly satisfied nod before continuing. "Now as tradition states, you did revive me so I am obligated to grant you something. Although, we are family so I probably wouldn''t request much even if I wasn''t obligated to do it for free." She says, sighing as she laid on her back mid float.

    Right, my request.

    "If you wouldn''t mind, could you call over Zerath and have him do something for me? I know he as the Eye of Truesight so I''d like to have him use it to find someone." I ask in formal Fae instead of West Tounge. Once the request is made, a small purple chain links my wrist to hers.

    "Of course darling, give me a moment." As she says that, Aunt Elandria disappears for a moment, the chain pointing me at the space she disappeared into.

    After about a minute of waiting, Aunt Elandria returns, a slightly older-looking faery in tow. Still, in human terms, neither appear a year over twenty.

    "Goodness gracious woman! Can I have five minutes of- oh hello there, Stephanie? What brings us together." Zerath says, before noticing the purple chain connecting Eladria and me.

    "You old bat! Did you go and force your own niece to revive you after a stupid mistake?" Zerath says, shouting, forcing Aunt Volta to shout back to her husband. Naturally.

    "No, you ingrate! I was helping her and I just so happened to die!" She yells before Uncle Zerath dismisses the argument with a ''we''ll talk about this later'' look.

    "Alright now Steph, what can I help you with? I''ll take over my wife''s debt." He says in formal Fae, as the chain moves from Elandria to him.

    "I''d like you to use your eye to look for someone. I can tell that my son has yet to die, so I would ask that you use the power of your blessed eye to locate him." I say as he nods.

    "A simple request.." He says, removing his right eyepatch.

 Chapter 24 - Eye Spy

    His usually calm demeanor begins to shift, as Uncle Zerath continues to use his right eye. As the Eye of Truesight begins to dart around the room like a gyroscope sprayed with canned air, it suddenly stops, as the color drains from his face.

    Placing his eyepatch back on, he turns to face me, his eyes and face downcast.

    "Well, what is it? Did you see him?" I say, as my anxiety continues to grow and grow. It was as if a weight was slowly being added on top of my chest.

    "Your boy is, alive. Somehow. For now." With every word, it was as if the world continued to weigh heavier and heavier down on me. All I could think of doing was running to him as fast as possible.

    "What does that mean?" I ask, breathing heavily at this point.

    Looking up at me, he sighs deeply.

    "You''re son is alive. He''s actually in good health. The issue is his living conditions. It appears he is currently staying in a village within the central continent of Mercari. A T- demonoid village." He says, stopping his sentence short. What?

    "So what? Demonoinds are fine to communicate with, and if he''s on Mercari, that''s still manageable within a year or so. If we use Fae Travel that is." I say, yet for some reason, Zerath looks even more defeated than before.

    "That''s the thing. It would be okay if it were most demonoids, as most of them are amicable with the Fae Royals and Fae Territories. The issue is, the village that he''s staying in is one of the outliers. Tiamat''s." He says, flinching back as he says it. After delivering that news, the chain is broken, signaling his end of the bargain has been maintained.

    But I can''t even begin to care about some silly debt.

    Tiamat. The Scourge of the Magic War. Known by many of the mystical races by many things, yet all under one banner.

    Tiamat. Better known as Devil-kin, or Devil Spirits.

    Tiamat were the main fighting force within the Magic War seventy years ago. That race single-handedly nearly wiped out wind sprites and humans in one fell swoop, only stopped by their own team turning on them to secure peace.

    At this point, only a handful of clans survived, and they lived independently for the most part. Some people claim that the surviving Tiamat had left behind their violent past and urges, yet I won''t be so fooled.

    I am a Wind Sprite. Antonio is a Wind Sprite.

    The moment that fact is uncovered, he''ll be killed like the rest.

    --- Point of View: Antonio Icefield, Present Moment ---

    A horrible chill just ran up my spine.

    Either way, it''s been about a month since we departed from Taft. Overall we''ve made good progress.

    Earth and Water magic have been crucial for me at this point, with Ice being my main form of defending and Earth the main way we have shelter at night.

    The first night or two were awkward since we slept in nothing more than a box heated by a combination of my wind and fire magic, yet Surge and I have gotten closer, and slowly those awkward nights became a thing of the past.

    Sure, it still feels a bit weird, but it''s better than being unsafe and outside in the cold.

    Since I''m always circulating mana throughout my body, by the time night falls I only have enough to make a box around ten feet by ten feet, with a five-foot-tall roof. Then, I cut oxygen holes in the roof and release a gentle breeze of wind magic. Combining Wind and Fire mana before casting creates a warm wind, as long as I add in more wind mana that is. Otherwise, a quite powerful flame is produced.

    Once the box is heated, I force the air to continue to circulate as I sleep. That keeps the box nice and toasty until we eventually wake up and continue our journey.

    Although Surge is a non-combatant, traveling with her is quite enjoyable. She seems to have some affinity towards living like this, as she''s able to detect enemies, animals, and even cook much better than I can.

    Our talents complement each other well, as she warns me of enemies and gives me a loose direction of where they come from, then as soon as I see them, I blitz them with spikes of Earth or spears of Ice.

    It also appears that Surge has grasped the strength I possess to a certain degree. It''s not as if I''m trying to hide it or anything, she''s going to find out eventually anyway, but she never seems too concerned about any enemies we come across, no matter the amount.

    After about a month straight of this kind of travel, we''re finally beginning to come up on the Demon Range.

    It should take us a little over two more months until we''re in the Shredded Plains, yet I can tell that Surge and I could really use a town visit right about now.

    "I told you we should have headed south, we could have made some money and hired a carriage to take use over the range, or at least taken the official routes." Surge said, one of her usual complaints.

    "I know I know I get it. It''s not like we can turn back now, we just have to tough it out for the next two months, then we can earn some money in town and stay at a nice inn." I say that, but realistically, I have no idea how to earn money in this world.

    I''ve always been either living in a manor, or a village, and focused mainly on training and making myself stronger. I mean, I understand the currency in this world, the conversion rates between them all, and even the relative value of each nation''s currency to each other. Only the largest four nations of course but what of it, money is money.

    The only thing I don''t know is how we''re supposed to earn it. We''re kids, can we even get a job?

    "Oh yeah, Surge. How exactly are we going to be earning money?" I ask, genuinely confused. Then, Surge looks at me, confused for a moment. That confusion then turns into a smug grin.

    "I thought you were supposed to be the smart one?" She laughs before continuing. Yeah yeah, laugh it up. "But that''s a silly question, we''ll just become adventurers."

    I almost let out an audible ''huh?'' of surprise but was able to keep my mask from crumbling.

    I guess that does make sense. In a world of magic, where monsters are abundant, it would only make sense that adventuring could be seen as a real profession.

    Still, how are we going to become adventurers? Isn''t there gonna be some age limit or something?

 Chapter 25 - A Chance Encounter

    Eventually, it was decided that we would learn exactly how to become adventurers in the nearest town, as it was obvious neither of us knew exactly how to become an adventurer.

    Surge definitely knew more, as apparently she has always been infatuated by the idea of them, but both of us had no clue about the finer details.

    Continuing our trek through the wilderness began to fall into a nice rhythm.

    Well, nice isn''t the optimal word but it was manageable.

    Having Surge search for monsters or animals is useful, and once we have them locked on, it was as simple as taking them out.

    That being said, it was very useful as training and practice for my magic. I may lose some prey at times, but I''ve been able to try out a ton of funky ideas.

    Something I''ve been able to discover is that casting magic can be very dynamic as long as I''m fine spending a bit more mana.

    Earth and Wind magic are the easiest to use when it comes to what I''m gonna call Ranged Casting.

    Ranged casting is pretty simple as a concept, instead of summoning and conjuring magic from your body, you conjure it somewhere else.

    The easiest way to do it is via placing my palms on the ground and using Earth magic. I didn''t even realize that I had done these things before until I remembered the ramps and such I made with Earth magic.

    Aside from the obvious uses of creating spikes, ramps, etc., this could also prove useful to trap people or affect the field of combat in some way.

    Wind magic also seems to come to me very easily, and I''m sure that''s because it''s a similar concept as what I''ve been doing with Earth magic.

    My main forms of attack with wind magic are just very hard gusts of wind or variations on what I''ve learned from the Blowback spell. I''ve tried for about a month or two to conjure something akin to wind blades or spikes but they always devolve into just faster and faster orbs of air.

    On the flip side, my newest and most potent wind spell known as Wind Pellet is coming along swimmingly.

    Jokes aside, whilst Wind and Earth magic are coming relatively easily, casting water or ice magic at a range have been a struggle, and I''ve hit basically an impassable wall with fire magic.

    Earth and Wind magic can be cast at just about any range as long as I dump enough mana into it, whilst water magic seems to be limited to at this point to just over ten meters.

    That is to say, that''s the limit to which I can summon it away from myself. The actual functional range of my magic is much larger since the speed and such of my magic can be increased to an insane degree.

    Aside from ranged casting, I''ve also been working on Empowered casting, which is another thing I''ve seemed to do with my Ice magic. By funneling more and more mana into a spell, I can choose to dedicate that mana to make it fly faster, become larger, become smaller or more compressed, and even add effects like making the projectile I fire rotate.

    Combined magic is the last thing I''ve been experimenting with, such as the heated wind, but I''m sure I''ll discover more as I keep training.

    Magic aside, today marks the fourth month of our journey. We''re moving slower than we originally thought, but now we''re no farther than a week out from the nearest town.

    Incidentally, we''ve finally come across a road! Apparently from now on our travels are going to be a lot smoother.

    We were able to cross into and out of the Demon Range with minimal issues, we ran into no tribes or societies of other demonoids or Tiamat''s, which is weird, but also nice in a way. The only things we ran into were monsters.

    There were groups and families of bears like monsters, boar monsters, more than our average amount of obsidian cerva, and even a few monsters that I can''t describe as anything except lizard versions of those same listed monsters.

    Truly a weird experience, having a three-meter tall lizard thing with jet black deer antlers running at you. Yet, the strategy of ''hit it really hard till it dies'' hasn''t failed yet.

    Most things go down in an ice spear or two, it a rock bullet, or a few wind pellets, or a fire lance, etc. The toughest creatures are definitely what I''m coining as Scaled Cerva, the lizard monster.

    They took nearly four spells each to take down, which doesn''t sound that impressive, but normal obsidian cerva go down in one shot at this point.

    Surge seems to have just accepted the fact that I can cast without chanting as well as my insane mana pool, which is good for our journey, but I need to think of an explanation for when she asks about it.

    I can''t just admit that I''ve been training magic since I was two, let alone that I''m constantly focusing on cycling more and more mana every day instead of focusing on getting us into a town faster.

    Even if I''ve yet to use even fifty percent of my mana pool in a day, as there''s a limit to how much healing mana I can churn through my bodies network at this point, I think it''s probably still smart to continue to train until I can tell that the effects have become diminished.

    "Travelling on this road is already making me feel better, just imagine when we can actually rest for a night on a real bed." Surge says, her third time trying to make small talk.

    It''s not that I don''t like Surge or don''t want to talk to her, I''ve just never been good at maintaining a conversation.

    It''s what ended my last relationship, I think.

    "I know, taking a real bath and laying in a real bed will be so nice, assuming we make enough for an inn on our first day as adventurers," I say, dodging a slap in the back of the head from Surge.

    "Don''t say that! We''ll make plenty of money since you''re plenty strong! I''m sure a full day''s worth of work will get us a nice warm bed." Surge says, yet before she can continue her tirade, a loud scream of terror stops her dead in her speech.

    Surge looks down at me, and wordlessly we begin to run westward, in the direction of the scream.

    Something about that yelling sounded, familiar.

 Chapter 26 - A Chance Encounter (Part Two)

    Continuing to run through the underbrush, it only took us about a minute to reach the party.

    It''s a group of around three young adventurers, each fighting one of the bear-like monsters. I don''t understand why they''re taking so long to kill one, but I might as well help them out.

    As soon as Surge and I could see the bears, I stuck my staff forward.

    "Ice Age," I say, funneling mana into my staff. I''ve become much more precise with my casting, so only the bears end up freezing. Interestingly enough, it seems I don''t need to cast it a second time anymore, the ice being thick enough to freeze them in place.

    As soon as I fire off my spell, the party of four, the last of which I just now see, turn towards us.

    Instantly, I recognize the fourth member of this group. The source of the scream.

    Wearing an extremely expensive-looking set of leather armor, a mix of white and purple hair, and a shade of skin I''ve never seen again.

    The blue-skinned woman I saved the first time I saw an Obsidian Cerva. What was her name again?

    Before I could even begin to remember it, she gives us a small bow, the rest of the party bowing as well.

    "Thank you, wise demonoid. If it had not been for your help, we most likely would not have made it out of that situation unharmed. May I ask your name madam?" The blue-skinned person says, looking towards us. "My name is Teresa, heir of the throne of Elarus," Teresa says, bowing once again.

    More specifically, the adventures all have their eyes on my sister, Surge.

    It doesn''t seem that Teresa remembers me. Thank god, she called me a monster last time, and I don''t want to have to make any tricky explanations.

    I can just calmly let Surge handle it.

    "Sorry but you''re mistaken, I didn''t do anything. It was my brother, Antonio." She says, stepping out of the way and gesturing towards me.

    God damn it.

    As soon as she says my name and my eyes meet with Teresa, she takes a step back. Reflexively, her guards are put on edge.

    "It''s you," Teresa says, her voice the same calm and soothing tone she had with Surge, but her eyes betray her.

    Fuck.

    What do I say?

    What can I say?

    Surge is now looking between me and her confused, whilst I almost feel the pressure on me continue to compound.

    "Do you two know each other somehow?" Surge asks, an edge slowly creeping onto her voice.

    "Yes. He saved me once, in a similar situation in fact. I just did not expect to see him again this, soon. Or this far away." She says, a slight shiver of panic as she continues to talk. "I''m deeply sorry for what I said to you back then, I was ignorant at the time."

    Wait a minute. Doesn''t this work out perfectly? Surge can back me up on this lie.

    "I''m very sorry if I''ve met you before miss, but I can''t seem to remember anything outside of the last three or so years. Everything behind that is fuzzy at best." I say, returning the bow slightly as I continue. "My name is Antonio Icefield, and this is my sister, Surge."

    Instantly, the fear seems to wash away from her face, replaced by her calm nature once again.

    "I see, well I once again apologize for my behavior. You seemed to have saved us, and for that I thank you. Would you mind accompanying us to our destination? Two powerful mages ought to make the trip much safer." She says, putting on a warm smile. That''s a diplomat I guess, always looking out for numero uno. I mean, I can''t blame her. What kind of guard can''t kill a single monster?

    "Your majesty! You can''t honestly expect us to be okay with that!" One of the guards says, still on edge. The other guards nod along with her.

    "Yeah! We can''t allow you to be guarded by a pair of mysterious majin!" Another pipes up. What are you talking about man? The only palpable difference between Surge and her is Surge is red and doesn''t have horns.

    Is that racist?

    "Well, they''re hardly a mysterious duo. One is twice my savior and whilst the other may be a bit farer-skinned, she is still his sister. Aside from that, they just took down three D-rank monsters in a matter of seconds. If they wanted to harm us, they would have frozen us along with the Burrow Bears." Teresa says as the petty argument continues between her and her guards.

    I''m confused on a few parts, however. First a foremost, do monsters have ranks?

    What determines a monster''s rank? Strength? Number?

    Also, what exactly does the ''rank'' mean? Is it like a tier list?

    What kind of guards can''t defeat a D-rank monster? If it''s like a grading system, wouldn''t a D be basically nothing?

    I''m lost.

    "Excuse me, that does bring a question to mind. What race are the two of you? It''s rare that I can''t recognize a demonoid clan, yet I''ve never heard of one who fit the description of the both of you." Teresa says as she and her guard''s attention turn towards us.

    "Oh, we''re Tiamat. At least Surge is, but apparently, I''m not like her, that''s what our dad said anyway." I answer honestly. It''s not like I know the name of any other races, and even if I did, demonoid royalty would probably see through it.

    Yet, as soon as I said that, something changed.

    The guards re-armed themselves have surrounded Teresa in a protective formation, their weapons pointed towards us.

    "Don''t come any closer!" The guards yelled, voices shaking.

    Looking around, my eyes shot between the eyes of the guards, Teresa, and Surge.

    The color seemed to rapidly drain from both Surge''s and Teresa''s faces.

    Huh?

    Looking all around, there didn''t appear to be any monster around us or behind us.

    Suddenly, I recognized the look in Teresa''s eyes as she glanced between Surge and me.

    The same look she gave me when I saved her before.

    I don''t understand.

 Chapter 27 - Deep Seeded Beliefs

    "I don''t understand," I repeat, this time out loud.

    "What is there to misunderstand! Your standing next to a monster, boy!" The oldest of the guards yell. He seems to be around twenty-something.

    "Where?" I say, holding my staff and flinging my head all around.

    Are they talking about Surge?

    How is Surge a monster! She''s just your princess but red!

    Without any further warning, the eldest and most shaken-up guard dashes at Surge. It''s obvious he''s not going in for a kill, just to grab her, but I can''t let that happen.

    Relying purely on reaction speed, I funnel mana into my staff and summon the quickest spell I can.

    It turns out to be a substantially powerful blast of wind, catapulting the guard into a nearby tree.

    "What is going on!" I yell, as the faces of the guards tense further up.

    Lifting his head, the guard who I had just launched looks pissed.

    "Why would you use that magic tool on me?! I''m trying to save you!" He yells, standing up and steadying himself. He''s more than twenty steps away from us at this point, he''s got nothing.

    "Magic tool?" I ask, keeping my eyes trained on him.

    "The tool in your hand, it''s a magic tool correct? You just used it to blow me away." He said, looking at me as if I was stupid. Before he''s able to act again, I take the initiative.

    Place the butt end of my staff on the ground, I begin to channel earth mana as I turn to look at a still terrified Teresa.

    "Please tell me what is going on Teresa," I say, at this point my mana coating the earth underneath our feet in about a ten-meter radius.

    "What do you mean? Have you never heard of the Devil Spirits? The Tiamat?" Teresa says, as a brief look of understanding fashes across her face. "Of course, you haven''t, they kidnapped you and took your memory as a child."

    That offhand comment was enough.

    Kidnapped?

    Stole my memory?

    Are you an insane person?

    Activating the mana I''d spread into the surrounding area, I sink the guard who charged us instantly two feet into the ground, and repeats the same feat with the other two guards.

    It all happened in a moment, so thankfully they were unable to react. Yet, that didn''t stop what came next.

    Even after being trapped, the guards didn''t react rashly, instead opting to drop their weapons and each pulls a small gem out from a small case on each of their hips.

    "Stop!" Before they were able to cock back and throw the gems at us, Teresa shouts.

    As if frozen in time, each of the guards stops exactly where they are and place the gems back into their cases.

    "Listen, Antonio, I understand that your quite skilled as a magician, but assaulting Royal Guards will only bring trouble for you. I''m sorry for reacting negatively, but please step away from the Tiamat and listen." Teresa says, putting her hands forward in a non-threatening manner.

    Taking a step closer to the Surge, who seems to be frozen in panic, I point my staff towards Teresa.

    "I''m not stepping away from Surge, now explain what''s going on," I say, continuing to point my staff at Teresa.

    Is this racism?

    "Tiamat is a known clan of demonoid. They are known for abnormal strength and above all else a ruthless nature towards all non-Tiamat cultures. My men heard the clan that your sister belongs to and immediately took action on prejudice, acting before I had time to process all available information. I apologize for their harsh actions and my harsh words, now please release my men." Teresa says, continuing in her warm and calm voice. It doesn''t seem like she has any malice, and even stopped her men from using those magic crystals.

    It also seems the guards will listen to her no matter what the order may be, so it is probably safe enough.

    Channeling more earth mana, I liquefy the dirt encasing the legs of the men and raise them up from below.

    Strangely enough, the guards don''t seem to move an inch afterward.

    "You may return to my side, silently," Teresa says, catching my confused look. "When I told them to stop, that also was an order to stop talking. They can''t directly disobey me." She says, giving a satisfied nod. What? Is that like, slave magic?

    Can demons use slave magic?

    "Now, again I apologize for my actions and the actions of my subordinates," Teresa says, bowing. Her guards also follow suit and bow along with her. "Now ab-"

    "No," I say, plain and simple. I know exactly where she''s trying to lead the conversation. "We humbly yet firmly refuse the position as your personal guard. We aim to reach the next coming town within a week from now, and protecting you may slow us down." I say, giving us a solid excuse to not guard her as well as a firm outright rejection of the idea.

    Yet, she seems to still want to press the issue.

    "Coincidentally, we''re also headed to Worthington. If you were to accompany us, we could submit it as an officially completed quest with the Continental Adventurers Union. I don''t know of your goals, but having the successful escort of royalty will certainly boost your reputation." Damn, I don''t know if she overheard me and Surge, but she hit the nail on the head. That is if we were adventurers already.

    "Very sorry, but currently Surge and I have yet to register as adventurers, so although that would be a nice opportunity, we wouldn''t be able to put it onto anything official," I say, as Surge shoots me a look of, anger? Maybe?

    "What my brother means to say, is that we''d be happy to help if you would be willing to facilitate our joining of the Union, as well as marking that quest on our record." She says, nudging me in the side, hard.

    "Of course dear. Unless you want to go through the rigorous examination process, becoming a member of the Adventurers Union requires a sponsor. I would be happy to return the favor of escorting me by acting as both of your sponsors." She says, a confident smile stretching across her face. She got us.

    All she has to do is sign a piece of paper, and in trade, we have to protect her for a week. Talk about a load of nonsense.

    "Actually, I have a different idea. I am willing to take the examinations, whilst you sponsor Surge. In turn, you''ll mark this as an official quest on our records, as well as a different quest in relation to saving your life beforehand. I seem to distinctly recall you saying you''d ''accommodate me for my services''." The princess''s mask seems to crack slightly as her eyebrow twitches, yet she stays composed.

    "If you''re able to pass the examination, I''ll happily oblige. If you find yourself unable to pass, I will instead act as your sponsor. Do we have a deal?" She says, her confidence soon returning. Smug prick, if it''s any sort of written OR magical test I''ll blow it out of the water. I took calc two, I can solve some ancient quizzes.

    "We have a deal," I say, plastering a confident smile across my own face.

    For the next week, it seems this escort quest has gained four more NPCs.

 Chapter 28 - Harsh Escort

    The first day of our new quest started off pretty calm.

    We helped them pack up their campsite and once we were back on the road, something startling happened.

    "Please stand back." The oldest of the guards says as he took about five paces ahead of us.

    Reaching into the interior of his armor, the guard brings out a rough-looking scroll.

    After unfurling it placing it onto the ground, the other two guards draw closer and place their palms forward.

    In about thirty seconds of silence, the ethereal blue glow of the scroll glowed brightly and then disappeared.

    Appearing where the scroll used to be was an illustrious-looking carriage, riddled with arrows, mud, and numerous other impurities. Why would a summoning scroll give you such a shoddy item?

    "What type of magic is that?" That''s what I actually end up saying.

    "It''s a magic consumable known as a ''Scroll of Resummoning'', based on the name I''m sure you can put it together." The old guard says in a slightly smug tone. Asshole, sorry I''m from a backwater village. What would you rather me do m''lord? Simply know everything like a magic almanac?

    Once the carriage was resummoned, another scroll was brought out by one of the younger guards, from which a strange, four-legged creature was summoned.

    I''m assuming that it''s this world''s version of a horse-drawn carriage, yet instead of a horse, it''s a strange-looking oversized dog. Not necessarily one of the wolves we''ve seen in the forest, almost a tamer-looking animal.

    "Don''t worry lad, Franklin here has never hurt a soul!" The older guard says as he must have confused my long gaze on the dog as something akin to fear.

    Franklin, what a surprisingly normal name.

    As everyone climbed into the carriage, the layout was as follows.

    Myself, as well as Surge and the youngest guard, were on riding on top of the carriage, whilst one guard drove, and the eldest guard rode inside the carriage with Teresa.

    Those of us on top were meant to act as scouts, alerting the rest of the carriage of any threats.

    However, most ''threats'' were just monsters that I could take care of with a Stone Shot or Wind Pellet.

    After taking out my eighth weird monkey monster, a question popped into my mind. One I''m pretty sure the guard could answer.

    "Excuse me, but what did you guys mean by ''d-rank'' monster before? I''m not familiar with that sort of thing." The guard looked at me, although I couldn''t see their face, it was with obvious confusion.

    "Are you serious?" She asks, tilting her head.

    No, I asked it completely sarcastically.

    "Yes, I''m entirely unfamiliar." I end up actually saying.

    "Well, monsters are placed on a ranking scale, being ranked from F to AA. In some cases, a monster is given an S ranking as well, but as the name implies, only special monsters are given that title." She says, her voice becoming monotone.

    "What makes a monster a certain rank?" I ask, I don''t care if I sound stupid, I need this information.

    "Strength, intelligence, and most of all capacity for leadership. It doesn''t matter if individually a monster is weak, if they can lead other monsters, their ranking will skyrocket." The guard says, nodding as she continues. "For reference, adventurers are put on the same ranking scale, however, they''re usually not comparable. It takes on average three adventurers of one rank to take down a monster of their respective rank. So, being that you can take down three D-rank monsters, you''re essentially a C-rank adventurer." The guard says, looking me and Surge up and down.

    "Thank you, that actually clears up a lot," I say, turning back to keep on the lookout.

    Interesting.

    But are the bears and pack animals D-rank because they act as a group? For example, is one bear alone an F-rank but a pack D-rank? Because taking down a large number of weak creatures shouldn''t really be comparable to taking down something that on its own is A-rank.

    There are too many holes in this explanation, but it seems to be the best one I have.

    Either way, knowing that I am at minimum c-rank makes me a bit less nervous about our chances of making money.

    Based on the effectiveness of these guards, you don''t have to be too high rank to secure a good job.

    Unless- no way.

    Just as these thoughts were swimming around in my mind, a strange feeling comes over me.

    It felt as if I was covered in a thick coating of syrup, making it hard to even move around. Kind of like wearing a weighted raincoat.

    I could tell that Surge and the guard felt it too, as the guard''s hand shot to the loud whistle around her neck.

    Blowing into to, she then opened her mouth to yell.

    Yet before any air left her lungs, tearing through her armor, an arrow was lodged directly into her throat. Followed immediately by two others.

    "We''re under attack!" I yell at the top of my lungs, conjuring an ice dome around the top of the carriage, just in time for it to be cracked by an arrow aiming straight for Surge.

    The carriage comes to an abrupt start, and I can only assume either the driver or the horse is dead.

    Creating a hole, I leap off the top of the carriage, slowing my fall with wind magic.

    There''s one issue, however, even from the top of the carriage, I couldn''t see them.

    I could freeze the entire surrounding area with an Ice Age, but there''s no guarantee that would kill them. Being as they''re attacking a royal carriage, they have to have some protection against magic.

    Slamming the end of my staff into the ground, I summon a large cube of stone to surround the carriage. The eldest guard has already joined me outside of it, and my prediction of the guard and horse being dead ends up true.

    Moving as fluid as water, the guard rips off his helmet, as well as an eyepatch he had on underneath.

    "Eight enemies, one mage, one archer, and six melees running at us from the east. There are two swordsmen, one with a hammer, and three using daggers." The old guard says, throwing his shield in front of me, just in time to stop an arrow aimed at my heart.

    "Do you not know the basics of a battle boy? Always stay alert! Do you know no defensive magic?" He scolds, easily fending off three more arrows between himself and me.

    No! I didn''t even know those existed!

    "Are they all to the north?" I ask instead, placing both hands on my staff and channeling a ton of water mana.

    There''s a spell idea I''ve been wanting to try out. It may not be the best idea to test a new spell in the middle of combat, but there''s no better battlefield for this to work on.

    "Yes, the melee fighters are within thirty feet of us whilst those at the range are nearly one hundred." The old guard says, assuming the vanguard position. Perfect, it seems he knows what to do.

    The spell idea is simple.

    It''s what I did to the guards surrounding Teresa, on a grand scale.

 Chapter 29 - Harsh Escort (Part Two)

    With the oldest guard acting as a vanguard, no arrows nor magic projectiles could interrupt the few seconds I needed to cast this spell.

    First, I coated a huge swath of the ground with a mix of earth and water magic.

    Then, I liquified it with the water magic, and then quickly compressed it into the ground below. This combination resulted in the loss of a ton of mana, yet in return, it had devastating effects.

    The ground beneath the enemies first sucked them into a deep bog, then dropped out from beneath them, slamming them nearly ten feet into the ground.

    Unfortunately or fortunately, the trees also came down. Sorry, mother nature.

    As the trees fell into the pit, I refilled it with earth, hopefully trapping the fighters and killing them down there.

    I really want to avoid causing death at all possible, but it''s me or them!

    The unfortunate and also unforeseen consequences are now the archer and magician have a clear line of sight on us, allowing for magic and arrows to fly much much faster and more accurately.

    However, instead of firing more arrows or casting more spells, the ranged enemies put their hands up in surrender?

    "Careful, it might be a fake-out," I say, preparing an Ice Age.

    "As if, if they fake surrender, then they throw away their rights to combat. They''ve attacked a royal, without that, they can''t be taken as political prisoners." The older guard says, sheathing his sword and beginning to walk towards them.

    Before I was able to put a word of protest forward, a spear of ice was lodged into his skull.

    That fucking idiot!

    Why would these people care about political rules?

    At least I was prepared.

    Placing my staff forward, I channel a familiar and quick spell.

    "Ice Age," I say, freezing everything in front of me, and turning the enemy magician into an enemy frozen magician.

    Unfortunately, the archer seemed to have some magic protection, as whilst their legs are frozen, their arms are plenty useful at lodging an arrow into my left leg.

    Before she had the chance to nock another arrow, I conjured a heavy blast of wind to knock her bow out of her hands.

    The battle is won.

    Instead of finishing her off, I begin to walk toward the half-frozen archer.

    Whatever information she has could prove useful.

    Once I''m within speaking difference, I give a friendly wave to the startled and almost panicking archer.

    She seems only a few years older than Surge, late teens I would guess. Hell, if I was caught like this I''d shit bricks too.

    "Soibe falumu aishin damuno" The archer babbles. Great. Gibberish.

    "Do you happen to speak West Tounge? Or is this going nowhere?" I say in a plain tone. I highly doubt she''s bilingual but there''s a chance.

    "You speak West Tounge? Where do you hail from? It''s rare to see a westerner out here." She says, speaking almost more fluently than she did in the other language.

    "I only speak West Tounge, and I''ll be asking questions. First of all, who are you?" I say, raising an earthen chair for me to sit in, and doing the same for her. Of course, she can''t really resist given the frozen legs and all, but I lock her hands and feet to the chair for good measure.

    "Silent casting? What are you a spirit, or a very talented demonoid?" She asks, her face becoming more and more strained as the conversation goes on.

    Well, if I saw a person get shot in the leg and the wound closes up in about thirty seconds, then the brat summons a chair from nothing and shoved me in it, I would also be stressed.

    Oh yeah, the blood loss from the legs probably isn''t too hot either.

    Placing my hand on the thigh of the admittedly hot archer, I channel healing magic through her legs. As they thaw out and regain their color, she looks upon me confused.

    "Why would you heal an enemy?" She asks, but I have no reason to answer.

    "Didn''t I say I would be the one to ask questions? Now. Who are you?" I ask firmly, sinking her chair ever so slightly into the ground to attempt to make myself look a bit more imposing.

    It seems to have worked as I can see a bit of color drain from her face.

    "R-right. My name is Ivy, and I''m a half-earth spirit. The other half is elf. We''re a B-rank hunting party employed by Midnight Rose, party name Silent Night. Our mission was to ambush a noble''s carriage that was passing through here. I can''t tell you any of the specifics since I''m not the leader, the leader was the mage you killed with the ice spell." Ivy blurts out everything in a panic, dropping her head low. She then immediately looks up at me with what amounts to puppy eyes. "Will you please let me go? I told you everything you wanted me to."

    No? What kind of idiot do you think I am? The moment I let you run away, a bounty the size of the moon is gonna be placed on my head for killing your shady party leader!

    "How do I know you''re telling me everything? And how do I know you won''t come back for revenge?" I ask, sinking her chair a bit more, her feet now covered by the earth. This may be over the top, but it helps as a threatening gesture.

    "I swear that''s everything I know! Also, even if I did want you dead, how would I come up with enough money to kill a Legate tier magician? Hits on people like you cost hundreds of oro! Please please let me go, I wasn''t even close with Silent Night, I joined a week ago!" She says, tears falling out of her eyes. Ivy does seem really panicked, but I can''t blame her.

    God, I really don''t want to kill her.

    This feels a lot less like fighting someone who wants to kill me, and a lot more like interrogating and killing an innocent person.

    But there is something that''s nagging at me.

    "How did you know I was a Water Legate? I didn''t use any spells of that level?" I ask, as her face becomes a mix of panic and confusion.

    "What? What do you mean? You used the earth spell Entomb on our vanguard right? Then the water spell Sheer Cold on me and Illene? Those are both Legate tier spells!" She says, confusion overtaking panic for a moment.

    Maybe the earth spell could be? It didn''t cost nearly as much as Domain of Frost did though.

    Also, that wasn''t some impressive spell, it was just Ice Age but I aimed it.

    "I think you may be confused, but either way that doesn''t matter. How can I guarantee that when I show up to the next town, the whole Adventurers Union won''t be out for my blood?" I say, sinking the chair about another inch.

    God, the whole crying and not fighting back thing really takes the luster out of this. Now I just feel bad.

    "Why would the Union care about the death of a grey guild member? None of us are union reps! Let alone on good terms with any of the branch leaders!" She says, her voice becoming a panicked shout after the chair continued to sink.

    Turning over to her and her leader''s equipment, I burn the leader''s body and belongings to a crisp, leaving behind only a silver card and intricate-looking dagger.

    After pocketing both, I burn her bow and all of her arrows to cinders, and thoroughly search her for any more weapons. Sure, I may have copped one, but it''s been a while damn it!

    Once I was sure she had no weapons and that there were none in the vicinity, I finished healing her and rose her chair from the ground.

    "Leave. If I ever see you near this carriage again when I''m escorting it, you won''t be left alive again." I say, returning the chair and her shackles to nothing.

    As a look of relief washes over her face, she runs into the woods with a large grin.

    That... feels a lot better actually.

    Walking back to the carriage, I release the stone dome and knock on the door.

    "The battle is over."

 Chapter 30 - A Precarious Situation

    Stepping out of the carriage, the composed and calm Teresa is nowhere to be seen. Instead, her face of shock becomes a face of horror as she sees the corpses of her guards, as well as the destruction of the forest.

    "Who- how- what happened?" Teresa says, nearly falling backward, catching herself on the door of the carriage.

    "We were attacked by a group of people, the guards and I were able to defeat them. Simple as that." After those words leave my mouth, Teresa''s eyes dart around, eventually landing on the eldest guard.

    Instantly, Teresa pushes past me and sprints towards the guard.

    "No! Not you!" She yells, placing her palms on the back of the already cold corpse.

    "Holy Lords who govern light. Holy Lords who gift us sight. Grace our souls with your might, blessings upon this sacred ground. We are unfit without your grace, we are unfit without your guide. See upon this hallowed earth that we deserve to leave our plight. Open our eyes and cleanse our souls, but only once we''ve passed. Push that day of reckoning back, I beg our merciful lord." As she continued her extremely long chant, Teresa''s body began to glow brighter and brighter. At this point, my body has become so sensitive to mana that I can feel the insane amount being poured into the corpse. "Restore this man unto his prime so he may finish his fight. Unending Recovery." At the end of her paragraph-like chant, Teresa collapsed.

    It''s something I know well, as it was covered in every medical and magical textbook that I''ve ever read.

    Healing magic, even at the highest levels, cannot revive the dead.

    Based on how long that chant was, that may be a healing spell above Legate tier. However, even with that huge influx of healing mana and light, the corpse of the old guard still lies cold.

    It''s not like I could have stopped her, when a person is grieving it''s best to let them work it out themselves. Walking over to the now cold and passed-out Teresa, I pick her up and set her into the carriage.

    That was the plan anyway, but it''s hard carrying a huge lump of dead weight. I could probably do it, but this would be easier.

    "Surge! Get down here and help me, I need to carry Teresa into the cart and clean up these corpses." I yell, continuing the drag the corpse.

    Yet no reply came.

    "Surge?" I yell, the panic in my chest rising.

    Did I miss something? Did I miss someone?

    Dropping Teresa like a bag of sand I immediately dash towards the carriage, launching myself at the top of the carriage with wind magic.

    Right through the hole, I left open in the side of the ice dome.

    No.

    Landing at the top of the carriage, Surge is nowhere to be seen.

    Until I look down.

    No.

    Lodged right in the middle right of her chest, is an arrow.

    I forgot to close the hole I made in the ice dome when I jumped out of the top of the carriage. There were barely ten seconds between when I made the hole and covered the carriage with a dome of stone.

    Which is more than enough for that archer. She shot me when she was half dead, with barely any time to aim too.

    No.

    Placing my hands on Surge''s chest, I funnel healing mana at my maximum output into her.

    I''ve already healed her and I like this before. Chanting is really needed for me to cast, and it''s not as if I remember that insanely long chant.

    No, I can''t think of that right now.

    More. I need more mana output. More mana, denser, faster!

    Pressing down harder and harder, I can do nothing but focus on pushing out as much mana as possible. I''ve never had my mana drained like this before, not this much, and not this fast.

    After only ten seconds, and a near blinding amount of green light pouring out of my hands, I can feel that I''ve already burned through about ten percent of my total mana.

    More.

    Double, triple, quadruple the output.

    I don''t care how much my arms and hands feel like they''re about to fall off.

    After twenty more seconds, rapidly increasing the output, a deep chill I haven''t felt in a long time shivers through my body.

    It doesn''t matter.

    I can always recover mana.

    Within the next twenty seconds, after almost a full minute of healing magic, I feel my body collapse.

    --- Point of View Teresa Delarus ---

    I wake up, my body aching from the mana abuse. I shouldn''t have used that spell, not in front of the brat, but I couldn''t think straight.

    Standing up and dusting myself off, it looks like I was dragged about halfway back to the carriage and left here.

    Glancing back, I could see the body of Lord Darius still lying cold. I knew deep down he was already dead, but I couldn''t help it.

    After Clarence took the throne, I''ve been given borderline suicidal missions under the guise of ''expanding our influence''. Each and every time he gives me squads of the worst guards he can get his grubby mitts on, and every time Lord Darius stepped up to act as my one true defender.

    But this is unexpected.

    He must be getting nervous and impatient, but I never would have guessed he''d hire assassins capable of taking out a swordsman ranked Dux in both the offensive Drago style and defensive Dano style.

    I can understand his worry, and understand his need to get rid of me, but he must have drained a large sum of money to hire a group skilled enough to take out Lord Darius.

    But I''m assuming me meeting the monster duo was out of his calculations.

    Thankfully, after my mission here, I''ll have more than enough support within the kingdom to take my rightful spot on the throne, then have him hung for treason.

    The people of the kingdom already hate him, and most of them by now support me. As soon as I succeed in establishing connections with the royals of this country, the Nobles Court will have no choice but to recognize me as the true monarch.

    Especially if I bring along with me a prize they could never expect. A poor orphan boy, who was captured by Tiamat''s. I discovered his genius-level magical abilities, and cultivated them alongside my mission, bringing in a magician of immense caliber with zero political or shady background.

    It''s almost too good to be true.

    Well, that''s because it is, but they don''t have to know that.

    The Tiamat brat is one thing, but the boy is another. He''s not a Tiamat, but it''s just not possible that he''s human. No human at the age of three should be able to kill a C-rank monster. No human at whatever his age may be now should be able to affect a battlefield to this degree either. This is obviously at minimum high-end Dux tier magic.

    Yet he claimed to be a human, before badly lying about being a demonoid.

    Then, he introduced himself as a Tiamat, yet that was another lie I could feel flowing from his mouth. The only time he wasn''t putting on airs was when he had claimed himself as human.

    Could he simply be a genius? Or is he some sort of demonoid, and doesn''t know?

    Either way, that brat is dangerous and too clever for his own good.

    If I''m going to use him, I need to be extremely careful.

    Actually, looking around, I can''t seem to find him or his ''sister'' anywhere.

    Are they back in the top of the carriage? I can tell it''s been about an hour since I passed out from using too much mana at one time, so it''s entirely possible they''ve already left.

    But then why would he maintain the ice dome?

    Also, when did he create the domes? I didn''t hear him chant once.

    Climbing up the ladder in the back of the carriage, I skirt my way around the edge of the dome, stepping into the hole he made in the side.

    There, I see the mage boy collapsed over his sister, an arrow wound still fresh in her heart.

    I could tell from my own spell, but the arrows were coated in poison. Without purification magic, both the girl and Darius were dead as soon as they were struck. Not to mention the beautiful placement of arrows.

    If they didn''t already try to kill me, I would have hired at least the archer myself.

    Either way, I move the young mage into my carriage and use a simple spell to shatter his ice dome. It seems he ran himself out of mana trying to save his sister, how quaint.

    Picking up the Tiamat''s body, I place it next to Darius. It''s a shame really, I would have loved to employ one of the legendary Devil Spirits, but there''s nothing I can do now.

    Placing my hand forward, I chant the Dominus tier spell ''Flamethrower'' and destroy the corpses unceremoniously.

    So long, my oldest retainer.

    I''m sure you''d want me to continue marching forward.

 Chapter 31 - Forced Adaptation

    I awoke, lying on a very soft seat.

    Surge.

    Sitting up in a flash, I glanced around my surroundings.

    I was in some sort of box. The carriage?

    Did Surge put me in here?

    Standing up, I had to brace myself with Blaze''s staff. The mana exhaustion had taken its toll, although my mana seems to be fine, as I don''t have a trace of a shiver, my body is worse for wear.

    My legs don''t want to listen to me, and even bracing myself causes immense pain to shoot through my hands.

    Flooding my hands with healing magic only made the pain worse, forcing me to cancel it and look down.

    That''s when I noticed, from my forearms down to my fingers was nearly stark white. It was as if I had somehow gained vitiligo, erasing my previously somewhat tanned and swarthy skin now white as paper.

    I could still cast weaker magic it seems, but as soon as I put too much magic into them, the pain starts up again.

    Am I going to be like this forever?

    As I was inspecting myself, the door to the carriage swung open.

    Acting on pure instinct, I grabbed the staff and swung at the door as hard as possible. Not that I wanted to hurt anyone, I was just startled.

    Weaving my extremely clumsy swing, was Teresa, the blue-skinned royal that the guard and I had fought to protect.

    "When I heard the carriage stirring I knew you had awoken." As her eyes landed on my arms and hands, she audibly gasped, cutting herself off.

    "What?" I asked out of genuine fear.

    "Just how much mana do you have at your disposal? And how much of it did you use?" She asked, reaching down to grab my hands. Reflexively, I moved them away.

    "Enough, and all of it. Where is Surge." I say, bringing my hands back to my chest along with my staff.

    "Dead, I thought that much was obvious. You can''t heal a corpse, you even saw me try and fail." Teresa said without missing a beat as if it was an open and shut case.

    What?

    "What?" I say as I could feel the strength leaving both my arms and legs. Collapsing to the floor, I couldn''t even bear to move.

    "I thought you would have realized it, apologies. I do admit that may have been a bit rude, but do keep in mind that we need to get a move on. We don''t have the time to mourn my retainer nor your sister, if we stay put, we will die." Teresa said, in a serious tone as she tried to help me to my feet.

    Only I didn''t move. More accurately, I couldn''t.

    I failed.

    I failed to protect people, for the third time. I didn''t kill them this time at least, but by making that hole I let Surge die.

    "Come on now, we can grieve when we get into town," Teresa said, her voice beginning to quake.

    "Teresa, how old are you?" I muttered, barely able to put any strength into my legs. How was a royal this strong? The Teresa I saw before was a scared noblewoman, not this composed figure before me.

    "Sixteen." She said calmly, forcing me to stand with her as a brace.

    What? Sixteen?

    Could I have reacted to this calmly at sixteen? No, if my close friend were to die fighting for me to live, even without then having to look over a brat little kid, I would have broken down and sobbed.

    Why was she so calm?

    Good god, I''m pathetic. I''m letting someone three years younger than me consol and help me, instead of me helping this obviously struggling child.

    Detaching myself from Teresa, I funneled mana into my legs to fix the damage I didn''t realize I had internally.

    Stretching my arms and legs, a strange sense of clarity and calmness came over me. That''s right.

    I''m the adult here, I need to take responsibility and help Teresa.

    What was that bullshit my brother would always spew?

    ''You''ll get it one day. A man''s sense of pride comes when he helps those in need.'' He would babble on. I always thought he was just making excuses for his shitty career as an EMT. Well, shitty is the wrong word, he was actually very successful. I think I just had a grudge against him.

    More successful than I ended up being at least.

    I wonder how he''s doing now?

    Ahhh whatever, if I dwell on it, it''ll bring up some bad memories.

    But hey, I think I get it now Marco.

    Turning to face Teresa, who was still in the carriage, her face was a mixture of shock and confusion. I guess if I saw a person randomly get better after I answered a question, I''d be pretty confused too.

    "Don''t worry, I''m better now. Is Surge''s body at least intact?" I ask calmly, trying my best to put on a smile. If it was, I could hold a proper funeral for her, or at least bury her in a grave somewhere.

    Or maybe I would incinerate her body, and spread her ashes around the world? She always wanted to be an adventurer, so I guess that could be our adventure.

    "No, I had to burn it with Lord Darius''s, I''ve kept their ashes in two urns since I didn''t know if Tiamat''s had a similar ritual to the Jeralik." She said, her voice remaining calm, yet her posture shifting.

    Well, at least I could do that ladder idea. I''m sure that''s good enough, besides, once we reach town I''ll have plenty of time to mourn.

    "Could you give me Surge''s urn? We do have a tradition for adventurers, and I''m sure Surge would want nothing more than to be remembered like one." A little white lie couldn''t help. I may not know any Tiamat rituals around the dead, but neither did she!

    "Absolutely," Teresa said, turning on her heel and walking back into the carriage. I guess I must have missed them when I was looking around in there.

    Either way, we were stuck in a precarious situation. I could barely use any spells above Dominus tier due to my arms and hands, and based on everything I''ve seen, Teresa is at most a healer.

    We have well over a week''s journey to town now, since I''m weakened and have new baggage, and I have no idea how long it''ll take me as a solo party to get to the capital.

    After about a minute, Teresa returned with a quaint-looking jar, the contents of which I can assume are Surge''s ashes.

    "We better set camp here, we only have about an hour''s worth of daylight, and the carriage will make a fine shelter for our first night," I say, trying and failing to manipulate the surrounding earth. I guess my hope of unearthing the trees is dead in the water.

    "That would be wise, since all of the corpses are burnt, there shouldn''t be anything to attract monsters. Also, I wouldn''t put too much strain on your mana system right now. What you''re suffering from is known as Release Syndrome, it''s what happens when a mage uses a spell or mana amount too intense for their mana network. In a few days, you should be back to full power, but that does make me question what spell you used to cause such a backlash." She says, having drawn closer to me without me noticing. By the time I had realized, she had already started inspecting my arms and hands.

    "Do you know why they''ve turned white?" I ask, pulling my hands back and canceling all the mana circulating within my body. I guess training would have to be put on the back burner for now.

    "No clue," Teresa said flatly, obviously not happy that she couldn''t keep poking and prodding my arms and hands.

    At least for now we''re moderately safe.. As long as another random pack of assassins doesn''t attack, we should be fine until I''ve healed.

 Chapter 32 - A Peaceful Last Leg

    The next seven days of travel were relatively calm.

    The road that we''re following is nice and smooth, with a calm and almost tranquil forest surrounding us. For food, I had to hunt alone. Due to the lack of Surge''s insane senses, hunting for food took longer and required more output on my end.

    For the most part, bottom-tier spells were enough to take out the boar-like creatures that I target for food. Sure, I could kill any monster and eat it, but the boar creatures are both the easiest and tastiest.

    However, even with the minimal effort required to kill one or two boars, the pain from my hands was still immense. It felt akin to sticking my hands in a fire every time I used mana.

    "I thought you said this would fix itself" I grumbled to Teresa as I lit our evening campfire.

    Traveling with the princess was a bit different from Surge, given the fact she was royalty and not my family.

    Instead of a warm box that was cheap on mana and easy to create, I instead had to construct an earthen dome with pinholes in the top half of it for airflow. The dome was near twice the size of the Hotbox, and afterward, I would have to light a campfire in the center of it for food and warmth.

    "Normally you have experienced at least a decrease in symptoms, it''s strange that even after six days your pain remains the same. I''ve seen all of the magic you''re using, it''s not as if you''re casting anything absurd. Even if you are omitting the incantations, I can''t imagine that costing any additional mana." Teresa pondered, once again getting too close for comfort to inspect my hands and arms.

    At this point, I''ve accepted that this is how she is, but it''s still unnerving.

    Actually, does my method of casting increase the mana cost at all? It''s not as if I''m creating anything different, fundamentally to cast silently all I do is change spells around.

    It''s like having an essay format, but each time filling it with different information. Sure, sometimes I''ll make a spell faster, or sharper, denser, etc. but it''s not as if I''m doing anything crazy.

    For example, instead of using the plebeio tier water spell ''Ice Hurl'', I''ll make a small cone of ice, as opposed to its normal shape of a ball. The size and speed stay the same, I just change how it looks.

    "Well, is there any way to cure this outside of just waiting?" I say, slowly rotating the boar meat. It was tough and pretty bitter, but it was food.

    "None that I have any knowledge of. That being said, I''ve never heard of a case where the skin of a patient turns such a ghastly white." She says, slumping back and sighing. Apparently, before entering the battle for the throne, Teresa had been a decently prestigious healer. She would tend to the injures of her family, even as going as far as becoming one of the few Healing Legates.

    However, due to her new aim of the throne, her abilities as a mage and healer have gone unpolished.

    By the sound of things, my arms are never going to heal unless I stop using magic for a while. But I can''t stop using magic since we''re not into town yet, and even once we reach town I''ll need to use magic to make money and join the adventurers union.

    "That''s a bit rude. I wouldn''t consider it ghastly white, just like, normal amount of white." That being said, I''ve yet to see a person who could even be called ''pale'' in this world. Maybe it''s just the environment I was in. I never left the manor and then lived in a demon village, so it wouldn''t be too strange if I''m making too brash of a call.

    "I''m sorry if that hurt your feelings, but it''s just true. The skin on your arms and hands is now almost as white as snow, even paler than those living in the northern countries." Teresa said, her tone growing ever more filled with confusion and intrigue.

    "No, it''s alright," I mutter, taking the cooked boar off the fire and dividing it evenly.

    God, I wish I had anything but this. This roasted pork can barely be called food, it''s not evenly cooked, it has no seasoning, and the boar is years old at this point so the tender juicy meat is all but bunk. I really miss-

    No. I can''t think like that. This is my life now, and if I want a taste of home I''ll have to make it myself.

    I abandoned that life, and that''s that.

    "You''ve seemed strangely upset whenever we eat Aiver Boars, yet you''ll happily chow down on most other monster meat. Is there something that bothers you about killing these specific monsters?" Teresa asks, out of seemingly genuine compassion.

    "No, just reminds me of home," I reply in a melancholy tone I was not expecting. I mean, it is true. Pork dishes always made their way onto the table somehow back in Sorano.

    But do I really miss the food from home? No, not really.

    Letting out a heavy sigh, I finish my Aiver Boar and lay down on my side of the dome.

    By this time tomorrow, we would have entered the city walls and I might have even been registered with the Union by now. Instead, we''re gonna have to rough it out for a few more days.

    Laying on my back, it almost feels as if I''m forgetting something.

    Oh, I''m sure it''s nothing in particular.

    --- Point of View: Gust Renarus ---

    Darkness.

    When I awoke, all I could see, all I could hear, and all I could experience was the cold darkness.

    However, after what feels like ages within this cold abyss, I began to recall everything from that night.

    It was horrible, waves and waves of monsters, with rankings from C to A, were flooding toward the village. I assumed it was some freak of nature, an AA-rank, or even an S-ranked monster controlling all of them. But our forwards could never hope to find the controller.

    Then, when all hope seemed lost, we spotted them.

    It was a group of vermins, obviously having kited the monster hoard to our village in order to destroy us and clean up the survivors. I had no idea what their true aim was, but that didn''t matter.

    As long as we could take out those ants, the village would be safe.

    I''d refrained from referring to humans as below us for as long as possible, not wanting to hurt Antonio, but this would seal the deal.

    I would explain to the boy exactly the type of people he came from. Antonio was a bright boy, I''m sure he would realize that even if his parents and most of his race were monsters that he didn''t have to be.

    I would raise him to not be.

    But once Blaze was blown back by an Empowered Cerva, I thought it was the end.

    Yet, moments after our strongest mage was killed, I could feel an insane amount of mana in the air.

    I couldn''t look back to see the source, but I hoped it was on our side.

    Then, I blinked, and I was placed into this darkness.

    After turning and turning in my head, I still have no idea who the caster could have been. Or what spell they used.

    This can''t possibly be Time or Space magic, as there''s only a handful of mages even capable of such magic. Yet, I struggle to find a spell that could affect me in such a way, locking my consciousness away in a cold prison.

    After nearly two weeks, trying everything at my disposal, I felt something change.

    A small crack of light appeared, and by focusing everything I had on that crack, I was freed.

    Opening my eyes, well eye, for the first time in what feels like two months, I instantly understood a lot of my questions.

    My consciousness wasn''t sealed away, my entire body, and the body and minds of what looks to be all of the villagers and monsters were

    Cloaking myself with battle mana seems to do nothing, and with my mouth frozen still, it''s not as if I can cast anything.

    There has to be something I can do.

    Closing my eye, I focused deeply. Pushing all of my cloak into my right arm, I tried to move it will all of my might.

    I could feel my arm break from the pressure, but I could also feel it break free from the prison of ice.

    Dismantling the rest of my tomb of ice was a simple matter after my arm was free, so I freed my face first.

    After healing my arm, it took a mere thirty seconds to strip the rest of the ice off of me.

    Looking around, it seems every person and monster in the village suffered the same fate.

    However, there are a few key things missing. First and foremost, the humans outside of the walls. They were originally a group of four, yet now there are only two statues.

    Most of the monsters also seemed to have broken free and left the village, but that''s not important.

    Running into my house, I can see that Marble is still frozen in ice, yet Antonio and Surge are nowhere to be seen.

 Chapter 33 - Resolve And Determination

    Let''s not jump to conclusions here, I could have simply missed them.

    Sprinting all throughout my house, I can''t find either of them.

    Not hiding in anything, not under anything, just gone.

    Did someone take them?

    No, the adventurers would simply have killed them.

    Did they escape? Were they somehow spared from the mysterious spell?

    Either that or they were able to escape the ice prison faster than I was.

    Whilst I hope it was the former, it was most likely the ladder. Yet, that brings me a deep sense of relief.

    Surge is a good study and a hunter with incredible senses, and Antonio is a human and a mage of insane talent. Together, they surely would be able to survive.

    Being rational people, it''s obvious what they would do if they both escaped at the same time. Dead south to the nearest town for safety, and try to survive whilst learning what happened.

    Steeling my resolve, I gather all of my backup equipment and say farewell to the rest of the sealed warriors. The fact that the kids didn''t unfreeze us means that there is most likely nothing that can be done.

    That being said, I did try a bit of fire magic as well as swinging down with my ax as hard as possible on one of the monster statues, and nothing seemed to change.

    I''m sorry my friends, but I must find my family.

    I will return with my children, and hopefully, a few of you will be free by then.

    With those final remorseful thoughts, I begin my journey southward.

    ///

    It took me only around two weeks at nearly full speed to reach the outskirts of town. Yet, for the first time in ten years, I can feel myself nearly tremoring in fear.

    It''s a city, a normal, city. One in which demonoids and humans lived in peace.

    Yet, ever since I was born I was always told to avoid cities and civilizations, and that humans would attack us on sight.

    That much is certainly true, or at least was. Humans held sieges against our village, and the only time a human trader ever came out to us he left immediately after realizing what we were.

    But, Antonio is human, is he not?

    Humans listen to reason, and they''re not inherently violent, I raised a child one so that much has to be true.

    So maybe, those were just stories, and the human attacks were just violent acts of violent people, similar to the monster raid.

    Steeling my resolve, I stood up from my hiding place and walked toward the road that led to the entrance of the city. It was surrounded by large walls similar to Taft, so it would seem strange to come from any other direction.

    Cloaking myself just in case, I began to slowly make my way forward.

    Stepping onto the road and walking it was fine, and I was even walking behind a merchant cart. Yet, that didn''t last long.

    As soon as I was spotted by one of the guards posted on the wall, a loud whistling could be heard.

    Immediately, guards inspecting the merchant in front of me quickly rushed him in and slammed the gates closed.

    "Run!" I can hear the merchant yell. West Tounge? Rare but lucky.

    "MONSTER OFF THE NORTHERN GATE, CLOSE OFF THE CITY. CODE RED." One of the soldiers yelled. Based on his uniform, he''s a lieutenant.

    Code Red, an imminent threat to the city. According to the informational books we got from the merchant, Code Red is rarely ever used. Only military ranks of lieutenant or higher are able to issue to command after all.

    "I am no monster, I have no idea why you''d say such a thing," I yell back, although the intent was to sound calm, my genuine voice came out more intimidating than I hoped.

    "Your skin is scarlet red, knife-like ears, adorned with jewelry. You''re even wearing an arm ornament identical to the described tribe of Tiamat. Don''t try to fool us, you''re exactly as Lord Valken described." The lieutenant yelled back, his voice shaking as more and more soldiers poured onto the walls. Valken? Was that not the merchant that came to the village to trade?

    We welcomed him with open arms despite him being a human, even offered him some of the prey we came back with for food.

    "Valken? As in the merchant Valken? You may be mistaken, my tribe offered him our good graces, and he left unharmed with food in tow. The only thing we asked of him was to sell us some informational books." I say, putting my hands up, the universal sign of surrender. "Bring him here, he ought to remember me, even if it''s been a few years. Tell him it''s Gust Renarus." I shout, yet subtly increasing the density of my cloak.

    "As if we''d believe that! You probably just want to kill the noble who informed us of your lot! You''re lucky we''re even humoring you with a conversation, we should just kill your kind on spot, Devil!" The lieutenant barked, the fear in his voice slowly fading as I could hear more and more guards arming themselves behind the thick wooden walls.

    God this is going nowhere.

    I could just break into the city and rescue Surge and Antonio myself, but that would only sew further distrust in our village. My aim in adopting Antonio was the eventually bridge the gap of humans and at the very least our village, so killing this pack of rats would only soil that goal.

    "I seek to do no harm. I''ve simply come for my children." I say, drawing looks of utter confusion from the guards and lieutenant. Before the human was able to speak again, I felt an extremely strong presence coming from behind the gate, as well as a remarkably weak one.

    "Clear a path and open the gate, lest I clear you out myself!" A loud voice boomed from the inside, and mere moments later, the gate opened.

    "Captain Richard wait a moment!" The lieutenant yelled before an invisible force seemed to slam him into the floor. It must be silent magic, but I''ve never seen a spell with that effect.

    "You there! Tiamat!" Captain Richard yelled, pointing his golden gauntlet towards me.

    The man standing before me was the source of the strong presence I felt. Standing over two meters tall, in black armor accented in gold. On his back was a sword that looked almost too large for his body, but given his apparent strength, he could most likely use it well.

    His armor was impressive, sporting intricate detailing that seemed to convey the image of a lion. What an interesting fellow.

    "My name is Gust. Gust Renarus, a pleasure to meet you." I say putting my hands down and crossing my arms. This is beginning to upset me. I simply want my children.

    "Well, Gust. Are you a warrior?" Richard said, as his small grin began to widen into a wicked smile.

    "I am. But as I said I''ve not come to fight. If you were to fetch the one called Valken, he could identify me." I say, ever-increasing the strength of my cloaking. This one seems, troubling.

    "Valken, do you recognize this one." The captain says, giving leeway to the significantly smaller presence behind him. There stood the face of a man I recognized, yet aged significantly.

    "Yes, I do. That is the chief of the Tiamat village I had dealings with when I was a merchant. He is exceptionally strong Lor- Captain Richard." Valken said, giving me a slight nod as he explained who I was. Good, that should clear things up.

    "Ahhh, the same chief of the same village that killed multiple A and B-rank monsters to intimidate you as soon as you approached it? Only to offer their corpses to you, as if to say they were above the need for them?" The captain said smugly, with Valken nodding along as he continued.

    "B-rank? A-rank? Whilst those titles mean nothing to me, we did not mean to intimidate you. It is simply good manners to offer food to guests." I reply, hurriedly trying to fix the misunderstanding. It looks like Valken remembers the situation quite differently.

    "Is that to say you expect a noble to eat the corpses of dead monsters instead of the food you prepare in your village? I think I''ve heard enough of your taunts." The captain said, walking forward as an invisible force seemed to drag Valken back into the town, the gate slamming down behind him.

    "By my authority as Knight-Captain, Emissary of Acrimony, Richard Silverwind, I challenge you, Gust Renarus. If you are victorious, you may enter this city, as I will forbid any soldiers from discrimination against you. If I win, you shall leave, and you nor any of your kind shall return."

    As those words left his mouth, a deep purple chain shot out from his chest, stopping inches before my own.

    "A Fae Ritual? I accept the terms" I reply, as the chain stabs into me and wraps around my heart. Interestingly, it seems that Fae rituals are still in use to this day.

    Readying myself, a large golden structure erects itself around Richard and me, the Birdcage as it''s known.

    As it completes, the battle begins.

 Chapter 34 - Resolve And Determination (Part Two)

    As the Birdcage closed, I took the initiative. Drawing my great ax, I focused all of my might into my custom technique, Speed Cloak.

    Instead of forming a cloak of mana around and inside of myself, as normal Cloaking does, Speed Cloak funnels it all into the interior of my legs and hips, allowing me to move at an incredible speed.

    Speed Cloak combined with our naturally superior physicality, allows me to end most encounters with a single, unblockable strike. No matter how strong you are, if you don''t have time to cloak yourself in mana and raise a defense, you''re nothing but a sack of meat.

    That being said, this move is insanely risky. If by some chance I''m hit, I also have zero defense. The only thing I have on my side is my natural durability.

    However, that disadvantage doesn''t seem to be a factor in this fight, as I reach the Golden Idiot in less than a second, and swing down on him with all of my might. Of course, I transfer the Speed Cloak to my upper body first, making the swing faster than even I could see.

    Yet as my ax slams into the warrior''s body, I can tell something is amiss.

    Instead of being chopped directly in half, he is sent crashing against the side of the birdcage. It felt as if there was something stopping me from hitting him with all my might, yet I could tell he had not used any Cloak yet.

    Looking towards the would-be corpse, I quickly cancel Speed Cloak and spread it throughout and outside of my body, just in time to block an invisible force meant to crush me.

    "Impressive speed! Without my armor and Hands, I would have lost there and then!" The durable warrior said, as the dust cleared and I could once again see him.

    His illustrious black and gold armor had a huge dent on its right side, with spiderweb-like cracks emanating from where I struck him.

    Not allowing the warrior any more breathing room, I shot towards him again, surprising him, yet allowing him enough time to bring up his buckler in a defensive posture.

    My strike hit his defensive stance to little visible effect, but a battle like this is a war of attrition, and this man was still a human.

    Increasing the density of my cloak, I threw my two-handed ax into my right hand, instead choosing to punch with my left and swing with my right. Sure, it would take a bit more mana and focus, but it''s obvious he''s an opponent of some caliber.

    Continuing to press the attack left the knight on the defensive, blocking my ax with his buckler shield and either meeting my punch with a parry of his short sword or relying on his very durable armor to absorb the hits. Yet, his buckler and armor began to become filled with cracks.

    Perfect, soon it will be weakened to the point that another large hit will break it.

    That time came sooner than expected, as in the next few blows, his buckler and right gauntlet shattered into shards of what looked like volcanic rock.

    Seizing the opportunity, I spun and kicked him in the head, causing him to stumble. Perfect.

    Grabbing my great ax with both hands, I swung into his dented right side.

    The armor shattered on impact, and I could see I made a gash at least an inch deep, yet that impact once again caused him to be sent flying into the birdcage.

    Before I was able to give chance, I felt an immense amount of magic pressure come over me, forcing me to assume a fully defensive cloak.

    Richard stood himself up with his shortsword and began to chuckle ever slightly. At a speed visible to the naked eye, the shards of armor returned to him and cracks began to fill in with a golden light, eventually repairing to look as if they were an intentional design.

    "Self-repairing armor? That must be a drain on your mana." I reply, attempting to change my stance into a more defensive one. Yet, then I realized something. The force that my Cloak was blocking was simply overwhelming, and it felt as if I couldn''t move a muscle without great effort.

    Of course, I could unleash the rest of my mana, but that would reveal my trump card and leave me crippled after this fight.

    "It would be if I had mana issues. Besides, this battle is already over. I just felt you try to move within my Grasp, and seeing as you can''t, you should realize this is the end." Richard said, slowly walking toward me. What an astounding amount of pride, he''s full of opening.

    "What is this magic?" I ask, keeping him occupied as I funneled more and more mana into my cloak. I need to fight him at full power, yet I can''t afford to drain my entire pool.

    Cloaking, at the end of the day, is just another utilization of magic. It takes a huge chunk of mana, and in turn strengthens the wearer and protects them until that initial investment is used up of course.

    Realistically, if I invested my entire pool of mana, I could most likely dominate this man. I''ve seen his strength, and I know approximately how much cloak he can apply.

    Yet, after this battle, I would collapse in a few minutes.

    "Well, no harm in telling someone who''s already been caught. This is my personal magic, known as Arms of Avarice. I was able to, acquire it, after defeating an opponent of incredible skill. Its name may not suit me, but its effects surely do." Richard said, a cocksure grin plastered on his face. He was now a mere four steps from me, yet his guard was completely down. "Now, be a doll and surrender, would you? I can''t wait to see exactly what I''ll get from a Tiamat."

    What nonsense is he on about? Either way, my plan has worked perfectly. He''s given me plenty of time to funnel mana into my interior cloak, leaving me with just enough mana to not pass out.

    Without saying another word, I took a single step and broke out of his magic. Before he could even think about reacting, I took a second and a third, bringing him into perfect striking distance.

    I swung down on him. Hard. Aiming at his right shoulder, the idea was to cleave him in two with one diagonal strike.

    Surprisingly and unfortunately, as I was slamming into him, the ax stopped around four inches deep into his shoulder and was suddenly repulsed.

    No, the ax wasn''t flung backward, he was thrown to the left.

    Looking toward him, it was obvious what had happened. He had used his magic to move away at the last moment. What impeccable reflexes.

    Instead of the face of anger or rage, I had expected him to wear, it looked as if he was smiling. No, he was smiling, a huge, disturbing grin.

    "You sly dog! You caught me monologuing!" He yelled, giggling to himself as he delivered the line. Strange, instead of anger, he seems almost excited to say that phrase.

    Just as he said that the battlefield changed. Without any words or chanting, four huge ethereal blue arms appeared one of which was where I was just being held, looking to have broken fingers.

    "It''s a waste of mana to keep em invisible if you can just overpower em. Either way, the real fun can start now." He said, madly grinning as a disturbing sight began to unfold.

    The large chunk out of his shoulder began to reattach, snapping into place and fusing the tendons and muscle back together, eventually being covered with a flashy pale-pink skin.

 Chapter 35 - Tooth And Nail

    From that moment onward, it was as if the tempo of the fight had changed.

    No matter how fast I moved, or how hard I hit, or how many times he would be blown back, he would attack me with the same ferocity.

    The confident and composed knight I recognized as my opponent was nowhere to be seen, replaced with what amounts to a rabid beast.

    Yet, it wasn''t rage or instinct guiding his moves. Everything he did had a purpose, every wild swing calculated, down to him specifically choosing to not block at times in order to draw me in to counterattack me.

    The arms in which he summoned made the fight a constant dance, forcing me to dodge and watch my blindspots much more than usual. Yet, it seems he''s more of a hand-to-hand fighter.

    However, the most frightening part was his face. There was no pain nor fatigue in his eyes, just a wild grin and a look of pure ecstasy.

    As the four arms contained to swing wildly at me, I found an opening, a weakness almost.

    Whilst controlling the arms, he is forced to stop using one arm. The arms respond to high signals he makes with one hand, forcing him to cease his assault for a brief moment.

    That''s exactly an opening I can exploit.

    As soon as I see him begin to use an arm, I quickly drop into Speed Cloak and blitz directly into his personal space, swinging my ax into his left shoulder this time.

    For once, he seems caught off guard, as I swing my ax hard and cut his left arm clean off.

    "Yes yes yes! I haven''t had this much fun in a fight since I killed that bastard Pleonix!" He yelled, his left arm and armor rapidly regenerating after taking the full force of my battle-ax.

    This thing never seemed to run out of stamina. No matter how severe a wound, or devasting a blow, he would recover nearly instantly. It was like I was fighting a brick wall.

    But there has to be a limit, there has to be some tangible end to his regeneration.

    "Who?" I yell, throwing a feint with my left fist, followed by a second feint with my ax to instead fully commit to a left straight.

    "The bastard I devoured before you!" He yelled, face tanking my fist and opting to try and stab into my shoulder.

    I saw it coming, but the fatigue of this nearly ten-minute-long battle was wearing on me. As I tried to move my ax to parry, he slipped my guard and drove his sword deep into my right shoulder.

    I felt the warmth and feeling drain from my right arm, as he brought his sword down and then back up in a split second, removing my right arm from my torso.

    Without my dominant arm and trusty ax, I fell to my knees.

    "What, you do already? We were just getting started!" The bastard yelled, but I could hear the panting and exhaustion in his voice. Even the most seasoned warriors can''t handle the mental burden of keeping a consistent cloak and having a high-intensity battle for that long. If I had only hung on for a little while longer.

    Yet, I still had one trick up my sleeve. It would just take a minute to prepare.

    Canceling all of my cloak, I began to funnel mana into my left hand.

    "Without my arm and my ax, I am defeated. You''ve put up a valiant effort, I''ve yet to meet a warrior as skilled as you." I say, leading him into continuing to babble.

    "You as well my friend. Gust, right? It''s been months since I''ve been able to give a fight my all. Yet, unfortunately for you, the battlefield is my specialty." He says, hook line and sinker. "I have yet to find an opponent who can stand up to my abilities, whether within a Fae Ritual or not." He says, looking off into the distance. It''s as if he''s reminiscing about something.

    "That is a question I have if you''ll humor me," I ask, looking towards his smug grin. Just a little bit longer.

    "Shoot. It''s the least I could do for a strong person such as yourself." He says, a smile of something I could confuse with camaraderie if he had not just cut my arm off in ritual combat.

    "What technique are you using that allows you to continue fighting? I''ve never seen regeneration on that level, yet I can tell you''re not casting or using any healing magic." I say, as the insane amount of mana gathered into my left fist starts to hurt. It felt as if my hand was going to explode.

    "That is a skill that only I''m able to use, something I was given as a gift you see. It''s a technique they liked to call my Wrathful Soul. Basically, the longer a fight goes on, the stronger I get and the more my body can handle damage-wise. The trade-off is that with my ability to fight, my desire to fight also increases. That, and the fact that after a while it may start affecting you. Are you telling me you didn''t notice? We fought for nearly half an hour yet your mana never ran dry." He said, a bit of disappointment in his voice.

    Wait, what? That was half an hour?

    "That was half an hour? I thought it was ten minutes!" I nearly yell, as the pain in my hand ever increases.

    "That''s the heat of battle man, we were too enveloped in the sport of it. Anyway, do you admit defeat man?" He says, putting his hand on my shoulder apologetically.

    Thank God he kept talking and gave me the time I needed.

    "No, I don''t think I will," I say, looking up at the warrior and shooting to my feet.

    As I stood up, I swung my left fist, infused with all of the mana that I had used for my cloaking, into an uppercut.

    It connected perfectly, his face of shock only lasting for a moment. As in the next moment, his head exploded upon contact with my fist. That being said, my fist also was reduced to nothing but a mound of flesh loosely attached to my now broken forearm.

    Yet, the birdcage didn''t dissipate, and our wounds were not healed by the Fae magic.

    Looking down at what should have been his fresh corpse, an extremely quiet, yet horrific gurgling noise could be heard.

 Chapter 36 - Hard Fought Defeat

    As the strange bubbling and gurgling noise continued, I knew what was happening, but I have nothing left to stop it.

    I used up most of my remaining mana in that strike, and both my arms are useless. I could try and crush his body with my legs, but striking a person''s body with his level of cloaking would do little more than tickle.

    Sitting down and resting, it took a solid minute for the brain goop and shards of the skull to recollect at his body, eventually reforming his head.

    After about two more minutes, the bastard was back in nearly flawless condition. Based on how long that took, it seems my theory of burnout was correct.

    That, or destroying his head simply took a ton out of his regenerative capabilities. More information for the future never hurts, especially if I have to fight this battle-hungry monster again.

    "Holy shit! I didn''t know you still had that much power in ya!" The boisterous voiced mad man said. "Either way, based on the fact you didn''t try to continue to kick me to death, I assume you''ve given up?" He asked, putting his hand out for me to shake, only to notice my lack of usable appendages.

    "Yeah, I concede defeat, by the ancient laws of magic I will obey the stakes we placed," I say as I could feel an insane amount of mana flooding my body, fixing my every wound before receding into the earth once again.

    Although my body was healed, my mana pool and more importantly pride were not.

    "That was a good fight! But I tell ya what, why don''t we strike a deal. I''ll wave my end of the deal, and even let you into this town, for one little thing. I just wanna use a bit of my magic on you, it won''t even hurt. I''ll heal you if it does, and even teach you how to use Wrathful Soul. Deal?" He says as the original chain of Fae Magic dissipated, causing a new one to form, hovering mere centimeters from my chest.

    "Can I have your word I''ll be able to enter the town and search for my children?" I ask, hesitant to take the deal. It simply sounds too good to be true.

    "I swear it upon my mana network, being that if I break that promise, the Fae may reclaim my mana." He was dead serious. Since this is a binding agreement, he would be stripped of magic and mana if he were to break that agreement.

    Without any further hesitation, I shook his hand as the glittering birdcage dissipated.

    "Perfect!" He said, his face distorting into a wicked grin.

    Without any chanting or any further delay, an eerie black smoke began to pour out of his body.

    "I think ????''

    As the words left his lips, the black smoke overtook me. I could feel it seep into my every orifice, and as it seeped in, something that I couldn''t quite understand seeped out.

    --- Point of View: Richard Silverwind, Emissary of Acrimony ---

    As Devour overtook the fierce demon warrior, something felt amiss.

    Aside from the speed, which I am slowly learning is simply a technique of manipulating mana, he didn''t do anything.

    Has Ego become so weak that he can''t even give his Emissary a single blip of power? Or did he just not use it?

    Maybe Acrimony was wrong, Ego really is losing a ton of power if this is his ace in the hole.

    God damn it. Just as I was bad-mouthing you, you decide to call me up now? You''re gonna make me pass out in front of the city!

    As Devour finished up, I felt the ever foreign feeling of falling out of my new body.

    Opening my eyes, I was back in my old body. Man, it''s good to be back.

    Looking around, we seem to be in some kind of medieval castle this time.

    Alright, Acrimony, what did you wanna talk about this time.

    "You fucking moron!" Acrimony yells, appearing in front of me and kicking me in the chest. The blow sends me backward but mostly hurts my pride.

    I was a wrestling gold medalist damn it! Why can a five-two girl with horns hurt me so bad!

    "Cause I''m a diety you meathead, now sit down unless you wanna get beat again." Acrimony says, summoning a comfortable leather couch for me to sit down on.

    The first time I was summoned here, I tried to push her around after she was super bossy to me. Boy, I learned my lesson fast after that one, it felt like I was getting the shit kicked out of me for days.

    "I did beat you up for days dickhead, you just have a bad memory. Now, before I hit you again, do you know what you did wrong?" Acrimony asks.

    Man, you''re scaring me, I thought I did everything right! You said to head there, become a renowned warrior, and wait for about a year and a half.

    Then, Ego''s emissary will come to town from the Uninhabited Northern Forest, and you wanted me to beat him up and steal whatever piece of divinity Ego gave him!

    What did I do wrong?!

    That earned me a swift punch in the head.

    "What you did wrong? What did you do wrong?! You ruined the entire plan and exposed yourself! I told you Ego''s emissary would still be a child! How was that demon anything like a child!"

    Acrimony yelled, nearly walloping me again before continuing.

    "Now, since you fought the brat''s father, Ego can see you. You''ve hurt the ego of someone connected to his emissary, and until that demonoid is dead, he''ll be able to keep an eye on you." Acrimony said, huffing and sitting down in frustration.

    So what! You said Ego was weakened after his other emissary died! We can just kill the demonoid and finish off that junk diety in one fell swoop!

    "Do you listen to nothing I say? I said he was weak now! As in his emissary was weak and alone! You''re lucky you''ve been good went out of your way to hunt down Greed''s little monster for me, or you''d have one hell of a beating on your hands." Acrimony said, slowly calming herself down.

    Thank God, you may have made my body durable, but I don''t think my mind could handle that much pain for longer than a few days.

    "Speaking of which, why would you bother using Devour on some random demon? Now you won''t be able to use it again for a year!" Acrimony said, her scalding motherly tone slowly returning.

    The Dread Lord of Acrimony had a short and explosive temper, but once she calmed down, she was essentially a motherly figure to her two emissaries.

 Chapter 37 - Entering Town

    I thought that he was Ego''s Emissary and I wanted to take his power.

    "What could his power possibly have been, even if he was an emissary? Speed? You''re an idiot." Acrimony said, shaking her head.

    "Look, wait for a while. Once the demonoid leaves town, follow him, and kill him. We can''t let Ego know our moves if we want him to be our next target. So unless you kill that demon, then we''ll have to change our target for now. Understand?" She asks as I could feel she was preparing to send me back.

    I understand, I''ll wait until he leaves town and kill him.

    With a satisfied smile, she waved her hand and returned me to my body within this world.

    --- Point of View: Antonio Icefield ---

    As we left the forest, we could finally see the town ahead of us.

    Well, to say we could see the town is a bit of an understatement.

    What we could see was a fantasy-looking city, with a huge white spire located in the center, towering over the entire town. Even in my last life, I''ve never seen a building that large, reaching higher than even the Eiffel Tower.

    The town was located in a crater, allowing us to see most of the city from where we stood. Yet, it appears as if the city was surrounded by a huge pit, either floating or being suspended by the white connectors at each of its cardinal directions.

    "What''s the huge spire?" I say, pointing towards the strange white building.

    "What, have you never been to a town within the Magic Kingdom? That''s their protective tower, it protects the city from opponents that would be able to get into the city without relying on the bridges." Teresa said, pointing first at the spire and then the four marble bridges connecting the town to the outside world. "It makes sure that only people who pass inspection can get in. It also protects the city from harmful weather and climate. Every city within the Magic Kingdom is set up in a similar fashion." She said, finishing her explanation before continuing towards the city.

    Yet, I was stunlocked. Sure, I''ve lived in a tribe of demons for the last four years, and before that a manor with servants and magic, but this is a bit of a culture shock. Something that can only exist in a magical world, a floating city protected by a magical barrier.

    "There''s no need to be nervous," Teresa says, confusing my hesitation with fear or nerves.

    "I know, I''m coming," I say, snapping myself out of my daze and following her down into the crater.

    As we approached the Southern Bridge, we were stopped by two guards wearing an intricate set of armor.

    "Halt! State your names and reason for coming." A tired-looking guard said in a monotone voice walking towards us holding what looks to be a clipboard.

    Taking the initiative, I step forward and speak first.

    "My name is Antonio Razorhog Icefield, and I''m escorting Princess Teresa," I say, repeating the bow I remember my father in this world using a few times when speaking to other people.

    "It is as he said, I am Princess Teresa Delarus, heir to the throne of Elarus. This young human mage has been acting as my escort after my guardsman were ambushed. I would act as his sponsor to register with the Adventurers Union, afterwords we aim to stay in town for a few days before departing towards the capital." Teresa says in a very dignified tone, as the guard has visibly woken up and has been furiously writing stuff down.

    "We are deeply honored to receive you, your majesty. Would you like an escort to the Union building?" He asks, giving a deep bow before asking. Damn, I ought to throw Teresa''s name around a bit more while I still can.

    "Naturally. I would also like a recommendation on where to stay." She says, slowly walking towards the guards and beckoning me to join.

    "I''m sure the Lord would happily welcome your presence within his guest house, your majesty. Aye! Go alert the Lord that the Princess of Elarus has arrived! Your life is on it!" He barked back to one of the younger guards on the bridge, causing him to begin to hurriedly move deeper into town.

    "I do appreciate the warm reception," Teresa said, giving a small nod and smile.

    "Of course madam, although it is hardly my place to say, I would simply ask you remember our humble city once you rise to the throne." The older guard says, giving another deep bow.

    After a few more minutes of waiting, a platoon of soldiers led by an older-looking mage could be seen walking towards us.

    Teresa took the initiative this time, giving a very slight bow to the older gentleman, who was now a mere ten paces from us.

    "It''s a pleasure and a privilege to be greeted by you personally, Archmage Arthun."

    "The pleasure is mine, Lady Teresa. Who might your escort be?" The archmage says, turning his head towards me and looking me up and down. Man, if looks could kill I''d be long dead by now.

    "My name is Antonio Razorhog Icefield, and I have been escorting Lady Teresa during this last leg of the journey," I say, dropping to one knee. Based on how the guards and Teresa are treating this dude, he ought to be some big fish.

    "I see you''ve yet to be taught basic etiquette despite being of what I can presume is noble birth. Nobles and Mage''s of your caliber needn''t drop to a knee in front of anyone outside of royalty." The City Lord says, his voice is filled with a twinge of malice, yet it wasn''t targeted towards me.

    Standing up and giving him a small bow, a question pops into my mind.

    "Thank you, Lord Arthun. But what do you mean by a mage of my caliber?" I ask, looking up at him quizzically. I''ve yet to cast any semblance of a spell in front of this man, especially with my arms being injured and all.

    Does he just assume that I''m skilled based on the fact I''m with Teresa?

    "Either you''re too naive to realize it or too proud to care, but your magic power is strong enough to leak out of your body. The average person probably feels threatened even glancing at you, and to say that you''re doing it unconsciously, leads me to believe you have an uncanny amount of magic power. Get that under control before you head into town or you''ll attract the wrong kind of attention." The Lord said, looking me up and down as a small snarl could be heard on the tail end of his speech.

    Fuck really?

    I could tell that some magic power was constantly leaking out of me, but I just kind of assumed everyone did that!

    Closing my eyes, I focused on my mana network, trying to draw all of the mana that was leaking out back in, as well as keeping it from flowing out again.

    It was working slightly, but it was the equivalent of using tape on a leaking pipe. Some water eventually always got out, so unless I was focusing on it, I would start to leak again.

    That being said, the residual pain in my arms seemed to disappear when I stilled my flow of mana.

    "An impressive feat to learn to suppress yourself that quickly, unless it was a bluff this entire time." The Lord said, forcing me to open my eyes and snap out of my reverie.

    Everyone''s eyes were focused on me currently, which makes sense since I was mid-conversation with the City Lord and just randomly went silent and closed my eyes.

    I really need to stop doing that.

    "Very sorry Lord Arthun, I was just surprised and intrigued at what you said." I end up saying, giving him another bow.

    "No need to apologize, you fixed the problem I had with you in an efficient manner. If you weren''t employed by Teresa, I''d even consider trying to persuade you to stay and study within this city. The Magin Kingdom could always use more mages to bolster their numbers, even if they aren''t born here." Lord Arthun said with a gentle smile. Too many questions and not enough answers.

    "How do you know I wasn''t born in the Magic Kingdom?" I ask, yet I can tell Teresa is getting slightly fed up with the conversation and not participating in it.

    "First of all, you''re speaking West Tounge. Second of all, if a child, human or demonoid, had one-fifth the magical prowess you just demonstrated having, they would have immediately been invited to one of the Royal Magic Institutes and turned into a mage for the Kingdom. I should know, as the same happened to me." He said, with a slight chuckle before turning back to talk to Teresa.

    "Very sorry about the grilling of your bodyguard, but as a member of the Higher Court, it''s my responsibility to investigate magical talents. I''m sure you understand well, given that you recruited the boy. Now, if you''ll follow me, I''ll lead you to where you two will be staying during your time here." With no further questions or waiting, Lord Arthun lead Teresa and me over the huge marble bridge.

    My first step into the Floating Fortress City of Sanmara.

 Chapter 38 - Transformation Magic

    After being led to a magnificent mansion, Lord Arthun said his farewells. He was a busy man after all, so it''s not as if he had much free time.

    Teresa approached me after we had each settled into our respective rooms.

    Hers was the master bedroom of the house, whilst mine was an extremely fancy other bedroom. This feels, nice.

    "I think we should head to the Continental Adventures Union right away, that way you can get some information about the adventuring business before deciding the sign up for not. If you end up wanting to, I''ll happily be your sponsor." She said, opening the door without knocking.

    You''re lucky I''m still a kid in this body damn it!

    "I agree, it''s always good to get information first before agreeing to something," I say, stretching and preparing to head out.

    Turning towards my doorway, instead of her royal garments, Teresa was instead dressed as an adventurer, worn-out leather armor and all.

    What happened next is what truly shocked me about this whole encounter.

    "The Lord''s light is bright and blinding, so I call upon his dark side to shield thine eyes. Place a false body and false face so that I may brave even the darkest skies. Alter Ego." As she uttered these words, she pressed upon her face and chest. Mana, a type I''ve never felt before, flowed out of her hands and then directly back into her body.

    Teresa''s skin lightened to a more pale tone, as her horns receded and hair changed into a dull brown. The person I knew as Teresa was no more, replaced by a human with similar facial features and a smaller, well, endowment.

    "Are you going to change or stay in your normal form?" Human Teresa asked, talking as if transformation was something I could do as easy as I breathed.

    When she realized the look on my face was one of shock, Human Teresa looked upon me perplexed.

    ///

    "Are you saying you''ve never heard of or used Transformation Magic?" She said, shaking her head. After explaining the reason for my shock, Teresa merely shook her head. "Transformation Magic is a pretty basic skill for demonoids trying to blend into human society. It''s not tiered like the other magic and can''t really change much aside from the addition or subtraction of horns and tails, as well as the changing of skin and hair pigment, but just that is usually more than enough to integrate into society. A good amount of humans discriminate against us on those factors, so this magic was invented to help remedy that." Teresa explained.

    Well, they probably didn''t teach me it in Taf since I was a human, so Transformation magic may not do much for me. I mean, it''s not like I had to pretend to be human or anything.

    "I guess that makes sense, humans are fickle creatures. I wonder what would happen if I used transformation magic?" I think out loud, glancing over to Teresa.

    "Don''t ask me, to my knowledge not many humans have ever used it. Mainly because they can''t really learn it without getting all buddy-buddy with a demonoid tribe who mistrust humans." Teresa says whilst shrugging. Well, I remember the incantation, so I guess I''ll give it a try.

    "Are there any rules or anything to follow with it?" I ask, standing up before casting it. We moved to the living room to talk since we weren''t heading out right away.

    "Not that I know of. All I know is that for demonoids, we only have one ''human'' form. It''s just whatever comes most naturally to you." Teresa says, looking up at me, her eyes filled with curiosity. I would be interested in this too if I were her.

    No time like the present I guess!

    "The Lord''s light is bright and blinding, so I call upon his dark side to shield thine eyes. Place a false body and false face so that I may brave even the darkest skies. Alter Ego." I recite, as a new type of mana floods my system. I could feel my legs are arms begin to hurt, as every muscle and fiber of my being seemed to change from this spell. It was a pain I don''t think I''ve ever experienced as if I was stretching every part of my body.

    Opening my eyes after what felt like a minute-long transformation, I could tell I was substantially taller. Much taller than the eight-year-old body I was inhabiting before.

    Looking around, the world seemed, different from this height. Not just different, a bit blurred as well. Probably due to the spell, since these are basically whole new eyes in my head.

    Glancing down at Teresa, her eyes were wide with shock.

    "Well, it worked didn''t it?" I say, my voice coming out in a different pitch and way than what I was expecting. It was weird but familiar at the same time. Like putting on an old coat.

    I guess the spell turns me into what, an alternate form based on my mental age? I was certainly taller, had a deeper voice, and my muscles felt akin to my muscles on earth, if not a bit stronger.

    "Y-yes. Yes, it did. You just look so, different. Can you still cast magic like that? Let alone move around like that?" Teresa said, standing up. Huh, usually I would have to be looking up at Teresa, but in my new body, I was towering over her.

    "Teresa, weird question, but how tall are you?" I asked, stretching my arms and legs a bit. It''s been a while since I was in a physically grown body. Looking at my arms and hands, I got the same foreign yet familiar feeling I had listening to my own voice.

    "A bit taller than five feet flat, why?" She says, poking and prodding at my body.

    I''m assuming everyone would have this feeling, since yeah these are my hands, but they''re not the hands I''m used to.

    Wait, these

    Placing my hand out, palm forward, a cold sweat yet excited grin breaks out over my face.

    Funneling a bit of mana through my arms hurts like normal, but the spell Wind Pellet goes through just fine.

    "Antonio? What''s gotten into you?" Teresa asks, as I break away from her poking and prodding and run to the nearest bathroom, the one in my room.

    Flinging the door open, Teresa follows me in with a worried look on her face, yet something indescribable is welling up within me.

    Looking in the mirror, the person who stares back is not a grown-up version of Antonio Icefield.

    Staring back at me is

    A wild grin shoots over my face, as I nearly yell in pure unadulterated joy. The face before me, the body before me, is the one and only.

    The body I lost seven years ago.

    I was back, as Vincent DeCourville.

 Chapter 39 - The Union

    After stretching, running, and the general ecstatic feeling wore off of getting my body back, I was finally able to calm down.

    Yet, one question permeated my mind.

    "Teresa, how long does Alter Ego last?" I say, looking down at her excitedly.

    "Well, usually the spell lasts eight hours, but you can just recast it to keep it going. I''ve once stayed in this form for a week making deals with a particularly religious human settlement." Teresa said, pausing before continuing. "Usually it wouldn''t be a problem, but can you act at one hundred percent proficiency in that form? It''s much larger than your other body, not to mention it has a different weight distribution, longer limbs, and a whole host of differences."

    "Teresa, I literally could not stress this enough, but I am probably more proficient in moving in this body," I say, my tone dead serious. "I think I''ll probably register as an adventurer in this form even."

    I mean, why wouldn''t I? If I register in my other body then they might not take me seriously since that''s the body of a kid, and I can just re-register once the Antonio form reaches adulthood.

    Besides, I''d like to say with confidence that in this world, I pass as quite good looking. I''m of average build in my world, but here, the people are shorter and much more exposed to the elements on a day-to-day basis.

    The above-average height of my old world makes me basically a goliath in this one, being I''ve yet to see a person aside from Gust taller than around five feet eight inches.

    Also, although my build is average in this world and the last, I can tell whatever growth I''ve had in my other body has transferred into this one. Working out and getting stronger as Antonio directly translates to greater muscle mass in this form, giving me a nice set of abs I never had before.

    I wonder how exactly that works?

    God damn it, I''m silently thinking to myself again and Teresa is just staring at me.

    "Why would you register in that form?" She asks, looking me up and down.

    "Well, people would most likely look down on my original body of a child, so if this magic gives me an adult form, why not take advantage of it?" I ask as a looking of understanding comes over Teresa''s face.

    "That''s a good point, and talking with this form seems more natural as opposed to your true one. No offense, but speaking formally with a child, and seeing a child cast magic as you do, is a bit unnerving." Teresa says, shaking her head and looking up at me.

    "None taken, so let''s head to the Union yeah?" I say, stretching and realizing one issue with this form. Aside from my hunter''s armor, which Blaze enchanted so that it would grow along with me, none of my other belongings fit.

    Even the large staff that I was used to is now more of a walking stick, coming up to only about my shoulders.

    Noticing my conundrum, Teresa offers to buy me a new set or two of clothes, since having her bodyguard wearing worn armor everywhere would not do wonders for her reputation.

    Heading to the nearest tailor, The Weaving House, we step inside and I nearly cast an Eisdamon on instinct.

    Standing bending the counter, is a demi-human. Her upper torso is purple, with four arms coming out of her simple shirt. From her smiling mouth comes curved fangs, and there is an extra row of eyes both above and below her normal set.

    Yep, a spider person.

    "Welcome to the Weaving House! After some new wears?" She says in a normal enough tone. God, this is some uncanny valley type shit. I''ve seen other demi-humans, but I guess spiders were just out of my expectation.

    "Y-yeah I''m looking for a new robe and maybe a new set of nice clothes." I manager to stutter out, still a little stunned.

    "Our human styles are towards the lefthand side, whilst demi-human are to the right. The back of the store has out child and specialty wear." The spider lady said, never breaking eye contact with her middle eye row.

    Quickly averting my eyes, I head over to the human section and immediately land my eyes on a huge selection of clothes.

    Ignoring most of it, I head over to the robes section. I knew they''d have a few, every caster type I''ve ever seen has worn a mage robe. Even the city lord.

    That being said, there are two problems Teresa and I ran into.

    Firstly, the robes are all well, smaller than I need.

    Second, and almost more importantly, they''re all incredibly gaudy. A mix of greens and blues and golds are the stable colors, with some browns and reds thrown in there.

    Walking back up to the spider lady, I bring up these issues.

    "You are quite a large one aren''t you. You sure you don''t have any demonoid blood in you? Goliath clan maybe?" She asks, taking measurements with one set of arms and writing something down with the other.

    "Not to my knowledge, but the size isn''t the real kicker in this situation. I can''t have my b- partner sticking out like a sore thumb on the road. We need adventures robes, not academics." Teresa steps in before I''m able to think of anything. Nice save Teresa.

    "Well, check in the demi-human section, specifically the robes for larger demonoids. They''ll be on the second floor and are probably more his size and style." The spider woman says after taking her notes and stepping back. "If there''s nothing to suit your fancy, then I''ll happily make a custom order."

    Walking up the stairs and following her directions, it takes me a mere moment to spot what I need.

    A robe, slightly salmon in color, with grey detailing and accents. It looks as if one of the gaudier robes was soaked in grey dye for a while.

    "This is the one," I say, putting it on as it fits basically perfectly. Sure, it''s a size SG, but since I don''t know what that means, it can''t hurt me.

    Taking it down to the woman, Teresa pays the one hundred and twenty ''Soldi'' and we make our way out of the store, towards the Union office.

    Soldi is the currency of the magic kingdom, which solidifies the vast distance from my original home in this world.

    After a few minutes of walking, we arrive at the impressive stone building, smack dab in the middle of the guild district.. The Continental Adventurers Union.

 Chapter 40 - Information And Examination

    Stepping through the door of the Union Hall, it was exactly as you''d imagine an adventurers guild to be. Rough and interesting-looking people, parties of various sizes and ages discussing different jobs, and what looks to be a board of quests to take, separated by color.

    Some parties are drinking what is obviously alcohol, others are staring at different colored metal cards. However, the biggest collection of adventurers is around the expansive quest board. Each staring at a different metal block about the size of a sheet of paper.

    Instead of the expected paper sheets to list quests, there are instead thin metal plates. Interesting, I''m sure those will be explained.

    Before we''re able to make heads or tails of the place, a beautiful woman approaches Teresa and I.

    "Welcome to the Continental Adventurers Union located within Sanmara. Anything I can help you with?" She says, an extremely professional and slightly seductive voice leaving her lips. Maybe I made up that last part.

    "How do you know we''re not already registered?" Teresa speaks up before I''m able to embarrass myself.

    "Well, your partner there is looking around the Union Hall as if he''s never been in a building before and neither of you went to the rewards or quest board, choosing instead to look around. Once you''ve been in the business as long as I have, you know what a greenhorn looks like." The Union Worker said, keeping her calm smile and demeanor the entire time. There might have been a bit of a condescending tone within there since Teresa looks visibly annoyed, but I don''t think I noticed anything beyond her lips moving.

    "That''s a bit rude, but yes we are new. I''d like some information about joining the Union please." I say as I could almost see the veins on Teresa''s head popping.

    "Of course, come into the new member reception area and everything will be explained." The hot receptionist said, leading me and Teresa into a smaller waiting room through a door on the right.

    After waiting about five minutes, the receptionist comes back with a second, less hot, Union worker to explain things.

    "Our lovely city of Sanmara, as well as the Magic Kingdom are homes to hundreds of different organizations known as guilds. You can find guilds in basically any country of the world outside of a very select few, and they specialize in any number of things. One thing all of the guilds have in common, however, is that any guild that employs adventurers must go through the Continental Adventurer Union. It''s an organization that employs every legally operating adventurer, supplying them with identification, licenses, and everything in between. From there, an adventurer is free to join any guild or organization and take any amount of work. Once a person joins the Union, they''re a member until their contract expires, and can then choose to re-sign it or leave adventuring behind them." The less hot receptionist explained, handing both Teresa and me a contract.

    "These are the contracts for new adventurers to sign and join the Union with. Are you planning on registering today?" She asks. Well, the contract is right in front of me. Might as well give it a read and maybe sign it.

    No, you''re letting your ego and second head get the better of you. Just read it for now, and then we can come back with Real Teresa and get signed up under her sponsorship.

    But do I really want that?

    I kinda wanna see what the exams are like, and if they''re easy enough, I could just sign up today.

    That way I could get the reward for guarding Teresa right away. Then again, at this point I don''t think I''m gonna abandon Teresa here, I might as well escort her to her destination.

    "You are correct, I actually plan to register today. Does it cost anything upfront?" I say, taking the contract and picking up a pen. Worst case scenario, I''ll just leave and deactivate Alter Ego.

    The spell should be easy to cancel since I can feel the transformation mana in my network, I just have to stop it.

    "Nope! Just sign our union agreement, take our two examinations and you''ll be all set! I can help you look over the contract if need be." The hotter receptionist said, smiling with a warm, gentle smile.

    "Are the terms negotiable?" I should not have said that.

    "If you find any terms you disagree with, I''d be happy with setting up a meeting with my supervisor given you pass the exams at a high enough proficiency." I am now suddenly very glad I said that.

    "Thank you," I say, grabbing a pen and sitting down to read the contract.

    It''s obvious who they made these contracts for, idiots. Absolute, meathead, braindead idiots.

    Or reasonably smart yet lazy people.

    It''s front-loaded with legal jargon and term switching, so if you read on you can''t make heads or tails of anything.

    There are clauses in here about giving upwards of 50% of any rewards or loot gained from any quests, a term signing off your right to a funeral and instead giving the Union permission to use your corpse as they see fit, and even a term in here about the forced sharing of magical techniques and spells under the right circumstances.

    Yep. A scam contract made I''m assuming to weed out the idiots from those who are literate enough to understand how raw of a deal this is.

    Thank God I had a minor in law or my brain would not be able to handle a fourth of this info, let alone decipher the shockingly sleazy legal jargon and tactics.

    Also, that''s funny, apparently, the Union also goes by the name Cloudinary Holdings Unlimited. I wonder where I''ve heard that name before? No idea.

    After around five minutes of reading this absolute pile of dog shit, I stand up and walk over to the hotter receptionist, who I recognize as Vanessa based on her nametag, and hand her the unsigned contract.

    "I think I''d like to take those exams now and start setting up that meeting with your supervisor," I said, as she wordlessly took the contract back and walked towards a large metal door.

    After pulling a card from her waist and tapping it against the door, it opened.

    With a calm smile, she turned back towards me.

    "Step right through here to head to your first examination if you''re ready." She said, a calm smile still permeating her lips.

    Before stepping through the door, I turn back and whisper into Teresa''s ear, "If the exams are too hard, we can just come back after I drop Alter Ego and go with the sponsorship idea. I wanna see if I can make it on my own first."

    After getting a nod in approval, I follow Vanessa through the metal door.

 Chapter 41 - Examination Begins

    After stepping through the doorway, I was brought to what amounts to a lecture hall with around eleven other applicants.

    "The first test is going to be a written exam, testing general knowledge, knowledge of arithmetic, science, and everything in between." The older-looking gentleman said, holding a thick stack of papers. As the older man passed out the exams, he also passed out writing utensils and blank pieces of paper.

    Welp looks like I''m about to crush this exam. It''s around twenty pages long and based on the first page being literal addition, I think I''ve got this in the bag.

    ///

    Yep. I guarantee every single other person besides me bombed the hell out of that exam. Whilst the first half of it consisted of basic addition, subtraction, and basic knowledge such as air making fire stronger, the back half of it made me use the knowledge I haven''t touched since my college prerequisite courses.

    How is a person who can barely read a legal contract supposed to know this stuff?

    I was only able to answer most of it because I''m from Earth where this type of stuff is way more commonly available.

    I mean hell, on Earth I can just look up answers, over here it took me nearly twenty minutes per question.

    Thankfully, although their math is unnecessarily advanced, the science and other sections are stuff any fifth-grader could answer.

    After about two hours straight of test-taking, I hand in my test to the examiner and see I''m the last one to leave.

    "You sure took your sweet time, huh, you know that stuff doesn''t disqualify you from being an adventurer right? It''s the practical that matters." One of the other applicants said as I stepped out of the lecture hall and into what looks to me like a ballroom.

    However, instead of decadent chandeliers and beautiful hardwood, it''s blood-stained and scorched concrete lit by torches affixed to the walls and the six pillars within the room.

    I know exactly where this is going, especially because of the figurative wall of meat standing in the center of the room, at the center of a white circle about forty feet in diameter.

    "Now that everyone has gathered, we can begin the practical portion of the examination." The man said, although he never raised his voice it carried gently all the way over to us. Sound magic?

    "The practical examination is quite simple. Each of you applicants will step into the Dueling Field with me, and then we shall duel. Keep in mind, due to the nature of the exam and the presence of the Dueling Field as well as the Union Healers, it''s expected that neither of us will pull any punches." Suddenly, the man''s relaxed expression steeled itself. "Come at me with the intent to kill, as I will be returning it in kind. I''m an A-ranked adventurer, so your ability to both survive against me as well as any damage you may be able to do to me will affect your rating within the exam."

    Also great, if the last test is anything to base this on, for the first part of the battle he''ll go easy on you, and then he''ll randomly play hardball and incapacitate you.

    Another instance of the Union trying to separate the wheat from the chaff.

    Before I could even imagine walking up, the larger man who accosted me for coming in after two hours walks directly up to the Dueling Field.

    "I''ll take you on any day, just promise I won''t get in trouble if I hurt ya too bad." He said, stepping inside the ring and grinning, showing his nearly rotting teeth.

    Yep, I''ve seen his type before. He''s definitely a strength-based guy, definitely gonna draw that hammer on his back and charge at the instructor, and it''s definitely not gonna work.

    As the man stepped into the ring, it began to light up, eventually the light traveling around the entire circumference of the circle, and a translucent white barrier sealed them in.

    The moment the barrier was erected, the man drew his war hammer and dashed at the man. He''s not even as fast as Gust, there''s no chance the instructor lets him get a hit in.

    As the pudgy man swung his hammer down full force on the man, the only sound that could be heard was the loud splintering of wood. The man''s hammer seemed to connect with the instructor, and once it did it snapped in half.

    Shaking his head, the instructor simply put his hand up and uttered a single phrase.

    I''m assuming it''s the short-hand incantation of Blowback as an incredibly powerful blast of wind hit the portly man, sending him crashing into the wall of the barrier.

    "You can''t just enhance your body, you must spread your cloak to your weapons or they will fail you. If your as smart as you are strong, you''d be lucky to be an E-ranked adventurer." With the blast and those words, it was obvious the rotund man was out cold.

    The barrier dropped and peopled dressed in similar leather garb to the instructor came out and dragged the man out of the Dueling Field. I''m guessing they''re members of the Union who specialize in healing magic.

    The next four fights with the instructor went along similar lines, melee fighters trying every which way to attack the instructor, with him blocking some attacks and not even entertaining the others, simply blasting them with a strong wind as soon as they got close.

    Then, a person who was obviously not a meathead stepped forward. I didn''t notice her originally as the rest of the adventures here are all around the height of Teresa, and she looks to be only as big as my true form.

    "A halfling huh? It''s been a while since I''ve seen of them." One of the other applicants badly whispered to who I can assume is his friend. Instantly he caught a side-eye from both the examiner and examinee alike.

    "My name is Nonie Lightfoot thank you very much, and maybe you just aren''t looking hard enough." The snarky halfling said, drawing two small daggers and stepping into the Duel Field.

    Unlike the rest of the previous fights, the halfling didn''t immediately dash or slash at the instructor.

    Instead, she threw her daggers at his head. Points for creativity.

    As the instructor brought his sword up to block, the halfling moved so fast my eyes and ears could barely keep up with her, ending up right in front of the instructor with an orb of blue fire in the palm of her right hand.

    "Flash Fire!" The halfling yelled as it took all of my mental strength to not bust up laughing.

    Did she just yell an attack name! I mean, I knew shortened casting existed, but to think it would produce something like that!

    Funny scenario aside, the instructor looked genuinely off guard and took the full blast of fire magic from the halfling, giving her the opportunity to grab the daggers and jump backward, narrowly evading the slash from the instructor.

    As the smoke from the blast cleared, the instructor seemed unharmed, yet amused.

    "Finally, someone with a little bit of brain."

 Chapter 42 - In The Heat Of Battle

    At those words, the halfling''s face went from the pale it had been from seeing the unharmed examiner to a large grin.

    However, that grin didn''t last long, as the instructor drew his second saber and got into a real fighting stance. Sweet, now I can take mental notes on how he fights.

    Not giving up, the halfling threw her two daggers and two more daggers into the air, then drew a third set of daggers.

    There were now a total of six daggers being controlled by the halfling, two being wielded and four floating due to magical control. Wind magic? Something else entirely?

    I really am ignorant about the different types of magic in this world.

    Dashing forward, the floating daggers attempted to strike at the instructor from any angle as the halfling dashed to his right side and went for a spinning slash, carrying all of her momenta.

    Unfortunately for her, the instructor dropped one sword and rapidly moved his hand, using his other hand to slash down at the now wide-open halfling.

    Thankfully, the halfling was able to fling herself backward with air magic, yet her floating daggers were all blocked by the man''s arm, which was now coated in a thick layer of mana.

    Not letting the halfling have any time, the instructor followed her lead and shot next to the halfling. Sticking his free hand out, he shouted "Clear a path, Blowback!"

    Yep, I knew that''s what he was using.

    Afterward, Nonie was slammed against the barrier wall, and with her head making a direct impact, the fight was over.

    "Well fought, Nonie." The instructor said, walking back to his original position and picking up his sword. Sheathing his second blade and returning to his neutral pose, he nodded as the Union members came and dragged the halflings unconscious body out of the ring.

    "That is how you''re supposed to fight. Like I said, treat this as if your life was on the line, not some arbitrary test of strength." The instructor said with a small grin tugging on his lips.

    Is this not literally just an arbitrary test of strength?

    It''s not as if you''re some national average, you''re just a random high-ranked adventurer.

    Is this entire thing not just arbitrary tests of strength and knowledge?

    Does this guy even know what that word means?

    After the exciting fight with the halfling, the next four fights are more of the one-sided slaughters from before.

    Finally, it''s just myself and one other person left here. Based on the delicate features and pointy ears, she''s either some part elf or I''m racist.

    "After you," I say, gesturing towards the ring as the elf looks over to me.

    "I''d prefer to go last, you''re free to go first." The elf says a nervous laugh and smiles coming along with it.

    Listen to me fucker, I''m trying to go last here so I can surprise him with my transformation magic and other tomfoolery, but I can''t really be doing that in front of another person now, can I.

    I guess, there isn''t really a harm to going all out if it''s just one other person. It''s not like Vincent Decourville is a real person in this world.

    "Alright then," I say, stepping into the arena and spinning my staff in my hand similar to a baton. I also have a dagger in my left hand, I won it off some weird guy in the street.

    "One question before we start big guy if ya don''t mind," I say as the circle is still filling with magic power.

    "And what would that be." The instructor replies, in a tired voice.

    "Does this ring heal poison?" Please say yes.

    Suddenly, the instructor doesn''t look or sound tired anymore. Instead, he seems both on edge and excited.

    "Why yes, yes it does." He says, grinning as the barrier erects itself.

    Going for a bluff, I dash towards the man mimicking all of the tools before me.

    Dropping his smile, the examiner raises his hand to blast me away with the wind like the rest.

    Unfortunately for him, I have just the spell to counter that.

    "Clear a path Blowback!" He yells.

    Putting my palm to face him, I yell something similar.

    "Blowback!"

    As the two spells collide, somehow, mine beats out his, causing the orb of violent wind to slam into the man.

    Yet, I know a spell of that quality can''t hurt him.

    Before it even clashes with his arm, I throw my dagger at his head and fling myself backward with wind magic.

    Just as I thought he would, he brings his hand up to block my dagger, allowing Blowback to slam into his chest, unaffected of course.

    I knew he would block the dagger since he thinks it''s poisoned.

    Now that his hand is raised in front of his face, and I have distance, I can enact my split-second plan.

    Grabbing my staff with both hands, I funnel a ton of water mana through it.

    "Eisdamon!" I yell, man this is kinda fun.

    After that yell, not one, but six spears of ice fire from my staff simultaneously.

    Unfortunately for me, the man is faster than my mouth.

    The instructor draws his second sword and crouches down.

    He moves like a blur and only thanks to the insane amount of mana his blade is coated with can I sense him. Appearing in front of me, he slashes horizontally at my neck.

    Did he just duck under my spell?

    Instantly, I drop the transformation magic, causing a look of confusion to come across his face as he slashes at nothing but air.

    Perfect, now he''s wide open and I''m right in front of him. Putting my hand out, I conjure all of my strength and dump what feels like a tenth of my mana into my newest yet most risky spell idea.

    "Absolute Zero!" I yell, blasting him with a similar concept to a spell I''ve regretted casting for a while now.

    The insane flood of water magic that Domain of Frost utilized to freeze everyone around me, instead it''s concentrated into a beam of pure cold.

    Instead of freezing him solid, due to his defensive magic, he''s instead blown back by the intense ray of pure cold.

    Man, yelling that, plus the magic and the motion, it did feel really cool.

    Pun totally intended.

    As the smoke from the blast settled, the examiner is pinned against the wall, his swords shattered from blocking the blast and it looks as if his arms are painted with deep purple and black paint.

    Yet, for some reason, the barrier isn''t down, and his eyes and face don''t show a bit of anger.

    Instead, his face is twisted into a mix of intrigue, surprise, and what I can assume is joy?

    "Oh, Lords above, whose light guides all. Restore the hero so he may never fall." He begins to chant.

    Fuck! I need time to recover and cast a spell again, and he knows that!

    And if I need a spell powerful enough to break through his defenses, I need to chant!

    Sike!

    Pointing my staff at his face, I draw a circle in the air in front of it.

    A barrel if you will.

    "Wind Shotgun!" I yell, as around forty Wind Pellets are shot from my staff, and I can feel my mana capacity take another hit.

    Not as significant as Absolute Zero, but it is at least noticeable.

    Yet, the cocksure grin on the face of the instructor doesn''t seem to falter.

 Chapter 43 - Mistakes Are Made

    "Beautiful distraction and capitalizing on the opportunity! You''ve had some training huh!" He yells, his arms glowing with a familiar golden brilliance as they begin to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

    What the fuck?!

    That move is supposed to be a fight ender!

    It was clear that the pellets of wind hit him square in the face, yet he''s completely calm and basically unharmed!

    No, that''s not true. His face is covered with very small, yet noticeable wounds.

    Does air magic''s power decrease over the distance or did I hold back too much?

    No time to think, only to act.

    Risky or not, he''s already proven he can take Absolute Zero front on, so I need to step it up.

    What''s better than one blast?

    Two, obviously.

    Before his arms and face are fully healed, I throw my staff into my right hand and stick my left palm out alongside it.

    "Shut up for once!" I yell, blasting one out from my staff and one out from my left hand.

    This is insane! Casting two spells of this caliber should theoretically cost double, but the drain is nearly quadrupled.

    I don''t understand magic.

    Either way, a face of seriousness flashes briefly across the instructor''s face, as he places his palms forward and chants something quickly.

    Suddenly, the mana flowing out of my still injured arms surges.

    If the pain before was akin to sticking my hands into fire, this was getting scalped with a spoon.

    I can''t take it anymore.

    Canceling the spell, my arms fall to my side, paralyzed from pain.

    "Ruthless! Attacking even when I''m healing and you''re just about out of mana!" He says, yet as soon as I heard the words it''s already too late.

    Whatever spell he used to counter mine must have worked for him, as before I could even react he was in front of me.

    With a front kick powerful enough to shatter a few of my ribs, I''m sent crashing against the barrier.

    I can feel the field begin to heal me as I cough up a bit of blood.

    "I give up, you win." I cough out as the healing magic of the barrier floods into me and heals every part of me except my pride and mana-abused arms.

    Talk about a loss of progress in healing huh.

    I make it look as if my transformation magic wears off with a puff of smoke as I recast Alter Ego, my bones painfully re-stretching and rearranging to bring back my body of Vincent Decourville.

    However, unlike usual, the instructor comes over to me to help me up.

    "That was the best spar I''ve had in a minute friend, it felt as if you were actually aiming to kill me!" He says, grinning and helping me to my feet. "You''re free to stay and watch or you''re free to head out. Your ability as a fighter and adventurer is impressive enough, so come back later today or tomorrow morning to get your rank and associated items."

    I kinda was trying to kill you at the end there not gonna lie, or at least not trying not to.

    If only my arms could have kept up with the rest of me.

    Also, why does he think I''m out of mana? I''ve got plenty left in the tank still.

    Dusting myself off, I walk towards the door the instructor pointed to.

    Stepping through, the door opens to what looks like a locker room.

    Lockers line the walls, with fresh towels and a change of clothes. That''s surprisingly generous of them.

    Taking a nice warm shower and changing into clothes free of blood and dirt, I grab an additional set of clothes as well as a bag hanging from the wall.

    After stuffing both my new clothes and my dirty clothes into it, I step out of the locker room and into a small reception area.

    A waiting area maybe? Whatever, I need to head back to Teresa.

    Just as I grab the handle to leave, a familiar voice calls out to me.

    "Wait, don''t leave just yet." The older gentleman who proctored the written exams says, running up to me in a ragged fashion. Great, of course, I''m getting dragged into a conversation now. I tired man what is it.

    "Can I help you, sir?" Is what I actually end up saying of course. Appearances and all that.

    "How did you know the answers to these questions." The proctor asked with a look on his face I''ve seen far too often, the look of a greedy peer.

    "Yes, I noticed that. I also noticed you used a completely different formula to what is taught in the capital yet still arrived at the answers faster than the average scholar. I don''t even recognize some of the signals you''ve written here." The man said, pointing at my bad interpretation of Pi.

    Shit.

    I figured that if this world had this complex of math, then they''d also use the same formulas. I mean come on! It''s the only stuff I know.

    "Is my willingness to answer questions and provide explanations connected at all to my acceptance into the Union?" I say, sensing an obvious loaded response that amounts to a yes.

    Much to my surprise, instead of capitalizing on the scenario, the proctor twists his face into an almost disgusted snarl.

    "Do you really think so low of the Union that we''d block a scholar from joining simply because he won''t teach for free? I''m asking this as an academic, not an employee." The man says, keeping his disgusted look.

    Oh man, I must have pushed a button there. Damage control time!

    "I''m sorry if I''ve offended your curious mind, I''ve only recently arrived in this town and I''m sure you can see why I''d be suspicious. There''s a con artist every three feet, so I apologize if I came off a little defensive." I say, putting my hands up as a universal sign that I mean no harm.

    Thankfully, that''s about all he needed to hear to drop the stink eye.

    "You''ve done no such thing, I understand being on guard in Sanmara. Especially for someone with absolutely no documented history no matter how much I had my servants and scribes look." The man said, whispering into my ear. "You can drop the transformation magic, halfling. I saw your true form whilst I was spectating the practical exam. I''m not as easily fooled as that meathead, I know the difference between casting and dropping magic."

    Ahh, there''s the threat.

    I guess it''s a blessing that halflings seem to populate this continent since if they didn''t I would be in a much more precarious situation. Although, I guess my plan to be able to return and be sponsored by Teresa is out the window.

    I really shouldn''t have dropped Alter Ego, but it was the best idea I had in the heat of battle.

    He was slashing at my neck! I could have died!

    Probably not since we were fighting in a ring of healing magic surrounded by healing mages, and was probably just gonna break my neck or knock me out.

    But that would still have hurt damn it!

    Whatever, I guess I did well enough that I don''t need a sponsor.

    "Alright, you''ve got me," I say, dropping Alter Ego and looking up at the man. "My real name is Antonio Icefield, a pleasure to meet ya," I say, putting my hand out for him to shake it. There''s no way I can tell this joker my full name in this world since my old family would sniff me out immediately.

    Not that that''s necessarily a bad thing, except for my father, they seemed like good people.

    "Hmm, I''ve never heard of the Icefield tribe, are they scholars?" The man asks, a look of confusion flashing across his face.

    Right, clans are a thing here. Are halflings considered demonoids?

    Is that racist?

    "We used to be a small clan of scholars, but unfortunately due to the nature of the mountains we secluded ourselves in, the combination of a cave in and a monster attack left me as the only one left. That''s why I aim to strengthen not only my mind but also magic." Please tell me halflings sometimes live in mountains or I''m gonna have to make up even more bullshit.

    "I''m truly sorry for your loss, I know clans are bonds stronger than blood for your kind, so losing them must have dealt a heavy blow. I''m just glad at least one of the Icefield''s great minds survived to spread your knowledge." Thank God he bought it.

    Actually, speaking of God, he may know something about the capital or stuff going on there.

    "I appreciate your condolences, but in exchange for some of my knowledge, I''d like some of yours. I''m looking for information on the capital of the Magic Kingdom and any recent events. Would you know anything?"

    Hopefully, this can be my first step toward the end game.

 Chapter 44 - Capital News

    "Of course, it''s only natural that you''d also receive knowledge in this exchange. Care to join me in my office? I understand some information can be sensitive." The old scholar said, a gentle smile stretching across his face.

    "Lead the way" I reply, as he turns and begins to walk towards one of the doors leading behind the reception desk. After tapping the door with a card from his waist, a click can be heard. Neat.

    After stepping through a veritable maze of identical wooden hallways, I''m brought into what looks like the room of a teenage bookworm.

    Multiple books and pieces of paper strewn about on the walls and floors, comfortable chairs and accompanying tables seemingly placed randomly throughout the room, and a collection of different alcohol behind a well-kept bar.

    "Take a seat anywhere, I apologize for the mess but I was so curious about your answers I visited every text I had about arithmetic yet came up empty-handed. I should probably also finally introduce myself." The man said, turning around to shake my hand. "The name is Severus Hydrus. Call me whatever comes to mind."

    Immediately, Severus waved his hand, and his books and pages began to sort themselves and return to their respective shelves and bookcases.

    Taking a seat on what amount to a large chaise, Severus took a seat in a large bean bag-esque chair and motioned his hand, causing a table to come between us.

    "Now, I''d like you to start. How did you solve the advanced problems that most scholars have issues with, with so little time, and what do the strange symbols mean." He said, relaxing and putting his hands behind his head.

    Come now, I''m obviously in a better position here right? Time to flex a few negotiation tactics.

    Number one, exert pressure.

    "No no no, I consider the knowledge I have to be of a much greater value. So, instead, you''ll present me with everything you know about recent events and interesting news from the capital, and I''ll reciprocate with the appropriate amount of knowledge in return. Keep in mind, I am the only member of my family on this planet." I mean, there''s no shot my family reincarnated, so everything I said was technically true.

    "I thought you''d say that. Since I have no room to bargain anyway, I guess I can agree to that." He said, sighing.

    I''m actually surprised that worked out so easily.

    "If it''s information from the Capital, only a few things of recent stick out to me. Firstly, are reports of two abnormally strong individuals, apparently one is within the capital and another recently left it. The only other interesting pieces of information are in regards to the newest magical institutes being built there." Severus says, sitting up and quickly chanting something.

    After his short chant, an unlabeled bottle of alcohol begins to lazily float towards the table between us.

    "You''ve piqued my interest," I say, relaxing my posture a bit before continuing. "I''d like to hear about these abnormal people first and the magic institutes second."

    "Very well, allow me to begin," Severus said, pouring himself a small glass of alcohol before continuing. "The one I''ll take about first is known as the Immortal Man. We don''t know if it was an incredible combination of artifacts, genetics, or simply a never-ending mana pool, but no matter what damage you could inflict to him every wound he''d take on would heal just about instantly. As a test, he agreed to let every single mage from every single academy within the area form a line and blast him with any spell they could think of. After nearly six hundred mages and thousands of spells, he came out with a grin and an unbroken body." Severus said, a shiver of fear running up his back.

    Yep, that''s either a complete lie or a person Ego wants me to either meet or kill. Based on everything I know about the bastard, it''s not the former.

    "Is there any way to verify that story? It sounds incredibly hard to believe." I say, looking the grey-haired scholar in the eyes and meeting an icy glare.

    "I know it sounds unreasonable, but my memory has yet to fail me. I was one of the mages to fire upon the lunatic, sending a beam of fire strong enough to melt even Mythril directly through his heart. I''ll never forget his face as the hole where his heart used to be closed up in a mere moment." The old man said, a small, nearly unnoticeable twinge of fear still lingering in his voice.

    Great. The first real hint I get about what Ego wants me to do, and it''s a story about a person literally impervious to damage.

    Man, I''m a reincarnator! Shouldn''t I get some overpowered spell or ability from Ego? All I got was an obsidian asshole in my brain telling me to kill my family!

    Oh god, is that really what it''s like?

    "What about the second one?" I ask, taking this conversation suddenly an incredible amount more seriously.

    Hopefully, this one is a little more on the reasonable side.

    "He''s known by most mages as his old mercenary name, Perfect Mirror. I prefer to call him Copycat. No matter how complex the spell you cast, if he saw it for even a moment, he''d inexplicably be able to copy it perfectly. He used to be an incredibly honorable member of society, being one of the only six people to ever reach the highest rank in the Union across the continent. However, around two years ago he threw away his title and formed an underground guild known as Black Blur. Although it''s technically a legal form of adventuring, the assassination of high-end monster tribes and insane mages, it''s an open secret that it''s simply a front for a much darker life. However, wielding an arsenal of nearly infinite spells, no one is brave enough to stop him." Severus says, his voice containing a twinge of, jealousy?

    Great, a guy who can copy any magic used against him and a literal immortal.

    Couldn''t you have given me even a little bit easier of opponents?

    "Any others that stand out even half as much as those two?" I ask, silently wishing for an answer I know to be impossible.

    "None. I hope the little I know about Copycat and the Immortal Man was enough to satiate your curiosity." Severus says, most likely suspecting my answer.

    "I''d like to hear about the institutes of magic now, thank you very much," I reply, a nod of understanding coming from Severus before he continues.

    Yeah, I really don''t wanna think about having to fight either of these people.

    "Institutes of magic, also known colloquially as magic academies, are staples of the Magic Kingdom. Recently, the Capital and Crown are trying to make sweeping changes to the systems within these facilities, mainly due to pressure from noble magic houses." Severus said, an exasperated look coming over him as he takes a drink of alcohol.

    "First things first, there are only three real choices for academies around that area, the Greater Fire Magic Academy, Ulran''s Academy for Unearthed Undead, shortening that to Ulran''s, and the Mystic Mages Academic Union," Severus says, my interest immediately skyrocketing. "The Fire Academy has the highest cost out of the three, but it has a magic item shop for students, an impressive amount of classes, and a good amount of its staff are part Pheonix."

    "I''d like to hear more about the undead academy if you don''t mind," I say, trying to hide my excitement. Undead are real, and they''re not mindless zombies?

    That''s so cool!

    "Ulran''s is the cheapest of the three, due primarily to the fact it''s a mixed academy, filled with both living and undead students. Its headmaster is a demi-lich known by the moniker Ulrand the Grim."

    Severus said, scratching his head a bit before continuing to speak about the last institute.

    "The final one I was able to get information on was the Mystic Mage''s Academic Union, but aside from the fact it''s held in the same regard as the other two, there''s not much else out about it. Aside from the price per year of the course. The Greater Fire Academy costs around four Oro per year, Ulran''s at half of that, and the Mystic Union sitting comfortably in the middle at three Oro."

    Interesting. I have no idea how much an Oro is, but it''s most likely a sizeable chunk of money.

    Yet, the power of negotiation is in the hands of the party that needs less.

    "Are you willing to share your knowledge now?" He asks, a flash of greed appearing on his face.

    "Well, what you''ve told me amounts to nothing but a story and rumors. So in exchange for my knowledge, I''d like to be financially reimbursed. " I say, smiling softly and leaning forward.

    "Fine. I''ll give you a bag of greater dimensional storage as I see you have no storage items, as well as one oro if the knowledge is valuable enough."

    Perfect.

    That solves my money problem for the near future as well as my issue of not having anywhere to keep my anything.

    "Deal, now bring me a blank piece of paper.. It''s time for a math lesson."

 Chapter 45 - Unionization (Announcement!)

    Over the course of about an hour and a half, I explain the value of Pi, trigonometry, and the basics of pre-calculus to the extremely enthusiastic scholar.

    I would teach him more, but there''s not much else I know. I mean I kinda died right at the start of sophomore year so I only have two semesters under me.

    However, based on the absolute glee contained within the man''s face, I think this is more than enough.

    "Young man, your name and clan shall go down in the annals of history. This is truly revolutionary knowledge. I can''t even imagine the things that those who are smarter than you and I can do with formulas and things such as these. Truly it makes not only complicated calculations infinitely easier but also streamlines processes that could take certain scholars hours to complete." Severus said, his eyes still shining, this time not only with greed but also a deep appreciation. Did I go too far? Ehh what harm can a little bit of modern math do anyway?

    However, there is one small correction I want to make.

    "Before you report my findings, would you mind marking down my name as Antonio Icefield Decourville? That is my true name and if this knowledge truly is what you''re claiming I want to be remembered correctly." I say as Severus responds with an excited grin as he writes something down.

    "When can I expect my payment and acceptance into the Union?" I ask, standing up from the table and stretching.

    "I''ll have your payment of the storage bag and two oro brought here immediately, and after you agreed to share your knowledge with me I mentally told Vanessa to streamline your acceptance and rank you as highly as her clearance allowed. By the end of the day, you''ll be a C-ranked union member, with both a mage''s and advanced scholars license and certification. All certification fees are waived since it''s not as if you were taught anything." Severus said, walking over to his bar and pouring himself a deep glass of what smells like whiskey.

    "I keep hearing about this ranking system, mind telling me how it works?" I ask, causing Severus to nearly choking on his alcohol.

    "I nearly forgot you came from a tribe of hermits. Yes, I can explain the Union ranking system. It''s very simple, there are just about thirteen ranks within the Continental Union, starting with G, the lowest rank given to anyone who blindly signs the contract. The rank you''ll start with based on your ability to wound an A-rank adventurer to such a degree, as well as your vast knowledge, is, unfortunately, C-rank." Severus continues, taking a large swig of liquor. "I wish our branch was able to place you at least into the rank of B, a rank that would allow you to live comfortably, yet no one in the office had that clearance."

    "Each rank allows you to take missions up to two ranks above your own, so for instance you can take any quest of Piccolo Signore or below, as long as you have the certifications or qualifications necessary. Most quests don''t require certifications, but some may. Basically, all you have to do to rank up is complete quests and pay your dues on time. Not dying on quests above your rank proves your strength well enough after all." Severus says, taking another drink as he continues to calm down. "Oh right, we''ve prepared a scholars contract for you, it removes most clauses outside of your need to pay a fee of around fifteen percent of any soldi you make from quests," Severus says, finishing his glass.

    Good lord this sounds like a bureaucratic mess. Why does there have to be a license or a certification to be a scholar? Isn''t a scholar just a person who studies? Whatever.

    "Thank you, anything else you need from me?" I say, standing up and re-casting Alter Ego.

    "Nothing, unless you''re willing to say it for free," Severus says, walking over to the door to meet a servant holding a small silver chest. Without a word, he takes the chest from the servant and dismisses him.

    Severus hands me the chest and as I open it, I can almost feel the magical craftsmanship flowing out of the bag within.

    The bag forms what amounts to a mental connection with me, and by focusing on that thread of mana, I can almost feel what''s within the bag.

    No, I can feel it.

    Two objects of note, of course, are the two illustrious-looking golden coins within the storage dimension. Perfect.

    Severus breaks my train of thought with a cough, as a contract appears on the table between us, allowing with a feather pen. This contract instead, is both much shorter and not nearly as filled to the brim with scams.

    I get to keep my own body after death, I don''t have to reveal any knowledge I learn without choosing to and without proper compensation and credit, and also I only have to pay a max of fifteen percent of my solid to the union from any given job. Which in contract terms means I don''t have to give up any loot I get on them.

    After signing the contract, Severus smiles and stands up, his hand extended.

    "I look forward to your bright future with the Union. If you choose to join a guild, make sure to state your credentials and certifications along with your rank, that way you''ll have access to more specialized quests. It''s rare to find a scholar with such rich battle aptitude, so I''m positive you''ll be sought after." Releasing my hand, Severus gives me a wave as I make my way out of the Union Offices.

    Walking back into the reception area, I can see an obviously agitated Teresa still sitting there.

    Oh shit, it''s been what, four hours?

    "Well well well, you sure took your sweet time." She sounds mad. Arms crossed, scowling, yeah she may be a little mad.

    "Sorry, there was a lot of testing and important conversations I needed to have. The good news is that I''m now registered with the Union as a C-rank adventurer and I''ve been rewarded this." I say, showing Teresa the bag of storage now strung to my waist.

    "What!" Teresa yells, standing up and storming over to me.

    What''s the problem? Is that not good news?

    "What''s the problem? Is that not good news?" I say, staying true to my thoughts for once.

    "It might be for you, but now I don''t get to sponsor you!" Teresa yells, trying to get up in my face. Emphasis on trying.

    "Why not? We can just go up and say you''re my sponsor can''t we?" It''s like sponsoring an athlete, right? It doesn''t matter if a brand didn''t see a play start, all they care about is how they play now.

    "It''s nowhere near the same! A starting sponsorship would be equivalent to me scouting your talent, now it''s as if I''m just sponsoring a promising adventurer, not finding and nurturing one!" Teresa says, not realizing she''s saying the quiet part out loud.

    I kind of assumed the whole sponsorship idea was for political gain, but to come out and say it is a different thing.

    She''s lucky that only Vanessa and I are in the room.

    Actually, that''s a good idea.

    "Vanessa, would it be possible to list Teresa as my sponsor before I registered? Instead of her sponsoring me now, treating it as if she brought me here to sponsor me?" I ask as Vanessa turns to us with her ever-calm smile.

    "Of course, but you realize that it''s only recommended to be sponsored by a person of significant standing? No offense ma''am, but for an adventurer to be sponsored by someone is an act of significant importance." She said, not realizing she''d done exactly what Teresa''s ego wanted her to do.

    "Oh apologies, I didn''t realize that I was still incognito. It''s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my name is Teresa Delarus, heir to the throne of Elarus." Teresa said as her Alter Ego dropped nearly as fast as the color in Vanessa''s face.

    This is gonna be fun.

 Chapter 46 - Clash Of Titans

    "I-I''m very sorry if I insulted you ma- your Ladyship." Vanessa''s calm tone and face finally fell into a state of disarray.

    I don''t know how important or large of a country Elarus is, but Teresa''s name carries some serious weight that I never considered.

    Truly a useful asset to use in the future.

    --- Point of View: Teresa Delarus ---

    There have only ever been three other people who started off at C-rank, all of them are S-class now.

    I need to grab onto this asset right now, feed what''s easy for me now and collect the benefits later down the line.

    Truly, he''ll be a useful asset in my future vision of the kingdom.

    Now that my introduction with the receptionist has gone my way, I can push my advantage.

    "Worry not, I understand not being familiar with the alternate forms of royalty, but due make a mental note to not belittle someone you don''t recognize, you never know who your audience could be. Now, I assume you believe me to qualified enough to sponsor the boy correct?" I say, slowly seeping more and more mana into my voice.

    "A-absolutely you''re qualified your Ladyship, b-but his processing has already been taken care of. All we''re doing is waiting on his certifications and cards to be inscribed. We can''t change fundamental information anymore." The woman says, cowering further into her seat behind the desk with every word.

    "Then why question my status? Why not lead with that information?" I ask, ever-increasing the mana in my voice and emanating off my body.

    "Well- I, you see-" She stammers. Whilst the Mythril is hot and all.

    "Were you using that opportunity to chastise both me and my bodyguard? As a way to cement yourself above us by talking down, as if to say I was not worthy to sponsor a candidate such as him? Tell me, what was your name again?" I say, specifically making my tone sharper, whilst I silently use my left hand to cast a simple spell, turning the mana in my voice and off my body malicious.

    Gestured casting usually can only be used for the most basic of basic spells, below even the Plebeio tier, but by observing the brat I''ve been able to change what used to be a spell that needed to be cast before negotiations into one I can use like this.

    Truly, if nothing else, the boy is a natural savant of magic, genius being too light of a word.

    As soon as Hostile Takeover took effect, the sliver of color and resolve the woman had left seemed to disappear. Both surprisingly and not, the brat was unaffected.

    "N-n-no! I would never look down on you or your bodyguard your Ladyship, I simply didn''t foresee something like this occurring." She stammers out, flinching as I open my mouth to reply.

    "You didn''t ''foresee'' this? So are you saying if I had not revealed myself, you would have simply not told Antonio or myself this information? I will not ask again. What is your name?" I say, which appeared to be the last nail in the coffin, as before the woman could stutter anything out, an older scholarly type burst into the reception office.

    "What is going on here! Vanessa, why have you halted Antonio''s acceptance? I demand you re-enable it!" He said, yelling at the woman, Vanessa, before realizing the situation.

    "Not only have you halted the acceptance of a brilliant scholar, but it also looks as if you''ve even upset a foreign diplomat! You''re lucky she hasn''t taken your head!" The old man says as he wheels Vanessa out of the room with a simple gesture.

    Hmmm, even the lower members of society within the Magic Kingdom are being taught gestured magic. Truly, Elarus needs reform if we plan to keep up.

    Dispelling my mana and Hostile Takeover was a simple matter, as I turned to address the new face in the room. He seemed to recognize me, so that''s a start at least.

    "I''m assuming based on your words I do not require an introduction," I say, giving him a very small noble curtsy. If he can recognize me at a glance he must be some type of noble.

    "It''s only natural I keep tabs on powerful people coming into the city, my deepest apologies for whatever Vanessa may have said to you, your Ladyship." The older gentleman said, giving me the standard noble bow of the Magic Kingdom. "My name is Archmage Severus Hydrus, leader of the Sanmara branch of the Continental Adventurers Union."

    At that name, I could almost feel my blood freeze in place.

    Severus Hydrus, the six-headed demon of the Magic Kingdom. The commander who, in Elarus''s last conflict with the Magic Kingdom, wiped out over two hundred royal mages with a platoon of fifteen alongside him.

    What''s his connection with the brat?

    --- Point of View: Antonio Icefield ---

    "Evening, Severus," I say, waving towards the familiar and friendly face.

    I''ll have to ask Teresa how she warped her mana like that later, but for some reason, she seems caught off guard.

    "Ah, hello again Antonio. I came here to see why my assistant was slowing down your acceptance process, I never would have imagined you were associated with the royalty of Elarus." He said, his voice sounding slightly dejected.

    "It''s nothing of the sort, Lady Teresa is simply my employer of current. I''ve been acting as her bodyguard up until now, so she offered to sponsor my position in the guild once we reached town. However, I was accepted before she had a chance to speak up, so she was attempting to rectify that." I explain as the slightly tense atmosphere around Severus drops.

    "Ahhh, well Lady Delarus you are free to sponsor the young scholar as a backer, yet due to the nature of his acceptance, we cannot list you as his benefactor. As I''m hoping Vanessa had already explained, his processing is complete. All we''re awaiting is his card to be inscribed and the information to be sent to the guild brokers." Severus explains in a calm tone, yet for some reason, Teresa is anything but.

    "Lord Hydrus, I do hope you''re not allowing personal political affairs to affect the Continental Adventurers Union. I scouted and brought Antonio to the union, as well as facilitated his ability to take the examinations. Surely that qualifies me as his benefactor, no?" Teresa asks, her voice and tone slightly sharp.

    Oh, it''s politics. I didn''t know Severus was a nobleman, I probably should have been speaking more formally to him. Well, I guess it would be weird to start now.

    "Of course, that would qualify you, your Ladyship. Yet, it remains a fact that you did not consult with the union or fill out the proper forms before sir Icefield took the examinations and shared his scholarly knowledge. To undercut his abilities and merits and allow you to sign your name under his would be an act of politics, whilst I am simply following union protocols. I do hope that you weren''t aiming to throw your name around and intimidate our staff into complying with your demands." He hit the nail right on the head.

    I mean, I''ve seen the whole thing go down, that was 100% what Teresa was going for.

    "I would never dream of it, Lord Hydrus. I was simply hoping to rectify a mistake, nothing further. However, even as royalty, I respect the role and protocols of the Union. If it is truly impossible, I apologize for disturbing you and Antonio''s processing. We shall await his Union Identification here with no further troubles." Teresa says, the argument falling flat. But I''ve met Severus and people like him, there''s no way that sleazy academic is gonna let it end there.

    Academics are too snobby by nature, I should know, half of my old friends were those types.

    I wonder how Darrel and the lot are doing actually?

    Better to not think about it.

    "Apologies for your Ladyship, but unless you have official business with the Union, it''s standard procedure to not allow you to stay. Antonio is free to wait, as he is the recipient of the identification, but having nobility, let alone royalty, waiting and observing union workings is strictly prohibited. It is the same for all higher social classes in every nation, as a candidate for the throne of Elarus, I assumed you would have already known this common rule." There it is. Teresa looks even more upset and flustered, whilst Severus has an almost comically smug grin.

    Classic big-headed academics, I called it from the first pitch.

    "Antonio, I will await your return at our abode. I would encourage you to stay until you receive your identification, otherwise, you will have to wait for it to be delivered." Teresa says, re-casting Alter Ego and leaving in a fit of poorly masked anger.

    "Your card should be done within a few hours, apologies for the long wait, but your information is unique as well as cumbersome to enchant. Not to hold that against you, to start off with the licenses and certifications you have is impressive, to say the least." With those parting words, Severus left me to my own devices in the waiting room.

    --- Point of View: Ego ---

    Sitting around the board, I could almost feel that witch''s eyes pierce into me as she explained the current situation.

    "Very sorry, Lord Avarice, but it appears my rook was able to defeat yours. I tried to tell you that spreading your divinity so thin would cost you, yet you still chose to appoint five emissaries. My two have served me quite well so far." The Witch of Acrimony laughed, as Avarices golden form was now filled with silver and bronze.

    His appearance was usually that of a humanoid golden statue, wearing an expensive golden suit. Yet, cheap metals now perforated his usually perfect skin.

    What a fool.

    "Also, Lord Ego, I heard about your Queen dying in her sleep. That must have been a rough one," She cackled turning her gaze over to me, sparking a feeling of indignation.

    My usual glorious form was now filled with cracks, and its usually brilliant black sheen was nowhere to be seen.

    "No need to worry Lady Acrimony, my second emissary, my pawn, is more than enough to wipe this entire field," I say with a small chuckle.

    I wouldn''t be me if I wasn''t confident.

    That being said, my hubris may have gotten the better of me for this domain. I used most of my divinity on Mariah, only to have her be poisoned and killed in her own bed-chamber.

    Now, I''m trapped in this precarious situation.

    It''s nice that I retained a large chunk of my influence, yet that means my wildcard is on a very long leash, to the point it may snap at any moment.

    I could either give him power and rein him in, banking on him truly being a diamond in the rough, or keep him unrestrained and use the rest of my influence in this domain on bringing in and giving blessings to a third emissary.

    I never thought I would need to count on Vincent, I basically brought him here for my enjoyment. I gave him nothing and spent basically nothing on him.

    With that considered, I may be better off bringing in another to clean up the mess left by Mariah. Yet, the boy is growing at an insane rate, even without any blessings.

    "If you''re so confident, why not tell him that his precious family is currently getting his ass kicked by Terry?" Acrimony said with a chuckle.

    I swear, one day I''ll find a way to wipe that smug look off her face.

    "And send a boy to face a man? Surely you''d love nothing more to see them fight at full power, given your a battle-hungry witch." I say, a cocksure grin falling across my face.

    Yet, as soon as I said that, the board began to change once again.

 Chapter 47 - Sudden Shift

    A brilliant light began to shine over the large board, and nearly instantly, our connection was cut. The shimmering pieces falling to the ground, and the magical board being blank.

    If I was a weak being of flesh, the color would have drained from my face.

    Passing looks between the other six, we knew that only one thing could cut connection temporarily.

    The man above, the true uppercase G.

    " We must have pushed too far, it''ll be a little while before we''re able to meet like this again. Don''t try and contact your emissaries either. " Greed said, whilst the rest were still too frozen to speak.

    It''s been countless domains since He interfered, we''ve become sloppy.

    Thankfully, only a very small fraction of my divinity is down there, but the more stupid members of our little group must be wetting themselves right now.

    I think I have a wonderful idea.

    --- Point of View: Antonio Icefield ---

    After waiting for nearly five hours, Vanessa called me over and handed me a silver card.

    "Simply funnel a bit of your mana into it and it should automatically read and update your information. Also, that links the card to your mana signature." She explained, quickly bowing and leaving before I had a chance to ask anything else.

    Ever since the confrontation with Teresa, she''s been on edge. Poor girl, I would probably want to run in her position too.

    It had my name, rank, and age at the bottom right. Flipping the card over, there was a list of qualifications and certifications.

    Letting out a deep sigh, I had to grapple with two things.

    First, there''s no hope in concealing my true age. It says it right on the card, regardless of having Alter Ego active or not.

    Secondly, is my last name. The name on the card, in full, is Antonio Razorhog Icefield.

    I don''t understand magic.

    With my head hanging low, I make my way back to the large mansion that Teresa and I are staying in. Yet, before I return, I''m confronted by a sight I never would have imagined.

    "Hand over everything on ya and we''ll let you go with your life!" Four stooges, it looks like while I was wondering my way back, I ventured into some shady part of town.

    One with a wild grin and a diagonal scar over his right eye, also the one talking to me. He''s actually quite handsome.

    The other three look like nothing much, just joe shmoes in some cheap leather armor. Failed Adventurers?

    Thankfully, I had recast Alter Ego to keep up appearances, so they weren''t trying to mug a kid.

    "Listen, guys, I don''t think you wanna do that," I say, shrugging and shaking the staff in my hand to emphasize the fact I had it.

    "So what if you can read a few lines, we outnumber you and can reach you before you cast anything serious. Fast spells can only do so much." The handsome bandit said, taking another step toward me.

    The leader is around four paces from me, the rest over six.

    "Outnumber me? Since when?" I say, funneling water mana through my staff and taping the ground. Ice rapidly spread from my feet, coiling around the three goons behind the leader, freezing them up to their shins. Exterior ice, of course, they can just break it and be free.

    But the intimidation factor is what I was going for.

    That part worked perfectly. Two of the goons tried to move out of panic and fell over, knocking themselves out on the firm stone ground.

    The third was desperately hacking at the ice with a dagger.

    "Woah Woah we didn''t want any trouble man, you know how hard it is out here? Cmon man we''re just little guys, little tiny E-ranks man, come on." Oh my god, he''s like a little weasel. "I''m a little guy! It''s my birthday too! You wouldn''t wanna hit a guy on his birthday, right?" The handsome weasel said, backing up further and further.

    As funny as this whole gaggle of idiots is, I can''t just let them go.

    They said they were adventurers, and according to the rules I head from the Union if I catch an adventure doing a crime and take them into the Union, I can get a reward!

    I''m many things, but someone foolish enough to look free money in the face is not one.

    "Yeah, no," I say, and with a slight flick of my wrist, I conjure and slam two rocks into the remaining conscious goons. I hate to hit a pretty face, but sometimes it''s necessary.

    Great, now they''re all knocked out, but how am I gonna get them back to the Union office? I walked for at least, twenty minutes, and it''s currently dusk.

    After grouping them all up and locking their arms and legs to the ground with earth magic, I walk out into a more populated street to find a guard.

    "Thank you for your service sir, present your union card and we''ll report it for you," An older guard said, and after touching my card to a small stone tablet he brought out, a group of five guards headed for the foolish four.

    By the time I arrived back at the mansion, it was already night. Yet, that apparently didn''t stop Teresa from waiting for me.

    I was tempted to open the door with ''Honey, I''m home!'' but I fear she would misunderstand.

    "The Union sure took their sweet time," Teresa said, having reassumed her normal form. She wore simple comfortable evening clothes and was eating some baked food I can''t recognize.

    "Well, the Union let me out around when the sun was starting to set, but then I got lost, someone tried to rob me, and eventually I found my way back here," I say, stretching as I begin to walk towards my room.

    "Wait, you were mugged?" Teresa said, more confused than concerned.

    "Yeah, some jokers tried to mug me, so I handed em off to the Union for a reward," I say, and my explanation was met by a simple chuckle from Teresa.

    "Not only do you get a reward of a minor storage bag, and an instant rank-up to C-rank, but you even turn in a group of muggers on your first day. Talk about a super rookie." Teresa said, finishing her snack and waving me goodnight.

    Walking back into my room, I put my day clothes into my storage bag, as well as the rest of my belongings.

    Changing into my night clothes, I lay down on the extremely comfortable guest bed and try to go to sleep.

    Yet, it''s nearly impossible.

    I mean, my day today has been insane, let alone eye-opening.

    First and foremost, is all the new magic. Magic that the halfling was using to control her daggers, the magic the instructor used to talk to everyone without raising his voice, the weird magic he used as a defensive shield AND as a strength booster, so much I don''t understand.

    It made me realize something very clear, that I''ve just been ignoring until now.

    For these eight years, I''ve been a medium fish in a very small pond.

    I couldn''t beat the instructor and I used more mana in that fight than any other. I mean, it felt like I was really trying to kill him and I couldn''t.

    Could I even beat, what was her name, Nonie?

    Could I beat the halfling that got the drop on the instructor? With her weird speed and dagger magic?

    No. If I were put in the same position as the instructor, I would have lost.

    Even if I could have countered the fire magic, I couldn''t have stopped all six daggers.

    Even if I could block the six daggers and the fire magic, I could never keep up with her speed.

    I''ve been too complacent, all I have is a bit of practice with silent casting, yet Severus could cast silently as well, so that much is negligible.

    What I need to do now, is wait for my arms to return to full strength, and get stronger. Strong enough to not only survive but protect people too.

    If I let even one more person die, I don''t know if I''ll be able to get back up.

    Surge.

    Turning over, I pass out after the waterworks run dry.

 Chapter 48 - Unlikely Paths

    Waking up, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I roll out of bed and change into my day clothes.

    Day one of using the least amount of mana possible in my day-to-day life starts with one very important step.

    Casting without the use of my arms.

    I can feel my mana network through my entire body, and I know I can cast spells throughout any part of my body, as cycling mana through the whole thing is how I increase my capacity from the get-go, yet for some reason, I''ve never committed to really trying it.

    Sure, I''ll send a boost of wind out of my legs to launch myself once in a while, or when channeling mana I''ll channel it from every part of my body, but aside from that, ninety percent of my spells are cast mainly using my arms.

    Well, that stops today damn it!

    After changing into my day clothes, I begin to cycle healing mana throughout every part of my body except my arms and shoulders. A harder task than you would originally think.

    After spending the last handful of years just letting my mana take its course throughout my whole body, it actually takes a significant amount of focus to keep it from touching my shoulders, like filling a cup all the way to the brim with water but never allowing it to spill.

    Mana training aside, I finish preparing for the day and step out of my room, making my way into the living room.

    After a nice and simple breakfast of some type of animal egg and some bread.

    "Let''s head around the guild sector to see if any catch your eye today, it''s always an option to work solely through the Union, but joining a guild can have numerous benefits," Teresa said before explaining further the benefits and drawbacks of joining a guild.

    Basically, guilds were like specialized hubs for adventurers. There were guilds aimed towards newer adventurers, known colloquially as ''boosting'' guilds, aka guilds who fill rosters and try to boost members up the ranks of the union to c-rank as fast as possible.

    Other guilds such as Hunters Guilds specialize in quests tracking and taking down beasts, Fighters Guilds who focus mainly on training and taking down humanoid opponents and helping in various ways, Mages Guild, Assassins Guild, Merchants Guild, wait, back up.

    "Assassination Guilds? Like, Guild''s based around killing people?" I ask, stopping Teresa''s explanation with my startling revelation.

    "Well, yes and no. Assassin Guilds such as Black Blur and Rouge Rats are generally considered ''Grey Guilds'', which are employed to take out big-time criminals, particularly powerful dungeon bosses, etc. However, it''s an open secret that for any amount of money, you can hire such places to do ''side gigs'', if you catch my drift. Politicians and Nobles are both too scared and too greedy to get rid of them since they know the moment legislation that could outlaw grey guilds come down, the people who support it get a nice bounty on their heads. So, the law looks the other way on guilds that aren''t explicitly murder hubs, whilst the guilds do their best to not break any of that trust or step on the toes of too many big fish." Teresa explains as a deep shiver is sent up my spine. Mental note, don''t pick a fight with rich people.

    "Wait, does that mean the people who attacked us on the road were hired by one of these ''Grey'' guilds?" I ask, thinking back to the skilled group who took the lives of the rest of the caravan.

    "Most likely, but I doubt they operate in this town. No one here would be stupid enough to attack a royal caravan and lose. Those guys were most likely hired by my brother." She explained as if it was something as simple as the sky being blue.

    "That''s, a lot to unpack. Let''s head around the guild section then, yeah? This conversation is making my stomach uneasy." I say, standing up and hurriedly changing the subject.

    If I let it slip that I let one of the would-be assassins get away, I''ll be in some serious trouble.

    After a bit more small talk, Teresa and I depart for the guild section of Sanmara.

    Walking through the guild section of town was, weird to say the least.

    Whilst it was colloquially called the ''guild section'' it''s officially known as the business sector, where most brick and mortar shops found themselves.

    However, due to the nature of who these shops attract, both artisan and other guilds found themselves being planted right in the business sector.

    Walking around, there were a few guilds that caught my eye based on the names and exterior alone.

    ''Hunter''s Mark'', which I''m assuming is a monster-hunting guild, ''Moonbreak'', which is just a raw name, and ''Mana''s Embrace'', which I believe amounts to a mages or scholars guild.

    Following my gut, Teresa and I head toward the elaborate building for ''Hunters Mark''. It''s a wooden building built with the idea of making it look as if it was built out of one large tree trunk.

    Before we''re even able to take a step inside, we''re stopped by a bronze-skinned muscle-bound bouncer.

    "Hold on for a minute pal, only proven hunters and huntresses can be blessed with entering our guild hall. We''re not looking for some newbie raffle or a scraggly mage." He said in a gruff voice.

    Damn, don''t guilds make money off people joining and completing quests? What''s the deal?

    "Don''t guilds make money off people joining and completing quests? What''s the deal?" Teresa said, stealing the words right out of my brain.

    "Ha! Sure, if you plan on running out of business in two years. Guilds are about reputation, sunshine, the moment a member makes a mess of a job, the rep of the whole guild goes down. We can''t very well count on getting good jobs and contracts if you''re known for letting greenhorns mess everything up, now can we? Now shoo, we have a strict d-rank and above requirement." He said, with a wave of his hand and an icy tone.

    Instead of rebuking him with the four or five sarcastic comments, I have about his bald head and inflated ego, I simply pulled my union card out of my bag and showed him my rank.

    Taking my card out of my hand, he read my rank and then flipped it over to see the veritable paragraph of qualifications and certifications that Severus had given me. If this works, I think I''ll give Severus a nugget more of knowledge, this time about science.

    "Impressive, impressive. However, lad, although I recognize your talent, you wouldn''t be a good fit here." He said, shaking his head and handing me back my card.

    "What? Why not? I''m plenty strong enough and have the qualifications to take down any monster you put me against!" I say, nearly yelling the last part.

    This is outrageous! I just wanna take a look inside the damn guildhall, are all guilds like this?

    "Listen, I''m not doubting your skills as a mage. However, scholars and hunters are like oil and water, one likes to think and one likes to act. You''d never find a third person to fill your party, and I doubt you''ve got many spells that would be useful in tracking prey." He said, shrugging before casting a glance over my shoulder.

    "Well well well, if it isn''t our little amazon. Have fun on the little side quest that old rat hired you for?" The bronze baldy said, with a hearty laugh.

    Looking behind me, I nearly instinctively cast Eisdamon, as walking towards us, was none other than the archer who I let go.

    "Enjoy it? You''d have to be a mad man to enjoy that cluster fuck, I didn''t even get to kill anything, and one of the marks was an ice monster." She said, walking towards the guild, with a limp in her left leg.

    "Ice monster? That''s hardly a term you should be using for the person who spared you, Ivy of Silent Night." I say as the color drains from the faces of both the bouncer and the archer.

    Maybe I shouldn''t have said that, but it''s a bit hard to stay calm right now.

 Chapter 49 - Unlikely Outcomes

    "H-how do you know my name?" Ivy said, taking a small step back.

    "Oh? Sorry, you wouldn''t recognize me like this huh. Let''s clear up a little misunderstanding." I say, attempting to mirror what Teresa did in the union hall by lacing my voice with mana.

    "You didn''t escape, you were freed," I say, dropping Alter Ego and taking another step towards Ivy.

    Without any warning or sound, Ivy drew a knife from her belt and dashed towards me at a blinding speed, taking a slice at my face.

    Yet, she''s not even close to the speed of the Instructor, let alone Nonie.

    Side-stepping the blade, I get ready to lock her feet in a dredge of earth magic, but just before my spell materializes, the bouncer is behind Ivy, grappling her in a full nelson.

    "Easy there amazon, what''s your beef with the halfling?" The bouncer says, his voice strained as he continues to hold the thrashing Ivy. "You kill a random person in the middle of the street, how does it look for us or Midnight Rose?"

    Ceasing resistance, Ivy drops her dagger and slumps her shoulders. Taking that as my queue, I drop my fighting stance and re-cast Alter Ego.

    "There ya go, now why don''t you two talk inside. Leaking guild matters onto the street is bad for business." The bouncer says, letting go of Ivy and opening the door.

    Ivy and I are able to walk through fine, yet Teresa is held at the door.

    "Not you lass, consider the guild register closed until further notice." Before I''m able to hear Teresa shout something in reply, the door is slammed shut behind the bouncer. Sound-proofing? Nice.

    Walking through the door, a large guildhall, filled with tables, chairs, archery/spell targets, and two walls filled with different job requests. Immediately, I can feel multiple sets of eyes fall upon me and Ivy.

    "You''ve brought quite a looker back with you!" One guild member yells. I like that one, I ought to remember them.

    "Pick up a straggler? They better be good!" Another yell, I like that one a lot less.

    "Shut ya traps!" Ivy yells, gesturing me to follow her to sit down at a secluded table.

    Once we''re sat, most eyes drift away from us and back to whatever they were doing, yet that leaves Ivy and I face to face, steeped in awkward silence.

    "Weather''s nice this time of year," I say with a small chuckle.

    "What are you doing here?" Ivy says at the exact same time.

    Damn, unlucky timing.

    "Well, I should be asking you the same. I thought you belonged to a guild called ''Midnight Rose'', not this one." I say, my voice is cold as I add the air quotes.

    "I do. There''s no rule stating you can''t belong to multiple guilds. I work here for most of my jobs, but when I''m strapped for soldi I''ll take a more, risky, job at Midnight." Ivy replies, clearing her throat.

    "Risky? Is that what they''re calling murder these days?" I say, the uncomfortable look on Ivy''s face growing ever stronger.

    "Look, what do you want okay? You took all this effort to track me down, there must be something you want out of me right? And what''s with that look? What kind of magic allows you to conceal your true form? Or was the halfling body a fake?" Ivy said, either consciously or unconsciously covering herself with her arms.

    Man, there must be some serious misunderstanding going on here. I''m not a damn pervert!

    "I think you have the wrong idea here, I wasn''t tracking you, this is simply a wicked twist of fate. And, this body of mine is as real as the other, magic just allows me to switch between the two." I say, both of those things being the truth. Truly, I never expected to run into that archer again, let alone find out her base of operations is right here in Sanmara.

    "I have a question for you. How many ranged fighters were there in the group that attack us?" I say, slowly funneling mana into my staff. If she was the only archer, I''ll send an ice arrow directly into her heart and call us even. An eye for an eye and all that.

    "Three including myself, there was the mage you froze and another person with a bow, who after taking a pot shot at the carriage drew his scimitar and charged with the others." She answered quickly, yet I could tell she wouldn''t lie in this scenario.

    "Now, you said outside you didn''t kill anybody on that job, right? Was that true?" I asked, only to be met with Ivy''s face filling with panic.

    "Okay, I did kill two armored guards, that I can admit. But that freakish knight blocked the rest of my arrows, and Valrun''s magic is what ended up doing him in." She said, her hands visibly shaking.

    "So, what you''re saying is that you never shot into the ice dome atop the cart?" I say, lacing my voice with more and more mana.

    "I shot the armored lookout up there but that''s all." She said, as I can assume the mana in my voice must have some effect, that and I''ve stopped limiting my mana from leaking, so I should be somewhat intimidating.

    However, with that said, I have no real grudge against this archer. She didn''t kill Surge, and the one who did I literally buried alive.

    "Well then, I have no grudge against you," I say, dispelling all the mana I had injected into the air and stopping my aura from flowing out.

    "W-what? But I killed two of your comrades! And attacked you on a job!" Ivy said, with a voice more startled than anything else. Hmm, that double mana trick really did have an effect.

    "Those guards weren''t my comrades, and I already killed the archer I had a grudge with. So, I have nothing against you. We were simply both doing our job." I say, as a look of relief washes over Ivy''s face.

    "But that doesn''t mean you don''t owe me your life," I remark with a chuckle, as immediately her face drops again.

    Whilst the iron is hot and all that.

    "So, I''m calling in a favor," I say, as Ivy looks at me quizzically.

    "A favor? What could I possibly do for you?" She says, once again covering herself from me with her arms. Damn, is that really what it sounded like?

    I gotta work on my negotiation tactics.

    "It''s a simple favor really. I want to join Hunter''s Mark. Hunting monsters and delving into dungeons intrigues me, and also it''s a good way to make money and make a name for myself. But, from what I''ve heard from the bouncer, I need a party of at least three to take any jobs here. So, vouch for me in the guild and let me in your party once I''m in it." I say, grinning like a shark about to devour its food. At least, that''s what I''m going for with it.

    "What? You have to be joking! Are you not worried at all that I''ll kill you the first chance I get?!" Ivy said, slamming her hands on the table.

    "You''re welcome to try, but we both know how that went last time. Also, to sweeten the pot, I''ll even have my employer heal up that leg of yours. She''s really good at healing magic." I reply, as about eighteen different emotions come over Ivy''s face.

    "You know you''re insane right? Also, is that woman out there your employer? I thought she was a party member." Ivy says, giving me a deep sigh and sitting back down.

    "So, do we have a deal? You get me in the guild and help me complete this job, and I join your party and heal that leg." I say, sticking my hand out for a handshake.

    With a reluctant sigh, Ivy takes my hand and shakes it.

    "Don''t get the wrong idea, although it''s a bad rep for the guild if I kill you, that doesn''t mean I won''t let you die," Ivy said, releasing my hand and standing up.. "Come on, we haven''t got all day to get you registered."

 Chapter 50 - New Recruit

    After the short registration process of simply handing them my card and waiting, I was brought a one-page contract to sign in order to join the guild.

    The terms were fairer than I was expecting, I wasn''t expected to share any loot, only forfeit a ten percent fee to the guild as an ''intermediary fee''. I also had to be careful to introduce myself on any jobs as a member of the guild and try my utmost to ''uphold the reputation'' of the establishment.

    I mean, it makes sense why guilds are so stressed about reputation. No one is gonna want to hire a guild without any name behind them, but it kind of turns adventuring and guild work into a bit of a popularity contest.

    I''m also betting the strict rule of introducing yourself as a guild member is what lead to Ivy telling me so much, that introduction was just ingrained at that point. How quaint.

    With no real thought needed, I sign the contract, and the bottom left of my adventurer identification card begins to glow with a faint light.

    Written in the same script as the rest of the card is the name ''Hunter''s Mark''.

    "Oh, it updates your I.D when you join a guild? What if you join multiple?" I ask the quite short clerk, who happily answers my question.

    "If you''re in multiple, it''ll change between the two with a faint glow every few minutes. Same with your party name in the bottom right." The short stack said with a calm smile.

    Walking away from the reception counter, I headed back to sit and talk with Ivy, surprised to find a third guest had taken up a chair.

    Now, I''m not saying Ivy is ugly, in fact, she''s actually quite good-looking. However, comparing her to the newest arrival, zero contest.

    No taller than 156cm, small frame, glowing orange and red hair than danced as if it was a gentle curtain of fire, olive skin with cute oval features, and a body that looks both sculpted out of marble and soft as a cloud. An absolute bombshell has stumbled upon our table.

    I need this woman to join our party.

    "Well well well, Ivy. I didn''t know you had friends, let alone cute ones." Fuck! Why did I say that!

    That is the cheesiest line you could imagine! I''ve been out of the game too long!

    "I could ask her the same, since when did you start hanging around cute guys?" The flame-queen said with a lovely smile and equally cute chuckle.

    Ivy, however, was having absolutely none of it.

    "Antonio, don''t try and hit on my friend, and Flare, don''t hit on the ice monster." Ivy scoffed. Flare? What a perfect name.

    "Flare? What a perfect name, it matches your hair perfectly." I say, speaking my mind and grabbing a seat.

    "Antonio? What a perfect name, it''s strong, and from what I''ve heard from our mutual friend here, so are you." Flare said, sticking her hand out for a handshake. "The name''s Flare, I''m a swordsman and half fire-spirit."

    "As Ivy said, my name is Antonio. I''m a magician, and I think I''m half Tiamat." I consider myself to be at this point, I mean, that family was more of a real family than my old one. I spent more than half my life with them, was given my last name by them, and was accepted by them.

    "Oh? Was your mother a brave woman or your father a foolish man?" Flare said with a small chuckle. She wasn''t taken aback by that?

    Even better. I couldn''t stand if someone who looked this good was so weak-willed to be turned away by a little family matter.

    "My father was a Tiamat named Gust, and my mother was a very strong woman," I say, both of which are true.

    I know my birth mother was a force to be reckoned with, as now that I know that leaking magic is something that just happens when you have a lot, I can tell my mother had a little more than she let on of the stuff.

    "Well Antonio, it''s a pleasure to meet you. I was just talking with Ivy here about convincing her to hopefully party with me, only for her to shoot me down by saying she was already starting one with an ''Ice monster'' and his boss. I take it you''re the supposed monster?" She said, with another chuckle and a flick of her hair.

    Marry me.

    "Guilty as charged, however, our party as of now is only two strong, and we need a vanguard. Would you mind becoming our third?" I say, hoping to land this bombshell and a capable swordsman all in one.

    We won''t even have to go party searching at this rate! Finally, my luck seems to be on an upswing.

    "I''d love to. I''m a Dux Tier swordsman in both Western Imperial and Western Rabid style. My current rank is B-rank." She said with a smug grin of superiority.

    "Dux tier in two styles? I don''t quite know the different styles, but that does give me some faith in you, that, and your rank. As you can probably assume, I''ll be acting as your party leader." I say, sticking my hand out for a handshake, copying Ego''s easy-going grin. "I''m Dux tier in wind and earth magic and a Water Legate."

    Four to five emotions mix on both Ivy''s and Flare''s faces, Flare''s being mostly positive and Ivy''s negative.

    "Why are you lying to Flare? You''re an Earth Legate as well as a Water Legate." Ivy said in an indignant tone, just as I was happily shaking Flare''s calloused and practiced hand. I really ought to stop ogling at Flare, Teresa and Ivy may jump me.

    "You claim that, yet I don''t know any legate tier earth spells. The only legate tier spells I know are water spells." I say, glaring at Ivy, only to be met with an even sharper glare back.

    "Entomb? Ya know, the spell you used to sink a few hundred pounds of dirt as well as most of Silent Night?" She said, her lips curling into a snarl. Hey, I thought we weren''t holding grudges! A new leaf and all that!

    "That wasn''t any specific spell, just an application of earth and water magic. Same with the chair." I say, snickering without breaking eye contact with Ivy.

    "I feel like I''m missing a large part of this story, mind catching me up?" Flare said, which was followed by a ten-minute story from both and Ivy about the events that lead up to this moment.

    "So basically, you and your party got rinsed by basically just our Leader here, but he took pity on you, and let you go. In exchange, you helped him join the guild and are gonna help him with the rest of his job. Enemies turned allies and eventually friends, that what you had in mind?" Flare said, giving Ivy a huge side-eye.

    "Essentially, minus the friends part. At most, we''re loose work acquaintances." Ivy said with a deep sigh.

    "Now that that''s out of the way, still on board to join?" I say as Flare''s face turns back towards my own.

    "Absolutely. So, what''s this little party going to be called?" Flare asks, yet I already have the perfect name picked out.

    "Come on, let''s go get registered." I say as Flare, Ivy, and I walk towards the counter labeled ''Party Registration''.

    ///

    Stepping out of the Guild Hall, my new companions in tow, I realize it''s been at least an hour and a half since I walked in with Ivy.

    The bouncer is still here, and although his body is completely healed and fine, the tears and rips in his armor betray his calm smile.

    Teresa is pissed, and nowhere to be seen.

    "Well, let''s go find our employer, shall we?" I say as we set off towards the mansion Teresa and I have been staying in.

 Chapter 51 - Stress Test

    Making our way back to the mansion was relatively hassle-free.

    We were accosted by two nobodies, but instead of playing along with the whole song and dance, I just sunk one down to his waist and Flare knocked out the second.

    As we approached the mansion, a deep knot began to settle in my stomach once I opened the door.

    "Nice place ice freak! I figured someone with your skill would be living well," Ivy said as she boldly walked forward, not feeling any of the fear that I had been.

    "I''d expect no less from a Legate Class Mage, but even so it is a little surprising," Flare said, noting my fear yet choosing to ignore it and walk forward.

    Maybe it''ll be okay?

    After walking through the foyer and taking off our footwear, I headed towards the living room, my confidence growing with every step.

    Why was I even scared in the first place? Teresa ought to understand, given she''s royalty and all.

    Just had I begun to let my guard down, the three of us stepped into the living room, and I felt it.

    Murder.

    The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, as I could feel the full brunt of Teresa''s malicious mana, if not for my own relatively expansive pool of mana and newly developed mental defense against it, I may have passed out on the spot.

    Unfortunately, Flare and Ivy had not braced for impact, so Flare reacted with a stumble and the grabbing of her weapon whilst Ivy fell down right on her backside, her knees buckling underneath.

    "Evening, Antonio. I see you''ve brought friends," Teresa said, her calm smile and tone being betrayed by the thick mana rolling off of her and the glint of murder in her eyes.

    "H-hey Teresa, these two are adventurers I recruited to assist me as your bodyguard," I reply, yet before Teresa is able to reply, Ivy is the first to speak.

    "Your client is a crown princess?! What the fuck?!" She said, her voice shaking as she glanced between Teresa and me.

    "Oh? I''m surprised you can recognize me in my subdued form, but you are correct." Teresa said, dropping Alter Ego and standing up, causing Flare to flinch a take a step back. "My name is Teresa Delarus, heir to the throne of Elarus and Antonio''s client. I had hoped he had picked you based on strength, yet it appears he may have had ulterior motives." Teresa said, casting a downward look on Ivy as she continued her approach.

    Yet, once she was less than five steps away, she stopped and looked Flare straight in the eyes, as the weight in the room increased twofold.

    "Unsurprising that you''re able to resist and all, Icefield, yet it seems you''ve brought along an interesting ally." She continued, giving a small impressed smile towards Flare and dispelling her murderous aura.

    "T-thank you, your highness. My name is Flare Meadowflame, at your service." Flare said, immediately regaining her composure and dropping to a knee.

    With a snicker, Teresa looks over to me with a quick remark.

    "You could learn a thing or two from her, also, drop into your other form. Looking at you like this still feels strange, no matter how natural you''re able to act and seem in it."

    Sighing, I drop Alter Ego.

    "What the fuck?!" Flare blurts out, a look of confusion flashing across her face.

    "I told you he was a monster, a monster who pretends to be a child to make others let their guard down," Ivy says, standing up and bowing to Teresa. "The name''s Ivy Mossbreeze, B-rank archer at your service. Very sorry about earlier, I hope that we can begin to mend our relationship under your employment."

    "What is there to mend? That little mana cloak stunt was just to test the mettle of you two, nothing more." Teresa said with a pleasant smile, but I won''t be so easily fooled. Her eyes betray those soft words.

    I think I''ll choose to keep the nature of how I met Ivy a secret, no point in needless drama.

    "You''re really going to forgive me after I nearly killed you? Thank you so much!" Ivy said genuine happiness in her voice whilst genuine confusion filled Teresa''s.

    "What do you mean by that?" She said, glaring at me whilst Ivy was still bowing.

    "What do you mean what do I mean? I killed two of your guards and your horses in the woods, well, in the section there used to be woods." Ivy said, bringing her head up, quickly realizing exactly what she had done.

    "Antonio. Did you let one of the assassins go because they were a pretty girl? Then did you try to leverage that life-saving event into recruiting them, not checking if they were still after my life?" Teresa said as it felt as if the entire world was weighing down on me.

    God damn it, Ivy! Is it so hard just to keep your damn mouth shut!

    "Well, uh-" Before I was able to make an excuse, Teresa''s sharp glare cut me short.

    "I call upon the lord of earth, chain this fool unto the ground in which he came, never relent, never allow escape. Gravity Well." Teresa quickly chanted, pointing at Ivy.

    Without any warning, Ivy was slammed into the ground, defenseless.

    "I''m not trying to kill you! I swear! I already reported the job as a failure with Midnight Rose! I got kicked out because of it, I swear I wasn''t planning on trying anything!" Ivy yelled in panic, as Flare was too stunned to move, let alone talk, whilst I was just happy to not be slammed into the ground.

    "Prove it," Teresa said as Ivy grunted in pain, attempting to grab the guild card from her bag on her waist. "Antonio, grab her bag and her union I.D out of it." She said with an icy tone.

    "Yes ma''am," I say, crouching down and grabbing the I.D. out of the minor storage bag.

    At the bottom of the card, the only guild that was showing up was ''Hunter''s Mark'', Rank-B, Age 19.

    Handing the card to Teresa, she read it over for longer than necessary, and let go of the spell.

    "Antonio, tonight, we''re going to have a nice long chat about your future employment. However, these two pass the shit test." She said, helping Ivy up with a gentle hand and smile.

    "D-does that mean we''re hired?" Ivy and Flare stutter out at the same time.

    "Yep, now go get cleaned up and get back here at sunrise sharp. Tomorrow we''ll be shopping and preparing for the next leg of our journey." Teresa said, dismissing them and gesturing me to follow her into a separate room.

    "Uhh, what money are we going to shop with?" I ask as I can''t seem to recall Teresa ever spending a dime aside from buying my new mage''s robe.

    "Yours. It''ll be coming out of your monthly payments and the two oro you were able to squeeze out of the union." She replied, as my stomach dropped further.

    God damn it! I just got this money!

    I wanted cool gear, or a sword, or something like that!

    But money is a secondary issue, as we''re heading suspiciously far from my two new allies.

 Chapter 52 - A Golden Opportunity

    After walking for nearly five minutes in this impossibly large mansion, we turn and enter what looks to be a conference or living room.

    Before I''m able to react or say anything, Teresa points at me and chants faster than I can listen, and suddenly, I''m face first slammed into the ground.

    I can feel that I''m able to cast, yet I''m unable to move my body much, and I feel as if resisting would just make it worse. I''d rather just cycle healing magic through everywhere but my arms and try to weather the storm.

    "A FEMALE ASSASSIN? ARE YOU TRYING TO BUILD A HAREM OR SOME SHIT!" Teresa yelled, delivering a kick to my side with a little more emotion than I was expecting. "YOU''RE GONNA BE MY KNIGHT NOT SOME CHEAP ADVENTURER!"

    ///

    "So, am I fired?" I ask sheepishly after around thirty minutes of berating from Teresa.

    With a deep sigh, Teresa sits and releases me from my gravitational prison. I never knew that magic could be so scary.

    On one hand, I got to experience gravity magic first hand, and I have a rough idea of how to do it now.

    On the other hand, even if my physical body has been spotlessly healed, I don''t think I ever want to experience gravity magic again.

    "No, you''re not fired. An idiot? Maybe. I just can''t believe that you''d not only let one of the assassins that killed Surge live but then later recruit them. It seems very out of character for you." Out of character? What was I to Teresa? A cold magic casting robot of a person?

    Actually, I may appear that way.

    Also, I know she''s trying to stab at me with the whole Surge comment, but those tears are behind me. In public anyway.

    "Funny story actually, she wasn''t the one who killed Surge. I buried that guy alive." I should not have said that.

    "You did WHAT?!" I SHOULD NOT HAVE SAID THAT.

    "Well- uh- you see when we were fighting-" Before I''m able to cobble together an explanation, an all too familiar feeling of falling comes over my whole body, and I collapse.

    Yet for some reason, this one seems a bit, quicker?

    Snapping my eyes open, instead of awaking on the nice fluffy couch that I''m used to, instead I awaken on a hard, cold, floor.

    Thanks for the save, but this place is different.

    "What gives? You disappear on me and then put me on the floor? I thought we were better friends than that man," I say, rubbing my head and sitting up.

    Looking around, the mansion and elegant surroundings are nowhere to be seen. Instead, it appears I''ve been dragged into the gaudiest castle in the world.

    The floors are made out of muted silver, walls of golden brick, and every piece of furniture detailed in red and gold.

    What the hell is this place?

    "This place isn''t mine or yours dipshit, it belongs to a friend of mine," Ego said, his normal cocksure grin and attitude present, yet his form almost worse for wear.

    His body that used to look as if was carved out of one solid piece of jet black rock had lost all of its shine and was now littered with cracks.

    Lose a diety bar fight or something? You look like you''ve dropped down a flight of stairs.

    A hearty laugh could be heard, yet instead of belonging to the smooth-voiced Ego, it instead sounds as if it was the deep cackle of a car salesman.

    Glancing in the direction of the laugh, I spot a statue, made of precious metals, sitting on a throne made of gold.

    You''ve got a weird sense of style Ego, that statue looks nothing like you.

    This time, Ego was the one to laugh.

    "That''s no statue, smartass. That''s my friend and your new ally, Greed." Ego says as we begin to walk towards the gaudy man on his gaudy throne.

    Nice to meet ya, I''m assuming you can hear me based on the laugh from before.

    "You would be correct. Now, I''ve come to offer you and your benefactor a deal." Greed said, standing up and gesturing towards a set of comfortable yet overly detailed couches. Finally, now that''s more my style.

    Sitting down across from the Golden Giant, there''s a small bit of awkward silence before Greed clears his throat and speaks up.

    "As I was saying, I have a deal to propose. I will offer you a fraction of my divinity in the form of a blessing, and in return, I will lead you to one of my emissaries. He is currently being held in prison within the Magic Kingdom, break him out." Greed said, laying out everything he wants right from the get-go.

    How, uh, greedy.

    "And I get what? A temporary blessing? Sounds like a rip-off to me." I say, sitting back. C''mon man, I was expecting to negotiate with Ego, you gotta do better.

    "As I said, I chose him for a reason. Give us something to chew on or we''re not biting." Ego said, his confidence feeding into my own. It looks like they already discussed this beforehand and the big guy lost.

    Why do I feel a bit of pride in Ego and our relationship? He''s using me, isn''t he?

    I don''t understand deities.

    "Fine. I''ll convert a portion of my divinity and bless you with it, meaning it is wholly yours. That way you don''t lose the blessing and it''s tied to your soul, but in exchange, you have to help my guy kill someone. Deal?" Greed said as I could feel some sort of anger begin to bubble up in Ego.

    "That was not the deal! The deal was you handed over that blessing to me and I give it to him, you''re talking about giving a mortal independent divine power. That''s insanity!" Ego exploded, standing up, his face curling into a look of disgust, yet Greed ignored him and stuck out his hand.

    Giving Ego a raw deal, getting free power, all without having to leave the Magic Kingdom? Deal!

    Sticking out my hand and shaking his, it dawns on me now that this deal sounds good to be true.

    "You wound me, I''m not so full of myself to provide nothing to you but expect a bunch of favors. Here." Greed said, as his golden and silver form began to lose more of its luster as an orb of golden energy floated into my chest.

    It felt, euphoric.

    As if I had just hit the biggest dopamine high you could imagine, combined with all the adrenaline in the world.

    "Now, I''m sure you two have a lot to talk about." Greed said with a smug grin as Ego glared between me and Greed with a glare of death. However, with a wave of a hand, I was sent back down into my body.

    Great, now I''ve pissed off a guy I owe two undeniable favors to, meaning he''s gonna chew me out as soon as he can. But, based on the fact he''s not talking to me right now, probably means he''s not mad at me and instead, mad at Greed.

    Which is who exactly? This just compounded the stuff on my plate huh.

    At least I got stronger. Maybe.

    --- Point of View: Ego ---

    That golden weasely bastard!

    Not only did he further reduce my influence on my ace, but he got a one over on me!

    Now Vinny is gonna feel indebted to that golden freak and much less likely to just kill his emissary if I tell him to without a favor.

    Also, he gave Vinny a fraction of his divinity! I should be rejoicing since big G is gonna be watching us like a hawk and he won''t be able to recover it, but I''m not!

    Now that little dickhead can generate divinity! Making it even harder for me to control him without sacrificing any more of my own!

    I swear, I may just call in a favor and have Vincent just kill all of that golden bastard''s emissaries, but even doing that would risk being seen by Fate, since to talk with someone with such a strong connection would take a huge toll on me, especially after Greed''s little stunt.

    I never should have trusted that weasel, no matter how beneath me he is.

    I need time to recover my divine presence for now.. Time to lay low and observe, no need to get hasty.

 Chapter 53 - Party Shopping

    Snapping my eyes open, I found myself laying on a very comfortable couch, with Teresa looking over with an extremely worried expression.

    Her hands are rested on my chest, and I can feel healing mana seeping into every part of my body.

    Interestingly enough, unlike with my own healing magic, this stuff gets rid of all my sore muscles, weird pains, and makes my body feel good as new!

    "Ah, good morning." I snicker and sit up, as the healing mana stops pouring out of Teresa''s hands with a yelp of surprise.

    However, instead of a funny reply or a smack in the head, Teresa embraces me with a hug.

    "Woah, not that I don''t appreciate the hug, but I''m more confused now than ever," I say, my mouth moving before my brain catches itself.

    "How are you so nonchalant? You passed out cold, eyes and mouth still open. I thought that assassin had poisoned you or something, but no matter how much I healed you nothing got better. I could feel you breathing and your heart beating, but it''s like you became a corpse. I was worried you asshole." Teresa said, finally relaxing before shoving herself off of me.

    "My bad, I met with God for a moment," I say, slapping my hand over my mouth moments later. Thankfully, Teresa seems to have taken it as some sick joke.

    Which, is actually funny if you think about it.

    "Not funny! I thought you were dead!" Teresa said, her tone getting harsher, yet anger was surprisingly absent from her voice.

    "I mean it''s kinda funny, also so what? I''ve known you for what, less than a month? I didn''t think we were that close. You didn''t seem to mind it so much when your other guards died." I say, as the glint of anger that I had been so used to made its grand return to Teresa''s voice and eyes.

    "That''s not true at all! You were just passed out from dumping mana into a poorly thought out spell that you didn''t notice! Besides, you''ve saved my life twice now, whilst those guards even belong to me. Do you know how hard it is to find good help?" Teresa began to ramble, yet after my negotiation with Greed/Ego, my beating from Teresa earlier today, and my negotiation and processing with Hunter''s Mark, I feel like garbage.

    "Well I''m sorry, I didn''t realize your guards nor I meant so much to you. I''m beat, so I''m probably gonna wash up and head to sleep, nightfall is right around the corner and we both need rest for tomorrow." I say, sitting up and stretching.

    "I think you''re a little behind, by now it''s well into the night. However, I think you''re probably right. Have a good night, we have a busy day tomorrow." Teresa said, stretching and yawning.

    God damn it! I forgot that conversations with Ego take way longer than they feel! Rushing back to my bedroom, I take a very quick bath and go directly to sleep.

    I want to recover as much mental strength as possible for tomorrow since I guarantee I''ll have to act as a mediator between Ivy and Teresa.

    Just what have I gotten myself into.

    ///

    I have severely underestimated both Teresa and Ivy.

    Well, I half expected Teresa to be able to keep negotiations and such in a favorable light, beloved royalty and all that, but not to this extent.

    Looking at the two of them now, going through different shops, plotting out different routes and ideas as well as party composition, you''d think that they''ve known each other for years.

    Happily laughing, shopping, and planning as if yesterday had never happened.

    That just leaves me and Flare to carry most of the supplies and let the brains buy everything we need. With my money of course.

    "So uh, is Ivy usually this, compatible?" I lean over and ask Flare, as she just replies with a shrug.

    "Never around me, I''ve known her for three years, and she''s never been like this with someone new. It took me nearly two years of friendship building to get to the point of casual shopping buddies. That being said, she might act like this in every new party she joins." Flare replies, a more intrigued tone than anything else.

    "Wait what? Have you never been in a party with Ivy?" I ask as we continue to watch Ivy and Teresa shop, using my money and putting most of the supplies in my storage bag.

    Anything that won''t fit being handed off to either me or Flare.

    "Nope. She said would always make some excuse to not party up with me. I was starting to wonder if she hated me." Flare replied as Teresa shot a glance back at us. We may have been a bit too loud, hopefully, Ivy hasn''t heard much.

    "It sounds more like she was worried about going adventuring with you. You''re B-rank, right? Maybe she''s worried?" I ask, taking another bag and glare from Teresa.

    "Yeah, I''m B-rank, just like her. So why would she be worried about my strength?" Flare asks, completely missing what I was suggesting.

    I don''t think it''s your strength she''s worried about, it''s her own.

    "Alright, that should do it!" Ivy and Teresa confirm, freeing me from yet another awkward conversation.

    I really ought to work on my people skills. This is my comeuppance for never going to parties huh.

    "How much did you end up running through?" I ask, taking my storage bag and realizing the gravity of my financial situation.

    "About an oro and a half in total," Teresa said with a gentle smile. That witch! That''s all of my money!

    One Oro is worth around one thousand Soldi, so they just spent the equivalent of fifteen hundred Soldi!

    "What could you possibly have bought with all of that money!?" I ask, my anger tone being betrayed by a noticeable voice crack.

    "These," Teresa says, gesturing to three small silver bags, handing one each to Ivy and Flare. "Minor storage bags. Each of ours is filled with camping and travel supplies, a spare set of clothes, a spare weapon or two, and rationed food. Your bag has the larger tent, various other useful things, and your bedroll. Unless of course, you were planning on having the four of us stay in one of your famous travel domes." Teresa finished with a sneer, yet I realize now that maybe the expenses were a bit necessary.

    It''s not as if I won''t be earning money along the way either. We''ll have guild work to do and my salary from Teresa, so I''ll be fine.

    "Actually, how much are you paying us to be your guards on this trip?" I ask, realizing I never asked that question.

    "For you, fifty Soldi a month until I take the throne. For you two," Teresa said, looking them up and down. "You''ll start with twenty-five Soldi a month each until you prove to be useful or turn up dead."

    "Sweet!" Ivy said, jumping at the opportunity of steady and stable work.

    "Why do we get half?" Flare said, angry at the idea of such cheap labor.

    "Can either of you be compared to Antonio in strength?" Teresa asks, more specifically looking at Flare.

    "Nope." Ivy quickly answered with a swift head shake.

    "Probably, he''s a magician and I''m a swordsman," Flare replied, looking me up and down.

    More up than down, given I had cast Alter Ego this morning.

    "Oh? Alright, if you can beat Antonio in a duel, you''ll get his salary and he''ll get yours." Teresa says with a smirk.

    "Hey! What do I get if I win?" I ask, feeling as if I''m on the losing end of this deal.

    "Not fired." Teresa shrugs, gesturing for us to follow her. "Cmon, you two can conduct a Fae Duel outside the city walls."

    A Fae Duel? What the hell is that?

    Glancing between Ivy and Flare, there seems to be no confusion between either of them.

    Great, more weird magic, but this time with my job on the line.

 Chapter 54 - Fae Laws And Duels

    After exiting the city and walking our way to a relative clearing, it was time for me to speak up and ask. A fool for a lifetime and all that.

    "Uhh, what exactly is a Fae duel?" I ask as the rest of the party looks at me with a strange mix of confusion and understanding.

    "I nearly forgot your age, sorry. A Fae Duel is a duel sanctioned by the Fae. A duel to the death where death isn''t on the line so to speak." Teresa explains in a very matter-of-fact tone, yet that just raises more questions.

    "Could you uh, start from the beginning," I ask sheepishly, as Teresa sighs and facepalms.

    "Where did you learn magic that didn''t teach you about the Fae?" Ivy interjects with a voice of genuine confusion.

    "Nowhere? All of my magic is self-taught, mainly through the book ''Magic: From Plebeio to Dominus Tier'' and another book on healing magic." I reply, earning looks of confusion and doubt from Flare and Ivy whilst Teresa just passively waits for the bickering to die down.

    "Well, since you know nothing, here''s a crash course on the basics. Fae, also known as Origin Fae, are beings of pure mana. They are the original creators and users of magic, and since they''re immortal integral pieces of the universe, Ancient Fae Laws eventually became what is now known as Ritual Laws. Once a Ritual Law is invoked, whatever magic associated with it will occur, the most commonly taught and understood Ritual Law is known as a Fae Duel. A Fae Duel isolates the two consenting duelists and they fight to the death, upon death, both sides are healed completely and refreshed mentally, as to not leave any lasting scars." Teresa explains, giving a big yawn. That is actually a pretty concise explanation and makes me want to look into all the know Ritual Laws.

    But one thing is bugging me.

    "Are any of the Fae still around? Or Origin Fae or whatever?" If they are, asking them would probably give you the most accurate results on Fae Laws and such.

    "Some Fae bloodlines are still around, such as Faeries and Faries, all your spirit varieties, etc. There are even some immortal races with big connections to the Fae, yet for all we know, all Origin Fae either went insane and sealed themselves or simply chose to dissipate into mana." Teresa said with another yawn before she continued. "Now, can we get this show on the road?"

    Glances shot between me and Flare until I realized something important.

    "Uhhh, how do I enact a Fae Duel?" I ask, looking over at Flare.

    "I was hoping you knew. Teresa? Ivy?" Flare says, looking over our now bored-looking party.

    "Read out the law, point at your target, target consents, bam duel. Simple as." Ivy replies, not realizing the exact problem we were facing.

    "Here," Teresa said, a small sigh of annoyance escaping her lips as she handed me a piece of paper.

    "By my authority as Knight of her Highness Lady Teresa Delarus, I challenge you, Flare Meadowflame. If you are victorious, you may take my position at her Highnesses side, and I will not resist. If I win, you shall submit to Lady Teresa as my equal." I say, as a deep violet chain viciously shot out of my chest.

    Yet, the pointed end of the chain stopped, right before piercing Flare.

    "I accept the terms," Flare says with a confident smile, as the chain pierces into her and disappears.

    Without any further warning, a faint rumbling could be felt, as a massive golden cage began to erect itself around Flare and me.

    The cage had a radius of nearly fifty feet, giving us plenty of room.

    As Flare drew her sword, I began to channel mana into my staff. Let''s finish this in one blow.

    ///

    A light ring from the cage closing around us signaled the start of the duel.

    Flare disappeared before my eyes, yet I could tell her plan was to simply rush me. Funneling the earth mana through my staff, I slammed it onto the ground.

    "DISPERSE" I yelled, as the ground surrounding me in around a ten-foot radius disappeared, being forcefully compacted into a moat.

    With a yelp, Flare was dropped into the said moat, a sitting duck.

    Pointing my staff down, I set off three blasts of my Wind Shotgun, aimed at her head.

    The blasts went off successfully, yet just like what happened at the Union Hall, the powerful projectiles were reduced to small pricks of damage upon making contact with Flare.

    Unsurprisingly, Flare didn''t let me breathe for even a moment, leaping to close the distance and slashing at my head.

    The only reaction I could think of was a repeat of the trick against the Instructor, canceling Alter Ego.

    Reducing myself down to the size of an eight-year-old allowed me to avoid the slash, but not the follow-up kick to the stomach, sending me slamming against the wall of the cage.

    Utilizing the few seconds of reprieve I had due to the distance and Flare''s need to climb out of the pit, I wracked my brain trying to find a solution to this red-headed demon of a problem.

    Flooding my chest with healing magic, my staff with water magic, and re-casting Alter Ego, I pointed my staff towards the crater and waited.

    As soon as I saw Flare land on the edge of the crater, as it looks like she just jumped up the edge of it, I unleashed the spell I''d been fueling.

    "Absolute Zero!" I yell as the lighting-quick beam of blue and white magic slams into Flare. Yet unlike before, I don''t maintain the spell, only having it shoot out for a moment to make sure my arms remain intact.

    That idea proves fatal, as Flare''s left shoulder freezes over but soon snaps out of its ice prison, only sporting a black and blue bruise.

    "Give up Antonio, you''re too soft and too slow," Flare says with a sadistic chuckle, as a flash of pain surges from my left side.

    Before I was able to notice any movement, Flare threw her sword into my left leg, pinning me to the ground.

    Was I going to easy on her? I guess I haven''t really come to terms with this whole false deathmatch thing yet, so I may have been pulling my punches.

    Dropping into a low stance, Flare begins to charge me at an incredible speed, not unlike a wild beast.

    Ripping the sword out of my leg, I flood with as much mana as my arms can take before launching it back at Flare, yet it takes a simple contortion of her body to avoid the sword.

    Is this the end?

    If only I had that weird defense every seems to be able to use.

    No, it''s more than a matter of needing it, I really, really,

    As these thoughts crossed into my mind, with Flare now only being a few paces away, something began to burn in my chest.

    It was a feeling completely opposite of the coldness of mana that I had grown accustomed to.

    Grabbing onto that feeling, I could feel it almost thrashing about, trying to escape.

    So, why not let it? I really ???????????????? to see where this is going.

 Chapter 55 - Strange Gifts

    As the strange power began to flow into my every orifice, a brilliant golden flash came over me, as a choice set of words flew through my mouth before even I could process them.

    "

    In the next moment, something incredibly strange occurs.

    Opening my eyes, I was now holding Flare''s sword, and I could feel something akin to a thick viscous liquid around my body.

    Flare was equally unable to react and change her directory, slamming into me without any weapons, armor, or the magical protection I had just robbed from her.

    As he pointed hand jammed into my chest, instead of tearing through it, it was as if her hand broke on impact.

    Not allowing her any breathing room, I slam down with her sword as fast as possible, the swing coming out with such a degree of speed that it surprised even me.

    Needless to say, the arm with which she tried to block me was cut clean through.

    As a look of shock and horror came over Flare''s face, she attempted to jump backward, only to land flat on her back.

    "You can steal cloak?!" Flare yelled, yet it was too late.

    Pouring mana into my staff, I simply pointed it at her head.

    "The hell is cloak?" I let my true thoughts flow out, as an Eisdamon flies directly into Flare''s chest, ending the fight.

    The glittering cage began to dissipate, as I could feel all of my wounds from the fight rapidly healing to peak condition. It doesn''t appear to rejuvenate my mana, but I have plenty to spare still.

    Yet, looking over to Flare, I realize something pretty crucial.

    Although her wounds are healed, she is still well, disrobed. Covered by only her undershirt and undergarments, both of which were torn to shreds by Eisdamon, she does not seem happy at all, as not only is she glaring, I can tell someone from the sidelines is staring daggers into my skull.

    Also, nice.

    "Uhhh, sorry," I say, quickly taking off her leather breastplate and padded leather pants.

    With another expectant glare, I cover her in an earthen dome.

    "Finally! Thanks for taking so long," Flare yelled, as the icy glares multiplied from the onlookers.

    "Yeah, remind me to never fight you again. I''d rather not die nude." Ivy joked, walking over and laughing at Flare''s dome. "I told you not to fight him. Now you''re embarrassed and burned through a good amount of mana. The only ones you made happy are me and Ice Freak." She continued, laughing at the now groaning Flare.

    "Why do you have a spell that strips your opponent," Teresa said, as my brain immediately switched to damage control.

    "It''s not what it looks like," I say putting my hands up in defense, getting a chuckle from Ivy and a scoff from Teresa.

    "What it looks like is a spell that strips your opponent, the only advantage I can think of is embarrassing them," Teresa said with a dejected sigh.

    "NO no no no, it''s a spell meant to disarm an opponent by stealing their weapons and armor. Still fine-tuning the exact effects, but you have to admit that idea has promise right?" I ask as Flare yells to come in with the save.

    "Drop the dome I''m done putting my back-ups on. Also, it doesn''t

    Nearly being the keyword here. Impressive self-control.

    I think I''m missing more basic knowledge here.

    "I think I''m lacking a bit more knowledge here. What the hell is ''cloak'' and why haven''t I heard about it?" I ask, getting a look of surprise from every member of the party.

    "How do you not know what cloak is?" Teresa said, a genuine tone of surprise coming from her.

    "How old are you? Three? Everyone knows what cloak is!" Remarks Flare with indifference.

    "You don''t know what it is? I thought you just didn''t use it out of cockiness." Ivy said, matching Teresa''s genuine confusion.

    "Why would I do something as dumb as that?" I ask Ivy directly, getting a shrug from her and Flare.

    "Arrogance," Ivy said with a confident nod, with Teresa and Flare both giving nods of agreement.

    I really need to work on my public image. Especially with my own party members.

    "Okay, we''ve lost the plot a little. What exactly is cloak?" I ask, as Teresa gives her trademark small sigh and dives right into teaching mode.

    "Cloak is a very very basic technique using mana, that most people with any sizeable amount of mana is taught during childhood. To use a cloak, simply try to spread the warm feeling of your mana throughout your entire body. Once every part of your body is filled with mana, it should naturally start to seep out of your skin. That is known as a cloak, with your physical abilities and resistance increasing proportionally to the amount of mana you decide to spend on the endeavor. A cloak fades once a certain amount of time passes, but can be extended if you feed it mana again." Teresa explained, as this answered almost no questions and created about ten extra.

    "What kind of mana do I need to spread through my body? Do I have to mind the mana nodes or skip them? Also, if it''s like that, why can''t everyone silently cast? I''ve been cycling mana throughout my body this whole time yet I''ve seen none of this cloak, any explanation on that one?" As I rapid-fire asked Teresa different questions, it looked as if her face processed every stage of grief in a three-second interval.

    "What do you mean what kind of mana? What do you mean by ''cycling mana''? What do you mean mana nodes? Antonio what the fuck are you talking about." Teresa asked as I got more of the same from the rest of the party.

    "Ya know, the types of mana? To cast different spells, you use different types of mana." I say, as Teresa and Ivy nod.

    "Of course, anyone who casts magic knows that there''s a difference in the magic used, otherwise Fields would be useless," Teresa said, obviously missing my point.

    "Yeah, so what type of mana do I need to fill my body with in order to achieve a cloak? Also, if everyone can sense their mana and move it freely, why do people still chant spells or use invocation circles?" I ask, getting more looks of confusion.

    "What do you mean by ''what type of mana''?" Teresa asks as a look of shock comes over Ivy.

    "Ice Freak, are you telling me you can tell the

    "Yeah? Like, say I''m fighting and my arm is wounded, I''ll flood that part of my body with healing magic to heal it, whilst flooding my staff with water magic to form a spell, and my legs with magic to form either another spell or prepare to kick off the ground with air magic." I say, as Ivy falls to the ground and just gives a deep sigh.

    "What''s the big deal?" I ask as Teresa''s face sinks to one of resignation.

    "Antonio, normal people can barely tell how much mana they use for any given spell, let alone micromanage it down to where the exact type of mana is going where. Normal mages can''t use gestured casting, since a normal person''s mana perception isn''t honed to the point of being able to differentiate every type of mana. Even I can only tell the difference between light mana and the rest, let alone every type." Teresa says whilst shaking her head.

    Have I said too much?

    I''ve said too much.

 Chapter 56 - Quest Approval

    After having come clean about my apparently abnormal mana perception, the walk back to the union hall was one filled with awkward silence from Ivy and Teresa, whilst Flare was pestering me with a renewed interest.

    "What color are all the different mana types? Is cloak a certain color? Why do you cast silently sometimes but not all the time?" She went on and on and eventually my two-word answers were getting annoying to even me.

    "I don''t know! I don''t know how much mana I have, I don''t know why I can perceive mana so well, I don''t know how I stole your stuff, and for the last time I can''t sense another person''s mana!" I say, nearly yelling at Flare.

    "How can you be so certain? I''ve heard of some mages being able to guess the mana capacity of another based solely on mana perception." Teresa said, breaking her nearly hour-long streak of silence.

    "Like I''ve said thirty times now, I''ve never honed nor trained nor practiced mana perception. I''ve just always been able to tell the difference, and I''ve never been able to tell how much mana another person had. I don''t know how to train it, since apparently, I''m already able to do what people train to do." I say sighing and shrugging my shoulders. "It''s like asking a fish how it trained itself to swim so well. It was just born able to do so, so there''s no way a fish could tell you. I''m the exact same, I was just born able to tell the difference, so I can''t tell you how I did it. Take it up with my parents."

    "On the subject, what exactly are you?" Flare asks, looking at me with the same quizzical look she''s had for the last hour of questioning.

    "To my knowledge? Human. I look human, my birth parents looked human, and I have no obvious signs of being not human." I reply, but that answer doesn''t seem to satisfy.

    "I look human, but I''m neither full nor half-human. Humans just look super generic." Flare says frowning before following up, "Besides, didn''t you say you were a Tiamat?"

    "I was raised by Tiamat''s since I was a toddler, I had a Tiamat family, I have a Tiamat last name, and everyone I really developed a bond with family-wise was a Tiamat," I reply, being completely truthful.

    Actually, do I even remember what Damien looks like?

    I know what Hot Maid looks like, I have a rough idea of what my mother looks like, and I know their names.

    Hmmm, I can''t seem to recall Damien''s.

    "Wait, if you were raised by Tiamat''s since you were a toddler, how do you know what your parents looked like?" Flare asks as Ivy looks back in interest as well.

    "I don''t really wanna get into that right now. Family stuff is heavy, also hey look! The union hall!" Thank god we got here when we did.

    I really need to work on a cover story for how I''m this capable as a child.

    Alter Ego is a band-aid that can''t last forever.

    Stepping into the union hall, Teresa had long assumed her normal royal form, and walked directly towards the counter labeled ''important personnel''.

    Damn, they really don''t try to hide the whole class system thing, do they?

    "Evening. I would like to issue an official quest for those three, they will be serving as my official escorts for the duration of my stay within the Magic Kingdom." Teresa said with a dignified smile, whilst presenting a badge of identification to the union rep working at the counter.

    The poor sap looks like a deer in headlights. Completely caught off guard.

    "We''d be happy to oblige, Lady Delarus," Severus said, appearing behind the man with a gentle smile. "It''ll be marked as an A-rank quest due to your status, and your chosen three will automatically be registered as participants."

    Turning his attention towards us, Severus gives a small smile and nods.

    "What party do the three of you fall under?" He asks, never breaking eye contact with me.

    "The party is known as Ice and Fire, recently registered, and has a ranking of B-rank," Flare speaks up, most likely annoyed by Severus ignoring her.

    "Wonderful. I was worried I would have to make an exception, it appears I was mistaken. I deeply apologize for doubting your capabilities, Lady Delarus." Severus said, bowing towards Teresa and taking the union rep''s place. "That quest can be sent through and authorized without the presence of the issuing party, so you may take your leave if that is everything. Unless of course, you''re planning on issuing another quest."

    "No, that should be all. I''m assuming my guards have to stay behind and wait for the approval process?" Teresa said, gesturing towards us.

    "Indeed, the employed party must remain and have their identities verified. After verification, and quest processing, they will be free to return to your side." Severus said as a door opened into a waiting room for Flare, Ivy, and me.

    Great, I need to think of an excuse right this moment, because the whole party is going to hear my true age when they verify my identity.

    ///

    After nearly two hours of waiting and making small talk, Vanessa, the union representative who handled me and Teresa before, stepped into the waiting room.

    "I take it you three are the members of Ice and Fire?" She said in a calm voice, before locking eyes with me.

    "Yep, that''s us. It''s a pleasure to see you again," I say, standing up and gesturing Ivy and Flare to follow.

    "The pleasure''s all mine, Mr. Icefield, apologies for the inconvenience. I understand you three have been chosen by the Princess by hand, this is merely a formality." Vanessa assured us, as she walked us towards a small chamber that almost looked like an interrogation room from the police stations back on Earth.

    Almost being the keyword, as instead of cold steel chairs and stone walls, it was comfortable leather and warm wood and carpet.

    Taking a seat across from Vanessa and one other union worker, Vanessa gave us the rundown.

    "This is all a formality, but still an important step in the vetting process. You''ll each hand over your union identification, and we''ll ask you each a series of questions. All you have to do is answer honestly and truthfully, and there should be no issue. This simply vets anyone from using a bit of magic and a stolen I.D from getting too close to important figures." Vanessa said with her signature calm smile and tone, before sitting down next to her partner.

    "Uh, do we have to answer in front of our party members?" I ask, getting weird glances just about everyone in the room.

    "Yes, obviously. The questions will be nothing secret, simply previous employment, race, etc. They''re also here as an alibi in case there''s any missing information on the union''s behalf." Vanessa said in a calm, yet obviously confused tone.

    There goes my last-ditch attempt before my poorly constructed lie.

    Handing our cards over to the union officers, the interview and interrogation began.

 Chapter 57 - Skeletons In Closets

    Thankfully, Ivy was the first one to be asked questions, giving me a few precious minutes to fine-tune my lie.

    "Alright, your full name and full race." The other union worker said.

    He was a dreary-looking man, with a five o''clock shadow and bags under his eyes that you store coins in.

    His tone sounded as tired as he looked.

    "Ivy Mossbreeze and I''m a half-elf, half-earth spirit." She replied in a rare serious tone. She must be on edge about something.

    "Age." He said, yawning slightly.

    "Nineteen."

    "Specialization." Another yawn escaped his mouth, making me and Flare yawn on instinct.

    "I''m an archer and wind mage, B-rank."

    "Have you ever been associated with any grey guild?" He asked, a little more life sneaking into his voice.

    "Yes, Midnight Rose, Edge of Night, a-and Murder Hut," Ivy said, stuttering out the last one.

    Wait, Murder Hut?

    That has to be a joke right? They let that be a real guild?

    How?!

    Murder is in the name!

    That''s not a ''grey'' guild, that''s a hitman hideout!

    "Have you ever participated in an assault on a political figure, including anyone of knight rank or above?" He said, actually sounding interested for once.

    "Yes, through Midnight Rose and Murder Hut," Ivy said as I could see trickles of sweat begin to form and drip down her face.

    I would be sweating too if I had such a huge secret to hide.

    Is it getting hot in here?

    "Have you ever targeted the political figure Lady Teresa Delarus?" He asked, a twinge of an unidentifiable emotion creeping into his tone.

    "Yes," Ivy says, her voice quaking ever slightly.

    "And you truly want us to believe that she would hire you, a B-rank of no note outside of the underworld, as a bodyguard." The palpable irritation grew in his voice.

    Before any more pointed questions could be asked and the representative could get any angrier, Vanessa cleared her throat and the representative settled back into his seat.

    "What my colleague was meant to ask was, have you ever ran protection for a political figure of knight rank or above?" She said with a calm smile, as a third union member stepped into the room, prompting Tired Worker to leave.

    "Yes, whilst working for Hunter''s Mark," Ivy said, her voice calming down a bit.

    "Apologies for my original partner''s outburst, it''s just that Lady Teresa is a particularly popular figure, and he appears to be particularly politically active," Vanessa said, giving a slight bow before continuing. "Are you or any of your family related to prominent political figures?"

    "No," Ivy said, her tone turning into a more calm and friendly one.

    "Are you in line for any facets of political power?"

    "No."

    "Do you share any blood with any Immortal Races or races who live longer than five hundred years?"

    "Yes, my father is a full-blooded earth spirit and my mother a full-blooded elf," Ivy said, casting a quick glance at Flare and me.

    "Alright, remember once you hit the one hundred year mark, you have to re-take all union examinations. Thank you very much, you''ve been accurate to our records, so your identity has been verified." Vanessa said, handing Ivy her card back and turning her attention to Flare.

    "Name and full race?" She asked as Flare shifted uncomfortably.

    Man, I''m getting nervous about my turn here. An Ego ex Machina to save me this time?

    Bastard.

    "Flare Meadowflame, part fire spirit, and half beastkin," Flare said, her calm and confident voice betrayed by her nervous posture.

    "Age?"

    "Twenty-two."

    "Specialization is swordsman I presume?" Vanessa, said, glancing at the sword at her hip and the fresh set of leather armor.

    "Swordsman and fire mage, B-rank," Flare said, shifting again. Hmm, she seems more nervous than she reasonably should be.

    I mean, if Ivy can claim to be a part of Murder Hut and they just accept it, how bad can your past be?

    "Have you ever been a member or associated with a grey guild?" Vanessa asked, a brief look of surprise flashing over her face, only for it to return to normal a moment later.

    I nearly forgot about that mental communication magic that Severus had mentioned.

    "Yes, Royal Blood, and Black Blur," Flare said, shifting slightly again as her voice began to break slightly.

    "Have you ever participated in an assault on a political figure, including anyone of knight rank or above?" Vanessa asked in a calm tone, yet her usual warmth was absent.

    "Yes, through both Royal Blood and Black Blur." She answered, swallowing loudly.

    "Have you ever done protection for a political figure of knight rank or above?"

    "Yes, once again through Royal Blood and Black Blur." She said, casting quick glances around the room as well as towards Ivy and me.

    What''s so bad about being in those guilds, she seems nervous even after Ivy was in a guild called Murder Hut. I mean sure, the names are edgy, but not Murder Hut.

    Wait a minute.

    I''ve heard the name Black Blur before, haven''t I?

    Casting my glance towards Flare, she looks towards me, frightened.

    "Are you or any of your family related to prominent political figures?" Vanessa asked, her tone once again betraying her.

    "Yes, my blood brother is a lord in Sulvarin." Flare replied, once again uncomfortably shifting in her chair.

    I have no real clue what country Sulvarin is, but I''m pretty sure Flare is royalty. If your sibling is a noble, do you have a similar title?

    A lesser one? A title of equal status? No title or claim to power at all?

    I don''t understand politics.

    "Are you in line for any facets of political power?" Vanessa asked the warmth in her voice slowly returning.

    "No, not unless my brother and two older sisters die or lose birthright." No further questions about politics are necessary.

    She''s got three siblings ahead of her for the throne and is an adventurer far from her homeland, she was either cast out or left due to having no political power.

    "Do you share any blood with any Immortal Races or races who live longer than five hundred years?"

    "I think? I''m part fire spirit, that''s about as much as I know in regards to that half of my family." Flare replied with an answer I can assume is honest.

    After stating your race it would be a pretty strange thing to lie about.

    "Just in case you happen to be of a longer-lived race, the information I provided to Ivy withstands. Thank you for your patience with this matter, you''ve been accurate to our records, so your identity has been verified." Vanessa said, handing Flare her identification back and finally turning her attention towards me.

    Suddenly, it feels as if everyone in the room is watching me, probably because they are.

    "Full name and full race?" Vanessa says, her tone and face breaking a bit in surprise, most likely due to the fact that her eyes just looked at the bottom of my card.

    "Antonio Razorhog Icefield, and to my knowledge I''m human," I reply, whilst it''s my turn to have sweat form on my brow.

    "Age?" She asks, her tone once again breaking.

    Great, here we go.

 Chapter 58 - The Great Big Lie

    "Twenty-seven," I say, trying my best to keep a straight face and confident pose.

    Vanessa sighs deeply and shakes her head.

    "Antonio, I need you to answer truthfully, understanding your party''s ability to take this quest hinges on your identity being verified," Vanessa said, grimacing as she glanced once again down at my union identification.

    "Eight years old," I say, wincing and sighing as it comes out, as just about everyone''s face is different in the room.

    Vanessa facepalms, the replacement mook looking at my Alter Ego form in disbelief, Ivy falling into what looks like a state of complete denial, and Flare looking at me as if she''s seen a ghost.

    "I understand you''ve already been registered, formed a party, and been accepted by the client to take on the job, but without a substantial explanation, I''m going to have to revoke your union membership. Your body is not that of an eight-year-old human, and frankly, the rest of this information seems completely outlandish." Vanessa said, her tone losing all warmth and her eyes staring daggers into me.

    Here we go.

    "To answer the first issue, this isn''t my true form," I say, dropping Alter Ego before finishing. "This is."

    Flare and Ivy remain mostly unchanged, but the look of disbelief on Vanessa and her partner''s faces is almost comical.

    Yet before they''re able to get a word in edge-wise, I clear my throat and continue.

    "It is true that my biological age is eight years old, yet my mental age is closer to that of a twenty-year-old. Due to a magical anomaly that I was forcefully exposed to, to put it lightly, I gained a second form. Whilst I maintain one form, my other one does not age. So, the form you saw previously is my ''second'' body, which I stayed in for years until I learned I was able to regain my old form. So, whilst the age of my true body sits around eight years old, my true mental age is older." I say, as Vanessa sighs deeply and sits back in her chair.

    This is the best lie I could come up with in the two hours I had. It sounds ridiculous, but a whole lot more believable than the truth.

    Also, there''s no chance I''d tell anyone the real truth.

    I would either be burned at the stake for being an emissary of a potentially evil god or dissected and tortured for research on reincarnation and information from my world.

    That, plus I''d never be able to tell anyone I killed myself.

    People would look at me funny.

    "I understand your hesitation with coming forward with that, and I apologize for prying. I''ll make an appeal to the head office to circumvent the ''no children'' policy within the union. I have no reason to doubt your story, so we can continue as normal." Vanessa says, sitting back up and her face and tone returning to normal.

    However, based on the gazes and faces from the rest of my party, I had a lot of explaining and a lot more lying to do.

    "Specialization?" Vanessa asked, actually her warm voice and tone finally back to normal.

    "Water and Earth mage, C-rank. I also have advanced scholars qualifications and the associated licenses." I say as Vanessa nods yet I can feel the strong gazes from both Ivy and Flare grow ever stronger.

    "Have you ever been associated with any grey guild?"

    "Nope. Unless hunter''s mark is a grey guild." I say, as Vanessa simply shakes her head and continues.

    "Have you ever participated in an assault on a political figure, including anyone of knight rank or above?"

    "Due to the fact I''ve never assaulted anyone, I''d say no," I reply, trying to defuse the obvious tension still lingering in the room.

    "Have you ever done protection for a political figure of knight rank or above? Outside of Lady Delarus of course." Vanessa says, taking what I was planning to say before I could utter it.

    "Nope," I reply, finally we''re getting into the easy questions.

    "Are you or any of your family related to prominent political figures?"

    Shit.

    "Uh, I think my birth father is a nobleman, but I truly have no idea," I say, which is the genuine truth.

    We had a two-story house and multiple servants, but I have no idea if we were just rich or nobles.

    "Well, given that you''re not even sure about your nobility, I can assume you''re not in line for any facets of political power?"

    "Nope, even if I was before, I doubt I am now," I say, once again the full truth.

    I mean, they probably think I''m dead, right? There''s no chance that any sane person would think that their three-year-old could simply just survive alone in the forest.

    "Do you share any blood with any Immortal Races or races who live longer than five hundred years?" She asked, wrapping up the interview.

    "Not that I know of." Again, full honesty. I mean, fuck maybe my third great-grandmother is an immortal witch, so better safe than sorry.

    "Alright, that just about wraps up the interview, just one question, something Severus seems very keen on asking you about your past," Vanessa said, stopping me and the party from packing our things and leaving.

    "What is it?" What could they possibly want to know? They already know my proficiency with magic, already know my employment, and already know exactly who and what I am, what else is there left? Something related to Taf?

    "Hypothetically speaking, are you by chance related to house Razorhog? Specifically, the reported missing and likely dead son to the now late Count Damien Razorhog, survived by his wife, Stephaine WitchThread Razorhog? Hypothetically, of course." Vanessa said, her warm smile never leaving her face, yet for some reason looking a lot smugger than I''m used to.

    Is that a threat? Why is it posed as a hypothetical?

    "Hypothetically, if I happened to be, what would come from it?" I asked, slowly getting up and gesturing for Ivy and Flare to do the same.

    "Purely hypothetically? You''d have a lot of explaining to do to our dear friend Severus, and we could contact Countess Razorhog, delivering the joyous news that her son, who according to reports was kidnapped at age three, is alive, healthy, and was raised by a group of scholars." Vanessa said, her smug grin nearly making my eye twitch.

    Pinching the bridge of my nose, I looked Vanessa square in the eyes.

    "Say I wanted you to, suppress that information and neglect to inform the Countess, what would a hypothetical alternative be?" I thought the union was better than this!

    At least Severus made it out to be. Maybe he''s an outlier, and the rest are as bad as I expect bureaucrats to be.

    "Of course, that could hypothetically be arranged. However, in return, Severus would like a sample of your blood, as well as an explanation to how you remember your relation to a house you only knew at the age of three." Vanessa said, her smug grin growing even wider.

    Fuck! I played right into their hands.

    Since I''ve been sentient and able-bodied the entire time, I completely forgot a baby taken at age three would have no memories of home.

    God, I really am an idiot.

    "Alright, bring him in," I say, as Vanessa''s extra simply chuckles.

    "Bring him in? I''m right here, just using a little trick I saw you use one too many times to forget." The man continued to chuckle, as a grey smoke fizzled from his body, transforming him into the Union Branch Leader, Severus Hydrus. "Beautiful lie about the whole second body thing, but beautiful is all it is."

    Fuck.

    I need to think of something ???????????????????? now.

 Chapter 59 - The Greater, Bigger Lie

    "What do you mean? You''ve seen that both forms are physical, not some illusion magic." I say, sitting further into my chair, attempting to calm my skyrocketing heart rate.

    "I did notice that, I can''t quite figure out the nature of that, but having two forms is preposterous. When you''re born, your body knows exactly how it''s meant to grow. Your ''second form'' is paler, has a different hair color, face structure, the whole yard. That''s not possible, a person can''t change their blood and vitality to that degree. You would need to have literally had two different bodies, which is not possible." Severus said, coming to a logical conclusion, and thankfully that logic saved me from the discovery of my illogical existence.

    I have had two different bodies, this is truly my second one.

    "Reality can sometimes be stranger than fiction. Forgive me for concealing my true age, but I know I wouldn''t be taken seriously if I introduced myself as a child, hence the magic. In truth, most of what I told you, Severus, is true, yet with one major discretion. I truly was born a short eight years ago." In this world anyway.

    "Before you ask the multitude of questions, let me explain. When I was born, to my birth parents of the Razorhogs, I was fully aware. There was no mental fog, no growth period needed, my brain and mental functions were the same I had now. I was simply lacking knowledge." I say as Severus seems oddly calm compared to the myriad of other reactions.

    "Hmmm, Child Surreal Awareness Syndrome, or the laymen''s term, prodigy syndrome. Although extremely rare, there have been documented cases similar to yours, where children much much too young are able to take in and understand information on par with an adult." Probably other emissaries being caught in a lie like me.

    The lack of shock on my face must have been noticed by Severus, yet he continued without pause.

    "I understand why you would be hesitant to reveal that facet of yourself to us, yet it also makes me question something. Based on your reaction, you seem to already understand that this syndrome or at least others like it exists, so why attempt to hide? People born with prodigy syndrome are rarely discriminated against, in fact, they''re celebrated. " Severus asks, genuinely interested in my answer.

    "Severus, have you ever been good at something, seemingly naturally? Without any form of training or prior ability, just the first time you do it, you do it well." I ask, looking Severus in the eyes, attempting to steel my gaze.

    "On a few occasions, yes. Why?" He asks, meeting my eyes. It began to feel as if only he and I were in the room.

    "Now, it''s not hard to assume, that people would expect great things from a person who could say, cast silently their second time using magic. They would even call that person a genius."

    "Well, they would be a genius. To be able to do something like that requires remarkable talent." Severus says, nodding in agreement.

    "That is exactly what I want to avoid. I don''t want to be known as a genius, or a prodigy, or some spectacular mage. The longer I conceal my circumstances, the more normal my life will be. Now, I may have betrayed that a bit, with the whole guarding Teresa thing, but that''s a different subject." I say, yet that is irking me slightly.

    Why am I guarding Teresa again? The money? Because she''s the closest thing I have to a friend?

    Hmm, a lot to think about.

    "I believe I understand your situation. Your card will not be revoked, and you lot will be permitted to go on this mission. I''ll also have Vanessa refrain from contacting the Countess." Severus said, sighing and breaking my train of thought.

    I had nearly forgotten I was being threatened.

    "In return?" I ask hesitantly, causing a small grin to be placed on Severus''s face.

    "Nothing, but let''s just say you owe me a favor." He said, his grin never leaving his face as he stood up and handed me my union card back.

    God, I hate owing favors. Why does every powerful person I meet always ask for favors in the future?

    Should I start doing that?

    Whatever at least everything is settled.

    ///

    Walking back from the union hall was nothing but awkward silence and awkward glances from Flare and Ivy.

    Just about ten minutes from the manor, I couldn''t take it anymore.

    "Alright just say it. Say whatever ya wanna say, this silence is killing me." I say, as Flare just sighs.

    Guess not.

    Returning to the manor, it was quite late. After discussing what happened with Teresa to some extent, we all decided to sleep on it and discuss everything tomorrow morning, sort of like a team meeting.

    Retiring to my bedroom, a weird feeling settled in my stomach as I tried to pass into the realm of sleep.

    --- Point of View: Ivy ---

    After telling the princess basically nothing, Flare and I headed towards the guest bedrooms that she gave us, only to have Flare pull me by the arm into hers.

    "What''s the big idea? I''m tired and want to sleep." I say, crossing my arms. This isn''t like Flare, she knows I love to sleep.

    "It''s about the kid, ya know, Antonio," Flare said, her face slightly flushed yet displeased. Kind of like when she was crushing on an adventurer and got turned down...

    Oh no.

    "Ice Freak? What about him?" I ask, hoping I''m wrong.

    "Look, it''s weird alright? He''s like, a kid, and I thought you he was hot. Also, it doesn''t sit right with me that a kid is both stronger than me and technically my superior." Flare said, sighing and shooting me a glance. "Don''t you find this weird?"

    "Not really, I mean it is a little weird that his actual age is so young, but I''ve experienced the reverse with my parents. My mom looks as young as me but is like two hundred, so I guess the whole age thing is kinda numb to me." I said, shrugging and remaining surprisingly calm. Thankfully, she didn''t try and hit on that guy and get turned down.

    Not because I don''t want her to be happy, but I can''t imagine her and that monster together. He''s like, cold and looks angry all the time, and Flare is happy and fun.

    "Yeah but, that''s totally different!" Flare said in protest, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It''s normal for some races to be able to stop aging, but not the reverse! Wouldn''t you feel weird if your little brother was just as capable as you, but at age, like, five? That would be weird!"

    No, not really. Actually, that would have been a huge burden off my shoulders, instead of having to take care of him till I left.

    "A bit, but as I said, the whole age thing is kinda old hat to me. I was weirded out when I suddenly seemed to not get older, the same when I saw my parents had never changed, but at this point, I''ve come to accept it. It''s not like anything changes along with his age." I say, shrugging. Please don''t say it. Please don''t say it.

    "It does for me," Flare muttered, causing me to sigh deeply.

    She said it. This happens every single time, and one of the main reasons I hate being in a party with her.

    She falls for the first strong or cute guy she sees, and it never ends well.

    At least she''s not into kids?

    "How many times do I have to say this? Stop falling for every damn guy you see! I literally told you yesterday that he''s not a good fit for you, since I already knew what was going through your head. Thank god you didn''t go for him and get shot down, or I would have needed to find a new person to take this job." I said, sitting down on Flare''s bed and sighing.

    "But he really felt like the one! That weird magic, that face that always looks displeased, that tall and strong frame, it was like he was calling to me! He even flirted back!" Flare protested, slowly realizing this was the exact same speech she''d given about every other guy ever.

    "Yeah, wow, so impressed that he flirted back, that''s definitely what he was doing and not just being polite. Dude just, stop going after adventurers you just met. At least get to know em before imaging a future together." I hate hopeless romantics, but I can''t hate Flare.

    "Whatever, you''re just upset no one ever looks at you like that," Flare said, scoffing and sitting next to me.

    Looking over at each other, we can''t help but break into a laugh.

    I missed her, it''s good to have a friend around.

 Chapter 60 - Leaving At Last

    Waking up in the morning, feeling like P-Diddy, I stretch and get out of bed.

    Today''s the day, we finally leave Sanmara and get back onto the road to the capital. Thankfully, Teresa was pretty accepting of my real age, given she met me when I was a kid before, and the rest of the meeting passed pretty normally.

    We mapped out our general route, planning to hit three other cities along the way to stock up on supplies and materials to keep on the road, and eventually end up in the capital in about two years'' time.

    The time frame was met with multiple groans and suggestions about how to make it move faster, but otherwise, everything went smoothly.

    The journey could finally start, as soon as we get out hands on a cart and a horse.

    Heading to the northern exit of the city, we scanned our options.

    "Do we want a covered cart or uncovered?" I ask, yet my wallet can already hear the answer, and it''s a painful one.

    "Covered obviously, but preferably it would be a closed carriage," Teresa said, the other nodding along as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

    "Yeah, a closed carriage is a little out of our price range," I say, feeling my wallet scream in agony.

    The cheapest, most rickety, and ugly closed carriage was priced at well over five oro. Needless to say, until this job and the multiple others we''re planning to take along the way start paying more, a covered cart was the best we''re gonna get.

    Thankfully, we were able to find a reasonably priced one, and I was able to haggle the price for the cart and horse down, yet I was left with a measly five soldi to my name.

    After saying our goodbyes to the City Lord and packing our belongings into the cart, we found ourselves departing from Fortress City Sanmara.

    Heading through the northernmost gate, we were briefly held up by the guards.

    "Present your identification." A familiar, sleepy-eyed guard said.

    As the defacto cart driver, I hand over my union I.D and the guard waves us past.

    "Not gonna bother checking my cargo?" I ask, genuinely surprised. What if I had like, a bomb, or a ton of stolen goods or something?

    "Sir, this is a passenger cart. Also, we scanned your cart when you drove through the gate. If you had anything worth hiding, our scanners would have picked up on it." He said, yawning and bothering us no further.

    Driving the cart was a bit hard at first, given I''ve only ever driven cars, bikes, and street bikes, but eventually I think I''ll get the hang of it.

    One thing I doubt I''ll ever get the hang of is listening to Ivy''s groans.

    Really? Motion sickness? You''ve been riding for what five minutes?

    "Motion sickness? Really? It''s been like five minutes." I scoff, letting my true thoughts come through.

    "Shut up." She mutters, as Flare continues to rub her back and shoots me a glare.

    What, I''m allowed to make fun of people sometimes right?

    Man, I kinda wish I had another guy here with me, sometimes I just wanna shoot the shit ya know? Especially since the main person who I can have a little rib off with is out of commission.

    This is gonna be a long journey.

    ///

    The first day of our journey passed in the blink of an eye. Long gone are the days of roughing it through the woods with Surge, instead replaced by nice dirt roads.

    Pulling the cart off to the side of the side, we moved a couple of feet into the woods and set up camp. We took our newest horse companion, Gary, with us.

    Funneling mana through my staff, I raised a wall around five feet tall around our campsite, as well as a post to tie Gary too.

    I feel like a robot, I drive the carriage, I set up the walls around camp, I start the fires and cook the food, it''s like I''m a one-man service bot.

    Sighing, I finish up the wall and Gary''s post and get to work on the campfire pit.

    Once the entire campsite is set up, I take out my tent and pitch it next to the others.

    "Alright, fire is set up, walls are up, and Gary is tied up. Anything else? I''m beat." I say, forgoing my tent and simply raising one out of stone.

    "Yeah, we were just talking about what to eat tonight. We have meal rations so-" Teresa was explaining, before being cut off by Ivy.

    "Why are we bothering with meal rations? I say we save the rations for when we need them, and instead, we just hunt some animals for dinner tonight." Ivy said, back to her usual more energetic tone. "Antonio and I can go out, or Flare and I, or even one of us alone could manage to get a few animals to eat."

    "I''m with Ivy on this one. When we were coming to Sanmara I was able to hunt, and my arms are in better condition. I think we ought to just hunt until we can''t." I say, throwing in my two cents.

    "You know how to hunt?" Ivy asked, which hurt a bit. Hunting was easy when all you had to do was wait for something to attack you.

    "No, he doesn''t. What we ate on the way was monster meat." Teresa said, a look of understanding coming over Ivy''s face.

    "What''s the difference?" I ask, which is a genuine question. What''s the difference between an animal and a monster?

    "Monster meat is tougher and usually you have to fight em, animals are leaner, less ferocious, and generally tastier. I don''t have a problem with eating monsters, but some people have an aversion to it." Ivy said, continuing to list more ways that animals and monsters differ.

    In summary, if an animal is stronger, smarter, and more aggressive than average, they''re considered a monster.

    Well, what''s the difference between some humanoids or demonoids, and monsters in that case? Intelligence?

    I better not ask that one.

    "I''m with Ivy and Anotnio on this one, hunting is easy, and barely takes any time. Iv and I will go out and get an animal or two to cook." Flare said, joining the conversation and siding with the three of us.

    Defeated, Teresa simply sighs and sends them on their way.

    Surely nothing can come from a simple hunting trip, so I think I''m gonna focus on trying to figure out this new golden power within me.

    Was that a flag?

 Chapter 61 - Golden Experiments

    Sitting down and resting in my stone hut, it''s finally time to get to work.

    Crossing my legs and take a few deep breaths and close my eyes to focus.

    Peering deep into myself, two things become very apparent. The first is my mana.

    If my mana capacity could be called a pool before, it''s more accurate to now call it an ocean. No matter how deep I focus or attempt to find the bottom, the cold vast abyss seems endless.

    However, now surrounding that deep, cold, pit of mana, is a warm ethereal golden glow. No longer thrashing about inside of me, it seems to have settled, reigning in my mana and keeping it from leaking out of my body. Convenient.

    Now instead of having to focus on suppressing my mana, I have what amounts to a switch, either allowing it to pass or not.

    Focusing on this golden glow, I slowly start to filter it up and through my mana networks, eventually bringing it to the tip of my finger.

    Opening my eyes, it takes a bit of effort, yet now floating above my fingertip is a small wisp of this golden energy. It seems to act similar to my mana, responding to my thoughts and willpower, moving to with my commands at the speed of thought.

    However, there are a few key differences. First and foremost, it''s warm. If mana feels like foreign energy within my body, chilling me whenever I use too much of it, this instead feels like an extension of myself.

    Second, and most importantly, there''s no burden on my arms or hands whilst using this. My arms are almost completely healed at this point, but there''s still a noticeable itchy feeling whenever I use any amount of mana, yet this energy has no such effect.

    Conjuring a small orb of water with my right index finger, I send the two together just to see its effects.

    As the golden orb of energy collides with my water magic, something shocking happens.

    The orb of water disappears. One moment the orb of water was there, and in the next, it felt as if the spell itself was simply deleted.

    Weird.

    The orb seems to be a bit dimmer as well, yet it takes only a bit of effort to force a bit more power into it and return its warm shine.

    A third interesting thing is my total energy capacity. It''s pitiful, a pitifully low amount. I can assume that the strange spell that was cast takes just about all of this energy.

    However, unlike mana, I don''t know if I''ll be able to increase this amount through training.

    Sending the small orb of energy against the wall, a thought comes to mind.

    Does this stuff affect spells that are already completed?

    My answer came to me very quickly, as the orb of golden light dissipated on contact, taking with it a proportional section of the wall. Interesting.

    Whatever this energy is, it seems to operate in direct contrast with mana. Whenever it comes in contact with mana or a spell, it''ll simply destroy it.

    That''s probably why I don''t leak any mana anymore, however much of this stuff I generate is enough to suppress the ambient mana I leak out. Or maybe if I had no mana, I would be leaking this golden energy?

    Interesting. If I increase my mana capacity, will it eventually win out? What if I increase the amount of this stuff I generate?

    None of this thought work is relevant, what I need is a test subject.

    Standing up and stretching, I head over to Teresa, who''s quietly snacking beside the fire.

    "Yo, would you mind doing something for me?" I ask, walking up and giving Teresa a small wave.

    "Sure, as long as it''s nothing ridiculous." Teresa shrugs, putting her rations away.

    "Nothing much, just put on a cloak and tell me when it''s activated," I say, taking a seat next to her.

    "Uh, ok." Teresa closes her eyes and opens them after about five seconds. "Okay, I''ve got a basic cloak on."

    "Perfect, mind telling me what happens when I do this?" I say, conjuring a ball of golden energy about the size of a baseball, sending it at Teresa''s arm with the flick of my wrist.

    Before she gives her answer, Teresa''s eyes widen.

    "What is that? What spell is that? How did you do that?" Teresa asks, glancing between my hand and her bicep.

    "Care to explain?" I ask before Teresa clears her throat and regains her calm demeanor.

    "Yes, although I don''t know what you just did, whatever it was, stripped the exterior cloak I had on my upper arm," Teresa said as if that explained everything.

    "Exterior?" Was this explained already? I really need to start paying more attention.

    "Yeah, exterior. A cloak is broken up into two parts, interior, and exterior. Interior cloaking boosts a person''s physical prowess, whilst the exterior increases their durability and resistance. The interior cloak is intact, yet my arm is defenseless. It''s as if the cloak was stripped right off my arm." Teresa said, creasing her brow slightly before looking in my direction. "So what, I was a test dummy for your new spell?"

    "Guilty as charged. I still don''t know how to apply a cloak so I couldn''t test it on myself, and even if I did, you have way more experience in that department." I say shrugging and summoning another tiny orb of golden light.

    I really need to think of a name for this stuff.

    Qui? Overused.

    Chi? Too similar to qui.

    Aura? Lame.

    Man, I''m not good at naming stuff, am I?

    "What is that spell called?" Teresa asks, moving closer to me to get a better look at the orb of golden light.

    "I was just thinking of a name for it since right now all I''ve been calling it is ''golden energy''" I say, sighing and bringing the energy back inside my body.

    I barely used any of it and I can already tell I''m almost half out.

    "Hmmm, if it''s a spell that destroys mana, why not something like anti-magic?" Teresa asks, sending out another name that just doesn''t seem to fit right.

    What did Greed call it again? Something with a D?

    "Maybe Ivy or Flare will have a good name for it. Speaking of which, it''s been like an hour, where are they?" I ask looking around to find Teresa and me alone in our little camp.

    "Eh, I''m sure they''re fine. If they''re not back in another hour we''ll just go look for em." Teresa said with an unenthusiastic shrug.

    "Alright, I''m sure nothing too bad is in this forest anyway," I say, as it dawns on me exactly what I just said.

 Chapter 62 - Hunting Trip

    --- Point of View: Flare Meadowflame ---

    Heading out of the weird makeshift wall with Ivy, it feels like we''re twelve again.

    "Alright, why did you come with me," Ivy said, turning around to face me after we''re out of earshot of the Jeralik.

    "What do you mean? What''s so wrong about going out to hunt like we used to?" I say, playing dumb. It''s been irking me all day, and I need to see if it bothers Ivy too.

    "Yeah, no. You hate hunting. Hunting is a lot of standing still and tracking, then killing something by surprise, then going home." Ivy said, crossing her arms and seeing right through me. "Spill it Flay, somethings bothering you again."

    "Why the fuck are we traveling with? I thought about it all night and even tried to contact my master about it. Nevermind." I say, sighing and dropping my shoulders.

    "How''s the old dog doing anyway?" Ivy asked, tilting her head yet not letting the conversation go.

    "If he ever replied I would know, it''s been years since he replied to me," I say, getting another sigh out of Ivy.

    Although my master also happens to be my uncle, he rarely acts like it.

    As tradition dictates, I have our Blinktree notebook on me at all times, but not once since I left home has he replied to anything I''ve written on it.

    "So, that''s pretty much expected. Now, what do you mean? Are you still hung up on Ice Freak and his weird magic?" Ivy said, once again seeing right through me with a scoff.

    "It''s not right, more importantly, it''s not possible. A magician shouldn''t be able to erase the cloak of a swordsman, let alone steal and use it. If that magic was possible, then it would have been discovered already." I say, stomping my foot in anger.

    This era is also known as the ''Weapon Era'', where those who are most proficient with cloak and hand-to-hand combat are at the top of the proverbial food chain.

    But that

    It just makes me so

    "Uhh hello? Am I speaking to a wall here?" Ivy says, suddenly appearing in front of me, waving her hand in front of my face. "You alright there?"

    "S-sorry, I must have spaced out for a second." I mutter slightly, what was I thinking about again? "Whatever, forget it. Let''s get this game and head back, I''m kinda tired."

    ///

    Uggghhh this is so booooring.

    We''ve been sitting in this fucking tree for like thirty minutes straight.

    Letting out a small groan of boredom, I''m immediately hit in the head by Ivy.

    "Shut it! Either suck it up or go back to camp." Ivy says in an angry whisper.

    "And leave you out here alone? No way." I reply, taking a seat on one of the larger branches and leaning back.

    Just as I sat back and got comfortable, our prey arrived. At least what I think is our prey.

    Hoping over to the branch Ivy is on, I eagerly whisper and point it out to her.

    "Look! A Fiber Grizzly! That''s plenty of food right? Right?" I say, drawing my sword in anticipation.

    A Fiber Grizzly is a C-rank monster with loose control over plants and foliage, which lets it hunt prey that relies on the underbrush for cover.

    "Oh yeah, of course, I''m so looking forward to eating a bear that tastes like dirt and is as tough as leather. We''re not looking to eat monster meat, we''re after food for the princess." Ivy says, eventually sighing and dropping her stern face. "Alright go kill it. Just stop making that face."

    Woohoo!

    Leaping from the tree, I apply a Beast Cloak and dash at the Fiber Grizzly. The requirement for being acknowledged as a Dux tier swordsman is developing your own cloaking technique, and this one is perfect for hunting a big slow animal.

    In an instant, I''m in front of the bear. Slashing at its neck, I aim to take it out in one quick swipe.

    Yet, for the second time in two days, I''m one moment too slow.

    The grizzly must have sensed my movement, as the moment my sword is about to reach its neck, my arm is stopped by a thick vine wrapping around it.

    In an instant, I kick the bear in the face and pull my arm back with all my might, ripping the vines from the ground.

    Before the bear is able to act again, I draw my dagger with my left hand and throw it into its head, ending the fight.

    As the bear falls, I stand back up straight and sheath my sword, making my way back to Ivy. But now I''m just in a worse mood.

    Fuck! I can''t believe it!

    I had the drop on it, a full Beast Cloak, and it''s a fucking C-rank, and I still wasn''t fast enough!

    I need more, more speed, more power behind my swings, more practice, a better cloak, fucking everything!

    I need to be

    After another hour of waiting, finally Ivy acted.

    "Hey, that''s our prey." She said, pointing at a small figure off in the distance.

    "Not all of us have super eyes, what are you pointing at?" I ask, squinting really hard but still now making out anything.

    "Just, follow me. I''ll point out to you what to attack, just be fast it''ll be fine." She said, jumping from our tree to the next.

    Ugh whatever, at least I have a target now. We can just hunt this stupid animal and then go back and go to bed.

    I''ll get so strong during this trip, nothing will ever outspeed me again.

    ///

    After twenty minutes of tree hopping, it took about one second to kill the two deer and thirty minutes to return to camp.

    Stepping back into camp, it looks like we caught the monster and the Jeralik on their way out.

    "Oh, you guys are back, sorry, I got a little worried there," Antonio says with the same empty smile he''s had since I met him.

    "Yep! And we''ve got dinner!" Ivy says enthusiastically, as I set the two deer down and head off towards my tent.

    I''m not in the mood for food.

 Chapter 63 - Woes And Worries

    Waking up, dusty backed and sore armed, I crack my neck and take down my stone hut after changing back into my robe and traveling clothes.

    The camp was as quiet as it had been for the last five months of travel.

    Every morning with these three was roughly the same. Teresa was always the first one up, waking up even before me, and starting a fire to cook her breakfast on.

    Then I woke up and changed, giving me just enough time to cook my breakfast as well as breakfast for Ivy and Flare. Teresa elected to learn how to cook her own after realizing she would be awake for about half an hour before me.

    After I woke up fully and cooked the others'' breakfasts, Ivy would wake up and come join Teresa and me around the fire.

    Flare was always the last one up, silently wolfing down her food, making it so everyone finished eating around the same time.

    Sometimes there would be idle chatter, but recently there''s been a comfortable silence. Yet, something has been bothering me.

    It started around the first week of travel, and by now it''s festered to a problem. My relationship with Ivy and Teresa has been getting better, with Ivy and I going hunting a few times and the ''Ice Freak'' name finally being dropped for the much less problematic ''Icefield''.

    Teresa and I have also steadily gotten closer, swapping magical advice and even a few spells that brought me to around Dux tier in healing magic, also known as light magic.

    However, the problem stems from my third traveling companion, Flare.

    Back around a week after we left Sanmara, Flare repeatedly pestered me to teach her the spell I used against her in our duel, Despot''s Grasp.

    When I continued to say that it was something she wouldn''t be able to use, she eventually got upset and stopped pestering me. However, whenever I try to mend the relationship with her, whether by talking to her about different sword styles, advice on magic, or how to apply a cloak, I''m always met with the same response.

    ''No, not unless what you''re offering can affect a person''s cloak.'' It was the same reply every time, like a kid who got their toy taken away and was pouting in protest.

    I was hoping it would pass in time, but as the months have ticked by, she''s just been getting angrier and angrier with me, especially after she challenged me to another duel and still couldn''t figure out my ''trick''.

    In all actuality, I just shot her with a ball of Divinity and then an Eisdamon. That spell is really lethal against a person with zero defense aside from their natural strength and internal cloak.

    What am I supposed to do in this situation? What am I supposed to say? ''Sorry, but I got this power from someone who''s the equivalent of a god.''

    No!

    There are so so many things wrong with telling her that, most importantly due to the fact I''ve heard nothing from either of them in months!

    Sighing deeply, we took down our camping supplies and continued on our journey. We were five months out from Sanmara, yet three months from the next closest city, truly in the middle of nowhere.

    "Teresa, how many times have you been attacked in the past?" I ask, letting my worries flow a bit. If there was an ambush coming, right now would be the prime time to do it.

    "Counting the time with Ivy makes nine in my travels so far, why?" She asks, yet before I can answer, a look of understanding comes over her face. "Yeah, I was kinda thinking the same thing."

    Turning back, Flare is sleeping and Ivy is throwing up off the back of the cart for the second time today.

    Great, scouting is on me then.

    Pulling the cart off to the side and tying it up, I nod to Teresa as she goes to explain the situation to Ivy.

    Channeling a bit of wind mana, I begin to hover just a few centimeters off the ground. It''s a spell I developed to help with hunting with Ivy, Silent Step.

    Okay, the real reason is all the coolest villains float menacingly, and it feels really cool to ominously float everywhere, but I can''t say that out loud.

    Flying horizontally along the ground, weaving in between trees, I can cover a pretty good amount of distance almost silently.

    Once I''m a good few hundred meters from the cart, I can activate the second hunting spell I developed, this one relying on my apparently heightened mana sense.

    Pouring wind mana out of every one of my pores, I focus on spreading it as far and as thin as possible, currently, my range for this spell is around three hundred meters or roughly one thousand feet.

    Once the mana is spread out, I simply wait.

    To everyone else, it apparently feels like a gentle breeze. Wind Web doesn''t let me do much aside from one thing, feel movement.

    For hunting, we just go after the first small movement I feel, yet for this, I need to wait until I feel some type of major change.

    I tried to teach this to both Ivy and Teresa, but Ivy can''t force magic out of every part of her body, and Teresa can''t feel anything outside of around a one-meter radius.

    Also, Teresa claims the spell uses a decent amount of mana, but I think she''s just doing it wrong. You can''t force it out, you gotta just let it flow.

    After only twenty or so minutes of waiting and focusing, I felt an insane amount of movement. All of which was headed directly towards where we parked the cart.

    Canceling Wind Web and Silent Step, I cast my other spell for flight, Jetstream.

    The main reason I don''t use this spell for hunting or for scouting is due to noise. Jetstream surrounds my feet in a thick layer of fire mana, my body in a layer of wind mana, and then sets off a huge explosion fueled by wind and fire magic at my feet.

    Once I''m catapulted through the air, a cone of wind is formed at my front and the rest of the wind magic is used to keep me roughly on the course, letting me fly close to terminal velocity without any of the drawbacks that flying at such a speed would bring.

    The downside is the extremely loud nature of the spell as well as the fact it makes me just about throw up every time I use it.

    But I can''t worry about the noise or eardrum damage, or even my stomach health right now.. Based on how fast and powerful that movement was, the people attacking the cart will be there any minute.

 Chapter 64 - Misunderstandings

    Knowing the mass of movement is going to beat me to the cart, the only thing I can do is funnel more mana into Jetstream, and hope that I can squeeze a bit more speed into my flight.

    It works, yet at the cost of another deafening explosion, forcing me to cycle healing mana throughout my body to shake off the after-effects.

    After a few minutes of high-intensity flying, I use a force of wind mana to come to a screeching halt, dropping into the treeline below.

    The scene at the cart is one straight out of a nightmare. Hooded figures surrounded the cart on all sides, whilst three non-hooded figures had broken from the encirclement, and appeared to be, talking?

    The three figures seem to be having a discussion with a very nervous-looking Teresa and the two very on guard Ivy and Flare. Ivy has her bow drawn fully and Flare has her sword in both hands, her gaze shifting all around.

    Whatever negotiations they appear to be having, they''re obviously not friendly, as one of the leading figures has their staff pointed at Teresa, whilst the person driving the negotiation holds two daggers softly in their hands.

    I don''t know why a fight hasn''t broken out, most likely due to Teresa''s negotiation skills.

    Either way, I can''t let this golden opportunity slip by. The question is, who do I target.

    I could target the three obvious leaders in the center, but I don''t know if the four of us could take the other twenty cloaked figures lying in wait around the cart.

    That being said, I could launch a spell with a larger area of effect, primarily focusing on taking out the twenty surrounding bandits, yet that leaves a crucial question.

    Without the element of surprise, can we beat the leaders of this little gang?

    Eh, probably. Flare is very skilled, Ivy is very skilled, I am just alright, and we have a juiced-out healer. Worst case scenario, we fall back, Teresa heals us, and we go back into the fray.

    That being said, it all hinges on my original attack succeeding, and my party following up on our advantage.

    Flare and I may be at odds right now, but I highly doubt she would let any of that transfer into a real battle. Right?

    Dropping to the ground silently, I press the tip of my staff to the ground and channel a large amount of mana. Over these last few months, I''ve worked on one thing alone.

    Control.

    Mentally selecting only the twenty cloaked figures and the three talking to my party as targets, I begin my assault, as quiet as a mouse, yet as deadly as a plague rat.

    "Ice Age," I whisper, as the violent water mana surges from my staff and into the ground, freezing everything in its path in an instant.

    As expected and as I was hoping, the cloaked figures are caught completely off guard, most of them being reduced to frozen corpses, whilst the rest are out of commission.

    So far, so good.

    Also within expectations, is the reaction from the three leading figures.

    Only one seems to have been affected, the unarmed one standing a bit behind the dagger-wielding woman. I can tell from here that I''ve damaged at least one of their legs. Unfortunately, the other two seem almost completely unarmed by the larger spell.

    Having lost the element of surprise, I dash towards the staff-wielding hooded figure, hoping to take him out first.

    If I can handle the mage, I guarantee Flare can handle the melee.

    Once I break from the tree line and have a clear light of sight on the mage, it''s time to hit him with the old bread and butter.

    Unleashing a wave of Divinity with my left hand, I can see the translucent golden wave crash against him, as a look of surprise flashed across the old man''s now visible face, as he turned to look in my direction.

    Yet before he can even begin to make a move against me, I stick my staff forward and hit with everything I''ve got

    "Absolute Zero!" I yell, as the beam of pure ice mana fires center mass on the old man.

    Yet, moments before it connects with his chest, two things occur.

    First, it collides with a large previously unseen wall of wind, and secondly, the small bit of spell that was able to penetrate the barrier is deflected by the dagger-wielding woman, moving too fast for the eye to see.

    As the swift movement causes the hood on the dagger-wielding woman to fly back, I take aim directly at her head, firing off an Eisdamon before she''s able to recover her footing.

    The large icicle was just about to lodge itself into the side of her head, yet once again a wall of wind was erected and the attack was stopped mere moments before it could do any serious damage.

    Clasping my hands together, it''s time to try out my newest spell, Plasma Ray.

    Yet, just before I was able to launch my attack, something stopped me in my tracks.

    Well, to say it more accurately, something tackled me to the ground.

    Looking at the face of my attacker caused me to just about faint on the spot, yet his yell afterward was what sent my consciousness away.

    "Antonio!" Gust yelled, tackling me, as I fainted in surprise.

    --- Point of View: Teresa Delarus ---

    Just as I had reluctantly agreed to give over Antonio in exchange for our lives, what I assumed was a miracle happened.

    Antonio appeared behind the Tiamat''s crew and froze all twenty of the stone golems, leaving just the Tiamat, the Golemancer, and the Wind Sprite left.

    However, before he was able to make any more significant moves, and before we were able to follow his lead and attack who I''m assuming are rival Tiamat''s, the leader of the group tackles Antonio to the ground.

    I don''t really know or understand Tiamat culture, but why else would he choose to hire two A-rank adventurers just to track down Antonio. If he was after me or anyone else, they wouldn''t let us live in exchange for his location.

    Yet, what surprised me even more, was what transpired after the tackle.

    Instead of resisting, casting any spells, or even speaking, Antonio passed out. His face contorted as if he''d seen a ghost.

    As the Tiamat stood up, carrying Anotonio in a bridal carry, his scary and violent demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

    Instead, his face was that of a proud and doting parent.

    "I knew the boy had potential, but to be able to accomplish this much?! At his age? Surge could learn a thing or two from him." He said with a calm smile as he continued to walk towards the three of us, as we remain vigilant and in formation.

    "There, you have him. Now tell us who you are and w-what you want with my knight." I say, steeling my resolve and giving a queue to Ivy and Flare.

    The reason I was okay with giving out Antonio''s location, was due to the fact I simply assumed he''d win the fight. The power he''s been working on should be able to neutralize the Tiamat and Wind Sprite, and in a magic fight, I''d bet a month of tax on him beating out a golemancer.

    "Oh, very sorry. I was so caught up in the worry that you lot had kidnapped him, I never stopped to assume he would simply be working. The name is Gust, Gust Renarus, and I''m Antonio''s father." The Tiamat said, setting down Antonio in our cart and walking up with his hand out for a handshake.

    I have so, so many questions.

 Chapter 65 - Family Reunion

    My eyes shoot open and I find myself laying comfortably in the back of the cart.

    A dream. It had to have been a dream.

    I mean some of it was a bit believable, but really brain? Do you expect me to believe that my dead father just randomly came back to life?

    Sitting up and getting out of the cart, it appears I''ve slept until dusk. Stretching and erecting a wall around the cart and campsite, as usual, I can see Teresa and the rest of the party happily chatting with someone around the fire.

    Sweet, I don''t have to start or set it up tonight.

    "Sorry for passing out on you guys, just had the strangest dream. My dead da-" I say, freezing in place as soon as I lay my eyes on him.

    Sitting next to Flare, cooking a piece of deer on a large stick, is Gust.

    As I look at him, and he looks back at me, a warm smile comes over his face.

    "You''ve made some interesting friends," He says, his eyes matching the warm tone he uses.

    What?

    "What? Aren''t you dead?" I ask, my mouth moving faster than my brain.

    "You think a bit of ice is enough to put me down? I thought you knew better than that, especially since you and Surge were out before me." He says, standing up and walking over to me.

    Before I''m even able to move or respond, Gust brings me into a warm bear hug.

    "I''m so glad you''re safe. I''ve been searching like mad for anyone left from the village. Where''s your sister? Did you two leave together?" He asks, breaking the hug and looking down at me expectantly.

    "Uh- w-" Before I''m able to mutter anything out, Teresa takes it out of my hands.

    "Surge was the other Tiamat correct? I''m very sorry, she passed from an attack by a group of assassins." Teresa said as Gust''s face becomes crestfallen.

    "Oh, I see. Did she at least die honorably?" Gust asks, looking to me for an answer.

    "She died on her feet," I say, stealing a line from Earth to hopefully make Gust proud.

    "That''s good, that''s good." He said, trotting back over to the fire and sitting down with a heavy sigh.

    The mood had taken a turn south, but there are a few questions I need answered.

    Taking a seat next to Gust, I look up at him with a mix of confusion and regret.

    "How are you here? Well, I guess more accurately, how are you alive?" I ask as Gust looks down towards me with a look of slight confusion.

    "Well, for starters, I would say I''m alive in the exact same way you are. I broke out of the frost spell and began to travel. How I got here is a bit of a tale, if you''re willing to hear it." Gust says, asking as if I wouldn''t like to hear his story.

    "Of course! We have the whole night for you to tell me." I say, sitting into a relaxed pose, as Flare and Ivy move a bit closer to hear as well.

    "I guess it would all start around the time I awoke from my frozen slumber..." He said as he began to retell his journey so far.

    --- Point of View: Gust Renarus, directly after the fight with Richard Silverwind ---

    I lost. That thing was a monster, and there was nothing in my arsenal that could even come close to destroying him.

    I''m assuming that whatever spell he was relying on had a hard limit to its regenerative properties. However, a battle of attrition with an immortal-bodied person is always a bad idea.

    The other option would be to destroy his entire body, leaving nothing to be regenerated from, yet I''m no mage.

    Limping my way back to the ruined village of Taf, instantly I can feel the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

    Bloodlust. Pure raw malicious intent seemed to be coming directly from the town in which I just left.

    This was a bit expected after I made my presence known in town, yet this happened much too quickly. Someone is after me, not out of just racial difference, but out of something more.

    I can''t stay here, who or whatever is causing this massive amount of malicious mana is not going to simply let me heal.

    Heading back into my home, I pack everything important and worthwhile and head eastward. There should be a larger and hopefully less racially sensitive town, that way I can register as an adventurer.

    I''ll need money if I plan on tracking down Antonio and Surge.

    After collecting my things and making sure the rest of the village is unchanged, I take one final look upon my still frozen wife and decide to leave a note.

    ''Marble, I have left on a journey to find our children. I will find both the source of this spell and the people responsible for the monster hoard after I know the two of them are safe. I don''t know when I will return, but I will. This page is made from blinktree parchment, simply inject your mana into it and I will see whatever is written. I love you.'' It''s a simple and short message, but I know she''ll understand.

    Heaving my bag over my shoulder, I quickly leave the village and make my way east.

    --- Present Day ---

    It was at this point in the story that I turn and call to Sylvia, the Wind Sprite I had hired.

    "Sylvia, would you mind bringing me my bag? I have something I need to show Antonio." I call out.

    Arnold and Sylvia have erected their own hut made of stone, and have been resting in it ever since Antonio''s surprise attack.

    Apparently, Golemancy takes a large amount of mana, yet usually, that can be recovered by later destroying the earthen golems and summoning the mana back to you, yet since Antonio destroyed them with ice magic, there was nothing to recover.

    On one hand, I''m impressed with how far the boy has come, whilst on the other, he needs to work on his temper. Even if I may be calling the kettle black in that regard.

    After about a minute of waiting and making idle chats with Antonio''s traveling companions, Sylvia wordlessly brings me my bag and quickly retreats to her stone tent. I think I remember her being a bit shy when we first began to travel together.

    Opening my bag, I bring out the blinktree note, passing it to Antonio for him to see.

    "Has Marble written anything back? Can you even tell if she''s injected her mana into the other half of this?" He asks, his inquisitive mind never ceasing, even now.

    "Unfortunately, I won''t know that she''s seen my letter until she fills her parchment with mana and replies. Hopefully, she''ll break from the prison of ice soon." I sigh, taking the parchment back and rolling it up to place it in my bag.

    "Who are those people? When did you start traveling with a sprite and a human?" Antonio asks, setting me back on track.

    "I''ll get there don''t worry. The next interesting bit of the story takes place after around two months of travel, once I had reached the trade city of Torn.." I said, reminiscing about the beautiful city.

 Chapter 66 - Stranger Times Ahead

    --- Point of View: Gust Renarus, two months after departing from Taf ---

    The journey so far has been strangely nostalgic. It''s been years since I slept in a tree, hunting for every meal, all whilst spriting the forest like a madman.

    Ahh, to be young again. However, I can''t get caught up in the joy of reliving my youth, I''m on a mission, and I must never forget that.

    After two months of easy wilderness travel, it appears that I''ve arrived at the large city Blaze was always talking about visiting. The trade city of Torn.

    Once every five years or so, Blaze would make a trip here to trade and acquire new magical supplies, information, and books.

    According to his reports, the city of Torn is a strange one. They care not for race, creed, age, or even ability. The citizens and businesses care about one thing alone.

    Money.

    Torn is not part of the greater Magic Kingdom, instead, it''s a city-state allied with the kingdom, acting as a buffer between the Magic Kingdom and its eastern neighbor, Darvelous.

    This unique situation has led to an even more interesting situation within the large stone walls of Torn. According to Blaze, as long as you have enough money, no one would bat an eye if you brought a drake into the city and it ate someone.

    Walking towards the gates of the city confidently, the guards didn''t even give me a second glance.

    The streets were filled with a mix of different people, all doing a mix of different things. Some selling different objects and implements, some playing games, some gambling, a bit of everything.

    Before I was able to get a bearing on where exactly I was going, an interesting offer made its way to my ears.

    "Step right up! The first one to correctly guess gets a bag of storage! Medium size, no wear, and only one soldi per game!" A younger man was calling out, and before him lay five identical cups.

    Pushing through the crowd, I eventually make it into the encirclement around the young man.

    Before him sits a larger-looking demonoid, four horns peeking out of his disheveled hair. The young man places a small green marble under one of the cups and begins to rapidly move them, sometimes switching which cup the marble was under.

    After about twenty seconds of shuffling, I can tell the marble is in the far right cup. Unfortunately for the four-horned demonoid, he had incorrectly tracked the marble, guessing wrong and leaving disgruntled.

    The instant he stood up, I sat down and took his place.

    "Welcome welcome, who do I have the pleasure of playing with today," The young man said, looking up at me and smiling.

    "I am Gust Renarus, chief of the Tiamat Village of Taf. I believe I understand the rules of the game, all I have to do is find the green marble correct?" I ask as the boy seems a bit shaken by my introduction, but nods in agreement anyway. "Very well, let''s play," I say, giving the young man a warm smile and dropping a single coin into his upturned hat.

    The young man places the marble under the center cup and begins to shuffle it around at a rate even faster than what he had used for the four-horned man. No matter, compared to the monsters in the forest, as well as training my soldiers and family, this level of speed is nothing.

    After about thirty seconds of shuffling, I can guarantee the marble is in the left-most cup.

    Placing my hand upon it and lifting, the space under the cup is barren.

    "Sorry! Wrong guess this time." The young man says, his calm and confident demeanor completely restored.

    Ah, it''s this type of game.

    Silently, I drop another coin into the boy''s hat and gestured for him to play another round.

    Antonio had fooled me with a similar game as a part of his magical practice, however, he simply used his hands. The actual trick is quite simple and easy to counter once you understand it.

    The mage will conjure multiple of whatever object you''re trying to follow, and simply destroy the one in whatever hand, or in this case cup, that the other player guesses. The counter to the game is quite simple, but also good practice for us against mages.

    If you know when the person is going to destroy their stone, you can simply release a bit of cloak onto the stone, preventing it from ever being destroyed. For a person such as myself, whose mana network barely allows me to produce a small flame, this technique is quite useless outside of close combat.

    However, for those of us who are more magically gifted, this can be a way of messing with your opponent''s spell casting. Truly an ingenious method of training.

    After twenty seconds of intense shuffling, I place my hand upon the cup that contains the marble and inject the interior and surrounding area with a bit of my cloak.

    Lifting up the cup, the marble remains untouched, whilst the young man looks incredibly shocked.

    "H-how did you-" He begins to ask, but is soon cut off by the loud cheering of the crowd. I can assume they''re all sore losers.

    Defeated and outnumber by the rather intimidating crowd, the boy reluctantly hands me my new storage bag.

    Feeling a bit bad for the young man, I lean over and whisper a bit of advice into his ear.

    "Next time, destroy the marble before you let someone touch the cup. Doing that makes the trick much harder to counter." I say in a low whisper before I stand up and take my leave.

    Hmm, I''ve never used a storage bag before, yet I know Blaze was always talking about how useful it would be to have. Apparently, this small bag can fit a great number of items, allowing you to carry three to four backpacks worth of goods in one small bag, all without having any difference in weight.

    As a test, I think I''ll try and put my whole bag into this small one and see.

    Taking my backpack off my back and opening the small storage bag, it takes a simple push for the small bag to grow to an impressive size and allow me to drop my entire bag into it with ease. Afterward, it closes back up to its normal size.

    Truly remarkable.

    Strapping the bag to my waist alongside my sword, I begin my search of the Adventurers Union.

    After a few minutes of searching and asking a few guards, I''m eventually brought to a large stone building, with the name ''Continental Adventurers Union'' plastered on the front.

    Taking a step inside, I walk up to what is obviously a reception desk and state my business to the fare looking union worker.

    "Hello, I''d like to register as an adventurer," I say, yet before the receptionist is able to respond, I feel a hand touch upon my shoulder.

    "Look, big guy, don''t sign that shitty contract yet. Ask to go through the tests first and try and get a better one. Trust me when I say that the piece of paper they give you is nothing but a scam." A deeper voice says, most likely belonging to the one whose hand is on my shoulder. I have half a mind to cut off his hand for having the nerve of sneaking up on me, but it appears I''m in his debt.

    Turning around to look at the man, I come face to face with a tall, older-looking human mage. He''s wearing a deep brown robe and has a pair of thin glasses delicately placed on the very edge of his nose.

    "Ah, thank you. I''m quite new here." I say as the man sticks out his other hand for a handshake.

    "No worries, the names Arnold, Arnold Farrowhead, and it looks like we''re going to be taking the same test here soon. Only ten more minutes before the next testing session right?" Arnold says, peering over my shoulder and looking at the receptionist.

    "That is correct sir." She says with a flat and bored face.

    "Perfect, come take a seat over here with me. What did you say your name was again?" Arnold says, not giving me any time to reply.

    For the first person I''ve had a conversation with in this strange town, he sure seems, eccentric.

    "...when you mix Flames of Agr-" Oh he''s still talking.

    "The name is Gust, Gust Renarus. I''m registering here to make money whilst I look for my children." I say, sticking my hand out for another handshake, interrupting his ramblings.

    "Oh, sorry for your loss if they turn up dead. As I said, I''m Arnold, I''m a Golemancer, and it looks like I''m also now going to be a part-time child tracker." Arnold says with a matter-of-fact tone and a gentle smile.

    "Come again?" I ask, man I should have listened to his ramblings a bit.

    "Didn''t you hear me before? I''m registering as an adventurer to have fun. So, you need help and seem fun, so I''m going to help you. Simple as that." He says, his tone and smile never leaving.

    "A-alright then," I say, genuinely a bit off guard.

    I guess it could be helpful to have a powerful mage on my side.. Seems like there would be no harm in having him along.

 Chapter 67 - Tests And Quests

    After making a bit more small talk with my newest comrade, we were ushered into a larger room filled with desks and writing utensils.

    I understood the words written on the apparent test for about two pages, but the rest could have been another language for all I know. Aside from basic math and surface-level understanding, most of my knowledge is in combat and village running, and administration.

    Due to my lack of understanding, the written test took me only five minutes to complete as I was ushered into a large arena.

    After about thirty minutes of waiting, all of the applicants had gathered. The lone union representative standing at the center of a glowing ring called out.

    "Alright! This test is simple, beat me or impress me. Come at me as if you''re trying to kill me, as I''ll be trying to kill you. The ring I''m standing in is known as a dueling field, similar to a Birdcage but without the drain on your mana. Enough talk, time to fight!" The larger humanoid said, drawing a set of twin scimitars and ushering one of us to step into the ring.

    As the rest of the group of applicants stood unsure, I took a step forward and walked into the ring.

    What is there to be afraid of? He''s one man, and this isn''t even a battle to the death.

    "It looks like this crop has a brave one! You showed no hesitation to march into a loss!" The representative said with a cocky laugh and smile.

    "Could I call myself a warrior if I was afraid to fight?" I ask in a sly tone, drawing my shortsword and activating Speed Cloak.

    "Fair enough. Let the activation of the ring be our signal." The man said, dropping into a stance as the pale light of the ring eventually shone with the brightness of completion.

    Before he was even able to react, I dash forward, closing the distance between him and me in an instant, brought my leg into his unguarded chest.

    The cocky instructor was sent flying backward, slamming his back into the ring.

    Before he was able to counter-attack, I once again closed the distance, sending a kick onto his left hand, whilst attempting to cut off his right.

    Attempting may be the wrong word, as my sword cleanly chopped off his wrist, yet my kick wasn''t strong enough to break his left hand.

    Just as I was about to swing down on him once again, the instructor screamed.

    "Enough! You win!" He yelled, coughing up blood as his wounds began to heal and he pressed his hand to his wrist, allowing the healing magic of the ring to mend his wounds.

    "A good first round. How many rounds must we fight to pass the test?" I ask, looking at him as well as the rest of the applicants. All that I got in reply was silence and mostly stares of shock.

    "No more for you. You won, so you pass. I had no idea we were testing a monster," He said begrudgingly, his voice oozing venom.

    What did you just say? Are you calling me a monster?

    "By what basis do you call my people monsters," I say, anger rising from my chest. We''ve fought hard to rid ourselves of that title, I will not let this insect drag it back onto us.

    "What? Buddy, I don''t even know your people, I''m saying you have monstrous strength. First time in a big city?" He says, standing up and putting his hands up defensively.

    Ahh, so it was a compliment of strength. Maybe I do need to go out more, all the time talking with just the villagers has left a gap in my knowledge of terms.

    "Apologies, and yes it is my first time in years stepping foot into a town this large," I say, bowing my head slightly and heading towards the door he had pointed me to.

    Monstrously strong? I could hardly call myself that.

    ///

    After many minutes of waiting, I was handed a new contract that Arnold helped me go over. According to him, after I beat the instructor, he stepped up and was able to overwhelm him with ''the force of a small army'', whatever that means.

    The contract offer this time was much fairer, and Arnold assured me that it was okay to sign this one.

    He''s already proven his usefulness, I would never have been able to decipher the differences between the two contracts, as from my perspective they look about the same.

    Did Antonio and Surge have to go through this? I''m sure that at least one if not both of them could have seen through the schemes, much like Arnold has.

    The moment I''m reunited with them will be one of my happiest, but this journey has made me question something.

    What next? What happens after I find them?

    Pushing these questions aside, Arnold and I decide to take our newfound registration and join one of the larger guilds. This way we can make money whilst searching, and also get quick access to any possible info on them.

    "What are the differences between the guilds?" I ask, as Arnold and I wander through the maze of different guild halls and buildings.

    "Well, there are a few things. Guilds are all about rep, the better reputation a guild has, the more high-paying clients would be willing to back that guild. So, guilds will usually specialize in one or two things and only let people skilled in those tasks in, in order to be known as say ''the guild that employs amazing earth mages'' etc." Arnold explained, pointing at different guild halls of varying styles and quality.

    "Do you know of any guilds based around finding people?" I ask as Arnold places his hand on his chin.

    "Finding and killing or just locating people, as those are two very different jobs." He replies shortly after.

    "A bit of both." Finding my children and killing the adventurers that caused the destruction of Taf, although I personally would like to kill the ladder.

    "I know the perfect one in that case," Arnold says with a broad smile as he begins to walk in a seemingly random direction.

    "Uh, lead the way I guess." Does this guy know everything?

 Chapter 68 - Who You Know

    After following Arnold through the veritable maze of backstreets and alleyways, we arrived at a seemingly random building.

    Unlike the illustrious and stand-out guild halls that we had been looking at, this plain stone building looks no different from the multiple other residential homes in this town.

    "This is the place," Arnold says, turning towards me and gesturing towards the building.

    "Where exactly?" I ask, glancing between the seven identical buildings within or peripheral. Where did he take us? His friend''s house?

    "Ah, right, got a little ahead of myself here. Just stay behind me and stay silent alright?" He said, his tone slowly becoming more serious.

    I gave a simple nod and decided to follow behind him. Slowly yet confidently, he marched up to the door and knocked three times.

    A clamoring could be heard behind the door, as a small eye window was slid open.

    "Evening, I''m here to ask you about buying your home," Arnold says calmly.

    "Your price?" A gruff voice said behind the door.

    "Negotiable, I''m back by the bank," Arnold replied instantly, tapping his foot three times.

    "Your backer?" The voice said, as more sound could be heard behind the door.

    "One Man Army, as well as a new business associate," Arnold said, slightly nodding his head back towards me.

    "Come in, I''d rather discuss this in the comfort of my living room." The gruff voice said, sliding the eye window closed as many locks were audibly undone.

    The stone door creaked open slowly, as we were let inside what I can now tell is a very well disguised guildhall.

    Inside the hidden hall was a collection of tables and chairs, hosting a variety of different people, all of which discuss various topics at various volumes.

    "Well well well, look who decided to go official and get registered with the union!" A loud, yet warm voice called out as a mountain of a man approached us. Covered to head to toe in dark leather armor and battle scars, was something I was not expecting to see in this place.

    Adorned on his pointed ears and neck was traditional Tiamat jewelry, and his skin was a deep blood red.

    "Well met brother, I am Gust, chief of Taf," I say, sticking out my left hand for a handshake and twisting my right into a fist, the traditional greeting for neutral clans.

    "Well met brother, I am Boramir, remnant of Traun," Boramir says, shaking my hand as a look of grief briefly flashes across his face.

    To introduce yourself as a remnant is to introduce yourself as the last of your clan.

    "I see you''ve brought me someone very interesting, it''s rare to find a fellow Tiamat out here, let alone a chieftain. What of Taf?" He says, glancing between Arnold and me.

    "I''m searching for the remainder of my clan, less I''ve become a remnant. A group of adventurers brought upon a monster horde and strange magic, freezing my entire village. I''m journeying to find my children, who managed to awaken and leave before me." I explain, finally feeling a burden off my chest. It''s nice to be able to speak freely to another Tiamat.

    "Ah, then your friend has brought you to the right place. Since you''re a fellow Tiamat, as well as looking for family, Edge of Night will help you for one simple favor." Boramir says with a warm smile. "Arnold, have you told our new friend here anything about what we do here?"

    "Nope. He said he needed to find some people, so I brought em home. " Arnold shrugged, gesturing for Boramir to continue.

    "Take a seat friend, I''ll explain what exactly my guild here does, and what you can do for us. Whilst we''re searching for them, you''ll be completing a job for us. When you''re done, I guarantee we will be." Boramir said, walking over to a table and pulling out a chair for Arnold and me.

    Taking a seat, I have no questions nor need for explanations.

    "Boramir, friend, I understand the standard practice, but there''s no need for lengthy explanations. If I can trust Arnold, I can trust you and your organization. The two people I''m looking for are my children, Surge and Antonio." I say, cutting off Boramir before he''s able to continue. "Surge is a full-blooded Tiamat and Antonio is at least half-human. Antonio Icefield and Surge Thundercrash are their full names. I can give you any more information you need."

    ///

    "Understood, your job from us is simple. Within the guard''s tower within the city is a woman, a wind sprite who is particularly skilled at two very specific types of magic. Break her out, and take her on your journey. That woman has been caged for years and needs to find something." Boramir said, giving me a basic description of who I''m meant to save, and where exactly the guard tower is.

    "If the job is as simple as described, why has she been trapped for years, and why hasn''t anyone bothered to save her yet?" I asked, receiving a chuckle from both Arnold and Boramir.

    "Brother, if you think rescuing someone right under the nose of the magically enhanced guards, who''s locked at the top of the most protected building in the city, all whilst escaping alive and unseen, is so easy, then feel free to try tonight," Boramir said, another chuckle following.

    "Then if the task is as impossible as you claim, why give it to me?" I ask, now more confused than ever.

    "What''s the risk? If you succeed, Sylvia is free and all we have to do is house you until we find your children as payment. If you fail, you die and we''ve lost no guild personnel." Boramir says, speaking completely honestly, which is refreshing, to say the least.

    "The task is simple if I was allowed to be seen by the guards that is. I could simply break in and break out with Sylvia. I still don''t understand why that isn''t an option." I ask, genuinely considering how many guards I could incapacitate in one night.

    "The entire purpose of breaking her out is freedom, if you two are spotted by the guards and your mana signatures are recorded by scanners, you''ll forever be criminals, even if you were able to change your faces with transformation magic. Sylvia has the power to break herself out, yet the moment she unseals her mana she''ll be scanned and doomed to be a prisoner. Instead, you can break her out silently, and you''ll both be better off for it. We''re lucky the guard captain is a freak. Since her detainment is illegal, so is processing her as a criminal. Otherwise, you''d have to break her out from a real prison." Boramir explains for at least the fifth time this conversation.

    "Fine, I''ll do it silently. How long do I have?" I ask, starting to piece together a plan.

    "As long as you need, we''ll let you know when we''ve found your children, if you succeed that is," Boramir said, sticking out his right hand for a handshake.

    "I swear it upon my name, find my children, and I''ll save your sprite," I say, shaking his hand and standing up from the table.

    We''ve been talking for a good hour or two, yet so much busywork makes me almost miss the swamps of work I had yet to catch up on in Taf.

    Almost.

    After stretching and standing up, I was free to explore the guildhall and talk to the receptionist if I needed a place to stay, for a price of course.

    "Oh, and one more thing brother, as soon as you receive your official card, come back here and join our guild officially, that way we can pay you and you can take jobs on the books," Boramir says, grabbing me by the shoulder with a warm smile.

    "Of course, that''s what I planned on doing. But how exactly am I supposed to get back in? I haven''t exactly been told the passcode." I say, returning a cheeky smile to Boradir.

    "The passcode is simple. Ask to buy the house, at a negotiable price, backed by your adventurer''s name. Jerry the doorman checks your name to the registration, and your face to your name, and then the door opens. Simple is as simple does." Boramir said, which for once I agree with him.

    That is a remarkably simple way of vetting members. Also, based on the types of jobs I can see on the job posting board, as well as the conversations I heard on the way in, this guild doesn''t necessarily respect human laws.

    I mean, I''ve just been given a job that directly flies in the face of the guards within the city, yet it sounds as if the guards here are a bit more than corrupt if they''ve elected to illegally imprison a woman who can''t fight back.

    Either way, I''m glad I was able to find such powerful allies so quickly, even if it was mainly luck and even if they may not be the most trustworthy or legally abiding people. Not as if I''ve ever cared about human laws in the first place, but Antonio may see a problem with it.

    Tomorrow night, I''ll set out to investigate this so-called guard tower.

 Chapter 69 - What You Know

    After exploring the town for a bit and waiting for nightfall, I had a solid mental map of the town layout.

    In laymen''s terms, the town had no consistent layout. The streets seemed to randomly wind and turn, sometimes ending or hitting a dead end with a storefront.

    Either this cities planner made this place deliberately confusing, or there was no city planner.

    This was both extremely beneficial, as if I have to run, finding me is going to be as difficult as finding a rat in a labyrinth, as well as burdensome since I can easily get as lost as my pursuers.

    However, that''s a worry for another time, as my mission right now is to inspect the guard''s tower.

    Making my way to the center of this web-like town, I saw my target. Alongside the huge ivory tower that the city lord lived in, which also served to project a barrier around the sky of the city, was a smooth stone tower about half the size.

    This spire is known as the guard''s tower and primarily acts as the headquarters for the city guard. Hmm, the guard''s tower is only about a minute''s walk from the Lord''s Spire.

    The exterior of the tower was brutally ugly. It was simply a completely smooth stone tower, having four doors at the bottom, and about halfway up, there ceased to be windows.

    According to Boramir and Arnold, the legal and official prison is located underneath the guard''s tower, whilst the unofficial prison is located in the upper half of it. I''m assuming Sylvia is being held at the uppermost portion of the tower, whilst less dangerous unofficial captives are held lower in the tower.

    If only Antonio or Blaze were here. If either of them had received this mission, it would be a simple one. They could simply cast a bit of transformation magic, fly to the top of the tower, and open the top up to grab Syliva and leave.

    Yet, I possess not a flight spell nor a powerful enough exterior mana network to blow open the top of the tower. Ahh, to be born talented.

    Aside from the windowless upper half and the regular patrol of guards, the tower seems to be nothing special.

    Heading back to the guildhall for Edge of Night, I have my rough plan in mind.

    The plan is simple, yet I''ll need a bit of help.

    I need a few members of Edge of Night to make a huge commotion on the west end of town. Then, I''ll climb to the top of the Ivory Tower unseen, and then jump to the top of the Guard''s Tower. I can utilize speed cloak and Blaze''s gliding spell, Falcon Swoop, to silently make my way over.

    Falcon''s Swoop simply slows my descent, it''s meant for silently stalking prey and designed for even the least magically talented among us to be able to use. However, it has an unexpected and now very useful effect.

    With the slower fall speed, comes a greater distance that one can travel after jumping. With that plus a full burst of speed cloak, I can easily reach the top of the tower.

    Once I''m at the top, I simply cut a hole open in the top, grab Sylvia, and leave via jumping off with Falcon''s Swoop.

    Confident in my strategy, I give the passcode to Jerry the doorman, and request to meet with Boramir as soon as possible.

    I''m really going to rescue this Sylvia woman in one day.

    ///

    "That''s, almost a good idea. But the end is what''s stupid and won''t work." Boramir said after I had fully explained my plan to him.

    "What about it is stupid and unworkable?" I ask, genuine confusion leaking into my voice.

    "As I said, the ending. Sure, I don''t doubt your ability to get to the top of the tower, but you need some serious firepower to even dent the thing, let alone blow a hole in the top. Also, you''re gambling on the commotion being big enough to warrant the full force of the guards. If there''s even one guard left in the tower with a scanner, you''re cooked." Boramir said, slowly poking holes in my no-longer air-tight plan.

    "Well, say a rouge Tiamat was going berserk outside the western wall, wouldn''t that solve our issue of not pulling enough guards?" I say, giving a sly look to the now smug-faced Boramir. Good el reputation, nothing beats it.

    "Sure, that would solve one glaring issue, but don''t forget about the second. At full power, utilizing my full cloak, I can barely crack the walls of the tower. How do you expect to blow a hole in the top?" Boramir asks, leaning back in his chair and yawning. Too bad I already have a solution to that little problem as well.

    "If my full strength isn''t enough to break it open, I''ll simply use this," I say, reaching into my bag and pulling out a small, tightly packed rod of tempered leather.

    "What exactly would that be?" He asks, which was my question when I first laid my eyes on it.

    "Something my genius son and friend Blaze cooked up. Couldn''t tell you how it works, but all I know is that it''s filled with powder and creates an extremely powerful, yet concentrated explosion when you light the piece of string at the top." I say, gesturing to what Blaze named The Fuse.

    "How exactly does a stick of leather and some powder cause an explosion?" Boramir asks, bewildered as I was upon first seeing its power.

    "Again, couldn''t tell ya. Apparently, Blaze found out the powder reacts to fire and sparks, and Antonio came up with the idea. If my raw strength can''t break through that ceiling, one or two of these sticks will." I say, puffing my chest with pride.

    "How many do you have? How many are you willing to use?" Boramir asks, looking over at the Explosive Stick with a hint of fear in his eyes.

    "I have five of the prototypes, and I''m willing to use them all if it means I can see my children again. Besides, once Antonio is safe, he can simply make more." I say with a shrug, yet it feels as if I''m missing something.

    I''m sure it''s just nerves. It only makes sense to be a bit unnerved when diving into an uncertain plan.

    "Alright, if you truly think you can blow open the top of the tower with these sticks, I''ll take that gamble. Tomorrow night, when the moon is in the center of the sky, I''ll get some of the guys together and we''ll cause a ruckus on the west side of town. Just one more question, how do you plan on climbing the Ivory Tower?" Boramir asks with a hint of skepticism.

    "I''ll just scale it by attaching cloak to my fingers and slamming them into the wall of the tower. The same way you''d climb a steep rock face, just faster." I say, shrugging as Boramir nods with acceptance.

    I''m sure others may look at our conversation and think that idea alone is crazy, but they couldn''t be further from the truth. In fact, the truth is often stranger than any fiction you could imagine.

    After the finer details of the plan were ironed out, I had about a day and a half free.

    That being said, I can''t just stand around and wait for time to pass, there are a few preparatory steps I need to take.

    First and foremost, I need some supplies for rescuing Sylvia.

    Mainly I need a rope for Sylvia to climb up on and new clothes. It sounds like the guard captain has a  particular interest in Sylvia, so when I come to rescue her, she may be, disrobed.

    I truly feel bad for the woman, so hopefully, my offer of new clothes will help her cope with escaping and being free a bit more.

    Walking through the winding streets, I eventually find a general goods store in which I''m able to purchase a rope some other general tools to put in my storage bag.

    Afterward, I ask around and find myself in a store known as ''Rose''s Thorn'', a clothing story targeting female adventurers.

    "Welcome to Rose''s Thorn! I''m R- excuse me sir are you lost?" A cheery-looking halfling says, walking out from behind a counter.

    "No, very sorry but I''m looking to buy some clothes for a female associate. I was told this would be the premier location for female adventuring clothes." I say, looking between the halfling and her various selections of leather and chain clothing.

    "Of course! You''ve come to the right place. Just tell me the rough measurements of your friend, ya know height weight, etc, and I can find something that''ll suit her well enough until she''s able to come back and get properly fitted. Trust me when I say, wives love my wares." Rose said with a smug grin, assuming she had me pegged as a person shopping for his wife.

    Well, I''m sure Marble would love to come here. Protective gear is always important, and I''m sure she''d appreciate a choice beyond simple leather and simple chain.

    Either way, it''s not as if I''m going to bother with correcting Rose, this way she''ll choose what she believes is her best.

    After giving a brief description of what Sylvia looked like, all of which was according to what Boramir said, I left the tailors with a lighter wallet than I had hoped, yet clothes for Sylvia if the worst-case scenario comes to fruition.

    As the sun began to set, I have only a day before the mission.

 Chapter 70 - Smash And Grab (Part One)

    The time passed calmly, giving me another precious day of mapping and planning for the big mission.

    We only have one chance at this. The moment they realize the purpose of the distraction and method of extraction, they''ll never let it happen again.

    So far, the plan has been ironed out to perfect detail. Edge of Night has a mage with an artifact that gives invisibility placed at the top of the Ivory Tower, ready to drop a rope in case my cloak and claws aren''t enough to pierce the magically protected marble.

    As night began to rapidly approach, I bought a small magical implement known as an igniter.

    Usually, it''s used in survival and camping situations to start fires easily, yet tonight it''ll replace my need to use fire magic. Every scrap of mana counts so I can''t afford to be stingy.

    After double-checking my preparations and making sure I had the right description of Sylvia, I headed into the Edge of Night to wait for the signal.

    Yet I didn''t have to wait long, as about five minutes after I walked in, Boramir and a group of strong-looking adventurers, each donning a silver mask, gave me a nod and stepped out of the guild building.

    It was time.

    Stepping out and donning the black cloak and mask Edge of Night had supplied me with, I left the guild building and barrelled towards the Ivory Tower at maximum speed. In order to escape notice, I was given the idea to climb to the top of the nearest building and jump between them, which ended up cutting off a good amount of travel time.

    Why didn''t I think of this sooner?

    No matter, mere moments after I had reached the building adjacent to the Ivory tower, a massive explosion could be heard on the west side of town.

    Good Lords, I knew they were planning on making a ruckus, but that seems almost gratuitous. Well, not as if this city truly needs its walls, the only hostile people I''ve seen here have been drunkards or adventurers with more ego than brains.

    Either way, I''ll take that explosion as my symbol.

    Applying a bit of Speed Cloak to my legs, I lept from the building towards the side of the Ivory Tower, cloaking my sharpened claws with a cloak for added piercing effect.

    As my body slammed into the side of the smooth tower, I threw my hands into the side of it as hard as possible, expecting a bit of resistance.

    Yet, what I wasn''t expecting, was for my claws and cloak to be repelled completely, sending me flying backward with an equal amount of force that I had struck at the tower with.

    I had no idea I was swinging with the force I did, as the blowback sent me backward back first into the building I had just lept from, leaving an impact in the stone where I had landed.

    Shit. Time for plan B.

    Reaching into my right pocket, I pulled out a small blue crystal. By injecting a bit of mana, the color of the crystal would cycle through an assortment of colors. Injecting mana twice landed the crystal on a red color, signaling to the guild member atop the ivory tower to throw down the full length of the rope, as I had no way to pierce the tower.

    Thankfully, that part of the plan had gone off without any apparent hitch, as after about thirty seconds of waiting, a thick and tightly bound white rope was flung off the side of the building, allowing me to quickly scale the building with a bit of speed cloak applied to my hands and legs.

    I say quickly, but this speed is still only half of what I would have been able to accomplish if my claws had been able to pierce the thick marble. The scaling took a total of about five minutes, which was a long time given how limited time was on this mission.

    After reaching the top, I handed the dark-robed mage my red communication crystal, signaling I was a guild member and that his end of the bargain was complete.

    Great, now I owed one of the few people capable of going invisible in the country a favor. I''m sure nothing will come of that.

    Once I handed the black-robed mage the crystal, he pulled up the rope at a speed too quick to be natural and disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

    Taking a deep breath, I walked over to the opposite edge of the top of the Ivory Tower and took a moment to collect myself.

    Concentrate. There is nothing wrong with helping a woman escape from being kidnapped.

    This is for Surge. For Antonio. For Taf.

    Placing my hand on my chest, I began the chant for Falcon Swoop.

    "The wings and grace of a bird, the silence of the hunt. Allow this runt to evolve such skills, needed for this stunt. May my path be true and movements silent, as I brave the night as a quiet giant. Falcon Swoop." I complete the phrase, as I can feel a good amount of mana being drained from my body, as the spell is forced out from every pore of my body.

    Once the chilly breeze from my high position seems to disappear entirely, I know the spell has finally taken effect.

    Taking one more deep breath, I use up just about the rest of my mana on this cloak, leaving me with at most twenty percent of my maximum mana capacity, the bare minimum I need for emergency situations.

    Funneling all of the cloak into an interior cloak, and further refining it to just increase speed, I slam it all into my legs, causing them to quake slightly.

    It''s been a few months since I had to use this much cloak at once. The last time I used this much mana at once was against that freak of nature, Richard Silverwind.

    I may never forget that name for as long as I live.

    Now is not the time to think of such distractions, now is the time for action.

    Taking one last deep breath, I sprint at full speed towards the opposite edge of the Ivory Tower and jump with all of my might.

    I get an impressive amount of height and an even more impressive amount of distance, and thanks to Blaze''s custom spell, I''m barely losing any altitude.

    Allowing Falcon''s Swoop to carry me through the sky is always nerve-wracking, but I don''t think I''ve ever jumped from such a height in my life. Catapulting through the sky, it takes me less than ten seconds to reach my destination, the top of the Guards Tower.

    Loosening the effects of Falcon''s Swoop allows me to safely land on top of the tower, yet I don''t have to worry about canceling and recasting afterward.

    Using the billowing smoke and commotion in the west as a guild, I quickly find the northeast corner of the tower, the section of the tower in which Sylvia is supposedly being held.

    Drawing my sword, I swing down with all my might on the spot in front of me, transferring all of my cloak into my arms for this one swing.

    Unfortunately, this leaves only a crack in the roof, which was quickly being repaired by the tower''s magic.

    Well, that''s just wonderful. If only I still had my ax, I could have shattered this flimsy rock into a million pieces.

    Plan B it is. Reaching into the bag on my back, I take out three of the explosive sticks and tie their fuses together, remembering what Antonio told me to do if I ever planned on using more than one.

    After the fuses were tied together, I placed the bundle of explosives right in a still repairing splinter of the tower and ignited the fuses with my new igniter.

    As the fuses began to spark and burn brightly, I ran to the opposite side of the Guards Tower and got low to the ground, covering my ears.

    I knew from experience just how loud these explosions could get, and the three of them did not disappoint.

    As the fuses burned away, all I could hear and feel was the aftermath of the explosion.

    Not wasting any time, I dashed at the hole at full speed, peering down below to the now very visible cell.

    What I saw below nearly made my blood boil. The woman who was described as Sylvia to me was chained to a bed, as a man in the upper half of captain''s uniform slowly injected her with both a strange glowing substance, as well as something that can not be called an action-driven by love.

    Yet, the moment the ceiling blew open, the half-dressed man looked upon me in horror, yet the completely disrobed Sylvia''s eyes were dead.

    "What a-" He began to yell in terror.

    Before another word could be said, I leaped into the cell and removed the man''s head from his body.

    Grabbing the needle from Sylvia''s arm, I ripped it out and shoved it into my bag, using the opportunity to break all of her chains and throw her the clothes I had prepared.

    Seeing the clothes and dead captain restored a bit of life to her eyes, yet I hope that''s enough to bear being touched by another man right now, as I need to pick her up and jump out of here fast.

    The ceiling was already beginning to try and repair itself, and if it closes, so does our window of opportunity.

 Chapter 71 - Smash And Grab (Part Two)

    "Come with me if you want to leave," I say, sticking out my hand to the still dazed Sylvia.

    "W-wha-" She begins to stutter as if this was the first time she''d ever spoken to a person before. We don''t have time for this.

    Ignoring her dazed state, I dash over to her and scoop her onto my shoulder, new clothes and all.

    Then, without wasting any more time, I jump out of the now rapidly closing hole, just in time to land on the now fully stabilized roof with the even less mentally stabilized Sylvia.

    However, time is still not on our side. We need to leap off this building and escape the eyes of the guards before the commotion on the western end of the city is wrapped up, and I can''t afford to have Sylvia suddenly becoming lucid and ruining this whole escape plan.

    Setting her down onto her feet gently, thankfully I don''t have to worry about her suddenly snapping back to her senses mid-air, as she seems to have regained some amount of mental function, given she is now wordlessly throwing the clothes I gave her on.

    "Who are you?!" She yells as soon as she''s somewhat dressed, taking a hasty step back from me.

    "I am Gust, a friend of Boramir''s. Can you cast? It would be beneficial if you could make your way back to the guildhall on your own, otherwise, I''ll have to carry you." I ask as multiple emotions fly through her face.

    "Hurry. We have little time before the guards arrive and even less until my floating spell wears off. Answer or I''m leaving you behind and assuming you can fly." That''s a lie. There''s no chance in hell I''d leave behind the ticket to seeing my kids again after coming so far, but fear ought to shake some sense into her.

    "No, I can''t cast. Whatever drugs they were injecting me with for these past few years have kept me from using any mana. That''s why I couldn''t just break out of that prison myself." She quickly answers, finishing getting dressed yet taking another unsteady step away from me.

    "What? I thought you were just cautious of the mana scanners?" I ask, taking a step closer and sticking out my hand. "Come, you can explain everything on the trip down."

    Syliva takes one slow and uneasy step, followed by another until she eventually grabs onto my hand.

    Not being able to waste any more time, I grab her hand and pull her into a bridal carry, leaping off the building and reactivating Falcon''s Swoop.

    We escaped not a moment too soon, as from the sky we can see a beat-up yet alert platoon of guards begin to head back towards the tower.

    Gently gliding through the air, it''ll take us at least twenty minutes of silent descent to reach the ground, then about five minutes of walking to return to the guild building. Plenty of time to wring some answers out of my new supposed comrade.

    "So, what''s this about a mana inhibiting drug? How Boramir explained it, it sounded as if you were simply being cautious." I ask, as Sylvia scoffs slightly and shakes her head.

    "I''m the guild master of a grey guild, why would I be afraid of some measly scanner? No, after I was captured, they would give me daily injections of this strange glowing liquid. At first, I tried to resist, I could resist, but after a while..." Sylvia replied, her voice trailing off as she subconsciously rubbed her right arm.

    "I understand, you don''t have to go into much detail. How long have you been held there? Also, guild master? I thought that title belonged to Boramir?" I ask as Sylvia takes a moment to think.

    Hmm, her face seems somewhat familiar, but I can''t quite place it.

    "What year is it?" She asks, looking over at me with a strange expression.

    "It''s 982, yet in a few months it''ll be 983," I say, as a look of shock gradually comes over Sylvia.

    "**** *****" She mutters inaudibly.

    "Come again?" I ask, as a look of sad acceptance finally hits her face.

    "Five years. I''ve been imprisoned and drugged for five years." She says in a defeated tone. I can feel warm tears slowly collecting on my arm, but there''s not much support I can give her, given both my arms are full and half my focus is on maintaining Falcon''s Swoop.

    Thankfully, it looks like I won''t have to just yet, as she simply continues talking.

    "It all makes sense now. Why you know Bor but I''ve never seen you in the guild, why you don''t know who I am and why you''re referring to Bor as the guild master. Of course. It all makes sense now. I was forgotten by the guild, and abandoned for five years." She says, her tone deflated and her body slumping.

    "Well, that''s not true at all," I say, which is completely true.

    If the guild had abandoned you, they wouldn''t have given me this job, and you wouldn''t be free right now. But I can''t just say that.

    "They never abandoned you, according to Boramir, even with all his might, he was barely able to put a crack in the guard''s tower. It''s more like they all failed, not that you were necessarily abandoned." I end up saying, looking down at Sylvia with a mix of understanding and pity.

    Yet, something is still nagging at me.

    There are too many details that just don''t add up. The way Boramir spoke about Sylvia, it sounded as if she''d been trapped, a caged person, for most of her life. Yet, from what I''m hearing from Sylvia, she was actually Boramir''s boss.

    Also, there wasn''t any scanner. The captain didn''t even have anything on him, although it''s not as if I checked, and even Sylvia said she didn''t care about its effects.

    Finally, if it''s this easy, why hasn''t anyone done it yet?

    Sure, I just happened to have the right set of tools to complete the job, but with five years worth of prep time, anyone could have done this much.

    Maybe not the explosives, but someone could have developed a flight spell and a powerful enough spell to blow open the tower, whilst the rest of the guild made a distraction on the opposite side of town.

    In fact, this was the first plan that came to mind, let alone if I had five years of plotting and preparations.

    Something just isn''t adding up.

    "Sylvia, I have a question for you," I say seemingly out of the blue, as she looks up at me with a confused yet still deflated face.

    "What is it?" She asks, her voice has only a hint of real interest.

    "Did you or do you have any enemies in the guild? Anyone, who you think would actively work against your interests?" I ask, as Sylvia''s face suddenly seems to fill with life and intrigue.

    "Hmmm, no one aside from one or two people. Why?" She asks, now interested in the conversation.

    "Describe the two to me," I say, slowly piecing together an idea.

    "One''s name is Lenard, he was one of our higher-ranking members who would focus mainly on assassinations and break-ins. We would always butt heads on the direction we wanted the guild to take, but when it came to serious matters, we were always able to see eye to eye. He''s someone who cares more about the guild than anything." She says, placing her hand on her chin and forcing me to shift my weight a bit to not drop her.

    Based on that, it''s most likely not him. No one who cares about the guild would backstab their guild master, and he doesn''t seem to have the necessary connections.

    "Next?" I ask, as Sylvia breaks from her trance of thought and continues to talk.

    "The other guy''s name was Keith. Focused a lot on theft and was one of our top info guys, basically, every tip he gave was correct. He was a bit of a klepto so I had to keep him on a real short leash. Even if he was a nut for stealing, his real talent was his information network. If you wanted to know anything or wanted anyone to not know something, he''s your man." She said, once again going back into a deep state of thought.

    He sounds like our guy.

    How I see it, is that this Keith character had one too many bad experiences with Sylvia, and once she got taken, did everything in his power to keep her there.

    It makes sense, if he controls all the intel the guild gets, it would only be natural to skew the truth. Making up lies about Sylvia being completely fine and at full power, just being cautious and not breaking out.

    Making up information about fake technology that the guards had to dissuade people from trying to help Sylvia, and even keeping the guild busy and focused on other things, suppressing any info that came out about her.

    "Why do you ask?" Sylvia said, snapping me out of my reverie.

    "Hmmm, just working with a theory. I think Keith may have to do with why you''ve been locked up for so long." I say, speaking my mind.

    "Not possible." She says, instantly shutting me down.

    "Why not? It seems perfectly possible to me?" I reply as Sylvia shakes her head and sighs.

    "Keith died on a job two years before I got captured." She said, her voice filled with a bit of remorse.

    Hmmmm.

    This still doesn''t sit right with me.

    No matter, after a bit more small talk, we land gracefully on the ground and make our way back towards the guild building of Edge of Night.

 Chapter 72 - Uneasy Closure

    Arriving at the guild building, I didn''t even have to give the knock or password, since as soon as Sylvia and I walked up to the door of the hall, Jerry opened the door with a shocked look.

    "Boss! You actually made it out!" He said, nearly tripping over himself as he ran up to Sylvia to give her a large hug.

    Huh, he must have really valued Sylvia as a guild master.

    "Yeah, it''s okay Jerry, I''m okay for now." She said, returning his embrace.

    "Come on! The old Night''s Edge guys are probably gonna flip!" He said, dragging Sylvia by the arm. Wait, Night''s Edge?

    Without being able to ask my question, I was dragged along with Sylvia into the guildhall. Stepping in, we were met with two different reactions.

    The first, which was expected, was almost no reaction.

    The second, was the reaction that almost half the guild had, all of them running up to hug and greet their returning guild master.

    Oh, it wasn''t just Jerry. It looks like everyone who knew Sylvia really valued her, maybe more than a guild member should value their master.

    All of this had a palpable effect on Sylvia, as she broke down in tears as more and more guild members greeted her with warm smiles and loving embraces.

    Not my place to get involved. Scooting out of the slowly growing encirclement I walk up to the bar within the guild building, grab some free celebratory booze, and take a seat.

    I''m absolutely exhausted, but at least the job is complete. I''ll need a day or two to fully recover my mana and body, and afterward, I can set off on the journey to see Antonio and Surge.

    Just as I was beginning to get too comfortable, a happy, yet bruised face takes a seat right next to me. My guild brother, Boramir.

    "You did it! You crazy son of a bitch, you actually pulled off the impossible!" Boramir said, putting a happy arm around my back and pulling me into a side hug.

    "Impossible? Hardly, my plan worked flawlessly, it was actually much easier than you think." I say, allowing myself to brag a bit. I love it when a plan comes together.

    "No, seriously, from the bottom of my heart, thank you." He said, turning me to face him as he continued. "You have no idea how much this means to me, to us. How would you like to join us, the real us." He said, his voice lowering a bit as he said that last part.

    "Come again?" I ask, genuinely confused at this point. I''m already a member of the guild, am I not?

    "Follow me, brother." He says, standing up and beckoning me to follow him.

    Standing up, I follow Boramir through a set of heavy steel doors located behind the staircase up to the second level. Interesting, I never noticed this door whenever I was in the guildhall before.

    That being said, I didn''t spend too much time just meandering in the hall.

    After walking down a staircase for a good minute, we''re brought before another large steel door, which Boramir pushes open with ease.

    Past the steel door seems to be some sort of conference room. Comfortable leather furniture, magical light fixtures, and multiple documents were strewn across a center table.

    "Welcome, to the exterior meeting room of Night''s Edge, brother." He says, with a confident tone and smile.

    "That''s the second time I''ve heard that name. What exactly is Night''s Edge? Isn''t the guild named Edge of Night?" I ask, taking a comfortable seat on the large leather couch, as Boramir takes a seat opposite from me.

    "Well, yes and no. Edge of Night is the name of our official grey guild. Night''s Edge is the name of our unofficial guild, whose members number much lower than the official documents." He said in a matter-of-fact tone. I think I''m more confused now than when I asked the question. Official guild? Unofficial? What''s the difference between the two aside from members?

    "I think I''m missing a few key details," I say, hoping that he would at least explain a bit more to me.

    "Let me start from the beginning," He says, taking a deep breath and fulfilling my hopes. "Sylvia, Arnold, Jerry, Keith, Trevor, and I all used to run, or I guess you could say still do run, an underground guild known as Night''s Edge. Sylvia was the guild master, Arnold, Trevor, and I were the main muscle behind the group, whilst Jerry and Keith were in charge of money and intel. Are you following so far?" He asks as I nod for him to continue.

    I think I''ve already heard a bit of what happened from Sylvia.

    "Around eight years ago, we realized that in order to operate on a wider scale, we would need official guild documents and licenses. Otherwise, the organization couldn''t survive financially. We needed an excuse for all of the money coming in, and forming a grey guild provided us with the perfect opportunity, hence the guild Edge of Night was born." He said, sighing and sitting back.

    "Why? Why form a separate guild with separate members instead of making Night''s Edge an official guild?" This just seems redundant and frankly stupid.

    "It was Keith''s idea originally, and we followed his advice. Most adventurers who join grey guilds do so due to the money, not loyalty, but we still needed enough heads to make our guild official. There''s no honor among thieves, so we''d simply filter all the small-time jobs to Edge of Night to keep them appeased, whilst the big fishes would be dealt with by Night''s Edge."

    "Yet, that all changed when Keith died. We started to have trouble differentiating between good jobs and scams, which ended up with Sylvia walking right into a trap, leading to her being captured. With no one on intel and no guild master with connections, Night''s Edge fell into obscurity, overtaken by Edge of Night." Boramir continued to explain, his head falling into his hands.

    "Then why take so long to break out Sylvia? And why request I take her with me? Nothing your saying is making sense." I say, still not understanding where I fit into all of this.

    "You don''t get it. Sylvia has connections all over the underground, and they turned her into the guards. The moment she steps back into the underground, especially with no mana, we''ll be back to square one." He says, raising his head and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Night''s Edge still has an underground reputation thanks to Arnold and Trevor keeping up appearances, yet once that well runs dry, we''ll be shit out of luck. The point of you taking Sylvia along is to free her of this stupid life on the run, as well as help out Night''s Edge. Once Sylvia''s regained her full strength and built new connections throughout the continent, Night''s Edge will be able to stop cowering in shadows and go back to running the black guild space."

    Ahh, it''s a pride thing. He wants me to take Sylvia with me and act as a wall of meat, that way she can do what she does best without worry.

    "I understand. But there are still two things I don''t understand." I say, holding out two fingers.

    "What would those be?" Boramir asks, tilting his head slightly.

    "One, what took you so long to save Sylvia. Two, why me?" I ask, as Boramir just shakes his head and chuckles.

    "Sixty-three. We tried sixty-three times to break Sylvia out of that hell hole. Whether it was hiring a bunch of goons and rushing the tower, getting mages together to blast the tower with fire and explosion magic, attempting to contact Sylvia and help her escape, truly we had thought we tried everything. In fact, I''m still shocked you succeeded. We spent over one hundred thousand Soldi hiring a Legate tier fire magician to set off detonation magic at the top of the tower, yet all that it left was a huge black scorch mark. No matter how much magic we threw at the tower, it was as if it simply absorbed it and shrugged off the rest. We figured out around try number forty-one that there was some sort of magic absorption inscription on the tower, so in all honesty, it felt hopeless." He said, chuckling and shrugging, eventually, his head falling back into his hands.

    Hmm, interesting. I guess that would prevent most high-scale damage, especially since my strongest attack could barely crack the tower.

    Yet, still, something is nagging at me.

    "How did you know Sylvia had lost the use of her mana? Also, you still haven''t answered my other question." I say as Boramir looks up at me as if I''m stupid.

    "I was a partner with this person for years, she used to leak mana like a leaky faucet, yet when you brought her back, there was nothing. Also, who else could I choose for this but you? You accomplished something no one else in Night''s Edge ever could, making you more than fit to join us and reap the benefits once we reclaim our spot at the top, even if your only contribution is standing in front of Sylvia when she was weak." Boramir said, a warm smile spreading over his face as he stuck his hand out, a symbol shining a brilliant gold on the back of it. "So, brother, care to join us? All you have to do is exactly what you''re already planning on doing, go to your children. Just protect Sylvia on your journey."

    Although a few things are still bugging me, I can''t turn him down. Boramir has been nothing but kind to me and is even trusting me with protecting me someone dear to him.

    If I turned him down now, I could hardly call myself a leader, let alone an honorable man.

    Shaking his hand, I could feel a symbol begin to burn itself into the back of my hand, the symbol of a bird''s wings, with a halo around the top of them. I could also feel a connection with Boramir and a few others now, beyond what could be considered normal.

    "Welcome,  brother, to the family," Boramir said, a pleasant smile on his face, yet his voice almost seemed to rise an octave or two.

    Hmm, must have been my ears playing a trick on me.

 Chapter 73 - Swift Travel

    After officially joining Night''s Edge, Boramir and I headed back up into the guild building. Only to find that the members of Edge of Night are currently throwing a loud party in celebration.

    How lovely.

    Wading through the drunken adventurers and pats on the back, Boramir and I found ourselves in the back corner of the room, sitting at a table with three other people.

    The two I knew quite well by now, those two being Arnold and Sylvia. The third was a young beastkin, who I don''t think I''ve ever met before. His ears were rounded at the top, whilst his forearms up to his wrist were covered in fur.

    Bear family? I need to look into beastkin more, I''d hate to accidentally be rude to one.

    "Hello, I don''t believe we''ve met. I''m Gust." I say, sticking my hand out for the short bear to shake.

    "A pleasure to finally meet you, I''m Ruka, the person who found you kids." He said, yet before I could ask any questions he stuck his finger to his lips and continued to talk. "I know exactly what you want to ask, just give me a minute. In the meantime, mind if I ask you something?" He said, looking up at me as his left eye slowly started to glow with ethereal green magic.

    "Ask away." I have nothing to hide.

    "How did you start fostering the son of a wind spirit? And a noble one at that?" Ruka asked, his deadpan tone and expression never leaving his face.

    "What?" What?

    "What do you mean what? Your son, Antonio ''Icefield'' as you call him is half wind sprite. He''s also being chased by a group of three Fae that not even my eye can identify." He said, tapping under his left eye as it continue to glow brighter and brighter.

    "Are you sure? I thought his parents were the humans that were frozen around him when we found the boy. Also, how do you know all of that?" I ask, my mouth moving faster than my brain can even keep up.

    Are you kidding me? Antonio is the direct descendant of a wind spirit? How is that even possible?

    "Well, I''m just about ninety-nine percent sure. I searched and searched for one Antonio Icefield and nothing came up. When I searched for Surge Thundercrash, I found a full blood Tiamat traveling with a half-blood wind spirit with the given name of Antonio WitchThread." Ruka said, simply shrugging as if that was not major news.

    The son of a wind spirit?

    Wind Spirits are one of the few remaining immortal races on the planet, and at one point were considered the mortal enemies of the Tiamat.

    Now that may have all been propaganda from both the Spirit and Demon clans, but the sentiment has survived millennia.

    Due to being such hunted creatures, especially mature Wind Sprites, whose wings can be sound for millions of Soldi wherever you go, they typically never leave the Fae Wilds.

    For such an elusive race to not only remain outside of the Fae Wilds but have a child with a human, something extraordinary must have occurred. Or, something very, very dangerous.

    However, if I''m to believe this beastkin, this does explain a great many things about Antonio. No human child should be able to contain and wield such precise control over mana, yet he utilized water, wind, and earth magic as if it were second nature to him.

    Also, for a child so young, he seemed strangely lucid and in control of his own thoughts and emotions. I figured there was simply a vast racial gap and that all human children were able to think and adapt as he was, but if he were to be born from a spirit it would make sense.

    "Aye, buddy, you listening?" The beastkin said, waving his hand in front of my face and pulling me out of my own head.

    "Very sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment," I say, which is the truth. There are many questions I need to ask Antonio, all of which are quite personal.

    Thankfully, I can tell that the boy still views me as a father, so he should be relatively honest with me. No matter his blood, he''s still a child.

    "No matter, I did kinda drop a bombshell on you. Anyway, the image and information are ready, so get ready to memorize it." Ruka said, as his eye suddenly flashed a brilliantly bright green light, nearly blinding me.

    Yet, within that flash, it felt as if the information was being sent directly into my skull.

    What I saw and learned made me both viscerally confused and anxious. Antonio and Surge were sitting atop a carriage, owned by the current leaders of Elarus, the Delarus family. They were surrounded on all ends by guards, and it was obvious that they had no freedom of movement.

    The image also came with information, giving me an exact distance in kilometers and an exact direction to travel in to reach the location that I had just been given a glimpse of.

    I won''t know until I hit full speed, but thankfully it shouldn''t take me too long to reach the two of them.

    From the looks of disdain and discomfort on the faces of the guards, as well as the fact Antonio and Surge looked on edge, it was obvious what had happened.

    A member of the Jeralik royal family had captured Antonio and Surge, mostly likely after either Antonio and Surge had revealed themselves as Tiamat''s.

    After being informed that they were such a dangerous duo, they were apprehended immediately. Thankfully, the royals who captured them seem to be reasonable, as they simply threw them atop their carriage and are taking them alive.

    It''s most likely due to the fact that their children, but one could hope that they simply are reasonable people and wouldn''t kill on the basis of race and clan. Although some human and elven royals act with such prejudice, so I cannot say for certain.

    "So, did you get everything you need?" Ruka asks, placing a black eyepatch over his now completely grey left eye.

    "Yes, thank you very much," I say, lowering my head in a bow as Ruka simply scoffs.

    "No need to thank me, just pay me. For finding two people, at such a distance, on such short notice, that''ll run you eighty thousand Soldi. I won''t be able to use my eye for months now. " The greedy beastkin said, sticking out his palm as if I could give him such an exorbitant amount of money.

    "Ahem. Ruka, I told you that the guild will handle the payment of your services and that the customer would not be in your debt." Boramir said in a low tone, causing Ruka to draw his hand back.

    "Boramir, I don''t think I''ll ever be able to pay you back such an amount," I say, feeling as if the world was going to fall out from under me. Am I going to have to stay here and work for years just to pay that back?

    Was that his plan all along?

    "Worry not brother. You''ve already done enough for the guild, we can take care of the funding, you owe us nothing aside from what we already agreed upon." Boramir said, gesturing toward Sylvia.

    I had nearly forgotten. On top of everything that had happened in this conversation, I''m meant to escort Sylvia on my journey. Wonderful, that''s going to add multiple months onto my travel time unless Sylvia is down to be carried.

    "Wait, Gust is taking Sylvia to act as her bodyguard?" Arnold asked, speaking for the first time since his food had arrived.

    "Yes, he''ll act as her shield as his payment. He''s joined us and become a member of the family." Boramir explained as Arnold put on a large toothy grin.

    "Perfect, I''m coming with," Arnold said, popping a cut piece of steak into his mouth.

    "Alright," I say, knowing at this point that arguing with Arnold at this point would be useless. He''s the type to follow through on anything he sets his mind to.

    "Well you agreed to that quite quickly," Boramir said, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright then, I guess I''ll have to pick up the slack around here without you Arnold."

    With that, the celebration and day came to a peaceful end.

    ///

    The shining rays of dawn broke through the window, breaking me out of my comfortable slumber.

    Today''s the day. It''s been three days of preparing since the celebration, and today Arnold, Sylvia, and I are going to be setting out to find Surge and Antonio.

    The city has been a treat, to say the least, and I think I understand why Blaze was so fond of this place in particular. I''ve made new traveling companions, and found a powerful group of allies that I can call a new family.

    That being said, this family bound by magic is nothing compared to the real deal, but it''s close enough to bring me joy. I''m sure the trip to the children is going to be tricky, but I just can''t wait to introduce these two to Surge and Antonio.

    No matter how long it takes, I''m sure the outcome is going to be promising.

    Walking over to Arnold''s bed, I shake him out of his trance-like sleep and start getting ready.

    Get ready kids, your father is on the way.

 Chapter 74 - Revelations

    --- Point of View: Antonio Icefield ---

    After Gust had finished retelling his tale, a few things stuck out to me.

    First and foremost, was that the people he was traveling with were much more dangerous than he let on. A mage who can control an army of golems and the guild master of a grey guild?!

    Just who had Gust found as ''trustworthy companions''! I wouldn''t touch these people with a ten-foot pole let alone trust them with my life!

    You what, met Arnold for five minutes and suddenly you''re buddy buddy with him?

    You break Sylvia out of prison and suddenly she''s a beacon for truth and honesty?!

    No! They''re a group of cutthroat bandits and murderers! Why would you ever trust these people after such little interaction!

    Calm down. There are more pressing matters to attend to aside from who my father decides to surround himself with.

    "Hey Dad, can I see your hand for a sec?" I ask, pulling the Dad card so he can''t help but show me the symbol on the back of his hand.

    As soon as I grab his hand with both of mine, I focus a bit and extend a bit of my mana to touch upon the symbol now branded into his hand. Yet, as my mana begins to touch and interfere with it, it completely disintegrates.

    Of course, of course, he did.

    Of course, Gust would have a symbol fueled by Divinity right on the back of his hand.

    That means one of the members of Night''s Edge is a fucking emissary.

    God, Gust is gonna kill me after I have to kill one of his friends.

    "Do you know who started the symbol thing on your guy''s hands?" I ask, looking up at Gust with the best curious child expression I could.

    "Nope, sorry buddy, I''ve told you all I know about this thing." He said, gesturing towards the symbol that now amounts to a magical tattoo on the back of his hand.

    Hmm, I really don''t want to just randomly guess the real emissary, but I know I can count Gust out. If he was an emissary and I was an emissary, Ego would have told me already.

    Sighing deeply and glancing towards the stone hut that Arnold had made for himself and Sylvia, I could only be concerned.

    It does ease my worries a bit that Sylvia lacks any sort of mana, but I can''t help but get an uneasy feeling from the both of them.

    "Do you have any more of the stuff they were injecting Sylvia with?" I ask, tilting my head and looking towards Gust''s backpack.

    "I do, why?" He said, nearly reflexively grabbing it, yet stopping himself as he slowly opened it and brought out the rainbow-colored liquid.

    "Do you mind if I see it for a moment?" I ask, sticking my hand out to grab it from him.

    "What for? Don''t tell me you''re going to try and reverse engineer it." Gust says, slowly placing the vial into my hand.

    Of course, that''s why I want to see it. I want to see if I can make any myself.

    "Of course not! Why would I want something like that, it sounds like absolute torture." Is what I end up actually saying.

    As Gust drops the vial into my hand, immediately I smother it with the best magical detection spells, Divine detection methods, and everything else at it in hopes of uncovering even a slight bit of the components of the formula.

    Unfortunately, the wills of nature and science do not bend to the will of man, and no matter what diagnostic spell or technique I threw at this thing, there wasn''t much I could figure out about it.

    Man, I really need to get better at light magic, as well as develop more defensive spells, magical analysis spells, diagnostic spells, and so so many more spells to create.

    My plate is getting a little full, hopefully, soon I''ll have some time to dedicate to the true study of magic and mana.

    Sighing and shaking my head, I hand the vial back to Gust after only about a minute of examining it.

    Unfortunately, all that accomplished was guaranteeing that there was no divinity or divine energy contained within the small vial of ever-changing liquid.

    After handing the vial back over to Gust and continuing to have a bit of small talk, the night ended peacefully, finally allowing me and the rest of the group to get a full night''s rest.

    --- Point of View: Arnold ---

    Fear.

    That was the only thing that came over me when Gust''s mini-monster froze all of my golems solid.

    If Sylvia and he had not been here, I most likely would have been a dead man against that brat alone. Which sounds pitiful, until you realize exactly who his parents are.

    A half wind spirit, raised by a village of warrior Tiamat''s, just by describing him you could worry a town.

    Yet, that description does not do him justice. The sheer pressure of mana I felt leaking out of him was immense, it made me almost afraid to meet the eyes of the boy.

    Good Lords above, his eyes.

    Those eyes did not contain the bright-eyed and curious glance of a young human boy, instead, it felt as if I was being analyzed whenever his gaze met mine, causing me to always look away or somewhere else.

    For months, Gust has gone on and on about his two genius children, and I can see that he hand not been overstating anything.

    To be completely honest, those stories sounded absurd. Casting at such a young age, reaching maturity and full control over his mind and body whilst most human children are merely able to start stringing together comprehensive language, truly a boastful parent simply bragging about their kids.

    But the thing about Gust is, he wasn''t lying.

    There was no boasting or bragging to be had.

    Simply a confirmation of what he had already known and made clear, whilst reinforcing everything he had assumed correctly.

    The boy was a genius, a certified magical prodigy, similar to me, yet instead of one branch of magic, he seemed focused on learning everything about everything possible.

    That look in his eyes, always curious for more, always hungry for something is what really unnerved me.

    For some reason, I just can''t shake the feeling that the boy is reading your every move before you make it. As if he knew exactly what I was thinking, as I began to peer out of my stone hut, his gaze shifted over to look almost right at the door.

    Ahh, too much to think about. I need to watch out for Boss and for Gust since if either of them goes missing, the mission is just another bust.

    God, I can''t wait until we go our separate ways with Gust, that way that overly smart child will be unable to see or plot anything.

    As if she had sensed my restless thoughts, Sylvia arose from her exhausted stupor and gently approached me.

    "Are you okay Arnold? You look deathly pale." She said in a calm yet refreshing tone.

    "Yes yes, sorry for disturbing you. Simply planning our future. There are just a few things weighing on my mind as of late, pay them no attention" I say, sending off Sylvia with a gesture to lay back down.

    Something is telling me, from the deep recesses of my mind and body, that there are zero reasons to trust Antonio. Especially since that boy has done nothing for the party, most likely picking off strays that the vanguard couldn''t take out herself.

    Thankfully, most monsters understand at least on a primitive level not to eat other humanoids, but most do not signify all. Needless to say, I''m glad my tent is made of stone.

    Retreating to my side of the stone hut, it was time to lay my head to rest. No matter how dangerous the little brat is, there''s not a chance that he would try anything funny to the close allies of his father.

    Even if he did, I doubt that Gust would let him make any weird moves or threats to our wellbeing. No matter how much he loves his children, he won''t be blinded by their actions to that degree.

    Surely not, right?

    Ahh, I feel as if I''m worrying too much. I should trust Gust and his family. What they say about geniuses is true, that the line between talent and madness is always paper-thin.

    Hopefully, the people around the little ice monster are enough to keep him within the talented side of the equation, but I wouldn''t be surprised if the son of an immortal had the tendency to become mad.

    Actually, is Antonio immortal?

    Hmm, more things to probe Gust on later.

    Getting into my bedroll on my end of the stone hut, even though I could still almost feel the piercing gaze of the frightening child, it''s about time to go to sleep.

    You never know, we''ve been traveling all day, so the feeling of uneasiness could just be due to the long journey and rough sleeping conditions.

    No matter what, there are many things I need to ask Gust when we depart from this campsite tomorrow.

 Chapter 75 - Till We Meet Again

    Waking up with a stretch, last night I actually had an amazing night''s sleep.

    For the first night in months, I didn''t have to be constantly alert and on edge, allowing me to catch up on some much-needed Z''s.

    Stepping out of my stone tent, my morning routine was slightly changed. Now, instead of waking up to the calm sounds of Teresa cooking and eating, I was awoken to the boisterous laughs of Gust, the man I now know as Arnold, and Teresa, all sitting around the morning fire with a smile.

    "Good morning," I say, walking over to the fire and yawning. Good God how do these people have so much energy this early in the morning.

    "Ah, hello there, you must be Antonio. Gust has told me so much about you, very sorry about not greeting you yesterday." Arnold said, standing up and walking over to shake my hand. "What tier was that ice spell you used? Was it a personal spell or an application of ice magic I''m simply unfamiliar with? Did you know you''re part wind spirit? How good are you with Earth magic?"

    Yep, as unwavering as described. I can barely follow half of what he''s saying.

    Wait, what did he say?

    "I''m part wind sprite?" I ask, taking a seat and looking curiously between Gust and Arnold.

    That''s news to me. How did he know that? How did he know that before I knew that?

    Also damn, that takes the ''half-sprite'' count in the part up to three.

    "It''s a long story. But no, you''re not half sprite, you''re half wind spirit." Gust says, placing his hand on my shoulder and looking at me with strangely somber eyes.

    "What''s the difference?" I ask, glancing between Gust and Arnold once again. They sound basically the same to me.

    "Hmmm, I guess you could call it purity of blood?" Arnold said, placing his hand on his chin as if he didn''t rip a sentence right out of the Third Reich.

    "Come again?" I ask, hoping I had misheard him. Man, please don''t tell me nazis somehow exist in this world too, I don''t wanna have to fight magic funny mustache man.

    "What he means to say, is that a sprite is a descendant of a spirit. So, very technically, you''re a sprite, but in all reality, you''re a half-spirit." Gust says, sighing deeply as the look of sadness had yet to be wiped from his face. What''s so sad about that!

    Isn''t it better for me if I have some magic blood in my veins?

    "Okay, that clears up the blood part, but how do you know all this? I don''t even know this stuff." I say, looking up with a confused tone and face at Gust.

    I don''t think they found out I''ve been aware since I was a baby, but they ought to suspect something is up at this point.

    A magic item? Pay a ton of gold? I thought these people pinched pennies what gives!

    "The person who tracked you down for us has, interesting, abilities to say the least. Apparently, your birth mother is a Wind Spirit by the name of Stephanie WitchThread, and we''re at least fifty percent sure she is rapidly making her way here." Gust says, his forced smile never extending to his eyes. "Congratulations, we''ve finally found your birth parents or at least one of them."

    "So what? They didn''t raise me, even if some random human is my father, you''re still my dad." I say, stealing another line from Earth and giving Gust the biggest hug I can. Yet, it seems I diagnosed his sadness wrong, as the hug and pep talk seemed to only make him more depressed.

    "Listen, Antonio, there''s something you need to know," Gust says, literally keeping me at arm''s length by putting his hand on my shoulder and solemnly looking into my eyes. "Wind Spirits such as your birth mother and the Tiamat race as a whole have a, disturbing, history to say the least. Just know that I''ll always consider you my son, no matter what. You''ll always be welcome back home in Taf, and I don''t hold you responsible for anything that happened that night or with Surge."

    What? Why are you saying this?

    This is the speech that a character gives before he goes out to battle and dies! We''re sitting at the morning fire, not fighting an army!

    "What? What are you talking about?" I ask as Gust''s eyes dart around the campsite, not wanting to land on mine.

    "Antonio, I have a simple question. Do you trust me?" Gust asks, looking down at me and finally meeting my eyes.

    "What?" Is all I''m able to mutter out, as Gust simply pulls me into a hug.

    What?

    Suddenly, I could feel a strong pressure on the back of my neck. This son of a bitch...

    ///

    --- Point of View: Gust Renarus ---

    Pulling Antonio into a deep hug, I applied a bit of cloak and it took only a minute amount of force to knock him to cleanly.

    I''m sorry, but I can''t be here when WitchThread gets here. At the same time, I need time away.

    This journey along with Sylvia and Arnold will not only help them but help me. I need time to prepare for Surge''s funeral, plan the rebirth of Taf, and find a plan to win back over Antonio.

    Thinking completely frankly, once WitchThread gets here, she''ll reveal to him the entire past between the Fay and Demonkind, which ought to drum up some emotions from Antonio that I don''t want any of my party to be on the receiving end of. The Spirits are his true people after all.

    Quickly, I signal to Arnold to begin packing up all of our belongings and took out a small piece of blinktree paper.

    ''Dear Antonio, Sorry.

    I know you probably don''t understand my motives and I know you''re most likely upset, but trust me when I say this is for the best. Everything I said today was the truth, I''ll always consider you my true son, and you''ll always be welcomed with open arms once I''ve started to rebuild Taf. Your birth mother is also welcome if she''s willing to bury the past and come without any unkind intentions.

    According to Arnold''s math, she should be upon us within the next to days, so I had to make myself scarce and far enough away to clear out any misunderstandings. You''re a smart child, I''m sure you''ll understand as soon as someone explains it to you.

    If you still have the heart to call me your father after everything your mother reveals about the past, this piece of paper is made of blinktree parchment, so feel free to contact me. I love you and blame you for nothing. The sins of the father should never be held to the child, or in this case, the sins of mother and father.

    Until we meet again, Gust Renarus.''

    The note is short, yet comprehensive enough to get the point across. Antonio is not a stupid child, he''s actually far from it. So with this much information, he should be able to piece everything together well enough.

    After Sylvia and Arnold had finished collecting our things, I bowed to Princess Teresa and explained that we would be making our way across the continent. As everyone gathered together and we began to leave the campsite, I could suddenly feel all of the hair stand up on the back of my neck.

    Glancing between Sylvia and Arnold, it was obvious they all felt it as well.

    Thankfully, we were far enough by now that we could move at full speed, as the ground beneath the three of us began to move at an incredible pace, in the direction exactly opposite from the campsite.

    Arnold''s personal spell, Slipstream, allows us to move at very quick linear speeds, yet he''s completely defenseless whilst controlling it. Thankfully, I doubt the witch would follow us instead of staying back with her son.

    There was an obvious risk of staying the night, and it was a calculated one, but it appears we need to work on our mathematics skills as a group.

    --- Point of View: Stephanie WitchThread ---

    Stepping out of the Fae portal, we were now only a few hundred meters away from Antonio''s location. Instantly, I could feel a devilish presence, the unmaskable feel of a warrior Tiamat.

    Thankfully, Antonio''s kidnapper seems to be moving away from him at an extremely rapid pace, which may mean he''s a completely unrelated devil. Either way, I wouldn''t give chase.

    Stretching my arms, I finally transformed back into my humanoid form, the form I was most comfortable in taking.

    Stepping out from the portal behind me are my two traveling companions, who''ve been by my side since I left a body double in charge of the county.

    Don''t worry Antonio, I''m coming to save you!

    Hmmm, approaching the campsite, a few things stuck out to me nearly instantly.

    First and foremost, was the royal symbol of Elarus, as well as the young girl happily chatting with my son. The second issue was the lack of chains and bindings or even magic limiting artifacts located on him!

    Do you really think that little of Antonio, or has he just grown weak!

    No matter, I can take this time to give him a little bit of a test.. A pop quiz if you will.

 Chapter 76 - Meeting Again

    I don''t think I''ve ever been this confused in my life. At least, in this life that is.

    Not only did my adoptive father find me, just to tell me I''m not human and then instantly leave again, but he also seemed depressed about it?

    If it pains you to leave, why leave!

    But if you had to leave after only one night, why come in the first place? Why not meet me at the capital, or find another way to contact me?

    Another thing, why give me a page of blinktree paper? I already told you I was working for Teresa and we were headed towards the capital, so it''s not like you won''t be able to find me. Isn''t blinktree paper super expensive as well?

    I couldn''t find a normal-sized piece for less than the price of a closed cart...

    God, there''s just too much I don''t understand and that Gust didn''t explain to me. Slumping back into my stone chair, I gave a deep sigh before resuming the idle chat I was having with Teresa.

    It was still pretty early in the morning, and the other two were still asleep, so there wasn''t much we could do aside from making some mindless chatter and waiting for them to wake up.

    "I really think you ought to reconsider. Becoming a kni-" Teresa was saying, yet instantly the camp became eerily quiet.

    Looking dead in each other''s eyes, all Teresa and I needed to give was a simple nod to signal a mutual understanding.

    Malicious mana, which is also referred to as Murderous Intent. It''s a phenomenon that occurs when a powerful fighter comes into contact with something they wish to do harm to. Some people are able to use and release it on command, whilst for others, it simply happens naturally.

    No matter which one it may be, huge waves of murderous intent were emanating from the forest around the campsite.

    Grabbing my staff and slamming it into the ground, I can''t let the ambushers get the first move. Those who make a preemptive strike are more likely to win than those who hesitate after all.

    Funneling mana into the ground, I force two things to occur at once. First and foremost, I expand the walls around the campsite into a dome of thick stone, allowing us to be protected from all sides whilst simultaneously blinding the enemy from our movements.

    Secondly, is the offense. Switching my output from earth magic to water, I quickly raise my staff and once again slam it into the ground.

    "Frozen Wave!" I call out, forcing a wave of ice magic to spread from the circumference of the dome, hopefully freezing anything in a twenty-meter radius of the campsite. However, I''m not finished just yet.

    Frozen Wave is a dux tier ice spell that I developed specifically for this type of situation. Faced with an unknown enemy of an unknown amount at an unknown distance, what''s the best thing you can do?

    Bunker down, and fire off long-range spells at where you believe the enemy to be of course, so that''s exactly what the spell is designed to do.

    Slamming my staff into the ground once more, I send out another cast of Frozen Wave, however, this time something interesting happens. Instead of refreezing or shattering the area already affected, the ice magic that I had leftover simply carries the spell to its edge, further expanding the range and freezing more of the forest.

    This way, every cast of Frozen Wave not only affects those moving over the frozen terrain it makes but also it''s a spell of ever-increasing range, at the cost of only a bit more mana each time.

    Whilst I sent out around four more waves of Frozen Wave, Teresa had finished a long chat, causing a ring of light to surround the interior of the campsite. As it slowly faded, I could feel as if  something was different, but I couldn''t place what.

    "What was that spell?" I asked, wiping the sweat from my brow and funneling more mana into my staff, preparing for my next attack.

    "Light Speed, it''s a light magic spell that increases both reaction speed and healing abilities, it was time I started using some magic to help the party outside of being just a healer," Teresa said, placing her hands at her sides as the magic circle fully faded away.

    Something''s wrong.

    Looking all around, and expanding my mana perception to its absolute limit, it was gone.  There was no more malicious mana, not even any leftover in the air.

    Stopping the maintenance of Frozen Wave, I focused everything I could on my mana perception, expanding my senses to just outside of the dome, just in time for me to leap and push Teresa out of the way.

    Piercing through the top of the dome was a long silver piece of metal, almost like a needle. Unfortunately for me, the needle pierced right through the back of my right hand. If I had been a mere second later, or my reaction a fraction slower, that would have pierced Teresa''s head.

    Yet, before I was able to grab the two-foot-long silver needle, it ripped itself out of my hand and flew back towards the ceiling. Of course, not before the ceiling blew open with the force of a hand grenade, and the needle returned to its owner''s hand.

    Floating menacingly above the hole was a beautiful woman. Wheat-blonde hair, a slightly mint green skin, and sharp eyes shot down towards me with a careful, yet wonderfully warm smile.

    I feel as if I''ve seen this woman somewhere before...

    As the woman began to open her mouth, now was my chance. Pointing my staff to the sky, I used all of the mana I had accumulated into my staff and launched two rays of Absolute Zero, hoping to freeze the witch right out of the sky.

    Yet, as delicately as it pierced the stone dome, the needle shot through the air, slicing into my condensed beams of magic. As the needle lodged into the spell, I could feel it weaken substantially, but it appears I''ve been underestimated.

    The two casts of absolute zero, now unfortunately only at around half-strength, landed cleanly onto the torso and head respectively of the floating mage, causing her to stagger and falter in the air.

    However, in a horrific manner, she witch was able to stabilize herself, once again staring down at Teresa and me, having taken nearly zero exterior damage from two blasts of my most concentrated magic.

    Shockingly, she didn''t even seem angry. Instead, in a much more alarming fashion, a manically large grin spread across her face.

    "Simply wonderful! It appears I made the wrong assumption, you''re not a captive of her, you''re protecting her! What a little heartthrob you''ve become." She said, her voice and tone filled with nothing but, admiration? Pride?

    What?

    "Identify yourself!" I yell towards the still floating threat, as she slowly lowered herself into the campsite.

    "Awww, you really don''t remember me?" She said, a bit of genuine sadness in her voice.

    "Why would I remember an assassin? Let alone a dead one." I say, a small smile forming on my face. God that line was so cool, and also she fell almost entirely into our trap.

    Once again, right before the woman was about to start talking, she was attacked. Not only by me this time, but also by Flare, who was patiently biding her time in the shadows of the dome, waiting for a golden opportunity like this one.

    I say it''s a golden opportunity, since as soon as I caught a glimpse of Flare dashing towards the assassin, I launched as much Divinity at the witch as fast as possible, about half of which connected, stripping her of most of her defensive cloak.

    As Flare''s sword slammed right into her neck, it made only a small incision before Flare was blasted away with a strong gust of wind.

    "Enough! I came to test the abilities of my son, not get jumped by strangers!" The woman yelled, her face flush with both pride and anger as she looked towards me. Only then was my memory finally jogged.

    Son? Of course. This was my birth mother, Stephaine.

    "Mom?" I say, dropping out of my defensive stance and putting my hand to my side, signaling to the rest of the party that this was, in fact, my family.

    I could feel warm tears slowly starting to build up.

    Why are you here? How are you here? Is this what Gust was talking about?

    Why come looking for me?

    Before I''m able to choke anything out, Stephaine appears in front of me and brings me into a nice warm hug.

    Oh, so this isn''t a dream.

    Gust  and my birth parents were  both looking for me?

    "It''s okay baby, I''m here now. You''re safe now." Stephaine said, confusing my reaction with one born out of fear.

    I don''t think I want to correct her, partly because this hug feels very nice after the last one knocked me out, and partly because I have no idea what to say right now.

    For the first time in both my lives, I truly have nothing to say, aside from pulling my mother in for a deeper hug.

 Chapter 77 - Dark Past

    "Why does your family have to be so weird? Also, what''s with them both showing up at the same time?" Teresa asked, walking up beside me as I stopped hugging Stephanie.

    "What do you mean? His father is dead." Stephanie replied, shocking me a bit. Damien is dead?

    Eh, not like I really care. That guy was trying to kill me, whether he knew it or not.

    "What? He was here like a few hours ago, even if you guys are separated it''s rude to make up lies about him. Gust was very kind and courteous after he figured out Antonio was working for me." Teresa said, her expression getting angrier by the second.

    "Yeah! Gust was a fun guy, and he didn''t try to kill any of us! Just threatened us a bit." Flare said, standing back up before agreeing with Teresa.

    "Guys I think-" Yet before I was able to say much, an icy glare from Stephaine shut me up completely.

    "Antonio, dear, I think I understand a bit of what they''re saying. Are they implying that damn devil is your father?" She said, the smile on her face never reaching her eyes, let alone her voice.

    "Uhh well, you see the thing is-" Once again I''m interrupted, not by Stephanie this time, but by Teresa.

    "Are you saying he''s not? He''s much more of a parent than you! What kind of mother bombards her kid with murderous intent and tries to kill his friends!" Teresa says, defending Gust at what amounts to my own detriment. We''re really digging ourselves a hole here.

    "Friends? Is that what you call yourselves? As if friendship can be born out of forced servitude." Stephanie scoffs, as I can suddenly feel a shift in the mana density around her. It feels, thinner than it should.

    "Shut up! Both of you! Mother these people are my friends I''m not being forced into anything, and Teresa it''s a long story." I say, glancing between my now slightly confused party and my very confused mother.

    "Come on, let''s take a comfortable seat around the fire, I can explain what I know once we''re all calmed down," I say, leading the three angry women to specially conjured stone chairs around the fire pit.

    After a few minutes of idle chat to calm people down, Ivy finally wakes up with a yawn and a stretch.

    "Mornin guys, who are the three new people? Also, where''s Gust?" Ivy says, glancing between Stephanie and the rest of us.

    Three? I think you need to get your eyes checked.

    "Three people? Are you drunk or something?" Flare says, stealing the words right out of my mouth.

    "No, she''s the most perceptive out of the lot of you." A voice belonging to an older gentleman says, as two small figures float off of Stephaine''s shoulders.

    One is an older-looking male fairy, complete with colorful eyes, hair, and wings to boot.

    The other is something I never imagined, whether on this planet or on Earth.

    Floating off of Stephaine''s other shoulder is just a small stone. No body, no organs, or any mode of communication, it''s just floating there. Menacingly.

    Suddenly, in a brilliant flash of light, the small fairy and stone begin to change.

    The small fairy man rapidly grew in size until he nearly towered over Stephaine, reaching well over seven feet tall. The stone simply shone a brilliantly bright blue color, and an entire person seemingly formed out of that light.

    Standing at only about two feet tall, was a small eccentric-looking woman. She had translucent bat wings sprouting from her back, as a light flap allowed her to reach my eye level.

    "So, this brat is the one who would have been my apprentice if that meathead hadn''t lost him? Interesting." The eccentric woman said, looking me up and down with her multi-colored eyes.

    "Allow me to introduce my, companions, you could call them. This is my master and also your aunt, Elandria, a full-blooded Faery and a very powerful mage. This older gentleman is a Faery known as Zerath, he''s your uncle and another powerful mage." Stephaine said as Elandria and Zerath both gave a small nod when introduced.

    "I see why you were so interested in this little guy! He has an absolutely insane mana capacity! I mean he''s what, nine? His mana well is almost as big as mine!" Elandria said, her eyes glowing a faint green color. That''s nice to hear, but also extremely creepy.

    "Hoho! That''s my family for you, powerful from birth, more powerful later in life." Uncle Zerath said with a slight chuckle. "Who might this girl be? I''m surprised you were able to detect our presence." Zerath said, looking over at Ivy and gasping slightly.

    Before I was able to even reply or think, Zerath simply continued talking.

    "Ah, I understand now. You''ve chosen a fine partner Antonio, it''s rare to find a fellow Fae, let alone someone who''s a quarter spirit like you. Hmm, I wonder what type of monster will be born between an earth spirit and a wind spirit." Zerath said, putting his hand to his chin.

    I chuckled a bit at Ivy''s expense before I explained the situation to the three new faces.

    "No no, these are my friends, uh, uncle Zerath. Teresa is my employer and a good friend, that''s Ivy our archer, and that''s Flare, our vanguard." I say, gesturing to the three of them as I mentioned their names.

    "Perfect, now that introductions and surprises are out of the way. We can talk about the elephant in the room. Why are you calling that  monster your father?" Stephaine said, her eyes and tone once again freezing over. "Do you even know how much of a curse that very saying is?"

    "Well, I call Gust my father because at this point he basically is. A large number of my memories are within that village, being taken care of by Gust and Marble. He took me in when I was alone and cold in the forest and raised me as his son. If that doesn''t make him my family, I don''t know what would." I say, speaking my mind for the first real time on the matter.

    Gust is my family, he helped me when I was at my lowest in that forest, and even came to help me as soon as he was freed from the magic  I got him caught up in. If that''s not family, nothing is.

    "Well, that would be just wonderful if that bastard was anything but a Tiamat. From this moment onward, you''re forbidden from calling that man your family, let alone your father." Stephanie said, her fake nice tone and smile slowly degrading into a snarl.

    "What? No. You can''t just barge into my life and demand I stop calling my father my father." I say, my voice rising and anger rising as this conversation continued.

    How dare you! If anything, anything at all, that I''ve encountered in this world is racism so far, it''s  that bullshit. So what if he''s a different race, he''s still my father!

    "Antonio, boy, do you understand what exactly your saying, and exactly who you''re saying it about?" Zerath interjected, his voice strangely calm given the demands Stephanie was making.

    "I''m saying it about my father, the man who raised me. Anything else I either don''t care enough to learn about or is irrelevant to the topic." I say, allowing my voice to fill with venom.

    "Do you know exactly what they did? What they still do?" Zerath said, his calm tone never faltering.

    "What does it matter? So what if they hunt and live in villages, that''s no reason to treat them like savages." I say as the only thing Stephanie and Elandria do in reply is snort.

    "Nope. They don''t just live in villages, and they aren''t miscategorized as savages. They truly are savage creatures. Do you know why they got that name?" Zerath said, his voice still perfectly level and calm.

    "Just tell me already or leave. I have a lot to work on and I''d rather not have to do this." I say, sighing and pinching the bridge of my nose.

    "They hunt," Zerath said, his tone completely deadpan.

    "So what? Everyone hunts eventually, it''s the cycle of life." I say, sighing and tilting my head slightly.

    "People. Faeries such as myself and your mother for instance. Tiamat hunt down Fae and rip off their magical extremities. It''s a type of sport for them." Zerath said, anger slowly building into his voice.

    What?

    No no no, that simply can''t be true.

    Gust is a good guy, he wouldn''t do something so heinous.

    "I don''t believe you," I say, as Zerath''s eye flashes between mine and my currently scared and bewildered party.

    "You don''t have to, right away of course. But you''ll come to realize it eventually. Tiamat are not an inherently peaceful people." Zerath said as if he was revealing his manifesto. What is this guy, crazy?

    But, is that true?

    Given everything Gust said, I have a sneaking suspicion...

 Chapter 78 - Dark Present

    "Based on the look on your face, it doesn''t seem that far-fetched does it," Zerath said, putting the last nail in the coffin.

    Given everything Gust told me, adding that little fact makes perfect sense. It would explain his change in behavior towards me and his sudden disappearance.

    Noticing that the pieces had all come together in my mind, Stephanie gave a confident, smug, grin.

    "See? I told you. That thing is a monster. It''s a miracle that you were even taken in as his son. You''re lucky he had no idea about your heritage, or you would have been abandoned or worse." She said, enforcing every fear I had lingering in my mind.

    Is that, true?

    Would he actually do that?

    I mean, he did just leave in a hurry and even knocked me out in order to escape unnoticed.

    No. He wouldn''t. If he did think of me like that, he wouldn''t have left me a letter made of blinktree parchment. He wouldn''t call me his son and tell me all those things if he didn''t mean them

    Gust is a great many things, but he''s a terrible liar.

    Steeling my resolve, I met Stephanie''s gaze with a grin and determination of my own.

    "No, you''re wrong. Even if he knew, he wouldn''t even come close to abandoning me. Do you know why? Because he does know, and he didn''t. He gave me a letter and invitation back to my home village for whenever I want to return." I say, letting a bit of mana leak into my voice before I continue my tirade. "If anyone abandoned me, left me for dead, it''s you! You and my meathead of a birth father left me in the woods to die. Gust saved me, which is much more fatherly than anything Damien or you ever did." I say, my lips curling into a sneer.

    "The actions of your father had nothing to do with me! I tried to look for you, I tried to head into the forest with you, but he stopped me!" Stephanie yelled back, mana leaking into her voice as well.

    "Oh really? Then how come it took you so long to come and find me huh? Or were you and Damien too busy replacing me." I said as the look on Stephanie''s face tells me I''ve hit a button I should not have pressed.

    "You think I enjoy being with that man! That marriage was nothing more than a ploy by our parents to trap me in this world and tie a chosen one down to my family. The only thing he ever gave me was children, and you''re the only one who took on any of my blood!" Stephanie raged, causing Zerath to step between the two of us.

    "Now now, I''d hate to come between such valuable family bonding time, but I think you both need to be careful with your words. Antonio, I understand you have a lot of things to say to your mother, not all of them good, especially after she allowed you to remain in a Tiamat village for so long, but I think you ought to make up with each other. Aside from your siblings still living within the county, she''s the only family you have left." He said, looking over to Stephanie as he continued to rant.  "And you, Stephy, you''re better than this. Do you really wish to burn the bridge between you and the only child you had that inherited any of your spirit blood? If you cut him off, you may still have your other children, but no Fae."

    "Wait, you left my siblings alone? In charge of an entire county", I ask, my mouth moving before my brain.

    "Yep! After I killed that pig-headed Duke, his children were handed the authority by Stephy, since she agreed to leave with me. Speaking of that Damien guy, he was planning on killing you ya know? He even pleaded with me to help him, saying something about a ''dread lord''." Aunt Elandria said, hitting me with one gut punch after another.

    Okay, on the ''dread lord'' thing, he''s probably an emissary, and that''s just what his patron told him, most likely fed his egotistical ass something along the lines of ''oh Hero, slay this child or he''ll become a Demon Lord''. Weird way to do it, but he did seem like a huge nerd. I mean, who would just speak Korean at a person?

    Unless he was Koreanˇ­

    Maybe this world is making me racist.

    "You''re the one who killed him?" I ask, breaking the slightly extended silence.

    However, instead of replying, Aunt Elandria simply replied with a laugh.

    "That''s what you were thinking about! Good lord, you inherited more of our family''s blood than I originally thought. You sound exactly like your grandfather." She said, continuing to laugh.

    "What''s so funny! You said he was trying to kill me, why would I be upset about him kicking the bucket?" I reply, admittedly a little salty. I mean, I know it''s kinda funny, but you don''t have to laugh in my face.

    "I''m sorry, I''m just a little lost here. Who''s Damien? How do you all know him? Antonio, mind filling me in?" Ivy said, taking a seat right next to me with her now fully cooked breakfast.

    "Damien is his birth father, as well as one of the Chosen. He was a pig-headed idiot who was apparently trying to kill his own son at the service of some weird god he worshipped. He even had an entire secret room hidden in our manor in order to ''escape the eyes'' of another strange god. Truly, a maniac in life and death." Stephanie said, revealing more interesting information about Damien that I had no idea about.

    We had a secret room? Also, there''s stuff that can keep Ego''s eyes off me? I need to go home eventually it seems.

    "Oh, I see. So that''s why Antonio is so freakishly strong, he''s the son of a Chosen and half wind spirit." Ivy said, looking down at her plate for a moment, before quickly stabbing her eggs and bringing some into her mouth. "Neat."

    She accepted that rather quickly. However, one thing sticks out to me that I think these people can answer.

    "Hey uhh, not to let my ignorance show here, but what''s a ''chosen''." I say, adding the air quotes myself.

    "Ugh, did those savages neglect to teach you something so basic?" Stephanie said, scoffing.

    "To be fair, I also don''t really know what a chosen is." Flare chimed in, bringing the total amount of confused parties to two.

    "I''ll take it from here Stephy," Zerath said, clearing his throat and re-entering teacher mode.

    "A Chosen is a person from a group known as ''Heroes''. Chosen are children born from a blessed ritual, who are said to be created and blessed by the gods themselves. Through a special ritual, three to five children can be born at once who are ''Chosen'' by the gods, hence the name. Due to the unique, method of casting, the ritual is highly frowned upon and is reserved for moments in which the Oracles hear a message from above, calling for the ritual using a special phrase only known by the Pope herself. It''s said the last batch of ''Chosen'' was summoned in order to vanquish a horrible evil from this world, and Damien was one of those who survived the battle and ordeal." Zerath said as I could feel a cold sweat slowly forming on my brow and under my armpits.

    What?

    A literal hero summoning.

    If Damien was a chosen, aka an emissary or person taken from the earth and brought here by a figure such as Ego, how was I brought here so easily?

    I wasn''t summoned with some special ritual, nor was I told anything grand such as me being a ''chosen'' person.

    "What exactly is that method?" I ask, my voice coming out a lot more nervous than I ever intended.

    "Ah, it''s a bit grotesque to be discussed at breakfast time. But let''s just say the cost of summoning a batch of chosen is higher than most places are willing to pay on a regular basis." Zerath explained, now looking down at the breakfast he had begun to cook with a slightly disgusted face.

    A-am I an exception to the rule? Or is the entire ritual just some weird thing that some fucked up existence like Ego wanted to force people to do in order to send down ''helpers''.

    Actually, that suddenly sounds much more plausible. Hell, I can imagine a bored Ego inventing some type of weird fucked up ritual out of sheer boredom.

    "No need to get so sad or worked up Antonio, as long as all of the chosen are still alive, more can''t be summoned. I highly doubt you''ll ever have to know about, let alone experience, the summoning of any chosen." Zerath said, walking over and placing his hand on my shoulder, failing to reassure me.

    Why did you have to say that? That is such a flag.

 Chapter 79 - Bodily Autonomy

    After the multitude of bombshells dropped on me by Zerath and Stephanie, I''m feeling tired even though it''s still morning.

    Collecting myself and my hunting stuff, I tell the rest of camp that I''m going to take a walk to think and clear my head.

    There''s a bit of protest, but no one really puts up any fight against it.

    Dispelling the dome I had constructed and walking out of camp, there''s just so much to think about.

    First and foremost, Gust. It''s obvious to me now why he felt the need to leave after making sure I was alright and telling me what happened and where he''s been. He''s scared. Scared I''m going to think of him as a monster and reject him as my dad.

    Honestly, if I was a normal kid, I probably would. I mean, according to Zerath, Tiamats hate spirits and hunt them out of the pure pleasure and money they make off taking their magical bits. But after living with them, I can''t believe that at all.

    I mean, I hunted with the hunters a good amount of the time, I saw where all of the food was stored, I even studied under Blaze and all of the guardsmen, and never once did I even hear a passing mention of anything Fae related.

    Even if some Tiamats are capable of committing such atrocities, Gust and the rest of Taf are innocent. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be alive today.

    That''s the second thing that''s a shock. I''m not human. I mean, Ego never promised me that I would be, but that doesn''t mean that I''m just completely fine mentally with that revelation.

    I lived my whole last life and a majority of this one as one hundred percent full-blooded human, and now I''m not one. Even though I live in a world of fantasy and magical races and people, hell I use magic on a daily basis, the thought of not being a human anymore makes me feel strange.

    Okay, that is a little racist I can admit. But it''s not untrue. At my core, deep down, I''m human.

    I''m a human person with a human soul from a planet that is entirely human. I''ve always imagined and fantasized about being all different types of fantasy races, but to actually become one? It feels, wrong.

    I think I''m thinking too much into this. What I came out here to do wasn''t have a breakdown thinking about the difference between being human and  begin  human, it was to do what I do best. Experiment.

    I''m a Wind Spirit. That''s an undeniable fact that I''ve learned within the past few hours, but what does that mean?

    I''ve seen the other wind spirits transform beyond the scope of normal transformation magic, gaining wings, insanely different forms, and even becoming something as ordinary as a rock yet still maintaining their abilities.

    I can assume the wind spirit parts of my DNA have the same markers for those abilities, so there''s no way I don''t have the ability to perform them, as well as whatever else they may be able to naturally do.

    I don''t want to make myself taller or even transform into a rock. There''s only one thing I want out of this, wings.

    After walking a good distance out of camp, I sit down and take a meditative posture.

    Crossing my legs and straightening my back, I do some deep breathing to calm down and close my eyes to focus.

    Turning my gaze inward, it takes only a bit of focus to see the two ever-balanced forces within my body. There''s my mana, which I can see and feel as a deep blue color, that is akin to an ocean of cold water, only warm on its surface.

    The second force within my body is the warm golden light of divinity. Its presence could be considered something like a blanket, perfectly wrapping all of my mana and keeping it contained within my body. Focusing primarily on my mana, I take a good chunk of it and slowly begin moving it all around my body.

    It''s been years since I''ve done this, but I have an idea about how to draw out my wings.

    Mana nodes. At every joint and important intersection of your body, there is a mana node within your mana network. If my wings are simply not grown in yet, then there will be mana nodes at their base.

    If they''re fully formed yet for some reason invisible or inaccessible, there won''t be any mana nodes on my back aside from the ones at their normal positions.

    Moving the mana slowly down my arms, I practice getting a feeling for my mana nodes and their exact positions once again. Casting has become so programmed for me that I''d nearly forgotten what it felt like to have my mana move freely, without the goal of exiting my body, only to explore it.

    As the mana traveled back up my arm and into my shoulder, I sent it through the rest of my body as practice before finally bringing it to the bottom of my lumbar.

    Slowly but sure, I forced the mana to make its way up my back, moving ever so slowly as to be able to detect even the slightest difference in my mana network. The mana was able to move up all the way through the middle of my back without any hiccups until it reached the space between my shoulder blades.

    I nearly jumped and lost my focus, ruining my practice and forcing me to conjure a new mass of mana to move around, but I was able to salvage it.

    Right there, in the section below the middle of my shoulder blades, connected to my spine, were two mana nodes.

    Perfect.

    Dispelling the mass of mana, I reconjured a much smaller force of it in my left palm, slowly moving it up into my elbow.

    This was the next test I needed to do. Placing the small mass of mana on my mana node, I focused entirely on the node itself, almost as if I was attacking it with my own mana.

    Thank god my reflexes are fast, as once I began to flood the node of my elbow with mana, it caused my elbow to contract, nearly punching myself in the face, but instead hitting myself in the chest.

    Oh my god! I was actually  right! I had thought for a long time about why there would be nodes of mana at important sections of your body, it''s like asking to become both physically and magically crippled by an attack. But that''s the thing, my thinking is  wrong.

    Physically and magically? That''s bullshit! This little test just proved that the only real difference between your physical body and magical network is how much mana you put in it. If a person was born without the ability to move their legs in this world, physical therapy would simply be training in the use of mana.

    This discovery now leads me to another, more important question that I simply have to know.

    What would happen if I tried to ''flex'' my wings by stimulating their mana nodes?

    Taking a deep breath to calm my anxious heart, I think I ought to wait a little bit before trying that one out.

    Walking back to the campsite, the rest of the party and my family are happily chatting away, barely noticing my return and departure. It''s not as if I got anything of major importance from my stone hut, only my staff and a bit of food.

    Once I had returned to my comfortable spot under the oak trees, I ate a snack of dried meat and bread before meditating once again.

    Collecting a mass of mana even smaller than the one necessary to flew my elbow, I had it slowly make its way up my back before landing on top of the node that would control my left wing.

    Without any further hesitation or doubt, I slammed the mass of mana into the mana node, in the exact way that made my elbow flex.

    ....

    Absolutely nothing. I used the entirety of the mass of mana, and absolutely nothing happened.

    So you guys wanna play hardball huh? I can play hardball. I''m not gonna lose to a pair of my own wings damn it!

    Forgoing any particular sizes or amounts, I straightened my back and began to do what I do best with mana. Not fine control, not the precise movement, none of the sort.

    I have a shit load of mana, so I''m just gonna flood those mana nodes until they do  something.

    Flooding the mana nodes with my mana originally did nothing, yet slowly but surely, I could feel a bit of pain culminating in my back.

    Stoping the flow of mana, stopped the pain entirely. Okay, a new fact I guess. Abusing a mana node with mana will cause that node to hurt. I probably should have figured that one, but hey everyone gets one.

    Steeling my resolve, I once again began to flood those mana nodes with a bombardment of mana, not stopping until the pain felt akin to being stabbed.

    Yet, cutting off the flow of mana didn''t seem to stop the pain, as it felt as if my back began to explode.

    All I can do in this scenario is scream and hope it passes soon.

 Chapter 80 - Catastrophic Success

    As the pain continued to increase exponentially, I could feel my consciousness fading as my mental capacity slowly fell to the level of baked beans.

    ///

    --- Point of View: Teresa Delarus ---

    "... oh trust me, that boy eats like a water bu-" In the middle of exchanging stories with Antonio''s mother and traveling companions, a violent noise echoed throughout the forest.

    It could only be described as a blood-curdling scream, as every bird in the vicinity flew away from the source.

    However, what came after, was even more terrifying. From the direction that Antonio had walked off towards, was an insane amount of mana, rolling out of the forest in violent waves.

    Comparing this to all of the malicious mana I''ve felt after traveling with this current party, is like comparing a puddle to the ocean. This mana felt insanely dense and completely untamed. However, the scream and mana could only come from one thing in that direction, unless we somehow came across a stray dragon.

    As the scream died down and the mana waves continued to get stronger, everyone exchanged glances and understood exactly what we had to do.

    Picking up my staff, Flare led the movement out of the campsite, dashing towards the epicenter of the malicious and wild mana. Unfortunately, as the walls Antonio had conjured began to crumble and turn to dust, it was obvious to all of us that something horrible must have occurred.

    Yet, after moving at full speed for a full minute, no one was prepared for what we would encounter.

    A few hundred meters away from camp, it was as if a blizzard had begun to constantly fall in one section of the forest, blanketing the surroundings with ice and snow.

    Before Flare and the rest of the party pushed on and got hurt, I stepped up and cast Mother''s Embrace, a light magic spell made for braving even the harshest cold climates. Yet, to no one''s surprise, this conjured blizzard still pricked at the skin with violent pangs of cold.

    Pushing through the thick blizzard, thankfully it only seemed to last for about twenty meters, as we hit a veritable wall of wind. Contained within a perfect dome of a wind storm, was a sight that made me throw up as soon as I laid my eyes on it.

    At the exact center of this twenty-meter dome of furious wind, was my bodyguard and future magic knight, Antonio Icefield. However, the happy, slightly awkward, and highly intelligent traveling was nowhere to be seen.

    Instead, the being in the center of the storm had a twisted and dead expression, held suspended in the air by wings made of bone and blood, constantly flapping to a rhythmic beat.

    As we tried to press into the dome of pure wind magic, it was akin to trying to run through a brick wall. Even Flare, wrapped in what I can assume is a beast''s cloak, could barely place her foot inside of the dome without being blasted backward.

    "Lord''s above and below Stephanie! Just what the hell did you feed the boy as a child! Are you sure that  thing is only nine years old?!" Zerath, the oldest looking mage here, who I now know as Stephanie''s uncle, yelled at the top of his lungs at his niece in the middle of the strangely silent blizzard.

    "Yes! I can guarantee that he''s my son, I''ve got marks to prove it, and the wings should be proof enough! Now for once in your life stop being stubborn and help me!" Stephanie yelled, as she pushed her palms into the dome of wind magic and began to chant in a language I had no hope of understanding.

    Soon, the three Fae all had their hands pierced into the dome of wind and began to chant in an incomprehensible language.

    Either luckily or unluckily, in the middle of their chanting, the dome and blizzard disappeared, leaving the dull-eyed Antonio to hover silently in the center, his head slowly turning towards us.

    Then, without any warning, Antonio stuck his hand out as a spike of what appears to be pure black obsidian shot out of the ground, aimed directly at the head of Stephanie''s master and aunt,  Elandria Volta.

    In the knick of time, Elandria is able to dodge, but that little action was no accident, as this situation just went from unlucky to catastrophic.

    --- Point of View: Vincent DeCourville ---

    As my eyes snapped open, I felt a pain in my legs and back that I had never experienced before.

    Ah, it was a dream. A happy, warm, exciting dream. One where I had two loving families, a bright and talented future, and one where I had not just catapulted myself off a multi-story building in hopes of taking my own life.

    I really wish it wasn''t a dream.

    Gazing around took a ton of effort, yet I was able to move my neck and arms at least.

    That''s nice, I have at least a bit of bodily autonomy. Crowded all around me were the students of UNIPD, speaking in a language I hadn''t heard in a good few years. At least, what felt like a few years.

    Unsurprisingly, no one came to help me. Yep, I''m back on Earth all right.

    No magic spell, no friendly people, just shitheads with IPhones recording what could be a man''s last moments.

    But this won''t be my last moment. I''m not that lucky, am I? No, to put it simply, I''m not.

    I''d already squandered all my luck when I was born. For the first sixteen years of life, I was able to just calmly cruise through life. Then, even when I started working, I didn''t even have to give up on my schooling or passions.

    Truly a blessed life, wasting all the good luck I had built up.

    And yet, I still threw it all away. All of it, in one crime of passion my entire life was gone.

    Is that what that long dream was, God? Some sort of fucked up way of making me regret committing suicide? A glimpse into a different life of mine, where I have a happy family, and happy life full of friends and exciting adventures? Some kind of stupid "enjoy life while it lasts, no day is wasted, people will miss you," experience?

    Well, fuck that! Fuck you God and the stupid chariot you rode in on you bastard!

    Give me back my friends, my family, and my fucking legs you bastard!

    As I could hear the sirens of the ambulance slowly coming closer, a warm stream of tears began to flood down my face.

    God damn it. God fucking damn it.

    Why. Why did someone have to call the emergency services? Why couldn''t you fuckers just let me bleed out here and die?

    Maybe then I could be free. Maybe then I''d wake up, back in the forest, freshly in the body of Antonio Icefield, my powerful mage from a different world.

    Closing my eyes and focusing, I was met with only despair when I opened them only to find myself still slammed into the cold, hard ground of the earth.

    I could almost hear them calling my name on the other side too. God, why did I jump?

    If I knew all of that shit was just a dream, I don''t think I''d ever want to wake up.

    Focusing all of my remaining mental power, which wasn''t much given the searing pain in my legs, back, and now arms, I tried will all my might to summon even a fraction of mana.

    Gritting my teeth and focusing as hard as I could, I could feel just a spark of mana within my body, but it was as if it was locked behind a thick veil. Closing my eyes and taking a deep painful breath, I tried again.

    Again, and again and again. Doing absolutely nothing but focusing on that small, tiny spark of mana I could still feel within myself, I must have spent over ten minutes with my eyes closed, just trying again and again, pushing and pulling on it again and again.

    Yet it was hopeless. Soon, I opened my eyes as I saw the paramedics approach. Slowly but surely, they placed me onto the stretcher, and I could feel my consciousness begin to flicker.

    Oh God, it''s really over.

    My magical life, my magical journey, my exciting second chance, I fucking pissed it away, twiddling my thumbs.

    No wonder I was able to learn and do stuff so quickly, I was literally making it all up. Of course, I would be able to feel the difference in mana and use it after only a few years of practice, I literally made up the system in my mind.

    It was all fake. I dreamt it all up as a way to cope with my shitty last two years of life and shitty death.

    I hate my brain. If I was gonna have a fun dream before I died, I could have at least had a system that made me overpowered from simple shit, like drinking water or doing a few pushups.

    As the thick steel doors of the ambulance slammed shut, and the siren continued to blare loudly in my ear, I let my consciousness slowly slip away. Accepting my fate as a newly crippled person.

    I hate my life.

 Chapter 81 - Empty Husk

    The hours slowly turned into days, and days into weeks as time continued to pass by like a blur. There were a few happy moments, such as when a few of my old friends from high school came to visit me, but that''s about it.

    God, I sound like an old man.

    Even if it''s been years for me, it''s been like two for them. They seemed super shaken up, I hope everyone is doing alright.

    As expected, aside from those two lovable idiots dropping by once in a while, I got zero other visitors. No family, no other friends, not even Jasmine...

    Laying down in the cold hospital bed, I felt the tears streaming down my face for what must have been the twentieth time today. Closing my eyes and blinking away the tears, I could feel the searing pain start back up again.

    Over these last two months, no matter what I do, the pain always comes back. With that pain, also comes despair, as no matter how much I try, it seems as if I don''t have any circuits for mana within this body on Earth.

    This time, instead of in my shattered legs, the pain was mainly focused on my fucked up back.

    Strangely enough, as the pain grew more and more intense, it felt as if the world was spinning all around me. As doctors and nurses began to run into my room, my vision turned black.

    ///

    Snapping my eyes open, immediately my senses are bombarded with foreign yet familiar feelings. My back is distinctly still in an insane amount of pain, yet strangely, I''m not in the hospital anymore.

    Looking down at my arms, my legs, and the woman passed out next to me in this rickety shit carriage, I couldn''t help but scream.

    Not out of fear or pain mind you, even if those things were harsh enough to force me to, but out of pure unadulterated joy.

    If my body wasn''t enough for my mind to accept it, Ivy and the cart were plenty.

    Flinging myself up with wind mana, immediately a multitude of things stand out to me. First, was how strangely easy that was given I haven''t used mana in well over two months, at least from my perspective.

    Second, was our surroundings. Instead of in the middle of the woods where I was meditating, or within the campsite, or any campsite for that matter, we seem to be in some sort of large stone building.

    It was obviously constructed with earth magic, but the inside of it is what confused me heavily. It looked like the normal campsite that we had been staying in, with the now old firepit and cart exactly where I had left them.

    Yet, the entire place was surrounded and sealed off by large stone walls, with an enclosed ceiling to boot. However, the strangest part was the conditions that the walls and floor were in.

    The magically constructed walls, floor, and ceiling were littered with scorch and burn marks, as well as deep cuts, and enough small holes to make even the most swiss of cheese jealous.

    Just as I was looking around, I heard a crash of metal, as every instinct in my body screamed to dodge. With much less effort than I was expecting, I blasted myself backward with wind magic, sending myself much farther than intended.

    Thankfully I had done so, as a large blunt piece of metal flew directly where I was once standing and where I would have dodged to if I had gone where I had meant to.

    Did I lose all my control in these two months?

    Looking towards the direction of my attacker, I saw none other than my dear old Uncle Zerath, staring at me with his cold, calculating eyes, and his hands slightly twitching at his sides.

    "What the hell was that about?!" I can''t help but yell.

    Those things could have knocked me out cold! I don''t wanna be knocked out! What if this is some sick game and this really is another dream!

    "What''s your name boy," Zerath said, never letting his guard down.

    "V- Antonio Icefield? Please tell me you remember me and this isn''t some melatonin esque dream." I say, putting my hands up in a defensive posture.

    That little action was useless, however, as, without any warning, Zerath moves at a speed I could never hope to match and appears in front of me, pulling me into a huge hug.

    "Oh good lords above and below, thank goodness you''ve regained yourself. We thought that awakening your wings at such a young age had driven you insane." Zerath said, struggling to get the words out as he choked back tears.

    The loud crashes of metal that Zerath sent after me must have awoken Ivy and alerted the rest of the camp to my presence, yet as they all say Zerath hugging me and crying, no weapons were drawn.

    I have so many questions.

    "I have so many questions," I say, speaking my mind as I return Zerath''s embrace, which was quickly turned into a three, then four, then six-person hug as the rest of the group realized what had happened.

    "So do we, but just shut up and be happy for once," Teresa said, her usually masked voice filled with nothing but seemingly genuine relief.

    After the big reunion, the massive stone walls fell to reveal we had not moved from where we had left the cart, setting Teresa''s schedule back by what I assume is two months, unless time is different here.

    "How long have I been out?" I ask, looking as guilty as I feel for holding up the party.

    "Two months and four days, and yes, that does make us behind schedule, but stop worrying about that and worry about yourself," Teresa says, dismissing my next thought and worry.

    Okay, time to address the elephant in the room.

    Looking over towards my mother, my aunt, and my uncle, I take a very deep breath to calm myself.

    "Okay, are any of you three going to explain what the hell happened to me? One second I was practicing and meditating, the next I''m in a massive amount of pain and suddenly two months have passed." I say, technically never telling a lie.

    "What happened, my boy is that you''re either an unprecedented genius of mana, or a talent born only one in a million years. You''re not even fully mature yet by Fae standards and not only do you have such a talent for mana manipulation, but by some miracle, you''ve also become a fully awakened Faery at such a ripe young age. For reference, most Faeries don''t awaken until at minimum sixteen years of age." Zerath said, answering only a few questions and making a ton more.

    "What? What''s an awakening, what''s the age of maturity for Fae, what do you mean I have a talent for magic manipulation, and what do you mean I''m a genius of mana?" I ask, shooting these rapid-fire questions towards Zerath. Yet, it''s not Zerath that answers, but Elandria.

    "An awakening is when a Fae first taps into the abilities of their ancestral blood, for Faeries, it''s when we first open our wings. It comes with a huge increase in general magical capabilities, and when your wings are summoned, that boost is increased tenfold. Consider your wings akin to a natural spell, they take mana to activate but boost your physical and magical might, as well as allow for flight when not filled with mana." Aunt Elandria said, once again answering only half my questions. Thankfully, before I was able to ask any more, she continued.

    "Zerath here called you either a genius of mana or a talent born only once every million years due to both your magical might as well as the fact you just awoke your wings at the ripe age of nine. To do such a feat usually requires great study, focus, and planning, yet you had none of that."

    Hmmm, based on how it''s being described to me, apparently thirsting after getting a pair of wings of my own really paid off. I wish it hadn''t come at the price of my back health, mental health, two months of our journey, and whatever else I did, but it''s something.

    "Why didn''t you guys just take me with you? Passed out or not I could just ride in the cart." I say as Zerath gives a slight chuckle in response.

    "That was the first idea boy, but it quickly fell through after you woke back up and began to blow apart the whole forest. I had to quickly cover you up so that nothing else would get destroyed. Taking you into any city would kill not only the citizens but a large majority of the guard." Zerath said, up, pumping up my ego but continuing to confuse me.

    What does he mean by ''kill the civilians'' and guards? Oh god, I have a sneaking suspicion that I''ve done something horrible.

 Chapter 82 - Double Edged Sword

    "What? Okay, I think I''m going to need a bit more of an explanation." I say, sitting down and sighing.

    This is a can of worms I was not ready for today. Well, I mean this is better than where I was before, given I''m back in the body of Antonio.

    "This may take a bit of explaining, but I guess you would have needed to hear this eventually," Stephanie said, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. After about a minute of waiting, a pair of butterfly-Esque wings appeared on her back, casting a gentle breeze upon being formed.

    However, unlike her delicate appearance, Stephanie''s face was twisted into a mess of sadness and rage.

    As quickly as the wings formed, they disappeared, returning my mother to the calm woman I now know her as.

    "Every ancestral magical ability has some sort of drawback, and we Faeries are no exception. Our wings and magic are deeply tied to our emotions, so any trauma or lingering negative emotions are multiplied by around a hundred times their normal amount." Stephaine said, as she quickly dropped to my level and pulled me into a deep hug. "I don''t even want to ask what you see when you awaken your wings, but I''m so sorry to have put you through it." She said as I could feel tears begin to well up and fall on top of my head.

    This has to be the best yet worst news I think I could ever hear. Seriously, I don''t know whether to laugh or cry.

    I unlock what amounts to a power-up, but I literally have to go back to that hospital bed every time? Or will it be different every time? Honestly, I think I''d rather just not have ever known about that power.

    After a nice and long hug from Stephanie, a few more things were explained to me about my newest magical implement, my wings. Man, even thinking that I actually have wings now just makes me feel weird.

    For the sake of my own sanity, I think I''ve drilled down the main factors that come with ''awakening'' as a Fae.

    Most importantly, is that when a Fae first awakens, their capacity and magical capabilities are increased by a significant margin, as entirely new sections of your magical network are born and now capable of taking in and using mana.

    However, this process usually takes years if not even a full decade before a Faery is able to access and draw out their wings. What I did, was equivalent to finding out that one of my baby teeth was slightly loose, pulling it out with a set of pliers, and then pulling the adult tooth into position directly afterward.

    Sure, I can  technically call upon my wings, but not only will they be in some grotesque form that no one in the party wanted to explain to me, but also I''ll also mindlessly attack everything in the vicinity since the drawbacks associated with them are nearly tenfold what they would usually be.

    There is a silver lining in all of this, which is the fact that not only are their immediate increases to my raw magical capabilities due to having an expanded network, but also this should theoretically speed up the process in which my wings awaken to a normal level.

    Yet, even with these detailed explanations, a few things stuck out to me. One of which I just can''t help but ask about.

    "Aunt Elandria, aren''t your wings out right now? Is that not a huge mental burden on you?" I ask, pointing at the translucent multi-color bat wings ejecting out the back of Elandria''s back.

    "Hehehe! It''s adorable you''d think that. Do you have any idea how old I am young man? If I wasn''t able to overcome something as simple as the biological drawback of using my full power, I wouldn''t be able to call myself a true Fae. After a few decades of practice and patience, even the deepest scars and traumas can be healed. Also, it''s not as if I have them unleashed at all times, if I did, I doubt you would even be able to stand, let alone your party." Aunt Elandria said in a half-mocking tone.

    "That''s another question I guess I have, what do you mean by unleashed?" I ask, as Zerath simply scoffs.

    "Did you listen to nothing I said? To trigger any of the more powerful effects of your wings, you need to supply them with a steady stream of mana. That is known as ''unleashing'' your wings. Our wings in their dormant state act only as additional sections of a magical network, and otherwise exactly how any other race''s wings operate." Zerath explains as a large set of bird-like wings appear on his back, yet instead of feathers, they boast small scales.

    "Wait, does that mean I can summon my wings and fly, I just can''t fill them with mana or I''ll fly off the handle?" I mean, the flight was the main goal anyway. So what if I don''t get some weird arbitrary increase in strength, I just wanna fly with a real set of wings.

    "I would say no. I may not know much about the wings of a Fae, but I doubt yours could accomplish much aside from scaring the shit out of anyone who sees them." Ivy said, her smirk and berating attitude back as if nothing happened.

    "Are they really that bad?" I ask, subconsciously tugging my robe a bit tighter around my body.

    "If I saw your wings on literally any other creature, I wouldn''t hesitate to lodge my strongest wyrm scale arrowhead in its skull and then run as fast I physically could in the other direction. Like, no offense, but I''d rather sleep naked in a village of Tiamat than go near something with wings made of straight-up bloody bones." Ivy said, shivering at the very thought.

    Maybe I''ll just stick to flight spells for now. Yeah, flight spells are cool, and a cooler way to show off than wings anyway.

    "That''s not very nice of you to say you know," Teresa said, her lips curling into a snarl as she gave Ivy a side-eye.

    "Well, she''s not wrong. In all my many years alive I don''t think I''ve ever seen a pair of wings that look so, unnatural. I''m sure they''ll grow into something more, palatable, with age time, so worry not young man." Zerath said, placing his hand on my shoulder as a way to reassure me, but the action along with his words had the exact opposite effect.

    "See? Even his uncle agrees with me," Ivy said, making eye contact with Teresa before turning to look back at me. "We''ve made some good progress on our custom flight and stalking spells, so until you get those things into better shape, I''d avoid using them at all. That, and I don''t wanna have to knock your ass out again if you go berserk. It''ll be a real fight this time, especially without his help."

    "Wait, you guys had to knock me out?" I ask as everyone''s eyes begin to avert from my gaze.

    I guess that''s why my head hurt so much when I first woke up.

    Although, I am viscerally interested in what exactly my wings look like, and if I''m able to fly with wings made entirely out of bone.

    What if my wings stay bone forever? I don''t think that would be too bad, I mean, they would look super rad and intimidating right?

    That being said, it  would be hard to get any sort of female attention with wings that look like something ripped straight out of Ed Gein''s discount furniture collection.

    After a bit more small talk, the heavy mood that seemed to permeate the atmosphere was finally cleared up, allowing everyone to speak and laugh a bit more freely.

    Once a good amount of the day was already behind us, we were able to hook up the cart and finally get back on the road, this time with three new traveling companions. Unfortunately, the presence of family doesn''t excuse me from my job of being the cart driver.

    Either way, I''m glad that we can finally get back on the road.

    --- Point of View: Gust Renarus ---

    Thankfully, aside from the incident two months ago, Antonio seems to be completely fine and in control.

    Standing up from my hiding place and returning to the small camp Arnold and Sylvia had prepared, it''s finally time to get a move on.

    "Took you long enough, you really are an overbearing parent ya know. I wish I had a wyvern papa like you when I was growing up." Arnold snickered, returning the campsite to loose dirt and quickly arranging all of his belonging.

    "So, where to next, boss?" I say, turning towards the strange woman who I was apparently working for, but was able to keep in one spot for nearly two months in order to watch over my son.

    "Hmm, there are a few cities on my list, but the first would have to be the northern port city of Kirabel. The journey will take a bit, but that place is pretty much the epicenter of a new-blood organization. If we can get a connection with them, we''ll be able to lay down some good roots." Sylia remarked, showing Arnold and me exactly where we would be heading on her large magical map.

    I think this journey will be good for me, especially now that I know Antonio is in good hands.

    With no other words necessary, the forward party Night''s Edge set off towards the port city of Kirabel.

    --- Point of View: Richard Silverwind ---

    Lady Acrimony has been silent for too long. I think she''s mad at me since I let the trail on both Ego''s kid and that Tiamat go cold.

    No matter, my connections in the magic kingdom have been able to tip me in the right direction, apparently, an heir to the throne of Delarus is headed towards the capital of the magic kingdom, and is being escorted by a young boy claiming to be a Tiamat.

    If that''s not the Ego kid, I''ll cut off my own arm.

    It sucks that I have to head back to the capital so soon, but I guess duty calls and all that. Once I catch Ego''s emissary, I''m sure I''ll be back in the favor of Lady Acrimony and I can get back to living my new lease on life my own way.

    I just hope that uppity bastard isn''t still there, he''s lucky all I did was throw him in prison after stripping him of his blessing. If I have to see that little shit''s face one more time in my life it''ll be too soon.

    Standing up from my seat, I hop off my body pile and get a good stretch in.. Here I go huntin'' again.

 Chapter 83 - [Bonus Chapter] Antonios Subduing

    (This chapter takes place directly after the cutaway within chapter 80 ''Catastrophic Success''. It''s the fight between the party + parents and an Unleashed Antonio. Thanks for the pens :) )

    --- Point of View: Teresa Delarus ---

    As Elandria bobbed her head out of the way of the incoming spike, it was obvious that Antonio was out of his mind.

    No words needed to be spoken as the rest of the party drew their respective weapons, as Zerath, the man who identified himself as Anotnio''s uncle, had a pair of scaled wings extend out of his back.

    Dashing backward, I knew my positioning in battle better than anyone else. All I could do was apply a Dominus tier cloak and sit in the backline, supplying buffs and support spells to our vanguard and main dealer.

    Yet, the party composition was much different than I was used to. Out vanguard now consisted of both the large bulky Zerath as well as Flare, whilst Ivy, Stephanie, and Elandria occupied the roles of main damage dealers.

    Of course, this was due to the fact that our main dealer was currently our opponent, but also due to the fact that Elandria had yelled out this formation and we simply followed her orders as if it were natural.

    Unfortunately, although Antonio seemed to have lost his sense of self, his sense of reason and battle sense had not diminished in the slightest.

    The moment we Elandria dodged his attack and called out the formation, the battle truly began.

    Giving us no time to breathe and no time to coordinate with each other, Antonio started his assault. First, he stuck his staff forward and yelled something in a language it seemed not even Stephanie or Elandria spoke, as they both looked at him confused, yet once he tapped his staff onto the ground, I knew what was coming next.

    "Everyone fly or leap into the air  NOW!" I yelled, forcing more cloak into my legs and kicking off the ground. Thankfully, my call came just in time, as a sheet of ice spread out from the tip of Antonio''s staff at a speed almost faster than my eyes could keep up, freezing everything in its path.

    Yet, that pose left him extremely open, and Flare along with Zerath did not let that fact go to waste.

    Flare immediately shot towards him, slashing at his neck with the broad side of her blade in order to knock him out, whilst Zerath dropped to the ground and attempted to land a blow to his chin.

    However, remaining perfectly still in the air, Antonio brought his hand forward and quickly, yet audibly chanted.

    "What''s yours is mine, what''s mine is mine. May those who have trespassed into my kingdom relinquish all they have gained. Despot''s Domain." With those strangely deep-voiced words, Flare fell to the floor and Zerath''s speed was reduced to but a fraction, allowing the now reinvigorated Antonio to easily dodge and counter both of them.

    Was that the new spell he was working on? I know he''s been practicing with his golden magic recently, but I had no idea it could have such an effect.

    Yet, the terror of the spell did not stop there, as Anotonio shot through the air, landing squarely in front of Elandria, placing his fist square into her stomach.

    Before she was even able to recoil, Antonio raised his now shining fist and struck her directly in the jaw, sending her spiraling through the air.

    At the same time, he tapped his staff onto the ground, this time sending a wave of fire throughout the battlefield, burning those who had not been paying attention to their footwork.

    It looked as if he was ignoring the rest of the battlefield and focusing solely on the master mage, and Ivy did not let that chance slip by. Drawing her steel hunting dagger, she slammed a hunter''s cloak into her arms and brought the flat side of the blade down on the back of Antonio''s neck, ignoring the searing burns slowly eating at her feet.

    However, much to both Ivy''s and Elandria''s dismay, the dagger shattered upon impacting the back of his neck.

    No, the moment before it collided with his skin, the same black rock that he had originally shot at Elandria formed around the area the blade was going to strike, taking the full brunt of the attack.

    Instantly, I understood exactly what I needed to do.

    As Antonio''s attention swapped from the injured Elandria to his attacker, I closed the gap between Elandria and me, quickly chanting a Dux tier healing spell and applying it to the Fae mage.

    "Flare! Apply a Beast cloak and attack Antonio! I think I understand how his defense works!" I yell out, hoping she can hear me and make it in time.

    Thankfully, it seems that was always the plan for Flare, as, by the time the words leave my throat, she''s already nearly in full swing at Antonio''s neck.

    However, instead of tanking it as he did with Ivy''s dagger, the rabid ice mage drops his attention from Ivy and shoots into the air, dodging the strike and looking down at the battlefield. From above, he stuck his hands out and conjured a short storm of icicles, raining them down throughout the field, catching both Elandria and Zerath off guard.

    "If he can take the attack, he does. If he can''t he either runs or casts that spell from before if he can''t escape. Also, he seems to have no tactics other than attacking his most recent attacker or who Antonio perceives as the biggest threat." I yell out, confident in my hypothesis after that last interaction.

    If Antonio was ''normal'', he wouldn''t have dodged that attack from Flare, instead blasting her backward with wind magic. Also, he would be targeting me, given the fact I''m the party''s support. The tactical mind of Antonio is gone, all that''s left is instinct.

    That being said, even if you can understand something, it doesn''t mean you can overcome it so easily.

    As if to prove my hypothesis even further, Antonio completely disregards the rest of the party and instead shoots down towards the now open-for-attack Flare. Using herself as bait, Flare applies her traditional defensive cloak and prepares to face the mad mage on head to head.

    Once Antonio is a few meters from Flare, Elandria, Flare herself, Ivy, and I all launch a different attack, trapping the mad dog in a cage of his own making.

    Noticing the large blasts of magic much too late, the rabid Antonio has no choice but to finish his attack on Flare and dash to the right, directly into the loving embrace of Zerath''s large stone staff.

    As the staff swings downward, a deafening crack could be heard, as the large shield of obsidian that had formed around Antonio is filled with spider-like cracks, yet it''s still not enough.

    Antonio, taking this golden opportunity for all it''s worth, grabs onto the staff of Zerath and pulls him towards himself, causing Zerath to stumble forward and catch a blow from Antonio straight to the jaw, sending him spiraling into the ground, unconscious.

    Turning to look at the rest of the party, Antonio then dashes once again at Elandria, now armed with a large stone staff. Yet, before Antonio is able to make contact, a miracle occurs.

    A blur of red shoots past me, as a loud crash, resounds through the battlefield.

    Standing before Antonio was a man I''d seen very recently, wielding a large battle-ax, which had just shattered the obsidian shield. Gust, Antonio''s father had never left, or if he did, he made it back in the knick of time.

    Everyone present was extremely caught off guard, Antonio included.

    Yet, the battle was far from over, as the obsidian shield quickly began to reform.

    However, instead of panicking, Gust simply gave a large laugh.

    "Self-repairing armor? I''m getting really sick of that gimmick!" He yelled with a laugh, striking down on Antonio again and again, each time destroying the armor that was still being repaired.

    Antonio was defending the best he could, sending waves of fire, ice, and sharp spikes of earth off of his body at all times, all whilst blocking with his shield and ever-cracking stone staff. Yet it was obvious that the battle was quickly swinging in our favor.

    No one wanted to let this opportunity go to waste, so we once again launched a four-pronged attack, this time being successful due to the physical giant that was keeping Antonio from blocking or running.

    However, the feral beast was once again not out of tricks. As he continued to block Gust with his stone staff and obsidian shield, he began to quickly chant.

    "What''s yours is mine and what''s mine is mine. May I reclaim all that''s been lost and all that will be. Despot''s Treasure." Once again, golden energy shot out of Antonio, yet before it reached anyone but Gust, it suddenly vanished.

    Along with it, so did his shield of obsidian, as well as the golden cloak he had surrounded himself with.

    With his physical advantage destroyed along with his defense, Gust quickly overpowered the rampaging mage, allowing Ivy to sneak behind him, delivering the decisive blow to the back of his head, as I tended to the wounds the party had sustained.

    Antonio fell to the ground, defeated, as the grotesque wings, made of pure white bones and feathered with pure red blood, disappeared into his back.

    Seemingly not wanting to explain himself or make any trouble, Gust quickly made himself scarce after making sure Antonio was still alive, and no one was trying to kill him.

    With that, Antonio was subdued and brought back to our campsite on the back of the embarrassed Zerath.

    Only one real thought has been reinforced in my mind.

    I  need this young man as my mage, he would make the perfect magical asset when I become Queen.

 Chapter 84 - Roads Less Traveled

    As the squeaky wheels of the carriage rolled down the calm dirt road, a group of rag-tag adventurers could be seen sitting in the back of the cart, which was seemingly driving itself.

    The group consisted of a young human boy, a young woman of elven descent, a decadent-looking Jeralik, and a feisty-looking red-haired fire sprite. The four traveling companions sat in the back of the cart, happily chatting and discussing what sounded like utter nonsense to anyone eavesdropping on the conversation.

    In truth, any magically astute spy could notice the small dome of wind magic surrounding the cart, seemingly scrambling the sounds coming from the conversation, instead making it sound as if they were happily chatting and laughing about honey bread and dire wolves.

    Yet, their peaceful journey was soon to be interrupted, as a group of hooded and cloaked figures had meticulously surrounded the slow-moving carriage from all sides, ready to strike at a moment''s notice.

    These hooded figures belonged to the prolific black guild known as Gloom Stalkers, who had been specially hired to take out this group of reportedly seven travelers. According to their client, despite their apparent age and naivety, the group had already fended off over twenty other specialty groups, demanding the full force of the Gloom Stalker to be deployed.

    Stephan Michael was a calm and collected man under the most intense circumstances, yet when his most recent client easily placed a sum of over two hundred Oro onto the table, he easily caved to his demands to deploy the entirety of the Gloom Stalkers.

    Apparently, the caravan boasted not only two Legate tier magicians, but also a pair of deadly close-quarters combatants, rendering most cheap tricks ineffective.

    As night quickly fell, with the darkness of the new moon quickly swallowing the surroundings, leaving only the light of the target''s campfire to illuminate the surrounding, Stephan knew right now would be the optimal time to strike.

    Which was the very reason he neglected to do so. Instead, he had to sacrifice a few pawns of the guild, hoping to cause the party to lower their guards.

    As the fresh meat of the guild dropped onto the forest floor below, not a single person had been expected what came next.

    Before they had a chance to think, a thick sheet of ice froze the forward team into statues, either killing or trapping them depending on the nature of the magic.

    To a normal group of assassins, this would look like something straight out of a fantasy. There was no chant, no sudden movement, no preamble, just a swift, and instant death.

    However, to the members of Gloom Stalkers, this was no rare occurrence. Every report available on the party gave a very detailed description of the man labeled as the ''Prince of Frozen Blood'', Antonio Icefield.

    After the advance party was frozen into statues, they were quickly sucked into the ground, never to be seen again. Yet, this did not deter the members of the black guild, seeing this as an opportunity.

    As the Ice Price turned his back towards the forest and began to silently walk back towards his campsite, ten members of Gloom Stalkers descended upon him silently.

    Unfortunately, the battle had been over before it ever began. As the silent assassins dashed towards the seemingly defenseless prince, they sure did a lousy job of hiding their bloodlust for the heir to the throne.

    Thankfully, his trusted mage associate was able to weed out the rest of the invisible men, alleviating them of the problem of highwaymen, if only for one more day.

    However, this sense of safety is exactly what lead to the bloody battle that followed directly after. The moment after the Jeralik woman turned around, issues began to stick into her brain.

    As the now tired Prince was much too lazy to help, he retreated into his stone hut, yet not before tapping the fancy looking on the ground and casting a spell.

    With one of the major threats eliminated, the rest of the guild descended upon the unsuspecting travelers, unaware of the experiments and horror they would soon face.

    Before most of the members of the Gloom Stlakers landed on the softer underbrush they''re before, they are already dead. Whether from the magic of the man labeled both ''a veritable armada of spell ideas'' or the other man, labeled ''The Mad Man of The Lab.''

    The young man never needed to use an ounce of concentration, as with the flick on the wrist he had snuffed out the light of most members of the assassin''s guild.

    --- Point of View: Antonio Icefield ---

    With Stephanie sleeping and Mobile Driver running most of the show, all I''ve been able to do for these past three years are write down and explore what exactly each person holds dearly. Thankfully, the group seems to be a bit more sophisticated, giving up their pride in exchange for living to see another day.

    It takes but a flick of my hand to send out another wave of Frozen Prison, freezing another section of the attackers and forcing them to retreat.

    Three years. It''s truly been that long since I began adventuring with Teresa. Looking down at my adventurer''s identification card, my age of ''12'' blinked lightly in the corner of my card, along with my evaluation as an A-rank adventurer.

    Hmm, how time flies.

    Suddenly, I felt a strong jolt on my shoulder, as Ivy shook me out of my trance. Although the attackers had left, for now, she was correct in assuming that they would probably come back.

    No, scratch that, they always come back.

    Thankfully, tonight should be the last night dealing with them for a long time, as, by this time tomorrow, we''ll have reached the capital of the Magic Kingdom.

    Many interesting things have happened in these last years, such as reconnecting with both sides of my family, awakening and training my wings very slowly, and even practicing and working with two new schools of magic, metal magic, and sound magic.

    However, these last two schools of magic were all that Zerath and Stephanie had left me, as approximately one week ago, they had ''urgent business'' and left without any further warning.

    Sighing deeply and sitting in a more relaxed pose, I return to a calm world of sensing for changes in the mana and meditating.

    Why was I even so determined to come to the Capital in the first place? I know I originally had a goal for coming here, but now it''s as if I''ve fully committed to working under Teresa as her magical knight.

    Sifting through the fog that was my mind was difficult, but I seem to remember that I was tasked with breaking someone out of prison. I have no idea what this guy looks like, but that''s the best lead I have.

    After sitting through the rest of my night watch, I shook the heavy sleeper Flare awake, as it was her turn to keep watch.

    Once Flare was up and astute, I laid down and felt the fatigue come over me. Holy shit, a lot of natives to this world have impressive stamina. How do you work every day, then turn around and train instead of sleep! When do they rest!

    As my head touched my soft bedroll, I let my body become dull and sluggish, my fatigue catching up to me as I pass out, a civilization national territory.

    ///

    The normal morning routine hasn''t changed in a year. Cooking food with Teresa for both myself and the other party members early in the morning is somewhat habit at this point.

    At first, I would wake up and enjoy a bit of banter before we finish cooking and eating. Then, Ivy would awaken and I would hand her portion of breakfast as we discussed the major plans or activities.

    Finally, Flare would decide to wake up, eating her prepared food and pitching in her two cents.

    After breakfast, we quickly pack up and clean up our campsite, as I take a bit of focus to conjure something. The goal was originally a type of elemental, but the result I had accomplished was more than enough.

    The figure of wind magic I conjure is enough to keep the cart steady, also known as Mobile Driver.

    Once back on the road, we snack on some conjured water and rations to hold us over until dinner.

    At the end of the day, it ended just like any other. I retreat to my stone hut for a moment, then get ready for the next long day of driving tomorrow.

    Thankfully, tomorrow will be our salivation, breaking out of this mundane workspace and truly proving if the journey was worth it or not.

    As the moon fell behind the clouds, it was another very dark night, but that''s all. No attackers came, and the night ended peacefully.

    ///

    Finally, once everyone was awake and around the morning fire, we could speak freely.

    "So, tomorrow huh. We''ve finally reached it, the capital of the Magic Kingdom." Ivy says, sounding a bit stunned, yet melancholic.

    "Yep, the end of the line for this job," I say, my voice breaking a bit as well, a hint of sadness leaking into it.

    With the job ending, are Flare and Ivy going to stay with us? I can almost feel my stomach twisting into a knot.

    I''ve got a bad feeling about reaching the capital.

 Chapter 85 - The Final Night

    After three years of hopping from city to city, taking on job after job to earn money for myself and the party, since apparently it would be frowned upon for Teresa to tap into any of her royal wealth, the members of Ice and Fire finally arrived at the capital of the Magic Kingdom.

    Flare and I have repaired our relationship in these last three years, whilst Ivy, Teresa, and I have all grown inexplicably closer. When you''re constantly having to be vigilant, constantly having to rely on one another against different groups out to harm your client, it was bound to happen.

    Even from a distance, the capital gave off an absolutely overwhelming feeling. Mostly due to the fact, that even from hundreds of kilometers away, the capital was visible. Through thick trees, and even in the darkness of night, the capital could be seen looming in the distance.

    This was mostly due to the fact, that the city was in fact floating.

    The city seemed to come straight out of a fantasy world, which in this case, it does. Jutting out of the bottom of a large, most likely artificial, island, was a large luminescent crystal, forever glowing with a dull grey.

    There were multiple small dots floating around the artificial island, most likely government buildings, or those belonging to people of extreme wealth.

    There were also multiple shapes dotting the sky beneath the capital, serving a purpose I can''t even imagine.

    Most interestingly were the method in which you could see people traveling up to the capital off in the distance, as well as what was described to me by Teresa.

    "There are two ways up to the capital," Teresa explained, holding up two fingers. "The first is the way royalty and ambassadors usually take, which is what we''ll be doing. Once we reach the entry point to the capital, I''ll show my royal badge and present my blood for inspection. After we''ve been cleared, we''ll be warped up to the city." She explained, putting one finger down.

    "The second is the method the rest of the people entering the capital take, a pathway made of solidified mana. Usually, the track up to the capital can take over six hours due to its height and the fact that there''s no convenient way to walk up, but in order to circumvent any troubles, different accommodating businesses have been permitted to establish themselves on the path." She said, putting down the last finger.

    "Uh, teacher, question," Flare said, putting her hand up slightly before asking. "What do you mean by solidified mana? Also, teleportation is real?"

    "I was also wondering that," I said, looking inquisitively at Teresa.

    I know teleportation has to be possible since I was teleported away from my home when I was a kid, but I guess I never really looked into it.

    "At this point, the existence of teleportation gates is an open secret within upper society. Most royal and high-end nobles of most countries have some access to technology, which is how most of them access areas of high security. The Magic Kingdom, whose leader is decided simply by being the most qualified mage along with a few other things, decided to turn this open secret to the public, introducing the technology to the public and cementing them as the first ''teleport capable'' nation. Teleportation gates are expensive to set up, so to my knowledge the one we''ll be heading to is one of two accessible to the public." Teresa explained, answering a few of my silent questions.

    Based on all available information, teleportation is magic that can only be used via items or these large gates. It makes sense, if a person were capable of teleporting, we certainly would have seen, heard, or even been attacked by a person capable of such a feat.

    But that does suck. It''s the shared dream of every nerd to be able to teleport, especially to use it in a fight. It would also completely negate my weak defense since I could just warp away from any hits.

    "About the solidified mana, it''s a technique used and developed by the current King of the Magic Kingdom, His Majesty Luciano Edwardo Silkenhood. He''s a rare genius of mana that was able to invent a new field of magic, a field of pure mana solidification, simple yet ingenious. He''s trying to coin it as ''barrier magic'', but it''s not making much progress." Teresa continued to explain the identity of the King of magic, an important topic given we''d be meeting him along with Teresa, but I couldn''t hear her.

    Not over the ringing in my ears, heavy breaths, and rising blood pressure.

    Luciano, the bane of my old life. The man who ruined my future, my family, my relationship, and eventually my life. Luciano Ricci. Just why did it have to be that name.

    "Antonio? Antonio?" Teresa said, snapping me back to reality by shaking me on the shoulder.

    "Sorry sorry, I must not have slept too well. I''m feeling a bit under the weather and spaced out there." I say, sighing and giving off a bit of nervous laughter.

    "Ha! So you do have a weakness." Ivy teased, her voice oozing sarcasm.

    "Shut up, just because you can''t beat me in a fight doesn''t mean I''m immortal," I say, pointing a teasing finger in her direction.

    "Oh? How about you stop hiding behind your little barriers and cloak theft spell and fight me fairly? We both know how that went down last time~" She said, lightly rubbing on her shoulder where she shot me when she was still an enemy.

    "If you''re so confident in yourself, then you should be able to shoot around a little barrier. Or what? Are you so reliant on a cloak that your little arrows can''t fly straight without them~" I say, instinctively rubbing my shoulder in a mirrored motion to Ivy.

    "Oh shut up, both Iv and I could beat you if you didn''t rely on that stupid golden magic," Flare interjected, as I''ve hit a landmine I nearly forgot about.

    It''s been over a year since Flare and I had last sparred, but that sore spot had yet to heal. I still couldn''t explain the ability or how I gained and used it, but otherwise, Flare had just accepted it as a talent I had.

    In fact, the rest of the party stopped really questioning my use of Divinity after a while, most likely due to the fact I didn''t really give them much to hang on to.

    As the day quickly turned into night, the city still a good few hours away, we decided to hunker down and rough out one more night.

    We were almost at our destination, meaning one thing was for certain.

    This was the last possible day that any attempts could be silently made on Teresa''s life. The rest would be in the public eye of the entire magic capital if they were planning on attacking with any major force that is.

    Pulling the cart off to the side of the road, we constructed our usual campsite just in time. As soon as the walls were being erected, a silent yet deadly arrow flew through the night and landed directly between the eyes of our sixth horse. This obviously wasn''t the first time our ride has been targeted, but being so close to the objective, it''s most certainly the most annoying.

    Forgoing the normal campsite, I slammed mana into the ground, forming a dome around the cart and Teresa, whilst Flare, Ivy, and I stayed outside of the dome, preparing to engage the assassins.

    Not letting them make any more moves, I slammed my staff into the ground and cast what has become my bread and butter spell in the last few months, Frozen Prison.

    Frozen Prison is a spell similar to the spell Ice Age, but with a few effects that utilize my innate sense for mana.

    It''s primary benefit is that it''s impossible to see until it''s too late, as nothing on the surface is frozen. Instead, it seeps magic into the ground at a radius, and freezing anything above a certain amount of mana.

    It takes leagues more mana than Ice Age, but the effects are well worth the cost. It works both as an offense and defense, and will stay active as long as I supply it with mana. The only downside, is if a person has a powerful enough cloak, or dispells the mana with fire magic, it has little to no effect.

    In essence, its a spell that takes out all the small fries, limiting the enemies numbers and moves to only those of considerable strength.

    As I sent two waves of Frozen Prison out from our position, I could hear, and more importantly feel, the spell draining my mana to ruthlessly freeze the animals and enemies within the vicinity with reckless abandon.

    With this many frozen, the attackers must have realized what we were capable of and brought out their full fighting force. Not that it matters of course, but it feels nice to be considered strong enough to warrant fifty mooks and approximately five actual opponents.

    Seeing that their advantage was lost, I could feel the five strong members of the strike team begin to bum rush our location, and they would be arriving in less than thirty seconds. Dispelling Frozen Prison and calling back all the unspent mana, not that I need it, I just hate to be wasteful.

    The real battle of this ambush was about to begin.

 Chapter 86 - The Final Night (Part Two)

    As the men rapidly approached the cart, we broke into our formation.

    Flare took the vanguard position, flanked by Ivy and me as the main damage and support.

    Bracing ourselves for impact, I decided to strike first. Slamming my staff into the ground, I quickly filled the ground in front of us with Earth mana and lay in waiting.

    As soon as we saw the movement of the enemies, I activated the spell I had prepared, Entrapment. The moment the large, bronze-skinned man dashed toward us with fury, the ground gave out beneath him, dropping him and two other attackers into the ground over twenty feet deep.

    The moment their feet touched the bottom of the pit, the second effect of Entrapment activated, forcing the dirt that I had compacted into the wall to violently return to its original position, trapping the attackers in dirt twenty feet deep.

    The other two attackers immediately backstepped, allowing Ivy to launch an arrow at the roughly woman-like shape, hopefully hitting its center mass.

    What we were not expecting, was what came immediately after she launched the arrow.

    As the arrow cascaded through the air, the rough figure launched itself forward, through the treeline allowing us to catch a glimpse of our attackers.

    The thing that came out of the woods was not a human nor a demonoid, but a race of beastfolk I never knew existed until now.

    Instead of it being a roughly human person with animal-like features, it was something more akin to a werewolf. Standing on two hind legs, was what looked like a large armadillo, with claws instead of hands and a snout-like face.

    "Petty human weapons mean nothing!" The were-armadillo yelled, as the arrow simply bounced off its thick scaled hide.

    Why does everyone talk during fights in this world?

    Pointing my staff towards the charging beast person, I launched three Eisdamons towards it, hoping to gauge its strength.

    As the large crystals of ice slammed into the beast, it staggered only slightly as the spears shattered on impact.

    "Useless magicians!" He yelled as Flare dashed forward, clashing and locking her sword against his claws.

    As the clawed beastfolk traded blows with Flare, his ally rushed out of the treeline towards Ivy and me, sensing our weaker physical ability.

    His ally, either surprisingly or unsurprisingly, was not a fellow were-armadillo. Instead, this beastfolk bore a resemblance to an elephant person. Complete with the large ears and trunk you''d expect.

    "Back up Flare, I can take dumbo," I say, as Ivy shoots me a strange look but goes to back up Flare anyway. Man, I wish someone understood my references. It''s a weird world where I can''t quote things and have people get it.

    "Who''re you calling an idiot huh?" The elephant man yelled, drawing twin swords and charging at me. Man, talk about a stereotype huh.

    Sticking my hand out towards him, I channel divinity into my palm and begin to quickly chant.

    "What''s yours is mine and what''s mine is mine. Release unto me all that rightfully belongs to me. Despot''s Grasp." After two years'' worth of practice, I was finally able to master my original divine spell, Despot''s Grasp. Sure, it''s not as dangerous as the other two that the party described for me, but it''s not like anyone can teach me how to use this stuff!

    As the golden energy launched from my palm and wrapped itself around the elephant person, I felt myself getting stronger by a margin I couldn''t even imagine achieving myself.

    Stupid talent cloak-wielding assholes.

    As the energy flowed into me and out of the elephant, I shot myself towards him at breakneck speeds, conjuring a blade of ice into my right hand.

    Clashing with the elephant man was a one-sided slaughter, as he hadn''t realized his lack of cloak until his sword swung much slower than mine.

    Yet at that moment, it was already too late. The blade of ice slashed him, deep, from the top of his right shoulder to his left hip.

    Not wasting the opportunity, and before he was able to re-apply any cloak, I stuck my staff into his chest.

    "Absolute Zero," I say, as the beam of pure ice energy pierced through his body, freezing any flesh it made contact with on the way out.

    However, I''m no longer some fool. A wounded warrior fights that hardest, and if he can use even a hair''s breadth of light magic, it could spell disaster to let my guard down.

    Leaping backward at full force, proved just how right I was to be careful, as he had re-filled his right arm with a cloak, and swung his sword to take out my head.

    Thankfully, his wide and desperate swing left him wide open, allowing me to fire off another blase of Absolute Zero, freezing and destroying the loxodons head.

    Turning my attention over to the battle between the were-armadillo and the Flare Ivy duo, they were fairing well. The armadillo had gotten a few good blows on the duo, but they had done the same, turning the fight into a battle of attrition.

    The only issue with a battle of attrition, was the lack of a partner for the armadillo, turning him into a bloody mess, constantly losing blood and stamina as time went off.

    Just as his partner fell and I began to turn my focus onto him, he dashed backward and put his hands up, the universal sign of surrender.

    "* *****. ***** **** **** **. * **** * *****." He said, tears forming in his eyes as he fell to his knees, speaking jibberish.

    "Uhh, can anyone understand what he''s saying?" I ask, turning to look at Flare and Ivy, as they looked back at me and shrugged.

    However, that moment of distraction must have been what the armadillo-man was waiting for, as once our focus was diverted from him for a moment, in the next moment, a dagger flew towards me and lodged itself into my throat, sending searing pain throughout my body and forcing me to drop the concentration required to keep my spells going.

    "No!" Flare yelled, dashing at the man as I fell to the floor, gripping my neck.

    Pain.

    Pulling the dagger out caused me an excruciating amount of pain, yet that was nowhere near as severe as what came next.

    Panic.

    There''s liquid rapidly filling my throat, as every breath I took caused no air, only blood to further fill my lungs and throat.

    Healing. Healing magic.

    Canceling every other spell I had going, including the dome that protected the cart, I slammed healing magic into my throat, causing the internal and external wounds to heal.

    Leaning over, I conjured a powerful gust of wind in the back of my throat, causing me to painfully throw up nearly half a liter of blood, tearing my throat to shreds.

    Once again filling my throat with warm healing mana, I could finally once again pay attention to the world around me.

    Lifting my head up and turning towards the battlefield, I saw a sight I was not prepared to see in the middle of the night.

    Flare was shining like a small sun.

    Jutting out of Flare''s back, were two additional sets of arms, both made of molten lava, both wielding blades of fire.

    Flare was on the warpath, and the were-armadillo stood a snowball''s chance in hell against her.

    In a matter of seconds, the man was torn asunder, and the arms of lava and fire disappeared, causing Flare to double over and fall to the ground in pain.

    That was Flare''s trump card, a spell she called Avatar of Flame. The spell itself was very diverse, allowing Flare to conjure up to four additional limbs and any weapon made of fire she could imagine.

    Typically, she would use the spell to conjure additional arms and swords, turning the tide of a close-quarters fight in an instant.

    The issue lay in the formation of the spell itself. Although she was immune to the fire and lava themselves, given that was how the spell was designed, she was not immune to the heat that a spell like that gave off, sometimes leaving her back with burn, and her lungs filled with hot, painful air.

    Running over to Flare, I quickly placed my hands on her now bare back and began to heal her burns.

    "I told you to fix that spell before you used it again!" I scolded, which was true. The first time she used that spell was in a duel with me, the backlash of which lost her that duel.

    I had told her many times to fix it, and that she should avoid using it until it was fixed, yet every time she put it off.

    "Shut up and heal me." She chided through based breaths.

    "Whatever, at least the battle is over before you burnt yourself out. Be more careful next time." I said, funneling more healing magic into her body, focusing on her lungs over her back.

    "Aww, catch feelings for me little faery~" She teased.

    Yes, obviously.

    "No? What''s there to like about someone with no brain." That is what I actually end up saying, I''m not interested in any unrequited love right now.

    With a bit more back and forth, it seemed as if the final night ended in less disaster than I would have thought.

 Chapter 87 - One Man

    After securing the campsite and arranging a better rotation of watches, we could finally go back to sleep.

    Thankfully, no other group aimed for Teresa tonight, allowing the rest of the night to pass peacefully.

    ///

    Shifting awake, foggy-eyed, and slightly drained, our usual morning routine was broken today.

    Stepping out of and subsequently dismantling my stone hut, I found both Teresa and Ivy already awake, happily chatting around the fire.

    "with a honeycomb and a do- g''monrin little faery," Ivy said, breaking out of her story and waving to me as I approached.

    "Can we please stop with the nicknames?" I plea through a disgruntled tone.

    Ever since I began to practice and utilize my wings a bit, the name Dead Faery had been stuck to me instead of anything ice-related. Thankfully, the name eventually evolved into the more passable ''Little Faery'' on account of my age, but it''s still cringe.

    Why can''t people just call me by name? Or at least a better moniker.

    "Nope! Not as long as you react so funny," Ivy said with a chuckle, as Teresa was also giggling at my expense.

    Ugh, god damn it.

    Taking a seat around the morning fire and cooking up my breakfast, eventually, we had to discuss the elephant in the room.

    "So, we''ve hit a bit of a block," Teresa said, sighing as she bit the metaphorical bullet and brought it up. "Not only are we through yet another horse, but we''re also still over a day''s journey by cart from the capital. If we were to walk with just the stuff on our back and in our bags, then it would be three days'' worth of travel. However, I for one don''t feel very good about leaving behind the cart that''s done so much for us." Teresa said with a grumble.

    Hmmm, I somewhat agree, but also that''s stupid.

    The main issue is that we long reached the point of relying on the cart for not only transportation but also storage. We would have to give up a good amount of our belongings in order to move without the cart from now on.

    "Well, I know and agree that we can''t abandon the cart, but what other choice do we have? We''re too far to reasonably wheel the cart into town and buy a horse, yet we''re so close to the capital that we can basically smell it. Aside from the physical issue of dragging it, I can''t imagine it would look good for royalty to arrive in a cart with no horse." I say, playing a bit of devil''s advocate. If it comes down to it, I say we take everything we can fit in our bags and on our backs and ditch it.

    Memories or not, it''ll just become a liability.

    Flare steps out of her tent with a yawn, collapsing it and throwing it in the aforementioned cart before walking over to the morning fire to join the discussion.

    "Mornin'' everyone," She says, sitting down with another huge yawn.

    "Good morning, we were just talking about what to do with the cart, given there''s no conveniently close town this time," Teresa said, as Flare stretched a bit and began to cook her breakfast.

    "Fuck the cart. If it''s gonna be a hassle, why not take all of our stuff, set it on fire, and move on with our lives?" She said, shrugging as if she was indifferent to the decision.

    "Well, what if we-" Ivy begins to say an idea, but is interrupted by an ear piercingly loud explosion, blowing us all out of our seats. Thankfully, it doesn''t seem as if whoever launched the attack has good aim, unless we weren''t their target.

    Shooting my head in the direction of the explosion, I realize just how wrong I was. My and my stupid big-mouthed brain!

    The explosion was centered entirely on the cart, reducing it to wood and ash in a matter of moments. It''s a miracle that no shrapnel hit me.

    Glancing between the rest of my party, they didn''t come out as lucky as I had.

    Ivy''s back had been to the cart, leaving it littered with shrapnel, with a particularly large piece piercing through her right shoulder.

    Flare was faring no better, having her whole left side pelted with the impromptu wooden projectiles. Whilst nothing over four centimeters in diameter was stuck anywhere, the sheer amount caused her and Ivy and collapse on the spot.

    Thankfully, Teresa was on the opposite end of the fire, giving her a few precious milliseconds to react and hit the deck.

    However, she was still hit by a few stray bits of wood.

    Instantly, I conjured a thick dome of ice around the party and extinguished the fire. The ice should let some of the morning light in, allowing us to both see our injured party members and each other.

    "What the hell was that!" Teresa yelled, pulling the shrapnel out of her first and Ivy immediately after.

    "I have no idea. I guess we''d gotten too used to night raids." I say, dashing over to Flare and tending to her, pulling the shrapnel out and healing every would it left.

    She''ll feel the pain when she wakes up, but for now, I''m not going to be able to count on her for any help.

    After removing all of the main pieces of shrapnel and healing all of the immediately life-threatening wounds, I picked her up and gently placed her next to the unconscious Ivy.

    As Teresa and I looked into each other''s eyes, we both knew our respective roles.

    Instantly, I launched myself out of the ice dome, shrinking and strengthening it, giving Teresa just enough space to get to work.

    Once the dome was one-third the size and three times as dense, I conjured two additional barriers, one of wind and another of ice. Healer''s Palace was complete, the defense formation Teresa and I had planned out in case of emergencies.

    Teresa would heal all of the injured party members, whilst I would keep them safe and buy time. If a foe was strong enough to incapacitate the rest of the party, I had no hope of winning alone.

    Although the situation had changed, the formation and idea were the same.

    Once I was outside of the dome, I quickly focused on the real task at hand. Finding the attacker.

    Thankfully, I didn''t have to look too hard at all.

    "Well, that''s quite unexpected, I would have thought my Special Delivery would incapacitate the lot of you. Color me impressed, Ice Blood." A menacing voice said, as a black-cloaked man slowly descended from the sky, landing a mere ten metes from me.

    "Why attack us in the middle of the day?" I ask, both curious and relieved.

    Most of our attackers wouldn''t give a conversation the time of day and elected for instant action. The more I could make this guy talk, the more time I can waste for Teresa to work her magic.

    "I never understood why amateurs always choose to attack at night. It''s when people are most vigilant, almost expecting to be attacked. During the day, especially the morning, I''ve found people tend to be relaxed. My turn, why are you protecting the Jeralik?" The man asked, his voice slightly muffled behind a thick black mask of cloth.

    "I''m her bodyguard, officially hired and licensed through the adventurers union. The pay is good, and she''s not a bad person from what I''ve seen. Who are you? Why are you attacking us?" I ask cautiously. Please keep talking and give me time to channel more spells.

    "For reference, I''m only after the head of the Jeralik. If you want to make the amicable, you could fire off a few spells, let me hit you once, drop your defenses, and let me kill her. That way you and your party live with minimal injury, and we don''t have to have a long-drawn-out fight that ends in the same way." The black-cloaked man remarked, flipping something between his fingers. "As for my identity, consider me the opposite of someone like you. You were hired to protect the Princess, I was hired to kill her. In fact, if not for your efforts, Prince of Frozen Blood, I may have never been able to get a job this lucrative. For that, I thank you." The psycho said, giving me a slight bow.

    Now I know I have to fight him, but there''s something I need to ask beforehand.

    "Where the hell did that nickname even come from? I''m no prince, nor anything of the sort." I ask this one out of pure curiosity.

    "That''s simple isn''t it?" The man says, chuckling slightly before continuing, "You''re an ice mage, known for freezing people solid, blood and all. Hence the name Ice Blood or Frozen Blood, which are for all intents and purposes Mask Names, given to those in my line of work. Since you were so skilled at ice magic and ruthless enough to freeze someone to death, you were originally thought to be someone from our line of work. However, instead of attacking the royals, you protect the princess, hence, The Prince. Combine the two, and you get your little nickname. Satisfied?" He said, chuckling as he explained why so many of our attackers had referred to me like that.

    "Yep, and I''m guessing we''re gonna have to fight now? Since you don''t seem like the type of guy to just back off." I remark, getting into a fighting stance.

    "So it seems.." He says, his voice hardening as he too dropped into an offensive stance.